So, I am trying to square up a seeming contradiction in about the weasels and Darkheather. When talking about Darkheather (page 186) it says after the War of 1149 the weasels were forced to abandon DH, and they now exist primarily as small, rogue groups. Then later, (pg 201) it mentions the weasels captured border towns. These of course are marked on the map. My impression was that weasels are scattered, unorganized, and that they no longer rule from DH. If that is the case though, how are these former mouse settlements, not back under mouse control? Just looking for some thoughts on this.
I don’t really know the answer but I’ll go with “time”.
On other forums I see people saying “If you can invent this thing with magic why isn’t the thing (and it’s social ramifications) in the setting?”.
In real life we could invent a car but we still didn’t have them for most of history.
Can you explain what you mean by this? It is not clear how it applies to my question.
Maybe mice the haven’t taken them back yet.
Hi, I’d would love to give my perspective.
As for DH, I see this as two portions of DH. Looking at the map, there are the mouse settlements, listed and struck, and also there is a map showing Darkheather tunnels (Winter 1152 iirc). In this we see there are two portions to describing DH. The first is the general lands beyond the scent border where the weasels truly hold domain and mice make no claim. The second is the devastated remains of Darkheather tunnels that reached into the Territories. In Winter 1152 we learn more about those tunnels, including hints that the tunnels are not completely abandoned by weasel-kind.
So, in the war, the history of Darkheather tunnels extending the weasel communities into and among the mouse communities comes to an end. Martriarch Gwendolyn determines they must be expelled from Mouse Territories altogether and many tunnels properly closed off. But, that does not indicate she drives mice beyond the scent border to assault the ‘weasel territories,’ aka Darkheather.
After the war, the two portions are reduced to one singular land of Darkheather with reduced access to mingle communities of weasels and communities of mice.
It should be noted, there are probably mice living beyond the scent border in those lands who may not know about the Mouse Territories or may not have means to travel there.
Regarding the settlements lost, this map from the rules text is marked as 1150. I suspect there are several items to note from that. First, it was probably well underway for several years ahead of 1150 when it was officially complete, so it has several marked items that might have changed. Second, having struck those settlements which were sacked or razed by weasels indicates the mice felt those were totally lost, not merely damaged with refugees scattered (As GM, I always treat that as sacked or razed with refugees scattered back into the Territories).
I’m sure that restoring those settlements makes for a great campaign lead.
Strangely, the rules book indicates Pebblebrook was established shortly after the war finished. Yet, it was included on the map. Strange. I have no immediate explanation for that aside from perhaps it was a known mouse community, up and coming, so the mapmakers left space for it and the Guard was already adjusting the scent border to accommodate an upcoming town charter or such.
What of the weasels remaining inside the Territories? They are mostly disorganized, in disarray, unsettled, and scattered throughout the lands. They might not be evenly distributed; perhaps some areas are more wild and allow for weasels to more easily hide from mice in greater numbers. There is no longer a ruler in Darkheather who can exert control over communities of weasels inside the Territories; prior to the war, the tunnels allowed for that control from a Darkheather overlord or tunnel lord, but no longer.
What of the weasels beyond the scent border in Darkheather? They continue mostly unaffected by the refugees of weasels who left the DH tunnels inside the Territories (that is, if any actually fled westward rather than other directions). The former mouse settlements are under their close observation, abandoned by mice and needless to weasels. The scent border was already moved to exclude those spaces from mouse domain. These weasels once had access to the tunnels that reached inside the Territories, but no longer. They are organized, settled, arrayed in military orders, have monarchical overlords and tunnels lords and their conspirators or conscripts.
That’s my perspective. Depending on the timeline for starting a campaign, that all might create intriguing and intrepid avenues for a campaign dealing with those ghosts.
Yeah, thanks for that perspective. It is helpful. I am starting my first campaign in the Spring of 1153. My general concept of the status of Mouse Realms is that things are tense and fractured. It is only four years after the war with weasels. And there is obviously a large enough population of mice discontent enough to take up arms against the The Guard. The various settlements, though free and self governing are individually weak. There are various settlements amenable to the idea of some sort of centralized government, some very much against it, and some settlements are internally split over the idea. Sprucetuck in particular is fractured along the lines of wanting to maintain independence (and the their technology and secrets to themselves) largely to themselves or become more open to the Realm as a whole, perhaps setting up academies among some other settlements (because having their science and advancement shared throughout would strengthen the realm as a whole).
At any rate, the factions of those that want to keep Sprucetuck cloistered and secretive are up to no good just beyond the western scent boarder in the remnants of Walnutpeck, primarily to keep The Guard spread too thin for Gwendolyn to meaningfully affect change by way of the biannual councils that have only just now begun to meet.
I know that I can create any situation I choose just beyond the western scent border insofar as how many weasels and how much sway they hold, but outside perspective is useful.
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