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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 07:18:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
You know... I was mostly interested in what people would bring in, given the option to include their own creations. Saying "I'd run it this way, or publish more of that" is one thing, but I'm looking for people to share their creativity. 
What would you bring in and make official, of your own creation?
Well, here is a God I would make in the Forgotten Realms (kinda long, so sorry; but you asked...):
Dalor Darden
The Darkflame, the Black Arch-Mage, the Fiend Seer, the Anti-Mage, the Last One, Lord of Favors
Greater Deity
Symbol: A black flame (sometimes with two red eyes)
Home Plane: Plane of Shadow (portals to the Abyss, Nine Hells, and other Infernal Realms)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Alien things, caverns, dark, dark favors, dungeons, evil, fiendish dealings, forgetfulness, loss, night, power, secrets, the Underdark, & vice
Worshipers: Shadow adepts, shades, wizards, cultists, fiendish creatures, anarchists, assassins, avengers, monks (Dark Moon), nihilists, rogues, shadow dancers, fiendish creatures and aberrations
Cleric Alignments: LE, NE, CE
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Corruption, Knowledge, Magic
Favored Weapon: “Darkshaft” (Quarterstaff)
Dalor is, simply put, the Lord and Master of Evil. His is the power of dark magic and evil incarnate. His tools are fiendish servants and alien creatures from otherworldly realities. His strength is hidden within fiend cults, evil wizard cabals, the morally corrupt and lone seekers of dark magic for the sake of power. He is the epitome of the power hungry wizard, for he hoards magical knowledge to himself with ever a hungry eye on what can next be gained while eliminating those that have what he does not. He promotes among worshipers this same ideology so that what they bring to the afterlife will be his alone. Dalor most commonly takes the form of an ebon-skinned human about seven feet tall and of athletic build with lustrous stark white long hair that frames a finely chiseled face in which are a pair of glowing red eyes. His only clothing consists of finely crafted unadorned robes of black, a matching hooded cloak and breeches, and black leather knee-high boots. Always in his grasp is a slender staff of pitch black alien alloy that stands exactly as tall as the Black Arch-Mage. He has many other guises, ranging from an elderly sage to a young sycophant.
The Church of Dalor has no central structure at all, as each temple maintains its own base of power separate from (but sometimes in competition against) other temples. Only the rare Solar Eclipse and nights of the New Moon will bring the “Conclave of Dark Seers” together to receive instruction from a servant or (rarely) an avatar of Dalor.
Clerics of Dalor pray for their spells at dusk or midnight; depending on the preference of the individual cleric. Holy days for the entire church are Solar Eclipses, nights of a New Moon (called “Night of the Master’s Eye”), and the Day of Dark Dawning which is a celebration of Dalor taking the power of Shar from her inept hands and destroying her. On nights of a New Moon, clergy often mount attacks against enemies or unsuspecting people who have magic the cleric desires. The individual temples sometimes sponsor magical duels within their deepest chambers and reward the winner with spell scrolls, wands, or other rare items; then raid the holdings of the now dead wizard. Because the church has fewer lay worshipers than other churches dedicated to a Greater Deity, Dalor has actually instructed clerics to attempt to gain converts by use of addictive drugs and mind influencing magic. Many temples have opened brothels and drug parlors to pursue this avenue, and have found that those unworthy of Dalor’s favor still make excellent sacrifices to cement deals with the various fiends that are summoned to do the church’s bidding. To ensure secrecy, new “converts” are promised what it is they most desire (whether it be wealth, power, sex, drugs, etc.) and are sent to the actual temple to undergo rituals to determine which will actually become clerics and which will become slaves or sacrifices.
History/Relationships: The history of Dalor is for the most part a total unknown factor. Short of what other gods and a very few mortals may know; little of anything is known of this god. What is known is: he was born of a race of exceptionally powerful wizards from an alternate prime material plane. This race had once ruled thousands of planets in a star spanning empire; but by the time Dalor was born, all that remained of the empire after a great war was a small continental empire on a single world which was not their native home. For unknown reasons Dalor was banished from this world in his youth shortly before the last remnants of his people were destroyed by godly forces in a great magical cataclysm. This occurred roughly 1,500 years ago; about the same time that Tyr first came to Toril. The young, but greatly powerful, wizard is said to have traveled to many worlds, planes, and even through time itself; eventually gaining such great power that he achieved self apotheosis. Such was the nature of the procedure, however, that he nearly lost himself to forces bent upon the destruction of the very Multiverse itself. Needing to shed this unwanted influence from himself, he found the means upon the world of Toril.
Creating a powerful Avatar named Barak; Dalor vested in it a great deal of his own power (supposedly even giving aspects of his portfolio to it and making it a Demi-god itself), cast it into the lands north of the Moonsea, and then cut it off completely. Thus came to the Pantheon of Faerun the Demi-god of Power, Conquest, Tyranny, and War named Barak shortly before the Time of Troubles. Not without contingency plans for disposal of his alter-ego, Dalor saw to the destruction of the Demi-god by way of manipulation of several mortals and gods during the Time of Troubles.
Now free of the outside influences which brought about his ascension to godhood (and having regained his temporarily lost power as well as having endeared himself to several mortals and a god suspected to have been Bane; who many now blame Dalor for helping to return to Faerun) Dalor set about attaining the power he truly desired. Once again manipulating mortals and gods alike, the Demi-god Dalor (claiming the portfolio of the Deity of Power, Fiendish Dealings, and Alien Things) began a strategy to ensure his ascent to his current station. In an as yet to be understood plan, he began to awaken the long dead deity Amaunator the Sun God within the lands of Chessenta by granting spells to those who would accept the teachings of this god as taught (truthfully despite his nature) by Dalor himself who posed as the Oracle of Amaunator. Further plots, some involving the power of the now awakened Sun God, involved bringing the City of Shade back from the Plane of Shadow, opening of numerous new Shadow Magic Portals and Gates throughout Faerun, the sound defeat and enslavement of Tiamat’s Avatar in a spectacular battle outside the City of Akanax, breaking Shar’s grasp on the Shadow Weave by destruction of a Shadow Weave artifact and mass desertion of her worship by the City of Shade to the worship of Dalor, and finally his ascent to his current power which resulted from unknown means of a ritual involving the destruction of the Shadow Weave artifact and the avatar of Tiamat he had chained by his magic; the end result being the death of Shar, Mystra claiming all magic, and Dalor becoming a powerful God in his own right.
Dalor has become, in short order, one of the most powerful gods in Faerun; but it has brought him many enemies. Many speculate that his aiding Amaunator was only done to maintain a balance within the pantheon as mandated by Ao; and the Sun God now calls Dalor an enemy because of this manipulation and their diametrically opposed portfolios. The deities Cyric, Talos, and Bane resent his power; and now call him enemy alongside such gods as Selune, Lathander, Tiamat, Mystra, Kelemvor, and others; though Mystra, now changed by taking the mantle of the Shadow Weave, is often neutral concerning Dalor and his advances of obviously deceitful love he professes. Counted among his allies (if they can be trusted) would be the deities Beshaba, Gargauth (as a fiendish intermediary), Mask, Velsharoon (who has totally gone over to allegiance to Dalor), his son Zal-Kaeth, grandsons Vhalketh and Zaelnan, and various fiendish powers such as Baphomet, Grazzt, Orcus, Pazrael, and even (if rumors can be believed) Asmodeus; who is said to have given his favored daughter Glasya to Dalor in marriage to cement some pact.
Dogma: In the scheme of the gods themselves, the purpose of life is gaining power. The gods work ceaselessly against each other to gain more followers who give them power; why should mortals be any different? Seek out magic which will give you power and use those who can do your bidding to increase your strength; whether they be a easily manipulated paramour or a dangerous fiend. Evil is a power none can deny, for the infinite legions of the Abyss and the Nine Hells are an inexhaustible source of power to be used against enemies. Seek out knowledge of any kind that can only be found where others fear to tread. Advocate the use of dark magic by showing its power against the weak and frayed powers of light that slowly crumble as light attempts to treat all equally and thus disperses its own power. Destroy the enemies of the Darkflame who would stand against his power, and use their magic to further his will. Do not oppose the power of the Black Arch-Mage, for no force is his equal; he has at his disposal the legions of the infernal realms and the unfettered might of darkness to command. In the end, Dalor will control all and only those of use to him will be given some measure of power to use for his glory.
Clergy and Temples: Dalor’s clerics are almost all power hungry; and use whatever means at their disposal to gain power and keep it. They congregate in lands where their evil natures can actually aid them in their pursuits; while elsewhere they are most often lone individuals who either live in reclusive towers in pursuit of dark researches or travel about in search of lost magic. They sometimes sponsor dark academies where the only price for attending is not being the last to graduate from your class; for if you are, your soul is forfeit to the very fiendish instructors who you once learned magic from. A rare cleric will actually take on the role of sage and seer, willing to aid others with knowledge for payment in evil magical items or other things best left unsaid. The vilest of his clergy usually become so wrapped in their dealings with fiendish and alien creatures that they often become diabolical and/or alien themselves. Such men and women are friend to none and will even destroy other followers of Dalor in their mad schemes for more power. All temples to Dalor seek out Paladins that can be corrupted into Blackguards who further their master’s power; and even raise from adolescence young boys and girls to serve as unholy warriors who train as fighter/clerics or fighter/Divine Champions.
Temples to Dalor vary wildly in their layout, location, and strength. Most are hidden affairs known only to the actual clerics and other worshipers who live there. Some few are little more than shrines where a “kindly” sage in good cities retreats to perform evil rites when the unlucky fall within their grasp. Dalor is not a deity of absolute darkness per se; and his temples are not the typical brooding dungeons those of good disposition would expect them to be. He expects his followers to display the might of their patron god in the temples; and so displays of finely crafted halls, extensive libraries, laboratories, rich tapestries, golden objects of art, and well equipped guards will certainly be found within temples who can afford such. Less prominent temples will still be found within well maintained structures and have at least a fine altar with well guarded adjoining rooms.
Clerics of Dalor dress uniformly in darker colors, with black, dark gray, midnight blue, or deepest purple nearly always prominent. Clerics strive to obtain the finest armor and weapons they can gain; some even going so far as to learn the skills of armor-smith or weapon-smith. Clerics are not required to display the holy symbol of their deity; but it will always be upon their person.
The most prominent temple of Dalor, known to outsiders, stands near the Thayan city of Eltabbar. The structure is a massive tower a hundred feet in diameter and three hundred feet tall; with a writhing mass of black fire stretching into the sky another one hundred or so feet. A ring of thirteen smaller towers, each thirty feet in diameter and ninety feet tall, surround the central structure and are joined by an imposing fortified wall bristling with minarets and the spears of patrolling guards. The courtyard between the central structure and the wall is a garden paradise filled with all manner of welcoming pleasures to tempt outsiders. Access is granted freely every day to any who wish to convert to the worship of Dalor; but after entry, none are ever allowed to leave without permission. The mistress of this glorious edifice is said to be none other than Dalor’s own wife Glasya; but none can confirm having ever seen her or even heard her name spoken within the halls. Few wish to speak her name at any rate, for she is the daughter of Asmodeus himself, Arch-fiend of the Nine Hells.
An order of powerful Blackguards and Divine Champions (guided somewhat by Clerics and Wizards) resides in the land of Chessenta; rulers of the equally powerful City-State of Akanax. The city was where Dalor began the resurrection of the god Amaunator; but the citizens of that city have been converted to the worship of their former “Oracle” after he openly proclaimed himself outside the city of Cimbar which the legions of Akanax were besieging. The Scions of the Dark Lord are a highly motivated and organized order with no qualms about destroying whole cities which refuse their power. They are the driving force behind an effort to re-unite Chessenta; and have a solid chance of success. Their efforts have recently been opposed by the concentrated efforts of Tiamat’s own clergy and adventurers who are rumored to actually be the mortals who unwittingly helped Dalor gain his power.
The true heart of Dalor’s faithful exists in the nation of Dambrath. Once a land ruled by only barbaric half-drow clerics of Loviatar; Dalor has stripped the people of this land away into his own church completely. The cities have each been given in alliance with some fiend or another by the Black Arch-Mage; and each fiend is given worship here alongside the Darkflame; Lord of Fiends. Many believe Dalor is attempting to found his own Pantheon of Deities in the south. Within Dambrath are temples devoted to the Dark Gods: Dalor, Zal-Kaeth, Glasya, Vhalketh, and Zaelnan; all related to Dalor. Despite the nations obviously evil bent, it is heavily involved with negotiations in several neighboring lands for trade and peaceful existence. To the abject horror of many, a new faction of Shadow Adepts within Halruaa are trying to violently force unification with their Dark Lord’s growing empire. Open battle has yet to occur within Halruaa; but most suspect civil war is close. If such a war happens within Halruaa, many say the dark legions of Dambrath would happily invade, as they have done before, to create a “Dark Empire” in the south despite their overtures of peace and trade.
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The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Amarel Derakanor
Seeker
97 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 10:01:30
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quote:
Well, here is a God I would make in the Forgotten Realms (kinda long, so sorry; but you asked...):
Well, I like the concept, Dalor. Mind if I steal your "namesake" and put a version of him into my personal Realms? |
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Kilvan
Senior Scribe
Canada
894 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 12:29:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Thus came to the Pantheon of Faerun the Demi-god of Power, Conquest, Tyranny, and War named Barak
Am I the only one to find this ironic?  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 16:14:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Dagnirion
-I'd definitely create a "consulting team". Not sure who I'd have in it, though (excluding designers, current and past, novelists, current and past, and pseudo designers, current and past). MT, Dan and Rin are the only definites, I think.
Glad to hear it. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 16:31:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Amarel_Derakanor
quote:
Well, here is a God I would make in the Forgotten Realms (kinda long, so sorry; but you asked...):
Well, I like the concept, Dalor. Mind if I steal your "namesake" and put a version of him into my personal Realms?
And this is why I was interested in what people would create. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 16:38:29
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I'd finally finish the final details and write up my "Planar Theory: A conversation on the roll of Gods and Outsiders in the multiverse" (or some similar name). Which would explain the whole Great Wheel/Great Tree deal and the importance of Gods to the material plane.
I'd also put out the details of some mercenary companies that I've created, along with some of the towns and villages and also some forests.
I'd try to finish up my sort of regional trade map for Turmish, hopefully including a "who" and "how" with the "what".
I'd put together the details of the last remaining survivor of the Windlass Concalave, who I decided was an ancestor of Elias (the ruler of Chondath).
I also have ideas about a Cloaker city in the region and hope to get to working out the underdark of the area (ancient ruins of Jhaamdath would be quite fun).
Unfortunately I usually have far more ideas than I do time.  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 16:44:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
And this is why I was interested in what people would create.
I got the idea for united cities in the Western Heartlands long before 4E and "Elturgard" came out. One major difference is that my realm was secular in nature, not church-based or run by priests. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 03 Dec 2008 16:45:01 |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 17:27:26
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Oh, I've got one more. I'd detail my Thayan Elf Harvester groups. It's an idea based off the "Elven blood is important for Potions of Longevity" idea and the resultant demand for Elven blood this would create (which wouldn't be massive of course, but would be significant enough that I think Thayan's, at least, would be interested in a steady source of Elven blood).
In my idea the Conjuration school would have created the groups and would secure bolt holes in areas where elves lived (the bolt holes would be accessible only by teleportation magic, maybe even fully sealed and freshened every now and again by dimension doors or some other similar measure) and would basically try to poach elves in small numbers from a wide area with a focus towards secrecy. They'd transport the merchandise by teleportation magic and make sure that if found out they'd point towards someone else (the Zhents, the Cult of the Dragon, Drow, etc). |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 18:07:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What would you bring in and make official, of your own creation?
ACH-haa! <using Yedish accent>
Then I would make my Pantherins (a catfolk race that encompasses most feline races) canon in southern K-T (they live in Petan - a country that has NEVER gotten any canon lore, other then its name).
I would make my Beiy’maar (Sea-folk) canon. They are a race of traders that lives upon the water, and I based them on WoT's Atha'an Miere and the Thieves World novel's Beysib (a cross between them), and I gave them a small nod in my CKC article.
And lastly, I would use my Vogalt race in place of the Rauthym, who seem like a poor man's version of Vikings. Mine are SO much cooler - when they take off their helmets (they break-away in two pieces), they still have the horns! 
They also average about 7' in height, and have an extra layer of skin with a gelutinous substance between the layers, acting as an excellent insulation against cold, and also gives them + to their natural armor class.
I'd also move Thay down into the Shaar, like I did in my homegame.
There's a thousand other little things I'd do, but those are 'the biggies'. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 04 Dec 2008 05:37:54 |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3240 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 19:18:45
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Hmmm... there's one idea that I'm actually toying with (just something I thunk up a few days ago). Since I'm writing the fourth part to the C-S-A adventures, and making it epic level to prevent the Spellplague, I'm going through possible outcomes of the meeting between Cyric & Mystra.
As much as I love the goddess of magic, I'm beginning to think about returning magic to it's 'roots' as it were. So here's the proposal.
Shar helps Cyric into Dweomerheart, and he does strike down and defeat Mystra, once and for all. But instead of Dweomerheart going nuts and the Spellplague firing off, Mystra (in her last conscious action) sends her power, portfolio and everything back to her 'mother', Selûne (a goddess even closer in my heart than Mystra).
This bumps her back up to Greater Deity and nudges her alignment back to Neutral Good. Shar keeps the Shadow Weave, but with the defeat of Mystra, the Shadow Weave's been changed and is now almost identical to the Weave. Basically, in a rules sense, it's akin to the three schools of High Sorcery in Dragonlance. All magic is the same, but good spellcasters access the Weave, evil spellcasters access the Shadow Weave and neutral spellcasters don't see a difference between the two.
Not much on the crunch side, but I'm starting to get into some lore ideas with it. The overall story is something along the lines of Shar becoming so focused on Mystra, she forgot that Selûne is her bigger threat. Dweomerheart is subsumed into the Gates of the Moon, and Azuth and Savras take up residence three. Velsharoon chooses to side with Shar and makes his way to the Plane of Shadow. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 20:01:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Amarel_Derakanor
quote:
Well, here is a God I would make in the Forgotten Realms (kinda long, so sorry; but you asked...):
Well, I like the concept, Dalor. Mind if I steal your "namesake" and put a version of him into my personal Realms?
Sure, use what you like! I wouldn't have put him up if I didn't mind sharing. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2008 : 20:09:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Kilvan
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
Thus came to the Pantheon of Faerun the Demi-god of Power, Conquest, Tyranny, and War named Barak
Am I the only one to find this ironic?
LOL...well, MY Barak was created before the fella you are talking about even won his first national election or spoke at the Democratic National convention.
Barak means "Lightning" or "Shine" in Hebrew; but I got the name for him from:
Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.
13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.
14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.
20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.
21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
5:1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
2 Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.
3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
4 LORD, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.
5 The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.
7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.
8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
9 My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.
10 Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.
11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.
12 Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.
13 Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.
14 Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.
16 Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
17 Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.
19 The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.
20 They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
AND
Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Hope nobody minds scripture quote; but scriptures are an awesome place to get names!
Also, reading scripture really helped to stretch my imagination a great deal!
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The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 01:08:01
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Okay, let's try to tone down all this political and religious talk, eh?
Really?
I wasn't trying to push religion, just show where I came up with the idea for the fella.
Sorry mate. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 06:24:44
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| I thought of something else I'd add... I've been fiddling with various ideas for wizards gaining extremely long existences -- if not full-on immortality -- without resorting to undeath. So that's something I'd scatter about the Realms: more wizards who have been around for centuries without becoming undead. I know we've got those, but outside of the Chosen, there are only a handful of known wizards who are more than a couple centuries old thru means other than undeath. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 06:38:00
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| That sounds good Wooly. I always thought it would be cool too for Wizards to live longer. Having played 1st Edition for so many years there were always Elixirs of Youth and Potions of Longevity; so it made sense that SOMEONE had to make those. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 07:44:17
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Here is something else that I think I would install in "My Realms":
The Kingdom of Tethyamar
Capital: The High Hold of Tethyamar (Being the King’s personal fortress)
Population: 6,994 (Dwarves 75%, Humans 12%, Gnomes 8%, Half-Elves 3%, Elves 2%)
Government: Semi-Hereditary Monarchy (Prince is confirmed by Council of Thanes after being chosen as the heir; The Council of Thanes may elect a King if no heir is apparent)
Religions: The Morndinsamman (Dwarven Pantheon), Gond, Shaundakul, & Tempus.
Imports: Ale, grains, vegetables, livestock, furs, textiles, and lumber.
Exports: Armor, weapons, metalwork, jewelry, ore, gems, and worked stone.
Alignment: LG, NG, LN, CG
Tethyamar is an industrious nation of many races, dominated primarily by its dwarven majority and ruled by the Dwarf King which only recently reclaimed it from goblins and fiends. Positioned at the headwaters of the River Tesh is the only true settlement of the Kingdom, the majority of which lies beneath the peaks of the Desertsmouth Mountains. The Dwarves and some few gnomes in the kingdom live in this vast network of mines and underground clanhold fortresses; but the humans, elven-folk, and majority of gnomes live in Tethyamar Town (pop. 1612) within massive walls of stone pierced only by huge magical iron gates in two locations and the rapid waters of the River Tesh (closed permanently by magically treated iron grates and magical wards which include water elemental guardians). The town is more akin to a massive fortress, and can actually hold as many as five thousand inhabitants if needed. Within these walls (which measure thirty feet in height and just as thick) are gardens and even a park with trees planted by elven druids. A dwarven garrisoned fortress stands within Tethyamar Town which guards the gate that grants access to the Mines of Tethyamar, the true heart of the kingdom. Perched high upon the mountain, which the town rests at the foot of, is the only visible sign of the interior kingdom: a massive turret of worked stone upon which the King’ personal guard protects the only other entrance to the underground holdings. Rarely from this mountain tower will fly Hippogriff mounted dwarven warriors numbering a full score who patrol for miles around. These fantastic steeds were bought with much gold from the dwarves of the Great Rift and their riders trained by these same folk; they are the only patrol which goes across the desert to the west.
Tethyamar is the destination for many merchants who seek an alternative to dealing with the evil that is so pervasive within the cities of the Moonsea; even if the prices of Tethyamar are somewhat higher, since dwarven work commands better prices in the south and is usually of finer quality as well. The Morndinsamman has been seeking to solve the problem of Tethyamar relying overly much on the foodstuffs of other lands and is currently seeking to convert old abandoned mines into fungi gardens as well as using vast subterranean caverns as living space for herds of Rothe. Recent events have ensured, at least temporarily, that the Underdark tunnels connecting with Tethyamar will be completely sealed off; but recent fighting against Duergar will perhaps postpone subterranean farming for many years to come. In the meantime, large stores of foodstuffs have been preserved within the Mines of Tethyamar for emergency use.
Of some small surprise is the ever increasing number of adventurers which have began to call Tethyamar home as well. These worthies have been scouring the mountains nearby to collect on the bounty King Mort has placed on goblinoids, orcs, and giants (with Stone and Firbolg giants being an exception do to their alliance with the Kingdom and help with its walls, and since they often help these adventurers against their evil kin and the humanoids); as well as explore ancient ruins of Netherese origin which lay in the sands of Anauroch nearby. Many adventurers report sightings of Shade patrols within the desert however, which has actually only increased the number of sell-swords and adventurers within Tethyamar Town.
Life and Society
Compared to the dwarf-held cities of The North, the Kingdom of Tethyamar has relatively few worries as far as any comparison to the ever present threat of an orc horde. While the Zhentarim are going to obviously figure in any future for Tethyamar, they are not an undefeatable horde without end. In fact, many Zhentish caravans are suspected to trade in good faith with the clan lords and merchants of Tethyamar. Were the individuals known to associate with the Zhentarim, the dwarves would of course not trade with them; but no evil has yet been detected within the city by the patrols of the Morndinsamman that are constantly seen within both Tethyamar Town and the Mines of Tethyamar. Crafty as they are, the Zhentarim no doubt know their evil agents would be discovered by the Paladins and Priests of the dwarven gods; so they most likely use more mercenarily inclined agents who report for coin more than loyalty.
The people of Tethyamar are for the most part very hard working and respectable folk. The dwarves are rapidly increasing thanks to Moradin’s Thunder Blessing as well as constant arrivals by new dwarven families; and they are very accepting of other races as well. Strangely enough, the elves of the kingdom are growing in number as well. Many have recently come to Tethyamar following a leader among the Wood Elves who is a recent adventuring companion of King Mort. Some others have come seeking to ensure that the Border Forest is safe from dwarven axes only to find that other elven influences on King Mort have made conditions favorable for them already. The gnomes of the kingdom are almost entirely of the Rock Gnome sort and so are very much at home within the stone confines of both town and mines. The humans of Tethyamar are mostly from the Dales, but many recent immigrants are from cities of the Moonsea region or even from Cormyr. Those of pure elven stock that do live in the area are almost entirely Wood Elves who spend as much time in the southern reaches of the Border Forest as they do within Tethyamar Town.
Most inhabitants of Tethyamar are warrior folk, most all men having had a direct hand in the retaking of the kingdom. Of those few who are not warriors, the majorities are either clerics or expert craftsmen; both religion and craft are looked highly upon and many dwarves see little difference between the two. Wizardry is little liked by most that live here, but the ambassador Myric of Cormyr is a powerful wizard accompanied by War Wizards and King Mort’s old adventuring companion, the elven Lady Myste, is said to be an Arch-Mage of dangerous power. As already noted, religion is a very large part of the lives of most dwarves within Tethyamar and the other races are very religious as well. A thriving community of human worshipers devoted to Tempus has made that deity the primary faith among humans; the largest temple within Tethyamar Town is devoted to Tempus. The gnomes are ever fervent worshipers of Gond Wonderbringer and a small shrine to this god is tended by permanent clergy. Many humans, and most half-elven folk, follow the teachings of Shaundakul; lord of travel, exploration, portals, miners, and caravans. A cleric of this god (now dead) once adventured with King Mort, and his faith has been carried on by others who traveled in his footsteps; but no permanent clergy exist within Tethyamar other than the rangers who profess his faith. Merchants that travel to Tethyamar say prayers to him as much as Waukeen however, and so his name is heard often. The primary faith of the Kingdom however is headed by the High Priest of Moradin. Brantrek Hammerfist (LG dm Cl16) is one of the most powerful dwarven priests alive and watches “His” kingdom with eyes like a hawk. Clangeddin Silverbeard is second only to Moradin in the kingdom, and his warrior-priests are found in all military units; and indeed King Mort is a professed follower of the Dwarven God of War. Dumathoin, patron of Shield Dwarves, is highly favored by dwarven miners and is also guardian of the dead; his faith is unknown outside of the Mines however.
Major Geographical Features
The Kingdom of Tethyamar is almost exclusively confined within the Desertsmouth Mountains. What few foothills are adjacent to the kingdom are either submerged within the sands of Anouroch or claimed by Daggerdale to the east; due north of the mountains the foothills are quickly engulfed by the expanding reaches of the Border Forest. The mountains of the kingdom are old, even by the reckoning of mountains; but the highest peaks are capped by snow the year round. A large snow-fed lake stands south within the mountains opposite Tethyamar town, and actually feeds the River Tesh a great deal of water. Running along the River Tesh from where it breaks from the mountains and into Daggerdale is an ancient trade road, called Teshenfall Pass, that is still in excellent condition after years of Zhentarim maintenance and now even finer care by dwarven masons and work crews and is often patrolled by the King’s Outer Guard. The road has a large bridge that spans the early turbulent waters of the River Tesh, before that water turns east, that allows travel straight out of the mountains to the west and into Anauroch. Another road, the Tethyamar Trail, leaves from Daggerdale out of the town Hadreth's Glen and passes into the foothills between the Desertsmouth Mountains and the Border Forest until it reaches a road that branches south a few miles to Tethyamar Town; but continues on out of the hills and into the desert to the west. This road is equally cared for and watched over by constant patrols by the King’s Lances; and is the road most used to reach Tethyamar. There are a very few individual steadings of extended families in the immediate surroundings of Tethyamar town, but none worthy of even being called a village. Outpost towers made of thick stone and with warning beacons dot the land however, all being a day’s walk or half a day’s ride from Tethyamar Town and about these structures will be found the few steadings mentioned previously. Other major features counted as part of the kingdom include:
The Border Forest: (detailed on page 127 of the FRCS)
Desertsmouth Mountains: (detailed on page 127 of the FRCS)
Anouroch Desert: (detailed on page 99 through 103 of the FRCS)
Important Sites
There are few things of note within the Kingdom of Tethyamar which are not noted elsewhere. The small size of the Kingdom leaves little to be discovered. Those things which are worthy of mention are:
The House of Blades: the House is home to the faithful of Tempus within Tethyamar Town. The High Priest is Lord Valkest (CG hm Ftr4/Cl11) who is also one of the elected human Thanes and so sits upon the Council of Thanes. The temple also has a shrine to the Red Knight, and Lord Valkest proudly proclaims himself a Son of the Knight as well as a Warleader of Tempus.
Cormyrian Embassy: the Embassy is held by 100 of Cormyr’s Purple Dragons, half a dozen War Wizards, and the half-elven Ambassador Myric; himself a very powerful War Wizard said to have only been passed over as the new leader of the War Wizards because of his elven blood. The building is heavily fortified and was originally intended as the city prison. A prison of its size has not been needed however, with most that would be imprisoned for exceedingly long times being exiled for a time instead. A dungeon within the Mines serves as the prison now.
Mines of Tethyamar: one of the richest sources of precious gems in the north, the Mines of Tethyamar are also wealthy in coal, iron ore, and precious metals (including adamantine) as well. The mines extend for miles within the earth and descend right into the Underdark. The upper reaches of the Mines are actually not mines at all, but instead house many different Clan Halls for the various clans which are each as big as a small town. Within the mountain that accesses the mines from Tethyamar Town lays the true center of the kingdom. The Grand Hall is an audience hall that can seat no fewer than twenty-thousand souls. At the height of Tethyamar the Grand Hall was usually crowded to overflowing. Now only the Council of Thanes usually meets here, but at times the place is also used for religious practices. The King’s own clan resides in the highest Clan Hall within the Kingdom, and is the only one which has any connection with the outside. Ironically, the King’s own father yet lives and is the head of this clan, but swears fealty to his own son; while King Mort is now the Clan Lord of the Iron House after King Ghellin died. King Mort’s father is one of the finest craftsmen in all of Faerun, and actually forged the King’s Axe of Dragonslaying. Clan Lord Dragonslayer continues to craft powerful items of magic to this day.
Regional History
Thought to have been discovered suitable for colonization, after many years of earlier mining and prospecting, in -149 DR (The Year of Adamantine Ore) and fully underway as a Kingdom by -145 DR (The Year of Depths Unknown); the Dwarven Realm of Tethyamar was once the mightiest Dwarven Kingdom north of Sembia and Cormyr and east of Netheril’s successor states. Tethyamar was old when Zhentil Keep was first founded as a trading settlement (640 DR) at the mouth of the River Tesh; but had suffered greatly after the fall of Hlondath in 329 DR (which was finally swallowed by the encroaching sands of Anauroch) whose grain and herds had supported the dwarf kingdom. Foodstuffs from the Dales were not sufficient at this time and so many clans left Tethyamar to found colonies farther south and east (Tethyamar itself had been founded by surviving clans from the Dwarf Kingdom of Oghrann which once stood in the Sunset and Storm Horns Mountains, west of what is now Cormyr, before Netheril was at its height). The Kingdom of Tethyamar was beset time and again by hordes of humanoids throughout its history, only finally collapsing in 1091 DR.
Many wonder why after so long in victory the realm faltered; but few know that after the Battle of Bones in 1090 DR which resulted in the crushing defeat of the Goblins of the Goblin Marches (now the Stonelands) many of the tribes now without most of their warriors were forced to find new homelands by more powerful tribes who took what little land remained to them after Anauroch had swallowed so much of the lands in the region. To only increase their desperation, they were driven by fiends who had been summoned by Uthor’s Host prior to their final defeat in the Skull Gorge in the last part of 1090 DR. While the initial number of goblins that left the Stonelands to march north along the Desertsmouth Mountains could not normally bring low the Kingdom of Tethyamar, many of Tethyamar’s finest warriors were either killed at the Battle of Bones or were else still gone and in the south unable to reach Tethyamar before the goblins did. This, coupled with the presence of the fiends and their newly “recruited” ogres and giants from within the mountains, spelled doom for Tethyamar. King Ghellin, a young dwarf at the time, had only just come to the throne and was forced to abandon Tethyamar before all his people were lost should Tethyamar be encircled and escape cut off after his remaining warriors had failed to halt the advance of the horde north toward Tethyamar. Later knowledge came to light which implicated wizards from the city of Zhentil Keep having lured these fiends and their horde to Tethyamar. Most likely the Lords of that city (who had long ago turned to evil means to accomplish their goals) wished to secure sole possession of trade routes across Anauroch as well as the adamantine deposits within Tethyamar, and thus had hired a group of wizards to accomplish the deed for them. While this was some time before the coming of the Zhentarim, there are hints that evil Zhentilar soldiers were perhaps even battle-leaders within the fiend driven host that ousted the dwarf clans of Tethyamar.
Tethyamar remained lost to the dwarves until 1363 DR when Mort Dragonslayer was pronounced as the Warleader of the Iron Legion by King Ghellin, Lord of the Iron House, who lived in exile in the Kingdom of Cormyr after having returned from many years in the Far Hills. By the end of 1364 DR Mort and his army had at last destroyed the last fiend and killed the last goblin which inhabited the upper reaches of Tethyamar. He was crowned King that year when King Ghellin, now old and feeble, abdicated in his favor (King Ghellin finally passed away in 1369 DR) and the Council of Thanes unanimously confirmed him King of Tethyamar. Not until 1368 DR was all of Tethyamar finally cleansed of every last goblinoid or foul spawn of the lower planes.
King Mort had brought many mercenary humans alongside the clansmen of Tethyamar to aid in the re-conquest, and these humans were given lands outside of Tethyamar as their own; but still they were ruled by a Dwarf-King. King Mort immediately pronounced through all the Dales, Cormyr, Sembia, and the Moonsea that anyone able to live lawfully under good dwarven rule would receive a home within the rapidly growing walls of Tethyamar Town which was growing astride the headwaters of the River Tesh just outside the gates of Tethyamar. Many clans of dwarves from the area, two clans of gnomes, and many hundreds of humans immediately took him on his word and swore allegiance to the King of Tethyamar.
While Zhentil Keep was undergoing its times of turmoil which resulted in its near total destruction in 1368 DR, the hard working folk of Tethyamar had already encircled their town in stout granite blocks mined from a quarry nearby and the dwarves themselves had began to trade in earnest with lands abroad. After the fall of Zhentil Keep, Tethyamar became the source of much of the gold, ore, and gemstones coming from the area until Zhentil Keep’s recovery. The Council of Thanes (consisting of three humans, two gnomes, and a half-elf in addition to the thirteen dwarves) even went so far as to extend the sovereignty of the Kingdom into the southern reaches of the Border Forest in 1367 DR in alliance with that forests inhabitants. The Council then again made a bold move by funding Randal Morn of Daggerdale in his ousting of Zhentilar soldiers to regain his own throne in 1369 DR while King Mort was also making strong alliance with Lord Mourngrym of Shadowdale, the Council of Mistledale, and even King Azoun of Cormyr.
Today the Kingdom of Tethyamar culls the southern woods of the Border Forest under the supervision of elven taskmasters who see to it that the forest actually grows during the process; while at the same time the dwarves and gnomes continue to produce some of the finest jewelry, weapons, armor and other metal goods to be found east of Anauroch. The human population of Tethyamar comprises the majority of the soldiery that will be encountered outside the walls of Tethyamar (the rest being merchants, shopkeepers, or the families of such as these and the soldiers); and their patrols will be found as far to the east as the town of Dagger Falls. Dwarven patrols of heavily armored men will be found through all the mountains within three days journey from Tethyamar Town, and they travel no smaller than a small army numbering at least three score warriors. Within the eaves of the southern Border Forest will be patrols of elven and half-elven rangers, but these warriors are seldom seen or heard unless they wish to be. Working closely with the denizens of the Border Forest (numbering among them satyrs, pixies, sprites, and even dryads) these ranger’s may very well once and for all stop the indiscriminate logging conducted by the Zhentarim out of Snowmantle. All of Tethyamar’s soldiers carry finely wrought weapons and stout armor; and the elite carry weapons and armor made of adamantine. The heavy cavalry charge of its human soldiers in their full plate armor is only slightly less intimidating than the grim rows of plate clad dwarven pike or axe wielding soldiers. The recent addition to this force of elven and half-elven archers equally at home mounted or on foot, leaves additional pause for Tethyamar’s possible foes.
The recent confirmed alliance between Tethyamar and the Kingdom of Cormyr leaves little doubt that the Kingdom of Tethyamar is politically active as well; and the recent installment of a Purple Dragon garrison within the Cormyrian Embassy gives great concern even to the Zhentarim. Tethyamar’s continuing influence in Daggerdale will no doubt leave little room for peace between Tethyamar and the Zhentilar soldiers which will no doubt return when Fzoul decides to again flex the extremely powerful muscle of his holdings however. War looms strongly on the horizon; and Tethyamar can only barely count upon aid from Cormyr after that nation recently endured grievous losses of both soldiers and its King during the invasion of Cormyr by orc and goblin hordes.
As for the Empire of Shade, which has recently reared up within the Anauroch, there is much debate within Tethyamar. It is said that King Mort and his adventuring companions actually defeated the Shade Emperor in a battle; which would make the City of Shade an enemy of Tethyamar to say the least. Because the City of Shade can fly means little to the dwarves and their allies however, the City could never hope to win a siege of Tethyamar since all the inhabitants could simply withdraw below ground. Whatever befalls as a result of the situation, the proud and grim people of Tethyamar would look forward to doing battle against “A city full of soft wizards who most as like can’t even lift a weapon in their own defense and what don’t know that Dwarf Warriors can shed magic like it was rain.” Many doubt the warriors of Tethyamar would fair so well, but just as many agree with the dwarf who spoke these words. Tethyamar does have an unusually large number of soldiers supported by a strong number of clerics however; and many feel that the recent addition of War Wizards from Cormyr led by the half-elf Myric coupled with the recent arrival of King Mort’s adventuring companions (numbering among them a Wood Elven Ranger-General named Raven, an elven Arch-Mage named Myste, a Hierophant of Corellon named Kurik, a Chosen of Tyr named Alustra, a Wood Elf Clan Lord named Taveon who has brought his entire people to live in the Border Forest, and an animalistic human berserker named Lor) will ensure success should war actually come.
Plots and Rumors
King Mort constantly journeys outside of Tethyamar on adventures the purpose of which is unknown to his people. Some say his adventures may be only increasing the number of enemies that Tethyamar must face, others aren’t so sure. Whispers are often heard that King Mort actually has dealings with Drow and that this is really the reason all the elves are showing up.
What is sure is that any goblinoid, orc, or enemy giant you slay will get you gold coin. An Adventurer’s Hall stands, nearly finished, just inside the gates of Tethyamar Town’s North Gate and it has all manner of jobs to offer would be adventurers. Rogues are actually being sought by the Dwarven Clan Lords too. They want to hire people of decent respect that know the ways of less reputable rogues to act as counterspies within Tethyamar’s holdings to thwart Zhentarim agents; or any other organizations unwelcome by the King or his Council of Thanes.
Deal with the Devil: there is rumor that King Mort had to make a deal with the denizens of the Nine Hells to thwart the power of the demons in the depths of Tethyamar. Some even say the Elven Lady Myste has lived in the outer planes learning magic from fiends as part of the deal that allowed Tethyamar to be free. There is always a price to pay for such dealings though, and many say the recent conflict with the Drow backed Duergar was instigated by an old enemy of King Mort and his companions.
Shadows from the Sky: it is a known fact that the City of Shade is responsible for all manner of ill tidings and misfortune that has befallen the lands of Faerun as of late. What most don’t tell you though is that King Mort has made a dire enemy of the masters of that fell place. A dwarven patrol in the mountains came to blows with men called Shadovars when the patrol attempted to drive them away from a now abandoned complex of caverns. The Shadovars claimed that the caverns belonged to the Empire of Shade and several dwarves were slain before the wizards were chased away. King Mort and his friends repaid this by attacking the Emperor himself!
Tethyamar’s Military
Tethyamar keeps a standing military force in excess of 10% of its entire population. Normally such numbers would not be possible for larger nations; but because Tethyamar is heavy in male population and lacks many older citizens, a higher percentage of its people are battle-ready fighting men. The standing forces of Tethyamar are:
The King’s Guard: 40 level 5+ Dwarven warriors; all specialized in the Dwarven War-Axe and armed with magical arms and armor of adamantine; the King’s Guard lives within the Outer Turret of High Hold where the King lives. They are battle-hardened and defend the King without hesitation.
The Sky Guard: 20 level 5+ Dwarven warriors; all equipped with Fire Lances, magical war-axe, and light crossbow while protected by magical breastplate armor of light mithril imported from the Silver Marches. These Hippogriff mounted warriors are rarely deployed, but sometimes exercise their mounts over the sands of Anauroch or the Border Forest. They have yet to be tested in actual battle with their mounts, but have made target practice quite often on scurrying orcs and goblins.
The Deep Guard: 200 level 3+ Dwarven warriors; these men protect the Mines of Tethyamar. Armed with halberd, war-axe, and light crossbow while protected by full plate and tower shields, they are an intimidating force. They are supported by a score of clerics and paladins as well as half a dozen Hammer Golems.
The High Guard: 200 level 2+ Dwarven warriors; these men protect Tethyamar Town. Armed with halberds, war-axe, and light crossbow while protected by full plate armor and tower shields, they patrol the town and watch its walls. They are often escorted on patrol with a Paladin Initiate charged with uncovering evil and are also assisted by four Hammer Golems.
The Outer Guard: 100 level 2+ Dwarven warriors; these men patrol the mountains. Armed with dwarven war-axe and light crossbow while protected by breastplate and large heavy shields, they scour the mountains and ensure that orcs and goblins do not return to the area. They are always accompanied by no fewer than 3 clerics or one cleric per ten men (whichever is greater). These patrols often make use of the normally abandoned way-towers built around the lands of Tethyamar that can only be accessed by their magical keys.
The King’s Lances: 200 level 3+ Human warriors; these men patrol the roads of Tethyamar and escort caravans. Armed with heavy lance, battle-axe, longsword, and light crossbow while protected by full plate and large heavy shields, these warriors are very powerful shock-troops while mounted on their chain clad heavy warhorses. They are led by Thane Valkest and will always have several clerics of Tempus (and Clangeddin as well during war) among them.
The Border Watch: unknown numbers of elven and half-elven rangers and rogues; these men and women patrol the Border Forest and scout for the Outer Guard and King’s Lances. Their equipment varies according to the desires of the individual, but all are known to wield bows with great skill both on foot and from the back of charging light warhorses.
During war, the Kingdom of Tethyamar can muster the additional following troops:
King’s Engineers: 120+ dwarves and gnomes. These men and women form the backbone of any battle strategy King Mort has used to date. Experts at the use of battle machinery they are very skilled in destroying enemy soldiers with new and inventive ways. Several gnomish wizards are part of this group. Ten of these individuals will be “on duty” during any month of the year.
The Clan Muster: 700+ dwarven warriors of all classes and levels. These warriors wield Pikes if in open battlefields or else form spear/axe companies if in tighter confines. They are equipped with a minimum of breastplate armor and large heavy shield as well as having a light crossbow to use. The Clan Muster’s yearly training rotates by clan by month and so they often see duty as guards in the deeper parts of the Mines of Tethyamar while the Deep Guard is on patrol.
The Mercenary Companions: variable number of soldiers recruited by King Mort. The King has used mercenaries in the past, and has left this option open for future use as well. Not since Tethyamar was reclaimed in 1364 DR has he used mercenaries, but several minor mercenary captains from Daggerdale to far away Sembia have been promised great amounts of gold by the King’s agents should King Mort or the Council of Thanes issue a call. It is estimated that Tethyamar could field as many as 1500 mercenaries for extended periods without taxing its treasury overly much.
NOTE: nearly all officers within the Kingdom’s military will be armored and armed with fine magical adamantine weapons.
Tethyamar at a Glance
Tethyamar (small city): Conventional; AL LG; 15,000gp limit; Assets 5,245,500 gp; Population 6,994; Mixed (shield dwarves 75%, humans 12%, rock gnomes 8%, half-elves 3%, elves 2%.
Authority Figures: King Mort Dragonslayer, NG male shield dwarf Ftr21; High Priest Brantrek Hammerfist, LG male shield dwarf Clr16; The Shields of the North (King Mort’s Adventuring Companions); etc…
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The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Pandora
Learned Scribe
Germany
305 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 07:49:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I thought of something else I'd add... I've been fiddling with various ideas for wizards gaining extremely long existences -- if not full-on immortality -- without resorting to undeath. So that's something I'd scatter about the Realms: more wizards who have been around for centuries without becoming undead. I know we've got those, but outside of the Chosen, there are only a handful of known wizards who are more than a couple centuries old thru means other than undeath.
Is "living forever" really something desirable in a world with a proven afterlife? I can only think of two reasons why you would want to do that:
1. You fear the afterlife
This is the case for most evil wizards who have made "sold their soul" and are in for some eternal torment after death.
2. You feel you are still needed in this world
Your kingdom is in grave danger or your last bit of research isnt complete yet ... These tasks are limited in required time though.
Number 2 is the only option I could come up with for good alignments, but nevertheless the philosophical point remains as expressed by Lorien in Babylon 5 (Season 4, episode 6):
... To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship, because we know it to be transitory. Of the moment. We know it will turn to ash.
Only those whose life are brief can imagine that love is eternal.
You should embrace that remarkable illusion. It may be the greatest gift your race has ever received.
In a world with a proven afterlife the possibilities dont end with your death, so the question is: Is it really desirable to extend life to immortality? And how can someone who is good "justify" that? Extending your life means disobeying nature and the order of the universe, so in the end it is somewhat evil IMO. For this reason and because undead IMO are inherently evil I dont really like "good liches". That is probably an extreme point of view, but I think it isnt entirely unfounded. |
If you cant say what youre meaning,
you can never mean what youre saying.
- Centauri Minister of Intelligence, Babylon 5 |
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Arioch
Learned Scribe
Italy
222 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 09:16:31
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There is some lore I wrote for Narfell barbarians I always wanted to organize like a real regional supplement.
My work started from this idea:
The souls of those of Nar heritage who dies on Narfell soil are not free to reach their eternal rest. In the final days of his empire, the last Nentyarch, cursed his own people (His power was that absolute) by offering all their souls to the nation's abyssal lords. His goal was a last, desperate effort to obtain all the possible benevolence and power from the demons. He succeded in his effort but too late, for Narfell was already doomed.
The dark gift bestowed upon the Nentyarch were never used but the souls of Nars were nonetheless doomed.
It was only thanks to Tempus if the Abyss couldn't claim all of them: the Lord of Battle decided that the Nar could acquire a sort of spiritual weapon, named "Vir", to be used against the demon waiting for them in the afterlife. The barbarians, living an honorable life (strenght in battle, no fear, respect for a defeated enemy, ...etc ) gain enough vir to stand, in the afterlife, the demon's voracity.
This short bit of legend allowed me to invent a lot about Nars: their psychology, their motivations, adventuring ideas... etc.
The idea of an hero capable of freeing his own people from such a curse by the cost of his own life was behind one of my players character.
The vir accumulated by the Nars during the centuries coupled with the never used source of power granted to the last Nenthyarch also allowed me to incorporate the magic of incarnum in my Forgotten Realms campaign...
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 13:37:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Pandora
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I thought of something else I'd add... I've been fiddling with various ideas for wizards gaining extremely long existences -- if not full-on immortality -- without resorting to undeath. So that's something I'd scatter about the Realms: more wizards who have been around for centuries without becoming undead. I know we've got those, but outside of the Chosen, there are only a handful of known wizards who are more than a couple centuries old thru means other than undeath.
Is "living forever" really something desirable in a world with a proven afterlife? I can only think of two reasons why you would want to do that:
1. You fear the afterlife
This is the case for most evil wizards who have made "sold their soul" and are in for some eternal torment after death.
2. You feel you are still needed in this world
Your kingdom is in grave danger or your last bit of research isnt complete yet ... These tasks are limited in required time though.
Number 2 is the only option I could come up with for good alignments, but nevertheless the philosophical point remains as expressed by Lorien in Babylon 5 (Season 4, episode 6):
... To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship, because we know it to be transitory. Of the moment. We know it will turn to ash.
Only those whose life are brief can imagine that love is eternal.
You should embrace that remarkable illusion. It may be the greatest gift your race has ever received.
In a world with a proven afterlife the possibilities dont end with your death, so the question is: Is it really desirable to extend life to immortality? And how can someone who is good "justify" that? Extending your life means disobeying nature and the order of the universe, so in the end it is somewhat evil IMO. For this reason and because undead IMO are inherently evil I dont really like "good liches". That is probably an extreme point of view, but I think it isnt entirely unfounded.
*shrugs* In most cases, Realms characters who pursue extremely long life or undeath do so because they feel obligated to stick around for some reason -- either as a guardian, or to keep studying magic. The latter is a motivation for a lot of liches.
But morality or motivation isn't the factor, here. My thinking is that if someone is going to choose to go that route, there should be choices other than remaining in a walking corpse that's slowly decaying around you. As I commented in Ed's thread, if I wanted to stick around for a few more centuries, I'd find a way to do so that wouldn't leave me wondering when my fingers were going to fall off or rot away.
Wizards wanting to stick around for centuries past their normal lifespan are a fact of life in the Realms. Undead -- whether evil like liches and vampires, or good like archliches and baelnorn -- are also a fact of life in the Realms. I just think there should be other options, instead of undeath. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3240 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 14:41:57
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Hey Wooly, don't forget that the Epic Level book has the Extended Life Span feat to explain away the potions of longevity and such for people like that.
And I agree with you, some wizards (like Vangey) keep thinking that the only way to truly do something is to do it themselves and one lifetime isn't enough. Whereas the other classes don't think about the big picture as much (Fighters live on through their deeds, Bards through their songs, Clerics serve in the afterlife), wizards seem to be the ones that would focus more on bending/breaking the rules to keep going. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 14:54:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Pandora
Is "living forever" really something desirable in a world with a proven afterlife?
Living forever in an afterlife (even a "good" one) might effectively be no more desirable than living forever in the mortal world.
Dalor, I like what you did with the dwarven kingdom. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 04 Dec 2008 14:56:00 |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 15:03:21
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My thought on the desire to stay in the mortal world rather than move on to the afterlife is that in the mortal world the wizard will have FAR more freedom to do what the choose and won't have anyone looking over their shoulder (well, in the authority type sense, there are probably folks looking over their shoulders).
It's kind of tough to come to any conclusions about this though, since we have almost no detail on what the afterlife is really like. At least I haven't seen any hefty sources on that, just little tid bits here and there that don't add up to a very big, or clear, picture.
That's probably one of the things I'd try and develop too, a general outline of what the afterlife would be like in various faiths. How durable the souls are, how and why they might be destroyed, kidnapped, absorbed by their god/goddess, etc. |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 21:37:47
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Under the Endless Wastes lies a vast, powerful realm, led by a cabal of five liches and eight living nobles, so powerful and so isolated it knows itself only as The Realm.
A vast, powerful realm of kobolds, that is, the liches and living nobles all kobolds. Not servitors of dragons, not even reverencing dragons. Kobolds proud of themselves, for themselves, and haughtily proud of their empire. And who have recently decided to launch a westward expansion into the "caverns of the monsters and uncivilized barbarians".
Granted, they're "sane" (i.e., lawful) beings, so they're using careful and cautious planning. The lands to the west might be uncivilized, but they're vast, after all. Currently, they're just engaged in reconnaissance, and local actions through "uncivilized kobolds" and "sane barbarians" (duergar, mostly). Oh, and occasionally sponsoring adventurer bands of "surface barbarians" through multiple layers of cutouts in order to clean out "dangerous monsters" -- aboleths, beholders, illithids, and the like. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 22:50:47
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quote:
Originally posted by see
Under the Endless Wastes lies a vast, powerful realm, led by a cabal of five liches and eight living nobles, so powerful and so isolated it knows itself only as The Realm.
A vast, powerful realm of kobolds, that is, the liches and living nobles all kobolds. Not servitors of dragons, not even reverencing dragons. Kobolds proud of themselves, for themselves, and haughtily proud of their empire. And who have recently decided to launch a westward expansion into the "caverns of the monsters and uncivilized barbarians".
Granted, they're "sane" (i.e., lawful) beings, so they're using careful and cautious planning. The lands to the west might be uncivilized, but they're vast, after all. Currently, they're just engaged in reconnaissance, and local actions through "uncivilized kobolds" and "sane barbarians" (duergar, mostly). Oh, and occasionally sponsoring adventurer bands of "surface barbarians" through multiple layers of cutouts in order to clean out "dangerous monsters" -- aboleths, beholders, illithids, and the like.
I like this...I like it a lot!
It reminds me of the Kobolds of the Northern Reaches in Mystara!
Anyway, I'm making this "canon" in my FR too. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2008 : 22:56:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by Pandora
Is "living forever" really something desirable in a world with a proven afterlife?
Living forever in an afterlife (even a "good" one) might effectively be no more desirable than living forever in the mortal world.
Dalor, I like what you did with the dwarven kingdom.
I wish I could take the full credit for Tethyamar, but I can't. King Mort the Dragonslayer is a PC in a FR game that ran over seven years...it still kinda lingers on for us.
In fact, the full extent of the Kingdom of Tethyamar in our game at the end was a bit more than what I've written here. It is a few years in the future after this and Tethyamar and Daggerdale have become the same kingdom; still ruled by King Mort.
If anyone is interested in the "future" Tethyamar, I can either post it here or send it by personal email... |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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see
Learned Scribe
235 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2008 : 03:15:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
It reminds me of the Kobolds of the Northern Reaches in Mystara!
Okay, now that's something I'm going to have to hunt down, then . . .
And, more detail!
Religion in the Realm (note, 1357 DR, so pre-ToT. Also, conception was originally for 2e rules with a special kobolds-can-be-necromancers variant.)
Kurtulmak is of course worshiped, as patron deity of both the kobold race and The Realm in particular, and is the "default deity" for general commoner worship. But the faith is not especially fervent or politically powerful. Other gods are drawn from the "human" pantheon of Faerun.
Bane is the god of law enforcement and judgment (not, of course, justice). His church's influence is largely behind the Expansionist faction.
Deneir and Oghma are both considered quite important, especially by the bureaucrats of the Realm, but are politically neutral.
Eldath is reasonably popular with the common kobold, is and seen as a goddess of mercy among her other attributes. Almost all druids in the Realm are Eldathyn (my 2e notes strongly recommend gray druids with the pacifist kit).
Gond is reasonably important among the artisans of the middle class, and users of tools give him offerings to avoid breakage and accidents. The upper classes tend to scorn him as a god of workingmen.
Helm is mostly worshiped by the Frontier Guard, which is closest thing to a "military" of the Realm (Bane dominates the internal order-keeping Home Guard). His church is important in the Centrist faction, which favors the Realm simply guarding its frontiers and ignoring the rest of the world.
Lathander is seen as both hostile (bright light is disliked by kobolds, after all; how else to see the god of the dawn?) and a threat to the stability of society (a society ruled by liches is not all that open to renewal). Worship of Lathander is done strictly in secret, by a mix of "dangerous" outcasts and rebellious youth.
Myrkul gets a good deal of attention, as can be expected in a realm with ruling liches and important necromancers; as Lord of Dusk, he is further seen as a champion against Lathander.
Mystra (LN) is quite popular, both because of the example of the ruling liches and because of the significant degree to which agriculture is dependent on magic as a substitute for sunlight. Azuth's faith works hand-in hand with hers (and Azuth is worshipped as a kobold wizard taken as a consort by the Lady of Mysteries).
The Elemental Lords get significant worship, especially Grumbar (the earth moving would be a very bad thing anywhere) and Akadi (air is precious). Grumbar's faith tends to be Centrist.
Most other Faerunian deities get some moderate amount of worship. Auril, Mielikki, Selune, Tempus, Tyr, and Umberlee tend to get ignored as irrelevant. Talos and Malar get basically placatory worship.
EDIT: Oh, and of course there's lots of tales about a malicious trickster deity usually called the Cavern Destroyer, Deceiver, Laughing Murderer, Lord of Chaos, and Mad Trickster. His true name is a taboo, rarely-used profanity; the use of "G—" in text instead of one of the epithets is considered vulgar by more conservative members of Realm society. Use of the unexpurgated name in a book usually mandates destruction of all copies of the book and at least five years of hard labor for those responsible. (The churches of Kurtulmak, Deneir, Oghma, Mystra, Azuth, and Bane are exceptions; church-owned works kept in limited access archives may name "Garl".) |
Edited by - see on 05 Dec 2008 03:45:34 |
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dwarvenranger
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2008 : 14:55:32
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| Dalor, The Kingdom of Tethyamar is sweet! Consider it yoinked. |
If I waited till I knew what I was doing, I'd never get anything done.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2008 : 15:46:00
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Something else I'd add would be the Deep Gnolls from volumes 7 and 8 of the Candlekeep Compendium. Of all the stuff that I didn't do in the CC (), I think that two-part article was one of the best things we had. The race was well-thought out, with a good backstory and a society that was well developed, logical, and quite interesting.
There were other things in the CC that were good enough for canon, but that was one of the ones that really stood out for me.
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Nerfed2Hell
Senior Scribe
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 05 Dec 2008 : 21:16:09
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| Another thing I'd add... awhile back, there was a Dragon Magazine article (cannot remember the issue number or author, and my books are packed away at the moment) with an interesting character called Elmonster the Shaman. I'd make Elmonster a canon part of the Realms and flesh him out a lot more. |
Some people are like a slinky... not good for much, but when you push them down the stairs, it makes you smile. |
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If the Realms were yours...
