u/Adventurous_Catanian

**Major SPOILER WARNING if you haven’t read the novels yet**

TLDR: Klaus’ trilogy of novels is incomplete, so let’s consider what plot points the third novel might focus on.

Only two of Klaus’ Catan novels have been released, and the posthumous completion of his trilogy is probably a long way off. So let’s first consider where the story has left off, and then what the third novel might be about:

Klaus stated in a 2022 blog post that Jora is intended to remain the protagonist in the third novel. Therefore, we can conclude that the trilogy likely won’t overlap with Legend of the Sea Robbers (which takes place 71 years after the first arrival), since by this time Jora would be well past her prime as a character. Jora needs to be at her peak abilities-wise since the first novel also mentioned a prophecy that she would save her people. This has yet to happen, and could refer to either Thorolf’s tribe or all of Catan.

That said, let’s not forget that at the end of Order of the Ravens Jora was heavily pregnant, so her child will likely become a key character in the third novel. Asla and Thorolf’s relationship was improving, but then Asla was wounded protecting Jora, so major developments can be expected there too.

Shifting focus to the bigger picture, Catan is primarily a 4-player game, yet Catan: Order of the Ravens leaves us with only three major factions/tribes. So we can expect the third novel to introduce a fourth tribe.

Additionally, the third novel might (hopefully) introduce the Council of Catan. My reasoning is that this would be a huge link to both “Legend of…” games, as well as T&B and E&P. But most importantly, the Council could help mediate/ease the tension between tribes, and fulfil the peoples’ quest for democracy and freedom, which were major plot points in the first two novels.

The first two novels also mentioned fishing and gold panning, which are references to the first two T&B scenarios. Scenarios 4-5 are out of the question since the barbarians are still over 500 years away (according to Legend of the Conquerors). But the third novel could still address T&B scenario 3: The Caravans. The only problem with this is that we don’t have a consistent single “robber” or group of robbers, since the Outlaws now have positive relations with/are part of Thorolf’s tribe.

So, in summary, the third novel will hopefully address:

- The next chapter of Jora’s life
- The role of Jora’s child
- Asla & Thorolf’s future
- The origins of the fourth Catanian tribe
- The formation of the Council of Catan
- The origins of the robber and/or caravans

What do other people think? Anything I missed, or any alternative suggestions?

There’s fairly little in either the new or old versions in Starfarers, although New Encounters is pretty good.

What ideas have people had for fan-made scenarios/stories for Starfarers? Any potential crossovers with other sci-fi universes?

In a previous post I gave a brief summary of the history of the main Island of Catan, so I thought I’d follow that up with a look at the history of the surrounding islands. Below is an abbreviated timeline:

860 AD: Hogni the Shipwright circumnavigates Catan, confirming that it is an island. (Source: Catan: The Novel)

Post-860 AD: Exploration of the small islands south and east of Catan (Sources: Catan: Order of the Ravens; Seafarers: Heading for New Shores)

931 AD: The battle against the Sea Robbers (Source: Legend of the Sea Robbers)

Post-931 AD: Exploration, trade, and pirate-fighting in the Eastern Archipelago (Sources: Legend of the Sea Robbers; Explorers & Pirates)

Other Events Post-931 AD:

- Contact with the Forgotten Tribe to the south

- Cloth trade with the Forgotten Tribe

- Final battle with the Pirates

- Construction of the Wonders of Catan in the Northern Archipelago

(Source: Seafarers)

I guess my main question is, when do we think the other early Seafarers scenarios took place? (i.e. The Four Islands, The Fog Islands, Through the Desert). The story excerpts in the Seafarers rulebook give context as to the rough locations of these islands, but not when they were found.

I’ve been working on a very minor project. A single scenario for the Catan base game that is Australian-themed. I’ve tried to pick elements that are “iconic” from a tourism and local legends perspective.

So far I’ve got:

- A Bushranger, who replaces the robber and acts in a slightly fairer manner

- A bunch of drop bears that wreck havoc on the board by blocking resource production

- A eureka stockade which can keep drop bears away from settlements/cities

- Some squeezy Vegemite tokens, which act as a kind of currency (similar to the fish in the Fishermen of Catan scenario from T&B)

- An overall theme of “a fair go” for all players

I’m definitely open to suggestions for improving the content of this scenario. However I’m also curious what kind of backstory it could have, such as “who is the bushranger?” or “what is the history of the battlers (players) working their way to victory?”

Any suggestions?

I want to say Guido the Ambassador because he is based on real life Guido Teuber, but then again I feel like Candamir is pretty popular too, and quite powerful in-game.

Is there a good way to integrate popular characters such as Candamir into the new lore/narrative provided by Klaus’ novels? And if so, how should it be done?

Wondering if maybe a second fleet could arrive on Catan after Thorolf & co, with Candamir and the others on it. Much of the Rebecca Gable novel would still have to be retconned though, in order to fit the idea that those characters are no longer the first on Catan.

According to Legend of the Conquerors, castaways and others from the Old World occasionally washed up/arrived on Catan throughout the years, and Legend of the Sea Robbers is an example of this. Not to mention that Catan: The Novel tells how others in the Northland knew roughly where Thorolf’s fleet had been headed (though the fleet was later thrown off-course). So I guess a second fleet is not entirely implausible.

What do people think? Is it possible/ideal to try and integrate all the characters into one narrative/timeline?

TLDR: in the case of an entirely new Catan Histories game being released (entirely hypothetical), I thought I’d see what possible themes people would like to see?

Hi everyone,

I know the focus of the 6th edition at the moment is on the main series of games and all the base game variants (card game, traveler, etc.).

However, in the eventual future, it’s not entirely improbable to say that the Catan Histories series of standalone games might get a little something new added. They’ve already rereleased Settlers of the Stone Age as Dawn of Humankind, and I am among those hoping for rereleases of the other games too (Struggle for Rome/Merchants of Europe/Settlers of America/Rise of the Inka).

A brand new Catan Histories game could include a lot of lore/a decent historical narrative which could be fun to explore. So, in the case of an entirely new game in the series, I thought I’d see what possible themes people would like to see?

Some ideas I had were:

- Aztecs: another American civ, similar to the Incas. However their lake-based capital city could make for an interesting twist in gameplay, be it through land reclamation, fishing, or something else

- Indus Valley: an early human civilisation from the Bronze Age. A possible game about them might focus on cultural progress or technological development

- Ancient China: For a long time, ancient China was one of the most technologically advanced civilisations in the world, and its isolation gave it a unique culture. Besides, we already have Catan games based in North/South America, Europe, and Africa. May as well have at least one on Asia for good measure