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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 16:11:58
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I'm wrapping up my a campaign that began with Ruins of Adventure and moved into Pools of Darkness. That's wrapping up and the only unknown at the moment is whether or not Phlan will return from the Astral Sea. The cities of Hulburg, New Verdigris (and a sizeable chunk of Old Verdigris), and Melvaunt have all returned to the Prime Material.
Melvaunt:
House Nanther has some rebuilding to do, as Thorne the Red Dragon had taken up residence there while guarding the horn of storms. The PCs left most of the gold there, so they have plenty to use in their rebuilding and will likely prosper overall by the encounter.
New Verdigris:
The dwarven miners of House Mastemyr are very grateful to the party and will likely be sending some sort of reward.
Hulburg:
Ericon the ranger is now heir to the Hulmaster line by marrying Lord Hulmaster's young daughter. Aesperus will be looking after him and since he is invested with the confidence of Lord Hulmaster. This is probably a bad thing. Ericon does, unknowingly, bear Aesperus' phylactery.
This campaign will, in some ways, be following Ericon as he rebuilds Hulburg. However, the focus is still to be on the entire party and I hope to challenge and reward them accordingly.
It's nealy 1351. Ericon and two others will be returning to Hulburg by sea, having been banished from the astral sea by Gothmenes. The remainder of the party will return with Phlan, or die trying. All will be granted "Knight Errant" status by Phlan, raising them from their status of knighthood they received in 1340.
In the meanwhile, Tyranthraxus has been licking his wounds for 10 years in Myth Drannor and is also in the process of setting up a new power base that will result in Curse of the Azure Bonds in 1358.
What villains, plotlines, and adventures come to mind for the intervening 7-8 years?
The group is roughly tenth level and will be progressing slowly xp-wise. I expect to adapt Curse of the Azure Bonds to higher level play and I may run members of this group through the ToT series.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 17:43:02
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Hey Rhew.
Hulburg wasn't on the coast in 1e/2e/3e - the Spellplague caused some terrain-shiftage, which (IIRC) had to do with some basalt monolith-thingies that appeared (in water) where the land south of Hulburg was, giving Hulburg a harbor it never had before.
I will be adjusting/adding-to/re-doing that map I sent you with my own terrain - I have already 'corrected' the Hulburg situation on my own map.
Here is a WiP of what I had already done (of the same exact area) awhile ago - it incorporates stuff from all four editions, so it's blend. You'll note the Hulburg region has the new (4e) river system, so it is on the coast. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 19:02:52
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Wow, that's such a beautiful rendition. Do you normally put the cities on their own layer? I'm thinking that GIMP would let me view that, if you did.
quote:
Hulburg was founded in the Year of the Cold Claws, 940 DR, as a base for human forces fighting giants and humanoids in Thar. The city grew quickly and soon huge walls, barracks, training grounds, and dock facilities sprang up.
Moonsea, p. 42.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 19:14:53
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Right, but it was on a river, not on the coast, which didn't allow it to become a 'power-player' in the Moonsea region. Rich Baker's excellent Swordmage novel gets into the changes a little bit. Having a deep-water harbor now allows larger ship-traffic, and for it to grow much quicker.
Personally, I just ignore the timeline and say that the 4e Hulburg exists in my 3e world. it's far more interesting. At the end of the day, when we are gaming, WE decide what we use, and what we don't.
The same also goes for Waterdeep. I don't like what they've done to the place, but with all honesty, I'd be far more willing to run adventures in the dirty, run-down 4e version.
As for the map - that's a small clip of the continental one I was working on. The one I was doing in-order to produce a layered pdf. My original 'world map' was done before I fully understood layering, so making changes was extremely difficult, because everything was on one layer (so no 'Player' type maps could be extruded from them). The pdf was going to have EVERYTHING on a separate layer (including road names, river names, etc) so DM's could pick-&-choose what they wanted to print-out.
Maybe someday. |
"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 11 Apr 2011 19:16:57 |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 19:24:26
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So far, what I've come up with ...
I can run Bristanam's Cairn in the barrows north of Hulburg. This is an adventure in Dungeon Magazine issue #6. Seems like a nice/perfect fit.
Lord Hulmaster will start accumulating wealth for the family to use to rebuild Hulburg. In this effort he will send Ericon to the north to retrieve the rumored wealth of the "Pride in the Sky." A crashed skyship. This is detailed in Dungeon 20.
I think I will replace the Reaver that is wrecked near Hulburg with the Shining Star as detailed in Dungeon 15. Essentially a cursed rod caused the captain to accidentally summon a storm. He was transformed into a shadow and possessed by the rod.
There's an adventure where a paladin ship captain is being transformed into a were-eel, but I can't find that one. Any ideas?
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 19:55:52
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| So, is that river on the 4E map the river that was there before that the docks worked off of? |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2011 : 23:12:31
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| I assume so - I would have to check some other maps to see if there was ever a river there before (which doesn't matter either way - the assumption should be that there had to be one there, given the fact that Hulburg was not on the coast pre-plague). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2011 : 02:44:57
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| I could message Baker. He's pretty responsive to that. Or we could message both him and Ed at the same time and see what happens... :) |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2011 : 22:06:00
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Okay, here's the funny part - you are using The Moonsea booklet to verify that it as always a port-city, and yet, in that very same source, it lists the town as a "tantalizing ruin", and in fact, has a map on the back cover of those ruins!
And the map clearly indicates it had a port.
The rest of the text is interesting, and at one point it says "the final battle put Hulburg to death once and for all."
Accent mine. Put that together with the stuff in the novel (which says the port formed because of the Spellplague), and one has to scratch their head a bit.
Looking further, I can find no evidence of that river on older maps, but that does not mean it wasn't there pre-plague; there are numerous smaller waterways throughout the realms that do not show-up on the large regional maps. Here's what I think -
Homebrew based on ALL canon:
The river system IS fairly new, but it WAS present in 1e (but perhaps not Ed's Realms, which didn't have Vassa). We know from canon sources that Vassa was 'under the ice' until the past few centuries, and that the glacier has been receding due to a meteoric strike (tearfall), referenced in both The Great glacier and the 2e Player's guide to the Forgotten Realms. Most maps (the ones we see) should be assumed to be 'in-game', as in, those are the kinds of maps scholars in the Realms possess, which aren't 100% accurate, and do not include every last detail (or settlement).
So the river system would have been very tiny - barely a stream - back in 1e, and it has been growing steadily larger as the ice in the mountains continues to melt. This is why we see it on the most recent maps - it has grown large enough post-plague for sages to take note of it.
NOW, the town itself - the ruins we see on the back-cover are of Old Hulburg, which was completely destroyed (as the text in Moonsea indicates). Most of the people of Hulburg fled - some into the wilderness, while others - the more affluent ones - took refuge in Thentia, and elsewhere. That city - as the map clearly shows - was indeed on the coast (probably on a tiny inlet that while not visible on the setting map, would have cut some distance into the northern coast). After Old Hulburg fell, some stragglers came back and built a new town maybe a mile north and west of the ruins, around Hulmaster Keep (also canon) and along the minor river that fed into the bay. This small settlement grew into a village, but never even came close to the city that Old Hulburg was. Those ruins were considered haunted (that's canon), and avoided by all. Come the spellplague, 'something' in the vaults beneath the old city exploded, and the ruins were (mostly) replaced by a deep crater, which quickly filled with water from the sea (the new harbor). As for the arches - quote:
Page 8, Swordmage
Wild whitecaps marched and tumbled beyond the spectacular arches, which divided the calmer waters of the harbor from the open sea. The slender stone ribs soared hundreds of feet into the air, leaping and plunging like the paths of a dozen skipping pebbles somehow frozen in pale green stone. The halfling studied them for a moment and added, "Those don't look like they belong here. Changeland?"
"The arches? yes, they're changeland. I'm told they erupted from the seabed in a single night in the year of blue Fire. Destroyed a quarter of the old city on the Easthead there, but they gave Hulburg the best harbor on the north shore of the Moonsea."
As we can clearly see, from both sources, the old city is now gone - just a ring of ruins around a crater-like harbor (which has really cool arch-thingies in it). The newer settlement around the keep expanded and grew into the flourishing town it is in the novel series. Assume the arches are central to the crater-like bay, and the harbor itself is at one end of that large bay (so that the arches block most of the badness from the sea, as it says in the above quote).
So we actually have three Hulburgs - old 'Ed' Hulburg (officially ruins in canon source), 'Hulburg' - which was little more then a few cottages and couldn't be called a village proper (what was going on from 1e-3e, but it was slowly growing), and then 'New Hulburg', which is the thriving town it is now.
And the river, growing steadily anyway, was helped-along by the new harbor, which it now empties into. Assume that old Hulburg existed to the SE of the smallish river (having been there since before the river even began), and that the new settlement was west of that (as it says the keep was in the Moonsea source), and that the the river delta itself was changed by the formation of new harbor (so you probably have 'good town' to one side, with a harbor, and bad, 'shanty-town' on the ruins side of the river). The remains of the Vault of the Dead now lie beneath the bay, with whatever treasure was in there, along with lots of Lacedons (aquatic ghouls), Kal-Muru (Sea Ghosts), and Drowned ones (water zombies). It should be assumed that the Lich Asperus moved after the Spellplague, which is evident in Rich's novels (the end-story of which is yet to be told).
As I said - a LOT of the above is conjecture, based on ALL avaialble sources. If you wanted to use the fluff of new Hulburg in the pre-plague Realms, simple assume the explosion and arches occurred as a result of the ToT (and Brian R. James has confirmed in his own material that there was some Spellplague-like effects taking place during the ToT, which was like a 'cantriplague' in comparison).
Hope that helps.  |
"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 Apr 2011 23:00:28 |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2011 : 22:18:17
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Of course it does! :)
Conjecture Based on Canon is basically my motto for viewing the realms. It's definitely my official motto now.
The only other Hulburg source is Realms of the Dead - The King in Copper, which I need to skim through again. The idea that the space under the ruins (which is under Aesperus control) collapsed and gave Hulburg a great harbor, jives well with the deal that Hulmasters have with him. It could have been an intentional action on his part (reminding me of some of Iniarv's actions in the past) or he had something down there that doesn't react too well to spellplague. |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 12 Apr 2011 : 22:24:18
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As to using 4E fluff in a 2E timeline, yeah I could "give" them the harbor ahead of time, but I see more potential in this obvious subterranean dungeon opportunity. The bonus for me it that it'll get wiped out down the road (hopefully after the group has explored it). Anything I can do to keep the PCs accomplishments as the real changes to canon and not my additions is good for me.
So, the only way Hulburg is going to get docks is if Ericon makes it a priority to commission them which it is obvious that no other Hulmaster Lord has recently put effort into.
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Brix
Learned Scribe
147 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2011 : 18:14:25
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quote:
(and Brian R. James has confirmed in his own material that there was some Spellplague-like effects taking place during the ToT, which was like a 'cantriplague' in comparison).
Awesome stuff.
Ist there more about these spellplague effects during ToT? |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2011 : 20:42:40
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I'll go and ask.
Meanwhile, I questioned Ed about Hulburg's position, and some other stuff.
I'm envisioning the campaign to both contain "land exploration" portions, like Kingmaker, but also pick up on some adventures on and in the Moonsea.
I'm not sure how extensively to "use" Aesperus, though if I use Akempus (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/pg20030205a), who, though unbeknownst to the PCs, has aided them directly in the past, Aesperus makes a good foil for him.
The last set of actions by Ericon in the previous campaign was meeting Azoun IV and Vangerdahast, after having helped rescue a fifteen year old Alusair from Rakshasa. So, I'd like to throw in a limited amount of aid from Cormyr down the road.
The phase I'm really wondering about is the early stages of building the city. Since NPCs follow the timeline as written unless prodded by PC actions, Agryl should live no later than the 1370s, as he is definitely dead in 1376 and Angmar is Harmach. I will be using him as a plot facilitator, hopefully sending the party off on quests to gain wealth, with a share or 2 going to Hulburg.
Amali, who, if history had gone its course would become terminally bored by 1357, in marrying Ericon will have a whole world open to her. As such, I hope to use her as a somewhat studious young wife who can provide some exposition.
Agryl will also, now, since he sees Ericon as a man after his own heart, be pressing to have Angmar and Luren sent off to schools to be educated and out of his hair. Angmar in particular (likely the eldest) will become a thorn in Ericon's side. Both boys have never received proper love from their father.
So, I press on with design... |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2011 : 14:38:59
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From Ed:
quote:
Rhewtani, there is SOME pirate "drift back and forth between the Moonsea and the Sea of Fallen Stars," but see Ed's posts about the River Lis to see a hampering factor.
Also, the very first Hulburg was a small, simple port and careening area (tidal sandy beach). Severe storms wiped it out, whereupon the second Hulberg was built a little way up a river (as some of the published maps have it). Attacked repeatedly over the years by orcs and raiding hobgoblins and "beast-men" (ogres), that was eventually abandoned and fell into ruins (as mentioned in canon lore).
A third Hulburg was more recently built as a (small and rather poor, for ship-shelter-in-storm purposes) port, and was rebuilt (see Rich Baker's recent trilogy) when circumstances made a better port possible.
Just another way of saying "Markustay is right, as often is the case." |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2011 : 14:52:45
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So, I've gone through Sea of Fallen Stars and Pirates of the Sea of Fallen Stars. I get that Immurk was the first High Captain, so to speak, but for as "important" as he seems to be, I'm not seeing all that much information on him and not really anything that makes him stand out all that much.
So, what's the deal? |
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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2011 : 22:34:58
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The first Adventure will take place 2 months after Pools of Darkness concluded. Ericon "Hulmaster" (h r10), Kiavon (he f9), Kal'ahanan (h f10), Erendir (e w8), and recent acquaintance, Devek Harpwind [NPC cleric of Valkur] (h c10). He is traveling with them while waiting to meet back up with the Foaming Wave, a vessel captained by Arkos Seatamer, a pirate hunter.
I know I want Devek to a cleric of Valkur, as I will be playing him up a little, but I don't know what to do with Arkos. He's supposed to be a Paladin. I'm tempted to just go with Lathander or Tyr, since they are prominent in the Moonsea, as well.
They will be making the trek from Phlan to Hulburg, avoiding Melvaunt (where they are wanted for wrongful death). They should pass through Thentia and also receive the opportunity to camp on Point Moonsea.
As the approach the ruins, they will spot a multitude of wrecked ships. One is a beached vessel, being repaired by pirates who surve under Burak the Mongrel. This smaller ship was taking on too much water and has been beached for repairs. The humanoids will have a shaman with them, but still will be no match for the party. They were attempting to salvage supplies from the wreck of the Shining Star.
The humanoids, if questioned, will admit that their ship took damage from the Striking Shadow, a Mulhorandi ship captained by Kirella Shadowgale. They did not ground the Shining Star, but think its possible the Shadow did.
The Shining Star (Du5) was wrecked as a result of the rod of parn being tampered with by Lord Margorn of Impiltur. The rod summoned a storm that wrecked the ship (this storm should be experienced the night they sleep at Point Moonsea).
It'll be up to the PCs to handle the humanoid pirates, explore the Shining Star, and possible also deal with the wreck of the reaver.
This will hopefully introduce the PCs to the campaign, allow me to describe Hulburg in as much detail as I can, and also help set up The Sunken Shadow (Du66).
Devek will travel with the party for a short while to serve as a cleric. The player of Ericon and Kal'ahan can take over the cleric role when Kal'ahanan returns to Phlan (for roleplay reasons). I do want to endear Devek to the PCs so that his death will play an important role as the campaign unfolds.
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High Seas and Hulburg
