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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Nov 2011 : 02:25:57
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I know that not all folk like the real world analogues as much as I do and that is fine, but I think it would be difficult to claim that FMQ1 City of Gold had many flaws as an accessory.
On top of containing a really fantastic adventure, it basically gave the potential for a whole new subsetting with a finely detailed new culture (the Azuposi - think RW Anasazi).
Anyway, discussions of Anchorome have been plentiful on this thread over at the Piazza and it got me to reread most of FMQ1.
Has any more information ever come out about these people? I know Balduran's fate (of Baldur's Gate) infamy is said to lie in Anchorome, but what about the Azuposi themselves?
I could ask 50 more questions about the region, but I guess it would all kind of be in vain if nothing else of the region has been written.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2011 : 03:11:34
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Brian James - in his original, FREE version of the GHotR - had made the supposition that the Azuposi were the western branch of the pre-Illuskan peoples who inhabited the The North in ancient times, before the Sundering. The sundering would have destroyed their culture, and seperated them into two groups.
I ran with that, and use this as a base for one of my racial proto-groups for the Realms - The Posi people (pronounced Poe-zee). After the Sundering, we wound-up with the Azu-Posi and the Illu-posi. Unlike RW Native Americans, the Azuposi are a fairly large people, and grow facial hair (but still have a culture similar to Indians). Note that both NE Indians and Vikings use Longhouses, so its not such a big leap as you think (and supposedly the two cultures did indeed have contact in the RW).
Assume a better understanding of metallurgy then RW tribes, and also knowledge of fermentation (something that became a bit of a problem for Native Americans, who were unused to Alcohol). However, I think the name Azuposi is used for all 'northern tribes' (everything North of Maztica), which is an immense area, in much the same way that we use 'Indian' to describe all the diverse Native cultures of the Americas. So the Azu-posi in the adventure are just the local cultural group of a much larger racial group, which would be just as diverse as RW American Indians.
I also reason that the original Posi-culture (called that by modern scholars - they would have called themselves something very different) was the pre-sundering human civilization, the last vestiges of which were subsumed by the Draconic Empires (seen in the short story about the Draco-mythal in one of the anthologies). After the Dracorage, the humans of The North fell further into decline and their ancient civilization forgotten. The few who lived off the coast managed to raise themselves up again and became the Illuskan racial group, but the mainlanders sunk into tribalism and mixed with other human ethnic groups (like the Talfir) in the region (along with Orcs & others as well). Those people became the early Uthgardt/Rengardt people of The North, and are today very racially impure (from their Illuskan roots). The only pure-blood Posi group left in The North are in the Icewind Dale barbarians - the Reghedmen. After a post by Ed Greenwood last year, I am starting to think the Snow People(?) of the Northern Moonsea area are also a lost fragment of the Posi people.
That means the Azuposi were originally a fair people, but many centuries of rugged living have reddened their complexions and gave them more of a stereotypical 'Native American' look.
At least, that is what we extrapolated from what little we had. Brian's original could be considered quasi-canon, but everything I built on afterward is pure homebrew.
There is also a group of Elves that were trapped on that side of the ocean - the Poscader(sp?) These have evolved into a culture very similar to that of the Plains Indians of the American NW. They have their own set of gods - probably Archfey going by other names - and do not follow the Seldarine (similar to the Zakharan Elves, who also do not follow the Seldarine - thats canon). I like to picture them riding something other then horses - maybe Raptor-like lizards (borrowing a bit from WH Dark Elves here). |
"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 29 Nov 2011 03:16:30 |
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore
USA
1151 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2011 : 04:04:27
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That's some good stuff! I don't think it conflicts with FMQ1 either, though I am going to pull some of your text and compare it to what is written in the accessory to see if there are ways to reconcile this (slightest) of differences...
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Brian James - in his original, FREE version of the GHotR - had made the supposition that the Azuposi were the western branch of the pre-Illuskan peoples who inhabited the The North in ancient times, before the Sundering. The sundering would have destroyed their culture, and seperated them into two groups.
quote:
Originally written in City of Gold
Humans were created underground, where they lived in chaos and darkness. Creatures there were unfinished and misshapen; many humans even had tails.
Society too was chaotic, and lies, disloyalty, theft and fighting were common occurrences ...<snip>...Motsni inquired of Masauwu how life was lived on the surface. #147;It is difficult,#148; explained Masauwu, #147;but it is possible to survive if one does not mind being poor. If you do not mind living this way, you are welcome to join me here.#148; The bird flew back through Shipapu, and delivered this message to the Azuposi. The people talked among themselves, and decided that it would be better to go to this new place, even if life would be harsh.
Thus the Azuposi emerged from the underworld, through Shipapu, and into the True World.
Now, this could certainly just all be the result of incorrect mythology resulting from ages of passed down stories in a society which (according to FMQ1) no written languages exist, but then; check out this quote from a sidebar...
quote:
Originally written in City of Gold
Myth and History: Creation or Migration?
According to their myth of creation, the Azuposi believe they came from the ground; that they
were called forth by Skeleton Man, who showed them plants to grow and fire for light and
warmth. It may be that the Azuposi actually did come from the ground#151; perhaps, like the desert dwarves, they came through the Underdark of the world#146;s crust. Given their physical appearance and language, however, the Azuposi ancestors probably did not come from the continent of the Forgotten Realms, but from the oriental lands of Kara-Tur. Indeed, future scholars may discover remarkable commonalities between the languages of the Azuposi and the Wu-haltai and
other races of Kara-Tur#146;s Northern Wastes.
Is there a way to reconcile yours/Brian's work with this?
On another note, Anchorome (which I am assuming the Pasocada Basin/Michaca/Azuposi homeland is a part of though it could also be seen as more of an in between realm) is quite a large continent as both you and HandsomeRob have drawn (were your maps originally based off of the FR Atlas?). The Azuposi, Metahel, Pasocadar Elves, Nahopaca, Short Ones, Desert Dwarves, Dog People, aarakocra (remnants of the Aeree, Gray?) and even Thri-Kreen are said to reside there. There is potential for quite a bit of adventure in the region. |
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Edited by - Seethyr on 29 Nov 2011 04:09:33 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2011 : 05:21:25
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This was also discussed in a Maztica thread some time ago. There are two canonical mentions of Kara-Turrans being brought over to Maztica. I had always assumed that the two were separate - one through the Underdark, and the other through 'the land of the dead' (see Once Around the Realms). HOWEVER, that is easily reconcilable, since both could be considered 'The Underworld' (and thus, can be describing the same incident from two different points of view).
So, if the god Monkey lead a group of Kara-Turrans into northern Maztica through the Underworld, the legends surrounding this could have it where they thought they came from 'beneath the earth' (the canon revolving around monkey - although in a very silly novel - was very clear about where they were, since the same route had to be used by Volo). So they were either separate incidents, or the Azupozi myths are inaccurate (but not really far-off).
These are the people that live in northern Maztica, on the border of Anchorome. Their culture would be similar to the SW Indians - the Pueblo peoples, and over time, they would have inter-mingled with the more northern tribes of Posi, to eventually become a single ethnic group containing traces of both the proto-Illuskans and Haltai (native Oriental) peoples. The northern tribes would be fairer, taller, and more 'round-eyed' then their southern counterparts.
Like I said in my earlier post, Brian (and I) assumed the name azuposi was the same as the RW word Indian (Native American), in that it described a VERY broad ethnic group that encompassed dozens - if not hundreds - of different cultures. Over time, the myths and legends of all contributing cultures would have mixed together (the dwarves and Drow also came from Underground, from Faerun). There was an earlier group of Drow, referred to as 'The Old Ones', who I don't think (once again, homebrew) worshiped Lolth, but venerated Tiamet instead. There is an ancient Speljammer that may have been theirs, which could aco**** for the few 'space drow' in the cosmos. This group may have come from Zakhara, which also have Drow, or conversely, both of those groups are more likely the result of Ilythiir refugees fleeing Faerun-proper after the descent curse turned them into Drow - the Ilythiir were located along the Southern coast of Faerun, and the war was to the north, so the logical directions to flee would be south, east, and west (and DOWN). The probably used the Underdark to get as far away from their enemies as possible. Those Dark Elves (the Ancients) would have very little in common with the more modern Drow which came over at the same time as the Dwarves.
Like I said, mostly supposition, based on too-little canon.
The maps are taken from the 3e FRCS, pg.231 , which I believe were taken in-turn from the earlier Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas (because the sources match). |
"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 29 Nov 2011 05:32:05 |
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Azuposi/City of Gold
