The Alphatian Province of Frisland

Continued from "Ambur: the County of Stargaze"

This kingdom at the northwestern tip of the Wizards’ Empire stands amongst the largest in mainland Alphatia and bears a most tumultuous history. Despite its harsh climate and inhospitable land, Frisland became a battleground for races, cultures, and faiths. A legacy of horror and of ancient evils still imbues the region, which to this day survives Alphatia’s efforts to scour the province of its troublesome heritage.

Kingdom of Greater Frisland (AC 1000) -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

Frisland’s Origins: In its very distant past, Frisland became a refuge for three races, all of them fleeing greater scourges. The Yanifey came first, a copper-skinned race of ancient Neathar stock more prevalent in the island-continent’s east and south. Reeling from the advance of Alphatian forces after their recent landfall on Mystara, the original Yan folk mixed with fey people before retreating into the cold northwestern reaches, on the oriental side of the Kerothar Mountains. The Ogam, slaves of an evil race now extinct, escaped from the Isle of Dawn and reached the shores of Frisland, before finding solace in hidden valleys, deep amid the Kerothar Mountains. At about the same time, Antalians from Brun fled before King Loark’s onslaught, abandoning their ancestral lands to the goblin hordes. These Antalians, a people of fair complexion, sailed from the west, settling the island of Qeodhar first and Frisland’s western shores thereafter.

Of Headstrong Blogrolls and Story Reboots

Sure enough, Blogspot once again failed entirely to update the blogroll with today's article.  I posted this extra note to nudge their worthless bones and perhaps get such an update.  Sorry for the added entry (and I'm not sure this will actually work).  If you saw the notice in the blogroll, click here to return to the intended article or scroll down if you just happen to be on the home page.
 
Since my last announcement regarding the "Princess Ark Reboot"  (those of you who've been following me know what this is about), I've been busy working on outlines for the new world, the new ship and her crew, and the story plots.  It's been getting thicker and very exciting.  I can say without hesitation that the alternative setting offers quite a bit more depth and potential than Mystara ever did.  I doubt that you will be disappointed.  I will probably release shorts on this blog and elsewhere on the net to offer peek previews.  Until then, patience my dear friends.  The cake is still baking.  I haven't had the time to create another blog for the story reboot, and I hesitate using this one since it seems to be permanently malfunctioning (the blogroll not updating).  Now that I managed to post a new Mystara entry, I'll spend more time on the reboot, and on the next article--the Kingdom of Frisland.

Thanks for your patience!  

Ambur: The County of Stargaze

Continued from “The Counties of Skyglint & Stardust”

This last dominion in the Kingdom of Ambur is a long sliver of coastline stretching 80 miles north to south between the Strait of Ambur and the Ambur River. Its successive counts were chiefly responsible for pressuring Amburian monarchy to issue the Starpoint Edict, and for provoking the Twin Peaks Campaign soon thereafter. They bore the largest share of the cost of the military campaign into what would later become Aran territory. The invasion eventually failed and, as a result, the heirs to the county have born grudges against both Foresthome and neighboring Ar. Soon after Ar established their hegemony over the eastern shores of Crystal Lake, the Counts of Stargaze vowed to never again be caught at a disadvantage.

County of Stargaze -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

The campaign nearly bankrupted the county. Today, farming prevails along the river, yielding velvet-coated winter pears, magically enhanced turnips and spinach, and the local specialty—explosive mustard seeds used in the making of the heart-warming condiment. Fishing and sheep-herding are more common along the coast. With inland farming, these generate a meager income for the counts. The lack of a large town is the biggest drawback. The present count, his family, and their retinues reside at Perihelion Castle, an imposing stronghold overlooking the Amber River’s mouth. The fact that royal funds largely financed its construction has been quietly forgotten, save for a required presence among its garrison of a Queen’s Detachment. Perihelion-upon-Ambur, a village with a port, occupies the lower banks at the river’s mouth just outside the castle. All river traffic must stop here and pay passage fees, generating a substantial part of the county’s income. Another source of cash resides in the salt mine halfway down the county. The challenge for Stargaze has always been the development of a better source of income, which coincides with the vows of its counts never again to be caught at a disadvantage.

Blogger Foibles

Once again, Blogger has failed to update the blog roll.  If anyone knows  how to fix this ongoing issue, please let me know.  I just posted a new article.  Click here to view it.

Ambur: The Counties of Skyglint & Stardust

Continued from “Ambur: The Counties of Skyreach & Starfyre”

This dominion, at the northernmost point of Ambur, is as much versed in the rational observation of the firmament as it is immersed in the mystical decryption of fate written in the stars. Prominent Skyglinters devote themselves to the study of planetary alignments and the secret patterns of stars which, when paired with one’s exact date and place of birth, determines auspicious and inauspicious days in one’s life. Their accuracy is reputed throughout the empire, and the majority of Alphatian aristocracy seeks their guidance.

County of Skyglint -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

This small dominion lies by the Town of Grand Conjunction (3,200 inhabitants, plus 100 troops). It is Ambur’s second busiest port and a key stop of seagoing vessels rounding the tip of Alphatia from the Sea of Zebulon to the Strait of Yannivey. Low sandstone cliffs edge the county’s coast, except for Grand Conjunction’s vicinity. Two important lighthouses and several smaller ones near the port’s inlet help guide ship traffic to the harbor. The area is prone to violent storms, due to its position at the edge of two seas. Though current is strong off the coast, ice may build up outside the harbor during the coldest months. Wizards regularly descend upon the inlet, shooting balls of fire to melt the ice. These events draw throngs of curious and awed townsfolk and result in impromptu festivals in the port area. Many a wizard will adorn the mighty displays with faerie fires and other arcane fireworks for the pleasure of the count and the good people of Grand Conjunction.

Bye-Bye Princess Ark

Some of you have known that for some time I've queried Wizards of the Coast for options to get some life back into the World of Mystara and the Princess Ark.  Unfortunately, Wizards isn't interested in cooperating.  This became clear when I began talking to their IP manager, who informed me that any arrangement regarding Mystara was out of the question at this time.  There was no interest in anything involving a transfer of rights, a sale, a license agreement, a permission to publish, or any other option--as a matter of policy.  From what I'd heard of WotC, I knew this going in.

What I really was interested in was writing new stories specifically for the Princess Ark, originally published in Dragon Magazine some twenty years ago.  For a time, it sounded like an arrangement might be possible.  Since Mystara wasn't available, it still would have involved stripping all related D&D- and Mystara-specific details.  It would have left the ship and her crew completely bare of any background.  However, WotC's IP manager decided that even this constituted an IP, and therefore wasn't available.  I offered cash, free ads, efforts to coordinate and support the release of D&D Next (etc.), to no avail.  That so many of you would be overjoyed to see any RPG release linked to Mystara or the Princess Ark didn't appear to be relevant in the least.

The Good News

Although this development may appear heart-breaking, there is a silver lining.  As the discussion developed, I became convinced that any involvement with WotC was a waste of my time and a future liability.  Writing Princess Ark stories without her original background seemed bad enough, but in the event of a licensing agreement or a simple permission to publish, I would have been obligated  to regularly submit any development for approval.  This would have made the experience infinitely worse, provided anyone at WotC were available for the approval process--which apparently isn't the case.  I was given to understand that WotC doesn't want to spare staff for this sort of work, even if they had anyone knowledgeable enough to do these old IPs justice.  This seems to be the situation for most of the old TSR game settings--not just Mystara or the Princess Ark.  The end result would have been a creative straightjacket at best, or more likely a nightmare.

Good riddance.

Time has come for me to set sail across stranger skies.  I think there's plenty of room out there for another ship, another crew, and new adventures unbound by darkness.  Although stories would take place in another world, in spirit one might think this is the Princess Ark reborn.  My plan is to move on with brand new fiction stories and release them as E-Books.  Your interest and support will be key in making this dream come true.  Once I get the details worked out, a Kickstarter campaign will become a must.  You can show your support now by sharing this article, posting your comments, or hitting the + button.

Thanks to all of you for your friendship and the manner in which you welcomed my return after a fifteen year hiatus.  It was a heartwarming thing for me, and to no small degree, this fueled my devoting so much effort to this blog.  Please understand I don't mean to stop contributing.  I'm opening another door and looking at what could have been and at new opportunities.  I hope you'll come explore some new frontiers with me.

Until then, I say: "Onward, my courageous companions!   Let us seek a better, bolder, grander future!"

Ambur: The Counties of Skyreach & Starfyre

Continued from “The Alphatian Province of Ambur”

Not to be confused with the Capital City of Ar, this northern county lies within the Kingdom of Ambur’s borders. Hotheads have gotten into violent arguments about the name’s “intellectual property,” each side claiming moral ascendancy over the label. In truth, it’s neither here nor there, as both in their own ways do reach for the sky.

County of Skyreach -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

The seat of the county lies in the provincial town of Star Fall (8,000 inhabitant plus 1,500 military). It earned its name from a small meteroid that once crashed in the vicinity. Wizards moved into the area shortly afterward, hunting for bits and pieces of the monolith. Local population grew thereafter, with peasants and workers seeking good fortune. In Ambur, wherever there are wizards, there is work and money to be earned.

It turned out that fragments from the outer space bolide bore special properties that, when combined with the manufacture of optical lenses, lead to a new branch of stargazing technology. A local school was founded, accredited by the renowned Lady Alathazam, which promptly acquired the technique and offered it to its students. It became known as the School of Transposition.

The Alphatian Province of Ambur

Continued from “. . .To Boldly Go”

This small kingdom at the northeastern tip of the Alphatian Empire has been variously described as a quiet, underdeveloped, fog-shrouded realm engrossed in its passion for theaters and stargazing. There is far more to the story to explain the success of Ambur. This picturesque image, however, serves to veil a most peculiar and sinister secret.

Kingdom of Ambur -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

There was a time when this land and much of what is now mainland Alphatia belonged to ancient and primitive tribes of eastern Neathar folk, known as the Yan. They became strongest in the north after the Alphatian Landfall, two millennia ago. During the following centuries, when Air Wizards pushed from the south, Yani tribes were forced to cohabit with the Fey, mystical forestfolk who’d claimed vast boreal woodlands. Those of mixed Yan and Fey stock, known as the Yanifey, eventually supplanted the old Yan folk.

With their ancestral hold upon the cold, misty woods increasingly challenged, pureblood Fey yearned for greater magic with which to keep the Alphatian invaders at bay. At the Fey’s bidding, the Ogam, a swarthy people hailing from unknown shores, responded to the call and, for a time, stalemated the Alphatian onslaught. But as the fight lingered, these dark mages engendered a mysterious calamity. It withered woods in the northwest, impoverished the soil, and invited a harsher climate. As a result of the magical mishap, the Fey vanished overnight and surviving Ogam retreated into the northern Kerothar Mountains, leaving the dumbfounded and distressed Yanifey to hold the plains.

Ar: Walking with the Wraiths

Continued from “Ar: Figment of the Wyvern’s Mind”

In the wake of the Twin Peaks Campaign, Ar annexed this stretch of land, but left borders open to merchants and bankers to help alleviate bad feelings among Amburian neighbors. Many among Amburian nobility and the military still consider what is now Ar’s Wraith District as rightfully theirs, having led their army to wrest this land from a rabble of ungrateful renegades. In view of their fiscal advantages, bankers and merchants have gradually forgotten the divisive issue and shared in the wealth from Ailpon. Once a fishing village, it grew as the result of the nearby cloudstone mine and became a boomtown, complete with a sprawling seedy quarter, daily tavern brawls among free miners and sailors, and restricted areas reserved for wealthy upstarts or the military. Amburian nobles now see these investors as greedy turncoats, adding fuel to their discontent.

Lower Wraith District -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

To make matters worse, a strange and intimidating race of people moved into the area and made the district a haven for their kind. They are the ones who gave the district its name, and the real reason why this piece of land was separated from Wyvern. Aran Wraithlings are people who’d fallen victims to incorporeal undead but were returned to life. As a result of the magic used, their minds and bodies bear the stigmata of their ordeal. Their flesh is somewhat translucent, showing bones, muscles, sinew, and organs as shadows. Their facial traits, however diaphanous, remain gaunt and disturbingly morbid. With clothes and makeup, Wraithlings appear as normal people but, to put it simply, the similarity is skin-deep. Since their arrival, Wraithlings reproduced and formed a prominent caste of aristocrats. Their request to establish this land as their own district was quickly approved in Skyreach for two reasons. It was a good way to entice Wraithlings to leave other districts of Ar where they were often unwelcome. Another reason was to exploit the Wraithlings’ presence on the eastern shores of Crystal Lake as a deterrent for Amburian pretensions—another singularly unpopular decision across the border. The intimidation is purely psychological, based on common prejudice and irrational fears, because Wraithlings are neither monsters nor a threat to society. Their looks and the idea of what they once were is what causes most people to loathe them.

Ar: Figment of the Wyvern’s Mind

Continued from “Ar: Through the Vortex”

This region became a part of the Kingdom of Ar as the result of a conflict between Foresthome and Ambur. The stretch of land east of Crystal Lake was a marshy wilderness infested with stirges. It had become a hideout for runaway serfs and renegades of all sorts. They established an “underground” network to help others like themselves escape from the Kingdom of Ar through Ambur and then south into what was called the Twin Peaks Borderland. The Stargazers’ Realm feigned concern when Aran nobility complained, but in truth Amburians professed a deliberate indifference. Fugitive communities were doing well, settling the region and confining the stirge peril to the darkest woods. Amburian nobility and merchants eyed the Twin Peaks Borderland with mounting interest. Bowing to pressure, their king finally issued the Starpoint Edict, formally claiming these new lands. When they heard the news, settlers banded together and established a free and independent republic, sparking the Twin Peaks Campaign.

Lower Wyvern District -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

What should have been an easy takeover for Ambur’s small but capable army turned sour when the republic’s beleaguered supporters offered their allegiance to Foresthome in exchange for protection. The Sylvan Realm agreed and sent troops. Although Foresthome wielded a much stronger force, it lacked the cohesion and focus needed to dislodge Amburian occupiers. The northerners’ commanding cadre of astrophysicists and engineers proved a match to their opponents’ wild and spirited élan. The three protagonists became mired in a costly, drawn-out conflict featuring countless sallies and counter-attacks.

Meanwhile, serfs in Ar got wind of the brave little republic’s advent, and became increasingly restless. After putting down several small peasant revolts, the Kingdom of Ar decided to intervene. The recent discovery of cloudstones across the lake helped fuel the bellicose resolution. In the name of “peace,” a large fleet of skyships flew in unexpectedly from Ceafem, the old capital, and in great fanfare ostensibly took Ambur’s side. They spearheaded a speedy aerial offensive, dropped troops behind enemy lines, and quickly routed the sylvan rabble. Along the way, Aran forces repatriated or summarily executed whomever they pleased, with a particular predilection for captured leaders of the offending republic. Throngs of refugees and shattered remnants of the republic’s fledgling volunteer army fled south into sasquatch tribal lands, while skyships rained fire and destruction upon them.

Ar: Through the Vortex

Continued from “Ar: In Search of the Sphinx”

This unique doughnut-shaped floating island is the last district to have been created in the Kingdom of Ar. A royal edict abruptly carved out a large area of open space and prime fishing waters once shared between Hippogriff, Griffon, Skybridge, and Wyvern Districts. Sour feelings remained ever since the partition, because viceroys weren’t consulted about the decision or even told of its rationale. Instead, a haze of secrecy surrounded the event, letting on solely that the new dominion was off limits to all but a select few in the Aran military. The new District of Vortex has no viceroy but a shadowy military governor. From neighboring floating islands and ships skirting the forbidden area’s borders, one can observe two floating islands and, fairly frequently, an enormous whirlwind spinning through the main island. The turbulence stretches from the lake’s surface to 13,200’ (4.400m) through the monolith’s midsection before blending with thick clouds above. At various times day and night, lightning bolts randomly discharge from Vortex Prime’s outer rim, adding intermittent rumbles to the tornado’s distant roar. The sight alone is enough to keep most visitors out. On certain days, freak storms develop on Crystal Lake, showering the shores with hail, miscellaneous debris, frosted fish, and occasional monster bits.

Vortex Military District -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

The roots of the mysterious event go back to a skyship commander, one Captain Aerwatt, who was concerned with the clear and present threat of a possible new ogrish invasion. He’d always shared with his friends and peers his concerns about the lack of adequate fortifications along Ar’s southern border and troops to hold them. Tired of his commanders’ apathy, he came up with a radical approach that was guaranteed to earn King Qissling’s interest, and his eventual approval. A top graduate in air magistry and aspiring grand wizard, Aerwatt’s basic idea spun from proverbial “mopping up” efforts to rid the land of foes and other undesirable features littering battlefields in one fell stroke—or in his case, in a gigantic whoosh. He devised the construction of a ring-shaped monolith fitted with magical devices accelerating air within its midsection, angled in such a way to create suction beneath. If properly focused, the resulting whirlwind could sweep a mile-wide stretch clear of any marching army and, quite certainly, damage beyond recovery any siege equipment. The prospect of building a controllable tornado was so appealing to the king that the project got underway overnight. Captain Aerwatt was made governor and head of the project. That’s about it for good news. . .

. . . for bad news abounds.

Quest for the Goblin Egg

Ar: In Search of the Sphinx

Continued from “Ar: Where Pegasus Roams”

This district of Ar occupies a very small corner of the kingdom, yet it has a unique and macabre function among nobility, warranting its existence as a separate entity. Well before Alphatians reached this region of Mystara, a war took place there, leaving behind countless burial mounds and, to this day, the errant souls of twisted beings. A clan of sphinxes came to the site in search of kin who’d died in the conflict, seeking to allow them proper funeral. Powerful in the arts of magic and clerical might, these creatures confronted throngs of lost souls, some in distress, many consumed with bitterness and anger at those still enjoying the fruits of life. To reach their fallen kin, sphinxes developed skills needed to put undead masses to peaceful rest. Since then, all but the swamps of the Fris River’s delta have been cleared of hauntings, at least most of them. Many of the sphinxes remained thereafter to keep watch on their burial grounds, thereby claiming this land as theirs. In their own language, they euphemistically named it: “Erset La Tari,” or Land of No Return.

Lower Sphinx District -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

It was at about that time that Alphatians arrived in the region. With human population expanding, frictions between native sphinxes and settlers grew, in particular when burial grounds were at risk. Unlike many examples elsewhere in the world, a clash did not follow. Concerned with the notorious power of Alphatians, sphinx leaders accepted an offer to prevent conflict. The agreement enabled sphinxes to retain their hallowed lands and protect the dead as they had been doing for so long, all under the protection of the Kingdom of Ar and with formal recognition of their special status from the empire. Ar would also graciously provide food and supplies needed to support the sphinx community. In exchange, Alphatian ambassadors convinced sphinxes to extend their protection and guidance to deceased Aran highborn for agreeable fees, providing the leonine caretakers with a steady and significant income.

Three stretches of hallowed lands were thus sent aloft, which became Ar’s necropolis. Lowlands were revitalized and farmers moved in safely. Part of the local agriculture now serves to feed the sphinxes, most of whom reside above. Others continue to live freely in the deepest forests. The swamps remain off limits, still dangerous to the living. The village of Airy Diggs was founded as the district’s main skyport from which supplies are transported. Sailway Tower stands above a small seaport where occasional foreign traders may pick up or offload merchandise. The tower was erected with the additional duty to keep watch on the swamps and steer nearby vessels away from them. It isn’t rare when undead reefers ignite phantom fires to trick ships navigating at night, running them aground in the muddy quagmire. Tales of horror abound in the "Erset Lalartu ma Lalassu," otherwise known as the Land of Phantom and Spectre.

No Pegasus?

Oddly, my latest article didn't show on Blogspot's blog list sidebar, preventing many viewers who aren't on G+ or Facebook from being notified.  It's the second time this happens.  

Anyone having the same problem lately?

This post is a test to see if the issue persists. (As it were, this post did appear in the blog list... go figure.)

Ar: Where Pegasus Roams

Continued from “Ar: Into the Manticore’s Lair”

Pegasus is an unusual district of Ar. It became a center of philosophy regarding the universe and immortals not long after Alphatians settled the region. Pegasi frequently visited the woods that once covered the entire area, especially near certain ponds and streams which, after observation, proved magical. The latter radiated dweomers beyond common Aran enchantments, and did not flow from natural underground sources. The notion that immortals had created them became widely accepted, especially since monsters that otherwise populated the region never approached them. Word spread that this water had healing and soul-enhancing properties. As settlers took over the lowlands, many began abusing or capturing pegasi for profit, or fought for access to magical water. Some bottled the liquid and promptly set up shop, while shady individuals sold common water at outrageous prices to unsuspecting victims. This deplorable state of affairs ended when a floating island was sent aloft, taking with it all of the enchanted sources. The undesirables were evicted, and the lowland was revitalized to make up for large sections of soil taken from its surface. Since then, the floating island became a natural preserve for pegasi, and a carefully managed area dotted with shrines dedicated to immortals of Ar.

Lower Pegasus District -- Scale: 1 Hex = 8 Miles

Today, the lowland harbors about 40,000 people, or 97% of the district’s entire population. This quiet dominion features one village, Cloudport, and two towers on the border with the Stone Ridge Crags. Plains have largely been turned into farmland since the “reseeding” that followed the floating island’s departure.

 

Hills cover its entire surface, with a large mountain near its center. The original magical sources were incorporated to the new topography to enable as much privacy for visiting pegasi as possible. Access is restricted and requires approval of one of the clerical orders overseeing the island. Orders present on Pegasus Prime include Palartarkan, Ixion, Alphatia, Razud, Pharamond. . . and Nyx. In total, 1,147 people reside permanently on Upper Pegasus, most of them in the “lighthouse.” The latter is a fortress carved directly into the mountain. It harbors temples, quarters for visitors, military barracks, the viceroy’s palace, a skyport, and a large navigational beacon on the mountain’s peak. Although visitors can gain access to the lighthouse without too much clerical red tape, visits to the rest of the island are strictly controlled and require an escort.

Not Ar: Gary Con V

This time around, I didn't drive to the convention with the windows down and my coat on the back seat.  Snow lingered on the ground and a brooding sky cast grayish hues upon the countryside.  It was so much warmer and cozier at the resort outside Lake Geneva.  Arriving just before 8:00 am, I hurried downstairs, picked up my badge, and charged into the gaming hall in the back.  

The cool big guy with the beard, the dragon bandana, and piles of tiny toys was Wayne Targo.  He ran Wings of War, a WWI air combat game.  I am a sucker for this stuff and spent the first two hours recklessly barreling through the sky with my Sopwith Camel, hunting for pesky Fokker Dr.Is.  One soon popped up in my sights, heading straight for me, and we both filled the air with lead.  I ducked behind my engine as projectiles whizzed and smacked all around me.  An instant later, the Fokker zoomed past while I dove into a nearby furball.  Amid sheer madness, I pulled an Immelman and found my nemesis once more, also full of holes. There we were, like knights at a joust, boldly challenging each other in a second head-on attack. My Vickers raging, his twin-Spandaus spitting back at me, the suicidal one-on-one unraveled.  Got him!  Down went the triplane. Snoopy scored again!  But no!  My engine had caught fire.  Wayne chuckled, gleefully taking notes.

Never mind the impending doom.  I yanked the stick to port, stepped on the left rudder pedal, and clenched my teeth, banking into the fray once more.  I zoomed this way and that, shooting bursts at everything with a black cross.  Missed, missed, and  missed again.  Jammed!  Rats. . . Smoke filled my cockpit and left a trail in my wake.  The engine complained and sputtered.  Its wings and tail shot full of holes and torn up, the Sopwith shuddered.  I had 2 points left out of my original 15.  It looked pretty grim when Wayne said, "By the way, your fire dies out!" Lucky me,  I made it, and with the only kill for the day.  The squadron broke off and finally hurtled away into the sunset.  My mechanic will have my hide when he sees what I've done to his baby.

Ar: His Heavenly Majesty's Boltmen

Updated from the original version in Champions of Mystara

	Boltman	Chief Boltman
Armor Class	8	4
Hit Dice	MU1 or E1	MU3+ or E3+
Move	120' (40')	120' (40’)
No. of Attacks	1 wand	1 wand     or spell
Dmg/Attack	6d6	8d6 or       by spell
No. Appearing	1 squad (1d6+6)	1
Save as	MU1 or E1	Per class level
Morale	10	10
XP Value	20	150+
Alignment	Any	Any

The Imperial Alphatian navy and fighting skyships of Ar commonly use troops armed with wands of lightning bolts. Reliance on boltmen elsewhere in Alphatia varies with individual kingdoms. Differences may exist between imperial and provincial boltmen, depending on local culture and traditions. These experienced troops are well trained in the arts of aiming and discharging such weapons, and they understand limitations and risks involved with such magic. They neither use it inconsiderately nor without orders.

The wands typically contain six charges each and can be recharged, normally by a navy magist after a battle. If a warship hasn't engaged in battle for several days, it is likely that the boltmen's wands are fully recharged as per navy regulations.

Boltmen are usually 1st-level magic-users or elves. In the Imperial Skyfleet each wears knee-high hoots, white knickerbockers, a laced shirt, a blue padded jacket with epaulets, and a black velvet cloak. In Ar’s skyfleet jackets are red, and rods are slowly replacing wands. Rods are harder to conceal, come with a leather lanyard to secure them around their boltmen’s wrists, and can be used as clubs when depleted. Boltmen wear leather headgear and carry equipment on their belts in leather cases. Their equipment normally includes a wand (or a rod), one or two daggers, a score of darts, food, and other minor field equipment (rope, hooks, spade, bandages, waterskin, torches, etc.). Aran skyship crews all wear magical rings of air pressure. This equipment, not always available on other Alphatian skyships, enables them to operate at high altitude.

Ar: Into the Manticore's Lair

Continued from “Ar: High Dive of the Hippogriff”
 
A unique district, Manticore owns no surface land—its floating island levitates entirely above the Sea of Zebulon, off the coast of Djinn. Just as unusual, its inhabitants aren’t remotely Alphatian. Well before the establishment of this curious dominion, three Ethengarian wizards, known as hakomons, approached the King of Ar, some time after the monarchy relocated to Skyreach. The encounter took place at a time when manticores terrorized the northern lands. In exchange for their services and fealty to the monarchy, these hakomons were charged with the difficult task of rounding up the beasts. Following their success, they became accepted in Aran high society, to a point. These enterprising mages became exceeding skillful tradesmen, using their exotic origins to initiate trade outside the traditional Alphatian spheres of interest, and acquiring goods desired by the local wizards. In time, they purchased a stockpile of Cloudstones and negotiated the creation the Island of Boreas, at the northern fringes of Ar. There, they built their capital city, and moved their captive manticores to networks of caves and dungeons opening on the island’s underside.

Sea of Zebulon/Lower Manticore -- Map Scale: 8 Miles per Hex

In the decades that followed, descendants of the hakomons’ servants began populating Boreas. Other fellow Ethengarians trickled in, usually from visiting tradeships. They helped settle this strange new land and give it a thoroughly foreign look. Manticenes, as they became known, have discarded their Ethengarian preference for felt yurts and nomadic lifestyle in favor of more refined Ochalean manners and architecture, which now prevail in the town. Although accepted as vassals of the Skyreach monarchy, citizens of Boreas do at times run into an invisible wall of unfortunate prejudice when dealing with high born Alphatians. A sort of distant politeness prevails in their relationship, which is perfectly fine since it works both ways. Manticenes neither care for nor concern themselves with what stiff-necked Alphatians think of them. They remain wholly content with their miniature realm, out there above the sea, of which they are rightfully quite proud.