| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 03:22:47
|
I have become embroiled in a twisting and knotting story that lies before my adventuring party. They are searching for a tomb underground, but soon after they will be on the surface. Their quest-giver wanted to acquire something from the unidentified tomb so that they may earn their way back into the halls of Candlekeep. After the party finishes their quest however, it will be decided that (unless they refuse) they should go to Candlekeep themselves as to best research their questions on the Underdark and Demons. I have scoured through books from all editions and have come to a hilarious conclusion about the route the party might take:
>Hollow Hill (starting location along the Delimbyr)
>Zhentarim rest stop (abandoned tower, party has Zhent members in it)
>Loudwater (controlled by zhents, meeting with many NPC's and a harper)
>Smiling Satyr inn in loudwater
>Hidden Teleportation Circle
>Moongleam Tower in Everlund, speak with Harpers about a mage contact in waterdeep.
>Get the name of their target, use teleportation circle to-
>Waterdeep
>Find contact Lord Zelraun Roaringhorn of waterdeep, who can cast Teleport.
>Find a trick to getting safely to Baldur's Gate
>Travel the rest of the way to Candlekeep
>Teleport back to harper HQ when research is complete.
>Party has full control over where to travel next, is already near Velkynvelve by being in Everlund, and has access to five teleportation circles. Archmage leaves party to re-instate himself with the Harpers (see PS).
Now here's what I've been wrestling with for a while. The party won't be at this point until, probably, 2021 given biweekly sessions and not accounting for further underdark exploration. What I need to figure out is a safe way to teleport 500 miles south of Waterdeep toward Candlekeep while being unable to teleport into Candlekeep. I have settled on trying to get the party into Baldur's Gate both because that's a familiar location to many on the Sword Coast but also because it is another region described in a 5e module.
I was wondering if any of you know of any teleporation circles in the region of Baldur's Gate, or any other tricks to get there safely.
As of right now, my best guess is to obtain a bottle of what Dragon Heist calls "Baldur's Gate Pinot Noir", which is only ever mentioned inside of a private residence in waterdeep as part of a trap mechanism. Having an item from the location helps Teleport's success rate, so getting a bottle of the wine would make this easy. However, I'd probably make this the only bottle of said brew in the entire city and finding it would be a hilarious cascade of investigating that would undoubtedly involve some shenanigans with Volothamp and 'the last bottle' of the stuff on Faerun.
Now as hilarious as that sounds (5e's modules intersecting is absolutely hilarious. OOTA, SKT, DH, & DIA all back to back?! It's Faerun's Greatest Hits!) I wanted to put this out there to see if any of candlekeep's minds could figure a way to get from the North to Baldur's Gate/Candlekeep via an Archmage in a less (or more) roundabout way. I don't think the aristocratic chess-playing Zelraun would have really been to Baldur's Gate more than once, and I can't let a smart wizard do something as dangerous as Teleport with a low chance of success and risk arriving at a hundred miles into the ocean or at a random "gate" owned by someone who'se name sounds a bit like Baldur's.
I also find it hilarious that Storm King's Thunder talks more about Zelraun's family and even provided me the idea of meeting him during a lavish Whaterdavian party.
PS: The year is 1487, and Zelraun is having a party because he just returned from the outer planes because I used him in a second edition module to play the role of a wizard in an Abyssal Tavern and now one of my players from that 5e planescape campaign is playing a new character in this campaign and is going to get to see a whole lot more of this wizard- AND him being stuck in the planes for several years gives him an excuse to have to regain credibility with the Harpers, thus a reason why the Archmage would be so eager to work with complete and total strangers. Party will be level 7. No Wizards in the group.
|
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 15:04:21
|
There was one near Loudwater to Berdusk. That could cut some travel time assuming they can get out of Berdusk alive.
A gate linking Berdusk with a certain glade in the High Forest northwest of Loudwater. Watched over by Harpers at its Berdusk end, this gate is habitually used by the Heralds to shorten their journeys to and from their Holdfast.
Also, Eric wrote a Wizard web article about the Trail of Mists that included this:
Gnomes still dwelling in the High Forest must have guided Mintiper and his companions along at least part of the Trail of Mists during their southward trek, and the Lonely Harpist apparently developed an inkling of just how far-reaching this network of magical trails had become. The Trail of Mists does indeed seem to connect most gnome communities with each other and with major settlements of other races, functioning as a hidden trading network and speeding travel between far-flung gnome communities.
In addition to those that lie within the depths of the High Forest, one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists lie within the ruins of Dolblunde (north and east of Waterdeep), the ruins of Hellgate Keep (dating back to the days of Ascalhorn), and the ruins of Myth Glaurach (detailed in Mintiper’s Chapbook #4: Myth Glaurach), as well as amidst the Castle of Illusion, the Trollbark Forest, the Forgotten Forest, and the Trielta Hills. Another nexus is said to lie amidst the long-lost Shinglefell Gnome Burrow, but the exact location of Fitzmilliyun’s birthplace has been lost even to the Forgotten Folk, suggesting that at least one branch of the Trail of Mists is no longer connected with the rest of the network of paths.
Gnome settlements that encompass or lie near a nexus point of the Trail of Mists include Anga Vled (west of Elturel), Beldenshyn (along the Winding Water), Elbencort (east of Riatavin), Forharn (in the White Peaks north of the Ride), the Friendly Arm (an inn on the trade road from Baldur’s Gate to Beregost), Hardbuckler (near the Trielta Hills), Skultan (east of Daerlun), Stormpemhauder (in the depths of the Spiderhaunt Woods), Tempus’s Tears (at the crossroads of the Skuldask Road and Thundar’s Ride), and countless other out-of-the-way locales known only to the Forgotten Folk. Cities such as Baldur’s Gate, Elturel, Elversult, Evereska, Mithral Hall, Neverwinter, Scardale, Silverymoon, Sundabar, Suzail, Thentia, and Waterdeep, also contain one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists.
|
"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
|
 |
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 21:12:07
|
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
There was one near Loudwater to Berdusk. That could cut some travel time assuming they can get out of Berdusk alive.
A gate linking Berdusk with a certain glade in the High Forest northwest of Loudwater. Watched over by Harpers at its Berdusk end, this gate is habitually used by the Heralds to shorten their journeys to and from their Holdfast.
Also, Eric wrote a Wizard web article about the Trail of Mists that included this:
Gnomes still dwelling in the High Forest must have guided Mintiper and his companions along at least part of the Trail of Mists during their southward trek, and the Lonely Harpist apparently developed an inkling of just how far-reaching this network of magical trails had become. The Trail of Mists does indeed seem to connect most gnome communities with each other and with major settlements of other races, functioning as a hidden trading network and speeding travel between far-flung gnome communities.
In addition to those that lie within the depths of the High Forest, one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists lie within the ruins of Dolblunde (north and east of Waterdeep), the ruins of Hellgate Keep (dating back to the days of Ascalhorn), and the ruins of Myth Glaurach (detailed in Mintiper’s Chapbook #4: Myth Glaurach), as well as amidst the Castle of Illusion, the Trollbark Forest, the Forgotten Forest, and the Trielta Hills. Another nexus is said to lie amidst the long-lost Shinglefell Gnome Burrow, but the exact location of Fitzmilliyun’s birthplace has been lost even to the Forgotten Folk, suggesting that at least one branch of the Trail of Mists is no longer connected with the rest of the network of paths.
Gnome settlements that encompass or lie near a nexus point of the Trail of Mists include Anga Vled (west of Elturel), Beldenshyn (along the Winding Water), Elbencort (east of Riatavin), Forharn (in the White Peaks north of the Ride), the Friendly Arm (an inn on the trade road from Baldur’s Gate to Beregost), Hardbuckler (near the Trielta Hills), Skultan (east of Daerlun), Stormpemhauder (in the depths of the Spiderhaunt Woods), Tempus’s Tears (at the crossroads of the Skuldask Road and Thundar’s Ride), and countless other out-of-the-way locales known only to the Forgotten Folk. Cities such as Baldur’s Gate, Elturel, Elversult, Evereska, Mithral Hall, Neverwinter, Scardale, Silverymoon, Sundabar, Suzail, Thentia, and Waterdeep, also contain one or more nexus points of the Trail of Mists.
Ooh, was it an article on the wizards site? Every link to any of those articles that I have seen have been 404'd out of existence. So thank you for mentioning this. One player does have a background that mentions a history with Kazook Pickshine and a name-drop of Blingdenstone. However, I don't know if going and seeking the almost lost society of Blingdenstone just to see if they happen to know about a Surface Gnome secret network of portals would be more efficient.
The Harper tower in Berdusk is definitely an easy choice, but I believe that their Archmage would be very wary of traveling past Durlag's Tower. And the Harpers would probably not like revealing *two* secret headquarters to a party of adventurers who are not currently saving the world yet and their one harper archmage- currently on thin ice with the organization.
The only reason that the party gets away with going to Everlund's tower is to smuggle them out of the Zhentarim controlled town of Loudwater undetected. The party won't even know harpers are involved until then, unless they suss out Rystia Zav's aliegances when meeting her in Loudwater.
I can't dig anything up on the trail of mists, though. If this article is all that exists, then I would likely respect the secrecy of the gnomes and not randomly hand it over to a Whaterdavian Archmage and this not-yet-heroic party. This is great information though! I just don't see any Gnomish involvement until after the party saves Blingdenstone, which won't happen for a while. The Warlock in the party will eventually be sent visions of the Deep Gnome stronghold though, as I'm going to be building a much more intimidating scene for the Pudding King for the higher level party to deal with in the future. So I don't want to pull that rip-cord until after Candlekeep.
After candlekeep I'm going to pull a "warlock loses their powers" period of time following Juibilex devouring That Which Lurks in the distant south-east. Eventually that leads to the Pudding King, so I don't want to pull the Blingdenstone card just yet.
It is useful to know that I can shift any Gnome npc's all across Faerun if I ever need to, though.. |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
|
TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
|
|
sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 22:39:12
|
Honestly, I picture personally that any city in the realms that has a population exceeding 50k has a teleportation circle. To note, this is a new thing with 5e and wasn't a consideration when people wrote the FRCS in prior editions (unless it changed in 4e, but I'm not looking ath up). So, back in say 3rd edition, you cast teleport and you went to a place you knew and could picture in your mind. It wasn't like in video games where you can only pop in at this certain spot. Now, portals are a different thing from teleportation circles, as portals can be activated without a spellcaster usually. But, if you want to have the party get from one major population center of the realms to another one, and they can find a wizard and produce money, they can probably get a teleport accomplished.
I also would not be surprised if oft-visited by spellcasters places like candlekeep might have a teleportation circle relatively nearby as well. Maybe not within its wards, and maybe even a mile or two away, but at that point distance is relative. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 14 Aug 2020 00:21:27 |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 23:15:54
|
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
The stuff about the Trail of Mist is part 6 of Mintiper's Chapbook. The links to the Wizard site still work from the FRWiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mintiper%27s_Chapbook_(web_articles)
Just navigated to the wizards article, whoo boy that's a lot to read. I quickly found the reference to The Secrets of the Magister to corroborate the information about that portal north-west of Loudwater. Very neat! I suppose there is no information about such a location outside of this reference? Up to the DM? I assume it's not referencing FarSilver or any tomb listed on maps of the area?
I ended up picking Loudwater as the location for this important NPC council meeting purely because it was closer to the (randomly assigned) location of the Hollow Hill along the Delimbyr. Originally it was Secomber that would be the point of interest, but the party needed the quest-giver to move within Animal Messenger range, so Loudwater was decided instead. Then I randomly decided to include Rystia Zav in an optional encounter (still have no idea if they will encounter her in the underdark, but she will be present at the council meeting) as a start for the Harpers' involvement in the story.
After deciding that- every research session has exploded into this vast criss-crossing network of possibilities. I always assumed the FR setting was built so that you could throw a dart at the map and arrive at piles of lore and adventuring connections- I never expected it to happen so literally to me!
Now I am very torn between smuggling the party out via the harpers or by having an NPC (likely the 4th edition Campaign Setting's Wizard NPC in Loudwater, whom I have nothing on because someone decided to stop giving NPC's alignments) tell them about a secret grove and having the party's Druid try and negotiate their way into the High Forest's edge.
Options, options, options. Well now there are an exciting array of options for the party to undertake! Maybe they will have to find a different wizard to accompany them to Candlekeep.
Although, would you say carrying a never-before-seen hand made tome from a high netherese Sorcoress/a never-before-seen artifact sentient SunBlade would get them free entry to candlekeep anyway? Or would the strangers need a mage to sign off for them at the gates regardless? |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2020 : 23:43:37
|
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Honestly, I picture personally that any city in the realms that has a population exceeding 50k has a teleportation circle. To note, this is a new thing with 5e and wasn't a consideration when people wrote the FRCS in prior editions (unless it changed in 4e, but I'm not looking ath up). So, back in say 3rd edition, you cast teleport and you went to a place you knew and could picture in your mind. It wasn't like in video games where you can only pop in at this certain spot. Now, portals are a different thing from teleportation circles, as portals can be activated without a spellcaster usually. But, if you want to have the party get from one major population center of the realms to another one, and they can find a wizard and produce money, they can probably get a teleport accomplished.
Apologies for the doublepost here.
Well this is a reason why all these little details of the story are really useful! In 1487 the Spellplague is just barely still going on, rumored to be fading. With how devastating things were 50 to 100 years ago, I wouldn't blame cities for waiting until the return of the Goddess of Magic (so much god stuff is still in the air! You know how in The Herald there is the issue of Netherese spies in Candlekeep? I am making one of those spies help the party decipher Brysis Khaem's work when they get to candlekeep. So much is happening right now! I even got to explain the earthquakes that sent Brysis' Tomb into the underdark as a side effect of the Second Sundering, not a direct result of the Faerzress Ritual of Gromph Baenrae.) before installing their circles.
Besides, I think having Zelraun Roaringhorn be someone who hasn't been around for several years helps complicate that easy solution. "If they have a new circle in Baldur's Gate, I wouldn't know the sigil. I was stuck in the planes for several years! Is the spellplague going on still? Nobody has told me anything about Mystra, either!"
So using a simple city circle is something I want to say is, if they go to visit Zelraun in waterdeep, out of the question. I'm looking for very quick solutions to get to the south quickly and covertly. I don't think the party wants the Waterdeep noble court inspecting their artifacts in the customs line in front of the city's circle..
I am also interested in hearing about any clever tricks to play around the 5e rules for Teleport. I can imagine this was far simpler in older editions, but Zelraun is just getting used to 5e magic (a concept I am even applying to the Demon Lords, who are seeking power sources to 'update' their abilities to 5e rules- such as Baphomet crafting his 5e weapon in the forges of the Unspoken Hall, as there was no explanation for his new weapon otherwise.) So I can see Zelraun saying "ehhhhhhh you want to teleport? ... What can we do to decrease our odds of going off-target?"
I want to make that teleport roll (if they use this harper Archmage for transport) in the game's chat and open for all to see. So, if we roll off-target for a 500 mile ALMOST COASTAL location such as Baldur's Gate, well, landing in the ocean is entirely possible. So that's why I went looking for silly tricks like a Bottle of Wine from Baldur's Gate, or any other item that could modify Teleport's accuracy.
https://5e.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleport.htm
For the sake of Zelraun's metropolitan life, I'd say he's only been to Baldur's Gate or any other destination once at the most. That doesn't set the chances very great. If they want to teleport with him, I want to have options for fun side-quests to raise their odds. I have the following silly ideas:
1. Order a horse rider to sprint north from Baldur's Gate. Find the horse, and use it to teleport to where it came from.
2. Ask Volo at the yawning Portal and hear that a certain noble family has "the last bottle of Baldur's Gate Pinot Noir, I went to snatch it but the chef caught me." which could lead to HILARITY because that house has many secret cult things inside.
3. Hear a bard's vivid performance about the ElfSong Tavern and use that as a boost to the accuracy of the spell.
I want to have all sorts of fun options for the party to stumble upon. Good to know there's more than one way out of Loudwater. What a random location to have picked.. so much useful stuff there completely randomly... |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
Edited by - PattPlays on 14 Aug 2020 00:29:30 |
|
|
|
LordofBones
Master of Realmslore
1536 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 02:00:43
|
| By right, the extraplanar powers shouldn't have to adapt to 5e rules. The Weave is a Faerun-only construct. The planes would not be affected. |
|
|
|
TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 02:23:20
|
quote:
Originally posted by PattPlays
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
The stuff about the Trail of Mist is part 6 of Mintiper's Chapbook. The links to the Wizard site still work from the FRWiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mintiper%27s_Chapbook_(web_articles)
Just navigated to the wizards article, whoo boy that's a lot to read. I quickly found the reference to The Secrets of the Magister to corroborate the information about that portal north-west of Loudwater. Very neat! I suppose there is no information about such a location outside of this reference? Up to the DM? I assume it's not referencing FarSilver or any tomb listed on maps of the area?
I ended up picking Loudwater as the location for this important NPC council meeting purely because it was closer to the (randomly assigned) location of the Hollow Hill along the Delimbyr. Originally it was Secomber that would be the point of interest, but the party needed the quest-giver to move within Animal Messenger range, so Loudwater was decided instead. Then I randomly decided to include Rystia Zav in an optional encounter (still have no idea if they will encounter her in the underdark, but she will be present at the council meeting) as a start for the Harpers' involvement in the story.
After deciding that- every research session has exploded into this vast criss-crossing network of possibilities. I always assumed the FR setting was built so that you could throw a dart at the map and arrive at piles of lore and adventuring connections- I never expected it to happen so literally to me!
Now I am very torn between smuggling the party out via the harpers or by having an NPC (likely the 4th edition Campaign Setting's Wizard NPC in Loudwater, whom I have nothing on because someone decided to stop giving NPC's alignments) tell them about a secret grove and having the party's Druid try and negotiate their way into the High Forest's edge.
Options, options, options. Well now there are an exciting array of options for the party to undertake! Maybe they will have to find a different wizard to accompany them to Candlekeep.
Although, would you say carrying a never-before-seen hand made tome from a high netherese Sorcoress/a never-before-seen artifact sentient SunBlade would get them free entry to candlekeep anyway? Or would the strangers need a mage to sign off for them at the gates regardless?
Most of the stuff I have is 2e so if there is a 3e+ source, I generally don't have it. There is one more portal that I have read about that is actually pretty close to BG: The Circle of Velharr in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. I have no idea what state it would be in the 15th century and it supposed to lead to Myth Lharast. You can read about that at the following link (as well as some other Wizards web articles):
https://web.archive.org/web/20080421200211/http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/FR_Features.asp (you will have to copy and paste that entire link into your browser) |
"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
|
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 02:47:07
|
quote:
Originally posted by LordofBones
By right, the extraplanar powers shouldn't have to adapt to 5e rules. The Weave is a Faerun-only construct. The planes would not be affected.
I think the fact that Grazz't has no unlimited charm ability (like Succubi do) is proof that things are at least a little different in 5e than these Demon Lords would expect. Grazz't has to actually work for his schemes, 5e charm magic is terrible by his standards. I would imagine this situation is quite humbling for him!
It's me rationalizing their 5e stat blocks and the differences between them now and their previous forms. If I'm a Demon and I'm summoned into the underdark and almost none of my old powers work (they don't even have spell-like abilities that would enable them to contact their allies, they're literally stuck walking about and teleporting without even a single sending spell among any of them!) then the first thing I would do is try and find something to power up. For me, any powers that they have gained in 5e that they didn't have before are powers that they obtained on Toril at some point between Gromph's spell and encountering the party. Thus, Baphomet crafting a new weapon, Grazz't having to actually find treasure to finance his nonsense.
I find it fun to think that the Demon Lords had to spend a few months gathering power before making their moves in OOTA. The whole scenario only exists because of a mysterious "Book of the Eight" tome and the capabilities of Faerzress, and by nature of the Stat Bloc they have lost capabilities and gained new ones. For things like Baphomet's new random great-axe (because nobody at WOTC would dare google what a Bardiche is) I decided to give Baphomet a brief questline of gathering power at the HellForge with his cultists. Similarly, Juibilex is getting power by challenging Ghaunadaur's hold over Oozes. Grazz't is scouring Faerun for secret troves of gold and resources that he allegedly got information on back in For Duty and Diety.
Honestly it sounds like a fascinating game to RolePlay. For all their 20+ CR, the Demon Lords don't really have the tools to run completely rampant. To bring it back on topic, I would bet a lot of the Demon Lords would find themselves equally intimidated by Teleport's unreliability in 5e. I just have Baphomet teleporting across a chasm within sight. Can you imagine how completely lost Grazz't would be when attempting to teleport to treasure hoards he heard about over 100 years ago purely based on memory? I bet there were a lot of random places that had surprise appearances in the form of a shapeshifted Grazz't teleporting off-target onto your front lawn. Zuggytmoy has it easy, she literally just sits in Neverlight Grove until the DM decides it's time for the Wedding. And as for the Wand of Orcus, well, I made a thread on that four years ago.
Honestly, any of the Demon Lords have a 50% chance to get hilariously displaced any time they try to Teleport across hundreds of miles. Thus my eagerness to try and enable my party to have a high chance of safely teleporting southward.
Although now that there is the option of taking an ancient Gate straight from Loudwater to Berdusk has me wondering if any Demon Lords would be in the region.. What is going on in Durlag's tower in the past 100 years?
|
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 03:09:56
|
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
quote:
Originally posted by PattPlays
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
The stuff about the Trail of Mist is part 6 of Mintiper's Chapbook. The links to the Wizard site still work from the FRWiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mintiper%27s_Chapbook_(web_articles)
Just navigated to the wizards article, whoo boy that's a lot to read. I quickly found the reference to The Secrets of the Magister to corroborate the information about that portal north-west of Loudwater. Very neat! I suppose there is no information about such a location outside of this reference? Up to the DM? I assume it's not referencing FarSilver or any tomb listed on maps of the area?
I ended up picking Loudwater as the location for this important NPC council meeting purely because it was closer to the (randomly assigned) location of the Hollow Hill along the Delimbyr. Originally it was Secomber that would be the point of interest, but the party needed the quest-giver to move within Animal Messenger range, so Loudwater was decided instead. Then I randomly decided to include Rystia Zav in an optional encounter (still have no idea if they will encounter her in the underdark, but she will be present at the council meeting) as a start for the Harpers' involvement in the story.
After deciding that- every research session has exploded into this vast criss-crossing network of possibilities. I always assumed the FR setting was built so that you could throw a dart at the map and arrive at piles of lore and adventuring connections- I never expected it to happen so literally to me!
Now I am very torn between smuggling the party out via the harpers or by having an NPC (likely the 4th edition Campaign Setting's Wizard NPC in Loudwater, whom I have nothing on because someone decided to stop giving NPC's alignments) tell them about a secret grove and having the party's Druid try and negotiate their way into the High Forest's edge.
Options, options, options. Well now there are an exciting array of options for the party to undertake! Maybe they will have to find a different wizard to accompany them to Candlekeep.
Although, would you say carrying a never-before-seen hand made tome from a high netherese Sorcoress/a never-before-seen artifact sentient SunBlade would get them free entry to candlekeep anyway? Or would the strangers need a mage to sign off for them at the gates regardless?
Most of the stuff I have is 2e so if there is a 3e+ source, I generally don't have it. There is one more portal that I have read about that is actually pretty close to BG: The Circle of Velharr in the Wood of Sharp Teeth. I have no idea what state it would be in the 15th century and it supposed to lead to Myth Lharast. You can read about that at the following link (as well as some other Wizards web articles):
https://web.archive.org/web/20080421200211/http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/FR_Features.asp (you will have to copy and paste that entire link into your browser)
Thanks for the research, I've clicked through the Circle of Velharr article. however, a portal leading -out- from near Candlekeep and into a forgotten city in Amn is not useful to this puzzle. However if my party does decide to travel West from Berdusk then it will be nice to know a little more about the history of the forest they would pass by! Always good to have something for the druid to take interest in on the way.
Speaking of Berdusk.. Greenest, Nashkel, and the Abbey of the High Song are all POI's I need to research. At least HOTDQ gives a map of Greenest for that pit stop. Regardless of if they teleport into Baldur's Gate or Berdusk, I will have to make the long trip to Candlekeep quite interesting.
Is there anything along The Coast Way or the Uldoon Trail that would be of interest to my Demon Lords? Specifically Grazz't, that boy needs something to dooooo. |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
|
Demzer
Senior Scribe
877 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 08:51:30
|
Is scrying someone known to them in Baldur's Gate or a very well known location out of the question? Could the PCs (or their hired magical help) do it? Or even better, contact someone in the city to set up a good location to act as an anchor for the teleport ("I want to teleport to the room in the at the Three Old Kegs inn in Baldur's Gate with 'Welcome Waterdeep guests' painted on the wall in pink").
This could work for both Baldur's Gate or any other nearby places the PCs have contacts in.
Another idea similar to the bottle one is to get a realistic painting of a location in Baldur's Gate (maybe stealing it from the estate of a noble house with ties to the southern city) |
|
|
|
sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 13:47:14
|
Well, I'm not quite following your reasoning, but if you do just want some complex reasoning for them getting home (after all, Waterdeep should have numerous mages who could teleport), and one of these involves Zelraun Roaringhorn… let's throw out some ideas to give a little "zing" to story ideas.
First, the Roaringhorn family prior to the Spellplague had villas in not only Waterdeep, but also at least Baldur's Gate and Cormyr. In Baldur's Gate, the leader of the "Knights of the Unicorn" was Javalar Roaringhorn (in 2e, I believe he was a 19th level fighter). The Knights of the Unicorn was a full fledged large scale group of adventurer's spread throughout western Faerun dedicated to Lurue. This is all canon lore, and at the end of this, I'll present some from Powers & Pantheons that covers it.
The non-canon info
Javalar had two children delivered to him within a year of discovering the Crown of Joy and Tears. Some believe that these children were conceived that night, and Javalar was extremely protective of them, and the secret of their birth. The boy he would name Javuren, and the girl he would name Luralaer, and they appeared to be of half-elven blood. During one visit travelling through Waterdeep, the other Roaringhorn cousins decided that Javuren "was too innocent for his own good" and set him up with a very reputable high coin lass named Belûndrae Brost (a woman of her own secrets). Within a year, its said that Javuren Roaringhorn was presented with twins, Belvuren and Janilla Roaringhorn, who would be whispered to have come from a tryst with the High Coin lass. Though Javuren and Belûndrae were never wed, the proud grandfather, Javalar Roaringhorn treated the high coin lass as though she were royalty to him. He had a crown constructed for her made of silver, gold, blue gems, and moonstone carvings of pegasi and unicorns. This crown came to be known as the Pegasus Crown of Bliss Street, and she wore it every time she was invited to a Roaringhorn family gathering or noble's fete.
Click below to see this crown
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4446470
Sadly, Javuren Roaringhorn died in combat against evil before his children were even full grown, and their grandfather took it as his holy mission to raise Belvuren and Janilla himself. Still, he would always seek to give them access to their mother, though few outside the family knew who that was, and thus Javalar Roaringhorn had placed an enchantment upon the crown which allowed the wearer to transport themselves and up to 3 others from an apartment on Bliss Street in Waterdeep directly to the Roaringhorn family villa in Baldur's Gate (and vice versa). Even after Belvuren and Janilla grew up and followed a prophecy that had them travel with the Flaming Fist mercenary company to Fort Flame in Anchorome, disappearing with the Spellplague, Belûndrae Brost, and her later children by another Roaringhorn scion of Waterdeep who had fallen in love with her, continued to visit the aging Javalar Roaringhorn and care for him until he died. The Roaringhorns apparently bought Belûndrae Brost's dwelling on Bliss Street, and they continue to use it to this day for clandestine meetings, as a safehouse, or for visitors who simply need a place to stay for a short time. Some note that the Brost family make much use of the place, for Belûndrae Brost's grandfather, Nylan Brost, often stayed there when visiting his son, Bellondar. Its said that the Pegasus Crown of Bliss Street was later brought to Amphail, specifically to the Roaringhorn horse ranch, where it has become traditionally worn by the youngest female of house Roaringhorn during the yearly "knightings of the Unicorn" following the ceremonial "Rite of the Stag Lass" held in Amphail.
* For More on the Sisterhood of Essembra, Essembra, Teskulladar “Manytalons”, and Nylan Brost, see Dragons of Faerun
* For more on Bjorloomn of the Thunders, Annathlué "Battle-Blooded", the ranger Selûndrae, and Belûndrae Brost, see the discussion between AJA and Sleyvas about them at candlekeep's forums. http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?whichpage=11&TOPIC_ID=22581&
* For more on Javalar Roaringhorn and the Knights of the Unicorn, see the Powers and Pantheons under the entry for Lurue and Forgotten Realms Adventures under the entry for Baldur's Gate
More on the Knights of the Unicorn from Powers & Pantheons
The Knights of the Unicorn began as a romantic, whimsical group of high-bom adventurers from Baldur's Gate who roamed across the Sword Coast North seeking excitement and adventure wherever they wandered. Relatively early in their career, the Knights explored the legendary elven castle of El'lahana Raikeil at the heart of the Moonwood. During their explorations, the band confronted and overcame a series of puzzles with aplomb seasoned with a dash of whimsy. As they overcame each riddle, the image of a silver unicorn shadowing their progress slowly solidified. When they reached their goal, the long lost Crown of Joy and Tears, the Knights each in turn placed it on their brows and found themselves cavorting with elves and unicorns along the banks of a silver stream. When all had partaken of the crown's delights, the band returned the crown to its setting and took their leave of the elven castle in search of new adventures.
As the company strode through the gates into the moonlight, the leader of the knights, Javalar Roaringhorn, declared, "May none again find the Crown of Joy and Tears unless they enter with the heart of a child and the laugh of a dryad or wish to regain that which they have lost." Enchanted by the sense of whimsy and romance displayed by the Knights, an avatar of Lurue appeared to the adventurers outside the castle accompanied by the Silver Herd. The Unicorn Queen and her noble retinue took the Knights for the most exhilarating ride of their lives the length and breadth of the Moonwood that night. After their encounter with Silverymoon, the Knights chose their now-legendary name and pledged themselves in the service of Lurue. The Unicorn Queen found favor with their laughter and has gifted them ever since with an unending series of adventures to be had and wrongs to be righted. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2020 : 20:31:56
|
quote:
Originally posted by Demzer
Another idea similar to the bottle one is to get a realistic painting of a location in Baldur's Gate (maybe stealing it from the estate of a noble house with ties to the southern city)
I kid you not, in the same house as the bottle there is exactly such a painting. And Roaringhorn does indeed have access to Scrying, though it would be a side-mission to find a target for the scry. Even if Roaringhorn knew people in Baldur's Gate he hasn't been on Toril for a couple years at the minimum, giving time for his shenanigans in my Planescape game as a guest appearance.
Edit: He could certainly scry on the family establishment there, though I am curious to see what state it would be in in the year 1487
quote:
Demzer
and she wore it every time she was invited to a Roaringhorn family gathering or noble's fete.
Again, I am astonished that there was a Roaringhorn party in a 5e module that I could reverse engineer into a "Grand Return" party for Zelraun's homecoming. I already wanted to have a scene in a back-room with a harper grilling Zelraun for being a moron and shirking his duties- I even have a reason for him getting stuck in the planes in the first place. Seems like Sigil is a fine place to got to buy high quality Potions of Longevity. Now I can do research on this lovely story and have yet another fascinating guest at the party!
Edit: Right, a century has passed. Another, far smaller guest at the party.. I am an amateur for Waterdeep, would a family bring their youngest daughter to such an event just days before an important holiday ceremony? I need to research the North Ward more.. Volo's guide to waterdeep here I come.
quote:
Demzer
allowed the wearer to transport themselves and up to 3 others from an apartment on Bliss Street in Waterdeep directly to the Roaringhorn family villa in Baldur's Gate (and vice versa).
Oh my god imagine the awkwardness of Zelraun asking a family member for their heirloom crown just to teleport some shmucks closer to Candlekeep for the sake if regaining his clubhouse membership. 
Aww, I'm sure they have a soft spot for Adventurers. Nothing like meeting a young innocent soul to give you the motivation to stop some Demon Lords from conquering Faerun later on.
quote:
Demzer
worn by the youngest female of house Roaringhorn during the yearly "knightings of the Unicorn" following the ceremonial "Rite of the Stag Lass" held in Amphail.
 1st of Flamerule, huh? It.. is exactly summertime in the game right now.. if I consider it to be Kythorn at the moment then Flamerule is right about the bend. See- this is what makes me equal parts excited and frustrated. What are the odds?? So that also lines up. Amazing. Exhausting- but amazing nonetheless.
Wow... just, wow. Thank you and this is why I keep coming back here. I have my entire work shift before me and I have a multitude of topics to research..
What. Are. The. Odds. So, NOW we have a third core option.
1. Find a cheat to increase the odds of Teleporting to Baldur's Gate
2. Negotiate with the harpers to allow entry to -another- secret headquarters and teleport straight to Berdusk and travel west on a terrifying road trip.
3. Zelraun has to awkwardly visit his grand-niece or something in Amphail and ask for use of a great family heirloom just to teleport to the violent city of Baldur's Gate.
*4. The party just goes looking for the Glade Gate outside Loudwater and has to figure out another way to find a Mage to represent them at Candlekeep.
Keep in mind that none of these would even be on the table if I hadn't randomly chosen Roaringhorn to be the Wizard tied up in the Abyssal Tavern in The Deva Spark. There's nothing funnier than a humbled Archmage. (Also, I had Zelraun as an older man in that story. So the player who will recognize him will be very confused to see him 20 years younger. Whomever at WOTC wrote in that little detail is someone I owe a steak. That is amazing.)
Edit: Our party's Cormyrian Eldritch Knight Human may have actually heard of the surname depending on a history check... they're known in Cormyr too according to Dungeon mag 180. An article by Ed himself!
Edit: Honestly Zelraun is an amazing oddity. LN from a CG family, and due to my random use of him I have placed a reckless adventurous streak in his otherwise candid metropolitan lifestyle. Leaving the City of Splendors and visiting family out in the countryside (where some threads tell of some named 1400's mid to high level adventurers) is an interesting scene to have relatives badger him to adventure more. I can imagine... *flips through forum posts* Rauthrel, Sereld, or Reldaera would ceaselessly tease Zelraun to "put that stolen youth to a good cause". I am in love with the idea that he might accompany the party on the long road from Baldur's Gate or Berdusk to Candlekeep. Just throw an Archmage in the hands of a 7th level party. Oh this is gonna be fun..
[Posted - 06 Oct 2013sleyvas
Roaringhorns ...... they got that whole partying like there's no tomorrow and living the life of a mercenary..... and they chase unicorns and the next rainbow around the corner.] |
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
Edited by - PattPlays on 14 Aug 2020 22:02:22 |
|
|
|
sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2020 : 01:27:48
|
I do so love the Roaringhorn family, and I like the werepegasi lineage that AJA came up with (i.e. Belûndrae Brost, if you go to that link is a high coin lass who is/was a werepegasi.... she MAY be still alive since she was a half-moon elf btw). I used the fact that her last name was Brost to link her back to the Sisterhood of Essembra, which throws in a whole song dragon link into all of this mix if you want to use it. I made up the whole thing about the crown being used in Amphail, and it may be that Belûndrae Brost lets her great-great-grandchildren wear the crown on that day. The Roaringhorn horse ranch out there may also be raising pegasi now (and some of the Roaringhorns may have FATHERED those pegasi, to put an odd twist on things).
Since you seem amenable to using them, let me clue you in on a few more things that are also non-canon. The twins that were born to Javalar I've written up as coming from an elf who was a "were-unicorn", as in an elf that can change into a unicorn. They were both were-unicorns as well. So, when Belûndrae Brost is hired to escort Javuren Roaringhorn to a party, and she surprised him by revealing that she was a werepegasi.... he surprised her right back by revealing his secret. Belûndrae Brost knew that she could never provide proper protection for her children (because people would want to hunt them down), and so she turned to the order of the unicorn (and their father and grandfather) to protect them. Their father, Javuren, died, leaving them in the care of their grandfather and their mother (Belûndrae) who would secretly visit them using the crown.
When the two children came of age, the son Belvuren, was revealed to be a were-pegacorn, and the daughter was a werepegasi like her mother. The two children went to Fort Flame in Anchorome, which then went to Abeir. While there, the son had another child, Javalue Roaringhorn, before he himself went on to other things. This child was captured by a red wizard, and she corrupted him using the ritual Thayans used to make black unicorns. He now runs a dance club on an invisible floating netherese enclave up amongst the Tears of Selune called the Pleasure Palace of the Prancing Pegacorn. See more about it here.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4429298
I mention all this because if you really want a twisted adventure, having the adventurers flying up into the sky to go rescue a tainted were-pegacorn because a song dragon from Evermeet wants her great grandchild rescued from a red wizard's enclave.... yeah, that gets into the weird. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 15 Aug 2020 01:29:59 |
|
|
|
PattPlays
Senior Scribe
469 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2020 : 02:04:28
|
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
(and some of the Roaringhorns may have FATHERED those pegasi, to put an odd twist on things).
There's always something creepy going on in the rich people's quiet little villa. I can imagine our fighter excited to climb up on a pegasus.
Zelraun: "Could you not mount my second cousin.
quote:
everything else
Wellllll it's all up to the party if they even end up along the path to his relatives. The REAL question here is if the party befriends a wereunicorn can they then use Conjure Fey to summon them in unicorn form.
Hey- if you can convince me that one of the 8 Demon Lords wants a piece of these horsefolk then I'm all for it. Honestly I'm expecting Grazz't to trail the party while shapeshifted, so if that pleasure palace gets brought up then he might attempt a few Teleports to check it out/transform it to a demon worshiping cult paradise.
That is possibly my favorite thing about DMing this redux OOTA adventure: the demon lords have all the same restrictions as the party does. Grazz't can get sent hundreds of miles off-target just the same way Zelraun could if they aren't careful. And again- Grazz't has no perfect charm ability like other monsters do. He has nothing but charm person, dominate person, and a high DC. Not to mention he's trapped in Toril in a year where Drizzt and Elminster and the Chosen are all running around. AND any dumb adventurer with 4th level magic can banish you. Grazz't is walking around a bit naked this time around. Funny, because just a few decades ago he was selling a demonic army to some Abeir warlord or something.
Oh hey! Perhaps these red wizards could get involved with the Cult of the Dragon Queen which pops off in two years.
I think I'm getting enough information to move forward with my ideas...
Maybe next week I start a new thread for what to expect in Candlekeep.
There is a lot to do there! The Herald has the whole place going to hell once Summer ends with Elminster's gambit. I get to show off some real Netherese spies to the party. If you were one of these Netherese spies hiding out in Candlekeep, what would you[/i] do if someone showed you an official High Netheril sorceress' personal tome regarding her own art of Magical Tattoos and/or an actual Anaumator-inspired Legendary sentient Sunblade? What information would you have to give the party regarding Demon Lords? Stuff for a new thread, I suppose.
This thread has been a wild ride, don't be discouraged to leave further replies if you scholars have anything else to share.
|
:The world's greatest OOTA fan/critic: :"Powder kegs within powder kegs!": :Meta-Dimensional Cheese: :Why is the Wand of Orcus just back?: :We still don't know the nature of Souls and the Positive Energy Plane: :PC on profile, Aldritch Elpyptrat Maxinfield: :Helljumpers, Bungie.net: :Rock Hard Gladiator, RIP Fluidanim, Long Live Pluto: :IRC lives:
https://thisisstorytelling.wordpress.com
T_P_T |
|
|
|
Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2020 : 14:51:21
|
quote:
Originally posted by PattPlays
There's always something creepy going on in the rich people's quiet little villa. I can imagine our fighter excited to climb up on a pegasus.
Zelraun: "Could you not mount my second cousin.[/i]
"That's what I keep telling your mom!" |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Forgotten Realms fans, please sign a petition to re-release the FR Interactive Atlas
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Teleporting to Baldur's Gate
