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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
 Posted - 27 May 2021 : 02:00:28
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Tarsakh 1367 DR, drow attack Assam, apparently in a serious force.
This raises an obvious questions:
1. Drow from where?
The closest large cities are Guallidurth (very unlikely, considering they have a tradition of raiding Calimshan), Sshamath (extremely unlikely), Sschindylryn and Llurth Dreier. All of which are not really close and behind several Underdark features including large bodies of water. It's not like those cannot be circumvented above or below, but there are obviously more valuable things to fight for, much closer to their homes, than some human town in the middle of nowhere.
If there's a convenient portal, why no other signs?
2. Why choose this nasty area at all?
Considering that Oryndoll is somewhere under the Shining Plains, why these drow would voluntarily approach the place, ever?
While the illithids could do this, they also could pick much less conspicuous puppets, so this doesn't make much sense, either.
3. Was this incident linked to anything else?
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People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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deserk
Learned Scribe
Norway
238 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2021 : 10:47:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
What about the drow city near turmish / vilhon ruled by that drow lich queen. I forget the exact details except that it was in a polyhedron detailed by Eric
Undraeth is the name of that city. I'm guessing it's quite likely that particular city is behind those attacks. It has also attacked Hlondeth in the past as well. Undraeth lies beneath the Aphrunn Mountains in Turmish. It's also been ruled for millennia by a sorcerer queen, and not a lich.
But it could likely be another city as well. Like parts of the surface, the Underdark is full of settlements that are not marked or detailed. The Underdark maps from Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark (2nd) and the Underdark (3rd) don't show all settlements, but combining them together would give the best outlook that we know of. The 2nd edition book shows many settlements that the 3rd one doesn't show. |
Edited by - deserk on 27 May 2021 10:58:57 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2021 : 18:26:54
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| Yeah, it would be a hefty but worthwhile endeavour to try and combine those maps along with other references to various underdark settlements that have been listed over time. It would also be nice to have a rough idea of what depth they are at, since in theory we could have one settlement directly over another but separated by miles of rock. Just from memory, I think Lost Empires of Faerun mentions Athamault (which may or may not have residents today), there were Kiaransalee worshippers in V'eldrinnsharr (spelling?) over in the galenas underneath Damara/Vaasa from Demihuman Deities, and there was some drow settlement below Torsch from Prayers of the faithful in regards some chain related to either Talos or Loviatar. I don't even think people would be that worried about how exacting the map is (compared to say if you change anything on the surface), just so long as you had something to give you a rough idea of what's where. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2021 : 19:07:37
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| BTW, I wonder who Cadderly Bonaduce got his drow sleep poison from (or did he make it himself), since he's near that area. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2021 : 20:28:33
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
BTW, I wonder who Cadderly Bonaduce got his drow sleep poison from (or did he make it himself), since he's near that area.
He likely found the recipe in a book. It's been a long time since I read those novels, but as I recall, he'd led a pretty sheltered life, at the start of the series, and he was also trying things from stuff he'd read in books.
I seem to recall an alchemist-type, there, too, that made the oil of impact for him. There's another likely source. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2021 : 20:37:48
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quote:
Originally posted by deserk
Undraeth is the name of that city. I'm guessing it's quite likely that particular city is behind those attacks. It has also attacked Hlondeth in the past as well. Undraeth lies beneath the Aphrunn Mountains in Turmish. It's also been ruled for millennia by a sorcerer queen, and not a lich.
That's much better, but if this city is under Aphrunn Mountains, the greatest duergar kingdom lies straight between them and Assam and is their primary rival.
So while Oryndoll presumably has fairly good relations with them as "enemy of my enemy", getting there and back still looks troublesome.
Also, a curious moment (Vilhon Reach):
quote:
527 DR [...] the city of Hlondeth came under attack from an unexpected source - kobolds from the Tattered Cloth Legion.
[...] The survivors of Hlondeth learned that the kobolds had been led by dark elves [...] earth. Their leader, Shilaris Shemwith, had reportedly
hidden the treasury of Hlondeth below in the sewers and took the rest with her on her return trip below the earth.
The Grand History of the Realms (via forgottenrealms.fandom.com) names them as vassals of Queen Nathglaryst of Undraeth.
So the operation as such generally fits, but the choice of target is still strange.
quote:
Originally posted by deserk
But it could likely be another city as well. Like parts of the surface, the Underdark is full of settlements that are not marked or detailed. The Underdark maps from Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark (2nd) and the Underdark (3rd) don't show all settlements, but combining them together would give the best outlook that we know of. The 2nd edition book shows many settlements that the 3rd one doesn't show.
Yes, but it gives territorial relationships, doesn't it. Such as if there are old tunnels from Shanatar (now Oryndoll) to Barakuir, the Underspires, Undraeth, the Savage Frontier, Anauroch, Cairnheim, passages in these directions don't run through other noteworthy features.
Then there are positions implied by events: e.g. Underspires attacking Oryndoll and Undraeth under Queen Duerra herself back in -1850, and then expanding its territory during Time of Troubles via war with Ironfang Deep and Undraeth means they are adjacent, on the line between them any drow hold is going to be an outpost of Undraeth, any duergar is going to be an outpost of Underspires, and there won't be anyone else. And those living close enough on the sides are probably allowed by these big powers, i.e. more or less their vassals (like those kobolds). |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Drow on Shining Plains?
