| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 19:41:24
My adventuring party managed to free Teshendale and are now lords of the now freed Dale.
Unfortunately (for the character, fortunately for the DM) the party's mage character found remnants of an old tower in the dale and rebuilt that tower...
question: What everything could be found underneath the tower?
I hardly found any information about the dale, only The Moonsea held some clues, but not really much about it... I assumed, after decades of plunder by Zhentish troops and orc tribes the sparse population hardly produces anything that might be worth taking.
Anyway, there are some powers in Theshendale, even if the Zhentarim are rather occupied with their own problems (Zhentil keep was destroyed, the Civil War, Manshoon wars, the Baatezu taking over high ranking Zhentarim, etc.)
Where exactely does Manxam live and how would he react to the missing Zhentarim? What would you suggest? |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 10 Oct 2005 : 13:34:23
Recently finished a series of adventures in Theshendale.
Everything started, that in the background story of the party's mage, his parents lived near Deepwater, and while he was young, his parents were killed by drow. His name is Blackbane. After reading the moonsea accesory, the idea of making him a lost Drowsbane heir was quite obvious.
Had 2 upstarts for the campaign. Fist 2 of my players (priest + warrior) went to Sulaspryn, were they accidently caused the death of some villagers. To attone the deed (+ subsequently regain spells again), the priest was told to find an Drowsbane heir, who is supposed to defeat some drow activity.
Second, in the mage tower appeared a ghost, who possessed a PC. In the nights he came forth to wreck some havoc. The PC got really scared to go to bed! Lathanderpriests told them, that in order to put the spirit to rest, they have to find out the reason why he became a ghost.
After travelling from Sulaspryn to Teshendale to Phlan to Tantras to Deepwater, they finally figured out, who the drowsbane heir was: The mage PC himself. He had a really funny face, especially, since the mage assumed him to be a mighty warrior to crush the drow, just to find out, he was looking for himself! In Deepwater the possessed PC reveived an armulett to protect him against the ghost for 5 days. (after the ghost murdered somebody - using the body of the PC!)
Back in Teshendale, the party was told, that strange things happened in the dale: The dwarf mine in Teshmountain is closed, as is the flaming tower (PC mage's tower) Scouts sent to both places never returned. Also orcs and screamlings (whatever the english name is for german "Kreischlinge", some small lionheaded creatures, roaming in hordes, killing everything in sight, while screaming all the time) roam the dale, killing and destroying villages and farms.
2 parties were sent off to solve the quests, one to the mines (NPCs) and the PC party into the flaming tower. After discovering, that the cellars are a bit bigger then expected, they found first some orc guards in the mazes (One 6th level rouge orc character equipped with X-bow with drow poisoned darts almost killed the whole part singlehandly), they discovered deep under the surface a complex inhabited by some drow. There they encountered several drow parties, who hunted them (PCs had to flee many more times, then the drow fled *hehe*) they met the other NPC party, who fought against an orc tribe, who took over the dwarf mines, but could find no traces of the dwarfs, but found a hallway towards here. In the heart of the complex they found dwarfs in cages + ritual rooms, where some dwarfs were transformed into these "screamlings" and released afterwards. Also there was the oldest daughter of the drow matron mother, who was killed by Sulas Drowsbane himself, who plottet the downfall of the Drowsbane family and hunted down the Mage's parents and now the mage himself. The ghost turned out as another Drowsbane heir, who was imprisoned by vile drow magic.
Somehow both parties (Ren o' the blade was in the other NPC party) managed to defeat the drow (only one PC died, but none had more then 10 HP or any spells left) and solved the problems.
What was especially funny, was combining 2 threats into one story, + everybody assumed, that the Zentarim were behind the chaos in the dale, but they didn't participate at all in the adventure. |
| webmanus |
Posted - 03 Aug 2005 : 16:21:50
Hi Iliphar1,
Do you have something new to share? Just curious.
/webmanus |
| webmanus |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 22:07:39
By the way, I have also the following post ...
http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4311
Should not this post of yours reside under "Running the Realms"? I suggest tht you check with Alaundo. |
| webmanus |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 21:08:31
Hi Iliphar1!
Have you seen my Teshar post? Link below:
http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4102
Maybe, you get an idea or two ... Still, I would suggest something from the Netherese, from 300 DR.
About Teshendale's Population
My assumption, about Teshendale's population, has been that one third fled towards Daggerdale, and maybe further south. One third was killed. And one third was enslaved. Of cource, only rough guidelines.
However, looking now at the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (FRCS, from 2001), Teshwave has a permanent population of 1,256 inhabitants! And, in addition to the population, there are 2,000 - 3,000 troops in the small town. Now, based on general figures from the FRCS (I have looked at the Population entries for several regions, and then counted the total population of towns etc), I would estimate that Teshendale has a population of c 12,560 inhabitants!!
Compare the above population of Teshwave, with the figures that are found in The Moonsea Player's Guide (The Moonsea, AD&D Forgotten Realms Accessory, 9474):
quote:
Population: There are approximately 50 people left in this town. In addition, there are 2,000 Zhentilar troops and 300 humanoid troops.
I always thought that Teshendale was unpopulated, except for the residents of Teshwave 
About Zhentish Caravans
In my campaign, zhentish caravans travell through Teshendale and Daggerdale. Although lord Randal Morn does not like the Zhents, he is indirectly forced to let zhentish caravans through. If he would not let caravans through, then open warfare would be the case. And, the Zhentarim would send assasians, and all the rest. Lord Randal Morn's men-at-arms do stop zhentish caravans for inspection, and the zhent's envoy in Dagger Falls, complains daily that Zhentarim caravans are harried by the lord's men. But, that is my campaign.
With the above said, I would state that, as the trade route is so important to the Zhentarim, they would do everything possible to get their caravans through Teshendale and Daggerdale.
That's it  |
| Kaladorm |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 18:49:18
I'd be surprised if the Zhents would send out a diplomat to deal with what they would essentially see as a small irritation (what I meant is the group of PCs isn't exactly a political organisation).
I think after enough hassle with trying to get their caravans through, they'd be much more inclined to make their point with assassins :D |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 15 May 2005 : 18:18:27
didn't the Zhent's use the dale as a starting point for their caravans into the heartland? What would their new "ralley point" be now?
For the beginning I planned that they just ignore any edicts and still travel through the dale, but sooner or later the PCs will become aware of it and either plunder the caravans or close that route for them. Of course diplomats from Zhentil Keep will appear and claim passage but assuming, the PCs will deny that passage, what would the Zhents do?
Attack or find another route? |
| Kaladorm |
Posted - 14 May 2005 : 00:32:25
I doubt the Zhentarim would care all that much, I think it's a bit far out and lawless out there for them to be that bothered really.
I'd imagine if the Beholderking wanted to 'remove' your party from the old cult grounds, then he'd have to do it alone, rather than with the help of the zhents. |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 14 May 2005 : 00:11:40
The Tower is the Flaming Tower, built by Fire giants, a beholder once had a cult there, there are quite some stories (at least in teh 2nd edition campaign setting. I think it's originally placed in Daggerdale, but I moved it into Theshendale.
As a basis for the dale I based it on Vargas Llosa's "War at the end of the world" like. Absolute poverty, bandits roaming free, regular famines, religious fanatics, etc. (I even have created a particular cruel bandit, who became a bandit because he wanted to kill Zhentarim -long story, my PCs pity him and want to turn him to good)
My question about the dale is, what would you think the Zhentarim would do and how would Manxam, the Beholderking deal with the situation. As far as i know he was kind of allied with Fzoul
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 13 May 2005 : 22:57:19
quote:
Originally posted by Iliphar1
Unfortunately (for the character, fortunately for the DM) the party's mage character found remnants of an old tower in the dale and rebuilt that tower...
I don't think that Teshendale has had that much coverage... So I'd make up whatever you want for that tower to be. Make up some history for it, and run with it. It could be a fallen temple, a wizard's tower, or a military fortification... Whichever you chose dictates what's going to be under the tower.
But, with as long as the dale was occupied, the tower has likely already been plundered of the easy-to-find goodies. Whatever's left would have to be exceedingly well-hidden, or exceedingly well-guarded... |
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