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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Victor_ograygor Posted - 18 Nov 2020 : 21:14:57
The Black Road
Location Anauroch

The Black Road was the trade route that ran through the great desert of Anauroch. It wound west from the ruins of Teshendale to Llorkh at the foot of the Graypeak Mountains

Questions.
Any Forgotten realms novels decribing this place

Traveling distance from the ruins of Teshendale to Llorkh

Any places of specifik interest on this road

Last how do one navigate in the dessert.. With the help of the stars ore another way.

Please share any knowledge you have and have a great day...

PS..

You can be a dead herro ore a alive coward
If you want to die like a herro you have to live like a herro

21   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Wooly Rupert Posted - 28 Dec 2021 : 15:29:34
I read most of them, back in the day.

The original run of the books couldn't have been set in the Realms -- they all came out before the Realms was a published setting.

I have a special fondness for Under Dragon's Wing. I happened across that one by chance, and read it because I was a huge fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure books, which Endless Quest was a knock-off of. Under Dragon's Wing was actually the first fantasy book that I read.
Gary Dallison Posted - 28 Dec 2021 : 15:18:40
Ooh, ooh, which ones, does anyone know?
The Masked Mage Posted - 28 Dec 2021 : 14:12:03
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison

Ahh, i thought they had realmslore in that i didnt have. I'll keep an eye out for them though



I think a couple are technically FR, but they were never "official" like the Double Diamond books.
Marco Volo Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 22:00:14
Thanks a lot!
Gary Dallison Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 21:45:52
Ahh, i thought they had realmslore in that i didnt have. I'll keep an eye out for them though
The Masked Mage Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 21:04:44
What's so special is a couple things... the early choose your own adventure books were great all around. Good art, good fun.

Beyond that, Kenital is correct, I have the rest of the series up to number 18 in PDF format (there are more, but the early ones were best). 14 and 16 in particular were among my favorites back when they came out, so it is very annoying that those are ones I'm missing :)
Kentinal Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 20:52:21
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison

What's so special about endless quest 12, 14, and 16



It might be just to fill out collection.

However I did find this site: https://gamebooks.org/Series/79/Show that appears to provide reviews of all of the gamebooks.
Gary Dallison Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 20:27:28
What's so special about endless quest 12, 14, and 16
The Masked Mage Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 20:02:12
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

It doesn't have to specifically be that link, anyhow. It would just a pointer to 2E "FR13: Anauroch", you could find it through any online search engine.



No worries, I already have that one... and every other one pre-5E :), except a couple polyhedrons.

Although if anyone knows a source for Endless Quest 12, 14, and 16, I'd be overjoyed.
Ayrik Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 19:32:21
It doesn't have to specifically be that link, anyhow. It would just a pointer to 2E "FR13: Anauroch", you could find it through any online search engine.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 18:58:04
quote:
Originally posted by The Masked Mage

quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Black_Road

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16827/FR13-Anauroch-2e



second link seems a dead end - says not allowed



Try another browser, mayhaps. I tried and the link worked for me, as well.
The Masked Mage Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 18:50:08
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Black_Road

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16827/FR13-Anauroch-2e



second link seems a dead end - says not allowed
Ayrik Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 18:06:33
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Black_Road

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16827/FR13-Anauroch-2e
The Masked Mage Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 10:47:49
You REALLY want the old Anauroch sourcebook for this question. It details all the location's, the Zhent plans, the custom oasises (sp? :P). The answers take up about half the book.

And yes, definitely not an actual road, it is a winding route that avoids the big hazards of the desert to cross it. Also, starting from Shadow Gap and the Stonelands is like a sub-route. (Tesh Vale south through Daggerdale and skirting Shadowdale through the gap). Different challenges and dangers. Same destination.
Gary Dallison Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 09:02:03
I dont believe it's an actual road, more a metaphorical route through anauroch using various oases and stops to maximise the chance of survival.
Marco Volo Posted - 27 Dec 2021 : 08:41:23
Hi everyone,
I "up"this topic to ask anyone if there is a description of the road itself and how it is built?
I plan to have my PC help building the road but find myself lacking information about material, earthwork, paving?
And if there isn't any source, how would you handle that?
cpthero2 Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 20:10:38
Senior Scribe Delnyn,

quote:
Do the Zhentarim consider a tour of duty in Anauroch a form of punishment? The assumption is a time before the return of Thultanthar to Toril.


I cannot see how Zhentilar would not see such a duty station/tour of duty to be a punishment. I think they likely saw it as the desolate, removed, and unamibitious location that it is. It's like in the U.S. Army, who wants to be stationed at Ft. Irwin? lol It sucks.

Best regards,



Delnyn Posted - 21 Nov 2020 : 11:53:32
Do the Zhentarim consider a tour of duty in Anauroch a form of punishment? The assumption is a time before the return of Thultanthar to Toril.
cpthero2 Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 23:30:14
Master Delwa,

Interesting development for the campaign. Amazing how something so simple, can change something in that way. Though, I would imagine with all of the talent and skill in the ranks of the Zhentarim, that they would find a way to make it work with other magic items too, of course, to their advantage. ;)

I am curious though: what did you do as DM to keep them "busy" during their travels? Surely, not just combat all of the time. Hardly seems suitable.

Best regards,




Delwa Posted - 20 Nov 2020 : 23:07:02
I ran a brief (six months, meeting every other week) campaign across the Anauroch. PCs had to make it from the West side of Anauroch to the East, using the Black Road. When researching this, I found this little tidbit in the 2e Anauroch supplement. It proved interesting, and allowed the PCs to discover a Decanter of Endless Water, which is the only reason they survived the desert crossing in the first place. I simply had the Decanter as an object left at the bottom of a man-made hole, and magics kept the oasis from spreading too far. PCs found the decanter and... well, the oasis is gone, interrupting the road in such a way that the next Zhent caravan would find itself at a dried up oasis.

From page 29:
quote:
Please refer to "The Sword" chapter for details of Zhentarim bases established in the desert (including an ingenious practice of "growing" an oasis around a decanter of endless water). At least five such bases are known to exist in the desert: Bhaerlith, Haunga, Ma'atar, Olomaa, and Vuerthyl.


If those oasis are of interest to you, thought it might be worth drawing attention to.
cpthero2 Posted - 18 Nov 2020 : 22:04:54
Master Victor_ograygor,

quote:
Any Forgotten realms novels decribing this place


It is written about in the novel, The Parched Sea, a Harper's novel.

quote:
Traveling distance from the ruins of Teshendale to Llorkh


Using the following path, it would be approximately 781 miles:

  • Llorkh to top of Dawn Pass: 32 miles
  • Dawn Pass to the Lonely Moor (somewhat proximate to Aumvor's Castle): 129 miles
  • The Lonely Moor to Dagger Falls: 520 miles (bear in mind that that distance there is a little bit of as the crow flies, but pretty close)
  • Dagger Falls to Teshwave: 100 miles (I am using Teshwave as the center of the form Dale, Teshendale)


quote:
Any places of specific interest on this road


There are definitely places of interest along the way:

  • Skull in the Sands
  • Elah'zahd (House of the Moon: a sacred temple to Selune)
  • Several oases, including: Yliyl, Well of the Cloven Rock, Bhaerlith, Olomaa, Colored Waters
  • Yeoman's Loft (a bit off the road, but quite an awesome place!)
  • The Teshenfalls Pass with Shraevyn's Tomb not far off the road at all in the Giant's Craw Valley


quote:
Last how do one navigate in the dessert.. With the help of the stars ore another way.


I would consider looking up how the Tuareg use astronavigation. They have nomads that use it to this day. My understanding is that they still maintain sub-Saharan trade routes to this day, and they allegedly brought that skill from their predecessors, the Berber.

Best regards,





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