Realmslore requests

[AcadiusLost]

With 1.23, we'll have information on each of the potential background regions visible when making regional selection during adaption or character creation, as well as on the character sheet as part of the feat description. These include information like Population, major human subraces, % population by race, major religions, automatic and bonus languages, major settlements, capitol, major alignments, as well as a paragraph or more about the region generally.

Regions still needing a text blurb:

• The Golden Water
• Shou Expatriate
• Shadovar
• Vilhon Reach
• Vaasa
• The Vast (spoken for, Stormsong)
• (Done, holly) The Wizards' Reach

I will post an example text description here later.

Also, if anyone wants to paraphrase some Diety information for a FR diety they have a particular interest in, we can include that in character creation as well.

[edit: one down, one claimed, 5 to go]

[stormsong]

I'll do the Vast and Sune

[AcadiusLost]

As promised, an example, courtesy of Loulabelle:

Automatic Language: Untheric
Bonus Languages: Chessentan, Draconic, Mulhorandi, Orc, Shaaran

Region: The Old Empires
Capital: Messemprar
Population: 4,263,840
94% human
3% dwarf
2% halfling

Major Religions: Mulhorandi pantheon, Bane, Mystra, Tiamat
Recommended Human subraces: Mulan, Turami
Other settlements: Shussel, Unthalass
Principal alignments: CN, CE, N

Once a country that excelled in civilised arts, Unther fell abruptly into chaos after the death of the god Gilgeam at the hands of Tiamat. Slaves and commoners saw hope that their lives of misery would improve while clerics and nobles struggled to maintain order. Mulhorand saw an advantage and invaded the Southern region of Unther. Today Unther is on the edge of being lost to history under the control of Mulhorand and internal squabbles within the remaining free regions. It is a country divided into those who still desperately cling to the old ways and those who hope for a better life under the Mulhorandi pharaoh. Unther lies North of Eastern Shaar, West of Mulhorand and South East of Chessenta.

Don't worry about subraces, major religions, or languages; I've got all that information already so I can merge it in easily enough.

Player's Guide to Faerun has a 1-2 sentence blurb on each, FRCS has better info, but not for all of them. 2nd edition sources or specific sourcebooks have much more to build on, but need to be checked against later regional developments to make sure the representation is still current.

[hollyfant]

The Wizards’ Reach

Automatic Language: Untheric
Bonus Languages: Aglagondan, Chessentan, Elven, Mulhorandi, Orc, Serusan

Region: Aglarond
Capital: none
Population: no seperate info available

Major Religions: Hoar, Mystra, Selûne, Shar, Tiamat, Tyr, Umberlee, Valkur
Recommended Human subraces: Chondathan, Mulan, Rashemi
Other settlements: Escalant, Laothkund, Delthuntle
Principal alignments: varies from city to city.

Along the southern shores of the Aglarondan peninsula lie the cities of the Wizards’ Reach. Between the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Yuirwood stretches a broad, sunny plain more than 300 miles long and up to eighty miles wide. Unlike the northern coastal plain, the Wizards’ Reach is low, marked by extensive tidal marshes and barrier islands, which makes east-west travel difficult.
The Wizards’ Reach is not part of the kingdom of Aglarond and never has been. It is so named for the powerful magical empires that dominated this stretch of water for thousands of years. Its cities were founded by the people of ancient Unther (and Chessenta, which was subjugated by Unther at the time), and over the last ten centuries they have been Untheric colonies, independent, a loose league of their own, Chessentan conquests, independent again, and finally Thayan conquests, which is the current situation. In practice, the Red Wizards hold Escalant in strength, Laothkund loosely, and Delthuntle not at all.

[AcadiusLost]

Great! Mulhorandi is indeed the name of the language. As mentioned before, the most important part is getting the text put together, principal alignments and population are interesting when available, but not strictly necessary.

And the languages are already inputed, coded, and for the most part tested, so I wouldn't advise taking time looking them up.

Spider said he'd do a few more of these as well, so hopefully we can finish out the set soon? I'd like to start loading up the Live mods with the 1.23 scripts ASAP.

[hollyfant]

If everyone can chime in and "claim" their area, we can avoid doing things double.

[hollyfant]

The Golden Water

Automatic Language: Durpari
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Halruaan, Halfling, Mulhorandi, Shaaran

Region: The Shining South
Capitals: Vaelan (Durpar), Chavyondat (Estagund), Orvyltar (Ulgarth) and Pyratar (Var the Golden)
Population: only the following is available:

• 70% human. (halflings, dwarves, half-elves making up the bulk of the rest.)
  Ulgarth: "predominantly human"

Major Religions: the Adama: Zionel (Gond), Curna (Oghma), Lucha (Selûne), Torm, Waukeen. (Ulgarth: Torm, Tymora, Lathander)
Recommended Human subraces: Durpari
Other settlements: Assur, Heldapan, Ormpé, Old Vaelen
Principal alignments: no information available

Durpar, Estagund, and Var the Golden, the three trading nations collectively known as the Shining Lands, sprawl around the large bay known as the Golden Water. Many assume that the Shining Lands mark the end of the civilized world, since all that lies beyond the bay is the Utter East - a collection of lands known to most of Faerûn only through legends too fantastic to be believed. While Ulgarth has a strict feudal system, in the other countries it is only wealth that matters.


note: Ulgarth fits in very poorly with the other three, but PGtF does mention it as part of this region.

[hollyfant]

Shou Expatriate

Automatic Language: Shou
Bonus Languages: Draconic, Durpari, Goblin, Mulhorandi, Rashemi, Tuigan

Region: Thesk
Capital: none
Population: unknown

Major Religions: Celestial Bureaucracy
Recommended Human subraces: Shou
Other settlements: Phent, Phsant, Tammar, Tellflamm, Two Stars
Principal alignments: no information available.

Shou Expatriate: Many strange kingdoms and empires lie far to the east of Faerûn, at the end of the Golden Way. From these distant lands, a small number of merchants, settlers, and diplomats have come to Faerûn in search of new opportunities in the West. Many of these travellers, joined by the people uprooted in the Tuigan wars, choose to live together and maintain many of their original traditions. While almost all "Shou-towns"are in Thesk, the nation of Semphar also has its Shou minority.

[hollyfant]

Shadovar

Automatic Language: Netherese
Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Damaran, Draconic, Elven, Loross, Thorass

Region: Anauroch
Capital: Shade
Population: unknown

• mostly human (a small percentage are Shade)

Religion: Shar
Recommended Human subrace: Netherese
Other settlements: none
Principal alignments: probably NE, LE

The folk of Thultanthar, the City of Shade are known as Shadovars. Their flying city is currently grounded on the shores of the Shadow Sea, once the Shoal of Thirst, in the heart of Anauroch. Having returned from a millennia-long stay in the Plane of Shadow in 1372 DR, the Shadovars are out to reclaim their position in Faerûn - regardless of who suffers in the process. Already they wage war against Cormyr, Waterdeep, the Phaerimms and Myth Drannor.

[AcadiusLost]

I'll do the Vast and Sune

Need this ASAP plz.

[hollyfant]

Vilhon Reach
Automatic Language: Chondathan
Bonus Languages: Chessentan, Damaran, Draconic, Elven, Shaaran, Turmic

Region: Vilhon Reach
Capital: Arrabar (capital city of Chondath)
Population: 3 812 400

• 97% human
  1% dwarf
  1% elves
  1% lizardfolk

Major Religions: Eldath, Helm, Lliira, Malar, Nobanion, Silvanus, Talos, Tempus, Tyr
Recommended Human subraces: Chondathan, Shaaran, Turami
Other settlements: Reth, Shamph, Ormpetarr, Mimph
Principal alignments: N, LN, LG

The Vilhon Reach is a large area just south of the Sea of Fallen Stars, rich with varied customs and beliefs. The area gets its name from the sea that surrounds it, an immense body of water with cities nestled against its borders. These cities—and their warlike reputations—are what most know about the Reach.
But the Reach is as rich and diverse as any area of Faerûn. It has its petty politicians
and powerful wizards, but the heart of the Reach is its people. Nature is a powerful force, much more powerful than that wielded by power-seeking wizards or the strength of arms of the most renowned adventuring company.
Nature is more respected in the Reach than in other areas of Faerûn. This respect
probably stems from the suffering from plagues and reinforced from time to time by the Emerald Enclave, a powerful force of druids that maintain balance in the area.

[Riotnrrd]

Shadovar

Automatic Language: Netherese
Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Damaran, Draconic, Elven, Loross, Thorass

Region: Anauroch
Capital: Shade
Population: unknown

• mostly human (a small percentage are Shade)

Religion: Shar
Recommended Human subrace: Netherese
Other settlements: none
Principal alignments: probably NE, LE

The folk of Thultanthar, the City of Shade are known as Shadovars. Their flying city is currently grounded on the shores of the Shadow Sea, once the Shoal of Thirst, in the heart of Anauroch. Having returned from a millennia-long stay in the Plane of Shadow in 1372 DR, the Shadovars are out to reclaim their position in Faerûn - regardless of who suffers in the process. Already they wage war against Cormyr, Waterdeep, the Phaerimms and Myth Drannor.

Stupid question...

is this ALFA canon? I don't think it was in NWN1, but...

[hollyfant]

is this ALFA canon? I don't think it was in NWN1, but...

Hey, don't ask me. I just write the stuff.

I honestly don't know how ALFA deviates from established canon. The city of Shade has been the focus of several books and an adventure, so much of the data is perhaps too up-to-date.

[hollyfant]

Vaasa

Automatic Language: Damaran
Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Uluik

Region: The Cold Lands
Capital: none
Population: 145 440

• 60% humans
  30% dwarves
  9% orcs

Major Religions: Auril, Orcus, Talos, dwarven pantheon
Recommended Human subraces: Damaran, Vaasan
Other settlements: Darmshall, Palischuk
Principal alignments: CE, LN, N

A cold, hard land formerly ruled by the terrible Witch-King, Vaasa is no longer a bastion of evil—but neither is it a place for those who aren’t ready to defend themselves with sword and spell. Vaasa is a lonely land dotted with scratch farms and inhabited by evil humanoids and other monsters. What the land lacks in in hospitality though, it makes up for in untapped wealth as the mountains are rich in metals and gems. Miles of mountainside go unclaimed by any civilization, and many well-armed prospectors make the trip to Vaasa hoping to find gems the size of a man's fist - and survive long enough to sell them.

[AcadiusLost]

is this ALFA canon? I don't think it was in NWN1, but...

NWN1-ALFA canon played out several plotlines that were handled by novels in the 3.0-3.5E timeline as DM plots, in some cases taking different turns than the official canon. The decision was made after much debate and deliberation (well before NWN2 came out) to have a "reset to 3.5E canon" for NWN2-ALFA. This allows new members to use published sources, and doesn't obligate every ALFA DM to retain a familiarity with a vast and almost totally undocumented body of "ALFA-canon", including many epic plotlines that froze unfinished due to artistic or hardware burnouts.

So, the canon of NWN2-ALFA is the 3.5E WotC canon, as per the Player's Guide to Faerun. Where possible, builders are encouraged to weave threads of the old ALFA-canon into the "history" of our NWN2 servers as NPCs, where is does not conflict with published sources. For the future though, we are not limited by canon (though we really ought to try to document better this time around).

Also, your PC's spellbook is fixed.