Atlas of the Young Kingdoms: Volume One is a supplement for Elric. Elric is one of the later editions of the original Stormbringer game by Chaosium. The Atlas was released in 1996 and is described as the first n a series of four. The intent was to break the Young Kingdoms up into quadrants and describe them in great detail. As is often the case the later promised volumes never appeared.
It is really too bad that the other three volumes were never produced. The level of detail provided for first the game world and then the areas covered in this quadrant of the map were really quite amazing. I have read all of the Elric books and do not recall the level of detail in the books being this rich. If the author did not have input from Michael Moorcock then they went above and beyond in the level of detail.
The book starts with an introduction and then spends about seven pages providing the GM with more information about the world of Elric than was ever provided in the books or at least more than I can ever recall being there. Next we are provided with information on seven distinct kingdoms or important locations. These seven descriptions occupy the vast majority of the book. The book finishes with a section of story seeds that are really more than seeds. They are actually full scenario outlines without any stats or maps. Finally there are calendars provided. There is one for the Young Kingdoms and the Melnibonean calender is also provided. There is also a full index which is always nice to have in a 148 page supplement.
The areas covered in this book are gone over in a level of detail that will make things easy for the GM if they want to run adventures in these areas. They are present with a wealth of maps of both the kingdoms and of individual cities. Each area is also presented with a history and places of note. Varied across the areas described there are also descriptions of customs, society, ways of life and important NPCs. The locations described are as follows:
Vilmir
Ilmiora
The Weeping Waster
Nadsokor
Org and the Forest of Troos
The Sighing Desert
Tanelorn
Unless you plan on running Elric or an adventure set in the Young Kingdoms this may not be very portable. The setting is very specific as is the history connected with these locations. I know Tanelorn can exist anywhere so that is the exception. This is still a great book to have as there are things that can always be taken and used even if the whole can not. In the end the worst part of this book is that the other three were never made.
From the back of the book:
"Great Imperial Melniboné lay swollen across the world. Her fingers wound through the planes of the multiverse a hundred times.
Among the earthly slaves of the great Melniboné were grunting ape-men who ploughed and harvested the fields and vineyards.
When the ape-men changed, they challenged their betters, and won against them. New kingdoms were gathered, this time by human hands.
The Atlas of the Young Kingdoms: The Northern Continent discusses the Sighing Desert, the Weeping Waste, heavenly Tanelorn, horrible Nadsokor (the kingdom of beggars), the ancient evil of Org, and the Forest of Troos, free-trading and progressive Ilmiora, and the Lawful hell of dying Vilmir. We learn the origin of the Young Kingdoms and the great rebellion of Vil Valario, the ways of the people, histories, products, and attitudes, customs and holidays, provinces and towns, and important leaders. There are plot ideas and story seeds, scores of illustrations, full-page national and regional maps, city plans, a Lormyrian and a Melnibonéan calendar, and an index."
Spell:
Cassandra's Wave of Disjunction
Level: Seventh
Range: None
Duration: Special
Ares of Effect: Special
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Special
When this spell is cat the magic user caused a cone shaped wave to eminate from their hands. The wave will affect all magic items or spell affects that are caught in the area effect. The wave will cause the magical bonds that hold the effect to the item to break. The effect the wave has will depend on the saving throw.
The wave will begin at the casters hand with a base of 1/2" (5') and extend out for a range of 6" (60'). At its end the cone effect will be 3" (30') wide. The height of the wave will match the height of the room.
Every magic items in the areas of effect as well as anyone or anything with a magical effect on it will be required to make a saving throw. Items or effects that make their save will have their abilities disrupted for 2-5 rounds. Items or effect that fail the save will have the bonds of the magical effect permanently broken. Magic Items with pluses will receive those as pluses to their saving throw. The save of the items will be made as if the owner of the item is making a save versus death.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal
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1 comment:
Not finishing the series is a bit of a disappointment. I remember reading my first Elric novels back in the 60's, that's how I got introduced to D&D to begin with.
Elric was always one of my favorite characters. It would have been nice to see this series "finished."
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