Author Topic: What is Norbayne?  (Read 54393 times)

Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2013, 12:48:35 PM »
Okay then, and let the answering commence yet again. :P

1. Race wars would be far more of a problem if the kingdoms trusted each other enough to get together and do something about it. I've kept the fluff sparse to this date simply because I felt that crunch was a bigger deal and I can just ad-lib history for the group as needed. (I did just that in the latest session which I'm halfway through transcribing at the moment. ;) ) As it is, a good GM could definitely turn the race wars into a very compelling campaign.

2. Luck of the dice definitely at the beginning. Lately Breanna has been amazingly effective simply down to some incredible rolls. Breanna's build was relatively weak at the beginning and Maebh is built around dealing obscene amounts of burnination, but Harold's was probably the most 'technically' sound build and so far he's not had much of a chance to show this due to some poor rolling. That being said, he's definitely had his moments.

3. The Midlanders don't necessarily see themselves as sharing any real kinship with each other. For instance in medieval Britain, the Welsh, Irish, English and Scottish all hated each other despite being "the same." (I'm being horribly general here. The point I'm trying to make is that despite the fact that they were all four limbs, one head, pale skinned etc. they all still fought and killed each other.) So Northlanders probably view Southerners as heathen decadents while the Southerners see the Northlanders as uncultured barbarians. The wars and hatreds are generally built more around realm borders rather than racial differences. Generally.

4. Now on the other hand, how I envision it, the majority of Norbayne would be considered 'homeland' for the Midlanders. Sure the Wardenfells are given up as a lost cause and the Boltmoors are pretty well guarded. Black Fens are too scary to bother with (Linyati and Crogail are nasty buggers.) and this is just Norbayne. Unterguardt, Sothbayne and Varr are nearby landmasses that are even worse. But there could certainly be Midlander towns and even kingdoms that don't allow non-Midlanders in. Permission to shoot on sight, Leathe tails hung up on the doors, that sort of thing. As always, very open to the GM.

5. As to the doors, believe it or not, I hadn't thought of this. :P I guess that places might do something similar to the gates of Bree in the Fellowship of the Ring, having a smaller door for peoples like the Leathe and then larger doors built around it for those who can't fit. ;)

I hope I covered everything there, I'm being distracted as I type,
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2013, 01:24:28 PM »
I'm being distracted as I type,

have fun ;)


I am really in awe, it's a great creation you have here.

I actually can't think of any more questions for the moment which I'm sure you'll be pleased to take a break from answering :P
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2013, 01:30:46 PM »
I am really in awe, it's a great creation you have here.

Why, thank you mate. It's been a real labour of love. :)

As to the questions, not at all. ;) Fire away when you have them and I'll be happy to answer them. The more questions the better as I can then flesh out what I have if I need to. So by all means go for it when you have some. :D

But in a minute, let me get my breath back first. :P
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #18 on: May 24, 2013, 07:03:17 PM »
Back again, this time with a lot more. Sorry! xD

I've been reading a bit more and I'm a little confused of the geography. Have I got this right so far?

The assumption I'm making here is that Norbayne is in the middle (as in all references to east, west, north, south are from Norbayne):

The north of Norbayne is cold and the south of Norbayne is mountainous.

Sothbayne is in the south, Far South is southerer.

Unterguardt is north of Northbayne and has a substantial mountain range in the north. Men generally dwelling mid-south Unterguardt and dwarves in the mountains. Borders constantly shifting due to conflict.

North Norbayne is divided up into Rockfall and Crowpeak, east Norbayne is divided up into Naille and Elspeth, south Norbayne is Drell. This bit I think I understand.

I have no idea where to put these places or if they're part of Norbayne or seperate landmasses or what...Sorry if it's answered somewhere else.

Dark Fen is somewhere
Dunscarth is somewhere
Wardenfells(Substitute two letters and my Bosmer rogue comes from there :P) are east-south-east, both the Leathe and Danann live here in mutual tension (I assume) though the Leathe keep to the northwest while the Danann roam a lot more.
Eastern Tundra, in the east(gee shucks wonder how I guessed that) above the Wardenfells?
The Boltmoors are in the north-west, other type of dwarven lands.
Isle of Varr, owned by the raider Invarrians

The undergound inhabited by the Greyskins can potentially be anywhere I assume but also I'd reason there would be under-kingdoms seperating them into numbers that are manageable to rule?

I'm drawing a map but don't get hopes up if you still want a map maker. I can't draw for armadillo :P. I'm planning on using it to try and make up a little expedition and the tales of a group of travellers that get run out of or otherwise forced to leave pretty much any place they start to call home, sticking together all the way whatever comes at them. But I want to set them in a variety of lands and when they come full circle, they're pretty much the most well travelled individuals in the world.

3 Full Questions:

Am I right in thinking that there are invasions onto the Isle of Varr every now and then to curb the piracy, much like the chinese did against the Japanese Woku Pirates?

How did the Bovus Empire fall?

Can one cross from Norbayne to Sothbayne on foot? The mountains could be taken as nigh on impassable.
Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.


Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #19 on: May 24, 2013, 07:56:38 PM »
Also if you're looking for diseases.

One that causes irrationality and loss of cognitive thought in the extreme, as in 'Why are you trying to feed a Capaill to the wall, Steve the Minotaur?' 'Rainbows'. Effect vary, Leathe are immune, until science really takes off nobody will know why.

A reaction that causes psycopathy and pale yellow skin coloration in magic addicts, people who get a buzz out of using 'cure wounds' on themselves.

That's all I got. I like the 2nd one, first one is pretty generic.
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #20 on: May 25, 2013, 04:41:25 AM »
Okay, I'm going to try and answer this as best I can. Here goes:
Quote
I've been reading a bit more and I'm a little confused of the geography. Have I got this right so far?
Don't feel too bad about being confused with the geography, I've only really just gotten that completely hammered out recently myself. :P

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The assumption I'm making here is that Norbayne is in the middle (as in all references to east, west, north, south are from Norbayne):

The north of Norbayne is cold and the south of Norbayne is mountainous.
Absolutely right. The south is also pretty warm. Not desert, but wet and hot in the summer and dry and slightly less hot in the winter.

Quote
Sothbayne is in the south, Far South is southerer.
Yes, but keep in mind that Sothbayne is another landmass. It is a larger landmass to the south, just across some straits or something. Haven't completely figured out just how far away it is, but close enough that the inhabitants of Sothbayne and those of Norbayne do have something to do with each other.

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Unterguardt is north of Northbayne and has a substantial mountain range in the north. Men generally dwelling mid-south Unterguardt and dwarves in the mountains. Borders constantly shifting due to conflict.
Correct. Very cold and snowy. In basic terms, think Skyrim as far as climate goes. It is another landmass. I think. Alternatively the border with Norbayne might be a high, dangerous mountain range. Not impassable, but difficult.

Quote
North Norbayne is divided up into Rockfall and Crowpeak, east Norbayne is divided up into Naille and Elspeth, south Norbayne is Drell. This bit I think I understand.
Yes, though there are many other kingdoms too. One small retcon I must fix up, Naille and Elspeth are now in the west.

Quote
I have no idea where to put these places or if they're part of Norbayne or seperate landmasses or what...Sorry if it's answered somewhere else.

Dark Fen is somewhere
Dunscarth is somewhere
Wardenfells(Substitute two letters and my Bosmer rogue comes from there  ) are east-south-east, both the Leathe and Danann live here in mutual tension (I assume) though the Leathe keep to the northwest while the Danann roam a lot more.
Eastern Tundra, in the east(gee shucks wonder how I guessed that) above the Wardenfells?
The Boltmoors are in the north-west, other type of dwarven lands.
Isle of Varr, owned by the raider Invarrians
No problems, I don't think I've ever really explained the geography. Even my playtest group have only seen a basic sketch of the kingdoms in the general vicinity of Summer Hill.

Dark Fen is in the south-west of Norbayne. It is not particularly large and hemmed in by mountains, tucked into the side of the tail of the Wardenfells.

The Merigund of the Dunscarth is actually in Sothbayne. I haven't figured out precisely where, save that it is in the north. Or perhaps it might be in the south of Norbayne. I'm not entirely sure.
You are correct regarding the Wardenfells. As an interesting note, the mountains that divide the Southlands of Norbayne from the Midlands are the Wardenfells which reach around in somewhat of a backwards 'L' shape.

The Eastern Tundra is indeed to the north of the Wardenfells. It also encompasses the Mystrand, a string of islands to the north.

The Isle of Varr is situated to the west of Unterguardt.

Quote
The undergound inhabited by the Greyskins can potentially be anywhere I assume but also I'd reason there would be under-kingdoms seperating them into numbers that are manageable to rule?
The Dunscarth are not particularly numerous. The Merigund itself has no overall ruler. Every town has people in charge, but the Dunscarth themselves are not united.

Quote
I'm drawing a map but don't get hopes up if you still want a map maker. I can't draw for armadillo :P . I'm planning on using it to try and make up a little expedition and the tales of a group of travellers that get run out of or otherwise forced to leave pretty much any place they start to call home, sticking together all the way whatever comes at them. But I want to set them in a variety of lands and when they come full circle, they're pretty much the most well travelled individuals in the world.
I too am not very good at cartography, but I have given it a shot. I'd be very happy to see what you come up with. Who knows, it might help me finalise some stuff I haven't completely figured out yet. :)

Quote
Am I right in thinking that there are invasions onto the Isle of Varr every now and then to curb the piracy, much like the chinese did against the Japanese Woku Pirates?
Sometimes a kingdom might get pissed off enough to attempt an assault on the source of the attacks, but due to the strength of the Invarrian navy, this is rarely very successful. How long that can last however?

Quote
How did the Bovus Empire fall?
Well then, the Bovus Empire was exceptionally powerful. They landed on the western shores of Norbayne as a people fleeing from an unremembered menace in their homelands. Compared to the indigenous people of Norbayne, the Bovus were both technologically advanced and physically powerful. They quickly took almost all of Norbayne as their own, though Dark Fen and the Wardenfells remained unconquered due to the climate not being conducive to the Bovus heavy infantry.

After having taken over, they began to build large cities, most of which are ruins today. The Bovus Empire eventually split when an Emperor died with three heirs who fought amongst themselves for overall power. Whilst this was occurring, the ancestors of the Geardarr rose up and freed themselves from their Bovus overlords. Other slave communities followed and in time the Bovus power was broken, their numbers too few and the technological gap too small to lord over the other peoples of Norbayne as they once did. The Bovus split into the Krowavir, massive, wild descendants of the old empire, and those known as the Feartarbh who keep the legacy alive.

To answer your question, infighting and mixed succession, followed by slave revolts and military campaigns over the course of a few centuries.

Quote
Can one cross from Norbayne to Sothbayne on foot? The mountains could be taken as nigh on impassable.
Quote
Norbayne and Sothbayne are separated by ocean, which may be traversed by ship. The Midlands and Southlands of Norbayne however, may be travelled between on foot, and this is often the case.
Quote
Also if you're looking for diseases.

One that causes irrationality and loss of cognitive thought in the extreme, as in 'Why are you trying to feed a Capaill to the wall, Steve the Minotaur?' 'Rainbows'. Effect vary, Leathe are immune, until science really takes off nobody will know why.
I quite like this. I believe a similar suggestion was put forward by Ladyhawk who suggested it perhaps be a parasitic spider-type creature which causes the effect. Essentially a zombifying spider.

Quote
A reaction that causes psycopathy and pale yellow skin coloration in magic addicts, people who get a buzz out of using 'cure wounds' on themselves.
That's pretty cool actually. I don't suppose you have any ideas regarding names?

God I hope that's legible. :P Thanks for the questions mate,
Cheers,
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #21 on: May 25, 2013, 01:02:18 PM »
Quote
Also if you're looking for diseases.

One that causes irrationality and loss of cognitive thought in the extreme, as in 'Why are you trying to feed a Capaill to the wall, Steve the Minotaur?' 'Rainbows'. Effect vary, Leathe are immune, until science really takes off nobody will know why.
I quite like this. I believe a similar suggestion was put forward by Ladyhawk who suggested it perhaps be a parasitic spider-type creature which causes the effect. Essentially a zombifying spider.

Quote
A reaction that causes psycopathy and pale yellow skin coloration in magic addicts, people who get a buzz out of using 'cure wounds' on themselves.
That's pretty cool actually. I don't suppose you have any ideas regarding names?

God I hope that's legible. :P Thanks for the questions mate,
Cheers,

Thanks for the reply, rough map is done. Very rough. Norbayne is a circle. Just a circle. If I can persuade my brother to create a map I'll post it. He's 12 but is so much better at drawing than me, even if he's only just started this year :)

Right, now hopefully I can help you with the ambiance items:

For the first, The Undmoric Lowlands spider, a spider without their characteristic ability to climb up any surface but is able to jump over fourteen times the length of their body. Undmorir is a place in south Unterguardt, in the low lying regions occupied by the Northmen. This spider only survives for a couple of days at most outside of extreme cold. They hibernate if Unterguardt ever experiences any heat. (Can easily change it to they live in southlands and extreme heat is the only temp they survive at, but giving them a biological timer means that it can help get a timeframe for an investigation).

The second, Ceatosytensis (sort of like calisthenics, keeping the repetition theme of addicts), firstly the users get a rush of endorphins from the cutting/burning themselves(sounds weird, but true irl), then they get a tingle and a feeling of flowing water on the area where 'cure wounds' is used.  Both the self harming and the healing is addictive, the effects are cumulative.

Cool that this is going in the FAQ :D

Great to read the lore additions also, thanks PG09! :)
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #22 on: May 28, 2013, 10:47:33 AM »
Damn it, I tried to reply to this days ago and I thought it did, but obviously the internet decided to stuff me around. :(

I know what you mean about younger siblings being good at art. I draw stickfigures, my siblings win art awards. :P

Very impressed with the ambience items. ;) Definitely going in so keep your eyes peeled.

And I'm glad you liked everything. If you have more questions or suggestions please feel free. :)
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Ladyhawk

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #23 on: May 28, 2013, 01:31:50 PM »
I am one of the players in Norbayne and I really enjoy it :)

Phoenix has done an absolutely wonderful job with this RPG :) It's a great story and a great place with some great people. :P

I suggest you all have a look at it so you may all be in as much awe as I am ;D
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #24 on: May 28, 2013, 04:26:52 PM »
I finished reading your playtest and it sounds like great fun! helps that each player has epic moments of hilarity in every single paragraph :D
Very impressed with the ambience items. ;) Definitely going in so keep your eyes peeled.
Thanks! One thing that terrifies me (and I know you want a good dash of horror in here) is man eating plants. Plants in general actually, but ones that can eat you have a special place in my nightmares.

Also: slugs that burrow into your flesh, preferring the increased core body temperature (guessing that's lore friendly) of Invarrains, Northmen and Selkye, anesthetizing the wound as they do it so that with a low perception score and some bad luck, you can get one under your skin during the night without realising it. No more than an inch in length and cannibalistic. Unless you can remove it while it's still visble through the surface of the skin, it might live inside you for good, doing all kinds of gleefully disruptive things.

Viscriotor is a one-of-a-kind amphibious ground shrub that is found in the harsh deserts of the Far South but has been known to migrate into Sothbayne and very rarely in southern Norbayne. This shrub can strech for a hundred metres and is usually docile, requiring a lot of light (hence living mainly in the sunnier south) but when 'awakened' is capable of biting cleanly through an ankle bone (think green, mossy bear trap). Unfortunately there is a plant that looks very similar to it which stores water in it's roots, travellers have mistaken the two when dying of dehydration and been eaten. Omnomnom. Some academics think that the plant is a sentient and ancient proto-organism that has survived millenia, perhaps even since the breaking of the world. These are generally not the most reputable of folks, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong.

Slugs are named Joris Slugs after the famous Selkye taxonomist, Joris Ice-Grave (would you mind translating for me? It's basically icelandic, right? <3) that named them. His whereabouts are currently unknown after his expedition to each corner of Norbayne to find and catalogue as many species as he could. There is a slight possibility that this is the main character of my expedition tale I've not yet started. As I figure out where he's going and what kind of problems he's going to face, I'll have more creatures and diseases for you to have a look at. Imo telling a story and seeing what 'fits' is the best way of adding new content, but that's just me :P
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #25 on: May 28, 2013, 04:44:36 PM »
Quote
I finished reading your playtest and it sounds like great fun! helps that each player has epic moments of hilarity in every single paragraph

I'm glad you think so. The players themselves are utterly hilarious. I actually cut a fair bit of the off-topic humourous stuff, leaving only the very best for the public. We crack up every couple of minutes on the night. :P

Quote
Thanks! One thing that terrifies me (and I know you want a good dash of horror in here) is man eating plants. Plants in general actually, but ones that can eat you have a special place in my nightmares.
Ladyhawk has already made a few suggestions along the same lines and there are already a few. A massive Venus Flytrap is pretty straightforward, but razor edged grass which feeds on blood is also present. And more besides, but I won't give too much away. Rest assured that you are correct, horror themes are a must to allow GM's the options to play the type of game they want.

Though the fact that plants in general scare you is worrying mate. Does it stem from anything in your past or do you just find them creepy if you don't mind me asking?

Quote
Also: slugs that burrow into your flesh, preferring the increased core body temperature (guessing that's lore friendly) of Invarrains, Northmen and Selkye, anesthetizing the wound as they do it so that with a low perception score and some bad luck, you can get one under your skin during the night without realising it. No more than an inch in length and cannibalistic. Unless you can remove it while it's still visble through the surface of the skin, it might live inside you for good, doing all kinds of gleefully disruptive things.
Very creepy, though I do imagine that it would perhaps be something in the Dark Fens. Good conditions for that sort of creature, particularly moisture for it to survive in without a host. And then in addition to that, the main peoples' there are reptilian in nature, meaning lower body temperatures on average. Therefore these things wouldn't be a problem to them, but to visiting mammals.... And no one would really know the solution. Perfect for horror. :D

Quote
Viscriotor is a one-of-a-kind amphibious ground shrub that is found in the harsh deserts of the Far South but has been known to migrate into Sothbayne and very rarely in southern Norbayne. This shrub can strech for a hundred metres and is usually docile, requiring a lot of light (hence living mainly in the sunnier south) but when 'awakened' is capable of biting cleanly through an ankle bone (think green, mossy bear trap). Unfortunately there is a plant that looks very similar to it which stores water in it's roots, travellers have mistaken the two when dying of dehydration and been eaten. Omnomnom. Some academics think that the plant is a sentient and ancient proto-organism that has survived millenia, perhaps even since the breaking of the world. These are generally not the most reputable of folks, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong.
Haha this is amazing. I love the idea of a predatory "bear-trap." I "may" change the name to something more fitting, but the idea is absolutely perfect. ;)

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Slugs are named Joris Slugs after the famous Selkye taxonomist, Joris Ice-Grave (would you mind translating for me? It's basically icelandic, right? <3) that named them. His whereabouts are currently unknown after his expedition to each corner of Norbayne to find and catalogue as many species as he could.

According to my translations, Isinn-Groff is the last name. ;)

Quote
There is a slight possibility that this is the main character of my expedition tale I've not yet started. As I figure out where he's going and what kind of problems he's going to face, I'll have more creatures and diseases for you to have a look at. Imo telling a story and seeing what 'fits' is the best way of adding new content, but that's just me.
My friend you are correct and I look forward to incorporating your ideas further. ;)

Thanks for your time yet again, :)
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #26 on: May 28, 2013, 05:18:37 PM »
Thanks for the translation!

I forgot to add, favourite bit: Conversation with The Trickster. LH you made me laugh out loud :D

The plant thing is just me being weird, I don't like how they grow or how they feel it freaks me out. Maybe I saw that movie with the giant plant when I was a kid or something, I don't know but I've never liked them at all :P

Also, phones, clowns, wax models, crawly things, swimming pools, any fish with a mouth larger than the circumference of my head. And giant worms. Snakes are fine though.

Jeez I'm a loser lol.

Glad you liked the ideas though, I'll have more soon! :)
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #27 on: May 28, 2013, 05:41:46 PM »
No problems. ;)

As to the conversation I was really proud of her, actually getting frustrated but taking it out on people in game while staying in character. I was very happy to see it, especially when one considers what happened just a little bit later. :P

As to the scary stuff, I do understand. I'm not fond of many of those things myself, crawly things, fish in general and giant worms are all sort of on my personal Do Not Want list. I don't mind worms but Mongolian Death Worms scare the hell out of me, so I count that. :P

Anyway, looking forward to more ideas and your story sounds very interesting. I know how these things are so I will not pressure you into starting it or anything like that. Instead I will merely offer my support so that you know that if you need a hand from me in the capacity of the creator of Norbayne or that of a writer, I will do what I can to help you.

EDIT* And if you do write it, I'd love to read it. ;)

Cheers,
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Clockwork

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #28 on: May 28, 2013, 06:02:23 PM »
Great, once I get going I'm sure I'll have a load more questions and such. Good to know I have both a great writer and the ultimate knowledge base in my literary toolkit :)

Is there a giant sea monster that inhabits the icy waters around the Isle of Varr? If so I think there will be a fishing trip included.

Mercrabs? The face of a crustacean and the body of a man! Might need some tweaking. or just not included, I'll be the first to admit it's a little rubbish :P

In the Black Fens, a quadrapedal swamp creature that while scary to look at with a single cyclopic eye and usually covered in swamp weed is in fact no danger to anyone. Unless you try to eat it. Think of a small dog, but with no hair, one eye and secretes a sticky coating to provide itself with insulation. Very timid herbivore, pretty commonly found among the marshes, eats swamp weed and lives in small packs of 4-8. Name pending.

I think that while the slug might not have been the best way to do it, the mechanic that a creature prefers the warmer blooded races (or colder, necrophages?) is quite good, I'll try and find a better way to incorporate it I think.

You've referenced dogs in the game you're currently playing, which other terran creatures make an appearance?

EDIT: Black Fens would be filled with insects right? Maybe have a blind, green mosquito (camoflaged to a lesser extent) which goes into a blood frenzy each time it feeds, releasing a pheromone that attracts hordes more of them. Enough to drain a small human or a large Leathe dry. However since it's blind and actually has no way of determining where a blood source is, they fly in circles most of the time and it's only chance if they get to eat. Name pending again.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2013, 07:47:39 PM by Rob »
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Phoenixguard09

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Re: What is Norbayne?
« Reply #29 on: May 29, 2013, 12:28:49 AM »
Great, once I get going I'm sure I'll have a load more questions and such. Good to know I have both a great writer and the ultimate knowledge base in my literary toolkit :)
Ha, I wouldn't go that far, but I'm happy to help. :P

Is there a giant sea monster that inhabits the icy waters around the Isle of Varr? If so I think there will be a fishing trip included.
Several, though both of these are spread a little further than just Varr. Two quick examples:
Seabaere. Think a polar bear, but about the size of a somewhat streamlined elephant. Very big, predominantly seagoing, but are completely capable of coming onto land for prey. Seals can never be safe. :P
Hvaleslangen. This thing is the predominant predator of the oceans. It's a whale, but like most of the whales in the setting, built like a sea serpent. The Hvaleslangen commonly grows to sixty feet or over.

Mercrabs? The face of a crustacean and the body of a man! Might need some tweaking. or just not included, I'll be the first to admit it's a little rubbish :P
Yeah, I'm trying to avoid sentient creatures which aren't mammalian in origin, simply because of the lifestyle that sentience requires. The few I do have are significantly alien and all three I can think of, cannot communicate properly with other races. Might have to skip this one. ;)


In the Black Fens, a quadrapedal swamp creature that while scary to look at with a single cyclopic eye and usually covered in swamp weed is in fact no danger to anyone. Unless you try to eat it. Think of a small dog, but with no hair, one eye and secretes a sticky coating to provide itself with insulation. Very timid herbivore, pretty commonly found among the marshes, eats swamp weed and lives in small packs of 4-8. Name pending.
Huh, that's really pretty cool. I'll work on a name, but I like it. Very original. :)

I think that while the slug might not have been the best way to do it, the mechanic that a creature prefers the warmer blooded races (or colder, necrophages?) is quite good, I'll try and find a better way to incorporate it I think.
Yeah, definitely a good idea and I look forward to seeing what else you come up with. ;)

You've referenced dogs in the game you're currently playing, which other terran creatures make an appearance?
To prevent players from being overwhelmed with animals they've never heard of before, I've tried to keep things relatively familiar. Now what a Midlander might call a dog might be different to what a Roanfaille from Sothbayne would call a dog and likely very different from what the Bruin would call a dog. So while dogs exist, and they may be canid in form, there's a good chance they're different from 'Terran canids.'

Woodwolves for instance are very similar grey and timber, with some behavioural changes as they're not the dominant predators in their ecosystems. So domesticated canines in the Midlands would be descended from woodwolves. Compare this with the Danann. They use the crainn as hunting partners and guard animals so what they call a 'dog,' or 'cu,' would actually be a domesticated crainn. (A mustelid, rather than a canid.)

And that's why I didn't go into detail in the write-up about why dogs and horses are referred to as just dogs and horses. :P

EDIT: Black Fens would be filled with insects right? Maybe have a blind, green mosquito (camoflaged to a lesser extent) which goes into a blood frenzy each time it feeds, releasing a pheromone that attracts hordes more of them. Enough to drain a small human or a large Leathe dry. However since it's blind and actually has no way of determining where a blood source is, they fly in circles most of the time and it's only chance if they get to eat. Name pending again.
The only problem I have with this is that the creature needs to actually be able to survive in its environment. What does it feed on when it can't get warm-blooed adventurers? :P

Cheers mate,
The Norbayne Campaign Instagram page. Give us a cheeky follow if you like. :)
By the power of Ga'haarr I command you to vanish! VANISH!
I CANNOT BE KILLED BUT WITH FIRE!
(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

Crazier than a crack-head cat and here to make sticky treats out of your vital organs.