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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Jun 2006 : 12:11:45
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I am integrating this dwarven settlement in one of my campaigns and can't find very much information on it.
The main info comes from Rand's Travelouge:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/fx20020410rt
quote:
Underdark Locations
Zanhoriloch (Small City, 6,000): This strange dwarven city rests on an island in the Underdark's Lake Thoroot. Zanhoriloch was originally built by drow, who in the Year of the Last Hunt (722 DR) launched an attack on the western dwarven city of Kanaglym through a portal. The dwarves surprised the drow with the strength of their resistance and forced the dark elves to retreat, following them back through the portal, where the dwarves sacked the unprepared city and turned the lake red with drow blood.
Stranded in an unknown location by the closing portal, the dwarves settled in the city, reworking its architecture to suit them and their faith. Though they were slow to learn boating, the dwarves of Zanhoriloch (usually called Mhorilot, meaning "dark surface," by its inhabitants) are comfortable on the water and keep their city self-sufficient by fishing and kelp farming. They have small mining expeditions on the near shore and possess wealth of silver, gold, and iron. Having spent several centuries avoiding the elves of Cormanthor, the dwarves recently emerged from a small tunnel leading to Battledale, with whom they now trade weapons and precious metals for grain, beef, and wood.
But then, a google-search came up with a german review of Book 4 of the "city of the spider queen"-series ("destruction"), where Zanhoriloch is mentioned as "an old aboleth city with even older secrets". Which is great in a way, because the campaign I want to include the city in is Night Below (where Abloeth are the major antagonists).
On the other side, I intended tu use Zanhoriloch as a dwarven settlement, free from nondwarven influence and with an optimistic & "expansionist-" worldview (the thunderblessing...). I intended to let several dwarven "troops" participate in the crusade/campaign of the dwarves who want to reconqueer the realm of Tethyamar under the Desertsmouth Mountains.
The whole thing is menat as backdrop- story that only slightly touches the PC but influences their neighbourhood (making the realms feel more alive). Since I don't have the time to read Destruction (going to India for 5 months in 2 weeks  ), I'd be very grateful for a small roundup of the novel.
...and whatever information I missed, of course! 
another thing: are you aware of a map I can use for Zanhoriloch?
facts:
- it's on an island of a lake (lake thooroot)
- about 6.000 dwarves live there
- was originally built by drow (menzo-like dripstone architecture?) and reworked by the dwarves
I suspect there's no official map, and won't be for the foreseeable future, so we can use whatever fits the cities feeling and known facts.
possible sources:
- canon sources (found nothing so far but have to take a close look yet)
- Dungeon magazines (several dwarven adventures there)
- articles in Dragon mag about dwarven cities (?)
- third-party publishers
I already "recycled" the (great!) maps in "The axe of the dwarvish lords", so that's out of question (they don't really fit the description of Z. anyway).
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Edited by - tauster on 28 Jun 2006 12:12:48
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2008 : 17:29:47
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I finally read the relevant portions of Book 4 (Destruction). [warning: spoilers ahead!]
I am quite baffled that the Zanhoriloch of the novel seems to be a totally different location than the one from Rand's Travelouge! 
In the novel there is absolutely no mention of an isle in the lake, let alone the dwarven city, ruins of the former drow settlement or even any surface settlement at all.
I liked the descriptions of the aboleth which gave me a few good ideas of how to portray them in play, but the conflicting lore leaves me totally clueless of how to proceed with how to handle Zanhoriloch in my game.  
My reasonings thus far:
I know it's possible that there is still a dwarven settlement on an isle in the lake's center, even if it went totally unmentioned in the book, but it would not - could not - be a "real" dwarven city. Given the Aboleth's close neighbourhood, they would surely have long enslaved the dwarves. That they left it (seemingly) intact can only mean that they intend to use Zanhoriloch as a kind of "bait" for other races. Visitors might be lured to their doom below the waves or "only" mindreamed by the aboleth from afar.
Do you see any way how the dwarves could have kept their freedom? I planned to use Zanhoriloch as a "free dwarven city", as a potential ally of my party who are (or will be) fighting aganist another large Aboleth city in the lowerdark. That's why the lore from Destruction by Lisa Smedman gets in my way...
There could be two different locations with the same name, of course. the novel's Zanhoriloch might be a nearby cavern, or even lie below Lake Thoroot. Other than that, I don't have any ideas. |
Edited by - tauster on 02 Apr 2008 17:31:00 |
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Zanhoriloch - Infos for this dwarven city needed
