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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 24 Apr 2014 :  17:47:02  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Soargar was the first Mage Royal of the kingdom of Impiltur since the time of the Durlarven Dynasty. Born and raised in Ascalhorn, Soargar was a student of the archmage Jaluster and met and befriended King Beldred I in 858 DR when that monarch was conducting a tour of the cities of Silverymoon, Ascalhorn and Myth Glaurach. Beldred offered him the vacant position of Mage Royal which he accepted, travelling back to Impiltur with its oft-absent king.

With him, Soargar took copies of at least three tomes on magic that had been penned by his former master, Jaluster. Chief of these was a book titled "On Mythals and the Creation of Wards Perilous". This book remains one of the rarest and most valuable treasures of the kingdom, for there are only two other copies remaining in all Faerun - in the Herald's Holdfast and Candlekeep respectively, the original having been lost in the fall of Ascalhorn. The book provides a detailed examination on the crafting of the mythal at Myth Glaurach, now a forgotten ruin in the upper reaches of the Delimbiyr Vale. Of note was that mythal's power to bar the entrance of any being that had knowingly and deliberately consumed elven, human or dwarven flesh at any time in the past, from entering its environs.

With the death of Princess Aliia in 926 DR, Soneillon commenced a campaign of manipulation to cause chaos and disunity in the realm so as to enable her to reclaim "her" throne. Her efforts eventually came to the attention of Soargar, at the time a de-facto adviser to the Heltharns in Lyrabar and respected throughout the fractured kingdom for his previous office and wise counsel. Her machinations had seen the city-states of Sarshel and Dilpur ally and commence open hostilities with Hlammach, who in turn sought aid from Lyrabar. At the same time, a large, Soneillon-fostered bandit army was laying waste to the Uplands. This conflict had Soneillon waiting in the wings to take the throne of the realms as "Princess Aliia returned from the seas", with a suitable story of how she had survived the shipwreck, been rescued by a passing ship and for many years having lost all memory of who she was until "prayers to the Triad brought her salvation".

Soargar discovered Soneillon's hand in the troubles erupting throughout the region and drawing on lore from the teachings of Jaluster he cast an epic spell specific to her and her alone, barring her from the lands of Impiltur as they currently exist. In this he was helped by the fact that he had in his possession a vial of her blood, a holdover from the time she had briefly been "queen" during the Fiend Wars, and believed to have been collected by Ndulu as a means of controlling her if required. Soargar placed a drop of her blood in over one hundred silver vessels that were strategically placed along the borders of the kingdom and act as the foci for the spell that bars her entry to the realm. These vessels are protected by many-layered wards themselves, are buried underground or hidden in plain sight (the one located in Lyrabar is one of fifty identical such vessels that line a pediment in the Blessed Tritower, the main temple to the Triad in Impiltur) and linked to a series of "warning spells" if they are touched by any creature.

The spell itself is an epic spell that acts as an effective magical barrier to Soneillon attempting to enter the boundaries of the realm. The magical barrier is as effective as a wall of force in barring her physical entry and attempts to magically teleport or in any way translocate into the spell's area of effect cause Soneilllon to take 3d6 points of damage when she "arrives" and then be randomly teleported some 100 miles from the kingdom's borders in a random direction.

The nature of this spell and the spell foci that allow it to function are one of the most closely guarded secrets of the realm. In Impiltur today, only Queen-Regent Sambryl and the Mage Royal Selarbrin are aware that the spell exists, and it was secret discovered only in the reign of King Rilimbar when a lore cache of Soargar's was discovered by the previous Mage Royal Calabrin. No member of the Council of Lords is aware of the spell, although they are aware of Soneillon and the danger she has presented to the realm in historical terms. The unlooked for detriment brought about by the spell is that anyone within its confines is unable to scry Soneillon. Any attempts to do so fail automatically. Given this, the rulers of the kingdom are entirely unaware of Soneillon's relative proximity to the kingdom and ongoing machinations against it.

Hope this has been helpful.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus

Edited by - George Krashos on 24 Apr 2014 17:52:02
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 24 Apr 2014 :  20:32:20  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
And that's why we love you here at the keep GK. Awesome stuff and I would love a peak at your stash of Impiltur lore one day. And for those that read all your lore very carefully I can see that this latest nugget means the Farwater region of Impiltur was not part of Impiltur during Soargar's time and so Soneillon will be able to advance this far, it is also where the hammer blow will strike.

It also means that Ilmara must have been aware of the weaknesses of Soargar's spell and possibly knew of Soneillon. Otherwise why would she have created Ilmwatch outside the borders of Impiltur other than to scry for Soneillon (which she did) and it also explains why Ilmwatch and Farwater is guarded by a sizeable portion of Impiltur's army, to protect this one area they are able to monitor Soneillon from (although even then I bet they have to try and bypass Soneillon's own defences which must be hard).



Next I might ask you about your thoughts on Damaran history (of which we have none) but first I need to do my research, however I suspect that the main population stock of Damara is from Impiltur and so their nobility might be connected maybe even the royal line is connected to the Durlarven Dynasty.

I realise Damara isn't your baby, and in fact is no ones baby because it has next to nothing on it, but Impiltur is closest so you're the best thing I have to a brain to pick.



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mikemax
Acolyte

14 Posts

Posted - 24 Apr 2014 :  21:02:52  Show Profile Send mikemax a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks George. That is very helpful as the vast majority of your stuff usually is. If I was only half as imaginative, the stories I could create.
A couple of additional questions for you:
1. Can the vessels be moved to extend or contract the wards?
2. Who does the spell warn if the vessels are touched? I'd assume that they'd need to be keyed to either the Royal line or to the progeny of Soargar himself or something like that since Soargar probably realized that he couldn't outlive a demon.


Dazzlerdal- I think you are referring to this snippet from George's article in Dragon 346:

The senior Warwand Ilbrar has been found slain in his tower in Hlammach, his headless body torn and mutilated by the claws of some fearsome beast. Ilbrar was known to have been working on a powerful spellward he called the "Fiendmantle," building upon the work and teachings of the legendary archmage Soargar of Lyrabar. The library located within his residence was totally empty. Following the discovery of his body, authorities posted a reward for any information that leads them to his murderers, while privately voicing concerns that the Cult of Eltab rises once again.


I'm planning to weave that into my Impiltur campaign somehow but the details are still sketchy in my head. I was planning to use that event to introduce the party to the possibility that Soneillon was still around and actively trying to break Soargar's wards. Maybe Ilbrar has located some more of those lost notes of Soargar's and talked about it with a colleague in the Warwand that has been subverted by Soneillon and she sent a goon squad to grab Ilbrar and his library for herself. It's up the the party to uncover the traitor and track down the notes.
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 25 Apr 2014 :  12:12:09  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Right then George, i've been looking at Damara's past and there isnt much and i was hoping you might have a thought or two.

I have 1075 DR the founding of Heliogabalus by Feldrin Bloodfeathers, a sembian noble.

I have Ravensburg as the home of Feldrin Bloodfeathers.

The Castle at Trailsend was created shortly after the founding of Damara by associates of Feldrin.

And thats pretty much all there is on the history of Damara up until Zhengyi kills Virdin Bloodfeathers in 1358.


So i have found a few events in the rest of Faerun that may have an impact upon Damara.

1 - 991 DR the kingdom of Sossal is rocked by earthquakes that release demons trapped in Demon Cysts. I figure this could also affect Vaasa (although it is still under the glacier at this time)

2 - 1074 DR The Zulkirs crush all opposition to their rule. Zhengyi was a former red wizard so i would like to link him to this event and have him flee to Damara.

3 - 1095 DR Impiltur destroys a horde of hobgoblins from Naratyr. This should involve the fledgling Damara since the hobgoblins would have to travel through Damaran territory.

4 - 1122 DR Ilmara found Ilmwatch

5 - 1127 DR Imbrar marches on Naratyr accompanied only by his royal guard.


So i figure Feldrin is an exiled Sembian noble who fled to family holdings in Ravensburg about 1064 DR (why else would he go to what is the a*se end of the world with nothing in it, im thinking he was accused of piracy). He is killed in 1095 DR and the next king is a bit suspicious of Impiltur as a result and becomes paranoid with age (and fell influence) and actually threatens impiltur with war if its army should pass through Damaran territory hence why Imbrar travels with only his Royal Procession to fight Soneillon.

After that other than a witch advising the monarchy that is Zhengyi in disguise throughout the history of Damara i run out of steam. I had an idea for a 150 year old plus king that was basically a mind slave of Zhengyi kept alive with magic and when he is killed Virdin inherits.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts on cross links for Impiltur and Damara (or had already come up with cross links already). I figure Damara is probably not all that friendly with Narfell so the only real neighbour to affect it in anyway is Impiltur. Have you got any lore nuggets stashed away linking nobility or royalty in Damara that i could use? In fact anything at all on Damara would be helpful.

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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 27 Apr 2014 :  09:46:01  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, George has said in the non-too-distant past that he has a bigger sandbox than most people think.

George, I had a few questions:

1) What are some (more) of the names of noble families living in Impiltur, and maybe some general history of them? I know of families like the Dintersans, Starsunders, Wealhavens, Forgecrowns, and Relindars (and I suspect a few more might be Evenoak, Drelnorth, Brandosk, ect.), I was just wondering what some others are and if they are "old blood" or newer. I understand you likely left many vacant for GMs to fill in as needed.

2) I got to thinking about some name associations, and I realized that the Citadel of Conjurors was known as Dun-Orthass. In the same region is Vordric Dun, an Impilturn mining city, and across the water there's of course Dun-Tharos. I was just curious what part 'Dun' played in the namings of Imperial Narfell. Was it like a regional code?

3) On the topic of Vordric Dun, assuming it is in some way related to Ancient Narfell, does that imply it's built on ruins of some kind?

4) Lastly, and this might be bigger than I thought it was going to be, but what are some large, brushstrokey ways of making the major cities of Impiltur (Hlammach, Dilpur, and Sarshel specifically) seem very unique from each other (for the player's sakes)?

Just to throw it out there, I'm in no huge rush for these answers; I figure I'm being presumptuous as it is already. By the way, the lore this year has been amazing; many of my unasked questions and wonderings were answered. Thank you George.
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 04 May 2014 :  03:41:22  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by mikemax
A couple of additional questions for you:
1. Can the vessels be moved to extend or contract the wards?
2. Who does the spell warn if the vessels are touched? I'd assume that they'd need to be keyed to either the Royal line or to the progeny of Soargar himself or something like that since Soargar probably realized that he couldn't outlive a demon.



The vessels can be moved but that doesn't extend or contract the wards. What moving or removing the vessels does is weaken the ward - which is why Soneillon has been able to use her spells and magical effects on people and places in Impiltur over the recent centuries, whereas when the spell was first cast it prevented her from doing anything within the warded area, including casting spells into it, scrying etc. Successive Mage Royals deduced this and so tracked down as many of the vessels as they could (some are buried deep underground and otherwise inaccessible) and put warding spells on them, versions of 'watchware' and other similar spells to prevent tampering.

The vessels do however have one mystery guardian. A watchghost that appears when a serious attempt to move or destroy one of the vessels occurs. Not seen for many decades (the Mage Royals have done a decent job on securing the remaining vessels), the watchghost appears as an old, wizened female of grim mien, long hair down to her ankles, wearing robes but barefoot and wielding a staff with a carved unicorn head at its tip. She furiously attacks anyone seeking to move or destroy one of the vessels and is relentless in her pursuit of would-be thieves and ransackers. Who or what she is unknown.

-- George Krashos

"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 - 04 May 2014 :  04:08:11  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
I was wondering if you had any thoughts on cross links for Impiltur and Damara (or had already come up with cross links already). I figure Damara is probably not all that friendly with Narfell so the only real neighbour to affect it in anyway is Impiltur. Have you got any lore nuggets stashed away linking nobility or royalty in Damara that i could use? In fact anything at all on Damara would be helpful.



I must confess that I've been planning to "do" Damara for a long time, and certainly cement connections and ties with Impiltur, but have made only a little progress.

If I'd had a bit more time, I would have done a mini-lineage for the kingdom for GHotR (Narfell and Raumathar got preference - sorry!).

I had planned to have one of the Damaran kings marry a daughter of Velimbrar, the fourth son of Imphras II in or about 1255-ish DR (Imbar II is of Velimbrar's line) and prior to that, to have one of the Damaran princes die with King Imbrar I (thereby causing issues between the two nations for several generations).

On Damara generally, I'd always been of the view that Damara as a region existed from the time of the retreat of the Great Glacier (i.e. c. 1038 DR) and that all Feldrin did was ride in with a bunch of mercenaries and establish the first real fortress city and call himself "king". I would say that Feldrin and his successor were king in name only, ruling only a portion of the territory now known as Damara (likely the current Barony of Polten and the Barony of Morov) until Imphras defeated the hobgoblins (who laid waste to Damaran lands before surging south and ultimately unsuccessfully laid siege to Heliogabalus (btw, awful, awful name IMHO) at the same time. The defeat of the hobgoblins gave the Bloodfeathers and Damara the breathing space to expand, fortify, defeat rivals and really establish a kingdom. That process would likely have taken the better part of a decade (i.e. up until 1105 DR or so).

After that it would have been a peaceful procession of kings, and the son of the Velimbrar daughter would likely have been the first paladin king of Damara, with King Virdin being his grandson.

Anyway, lots of room to play. I personally wouldn't necessarily play up the Zhengyi angle until the 14th century DR, but YMMV.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus

Edited by - George Krashos on 04 May 2014 04:10:50
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 04 May 2014 :  07:48:28  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well my thoughts went down some different angles but im glad we have similar thoughts on the founding. I actually think the heliogabalus name is Nar in origin. It reminds me of bildobaris somewhat and we have Nars in steppenhall.
I think I know who to have marry into imphras' line as well so thankyou.

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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2014 :  09:40:10  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hi George,

I have hit a bit of a problem in my Damara timeline. When things start to get difficult for Damara is also when Impiltur is going through its own problems (1160's).

Now given what i have had happen it means the only opportunity for any form of dynastic union between Impiltur and Damara is 1150 DR. However looking at the dates that is the time between Imbrar dying in the giantspire mountains without an heir and Ilmara becoming queen before marrying Rilaun and producing an air to the Heltharn dynasty so probably no kids available during that time.

Now i note that the Impiltur lineages do not include any details of daughters (unless they become heir for whatever reason) but i dont think Imbrar had any daughters. Therefore i am forced to make the dynastic union between my King of Damara (Veldrin) and a grand niece of Imphras I of Impiltur.

Any thoughts on this. I'm assuming Imphras had other relatives. If of course he had a daughter or two (other than Ilmara) then that would be even better because i could have a more direct link between Impiltur and Damara but i fear that may give Damara more of a claim on Impiltur's throne and when we get to the problems with Talryn, Lashilmbrar, and Imphras. The question would be why didnt Damara's line attempt to claim the throne.

So any thoughts on Imphras having a sister, or daughters other than Ilmara that i could use? Just a yes no is sufficient (a name would be even better) although i suspect you have a brief writeup of every king and direct relative for the entire Impilturan dynasty.

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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2014 :  18:58:16  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm sorry to say that by the time Imphras was crowned king he had no living siblings. Similarly, Imbrar and Ilmara were his only children.

Also, given that FR9 specifically notes that Feldrin had a "long, unbroken line of kindly heirs", I'm intrigued as to just what problems the realm may have been going through in the 1160s DR. Do tell.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2014 :  19:20:40  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well I kept the line unbroken but I have a war with demons in Vaasa (earthquake in Sossal and demoncysts also unleashing horrors on Vaasa) as one major event. Then I have a Nar witch as a behind the scenes manipulator using Damara for her own ends. She offs a few kings and enslaves a few more.

Even if Imphras' siblings were dead by the time he was king they might have had children that would be slightly related to Imphras (although have no claim to the throne which would be helpful), they in turn might have had their own children and so on. Pretty please with cherries on top.

I figure no kingdom has an easy time of it in the first few centuries and so why should Damara get off lightly.

I even have a new holy order for Ilmater based around the idea of suffering for the redemption of past acts and thereby regaining their honour and powers (i.e. only fallen paladins and those that have to atone for their actions may join the order and they typically end up on life or death missions to redeem themselves).


Of course I could just send you the draft if you fancy a look at it. I am in the process of writing up Damara in detail for my Alternate Dimensions fan mag so I have a full line of kings (name and general personality), regalia, and the main antagonist all detailed.

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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2014 :  19:46:48  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The troubles really start with the Feldrin II of Damara who becomes insane and paranoid who severs diplomatic ties with Impiltur before his heir kills him to prevent a war. The heir was a paladin and founds the Order of Fallen Princes (name is a work in progress). All this happens around the time of Imbrar's ill fated march

The murdering paladin heir is exiled for treason and the younger son becomes king who has to go through a war with demons in Vaasa. Impiltur is unable to help because of its own troubles (and past issues with Damara). The Order of Fallen Princes with the former crown prince in charge help Impiltur in their rebellion and in return Impiltur aids Damara against Vaasa.

Then suddenly the king and his son are killed in suspicious circumstances (although nothing can be proven) and the grandson of the claims the throne. He is a mind slave to the main antagonist in Damara and is incapable of independent thought. Through magic he is kept alive until the age of 124 (he even fathers a child in his late 80s).

He is finally killed by his son who hires a cabal of mages to murder him. The evil of the antagonist is exposed and Virdin becomes king.

Of course I have hidden a few secrets in the timeline.

I just liked your idea of a link with the throne of Impiltur. They are neighbours after all, and such dynastic marriages were commonplace in real world history.

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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  03:13:49  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lukas Kain

George, I had a few questions:

1) What are some (more) of the names of noble families living in Impiltur, and maybe some general history of them? I know of families like the Dintersans, Starsunders, Wealhavens, Forgecrowns, and Relindars (and I suspect a few more might be Evenoak, Drelnorth, Brandosk, ect.), I was just wondering what some others are and if they are "old blood" or newer. I understand you likely left many vacant for GMs to fill in as needed.

2) I got to thinking about some name associations, and I realized that the Citadel of Conjurors was known as Dun-Orthass. In the same region is Vordric Dun, an Impilturn mining city, and across the water there's of course Dun-Tharos. I was just curious what part 'Dun' played in the namings of Imperial Narfell. Was it like a regional code?

3) On the topic of Vordric Dun, assuming it is in some way related to Ancient Narfell, does that imply it's built on ruins of some kind?

4) Lastly, and this might be bigger than I thought it was going to be, but what are some large, brushstrokey ways of making the major cities of Impiltur (Hlammach, Dilpur, and Sarshel specifically) seem very unique from each other (for the player's sakes)?

Just to throw it out there, I'm in no huge rush for these answers; I figure I'm being presumptuous as it is already. By the way, the lore this year has been amazing; many of my unasked questions and wonderings were answered. Thank you George.



Hey George. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on these? I'm trying not to be impatient, so as always take your time. In all honesty, at this point the most pressing question for me is number 4, the brush-stroke one. I just want a means of telling the major cities apart besides their name and farming tendencies.
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  09:17:36  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm really sorry Lukas. It's been "busy". I've had some random thoughts on your questions (in between work, kids and life in general)and promise you'll get a response on the weekend. After all these years I am still somewhat amazed that anyone would care enough about my musings to wait on them. Thanks for being interested. I'll try and do better for you and the other one or two people who read this thread!

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  09:29:56  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well another one is definitely me and as always i'm very excited for some George lore.

I think you will probably find a lot of people wait on your opinion in certain matters (the north, impiltur and narfell to name but a few).

I might be back soon with some requests for Narfell, from ancient times through to modern. It seriously needs some fleshing out (not the ancient Narfell, but that is all ruined, im talking about what Narfell is like now - a few tribe names and a mountain arent really enough detail on a country as huge as Narfell)

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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  12:08:16  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I wanted to wait sufficient time and only said something because I thought you might have missed them. It might be odd, but I kindda consider you my guru for my grand campaign. All said, I didn't mean to lay on guilt or anything; honestly I figured you'd just missed my post so I thought I'd throw it back out there. I've always been amazed by the support the Realms have received by its fan base and creators, so just being able to ask "the guy" who essentially designed the region I'm focusing on questions which naturally crop up -and- get well-researched and detailed responses leaves me with great contentment and patience.
So please George, by all means take as long as you need. I understand how life can get super busy at a moment's notice. And as always, thanks for the terrific insight and guidance.
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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  12:16:42  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Oh, I meant to include something that might in some way benefit those using Impiltur and the greater Impiltur area. I've been looking for a map (for what seems like ages) to represent some of the major cities in Impiltur, and honestly just today I stumbled across a goldmine. It was mentioned recently, and I too had downloaded Northern Journeys forever ago and essentially ignored it. Earlier today I flipped through some of the folders and they have custom-built maps of Lyrabar, Sarshel, Dilpur, Hlammach, you name it. Heck, they even have Dun-Tharos and many other major landmarks. They are Campaign Cartographer maps, so you need to have the program to view them (I think), and they follow the existence the NJ guys came up with, but it still beats the hades out of everything I had. I just thought it would be worth sharing since they really are terrific hand-made maps.
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 05 Jun 2014 :  13:20:55  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The NJ project is a fantastic piece of work. Although their "artistic vision" for Impiltur and its environs differs fairly markedly from what I've built over time, I doff my cap to the writers. Wonderful stuff.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 06 Jun 2014 :  08:39:11  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Right then George.

I have checked over my Narfell notes (which covers little more than 10 pages).

And i have a question that is rooted in ancient Narfell so hopefully you might have given it some thought already.

The Great Conflagration happened -650 DR to -150 DR. Narfell and Raumathar are taking chunks out of one another, slowly wearing each other down to the point that they both make desperate last ditch attempts to destroy one another which consumes them both.

I'm fine with all that. I have noted that in the initial stages Narfell sweeps down and takes Aglarond and the Wizard's Reach from Unther. It then attempts to invade Mulhorand with a great armada and loses.

Then Either Narfell or Raumathar occupy the ruins of Thay (which i figure were still largely empty thanks to the Orcgate Wars) and this territory changes hands many times (The Citadel i think is mentioned as already being there when Raumathar occupied that land).

In -339 DR Netheril falls, all magic ceases to function for a few seconds and the enclave of Jiksidur smashes into the ground slap bang in the centre of Narfell.

Now an event like that has got to cause a bit of a stir among an empire like Narfell. It may even have contributed to putting the brakes on Narfell's war machine and allowing Raumathar to gain the upper hand for a brief time.

I wonder first of all what Jiksidur landed on. The Netherese Enclaves were only supposed to be the top off a mountain which admittedly could still be quite considerable in size but would essentially make an upside down enclave little more than a big hill.

Did Jiksidur land on an existing settlement or existing hill. If there was a hill present there already it would have been an ideal place for a military outpost.

Next is why is the mountain called Hark's Finger, or Hawk's Finger (depending on whose map i look at). In Netheril there were survivors from the crashed enclaves (maybe ones who retreated to special chambers designed to protect people from such an event). Jiksidur was Larloch's enclave and he was a Chosen of Mystryl so he would have had many students (spread the knowledge of magic and all that) and many of these would have access to powerful magics and contingencies. Larloch himself was saved by a teleport contingency so it is not inconceivable for a student of his to have access to a feather fall spell or something that could save himself and a number of other citizens.

I am just wondering if enough Netherese survived to form a temporary colony, maybe the leader of whom's surname was Hark. Of course when the conflagration happened and the Suren invaded the Netherese would have had to up sticks and move, probably north to a more glaciated and remote area (great glacier coverage being much greater back then). I wonder if a small Netherese enclave does not exist there still. Neldertown to the north could be a corruption of Nethertown after all.


Anyway, have you any thoughts on the impact of Netheril's fall and the arrival of Jiksidur on ancient Narfell.

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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 06 Jun 2014 :  23:27:18  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal


The Great Conflagration happened -650 DR to -150 DR. Narfell and Raumathar are taking chunks out of one another, slowly wearing each other down to the point that they both make desperate last ditch attempts to destroy one another which consumes them both.



The Great Conflagration was the final war between the two, and the title refers to only 10 years of their overall conflict with one another: -160 to -150.
The enclaves were hundreds if not thousands of feet in the air when they came crashing down. You've piqued my interests enough to look through notes and see if anyone survived the impact of any of the enclaves. We know there is a Netheril diaspora, but I've always assumed those three major colonies were entirely made up of those who were either already on the ground, or were away from the enclaves at the time of Mystryl's death. After all, it was a time when magic ran rampant, and even super-secure and/or ancient magic items ceased their functions for a time.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36587 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 :  00:10:32  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lukas Kain

quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal


The Great Conflagration happened -650 DR to -150 DR. Narfell and Raumathar are taking chunks out of one another, slowly wearing each other down to the point that they both make desperate last ditch attempts to destroy one another which consumes them both.



The Great Conflagration was the final war between the two, and the title refers to only 10 years of their overall conflict with one another: -160 to -150.
The enclaves were hundreds if not thousands of feet in the air when they came crashing down. You've piqued my interests enough to look through notes and see if anyone survived the impact of any of the enclaves. We know there is a Netheril diaspora, but I've always assumed those three major colonies were entirely made up of those who were either already on the ground, or were away from the enclaves at the time of Mystryl's death. After all, it was a time when magic ran rampant, and even super-secure and/or ancient magic items ceased their functions for a time.



Mystra 1.0 came online in time to catch three of the enclaves and safely park them on the ground.

I've pointed out more than once that we only know about the enclaves in the Netheril area, and a few here and there in the Heartlands area. But since the enclaves were capable of going anywhere, there could easily have been enclaves much further afield -- over the Sea of Swords, for example, or over Chult, or even parked over another continent.

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sleyvas
Great Reader

USA
11426 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 :  01:40:38  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal

Right then George.

I have checked over my Narfell notes (which covers little more than 10 pages).

And i have a question that is rooted in ancient Narfell so hopefully you might have given it some thought already.

The Great Conflagration happened -650 DR to -150 DR. Narfell and Raumathar are taking chunks out of one another, slowly wearing each other down to the point that they both make desperate last ditch attempts to destroy one another which consumes them both.

I'm fine with all that. I have noted that in the initial stages Narfell sweeps down and takes Aglarond and the Wizard's Reach from Unther. It then attempts to invade Mulhorand with a great armada and loses.

Then Either Narfell or Raumathar occupy the ruins of Thay (which i figure were still largely empty thanks to the Orcgate Wars) and this territory changes hands many times (The Citadel i think is mentioned as already being there when Raumathar occupied that land).

In -339 DR Netheril falls, all magic ceases to function for a few seconds and the enclave of Jiksidur smashes into the ground slap bang in the centre of Narfell.

Now an event like that has got to cause a bit of a stir among an empire like Narfell. It may even have contributed to putting the brakes on Narfell's war machine and allowing Raumathar to gain the upper hand for a brief time.

I wonder first of all what Jiksidur landed on. The Netherese Enclaves were only supposed to be the top off a mountain which admittedly could still be quite considerable in size but would essentially make an upside down enclave little more than a big hill.

Did Jiksidur land on an existing settlement or existing hill. If there was a hill present there already it would have been an ideal place for a military outpost.

Next is why is the mountain called Hark's Finger, or Hawk's Finger (depending on whose map i look at). In Netheril there were survivors from the crashed enclaves (maybe ones who retreated to special chambers designed to protect people from such an event). Jiksidur was Larloch's enclave and he was a Chosen of Mystryl so he would have had many students (spread the knowledge of magic and all that) and many of these would have access to powerful magics and contingencies. Larloch himself was saved by a teleport contingency so it is not inconceivable for a student of his to have access to a feather fall spell or something that could save himself and a number of other citizens.

I am just wondering if enough Netherese survived to form a temporary colony, maybe the leader of whom's surname was Hark. Of course when the conflagration happened and the Suren invaded the Netherese would have had to up sticks and move, probably north to a more glaciated and remote area (great glacier coverage being much greater back then). I wonder if a small Netherese enclave does not exist there still. Neldertown to the north could be a corruption of Nethertown after all.


Anyway, have you any thoughts on the impact of Netheril's fall and the arrival of Jiksidur on ancient Narfell.



Just a note, Jiksidur fell on the northern borders of Narfell, not in the center. It is also interesting to note that Shade enclave worked with some Vaasans that they gave black swords to when they returned (Vala Thorsdotter was one such Vaasan). Possible linkage?

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 07 Jun 2014 :  07:08:06  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
My bad, I always use that name to refer to the whole war. Its just habit now.

Im pretty sure I have read in one of the sourcebooks about survivors from all the enclaves but maybe it was ambiguous and I just took the wrong meaning.

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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 17 Jun 2014 :  12:13:46  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well i assume that the Great Candlekeep Crash of 2014 is somewhat to blame (along with real life getting in the way), but i'm pretty sure we were all promised some GK lore by the weekend. I realise that you didnt specify what weekend but i'm still waiting for some juicy Impiltur lore (and Narfell lore if you get around to it pretty please with cherries on top).

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unseenmage
Seeker

61 Posts

Posted - 23 Jun 2014 :  21:24:03  Show Profile Send unseenmage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
First I'd like to say hello and thanks for all the awesome lore. I'm a newbie and as such am loving the experience of diving in and swimming through it all.

As for my question, I was researching The Endless Wastes and its environs when I found reference to an omitted Wyrm of the North and a certain rare ancient construct she commands called a Banedrinker.

I was wondering if you'd be willing to elaborate on the Banedrinkers some and also if you knew any more about the Red Wizard Ghalaster
of Tyratauros?

I am much more interested in the Banedrinker and how it compares to the basic Stone and Iron Golems. Were there more than one type? Did they gain the abilities of slain fiends forever or only for a short time? That sort of thing. Though additional info on their creation, history, and appearance would be fantastic as well.

Thanks much!

Flying monkeys will eat your eyes.

Edited by - unseenmage on 23 Jun 2014 21:28:27
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 24 Jun 2014 :  13:42:36  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal

Well i assume that the Great Candlekeep Crash of 2014 is somewhat to blame (along with real life getting in the way), but i'm pretty sure we were all promised some GK lore by the weekend. I realise that you didnt specify what weekend but i'm still waiting for some juicy Impiltur lore (and Narfell lore if you get around to it pretty please with cherries on top).



The guilt is getting to me! What spare FR time I've had of late has been devoted to a project I'm working on for the Candlekeep Seminar at GEN-CON. I'll see what I can do, but can't promise just which weekend the answers will appear!

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6288 Posts

Posted - 24 Jun 2014 :  13:45:13  Show Profile Send Gary Dallison a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well i was really just posting an elaborate reminder (i know i need reminding to do stuff every 2-3 days). If there are other things then i can wait a few years.

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Lukas Kain
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USA
60 Posts

Posted - 27 Jul 2014 :  08:04:45  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hey George, I was wondering if you had some ideas regarding one of my questions? I'm wanting to differentiate the major four cities in Impiltur for my squad. I would settle for a handful of adjectives, or a title (i.e. how Waterdeep is the City of Splendors, or Oreme being the City of White Towers), just something to work with. I realize you're a busy man, so I'm not trying to get all naggy or whatnot. It's just that I've lost a teammate to my waiting, but this is my big "GM debut" and I want to know my chosen setting inside and out.
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Lukas Kain
Seeker

USA
60 Posts

Posted - 08 Aug 2014 :  02:57:07  Show Profile Send Lukas Kain a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I also had a clarification question. I've been combing through as much of your Impiltur work as I can get my hands on, and I'm seeing some discrepancies when it comes to names of a few noble families. I'm just wondering what the story is behind, for instance, the Dintersans: a nice and happy "new blood" family who also spell their surname Dinterson, Dintersun, Wintersun, and Winterson?

I figured that (in another example) the Wealhavens might've had some sort of major, inter-family dispute, where sides were taken and the result was a split where the "new" family which resulted from the division named themselves the "Well"havens (so as to establish their distance from who they were, but still remain a recognizable name). This essentially happened in my family a few generations back (I have second cousins who spell their name differently, although there isn't any animosity now-a-days); then again we aren't nobility so I'm not sure this couldn't really occur smoothly. I don't know. What're your thoughts, George?
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6559 Posts

Posted - 08 Aug 2014 :  12:46:03  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lukas Kain


1) What are some (more) of the names of noble families living in Impiltur, and maybe some general history of them? I know of families like the Dintersans, Starsunders, Wealhavens, Forgecrowns, and Relindars (and I suspect a few more might be Evenoak, Drelnorth, Brandosk, ect.), I was just wondering what some others are and if they are "old blood" or newer. I understand you likely left many vacant for GMs to fill in as needed.



Okay, in slightly truncated form here a few Impilturian noble houses:

Family name: Eirlthaun
Patriarch: Peredar Eirlthaun (LG hm Pal5)
Heir: Darlaun Eirlthaun (CN hm Ari3)
Prominent Members: Saerala Eirlthaun (LG hf Pal2); Ormas Eirlthaun (LN hm F9) "Old Orm"
Trade & Interests: shipping, shipwrights

Family name: Deepstar
Patriarch: Lantigar Deepstar (NG hm F10)
Heir: Lantigar Deepstar "the Younger" (NG hm F4) "the Little Lantern"
Prominent Members: Meluin Deepstar (CG hm W12) [noted adventurer and family "black sheep"]
Trade & Interests: mercenary fighting, horse-breeding

Family name: Thornspar
Matriarch: Erethella Thornspar (N hf W6)
Heir: Narasha Thornspar (N hf T3)
Prominent Members: Mara and Dara Thornspar (CG hf twins T5) "the Revel Witches"
Trade & Interests: textiles, fashion clothing, furs

Family name: Garammon
Patriarch: Felimbrar Garammon (LG hm P6 of Tyr)
Heir: Imphras Garammon (LG hm P1 of Ilmater)
Prominent Members: Velintar Garammon (LG P16 of Tyr) "the Grimeye" (chief inquisitor of the faith in Impiltur)
Trade & Interests: sword forging, warrior-training, tack-making

Family name: Tordrover
Patriarch: Morga Tordrover (LN hm F7)
Heir: Horga Tordrover (N hm infant)
Prominent Members: Bargaun Tordrover (LN hm F5) and his wife Everild Tordrover (LG df F4)
Trade & Interests: gem mining, trading in metals

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus

Edited by - George Krashos on 12 Aug 2014 05:32:00
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