| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
MaxKaladin
Seeker
77 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 17:05:59
|
Note: This may contain spoilers for others. Certainly, it spoils the events listed in the Cormanthor article in the most recent Dragon.
Note 2: I'm asking for spoilers here. I'm sure some of the relevant information is in the Last
Mythal series, which I have not read. I don't know if or when I will read it and am fine with being
spoiled on that or any other product. Please don't let spoilers get in the way of answers.
Note 3: I'm typing from memory, so may not have all the details exactly straight.
Last night, I read an article in Dragon about recent events in and around Cormanthor. Now, I'm trying
to establish the "state of the dales", so to speak, based on that information.
* It seems the Dales Compact has been revived, but not all of the dales were involved. I think the list
was Daggerdale, Shadowdale, Misteldale, Deepingdale and Battledale. Presumably this means the elves now
occupying Myth Drannor feel no special obligation to Tasseldale, Featherdale, Scardale or Harrowdale.
* At one point, Sembia invades the dales. The article says they gathered a mercenary army to march
through Tasseldale and Featherdale into Battledale. They are later noted as having actually occupied
Battledale. The fate of Tasseldale and Featherdale is not mentioned. Did Sembia also occupy these
dales?
* Following on that, Sembia evidently switched sides. They came to a truce with the Crusade and, I
think, an alliance. The Crusade was responsible for reviving the Dales Compact and that revived compact
included Battledale (but not Tasseldale and Featherdale). Did Sembia then agree to lift their
occupation of Battledale or is it still occupied by Sembia? Alternately, did the agreement allow Sembia
to keep Battledale? If they occupied Tasseldale and Featherdale, do they remain after this switch?
* There is mention of an attack on Crusade and Sembian delegations in Tasseldale. This could imply that
it was neutral ground and thus unoccupied or that it the Crusade was meeting the Sembians in conquered
territory.
* Zhentil Keep evidently attacked Daggerdale and Shadowdale but is later said to have been driven back
to Yulash. Presumably this implies that neither dale was conquered.
* Later, Zhentil keep again attacked Shadowdale and was successful this time. Shadowdale is now under
Zhentish control. When this second attack was launched, did the Zhents ignore Daggerdale or did it also
get attacked and conquered?
* It is mentioned several times that armies are being sent to Misteldale, but I don't recall any mention
of battle being joined. Presumably, Misteldale has not yet been attacked by an army (but, of course,
has been attacked by drow raiders for years). This will change, of course, as one of the last things
mentioned in the timeline in the Dragon article is that a Zhentish army has marched on Misteldale.
So, it seems pretty grim for the dales. Shadowdale is certainly occupied, Mistledale is going to be invaded. Battledale has been invaded and may remain occupied. Featherdale and Tasseldale may be occupied. Daggerdale has been invaded, but evidently repulsed the attack and remains free. Harrowdale and Deepingdale remain free, but Deepingdale's capitol was attacked and presumably significantly damaged by a dragon and they are probably going to end up involved in the war simply because of the compact with the Crusade and the attacks on their neighbors.
Cormyr is very quiet in this, but that's to be expected given what has happened there in recent years. It's starting to look like everyone else in the region is taking advantage of Cormyr's inability to intervene to grab as much daleland as possible -- at least in the beginning.
Will we see some resolution to all this in the Shadowdale module? I know this is supposed to setup the module, but will we get a resolution? Do the Last Mythal books give any resolution past this?
Thanks
|
|
|
KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 22:19:33
|
Its funny you should mention that Cormyr's lack of ability to jump into a given situation over the last few years has resulted in various powers being able to move into the dales, as that reasoning was expressly mentioned in the novels.
Sembia allied with the Daemonfey before they knew Sarya's true form, so while they were greedy and opourtunistic (wait, I already said they were Sembians), they weren't thrilled with the true nature of their allies. Ilsevele went to Miklos Selkirk's camp, which was in Sembian held territory, in order to try to convince the Sembians to leave their allies. While there, an advisor that Sarya sent to Miklos tried to have the Daemonfey's Jaelre drow allies kill Ilsevele, and Miklos determined that Sembia was no longer allied to Sarya and her other allies.
Zhentil Keep made a play at Shadowdale to split the dale's focus while they were allied to Sarya, but in truth they didn't whole heartededly commit to the fight. The pulled back from Shadowdale after the initial assault, waited for Hillsfar to have a falling out with Sarya as well, and marched into the city before they could recover. Hillsfar's terms of surrender were to hand over Maalthiir and expel the Red Plumes (Maalthiir had already fled and is a fugitive at this point), to pay a tribute to Zhentil Keep, house a garrison of Zhentilar, and convert Maalthiir's tower to a temple of Bane. Presumably after this was shored up, the Zhents moved back into Shadowdale in earnest this time (it felt strongly as if the initial attack on Shadowdale was just a feint to make it look like they were working with Sarya, long enough to turn on Hillsfar).
No word on Daggerdale's current state, nor on Sembia's possession or lack of possession of the dales they marched into. Given the current state of Sembia, if they wanted to break away and were still under Sembian rule, now would be the perfect time to do so.
Sembian armies led by a disguised fey'ri made it into Mistledale at least near Glen (or a town with a remarkably similar name), but were repulsed. Mistledale didn't get away scott free in this situation though, as Sarya had an army of Demons, Devils, and Yugoloths at her command since they were bound to her by the Mythal, and some of these monstronsities scoured the countryside of Mistledale during this time period.
Sieveril met with the leaders of the dales mentioned early on when the elves arrived. The other dales weren't intentionally left out of the meeting, but the elves were speaking with the dales near where they were encamped, and Sarya had already fortified Myth Drannor with her fiendish allies. It was more a matter of "hey, these are the dales near us, lets talk."
As far as resolution at the end of the Last Mythal books, we know that Ilsevele is Coronal and that by 1380 DR the Mythal is repaired and whole and the city proper is rebuilt and functional, but not the state of the various dales surrounding it.
|
 |
|
|
MaxKaladin
Seeker
77 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 22:39:54
|
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Its funny you should mention that Cormyr's lack of ability to jump into a given situation over the last few years has resulted in various powers being able to move into the dales, as that reasoning was expressly mentioned in the novels.
It's only logical. Cormyr's really been put through the ringer lately.
That said, I can see Cormyr perhaps making diplomatic overtures toward Deepingdale and the High Dale. They may think the time is right to try to woo those dales into their orbit, so to speak, while they're reeling from shock at watching so many other dales go down one by one.
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Sembia allied with the Daemonfey before they knew Sarya's true form, so while they were greedy and opourtunistic (wait, I already said they were Sembians), they weren't thrilled with the true nature of their allies. Ilsevele went to Miklos Selkirk's camp, which was in Sembian held territory, in order to try to convince the Sembians to leave their allies. While there, an advisor that Sarya sent to Miklos tried to have the Daemonfey's Jaelre drow allies kill Ilsevele, and Miklos determined that Sembia was no longer allied to Sarya and her other allies.
So was there an actual alliance between the Crusade and Sembia? Did it include any sort of "hey, we're allied with Battledale so you need to free them if you're going to be our ally" statement? It seems the way this gets handled would have a huge impact on future relations with the dales. If the crusade allies with people who occupy Battledale without doing at least something to try to secure their freedom, it will harm their relations with the other dales that also participated in the new compact.
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
No word on Daggerdale's current state, nor on Sembia's possession or lack of possession of the dales they marched into. Given the current state of Sembia, if they wanted to break away and were still under Sembian rule, now would be the perfect time to do so.
Did something happen to Sembia that I'm unaware of? I know their army was beat up fairly good, but it was a mercenary army and I've seen nothing to indicate they can't replace the losses fairly easily. Sure, at some point mercenaries will not be willing to work for them due to the danger but I doubt it's at that point yet.
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Sembian armies led by a disguised fey'ri made it into Mistledale at least near Glen (or a town with a remarkably similar name), but were repulsed. Mistledale didn't get away scott free in this situation though, as Sarya had an army of Demons, Devils, and Yugoloths at her command since they were bound to her by the Mythal, and some of these monstronsities scoured the countryside of Mistledale during this time period.
So Mistledale has been torn up some and now they're right smack-dab in the middle of the Zhent's crosshairs. Lovely. Mistledale may not be able to beat them off this time.
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Sieveril met with the leaders of the dales mentioned early on when the elves arrived. The other dales weren't intentionally left out of the meeting, but the elves were speaking with the dales near where they were encamped, and Sarya had already fortified Myth Drannor with her fiendish allies. It was more a matter of "hey, these are the dales near us, lets talk."
I suppose my thoughts on that matter were that the way the entry in the article was worded implied that the elves considered the previous compact null and void but had not yet made a new compact with some of the dales, which would imply they have no formal obligation toward them.
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
As far as resolution at the end of the Last Mythal books, we know that Ilsevele is Coronal and that by 1380 DR the Mythal is repaired and whole and the city proper is rebuilt and functional, but not the state of the various dales surrounding it.
Ok. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
nbnmare
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
205 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 20:12:24
|
quote:
Originally posted by MaxKaladin
Did something happen to Sembia that I'm unaware of? I know their army was beat up fairly good, but it was a mercenary army and I've seen nothing to indicate they can't replace the losses fairly easily. Sure, at some point mercenaries will not be willing to work for them due to the danger but I doubt it's at that point yet.
Sembia is currently engaged in a civil war, as explored in book one of the Twilight War trilogy, Shadowbred.
EDIT: Incidentally, the first book of the Lady Penitent trilogy, Sacrifice of the Widow, also features some drow-related goings-on in the Cormanthor region. |
Edited by - nbnmare on 30 Mar 2007 20:14:51 |
|
|
|
MaxKaladin
Seeker
77 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 20:39:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by nbnmare
Sembia is currently engaged in a civil war, as explored in book one of the Twilight War trilogy, Shadowbred.
Ah, that explains things a bit more. Thanks!
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
State of the Dales (Spoilers)
