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JohnLynch
Learned Scribe
Australia
243 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 10:24:12
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So I've been wondering what would the effects be of blowing up Anauroch and turning it into the magical equivalent of a radioactive wasteland? I know that there are the Bedine people in the Anauroch desert. But from what I've read they seem to have little impact on the history of the Forgotten Realms and they seem to have a strong overlap with Zakhara in terms of flavour.
My idea was that when Karsus attempted to take control of the Weave he disrupted the Netheril magic (as canon says) but that the backlash completely destroyed Anauroch (again following canon) which transformed it into a magical "radioactive" wasteland where there are spellstorms on a regular basis (not canon). The Zhentarim are still trying to gain control over the trade routes between the Sword Coast and the Moonsea. There are oases and certain routes one can follow to safely travel through the Anauroch desert. However most people don't know what these routes are and overtime they slowly change. Most caravans that go through the desert are never seen again. Presumed destroyed by the spellstorms. The only ones who seem to be able to travel with any sort of regularity are the Zhentarim and their agents.
There persist rumours that there are tribes of beastial creatures who've been transformed by the wild magic over generations. They attack anyone who travels through the desert, eating anyone they capture and picking their bones clean without leaving a trace of them. The truth is there are tribals living in the desert. But they're not cannibals. Most caravans that are destroyed are a result of the spellstorms. Although the tribals do come along afterwards to scavenge what they can from the ruins. The tribals live in mountain ranges where the mountains are heavily laced with a natural mineral that has the ability to block magic (i.e. antimagic stone). There are some within the tribe who've been marked by the spellstorms and are able to channel the wild magic. They're both feared and respected by the tribe.
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For me this is a way to introduce wild magic/spellscars into the Forgotten Realms without relying on the Time of Troubles or Spellplague. It also introduces an interesting rock (antimagic rocks) that could become central to several plots as well as differentiating the Bedine from the Zakharan people (making them more Freman from the Dune series). It also keeps intact the plotline of the Zhentarim coveting traderoutes through Anauroch while making it much more dangerous for regular merchants.
What do people think? Is this introducing major changes to Realms history that I'm unaware of? Is the flavour of Anauroch and it's people significantly different from Zakhara and I'm just unaware of it? I look forward to hearing people's thoughts.
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DM of the Realms: A blog for my Forgotten Realms adventures. |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1885 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 14:23:09
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Sounds interesting/good to me. A few points:
1. The backlash of Karsus' spell did not destroy the region, that was the Lifedrain spell utilized by the phaerimm. But your homebrew can be whatever you want it to be.
2. The Bedine are somewhat different than Zhakara (though there are similarities). The Bedine, for the most part, live a nomadic life whereas those indigenous to Zhakara have large cities and a bit of 'high fantasy' in their culture in addition to nomadic people. Still, one could make the case that there is enough overlap in the flavor of the two regions. Again, your homebrew can be whatever you want.
I don't think your idea will introduce any problematic changes, if that's what you're concerned with. You could introduce all sorts of new creatures that were altered by the radiation of the area, strange magical phenomena, etc. It sounds promising. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 14:25:42
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I've sort-of done this - my Anauroch is much more like the Mournland from Eberron (which is very much like a 4e 'Plaguelands').
Since my campaign has increasingly deviated from canon, I never bothered to figure out why - its just always been that way, since Netheril's fall. Pretty much just what you have outlined.
I've even explained-away 4e's version of Wargs: There were some some Tharavel (land of Alabaster Towers) artifacts hidden beneath the Stonelands, and the Gwarch goblins got a hold of one (during 3e). Those goblins also kept (normal) wargs in pens beneath their compound. When the Spellplague hit (or Netheril fell - take your pick), the artifact exploded, and the 'shadowy energies' blanketed the nearby Warg pens, thus causing the mutation (4e Wargs).
Although that became the dominant gene strain (and thus most post-3e wargs look scaly), there are still some undiluted bloodlines of wargs further away from the Heartlands (and pockets of 'normal' wargs could also still exist everywhere, if thats what the DM wants). Old-school Wargs are simply called Dire Wolves now. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Effects of blowing up Anauroch
