The Known Lands (TKL)
Encyclopedia
The Known Lands is a 'home grown' world in the Neverwinter Nights 2
role-playing environment that has been developed around the persistent world structure. The self-stated goal of this project is to make a world that is roleplay focused with the feel of a ‘pen and paper’ (PnP) game. In order to get that PnP feel, it includes a feature similar to traditional PnP -- the use of adventuring parties in the world, with human dungeon masters. The world is based on the Neverwinter Nights 2
client and has been active since October 2006.
roleplayers who met at university. Their goal was to create a persistent world
in Neverwinter Nights 2
which was as close as possible to pen-and-paper style roleplaying. This is accomplished by grouping characters into parties, which participate in weekly sessions run by a dungeon master
(DM).
But though peace reigns over much of The Known Lands, it is not a time of tranquility. In the past fifty years, The Known Lands have been shocked with the realization that below their islands exists a subterranean world at least as large as their own – the Underdark. A formerly unknown race, the drow
, has twice come into the Known Lands from this underworld. Two massive attacks by the drow have all but destroyed the citadel homelands of the dwarves, leaving that once-proud race decimated and beaten.
Now the Known Lands struggle with the repercussions of a dwarven-created plague gone awry, the 'Culling' of the halfling
s in their own land, and strange and unknown forces that have brought new challenges to the peoples of the world. Many strange and unique societies and organizations have sprung up. Many parts of The Known Lands remain unexplored, though legends of wild barbarian elves
and halflings, strange draconic followers, people who sail the oceans, never stepping off their ships, are commonly heard in taverns and marketplaces of The Known Lands.
, urd, ogrillon
, varag, and saurial.
with roleplaying opportunities both in and out of parties, and is one of the top-rated roleplaying servers on the Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault Hall of Fame. User reviews on the Vault suggest an experience much closer to pen-and-paper gaming via computer than to a MMORPG
environment.
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
role-playing environment that has been developed around the persistent world structure. The self-stated goal of this project is to make a world that is roleplay focused with the feel of a ‘pen and paper’ (PnP) game. In order to get that PnP feel, it includes a feature similar to traditional PnP -- the use of adventuring parties in the world, with human dungeon masters. The world is based on the Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
client and has been active since October 2006.
Server Background
The Known Lands was begun by two Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplayers who met at university. Their goal was to create a persistent world
Persistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
in Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
which was as close as possible to pen-and-paper style roleplaying. This is accomplished by grouping characters into parties, which participate in weekly sessions run by a dungeon master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
(DM).
The Setting
According to sages, the collection of islands, called by their inhabitants simply The Known Lands, is in its Third Age of existence. In the three thousand years since whatever cataclysmic event destroyed the Second Age – a time period whose knowledge is all but lost – the various sentient races have built nations and civilizations. It is a time of peace and prosperity.But though peace reigns over much of The Known Lands, it is not a time of tranquility. In the past fifty years, The Known Lands have been shocked with the realization that below their islands exists a subterranean world at least as large as their own – the Underdark. A formerly unknown race, the drow
Dark Elves in fiction
Elves, a word from Germanic mythology, are frequently featured in Fantasy fiction. In modern fiction, particularly because of the influence from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, elves are modeled mostly after his original description: tall, human-like creatures of otherworldly beauty, with...
, has twice come into the Known Lands from this underworld. Two massive attacks by the drow have all but destroyed the citadel homelands of the dwarves, leaving that once-proud race decimated and beaten.
Now the Known Lands struggle with the repercussions of a dwarven-created plague gone awry, the 'Culling' of the halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
s in their own land, and strange and unknown forces that have brought new challenges to the peoples of the world. Many strange and unique societies and organizations have sprung up. Many parts of The Known Lands remain unexplored, though legends of wild barbarian elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
and halflings, strange draconic followers, people who sail the oceans, never stepping off their ships, are commonly heard in taverns and marketplaces of The Known Lands.
Custom Content
TKL makes use of some of the custom content available on the Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault as well as content developed solely for TKL. Feats from 3.5E as well as custom feats have been added. Custom player character races have also been added: minotaur, wolfeylf (a race similar to wolfweres), thoulThoul
Thouls are a bizarre humanoid species from the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.-Publication history:The name "thoul" was first referenced on pg...
, urd, ogrillon
Ogrillon
Ogrillons are fictional cross-breed creatures in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:The ogrillon first appeared in first edition in the original Fiend Folio...
, varag, and saurial.
Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault Hall of Fame
The Known Lands remains an active persistent worldPersistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
with roleplaying opportunities both in and out of parties, and is one of the top-rated roleplaying servers on the Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault Hall of Fame. User reviews on the Vault suggest an experience much closer to pen-and-paper gaming via computer than to a MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
environment.