[Banestorm] Underground Libertarians

[combatmedic]

I once worked up a few pages of notes for an Yrth campaign I never got around to running[players all preferred AD&D] , outlining a high tech [by Yrthian standards] city in the Great Desert. The city is in the midst of a large no mana zone, centered on a verdant oasis. Its' settlers were mainly outcasts from eastern Ytarria, many of them heretics and free thinkers. With no powerful Church or mages' conspiracy able to suppress the growth of new technology or ideas, the place had advanced to a solid TL 5. Banestorm victims were given special legal status and protection , until they had time to integrate and adjust[and be milked for offworld knowledge ]. The original settlers were Bohemian settlers , snatched up by the Banestorm on their way to Oregon , circa 1850. A farming community grew up quickly. Orc attacks were fended off using the black powder weapons the settlers had brought with them. Exiles from Caithness and Megalos brought with them knowledge of the outside world and its dangerous mages. A renegade bishop from Caithness led a gruop of his followers through the desert and joined the community after initial surpise at finding them. This bishop, Hieronymous Dunstable , had refused to accept the Curia's authority when Caithness' Church rejoined the Mother Church.The city is today a place of relative safety for Secret Engineers and Underground Libertarians alike, though it is far enough away from other civilized lands as to be mostly legendary in the eastern countries. An outcast clan of dwarves has joined the city after discovering coal and iron in large deposits near the city. These dwarves are coming to accept more advanced technology , as magic isn't usable within the bounds of the no mana zone[which covers most of the city's territory]. A small Buddhist monastery sits outside the no mana zone , and is trades with the city[mainly providing magical healing , in exchange for goods and services the monastery cannot produce for itself]. The monks are from China , and arrived around the same time as the Bohemians. They practice a strange form of warcraft, called by them Gong Fu. There was more, but I cannot remeber all of it. Anyway, feel free to use any of it you like. In my notes the city was named Tabor.

PS : Forgive me if this is unreadable garbage, I wrote it just before falling asleep.