# What can you tell me about Ostalin?



## crow81 (Dec 12, 2007)

RangerWicket 

I have a player who moved away we are starting a play by post sea based adventure con-current with the war. The player will also be based in Seaquen in one of the few surviving fleets. Based on the blurbs from the mods I see no mention of Ostalin as the setting of any of the mods. Do you have any backround material that I can use to shape the country. Political setting, natural resources, ect.

As always any help would be great 


Regards 

Rich


----------



## RangerWickett (Dec 12, 2007)

Spoilers for adventures 5 and beyond. You are warned.





			
				crow81 said:
			
		

> RangerWicket
> 
> I have a player who moved away we are starting a play by post sea based adventure con-current with the war. The player will also be based in Seaquen in one of the few surviving fleets. Based on the blurbs from the mods I see no mention of Ostalin as the setting of any of the mods. Do you have any backround material that I can use to shape the country. Political setting, natural resources, ect.
> 
> ...




Adventure Five, Mission to the Monastery of Two Winds, starts out in Ostalin, but quickly moves to the mountains that divide Ostalin from Sindaire. It's a shame we don't have more stuff that takes place in other parts of the setting, but a) I wanted to leave some places more open for the GM to do his own stuff, b) I couldn't fit extra plot lines into the adventures while still including the core backbone of the campaign, and c) we were toying with the idea of having side products provide that sort of detail. 

A lack of manpower stymied idea C. Now, in hindsight I realize that we probably could've retooled the 5th, 6th, and 7th adventures to explore a bit more of the nations in question, but even in Lord of the Rings there are a lot more nations than the ones the heroes go to. However, if I had a chance to do it over again, I might cut back on the combat encounters in those adventures and work in a reason for the heroes to go to the capitals of those nations for more politicking.

As for Ostalin, my basic idea for them is Mongolia meets Korea, in a time when their current ruler is not nearly as skilled and commanding as the one before him. 

Each of the nations the heroes can ally with has a vague elemental connection. Shahalesti with its fleets is water, Dassen with its love of land is earth, Sindaire with the firestorm left by the assassination of Coaltongue is fire, and Ostalin with its high peaks, vast windy steppes, and hippogriff cavalry is air. Ostalin has jungles to the south, but the central terrain is somewhat arid. They also are the source of biomancy, and so have lots of hybrid creatures (like hippogriffs, for instance).

The Khagan, Onamdammin, rules a nation that his father conquered, and though he has large armies at his disposal, they aren't sturdy legions like those of Ragesia. They're more mobile, a lot of them cavalry or rangers. I envision a more feudal nation, with local warlords offering tribute to the Khagan, and pledging to serve him in battle (though not if the Khagan is an ineffective leader). This is why Onamdammin is allying with Pilus, because he knows the power of The Tempest will capture the allegiance of his many warlords.

Outside of the main power structures, I imagine there would be pirates around the coasts, slavers, and all manner of strange beasts roaming the countryside, the product of generations of crazy sorcerers tampering with nature.

Any more questions? What plot do you have in mind?


----------



## crow81 (Dec 13, 2007)

I am using one of free Thanksgiving Giveaways from RPGnow a source book called Broadsides 

Here is the intro 

"Shayne stands on the foredeck of her flagship the Galley Procan's Blessing staring out over Seaquen. She sees that the other members of her former party ride off to parts unknown. Her task now is get trading established between Ostalin, or Uncharted Lands further East  (choose one) and Seaquen or the multitudes of new refugees will starve. Taking ? of her Carracks filled with trade goods mostly lumber and a few cases of magical potions and oils along with a  ? Galley(s)  for protection. She gives the order and the fleet such that it is heads out."

The total fleet that she inherited when her father died in the hurricane (Mod 4)  was 3 Galleys and 4 Small Carracks stats listed in Broadsides.  

Think sort of age of exploration. Pirates and Slavers are a given but I also wanted to have new cultures,  diplomacy ect. Based on her choices she may never see Seaquen or the party again. 

I have a second player who already thinks himself a merchant prince moving in June 2008. He will most like join the Play by Post as well after the 6th adventure.


Thanks for the information Ranger it will be very helpful in designing the first adventure 

Any other suggestions, ideas or resource recommendations from anyone feel free offer them.


----------

