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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Jun 2015 : 06:37:58
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Is it possible that deep gnomes weren't "created" but were simply rock gnomes who fled underground to escape a myriad of predators and after exposure to Underdark radiation evolved in time into svirfneblin?
-- George Krashos
I think that's at least half-correct. I read "created" as a euphemism. Rock gnomes were enslaved underground for generations before regaining their freedom. Many generations of exposure to Underdark radiation (and a little evolutionary science) is how the rock gnomes became deep gnomes/ svirfneblin.
P.S. Getting svirfneblin past my iPad's spellcheck was a challenge! |
Edited by - Rymac on 10 Jun 2015 10:04:54 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2015 : 08:20:52
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Well I had considered a more normal (for FR) origin for the svirfneblin but the radiation thing had been done before with the orog and that was during netheril's time and within its borders, and I really don't like repetition especially in the same region and timeframe.
Then the distribution of the gnomes is somewhat against evolution through radiation (with them centred in the Northdark and areas around Anauroch, even though that is also the distribution of the orogs why haven't there evolved multiple sub races of underground gnomes in various places throughout the realms wherever there are gnomes - then again maybe there are).
The Thaluud are friendly with dwarves and svirfneblin. The dwarves were allies of the netherese and if svirfneblin were a created slave race then it might explain why the netherese programmed the Thaluud to be better disposed to these creatures.
There is also the fact that the netherese are depicted as decadent and somewhat evil (at least the magic users were) and they are supposed to have experimented on and created (or recreated) lots of different creatures (owlbears, crag cats, Thaluud, etc) but I couldn't find an example of a sentient race they had experimented on and created so gnomes seemed like a good start since they were a slave race.
I also found a custom among gnome society called the Earthen Embrace which sounded so much like the preparation for a transformation ritual that I couldn't ignore it. That coupled with claims the netherese created gnomes, and the netherese having experimented on gnomes in the past led me to a conclusion that the spriggans were a failed result of experimentation on gnomes, but the svirfneblin were a successful result in the netherese pursuit to create a more suitable slave race. I even have a motivation for it, the creation of the Lowroad which was made by netherese and dwarves and linked Ascore with netherese settlements, to do so would require a lot of underground workers and who better than a race of gnome slaves adapted to life underground.
Of course its just my take on it. I want the gnomes to be a bit more than a foot note in the history of Netheril.
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jul 2015 : 20:47:05
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Had to change Finder's name to a different family which is a bit more famous and linked to Cormyr.
I'm working through the Mythallar Age now. The Arcanus Magere suffers badly as the constant duelling takes its toll. When a set of the Nether Scrolls missing from its vaults Ioulaum takes the remaining set with him (along with the Crown of the Mountain and the Sceptre of the Sorcerer Kings).
Ioulaum then creates Xinlenal with his personal mythallar which is the most powerful of all mythallars. He creates the School of Mysteries which is a massive cathedral like temple to Mystryl as well as a magic university.
On Xinlenal he trains the next generation of Arcanists, some of which go on to become Archwizards themselves (Archwizards have enclaves). These Archwizards are more benevolent and less decadent than those in later ages.
So the enclaves of Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath are created.
Raumark Halruane creates Hlondath. Twyluth Ornadyn creates Anauria. I need a 3rd mage to create Asram - I'm thinking Laummas Arlochar sounds like a good name (deliberately stolen from two different places and cobbled together).
Raumark is the same Raumark who founded Halruaa. He's a diviner by nature and like the other 3 Archwizards of the mythallar age he studied with Ioulaum personally and so had a chance to research and copy Ioulaum's mythallar. While the copy is imperfect it is still powerful enough to life a large mountain top into the air and house a city of several thousand people. Raumark models himself on Ioulaum and is wise and just.
Twyluth Ornadyn is a bit of a nature lover and during the Shadowed Age he turns towards sword making to safeguard Netheril's future. He is reserved, empathetic, and caring, in fact he spends long hours devising ways and means to not use magic in case it has adverse effects on the environment. Ioulaum is intrigued by him and again trains him personally. Twyluth doesn't attract the large number of followers as Raumark of Laummas but he is well respected by the people of Seventon.
Laummas after the fall is known as the Liegelord or Lich King of Hlondath. He was a brilliant but power hungry mage, Ioulaum believed he could temper Laummas' thirst and Laummas let him believe he had, but after taking as much as he could learn from the Archwizard he became as evil and grasping as is humanly possible. Laummas trained a great many Arcanists in his rival academy on the enclave of Asram. More than a few of these students became the petty, grasping, feuding Arcanists and Archwizards that were stereotyped as the standard magic users of Netheril. Laummas was obsessed with retrieving ancient lore from the various ruins in the Netheryl Basin, and Asram acquired a strange serpent motive in its architecture that was unique among the enclaves. Laummas also had a special organisation of treasure finders known as The Claw, which would scour areas for ancient ruins and relieve them of their treasure, but were also adept at thievery and burglary from existing enclaves and settlements.
Raumark and his entire staff flee Hlondath before the fall which is why the successor state of Hlondath has little in the way of magical might.
Laummas gets entombed because of his contingencies and misses much of the years after the successor states. His students that survived are the magically powerful and decadent sorcerers of Asram who unleash a horrifying plague after messing with powerful magic (and following a visit from an enigmatic but virulent beauty and quasi divine being called Kipat Yutto - who is destroyed by a sceptre artefact). The magical might of Asram the successor state is based on that recovered from netherese ruins and these seekers (called Claws) dig up their ancient patron from his prison - he then goes on to subvert the rule of Hlondath in its last days.
Twyluth Ornadyn turns to sword making and forms the basis of the successor state of Anauria's skill with blade making. During the creation of a sword known as Zeladazar, he is beheaded by one of his own students (an infiltrator and assassin) who used Twyluth's teachings to craft a blade of his own designed to slay wizards known as Beirmoura. Both Twyluth and the assassin perished, leaving Anauria in the hands of another apprentice Alados Sorngol (who Twyluth killed through the sword which he now inhabits).
So apart from Eileanur and Jiksidur, the first 4 enclaves were the largest and most powerful thanks to their better copies of Ioulaum's mythallar (later Archwizards copied the mythallars of Hlondath, Anauria, and Asram and so were even lesser in power which is why later enclaves were little more than large floating buildings). Larloch and Karsus were both magical prodigies and so exceeded the skills of Raumark, Laummas and Twyluth and may have even equalled Ioulaum. but they were the exception.
The dates for the creation of Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath are between -2900 and -2700 DR. I figure after this time Ioulaum is a lot more reserved in his teachings (because of Laummas) and so mentors less students personally (although the School of Mysteries still teaches other students).
The only name I made up in the above was Halruane and Laummas Arlochar (which is a fusion of two existing names).
Anyone got anything which states any of the above might be wrong. I searched all my archives for something that might conflict with the above, but didn't find anything. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Duneth Despana
Learned Scribe
Belgium
273 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2015 : 18:01:38
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quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Found a name for my minor house of the Daemonfey that moved to the Hidden Vale to combat Netheril (the name is a corruption of something i found written by George Krashos). House Marstrym
interesting! where? |
« There is no overriding « epic » in the Realms, but rather a large number of stories, adventures, and encounters going on all the time. [...]. Each creative mind adds to the base, creating, defining, and making their contribution to the rich diversity of the Realms. [...]. But Ed built the stage upon which all the plays are presented. Thanks Ed. » -FR Comic no.1
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2015 : 14:38:54
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quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Still not happy with a name for quasi magical items.
Ideally I want a single word that sounds complex but is easy to remember.
I wouldn't make it to hard. Something like paramagic or pseudomagic gets the idea across. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Rymac
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2015 : 16:09:43
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quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Well paramagic, pseudomagic, and quasimagic all sound like they are not quite as good as magic and I cant see a society as magic orientated as Netheril's using and indeed relying on an item that they then name as being less than magical.
The wizards ruled Netheril, they invented mythallars and quasi magic items, I figure theu would give it a grand name, so in my rewrite they have (I just need to think of it)
I get that. Neth-somethingorother! Go back through the history. It would likely be named after an arcanist, or someone of importance. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2015 : 01:36:19
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quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Well paramagic, pseudomagic, and quasimagic all sound like they are not quite as good as magic and I cant see a society as magic orientated as Netheril's using and indeed relying on an item that they then name as being less than magical.
The wizards ruled Netheril, they invented mythallars and quasi magic items, I figure theu would give it a grand name, so in my rewrite they have (I just need to think of it)
I would go with something that makes sense in context like "contingent" (as in, they operate contingent upon access to a mythallar) when describing them in relation to the rules. In terms of a flavour description, maybe the archwizards described them as "starshine" items, as when viewed under a detect magic spell, they likely should appear different to a standard magic items (i.e. standard items have a continuous glow, while quasi-magic items exhibit intermittent flickers of radiance, like winking stars).
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jul 2015 : 13:46:24
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| I think I have a list of Netheril references that I made as I was reading all of my fr source books (which I think is all of those published), as well as some references from Novels. I could dig it out and see if you'd like. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 19:42:38
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The Selskar Order: The Order of the Star (as the name translates into common) was an organisation created by the Archwizard Aldlas Sodhese to administer the abandoned Outposts of the Empire and turn them into secure areas for experimental and potentially dangerous magic.
Throughout the Golden Age the Empire and the Archwizards continually pushed the boundaries of magical research. Beginning with the destruction of the enclave of Maunator in -1657 DR, the Empire began to impose some restrictions upon the practice of magic, something that many disagreed with (especially the followers of Mystryl).
The Archwizard Aldlas, a brilliant former student of the long departed Sadebreth, purchased the recently abandoned mines of Dekanter from the Empire (their ore veins long since played out after the dwarves of Ammarindar mined them from beneath) and established a secure centre in which dangerous magic could be researched. The order was created in cooperation with the Church of Mystryl (who wanted to extend their power and influence using the Empire like the Church of Amaunator had done) and it was agreed they would inspect the facility and oversee its use in order to ensure the safety of the Empire and its citizens.
Aldlas then established a number of other research centres and together with the Selskar Order, rented them out to arcanists and Archwizards from across the Empire.
Initially the Order fulfilled its tasks well, and during the first few centuries of its existence a number of powerful spells were researched, tested, and approved without endangering anyone but the caster. However, as the fascination with the Outer Planes grew, so did an insidious threat among the order.
The order began researching and testing their own magic which focused exclusively on dealing with the Outer Planes. They contacted, conjured, and made bargains with an increasing number of ever more powerful outer planar denizens. Many of the upper ranks of the order were compromised by one planar benefactor or another and ultimately a power struggle began in the order’s ranks as different factions formed around these benefactors.
In the depths of Quesseer (the latest research station of the order) in -1210 DR, a faction of the order unleashed the bull headed spawn of a fiend upon Illefarn (the lands that would become Rilithar and Iliyanbruen specifically). The fiends of The Beast (what they called their outer planar lord) overran Quesseer and assaulted the elves prompting Coronal Syglaeth Audark to command a Retreat and greatly soured relations between the Empire and the elves of Illefarn. The surrounding trading outposts located on the borders of Rilithar’s territory were destroyed and the incident prompted a thorough review by the Empire’s Administrative Office.
Ultimately the fiends were driven away from Illefarn to the north where they would mix with orcs and trolls in the Spine of the World. As for the Selskar Order and the Archwizard Sodhese, they went on to summon a trio of yugoloths, an experiment that was also deemed a failure. The Order were cast out of Empire territory and their assets confiscated. The head of the order, an arcanist and devotee of Mystryl called Ilviroon, went with the remains of the order into hiding and ultimately established Selskartur amid the ruins of Andalbruin.
The progeny of the fiends from Quessir would return in -585 DR to assault Rilithar, but on the way they wreaked their revenge upon the outcast remnants of the Selskar Order who had so unwisely summoned them |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 21:22:56
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Next up is the mention in Amaunator's writeup of the priests of Amaunator falling out of favour following the Fall because of their harsh and arbitrary treatment of the survivors.
Now initially I was going to apply this to the Survivor States, but I have had another thought.
The history mentions of the desert have it appear around the column of the sky around -500 DR, spread round the Dragonback Peaks then head north, south, and east from there.
By the time of the Fall it has destroyed Vandal Station and a number of settlements around Heip Lake and the settlements like Conch and Remembrance.
That means by -339 DR the desert was nowhere near Seventon (a single mention is made of phaerimm around Basin Lake but that could have been an isolated incident), but had completely cut off the region from the rest of the empire.
Now various quotes mention armies of monsters in service to the phaerimm assaulting the netherese openly. Now I think that is slightly erroneous in that they probably weren't all in service to the phaerimm, but I do think the desert drove the orcs and other monsters from the wilderness towards Seventon.
This means that Seventon survived the fall and would have spent many years fighting monsters before finally falling to the hordes and whatever other threats.
Amuanator's clergy is also mentioned as being an administrative entity within Netheril, and for me I have made it the official administrative arm of the empire. With the archwizards as a separate entity outside of the empire, that means the church of Amaunator would be concentrated within the Seventon region. Therefore the arbitrary and harshness they visited upon the populace following the fall was inflicted upon the people in Seventon.
When the enclaves fell and the survivors emerged from the enclaves, perhaps they headed towards Seventon and were turned away by the Church of Amaunator because technically they were not part of the empire (they were citizens of the enclaves, not the empire).
Perhaps Glaeros was also someone who lived in Seventon and as the phaerimm and the desert encroached even further he got desperate and stole the artefact without signing the appropriate forms and so the Church attacked him.
The survivors from Seventon can then make their way south towards Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath.
I think I have found the reason why the phaerimm never assaulted the Survivor States though. The Anaurian Hive of beholders was not conquered until after the death of the survivor states and so the phaerimm would have been engaged in a massive war with the beholders who ruled all the underdark beneath the survivor states at the time.
Oh and I'm having a few of Jergal's candidates (thankyou George) have children ere their death. Kippit Yutto is one, and Siam Orpheus will be another. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2015 : 12:45:05
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A few more musings about the immediate aftermath of the Fall. Since Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath only had a few thousand people on them i can't really see the survivors of the crashing enclaves founding an entire realm.
So the enclave survivors head to Seventon, they get turned away and head south to found the Survivor States. In that region they find more than a few people from the Hidden Vale who fled its destruction at the hands of the daemonfey's forces and the phaerimm, plus there were a few settlements in this region anyway (but not many).
Those two groups form the foundation of the Survivor States and then when Seventon finally collapses in -289 DR the survivors move south to the Survivor States and boost the numbers to make proper kingdoms.
- -338 DR Year of Guttering Torches: The survivors from the enclaves arrive at the borders of the metropolis of Seventon. They are turned away by the Council and head south to found the Survivor States of Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath.
- -298 DR: The Desert approaches the borders of Seventon causing seven years of failed harvests.
- -295 DR: Glaeros Lhaerimm steals the Sceptre of the Sorcerer Kings from the Vault and attempts to reassemble it to combat the phaerimm and the encroaching desert. He and his fellow arcanists are destroyed when the authorities (led by the Church of Amaunator) storm his tower to recover the artefact. A single apprentice survives the conflict and escapes with the sceptre.
- -291 DR Year of Shattered Havens: The metropolis of Seventon destroys itself in 3 months of rioting after the citizens rise up against their harsh rulers.
Azirrhat: This tri-partite mountain was also formed during the Fall by three very large enclaves that came to rest just north of a pebble strewn salt flat known today as At’ar’s Looking Glass. Shortly after -339 DR tribes of laerti, driven forth by the encroaching desert, took up habitation within the mountain range and were an irregular thorn in the side of Seventon and the Survivor States.
At’ar’s Looking Glass: Originally named Amaunator’s Looking Glass by the people of Seventon, this salt flat was formed by the explosion of several nexi as a crashing enclave struck the ground, sending rubble and rocks for miles in all directions.
The magic scorched land never recovered from this catastrophe before the desert covered it and turned it into the salt flat it is today.
Heroes’ Helm: One of the many new mountains that formed when more than a few enclaves crashed to the ground during the Fall. Heroes’ Helm was named in -306 DR after the company of elven adventurers that entered the Tor to put down whatever fell legacies of Netheril remained within.
After a few casualties the band managed to slay the shadowy form of a powerful female spellcaster. Unfortunately the death of this shade released her control over hundreds and thousands of vassal shadows that then proceeded to run amok through the Seventon region. A number of these shades were saved from their own undead nature by a passing gold dragon that escaped his servitude during the Fall and they then set about combating their shadowy brethren and the other abominations unleashed following the Fall.
Unfortunately for these liberated shades the authorities in Seventon viewed all undead as monsters to be destroyed and so after several months this region was scoured clean of the undead scourge by holy fire.
Seventon: The metropolis of Seventon was still very much the stronghold of power for the Empire of Netheril in the Shadowed Age (and all previous ages). With the Fall all of the other territories of the Empire were destroyed or completely cut off from Seventon. Hunger and material deprivation struck the people almost immediately, further exacerbating the riots that had begun in the final years of the Shadowed Age.
The remains of the military (the Swords and Spears) who had been stationed at Gillan struggled to maintain control and with the Archwizards all having fled or been destroyed in the Fall, they turned to the only other organisation of power in the region to help them establish control; the Administrative Office (otherwise known as the Church of Amaunator).
The year -338 DR (and the closing months of -339 DR) were the worst, as the military and the clergy of Amaunator ruthlessly put down any sign of violence. Rationing was instigated to deal with the lack of food, as was conscription into the military to help deal with the nightly attacks from marauding monsters.
Then the survivors from the enclaves began to arrive. Unable to cope with any more mouths to feed, and unwilling to admit non-citizens of the Empire into the city, the Council (now run by priests of Amaunator and generals of the army) turned them away with force when necessary.
The harsh treatment of the citizens of Seventon by the Church of Amaunator (although it was acting within the law at all times) did nothing to engender good feelings between the common people and the rulers. Many tried to leave and so the Church imposed restrictions on leaving the metropolis of Seventon to stop people deserting.
After years of bad treatment, nightly attacks by monsters, and rationing, the final stroke fell when the desert began to encroach upon Seventon’s borders. In -296 DR The fields started to turn dusty and the crops failed, after seven years of failed harvests and increasing attacks by undead monsters that were pouring out of the ruins of fallen Netheril, the metropolis of Seventon finally tore itself apart in 3 months of rioting. The city was destroyed and the survivors headed south towards the Survivor States of Anauria, Asram, and Hlondath.
Edit: slightly reordered the dates to fit in with this quote
quote:
In The Year of Setting Suns (-291 DR), Netherese citizens began filtering across Faerûn fleeing from Survivor State conflicts and the powerful magical battles of the phaerimm and the sharn. This activity caused the Cormanthyran army to concentrate on their northern borders, leaving Venom to General Halflar and less than two score of elven warriors.
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Edited by - Gary Dallison on 16 Jul 2015 15:26:40 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2015 : 09:26:58
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I'm thinking of making Saharelgard an enclave that didnt crash (it was already on the ground as Lady Saharel was fighting the Lichlord).
As an enclave i'm wondering if i should make it a museum, based on this quote, which has Lady Saharel noted as a member of the ruling elite (therefore Archwizard and so has an enclave), and it also sounds like a museum.
quote:
Once the abode of Lady Saharel, of the High Mages of Netheril (a ruling elite in that kingdom of sorcery), Spellgard was called Saharelgard, and was a rich storehouse of wealth, mighty magic, and luxuries of dress, decoration, furnishings, and food.
Maybe to make her more interesting i could have Lady Saharel as a non netherese Archwizard, so she is probably of the Low Netherese racial stock which for me is a mix of Rengarth, Talfir, and Netherese (it only emerged as a separate racial subgroup in the Mythallar Age) |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2015 : 20:35:15
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Looking at the Survivor States now.
A couple of musings and wonderings.
1 - Why is Anauria the richest of the three survivor states when Asram had the City of Gems as its capital.
2 - Why does Anauria have a number of elven noble houses and where did they come from (Netheril is not noted for its elven population).
3 - Why did Hlondath turn its back on magic altogether, while Asram embraced magic, and Anauria seems to have turned to an elven way of magic (the elven houses enchanted the magic swords of Anauria).
4 - Did the plague affecting Asram affect the whole of the kingdom or only the capital.
5 - When the Survivor States failed, what happened to the people.
6 - Why were 3 separate kingdoms established by a small group of refugees from 3 enclaves. Why did Hlondath choose to establish itself at the northern border when the Anauroch desert was so close and still expanding. In what order were the kingdoms established.
Now a few personal thoughts. Much like the people of the Old Empires stuck to their own racial groupings, I'm thinking the people of the 3 enclaves stuck to their own enclave groups. They were probably led by the most powerful arcanists still alive (if normal people of the enclave survived, I'm sure some arcanists did). Asram and Anauria probably had the most arcanists survive and so got to pick the best territory.
I noted that Rystall Wood was overrun by orcs in -205 DR, which gives a possible origin for the elven houses of Anauria. The problem is that King Thausimbel was elven and ruled for 260 years and Anauria ended in 111 DR. THat only leaves 306 years for him to be born, turn into an adult, inherit the kingdom, have a daughter, and have her rule. Perhaps the orc horde of -205 DR was only one of many across many years.
Why did the elves go to Anauria though. I can understand them avoiding Hlondath (insular, magic hating, tree cutters), and Asram (magic addicted nutters just as bad as the Netherese), but Anauria seems just as bad (they burned down a forest to form The Burn).
I'm wondering if Anauria started out like Asram, and was just as aggressive and uncaring as Netheril. Then perhaps the arcanists killed each other in a series of arguments, coups, and dynastic disputes (as powerful wizards are wont to do). The elves arrive to a different Anauria than it began and decide to stay.
As for Asram. I think the plague only affected Phelajarama. The other city (Orolin) has no mention of a plague, only that its canals were poisoned by the Zhentarim.
So when Anauria and Asram fell some of its people survived and probably stayed in small settlements, moved into the Dalelands and the Moonsea (Teshar and Hlontar) and moved into Hlondath.
Hlondath is an oddity because it turned its back on magic and turned into a nation of loggers and shepherds. Yet the Fall of the Myth Drannor details Laummas the Lichking/Liegelord of Hlondath. I'm thinking he was unearthed by tomb robbers from Asram and then made his way to Hlondath and started to rule (from behind the scenes at first) and it was his influence that started the Crown Against the Sceptre Wars.
When all the Survivor States fell, I don't think the people just disappeared. Hlondath's fields were failing, but Asram and Anauria were further south and the Stonelands didn't become so barren until 1000 DR so they likely survived for some time.
The Bedine make mention of wars with djinn, and their origin story speaks of 3 tribes (3 survivor states) and they have corrupted forms of many of the netherese gods.
I think many people remained in the valley between the Scimitar Spires and the Desertsmouth Mountains. At some point some "djinn" (although I prefer to think of it as a fiend, the description of the djinn's habits actually remind me of a rakshasa) calling itself Nakasr turned up and enslaved the netherese remnants. The Bedine then ride to their rescue and free them from enslavement and run off into the desert.
Anyone else have any thoughts.
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2015 : 16:28:54
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An early attempt at some alternate explanations for a few events in what i call the Diaspora Age (i.e. after the fall).
Laummas Arlochar: This Archwizard of Netheril had fled the crumbling empire several years before the Fall, leaving his enclave of Asram to fend for itself. His secret lair was located in a lone mountain on the edge of Netheril’s eastern border where he planned to emerge after the Empire’s destruction and scavenge its ruins for as much magic as he could lay his hands on.
Unfortunately for Laummas, Shadowtop Alp (Modern: The Shattered Tower) was the crash site of the enclave of Aquessir which plunged through the mountain side into Laummas’ secret crypt and crushed his body, leaving him trapped in a state of helplessness.
He was unearthed in -133 DR by a gang of tomb robbers known as the Claws which were searching for netherese artefacts amid the ruins of fallen enclaves. Upon releasing Laummas they became slaves to his will (his soul possessed the lead of their gang and then his control and magic ensured the compliance of the others) and returned with Laummas to Asram.
Laummas spent a century influencing events and policy in Asram from behind the scenes, amassing a trove of magical items and lore from fallen Netheril. When Asram was destroyed in the conflict between its archmages, Laummas moved to Hlondath and began insinuating himself into the upper echelons of that realm, gradually turning them towards war with the elves in an effort to recover the Nether Scrolls, which he learned was held in Myth Drannor.
Ultimately Laummas the Lichking, Liegelord of Hlondath was slain during the Fall of Myth Drannor when he sided with the Trio Nefarious in an effort to recover the most prized artefact of fallen Netheril.
Siam Orphean: During the Discovery Age, the deity known as Jergal was busy making preparations to rewrite history and restore the shattered spell weavers of XXXX to life. As part of this he identified a number of candidates that were suitably gifted enough to perform a powerful ritual and that were capable of possessing a spark of his divinity (a necessary component of the casting).
Siam Orpheal was one such Archwizard chosen from among the elite of the Empire to perform this ritual outside Ascore. Unfortunately the casting failed due to phaerimm and sarrukh sabotage, and most of the casters were destroyed. Siam Orpheal was one of the lucky few who escaped, but not entirely unscathed.
In the fleeting moments when he attained divinity, Siam saw the futility and failure of the casting and used his divine spark to reincarnate himself so as to escape his impending demise. At the exact same moment the Weave faltered because of Karsus’ own magic and Siam’s spell had unintended consequences.
Siam was reincarnated again and again through the ages, passing his quasi divine mantle onto a suitable host at the moment of his previous vessel’s death, each time remembering less and less of his former life. Siam Orpheal became Siam Orphean, an arcanist’s son born in Asram.
Gifted with an affinity for magic, Siam soon eclipsed his father and many other of the arcanists of Asram. He came to rule the kingdom for a short time before the manipulations of Laummas bore fruit and saw the child of Alithar Chonis arrive to claim a piece of her heritage.
Unleashing horrifying magics from lost Netheril, the two powers destroyed Phelajarama and infected the very stones with a virulent plague that would see it remain uninhabitable for more than a thousand years. Siam Orphean was killed and reincarnated in a far away settlement on the sword coast. Kippit Yutto fled to the west and ended up the first victim of a powerful sceptre crafted by the nation of Thaeravel.
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2015 : 16:43:21
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And a few random dates for Anauria
- -300 DR Year of Cold Anger: The Mage King Orzogath the Grim destroys the Green Forest during an attempted eradication of the goblins that lived there. Orzogath is consumed in the conflagration when he is ambushed by hobgoblin assassins. The Burn is created as a result.
- -298 DR Year of Nine Watchers: The Desert approaches the borders of Seventon causing seven years of failed harvests.
- -295 DR: Glaeros Lhaerimm steals the Sceptre of the Sorcerer Kings from the Vault and attempts to reassemble it to combat the approaching phaerimm and the encroaching desert. He and his fellow arcanists are destroyed when the authorities (led by the Church of Amaunator) storm his tower to recover the artefact. A single apprentice survives the conflict and escapes with the sceptre.
- ELAH NYDRA is destroyed/escapes into a portal at the House of the Moon (site of the old refounded Abbey of the Moon)(Modern: Elah'Zad) when the Church of Amaunator attempts to occupy the Abbey to gain favour from the Moon Goddess to stop Anauroch’s progress. Later chosen by worshippers of Eldath as the place to stop the spread of Anauroch further south. Possible date for the creation of the Crystrum of Tranquility (possibly Elah Nydra's phylactery) which is later carried to Myth Drannor.
- -291 DR Year of Setting Suns: The metropolis of Seventon destroys itself in 3 months of rioting after the citizens rise up against their harsh rulers. Citizens from Seventon flee south to the Survivor States or east to the Moonsea.
- -289 DR Year of Shattered Havens: Another wave of monsters fleeing the encroaching desert moves into the northern lands of Hlondath. Hlondath evacuates parts of its borders and funnels the horde into the Rystall Wood. A number of elven houses are cut off in the western end of the wood and flee south through the Crescent Lands. Refused refuge by Hlondath and horrified by Asram they arrive in Anauria and are given the Green Wood to settle and police after rescuing the Mage King Orlath Thardresk from a battle with goblinoids in the wood.
- -279 DR: The last of the Mage Kings of Anauria destroy themselves through various intrigues and plots to gain sole control of Anauria. Rule of Anauria passes to the Council of Six.
- -265 DR Year of Burgeoning Victory: As goblinoids from Araugul threaten the kingdom of Anauria with destruction, Thausimbel Thardresk emerges from the Green Wood at the head of a host of elves and routes the goblinoid forces. Thausimbel Thardresk is crowned King of Anauria.
- -259 DR: The desert begins to dry the Hidden Vale, all remaining netherese in the region head east towards the Survivor States.
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2015 : 12:02:45
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Working on weaving a few ideas of my own regarding the Fall and George's work on Jergal to create something more, and tie up a few loose ends in established history (or at least what i felt were loose ends).
These are from the Shadowed Age (the rewrite is split into eras)
Sarrukh: Existing in security and isolation from the rest of the world for millennia, the Sarrukh appeared infrequently during the time of Netheril, usually in the form of Arthindol the Terraseer (known as Issarnathass to his kin) to guide the netherese to whatever ends the Sarrukh desired (a weapon to destroy the phaerimm, and to reduce Jergal’s influence upon them by helping them embrace magic and reject religion).
During the last few years of the Shadowed Age, Issarnathass divined Jergal’s influence among the Archwizards of the Empire and discovered his plans to begin a ritual that would restored the Spellweaver race (an ancient enemy of the sarrukh) to existence and make Jergal more powerful than ever.
Roused for the first time in many ages of the world, 3 of the liches of Oreme awoke themselves from their stasis and attempted to interrupt the Code of Reversion ritual that Jergal was performing. Their attack coincided with another act of sabotage by the phaerimm and with the casting of the Avatar spell by Karsus that would cause all magic to fluctuate wildly for a period of time as Karsus destroyed the Goddess of the Weave, Mystryl.
The sarrukh liches of Oreme took it in turns to remain awake and out of stasis so that their form was preserved for as long as possible and to keep intrigue among them to a minimum. Each lich had a total of 16 years out of every 1000 with which to rule Oreme. During this period of waking many worked on pet projects to try and destroy the phaerimm, the Empire of Netheril was Issarnathass’ pet project.
Having discovered Jergal’s plans, Issarnathass cleverly used as much of his wealth and power as he possessed to buy a few extra years of active time with which to pretend to warn the Empire about an impending catastrophe, so that when Jergal finally began his ritual for the Code of Reversion, Issarnathass was safely locked away in stasis and one of his rivals was active at the time (and awoke 2 of his allies before they attempted to destroy Jergal).
Ascore: In -339 DR, the god known as Jergal walked the surface of Toril in person in order to perform a powerful ritual that he claimed would save the Empire from the phaerimm. This was not an avatar that visited the surface of Ascore, but the actual divine vessel that held the majority of Jergal’s power. Mortals were unable to bear witness to such a being and so the dwarves evacuated much of the cliff base settlement, leaving only Jergal and his chosen vessels to perform the ritual known as the Code of Reversion.
In the years leading up to this event, the vessels (many of whom were Archwizards, including Ioulaum and Karsus) worked with the dwarves of Delzoun to construct 13 pyramids that would act as focal points for the ritual.
As Karsus began casting his Avatar spell, Jergal and his 10 remaining vessels were in the process of casting the Code of Reversion. Phaerimm and Sarrukh attacked Ascore trying to disrupt the ritual, just as Karsus finished his spell. It was enough to distract Jergal’s attention and the results were disastrous.
Jergal, the vessels, the sarrukh, and the phaerimm, as well as a portion of Karsus’ divinity, were all drawn together into a singular being; a black amorphous mass not unlike that known as the Sharn. The cliff base settlement of Ascore was laid waste by the magical fallout (thankfully the dwarves had already evacuated to the original military outpost atop the cliff) and all that remained intact were the 13 pyramids now stained a deep, blood red.
Chardalyns: Highly sought after in previous eras under the guidance of Arthindol the Terraseer, the Chardalyns became the focus of a new branch of magic for the netherese; Gem Magic, and its expansion into the magical properties of seemingly mundane items.
Chardalyns acted as a magical repository able to store seemingly any spell cast upon them and release that spell when the gem was destroyed (usually via crushing but any means will do). This ability far exceeded the usefulness of potions and scrolls and so those mediums were largely abandoned during the Golden Age.
Chardalyns appeared to be present in large quantities in only a few places. They were found all around the base of the cliffs that formed the settlement of Ascore, scattered amid the tundra and beneath the Bay of Ascore like discarded coins. They were also present in caches amid ancient ruins that dotted the North, as though a previous race had gathered them before, probably for the same reasons the netherese desired them.
It wasn’t until the Shadowed Age however that the true purpose of the Chardlyns became apparent. The Chardalyn were the last remnants of the Spellweavers of Eril who destroyed their entire race during a miscast ritual known as the Disjunction which altered the timeline and annihilated almost all trace of the existence of Spellweavers (leaving behind only tiny black gems that twinkled like stars).
Jergal had long been planning to restore his race using another ritual known as the Code of Reversion. To do this he had been gathering up as many of the Chardalyns as he could find, and preparing 12 human vessels to hold the power that would be released from the Chardalyns during the ritual.
Unfortunately others were working against the machinations of Jergal to restore the Spellweavers and ascend them to a new level of existence. Two of the vessels refused to take part in the ritual agents from the Sarrukh and phaerimm attempted to interrupt its casting. The result was the consumption of tens of thousands of Chardalyns, the destruction of 7 out of the remaining 10 vessels, and the failure to restore the Spellweaver race.
The Tooth of Jergal: This dagger is a twin bladed dagger fashioned long ago from one of the mandibles of Jergal’s physical form (although it resembles and acts as thought fashioned from meteoric iron). This dagger was another essential component of the Code of Reversion and was designed to let the blood of the divine vessels, thereby forming a link between themselves and Jergal (who would be performing the ritual) so that he could drain them of the energy they were absorbing from the shattered Chardalyns.
The Tooth of Jergal performed its task only too well, but Jergal lost control of the ritual when it was interrupted by outside forces. The result was disastrous and ended up with him merging with seven of the ten vessels assembled for the ritual, which greatly disrupted his personality for a time, and took him centuries to recover from.
Following the Code of Reversion, the dagger was carried from Ascore by one of the surviving vessels; Tharlagaunt Bale (who had recovered the dagger from ancient ruins and bore it to the ritual under Jergal’s instruction).
The dagger and its link to Jergal would eventually be used against its creator to allow the wielders to steal power from the Lord of the End of Everything while he was still recovering from the fallout of the Code of Reversion ritual. This act would shatter the dagger, but it was recovered and reformed by a powerful vampire living along the Dragon Coast.
These are from the Diaspora Age (the bits after the Fall dealing with netherese survivors).
Jergal: The Lord of the End of Everything was viewed by the netherese as little more than a god of the death and the dead. However he was so much more as his actions during the Fall demonstrated and he had long been planning to restore the Spellweaver race to existence and ascend with them to the next level of existence (a feat as yet unachieved).
Unfortunately Jergal’s ritual, the Code of Reversion, was interrupted by Sarrukh and Phaerimm saboteurs, and Jergal ended up merged with the saboteurs and a number of the “vessels” he had gathered to help him perform the ritual.
The result was the shattering of Jergal’s mind and form, which took centuries for him to peel back the different layers of consciousness in order to isolate his own personality and restore himself to sanity.
His actions during this time were erratic, veering between complete inactivity to murderous vengeance. Invocation of his name was known to be met with complete ignorance at times (even while defiling his temples) and at other times his own priests were seen to explode at the mere whisper of supplication or veneration.
During the Diaspora Age he was rejected by the remaining netherese (along with many members of the pantheon) for a perceived failure to prevent the Fall and the spread of The Desert. His powers were stolen by those who claimed to serve him, and other contenders arose to claim his title as god of the dead among the survivors of fallen Netheril, including a powerful fiend known as Nakasr whom threatened to destroy the last remnants of the Survivor States until they were rescued by the Bedine.
Ultimately Jergal restored his consciousness and sanity, although it had been changed somewhat by the altered perceptions of his former followers, and took up his place as servant of the new Lord of the Dead, Myrkul.
Netherese Sharn: As far as humanoids are concerned (and indeed anyone that is not a Sharn), all Sharn are the same, the pinnacle of magical transcendence of the mortal form, with an amorphous body and collective mind, the Sharn are multi-partitioned beings able to perform great feats of magic.
This is of course a complete fallacy (like most commonly held beliefs), the Sharn are indeed multi-partite and can communicate in a kind of hive mind when they wish, but they are not all the same, not even close.
The original Sharn were born of a magical ritual performed to hastily save the population of an entire city from magical devastation. Some of these possessed the power of elven High Mages, others were as magically skilled as a commoner from modern day Cormyr (although the Sharn form has many inherent magical powers, they do not require skill or learning to wield).
Many believe that the Sharn and Phaerimm had long fought for control of the regions, but in truth both races had rarely encountered one another (as they rarely leave their isolated demi-planes upon which they dwell) and the geographic regions they are known to inhabit are separated by thousands of miles.
So how did the Sharn and Phaerimm become such implacable enemies following the fall of Netheril, and why are they ignorant of each other now.
The truth is that there are at least two groups of Sharn. One located in and around the High Moor (although primarily they dwell in their own demi-plane) and another located amid the ruins of Ascore, created in the year -339 DR.
In -352 DR the arcanists and Archwizards of the Empire were so desperate to save themselves and their realm that they would try anything to beat the phaerimm. A number of brave/foolish/desperate netherese kidnapped a handful of Sharn from the High Moor region in the Savage Frontier and brought them to the Empire before releasing them on the edge of The Desert. The conflict between the released Sharn and the Phaerimm that boiled up out of the ground to slay them was spectacular but short lived.
The Sharn from the Savage Frontier sought no reprisals against the Phaerimm, being completely unaware of the fate of their kin (although their relations with the netherese soured to outright hostility). It wasn’t until way after the Fall that the Sharn and Phaerimm engaged in any sort of conflict and this was because of the emergence of a new type of Sharn, the netherese Sharn.
In -339 DR, the god Jergal attempted a ritual known as the Code of Reversion, designed to restore the Spellweaver race from the oblivion of time and then ascend them to the next stage of existence. The ritual failed spectacularly and Jergal, 7 divine vessels, 3 sarrukh, and 2 phaerimm were all merged into a single being. It took Jergal centuries to separate his personality from the muddled mess left over from the ritual, and the discarded pieces immediately reformed as 13 powerful and unusual Sharn made up of a mixture of the 13 individuals that took part in the ritual.
These netherese Sharn contained a majority of human essence from the vessels assembled by Jergal who “perished” in the ritual, and so much of the efforts of these new Sharn were spent combating the spread of the Phaerimm. In the end the netherese Sharn imprisoned the Phaerimm behind the Sharnwall and then retreated beneath the sands of Ascore.
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Gary Dallison
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United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2015 : 11:29:48
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So which enclave should Alithar Chonis (from George's Jergal work) be the Archwizard of?
And what kind of Archwizard should he be (i.e. what field of magic should he specialise in, or what should he focus on) which in turn determines what type of enclave it is.
There is a link with him later with Moander which makes him evil, but i dont think he should be evil from the start (at least not Moander evil).
Jeriah Chronos was very much a charitable kind of Archwizard (trying to help the Illuskans, and dying in the process). So Alithar could have that streak of goodness in him. Time is the most obvious choice for his work, but Jeriah Chronos already did that, so maybe he could work in fields around time, such as Haste, and Slow, and Timestop, etc.
Free enclaves with nothing known about the Archwizard include Jethaere, Nhalloth, Undrentide, Sakkors, Hlaungadath (although i dont think that was the enclaves actual name, more what the Bedine or survivor states called the ruins - because Hlaunga is also the name of an oasis in Anauroch in the Sword), Lhaoda, Tith Tilendrothael, Spiel, Synod (we know the Archwizard had a religious bent but nothing else - i think).
Synod might make a good one. It could be ironic that Alithar was deeply religious (despite his ancestor dying because he refused to accept divine aid). Even better then that Alithar attained divinity himself (kind of, infused with some of Jergal's power) and struggled to cope with it, especially after everyone believed the gods abandoned Netheril, why would he then want to be one himself.
Alithar could then abandon his divine powers somewhere in Moander's Footstep by giving them to the last remnant of the Darkbringer (manifested as a flower like pod) which allowed it to grow into the mass that attacked Tsornyl.
Alithar can then go on to the Wolf Woods (although he is now tainted by Moander's touch), he has a child (Kippit Yutto) who travels back to the survivor states to claim her birthright, and lays waste to the capital of Asram. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 04 Sep 2015 : 20:52:12
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Jotting down a few more ideas so I don't forget them.
A society of arcanist of Low Netherese origin that are kept from achieving Archmage status by the existing archmages and by the snobbery of the elite in Seventon (where all the best schools of magic are located. This group of arcanists are responsible for the barbarian schism.
Perhaps Lady Saharel could be of Low Netherese origin (there are always a few exceptions to any rule) and be the one that proposes teaching magic to the Council (government of Netheril) at the behest of her arcanist allies.
Jhothun was founded by Ottar, then ruled by Hjurgen who caused the split of the kingdom of Ranauroch (cloud and storm giants) over Anauroch). Then the dragons came and Hrjumur perished fighting dragons. One presumes at this point the kingdom of Ostoria collapses. Sometime later Hoarfaern is established amid the High Ice and the giants and dragons skirmish over the territory there for millennia.
The first Cloud Castle (possibly called Ranauroch, or Ranar's Rock - named after Nicias or Vilmos' wife) lies somewhere atop the Columns of the Sky mountain, it was once home to Nicias and Vilmos, but at some point the two had a disagreement and Nicias inherited/won the castle. It must have been abandoned and lost to giant kind (perhaps it was cleaned out by dragons, or perhaps Hrjumur himself cleaned out the castle after Nicias disappeared or was killed in the war with dragons). The magic of the Columns of the Sky mountain (home of the phaerimm) kept the enclaves away from it so none discovered the cloud castle.
Following the Avatar spell, the cloud castle fell and shattered down the mountain side. Giant refugees from Jothun found the remains of this castle and the ancient runes of awesome power. They manage to get it flying again and go on to form the cloud kingdoms of Avaeraethar. Ultimately this kingdom clashes with Asram, Thar, then Cormanthor, before being forced down to Shaddath Gap where it destroys itself against Thauglor's dragons, the rubble of the cloud kingdom (and surrounding mountains) creates the Stonelands.
Ancient dwarf citadel somewhere in the Dragonback Peaks. After the sarrukh empire fell the ecosystem collapsed due to the Narrow Sea changing course. The region became a natural desert for several thousand years. As life came back to the region dwarves from Shanatar/Oghrann travelled here and discovered some ruins of Ranauroch, founding the citadel of Anarok. Beset by strange disturbances and monsters, abandoned before -4000 DR due to monstrous incursions.
Zaran, arcanist and founder of Zaran's enterprises. A magical competitor with the Farwalkers Guild to provide a cheaper magical alternative to the portals of the Farwalkers. Based out of Hlondath and student of Raumark.
Mycornild Darsk, dabbled in transmutation magics involving the merging of one or more creatures. Disappeared in the forest west of Seventon.
Shattered Tower, once known as Shadowtop Mountain, source of origin for the Cultists of the Shattered Peak. Home to a secret lair of Laummas the Lichlord who became trapped inside in -342 when Aquessir crashes into the mountain (giving it it's new name). Laummas' release and his reign of terror results in the creation of the Cultists who are dedicated to destroying the magic and legacies of Netheril.
Single daemonfey of House Marstrym survives the destruction during the Fall of Netheril. Mey'liah flees to the Goblin Marches as leader of a tribe of goblins/hobgoblins. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 22 Sep 2015 : 21:09:58
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Need some extra lore bits for the various geographic regions.
I've got an abandoned dwarf hold in the Columns of the Sky Mountains.
Hidden Vale is home to portions of lost Ilodhar.
Lots of spirits and ghostly goings on in the Columns of the Sky Mountains and Dragonback (Rampant) Peaks.
Lots of orcs in the Dragonback Peaks between the Nether and Mythallar Age, then again in the Shadowed Age.
I was thinking of having the Myconid forest be the result of a magical screw up by an arcanist whose name resemble Myconid.
So what about the Greycloak Mountains (Purple Mountains).
What about Heip Lake
What about Redguard Lake (I'm turning it into Redgardt Lake, named after another moderate tribe that becomes part of the Angarth people).
What about the Flats. It's home to much of vanished Thaeravel but what does that mean, was it just farm land, was there anything unusual about it apart from the sarrukh ruins dotting the place. Ooh perhaps the bones of large sea creatures could unearth here from time to time (the Narrow Sea once ran through hear as well).
What about the Hollow. Was that a part of ancient Oghrann, then Thaeravel.
Then there is the Rengarth Tundra, with Glacier Lake, Spiregardt (that's got to be another Rengarth tribal name, Vandaldt, Angardt, Redgardt).
I'm not really looking for whats in the Netheril boxed set (read that it's not great), more ideas based from that or new ideas that have nothing to do with it. So that lake with thousands of kobolds that spewed out of it is just picking monsters and numbers out of a hat, but maybe something else more sensible could come from that (nearby dragon whose servants got loose, or an underground city whose remnants were disgorged following an earthquake, perhaps it is even an illusion)
Any ideas?
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
Posted - 23 Sep 2015 : 20:38:33
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Found some new names for Archwizards (at this rate I'm going to run out of enclaves.
Jeriah Chronos
Melathlar (courtesy of George Krashos).
So that makes Jeriah Chronos the owner of a flying enclave (and I'm having him as the first open Archwizard of Low Netherese descent - Lady Saharel is of secret Low Netherese descent and is only half Low Netherese).
So which enclave did Jeriah Chronos have? Why didn't he take it with him to Illusk, or did he, and does it still remain?
Finally, the Archwizard Melathlar arrives in Illusk in -425 DR following directions from information he found that Jeriah Chronos wrote. So did Melathlar discover Jeriah's floating enclave and become an Archwizard by gaining control over it before abandoning it to flee to Illusk?
Spiel was known for its interest in non human cultures and Rengarth and Angardt folklore (which to me are a tribe of uluiuns like the Ice Hunters of Illusk, hence the connection to Jeriah Chronos). Admittedly it was supposedly created in -2510 DR, but it could easily have been misreported (and I've been altering the dates to suit my purposes anyway, what does it matter when Spiel was created, it doesn't affect anything else).
Perhaps I could have Spiel be a sort of temporal enclave that was tied to a single place rather than free floating like other enclaves. So you could visit Spiel and move to different times (but you could only leave Spiel in your own time - on pain of death), that way you find lots of different universities and buildings all located in the same place but at different times.
Carbury (that name is getting changed) tried to take control of the enclave in -841 DR and was executed, so perhaps Melathlar was already in control of that enclave by then.
Perhaps Melathlar didn't discover Jeriah's secret trove until much later, perhaps he also tried to travel into the future and discovered a point where Spiel no longer existed. That prompted him to leave Spiel and Netheril earlier than many other archwizards (he had advanced warning) and so sought out Illusk and Maegara as detailed in Jeriah's journals. |
Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions Candlekeep Archive
Forgotten Realms Alternate Dimensions: Issue 1
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All Things Netheril
