Topic: Emer III

[craggles]

More logical perhaps to separate the high-powered Ahrenreth places, which are unlikely to be visited except by the most powerful PCs. Discuss! 

Individual Fortress books for the citadels, or have them as part of an Ahrenreth sourcebook.

EDIT: Okay, that's actually what I posted earlier in the thread.

It was a good Idea then... and it's Still a god idea. 

[RandalThor]

...and there'll hopefully be a LOT of illustrations.

Yup, yup!

I have always thought that there should be a dedicated book dealing with the Ahrenreth, so breaking that off into its own seems like the best idea. (To me.)

[Vince]

Well , if you have to cut something i suggest to do it with the Isle of Jade, it is already described , and i will prefer to have new background for new areas.

[fac]

If everything is almos done but the Citadels of the J.A. you could just go ahead with the Emer II book and release the citadels next year in a separate book, that could include all the Secrets located in Emer, the one from the old box and these new two. Are there more secrets in Emer? I do not remember....

[DangerMan]

I dont care the size of the beast.. but give me maps!! Many, wonderful, detailed maps!!!!!!

[RandalThor]

I dont care the size of the beast.. but give me maps!! Many, wonderful, detailed maps!!!!!!

+1 Trillion!!!!!!!!!

[Vurkanan]

If you extract the two Ahrenreth citadels ( and put them in a "Ahrenreth Citadel Book" )

Yes, I think that's a good idea.

So Emer III […] text alone, is already heading towards 150+ pages. Emer I and II were 132 pp each total

It's hard to tell what to cut without knowing the material. Can you give us an overview?

I CAN say what I liked best about your past books, though. It was the descriptions of cultures, families, organisations, etc. with all the things going on behind the scenes.

[knd]

So Emer III (not counting layouts, many of which are sketched out, or maps, or layouts) text alone, is already heading towards 150+ pages. <snip> a few (namely the 2 Ahrenreth Citadels) which I have just started to delve into. Discuss! 

Mr. Amthor, as a fan of your work for over two decades now (has it really been THAT long?), I'm saying this most respectfully: you really need to set your goals for a writing project in the beginning and stick with the word count!

That's what they've told me about every writing project I've had, and it's key to getting stuff out the door. There's always that next book where you can explore the questions you come across as you go.

Don't you think it would be a win for all of us to have Emer III done? You'd have accomplished yet another title, Guild Companion would have stuff to sell, we'd have new material to snap up and enjoy, and you could pitch another title? E contrario, if Emer III keeps on growing, it'll be more expensive (with all the problems highlighted in the thread), your editor will keep on nagging, and we won't have your vision for the Malqanar, among other things, at hand. And you can't get started on another title.

[markc]

knd,
 Welcome to the ICE Forums.
MDC

[knd]

Thank you!

I know it's a real drag hearing about deadlines & all that, but I kind of sort of feel I can make the suggestion, since that's something I know pretty well from writing my own papers and the constant struggle to get. doodoo. done. in time!

There's always at least one more theory, one more idea I'd like to think through before I start writing, so I've had to learn to not to do it and just write that damn first paragraph of the day.

[Guillaume]

If everything is almos done but the Citadels of the J.A. you could just go ahead with the Emer II book and release the citadels next year in a separate book, that could include all the Secrets located in Emer, the one from the old box and these new two. Are there more secrets in Emer? I do not remember....

The city of the Dead in itself is probably worth a whole book.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Well , if you have to cut something i suggest to do it with the Isle of Jade, it is already described , and i will prefer to have new background for new areas.

Isle of Jade was only published in a White Wolf magazine as an adventure way back in the 80's, if I remember correctly, so there is much more to tell, especially in context with the region.

[MDillenbeck]

I love the setting of Shadow World, and even if I don't play in it I will read it for its rich details.

I do want to chime in and agree with knd here.  Sometimes you need to set limits and bring something to completion.  If need be, give a general overview in brief of locations that have a potential to become a book.  I know, I will hate not having every bit of detail covered (like so many of the other continents and the other hemisphere, bits of early history, etc that arent even considered since the 'Big Two' continents dominate supplements) - but I will be overjoyed to have something new to read.  I would love to have the perfect supplement that detailed everything in my hand, but I'd also love to have more insight into the setting you developed.  (Personally, I am dying to learn more some day about Namar Tol... I've been thinking a lot lately about what agelessness does to the psyche of an individual and an entire race, wondering if I could find a group of players who could understand the concept of living for thousands and thousands of years.)

On a tangent, I wonder how long until we see the first multimedia setting books.  It would be fascinating to see some animations or 3d renderings come to life for Shadow World.  Of course, that is taking book layout and content creation to a whole different level.

[RandalThor]

(Personally, I am dying to learn more some day about Namar Tol... I've been thinking a lot lately about what agelessness does to the psyche of an individual and an entire race, wondering if I could find a group of players who could understand the concept of living for thousands and thousands of years.)

You aren't the only one; I have been thinking about this for years now. In some ways, I think that such a species would be as much alien to humanity as an amoeba-like species.

[Terry K. Amthor]

(Personally, I am dying to learn more some day about Namar Tol... I've been thinking a lot lately about what agelessness does to the psyche of an individual and an entire race, wondering if I could find a group of players who could understand the concept of living for thousands and thousands of years.)

You aren't the only one; I have been thinking about this for years now. In some ways, I think that such a species would be as much alien to humanity as an amoeba-like species.

Believe me, as the former editor of many Middle-earth books (and writer of a few), I have been fascinated by that mentality as well. One of the things about the Fellowship movie that fascinated me was how they treated the Elves, and their nature. Elrond was fairly down-to-earth, but when the Fellowship goes to Lorien, their experience with Galadriel is sometimes like something out of time. She is in slow-motion, then normal, then suddenly she is in a different place, as if she is almost out of sync with normal mortal time. I think in some ways very old Elves (or any immortals) would become like this. (Granted in this case, a lot of it may have been her power, Lorien, and her Ring, but I liked the idea.) Also, think about how we as mere mortals perceive time as we get older. When we're kids, teens, 20's, doesn't it seem like those years are packed with experiences and memories, but as we get older, the years seem to slide by faster and faster. Imagine what it would be like if you lived hundreds or thousands of years?

[RandalThor]

Imagine what it would be like if you lived hundreds or thousands of years?

Trust me, I have. (And it has both tickled me and terrified me.)

[MDillenbeck]

Believe me, as the former editor of many Middle-earth books (and writer of a few), I have been fascinated by that mentality as well. One of the things about the Fellowship movie that fascinated me was how they treated the Elves, and their nature. Elrond was fairly down-to-earth, but when the Fellowship goes to Lorien, their experience with Galadriel is sometimes like something out of time. She is in slow-motion, then normal, then suddenly she is in a different place, as if she is almost out of sync with normal mortal time. I think in some ways very old Elves (or any immortals) would become like this. (Granted in this case, a lot of it may have been her power, Lorien, and her Ring, but I liked the idea.)

Ancient elves actually becoming "loose" in time - now that is an interesting concept.

Also, think about how we as mere mortals perceive time as we get older. When we're kids, teens, 20's, doesn't it seem like those years are packed with experiences and memories, but as we get older, the years seem to slide by faster and faster. Imagine what it would be like if you lived hundreds or thousands of years?

Over 80 years I have seen a man-friend be transform from infant to proud man, then wither away.

Over 400 years I have watched the borders of the man-kingdoms slither across the planet

Over 2000 years I have watched man go from crude forging of bits of metal found in river banks to building grand cathedrals that dwarf their homes.

Over 10,000 years I have watched rivers wander like snakes in the grass.

Over 50,000 years I have seen oceans of trees spring from the land then drain away.

Over 250,000 years I watched the mountains rise up from the flatlands.

Over million years I have watched the fiery birth of islands out of the ocean, only to be swallowed back up.

Over five million years I have seen the continents sail the high seas like fisherman's boats.

Tell me again, my dear ambassador, why it is so important to lend my people's aid to your kingdom?


Now, I doubt there are any elves that have lived that long in the Shadow World or Middle Earth - but how could they even perceive humans as anything more than very intelligent and very short lived pets?

Anyway, enough derailing this thread... I'll go back to lurking and trying to wait patiently for the release of Emer III.

[MisterK]

Now, I doubt there are any elves that have lived that long in the Shadow World or Middle Earth - but how could they even perceive humans as anything more than very intelligent and very short lived pets?

Actually, that could work for the Lords of Essaence (or Orhan/Charon beings as well). And even a number of elves in the Shadow World have seen two Eras (Kirin being one of them, obviously).

My personal interpretation is that most elves do not go into that - some of them do, and the rest of the world consider them insane. Most of them let the memories stack and be buried under more recent ones, choosing to live in the "now" rather than deal with the infinite. Erlini are the typical example of such a survival mind reflex.

Anyway, enough derailing this thread... I'll go back to lurking and trying to wait patiently for the release of Emer III.

I do wait as well, but mostly for collection purposes - I am currently running a fairly high-level campaign in Uj than spans the entire region (and spills over into Izar, Khum-kaan and Namar-Tol), so I had to make up a number of things - more detailed cultural description, a handful of city maps (including Kaitaine), Notes on past events, a poster-size regional map, and I started a more detailed description of Kaitaine.

I did the same for Saralis in my previous campaign, and for Urulan and Kelestia in the one before. Typical story of most Shadow World GMs, I guess :p Of course, I did Saralis before Xa-ar was out, so my version is not in line with the official one. I guess my version of Uj will not be in line with Emer III either

[craggles]

I do wait as well, but mostly for collection purposes - I am currently running a fairly high-level campaign in Uj than spans the entire region (and spills over into Izar, Khum-kaan and Namar-Tol), so I had to make up a number of things - more detailed cultural description, a handful of city maps (including Kaitaine), Notes on past events, a poster-size regional map, and I started a more detailed description of Kaitaine.

I did the same for Saralis in my previous campaign, and for Urulan and Kelestia in the one before. Typical story of most Shadow World GMs, I guess :p Of course, I did Saralis before Xa-ar was out, so my version is not in line with the official one. I guess my version of Uj will not be in line with Emer III either

I'd love to see some of those maps and details and I'm sure I'm not the only one - it'll tide us over until the official Emer III and IV are released.

[MisterK]

I'd love to see some of those maps and details and I'm sure I'm not the only one - it'll tide us over until the official Emer III and IV are released.

Most of it is written in french because it's my native language, but here you go

My session preparation notes usually are a jumble of english and french, which explains the hodgepodge you get on this site - I did not make any serious attempt at editing *sorry*.

I still have some material I did not upload - mostly maps and a handful of notes I do not want my players to see :p I add material to it as it comes - the campaign is ongoing, and I have much backlog, but time is in short supply