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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Mar 2020 : 23:09:03
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The wiki has them listed as a minority in the population of the Dalelands; could someone explain why, and what their situation is?
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4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 00:55:55
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Learned Scribe keftiu,
If it is modern times, then I am unsure. However, back in the mid -2600's, there was a drow presence when they built the Twisted Tower of Ashaba. It was a contingent of drow from Maerimydra that built it. Unsure about others, especially if it is post-Spellplague.
Best regards,
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
The wiki has them listed as a minority in the population of the Dalelands; could someone explain why, and what their situation is?
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 02:04:32
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It's due to the history of the region. It started with the presence of the Twisted Tower, a Maerimydran Lolthite outpost, from where they launched raids and did other "bad guys" stuff. It then became the largest Eilistraeen settlement since Miyeritar (after their alliance with coronal Tannivh to stop the Lolthites), coexisting with the elves of Cormanthyr. After that, Cormanthyr fell and the Lolthites took back the Twisted Tower (actually, there was a weird alliance which lasted 1 year, but the end result was that Maerimydra established a new outpost in the Dales). Afterwards, the Dalesmen drove them away again.
After the fall of Maerimydra, an alliance between a Lolthite house, the Zhents, and the Sharrans besieged the Dales, before being ultimately repelled.
In the 5e era, Maerimydra is being rebuilt by a strange combination of factions who joined together to defeat Grazzt and drive him away from Maerimydra during the Rage of Demons event. This alliance includes drow: Eilistraeens, Vhaeraunites, and Lolthites alike. The Eilistraeens are stated to be working to build relationships with near surface communities, which include the Dales, though WotC will probably have them fail and lose like all the other times they attempted anything.
Anyway, the results of all these events are the cause of the drow presence in the Dales. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 02:58:45
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| I seem to recall a couple groups of drow living in Cormanthor, as well, at least as recently as the 3E era. |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 04:02:21
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| Any clue what the 4e-era situation would be for them? |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 07:04:57
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Learned Scribe keftiu,
I don't think they dug into that lore on that to expound upon it. I think it fell into the 100 year drunk tank.
Best regards,
quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
Any clue what the 4e-era situation would be for them?
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Tarlyn
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 13:46:41
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quote:
In the 5e era, Maerimydra is being rebuilt by a strange combination of factions who joined together to defeat Grazzt and drive him away from Maerimydra during the Rage of Demons event. This alliance includes drow: Eilistraeens, Vhaeraunites, and Lolthites alike. The Eilistraeens are stated to be working to build relationships with near surface communities, which include the Dales, though WotC will probably have them fail and lose like all the other times they attempted anything.
Can you provide the adventures that this detail comes from? I wouldn't mind hunting them down and reading through them. |
Tarlyn Embersun |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 15:12:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Tarlyn
quote:
In the 5e era, Maerimydra is being rebuilt by a strange combination of factions who joined together to defeat Grazzt and drive him away from Maerimydra during the Rage of Demons event. This alliance includes drow: Eilistraeens, Vhaeraunites, and Lolthites alike. The Eilistraeens are stated to be working to build relationships with near surface communities, which include the Dales, though WotC will probably have them fail and lose like all the other times they attempted anything.
Can you provide the adventures that this detail comes from? I wouldn't mind hunting them down and reading through them.
It's a series of AL Adventures, the final one is "Assault on Maerimydra". You should find them on the DMGuild. The details are very scant, though. The positive outcome amounts to what I typed here. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 15:15:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I seem to recall a couple groups of drow living in Cormanthor, as well, at least as recently as the 3E era.
In 3e (1372 DR), you basically have 3 groups of drow.
1) Lolth-worshipping refugees from Maerimydra. (Led by House Dhuurniv, which survived mostly by being out of the city.)
2) Auzkovyn Clan who came in through Abbey of the Sword in Battledale from the High Forest. (Vhaeraun worshipers.)
3) House Jaelre - Vhaeraun worshiping refugees from Menzoberranzan who lost a civil war and came through portals in Blingdenstone.
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 15:30:30
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quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
Any clue what the 4e-era situation would be for them?
In 4e, the drow have been nearly eradicated from Cormanthor. That's a full elven kingdom. Actually, the drow were eradicated from Cormanthor during the elven crusade to retake Myth Drannor. That I recall, not even Eilistraeen groups were spared (despite the fact that they were already friends with the elves of Elventree, and basically living with them).
If you want a drow presence, you might include continued coexistence between the followers of Eilistraee and the elves, or Vhaeraunite clans (Auzkovyn, Jaerle) still lurking in the region (Vhaeraunite activity continued too, though very thin on the ground, in the 4e era). However, if you want to go canon, that's not very likely. Lurking might still be possible, but an open presence--what the followers of Eilistraee want--would be very difficult due to the kind of attitude that the elves show towards them in canon. The followers of Eilistraee wouldn't even have their full strength to eventually defend themselves (according to Ed's explanation, even though in that era Eilistraee wasn't dead like many believed, she was powerless and no longer able to function as a goddess--with most of her power being trapped in the Weave--if still able to communicate with her people. So, her priest(esse)s would be without magic, though some might have turned into warlocks by making pacts with her. In fact, the content about Eilistraee&Vhaeraun for the final 4e sourcebook, the Menzoberranzan one, stated that they survived as archefey. However, that content was entirely excised from the book in favor of the 5e "they're back and that's it").
If, OTOH, you want to get rid of the (frankly cliché) extreme prejudice of the elves, and their denial towards the existence of Eilistraee&followers (stated in many sources, like F&P), then coexistence of that kind would be very well possible. Even Vhaeraunites could see an opportunity and try to form some relationship of mutual benefit with the elves. I mean, if you're going for a more nuanced drow, Vhaeraunites aren't opposed to cooperating with elves. In canon, many groups have a warped view of how that would happen (for example, some groups have harems of elven slaves), but once you throw away the constraints of canon, you can get rid of that too, and have Vhaeraunites focus on stuff like trade, espionage, assassination of key targets, sabotage, pulling strings from behind the scenes etc... to gain a foothold on the surface. They can be subtle, and respect the agreements when it helps them achieve a meaningful presence on the surface. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 12 Mar 2020 15:41:02 |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3802 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 15:33:19
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I seem to recall a couple groups of drow living in Cormanthor, as well, at least as recently as the 3E era.
In 3e (1372 DR), you basically have 3 groups of drow.
1) Lolth-worshipping refugees from Maerimydra. (Led by House Dhuurniv, which survived mostly by being out of the city.)
2) Auzkovyn Clan who came in through Abbey of the Sword in Battledale from the High Forest. (Vhaeraun worshipers.)
3) House Jaelre - Vhaeraun worshiping refugees from Menzoberranzan who lost a civil war and came through portals in Blingdenstone.
There are also the followers of Eilistraee in Velarswood and in Elventree, though not as numerous as the other groups. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 16:04:53
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| I did an article in Dragon #354 on the "recent timeline" for Cormathor that might be of interest. |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2020 : 19:11:21
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| Irennan and Eric, thank you both so much! |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2020 : 19:37:09
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Eric,
Thank you for pointing that out. It was definitely a good read. That map you put in was great too! :)
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Topic |
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Drow in the Dales?
