Setting
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:58 pm
Amber: Amber is the center of things. A comparatively tiny mostly-human island-kingdom, Amber has a monopoly on large scale inter-shadow travel, thanks to its Iron Dragon locomotives - and the Power of Pattern wielded by its royalty. In addition, Amber has a unique defensive advantage: Powers (mostly) do not work in Amber - nor do most forms of explosive. Amber-grade gunpowder was originally a state secret; while it is now generally available, it is also noticeably more expensive than common varieties. Amber-grade percussion primers and high explosives, by contrast, are still a well-kept secret of the royal family.
Shadows with significantly higher levels of magic or technology than Amber itself are very rare, and often highly contested. For example, shadow-earth, with its world-wide computer network, is capable of computational tasks (code-breaking, for example) that would be all but impossible in Amber - and thus would represent a significant resource to anyone with access to it.
Tir'na Nog'th: Is an erratic and unreliable dream-realm, generally only risked by the Amber royal family - though a few particularly foolhardy thrill-seekers have gone up with gliders strapped to their backs. Some of them even made it back down safely when an errant cloud blocked the moonlight.
Rebma: An underwater realm inhabited primarily by atlanteans and sea elves, Rebma is generally considered to be something of an unfortunate backwater - not that it's their fault, really, but the engines of an industrialized civilization do not play well with salt water. Rebma has a (stable) Pattern, but none of the royal bloodline needed to attune to it. A narrow spur line runs from Amber to the head of Faiella-Bionin, the stair down to Rebma; the trade and travel is sparse, but the line can be served by a normal locomotive (rather than requiring an Iron Dragon), so it still turns a tidy profit for the Crown.
The Forest of Arden: Officially property of the Amber royal family, managed by Julian. Mostly wilderness, but Arden contains a few small towns of mixed humans and elves, primarily along the tracks of the Iron Dragons. A single spur line was built into the depths of the forest, though these days the trains continue past the decrepit station and signs for "Mistwyr" without stopping. Felwood or Julian's Folly, it's called now, and passengers who inquire too persistently about it occasionally find themselves bodily removed from the train at its next stop, their tickets canceled with no refund.
Switchburg: A mid-sized town on the far edge of Arden. Cargo trains do not stop here, save occasionally for emergency repairs or to restock on coal and water, instead continuing directly to (or from) Amber. Passenger trains, however, do, and Switchburg has built a thriving industry catering to those who are merely passing through.
Past Switchburg, there are three primary tracks.
The Blue Line leads to Kashfa, then takes a series of switchbacks up into the mountains of Irallith, and finally crosses the sky bridge to the flying city of Ceridus.
The Green Line leads to Balcone; persistent rumors claim of surveying efforts to push track out to some further shadow - but at least for now, Balcone is as far as the Green Line runs.
The White Line crosses the badlands of Tyrell (generally without stopping), resupplies with water at Wahi-Samskra on the Lifeblood River, and (eventually) reaches the Empire of Jade. It is one of the longest and least-hospitable lines, but goods from the Empire - silk, spices, and of course jade - are considered valuable enough to make the track worthwhile.
There's one more Dragon Line of note: the Black Line, which heads east out of Amber (instead of west with the rest of the Grand Trunk) before tunneling in under the mountains, leading to Stygia and the dwarven realms of Dwarrowdelf.
And there are, of course, an infinite number of shadows a Pathfinder sea-captain out of Amber could reach... but the Iron Dragons offer far greater speed and efficiency of travel, relegating oceanic trade to a distinctly secondary niche.
Shadows with significantly higher levels of magic or technology than Amber itself are very rare, and often highly contested. For example, shadow-earth, with its world-wide computer network, is capable of computational tasks (code-breaking, for example) that would be all but impossible in Amber - and thus would represent a significant resource to anyone with access to it.
Tir'na Nog'th: Is an erratic and unreliable dream-realm, generally only risked by the Amber royal family - though a few particularly foolhardy thrill-seekers have gone up with gliders strapped to their backs. Some of them even made it back down safely when an errant cloud blocked the moonlight.
Rebma: An underwater realm inhabited primarily by atlanteans and sea elves, Rebma is generally considered to be something of an unfortunate backwater - not that it's their fault, really, but the engines of an industrialized civilization do not play well with salt water. Rebma has a (stable) Pattern, but none of the royal bloodline needed to attune to it. A narrow spur line runs from Amber to the head of Faiella-Bionin, the stair down to Rebma; the trade and travel is sparse, but the line can be served by a normal locomotive (rather than requiring an Iron Dragon), so it still turns a tidy profit for the Crown.
The Forest of Arden: Officially property of the Amber royal family, managed by Julian. Mostly wilderness, but Arden contains a few small towns of mixed humans and elves, primarily along the tracks of the Iron Dragons. A single spur line was built into the depths of the forest, though these days the trains continue past the decrepit station and signs for "Mistwyr" without stopping. Felwood or Julian's Folly, it's called now, and passengers who inquire too persistently about it occasionally find themselves bodily removed from the train at its next stop, their tickets canceled with no refund.
Switchburg: A mid-sized town on the far edge of Arden. Cargo trains do not stop here, save occasionally for emergency repairs or to restock on coal and water, instead continuing directly to (or from) Amber. Passenger trains, however, do, and Switchburg has built a thriving industry catering to those who are merely passing through.
Past Switchburg, there are three primary tracks.
The Blue Line leads to Kashfa, then takes a series of switchbacks up into the mountains of Irallith, and finally crosses the sky bridge to the flying city of Ceridus.
The Green Line leads to Balcone; persistent rumors claim of surveying efforts to push track out to some further shadow - but at least for now, Balcone is as far as the Green Line runs.
The White Line crosses the badlands of Tyrell (generally without stopping), resupplies with water at Wahi-Samskra on the Lifeblood River, and (eventually) reaches the Empire of Jade. It is one of the longest and least-hospitable lines, but goods from the Empire - silk, spices, and of course jade - are considered valuable enough to make the track worthwhile.
There's one more Dragon Line of note: the Black Line, which heads east out of Amber (instead of west with the rest of the Grand Trunk) before tunneling in under the mountains, leading to Stygia and the dwarven realms of Dwarrowdelf.
And there are, of course, an infinite number of shadows a Pathfinder sea-captain out of Amber could reach... but the Iron Dragons offer far greater speed and efficiency of travel, relegating oceanic trade to a distinctly secondary niche.