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D&D 4E Forked Thread: Al-Qadim, Land of Fate 4e
- Thread starter Quickleaf
- Start date
Quickleaf
Legend
The Unbinding
Any feedback on the race histories? Too radical a change? Do they fit the setting?
I've been thinking more about The Great Unbinding, who caused it, why, and what's the fallout? Well, it seems like we've got the last part answered, so maybe we can work backward?
EFFECTS OF THE GREAT UNBINDING
1.Storm genies freed from imprisonment
An unenlightened tribe, as powerful as the marid, from ancient days that lashes out causing hurricanes and thunderstorms (introduce a new tribe of genie, parallelling the stormsoul genasi, and reaching into Persian & Sumerian storm demon myths)
Who benefits? Someone who wants to sow discord among genie courts, someone with a vendetta against the empire who wants to use storm genies to bring Zakhara to its knees, someone loyal (worshipper? lover?) to a storm genie lord
2. Dao term of service to the yikkaria ends
An epic battle shakes the World Pillar Mountains, echoing for miles around. Though a truce is eventually declared, the dao bear a grudge for their long enslavement.
Who benefits? The dao, someone who wants a distraction from activies in or near the World Pillar Mountains, someone trying to gain influence among dao, enemy of the yikkaria
3. Sha’ir pacts are broken
Spiteful genies seek to punish their former masters (explains new way sha'irs work)
Who benefits? Headstrong arrogant young sha'ir impatient for power, bound genies, moralists who decry such magic, a genie's lover who wishes to see her freed from servitude to a wicked sha'ir
4. Tieflings escape slavery in hell
Tieflings return to the Haunted Lands and seek redemption. (or some other story to explain appearance of tiefling race)
Who benefits? Tieflings, Iblis who maintains loyalist spies among the freed tieflings, The gods who gain true worshippers
5. Eladrin interpret it as a sign and return to the world
Eladrin leave the Feywild seeking the Garden of Paradise (or some other story to explain appearance of eladrin race)
Who benefits? Secret society seeking the Garden too
Any feedback on the race histories? Too radical a change? Do they fit the setting?
I've been thinking more about The Great Unbinding, who caused it, why, and what's the fallout? Well, it seems like we've got the last part answered, so maybe we can work backward?
EFFECTS OF THE GREAT UNBINDING
1.Storm genies freed from imprisonment
An unenlightened tribe, as powerful as the marid, from ancient days that lashes out causing hurricanes and thunderstorms (introduce a new tribe of genie, parallelling the stormsoul genasi, and reaching into Persian & Sumerian storm demon myths)
Who benefits? Someone who wants to sow discord among genie courts, someone with a vendetta against the empire who wants to use storm genies to bring Zakhara to its knees, someone loyal (worshipper? lover?) to a storm genie lord
2. Dao term of service to the yikkaria ends
An epic battle shakes the World Pillar Mountains, echoing for miles around. Though a truce is eventually declared, the dao bear a grudge for their long enslavement.
Who benefits? The dao, someone who wants a distraction from activies in or near the World Pillar Mountains, someone trying to gain influence among dao, enemy of the yikkaria
3. Sha’ir pacts are broken
Spiteful genies seek to punish their former masters (explains new way sha'irs work)
Who benefits? Headstrong arrogant young sha'ir impatient for power, bound genies, moralists who decry such magic, a genie's lover who wishes to see her freed from servitude to a wicked sha'ir
4. Tieflings escape slavery in hell
Tieflings return to the Haunted Lands and seek redemption. (or some other story to explain appearance of tiefling race)
Who benefits? Tieflings, Iblis who maintains loyalist spies among the freed tieflings, The gods who gain true worshippers
5. Eladrin interpret it as a sign and return to the world
Eladrin leave the Feywild seeking the Garden of Paradise (or some other story to explain appearance of eladrin race)
Who benefits? Secret society seeking the Garden too
Last edited:
Quickleaf
Legend
Since Zakhara was protrayed as an expanding empire it might be interesting to push the edges of the map in 4e...
To the south, have player backgrounds for tribes from the Crowded Seas and give hints of what lies in the Islands of the Utter South. The Crowded Seas were considered important to numerous powers yet claimed by none, possibility of colonization, unenlightened slaves, precious woods, etc. Personally I'd like to see a powerful tribal leader (a reef giant?) create a confederation of Enlightened islands, but refuse to pay tribute to the Grand Caliph.
To the west, you have the isles of Akota. With the mention of gold/slaves and it's location I'm guessing this is a Ghana/Mali analogue. I was thinking of a matriarchal society, so when the the Grand Caliph's son falls for the princess it has implications - to the Akotans she would become the rightful Grand Caliph.
To the north, the map could expand to just south of Ulgarth and I notice there's a place called "Eden" (?) on the edge of the Shining Lands map I posted. Maybe this is where the Garden of Paradise once existed? If we go with the Tuigan migration/invasion then they might lay claim to these lands.
To the east, the heretofor mysterious Jungle of Monsters could be detailed and perhaps a trading port with links to Shou Lung?
Quickleaf
Legend
timeline...first shot
Here's my first attempt at an AL-QADIM 4e timeline. So far this justs brings the history to the end of Khalil al-Assad's rule.
Dates are given in “Years of the Loregiver”, marking how many years have passed since Ahmed al-Assad, the first Grand Caliph, discovered the scrolls containing the Law of the Loregiver.
608 YL corresponds to 1385 DR, Year of Blue Fire. The current year is 702 YL (1479 DR).
565-629 KHALIL AL-ASSAD, THE MUNIFICENT
Khalil was the 18th Grand Caliph to rule the Enlightened Throne. His long reign was marked by his change from a wild adventurer to a skilled politician accessible to the people, his disguised evening outings, and the great rewards he bestowed upon his loyal subjects.
573 Revolution in Umara
Distant Umara’s caliph is slain by the Khan of the Astoks who claims the throne. After a year of negotiations the Grand Caliph acknowledges the Khan’s claim. This precipitates the Grand Caliph returning from adventuring to tend his duties.
580-82 The Two Daughters
Janya and Dalia, the Grand Caliph’s daughters by Tanya bint-Perijan are sent to a protected fortress in the al-Akara mountains after The Soft Whisper learns of a plot to abduct them. They are to await the birth of a male heir, to be married to the new heir, or to become heirs themselves. Secretly they are inducted into The Soft Whisper.
582-592 Fruitless Years
Though he has two daughters, the Grand Caliph refuses to acknowledge either of them as an heir. He tries to beget a son to no avail, and one of his uncles is to inherit the throne. In truth, the Grand Caliph is cursed by both the Brotherhood of True Flame and the Yikkaria to bear no children. Consumed by harem life, the Grand Caliph does nothing for his subjects.
589 Coup in Hafayah
When the sultan of Hafayah is poisoned, a bloody coup wracks the city. Prince Saba emerges as the new sultan.
592 Fall of the Brotherhood
Heroes reveal the curses afflicting the Grand Caliph and help dispel them by defeating Sultan Jamal al-Yindannim of The Brotherhood of True Flame. After this loss, the Brotherhood is hunted throughout the empire.
593 Against the Yikkaria
The Grand Caliph leads his army to face the Yikkaria threat in the World Pillar Mountains. However, after a single battle he abandons the idea of war with enslaved dao in inhospitable mountains. With winter fast approaching, he reluctantly heads home with the spoils.
593-94 The Three Sons
With the curse broken, the Grand Caliph is blessed with not one but three sons:
608 The Great Unbinding*
629 Death of Khalil al-Assad
Here's my first attempt at an AL-QADIM 4e timeline. So far this justs brings the history to the end of Khalil al-Assad's rule.
Dates are given in “Years of the Loregiver”, marking how many years have passed since Ahmed al-Assad, the first Grand Caliph, discovered the scrolls containing the Law of the Loregiver.
608 YL corresponds to 1385 DR, Year of Blue Fire. The current year is 702 YL (1479 DR).
565-629 KHALIL AL-ASSAD, THE MUNIFICENT
Khalil was the 18th Grand Caliph to rule the Enlightened Throne. His long reign was marked by his change from a wild adventurer to a skilled politician accessible to the people, his disguised evening outings, and the great rewards he bestowed upon his loyal subjects.
573 Revolution in Umara
Distant Umara’s caliph is slain by the Khan of the Astoks who claims the throne. After a year of negotiations the Grand Caliph acknowledges the Khan’s claim. This precipitates the Grand Caliph returning from adventuring to tend his duties.
580-82 The Two Daughters
Janya and Dalia, the Grand Caliph’s daughters by Tanya bint-Perijan are sent to a protected fortress in the al-Akara mountains after The Soft Whisper learns of a plot to abduct them. They are to await the birth of a male heir, to be married to the new heir, or to become heirs themselves. Secretly they are inducted into The Soft Whisper.
582-592 Fruitless Years
Though he has two daughters, the Grand Caliph refuses to acknowledge either of them as an heir. He tries to beget a son to no avail, and one of his uncles is to inherit the throne. In truth, the Grand Caliph is cursed by both the Brotherhood of True Flame and the Yikkaria to bear no children. Consumed by harem life, the Grand Caliph does nothing for his subjects.
589 Coup in Hafayah
When the sultan of Hafayah is poisoned, a bloody coup wracks the city. Prince Saba emerges as the new sultan.
592 Fall of the Brotherhood
Heroes reveal the curses afflicting the Grand Caliph and help dispel them by defeating Sultan Jamal al-Yindannim of The Brotherhood of True Flame. After this loss, the Brotherhood is hunted throughout the empire.
593 Against the Yikkaria
The Grand Caliph leads his army to face the Yikkaria threat in the World Pillar Mountains. However, after a single battle he abandons the idea of war with enslaved dao in inhospitable mountains. With winter fast approaching, he reluctantly heads home with the spoils.
593-94 The Three Sons
With the curse broken, the Grand Caliph is blessed with not one but three sons:
608 The Great Unbinding*
629 Death of Khalil al-Assad
Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
I'm without steady internet access at the moment, so it may not be till this weekend that I can provide really solid feedback.
Re: Dragonborn. In the spirit of Al-Quadim we can go two ways with them. First of all, there could just be Dragonborn among the Enlightened. They either weren't important before or have trickled into the setting without making any sort of dramatic splash.
Second, they could adopt the tenants of the Loregiver as a whole culture in one great conversion event. If we follow FR canon then they came from Abeir. If we really wanted to emphasize the special character of Al-Quadim then they could show up as pilgrims in the service of their god, when Bahamut or Tiamat or both show up personally to accept the Law and become numbered among the Enlightened. Al-Quadim Dragonborn tend even more strongly to be Paladins as most of the population see themselves as students of the Law as Action.
They could even have been the culture that introduced Plate as a practice for Paladins as a whole - something which makes sense balance-wise for Paladins but has no precedent in Zhakara.
And Dragonborn as a Plate Armor wearing culture in Zhakara makes sense since they have a bonus to healing surges which means they won't miss one healing surge as much as the next race.
Re: Seljuk Turks. My idea wasn't tied to the Seljuk's as an ethnic group so much as to the Seljuk phenomena - Where a nomadic confederation with a centralized mobile monarchy rules and provides law to a loose coalition of civilized cities and dales. It's interesting because it would serve as a reversal or counter-point to the civilizing the tribes theme where the tribes try to instill a sense of honor, devotion to law, and environmental moderation to the people of the cities.
So it certainly could work that the Sultanate comes out of a roaming ethnic group uniting local tribes and showing them a new way to relate to the civilized areas - a sort of steppe Moses - or it could be that a native tribe in Zhakara comes up with the idea of the Sultanate and then invites in the Steppe Nomads to beef up the forces of the Coalition.
Re: Dragonborn. In the spirit of Al-Quadim we can go two ways with them. First of all, there could just be Dragonborn among the Enlightened. They either weren't important before or have trickled into the setting without making any sort of dramatic splash.
Second, they could adopt the tenants of the Loregiver as a whole culture in one great conversion event. If we follow FR canon then they came from Abeir. If we really wanted to emphasize the special character of Al-Quadim then they could show up as pilgrims in the service of their god, when Bahamut or Tiamat or both show up personally to accept the Law and become numbered among the Enlightened. Al-Quadim Dragonborn tend even more strongly to be Paladins as most of the population see themselves as students of the Law as Action.
They could even have been the culture that introduced Plate as a practice for Paladins as a whole - something which makes sense balance-wise for Paladins but has no precedent in Zhakara.
And Dragonborn as a Plate Armor wearing culture in Zhakara makes sense since they have a bonus to healing surges which means they won't miss one healing surge as much as the next race.
Re: Seljuk Turks. My idea wasn't tied to the Seljuk's as an ethnic group so much as to the Seljuk phenomena - Where a nomadic confederation with a centralized mobile monarchy rules and provides law to a loose coalition of civilized cities and dales. It's interesting because it would serve as a reversal or counter-point to the civilizing the tribes theme where the tribes try to instill a sense of honor, devotion to law, and environmental moderation to the people of the cities.
So it certainly could work that the Sultanate comes out of a roaming ethnic group uniting local tribes and showing them a new way to relate to the civilized areas - a sort of steppe Moses - or it could be that a native tribe in Zhakara comes up with the idea of the Sultanate and then invites in the Steppe Nomads to beef up the forces of the Coalition.
Quickleaf
Legend
Dr. Strangemonkey, nice thoughts on the dragonborn arriving as immigrants. My sense is that dragon-born are too out of place in Zakhara, and that including them would alienate old fans. However, it is a multi-racial empire, so if we decide there is a way to integrate them that doesn't feel contrived, I say go for it. Personally, Zakharan ogres seem like a good replacement.
Are you proposing the Sultanate as a ruling authority independent of the Grand Caliph or swearing fealty to him? Or more in line with the Free Cities model of giving him lip service but ultimately doing their own thing?
Are you proposing the Sultanate as a ruling authority independent of the Grand Caliph or swearing fealty to him? Or more in line with the Free Cities model of giving him lip service but ultimately doing their own thing?
Being unfamiliar with FR, I did a little reading and learned that the Shining Lands is the region where FR meets Al-Qadim, Kara-Tur, and the Hordelands. In order for Tuigar to reach Zakhara they would probably have interaction with Ulgarth, which seems to be the gateway of trade.
Sorry to derail the thread, but Quickleaf can you tell me where that map is from? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top? (Does his best puppy eyes).
Quickleaf
Legend
I honestly don't know. I found it on the web at http://www.candlekeep.com/images/sitegfx/mt_shininglands.jpg
