4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring on Cidri

~~Jim Kane~~ · 08-20-2018, 02:36 PM

I like lists.

I like lists *with* definitions.

Sometimes I can find burning inspiration for new TFT adventures simply by listing and defining *things*. Maybe this technique can help you find GM-inspiration when you are otherwise staring at a blank page in your typewriter (or empty computer screen, as the case may be).

After looking over the map of Southern Elyntia (containing the Duchy of Dran) on page 72 of TFT:ITL, I began to think about the region from a much broader perspective. Here is the short list and definitions which came out of that "Thought Session":

⦁ Wilderness (an uncultivated, uninhabited, and/or inhospitable region - i.e. open seas, deserts, forests and mountains)

⦁ Civilization ( a cultivated, developed, and inhabited region, with a perceived separation from and domination over the natural environment).

⦁ Inhabited Wilderness (relatively small pockets of an inhabiting population/culture; existing within an otherwise uncultivated, uninhabited, and/or inhospitable region, exhibiting and existing with a limited or isolated domination over the natural environment)

⦁ Abandoned Civilization (a de-populated area of a formerly inhabited, cultivated, and/or developed region; where the wilderness is slowly reclaiming the area via unchallenged encroachment.)

Completing that broad and short list, I realized I had provided the overall area setting and general dynamic for nearly every: Tarzan, Conan, and Star Trek adventure I had ever read or watched; AND, this list revealed to me, just how many of those adventures where primarily based around the dynamics of the setting, as opposed to simply serving to provide the ground under the feet of the adventure party while they go after the McGuffin.

Lists. Lists *with* Definitions.

Check it out next time you find your "creative well" seemingly dry, and have a "thunk"; you may be surprised when the creative wheels suddenly start turning again - seemingly on their own.

JK

ak_aramis · 08-26-2018, 02:55 AM

I think you're missing a key one for fantasy - depths of the underground.

For real world parallels, Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey, and Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow, Poland come immediately to mind; both Byzantium and Paris used to have extensive subterranean populations, now abandoned, but still causing architectural issues. Likewise, Cheyanne Mountain, and a handful of other deep bunkers.

Stuff near the surface (≤6-8 m deep) is essentially just buildings. Stuff deep underground, like the 80 meters of Derynkuyu, 30m of Paris, tha various swiss cantons' "every-citizen-capable" fallout shelters/bunkers, the undercity of Beijing, or Cheyanne Mountain Air Force Base present a strongly different environment.

Likewise, wild deep cave systems are very different - and often toxic to Humans - in both air flow and life forms.

Given a fantasy context, and orbs of light, one might in fact have deep underground farms which provide for civilizations in the 100 to 300 m zone. (Much below that, and one needs exceptional means of lowering the temperature AND keeping flooding from happening.

After all, we see in Tolkien the dwarf-cities which, much like Paris, Derynkuyu, or Cheyanne Mountain, are reliant upon surface trade, but have wild tunnels leading into/out-from the wild caverns.

We also have the possibility, thanks to more reliable and potent magics than Tolkien uses, the ability to have deep underground farms, and manavore critters, which need no mundane energies, but a suppression of magic will starve them...

Which makes several additional areas...
deep annexes to surface civilizations
wild cave systems
deep-earth civilizations
abandoned D.E.C's
abandoned annexes.

Note also - the sky-open valley-side or pit-side dwellings of the Anasazi, the Ethiopians, the Tunisians, and a few others are almost worth a separate clade. The "set" for Owen & Beru's farm on Tatooine is, in fact, a Tunisian village-in-a-pit. People really do live there. Ethiopians often built churches in such pits... I think they fall under "annexes" - they're essentially part of the above ground community - but are a distinct set of hazards and conditions from the land above.

~~Jim Kane~~ · 08-26-2018, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

I think you're missing a key one for fantasy - depths of the underground.

Really?

I do not recall the classifications I provided as being limited to any particular elevation - be it surface, underground, in the air, or underwater for that matter - for is not the sky above in fact, a wilderness? Do not all the things contained in your typing actually fit into one of the general classifications as listed in the OP?

JK

ak_aramis · 08-26-2018, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

Really?

I do not recall the classifications I provided as being limited to any particular elevation - be it surface, underground, in the air, or underwater for that matter - for is not the sky above in fact, a wilderness? Do not all the things contained in your typing actually fit into one of the general classifications as listed in the OP?

JK

Not as such - the deep underground is so alien, and has such different requirements for survival, that it's quite a different experiential situation.

Civilized surface you can project power in any direction other than down; up's a bit limited.

Sivilized underground is limited to the caverns and tunnels - it cannot project its power in other directions, but at the same time, is all but immune to same from the neighbors.

Likewise, surface wilderness is 2 dimensional freedom of movement, 360°, at roughly equivalent rates. Underground wilderness, however, is almost 1 dimensional in practice - in further, or back the way you came - except at the nodes. If one can dig rapidly, it's by magic. (even modern TBMs only do a few meters a day. (5-10 depending upon material).

It's a dark mirror.

~~Jim Kane~~ · 08-26-2018, 11:19 PM

While these are factual details which you are citing, but in what way does what you discuss negate the validity of the 4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring as outlined and defined in the OP?

JK

Terquem · 08-27-2018, 08:39 AM

I think Jim is essentially correct, and arguing for "underground" settings is probably more akin to assigning sub-categories

underground - wilderness area
underground - civilized area
underground - inhabited wilderness area
underground - ancient civilization

But I would also add that you could break things down into either/or type selections

Wilderness - built up
inhabited/dense - uninhabited/sparse
organized - disorganized

Here I chose organized and disorganized versus civilized and either uncivilized or barbaric, as these terms can carry negative connotations that can distract from the intent. An inhabited/dense location might be a mix of different peoples all in a perpetual struggle for resources, but this would not necessarily make any one of them "uncivilized" while any other is "civilized"

08-20-2018, 02:36 PM	#1
~~Jim Kane~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2018	4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring on Cidri I like lists. I like lists with definitions. Sometimes I can find burning inspiration for new TFT adventures simply by listing and defining things. Maybe this technique can help you find GM-inspiration when you are otherwise staring at a blank page in your typewriter (or empty computer screen, as the case may be). After looking over the map of Southern Elyntia (containing the Duchy of Dran) on page 72 of TFT:ITL, I began to think about the region from a much broader perspective. Here is the short list and definitions which came out of that "Thought Session": ⦁ Wilderness (an uncultivated, uninhabited, and/or inhospitable region - i.e. open seas, deserts, forests and mountains) ⦁ Civilization ( a cultivated, developed, and inhabited region, with a perceived separation from and domination over the natural environment). ⦁ Inhabited Wilderness (relatively small pockets of an inhabiting population/culture; existing within an otherwise uncultivated, uninhabited, and/or inhospitable region, exhibiting and existing with a limited or isolated domination over the natural environment) ⦁ Abandoned Civilization (a de-populated area of a formerly inhabited, cultivated, and/or developed region; where the wilderness is slowly reclaiming the area via unchallenged encroachment.) Completing that broad and short list, I realized I had provided the overall area setting and general dynamic for nearly every: Tarzan, Conan, and Star Trek adventure I had ever read or watched; AND, this list revealed to me, just how many of those adventures where primarily based around the dynamics of the setting, as opposed to simply serving to provide the ground under the feet of the adventure party while they go after the McGuffin. Lists. Lists with Definitions. Check it out next time you find your "creative well" seemingly dry, and have a "thunk"; you may be surprised when the creative wheels suddenly start turning again - seemingly on their own. JK Last edited by Jim Kane; 08-20-2018 at 02:40 PM. Reason: Typo

08-26-2018, 02:55 AM	#2
ak_aramis Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alsea, OR	Re: 4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring on Cidri I think you're missing a key one for fantasy - depths of the underground. For real world parallels, Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey, and Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow, Poland come immediately to mind; both Byzantium and Paris used to have extensive subterranean populations, now abandoned, but still causing architectural issues. Likewise, Cheyanne Mountain, and a handful of other deep bunkers. Stuff near the surface (≤6-8 m deep) is essentially just buildings. Stuff deep underground, like the 80 meters of Derynkuyu, 30m of Paris, tha various swiss cantons' "every-citizen-capable" fallout shelters/bunkers, the undercity of Beijing, or Cheyanne Mountain Air Force Base present a strongly different environment. Likewise, wild deep cave systems are very different - and often toxic to Humans - in both air flow and life forms. Given a fantasy context, and orbs of light, one might in fact have deep underground farms which provide for civilizations in the 100 to 300 m zone. (Much below that, and one needs exceptional means of lowering the temperature AND keeping flooding from happening. After all, we see in Tolkien the dwarf-cities which, much like Paris, Derynkuyu, or Cheyanne Mountain, are reliant upon surface trade, but have wild tunnels leading into/out-from the wild caverns. We also have the possibility, thanks to more reliable and potent magics than Tolkien uses, the ability to have deep underground farms, and manavore critters, which need no mundane energies, but a suppression of magic will starve them... Which makes several additional areas... deep annexes to surface civilizations wild cave systems deep-earth civilizations abandoned D.E.C's abandoned annexes. Note also - the sky-open valley-side or pit-side dwellings of the Anasazi, the Ethiopians, the Tunisians, and a few others are almost worth a separate clade. The "set" for Owen & Beru's farm on Tatooine is, in fact, a Tunisian village-in-a-pit. People really do live there. Ethiopians often built churches in such pits... I think they fall under "annexes" - they're essentially part of the above ground community - but are a distinct set of hazards and conditions from the land above.

08-26-2018, 11:19 PM	#5
~~Jim Kane~~ Banned Join Date: Mar 2018	Re: 4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring on Cidri While these are factual details which you are citing, but in what way does what you discuss negate the validity of the 4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring as outlined and defined in the OP? JK

08-27-2018, 08:39 AM	#6
Terquem Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Idaho Falls	Re: 4 General Types of Areas of Adventuring on Cidri I think Jim is essentially correct, and arguing for "underground" settings is probably more akin to assigning sub-categories underground - wilderness area underground - civilized area underground - inhabited wilderness area underground - ancient civilization But I would also add that you could break things down into either/or type selections Wilderness - built up inhabited/dense - uninhabited/sparse organized - disorganized Here I chose organized and disorganized versus civilized and either uncivilized or barbaric, as these terms can carry negative connotations that can distract from the intent. An inhabited/dense location might be a mix of different peoples all in a perpetual struggle for resources, but this would not necessarily make any one of them "uncivilized" while any other is "civilized"