Basically, this thread is about possibilites for Yrth, either big setting modifications or campaign ideas or things inbetween.
I'll go first.
This idea is set in Caithness. The two major rivers of the Kingdom connect but only within the borders of a hostile state. Trade and comunication between northern and southern Caithness have long been limited and Deneral's long struggle to be king exploited that.
But Deneral has recently died and Conall has declared a young and charismatic cousin his heir. Baroness Bronwyn, long loved by Conall, has died of a fever, and Conall has sworn celebacy. The new heir, Cerdic of Deerwood, has found an opportunitty to build closer ties between the separate parts of the kingdom. That opportunity has come in the form of Robert Del a Pole, a Mage and Engineer with a plan to build a cannal between the Smoke and the Conn.
What few people know is that Robert is not from Yrth, he comes from an Earth more or less like Merlin-1. (see
GURPS: Technomancer) and he is closely allied with the underground engineers that Baroness Bronwyn and her son Wardell had been protecting. Robert sees the canal as part of a long term plan to promote modernity and economic developement.
The canal would run through Durham, Photius, Oakwood, and Donlis. Durham is of course all for the canal. Oakwood had a coup against it's former Baron a supporter of Deneral, the canal would bring properity and stability, the new ruler favors it. The church sees benifits from the Canal going through thier lands will bring both wealth and political advantage to the Church. Donlis fears a loss of independence, but needs the trade and ecconomic benefits.
Conall, Cerdic, and their supporters like the canal. The remnants of Deneral's rebellion are ambiguous towards the canal. They fear a loss of independence, but Meglos is a threat too, and they've realised that a weak kingdom is a threatened kingdom. Conall can't subdue them but Meglos and the Hospitallers could. Meanwhile, Meglos and the Hospitallers hate the idea of the canal. A richer Caithness with better internal lines of communication and trade does not please them at all. Meanwhile the Dwarf kings of Zarak favor the canal as a way of both improving their trade and stabilizing a buffer state against Meglos. The Elves want the attention of Meglos focused toward Caithness while they improve their defences against Meglos.
PCs can be spies assigned to either protect or hinder Robert Del a Pole with building the canal.
Note:Robert Del a Pole is an IQ 17 Magery 7 mage with a non-descript ring that lets him cast Earth College spells as if the local manna level was normal. The ring also has power enchantments that reduced the fatigue cost of ant Earth College spell by three. Assume that all Earth College spells useful to building a TL4 canal are known to Robert Del a Pole at skill level 25. Robert has skills in Engineering, Geology, and Hydrology, at QI+2.