Where is "Central Zherisia"? (Mistway madness)

[cure]

The Van Richten's Guide to the Mists (p. 70) introduces to the list of known Mistways The Serpent’s Coils (Moderate Reliability, Two-Way) linking Eastern Nova Vaasa and Central Zherisia. Paridon itself was already served by The Shrouded Way (Moderate Reliability, Two-Way) linking Northwestern Darkon and Southern Paridon.

Given that each Mistway is moderately reliable and given that the same destination is not given for both it seems correct to assume that they are completely distinct.

But where then precisely is Central Zherisia? Is this a temporal portal back to the days when there was a Zherisia beyond the city gates (assuming that Paridon was not the centre of it)? Or is this a gate somehow central to (but perhaps outside of) both Paridon and Timor (since neither Paridon nor Timor are given as the destination)? Can one perhaps choose where one ends up? Banally, it can be downtown in the open mouth of a sewar thereby being at the horizontal center and vertically stradling the two domains. Apparently it is teaming with Zherisian creatures for whatever that is worth.

Interesting possibilities, beyond simply concluding that somebody messed up, would be especially welcome.

Also we would not want this to be an easy and quick way to get from Northwestern Darkon to Eastern Nova Vaasa via Paridon. We don't want Paridon to be Sigil after all . . . do we?

[Jasper]

I think its a form of "all roads lead to Rome".

Plus it adds to Sodo paranoia. Every day brings in new faces, eavh a potential threat to him.

[Pamela]

Whoa, that's what I get for not reading the Mists guide!

I know that ScS had created a Mistway between Nova Vaasa and Zherisia in his Shining Bay article, where Zherisia was no longer just the city of Paridon. Maybe this had an influence on it? Otherwise, I gotta admit I'm just as puzzled by it.

[Undead Cabbage]

A mist way to what? Central Zherisia? huh?

Why must the canon material hate me so???? WWWWHHHYYYY?????

Ok, by the central Zherisia, I'm guessing they mean Paridon city, in general. Otherwise, as the canon material states that the realm is just one big city, to have random Nova Vaasan's randomly popping up in the town square makes no sense at all. Thus meaning that when the mistway takes you to central Zherisia, it takes you in a general direction towards Paridon, and not at the center of the city itself.

You know, I think a mist way from Nova Vaasa to Paridon could actually work. Malken and Sodo are two very different types of crime lords, but never the less crime lords. I'm seeing maybe a Mistway via sea towards the Docks. That makes perfect sense.

Crowded with Zherisian monsters? Dopplegangers, vampires, and vampyrs aren't really known for their hording abilities. Am I missing any? (Besides the Jackalweres)

Maybe instead its a Mist way to Timor, and and it's full of Marikiths. We've already discussed keeping Timor's Mistways fairly open ended.

[Mangrum]

Were it one way, it would make perfect sense to me (the mistway dumps you somewhere in the middle of town). But that doesn't work as a two-way.

So I have no idea what the intent was.

[Nathan of the FoS]

I think I would use that as follows: Whenever the players are in one of the large towns of Nova Vaasa (Egertus, Arbora, Kantora), there's a chance that the fog comes down and *zap* you turn a corner and you're in Paridon, or vice versa (that is, Paridon to a random large city of Nova Vaasa).

This would certainly make it a "nuisance Mistway" instead of a useful Mistway, but (shrug) it's certainly no worse that the Jackal's Ruse that way.

On consideration, that may stretch the commonly-accepted definition of "Mistway" past the breaking point, but I think it's worth pointing out that eastern Nova Vaasa doesn't border the Mists. Neither does "central Zherisia", whatever that means--all that I can get out of that is that it's not surrounded by the Misty Border, it's surrounded by...Zherisia! So this "Mistway" has already dispensed with the usual definition of the term.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

I think I would use that as follows: Whenever the players are in one of the large towns of Nova Vaasa (Egertus, Arbora, Kantora), there's a chance that the fog comes down and *zap* you turn a corner and you're in Paridon, or vice versa (that is, Paridon to a random large city of Nova Vaasa).

Or you could dispense with the Mists' involvement altogether, and just have random dark alleyways in one domain suddenly empty onto the streets of the other. The whole Mistway could even take the form of an alley, that "wanders" around Paridon at one end and the various Vaasan cities on the other, like one of the Via Fera in China Mieville's "Reports of Certain Events in London".

And if the Black Spire's Song of Obscene Hunger qualifies as a Mistway, the definition is already pretty darn broad if you ask me.

[cure]

It might help a little that catching the Nova Vaasan end is only possible by the dark of the moon on foggy nights. So either the Mists simply rise up or, more colourfully, sweep in from far out at sea. (Personally, I want a Misty Boundary for my Mistways.)

Nothing is mentioned about conditions at the other end. But doesn't the city above, at the very least, have quasi-perpetual fog? And might not a point of transition between above and below have perpetual fog?

Not sure this helps much however . . .

[Undead Cabbage]

I really like Roti's idea actually.

It should be something that randomly snatches people up, as opposed to its being an easy access point into the city. The idea of a specific dark alleyway which the Nova Vaasans typically just avoid, leading into another city actually sounds pretty cool. I like it

As for the other end, maybe it lands them in Blackchapel: it certainly has enough back-alleys, and the people of the Black Borough aren't likely to give a damn about a new face suddenly popping up in the neighborhood.

But doesn't the city above, at the very least, have quasi-perpetual fog? And might not a point of transition between above and below have perpetual fog?

The fog in Paridon is heavy, but its not notorious for just spewing out outlanders. As far as a transition point between Paridon and Timor is concerned, there's not really much between the two realms, if anything.

Or, maybe its a sewer in Nova Vaasa that leads into Timor. Using an urban means to travel keeps things fitting, and not too fantastic. It may be cool if occasionally some poor Nova Vaasan suckers end up stranded in either Blackchapel or Timor. That way, they would typically not survive, and therefore the mistway would not draw too much attention. On the other hand, the option could always be there for GMs.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Assorted rocks from my head:

During the infancy of Paridon, the water table from surrounding lands created frequent flooding, which was eventually solved by burying over a third of the city one story deep and building on top of it. Many buildings from before this time have "basements" that were once first floors, and a few have "sub-basements" from the original basements.

In a few areas, old city blocks are now exposed underground due to settling, storm runoff, and the occasional mysterious excavation. The old cobblestone streets run directly beneath the new ones above, tread now by the creatures of the sewers.

It is into this "phantom city" that the mistway opens, depositing newcomers into a mysterious world between Paridon and Timor. Those who act quickly can escape to the surface before they are discovered by the marikith, either through the many sewer grates or by breaking into the underground portions of standing buildings.

++++++++++++++++++++++

I prefer mistways that aren't so haphazard, so here's my take on the "abduction" vs. "deliberate trip" debate:

The mistway is accessed through a ghost town in eastern Nova Vaasa, where knocking on any door may invoke the latent power. Speech of any kind will negate the effect: one must simply knock and then open the door.

(there, now you can have accidental or deliberate travelers.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

BTW, is there any connection proposed between this mistway and the "Timor" roads in Nova Vaasa?

[cure]

A clever thought, but no, nothing about the East Timor road. I am not even sure whether it is deemed to continue past Kantora to Egertus in the East or whether that road has another name.

[nothri]

I realize this thread is ancient, but I thought I'd comment on it, since I plan to base some games in the city.

I'm going with the mistway in the VRGttM because I find it more useful. I am letting it occasionally abduct travelers in either direction, but also I'm letting it act as a reliable two-way transit. Think of the Darkonian gate as the "traveler's entrance" and the Nova Vaasan gate as the "Smuggler's gate". I picture it the primary means of back alley deals between the two countries. I'm particularly inclined to keep it in place since it would give Paridon an illicit outlet to Nova Vaasa/Hazlan's stocks of opium (what pciture of a seedy Victorian London street would be complete without an opium den?).

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

With a name like the Serpent's Coils, would it make more sense for it to be a typo and be for Pharisia?