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zhentar
Acolyte
USA
3 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Dec 2016 : 04:37:23
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Hello,
My understanding on everything I've read is that Zhentil Keep was destroyed in 1383. The city has been described as a ruin in all sources I have read.
However, I came across the "State of Mulmaster Article" within DDEX2 (D&D Encounters Season 2 Elemental Evil) which states quite different information.
In the article, which is part of the official DDEX2 bundle on dmsguild (and therefore canon), ones finds the following statement:
quote:
When Zhentil Keep was eventually rebuilt post-Spellpague, many of the refugees tried to return to their ancestral home where they quickly discovered that those who had stayed viewed the migrants as Mulmasterites and ordered them to return to their adopted city
of Mulmaster.
This appears to go against the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide rather short statement that the city is in ruins and the Zhentarim have shown "occasional interest in restoring it."
Certainly the 4th Edition Campaign Guide was quite clear the ruins were extremely dangerous. The south was full of roaming undead and the north, pirates and bandits.
So I have four questions regarding this.
1: Should the Encounters article take precedence over the SCAG?
2: How can there be refugees over 100 years after it's destruction? The Moonsea is almost exclusively humans.
3: What is the likelihood WotC loremasters signed off on that and the city should be assumed to be "rebuilt?"
4: I have yet two read the last two Ed Greenwood books. Is the state of Zhentil Keep mentioned at all?
This seems to me to be an author unaware that the now canon release is in opposition to other canon products.
I suppose this may be a question for Ed himself, though non-disclosure is likely to apply.
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Edited by - zhentar on 07 Dec 2016 04:40:01
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe
Australia
763 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2016 : 04:51:25
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From Death Masks, by Ed, set in 1491 DR:
quote:
...knowing that the Zhentarim had reoccupied Zhentil Keep, Storm wanted to strengthen those who’d stand against the Zhents in the Moonsea region without starting yet another war...
This doesn't entirely answer your question, but it helps a bit. We know the SCAG is written sometime between 1489 and Shieldmeet of 1492, and my best guess is 1489, so it retains the most usability by being applicable to the most storylines (and gives more room for updates).
My interpretation would be that in 1489 DR the Zhents were showing mild interest in reoccupying Zhentil Keep, and by 1491 DR they had moved in to some extent.
In short, it's definitely not just Adventurer's League, it's consistent across products.
Edit, to answer your questions:
1. Main sourcebooks would take preference over Adventurer's League products, but I don't see a conflict.
2. "Refugees" and "ancestral home" admittedly don't really line up well, but this feels like more of a language error. I would guess it would be people descended from the refugees, hence ancestral home.
3. Likelihood would be high, considering it's in Ed's books.
4. Only in Death Masks, in the quote above. |
Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North |
Edited by - KanzenAU on 07 Dec 2016 04:54:58 |
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zhentar
Acolyte
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2016 : 05:10:31
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Thank you very much! Very good to hear.
The Zhentil Keep FR wiki page happens to be an old project of mine and I've recently taken it back up. I will update it the info accordingly. I have Death Masks and will search out that quote for reference, just haven't gotten to reading it yet. Rereading the full Greenwood series right now, so I've a few more to go. Ok, maybe a bit more than a few. |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2016 : 19:26:02
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Zhentil Keep is destroyed every 100 years or so... then they rebuild it.
Think of them like army ants who got their hill knocked over.
My profound hope is that it reverts to olden days Zhentil Keep - dark and sinister - menacing neighbors, but not run by a crazed high priest in service of dark gods. |
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Misereor
Learned Scribe
164 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2017 : 11:47:00
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quote:
Originally posted by The Masked Mage
Zhentil Keep is destroyed every 100 years or so... then they rebuild it.
I thought that was Phlan? 
But seriously, the rise of the Zhentarim was a fairly recent event.
One of Ed's short stories covered their rise (and Elminster's meddling) but I can't remember which Anthology it was in.
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What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder, stronger, in a later edition. |
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Current State of Zhentil Keep
