| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 16:01:46
I've always been intrigued by the Demonshields Halaster made for the Shoon Dynasty. Besides the one in the hands of "Sharpfangs" and the four that are in the School of Wonders dungeon, there are 8 missing in the hands of some Calishite slave-kings...and there are no records since the Seventh Age of Calimshan. I'd love to make an adventure that points in that direction. Any suggestions?
I play D&D 3.5 edition.
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| 27 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 29 Aug 2017 : 13:40:36
Well ive come to change my mind on the demonshield of gargauth recently.
I dont think Halaster had anything to do with its creation.
My initial theory is that gargauth was trapped in that pit since the illythir summoned him to toril (they have done so before and since - narathmault is evidence of that).
Over time the bonds on his prison weaken and when dwarves create a settlement there he is able to manifest as human visage and cause their destruction through lies and temptation (the mythology of which is found in powers and pantheons - but its only the legend not the truth).
Gargauth managed to possess one being (a dwarf or a visitor or maybe even an item sacrificed into his pit) who then was gradually twisted until he looked just like gargauth (i shall name him gargoth because humanoids have trouble pronohncing the infernal tongue).
This gargoth was eventually killed in a fight with the original harpers at an inn in the tunlands.
Gargauth however survived and had been busy. Unther built a settlement where the old dwarven settlement once stood. Gargauth persuaded the untherite wizards to make him an mirror (looks alot like a shield made of mithril). He possessed this item as well.
However in the inevitable conflicts between unther and calimshan over the shaar the shield was lost to calishite forces and ended up in calimshan where it was lost in the conflict between shoon and cormyr over the western heartlands (i think valashar is the name im looking for).
I cant remember how exactly but algashon (sammasters friend) became holder of the shield and was directed to send tuelhalva drakewings to peleveran and free gargauth from the pit.
Now Gargauth is trapped in the shield but at least he is mobile.
Halaster's involvement was to track down the shield in the fields of the dead, alter it to trap gargauth should he ever escape the pit (the imaskari learned their deity binding magics from the pit i reckon) and then put it back where he found it without anyone knowing. He also learned a lot about demonbinding and manufactured a lot of shields that mimicked the original shield of the hidden lord.
I may need to check dates and alter it a bit but thats where im heading with halaster for the moment |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 29 Aug 2017 : 10:59:42
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Well rule number one of artefacts is that they should all be unique. And gargauth is a being of godlike power so i would expect him to warp any item he is trapped within.
But if you prefer to keep them separate then it is only a spurious link of geography and timing and powers.
Are there details on the shields' creation?
Maybe he was churning out shields with bound fiends, then oops, looks like a whole quasi-power slipped in... so he decided that it was all good fun, but now it's time for "I, uh, have to go somewhere, don't call me, I'll call you! <TELEPORT>"? |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 29 Aug 2017 : 10:54:09
I am always looking for hooks! Can you please tell me more about this idea Markustay? :) |
| Markustay |
Posted - 29 Aug 2017 : 02:29:25
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
It was given out at the Candlekeep Seminar but I've received no feedback so it was clearly pedestrian!
If anyone wants a copy PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it through.
-- George Krashos
Did you get my PM? I'd like a copy, plus that other thing (from polyhedron, I think it was - the one with the Griffonfang Bridge).
Thanks |
| Markustay |
Posted - 29 Aug 2017 : 02:25:19
Are you still looking for hooks?
You asked above, "if a powerful demon is the one running the 'dungeon', why wouldn't he have released the bound demon(s)?"
Well, Berk, thar's more'n one kind of fiend. 
Lets see now... who'd be a powerful outsider, who'd be very interested in a pack of bound demons, and would want to have fun with them? But wouldn't really be all that interested in 'just letting them go'?
Have a devil (Batezu) thats been posing as a Calsihite for a long time now, mostly because he's been having a lot of fun with it, and someone tries to sell him one of these faux 'Demonshields'. I think he'd think he hit the jackpot - "play with mortals and demons and make them both miserable?" That sounds like so much more fun than just getting foolish mortals to sign contracts for their souls. |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 28 Aug 2017 : 21:42:46
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Even if it were pedestrian, which im sure it isnt, your pedestrian is better than all the combined works of the last two editions of nuRealms.
Ill take George pedestrian anyday - im still getting tons of ideas from your jergal article.
Ps. Please can i have a copy.
I quote every word from dazzlerdal ! |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 26 Aug 2017 : 16:34:25
Even if it were pedestrian, which im sure it isnt, your pedestrian is better than all the combined works of the last two editions of nuRealms.
Ill take George pedestrian anyday - im still getting tons of ideas from your jergal article.
Ps. Please can i have a copy. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Aug 2017 : 15:54:56
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
It was given out at the Candlekeep Seminar but I've received no feedback so it was clearly pedestrian!
If anyone wants a copy PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it through.
-- George Krashos
I've been working my regular schedule and playing with my 6 year old -- I've not even fully unloaded my bag from GenCon, yet! I will be doing that this weekend. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 26 Aug 2017 : 11:33:47
It was given out at the Candlekeep Seminar but I've received no feedback so it was clearly pedestrian!
If anyone wants a copy PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it through.
-- George Krashos |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 24 Aug 2017 : 10:28:24
Hey! Any news on your project Krashos? I am really looking forward to it :) |
| Cyrinishad |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 14:39:35
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I'm working on something that will hopefully see the light of day in August that coincidentally features one of Hilather's demonshields.
-- George Krashos
Wow, I'm psyched. Can't wait to read it. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 10:05:24
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I'm working on something that will hopefully see the light of day in August that coincidentally features one of Hilather's demonshields.
-- George Krashos
And here I was looking up beholder stuff, looking for a connection!   |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 09:30:17
The demon should be one that was trapped in the shield ages ago by some calishite warrior officer fighting demons in amn or in the shaar during the shoon empire.
The mage the pcs are tracking released him in return for power but is now dominated or perhaps possessed by him into manufacturing demonshields that dont work properly. For instance the demonshield may not capture the demon it is used in at all or it may only hold them imprisoned for a week before exploding in a violent conflagration.
I would have the wizard and demon hiding out in a remote tower somewhere that was abandoned long ago. When the pcs catch up with the evil duo (and get past the traps and demonic servants) then the head demon should abandon his 'allies' and flee to the ruins of the school of wonder. This of course is assuming that this demon was one of the four trapped in the shields that were recovered by the school of wonder and that his shield wasnt destroyed and that he was retrapped in his shield during the battle.
Id have the false shields sold in the random curio and antique shops that you see in the volos guides. Other people shouldnt have as much access to reliable magic as the pcs and so are always willing to take a punt on cheap potentially magical items.
As for the other power groups. The calishites should be trying to recover the original shield as it is part of their heritage (as they see it) and its powerful, but behind the scenes the leaders should be twisted rune agents who dont know they are working for the rune.
The cowled wizards are a secretive organisation that are outlawed in Amn but would be trying to put a stop to this magical chaos before another wizard pogrom is called for. They would likely contract the pcs to find and stop the source of the problem (overt action by the cowled wizards is not a good idea).
The shadow thieves will be trying to get the items for themselves but secretly rhinnom dannihyr will want the item as he is one of the few individuals alive that knows the secrets of the demonshields and how to wield them. The shadowthieves could be rival groups at first but then provide help if the pcs get overwhelmed towards the end, the help should always be double edged but rhinnom may take not of the pcs as useful pawns for the future).
Id have a few encounters with singular demons intent on causing as much damage to the local populace as possible (the pcs acting as damage limitation as well as exterminators). Then the numbers of demons should start to grow as they bring in their allies (all low level). Each time a survivor should speak of where they bought the item from and those shopkeepers should be able to identify the same haggard individual.
Pinpointing each shop on a map should show the tower in the middle and there they can confront him. Or they find another curio shop in the area and wait for the suspect to turn up.
Remember that demons dont work well together. They exist to sow chaos and destruction. They dont really do allies and cooperate only to cause more chaos and only while it suits them. The bigger demon will bully lesser demons into helping him and do with them as he pleases (including imprisoning them in the false demonshields).
At least thats what id do. It gives the players a tour of amn and allows them to delve a bit into the history of the realms when they go to the school of wonders |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 06:44:38
So that is your secret project, and an easy way to slip in lineage info depending upon where the shield travels.
Looking forward to it as always. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 02:17:25
I'm working on something that will hopefully see the light of day in August that coincidentally features one of Hilather's demonshields.
-- George Krashos |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 23:23:42
But before I pronounce myself further I still want to hear more from George. His cryptic words made me curious XD |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 23:22:53
Mmm...if I were to do a School of Wonder dungeon...whom would you suggest to be the mastermind there? A powerful demon released from the shield? If so why wouldn't he release any trapped demon left in it? Why would he keep any shield left ( empty or full) intact and not destroy or protect it in some way?
Not bickering your hooks, that I find very interesting honestly, but I want to have as much intel as possible and as many ways to spread this campaign...
Maybe I can connect the two ideas you gave me together, in Sorcerer's black markets,maybe in Athlaktla and the villages near it in Amn there is an increase of demons appearances, and in every murder scene there is an odd shield. Rhinnom would recognise it right away and realize its differences compared to the original one ( weight and material are easy to tell apart if you studied the original thing). Rhinnom also realises that such an imitation can't be done without the original. At the same time the Cowled WIzards would intervene to stop this abuse of arcane magic.
The Cowled Wizards might want to put an announcement for adventurers to investigate. The shadowthieves would contact the Pcs later, when it's clear they're investigating the murders, maybe offering for informations as they have eyes and ears everywhere. The payment for that intel would be to bring any note about those shields from the culprit to them.
As the adventure goes forward they found the culprit, later driven mad by the demon, that talks with him through a projected image or stuff like that.
So the real shield would be still hidden in the ruins of the SChool guarded by the demon its minions(both students of the academy made undead and other demons). |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 22:02:42
Found the stuff you need.
Ulcaster's school was located atop Hilather's Tower and was studying the lore of the Demonshields. It was destroyed by Calishite mages although I really wouldn't put it past the Twisted Rune to engineer that downfall.
THe School of Wonder did discover 4 of the lost Demonshields in a barrow in the Fields of the Dead (a place where GArgauth's shield was also discovered to further the spurious link).
They were tempted by the demons in the shield and unleashed those demons who summoned legions of their spawn and destroyed the school.
Rhinnom Dannihyr (the head of Amn's Council) survived that conflagration and may know to release the demons.
One of those shields may still contain a demon or another shield may have been found. Either way the shadowthieves will be eager to recover it as will the twisted rune (although only the shadowthieves might be willing to aid the pcs - if only to betray them later and steal the shield) |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 11:40:02
Thanks for the location George and quite intrigued by your "Keep an eye out...;)" clue XD. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 08:45:35
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Keep an eye out .... 
-- George Krashos
Is that one of your subtle clues George. I shall check anything you were involved in first or is it in an everwinking eye column. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 05:56:09
quote:
Originally posted by Qilintha
P.s: Is there any reference to where is the School of Wonder in Faerun?
The School of Wonder was located in the hills northwest of Hillfort Ishla in Amn.
-- George Krashos |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 11 Jun 2017 : 05:52:40
Keep an eye out ....
-- George Krashos |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 21:27:20
I could have sworn that the school of wonders was the same as Ulcaster's school or that they are in the same place.
I thought that the school was messing with the remaining shields and researching demonbinding when the calishites attacked (i think it was the twisted rune involved there but i could have imagined that) and in the ensuing fight demons got unleashed and it all went horribly wrong.
Maybe im misremembering my lore. I will have to look it up tomorrow and get you an answer on the location etc |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 19:59:46
I like your idea a lot. Thank you for the suggestion.
scho
To keep the lore as accurate as possible the school that was attacked by Calishite wizards was Ulcaster's school in 1026. that school has been established in the ruins of old Hilather's tower, where Halaster created the shields in the first place, so it's perfectly possible that one additional shield is there.
The School of Wonder was destroyed by power-mad students and tanari's two centuries later. No clear informations about what happened there exactly. In my mind it might be that one (Or few of them) were discendents of Nar empire, that infiltrated to study the shields and free the demons within.
P.s: Is there any reference to where is the School of Wonder in Faerun? |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 18:39:29
Well rule number one of artefacts is that they should all be unique. And gargauth is a being of godlike power so i would expect him to warp any item he is trapped within.
But if you prefer to keep them separate then it is only a spurious link of geography and timing and powers.
If i recall correctly the school of wonders was attacked by rivals and they likely made off with more than a few items. I cant remember who those attackers were at this point in time, but id centre the adventure around that group.
Perhaps someone is creating imperfect copies of the demonshields (thus they have one) and the imprisoned demons are escaping and wreaking havoc (not on an rse scale, just destroying a shop or two and killing a few innocents). Cue a race against time to track down all the pastiche shields before the outsiders they were used against are set free. Then the pcs need to find the manufacturer (im thinking he sold a bulk load to a seller like the old xoblob shop or someone in the underdark bazaar where you can buy magic items) when they track him down they find that he owns an original shield and he foolishly released the demon it contains in exchange for power but now is a puppet of that demon who is working him to death creating these broken shields to sow chaos and destruction.
Just an idea. Nothing too epic but it provides a few encounters with low level demons and then a mid level manipulator demon at the end. And in the middle they have to use info gathering skills and investigative and exploration to solve the problem. |
| Qilintha |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 16:42:09
Yeah I've read about that in this forum. But I have my doubts since the Shield of the Hidden Lord, according to the descriptions, is different in shape and powers. The Demonshield in Dragons of Faerun states that there is no way to talk with the trapped demon while the shield is intact. The Shield of the Hidden Lord instead has Gargauth speaking through it perfectly.
With 12 original shields out 13 still missing ( Although it's easy to assume, unless the SChool of Wonders found a way to release the demons inside the shield without breaking it, some of those 4 if not all 4 are destroyed. And even destroying them should be hard...they're major artifacts O_O)I prefer to spin ideas focusing on them. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 10 Jun 2017 : 16:07:46
There is a spurious link between the demonshields and gargauth the hiddenlord. Its unknown if halaster was involved in gargauths shield or if gargauths was a prototype but your adventure could involve that.
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