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Pigeon of Blue
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Dec 2024 : 23:20:08
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I was reading Dragon 202 once again and the article was entitled "Elminster's Notebook: Mystery of the Plains." It was a unique discovery where our renowned sage was stumped as to the presence of sword in the far southeastern reaches of the Mulhorand Empire. (It's quite a long ways to lure and entrap the Sage of Shadowdale.) It's a fascinating article that has lingered in the back of mind for some two decades now. It's descriptive and but no mentions to its origins or capabilities has been released to date.
Is it possible for Ed Greenwood or even Elminster to further elaborate for what the sword can do and why was it there?
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31792 Posts |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6669 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2024 : 12:28:37
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The lack of information is why it is indeed ... a mystery.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Pigeon of Blue
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2024 : 15:15:25
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I'm hoping Ed could reveal something new and informative or was the sword destroyed during the Spellplague.
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
The lack of information is why it is indeed ... a mystery.
-- George Krashos
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11859 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 13:38:21
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hmmm, thanks for the reminder. Just went and reread that article.
So, the sword is surrounded by skulls (human, elven, some orc, and at least one troll) AND mummified human arms reaching up "vainly as if in supplication". In addition there was no sign of magic in the area, but the sword showed no signs of rust or any other degradation.
From the drawing of the sword, it very much resembles the original sword of conan's father (i.e. some animal skull on the crossguard along the center of the base of the blade). However, it also has two "horns" or "talons/claws" or "bones" above this skull, but not attached. These "horns/talons/claws/bones" face back towards wrappings of the grip. This seems a foolish addition, since they're likely to cut the wielder and serve no other purpose IF they don't extend out from the grip (remember we're looking at a 2d representation).
What I'd personally do with this .... this is where Nergal fell during the orcgate wars. The orcgate was made to link with the gate south of Unther that would eventually become Shandaular, and the orcs sought to invade the Mulan empires from the south. The sword is Nergal's blade, and his shield fell alongside it and is covered under the foliage (its black face makes it hard to see). The aura of his shield was known to stop all spells of 8th level or less, but it also makes the area immune to most detection spells. It also has a short range effect that drains life force from any thinking being that comes close, to the point that it will mummify their flesh. In addition. anyone that touches the hilt fo the sword will find the "rib bones" that point back towards the hand of the wielder automatically touch the wielder. Exactly what happens when this occurs... unknown... but deadly. Thus why noone has successfully picked up this weapon.
The orc and troll skulls that surround the sword are the remains of orc demigods (children of Gruumsh) that were slain by Nergal. The human remains are those of Mulan "would be wielders" of the weapon. The "elf" skulls are actually dark elven skulls of followers of Kiaransalee who sought to retrieve this weapon. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Pigeon of Blue
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 14:42:18
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So Jergal, a netherese deity, fell before the destruction of the Empire of the Same name? Other than the Orcgate Wars, can you sight the EXACT SOURCE
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
hmmm, thanks for the reminder. Just went and reread that article.
Thus why no one has successfully picked up this weapon.
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11859 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 16:25:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Pigeon of Blue
So Jergal, a netherese deity, fell before the destruction of the Empire of the Same name? Other than the Orcgate Wars, can you sight the EXACT SOURCE
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
hmmm, thanks for the reminder. Just went and reread that article.
Thus why no one has successfully picked up this weapon.
Not Jergal. Nergal. Though I have personally intimated that the two deities are linked. Nergal fell in -1071 DR during the orcgate wars (multiple sources), which was prior to the fall of Netheril, along with multiple Untheric Pantheon deities and the Mulhorandi chief deity Re. They fell to"orc deities" FOR THE MOST PART, and Erin Evans novels apparently assigned which deities did what. I believe somewhere its documented in maybe P&P or F&A that Bahamut (in the form of Marduk) was attacked by Tiamat (a traditional enemy of the pantheon) instead of "an orc god".
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_Gods
Nergal is the only DOCUMENTED god who was specifically interred OUTSIDE of Mulhorand/Unther, with his tomb being the areas that would become known as the Great Barrow in region known as the Great Dale above Thesk. This is per Lost Empires of Faerun.
Some notes here, which also seem to contradict the lore in LEoF. There it shows that in Dragon 358 that the "God Tomb of Nerga" (note misspelling) lies on the border of Unther and the Council Hills .... kind of near Okoth which is where this sword is found (though that dragon article doesn't give anything close to exacting detail of where in that region the sword is found). Possibly one tomb for visitors, another for the body to be hidden away... possibly with links between he two. So, contradictions, mysteries, lots of wiggle room, etc...
http://candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22619
Oh, and as a side note, regarding other Untheric gods... I've personally liked the idea that there's two stories regarding two that either died or left. Specifically in regards Faerunian gods that were "PRIME BOUND" prior to the Time of Troubles, using Untheric Manifestations opens some interesting storylines.
1) Miellikki had to reside on the prime of Realmspace prior to the ToT per the 2nd edition FRCG, and I like the idea that SOMEHOW she used the godflesh of Ki to gain a presence in realmspace.
2) Eldath ALSO had to reside on the prime of Realmspace, and for her I like the idea that Ishtar (regarded as a river goddess in Unther) fled the pantheon and took on the name of Eldath in the Faerunian Pantheon. She "let" Isis take over her worshippers, and thus Gilgeam couldn't move against Isis without moving against all the Mulhorandi gods. This can open a lot of ideas... for instance, did she flee to the Faerunian Pantheon for protection from Gilgeam? Was it instead because Isis wanted to push her way into Unther? Was it because Enlil left since she left soon after he did? Did she go in hiding for some time or was she imprisoned somewhere before "becoming" Eldath?
As a further sidenote, we know that Assuran "The Lord of Three Thunders" ALSO left the pantheon for Faerun (becoming Hoar the Doombringer). We also have that the largest Banite temple is on the border of Unther (and interestingly, Gilgeam BECAME a tyrant god). There are so many spins you can put on Untheric lore with them being involved with areas outside of Unther as other beings.... |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 11 Dec 2024 16:51:52 |
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Pigeon of Blue
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2024 : 16:57:56
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| Okay. This works better for him and my curiosity. I'm trying to expand of collect much of the lore from Elminster's Notebook and not an easy task is there was one. What is the likely hood of more Untheric relics laying around after the Orcgate Wars and what could've survived after the Spellplague. |
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Mystery of the Planes
