Paxus Asclepius
First Post
"Industrial Revolution" and "No, we're not full."
(IR) Announcing a New Strategic Roleplaying Campaign of Epic Proportions!
- Thread starter Serpenteye
- Start date
- Status
James Heard
Explorer
Hah, ok. So what about some sort of loose collection of bards of some sort? The rock and roll faction? Novelists for change? Poets of Elan? The Spears of Britney? Barring that I think I could do with sailors, any sailor's nations left?
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
(said hesitantly)
I request to take control of a power not listed: the Drow of the Underdark.
I'm assuming the drow live under the great mountain ranges:
The drow of the Sulhaut Mountains
The drow of the Hellfurnaces
The drow of the Crystalmists
The drow of the Barrier Peaks
The drow of the Yatils.
The drow of the Lortmils
The drow of the Rakers
The drow of the Griff Mountains
The drow of the Corusk Mountains
The drow of the Glorioles (around Sunndi)
The drow of the Tilvanot Peninsula
The drow of the Bright Hills (around the Bright Desert)
There are drow elsewhere on Oerth, of course, but these are well known areas on the map. If the drow enclaves above lack sufficient strength, perhaps there are drow enclaves under the dark forests of the Flanaess? (Adri, Celadan, Gamboge, Fellreev, Vesve, Grandwood ... some of those forests are really big and dark!)
The drow are, naturally, alarmed at the loss of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Vhaeraun, and Kiransath. Then there is this new thing come to the world: technology, brought by the Devils (enemies of the drow if ever they had enemies.) And now the surface world is getting too big for it's britches, and perhaps has become a serious threat to the drow.
And who would lead them?
Eclavdra (I know that isn't the right spelling) comes to mind. She could have advanced considerably in power during the past 20 years.
I remember she was a cleric of either Lolth or Ghaunadaur (I think it was Ghaunadaur.) Perhaps she became a cleric/fighter/mage? And advanced to considerable level in those classes?
Eclavdra was a diplomat in her own right, if I remember her correctly. She played a large role in the Giant Troubles. She had a way of uniting her fractious people against common enemies. Perhaps in the dangerous situation that exists now (the drow aren't stupid: they can see a looming threat when it hits them in the face) they would follow her?
Mind you, I'm referring only to the drow and their immediate slaves. Not to any of the other races or powers of the Underdark (such as the illithid and aboleth.)
If there is a contested situation over the drow of the Hellfurnaces/Barrier Peaks/Crystalmists, please tell me. I was assuming only the surface races of those savage mountains were claimed.
Obviously, I'm not trying to claim control of the good drow of Eilistraee.
If you give me the drow or some of the drow, Serpenteye, I will have to come up with a name for the new drow nation. Hmmm ... I wonder what Eclavdra would name her new kingdom? Hmmm ... names, names ...
I request to take control of a power not listed: the Drow of the Underdark.
I'm assuming the drow live under the great mountain ranges:
The drow of the Sulhaut Mountains
The drow of the Hellfurnaces
The drow of the Crystalmists
The drow of the Barrier Peaks
The drow of the Yatils.
The drow of the Lortmils
The drow of the Rakers
The drow of the Griff Mountains
The drow of the Corusk Mountains
The drow of the Glorioles (around Sunndi)
The drow of the Tilvanot Peninsula
The drow of the Bright Hills (around the Bright Desert)
There are drow elsewhere on Oerth, of course, but these are well known areas on the map. If the drow enclaves above lack sufficient strength, perhaps there are drow enclaves under the dark forests of the Flanaess? (Adri, Celadan, Gamboge, Fellreev, Vesve, Grandwood ... some of those forests are really big and dark!)
The drow are, naturally, alarmed at the loss of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Vhaeraun, and Kiransath. Then there is this new thing come to the world: technology, brought by the Devils (enemies of the drow if ever they had enemies.) And now the surface world is getting too big for it's britches, and perhaps has become a serious threat to the drow.
And who would lead them?
Eclavdra (I know that isn't the right spelling) comes to mind. She could have advanced considerably in power during the past 20 years.
I remember she was a cleric of either Lolth or Ghaunadaur (I think it was Ghaunadaur.) Perhaps she became a cleric/fighter/mage? And advanced to considerable level in those classes?
Eclavdra was a diplomat in her own right, if I remember her correctly. She played a large role in the Giant Troubles. She had a way of uniting her fractious people against common enemies. Perhaps in the dangerous situation that exists now (the drow aren't stupid: they can see a looming threat when it hits them in the face) they would follow her?
Mind you, I'm referring only to the drow and their immediate slaves. Not to any of the other races or powers of the Underdark (such as the illithid and aboleth.)
If there is a contested situation over the drow of the Hellfurnaces/Barrier Peaks/Crystalmists, please tell me. I was assuming only the surface races of those savage mountains were claimed.
Obviously, I'm not trying to claim control of the good drow of Eilistraee.
If you give me the drow or some of the drow, Serpenteye, I will have to come up with a name for the new drow nation. Hmmm ... I wonder what Eclavdra would name her new kingdom? Hmmm ... names, names ...
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Edena_of_Neith
First Post
I note three major powers on the map have not been claimed: the Kevellond League, the Baklunish nations, and Nyrond (and the Urnst nations?)
Nobody has claimed the Knights of Luna, the Knights of the Hart, or any of the similar organizations.
Serpenteye, are any of the powers of Greyspace allowed?
You know, the Elven Imperial Spelljamming Navy?
The Scro Fleet?
The Illithid Squid Ships?
The Neogi (and their Umber Hulk slaves) Pirates?
The Dwarven Mountainjammers?
The Gnomish Sidewheelers?
The Gith Mercenaries?
Also, were any of the Astral Races, such as the Githyanki and Githzerai (or some of the Githyanki and Githzerai) trapped in this dimension when it was sealed up? Are they up for grabs?
Are the Faerie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?
Are the Unseelie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?
Has anyone claimed the Ice Elves of the Adri Forest? Or do they exist in this IR? (remember that they were highly evil, corrupted by an artifact of cold that froze their city in the bitterest cold for millennia. In the 3rd IR, it was assumed they had thawed out and mastered the artifact.)
Nobody has claimed the Knights of Luna, the Knights of the Hart, or any of the similar organizations.
Serpenteye, are any of the powers of Greyspace allowed?
You know, the Elven Imperial Spelljamming Navy?
The Scro Fleet?
The Illithid Squid Ships?
The Neogi (and their Umber Hulk slaves) Pirates?
The Dwarven Mountainjammers?
The Gnomish Sidewheelers?
The Gith Mercenaries?
Also, were any of the Astral Races, such as the Githyanki and Githzerai (or some of the Githyanki and Githzerai) trapped in this dimension when it was sealed up? Are they up for grabs?
Are the Faerie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?
Are the Unseelie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?
Has anyone claimed the Ice Elves of the Adri Forest? Or do they exist in this IR? (remember that they were highly evil, corrupted by an artifact of cold that froze their city in the bitterest cold for millennia. In the 3rd IR, it was assumed they had thawed out and mastered the artifact.)
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Edena_of_Neith
First Post
To Serpenteye: the Solistarim
If the drow are disallowed, may I lay claim to a concept for Oerth I created on my own?
This concept would be the Solistarim. Led by an evil wizard, they are a confederation of primarily lawful and neutral evil races up in the Godspires (a mountain range that covers the tip of the Flanaess from the Black Ice northward.)
The primary races of the Solistarim, in my conception, were the following (all live in the Godspires, Black Ice, or immediately adjacent to it on land, sea, and air) :
A large community of native flannae humans determined to take the Flanaess back from the usurpers (meaning, all the other humans groups: the suel, the baklunish, and the oerdians.) They have set up great schools of magic under their lord, and have gone far along the Suel Imperium's road in their pursuit of magical understandings.
A large community of deep and grey dwarves from the Underdark, with great magic, allied with them.
A large community of evil gnomes from the Underdark, also with great magic, allied with them.
A very large community of kobolds, led by kobold wizards and sorcerers.
The dragons of the Godspires (the survivors: mostly blue dragons and dracoliches under magical control. The Solistarim killed most of the Godspire dragons in battles involving horrendous losses for themselves.) These dragons have generally bonded with the flannae humans (and a couple of others) and live in symbiotic existence with them.
A very large community of lizard men and lizard kings.
Two large communities of sahuagin, one in the western coastal waters, and one in the eastern coastal waters.
The giants of the Godspires: mostly fire, but some frost, stone, hill, formian, and ettin.
A large community of illithid from the Underdark. (The alliance is one of convenience only, since the illithid consider the people of the Flanaess easier prey than their magically powerful neighbors. Since the Solistarim intend war, fresh brains will be all the easier to procur.)
Several beholder hives in the Godspires, totalling several hundred beholders (The beholders attacked the Solistarim on sight, but the greater number of them perished. The remainder were successfully charmed, and the Solistarim maintain the charmed state carefully.)
A modest but extremely potent group of aboleth in the deepest Underdark. (The aboleth ally with nobody. These are the survivors, after the Solistarim attacked and destroyed their community. All the fairly numerous survivors are under heavy charm compulsion.)
A large group of extraplanar beings: fire elementals, salamanders, efreeti, who happen to enjoy living in the volcanic regions of the Godspires and who have abandoned their home planes. (This group is allied to the Solistarim more out of whim than anything else. After all, the Solistarim mean to burn things, and burning things is fun.)
A LARGE army of assorted undead, kept under control by dark magic. Several liches have thrown their lot in with the Solistarim, for some reason, which has enhanced their ability to create and manipulate such lethal forces.
A small number of devils, who are allied with the Solistarim for their own, dark purposes.
If Wildspace is included, the Solistarim also count as allies:
A sizeable group of gith mercenaries, on permanent standby.
A number of neogi pirates, who act as scouts (for extremely high pay and countless slaves taken.)
A large fleet of illithid squid ships (the illithid of Wildspace are in contact with their Underdark brethren in the Godspires.)
The Solistarim WILL NOT ABIDE the following:
Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, flind, ogres, and most other humanoids.
Drow.
Elves of any kind, including half-elves.
Humans of suel, baklunish, and oeridian stock.
Demons (that includes Iuz.)
Historically, the Solistarim have killed members of these races on sight, when they set foot in Solistarim lands or waters.
If the drow are disallowed, may I lay claim to a concept for Oerth I created on my own?
This concept would be the Solistarim. Led by an evil wizard, they are a confederation of primarily lawful and neutral evil races up in the Godspires (a mountain range that covers the tip of the Flanaess from the Black Ice northward.)
The primary races of the Solistarim, in my conception, were the following (all live in the Godspires, Black Ice, or immediately adjacent to it on land, sea, and air) :
A large community of native flannae humans determined to take the Flanaess back from the usurpers (meaning, all the other humans groups: the suel, the baklunish, and the oerdians.) They have set up great schools of magic under their lord, and have gone far along the Suel Imperium's road in their pursuit of magical understandings.
A large community of deep and grey dwarves from the Underdark, with great magic, allied with them.
A large community of evil gnomes from the Underdark, also with great magic, allied with them.
A very large community of kobolds, led by kobold wizards and sorcerers.
The dragons of the Godspires (the survivors: mostly blue dragons and dracoliches under magical control. The Solistarim killed most of the Godspire dragons in battles involving horrendous losses for themselves.) These dragons have generally bonded with the flannae humans (and a couple of others) and live in symbiotic existence with them.
A very large community of lizard men and lizard kings.
Two large communities of sahuagin, one in the western coastal waters, and one in the eastern coastal waters.
The giants of the Godspires: mostly fire, but some frost, stone, hill, formian, and ettin.
A large community of illithid from the Underdark. (The alliance is one of convenience only, since the illithid consider the people of the Flanaess easier prey than their magically powerful neighbors. Since the Solistarim intend war, fresh brains will be all the easier to procur.)
Several beholder hives in the Godspires, totalling several hundred beholders (The beholders attacked the Solistarim on sight, but the greater number of them perished. The remainder were successfully charmed, and the Solistarim maintain the charmed state carefully.)
A modest but extremely potent group of aboleth in the deepest Underdark. (The aboleth ally with nobody. These are the survivors, after the Solistarim attacked and destroyed their community. All the fairly numerous survivors are under heavy charm compulsion.)
A large group of extraplanar beings: fire elementals, salamanders, efreeti, who happen to enjoy living in the volcanic regions of the Godspires and who have abandoned their home planes. (This group is allied to the Solistarim more out of whim than anything else. After all, the Solistarim mean to burn things, and burning things is fun.)
A LARGE army of assorted undead, kept under control by dark magic. Several liches have thrown their lot in with the Solistarim, for some reason, which has enhanced their ability to create and manipulate such lethal forces.
A small number of devils, who are allied with the Solistarim for their own, dark purposes.
If Wildspace is included, the Solistarim also count as allies:
A sizeable group of gith mercenaries, on permanent standby.
A number of neogi pirates, who act as scouts (for extremely high pay and countless slaves taken.)
A large fleet of illithid squid ships (the illithid of Wildspace are in contact with their Underdark brethren in the Godspires.)
The Solistarim WILL NOT ABIDE the following:
Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, flind, ogres, and most other humanoids.
Drow.
Elves of any kind, including half-elves.
Humans of suel, baklunish, and oeridian stock.
Demons (that includes Iuz.)
Historically, the Solistarim have killed members of these races on sight, when they set foot in Solistarim lands or waters.
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Creamsteak
Explorer
Heh... if you give Edena the Drow, I want to play...
...the Illithids...
...the Illithids...
William Ronald
Explorer
Some observations
As I said previously, I will likely be pretty swamped catching up on things. However, I would like to help serve as a resource if I find a question I can answer for people. (Working on a homebrew and fiction is likely going to be time consuming. So, I will be reluctant to make any commitment that I can't keep. I did not yet receive an answer on the time involved. I do know that I can't put in as much energy as I did in the 3rd IR.) I am glad that my e-mail helped out. Hello to Edena, Creamsteak, and Zelda!!
Edena, Eclavdra is a priestess of Lolth, and is listed in the Epic Level Handbook as a 23rd level cleric. She is not particularly charismatic, but is known for her cunning and her cruelty. (You got the spelling right.)
In addition to Nyrond, the states of the Iron League, such as Onnwal and Sunddi, and the Urnst states have a traditional foe in the Great Kingdom. They might make a good unit of states for a faction to claim with the possible addition of the Theocracy of the Pale and the Duchy of Tenh.
The player claiming Greyhawk may well have trouble with the Bright Desert and Rary the Archmage. The person playing Greyhawk may want to claim the Wild Coast or at least make contact with whoever controls the surrounding good and neutral aligned powers as a possible ally. The city is roughly between the spheres of influence of the Nyrond-Urnst states as well as Veluna and Furyondy. It is also near to the lands of Iuz. The Gem of the Flanaess may be a great prize in the IR.
It should be noted that Iuz is chaotic evil, and that much of the discipline of his troops often relies on fear of his retribution. In the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, his control over parts of the former Bandit Kingdoms is somewhat lose.
If Edena does play the Solistarrim, his character may have access to the City of the Gods. If this seems a bit much, there are other ways to help balance this out as suggested in an earlier post.
As for the Forsaken One, possibly the Bone March might be a good location for a troll-ruled kingdom. The area is full of humanoids. (Bugbear controlled the Bone March in Edena's IR.) A possible place for a sahuaghin kingdom might be off the shores of the Hold of the Sea Princes -- which I recall is under Scarlet Brotherhood influence. (As I recall, no one has claimed the Scarlet Brotherhood, which like the Solistarrim is moved by racial hatred.) Possibly, new powers might be created from land held by nations on the official map -- without loss of power to that faction.
James Heard, I think you might be interested in the Hold of the Sea Princes as a naval power.
So far, it looks like few good or neutral powers have been claimed. These can be powerful in their own right with the right leadership.
As I said previously, I will likely be pretty swamped catching up on things. However, I would like to help serve as a resource if I find a question I can answer for people. (Working on a homebrew and fiction is likely going to be time consuming. So, I will be reluctant to make any commitment that I can't keep. I did not yet receive an answer on the time involved. I do know that I can't put in as much energy as I did in the 3rd IR.) I am glad that my e-mail helped out. Hello to Edena, Creamsteak, and Zelda!!
Edena, Eclavdra is a priestess of Lolth, and is listed in the Epic Level Handbook as a 23rd level cleric. She is not particularly charismatic, but is known for her cunning and her cruelty. (You got the spelling right.)
In addition to Nyrond, the states of the Iron League, such as Onnwal and Sunddi, and the Urnst states have a traditional foe in the Great Kingdom. They might make a good unit of states for a faction to claim with the possible addition of the Theocracy of the Pale and the Duchy of Tenh.
The player claiming Greyhawk may well have trouble with the Bright Desert and Rary the Archmage. The person playing Greyhawk may want to claim the Wild Coast or at least make contact with whoever controls the surrounding good and neutral aligned powers as a possible ally. The city is roughly between the spheres of influence of the Nyrond-Urnst states as well as Veluna and Furyondy. It is also near to the lands of Iuz. The Gem of the Flanaess may be a great prize in the IR.
It should be noted that Iuz is chaotic evil, and that much of the discipline of his troops often relies on fear of his retribution. In the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, his control over parts of the former Bandit Kingdoms is somewhat lose.
If Edena does play the Solistarrim, his character may have access to the City of the Gods. If this seems a bit much, there are other ways to help balance this out as suggested in an earlier post.
As for the Forsaken One, possibly the Bone March might be a good location for a troll-ruled kingdom. The area is full of humanoids. (Bugbear controlled the Bone March in Edena's IR.) A possible place for a sahuaghin kingdom might be off the shores of the Hold of the Sea Princes -- which I recall is under Scarlet Brotherhood influence. (As I recall, no one has claimed the Scarlet Brotherhood, which like the Solistarrim is moved by racial hatred.) Possibly, new powers might be created from land held by nations on the official map -- without loss of power to that faction.
James Heard, I think you might be interested in the Hold of the Sea Princes as a naval power.
So far, it looks like few good or neutral powers have been claimed. These can be powerful in their own right with the right leadership.
James Heard
Explorer
Ok, so I'll take the Sea Princes if no one minds. After reading the LGG entry it sounds suitably anarchistic and removed from the worries of the rest of the world. Maybe I'll even attempt to turn my nation of pirates into bardic pirates... 
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Paxus Asclepius
First Post
Go ahead, but be warned: should you attempt to steal upon me with catlike tread, a mere profession that you love your Queen will not save you.
Edena_of_Neith
First Post
Thank you, William. 
The Solistarim do not control the City of the Gods. Their forays into it have met with repeated disaster.
However, the Solistarim do claim the alliegance of the nation of Blackmoor and the surrounding marches, along with all the land down to the Burneal Forest. This claim is loose and has not been enforced, but it is there nonetheless.
The Solistarim are a bunch of lawful evil peoples. They are totally unreasonable, devoid of compassion, and grant life no value as we would think of value.
The Solistarim are a dictatorship-magocracy under their High Leader. Mages, even powerful mages, are commonplace, and run almost every part of the government apparatus. These mages observe a strict code of service and duty, and all look upon the High Leader as the One and True God. All the other Solistarim either look upon the mages as semi-divine or divine messengers of the High Leader, or at the least they are scared witless by them. The unbreakable unity of these mages, their unswearing and usually fanatical loyalty to the High Leader, and their absolute tyranny over everyone else, is what has allowed all these disparate and violent races to coexist.
Indeed, the Solistarim are cosmopolitan. Members of all the Solistari races freely mingle in their great fortress cities in the Godspires, in their Underdark cities, in the undersea cities, and in the swamp cities. Individual attitudes, cultures, and preferences have been crushed under the heel of a omnipresent culture of service, loyalty, and tireless effort for the society.
That is to say, for the average Solistari, the attitude is as follows: you exist to serve and advancing the Nation. You're life is dedicated to serving and advancing the Nation. The greatest accomplishment in life is serving and advancing the Nation. The highest of all ethics and morality is service to, and advancement of, the Nation.
Families enforce this discipline upon their children immediately upon toddlerhood. Somewhere between the age of 3 and 7, children male and female are taken for training (as in Sparta) in what the Solistarim determine them to be the most qualified for: mage, cleric, fighter, etc.
Afterwards, in their teens typically (equivalent) the men and women of the Solistarim are put to work in the armed forces, and after many tours of duty may be released for more domestic duties. At this point, they can advance within the society, and those who achieve the most are often rewarded with great honor, nobility, ranks and title. Some can even aspire to join the ranks of the semi-divine minions of the High Leader. And go on to divine ascension and become his divine servants! (Yes, it's a crock, but the Solistarim do not know this.)
There is a remnant of local culture in each racial group that has not been crushed under the heel of conformity, but it is limited. The law is absolute, covers almost every aspect of life, and is enforced rigorously.
There is zero tolerance for lawbreaking. Minor lawbreaking invokes severe punishment and brainwashing in a reform center. Major lawbreakers are killed. Traitors (which covers a broad spectrum of offenses) are made grisly examples of, while the majority of the Solistarim revel, seeing in these traitors all that they hate and despise, moral and ethical bankruptsy.
This is the case for the flannae humans, dark dwarves, dark gnomes, and kobolds, the founding races of the Solistarim. The illithid have their own form of communal tyranny, but the High Leader long ago subverted the Elder Brain and with it the communal awareness of the illithid: they now tow the Solistari line.
The dragons are held in awe by the average Solistari, and the dragons live by a slightly different set of rules: they have greater freedom. Nonetheless, they are loyal to the High Leader and his agents, and they are loyal to those they have bonded with.
The lizard men, sahuagin, and giants were induced to become allies of the Solistarim, and afterwards Solistari culture slowly poisoned it's way into their lives, until they were copying the Solistari way in most respects. From there, it was a short hop for the High Leader to fully integrate them into mainstream Solistari society.
The beholders and aboleth are all charmed (and watched closely.) They adhere to the Solistari tenets due to magical compulsion.
The undead, of course, do as they are told. The lich lords who command them have their own pact with the High Leader. Undead under the control of other Solistari wizards are fanatical loyalists like their masters and mistresses.
The fire elementals, salamanders, and efreet are NOT a part of mainstream Solistari society, and generally keep apart. After all, their homes are places most Solistari could not survive in for long anyways. However, these races respect the High Leader and his minions (due to long and forceful diplomacy) and are reliable allies.
The Gith mercenaries are semi-independent. They are tolerated in Solistari cities because of their perceived use. The Gith themselves look upon the Solistari as rather insane employers, but since the pay is good and the potential for pillage very great they don't complain. And Gith society is itself highly militant and disciplined.
The neogi are barely tolerated, and the ill will is returned in full. These beings can never really be a true part of any society, being worse (if possible) than the illithid about supremacy. However, they fear and respect the High Leader, he pays them fantastically well (not to mention he has secretly charmed most of them), and the potential for pillage and plunder is immense, so they work for him. And they do make for excellent spies, scouts, and special forces.
The devils work with the High Leader and his mages, and are held in fear and awe by the populace in general. They alone are exempt from the rules, while mingling freely in Solistari society. However, the devils seem to respect Solistari laws, if for no other reason than it advances their agenda.
- - -
The Solistarim aren't so much about racial hatred, William, as they are about their secure knowledge that the Flanaess is their backyard, but a bunch of squatters and loiterers are sitting on their property, and these worthless bums and rabble refused to leave when politely asked to do so.
Since the rabble and the bums refused to move, they will just have to be dealt with in a more appropriate manner, and afterwards the mess they have made out of the Solistari backyard will be cleaned up, the land doled out to the rightful owners, and everything will then be roses and peaches.
If that means killing the bums and the rabble, then so be it. If the idiots won't be moved by reason, then they will have to be buried 6 feet under, and the world will be a better place for this.
The Solistarim point the finger particularly at Iuz. Here is a demon who is running amok and wrecking the yard, with his pathetic humanoid slaves and hordes of conjured demons (and by what right does he conjure demons into Greyspace, anyways?)
The Solistarim point out that nobody has tried to deal with this demon idiot: they were all too busy fighting each other, or plotting with said demon, to do anything about him.
The Solistarim also point the finger at the Oeridians. They can't run a kingdom (Aerdi), they can't impose order (witness the chaos of the Greyhawk Wars), they can't run an economy, and in the end they destroyed their own capital city and other major centers of population! (witness Rauxes, other cities, and the whole realm of Medegia.)
The Solistarim take a dim view of elves. The elves think they rule the world, apparently, and the whole of the Flanaess should belong to them, and the humans be their slaves (witness the Lendore purging.) They are too good for everyone else, refusing to cooperate with others even when it means the destruction of their own nations (witness the near destruction of neutral Celene at the hands of Turrosh Mak.)
And of course, their insane Underdark brethren, the dark elves, are worse. They worship an insane Goddess, are insane themselves, and plan to bring their insanity and disorder to the whole of the surface world and even out into Greyspace. Speaking of which, there is a bunch of those lunatic surface elves up there in Greyspace, with a fleet of spelljamming warships, menacing the whole planet of Oerth, and that has to be stopped too.
Perhaps Greyspace would be better off without elves?
The Solistarim are very unreasonable and hateful people. Obviously.
The Solistarim think of themselves as completely reasonable, ethical, moral, loyal, hard working, long suffering beings of reason and rational thought in a completely irrational and hostile world.
- - -
I'm not attempting to claim a Good Power, such as the Kevellond League, for the good reason that everyone is claiming Evil powers, and Evil seems to be the dominant force in play.
And it's sorta hard to negotiate or reason with the evil guys, when you're a good guy and all you want is to hold what you have, keep peace and quiet, and ensure the safety of your people ... and all these maniacs are ready to descend on you from every side!
Consider the Kevellond League. It is threatened from the north by Iuz (and by the Solistarim if Serpenteye allows them into the IR), on the west by Ket and the other Baklunish, on the west and southwest by the drow, giants, and other horrors of the Crystalmists, on the south by the Scarlet Brotherhood, on the southeast by the Pomarj, and even in the east it's neighbor Greyhawk is an aggressive and militant power. Of course, it is also threatened from below (from the Underdark), from above (from Wildspace), and from other planes (incursions from the Astral, for instance.) And even within or near it's own borders, things like the Temple of Elemental Evil have happened.
Anyone trying to run the Kevellond League is in for a difficult time!
As for the Iron League, ad infinium. They have Ahlissa to the north and northeast, the Scarlet Brotherhood threatening all their coasts, possible threats from Below and Above, and there is just a chance Ivid will break out of his prison in Rauxes and attempt revenge (on them, and everyone else he deems traitors to the Great Kingdom, which means just about everyone in the Flanaess.)
And Acererak is too close for comfort, over there in the Great Swamp. (Let's just say, I wouldn't want to be living in Sunndi on Acererak's doorstep ...)
Beset, and bankrupt, Nyrond is threatened to the northwest by Iuz, to the north by the Fists, to the northeast by the Theocracy of the Pale, on the east-northeast by the Bone March, on the east by North Aerdi (North Province), on the southeast by Almor (or rather, what Almor became), on the south by Ahlissa, on all it's coastlines by the Scarlet Brotherhood, from Above and Below, and by numerous enemies within - including a large number of formerly loyal barons who want to succeed from the country and create their own small kingdoms, and get away from the high taxation and enfeebled rule.
Not to mention, once more, that if Ivid the Mad breaks out of his imprisonment in Rauxes, Nyrond is just about at the top of his Blacklist of Places to Annihilate. (Heh, talk about a challenge to play!)
Speaking of which, nobody has claimed Ivid and Rauxes. Now, they could, and that would be an interesting challenge ...
The Solistarim do not control the City of the Gods. Their forays into it have met with repeated disaster.
However, the Solistarim do claim the alliegance of the nation of Blackmoor and the surrounding marches, along with all the land down to the Burneal Forest. This claim is loose and has not been enforced, but it is there nonetheless.
The Solistarim are a bunch of lawful evil peoples. They are totally unreasonable, devoid of compassion, and grant life no value as we would think of value.
The Solistarim are a dictatorship-magocracy under their High Leader. Mages, even powerful mages, are commonplace, and run almost every part of the government apparatus. These mages observe a strict code of service and duty, and all look upon the High Leader as the One and True God. All the other Solistarim either look upon the mages as semi-divine or divine messengers of the High Leader, or at the least they are scared witless by them. The unbreakable unity of these mages, their unswearing and usually fanatical loyalty to the High Leader, and their absolute tyranny over everyone else, is what has allowed all these disparate and violent races to coexist.
Indeed, the Solistarim are cosmopolitan. Members of all the Solistari races freely mingle in their great fortress cities in the Godspires, in their Underdark cities, in the undersea cities, and in the swamp cities. Individual attitudes, cultures, and preferences have been crushed under the heel of a omnipresent culture of service, loyalty, and tireless effort for the society.
That is to say, for the average Solistari, the attitude is as follows: you exist to serve and advancing the Nation. You're life is dedicated to serving and advancing the Nation. The greatest accomplishment in life is serving and advancing the Nation. The highest of all ethics and morality is service to, and advancement of, the Nation.
Families enforce this discipline upon their children immediately upon toddlerhood. Somewhere between the age of 3 and 7, children male and female are taken for training (as in Sparta) in what the Solistarim determine them to be the most qualified for: mage, cleric, fighter, etc.
Afterwards, in their teens typically (equivalent) the men and women of the Solistarim are put to work in the armed forces, and after many tours of duty may be released for more domestic duties. At this point, they can advance within the society, and those who achieve the most are often rewarded with great honor, nobility, ranks and title. Some can even aspire to join the ranks of the semi-divine minions of the High Leader. And go on to divine ascension and become his divine servants! (Yes, it's a crock, but the Solistarim do not know this.)
There is a remnant of local culture in each racial group that has not been crushed under the heel of conformity, but it is limited. The law is absolute, covers almost every aspect of life, and is enforced rigorously.
There is zero tolerance for lawbreaking. Minor lawbreaking invokes severe punishment and brainwashing in a reform center. Major lawbreakers are killed. Traitors (which covers a broad spectrum of offenses) are made grisly examples of, while the majority of the Solistarim revel, seeing in these traitors all that they hate and despise, moral and ethical bankruptsy.
This is the case for the flannae humans, dark dwarves, dark gnomes, and kobolds, the founding races of the Solistarim. The illithid have their own form of communal tyranny, but the High Leader long ago subverted the Elder Brain and with it the communal awareness of the illithid: they now tow the Solistari line.
The dragons are held in awe by the average Solistari, and the dragons live by a slightly different set of rules: they have greater freedom. Nonetheless, they are loyal to the High Leader and his agents, and they are loyal to those they have bonded with.
The lizard men, sahuagin, and giants were induced to become allies of the Solistarim, and afterwards Solistari culture slowly poisoned it's way into their lives, until they were copying the Solistari way in most respects. From there, it was a short hop for the High Leader to fully integrate them into mainstream Solistari society.
The beholders and aboleth are all charmed (and watched closely.) They adhere to the Solistari tenets due to magical compulsion.
The undead, of course, do as they are told. The lich lords who command them have their own pact with the High Leader. Undead under the control of other Solistari wizards are fanatical loyalists like their masters and mistresses.
The fire elementals, salamanders, and efreet are NOT a part of mainstream Solistari society, and generally keep apart. After all, their homes are places most Solistari could not survive in for long anyways. However, these races respect the High Leader and his minions (due to long and forceful diplomacy) and are reliable allies.
The Gith mercenaries are semi-independent. They are tolerated in Solistari cities because of their perceived use. The Gith themselves look upon the Solistari as rather insane employers, but since the pay is good and the potential for pillage very great they don't complain. And Gith society is itself highly militant and disciplined.
The neogi are barely tolerated, and the ill will is returned in full. These beings can never really be a true part of any society, being worse (if possible) than the illithid about supremacy. However, they fear and respect the High Leader, he pays them fantastically well (not to mention he has secretly charmed most of them), and the potential for pillage and plunder is immense, so they work for him. And they do make for excellent spies, scouts, and special forces.
The devils work with the High Leader and his mages, and are held in fear and awe by the populace in general. They alone are exempt from the rules, while mingling freely in Solistari society. However, the devils seem to respect Solistari laws, if for no other reason than it advances their agenda.
- - -
The Solistarim aren't so much about racial hatred, William, as they are about their secure knowledge that the Flanaess is their backyard, but a bunch of squatters and loiterers are sitting on their property, and these worthless bums and rabble refused to leave when politely asked to do so.
Since the rabble and the bums refused to move, they will just have to be dealt with in a more appropriate manner, and afterwards the mess they have made out of the Solistari backyard will be cleaned up, the land doled out to the rightful owners, and everything will then be roses and peaches.
If that means killing the bums and the rabble, then so be it. If the idiots won't be moved by reason, then they will have to be buried 6 feet under, and the world will be a better place for this.
The Solistarim point the finger particularly at Iuz. Here is a demon who is running amok and wrecking the yard, with his pathetic humanoid slaves and hordes of conjured demons (and by what right does he conjure demons into Greyspace, anyways?)
The Solistarim point out that nobody has tried to deal with this demon idiot: they were all too busy fighting each other, or plotting with said demon, to do anything about him.
The Solistarim also point the finger at the Oeridians. They can't run a kingdom (Aerdi), they can't impose order (witness the chaos of the Greyhawk Wars), they can't run an economy, and in the end they destroyed their own capital city and other major centers of population! (witness Rauxes, other cities, and the whole realm of Medegia.)
The Solistarim take a dim view of elves. The elves think they rule the world, apparently, and the whole of the Flanaess should belong to them, and the humans be their slaves (witness the Lendore purging.) They are too good for everyone else, refusing to cooperate with others even when it means the destruction of their own nations (witness the near destruction of neutral Celene at the hands of Turrosh Mak.)
And of course, their insane Underdark brethren, the dark elves, are worse. They worship an insane Goddess, are insane themselves, and plan to bring their insanity and disorder to the whole of the surface world and even out into Greyspace. Speaking of which, there is a bunch of those lunatic surface elves up there in Greyspace, with a fleet of spelljamming warships, menacing the whole planet of Oerth, and that has to be stopped too.
Perhaps Greyspace would be better off without elves?
The Solistarim are very unreasonable and hateful people. Obviously.
The Solistarim think of themselves as completely reasonable, ethical, moral, loyal, hard working, long suffering beings of reason and rational thought in a completely irrational and hostile world.
- - -
I'm not attempting to claim a Good Power, such as the Kevellond League, for the good reason that everyone is claiming Evil powers, and Evil seems to be the dominant force in play.
And it's sorta hard to negotiate or reason with the evil guys, when you're a good guy and all you want is to hold what you have, keep peace and quiet, and ensure the safety of your people ... and all these maniacs are ready to descend on you from every side!
Consider the Kevellond League. It is threatened from the north by Iuz (and by the Solistarim if Serpenteye allows them into the IR), on the west by Ket and the other Baklunish, on the west and southwest by the drow, giants, and other horrors of the Crystalmists, on the south by the Scarlet Brotherhood, on the southeast by the Pomarj, and even in the east it's neighbor Greyhawk is an aggressive and militant power. Of course, it is also threatened from below (from the Underdark), from above (from Wildspace), and from other planes (incursions from the Astral, for instance.) And even within or near it's own borders, things like the Temple of Elemental Evil have happened.
Anyone trying to run the Kevellond League is in for a difficult time!
As for the Iron League, ad infinium. They have Ahlissa to the north and northeast, the Scarlet Brotherhood threatening all their coasts, possible threats from Below and Above, and there is just a chance Ivid will break out of his prison in Rauxes and attempt revenge (on them, and everyone else he deems traitors to the Great Kingdom, which means just about everyone in the Flanaess.)
And Acererak is too close for comfort, over there in the Great Swamp. (Let's just say, I wouldn't want to be living in Sunndi on Acererak's doorstep ...)
Beset, and bankrupt, Nyrond is threatened to the northwest by Iuz, to the north by the Fists, to the northeast by the Theocracy of the Pale, on the east-northeast by the Bone March, on the east by North Aerdi (North Province), on the southeast by Almor (or rather, what Almor became), on the south by Ahlissa, on all it's coastlines by the Scarlet Brotherhood, from Above and Below, and by numerous enemies within - including a large number of formerly loyal barons who want to succeed from the country and create their own small kingdoms, and get away from the high taxation and enfeebled rule.
Not to mention, once more, that if Ivid the Mad breaks out of his imprisonment in Rauxes, Nyrond is just about at the top of his Blacklist of Places to Annihilate. (Heh, talk about a challenge to play!)
Speaking of which, nobody has claimed Ivid and Rauxes. Now, they could, and that would be an interesting challenge ...
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