Realms of Dread, Background Notes

[ewancummins]

Since their return to Toril, the Faerunian natives in the party will have begun to notice a number of things have changed since last they were home. Some of the differences are minor, and it isn't as if one can reasonably expect the whole world to simply stand still while one is away...but other changes seem, well, harder to explain.

One thing is that many of the stories about the gods and the events of the Year of Shadows [ the so-called 'Time of Troubles'] differ considerably from what Jarg and Inovidil know, or think they know, about the events and outcomes of that fateful year. Then again, it isn't as if there ever really was a general consensus about what happened in 1358, even more than a decade later.

Most people refer to the minor deity Torm in the past tense only, and popular accounts claim that he was slain by the god Bane in a great battle near the city of Tantras. That's odd, because Ino and the dark elf are used to hearing the story told that both gods died in the battle, and Torm was afterwards resurrected. Torm's small temples have been co-opted by worshippers of Helm or Tyr, everywhere one cares to look.

In Cormyr there exists a burgeoning sect of clerics who proclaim that Beshaba and Tymora are really just one goddess called Tyche. These Tyche worshippers have gained ground in recent years, largely taking over the previously opposed cults of the two goddesses.

Cyric, who our heroes may remember as the great boogeyman of Faerun, is hardly mentioned by anyone but his priests; and they seem to be widely regarded nothing more than a pack of worthless charlatans. Instead of fearing the Black Sun, men whisper frightful tales of Bane, Myrkul, and Bhaal- and everyone talks of these three gods as if they are still very much alive.


The cult of Mystra in Cormyr has apparently never heard of the wizardess Midnight, and seems more old fashioned and conservative than Ino would have expected based on her earlier encounters with Mystran clergy. Of course, all this might be explained quite simply by the stuffiness and general stick-in-the-mud mindest of so many of the Cormytes. [/b]

The changes from Realmsian canon I mentioned above are simply the way things are, to any native Faerunian PCs who did NOT escape from Ravenloft.

[ewancummins]

Current Events, rumors,etc summer of 1372-



Orthodox Banites headquartered in Zhentil Keep recently celebrated the great success of their wide-ranging purge of Cyricist heretics with a mass human sacrifice of one hundred accused worshippers of Cyric [most of whom had actually recanted- but of course Bane is not known for his merciful nature]. It has been almost a decade since the Orthodox Banite Inquistion was created to root out the heretics who claimed Cyric had replaced Bane. Years of relentless persecution first drove the Cyricists underground, then fatally weakened their sect. Orthodoxists often make the claim that Cyric never even existed as a god, but was merely a guise of Leira [or of Mask, depending on whom is making the claim].



Elminster of Shadowdale, famous across Faerun for his wisdom and heroic career, has gone missing. Reports from Shadowdale claim that the sage's tower was recently demolished in a terrific magical blast, one that badly damaged the town of Shadowdale and much of the surrounding countryside. Some of the locals claim he'll come back, because''he always does'' ,but others are of the mind that the old wizard finally ''bit off more than he could chew''.

Rumors from the Savage Frontier tell that Drizzt Do'Urden, the famous drow exile, was slain by orcs in a fierce skirmish beyond the Spine of the World. One version of the story has it that Wulfgar and Bruennor,mighty companions of the dark elf ranger, attempted to recover his body, but that it was irrecoverably lost when the orcs bearing it away from the battle fell off the mountainside.

[kintire]

Shana is a Faerunian native too

[steveflam]

So is my new p.c

[ewancummins]

Ah yes, Shana is a native Faerunian! From which region of Faerun does she come?

[kintire]

She's from the Dales, although she has visited many places in the Realms. She has spent considerable time in Calimshan, although she isn't planning a return trip until the heat dies down.

[Archedius]

Yay! Drizzt might be/likely is dead I know a lot of people like that character, but I always felt he was shallow and cliche- plus he doesn't ever seem to fail at much. *Dances on grave*

[steveflam]

I prefer Entreri

[ewancummins]

I prefer Entreri

Hehehehehe.....


Incidentally, preparing to run this campaign has caused me to fall in love with FR. I have purchased and downloaded a number of older [TSR era, late 80s/Early 90s] FR world books. To date:


FR Setting [Gray Box]
Moonshaes
Old Empires
Bloodstone Lands
Empires of the Sands

[ewancummins]

We may assume that most of my campaign is fairly close to canon- always taking into account the possibility of a somewhat different turn of events during the Godswar. Maztica, the Hordelands, Kara Tur,etc may all be assumed to exit as per canon. Details about NPCs and local politics may be altered, but the big stuff stays mostly the same.


Smokepowder does exist in this version of FR, but it is quasi magical in nature. One must be a spellcaster with the Alchemy skill to create the stuff. The temple of Gond has a semi-monopoly on the production of smokepowder and guns, but they aren't the only ones who know how to make it. Most guns come from Lantan.

Smokepowder is quite rare in Cormyr. The more chivalric nobles and conservative war-wizards dislike the foul-smelling concoction on general principles, and it's too expensive for ordinary folk to purchase.


Beyond Cormyr, most people in Faerun are likelier to see a mage use a battle spell than someone use a gun. Guns are rare and exotic almost everyplace but Lantan and the Nelanther. In fact, in many countries, smokepowder is so rare that people routinely confuse it with ''blasting magics''and will assume someone firing a gun is actually using a magic item.

EDIT- Moorkroft was able to make smokepowder without Gond's blessing, something that surprised the ignorant Cormyreans. They had erroneously believed that only Gondsmen could produce the stuff. Moorkroft showed several natives how to make the stuff, and demystified the process as much as he was able.

Then it all burned down/ blew up when the undead army attacked Marsmeber and the city was set alit. It is possible that some of the men trained by Moorkroft survived, but the powder mill, magazine, and workshops are all utterly destroyed.

[Archedius]

Yeah, when I started reading the Haunted Lands trilogy...yeah, I like the Forgotten Realms now. Feels very mythological to me w/ all the Gods and Goddesses meddling.

[ewancummins]

Yeah, when I started reading the Haunted Lands trilogy...yeah, I like the Forgotten Realms now. Feels very mythological to me w/ all the Gods and Goddesses meddling.

I've only read a handful of the FR novels. Ummm..the first Dark Elf book, the Horde trilogy, the Maztica trilogy, and that's about it.

I did rather like the old FR and AD&D comics.

My personal preference is for pre-Time of Troubles FR, but I'm running this in accordance with Raf's game timeline, so it's post-Avatar Crisis, 1373. As you can see, my post-Avatar Realms may differ from canon in certain ways. Each DM naturally makes the setting his own.

[Guest]

I like that- besides a setting run on purely cannon is predictable: ) I can't wait

[Archedius]

Ugh- I failed at logging in again.

[ewancummins]

Note About Laws in Cormyr:

I wish to remind you all that Cormyr does not allow anyone but members of the nobility, agents of the Crown [like the War Wizards and Heralds], legimately employed mercenaries and guards, and soldiers/militiamen to bear arms in public without a special royal charter. Buying one and registering as a chartered adventuring party will cost you guys 1000 gold lions, with an annual renewal fee of 300 more- and steep fees for late payment. Names will be taken, and the officials may keep tabs on you. Weapons must be peace bonded and you must always display a badge indicating your company when armed/armored in public.

Another option that would allow you to bear arms without hassle is simply signing up for the new militia Lord Ildool is raising. That would waive all fees and grant you room and board plus modest pay, but you'd only have the right to bear arms as long as Ildool had you on the rolls as his men. Of course, the current situation in Marsember may last for some time...

We may assume that those PCs who travelled armed in Raf's game were doing so under the writ of Sergei, or his cousin Scoril, and therfore didn't need to worry about such fees [they were effectively militiamen]. The old party's patron is lost. You won't be able to ride that gravy train any longer, I'm afraid.