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Amaril
Acolyte

Australia
4 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  13:43:22  Show Profile  Visit Amaril's Homepage Send Amaril a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Greetings All,

Escuse me for my ignorance, as it's my first post here. So I'm likely to stuff it up. I'm also slowly reading my way thru Ed's postings, so there might be some info in there that I'm after, so I apologise in advance if that's the case. Anyway, here's my problem.

Background:

I have a game set in Cormyr, with the Pc's playing the part of Purple dragon soldiers caught up in the clearing out of the goblinoids after the retaking of Arabel. Having used the town of Slingdyke as a base of operations, they have been tackling a large group of Goblinoids. I've recently introduced a new thread into the game where Hobgoblins were caught transporting via wagons, 3 chest of 5000 Gold Lions. However, instead of having the late King Azoun IV minted on the back of the coin, there is the image of the future King, Azoun V. I am planning on having the coins being minted by the Sembians (tired of using the obvious Zhent influence), in an attempt to destablise Cormyr thus making her ripe for plucking. I'm planning of having the Sembian's using the Thunder Peak crossing thru the Hullack Forest/ Thunderstone route to enter Cormyr.

What I am wanting to know from the sages of the list is:

1: Around what time did Cormyr take up the lands that encompass the Hullack Forest, and who was the King at the time? (I'm not sure if it might be in "Cormyr: A Novel", if it is, I may need to reread).
2: Apart from Volo's Guide to Cormyr, is there any further information (in depth preferably) regarding Hullack Forest and Thunderstone (maps as always would be a great help!) Yes, I do have the FRCS, The old Grey Boxed set too. Would love (was it?) Elminster's Ecologies?? *I've just found some info regard firefall vale from one of Ed's posts.*
3: I have this vague thought in the back of my head about "Warden of the Eastern Marches" ... once held by Baron Thomdor,
Azoun IV's first cousin, is there actually a set list of officer/enlisted titles. What about major titles held? I'm currently using modern titles from our (Australian) military forces, but it's always nice to have a more Realmsean feel to the game.

At any rate, if you can't give me exact answers, please source books or Ed's postings where I might find them would be a great help! It'll give me a good reason to get them out of the packed box they are in (it'll also give me a good arguement with the Lady to allow me to keep them out too!! :) )

Anyways, thanks for your help!!

Cheers

Dargoth
Great Reader

Australia
4607 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  13:56:42  Show Profile  Visit Dargoth's Homepage Send Dargoth a Private Message  Reply with Quote
1) The answer can be found in Cormyr a novel in the chapter where one of the kings finalises a boarder with Sembia

2) I believe theres a Cult devoted to Malar that live in Hullacks forest, there detailed in Faithes and pantheons

3) I believe Ed Greenwood gave us some stuff on the Cormyr military, check out Ed Greenwoods thread in the Sages forum or take a look at Kuje31s archive of Eds remarks (A link can be found in Kuje31s sig)

“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”

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"Its good to be the King!"

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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31774 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  14:24:48  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth

2) I believe theres a Cult devoted to Malar that live in Hullacks forest, there detailed in Faithes and pantheons
The Bloodmoon Circle. They consider themselves part of the Malarite cult known as the People of the Black Blood, which operates in and around the Moonwood of the Silver Marches.

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Edited by - The Sage on 01 May 2005 14:28:13
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader

USA
5517 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  16:31:54  Show Profile  Visit SiriusBlack's Homepage Send SiriusBlack a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth

2) I believe theres a Cult devoted to Malar that live in Hullacks forest, there detailed in Faithes and pantheons
The Bloodmoon Circle. They consider themselves part of the Malarite cult known as the People of the Black Blood, which operates in and around the Moonwood of the Silver Marches.



This Malar cult also is mentioned on a few pages in Lords of Darkness. As this thread's first post shows, they will also at least be briefly mentioned in Champions of Ruin.
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore

USA
1105 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  18:29:09  Show Profile  Visit Garen Thal's Homepage Send Garen Thal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
1. Formal control of the Hullack Forest began during the reign of Pryntaler. Following the formalization of Cormyr's borders with Sembia in 1188 DR (the Thunder Peaks, Vast Swamp and Darkflow being the line of demarcation; see Chapter 24 of Cormyr: A Novel), the Crown set about taking firmer hold of all the lands within that area, including the heretofore untouched Hullack Forest.

At that time, a man called Eltrym Drauthglas was Lord of Hullack, ruling what few humans lived in the immediate vicinity from Hullack Hall. Rather than see his six daughters despoiled or killed by advancing Purple Dragons, he surrendered to the forces of Pryntaler (c. 1190 DR), keeping his titles, hall, and powers--all of which passed to the Crown on his death. (Most of this is drawn from the final "Lost Treasures of Cormyr" article, part of the "New Adventures of Volo" series, in Dragon #281)

2. Dragon #281 has a tale of the Hullack Hawk, a bandit of the region from long ago. There is a map of Thunderstone in the 2E module book Four from Cormyr (but not in the FR Interactive Atlas, I'm afraid).

3. The list of Purple Dragon ranks from lowest to highest (with very roughly equivalent real-world ranks, useful for anyone familiar with a military deriving its ranks from the British system) is:
Blade- Private or Corporal
First Sword- Sergeants
Swordcaptain- Warrant Officers/ Lieutenants
Lionar- Captain
Ornrion- Major/Lt. Colonel
Constal- Colonel
Oversword
Battlemaster

Battlemaster and Oversword are somewhat equal, both being roughly equivalent to general officers in our world. Generally speaking, a battlemaster is a field officer, while an oversword is a garrisoned or "base" officer (like the commander of the garrison of Arabel, Oversword Dutharr). You'll never really see a noble below the rank of swordcaptain, and rarely below the rank of lionar. Commoners, for their part, have a hard time making it past lionar, though an ennobled or knighted commoner can rise to any rank the crown or his superiors desire.

Standing above these ranks is the (Lord High) Warden of the Eastern Marches, currently Dauneth Marliir. Any other regional wardens ("Warden of the North," for example) would also be at this level. The Warden of the Port of Marsember, Ayesunder Truesilver (and de facto head of the Imperial Navy), is effectively at this level as well.

Above the Warden is the (Lord) High Marshal of the Kingdom. This post is currently vacant--in truth, it's filled by Alusair--and answers only to the Crown, having full command over the total forces of all Cormyr.

-G
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tauster
Senior Scribe

Germany
399 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  19:01:25  Show Profile  Visit tauster's Homepage Send tauster a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Amaril


However, instead of having the late King Azoun IV minted on the back of the coin, there is the image of the future King, Azoun V.

first of all, welcome to candlekeep!

...ok, after all niceties said and done...
while i very much like that idea, i.e. the "destabilization through currency"- plot (sounds like a plot fitting to sembians!), there´s one thing i don´t understand: how will the sembians (or anyone else, for that matter) know how King Azoun V will look when he´s old enough to reign? or do you mean his present-day portrait is minted on the coins flipside? i have a hard time picturing how coins with a baby´s face could destabilize anything.

Edited by - tauster on 01 May 2005 19:03:29
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Kentinal
Great Reader

4689 Posts

Posted - 01 May 2005 :  19:34:54  Show Profile Send Kentinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Amaril

Greetings All,




Welcome

quote:


However, instead of having the late King Azoun IV minted on the back of the coin, there is the image of the future King, Azoun V. I am planning on having the coins being minted by the Sembians (tired of using the obvious Zhent influence), in an attempt to destablise Cormyr thus making her ripe for plucking. I'm planning of having the Sembian's using the Thunder Peak crossing thru the Hullack Forest/ Thunderstone route to enter Cormyr.


There is a problem here other then the image on the coin.

For the most part the coin is worth its weight in gold/silver/copper etc.

A different image would not matter much nor destabilise an economy. The coins of most realms have not suffered debasement (the pratice of transforning an ounce of gold into a half ounce of gold and some other metal and saying it is still worth an ounce of gold, when the value of the actual coin is lower) that a new coin would not matter to the merchants or the wage earners.

The way to disable an economy is to conterfit existing coins with debased ones, that were not detected for a time. The merchants will normally accept realm coin at face value and not weight or other wise test them. A new coin, that of Azoun V for example, would be tested to see to its pureity and true value.

A new coin real coin might form political divisions in some cases, however a coin of the future king would not do this. Now if real coins are introduced from two (or more) posible hiers to the throne that certainly could result in discord and could slow comerence.
"I accept only Azoun V or Azoun VI coins."
"I accept only <foo> of Azoun VI coins."

This though would be political statement that could desablise depending on how emotional the factions become.

The best way to distable a realm though coin would be to have already contaminated much of the coin with debased coins and then make it public knowledge. A longer term project that would not have been detected. At least 1 percent (and most likely higher) would have to be false coins to even start to cause discord.

"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon
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Amaril
Acolyte

Australia
4 Posts

Posted - 05 May 2005 :  02:06:42  Show Profile  Visit Amaril's Homepage Send Amaril a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your replies! Very much appreciated.

Kentinal, very interesting. I understand where you are coming from, and more importantly where you are going. However, thankfully my players aren't that indepth and are taking the coins/destablising at face value. Especially when several senior War Wizards turned up, took the coins and demanded the players forget everything they saw! That and the fact that they were awared medals when they arrived back in Arabel.

Sometimes it's easier if things remain vauge, rather then trying to explain every last detail.

I guess what I'd really like to know now (as I'm still trying to read ALL of Ed's replies) is, what happened to Firefall vale, Hullack forest, and Thunderstone post War?

Thanks again

Adrian
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