Old World

The Old World is analogous to Europe during the Middle Ages, consisting of a number of small, independent states sharing a similar cultural heritage and a common language - Old Worlder. New player characters should come from this area.

The Old World[]

The world comprises several large continents, each harbouring its distinctive civilisations and creatures. What follows is a more detailed examination of that part known as the Old World - an area roughly equivalent to Europe towards the end of the Middle Ages. As described here, the Old World is not complete in every detail. Indeed, providing such detail would be largely impossible and would fill many volumes. What is provided is a basic background, which you can use to design your own adventures. Major cities, geographical features, and specific places of interest have been included on the maps, but smaller towns, villages, and lesser features are for you to create with all the points of detail that you care to give them.

Geography[]

The Old World is much larger than Europe and much is still unspoiled wilderness, devoid of Human settlements. Forests of coniferous and deciduous trees constitute the natural background flora, giving way to large areas of swamp and marsh in the lowlands and heath or moorland in the highlands. Over this basic flora, regional variations are formed by different soil types, the course of rivers, and, occasionally, by the work of Humanity and/or other humanoid races. The forests are largely tangled, dark, and gloomy places - the haunts of bandits, Chaos-serving humanoids, and other fearsome creatures.

Mountains And Rivers Of The Old World[]

The mountains shown on the map of the Old World are not by any means the only upland areas, but are the largest of such features and present almost insurmountable barriers to travellers, except via the passes shown. The Worlds Edge Mountains are far taller than any European range and mark the easternmost edge of the Old World. The Grey Mountains, which divide Bretonnia and The Empire, and the Black Mountains, which separate The Empire from the Border Princes, are comparable in height to the Alps of our own world. Here too are many old Dwarven settlements and, although more of these remain in Dwarven hands than those in the Worlds Edge Mountains, the term 'Dwarven nation' can no longer be applied to the whole region.

The other major ranges which lie beyond the control of any of the Old World nations include the Black Mountains, the Grey Mountains, the Apuccinis, and the Irranas. These ranges all meet in the massive upland area known as The Vaults.

From these rocky barriers issue most of the streams that gather to fill the waterways of the Old World. The only rivers marked on the map are the largest and most important of the Old World. LIke the mountains, the rivers form natural boundaries and nearly all are vital communications and trade links. Most of those shown are huge, comparable only to the Rhine of contemporary Europe, while the largest are formidable bodies of water that cannot even be bridged. Not surprisingly, the rivers and their valleys mark the main areas of Human habitation, the valleys being the most fertile regions and the rivers providing the most reliable transport system in the Old World.

Climate[]

The Old World climate ranges from cool temperate on the northern coasts, through continental over the vast majority of the inland regions, to warm temperate on the southern and western coasts. This means that, in the north, day-to-day weather is largely unpredictable. Rainfall peaks in mid-summer and mid-winter, when it is often cold enough for snow, but precipitation is fairly common all year round. Humidity is generally high, which makes for damp autumns and springs, with coastal fog being a major problem in late winter. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 25°C (77°F), while those of winter rarely fall below -15°C (5°F). Prevailing winds are from the northwest.

The inland regions of the Old World have a much more stable and predictable climate. Spring and autumn are the wettest seasons, but the average rainfall is much lower and the air is generally dry. Winter temperatures can fall to as low as -40°C (-40°F) in the north and snow, once it has fallen, rarely melts before the spring. Then, the spring thaw usually produces sudden increases in river levels and flooding is a great hazard. In summer, as the temperatures climb to over 30°C (86°F), there are occasional spectacular thunderstorms over the mountain ranges. The winds tend to rotate from northeast to southwest.

The southern and western coastlines have as unpredictable a climate as those of the north, but the average temperature is about 10° higher and rainfall is common only during the winter months. Prevailing winds are from the southwest.

Major Countries[]

The Old World was first settled by Humanity over 3,000 years ago, as nomadic tribes migrated northwards and began to establish semi-permanent states. The basis of current political boundaries was not laid, however, until some 1,500 years later, by which time the Dwarf/Human alliance had successfully concluded the Goblin Wars and driven the invaders back into the Dark Lands. Given this common history, cultural differences tend to be relatively superficial and the vast majority of Old Worlders share a common tongue.

Political and religious differences are more marked and reflect the degree to which Chaos is seen as an external threat. Kislev is very much aware of this struggle, being almost constantly at war, and consequently all differences are put aside as the populace unites behind its Tsar. In the Empire, there is still peace enough for a more democratic set-up, where the Emperor is, at least in theory, elected by and from a small number of the most prestigious families, with the support of the religious heads. Bretonnia has a system of absolutist monarchy, with a decadent aristocracy quite content to obey the King, while lining their pockets at the expense of his people.

The Kingdoms of Estalia are an introspective group of small states, to whom the encroachments of Chaos seem a far distant threat. The people here are more involved with warring between themselves. Similarly, the Tilean City States - only a loose confederation - are primarily concerned with trade, but think nothing of attacking each other's fleets. The Border Princes have no centralised government at all - the name applies to a wild, untamed area where all sorts of adventurers and exiles have carved out petty kingdoms for themselves, while the Badlands have no Human settlements at all and are still plagued by hordes of goblinoids from the Worlds Edge Mountains.

Demi-Humans In The Old World[]

As has already been stated elsewhere, Elves are a relatively aloof race and their communities tend to be markedly distinct from those of the other races. Wood Elves in particular, apart from those of an adventurous disposition, keep themselves very much to themselves and the location of their communities is usually kept very quiet, if not actually fenced off by illusions and other magics. The largest Wood Elf settlement is that of Athel-Loren, deep within the Loren Forest in southeastern Bretonnia. Additional settlements are scattered around the other forests of the Old World.

By way of contrast, the Sea Elves have several communities actually within major Human ports, the largest of which is in Marienburg. Even so, these communities are usually regarded as "off limits" by the local populace and the militia and city authorities allow them to organise themselves.

Ever since the collapse of the Dwarven realm in the Worlds Edge Mountains, the numbers of purely Dwarven communities have been on the decline. Those that have chosen to remain in their ancestral homes are largely under siege. For the vast majority, there has been no choice but to become almost fully integrated into Human society.

The links between Halflings and Humanity have always been very strong and nearly every Human settlement has a Halfling quarter. Within the boundaries of The Empire - between the rivers Stir and Aver - is an area called The Moot under Halfling administration, granted to them by the Imperial charter.

Countries And Regions[]

Settlement Patterns In The Old World[]

The Old World map provides the gamesmaster with focal points, such as large cities and fortresses, important ports, passes, and so on. It does not contain every town, village, or farm any more than could a comparable-sized map of Europe. It is for you to work in your own ideas and create smaller settlements as you need them. The Old World is a vast continent, with plenty of room for a diverse selection of towns and cities.

Settlement Patterns[]

To help you visualise the Old World, these rules include a series of settlement patterns which typify settlements throughout the continent. You can use these to generate the salient features of an area if you wish - but always use your common sense to overrule a result which is inconvenient or awkward, bearing in mind the location and factors such as Chaos incursions or raiding monsters.

Major Cities[]

Major cities, with a population of 10,000 or more, are marked on the map of the Old World. No other settlments have populations so large. These centres of population are not spaced equally on the map; some are closer than others, but none are so close so as not to have towns, villages, and farms in between.

As you can see on the map, Altdorf and Talabheim sit in the centre of The Empire. The two cities are about 260 miles apart, which is average for Old World settlements of this size.

The first "zone of dependency" extends in a 20-mile radius around each city and contains villages and farms that are directly dependent on the city for markets, protection, and so on. Each of these locations can be reached on foot in a day or less. Zone 2 extends a further 30 miles beyond Zone 1. This area contains isolated farmsteads, tiny hamlets, and so on, but is mostly uncultivated - barren moorland, marshes, woodland, or whatever. Zone 3 - the area along the road between the the two cities - is where any small towns that exist will be found. If towns are present, each will have its own subzone of villages and farms, which are proportionally smaller than those of the cities.

Towns[]

Establish the extent of Zone 3 by measuring the distance on the map (in this example, this is 160 miles). You can seed these surrounding areas with settlements at your own discretion or you can use dice to give you a random occurence. Work your way from one city to the next, rolling D100 for every 40-mile interval. At each point, there is a 50% chance of a settlment being present. This need not be positioned directly between two cities, but it will tend to lie within 50 (D6-1 x 10) miles of the main road.

Once it is established that a town is present, roll D10-1 x 1000 to establish its population. A result of 0 indicates that the population is below 1,000 and the community is not a real town at all. Roll D10-1 x 100 to determine its population. A further score of 0 indicates a simple farmstead, lone mining claim, or other very small community, in which case the population is 2D10 persons.

Towns have their own "zones of dependency", similar to those of the cities, but smaller. Zone 1 contains villages and farms and lies 5 miles all around the town. Zone 2 contains farms and lies a further 5 miles (10 mile diameter) all around the town. Zone 3 extends an additional 10 miles beyond Zone 2 (20 mile diameter) and is purely wilderness territory - woodland, marshes, and so on.

Villages[]

Zone 1 of a city will contain 4D6 villages scattered about it. Zone 1 of a town has D6 villages. Villages should not be placed solely along the main road, but be evenly distributed within the zone, following natural features where appropriate. Villages have a population of 10D10 people. Villages are linked to each other and to the main road by rough tracks. The more isolated villages, especially those in the forested areas of The Empire, will usually have some kind of defensive fortification - even if it is only a ditch and a crude picket fence.

Farms[]

The innermost zones of cities and towns contain many farms, each with a population of 2D10 people. However, it is not really worth constructing maps of their locations. A better approach is to say that farms are D6 miles apart along roads and tracks and that, if players ask how far the next farm is, the gamesmaster should roll D6 and give this as the distance in miles, unless there is a larger settlement within the distance generated. For example, heading towards Altdorf, the adventurers arrive at the village of Walfen, which is four miles from the city gates. The gamesmaster rolls a D6 to discover the distance to the next farm and gets a result of 5. Since Altdorf is only four miles away, he informs the players that there are no farms between Walfen and the city.

Zone 2 of a city contains 4D6 evenly-scattered farmsteads and Zone 2 of a town has D6. The farmsteads in these areas are quite likely be protected by some simple kind of fortification, while those in The Empire will almost certainly be walled off against the wild creatures and marauding servants of Chaos that prowl the more isolated areas of the Forest Of Shadows.

In addition to farmsteads, the following structures are common features of the Old World and may be located at suitable intervals and sites.

Coaching Inns
Lockhouses
Way Temples

The Tree Settlements Of The Wood Elves[]

The Wood Elves of the Old World do not live in cities or open villages, but amongst the deep woodlands. For this reason, those Humans who have rarely or never seen one often think of them as spirits rather than as living creatures, able to pop in or out of existence at whim. The truth is rather that most Elves are secretive and deeply private creatures, their settlements remote and difficult to find, and they do not actively seek out Human company. Inevitably, they produce some adventurous and outward-going types, but these are exceptions. Wood Elf communities are small and self-sufficient and almost always lie far from Human habitation. Within their own society, Wood Elves are sociable and gregarious, but their populations are small and the majority of their settlements can be thought of as villages rather than towns.

Wood Elves typically live in tree houses - buildings high up in the branches of the tallest trees. They are deceptively solid in construction, being based upon a single large platform which supports the rest of the building. The leaves and branches of the trees provide natural walls and roof, but for additional protection, their inhabitants use screens and colourful hangings. Once inside one of these Elven houses, it is easy to forget that they are 50-100 feet above the forest floor. Houses are grouped togehter around a clearing, usually a low hill or artificial mound on which stand the official buildings of the community: the banqueting hall, temple or shrine, and storehouses. The remainder of the clearing is left open to the sky, enabling the Elves to indugle in the various forms of open-air festivity of which they seem particularly fond. Away from the main areas of the settlement, the Elves clear smaller areas for their burial mounds. These comprise small barrows which are seeded with wild flowers and often with a single tree, believed to harbour the spirit of the deceased and accorded a great deal of respect.

A typical Wood Elf community would contain up to 100 individuals (10D10, if randomly determined). Wood Elves hardly ever live for any time amongst Human communities, although individuals occasionally set up for a few months or years if there is good reason to do so.

Sea Elf Trading Communities[]

The vast majority of Elves live not in the Old World but on the huge island continent in the west known as Ulthuan, the Elf Kingdoms. From here, the Sea Elves set out on voyages of exploration which range as far as Cathay in the East, Lustria in the south, and the New World to the west. To the Old World, their ships bring goods from every continent and many Sea Elves have settled in Human communities as merchants, traders, and adventurers. Every Old World port with a population of over ten thousand has its own Elven quarter - an area where Elven merchants build their houses and administer their own laws and customs. These quarters are generally regarded as 'off-limits' by the Human populace and even the city militia and local authorities are reluctant to interfere here. Elven trade is a valuable asset to any community and most people are happy to let the Elves run their own affairs, as long as it continues to be profitable. A typical trading community would have a population of about 1% of the total city population. Although trading posts are sometimes maintained in smaller cities, this is rare and often occupation is sporadic or temporary - traders coming or going, a family settling for a few years before retiring back home. The largest Sea Elven trading quarter is in Marienburg, where there are about 500 Elves.

Dwarven Settlements[]

The Dwarfs have lived in the Old World since Humans were little more than unthinking barbarians. In that time, the Dwarfs have seen the dwindling of their population, the loss of many of their cities and mines, and the fall of their great kingdoms. Today, there are very few purely Dwarf communities. Most Dwarfs live within Human society, where their metalcraft and their ability work hard and long are highly respected. Human settlements in excess of 5,000 population typically have a Dwarf community of between 5 and 10% of the total. Smaller Human settlements are often more hostile to strange races and the Dwarf community would be no more than 5%.

There are two kinds of purely Dwarfish settlements. New ones are almost always mining communities or small trading posts with populations of 100 individuals or less. Each building is no more than a dilapidated lean-to or shack, hastily constructed and meant only to last a matter of months. Long-standing communities might convert these into cabins, but only if the mine is successful.

Older settlements are mostly the remains of the once-vast mountain kingoms of the Dwarfs, which were based around great underground cities, carved deep into the Worlds Edge Mountains and extending via a system of tunnels from Norsca to Araby. These cities were vast and spacious, connected to fortresses and watch-posts built within the mountain valleys or on tall peaks. In this way, the Dwarfs could control the mountain passes and guard their cities against attack. The very nature of the system proved its downfall, for the Dwarfs were unaware of the deeper, evil things which gradually began to infiltrate the lower tunnels. At the last, most of the Dwarf cities fell or were destroyed by their masters so that they would not fall into the hands of the Goblinoid hordes. Other, newer Dwarven communities may still be found in the Black and Grey Mountains, where they were established by those Dwarfs who abandoned the Worlds Edge Mountains after the volcanic eruption of 1500 (Dwarven Reckoning) - 4,000 years ago.

Today, one of the few Dwarven cities to remain occupied is Everpeak, or Karaz-a-Karak, which is Dwarfish for "The Eternal Way to the Pinnacle". This is the last great Dwarven city and even this is only partially occupied. From this base, the last King of the Dwarfs fights a constant battle against the Goblins and other evil mountain-dwelling creatures. Adventurers - especially Dwarfs - are always sure of a welcome here. However, Everpeak lies right on the edge of the Old World, with the Border Princes to the west and the Dark Lands to the east.

Permanent occupation of the other Dwarven cities is rarely undertaken and many of them are now riddled with Goblins. However, many of the more secret and isolated outposts, fortresses, and watch towers have never been taken from the Dwarfs, even though these small, isolated communities often have no means of contact with the outside world other than by air or magic. Old tunnels which once led to the main city complex have long since been blocked or deliberately collapsed to keep out the Goblins. These communities rarely exceed 100 individuals and many are smaller. The battle against the Goblins is a constant one and many must doubt the value of defending the last vestiges of an ancient kingdom. Communities such as this are scattered throughout the Worlds Edge Mountains and extend into the Black Mountains.

Halfling Settlements[]

Over the years, the Halflings have become almost inseparable from the Human community, making up about 5% of the general population. In the Empire, there are still whole settlements of Halflings scattered between Nuln and the River Stir. All settlements in this area are under Halfling administration, subject directly to the royal charter. Halfling communities are not hostile to Humans or other demi-human races and those with populations of 100+ will have a number of resident Humans equal to about 10% of the total.

Halflings live mostly in villages or on small farms and their settlements and buildings are often similar to the more rural Human ones, although everything is proportionally smaller. A notable exception to this rule is the burrow - a brick or stone-lined dwelling, cut into hillsides and featuring south-facing doors and windows. Some of these burrows are large, rambling, underground mansions, with many passageways and entrances.