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Chyron
Learned Scribe
Hong Kong
279 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Apr 2004 : 11:18:48
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Can anyone tell me which issue of the Dragon Magazine the creatures known as Ghazneths (from the Cormyr saga) appear in? And have they appeared in any other realms products? Thanks 
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Just My Thoughts
Chyron :)
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2004 : 12:24:43
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The ghazneths appear only in Dragon Annual #4 (the 1999 edition), in a "Dragon's Bestiary" article by Troy Denning.
Potential spolers below for anyone who's not gotten around to reading through the Cormyr Saga yet...
They don't appear in subsequent products, for several reasons. The first, and most important, is that they aren't designed as adventuring villains, but story villains, with very specific methods of dispatching each one (as was revealed in Death of the Dragon). They are not appropriate for normal use in a campaign, since the average party of player characters can only hope to detain a given ghazneth long enough for the royal "cavalry" to arrive and truly destroy the creature.
The second is that those same creatures were all destroyed by the time an appropriate product would have been created to include them; Death of the Dragon was essentially Cormyr's 3E harbinger, and once 3E came, the ghazneths were gone. Since 2E stats exist for the ghazneths, and 3E stats are somewhat unnecessary, they haven't been included anywhere.
The third reason is a story-based one. Nalavarauthatoryl (Nalavara the Red, the Devil Dragon) was the only being capable of creating the ghazneths, being familiar enough with elven Trees of the Body to corrupt their use and turn traitors to Cormyr into her servants. With the destruction of Nalavara, the only remnant of the process, and of the ghazneths as a force in Cormyr, is Rowen Cormaeril, who remains a ghazneth to this day, having not yet been redeemed. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 27 Apr 2004 : 13:15:13
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Hey Garen! how are things? 
What's the status of your "Cormyr Military" project? Has the big WotC trout hooked herself on the bait yet?    |
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Maskanodel
Acolyte
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2004 : 00:50:59
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I remember soemone did 3e stats for the ghazneth over on the WotC message boards. I cant quite remember who, but if you do a Search, I'm sure you'll find them...
EDIT...I found them. They were originallty posted my Mage of Sembia on the WotC Boards. If I not allowed to post them up, I'll take them down again.
The Ghazneths by Mage of Sembia.
Little more than a year ago, King Azoun IV nearly fell to the plot of a would-be usurper, and out of those troubles have risen seven new-and far greater-dangers to the realm: the scourges of Alaundo’s prophecy. They come in the form of the ghazneths, shadowy phantoms who sustain themselves on magic and spread devastation over the land.
Once important personages in the realms, the ghazneths have all betrayed Cormyr and suffered terribly for it. Their bitterness has twisted them into dark creatures bent on the destruction of the land they once served. Five hearken from the past-one older than the kingdom itself-and one is from the present. The seventh will rise soon to herald the doom of a realm.
All ghazneths absorb magic they contact. To do so, they must touch a magical item or be the target of an item or spell and remain in contact for one round for each level of the spell or item. Magical items are considered to have the following levers:
Charged magical items: 5 levels per charge remaining;
“Permanent” magical items: 100 levels per ability possessed;
Use of any magical item’s ability against a ghazneth: 5 levels per use.
Spells that expire in fewer rounds than level are absorbed instantly, but the ghazneth remains stunned 1 round per spell level. A ghazneth can store one level of magic for each year of age.
After absorbing a level of magic, ghazneth can expend it as noted in its original description. Ghazneths temporarily depleted of magic cannot use their special powers, but they can still fly, fight, and move normally.
Death means nothing to the ghazneths. They simply exist, and whether they are alive or dead does not affect their abilities, statistics, or personalities. Five are dead already (and can be turned as undead, but not destroyed). If raised, they simply become living ghazneths. Similarly, if a living ghazneth is killed, it simply becomes undead.
A ghazneth reduced to 0 hit points automatically regenerates as many hit points as possible and flees. If it has no magic available, it lies dormant for 13 hours, absorbing one level of magic directly from Toril’s Magic Weave. The ghazneth can do this even if its “dead” body has been destroyed, disintegrated, and/ or otherwise dispersed. The only way to keep them out for longer is to place them in a dead magic zone, or likewise have magic taken away from them. However, if they are placed outside of the dead magic zone, they may begin trying to regenerate again. Ghazneths are proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
Suzara the Scold
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 110 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 14 (such as turning)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft, fly 90 ft. (average)
AC: 24 (+3 Dex, +11 magic)
Attacks: Bite+13 melee, 2 claws+13 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+7, claw 1d4+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 11, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 13, Ref+18, Will+17
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+10, Diplomacy+6, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+8, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 21
Treasure: Only one non-magical weapon at most, and a dress and non-magical golden necklace with a small ruby in it (worth 250 gp.)
Alignment: always neutral evil
Advancement: None
From a distance, Suzara the Scold resembles a beggar in a ragged cape and huge tattered hood. Suzara is the Scourge of Blight, and her true appearance reflects her status as the most dangerous of all ghazneths. She is tall and skeletal, with a pair of leathery black wings and a mane of course hair often mistaken for the aforementioned cape and hood. Her red eyes cannot be said to glow, but they are always visible, giving her an otherworldly look.
Suzara the Scold was once Suzara Obarskyr, wife to Ondeth Obarskyr (founder of Cormyr). Never fond of life in the wilderness, Suzara became a ghazneth more than 1,300 years ago after abandoning her husband and eldest son in the city named for her (Suzail) to return to a less toilsome life in Impiltur.
Suzara has spent the last 1,300 years alone in a cramped tomb, feeding on the bitterness she bore Ondeth for dragging her away from her comfortable life in Impiltur. Recently freed, she is now actively working to destroy her husband’s legacy. She especially enjoys taking long walks through Cormyr’s more remote regions, spreading blight and disease through the croplands. One the rare occasions when she feels the need of the company, she joins her fellow ghazneths in a small keep they have constructed on the edge of the Farsea Marsh.
COMBAT
Not one to seek out combat, Suzara is nevertheless quite capable of defending herself. When pressed, she prefers to slash opponents with her talonlike nails and bite with her teeth. Suzara’s primary weapon is her power to blight. See the magic absorbing ability for details on how she uses this power.
Immunities (Ex): Suzara the Scold is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes her with iron. Otherwise, she is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Like all ghazneths, Suzara feeds on magic. When she is not spreading her blight or aiding her fellow ghazneths in terrorizing Cormyr, she hunts magic. At approximately 1,360 years of age, she can hold up to 1,360 levels. During any round in which she is not flat-footed, Suzara can forgo her attacks and allow her opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at her, she may take refuge behind a wing and negate the affects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. She suffers the full effects of any spell striking her body, but only as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels.
For each level she expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 136 miles away for one day; or
2. For one full-round action, automatically cause all crops within 136 yards of her to contact a fungal disease and die within 1d10 days; or
3. Regenerate 11 hit points; or
4. Cause any one inanimate object of no more than 1,100 pounds to rot, crumble, or rust away within 1d10 rounds. Magical items are likewise consumed.
5. Cause any one living being she touches to make a successful fortitude saving throw (DC 20) or age 10 years.
Note that the first two powers are automatic; as long as Suzara has any magic levels available, she must expend them to keep these powers active.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Suzara the Scold can be turned, but not destroyed.
Appearance: For those that do not have Dragon Annual #4, here is what she looks like: a very woman with skin that is gray. Her hands end with claws, and her face is fierce, with long teeth and red eyes. Her face is also somewhat deformed. She wears a black dress, but nothing on her legs or feet. She has long, black hair that almost reaches her knees, and two big dark purple bat wings sprouting from her back, looking much like a fey’ri’s from Monster’s of Faerûn. There is a tear in her dress, coming from about 2 fifths of the way to the knee from the waist, which comes all the way down to the bottom. Her dress also has many other tears, no collar, but has short but wide sleeves. Her toenails are long, but not as long as her claws. She wears a necklace, like said above.
Boldovar the Mad
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 100 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 13 (such as turning)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft, fly 90 ft. (average)
AC: 25 (+2 Dex, +13 magical)
Attacks: Bite +13 melee, 2 claws +13 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+6, claws 1d6+6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 10, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 15, Ref+18, Will+10
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+7, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+8, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: None
A squat man-thing with enormous crimson eyes and filthy black skin, Boldovar the Mad is the Scourge of Darkness. He has a pair of leathery wings and a wild halo of spiky hair. His nose is huge and veined from too much drink, and the gaping hollow in his unkempt beard can be identified as a mouth only by its four yellow fangs and red wagging tongue. Boldovar delights in running around nude, shaking his pot belly at attractive women and displaying his unspeakable collection of parasites to impressionable young children.
Boldovar the Mad was once King Boldovar, a raving lunatic who exulted in hurling his paramours off the castle walls. He became a ghazneth 1,120 years ago after becoming entangled with a victim and being dragged off the roof of Faerlthann’s Keep. It is a well-kept secret that he survived the fall; his royal magician quickly spirited the mad king away and placed a worthier monarch on the throne. How Boldovar escaped his isolated mountain prison is a mystery even to him.
After spending the last 1,100 years in his tomb, Boldovar is ready for some fun. Although he will (somewhat reluctantly) cooperate with his fellow ghazneths, he prefers to spend his time spreading terror and mental illness through the cities of Cormyr.
COMBAT
Boldovar revels in combat, attacking either with the most exotic weapon available or his own teeth and talons. He gives no consideration to efficiency and often seems to prefer the slower method.
During any round in which he has the initiative, Boldovar can forgo his attacks and allow his opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at him, he can take refuge behind a wing and negate the affects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. He suffers the normal effects of any spell striking his body, but only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Boldovar’s most effective weapon is his ghazneth power, delusion.
Immunities (Ex): Boldovar the Mad is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Boldovar craves magic as gluttons crave food. When not terrorizing hapless victims or turning housewives against their husbands, he is out hunting magic. At approximately 1,120 years of age, he can store up to 1,120 levels.
For each level he expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 112 miles away for one day; or
2. For 1 turn, cause every intelligent being within 112 yards to misinterpret events in the worst possible light, or;
3. Regenerate 10 hit points; or
4. Create a circle of darkness 112 feet in diameter; or
5. Cast one level worth of spells, selected from any spell in the Illusion school of magic (For example, a 3rd level spell requires an expenditure of three spell levels) as an 11th level illusionist; or
6. Delusion: Force any intelligent being he touches to make a wisdom check (DC 15). Failure indicates the being has gone insane, as the spell insanity, as cast by an 11th level wizard.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Boldovar the Mad can be turned, but not destroyed.
Appearance: For those that do not have Dragon Annual #4, here is what he looks like: Basically what was said in paragraph except this: his eyes are bright red, and he does not have much hair on the top of his head. His ears are very small, yet his nose and tongue are big. His limbs are fat, and he his mustache goes all the way around his mouth. His four fangs are all on the top of his mouth, and his tongue is long.
Merendil the Bloody
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 90 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 12 (such as turning)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft, ft 75 ft. (poor)
AC: 24 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +11 magical)
Attacks: Bite +11 melee, 2 claws +11 melee, short sword+11 melee or scimitar+11 melee.
Damage: Bite 1d6+5, claws 1d6+5, short sword 1d6+5 or scimitar 1d6+5
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 9, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 13, Ref+14, Will+16
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Diplomacy+7, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+3, Search+5, Sense Motive+5, Spot+4, Tumble+3, Wilderness Lore+4, Intimidate+4, Bluff+3
Feats: Flyby Attack, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 19
Treasure: None
Alignment: always lawful evil
Advancement: None
Merendil the Bloody is the Scourge of War. Her appearance seems a grotesque fusion of woman and insect, with a powerful torso, tiny waist, and a pair of huge wasp-like wings. She has smoky black hair, blazing white eyes, and stick-thin limbs that fold like those of a praying mantis. When viewed closely, Merendil’s face can assume the visage of a handsome noblewoman about 60 years old.
Merendil the Bloody used to be Lady Ryndala Merendil, the matriarch of a powerful, early Cormyrean noble family. She became a ghazneth approximately 994 years ago, shortly after fleeing Cormyr because of a failed assassination she had organized against Prince Azoun I.
Merendil has spent 994 years in her tomb, plotting vengeance on the Obarskyr line and laying plans to succeed where she failed in the year 376 DR. She considers it a sign from the gods of wickedness that the current king bears the same name as the young prince she failed to assassinate. Of all the ghazneths, she is the most resolute and rational, and she often serves as a sort of leader among equals.
COMBAT
AS the Scourge of War, Merendil is always ready for a fight-and the bloodier, the better. She seeks to kill in the most lethal manner possible, often combining a weapon with hand-to-hand combat. One of her favorite tactics is to impale a victim on the talons of one hand, strike with a short sword or scimitar carried in the other, then tear into the victim’s neck with her powerful yellow fangs. She is so practiced at this method that if she takes a victim by surprise, he or he automatically suffers full damage from all three attacks (no attack roll required).
During any round in which she has the initiative, Merendil can forgo her attacks and allow her opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at her, she can take refuge behind a wing and negate the effects of the spell, while still absorbing its levels. She suffers the full effects of any spell striking her body only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Merendil always uses this ability when facing a spell caster. Merendil’s favorite weapon is her power of blood lust.
Immunities (Ex): Merendil the Bloody is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes her with iron. Otherwise, she is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Merendil spends at least a quarter of every day hunting fresh sources of magic. At 994 years of age, she can store up to 994 levels.
For each level she expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 99 miles for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause all intelligent beings within 99 yards of her to make a successful Wisdom check (DC 15) or attack any adversary in sight; or:
3. Regenerate 9 hit points; or
4. Incite one intelligent being to murder a specified person (once each day, the victim or this power can make a successful Intelligence check (DC 15) to resist this urge for 24 hours); or:
5. Incite all intelligent beings within 99 feet to make a successful Wisdom check (DC 15) or begin rioting and looting the nearest settlement.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Merendil the Bloody can be turned, but not destroyed.
Melineth the Grasping
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 80 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 11 (such as turning)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft, fly 75 ft. (average)
AC: 23 (+13 magical)
Attacks: Bite +11 melee, 2 claws +11 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+4, claws 1d4+4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 8, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort +10, Ref+12, Will +13
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+7, Hide+5, Jump+5, Listen+5, Move Silently+5, Search+5, Sense Motive+4, Spot+5, Tumble+2, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: None
Melineth the Grasping is a powerful-looking figure with a broad chest, hulking shoulders, and long, gangling arms. His face is blocky and ruggedly handsome despite a flat, orcish nose, thick jutting brow, and three dark goat horns curling up from his hairline. He has a robust build and clear skin. Only his scabrous wings and rancid black breath hint at his true nature as the Scourge of Pestilence.
Melineth the Grasping was once Melineth Turcasson, father-in-law to King Duar. Melineth became a ghazneth sometime after 429 DR, when he took advantage of his son-in-law’s trust to sell the entire city of Suzail for 500 sacks of gold.
Having spent the last 938 years alone in a small tomb crammed with 500 sacks of gold, Melineth is determined to avail himself of more comfortable surroundings. He is currently searching for an out-of-the-way keep where he can store his wealth and rest in comfort. A miser and loner, he does not enjoy the company of his fellow ghazneths and cooperates with them only because they’ll steal his gold if he doesn’t.
COMBAT
Melineth is more than willing to fight-provided he stands to gain something. He usually tries to secure an advantage over his foes, attacking from the air or using his power to disorient and weaken them.
During any round in which he has the initiative, Melineth can allow his opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at him, he can take refuge behind a wing and negate the effects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. He suffers the full effects of any spell striking him in the body, though only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Melineth’s primary weapon is the power of Pestilence.
Immunities (Ex): Melineth the Grasping is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Melineth covets magic almost as much as he covets gold and passes every day searching for both. At 938 years of age, he can store up to 938 levels.
For every level he expends, he can:
1. Detect magic up to 94 miles away for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause any creature within 94 yards to make a Constitution Check (DC 15) or fall ill; or
3. Regenerate 8 hit points; or
4. Render any creature within 9 yards of himself instantly infirm; such beings fall into a feverish torpor, cannot perform even the simplest acts for themselves, and must be cared for by someone else. Victims must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10) every hour or die. This can be removed by wish.
5. Cause any body part he touches to wither; touched victims must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15), failure indicating the touched area withers and cannot be employed for any purpose. If a cure disease is not cast on the affected area within 24 hours, it becomes permanently useless (unless restored by a regenerate spell). If the area touched is the chest, neck, or head, the victims dies within 1d6 rounds unless attended to by a cleric or person with healing proficiencies (DC 10)
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Melineth the Grasping can be turned, but not destroyed.
Appearance: He has blonde hair in addition to what was mentioned earlier
Luthax the Fiery
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice7 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 10 (such as turning)
Initiative: +3 (Dex)
Speed: 50 ft, (10 if unable to spread wings) fly 75 ft. (average)
AC: 22 (+3 Dex, +9 magical)
Attacks: Bite +9 melee, 2 claws +9 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+3, claws 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 8, Undead Traits, Spellcasting
Saves: Fort +10, Ref+13, Will +17
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+3, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+6, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4, Intimidate+6, Bluff+6
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Track, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: None
As the Scourge of Smoke, Luthax the Fiery resembles an ashen gargoyle. His skin is powdery gray and prone to billowing off in acrid puffs, while his wings are made of living smoke and constantly trail long wisps. He is large and broad-shouldered, with a sizable paunch and underdeveloped legs that can barely hold his weight (Even when running, he uses his wings to support and propel himself; if this is impossible, his ground movement is reduced to 10.) Luthax has a craggy face with bushy brows, scintillating scarlet eyes, and an over large crimson nose. He wears his beard long and his scalp shaved.
The high Castellan of Cormyr’s War Wizards during the reign of King Draxius, Luthax was forced to leave the kingdom when a young mage exposed his plot to replace the royal government with an oligarchy of magic. It is not known when he became a ghazneth, but records suggest he made the transformation before the great Battle of the Witch Lords (900 DR). Luthax resents Lady Merendil’s leadership role and can prove reluctant to cooperate with her.
COMBAT
Luthax prefers to attack with spells and his ghazneth powers.
Immunities (Ex): Luthax the Fiery is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Because Luthax requires magic to cast spells, he is vigilant about finding magic to absorb. At approximately 741 years of age, he can store 741 levels. He must maintain about half of this amount, 375 levels, to cast his spells.
For each level Luthax expends, he can:
1. Detect Magic up to 74 miles away for one day; or
2. For one turn, cause tiny fissures to open anywhere he steps that emit a steady flow of sulfurous gases, that, over a period of 24 hours, kills all plant life within 74 yards; or
3. Regenerate 7 hit points; or
4. Cause a 74 yard-long earthquake, toppling any tree or structure within 74 feet; or
5. Create a 70’ flame barrier 7 yards long from any fissure within 70 feet that inflicts 7d8 points of fire damage to any creatures touched. (A successful reflex saving throw (DC 20) halves this damage.) By expending more levels, he can increase the length, height, or damage of the barrier.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Luthax the Fiery can be turned, but not destroyed.
Spellcasting (Sp): Luthax casts spells as an 18th-level wizard, provided he has at least 375 levels of magic stored. Casting spells does not expend stored magic, but if he has less than 375 levels, the spell is absorbed and fails. After centuries of study, Luthax can call upon nearly any wizard spell except: limited wish, wish, astral gate, and spells that involve leaving the Prime Material plane. Luthax spell progression is 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2/1 and 5 cantrips. Typically, he has the following spells available: light, ray of frost, read magic, mage hand, daze, summon monster I, magic missile (x3), sleep, darkness, invisibility, knock, locate object, blink, haste, hold person, slow, wind wall, charm monster, confusion, dimension door, solid fog, ice storm, passwall, stone shape, telekinesis, teleport, transmute rock to mud, Bigby’s forceful hand, permanent image, disintegrate, mass invisibility, phase door, vanish, binding, sink, timestop
Appearance: As it says earlier, but all of the colors are really a mix between it and gray.
Xanthon the Baneful
Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 60 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 9 (such as turning)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 23 (+2 Dex, +9 magical)
Attacks: Bite +9 melee, 2 claws +9 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+3, claws 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 6
Saves: Fort +9, Ref+12, Will +11
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Disguise+4, Hide+2, Listen+1, Move Silently+1, Search+2, Sense Motive+1, Spot+1, Wilderness Lore+2
Feats: Blind-Fight, Track, Deflect Arrows
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: None
A slender shadowy figure that can easily be mistaken for a man-at least until his clothes rot and reveal the tiny wings sprouting between his shoulder blades-Xanthon the Baneful is the Scourge of Swarms, the youngest of the ghazneths. In bad light, his fading humanity can be seen in his bladelike nose and the slender tuft of beard hanging from his chin. In better illumination, his face turns mantis-like and skeletal, with hollow cheeks and ovoid eyes tinged the color of blood.
Xanthon became a ghazneth less than a year ago, after swearing vengeance on King Azoun IV. Although his transformation is far from complete, (Unless killed, he will eventually become a monstrous humanoid) Xanthon is the eager instigator behind Cormyr’s current troubles.
As the “scourge of the day,” Xanthon is the only living ghazneth. His fellow ghazneth view him as an annoying younger brother, though they are grateful to him for digging them out of their tombs and tolerate his presence, as long as he doesn’t presume to offer suggestions.
COMBAT
Young and reckless, Xanthon is spoiling for a fight. Xanthon cannot hide behind his wings, so he suffers the full effects of any spell striking his body, though only as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Should he be killed, he instantly becomes undead and rises the following round, after he has used the magic to regenerate. Xanthon’s primary weapon is the power of swarms.
Immunities (Ex): Xanthon the Baneful is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Having been a ghazneth for less than a year, Xanthon can store only one magic level at a time. His life is a constant search for magic, which he expends as quickly as he absorbs it to make room for more. For each level he expends, he can:
1. Detect magic up to 1 mile away for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause all poisonous, stinging, disease-bearing, and blood-sucking creatures within 1 yard of him to multiply 1d10x10, or
3. Regenerate 6 hit points; or
4. Infest any single building, campsite, field, copse, or similar area with swarms of reptiles, rodents, insects, or arachnids (any species he chooses, as long as each creature is not bigger than diminutive). This infestation requires 1 round per square yard of the area. If Xanthon is forced to leave before the infestation is complete, only the vicinity around him is infested.
5. He may summon a swarm of 2d10x10 rodents (each creature must be diminutive or fine) and direct their actions in a general manner; there is a 25% chance that such swarms bear a deadly and contagious disease.
6. He can imprint instructions on any single poisonous, disease-bearing, stinging, or blood-sucking creature he touches; such instructions are subject to mistakes and misinterpretations, and can never consist of more than fifteen words.
Appearance: Xanthon the Baneful looks like a normal human, but his face looks somewhat twisted. He has a little hair near the back of his head, which looks thin, like all of his body. His has a little bit of hair on his chin. On his back are two premature wings, which are about 8 inches long, but only 3 inches tall. He wears dirty looking clothing, which has circular rip in the back, about a foot in diameter. In the middle of it are his wings.
I found these stats on the net for Rowan.
Rowen Cormaeril, Male Ghazneth rng8: CR 20; Large Humanoid; 14d8+65 plus 8d10+16; hp 190; +9 init; spd 40 ft., 300 ft. fly (good); AC 24 (-1 size, +5 dex, +10); +19/+9 melee (2 claws 2d6+9), +14 (wings 1d4+7); SA spell like abilities, fear aura; SQ detect magic, damage reduction 25/non-magical weapons, spell absorption, magic drain; SR 30; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +13; Str 25, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18;
Rowen Cormaeril is the ghazneth of lightning
Skills: bluff +17, climb +20, hide +4, jump +19, ;ostem +12, move silently +17, spot +30 Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Track
SA:
Spell Like Abilities: A cloud of rain follows Rowen wherever he goes granting him the following spell-like abilities, each may be used once per round use of each ability deals Rowen 1d4 points of damage: Call Lightening, Lightning Bolt, Ball Lightning, Chain Lightning. These abilities act like a spell caste by a level 14 sorcerer.
Fear Aura: Rowen creates an aura of fear in a 2 0foot radius of himself it is the same as the spell fear (DC 20) it the save is a successful that creature cannot be effected again by Rowen's fear aura again for one day. Favored Enemy (Orcs +2, Goblinoids +1): Rowen gets a bonus to bluff, listen, sense motive, spot, wilderness lore, and damage against his favored enemies.
SQ:
Spell Absorption: If Rowen's Spell Resistance overcomes a spell he gains hp equal to the spell level+caster's level
Magic Drain: As a full round action Rowen can permanently drain any magical item he is in contact with. Rowen gains 4d6+10 hp for each item drained this way. Reverse Damage: Any damage by a magically enhanced sword heals damage instead of dealing damage to Rowen. |
Ill Met On The River Of Dreams... |
Edited by - Maskanodel on 29 Apr 2004 01:00:29 |
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Hymn
Senior Scribe
Sweden
514 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2004 : 17:13:59
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| Ah, just the kind of info I was looking for a while back but couldn't find. Don't remember if I posted a question on here ... Any how nice work. |
Sauro moki kara ochiro - Even monkeys falls from trees.
The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant - Miyamoto Musashi |
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Lysander
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 22:16:41
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I know that in the Grand Scheme of Things, this is a minor nit-pick, but 'ere we go:
SPOILERS for the Cormyrian series
(Ok, 'nuff space)
In the first book, (Cormyr, a Novel) Suzara and the youngest Obarskyr son head off, back to Impetlur (sp?) because she doesn't want to stay out in the wilderness. Then, we hear nothing until the Ghazneth crisis, when Suzara is back. Minus the son. The question is - when did that happen? Did they not make it out of Cormyr (for the devil-dragon to find her and entomb her to be a Ghazneth later on, or are there little Obarskyrs running around elsewhere in the Realms, that had their ever-so-great-grandmother claw her way out of an old grave and wing it back to Cormyr to bother that branch of the family? I've taken liberty of commandeering a small branch of the Obarskyrs elsewhere, but is there a "more official" answer to this?
Lysander |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 04:50:50
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I think we are all well aware of why creatures like ghazneths, tren, the saurials, and the pterafolk don't appear in any recent novels. 
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"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
Edited by - Crust on 24 Jun 2004 04:51:19 |
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 05:50:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Crust
I think we are all well aware of why creatures like ghazneths, tren, the saurials, and the pterafolk don't appear in any recent novels.
And this would be? |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 06:03:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Arivia
And this would be?
Thanks for asking. I too can't figure out the reason that Crust is alluding to. However, I hate to be the first person to raise my hand in class. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 06:13:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Lysander
I know that in the Grand Scheme of Things, this is a minor nit-pick, but 'ere we go:
SPOILERS for the Cormyrian series
(Ok, 'nuff space)
In the first book, (Cormyr, a Novel) Suzara and the youngest Obarskyr son head off, back to Impetlur (sp?) because she doesn't want to stay out in the wilderness. Then, we hear nothing until the Ghazneth crisis, when Suzara is back. Minus the son. The question is - when did that happen? Did they not make it out of Cormyr (for the devil-dragon to find her and entomb her to be a Ghazneth later on, or are there little Obarskyrs running around elsewhere in the Realms, that had their ever-so-great-grandmother claw her way out of an old grave and wing it back to Cormyr to bother that branch of the family? I've taken liberty of commandeering a small branch of the Obarskyrs elsewhere, but is there a "more official" answer to this?
Lysander
Officially, Suzara returned to Impiltur, dissolved her marriage to Ondeth, and wed a Theskan merchant (Cormyr: A Novel, ch. 8). Since the method for creating ghazneths involves burying the corpse beneath a corrupted Tree of the Body, someone connected to Nalavara must have discovered where Suzara lay and either planted one over her, or moved her body elsewhere; in either case, she spent long years as a ghazneth nursing her hatred before she was unleashed on her ungrateful descendants.
Unofficially, I can tell you that just about every royal personage (with very few exceptions) has been accounted for by official author-types behind the scenes. In any case, it would be impossible for an Obarskyr to be the motivating force behind the ghazneths; Trees of the Body are an elven artifact, and Obarskyrs have the power to defeat the ghazneths. It was Nalavara that did it. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 06:18:10
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Arivia
And this would be?
Thanks for asking. I too can't figure out the reason that Crust is alluding to. However, I hate to be the first person to raise my hand in class.
I was wondering what he meant as well but wasn't going to ask.... |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 06:20:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Unofficially, I can tell you that just about every royal personage (with very few exceptions) has been accounted for by official author-types behind the scenes. In any case, it would be impossible for an Obarskyr to be the motivating force behind the ghazneths; Trees of the Body are an elven artifact, and Obarskyrs have the power to defeat the ghazneths. It was Nalavara that did it.
Thanks for sharing Garen Thal. I love Cormyr lore especially with an elven connection. |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 15:00:37
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My reason is because they're just plain weird, and apparently have no place in current Realms fiction...
Whereas drow are extremely cool, and have been featured in more FR books than perhaps even humans.
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"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
Edited by - Crust on 24 Jun 2004 15:01:36 |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 15:31:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Crust
My reason is because they're just plain weird, and apparently have no place in current Realms fiction...
Whereas drow are extremely cool, and have been featured in more FR books than perhaps even humans.
So if its new, or not drow.......? |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 17:54:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Crust
My reason is because they're just plain weird, and apparently have no place in current Realms fiction...
Leaving aside the other creature types, I can say pretty definitively that this is the reason the ghazneths haven't shown prominently in Realmslore since Death of the Dragon. There were, in total, only seven ghazneths created before the only creature that knew how to create them (Nalavara) was destroyed. Each ghazneth contributed to its own creation by some betrayal of Cormyr and its royal family. The reasons they haven't shown up:
-Ghazneths don't make good dramatic villains if the whole story of why/how the individual betrayed Cormyr is already known, and we know Rowen Cormaeril's story.
-Because they must be destroyed by an Obarskyr, Ghazneths are only appropriate villains for a story which features an Obarskyr as the main character, else we are forced to watch that character be "saved" by some royal from the ghazneth.
-Ghazneths don't foster a positive game experience, which is something WotC is hoping for in its fiction. With convoluted destruction methods, and the inability of PCs to defeat them (because of their immunity to magic and the necessity of an Obarskyr to the process), it's better to just leave them out.
-The final ghazneth, Rowen, is Troy Denning's character, and most authors try and stay away from the characters of other authors unless they receive permission from the creating author. This isn't always the case, of course--Troy himself killed off James Lowder's Gwydion and Rinda without so much as a "how do you do"--but it's certainly the ideal circumstance, especially when you're also dealing with a unique monster type. |
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Lysander
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 19:14:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Officially, Suzara returned to Impiltur, dissolved her marriage to Ondeth, and wed a Theskan merchant (Cormyr: A Novel, ch. 8). Since the method for creating ghazneths involves burying the corpse beneath a corrupted Tree of the Body, someone connected to Nalavara must have discovered where Suzara lay and either planted one over her, or moved her body elsewhere; in either case, she spent long years as a ghazneth nursing her hatred before she was unleashed on her ungrateful descendants.
Unofficially, I can tell you that just about every royal personage (with very few exceptions) has been accounted for by official author-types behind the scenes. In any case, it would be impossible for an Obarskyr to be the motivating force behind the ghazneths; Trees of the Body are an elven artifact, and Obarskyrs have the power to defeat the ghazneths. It was Nalavara that did it.
I vaguely remember the details of Suzara herself (been a while since I read the book) - but there still is a child of Ondeth's unaccounted for. I believe the second son - the one that did not become king - was married into one of the three Silver families (Crownsilver maybe; he'd have to have nothing but girls for that branch of the Obarskyrs to blend into the Silvers ). However, my recollection is that it was specifically stated that the third (youngest) son went with Suzara. Technically, that son's line wouldn't be a descendent of Cormyrian royalty (It was his brother that was the first king) but a birthright claim could still be had - especially as close as it was ;)
I know it's all a bit nit-picking, but I'm interested in if I either missed a sentence ot two about the child (e.g. "He died from rosy plague at age 15." or some such) or how others that focus on Cormyr use this "loose end."
Lysander |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2004 : 19:44:47
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quote:
Originally posted by LysanderI vaguely remember the details of Suzara herself (been a while since I read the book) - but there still is a child of Ondeth's unaccounted for. I believe the second son - the one that did not become king - was married into one of the three Silver families (Crownsilver maybe; he'd have to have nothing but girls for that branch of the Obarskyrs to blend into the Silvers ). However, my recollection is that it was specifically stated that the third (youngest) son went with Suzara. Technically, that son's line wouldn't be a descendent of Cormyrian royalty (It was his brother that was the first king) but a birthright claim could still be had - especially as close as it was ;)
I know it's all a bit nit-picking, but I'm interested in if I either missed a sentence ot two about the child (e.g. "He died from rosy plague at age 15." or some such) or how others that focus on Cormyr use this "loose end."
Ondeth and Suzara did have three sons, at least according to the behind-the-scenes construction that's been done on the House Obarskyr by the people who do that sort of thing and keep Realmslore consisten and moving (pay no attention to we men behind the curtain, please). Their number of offspring is not mentioned in Cormyr: A Novel, and the book mentions only two-Faerlthann and Rhiiman--by name, saying that "Suzara took the youngest lad and returned to Impiltur, sailing away on the first boat to moor at the new dock. Ondeth did not see her off, but Faerlthann did."
I cannot tell all of what I know--my apologies for that--but what follows should be enough to quench your curiosity on this matter, and whet it on many others.
Faerlthann, of course, became king. Rhiiman, the second son, eventually married one of the Silver daughters to found the Crownsilver family. A note:the other 'silver families are similary related to the royal house, being formed by the marriage of Faerlthann's uncle Villiam (the Truesilvers) and Imlon's brother-in-law Gavrund Huntyn (the Huntsilvers) to daughters of the Silver brothers.
The youngest, who is called Vaerom, became a mercenary in the grand (Impilturan) Obarskyr tradition, and returned to Cormyr only twice after leaving as a small child: once to try and leverage his brother the king into letting him set up a base there, and the second time to flee the wrath of the Impilturan royal family. Refused both times, he set out for Westgate, and his fate is largely unknown. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 05:17:53
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A little more thread necromancy here... I couldn't find answers to my most irritating questions regarding the ghazneths and Nalavarauthatoryl anywhere else.
First (chronologically and in importance): How did Lorelei Alavara become the Devil Dragon? I can't find this story anywhere. Did I just not read the Cormyr Saga closely enough? I know her lover, Thatoryl Elian, was killed by Andar Obarskyr (or others; this contradiction has apparently been resolved according to REALMS-L, but NDA...  ), but I have no information on how she became a dracoform.
Second: I found this bit on the rpg.net forums, and I was wondering about its accuracy:
Quote from Eldermount on the rpg.net forums:
quote:
Vangerdahast becomes an unwilling participant in releasing a dragon who hates the Obarskyr family (the royal family). The dragon's history goes back to before there was a Cormyr. She was an elf back then, and a member of the Obarskyr family killed her lover. She wants revenge, and has waited centuries for her chance at vengeance.
Princess Tanalasta is pregnant with the child of one the Cormaerils (who incidentally became the last ghazneth even though he remains loyal to Cormyr and the Obarskyr family). She is killed breaking the curses of the Ghazneths, but if she is resurrected the worst of the ghazneths will revive, so she refuses to allow a resurrection. Her child is born as she dies. The last remaining ghazneth, the father of her child, has his curse tied to her. And with Tanalasta dead, the curse cannot be broken.
I couldn't verify the bit about the ghazneth revival being tied to Tanalasta's resurrection. If someone has a source and page number for me, that would be great.
Third: Directed at Garen Thal: Is the resolution of the discrepancy over the death of Thatoryl Elian available? Mind you, the source that brought this question up is from the REALMS-L archives and is only two and a half years old, and I also know that old NDAs never die... they just get older, even if they're no longer needed. I'd also like to add my voice to the movement suggesting that all pre-Spellplague-storyline-related NDAs be vacated if the emphasis is going to be on post-Spellplague material. 
Anyway, any answers that can be given are greatly appreciated... and answers that can't be given indicate the necessity of further development. Soon! |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 18 Oct 2008 05:20:00 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 05:34:46
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You should probably ask Ed in his thread, but the part about Tanalasta sounds somewhat familiar, although I think that it's either a faulty , or at the very least skewed, way of looking at the events at the end of that novel.
She did have to die, IIRC, for the curse to be broken, but I think the resurrection part may have been pure conjecture (although I'm not positve here - just working from memory).
I also think that last Ghazneth is still alive somewhere (even in 4e - they can't die naturally). |
"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 18 Oct 2008 05:37:08 |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 05:38:06
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Jakk, I'm afraid that I can't discuss the details of any of your three questions. There are answers, I promise you, but since my knowing them is involved with access to things that I can't share, I really can't suggest, hint, or speculate on any of the three issues.
My apologies. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 06:49:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
First (chronologically and in importance): How did Lorelei Alavara become the Devil Dragon? I can't find this story anywhere. Did I just not read the Cormyr Saga closely enough? I know her lover, Thatoryl Elian, was killed by Andar Obarskyr (or others; this contradiction has apparently been resolved according to REALMS-L, but NDA... ), but I have no information on how she became a dracoform.
Me, I'm figuring that when her lover was slain, she was so consumed by anger and hatred that it made her an easy mark for some powerful nastybad to make a deal with her and turn her into a dragon. A deity or fiend seems the most obvious source for the arcane juice such a transformation would entail, but it could also be a powerful wizard or group of wizards.
Of course, then you have to ask "Why?" If she had help, why did her benefactor(s) help her? What was their gain?
It's also possible that she somehow turned into a dragon on her own. We know it's not impossible to do that. But that would take a lot of magical oomph, and I'm not so sure that even the most vengeful elf would say "Hey, it sure would be easier to get my revenge if I was a dragon!" I don't favor this idea.
If she did have outside help, then it answers the question of "how?". But in that case, "Why?" becomes a far more interesting question.
How the ghazneths were formed is another interesting question. There are plenty of other cases of people betraying Cormyr or any other nation, without becoming some sort of nasty cursed entity... It's possible that Alavara's transformation was somehow tied to whatever transformed the ghazneths.
And the fact that it all happened in Cormyr... Did the original Purple Dragon, or maybe his elven successors, leave some sort of magical safeguards in place? Were the creations of these nastybads linked to some actual plot of revenge, or some twisted form of policing the realm's successors? It's something to ponder... |
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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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 07:42:29
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| There's more about the Devil Dragon in the early 3e Into the Dragon’s Lair module also, btw. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 09:27:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Jakk, I'm afraid that I can't discuss the details of any of your three questions. There are answers, I promise you, but since my knowing them is involved with access to things that I can't share, I really can't suggest, hint, or speculate on any of the three issues.
My apologies.
No apologies necessary, Garen. NDA's make me sad. 
Any idea on when these NDA's will be dealt with? Even a general time frame? Likely not, with all future published 4e Realmslore coming from novels and D&Di...  Thanks anyway. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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freyar
Learned Scribe
Canada
220 Posts |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 18:03:08
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There were some funky rune-encrusted trees involved somehow, IIRC. The novels never really explain how they got there or who created them - it is suggested that they they were an Elven form of burial rarely seen (for traitors?), but the odd part was that the Ghazneths buried beneath were NOT Elven. That means Nalavarauthatoryl must have re-buried them at some point after their deaths.
However, all the confusion goes beyond simple vaguness of details - the Trees were never seen before the events of the novel, and at least one person (IIRC) makes a comment that they had "been down that way before". The problem with that is that the trees were VERY ancient - this means either time travel or some VERY powerful concealment magic.
The part about Nalavarauthatoryl turning into a Dragon I can live with as-is; there are a few stories about greedy folks turning into Dragons after laying on top of a Dragon's Horde. Suppose it's not Greed? Suppose all you need to have are 'Draconic Thoughts' (Death, Vengeance, Destruction, etc)? Nalavarauthatoryl could have been aware of how such things work, being of much older Elven Stock (and Elves know more about Dragons then anyone else). Perhaps she found herself a Horde and set the wheels in motion for her transformation?
Then all those years as a Dragon could have given her the time and faculties to become a powerful Mage, and using Ancient Elven Magics on the bodies slowly transformed the traitors into Ghazneths. I would say it takes a great deal of time, but that last one was transfomred pretty quick (a few months?) That then leaves us with the problem of why Nalavarauthatoryl waited so long (there had to be other traitors in Cormyrian history), unless we throw something hokey into the mix like "The ToT weakened the barrier between her dimension and that of Toril".
Which brings us to another problem - if she was trapped in another dimension all that while, then who was burying all those traitors?
I believe the module ItDL talked about time distortions as well (between the Grodd Plane and Toril), so I just chalk all of this up to 'unknowable mysteries and temporal anomalies', kind of like the Dawn Cataclysm. |
"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 18 Oct 2008 18:06:13 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 23:11:56
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Thanks for your thoughts, Markustay. I remember the bit about the trees being involved (I probably have it in my scattered notes on my hard drive somewhere), and also that Nalavara was the only one who knew how to use the trees to create ghazneths. I'm just not a big fan of the word 'unknowable' and I see it as something of a cop-out. If the answer doesn't exist, I'm more than happy to come up with one. I like your 'Fafnir' explanation, and agree that vengeance could be a suitable catalyst for such a transformation, especially in a xenophobic elf. The bit about the trees and who was burying the traitors, I'll have to check into more closely... my thoughts on the burials would be, someone sympathetic to Nalavara (likely another elf; a member of Thatoryl's family, maybe?) or just someone (maybe the Eldreth Veluuthra?) who believes that the elves never should have given the humans control of the realm.
There's an NDA involved with the discrepancy over the dates of Thatoryl's death; hopefully that will get cleared up soon. Anyway, check out my poll on extended Cormyr noble lineage freedom-of-information. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2008 : 20:03:24
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I have read the novel three times (twice again recently), and I'm still a little confused (I had to ask Ed some geography questions, considering the characters were doing some traveling they ought not to have been able to - and Ed was kind enough to give me a quick reply that helped).
There is also the matter of who killed the Sleeping Lords - maybe I'm just an idiot, but I couldn't really figure out who did it (I think the book pointed to Rowan, but that really doesn't make any sense).
A lot of things point to Nalavarauthatoryl having an accomplice 'on the outside', but how she could have communicated with them is unknown. The other thing could be the whole time-distortion between Grodd and the Realms. She may have had the Goblins reburying the bodies for quite awhile, but what was only a few years to them could have been centuries in Faerûn.
Edit: There is a bit in the history section of The Hoard Demiplane in Into the Dragon's Lair, that says she was 'locked away' in the Year of the Mortal Promise (116 DR), and she did indeed have Elven Allies at that time (the Eldreth Veluthra? Or their predeccessors?)
Anyhow, the story says that her followers (along with some unlucky Cormyrians) were 'sucked up' into the vortex with her and dropped into the Demiplane. I suppose a few may have escaped that fate, but we still don't know how they were still able to do her bidding. Also, that is a completely different demiplane then the one holding Grodd, and somehow over time the barriers between the planes began to weaken, such that travel between the two was possible. This is where it gets weird, because it appears that part of the Dragon was stuck in Grodd, and it was the Dragon's 'frozen' body (stasis, really) that acted as the portal between the two.
Its very hard to understand all these Planer relationships and differnent beings involved. The Grodd Goblins supposedly had their own Kingdom once where Cormyr now stands, but no such history exists for them in the GHotR or anywhere else (outside of the module). It makes me wonder if the Kingdom of the Grodd existed in -17,600 DR, and they were one of many cultures 'erased' by the Elven Sundering, when that ritual changed Toril's past and altered the timeline. That makes poor Grodd a bit of a 'Planer Orphan', and that could be why it is just floating in the nether now.
Its all so confusing. |
"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 28 Mar 2011 22:16:58 |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2010 : 03:21:08
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| BUMP! |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2011 : 19:40:57
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I have been interested in the ghazneths for quite some time and so I just reread Death of the Dragon to make sure I have my facts straight, or as much as I can, before answering some of the outstanding questions here.
quote:
Jakk said:I couldn't verify the bit about the ghazneth revival being tied to Tanalasta's resurrection. If someone has a source and page number for me, that would be great
Tanalasta gave Bolovar her pain, which is what he most wanted. ("To win power over him, one must surrender," said Filfaeril on page 124 of the hardcover book) However, resurrecting Tanalasta wouldn't have been a problem. I believe that's why there's a line about Bolovar pulling "something brown" out of her belly and eating it. She states/thinks (?) then that the clerics can't heal her. I don't find that really truthful, as in Cormyr there were bits of flesh that were all that was required to resurrect a member of the Royal Family. Raise Dead and Heal (as I've understood them) or a Resurrection spell should have sufficed.
I can understand why Rowen couldn't be reverted, I think. Since Tanalsta gave birth to Azoun V, he was the right and proper heir to the throne. Because of that, Alusair was not the Queen and Azoun IV died. Only Azoun IV/V or Tanalasta could have "absolved" Rowen of his crime thus without resurrecting Tanalasta, he was bound to be a ghazneth at least until Azoun V was old enough to talk and absolve him. As Vangerdahast says to Tanalasta on page 329 of the hardcover edition, "...And I suspect it must be you or the king himself who'll have to do it. Only the absolution of a direct heir to the crown would have meaning to them." I would have expected Rowen to seek this out so that he could be a father to his son, especially given Chauntea's role in his life, but the character's not mine to write.
quote:
Markustay said: There were some funky rune-encrusted trees involved somehow, IIRC. The novels never really explain how they got there or who created them - it is suggested that they they were an Elven form of burial rarely seen (for traitors?), but the odd part was that the Ghazneths buried beneath were NOT Elven. That means Nalavarauthatoryl must have re-buried them at some point after their deaths.
First, the direct quote from page 113 of the hardcover book:
"A Tree of the Body was a sort of memorial created by the ancient elves who had inhabited Cormyr before men. According to Tanalasta—and the princess was known for being well read on such things—when an esteemed elf died, his fellows sometimes inscribed his epitaph on the trunk of a small sapling and buried the body beneath the roots."
The trees the ghazneths came from were twisted and diseased, and had the common poem on it with just the last line varying. I have not yet had enough time to reread Beyond the High Road but that's my recollection. So, I am guessing that it was Lorelei Alavara who had people reburied. I truly can't recall if all of the twisted trees were together or not, so it's possible that the trees were planted over an existing grave.
quote:
Markustay also said:However, all the confusion goes beyond simple vaguness of details - the Trees were never seen before the events of the novel, and at least one person (IIRC) makes a comment that they had "been down that way before". The problem with that is that the trees were VERY ancient - this means either time travel or some VERY powerful concealment magic.
In this, I feel confident in saying it wouldn't be the first time the elves used mass translocation magic, especially where Iliphar and his court were concerned. Their great pavillions came and went with magic, if memory serves.
quote:
Markustay then said:Then all those years as a Dragon could have given her the time and faculties to become a powerful Mage, and using Ancient Elven Magics on the bodies slowly transformed the traitors into Ghazneths. I would say it takes a great deal of time, but that last one was transfomred pretty quick (a few months?) That then leaves us with the problem of why Nalavarauthatoryl waited so long (there had to be other traitors in Cormyrian history), unless we throw something hokey into the mix like "The ToT weakened the barrier between her dimension and that of Toril".
Which brings us to another problem - if she was trapped in another dimension all that while, then who was burying all those traitors?
First, I don't recall it ever being said what magical powers Lorelei Alavara possessed prior to her death/transformation/banishment. Perhaps she was already a powerful mage? Ed would know, but I suspect it's protected by NDA. Ed tends not to hide Realms Role, but if he writes it and then it is edited out, he can't disclose it, as it is then owned by WoTC; NDAs are strange that way.
As to why she waited so long, that has to do with Alaundo's prophecy of the Seven Scourges. It couldn't just be any traitor; it had to be a traitor who fit one of the seven particular scourges. I liken this (whether correctly or not) to the "Seven Deadly Sins." For the prophecy to be fulfilled, you needed more than just a bunch of traitors who rebelled on greed, for example. But you'd pick the most treacherous of them to use as a ghazneth.
I haven't always agreed with Troy Denning's works and their impacts on the Realms, and I often wonder how different Waterdeep would have been if Scott Ciencin had written it as well. I really liked what Jim Lowder did in Prince of Lies and found Crucible to be lacking in some areas, too. Now, having just said that, I have no idea how much of what happened in Troy's books (or parts of others) was mandated by WoTC or TSR, or what was changed by his editors. So, I just want to get that out.
I still find the concept of the ghazneths interesting, although some of the "traitors" crimes seem feeble to me. Suzara leaving Ondeth has always felt like a thready tie to me to justify Lorelei Alavara's husband's death (which predates the founding of Cormyr as well) as Suzara didn't really betray anything. She just wasn't a "Country Girl" and she went back to the city. I doubt that Suzail offered much in the ways of creature comforts that would have attracted Suzara for a few centuries after its founding. Again, Ed would know her best, but it just surprises me that she was the strongest candidate for a scourge. It does, though, lend some legitimacy to events that happened prior to Cormyr's founding as a human kingdom.
Now that I've rambled for a good bit, I'll add that I'm still confused about Rowen and Tanalasta most of all. Rowen, who at the time of his "disappearance" is surrounded by nearly all of the highest priests of Cormyr, and without knowing the specifics of Tanalsta's death, decides she can't be resurrected? Azoun's final orders (as such) to Vangerdahast) were to aid Tanalasta in ruling the kingdom, and one might assume that would include bringing her back from the dead. His decision to disappear just doesn't fit into my view of the Realms or logic, but maybe he was too twisted in mind to understand. The fact that he hasn't surfaced (yet) but cannot be destroyed without absolution is an interesting thought. Does he age as a man or as a ghazneth? If he were reverted by, say, Forin, how old would he be? To these questions, I have not yet found answers.
As sages, we want answers to every question we can find. In that aspect, we do honor to Candlekeep and to Oghma's task. As authors, Ed and Troy have to write compelling books that leave some openings either for sequels, or for people who buy the WoTC products to expand upon the "loose threads" left behind. Sorry to unfurl such an old scroll, but occasionally I like digging around and seeing what's to be seen.
Cheers to all,
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2011 : 04:38:00
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| Someone mentioned stats on this thread. The Creature Catalog is the best place to get some really nice stats to hundreds of 1e and 2e creatures in D&D, the gazneths being one such group. The authors of those conversions have had a number of published articles in Dragon Magazine (also called the Creature Catalog :D ) |
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Azuth
Senior Scribe
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2011 : 04:53:24
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Yes, Dragon is a great place to get creature information. As a subject of study, I find the ghazneths a great plot point to drive a story. I'm not pleased with the outcomes of them in all respects, but they do have a fascinating theory behind them. Troy Denning is no young lad and has many published works to his credit. I found Cormyr to be a great novel. However, only Ed can truly speak to Realms Lore (he would probably disagree) and so I find "co-authorship" of books to be difficult. However, their writing styles are different enough that I can usually tell where Ed's work begins and Troy's ends, and vice-versa.
quote:
Originally posted by Razz
Someone mentioned stats on this thread. The Creature Catalog is the best place to get some really nice stats to hundreds of 1e and 2e creatures in D&D, the gazneths being one such group. The authors of those conversions have had a number of published articles in Dragon Magazine (also called the Creature Catalog :D )
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Azuth, the First Magister
Lord of All Spells
The greatest expression of creativity is through Art.
Offense can never be given, only taken. |
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Ghazneths
