Oderint dum probent is a blog about Russian Military History. The February 3rd post includes this map which, according to the blog writer (and as near as I can determine using online translation), is a map of Kiev "Upper Town" built in 1654 at St. Michael's Mount. The drawing is either from 1654-58 or 1669-1673. On the map is marked "okolnichy yard." Okolnichy is a type or rank of governor or administrator. In 1656-58 the commander in Kiev appointed okolnichy Andrei Vasilievich Buturlin, and in 1669-1673 - Gregory Afanasevicha Kozlovsky.
The map is conveniently oriented to the cardinal points, close to the standard (i.e. the north is at the top). In my experience with 17th century maps this is unusual. Most maps from that period choose (for no apparent reason) some other orientation.  

St. Michael's Cathedral on the map is identified clearly and unmistakably.  

I've added this map to my file for Russia. Should the PCs ever get that far east I now have a handy town map. And for those that like the idea of a campaign in the Wild Wild East, Kiev would make a great civilized starting place.

Yet More on the Wild, Wild East: Russian Military History

I recently happened upon this blog on Russian Military History which I've added to my What's Under the Hat blog list.

Geographically Russia is far from France and AFAIK the cultural connections postdate the 1620 period I'm primarily focused on - though cultural connections between France and Russia would fit an 18th century campaign quite nicely and we all know the 1812 connection between the two countries.

Here's a recent post on French Infantry at the start of the reign of Louis XIV, though given the king's age in 1643 one might more accurately say at the end of the reign of Louis XIII.

The blog also includes chronological tags which make it easy to pick out periods that fit the time frame of one's setting. Here are three that fit nicely with my campaign interests.

• 1618-48 30-Years War (17)
• 1621-59 War in Flandres (8)
• 1628-31 War of Mantuan Succession (2)

And of course the information on Russian Military History would be vital for anyone wanting to use a Wild, Wild East setting.


Check out Oderint Dum Probent.

Wild Wild East - Part 2

Czumak Ox Train

In yesterday's post I mentioned the idea of using a central Asian setting to get some of the same openness and edge of the wilderness tone that is largely based on the fictional American West and that is the typical setting seen in D&D. 

Today's post on Dariusz caballeros on the Czumak peoples contains a bunch of great images of Czumak wagons and ox carts winding across the steppes that would enhance a Wild East setting.

The top image gives me the feel of the vast expanse of the steppes. I like how the artist includes so much of the sky so that it feels like the sky is thing of immense weight hanging over your head.

I really like this painting. Seeing a caravan of bright red ox carts like this appear out of a snow covered steppe is an evocative and colorful image that would stay with the players.

And it seems my speculation in the comments for Udan's post was correct. The steppes did have windmills. See the shadowing mill on the far left in the painting below.

And to give credit where credit is due, the artist of the above paintings is Ivan Aivazovsky.

The Wild, Wild East - Part 1

You may have heard the notion that the default setting for Dungeons & Dragons is a blend of Hollywood movies like Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, and Jason and the Argonauts crossed with the frontier culture of the fictional American West. Udan's Against the Wicked City blog provides an interesting alternative to this Americanized setting:

The Wild East

• You have fur traders just like the late 18th and early 19th century in the lands that would be America and Canada, but instead of trapping beaver they are after mink.
• Instead of the farms of American settlers from the civilized and settled cities back east you have the farms and villages of Rus settlers from the more civilized and settled cities back west. 
• Instead of the American Great Plains you have the Russian steppes.  
• And instead of Native Americans you have Cossacks and Tartars.

I've mentioned Against the Wicked City before. It's an interesting blog that covers cultures and mythologies that are less familiar to me and to the vast majority of American and dare I say to many European players. This makes the setting outre while still remaining grounded in actual history and culture. For a number of reasons e.g. lack of time, lack of players, level of effort required, I'm unlikely to run this setting, but I'd love to be a player in it. And it is appealing enough to consider running an six month story arc set there similar to the H+I story arc I ran that was set in Flanders and Holland.

The links on the collected information page contain a lot of useful material for anyone interested in running a Wild East type of setting or check out Udan's blog posts with the Central Asia tag. And the cover image is also from Udan's blog.

In tomorrow's post I'll provide some more artwork and links for a Wild East setting.