Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

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Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Pixel01 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:25 am

Where can one find information about the human kingdoms of Landis?
Is it scattered over numerous books or is there a tome that deals with it exclusively?

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Re: Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Mataxes » Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:12 am

There was no book that explored it.

There was a little bit about it in the Cara Fahd sourcebook (because of the history between the nations and their geographic proximity), but not that much.
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Re: Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Pixel01 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 11:36 am

Feared as much. Thank you!

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Re: Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Telarus_KSC » Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:29 pm

I assume you are familiar with the references in the basic timeline ("Orichalcum Wars" and strain with Cara Fahd). The Cara Fahd book has a bit of info on some of the fallen Landis cities/kaers.

There is also some in the Vivane Province source book of the Vivane and Sky-Point box-set:

p.7 notes that Landis and the area near the twilight peaks are not well controlled by the Theran forces, as compared to Sky-Point and the province of Rugaria to the west, which are firmly under the Empire militarily and culturally. Landis on the other hand, is a hotbed of bandits, crystal raiders, and organized groups of pillagers, among others.


p.39 mentions that the source of the Greenheart river (which defines the border between ancient Landis and modern Cara Fahd) is the geyser on top of the hill Stormhead which erupts pure (elemental kernel-laced) water every hour and which also has a "dark mushroom shaped horror-cloud 600 feet above the hilltop".

The meat of it though, is p48-49, "Landis and Its Peoples". I'm going to just quote the whole section as it is just a handful of paragraphs, but really sets the tone of "modern-day Landis" in a way only early FASA Earthdawn could in such little space:

"The Therans regard the region once known as the Kingdom of Landis as one of the areas of Barsaive Province no longer under their control. Indeed, the people of Landis travel to and trade with free Barsaive on a regular basis, though they do not consider Throal the seat of their government. The inhabitants of Landis care relatively little for the fate of distant lands elsewhere in Barsaive; they have enough troubles closer to home.

Most of Landis is covered by forest, though a few towns exist that boast fine buildings, temples, and works of art. Most of the people who settled on and farmed the plains in the northeastern region of Vivane Province long ago withdrew to Landis, retreating into the forest and hills where they were less exposed to the reaids by Therans and the orks of Cara Fahd. Most major permanent settlements in modern-day Landis lie near the Greenheart River and on the slopes of the Twighlight Peaks. The Therans controls the lava fields around the twin volcanic peaks and conduct mining operations there, but maintain no permanent garrisions. They swiftly could establish garrisons in the area if the local people attempted to dispute Theran claims to the fields or if elementalists native to Landis tried to tap the true fire in the lava.

The natives of Landis lead passive, melancholy lives. Because they squandered their resources on endless war with the orks of Cara Fahd, the people of Landis were unable to build a sufficient number of kaers and citadels to protect the largest part of their population, and so the kingdom suffered brutally from the Scourge. However, many tales describe isolated kaers and citadels constructed in Landis by individuals with the courage and vision to understand the true danger of the Horrors and rise above the ongoing conflicts between the two kingdoms. One of these gives credit to a renegade magician from the isle of Thera who contructed a kaer on the threshold of the Twilight Peaks. If the story is true, that kaer's fate remains unknown. Certain scholars suspect, however, that these tales represent only hopeful dreams spun to sustain the spirits of those people who faced the Horrors unaided. The total population of Landis is about 400,000, with a racial distribution similar to the rest of Barsaive. The ever-present threat of raids from Cara Fahd has led many of Landis' other Name-giver races to distrust orks, even when they are clearly peaceful.

The people of Landis trade with the Therans, bringing fish, wood, hides and skins, and other raw materials to Lankarden and outlying villages in exchange for worked metal items, ceramics, baskets, clothing, and simple tools. This steady stream of commerce does not prevent Theran slavers from raiding this region often enough to put the population of Landis into a steady decline., as the natives are enslaved settlement by settlement. The Theran slavers who operate in Landis generally make their raids north and east, away from villages that trade with the Imperials, and the local people realize that trade with Therans safeguards them from enslavement.

Landisians mount few retaliatory raids, however, especially since the most recent lesson in brutality taught them by the Terans. A group of raiders led by two ork beastmasters and a pair of troll warriors raided a small Theran farmstead, only to discover that most of the people they had killed were slaves and poor laborers, not the hated Therans. In response, Theran authorities sent a kila to round up eight hundred people of a nearby river village. They killed all the old folk and children and enslaved the able-bodied adults. Passing by several other river villages on the way back to Lankarden, they airship crew dumped a few tortured corpses over the side as a message that any further raids against Theran settlements would meet the same response. Landis has mounted no further raids, and adventurers speaking too openly of their intent to raid Vivane Province from these lands may find themselves betrayed to Theran authorities in Lankarden by a fearful Landis native.

Like Cara Fahd, Landis is a once-mighty realm brought low by war and the Scourge. Within its abandonded settlements lie priceless historical records, as well as treasures and wealth. The greatest legends that aspiring adventurers might build in Landis, however, would tell of deeds performed to restore the spirits of a people possessed of the potential for great attainments in battle, magic, and culture. Heroic actions such as these would restore as much magic to Barsaive as the recovery of a vast treasure cache.

HAZARDS

Many towns and settlements in Landis have been abandoned since the Scourge, and Horrors still stalk these lands, Theran slavers, ork raiders from Cara Fahd, and creatures native to Landis' terrain can pose additional threats. The Greenheart River, though settled and fished along most of its length, still contains a small number of huge, usually torpid river serpents. On the approaches to the Twilight Peaks, adventurers may encounter creatures of elemental fire, in addition to the usual difficulties of traveling through mountainous terrain."
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Re: Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Pixel01 » Mon Nov 21, 2016 9:37 pm

Absolutely astonishing. Thank you kindly!

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Re: Kingdoms of Landis, main source of information.

Postby Bogie » Tue Nov 22, 2016 4:20 pm

That's some great info. :) Landis was always one of my favorite areas to run a campaign. Lots of stuff for low circle characters to do and plenty of potential for conflict, kaers, and adventure. Especially after Cara Fahd was re-established.
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