Norman Firebeard
First Post
A purple flash erupted at the end of the dark tunnel. If it was not for her acute sense of darkvision, the young cleric of Lolth would have surely met her doom trying to follow that flash in such darkness. Even with the ability to see in such a world, she barely noticed that the ground before her was not as it seemed. What appeared to be a decent walkway turned out to be one of many bottomless pits that dotted the Underdark, and was masked by an illusion spell. Apparently whatever sparked that purple flash on the other side of the pit did not want visitors following it. However, being a drow and former priestess of Lolth, Ediaundora gave no sympathy to the creature that she pursued. Whatever it was it had slain her whole group of clerics escaping the battle that had erupted in her home of Maerimydra, and more importantly taken “captive” her construct companion, Eltzkazar. This would not suffice.
Using her magical set of gloves and boots, she climbed the walls on the side of the pit like a spider, reaching the other side in no time at all. As she raced down the corridor of rock, the walls began to narrow down on her, and she could barely crawl through the end of the tunnel into the carved room that housed her enemy. Sticking behind stone obstructions, she listened and waited. Today would be her lucky day if she had her clerical powers, but her deity has remained quiet. She could only rely on her skills of battle, which did not compare to what appeared to be both of her enemies in this very room now. The hooded creature that had taken her construct was in meeting with the half-fiend fire giant Kurgoth Hellspawn, who would soon be the conqueror of her city.
She peered past her two enemies into the corner across the room and noticed Eltzkazar lying motionless against the wall as if he was “turned off.” Apparently her companion was wise enough to slow the hooded creature down by shutting himself off after not sensing his drow master anymore. Only she had the power to revive him, but not yet. For now she will keep an eye on things until the perfect moment to do so. For now, she will gather what she can from this meeting and plan accordingly. This is what she does best.
--------------------------------------------------
It has been a tenday since they reached Anauroch, ten days of ceaseless forestland lush with life. What were once endless dunes and mountains of rock was now an Eden and shocked the new Alliance at their arrival into the land. Here in this land that should have nothing was everything – everything that was taken from them. Four months ago, when the star had landed to the north somewhere, nobody seen the effect it would have on Faerun’s entire northern half. Nobody was ready for the melting of the High Ice two months later, and the extremities that followed.
Being a mercenary from Amn, Quectakota cared little for these peoples’ problems. There were no droughts or floods in Amn, and there were definitely no such problems in his homeland of Maztica. But high coinage was being offered here and if he wanted to start a new life here in Faerun, then he would definitely not pass this up. Besides, he was being paid by his tendays in service, and still not a single sword had been drawn. No sign from a shade soldier yet. And while others despised the great forest of giant trees that surrounded them, the young Maztican was in awe. He marveled at it and at times even thought up of plans to become situated here for good. Such was the beauty of this place.
The army was almost over the Scimitar Spires now and the Shadow Sea now came into view. Giant eagles soared above them, observing the army and the land below them with their keen eyes. These flying scouts scattered across the mountains and over the Shadow Sea looking and looking for their intended target, but it had vanished. Quectakota fell out of his daydream of a new home to notice the lead bird swooping down over the army and then coming down again to land near the leader of the Alliance, Alusair Obarskyr. She did not look impressed with the news the great bird gave to her and the word soon passed to the end of the march. The floating city had all but disappeared. A chilling breeze had suddenly blown in.
--------------------------------------------------
1373 DR, The Year Of Rogue Dragons
The War of the Spider Queen has not ended. The Underdark, if it could be considered so, is now in great turmoil. A great genocide has been taking place on the followers of Lolth by all manners of new forces, breaking the drow from within and causing all who lived under the earth to choose sides. While the Spider Queen still remains silent, followers of the drow gods Vhaeraun and Selvetarm find that their prayers are going unanswered as well.
On the date that these two gods fell silent on, the 17th of Uktar (1372 DR), a disaster fell onto the surface world. High from the heavens fell a burning light, perhaps a falling star, and crashed somewhere above the High Ice or Great Glacier. While the earthquake that followed caught the peoples of the north unaware, it was the unnatural that everyone feared the most. However, a month had passed when nothing happened, then another, until four months had passed. Then the unthinkable – the High Ice began to melt. Immediately all eyes turned onto the Shadovar. The mighty desert of Anauroch began to suddenly flourish with teaming wilderness as trees began to grow and tower into the sky, rivers and streams criss-crossed the countryside, and great plains covered the land that was once a sea of rocks and sand dunes. Droughts and floods developed in other lands of the north. Hunger and raids became ever more real.
United by suffering and driven with anger, the nations of Cormyr, Waterdeep, the Dales, Sembia, Evereska, Damara, Impiltur, the Silver Marches, and mercenaries from all over Faerun formed a new Alliance to march on the City of Shade. Entering the new land that was Anauroch hit deep into the hearts of all as their lands were dying. Crossing the borders presented before them were the endless spires of great trees, imposing a threat by themselves – the Alliance questioned the renewed power of the archwizards. But as the army traveled through the countryside and climbed the Scimitar Spires, not a single shade soldier met them, only a few lost and confused Bedine nomad tribes. When the Alliance crossed the Scimitar Spires and traveled down to the Shadow Sea, they learned why they have not found opposition yet. The floating City of Shade had all but vanished. And as if a trap had been set, the temperature had dropped.
False hope toyed with the peoples of the north. During the whole month of Kythorn, a storm hovered over the land, bringing the countryside back to life. But as the temperature continued to drop, the rains turned into snow after a few tendays. It was now summer and it was snowing! A long and very early winter was setting in, and while all is turning darker for the peoples of the North and revolutions befall the Underdark, an even greater threat broods in the east…
--------------------------------------------------
1. You’ve come to the town market of Wheloon, Cormyr, to meet a merchant who wants you to do an errand for him. When you reach his shop, he smiles. Then he hefts a four-foot-long lizard onto the counter. Around the beast’s neck is a leash, and over its head is a burlap sack. The merchant says, “Deliver this to Zanzer Tem and he’ll pay you fairly.”
He gives the lizard a shove and it flops onto the floor. As the merchant turns to other business, he issues a last warning. “No matter what, don’t take the sack off its head!”
There are two ways to reach Zanzer’s tower: If you follow the dark corridors of Thieves’ Alley, continue with section 2.
If you go through the crowded streets of Merchants’ Parkway, continue with section 3.
2. The lizard trots along at your heels like a well-trained dog, but it stops to poke it burlap-covered snout into every pile of garbage you pass. At one such stop, a group of unwashed children approach. They begin petting the lizard, asking why you have covered its head.
If you chase the children off, continue with section 4.
If you explain that you were told to leave its head covered, continue with section 5.
3. The crowded streets of Merchants’ Parkway are no place for a 4-foot-long lizard with a bag over its head. The lizard keeps running into the people’s legs. People keep stepping on its tail. Finally, the lizard begins angrily clawing at the bag on its head.
If you carry the lizard the rest of the way to Zanzer Tem’s, continue with section 6.
If you try Thieves’ Alley instead, continue with section 2.
4. “This lizard is no pet!” you say. “Go on! Leave it alone!”
The children don’t listen. One even rips the sack off the lizard’s head. Immediately, the beast clamps its jaws around the boy’s arm, and the youngster turns to stone!
His companions scatter. In the confusion that follows, the lizard bits its leash apart and disappears down the alley. You search for it for over an hour. The things really go bad – six town guards walk around the corner and grab your arms.
“You’re under arrest for keeping a dangerous animal,” they say.
Continue with section 7.
5. “I don’t know why its head is covered,” you answer. “But the man who gave it to me warned me not to take the sack off.”
“Must be a basilisk,” says one of the children. “They’ll turn you to stone.”
The children let you continue on your way.
Continue with section 6.
6. You reach Zanzer Tem’s tower without any more trouble. Before you can knock, a black-haired wizard opens the door. “At last!” he says, eying the lizard. “Bring it inside.”
He leads the way into a small hallway, then fetches a gold piece from his pocket. “Here’s your payment,” he says. “A bright, shiny gold piece. Look how it glitters! Concentrate on the gold piece. You’re beginning to get very sleepy…”
As Zanzer speaks, your eyelids begin to droop. Before you know it, you’re asleep.
Congratulations – you delivered the lizard, but it appears Zanzer has bigger plans for you!
7. The guards tie your hands. “It’s Zanzer’s dungeon for you!”
--------------------------------------------------
Howdy. As you can see I am interested in beginning a Forgotten Realms campaign. It will be a long campaign to say the least, but I am looking for up to 8 reliable players. I will allow for any of the D&D books to be used when creating characters, however keep in mind this is Faerun, so use the appropriate races. Characters will start at 1st level. I am pretty lenient when it comes to character concepts as long as there is a good background and description to the character, but remember that I will not approve of concepts too wild. When submitting characters I want plenty of depth in these characters, not a simple half-orc barbarian with an Int of 5 who cares about nothing. And by reliable players I mean players that will be able to post at least every other day. Dice will be rolled by me unless noted otherwise. 25 point-buy.
As for the setting, it is the 1st of Flamerule, 1373. Your character has traveled to Cormyr for one reason or another…
Using her magical set of gloves and boots, she climbed the walls on the side of the pit like a spider, reaching the other side in no time at all. As she raced down the corridor of rock, the walls began to narrow down on her, and she could barely crawl through the end of the tunnel into the carved room that housed her enemy. Sticking behind stone obstructions, she listened and waited. Today would be her lucky day if she had her clerical powers, but her deity has remained quiet. She could only rely on her skills of battle, which did not compare to what appeared to be both of her enemies in this very room now. The hooded creature that had taken her construct was in meeting with the half-fiend fire giant Kurgoth Hellspawn, who would soon be the conqueror of her city.
She peered past her two enemies into the corner across the room and noticed Eltzkazar lying motionless against the wall as if he was “turned off.” Apparently her companion was wise enough to slow the hooded creature down by shutting himself off after not sensing his drow master anymore. Only she had the power to revive him, but not yet. For now she will keep an eye on things until the perfect moment to do so. For now, she will gather what she can from this meeting and plan accordingly. This is what she does best.
--------------------------------------------------
It has been a tenday since they reached Anauroch, ten days of ceaseless forestland lush with life. What were once endless dunes and mountains of rock was now an Eden and shocked the new Alliance at their arrival into the land. Here in this land that should have nothing was everything – everything that was taken from them. Four months ago, when the star had landed to the north somewhere, nobody seen the effect it would have on Faerun’s entire northern half. Nobody was ready for the melting of the High Ice two months later, and the extremities that followed.
Being a mercenary from Amn, Quectakota cared little for these peoples’ problems. There were no droughts or floods in Amn, and there were definitely no such problems in his homeland of Maztica. But high coinage was being offered here and if he wanted to start a new life here in Faerun, then he would definitely not pass this up. Besides, he was being paid by his tendays in service, and still not a single sword had been drawn. No sign from a shade soldier yet. And while others despised the great forest of giant trees that surrounded them, the young Maztican was in awe. He marveled at it and at times even thought up of plans to become situated here for good. Such was the beauty of this place.
The army was almost over the Scimitar Spires now and the Shadow Sea now came into view. Giant eagles soared above them, observing the army and the land below them with their keen eyes. These flying scouts scattered across the mountains and over the Shadow Sea looking and looking for their intended target, but it had vanished. Quectakota fell out of his daydream of a new home to notice the lead bird swooping down over the army and then coming down again to land near the leader of the Alliance, Alusair Obarskyr. She did not look impressed with the news the great bird gave to her and the word soon passed to the end of the march. The floating city had all but disappeared. A chilling breeze had suddenly blown in.
--------------------------------------------------
1373 DR, The Year Of Rogue Dragons
The War of the Spider Queen has not ended. The Underdark, if it could be considered so, is now in great turmoil. A great genocide has been taking place on the followers of Lolth by all manners of new forces, breaking the drow from within and causing all who lived under the earth to choose sides. While the Spider Queen still remains silent, followers of the drow gods Vhaeraun and Selvetarm find that their prayers are going unanswered as well.
On the date that these two gods fell silent on, the 17th of Uktar (1372 DR), a disaster fell onto the surface world. High from the heavens fell a burning light, perhaps a falling star, and crashed somewhere above the High Ice or Great Glacier. While the earthquake that followed caught the peoples of the north unaware, it was the unnatural that everyone feared the most. However, a month had passed when nothing happened, then another, until four months had passed. Then the unthinkable – the High Ice began to melt. Immediately all eyes turned onto the Shadovar. The mighty desert of Anauroch began to suddenly flourish with teaming wilderness as trees began to grow and tower into the sky, rivers and streams criss-crossed the countryside, and great plains covered the land that was once a sea of rocks and sand dunes. Droughts and floods developed in other lands of the north. Hunger and raids became ever more real.
United by suffering and driven with anger, the nations of Cormyr, Waterdeep, the Dales, Sembia, Evereska, Damara, Impiltur, the Silver Marches, and mercenaries from all over Faerun formed a new Alliance to march on the City of Shade. Entering the new land that was Anauroch hit deep into the hearts of all as their lands were dying. Crossing the borders presented before them were the endless spires of great trees, imposing a threat by themselves – the Alliance questioned the renewed power of the archwizards. But as the army traveled through the countryside and climbed the Scimitar Spires, not a single shade soldier met them, only a few lost and confused Bedine nomad tribes. When the Alliance crossed the Scimitar Spires and traveled down to the Shadow Sea, they learned why they have not found opposition yet. The floating City of Shade had all but vanished. And as if a trap had been set, the temperature had dropped.
False hope toyed with the peoples of the north. During the whole month of Kythorn, a storm hovered over the land, bringing the countryside back to life. But as the temperature continued to drop, the rains turned into snow after a few tendays. It was now summer and it was snowing! A long and very early winter was setting in, and while all is turning darker for the peoples of the North and revolutions befall the Underdark, an even greater threat broods in the east…
--------------------------------------------------
1. You’ve come to the town market of Wheloon, Cormyr, to meet a merchant who wants you to do an errand for him. When you reach his shop, he smiles. Then he hefts a four-foot-long lizard onto the counter. Around the beast’s neck is a leash, and over its head is a burlap sack. The merchant says, “Deliver this to Zanzer Tem and he’ll pay you fairly.”
He gives the lizard a shove and it flops onto the floor. As the merchant turns to other business, he issues a last warning. “No matter what, don’t take the sack off its head!”
There are two ways to reach Zanzer’s tower: If you follow the dark corridors of Thieves’ Alley, continue with section 2.
If you go through the crowded streets of Merchants’ Parkway, continue with section 3.
2. The lizard trots along at your heels like a well-trained dog, but it stops to poke it burlap-covered snout into every pile of garbage you pass. At one such stop, a group of unwashed children approach. They begin petting the lizard, asking why you have covered its head.
If you chase the children off, continue with section 4.
If you explain that you were told to leave its head covered, continue with section 5.
3. The crowded streets of Merchants’ Parkway are no place for a 4-foot-long lizard with a bag over its head. The lizard keeps running into the people’s legs. People keep stepping on its tail. Finally, the lizard begins angrily clawing at the bag on its head.
If you carry the lizard the rest of the way to Zanzer Tem’s, continue with section 6.
If you try Thieves’ Alley instead, continue with section 2.
4. “This lizard is no pet!” you say. “Go on! Leave it alone!”
The children don’t listen. One even rips the sack off the lizard’s head. Immediately, the beast clamps its jaws around the boy’s arm, and the youngster turns to stone!
His companions scatter. In the confusion that follows, the lizard bits its leash apart and disappears down the alley. You search for it for over an hour. The things really go bad – six town guards walk around the corner and grab your arms.
“You’re under arrest for keeping a dangerous animal,” they say.
Continue with section 7.
5. “I don’t know why its head is covered,” you answer. “But the man who gave it to me warned me not to take the sack off.”
“Must be a basilisk,” says one of the children. “They’ll turn you to stone.”
The children let you continue on your way.
Continue with section 6.
6. You reach Zanzer Tem’s tower without any more trouble. Before you can knock, a black-haired wizard opens the door. “At last!” he says, eying the lizard. “Bring it inside.”
He leads the way into a small hallway, then fetches a gold piece from his pocket. “Here’s your payment,” he says. “A bright, shiny gold piece. Look how it glitters! Concentrate on the gold piece. You’re beginning to get very sleepy…”
As Zanzer speaks, your eyelids begin to droop. Before you know it, you’re asleep.
Congratulations – you delivered the lizard, but it appears Zanzer has bigger plans for you!
7. The guards tie your hands. “It’s Zanzer’s dungeon for you!”
--------------------------------------------------
Howdy. As you can see I am interested in beginning a Forgotten Realms campaign. It will be a long campaign to say the least, but I am looking for up to 8 reliable players. I will allow for any of the D&D books to be used when creating characters, however keep in mind this is Faerun, so use the appropriate races. Characters will start at 1st level. I am pretty lenient when it comes to character concepts as long as there is a good background and description to the character, but remember that I will not approve of concepts too wild. When submitting characters I want plenty of depth in these characters, not a simple half-orc barbarian with an Int of 5 who cares about nothing. And by reliable players I mean players that will be able to post at least every other day. Dice will be rolled by me unless noted otherwise. 25 point-buy.
As for the setting, it is the 1st of Flamerule, 1373. Your character has traveled to Cormyr for one reason or another…
