| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 06 Jun 2020 : 21:23:37
I have been digging around and I have found several regional or Realms-wide events that may or would have affected the Western Heartlands and the neighboring areas. Does anyone of other ones for this period (this is mainly for weather related happenings)?
50: In the North, almost no growing season, many ice storms, and great loss of life.
491: Unnaturally heavy precipitation falls all year long.
715: Monsters run wild in all the Realms this year.
893: War threatens much of Faerūn but is averted. (Anyone know what this was about?)
1252: Vines were blighted this year; no wine!
1322: A drought this year bring attacks by monsters on agricultural lands all over Faerun.
1325: A year of unrivaled plenty; the ale brewed this year is legendary.
1346: The Great Frost, as it was come to be known as, had a severe impact on the growing season which led to starving monsters raiding agricultural lands all over the Western Hearlands.
|
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 22:29:38
Actually, all the monks and assassins had a gigantic, last man standing cage match. The winning monk had to move to Kara-Tur because he felt that no one in the West "really understood him". He took up competitive flower arranging in Wa. Chapbooks at the time didn't report this because no one really cared about monks anyway (thus proving his point). |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 21:48:30
As is my wont, I explain this event with a non divine twist.
Later explanations for the survival of assassins and even some bhaalite assassins was that bhaal only took assassins nearby, so that was the western heartlands, amn, calimshan, tethyr.
Now it just so happens that the shadow thieves were operating in those regions and underwent a major reformation during that time as assassins were a big part of its membership.
It also happens that the shadow thieves were in competition with the Dark Dagger (a drow organisation dedicated to vhaeraun I think).
So during the tim of troubles the shadow thieves tried to expand majorly into calimshan and lost a massive number of its membership to the dark dagger in a guild war of swift and epic proportions.
Just a though for those that dislike the time of troubles but need to explain the sudden loss of bhaal assassins |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 19:59:05
I truthfully ignored the all assassins bit and retconned it as a cadre of assassins in one locale...just like Torm took on only worshipers from one place.
Especially in light of the fact that numerous assassins obviously still were alive after the Time of Troubles. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 16:04:06
-The whole concept behind all those assassins dying was that it was a playable class path in 1e D&D rules and wasn't in the 2e D&D rules and TSR needed an explanation as to why all those NPCs magically disappeared. That isn't a particularly great reason to take action in-setting, and the action that they took was really, really clunky.
-But regardless of the details, yeah, their deaths would have been felt in the area. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 06:00:53
Just checked the timeline. Yep, Bane died on Eleasias 13 and Bhaal died a little over a month later. So, if the books say that Bane killed the assassins and the FRA says Bhaal did it, could it be that Bane just killed the assassins that worshipped him and then Bhaal killed the rest when he died later on? |
| Stones Finder |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 05:05:59
I thought that Bane died in Tantras, and Bhaal and Myrkul in Waterdeep. I could be misremembering; I consider the original Avatar novels to be among the worst in the Realms canon (I'd actually describe Tantras as the worst D&D novel ever published by either TSR or WOTC), and I've been trying to blot out their memory for 30-odd years... |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 01:47:02
Interesting. In FRA, it says that Bhaal did it. In the timeline that gives the day by day of the books, it says Bane (well, it says "Bane's assassins"). Maybe it was both of them? All of them except Bane's when Bhaal got killed and then the rest when Bane did his. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 01:46:46
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus
-I got it backwards a little. Bhaal was the god of assassins, but it was Bane that had them all killed. It was during the novel Waterdeep, the last book in the Avatar Trilogy. Basically him and Torm got into fisticuffs (for some reason, I remember them basically being like giant sized but I don't know if that was the case or I just kind of imagined like a Godzilla-esque titans battle) and Bane siphoned the power from all those Bhalite assassins all over the world and Torm siphoned the power of his followers from the fortress of Tantras.
-Not sure how/why Bane was able to do that but hey.
That was always one of the clumsier aspects of the ToT. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 01:26:10
-I got it backwards a little. Bhaal was the god of assassins, but it was Bane that had them all killed. It was during the novel Waterdeep, the last book in the Avatar Trilogy. Basically him and Torm got into fisticuffs (for some reason, I remember them basically being like giant sized but I don't know if that was the case or I just kind of imagined like a Godzilla-esque titans battle) and Bane siphoned the power from all those Bhalite assassins all over the world and Torm siphoned the power of his followers from the fortress of Tantras.
-Not sure how/why Bane was able to do that but hey. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 08 Jun 2020 : 00:19:27
Thank you. That is a very good point. Considering the environment in Iriaebor, I am sure there were quite a few assassins there. Did Bhaal draw out all the spirits at once or gradually and would you happen to know when/what part of the story he did this in? Also, the physical chaos during that time could have had a detrimental affect on Iriaebor's flood control works on the Chionthar.
Thinking about the widespread famine and poverty that is listed for 896 to 900, how about a schism in the Church of Chauntea? Have a heresy start in 893 with combat averted. Have a meeting of senior church leaders in the fall of 895 where they cannot come to a decision and an actual schism starting right after. The next four years, the priests do not do their normal field blessing and Chauntea herself is too distracted to do anything, either. Food output drops significantly and that leads to hording and a drop in trade that increases general poverty. Then, in 900, there are uprisings and civil wars all over the place that brings an end to the schism and Chauntea gives a late season blessing that substantially increases the amount of food produced and brings an end to the famine.
|
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 07 Jun 2020 : 23:11:21
-All those Bhallite assassins died in 1358 DR, during the Time of Troubles. Given their proclivities, that would probably have an impact on the underworld in major areas, including the Western Heartlands. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 07 Jun 2020 : 17:09:46
Thank you. I was beginning to believe that "widespread war" reference was just because there were quite a few regional wars and not one grand "World War". I would guess you are looking at the orcs of the Elkhorn Horde being the precursors for Uruth Ukrypt?
My reason for this posting is I am going to incorporate these events into the Iriaebor history I am working on since they would most definitely have an impact on trade up and down the Sword Coast. So, if it is regional fighting, I will need to reference a few other items. So, there is combat (according to the FR Wiki) happening in Kara-Tur, Chondath (civil war), and Cormyr (fighting the armys of the Witch Lords). I was thinking of a crusade from the Church of Tempus to wipeout the church of Garagos happening outside of Westgate (which would be when the temple there was abandoned/wiped out).
Also found one more wide happening and something that is local that could affect trade with Amn:
896: Faerūn experiences widespread famine and poverty over the next four years.
897: In reaction to increased monster activity in the mountains (The Cloud Peaks) over the past decade, Citadel Rashturl is built this year as a log fort, replaced by stone in four years. |
| ericlboyd |
Posted - 07 Jun 2020 : 12:46:54
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
quote:
893: War threatens much of Faerūn but is averted. (Anyone know what this was about?)
Well on https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/893_DR I find quote:
The chieftain Galush leads an army of Nar horsemen to assault north-eastern Impiltur. Duke Lantigar Deepstar and his army defeats them in the Battle of Twelvepikes on the shores of the Soleine River.
From "The North" "The Wilderness" page 8 a time line offers:
893 War threatens much of Faerūn but is averted.
900 Widespread war; strong leaders emerge.
I can only offer a guess that the Battle of Twelvepikes managed to prevent widespread war for seven years.
I've been working with the 893 and 900 DR dates in the Dessarin river valley. (Presumably there are concurrent events in other regions of the Realms.) Note that 893 DR is only 10 years after the fall of Eaerlann (including Siluvanede) and Ammarindar (882 - 883 DR), which precipitated a great western migration of elves, dwarves, and even many orcs.
893 Year of the Raised Sword : Firmly ensconced in the grasslands south of the Evermoors, the orcs of the Dessarin valley continue to grow in number and ambition. War looks inevitable until the mage Sabirine intervenes. She manages to abduct the leader of the horde reforming in the lower Dessarin river valley, and the burgeoning Elkhorn horde fragments into small bands of raiders.
The Knights of the Silver Horn rediscover Tyar-Besil in the Sumber Hills. Over the next six years , they return again and again to explore the subterranean city.
900 Year of the Thirsty Sword: The Elkhorn Horde finally erupts, but the delay has given time for warlords throughout the Dessarin river valley to consolidate their holdings. While there are battles throughout the Shield, humanity manages to hold their own, with the support of elven refugees from Eaerlann. The surviving orcs flee into the Sword Mountains.
|
| Kentinal |
Posted - 06 Jun 2020 : 23:20:41
quote:
893: War threatens much of Faerūn but is averted. (Anyone know what this was about?)
Well on https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/893_DR I find quote:
The chieftain Galush leads an army of Nar horsemen to assault north-eastern Impiltur. Duke Lantigar Deepstar and his army defeats them in the Battle of Twelvepikes on the shores of the Soleine River.
From "The North" "The Wilderness" page 8 a time line offers:
893 War threatens much of Faerūn but is averted.
900 Widespread war; strong leaders emerge.
I can only offer a guess that the Battle of Twelvepikes managed to prevent widespread war for seven years. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 06 Jun 2020 : 22:41:17
Sure, it is pg 176 in VGttSC. It really doesn't say much:
"The clergy are led by the widely respected matriarch Alliya Macanester, the Old Lady of Corm Orp. Her wisdom and foresight have prevented weather spoiling the crops on two important occasions: the Great Frost of early 1346 DR and the drought of 1322 DR, which brought down desperate attacks on Corm Orp, as on so many other places in Faerūn, from starving monsters."
Edit: I should also include pg 173 in Demihuman Deities. It says almost exactly the same thing, though. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 06 Jun 2020 : 21:58:29
If I recall correctly from my moonshae research 1335 - 1346 was a decade o severe winters that prompted renewed raids from the northmen (they couldn't survive otherwise).
Didn't realise there was a great frost in the final year though. Could you point me to the source so I can read more on it |
