- The Civil War is still going on, although it is currently in a stalemate. Given that most of the Genie left for the Elemental Chaos soon after stabilizing their given cities (or in case of the captured Madrid and Deo, just left), and left their Sultans to act as Pasha in their place, so that they themselves would be safe. This leaves three Pasha competing for Caliph-ship. In fact, the Weave Pasha, the Effret Memnon and the Djinn Calim.
- As such, the Major Cities have, by decree of the Pashas, removed Teleportation Circles from their cities. Fearing attack from opposing factions, they make the creation of Teleportation Circles punishable by death. Although there are still secret private ones, they are kept well hidden and used very rarely, and are warded by great rituals.
- Slave Trade is still strong in all of the Major Port Cities in Calimshan. While Almravien still specializes in Prisioners of War, and still supplements the cities forces with Gnoll and Bugbear slaves, this practice is starting to come under scrutiny from the escaped slaves from the West. The WeavePasha feels the need to completely remove the Labor Slave caste given recent events, but given Foreign and Local interests, he is in no real position to do so.
- Rumors are that the Aranea still inhabit the Plain of Stone Spiders. In fact, there is rumor there are whole cities of them. No evidence has ever been presented for this, and given the caution of the Shapeshifter, it is unlikely to be discovered anytime soon.
-In the game I am playing in, I am intending to go to Calimshan, bringing the other characters with me, and Calimshan is still plain ol' Calimshan.
I'll be going with him.
Then when the FRCG came out, I see they went somewhat in that direction... which leads me to wonder why they bothered with replacing Chessenta at all?
Anyhow, IF I run FR ever again (which I doubt - I'm still a fan, but the changes have left me against using it as a game-setting anymore), I would keep Chesenta as-is (which I have closer to a Greek Citystates then even the canon version). I would then dump all the 4e Genasi garbage - including Arkanul - into Calimshan. I'd split Calimshan into four countries, with two of them at-war with one another (I'd also keep the Calim/Memnon storyline, but have it more as a 'Cold War', with small pitched-battles taking place all along the border, but no 'real' full-scale engagements).
the return of Calim/Memnon storyline is awful
Actually, after reading the 4e FR previews, I was dismayed that they didn't turn Calimshan - which is redundent considering Zakhara - into the new Genasi Kingdoms.
Then when the FRCG came out, I see they went somewhat in that direction... which leads me to wonder why they bothered with replacing Chessenta at all?
Anyhow, IF I run FR ever again (which I doubt - I'm still a fan, but the changes have left me against using it as a game-setting anymore), I would keep Chesenta as-is (which I have closer to a Greek Citystates then even the canon version). I would then dump all the 4e Genasi garbage - including Arkanul - into Calimshan. I'd split Calimshan into four countries, with two of them at-war with one another (I'd also keep the Calim/Memnon storyline, but have it more as a 'Cold War', with small pitched-battles taking place all along the border, but no 'real' full-scale engagements).
Dude, stop contradicting yourself and follow the suggestion of your own signature!!
Be happy, you boob!!
Actually, after reading the 4e FR previews, I was dismayed that they didn't turn Calimshan - which is redundent considering Zakhara - into the new Genasi Kingdoms.
That's because Al -Quadim, just like Kura-Tur should never have been made part of the realms, and was part of that whole "It's 2nd Edition, Let's Put It In The Realms!" Movement that swept TSR for years. (Do you remember when under First Edition any Dragonlance Character at the Character Level of 20 got shunted into the Realms for being too powerful? Talk about more cross contamination).
the return of Calim/Memnon storyline is awful
You think so?
Aside from the redundancy with the near-identical storyline in the DoD series, I always felt that they would break-out someday, and that is something I have the least problem with in 4eFR.
In fact, if the Spellplague didn't shatter the Calimemnon Crystal, I would have thought that was really strange.
I don't know if I would done it just like they did - I may have had them be dis-embodied elemental spirits guiding their minions... and trying to recover some lost artifacts so they could get their forms back - especiially if both needed the same artifacts - I could have great fun with that.
Dude, stop contradicting yourself and follow the suggestion of your own signature!!
Thats the problem... I don't know WHAT to play anymore. I love the Realms, but I don't like the Realms now. Also, I have always run D&D with the latest set of rules - I have never, ever run games using 'old rules'.
These are habits that are hard to break - stop running the Realms (or at least, the current Realms), and also stop using current rules.
I want to be happy, but I don't think that RPGs will ever make that happen again. I guess I'll have to go back to being a manwho%@. :D
You think so?
-I know *I* think so. Chalk another line in the "ancient [beings/people/places] that have been gone* for a long time that are now back" category.
*Calim and Memnon haven't been gone, technically, but, then again, neither has Netheril or Imaskar, so, never mind the technicality...
In fact, if the Spellplague didn't shatter the Calimemnon Crystal, I would have thought that was really strange.
-It would have had to, or rather, the crystal must have been destroyed in some fashion at some point, for Calim and Memnon to take mortal forms again.
*Calim and Memnon haven't been gone, technically, but, then again, neither has Netheril or Imaskar, so, never mind the technicality...
Both Shade and deep Imaskar were created in 3e by the current team - and both SUCK.
The story of Calim and Memnon was created a LONG time ago by someone I respect and admire , and were already 'set-up' to return someday, right from the very beginning.
You can't compare the two - no designer in 2e ever meant Netheril or Imaskar to return... those guys had brains (not to mention talent, creativity, dashing good looks, etc, etc...) :P
Thats the problem... I don't know WHAT to play anymore. I love the Realms, but I don't like the Realms now. Also, I have always run D&D with the latest set of rules - I have never, ever run games using 'old rules'.
These are habits that are hard to break - stop running the Realms (or at least, the current Realms), and also stop using current rules.
I want to be happy, but I don't think that RPGs will ever make that happen again. I guess I'll have to go back to being a manwho%@. :D
Shut the CENSORED up--you are smart enough to figure this CENSORED out.
3e and 4e are now two different games.
Play the game you want.
Both Shade and deep Imaskar were creatded in 3e by the current team - and both SUCK.
-Shade was created in Netheril: Empire of Magic.
You can't compare the two - no designer in 2e ever meant Netheril or Imaskar to return... those guys had brains (not to mention talent, creativity, dashing good looks, etc, etc...) :P
-See the above. Where Shade went, and if it could return, was always something that was up in the air.
You think so?
Aside from the redundancy with the near-identical storyline in the DoD series, I always felt that they would break-out someday, and that is something I have the least problem with in 4eFR.
In fact, if the Spellplague didn't shatter the Calimemnon Crystal, I would have thought that was really strange.
yes, it's better to have two bound genies on the brink of release than ''there were once two bound genies and they're long gone'', it's simple, there's plenty of other genie lords in the elemental planes
somehow the Spellplague shattered the good parts of FR, it's seems they weren't making decisions which ones are worth keeping, lthey rolled dices, ''ok I got Hlondeth, let's blow it up''
the designers triggered all the possible plots to cover their lack of creativity and incompetence of adding new ones
My point, though, was the Spellplague being what it was, it made sense that the Genie lords were released.
However, I wouldn't have done MOST of what they did, and YES, I do like the genies 'bottled-up'. ALL of old plots - Nethereal, Imaskar, Calimshan, etc, etc... have been 'detonated', leaving FR a very different world, but no longer a very interesting one to adventure in.
Its the difference between my own heartfelt desire to go to Egypt and study the tombs and ancient ruins... and going back to ancient Egypt itself. I don't want t go to ancient Egypt - where would I get my chocolate milk and funnybones? :D
Besides, studying the pyramids NOW is a lot more fun then being there and getting whipped and having to build them.
They sucked all of the mystery out of the setting - its just one, big monster-infested dungeon now, with guys on street-corners selling maps.
That is actually a very CENSORED valid point.
Well put.
Why explain this?
-Because he said 'X', when the case was 'Y', and I was mentioning that the case was 'Y', not 'X'.
Knowledge is the devil, I tell ya'! THE DEVIL!
I do give thank you to Yakman and quale1 for their small ideas. Some of those might make it into my game.
You know, everytime i think about offering a counter point, I realize that I am the only one in the conversation that actually likes the fact that time has moved on and things have changed. I don't know why I bother with this stale forum.
I do give thank you to Yakman and quale1 for their small ideas. Some of those might make it into my game.
You aren't the only person who likes 4e FR, and I'll make an effort to answer your points sometime today.
-Don't ask other people what they are doing/will be doing/would like to be doing in Calimshan, then. If you want specific kinds of responses, ask with specificity.
The OP asked about POST Spellplague and had bulletins and subjects to address, what more do you need?
Not everyone who posts here feels the need to lay a heavy hand on the parameters on their topics, but this thread has been hijacked by a few posters.
The intent of this thread is clear, yes? Or should the OP hold hands and walk people through it in little baby steps?
The OP asked about POST Spellplague and had bulletins and subjects to address, what more do you need?
-The OP asked what people were doing in Calimshan in their games, and shared what he/she was doing in his/her game. Read a little closer, if you want to get testy and snarky.
-The OP asked what people were doing in Calimshan in their games, and shared what he/she was doing in his/her game. Read a little closer, if you want to get testy and snarky.
In a very myopic view, yes. If you can't see that the OP intended to discuss 4e FR, post Spellplague era, I can't help you.
The OP's further comments also indicate this, so hopefully you, and others, can see the intent and add to the discussion in a meaningful manner. Or leave it to people wanting to discus what the OP wants.
-The OP asked what people were doing in Calimshan in their games, and shared what he/she was doing in his/her game. Yakman shared something he figured about Calimshan in his game. I shared what Calimshan is like in my game, as a player who is going there. Markus shared what he wants to do with Calimshan in his world. Jigga shared what he does with Calimshan in his game. See the pattern?
Yes, I did... and look what happened. You started the "I Plan to Ignore 4E" which is fine (Although completely uninformative and dismissive of the subject at hand), which I feel created an invitation for a Flame about three posts later against 4E, and eventually dived into a whole flame war over weither the developers of 4E FR's should have even freed the Djinn, and how it was better under 3E, blah blah, which really has nothing to do with this topic at all.
So, instead of having a nice resource for other people to potential use in their games, and in yours if it ever came around to it, the community, as a whole, choose to make this into a Complain Fest. *chck* Nice going, community.
Hopefully, now that you've said your peace, this thread won't be de-railed anymore. I'm currently working on a post for ideas that might help you.
You willl note that I am CONSTANTLY contributing to 4e threads/lore whenever possible, while at the same expressing my dislike for most of it. I can't help the way I feel, but I can still try to be helpful (so long as we don't start getting into the "4e Sucks" posts, in which case the whole things starts sliding downhill).
In fact, I actually like theorizing about Abeir... but the second someone brings up the '4e' symbol, it sets-off warning bells in my head - it has the same effect on some of us that a cross does on vampires - we hiss and spit and cover our eyes with our capes... What? you don't wear a cape?
Ummmm... yeah... neither do I.... :embarrass
Given Post Plague Realms, this is currently how I am running the Calimshan at this time. I would love input on what you might be doing in your game.
For the recored, this is about 4e FR post Spellplague.
- The Civil War is still going on, although it is currently in a stalemate. Given that most of the Genie left for the Elemental Chaos soon after stabilizing their given cities (or in case of the captured Madrid and Deo, just left), and left their Sultans to act as Pasha in their place, so that they themselves would be safe. This leaves three Pasha competing for Caliph-ship. In fact, the Weave Pasha, the Effret Memnon and the Djinn Calim.
I'd imagine that there are still small scale skirmishes aplenty with a few high intensity conflicts now and again.
It could be that Memnon & Calim where forced to leave, by some means, and their respective followers are trying to both bring them back and/or stop the other from returning.
- As such, the Major Cities have, by decree of the Pashas, removed Teleportation Circles from their cities. Fearing attack from opposing factions, they make the creation of Teleportation Circles punishable by death. Although there are still secret private ones, they are kept well hidden and used very rarely, and are warded by great rituals.
This is a clever idea... also, enemies could try to infiltrate and build/capture TC's in strategic positions.
- Slave Trade is still strong in all of the Major Port Cities in Calimshan. While Almravien still specializes in Prisioners of War, and still supplements the cities forces with Gnoll and Bugbear slaves, this practice is starting to come under scrutiny from the escaped slaves from the West. The WeavePasha feels the need to completely remove the Labor Slave caste given recent events, but given Foreign and Local interests, he is in no real position to do so.
If your players aren't Genasi, using the 'underground railroad' in the west is a good way to get them involved with the area and active without having to choose sides or be slaves themselves.
- Rumors are that the Aranea still inhabit the Plain of Stone Spiders. In fact, there is rumor there are whole cities of them. No evidence has ever been presented for this, and given the caution of the Shapeshifter, it is unlikely to be discovered anytime soon.
You could have an adventure where PC's try to either enlist their aid or investigate the rumors to see if they pose a threat?