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Lysander
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
 Posted - 10 May 2004 : 23:59:35
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Searching the site (and a Google search) left me with what I started with - the name "Sythillusian" and the (barely there) blurb in the 3E FRCS. Is there anything else out there that would make it worthy to note on the map?
Lysander
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2004 : 00:27:41
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It was first mentioned in the Lands of Intrigue box set. You can get that for free on the link below.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/downloads |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Hymn
Senior Scribe
Sweden
514 Posts |
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Lysander
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2004 : 02:36:19
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
It was first mentioned in the Lands of Intrigue box set. You can get that for free on the link below.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/downloads
I didn't think to check the TSR material - I assumed the empire was a 3E creation. I guess that it's just a plot device left for individual DMs to expand on.
Lysander |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31727 Posts |
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1714 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2004 : 20:33:34
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Good links, all. Glad y'all posted them, as I got the chance to see what folks have been doing with the monster-mash since I left it.
To answer a few guesses and such...
1) Tethyr and Amn are not officially at war; Tethyr sees Riatavin as a protectorate if not a full part of Tethyr. Zaranda's just taking advantage of an internal Amnian problem; there'd be real cause for war if she'd claimed Riatavin rather than its leading citizens coming to her with hats in hand.
2) I foresaw both the Sythillisian Empire and the monsters still left in eastern Tethyr as possibilities for adventurers to make their marks in the Lands of Intrigue. I also expect that a more than probable resolution could be in Amn forgiving Tethyr and allowing Riatavin to stay as it is in exchange for aid in ending the siege by the monsters and helping clear them out. Still, that's at least another year or so in the offing, as Tethyr's armies still need to recover from the Reclamation Wars (and they've seen in Amn what happens when you overcommit troops in the wrong directions).
Any other questions? I'd love to chat on this topic, as my original plan was simply to smack the greedy daylights out of Amn (as moral recompense for what they've done to Maztica) and to establish one of the first monster-led "countries" within mainstream Faerun.
Steven Schend
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For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2004 : 21:19:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Any other questions? I'd love to chat on this topic, as my original plan was simply to smack the greedy daylights out of Amn (as moral recompense for what they've done to Maztica) and to establish one of the first monster-led "countries" within mainstream Faerun.
Hmm... this sound like a very interesting suggestion. One that could see the light of day in my campaign. A monster haven of sorts... 
Imagine groups of 30 frost, fire or mountain giants travelling overland with huge, two-ton backpacks... all heading for Amn and staying well clear of all human cities and villages...  |
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Hymn
Senior Scribe
Sweden
514 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2004 : 21:50:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Any other questions? I'd love to chat on this topic, as my original plan was simply to smack the greedy daylights out of Amn (as moral recompense for what they've done to Maztica) and to establish one of the first monster-led "countries" within mainstream Faerun.
Steven Schend
Hmm, if this would come to pass could this open up a chance for Syl-Pasha Pesarkhal to make a move to annex, or at least improve their standings considerably, Tethyr to his grandvision for Calimshans future.
To help clear out the infestation of monsters from Amn of course. But perhaps he is to busy with the unification of Calimshan itself, fixing the towers on the tradeway etc. I also think it would be nice if the poor monsters where out in the open instead of hiding away in caves and such like. I mean that would make any one hateful and angry. |
Sauro moki kara ochiro - Even monkeys falls from trees.
The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant - Miyamoto Musashi |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 11:47:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
Any other questions? I'd love to chat on this topic, as my original plan was simply to smack the greedy daylights out of Amn (as moral recompense for what they've done to Maztica) and to establish one of the first monster-led "countries" within mainstream Faerun.
Steven Schend
Heh, guess Steven has provided me with a little motivation to return to the forums.
As a FR DM I would support the idea of letting the Ogre-mage led monster nation remain, at least for a while. Amn would stand to loose a large chunck of it's southern parts and the monster nation would sit between Amn and Tethyr as some sort of a buffer. This would logically also make some sense if one looks at the geography of the region.
I have always wondered why the stretch north of the Wealdath was considered to be Tethyrian territory as well as strips of land including the Small Teeth as part of Amn. It is a difficult frontier to control given the absence of major military stations (of course there are the Amnian Hill forts, but they do appear to be inadequate for such a region.
The most reasonable option IMO would be to have the Sythillusian empire withdraw from the northern parts of Amn (after raiding it of course) and consolidate their hold on the Small Teeth and the land between those mountains and the Wealdath.
This would include the port city of Murann (a Realms version of Freeport?) as well as sitting astride an important trade route between Calimshan & Tethyr and the lands north of the remainder of Amn. (Monster control of Murann and the (already existing) cooperation with the pirates of the Nelanther would make the shipping alternative not much more attractive than overland travel) This would enable the empire to generate some income from trade, protection and toll tariffs.
In the long run, the Syl-pasha Pesarkhal might consider allying with the monster empire to have them function as an anvil on which he could crush Zaranda's Tethyr.
Tethyr would likely not go to war against the monsters if they don't pose a threat other than to the trade route. They are busy with recovering from the reclamation wars, the incursions of the Banites in the south-east and the subtle advances of Calimshan.
Allrighty, some 2cp on the topic
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 20:57:59
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IMC, Semmemmon and his elf lady moved in with the monster army... they even gave him a large castle with a small army of servants. He has his own roaming band of ogre "special-ops" that he teleports to other parts of Faerūn to get stuff done. He use these commandos to coerce other Faerūnian ogre tribes (either join us, stay here and do what we say, or die...) These special ogres are strangely much more intelligent than the average ogre, for some reason...  |
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Israfel666
Acolyte
Italy
37 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 21:46:27
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As I am DMing an online game in Athkatla, I'd love to hear Steven's opinion on this matter: does Athkatla feel like a city 'at war', or not? Since I am not interested in having the PCs take part in the war (unless in a *very* indirect way), I have described them a practically peaceful City of Coin, e.g. where people still have the time and means to have fun on Waukeenar holidays, still go on with their daily routines. The Sythillisian empire is a matter of everyday conversation like the war in Kosovo was here in Europe a few days ago - a business for the army, that the common citizen is only indirectly interested in. Do you think that could be an appropriate situation?
(In any case, the game is set in mid-Year of Rogue Dragons, and since a year has passed since the FRCS info, I could change the events so that Amn is winning the war.  ) |
Stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus. |
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1714 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2005 : 20:48:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Israfel666
As I am DMing an online game in Athkatla, I'd love to hear Steven's opinion on this matter: does Athkatla feel like a city 'at war', or not? Since I am not interested in having the PCs take part in the war (unless in a *very* indirect way), I have described them a practically peaceful City of Coin, e.g. where people still have the time and means to have fun on Waukeenar holidays, still go on with their daily routines. The Sythillisian empire is a matter of everyday conversation like the war in Kosovo was here in Europe a few days ago - a business for the army, that the common citizen is only indirectly interested in. Do you think that could be an appropriate situation?
(In any case, the game is set in mid-Year of Rogue Dragons, and since a year has passed since the FRCS info, I could change the events so that Amn is winning the war. )
Trolling through old threads and finding things unanswered....
Short version--Athkatla doesn't feel like a city at war, since it's more important to keep business running as usual than it is to let it get disrupted or changed due to what most there see as "not my problem."
Longer version may have to wait, as something's come up and I've got to dash. |
For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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Octa
Learned Scribe
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2005 : 19:00:47
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its probably more important for the Synthisillians to build some fortifications in the mountains there around Murann. They would be much more inclined to raid into Amn than into Tethyr, just because the forest there doesn't hold much in the way of the almighty $$ and elves +forest=lots of dead humanoids. the problem for the Synthisillians is that humanoids tend to disband their hordes after they win a couple of battles and go home.
So the Synthisillians need to #1 actually have some kind of command structure where the humanoids are commanded by 1, priests of Cyric, or 2, other ogre magi or some smarter higher CR humanoid. Maybe Ogre Mage and Rakasha are pouring in from all over Faerun to do this.
Tethyr's hands are tied with a split army tied up between facing Mintarn and the Black Gauntlet and the Cyricists.
Probably Tethyr's first move is to go after the Nelanther Pirates and re-open the sea lanes there. Then they need to make a deal with the baneites, then they need to go after the Synthisilian empire.
In return for an alliance against the Synthisilians Amn would trade the western cities which are now part of Tethyr.
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Octa
Learned Scribe
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2005 : 21:01:52
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So I agree with Mumadar, the most important thing for the Synthisillians to get is money. Harassing trade routes until the Tethyrians and Amnians pay them off makes alot of sense. Also the 'Freeport' idea is a great one.
I love Semmemon moving there and joining in, its beautiful and priceless. |
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The Sythillusian Empire troubles
