Daldarr

Daldarr

This is the reference page for Daldarr, a solo play, collaborative world-building game using the Mythic GM emulator.

• Recruitment thread: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=495277
• IC thread: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=495506
• OOC thread: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=495507

Players & Characters

• Chronicler - [BoL] Valinor the Prelate, an annointed demon-slayer and witch-hunter for the Church of Solanthar in Alynsia.
• Devil - [Savage Worlds] Lorash Kalil, mercenary assassin with an unrelenting sense of 'honor among thieves'. Heir to the fallen northern Duchy of Vasterborg.
• Harwel - [BoL] Volun Tor is a northern barbarian whose tribe was defeated by a rival. He has since worked as a mercenary, turning his hand to whatever is most profitable.
• Kredoc - [Fudge] Tartin Hamarch, street rat turned rogue.
• Lionrampant - [T&T] Arathor Welson, mercenary from Duchy of Kaasgard. Killed by bandits on the road to Valleyport.
• Lionrampant - [T&T] Allandra, a freelance sellsword and rogue sorceress currently working for House Isdar.
• Neal - Luther, 17-year-old street thief and secret bastard of Duke Talaven.
• Skydigger - [PDQ] Lors, former foot soldier who fought and survived many wars by skills and guile, and who now survives the peacetime at Daldarr streets.

Play Guidelines

These are the rules governing play for this game.

• No killing off, or irrevocably changing someone else's PC without their express permission.
• Participants are welcome to use whatever system they like, but should follow the guidelines for setting, genre, and power level.
• NPCs are fair game, but ask the creator before dramatically affecting them. I think part of the fun of this will be seeing an NPC you've created suddenly do something unexpected. On the other hand I think it's fair to provide their creator with the option of keeping them in their own character's orbit to some extent. Killing off a PCs mentor, for example, might seriously impact the player's fun.
• Define without constraining. When creating setting, try to add features without creating artificial barriers to further creation. Example: Rather than declaring a pantheon of gods and outlining their attributes, simply declare "there are many gods", then define what is necessary for your own story, leaving the pantheon open for expansion.
• Don't "block" someone else's creative idea for the setting. Like the rules of improv theatre, a scene can only live if the participants say yes to a concept rather than no. For example, if you have set in your scenes that a town is, say, run by a jovial fat man, I'm not going to come in, kill him off, and replace him with someone who works best for my story (unless there's a really compelling reason for that, of course). Or if someone establishes the existence of elves (or something), don't have the rulers of the world suddenly commit genocide on the elven race simply because you don't like them. Use what's already established. Build up, don't tear down. This is also pretty much a rule that the Thieves' World authors were going by, IIRC.

Setting Guidelines

• Power level: Gritty to low fantasy
• Style: Swords and Sorcery

The Setting

Climate & Season

It is currently early autumn in Daldarr. The general climate is temperate. The coastal plain surrounding Daldarr City is generally mild, protected by the Crimson Mountains and warmed by a strong northward current that pushes warm southern waters into Red Cliff Bay year round. To the north the land rises, becoming much colder on average.

People

• ??? (Priest of Vachbar) - Priest of foul undead (?) god Vachbar; masquerading as priest of the goddess of Healing, and beloved in Valleyport for his generosity and piety. He apparently has the power to curse his enemies, as he wound up cursing Lorash for invading his secret monastery and killing some of the cultists.
• Alfreda DeBase - a freelance wizardess from Daldarr City.
• Assim the Physician - a healer and apothecary in Daldarr City.
• Brutus - thuggish head of Duke Talaven of Daldarr's bodyguard contingent. He investigated the Duke's death but came up empty handed.
• Cerlad, guardsman of Eastern Gates guardhouse with reputation of drunkard.
• Chitkari - one of a pair of tough-looking mercenaries, seen on the Docks in Daldarr.
• Criq, guardsman of Eastern Gates guardhouse.
• Daksha Camir - cousin to Vishin and Prada, works as a mercenary guard. Not too sharp. Ex-army (Daldarr). Lives with three other ex-army types, all working as guards/muscle.
• Duke Hemsegot - Duke of Kaasgard
• Duke Talaven, deceased - former Duke of Daldarr. Murdered along with all his family by an unknown assassin
• Emtis Ethon - a man accused of stealing a statue from Polroth Iros. Looks kind of like a rat and has stringy black hair. Killed by Volun Tor in the recovery of the statue.
  • Daust, Jaddish, and Sidan - Emtis Ethon's accomplices / crew. Daust was also killed by Volun Tor.
• Gana Hamarch - Tartin Hamarch's mother, a prostitute working in the House of Blue Curtains.
• Ghadyn - A sergeant-at-arms of House Ersas, accompanying Volun Tor on a mission with a few other soldiers.
• Gyana and Nirmuk - a pair of mercenary types, one step up from typical street rabble.
• Gyati - An old woman with some specialist knowledge of magic, particularly with regards to magic portals and extra-planar contacts (very skilled).
  • Mahavad - Gyati's man servant. Extremely tall.
• Hayli - a new working girl (virgin) abducted from the House of Blue Curtains
• Ildcha, guardsman of Eastern Gates.
• Ixam, a mysterious foreigner who hired Emtis Ethon's crew to steal a work of art from Polroth Iros.
• Jana - a new working girl (virgin) from the House of Blue Curtains
• Kahidy, rookie of City Guard, psted to Eastern Gates guardhouse.
• Kai-Kur - Loyal retainer to Lorash Kalil
• Kari a young girl who works as a waitress in the Three Goblets. She has long black hair and a scar on her left cheek that gives her a perpetually crooked smile.
• Lord Zachan Isdar - a member of House Isdar, who has hired Allandra to do some jobs in the past.
• Lorunt - proprietor of The Fleeting Bowl Inn in Daldarr city. A balding, paunchy, middle-aged man.
• Madam Siash - the greedy proprietress of the House of Blue Curtains
• Magistrate of Daldarr, the - ???
• Mervon - a Daldarr City watchman. Greedy and dim. Corrupt.
• Mona - mother of Allandra, early '50s, lives in Daldarr. Not in good health.
• Mr. Lolota, owner of sheep farm on the outskirts of Daldarr.
• Osvik - Proprietor of the Bleeding Bear Tavern in Valleyport; Luther's adoptive father
• Polroth Iros - a corpulent man, apparently a merchant specializing in rare items, who recently hired Volun Tor in Daldarr City to track down and recover stolen art from the thief, Emtis Ethon.
• Prankar is the proprietor of the Three Goblets.
• Riold - Polroth Iros's lackey / bootlicker. Dresses in yellow silks.
• Saing - A noble of House Ersas, now in possession of a statue that gives the owner dream visions of what they desire.
  • Woril - Saing's bodyguard.
• Scarecrow - an old crone who makes her living as an information broker. Can be found in Daldarr City, most often in the market. Not very reliable, but keeps her lips zipped for only a few coins.
• Sharad, a one-armed old man, is one of several people who serve as informal bath attendants at The Steps.
• Sibyl Coffer - a cabinet-maker operating out of the merchant district in Daldarr, and distant relative to Arathor.
• Stormfar - Someone who Kai-kur was mistaken for, of importance to the Magistrate of Daldarr.
• Styger - one of Duke Talaven's wandering Mendicants
• Swain Tapster - a tapestry maker in Daldarr. His mother and Allandra's mother are acquaintances. He is disdainful of organized religion, and is still somewhat childish and petulant. Above average physical appearance.
• Tainysy was a serving wench at Ashmere Inn, now waiting tables at The Fleeting Bowl Inn. An attractive young brunette.
• Teann - Star knife-thrower in a wandering gypsie circus; ex-lover of Lorash
• Tuled, sergeant of City Guard in charge of Eastern Gates guardhouse.
• Vajrad - con artist and thief, a member of Hidden Justice.
• Vinmar the Mediator - a mediator up until recently negotiating the peace between Daldarr and Kaasgard; secretly had Talaven assassinated for unknown reasons. He has dealings with the Unnamed Priest and potentially the cult based at the hidden temple and monastery ruins west of Valleyport.
• Vishin and Prada Camir - a pair of thuggish brothers (Vishin's the one with red hair, Prada is the fat one). They live near the Water Market and recently put a hurt on Tartin, stealing one of his prized throwing knives in the process.
• Vorgnan - a lecherous old man who lives in the old boat house at Red Cliffs Bay.
• Yndor - A healer in Valleyport. Has a beautiful young daughter as an apprentice.
• Zaricu Shen - Renegade priest of Bhayoni and sorcerer. Works as a mercenary in and around Daldarr City.
• Zaron - a demon-summoning apostate who's being hunted by Valinor the Prelate

Places

Guideline for locating places: Let's use Daldarr City as the center point of our map and place other locales relative to the city. For distance I think near (within a day's travel), far (a few day's travel), and distant (much further) are reasonable to start.

Alynsia

A powerful western kingdom that's technically a monarchy but runs more like a theocracy due to the sovereign influence of the Church of Solanthar. (Distant)

• Even further west from Daldarr than the Crimson Mountains.

Ashmere Village

A sleepy farming community, about a half-day's travel west of Daldarr City, along the Western Road to Valleyport.

• The Ashmere Inn serves as a small rest stop along the trade route between Dalarr city and points west.

The Crimson Mountains

A treacherous mountain range west of Daldarr, running north to south. A haven for renegades and bandits.

• The nearest point on the range is far (three days) from Daldarr's west gate.
• The narcotic mushroom Alache grows on the upper slopes of this mountain range.

Daldarr City

Capital of the Duchy of Daldarr, built at the mouth of the Daldarr River where it empties into Red Cliffs Bay.

• The Bronze Panther - a dirty watering hole in the part of the city influenced by House Isdar, a typical wretched hive of scum and villainy.
• Eastern Gates is one of official routes in an out of Daldarr. Tolls are collected at the local guardpost.
• The Fleeting Bowl Inn is an inn and tavern, popular with merchants passing though.
• The Fortress the common phrase used to refer to the city's main keep and inner defensive works.
  • East Wing the section of the fortress nearest The Docks. There's at least one gate leading into the city from this section.
• Highwall Street a major road with better quality inns and businesses. It takes its name from the city's outer wall that rises above it.
• House of Blue Curtains - A brothel near the Water Market.
• The Keep is a colloquial name for City Guard heardquarters.
• The Olive and Eel - A more high-brow public house located on Highwall Street.
• Red Cliffs Bay lies south-east of Daldarr.
• The Red Duck - A dive of a bar on the waterfront, frequented by sailors and those that prey on them.
• The Steps is a section of river bank that's been reinforced with stonework. The poor use it as an informal bathhouse.
• The Water Market - An open air market surrounded by bars and brothels favored by sailors fresh of the docks. The market features imports from freshly arrived cargo ships along with the daily catch from the local fishing fleet.
• The Wavecutter a cargo ship that may or may not be in port at quay 14. Might be carrying amber and silver as cargo.
• Three Goblets is a low-class dive of a restaurant near the riverfront.

Duchy of Kaasgard

A dukedom to the east. Ruled by Duke Hemsegot. Currently at a ceasefire with Daldarr. (Far)

Duchy of Vasterborg

Destroyed dukedom far to the north. Overrun by foreign powers. (Distant)

Harana Islands

Densely populated island state. (Very distant)

Hidden Temple and Monastery Ruins

Somewhere to the west, towards the Crimson Mountains, is a hidden temple to some foul god (Vachbar). The undead guardians there have been destroyed... (by Lorash?) for now. As well, there is an abandoned monastery near the temple where several cultists of Vachbar have recently engaged in some kind of worship.

• Their apparent leader is the unnamed priest.
• Far west of Daldarr.

Valar

Frigid lands to the north of Vasterborg, with many barbarian tribes who continually battle with each other for scant resources.

• Valar is largely steppe and tundra.
• The barbarians who live here are noted for horsemanship, and frequently hunt by bringing down grass-grazing herd animals, riding them down on horseback and finishing them with javelins and slings. Because most of the vegetation is grass and scrub, meat is large part of Valarian diet.
• There is typically a Great Hunt before the first snows fall, to thin the herd rather than have the harsh winter claim them.

Valleyport

A town west of Daldarr, near the Crimson Mountains. (Far, at the edge of the Crimson Range)

• The Barrow and Spring – Expensive Inn in Valleyport
• The Bleeding Bear - A popular tavern, run by one Osvik, a rather helpful sort to the local scum.
• Circus camp - a small band of circus performers (Gypsies, mostly). Their star performer is a knife-thrower named Teann. She is Lorash's ex-lover, and was not happy to see him when he passed through their camp whilst following Vinmar and the priest.
• Valleyport Ale Festival - A raucous ale festival.

Village of Oxenbrooks

Large village north-west of Daldarr, which was burned to ground for transgression of some kind. Fate of its denizens is uncertain.

Groups

• Duke's Armsmen - elite unit under command of Duke Daldarr.
• Hidden Justice - a waterfront criminal gang, running a protection racket on the businesses around the Water Market and preying on the foreign sailors that venture there after dark. They also keep the area clear of press gangs, a service that earns them their nickname and the friendly support of the local fishermen.
• The Hounds - a mercenary company operating in and around Daldarr City.
• House Ersas - one of the noble families of Daldarr, reputed for scholarly, philosophical, and sorcerous pursuits.
• House Isdar - one of the noble families of Daldarr, locked in the vendetta with House Tasdra for three generations.
• House Tasdra - one of the noble families of Daldarr, locked in the vendetta with House Isdar for three generations.
• Lion's Banner - a unit of Daldarr army, which suffered heavy losses in last battles of war and was disbanded soon after ceasefire.
• The Martyrs - Revolutionary band which, under new leadership, has devolved into a glorified thieves' guild
• Mendicants – wandering hedge-wizard healers of Duke Talaven who take an oath of poverty, and who teach that only through submission to the ruling classes can true healing be gifted to the ill
• The Stonebreakers - a company of mercenary infantry that has recently been operating in the area south of Kaasgard.

Deities

• Bhayoni - god/goddess of shadows and illusion.
• Estume - goddess of love, sex, and fertility.
• Solanthar - a greater god (solar deity) of light, fire, strength, and healing. Worshipped primarily in the Kingdom of Alynsia.
• St. Dal - a demigod, which have a festival in Daldarr in the winter. Rivalry of Tasdra and Isdar nobles began at the eve of it a century ago.
• Vachbar - old god of the undead (?)
• Vorar - a very unpleasant deity, owner of Seven Pits of Hell

Other

• Alache - a narcotic mushroom native to and cultivated on the slopes of the Crimson Mountains.
• Bladebears - ferocious predators of the Crimson Mountains. Typically encountered at higher elevations.
• Good Sign - a gesture that ought to keep evil spirits at bay; generic "protection from all evil" ward.
• Abernan rose - an herb commonly used as a sleep aid. A strong dose can be used to knock somebody out for upwards of an hour. Commonly blended with tea, as it is bitter on its own.