A sincere thank you for the compliment to the IR. I and the others in the IR had a good time. It spawned a 2nd IR (which altered Toril and Realmspace even more) and then a 3rd IR (which altered all the local Crystal Spheres after they nearly got pulled into Ravenloft.) Then there was a 4th IR, the Rokugan IR, and several people attempted 5th IRs.
But it wasn't a tabletop game. It occurred right here on ENWorld. In fact, it occurred right here in this forum, General Discussion.
For those of you familiar with the Forgotten Realms, the Industrial Revolution started in Lantan. It then spread to Amn and Tethyr (think of the Real World IR that started in northwest Europe.) It spread to the Vilhon Reach next, then Thay (you'd expect the Thayvians to want technomancy ...) Reacting to this, Mulhorand's IR began next, then Unther's (for fear of Mulhorand), then Chessenta (for fear of them both.)
Finally, and more slowly, Calimshan (perhaps because it was more decadent?) joined in.
The Industrial Revolution was blocked from going northward by the combined might of the Lord's Alliance, Luskan, the Fire Knives, Cormyr and it's War Wizards, and an alliance between Rashemen and Thesk. Runaway industrialization was seen as an evil in most of northern Faerun.
It is not clear why the IR did not spread southward to Halruaa, Dambrath, Var the Golden, and the other nations of the Shining South (some nations were frightened of it, some had divinations that it would overthrow the status quo or see ruin brought to the whole nation, and in Var the Golden's case they preferred simply to trade in technomancy much more than actually build any themselves. Zakhara was a rich market for technomancy across the Shining Sea. Dambrath was too isolationist to get in on the act so early.)
The 'Gods' of Realmspace - all of the various pantheons - had ceased all direct divine interference in what was going on, prior to the start of the industrialization in Lantan. Likewise, the Chosen of Mystra - perhaps at Mystra's behest - had retreated into isolationism, linking their countries in alliance, but not interfering outside of those areas (Waterdeep, Luruar, Shadowdale, and Aglarond.)
Obviously, in Evermeet and Evereska, industrialization was rejected. But as I had mentioned, the dwarves were embracing it, more or less.
Even then, Forrester was amassing power. A being of multiple humanoid backgrounds (a mongrel of orc, goblin, ogre, and other humanoid races) he had great charisma and cunning.
He managed to start a crusade among the humanoids. This crusade swept King Obold up in it's path, until he was forced to acknowledge the overlordship of Forrester. Then the vast humanoid peoples of the Spine of the World fell under Forrester's sway. The crusade crossed Anarouch and saw the unification of the humanoids of the Great Glacier. Thar joined the growing confederation out of greed and fear, and the other humanoids of the mountainous area around saw which way the wind was blowing.
Ten-Towns, Luskan, Waterdeep, the dwarves of the Spine of the World, Luruar, Evereska, Cormyr, the Dalelands, Zhentil Keep and the other cities of the Moonsea, Damara, Thesk, and Rashemen all turned fearful eyes to the north. The peoples of the High Forest and the Great Dale fortified for war.
But Forrester did not attack. He sent emissaries to these countries instead, asking for peace and alliance. He spoke of a terrible threat from Below (the illithid, even then on the rampage against the drow and other Underdark races.) He spoke of the need for cooperation.
The fact that Forrester and his humanoids were industrializing as fast as they could (especially the kobolds) was not mentioned (and the Chosen of Mystra, if they knew, did not speak of it.)
The fact that Forrester absolutely refused to treat with elves of any kind, much less offer alliance or friendship to them, was also overlooked.
Perhaps the northern nations can be excused. Because to their south, the southern nations were building very advanced technomantic weapons, mass producing magical firearms and cannons, building ironclad naval ships, putting up telegraphs, building factories and mills and whole new cities, and were in all ways becoming a major threat.
Baldur's Gate, caught in the middle of this mess, caught between Waterdeep and the Knights of the Shield (who were pro-technomancy) tried to play it both ways, and ally with both sides. They signed treaties of alliance with Lantan (which was allied with Tethyr) and with Waterdeep.
Perhaps this unstable but still peaceful situation could have lasted for a long time.
Perhaps they might have found a agreeable way to settle the growing tension.
But the druids, from the High Forest to Cormanthor to Rashemen, decreed that this industrialization would be stopped, at all costs.
Their initial attacks were small, but infuriated the southern countries which struck back.
Stung, the druids gradually united (undoubtedly with help from various meddling groups and nations with agendas) and then they struck massively: they caused great earthquakes in the southern countries. They summoned elementals and other powerful monsters to attack the southern countries. They even goaded a number dragons into action, promising them a wealth of magic and technomagic for their troubles.
Factories exploded, mines collapsed, fuel sources exploded. The new cities suffered catastrophic damage, dwarven strongholds caved in. Communications were lost as railroads twisted and buckled, and the telegraph lines were thrown down.
This act, by the druids, caused all the southern countries to unite as the Technomancy. For the first time in their history, the Red Wizards of Thay united. Thay reunited with Mulhorand. Tethyr and Amn put aside their feuding. Both put aside their ancient feud with Calimshan. Lantan, being a small nation, united with the others for protection. Chessenta, caught in the middle, capitulated. Then the rest of the southern nations quickly fell into line, and a new - and the first - super nation, was born.
The industrializing humanoids had been overlooked by the druids and were not damaged. Thus, their strength was enhanced by default.
IF everyone had left the druids to face the consequences of their actions by themselves - which would have seen the extermination of the druids by the Technomancy - then that would have been that.
But, seeing the Technomancy was reeling, the elves jumped into the act. Then, some nations allied with the elves jumped into the act. Then the faerie jumped into the act (prodded on by the druids, incidentally.)
Everyone wondered if the Chosen of Mystra would now act. But they did not, either against the Technomancy or Forrester. They stayed quietly put. But gradually, everyone else got into the act, egged on by the druids, certain of victory over the failing Technomancy.
Then Forrester struck.
Luskan allied with Forrester early on, so it remained intact. The High Forest was scoured of elves (and everything else the humanoids did not like) - many in Luruar, infuriated with Alustriel's neutrality, fought for the High Forest and died in it's defense. The people of Anarouch were not disturbed (Forrester did not wish to provoke the phaerimm.) Cormyr was beaten after a massive war and brutally subjugated.
Zhentil Keep offered it's services to Forrester, who accepted. Fzoul became a confidante to Forrester (but Forrester was always wary of him.) Mulmaster surrendered at once (most strangely.) Hillsfar fell after a bloody siege. Then Forrester and the Zhentarim swept through Cormanthor and conquered Sembia with ease.
Damara was easily conquered. Rasheman put up a tremendous fight, with covert help from Aglarond, and when it was seen they would be defeated the Witches fled southeastward into the Hoardlands to establish a new colony there. As for Thesk, it appealed to Thay for protection ... Thay and Forrester had already cut a deal, and divided Thesk between them.
The Dalelands were, for the most part, occupied and required to acknowledge the overlordship of Forrester.
This left only the nations of the Chosen of Mystra: Waterdeep, Luruar, Shadowdale, and Aglarond. But Forrester never attacked them, and they never interfered with his war. Needless to say, many humanoids wanted to attack these nations, and most denounced the Chosen for their neutrality, but be that as it may only minor skimishes occurred.
After that began the long and famous siege of Evereska, the Last Haven of the Elves on Faerun.
And now that the northern nations no longer threatened, and the elves were busy with Forrester, the Technomancy had free rein to rebuild and expand. And boy, did it expand ... and expand ... and expand ...
Even then, matters might have been resolved, but the druids - frustrated with the situation - went overseas to Maztica, gathered the largest army of Mazticans and faerie and planar beings they could find, and brought them in to continue the attack on the Technomancy. They goaded the peoples of the Hordelands into attacking (they worked with the exiled Witches of Rasheman here.) They bought the help of spelljamming gith (pulling the peoples of Realmspace into the war in the process.)
Apparently the druids thought the illithid would neutralize Forrester. By that time, the illithid had overthrown most of the drow (and eaten said drow) and become the premiere power of the Underdark (aside from the phaerimm and sharn, who were left strictly alone.)
And indeed, there was now heavy fighting between the illithid and the humanoids. Most of the industrialization of the humanoids had occurred underground, easy targets for the illithid, and the humanoids were having a hard time defending against the psionic onslaught of the illithid.
Thus, the druids chose not to counterattack Forrester at that time.
(To protect themselves from Forrester and the illithid under their leader Phasmus, all the dwarves united into one nation, save only those in the nations of the Chosen. Because they did, they survived where other Peoples Below did not. Many refugees, of svirfneblin and other types, took refuge in dwarven cities when their own homes were overrun.)
A more peaceful group of neutral (balance) minded people, druids and others, formed the Psionic League, dedicated to peace and the preservation of the Toril that was. This group offered it's protection to Candlekeep and to other places where the knowledge of the ancient past was preserved.
The Psionic League did not attempt to control any land, control any King or Queen, or attempt to forcibly do anything. But they did council caution, prudence, and restraint to all involved.
There was another group that, although they did not advocate peace and quiet, offered a sanctuary to all who fled hither, and who refused to embrace technomancy or to become involved in the growing conflict.
This was Nimbral and it's ruling cabal of mages. They established their island as the haven, and thereafter it was known as Hope Island. Many celestials were summoned by the mages to Hope Island to protect it, and ultimately nobody ever attacked this island.
Eventually, Hope Island became the last place on Toril where elves remained in large numbers.
So there were the rabble-rousing (an irony, if ever there was one) druids, and the quiet, peace seeking, balance seeking druids and those who thought like them.
Were the druids who attacked the Technomancy evil? Well, certainly the peoples of the Technomancy thought they were evil! They certainly thought they were evil after they massacred hundreds of thousands of people in the industrializing countries and razed many of their cities to the ground!
What did the druids think? The druids, believed that industrializing nations had to be stopped, that the felling of forests and mining of coal had to stop, that the ruin and destruction of Faerun had to be halted. They had already pleaded and pleaded and pleaded their case in every court in the southlands, but reason and logic and even sanity had been cast aside by the industrializing nations and their greedy rulers. And so they had to do ... what had to be done. That was their thinking.
are history.
