Nice article, its about time we get some decent information on the place, only 6 pages though, they could of made it a little longer, but still all in all a pretty informative article. Appreantly the place is overrun with cultists of Asmodeus, and Dire Corbies. Great news for anyone who was wishing to see Dire Corbies done up for 4e. I prefer to see new monsters stated up instead of just slight variations on exsisting monsters, well new to 4e any way.
Oh, and theres a magma Primordial in there, the Dwarves used it to power their furnaces, no wonder the forges of Gauntlgrym are legendary!
I was a little dissappointed that there wasnt a map in there, but they did give us a map of sorts in the Road to Neverwinter Ezine. www.wizardsofthecoast-digital.com/wizard...
For the last time: Gauntlgrym was a city built by the dwarves of Delzoun for men. Yep, humans. It was not a dwarven city, only a dwarven-built one. That fact was established all the way back in 1987. Of course, that's literally ancient history now.*sigh*
-- George Krashos
Nice to see that Bruce doesn't let published and established realmslore get in the way of a good story. When he puts on his "ideas hat" he really goes hell for leather. It's a shame that his version of Gauntlgrym doesn't match the published sources. But then of course, that might mean his creativity would be stifled and he'd miss the opportunity to slot another primordial into the Realms.
For the last time: Gauntlgrym was a city built by the dwarves of Delzoun for men. Yep, humans. It was not a dwarven city, only a dwarven-built one. That fact was established all the way back in 1987. Of course, that's literally ancient history now.*sigh*
-- George Krashos
You say, "nice to see..." but I cant help but think that youre being sarcastic! Haha!
But any way, I wasnt aware that there was much established lore on the place, thats why I was so jazzed about this article, but now that you mention it I do seem to recall something about it being built for humans. But still im sure, there were some Dwaves in the place. And as far as inconsistencies go, I dont think Bruce can take all the blame, as this was a tie in to Salvatore's latest novel of the same name.
But on the subject of yet another Primordial in the Realms, it does kinda make you wonder, if all these Primordial were supposed to have gone to Abeir, why are there so many of them in Toril? Didnt any one noticce that they were "missing"?
1E "gray box" Forgotten Realms setting, and
The North supplement for the Forgotten Realms.
Lost Empires of Faerun is an additional source.
By lore, it was originally a human city (predominantly), built by the dwarves for a human warlord and his followers. I don't subscribe to DDI, so I can't say how much Cordell's vision differs from the original. Does it contain illithid and illithiderro?
Right! The good ol FR0 aka the Gray Box, unfortunatly, it doesnt give alot of info:
Gauntlgrym, a "Lost City," built in the northern mountains by the dwarves centuries ago for a warrior king and his followers, has been located by someone in Waterdeep. A large (thirty or so strong) party of mercenaries, called the Company of the Gryphon had been organized to explore it for him. Only three of that company have returned to the city, these three having fled shortly after the party located the crumbling entrance to this lost mountain-hold, in a high hidden valley. Several adventurers in Waterdeep are trying to find out the whereabouts of this city of Gauntlgrym, said to hold riches and magic, but if they have even found survivors of the ill-fated band or the one who sent them forth, no one else yet knows of it in Waterdeep.(*)
and the little asterik means that they was never planing on followin up on that, bummer.
From the Grand History:
–335 DR Year of Seven SpiritsThe arcanist Maerin of Illusk commissions Immar Fardelver and many other artisans of Delzoun to begin construction of the great subterranean city of Gauntlgrym in the Crags, to the east of Illusk.
–321 DR Year of Hollow HillsGauntlgrym is completed by the dwarves of Delzoun in this year, and the arcanist Maerin of Illusk welcomes humans from Illusk, Netherese refugees from Runlatha and Sundabar who have made the long trek west, and dwarves of Clan Goldspire of Delzoun to live in the city.
–111 DR Year of Terrible Anger The Orc Marches: The entire North erupts as great orc hordes stream south from the Spine of the World and the Ice Mountains to lay waste to all in their path. Illusk and Gauntlgrym fall to this onslaught, and Delzoun is devastated by countless orc assaults. Most of Illusk’s population manages to escape by sea or by magic and is spared. The elves of Iliyanbruen, Rilithar, Siluvanede, and Eaerlann unite to shatter the strength of the orcs and halt their rampage south into the High Forest and Dessarin Valley.
141 DR Year of the Impenetrable Mystery Gauntlgrym is resettled with aid from Highlord Narandos of Illusk
153 DR Year of the Wolfstone Illithids from the Underdark and their lycanthropic thralls conquer Gauntlgrym. A few survivors escape and are taken in by a tribe of Uthgardt barbarians.
So yeah it would make sense for the place to be inhabited by Illithids and their lycanthropic thralls, but no, according to the article, its full of Dire Corbies, well I mean its a good sized place so there could be some around, but the article doesnt mention them, maybe they were killed off by the Corbies? Theres also a group of Ashmadai (cultists of Asmodues) who guard the entrance into Gauntlgrym, at the direction of Szass Tam (who else?), who seeks to find a way to harness the power of the Primordial inside for his own evil purposes.
I dont think theres too many horribly bad inconsistencies, but yeah the article does make it sound like this was a purely Dwarven city, but then again, it doesnt specifically say that humans didnt live there either. I would like to see more articles like this detailing areas of the Realms that havnt been under the spotlight already, like maybe an article on Theymarsh!