Breath of Mystara: July 2016

Voyage of the Discovery.

Between Episodes.

This episode the continuation of the lesson earlier this year 1014 AC followed By Gaston vander Klil, where he met Salechaam the Dwarf. Gaston relates this into this diary as completing the information he later explains.

Geomorphological History of the Broken Lands 1

Geomorfological History of the Broken Lands 2

As told by Mergrath the Dwarf Druid (actually Earth-Elementalist). Penned down by Professor vander Klil who was present at this interesting lecture.

The noise in the cave was overwhelmed by rumbling chitter-chatter of the dwarves attending the class. There were more dwarves than the day before, so Gaston assumed Mergrath struck some sense into these stubborn dwarves. It was as if the dwarf to his side read his mind, and his bright seemed to dance with fire, when he reacted; "Lots o'Dwarves indeed, more than day before, indeed, interesting..indeed, but why a common mage shows interest I do not understand". Gaston responded; "Not so common as you might think..."while handing him a gourd of Dwarven mitaq .."A sip in friendship and learning, perhaps?". That was something the dwarf could not resist, it was not often that a mage understood the taste and joy of mitac, let alone offering some. "Mitaq, nice...Salechaam is the name" "Nice to meet you Salechaam, my name is Gaston vandew Klil, and I am hewe to leawn, how ouw wowld functions"."www??" "eh..yes, you point to my speech impediment", and lifted his upper lip, revealing several teeth missing, "...an "accident" so to say, I might explain mowe latew undew a meal, maybe a job offewing?" "Ya know how to charm a dwarf Gaston, that date is set, I might be interested in da job...depending on da pay of course."

The stone stage started to move and changed shape. All the dwarves went silent. Large stony arms seemed to lift themselves from the stone, and took on a humanoid shape. Then the shape shrunk, and Mergrath appeared, dusty and sandy as always. "Good day to you all. I see, my class has grown in attention a bit. Imagining you all here are interested how the Broken Lands came to be, and eager to hear more, I will continue where I left yesterday."

We reached the period after 1269 BC.

1269 BC- 1190 BC

As explained the Volcano known today as Thanos Breath in the Collossus Mountains exhumed lots of ash and noxious, gases. Some of these came rolling down faster than a dragon on Haste spells could fly. Some came low, others came higher. There was no escape. We all know the dangers of the underground, hence you dwarves made the invention of coalmasks to purify air, or use the Ylari airspores from their rare desert plants.(note1), but it is clear why the Old inhabitants of both Glantri and Ethengar named it after the Immortal of Death.

Geo Fase 11 1269 - 1190 BC

Meanwhile Lake Erewan had become that large that the pressure of it caused water to penetrate through the many cracks, and valleys in the Broken Lands. The waters had earlier already reached the current Red Orclands, but slowly and steadily breached through to the south. Small amounts reached the pits of Trollhattan, flooded it and emptied it on a seasonal basis, until lower holes were large enough to prevent the area from drowning...more about this later.

The Great Grondheim Lake still grew, but at a slower rate. The pine forests around it now dead, the trees started to fall, and slowly return to nature. Early Ethengarians took great risks in plundering large amounts of would, like the Humanoids did too, for the area was still very toxic.

The Hakomon (an very dirty and stinking Ethengarian version of Magicusers) had earlier discovered several locations that had great affect upon magic, or even enabled creatures from other Realms entering the Prime Plane here on Mystara. These magical locations were somehow connected to the World Mountain and the 1700 BC incident, and it is presumed that the large explosion drew an other Plane/Realm closer to the Prime Plane, where borders were breached. Some say it is the Plane we will all finally meet; Limbo, the Spirit Realm, where all our souls will go in search of our promised afterlife. A few of these locations are in the direct neighbourhood of Lake Grondheim, and it was here where Hakomon first discovered the magical powers. Some of these Hakomon even say these locations hold connections with the earth itself and shed powers through it. I don't know if you've ever seen or smelled these dirty mages, their magic may be somewhat similar to normal mages, but their knowledge seems awry, as their magic also decreases their body and mind somehow.. It can be though that the pollution due the volcanoes has created a mineral basis, where plants and nature reacts upon. Otherwise. It could also be that these magic locations were already in existence before the disaster and merely awakened, and thus part of the biological structure of our Megalith. If this is the truth, than these locations may hold interesting magics of a diverse nature.

The global temperature on the continent of Brun still raised, the last glaciers continued to meld, their waters flowing down, eroding the caved in Mountain between the Broken Lands and the Collossus Mountains. This can be seen to this day in the valley of Satolas in Glantri where the moraines and erosion of the old glacier can still be found.

As Lake Erewan slowly emptied, the fertile ground from the volcanoes and erosion came forth and caused a great growth of grasses in the region. The Red Orclands however were covered with a thick layer of clay-like debris on the bottom of the lake there.

The Western Mountains stopped raising in height, and it is now that Faenare found a place to settle in the region...the problem is we do not know where.

As the Volcano on the Gnollistan Plateaux stopped, and the magma hardened and crystallized, the first large caves below (re)opened, as the magma took other paths down again, thus enabling the Humanoids to spread into these new areas.
The pressure from below still continued, as another magma chamber in the east slowly expanded.
The Rock of Oenkmar pressed upwards centuries earlier, is still stuck into the grasp of its Old volcanic shaft upon the Gnollistan Plateaux that keeps going upwards, inch by inch decade by decade. Upon the Rock of Oenkmar the humanoids grew a whole culture. And it may even have been their best period in their damned history. Other races and cultures came there to trade, amongst us dwarves. These early dwarves, discovered the secret of making this sandy crystal into glass, and with that discovery, we made great great profits.

1190 - 800 BC

The pine forests north of Lake Grondheim, perished, fell down. Large areas are now covered by logs and roots of dead pine trees. Even in the hills the damage can be seen, but near creeks some trees succeed in eking out a chance of survival.

Geo Fase 12 1190 - 800 BC

As the water rises, the areas at the northern edge turn into a swampy region, between the many logs. The large amount of vegetable matter and the chemical base of Lake Grondheim, make this a growing unfriendly region.

The magic location of the Dol Anur River (named Hosjann in 550 BC) animates lots of immaterial Undead, which start to wander around. Soon Hakomon come, study the area and succeed in more or less seasonally halting this vile effect.

The Vesubian river finally succeeds in breaking through the Broken Lands. The sandstone mountains between the Red Orclands and the Vesubian collapse, and become broken Lands, the waters continue south, and with great power pushing and flushing all the debris slowly or violently into Darokin, creating the Northern plains. This thick layer of clay, sand and even rocks is very fertile due the bacterial growth it underwent in the Red Orc Lake, and the Chemical depositions of all volcanoes in the region.

Lake Erewan rapidly empties, giving the humans and elves there a fertile valley.

As the Gnollistan Plateaux and the Black Mountain have risen considerably in the last ages, wind is blocked enabling a calmer and moist area south of the Black Mountain. The Black hills are thus populated.

The acid lake North of the Twin volcanoes, slowly diminishes, but its vile vigor still poisons Lake Grondheim.

The region around Red Orc Lake is populated by Hobgoblins and Goblins, named Gobbleton. Even they seem to thrive upon the commerce Oenkmar gives.
The Rock of Oenkmar still stuck within the old volcanic shaft, has become a location to explore. The temples and buildings from the Elves and the earlier older Azcan civilization harboured much knowledge and secrets, and the humanoids were willing to learn. It is in these years the magical powers of the humanoids rose to their current levels. Were they earlier only able to use a few primitive spells, now spells of true magic became available; Fireballs and similar...the humanoids became a power to take caution off. It is in this period several humanoid heroes became Immortal, they say themselves. Whatever, their influence upon the region became strong and permanent.
DM Info; Here a map of the region envisioning the size of The Oenkmar Empire 1000 BC

800 BC - 500 BC

Geo Fase 13 800 BC

This is the time in which there seems to be a continuous growth. Not only the humanoids, but most cultures and nations expand, in territory, number of inhabitants, and social structures like commerce, war, magic, architecture and agriculture. The wasting disease from the Blackmoor era slowly fades into a memory, leaving scars and marks behind. Whole nations have perished, moved or changed due this disease, and it greatly affected the life on Mystara.

Underground the magma further recedes, renoving the pressure on the Western half of the Broken Lands. The Eastern half however still continues to rise, due the increasing pressure of the lower Eastern Magma chamber. Especially the Gnollistan Plateaux seems to be affected by this. The Magma permeates through the solidifying rock of the upper chamber, but there seems still no connection....up to 500 BC.

The Plateaux is now populated by Humanoids and several "guest" races, amongst other Dwarves and Horon followers; refugees of a culture that came from the region South of Rockhome... Not much is left of this nation or culture, other than several large structures clearly build with dwarven technology, stonework and masonry. Whatever happened with this culture is completely unknown, no scriptures are found, and even the older living races have no knowledge of that culture. Even the refugees near Oenkmar seem to have dissapeared suddenly. It is as if the immortals want us to forget that culture for a reason, an obscure one, but still. What we do know is that the Empire of Oenkmar and the forgotten culture traded and made war upon eachother.

What remains of this culture are the Gnolls. Way to stupid and violent to being able to be that forgotten race, so they must have been tools of war or slavery. These wicked creatures rapidly affected the region, and settled on the Plateaux of Gnollistan. Many others of them spread over the Continent spreading war and havoc. They are known to have invaded Karameikos, the Shires, and are now even found in the Sind desert.

Other great changes to the region are the arrival of the Elves, the alteration of weather patterns and the creation of the Canolbarth Forest. This greatly affected the amounts of rain, and thus erosion by flooding water. One great example is the Black Hills, originally dry, and uninteresting, now many small creeks and brooks cobble down, feeding a new river; The Black Water River. The Twin Volcanoes deposits over the centuries and the pines that continuously expand upon the hills in this area produce chemicals that color the water dark. Hence the name.

One group of Elves disbanded, and settled north of the Broken Lands, and it is them that named Lake Erewan for the first time..the name of their clan. They merge with the Belcadiz elves who already live there, but are not really accepted in the Pre-glantrian culture, as they disdain themselves from human behavior. The Belcadiz Elves did adapt, much earlier and are more accepted. Forests are created/planted by these elves and they alter the course of the Red and Vesubian Rivers to their liking with the use of Dams. A technique, the humans on the Streel Plain used to protect them from the seasonal flooding of the Vesubian Riiver.

As the toxicity of Lake Grondheim slowly diminishes, the locals come in and start plundering the wood. Structures are built, fires are lit, and even tools and medicines are created. Some Glantrians in Bramyara use the remains to turn into compost, but must chip the wood down first.

Darokin starts its great rise of agricultural region. The sediments washed down the Broken Lands are rich in metals and minerals and in effect triple or even quadruple normal yields of harvest.

500 BC - 190 BC

Geo Fase 14 500 BC

Underground still a lot happens, the Western caves, give further room as more magma recedes, and water erosion from Trollhattan on the surface creeps in. The magma channels that go down, become slowly smaller in diameter, but the speed goes up.

This effect is caused by the enlarging of the eastern lower magma chamber, which slowly melts away the lower remains of the surface cells that once were here. In this large geological process, an enormous amount of pressure continues to grow.
The western magma chamber continued to go back down, creating a powerful flow down in the central magma chamber sections. The Eastern lower Magma chamber caused so much pressure, it literally pushed up the central magma chamber, which thus melted the plug underneath the old smaller magma chamber underneath the Plateaux of Gnollistan. As the magma went up, it melted the sand. As the current of the magma was going up AND down , the shaft of the old volcano melted and widened.

The last view of Sinking Oenkmar in the wide shaft of Lower Gnollistan. The smoke hides the size and details of the city.

And with the sinking of crystaline sand, the release of upward pressure on the Rock of Oenkmar, it followed down, but instead like before settling on the ground of the smaller upper magma chamber, it slid into the now widened shaft leading further down. The Rock of Oenkmar, impervious of heat, created in a volcano, floated on the Magma, trapping the humanoids on it. This was the end of the Humanoids golden era, the end of the age of Oenkmar.The upper smaller magma chamber slowly cooled down again, and the magma again hardened and crystalized into a fine sand. This sand can still be found in the Lower Gnollistancaves,...which actually are the smaller upper magma chamber, but now empty. Fresh air continues to come from above through the shaft of the old volcano. Only a few tunnels and housings in this upper sections of the shaft where Oenkmar was for so long remain its glory. As the number of survivors which were NOT on the Rock of Oenkmar were low, and humanoids have a short lifespan, and even shorter memory-span, Oenkmar was soon forgotten. The survivors on the Rock, however, did not forget. Entrapped upon a large floating rock on boiling magma they had from now on a very hard time to survive. The city proved to be selfreliant in the upcoming years, but sometimes at great costs. The sinking of the Oenkmar Rock, the dissapearance of the Lost Nation, and the arrival of the Alfheim Elves and creation of the Canolbarth Forest caused the Oenkmar empire to shrink and eventually dissapear (DM info; Oenkmar 500 BC).

The Red Orcland Lake is now almost fully washed down, or evaporated, leaving behind a vast desert of muck, that dries, hardens and breaks. It is now called by the few humans who ventured here; "The cracked earth"

The erosion of the rocky islands that existed in this former lake, leave behind small plateaus with a rocky top. These are up to this day used by the Red Orcs for various reasons.

One area doesn't dry up, a large pit of mud, replenished by the few small creeks that still exist in the region. There were valuable ores and metals in the mud. Natoka, a brave Orc warrior ventured here with a small army and battled the many mudmen (Note 2) that had staked out a mere existence here. He succeeded, and the mudmen were defeated, but the muddy pit became his grave. Up to this date the area is named after his demise by the Red Orcs.

Mudmen still exist in the region, but they are either enslaved or eradicated. A way of torturing death to these rare and strange earthlike creatures, is sending them into the dry and barren plain, viewing them to crackle, stiffen and breaking apart. Enslaved mudmen are threatened with death, and forced to do manual simple labor uner threat of fire. However as these creatures are neither strong or smart, they are mostly only used for covering areas with mud (for housing for example).

Like Stone Giants, Rockmen, Geonids, and Ghaleb-Duhr the Mudmen belong to the few creatures without a carbon-based but a silicon-based biological structure, as such they are also ovipareous.
Warning; Do not confuse Mudmen with Mudgolems, Mudmen are smaller, strange, but natural reproducing creatures, and seem to have some intelligence, while mudgolems are larger, and much, much more dangerous magical creations which follow preprogrammed commands in a limited frame of understanding (we can't call that intelligence).
As mudmen strike fear into most creatures not understanding their biological physique and behavior, Red Orcs sometimes emulate these creatures with clay-masks and a mud dirt covering upon their skins. These are often part of their rituals, or parties.

Then there is another great and important change. The Streel, Dol-Anur and Krandai Rivers empty themselves into Lake Grondheim together with a multitude of creeks, brooks and goblets. Yet from somewhere comes a river that suddenly appeared, and according to the few merchants with at least a spark of geological understanding able to return to the known world, and it flows UPHILL!!!.
"This mystery will soon be solved, as I introduce to you Professor Gaston Vander Klil, who has been granted free research in Ethengar, and with lots of expertise in ventures into the Broken Lands themselves, will soon leave us and bring us back this secret".
Gaston Bowed. Salechaam, swallowed and almost choked upon his tongue..."The Broken Lands and Ethengar??? That is what he needs me for??...the Danger......Hey that must be a hefty pay..." were his soft-spoken words.
The crowd cheered, and several dwarves nearby congratulated Gaston and Salechaam, who they presumed was already hired...
"Back to the case of the region...", Mergrath continued loudly. Slowly the dwarves became silent again, many still viewed the couple, while Salechaam looked a bit downbeaten now he knew the possible adventure he would step in. A soft curse escaped his lips,...what did he gotten himself into.

The region was greatly affected by this strange effect. And as thus we are very interested in the cause..."looking back at Gaston. As this river had a flow rate as powerful as the three rivers and all the creeks combined or actually even somewhat stronger....Lake Grondheim slowly emptied. The waters going through the valley between the Gnollistan Plateaux and the Northern grassy plain, between the Twin Volcanoes, over the region Red-Orcland, splitting it up into an eastern and westen half. The eastern Half was abandoned, and rapidly taken over by the Kobolds.
The river gobbled down until it reached the Streel Plain where it connected the Vesubian River.
This river we now call the Streel River. The strongest current, is normally the name giver of a river and as thus the Lower Vesubian River became the Streel River, which instantly became the longest river of the Known World. The Dol-Anur being weaker and the Krandai river is actually flowing another direction, but that was not known consciously up to this date, as thus it was the Streel River that crossed the Broken Lands.

150 BC

geo fase 15-150 BC

As the lake slowly receded, the humans and humanoids followed and plundered the wet lands. the last dead trees fell, and finally even the last still standing pines died. The trunks of a bygone forest were slowly removed and used. The swamp engulfed the rest in a stench of the rotten muck...Bog logs. Where in 500 BC still was forest, now grass waved in the Ethengar wind.

And yet even the swamp slowly shrunk in size.

The magic Hakomon locations (as seen on above maps clockwise) of Hosjan (North of the Lake), Abukka-Lai (West of Streel River), Wourigusta (East of Streel River), Nin-Ji-Batu (North of Krandai River), Chimeibutu (south of Krandai), and Orkajinqertu (further South of Krandai River) slowly became stronger, purer, more defined, as if the volcanic and biological pollution of the lake affected the passing of magic.

The acid lake north of the Twin Volcanoes was emptied, but the Streel River flowing through it between the Twin Volcanoes Gvozdenžuba and Ježibaba. The naming of the volcanoes was done by the Goblins of Gobbleton, and was named by the same cause of the reason why the Streel River went UPstream. The acid water rushed through the broken lands and hills of Gobbleton, while Red Orcland was established more firmly. This combination of factors forced the Goblins to move into the mountains. It was not until this date they started to rebuild Akrass to their opinions. Unrtil now they only lived within the fortress of the Former Troll Queen. It was to become their sole achievement in architecture. Akrass is even up to this very day, one of the largest, so not THE largest fortress on Mystara.

0 AC (Crowning of Thyatis Emperor, begin calendar)

geo fase 16 - 0AC

Back to the Acidic Streel River. The Grondheim Lake slowly reduced in volume, and much polluted water was drained uphill into the broken Lands. This caused the region the Humanoids now call Nankoweap, (the section between the Gnollistan Plateax and Hobgobland Plateaux) to become very infertile for a few centuries.
The Acid Lake, did the same to the Southern Broken Lands, but its deadly effects went even further. As the water reached the Vesubian River, it killed or at least sickened all life living in or from this water. Crops died, cattle became weak, dead fish floating by was a normal sight in those days. This deprivation caused many farmers to become bandits and robbers. And it was this tension which finally led to the Elfwars in Darokin. Of course there were other additional factors, but the main reason was much, simpler, and slithery crawling into their life poisonous water. The acid water passed even by the south end of Gnollistan, affecting the Black Hills, and eventually changing the chemical base of this hills, in such a way, it darkened the water, making it less optimal for bacterial life, and thus also plants and fish. This continues up to today. Blackwaterlake, does harbor life, but much less than any normal lake would do.
It was only a few decades before the Crowning of Thyatian's Emperor that the Streel River finally became pure again. It was from this moment the growth of Darokin's farming produce began.
The last dead trees had fallen north of the still shrinking Grondheim Lake. The lake was now only about a quarter of its large size, but now had a vast swamp of tghat size around it. Within this swamp (north of Akkila's Throne) the Hobgoblin Wokany discovered a new Magic Location, which they called Garonn.

The area seemed calming down, but there was still enough activity.
A multitude of minor eruptions of the Twin Volcanoes caused them to grow. They cut off any downpour from the former Acid Lake. The Streel had become the sole river through this side of the region.

The great geological effects may have reduced in intensity when compared with the earlier effects, but the still have great effects. Some cracks appear in the rocks between the Vesubian rivee and the Valley of Trollhattan. The water seeps in slowly, but becomes more powerful with each century. There is still some downward flow, as thus Trollhattan does not overflow...yet, but as soon as this is clogged (and eventually that will happen, but unknown is when, either by geological changes or debris clogging), the valley will become a vast lake. Probably with a pine forest growing a its sides.

The upward force continues up to this date forcing the whole central area of the Broken Lands further up, as can be seen in the Geofase 7 map, the yellow Line depicts the affected areas. These include the Plateaux of Zyrd, - of Gnollistan, half the mountains of Goblinia, and all areas in between. The goblins even named a section merchants today use; "The Mountain that Died", which does reflect that southwest of the Twin Volcanoes a whole mountain collapsed. Although this area is indeed broken land, revealing great geological effects, earlier written history reveals that it was like this much earlier. As thus it can be assumed that "The Mountain that Died" has been a mountain pass or valley of some sort, which collapsed due to the Twin Volcano's activity, and thus remain in the Humanoid collective mind.

The Plateaux of Zyrd is also an interesting feature. It has been proven that the whole plateau is a singlar slab of hard stone (maybe a solidified ancient wound crust or something similar). In its ancient times this area was the flat top of a mountain, of which sprang even a river flowing into lake Anur, this river’s origin was much lower and further away in 2300BC. But it can even be assumed that the area was originally even lower than that, as it encompasses the remains of a vast and ancient petrified forest. This forest is thus old that the trees have petrified by being submerged for aeons. Geology lifted the area up, erosion revealed the trees, and with the uplift through the ages, the forest reached a height it never attained.One thing is clear about this area; It is since 1700BC that the whole region is affected by an upward push in varying intensity and effect during the centuries. This push created the surrounding mountains, and pushed up the hilly area west thus high it became Mount Barbia at 15.355’ current height. This push does even continue today, especially since the Shadow Elves changed the lower areas thus that the Magma filled the magma chambers enabling Aengmor to be lifted back up. It can be certain that the Broken Lands region will continue to rise. More about this later.

The plateau "Akkila's Throne", which is actually NOT a plateau, but an area that seems elevated because the lower areas around it. To one side the remnants of a large lake which had depressed the underground for so long it clung together in a thick layer of clay. On to of this is the muck we know now, but is the remains of all the plant, and animal life of the area before the lake and of the lake itself. to the west the remnants of the mountain reveal it was higher here long ago. To the South we see the erosion caused by the earlier acid lake and effects of Grondheim Lake itself. Gnollistan, however, as being part of the central rocky section, continues to rise, and is a real Plateaux.

200 AC

geo fase 17 - 200AC

The Gnolls of Gnollistan take care of "their" land, the trunks of the former forest are being used for construction. Their Plateau is now thus high and hot, no trees can and will grow their anymore. A most unpleasant region, but preferred by the heat-loving Gnolls. Although not like Ylaruam, the gnolls do their bests to make it look that way.

The Grondheim Lake has been emptied thus far, that even the swamps surounding it start to dry out, and become Ethengar grasslands.

One large section of the Former Lake, between to spurs of Dwarfgate mountains falls completely dry. This is discovered by several proud and brave Dwarven explorers, who discover an ancient Obelisk and the ruins of an ancient Blackmoor city. They succeed in bringing the material of their discovery home to Dengar, but upon their second voyage they fell victim to some unknown danger, and never returned.
Beware, not only Humanoids live in the region, several monsters also, and undead are assumed too.

Around 500 AC;

geo fase 18 - 500 AC

Explorers from both Glantri and Darokin discover a path along the Vesubian River. Soon dwarves are hired to widen the path were possible. Many guards, dwarves and other explorers perished, and this was only the beginning. The humans, however, continued in creating the Trintan-Corunglain Trail. The first merchant trail between Glantri and Darokin, that did not need to go far west or east (Rockhome) circling around the Broken Lands.
Around 625 AC, the same happened along the Streel River. A much longer route, but in a geological aspect much easier and diverse.
These passes opened the Northern Realms to the Darokin Trade.

The Grondheim Lake now holds a small lake of 30-40 miles and a double area of swamp. The remaining sections of the former lake have slowly been taken over by the grasslands of Ethengar. And within this grassy encroachment, the Ethengar warriors followed. They went towards the Magic Location owned by the Hobgoblins; Garonn. The force had several Hakomon magicusers with them, which soon discovered the power of this location. The humanoids were forcefully driven away, up to "their" plateau. The nimble horses of the Ethengar were unable to traverse in the rim of Broken Lands, and their attack was halted. Up to this day the Ethengar tribe of Taijits regularly patrol this region in a (feeble) attempt to keep the Humanoids out. Both Hakomon and Hobgoblin Wokani keep using Garonn, but within the area itself any combat is refrained from. It may be weird and even strange, but here the Hakomon and Hobgoblin Wokani may even work together, while battling each-other elsewhere.
The southern part of the Lakebed rapidly dries out. Strange finds from bygone eras become visible; metal vessels, rusted and seemingly haunted. Whatever is there, only the Yellow Orcs dared to settle in the area, while to their south Stone creatures like Stone giants and Rockmen are discovered.

800 AC

geo fase 19 - 800AC

The Yellow Orcs could however, not endure the bounties of this land for long. Salty deposits on this former lakebed, rapidly deprived the area of more and more vegetation with each year. There is no more lake (other than a small 2 mile "puddle") where the Dol-Anur and Streel intersect. The whole northern area is now either grassland or swamps.
The region of Red Orcland, also a former lake, suffers from the same heat as Yellow Orkia and Gnollistan. It is therefor assumed that the heat of the lower magma chambers somehow penetrate the ground, vibrating up in the air and thus affecting the local weather from the Red Orcland's edge against the Vesubian, along the Streel, the Twin Volcanoes, Gnollistan and Yellow Orkia in a path of 25 to 40 miles wide.
From Dwarven underground explorers we have discovered that there is indeed a huge magma chamber below, following the same general area on the surface. This heat is the main reason for the biological and ecological changes found within this area.

1000AC+

The area is now already about one century almost equal to the maps we all know. Even though these various maps hold several flaws, this one has the least.

Does our story end here??

No, it does not.

In 1006 AC a huge meteor impacted near the west of the Broken Lands. It fell in an angle, severely slowed down by the Worldshield, but the damage was tremendous.
When the area cooled down, a huge crater was where first the Silver Sierra Mountains were, where provinces of Glantri did exist. The impact was so severe that almost none on the Known World would NOT have noticed or harmed by it.

As the Dwarves discovered an ancient Humanoid City with the name Oenkmar in 1012 AC. They proudly started a war with the Humanoids for all the treasures buried within this lava-floating island city. However, halfway the battle the Shadowelves learned of their exploits, and decided that Oenkmar, must be Aengmor, their ancient city lost sooo long ago by them. Already battle-beaten, the Dwarves could not resist another army attacking from behind and had to retreat....

The crowd jeered and shouted. Many curses and profanities were spread. The pain of the defeat was still alive in many of these Dwarves.

1014 AC

King Everast send spies..."Mergrath continued"....even the Shadowelven were unaware of, and they learned the following. With their ground altering magic the Shadowelves closed of several sidepassages of the great Magma chamvber below, but also a major downflow channel. As thus the great chamber slowly filled, carefully they guided Aengmor to beneath its original location, while it was pushed upwards with the rising Magma.

While doing so, the Shadow Elves of Aengmor religiously diverted to the Immortal Atzanteotl, an evil entity. At first the shadowelves evicted all humanoids from the city, then from the lower caves, and then even from the surface.

The fleeing Humanoids entered the Great Crater, finding many fissures and large caves below. Adaptive critters as they are, the settled, and even managed to be acceped by the Glantrian mages as Magic using Princes...the ludicruosity...

As the cultural split of the Shadowelves continued, the Humanoids slowly retook their surface of the Broken Lands.

1020 AC

And now...? The Shadowelves have turned into "Drow" or Dark Elves, and now follow even another vile immortal. They have learned that they will never be able to adapt to the surface world like their normal elven cousins, and are even further angered by their Shadowelven relatives, who still try to do so. The Humanoids are accepted back in their caves, which have radically changed with all the closed conduits, and now they have to accept Dark Elves as Rulers.

Thus far the Geomorphological history of the Broken Lands"...Mergrath looked over the crowd...he had not noticed that while his speech his audence quadrupled. Where-ever you looked, you saw Dwarves, and no single spot was free. Some even hung on trapezes from the ceiling...."I hope you all learned something from this story...namely, that even the ground you walk upon, will change, slowly, but inevitably. or sometimes rapidly with devastating effects. This is what the broken Lands are. Until a next time, with another story or another lesson, I bid all of you goodby and a fine day. May gold be found under your footsteps."
With these final words Mergrath slowly transformed or was taken into a Huge Earth elemental and faded through the ground away. While this happened the crowd applauded. and then slowly dispersed.
"We have to talk Salechaam" Gaston spoke loudly to overcome the mumbling noise. "I have a great adventure ready for you...with great rewards."
The Dwarf looked up; "It better be..." he mumbled in his fletched beard.
.

For any interested in what precisly happened after 1010 AC read Theshold Magazine 10
http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15019

Note 1

Airspores

Mystara Information; Air spores are found in most deserts and come from the "Medicago orbicularis" plant (which is a Herb, for game statistics see my monster manual compilation chapter Lowlife, page 844 http://pandius.com/mnstrmnl.html), or “Airbloom”. It forms a symbiotic relationship with bacterium Sinorhizobium medicae, which is capable of Nitrogen fixation and large amounts of O2 and CO2 production. Growing in desert gardens and oasis, these 3 to 5 foot high thin bushes give blooms which can be found year round, and produce the Airspore seedpods. Every week 1d4 2 inch diameter round-disc-shaped Airspores can be found for every 10 plants. These bushes live no more than 2 years give blooms after 6 months, when having enough water only.

These spores when ingested whole provide the user with 4+1d4 hours of breathable air (in the perfect mixture for normal demi-human-(oid)-s). As thus the imbiber becomes invulnerable to poisonous air, noxious gasses and even lack of air..

The spores however do not affect how acidic gasses might affect the body exterior, and items, but instead only gives air to breathe. Thus acidic, hot, or freezing gasses still give damage (-25% as this is the damage normally caused internally). It is up to the user to get away as fast as possible when gasses cause other damage, or use other means to resist that.

These spores are collected in small pouches of 10 (11cn) or 20 (23cn) and sold for respectively 50 and 100 gold on Ylari and Rockhome markets.

Dried Airspores are good 6 month and then start losing efficiency (-1 hour/month of age over 6). Fresh spores, are green and not usable, but need minimum of 4 hours in hot sunlight to dry (or 4 days in warm sunlight).

The plants spread themselves with the tiny seeds in the spores, which come free after about an additional 6 to 8 hours after ingestion, by passing through the body of the host, and only then are able to grow on the manure in the right circumstances.

The spores can also be used in Herbalogy/Apothecary to help curing long diseases. (+3 to save to cure).

From the Game AD&D2 Ravenloft, Stone Prophet, with help of Wikipedia.

This plant does NOT do the same in the Real World. Do not eat plants you do not know!!. I am NOT responsible for any mishaps if you do!!

Note 2
Mudmen Caeno homininoides

Climate/Terrain; Any pool or large muddy area
Frequency; Very rare

Organization; Pack or solitary
Activity Cycle: Any, but Night preferred, as they dislike the heat of the sun.
Diet; Algea, spores, mosses, plants in ground or magical Dweomer
Abilities; ST 6+2d4, IN2+1d4, WI 2d6, CO 2d8, DX 4+1d4, CH 1d4
Treasure; Nil
ALignment; Neutral
NA; 2d6
AC; 9
MV; 30'-10'
HD; 2*
THAC0: 19
Att; 1 fist slam
Dm; Special
Special Attacks; Mud-throwing, suffocation
Special defences;See below
MR; Nil
Size; Small (4' high)
Morale; Special
XP Value; 25
Mudmen are formed in pools of mudmagic locations in a former wet area exists (like Red Orc Land in the Broken Lands), and where enchanted rivers (even mildly enchanted ones, such as a stream eroding a magical structure) collect and evaporate and concentrate the dweomer. Because they are essentially creatures of magic, mudmen are sometimes called dweomerlings. A protection from Magic will hold these creatures at bay. Mudmen are almost intelligent life forces with but one goal; to protect their pools against intruders.
When aroused into a physical form, mudmen take on the appearance of animated mud in a stocky humanoid shape, about 4 feet tall. Their coloration varies between a dirty brown and tar black. They have four thick fingers on each hand. Their legs stay submerged within the pool, and are not usually visible. Their eyes are pools of jet black shadow and enables them to see with a infravion-normal vision mixture 45' in day light to 180' in night. They are blinded with magic light, or intense sunlight(which they dispise).
Mudmen speak no languages and are incapable of communicating with any living creature.
Combat: In their dormant state, mudmen wait beneath the surface of the pool, spread on the bottom, feeding on the dweomer. In this state they are immune to all weapons, even magical ones. Spells that normally harm a mudmen will still affect it, although damage is divided evenly among all the mudmen in the pool (the entire group counts as one creature for these effects, and fractions are rounded down).

When a creature enters the pool the mudmen immediately sense its presence or when it is seen by non dormant mudmen, they take but a single round to draw their substance together and rise to the surface, ready to attack on the following round. Once fully formed and standing, a mudmen can be harmed by magical weapons. Mudmen attack by hurling mud at their opponents, who are considered AC 9 (modified by target's Dexterity only) for the purpose of determining hits. Mud hardens instantly on impact and slows the creature's movement rate and initiative by 10% if it hits. While hurling mud, a mudman will also advance on its victim at its full movement rate. Once within 10 feet, it will hurl itself (literally) at the victim in an attempt to suffocate its target. A sucessful hit means the victim's movement and initiative is reduced by 40%. A victim must holds its breath for 1/3 his constitution in rounds or die by suffocation. A victim can only escape when the Mudmen is dead. Any damage suffered to the Mudmen will also be given to its victim(unless immunities apply). A miss means the mudman must spend the next round re-forming in order to attack again.
Once a victim's movement or initiative is brought to 0, he becomes immobilized and suffocates, suffering 1-8 points of damage per round until the mouth or nose is clear. The victim will die of suffocation in 5 consecutive rounds unless rescued. Hardened mud can be cleared from a character's nose and mouth in one round. Movement can be restored at a rate of 10% per five rounds. If the creature flees the pool, the mudmen will normally not pursue. Their main interest is the Pool. Instead, they sink into the depths, return to their dormant state, and wait until the next time someone enters the pool.
Mudmen may wander about like normal creatures in search of food and nutrients, but take care. It is vulnerable to many things; rapid flowing water, drought, heat, bushes. Each of these will cause it 1d4 damage for each round in contact or affected by it.
Mudmen are affected by all spells that cause damage to living creatures (e.g., cause light wounds, magic missile, fireball, flame strike). Dispel magic and dig act as fireballs cast at the same level as the mage. Transmute mud to rock, petrification of any form including freezing and fire or heat kills all mudmen within its area of effect, with no saving throw allowed.
Mudmen are immune to all poisons, natural and magical, and are unaffected by spells that affect the mind (e.g., hold, charm, and sleep).
Habitat/Society: Mudmen have two states: rest and activity, the latter of which solely involves killing intruders. A mudman's pool varies in size between 20 and 200 feet in diameter. Such pools are often found near waterfalls, or in almost dried up lakes.
Ecology: Mudmen are silicon based creatures and at the bottom of the ecosystem. They try to kill all natural creatures that encounter them and have no natural enemies other than the environment. Over a long period of time they absorb flesh, wood, and bone, extracting whatever they can get from it, so they rarely possess any treasure, only if they were attacked within the last month by someone who was bearing treasure. Though no uses have been recorded for a mudman's mud, it is logical that mages would not ignore its magical properties. Magic items within a pool lose 10% of its dweomer per day, excluding artifacts and within natural locations (they prefer to feed from the source instead an item). Mudmen arise spontaneously within magic mud, but normally reproduce by Asexual reproduction called Fragmentation. Fragmentation is a form of asexual reproduction where a new organism grows from a fragment of the parent (as long as it is within dweomer rich mud). Why and how the creature does so is not fully understood, but they do so only once in their maximum 10 year long life.These 1 foot large fragments are called eggs, and are harder, more solid than the mud around it. When a pool dries up these eggs harden like hardened mud, but do not die. When water is brought to it, it will again grow. Each fragment develops into a mature, fully grown individual in 2 days. Eggs are much better resistant to heat and drought than living individuals and suffer only 1% of damage from these effects, but the do not heal, unless in mud or water.
They have no males or females. As individuals they may wonder around in search of food. They know themselves individuality, even recognize species, but do not name themselves or others, or recognize other indentities. In Red Orcland Broken Lands they all hate Orcs.
Mudmen heal all damage sustained at a rate of 1 hp per day, if they are in dormant state.

Although somehow sentient, these silicon based life forms are not listed with Humanoids but with Monsters instead. The also do exist in the Plane of Matter.

Earlier chapters;
Prelude, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3,
Interlude;
Geomorphological History of the Broken Lands 1
Geomorphological History of the Broken Lands 2
Following Chapters;
Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Breath of Mystara

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Monster Manual update

Saturday, 23 July 2016