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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 04 Nov 2018 :  06:57:13  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic

(Or Silverymoon, or Irieabor or Westgate, feel free to change any proper nouns and place names)

quote:
Originally posted by OMNISCIENT DM VOICE
As you are shouldering through traffic on the High Road or lifting a jack of zzar in your favorite tavern, you look over and see....

Brief FRA-style blurbs of local Waterdhavians.
Entres are taken from a loose 1E - 3E timeframe.
These NPCs are obviously from my personal Realms; non-canonity abounds! "Published" NPCs that I've altered have their original references noted. Speaking of, I've also included reference notes for various minor official NPCs (published or "Ed Says,") for those who can use more Waterdeep lore but aren't interested in any of my natterings.


==================================================


Aaletha Emmara Raeena Margaster (CN HF Aris)
A noble of House Margaster. Perennial loser of the "Lady Frost" contest at Mother Tathlorn's Annual Snowbound Festival. "Letha" is well known among Waterdeep's high society for her scathing tongue, loud tantrums and black temper. She fled the city in Eleasias of 1370, eloping with the noble Bragaster Raventree and several stolen family heirlooms, but recently returned (without Bragaster or the missing items).

Abaldar Bambrusk (NE HM Aris2/War4/T2)
The Golden Captain. Patriarch of the Bambrusk merchant clan. The Bambrusks, much like their distant blood relatives the Urmbrusks, are plentiful in the eastern parts of Alaron and Gwynneth. They are allied to House Hawkwinter through the marriage of Lord Eremos Hawkwinter to the lady Kyrin Bambrusk. The Hawkwinters regard them as lesser, "rural" cousins, but admire their skill at fighting and forestry. Abaldar divides his time between Waterdeep and Alaron, and is often found at sea aboard the caravel Gloaming Sails, flagship of his small merchant fleet. He specializes in trading elaborate Moonshaen tapestries and floor carpets for good steel weaponry (swordblades, halberd heads, arrowtips, etc.). It is whispered that much of the Bambrusk fortunes were made through supplying Northmen raiders and Moonshaen highwaymen with weaponry, but such tales are best told outside the hearing of Abaldar or his family members.

Abbast el Ammarkhan (N earth genasiM Bar2/F6)
The Red Colossus, The Unbeatable Abbast. A native of Calimshan. Perhaps the most popular "dare-all" (martialist) at the Field of Triumph. These days he prefers unarmed contests of wrestling and brute strength, but in his prime was one of the greatest bloody-blades in Waterdeep. Owns a masterful suit of gold and red mail gifted by the Lord Baerom Thunderstaff, a highcoin patron.

Abradan Lardahar
A master weaponsmith of Silverymoon. Renowned as the crafter of Athar's Shining Blades, a collection of seven masterwork blades (four longswords, two long daggers and a single broadsword) highly sought-after by collectors. The blades are unenchanted (though they would take one easily), with a natural +1 to hit and damage. Their real value lies in their craftsmanship and in their appeal to collectors. Indeed Lord Hawkwinter, owner of the largest single collection, proudly displays his three Lardahar-blades (Righteous Cleave, Knight's Honor and Solemn Duty) on the wall of his private study. Each weapon is etched with intricate details of the life and legend of Athar the Shining Knight, father of the current Open Lord Piergeiron, and all seven are hilt-wrapped in Abradan's trademark white dragonhide.

Adaphra
The Golden Smile. Festhall downdancer, named for the impressive rows of glittering false teeth lining her mouth. Her originals were lost due to the blows of a brutally sadistic Amnian merchant. In return she took his life, his gaudy gold rings (melted down and re-fashioned into her current opulent dentition) and his vitals, which she also had dipped in gold and wore around her neck for a time until her employers claimed they were making customers ill, and demanded she remove them.


==================================================


Aaldric Talzon [ Source: "Arcane Lore: Spells of Defense," Owen K.C. Stephens, Dragon Magazine #271. Name/Description given ]
Adama Miiralin (CG HM P5 of Tymora) [ Source: "The Reports From Undermountain," Steven Schend, Dragon Magazine #227, p.15. Name/Description/Stats given ]



AJA
YAFRP

AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 04 Nov 2018 :  06:58:15  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Glasthandra Glimmergaunt
Long-ago priestess of the Morninglord, immortalized in song as "Lathander's Light." Beseiged by orcs of the Black Horde, she called upon the Morninglord for succor and was bathed in divine essences. Was thereafter able to call forth a divine radiance of significant power (not only for illumination, but capable of healing and both quelling and amplifying arcane energies). Her skin acquired an opalescent sheen and her eyes reflected light in the darkenss, like those of a feline. These divinely-granted essences apparently took great effort to call forth, as she withered away not long thereafter, her skin cracking and splitting in pitched spellbattle against orc raiders south of Nesmé. As she lay dying, rays of sunlight broke through the heavy winter sky and her spirit lifted upwards, a great pillar of fire into the heavens. Her ashes were collected by members of the faith and fashioned into a number of protective rings and amulets, as well as used in the forging of the sword Alathae (The Blue Flame), once wielded by the adventurer Tcharess Brandeth and now by Elchantra Emmerlyn.

Glastar Garphast
Adherent of Azuth and Gond. Odd, manic, reclusive. Known for researching an alchemical device called a "Prismatic Press," which he claimed could coalesce alternating rays of sun and moon into the rare and powerful ioun stones. He commonly carried a collection of gemstones of unusual shape and hue, but it is unknown if his device actually worked, as both he and the contents of his Trades Ward chambers disappeared in Eleint of 1364DR (and "disappeared" is meant quite literally, as evidenced by the confusion of the third- and fourth-floor residents of his tallhouse who woke up one morning to find themselves much closer to street level than they had anticipated the night before).

Glauran Glannaglar Irondelver, Son of Urndrumm
Steelbeard, Heavens-Clanger, Smasher of the Gates of Thorthrum, Slayer of Wyrms. Author of The Dwarven Book of Wonder and Glory, (As I See Them) (1174DR). "Centuries have been as but sword-strokes in the life of a man-of-arms, of which I very much consider myself. Or maybe centuries as sea-sand, crumbling as quickly as the fallen bones of those dwarfs and humans I have called brother, friend, and lover."

Gleaming-Gold Ventures
A recently-formed "roundshields" (publicly-traded) venture syndicate. Currently casting about for investors and capital to finance teams of sap-harvesters working along the banks of the River Tyriki in green-girded Chult (the saps are sent to Shiertalar and Tharsult to be used in medicines, beauty ointments, and certain glues, before the finished products are shipped back to the more northernly Realms). They have also sent runners to Virgin's Square and the usual gathering-taverns in search of armsmen willing to guard the aforementioned harvesters "from creatures both cunning and monstrous." Their speaker (contact) is Merkhal "Silverfish," who some whisper was the frontsman for similar (failed) ventures in both Baldur's Gate and Elturel (lean, silver-haired, leather-faced. Listens intently, scrutinises keenly. Expresses himself in quick nods and short grunts when not delivering his enthusiastic – and quite optimistic – sales pitches).

Glegphast of Torm
Caretaker of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart chapterhouse in Waterdeep (a small but impressive three-floors-above-the-street, one-cellar-below stone building, with stout stone pillars supporting a "porch roof" over the double-doors entrance; east side Whaelgond Way, two doors south of the Jardeth noble family villa, North Ward). Florid, heavy-set man. Thinning brown hair. Bowlegged, with a pronounced limp (the result of an old wound to his right knee). Leans heavily on an old staff. [ Source: Information on the Order chapterhouse comes from a 05/01/10 posting to the Candlekeep.com message boards by Ed Greenwood. Additional detail by me. ]


AJA
YAFRP
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 04 Nov 2018 :  18:56:10  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Ulmgryn Zeheverdoon
A businesslike, scowling, circumspect gnome from the far south past Calimshan. Stout, puffy, florid. Heavy folds of cheek and brow from which peek forth two extraordinarily bright violet eyes. The only licensed dealer in the city (indeed, north of Velen) of Brightweave, the highly desirable cloth made from sea silk, an extremely fine fabric made from the long silky hairs of the sea elves. The fabric woven from these tresses is even finer than silk or elven cloth and is extremely light and weatherproof. (Brightweave wigs were in high fashion in the city for a time, until wearers started developing bluish tints and scales and webbed appendages. This was discovered to be an act of sorcerous mayhem rather than an inherent quality of the weave, but the fad quickly died out nonetheless).

Ulstam Ulbrinter
Noble of House Ulbrinter (middle son of Mohrgan and Sune). An avid hunter and gamesman like his father (also, not coincidentally, the favorite of Mohrgan's sons). A boon companion of fellow hunter Horingar "Elfslayer," heir to House Nandar.

Űlumbar Rostrel
Owner of Sea Bright Salvaging (Dock Street, Dock Ward. "Save the foundering, strip the failed"). Also runs a small fleet of water-wagons (ship-to-shore ferries) in the Harbor. Poised in bearing, arrogant in conversation. Deep blue and deeply-squinted eyes, the right one of which is slightly clouded and crossed. Űlumbar is currently attempting to set up cranes and a dock on a flat spur under the busiest seaside stone-cliffs to the north of the city, where block stone is cut and then sent to Waterdeep. His ambition is to have his theoretical fleet ship quarried stone by faster sea route rather than the traditional overloaded overland wagon caravan. This is an idea and an attempt made several times by others in the past but, between the inhospitable location (Black Keel Sands, just south of Jalyrid's Roost), the vagaries of the northern sea and the inhospitable local fauna none as of yet have even managed to get up and running. Sea Bright have recently launched a "roundshields" (publicly-traded venture syndicate) to drum up funds and interest in the venture ("go in a copper, come out a silver," as is commonly promised). All interested investors are welcome to make an appointment with his second (and his daughter), the lovely, lithe, quite intelligent, Delimbyra.

Umaragos the Fire King
Master of All Fires and the Seven Forms of Flame. High-quality charlatan, travels to cities across the North and the Heartlands. Crunches red-hot coals in his mouth, walks unscathed through burning bales of straw, lies unmolested upon a bed of molten iron bars. Lights his extremities on fire and cooks raw steaks in his clasped hands. Treats his hair with special oils and jellies which, when lit, acts as the wick of a candle, host to a variety of wildly-hued flames. These impressive feats are possible mostly through his fire-genasi heritage (contrary to his staple claim of being "A True Man of No Sullied or Demi-kin Blood"), as well as a fair knowledge of legerdemain and common conjurer's flair. When in Waterdeep he advertises in the Market and various city courts with some lesser feats of pyromania, and culminates with a tenday of shows at a hired hall and the occasional noble party. Aided in his shows by the typical array of scantily-clad beauties and tumbling, capering smallfolk.

The Unvizarded Vanguard
Sentient helmed horror. Rides the traderoutes of the Western Heartlands. Widely (and correctly, as the Vanguard was ceremonially enchanted with the soul of the great Helmite champion Hathűnd of Hathholm) believed to be an agent of Helm-Who-Watches-Over-Travellers. Occasionally accompanied by anywhere from one to a dozen fellow travellers, called to it by will of the gods.


==================================================


Ultath Tesper [ Source: An 11/01/04 posting to the Candlekeep.com message boards by Ed Greenwood. Name/Description given ]
The Unyielding Sword [ Source: "Eyes on the Ball," Derek Myers, Dungeon Magazine #206. Name/Description given ]



AJA
YAFRP

Edited by - AJA on 04 Nov 2018 19:24:58
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 05 Nov 2018 :  00:17:02  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
exactly the type of stuff I was saying I'd like to see in a "Jewels of the North" type supplement

Love the Brightweave. Love the Glimmergaunt story.

On the sentient helmed horror, just a personal taste, I'd change him to some kind of ghost and make the armor ghost touch, but have everyone THINK its a sentient helmed horror. If he's a ghost in the armor who never lifts the visor, they may not know the difference. There's two reasons for this. First, everyone thinks A) so you give them B). The other reason is just to not have another sentient construct that remembers its past life. For instance, I see Jhingleshod as something like a sentient construct. There may be a soul used in their creation of the construct that is a helmed horror, but I'd prefer it be some kind of "awakened" type of intelligence that has no connection to any past life. Again, just a personal taste when it comes to helmed horrors in particular, since they can become free willed, etc... Other magic items that have intelligence, I have no problem with them having some kind of link to an old soul as an "accident" or even a "planned" part of their build. Again, I also say this, and one of the things I do with my Vremyonni wizards is essentially have them instilling telthors into armor and weapons such that they act as animated weapons, animated armor, and various types of helmed horrors.... so, everything's semantics.

Oh, and the festhall dancer who had someone's "vitals" dipped in gold and worn around her neck... I'm picturing one "vital" thing most men would be proud of, and yeah, I can see it making patrons squeamish. Reminds me of that movie "Your Highness" where the guy is so proud of killing a minotaur that he wears its lower appendage as a necklace.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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BadLuckBugbear
Seeker

USA
92 Posts

Posted - 05 Nov 2018 :  13:49:08  Show Profile Send BadLuckBugbear a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Adaphra is my favorite.

Muh grill!

The Fire-King is also cool.

Really, the whole line-up looks worthy of game use. It also carries a very Realmsian vibe, down to the nomenclature.



Ewan Cummins
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6667 Posts

Posted - 05 Nov 2018 :  23:30:01  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
These are all just wonderful AJA. You've still got "it".

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 06 Nov 2018 :  01:02:12  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Sleyvas, "unvizarded" is basically "unmasked" or, in this case, "un-helmed," so it's pretty obiously an empty suit of armor riding around. Could still be a ghost tho, the 2E entry (my personal go-to) for ghost only says "can be seen by non-ethereal creatures," not "has to be seen." Most of these NPC snippets, what's there is as far as I got in thinking about them, so hearing someone else's take on them is always cool. But yeah, as to "sentient" horrors, Ed's Aragus (from FA1 Halls of the High King) was definitely an inspiration.

And "vitals" does have a range of associations, but in this case it is exactly what you think. Adaphra was pissed. Can't really blame her.

Also, thank's much Bugbear and George!


==================================================


Agan Glaurneth
Proprietor of Glaurneth's Oddments, a curio-and-adventuring-equipment shop ("Oddities and Wonders, Intiquities and Blunders," Blacklock Alley, South Ward). Extremely cluttered and crowded, not only from endless bins of battered armor, second-hand ("battle-tested") weapons, 10' poles and looted dungeon bric-a-brac, but from sharing the bottom floor of a rowhouse with two other businesses. His only real treasure is Merth's Offencious O'erlay, an oily green hooded cloak +2 that can emit an effect indentical to a troglodyte's stench, 2x/day. It smells horrid even when not activated, so Agan keeps it locked in a lead casket in the back room.

Agastra One-Eyed
The Spinner of Fancies and Fabrics. A fairly well-regarded glim-spinner (hirespells who use illusions to provide animated "you are there" scenes of important battles and events to audiences at feasts and formal gatherings – with forewarning, to avoid upset or violence – or the illusions of spell effects at dramatic moments in a play). Her castings can be identified by masterful use of the principles of light and shade. Her phantasms are well crafted and expressive in attitude and her coloring is clear and rich. Her finest illusory skill lies in her unequalled rendering of textiles in clothing and draperies, a talent that does not see much use in glim-spinning but keeps her in demand from high-coin merchants who hire her to spruce-up their feast rooms and dancing halls during a grand party.

Aglaia
The Quivering Gleam. Infamous festhall girl, highcoin escort and perhaps the most scandalous socialite of the early 1300's. Author of On Gilded Arm or, My Decade of Dalliance With a Married Lord (1310DR). "The charm spells of wizards and witches are many and varied, but none as potent nor as enchanting as the siren call of nobility and riches."

Aglathan Zulpair (CG HM Aris/War)
An elderly, stoop-shouldered noble of House Zulpair (the uncle of patriarch Olomar Zulpair). Riotous white mane and handlebar moustache. Not given to social niceties or etiquette. He loves young children and pretty maidens, and bears proudly his title of "Grand Fool," given to him by his disapproving nephew. Once a feared fighting man in the North (known as Odd Glathan "Ten-Blades"), he is an endless source of legends and tales of days gone by, and has more wits about him than most would believe.

Aglaraddh Asglardyn (LN GM Exp)
The gnomish "Keeper of the Coins." Head of the Lord's Counters (tax collectors and record scribes) based in the Castle. While the collector-of-fees Mulgor goes forth and collects the various monies owed the city, it is the job of Aglaraddh and his fellows to actually document and record such taxes. He performs his duties in the cavernous Vault of Records, deep in the bowels of the Castle.


==================================================


Aganazzar [ Source: A 08/07/18 Twitter reply to @TheEdVerse by Ed Greenwood. Name/Description given ]
Aggarin Volwhick [ Source: "Eyes on the Ball," Derek Myers, Dungeon Magazine #206. Name/Description given ]


AJA
YAFRP
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 06 Nov 2018 :  01:07:59  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Jeften "Jools" Longdraught
The surly owner of Hell's Black Billy, the legendary dire goat that terrorized the shopkeeps of South Ward some decades ago. A retired blacksail Master, with the wooden peg leg and missing left eye to prove it. Drank himself and his savings to death in the tankard houses of Dock Ward. His ship, the Moonlight Bound, was sold at a debt auction by the Master Mariner's Guild (to the half-elf Rifylzoun, Jeften's former first mate). Father of the thugs "Sledge" Shultlin and Sendrin "Little-Jools."

"Sledge" Shultlin (NE HM War)
A squat, powerful street tough. Illegitimate son of the blacksail Jeften "Jools" Longdraught. Shultlin is leader of the Hobgoblins, the largest of the city's street gangs. Based in the Shambles, a neighborhood of Dock Ward. He has managed to cultivate contacts with several local merchants and coin-men, and uses his "Hobs" to harass their rivals' homes and places of business. His nickname comes from his gruesome use of a large blacksmith's hammer to punish underlings and do away with rivals.

Sendrin "Little-Jools" (CE HM War/T)
Illegitimate son of the blacksail Jeften "Jools" Longdraught. Master of a gang of bullyblades and roustabouts under the employ of Naelzaur "The Dragon." Chews too much blackroot, fancies himself as "Master of the Southgate."

Rifylzoun (N ˝EM F/T/dread pirate)
Seamaster (captain) of the Moonlight Bound, a fast-running freebooter commonly found along the Trackless Sea between Waterdeep and the Moonshaes. Former first mate of the blacksail Jeften "Jools" Longdraught. "Ready Rif" now runs the Bound with the aid of his own first mate, Jennedlia (LN HF F/Sor), and the helmsman Black Amudien (CN HM F).

Naelzaur "The Dragon" (LE HM F/T)
A one-time lieutenant of the crime boss Rhűn Vosulhymn and long-time underling of the Xanathar (the beholder's South Ward "Collector of Coins"). He is attended by the assassins Guthkuth (NE ˝OM F/T) and Hexendree (LE HF T/Sor), and a gang of bullyblades under the command of Sendrin "Little-Jools."


==================================================


Jehan Wands [ Source: "Smokepowder And Mirrors," Jeff Grubb, Realms of Magic. Name/Description given ]


AJA
YAFRP
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 06 Nov 2018 :  13:59:58  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by AJA



Sleyvas, "unvizarded" is basically "unmasked" or, in this case, "un-helmed," so it's pretty obiously an empty suit of armor riding around. Could still be a ghost tho, the 2E entry (my personal go-to) for ghost only says "can be seen by non-ethereal creatures," not "has to be seen." Most of these NPC snippets, what's there is as far as I got in thinking about them, so hearing someone else's take on them is always cool. But yeah, as to "sentient" horrors, Ed's Aragus (from FA1 Halls of the High King) was definitely an inspiration.

And "vitals" does have a range of associations, but in this case it is exactly what you think. Adaphra was pissed. Can't really blame her.

Also, thank's much Bugbear and George!


==================================================


Agan Glaurneth
Proprietor of Glaurneth's Oddments, a curio-and-adventuring-equipment shop ("Oddities and Wonders, Intiquities and Blunders," Blacklock Alley, South Ward). Extremely cluttered and crowded, not only from endless bins of battered armor, second-hand ("battle-tested") weapons, 10' poles and looted dungeon bric-a-brac, but from sharing the bottom floor of a rowhouse with two other businesses. His only real treasure is Merth's Offencious O'erlay, an oily green hooded cloak +2 that can emit an effect indentical to a troglodyte's stench, 2x/day. It smells horrid even when not activated, so Agan keeps it locked in a lead casket in the back room.

Agastra One-Eyed
The Spinner of Fancies and Fabrics. A fairly well-regarded glim-spinner (hirespells who use illusions to provide animated "you are there" scenes of important battles and events to audiences at feasts and formal gatherings – with forewarning, to avoid upset or violence – or the illusions of spell effects at dramatic moments in a play). Her castings can be identified by masterful use of the principles of light and shade. Her phantasms are well crafted and expressive in attitude and her coloring is clear and rich. Her finest illusory skill lies in her unequalled rendering of textiles in clothing and draperies, a talent that does not see much use in glim-spinning but keeps her in demand from high-coin merchants who hire her to spruce-up their feast rooms and dancing halls during a grand party.

Aglaia
The Quivering Gleam. Infamous festhall girl, highcoin escort and perhaps the most scandalous socialite of the early 1300's. Author of On Gilded Arm or, My Decade of Dalliance With a Married Lord (1310DR). "The charm spells of wizards and witches are many and varied, but none as potent nor as enchanting as the siren call of nobility and riches."

Aglathan Zulpair (CG HM Aris/War)
An elderly, stoop-shouldered noble of House Zulpair (the uncle of patriarch Olomar Zulpair). Riotous white mane and handlebar moustache. Not given to social niceties or etiquette. He loves young children and pretty maidens, and bears proudly his title of "Grand Fool," given to him by his disapproving nephew. Once a feared fighting man in the North (known as Odd Glathan "Ten-Blades"), he is an endless source of legends and tales of days gone by, and has more wits about him than most would believe.

Aglaraddh Asglardyn (LN GM Exp)
The gnomish "Keeper of the Coins." Head of the Lord's Counters (tax collectors and record scribes) based in the Castle. While the collector-of-fees Mulgor goes forth and collects the various monies owed the city, it is the job of Aglaraddh and his fellows to actually document and record such taxes. He performs his duties in the cavernous Vault of Records, deep in the bowels of the Castle.


==================================================


Aganazzar [ Source: A 08/07/18 Twitter reply to @TheEdVerse by Ed Greenwood. Name/Description given ]
Aggarin Volwhick [ Source: "Eyes on the Ball," Derek Myers, Dungeon Magazine #206. Name/Description given ]





Ah, good to know what the term meant. Still, as you say, it could still be a ghost to follow the rule of "give them something they don't expect". You know what... let's take him a step further... what if he's in essence a weaveghost BUT one of a special kind of NPC. Basically, what if he's a "mystic theurge" of Helm and this ghost touch armor is a special metal to reduce arcane spell failure, and he's developed a special "ghost only" invisibility spell (calling it invisible undead, it may combine several defenses against detection, including invisibility to undead and regular invisibility).

Under 3.5 rules, it'd be interesting to build him as a Helm priest from the dalelands OR Impiltur with the militant regional feat, so that it could enter the spellsword prestige class for a level, and the planning domain so that it would get the extend spell feat for free (for eventually gaining the persistent spell feat). Then using other feats, it could reduce the spell level costs required to raise a spell with the persistent spell feat.

Story wise, having him be a mage-priest of Helm sent to the lands ruined by Helm during the Time of Troubles might fit. In fact, maybe his/her becoming a weaveghost had something to do with dying while near the death of Mystra DURING the ToT. Maybe there's even more of a story here, in that maybe Helm was ONLY able to affect the world during this time because one of his priests was within range, and maybe now they seek to undo the damage caused by the death(s) of Mystra.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 07 Nov 2018 :  05:43:14  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Sleyvas, In matters of magic theorem (and Thayans), I happily defer to you. Not in the least because I'm relatively awful at game mechanics.

And story-wise, I can work with both the ideas of Helm sending mortal "anchors" to help repair the "Helmlands," and of the Vanguard being part of that. Maybe, as stated at the end of the entry, it is "occasionally accompanied by anywhere from one to a dozen fellow travellers, called to it by will of the gods" meaning not only fellow Helmites, but also Mystrans, Azuthans [Lurueans, if you're into that interpretation of her as a goddess of magic], etc., with Helm's divine mandate to 1) protect these pilgrims until their destination is reached, and 2) once at the site of a rift in the Weave, act as a deific anchor or battery of sorts, which the other priests channel their spell-energies through.

Could be that perhaps Hathond of Helm was the initial animating force, but that each time the Weave-repairing ceremony is performed it requires the life-force of not only the Vanguard's currently-animating soul, which is forfeit to the Weave, but also that of the attendant highest-ranking Helmite, which is then bound in turn to the suit, pledged to protect and to guide, until the next "great atonement" is required?


==================================================


Ambeldara
Quiet and sensible. A large, stout woman with a mass of rough grey hair, and a broad, well-cheeked face. Widowed of a member of the city Watch. Proprietor of Ambeldara's All-Hoof ("paring, shodding and salving; hide and horse, hammer and hoof; metal bridle-bits and stirrups made-to-order"), Carter's Way north of Coach Street, South Ward. Equally good at smithing and animal husbandry.

Amsklar Uldrannath
Merchant of some means and reputed Baneite. Stocky and hirsute. Dark, hard eyes. Glib tongue. Known to employ the services of the southern bullyblades Teska and Targhast. The frequent social and political rival of the Umberlant Meritid Archneie. Amsklar used his influences (political and otherwise) and coin to back the merfolk high priestess Thur Aquarvol against the rising power of Archneie, but was ultimately foiled. He has not been seen in the city in some time, and many quietly whisper that he rots (alongside Aquarvol) in the deepest pits of the Umberlant Underspires.

Teska and Targhast
The northern sword-names of Teshkala Nahl and Targhannar mar Umn, a bonded pair of Ishaari warriors from near Rethmaar. Both dark, sun-bronzed and surly. Teska kept her hair cropped short while Targ wore his long and braided in the fashion of the Ishaari horseriders. Carried matching slave-brands from the Blood Arena of Manshaka. Competed on the Field of Triumph during the Founder's Day festivities of 1368DR. Their martial abilities impressed the merchant (and reputed Baneite) Amsklar Uldrannath, who offered them coin as bodyguards and enforcers. Both were later found stuffed to bursting with saltwater and various sealife (eels, crabs, etc.), a doom most believe to have been arranged by the Umberlant Meritid Archneie.

Amthalae
A small woman with sharp grey eyes and wavy black hair. Once ran a rather unsuccessful school of etiquette and grace for young daughters of merchant houses. Now commands Amthalae's Finer Points, an academy for magelings. Amthalae has no talent for spellcasting, and her school does not teach the art of spellcraft; rather, it provides a "finishing school" of wizardly etiquette; they tutor aspiring spellcasters in the art of ancient tongues (many spell theorem are still written and evocated in foreign tongue such as elven or Old Illuskan), material component herblore (how to tell nightdimmer mushrooms from blue boggans), and agility and stretching exercises for proper gesticulating (nothing sends a spell awry faster than a mis-angled wrist or wrongly-crook'd digit). Although the Finer Points is an independent entity, Amthalae secretly provides the Watchful Order with a regular accounting of those seeking her tutoring. Has an eclectic group of teachers, including the sages Ulbrast and Jusklorn, the herbalist Gnormander Deepdelve, and the stage performers Celastra, Fingla Zzulph and Tymelf Tyrbold.

Angwakuur
An ancient and primal power in the North. The terror of the Ice Hunters and the Uthgardt and the focus of countless beast cults. In recent years largely subsumed into the worship of Malar, as aspect or servant. There are whispers that the goddess Auril fumes that the Wolf of Winter has been taken from her in this manner. As excerpted from Othmar's Treatises on Things Neither Beast Nor Man:
quote:
"In the terrible and impassable depths of the winter snows there came the great black Dire Wolf of the North, and he was called Angwakuur (That Which Men Know As Hunger) and he was the steed and the herald of the beast lord Malar, though there are many who say he was Malar himself, all a-hunt in animal form. And his howl was the howl of the winter storms tearing through the pines, and the crack of his tail was the sound of whole timbers snapping under the impossible weight of winter snows, and his eyes burned bright and terrible in their deep recesses. And of his claws no man knew, for all who had seen them unsheathed were dead and devoured soon thereafter. And as the snows came and the deep night descended and Man shivered and starved in his little homesteads there Angwakuur roamed, and every bleak gust that blew through the gaps in their wooden walls was his questing breath, and every pang of hunger in the belly of man and babe announced the fear of his arrival."


==================================================


Ammathra Longalar [ Source: Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms, p.37. Name/Description given ]
Amstor the Grim [ Source: "I Sing A Song By The Deep-Water Bay," Steven Schend, Dragon Magazine #211, p.34. Name/Description given ]
Analinda Talmost [ Source: A 05/10/12 posting to the Candlekeep.com message boards by Eric L. Boyd. Name/Description given ]
Anasader & Thelmuth [ Source: Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms, p.122. Name/Occupation given ]


AJA
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Edited by - AJA on 07 Nov 2018 06:13:10
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 07 Nov 2018 :  14:32:04  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm really liking that idea of Hathond of Hathholm leading priests to repair the weave and being a weaveghost. Especially your addition that the repairing of the weave involving priests sacrificing themselves. It reminds me of the creation of a Mythal. Perhaps each such sacrifice does as you say and combines itself to the armor, and as such each sacrifice gives the armor itself some new enchantment. I also wouldn't limit it to the armor and throw in the weapon wielded, the shield carried, the helm worn, etc... This would give us the ability to slowly make a really powerful NPC and yet if the "weaveghost" is destroyed maybe it turns the suit itself non-magical.

Hathholm has a name that reminds me of Impiltur, so maybe Hathond was born and raised in Impiltur to a devout family that praised the Triad, in particular the sacrifice represented by Ilmater to help others. Maybe Hathond choosing to follow Helm was a bit of a familial break from tradition, and their choosing to study arcane arts in addition to divine arts even moreso. Maybe Hathholm even existed relatively close to the Conjurer's Tower, and Hathond had had allied with a sect of Helmites who helped protect their village from something that had broken loose from there when Hathond and others ventured into the tower (maybe this is even where Hathond acquired the armor, as I could definitely see some blended quartz plate armor in a place where there are mages). BTW, what are you picturing Hathond as being? I originally pictured male and human, but it occurs to me the entity could as easily be elven or half-elven or even dwarven. Furthermore, with the idea of other mages "sacrificing" themselves into the weaveghost… maybe it periodically presents different faces even within the same night?



Oh, and I like Angwakuur. I also very muchlike the concept of Amthalae's "finishing school for mages" that teaches them not base theories for power, but a lot of the side things they should learn. This is something I very much picture existing, but that we don't see a lot of. I can see a wizard for instance who focuses on teaching not spellcasting, but rather the arts of alchemy and potion making. Some other wizard may focus on teaching making arms, armor, clothing, and constructs. Another mage may teach gem magic and magical jewelry making. Someone else may focus on defensive fields/wards/glyphs, etc...

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 07 Nov 2018 :  21:20:10  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hey AJA,

I could have sworn I've seen more posts from you than 44??? Did you maybe used to come on here as another name or something? If not, and its my memory failing me, its nice to meet you. That's some nice work above.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
746 Posts

Posted - 07 Nov 2018 :  21:58:23  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Wow this is pure gold thank you
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 08 Nov 2018 :  21:25:18  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


Sleyvas, I definitely haven't been an active poster in these halls, but you and I are both antediluvians from the old REALMS-L list. I mean, not to make you feel old or anything but 20 years ago you were theorycrafting on one of my plot points involving a fallen paladin of Anachtyr-turned-priest of Kelemvor, the Kormallis noble family, and the dopplegangers of the Unseen (all of whom should be showing up in these entries eventually). I also had a website (geocities, now who's old?), here:

YET ANOTHER FORGOTTEN REALMS PAGE
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/index.html (you'd have to put that URL into the archive.org Wayback Machine, now)

Regarding the post-ToT dead magic zones, I never liked how easy it seemed to revert and repair those areas. Ripping the Weave to the point of (basically) non-existence is a BIG DEAL, and it should require sacrifice to repair it. Much like the effort of investing a Mythal, yes. And as for Hathond, as a name it was vaguely human and male, but that's just because those are still my general defaults rather than any definitive idea. But I like adding in Impiltur, and I like where you're going with it overall.

Cards77, thank you. I'd like to think that even if these character sketches as a whole don't work for someone, they can at least take bits and pieces (a name, a magical item, a physical description) and re-use them as they want. Much like Sleyvas is doing above.


==================================================


Hadarajyn of Memnon (LN fire genasiM Aris1/F8)
The Red Calishite, the Flamedancer. A minor scion of the powerful Pesarkhal clan of Calimshan. Once a member of the Bright Burning Company (a group of mercinary fire genasi that serve the church of Tempus as elite troops). Now holds the ranks of Trusted Sword (seneschal) of the House of Heroes and Foremost (commander) of the Sacred Swords (the religious order tasked with defending the doors of the temple). Has a long, thin face. Heavy brow, fearsome of gaze and of tongue when angered. Wears his hair in the long topknot and his moustache in the braided, drooping style of the Bright Burning Company, even after his elevation to Foremost. His ceremonial "weapon-of-the-faith" is The Unquestioning Blade (a halberd, also referred to as The Long Black Blade), although he vastly prefers his own weapon, The Arc-of-Stars (a spiked flail +2 with enchantments similar to a ring of shooting stars).

Haebrold Navarnaekur
A Master Chartist of the Surveyors' and Chartmakers' Guild. A native of Silverymoon. Originally trained in the bardic arts at the Music Conservatory of Utrumm. His designs were used in the building of the bards college of New Olamn, especially the masterful acoustics of the music rooms and, as a result, his services are currently much in demand by the wealthy of the city who appreciate such things. Close-cropped hair, dark moustache and thick dark eyebrows.

He has the daughters Flemma and Naerela, the eldest of which wants nothing more than to be rich and noble and often accompanies her father in his work to fawn over such individuals, and the younger of whom dreams of a life of danger and excitement like the tales told to her by her father's hired bondswords; and a young son, Meurold, sickly from birth, who cannot move about unaided. [ Note: "Eye On The Realms: The Six Horned Crowns," Ed Greenwood, Dragon Magazine #413, p.72 has information on Meurold in his adult life. ]

Selűne the Archer
A militant aspect of the moon goddess. Takes her form from the bow-shaped crescent moon and her provenance from the ancient saga of the Moonmaiden hunting the Night Naga, spawn of Shar and assassin of her mortal lover Halskard, across the darkened heavens and into the Abyss itself before slaying it. Patron of the Haeld Halskryn order.

The Haeld Halskryn
The Brotherhood of the Holy Bow, The Order of Halskard, Halskard's Harrowers, The Silvershafts. Pledge their faith to Selűne the Archer. "And then the moon, like to a silver bow / Now bent in the heavens, shall behold the Night"). Not as numerous in the North; in Tethyr, Silvershafts form the cores of companies of bowmen and often hire out their services as mercinaries in the intercine strife there. In Waterdeep they are rarely found, often only singly or in pairs offering their talents to training Guard bowmen or signing onto Selűnite caravans heading into the wilds. Their symbol is the silver Crescent Moon, bowed to the dexter; their motto is "Justice Swift, Retribution Silver." Grandmaster of the Order: None in Waterdeep, closest is Lorrus Llar of the Silverymoon chapterhouse. Other notable members (seperate entries in italics): Emmras "Silver Elf" Laluinath, Maithe of the Bow.

Haelryn Hadzrimn
A young civilar (captain) of the Griffon Guard (Castle Wing). Short, slender, dextrous. Shoulder-length black hair and dark eyes. Haelryn was recently awarded command of a flight of griffon-riders, and is swiftly becoming known as an excellent trainer of the magical beasts as well. He has tamed and trained his own mount, Ansyrwing, well enough that the pair often delight crowds at the Field of Triumph with their aerial feats and acrobatics.





AJA
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6667 Posts

Posted - 09 Nov 2018 :  00:05:58  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Hathholm has a name that reminds me of Impiltur, so maybe Hathond was born and raised in Impiltur to a devout family that praised the Triad, in particular the sacrifice represented by Ilmater to help others. Maybe Hathond choosing to follow Helm was a bit of a familial break from tradition, and their choosing to study arcane arts in addition to divine arts even moreso. Maybe Hathholm even existed relatively close to the Conjurer's Tower, and Hathond had had allied with a sect of Helmites who helped protect their village from something that had broken loose from there when Hathond and others ventured into the tower (maybe this is even where Hathond acquired the armor, as I could definitely see some blended quartz plate armor in a place where there are mages). BTW, what are you picturing Hathond as being? I originally pictured male and human, but it occurs to me the entity could as easily be elven or half-elven or even dwarven. Furthermore, with the idea of other mages "sacrificing" themselves into the weaveghost… maybe it periodically presents different faces even within the same night?



Helm has a big following in Tsurlagol. The church of Helm has a bit of a beef with the authorities in Impiltur as it has long sought recognition akin to that granted to the churches of the Triad faiths - unsuccessfully. Every year, The Procession of Unblinking Eyes wends its way from Tsurlagol to Lyrabar, where the church of Helm presents its request to build a large temple complex in that city and receive the status (and tax concessions) that the church of the Triad receives. Every year, the Council of Lords politely decline their request although Lord Oriseus is and remains their sole supporter in this crusade.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 09 Nov 2018 :  00:58:59  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ok, good then, I'm not nuts (and yes, we are old). I knew I'd seen your name and your work seemed familiar. Oh, and keep this up. I'm really digging these entries.

Some possible changes / additions
Hadarajyn of Memnon the fire genasi known as "The Red Calishite" and "the Flamedancer". I like the name of the weapon The Arc-of-Stars, but to go along with with the "dancer" motif, I'm thinking this being turned into a spiked chain whose 5 padded handholds look like 4 pointed stars and which dances with blue lightning (i.e. shock weapon) one one side and blue fire (i.e. flame damage) out the other side as well as being able to act as a ring of shooting stars, and being able to release up to 5 magic missiles per day as a free action (one missile per round).

Oh, and I like the silver shafts.




Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 09 Nov 2018 :  01:04:25  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Hathholm has a name that reminds me of Impiltur, so maybe Hathond was born and raised in Impiltur to a devout family that praised the Triad, in particular the sacrifice represented by Ilmater to help others. Maybe Hathond choosing to follow Helm was a bit of a familial break from tradition, and their choosing to study arcane arts in addition to divine arts even moreso. Maybe Hathholm even existed relatively close to the Conjurer's Tower, and Hathond had had allied with a sect of Helmites who helped protect their village from something that had broken loose from there when Hathond and others ventured into the tower (maybe this is even where Hathond acquired the armor, as I could definitely see some blended quartz plate armor in a place where there are mages). BTW, what are you picturing Hathond as being? I originally pictured male and human, but it occurs to me the entity could as easily be elven or half-elven or even dwarven. Furthermore, with the idea of other mages "sacrificing" themselves into the weaveghost… maybe it periodically presents different faces even within the same night?



Helm has a big following in Tsurlagol. The church of Helm has a bit of a beef with the authorities in Impiltur as it has long sought recognition akin to that granted to the churches of the Triad faiths - unsuccessfully. Every year, The Procession of Unblinking Eyes wends its way from Tsurlagol to Lyrabar, where the church of Helm presents its request to build a large temple complex in that city and receive the status (and tax concessions) that the church of the Triad receives. Every year, the Council of Lords politely decline their request although Lord Oriseus is and remains their sole supporter in this crusade.

-- George Krashos



That's wonderful.... and it makes me want to stick this village of Hathholm on the Northern edges of the Gray Forest where it meets up with the earthfast mountains. Thus, I might have this church of Helm kind of in the mountains on the border of Impiltur actually in a border fortress, and the village of Hathholm is a nearby village which supports them.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 09 Nov 2018 :  04:14:28  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


(just for the record, I'm pretty sure the Bright Burning Company itself is something Sean K. Reynolds came up with, I'd have to find the reference)

Sleyvas, I love the visuals of the spiked chain Arc. And that sort of flowing, twirling weapon is what I was going for with a flail.

George, you had me at "The Procession of Unblinking Eyes." That's the kind of evocative name that hooks me right from the start, nevermind the excellent lore that came afterwards. (Also for the record: you're no REALMS-L antediluvian, you're more like a MPGN Methuselah )


==================================================


The Five Books You Find In The Study of Lord Ultas Maernos

Tusks of the Boar: The Reign and Wars of Bor the Black
A chronicle of the life of Bor Telgur, the "Black Boar" who ruled and terrorized a number of now-vanished realms around the Trade Way north of Baldur's Gate. Has value to those seeking to place these lost settlements and any treasures they may have held, as well as to at least three noble families in the Chionthar valley who claim descent from the prolific warlord.

Spandekyyur's Green-Tidings
Journal of the northern druid Spandekyyur. The cover is of smooth copper plate, unadorned save for five holes punched for binding rings, but feels of the rough, hard bark of a pine or oak tree to the touch. The pages inside are of soft white vellum, and fringed with gold and azure. Contains meticulous records of the conversations of the trees and the green fields and the flowers; a cleric reader may gain the ability to cast entangle, plant growth and hallucinatory forest with verbal component only; a mage who reads and comprehends the pages may learn hallucinatory terrain and charm plants as if from a scroll.

A bound copy of the play Once Within the Moonlight
The play revolves around the hero Melnabré, who has died and passed onto Selűne's Starry Harbor but is being called back to Faerűn via resurrection in time of crisis. The dilemma revolves around her conversation with the goddess about whether to return to the pain and ruin of the flesh or to remain in the Light Beyond.

Into A Deeper Darkness
A journal of the Amnian mage Melligrol. The majority of the pages recount his obsession with "tasting the unknown pleasures" of the Realms Below, including a series of increasingly hallucinogenic and violent sexual encounters with the dark elves. He is believed to have been sacrificed on the altar of some demon cult around 1365DR. These memoirs are of great interest (and value) to the faithful of Sharess.

Weavings of the Hidden Place
A book on the gods and prophecy. Speaks in tortured riddles and strange deific archetypes (The Wild Apple In The Grass, The Good Heart, The Deaths of Many Men, The Harper's Daughter, The Wanderer Over-Sea, The Shadow On The Ground), and of a coming inevitable end time of Faerűn. Also alludes to a Time-After-Time, "past the door pillars of the eternal house."



AJA
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6667 Posts

Posted - 09 Nov 2018 :  06:11:31  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by AJA


George, you had me at "The Procession of Unblinking Eyes." That's the kind of evocative name that hooks me right from the start, nevermind the excellent lore that came afterwards. (Also for the record: you're no REALMS-L antediluvian, you're more like a MPGN Methuselah )



Yeah, we are older than dirt but dang do we love the Realms.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 10 Nov 2018 :  00:06:41  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yeah, we are older than dirt but dang do we love the Realms.

Sometimes more than others but yeah <insert GodfatherIII.gif here>, they just keep on pulling me back in. Not exactly kicking and screaming, mind you.



Brastophar Wealstone
A fussy, prissy, nervous gnome with eyes as keen as a hawk's. Proprietor of Wealstone Wonderments ("The very things you had never had and always wanted, and none of the things that you had always had and never wanted," The Street of Whispers, Sea Ward, north of Maerghoun's Inn), a "baubles-and-exotics" shop that caters mostly to noble and highcoin clientele. Currently the only licensed seller in the city of Dragon Glass (ornamental glassware in many styles, tinted with all the glowing colors of the rainbow. All the rage in the southern lands, only now making its appearance in the shop windows of Waterdeep, Silverymoon and Neverwinter. How they achieve this process is not known, but popular theories include magically liquified gemstones, rare desert sands, roasting in dragonfire, or the talents of Nimbralan mage-artisans who use cockatrice feathers and kraken inks to literally paint the molten sheets of glass).

The Brave Band of Ladyshimmer
Local adventuring fellowship (Ladyshimmer being a farming hamlet and once the seat of the Barony of Ladyshimmer, of the Fallen Kingdom of Man). Farming lads and lasses with a dweomer and a dream. Last seen breaching the sea-scourged walls of Nalyrid's Roost, where the veering sea-birds are winged serpents with poisonous tails and human-like cries. Led by the former festhall-downdancer and "forthright lady of multifarious interests" (thief-for-hire) Delzsemmra of the Soft Stirrings.

"Bray" Draeluf
Loud and eager with his opinions and criticisms, hence his common name. Typical of the city docksmen and drovers; big muscles and broad, strong back. Big jowls, beady eyes under hairy brows. Tried for a career in "boldswording" (briganding), but cut and ran the first time a blade flashed and blood flowed. A member of the Dungsweepers Guild. Found a pretty bauble in the stable muck of the House of Good Spirits (the glittering black pendant known as Mesklar's Ilvaite Eye); hasn't told anyone of it or turned it in to the Guild masters.

Breara Brorn
Festhall singer. Tall and broad-shouldered. Deep, easy laugh and biting humor. Has a rich, husky voice, fashioned from years of too much zzar and pipeweed ("like iron and amber," as the bard Ammathan Var once marvelled). Lover of the Griffon Guard civilar Nidanae of Tymora.

The Bright Blades Flowing
A loose bardic blade-and-song fellowship. Named after their favored drink, the bright blade (an alcoholic concoction also known as gimlet). Informally led by Thômar Briarbreuene (BRI-arr-BRAY-oo-ENN).


==================================================


Mesklar's Ilvaite Eye
1x/day, surrounds the wearer in a phantasmal shroud of black prismatic crystals (as blade barrier, centered on wearer. Wearer takes no damage). Named for the archmage Mesklar (who often wore it into battle during the Second Trollwar), not Umbered Ilvargur (the dao earth-lord whose treasure hall he stole it from).


==================================================


The Bright Blades of North Ward [ Source: A 09/21/05 posting to the Candlekeep.com message boards by Ed Greenwood. Name/Description given ]


AJA
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11839 Posts

Posted - 10 Nov 2018 :  12:01:57  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I like the idea starting behind dragon glass of people liking it for its odd coloration and people speculating HOW they do it. The problem I see is that people should be aware of the ability to tint glass with other things added into the glass. However, the idea that you present in there of Nimbralan mage-artisans opens up something that I think should be explored. I was actually doing something KINDA similar in Anchorome for something else, but it didn't focus on this rainbow coloring like you present (I was doing colored glass mind you... just not something that would present a rainbow like coloration as you spin it, etc...). Essentially, what if there are artisans who are LEARNING to make glassteel in Nimbral (and in my own city as well up in Anchorome, which I've been only calling "The City on the Great Glass Lake"... I think I should probably give it a good city name and then append that), and in doing so, they practice on making things like vases and other ornamental glassware, and maybe they also work with cheaper materials while they learn the basics. So, in the end, they make say a vase that is very pretty and colorful, but its ALSO as "shatterproof" as say copper or some other similar weak metal. Maybe they even "show it off" by dropping regular glass vases next to a dragon glass vase onto pavement in front of crowds. Oh, and I like the idea presented that they're painting the glass with cockatrice feathers and kraken inks, and if presented in the new realms I'd pursue this further by making this a kind of pluma crafting that maybe they picked up using feathers from Maztica, Anchorome, and Katashaka. I could see them also using such things as parrot, peacock, corollax, griffin, aarakocra, avariel, etc.... feathers, with the coloration actually coming from the feathers themselves. Maybe the process also involves a lot of both clean sand and varieties of things like volcanic ash as well (which volcanic ash of many varieties should be available from the Maztican pensinsula of "Lopango, Land of Fire" which is actually pretty close to Nimbral (i.e. just as close to Nimbral as Nimbral is to southern Faerun). Also of course, throwing in some use of illusion magic into the creation might also help explain things as well, but it should be some combination of materials, artistry, and possibly low-grade magic.


For my "City on the Great Glass Lake", I'm actually having them use glassteel (or a lesser grade version) to make a mostly brick and mortar city, but with prominent buildings made of glass, and the city is on an island in the middle of a lake that USED to be a desert (the bottom of said lake is lined with castoff glass slag and baked earthware with mud atop it). The city will be led by "red wizards" who have been in Abeir for the last century (note, my "red wizards" no longer have any allegiance to Thay, and I have several different colonies, and they aren't necessarily all evil either), but with a lot of southern Faerunian exiles from Samarach, Lundeth, and Tashluta and the peoples of the Pasocada basin and Maztica. As a result, they may have boats made of glassteel with plumaweave sails floating on the lake outside of the "City on the Great Glass Lake". On the edges of this lake will be the "slums" wherein the lesser folk live a good life, tilling the land, and happy to have such "benevolent rulers" who provide them with slaves, good weather, materials from other parts of the world to craft with, etc... Hmmm, I really need to name this city... maybe... Tilu'nichu, the City on the Great Glass Lake... hmmm, taking votes for something fitting the Pasocada basin (noting other city names of Esh Alakar, Michaca, Peshtobo, Yapoza, Opallinoc, Keshtin Pueblo, Nozoma, Kinopal, Mitzlato, Kin Elbhaz )

You know what... this conversation is making me consider having within THAT tharch of Esh Alakar, over the past century maybe they've truly broken tradition on the focus of being known as "red" wizards, and maybe within their colony they call themselves something like "The Prismatic Order"... the coloration would have to be specific though... not looking like a bunch of tie-dyed hippies. I'm wanting the area to still be a magocracy, but one that's benefited heavily from magic's influence as well as the influence of technology.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas

Edited by - sleyvas on 10 Nov 2018 12:41:05
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AJA
Senior Scribe

USA
771 Posts

Posted - 10 Nov 2018 :  23:14:05  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


A large part of anything in Waterdeep is not the value of a given item, but the value of the status of that item. Consider an authentic dragon glass vase to be like having an authentic louis vuitton handbag; sure you can get a perfectly serviceable satchel at the nearest Wal-Mart, but that wouldn't impress anyone now would it? Also sets up ways to divest PCs of their money (if you play that kind of campaign) and opens up heist adventures, either stealing, defending, or retrieving.

Alternatively, its' not the color that makes dragon glass unique, it is the vibrancy of it. Perhaps regular colored glass in the Realms (at least that available to anyone other than large temples and those darn elfs -- or Maztica, as you suggest) is comparatively muted or impure, and dragon glass is the visual equivalent of looking at the colors on a big screen HDTV. Or if you want to get a bit fantastical, perhaps the colors almost imperceptibly swirl, shift or "dance," across the surface, like a kaleidoscope running at extreme slo-mo speed.

And I know it's not what you meant, but I got a good laugh out of the visual of the Great Glass Lake being littered with castoff glass slag and baked earthware because there's a constant rain from hundreds of apprentices throwing housewares out of their high windows to see what bounces and what shatters ....I'm not sure if that would be an improvement over the more common "bucket of nightsoil" coming out windows elsewhere in the realms.


==================================================


The Nine Mouths of Halaster
The Mouths, named after the mad mage Halaster (The Lord of Twists and Turns, The Eater of Echoes [That Fade Down The Halls], He Who Eagerly Awaits), appear at random intervals, and consist of a ring of nine levitating human mouths framed by moustache and beard. They appear insubstantial, though they have been known to solidify on occasion, to bite or to snatch up a weapon being wielded against them. The Mouths most often do nothing more than make an insane cackling sound, although upon occasion they speak with passerby, imparting cryptic bits of information or the answers to unasked questions. Far more sinister, the Mouths sometimes emit harmful spells (chain lightning and the tentacles from an Evard's black tentacles spell seem to be favorites), or even act to teleport an unlucky soul straight to somewhere in the depths of the Undermountain.

Nirea
Local tavern-singer. A native of the northern Moonshaes. Honeyed hair, pale lightly-freckled skin. Rosy, round cheeks and full lips, set in a pleasant face marred by an eye gone milky-white from a bout with childhood illness. Noted for her clear voice and impish improvisations to the lyrics of standard tavern songs.

Nlaeven (LAY-Venn)
Local strongarm (hiresword). Willing to stonedelve. More than willing to tell of how he lost his mule to an owlbear and his friend Bright Jelg to a pit trap. Can usually be found idling in Virgin's Square. Has spear, two hand-axes, lantern and three flasks of oil in his panoply. Wears a suit of leather armor.

Nolburr Blackheather
Proprietor of Nolburr's Movable Feast (Portable Rations and Traveling Provender for the Discerning Wanderer, South Ward). Sells iron rations (packages of biscuits; dried, smoked or salted meats; hard waxed cheeses; nuts and mushrooms; and pickled vegetables or eggs). Once the official provenderer of no less than three Border Kingdoms armies (Swordsreach, Pelst and Harl's Hillock) as well as (or so he claims) the Royal Armies of Tethyr. His "Halfling Trail" iron rations are the preferred choice of local travellers and adventurers (largely due to the use of several southern spices and his secret method of preserving berry jam and oats into a nutritious cake). Halfling Trail is more popularly known as "Happy Halfling Rations," due to the ridiculously smiling caricature he stamps on every parcel.

Nulaasyr of Memnon (LN HM Exp6)
Oily black hair and enormous dark eyes. Skin the color of old, yellowed parchment. A known sage of the city (major: monstrous flora and fauna, minor: otherplanar creatures). Wrote a treatise on the useful properties and special preparation methods of blue dragonhide (including the efficient extraction of salt from salt water, and of the minutest particles of gold from mine runoffs). The latter received great interest from the dwarven minelords of Mirabar, but failed to achieve widespread use given the rareity of (and difficulty in obtaining) dragonhide.


==================================================


Noustlas "Stonecoin" Mnarrath [ Source: Prayers From the Faithful, p.114. Name/Description given ]



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Wooly Rupert
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quote:
Originally posted by AJA



Alternatively, its' not the color that makes dragon glass unique, it is the vibrancy of it. Perhaps regular colored glass in the Realms (at least that available to anyone other than large temples and those darn elfs -- or Maztica, as you suggest) is comparatively muted or impure, and dragon glass is the visual equivalent of looking at the colors on a big screen HDTV. Or if you want to get a bit fantastical, perhaps the colors almost imperceptibly swirl, shift or "dance," across the surface, like a kaleidoscope running at extreme slo-mo speed.


I'd either go for something like slow ripples of color happening within the glass, or maybe just have the glass faintly glowing. Not enough to read by, or anything, but enough that you can see the glass across a dark room.

Or maybe a kind of slow starburst effect -- spots of color randomly get brighter or more vibrant until they "burst" into little motes of bright colors that quickly fade back to the same shade as the rest.

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Wooly Rupert
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I finally read through all the descriptions here... Some really good stuff, AJA!

Also... I lifted a hell of a lot of stuff from YET ANOTHER FORGOTTEN REALMS PAGE, saving it to Word docs, back in the day. That was a great website!

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DenverJack
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This is great stuff AJA - thanks for sharing! Hope to see a lot more!
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sleyvas
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Posted - 11 Nov 2018 :  23:49:02  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by AJA



A large part of anything in Waterdeep is not the value of a given item, but the value of the status of that item. Consider an authentic dragon glass vase to be like having an authentic louis vuitton handbag; sure you can get a perfectly serviceable satchel at the nearest Wal-Mart, but that wouldn't impress anyone now would it? Also sets up ways to divest PCs of their money (if you play that kind of campaign) and opens up heist adventures, either stealing, defending, or retrieving.

Alternatively, its' not the color that makes dragon glass unique, it is the vibrancy of it. Perhaps regular colored glass in the Realms (at least that available to anyone other than large temples and those darn elfs -- or Maztica, as you suggest) is comparatively muted or impure, and dragon glass is the visual equivalent of looking at the colors on a big screen HDTV. Or if you want to get a bit fantastical, perhaps the colors almost imperceptibly swirl, shift or "dance," across the surface, like a kaleidoscope running at extreme slo-mo speed.

And I know it's not what you meant, but I got a good laugh out of the visual of the Great Glass Lake being littered with castoff glass slag and baked earthware because there's a constant rain from hundreds of apprentices throwing housewares out of their high windows to see what bounces and what shatters ....I'm not sure if that would be an improvement over the more common "bucket of nightsoil" coming out windows elsewhere in the realms.


==================================================


The Nine Mouths of Halaster
The Mouths, named after the mad mage Halaster (The Lord of Twists and Turns, The Eater of Echoes [That Fade Down The Halls], He Who Eagerly Awaits), appear at random intervals, and consist of a ring of nine levitating human mouths framed by moustache and beard. They appear insubstantial, though they have been known to solidify on occasion, to bite or to snatch up a weapon being wielded against them. The Mouths most often do nothing more than make an insane cackling sound, although upon occasion they speak with passerby, imparting cryptic bits of information or the answers to unasked questions. Far more sinister, the Mouths sometimes emit harmful spells (chain lightning and the tentacles from an Evard's black tentacles spell seem to be favorites), or even act to teleport an unlucky soul straight to somewhere in the depths of the Undermountain.

Nirea
Local tavern-singer. A native of the northern Moonshaes. Honeyed hair, pale lightly-freckled skin. Rosy, round cheeks and full lips, set in a pleasant face marred by an eye gone milky-white from a bout with childhood illness. Noted for her clear voice and impish improvisations to the lyrics of standard tavern songs.

Nlaeven (LAY-Venn)
Local strongarm (hiresword). Willing to stonedelve. More than willing to tell of how he lost his mule to an owlbear and his friend Bright Jelg to a pit trap. Can usually be found idling in Virgin's Square. Has spear, two hand-axes, lantern and three flasks of oil in his panoply. Wears a suit of leather armor.

Nolburr Blackheather
Proprietor of Nolburr's Movable Feast (Portable Rations and Traveling Provender for the Discerning Wanderer, South Ward). Sells iron rations (packages of biscuits; dried, smoked or salted meats; hard waxed cheeses; nuts and mushrooms; and pickled vegetables or eggs). Once the official provenderer of no less than three Border Kingdoms armies (Swordsreach, Pelst and Harl's Hillock) as well as (or so he claims) the Royal Armies of Tethyr. His "Halfling Trail" iron rations are the preferred choice of local travellers and adventurers (largely due to the use of several southern spices and his secret method of preserving berry jam and oats into a nutritious cake). Halfling Trail is more popularly known as "Happy Halfling Rations," due to the ridiculously smiling caricature he stamps on every parcel.

Nulaasyr of Memnon (LN HM Exp6)
Oily black hair and enormous dark eyes. Skin the color of old, yellowed parchment. A known sage of the city (major: monstrous flora and fauna, minor: otherplanar creatures). Wrote a treatise on the useful properties and special preparation methods of blue dragonhide (including the efficient extraction of salt from salt water, and of the minutest particles of gold from mine runoffs). The latter received great interest from the dwarven minelords of Mirabar, but failed to achieve widespread use given the rareity of (and difficulty in obtaining) dragonhide.


==================================================


Noustlas "Stonecoin" Mnarrath [ Source: Prayers From the Faithful, p.114. Name/Description given ]






Lol, now that you mention it... all that cast off slag glass IS from apprentices trying to LEARN how to make glassteel. Granted, they COULD just throw it back in the kiln and reuse it, but it was their masters that decided "hey, we can use it to pave the roads" which then grew into "hey, you know... we've extracted so much sand... we could kind of make a lake here if we paved it".

SIDENOTE: another thing I'd been playing with conceptually was that while in Abeir, Toril's moon actually went to Abeir and there was a different moon in Toril's space... unbeknownst to the people of the realms during the spellplague. On the moon, I replace the "elven" and "human" population with a group of "Ellefolk" or "Shadow Elves" (not to be confused with other shadow elves)... or rather a race of fey that we see in the second edition Shadow Rift modules known as the Arak. However, these Ellefolk only share racial ties, not historical ties, to the Arak stuck in Ravenloft. They had escaped from the plane of shadow long ago and come to the moon with Leira's help (who also hid their escape). Why do I bring this up? The "Ellefolk" (aka what are known as Arak in the Shadowrift) can make changelings from people's shadows after they get them to eat faerie food and perform a ritual to steal their shadow and turn the shadow into a changeling... so, a craftsman whose shadow is stolen will have his mortal form become "elfshot"/"shadow-reft" while the changeling created from his shadow will live on, focused on becoming a greater craftsman than ever before.

One of the dark secrets of the United Tharchs of Toril, and specifically the Tharch of Esh Alakar is that they've made agreements with the Tharch of Luneira to have particularly adept craftsmen turned into changelings, falsify the craftsman's death, and put the "elf-shot" craftsman's catatonic mortal body into stasis. Thus, the shadow changeling will live forever, seeking only to forever improve their craft, and happily working themselves in service to the two tharchs.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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AJA
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Posted - 13 Nov 2018 :  00:03:13  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote


DenverJack and Wooly, thank you both!

==================================================


Mlornra the Ill-Starred
Mlornra the Missing. Veteran delver. Drove her dagger into the wall behind the bar of the Yawning Portal and loudly proclaimed to the assembled taproom that she would return to claim it after spending no less than a tenday alone in the depths of the Undermountain. Never returned, presumed lost in the dark hidden ways. The dagger, still embedded, remains. It emits flashes of light from time to time and registers favorably to detect magic, but Durnan and the staff do not allow anyone to pry it loose. When asked, Durnan simply replies that he is waiting for Mlorna to return and reclaim it. Resident taproom-singers have sung songs of this and the dagger seems to react favorably to such, winking in time to the notes.

Mluirrym
Owner of Mluirrym's Honest Carry-Merry, a small run of street coaches easily identifiable by their red-and-blue checkerboard scheme. Has taken to spending the majority of his profits sponsoring and outfitting the "glory-rider" (professional jouster) Mirla Mrorl "The Silvaeren Saddle-Dancer," who competes at the Field in the same blue-and-red checker. His wife Uldazra is increasingly unamused at these expenditures.

Mohrgan Ulbrinter (CN HM)
The Black Ulbrinter. A noble of House Ulbrinter (brother of Nomus, the patriarch of the clan). Has a wife, Sune, and three sons (Khordan "Bold-Bellow," Ulstam and Hulst). An imposing, stout, broad-shouldered figure, all of black; hair, brow, glittering eyes and full beard. An avid huntsman and skilled swordsman. Wields The Mohrganblade, a broadsword of sharpness +2. Mohrgan does not care for the family maritime ventures, and he cares even less for the alliance with the Umberlants. Instead, he spends much of his time hunting game in the Dessarin valley.

Khordan Ulbrinter
Bold-Bellow. A noble of House Ulbrinter (eldest son of Mohrgan & Sune). A well-known (and widely disliked) fixture in the taverns and gaming houses of the city. Arrogant, strutting. Good with a blade.

Khordan Blaskus Ulbrinter
Little-Bold. A noble of House Ulbrinter (son of Nomus and Karya). Enamored of his elder cousin Khordan "Bold-Bellow" (hence his nickname). Follows him around, apes his mannerisms and attitude.

"Bloody" Baramn
Armsman of the Ulbrinter family. Common sight in the taverns and gaming houses of the city, accompanying the bravo Khordan "Bold-Bellow" Ulbrinter. Burly, large-headed man. Picks at his teeth with a belt-knife when deep in thought (or trying to think up witty retort), which often leads to bleeding gums (and bloody smile). Claims descent from Nimoar (as do seemingly half the native-born commoners of the city).

Hulst Ulbrinter (CN HM Aris1)
A young noble of House Ulbrinter (youngest son of Mohrgan and Sune). Tall for his age, thin and dour. Hulst has been offered to the Waterdhavian church of Umberlee as an acolyte and "helper of the faith." He is infatuated with the Wavechantress Aubraera Glynn.


==================================================


Moaril Lanngolyn [ Source: A 04/05/07 posting to the Candlekeep.com message boards by Ed Greenwood. Name/Description given ]
Molneth Drathtorn [ Source: Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms, p.122. Name/Occupation given ]




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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

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Posted - 13 Nov 2018 :  01:42:32  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
LOVE Mlorna… that's great. What's even better is that unbeknownst to the tavern patrons, the dagger is set to work as a clairaudience device. This is why it actually works in tune to music sung, because its listening. Mlorna did indeed spend ten days alone in the depths of Undermountain, in a well secured area, complete with scrying stones which enable her to listen in on multiple conversations throughout the city. The dagger itself is a special form of magical device and its linked to a specific scrying stone which can actually be used to isolate specific voices even within a monotony of sound. The dagger itself actually possesses intelligence of its own, and it will often activate its own link back to the scrying stone and inform Mlorna of happenings within the city. Unbeknownst to the patrons as well, Mlorna is actually a member of Khelben's Moonstars (or update this to 5e), as well as being a special servant to the lords of Waterdeep.


Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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AJA
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Posted - 13 Nov 2018 :  04:47:25  Show Profile Send AJA a Private Message  Reply with Quote

Sleyvas, compatriot of Durnan, yes (she still has a livid scar on her left shoulder-blade from a Shadow Thief knife that was originally intended for the Wanderer, and she performed admirably in her defense of the Yawning Portal from Myrkul's Denizens and sahuagin alike). Moonstar, very possibly. I very much like the idea of her little personal "communications center," and of her dagger being her link to both The City Above and to her "handler" Durnan, but why so vocally drive her dagger and announce her intent? To encourage people speak of her (and her absence) specifically? Makes me wonder what other schemes she was involved in, that she needed to physically step back from.

Also, I think gone longer than her stated tenday, given that bards are still singing of her.

==================================================


The Godstalker
The Black Devil of Trades Ward, The Bleak Hand, The Killer-of-Faiths. A prolific murderer who haunts the shadows of Trades Ward. His name (and all of his secondary epithets) comes from his habit of only killing priests of the various Faerûnian deities. The slain thus far number over one dozen clerics, of widely different faiths. Most of the deaths have occured in or around the Plinth, and there have been no witnesses to the slayings. The preferred method of killing is strangulation, and he leaves horrid, ugly, blackish finger-marks twisted into the victim's throat. It is evident that these killings are magical in nature, as the soul of the victim is taken somehow, eliminating any chance of magical interrogation or resurrection.
        This "Godstalker" is actually a Denizen of Myrkul, one of the many minions of the dead god called forth into the streets of the city during the chaos of the Time of Troubles. In life it was Maloghar the Old Bones, a high priest of Myrkul famed (and widely feared) in Nimoar's Hold and the Dessarin lands. It may be this tie to the region that has kept the Denizen active here for so long after the Time of Troubles, or it may be the will of another deity (such as Cyric, perhaps) that has allowed it to retain its extra planar powers. In its natural form, the Godstalker has a grossly corpulent humanoid body, covered in short metallic black and bluish feathers. Huge leathery wings sprout out of its back and its head is terrifying to behold, being a misshapen combination of slavering fangs, insectile compound eyes and a flat, hoglike snout. Hair, more hoglike than human, grows from its head, just behind a pair of stunted horned growths. [ NOTE: Thanks to Eric L. Boyd for the suggestion of a Denizen as the true nature of the Godstalker ]


Golddarm Brightmast
A successful sea captain. Seamaster (captain) of the merchantman Brightmast. Used much of his personal fortune to build The Foundling's Reprieve, an orphanage located in Dock Ward. Today, long after his death, it is staffed by acolytes of Lathander Morninglord and is also commonly known as The House of Golddarm The Gentle. Many urchins of the Seawolves and Wharf-Rats gangs were raised (and recruited) here. Other Golddarm Foundlings, such as the Lathanderite priest Mevrymn "Many-Scars" and the Watch Armar Blackbrow, fared better in life.


The Good Sons
A "street gang" (more accurately a group of murderous, malicious thugs) comprised of several young noble scions and one or two baser blades hired for their knowledge of the alleys and courts of the Lower Wards. Gather for a "Bloody Good Time" every couple tendays. Led as such by Emmlathae "The Devil's Lathe" Hawkwinter (CE HF Aris), who often surprises her male companions with her startling cruelty.


Gorughul The Goldfang
A mercenary and shield-for-hire active in the Deep Ways of Skullport. Dresses in splint mail and red tabard. His epithet comes from the coating of gold that covers his two protruding lower tusks. Proficient with battleaxe and bastard sword, and the heavy crossbow.


Gorvar "Stout-and-Stern" Oldhammer
Currently the only dwarf among the city's "black-robes" (magisters). Medium of height and wide of girth. Shaves what remains of a once-flowing mane of hair, but takes great pride in his bristling moustache and braided chin-whiskers. A former mercinary and retired valabrar (major) of the Guard. Fond of all manner of strategy games and word-puzzles. Great friends with the Red Knight priest Crovyn Thalasker.


==================================================


Gordryn Haeront [ Source: Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms, p.159. Name/Occupation given ]

Gorlharr Helmhorn [ Source: Forging The Realms: Outcast House <wizards.com/articles/features/outcast-house>. Name/Description given ]

Gorth Garlen [ Source: Ed Greenwood's Spin-a-Yarn 2007: The Weaver of Dreams. Name/Description given ]


AJA
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Edited by - AJA on 10 Jun 2024 01:22:30
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

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Posted - 13 Nov 2018 :  12:24:08  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Why make such a show of driving the dagger in and saying "that she'll return for it"? Why of course to make a reason for it to stay right where she put it... and a reason for others to speak up should someone else wonder about its magics and attempt to remove it. Over the top acting can make outlandish cover work. It may even be that her 'name' (because its not HER real name) is actually the command word that periodically reactivates the dagger, and Durnan himself may periodically "remention" Mlorna as a means to "kick off" the dagger's link to the scrying stone while he's near some individuals talking skullduggery. In fact, that might even work better than the dagger being intelligent. Some of the bards singing about Mlorna in the bar may also be "in the know" and may also be part of the Moonstars. Whereever the word is said may kick off to be a rough centerpoint for the clairaudience, and then the spy working the "communications center" may try to focus in on what's being said... and possibly even recording it. The winking in time to the music may be some kind of display related to the "focusing" of the clairaudience effect. In fact, I'm just saying clairaudience effect, but what if the dagger itself has a large quarts crystal in its hilt, and essentially that serves as a focus for clairvoyance as well (and if we're going this far.... lets include . Maybe the specific point chosen for the dagger to be driven also had to do with the vantage it gives throughtout the bar.

And as long as we're discussing powers that the dagger may convey for use to a "communications center", lets throw out some options... not saying to use them all, but perhaps some of these others exist to OTHER items in Durnan's bar or elsewhere in the city.

We've already discussed clairaudience and clairvoyance, but what about OTHER senses. A little discussed magical ability is clairolfactorence... or the ability to smell remotely. Another might be clairgustatorence... or the ability to taste things remotely (thus checking something for poisons, or determining if someone is actually drinking alocoholic beverages or faking it). Both of these things may not be particularly useful to humans, but there may be some moonstar agents whose sense of smell is more keen than their sense of sight, or they may employ creatures such as hounds who can use such to track individuals (possibly imbuing a clean piece of cloth with a specific scent via this method).

Clairtactilence might allow someone to remotely touch/feel things without the feeling being felt in return. Thus, someone could be remotely frisked without realizing hands had touched them. There could be a number of other uses for this, going so far as "checking if the he is actually a she".

Other things to possibly include?
The ability to remotely work a mage hand effect (to flip papers over when attention is elsewhere).

The ability to create illusions to distract people in the bar (for instance, shadows that come out of the pit and "disperse" when killed can draw a lot of attention elsewhere).

The ability to create a telepathic link of some sort between the person who says the name of the "owner" of the dagger. This link may allow uninvited delving into the mind, or it could just be a method for telepathic communication of a message one way in each direction.

Then there's always magical sights, such that the dagger may temporarily convey on those locally the ability to detect magic or invisibility, the ability to see through a mirror image, or even going so far as true sight.

The ability to read the magical defenses on an individual, look for triggered defenses, and even possibly going so far as changing the triggering mechanism. This should definitely be something that might be "felt".

The ability to dimension door to a specific location within the bar, whereby the person may nonchalantly "enter" without drawing much attention "because they'd always been behind that door".

The ability to "project image" a person touching the scrying stone in the communications center into the bar, appearing as though teleporting in, and if destroyed, appearing to wink out as if a contingent teleport effect took place.

The ability to "mark" individuals as the center point for certain magical effects allowing them to be tracked. Another option might be the ability to remove specific types of wardings from an individual, though such might be exceptionally blatant.

Oh, and finally, the Mlorna that drove the dagger into the bar may have been "well known" at the time, but this could easily have been a story creation of the moonstars/harpers. Their bards could have made up tales about Mlorna and spread them (telling of her actions in the Neverwinter Woods to folk of Waterdeep, when she'd never set foot there, and even providing proof in the form of "rescued folk" to back up the story). A few of them may have even sung such tales TO "Mlorna" at some bars to openly give her notoriety. However, in these several events, it could have easily have been a person under magical guise. Thus, the guise may have all led up to the placing of this dagger and to build up a false history.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas

Edited by - sleyvas on 13 Nov 2018 13:12:04
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

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Posted - 13 Nov 2018 :  15:45:56  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hey, AJA, I get the feel that Mlorna might have been something of a PC or major NPC in your game, but in the below I'm just going for something to flesh out a story. Feel free to work with me on it by providing actual in game details if they work.

Oh, and just to throw some 5e rules parlance into this along with some more lore...

The individuals in the bar have to periodically attune themselves to the dagger of Mlorna the Ill-Starred. However, this attuning is a little different than the standard attunement rules found in the dungeon master's guide. This attunement doesn't require physical contact, but it does require a short rest to be spent attuning oneself to the item. This item can be attuned to multiple individuals at one time (say up to 16 individuals), and it does not HAVE TO use up one of a person's normal 3 attunable item slots. However, if one DOES allow it to use up one such slot, the item allows the use of more of its hidden abilities for said person (Durnan himself doesn't usually attune fully to the item, but he has several of his barmaids that do so for him, many of whom are actually hidden harper or moonstar agents or agents of the hidden lords of waterdeep). Attuning to this item requires leading a sing-along about Mlorna the Ill-Starred in four pieces, each broken by a period of drinking specific drinks. Oh, and the times when the dagger emits flashes of light in time with the tunes of the song are when someone is attuning to it.

Each of these four pieces are as follows


The first story is a story introducing people to Mlorna's hilarious wiles. It seems that Mlorna happened upon a small village and took a room in the inn. During the night, the village was attacked by an ogre leading several orcs and Mlorna took the opportunity to become invisible. All the men and women were rounded up in the inn and locked in two separate rooms at the inn. The ogre and orcs were discussing how to cook the men, and what salacious things they might do to the women. It was during this that time that Mlorna retrieved a small beehive and secreted it within her pants after using a cantrip to make smoke to temporarily calm the bees. She then called to the ogre from the room wherein she and the women were staying noting to them "how moist her pants were" for the ogre. The ogre, in his haste, didn't realize what he was "injecting" himself into, but his gesticulations eventually infuriated the bees whose hive was being destroyed. The resulting furor not only surprised the ogre, but it left the orcs laughing hysterically and unprepared for Mlorna's halfling friend, who had freed the men of the village to set upon the invaders. The orcs were all killed, but the screaming ogre could be heard for miles as it ran off into the night. This song is typically referred to as "The Ballad of Mlorna of the Honeypants". This is followed up by drinking a round of honey mead.

Mlorna and her halfling friend soon became embroiled in another adventure when a young girl child of the village disappeared. They discovered the activities of a coven of green hags and a young hagspawn boy who had been used to draw the young girl into the woods. However, the hagspawn boy didn't want to see the young girl hurt, nor did he like his "mothers" who abused him. So, Mlorna used the boy to trick the hags in succession into coming out separately into the woods, where she and her halfling friend slaughtered them. This is known as "The Ballad of Mlorna and the Forest Hags". This is followed up by drinking a round of vodka.

The ogre that she had embarassed and drove away previously was more than a little upset with Mlorna and was seeking to gather forces together to gain his revenge. Unfortunately, the ogre made assumptions based upon looks and tried to befriend the hagspawn teen whom Mlorna had rescued previously. The hagspawn turned "co-conspirator" with the ogre and his troll associate, only to reveal their plans to Mlorna. That very same night they set about trapping Mlorna on the road bearing a keg of "firewine" and a newly acquired ram home. Once again the ogre boasted of his prowess and what he would do to the poor woman before killing her. Mlorna begged that if she were "to endure such strains, might she at least be allowed to imbibe of her favorite drink flask to prepare herself first". But the ogre would not hear of it, and he took the flask from her, and drank down the sweet concoction within, which turned out to be a "potion of sheep form", which Mlorna had prepared for use in spying. The troll, caught off guard by the transformation of the ogre, did not realize the the keg of "firewine", which in truth was a keg of lamp oil, that it was picking up and preparing to pour down its gullet was a trap. Tossing an "item" spell'd campire onto the troll, the hagspawn roasted it alive. Meanwhile, Mlorna released her ram upon the ogre, who in sheep form had attracted its ardor. The story goes that the potion was a particularly powerful version and the ogre didn't change form back, and her small farm was soon dotted with a large herd of sheep. This Ballad is known as "Mlorna and the Cocksure Ram". This is followed up by drinking a bit of firewine (the cheap knockoff).

The final story should relate to why Mlorna came to Waterdeep and entered undermountain. I'm not sure what makes a good story offhand, but I leave it to my fellow sages, based on the above, to come up with something. Or perhaps come up with some additional stories prior to her coming to Waterdeep.

Again, none of the above stories need to be true. They could be total fabrications in use to make the stories memorable.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas

Edited by - sleyvas on 13 Nov 2018 17:11:13
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