Community build project pending

[hisnamehere]

It should be voiced that the collaborative consciousness of the Playground is nothing short of amazing. We can achieve greatness with these deviant talents.

On to the show.

I would like to create not only an elven school, but one built by the Playground community, as a school should be just that: collectively created by peers.
Such a school would be centered around nature, magic, and interconnectedness (I believe).
I originally imagined this to be a Harry-Potter-esque setting, but the playability of the school is not as important as its structure; individuals can create their own campaigns incorporating its aspects to a lesser or greater extent as they desire.

However, skimming over Hourglass of Zihaja (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177072), and evidenced by my inability to create that setting's name as a link to itself, organizing such a project is beyond my scope. (I have great organizational skillz, just not the talents needed to do such on a forum).

So, and perhaps all such build projects start here, this post is to seek interest in the project from collaborators and moderators - i.e. people who might like to contribute content, and/or those that might be able to keep the information in a presentable format.

Again, my humblest respect to us all, and happy gaming.

[The Witch-King]

I like your idea but I feel the need to raise the pretty obvious point that you're going to have to tell us something about the world the school is set in first. I mean, even if it's just "generic D&D fantasy world ala Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms," you're going to have to tell us something.

For example, you say it's an elven school. If the idea is to create a school that can be dropped into most D&D worlds as is, then my first question is are non-elves allowed to attend the school? Does "elven school" mean that it was founded and run by elves but that humans, dwarves, gnomes and halflings can attend and if not, why not?

On the other hand, if the world the school is set in is a world at war and the elves have been losing for years and the school is intended to raise a new generation of warrior-mages to retake the elven homeland and the school exists in secret to hide it from the elves' enemies, then things are completely different from how we'd do things in a more "average" setting.

At this point, the possibilities are endless. The school could be hidden inside a hollowed out tree in a forest of giant trees. It could be underwater. It could be on the moon. It could be on the astral plane.

I like the idea of your project but you either need to give us some parameters or hold votes for some.

Just now--off the top of my head, I had the idea that the school might be designed along the lines of Babylon 5--that there was a great war among the races in which powerful magics killed many people and to avert another such war, the elves built a great school of magic where all the races are invited to study so that the students, the next generation of great wizards, will all know each other and thus develop more cosmopolitan values than their predecessors and thus hopefully all the races would get along. There would be room for political intrigues and rivalries, both personal and racial, and be a very interesting place (any place where you've got orc shamen and elf wizards taking classes together would be pretty interesting).

[SamBurke]

I'd be willing to contribute, as much as my massively swamped schedule will allow!

I'd second that, but say: War mages would be awesome. I'd like to see elves portrayed in a very unusual way.

[Calliope121]

I like the idea of an elven school, as it gives many good possibilities, but there are lots of questions to be answered, like, how big is the school, if it teaches magic, what kinds, if it's a very elven school, would it teach art and woodlore too, does it have different sections, who teaches it, what do you have to do to get in. Just the first questions off the top of my head, but there are tons of things to consider.

[lothofkalroth]

Maybe give us more of an outline for the guidelines of the school, or perhaps it could simply be a sort of general university instead of it being specifically Elven.

[The Witch-King]

As much as I'd like to see this project take off, I don't think hisnamehere is coming back...

[SamBurke]

Continue thread without OP?

Done.

[Calliope121]

So it seems like we need to come up with the basic concepts first. We know that it's going to be an elven school of elfishness, but that's pretty much it. I think that the first thing we should decide is what exactly the school is going to teach. Personally, I think magic would be a good idea, but that's just me.

[The Witch-King]

So it seems like we need to come up with the basic concepts first. We know that it's going to be an elven school of elfishness, but that's pretty much it. I think that the first thing we should decide is what exactly the school is going to teach. Personally, I think magic would be a good idea, but that's just me.

Magic certainly, but what kind?

I guess I'm thinking what kind of a mood do we want to set? A military academy that trains wizards, sorcerers and warmages for combat? A dark, secretive hidden school that trains a chosen few in magics generally held to be dangerous, such as necromancy, in order to provide for mages that will protect society against those who would abuse such? Or something more Hogwarts like, a cheerful place for children to learn a more universalist approach to magic?

And will the school only teach arcane magic--or will it also train clerics and druids?

[The Reverend]

I see a large crenulated fantasy castle city rising off the point of high cliff as a single edifice, its lower towers reaching into the sea its highest reaching thousands of feet above the salt spray a small dramatic mountain range rears to the back left. The cliff is set in the coastline of a large island, the mountains forming the backbone of the island and the castle at its farthest south east point.

First question is of scale: small, medium, or large. 100,1000,10000+ Population?

[SamBurke]

I see a large crenulated fantasy castle city rising off the point of high cliff as a single edifice, its lower towers reaching into the sea its highest reaching thousands of feet above the salt spray a small dramatic mountain range rears to the back left. The cliff is set in the coastline of a large island, the mountains forming the backbone of the island and the castle at its farthest south east point.

First question is of scale: small, medium, or large. 100,1000,10000+ Population?

Suitably epic. I'd say small, focusing on something unusual. Dark arts seems done, happy-go lucky universalist sounds like it belongs in Canterlot.

Maybe, fluff it as a last bastion of hope for magic, keeping alive those few remaining practioners of it before they're anhilated.

[The Witch-King]

Maybe, fluff it as a last bastion of hope for magic, keeping alive those few remaining practioners of it before they're anhilated.

The academy-city of Dar Xaa, currently known as the Sorcerers' City, was originally constructed as the palace-city and capitol of the First Elven Empire. Housing the residence of the elven High King, his consort, retiners, servants and guards, the city was constructed as a fortress high on a cliffside overlooking the sea. Nearby is the dwarven hamlet of Highford Barrens. Highford Barrens is a small town built around the residence of the Dwarven Ambassador. When the residence was built to house the first ambassador to the elves, dwarves and elves had recently fought a war and still mistrusted each other so the ambassador's residence was not constructed within the city proper. Over time, dwarven merchants, travelers, caravan guards, etc. settled around the residence and the town prospered. When the First Empire collapsed, Dar Xaa suffered greatly during the Interregnum and afterwards during the Second Empire when the capitol was established at Jharhandra, most of the population moved away and many of the city's great buildings and mighty edifices fell into ruin.

It was centuries later during the great Hobgoblin Wars that the Archmage Orlaas saved High King Calhon's life, and asked by the High King what boon he would have in reward, the Archmage asked for dominion over the then nearly abandoned ruins of Dar Xaa. Orlaas then rebuilt the palace and the surrounding city as a great school for the mystic arts. Originally open only to those of elven and half-elven descent (it was rumored the great archmage himself was partially of human blood), the academy was opened to other races after the Great Disaster befell the land. With the nations of the land in chaos and the tides of barbarism lapping at the shores of all civilized countries, Dar Xaa may be the last bastion of magical learning and the civilized arts and sciences of a more enlightened age.

Originally built on a place of power divined by ancient elven mystics and oracles, Dar Xaa was renovated by Orlaas to train elven wizards and sorcerers. Over time, the conflux of mystic energies and the relocation and interbreeding of so many mystically talented individuals gathered from all parts of the continent has given rise to a larger than ordinary population of sorcerers, hence Dar Xaa's being known as the Sorcerers' City.

[SamBurke]

The academy-city of Dar Xaa, currently known as the Sorcerers' City, was originally constructed as the palace-city and capitol of the First Elven Empire. Housing the residence of the elven High King, his consort, retiners, servants and guards, the city was constructed as a fortress high on a cliffside overlooking the sea. Nearby is the dwarven hamlet of Highford Barrens. Highford Barrens is a small town built around the residence of the Dwarven Ambassador. When the residence was built to house the first ambassador to the elves, dwarves and elves had recently fought a war and still mistrusted each other so the ambassador's residence was not constructed within the city proper. Over time, dwarven merchants, travelers, caravan guards, etc. settled around the residence and the town prospered. When the First Empire collapsed, Dar Xaa suffered greatly during the Interregnum and afterwards during the Second Empire when the capitol was established at Jharhandra, most of the population moved away and many of the city's great buildings and mighty edifices fell into ruin.

It was centuries later during the great Hobgoblin Wars that the Archmage Orlaas saved High King Calhon's life, and asked by the High King what boon he would have in reward, the Archmage asked for dominion over the then nearly abandoned ruins of Dar Xaa. Orlaas then rebuilt the palace and the surrounding city as a great school for the mystic arts. Originally open only to those of elven and half-elven descent (it was rumored the great archmage himself was partially of human blood), the academy was opened to other races after the Great Disaster befell the land. With the nations of the land in chaos and the tides of barbarism lapping at the shores of all civilized countries, Dar Xaa may be the last bastion of magical learning and the civilized arts and sciences of a more enlightened age.

Originally built on a place of power divined by ancient elven mystics and oracles, Dar Xaa was renovated by Orlaas to train elven wizards and sorcerers. Over time, the conflux of mystic energies and the relocation and interbreeding of so many mystically talented individuals gathered from all parts of the continent has given rise to a larger than ordinary population of sorcerers, hence Dar Xaa's being known as the Sorcerers' City.

Aaaaand... Burke, take a note: Never do fluff with the Witch-King around.

[The Reverend]

It is this disastrous outgrowth of barbarism that has lead to the incredible expansion of Dar Xaa in the last 10 years increasing in population more in the last decade than in the previous 3 centuries. Gnomish artificers, Dwarf Warmages, Halfling alchemists, Druids of many Fey species, a contigent of paladins and clerics following the God of magic, and even a small monastery of secretive monks known only as Spell Punchers.

While the Council originally balked at the idea of non eleves attending let alone teaching at Dar Xaa, they were soon convinced when the Half Moon pirate fleet lead by their Illithid Master Gold Tooth was handily beaten back by a combined force of visiting casters. Gold tooths signature dentata now adorns the head procters wand of office, taken from his head after a single stroke by Brother Felaris human paladin to Ioun crushed the aberrant buccaneer.

[The Reverend]

Year after year more and more magic users congregate in Dar Xaa arriving in singles and small groups, families, adventuring parties, students and masters. I. The most dramatic and largest addition was by Guildmaster Illixus Fenmaker halfling alchemists who brought his entire alchemy guild, buildings and all to Dar Xaa via a wish spell, owed generations ago by a powerful outsider, after the fall Glenmornangle to a horde of goblins.

[The Witch-King]

The Great Disaster:

The Primordials have returned.

The ancient tales of the Gods having defeated and driven out the Primordials have proven to just be stories. The truth is that the Primordials influence upon this plane is a seasonal thing and, once again, the stars are right and their influence has once again returned. The last time this happened, two million years ago, the first ancestors of the dragons walked the land for the first time. Now, their influence has caused giant flora and fauna to spring up across the land overnight, while giant mammals are few and far between, giant birds (rocs), giant lizards, crustaceans, insects and arachnids, as well as giant plants of all manner and type (some ambulatory!) have appeared across the continent. Roads and mountain passes have been cut, canals broken and shattered, the courses of rivers changed, lakes have disappeared and others been formed and the changes that have occurred have not been limited to the land and the plant and animal life.

Across the land, people too have been changed by the Primordials' influence as prophets, oracles, warlocks, witches, sorcerers, shamen and wild mages, all touched by the Primordials' "favor," have appeared.

The difference between the Gods and the Primordials is in how they think. Gods are more "human" and they think in a manner more similar to how we mortals think, even though there are differences in perspective to be sure as they are ancient, immortal beings who see our mortal lives as beginning and ending in the time it takes a God to blink. The Gods understand good and evil, gain and loss, worry and woe, love, joy, sorrow and regret. The Primordials are far more alien. The Primordials' agenda is to exist, to grow in power and influence and further those whom they "favor," which is the manner by which they increase their power and influence. They are less people in the manner we understand them and more direct living expressions and manifestations of the forces they embody. Xadichal the Firebringer "favors" fire and those who share this interest. He may grant an insane old man powers of wild magic firestarting and so long as the mad old man wanders the land starting fires with his mind, Xadichal will grant him more power. A warlock who forges a pact with Him will likewise be granted power and so long as the warlock offers Xadichal obeisance and uses these powers of fire to smite his enemies and thereby showcase his mystic potency, thus influencing others to likewise make pacts with Xadichal, he too will be granted more power. When those who have willing sought or accepted a Primordial's power and influence have decided to turn their back on their patron, things have become--messy.

It is important to remember that the Primordials are not good nor evil; they simply ARE. When innocents are harmed by the power of a Primordial, it is less an act of maliciousness and more what happens when an elephant steps on an ant while in search of food or water. While there do seem to be from time to time, vendettas between cults of different Primordials, a Primordial does not take sides in internacine struggles between its own followers. If two fight, the stronger wins and that is that. Many believe the empowerment the Primordials offer is merely a by-product of their very existence and they are no more concerned or even aware of what happens to the eldritch powers they radiate than a man is concerned for what happens to a bead of sweat or an exhaled breath.

Illara the Shadowweaver "favors" shadow and shadow magic and those who offer Her obeisance in the dark and seek Her power chanting Her name under the stars will often find it. In Dar Xaa, a coven of shadow witches has made an agreement with the Headmaster of the Academy and found refuge within Dar Xaa's walls. These witches have accepted Illara as their patron and have reaped the powers of shadow granted thereby. They have agreed, like other spellcasters within the city, to obey the laws of Dar Xaa and place their services at the behest of the Headmaster should the city be threatened.

Outside the city walls, the land is in chaos. Whole towns and cities have been destroyed by giant foliage growing up out of the ground. Likewise, whole populations have had to flee in terror as giant creatures stalk the countryside. Farmlands that once produced large and fruitful crops are now barren and while giant plants have sprung up producing gigantic fruits and vegetables in some places, often the population is nowhere near the food sources and the food sources are nowhere near any established area of habitation. And thus the land is in the grips of a sudden and unplanned great migration. The situation is made all the worse by neighbor turning on neighbor in hunger and fear and by assaults and raids from roving bands of evil humanoids, themselves forced to find new lands to call their own.

As bad as things are on the surface, they are far, far worse in the Underdark as strange fissures have cracked open the mighty, endless seeming caverns of that benighted realm, as great underground earthquakes have ravaged the Underdark and underground rivers, lakes and even whole underground seas have changed their courses and locations. Drow, kuo-toa, troglodytes and illithids in unprecedented numbers have been driven to the surface blinking stinging eyes as they are forced to make new lives on the surface.

[The Witch-King]

The Proctors act as the city's defense and police force. They are reinforced by the Paladins of Ioun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioun) who, while also charged with the defense of the city, have less of a law-enforcement role. Ioun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioun)'s paladins are officially registered as deputized citizens and have the right to bear arms in all public places, break up fights and other disputes and detain persons until the Proctors arrive. The Proctors are led by the Head Proctor who answers directly to the Academy Headmaster and the Academy Council. The council consists of all tenured professors and professors-emeritus of the academy-city. There are powerful wizards and sorcerers living within the city who do not have a seat on the council because they choose not to serve as instructors and serving as an instructor is a prerequisite for membership on the council as established by the Academy Charter written by Orlaas himself.

While the Proctors maintain a close watch over the areas of the city currently used by the Academy, there exists more of the city than can be properly patrolled by the Proctors' current numbers. With the constant influx of refugees into the city, and those refugees moving into many of the outlying and once vacant buildings along the walled rim of the city, there now exists a largely lawless refugee camp just inside the city walls. With no permanent source of law, order or medicine, many of the hungry and desperate refugees have turned to gangs and cults. A large and lawless underclass is developing around the edges of the city and while the Proctors and paladins do their best to periodically crack down on the worst offenders, the truly cunning thieves and cultists simply fade away when a patrol arrives only to return as soon as they leave. Organizing in the disused basements, catacombs and sewers of the city, despite all efforts of the council to contain them, these gangs and surreptitious cults are thriving.

[The Reverend]

Only thing I would say is that the underclass isn't too big and neither is the shanty towns. My reasoning for this is thusly.
1. Its hard to get anywhere given the primordial based issues.

2. Its particularly hard to cross a hundred leagues of ocean to Dar Xaa from the main continent. A few boatloads of poo refugees would reach Dar Xaa, but the norm would probably arrive via magical means or would already be well of nobles, traders, sea captains, explorers, adventurers, or naval crews

3. Magic users tend not to be Poor.

4.Nor lawless. Crafty, cagey, prone to skirting the laws and flying the face of conventions absolutely. What I imagine what would develop at the out skirts would be a highly splintered groupings whose structures are based on: familiarity (he's cool I raided a dungeon with him), similar techniques (summoners, artificera, spell thirds, sourcerers, druids), religion and to an extent race.

5. The big issue socially, politically, and economically will be the change in structure from just a magic school to that of a growing city with a Major Magic School at its core. Social and political problems could be dealt with by creating a city government to handle larger affairs of the growing populace.

6. Some items will be scarce, but adequate shelter, food, and water/sewage aren't a problem. When a mid to upper level wizard can summon creatures then tell them "look, go bring me back a whole bunch of fish. I need to fill these carts". Food isn't a problem. Magic purification and elven city planning should negate the problems of water and sewage. Dar Xaa used to be city of nearly a million people and the elves are well known as the dwarfs to focus on buildings that last. While covered vines, some mold, a bit of decay most of the buildings should be complete and serviceable as housing with minimal repairs. Everyone lives in eleven mansions basically shanty towns they ain't. Lots of sleeping on bare floors till enough mattresses and beds can be made.........
Gilfar 17 lvl summoner summons a lesser demon
"I am Zxcegdf the third egregor of the Demon Prince Susagv what great work can i..."
"That's nice listen Zxcegdf, I need beds lots of beds."
"Demon blinks, "Beds...of Nails? Of Fire?"
"No normal beds with feather mattresses not weird, not magical. A comfortable place for a dsmihuman to sleep on."
"not of Fiery Nails, just normal beds?".
"Yea normal beds. As many as you can get or build."

7. Cults and weird religions is a problem I can thoroughly agree will become a problem. Especially with so many places to hide and be secret hobbitses in.

[The Witch-King]

Only thing I would say is that the underclass isn't too big and neither is the shanty towns. My reasoning for this is thusly.
1. Its hard to get anywhere given the primordial based issues.

2. Its particularly hard to cross a hundred leagues of ocean to Dar Xaa from the main continent. A few boatloads of poo refugees would reach Dar Xaa, but the norm would probably arrive via magical means or would already be well of nobles, traders, sea captains, explorers, adventurers, or naval crews.

Well--I hadn't foreseen that you were imagining the island to be so far from the main continent. I had pictured it being a lot closer as an ex-capitol of the elves. It could be that most of the elves' lands themselves are at the edge of the main continent, which I guess I would solve the problem.

Don't forget that the mages will be bringing with them as many people as they can--their families, their friends, their friends' families. Even evil mages are going to want to bring along a few choice servants and even they may find that those servants aren't willing to go without bringing their families along. You don't need a revolt in the middle of your impromptu migration...


3. Magic users tend not to be Poor.

True. But I was thinking more of the refugee families that got brought along and not the magic users themselves. And let's not forget that wealth in D&D is largely tangible. Particularly the usable, transportable wealth. You might have a bank account back home but I don't think that will do you any good here. And how much gold can you transport? And will you transport tons of material objects if it means leaving people behind? And even if you bring a ton of gold with you--I'm not sure there's that much to buy when you get there.


4.Nor lawless. Crafty, cagey, prone to skirting the laws and flying the face of conventions absolutely. What I imagine what would develop at the out skirts would be a highly splintered groupings whose structures are based on: familiarity (he's cool I raided a dungeon with him), similar techniques (summoners, artificers, spell thirds, sorcerers, druids), religion and to an extent race.

Again, I'm thinking of their extended families ("I agreed to bring your cousin Horloth--that I can't stand--and his girlfriend but now that we're here, they're on their own"), their friends, neighbors, and other refugees, not the mages themselves. There will be high-powered good clerics and mages who devote themselves to aiding the evacuation of dangerous places to places of safety. Working together and systematically, they could probably transport a great deal of people.


5. The big issue socially, politically, and economically will be the change in structure from just a magic school to that of a growing city with a Major Magic School at its core. Social and political problems could be dealt with by creating a city government to handle larger affairs of the growing populace.

You are correct--but yours is a practical sensible solution. It's not a good dramatic solution. I think the last thing we want is a separate functioning and efficient city government. I think we want an inefficient city government managed by wizard part-time administrators--because it gives the DM so many tools for plots and adventures.

Example: The PCs have recovered something of great value but require an import license to bring it into the city. Time is limited because the big auction takes place in two weeks. They have to get the license and transport the item in that time. But they can't get the license because the guy responsible for handing out said licenses is a professor of the Academy and doesn't have time for anything else because his TA quit and its the end of the semester and he has to grade his own papers and exams. The Academy could make an exception to their rules and assign him a new TA but the professor in charge of that is a rival of his and insists on following the rules to the letter.

Example: The PCs may decide the best way to manipulate the "city government" is with a face man. After he fails--someone may point out that wizards can get administrative posts--but they have to teach. If there's a wizard in the party, he may have to take up a teaching position, even if only part-time, just to help the PCs slide things through the city bureaucracy.

Example: The PCs may find a patron or get one of their own to sign up as an instructor as seen above but may find their agent blocked by another mage simply because the other mage is a member of a rival school. He might be a conjuration mage and doesn't like the flashy evocation mages who get all the press or some such. Or there might be a rivalry between subdivisions of the school Hogwarts style. And getting the rival mage to help out might lead to a quest to obtain some spell reagent with which to "gain his favor."

Anyway--there's lots of plot and story potential that would be lost if we had ordinary civil servants doing ordinary jobs. I mean, imagine having to deal with some wizard who got stuck with handling waste disposal. Hell--the reason the sewers might be such a hot-bed of illegal and cult activity is that administration of the sewers is basically handed to the lowest qualifying guy on the totem pole and no one ever takes it seriously... "They're well built, well designed elven sewers--what could go wrong..."


6. Some items will be scarce, but adequate shelter, food, and water/sewage aren't a problem.

That would be true under ordinary conditions. I think we need two threats (at least!) to the city--one remote and one nearby. If the problems due to the primordials are remote, then the situation you describe applies. I think we need a more pressing "at the city walls" kind of threat to prevent that. The mood of this being a last desperate bastion isn't set by everyone plopping onto beautiful, soft elven couches, kicking off their shoes, saying "we made it!" and then eating caviar and elven crackers and drinking florescent magical wine courtesy of the local mages. We need a pressing threat so that the mages' resources are tied up with the defense of the city and providing enough food and water for people to survive but not things like beds and furniture and comfort items.


7. Cults and weird religions is a problem I can thoroughly agree will become a problem. Especially with so many places to hide and be secret hobbitses in.

Again, I think we need a pressing problem so one or more of the cults inside the city can side with the outside attackers. Having to deal with an obvious outside threat (the illithid pirates return? drow or other creatures from the underdark try to take the city?) while inside cultists (who look like ordinary citizens) act as a fifth-column conducting spying, sabotage and assassination should provide plenty of things for PCs to do while helping to set the mood we're after.

[The Reverend]

Working backwards

7.Cults should be aligned with the "Threats" from number 6, they should also be opposed to each other.

6. Possible threats
Illithid Pirates with their aboleth allies
Sahaguan raiders, dont even need boats.
Giant Sea creatures-crabs in particular, also octopus.
Drow or Duregar coming up thru passages to the Underdark on the island itself.
Primordials representatives etc a clear and Powerful threat
Lich king has long term designs on the city of Dar Xaa and is manipulating the other factions and wants the magic school for himself. Wants it intact and functioning as possible for use as a power base to conquer the now disrupted world.

Crackers, wine, and caviar is not food. About three weeks of fish and see how it feels. There is food, its just really monotonous: fish stew, grilled fish, smoked fish, etc. Maybe a giant crab gets killed and brought back every now and then.

5. Aaah but it could be a dramatic solution. Some of the professors dont want to change, dont want to give up their routine. They want to teach and are using the school as a shield to keep from having to confront that times have changed, they may acknowledge it on tje intellectual level but getting them to agree to practical long term solutions may require drastic measures. Kidnapping the tenured professor or bring him on false pretenses to show him the new Dueregar settlement being built in the mountains so the proctors can get their funds to train a hippogriff mounted squad, or the human sacrifice going on in the sewers so sewer repair will get its badly needed funds he wants to spend on a new Thaumaturgy circle.

4. True. A high power cleric of the god of the horizon could probably move A Lot of people. I see a lot of new farmland popping up outside the city. The dwarves will want to get mining in those mountains too.

3. Hah over inflation apples going for a whole gold, etc.

2. For some reason I saw the elves as a Phoenician style maritime empire rather than a woodsy based bunch of treehuggers. Elven longshoreman have the most elegant cusswords you ever heard.

[The Witch-King]

Cults should be aligned with the "Threats" from number 6, they should also be opposed to each other.

I do like the idea of the cults fighting amongst themselves. It would be amusing to see some scheme fail because some external threat aligned themselves with two of the cults and then the cults screw it all up by fighting amongst themselves to see who can best curry favor with the external enemy.


Possible threats
Illithid Pirates with their aboleth allies
Sahaguan raiders, dont even need boats.
Giant Sea creatures-crabs in particular, also octopus.
Drow or Duergar coming up thru passages to the Underdark on the island itself.
Primordials representatives etc a clear and Powerful threat
Lich king has long term designs on the city of Dar Xaa and is manipulating the other factions and wants the magic school for himself. Wants it intact and functioning as possible for use as a power base to conquer the now disrupted world.

All well and good. Primordial representatives can be a particularly interesting threat if you play up the whole Old Ones/Cthulhian angle. Someone near and dear to either the players or someone in power can suddenly gain all sorts of strange, eldritch powers and be driven mad thereby. You could even have a really convoluted situation where an evil mage has discovered his son has become a threat to the city and wants to hire someone to remove the problem before he is politically damaged but doesn't want anyone to know (especially the young man's mother) that he's the one who hired adventurers to hunt down and kill him.


Aaah but it could be a dramatic solution. Some of the professors dont want to change, dont want to give up their routine. They want to teach and are using the school as a shield to keep from having to confront that times have changed, they may acknowledge it on tje intellectual level but getting them to agree to practical long term solutions may require drastic measures. Kidnapping the tenured professor or bring him on false pretenses to show him the new Duergar settlement being built in the mountains so the proctors can get their funds to train a hippogriff mounted squad, or the human sacrifice going on in the sewers so sewer repair will get its badly needed funds he wants to spend on a new Thaumaturgy circle.

As long as the default is a scholastic government and its left as a plot thread to pursue a more "secular" government I think it will work out fine. I'm just really keen on the city's Headmaster having as many headaches as possible.


For some reason I saw the elves as a Phoenician style maritime empire rather than a woodsy based bunch of treehuggers. Elven longshoreman have the most elegant cusswords you ever heard.

That's cool. The maritime empire part. I'm okay with the elegant cussword thing, that's just not what I was remarking was cool... :smallsmile: