World Note - Ley Lines and 'Tap'

"Why does it have to be so noisy?" 

The grubby dwarf pointed his stained kitchen knife at the brass contraption. 

"Why do I have to pick hair out of my soup?  I imagine the answer is because that's how it is made." 

Keymeister was in no mood to deal with the cook's curiosity.  The brass focus was not picking up a signal from the Great Clockwork.  Despite the dullness of the topaz heartstone, the cogs of the device were clinking along just fine.  Being at sea, wind wasn't a problem.  Keymeister adjusted the receivers, twisting them this way and that.  He tried crossing them and rotating the brass disks to try and target the nearest leyline.

"So how much as that thing worth?  Seems like you could have used the money for something better than an ugly ornament."

No longer pointing at Keymeister's contraption, the kitchen knife now worked on the seeds between the cook's remaining teeth.  Eventually, the topaz began to emanate a pulsing amber hue.  With it came a smile from the old dwarf.

"That's it... here, hold this just like that".

The cook set down his knife and held one of the brass receivers above his head.  As he reached upward, the pulsing amber light intensified.  Keymeister then pulled a handful of rings and various sized gemstones from his sleeves.  Carefully, he placed each into the empty space of the various brass disks attached to the focus.  There to the cook's amazement, they began to float and slowly turn within the gravity of the amber light.  For the first time, he was witnessing the source of magic.  Watching the light from the heartstone seep into the stones.  Glancing upward, he could faintly see the ripples of an active leyline above him.  Could feel its energy travel through him and into the receiver of the brass contraption.  For a little while, he was more than just a cook.  He was a wizard! 

But then he felt the fatigue in his arm and the strain in his back from holding the brass above his head.  As his arm lowered, the glow subsided.  He could no longer see the paths of power above him, no longer feel the Divine Syphon's energy flowing through him.  It all ended in a scattering of gemstones as the gravity of the topaz stone failed, dropping the trinkets to the deck. 

Keymeister sighed and thanked the cook for his assistance.  It was long enough, and the ship was sailing out of range.  With a groan and an assist from the cook's greasy hands, the old dwarf leaned over to recover the rings and gemstones.  They now pulsed with their own amber glow. 

"This should last us until we can find a more permanent tap"

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GAME NOTE:

Magic is not finite.  All magic users will have a pool that they pull spell points from.  Their caster level determines how much they can utilize each day, but as they recover spell points they must tap a greater source.  Throughout play, the characters must make arrangements to ensure that they have access to Divine Syphons or at least carry enough spellgems to act as temporary batteries of power.

World Note:  Magic Items

"This tastes like day old oatmeal".  The young dwarf stared intently at the grayish wet lump stuck to his spoon.  "Is this really the best you can do?".  Corin Keymeister looked to his grandfather with a look of both surprise and whimsy.  Playing with the conjured meal was far more beneficial to his spirits than eating it.  The old architect adjusted his girth into his padded chair and signed.  "Well I didn't get this large licking magic spoons, boy".  Finally settled into his chair, the senior Keymeister patted his round belly and smiled as his grandson played with the enchanted spoon.  He could afford the tap and the worthless relic didn't really cost much anyways.  Perhaps not worthless; that spoon had been there only life line when he and Rolan had been trapped in the mines.  For three weeks, they survived by sharing the gray goop the spoon generated.  Perfectly edible and not unpleasant, but after a week their bowels began to let them know that the food wasn't natural.  Magic is something beyond the natural world.  The fact that the mine vermin never came near the spoon should have been a hint.  By the second week, Rolan had suggested using the sloop to bait rats, preferring the flavor of a nice cooked critter over the 'pocus porridge'.  Sadly, the rats wouldn't bite.  After the third week, Keymeister swore he would rather starve.  Luckily, their crew had managed to dig them out before starvation became a reality.

'Grandfather... Can I keep it?".  Keymeister laughed, and his belly jiggled along with his humor.  "Why not, but you'll have to do some chores if you want me to charge it up for you."  Teach them young the value of a silver.  The way he was pulling oats out of that spoon, he would drain the magic in a week or so.  So often, the common folk believe that magic is some limitless form of energy.  They don't understand the effort and sophistication of the Divine Syphons.  Of just how much sacrifice went into constructing the Ley Lines across the isles.  The genius of this arcane infrastructure was the reason he became an architect.  To understand the way the Great Clockwork regulated the flow of 'tap' across the open seas... it was magical, in the old world sense.  Too bad more of the common folk didn't understand.  They don't teach arcane mechanics on the farm... probably because conjured food tastes so awful.

The smiths tend to learn a little.  No good weaponsmith is ignorant to the ways of enchanting, even if it is only how to inlay a Spell Gem.  Corin would be learning this soon.  One of the first skills they taught young architects would be how to recharge a depleted Spell Gem.  Tedious process, but it gets easier.  Keymeister found it meditative; the slow infusion of tap from the lay lines into a ruby inlay.  A couple hours, and the axe would hold an arcane flame for a month.  Eventually the magics would be depleted, but it was good business charging the swords and pistols of soldiers.  Those that had the money could afford whole collections of Spell Gems, swapping them into their weapons as the tasks saw fit, and that money made Keymeister a rich man.

Looking across the floor, Keymeister grimaced as he saw a pile of oatmeal that could drown a rat.  'That's a week wages on the floor, spreading like pig manure on a sunny day' he thought to himself.  Better have that talk about silver soon than later. 

GAME NOTE:

There is no 'permanent' magic in Kindar.  All enchantments and magic items require a steady supply of 'tap' to operate.  Potions, scrolls, wands, and staffs or charged wondrous items are not impacted by these changes as they already have their 'battery' of magic.  Also, the most basic enchantments are also unaffected.  Items like '+1 Weapon/armor' are 'permanent' in that they burn through their enchantment very slowly.  Consider it to be more about enhanced construction than arcane interaction.  A sword is a '+1 sword' because magic was used to hone it to perfection.  The only thing that destroys the magic is corrosion and time.  A '+3 sword' with no further enhancements would be degraded to a '+2 sword' over time, and again to a '+1 sword' until eventually it was nothing more than a corroded masterwork blade.  Repairing the weapon returns the magic.  This allows for interesting discoveries as the play stumbles upon a rusted relic which may turn out to be something of legend.

If an item has an 'effect', that effect requires a 'Spell Gem'.  Gems act as batteries for 'tap'.  Every time the effect  is activated, it uses some of its built in tap.  This can be offset by the player imbuing the item with their own essence.  Every character generates a small amount of unfocused divine tap called 'essence'.  This essence generation is dependent upon their level and their nature.  1 tap per level, plus a tap adjustment based on roleplay (typically + or - 1-3).  GMs should consider how true a character is to their alignment and their deity when providing extra essence generation.  For example, a Lawful Good Deltan who is a devout follower of Alirus may find herself with a +3 essence bonus due to her acts of bravery, charity, and selflessness.  The same Deltan elf who allows others to be harmed, hordes food amongst the hungry, or ignores a crime may find themselves with negative essence.

Every item has a base tap cost per use of its special abilities.  Items which confirm a 'permanent' bonus will have a daily cost they must meet.  If the player can generate enough essence to power all of their items, then there is no power drain.  Otherwise, they begin burning through the Spell Gem inlayed in the item.  A Spell Gem typically contains a max charge equal to the XP value of its creation.

Example:  A 1st level fighter is true to his alignment and deity.  He has an essence of 2 currently as he is not especially pious, but has some karma built up.  This fighter is given a +1 Flaming longsword.  The weapon is fresh from the forge and comes with a ruby Elemental Spell Gem loaded with 320 tap.  If he uses the weapon as a standard +1 Longsword, he has enough essence to power it with 1 left over.  No drain and the weapon will last him a lifetime.  Even if he chooses to fire it up, there is no drain because of his true nature.  'Flaming' adding +1 to the enchantment cost, its safe to say it would cost 1 tap/essence to activate. 

Say now that the fighter defies his nature.  He was normally a brutal, fearsome warrior (Neutral Evil) and he choose not to slay his enemy in order to impress a local tavern girl.  Though he may have won the girls affections, he now doubts himself and has lost a point of essence.  Having only 1 essence, he can power the base enchantment but must burn through the spell gem to activate the flaming sword.  This would cost 1 tap from the gem every round of activation. 

In the same example, suppose it had been a 'Belt of +2 strength'.  The belt would burn 1 point of its spell gem every day it is worn.

Spell gems can be recharged by those familiar with the arcane arts.  The cost is similar to repairing a broken item.  So its important to note that many magic items in the game will come partially burned through or completely drained if they have been in a dungeon for years.  A good arcanist can repair them.

World Note:  The History of the Isles - Religion

The ocean was calm.  The separation of sea and sky marred by the thin line of the horizon.  No mountains, no plains, no forests... just shades of blue and white; mirrors of each other in eternal tranquility.  Then the waves rose and winds blew.  Lightning flashed and thunder echoed across the vast empty sky.  Earth and fire erupted from the sea, challenging the calm blues with flashes of reds and yellows.  Clouds filled the sky and the world darkened as the winds whipped the sea into a froth.  From the restless water erupted a figure, great and powerful.  His body was as a mountain, cold stone lined with peaks and valleys.  His head was as the sun, a great fiery crown adorned him.  His face was burning embers, his eyes shone of blinding light.  He was Vorax, the first god.  As he rose, the earth beneath the waves rose with him.  Stone and mud fell from his back into the seas.  This was the first of the isles... fragments of land which scattered like stars across the blank watery canvas.  Vorax struggled to lift himself from the sea with nothing but the waves to support him.  The lightning and wind tore at the young god, offering him no shelter or forgiveness.  Finding no beach or shore large enough to offer him respite, he dug deep beneath the waves.  Three times he dug into the depth of the ocean waves; with each effort retrieving a mass of dripping earth.  He placed this earth in three mounds before him, creating a throne of clay.  Weary, he turned to sit in this throne, relaxing his weight into the soft mud he had stolen from the sea depths.  The muddy clay could not hold his godly form and so the throne sunk and fell, molding to his body as it returned to the sea.  Vorax rose before his mud throne could disappear entirely, leaving a misshapen mass of earth behind him, and so was sculpted the soil of Kindar.  Exhausted and beaten by the winds, the great god looked to the skies and to the sea, finding nothing that could save him from the storm.  The wind began to tear at his form and the lightning burned his body.  The fire of his face steamed as rains began to fall, as it seemed the sea itself was angry at his existence.  Vorax saw no way to save himself from the rising tempest.  It was then that the sky opened, and the tempest fought the new born god with all of the sea’s fury.

The wind tore at the god’s rocky arms, breaking them open, bleeding the god.  A fire tore from the rocky veins, pouring out unto the collapsed clay throne.  Thus were shaped the rivers and streams of the isles, carved from the god’s fiery blood.  The pain bringing tears to his eyes, each falling to the isle and forming the Spirit and Glass lakes.  The tears washed the fiery blood into the crevices of the earth, cleaning the rivers.  The blood clotting into the soil, forming ores for men to later discover.  The tempest rose and the god found himself torn asunder by the whipping winds.

As he rose his left hand to protect his eyes from the razor winds, they tore the hand from his arm, tossing it to the sky.  The hand never landed, still powerful with the raw energy of Vorax.  The hand flew and formed and became the first god, Yore.  Yore was wise and powerful in magic.  He mastered the sky and the lightening, claiming both the might and the mystery of the storm for his own.  Yore looked to Vorax and encouraged him, lending strength to the massive god as he stood before the tempest winds.

Vorax slipped to one knee.  Without his hand to block the wind from his face, the tempest stole the fiery crown from the god’s head.  It fell to the clay isle and shattered, the flaming pieces flashing as they scattered about.  They danced upon the clay throne of Kindar, formed and became the god Rikus.  As the remnants of the shattered crown, Rikus was the god’s rightful rule, his law and justice.  Rikus looked to Vorax and lent him his might.

The tempest blew and razor winds continued to tear at the god.  The pain was great and the god screamed in anger.  The cry of unrelenting agony echoed across the sea and sky.  For a moment, the wind ceased and sea calmed.  The echo rippled and formed, and from the raw pain of the shattered god came Wrath.  She looked to the shattered god, but there was no strength to be lent.  Just cruel mockery as she echoed the anguished cry of Vorax, as she would for all eternity.

Vorax sank to the sea.  His hand taken, his crown broken.  A last teardrop fell from his blinding eyes into the now calm waters.  As it struck the surface, the sea crested one final time.  From the crest came the form of a women.  She looked to the shattered god with mercy and compassion, for she was Sabrina. 

Vorax, now small and weak from his ordeal, took Sabrina’s hand and stepped from the sea to the clay isle.  He could now rest upon his throne without it sinking, and so he slept.

GAME NOTE:

The five primary deities of the IoK campaign are Vorax, Yore, Rikus, Wrath, and Sabrina.  There are other stories as to how the lesser deities came into being, each being a ‘child’ of the greater deities.  As NPCs speak of superstition, religion, and philosophy, this creation story will play into the outlook.

• The left hand is considered magical.  It is common for sorcerers to be left-handed.  Wards and other superstitious actions are done with the left hand.  Thunder and lightning are associated with Yore.  A thunder ‘clap’ is seen as Yore consulting with Vorax.  Jokes about ‘the sound of one hand clapping’ having a different meaning.
• Promises and vows may be associated with a metaphorical ‘crown’ that one wears.  To ‘fall and break your crown’ implies that you have broken your vows or given up.  If you repent, Rikus will lend you his strength to renew your vow and keep your promise.  ‘Rikus lend his might’ is a common saying to help those struggling with responsibility.
• Warriors are expected to avoiding crying out in anguish.  If you scream in pain, you lend strength to Wrath.  ‘Banshees’ are seen as Wrath’s minions and to scream or cry out in pain may summon them.
• The sea is considered merciful.  It is the tempest, the storm, that is feared by sailors, not the water itself.  If a sailor drowns at sea, it is not Sabrina that let him die.  ‘He was beneath Vorax’s knee’ is a common saying for a drown sailor or sunken ship.  ‘Beyond Sabrina’s grasp’ is another. 
• Vorax is considered by many to be the first god, but not the most powerful.  His strength was taken from him and divided amongst the other four deities.  If the other four religions were to fail/be wiped out, cultists of Vorax believe he would return to his true might as king of the gods.  This is also seen as the end of times as the king of gods could not live with the isles.
• A ‘Throne of Clay’ is a reference to ‘ambition without wisdom’.  Many rulers will be given a token clay chair as a way of reminding them to be careful with their rule or risk crushing their kingdom.
• ‘Sabrina help you stand’ or ‘Sabrina take your hand’ are common sayings of hope and best wishes during hard times.
• Echoes are unlucky.  Many architects have invested much of their designs in attempting to minimize echoes in churches and great buildings.  To purposely call out to hear an echo is to seek out misfortune.  To say ‘I hear echoes’ is a common warning, used to convey belief of a bad decision or uncertainty with an action.

World Note:  The History of the Isles - The Merchant Kings

'Trade Town' is the central hub of all Darian banking and economy.  Though its official name is Traton, 'Trade Town' has seemed more appropriate since the powerful merchant sell-swords overthrew the Darian aristocracy.  Nearly 100 years ago, King Calus had just concluded his war with the Darmic Maji and now set his army against the flatland tribes.  The Deltan elves has closed their borders and declared neutrality in the conflict, not wanting to repeat the bloodshed of another kin-slayer war.  The first had nearly decimated both nations; it is rumored that the recent growth of Baddenwood trees along the forest's edge is due to the never-ending rain of elven blood.  Their sanguine coloring a reminder of that murderous conflict, and inspiration to the Deltans to keep the peace. 

The Darians under King Calus were weary from a generation of constant war.  All in the name of 'divine right'.  The king believed that the Isle of Calus was the birth-right of the Darian pioneers.  Nevermind the fact that the elves were here hundreds of years prior, and no one knows how long the flatland tribes roamed the great plains.  King Calus claimed he had been told by Rikus that he must conquer the land from coast to coast, spreading the great god's law to the savage races.  Though the Temple of Rikus and the Knights of the Scale were ever loyal to the king, the people began to resent this vision.  Especially the rising merchant class, who profited from the constant need for weapons, armor, food, and mounts but suffered as their sons were conscripted as officers into a never-ending conflict.  As the king spread his vision of Rikus' glory, the merchants began to meet with the Church of Yore in secret.  The scholarly order advised them as to the true strength of a kingdom... it all lie in the king's silver.  If you control the silver, you can control the country.

The overthrow of King Calus was near bloodless, at least by comparison of the last 30 years.  The king's war had drained the coffers, to which the merchants ensured that the price of steel and horse were at a generation's peak... just when it was needed the most.  The Knights of the Scale found themselves dressed in poor chain mail with wooden weapons towards the end.  All foot soldiers as horses became the sign of a rich man not in the employ of the king.  As the king continued his holy crusade across the isle, the crown prince sat upon the Traton throne.  The people feared the prince as no other man, and it was rumored that the prince was no man at all.  Something sinister had crept in and replaced the prince during his time fighting the tribesmen.  When he returned from the first of the Flatland conflicts, he had taken on a vicious aspect.  Rumors swirled that courtesans would disappear from their bed chambers in the king's castle, taken to the prince to feed his bloodlust.  Whether these rumors of a murderous prince were true or the clever propaganda of the merchant, it didn't matter.  It was enough to whip the commoners into a fury.

In the early hours of Spring, the people of Traton rebelled against their pious king as his terrible son.  Armed with the best the merchant elite could provide, they stormed the castle with a generation's worth of anger.  The Knights of the Scale were tired, ill-quipped, and fought with little heart.  Many fled, believing themselves that the king no longer deserved to rule.  Those that stayed found themselves overrun by the angry mobs.

It is said that the prince escaped into the city streets.  The king away on his crusade and the knights broken, there was no one left to hold the castle.  It was then that the merchant elite entered the throne room to the cheers of the people.  Three in particular approached the throne and addressed the crowd.  They were the financers of the rebellion.  The spoke of grain and meat for all of the patriots and silver to all of the fallen's families.  As they spoke, the citizens of Traton ripped the banners of King Calus from the walls.  The blue banners with their blazing horizon and ship torn to the stone floor.  In their place, they raised three new banners; The black and indigo flag of the Twin Ravens bank, the white and tan banner of The Oaken Wheel teamsters guild, and the bold amber gems of Asterbrok Arcanery set against a field of green.  The first of the Merchant Kings had been declared.

Today, seven Merchant Kings rule the Darians.  The cities of Traton, Peltony, Sal, Daconis, and Harlenton fly their banners.  Covel, on the opposite coast of Kindar, remains the last vestige of King Calus' rule.  The nobility which escaped the uprising either held their ground or fled to the great seaport.  Prince Calus was never found, but the body of King Calus was returned to Covel when the zealous king died in combat.  Slain by a tribesmen's arrow, the likes of which should never had been able to pierce a properly made breastplate.  The merchants were able to conquer the king without laying a finger to him.

The Knights of the Scale collapsed, but not the religion of Rikus.  Though the commoners were angry with the kingdom and the war, they still believed in Rikian law.  The order was born anew, and the Rikian Knights now act as judge to the lawless.  The majority spend their time in courthouses, listening to the commoners concerns and unjust acts.  They dispense justice as Rikus wills it, and their word is final... even to the Merchant Kings.  To aid in patrolling the roads and ensuring that the flatland tribes maintain the peace the Merchant Kings promised them, the Justicarian Order was established, its keep built along the conflicted border of the Covalian Nobles.  The Justicars patrol the road and bring brigands, bandits, and thieves to the Rikians for sentencing. 

The law is strong in the villages and hamlets of the Merchant King rule.  Strangely though, it is not the Rikian Order that holds power in Traton.  The Merchant Kings rule Traton through the Merchant Guard.  Specialized warriors who grace the richest manors and shops of the powerful elite.  They maintain the separation of the Traton city divisions, the three rings which keep the commoners within arm's reach but out from underfoot of the wealthy.  It is the Church of Yore that holds sway in Traton, and it is their alms boxes that overflow with silver.

World Note:  The History of the Isles - The Hammerfell Mountains

Justicar Keep lies along 'Ambassador Way'; a long stretch of road which connects the Darian city-states.  The keep serves as the front line between the Merchant Kings and the Covalian Nobility.  The keep also rests along the foot hills of the Hammerfell mountains.  Taking its name from its past inhabitants, the Hammerfell dwarves.  The ridge of mountains itself has several names, depending upon which ridge or peak you are referring to and in which language.  There are several important landmarks, such as 'The Tears of Calus', 'Bear's Mount', and 'Crestar's Peak'.  

The majority of the mountain is bordered to the east by numerous rivers and wetlands, leading out to a deep bay which separate capable of handling ocean faring vessels.  It is possible to sail up to Justicar Keep's outer villages, allowing for the order of knights to keep their own naval fleet of 'Lawbringers'.  Their flat bottoms allowing for sailing up the final miles of the bay.  These wetlands host all manner of game animal, making it popular hunting grounds for tribesmen, Deltans, Darians, and Covalian trappers.  It also serves as food to more primitive races.  Ogres and Hynn frequent the wetlands, trapping boar and Loric Cranes - great birds with 12' wingspans and brilliant amber and white plumage.  Hobok packs scout the ridges at night, searching for Quarlin Wasps.  Nearly as big as your thumb, the venom makes for a potent weapon.  Being active during the day, the Hobok can steal into the stone colored hives at night and make off with the grubs.  The little critters bursting with paralytic poisons for use on their arrows. 

To the west of the mountains lie gentle slopping grasslands and thin forests.  It is here that the Hammerfell once made their homes.  Under Bear's Mount, nestled in a great valley, the dwarves would build their homes along the rocky foothills.  Unlike the Forgen, the Hammerfell lived under the open sky.  They tilled farms and raised goats and sheep along the terraced hillside.  It was only the great city itself that was built into the mountain side.  Like a keep overlooking its county, Hammerfell juts from the mountain side looking like a castle which is being slowly eaten by a stone bear... giving Bear's Mount its name.  Today, all that is left of the dwarven villages are the terraced hillsides and the stone foundations of burned buildings.  The charcoaled remnants long since eroded away.  The mountainside castle still overlooks the empty valley, but its rumored that the Gistasch have taken steps to ensure that no dwarf will ever reside within its walls again.

Separate from the devastated valley, the rest of the land is pristine.  The goats and sheep have done just fine without shepherds, roaming the foothills in wild herds and serving as food for the ogres, hobok, hynn, and hynid; small tribes along the coast which have found little resistance to their presence.  The occasional giant can be seen in the peaks, especially as you move south.  This is where the 'Tears of Calus' still weep. 

The last attempted Darian settlement was along the southern coast of the Hammerfell mountains.  As Justicar Keep serves as the bookend of the north, the ruins of Calus lie at its south.  200 settlers made the trek from Traton to the southern coast.  They established a successful village and began stretching north to the foothills and along the ridge.  Over a generation or two, the city swelled to nearly 1,000 inhabitants.  A copper mine was built and the city had trade to give merchant ships reason to come.  As the first shipment of copper left the city, the ports shook.  The miners came flooding out of the copper shafts like bees from a hive.  This underground evacuation was followed by the tears.  The mountainside cracked and magma poured from the mountainside.  With slow and inevitable certainty, the mountain swallowed first the mine, then the villages, and finally the port.  The buildings burned and the people fled or be turned to ash.  The mountain wept for 3 years straight before slowing to the predictable cycle we see today.  The city of Calus had been encased in porous stone and ash.  Nothing remained, though Dranite historians often report seeing spirits near the foothills where the mines once stood.  It's thought that many did not escape in time, forced to die slowly from the heat and ash as they baked within a copper oven.  For the adventuresome, its possible to find 'Pyrodium' nuggets along the foothills of the ruins.  The rare metal is a treasure to a good smith, allowing for those skilled with a hammer to forge weapons infused with raw fire.

Of all the dangers of the Hammerfell mountains, it is important to speak of the Wyvern separately.  This top predator is mythic in both tale and tail, but like any animal, it can be lived with and beside.  The Hammerfell shepherds learned to hide their sheep during the dawn and dusk, knowing that these were the common hunting times for the winged beast.  The villages would burn great open fires throughout the early evening, knowing that the smoke and flames would discourage them.  This also lead to many great superstitions amongst the dwarves which have passed on to the Darians of Covel and Justicar Keep.  'Never dismount your horse on the open rode, for the wyvern will snatch your saddle away'.  'Before hunting cranes, be sure you've found feathers.  It may be a wyvern you're shooting at'.  Many more of life's little annoyances are blamed on wyverns, regardless of how improbable.  It's no wonder though that one of the most prized possessions of a Hammerfell warrior is a wyvern stinger drinking cup.  If you are going to have your poison, what better way to hold it? 

World Note:  The History of the Isles - Geography

The 'Isles of Kindar' exist as an archipelago of over 100 islands spanning hundreds of miles.  The vast majority of these isles are but a mile or two across, but at least a dozen are large enough to support civilization.  The three largest are known as Kindar, Forgen, and Daconis in the Darian tongue.  These three are large enough to have well developed settlements and cities.  Other isles of note are "Mal A'Lin" and "The Wraith Isles".  Both are large and rich with natural resources, but are yet to have a successful settlement due to the local challenges indigenous to the isles.  Many of the smaller isles serve as mines or hunting/trapping grounds.

Kindar is the largest isle and serves as the central hub of the archipelago.  It exists in a temperate band, so weather is mild and stable.  The isle is mountainous though, with high cliffs to the north and sloping flatlands to the south.  This elevation change makes for harsh winters along the northern cliffs, where they are consistently met by winds from the Daconis Isle.  These cliffs protect the rest of Kindar though, allowing for long harvests. 

Kindar is home to many indigenous animals.  Large herds of bison roam the southern flatland, providing for hunting opportunities for all.  This also allows for some large predators to exist on the isle.  In particular, wyverns in the mountain peaks and griffons in the forest.  The flatlands are home to enormous ankhegs which occasionally burst from their underground lairs to feed on passing bison.  The flatland tribes treasure these opportunities.  An ankheg is a bounty of carapace, meat, and shamanistic components.  To the north, the great glass cats hunt deltan elk along the Spirit Lake's tributaries.  Bear roam the mountains, mostly black and of medium size. 

Due to this wealth of food and natural resources, Kindar is highly populated by humanoid settlements.  The Darian city-states of Traton, Sal, Peltony, Harlenton, and Covel hug the shores and create a band across the center of the isle.  They follow the edge of the Deltan woods, home to the peaceful elven hunters.  Their great city of Deltyavania nestled in the center of the ancient forest along the shores of a massive freshwater spring.  To the south-west lies the hidden cities of the Darmic Maji.  Their forest of towering redwood trees is home to many great insects and creatures of magic.  To the far north is the 'weekin'.  The gypsy bands of halflings roam the hillside while the mystical Fellerin create crystal fortresses along the cliff face.  To the north-east lie the swamps and marshes which serve as home to the Srylian lizardmen.  A nearby small separate isle is rumored to be the home to the elusive Gistasch, but no one is certain where their great city lies.  Finally, to the south east lie the great Vernfal mountains.  Once home to the dwarves of the same name, their underground cities have been flushed of dwarves and now lie abandoned. 

If you leave Kindar and sail west 7 days, you will arrive at the Forgen isle.  A third the size of Kindar, the Forgen isle is home to orcs, goblins, giants, and any other number of crude humanoid races.  Only two civilized locations can be found; the city of 'Manville' near the coast and the empire of the Forgen Dwarves in the mountains.  The isle is warmer than Kindar, though still cool enough in the mountains for some snow to survive year round.  The Forgen are the dominate power of the isle.  They focus their efforts on hollowing out the great Forgen mountain peaks and shipping goods to Kindar for trade.  All around them, the orcs fight the goblins who fight the giants.  The only peace to be found amongst them is at the trade port of 'Manville', where Covalian carracks can be seen trading weapons for raw ores. 

If you return to Kindar and sail directly north 3 days, you will reach the shores of Daconis.  A cold island roughly 50 miles across, it serves as the only Darian settlement to survive off of Kindar.  No other great races have settled here.  Though this lessens the threat of war, the Daconis have other economic problems.  The settlement began as a beachhead to destroy dragons which had made there home here.  This was 200 years ago, and no true dragon has been seen in the isles since.  The settlement now serves as a whaling port, its ships patrolling the northern most sea for lamp oil and ambergris.  Agriculture is hard and the people of Daconis (once Draconis, but the name has slipped since the loss of Dragons).  What few root vegetables grow in the harsh cold do little to lighten the dull existence on this island.

The last two isles are not well mapped.  The 'Wraith Isles' are actually three small islands located west of Kindar and South of Forgen.  Every settlement that has been attempted has failed.  Failed in such a manner that nobody is ever found of the settlers, just empty villages.  The weather is warm and unpredictable. One of the three isles consist of a dormant volcano, and this can provide hot springs which several past settlements have attempted to take advantage of.  The primary calling to this isle is the rare minerals.  Alchemists have found several unique materials which could lead to great discoveries, if only a mine could be constructed. 

Finally, there is the isle of Mal A'Lin.  South-East of Kindar, about 5 days.  This warm isle hosts many mysteries.  Only one settlement has been attempted, and those settlers fled the isles after only one month.  Little is known of the thick jungles that blanket the isle.  Many Covalian traders have considered ways to breach the wall of tropical forest and claim its bounty, but few have the courage.

There are other isles throughout the archipelago chain.  As stated earlier, many have been claimed as resource points.  No settlement, just slave mines or forests to be cleared.  For those willing to face the longer ventures into the four seas, there may be great unknowns for you to discover.

Of all the ships you've been on, this may be the fanciest.  It's a Covalian carrack... big ship.  Three square masts, two lower decks, and a fore castle that's dressed out better than most real castles.  You can tell this is the ship of a successful merchant.  Probably a merchant king if this plan works out.  He has the genicks to commission a ship like this, you imagine he has the genicks to commission more.  At least that's the rumor.  This expedition is only one of five that the old dwarf has in motion.  That means somewhere out on the four seas are four other ships, each with a crew of dwarves and some hired 'professionals'.  Nine Hammers doesn't play the easy games.  The city of Forgen has hundreds of merchants.  Leasing plots of land, trading silver darians for ruby genicks, and creating a legacy for their families.  That's what being a Forgen father is all about... family legacy.  These merchants take the slow and steady approach though.  Safe, deep in the mountain, playing by the rules.  Not Nine Hammers though.  He lives as if it were measured in human years; moving fast and taking risks.  His current game could earn him the title of 'war profiteer'.  Not an honorable title, but nobody judges a 'profiteer' harshly when it works.  The cherry wood accents of the ship's forecastle suggest that it is working.  Hopefully it will work for your coin purse as well.

Your team of 'professionals' don't get to sleep in the forecastle, but the middle deck isn't bad.  You've surely slept in worse.  You look around at this team to be.  'To be' because you don't really know every one yet.  Forgen, Darian, and the three hounds.  Those three are an amusing lot.  Like a classic joke; the big one, the middle guy, and the midget.  Three dogs walk into a bar.  Up on the main deck are the swamp dwellers.  Srylian don't like being confined below deck.  Why would you when the water is your second home.  Basking in the sun and smiling toothy grins into the sea foam... yeah, the Srylian are loving it up there.  You get to sit on velvet pillows and smell wet dog.  Take the good with the bad; that's kinda the life of a 'professional'.

Borak Nine Hammers, the oldest son, has told you that you are heading to the 'Tears of Wrath'.  Just north of it actually, which is a bit of a relief as the tears are still flowing this time of year.  Rather not play with lava if you can avoid it.  They'll take the ship up the Flatland bay and anchor about 40 miles from your inland destination.  It's the Hammerfell mountains you'll be spending the next 6 months crawling around.  Since the Gistasch raid on Hammerfell, these mountains have been a hotbed of staked claims and territorial disputes.  Its sad really; the dwarves are refugees living in the slums of Coval and Traton.  Neither government is really doing much to help them, keeping the whole matter tied up in courts and military strategy discussions.  While that bureaucracy is keeping the Hammerfell leaders tied up, both governments steal the dwarves iron from the mountain sides.  That iron then goes to making weapons and arms so the two governments can efficiently argue with each other over who is the real Darian leadership.  All the while, the dwarves wait patiently for assistance.  It's the dwarven way... patient rule following.  Not Nine Hammers though.  Move fast, take risks.

Your risk:  Once the ship lands, Nine Hammer's crew will begin moving equipment from the carrack to the shore.  They'll set up a temporary camp while your team of professionals scout the mapped location.  40 miles east through forest up to the foot hills of the mountains.  Clear the 1 mile zone that Nine Hammers has circled on the map and report.  If you can't clear it, then report back and we'll come up with another plan.  If you encounter Traton or Covel military, stay low and report back.  Don't need the Merchant Kings knowing your here just yet.  If you encounter Flatlanders or more hounds, see if you can negotiate.  They may know something about the location.  If you encounter Gistasch... well best of luck to you.  Nine Hammers is expecting a report in 3 weeks.  If they don't hear back from you by then, we send in the second team and you take a significant pay cut. 

The ship lurches gently in the quiet sea.  The trip form Forgen to the mainland isle is never that rough in May.  Good weather, bit too much rain though.  You should be to the bay in a week.  Time to start getting to know your team.  Figure out your scouting plan and decide who is in charge of what.  Every team needs a leader, or least someone that gets blamed for failure.

GAME NOTE:

I know everyone is still working on PC builds, but I figured I would give you something to think about as you plan your characters and equipment.  There will be two to three NPCs traveling with you as you head up to the mountain (Hobok Ranger buddy to the created, Borak Nine Hammers right hand, and potentially the Forgen architect's servant).  I intend to use the email forum for role play until we find a Thursday to start this campaign.  No rush, just having fun with the online text game.  As you finish up your characters, use this email opportunity to get to know your NPCs and ask questions of the crew.  You have one more week on the boat.  It's a good chance to establish back story, fine your place in the world, and get to know the IoK setting and history.