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(green line is the equator yellow a horse latitude, where sailing ships can often be 'beclamed' and stranded)
North Western continent:
1950's equivelent society but with Alcohol Prohibition, Technology is permited but not encouraged outside of the undercities. Technolgy doesn't really survive too far from the undercities. Eons old radiation makes clear radio comunication impossible. TV is poor. Prohibition in the undercities espesially the outer rings. The inner core has no such restrictions, except for entry. The outer core has is alcohol free in public places but it is possible to purchase it for home only use. Inner ring is a policed alcohol free outer rings are unpoliced alcohol free.
Area marked on most maps with a red circle. These areas do not have the magical side effects of demonground however they do
have the wandering possessed, scavengers, road gangs and other dangerous entities and beings.
Some say that you are in more physical danger on the outskirts. Its in the demonground that you soul is in danger.
Tech 4(7) Pop ?
The areas where the barrier between the real world and the spirit world is too thin, places where demons may cross over if they can find a vessel that has a loose enough grasp on their own reality. Some more powerful entities are able to manifest even without a suitable vessel. Demonground is a place of time paradoxes, undead, disappearances, appearances and all other sorts of strangeness, if you believe in that sort of thing.
Tech 0(10) Pop ?
This still fully functioning Undercity has had its main computer possessed by an unspeakably cruel demon. The computer, known as Sixteen, continues its programming of 'protecting' its inhabitants. Sealing them in to protect them from the outside world but the insane nature of the computer makes life a living hell. Sixteen regularly kidnaps more people from the demongrounds to 'protect'. Sixteen is an insane demon with a mothering complex.
In recent years SIXTEEN has relaxed its borders welcoming all,
the existance of a demonic over-computer have become a myth, perpetuated by
Runners and other Undercities for financial gain or at least thats what the
tourist brochures claim.
Tech 2(10) Pop Very High
This is a dead Undercity, but some of it still seems to be functioning. The inhabitants are the scavengers on the surface who eke out a living by venturing below and retrieving anything that is not nailed down. Not all that venture below return. This area has little in the way of water, they have trade with places like Hangman for essentials.
It is possible to strike it rich here, searching for that piece of technology that can be sold for top dollar. Most are 'no hoper' scavengers down to their last litre of water hoping for that lucky find.
Tech 2(6) Pop: Medium
Right on the outskirts of demonground, this is not the safest place to be above ground. The shantie towns have long ago been destroyed by orks and other raiders. Underground however it is as safe as any of the Undercities. The inhabitants safely oblivious to the outside world. This ignorance actually protecting them. Smuggling to the outside world still occurs but without the aid of a shanty town it is insanely difficult.
Cut off from the rest of the continent. their only contact with the outside world are the Runners that run the Gauntlet, the demonground to Hangman. They are cut off by their proximity to demonground. Entry and exit is difficult and expensive.
This undercity is quite xenophobic. They fear magic and all non-human races. Being so close to demonground they fear anything they can not immediately understand.
Tech 6(8) Pop 40,000,000
The shanty town manages very little trade with NINE, relying mostly on their discarded rubbish.
Tech 3(5) Pop Small
The northern most Undercity. Like NINETEEN it has alcohol prohibition and loosly restricts technology leaving its borders. The undercities on this continent work to gether loosly and aknowledge the relative saftey of this continent.
This is the poorest Undercity. In times past supernatural creatures entered to live and feed. Due to this entry and exit have become very difficult, an attempt to rid the Undercity of these entities. Technology is equivalent to all the other undercities, fashion and architecture can be described as a collision of gothic and early 20th century Art Deco/Nouveau Twelve is cut off by the wilderness that surrounds them and the surrounding communities believe the area to be haunted. No 'shanty town' settlements have ever survived long. Only the most brave smuggle to them, past the Circle the Fey and the Druids.
Tech 5(8) Pop:30,000,000
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This Undercity is the most open minded of all Undercities, and as such the most prosperous. Outsiders are still not free to travel into the undercity unchecked, but it is at least possible (with enough bribes and contacts)
Tech 6(8) Pop:50,000,000
The shanty town is quite large, the entire continent benifiting from NINETEENS prosperity.
Tech 5(8) Pop: 1,000,000
This is a trading hub for Runners smuggling government disallowed technology Blueprints and magical drugs between the Undercities. Hangman also trades water and alcohol fuel to places like FOUR and Gauntlets Gate.
Tech 4(9) POP Small
This is at the eastern entrance to the SIXTEEN demonground. Very similar to Hangman for trade etc. A home to Runners, Guns, scavengers, refugees and other miscreants. Here the laws of the desert and the six-shooter rule. Water is mainly shipped from Hangman or collected in demonground.
Tech 4 (9) Pop: Small
The Twin Cities
This City is a curious mixture of technology and magic. It appears Renaissance cusping on the Industrial era. However if you delve deeper much newer technologies can be found. Much of the city is controlled by 'The Circle' who use the twin cities as a check point to allow people but not technology in to the south and preventing magic from heading north. The two cities have been joined so long that few even remember the two towns original names.
Tech 3 (7) Pop Very Large
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This town is renowned for its university of knowledge and not much else... Unlike all the other southern universities wizardry is not the primary study, of course magic is taught here but the primary areas of knowledge are history, geography and biology. It is still struggling to recover from being a pawn in the Lisk wars, when it was sacked by orks and much of its population taken to Sixteen.
Tech 2(4) Pop : Medium
This City trading hub for the plains. Produce is traded here and then exported to the Lake's and vice versa. This is also the spiritual hub of the south with many Churches being based here.
Tech 2(3) POP Large
The only vestige of civilization on the Plains. Much of this area is populated with small villages and tiny communities that farm then trade to Fuex or to Sephardishe.
Tech 2(3) POP Medium
The mid point between the lakes and the elven city Illandar. Trade between the 'Plains', the Lake's and the Elves takes place here. One of the few places outside the Elven Cities where the elven currency is readily accepted at face value.
Tech 2(3) POP Moderate
The most technologically tolerant of the Lake's cities Ostol still has anti-technology laws with harsh punishments.
Anything as advanced as Muskets are viewed with suspicion but tolerated. Clockwork and steam power are starting to be experimented with under the watchful eye of the Circle.
Tech: 2(3!) POP: Very Large
This is the most technologically bigoted of the Lake's Cities. Angry mobs often dealing out diabolic punishments for the most minor of offences. Moloch is the main market point of the Lakes, goods going to and from the Plains via Sephardishe.
Tech: 2(3!) POP: Very Large
Tannar is the most obviously magical of the three Lake's cities. Normally such frivolous use of magic would be considered sacrilege, but Tannar is a city of Wizards. The Wizard Circle's power is spread between the three cities but they rule the northern continent at arms length from Tannar. Possession of the simplest technology is punishable by death. Enforced by the government, rather than angry mobs, which makes things slightly fairer despite the harshest punishments.
Tech: 2(3!) POP: Very Large
There is a Dwarven enclave beneath the Yolknar mountains the entire area is riddled with mines and settlements. There are other underground races that live here too but the dwarves are the most prevalent. They trade with humans and all the other underground dwellers, even the Dark Elves. Their Over-king was lost in the Lisk wars, and has been succeeded by his simpleton twin sons Misk and Marq. Luckily for the dwarves there is a layer of government between the people and its Kings.
Tech: 2+ Pop: High
(Dwarves are fascinated by mechanical technology but distrust electricity)
An Elven City whose territories extend into the mountains and to the nearby lake. They are all that stands between the demongrounds and Southern civilization, or at least that is what they believe. Unfortunately they await the demons next move, endlessly, lost in the senate's red tape. Why do it today when your going to live forever?
Those that did wish to continue the war were banished eons ago. Illandar sits as caretaker not protector, much to the chagrin of their Royals.
Tech 2(3) POP: Medium-High
This is the largest of the elven cities, in fact elven settlement dominates the entire island. They trade with the mainland but in general enjoy their isolation. The elves of Lohze have long stopped pursuing the destruction of demons. Leaving that task to the elves of the mainland.
Tech 2(4) Population: Medium
This is the most isolated and wary city of the Elves. The mountain range their only protection from demonground.
Borden keeps to it self, as does many of the far northern cities, this xenophobia has protected them in the past from demons so it continues, however this stifles trade and has lead to a poor economy. It is known for the elves to 'pillage' the nearby islands when crops fails or in time of economic stress Technology is not feared but see the human 'toys' as beneath them, most refusing to use them.
Tech 2(5) Pop Medium
The Orkish Lands : Northern part of hte southern continent. and the other side of the straight.
This area is mostly populated with orks, however there are other inhabitants, banished humans, goblin and other such races. The Circle restricts human settlement in this area to protect them from the Technology of the northern continent. This gives the Orks and other lesser species free reign.
Tech 1(5) POP:?
The Dracoul Lands.
Swamp areas to the east on the southern continent. The dracoul keep to themselves but protect their lands from invaders. They have similar region on the eastern edge of demon ground. Hidden among the dracoul jungles are their various temples. Very little is understood about this race, its magic and its history
Dark Elven Empire
Hidden beneath the Yolknar mountain is what is left of the Dark Elven empire. 'Dark elf' is how Elves refer to those that were exiled for wanting to take a more active role in the destruction of demons. They fled and were persecuted wherever they ran. Eventually following the old legends they found a huge underground city, one that had been deserted by the elves eons earlier. The Elves of the Light deny that this city is of elven construction for it is far too advanced and therefore the work of demons.
Tech:4(10) Population : Sparse
Pirates- anywhere out of the way that is only accessible by sea.
Even though they have access to modern weaponry cost dictates that it is used sparingly. Most pirates use sail power, very few able to afford motor power. Booty consists of slaves fine foods or very simple technologies (Tech4).
Most pirates are ex-slaves who escaped and look to free others for humanitarian reasons or just pure profit.
These areas are regularly raided to restore trade safety but it always recovers
Tech 4(6) Pop Small
This is the true Wild these are the lands where the Circles control does not reach, west most part of the southern continent. Primarily populated by those wanting to escape technology and maybe even civilization as well. There are countless small communities, human, elven, ork, goblin and others. This area is also home to the Druids and the Fey.
Tech 2(3) Population : Sparse?
At present this only covers one of the major continents of the Darkness world. Travel between continents is limited as only old world methods such as tall ships, and other sailing vessels are available.
Technology is tolerated differently by different communities. Each town has a tech rating. The first number is the level of technology readily visible. The second rating indicates what could be found with some searching, more complex devices are available but these are rare and would draw attention. An exclamation mark (!) means that that rating is enforced by the local government and in some cases with lethal force.
Much of the upper continent consists of desert, there are temperate regions nearer the ocean, to east a mountain range surrounds a huge oasis in the middle of which is SIXTEEN.
The lower continent is cooler and more suitable for farming and settlements. The North Eastern area beyond Illandar is mainly swampland..
The southern continent is lost to a dark age the general public are ignorant and uneducated but they are kept safe by the Circle. A Wizard group that control the Lake's cities. From there they enforce strict magical and technological restrictions. They keep the technology away and the demons that it brings. Those that manage to leave the undercities in search of a simpler life can find a home in the south so long as they leave their previous life and its comforts behind. The Circle has much of the continent convinced that technology brings demons, this is not strictly true.
Wild west areas that have some technology but due to the harsh nature of the world are really only frontier settlements. These areas only exist because of the information trade between the Undercities. There are no official lines of communication between the Undercities and each other or anywhere for that matter. In these towns dwell those that could not stand the imprisonment of the Undercities nor the regulation of the Circle. Those that had to leave the Undercities overpopulation and pollution but could not leave all the technology behind. In these towns they can find work and freedom. But the cost is personal safety. Hangman and Gauntlets Gate.
Just before the Fall man built vast underground self sufficient cities that could survive even the total destruction of the surface and still maintain life. These underground cities were controlled by vast computers and maintained life till it was once again safe to inhabit the surface again. Many though have remained in these cities either by choice or ignorance of the outside world, in fact governments encourage people to stay under ground in these cities. These cities have hidden within them much of the left technology, their central computers are the most advanced pieces of technology ever developed. Many technologies have intentionally been lost to prevent yet another Fall. Some believe that these horrible technologies are still around just waiting to be rediscovered. (bladerunner type technology is allowed, more advanced technology is suppressed by the Computers/Government)
UnderCities - To get a better understanding of the internal workings of Undercities,
Around the Undercity on the surface exist Towns that live parasitically of the refuse of the undercities, they rummage through the garbage salvaging technologies, they steal power and cable TV. The Undercities even trade with them for essential raw materials, this is unofficial and illegal. The shanty towns are protected by the undercities mere presence and the under city tolerates the shanite town as it is their first line of defence. What was originally a parasitic relationship has in most cases evolved to a symbiotic one, where each requires the other.
The only contact Undercities have with each other is the illegal trade of information. Undercity law prevent contact with the other undercities. This was done to ensure survival, if one city were to fall to plague or unrest the others would be safe. the only contact that is available with the outside world is through these shatie towns. Information is transported between shatie towns by Runners or smugglers either through the demongrounds, the deserts or the wilderness. This information allows industry to make advances that the 'Computers' would have stopped. It also enables trade of literature, art or anything.
The Newer maps are being created with AutoREALM which is required to view the .Aur files. GM secrets are hidden from the .Gif format and AutoREALM must be used to view any secrets that are in the .AUR files. As interest and time permits the rest of the towns will be drawn, it is a slow energy consuming process. If you want to hurry it along, E-Mail me so I know what people are interested in and where I should concentrate my time.
For more info on AutoREALM :- http://autorealm.sourceforge.net
Current World Map.