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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Dec 2013 : 18:19:08
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Tsien Chiang, an ancient, powerful and above all irredeemably evil Shou sorceress who once ruled the province of I'Cath in Kara-Tur before being imprisoned in Carceri (she was actually sent to the Demiplane of Dread but this has been retconned to remove any references to the Ravenloft setting), has been planning her return to Toril. Just before the events of the Stormstar Requiem during the Wailing years Auril broke an ancient and binding deific covenant to free the woman and her daughters. In return, Tsien and her children would serve Auril and help to to invade Arvandor, making Tsien one of her Chosen in the process.
Tsien was charged with destroying a temple to Corellon on Arvandor itself, a redoubt of the Olin Gisiae, but contrary to her orders, Tsien desired only to steal the knowledge held within. Corellon had a champion among the lorekeepers of the temple though and the two battled. Tsien was victorious, killing the champion, but before he died, he called on the power of Corellon to smite Tsien. Weakened considerably by that assault, instead of finishing the job, Tsien escaped with her daughters.
Auril saw Tsien as the scapegoat for the failure of the invasion and though she couldn't strip the sorceress of her Chosen powers, she did give the woman to her reluctant servant Thrym, the lord of the frost giants, to do with as he pleased. Auril thought that being the prisoner of a male (all of whom Tsien despised) would be punishment enough but despite her weakened state, Thrym feared Tsien's power. The assault she had faced on Arvandor had actually filled Tsien's mind with all of the collected knowledge of the elves at once but
the sheer volume of information prevented Tsien from sleeping and began to drive her mad. Writing all of the information in her mind down was a minor relief from the strain but there were fragments of her scripture that were missing, which frustrated her even further. However in what she had written there seemed to lie a hope for her future. She saw that soon, there would come a time when events would conspire to fulfil a prophecy that would bring a great evil back into the world and when it does come back, Tsien would finally be restored and free to plot her vengeance against Corellon and Arvandor.
Visions of a calishite prophet, nightmares of a spellscarred daleswoman and documents found in a crashed spelljammer all came to light around the same time regarding fragments of a tablet. All that could be gleaned from these sources was that the tablet was connected to a place called the House of Dark Consumption and had some great, hidden power. The gods were silent when called upon for more information about these things but the calishite prophet, Yi Amahl, claimed that he saw Tsien Chiang as the only one who could shed light
upon the secrets held by the tablet and that only with her help could a disaster be averted.
An alliance between the Silver Raven rebels of Sembia, the Velarian Trade Alliance, the Chiang clan (mortal descendants of Tsien's daughter Ha-Teh) and the elves of Myth Drannor chartered adventurers to travel to I'Cath and ask Tsien Chiang for her insights on the tablet.
After entering the Elemental Chaos on the crashed spelljammer (that had been restored) and finding their way to I'Cath, they eventually learned, either by helping Tsien or by helping Thrym, that the tablet related to an evil forgotten goddess but the tablet held a great deal of her former power. The broken fragments of the tablet itself were collected by others (in 8 other LFR modules) but the final missing two were in Sschindylryn.
An agent of Melegaunt Tanthul, Mirabeta Selkirk, had acquired and sold all of the collected tablet fragments to a group of drow rebels in Sschindylryn since Melegaunt believed that the House of Dark Consumption held some power that he could use to conquer the Dalelands for Netheril. These drow rebels worshiped an enigmatic and nameless goddess and were fighting against the ruling Lolthite clergy. Since they had all ten fragments, the rebels began a ritual with the tablet to summon an avatar of destruction with which to win their rebellion. Little did anyone know (as remembering is impossible) that the avatar was be the remnant of Kiaransalee, the former drow goddess of undeath, whose memory was wiped from the minds and writings of all with a High Magic rite in 1377 DR - except for on the tablet.
The fragments of the tablet were the remains of a great artifact which Kiaransalee used to achieve apotheosis before the Crown Wars. It contained both divine and primordial power and the combination of both of these sources protected it from the High Magic rite. The two bottom fragments each contained part of Kiaransalee's name and, when combined and read would summon her avatar, The Revenancer, back to Toril. Meanwhile, House Faen-Tlabbar of Menzoberranzan had hired Jarlaxle and Bregan D'aerthe to stop the 'Sschindylryn Heresy'.
When the adventurers arrived in the drow city, Jarlaxle, discerning that they had a common goal told them that he would engage the majority of the rebel guards protecting their stronghold in the House of Dark Consumption while they attempted to get to the rebel leaders. When the adventurers did break through to where the ritual was being performed, Kiaransalee's name was spoken and the avatar was summoned, along with an army of undead.
* If the adventurers didn't side with Tsien Chiang against Thrym back in I'Cath (siding with Thrym was presented as the lesser of two evils), it was impossible to defeat The Revenancer, only banish it for a short time since only speaking Kiaransalee's true name could defeat her (Tsien would have given that name to the party if they sided with her). The High Magic reasserted itself and Kiaransalee's name is forgotten once more. Her priestesses went mad and the undead disappeared.
* If they sided with Thrym and defeat The Revenancer, Kiaransalee's return is delayed but the High Magic rite begins to fade and it's possible that Kiaransalee can return to godhood. Her priests attempted to flee and the undead horde remained - the adventurers must then flee or be overwhelmed. Either way, the 'heresy' is over - the surviving Bregan D'aerthe members, including Jarlaxle, opened a portal to just outside Myth Drannor where he explains that the rebellion is over and that's good enough for him - promptly leaving.
Unbeknownst to many, the return of Kiaransalee, however briefly, fulfilled the prophecy and restored Tsien Chiang, who returned soon after. She disguised herself as a drow priestess and persuaded Matron Mother Zarylene Oussate of Sshamath to communicate to Lolth a way to poison Corellon Larethian.
During the Dawn War, the gods manipulated an island in the Astral called Agathys to spawn abominations that they would send against the primordials. When Ao ended the war however, the gods found that they could not reverse their work. They built the plane of Carceri around the island to trap the abominations and also secure any captives that they may have wanted imprisoned. All the gods agreed to the 'Carceri Compact' wherein they would not interfere with prisoners placed there by other gods. But they could not prevent some of the captives held on the plane from escaping. Since Carceri's creation, many abominations spawned on Agathys have escaped so Corellon Larethian created a funnel that would make sure that any escaped abominations would arrive on Arvandor where petitioners known as Ruesti would kill them.
Tsien Chiang, infused with the collected knowledge of the Olin Gisiae and seething with a need for vengeance against Corellon has, by proxy, informed Lolth how to take control of the funnel from Carceri to Arvandor. As a reward, Matron Zarylene and Tsien were summoned to the Demonweb to become members of Lolth's court. Tsien had also acquired the services of a fallen angel named Karadrach, who was entrusted with knowledge of the Words of Creation - the building blocks of the universe. Pretending to serve Lolth, Karadrach widened
the funnel, increasing the number of abominations escaping to Arvandor and also began despoiling sections of Arvandor. Lolth herself travelled to Carceri where, as one of the few deities not bound by the 'Carceri Compact' she promised to free an apothecary trapped there known as Sinweaver in exchange for him poisoning the abominations with a concoction that corrupts both mortals and immortals. This poison had begun to affect both the Ruesti and Corellon himself. So weakened, some of the abominations have escaped to other planes, including the Prime. Close to death, Corellon put out a call in elven settlements on Toril for aid.
A party of exceptionally powerful adventurers accepted the call and helped cleanse Arvandor of the poison's taint, protecting Corellon from an assassination attempt by Karadrach before heading into Carceri to find out the cause behind it all. With her plan foiled, Lolth returned to the Demonweb, only to find that in her absence, Tsien Chiang had placed an artifact somewhere in the deepest depths of the Demonweb which siphoned power from the plane to the ancient Shou sorceress. This had the added effect of unraveling the Demonweb.
The adventurers sent into Carceri became trapped after defeating the forces Lolth had left behind and found themselves surrounded by a horde of abominations, including a massive shadowy one that seemed especially insurmountable. Their only escape was into the Demonweb where Corellon asked them to attempt to broker a peace with Lolth. With Matron Zarylene's help the adventurers defeated Eclavdra Eilservs, Lolth's exarch from the world of Oerth and gained a meeting with the goddess herself. Lolth employed them to help restore the Demonweb and take vengeance against whoever was responsible, agreeing to cease hostilities against Arvandor for a full century if they suceeded. They were directed to what was once Thanatos, the former realm of Kiaransalee where the House of Dark Consumption lies. Inside they were immediately attacked by a force that drained their very lives away (a force related to the city of Moil on the Shadowfell) but find the source of the problem - a shard of pure evil - shattered remains of the force that created the Abyss (links are drawn here to Zhengyi, Crenshinibon and the corruption of Asmodeus). People attuned to such things could recognize that the Demonweb appeared to be being forced back to the Abyss via the shard but instead, all of that power was going to an individual - those who had already met Tsien Chiang might have recognized her handiwork. The adventurers were drawn into the shard but managed to defeat whatever malign intelligence inhabited it.
Lolth rewarded the adventurers upon their return, as did Corellon when they got back to Arvandor. Corellon also informed them that Tsien Chiang was the mastermind behind everything and that after they've rested he wanted them to go after her.
Tsien was trying to enact a ritual to make her the new goddess of magic but it required the power of the original members of the Seldarine - Corellon Larethian, Araushnee and Sehanine Moonbow. She already had Corellon's power and she recently acquired Araushnee's. She only needed Sehanine's. But Sehanine was merely an aspect of Selune. Luckily for Tsien, a group called the Knights of the Seven Mysteries long ago discovered Sehanine's true identity but such was the strength of Selune's aspect, the Knights were able to have
Sehanine manifest as a Vestige after Selune reclaimed her aspect during the Spellplague. The Knights guarded this vestige in Myth Dyraalis but the Spellplague caused the city's mythal to petrify everyone within its influence.
Sent to Candlekeep by Corellon, the adventurers who saved both Arvandor and the Demonweb discovered Tsien's need for the power of Sehanine and make their way to Myth Dyraalis. With the power stolen from Corellon and Lolth, Tsien cannot be defeated and steals the spelljammer that the adventurers were using to travel the planes. Sehanine's vestige pledges to aid the adventurers in an attack on I'Cath - now an island located in the Sea of Fallen Stars - where they lead an army to defeat Tsien's evil daughters. Stepping through a
portal they also defeated the fallen angel Karadrach and not only learned that Karadrach served some entity even greater than Tsien but also that he had corrupted the Words of Creation into a force of destruction, and with those words, they could bypass Tsien's invulnerability.
Stepping back through the portal to I'Cath, the adventurers discerned that thirty years had passed since their original excursion. They also might have recognized the power of the shadowy abomination that they had to flee from in Carceri. In this post-apocalyptic world, where their friends were either dead or corrupted, they learned that the gods had abandoned Toril, sealing it off like Carceri to contain the abomination Tsien has released. Only the most powerful of evil people had been allowed to thrive. To find Tsien, they had to find these individuals: Szass Tam in Neverwinter, Fzoul Chembryl at a rebuilt Zhentil Keep and Manshoon who had built a vampire stronghold in Westgate. However, after defeating all three, the truth was revealed - the adventurers were in the Barrens - an Abyssal layer whose prince Oublivae thrived on dividing loyalties and imparting dismay. It was Oublivae who had provided Tsien Chiang with the resources she'd been using to steal power from the gods and the adventurers had been in her palace since defeating Karadrach but the adventurers defeated Oublivae and were shunted back to Faerun, finding themselves once more on I'Cath where a talking hourglass and a woman wearing the robes of High Imaskar both exclaimed of the doom approaching.
Unlike the illusion of years that Oublivae presented, several months had in fact passed and Tsien Chiang was about to perform a ritual to bind the Hungering Dark, the abomination they encountered in Carceri. To prepare for the upcoming battle, the adventurers had four options:
* Look for their stolen spelljammer and see if the crew survived its theft with useful information.
* Find the Seventh Imaskarcana and use it to master extradimensional travel.
* Travel to Sigil where Sinmaker might make one of his poisons for them.
* Perform their own investigations and petition the gods for help.
However, Tsien had placed an incomprehensible bounty of gold, souls and land on the adventurer's heads and Glasya, archduke of Malbolge was looking to personally collect. Also (after events in other modules), battle lines had been drawn on the border between Cormyr and Netheril and the Ordulin Maelstrom was expanding, leading to shadow creatures spying on and attacking citizens of Sembia. It turns out that recent events fulfil an ancient Imaskari prophecy about the end of the world and that the adventurers were destined to defeat it. A small religion had cropped up around the adventurers - comprised mostly of the soldiers they led against I'Cath. Given audience with Empress Ususi of High Imaskar, the adventurers prepared to save the world.
Whatever method they chose, the adventurers were contacted by a conclave of Corellon, Lolth, Auril and the vestige of Sehanine to inform them that they have but an hour to get the stolen godly power back before it can be used to bind the Hungering Dark to Tien's will. The ritual was being performed all at once at four separate sites in Evermeet, the Great Glacier, in the Underdark and in a crater on Selune - Tsien having magically split herself into four to achieve this feat. The adventurers had to disrupt all four sites but were stymied not only by monstrous minions but also by Brennus Tanthul who had thrown his lot in with Tsien. The adventurers won but it was left up to them what to do with Tsien and the divine power that they had collected from the sites. The Hungering Dark was sent to the void between the planes but this was only a temporary solution as not even the gods can defeat the abomination. This fact was kept a secret lest it start a panic but unless a way could be found to destroy the Hungering Dark, Toril would be doomed within the year.
All of the events so far had played right into the demon queen Oublivae's claws. Her alliance with Tsien merely allowed for the release of the Hungering Dark and, via the Plaguewrought Lands, her abyssal layer was slowly seeping into the Prime. The adventurers who foiled Tsien's plan thought Oublivae defeated and thus not a threat but they merely killed a copy, made by the talking hourglass, the Hourglass of Creation, and Oublivae had since forged an alliance with Shar to bring ultimate destruction to Toril.
The greatest minds of Faerun were working together in Sulduphor to find a way to defeat the Hungering Dark but when the adventurers arrived, the abomination began to claw its way into the Vilhon Wilds. The assembled Council of Sages (Coronal Ilsevele Miritar, WeavePasha Acham el Jhotos (the ruler of Almraiven), Tyrangal (a copper dragon disguised as an elf), Talis Muirwood (a spellscarred cormyrean war wizard), Dernan Moonbrow (a priest of Selune) and others) proposed that since the Hungering Dark can adapt to any attack, they would need to use a massive amount of spellplague energy, which constantly changed and to which the abomination had not yet been exposed to (having been trapped in Carceri until recently). This, they claimed, would weaken it enough to send it back to Carceri. Those assembled (through other LFR modules) had gained access to the Calimemnon Crystal and, when it was suitably weakened, they would attempt to trap the Hungering Dark inside it. However, they needed to gather the life forces of both Calim and Memnon to empower the Crystal. They also needed to summon the Pandemonium Stone from the Elemental Chaos to gather enough spellplague energy to weaken the Hungering Dark.
The adventurers, needing to achieve these goals simultaneously, were told that had to split their party but the Hourglass of Creation instead offered to duplicate each member of the group by summoning their potential future selves. These future selves were unstable but capable of perfoming the duties required. While one group fought the genies, the other travelled to the Plaguewrought Lands and summoned the Stone, but with it came Ygorl, Lord of Entropy, who wished to see the world destroyed and thus attacked the adventurers.
The two groups eventually managed to complete their rituals and all seemed to be going to plan, draining the Plaguewrought Lands of the spellplague - but they quickly discovered that there was not as much spellplague energy as they thought - an area off to the east is somehow interfering with the ritual. Heading over, they discover Oublivae, seemingly back from the dead. They learned that the Hourglass of Creation also created a duplicate of her and it was that which they'd killed - they therefore had to defeat Oublivae again.
The Hungering Dark was sucked into the Calimemnon Crystal Shar, furious, appeared. She said "You will not cage my creation!" and smashed the Crysta, releasing shards of the Hugering Dark once more into the world before disappearing again. Selune appeared and explained that the adventurer's efforts had not been in vain. Shar had revealed her hand in recent events and the Hungering Dark was now fragmented into smaller, possibly more vulnerable pieces.
Tyrangal however, reported feeling strange, as if she were back during the Rage of Dragons. Moments later, WeavePasha Jhotos had a vision of shadow-cloaked dragons attacking Almraiven. Shar had made a deal with the Cult of the Dragon to resurrect Sammaster and bring about another Rage. While Selune appealed to the other gods to see if they would help her to deal with Shar, the adventurers were encouraged to go to the Great Glacier, where the Dracorage Mythal was hidden over a century ago, and see what they could learn - especially since a team of High Mages and good dragons sent there recently had failed to report back.
When they arrived they were attacked by Icingdeath, risen in undeath. When she was defeated, Karasendrieth emerged, the only survivor of the team sent here before. They learned that Shar had created a shadow version of the Dracorage Mythal and that the fragments of the Hungering Dark are possessing monsters and evil dragons were particularly attracted to the power this proposition offered them. They also located four portals, each leading to a major city that was under attack and those killed are having their souls fed to the Hungering Dark via these portals. Each city is in dire straits and the adventurers can only save one from complete disaster (though they could mitigate the problems at the others).
* An undead Thauglorimorgorus, several dragon turtles and an army of wraiths looked to completely overwhelm Suzail while the Cormyrean army was away at the Netherese border. If the city wasn't saved, the thousands of citizens' corpses would rise as wraiths and never be eradicated.
* Alasklerbanbastos and Jaxanaedegor were making short work of the Lance Defenders of Djerad Thymar (the capital of Tymanther). If they were not defeated they would use the souls of the city's dragonborn to make themselves unstoppable.
* Dozens of young, shadow-infused dragons were raiding Almraiven. If they were not stopped, Calimport and Memnon would make slaves of the entire surviving population.
* Five evil spellscarred adventuring dragons were plundering Ravaerris (a Zhentarim city sucked underground during the Spellplague). If they were not stopped then an artifact
holding some of Cyric's divine power would let an abomination - empowered by Cyric's essence - loose into the world.
Once the flow of souls was stopped, the adventurers and Karasendrieth attempted to open a way to a portion of the Demiplane of Dread on the Shadowfell where the Dracorage Mythal's shadow mirror was being held. Aurgloroasa, the leader of the Cult of the Dragon, was waiting for them and tried to parlay. She was guarding the body of Tchazzar and was trying to infuse that body with Sammaster's mind and the power of the Hungering Dark, thereby turning it into a new god using the souls collected by the portals which would fulfil her dream of becoming a draconic death god's consort. She explained that Sammaster was almost fully restored and would use the souls of Baldur's Gate to fuel their plans - They were too late to stop this but could achieve power and immortality if only they joined the Cult.
The adventurers failed to stop the ritual but disrupted it long enough for Sammaster to NEED to attack Baldur's Gate. He took wing and all of them were transported to the sky over Baldur's Gate. Though they didn't manage to save every soul, the adventurers saved enough to force Sammaster from the sky and into the ground. Facing off against the god, the adventurers barely managed to take him down and when Sammaster cried out for Shar's help and was not answered, he lamented that he must have been the least of her planned apocalypses.
Selune convened a council of gods to see if Shar should be tried for crimes against creation. The council invited the adventurers to testify against Shar, offering them positions as exarchs in return (hoping to recruit the powerful adventurers in order to bolster their own deific standing). Shar had her angel servants attack the adventurers during the council and upon defeating them, the gods began to debate amongst themselves on the decision they took (or did not in the case of a stalemate). Selune excused herself and the adventurers were sent back to Faerun. Immediately upon their return, the adventurers were contacted by allies informing them of concerted attacks across the netherese war fronts by seemingly invulnerable shades and the stirring of the primordial Entropy in Chessenta.
In a mansion in the abandoned part of Ormpetarr, shards of the Hungering Dark were being carried through a portal to the shadowfell and from the other side, shades emerged. Upon attacking, the adventurers were in turn attacked by Nightsinger, one of Shar's avatars. They defeated the deific manifestation, forcing it to flee, and destroyed the ritual scrolls empowering the invulnerable shades.
In a netherese tower flying over the Maw of the God Swallower, netherese arcanists were performing a rite to exert control over Entropy, the living sphere of annihilation. Dernan Moonbrow (a Silverstar from another trilogy of LFR modules) had brought the artifact Shadowbane with him in an attempt to stop the ritual himself but lay defeated and unconscious nearby. One of the adventurers took up the intelligent sword and wielded it against the spirits of the arcanists, killed and risen as ghosts by Entropy who had broken free of their binding. Although weakened by Entropy's magic draining abilities, the wielder of Shadowbane destroyed the primordial.
Upon defeating both threats, one of the Princes of Shade (either Brennus or Rivalen, if the adventurers killed Brennus) requested a parlay with the adventurers. The prince told them that their father Telamont planned on merging the Remnants of the Hungering Dark with Ordulin's Maelstom to turn it into a weapon with which to destroy Cormyr and Myth Drannor. However, Telamont was apparently in over his head and the prince believed that this weapon would turn on Netheril afterward. An artifact of Amaunator or Selune used in the middle of the maelstrom could apparently prevent this from happening and save Netheril - incidentally saving Cormyr and Myth Drannor as well as foiling one of Shar's doomsday plans.
The Companion of Elturel (the sun over that city, which had recently been destroyed) and the Radiant Vessel of Thesk (a person with supernatural powers of healing and protection from another LFR campaign) had both been destroyed or corrupted but a portion of Amaunator's essence - a Living Star - existed in the Astral Sea. It needed convincing to do what the adventurers wanted it to but had the intelligence of a lonely toddler. The adventurers had to either make friends with it or control its temper tantrums to get it to go with them to Ordulin. On the way back to Faerun, they were attacked by another of Shar's avatars, the Dark Dancer, but again the adventurers caused her to flee.
Upon their entry into the skies over Ordulin, the adventurers hurled the Living Star at the Maelstrom while Telamont and his arcanists were performing their ritual. Ordulin was turned into a burnt crater, but the ritual had been partially sucessful and though weakened, the Maelstrom's heart was still able to move. Telamont too was still alive and at the head of several shadow creatures. The injured avatars of Shar also joined the fray, determined to wipe out the meddlesome heroes. Despite all this, Telamont and the avatars had to retreat into shadow, the Maelstrom finally gone after 100 years of darkness.
Amaunator appeared, pleased that the adventurers had won the day but had bad news to report. Unknown to all until just recently, Shar had managed to possess the mind of her sister Selune during the council and had been using her to impede the adventurers progress before taking her to the Towers of Night. Amaunator proposed a gathering of allies and artifacts so an invasion of Shar's divine realm could be planned.
EPIC6-1 (the final module in this campaign, released at Winter Fantasy 2014) is still to come
DISCUSS
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Edited by - hashimashadoo on 21 Jan 2014 07:18:54
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2013 : 19:46:11
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Is any of this canon?
I like some pieces of it, like the idea of bringing Kia-whatever back thru an artifact bound to her.
Some other pieces don't work as well for me, most particularly bringing Sammy back yet again and turning him into a god. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2013 : 20:23:49
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| I believe that a GenCon seminar said that the major plot points were canon in a 'there's a rumour that this is happening...way over there' kind of way. Confirmation can be found in a scroll somewhere here if you do a search. |
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Mirtek
Senior Scribe
595 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2013 : 20:57:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Is any of this canon?
No. LFR was officially supposed to be canon at the beginning, but later was kicked out of canon when WotC basically shut down support to the bare minimum (before that authors got paid and adventures had to be approved for canon-compatibility by WotC). That divorce from canon happened before the epic part of the campaign was created
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Edited by - Mirtek on 16 Dec 2013 20:59:29 |
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Caolin
Senior Scribe
768 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 04:36:07
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| I was really into the first part of this story/adventure. But then it got REALLY REALLY ridiculous. I'm glad this was divorced from canon. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 04:40:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Caolin
I was really into the first part of this story/adventure. But then it got REALLY REALLY ridiculous. I'm glad this was divorced from canon.
There are some good elements, here, but it does go off the rails. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 14:48:51
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Kara-Tur has only one 'lost province' (Pyint'sien), and I do not recognize the name I'Cath for a current province (2e was the last canon).
Is this for the 4e/5e alternate Forgotten Realms setting that was created?
People gotta learn you can't make up stuff willy-nilly for The Realms... because some of us KNOW BETTER.  |
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Edited by - Markustay on 17 Dec 2013 14:52:38 |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 14:57:43
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| I'Cath was first introduced in the Ravenloft Campaign Setting, as was Tsien Jiang and her daughters. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 15:18:16
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What edition? I don't think any 3e RL sources are considered canon by WotC (because thats when it was under license).
I could fall back on the argument that RL canon isn't FR canon (which is technically correct), but I HATE that argument (and normally take the side against such arguments - I believe D&D can only have one canon).
So, lets say it existed (even though its never been mentioned in any FR source) - I need to find out everything there is about it to place it properly. Common sense dictates it would have to be a nation/territory that once belonged to either the 1st or 2nd Shou Empires, and is no longer part of the current one (since all of the current provinces have long, detailed histories).
Hmmmmm... unless Tu'Lung itself was the I'Cath Province... not sure how that would work in the timeline. It definitely has interesting possibilities, however.
EDIT: Tu'Lung seceded from Shou Lung about 300 years ago... 400 in the current 4e/5e era. I was always under the assumption the existing provinces were part of Shou-Lung as-is, but it is possible the whole thing was one massive province (I'Cath) before the break. That does indeed fit (and could be why - for both empires - I'Cath is stricken from the records). I'd have to see how the RL canon on the subject looks to see if that fits. Like I said, it offers many new, interesting possibilities. |
"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 17 Dec 2013 15:23:12 |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 15:23:54
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Tsien and I'Cath are in the second edition sources Islands of Terror and Domains of Dread. Islands of Terror is the better source but it's still only five pages.
Only a few miles square of the actual province of I'Cath was wrenched into the Demiplane of Dread so presumably the rest of the province was relatively untouched and then got conquered (since Tsien herself was reviled by all). |
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Head admin of the FR wiki:
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Edited by - hashimashadoo on 17 Dec 2013 15:27:51 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2013 : 15:48:58
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Okay - just looked it all up and read through it.
It is possible that the original 'southlands' mentioned in the histories (which are canonically 'inaccurate') were the much smaller province of I'Cath, which grew after it became the nation (empire) of Tu'Lung. In fact, Tsien Chiang being an early descendent of Shin Ginsen works rather nicely (and fits that family line's greedy aspirations). I like it. 
In fact, there are three islands that are under constant dispute between the empires nick-named 'the Three sisters'. The names are Nipo, Jeukung and Awana, which could be Shou-words for Scream, Hate, and Spite (Tsien Chiang's three evil daughters). Lots of ways to blend this together - especially considering Kara-Tur's admittedly 'faulty' (on-purpose) histories.
This meets with my approval... carry on. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Derulbaskul
Senior Scribe
Singapore
408 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2013 : 03:15:13
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| The LFR writers did a great job of actually making these epic-level adventures feel Epic with a capital E. |
Cheers
D
NB: Please remember: A cannon is a big gun. Canon is what we discuss here. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2013 : 14:31:54
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| I was intrigued up until the point where Kiaransalee didn't return. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2013 : 16:20:44
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| She could have returned in this campaign. It's only if the players sided with Tsien to do away with her only good daughter that she definately wouldn't - and even so, the tablet would still exist. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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Mirtek
Senior Scribe
595 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2013 : 12:10:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
The LFR writers did a great job of actually making these epic-level adventures feel Epic with a capital E.
IMHO they blew their powerd too early. Maybe they feared that they would be able to complete the epic campaign so they wanted to hit it off big before it was shut down.
But after assissiting one of the most powerful greater deities in the very first adventure, there is not much going up from there.
Preventing the ascension of some dragon demigodling? Not so epic after you already rubbed shoulders with Corellon and Lolth.
I mean why would Shar even be able to appoint a dragon deity of death? I think Io might have a few words for her and Falazure would surely have jumped on and devoured this newly ascended godling on the spot for daring to challenge his claim on being the draconic lord of death.
Should have started more in the realms of demigods and then moved up from there.
But that's just my opinion. |
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Chosen of Asmodeus
Master of Realmslore
1221 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2013 : 00:58:22
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
I was intrigued up until the point where Kiaransalee didn't return.
I, on the other hand, rejoiced.
Still, seemed like a pretty interesting campaign. Wouldn't have minded playing in it. |
"Then I saw there was a way to Hell even from the gates of Heaven"
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress
Fatum Iustum Stultorum. Righteous is the destiny of fools.
The Roleplayer's Gazebo;
http://theroleplayersgazebo.yuku.com/directory#.Ub4hvvlJOAY |
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Gyor
Master of Realmslore
1621 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2013 : 03:48:33
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| Entertaining read. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 19:03:57
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Since there was less interest in the non-canon EPIC metaplot, I instead bring you the officially-sponsored plotlines. First up: AGLAROND
The Tharchion of Priador, an eladrin lich named Vol Zaffras, has been posing as Voldini, the leader of a star elf cult who want to return the lands and gods of the Yuirwood to the way they were in the time of Yuireshanyaar. She had been accomplishing this with a book of rituals that appeared to describe ways to channel the power of Yuir gods such as Relkath via ancient Yiur sites but was actually full of experimental rituals designed to channel the spellplague energy that surrounds every one of those sites. At the same time, under another guise, the Saffron Devil, Zaffras was mining menhirs - the same ones used by the star elves to create their portals to Sildëyuir - in order to create a new portal with which Thay could bypass Aglarond's defences.
In Veltalar, Simbarch Zummos Poe was investigating the actions of Voldini and the Saffron Devil while also working in conjunction with a local sage to root out the Stone Bears gang - discovering connections to a wealthy merchant noble, elements within the Simbarch Council, a cult known as the Sons of Hoar - long thought to be defunct, and an objective to declare war against arcane spellcasters as well as those of elven descent.
Poe's agents eventually tracked the Saffron Devil to Undumor and his plan to build the portal was extrapolated from clues found in his house there. A preemptive strike on Undumor was organized but the Saffron Devil escaped. The animated skull of Priador's former Tharchion, Uthvec Prator, informed them of the Devil's true identity and that Zaffras had a crypt on the Shadowfell, then opened a gate to that crypt where Zaffras and her phylactery were destroyed.
After Aglarond celebrated its victory, a mysterious cartographer contacted the adventurers who helped him during the above events to protect him while he finished mapping the Tannath Mountains. He later revealed that he was actually designing a way for escaped thayan slaves like himself to safely reach Aglarond. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 21:57:26
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I'm not familiar with LFR or the 4e Realms (which I'm assuming is the context for LFR at this point) so I'll try to keep my response relevant. It'll be acrimonious, but I wanted to give some voice to the underlying points.
- This Uthvec thing... how is this different from having Elminster pop in --just as the PCs are about to sigh and say "back to square one"-- and explain the whole plot and then teleport them to the bad guy's secret hideout?
- Apparently they don't know what a menhir is. How, exactly, would one go about mining one? Beyond that, why would the portals to Sildeyuir still be working, or have any value? This is still (I'm assuming) the 4e Realms, where the plug has been pulled on portals... and even lore/notes have apparently been irrationally erased.
- Quibble: Poe is a real-world reference (and also reminds me of Kung Fu Panda) and should not be a NPC's name. Saffron Devil... ugh. It's pretty bad by itself, but next to Zaffras it clashes like plaid pants. I would ask if Adam Sandler came up with this name, but he's funny and I don't want to insult him.
- 4e/offtopic/summarized. I don't like "Veltalar" (if it's the new Velprintalar) or "Simbarch." The Realms is a lore-rich setting (as opposed to Dark Sun, for instance, which hasn't had 40+ years of prolific development) and there should be no shortage of creativity here.
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Edited by - xaeyruudh on 07 Jan 2014 22:02:01 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7970 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 23:13:38
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I‘d thought that LFR content was semi-isolated from canon. That is, none of it was ever given more than a brief footnote in any official Realms canon sources, but one could purchase a product like Raven‘s Bluff which suddenly placed a huge city (along with a massive population of powerful-ish adventurers and their various specialized-NPC-support-infrastructure) into an otherwise uninteresting location.
Agreed, much of this stuff was a bit (or a lot) off the rails, and the presence off such a cosmopolitan elite Waterdeep-like city with a rich and detailed past didn‘t really fit into the canon setting. You‘d think such a place would have impacted the world outside of it‘s own walls and outlandish heroic pipedreams.
Still, not that bad a product - I never inserted Raven‘s Bluff onto the map as-is - indeed, my PCs stubbornly (and greedily) insisted on visiting Raven‘s Bluff ... and they discovered it to be little more than a seedy little port with a broken lighthouse. But I shamelessly stole many interesting characters, plots, and places from RB to build mini-adventures in numerous other locations. I also disregarded everything I considered too implausible, ridiculous, setting-breaking, or droll. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2014 : 23:26:50
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You make a good point, xaeyruudh. When I look at that - and the OP - it has a certain 'kitchen sink' quality... the same one I found so distasteful with 4e adventures.
I think that perhaps, in an effort to please the largest common denominator, they throw as much as they can in, so everyone will find something they like (as Wooly put it, "There are some good elements, here, but it does go off the rails.") On the downside, that sort of design philosophy also means everyone will find something they hate.
Not really loving them bringing back so much 'old lore' into the mix (Sammaster, etc) - it seems very forced. Its like they decided to just violate all the sacred cows at once. At the same time, this is what my problem with LFR material always was - its all very 'hit or miss'. LFR people were never managed properly, or edited for that matter; too much feels 'homebrewish' (in other words, people used it as vehicle to do their own 'fan-fic' treatment of the Realms). There are some gems in there, but there are some smelly bits as well.
@Ayrik: Didn't like the goonie-bird aircraft carriers, eh? Me neither. |
"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 08 Jan 2014 13:07:03 |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 06:05:53
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
I'm not familiar with LFR or the 4e Realms (which I'm assuming is the context for LFR at this point) so I'll try to keep my response relevant. It'll be acrimonious, but I wanted to give some voice to the underlying points.
- This Uthvec thing... how is this different from having Elminster pop in --just as the PCs are about to sigh and say "back to square one"-- and explain the whole plot and then teleport them to the bad guy's secret hideout?
- Apparently they don't know what a menhir is. How, exactly, would one go about mining one? Beyond that, why would the portals to Sildeyuir still be working, or have any value? This is still (I'm assuming) the 4e Realms, where the plug has been pulled on portals... and even lore/notes have apparently been irrationally erased.
- Quibble: Poe is a real-world reference (and also reminds me of Kung Fu Panda) and should not be a NPC's name. Saffron Devil... ugh. It's pretty bad by itself, but next to Zaffras it clashes like plaid pants. I would ask if Adam Sandler came up with this name, but he's funny and I don't want to insult him.
- 4e/offtopic/summarized. I don't like "Veltalar" (if it's the new Velprintalar) or "Simbarch." The Realms is a lore-rich setting (as opposed to Dark Sun, for instance, which hasn't had 40+ years of prolific development) and there should be no shortage of creativity here.
- I agree with you about Uthvec but it was a little more complex than that. He was overthrown by Zaffras and by opening a gate to her crypt, he was being forced to serve her in undeath, not only as a compelled advisor but also as a glorified doorman. It's presented as more of a 'cruelly wielding power' thing than a 'lets provide an unexpected wizard ally'. The PCs had to pass challenges to overcome Zaffras' obedience magic to *let* Uthvec rebel against her.
- They know what a menhir is, but apparently, the ones the elves used are mined from the Underdark, not carved. The portals to Sildeyuir don't work, Zaffras was trying to create a new one using her extensive knowlege of the things. Incedentally, Sildeyuir, although impossible to access via the Yuirwood, is accessable from the local Feywild.
- I didn't mind the name personally. At least they didn't call him Edegar Poe or something.
- Veltalar is the city that was built after the Sea of Fallen Stars receded. Velprintalar is still there but it's a slum full of poor people, orphans and criminals.
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When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 08:12:39
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That sounds better, regarding Uthvec... I can get behind it as something that the PCs need to put additional effort into gaining access to. Like a video game feature that's unlocked, though that term makes it feel cheap to me... the idea can be gold.
The menhir thing still seems weird. Zaffras should have had to go to the source rather than cannibalizing the nonfunctioning portals, which should be magically inert and useless. But nobody's twisting anyone's arms to make them tell a more compelling story.
Agreed, Edegar Poe would be worse... but that doesn't make Poe good.
I can let Veltalar go... upon further thought I could perhaps even support it from a wistful "shadow of its former self" angle. The loss of a syllable equating with the city being less than it once was.
@Markus: I agree, about "everyone will find something they like" and especially "that sort of design philosophy also means everyone will find something they hate." But I shall stop there because I'm striving mightily to pass my "4e design rant" saving throw... the DC is ridiculous.
Kinda like Calvin trying to resist harassing Susie the last few days before Christmas, so Santa will come through with piles of presents. Hopefully 5e is the Christmas we all need. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 11:56:50
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quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
The menhir thing still seems weird. Zaffras should have had to go to the source rather than cannibalizing the nonfunctioning portals, which should be magically inert and useless.
She did go to the source, that's why she was mining them. Her only concern about the original menhirs was how and why spellplague energy interacted with them. The portals are certainly inert but with the right ritual you could apparently open a brief window that let you travel to Toril through them from the Sileyuir side. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 13:24:12
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Elves are part of the Weave, and the Spellplague was literally 'Weave gone Wild'.
It makes some sense, since the energies the elves use are focused in their items, and were the same exact energies that ran-amok during the Spellplague. It was one of the things that made sense to me (not the use of te word 'Menhir' though... getting a bit tired of D&D/modern fantasy re-purposing real words because they sound cool).
From what little we did know about the Spellplague, the energies unleashed concentrated on areas/items that held large amounts of arcane power - the Cerulean Wave was drawn to them like a magnet. Like I said, that part made lots of sense.
The Poe thing bothers me as well, but not because of Edgar or Kung-Fu Panda... that was also the name of a teletubby. 
I think this synopsis has potential, but could really use some polish. Anything can be made to look appealing, if one puts the right spin on it. I just wish that 'super villain' plots weren't so overly complicated all the time. I realize they have to be to give the adventurers something to thwart, but from a story-perspective it gets old, fast. |
"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 08 Jan 2014 13:26:16 |
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Thorn Illance
Seeker
53 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2014 : 23:45:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
You make a good point, xaeyruudh. When I look at that - and the OP - it has a certain 'kitchen sink' quality... the same one I found so distasteful with 4e adventures.
I think that perhaps, in an effort to please the largest common denominator, they throw as much as they can in, so everyone will find something they like (as Wooly put it, "There are some good elements, here, but it does go off the rails.") On the downside, that sort of design philosophy also means everyone will find something they hate.
Not really loving them bringing back so much 'old lore' into the mix (Sammaster, etc) - it seems very forced. Its like they decided to just violate all the sacred cows at once. At the same time, this is what my problem with LFR material always was - its all very 'hit or miss'. LFR people were never managed properly, or edited for that matter; too much feels 'homebrewish' (in other words, people used it as vehicle to do their own 'fan-fic' treatment of the Realms). There are some gems in there, but there are some smelly bits as well.
Markustay, did you write some of the LFR adventures under a pseudonym? |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7970 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2014 : 22:59:36
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I‘m apprehensive about stating that elves are part of the Weave. At least, no more and no less than humans, leprechauns, liches, dragons, and sundry other magical or magic-using races. I would be willing to state that elves (as a race) can perceive aspects of the Weave in some instinctive subconscious way which grants them aptitude or advantage in terms of magic use.
After all, elves (along with humans, leprechauns, liches, dragons, etc) weren‘t intrinsically crippled by the Spellplague (unless they were burned and Spellscarred by that blue stuff). Nor do elves fall unconscious, get headaches, weaken or dwindle whenever they stumble into a dead-magic zone, other planes or worlds, or anywhere else which is disconnected from the Weave. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2014 : 04:50:45
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| Never did follow the LFR closely despite the wealth of adventures they offered. I took a look at a bunch of their adventures over the years. Maybe I had bad luck and choose the weaker entries, but they always seemed like a combat-fest made by cobbling together a hodgepodge of enemies. It was as if the designer picked a bunch of cool monsters from the manuals or modified some then just dragged the players along on a linear string of monster hunting quests, assassinations, or just forced situation resulting in a fight. I understand there's a set of expectations for D&D, especially in an organized play setting, but the modules didn't raise my interest with the format. |
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LFR discusion - MANY spoilers for the LFR metaplot
