The world of Lone Wolf: Magnamund.

[Hyperborean]

Hyperborean, thank you for your comments. You should know, though, that you're commenting on something that has evolved during the two years I've worked on it.

Oh, okej. I thought the map was finished. From what I can tell it looks like it has improved. I see that you have replaced the jungles with marshes in the Maakenmire. Wouldn't it be possible to flank the Dorn river with marsh tiles up to the vicinity of Ragadorn, which are impossible to remove?

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to play civ in Magnamund. I would like to help you finish it, unfortunately I'm quite busy at the university at the moment, and I can't really claim to be familiar with the editor (I've barely glanced at it). But I think I could provide you with information about Magnamund if you need it. For instance, have you seen this: locations or this: races ?

And this site has a list of all the 20 Darklords, among other things.

Mongoose has released a Lone Wolf RPG which may contain valuable information (I don't have it, so I can't tell you about it's content).

A few random comments and questions:

Helghasts should be invisible to imitate their ability to change form. Only magicians and (maybe) Kai Lords should be able to spot them. Helghasts should also be the most powerful unit (save the Kai Masters).

Do you plan to make Kai Lords upgradeable? I'm not asking for much, just Kai Lord-Kai Master, or something like that.

Are the Darklord units going to have an enslavement ability?

Are the Darklands going to have a separate tech tree since they are so different from the other realms?

Do you know that the Darklords have cannons? They can be seen both in book 12 and in book 14.

Are you going to use the Lajakeka (seen in book 12)? I guess it would have limited use in the game. But it could work if it only travelled in the wastelands, had a load capacity of perhaps 2-3 units, and had better movement than cavalry. Although I'm not so sure the AI would understand how to use it properly.

Too many locked alliances could easily make the game unplayable. If you made a scenario around MS 5058, when the Darklords declared war on the rest of Magnamund, I could understand it. But now I only think there should be alliances between Sommerlund and Durenor, and the Darklords, the Drakkarim, and Ruel. Maybe you could include Dessi in the Sommerlund-Durenor alliance too, but not more than that. Vassagonia shouldn't be in a locked alliance with the Darklords. The Vassagonians are not EVIL, only some of their leaders. And leaders can be disposed of.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I hope some of my suggestions/comments have been useful. I would be happy to help some more if I can.

 

[mrtn]

I'll have Kai Lords produced from a wonder, so no, they won't be able to upgrade to Kai Masters.
I'll probably make the Helghasts produced from a wonder too, invisible units are very powerful...
The Darklords/Drakkarim are gonna have some civ specific techs.

I didn't know about the land based cannons in book 14, maybe I should include them, don't know yet. In that case, maybe I should give cannons to the dwarves too? They have muskets, and cannons came hundreds of years earlier than muskets in the real world...

The AI can't use landbased transports.

If anyone wants to help with Great Leader names I'd be much obliged. This is what I have now, and especially the SGL list is sorely lacking names...
Especially Slovia and Lencia needs names; I have none there.

Civ	MGL	SGL
Lourden	Shelema	
Durenor	Lord Axim	Madin Rendalim
	Admiral Calfen	
	Rune Helm	
Slovia		
Darklords	Darklord Zagarna	
	Darklord Haakon	
	Darklord Gnaag	
	Darklord Khatellu	
Talestria	Vardos II	
	Adamas	
Bor	Lomaer II	Dwyvin
	Torfan	
	Leomin	
Dessi	Paido	Ardan
		Casis
Sommerlund	Kian	Sun Eagle
	Lone Wolf	Banedon
	Ruanor	
	Remir D'Val	
	Lord Rhygar	
	Prince Pelathar	
Vassagonia	Barraka	
	Allani	
	Moudallah	
	Orhman	
	Canokash	
	Shoualli	
Lencia		
Drakkar	Baron Shinzar	
	Magnaarn	
	Oknar Cakdar	
	Jukved	
Ruel	Exterminus	Kadrian
		Jhordax
		Cadask

EDIT: Does anyone know what sorts of underground crops the dwarves are cultivating? Mushrooms? Wheat? Guinea Pigs?

 

[tjedge1]

I'm using mushrooms in my mod, sounds good to me. I'm still searching for a decent graphic so mine are invisible at the moment.

 

[mrtn]

Did you forget my sig? "My Resources" has mushrooms. You even commented them in the thread.

 

[tjedge1]

So I did. I thought I had seen them before, but they had got lost in my personal library which has spilt over into data cd's now. I'll just have to re-download, thanks for reminding me.

 

[Hyperborean]

Hmmm... great leaders? Looks like you have done some serious research. I only recognize half of those names. lol I've never even heard of Shelema of Lourden before.

How about captain Prarg for Lencia? And Lord Floras (the Lencian envoy in book 15) as a SGL maybe? And then there is also captain Schera.

Darklords: Vashna, Zagarna, Haakon, Gnaag, Dakushna, Kraagenskul, Chlanzor, Menashga, Tomogh, Unc, Slutar, Shebnar, Taktaal, Zhanshal, Ghanesh, Mrugor, Xog, Ghurch, Khatellu, Nhorg.

Boeruine of Tekaro for Slovia.

Then there is also Zegron for the Drakkarim and Rimoah for Dessi, but I figure you're not going to use them as Great Leaders.

That's all I can think of at the moment. If you get really desperate you could just steal the names from the neighbouring countries, like making Beylian of Firalond a Great Leader of Lourden. I wouldn't mind if you did this, and you would save yourself a lot of trouble. Who cares about Grandar Beylian anyway.

 

[Hyperborean]

I've searched through some of my books and found a few more names. Besides Captain Prarg and Captain Schera we also have Captain Lanza, the commander of the Lencian outpost Azgad in the Tozaz sea. And then there is Haglar, the mayor of Vadera.

In Talestria we have Nathor, Adamas' brother, who replaced him as Lord Constable.

The Vaderish Brethren, a monk order in Talestria are lead by a monk named Rasbarin. Perhaps he could function as a SGL? It's not uncommon for monks to have an interest in science.

And in Sommerlund there is a whole bunch of nobles who could be used as MGL: Baron Tor Medar of Tyso, Baleon Medar, Baron Avan Caldar of Anskaven, Baron Oren Vanalund, Baron Vea Galt, etc.

I think Ruanor (of Toran) and Sun Eagle may be the same person.

I also looked after the cannons in book 14. You can find them in illustration II. They are also mentioned in the text (section 22).

Cannons seem to be quite common in later books, in Voyage of the Moonstone a sommlending cavarel is armed with light cannons. There is a battle with pirates near the Lakuri Islands, who also happens to use cannons.

And that giant iron clad being constructed in book 12 (illustration XVII) certainly looks like a battle ship.

Technology has obviously taken a great leap forward in the later books. I guess it's only a matter of time before someone starts to use cannons as field artillery.

 

[mrtn]

Thank you.
I still need some SGL's for the Darklords, Slovia, Vassagonians and the Drakkarim. For the Darklords it should be enough to figure out which of the darklords fit best as SGL's, maybe some of them created the Helghasts and Vordaks and so? Do we have any names of Nadziranim?

 

[KingArthur]

Vonotar as an SGL for the Darklords?

Nice to see this thread active again

 

[mrtn]

Yes, of course Vonotar the Traitor is a great idea.

Should have thought of that.

 

[Hyperborean]

I’ve continued to search through my Lone Wolf collection (LW 1-18, 20-21), and found a few more names.

To begin with, I think Maouk (book 5) should be a Vassagonian MGL. I was under the impression that he was the leader for the Sharnazim, or something.

Zakhan Kimah is going to be the leader of Vassagonia, I presume (since he does not appear on your GL list).

Another potential Vassagonian MGL worth considering is Khazullo, the Funtal of Fio Fadali (book 21). As well as Torvax, a Vassagonian nobleman who owns a gladiator school in Ferufezan (book 21), plus the two gladiators Malduz and Dromodon (Dromodon is a worshipper of Naar).

The only Vassagonian SGL I can think of is Temujun the Sage, ‘the famous soothsayer of the Dry Main’ (book 21).

There is another potential SGL for Vassagonia: Rhous of the Magician’s Guild of Nikesa. But Nikesa is the capital of Kakush, so I’m afraid he doesn’t quite count. It’s hard to tell just from the text whether he’s living in Bisutan, or just travelling through.

A potential SGL for Dessi could be Yranai of Hikas. Yranai appears in the same book as the above-mentioned, in the Voyage of the Moonstone. The trouble with him is that he seems to be quite low-ranking. He’s an eccentric and absent-minded elderly man who seems to know only a little about magic (but he has a flying vehicle resembling a balloon!).

Then there is also Paido’s brother (found in book 7) Kasin. He may be identical to ‘Casis’ in your list (I’m just guessing).

A SGL for Talestria could be Tadia the Prophetess, from book 8.

And then we have Keezor the Necromancer as GL (M or S) for Ruel. The only problem is that he is some kind of renegade druid, and resides in Talestria rather than in Ruel.

On second thought, maybe Lord Floras shouldn’t be a Lencian SGL, unless he’s a true renaissance man, of course. But the text doesn’t mention any particular skills. It seems like he’s just a diplomat.

Another person who could fill out the ranks of Lencian MGL is Baron Maquin. He is from Ilion (in southern Magnamund), and serves in the Lencian army as a mercenary captain. So, technically speaking, he is ‘Lencian’ (unlike the other mercenaries who deserted the Lencians).

The only other Lencian I can think of is Hul Sendal, but he was just a common soldier during the Darke Crusade. As far as I know there is no real Lencian SGL.

I think Loi-Kymar (from book 3) should definitely be included as a SGL for Sommerlund. It seems like he’s the only magician who knows how to teleport after all.

Another Slovian name is Tavig (from Suentina). He appears only briefly in book 7 (before he dies). It looks like he’s a low-ranking person, but since I only have two Slovian names, I suggest you make him a MGL regardless (it’s better than nothing).

SGLs for Slovia, Lourden, Lencia and the Drakkarim seem impossible to find. Maybe you should just snatch Gwynian the Sage from Varetta (Lyris) and turn him into a Slovian SGL (for no apparent reason). And do the same thing with Chiban, the anarese magician (from book 9), and make him a SGL for Lourden. I have no idea what SGL could work for Lencia. Maybe Lord Floras isn’t such a bad idea after all. As for the Drakkarim I have a suggestion. In book 12 there are two names for the Liganim: Cagath and Morgath. And a person/creature by the name Bazdash-Vool is also mentioned. I don’t know if this is the name for a Ligan, a Nadziran, or something else. My guess would be that he’s a Nadziran. And since the Drakkarim has no SGL, you could use these names, since there are plenty of Darklord names to pick for SGL.

 

[mrtn]

You mean you're reading the actual paper books? I've downloaded 1-15 and are searching through the html to find stuff, but that's not so strange, since I only have book 9 and 10, and in Swedish, to boot...

Thanks for the names. Now no list is completely empty, at least.

Yes, Zakhan Kimah is the leader of Vassagonia.

Any ideas on which darklords fit best as SGLs? I have Vashna as the leader, btw...
And did you see that dwarf-mushroom question?

 

[KingArthur]

Great work Hyperborean

As to the Mushroom question. Here's a quote:
"....fabled Throne of Andarin, which was gifted to them by Ishir. This Throne of Power allows the Dwarves of Bor to grow plants and seeds underground without the need of sunlight."

 

[mrtn]

Yeah, I've seen that quote too, but that's all I've heard of the Throne of Andarin.

BTW I have some sad news. The editor has swallowed the biq, so I've lost everything I made the last three months. I hadn't done too much work on it, thank Ishir, but it's still very vexing (though that's not the language I used when I found out ).

I don't think I've done so much, Ruel is still there, for example, but I haven't had the energy to find out what's missing yet. I know that I have to redo my changes to the Durncrag mountains...

 

[Hyperborean]

Great work Hyperborean

Thank you.

You mean you're reading the actual paper books?

Well, actually, it's a combination. I've got LW 1-12 stashed away. But the other books (except LW 16, which I don't have) are all in my bookshelf.

I've downloaded 1-15

LW 16: The Legacy of Vashna is now available for download at Project Aon.

I only have book 9 and 10, and in Swedish

I've got books 1 to 12 in Swedish.

Any ideas on which darklords fit best as SGLs?

I'm currently researching the Darklords on the site I posted above. I'll come back with some information on them shortly.

And did you see that dwarf-mushroom question?

Yeah, but unfortunately I don't have that book (the fall of Blood Mountain, I believe).

BTW I have some sad news. The editor has swallowed the biq, so I've lost everything I made the last three months. I hadn't done too much work on it, thank Ishir, but it's still very vexing (though that's not the language I used when I found out ).

Bummer.

 

[mrtn]

I haven't played/read 14 and 15 yet, but I'll check 16 out, especially the pictures (All tech icons in the mod will be/are B&W pics from the books).

I tried to play 13, but that was impossible, you meet too many enemies with too high stats. So I just read it, and assumed that I won all fights.

Bummer.

Bimmer sa Bill.

 

[Hyperborean]

How about this list:

MGL

1. Zagarna
2. Haakon
3. Gnaag
4. Kraagenskul
5. Dakushna
6. Chlanzor
7. Ghanesh
8. Ghurch
9. Khatellu
10. Slutar
11. Taktaal
12. Unc
13. Xog

SGL

1. Menashga
2. Tomogh
3. Shebnar
4. Zhanshal
5. Nhorg
6. Mrugor

Originally I intended to divide the Darklords into categories of intelligence and physical strength, but since the descriptions of them are so vague in many cases, I thought it would be easier to just rank them after how famous they are. The SGL list consists of Darklords I know nothing about, while the Darklords in the MGL list are a bit more prolific.
This is of course a highly subjective list. Gnaag, for instance, may be better suited on top of the SGL list, since he is (arguably) the most intelligent of the Darklords. However, he is also the most successful Archlord since he managed to conquer large parts of Magnamund. And that makes him a great military leader in my eyes.

Some of the Darklords I've put in the MGL list definitely belongs there, since they are physically very strong, and not quite so intelligent, like Zagarna, Ghurch and Unc, for instance.

 

[mrtn]

Thanks. Now I've re-added the great leaders to the biq, and restored at least some of the terrain changes I'd done...

 

[Hyperborean]

I've found a few more names.

For the dwarves we have Nolrim (Banedon's companion on the Skyrider), Lardin (dwarf in Talestria in book 8), and Quan (Nolrim's captain before Banedon came along).

Another SGL for Vassagonia could be Tipasa Edarouk, a.k.a. Tipasa the Wanderer.

A few more names for Ruel: Noraa and Monad (two novices), Cordask (that cyclops-creature) brother Jhordax, brother Hoylez (in charge of the temple), and brother Croumah (at the Hall of Sacrifice). At least the last two should probably be SGLs.

And that's it. Do you need more names? I could mention a lot of Eldenorians and Palmyrians, not to forget lots of Sommlendnings, like Lord-Lieutenant Fernant, Sommlendning envoy to Vassagonia (book 21), and Sergeant Dryan of the 1st Kirlundin Marines (also book 21). Then we have Lone Wolf's companions on the Kalte expedition: Irian, Fenor and Dyce, and lots of ship's captains, like Captain Kelman, Captain Raker, etc. And of course, in later books there are also lots of Kai Lord names.

The Eldenorians are funny in the way that they (if possible) have more EVIL leaders than Vassagonia, like Prince Lutha (in book 18). And the Palmyrians are closely allied to Talestria, so using Palmyrian names wouldn't be entirely wrong. For instance, Captain Cearmaine is a famous Palmyrian hero, who might work as a MGL for Talestria too. And then we have Knight Tranius, Baroness Coryene (of Lucia Province), General Foucharl, and Elector Manatine (the leader of Palmyrion).

 

[mrtn]

Thanks for the names.
I thought that maybe it's possible to make the lava lake around Helgedad look a bit better, so I fidgeted around with the chasms until there were no big holes (which stopped that experiment last time), and tried my hand at making a big bridge of steel. While it's not the best I've done, I think that this look better than the volcanoes I had before.