February 2019 Challenge: The Sundown Cities

[Diamond]

Voolf gave me a great one! Here's his brief:

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I decided to go with this...

It is dusk. It is always dusk. Long ago, the sun stopped moving in the sky. Some say it was the result of a war between magi fought far to the west. Some say it is a curse of the gods. And some say it is the result of man meddling with things he was not meant to know, things from a dimension of horrors. Whatever the reason, this land sits in a zone of perpetual twilight. The sun is barely visible along the top of the western mountains; the sea to the east is a cold, dark, and stormy maelstrom that eats ships whole. The land can still grow crops, after a fashion, but the yield is much less than in centuries past. The people compensate by growing new crops more suited to the dark, like vast fungi farms. A perpetual mist shrouds the coast, but cities still cling to life there, not only for the continued bounty of the sea hauled in by brave fishermen, but because the coast sits far enough away from the mountains to have the most amount of sunlight available... which is very important.

Because things lurk in the darkness. Vampires. No one knows where they came from, but they are everywhere. The religious thank their gods that the sun is not gone altogether, because then... well, that doesn't bear thinking about. The priests and monks of the sun god, Ao, pray for His return, and in the meantime they fight the vampiric menace when and how they can. Their fighting monks patrol the cities and the desolate roads and farms between. In the cities, no one with any sense goes into the alleys and streets on the darkward side of buildings without being heavily armed and bearing fire and light.

So yeah. Should be fun.

[Naima]

Pretty cool concept .

[Kellerica]

Oooh, way to go, Voolf!

This should be a blast to follow. Take it away, D!

[MistyBeee]

That's what I call... a pop-corn time ! ^^

[Voolf]

Oh man, that is one hell of a story to the map. Can't wait to see this one progress.

[PaperGriffin]

That is quite some narrative. Looking forward to seeing the map develop.

[Caenwyr]

just replying here so I can follow this up. Awesome setup, Diamond! I'm sure you'll be able to create something wonderful out of it!

[J.Edward]

Hehe, and here I was thinking I was gonna make the first thread
You get right down to business.
I like that color palette option. That's a good idea.

[Diamond]

Coastlines are done... finally. That was a lot of work.

I'm picturing this as almost a Shadowfell type of place, with all kinds of unnatural creatures lurking in dark places. Some starting lore (I'll add more as I go along):

VAMPIRES

No one knows where this curse originated, or how. The only thing known for sure is that, while blood-drinkers may have been around before Sundown, they were never as wide-spread and deadly as they are now. The bite of a vampire is not necessarily deadly - a vampire doesn't need to completely drain a victim to survive - less than half a pint is usually sufficient. (The human body contains between 9 and 12 pints.) If a victim is completely drained, he or she dies the true death. However, roughly 15% of the population is susceptible to turning from a vampire's bite. The initial stages, which last about 48 to 72 hours, resemble a bad case of influenza, with nausea, vomiting, heavy sweating, dizziness, and the inability to keep food or liquids down common. At the end of that period, a victim will either recover (suffering a slight light sensitivity for the rest of their lives), or turn. Those that turn retain varying degrees of intelligence. Most (75%) are ravenous beasts only interested in feeding from as many people as they can. The rest are more cunning and in control, and those are the ones to be afraid of - the mindless vampires can regain some intellect over the years, but most are so wild they are dispatched quickly - but the others learn to hide, survive, and grow ever stronger.

Vampires retain much of their human appearance, with some notable exceptions. Their eyes become completely black, with no discernible whites, irises, or pupils. Their skin becomes pallid and grayish, and their fingers and toes lengthen and develop claw-like talons. Mouth structure and fangs vary from individual to individual; some have long canines, while others have a mouth full of jagged fangs. Still others have lamprey-like mouths lined with small rows of saw-like teeth. Despite popular legend, vampires cannot fly or change into bats or wolves or mist, but they can distort their bodies to an unnatural degree, dislocating and shifting their bones so they can fit into tight spaces that no normal human ever could. They are naturally stealthy and quiet, and they have a limited telepathic power that lets them charm or frighten their victims. They are also very strong, and can use their talons to climb vertical surfaces or even across ceilings.

The weaknesses of vampires are few. Fire will kill them, as will direct, prolonged sunlight. Decapitation is a proven method, though one must make sure to burn the head afterwards. Normal weapons do little damage, as vampires can regenerate from most wounds, but silvered weapons are effective. The monks of Ao have also developed 'sunstones', magically-infused stones that emit sunlight, which will burn a vampire.

### Latest WIP ###

[Diamond]

Okay, I need opinions here. Even though this is a pretty dark (literally) setting, I don't want to obscure the map. I have two versions below, one with a darker, grungy outer edge, one without. I'm kind of leaning towards the one without, but what do you all think? Also, yes, the landmasses will be faded out at the edges eventually, instead of having that harsh edge.

And some more lore:

THE SUNDOWN

No one knows the exact causes of the event now called 'The Sundown', but on a late autumn day more than two centuries ago, the sun froze in the sky. It was dusk, and it has stayed dusk ever since. Temperatures began to drop in this once gentle (Mediterranean) climate, and winters lasted longer and became harsher. Most crops either died off or produced much lower yields and harvests. Livestock and people alike died from malnutrition until alternate crops, like the fungus farms, were developed some years later. Many citizens of the Coastal Kingdoms fled westward, following the frozen sun, but few returned. Those that did carried frightening tales - of anarchy in the plains kingdoms, where it seemed to be a permanent late afternoon; of chaos in the far west, where the summers now scorched the land for thousands of miles; and of... things. Things of darkness dwelling in the mountain passes.

The Coastal Kingdoms of the east fragmented and fell apart as the population shrunk. After a decade or so, a loose federation of city states, with Caleah as its nominal capital, arose. Focused merely on staying alive, the cities turned inward and grew to distrust outsiders. Even folk from other coastal cities were suspect until proven otherwise. It didn't help that around this time the vampires began to appear. Now, two centuries on, the Cities are dank, decaying places, filled with a seemingly-perpetual fog rolling in off the ocean. The priests of great Ao provide sunstones to those with critical need - the city watches, the farming communes on the plains, the waystations along the roads connecting the cities, the sturdy fishing boats that ply the coastal waters, and of course the rich. Everyone else is welcome to buy a sunstone... if they can afford one. Those who can't make do with lanterns, fire, and vigilance.

### Latest WIP ###

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