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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Oct 2020 : 14:59:51
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Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Cervidae Folk (Shatjan) with Giant Elk Antler Staff and bow (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4625745) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
While Cervidae Folk serve to protect the herds of deer, caribou, elk, and even such fantastic creatures as giant elk, they are also attentive to using that which they provide. In particular, reusing antlers that have been shed is a common practice, and giant elk antlers are prized for their creation of deadly antler staves. Though typically connected with wood, its not uncommon for bones of dead giants or other powerful, large creatures to be use for the center part of the staff. This weapon is so common that most cervidae folk are trained in its use.
Some practictioners of hishna have spread their knowledge northward, particularly amongst the metahel humans (who have an almost reverence for horn based weapons), snow elves, shatjan, urskan, and Poscadari elves. They have developed spells to harden horn to the strength of steel. As a result, reindeer, elk, and moose antlers, whether shed or captured from a kill, are a commonly traded commodity. Other horns, such as that found on jackalopes of all sizes, bison, flying rothe, foxibou, and even intelligent creatures like shatjan and hybsil are also favored by the people of Anchorome.
The art of scrimshaw to make fish hooks is perhaps one of the most commonly seen uses. However, antler knives, antler arrowheads, antler wands, antler staves, antler-head spears and harpoons, moose antler axes, and small shields made of entwined reindeer antlers or bucklers made of moose antlers. Most notably there are even monks using unusual fighting styles not found in Faerun or kara-tur but using weapons similar to a kama, punch daggers, or even a "spiked chain" made from leather and antlers. There are even individuals using weapons believed to have originated in Kara-tur, such as the maduvu which consists of two antlers joined together in opposite directions, with the wielder holding one antler and his fingers sitting between the two sets of antler.
However, this working of hishna magics with antlers goes well beyond just making antlers less brittle by giving them strength similar to metals. Some hishna magics work with the spirits of the animal itself, and as a result, some magics which are less common in Faerun are actually more commonly found in Anchorome. For instance, weapons and shields made of horn are not as rare that have the ability to animate themselves and either attack or defend their wielder. In fact, one metahel goddess, Sifya the war mother, is said to use a shield of interlocking antlers that can also come apart into the separate antlers and attack her enemies if she feels the need to be more offensive. Also, not all hishna magics are used to strengthen horn, for some are used to make horn a bit more flexible, such as the hishna magics used on longhorn herd animals to make powerful bows wieldable by beings with exceptional strength of arms.
That is really cool to have hishna added to the shatjan repertoire. What other kind of spells effects do you think a shatjan would want? I see them as they were originally described in the Horde boxed set as protectors of the wild reindeer herds, so I figure they might also use a lot of misdirectional magics and even some fear effects that could keep errant caribou from running off. Heck, you could create a whole different "True World Artisan" magic type specific to the shatjan. Once again, getting that idea mill flowing, if only there was more time.
I hear you on the "more time" thing. I find myself fleshing out my ideas a little more. If you'll forgive me some rambling, I'm going to throw them out a little to help me put them in some semblance of order.
On the idea of Shatjan being users of Hishna, I'd rather it be that they are both the more I think on it. I picture the Shatjan learning of pluma type magic to enhance their speed, flights of arrows, use of bows, and possibly even "evening the odds" against other predators such as aarakocra by givine themselves the ability to fly. They might use the aarakocra's own feathers (and other winged creatures) to construct magical winged cloaks. I'd also like to see possibly there be an idea wherein "artificers" rules from Eberron are adapted to the idea of Pluma and Hishna both. Perhaps there is such a class that actually learns both and not just one, and it becomes less about Qotal and Zaltec and more about the craft itself. However, perhaps these people also learned their craft via another set of divine beings (those being the Metahel gods). It might even be called something different than "pluma and hishna" and have some relationship to runic magic mixed with crafting magic. So, like all these "horn" spells and such might be castable via drawing a rune with blood, ink, or some other medium. I also wouldn't want to limit this kind of casting to just Shatjan, as I picture the Hybsil, Poscadari elves, bearfolk, etc... as possibly also studying it in lieu of traditional wizardry, sorcery, warlock. Developing this subvariant of artificer though is something that's in the infancy of my head... if you wanted to bounce around ideas for it, I'm totally game. It could even be a small supplement with its own spell lists, etc...
Some basic ideas I had regarding horn are
making it more pliable to make bows of horn rather than wood. This should be a permanent change to the piece of horn so that its
If horn is more pliable to be like really strong lumber that one can "bend" to a needed shape, it could be used in the construction of things like lodges. So maybe a spell called "horn shape"
As mentioned above, a spell to make horn stronger like the spells that druids use to make ironwood (maybe hornmetal?). Another spell might make horn sharper. Another spell might actually lighten horn. Another might animate horn for attack, another for defense, and possibly even another for making a "horn servant". This doesn't have to be limited to horn even, and could include hide as well. The hooved creatures like shatjan and hybsil might even make a variant of horseshoes out of carved antler and using antler "nails" to affix it to themselves. These "antler horseshoes" could then be enchanted to be stronger like metal, but they could have enhancements to increase speed like horseshoes of speed, or they could even include enhancements like walking on air, walking on water, walking on snow, not leaving tracks, etc...
Just to spam some ideas I had in my notes for other things related to Pluma/Hishna that could go with this (to note, I wrote them for way down in Lopango). Some of these could be refleshed
Hishnahide Horrors (helmed horrors of hishnahide with a pelt of a jaguar worn over the skeleton of a humanoid, usually that of jungle orcs, tabaxi, or humans, in place of gauntlets, boots, and helmet) are a somewhat common site. They are able to cast the jaguar claw cantrips in combat and can cast the following Hishna spells Animal Senses, Ambush, Venomblade, Talonblade, and Tezca's Touch spells 2/day each (see TWM2_Feathers_and_Fangs at DMs Guild) as bonus actions. The Hishnahide Horror is treated as a 5th level character for the effects of this spellcasting. Due to its second head, it may perform 2 bonus actions per round and maintain concentration on two effects at the same time. They normally cast their jaguar claw cantrips each round to use with their Venomblade, Talonblade, and Tezca's Touch spells, and they use their animal senses and ambush spells when they go along with hunting parties.
Warriorhide Horrors – similar to Hishnahide horrors, but made from the skin of a dead warrior and wielding weapons (typically having a quarterstaff and a tlahhu#299;t#333;lli <Maztican War Bow>). These are undead and not constructs. Made from the skin of a warrior that has been turned to leather and stuffed with cotton and fire-blackened, powdered bone. They are able to cast the Lifeleech blade, empathic wound transfer, create bonfire, and Green-flame Sword cantrips and can cast the following spells Animate Skeleton or Zombie as a ritual (see Necromancy after the Time of Troubles DM's Guild product), Aganazzar's Scorcher, Undead Mount and Wound Bind 1/day, and burning hands 3/day . They possess the extra attack feature (thus 2 attacks per round), have two-weapon fighting fighting style (so add ability modifier to damage with second weapon) of a fighter, and generally have a high dexterity (say 18). They are treated as though they possessed the Warcaster and Polearm Master feats. The armor is treated as studded leather armor (so with dex, an AC of 16, or 17 if dual wielding). In combat, they typically do 3 attacks per round (or a cantrip with an attack along with a secondary attack), and they try to Typically they are supported by their own skeleton which they have animated and control, and reanimate as a ritual. They typically fulfill a role within villages by constantly casting the create bonfire cantrip whereever a fire may be needed for as long as it may be needed. They also serve as healers by using empathic wound transfer, and they often ritually sacrifice animals or sentient beings with their lifeleech blade to heal themselves after performing this service. These are common servants at temples of Velsharoon and Kossuth both.
Animated Hishnahide Cats (hishnahide made of skeletons and pelts of jaguars, kamatlan, kamadan, and/or displacer beast pelts) are an even more common site. They are a cheaper and easier to create version of animated construct, but they are also relatively weak. They have basic animal instincts still. They rely on their two claw and bite attacks, but those with snake heads and or tentacles have additional attacks.
Animated Plumastrider (an animated giant strider which shows the features of both reptile and bird. It still possesses the leathery skin, beak, and talons of a giant strider, but it has been covered in hundreds of small feathers. These creations involve the use of both Hishna and Pluma crafting, and they are often some of the most commonly crafted pieces in this tharch)
Plumacloth Golems (constructs made of giant parrot Plumacloth that is either red, blue, or green with a giant parrot, cockatoo, or toucan head and beak. spellcasters dressed in feathers and cloth and usually possessing the head of a giant parrot/toucan attached to a humanoid skull, the rest of the body being carved wood and vines). It can cast the featherweaving cantrip and the Pluma Spells Blossom 1/day, Breath of Qotal 1/day, Magnificent Headdress 1/day, Water Summoning 1/day, Windrider 1/day, Breathsense 1/day, arrowflight 3/day, and Feather Darts 3/day. Many small villages have a Plumacloth golem that they zealously guard due to its ability to create fresh water and renew soil whereever they need it. It typically uses its windrider ability in combat to stay out of physical combat range, and uses its featherweaving cantrip to repair itself. It will attempt to awe any combatants with its magnificent headdress spell so that they may be captured and turned into slaves. They are equipped with a tlahhu#299;t#333;lli (Maztican War Bow) and have the extra attack feature, gaining a +2 bonus to attack rolls with this weapon as though possessing the archery fighting style.
Plumastone Guardian (construct made of Plumastone
Going into Races
As long as I'm on a roll here.... here's some of what I've decided.
I think I'm going to specifically call out that the urskan bear folk are of two "types" when it comes to body build (each such type also has two variants for either cold or warm environments), because I really like what you did with making the ones in blacktoe glacier be intrinsically BEARS first and pretty much only (i.e. they run on all fours, like the ones from His Dark Materials, and are size large). The other "type" will be more like a quaggoth that's a lot less "lean" and a lot taller than a quaggoth (up to 8 feet tall), and I'd like to have quaggoth descending from the polar version of such, but a lot more civilized and humanoid'ish. Essentially, the myth will be that the more humanoid bearfolk type can be equated to some kind of ritual that they perform on their children given to them by the divine THAT THEY STILL DO. Any child who isn't given the ritual becomes just a normal bear. The initial ritual was given by a god of ice and snow in order to lure them away from Nanook, but they've actually been given variants of this ritual over time by OTHER gods of ice and snow (such as Rellavar Danuvien) or OTHER gods of bear-men such as Magnaer the Bear.
Going into religions of Northeast Anchorome and how to tie that into the Metahel Pantheon
All of these races I'm picturing as part of the Adusgee Forest and surrounding environs, I'm also seeing them as worshipping various Metahel "entities" that the Metahel themselves have in their stories, but who are not major players in their own stories. For instance, the Shatjan are worshipping one of Ed's original gods (he was originally Besparr the Lord of Horses) from his down to earth divinity article, but that we never saw used anywhere else to my knowledge. I adopted him to being Besparr the Many-Legged, as a reindeer variant of Sleipnir, who also has a horse aspect. You also have Epona as a horse goddess, kind of like a spirit world variant of Lurue, so in Anchorome maybe Besparr doesn't stress his horse aspect (and maybe his horse aspect is amongst the Hordelands where he has a small following, and maybe he's worshipped over in Narfell by its barbarians... and maybe long ago by centaurs in and around Thay/Yuirwood who possibly followed old Yuir deities). BTW, I know you know this, some of this I'm restating for anyone else that comes in here and is trying to follow the thread.
The other races will also have links to the Metahel pantheon, with the kercpa worshipping Rititisk the Clever (as a variant of Ratatosk of Norse myth) and Raelkath Maneeboughs (as a variant of Yggdrassil as an entity and also similar to Relkath of the Many branches of the Yuir Pantheon). The Ee'Na'Li (aka Foxiytaurs) will primarily worship "Sly Fox", who some see as a great spirit, but also plays a role in the Metahel pantheon because he is the "golden foxibou" mount of the "Faernir Hostage" god of the sun, Faerthandir. This golden foxibou looks like a golden furred, shining, fox with glowing caribou antlers that Faerthandir "rides across the sky" every day (this analogy being similar to the god Frey riding his golden boar Gullinbursti).
The woodland bear folk will worship the metahel god, Magnaer the Bear, god of strength and one of the thunder twins born of Thoros... who also corresponds to "Magnar the Bear" of Yuir lore and Magni the son of Thor. The woodland bear folk will also worship Magnaer's wife, Balanis the Honey Queen, a bear "spirit" supposedly born of "Father Bear" and given to Magnaer by her father as reward for his helping against a vile werewolf like god who had "bitten" Magnaer and "turned" him into a werewolf. It is Balanis' love that changes Magnaer from wolf to bear. The "Father Bear" in Anchorome would be Nanook, but over in the great glacier they would know him as Great White Bear (an aspect of Ulutiu), but the werebears of the world would swear its Balador the god of werebears and that the werewolf was Daragor. Balanis is a bringer of the great honey mead, a drink which keeps the gods young and healthy. Even amongst the Metahel, there is a belief that Balanis the Honey Queen and Eldunna, Keeper of the Golden Mangos and Guardian of the Goldenheart Spring, are in fact the same being (and in Norse myth, the relationship between Eldunna and Idun would be obvious). Faerunians are confused and think of Eldunna as some mix of Eldath and Sune. The "short ones"/halflings of Anchorome swear that Balanis the Honey Queen is just their goddess Sheela Peryroyl.
The Thonabeir (polar humanoidish bearfolk) will variously worship Auril the Frostmaiden, Shakak the Winter Spirit, Rellavar Danuvien, and some may worship a Metahel aspect of the snow elven god Tarsellis Meunnindun (known as the "Faernir Hostage" Faersellis Meunnindun) who is pictured amongst them as a raven spirit and enemy of Shakak the Winter Spirit. To note, I'm playing on the idea of Munin (Odin's raven) to Meunnindun. I'm not sure how to play out the relationship of Shakak and Auril, as they're both winter gods, and I'm tempted to make them husband and wife... but bitterly so. Perhaps even "gods" who are now "separated" as in wanting a divorce, but unable to do so because they swore oaths. Perhaps one is found on the east side and one the west side of the continent. Some heresies would say they are the same being. Other heresies would say that Shakak and Rellavar were once the same entity, and like Tymora/Beshaba they were split apart.... maybe even as a betrayal by Auril.
Amongst the Anchorome hybsil, they will worship several different Metahel gods as well. I picture them throughout all northern forests in small tribal units of say 100, but with a large number at one congregated spot just south of the Herds of Atapukk in the Adusgee Forest living amonst some treants, kercpa, dryads, and Shatjan. I also give them the name "hybsil", but that's their "Faerunian name", because they are tauric deer folk. However, they aren't fey nor are they small (they are medium), and their faces are entirely human. Essentially, they are size medium "centaurs" but with deer bottoms (which to note, all the recent rulebooks for "centaurs" has them changing the size to medium, which I felt was interesting). Their origin myth will be blurry, with the possibility that they are transformed metahel who came south from the lands of snow and ice. I will want them worshipping
Besparr the Reindeer Lord
Sifya the War Mother, goddess of birth and breeding of livestock, moose, caribou, and horses,goddess of excellence and skill in battle, games of wiles, Defender of hearth and home, goddess of Shieldmaidens. Widow of Faeyordon, Wife of Thoros, Mother of Moedae, Thoordra, and Yuellar, Stepmother of Magnaer, Faerthandir, and Eldunna
Thoros, Lord of Thunder and Lightning, Bringer of Rain, Stepfather of Yuellar, Father of the Thunder Twins (Moedae and Magnaer) and Thoordra
Yuellar, Huntsman of the Gods, Son of Sifya and Faeyordon, and Stepson of Thoros
Moedae, Lord of Bravery and Mounted Combat, one of the Thunder Twins
Magnaer, Lord of Strength, one of the Thunder Twins... this one less worshipped and more "recognized" as the brother of Moedae
Thoordra Thorosdottir, goddess of runes and truename magic, daughter of Thoros and Sifya
Eldunna, Keeper of the Golden Mangos, Guardian of the Goldenheart Spring, Goddess of Young Love
Faerthandir, Lord of Spring Plantings, the Sun, Light, Lord of Beauty and Flowers, Keeper of the Sun Blade
Hemdahl the Nineborn God, Guardian of the Rainbow Staircase, He of the All-Seeing Eye, Defender of the Metahel
Anachtar, Keeper of Blood Oaths, Lord of Conflict Resolution, Chainer of the Spirit-Wolf Kezris
Kind of the reason I'm writing some of this up here is because I decided that if I can't just put out my maps first, then I want to do a book detailing these races, including the metahel pantheon itself in its entirety, most especially how it has links to other races than the metahel through some of its lesser known members to the Metahel. I'll then go through each race, give a rough idea of where they can be found, include my updated maps, go into their religions a teeny bit, then have a whole religion chapter going into all the gods of the Metahel Pantheon. I might include some new spells. I might include some of the creatures that aren't going to be racial options. First off, I need to get all the races done, and I'm about 1/3 the way there (I wanted some new shatjan pictures, so I made a couple new models).
On THAT note, the other shatjan picture I just created has him with a moose antler shield (because moose ALSO lose their antlers every year like deer)
Cervidae Folk (shatjan) with staff and moose antler shield (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4626844) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2020 : 13:59:24
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I wanted a picture of a bearfolk who was more like what you were doing in Blacktoe Glacier (which is like the armored bears from His Dark Materials / Golden Compass), wearing armor made from blue ice. I'm obviously nowhere near the skill of the guys who made the bear for HBO's His Dark Materials, but I figured Ice armor will also be a little less "perfect". I also played with making some ink effect versions of the pictures as well in paint.net, so that they don't look like a 3d painted picture. I also took in paint3d and created some stickers from some flat images I have of a snowflake, a paw, and a symbol of Gwaeron Windstrom I made from the paw. I imported these to enhance the armor with some imagery without having to actually have a model with a lot of detail. I figure the one of a pawprint could be like a priest or paladin of Nanook. I think they kind of came out ok, so I figured I'd share them for you to look at (since you already have the blacktoe glacier stuff out, not sure if you'll be able to use them, but you can if you want). In all, took about 3 hours to play with, but was fun to do.
Warbear in Blue Ice Armor (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4629944) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
Anyway, just mainly wanted to share how easy it is to take these 3d models into Paint3d and paint them up and then take "stills" of something to make art for something you want. Making the initial 3d model itself... that can take some time... and sometimes its frustrating.. but painting them in paint3d I'm really finding a fun/relaxing thing to do that I can do while I'm even watching a TV show. Its even something that's easy enough to teach a kid, and a couple times I've challenged my fiance's little girl to see who can paint something faster/better (its passed the time when we were bound in the house). I also appreciate you showing me that site a few months back that can "cartoonize" a 3d picture real easy. I didn't want to subscribe to that service, but I can get something similar with paint.net for free (that site DOES make better versions). But, it kind of made me think in a new way seeing the idea. I've only recently started using the ink effects, but again, its something relatively fun and easy to play with, and it can really change the look of something.
Anyway, I'd love to hear feedback from pretty much anyone on the pictures. I'm obviously biased by my own ideas, so its often good to hear from someone that X or Y actually looks really good. Maybe the stickers look too fake or maybe they really add an enhancement to things (I know when I initially looked at the concept I thought it was stupid, but then I removed the outline from some drawings so that they were a single color, and it looked "better" when put over fur, etc...). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2020 : 13:26:50
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Mating between urskan subraces and other beings
Urskan are known to be fertile within their various subraces. Cave and Polar Urskan that breed will produce cubs of either parent type. Thonabier and woodland Urskan that breed will produce cubs of either parent type, but which requires a special ritual in order to fully become a Thonabier or woodland urskan. Otherwise the child reverts to becoming a normal bear of its kind (i.e. a polar bear or brown bear). If a thonabier or woodland urskan breeds with either a cave or polar urskan, the child is nearly always a cave or polar urskan.
It should be noted though that they are fertile with other kinds of creatures as well though. The most common appears to happen when werebears breed with urskan, which results in all cases with a being cured of lycanthropy being born of a similar urskan type as the parent. Such mating only seems to work however if the werebear assumes a similar form as the Urskan (i.e. to mate with a cave or polar urskan and produce cubs they must take on bear form, but to mate with thonabier or woodland urskan they must be in hybrid form). One rather infamous misunderstandings of the sages of Faerun is the story that long ago the werewolves of the Adusgee Forest were led by an evil werebear. In truth, this evil werebear was the child of a werebear and an urskan. The werebear then took the child from urskan society back through the Adusgee forest to return to his Minnenewah tribe. The father was slain by Alaghi, and the child was found and raised by humans who were subsequently infected with lyncanthropy and unaware of their affliction. This child, having seen his father as a shapechanger, saw nothing wrong with spreading the disease in his home community, and he soon led an army of vengeance against the alaghi who had killed his father.
Nor is this limited to werebears, for there have been cited cases of quaggoth successfully mating with either thonabier or woodland urskan, with the children becoming either a quaggoth or an urskan. The woodland and thonabier urskan of the Adusgee forest even relate a story long ago of a great drow raiding party coming up from underneath their forest to attack snow elves while using quaggoth slave soldiers. It was one of the few times these two disparate groups of urskan allied and aided the snow elves. It was the last time drow were seen in northern Anchorome in any significant numbers as well.
There are also rumors of mating between bear folk and other beings. For instance, alaghi have been known to mate with urskan, but to date there are no recordings of successful offspring. A faerunian wizard once claimed to have bred over a dozen bugbear females to a captured urskan successfully, with all offspring being what appeared to be bugbears. The wizard was found dead in multiple pieces a few years later, and all the offspring are said to be gone. There are continual stories of urskan mating with regular bears, producing regular bear offspring, but which are then awakened by druids in urskan communities. Its even said that offspring of these awakened bears and cave or polar urskan then produce an urskan of a type equivalent to its parent's subrace. There are even stories of the mating of urskan and owlbears, or even winged owlbears, but there is no evidence whatsoever that such stories are anything beyond the fantasies of bards. In fact, bard songs of urskan mating with giant jackalopes to produce hopping bearfolk with antlers are a testament to the silliness that bards have and true lack of understanding in their vapid brains.
Of course, these wild bard's tales are not helped by some of the other races of Anchorome. For instance, in Fort Flame there are whispers of a race of halfling sized “goelmee bear folk” who use goelmee berries to brew “goelmee berry juice” which enables them to seemingly bounce and perform amazing feats of athleticism. These “goelmee bears” are thought to reside in Goelmee Glen within the Pagunkee Forest and to be great forest friends of the inhabitants of that woodland. This story is further backed up by a group of adventurers who come to Fort Flame, consisting of a half elf, a foxiytaur, a racoonman, and three goelmi bears. In truth, these “goelmi bears” are actually three forest gnomes using illusion magics to hide their forms, and all wear boots of striding and springing. They are careful to only ever go into the outer edges of Fort Flame, where they interact with families on the frontier, providing minor bits of aid to mothers or children in need of aid. However, as a result, stories of the “Great Goelmees” Zoemmi the wizard, Graemmi the druid, and Gusto the bard are becoming a part of tavern talk throughout Balduran Bay. Other forest gnomes have heard the tales and have decided to continue the joke on the foolish faerunians, and so stories of other now "infamous" goelmee bears bearing goelmee berry juice potions are spreading like wildfire. Some wizards of Fort Flame in particular have hired adventurers to bring back samples of goelmee berry bushes, but none have been successful since no such thing exists.... or at least so say the forest gnomes to anyone who actually finds their home.
The half elf of this group of adventurers is a bard himself, and he has spent more time in Fort Flame than anyone else. He has taken a great interest in spreading the story of the "Goelmee bears" if only because so many Faerunians act arrogant towards him and his people for being "uncivilized". As a result, he often "dresses up" like a typical faerunian bard and sings a song revolving around the "Goelmee Bears" to help make further fools of them. The half elf is often joined by the female foxiytaur, who is trained in the playing of a zooparra, a foxiytaur musical instrument made somewhat like a pan pipe but made by placing multiple bird heads whose trills sound different along a stick and blowing through their skulls. The foxiytaur plays the musical background and dances around, flashing her tail, while the half elf sings. Their songs are aimed at children, but many parents appreciate the cleanliness of the music and gladly offer coppers to the pair for their entertainment. Of course, while the song is ongoing, the "goelme bears" put on a show of bouncing around while being chased by the "goelmee bandit", as the rapier wielding racoonman has become known.
If the below sounds familiar, its because if you're a kid from the 80's, it probably is  I'm only including the song here between us because its such a blatant rip off, but I figured people would find it cute.
Dashing and daring,
Courageous and caring,
Faithful and friendly,
With stories to share.
All through the forest,
They sing out in chorus,
Marching along,
As their song fills the air.
Goelmee Bears!!
Bouncing here and there and everywhere.
High adventure that's beyond compare.
They are the Goelmee Bears.
Magic and mystery,
Are part of their history,
Along with the secret,
Of Goelmeeberry juice.
Their legend is growing,
They take pride in knowing,
They'll fight for what's right,
In whatever they do.
Goelmee Bears!!
Bouncing here and there and everywhere.
High adventure that's beyond compare.
They are the Goelmee Bears.
They are the Goelmee Bears!!
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Oct 2020 17:08:45 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 26 Oct 2020 : 09:45:41
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Great Reader sleyvas,
I really want to start working on a campaign (sandbox) that includes Maztica as an option. You clearly appear to be the SME here on it. Where do you recommend me starting as I want to go in the right order on lore based materials, to include your works here?
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 26 Oct 2020 : 15:31:18
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quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2
Great Reader sleyvas,
I really want to start working on a campaign (sandbox) that includes Maztica as an option. You clearly appear to be the SME here on it. Where do you recommend me starting as I want to go in the right order on lore based materials, to include your works here?
Best regards,
For Maztica, Seethyr's definitely the better subject matter expert. He's put out multiple additional pieces of material based on Maztica on DM's Guild. If its specifically Maztica you want to expand into look at his Maztica Campaign Guide and his Lopango, Land of the Sacred Sun stuff first. If you're interested in Anchorome, look at his Anchorome Guide. All can be found in this bundle along with a ton of other work
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/280958/Maztica-Alive-BUNDLE
I'd also recommend looking at his blacktoe glacier add on.
Most of what I've been doing has been throwing ideas against the wall (some of which are bad, some of which are loosely formed, and some of which, when I look I've come back to the same idea twice) on what to add. He's definitely listened to my ideas, and I can see where he's used them in his products (some in a way that I wasn't picturing and it improved them... some in a way that I'd also like to fix to fit my ideas better, but at least he's putting ideas to paper).
As to my other ideas, I don't mind sharing them, as I find talking tends to improve them.
The other stuff I've been doing is discussing how to fit Faerunian cultures INTO these environments without overwhelming them and how they might have not overshadowed those campaign elements. Also, how to fit Abeiran elements into the campaign world without them just taking over Maztica/Anchorome/Katashaka. My main thrust of an idea there is something that I'm kind of seeing represented in some of the 5e realmslore, and its basically that "the people in the know, weren't in the know". For instance, they believed that "the Underchasm" from 5e was the eastern Shaar collapsed into the earth. My thoughts are that the Shaar went to Abeir, and "Grumbar filling it in with new earth" was "Grumbar helping bring the Shaar back". Similarly, lots of the Shining south from the Chultan Peninsula to Ulgarth "went under the ocean" or "blew up" in small bits (while Nimbral, Lantan, etc... "disappeared or sank). I'd have many of the cities of Chessenta/Chondath also partially going to Abeir, to explain the ruins left behind, and perhaps those that came to such place weren't thoroughly aware of what the place was like before the spelplague (and these explorers were probably hesitant about plaguelands). I'd use a similar mechanic of "they went to Abeir OR some other place like the feywild, shadowfell, abyss and now they're back". I'd also not have them come back unchanged. For instance, my presumption is that the places missing in the Chultan peninsula (Tashalar, Thindol, Samarach) come back having been taken over by Abeirans and their peoples fled to places in the "true world" lands of Maztica as refugees.
Similarly, the people of Chessenta, Chondath, Durpar, Var the Golden, Estagund, Luiren, and a portion of the Great Rift who got transferred to Abeir may have fled to the Shaar where collectively they found A) an ancient ruined city of Peleverai built into the cliff walls of the landrise along the river Shaar as it leads to what would be the Western Shaar) and B) the "transferred" Shaar and portions of Chondath is so big that the Abeirans don't know anything about it, and so by the time the Abeirans get around to exploring it significantly the faerunians can have entrenched themselves.
Holding this story together to a degree is the idea that in the ten years preceding the spellplague, Thayan refugees fleeing the civil war helped build a trade enclave with the flaming fist mercenary company. The Flaming Fist was in canon looking for someone to help them create "Calishite Fire", which was an alchemical substance. I figured Thayans would be quite well aware of making this stuff given their fascination with fire, and they'd have the "want" to relocate to a new place where they can seize a quantity of land and make a new life. In those ten years, they explore Anchorome, find a ruined city of Esh Alakar that's from City of Gold that everyone is afraid is cursed, is rumored to have ancient magic, and noone in the area wants to go near. So, naturally, these Thayan refugees establish a small presence there to explore, restore a portion of the city for their own people to inhabit and use this place as a safe place to explore Anchorome. They meet up with some "vikings stranded in a land with nothing but rock, little metal, and no wood" named the Metahel (so named for their wearing of Metal Helms is my guess on the name) also from City of Gold. Using their magic AND portals setup with their trade enclaves, they're able to bring lots of cheap building materials from Faerun to this region... including lots of wood.... and the Metahel and the thayan refugees make fast friends. These Thayan refugees quickly find out that Esh Alakar IS freaking dangerous, so they stop exploring and turn their eyes to other rumors they hear. The Thayan refugees and metahel decide to explore down into a place they hear of called "Lopango, the Land of Fire".... because what Thayan WOULDN'T be attracted to that place based on the name. Along the way, they gather native Azuposi, Nahopaca, Maztican, Kolan, Natican humans etc... individuals either as slaves or as willing servants, guides, artisans. Eventually, they make landfall at the very tip of Lopango's southern end near a volcano and establish a trade enclave there. Then the spellplague happens. So, to give a rough idea, when the spellplague happens, there's 3 groups of Thayan refugees in widespread locations throughout the true world setting up trade enclaves / new homes.
After the spellplague, many of the transferred cities of Chessenta/ Chondath that were "destroyed" or "disappeared" had Thayan trade enclaves in them if you look. Basically, these trade enclaves help form a point of connection between these disparate groups, and eventually they help lead these people into the Shaar to rebuild the ruined city of Peleverai. They're later joined by OTHER people from southern areas.
Add into this that another Zulkir, Mythrell'aa didn't die. She faked her death and fled to a Netherese enclave floating amongst the Tears of Selune (it has a helm that makes them most very very slowly that's dependent up its mythallars... as it has several "smaller" mythallars and not a major one). She has many red wizards up there who are loyal to her, a few Quads of Thay, and even some captured Kara-Turan craft that she used subterfuge to trick the people of Wa and Shou Lung into believing were stolen by their own enemies.
This makes 5 major "locations" after the spellplague that are small but capable of growth that decide to work with one another, and they decide to call this new confederation "The United Tharchs of Toril". Each of these groups over the next hundred years expands in different ways and become less cohesive in their views because of their physical separation. However, they're still trade partners, they don't like the Abeirans, and they find themselves somewhat thrust into leadership roles over other Faerunians who suddenly find their homes overrun.
As far as ideas go, the various tharchs will grow as follows:
Tharch of Balduran Bay (aka Fort Flame)
prior to the spellplague, the Thayans setup trade enclaves in Samargol in Samarach, Lundeth in Thindol, and Tashluta in Tashalar. Portal were also setup from these enclaves to Fort Flame, and when these regions start to get overrun by Abeirans, a slow evacuation starts occurring of about a thousand per day to Fort Flame. Eventually about a hundred thousand individuals total from all 3 countries arrive in Fort Flame (a drop in the bucket for the collective population, but a huge increase for Fort Flame). Eventually, these 3 populations, along with the Thayan refugees, decide that they should take over some of the islands off the coast rather than pushing inland. The thayan refugees still maintain a trade enclave in Fort Flame, but the island becomes their main colony with the Chultan refugees.
Tharch of Esh Alakar
This small tharch decides that trying to clear out the ruins of the ancient city they're in isn't the smartest path forward. They shore up what they have, and make the place an isolated school. However, they discover an ancient hidden spelljammer location connected by portal to Esh Alakar in the nearby desert. All the glassteel ships are there (ships that look like tropical fish made of glass and can go under water), but ALL of the helms are so old that they don't work. The refugees work to get these ships capable of flight enough to reach Luneira, the netherese enclave in the tears of selune. They aren't fast. They can't carry a ton of cargo or people. But, it gives them a way to keep up communications. They also become intrigued with glassteel and its manufacture, and they build a small city on the desert's edge where Gondsmen from Lundeth in Thindol and thayan refugee alchemists try to learn to manufacture glassteel. They turn a lot of the desert sand into slag glass, and they use this slag glass to build things (including a lake lined by glass covered in dirt) and use their weather magic to fill the lake. This small settlement attracts nahopaca humans of Anchorome.
Tharch of Lopango
This tharch has a falling out between its citizenry. The thayan males of the colony for the most part start thinking of themselves as special. They start forming harems with every kind of native human they can find in the area (including some drow) and breeding "impure" humans with mulan blood. They also start adapting from these cultures into their own. The thayan women and many of the metahel don't want to mix themselves with these natives. After a generation, they go south to nearby Katashaka and setup a small colony that's probably half metahel/ half thayan. A generation later, these same racists children have decided that "metahel and mulan breeding is okay.... its not like that stuff that happens in Lopango". They soon establish several small cities on Katashaka's shores and declare themselves "the tharch of the Western Pridelands", and they start making friends with the many varied populations of bestial humanoids of Katashaka (cat folk of all varieties, mouse folk, rat folk, wemics, gnolls, bird folk (ibis, parrot, toucan, cockatoo, vulture, peacock, etc..) zebrataurs, rhinaurs, noceri, loxo, savage giff, yak men, ibixians, minotaurs, etc.... Oddly, this culture that didn't want to see human inbreeding becomes fine with having many of its citizens being non-humans, and oddly its this acceptance that turns a lot of Katashaka from tribal race versus race into an area where different races work together (towards selfish ends). A somewhat similar grouping has also existed in the area, but more altruistic, which I call "The Wakanari Highlands". You'll see more on it if you search the forums.
Eventually, after 3 generations in Abeir, the folk of the Western Pridelands, decide that they want some place like "Thay" reestablished. They find some discontented population of lion cat folk living in exile spread throughout northern Katashaka, and they agree to help them take over the well defended city of their forefathers. In return, they get half the plateau that they live on. The United Tharchs of Toril as a group (i.e. all the tharchs) provide personnel, magic, and other resources and they swarm this place and form the "Tharch of New Eltabbar". The people they attacked manage to flee to a degree, and are aided by some Katashakans who are worried about this growing power in their homeland. Two generations pass on both sides with each side just building up resources, etc... and trying to recover. The tharch of New Eltabbar is one of the most pure Mulan tharchs, and its people live a life of decadence with "Lenastan" (as the lion folk are known) mercenaries serving in roles similar to gnolls in "Old Thay". The city of New Eltabbar is on a lake that the Thayans expand, setting up canals, islands, etc... to make it hard to assault.
Tharch of Peleverai in the Shaar
I have a lot of plans on this area, maybe too much to type right now. Suffice it to say, much of the surrounding areas coalesce here. While on Abeir, they're solidified against the Abeirans. Now they're home, and all these cultures of old are drawn in different directions as they want to explore "this new world" that was in their history books. As a result, what was a relatively strong power in Abeir suddenly finds itself running in multiple different directions. To add to this, they had a far flung city whose inhabitants were able to hold their own in Abeir because noone was near them (Laothkund), which suddenly find themselves right next door to the thayan refugees who DIDN'T go to Abeir (i.e. along the wizard's reach), and they want to ally with these folks and form their own "tharch of the wizard's reach".
Tharch of Luneira
This tharch has little in the way of population. It didn't so much expand as improve its own status. They turned into a city of luxury. A getaway for people from the other tharchs. A city of decadence, gambling, sex, drink and sharing of intelligence. Their one claim to expansion was that they discovered that some islands that had formerly off the northwestern coast of Osse transferred to Abeir. They showed up on the island and cast themselves as "leaders" to the primitives there, and they agreed to protect them if the people there would simply farm for them. They didn't try to change the society heavily, other than to help the people by providing weather magics, training in agricultural techniques and other technological improvement, etc... to make their lives better. They've also set themselves as "larger than life" people of power, which some of the inhabitants are starting to question. Its considered a great thing when a skilled artisan of the islands is chosen "Population in the enclave might be maybe around 10-20k, half of which are visitors at any time, and the population of the islands might be double or triple that (probably 40k spread across multiple islands).
To note as well, all these tharchs are relatively small (between all their cities in a given tharch, there might only be at most 200k people... and most of the folk in a lot of these tharchs are non-mulan as they've integrated other folk). For instance, "the western pridelands" is probably 50/50 mulan and metahel humans or mixes of both, but its probably 75% non-human of a wild assortment of races. Balduran Bay enclave and its islands is probably 50% chultan refugees, 20% mulan/rashemi refugees, and 30% anchorome non-humans. Esh Alakar is a very small population but includes Azuposi, Nahopaca, and Metahel human natives from Anchorome, and some Thindol refugees in its "City on the Great Glass Lake" and the tharch has more of a technological/crafting focus than any other. New Eltabbar is strong, but not populous. It was starting to expand just prior to the second sundering, forming numerous small villages with farming communities outside of the capital city, with the goal of setting up slaving operations. Peleverai in the Shaar is probably the most populous, having drawn population from the surrounding territories, but they're quickly becoming fractured in their focus because suddenly everything surrounding them has changed in one fell swoop and they find they have 100 years of history changes that they need to catch up on. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2020 : 03:28:16
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Great Reader sleyvas,
I appreciate the very thorough and detailed information there. I'll certainly check in with Senior Scribe Seethyr.
I was also curious though, and I apologize for not clarifying this before, if you feel that Senior Scribe Seethyr would still be the correct sage to go to for pre-Spellplague information on Maztica? To be clear, I do not mean that in an impugning manner; rather, I just don't know if he has been a focused sage on post-Spellplague, or just across the board in the know on Maztica. I don't play post-Spellplague at all, so I don't want to invest in that reading for something I won't use, of course.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2020 : 10:46:03
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| We've both put aside the notion of worrying about trying to design a campaign in earlier timelines, but both of us are pretty knowledgable about the earlier lore as well. That being said, Maztica itself, he's delved more on, where I put my main focus on further north. For instance, I read the main novels and the main campaign guide, and I've perused the modules but not thoroughly read them. I have read through City of Gold a lot though, and it was me that put together certain assumptions like "the metahel were northmen stranded in Anchorome" which was hinted at in the lore but not outright said. He has also tried to stay a bit truer to the source material as well, whereas I've more wandered the edges to explore while keeping the source material in mind. He had a much freer hand when it came to Lopango, since nothing was written previously, and I've put my own spin to it after reading his. Blacktoe Glacier, I really liked what he did, and I can see where some of the ideas we've talked about he brought out (i.e. the elves are snow elves, the urskan exist, there are shatjan from the hordelands boxed set in Anchorome, etc...), but he put together a good history and some good spins in it. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 27 Oct 2020 11:19:48 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2020 : 15:57:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Cervidae Folk (Shatjan) with Giant Elk Antler Staff and bow (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4625745) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
While Cervidae Folk serve to protect the herds of deer, caribou, elk, and even such fantastic creatures as giant elk, they are also attentive to using that which they provide. In particular, reusing antlers that have been shed is a common practice, and giant elk antlers are prized for their creation of deadly antler staves. Though typically connected with wood, its not uncommon for bones of dead giants or other powerful, large creatures to be use for the center part of the staff. This weapon is so common that most cervidae folk are trained in its use.
Some practictioners of hishna have spread their knowledge northward, particularly amongst the metahel humans (who have an almost reverence for horn based weapons), snow elves, shatjan, urskan, and Poscadari elves. They have developed spells to harden horn to the strength of steel. As a result, reindeer, elk, and moose antlers, whether shed or captured from a kill, are a commonly traded commodity. Other horns, such as that found on jackalopes of all sizes, bison, flying rothe, foxibou, and even intelligent creatures like shatjan and hybsil are also favored by the people of Anchorome.
The art of scrimshaw to make fish hooks is perhaps one of the most commonly seen uses. However, antler knives, antler arrowheads, antler wands, antler staves, antler-head spears and harpoons, moose antler axes, and small shields made of entwined reindeer antlers or bucklers made of moose antlers. Most notably there are even monks using unusual fighting styles not found in Faerun or kara-tur but using weapons similar to a kama, punch daggers, or even a "spiked chain" made from leather and antlers. There are even individuals using weapons believed to have originated in Kara-tur, such as the maduvu which consists of two antlers joined together in opposite directions, with the wielder holding one antler and his fingers sitting between the two sets of antler.
However, this working of hishna magics with antlers goes well beyond just making antlers less brittle by giving them strength similar to metals. Some hishna magics work with the spirits of the animal itself, and as a result, some magics which are less common in Faerun are actually more commonly found in Anchorome. For instance, weapons and shields made of horn are not as rare that have the ability to animate themselves and either attack or defend their wielder. In fact, one metahel goddess, Sifya the war mother, is said to use a shield of interlocking antlers that can also come apart into the separate antlers and attack her enemies if she feels the need to be more offensive. Also, not all hishna magics are used to strengthen horn, for some are used to make horn a bit more flexible, such as the hishna magics used on longhorn herd animals to make powerful bows wieldable by beings with exceptional strength of arms.
That is really cool to have hishna added to the shatjan repertoire. What other kind of spells effects do you think a shatjan would want? I see them as they were originally described in the Horde boxed set as protectors of the wild reindeer herds, so I figure they might also use a lot of misdirectional magics and even some fear effects that could keep errant caribou from running off. Heck, you could create a whole different "True World Artisan" magic type specific to the shatjan. Once again, getting that idea mill flowing, if only there was more time.
Seethyr,
Hey, with the whole idea of "True World Artisans" and laying out the various races and where I want to put them, I feel the need to define some of their cities a little more. You know, so that its not just "and here's a city of bearfolk", but more
"these bearfolk are hunters of the kaaya'yeeda. They also capture animals and monstrosities and train them to serve the bearfolk. Giant beaver, Giant woodpecker, giant elk, owlbear, and winged owlbear are..."
"this is a city of bearfolk who have chosen to take their focus in life from hunting and instead become craftsmen, studiers of magic, etc... They focus on using cast off reindeer horns to make yada yada, giant beaver teeth to make large gnashing saw mills, giant woodpecker bills for drilling, dire hummingbird bills as knitting needles, onyx elk antlers are carved into yada yada, axebeak bills make axes, aarakocra, axebeak and owlbear feathers used in plumacraft make... etc.."
"these bearfolk are lumberjacks who use giant beavers and giant woodpeckers to down trees rather than axes and deliver them down river using giant elk to haul the logs. Bearfolk druids have befriended over a dozen wildleaf stags and they use these creatures to plant and regrow the trees from where they are removed. Unlike human lumberjacks, these woodland urskan are very conscious of the need to keep the forest growing and not destroy the habitat. They also must feed all the giant beavers, elk, and woodpeckers, which requires them to grow acres of maize, soybeans, and ... In order to pollinate so many flowering plants, priestesses of Balanis the Honey Queen encourage hives..."
I wanted to throw out there.... of all the creatures we've talked about, do any of them occur to you as something "from which things can be made" just because they're bigger, etc... For instance, I know beaver teeth are a strong as iron, so giant beaver teeth should be as well (possibly even stronger as they're more dense).
I've got some rather odd pictures in my head right now of things like a series of giant beaver skulls that's made to open and close via a river with a waterwheel and belts, and then trees are "fed" through the gnashing teeth. The leftover "pulp" (because its not as efficient as say a saw) from this is used to make paper, and the outer bark used for firewood, etc..
I'm looking for any thoughts of a similar nature that pop in your head
just to throw out some of the ideas again of creatures (none of which I've written up)... and maybe some uses
giant beaver (see above). Picturing these as size medium. Also thinking their teeth might be turned at an angle and attached to a long bone to make a two man "saw" that might be used in sawmills .
giant woodpecker (see above) drilling holes in wood. Feathers used in plumacraft. Kept as pets, but bodies used when they die. If alchemically hardened, might drill into stone. Picturing size medium creatures.
dire hummingbird - picturing size small. feathers used in plumacraft. Bills used for knitting
wildleaf stags - kept as animal companions and treated well. They help grow fields of agriculture and regrow trees.
onxy elk - bones and antlers produce onyx. Bred like cattle. Source of enmity with the shatjan.
giant elks - kept as beasts of burden and treated well. Antlers are cast off periodically and used to make antler staves. Source of enmity with the shatjan.
giant porcupine - picturing size medium. Considered a tasty treat by the bearfolk. Quills harvested for???
giant skunk - scent glands are drained to create "stink bombs" that are sometimes used on the outskirts of communities to discourage interloping animals
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 27 Oct 2020 16:39:53 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2020 : 03:41:18
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FeSmale Frost Sprite (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4642050) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
In blacktoe glacier, known as Wootenai by most residents, there exists a place of portals that connects to the great glacier. In this place, known as Quivyre, Kupuks roam free, having migrated across gateways from the great glacier. However, they are not the only creatures to have come to Wootenai via the portal networks there. Uldra from the spirit world are also seen here. However, the ones who have been here the longest are the frost sprites who brought worship of Rellavar Danuvien to Toril. Some say that a great archfey named Aurilandur was also brought by the frost sprites, who proclaimed her their queen at one point. In fact, some frost sprites have turned to the dark side, as they say that their queen has been affected by the power of a great black diamond of primordial cold. These frost sprites have become known as simply "frosts", though some refer to them as snow sprites or snow fairies. Still, some still hold to following Rellavar, and have to given themselves over to the sway of darkness and evil. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 14:04:19
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Female Frost Sprite Ranger / Cleric / Druid (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4645192) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
Even the smallest creature can have a great impact. It wasn't the powerful urskan, the steadfast shatjan, or the brave snow elves of wootenai that established the Ice Ramparts of Al'keyan in the Keanorin mountains of northern Anchorome. It was a contingent of the tiny frost sprites of Quivyre with their Uldra allies that built the fortress ring of ice surrounding the Blood Ice Spire of Cryonax. It was the frost sprite priests of Rellavar Danuvien that actually drew a coalition of urskan, shatjan, snow elves, kercpa, and anikiwah (also known as anchorome hybsil) together to protect the frozen north from this looming threat by creating the almost knightly "Order of Rimed Vigilance". Unfortunately, as time has passed and the threat of Cryonax seems more and more distant, fewer individuals are drawn to service, and larger and larger spans of the ramparts are falling undefended. There are even rumors that other beings, presumably snow goblins, have taken up residence in at least one keep. Some even believe that a small sect of frost sprites have been turned by Auril, the Queen of Air and Darkness, changing their essential nature to become what are known as "frosts" or "snow fairies" in service to the Unseelie Court and have even defaced the altar of Rellavar Danuvien with bloody sacrifice.
But despite these rumors, the frost sprites of the Ice Ramparts of Al'keyan wait warily, keeping their antler bows readied and their blue ice arrows sharp. Despite their small size, they show the great size of their hearts. Their stubborn refusal to yield the field to an enemy who threatens to roll over them and leave their bodies in its wake reveals a sense of true heroism in these miniscule fey warriors, which in turn inspires others to resolve themselves to fight all that much harder. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 06 Nov 2020 15:21:11 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 16:24:29
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Great Reader sleyvas,
I think that is really cool that you are going north. There is so much land there to develop, and with the DM's Guild available for putting that material out there, that makes it extra cool.
I really think more magic, ritual, etc. stuff as discussed elsewhere too, should be implemented. That would be amazing! I personally really like Hishna and Pluma magic. I love the idea of that kind of world magic being the only thing that can stop certain kinds of world based issues/problems that arise, i.e. super ancient material, perhaps such as Dendar.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 19:02:32
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Great Reader sleyvas and Senior Scribe Seethyr,
Is it either of you who produced the ANC1 The Anchorome Campaign Guide? I am assuming so, but wanted to double check.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 20:40:52
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quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2
Great Reader sleyvas and Senior Scribe Seethyr,
Is it either of you who produced the ANC1 The Anchorome Campaign Guide? I am assuming so, but wanted to double check.
Best regards,
Yessir, always taking Sleyvas’ suggestions in the process. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 21:35:37
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Senior Scribe Seethyr,
Very cool! I've been eyeballing that for a bit now. I think I will pick it up. Before I do, is there anything in it that would make it unusable for 3.5/Pathfinder?
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 21:45:32
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quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2
Great Reader sleyvas and Senior Scribe Seethyr,
Is it either of you who produced the ANC1 The Anchorome Campaign Guide? I am assuming so, but wanted to double check.
Best regards,
Seethyr made the anchorome campaign guide after we discussed some things. I'd say about 40% of that is from city of gold with some updates, then about 50 percent seethyr and maybe a few percent me throwing out ideas. Some of the other things though I've had a decent bit more input into, like blacktoe glacier (also by Seethyr, wherein he fleshed out the urskan, shatjan, and snow elves, but I initially suggested they should be there).
In the above, "the keanorin mountains", "blood ice spire" using Cryonax, and "Quivyre" are also Seethyr's creations. I just decided to add frost sprites to the region because Rellavar Danuvien is noted as "king of the frost sprites", so I threw them in Quivyre to give the area some more fleshing out, and I created the "ice ramparts of Al'keyan". I also decided I wanted Uldra (from frostburn) up there as well as a kind of neutral race. Secondarily, I just wanted to create imagery of frost sprites to create them as a player race or as familiars. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 06 Nov 2020 21:46:42 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2020 : 22:04:33
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Great Reader sleyvas,
Awesome. I just got it. I appreciate the input, and I'm really looking forward to reading through that!
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2020 : 14:04:43
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So, while writing up some rules for a frost sprite race, I once again went back to something that's been bothering me with blacktoe glacier. We have Auril. We have Cryonax. Meanwhile, over in Toril, the FR novel series introduces a spirit world queen of ice named Kunin Gatar. There's also the idea of the Queen of Air and Darkness in FR that was tied to Auril. We also have canonically that there is definitely a being in Anchorome representing winter named Shakak, who is also a being tied to magpies and opposes miochin the spirit of summer, and Shakak is also tied to magpies. But nothing in blacktoe glacier uses Shakak, even though canonically he's the most known power of ice and snow in anchorome. Now, we could say that "shakak" is cryonax or auril, but maybe there's something else we could do.
One of the things from 4e that I liked was its exploration of the feywild and the rulers of faerie. So, in dragon #374, they introduce a being known as "The Prince of Frost". He lives in the "Fortress of Frozen Tears" and is "the mightiest of the winter fey" per the article (though everyone is always the mightiest). He is ALSO, per the Sword Coast Adv. Guide, a canon entity in FR who serves as a Patron for warlocks.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Prince_of_Frost
When I look at his picture, he reminds me of a snow elf. That being said, he SHOULD since he's supposed to be an eladrin/elf type fey being from the feywild. We also don't know "The Prince of Frosts" name. We do know that he used to be "The Sun Prince", and he was the eldest son of the Summer Queen (quite likely Titania).
It occurs to me to try and link Shakak.... who we know decidedly little about except that he's tied to magpies, winter, and he fights with Miochin, the power of summer, hoping to gain "the corn maidens".... and to link this Shakak to the Prince of Frost as the same being. Also, to link THAT being to the snow elves. We know that the Prince of Frost sometimes is in opposition to the "the summer court", so he is similar to Shakak in that respect as well. We also know that Shakak "seeks the corn maidens", and that the prince of frost is chasing his love, one of the fey powers who was a "daughter of delight".
So, perhaps there are some snow elves (and possibly shadar-kai) that worship Shakak/"The Prince of Frost" and are decidedly evil.
What else do we know of "the Prince of Frost"? Well, he was in love with and betrothed some other powerful archfey, one of the three "Daughters of Delight", by the name of Sharae, who fell in love with a mortal. She doesn't seem anything like Shar btw. She turned to the Raven Queen for aid to prevent the prince of frost killing her mortal lover. The Raven Queen casts Sharae and her lover into the future to escape the prince of frost. The Prince's heart turns to ice at the loss of his betrothed and he affects others around him. Sharae's two sisters (Velayn and Loralae) are imprisoned by the prince of frost and changed from being "the daughters of delight" to wraithlike incorporeal entities known as "the sisters of lament" and now have the names Mournwind and Soulsorrow. The Prince of Frost is pissed at the Raven Queen, but the Raven Queen is intrigued with him and would like to make him her own exarch or even consort.
So, I know what a lot of you are thinking... what does any of this matter? Its all high end story telling outside of the PC's involvement. Well, then let's link it to the world and how we might use it.
First off... Shakak being the Prince of Frost... maybe he is a power of the snow elves, but an evil one. He has ties to magpies, so perhaps these snow elves ride giant magpies to hunt the glacier (not necessarily blacktoe glacier, as there's a lot in the north mind you) from their lofty mountain heights than can't be climbed to. Then again, maybe we take and spread shakak's power beyond just snow elves. There is a note that Auril was possibly known as Aurilandur, queen of the frost sprites, an archfey. We also have Rellavar Danuvien as "King of the Frost Sprites" and friend of the god of the snow elves. So, possibly some frost sprites have become twisted servants of Shakak. Then there's the concept from 3e of the uldra as small size winter fey from the spirit world with ties to animals. Then there's also an idea that if we're doing some kind of fey high up in the mountains where its cold... maybe some avariel elves that aren't good. Also, since we've got these wraithlike "sisters of lament"... banshees fit this as well.
So, maybe a "realm" on the western north side of the continent. Maybe up in the mountains there are evil uldra that ride "giant magpies" which are size medium. Maybe there are "frostfell fairies" that are an evil subrace of frost sprites (and literally, their alignment changes them into this form). Maybe there are snow elves who can traverse the mountains, but there may also be some who have some other type of flying mount like giant owls. Maybe there are evil avariels as well. Maybe this fey realm opposes the aearee. Maybe there are warlocks and spirit shamans here, and some of them have pacts with Shakak. Shakak/Prince of Frost himself is not a "god", but he is a powerful archfey (whom some consider a "great spirit").
It should be noted that the prince of frost is still noted to be an ally of the fey when they have need against other powers of the feywild. He hates fomorians. He hates goblins. So perhaps the people of his realm also opposes the snow goblins of the north. Maybe there are frost giants on the western north that this group opposes, and possibly fomorians. Maybe they even oppose fire giants on the eastern side of the continent on that peninsula that stretches towards faerun.
Maybe these fey seek to capture the "corn maidens" lesser spirits, and maybe the corn maidens are just lesser royalty of the feywild/spirit world. Since the corn maidens are known to wander the world, letting animals free from their baskets, and presumably helping plants/corn grow, they may be some kind of powers of the same court that the Prince of Frost's love came from. One of them may in fact hold the spirit of his love, Sharae, since time has now passed since the Raven Queen cast her soul forward in time.
The prince of frost hates the raven queen, who is related to ravens. Shakak has ties to magpies (relatives of the ravens) and may have issues with the great raven spirit, which may be something of a servant to the raven queen. He may consider the great raven to be a spy who watches the world and reports back to the raven queen (in some ways not unlike the norse ravens huginn and muninn). Main thing, Shakak's people may not like the great raven spirit or the people that worship it (which would include the Azuposi, and may include some Metahel as well).
As a final aside, and not so much anchorome based, the current "story" for the Rime of the Frostmaiden adventure, could actually be that the being representing itself as "Auril" is in fact some other entity. That or "Auril" is another archfey power and not nearly as powerful as a god as she's been given credit for. Like the "Prince of frost" she may be a being who was changed as a result of the actions of the Raven Queen/ Queen of Air and Darkness. The recent twitter hints we have from Ed are that for a time the QoA&D was using Auril's name, possibly since the spellplague. So there definitely can be some kind of work done there... I'm not sure what I like, but I think I do like the idea of "Auril" becoming "Aurilandur" again. The idea of a dark goddess actually gaining redemption, but then some dark power stepping in to fulfill her role as a cruel power of winter has some draws. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 12 Nov 2020 14:17:34 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2020 : 17:55:14
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Bisontaur (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4651352) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
The tatankatu, known to faerunians by the names "bisontaur" and "rothetaur" and "werebuffalo" amongst other nicknames, is believed by some to be a form of hengeyokai, others call it a lyncanthrope. In truth, it is neither, for it only has a bison, rothe or buffalo form and a hybrid form that resembles a minotaurs upper torso and the bottom half being a full bison,rothe, or buffalo. They live in minnenewah lands, primarily in Tabaah Ayani where the white bison is revered, and spend the majority of their time grazing in their animal form. As a result, few know just how many of these creatures actually exist. In fact, most believe them to be a myth, but in every generation there are reports of an attempted culling of a herd running awry when one of the animals suddenly took on tauric form and suddenly began killing everyone in the hunting party. Some believe that, like the shatjans found in the north, these creatures were sent by Besparr the Many-legged to protect the herds from predators. Others of course believe that they are the children of The Great White Bison spirit. The true origins are of course lost to history.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 12 Nov 2020 22:17:18 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 00:49:30
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antler bow for minis (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4659202) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
Finding a reuse for shed antlers is a commmon function for most cultures of Anchorome. In fact, there is a hishna spell which causes a deer, elk, or moose to harmlessly shed its antlers and immediately begin growth of a new set. Antler bows are one such common use of shed antlers, especially when treated with hishna magic to make them more flexible while maintaining their strength. Antler bows are commonly found in use amongst the shatjan, anikiwah (who faerunians call "anchorome hybsil"), snow elves, snow goblins, the metahel, and even uldra.
Uldra Female Caster (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4658222) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
The arctic uldra of the wootenai glacier are mainly found around quivyre and are known for their skill with frostfell magics.
Uldra with Staghorn Bow (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4659264) by sleyvas is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.
uldra rangers are protectors of the animals that roam the glacier.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 20 Nov 2020 02:33:26 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 13:36:11
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Since we had been discussing the idea of using hishna with bone and antler weapons, and because I was looking at the old great glacier product, I thought it appropriate to list some of the weapons discussed in said product, because they actually fit some of the concepts. The naulagak is mechanically different enough to be a weird special weapon, in that you attack, then pull the rope, and a bone "hook" then turns inside the body holding the harpoon in place to keep a creature from leaving. The Iuak seems an appropriate replacement for a short sword, in that people would use it for other purposes (chopping up ice) and its significantly different from a maca. There are more in that product, but there's not much difference for them than just saying a "bone spear" or "bone harpoon" or "arrow made from bone", so they'd just be the names to be used mainly for flavor reasons.
Naulagak. Another type of harpoon, the naulagak is a wood or bone shaft shaped like a wishbone at one end. A separate blade of bone, razor-sharp on all sides, is fixed between the shafts of the wishbone, held so that the blade can toggle back and forth. A long cord attaches to the other end of the naulagak. When the shaft pierces an animal, the hunter jerks the cord, which causes the blade to toggle. Not only does this increase the damage, it also secures the animal to the shaft, making it much harder for the animal to get away.
Garnok. A foot-long bone rod with a leather thong on one end and a small cup on the other. It's used to hurl small (3-inch or less) bone darts.
Iuak. A bone blade resembling a machete, about 2 feet long and 6 inches wide. The end of the blade is flat, not pointed. Mainly used to cut blocks to make snowhouses, the iuak also makes a good offensive weapon.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 20 Nov 2020 14:03:33 |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 25 Nov 2020 : 20:34:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
I've been cataloguing the journey of Anchorome's Volo here...
https://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=25726&p=267331#p267331
Saw you were looking for new exotic bird feathers as I skimmed that (will read it more later). Not sure if you just meant "types" or rules. If types, I'll throw out ideas after this. One thing I was considering with plumaweaving was the idea that in addition to bird feathers, perhaps some other folks may have learned to use flower petals (and in particular abnormally large flower petals, which the adusgi forest has in several different areas). For instance, a giant honeysuckle flower might be the length of your forearm (as opposed to the length of your pinky) and might be able to be preserved and worked in a way similar to silk. I can see the Abeil and the anikiwah (anchorome hybsil) both interested in crafting using preserved flower petals.
Also, possibly plumaweaving might also include using harvested butterfly wings (pulled from butterflies that have passed naturally). Given that we had at one point talked about having giant butterflies (something like size medium'ish), that could open up things.
Just to throw out feather ideas
giant woodpecker feather
giant hummingbird feather
owlkin feathers
aarakocra feathers
peryton feathers
piazza bird feathers
parrogriff (parrot griffin) feathers
hippoucan (toucan hippogriff) feathers
giant magpie feathers
giant raven feathers
thunderbird feathers
owlbear feathers
tressym feathers
avariel feathers
P.S. I was also glad to see you changing the name used for "the dog people" to Azitilan. I'll keep that in mind to try and maintain consistency. I never liked it for other reasons as well (because it makes me think they're talking about gnolls or something similar). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 25 Nov 2020 21:10:25 |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2020 : 16:47:22
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| Sleyvas, the journey is headed towards Adusgi at this point. Let me know which of the concepts (I know you have a lot of notes on Adusgi) you’d really like me to include. For certain, the kercpa are going to get an entry. |
Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!
The Maztica Campaign
The Anchorome Campaign |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 26 Nov 2020 : 22:04:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
Sleyvas, the journey is headed towards Adusgi at this point. Let me know which of the concepts (I know you have a lot of notes on Adusgi) you’d really like me to include. For certain, the kercpa are going to get an entry.
Well, I've been writing up the entries I have for Adusgi/Pagunki in correlation to that map copy I sent you the other day. You don't need to hit aany of this, but hopefully just don't make this impossible. I'll include some of what I've written up below. But, just for brevity, the main things I note are
Alaghi/Umpleby are in the eastern side mostly
There's some mixed hills/woods hidden in the Pagunki called Goelmearra. It was formed 2 to 3 hundred years ago when the forest gnomes of another world had their village ripped from their world to the spirit world by Urdlen. Gnome deities helped their people by changing some of them into racoonfolk and badgerfolk (see the race thing I sent you, ) when they got into tight spots. These new races are shorter lived than the gnomes (humanlike lifespans), resulting in there now being more racoonfolk and badgerfolk than the original forest gnomes. The elders of the forest gnomes still remember life on the other world and the travel through the spirit world, but the racoonfolk/badgerfolk are now on their 10th to 15th generation of newborns in Goelmearra. Soon after forming Goelmearra, some refugee arctic uldra were fleeing some bearfolk while escorting a corn maiden from imprisonment in the cold north lands. These uldra became the first foxiytaurs (ee'na'li). The corn maiden still resides in Goelmearra and has blessed the land with abundance. Some campestri have also relocated here from the land seized by the rogue abeil (Momo Mellonia). Essentially, Goelmearra is a land of refugees, surrounded by refugee half elves who protect the wood.
kercpa throughout the western Adusgi forest and Holamoira Forest
anikiwah (anchorome hybsil) in the northern portions, mainly NW in small tribes. Picture them like native american tribes in a forest, but with deer bottoms. Hide tents instead of tepees.
Shatjan that you detailed in blacktoe glacier are "chosen" individuals and empowered by their god Besparr to protect the herds. This empowering makes them large. Normal shatjan have reindeer or moose heads and are size medium. The males can mate with Anikiwah when their own females aren't in heat. The males can also mate with dryads, and wildleaf stags are often the result born of this mating.
NE portion of the forest is "The Great Timberspires" and is basically like a forest full of redwoods. Inhabited by bearfolk that are at odds with most other populations of the forest.
Adusgi Forest
Nicknamed “The Forest of Hairy Men” because of its large alaghi population, this forest serves as a barrier to the northern portion of Anchorome. However, the alaghi are far from the only reason for the forest's nickname, and there are numerous bestial humanoid and tauric races that call this forest home. In fact the alaghi and their umpleby allies primarily live in the eastern portion of the forest, while the western portion of the forest belongs to a great diversity of races.
By far, the most widespread of all the races is also the most well hidden. The squirrel-like kercpa can be found throughout most of the forest in small groups of 30 or less. In particular, there are dozens of scurries of kercpa down in the Pagunki Wood who serve as spies for the local half elves. There are two areas where they can be found in much longer groups, along with their anikiwah allies. The place they consider most holy is known as Raelkath's sprout, a section of forest with numerous weirwoods, including Raelkath's Sprout, a grove of ancient weirwoods surrounding an amazingly tall specimen from which the place is named. They also favor Algoma valley, also known as the forest of blooming nectar, a magically fertile area of the forest filled with giant flowering plants and swarms of hummingbirds.
Nor is Algoma Valley the only section of the wood filled with giant flowers. Momo Mellonia is another such place, and at one point it too had been filled with kercpa. However, they were forced out when the bee-like humanoids known as the abeil heard about the magically fertile ground nearly four decades ago. This has put the abeil at odds with the giants of Chumash Springs, who crave their honey, and nearly every other race of the forest who do not enjoy the orderly taming of that which was once wild that the perform upon the territory.
Of course, Momo Mellonia is not the only area of the forest being adapted for habitation, for the inhabitants of Goelmearra have slowly and with great care made their hillside homes so as to be in tune with nature. This is quite different from the log structures of the woodland urskans, as the bearfolk are not known for subtelty. Still, even the urskan understand that nature must be in balance and have a proper respect for the woodlands that faerunian loggers would do well to learn from.
More can be found about the Adusgi Forest in the DM's Guild Product ANC1 The Anchorome Campaign Guide. However, the below details some new specific locations.
Algoma Valley
The Algoma Valley, also known as the Forest of Blooming Nectar, is a valley full of large flowering plant life found in the northwestern corner of the Adusgi Forest. Its thought that this valley is sacred to the two daughters, Uretsete and Naotsete, of Iyatiku, the Corn Mother. Some even believe that somewhere within the valley lies the Basket of Uretsete, which could explain the unnatural number of animals and rich lakes of fish which are found in the valley throughout the year. There is no doubt that there is something magical enhancing the growth of plants.
The most common flower found throughout the valley is a variety of honeysuckle that produces flowers the size of a human's forearm. Of course, where there are giant honeysuckle, there are also giant hummingbirds and butterflies. Giant hummingbirds are nowhere near as giant as their name would imply, most being only two to four feet long. This makes them the perfect size for the kercpa, who favor these creatures as mounts not only for their ability to fly, but also their ability to hover in place. Still, as much as they like these creatures, there are far too many kercpa for each to have one personally. More commonly seen mounts are the giant bluejays, cardinals, and goldfinches.
Still, there aren't enough available mounts that all of them can ride flying creatures. Its far more common to see the tiny squirrelfolk riding the rabbit-like antlered jackalope or the many wild fox, almost a living caricature of their fabled protector, Rititisk the Clever. Occasionally, a kercpa is seen astride a winged jackalope, carrying on the days business flitting from treetop to treetop.
The mountains to the north of this valley are not particularly tall, but they are snow covered throughout most of the year. This keeps the rivers that run down the mountains at a steady flow year round. Exactly what generates the snow is of some debate, and the The valley is riddled with small ponds and streams, which is without doubt part of the reason that the land is so fertile. These all feed to the massive Lake Rititisk, named after famed squirrel spirit Rititisk the Clever, which is worshipped by the kercpa. Some say the lake gained its name because its the actual pawprint of the squirrel which is said to travel up and down the world tree, carrying insults between the dawn cock, a rooster spirit, at its top and the night serpent who gnawed upon its roots. They point out that the number of jackalopes in the area is proof of this fact, for Rititisk's mount is the jackalope spirit Harifur. Still others point out that there is no way that the squirrel spirit's footprint could be large enough to make a lake that is miles across.
Still, this valley full of giant flowers isn't home to just tiny squirrelfolk and fey humanoids, and the tauric deerfolk known as anikiwah are also fiercely protective of the valley. There is also a small population of shatjan as well, for the anikiwah here and the shatjan of the nearby herdlands of Atapukk maintain cordial relations with one another.
Chumash Springs, (Land of the Pyre Giants)
Most realms sages have heard of genasi, and they know they're generally born of relations between elemental denizens and humanoids. Pyre giants are a similar crossbreed, but its believed that they come from a deliberate crossbreeding of verbeeg slaves and azer prisoners by fire giants in order to get a more resilient form of verbeeg for surviving with the fiery domains in which the fire giants live. This created a version of verbeeg with a brassy colored skin and acclimated to warm environments, which is known in the true world as a “Pyre Giant”. These creatures seem to have a bit of a twisted mixing of multiple elements in their makeup, and many Pyre giants manifest powers to control fire, but even more exhibit links to the ability to control superheated steam, boiling water, or the ability to summon rain with ritual dances. When and where exactly this breeding experiment occurred is under debate, but recently uncovered cave painting lead some scholars to believe that this breed of verbeeg was created down in Lopango, the Land of Fire. These drawings seem to depict some relationship between the Gold-Clad Giant Kings and what appear to be black-skinned fire giants and a portal. Its also believed that the pyre giants revolted, fleeing back through this portal to the volcanic chains of Anchorome's northeastern peninsula. It's further surmised that the pyre giants also broke away from their fire giant creators, fleeing into the surrounding mountains in the north. Since that time, the fire giants and pyre giants of northeastern Anchorome have skirmished with one another whenever they meet.
Over time, the Pyre giants have sought out other areas in which to live that were less volatile. Over the last thousand years, they have ventured as far as the Sands of Itzcala, and one such venture led them to the Pasocada basin. It was there that they met the transformed azuposi known as “Long Canyon Giants”, a grossly oversized human who were transformed by the potions of the Ancient Ones into beings that were larger than even the pyre giants. This potion also turned the long canyon giants into somewhat dimmer versions of their former selves, though they were much brighter than hill giants. In a strange sense of irony, these two magically changed races found a kindred spirit between them. Dozens of Long Canyon Giant females were drawn to the wit and charm of the pyre giants, who told them of a great forest to the northeast which was filled with food and good hunting. As proof, they provided bison jerky, venison haunches, and numerous furs to woo these females to come back with them to their new home in the Adusgi Forest, or occasionally back to the mountains to the northeast. Numerous generations have passed, and the pyre giants have made it a common practice to travel to the Pasocada basin in order to woo new females back to their home to this day. As a result, long canyon giant males tend to attack pyre giants on sight now. This breeding with the long canyon giants has resulted in a slightly taller version of verbeeg, standing ten feet tall on average. They have ruddy or brassy colored skin, and their hair is typically black or dark brown and generally worn long. They like to decorate their hair with beadwork, jewelry, fur hats, or even shaving their hair into long manes that they wear stiffened and dyed to draw attention to themselves. Oddly though, they generally do not grow long facial hair. In many ways, pyre giants resemble overly large versions of Azuposi with a rosy red tint to their skin.
For many years, these pyre giants grew up in the Adusgi Forest. They favored the central territory known as Chumash Springs, but they would traverse the entirety of the forest and even into the lands known as the kaaya'yeeda to hunt game. Chumash Springs is a rocky land filled with numerous hot springs and scrabbly evergreen trees growing in thick clumps whereever the breaks in the rock allow it. It is also a land of numerous caves, at first caused by the flowing rivers and streams in the area, but since hollowed out by the pyre giants themselves in order to make homes.
At first, the pyre giants were very good neighbors to the other inhabitants of the forest. Near to Chumash Springs was a land of thick, wild growth which was fed by the mineral rich waters of the hot springs. This produced giant versions of many vines, flowers, and fungi, and this land was inhabited by a tiny blue fey folk known as forest uldra, and their equally small intelligent mushroom friends known as campestri. There was little conflict between these two cultures unless the pyre giants grew overzealous in their hunting of the wild game of the forest. The pyre giants also made fast friends with the many roaming tribes of alaghi and umpleby that roam the eastern side of forest. They were not as successful with the urskan bearfolk, kercpa, and anikiwah due to their tendency to view these beings as a variety of talking animal which was fortuitously edible. Relations with the shatjan turned openly hostile over the hunting of deer, and these two cultures have never come to terms resembling peace with one another. Still, overall, the pyre giants were successful in their travels, and their society began to slowly grow.
This relative peace changed when a plague of lyncanthropy began spreading in the forest. It turned particularly virulent when several tribes of pyre giants were infected themselves, and they as a culture were forced to turn upon one another. Unfortunately, they weren't prepared for having their own family members become their enemies, and many pyre giants chose to side with the werewolves out of a misguided sense of familial loyalty. Their population was decimated, as was the population of their alaghi and umpleby allies, many of whom were eaten by the pyre giants. This gave the pyre giants a taste for alaghi meat that has caused no end of enmity between these two peoples ever since.
Trust between the pyre giants and their former forest uldra and campestri friends became strained as well, and the two communities became relatively silent neighbors for a long time. That all changed after the Blue Breath of Change a century ago when a rogue abeil colony took over the homeland of the fey. The mushroomfolk fled south, but several tribes of the forest uldra moved into Chumash Springs. This has led to conflict between the pyre giants and the forest uldra, who don't appreciate the hunting of animals near their homes. The forest uldra have taken to ruining the game traps of the large folk, and some pyre giants in retaliation have taken to hunting the tiny blue folk. The rogue abeil have not been satisfied with the lands they have seized either, and they would like to control the hot springs for irrigating their orderly fields. In return, the pyre giants have a taste for the brewing of mead and have acquired a hunger for the honey of the bee folk. As a result, these two people engage in s slow war whenever an advantage allows one to encroach upon the other's lands.
Raelkath's Sprout
Just south of Algoma Valley, there exists a collection of old growth oak, maple, weirwood, and Phandar trees. At its center is a grove of over a hundred great weirwoods that are known to have trunks which are over twenty feet in diameter and treetops spreading more than ten times that breadth and nearly ten times that in height. But even these forest giants are nothing compared to Raelkath's Sprout, an enormous weirwood said to be over four hundred feet tall and having a trunk that's almost fifty feet in diameter. This tree is believed to be a spiritual offshoot of the world tree, and there are known to be links between it and Yggdrasil's Child on Ruathym as well as Relkath's Foot in the Yuirwood. Within the shadows of its limbs, periodically lights flicker, as portals to the feywild, the spirit world, ysgard, and other realms open and close on their own. Its silver leaves shimmer in the daylight, like faded mirrors on another reality, and at night they light up the surrounding woodland even when the moon is dark. Its bark is streaked with a brownish red coloration, which some believe to have come from the blood of the god Asagrimmr when he hung on the great tree Eiggdr by his spear, sacrificing his own life for the secrets of rune magic.
– inhabitants of Raelkath's Sprout - forest uldra, kercpa, anchorome hybsil, star elves, half-elves, but also dryads, treants, korreds, wood woads (see Volo's Guide to Monsters), giant jackalopes (medium), dire jackalopes (large), jackalopes (small), winged jackalopes (small), giant elks, and wildleaf stags. The wood woads are due to individuals worshipping Raelkath Maneeboughs who sacrifice themselves to become guardians of the wood. The korreds came to the forest via a portal from Yggdrasil's Child on Arauwurbarak (future Ruathym).
Goelmeara (aka Goelmee Glen)- forest gnomes, foxiytaurs (ee'na'li), racoonfolk (raucumi), kercpa, pixies, sprites. A corn maiden resides here. This is a hidden vale protected by illusion.
*Momo Mellonia, Hive of Rogue Abeil
"The Beyori Riverlands" is the area between the two big forests and north of the kaaya'yeeda. Its occupied by woodland bearfolk and centaur tribes. The woodland bearfolk are big on "using animals to get work done", but in a way that's different than Faerunians. For instance, they have had their druids awaken giant beavers (size large or medium) and befriended them into helping down trees for lumber.
Here's notes for the Beyori Riverlands
Beyorathym - woodland bears society. It has several river fed ponds where logs are dragged to. When there, they are stripped of their bark by giant beavers. This bark is used for various purposes, but the most common is as mulch and crap firewood. There are also saw mills, with saws made of carved duskwood and drills made of giant woodpecker bills. These mills turn out pre-drilled lumber in set sizes for purposes such as building fences, shelving, houses, boats without having to use large amounts of nails. Big game hunters of the Kaaya-yeeda. Temples of Magnaer the bear, Balanis the Honey Queen are the main temples, but there are also temples to other Metahel gods in a pantheon format (i.e. many shrines to individual deities)
Brramee Apiary- woodland bear folk monastery which, as an apiary, raises bees, grows honey, makes mead, and involves meditating while surrounded by buzzing bee hives. The bear folk learn the "stinging bee style" which focuses on using a flurry of blows and attempting to stun an opponent. An opposing monastery following the "floating butterfly style" focuses on wrestling and overcoming an opponent by being able to lessen the power of their blows, and its followers revere the sun god Faerthandir and believe that he has a mischievous butterfly pet which glows with the light of the sun. Steelclaws, razorclaws, maduvu, antler staves, and other such thing are taught here versus traditional monk weapons. This monastery has good relations with the abeil of adusgee. The surrounding land is cultivated for the gorwing of numerous small flowers. Bearfolk alchemists also live here, and there are many who use these plants for the creation of potions, perfumes, and alchemical concoctions.
A temple of Balanis dominates in this community, and the working of the soil and maintaining of irrigation canals is a work of constant toil. Balanis' temple works as a brewing facility, but they also preserve meats with honey.
Dokkapaw - a woodland bear community that focuses on taming owlbears, bears, and sabertooth cats. There are also significant numbers of centaurs who live in this community. They hunt the kaaya'yeeda. The town is also known for tanning hides of creatures taken for sale in communities of the north. Smoke houses also dot the community, where meat is hung for preserving for later sale."these bearfolk are hunters of the kaaya'yeeda. They also capture animals and monstrosities and train them to serve the bearfolk. Giant beaver, Giant woodpecker, giant elk, owlbear, and winged owlbear are..."
Dunminkahl - a woodland bear folk and centaur community of loggers that use the river to deliver logs to Beyorathym. They also plant new trees to renew those that are cut. They like to capture giant woodpeckers and beavers and use them to help tear down trees rather than the traditional methods of axe. these bearfolk are lumberjacks who use giant beavers and giant woodpeckers to down trees rather than axes and deliver them down river using giant elk to haul the logs.
Bearfolk and centaur druids have befriended over a dozen wildleaf stags and they use these creatures to plant and regrow the trees from where they are removed. Unlike human lumberjacks, these woodland urskan are very conscious of the need to keep the forest growing and not destroy the habitat. They also must feed all the giant beavers, elk, and woodpeckers, which requires them to grow acres of maize, soybeans, and ... In order to pollinate so many flowering plants, priestesses of Balanis the Honey Queen encourage hives...
Grrimmoara -a woodland bear folk community of craftsmen who work in wood, leather, horn, etc... It also holds a relatively young college of magic. They generally only work with already prepared materials, and as such this is a thriving marketplace for other bearfolk to deliver their goods to."this is a city of bearfolk who have chosen to take their focus in life from hunting and instead become craftsmen, studiers of magic, etc... They focus on using cast off reindeer horns to make yada yada, giant beaver teeth to make large gnashing saw mills, giant woodpecker bills for drilling, dire hummingbird bills as knitting needles, onyx elk antlers are carved into yada yada, axebeak bills make axes, aarakocra, axebeak and owlbear feathers used in plumacraft make... etc.."
Magrravarr Falls - a woodland bear folk community which focuses on fishing
Great Timberspires notes
Bluewood Tunnels - cave, woodland, and thonabeir urskan. Growths of blueleaf trees have been cultivated to grow together to form snow tunnels, and beneath this great leather tents made of bone and hides provide homes for bearfolk of many kinds. These bear folk hunt the local alaghi, umpleby, and hybsil populations for food, leather, and other purposes. They have also learned to alchemically treat blueleaf trees in many ways, and thus armor made of bluewood is not an uncommon sight. Similarly, blue dyed leather is also fashionable amongst these bear folk.
Many of the bear folk of this village are avid followers of Raelkath Maneeboughs, and fey warlocks, rangers, and druids are not uncommon classes.
Whitepine Lodges - cave, woodland, and thonabeir urskan. Great Log halls are built by these bear folk. They are studiers of runecraft. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 27 Nov 2020 : 03:11:00
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| BTW, one of the things I'm trying to do with some of this is to give different styles of play to the region. A lot of what we've designed for Anchorome is very serious (creatures focused around starvation, spirits of vengeance, etc...). Places like Goelmearra are meant for areas where its a "fun" place rather than serious, and its isolated from the outside world to a degree. At the same time, everyone that's there came there because they were in trouble, and its this "drawing together of their community to help one another" that provides a kind of hope. That's why I also threw in the story of the forest gnomes using illusions to appear as "goelmee bears"... its a fun bit of silliness to use in a campaign to break up the seriousness. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2020 : 00:04:09
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
BTW, one of the things I'm trying to do with some of this is to give different styles of play to the region. A lot of what we've designed for Anchorome is very serious (creatures focused around starvation, spirits of vengeance, etc...). Places like Goelmearra are meant for areas where its a "fun" place rather than serious, and its isolated from the outside world to a degree. At the same time, everyone that's there came there because they were in trouble, and its this "drawing together of their community to help one another" that provides a kind of hope. That's why I also threw in the story of the forest gnomes using illusions to appear as "goelmee bears"... its a fun bit of silliness to use in a campaign to break up the seriousness.
That works. I have always visualized it as more of a frontier setting where the fun is in not knowing what’s “out there” but in a way that ties in well with the sheer amount of non human humanoids you’ve included.
Your kercpa are pretty close to an entry where they play a pivotal role in the thread (in Piazza). Stay tuned. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2020 : 05:50:55
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Great Reader sleyvas,
I'm glad to hear you did that. I think something that is hard to pull back from for me in the way I create my sandbox campaigns, is mixing up appropriately levity in game with seriousness. It's great to hear that you've mixed that together in Anchorome.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2020 : 16:36:47
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| Radiant Hummingbirds - size tiny - normal sized hummingbirds that can create a faerie fire like affect and fire a beam of colored light that does radiant damage from their beaks. They glow with almost neon like feathers that are prized by plumaweavers, but the feathers darken to resemble normal humminbird feathers if taken from a dead radiant hummingbird. If gathered after a natural molting they maintain their strange glow. Its believed that these creatures appeared several centuries back when the dawn cock, believed to possibly be a variant of achiyalabopa (a giant bird like entity with rainbow like wings that usually appears as a swan, goose, comorant, or even a gull), appeared in a rainbow that touched upon Raelkath's Sprout's upper leaves when some threat, believed to be werewolves, threatened the grove. Its said that during that year the giant weirwood's silver & black leaves turned the color of rainbows, and that whenever a leaf fell off during the change of seasons, as it touched the ground it turned into a radiant hummingbird. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 08 Dec 2020 : 16:11:34
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I've been adjusting my timeline a bit for the United Tharchs of Toril. In particular, I wanted to do a couple things
A) reduce the impact of red wizard on the Pasocada Basin, but allow them to expand eastward into the desert that has nothing in it.
B) reduce the impact of red wizards on Fort Flame/Balduran Bay, but instead do a lot of the concepts I had for that "tharch" on an island off the coast.
C) Update for a smaller Lopango footprint than what I'd originally written up
1318 DR - Mythrell'aa, Zulkir of Illusion, in searching out lore on Netherese spell mantles runs across an entry on a Netherese flying enclave, known as the city of Doubloon, which disappeared some years prior to Karsus' Folly and which was rumored to be able to hide itself from all magic known at that time.
1328 DR - Mythrell'aa, Zulkir of Illusion, assaults a Halruaan exile, rumored to have been amongst the original red wizards who helped rise up against the Mulhorandi centuries ago. The female had been employing spies and peering too closely into Thayan business ventures surrounding the formation of a Thayan enclave in Soorenar. The woman manages to escape through the aid of another renegade red wizard and Halruaan exile, the archmage Velsharoon the Vaunted. From the history books left behind by the woman, Mythrell'aa reads of a "flying city which could make itself invisible which aided the Netherese diaspora in finding a new homeland to the south".
1330 DR - Following up on leads she found in Lerian religious texts surrounding the Exodus of Leirans, Mythrell'aa sets out to secretly invade the Isle of Nimbral in order to seek lore on the lost Netherese flying enclave of Doubloon. She learns that the flying city left the island centuries ago loaded with humans and tall elves to visit the stars.
1334 DR - Using an illusion to appear as Knights of the Flying Hunt, Zulkir Mythrell'aa and a select band of thayans loyal to her approach an incoming spelljamming vessel off the coast of Nimbral. Slaughtering its crew, they then take said vessel into orbit, whereupon they discover that the moon is inhabited by Leirans, though where these inhabitants learned of the religion is a secret she is unable to have revealed.
1339 DR - Samas Kul becomes Master of the Guild of Foreign Trade in Thay, a minor post at the time. He gains this position however with the aid of Zulkir Mythrell'aa, who agrees to supply his future enclaves with illusionists to make minor illusion items for sale, such as potions of invisibility and disguise self, in return for his unquestioning aid in securing components for a private project of her own.
1344 DR – After five years of experimentation, Zulkir Mythrell'aa and Samas Kul's private project comes to fruition. Using ancient netherese research notes and a lost helm recovered from Yeoman's Loft, along with knowledge of cooperative circle magic, they create a “Grand Helm” which is capable of enormous speed in wildspace. Though they are unsuccessful in using the helm within the phlogiston, and it requires numerous pilots, they consider the attempt a great success, for now they can create spelljamming helms to use within realmspace without the knowledge or dependence upon the arcane. Zulkir Mythrell'aa and Samas Kul work together on the “the Quad Project” and begin develop of the spelljamming vessel known as the Quad of Thay. These ships would become a great source for smuggling and fast moving of goods and resources between Thayan enclaves, unknown even to many of the other Zulkirs.
1356 DR - Using her mastery of the arcane arts, rumors gained from a captured spelljamming crew, Mythrell'aa is finally able to find the "lost" Netherese enclave of Doubloon floating amongst the Tears of Selune. The city is inhabited by humans and elves with ties to the surface cities of Nimbral, having long ago separated themselves from their former nation. Mythrell'aa sends several of her agents to infiltrate the colony and soon learns things are not as they seem, but that there are mysteries within mysteries occurring in this city and upon the moon's surface.
1359 DR - Samas Kul negotiates the creation of Thayan trade enclaves in Hlath, Calimport, Messemprar, and Athkatla
1360 DR - Mythrell'aa's spies in the flying city of Doubloon uncover several plots involving doppelgangers and illithids. By carefully revealing these plots and their plotters to the people of Doubloon, the Zulkir of Illusion is able to replace the current leadership with her own lieutenants and select individuals within the colony who will work towards its success. Contact between the citizens of Doubloon and the Leiran Trading Center are strained as the leader of the moon's colony, Phlandra Alabaster, has disappeared, and many of the moon's inhabitants blame the surface worlders who have recently arrived.
1361 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclaves in Soorenar, Calaunt, and Hillsfar.
1362 DR - Mythrell'aa finds and frees Phlandra Alabaster, but coerces her fealty in return for her life and the keeping of her secrets. She further improves upon this fealty with magical compulsions. Mythrell'aa establishes herself as the ruler of the flying city of Doubloon, which she renames Luneira.
1364 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclaves in Hlondeth and Scardale.
1365 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclave in Mulmaster as part of the negotiations for marriage between High Blade Selfaril and the "First Princess of Thay", Dmitra Flass.
1367 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclaves in Baldur's Gate, Raven's Bluff, and Saerloon.
1368 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclaves in Cimbar, Phsant, Proskur, and Tsurlagol
1369 DR - Samas Kul, Master of the Guild of Foreign Trade, is approached by a Savrassan priest who states that he received a vision that the Thayan wizard should check for new opportunities in the west. After visiting several western trade enclaves, he decides that Thay should seek to open negotiations with the Flaming Fist to aid their fledgling colony of Fort Flame.
1370 DR - Samas Kul establishes the Thayan trade enclaves in Waterdeep, Marsember, Iriaebor, and Scornubel
1371 DR - Using numerous ships, the trade negotiations of dozens of far flung trade enclaves, hundreds of bags of holding, and thousands of humanoid slaves illicitly bought from bounty hunters, slavers, and prison wardens, Samas Kul establishes the Balduran Bay Trade Enclave in Anchorome. The initial construction is small with vast acres of farmland protected by tall walls, but plans to fill this space with additional housing, slave barracks, temples, magical academies, and several large marketplaces are in the works. Samas Kul is noted as saying "it is a beauteous wonder to be able to build an enclave from the ground up without having to worry about infringement on the sister city".
1372 DR - A "short jump" portal network is setup between the Thayan trade enclaves of Hlath, Cimbar, Soorenar, and Messemprar on the orders of Zulkir Lauzoril. These portals are limited to the transport of small pallets of materials or single individuals between colonies at first, but as the civil war in Thay begins to rage in later years Lauzoril expands their functionality.
1373 DR - Poscadari elves attack Fort Flame, but are turned back by the fire and lightning of their red wizard benefactors. The bodies of the fallen elves are animated by the necromancers of Thay, who then pursue the retreating elves for dozens of miles in the surrounding wilderness. Of the original force, nearly two-thirds of the elves die horribly painful deaths, only to be reanimated to serve as undead guardians.
1373 DR - A secret "short jump" portal network is setup in the Vast between the Thayan trade enclaves of Mulmaster, Calaunt, Raven's Bluff, Procampur, and Tsurlagol on the orders of the Tharchion Dmitra Flass, "The First Princess of Thay". A keyed and "blood tied" location is setup from the Mulmaster portal to her residence in the city of Eltabbar.
1373 DR - Upon the recommendation of the same Savrassan priest, Samas Kul begins negotiations to open trade enclaves in the cities of Samargol in Samarach, Lundeth in Thindol, and Tashluta in Tashalar. With the influx of Netherese control in the Sembian cities of Yhaunn, Selgaunt and Saerloon, many red wizards leave those enclaves in order to make new homes in other enclaves.
1374 DR - Lauzoril, Zulkir of enchantment, buys from the commander of Fort Flame a wrecked elven skyship and the rights to copy a journal of a dead elven Captain Eartharran Neidre of Evermeet. Suspecting that they might find a lost Netherese enclave or ancient magics of great power, Lauzoril, Samas Kul, and Mythrell'aa set forth towards the frozen northlands far above Evermeet with a retinue of Kossuthan priests and Thayan Knights. The city is captured after a fight with a large black dragon and its children forces said monster to flee or die, and the three Thayans fly it south into the Trackless Sea. They magically anchor the city at a halfway point between the Maztican city of Helmsport and the islands of Lantan and begin construction of portals linking this city to the Balduran Bay Colony and the cities of Tashluta and Samargol.
1374 DR - The Red Wizards open a merchant enclave in Kourmira, a Tuigan city in the Endless Wastes.
1375 DR - Civil War begins in Thay. Many common folk of Thay see safety in the remote trade enclaves, where they can continue to work in relative safety while the red wizards of those enclaves work feverishly to establish portal networks between enclaves.
1375 DR - The red wizard necromancers of the Soorenar and Cimbar enclaves officially declare their breaking of loyalty with Szass Tam. They turn their efforts in undead creation towards practical pursuits to support the war effort of the surviving Zulkirs. Condemned as outlaws by the Zulkir of Necromancy, they fervently embrace the tenets of the church of Velsharoon. Many other enclaves soon take up the construction of shrines to Velsharoon as a sign of their hatred of the Zulkir of Necromancy.
1375 DR - Portals are setup between the Hlath enclave and the enclave in Lundeth. Lumber harvested in Hlath is transported via this portal to the lumber mills of Lundeth. One of the many water mills active in this city is converted from the creation of shoddy swords and into the creation of basic building materials, such as nails, rivets, simple woodscrews and drivers, and simple tools like hammers, chisels, handsaws, axes, and augers. A "short jump" portal network is established between the new enclaves of Lundeth, Tashluta, and Samargol. Mythrell'aa, in secret agreement with the Khazark of the enclave of Samargol, establishes a portal connecting the Thayan enclave with with the city of Escalant and its numerous warehouses.
1376 DR - Several thousand Thayan immigrants express a desire to "aid the war effort remotely by working in an enclave". The new Zulkir of Transmutation, Samas Kul, rewards many of these individuals by transporting them in small batches via several portal jumps (all while blindfolded) to the Balduran Bay enclave. While they initially find the accomodations rough, they do come to accept that its better than being turned into an undead minion by Szass Tam's necromancers.
1377 DR - As the war for Thayan independence draws on, and Szass Tam forces wizards out of their luxury homes in High Thay, several hundred red wizards, Thayan knights, and numerous priests arrive in the Balduran Bay enclave, along with their personal guard of gnoll, orc, and centaur mercenaries. After a disagreement between some of these individuals who favor expansion via aggression, a small army of gnolls and centaurs is led east to search for the fabled "City of Gold".
1377 DR – The rural estate of Zulkir of Enchantment, Lauzoril Tavai, in Thazalhar is discovered by the undead forces of Xingax, an atropal in service to Szass Tam who experimented in necromantic magics. Zulkir Lauzoril is unaware of the assault due to the spellwork of the red wizard necromancers amongst the undead. The household servants and guards are quickly overwhelmed and the undead converge upon the estate house itself. Lauzoril's wife, Wenne, and his two daughters, Mimuay, a young necromancer in training, and Nyasia, an innocent young teenager with an interest in stories, poetry, and music all wait in fear for their lives. However, when the undead actually enter the house, Mimuay calls upon Velsharoon to aid her, and the god answers her plea. All of the undead shirk their bonds of control placed upon them by the allies of Szass Tam and immediately kill them. Mimuay leads her mother and younger sister to the city of Bezantur, leaving her estate home for the first time in her life. They are met in Bezantur by necromancer priests of Velsharoon, who believed themselves sent by their god to find and bring a powerful necromancer to Soorenar.
1377 - 1384 DR - Mythrell'aa encourages the breeding of Nimbraii stock pegasi and training of aerial cavalry to travel aboard spelljamming vessels. She also infiltrates the courts of Kara-Tur and Wa, both spelljamming nations that hate each other, and begins a mission of disinformation. The result is the capture of more than a dozen Shou Dragonships, which are blamed on “rogue captains” or “the treachery of Wa pirates”, as well as a famed Wa Tsunami and a complete retinue of locusts. She also uncovers knowledge of making “rudders of propulsion” by infiltrating the little known Wa spelljamming research facility hidden within the giant jungles of the island of Machukara.
1378 DR - After a prolonged military expedition, the red wizards who had sought the "City of Gold" instead seize an upper portion of the "Cursed City" of Esh Alakar and magically secure the aid of its undead and construct guardians. They believe this city to contain much magical knowledge, but it must be deciphered. Many of their lesser forces, such as gnolls and centaurs brought to the region by them, break ties and flee into the wilds of Anchorome. Ironically, several lands previously held by the humans degradingly referred to as “dog men” of the sands of Itzcala are seized by gnolls. The centaurs travel northward, into the lands of the minnenewah tribes of Epona, the land of giant beasts known as the Kaaya'yeeda, and the Beyori Riverlands where they establish relations with a humanoid bearfolk.
1378 DR - After a prolonged military expedition, the red wizards who had sought the "City of Gold" instead seize an upper portion of the "Cursed City" of Esh Alakar and magically secure the aid of its undead and construct guardians. They believe this city to contain much magical knowledge, but it must be deciphered. The red wizards reach out to the surrounding Azuposi villages, offering to trade goods in an attempt to open friendly relations with their neighors, since they find themselves in a new land with few friends. The red wizards also bring the concept of building mills along the river that runs through the Pasocada basin, enabling the grinding of corn flour much more efficiently, teaching the Azuposi to run them and asking only periodic shipments of food in return. Many of the red wizard's lesser forces, such as gnolls and centaurs brought to the region by them, break ties and flee into the wilds of Anchorome. Ironically, several lands previously held by the humans degradingly referred to as “dog men” of the sands of Itzcala are seized by gnolls. The centaurs travel northward, into the lands of the minnenewah tribes of Epona, the land of giant beasts known as the Kaaya'yeeda, and the Beyori Riverlands where they establish relations with a humanoid bearfolk. They find other centaur tribes, of a smaller build than Faerunian centaurs, who call themselves the Eponai.
1379 DR - Wild nomad tribes of the Nahopaca humans attack the Shrew tribe of Keshtin Pueblo, taking more than two score native women as slaves. An Azuposi native gets a message to the red wizards supervising the construction of the mills several miles north of Keshtin Falls. The red wizards justice is swift and brutal, as they slaughter the Nahopaca raiders and turn them into undead. The red wizards spend the next year raiding the nearby desert wilds of the Nahopaca, enslaving those they can capture and reanimating their dead to continue scouring the desert. Many are offered the right to live as free men if they will serve as slavers for the red wizards. Those who refuse will be forced to enter Esh Alakar, which the superstitious nomads fear greatly.
1379 DR - The city of Messemprar falls before the might of Mulhorand and Unther falls completely under Mulhorandi rule. The remainder of the Thayan enclave and Untheric resistance retreat to other nearby enclaves, such as Mourktar, Cimbar, and Soorenar.
1379 DR - A "short jump" portal is established between the Esh Alakar enclave and the Balduran Bay colony. Building supplies in the form of lumber and simple metal implements are sent through to Esh Alakar. The red wizards of Esh Alakar begin negotiations with a coastal culture of humans, calling themselves the Metahel, and who resemble the Northmen of the Savage Frontier. The two groups agree to use the wood brought in by the portal to build longships.
1380 DR - More Mulans arrive in the Balduran Bay Colony, as it is now called. Some of these stay in the colony, but the Khazark of the trade enclave requisitions a flying vessel to explore the surrounding islands for expansion in secret. The more militant mulans without ties to the trade enclave proceed east, where it is said a military expedition is mounting, and will result in free homes, land, and slaves for those who will take up residence from those who leave. Others arrive seeking the glory of conquering a new land.
1380 DR - Tharchioness Dmitra Flass, manages to lead a raid upon her own treasury in the capital of Eltabbar with the aid of Zulkir Lauzoril and a small army of red wizards and Thayan Knights. She secures several million gold pieces in the form of coins, gems, jewelry, art, and magic.
1380 DR - Using Nahopaca humans as slavers, the red wizards send them into the desert as slavers required to capture the humans known as "dog men" (who call themselves the Azitilan), but led by red wizards or their personal retinue. Those Nahopaca and Azitilan who fall in the desert are returned for reanimation. This begins to strain relations between the red wizards and the superstitious Nahopaca.
1381 DR - After two years of preparation, several thousand raiders from the Esh Alakar enclave and Pasocada Basin go forth upon more than a hundred longships to find the rich and fertile jungle lands to the south. Along the way, they conduct raids and take captives in the cities of Kolan and the Natican settlements on the outskirts of Apu Roca and Mt. Cuzculac.
1382 DR – Szass Tam becomes incensed by the necromancer-priests of Velsharoon serving as mercenaries alongside the other Zulkirs. Seeking to deter their influence, he sends several cultists of Orcus to assault their temple surrounding the Tower Terrible in Soorenar. The cultists fail disastrously, but they do manage to kill Lauzoril's wife, Wenne, who was busy sewing a silken robe for her eldest daughter, Mimuay, in their new home. Mimuay, who had been serving alongside the necromancer-priests of Velsharoon in Thay, turns in grief to Tharchion Dmitra Flass for comfort and a bond is formed between these two women.
1383 DR - Dmitra Flass' generosity begins to pay off, as skeletal work crews at night turn Blanaer into a lush garden city filled with irrigation canals to catch the runoff from the nearby Troll Mountains. Her autharchs also begin negotiations with the prospectors of Kings Reach, offering to buy their slag rock for use in building an aqueduct for bringing additional water to the city of Kurth.
1384 DR - Zulkir of Divination, Yaphyll warns the Zulkir of Illusion that she foresees Mythrell'aa's death in the near future.
1385 DR - After receiving a vision from Leira herself, Mythrell'aa decides it is time to fake her own death and attend to matters in Luneira. Tharchioness Dmitra Flass is elected to become the next Zulkir of Illusion, but is later killed by Malark Springhill.
1385 DR - Zulkir of Divination, Yaphyll, is forced by Zulkir of Necromancy, Szass Tam, to use her most powerful divination to see into the future. Unbeknownst to Tam, she is forced to "split herself and send one half of herself into the future" and this future portion is outside of Tam's control. However, this future self also is touched by the Spellplague.
I'm still developing the dates and times for after this, but you get the idea. I realize some of the above doesn't really involve the use of portals, but it generally talks about setting up trade relations, etc... |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Brainstorming Anchorome
