Nautica

I've been an adventurer for over forty years. I've been from one end of this land to the other. I've fought beasts both large and small, pathetic and deadly. After forty years of life on the road, I've hung up my backpack. I thought to settle myself down in a nice bar and spend the last of my years warm and comfortably drunk. But that wasn't to be, as I had adventurer's young and old, pestering me for stories of my adventures and advice day and night. Then it hit me, I could still make a contribution to adventurer's everywhere without leaving my ale. And so I present to you, the first chapter in my Guide Book:

An Adventurer's Guide to Nautica

Nautica Island (4,-45)

The first discovered island that gave name to the to the entire domain, Nautica is a bustling trade city located on a small island. The city itself covers the entire island, with its thick, stone walls built right on the edges of the rocky island. Built like a fort, the city is unapproachable on three sides, due to strong currents and massive, jagged rocks. Don't let that scare you though, as the harbor is as calm as a lake with plenty of dock space.

Althought Nautica does have a King, it is ruled mainly by the Council of Lords. After the tragic destruction of Lord Sult's House, the Council is down to four members, Lord Urgan, Lady Barlin, Lady Suvoir and Lord Wafar. All laws and declarations are passed by the Council, although the King retains veto power.

This brings me to the first must see on Nautica. The Lords' manor houses are an example of the finest worksmanship in the land, each boasting a special feature unique to their ruling Lord or Lady. Lady Barlin's house has a private theatre for entertaining her guests, while Lady Suvoir possesses a fine garden and menagerie of exotic creatures. Lord Urgan has a private library that rivals that of the King himself. And Lord Wafar, well he's got the best looking servants this side of the famed Brothel of....well, let's just say they're quite fine.

The next must s... well the next feature of Nautica that you should be aware of are its slums. There are two separate slums, commonly refered to the western and eastern slums. The western slums houses the darker races, kobolds, goblins, ogres and orcs. You won't find any drow though, as the ruling Council has declared them to be unwelcome in Nautica. Now there's a way to get yourself in trouble! One race you don't want to anger is the drow, they have long memories and a long lifetime to go with it! The eastern slums are home to the light races, but don't believe for a second you're any safer in there!

Related to both the slums and the recent declaration against the drow, is another site you'd do best to avoid. A band of thieves, led by angry drow, have moved into a series of tunnels under Nautica. Many citizens from both slums have gone to join them and the problem is getting worse daily.

Moving right along, as I said, Nautica is a merchant city and a great place for a shopping trip! Boasting many stores including a pet shop and a gypsy run magic shop, Nautica's most famous store is it's ship shop. Run by Captain Rawls, this is the only place in the land to buy yourself a good boat, a neccessity for exploring the wild islands.

Another place of note are the massive ramparts surrounding the city. Built on top of the thick walls encasing the city, the ramparts are the number one defense of Nautica. Lined with cannons and ballistae to take down any attacking ships, and well trained guards and archers in the unlikely event of an attack from within the city, the ramparts practically guarantee the safety of the city.

Finally, there is the Nautica Cemetery (15,-45). It is located on a tiny island north of the city itself, due to the definite lack of space on Nautica Island itself. The cemetery itself is quite small, only containing crypts of the Lord's of Nautica and the Royal crypt. What do they do with the rest of the bodies you might ask. Being a water loving people, all the commoners are placed on barges and lit aflame, cast out to drift away with the currents. A truly breathtaking experience. (Note: those without family's to pay for the expense of such a send-off, like those in the slums, are discreetly dumped in the ocean, where they are pounded into so much raw meat by the waves and rocks. Making Nautica a great place for shark fishing!)

Onwards fellow adventurer's! To the next stop on my list.

Orca (-300,85)

Orca is a heavily forested island, the longtime home to a village of elves. These elves have their village hidden deep in the Learnian forest. They are very friendly, welcoming strangers into their homes. Within their village are six druid schools which most elves there study in. Their leader, a very old elf by the name of Hojo, prefers to spend his time in solitude, leaving the village in Owldir's capable hands. Be sure to try and find Hojo if you visit, he enjoys the occasional guest. Aside from the elves, there was a human kingdom on Orca once, a long time ago, ruled by the mighy King Firmass.

New, and very unwelcome, residents of Orca include a band of pirates, led by Captain Harf. Harf, aside from being one of better looking goblins I've seen in my time, is a fierce fighter and great leader. Although she mainly keeps her ship, the Sea Witch docked at Orca, she has also established a permanent camp on the island. Any of you foolish enough to try and sneak into her camp, be warned! There are two sentry towers, and there's no sneaking past them! Those caught in her camp are treated quite roughly and thrown in jail to await their fate.

Also of note, Harf is a longtime friend of the King and ruler of the Kobolds, Kerstanbob. There is no doubt she will play a large part in the impending uprising of the Kobolds.

A little known place on Orca is found along the beach. This section is highly populated by sharks, so be warned. It is one of the more interesting places I've visited, and further proof of the awesome power of the Ancients.

Don't worry, I'll tell you more about them later. Next stop, Tanica!

Tanica (121,101)

The island of Tanica is very small, little more than a single mountain. It was not always this way though. Ages upon ages ago, there was a cataclysm of unknown origin that sank more than three quarters of this island, leaving Tanica Mountain as the only surviving remains. The 'Tanica' that is commonly refered to by adventurer's is actually only one of three ports on this island. This section is all underground tunnels, with a river running through it. It is populated by many undead and is rather unstable, with stalactite's dropping on people on a regular basis!

If you go deep enough down into Tanica, you'll find an underground lake. If you're the adventurous sort, a fast way there is to jump in the river and let its current pull you! Down there you'll notice a hole in the cavern wall. Through there lies more places to explore.

Directly through the hole, you'll find a tunnel leading futher down. There lies the kingdom of Silita. The Silants were at one point, slaves of the Ancients, used for their ability to dig incredibly quickly. Tunnels built by the Silants are recognizable by their smooth walls and durability. The Silants claimed independence when the Ancients left the world and have settled themselves quite comfortably. Their is now, however a civil war within Silita so outsiders be warned. It is rumoured that the Silants have a massive tunnel network connecting every island. I myself haven't seen the evidence, although the tunnels under Nautica are incredibly old, and definetly not man made...

Also through that hole you'll find a small cavern, the sometimes home of Freejia. Called the Dark Lady by most mortals, she is one of the only Ancients remaining in these lands and her powers are immense. It is a good idea not to disturb her!

Further north of the hole you'll find...a dead end! Don't be alarmed though as it isn't truly a dead end. Through that massive pile of rubble, you'll find the Kobold City. Scoff if you will, but this city is unlike any crude huts you will find in other kobold habitats. This city is large and built of stone, with a massive fortress as its center point. These kobolds are ruled by King Kerstanbob, commonly known as K'bob. A longtime adventurer of some note, it is said he turned this city, and its inhabitants, into the powerful force they are today. It is rumoured that he has discovered many powerful artifacts of the Ancients in both his travels and digging under the city. His main goals in life are to resurect the Kobold God, Kultak, and to take over the world. Many are those that mock the kobolds and think nothing of them, but be warned, these are no ordinary kobolds! His forces include an undead army lead by K'ruel, the High Skeleton Lord, and a massive Invasion fleet led by Warlord K'utter. Also included in his upper ranks are D'read, the High Inquisitor and Xactrac, a powerful Ogre Mage.

Which leads me to Tanica Point (118,93) the docking place of K'bob's mighty fleet. The fleet is built by the secretive Draemar, known only for their exceptional ships and sailing abilities. The fleet is led by a massive warship. K'utter, D'read and Xactrac can all be found on here, as well as their Draemar WaveMistress, Dallera Dantrin. A little known fact is that the fleet uses Shadow technology to power it and keep the ships in contact with each other and K'bob. Even less is known about the elusive Shadows than the Ancients. Most of what is know is that they were bitter enemies. Housed on the fleet is a massive kobold army, supplemented with some of Harf's pirates and even more undead.

The final port on Tanica is called Tanica Crypt (125,98). This section of the mountain is formed largely of the final resting place of Jerslum the Bold, an Ancient of some renown. Unfortunatly, most information about her has been lost. What I know for sure is that her body is in perfect condition and as beautiful as the day she last drew breath, having fought my way past guardian mummy's to gaze upon her. The Crypt connects with Tanica proper deep underground, at the lake.

Dawn (210,300)

The island of dawn is mainly populated by the Salesians, a very disagreeable people. The city itself has a wide variety of shops, and well worth a visit. The city is run by Princess Simeril and her brother, Prince Labatt. Also located on this island is the Bandit's guild, rumoured to be hidden so well that only a member of the guild itself can find it. Outside of the city, along the western side of the island is a small path that leads to a strange keep, home to the mage Finder. His keep is well stocked with a multitude of undead, so be careful when visiting.

Another place of note is the Dragon Maze, a series of caves located underneath the city itself. Their entrance is rumoured to be located in one of the shops of the city. These caves are inhabited by Dragan, the Master Dragon Sorcerer, and quite a few of his dragon friends.

Finally, no trip to Dawn would be complete without a visit to their Diamond Mines . A fairly recent expansion to these mines has revealed a dazzling display of natural beauty. Be sure to take home a souvenir if the guards don't catch you!

Aspetar (180,475)

Aspetar, the Island of the Dragons. Many fierce dragons call this island their home, and while they allow the presence of man, do not think yourself welcome! Like all dragons, these inhabitants are quick to anger, and even quicker to show you their wrath.

Further into the island, you will find the Dragon Valley. This land is filled with the much smaller cousins to the dragons of Aspetar. Although they are smaller, many are far more aggressive, and will not hesitate to attack intruders. Sadly, where dragons gather, so do dragon slayers. You'll find more than one of these glorified bounty hunters on this island.

Atoll (600,-10)

Elemental Atoll, more commonly refered to as simply Atoll, is home to four very powerful elves. These elves have devoted themselves to the study of the powers of the four elements. Sadly, their power was so destructive they fled their homeland and came to this tiny island to prevent any harm to their people. Here they live mostly in solitude, with only the occasional apprentice and a handful of guards to keep them company.

Serenity (-210,-80)

The isle of Serenity is inhabited solely by a group of monks who have chosen this beautiful and peaceful island to be their home. Little is known about these monks, as they are a quiet lot, but the island itself is worth visiting for a break from the hustle of adventuring.

Sorrow (-54,-340)

The island of Sorrow is dominated mostly by a small port town. The citizens here are quite friendly, if a little distant. If you travel deeper into the island you can find a set of very old ruins. None in the town seem to know who lived there or what happened to them, but then again, such discoveries are the duty and pleasure of an adventurer!

Makita (400,150)

The mountain island of Makita can be a very tricky place to find your way around. Paths branch off in all directions, many leading to dead ends. The island is made even more dangerous by the bands of Napea roaming the mountain. These wild women are said to be this way due to the mysterious waters they consume from the blood lake. Also of note, a place to be avoided is the north side of the island. Where the swamp meets the forest, there is a drider lair, easily distinguishable by the large quantity of spider webs. Drider's of course are unpleasant at any time, but this band is led by a vicious leader, Torgi.

Also of note is the extensive tunnel system running all through the mountain. These tunnels are filled with the members of a strange snake cult, who worship a snake demon called Essedess. Sadly, these cult members were once members of the temple of the Ancients, led astray by Essedess who declared himself to be an Ancient.

The focus point of this island is of course the temple devoted to the Ancients, located at the peak of the mountain. This temple has been filled with the servants of the Ancients since the days that the Ancients themselves walked the land. Their descendants, the current keepers of the temple, have kept both the temple and many artifacts safe and ready for the Ancients return to this land. This temple is one of the few places that any real information of the Ancients still exists. Most of their information however, deals with the nature of the artifacts they still possess.

Skull Island (280,-135)

This island is not for the weak of heart! Ravaged by constant lightning storms this land is blasted, fit only for the survival of the harshest of creatures. This island is also home to black dragons, the cruelest and most vicious of their species. Any adventurer here that survives the blasts of lightning and the ravaging monsters may still find himself a dragon's dinner!

Noamuth Island (120,-103)

Noamuth, meaning 'lost' in the drow tongue, is a tiny island deep in the ocean. It is one of the more beautiful places I have been, with its soft grasses for resting on, and a crystal clear lake to drink from. The island is not as deserted as it may seem however. Located on the island is a secret entrance into the Shinduago Caves. The caves are formed of a series of large caverns and twisting tunnels. These caves are patrolled by drow scout's and attack parties. Boasting both an underground lake and a beautiful crystal grove, these caves are well worth visiting, just be careful of both the drow and the other denizens of the underworld.

If you travel deeper down into the caverns you'll reach the Charnag Caves, 'deep' caves in the drow tongue. These caves are very similar to the Shinduago caves, though the caverns here are much larger in size. Far within these caves lies both the drow city, Velkyn Che'el and the Temple of Kiaransalee, drow goddess of vengeance and the undead. Both of these locations are strictly off limits to us 'surface dwellers' but perhaps in time, and with plenty of incentive, the drow that rule these caverns will accept visitors.

Finally we come to the last stop on my list. My very own Player Village (real name to follow)!

Player Village (-75,-109)

When I gave up my life of adventuring I decided to find myself a nice little island and build a town. Well, after building a dock I wore myself out and decided to leave it to my fellow adventurer's to finish my work. So far the village boasts a bakery, smithy, general store and a special centaur shoe shop! Of course it's still missing the most vital element to any successful town, a thriving bar! I was going to name the island after myself, after all, I am a renowned adventurer and I did discover the place! But, I decided to the leaving the naming of it to those who helped to build it, and as of the time I'm writing this book, it remains unnamed. Get to work you lazy bums!! Can't expect an old adventurer like me to do everything for you!

And so ends my first edition of my travels through Nautica. I hope it has been useful to you, my fellow adventurer's. As for myself, I'm going to remain in my quiet pub, drink my ale, and hopefully be left in peace! If a proper bar ever opens on my island, you might see me there from time to time. Until then, safe exploring!

-Jeb, the eternal adventurer (retired)