Forwarded From a Player: HELP DISTANCES

[Niamh]

I think it would be helpful if this file were more organized, showing
shortest to furthest distances and slowest to fastest means of
transportation. I think it would also be super helpful to include
information on common ways to travel to Tubor and Vavard and their speeds.

I don't think we need items for each Barony, but some major regions and
features might be nice. Like the Springs, the Tarns, the northern coast, the
eastern coast...

I hear differing things about distances and travel in RP, in part because we
don't have a very good framework around which we can all orient ourselves.
This makes it hard for people to know what's feasible and not, or to know
what's thematic and "common." For example, I don't even know the primary
route by which most Tubori make it to Lithmore. Are there ports along the
duchy's northern coast? That would have been my assumption, but last year I
was mocked in a rumor that suggested the entire northern coast was cliffs.
So, what, all our Tubori come from Vandago? I really don't know.

I think there's maybe a little information here and there in the race
helpfiles, but it tends to be buried. Maybe a simple set of traveling
helpfiles would put us all on the same page? Help tubor travel, help vavard
travel, etc?

[-+[-__-]+-]

I've always enjoyed this help file and would like to see it expanded, if just to include a few more common landmarks and trade routes that reach the outlying regions. The existing domain files include sizes; I'm admittedly terrible at math but I think with a bit of pencil and paper, and consideration of the ascii maps, it should be fairly straightforward to figure out Lithmore City --> Main Duchy Landing Point.

This could help players develop more interesting backgrounds, and will probably help reinforce the concept that IC interests (and the bulk of RP arcs) center around the capital city; it takes a while for news to travel.


I don't want to veer off topic, but I feel it's related: I think we tend to avoid defining too much about the geography in order to let people have more creative freedom over their backgrounds. When it comes to major features though (the cliffs example, etc), establishing major landmarks is more a help than a hindrance. I remember speaking with some authority about ship routes or something only to realize that there was this huge canal system connecting the Dralth ocean and Kirulean sea.

Circling back to the point, updating and expanding HELP DISTANCES can better inform character and player decisions with regards to background RP or even future stories. A couple more general routes in the help file will cover most cases, and still leaves room for domain files and whatnot to get more specific, as player interest dictates.

[Niamh]

Okay, so! The current helpfile:

To help you get a better feel for the size of the world, below is a list
of distances from Lithmore to popular destinations.  More will be added as
requested, and as we refine our travel guidelines. 
 
*For our purposes, people travel (on average) the following speeds:
 
By Caravan/Pack Train:     18km =  11 miles per day
By Carriage:               28km =  17 miles per day
By Horse:                  48km =  29 miles per day
By Barge on River:         12km =   7 miles per day
By Cargo Boat on Sea:      35km =  22 miles per day
By Travel Vessel on Sea:   49km =  30 miles per day
 
Location                             TO LITHMORE
Loryth                            125km =  78 miles     
Sartez                            180km = 112 miles
Lothos                            103km =  64 miles
Casterlay (Blackmoore)             80km =  50 miles 
Avonna (Azadar)                   275km = 171 miles
Gailiech (Gailiech),              190km = 118 miles
Inbican (Gailiech Light)          200km = 124 miles
Elcaster (Sidharr)                210km = 130 miles
Endridge                          155km =  96 miles
FARIN BORDER                      180km = 112 miles
VANDAGO BORDER                    245km = 152 miles
 
*Avonna, Endridge, Lithmore and Loryth can use a barge on the Bren.
It is downstream for Avonna ---> Loryth. Downstream is 5 miles
per day faster.

Could we get a list of other locations that folks would like to see? The more detailed the list the better.

[Taunya]

Tubor
Vavard City
The Tarnlands/Orkin Woods

[-+[-__-]+-]

Edessa
The Holy Spring

I would still love to see landing points for all regions, but if that would make the help file TOO spammy, maybe they could be added to the domains instead with a line here telling people where to find them.

i.e. For more distances within a duchy, try help domain <domain>.

[Starstarfish]

Definitely the distance from Lithmore to the other Duchal capitols.