[Michael Cule]

All of these would make excellent focuses of entire campaigns.

Originally Posted by johndallman

The normal to low mana line between Caithness and Megalos is moving. How about the low to none line between Caithness and the Great Desert? Ask the dwarves when and how the desert became no-mana: was this connected with the Banestorm accident?

The trouble here is that one would have to introduce a certain amount of hurry up to a change that has been happening over centuries for it to make PCs interested. I would suggest borrowing (without any satirical intent, honest) from the real world debate on climate change. The PCs are sent to accompany a mage working for the Crown of Caithness to the fringes of the Great Desert. The data obtained indicates that the rate of change is accelerating and is about to flip into another state as the heart of the desert suddenly regenerates. There is disagreement among the thaumaturlogical experts and any way is there anything that can be done to stop such a change? And if it could be done would it be the right thing to do? (What are you going to do? Raise another Banestorm? "A very bold and courageous proposal, Your Majesty but...")

Originally Posted by johndallman

Circular bays with high mana: Keyhole Bay isn't high mana, but how about that island in its centre? It's on the map, but there seems to be no common knowledge about it. One suspects it might be a Magalos base, so caution is advisable!

I made the island the centre of the Big Conspiracy Behind Everything on my Yrth.

Originally Posted by johndallman

[*]Suhad Spirits. I have a suspicion that those are neither demons nor spirits of other kinds: they're some weird kind of magical creation caused by the rituals of Sahudanese life, which seems to assume that there are spirits everywhere. Sahud is normal mana, and High in places.

Creating the magic system for Sahud is one of the major jobs to be done if it ever gets a new version. It is bound to affect the culture enormously.

Originally Posted by johndallman

[*]Is "The Eternal" the way Allah has chosen to show himself to the Elves and Dwarfs of Yrth? Note that "Eternal" is used here much in the sense of "present throughout time," and one of Allah's names in the Koran is "The Ever Living." The idea that "eternal" is important to elves and dwarfs because of their long lifespans would be silly: until humans arrived on Yrth, they didn't have anyone shorter-lived to compare with, and their longer lives mean little in comparison to the vast timespan of the universe, still less Allah's eternity.

The fight between 'liberals' and 'conservatives' in the Muslim nations (do the natives of Yrth deserve to be treated as 'people of the Book'?) would only be second to the fight among the Christians over the topic.

In my GURPS 1100 campaign I allowed myself the vanity of guiding the players at the first Church Council to a very 21st Century set of conclusions.

A DECLARATION BY A COUNCIL OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ON YRTH

Assembled at Wellbourne on the Feast of Saint George in the year of our Lord Eleven Hundred and Five.

This Council was called at the inviting of Paulo of Padua, Bishop of Wellbourne, sometime Bishop of Areopolis to reconcile, as much as God permits, the doctrines of the various Churches present on Yrth and to resolve certain theological issues raised by our presence on this new world.

Be it resolved:

FIRSTLY, that we know from comparison of our own histories and the histories known to those we have met that the peoples newly arrived on Yrth have been brought here from many differing worlds. Some vary greatly, some but a little. Of the Christian Churches represented here there is evidence that at least three differing worlds have brought clergy to this Council.

SECONDLY, we most heartily believe that all worlds, whether they know of the doctrines of the Faith or not, are the beloved creations of the One God who we worship. Most certainly that includes the new world, called Yrth by the elves and dwarves, on which we find ourselves. It is blasphemy to suggest, as some have in despair at losing their former homes, that this world is the creation of Satan or his angels for this is to ascribe the power of Creation to that which can only corrupt and destroy. Also we deny it to be mere illusion, a plane of Hell or even of Purgatory but declare it to be a world like any other where we should strive to live as God wills us to.

THIRDLY, that it is plain that the most High God reveals himself to the different worlds in whatever way He sees fit and that though we hold the doctrines of our Faith as the Highest Truth we shall not turn away from our communities any who would live with us as good neighbours, loving justice, showing mercy and acknowledging with humility the limits of our mortal minds and souls even if they know nothing of the One God under any name. Judgement is His, not ours, in all things. As our Lord was merciful to those who did not share the faith of Abraham and as He told of virtue in those who the Temple at Jerusalem would turn away, so we will seek to see the virtues in all who would be our true neighbours.

FOURTHLY, notwithstanding that some of those we meet are plainly not of the blood of Adam and Eve we shall not therefore consider them monsters or accursed unless they by their natures show themselves such. We shall offer the teachings of the Church to all who will hear it and welcome into fellowship all those who hear the call of the Lord, no matter what their origins, form of body or tincture of skin. We shall not seek to convert those who do not know the Faith with the sword but with the Word that was given to us.

FIFTHLY, specifically we shall not hold as our enemies those whose world this first was but shall proffer always the hand of peace, seeking the same in return. The Elves, the Dwarves and their kin are known to worship the Creator of this world of Yrth under the title of the Eternal and we shall not presume to know the Creator (who we believe to be Our Lord) better than them.

May Almighty God guide us ever in our mortal judgements and find them pleasing to His Sight as we attempt to reconcile doctrine and practice in our new world.