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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Aug 2020 : 22:21:13
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Just ran across this reference, and given the type of rulership in Unther, I consider the terminology here used as interesting. The time of Anaglathos is from 1242 to 1247 DR according to GHotR. So she's a lich, she's also a "queen" from Unther (a place that's notedly ruled by a god with no mates), and she lives in essentially "the underworld" of Alaghon past a maze of old construction. For those that can't read my mind, I'm picturing the goddess of the dead, possibly living in exile.
Sometimes, children have come across long-forgotten
vaults that most likely once belonged to ancient rulers of
Turmish. While it is rare for a child to come out from the
maze of tunnels with a gold coin hundreds of years old, it is
not unheard of. Recently, a young child came stumbling
from the catacombs that run through the government sector
of the city, carrying a silver coin from the time of
Dempster Turmish. The child feverishly related a story of
walking into a huge chamber filled with gems and coins
and meeting #147;an old woman with glowing red eyes.#148; No
sooner had he spoken these words when he slipped into a
deep sleep and never recovered, so the rest of his story goes
untold. However the truth is revealed for the DM here.
During the time of Anaglathos, the blue dragon allowed
a lich queen from Unther to reside below the
palace. When Anaglathos died during the revolution,
the lich queen continued to live quietly below the city.
She cast a spell on the child when she found him wandering
around her domain, sending him back to the surface
so she could see through his eyes. The spell finally
consumed the lad, but the lich queen did get a glimpse of
the surface world again (in which she had only passing
interest).
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2020 : 22:35:19
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Over his two millennia of rule, I expect Gilgeam had hundreds of wives and thousands of concubines, any of whom might call themselves 'Queen' if they were among barbarians (i.e. anyone other than Untheri).
Gilgeam took care not to sire sons, but that doesn't mean he didn't have fleshly urges or the political needs that led historical God-Kings to have harems of thousands.
Remember that tieflings are fairly common in Untheri lands, current and former, specifically noted to be due to the physical presence of evil deities there. So, I expect Gilgeam sired thousands of daughters. |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2020 : 01:48:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Icelander
Over his two millennia of rule, I expect Gilgeam had hundreds of wives and thousands of concubines, any of whom might call themselves 'Queen' if they were among barbarians (i.e. anyone other than Untheri).
Gilgeam took care not to sire sons, but that doesn't mean he didn't have fleshly urges or the political needs that led historical God-Kings to have harems of thousands.
Remember that tieflings are fairly common in Untheri lands, current and former, specifically noted to be due to the physical presence of evil deities there. So, I expect Gilgeam sired thousands of daughters.
Calling yourself Queen when you aren't married in most situations is a deadly proposition. Lover, royal concubine, mistress, etc... are one thing, but Queen is something else. Also, this is something calling them a Queen, so its a little more definitive that she is one. If he had daughters, they would be a princess or something similar, and as noted he specifically was said to particularly careful about children.
So, as I see it, this is either another goddess/manifestation (and being a "lich", it sounds like the Queen of the Dead) or its a Queen over another group in Unther. Which oddly enough also could fit the "lamia noble" I guess who is in the Underworld under Untheralass in 1358 who is ALSO named after the Queen of the Dead (Ereshkigal) … and I think she's referred to as the Queen of tortures. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2020 : 03:59:35
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| I believe it was either George or Eric that mentioned in one of the Candlekeep presents events something about seeing two references to a lich-queen and they were wondering if it was the same one. If so, that could mean this lich-queen is the one that takes over the Darkhold and is killed in 1312 by Manshoon. We should find out in a couple weeks when that History of The Darkhold comes out. |
"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."
My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2020 : 04:31:54
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Larloch has been called a lich-king but he's not a king of anything. The reference has been taken up by Eric and basically he has come up with the idea that the Vilhon Reach lich queen is Varalla the lich queen from Darkhold fame and then later the lich "Pox" from Cult of the Dragon.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2020 : 07:04:43
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Calling yourself Queen when you aren't married in most situations is a deadly proposition. Lover, royal concubine, mistress, etc... are one thing, but Queen is something else.
Why should this lich-queen never have been married to Gilgeam?
Historical God-Kings, Great Kings and other potentates in the eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia, Armenia, Persia and elsewhere had scores, hundreds or thousands of wives. There is absolutely no reason to assume that in two millennia of rule, Gilgeam didn't have a huge number of women who might call themselves 'Queen'.
Unther is not a Christian land. Marriage is not a matter of one woman and one man. Indeed, most societies with similar cultures as Unther in the real world have practised polygamy, obviously especially for powerful rulers. And given that the title of 'Queen', in the real world, has been applied to numerous wives of the same ruler at the same time, to say nothing of long-lived rulers having a succession of wives with enough political connections to be addressed so.
So, why should this Lich-Queen not be one of the many wives of the God-King? It seems like a reasonable background to me. |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Forgotten Realms fans, please sign a petition to re-release the FR Interactive Atlas
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TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2020 : 19:26:55
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Larloch has been called a lich-king but he's not a king of anything. The reference has been taken up by Eric and basically he has come up with the idea that the Vilhon Reach lich queen is Varalla the lich queen from Darkhold fame and then later the lich "Pox" from Cult of the Dragon.
-- George Krashos
Interesting. In the Harondalbar's Lair section of the Ruins of Zhentil Keep, it was discussing how Harondalbar was a servant of Varalla and then it has this:
"She was destroyed at the hands of the Black Network during their conquest of Darkhold."
That seems pretty final or did Manshoon miss her phylactery and Eric had someone sneak it out of there?
Of course, this question may very well become moot once the new Darkhold book comes out. Still, if answered, it may provide better insight into how y'all think and provide a teaching moment for us to learn to be better at coming up with stuff. I am sure everyone's process is different and I would be interested to see what yours is. If you don't mind and have the time, that is. |
"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."
My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 10 Aug 2020 : 03:13:24
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Her physical form was destroyed, not her phylactery.
— George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Lich "Queen" of Unther beneath Alaghon
