Ancient magical empires [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ancient magical empires [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
noonetall
11-10-07, 07:17 PM I was working on an idea for a game and needed to know about any of the old, high-magic empires, basically any place which might at one point have had access to 10th spells. And any place which is now a nation with very powerful arcane talents.

I have on my list
Netheril, Raumathar, and Narfell - who else? Wasn't there a powerful nation near Silverymoon?

Modern skilled-but-not-as-good nations include Rasheman, Thay, and Halruua. Maybe Mulhorond and Unther together. Luskan? Calimshan? Pats of the Underdark?

As a short note, I was actually working on a game/story idea which involved ancient magical beings, who primarily take the form of Wizards. (Human or whatnot depends on the locals). Each of them has his own character and talents, but their true form is mostly dead. Only their magic-radiating hearts (giant crystals buried in the earth) survive.

My retcon involves them falling to Faerun in its formative years. They may predate the deities if they are extra-dimensional, but are far less powerful. In their early years, they were able to teach various barbaric races great magic, but each one's power wanes over the millenia. Younger ones continue to fall and they can aid new peoples, but the older ones tend to fade. You couldn't cast 10th+ spells without their magical radiance, but now that is totally blocked off anyway.

The purpsoe of the retcon was a plot involving the faded, forgotten Hearts, as the vastly wicked Nar, Heart of Narfell revives. With the Heart of Netheril slain in Karsus's Folly, and the younger Hearts not even taking mortal form yet, Nar is hunting them and draining their powers (causing minor magical fluctuations). Only his oldest enemy, the Raum, Heart of Raumathar has the knowledge to stop him... if Raum can recover his memories in time!

Raum (under another name and with no knowledge of his own past) would be a PC, I think, and the others would mostly begin as natives of southern kingdoms - Halruua, Chessenta, etc.

So how can I flesh out my list?
Stigger
11-10-07, 07:24 PM I'd recommend taking a look at Lost Empires of Faerun and taking a look at all the stuff there for hints and suggestion. Tons of stuff to pick and choose from in there really.
noonetall
11-10-07, 07:38 PM Heh... overpriced. I don't want to spend that much on a book I'm just using to flesh out the background and think up a few dungeon crawls.
Old Sage
11-10-07, 09:30 PM I'd recommend picking up a copy of the recently release Grand History of the Realms tome as well.
Zsych
11-10-07, 11:47 PM Wouldn't your PC end up needing to go vampire on the younger hearts as well?

Anyway, I don't think you actually need to know much about the magical empires except perhaps what would be important to Nar or Raum.

You might go with the idea that each of these beings has a certain personality and magical focus which they aid the development of...
Like the Netherese one might've focussed on magical items, the Imaskari one may have focussed on dimensional magic etc.

Overall... I'm not sure I would make this the immediate main plot, more like an underlying plot... mostly because I can't think of any way to execute it in a way that makes it spectacular by itself. Weaved into various other plots I suppose it could be quite interesting.
I'd make Nar's revival a slow thing, and I'd probably make Ioulaum(who is still alive) one of these beings.

---

As for research, there are 2E downloads freely available on this site, I think there is an FR wiki which you could google, and you can check out wikipedia for info on old empires and their characters. Also... I think there are compendiums of realms lore over at candlekeep too.
noonetall
11-11-07, 10:39 AM Actually, the PC doesn't because he/she/it is a hero, basically. He COULD do so, but won't. HIs peronal poewr is slowly falling off, but by dint of effort he can gain class levels. Nar is trying to quick and easy route: drain his peers and regain his former strength, then ensure hsi dominance forever. He'll be a horrifically deadly opponent by the end of the game.

And you're right, I am definitely thinking of giving each one a speciality. Nar is horrifically evil and calls forth demonic energies, for example.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
noonetall 11-10-07, 07:17 PM	I was working on an idea for a game and needed to know about any of the old, high-magic empires, basically any place which might at one point have had access to 10th spells. And any place which is now a nation with very powerful arcane talents. I have on my list Netheril, Raumathar, and Narfell - who else? Wasn't there a powerful nation near Silverymoon? Modern skilled-but-not-as-good nations include Rasheman, Thay, and Halruua. Maybe Mulhorond and Unther together. Luskan? Calimshan? Pats of the Underdark? As a short note, I was actually working on a game/story idea which involved ancient magical beings, who primarily take the form of Wizards. (Human or whatnot depends on the locals). Each of them has his own character and talents, but their true form is mostly dead. Only their magic-radiating hearts (giant crystals buried in the earth) survive. My retcon involves them falling to Faerun in its formative years. They may predate the deities if they are extra-dimensional, but are far less powerful. In their early years, they were able to teach various barbaric races great magic, but each one's power wanes over the millenia. Younger ones continue to fall and they can aid new peoples, but the older ones tend to fade. You couldn't cast 10th+ spells without their magical radiance, but now that is totally blocked off anyway. The purpsoe of the retcon was a plot involving the faded, forgotten Hearts, as the vastly wicked Nar, Heart of Narfell revives. With the Heart of Netheril slain in Karsus's Folly, and the younger Hearts not even taking mortal form yet, Nar is hunting them and draining their powers (causing minor magical fluctuations). Only his oldest enemy, the Raum, Heart of Raumathar has the knowledge to stop him... if Raum can recover his memories in time! Raum (under another name and with no knowledge of his own past) would be a PC, I think, and the others would mostly begin as natives of southern kingdoms - Halruua, Chessenta, etc. So how can I flesh out my list?
Stigger 11-10-07, 07:24 PM	I'd recommend taking a look at Lost Empires of Faerun and taking a look at all the stuff there for hints and suggestion. Tons of stuff to pick and choose from in there really.
noonetall 11-10-07, 07:38 PM	Heh... overpriced. I don't want to spend that much on a book I'm just using to flesh out the background and think up a few dungeon crawls.
Old Sage 11-10-07, 09:30 PM	I'd recommend picking up a copy of the recently release Grand History of the Realms tome as well.
Zsych 11-10-07, 11:47 PM	Wouldn't your PC end up needing to go vampire on the younger hearts as well? Anyway, I don't think you actually need to know much about the magical empires except perhaps what would be important to Nar or Raum. You might go with the idea that each of these beings has a certain personality and magical focus which they aid the development of... Like the Netherese one might've focussed on magical items, the Imaskari one may have focussed on dimensional magic etc. Overall... I'm not sure I would make this the immediate main plot, more like an underlying plot... mostly because I can't think of any way to execute it in a way that makes it spectacular by itself. Weaved into various other plots I suppose it could be quite interesting. I'd make Nar's revival a slow thing, and I'd probably make Ioulaum(who is still alive) one of these beings. --- As for research, there are 2E downloads freely available on this site, I think there is an FR wiki which you could google, and you can check out wikipedia for info on old empires and their characters. Also... I think there are compendiums of realms lore over at candlekeep too.
noonetall 11-11-07, 10:39 AM	Actually, the PC doesn't because he/she/it is a hero, basically. He COULD do so, but won't. HIs peronal poewr is slowly falling off, but by dint of effort he can gain class levels. Nar is trying to quick and easy route: drain his peers and regain his former strength, then ensure hsi dominance forever. He'll be a horrifically deadly opponent by the end of the game. And you're right, I am definitely thinking of giving each one a speciality. Nar is horrifically evil and calls forth demonic energies, for example.