Vaunderfel - The Great Spring

I initially laid out the history of the Great Seasons to look something like this:

24 year - 7 year Spring (Sapphiron) - 22 years - 4 year Winter (Hibernel) - 28 years - 6 year Autumn (Leafenfel) - 33 years - 9 year Summer (Estaoculus - the summer of eyes) - 32 years - 4 year Spring (Sinchola) - 41 years - 3 year Spring (Vaunderfel) - 21 years - 4 year Autumn (The Great Rot) - 31 years - present year

I am fine with this and have no plans to change it. I have talked already about The Great Rot and plan to write an article about each of the types of great season, using the most recent examples since they would be most pertinent to the game’s lore. Certainly some of the long ago Great Season would be considerably more severe, but for the most part these would be dreadful folk-lore.

Vaunderfel, Estaoculus, and Hibernel will be on the agenda. I will save Hibernel for last since it should be the 'best' one. By best I mean desiccated frozen zombies hunting the living like 28 Days Later sort of best – and that was a mild Great Winter. A severe one would practically be a mass extinction. Estaoculus is the most relevant to the setting since it beget the Oculus traits within the races. Vaunderfel is also very relevant as it represents a great rebirth, change and a time of prosperity that catapulted humanoids out of the deep wilds. And so, onto Vaunderfel:

Vaunderfel

One of the themes of Valley of Blue Snails is that of seasons. I like the cyclic elements and the occasions where this cyclic nature is disrupted. The endless seasons are probably the most important disruptions that pop up, and it is a generational event which all other things seem trivial. Halfling prescience is purely based upon predicting Great Seasons (everything else is just a side effect), the Elves physically and mentally change with them, the Dwarves build around them, and the Human are more or less a victim of whatever hits them.

Vaunderfel was the great spring that occurred around fifty years ago. The major effects of the Vaunderfel included a huge generational boom, a prolific flourishing of life, and a fulcrum for rebirth and change. This was amplified by the fact that the previous Great Season was Sinchola, another great spring. The two together lifted the humanoids into true civilization and prosperity.

Before - Prior to Sinchola it was a long period of civil warfare among the civilized races. Things were much more tribal, isolated, xenophobic and all-together sullen. Sinchola started to change this, and the Vaunderfel spurred the changes that wrought a level of prosperity for a time. During the autumn of 40’s89 the Halflings predict a Great Season, although they can not distinguish which it will be. Harvest is already completed and most races flounder around in hording resources. The winter in 41’s89 is particularly harsh and does not appear to be ending as thick blankets of snow are rife. Panic quickly grips most civilizations as preparations were wholly inadequate. Luckily spring quickly erupts into the fourth month of the year.

Year One – Spring ends winter with a vengeance and trees begin to bloom with snow still on the ground. All senses are far more intense than usual; color seems brighter, sounds are vibrant, fire burns hotter and creativity is rampant. The weather takes on temperate and mild tone that lasts for three years. Animals quickly come out of their winter holes and plant life flourishes very quickly. The first year is often remembered as The Lust, as the desire to procreate becomes overwhelming for nearly all species. Despite numerous problems with perpetual heat has on civilized society, it is generally a peaceful and serene time. Inter-species mating, once taboo, becomes a burning urge and all civilized races interbreed to some extent. This period lasts for well over 6 months and eventually causes a huge population boom among all living things.

Year Two – Sensations further intensify and creativity reaches a pinnacle; some of the greatest works of art are crafted during this time. The new generation is born and all children born at his time are healthy and vigorous. Inter-racial breeding produces offspring that otherwise would be impossible, creating hybrid races that were previously unheard of. Plant life accelerates in growth; trees bud flowers, bloom, grow fruit within a month during the Vaunderfel. Fruit that hits the ground sprouts almost immediately grows at an accelerated rate and propagates more. New forests and jungles appear in a matter of months. Strange animal hybrids run rampant through the wilds and many new species are wrought into the world. Resources seem endless and diseases vanish.

Year Three – Sensations are almost painful to experience. Colors seem to glow, fire quickly burns out of control, sound is deafening, and creativity is so rampant that it is impossible to focus. Some animals and plants that existed before the Vaunderfel grow to enormous sizes. Some plants take on a sentient quality that allows them to communicate to some extent, and in some cases move. Stranger and stranger hybrid races begin to crop up with bizarre mutations; bear-like creatures with snail shells and ram-head, dragons with crab shells and taloned limbs and so forth. This creates new species and also mutated versions of existing ones. This is not limited to animals and plants, but also to humanoids and strange children are being born carrying the traits of several races.

Year Four – Vaunderfel lasts for only two months into it’s forth year. During this brief period some of those who were long dead rise again, reborn out of the earth. All undead ceases to exist, either overtaken by the forces of life, or wrought with living flesh once again. Wounds heal instantly, animals age in reverse and it is nearly impossible to die. Most living things remember this time like a dream, only vague events and blinding sensations.

Afterwards – Vaunderfel ends in the third month of 1’s90 and summer takes hold. The ecosystem changed drastically with many new races. The new and old races begin to compete as resources begin to wane. Most hybrids and mutants succumb to the drastic change in their environment though a few prosper. The civilized races hold some disdain over the hybrid children and many are outright slain. Others are tolerated to a small degree assuming that they are not obviously aberrant. Many of the behemoth creatures survive in isolated pockets along with their sentient plant counterparts. Several pockets of the Vaunderfel still exist, and the Valley of Blue Snails can be considered one of these.



I initially had no inclination to include Half-Elves and like but this will be as good of a reason as many. These half-races will be a small minority at under 1% of the total humanoid population however. Any race can be a half-race. Half-Dwarf, Half-Marggot? Sure, why the hell not. Most of the more unholy combination would have been killed by now but they are not entirely unheard of. Most of these are not known as a specific race, but simply as an aberration to most of society. The Vaunderfel also offers a good origin to giant critter species as well as your monster-plants.

Ultimately I am thinking all races originated in one great spring or another. Call it Valley of Blue Snails evolution. Eventually older races would be out-competed and new ones will fill the void. This is gradual though as most new races do not have what it takes. Large changes would occur when a great spring follows a great winter, the largest voids would be available then. Those still alive who experienced the Vaunderfel would remember it like a grand dream, although a very vivid one. Reality did not work quite the same, particularly near the end of Vaunderfel.

Derogatory and Colloquial Names

I am actually rather fond of racism, bigotry and general ignorant types of hate in my writing. Its a wondrous motivator that will make people do brash and strange things, and its a bit silly to ignore that sort of flavor in a fantasy RPG. Here he are some derogatory and colloquial names that would pop up here and again.

Halfling - Peck (my favorite, and the only good thing to come of Willow), Bigge, Hakkaches (Elf term meaning hack cheese), Fillecun or Wydecunthe (very derogatory Dwarf term towards a halfling female, best not described), Yrento (meaning iron-toe or hard-ass)

Elf - Brekelaunce (broken-lance), Mooner (many of their ritual are at night), Winesipper, Pichachas (very derogatory), Aydunken (Dwarf term, meaning acts like a drunk), Strokelady (very derogatory Halfling term, meaning an elf women who will never get any), Smalbyhind (Dwarf term for elf women of small assets)

Dwarf - Cogger, Hooder (many dwarves wear hooded garments), Mudape (very derogatory), Brekaldoun (all breaks down), Fayrandgode (elf term describing a very ugly dwarf), Turnhound (even hounds turn away)

Human - Windsfirst (essentially calling them cowards), Booster, Eyegone (blind to all but what they want to see), Gobyweye (Dwarf term, meaning get out of the way dumbass), Haldebytheheved (Elf term, basically meaning /facepalm)

Nobles - Swetemouth (a liar), Horsmongere (thief by the words of law), Vnderegge (out of his freaking mind), Nobscoiner (Nobles who mark gold coins to give to beggar, coins which are punishable by death to actually spend)

Commoners - Gidye (mad vagrant), Reedcruut (diseased), muck-dweller, inheffelde (one who knows toil), tauth (elf term, meaning without home), Orechinnio (dwarf term, meaning one who trades anything for ore)

Use some of these terms would be grounds for a duel to the death. Others are fairly light hearted.
I think I had far too much fun writing that..

Tome of Lost Ideas

I had a decent idea late night but unfortunately I put too much hope in that I would actually remember it. More unfortunate is that it was a good idea, at least I thought it was a good idea at the time. and even more so is that I have a nice moleskin notepad right on my desk to dot down such things but I was simply too lazy to dot it down since I am usually good about recalling such things.

Well, I had a job phone interview the following morning so I suppose my mind was elsewhere. If I recall it I shall post it here in haste. I the mean time consider this post the tome of lost ideas and hopefully a lesson learned..

Women of Valley of Blue Snails

I've been meaning to talk briefly about gender in Valley of Blue Snails but never seem to get around to it. Gender stations of the historical medieval days were not very interesting, so I suppose that is why most Sword and Sorcery devolves into something completely not based upon reality. I am inclined to agree since half of all fantasy written in the past 150 years is motivated by getting laid one form or another. Gold, sure, sounds good. Power, yeah that cool too. Debauchery with the twenty nubile Elf maids of Anacor - yeah, screw gold and power, I'm there.

And so, I try to place women in as many different elements as possible since they are as fine of story elements and adventure seed as anything. Not to mention they can make PCs do things they would ordinary not even consider.

Off hand these are the primary themes of the core races:

Elf - Women are the primary forces of action within the Elven community. Males are lethargic and self interested. Women are brash, passionate and tend to act first and think later. I think of the men as a group a lazy gay dudes with a bunch of lusty straight women watching them 24/7. This is not the case I assure you, but its the sort of social tension I want to be present. So present, that it motivates almost everything the women do while the apathetic men barely take notice.

Halfling - On first glance Halfling women appear to be on equal terms with their male counterparts. However different communities take drastic swings towards one direction or the other. The Halfling maids of Gnaeun kill most males. Other communities enslave their females, or females of other races for one reason or another. Both extremes are considered odd to Halflings, but not truly aberrant as one may think. Slavery is another theme of of the Halflings although I am not sure how omnipresent this will be yet.

Dwarf - Dwarves I initially imagined as a hyper intelligent group with the appearance of squat Mongoleans. Their women have mostly been in the background, as most Dwarven women appear to be in D&D, but I really should include them more. I may make them the stern proctors, instructors and the like. Perhaps drill sergeant types and masochistic dominatrices. Also with your incredibly intelligent types mixed in, but socially awkward. Hot librarian types too (okay, well maybe not so hot).

Human - Two strands here, the nobles and the non-nobles. The non-nobles will be rife with drudgery, oppression and daily toil. Nobles will be more along the lines of your helpless females ignorant of peril and responsibility. A seldom few would tread outside of these themes, but those that do would quickly become folk lore.

Non-human women would run the full gambit. Water dryads would just as easily serve a savior for life in any way she could as she would be to lure a man to a watery grave. Most non-human women I would likewise make unpredictable, dangerous, and seldom what one expects. Surely they would be no less dangerous than their male counterparts, and in fact more so since they lull and seduce as part of their arsenal. Mythology is full of such creatures so there is no lack of source material here. In all respects they would be alien in their thought and mind with motives that no mortal would fathom.

Superstitions among the collective women of the world would revolve around fertility, family, nature and safety. Most of female-only traditions and rituals would revolve around one of those aspects. This is nearly universal and many such rituals and traditions pass between races and are recognizable between them. Bring a gift of a bowl of milk with stewed acorns to a group of Marggots and it would probably be more effective than carrying a white flag. I listed some of these superstions earlier. No doubt darker rituals of sacrifice and pain inflicted upon males is common, although rare. The Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books are full of cold and vindictive women who do just that. Interesting stuff and I am sure to put it in some adventures when the need arises.

Microlite 74

I ran across these rules on a blog which linked a blog which linked a blog - Microlite 74.

From the author's page:

"Microlite74, like its parent game, Microlite20, is a trimmed-down, sub-miniature version of the Primary Fantasy SRD rules that has been designed to be quick and easy to play. The goal of Microlite74, however, is to recreate the style and feel of that very first ("0e") fantasy roleplaying game published back in 1974. If you are at all familiar with any game based on the 3.5 edition of the Primary Fantasy SRD, you will find Microlite74 easy to play and easy to run as a GM, but with an extra helping of "old school" flavor.

While Microlite74 is designed as an introduction to "old school" play for players more familiar with modern rules systems based on the Primary Fantasy SRD, it is a rules-lite OGL based game system that old school grognards – especially those who cut their gamer teeth on "0e" – should find equally enjoyable. It is also easy to modify with your own house rules or rules drawn from your favorite edition of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game."

Oddly enough I do not care for most open rule sets, even though I am hypocritical enough to write my own. I think they are mostly just a book of glorified house-rules done for self indulgence. Other people obviously think otherwise as it seems many of these open systems are becoming fairly popular. Anyhow, this compilation of rules hit a cord with me, mostly because of the brevity it illustrated with spells, monsters, and the like. It is interesting how minimal you can go and still have it very recognizable as D&D.

Cave Quarry of the Chalk-Dwellers

Here is a quick sample adventure using the Chalk-Dweller Quarry I talked about below. You can download it here or just enlarge the image. I like the idea of a 1-page adventures, map included, and shall toy with more adventures as time goes on. The one-pagers have a a very OD&D feel since they are rules light and have plenty of room for sandbox DMing. Map + text took about 90 minutes to complete, so it is pretty easy to get several of these done.

Here is a clear version of the text

1 - A loathsome Ruhk Dwells here with 2 egg. It is thankfully deaf and has poor eye sight. The Skeleton of a huge tusked-snake makes up the border of the nest.
RUKH (1): AC: 4 HD: 12 AT: bite +9 (6d8).
2 - Near the eggs a host of Chalk-Crabs click about, each the size of a fist. The entrance to the under quarry is easily visible.
3 - Blocks of chalk in perfect squares are strewn about. Six Chalk-Dwellers are tapping the stone.
CHALK-DWELLER (6): AC: 8 HD: 2 AT: weapon +2 (1d8) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
4 - Skeletal remains of a large Rukh. Among the debris are the offerings from the Chalk-Dwellers including salt, bluish chalk, jade (85gp), lapis (55gp) and ten staves of chalk that burn blue light when lit (acts a torch).
5 - Lot of grinding here with Chalk-Dwellers smoothing their stone. The entire area is saturated with chalk dust.
CHALK-DWELLER (10): AC: 8 HD: 2 AT: weapon +2 (1d8) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
6 - A pile of debris left over from the chalk. Silver ore is visable, well over a ton of it (value 2200gp), but only recognizable by a Dwarf or one skilled in mining or smelting.
7 - A Chalk-Dweller overseer is here conversing with Myconids about trade. A pile of smooth blue chalk lay in the chamber corner. The Myconids do not engage unless attacked or the chalk is molested. Should anyone go down the eastern side of the river it will head towards the great Chalk-Dweller city (DMs discretion).
CHALK-DWELLER Lord (1): AC: 6 HD: 4 AT: weapon +4 (1d8+2) S: Dust cloud (Save vs Breath or -2 to all rolls for encounter).
MYCONID (8): AC: 5 HD: 2 AT: weapon +1 (1d8) S: Hallucination (Save vs Poison or as Confusion spell).
8 - Barricades block off this area from the east. Three Chalk-Dweller corpses lay within, torn to shreds and a battle was clearly fought here.
9 - A half-dead Ruhk is here, newly hatched, sikly and wounded. An impromptu nest is here made from Chalk-Dweller corpses.
RUKH (1): AC: 6 HD: 12(24hp) AT: bite +9 (3d8).
10 - Two boats lay along side of a underground river. The boats are well kept with oars and poles. The river is slow moving. Crates of live chalk-crabs lay in the boats along with rope, sacks of salt and blue chalk sticks.
11 - A natural pool ends on the western bank of the river where many fish live. A silver stave is driven into the western wall (Staff +1, Detects Magic on command). A Wraith of a long dead mage haunts this corner, a dreadful spirit of woe.
WRAITH (1): AC: 5 HD: 5 AT: touch +4 (1d6) S:Undead, Immune to non-magic weapons, Drains +1d10 hp on hit
12 - Natural crystals fill this cave like a geode, and chiming sounds can be heard. On the west side of the river a chalk bowl of offerings lays near the river. Silver ore, salt, chalk-crabs and a Dagger +2 lay within. A mated pair of Cave Fishers dwell in the upper reaches and will attack anything moving beyond the bowl.
CAVE FISHER (2): AC: 5 HD: 4 AT: bite +2 (2d8) S:Adhesion Line (Hit attached a line to PC and pulls them in at 30' per round).

Seed (lvls 3-4): My the grace of his Lordship Berhnel of the Fort Aspire you have been commanded to aid the Wizard in the Tower of Resting Leaves. Tournel, Elven Magic-User apprentice in the tower seeks your aid to locate his master, the Wizard Therdones. His master was last known to be collecting rare blue chalk in the chalk quarry. Returning his master, or his silver-staff if he is dead, would be his desire. Should his master be known to be dead, it would cause a dire vacuum of power with in the area of Fort Aspire. In return for your aid, the apprentice will give each Magic-User in the group a spell from his masters book (if he is dead), or 250 gold to other members. They are to seek the council of his Lordship Berhnel afterward.

Ruhk Eggs of the Chalk Quarry

High cliff walls cascade down the western edge of the Plateau of Gnaeun into a reservoir of chalk quarries. These ancient quarries were once home to a benign race of albino chalk-caked dwellers whose name has long since been forgotten. These dwellers quarried lightly within the cliff walls and traded their fine chalk for amenities which they desired. They had unfortunately attracted a flock of Ruhks which took it upon themselves to nest in the quarry and feed upon the inhabitant who had no where to flee but deeper into their shallow caves.

The Ruhks found the chalk-dwellers to be a scrumptious meal and hunted them vigorously when they sought a delicacy. The dweller did strike back however, digging deeper caves and drawing the Ruhks into their domain, caking their feathers with chalk dusk as they feasted. Over a period of years the Ruhks were able to fly less and less because of the debilitating dust. Those Ruhks that remained eventually became non-fliers and tore out the majority of their feather so that they may more easily slip into the chalk caverns and hunt their favorite meals.



This battle continued for decades and descendants of the chalk dwellers carved out a marbled labyrinth of passages, huge and small behind the cliff face. They are no longer an easy meals for the featherless Ruhks which chase them clumsily through the quarry and into their caves. Both the dwellers and the Ruhks have adapted considerably and each picks up a new vicious tactic to deal with the other ever few years.

The chalk dwellers have large silvery eyes and a thin humanoid body which is perpetually caked with chalk dust. Their face has a small mouth and no ears or nose. They have carved large caverns over the years and they are now fearful creatures, timid and quick to beset upon interlopers. They raise chalk-crabs in the depths and consider food from elsewhere to be delicacies, including humanoids. They have a small city that clings onto a ceiling of a huge cavern like a barnacle. It is vaguely chandelier like and contains hundreds of the chalk dwellers.

The Ruhks are mostly featherless and appear diseased to some extent. Their flesh has cancerous sores, their eyes are heavily cataracted and they are a desiccated version of their former selves, although still huge at 40 feet or longer in length. The Ruhks nest in the open quarry and have circular patterns of large bones and skulls all over the area. The Ruhks are far from simple minded and have adopted the primitive customs of the chalk dwellers out of instinct. The Ruhks guttural crow even sounds like a tortured chalk dweller. There are around twenty Ruhks total which nest in the quarry and hunt within the cave and the surrounding area. They lumber awkwardly after prey and quickly tear it to pieces. There are few creatures they do not consider food and most beings in the surrounding area are adept at hiding from the loathsome things.

The Ruhks build nests in a mockery of the chalk dweller abodes. Layered like building with nodes that vaguely look like windows and doors. They lay their eggs in these nests which are usually sickly, thin and sopping with yellowish drippings. A layer of chalk-crabs quickly envelops the eggs to feed upon the nutrients but also hardens and protects the eggs. The chicks however are sickly and twisted things and few survive beyond a few days. Enough do survive to perpetuate the Ruhks of the chalk quarry however.

* Ruhk Egg is of course from MtG, and Rukh is the persian name and precursor to Roc. Those clever designers from Arabian Nights.. Rukh I will use as an apex predatory that perhaps only dragons would have a hope to take one down. I would surmise their great stature is from the fruit of the World Tree, so perhaps some races worship them as semi-divine. The ones above are twisted versions of their wholesome cousins and are greatly feared rather than worshipped.