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Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 06 Sep 2017 : 21:44:26

My initial idea for the history of TiaMa'at

TiaMa�at

TiaMa�at; known as the Dark Lady, the Dark Sorceress, the Queen of Chaos, and the Nemesis of the Gods, is the Untheric goddess of Chaos, Rebellion, Dark Magic, and Dragons.

Considered a Demi God at best by most sages of all things divine, TiaMa�at has long been absent from Unther, although whispers about her activities and defiance against the rest of the Untheric pantheon never ceased completely.

Recently rumours have begun to resurface that TiaMa�at has returned to Unther to finish her fight against the God King.

Mythology

The origins of TiaMa�at are claimed by her clergy to begin when the Godship of Unther arrived and delivered the god-kings to Faerun. It is believed that the Godship brought a variety of god-kings and monsters to Faerun, but it is unclear whether TiaMa�at was one of them.

Legends held by those with Turami ancestry in eastern Chondath and Mulhorand speak of a woman named Tlaa (this translates into sorceress in Chondathan) who lay with dragons and mastered their power. The dark skin of the Turami and her evil (from the viewpoint of the god-kings of Unther) could be the origin of the name TiaMa�at (meaning dark or evil one) and her monikar The Dark Sorceress.

Regardless of her origins, TiaMa�at has fought against the god-kings of Unther since the inception of that nation. Her early efforts involved rallying the native Turami people against the invading Untheri and their god-kings. When those efforts failed and the Turami were eradicated or enslaved in Unther and Akanu by the god-kings and their armies, TiaMa�at started fomenting insurrection among their subjects.

History

The history of TiaMa�at begins in -2087 DR when the Mulan people and their god-kings arrive on the southern shore of the Alamber Sea and begin slaughtering the native Turami that were already living there. The battles between Mulan and Turami were one sided except for a single incident somewhere north of the present site of Unthalass where the god-king Amar-Du�uk was nearly slain and his elite Masate were burned to ashes by a fiery conflagration of immense size.

After the loss of her family, her people, and her homeland, TiaMa�at wandered the outskirts of the Mulan lands looking for anything that would help her destroy the invaders. It took her almost a century of wandering the ruined remnants of the Imaskari Empire before she found her desire.

With powerful magic in hand TiaMa�at managed to garner an alliance with a family of blue dragons from the Raurin Desert (sealed by mating with the Suzerain she helped to install). These were the first of her dragon allies that she used against the growing Empires of Unther, Akanu, and even Mulhorand (all Mulan are guilty in her eyes, its just that some Mulan are more guilty than others and deserve to be destroyed first), the dragons wreaked havoc on the fledgling empires and prompted the Mulan to purge their lands of all draconic presence.

With her dragon allies defeated, TiaMa�at changed tactics and started to work against the Mulan from within their own Empires. She used her magic to awe the weak and oppressed into following her (having much success among the slaves) and founded a number of cults spread throughout Unther and Akanu. Slowly she bided her time waiting for the right moment to strike.

That moment came in -1076 DR when a large portal opened on the plateau of what is now Thay and disgorged hundreds of thousands of orcs into Mulhorand�s most northern province. Unther and Akanu mobilised their armies to aid the kindred Empire of Mulhorand (and hopefully recover their own territories lost to the orcs) and sailed their forces across the Alamber Sea while Mulhorand�s armies marched north.

TiaMa�at and her cultists were well placed among the slave regiments who broke ranks at inopportune moments and spread poison and disease to slow the advance of Unther and Akanu�s armies and helped the orcs win some key battles and destroy a few of the more minor god-kings. TiaMa�ats greatest achievement however was in the deciding battle of the Orcgate Wars campaign when the forces of the Mulan cornered the majority of orc forces between escarpments. As the god-kings engaged the orcs and their summoned Avatars in battle TiaMa�at finally struck against the Mulan from behind, her surprise attack divided the Mulan and allowed the orcs to cut off Re (the ruler of Mulhorand) from his allies while Gruumsh delivered the killing blow. Meanwhile TiaMa�at pounced on Amar-Du�uk and Gil-Geamesq (who were already fighting Avatars of the orc gods) while in dragon form and succeeded in seriously wounding Gil-Geamesq, and incinerating Amar-Du�uk as he drove his spear into her heart.

Thankfully TiaMa�at had prepared for the eventuality of her death. Her lifeforce was splintered among three chosen vessels that were compelled to seek the others out and consume them. After decades of cat and mouse games the three dragons were finally one and TiaMa�at was reborn as a three headed dragon.

In her absence, TiaMa�at�s cult was eradicated in Unther and Akanu, and TiaMa�at retreated to her last and greatest stronghold; The Fane of Tiamat in the Shaar. From here she directed her remaining cultists to re-establish cells in Akanu which was undergoing a period of turmoil as Unther and Akanu merged to become just Unther, with Gil-Geamesq as the God-King of both Empire (E-Nlil having seemingly abandoned his people and empire). This met with some success as Gil-Geamesq all but abandoned Akanu and its people and then taxed them into poverty as he descended slowly into tyranny and madness.

Her guerrilla war met with mixed successes over the coming millennia as an alliance with demon cults from the south weakened Unther with another failed invasion of that land by barbarian tribes. She was forced to abandon her stronghold in the Shaar when the Shoon Imperium and the Untheri Empire went to war over territories in the Landrise (which ultimately both empires failed to secure and resulted in the decline and loss of all territories in the Shaar). Her cult cells in Akanu (now rapidly becoming Chessenta) were destroyed in a conflict with a potential ally; the Cult of the Dragon. Finally in 1018 DR, TiaMa�at (in her dragon form) was driven mad by the King Killer Star (her human mind was unable to cope with the baleful influence, making her permanently mad).

It took centuries before TiaMa�at recovered her mind thanks to a resurgence in her following in Unther. The cult cell in Firetrees summoned TiaMa�at in her human form and snapped her out of dragon form and the madness that held her.

TiaMa�at has since spent her time hiding, rebuilding her power bases, and waiting for the time to strike. That time is rapidly approaching

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 07 Sep 2017 : 12:42:17

Looking for some ideas on personal items (magic) that TiaMa'at owns (they become relics after her death in the ToT event i will detail later, but for the time being they are things she wears and uses).

1 - a robe made of dragon scales that allows her to take dragon form 3/day (this power hasnt been needed since her death during the orcgate wars), and that also makes her resistant to various elements (breathweapons - fire, cold, lightning).
Not sure on a name, maybe Dragonskin.

2 - a spear with a haft of dragon bone and a point made from a large dragon tooth. Very good at piercing armour and can summon the wearers of the 3 rings of tiamat to her side. No name for this.

Any others. Im not looking for stat boosters, more personal items that have meaning to her that she enhanced or found to aid her.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 07 Sep 2017 : 21:05:57

My take on the fane of tiamat

The Fane of Tiamat:The Fane of TiaMa�at is an ancient fortress hidden inside the Wyrmbones, constructed by TiaMa�at into the very rock of the mountains using her magical skill. The entrance to the Fane is via a sheltered valley and a hidden trail that leads up into the mountains where three huge dragon skulls extend on long necks out of an entrance into the mountain (one green to the left, one blue to the right, and one red hovering over).
Inside, the passageways and chambers are lined with dragon bones (usually ribs) from hundreds of dragons of enormous size that litter the Wyrmbones and give the mountain range it�s name.
The Fane was abandoned by TiaMa�at over a millennia past in order to preserve its secrecy in the face of increased activity in the region from Unther and the Shoon Imperium. She never returned to the Fane and it is now rumoured to be inhabited by goblinoids of all kinds.

Plus an attempt at one of her magic items using my own rule system (which is loosely based on d20 but prices an item based on each property and the parameters of that property so multiple properties can be added to a single item with different number of uses and ranges and activation modes. It makes items more expensive but I want magic to be much less common and much more personal.

Temmasku (Dragon�s Skin): This robe is made of dragon scales of many colours. The larger scales cover the back and front portions while tiny dragon scales are used to make up the more mobile areas of the robe such as the arms, sides, and hood. The effect is a shimmering robe that makes TiaMa�at resemble a reptilian humanoid.

This robe grants the wearer a +4 Magic bonus to Damage Resistance against Acid, Cold, Electricty, and Fire damage.

Enhancement Level: +4

Magical Properties: Energy Resistance (x4) Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire; Uses (Permanent); Activation (Passive); Target (Wielder): Cost 328,000 gp

Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3287 Posts

Posted - 07 Sep 2017 : 21:18:55

IIRC Richard Baker said that Red Hand of Doom was originally going to be set in The Realms, then someone above him decided against it.

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 07 Sep 2017 : 21:40:56

Well i checked out the maps after markustay mentioned it and its a near perfect fit. Plus i was looking for a base for tiamaat so im stealing a little bit

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 08 Sep 2017 : 16:53:34

So apparently an influx of wizards from the shoon lands caused the rebellion of the wizards reach (and then chessenta).

I also noticed an awful lot of untheric wizards are abroard in faerun from 0 dr onwards. There were 2 or three in Athalantar. The Black Flame Brotherhood moved on sometime before that.

I'm thinking that Gil-Geamesq drove away the wizards (he was probably afraid of their power after TiaMa'at and the brotherhood etc its a power he can never understand). They flee to the four corners of Faerun and take their magic (and a shield with a devil trapped inside) with them.
Meanwhile Gil-Geamesq ignores Akanu more and more in favour of Unther - taxing it into the ground to fund his wars and heroic journeys. Wizards from Shoon begin fleeing their own troubles in that Empire make their way to Akanu and the Wizard's Reach which eventually leads to the rebellion of the Wizard's Reach. Then when Chessenta revolts the Wizard's Reach help them against Unther.

Or something like that

Also interesting that a crusading order of Myrkul was present in the Shaar not long after the fall of Netheril. By that time Myrkul may not have even become a true god (being only a demi-god fuelled by the power he stole from other demi-gods and powerful beings). So where did the crusaders that fought the everlasting worm and founded Eltabrannar come from. I'm thinking they were part of Myrkul's fan club from Murghom. THey must have been exiled along with Myrkul and ended up in the Shaar where they bargained with a demon lord for power to take their revenge on Mulhorand (who really owned Murghom at the time) for exiling them and their liege lord.

Edited by - Gary Dallison on 08 Sep 2017 19:29:48

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 15 Sep 2017 : 12:05:56

Started on an organisation which im calling the cult of the queen of chaos which is basically the church of tiama'at but isnt organised enough to be a church and is more focused around destroying Gil-Geamesq than worshipping TiaMa'at.

It was founded in the last century by cultists originally driven from chessenta following the disastrous turf war with the cult of the dragon around 1024 dr i think.

It succeeded in summoning tiamaat in 1346 and restoring her sanity and tiamaat has ruled the cult secretly since that date ( but through tiglath who communicates closely with and represents tiamaat publicly).

The main base of the cult is in niz'jaree (firetrees) under the settlement in a network of large underground tunnels known as the catacombs of the sleeping wyrm (legend has it that a huge serpent lives in the tunnels and sometimes emerges aboveground through the sewers to devour people).

The cult has a very loose organisation. It is led by Tiglath "the Scaled One" who commands the Dark Scaly Ones that command each cult cell and the Scaly Ones that work in the cells. Members are almost always slaves and commoners as they hate gil geamesq the most.

A few relics include

The Wyrmbone Throne - lost for centuries, last seen in the wyrmbone mountains

The rings of tiamaat. Rings that vastly empower the user but are secretly used to reincarnate tiamaat.

The dragon masks. Magic masks that conceal the wearers identity.

The mask of tiamaat. Tiamaats mask that was used to create the dragon masks. Believed to be one of the imaskarcana. Lost during the orcgate wars

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 19 Sep 2017 : 10:44:20

Detailed the relics for the Cult of the Queen of Chaos. Now to work on the important NPCs and important sites

I've only alluded to TiaMa'at's mask being one of the Imaskarcana rather than outright state it. Hints include being able to converse with the mask and having to speak Roushoum to do so and in doing so being able to learn many secrets of transmutation magic.
The mask is currently lost following TiaMa'at's death during the Orcgate Wars (she was wearing it), which means it could have been carried off by the orcs, the Mulhorandi, the Narfelli, the Raumathari, or just some battlefield scavengers. Or it could still be hidden in Thay where the battle was fought (I imagined the final battles being held between the Thayan and Surague escarpments - the orcs got trapped between mountains and the lake and were slaughtered while TiaMa'at and her forces sneak attacked the god-kings.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 20 Sep 2017 : 19:15:47

I found the extent of the untheric empire, it occupied parts of estagund and dambrath according to the quote i found and forgot the source.

Also found a nice bit about gargauth which states he is interested in imaskari ruins, supposedly trying to find info about the planar barrier so he can use it to steal power from gods. I can twist that to help him escape the shield in which he is still trapped.

Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 20 Sep 2017 : 19:56:03

Yeah, both empires were once MUCH vaster than they were when 1e started. I believe Mulhorand extended all the way down into the Golden Waters (there is an ancient trade-road there that they stop using the last few centuries before 4e, probably because of the rise of Veldorn, which itself is probably because of their own failing military might).

I would even say that it was Untheric Mulan who first started settling Jhaamdath (if you don't want to go with my theoretical 'Dathites', which were really ancient Romans/Greeks). So Unther would have encompassed most of the territory to the south, and to the west, up to the borders of Calimshan (around the Lake of Steam - the beholders probably made an effective 'buffer' between the two). They probably stopped at the 'wall' around Halruaa as well (I'm thinking their 'gods' would have warned them there was 'buried evil' in the vicinity).

As much as Mulhorand hates Imaskar, its almost as if they were trying to become them, what with them gobbling-up so many 'survivor states' (including Unther itself... almost).

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 20 Sep 2017 : 20:19:52

Well thankfully I've broken up Unther into two different empires. The western half conquered the eastern part of Jhaamdath as far as Inixrien (its in GHoTR) but then lost the territory during the Orcgate Wars and subsequently the entire empire of Akanu was absorbed into Unther as the two empires merged (although it was ignored and neglected and eventually taxed into rebellion).

The conquest of the Central and Eastern Shaar appears to either happen twice (and it gets conquered by Eltabranar in between) or it is a really late conquest that Unther just cannot hold onto (its conquered 211 DR and lost by 428 DR in a war with the Shoon). Not sure which one I'm going to go with to be honest but I'm leaning towards a late conquest. Enlil's Unther doesn't seem like the expansionist kind but Gil-Geamesq's Unther does.

Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 20 Sep 2017 : 21:20:14

To be honest, I'm a pretty big RW history buff, and empires had a habit of expanding, dying back, and then expanding again later, sometimes several times (and occasionally with slight name changes). You get one weak ruler, and the 'councilors' (greedy/ambitious courtiers) are so busy robbing the nation blind they allow foreigners to take-back a lot of conquered territory, and then a new leader emerges later (sometimes a descendant of the last strong leader, but usually there is a military coup) and re-takes all that stuff again.

Personally, I think its far more realistic to spin it that they gobbled-up more than they could hold onto, then got pushed back, and then re-conquered some stuff. Especially in a fantasy setting like FR - one guy can make all the difference.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 20 Sep 2017 : 21:39:57

I intend on the Unther Empire settling Peleveran and some of the Central Shaar quite early on. That settlement will of course voluntarily join Eltabranar but it means that the Untheric Wizards are the creator's of Gargauth's hidden shield (although Gargauth instructed them to do so) - round shield seems very Old Empires. It was an item he could possess and use to project himself through to ultimately help engineer his escape (which didn't work properly because he is now stuck in the shield). I'm thinking the shield works a bit like that crystal from diablo 2, it gradually turns the possessor into something that looks, acts, and thinks like Gargauth (but is not Gargauth), which is why we have a Gargoth haunting the realms in early DR (destroyed the inn in Tunlands in a fight with Harpers).

Just finished work on some NPCs - Tiglath, Shudu-Ab, and Kedrak Gilbane. Going to be working on a few more members of the Council of Scales (leadership of the cult of tiama'at).
Then I will details the Serpent Guard.

Also found out about a group of Dark Elves that worship a Shar/Lolth hybrid heresy. They act as drug runners and assassins in Unther and Mulhorand.

And I think I figured out how Hadryllis got back to the Witches of Rashemen after Mulhorand used it to bind Eltab to Thaymount. It would seem pirates attacked Skuld and destroyed the docks (an attack paid for by Thay) and made off with the Beacon of Light. I see no reason why those same pirates couldn't also have attacked Sultim and stolen Hadryllis. Pirates being pirates there is then lots of fighting and selling of plunder and eventually the witches get back their sword.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 : 08:30:38

So im on to firetrees next.

First thought is what on earth are those trees with the red photophorescent blooms about. Where did they come from, why do they only grow there.

Next is the settlement itself. Why build it in that location next to the firetrees.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2476 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 : 11:06:31

I remember Markustay and sleyvas theorized such trees were originally from Abeir (exchanged at some point prior the ToT). But I dunno if you use the concept of Abeir... so, we can repurpose the theory. Say, they are from another plane, or something.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 : 11:59:43

The whole shifting planar stuff isnt something im particularly comfortablr with. I usually prefer to go with simpler explanations but im open to any ideas.

If they are from another plane then how did they get moved to Toril and why Unther. The other question is when did this occur. Was it pre settlement of firetrees or post. If it was post then likely someone in firetrees caused it. If its pre settlement then who or what else caused it and when. There is imaskar or okoth but the big question again is why would they bring some red trees to this tiny place and not elsewhere.

If nobody moved the trees and it was accidental then what prompted the accident. I havent got a time of troubles or a second sundering (dont do past 1370 dr) as i dont do deus ex machina stuff.

My initial though was sarrukh derived something from these seemingly naturally occuring trees and they almost all died out as the climate changed except for this small copse that the humans preserve because they also derive something from it. However ive not come up with how the trees survived here, what the ingesters of the flowers derive from it, and why they havent spread or been exploited out of existence. So im not set on that idea.

I always ask why at least five times before deciding on an explanation. If i get to an i dont know or a just because answer then i tend not to use it.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 : 16:26:03

So, okoth didnt have yuan ti if i recall correctly. That means they relied on other servants and im guessing a lot of them were reptilian.

So what if the firetrees are a naturally occuring organism that enhances mental and physical function of their reptilian slaves, but its not a plant at all its a subterranean fungus which has these weird fruiting bodies above ground. In prehistoric toril (30000 years ago) it was widespread in the hot humid conditions of the south but in modern toril it is reduced to being near this volcanic mountain range and next to a river.

In humans it produces a bad hallucinogenic effect if eaten, but just being near it and inhaling the spores causes mild euphoria. So the townsfolk love living here. The slaves are docile and dont rebel, and outsiders just dont understand because they dont stay long enougj to get the effects.

Thats my initial thinking at the moment.

Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 : 16:03:32

Chemtrails?

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 : 16:43:14

Im going even further and thinking that the fungus is symbiotic with humanoids so it diminished because it was neglected and has expanded now that people are living amidst it (might have it feed on people very slowly).

Its just a way of accounting for the feasts and festivals and the fact firetrees never rebels and tying it to the only notable feature of the settlement.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 : 20:46:17

Working on Niz'Jaree now. Hoping to make it a bit of a mystery as to why the town in so happy

https://alternaterealmsblog.wordpress.com/nizjaree-firetrees/

The outline is finished. Will add specific npcs and more places as I get some ideas.

Edited by - Gary Dallison on 27 Sep 2017 15:50:08

Bladewind
Master of Realmslore

Netherlands
1280 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 : 23:08:55

Wow. I cant wait to drop a party in a similarly off settlement as Niz'Jaree. Excellent work on the Firetrees' & Grave Pits' creepy influence there.

How big do you envision a typical granary to be? I guess a typical rooftop of Niz'Jarees granaries to be made of flattened leaves and reed, supported by wooden frames about 20ft higher than the clay floor. What would a typical residence look like?

My campaign sketches

Druidic Groves

Creature Feature: Giant Spiders

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 28 Sep 2017 : 06:45:47

Im glad someone read it and enjoyed it (if you spot any mistakes or have anything youd like to see - such as granary and building size - then do let me know and i can add it immediately).

To be honest i hadnt thought about the building size much. My initial reaction is that clay walls and reed roof is a good fit. However since the rain ban edict it wont have rained much in firetrees so im wondering if the warehouses and slave barns are not open roofed now as the reeds perished and were not bothered to be replaced.
Noble housing is single story stone buildings sunk into the earth to keep them cool. Everything is flat roof (if it has one).

As for the firetrees, im definitely leaning towards them being natural but much more extensive during the sarrukh time.
Also the tunnels do house a real serpent, they extend much deeper and all the way to the sea and greater and lesser quelzarm have adapted to living in them over time and are now land based.
At least thats my thoughts for now but ive left that detail out of the town writeup because id like people to make up their own minds.

Now what if ishtar was killed and consumed by the fungus. What if a part of it has inherited her memories and divine power. We could see the firetrees start to changed very soon.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 28 Sep 2017 : 21:04:50

Added some architecture and a few of the town celebrations.

Rich people live in marble or whitewashed stone buildings.

Slaves live in crude clay brick buildings (large ones designed to house a few hundred or more slaves in some discomfort).

The buildings all follow a style where the rooms are arranged in a ring around a central courtyard (the larger the courtyard the richer the owner) with each room having an open doorway onto the courtyard.

All buildings have steps leading up to the entry doorway and all the floors are sunk into the earth. (steps keep out the floods, sunken floors keep the house cool).

Roofs used to be wood for the rich or reed for the poor, but the lack of rains since the Rain Ban edict has seen the roofs not being replaced and the trees now shade the inner rooms from the sun while the house is left to the open air.

Anything else anyone wants?

Next is Shussel. I'm thinking this will be the home of a moon god of Unther before they left or were killed. Perhaps the settlement will have been built around the ruins of a great tower left behind by the former inhabitants (not the Turami), that way I can explain the disappearance of the people of Shussel without relying on deific intervention.

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 29 Sep 2017 : 09:13:30

Thinking a bit about the future and how the cult of tiamaat morphs into the cult of tiamat.

Deiros Forktongue i think will be the key. Therr is a cult of tiamat in surkh and i think a dragon is involved as well as the cult of the dragon. So if i have the dragon be one of the few dragon worshippers of tiamat then he could tyrb his cult of the dragon cell into a cult of tiamat cell.

They spread into chessenta and threskel and we have new cult of the dragon cells that are also cult of tiamat followers. This is how deiros forktongue first ends up in unther. He is a leader of a cult cell in messemprar perhaps that is seving all three cults at the same time so now tiamat followers are mingling with tiamaat followers.

Then we have tiamaats big battle with gilgeam and tiglath disappears and tiamaat dies. Shudu ab takes over the cult of tiamaat and uses deiros and his more brutal cult of tiamat to do so.

Also thinking about rumours of a secret turami city in the methwood. This should be metos i think, an old imaskari outpost. Skuthosiin lives there as ruler, worshipped by a tribe of half turami humans half batoi halfling. He sends the best warriors into the ruins to plunder them (like a rite of passage such as that found at the start of fallout 2).

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 01 Oct 2017 : 10:02:44

Okay so encountered a major snaffu in old empires.

Ishtar left unther long ago and bequethed her power to isis but there is an incarnation of ishtar in shussel.

Im not having a formal handover of power between ishtar and isis (too contrived and gilgeam is too tyrannical to allow that.
So im imagining that after Gilgeam frames and executes all the senior priests of ishtar, many priests of isis come from mulhorand in secret to replace them (the ishtarri welcome the influx because otherwise they would be helpless).

Ishtar fled in secret so the incarnation cannot be her. So either it is someone masquerading as her (perhaps a child) or it is actually an incarnation of isis (mulhorandi incarnations are mortals imbued with power like a chosen, whereas unther is just the actual demi god).

Im thinking it will be an incarnation of isis as it makes the later events involving shussel easier and explains why shussel clergy of ishtar are add odds with those in the rest of unther

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 04 Oct 2017 : 16:02:07

Working on Shussel now.

The big secret here is that the church of isis is secretly infiltrating the church of shussel (which was desperately short of manpower following Gil-Geamesq executing all the senior priests decades ago).

It may not be a big secret for adventurers from elsewhere but in Unther it is a big deal and is probably punishable by death (everything is usually punishable by death or enslavement in Unther).

https://alternaterealmsblog.wordpress.com/shussel/

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 : 08:47:41

So it would appear that in Thay the mulhorandi gods are referred to by the name of the noble House that they founded (Helicaunt, Isharia, etc).

I cant think of a reason why this would happen apart from by the time Thay was actually founded the mulhorandi gods had been holed up in their ivory towers for millennia and then had become true gods when the imaskari planar barrier was dropped (which im having occur long before ToT because ToT is actually a non deific event).

So perhaps when Thay was repopulated after the Orcgate Wars and the fall of narfell and Raumathar, the people living there may have though the gods of mulhorand were a myth and the Houses that ruled were named after the gods. Its a bit of a weak explanation to be honest.

Perhaps Thay outlaws the names of the gods of Mulhorand and so in order to bypass this people started using the names of the Houses instead of the gods. Over time people forgot why they were doing it and forgot the names of the gods they were offering prayers to. Its slightly more plausible as Thay has persecuted and restricted religious worship of certain gods in the past.

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11829 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 : 12:31:57

quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X

I remember Markustay and sleyvas theorized such trees were originally from Abeir (exchanged at some point prior the ToT). But I dunno if you use the concept of Abeir... so, we can repurpose the theory. Say, they are from another plane, or something.

Thank you Zero. I had originally been planning to have the "Red Mineral Forest of Shyr" replacing the "Maw of the Godswallower" in southeastern Chessenta. However, the more I've been thinking on that, the more I want to make that place smaller and less influential... and farther from Chessenta. I was thinking about putting it as replacing some of the chondalwood bordering the Shaar..... but actually just having Firetrees come back with MORE strange trees from Abeir (and expanding into the black ash plains a tidbit... firetrees... black ash...) makes this a good fit I think. It puts it near Djerad Thymar and Unthalass, and I wanted to have some weird giants... so it works. I also wanted to have the Citadel of Burning Ice come over, but without its titan owner, with an ancient chained dragon in it (Karshimis' mount being punished for rebelling), bleeding into the ground and turning the ground red... so I could stick that in the smoking mountains.... which might encourage the Millenium dragon of Dalath to get involved.

Anyway, if I did that, we'd still need to do something with the maw of the godswallower, which given the proximity to Metos and its shadow influence, maybe it becomes a "reflection of the shadowfell" on Toril. Not enthused with that, but its also got possibilities.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas

Gary Dallison
Great Reader

United Kingdom
6361 Posts

Posted - 09 Oct 2017 : 21:51:14

Working on the church of ishtar now. Trying to keep it separate from the church of isis (gilgeam would never allow the mulhorandi to openly take over a church of unther) while at the same time making it clear the church is at least halfway to becoming one with the church of isis.

Church of ramman is next.
That one is going to be difficult. I know someone claiming to be the incarnation of ramman fought some chessentan warlord in the ToT (if anyone has the names then ta in advance). But unther didnt do incarnations like mulhorand, the actual gods lived amongst them.

So who was this guy claiming to be ramman incarnate. How did he get powerful.

More importantly what happened to the priesthood of ramman. There is almost no mention of a single devout follower to the third most popular god in unther. Im thinking they all died or went underground when gilgeam outlawed senior priests of other gods. I dont imagine a war gods priests taking such orders lying down.
Perhaps the guy in the ToT was one of Rammans high priests who did a runner and gathered an army about him.

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11829 Posts

Posted - 09 Oct 2017 : 22:22:53

quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal

Working on the church of ishtar now. Trying to keep it separate from the church of isis (gilgeam would never allow the mulhorandi to openly take over a church of unther) while at the same time making it clear the church is at least halfway to becoming one with the church of isis.

Church of ramman is next.
That one is going to be difficult. I know someone claiming to be the incarnation of ramman fought some chessentan warlord in the ToT (if anyone has the names then ta in advance). But unther didnt do incarnations like mulhorand, the actual gods lived amongst them.

So who was this guy claiming to be ramman incarnate. How did he get powerful.

More importantly what happened to the priesthood of ramman. There is almost no mention of a single devout follower to the third most popular god in unther. Im thinking they all died or went underground when gilgeam outlawed senior priests of other gods. I dont imagine a war gods priests taking such orders lying down.
Perhaps the guy in the ToT was one of Rammans high priests who did a runner and gathered an army about him.

I think from this you're looking for the canon answer? In canon, during the ToT Assuran of the Three Thunders took on Ramman. Assuran killed Ramman, but Ramman somehow hoodwinked Assuran and passed his portfolios to Anhur of the Mulhorandi pantheon.

BTW, I don't think we have ever officially found out what the enmity was between Assuran and Ramman. We do know that he was driven out by Ramman. I've recently been wondering if Assuran and Ramman (both having ties to thunder and lightning) might not be brothers or somesuch from an interloping pantheon.

I half wonder if Ishtar as well came from this interloping pantheon, having taken over now dead Inanna's role as a goddess of love, and letting Ramman take on war. In our world, these two deities are treated as being the same entity in many stories. The Ishtar of the realms however fulfills a different role (she's more of a healer / rain goddess).

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas

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