New York, New York

OK, no more pointless 4e snarkfests. Besides, there's been just the tiniest trickle of things which give me hope it might not totally suck (though the new licensing program sure isn't one of them...). Anyway...

New York City is my hometown (more or less), so it always gets some focus in any kind of modern or post-disaster game. This is mostly a sketch of the city, a framework into which other ideas can pour. Half-ruined skyscrapers as fortress kingdoms, trade between them as if on the canals of Venice, twisted winged creatures flitting from rooftop to rooftop, and obscene monsters lurking in the drowned tunnels below...

(Someone fund me. I wanna write the supplement for this!)

But for now, a few paragraphs...and an organization.

I had no intention of writing up the Wyvern Lords when I started writing this essay. I just kept writing, and there they were, aging fanatics yearning for a dying dream, proud warriors twisted by self-hatred, missing the chance to build a new world because they are blinded by tears for the loss of the old...there's a lot of story hooks there.

This happens to me a lot. I just start writing, and ideas fall into place, and I end an essay somewhere I never expected it to go...

New York City
In 2020, New York City was a primary center of trade, industry, and commerce, with the metro region home to some 23 million people. The city was little different than it was in the early 21st century; the skyline had grown slightly, and the sprawl was even denser in the surrounding regions, but it had not experienced any radical changes in size or status.

The Crush struck it hard, as it did most of the Eastern Seaboard. Manhattan buckled and crumbled. Staten Island fractured. A rift cracked along the center of Long Island, destroying Brooklyn and Queens, along with must of the suburban sprawl. Bridges and tunnels collapsed under the strain, cutting the islands off from food -- not that there would be any coming, anyway. While millions survived the initial disaster, the death toll in the next few months was catastrophic; the region could not support a hundredth of its current population, and most died in fighting over the scarce resources.

In addition, the same place on Arith was home to the capital of Mantaros, the oldest of the Alliance Of Free Kingdoms. The largest city in Mantaros, Azalian, sprawled over the region, a blending of five older cities merged into a single political entity, and a center of learning, culture, and spellcraft. While almost overwhelmed in the merger, its population had power if not numbers, and reacted predictably to the seeming attack. Wyvern-riding troops mobilized from shattered rookeries. Wizards climbed out of the ruins of their towers and unleashed fire, ice, and choking gas on rioting mobs. Beings of all lands and races, trapped and confused, lashed out at anything which seemed hostile -- or which could not defend itself.

The result, inevitably, was slaughter. Millions died in the first few weeks, trapped in the ruins without food or potable water. Those who tried to swim often drowned in the tempests which followed the shattering of the coast, or were killed by monsters. Some, of course, made it, and surviving Coast Guard and naval units (both Earthborn and Arithian) did all they could. Sometime during this time, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Olympus sailed out to sea, with a full compliment of crew and planes, and, rumor has it, significant supplies seized from whatever stores they could find.

After a few months, the major fighting ended. Most of the populace which could flee, did; the rest entered a state of spiteful detente. Surviving skyscrapers became fortresses. Canny residents learned to set up fishing nets from fifth-floor windows to find food, and built rooftop stills and desalinization plants. A few managed to rig up solar panels to provide limited power. The city ruins could not support more than miniscule fraction of the old population, but New Yorkers in any universe are tough...

New York has the honor of being one of the few major American cities to not be consumed by a worldhole -- much as with Chicago, nukes aimed at it missed, striking New Jersey and creating the Blighted Woods. It is still in ruins, however. About one building in 10 is still standing. Manhattan is now submerged under about 40 feet of water, leaving many of the ruined buildings still partially visible, and turning navigation into a lethal game. Locals who have learned the lay of the land -- well, of the water -- and know which patterns of ripples spell a sharp steel shard ready to slice a hull in half -- can navigate the treacherous waters with relative safety -- they are much calmer than the Sparred Sea, but outsiders would be advised to travel slowly -- and know how to swim.

The largest land area still semi-habitable is Staten Island, or parts thereof. Relatively undeveloped, it offered areas which could be farmed by survivors. Several holdfasts exist on the island, some Arithian and some Earthborn, and there are constant brushfire wars between them.

The great buildings, ruined or not, of Manhattan provide an attractive nesting place for monsters, especially winged ones. A harpy colony rules the former Broadway area. Wyverns, now feral and wild, constantly prowl the skies. Assorted humanoids, mostly tribal exiles, have laid claim to various buildings. And there are rumors...rumors only, mind you...that the flooded and collapsed subway tunnels have, somehow, merged with darker and deeper caverns, home to things unknown and unknowable...

There are also more venal rumors -- that untold caches of wealth, stockpiles of gold and jewels, lie just below the surface or are hidden in some forgotten safe on some high level floor. Certainly, the wealthy of Manhattan did not manage to take all or even most of it with them, and some treasure must survive somewhere...Further, there is the fact that, almost forgotten in the ruins of New York lie the ruins of five of the largest Arithian cities. Artifacts, magical scrolls and treasures, strange items, powerful relics...all of these might still exist.

The Wyvern Lords
The Wyvern Lords of Azalian were once the elite fighting force of the Alliance Of Free Kingdoms, legendary for their skill, honor, and bravery. When the Crush hit, many of them survived the initial chaos, only to fall trying to protect their people or reclaim what was left of their home. A small number, seeing the odds growing desperate and hope growing slim, made a painful decision. They pulled back, leaving the sinking islands, and took refuge in the north, roughly (and ironically) in the location of Valhalla, New York. While this area, too, had been shattered by the Crush, it was generally less war-torn, and it was fairly easy for the 50 or so riders who fled -- or, as they put it, retreated -- to find shelter and a place to dig in, protecting bands of Arithian refugees who were in desperate need of such protection. Shamed by their flight, the Wyvern Lords have sworn to reclaim the lands of Azalian, and to defend all citizens of the Free Kingdoms who come seeking their aid. The Valhalla Holdfast (or, as they call it, New Azalian) is one of the largest pure-Arith holdfasts on the East Coast. The region has become an island some 15 miles across, and it is now tightly held by the Wyvern Lords. Earthborn are forced off at swordpoint; if they resist, they are killed.

The Wyvern Lords are harsh, but fair, masters to those under their protection. A military organization, they have little patience with the needs or interests of civilians, and consider themselves to be in a state of constant war. Rules in New Azalian are simple, direct, and ruthlessly enforced. All resources other than those needed for pure survival are directed towards the goal of "reclaiming Azalian", and then, the entirety of the Alliance. While most Arithians have painfully accepted that this world is neither Earth nor Arith, but a new land to which neither side has full title, the Wyvern Lords reject this conclusion utterly. This is their land; they will let no one claim otherwise.

The human Wyvern Lords, 40 of the 50 who left Azalian, are all aging; the youngest is 50. A handful of new Lords are being trained, but there is a fear that with such a small pool to pull from, the glory of the Wyvern Lords will soon fade. This has made many of them desperate; if something is not done soon, all of their dreams will come to naught. A few in the Holdfast have begun to wonder what the point would be in reclaiming a drowned ruin, when building New Azalian into a true city is a much more desirable goal, but few will wonder this out loud. Wyvern Lords have keen ears...

In Which Lizard Snarks On 4e

Not really Shattered World related, but since this blog also serves to hold my rants on game design, I might as well put it here.

Trap design in every other version of DnD.

Ug the kobold:"OK, here's a hidden trip wire, and it triggers this crossbow and then deflates this bladder, so that it blows through a horn, letting us know someone is coming."
Zug the kobold:"Looks good."

Trap design in 4e: (You may need to make a free account to read this article)
Ug the kobold:"OK, here's a hidden trip wire, and it triggers this crossbow and then deflates this bladder, so that it blows through a horn, letting us know someone is coming."
Zug the kobold:"No, that will never do. The thief will spot it and disarm it."
Ug:"Well, yeah, but he might miss it. Besides, it will warn us against goblins or even wild animals coming down the tunnel. We have enemies besides PCs."
Zug:"No, no, that's not the point! What does the FIGHTER do?"
Ug:"Kill our women and children, usually. Thus, the traps."
Zug:"No. First, you need some arcane runes for the mage to read and disable. They'll set off the fireball if he doesn't."
Ug:"We have a fireball?"
Zug:"Then, I think, we'll have the runes cast 'animate dead' on some skeletons, so the cleric can turn them.
Ug:"We have someone who can can cast that?"
Zug:"Of course, the skeletons will be trying to stop the thief from disarming the crossbow, so the fighter will have to protect him from them! Perfect! The whole party is involved!"
Ug:"You want this done by WHEN?"
Zug: "Just make sure there's something like this every 50 feet down this tunnel. But make them all different, we don't want people getting bored."
Ug:"Look, are we defending our lair or setting up a theme park ride for adventurers?"
Zug:"Theme park. Duh. Didn't you get the memo?"