Maps & Realmslore

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
hedgeknight
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8153
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 11:03 am
Location: NC

Maps & Realmslore

#1 Post by hedgeknight »

5e Sword Coast Players Map.jpg
5e Sword Coast Players Map.jpg (833.07 KiB) Viewed 742 times
neverwinter1.jpg
neverwinter1.jpg (595.46 KiB) Viewed 755 times
Neverwinter
Even in safer times, the North's reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty-or have been claimed by murderous tribes and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness, fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation.
Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city's docks now provide the area's main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.
The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North- many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption ofMount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano's peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter's population died in a heartbeat, the city's buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city.
Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at
the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.
The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter- the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.


Neverwinter Wood
For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature- and whether it exists as a force of good or ill-remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their rampages. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.
The scars left by Mount Hotenow's eruption have healed with startling speed, and many new forces move within Neverwinter Wood today.


Mount Hotenow
For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths ofNever- winter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories ofNeverwinter's citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty-until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

Thundertree
This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree's abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction ofNeverwinter overran it. As the dangers ofNeverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

But not shunned by all. Broegran Waethlunter is a woodsman and woodcutter who oversees a team of loggers operating in Thundertree and Neverwinter Woods. His business is in Neverwinter, but his livelihood is braving the dangers of Neverwinter Wood for precious lumber for the rebuilding of the city.

The Crags
This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other creatures have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags.

Helm's Hold
Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral ofHelm's Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death ofHelm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm's demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm's Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

Conyberry
During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the Village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were jOined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this "invasion" of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry's citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant, though Gray Wolf tribes use it to store goods and as an occasional shelter.

Old Owl Well
Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means ofdrawing water from the earth, using the site as a place oftrade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still strug- gled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

Phandalin
The frontier town of Phandalin is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Hundreds of years ago, the old Phandalin was a thriving human town whose people were firmly allied with the dwarves and gnomes of the Phandelver's Pact. However, the same ore horde that sacked the mines at Wave Echo Cave laid waste to the settlement, and Phandalin was abandoned for centuries.
In the last three or four years, hardy settlers from the cities of Neverwinter and Waterdeep have begun
the hard work of reclaiming the ruins of Phandalin. A bustling frontier settlement has grown up on the site of the old town, and is home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains.
Phandalin has no functioning government, but the townsfolk elect someone to serve as town master each year. The townmaster serves as a judge in minor disputes and keeps any records that need to be kept. The current town master is a male human banker named Harbin Wester.


Triboar Trail
Phandalin lies in a part of the North known as "the Triboar Trail," "the Triboar Cutoff," or "the Cony Gap." This stretch of foothills and rolling, sparsely wooded plains extends between the Sword Mountains to the south and Neverwinter Wood to the north. The area gains its name from an old trail that runs from the distant town of Triboar to the east, winding westward about one hundred miles through the abandoned village of Conyberry, then running north of Phandalin on its way to the High Road along the coast.

The Sword Mountains
The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, ore tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

Leilon
This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town.
The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers-and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague's twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.


Mere of Dead Men
This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.
Last edited by hedgeknight on Mon Jul 20, 2015 4:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Winter is coming...

User avatar
hedgeknight
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8153
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 11:03 am
Location: NC

Re: Maps & Realmslore

#2 Post by hedgeknight »

Map - Sword Coast 828 x 1188.jpg
Map - Sword Coast 828 x 1188.jpg (293.5 KiB) Viewed 746 times

This here ain't yer great-great grandpappy's Realms!

I'm gonna hit the "high spots" in this overview of the Forgotten Realms as you know it at the beginning of our game in 1488 DR, the Year of Dwarvenkind Reborn. This includes some of what happened during the Spellplague and the Sundering.
For more detailed information, you can check out these links:
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Spellplague
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sundering_(event)

The Spellplague began in 1378 and ended in 1479, killing countless thousands of people, and leaving the landscape of the Realms changed forever. What your characters know about it has been passed down through your family members and picked up from friends and strangers along the Sword Coast. The following information is taken primarily from the 4E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, the 4E Neverwinter Campaign Setting, and information from various novels, wikis, modules, etc. This info may eventually be updated if WotC ever decides to put out a 5E revision of the Realms. Fingers crossed!

The fantastic alterations of the last century are mere history for most creatures that draw breath in the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting. Few humans now recall the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR), unless they have magically cheated old age, or were changed in the wake of the unfettered wild power that infected flesh, matter, and magic equally. Even the deities had their casualties.
When the Spellplague raged, whole countries were wiped away, especially in Faerûnian regions south
of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Other lands were barely affected, at least in comparison. Yet even the most unchanged locations saw the appearance of motes of untethered landscape freely floating in the sky.


Luskan
The cesspool of the world, Luskan is a city stewing in its own rot. Once it was a thriving port anchoring the northern end of the Trade Way, but decades of social unrest and rampant crime have left it largely aban- doned. Now Luskan is the exclusive territory of rival street gangs, monsters, and vermin. A middle-class citizen of Luskan would be a beggar in any other city in the North.

There is no centralized government in Luskan, hasn't been for ages. The Spellplague wiped out the Arcane brotherhood and the sea captains either killed each other or were ran off.
The city is currently controlled by rival gangs of thieves and pirates who fight and kill for streets, damaged bridges, and lost neighborhoods. The port is useless and strewn with ship wreckage and the streets are filled with vermin, rotting bodies, and disease.

Neverwinter
The city withstood the Spellplague in 1385 DR. Much of the city was destroyed, however, following the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR, wherein a great chasm was torn through a part of the city.

After some political upheaval, the Red Wizards of Thay took control of the city. Ashmadai were allied with Thay, but became a major power when Sylora Salm died in 1463 DR. During this time, the Ashmadai ruled unchallenged in the city and the only surviving bridge, Winged Wyvern, was renamed Herzgo Alegni.

In 1467 DR, Dagult "Dagger" Neverember, a hard-drinking, eloquent, and impressive lion of a man and Open Lord of Waterdeep, decided to take control of Neverwinter. He collected Mintarn Mercenaries instead of his army from Waterdeep and captured Protector's Enclave. Rather than declaring himself a Lord, he instead dubbed himself a Protector of Neverwinter and called upon citizens to rebuild the city to its former glory. Today, the Lord Protector manages the affairs of the city alongside his administrative Mayor, Soman Galt (a dwarf) and his trusted General Sabine, who commands the Mintarn Mercenaries.


Port Llast
This town was a great city in ancient times- the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port LIast, filling the harbor with silt and making Never- winter an easier port to reach. With the docks ofPort LIast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port LIast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

Waterdeep
The Year of the Silent Death (1395 DR) saw the Putrescent Anathema unleashed from Stump Bog northeast of the city to spread sickness and pestilence throughout the region. The temple-farm of Goldenfields was hit particularly hard by the Plaguebringer’s Blight. The loss of Waterdeep’s primary supply of grain coupled with the swift spread of disease devastated the city’s citizenry, primarily the poor, who died in the thousands.
Since that time, Goldenfields has recovered under the leadership of Mother Jamandra Anuvien and expanded greatly. Goldenfields is now heavily fortified; in effect, it has become a small walled kingdom. For years, it has been a stable, peaceful breadbasket to surrounding lands, friendly to but independent of Waterdeep.


Waterdhavian nobles who survived the Spellplague often found themselves impoverished, having all at one stroke lost their property; all knowledge of their foreign holdings, cached wealth, and current dealings; and competent leadership. Desperate to feed themselves, many noble families sold their titles to wealthy merchants, while others intermarried to join forces. This latter practice, combined with opportunistic score-settling vendettas and the hiring of assassins, resulted in a great winnowing of the noble ranks.
Seventy-odd noble families still exist, but some families have been reduced to a single living individual. Others are missing or have gone away until things settle down, and have been absent from the city for years. Many noble families are busily hiring adventuring bands to protect what is theirs in Waterdeep, seize things taken from them (or that they see as rightfully theirs), and settle scores with rivals who did them ill during the chaos of the Spellplague. Lots of deeds, IOUs, and other documents, as well as actual coins and gems, are lost in the rubble or simply missing. Squatters have seized control of many landholdings all over the Heartlands and the Sword Coast North, and they must be driven off if the nobles are to retain any shred of their former wealth.


Waterdeep’s armed forces traditionally included the City Watch, which played the role of police force; the City Guard, which defended the city from external land-based threats; the City Navy, which guarded against sea-based threats; and the Griffon Cavalry, which patrolled the skies above Waterdeep.
Today, Waterdeep’s navy has been scuttled, and the city relies on warships from Mintarn for defense. The Guard is now part of the Watch, serving as a permanent bodyguard for the Open Lord and the Palace. The famed Griffon Cavalry was dissolved years ago after the griffons perished in various battles and were never replaced.
Aside from sharing facilities and personnel with the Guard, the City Watch of Waterdeep is much as it was a century ago. Watch patrols pass along main streets once between bells, varying their routes often. It’s rare for a patrol to have fewer than eight Watchmen. All Watch patrols are armed and carry horns to summon reinforcements.





More to come...
Winter is coming...

User avatar
hedgeknight
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 8153
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 11:03 am
Location: NC

Re: Maps & Realmslore

#3 Post by hedgeknight »

Phandalin.jpg
Phandalin.jpg (385.62 KiB) Viewed 713 times

The frontier town of Phandalin is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Hundreds of years ago, the old Phandalin was a thriving human town whose people were firmly allied with the dwarves and gnomes of the Phandelver's Pact. However, the same ore horde that sacked the mines at Wave Echo Cave laid waste to the settlement, and Phandalin was abandoned for centuries.
In the last three or four years, hardy settlers from the cities of Neverwinter and Waterdeep have begun the hard work of reclaiming the ruins of Phandalin. A bustling frontier settlement has grown up on the site of the old town, and is home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains. Unfortunately, more than a few bandits and brigands have settled here as well, taking advantage of the fact that the area has no local lord or authority to chase them off. A gang known as the Redbrands has controlled Phandalin for the past two months, extorting and bullying everyone in town. The gang is led by a mysterious figure known to the townsfolk as Glasstaff.
Winter is coming...

Post Reply

Return to “Hedge's Adventures in the Realms (5e)”