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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 18:47:49
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Was it just for the simple fact that they wanted to stand literally above all the other civilizations? Perhaps to slake their wanderlust, if they had one? Or did they think it the most convenient and fastest way of expanding their empire?
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Every beginning has an end. |
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 18:52:40
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the original was problely done to expand the art.
the others came along for the sake of their own egos.
thus the flying enclaves were nothing more than a status symbol.
pride and nothing else |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
My FR fan fiction
Magister's GAmbit
http://steelfiredragon.deviantart.com/gallery/33539234 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 18:59:53
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When Ioulaum invented the mythallar, wasn't his drive only to test the limit [or lack thereof] of his magical knowledge, as most inventors are wont to do? Status, empire's expansion, and widespread practice of the Art only came later? |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 06 Nov 2011 19:01:09 |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4687 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 19:13:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Was it just for the simple fact that they wanted to stand literally above all the other civilizations? Perhaps to slake their wanderlust, if they had one? Or did they think it the most convenient and fastest way of expanding their empire?
The whys and wherefores are in the minds of the people who did it.
It could have been as simple as I can do it. It could be more complicated as to instilling fear in neighbors or as you offer just to have more land for population (avoiding land war to take lands from other people). There are many possible answers as to why, Ed might be able to answer the most important reason. I can think of many more. Mage doing better then the first mage and so on just to display skill. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 19:45:05
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| Beyond their massive egos, there is also the practical reasons. In its history, Faerun has had quite a few hordes of this or that wipe out cities and nations. A flying city would pretty much take that worry off the table. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 19:56:31
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Good point, Seethyr. Most likely Ioulaum had that in mind when he raised the first flying enclave. |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 06 Nov 2011 19:59:03 |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 20:14:32
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Flying cities are cooler than non-flying cities
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Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 20:59:17
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quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
Flying cities are cooler than non-flying cities
and this goes without saying...
+1 |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
My FR fan fiction
Magister's GAmbit
http://steelfiredragon.deviantart.com/gallery/33539234 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 21:04:40
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I think that also largely depends on the cities' inhabitants. If they are populated by creatures I ever so dislike [which I would rather not specify so as not to derail the topic further], I might with less or no doubt at all say that land-based cities are way cooler. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 21:16:35
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| seethyr said it, it was the horde of orcs and good know what else that made hem build the flying cities. plus later they became very much like the video game longest journey the elite lived above ground and the poor were allowed to live there but most stayed on the ground. once the cities were raised they had a field day killing orc's itwas crazy read the free pdf's for the old empire you will see. great source for knowledge and adventures even the resting place for our good old tarrasque |
Purple you say?!
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 22:00:56
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If the timeline is correct, Ioulaum led "The Excursion Into Extinction" and annihilated the largest concentration of orcs in Netheril land prior to creating the mythallar. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2011 : 22:51:38
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| idd it was. imagine the fun they had once they were above them |
Purple you say?!
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Edited by - Portella on 07 Nov 2011 16:02:01 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 02:02:21
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| I would imagine the first city was lofted as a "hey, this will be cool if I could pull it off" type of thing. After that, it was everyone wanting to share in that coolness. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 03:03:23
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From Netheril: Empire of Magic:-
" ... it soon became a flying city as people from all across Netheril flocked to him, wanting to live in the clouds, high above the threat of 'those who fear and don’t understand magic.'"
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Couple that with the near-absolute arrogance most Netherese arcanists possessed with regard to arcane practices, and the need to further exploit the possibilities offered by the mythallars, and we begin to see why it was almost inevitable that such expressions of magic-use, came about. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 03:09:51
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| Yet surprising that the obvious next evolution from flying city, that is a city which can travel to different worlds and planes, hardly existed. Only three cities had such capability, I believe, and managed to survive Netheril's Fall. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 03:54:36
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I believe they didn't see the risk worth it at the time. Do remember, too , that planar travel in the time of Karsus wasn't widely known. Many archwizards even considered Telamont's dabbling with shadow magic and the then Demiplane of Shadow too unconventional.
But if they had lived longer, I suppose many would have tried Telamont's feat. |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 07 Nov 2011 03:55:19 |
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Nilus Reynard
Learned Scribe
Canada
137 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 04:52:17
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| It would also be easier to keep an eye on your nation if you could move your entire stronghold around instead of just moving armies. |
Nilus Reynard
Doom Master of Beshaba, Hand of Despair.
P24 Hm CN
(2nd Edition AD&D) |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 05:18:31
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Maybe. But transportation had never been a problem to them. They could shift through space [almost always] at will. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 07:39:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Yet surprising that the obvious next evolution from flying city, that is a city which can travel to different worlds and planes, hardly existed. Only three cities had such capability, I believe, and managed to survive Netheril's Fall.
I attribute that, partly, to the arrogance of the majority of "High Netherese."
It's harder to "lord over" the denizens of the low-lands when your flying city is off visiting another plane. |
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 15:54:03
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Excess. I see the flying cities as a logical extension of the "bigger = better" mentality. The Netherese just wanted to demonstrate their own superiority in the flashiest way imaginable.
Also there is some practicality involved when it comes to escaping marauding humanoids, etc.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 15:57:17
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I live in NY (although not the city). The most expensive real-estate in the city is the highest. the cheapest apartments are ground level (or even lower).
The ability to "look down at" your fellow man is just something the aristocracy has always enjoyed doing, throughout history, and our current level of technology simply allows us to do that even better.
The same goes for the Netherease - the intelligentsia among them wanted to 'rise above' the commoners, and did precisely that, quite literally. They had the tech, and used it. If RW man could create flying cities, we would, and all the wealthiest folk n the world would live in them (unless they were acrophobic, which I am sure some Netherease Archmages were... elst why something like Saurgauth?)
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"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 07 Nov 2011 15:58:07 |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 16:12:50
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It happened, things got pretty bad but remember like in Stargate the Aliens that SG1 started working with and turned out they were going to wipe everyone by making people sterile, all for turning earth into a farm world.
The Netherese needed their farms lands for food, bread and wine with out them it would have been an expensive commodity that I can hardly see the archmages doing with out. One good example I love to bring up is the Never ending party on the hitch hikers guide to the universe, flying party that never ended they would travel world pillaging farm lands for wine, liquor and savouries.
Netherese with out their lands would have been pirates. |
Purple you say?!
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Edited by - Portella on 07 Nov 2011 16:13:42 |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 16:27:48
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Pirate Archmages flying around faerun in a small/medium sized but efficient flying fortress for quick and fast attacks full of heavy artillery.
Imagine how everyone felt when the Citadel of the Shade Entered the realmspace again, I would be investing in espionage and heavy anti-air artillery and praying to find something that is capable of destroying mythals built in netheril. Like the Gatekeeper's Crystal or something... |
Purple you say?!
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 17:03:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Portella
Pirate Archmages flying around faerun in a small/medium sized but efficient flying fortress for quick and fast attacks full of heavy artillery.
Imagine how everyone felt when the Citadel of the Shade Entered the realmspace again, I would be investing in espionage and heavy anti-air artillery and praying to find something that is capable of destroying mythals built in netheril. Like the Gatekeeper's Crystal or something...
Purple and Bold? |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 17:22:59
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If I whisper or try to speak quietly like this you will see this. Other wise my voice is electrified by the weave, enchanted by ages past.
However Purple and bold reminds me of the Purple Dragons |
Purple you say?!
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Edited by - Portella on 07 Nov 2011 19:58:18 |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 17:35:11
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| If we must purple, I prefer purple and bold. If it's bolded, I can at least read it. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 17:46:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
If we must purple, I prefer purple and bold. If it's bolded, I can at least read it.
I don't even bother reading the posts that are colored, bold, or in all CAPS |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 18:42:40
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Back to flying cities ... were they all accounted for after Netheril's Fall?
I doubt anyone took a census or confirmed crash-sites for every single city off some great checklist. There were many hundreds or even thousands of flying cities in Netheril, it's not impossible for dozens of them to still remain unaccounted. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 19:54:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Back to flying cities ... were they all accounted for after Netheril's Fall?
I doubt anyone took a census or confirmed crash-sites for every single city off some great checklist. There were many hundreds or even thousands of flying cities in Netheril, it's not impossible for dozens of them to still remain unaccounted.
All of them or most can be found on the maps inside the netheril campaign setting with their location and crash sites. |
Purple you say?!
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 21:39:33
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| Most of them, yes. Three are known to have fled to other planes. But how many are missing? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2011 : 21:43:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Most of them, yes. Three are known to have fled to other planes. But how many are missing?
Wait, three fled to other planes? What was the third? I'm only recalling Shade and Opus... |
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 07 Nov 2011 21:44:13 |
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Topic |
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What drove the Netherese to create flying cities?
