Generating the Initial Map
Before your first fragment, create the map together using the dice drop method:
Step 1: Define the Meridian
Draw a vertical line down the center of a blank page. This represents the Twilight Meridian—the habitable band of Duskara.
Mark the top as Dayward and the bottom as Nightward.
Step 2: Drop the Dice
Each player takes 3d6. Roll them onto the page from a height of about 6 inches, letting them scatter naturally.
Wherever dice land, they become locations. The number showing indicates the location's type:
- 1-2: Ruin or Lost Place
- 3-4: Active Settlement
- 5-6: Natural Feature (shrine, storm nexus, geothermal vent)
If a die falls off the page, that location exists beyond the known map—perhaps on the day side, deep night side, or in the Storm Walls themselves.
Step 3: Name the Locations
Working together, name each location based on its position and type:
Near the Meridian: Temperate settlements (Aetherion, Harmattan's Reach)
Dayward: Heat-touched places (Scorch Ridge, Glass Fields)
Nightward: Cold places (Lumina Caverns, Frozen Archives)
Off the map: Mythical or dangerous (The Breach, Echo's End)
You can also add 1-2 canonical settlements from the Duskara Compendium if you wish to anchor your story.
Step 4: Draw Connections
Draw lines between locations that are connected by:
- Trade routes
- Psychic links
- Shared history
- Storm paths
Not all locations need connections. Isolation is meaningful.
Step 5: Mark Your Origins
Each player places a symbol marking where their Windcaller originated or currently resides. These may be different locations or even different eras of the same place.