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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung eines englischen Artikels aus dem Bioware-Forum. |
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Übersetzung des vierten Teils des Entwicklertagebuches der Ossian Studios zu Mysteries of Westgate. Im Original erschienen auf RPG Vault. |
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Übersetzung des dritten Teils des Entwicklertagebuches der Ossian Studios zu Mysteries of Westgate. Im Original erschienen auf RPG Vault. |
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Übersetzung des zweiten Teils des Entwicklertagebuches der Ossian Studios zu Mysteries of Westgate. Im Original erschienen auf RPG Vault. |
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Übersetzung des ersten Teils des Entwicklertagebuches der Ossian Studios zu Mysteries of Westgate. Im Original erschienen auf RPG Vault. |
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Well, it’s gotten out by now that Atari and its PR firm, Fortyseven Communications, hosted a press event to announce the impending June release of Mysteries of Westgate. From Ossian’s perspective, the event was a complete success. |
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Throughout the two decades of the Night Masks’ brutal reign of terror over Westgate, there have been few concerted efforts to stop them. And such should not come as a surprise, for anything that even hinted at breaking their stranglehold on the city would be swiftly and efficiently quashed; the Masks are nothing if not brutal. To be sure, there are several organizations within the city that might at first glance be good candidates to come to the defense of the city’s beleaguered merchants. The church of Lathander is centered close to the grand arena in the magnificent cathedral known as the Morningstar Haven. The church of Ilmater also has a strong presence in the city, though in keeping with its clergy’s mantra of suffering, it has no quarters as grand or plush as the Lathanderites. Sadly, even combined, for the two groups often act together in the same harmony as the two deities they represent, they have not the forces to counter the insidious threat posed by the followers of the Faceless.
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With only the briefest moments of exception, the Night Masks have dominated the underworld of Westgate for the past twenty years. Recently, however, a new group has arisen: The Ebon Claws, and while such rivals are usually quickly and brutally dispatched by the followers of the Faceless, the Claws, unusually tenacious, have not only survived the Night Masks’ assault, but have thrived and prospered. So confident are they now in their position that they have begun to openly war with the Night Masks, many times as the aggressors. Shockingly enough, it is often the bodies of known Night Mask operatives found in the morning streets, their domino masks mockingly stuffed in their own mouths and four dark, gangrenous, filthy lines – the eponymous "ebon claw" of the new guild – dug like trenches into their pale cheeks. |
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So... you're going to Westgate. As a former resident in poor standing, I know the city well. If you’ve come this far, you've probably learned a thing or two about it from sages and scholars. Unfortunately, none of that will serve you when you're floating facedown in the sewers. What all those detached observers don't tell you is that the city is as greedy, dangerous, and quirky as the unpronounceable wyrm's name upon whose lair it was founded. If you want to survive Westgate, you could use some advice |
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The newest addition to Westgate’s parade of novelties is a gladiatorial enterprise named the Quivering Thumb, which fled from the collapse of Unther to the city whose rulers would pay the best for bloody circuses. The new sandpit arena is popular with nobility, merchants, commoners, and even with slaves, because the Thumb promises freedom and a thousand gold pieces to any slave who can survive a year in the pit. |
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One can barely discuss any aspect of Westgate without tangentially mentioning some detail of its mythology, for in the largest and oldest city on the Coast of Dragons, the line between mythology and reality is blurred at nearly every turn. |
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Westgate sits amidst an area of the Dragon Coast first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughly 3,000 years ago, but little is recorded until -349 DR (the Year of the Bold Poachers) when a Halruaan (Netherese) wizard named Saldrinar of the Seven Spells fought and destroyed Kisonraathiisar, the topaz dragon ruler of the region to win himself the throne as the city’s first human king. Over the next sixteen centuries, a succession of kings would rule the city, many of whom would prove unusual indeed. A full listing can (and does) fill many volumes in the city's archives, but a brief summary of some of the more unusual highlights follows. |
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The Night Masks are active throughout the western Inner Sea region, from Sembia down to Erlkazar, and from the Caravan Cities to the Pirate Isles. However, the guild's activities are focused on the cities of the Dragon Coast and, in particular, the ancient port city of Westgate, which serves as the seat of their power and influence. Unlike other major rogue guilds, such as the Shadow Thieves of Amn, the Night Masks have no central guild house within the city walls. Instead, their activities are spread across a wide range of ever-changing locations throughout Westgate, forestalling any attempt by the City Watch to mount a full-scale assault against the group. |
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Even on the Dragon Coast, where unsavory deals are commonplace, Westgate has the reputation of being the place to buy and sell items that cannot - often by dictate of law - be bartered elsewhere. In a city where "anything goes and everything has a price," the only limits are the heft of your coin purse and the strength of your stomach. |
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Welcome to Westgate, where it isn't the color of your skin that matters - it's the color of your coin. The city's 29,000 plus inhabitants are enough to make it the largest center of trade on the Dragon Coast, though its population is still barely a quarter larger than Neverwinter's and less than a quarter as large as Athkatla's. |
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The mages of Faerûn say the race of gigantic eel-like serpents known as the quelzarn are of magical origin, perhaps the result of long-ago experimentation by the mages of Unther; certainly, the beasts were hunted there. Between 30 and 40 feet long, the quelzarn are rapacious, agile, and skilled hunters known to be willing to eat anything, even carrion if desperate. |
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After finding an innocent-looking domino mask in the depths of some unnamed dungeon during an adventure, the player character soon learns that it is tainted with a terrible curse. First manifesting its evil through terrible nightmares that turned sleep into sweat-filled torture, the item has recently begun to impart horrible visions during waking hours. |
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Mysteries of Westgate was intended from the start to be an adventure pack that was lighter on the side of new custom content, and focused more on the adventure itself. Keep in mind that the initial work on the adventure pack started even before NWN2 was released, so there was plenty to learn in the new toolset, and quirks to get used to in the game that occupied our attention. |
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The Night Masks are a powerful thieves guild that operates out of the city of Westgate, although in actuality, thievery is amongst the least of the group's activities. Most commoners believe they are a nuisance the ruling council of the city manages to keep under control, but the truth is far more disturbing than that. |
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Known far and wide across the Forgotten Realms, Westgate is a major city located where the River Thunn flows into the Inner Sea. It's home and headquarters to a number of very prosperous merchant families, each with its own warehouses and other facilities. Officially, it's governed by a council on which they are all represented. However, there are those who feel the true power lies elsewhere, in the hands of a shadowy thieves guild that, by virtue of its assassins, agents and other assorted scoundrels, has extended its reach far beyond the municipality into a vast web of nefarious influence. |
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