Hi, and welcome to Lost Realms of Arann: Northmarch.

So this is based on a role playing forum, the Lost Realms of Arann, that I was engaged with over ten years ago. It was a great experience, primarily because it was a free-flowing open world that we added to and explored as we went. I’d love to recapture that magic here.

I’ve created this rough-looking map to give a sense of where we begin this adventure. This is the northernmost region of the continent of Adea, a frontier beyond the control of the civilized world with only pockets of civilization to be found here and there. We start our adventure in the only city in the region, the ancient city of Teres. I’ll start the game with an introduction that explains what Teres is, a bit about its history and where it fits into the world, an example of how to incorporate dice rolls into your posts, and so on.

From there, the rest is really up to you. The crux of a West Marches campaign is that there aren’t any railroads or anything of that sort. I have ideas about what you can find in Weyeshire or in Quaye, for example, and you guys are welcome to explore and stumble upon those, and keep in mind that I have ideas for plenty of locations and things that aren’t indicated on the map. Where you actually go is up to you.

West Marches campaigns can also accommodate a large number of people, with different groups going on different places at their leisure. At the present, there are five people or so interested, which is sufficient to create a party, but there is no cap, really.

So, what kind of characters are you playing?

This is D&D 5E, as I mentioned in the interest check, and we’re going to be limiting the classes, races, options, etc. to those available in the Player’s Handbook. So, core rules only. This is really just for the sake of convenience. Let’s not overcomplicate the game in its earliest stages.

I’m very flexible with character sheets. Submit the sheet through whichever medium is most convenient for you, so long as it contains all of the information you would find on a Fifth Edition Character Sheet. Whether that’s Mythweavers, a custom Word document, whatever, it’s all fine so long as I’m able to access it independently.

I look forward to seeing your character submissions, which you can place in the character tab.

Finally, I’ve created a Discord Channel for my creative content on here at RPG. Feel free to join up—I’ve created a channel there we can use to discuss the game in real time.

Now that we have some characters ready to go, let me give you a brief OOC introduction, which after reading you may go and throw your first posts into the mix.

All of your characters have the same general backstory as they begin their adventure in Northmarch. They are recent arrivals to the city of Teres, and are in search of adventure. This is a West Marches campaign, which you can read about here.

Your objective as you begin your story is to link up with other adventurers and find a quest. Probably. Like I've said, this is a very sandbox-y approach to Dungeons & Dragons, and you have control over what you want to do. You're free to strike out by yourself in search of adventure outside the gates of the city, if you so like, which could be very rewarding, or very dangerous (in fact, I might not advise it, but that would certainly be interesting to see and I wouldn't mind accommodating that). You may just want to set up a magic shop or something and sell trinkets. I don't even know how that would work, but the general idea I'm getting at is that this is very much your story to discover.

That all said, as your characters step off the boat and onto the Dockyard District of Teres, here are a few places you might see and be inclined to explore:

The Tavern at Teres is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Only the Duke's Keep has stood longer. The Tavern has served the thirsty and adventurous among the Teresians for over a thousand years, according to local lore and is a good spot for any fledgling adventuring party to begin their journey into the greater world of the Northmarch. As noted in the IC post, the City Watch keeps a bounty board updated there, and an adventurer could stumble upon all manner of folk looking for the help of a daring hero or rogue. Similar locations in the area include the Oarsman, a large inn where ship's captains and merchants can be found, as well as opportunities for adventure for seafaring folk, and the Groghouse, a dirty dive popular among sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers.

Other places of note in the Dockyard District include Pellion's Imports and Exports, a large gnomish merchant company, a number of guildhalls belonging to shipwrights, dungsweepers, fishmongers, and traders, warehouses, and, of course, ships. The Teresian docks are the main trading hub of the Northmarch, and ships from all over the world come and go on a daily basis.

And with that, off you go. Personally, I think that coordinating with some of your fellow adventurers and a conversation about where your chosen group will start might be a good idea. Feel free to use our Discord for that purpose.

Hi all, please find an updated map of the area here.

Brawl at the Tavern
Fishmonger Initiative: 6

Brawl at the Tavern
Initiative: 16
History check: 11

Brawl at the Tavern
Durwith Initiative: 20

Brawl at the Tavern
Initiative: 7

Update on Experience

Brawl (Scuffle) at the Tavern
+25 Experience for Durwith, Tergo, and Quilrith.

Alley Fight
+50 Experience for Durwith