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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Jun 2021 : 18:31:28
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I had posted something a few years back about ideas for returning cities of Chessenta (in which people thought the city was destroyed, but the truth is that portions of it transferred and portions didn't), and someone was looking for the original thread, so I figured I'd just post what I have in my document that I was working on. If it can be improved, great.
This obviously buys into my idea of a small tharch formed in the Shaar (which at the time I wrote this it was way too big, and I need to shrink my idea). However, it also poses an idea that the city of Laothkund has returned as well as Cimbar, Soorenar, Akanax, and that essentially a new alliance may form between western Chessentan cities and the cities of the Wizard's Reach.
Regional History
In 1487 DR, Zulkirs Lauzoril Tavai and Lallara Mediocros suddenly reappeared and returned to the city of Escalant, blaming their nine year hiatus on the collapsing of an unstable demiplane. They found their former red wizard subjects in disarray. They quickly set themselves to the task of taking control of the city again, and after killing those who were foolish enough to stand in their way, their fellow red wizards soon accepted their command again. Their power was much diminished however, for without effective leadership, many of the red wizards of Escalant had either died in struggles for power or left seeking a new life.
A few days later, the nearby city of Laothkund which had supposedly been totally drowned beneath the waves of the Alamber sea taking a large part of the Wizard's Reach coastline with it, suddenly reappeared. Word also spread that many ruined and drowned cities of Chessenta, Unther, and Mulhorand had reappeared, but their populations had often changed noticeably. The nearby Chondalwood which had been a plagueland began to stabilize. The Underchasm had disappeared and a portion of the dwarven great rift had returned.
What was more surprising though was that the city of Laothkund had returned and was being led by red wizards. As the reports came in, it seemed that many of these returned places held red wizards. Lauzoril and Lallara, along with their own hastily formed retinue of soldiers and red wizards, soon visited the city of Laothkund, where they were escorted to meet Samathar Dulsaer, Aulkir of Transmutation of the tharch of Peleveran, and Hercubes Jedea, Aulkir of Evocation and King-in-exile of Mordulkin. While the two zulkirs were astonished to find the founder of the League of Samathar alive and well, nearly five centuries after his disappearance and its fall, it was in fact the citizens of Laothkund who were most bewildered by the visit. It soon became apparent why when they were brought into a private room and images began to appear in several crystal balls. Gradually the faces of many red wizards begain to appear. Many of the faces were ones that they had presumed dead, such as Zulkir Yaphyll Sirtula, Zulkir Mythrell'aa, and the “First Princess of Thay” Dmitra Flass. To Lauzoril's great joy, his two daughters, Mimuay and Nyasia, whom he had not seen for over a century were still alive, and moments later came the confusion as Lauzoril saw himself walk up and put his arms around his two daughters.
For Lauzoril, the act of seeing himself somewhere else immediately set off warning bells. Thoughts of shapeshifters, illusions, and other deceptive uses of magic filled his head. Thus, it was that he was surprised when his other self actually spoke first by saying, “Well, this is interesting.... apparently we finally have the answer to if the god of necromancy CAN duplicate a soul in separate timestreams. Either that, or I am actually going insane as some predicted would happen if we ever met. Either way, alavairthae, friend... or maybe I should call you brother? What exactly does one call an awakened clone of oneself when the two finally meet after a century apart, that is of course if the natural insanity doesn't kick in? Perhaps we should meet in private to discuss the activities of the past century, as I'm sure you'd love to get reacquainted with our daughters. They've both turned into such cherished treasures this past century, and Nyasia I can tell already would just love to chatter your ears off. Oh, and of course Lallara you are welcome as well, as I'm sure you and Dmitra would enjoy discussing past times.”
Thus it was that the two Zulkirs found themselves down in the city of Upper Peleveran in the eastern Shaar, built atop the cliff's edge of the Landrise gorge where the reborn Cliffside City of Peleverai had been reestablished. Over the next few weeks, the story of the transfer to Abeir and subsequent involvement of the gods of magic in the saving of the red wizards, and the involvement of the red wizards in the saving of the gods in kind, was relayed. The story of the destruction of many of the cities of western Chessenta, and the need to expand in an environment surrounded by the forces of Karshimis the Tyrant, led into the story of their migration south into the eastern Shaar to the ruined city of Peleverai. They also relayed the negotiations that created an alliance between multiple remote trade enclaves, and even a hidden Netherese Flying Enclave amongst the Tears of Selune, to eventually form a new kind of Zulkirate known as the United Tharchs of Toril. While the tharch of Peleveran is perhaps its greatest tharch, there is no doubt that the majority of the strength of the conglomerate lay across the seas on the far flung continents of Maztica, Anchorome, and Katashaka.
Over the few months, the two groups shared much of what had happened over the past century on both worlds, but there was always a tension about which Lauzoril would remain Zulkir. It was actually the two Lauzoril's that worked this out between themselves, for they agreed to share the votes of an Aulkir and a Zulkir between them in national matters, but that in local matters to a tharch, each would be treated as a full Zulkir. This of course was dependent on the formation of a new tharch along the Wizard's Reach combining the power of the cities of Escalant and Laothkund. It was also agreed that some of the resources, including entire cities, of the tharch of Peleveran, would transfer their leadership to this new “Tharch of the Wizard's Reach”. In addition some red wizards of Escalant would take up roles of leadership. With all the upheaval it was agreed that rushing this transition could lead to disaster, and thus the transition into fully-fledged tharch has been being negotiated now for the last three years, but it should be finalized in the coming months.
In all, it looks like the Tharch of the Wizard's Reach will consist of the cities of Laothkund, Escalant, Cimbar, and Soorenar, as well as the smaller villages of Tilbrand, Lasdur, Teth, and Taskaunt. However, it plans to expand, and these expansion plans are also what has taken so long to form this new Tharch. For instance, Aulkir Samathar wants to take over the city of Erebos, for it has become a symbol of Tchazzar's remaining might, and he would see all trace of the dragon turned god who imprisoned him destroyed. Meanwhile, Aulkir Hercubes Jedea and the entire Jedean clan would like to recapture their home city of Mordulkin, which is currently held by genasi once of Shyr. The Chessentan city of Toreus, meanwhile, has had its red wizard enclave infiltrated by Zulkir Lauzoril of Escalant, and many of its red wizards are helping with the local criminal organizations to hire pirates, mercenaries, and merchants to aid the capture of all of Mordulkin, Toreus, as well as the holdings around Watcher's Cape, including the mental subjugation of the heads of the Crimson Sea Maritime Priakos.
While the member cities of the forming Tharch of the Wizard's Reach strategize for expansion, the actual Tharch of Peleveran comprising the northernmost portion of the eastern Shaar works to simply hold onto what it already has. The transferral back to Toril from Abeir opened up a jagged gash in the earth, which the locals refer to as Ki's Cleft, devastating many local farms and small villages along this line. With the landrise on their western border, and the thick Chondalwood forest on their northern border, and Ki's Cleft and the Great Rift on their eastern side, they are fairly well insulated from attack for now. This isolation is a bit of an issue with trade, but thankfully the portals to the other tharchs remain viable, and therefore life continues more peacefully. This is a welcome change for the inhabitants of the tharch who have ostensibly been at war with Shyr for near the entirety of the last century. Of course, some inhabitants are less happy about the current situation, particularly amongst the population that lives beneath the landrise.
There is a growing race of half-elves amongst the population of Peleveran. These half-elves are dusky brown to grayish-black in skin coloration, and they are some of the original Crintri population of Dambrath. They transferred to Abeir as a result of the spellplague because three of Queen Hasifir's daughters were tasked with travelling to the Shaar to prove which would be most worthy to succeed her. These three daughters, Sessifex, Halifaern, and Jessimir Hazm'cri, were tasked with gathering wild stallions and mares in the Shaar and bringing back “the best herd” (to be judged by Queen Hasifir and her trusted advisors based on herd size and quality of the horses). Each daughter was also told to bring back whatever wild specimens of beasts that they thought would be entertaining for the Queen's personal menagerie, and these beasts would also factor into the choosing of the best herd. Each daughter brought along twenty of their closest Crintri female friends, forty male Crintri (including several of their own brothers), and two hundred Arkaiun humans to serve as servants, external guards, and rustlers for the herd.
When the red wizards and their former Chessentan allies arrived in the Shaar to explore the ruins of Peleveria several years after the transfer to Abeir, they found these Crintri princesses and their servants already taking shelter in the caves. The two groups agreed to aid one another, for both were obviously lost in this new world. Through careful negotiation, Lauzoril of Peleveran solidified relationships with local centaur, wemic, and gnoll populations, as well as the local barbarian tribes of the eastern Shaar. A portion of the Great Rift had also transferred to Abeir, and while the dwarves inhabiting it did not join the tharch of Peleveran, the two groups did sign treaties of aid and non-aggression. In fact, were it not for the aid of the tharch of Peleveran, these dwarves would have been slain by the aggressive acts of Shyr several times over. The dwarves, in return, were more than happy to help teach the humans of the tharch of the art of engineering, and soon, with raw materials brought in from other tharchs, the city of Upper Peleveran was constructed, as well as dozens of small villages, schools, and forts.
Deeper exploration of the underdark beneath the landrise via the Cliffside City of Peleveria also discovered several small dark elf settlements, including the subterannean cavern-complex of Vaerndoun which stretches for over a hundred miles beneath Torsch. Many of the drow were taken as slaves by the red wizards and the Crintri both, resulting in a large number of half-drow children in this tharch. Most of these children remain in slavery, only gaining their freedom by performing military service for an extended span (more than thirty years). Most who have attempted to gain their freedom have not survived long enough to enjoy it.
While Upper Peleveran and the Cliffside City of Peleveran have become the heart of the Tharch, the city of Hardcastle has become something of a lifeline with the transfer back from Abeir. A quickly built wooden bridge has been created to span Ki's Cleft to allow overland caravan traffic to come and go into the lands of the old empiress, and Hardcastle is responsible for holding this connection safe. Meanwhile internally within the tharch, the great Palmsky Falls Earthmote can be seen for miles, with the great Lake Skypalms beneath it and its attendant rivers working as an artery network for boat transportation within the tharch. This portion of the Shaar is not the dry savannah that it had been a century ago, primarily due to the activities of the red wizards in creating thousands of decanters of endless water from a strange metal found within the earthmote. Agriculture and animal husbandry are key to the survival of this tharch, and they have even begun the promotion of growing trees transported in from other areas of the world.
Still, the tharch is not complacent. The city of Lower Peleveria, with its crintri autharch Sessifex Hazm'cri, plots to travel south into Dambrath and reclaim her homeland. The Halruaan mages of the city of Hathel continue to plot revenge against the Halruaans who chased them out. The Chessentan city of Akanax was restored while in Abeir, and many inhabitants of northern Peleveran who are adverse to magocratic rule, particularly amongst the Chessentan and Crintri stock, have been migrating out of the tharch to establish themselves near Akanax for some time now. Meanwhile, Lauzoril of Peleveran and many of the other mages of this tharch look eastward to the Uthangol mountains and the Council Hills regions as potential areas of exploration, expansion and development.
Cimbar (approx population 64,000, roughly 45% human, 35% dragonborn, 15% genasi, and 5% other races)
Notable Individuals/Residents: Rashazar Vinkeshkmal (dragonborn male sorceror, Autharch managing the city),
Description Chessenta has long been a center of learning and free will. Once the capital of Chessenta and the seat of power of the dragon king Tchazzar, in the years leading up to the spellplague, its people were ruled over directly by the wyrm turned deity after his return in 1373 DR. Initially, this return of their hero king was seen with great joy, reverence, and a desire to extend his will throughout Chessenta. However, after more than a decade under the servitude of a somewhat mad god king, many of the people of Cimbar were beginning to resent their new master. Tchazzar did not truly appreciate their rich culture nor did he see the humans of Cimbar as anything other than servants to enact his edicts. Then came the spellplague and the majority of Old Cimbar, minus the College of Sages and the College of Mages, stayed in Toril and fell into ruins. However, the majority of what was commonly referred to as New Cimbar, with its residences, thriving shops, clean port facilities, theaters, Thayan trade enclave, and the famed Hippodrome all transferred to Abeir (though not cleanly and requiring much rebuilding).
For many of the people of Cimbar, after they got past their initial shock, they embraced this new world. They were free of the yoke of their former dragon lord and could pursue establishing their own lives again. Of course, there were two major problems that they would have to deal with. First, the genasi of Shyr and their primordial ruler, Karshimis.
In the weeks following the spellplague, these genasi had overwhelmed the transferred city of Airspur, forcing its remaining population to flee to Cimbar, its traditional enemy. In addition, much of the population of Akanax, also a traditional enemy of Cimbar, and many surrounding villages had also transferred to Abeir. Many of them were without homes, for either their residences had not transferred, or they had fallen apart during said transfer. Despite this, the people of Cimbar welcomed their fellow Chessentans with open arms.
Also, the genasi of Shyr had assaulted the city of Reth, slaughtering nearly half their population and breaking down their fortifications. The genasi paid heavily for their assault, however, losing ten times these numbers and being forced to retreat. The gladiators of Reth organized the remaining populace in the days that followed after being contacted by the Thayan enclave in nearby Hlath. The red wizards of the Hlath enclave had discovered that their portal connecting to Cimbar was still working. The people of Reth travelled to Hlath, and over the next few months slowly sent tens of thousands of Chessentans to the city of Cimbar.
This portal would remain active, and a small force was sent to magically hide the city of Hlath from prying eyes, and periodically small lumber crews travelled through it to log the nearby forest of Nun, for the city of Cimbar was in desperate need of wood. About a year into their logging, these lumber crews ran across the Autunuk tribe of hybsil being assaulted by genasi. Taking axe in hand, the Chessentans slew these genasi and led the hybsil to the portal in Hlath. It was actually some of these hybsil that made the recommendation to seek out new land in the Shaar. The hybsil had been in contact magically with a centaur shaman who had reported that much of the eastern Shaar, primarily the area that the Ilythiiri had once called home, had transferred as well, and that it had not been invaded by outside forces as yet.
When members of the Thayan trade enclave began discussing travelling south into the Shaar to seek a new homeland, many individuals were attracted by the prospect. In particular it drew the attention of the displaced Mulan population of Unther, which had fled the Mulhorandi armies to seek a new home in Chessenta, only to be treated as second class citizens in the decade after their arrival. Also, many of the Chessentans that had been displaced from Akanax and Airspur saw this as an opportunity to have lands holdings of their own upon which they could rebuild. It was Zulkir Lauzoril that proposed checking out the ancient cliffside city of Peleverai as a possible point of relocation. Luckily for them all, when the land had transferred to Abeir, there was another local river in the mountains that stood where the great rift would be on Toril, and this river fed into the underground river path that became the River Shaar on Toril. It would take nearly a decade to prepare the ruined city and fully move everyone
The next issue came eight years after the spellplague, when an aspiring dragon lord led an army of dragonborn to take the city of Cimbar, only to discover that the resident red wizards and the people of Cimbar were not open to rulership by a dragon again. Having uncovered many of the secrets to adapting magic use in Abeir, the dragon lord was slain without a single dragonborn life being taken by Zulkirs Lauzoril, Yaphyll, and Mythrell'aa and Tharchioness Dmitra Flass. Its skull, having been gilded in gold and gems, still decorates one of the waterfall spouts along the walls of the Peleveria Gorge.
Having heard of the dragonborn of a nearby nation known as Tymanchebar, the citizens of Cimbar offered the dragonborn army of the dead dragon lord a choice. They could survive, but they would have to swear allegiance to the city of Cimbar against their former dragon lords, or they could die. Nearly all of them chose freedom, and even as the humans moved south into Peleveria, the dragonborn stayed in the city which had granted them their first taste of liberty. This is why the population of Cimbar to this day contains such a large population of dragonborn. Over time, the city would also attract rebel genasi seeking freedom from Shyr as well, such that the city of Cimbar that left Toril is very different from the one that has returned.
Over time, these dragonborn and genasi immigrants have studied the gathered lore of Cimbar that was left behind. As a result, many have discovered the art of the bard. Many others have discovered the art of the sorcerer due to the natural tendencies within their blood, but none are accepted as red wizards. This has caused some enmity with these races, who see no path of advancement for themselves in the red wizard's hierarchy.
Although ostensibly still a part of the United Tharchs of Toril, since their return to Toril, this city and its residents have discussed breaking away and seeking their own path. The genasi suggest joining with the nearby nation of Akanul, for in them they see kindred spirits. Many of the dragonborn would like to discuss making alliances with Tymanther, but they do not want to abandon their beautiful home. However, they all recognize that Tchazzar's influence still exists, through a mortal incarnation of his own blood ruling in the nearby city of Erebos. There are even rumors that the god-king himself still exists in some spirit dragon form, and that he looks upon his former city with much greed and perhaps even hope. What exactly the dragon-king may have left behind in Cimbar when it transferred to Abeir has become the source of much speculation by the people of Cimbar.
NOTE: For Soorenar, since writing this, I've decided to transfer the Tower Terrible magically to Peleverai. However, the majority of this would still work with a temple of Velsharoon here.
Soorenar (approx population 32,000, of which nearly 18,000 are sentient undead that appear as normal members of the populace, the remaining populace is roughly 60% human (primarily Chondathan, Mulan, and Turami), 35% genasi, and 5% other races )
Notable Individuals/Residents: Lord Thurash Karanok (Autharch managing the city),
Description Soorenar was one of the transferred lands that travelled from Toril to Abeir and back again. While it was gone, it was believed to be sunk beneath the River Akax and the Adder Swamp (which was renamed Sebakar). There were indeed large portions of the city which were left behind during the spellplague, as the city as a whole did not transfer over, but rather large portions of it did. Also, much of the population that did transfer over was killed, as sections of unsupported wall collapsed and crushed them. Many of these fallen Chessentans now protect the city as sentient undead who remember their past lives and appear as they did just prior to their deaths. As a result, many of them feel a kinship to their remaining descendants and will protect them at all costs.
Soorenar had always been a city divided by the river Akax, with its eastern shores being home to docking facilities, warehouses, and various amenities for the sailor, traveller, or mercenary. The western shore held the standing population and was more heavily guarded. However, when the transfer to Abeir occurred much of the western city is what was destroyed. Also, the source of the river Akax disappeared, leaving the main source of water being a portion of the Bay of Chessenta that transferred with the city. As a result, over the past century, the majority of the city has moved to surround the former port city, oftentimes stripping the old city to rebuild in or strengthen in the new area. However, as a result of the lack of available drinking water, many of the former residents of this city were some of the first to travel down into the Shaar. As time passed, this city has welcomed many genasi who seek to escape the tyranny of Shyr, particularly those with an earth or water affinity due to their abilities to provide water or help build. Many of these genasi were actually led here by a sentient undead ancestor, often in the form of a ghostly apparition, which appeared to them and told them of a land of freedom. Most of these genasi reside in the older western portion of Chessenta, and this portion of Soorenar bears less of the trappings of undeath which has become common for this city, though many are still protected by the spirits or corporeal dead bodies of their ancestors.
Prior to travelling to Abeir, Soorenar was a city of Chessenta that catered to outside spellcasters to come and strengthen them militarily. For this reason, the mortal Velsharoon built his Tower Terrible on the outskirts of the port city of eastern Soorenar. Following his rise to godhood, this residence attracted many followers of Velsharoon, and a large temple catering to practictioners of necromancy was established. This temple was soon surrounded by merchants catering to wizards and priests and the numbers of spellcasters of all sorts in Soorenar swelled, particularly amongst the Mulan populace which was displaced by the war between Unther and Mulhorand. After the transfer to Abeir, this complex has become the heart of Soorenar, with thousands of sentient undead, necromancers, and priests set to guard the Tower Terrible, which all were forbidden to enter. In fact, one of the earliest instances of godly interaction with mortals was when Zulkirs Yaphyll and Mythrell'aa, claiming to be the avatars of Savras and Leira, arrived in Soorenar to enter the Tower Terrible with Mimuay, the daughter of Lauzoril, and several other individuals (see previous accountings for more detail). While in Abeir, lights were periodically seen within the tower, and many believed that the manifestation of Velsharoon resided in the dwelling when he was not gone doing the work of a god.
Also, as a result of trade negotiations, the red wizards of Thay had established a trade enclave in Soorenar, and during the Thayan civil war, Zulkir Lauzoril had secretly setup a residence in this trade enclave when his daughter, Mimuay, was approached by followers of Velsharoon who promised to support the Zulkirs in their fight against Szass Tam. Lauzoril moved his entire family to Soorenar to protect them from the machinations of his fellow red wizards as he helped lead the rebellion from Bezantur (for more on this, read the entries for Zulkir Lauzoril and Zulkir Mimuay).
Traditionally, this city was lead by a council of nobles from three noble families. The residence of one of these noble families did not transfer to Abeir, and the leaders of another noble house were amongst those who travelled south to the Shaar. This left the Karanok family, who bear some long ago bloodlines to the Karanoks of Luthcheq, but do not bear that family's devotion to Entropy or hatred of wizards. Many of the Chessentans who remained in Soorenar come from this noble house or the servants and mercenaries who supported them. Of the remaining human population, many of them were divine servants loyal to the worship of Velsharoon whose descendants have since become an integral part of the makeup of this city.
With its return to Toril, Soorenar finds that things are not exactly as they once were. Although they once again exist directly on the coast of the Bay of Chessenta, the roads that once connected them to Eastern Chessenta are long washed away. The western shore of the river Akax sees some work being performed to rebuild amongst its ruins, particularly in the old Karanok family lands which had been looted over the past century but not destroyed. Reconstruction of its ports, as well as the building of ships, is underway. In fact, the wily people of Soorenar have actually acquired at least four ships by placing what appear to be bountiful trade ships afloat in the inner sea whilst setting a trap for the inevitable pirates that will come to harass them.
Directly to its south, a swampland known as both Sebakar and the Adder Swamp holds sway, though many cartographers believe that the sundering reduced the size of this swamp significantly, sinking much of it once again to the bottom of the bay of Chessenta. This sinking caused the death of numerous lizard folk, wererats, and werecrocodiles, but oddly these deaths seem to have only strengthened Soorenar. The northernmost borders of the Sebakar swamp are now patrolled by undead lizard folk and humanoid skeletons that resemble humans, ratmen, and crocodile headed beings in service to Velsharoon. These are simple undead rather than the awakened undead which provide the majority of the city's population, and while they number over a thousand, they are not reflected in the city's population.
This swamp has further affected Soorenar since its return, as the river Akax flows directly through it. While it flows fast enough that it doesn't generally become overly polluted, the city has begun to build reservoirs in order to magically boil and remove contaminants from the drinking supply. The city has also begun the construction of irrigation ditches to enrich the surrounding soil for farming, and they hope that this will decrease the size of the swampland in coming years and hopefully make that land suitable for settlement as well someday soon.
Since their return to Toril, Aulkir Ythazz Buvaar, a demilich integral to the formation of the Zulkirate of Thay, has been released from his assigned role as protector of Soorenar. It is known that his eyes have turned once again to Thay and Szass Tam. It is also said that he seeks information on the whereabouts of Xingax's laboratories in the Sunrise Mountains and the foothills of the Thaymounts, as well as information on what was done with the aborted godflesh. In the past century, he is purported to have created at least four powerful skeleton warriors from the bodies of genasi warlords of Shyr sent to invade Soorenar, and he controls these warriors via gems in a circlet surrounding him as his personal bodyguards. Several high ranking priests of Velsharoon are said to support Ythazz Buvaar in these endeavours.
Finally, with the return to Toril, the city-state of Laothkund, formerly an outlying holding of the Tharch of Pelevar, has been given its own autonomy when Zulkir Lallara Mediocros appeared. After a meeting held in secrecy with Zulkirs Lauzoril and Mimuay Tavai, Aulkir Dmitra Flass, and Thulkir Nyasia Tavi, Lallara Mediocros declared that she would align the other cities of the wizard's reach (in particular the city of Escalant, but also the smaller villages of Murbant, Taskaunt, and Lasdur, and the town of Tilbrand which had been rebuilt since the salamander wars) into a new Tharch if she were accepted as Zulkir of Abjuration within the United Tharchs of Toril and be allowed to oversee the election of the Aulkirs. While the other Zulkirs could not cast down their fellow Zulkir, they did arrange for a spell duel between the current Zulkir of Abjuration and Lallara, which Lallara did win and thus become the new Zulkir of Abjuration. It is said that Lallara and Ythazz Buvaar are in talks about having the city of Soorenar also secede from the Tharch of Pelevar and join the newly formed Tharch of the Wizard's Reach. While many would think that this would upset the Pelevari, in truth many of the people of Peleveran find Ythazz Buvaar distasteful, and they know the city to be well beyond their area of control, and so this transition may occur with little to no issues.
Akanax (approx population 36,000, roughly 50% human, 10% crintri blooded half elf, 10% wood elf from the Chondalwood, 6% dark elf, 6% centaur, 6% wemic, 4% half-drow, 4% half-elf, 2% hybsil, and 2% other races)
Notable Individuals/Residents:
Description Akanax was lost following the initial transfer to Abeir, as many of the supporting structures of the town itself did not come over to Abeir. Many of the humans of Akanax found themselves without homes. However, Akanax had always been a city that was more of an encampment than it was fortified city with established dwellings. Many of its citizenry lived from portable tents and worked as mercenaries to the highest bidder throughout Chessenta. However, they were unprepared for the sudden transfer to a new world. King Hippartes still ruled despite his great age, some said because of his alliance with King Hercubes Jedea of Mordulkin, a powerful mage who was experimenting with life extending magics. When the genasi forces of Shyr encroached upon their territory, King Hippartes, still one of Chessenta's greatest warriors, stood his ground alongside his aging sons Philipus, Cassarian, and Themothys. It was to his grandsons, most of whom were in their thirties and forties themselves and had families of their own, that Hippartes gave the command to lead the retreat while the aging warriors of Akanax held the line behind them. Though there were some fifty thousand Chessentans fleeing the city, only half that number survived to make it to the city of Cimbar. Of those that did not make it, many were children who were taken as slaves at the command of Karshimis, the tyrant of Shyr. Akanax was lost, and with it went a fierce pride which would not be reborn for decades. To this day, the descendants of these survivors have a strong hatred of genasi, even those found in the nearby city of Soorenar who claim to be loyal to the tharch of Peleveran.
It was a little over forty years later that Cassarian the third, great grandson of King Hippartes and avatar vessel for the war god Ramman, joined up with the crintri princess of Dambrath, Jessimir Hazm'cri. Jessimir herself was serving as the avatar vessel of the Untheric war goddess, Inanna, and the tharch of Peleveran was facing a large invading force of genasi from Shyr under the direct leadership of Karshimis. To Karshimis' surprise, the two god vessels ignored the army of genasi and instead focused their attention on the primordial himself. As the two sets of combatants collided, the two armies paused and separated, for the genasi had never seen anyone challenge their lord and master directly. The genasi army was further consternated when these young godlings managed to wound Karshimis, who then retreated from the battlefield. The genasi were routed, and from this point forward the country of Shyr would take a defensive stance against the people of this tharch.
After this battle, these gods transitioned into a higher form, burgeoned by the faith of the people of the tharch of Peleveran, as well as the fear engendered in the hearts of their enemies. Their hosts reverted back to the weakened mortal forms, but Cassarian the third and Princess Jessimir were instilled with a fervor to take the fight to their enemy. After gathering further intelligence, the two of them led a joint venture deep into Shyr to a slave encampment holding many of the former children and their descendants that had been captured in the retreat from Akanax and other Chessentan city states just following the transfer. They returned to the city of Hardcastle with nearly thirty thousand humans in tow, many women and children, as well as a train of over a thousand genasi to sacrifice on the altars of Ramman and Inanna. Many of these children, having been taken from their own parents, would train to be the new militant arm of Ramman's and Inanna's churches. Those young women who were unfit to field themselves as warriors became holy prostitutes of the Inanna, birthing future soldiers to serve.
Over the next twenty five years, the Dambraii princess and the Akanaxian prince continued to work together periodically, and a love grew between them. However, Cassarian was married, and he would not disrespect his wife and children by cheating on her, but as time passed he began to realize that while his wife was aging, he himself was not. Finally, when Cassarian's wife died, Princess Jessimir informed him that they would be married, and Cassarian agreed if she would meet his bride price. He asked for nothing less than the recapturing of his family's ancestral home of Akanax.
Jessimir had spent the past sixty years building relations with nearby wood and dark elven communities within portions of the Chondalwood, dark elves in the underdark complex of Vaerndoun beneath Torsch, and a community of half-drow which had fled the Riders to the sky mountains aboard their Tuuru mounts, a form of dire pteranodon (use the statistics of a giant eagle, but drop any language capability). Along with her own crintri warriors, she called upon these allies, and joined her forces with those of Cassarian, and the two managed to recapture not only Akanax, but the former villages of of Saden, Maerduuth, and Oslin as well. In the nearly seven decades leading up to this return, the forests had grown up heavily around all of these settlements, and the wood and dark elves have taken up residence within them.
Since their return to Akanax, the inhabitants of this region have steadily divorced themselves from the tharch of Peleveran and the red wizards that run it. They still consider themselves allies to the tharch, and should the need arise they will come to their aid, if asked appropriately and properly compensated for their efforts. However, should the churches of Inanna or Ramman within the tharch require their aid, the new King and Queen of Akanax are quick to provide it freely. The residents of Shyr had left this community alone for the last three decades, but with the return to Toril, the humans of Akanax do not like the closeness of the genasi of Akanul.
In addition to the strange Tuuru mounts imported from the nearby mountains, the crintri of this area favor the magical breeding of ebony pegacorns, which are a crossbreed between the Thayan black unicorns and pegasi, but which lack the normally evil nature of the black unicorn, have a fly speed like pegasi, and can teleport once per day. The ritual used to allow this breeding is a closely kept crown secret.
Finally, some notes I had for leadership of the "Tharch of the Wizard's Reach"
School of Transmutation (Aulkir) – Samathar Dulsaer, Aulkir of Transmutation of the Tharch of the Wizard's Reach (half-elf male). Hometown: Laothkund. Samathar Dulsaer was born in Rashemen as the son of a artist, and he enjoyed the life of a painter, that is until it was discovered that he possessed the rare talent amongst males of Rashemen for wizardry. Samathar refused to join the vremyonni, and thus he was cast out of his homeland, and he eventually settled in the city of Laothkund. He became an adventuring wizard busily investigating the ruins of Fallen Narfell and Raumathar. However, as a citizen of Unther living in the area which would become known as the Wizard's Reach, all recovered treasure was subject to taxation by the law of Gilgeam. Samathar decided that rather than give up his hard won treasures, he would rather oppose the rule of Gilgeam. When the local magistrates sent soldiers to arrest him, Samathar slew them and then actively hunted down the local governor and publicly killed him for “not respecting the rights of the people”. In 482 DR, he and his fellow adventurers incited rebellion against the empire of Unther in Laothkund and Delthuntle and the League of Samathar was formed. In 504 DR, the cities of Teth and Nethra also joined the League, forcing Unther's hand to try to put down the open rebellion, though Gilgeam was unable to commit large numbers of troops to the action due to his empty treasury. It was following this that Samathar came across the Astral Tome of Ildranadum in an old Raumathari crypt, and he learned the art of creating pigments of longevity and created a Portrait of Longevity to extend his own lifespan. In 625 DR, Samathar convinced the city of Escalant to secede from Unther, and the League of Samathar had expanded in size to cover nearly the entire north coast of the Alamber Sea. Finally, in 679 DR, Unther conceded and recognized the League of Samathar as its own entity. When the red wizards of the Priador rebelled against Unther in 922 DR, it was with added support from the League of Samathar's many wizards who were non-plussed with having the Mulhorandi empire on their doorstep. A decade later, these same red wizards would march on their former allies homes in Escalant demanding tribute, setting a tense division between the two nations and between Samathar and Thayd in particular, for Samathar had come to realize just how dishonorable Thayd in fact was.
Unfortunately for Samathar, the Thayan Revolt had involved many Chessentan soldiers who returned home with rebellion in their hearts, and seven years later the Alliance of Chessenta drove Unther out of their homeland under the leadership of their warlord, Tchazzar. It was rumored that several of Thayd's lieutenants, a lot which he had named “Zulkirs”, were involved in aiding the Chessentans in throwing off the yoke of Unther. Almost a quarter of a century later, Tchazzar would lead his soldiers to attack the cities of the Wizard's Reach, and their leader, Samathar had seemingly disappeared the night before the assaults began. In truth, the transmuter had been assaulted by Thayd and his Zulkirs in his private home, along with the aid of one Azurax Silverhawk who stole the Astral Tome of Ildranadum from Samathar's home. Samathar himself had been imprisoned by an imprisonment spell, and he was only freed as a result of the failing of magic during the spellplague.
Upon being freed, not only did Samathar find himself over four centuries in the future, he found himself within his hometown of Laothkund but on an entirely different world. His people no longer knew him, and initially he was without his magic. His formerly seaside hometown lay nestled in the valley between a mountain range to the north and south. Ironically, the nearest friendly community was the Chessentan city of Cimbar, former capital of the dragon-king Tchazzar, and he soon became allies with none other than a collection of red wizards. When the Jedean clan of mages were forced to flee Mordulkin with their citizens, it was Samathar and the people of Laothkund that welcomed them with open arms. Over the past century, Samathar and Hercubes Jedea have become fast friends, and they have led their people with honor and dignity. While on Abeir, they even welcomed many Abeiran troll refugees from the nearby Darklands of Shyr, who were fleeing the tyranny of the demon lord, Eltab of the Hidden Layer. As they now enter into alliance with the red wizards who have lived for the past century on Toril in Escalant, they cannot help but notice the difference between their two cultures. Still, Sabass, Lauzoril, and Lallara Mediocros are some of the more sociable of all past leaders of Thay, and Samathar hopes that perhaps he can change their culture for the better through positive leadership. If anyone can paint a better picture for the red wizards, it is surely Samathar.
School of Divination (Aulkir) Ythazz Buvarr, Aulkir of Divination for the Tharch of Peleveran, demilich, resides in the city of Soorenar. Ythazz Buvarr was one of the red wizards who started the original Thayan rebellion against Mulhorand, and it is rumored that it was as a lich that he met the then mortal archmage Velsharoon and his fellow “red wizards” in Halruaa before leading them to Thay. He also helped found the original Zulkirate, and subsequently began studies to become an even more powerful demilich. It was only after achieving this goal that he was entrapped beneath the city of Bezantur, where he stayed until he was found by necromancer-priests of Velsharoon and magically transported to the city of Soorenar to protect the physical Phylactery of Mellifleur in Velsharoon's Tower Terrible and surrounding temple complex in Nightal of 1384 DR. The priests did not know where they transported the lich to, only that their god required them to find him and touch his skull to act as a conduit of his divine will.
When the city of Soorenar transferred to Abeir during the spellplague and Mimuay freed the avatar of Velsharoon from his phylactery, Ythazz Buvarr was also freed from his required vigil. He was however tasked by Velsharoon to “protect the cities of Soorenar and Cimbar until they are restored to Toril”. Velsharoon, using Mimuay as a conduit, then did cast a powerful ritual of necromancy that pulled thousands of Chessentans, dragonborn and genasi from their graves for hundreds of miles. Savras, using Zulkir Yaphyll as a conduit, then blessed these undead with the ability to see through magical disguises and other divinatory blessings. Leira, using Zulkir Mythrell'aa, also granted these undead the ability to cloak themselves in illusions to hide their undead nature and appear as their former selves. Finally, Auppenser, working through a sentient magic crystal possessed by Yaphyll, awakened a spark of their former consciousness, such that these beings could hold conversations, and it is whispered that some of these undead can even peer into the minds of others and perceive their thoughts. These undead are tasked with protecting the living of Cimbar and Soorenar. "Reborn Chessenta" has since swelled with populations of genasi and dragonborn (who are treated as second class citizens by the Mulans and Chessentans of these cities) seeking the freedoms of this land over the oppression of Shyr. Many of them treat the undead surrounding their territory with great reverence, for they are their own ancestors.
School of Conjuration (Aulkir) – Sabass Zethret, Aulkir of Conjuration of the Tharch of the Wizard's Reach, and former leader of the Researchers faction (level 23 wizard). Hometown: Lasdur. Sabass was recently resurrected by an efreeti priest of Kossuth in the town of Lasdur a few years after the death of Nevron. He was able to take over Nevron's role as leader of the conjurers in Escalant, though many are non-plussed by his slow and careful approach to matters. Still, none can disagree that the man has a true and undying hatred for Szass Tam, who it is rumored had him assassinated over a century ago, and whom he hates for destroying the country that he once loved. With the return of Lauzoril and Lallara Mediocros, Sabass found himself in new waters, for even though Lallara shared his passion for careful planning as the Zulkir of abjuration, Sabass and Lauzoril had never much seen eye to eye. Sabass is still testing the waters with all of his newfound members of that Zulkirate, for he is unsure whom to trust, but he does hold out hope that they will be able to oust Tam and rescue the people of Thay. Unfortunately, so far, he sees his fellow council members for the tharch of the Wizard's Reach all running in different directions and having a hard time agreeing on the best path to move forward.
School of Abjuration (Zulkir) Lallara Mediocros (human female, wizard 22(abjurer)), Zulkir of Abjuration. Hometown: Escalant. Lallara Mediocros is an extremely new addition to the United Tharchs of Toril, but that is only because when the spellplague hit, she was left on Toril. When the other Zulkirs of Thay were forced to remove themselves from Thay, they set themselves up as rulers in the city of Escalant and other smaller villages along the coast of the Wizard's Reach. In 1478 DR, the Zulkirs, in cooperation with the mercenaries known as Brotherhood of the Griffin, invaded Thay and stopped Szass Tam's machinations or world destruction. In the aftermath of this conflict, Lallara and the original Zulkir Lauzoril (the one who was not awakened as a clone by the deity Velsharoon and who helped form the Tharch of Peleveran) were left in a demiplane created by Szass Tam. Most assumed that Lauzoril had died falling off a cliff in this demiplane, but in fact a simple feather fall effect had saved him. Lallara too was assumed to have been killed by Tam, though she was last seen alive by the warmage Aoth Fezim. In truth, the two Zulkirs worked together, one breaking through Tam's natural defenses against mind control, and the other implanting a memory of the two of them being destroyed. The two awaited in hiding for Tam to leave before attempting their own escape from the demiplane. This delay had a strange effect, for after Tam left, the demiplane began to collapse upon itself, and despite their hurried spellcasting, they were somehow held captive by the plane itself, only being ejected during the first tremors of the second sundering in 1487 DR. The two Zulkirs returned to Escalant, where they found their red wizards lacking essential leadership, and they spent several weeks asserting their control again.
They also came to learn that their previous return to Thay had brought hope to some red wizards within Thay, and secretly the two Zulkirs began to aid this rebellion. A little over a year later,
School of Enchantment (Zulkir) - Lauzoril Tavai of Escalant, Zulkir of Enchantment, and former leader of the Imperialist faction. Hometown: Escalant. No notes written here, other than this is the Lauzoril that stayed on Toril, fought Tam, and was entrapped with Lallara Mediocros. He was "twinned" by a god awakening his clone on Abeir, and that version of him spent the last century with his family. Thus, the two have had very different lives.
School of Evocation (Aulkir) - Hercubes Jedea, Aulkir of Evocation of the Tharch of the Wizard's Reach, King-in-exile of Mordulkin. Hometown: Laothkund, but prior to the spellplague he and his family of mages rules Mordulkin. With the return to Toril, he hopes to return to his home city.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2021 : 14:21:27
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Great stuff!
It's interesting Inanna chose the Crinti princess (Jessimir Hazm'cri) for her Avatar - as it does seem possible (as we discussed in the past) Loviatar subsumed part of Inanna portfolio. (maybe even the half-elves priestesses of Loviatar, were descended from a cult of Inanna, subsumed, maybe even corrupted by Loviatar?). With now Inannna reclaimng the descendants of her lost worshippers? |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2442 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2021 : 17:58:59
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| Hey, thanks for sharing this. Going to adopt it for my campaign, so I need to change some stuff to fit with the context of the story (IMC, Chessenta is still a unified country, and Akanűl is still its own nation). |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2021 : 20:14:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Baltas
Great stuff!
It's interesting Inanna chose the Crinti princess (Jessimir Hazm'cri) for her Avatar - as it does seem possible (as we discussed in the past) Loviatar subsumed part of Inanna portfolio. (maybe even the half-elves priestesses of Loviatar, were descended from a cult of Inanna, subsumed, maybe even corrupted by Loviatar?). With now Inannna reclaimng the descendants of her lost worshippers?
I never thought of that idea (that the half-elven Crintri forebears may have come from a human line that at one point worshipped Inanna and switched to Loviatar), but that might be a fun storyline. Possibly a priestess of Inanna "returns"/"escapes" and finds she has to turn to Loviatar because Inanna is gone. So, we might find that the Crintri have some mulan blood in them, but may feel they've become even superior by breeding elven longevity into their bloodline. Over time though, they might not know this in the current generation. Hell, in a rather weird twist.... possibly even the manifestation of Inanna may have taken an elven lover at some time, and so their feeling that they should RULE may have links to that. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2021 : 20:17:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
Hey, thanks for sharing this. Going to adopt it for my campaign, so I need to change some stuff to fit with the context of the story (IMC, Chessenta is still a unified country, and Akanűl is still its own nation).
No problem, that's why I figured I'd post anything and let you cherry pick anything you might like. I know you were more interested in like having Dragonborn in Cimbar, and possibly the intelligent undead in Soorenar, and possibly the genasi in Soorenar. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2442 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2021 : 02:24:21
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| Well, yes, some of these ideas are useful, but I needed help on what to do with those cities, and these ideas are perfect like that. Obviously, my plot differs a bit from the official one and contradicts with stuff here, but it's something that can be fixed with homebrewing. |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11695 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2021 : 15:02:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
Well, yes, some of these ideas are useful, but I needed help on what to do with those cities, and these ideas are perfect like that. Obviously, my plot differs a bit from the official one and contradicts with stuff here, but it's something that can be fixed with homebrewing.
Let me know when you have something finalized. I'd love to read it. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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My Previous ideas for returned Chessentan Cities
