| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 30 Oct 2019 : 21:20:10
Hi folks I was wondering that a lot of time has past in FR from Ad&D 2nd to 5th FR
Land of Fate and Kal Tar, I know that alot of water has a pasted under the bridge,
Land of Fate is my Favorite lands outside of the Heartlands of FR,
LW
Mod edit: Corrected typo in Subject  |
| 27 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Gyor |
Posted - 09 Dec 2019 : 20:01:57
We do know something about what happened in Shou Lung after the spellplague, in the chaos caused by it, Spiritfolk and those animal shapeshifter guys gained the right to enter the civil service for supporting the Emperor aginst somekind of threat, I don't remember what. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 04 Dec 2019 : 18:09:59
quote:
Originally posted by Quickleaf
quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller Hero
With the Spellplague disrupting magic, the djinnis of the Haunted Lands could have taken this opportunity to strike out and try to conquer the whole of Zakhara, with armies (made of mixed races, all promised wealth and glory made partially possible by support from Outer Planes djinnis) that they had been secretly gathering underneath the sands in subterranean cities. This could have resulted in a long drawn out series of power struggles and armed conflicts that stagnated progress of civilization.
In the aftermath of defeat, many djinnis could have infiltrated the cities on the surface and begun to gather their forces again in a different way, through political intrigue and the criminal underworld.
It's a wonderfully evocative idea! Though I worry it blurs the line between Calimshan and Zakhara.
The most fundamental distinction (as I understand it) between Calimshan and Zakhara – both Arabian analogues – is that Calimshan was once ruled by oppressive genies while Zakhara's relationship with genie-kind is much more like ambassadors from different but mutually respectful nations. Calishites live in fear of the stories of Memnon and the genies, whereas Zakharans live alongside genies which are an intimate part of their culture and even serve in the Grand Caliph's court.
Maintaining that distinction seems really important to keep Zakhara as being a distinct land from Calimshan.
Never thought of it like that, but that's a good comparison, especially since during the 4e era that story was that Calimshan was swarmed with genasi or somesuch. Zakhara definitely is of the mindset that genies are "allies" of a sort. I do find it interesting though that the "genies" of Zakhara seemingly get along with each other better than they do elsewhere (where Efreeti and Djinni can't stand one another)…. though that may be some misremembering on my part (i.e. maybe there was more "hate" between the genie factions in Zakhara material). |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 04 Dec 2019 : 05:03:08
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
can anyone change the name of this scrolls title to reflect Kara Tur?
'Tis done. |
| Dalor Darden |
Posted - 03 Dec 2019 : 23:33:53
can anyone change the name of this scrolls title to reflect Kara Tur? |
| Quickleaf |
Posted - 03 Dec 2019 : 23:30:57
quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller Hero
With the Spellplague disrupting magic, the djinnis of the Haunted Lands could have taken this opportunity to strike out and try to conquer the whole of Zakhara, with armies (made of mixed races, all promised wealth and glory made partially possible by support from Outer Planes djinnis) that they had been secretly gathering underneath the sands in subterranean cities. This could have resulted in a long drawn out series of power struggles and armed conflicts that stagnated progress of civilization.
In the aftermath of defeat, many djinnis could have infiltrated the cities on the surface and begun to gather their forces again in a different way, through political intrigue and the criminal underworld.
It's a wonderfully evocative idea! Though I worry it blurs the line between Calimshan and Zakhara.
The most fundamental distinction (as I understand it) between Calimshan and Zakhara – both Arabian analogues – is that Calimshan was once ruled by oppressive genies while Zakhara's relationship with genie-kind is much more like ambassadors from different but mutually respectful nations. Calishites live in fear of the stories of Memnon and the genies, whereas Zakharans live alongside genies which are an intimate part of their culture and even serve in the Grand Caliph's court.
Maintaining that distinction seems really important to keep Zakhara as being a distinct land from Calimshan. |
| Quickleaf |
Posted - 03 Dec 2019 : 23:26:41
quote:
Originally posted by LWhitehead1
Yes the 200 years that past by in Al-Qadim,
How would the Five Genie races be effected by this pasting of time?
There's very little officially written on the topic. However Storm King's Thunder has this nugget on page 245 which reveals that the dao are no longer bound to the yakfolk (yikaria) anymore.
If, like me, you assume the expiration of the dao's sentence expired around the time of the Spellplague, then that opens up some interesting questions about what the Spellplague looked like for Zakhara. |
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 11 Nov 2019 : 08:22:12
Yes the 200 years that past by in Al-Qadim,
How would the Five Genie races be effected by this pasting of time?,
LW |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 08 Nov 2019 : 13:52:57
When it comes to Zakhara, I half wonder how much of it went to Abeir. It would seem an almost perfect fit for Abeir. Its got genies protecting it that stop dragons from coming in. Presumably, some of these genies MIGHT be equivalent to some minor primordials. In fact, one of the things I've put forth is the idea that the transfers between Abeir and Toril have happened in the past as well but not as well documented to Faerunian sages because they didn't know about them. |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 07 Nov 2019 : 16:03:15
k when I think Al-qadim, I think Aladdin the tv series because quite frankly, it's one of the best when it comes to building adventures.
So using that as a basis, what can we do with it?
1. There are ancient empires lost to time in the desert regions. Are related to places like the imaskar, mulhourand or are they their own beast?
2. a good chunk of the seven wonders of the world were in the middle east in our world. Which ones survived and where? How do they differ from our own?
3. One of the undergoing themes of Al-qadim is tolerance in the name of the lawgiver. Which races demographics have changed over a 200 year period because of said tolerance? |
| Storyteller Hero |
Posted - 07 Nov 2019 : 13:46:55
With the Spellplague disrupting magic, the djinnis of the Haunted Lands could have taken this opportunity to strike out and try to conquer the whole of Zakhara, with armies (made of mixed races, all promised wealth and glory made partially possible by support from Outer Planes djinnis) that they had been secretly gathering underneath the sands in subterranean cities. This could have resulted in a long drawn out series of power struggles and armed conflicts that stagnated progress of civilization.
In the aftermath of defeat, many djinnis could have infiltrated the cities on the surface and begun to gather their forces again in a different way, through political intrigue and the criminal underworld.
|
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 07 Nov 2019 : 00:23:18
What about Zakahara?,
LW |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 06 Nov 2019 : 22:48:08
honestly, hadn't put that much thought into it beyond the scenario people were throwing out.... i.e. they were broken up, and now they're not again, with a slight change as to Imperial bloodlines and putting in a large "royal family" enough that people can create a bunch of "children" and "grandchildren" of the emperor who may be variously competing or serving the empire. I'll say what I've read of Kara-Tur was very interesting, and other than the idea that it would seem silly to handwave and say "its all still the same".... I don't know that I'd want to change much, and more or less try to maintain what they had. That being said, I definitely wouldn't be the person to do it. My knowledge of kara-tur and oriental cultures is limited.
I will say though, it might be interesting to have the old emperor in exile on say a tear of Selune. Maybe he took over and built a fortress up there, and now his great grandchildren are totally out of touch with their groundlings relations. |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 06 Nov 2019 : 18:14:06
So are we going for the usual North vs South (which may already be played by Shou vs Tu Lung), or is there a particular regions that have rivalrys. Perhaps something like the warlords of the 1920s?
https://omniatlas.com/maps/asia-pacific/19200723/ |
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 06 Nov 2019 : 03:21:01
Sounds good,
LW |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 22:21:34
If something like that happened (splintering of Shou Lung), then perhaps the spelljammers that existed were lost by being used in warfare. Or perhaps a faction of Shou Lung actually pulled them and their people into the sky (maybe even the old Emperor fled with a fleet of loyal dragonships to the heavens). Then perhaps Wa attacked the splintered shou lung and they unified against their ancestral foe. I wouldn't do the distant relation to the last Emperor. What I would do is introduce a new dynasty under a new leadership, with the prior emperor's family "ruling in exile" from nearby. But perhaps the son of this new emperor is forced to marry the exiled emperor's daughter or somesuch to provide traditionalists some belief that the bloodline of the emperor will continue, and they already have a dozen or more children of ages ranging from say 3 to 27 (the first child having been born when the mother was maybe just 15 and the father maybe 18.... making them in their early to mid 40's and the current emperor in his mid 60's). Then have the current emperor also have other children born that aren't married to the old emperor's bloodline, such that if the first son dies, then the old emperor's bloodline won't take rulership again. Thus the OLD emperor is invested in protecting his son in law through whatever corrupt means he must. Meanwhile maybe the CURRENT emperor is extremely honorable, charismatic, etc... and thus the people love him even though he is old and its assumed he will pass in a few years. So, the HEIR was raised to value honor by his father, but he's learning about corruption from his father-in-law.... and maybe the children of the heir are variously honorable to cruel to spoiled. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 19:51:36
quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller Hero
I think that political turmoil causing the empire of Shou Lung to temporarily split into multiple kingdoms before being reunified through war would be a good way to keep the empire near the same level of civilization that it was before the Spellplague happened. Progress halted to clean up the mess created by the cataclysm.
I like this idea. Maybe the initial wonkiness of magic caused a lot of issues for the Imperial family, prompting an ambitious general to launch a coup -- though he claimed it was a regency, until the Emperor's young son, the only known survivor of the family, came of age.
The regent kept control of things for several years, until something else happens -- maybe his own sudden death, perhaps at the hands of an assassin -- and that's when it all splintered. The young emperor's power was not secure, and the nation splintered, some backing other nobles with distant ties to the throne, others backing military leaders. The emperor himself has to go into hiding.
The war is low-level but constant, neighbors fighting neighbors on behalf of this faction or that faction, with rare moments of peace here and there.
More than a generation passes, maybe two, when some nameless, ragged warrior-woman puts together her own small army and starts curb-stomping anyone that goes against her, then absorbing their forces into her own. She claims no mandate other than trying to restore peace, and after several years, she manages to reunite the nation.
That's when she reveals herself: she's a distant relation to the last Emperor -- but her late husband, the father of her son, is a direct descendant of the Emperor. Her son is of age to rule, and though as wily and cunning as his mom, he's just too young to have much combat experience. He did aid his mom's campaign, but she kept him in the background as much as possible, until she had reclaimed the throne.
It's been 20ish years since the throne was restored, and though there's been some rough spots, the nation is finally getting back to where it was before it all hit the fan. |
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 18:59:12
So that's what is needed Lost History to reflect the Spellplaque,
LW |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 18:24:03
k should we make a separate thread just so we can stew on the different mini states in shou long kinda like we did in anchorome (which was bloody awesome btw)? :) |
| Storyteller Hero |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 13:15:52
I think that political turmoil causing the empire of Shou Lung to temporarily split into multiple kingdoms before being reunified through war would be a good way to keep the empire near the same level of civilization that it was before the Spellplague happened. Progress halted to clean up the mess created by the cataclysm.
The disabling of spelljamming ships until new helm designs were engineered during the Era of Spellplague would also keep much of the period of "lost history" grounded.
|
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 05:25:38
Well Officially more info for both lands,
LW |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 05 Nov 2019 : 01:27:48
Since it's been about 200 years since the last update, what would you like to happen?
Is there a particular people from previous editions that you really liked?
We'll be more then happy to throw some crazy ideas your way and make it your own. :) |
| LWhitehead1 |
Posted - 01 Nov 2019 : 02:29:45
Well if Sword Coast does mention these Two little, but what I need to know current history and rulers in each area?.
LW |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 31 Oct 2019 : 20:46:59
surekay :)
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/223352/Genies-Great-and-Small-21-New-Genies-of-Zakhara?affiliate_id=178947
edit: not as much as I remember, but yes, that's a dmsguild product with the kobold press logo...wierd.
|
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 31 Oct 2019 : 19:54:06
quote:
Originally posted by shades of eternity
Kobold press came out with a slew of info for Zakhara. Wolfgang Bauer is very much a fan.
I missed this one... Have a link? |
| shades of eternity |
Posted - 31 Oct 2019 : 17:15:47
Kobold press came out with a slew of info for Zakhara. Wolfgang Bauer is very much a fan.
As for Kara-tur, I did some brainstorming a while back and since I never miss an opportunity to promote, here are the links:
https://breadthofpopsanity.blogspot.com/2018/03/kara-tur-some-thoughts-part-1-overview.html
https://breadthofpopsanity.blogspot.com/2018/03/kara-tur-some-thoughts-part-2-race-ideas.html
https://breadthofpopsanity.blogspot.com/2018/06/kara-tur-some-thoughts-part-3-classes.html
https://breadthofpopsanity.blogspot.com/2018/07/kara-tur-some-thoughts-part-4-level.html |
| Storyteller Hero |
Posted - 31 Oct 2019 : 16:41:27
Kara Tur and Zakhara are briefly described in chapter 1 of the 5e book Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.
Nothing seems to have changed in terms of overall theme, but there are few specific details.
|
| Barastir |
Posted - 31 Oct 2019 : 16:02:18
When you say "Kal Tar" (in your message) and "Kal Taur" (in the thread title) you mean "Kara-Tur", right? As far as I know both exist and were briefly mentioned, but were not detailed in any recent producted. |
