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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2019 : 13:57:04
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Another idea: Look at Ethereal Doppelgangers from MM2 (3e), page 94.
Perhaps your creature is a hybrid of them and nerra or a variant? |
-- http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2019 : 19:04:27
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Came up with a rough idea for the mirrors using both George and Eric's work. One is going to be held on Snowdown until Cyndre finds it and gifts it to Curmanvyss (trying to remove him), another is located in Corwell, and the globe is in Kressilacc.
quote: Skarda's Shards: The Shards of Skarda are pieces of an ancient artefact once known as Skarda's Crystal Gateway after a Netherese Archmage who attempted to create an open destination Gate but unfortunately for Skarda, his gate opened only onto a Plane of Mirrors and he became trapped within and replaced on the Material Plane by his mirror opposite (known as a nerra) who immediately set about sabotaging his research to prevent others using it (while also tricking unsuspecting victims into using the gate and being replaced by other nerra).
Ultimately the nerra Skarda was slain when other Archmages became aware of a potential invasion of nerra, and the Crystal Gateway was shattered into smaller fragments, one of which fell into the hands of Raanaghaun Cormael of Myth Drannor, while several other pieces were collected by Renduuryk the Wizard King of the Kingdom of Seven Scryings (a short lived kingdom in the Fallen Lands).
Secreted away from the Kingdom of Seven Scryings during its collapse in -297 DR, three of the Shards of Skarda came into possession of Flamsterd (one during his acquisition of the Wizard's Workbook, another held in Caer Callidyrr brought by the ffolk centuries before, and the last arriving during the tethyrian migration of 467 DR).
Recognising a connection between the items, and utilising the remnants of Skarda's enchantments, Flamsterd crafted three items; a dress mirror, a hand mirror, and a crystal globe out of the opaque crystalline material. With a command word each mirror could be made to focus upon a named place, person, or item anywhere in Faerun, with the picture moved in any direction by the command of the viewer.
Unknown to Flamsterd, if the viewer knows the true name of an individual being viewed in the mirror, then that person is drawn into the mirror and becomes trapped in a demiplane linking the Dress Mirror of Cymrych Hugh (or Dewych Selkirk depending upon who you ask), the Hand Mirror of Rhydian Kendrick, or the Deepglass of Flamsterd. Furthermore the plane becomes home to a doppelganger; known as a nerra, that looks like an exact mirror image of the trapped individual whose personality is likewise in opposition to the original. The nerra seeks to slay the original by any means necessary, allowing it to then escape from the Plane of Mirrors.
It is possible to escape from the Plane of Mirrors if someone else using one of the three mirrors requests to view the person by name, thus expelling the original and the doppelganger out through whatever mirror gate they are nearest.
The three shards resemble a full length dress mirror, a smaller hand mirror, and a crystal ball, each crafted from a piece of opaque crystal that is hazy and poor at reflecting images unless the command word is spoken, at which point it becomes able to scry distant places with perfect clarity. The crystal it is fashioned from is known as Damasdreir crystal, coming from a cavern beneath the Dalelands (accessible only via a tunnel near drow controlled territory under Shadowdale).
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6645 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2019 : 07:29:57
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You might also want to take a look at Saarkanlyth's Antaglass from the Calimport accessory - although it has a few historical issues attached to it.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 09 Aug 2019 07:31:44 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Asharak
Learned Scribe
France
268 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2019 : 17:42:17
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quote: Originally posted by ericlboyd Centuries after Anauria’s fall, the spellglobe of Ramanath was acquired by the archmage Glendar of Hillsfar from the Catacombs of Claws beneath Moander’s Crypt (Modern: Yûlash), where it had been hidden by the Claws of Arlochar (see page 48).
Where can we found this page 48 ? |
"Soyez réalistes : demandez l'impossible"
Sorry for my English... it's not my native tongue. |
Edited by - Asharak on 18 Aug 2019 17:42:47 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Doc Filth
Seeker
55 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 15:16:52
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This seems like the appropriate place to ask (with attendant apologies for interrupting):
Does anyone have 3.5E stats for Flamsterd? I'm trying (as a thought exercise, as much as anything else) to update FA1 Halls of the High King to 3.5, and the stats it gives for him aren't very helpful (in contrast with, for example, Panthras of Panthras Procuring, whose stat block provided everything necessary to make the transition with no filling-in of blanks required). All it gives are his level and a couple of his spells; are any of his other stats listed in any canonical source? |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Doc Filth
Seeker
55 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 17:17:19
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Do you think he'd still be a Wizard? Or is he closer to Sorcerer? |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 17:23:54
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quote: Originally posted by Doc Filth
Do you think he'd still be a Wizard? Or is he closer to Sorcerer?
Flamsterd would definitely be a wizard and a sage or the original reference to him wouldn't make sense.
Pages from the Mages, page 88:
"The sage Flamsterd, of the Moonshae Isles, purchased The Workbook from a band of adventurers, and carefully copied its contents. He later sold the secrets of several of The Work- book#146;s spells for very great sums of gold, and purchased the en- tire island that now bears his name. His enjoyment of the isle was short. It is thought that one of his clients guessed what the sage possessed, for one night the sage and his entire Tower, on the leeward side of the island, simply vanished. Others believe the sage came to grief while practicing magic. Still others hold that he left this plane of existence. No sudden rise in power was noted among those of the Art, however, and it is thought that The Workbook may have been lost or destroyed. Installments of Flamsterd#146;s personal diaries, the Moonshae Chronicles, were sent regularly from the sage#146;s isle to his friend Elminster, and in one was set down the entire text of The Wizards' Workbook."
(And yes, I know that that this text first appeared in Dragon magazine, AJA! That's why it predates FR2 - The Moonshaes, even though Pages from the Mages was published after FR2. :-) )
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-- http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 17:28:30
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As for Flamsterd's class, the simplest thing in 3.5e would probably be to make him something like a wizard 18 or wizard 20. You could consider giving him the archmage prestige class (e.g. wizard 15 / archmage 5).
However, if you are playing 3.5e and if you think Flamsterd is from the Moonshaes originally (as opposed to being an interloper from Faerun), then you might consider giving him the arcane hierophant prestige class (Races of the Wild). I think that's a great generic prestige class to "reserve" for wizards from the Moonshaes within the Realms. "Court Wizard of Callidyr" might be the Realmsian name.
Personally, I suspect Flamsterd's an interloper from Faerun, and therefore the prestige class doesn't make sense, but it depends on what you want to do in your campaign.
Here's what I did for Mab, formerly of Daggerford and tangentially tied to Flamstered in the write-up George and I did of Under Illefarn Anew:
"Mab (NG male Tethyrian wizard 3 / druid 3 / arcane hierophantRoW 12) was born in the kingdom of Callidyrr on the island of Alaron in the Moonshae Isles in the Year of the Black Wind (1262 DR). He rose to a senior position on the High King’s Council of Mages, only to be accused of treason, stripped of his spellbooks, and banished in the Year of the Broken Helm (1302 DR). After making his way to Waterdeep aboard a caravel, accompanied only by his ward, Gwydion pen Dafwyd, Mab was given an audience at Blackstaff Tower with Khelben Arunsun, who had been warned of his impending arrival by the reclusive archmage, Flamsterd. (Flamsterd, who hailed from the City of Splendors, could not disobey the order of the High King, but felt Mab did not deserve his banishment and reached out to the Blackstaff on his behalf.) Khelben then recommended Mab for the then vacant position of Court Wizard of Daggerford, and provided him with a set of spelltomes and other items of magic necessary to serve in that position." |
-- http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
Edited by - ericlboyd on 24 Aug 2019 17:29:53 |
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Doc Filth
Seeker
55 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 17:48:04
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Very comprehensive, and prompt. Thanks!
I think, for the purposes of this module, I'll stick with "...carries whatever spells and items the DM wishes to give him", with a note that his spell repertoire includes Forget and Time Stop.
Kind of odd, though, that an NPC of his power level went completely under the 3.5 radar. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2019 : 19:49:38
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So i'm up to detailing Kressilacc.
I've got Koraxis the Ravening Maw to explain Bhaal's association with the sahuagin. I figure by pure chance it uses similar symbology and so Hobarth and the king of kressilacc strike up an accord (through the mirrors) believing they both serve the same deity.
I'll have to come up with another name, a corruption of Talos, to explain why Kressilacc later converts to worship of a Talos like deity (symbology and naming conventions could come from captured norl and illuskan sailors).
The big beef i have with Kressilacc at the moment is that this kingdom of sahuagin, located within the sea of Moonshae, surrounded by all the Moonshae Isles, is ruled by sea trolls from the coral kingdom.
Now according to the books the Coral Kingdom is located 1000 miles south of Corwell which looking at some of Markustay's maps (the only one i could find with a key) puts that kingdom way past Chult.
So how does a kingdom of sea trolls so far away control the kingdom of Kressilacc, it would take months of travel to get that far. Even if it were portals that allowed the sea trolls easy access to kressilacc, i would imagine the sahuagin (notoriously violent and difficult to control) would fight to secure control of those portals and stop the trolls coming through.
Apparently the elves fought a war with the Coral Kingdom long ago using underwater boats, but i'm not aware of any surface elven kingdoms (except the drow) that are located that far south. Presumably Evermeet is the nation that fought with the sea trolls, but it is difficult to envisage why or how those to nations would have conflict given the extreme distance.
My initial thought is that the book was wrong in its location, after all, the ffolk likely have rudimentary methods of cartography and wayfinding, so their estimate of distance and direction could be way off, especially since none of the ffolk have ever been there before. The ffolk that did travel there had been through storm and constant pursuit and it is quite possibly they lost their bearings. I'd be more tempted to put the Coral Kingdom west of the Moonshae Isles, far enough away to mean that they (sea trolls) are not spoken of much in the Moonshae Isles, but not so far away that a large number could not arrive in Kressilacc after that nation suffered a brutal defeat and swiftly subjugate the kingdom.
Any thoughts? |
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Edited by - Gary Dallison on 03 Sep 2019 19:50:04 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6645 Posts |
Posted - 04 Sep 2019 : 10:30:19
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Well, you've answered it below, haven't you?
quote: Originally posted by Gary Dallison
So i'm up to detailing Kressilacc.
The big beef i have with Kressilacc at the moment is that this kingdom of sahuagin, located within the sea of Moonshae, surrounded by all the Moonshae Isles, is ruled by sea trolls from the coral kingdom.
It is exactly that. Ruled by sea trolls. As in, sea trolls in the flesh. About 100 of them lead by Tagrash "the Blackjaw", a scion of the ruling scrag clan, who dominate the sahuagin, slaying a few every once in a while to keep them to heel. The sahuagin hate the scrag but know that if they turn on this group, then the whole weight of the Coral Kingdom will come down on them like it did way back back when they were subjugated.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 04 Sep 2019 10:30:49 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6351 Posts |
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jamesewelch
Learned Scribe
106 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2019 : 15:17:59
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Gary,
I think we chatted a while ago about Ityak-Ortheel. Here's my commissioned artwork, in case you were collecting "All Things Moonshae" images (for personal, non-commercial use).
Here's the artist's page: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rRYOQe
I modified that to add it to a 'parchment' and some notes on the page spread in my upcoming release: https://i.imgur.com/iYQ0hSE.png
thanks, Jim |
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