Runemaster Developer Diaries, Continued
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Paradox Interactive has continued to crank out new developer diaries for their mythology-based RPG Runemaster, with entries #22, #23, #24, #25, and #26 all having been posted over the past couple of months. A handful of stand-out paragraphs:
The world is dark, buried deep beneath the roots of Yggdrasil and the Sun never shines on the creatures who live there. It is a hostile world, with many dangerous creatures and few plants that can thrive there. Svartalfheim can provide the races with food and drink, although it is smelly and foul tasting. There are no seasons in Svartalfheim, and time is not easily measured there. Dwarfs and Darkelfs have learnt to live with this, and developed a kind of internal clock to have some sort of days and nights in order to keep everyone in the same zone.
Svartalfheim has unique flora and fauna; there are creatures and plants here that cannot be found in any other world. There are some animals that have managed to find their way into Svartalfheim, such as wolves and spiders, but there are very few if any herbivores that can survive in this hostile environment. Mushrooms and root vegetables grow in abundance, olms can be found crawling on every surface and fish can be caught from underground lakes.
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The only way for a Darkelf to rise in rank is by showing s/he is capable and ingenious enough to deserve promotion. There are many different ways to rise in rank: by age, by fortitude, by trickery or by earning the respect of others in any possible way. Darkelfs are very competitive and work hard to rise in the ranks. It's a very merit-based system. Everyone starts at the bottom and try to work their way up.
The castle cellar is used for storage of weapons, equipment, foodstuff and slaves. A jail can also be found here, but it is not often as Darkelfs prefer to avoid taking prisoners. A deep well can be found here as well, often close to a nearby staircase that leads to the kitchen. The first floor is used for kitchens, guest rooms, dining room and meeting chambers. Stables and larger storage areas can be found at this level too, sometimes as separate buildings. The second, third, fourth and sometimes fifth floors are used as bedrooms or private chambers for the various members of the clan. The leader lives at the top, with their partner and children, at least until their teenage years. Then a young Darkelf has to prove her/himself and climb through the ranks.
The Darkelfs live in large clans, where most are related to each other in some way. Their ruler is the smartest, most cunning and insidious of them all. Together with a small council composed of the highest ranked Darkelfs, the ruler makes sure the Darkelfs are united and working together.
