The reset of the Dreamlands is complete, and the areas that were closed off for maintenance are open for play. There are new areas, new mobs, new shops, and almost every room has a new description. A few rooms and mobs were moved to new locations, and a few were recycled into something new, but these were mostly things that were left over from defunct quests or areas and, quite honestly, they weren't doing anything but wasting space anyway. Hopefully, the new layout will be much less confusing, with fewer criss-crossing paths and more specific descriptions. The goal is to have an area that is both an accurate representation of the established Mythos, and provides an overall coherence within itself. If a room mentions a mountain to the west and you go directly south, the mountain should still be to the west (usually). An unfortunate but necessary consequence of these changes is that you will have to re-learn some areas. Granted, it's annoying to have to go back and make new maps, but, hopefully, the overall improvements will be worth the irritation.
Another reason for these changes is to put the whole area in a better position for future progress. Quite honestly, many of the new mobs and items are rather boring and plain. You won't find any complex quests, amazing items, or fiendish enemies. At least, not yet. They are all on the horizon, and they are being developed, but, quite honestly, they would have been nearly impossible to implement in the old layout. This set of changes is merely the beginning, laying the foundation for the really nifty stuff still to come. Future development will focus more on quests and details, and less on moving rooms around.
In appreciation for everyone's patience during this project, I'm going to provide a rundown of the effected areas, including some helpful tips and info on what to expect. Normally, I'm the kind of imm who likes to see players exploring and learning areas on their own, so this will probably be the most detailed information I give out (unless there's a problem that needs to be fixed).
The Enchanted Wood
This area underwent the most radical changes, at least in terms of its physical layout. It is now considerably larger and much less linear in its design. The Steps of Slumber lie at the eastern edge of the forest, and the Zoog Village stands approximately at its center. Since the forest now completely surrounds the village, it is possible to walk to Ulthar without actually entering the village. This can be handy for those of you who have religious differences with the zoogs, especially since the gates to the village are now protected by some pretty tough guards. The Great Stone Circle, the Enchanted Stone, the dark chapel, and the cute little kitty are all still in the Wood, and it shouldn't be too difficult to locate them. The forest now has many more critters running around inside, which should be prove to be tasty targets for young and upcoming zoogs. The Wood has two main paths leading out of it: the path on the southwestern corner leads to the Skai River Valley, and the path to the northwest leads to the Oukranos River Valley.
Skai River Valley
The valley is home to the Kingdom of Skai, whose three largest towns are Ulthar, Hatheg, and Nir. The closest to the Enchanted Wood is Nir, which is little more than a small farming village at the foot of Mount Thurai. Just outside of Nir is a great stone bridge that spans the River Skai, connecting to a road that leads directly to the great city of Ulthar. Further along the northern side of the river is Hatheg. Hatheg is a moderately-sized town which also stands on a major trade route to the distant land of Cuppar-Nombo, so it benefits from more commerce and trade. The trade route leads south out of the town along the base of a ridge of hills. A narrow pass leads through these hills to Zyneth.
Oukranos River Valley
Northwest of the Enchanted Wood is the Oukranos River. A road along the river's south bank leads to the sleepy town of Kiran, where the Temple of Loveliness stands. Beyond the temple, the river eventually passes along the foot of Mount Hatheg-Kla, the tallest peak in the Dreamlands. (Note: Due to some room movement, some player mines had to be relocated. If you had a mine on Hatheg-Kla, it's still there, but it may be in a different room on the mountain slope.) Further along, past the mountain, the river valley gives way to the Liranian Desert.
Liranian Desert
This is the great desert that Barzai the Wise crossed on his journey to Hatheg-Kla. Its northern edge runs connects to the Oukranos River Valley, and its southern reaches lie west of the city of Zyneth. Be careful, for the Liranian Desert can be a very nasty place. There are no landmarks on the dunes, making it quite easy to get lost. Plus, trekking across the dunes is very exhausting, and any objects you drop will become quickly buried in the sands. And as if that wasn't enough, your corpse stays there if you die. Don't say I didn't warn you.
That's a summary of what was added and/or changed. There's more, of course, but I don't want to spoil all the fun. If you spot a typo, have any strange trouble, or just have a question, please let me know. I'll be happy to provide what information I can whenever I get the opportunity. For quick questions, leave me a note on the game boards. If you have a more detailed or in-depth question, just reply here.
Thanks to everyone for their patience, support, and help during this process. And, as always, thanks so much for playing with us, folks.
Dreamlands Now Open
Moderators: mgmirkin, Bast, Quanqued, Moderators
Good Work
As a citizen of Ulthar I would like to be the first to say, Thank you for a place to stretch my legs. The newly reworked/rewritten areas are a very nice expansion. It is like we had a branch with a few twigs on it and you grew us a tree.
Not only are the smaller area towns now populated but what was once just insinuated in a description has now been fleshed out into their own small but colorfully written lives. Also I wonder if any of the trees in the enchanted wood ever be fruit or nut baring. And to close Thanks again and Looks Great!
-Lonian :D
Not only are the smaller area towns now populated but what was once just insinuated in a description has now been fleshed out into their own small but colorfully written lives. Also I wonder if any of the trees in the enchanted wood ever be fruit or nut baring. And to close Thanks again and Looks Great!
-Lonian :D
