****SPOILERS AHEAD for 4E Neverwinter CS and 5E "Lost Mines of Phandalin"*****
I've tried to be suitably vague in the thread title to avoid spoiling either adventure. I picked up the 5E starter set after learning that Rich Baker wrote the adventure therein. His 4E adventure "Reavers of Harkenwold" was possibly the best published adventure I've ever read, so I that made the 5E starter set a no-brainier at the Amazon price.
With the 5E FRCS well in the future, and up to date info pretty scarce, I am encountering a problem with the new adventure. It is set in the Neverwinter region, and involves several locations that were likewise involved in the excellent 4E Neverwinter CS.
If you haven't read the NCS, the Shadovar located Iolaum's fallen enclave, Xinlenal, in the southeast of Neverwinter Wood. They were conducting a significant, secret operation in the region in an effort to raise the enclave. Xinlenal's resting place is very near to Agatha's Grove, a locale in the new 5E adventure. Thay, also, had a major presence in the area. They were actually the party responsible for Mount Hotenow's devastating eruption. Other major groups are/were also very active in this small area.
I'm looking for input/conjecture on the outcome in the Neverwinter region. I'm aware of the major events that took place with the Shadovar in "The Sundering" novels. Heavy-handed as it is, I can deal with it. The inevitable, massive war apparently finally broke out across most of the North, the Heartlands and Cormanthor. The novels are so vague, though, as to be useless. No big deal, really, but mildly frustrating considering the choice to make a completely unsettled FR the new default setting. (I needs better info!)
When running the adventure, my players will understand that I have to be intentionally vague when it comes to the manner of the Shadovar withdrawal from Neverwinter. Their characters likely wouldn't know all there was to know, anyway, even as natives of the region.
Still, any ideas on how the Shadovar war would've affected Neverwinter? Would the Shadovar have withdrawn in order to focus their efforts on Cormyr and the Heartlands? Why did Thay give up their plans for the region (did they)? What's the current news with Asmodeus and his Ashmadai? Any ideas to explain the absence of the region's major players?
A bit more official info for this region would've been great, in light of WotC's choice to make it the setting of choice for their new adventures. I'm sure a lot is still in flux, regarding the official state of the post-Sundering Realms. That makes the Sword Coast North a tricky choice, since you had the Shadovar, Thay, Asmodeus and other arch-devils, and the Abolethic Sovereignty very active within this one, small area. (And those are just the biggest fish!)
TLDR: Any ideas on how the 4E to 5E time jump played out in the Neverwinter region?
I wish I knew.
I feel a similar frustration with the lack of information. Especially in the wake of big changes.
Until WOTC reveals their plans on a campaign book, all we have are the Sundering novels and the Tyranny of Dragons adventures.
We do know that the Cult of the Dragon is going to somehow be more of a major player. Until the 1st Tyranny of Dragons adventure comes out we don't know how this is going to pan out though.
One thing you could implement to emplain the Thay absence would be to hint that there is a civil war brewing "back home" that is keeping the Thay leadership busy. The non-Necromantic Thulkirs have amassed support and are trying to wrestle control back from the Lich. Thayan forces are being pulled back to Thay to help deal with the chaos.
You can further "connect the dots" for your players by introducing a Thayan renegade red wizard who is building support locally in Neverwinter area to go back ad try to win his position back. Make him a summoner and he might have made an alliance with the devils. That connects two of the villain storylines.
Since the city of Shade crashes into a certain elven city in the Herald, I think we are supposed to assume that the majority of the Shadovar leadership and their best troops are dead. What that means for their forces elsewhere is anyone's best guess....
Agreed on all counts. 
I think my approach will be to simply say that, amidst all the worldwide chaos, no one anywhere feels certain of what the current situation is. I expect Shade and Thay will both be dramatically altered in the new FRCS (we know for certain with Shade). As you said, I think my only course at present is to state that these power groups may have pulled out of the region. If they are still around, they are lying low and weathering the chaos like everyone else.
I really wish we had enough info that I could better set the stage, so to speak. Did the Shadovar quietly vacate the area after the Xinlenal expedition failed? Did they crush opposition and garrison Neverwinter during the war? Is Asmodeus still a major deity with a very active cult in the region?
I like using the official sources as my starting point. It will be irritating to find that the 5E FRCS retcons our game's recent history. We'll just prepare ourselves for it and accept it as part of the setting's current transition.
tallric_kruush wrote:
Thanks for the update on Thay. It sounds like we will get more on them as that adventure path unfolds. I'm curious to see why they'd ally with the Cult. Maybe elements within Thay are looking for an ally powerful enough to remove Szass Tam's undead regime?
Most of the local Ashmadai were pawns of Valindra, but Asmodeus has truer, more capable servants in the region, as well. He also has his own plans in motion, as do several of the other Arch-Devils. Erin Evans' novels have shown quite a bit, but still leave a ton of unanswered questions, at present. The Ashmadai in service to Valindra seemed to be the grunts, the untrained cannon fodder of the cult. I wonder how far even their patience will reach. They'll eventually see through Valindra's charade, I imagine.
tallric_kruush wrote:
tallric_kruush wrote:
I think, with both floating cities of Netheril destroyed during the War, the expedition to Neverwinter Wood was recalled due to lack of progress. The "robot" guardians can be left behind, with instructions to maintain the center of the city but let the edges grow wild and camoflaged again.
The important Thayan players went back home to plot and scheme against each other. Most of them are undead and can always come back later. Maybe some low-powered being is still inside the Dread Ring with orders to lay low until further notice. The nature of the Ring will creep out anybody who might trespass anyways; camouflage. Hiding the connection between Thay and the eruption of Mt. Hotenow will be wise, regardless, because such flagrant displays of power tend to draw wandering heroes (and bored demi-gods) down on you.
Asmodeus is patient and subtle; he can give his followers a bit more leash but not launch them on any rash actions. He himself felt the power of Ao - remember that he became a greater god in 4e by killing Azuth and consuming his essence; was this un-done during the Sundering? - and this is an opportune time to reconsider some of his many plots/plans. (Read: Asmodeus must disguise the fact that he has been weakened, so public displays of power are off the table for now.) Just in case the circumstances have changed enough that new negotiations are called for.
The aboleths came from Abeir, and arrived seeking to investigate the Spellplague. If Abeir is gone, then the aboleths are too. If the Spellplague pocket is gone, the aboleths will not stay in the region (except maybe the last aboleth to leave might decide this makes a good hideaway and stay). And no I didn't like the aboleths plotline anyways.
The great power in the Neverwinter area, for now, should be the sleeping (but overstretched) giant of Imperial Waterdeep. Which really means that everybody steps carefully while they scope out the scene and realize there is NO great power in the region, but many competing and counter-balancing factions.
Here are a few things from the Tyranny of Dragons Campagin that might clear up some of your questions.
First, Neverwinter: Lord Neverember is in the process of rebuilding Neverwinter and cleaning up after the Sundering and war. It is no longer under attack. The gods thought dead have returned, so more than likely Helm's Hold is being reinstituted. We see some of the chaos that was left by the Spellplague wars. Thundertree was abandoned and Conyberry is completely deserted, aside from Agatha. For the campaign I'm about to start I'm planning on using the 4th editon map of Neverwinter CS, but not all the dangerous areas. I'm betting that some are still active, but not as dangerous as during the spellplague.
Second, Asmodius: There is a section in Rise of Tiamat that deals with allying with the 9 Hells. Basically there is a civil war in Hell. Asmodius is playing the neutral party, but is the instigator of the war in the first place. He has replaced Bel in Avernus with the fallen angel Zariel. Zariel doesn't like Tiamat and wants her gone. Bel wants to keep her to stay. Asmodius is playing the waiting game.
Strictly for the benefit of my upcoming 5e Merchant-Lord-in-the-making character:
The deep crevasse in SE Neverwinter has filled in due to earthquakes &c. This area subsided somewhat as a result. If the river were to flood - say as part of spring snowmelt &c - the area might very well turn into a shallow lake. Conveniently, a large shallow lake inside the city walls.
Why is this convenient? Because two of his proposed business ventures are (1) keelboats along the river to the elven capital, and guiding logger rafts downstream; (2) Teamsters Guild, moving stuff from the riverdocks to the ocean docks on the other side of town.
One of the minor gods in the returning Elven pantheon has Neverwinter Wood as part of his portfolio. He is guaranteed to find the Thayan Ring, and to see it as an abomination of desolation. He might make a call on Talos for help, and guide a hurricane into Neverwinter Wood. Use the concentrated power of the storm to blast the Ring's defenses (I don't see Talos feeling like he's being used or manipulated by this), then literally wash the blemish off the land. The resulting muck should be washed out to sea in a week or two. And, hmmm, I said something above about how a flood might affect Neverwinter. For many in Neverwinter and the Sword Coast North, this storm would be the exclamation point that concludes the Sundering.