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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Oct 2022 : 23:33:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
Does anyone have an answer as to when (in Dalereckoning) the Al-Qadim sourcebooks are written.
Assumption is 1367 DR, but i can't find anything that ties it definitively to one date or another.
The reason i ask is that there are a few oddities in the Land of Fate boxed set - some quotes say the First Grand Caliph was 500 years ago, others that it was 600 years ago, and yet the date in GHoTR for 657 DR regarding the Grand Caliph helping the Kingdoms of the Utter East mean that neither can be true if the sourcebook is written with 1367 DR as the modern date.
Now i did find another date linking Faerun and Zakhara, 1099 DR being the date of first modern contact with Zakhara and new trade routes forged. In the City of Delights it details what each Grand Caliph did and the 14th Grand Caliph opened trade with lands beyond Zakhara.
Now 250 years is a bit much for just 4 Grand Caliphs to server since 1099 DR, even if they did have a bit of half elf blood. But what if the Al-Qadim sourcebooks actually approximate to 1267 DR (not 1367 DR). That would mean the dating of 657 as 600 years ago works and 150 years for 4 rulers with a bit of half elven blood is doable.
Any thoughts?
First, damn good find in City of Delights. Bravo.
Regarding the mention of 1099 DR... there's a couple options actually for which Caliph that is in that the fifth established new trade routes.... but it does make more sense for it to be the 14th... so that the 8th or 9th ruled during times of Great Natural Disasters being related to possibly the Scouring of the Utter East.
One thing I saw that was kind of interesting was that in the section for 657 DR, it calls it "The Year of Nine Stars". Then in the beginning of ruined kingdoms we have an adventure called nine falling stars, and it says
Should the gates of Tadabbur be opened, nine-fold stars will rain from the sky to signal Her return. When wheel meets wheel, the past becomes clear and the future open.
Then to note, her geomancer council is "the Nine Council". So, maybe the nine falling stars were the geomancers doing SOMETHING that attracted meteors (rocks) and sent them crashing into Zakhara (you were saying earlier that there's several notes of things crashing into Zakhara). Later, when Tisan is freed again, perhaps it triggers something and enacts a lesser effect of the spell.
What if we tried to link the geomancers and the events of blood and magic and the city of Langdarma.
They have bloodforges, which created basal golems.... a stone like golem. So, perhaps these bloodforges are geomancer creations.
There's a lot of fiends, which the geomancers were known to summon.
There's the "Circle of Order" which are these immortal beings with ties to certain elements and the "Serene Ones" mentioned in Langdarma. At least one of the Serene Ones was "born from the Yehimals".... so basically born of the elements.
One of the "Circle of Order" embraced chaos and was imprisoned beneath a part of the Utter East known as the realm of fire ruled by "the Lord of Fire"... an area of lava and volcanos (one could say fiery earth).
He was Tartaryon and nicknamed himself "The Lord of Chaos".
The people of Langdarma are watched over by an angel servitor of the Serene Ones, but maybe Langdarma is one of the "lands" that the circle of order controlled (i.e. the "realm of lands"/"realm of fire"/"realm of tides").
So, maybe the geomancers, an evil group of mage-priests of Grumbar had some kind of "want" to gain the power or secrets of the Serene Ones. Maybe they freed Tartaryon (maybe through smashing some seals with falling meteors), and they brought him bloodforges, and helped him wage war on the neighbors of Nog and Kadar as well as the Serene Ones. Then the Grand Caliph realized they'd be turning their eyes in his direction next and he sent his armies in and they scoured the region killing friend and foe alike.
Probably some portions of that that would need some work, but since the two regions are so near to one another, treating them as separate entities seems wrong. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jan 2023 : 10:51:22
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Originally posted by Gary Dallison
I'm not certain if the portal between anauroch and zakhara is 2 way. If it was one way then there is no need to fear phaerimm encroachment. Although that would spoil further storytelling potential.
The problem is not direct phaerimm encroachment to another continent... at least while the Sharn Wall is intact.
The problem is phaerimm having access to the yikaria.
At which point all they need is to interrogate one, then send back enthralled (under illusion of freedom) to bring more yikaria, not an insurmountable challenge for them. If nothing else, the obvious (if crude) solution of scrying + teleport would do, they just need a good tale so that it does not look too suspicious ("I duped some greedy humans who want trinkets from Zakhara and don't know about our methods yet" would be enough); even if their own magic is blocked, a charmed wizard could do it.
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I have been musing about a sarrukh presence or yuan ti presence in Zakhara. We have yuan-ti in Zakhara for sure and quite a lot is focused on the Ruined Kingdoms. One could assume that this once dominated more of Zakhara, but has long since been buried since serpentkind do not fare well in deserts.
The yuan-ti (whether Zakharan or Faerunian) could have some outposts there back in pre-Netheril era, then mostly just scry on the place from outside to keep an eye on those dangerous wizards, and once Netheril fell, proceed to loot.
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The options for serpentking in Zakhara come in two possible scenarios.
...
Or they could be from Western Faerun, scouting the place for things of interest like the asabis and/or treasure.
Either way, the local top dogs are definitely the phaerimm. Their reaction would be to either keep the interlopers out (have all who come eventually disappear or get killed by "random" monsters) or subvert to have more agents on the outside. |
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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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2023 : 16:48:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
Are you suggesting that the mountains sunbright travelled to was in durpar where he met the dwarves and not somewhere near netheril (I was thinking the northern range of cormyr).
If so, is there anything that led to this conclusion other than the presence of yak men.
The yikaria could reach Netheril via the same portal as the Bedine, which was my previous assumption.
Barren Mts on the West of Netheril(Eastern part of "modern" Neher Mts), Gods’ Legion mts on the East ("modern" Desertmouth mts), and for that matter Rampant Peaks (which are not the same as Gods’ Legion, but "modern" Dragon Back Mountains) are all described in Netheril box and marked on the map.
"Iron Mountains" are not, and supposed to be somewhere to the South. The only canon reference (Shining South), however flimsy, is for Galuil Mountains. Though of course the name is mighty generic. Yikaria over there is more of supporting evidence.
Was his journey back and forth described? |
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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Zakhara Ruined Kingdoms
