What is Nerath like? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

What is Nerath like?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Hammerhead
Nov 08, 2012 12:15:20 Just wondering what real life empire/culture would Nerath be like? Also was Arkhosa like the Roman Empire I think so
#2
thewok
Nov 08, 2012 15:50:07 I run a game set in the Nerath Empire. I set it up as a very cosmopolitan society. Most of the player races found in 4E can be found somewhere in varying numbers within the Empire. The current (and final) emperor of Nerath is a half-elf.

The empire was created after a human warrior named Nera led his people on a crusade to rid the world of dragons, bringing other peoples into the fold as he did so. The spot where he slew the final (or so he thought) dragon was settled, and it became the capital of what would become an empire named after its creator. This location would later be the site of an incursion by the denizens of the Elemental Chaos as the Primordials attempt to take back what they lost in the Dawn War and couldn't take back in their first attempt. This Second Incursion will create the Chaos Scar in the location of the portal, which is immediately east of the capital.

Current society, though, is fairly contented. Dragonborn freed from the yoke of dragon oppression now eagerly work to help the Empire that helped them. The transgression of the tiefling ancestors is largely forgotten by the populace at large, as it happened even before the Nerathi empire's rise, and even the deva rarely bring it up or treat tieflings with suspicion. The eladrin still largely live in the Feywild, but some noble human and eladrin families continue to arrange marriages of their sons and daughters to strengthen the ties between the empire and the eladrin courts. The few drow that have escaped the Underdark and their society's devotion to Lolth also serve the empire that accepted them, and, in fact, their sons and daughters are starting to acclimate to surface life, as these "dark elves" are starting to be born with varying hues of hair (from black to white and a number of shades of grey in between) and skin (less black, more blue). The gnomes, what few were rescued from the Fomorians in the past hundred years or so, have taken to their new home with gusto, setting their sharp minds toward the creation of new technology, driven by both clockwork and magic (though not nearly to the extent seen in Eberron).

The current plan is to have this society crumble, as the elemental incursion will pretty much wipe away the center of Nerathi society before it's beaten back and the portal sealed.

As for Arkhosia, mine was a society ruled by dragons, with dragonborn serving as footsoldiers, but mainly slaves. There was no war between Bael Turath and Arkhosia in my world. That war was fought between Bael Turath and the society of deva.
#3
mexrage
Nov 08, 2012 16:41:58 I thought that on the "present" of Points of Light/Nethir Vale...The Nerath Empire was done for...and everytime turned back into a crapstatic world, where even seasoned city guards will die in a couple of hours on the wilderness just a few miles away from civilization
#4
thewok
Nov 08, 2012 18:34:01 It is. Nerath was the last great empire, destroyed long ago. In my game, though, the PCs are citizens of that Empire. I wanted them to feel the loss in future campaigns, knowing that there was this great society, and it was destroyed, with no real hope of ever reclaiming it since too many people are more worried about what's happening in their immediate area, rather than in the world as a whole.
#5
mexrage
Nov 08, 2012 19:23:33 Ah ok, in my settings it's basically several centuries in the future....scales of war already happened and Tiamat is dead...thought most of the adventure of my campaing happend on a continent around the size of Australia..."dominated" by 3 nations, thought those nations are on an "alliance", because of danger of the other nations wanting to invade the continent because there are parts of this continent that are alot safer than the average wilderness...most of the year...(thought some places are complete and utter death traps.). Because the safeguard of the continent having regions where is alot more secure and stable, civilization is actually progressing and one of the nations is nearing industrial revolution age.
#6
MacEochaid
Nov 10, 2012 10:13:34 The cosmopolitan and learned empire feel should definitely come through. They seemed to have harnessed all the power sources together, The Golden Dragon barbarians and the Crescent Moon wardens are evidence of their knowledge of Primal Power, While the Ghost Talons shows they were aware of Psionics, Their are many different divine orders, and they definitely seem to welcome Arcane learning. This is tied intimately with their ruling class as it was one of their Kings who helped design the Warforged. They were allied with the Fey empire of Cendriane, and while It's not totally clear why, the capital of fractured Nerath is a Dwarven city Mithralfast.

They seemed to have left a few kingdoms like Rethmil alone, so their expansionism wasn't all consuming, but they seem to had an elaborate nobility with scores of different knightly orders that have popped up and named here and there.
#7
Grimcleaver
May 13, 2014 14:14:53 If you want an empire to go with, I'd say Alexandria. It has the right kind of classical architecture with a love of exotic stuff from different lands. Lots of culture. Very cosmopolitan. But yet it was all originally based on conquest and military endeavor and that shows through. It started out as conquered lands and then came together culturally after that. Likewise from what I've heard, for as great as Nerath was, it was shot through with corruption and infernalism--part of how it got so big and glorious and powerful was based of of devil deals worked by it's founder--which is why the shadowfell is still rent with Domains of Dread.

Arkhosia, on the other hand, seems to have less Rome going on and more of a Persia/Babylon thing--grand with a definite middle eastern vibe, and dangerous--like if you don't go in understanding the laws, culture or religion you could seriously discover a darker side to the empire. In a BAD way.
#8
Marandahir
Aug 02, 2014 18:32:59
To my understanding, Nerath is a reference to Nera, the Queen-name (but not original name) of the Raven Queen.

It's a Human empire, built upon the northwestern remains of both Arkhosia and Bael Turath, and Mithralfast is a very important territory within its reaches, so Dwarves, Dragonborn, Tieflings, and of course Humans are VERY present in the country. There are Elves of course, in Harken Forest and Winterbole Forest, and Halflings trade up and down the rivers from the sea ports of southern Therund and Sarthel all the way north to Fallcrest in the Nentir Vale. Nera is the capital, but it's actually south of a tall mountain range that would be a difficult journey by land from the Barony of Therund, though the sea ports along the Dragondown Coast and through the Midnight Sea would provide access across the Bay of Nera to the capital.

During the time of the setting of H1-H3, etc, Nera has partially been destroyed by Gnolls in the last wars, and Mithralfast is now the acting "capital". A really good read though, if you want to know more about the City of Nera and the heart of the nation, would be Dragon #393 "Legacy of Nerath" – it has an awesome picture of the Capital City of Nera, and furthermore, discusses much of the culture of the Empire during its height, people seeking its redemention, and most importantly, the Flame Imperishable. If you want an organization that keeps alive the spirit of Nerath, check out Dragon #396 "Guilds and Groups: The Last Legion."

I would also take a look at Dragon #375 "Domains of Dread: Graefmotte, the Font of Sorrows," which is a Ravenloft-type Domain of Dread whose Dark Lord is a Baron from the last days of Old Nerath; as well as Dragon #364 "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Yeenoghu, Demon Prince of Gnolls," which includes about a page on the last King of Nerath, King Elidyr, who may still be battling an eternal struggle in the Abyss against the White Ruin, one of Yeenoghu's greatest Gnoll champions.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Hammerhead Nov 08, 2012 12:15:20	Just wondering what real life empire/culture would Nerath be like? Also was Arkhosa like the Roman Empire I think so
#2 thewok Nov 08, 2012 15:50:07	I run a game set in the Nerath Empire. I set it up as a very cosmopolitan society. Most of the player races found in 4E can be found somewhere in varying numbers within the Empire. The current (and final) emperor of Nerath is a half-elf. The empire was created after a human warrior named Nera led his people on a crusade to rid the world of dragons, bringing other peoples into the fold as he did so. The spot where he slew the final (or so he thought) dragon was settled, and it became the capital of what would become an empire named after its creator. This location would later be the site of an incursion by the denizens of the Elemental Chaos as the Primordials attempt to take back what they lost in the Dawn War and couldn't take back in their first attempt. This Second Incursion will create the Chaos Scar in the location of the portal, which is immediately east of the capital. Current society, though, is fairly contented. Dragonborn freed from the yoke of dragon oppression now eagerly work to help the Empire that helped them. The transgression of the tiefling ancestors is largely forgotten by the populace at large, as it happened even before the Nerathi empire's rise, and even the deva rarely bring it up or treat tieflings with suspicion. The eladrin still largely live in the Feywild, but some noble human and eladrin families continue to arrange marriages of their sons and daughters to strengthen the ties between the empire and the eladrin courts. The few drow that have escaped the Underdark and their society's devotion to Lolth also serve the empire that accepted them, and, in fact, their sons and daughters are starting to acclimate to surface life, as these "dark elves" are starting to be born with varying hues of hair (from black to white and a number of shades of grey in between) and skin (less black, more blue). The gnomes, what few were rescued from the Fomorians in the past hundred years or so, have taken to their new home with gusto, setting their sharp minds toward the creation of new technology, driven by both clockwork and magic (though not nearly to the extent seen in Eberron). The current plan is to have this society crumble, as the elemental incursion will pretty much wipe away the center of Nerathi society before it's beaten back and the portal sealed. As for Arkhosia, mine was a society ruled by dragons, with dragonborn serving as footsoldiers, but mainly slaves. There was no war between Bael Turath and Arkhosia in my world. That war was fought between Bael Turath and the society of deva.
#3 mexrage Nov 08, 2012 16:41:58	I thought that on the "present" of Points of Light/Nethir Vale...The Nerath Empire was done for...and everytime turned back into a crapstatic world, where even seasoned city guards will die in a couple of hours on the wilderness just a few miles away from civilization
#4 thewok Nov 08, 2012 18:34:01	It is. Nerath was the last great empire, destroyed long ago. In my game, though, the PCs are citizens of that Empire. I wanted them to feel the loss in future campaigns, knowing that there was this great society, and it was destroyed, with no real hope of ever reclaiming it since too many people are more worried about what's happening in their immediate area, rather than in the world as a whole.
#5 mexrage Nov 08, 2012 19:23:33	Ah ok, in my settings it's basically several centuries in the future....scales of war already happened and Tiamat is dead...thought most of the adventure of my campaing happend on a continent around the size of Australia..."dominated" by 3 nations, thought those nations are on an "alliance", because of danger of the other nations wanting to invade the continent because there are parts of this continent that are alot safer than the average wilderness...most of the year...(thought some places are complete and utter death traps.). Because the safeguard of the continent having regions where is alot more secure and stable, civilization is actually progressing and one of the nations is nearing industrial revolution age.
#6 MacEochaid Nov 10, 2012 10:13:34	The cosmopolitan and learned empire feel should definitely come through. They seemed to have harnessed all the power sources together, The Golden Dragon barbarians and the Crescent Moon wardens are evidence of their knowledge of Primal Power, While the Ghost Talons shows they were aware of Psionics, Their are many different divine orders, and they definitely seem to welcome Arcane learning. This is tied intimately with their ruling class as it was one of their Kings who helped design the Warforged. They were allied with the Fey empire of Cendriane, and while It's not totally clear why, the capital of fractured Nerath is a Dwarven city Mithralfast. They seemed to have left a few kingdoms like Rethmil alone, so their expansionism wasn't all consuming, but they seem to had an elaborate nobility with scores of different knightly orders that have popped up and named here and there.
#7 Grimcleaver May 13, 2014 14:14:53	If you want an empire to go with, I'd say Alexandria. It has the right kind of classical architecture with a love of exotic stuff from different lands. Lots of culture. Very cosmopolitan. But yet it was all originally based on conquest and military endeavor and that shows through. It started out as conquered lands and then came together culturally after that. Likewise from what I've heard, for as great as Nerath was, it was shot through with corruption and infernalism--part of how it got so big and glorious and powerful was based of of devil deals worked by it's founder--which is why the shadowfell is still rent with Domains of Dread. Arkhosia, on the other hand, seems to have less Rome going on and more of a Persia/Babylon thing--grand with a definite middle eastern vibe, and dangerous--like if you don't go in understanding the laws, culture or religion you could seriously discover a darker side to the empire. In a BAD way.
#8 Marandahir Aug 02, 2014 18:32:59	To my understanding, Nerath is a reference to Nera, the Queen-name (but not original name) of the Raven Queen. It's a Human empire, built upon the northwestern remains of both Arkhosia and Bael Turath, and Mithralfast is a very important territory within its reaches, so Dwarves, Dragonborn, Tieflings, and of course Humans are VERY present in the country. There are Elves of course, in Harken Forest and Winterbole Forest, and Halflings trade up and down the rivers from the sea ports of southern Therund and Sarthel all the way north to Fallcrest in the Nentir Vale. Nera is the capital, but it's actually south of a tall mountain range that would be a difficult journey by land from the Barony of Therund, though the sea ports along the Dragondown Coast and through the Midnight Sea would provide access across the Bay of Nera to the capital. During the time of the setting of H1-H3, etc, Nera has partially been destroyed by Gnolls in the last wars, and Mithralfast is now the acting "capital". A really good read though, if you want to know more about the City of Nera and the heart of the nation, would be Dragon #393 "Legacy of Nerath" – it has an awesome picture of the Capital City of Nera, and furthermore, discusses much of the culture of the Empire during its height, people seeking its redemention, and most importantly, the Flame Imperishable. If you want an organization that keeps alive the spirit of Nerath, check out Dragon #396 "Guilds and Groups: The Last Legion." I would also take a look at Dragon #375 "Domains of Dread: Graefmotte, the Font of Sorrows," which is a Ravenloft-type Domain of Dread whose Dark Lord is a Baron from the last days of Old Nerath; as well as Dragon #364 "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Yeenoghu, Demon Prince of Gnolls," which includes about a page on the last King of Nerath, King Elidyr, who may still be battling an eternal struggle in the Abyss against the White Ruin, one of Yeenoghu's greatest Gnoll champions.