The Known Lands
The Known Lands (TKL) 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.[1]
Description
Server Background
The Known Lands was begun by two Dungeons & Dragons 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.[2] This is accomplished by grouping characters into parties, which participate in weekly sessions run by a dungeon master (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, 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 halflings 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.
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), thoul, urd, ogrillon, varag, and saurial.[3]
Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault Hall of Fame
The Known Lands remains an active persistent world 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.[4] User reviews on the Vault suggest an experience much closer to pen-and-paper gaming via computer than to a MMORPG environment.