Since it seems that ebooks are on their way out, I thought I'd share a couple of other islands I thought of for MA II.
Shattered Rock (formerly Byrd's Island) - discovered in 1533 AUC. The island is located some 250 miles north-northeast of Grimorias, Byrd's Island as it was called then, was named after Captain Erasmus Byrd, whose ship, The Fury, first encountered the island. The island was roughly one square mile in a circular shape with a deep bay on the southwestern side. This bay allowed even the deepest draft ships to anchor within her calm waters. It also boasted a high ridge of hills which stretched from her northernmost point around the bay to the southwest corner. According to Capt. Byrd's reports, the island was completely deserted. As a matter of fact, the only life on the island were the natural grasses and pine trees which grew abundantly. He did note, however, that the effect of the tide was particularly striking. At low tide, the island was as he had described. During high tide, however, most of the island disappeared beneath the waves. This left only the tops of the uppermost hills still above water. Interesting as this fact was, the captain was not a man given to exploration and with it's lack of indigenous life and fresh water, Capt. Byrd noted it and it's location in his log and promptly forgot about it.
That might have been the end of the story for this island given its lack of interesting facets, save that one of Captain Byrd's descendants (via a second marriage to a woman with children of a previous marriage), Cameron MacCormick. MacCormick, as is commonly known, was one of the founders of The Explorer's Society. What is unknown is the circumstances which forced him to have need of Byrd's Island. The original members of the Discoverer's Society came upon a set of artifacts called the Tears of Theus. It was said that even one of the Tears would grant eternal life to its possessor. In order to keep them from the greedy hands of Vincenzo Caligari, the Discoverers took the Tears to Byrd's Island to build a vault to keep them in. The vault would only be above water for about 3-4 hours a day, further protecting it. However, disaster struck.
During the digging, a massive earthquake rocked the island destroying most of the island and burying the Discoverers still within the vault. Further the shockwave caused by the earthquake caused the island to sink further into the water.
Currently, Shattered Rock as it is now known, is only above the waves for 2-3 hours once or twice a month. All of the grasslands and pine trees are gone, and all that remains are mollusks starfish and other sea life caught above the waves. The remaining stone of the island is slick with ocean water and seaweed. The vault door is buried beneath tons of rock, completely inaccessible without a massive excavation effort
Interesting Facts:
Despite the fact that the vault door has been buried, the vault can still be accessed. One of the many fissures located throughout the island, allows ingress to the vault. There, filled with water and traps set up by the Discoverers are the remaining Tears.
The real problem for the heroes is the fact that one of the original Discoverers is also still alive down there, having consumed one of the Tears. He is quite mad and will fight the heroes to the death to protect his charges.
Because of the massive earthquakes which have destroyed the island, the island is completely underwater most of the time. As a matter of fact, a ship could pass right over it at high tide and never even know what they'd passed.
As described above, the Tears do grant everlasting life. However, they will only do so for those who have true faith (how's that as payback for taking an advantage you don't know the effects of?)
Plot Hooks:
Obviously adventures on this island center on retrieval or relocation of the Tears. There are a number of ways that the heroes could get involved. They could accidentally happen upon the location of the island during the low tide and simply walk in sight unseen. Alternately, for members of the Explorer's Society, they could become involved because of the likelihood of it's discovery.
A final plot involved the introduction of an Avalon painter by the name of Evan Blake. He was a young, talented painter during the time of the Discoverer's Society. He was so enamored of their exploits, he accompanied them to paint several pictures. Unfortunately he died very young (during a dig) and thus, his legacy consists of 4 paintings. The heroes get involved by finding a half finished painting entitled "The Vault." Disguised within the painting is a map which shows the location of Shattered Rock.
le D'Evelyne (Evelyne's Island) - discovered shortly after the beginning of 1669, Evelyne's Island is the first island discovered (and settled) on the far side of the previously unassailable barrier in the great western ocean. It is a rather large (over 100 square miles) oblong shaped, volcanically made, island which boasts having nearly every climate available in the known world. The two ?ends' of the island are dominated by gigantic volcanos (both of which are now dormant). The first, Mount Magthallir stands some 12,257 feet high and encompasses the northwestern two-thirds of the island. The second, Mount Faragond stands at 9,794 feet and covers the southeastern portion. The western side of Mount Magthallir receives almost no rain (due to the mountain's height) and appears a virtual desert. The remnants of numerous ancient lava flows can still be seen here. Travelers should be warned that the alien-like nature of the landscape serves as camouflage for many dangerous traps and creatures including lava tubes and a species of strange, poisonous, lizard-like creatures. Here and there plants can be seen growing, however they have not, as yet, been able to gain any sense of dominance of the area. The middle section of the island (which connects the two mountains) contains a verdant jungle and lush vegetation. Among the unique plants which grow here are sugar cane plants, pineapple and guava trees. On either side, rivers abound. Some of them lead from run off from the mountians, while others serve as overflow from the lake (see below). In addition, the slope of the shores allows for a vast expanse of mixed fresh and sea water. Plants abound for several hundred yards off shore, giving a swamp-like appearance. Albeit one with a wide variety of flowering plant life. In the very center of this growth area is a large, freshwater lake. The locals have named it Lac de Diamant owing to the colorless, sparkling appearance of the water. It is here, just beyond the shores of the lake, that the one outcropping of civilization may be found. Shackletown as it has come to be known (apparently some citizens have a sense of irony) is filled with escaped slaves, prisoners and the like, all of whom owe their freedom to Isabelle the Pirate and her sister, Rosa. Together they sail the waves aboard the Wayward Swan looking for and sinking any slave ships they find. None of the residents can state with fact the origins of their benefactors, or even what their motivation might be. However, it is obvious to all who gaze upon them, that they are sisters. In addition, their manner and sense of decorum seem to indicate that they have been well educated.
Interesting Facts:
It is common enough knowledge that when the great western barrier came down every seer on Theah had simultaneous visions of the isle of the sunken eye. What is much less well known outside the Daughters of Sophia, are visions of the mad god of the western world. The Daughters knew instantly that someone must travel west and ?oversee' the great western race that so many nations have begun. Ysabette du Montiagne immediately volunteered to go and found a colony beyond the barrier. It would fall to she and her sister to gather intelligence about the goings on beyond the barrier and turn back or destroy those who might stumble upon the mad god's demesne.
Lac de Diamant is off limits to any and all of the citizens of Shackletown. This one admonition includes bathing in the lake, drinking from it, washing in it, dropping stones, or even building on it's shores. The one exception to this rule is the house that Isabelle and her sister maintain. It has been built on the shore of the lake, directly opposite Shackletown. To get water, the townsfolk are allowed to take it from any of the nearby rivers, even those containing runoff from the lake.
Recently, townsfolk from Shackletown have begun exploring more of the island. On one of these explorations, one of the islanders, Nahuel Muscowequan (who claims to have come from the great western continent) began climbing Mount Faragond. When he returned, he stated that, up above the treeline, he found, "strange, distorted footprints, which appeared to have come from higher up, down to the treeline and then returned." Most attribute it to his tendency to boast when drunk.
On the south side of the island, 3 miles from Shackletown, nestled under the ever watchful embrace of Mount Faragond, is a hidden cove large enough to hold the Swan and at least two other ships. It's entrance is hidden by the "swamp" found around other parts of the island.
The strange lizard-like creatures found only on the western side of Mount Magthallir are especially dangerous as their saliva contains enzymes which literally dissolve flesh (a result of the lizard's inability to digest the flesh itself). Worse, the saliva contains hallucinogenic properties which render their victim susceptible to suggestion. To the right people, these lizards could prove invaluable.
Plot Hooks:
One of the easiest ways to involve the heroes is for them to have contact with Alazais Valoix Praisse du Rachetisse III. Disgraced and discarded after Anne and Montegue's return to power in Charouse, he is seeking revenge. He could hire the heroes to take him to the island to exact his revenge personally or simply hire the heroes to find and sink the Wayward Swan.
One of the "escaped slaves" of Shackletown is, in reality, a criminal attempting to escape justice. The heroes have been hired to get him and bring him back to face trial. The problem is that the rest of the citizens will fight to protect one of their own, and Isabelle and Rosa have pledged their lives in service to their charges.
If they knew about it, the Explorer's Society would be very interested in Nahuel's story (not to mention the entrance to Bryn Bresail). The heroes could be hired to infiltrate Shackletown and check for themselves the veracity of his story (which may or may not be true, and may or may not have some perfectly reasonable explanation).
Scientists of the Invisible College might be very interested in the flesh-eating properties of the lizard's saliva. For example, if properly isolated, it could be used to remove necrotic tissue as accompanies gangrene. The heroes could be hired to get several samples of the lizards and bring them back for study.
Turns out that these lizard-like creatures (actually six-legged, multieyed, red and black stripped with bony protrusions and a nasty disposition, called Kharzit, plural Kharzi) are not creatures of this world. They are actually creatures of animal intelligence and cunning which have been sent through the barrier of the dark paths (see DK) by the strangers. The actual entrance is safely hidden inside a deep lava tube half way up Mount Magthallir. The IC scientists who, unknowingly are about to release the Kharzi from their imprisonment on this island (see above) will be setting a plague loose on mainland Theah. Members of DK could be sent to get rid of the Kharzi threat and close the portal through which they are gaining entry.
The reason for the prohibition against contact with Lac de Diamant is, of course, that the lake is a large scrying pool and portal to Bryn Bresail. It has, as of yet, never been used as Ysabette does not wish to frighten the, often too superstitious, townsfolk. Member of SD may make use of the portal to gain quick entry to the town in the event of an emergency. Alternately, members of SD may want to make use of the hallucinogenic nature of the lizards' saliva. If it could be used without the flesh-eating aspects, it would make for a great truth serum. If not, well, it would still be useful for eliciting information from prisoners.
(Message edited by Black Jack Rackham on 07/08/2008 23:01:07)
