Re: Re: Tunnels

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_...>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:35:12 +0100 (CET)


Jane Williams
>> The actual hill of Whitewall is some deeper rock piercing the karst,
>> though, at least in my geology of the region.
> If this makes both geological sense and good story, I'm all in favour.

The latest opportunity for huge seismic effects without people noticing was the Ritual of the Net, which pulled together the shards of the world. After that, the death throes of the Night Serpent slain by Belintar gives another opportunity besides volcanic activities for hills to change, but Whitewall is older than that.

>> Lodril's work (for those who
>> don't like the name of Veskarthan for Caldril).

> Let's keep names to as few syllables as possible, shall we?

>> Tunnels leading up to the plateau, but on the plateau I see different
>> rock
>> making things harder for Lunar engineers even when harnessing
>> krarshtkids
>> to eat through the rock.

> By all means, let's complicate their lives! Do different rocks have > different "flavours", I wonder?

In fact, they do - silicaceous rocks are rather indifferent to acids compared to carbonates, though not unaffected.

>> Years ago, Stephen Martin and I thought up the Whitewall thief gang
>> patron
>> as the Safecracker - a hero with special magics to overcome Argan Argari
>> anti-thief magics. When we got the list of Lanbril cults published (I
>> think in Tradetalk), we stated that the Safecrackers had been subverted
>> by
>> Krarshti.

> That sounds like a lot of fun. I'm a little surprised that Whitewall has a
> high enough population to support a thief gang, but if Pavis does, why
> not?

A thief gang specialized in robbing troll traders and taxmen? You don't need any population besides these people in Whitewall, as long as Whitewall remains a traditional market site where people meet up for trading (and originally exchanging tribute). To prey on other visitors whose guest rights are limited to the market isn't that un-Orlanthi, either.

>> Now Jeff Richard says that Whitewall won't have a Lanbrili gang.

> Is there any logic or suggested better story behind that idea? Stated as > baldly as that, it's just "so? And we say there is."

The usual arguments - Heortlings don't prey on their own community, too low permanent population, would poison the wyter, ... none of which apply to my idea of the gang.

>> Any chieftain would say so... make them a warband without much clan
>> affiliation, and they work in a clan-based society just as well as a
>> cattle-raiding cult band of Finovan. They are anti-Kitori, so they are
>> potential allies of the Whitewall kings, as long as they conceal their
>> anti-social components.

> Yes... you've obviously looked into Lanbril more than I have.

Once you accept that a Lanbril subcult may be as small as a gang of five, at times, and then grow into warband size when opportunities are there, you can have ancient gangs keeping their special magic alive through the generations.
 the
The Safecrackers are anti-Kitori, anti-Argan Argar. That gains them support as an independent warband. Their being anti-social is no worse than Storm Bulls being anti-social.

> What are the
> links, if any, between Lanbril and Desemborth? Desmeborth is to some
> extent a tamed and renamed aspect of Trickster, including the loyalty to
> his chief, Orlanth. A "bonded" thief, or a gang of them, could be
> something very useful to have around, but is Lanbril another name for
> Desemborth, or something entirely different?

Desemborth is Orlanth Lanbril, at times. The thief who steals from "not us" (and by extension, not those who have been given our hospitality). Among rural Heortlings, just a different style of cattle raiding, but the very specialist for stealing clan treasures.

>> Why not have some defenders who have been cut off in some action be
>> rescued by Safecrackers, traveling through Krarshtkid-dug tunnels,
>> encountering Lunar engineers harnessing Krarshtkids against the
>> fortress.
>> All the dungeon warfare action a D&D-starved simulationist player may
>> desire... (not that I expect any such in this august company... ;)

> Considering that the Swords crew have just been battling krarshtkids in
> tunnels under the Rubble, and are about to go down the sewers for more
> tunnel fighting, I may be about to disappoint you.

Not really.

> In any case, we're not just writing this for ourselves, are we? Players
> like hitting things, and I'm told my answer of "get some new players"
> isn't an option for many.

Just so. Give an opportunity for any style of gaming.

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