I'm working on a timeline of recent Realms events, something to give players and DMs an idea of what's gone down in the last two decades or so.
I have the Grand History of the Realms, which references several novels as the source of a bunch of events. I haven't read most of them, so I'd like help from you who have.
If you have read/are reading FR novels, and wouldn't mind paraphrasing the contents and results (how they affected the world in a way that might still be relevant to some PCs), do report.
In particular, I want someone to tell me:
- The Avatar Series, more specifically: Prince of Lies, and Crucible. What's the deal with Cyric's trial, the Zhentarim troubles etc.?
- What happened with Obould's Kingdom and the war Drizzt and co. waged against them?
- What was the basic idea and outcome of the Rage of Dragons?
- Tuigan horde vs. Azoun's Crusade?
- Return of the Archwizards
- Erevis Cale's exploits: did they have great impact (wanna read myself, don't spoil it all!)
- The Twilight War (Shadowbred, Shadowstorm, Shadowrealm)
- The Empyrean Odyssey
- The Haunted Land (Thayvian undead stuff)
- The Alabaster Staff (what became of resurrecting Gilgeam)
I think that's all of the RSE-novels I haven't read and that might be relevant. I don't want too much info on them, because I do intend to read some of them still, but some help with determining their lasting effect would be nice.
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On Joon, Kjetta wrote:
The guy that probably has sexual fantasies about masturbation. I mean, Iron, you're a bookworm nerd that even in your wildest escapism fantasies flee to the internet to play the role of another bookworm nerd? Come on!
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IronAngel wrote:
[1] -What happened with Obould's Kingdom and the war Drizzt and co. waged against them? [2] -What was the basic idea and outcome of the Rage of Dragons?
1. by the time of the spell-plague they had made a peace treaty with the elves, humans and, dwarves. There is still tension between these factions however.
2.To detract everyone while the Cult of the Dead Dragon gained power, and used as a way to get dragons to join them, it failed miserably.
- The Avatar Series, more specifically: Prince of Lies, and Crucible. What's the deal with Cyric's trial, the Zhentarim troubles etc.?
Been a while since I've read it, but in a nutshell, I think this is the plot:
Cyric was put on trial for not doing his duty of spreading strife and discord. Having read his own enchanted, conversion-forcing book, the Cyrinishad, he became totally self-absorbed, seeing all other deities not as gods, but as only parts of himself. He had essentially rendered himself insane. Strife was spread only within Cyric's own church, and thus he was neglecting his duty. He also neglected his duties as Judge of the Dead, which eventually ended in a successful revolt by his own petitioners, led by the soul of Kelemvor Lyonsbane. This resulted in Kelemvor's apotheosis. Fzoul Chembryl also had a hand in Cyric's downfall, betraying Cyric with Oghma's help, due to a power struggle in Zhentil Keep between the old-guard Banites and the new Cyricists. While Fzoul was forced to read Cyric's Cyrinishad, Mask had possessed him and shielded Fzoul's mind from the Cyrinishad's coercive effects. At the same time though, this damaged Mask's mind temporarily, allowing Cyric to steal the portfolio of intrigue from him.
In the same two books, Kelemvor, after his apotheosis, was put on trial for being too lenient a judge. People literally had no fear of death, or fear of being found False or Faithless. He was also neglecting his duty, not imposing harsh punishments for betraying your faith or not having any at all.
The same occured with Midnight, aka Mystra. Being NG, Mystra was subtly denying magic to those of evil or violent intent at crucial times, such as Banites, Cyricists, Tempurans, etc. This went against her duty as goddess of magic, which included not denying magic to those who deserve/have earned it, regardless of intent.
Eventually, all three correct their behavior, or are forced to, rather. Cyric is rendered somewhat less insane by being forced to hear the words of a work by Oghma, the True Life of Cyric, which was designed specifically to undo the effects of the Cyrinishad. Kelemvor becomes much more stern, having realized his error on his own, and Mystra has to distribute magic impartially.
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Iron, would you mind putting something like Spoiler Warnings in the first post? Just so that there is no possible way someone can read this and then complain?
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After Cyric's rise to power in the first three books he starts trying to take over more of the world. He launches the inquisition as a result on all heritics in Zhentil Kheep in paticular. In this proces he also contracts Rinda the Scribe to make the final version of the Cyrinishard which he hopes to take over the entire world with by making everybody followers of Cyric. The book works beyond imagination converting even Mask and Cyric. In addition to the Cyrinishard a book about the truth of Cyric is also made.
Cyric begins to actually belive his own lies that no other god is a match for him and not even combined are they a threat.
The final book is about the chosen to be Malik el Sami yn Nasser who sets out to recover the at the time lost book. In the end he realises Cyric is mad and instead of recovering Cyrinishard which is lost near Candlekeep he takes the True Life of Cyric instead.
Malik reads aloud from that book during the Trial of Cyric. Here both Mask and Cyric himselfs regains their sanity.
Oh and Midnight (Mystra) and Kelemvor breaks up due to the differences in their portofolio. Cyrics relishes in their broken love and recovers a few tears from Midnight.
_________________ ...Hereof follows that the social contract is only beneficial as long as all have something and none have too much... - Rousseau Book 1 Chapter 9 in "The Social Contract"
Alright...I've read all the books practically except the Tuigans vs Azoun(though I know alot about Azoun).
Avatar Series: Zhentil Keep has inner turmoil between Banites and Cyricists. Cyric is eventually healed of his condition by Malak.
Obould's Kingdom stands still. Obould himself eventually becomes a lesser diety. His lineage however still runs the Kingdom of the Dark Arrows.
Luskan is now ruled by "The Crow" Kensidan, who's in league with Jarlaxle and Bregan Daerth.
The idea behind the Rage was that dragons were always overcome by a magical cursed rage placed upon them by the Avariels. The Avariels lost their civilization in a large battle with the dragons, but created a Mythal that would bring the rage every so often to all dragons, so they would make stupid moves and get themselves killed...thus culling the dragons numbers. A lich, Sammaster uses his own Phylactery to strengthen this rage and make it permanent, while offering the dragons who served him an out by making them dracoliches. A priest sacrificed himself to end the rage permanently though.
**Erevis Cale: READ IT! Sufficed to say there are many ideas that can spring from the ending of this book. **
Twilight Series: The Shadovar Raise another floating island over Sembia, Mephistopheles gains a portion of Masks Divinity.
The Empyrean Odessy: Just barely got the last book of it... So far the biggest event is Tyr killed Helm.
Haunted Lands: Ssaz Tam gets rid of the rebellion and dominates Thay. He wishes to build Dread Rings on another land to unmake the universe. He can't do it on Thay because he tried and the spell can only be cast once in a given area. He now runs Thay with a undead council of Lich Zulkirs....ones he controls.
Mind you the Haunted lands is during the Spell plague, When Cyric eventually murders Mystra and the weave/shadow weave is destroyed.
Twilight Series: The Shadovar Raise another floating island over Sembia, Mephistopheles gains a portion of Masks Divinity.
I guess we don't want to go that far, yet. Would you say there is a long-lasting set-up before/during this trilogy that would serve as the backdrop for our Realms, before the conclusion is reached? (If ever Netheril returns like it does here, I bet it would be best through a DM plot.)
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The Empyrean Odessy: Just barely got the last book of it... So far the biggest event is Tyr killed Helm.
I guess we can leave Kaanyr Vhok out of it all (I think it's about him and the chick?), and just say he's returned home after WotSQ.
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Luskan is now ruled by "The Crow" Kensidan, who's in league with Jarlaxle and Bregan Daerth.
Where's this from? I'd like to avoid going too far in the timeline, so that the books players and DMs use aren't invalidated by late novel events. I guess this doesn't have to be true, yet. (Didn't spot it in GHotR up to 1374, at least.)
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Haunted Lands: Ssaz Tam gets rid of the rebellion and dominates Thay. He wishes to build Dread Rings on another land to unmake the universe. He can't do it on Thay because he tried and the spell can only be cast once in a given area. He now runs Thay with a undead council of Lich Zulkirs....ones he controls.
Ah, we'd better not go there, it seems. I suspect there's tension and unrest in Thay right now, but it has not yet plunged the land into chaos. That's what happens first, yes?
Mind that this is just me brainstorming. It would be nice to get some definite answers to players and DMs alike about what novel material can be used in backstories, and what to ignore. It's good to do now, because there won't be any new novels in our timeline.
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On Joon, Kjetta wrote:
The guy that probably has sexual fantasies about masturbation. I mean, Iron, you're a bookworm nerd that even in your wildest escapism fantasies flee to the internet to play the role of another bookworm nerd? Come on!
To expand on the Twilight series: Devil lord gets a part of divinity, Shar's Chosen becomes a demigod, Mask's second chosen becomes a demigod, Masks first chosen dies, Mask Dies.
Shadowstorm utterly destroys Sembia, Shades take it over from their floating city.
EDIT: Also, the Risen Sun Heresy is true- Amauntor is reborn through Lathander, Tyr killed Helm over highschool myspace drama, then gave up divinity to Torm, and died. Bahamut took Tyr's place.
Awesome.
_________________ Gahnn Bluetusk Aleksandr Vespermouth II "Malnutrition is scarier than any beastie."
Trying to figure out good points to "cut the cord" to canon Realms. We obviously don't want to ignore the Risen Sun heresy, for example; it's great material to work on. But then, we don't want to go that far. So, need to pick a good point to end it, let it brew, and maybe eventually conclude in an Amian way. We don't want to follow canon Realms past 1374, at all.
So, in regards to the Twilight series: I'm more interested in how it would reflect on Shadovar politics and other realms before the drastic conclusions. What's the relevant set-up it works on, and is it something we should partially include in our timeline rather than completely disregard.
It's a bit of a daunting and complicated task, but I reckon it's very useful to do it now that no new stuff can come and disturb us. Heh, I think half the Drow playerbase pretends WotSQ didn't happen, while the other half has fled from the destruction of Ched Nasad.
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On Joon, Kjetta wrote:
The guy that probably has sexual fantasies about masturbation. I mean, Iron, you're a bookworm nerd that even in your wildest escapism fantasies flee to the internet to play the role of another bookworm nerd? Come on!
The guy that probably has sexual fantasies about masturbation. I mean, Iron, you're a bookworm nerd that even in your wildest escapism fantasies flee to the internet to play the role of another bookworm nerd? Come on!
Before Sakkors is raised by the Shadovar...they had to find it first...so it could mean the sudden arrival of some curious Shadovar. (also note that the Shade enclave is run by ancient Netherese still). Also, remember that the Shadovar are attacking Sembia, a nation thoroughly based on trade. The Shadovar would obviously want business ies elsewhere.
Alot of the twilight series also had to do with a living mythal (Quar'agh has been trying to convince people to make one)
Also when it comes to Thay, Thay was at unrest when Ssaz Tam did what he did.....but now Thay is rather at peace again, just under Ssaz Tams rule. If I had to think of a good reason for it to integrade with Amia...I'd say it'd have to do with Ssaz Tam actually finding out about these dread rings, he might send out many red wizards to search out clues, who may just happen by Amia.(note that another Red Wizard discovered the secret of the Dread Rings, the Zulkir of Evocation, before he was murdered by his greatest ally....Ssaz Tam.)
I thik what Iron is trying to get at is establishing a good timeline for Amia as far as "What year/time is it in Amia now?" And "What can we get from the novels around the same timeline that we incorporate in Amia?"
So....Is this stuff going to be incorporated into Amia?
We're doing an official timeline. We're cherry picking events applicable to our server that we like, ditching the rest, fitting Amia's events into the bigger picture, and then putting up a gigantic sign that says "Here Ends Canon Realms". Anything after that would be entirely our own intentions. Whether we decide to follow the general gist of 4e Realsm, or go in entirely different directions is our own perogative, as DMs of our own campaign setting.
And yes, also establishing an official year for Amia, and an official "Rate Of Time", mostly just so we n continue to fit events in in the future. Players will as always be free to age their characters or etc as they wish, but when you line up almost a decade of game history across arelith and Amia together, 1374 suddenly looks very.... small.
_________________ Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham
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I have to agree with Tormak, having played on Arileth for a while before coming to Amia when it founded, there had been quite a bit that had happened, not something that can easily be condensed or summarized without a great deal of time, digging, and a bunch of people pooling their knowledge.
I do like the idea of ending Canon Realms at a point, and having Amia go it's own way if for no other reasons, then it gives the DMs flexibility to do what they want really. They are not beholden solely to the Realmslore in 3E-4E as a result *which given that it allows for things like Mystra to not nescessarily be dead and Shaundakul to still be around amongst other things is still good*.
It also allows us to go our own way with things regarding event slike whether or not we want Halaster to die, the manner in which Myth Drannor is restored, if at all, the fate of the Thayan MAgocracy and Thay in general, the Mulhorand/Untheric wars, Netheril, the City of Shade, Obould's Kingdom of Many Arrows, etc...
_________________ Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham
Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Location: Kohlingen, and a Basement in Canada
Exactly.
Hells, if you wanted, Amia could suddenly either become planar-ly isolated or elsewise suddenly take a road-trip to another world all-freaking together. (although somehow I do NOT think that's a route ya'll would wanna take readily)
Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Location: Kohlingen, and a Basement in Canada
Has it's pro's and cons:
Pros:
- Dms give a whole new world to explore/create with their own Mythos if they want, that if wished can be something built as they go.
- It helps steer away from the 'But this is the way things happened in the Realmslore.'
Cons:
- It'd be hard to explain why the various Faiths in Amia still retain their powers without being somewhat convoluted (but, still doable in a couple of ways)
- Building a whole new world, is NOT easy. Plus Amia already has a lot of content as is. You'd probably want a darn good reason for putting in new content such as a new world to explore.
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I'd love to see a timeline ... I find the history of the realms quite interesting, and was going to buy a book on it from Borders before I saw it was 80 quid (why it was marked in pounds in an Australian store I'll never know). I don't read the novels, so I can't help, but best of luck to you and I look forward to seeing the finished work.
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This is awesome!
Great job you guys!
Regards,
_________________ "Come under the flag of truce, and brook no treason... for mineself is Death, and care not whom knows mine touch."
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Booo... Amia island planeshifts a few dimensions sideways, and we start getting attacked by Ornithopters full of Lizardmen! PLEASE! :p
that pic is a T-Rex in a jet not a lizardman in a Ornithopter!
I can Just Imagine how it would go...
5 Minute's in...
Player: *cast's Earthquake*
DM:*Amia get's swallowed by a giant worm*
anyway, I think it would be cool to "planeshift" Amia but it would be too much work fixing the whole religion system, no to mention the other things like magic failing, and the barrage of affacks from the locals...and the fact that most everyone would die during the shift.
It would be the most horrible thing ever, IMO. The reason I play Amia, the only reason I bought NWN in the first place, was that it's set in the Forgotten Realms. I'm primarily a fan of the Realms, secondarily a fan of Amia, and only then a fan of NWN and D&D.
But anyway, we've done pretty well with the timeline so far. Stay tuned!
_________________
On Joon, Kjetta wrote:
The guy that probably has sexual fantasies about masturbation. I mean, Iron, you're a bookworm nerd that even in your wildest escapism fantasies flee to the internet to play the role of another bookworm nerd? Come on!
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