Topic: Which region or continent on Kulthea bears the most resemblance to Middle Earth?

[Thot]

I tend to build my own world, but from time to time I like to run a campaign in pre-existing settings. My contact with the Shadow World has been superficial at best - I have the player's guide and the SWMA4e and the Xaar book, played on this worlds as a player a bit, but that's it. I have no good overview of the various regions in my mind.

Now, if I were to run a most "tolkienesque" fantasy campaign, where on Kulthea would I do that, ideally?

By which I mean: Mostly "traditional" fantasy races (various elves, humans common and high, dwarves, halflings, orcs lesser and greater, trolls), a strong human empire, elves at the fringes (and possibly on retreat to somewhere else), and a spellcaster-dominated "evil empire" with orcs as its primary population and lots of exotic mannish (or at least mortal) empires as allies.

Now, I wouldn't mind additional nonhumans, as long as they are not dominant. But the general setup should focus on the aforementioned races.

Does Kulthea have such a place?

[Jenkyna]

I think Jaiman is your best bet. If memory serves me, Terry said something about Jaiman being Pete's continent back in the days of old ice. If that's the case it's not really surprising it has similarities.

With that said ShadowWorld isn't Middle Earth, it's more of a high magic science/fantasy setting.

Your Sauron type character with armies of orclike creatures would be Lorgalis, and his Mordor is Ulor. Your powerful human kingdom would be the Empire of Rhakhaan. It also has a forest full of wild elves, a Dragon, and ancient artifacts of power that are tied to the rise and fall of Kingdoms.

It's also pretty well developed as a setting.

I think it's major divergence would be Tanara with it's warriors mounted on flying horses, and wielding technological weapons. That's sort of part and parcel of ShadowWorld though.

[Thot]

Thanks!

I don't mind high magic and a bit of ancient supertechnology - it is supposed to be a Kulthea setting, after all. But the general almost postapocalyptic mood, the overwhelming odds against the "Free Peoples" due to previous devastation and careful long-term planning of The Enemy and the general look of the dominant races (hence the aforementioned selection) is something that would be best to have in the new campaign, so that players can easily get into it.

Jaiman you say? Hm, it is one of the two regions for which I actually own more detailed material (see above), and it seems if this is as close as it gets, then I'll rather drop the marketing pitch/intro of "imagine a high-magic Middle Earth".

[Spectre771]

I would say Jaiman as well, even Emer could work.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Thank you all for keeping the Shadow World thread lively. I agree Jaiman is more developed (though my NE book is still on the way). Emer is more exotic (flying cities! Flying ships! Jungles full of magical ruins!) And just wait for the SW Emer book...

[Jenkyna]

Thanks!

I don't mind high magic and a bit of ancient supertechnology - it is supposed to be a Kulthea setting, after all. But the general almost postapocalyptic mood, the overwhelming odds against the "Free Peoples" due to previous devastation and careful long-term planning of The Enemy and the general look of the dominant races (hence the aforementioned selection) is something that would be best to have in the new campaign, so that players can easily get into it.

Jaiman is definitely a region that has been devastated by the long term plans of the servants of the Unlife, and Lorgalis himself is their ally, although his goals are a bit different.

Jaiman you say? Hm, it is one of the two regions for which I actually own more detailed material (see above), and it seems if this is as close as it gets, then I'll rather drop the marketing pitch/intro of "imagine a high-magic Middle Earth".

I'd recommend getting the new Jaiman source-book, and the recently released Rhakhaan source-book. Powers of Light & Darkness is also a good resource to have.

Emer is more exotic (flying cities! Flying ships! Jungles full of magical ruins!) And just wait for the SW Emer book...

Emer at times feels like a more primal location than Jaiman. It's a great place for PCs to find lost things.

[Thot]

Thanks again! I just purchased the Jaiman Land of Twilight book, along with Cloudlords of Tanara and the Green Gryphon Inn. The overall Jaiman book seems to be exactly the kind of introduction to the continent's setting that I was missing, and I agree: While decidedly Shadow World, I do see the necessary similarities to ME for my purposes now.

[Tempestari]

Thanks again! I just purchased the Jaiman Land of Twilight book, along with Cloudlords of Tanara and the Green Gryphon Inn. The overall Jaiman book seems to be exactly the kind of introduction to the continent's setting that I was missing, and I agree: While decidedly Shadow World, I do see the necessary similarities to ME for my purposes now.

I am reading Jaiman Land of Twilight and it has definetively a Middle Earth feel. It's a great sourcebook and I am enjoying it very much. Very useful!
In my campaign I will use as the Enemy the Dragonlord in the north, and start the campaign with the Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn. Also I will throw in the mix the malefic schemes of the Arnak Priests. As the allies I'll use the loremasters of Gryphon College, like Rivendel in Middle earth.