The Dalelands entry in the FRCG states that the dalelands suffer from drow attacks on a regular basis. However, the underdark entry says the nearest Drow city is under southern Cormyr. The drow under Cormanthor forest are slaves to a tribe of fire giants, IIRC.
So, Maerimydra is infested with fire giants, and there are no other drow settlements within hundreds of miles. Where is drow House Jarlaxe based, and how are they attacking the dalelands?
Any help you can give me in figuring out this pile of fertilizer is greatly appreciated.
As for how, I suppose they would pretty much stick to night raids now that they've lost their advantage. They don't force their way in; they skirt the borders of civilization and find whatever vulnerabilities they can. I could also see them relying on magic to a much greater extent, if they learned that Elminster is no longer prone to going out and striking down evil-doers who trespass. I'd imagine the drow rely on cloaking magic (so that at night the Dalesmen have no chance at all); they probably attack in small numbers, hit-and-run type maneuvers that really only sting but bring about no serious repercussions.
... though one wonders why a magic-ridden city like Sschindylryn didn't go down Halruaa-way when Spellplague happened by.
-The beauty of the Spellplague: Things like that aren't accidental, or weren't glossed over, or overlooked, or forgotten about, or anything like that- the Spellplague is just so chaotic, it doesn't even need to follow the rules that the designers set. Sure, it's attracted to places of high magical concentration (Halruaa), and at the same time, is dispelled by places of high magical concentration (Myth Drannor). There's no rhyme or reason to it! Because of that, all designers/authors/whoever else are covered. The perfect insurance.
Oh. I was under the impression that the spellplague scrambled all the portal networks, rendering them useless.
-The FRCG specifically includes an entry for Sschindylryn, and says that the portals there still work, and reliably so, ensuring the status quo. So, the portals there still work fine.
So, Maerimydra is infested with fire giants, and there are no other drow settlements within hundreds of miles. Where is drow House Jarlaxe based, and how are they attacking the dalelands?
Most of the following is assumption and/or deduction. Some of this is taken from the Dalelands LFR plotlines.
Jaelre, as I have assumed so far, uses small bases spread throughout the underdark. They als make alliances with a few select organisations that allow them to operate in limited capacity above ground. such alliances are, ofocurse, based on mutual mistrust - i.o.w., lasting as long as either side is satisfied with the conditions, and ever wary for a knife in the back.
The drow operate mostly in the west, in the area around Mistledale, Shadowdale, and part of Deepingdale, and in Battledale, especially around Esembra. They seek ways to ovcercome or throw down the giants in Myrmaerida, though so far have not been very successful.
As to the fire giants, they have a claim on the whole underdark and above, but are not really powerful enough to succeed yet. The fey forces are still quite strong, especially now that fey have returned to the Living Wood. Should the fire giants push for war right now, they may also risk weakening their own hold on the city, opening themselves up to a counterattack by the drow (though that last one would require a joined effort to arrange, not that likely to arise without a bit of help, but still a potential risk).
Portals stil exist in the underdark, but they work in erroneous ways. Rumors speak of portals to a dark and forbidden place that randomly open and spew forth monsters. Iow, portals are not entirely reliable, though ofcourse it is posisble that a few exist that can be controlled - such portals would be well hidden, and well guarded.
The most reliabe portals in the area were made after the spellplague. Some lead to and from the Fall of Stars in New Velar. These are useless for drow though, since these portals are enchanted thus that the owners of the Fall of Stars can determine who enters through such portals, and from where (those who are refused are ejected back at the spot from where they planned to enter, and unless precautions were made, their location is made known to the Fall's owners).
Which portals were rendered inert as a result of the Waymeet are unclear, though it may be some of those that Araevin used in the novels.
-We don't know the locations of such portals (most of them being unlabeled, unmentioned thing, ultimately, in the grand scheme of the setting), but given that the Waymeet was created by Arvyandaar, it is likely that the majority of those portals were contained within the region that Aryvandaar used to hold as her own sovereign territory, and nearby locales.
LK: did we ever find a consensus on the location of the Waymeet itself? I can't remember, except that some were thinking it was in Faerie?
-If I recall, it was located on it's own demiplane. There was no indication to point that it was located on the Plane of Faerie.
Ah, good. That makes more sense to my way of thinking.
-I believe that 'Waymeet' was the name of the demiplane, whose entirety totaled the crystalline setting that was depicted in Final Gate.
Yep. Another interesting idea from the novels that I would've like to seen more on, in terms of additional development, were the "Song Paths" that were special portals. Imagine if the crafty drow discovered how to use those. I wonder if Elorfinder Floshin is still tromping around as their protector in 4E, or if another has taken up that mantle.
The Song Portals appeared in NWN 2 too.
Can't remember anything more, but I liked them, looked really elven and old.
-I don't remember is anything was actually said in Final Gate, but even if it did, it'd be useless and inert now, anyway.
Yeah ... though people need not to play in the current timeline. ;) I for one most certainly do not.