If you're a regular reader, you probably already know that the D'oril that I am using for my writing world came to be during IFGS game writing years. From the D'oril mini-series through Sha'te Valley, and to a lesser extent, Piper on the Hill, I wrote about "The Far North". Originally, D'oril was loosely attached to the Land of the Seven Tribes, mostly for storyline convenience. I imagined the divider between the two lands to be represented by the E'tel river, a "Columbia Gorge" type river that in each game, would provide a tangible crossover between 7 Tribes and D'oril.
Later, I began blurring the boundary. The Inn of the Stumbling Friar, firmly entrenched on the south side of the river, became a part of D'oril, at least as far as my writing was concerned. In IFGS/7 Tribes lore, the Inn of the Stumbling Friar was a crossroads near the northern frontier, conveniently located between several other duchies. I roughed out the area as an important crossroads, settled by Merrick, the founder of the Inn, recently attracting a small community of settlers including blacksmith and such.
As I write for myself now, though, I've had to divorce D'oril from L.O.S.T., for many reasons. One, I need to have total control of all storyline aspects, two, I really can't take the time to figure out whose toes I might be stepping on, and hence who I need to ask permission of when I write outside of D'oril proper. So, the birth of the confederation, and formation of a new land.
I do have maps drawn up, and perhaps soon enough I'll digitize them such that I can share here, but for now, a verbal description will have to suffice. D'oril still resides in the far north, in a region much like northwestern canada, rugged coastal mountains with a dense, almost rainforest like (except for the cold) region inland that compromises the bulk of "D'oril". Still north of the E'tel river, the rolling hills continue eastward, with the forest becoming less dense as the climate dries out. North of the forest, plains begin to intrude, the harsh steppes.
The Confederacy (as tentatively named) is a loose confederation of duchies, city states, and mercantile holdings south of the E'tel. The couple hundred miles south of the E'tel are very sparsely populated, considered the frontier, The Inn of the Stumbling Friar being one of the few outposts along the "northern Trade Road". That road links the eastern and western halves of the confederacy that is divided by a mountain range running north/south to almost the E'tel, the Inn of the Stumbling Friar sits at the northernmost edge of both those mountains and the trade road.
The western coastline of the confederacy is rugged, much like the norwegian coast with fjords and such. Like the eastern reaches of the confederacy on the other side of the spinal mountains, the civilization level grows as you head south. There are only a few useable ports/harbors in the northern half of the continent, climate becomes more temperate as you head south, but the coastal waters are considered barely navigable due to the weather and large number of uncharted rocks and islands. The port cities are the core of the merchant guilds that make up a third of the confederacy's "government", they hold a dear monopoly on trade out of the western harbors.
The eastern half of the confederacy is the breadbasket of the region, with rolling, partially forested hills and rich bottomlands. Independant duchies make up the majority of the civilization, with the northernmost town being rather small, though aggressively expansionistic. The bulk of the confederacy's "civilization" lays further to the south, with towns giving way to cities, trails becoming paved roads, and the frontier like atmosphere in the north getting swallowed up by regional laws and regulation. I've left description of the lands south and east of the confederacy vague.
Across the western ocean from D'oril and the Confederacy is the Empire of Tallux, and entire new continent. Though I've defined some basic characteristics, for now, I don't need to know much about it, so it remains pretty vaguely sketched out. The focus of my first tales will remain on the east...
Imperfect hope begins on the frontier between Mud Bay, the northern-most town and harbor along the western coast, and the deep forests of D'oril. Most of the story will remain within the western portions of the confederacy.
Needless to say, there's a lot more to the geography, and that geography plays a large part in defining the cultures and storylines. There'll be more to come.....
Clear skies,
Jim
Later, I began blurring the boundary. The Inn of the Stumbling Friar, firmly entrenched on the south side of the river, became a part of D'oril, at least as far as my writing was concerned. In IFGS/7 Tribes lore, the Inn of the Stumbling Friar was a crossroads near the northern frontier, conveniently located between several other duchies. I roughed out the area as an important crossroads, settled by Merrick, the founder of the Inn, recently attracting a small community of settlers including blacksmith and such.
As I write for myself now, though, I've had to divorce D'oril from L.O.S.T., for many reasons. One, I need to have total control of all storyline aspects, two, I really can't take the time to figure out whose toes I might be stepping on, and hence who I need to ask permission of when I write outside of D'oril proper. So, the birth of the confederation, and formation of a new land.
I do have maps drawn up, and perhaps soon enough I'll digitize them such that I can share here, but for now, a verbal description will have to suffice. D'oril still resides in the far north, in a region much like northwestern canada, rugged coastal mountains with a dense, almost rainforest like (except for the cold) region inland that compromises the bulk of "D'oril". Still north of the E'tel river, the rolling hills continue eastward, with the forest becoming less dense as the climate dries out. North of the forest, plains begin to intrude, the harsh steppes.
The Confederacy (as tentatively named) is a loose confederation of duchies, city states, and mercantile holdings south of the E'tel. The couple hundred miles south of the E'tel are very sparsely populated, considered the frontier, The Inn of the Stumbling Friar being one of the few outposts along the "northern Trade Road". That road links the eastern and western halves of the confederacy that is divided by a mountain range running north/south to almost the E'tel, the Inn of the Stumbling Friar sits at the northernmost edge of both those mountains and the trade road.
The western coastline of the confederacy is rugged, much like the norwegian coast with fjords and such. Like the eastern reaches of the confederacy on the other side of the spinal mountains, the civilization level grows as you head south. There are only a few useable ports/harbors in the northern half of the continent, climate becomes more temperate as you head south, but the coastal waters are considered barely navigable due to the weather and large number of uncharted rocks and islands. The port cities are the core of the merchant guilds that make up a third of the confederacy's "government", they hold a dear monopoly on trade out of the western harbors.
The eastern half of the confederacy is the breadbasket of the region, with rolling, partially forested hills and rich bottomlands. Independant duchies make up the majority of the civilization, with the northernmost town being rather small, though aggressively expansionistic. The bulk of the confederacy's "civilization" lays further to the south, with towns giving way to cities, trails becoming paved roads, and the frontier like atmosphere in the north getting swallowed up by regional laws and regulation. I've left description of the lands south and east of the confederacy vague.
Across the western ocean from D'oril and the Confederacy is the Empire of Tallux, and entire new continent. Though I've defined some basic characteristics, for now, I don't need to know much about it, so it remains pretty vaguely sketched out. The focus of my first tales will remain on the east...
Imperfect hope begins on the frontier between Mud Bay, the northern-most town and harbor along the western coast, and the deep forests of D'oril. Most of the story will remain within the western portions of the confederacy.
Needless to say, there's a lot more to the geography, and that geography plays a large part in defining the cultures and storylines. There'll be more to come.....
Clear skies,
Jim
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