Here is where your ideas for the Thanegioth gazetter can be contributed. While this project is number 3 in the pipe, the work on the gaz's are interwoven.

I have downloaded what is available from the Vaults on the islands, and I am currently crunching them down to their core ideas. Not all of these early ideas will make it into the final product, but they will be given due consideration.

For now, I'd like your suggestions for island names (and specify which island).

Also, Thorf, are you planning an X7 map of the Sea of Dread or an X1 fine-detail map of the Isle of Dread?

-Old Dawg

This might help out (or not): it's something I compiled a long time back from canon and non-canon sources on the Vaults. It's not terribly readable on that webpage, though, and I've never gotten around to fixing it, but...

Timeline of the Sea of Dread

Yes and yes. X7's underwater map is a bit of a problem area, though, especially when compared with PC3's partial map of the same area. I'm inclined to go with PC3.

As for X1's detail map, I do plan to tackle it quite soon, since it's one of the remaining pointed-top hex maps to be converted to flat-top hexes. But don't forget that there is an excellent reproduction of this map available as a downloadable extra for Dungeon 114.

While I'm here, let me contribute my own view for development of the Thanegioth Archipelago: keep it wild and settled only by primitives. That's about all, but it's a very important point in my opinion.

I think we should keep "lost world" movies(like the new and old king kong) as a guideline, since that is what I think was originaly intended for the archipelago.

The Thanegioth Archipelago isn't an area I've really considered before but here's a few ideas of the top of my head:

A sentient island One of the smaller islands is actually alive in some way (possessed by a Spirit maybe). Lots of animated plants and unusual terrain.

Zombie Pirates A pirate ship (from Minrothad?) stranded on the archipelago falls foul of a curse and undead pirates now await unfortunate explorers.

Dinosaur Druid? The islands are home to perhaps the only dinosaurs in the outer world so it seems likely that Ka would take an active interest. In order to protect the dinosaurs he has given one intelligence and druidic abilities (Awakened plus levels in Druid in 3.5e terms).

Another option might be the Saurian Shifter race from Dragon #328. They could be a primitive tribe decended from Ka himself. The article in fact suggests they come form the Isle of Dread and that "the dinosaur god Ka" would be a perfect patron.

As for bad guys - got to be the Kopru.

I've translated a campaign scheme (Firelord Saga) into the Vaults. It is of course a very specific campaing, so most/all of it isn't propably useful to you. But perhaps there's something intetesting.

It's in the Campaign ideas section.

And some 'Gargantua' flora and fauna.

Regards
Gary

Here is an heavily edited map from PC3 I made for the Italian Message Board. We used it to summarize and describe the different cultures in the Sea of Dread. Everything inside is canonical or canon-deducted.

(Note: The image may be partially corrupt, but still readable. I'll try to fix it and post a clean version of the map as soon as possible)



If you have AC 10 "Bestiary of Dragons and Giants", maybe you can place the island of the storm giants somewhere SE of Termite Atoll. We also placed the adventure about Thyralax the dragon in the central island of the archipelago (the second big island east of the isle of dread), due to the presence of koprus and to the large NS extension of the area described in the adventure.

We tought also about placing the old Belcadiz home (naming it "isle of Alvar") in the easternmost island of Thanegiot Archipelago, but this is not so much canonical.

Hope this helps.

It certainly helps me, for one!

I had completely forgotten about this map. X7 is not exactly compatible with PC3's undersea map, so I thought I was going to have to improvise to fill in deep water in the Sea of Dread. But now thanks to you, I can trace it from this map.

This is extremely interesting in that your theorised coastline matches very closely one that I did, for a map of southern Brun c. BC 2000. My map runs from Thyatis in the east to what is now Jahore in the west. if anyone is interested, I would be happy to share it.

Geoff

I'd love to see it! Maps of pre-1000AC have been interesting me lately - Maybe it's just because I like 'history' in general and so I find Mystara's history so intriguing.

I just sent it to you privately...

Geoff

LoZompatore,

this is a very nice overlay. One caveat that I know off the top of my head is that even with a shelf subsidence, the old coastline need not perfectly match the current shelf rim. further southern portions could have sunk deeper into the abyssal reaches, and interior waterways could have reached north of the mark. Also, there is GAZ4 textual support for some of Ierendi to already being an island before the big quakes - the K. Caldera specifically [although the islands it lists as part of the caldera are logically impossible].

One addition for the map: the reef beside the Three Sisters is the Dragon's Teeth Reef.

On the matter of conflicting underwater terrain. X7 is more scientifically reasonable for its depth estimates. Abyssal Plains rarely go beyond 20,000'; anything further is the Hadal Zone and these occur only in narrow trenches. The Mariana's Trench, at 36,000' (11km) deep, is the deepest known point in the RW. So I would ignore the "50,000+ Abyss" label on the PC3 sketch map. Nor would I allow the Abyssal zone to extend westward beyond where the Dragon's Teeth Reef should be. In short, for the southern sea portion, X7 is more justified.

PC3 has two hex maps (one is smaller scale used for one of the adventures) - these two maps have different Terrace contours. The interior map resembles X7 more than the 8mph PC3 map. the 8mph map also has some consistency errors - the coloration for different depth zones differs on the eastern and western portions of the Terraces. So you have sickly yellow representing both 1,000 and and 10,000.

I will look into using AC10 for parts of the Thanegioth.

-OldDawg

Bear in mind that this is a fantasy world, after all, so RW constraints need not apply. After all, Mystara is smaller (diameter-wise) than the RW Earth (by about 1,000 miles), yet it's crust is almost 50 times as thick!?!?! (The figures I see estimate the thickness of the RW Earth's crust to be around 40 KM, while Mystara's is supposed to be around 2000 KM). I don't really see any problems with a 50,000+ (16 km) deep portion of the sea.

In my campaign, on one one of the smaller islands, the second Easternmost island shown on the above map, ther is an interesting culture. Based rather on H.G. Wells classic novel "The Time Machine". Here's an introduction, more if anyone cares.

Arachne, Island of Spiders

A race of spiders very like the araena have built a long lasting society that has remained in place at least since the establishment of the Thyatian empire. The spiders, a race named the Taranteans, are larger than araena, having an average span of 8', and they are mute, communicating through vibrations created by drumming their legs on the ground. They are masters of the island, although another race, the phanaton, is also common there. However, the phanaton of this island are totally unlike those of the Isle of Dread; countless generations of servitude have turned them into near mindless drones, they passively allow themselves to be fed, protected, and preyed upon by the Taranteans.

The main settlement of the Taranteans, named in the Tarantean language Hearts (population 1100), reveals a little more about the origin of their race. The remains of a former civilisation, with architecture reminiscent of the Great Wall on the Isle of Dread, are to be found here. There was a great (human?) city, with architecturel motifs and temples devoted to a forgotten immortal, an immortal whos symbol was an eye, with the many eyes of spiders being a common theme among the homes and temples. However, to even find these remains one would have to travel through countless layers of the web-homes of the Taranteans. In amongst the older homes, buried closer to the ruins, there are rumblings of things that even the mighty spiders fear...

The city itself is a dark, forboding place, with all of the walkways and streets being entirely contained within the mass of webs produced over the years. The webs of Taranteans are somewhat different to those of other spiders in that they are not flammable, and they only remain sticky for a short while after being spun, making them an ideal structural material.

The phanaton live mainly in the surrounding jungle, which provides amply for their own means and those of the Taranteans. Few other predators are found on the idland; the occasional Shark Kin incursion is put down brutally by the Taranteans and flying monsters are dealt with by being lured into massive webs.

While the population and organisation of the island seem odd enough, the history of the idland and the reality of Tarantean society are more bizarre and chilling than any outside observers could possibly imagine...

Something to add..

One of the islands could be Bararna Island, from this article (I placed it just east of the Isle of Dread). Basically, it's inhabited by a degenerate troglodyte tribe who worships a "god" known as Gleesshka (actually an Outer Being). They are a threat to smaller human tribes on neighbouring islands.

Geoff

Hey, I like this. It is interesting how Phanatons and Aranea always seem to live in the same areas. Are they somehow connected?

And I would guess Arachne Prime, from M1 is somehow involved in whats going on on this island?

Håvard

With the (somewhat simplistic and disappointing) names from XSOLO Lathan's Gold, which are included on LoZompatore's map, there is a Spider Isle. Wouldn't it make sense to make that your Arachne? That way it fits with what little official info there is on the island.

While on this subject, has anyone else read/played Lathan's Gold? I tried it out a couple of weeks ago, and wow was I disappointed. I realise that a solo adventure is not an easy thing to write, but they really made an incredibly bad job of it nonetheless.

And the names of the islands... What a wasted opportunity. Some of them are not too bad (Three Sisters Keys especially), but the others are pretty dreadful.

There's even a Temple of Araknee on that same island.

IMC, I had that island as part of a colony of Dawn Aranea (aranea from the Isle of Dawn), worshippers of Arachne-Prime (though with Araknee either being a regional spelling or a later, human, corruption of the name).

Yes, in my campaign. Both remnants of the same lost culture on this island; the Araenae variants were created in religious rituals by the same people who 'tamed' the phanatons.

No, actually. But we can certainly consider including that.

That would make sense, although I'm struggling to place that island. Where is it?

History of Arachne

Arachne was a seat of the ancient Thanegioth civilisation, similar in most respects to the culture who built the Great Wall on the Isle of Dread. After flourishing for many centuries, explorers brought from the other isles Araenae, Rakasta and Phanatons; Arenae as companions, great wizards who could add to their way of life on the island, and the Rakasta and Phanatons as servants, farmers of the jungle and warriors. They also brought with them holy texts found on the other islands from an ancient, almost forgotten religion, the way of the Eye, or the way of Arik.

Araenae quickly became powerful in the way of Arik, and within two short generations they became the masters, the shaman leaders of the island, with humans and phanatons to do their bidding, and rakasta warriors trained to defend the island. By sacrificing to their almost forgotten immortal, they became more powerful and larger, but such sacrifices come with a cost; for these Araenae (now the Taranteans) that cost was an eternal vow of silence in their obedience of Arik.

They sought to bring Arik back from his prison plane, learning the secrets of the outer beings with whom Arik had sided in a war against the immortals. Their explorers travelled far and wide to seek the knowledge of other ancient beings, reaching as far as Oceania, Hule and Cynicidea. Eventually they had enough materials and knowkedge to create an eye of Arik, and brought that terrible curse to the land (see module B3).

The humans on the island were amongst the first to die, along with man of the phanatons in the city of Hearts. The Taranteans quickly consolidated their hold on the island and the remaining phanatons, weaving thick webs over the whole city to hide their wicked plans. It is assumed that none of the Rakasta survived, but no reports of their deaths have come to light; it is possible that some may have survived and even prospered in the dense jungle covering the island outside of Heart.

To this day, Taranteans work within the aura of the Eye of Arik to plot the return of He of Many Eyes.

The City of Hearts

Within the city itself, the outer suburbs (referred to as The Web) are inhabited mainly by Taranteans and their phanaton servants; anyone entering the city is certain to disturb the web, and will soon be confronted with a horde of inhabitants. Taranteans in this region are in almost constant communication with each other using their strange, vibratory language which carry right through the webs; intruders are found and eliminated quickly.

Inside the city are eight temples, evenly distributed in a ring around the centre of the town. These temples, known as the Pumps, are all dedicated to Arik, being filled with symbols associated with the Eye and the Taranteans. They act as entry points into the centre of the city, an area called Venom. It is in Venom that the Eye of Arik is located, and the most sinister secrets of Arachne reside.

Venom

The central district of Heart, known as Venom, is home to the darkest, most evil inhabitants of Arachne. Here the Tarantean high priests of Arik work dilligently to turn themselves into the perfect beings in readiness for the return of their immorta. Plunging the depths of the darkest magics on Mystara, they research inter-planar and inter dimensional travel as well as chronomancy and demonology; all of the arts that might be used to return Arik to the prime plane.

Venom is a claustrophobic complex of what was formerly the human temple and palace in the city of heart. Extending for around 400 yards in each direction (and many hundreds of feet down into the volcanic rock below), and buried under at least 150' of tighty knit web, it is dark, damp and highly dangerous. While the high wizard, the high priest and their underlings are found in the buildings on the 'surfact', down below all manner of evil creatures attracted to the eye of arik (buried deep under the city) from other planes are to be found.

The High Wizard of the Taranteans (her name does not translate from the unusual form of communication common amongst the Taranteans, but she is known to her Phanaton slaves simply as Hem) is an ancient being, has been the ruler of this land for centuries. It is her goal, her quest for immortality in the sphere of entropy, to return Arik from his prison plane, after first destroying a human civilisation (which she has already accomplished). Her immortal patron in this task is Arik, one of the few immortals foolhardy enough to desire Ariks return from exile.

The High Priest (referred to by his slaves as Meh) is the High Wizards consort; he is dwarfed by the massive bulk of the female, but is still a wiley, intelligent, and powerful individual. It is his goal to attain immortality in the sphere of entropy by creating a new race to unleash on the world, a race that is the perfect combination of Tarantean and beholder, thus turning his own race into one closer to the beholder immortal Arik. Most of the creatures guarding the Eye are of this kind, and although few of his experiments have been entirely successful, most of them are at least potent.

All living Taranteans, are the progeny of the Hem and Meh. None can become fertile themselves until they are removed from the island, the maturation process taking 3d12 weeks, and none can leave the web without Hem and Meh instantly becoming aware. While parties of Taranteans are found across the island, none are known to have escaped Hem and Meh.

If anyone wants, I can dig out the stats for Taranteans, Hem, Meh, and some of the other denizens.

I did not read all the thread, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating someother idea.
I'd like to see somewere in the Arcipelago ruins of Ancient Colima. A pre-coliman civilization, building stone idols.
That's just my idea, of course

Here's Geoff's map...


Hey, Cab! Cool stuff with Arachne. These threads are producing some really great ideas.

Cheers Hugin.

I'll see whether I've got my notes on specific creatrures, it'll all be formatted for classic of course but it'll be good to round off Arachne.

The only canon material about Dread Island is X1 adventure. Am I right?

X1 is about exploring some inexplored land, finding strange people like rakasta, human native, phanaton, lizard-man, kopru and the like.
Interesting: these "monsters" were later opened as player character races, but dinosaurs (obviously!)

Ok, at old, blue covered expert time, also the Savage Coast was but a wilderness area, to be explored in a "mapping the unknown" adventure.
Today, Savage Coast people uses guns and smoke-powder... what a jump from savage tribes of tortles and rakasta!

So, I was thinking... why shouldn't progress be operative in Thanegioth Arcipelago too?
Couldn't there be some more advanced civilization? What about an advanced kopru kingdom? And some humans very evolved... maybe the 1st expedition in ancient 1983 found gold. And lot of colonist started from all over the Known World to search gold (or gems, opals should do nice in a volcanic island).
And now there is a rich, advanced civilization... and some unrestful native and...

I've managed to convert (on a preliminary basis) Thanegioth to 8 mph. I'm still working on the exact details, but the regional map from X1 (as converted by Thorf in 24 mph) gels very well with the Gazeteers and the Trail Maps. My main concern is that the X1 (with the rotated hexes) map of the Isle of Dread itself appears to be larger than that on the 24 mph map itself (after the re-scaling).

well it is kinda cool having a lost world scenario relatively accessible (well as much as a lost world scenario can be I suppose), and it would be a shame to get rid of it just for the point of doing so. Although I'm sure that something interesting could be done with the area.

Mark, I'd love to have a peek at that. Did you just use X1's wrongly-orientated 6 mi per hex map for reference, or did you use Dungeon 114's map too? When I get round to doing the Isle of Dread I had been planning to use both and see how things turn out.