I recently released the Mor Aldenn Setting Guide (RPGNow.com), a project that I have been working on for more than 2 years. Mor Aldenn was actually the thing that made me want to publish on my own, and Headless Hydra Games is (as you may already know) stolen directly from Mor Aldenn. I originally called my company Ugly Harpy Press, but decided to go with Headless Hydra instead. Not sure why, though.
Well, now that the Setting Guide (Paizo.com) is out there, it is time to look forward to new projects. What is next on my plate is a Mor Aldenn Adventure Path called Viridian Legacy. The original idea for this AP was conceived by Ron Lundeen and will feature many new and old favorites on the lists of authors who will contribute.
However, as I look forward, I also have to look backward. Old notes have piled up for the years and while these never made it into the final setting guide, they may still be important to someone playing in a Mor Aldenn campaign, or to anyone else for that matter.
So. Let’s have a look at some of these “Lost Notes”.
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LUXURY IN MOR ALDENN
There are (and must be) many luxuries to living in a city of mages such as Mor Aldenn. Some of these luxuries have already been detailed in the Mor Aldenn Setting Guide, such as the magical lamp posts that light the streets, or the decanters of endless water that serve the public fresh water. However, there are many other luxuries to be found in Mor Aldenn!
Crystals of Warmth
While Mor Aldenn is located far from the harsh winters of the north, there are certainly months of the year where snow falls covering the City of Mages in a layer of white. Of course, most households use the timber from the surrounding forest, but trees take time to grow and magic is much easier to tame and use. For this very reason, the mages have created certain crystals that emit an aura of warmth (much like an endure elements spell). The bigger crystals may have a radius of up to a 100 ft., while the smaller ones cover areas from 5 ft. to 30 ft.
The biggest crystals (and therefore also the most expensive crystals) have the possibility of a reverse effect, such that they can protect against the heat as well.
Magical Instruments
The locals of Mor Aldenn have taken to buying magical instruments. These instruments have the ability to produce music on their own, or even to “record” music played on them. For this reason, bards are often invited to family parties to play and entertain. The cheapest of these instruments may only play one or (if they are lucky) two tunes, while the most expensive instruments can play a wide variety of songs, perhaps even with more than just one instrument.
Living toys
Children in Mor Aldenn likes toys (much like children in any other city), but in a city such as this, the toy has to be animated, of course. Animated toys may talk, walk or even do more elaborate movements, such as a toy juggling up to 12 balls in the air, or a toy that flies.
Living toys, as the animated objects have been named, are often expensive, although it may be possible to buy a cheap version that may not work as expected.
Animated items
These items help clean the homes of the Aldennians. These are often expensive items and will therefore only be found among the wealthier families.
Time bells
Time bells help the locals tell the time.
Alluring shops
A tendency among the shopkeepers are that they try to use magic to lure in potential customers. This may be an animated figurine in the window or a talking plaque outside. The magic mouth spell is rather useful when making these.
This may also just be signs that move or even glowing lights outside the door, to seperate this shop from the one next door.
