Favourite parts of the BL book

All that aside, moving back to the subject at hand do you guys have anything else that you really like about the book? I understand that rules crunch is going to be the make/break of the book, but as a Lore-junkie, I’m hooked on this book!

Well, so far, probably the best has just been the maps, both the world and the city. I’m waiting to see the blessed lands map and then I’ll go over a bunch of the locations a lot more in depth. And look at the travel time estimates and apply that to the maps and think about all kinds of additional things.

I only recently realized there was something that I thought should be in there, that I was surprised wasn’t- a description of the different “interesting weather” phenomena. I know just about anything can happen, but I thought there were some pretty standard ones that would make it into a description of the blessed lands.

I was really pleased as well about the (partial) list of gifts of the gods. We appear to know some of what and where 5 of the gifts are (altheres, illiir, beltine, saluwe, and anshar, to some degree) even if we can’t actually access them all. We know what two more of them are but they are lost (Larissa and Yarris), but we still have no idea what 5 of them are (hurrian, nier, cadic, neroth, and sarish). I love that Saluwe gave a tree, and that we know where it is. I can’t wait to spend a night sleeping in its boughs. (in bird form, of course) The question is, can I eat the bugs in the bark, or is that violence that can’t be done under the tree? Are there bugs in its bark?

Hello,

I only recently realized there was something that I thought should be in there, that I was surprised wasn’t- a description of the different “interesting weather” phenomena. I know just about anything can happen, but I thought there were some pretty standard ones that would make it into a description of the blessed lands.

It will be listed in an Appendix under Weather (Abberant and Otherwise) in the Blessed Lands.

I’m hoping to include a few Appendices like Calendar and New Religions. It all depends how many pages the Rules chapter takes up when it’s laid out.

Appendices!!!

If I had one thought about things that are missing so far I would’ve mentioned a list of major religious groups. We Know a smidgen about the Death Mongers and Aii. What else is prominent in the First City?

It’s interesting looking at the history of the val’Emman and val’Virdan to understand better the origin of their feud. Friendly rivalry turned ugly under Manetas’ reign and the elevation of the val’Virdan’s. Their time of power and the val’Emman persecution lasted close to 100 years. In response the persecution of the val’Virdan then lasted roughly 260 years which then led to the Emman’s eradication.

Much is made of the val’Virdan enslavement while little is said about the val’Emman’s prior persecution. Part of what makes it interesting is that in successive cases, the punishment far outstrips the crime. History is of course written by the victor. It does offer some interesting areas for RP.

Plenty more to go through in the book, but this snippet caught my eye.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

… the Three Goddesses (Belisarda and Her Sisiters).

Señor Lopez, thou art a vile, EBIL, tease …

I’m at work and don’t have access to the file, but who came up with the character who heads the Jial of the Phoenix in the First City? I assume Henry but I wonder. I find her a very intriguing character.

Yep – except for the game mechanics, I’m to blame for this book.

I’ve been going over the information given in the rough draft carefully to see what information is given. There are a few things that jump out to me.

1) The imprisonment of Leonydas val’Virden. This is basically copied word for word from the Cancari book except for 1 thing. There is no mention of the Avatar of the Oathbreaker (the child with black eyes) just the wizard’s involvement.
Do you think this is one of Henry’s perspective things? I mean people in Cancari (and Nishanpur specifically) would know more about what was going on in Cancari at that time then someone who was in the Blessed Lands.
Or do you think he might be removing the Avatar completely, a recon if you will?

2) The Voei- I believe the back story of the Voei can now be explained. In earlier books, the Voei and Hurrian had a sliver of a connection. They were mentioned together in the PGtA prestige class Warped One, and I remember something about the val’Tensen not liking to discuss theories on the Voei, or feeling very said when they are talked about. But the Blessed Land book confirmed that it was The Legion of Deafening Thunder that went after the Khitani envoy. I believe they were turned into the Voei somehow when they met up with Khitani.

3) The Thousand Eyed Man was on Onara before the PoM came to Arcanis.
The city of Torveld Enyo was created by the Osalikene, infested by the Thousand Eyed Man, abandoned, repopulated by the Marokene, and than abandoned a second time when Kurenthe was cast that destroyed the vegetation in the Blessed Lands. After the death of the Elemental Lords.

I never liked the theory that the Thousand Eyed Man was a Fallen Valinor. He seemed much more like an infernal prince, but it seems he was around before the Time of Terrors as well.

The other things that jumped out at me, were all minor, and surprised me.

Elebac leaving Solanis Mor and moving to the First City.

The Ossarion Empire isn’t dead, the Chauni get slaves from them even today. (The Brotherhood of the Crimson Shackles sidebar)

The Citadels of the Gods, have been found, but some are unexplored. I thought besides Nier, they were all used today after being found.

Something about The Four Towers of the Magi description given from that ancient scroll seems like it would have been the Sorcerer’s Kings home before founding Mandragore (then Ymandragore.)

I hope everyone else also enjoyed reading it, I’m eagerly awaiting the hardcopy.