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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 13:23:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Amarel_Derakanor
I got another question for you, George!
In the 3rd edition 'Underdark' tome, on page 133, one can find information about the city of Ched Nasad, the city of shimmering webs.... And information about a Lawful Evil male adult blue dragon Sorcerer, of 12th level.
It says that he was living in the city disguised as a drow wizard named Quevven Jusztiirn, but his real name is 'Krashos Morueme'!
Now, Krashos is'nt the most common name around, so I'm wondering if there might be a connection somewhere.... With you, that is. 
Well, the reference to "me" came a bit earlier than that in 'Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark', thanks to Eric Boyd. At the time, when I read the draft, I suggested he go with an anagram such as Karsosh to make it a little less obvious, but he insisted. That's not the only 'in' joke in the book, there are a few others. But yes, I've had the good fortune to be immortalised in FR canon, joining other luminaries of the Realms, a few of which frequent these Boards.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 06 Nov 2008 13:27:26 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 13:25:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Oh man, the Fallen Kingdom project.
What is the Fallen Kingdom Project? Did it see the light of day? What is it? Where is it?
I know what/where the Fallen Kingdom was in Faerun but I don't know what this 'project' relates to specifically. But I'd like to!
The "Fallen Kingdom Project" was a part of the aborted FR Encyclopedia project that Steven Schend got up and running but realised in the end would consume far too many TSR/WotC resources and take too much time to bring to fruition.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Amarel Derakanor
Seeker
97 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 13:48:58
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Six minutes! You are faster than greased lightning! Thanks for the reply, it was something I've been wondering for some time, now.... |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 00:48:27
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This one is about a post you made to Ed's scroll in 2006 regarding the Cormyr Royal Succession document, but I decided that my original question was better posed to the document's current guardian. I have another one for you, though:
quote:
Posted by George Krashos 05 Feb 2006 22:53:29
THO has it right as always, the Cormyr Lineage exists in exacting detail and has been in the hands of WotC for a year or so now. You must understand however that it is a nebulous document of sorts - because Ed keeps churning out the realmslore on Cormyr, and we "Keepers of the Lineage" (Garen Thal is its current custodian) are always playing catch up and Mr Fixit. You should have seen the scrambling that followed the publication of "Elminster's Daughter"! I very much hope that it will see the light of day and soon - it would make a splendid web enhancement for a "Cormyr: the Forest Kingdom" regional sourcebook.
-- George Krashos
I guess we'll never see such a sourcebook, but it would have been the next thing from Wizards after the Grand History that I would have happily purchased... and then the Spellplague came along. I'm not optimistic that Brian can answer my questions either, but maybe you can answer this one for me: Why is the succession document still under NDA after the publication of the lineage of succession in the GHotR and the subsequent obliteration of consistency that is the Spellplague?
Just wondering. 
Re: Amarel: As you can tell, I liked what Kyrene had to say too. I may pull it, though... my sig is getting rather bloated, and you're spreading the Gospel of Kyrene, so I feel less delinquent if I remove it now...  |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 07 Nov 2008 00:56:45 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 01:36:41
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Well, simply because it contains work originally created by Ed for TSR. As in, he had a bunch of Cormyr lore on the lineage of kings in that realm that was supplied for the Ol' Grey Box. That's why you got a snippet of the line of monarchs there.
Sure, there has been a huge amount of work done to the document since, and it has received constant updates as more lore has unfolded, but the kernel of the document, the skeleton as it were, belongs to TSR/WotC. We could provide you with the flesh, but we'd have to delete all the names that make up the skeleton. And that wouldn't be all that useful.
I personally think that no NDA should apply to the lineage anymore. Clearly it's unlikely to see any real use by WotC with the timejump and the advent of 4E. This is especially so considering that Cormyr is "done" now from a DDI point of view - thanks Brian (squared)!
But wiser heads than mine have to make that decision, and I'm not going to upset and annoy people like Ed and Brian by deciding to post the copy that Brian has generously provided to me to keep me in the loop.
I will however try and get my butt into gear and get my Impiltur lineage in some sort of shape for hosting her at the Keep (if they'll have it). Fingers crossed by early next year it might be good to go. Ashe Ravenheart, one of the scribes here, did an awesome job of coverting my mantles stuff into a FR format PDF. In due course, his services might be requested again.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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AlorinDawn
Learned Scribe
USA
313 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 01:40:36
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| Great work on the mantles!!! They will be put to use. Many thanks. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36587 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 02:31:20
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I personally think that no NDA should apply to the lineage anymore.
Honestly, it seems that a lot of NDAs should go away with the timejump. With that era no longer being focused on and the pledge of no more material from that era, there seems to be no reason for the NDAs not to be lifted.
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I will however try and get my butt into gear and get my Impiltur lineage in some sort of shape for hosting her at the Keep (if they'll have it). Fingers crossed by early next year it might be good to go.
You know Big Al would be delighted to host such a document.
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Ashe Ravenheart, one of the scribes here, did an awesome job of coverting my mantles stuff into a FR format PDF. In due course, his services might be requested again.
He's not the only one who has that capability and who would share it. He was just the first, in this case. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1861 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 02:32:51
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Mr. Krashos, what can you tell me about the Impilturan navy? Is it a unified military force, or does each city have its own naval structure?
What kind of ships does it use? And since 'galleon', 'caravel' or 'galley' have been used about so many different ships in the past that they are all but meaningless, could you give me length, beam, draft, tonnage, crew and armaments?
Since you are the authority in that part of the world, perhaps you can also answer this for Procampur. It used to be an Impilturan city, at least. I know they have a 'powerful fleet', but I'm not sure if that has been developed further anywhere. Somehow I've got this memory of twelve fast galleys, but I can't imagine where I saw that. |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Forgotten Realms fans, please sign a petition to re-release the FR Interactive Atlas
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 04:26:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I will however try and get my butt into gear and get my Impiltur lineage in some sort of shape for hosting her at the Keep (if they'll have it). Fingers crossed by early next year it might be good to go.
You know Big Al would be delighted to host such a document.
And we'll all be delighted to read it.
Of course, it'd probably be best to include this with the rest of Krash's online replies about Impiltur. And it could feature nicely alongside all his previous "Impiltur-lineage" posts that I've compiled.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Ashe Ravenheart, one of the scribes here, did an awesome job of coverting my mantles stuff into a FR format PDF. In due course, his services might be requested again.
He's not the only one who has that capability and who would share it. He was just the first, in this case.
Indeed.
I suppose it goes without saying that we're happy to assist in any capacity you so desire George.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 07 Nov 2008 04:28:33 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 07:39:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I personally think that no NDA should apply to the lineage anymore.
Honestly, it seems that a lot of NDAs should go away with the timejump. With that era no longer being focused on and the pledge of no more material from that era, there seems to be no reason for the NDAs not to be lifted.
I agree completely. George, what do we need to do to convince Wizards to release this lore? Or, if you don't have that answer, who should we talk to? I've already posted to Brian James' "Requests" scroll, but that was 4E-oriented, so my post may have been overlooked. 
Link to my (apparently now-dead) poll: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11753
I've been trying to re-create the Obarskyr/Silver family tree based on the information we have, and the absence of names for the Silver daughters ends that attempt rather quickly, and the Obarskyr line falls apart (as I've already noted) at the Thronestrife, with all those grandnieces and grandnephews of Gorauna. I would like to have this information for purposes of my campaign, and it wouldn't feel right to make it up, knowing that the canon answers exist (even if I can't access them). Hopefully we can make this happen; as I've said to both Brian James and the Wizards forum, I would be happy to pay for the article on a download-on-demand basis, but I would not pay for D&D Insider even if it would give me that information. I hold that position for a variety of reasons, none of which are on-topic here. 
On another note, much more on-topic: George, the mantles writeup is awesome! More 3e-slightly-crunchy lore! Just the way I like it! Do you have anything more of that flavour for us? The Impiltur lineage will be a delight to have; I have my own post-1375 plans for the region, as I've hinted at elsewhere in the halls of Candlekeep, and Soneillon and her consort are front and centre in those plans. 
Anyway, I hope we can free this wrongly-imprisoned lore before it dies of neglect. George, Brian, THO, other "in-the-know" readers of this scroll, the lore needs your help to save it! (Okay, now I'm being overly melodramatic; I'll stop now.)
On a related note: There's also the absence of the ancestry for the original Obarskyr brothers and Silver brothers. If this is not covered by the primary document in question, let me know; I have some ideas here. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 07 Nov 2008 08:00:30 |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 09:59:52
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
The "Fallen Kingdom Project" was a part of the aborted FR Encyclopedia project that Steven Schend got up and running but realised in the end would consume far too many TSR/WotC resources and take too much time to bring to fruition.
-- George Krashos
Is the work that was done available anywhere? The Fallen Kingdom is soon going to feature heavily in my campaign... |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 10:41:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
On a related note: There's also the absence of the ancestry for the original Obarskyr brothers and Silver brothers. If this is not covered by the primary document in question, let me know; I have some ideas here.
I hate to say it but ... NDA.
However, here is a bit of lore of mine that has previously seen the light of day, repeated for your reading pleasure ... one of the swords that are collectively known as "Soargar's Legacy" ...
Ulfindos, “the Corsair Scourge”
The origins of this sword are unknown, for it first came to light in the Year of the Dark Venom (37 DR) when the mercenary Vaerom Obarskyr of Impiltur, brother to the reigning King Faerlthann of Cormyr, made a long sea voyage to the Forest Kingdom. Vaerom travelled to Cormyr to return the remains of Suzara, his and Faerlthann’s mother, to the land she had forsaken some twenty-five years before.
Tales speak of the love that Suzara always held for Ondeth, the Founding Father of Cormyr, and her wish to be buried near his remains upon her death. More cynical observers note that the sly Vaerom used the death of his mother to try and sway his brother into establishing a family base in Cormyr where his mercenary company would be subject only to laws favorable to them. Whatever the reason, Vaerom was given short shrift by Faerlthann, and returned to Impiltur after his mother’s internment a very disappointed man.
On the sea voyage back to Lyrabar, Vaerom and his men were waylaid by pirates near The Neck, the entrance to the Dragonmere. The confident pirates swarmed aboard Vaerom’s vessel only to be confronted by his battle-hardened crew of professional fighting men. In the fight that followed, Vaerom personally slew the pirate captain and claimed the blade Ulfindos from his corpse. Vaerom bore the blade throughout the years that followed and used it to grim effect when the Obarskyrs rallied behind the usurper Morlorn in the Year of the Climber’s Rest (72 DR). Morlorn, uncle to the reigning King Varanth II of Impiltur, arranged the poisoning of his nephew and seized the throne, using the mercenary army of the Obarskyrs to crush all opposition to his rule. Vaerom and the Obarskyrs had long been frustrated in their attempts to achieve noble station in Impiltur. Galled by the royal status of their cousins in far off Cormyr, the Obarskyrs were persuaded by Morlorn that he alone was the family’s gateway to the noble status that they craved so greatly.
Foolishly, Morlorn failed to ensure the death of Varanth’s wife Queen Ilithra, and their son, the Crown Prince Baranth who fled into the depths of the Grey Forest on the western fringes of the kingdom. Well hidden, Baranth commenced a clever, guerrilla campaign against his uncle and took advantage of the fears of several important noble families that the Obarskyrs would be raised to a pre-eminent position in the realm. Over the next handful of years, Baranth worked steadfastly to gather followers and rally nobles to his cause, all the while escaping the many assassination attempts and armed incursions organised by Morlorn to have him slain. In 77 DR, Baranth and his followers finally marched forth from the woodlands to remove the treasonous Morlorn from the throne. The “Usurper King” met the prince’s army at the crossroads village of Ironrock, north of Lyrabar, and was defeated in what came to be known as the Battle of Ilithra’s Smile. Crowned on the battlefield, King Baranth’s first decree was to proclaim Vaerom and his five sons outlaws but pardon their wives, children and erstwhile loyal followers. In doing so, King Baranth removed the threat of the Obarskyrs to the other noble families of the realm but showed his mercy and compassion as ruler. Vaerom, bereft of all support, fled the realm immediately with his sons and Ulfindos passed into the hands of the Mirandor dynasty.
The sword remained in the royal vaults until the time of King Darthorn II, who assumed the throne in the Year of Fraying Binds (343 DR). Darthorn II was plagued throughout the early years of his reign by a vast pirate fleet out of Altumbel led by the pirate “king” Azeddar, a renegade of Unther. Building a strong navy of swift, coastal galleys, Darthorn II led the fleet of Impiltur to victory after victory over the following two years, the blade Ulfindos by his side. After a great victory at the Battle of Splintered Prows in 352 DR, the strength of Azeddar and his pirates was ended forever, and the victorious Darthorn II bestowed the name “the Corsair Scourge” on the blade Ulfindos in memory of his triumph.
After his death, his son and namesake, Darthorn III, succeeded him in the Year of the Maiden’s Fancy (369 DR). A courageous warrior and sailor, much in the mould of his father, Darthorn III’s life was shattered by the death of his queen and eldest son during the Spiderblight Plague that devastated Impiltur in the Year of the Woeful Resurrection (375 DR). Overwhelmed by despair, Darthorn III threw himself off the Royal Barge anchored in Lyrabar’s harbor a scant month after his son’s funeral. When the royal corpse was recovered, it was observed that the grief-stricken king had clumsily sewn lead weights into his royal robes to ensure his death by drowning.
From that time onward, Ulfindos was deemed unlucky by the monarchs of the Mirandor dynasty and wielded only rarely. It was displayed with other treasures of the kingdom in the Glittering Gallery within the Royal Palace in Lyrabar until the Mage Royal Soargar took the blade into safekeeping as Impiltur fragmented into warring city-states in 926 DR. After the Kingless Years and the crowning of Imphras I in the Year of the Gleaming Crown (1097 DR), the “Corsair Scourge” was wielded by one of Imphras’ loyal battle companions who became in time the Royal Guard. The sword was subsequently lost in the Giantspires with King Imbrar after his disastrous expedition to eradicate the hobgoblin threat once and for all. No word has ever come out of the Giantspire Mountains as to the ultimate fate of Ulfindos. It may yet rest in some craggy ravine or have been spirited away by parties unknown to far, distant lands. All that is known is that it remains to be claimed by some brave soul or souls in the years to come.
This sword’s curved blade is forged of mithral and engraved on one side with its name in Thorass script. The weapon boasts a large basket guard of spell-toughened platinum; a hilt of mithral bound with treated sharkskin and has a rare, rainbow pearl set in its pommel (worth 5,000 gp). This self-identifying +1 cutlass has several special properties. By grasping the hilt, the bearer of the blade can water walk at will and receives the continuous benefit of a freedom of movement spell. Thrice per day, the bearer of the blade can create a gust of wind by pointing the tip of the cutlass in the desired direction and speaking the word “Ulfindos.”
Moderate abjuration, CL: 7th; Prerequisite: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, freedom of movement, gust of wind, water walk; Price: 195,255 gp; Cost: 98,535 gp +7,738 XP.
Cutlass: The cutlass is a short, heavy, slightly curved blade useful for both stabbing and slashing. It is popular with many sailors. Its heavy basket hilt gives the wielder a +2 circumstance bonus on any checks to resist being disarmed. Small Martial Melee Weapon; Cost: 15 gp; Damage 1d6; Critical 19-20/x2, Range Increment —; Weight 3 lb.; Type: Slashing and Piercing.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 10:43:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
Is the work that was done available anywhere? The Fallen Kingdom is soon going to feature heavily in my campaign...
That 'work' such as it was mostly ended up in LEoF as all we really detailed about the realm was its history.
Just what information for your campaign were you after?
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 11:51:20
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
That 'work' such as it was mostly ended up in LEoF as all we really detailed about the realm was its history.
Just what information for your campaign were you after?
Oh Gods. Uhm, well, the names and dates of the rulers, towns/villages now lost, details and names of the surviving splinter kingdoms, before they were allied by the Duke of Calandor, details of King Davyd's assassination by the Sharran fanatic.
ANY information not in LEoF would be most appreciated! |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 12:15:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
Oh Gods. Uhm, well, the names and dates of the rulers, towns/villages now lost, details and names of the surviving splinter kingdoms, before they were allied by the Duke of Calandor, details of King Davyd's assassination by the Sharran fanatic.
ANY information not in LEoF would be most appreciated!
Sorry, I think I just confused Delimbiyran with Phalorm. But they're both going to feature, so it's all good.  |
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PaulBestwick
Seeker
United Kingdom
83 Posts |
Posted - 10 Nov 2008 : 09:43:49
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George, I posted this question in the running the realms section of the Forums, it was suggested that I ask it here as you are the master sage with regard to all things related to Impiltur.
I have just started my new campaign in the Great Dale. I am running the exploration of a large crypt and as a puzzle I want to do something with dates in Faeruns history, but I am unsure as to what Calendar to use. So what I want to know is what dating system would have been in use in Impiltur during the reign of Bellodar I, known as the Conqueror who ruled from 562DR to 588DR. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2008 : 10:20:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
[Oh Gods. Uhm, well, the names and dates of the rulers, towns/villages now lost, details and names of the surviving splinter kingdoms, before they were allied by the Duke of Calandor, details of King Davyd's assassination by the Sharran fanatic.
ANY information not in LEoF would be most appreciated!
The humans kings of Phalorm/Delimbiyran were surnamed Snowsword and ruled as follows:
Javilarhh I, "the Dark" Born: 479DR Reigned: 511DR-528DR
Darnorth I Born: 502DR Reigned: 528DR-559DR
Darnorth II Born: 530DR Reigned: 559DR-594DR
Javilarhh II Born: 563DR Reigned: 594DR-646DR
Haryd I Born: 599DR Reigned: 646DR-665DR
Haryd II, "the Brave" Born: 627DR Reigned: 665DR-688DR
Haryd III Born: 655DR Reigned: 688DR-695DR
Davyd I Born: 677DR Reigned: 695DR-697DR
Surviving 'splinter' kingdoms of the Kingdom of Man included the aforementioned Calandor, Scathril, Loravatha, Harpshield, Talmost, Stonegard, and Ellermere.
The death of the monarch of Delimbiyran was something that a cabal of Sharran assassins, the Hand of Loss, had planned for more than twenty winters since their formation in the Year of the Shrouded Slayer (671DR). The Hand of Loss was created by Baelthara Kelkarn, one of the True Servants of Shar, who had submitted herself to the service of Lalondra Worul. Baelthara worked dark magic to put the five assassins of the Hand into spellthrall and history records only the names of two of them: Arthun Lemast, "the Shadeblade", and Drannar of Merilth (a now-ruined town that was located on the Sword Coast, south of the Troll Hills, about mid-way between present-day Lathtarl's Lantern and Roaringshore, known to have been destroyed in an assault by the young green dragon Halathormagarl in the Year of the Bloody Stone [775DR]. Halathormagarl is thought to live still, her lair deep within the northern fringes of the Wood of Sharp Teeth, but she has not been seen for centuries). The transformation of Lalondra into a lich brought about the death of Baelthara and in turn caused the members of the Hand of Loss to go insane. They commenced an orgy of slayings that culminated in them assaulting the royal holding of Brightoaks, a manor house on the western fringes of the Misty Forest, and its surrounds in the hope of drawing King Davyd out of Delimbiyran.
Their gambit worked all too well and Davyd rode with a hastily gathered retinue of men-at-arms and personal manservants to come to the aid of his sister Garantha who was spending the summer months there when she had sent word that the nearby villagers of Telthin's Mill were being attacked by strange "shadow creatures" and that members of the royal servant household at Brightoaks had begun to disappear. By the time Davyd and his party arrived, the Hand of Loss had done its work - the occupants of the manor were all slain and the place had been prepared with a host of deadly traps. It is unknown how Davyd met his end exactly, for he and his party were slain to the man, but his head was delivered by magic to the palace gates of Delimbiyran, the mark of Shar branded on his shaved pate.
His death saw an instant power vacuum in the realm (he had died without producing an heir) and there was no immediate successor to take power. By the time the Sharran turmoil had been quelled a handful of nobles claimed the throne but none were able to assume the mantle of power before the orcs swept down in a sea of fire and slaughter in 702DR. What were left were isolated towns, villages and cities with no common purpose and intent on survival. The Kingdom of Man as a unified realm of the Sword Coast North was finished.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 11 Nov 2008 10:22:12 |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2008 : 15:23:32
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
[Oh Gods. Uhm, well, the names and dates of the rulers, towns/villages now lost, details and names of the surviving splinter kingdoms, before they were allied by the Duke of Calandor, details of King Davyd's assassination by the Sharran fanatic.
ANY information not in LEoF would be most appreciated!
The humans kings of Phalorm/Delimbiyran were surnamed Snowsword and ruled as follows:
Javilarhh I, "the Dark" Born: 479DR Reigned: 511DR-528DR
Darnorth I Born: 502DR Reigned: 528DR-559DR
Darnorth II Born: 530DR Reigned: 559DR-594DR
Javilarhh II Born: 563DR Reigned: 594DR-646DR
Haryd I Born: 599DR Reigned: 646DR-665DR
Haryd II, "the Brave" Born: 627DR Reigned: 665DR-688DR
Haryd III Born: 655DR Reigned: 688DR-695DR
Davyd I Born: 677DR Reigned: 695DR-697DR
Surviving 'splinter' kingdoms of the Kingdom of Man included the aforementioned Calandor, Scathril, Loravatha, Harpshield, Talmost, Stonegard, and Ellermere.
The death of the monarch of Delimbiyran was something that a cabal of Sharran assassins, the Hand of Loss, had planned for more than twenty winters since their formation in the Year of the Shrouded Slayer (671DR). The Hand of Loss was created by Baelthara Kelkarn, one of the True Servants of Shar, who had submitted herself to the service of Lalondra Worul. Baelthara worked dark magic to put the five assassins of the Hand into spellthrall and history records only the names of two of them: Arthun Lemast, "the Shadeblade", and Drannar of Merilth (a now-ruined town that was located on the Sword Coast, south of the Troll Hills, about mid-way between present-day Lathtarl's Lantern and Roaringshore, known to have been destroyed in an assault by the young green dragon Halathormagarl in the Year of the Bloody Stone [775DR]. Halathormagarl is thought to live still, her lair deep within the northern fringes of the Wood of Sharp Teeth, but she has not been seen for centuries). The transformation of Lalondra into a lich brought about the death of Baelthara and in turn caused the members of the Hand of Loss to go insane. They commenced an orgy of slayings that culminated in them assaulting the royal holding of Brightoaks, a manor house on the western fringes of the Misty Forest, and its surrounds in the hope of drawing King Davyd out of Delimbiyran.
Their gambit worked all too well and Davyd rode with a hastily gathered retinue of men-at-arms and personal manservants to come to the aid of his sister Garantha who was spending the summer months there when she had sent word that the nearby villagers of Telthin's Mill were being attacked by strange "shadow creatures" and that members of the royal servant household at Brightoaks had begun to disappear. By the time Davyd and his party arrived, the Hand of Loss had done its work - the occupants of the manor were all slain and the place had been prepared with a host of deadly traps. It is unknown how Davyd met his end exactly, for he and his party were slain to the man, but his head was delivered by magic to the palace gates of Delimbiyran, the mark of Shar branded on his shaved pate.
His death saw an instant power vacuum in the realm (he had died without producing an heir) and there was no immediate successor to take power. By the time the Sharran turmoil had been quelled a handful of nobles claimed the throne but none were able to assume the mantle of power before the orcs swept down in a sea of fire and slaughter in 702DR. What were left were isolated towns, villages and cities with no common purpose and intent on survival. The Kingdom of Man as a unified realm of the Sword Coast North was finished.
-- George Krashos
Awesome! Thanks GK, you're my favourite now! |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2008 : 15:37:57
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Surviving 'splinter' kingdoms of the Kingdom of Man included the aforementioned Calandor, Scathril, Loravatha, Harpshield, Talmost, Stonegard, and Ellermere.
I know that the descendants of the Talmosts are now Waterdhavian nobles and that the descendants of the Harpshields are now part of the Majarra family also in Waterdeep, but don't know anything about the others.
Do you know or have any clue what happened to the descendants of these shortlived royal families? |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2008 : 00:48:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
Awesome! Thanks GK, you're my favourite now!
 I wasn't always your favourite!?!
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2008 : 00:54:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
I know that the descendants of the Talmosts are now Waterdhavian nobles and that the descendants of the Harpshields are now part of the Majarra family also in Waterdeep, but don't know anything about the others.
Do you know or have any clue what happened to the descendants of these shortlived royal families?
Well, the short answer to that is ... "no". Unlike Ed, I don't have a pile of realmslore-filled boxes in my basement to draw upon or, truth be told, his talent and skill at world weaving. This "making stuff up" thing isn't as easy as it looks, you know.
Given that the above information is never going to be expanded upon in published realmslore, you are free to make the descendants anything you want them to be for your campaign. Go for it!
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Na-Gang
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2008 : 07:46:52
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Well, the short answer to that is ... "no". Unlike Ed, I don't have a pile of realmslore-filled boxes in my basement to draw upon or, truth be told, his talent and skill at world weaving. This "making stuff up" thing isn't as easy as it looks, you know.
Given that the above information is never going to be expanded upon in published realmslore, you are free to make the descendants anything you want them to be for your campaign. Go for it!
Hehe. My thanks for your help GK. It serves my purposes to have a lot of room to mould these families anyway, but I always like to build on Canon lore.
Thanks again! |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2008 : 19:32:33
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Ed has stated that he made a general rule about the Realms for other designers working on it, back when TSR first bought it -
"For every plothook, mystery, or storyline you use up, explain, or bring to an end, create three more."
George, like Brian and Eytan, adhere to his wisdom.
And thats all I'm going to say about that....... |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 12 Nov 2008 19:32:55 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2008 : 22:59:07
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Given that the above information is never going to be expanded upon in published realmslore, you are free to make the descendants anything you want them to be for your campaign. Go for it!
-- George Krashos
Hrm... that was said about a certain now-infamous line in the Original Grey Box too... and that led to the Spellplague. Should we be terrified now? |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2008 : 09:21:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Ed has stated that he made a general rule about the Realms for other designers working on it, back when TSR first bought it -
"For every plothook, mystery, or storyline you use up, explain, or bring to an end, create three more."
George, like Brian and Eytan, adhere to his wisdom.
And thats all I'm going to say about that.......
I agree completely; it's the best way to keep a shared world growing, and that's exactly why I want more answers. More answers means more mysteries. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2008 : 12:07:52
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quote:
Originally posted by PaulBestwick
George, I posted this question in the running the realms section of the Forums, it was suggested that I ask it here as you are the master sage with regard to all things related to Impiltur.
I have just started my new campaign in the Great Dale. I am running the exploration of a large crypt and as a puzzle I want to do something with dates in Faeruns history, but I am unsure as to what Calendar to use. So what I want to know is what dating system would have been in use in Impiltur during the reign of Bellodar I, known as the Conqueror who ruled from 562DR to 588DR.
In the tongue of the Nar, a year is a 'sarn' and years are 'sarnar'.
The founders of Impiltur were mostly of Jhaamdathi stock and spoke Chondathan.
The word for a year in Chondathan is 'dael' and the word for years is 'daelin'.
Over time, in the melting pot that gave rise to the Damaran human racial group and Damaran tongue, the word for year/years was derived from both of these root terms into 'sardal' and 'sardalar' respectively.
The Chondathan tongue also had a word for leap-year which was 'ildael' but this didn't transfer into the Damaran language.
However, to return to your campaign query, the ancient realm of Jhaamdath used the term 'daelarth' to signify the 4 year grouping of 3 normal years and a leap year. It was this term which became the most commonplace method by which historians measured the passing of the years in Impiltur with the first daelarth commencing in the Year of Splendor (-74DR) by the royal decree of King Inrath I.
Hence when Bellodar I came to the throne in 562DR he did so 636 sardalar since the formation of the realm and at the end of the kingdom's 159th daelarth. He died during the kingdom's 166th daelarth.
In terms of a calendar, the months of the year prior to the Fiend Wars and Triad Crusade were an amalgam of Nar and Chondathan terms. The advent of the Elethlim dynasty saw the Calendar of Harptos replace the old Impilturian calendar which went as follows:
1 Dolnoth
Annual holiday: Whitewind
2 Nilnam
3 Paldari
4 Tamram
Annual holiday: Greenbloom
5 Lorgal
6 Ayalt
7 Herethil
Annual holiday: Redblaze
8 Udrik
9 Caldruin
Annual holiday: Brownfall
10 Ommsur
11 Vargax
Annual holiday: Grayskies
12 Fornoth
The term used for the present-day leap-year holiday of Shieldmeet was the Talegathering.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2008 : 12:16:16
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Astute readers picked up on the fact that the Roll of Dragons, which was released as a web-enhancement when "Dragons of Faerûn" was published, contained some dragon names that had hitherto not been found in published FR sources. One of them was my creation and included because I was pitching an article to Dragon magazine at the time. It was a write-up in "Wyrms of the North" format for a dragon named Ouranalathra "the Mistmaiden".
Rather than letting her languish on my HD, here she is in all her glory ...
Ouranalathra, "the Mistmaiden"
While the lands of the Easting Reach have for the moment been spared the wild speculations of the notorious Volo, there is never a shortage of ill-informed “bluntquills” who seek to lay bare the mysteries of the Realms, better left unrevealed. Such a one is Varloriath Nardrimm of Tsurlagol, or “Varlo” to his acquaintances, whose haphazard regard for the tenets of scholarship and learning has garnered him the disdain of many a sage and loremaster in the lands of the East. Nevertheless, the recent pryings of Varlo have uncovered long-hidden lore regarding the legendary Ouranalathra, the great mist dragon of the Sea of Fallen Stars, and it is this information that is presented below.
Ouranalathra was first noted in the annals of the Realms during the aptly named Year of the Mist Dragon (231 DR) when she spent the better part of three seasons challenging and destroying many dragons lairing in and around the lands of the Inner Sea. During this time she is known to have slain the red dragon Klithalrundrar “the Flamemaw”, the green wyrm Theslacramillos, in his demesne on a verdant, isolated isle off Altumbel, and the copper dragon Dizmallorthan “Shimmerwing” who laired in the Dragonjaw Mountains. In doing so, Ouranalathra exhibited powerful magic, including the ability to summon denizens of the Elemental Plane of Air and spells particularly suited to combating aerial opponents. Her dragon slayings meant that she swiftly amassed a huge hoard, which she removed to her own hidden lair deep within the Earthfast Mountains.
What few sages know is that Ouranalathra’s mastery of the Art dates to the time when she served as a steed to the archmage Malanthus Stormstaern, who was the Magister from 154 DR to his death in 177 DR.
The Magister Malanthus encountered Ouranalathra in the Year of the Bloodties (170 DR) when challenged by the evil wizard Osbarnus of Arrabar. Osbarnus had spell-charmed a number of creatures including Ouranalathra and sent them in force to assail the Magister so as to weaken him prior to Osbarnus challenging him for his office. When Malanthus shattered these bindings with powerful magic of his own, Ouranalathra offered herself to him as a steed so as to hunt down and slay her erstwhile captor. Over the next handful of years, Ouranalathra served Malanthus faithfully, even after they had slain the haughty Osbarnus in a mountain-toppling battle high above the Orsraun Mountains. In turn, the Magister worked mighty spells upon his companion dragon, augmenting Ouranalathra’s size, protections and spellcraft.
When Malanthus perished in 177 DR, Ouranalathra made his former safehold, mountain-top tower, deep within the Earthfast Mountains, her new abode. At that time, the orcs of Vastar held sway in the region and civilised, human settlement north of the Easting Coast (the lands stretching between the present-day cities of Procampur and Hlammach) was practically non-existent. Ouranalathra dwelt there in isolation for the next several decades, honing her skill in the Art and carefully exploring the greater Realms by means of a series of portals that the dead Malanthus had created.
When she felt her magic was strong enough, Ouranalathra left her lair to take to the skies, seeking a mate purely out of instinct and also curious to meet with a dragon of her own kind. Within a season, she espied from afar the mist dragon Shalamalauth, who had his lair in the coastline cliffs on Starmantle Bay, north of the Gulthmere Forest. After courting him and gaining his trust they became mates and Ouranalathra swiftly found herself the mother of a large brood of hatchlings. Tragedy struck the pair in 231 DR when Shalamalauth was slain by an unknown wyrm near the present-day Pirate Isles. This event set off Ouranalathra’s dragon hunt of that year as she unsuccessfully sought her mate’s slayer and received the sobriquet “the Mistmaiden” from observers and sages alike. Following that terrible time of battle and slaughter, Ouranalathra disappeared from the skies of the Inner Sea and retired to her tower abode, intent upon raising her brood of wyrmlings.
Alone but for the company of her progeny, Ouranalathra spent most of her time poring over the extensive library Malanthus had collected during the years both before and after he became the Magister (some of which is rumoured to have been stolen from Candlekeep itself, ere its mighty, present-day defences against such thievery had been put into place). As well as books on magery and spellcraft, Malanthus had an interest in history and the arts and had created a series of magical lecterns, which automatically turned book pages, ‘remembered’ where an individual had left off reading a particular book and had large, glass-like, oval lenses attached to them, which provided the continuous benefits of comprehend languages and true seeing spells. In this way, Ouranalathra devoured a torrent of knowledge, which awakened within her a thirst for more. Her collection of unread books dwindling daily, the Mistmaiden sought more knowledge and learning and through her spells, established magical contact with sages and other masters of learning around the Sea of Fallen Stars, including such luminaries as Arlith Karn, the Loremaster of Chancelgaunt, Mountar Graelyn, the hermit sage of Wystvale (a now-vanished village west of present-day Telpir) and Halthetes “the Highsage” of Cimbar.
Over time, Ouranalathra came into contact with the High Scrivener Eldrus Laelinth, then leader of the first great temple to Deneir in the Inner Sea lands, located near present-day Teziir. The Tometowers, as this temple complex came to be known, was built on a bluff overlooking present-day Teziir’s harbor and as the years passed, more and more worshippers made the journey to Tometowers and stayed there to live and work. In time, a small settlement was born near the temple and was named Teziir after a local beauty who married its first lord. Eldrus and Ouranalathra built a friendship based upon their love of learning and desire to safeguard the knowledge of the ages. In the Year of the Dusty Library (469 DR) however, Tometowers and fledgling Teziir were assailed by the armies of Myntharan the Magus King of Westgate as he sought to expand the holdings of Mynth, his self-styled realm. The approach of Myntharan’s armies threatened the safety of the collected knowledge contained at Tometowers, for he was known to have sacked the shrine of Deneir in Westgate when he came to power, keeping for himself what lore he deemed useful and destroying the rest so that no other individual could glean any benefit from it. Guided by visions from Deneir himself, Eldrus called upon the Mistmaiden to help move the library of Tometowers to her abode in the Earthfasts for safekeeping. This task was accomplished over the course of several weeks with the raising of a temporary portal and happened none too soon. The forces of the Magus King burned Tometowers and the surrounding settlement a scant tenday after the temple was emptied of its collection of books and scrolls, and many priests and monks were put to the sword in attempting to defend the temple grounds.
After the fall of Tometowers, countless Deneirrath sought and obtained permission from Ouranalathra to make the pilgrimage to the Earthfast Mountains to study the valuable books and tomes of lore stored within her lair. In those times, before humans and dwarves had conquered the ever-present threat of the orcs, this journey was fraught with danger and so Ouranalathra took it upon herself to safeguard and protect these devout travellers, shadowing them from the skies and slaying any monsters that came near. One of the first of these pilgrims, Jaloth Thornsarr, gave the name Iron Dragon Mountain to the peak upon which Ouranalathra’s tower abode sat, after he crested the final rise leading to his destination and espied the grey mist dragon, still as a statue, perched atop it, gazing at him intently. To him, she seemed like a dragon statue made of cold, grey iron and his account of their first meeting was widely dispersed throughout the faithful to encourage them to follow in his footsteps. As the winters passed, the dragon protector of “Laelinth’s Library” as this trove of lore was originally known to the faith of Deneir, gave up her home to the many pilgrims and priests who stayed on, ordering and maintaining the library and establishing a house of worship to the Lord of All Glyphs which is now the Master’s Library, greatest temple to Deneir in the Realms. She did so with a glad heart, tasking her now full-grown offspring with the temple’s protection, and taking to the skies seeking adventure and excitement.
Ouranalathra's Lair
Though she has several caverns in the Earthfast and Sunrise Mountains (caves that have their own pools of water but which she keeps otherwise bare), the Mistmaiden's lair is a nameless ruined tower that lies on the northern shore of Almorel, the Lake of Mists. She has sealed all the surface entrances to the chambers and extensive passageways beneath the tower and the only entrance is through an underground river that flows off the Lake of Mists to a large, deep pool in the biggest chamber of her lair. The surface portions of the ruined tower are home to a vast number of slime and ooze-type creatures, which thrive in the humid, constantly damp environment of the shores of Almorel. As such, the area is usually given a wide berth by all travellers.
Ouranalathra has made this underground complex her home only recently, discovering it by chance in the Year of the Catacombs (1308 DR). Whilst no adventuring bands have ever penetrated her lair, Ouranalathra and her presence in the lands east of the Sunrise Mountains are suspected to have come to the attention of at least three Red Wizards of Thay, although none of them have acted upon this knowledge. The Simbul, Mage-Queen of Aglarond, also knows of Ouranalathra’s close proximity to Thay and has long-considered manipulating or influencing the Mistmaiden into subtle confrontation with that land of evil mages for her own ends. The Simbul has told Elminster that Ouranalathra has amassed a sizable hoard of gems and magic, but her treasure holding does not measure up to the legendary hoard obtained from her year of dragon-slaying when his grandsire’s realm of Athalantar was still young. Elminster believes that she divided much of her hoard among her offspring before leaving Iron Dragon Mountain, binding them to service with the clergy there and neatly negating the treasure-lust of all young dragons. In this way, she avoided her children leaving the Master’s Library undefended whilst they roamed lands far afield in search of treasure to amass a hoard of their own. Her lair is known to have at least a half-dozen dragon-sized portals to places close to major centres of worship to the Lord of All Glyphs, including the Spirit Soaring in the Snowflake Mountains. Ouranalathra’s relationship with Cadderly, Chosen of Deneir, is currently in its infancy, she having met him and conversed with him only a few times in the last handful of years. Some observers postulate that the Mistmaiden may be envious of Cadderly’s special status with the Lord of All Glyphs, while others dismiss such idle talk, noting that their areas of interest and spheres of influence are governed more by their geographic location than any perceived rivalry.
The most interesting feature of Ouranalathra’s lair is that it appears to be a remnant of the ancient land of Raumathar, perhaps a military outpost or wizard’s residence. Early on, the Mistmaiden discovered several small, secret antechambers containing riches and strange magic, not seen in the lands of Faerûn for over a millennium. Her chief discovery was a bipedal automaton made of some unknown alloy that proved to be stronger than adamantine. Inscribed with three large, intricate runes, it demonstrated a broad range of very diverse immunities and spell-like abilities. After having the automaton described to him by the Simbul, Elminster postulates that the automaton is one of a group of such constructs created by a cabal of Raumathari wizards who stumbled upon a cache of Imaskari magic. Mentioned in one of the Old Mage’s tomes of lore, the wizards’ names are not noted, but they are said to have toiled over many years to create several such automatons, which they called “banedrinkers”. These constructs were said to absorb the power of lower planar beings they slew and were created to combat the fiend armies of their great enemy, Narfell. The one now controlled by the Mistmaiden may be the last surviving specimen in the Realms, for they were very rare even in those distant times.
Continued in Part 2 ...
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2008 : 12:21:45
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Part 2 ...
Ouranalathra's Domain
From her underground lair, Ouranalathra roams the eastern edge of the Sunrise Mountains as far south as the Mountains of Copper and as far north as Winterkeep. To the east, the Mistmaiden has flown as far as fabled Kara-Tur but considers the area up to the Quoya Desert as her hunting ground. She seems to like cooler climes and avoids deserts and the hotter southern lands. She flies over the Inner Sea lands on a regular basis and has two or three uncharted, island outcrops in the Sea of Fallen Stars that she uses to sleep and rest, covering them and herself with an impenetrable mist.
The Mistmaiden regards the lands around the Lake of Mists to the foothills of the Sunrise Mountains as her exclusive territory. Peaceful travellers, merchant caravans and other harmless folk are allowed passage, but armed groups and other evil creatures are always watched and in the case of orcs and bandits, usually destroyed. The rest of the area she flies over she rules lightly by watching events more than enforcing her will.
The Deeds of Ouranalathra
The Mistmaiden keeps a low profile in the lands of the East and the Inner Sea, content in her role as the hidden protector of the clergy of Deneir and in her constant accumulation of learning, knowledge and lore. After leaving Iron Dragon Mountain, the Mistmaiden wandered the lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars, seeking to expand her knowledge and experience of humankind. In this regard, she resolved to adopt human shape and live a human “life”, doing so on at least a handful of occasions. She favoured the persona of a sage for hire or loremaster and lived in places such as Impiltur, Cormyr, Sembia and the Dalelands. She is believed to have served in the role of Undersage to the Royal Court of Impiltur in the reign of King Bellodar III of Impiltur, from 648 DR to the end of his reign in 673 DR. Similarly, she later assumed the guise of Astramas Revendimar, and was appointed the first of three Court Sages of Cormyr in the reign of King Baerovus, serving under the first Sage Most Learned of the Royal Court, Felindar Crownsilver. She served in this fashion until her ‘death’ in 1189 DR during the reign of King Pryntaler. Elminster believes that Ouranalathra met and befriended the Mage Royal Jorunhast of Cormyr before assuming the guise of Astramas and subsequently ‘looked in’ on the kingdom after his banishment, forging ties with The Silent Room, temple to Deneir in Suzail and its then leader, Loremaster Beldrath Opalnarr.
Since her last human “life” (as a sage-for-hire in Ordulin from circa 1332 DR to 1354 DR), Ouranalathra has devoted much of her time to a single area of study and instruction: elven High Magic. Fascinated by the different and communal nature of this form of spellcasting, and intrigued by the secrecy and hidden details surrounding it, the Mistmaiden has made earnest attempts to unlock the secrets of High Magic for non-elven spellcasters. To date, her efforts have met with abject failure, but the recent revelations regarding the genesis of the Rage of Dragons, a phenomenon that has plagued dragon-kind for millennia, and its link to High Magic have met with a redoubling of her efforts. Both Laeral and Alustriel believe that she will make little if any progress in her ongoing researches but also note that should she and her magical strivings come to the personal attention of Mystra that all this may change in an eye blink. A dragon wielding High Magic is a sobering and sombre thought, and something to keep very close attention to as the years roll on, Elminster has commented dryly.
Whilst her magical researches continue apace, the Mistmaiden’s other role as self-proclaimed protector of the faith of Deneir has dominated her activities throughout the lands about the Sea of Fallen Stars over many years. Rarely showing herself, and cloaked in a magical, shroud of mist that does not reveal her true form, Ouranalathra is known to have defended a caravan belonging to the Three Green Falcons trading coster out of Proskur from the attacks of Zhentarim-sponsored brigands south of Sunset Vale in 1359 DR. In doing so she safeguarded a trove of lore en route to Berdusk and then Candlekeep, where it resides now in safety. Other activities attributed to the Mistmaiden include her saving of the dwarven warrior Khanor of the Blueshield Brotherhood and his companion Peldraun, priest of Deneir, high up in the Dragonjaw Mountains. Assailed by orcs, Khanor tells of seeing a large cloud of mist travel purposefully down a deep valley, emitting forked lightning and rays of burning sunshine, decimating the tuskers intent upon slaying them. Similarly, in his book titled “A Bloody Life Remembered: Thoughts With My Sword In Its Scabbard”, the mercenary sea captain Ordrath of Sarshel mentions a great cloud of mist that enveloped the vessel of the pirate captain Glothan “Goldkeel” Thalabard as he threatened their merchant caravel heading toward the port of Selgaunt in 1365 DR. Chased down by Glothan west of the Wayrock, Ordrath gazed on in trepidation as the mist soared over his ship to envelop the pirate vessel. The cloud then seemed to glow for the space of three or four heartbeats before slowly dissipating, leaving nothing behind and no trace of Glothan, his crew of cutthroats or their ship. Ordrath notes as an aside how a group of passengers on his ship, high-ranking clergy to the Lord of All Glyphs, gave prayers in thanks immediately following this event and told him later in private that “the Mistmaiden watches over us always”.
Of late, Ouranalathra has heard of another mist dragon, which shares her passion for sagely learning and the accumulation of lore. Thalagyrt, the mist dragon of the North, is but a name to her, but her curiosity to meet him grows year by year and in her hidden and most secret heart of hearts the Mistmaiden entertains the possibility of finding a kindred spirit to share her life and passions with. These thoughts have been prompted by her increasing age and fears of infirmity and weakness as the centuries roll on. She has certainly lost much of the whimsical and carefree nature she exhibited in her youth and is now a more serious, brooding individual, prone to periods of deep introspection.
Ouranalathra continues to improve her mastery of magic but sees the Art as a dry, scholarly vocation to be analysed, measured and mastered by reason, deduction and hard work. In this vein, the Mistmaiden rarely creates new magic spells of her own but is talented at twisting or shaping existing dweomers into new forms. Her grasp of metamagic is flawless and her thought processes regarding spell selection and spell tactics are unmatched by any save the mightiest wizards and the Chosen of Mystra. Ouranalathra however lacks that spark of excitement and boundless creativity that marks those who truly embrace the Art and the service of Mystra. It is likely that her dry, scholarly nature – developed over the years in her service to Deneir – has denied her the tools by which she can truly come to love the Art and hence use it to achieve her goals. As the Simbul has commented, “Her eyes never shine when she grasps and shapes the Weave, standing but a finger tip away from the glory of Mystra.”
Ouranalathra's Fate
The Mistmaiden may yet unlock the secrets of elven High Magic, which would enable her to extend her lifespan beyond that of normal dragons. She retains good vitality and health for the moment but it is interesting to note that she has recently requested the assistance of the aged High Scrivener Melendilar Huantilar of the temple to Deneir in Selgaunt. Ouranalathra has asked that he and his clergy research and provide her with lore regarding preventative healing measures, both magical and mundane, designed to keep a creature fit and healthy and delay the ravages of time and aging. Like all creatures, Ouranalathra fears death and true to her beliefs, feels that if death can be delayed or avoided, the means to do so will be found in the wisdom of the ages past.
For their part, the Deneirrath acknowledge and recognise the debts they owe the Mistmaiden and will do all in their power to see her live on in her role as protector of the faith. Of enemies, Ouranalathra has thankfully few, but knowledge of her activities is spreading throughout the Inner Sea lands and the accompanying rumors of her vast hoard, supposedly amassed over the many centuries, may yet make her a target for ambitious adventurers. The Simbul has discovered of late that the Red Wizard Ghalaster of Tyratauros has been secretly scrying on temples to the Lord of All Glyphs in nearby lands. He is known to command spells that attempt to control dragons and the Simbul fears he may use Ouranalathra to access and plunder the lore holdings of the Church of Deneir. Events, as they say, are getting very interesting east of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2008 : 13:02:12
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If I was a woman, I'd want to have your babies.
(Okay... that was kinda gross....)
Permission to place the tower on my latest Hordelands Map? I just happen to be re-tuning it after reading Frostfell and this would make a wonderful addition.
Also, I'm glad we had a 'discussion' a long while back concerning Raumathar, Imaskar, and a certain Acorn...
This article compliments some of what I'm working on beautifully. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 14 Nov 2008 13:03:04 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6559 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2008 : 13:22:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
If I was a woman, I'd want to have your babies.
(Okay... that was kinda gross....)
Permission to place the tower on my latest Hordelands Map? I just happen to be re-tuning it after reading Frostfell and this would make a wonderful addition.
Also, I'm glad we had a 'discussion' a long while back concerning Raumathar, Imaskar, and a certain Acorn...
This article compliments some of what I'm working on beautifully.
Glad you liked it. Feel free to use it any way you want.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Questions for George Krashos
