Warmaster Horus said:My main problem with making Volo's PCs have a specific background is that the story reasons behind those restrictions are lost on 95% of players. They have no idea what or where Thesk or Njara are.
Everything else is fluff. I can't see somebody penalizing you for never bringing up Thesk or Njara.
The simplest and most straight-forward explanation is that they simply wanted to provide some grounding for those players appreciating it.
Not only is this a faintly benign interpretation it is also the most likely:
Pauper, I'm just offering possible explanations. I'm not defending their decisions - I'm painting them out to be not worth complaining about. I just don't see how this should stop you from enjoying your character
(isn't Thesk a LONG way away?) I set mine in the mountains near Phlan
Yeah...no. Thesk is halfway across the continent by Thay and Aglarond. Nowhere near Phlan. My goliath is from the Dragonspire Mountains near the ruins of Zhentil Keep and the Raven, right next door to Phlan.Here's the irony -- Thesk *is* in the mountains near Phlan. (See a map, or DDAL 5-1.)
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Pauper