Paridon Gazetteer

[Nathan of the FoS]

Okay, the question has to be asked.

How much Fraternity involvement do you want with this project?

Do you really WANT this to be the next stop on the FoS' tour of the lands? Or would you rather have this unrelated to the other works and stand-alone? Or somewhere in-between (Fraternity edits for style and consistancy and fills in any gaps but bulk written by others)?

How we tried to do the Souragne gaz was to write the bulk ourselves and then have side-bars and smaller sub-sections filled in by the larger community. But there are some many lengthy ideas here that might not work to the same extent...

Further note which might influence y'all's thinking on this point: We were considering using the search for Erik van Rijn as a "McGuffin" for the new Gazetteer series (not a firm decision, just something we were batting around). The "Evening with the Fraternity" thread hints that Paridon is one likely spot for van Rijn to be in hiding (see the "Cut Scenes" thread). Do you guys want to incorporate that potential plot element into your Paridon Gazetteer?

[Pamela]

We really do want this to be a Frat Gazetteer. We'd love it to be the next stop on the FoS plot (I had wondered- and hoped- Nathan, at Alanik Ray's deductions including Paridon). What role of involvement we have is, as far as I am concerned, up to you. If there are core issues (as in the Souragne Gazetteer) that the Frat want to cover, then please do, and let us know what areas surrounding these we can help fill out. There's certainly a hell of a lot to cover with this cluster. I am sorry if we've been stepping on toes. It was never our intention to stop any project from coming into existence (yo, Nocturnal Sea and Amber Waste fans!) but to take advantage of the moment and actually start to write about something we love.

As a related aside, we'd been debating between ourselves about a canonical and apocryphal section. Nosos, the Industrial or Steam Age, and a newly-emergent monarchy have all revealed both strong opponents and defenders. One way we were considering dealing with the issue was having a canon and apocryphal section, so to speak. Nosus' domain would be included as a 'neighbour' a la WW Gazetteers, with a possible relation by Mistways (we've been debating this even between ourselves); the apocryphal section would describe it geographically as part of the Zherisian cluster. Nosus, after all, resonates with the feel of Paridon technologically, culturally and thematically. It's eventually going to be included in a gazetteer, so what better one than this (I also recall that Nathan had listed it as another possible source for van Rijn's plan)? There's got to be recognition of these ideas; it resonates with too many of us to be ignored due to its not being holy writ, so to speak.

How does any of this sound? Can we work for you or with you, and if so, how?

[Jester of the FoS]

Unlike published domains and books, we are not bound to fill a certain page-count. We don't need to lump lands such as Nosos and Paridon to meet a word-count quota.

Canon is the way to go. Fan-varients are fine but for this Gaz series we are trying to be a continuation, and that means sticking to the official writ where possible (even if we prefer an alternative).

If this is to be a Fraternity project major work should wait until after the Souragne gaz sees the light of day, to give an idea of the feel of the narrator and approach... Brainstorming is okay but full drafts should wait.

[Undead Cabbage]

Whhoops! In the time it took me to type, two more posts came on...

For the plot, we were actually thinking the same thing. One idea is that the knight William Blackmoor and Professor Gertrude Kingsley (both of which were present for the fateful night) were perhaps following up on this lead after being separeted from the fraternity. We would love to have this Gaz be included in the story of the Fraternity. So yes, we DO want to incorporate that potential plot element into the Gaz. While the Fraternity sets roots in Souragne, some allies of the fraternity follow up on the incident.

Of course, however it is tempting, I assure you the audience would not suffer the bathos of an Undead Cabbage conversing with the main characters . It is fitting that Gertrude is actually from Paridon, and that William Blackmoor is a knight in the services of Azalin rex.

In the end, the decision is up to you guys, but I would like to emphasize that it would be a honor to have the official stamp, have it included as part of the collection, and to be part of the Fraternity's plot line.

So pretty much, something 'in between' would be nice. We will definately wait before making anything final until the Souragne Gaz is out. We were actually thinking of getting this thing to you guys at around april or so (hopefully a time when you guys have less on your plate).

[Nathan of the FoS]

I have to agree with David--the whole point of having a Gazetteer is to define canon, so having a whole gemish of apocryphal information in the mix won't work out. There's always a fair amount of wiggle room in Dread Possibilities, of course.

I think that a well-defined Mistway between Zherisia and Nosus is a logical and useful addition to canon, although we can't really slap them together. Maybe we could call it "the Iron Road"? What other possible names spring to mind?

[Don Fernando]

I just wanted to give my humble oppinion, about what's beeing discussed here

I agree with Nathan and David, about sticking to canon all the way. We have already a bunch of material we can work on, and we should use it.

The Official Gazetteers, the way I see them, have worked with what was written already, filling up gaps that the original material had. In this context, they offered the dread possibilities, new NPCs, religions and other additional information. Thus, for example, we still have got the same ol' Mordent, but with the addition of the families (great work by the way!!).

Working in this direction with our gazetteers will ensure us to have a solid piece of work, and in the case of a Ravenloft comeback (which I very much hope it will happen) will allow us to connect it with the next edition (not to mention the possibility of beeing used as a reference or even something better... )

[Pamela]

I don't agree with there being a 'bunch of material' on Paridon, Don Fernando, but then that's why I wanted a gazetteer in the first place.

I think that a well-defined Mistway between Zherisia and Nosus is a logical and useful addition to canon, although we can't really slap them together. Maybe we could call it "the Iron Road"? What other possible names spring to mind?

I was hoping for that at least! Iron Road really is the best name for that as far as I’m concerned. I always found it annoying that there was a Mistway between Darkon and Paridon but there’s no suggestion as to what impact this has had, if any, on trade, relations, etc. Did they ever say where exactly The Shrouded Way was located- was it on land or sea, for example? Was it close to Martira Bay or somewhere else?

The issue of trade for food has always been a problem for me. Neither Dementlieu nor Lamordia, their closest neighbours culturally are able to support themselves, let alone Paridon. Falkovnia would sound like a good bet- but what would Drakov accept? He doesn’t like guns, so does his code extend to other items? Every nation further that the food has to travel invites more problems for Paridon, and there have been no suggestions that I am aware of in canon to suggest any island or cluster that would/could be able to deal with this problem. If the Shrouded Way were approached by boat, I could see a possibility for pirates being useful, but that could hardly be good for regular supply.

Or is the Souragne gazetteer going to be answering one possible source of food?

[Le Noir Faineant]

Des, you're calling me 'cabby' has seriously made my day...I feel like a taxi-driver now. Ironic that we're working on a giant city.

So, now you know how to immortalize yourself in the book - wouldn't a Paridonese taxi-driver be a cool avatar?

[William Blackmoor]

Did they ever say where exactly The Shrouded Way was located- was it on land or sea, for example? Was it close to Martira Bay or somewhere else?

The campaign setting says only the Shrouded Way is located in northwestern Darkon and arrives in southern Paridon. Seems to be a land way.

Personaly I added "The Nodnal-Current" that connects the southern Nodnal river to the northern Sea of Sorrows and the railway to Nosos as a Dread Possibility. "The Iron Way" would be a good name for it.

[Undead Cabbage]

Another idea might be to make the 'Iron way' dread possibility a product of the dark powers, as opposed to technology (if we need to keep things renaissance). Similar to how Mordenheim never actually had the technology to create living matter, in a fix the train would be a ...'blessing' that the residents of Paridon would take credit for making.

[Mortavius]

In all the campaign settings it has been said that Falkovnia was the breadbasket of the Core. That domain supplies a lot of others with food. As to what Falkovnia would accept, does mere gold seem so out of character? Drakov disdaines guns (although that may be changing), but he still needs to fund his armies. And although others need his food, he needs their coin just as much. Drakov may have food, but he doesn't necessarily have the resources to start a war (ie. metal for arms) in his domain. He can get that from exporting, and buying from other domains.

Plus, although Drakov has tried to invade all the domains surrounding him at one point or another, only Darkon has earned his true enemity. All his other attempts have either been half-hearted and/or crushed so well that he has never attempted them again.

But this is getting off-topic for this thread, so I'll let it go here.

[Undead Cabbage]

One thing that Paridon might have to contribute to Falkovnia is science.

Vlad rejects gun powder weapons outright. However, I also read in the Falkovnia Gaz that he is pressed for machines of war. Paridon's scientific community might be an asset to him.

[Jasper]

Especially in the fields on medical science and genetics. Vlads minster of science would love to get his hands on Paridons books on anatomy and physiology as they would be second only to Lamordia in advancement.

A few more years of study and he might just crack the super soldier formula

[Undead Cabbage]

A few more years of study and he might just crack the super soldier formula Smile

Alchemical Philosophy, Divinity of Mankind, kind of funny how that works out.

[Pamela]

@ Mortavius: wheat for gold does make sense of course- I'm just so used to thinking 'barter system' that I forget simple things like money. Duh...

And on the issue of science and technology- exactly what kind do we have here? Are there any particular crafts that Paridon would excel in? Lamordia is renowned for the excellence of their crafts? Are Paridon's again second-class, but able to be reproduced cheaply and on a bigger scale (are there factories)?

Sorry for all the questions but I personally have a hard idea defining how far technologically Lamordia and Paridon have gone.

EDIT: The following are links which I found relating to this topic. Are any 18th century inventions included in a view of Paridon's present history? The Industrial Revolution apparently started in 1700 according to one of these timelines- has Paridon even begun to cross the border?

http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... l1500s.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... l1600s.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... l1700s.htm

http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/o ... cience.htm