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Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:26 am Placing "Citadel by the Sea" in the Flanaess

I'm looking to run the old classic "Citadel by the Sea" from DRAGON® #78. Looking at the geography, I'm thinking of placing it in either Ratik or North Province (c. 571 CY), but I'd also like to keep as much of the adventure backstory as possible. (Jawarl Avignon was built by an ancient human civilization 2000 years ago, then left to the elves when the human empire crumbled. An orcish army dominated the area 300 years ago and drove out the elves before succumbing to plague.) Does anyone have suggestions as to the best fit for this adventure in the Flanaess, with as little retconning as possible?

Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:56 pm

The adventure says the city is "on the northern coast of the land where the characters live." North Province/Ratik work because they're in the north and have a coast, but another option might be to put it on the northern coast of Lake Whystil, so Jawarl Avignon is in present-day Iuz. This might be easier because the history of those lands is less defined. An orcish army led by a half-godling could well have conquered the land now called Iuz 300 years ago (271 CY), but it might take some juggling to have had it conquer any of Ratik. The village is unimportant enough that Iuz might not bother to do anything but collect taxes from it.

Plus, I love the idea of anything that adds more history to the northern regions. The Great Kingdom has enough history, I think.

You could also put it on the coast of Lake Quag or the Nyr Dyv, for that matter, or on the coast of the Drawmidj Ocean or the Icy Sea.

Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:25 pm

Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:30 pm

DMPrata: The following link might interst you.

http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=534

I chose to set the adventure in the heart of humanoid territory, and in a place not too far off from where my campaign was focused- the Pomarj. Not too near to Highport, but a good starting place for orc power to evolve and then fall into ruin. Besides, the citadel is supposed to have once been an elven outpost(though it was originally built by humans- Flan in my case), so the southern coast seemed very approriate. The coast along Ratik or Bone March would work well too.

It's a great low level adventure.
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Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:32 pm

I simply renamed "Citadel by the Sea" to "Citadel by the Lake" and placed Awad at D4-85 on the Darlene map, on the Cairn Hills coast of the Nyr Dyv. The described topography/geography fit very well with that region.

Your players are too late though. Maldin visited that location in 1983, early in his career, and has had "Alkarg" in his collection of cool weapons ever since. ;-) Yes, it was a great little mod.

Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com

Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:16 am

I decided to place the Citadel on the coast in the Bone March before the takeover by the humanoids as a sort of prequel!

It would also work well in the Pomarj as suggested. I wouldn't mind seeing it in the Northlands beyond Nyr Dyv.
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Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:07 pm

The far north will work, I don't see it as elven territory.

The Pomarj with its elven history, humanoids and unknown human settlements make it a better spot historically.

Besides the pomarj allows your players some interesting choices are they keeping a low profile or playing heartless mercenaries that fit into the new "Orcish Empire"?

Within the Pomarj they won't be able to flaunt their "heroic aspects" and survive long, let alone escape with any loot, especially when an orc warband shows up to claim Turrosh Mak share Wink

Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:06 am

That covers many of the reasons why I located it in the Pomarj.
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Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:49 pm

The problem with setting it in the Pomarj is that the adventure is near to a sleepy, and very human fishing village (Awad) that wouldn't exist as described in the Pomarj, but I agree that the general area feels right.

The best fit would seem to be just south of Port Elredd on the border area between Elredd and the Suss Forest. The coast starts to bend easterly there and the sea is more or less to the north or northeast.

There is a lost Suloise city in the nearby Suss forest that can explain why the "citiadel" (Jawarl Avignon) was built and who built it "2000" years ago.

The elves of Celene are near enough for their presence to make sense and you have the orcs just to the south in the Pomarj. So that all fits pretty well, I think.
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The eternal war between Law and Chaos flared often in Greyhawk... But the laws of Chance will let neither gain full sway. Quag Keep, Chap 1&2

Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:15 pm

Why don't you place it on the East side of the map? Lots of coastline there with nearby forests and many reason the Oeridians would have built a citadel in the region.
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Richard Di Ioia (aka Longetalos)

Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:21 am

Maybe, but not sure where you have in mind. It would have to be a human dominant place, but also close to substantial and longstanding groups of elves and orcs.
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The eternal war between Law and Chaos flared often in Greyhawk... But the laws of Chance will let neither gain full sway. Quag Keep, Chap 1&2

Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:37 am

Near the Adri forest.
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Richard Di Ioia (aka Longetalos)

Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:48 am

Coming full circle on my 13-year-old thread, the reasons above are why I placed Awad in North Province, between Bellport and Kaport Bay. It’s a human-dominated village with euroz to the north and olve to the south.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:06 pm

I placed Awad on the southern coast of the Nyr Dyv, several miles NE of Magepoint, IIRC.

Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:43 pm

Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:02 pm

Plenty of elves in the Adri and orcs in the Bone March and nearby mountains.

Remember the Flanaess is 80% wilderness so you can easily place large numbers of humanoids where u want.
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Richard Di Ioia (aka Longetalos)