How long ago from the current Forgotten Realms year did Featherdale, Scardale and Tasseldale fall to the Sembians?
I've seen stuff that suggests it was a few decades back, but then I'm also seeing stuff talking about current freedom fighters. If I wanted a Scardale veteran who'd fought against the Sembians, how old would he be?
Thanks
1397, Year of the Quill: Sembian investors begin buying up land in the southern Dales.
1418, Year of the Lords’ Coronation: Sembian administrators move in to Featherdale and quietly assume control of the Dale. Alarmed by Featherdale’s bloodless capitulation, Battledale begins to restrict trade and travel between Sembia
1420, Year of the Dark Goddess: Unable to subvert Tasseldale as bloodlessly as Featherdale, mercenaries out of Yhaunn overrun Tasseldale. Requests for aid from Archendale are rebuffed and Tasseldale is eventually brought under Sembian rule.
1421, Year of the Walking Trees: A Sembian mercenary army arrives in Chandler’s Cross, slaughtering many folk of the Scar and scattering the rest.
1422, Year of the Advancing Shadows: Battledale comes under heavy attack by Sembian mercenary forces. Receiving little aid from the Dale’s Council, Highdale joins its fortunes with Cormyr, deciding doing so was the best way to beat off Sembia’s advances.
1425, Year of Seven Sisters: All Dales save Archendale unite under the rule of Mistledale, and the reformed Dale’s Council. A new Dales Compact is established with Myth Drannor and the Standing Stone is restored. King Azoun personally attends the ceremony, and joins Cormyr in alliance with Cormanthor and the Dalelands.
1428, Year of the Elfqueen’s Joy: With aid from Myth Drannor, work is completed on a defensive wall around Harrowdale Town. The Seven Burghers announce a formal alliance with Cormanthor and rename the city New Valar.
1432, Year of Silent Thunder: Both the Elvish Royal Embassy and the Nangwë Shipyards are completed in New Valar this year.
1440, Year of Azuth’s Woe: The Swords, masked rulers of Archendale, are demasked and found to be in Sembia’s pocket. Archendale sides with the other Dalelands and joins in alliance against Sembia. In a joint effort between the Imperial Navy of Cormyr and the Royal Navy of Cormanthor (based out of New Velar), the alliance fleet successfully blockades Sembia’s port cities from all sea traffic. In a particularly decisive engagement in Selgaunt Bay, Sembia loses a third of its entire fleet.
1441, Year of Resurrections Rampant: After nearly two decades of non-aggression, Sembia marches a large mercenary army against the Dalelands at Archenbridge. Cormyr honors its alliance with the Dales, quickly marching armies from Daerlun and Highcastle to besiege Saerb and Urmlaspyr, while the Royal Navy sails swiftly to blockade Saerloon. Myth Drannor also comes to the Dales aid, sending its swift elven warships south from New Valar to strike Sembian vessels along the coast to Yhaunn. Treaty of Griffonfang Bridge: Pressured on all sides, Sembia (with approval from its Netherese governors) agrees to a cessation of hostilities with Corymr, Cormanthor and the Dalelands. The uneasy cease-fire endures to this day. Daerlun and Urmlaspyr gain their independence from both nations.
1460, Year of Malachite Shadows: Lycanthropes from the Dagger Hills begin harrowing the villagers of Dagger Falls.
That means there's been "peace" in the Dalelands for about 20 years then, right? I guess that's workable. I was thinking of a character concept as a Daleland freedom fighter who had trouble settling back into being a farmer and so took up his old arms again as an adventurer. I might have to make him a little older than I'd originally planned, though.
Lovely timeline - I like all of those entries.
-It's web enhancement material, right there.
No - thats not what they are looking for.
They want articles on things mechanics can be wrapped around, like organizations, or ones that will help with an adventure (like a detailed locale). BRJ has already stated that the article ALL have to include a certain percentage of 4e mechanics.
We will NOT be seeing any articles that are "lore for lore's sake".
You could perhaps have it linked to one or two of the entries, as background, but something as far-reaching as that particular one doesn't seem suitable to what they would like to publish online.
On the other hand, it is PERFECT for any PRINT module they want to do on the conflict between all the major players in that region.
Unfortunately, they aren't planning any such FR-specific print material.
I think a sourcbook/module a'la the 3e Moonsea would be IDEAL for Cormanthor and the surrounding region (and political climate). Too bad WotC doesn't think so. If they change their mind, they could easily use Brian's timeline for for background in such a product.
?
That could mean something, or it could mean nothing, but it was brought-up in a thread over at CK, so I thought I'd mention it.
Based on fan feeback from the poll I posted last month, the article would be about Sembia or Rashemen however.Taking other recent 'news' into account, I would say this is highly likely. I'd say you and GK should wait until at least the end of January before losing hope.
No - thats not what they are looking for.
They want articles on things mechanics can be wrapped around, like organizations, or ones that will help with an adventure (like a detailed locale). BRJ has already stated that the article ALL have to include a certain percentage of 4e mechanics.
We will NOT be seeing any articles that are "lore for lore's sake".
-Which can easily be added in, by those who know 4e rules. For mechanics to exist, there must first be lore. Ancient Tabotan philosophy...
If I were to write an article, I wouldn't make it about the lore - I would figure out what "cool new thing" the game needs, and then wrap in in some light fluff.
Because... thats what they ARE looking for. The fluff can be as silly or cheasy (headless Zhent?) as you want, as long as the mechanics presented are solid. This is D&D's new 'Prime Directive', and the Crunch comes first, which is then 'dressed-up' in an ad-hoc veil of generic fluff.
You can't think about article submissions in terms of "what the Realms need", you have to do it in terms of "What the GAME needs", and then you are far more likely to have your submissions responded to. Things like more regional Feats might work (which will allow some FR lore to be slipped in), or perhaps a new Warlock Pact - thats the kind of stuff they want in the DDi.
Not that I'm one to give advice to guys who have already been published, but sometimes an outsider's point-if-view is needed to bring things into focus. ;)
I don't think the atmosphere is as dismal as you paint it, and I think the last few months (the nov-december time) has been filled with other priorities. Right now WoTC prolly has 100's of proposals bouncing around and they cna only use so many, and they're also experimenting with the use of DRA as a preview channel (which irks me and we need to keep giving them hell for it).
-But, the core point remains. For there to be mechanics, there must also be lore. Create an NPC? He/she's not going to be just a bunch of numbers. Included is always some sort of explanation as to who he/she is, and how he/she can be used. Krash's poison article, stats for the poisons, explanations of what they are and how they work.
Soooooo... how many headless guys live in your neighborhood? :P
@Serphet: I tend to always look at things from the pessimistic side of the equation. If I'm right, then I get the good feeling of being correct. If I'm wrong, then I get the good feeling that things turned out better then we thought they would.
Optomists just set themselves up for disappointment. ;)
to true.I guy walking (riding?) around with no head isn't an aberration?
-Not in the D&D sense of the term.
it may be aberrant though ;)
Heads are highly overrated... unless one looks of them as a place to put hats.
I disagree, where can I show better my cute boyish looks ?
You know... been reincarnated as a WotC designer? :P
Though I'm not catching the Mike reference there MT...
-He'd have to be Undead. Though, in theory, he could still be alive, but headless. Mike the Headless Chicken is a testament to that.