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Post by kalbaern on Dec 14, 2008 11:38:56 GMT -5
The Savage Frontier itself is a vague term used by many to "label" areas that fall outside the influences of other societies here in Northern Faerun. They encompass much of the wilderness south of the High Forest, East of the Swordcoast and West of the Western Heartlands.
The towns of Loudwater and Llorkh have the greatest influence at this time, yet even they only control a small portion of the overall area.
With the driving back to The Spine of the World of several large orc tribes, the "Thunder Blessing" of the dwarves and the recent returning of elves to the High Forest, this area and it's wilderness surrounds has seen many pass through in recent years. Many that have come seeking wealth or adventure are deciding that the mostly moderate climate, fertile land and lack of lords to rule them makes this an ideal place to carve out a homestead and settle down.
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Possibly Ten
Knight Champion
Hopefull CEP new weapon type!
Posts: 805
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Post by Possibly Ten on Aug 22, 2009 19:44:52 GMT -5
What is the Savage Frontier?
The Savage Frontier is a descriptive name for what many also call the North. In this book, the North refers to those lands north of the city of Waterdeep, between the Sword Coast and the Great Desert; the term also encompasses the islands of the Trackless Sea, including Tuern, Ruathym, and Gundarlun.
It is a rugged, heavily wooded wilderness marked by cool, mild summers and harsh, bitter winters. What little civilization can be found hugs the coastal regions and a few inland river valleys. The rest is the domain of orcs, trolls, barbarian tribes, and uncountable other monstrous denizens, who regularly hurl themselves in fury upon the palisades of the towns and villages in the wilderlands.
It is a land of riches. Mineral wealth unequalled elsewhere in the known realms is found here, along with seemingly endless stands of timber of a size not often found elsewhere. Here too is the wealth of history, the plunder of lost civilizations and vanished realms.
From The Savage Frontier source 2nd ed.
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Post by sandcastles on Apr 3, 2011 13:02:02 GMT -5
The Savage FrontierThe Savage Frontier includes the lands north of the Delimbiyr that are not strictly part of the High Forest, the Silver Marches, the Sword Coast North, or Waterdeep. Compared to the well-cleared lands of the south, much of the Savage Frontier is either rugged mountains or virgin forest. Non-human races still hold sway here, and vast regions are virtually untraveled by humands. The elves and dwarves who occupied this land before the humans still make their presence felt - in songs, in attitudes, in place names ... and in deeds. Many elves and half-elves remained in the North instead of retreating to Evermeet, and the dwarves are reclaiming their ancient kingdoms. And the orcs? As the folk of the North say, "The orcs are always with us." Centuries of assaults from the Spine of the World do not appear likely to end any time soon. Life and SocietyThe Savage Frontier is home to rough-and-tumble free cities, armed mining camps, trading outposts, fiercely independent freesteads, and wandering tribes of barbarians. This is a wilderness only lightly touched by human settlement, home to bloodthirsty marauders and terrible beasts that can descend on a settlement with no warning whatsoever. All able-bodied folk go armed here, even in sight of their stockades and city walls. The folk of the frontier are alert, serious, and self-reliant. Most owe fealty to no lord and prize their hard lifestyle. The lands of the North temper folks to steel. The comforts, vanities, and decadence of the southern cities have no place in this cold, hard realm. While some settlers come to these lands in search of territory to call their own, most are drawn by the great wealth of the frontier - Ore and timber flow down the vast rivers of this land to the cities of the Sword Coast, or over the Black Road of the Zhents and across Anauroch to the Moonsea and the Dales. Major Geographical FeaturesSome of Faerun's most rugged and difficult terrain lies in the region west of Anauroch. The broad river valleys give way to range upon range of snow-covered mountains and seemingly endless forests. In winter, blizzards lasting weeks halt travel for hundreds of miles about, and the spring melts transform the great highways of this land - its broad rivers - into torrents of icy destruction impassable to anything without wings or magic. The EvermoorsSee the Evermoors subform frsavagefrontier.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=evermoorsThe Fallen LandsA strip of rugged terrain on the westn border of Anauroch, the Fallen Lands still bristle with magical energy left over from Netheril's fall. No doubt Anauroch will swallow the area if the Great Desert continues to expand for another hundred years. The Fallen Lands serve as a refuge for monstrous beings who do not wish to be disturbed, including a gigantic beholder performing breeding experiments on captured enemies and its own kin. Rogue phaerimms lurk here as well. Graypeak MountainsSee the Graypeak Mountains Subforum. frsavagefrontier.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=westernheartlandsRiver DessarinThis great river carves the rough hills of the central North into a broad, gentle valley. It is the principal route for trade and commerce in this region, linking Waterdeep near its mouth with Yartar and Silvermoon hundreds of miles upstream. The Spine of the WorldSee The Spine of the World Subforum. frsavagefrontier.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=spineSource: FRCS; pg 168-169
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DM Leverage
Longbowman
DM (retired)
A little nudge here, A little nudge there.
Posts: 153
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Post by DM Leverage on Apr 7, 2011 6:38:30 GMT -5
Histories of the Savage Frontier
Kingdom of the Stag The kingdom of the stag was located just south of the High Forest. Its capital Hastarl stood on the site of the present-day settlement of Secomber
Brief overview 183 DR: Year of the Murmuring Dead: Uthgrael Aumar, the Stag King, founds Athalantar.
216 DR: Year of the Battle Horns: The North erupts in battle as many orc bands vie for supremacy, and countless thousands of goblinkind perish. Upon the death of the Stag King, his five sons, known thereafter as the Warring Princes of Athalantar, begin open battle for the throne.
218 DR: Year of the Dancing Lights: Prince Belaur proclaims himself King of Athalantar and takes the throne with the aid of hired wizards. The new king names all his wizards allies lords of the realm. These cruel, avaricious wizards sone become known as magelords.
342 DR: Year of Cantobele Stalking:: Athalantar falls to an orc horde from the High Moor. The orcs are in turn destroyed by an unlikely alliance of moon elves from Ardeep and dwarves from Dardath. The last council of Illefarn is called, and the long-fragmented realm of Illefarn is officially dissolved. The remaining wood elves of Iliyanbruen and many wood elves from Rilithar finally join the Retreat. Ardeep and Dardath form an alliance also known as Illefarn.
516 DR: Year of the Haunting Hawk: Halfings from Delimbiyr Vale and humans from Delimbiyran establish Secomber on the ruins of Hastarl, the fallen capital of Athalantar.
~ Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 137-138
Athalantar
Founded in 183 DR by Uthgrael Aumar, the so-called Stag King, Athalantar was located just south of what is now the High Forest. The Stag King carved out his nation amid savage trolls and hobgoblins, mistrustful elves and dwarves who cared little for the lives of suface dwellers. Uthgrael, a former adventurer, used his natural leadership ability to unite the leaderless farming communities along the Delimbiyr River into a prosperous kingdom of farmers, hunters, and soldiers. The young kingdom of Athalantar seemed destined for greatness and prosperity in a time of collapsing empires - until the Stag King died in 216 DR.
When their father perished in battle against an enormous horde of orcs, the seven princes of Athalantar fell to bickering over the throne, and their conflict soon escalated into outright warfare. Ultimately, the king's eldest son, Belaur Aumar, seized the throne in 218 DR with the aid of the mightiest mages of the realm. But unlike his wise, politically astute father, Belaur was a slow-witted dullard who was easily manipulated by his newfound "friends." The very mages whose power had secured him the throne quickly became the true rulers of Athalantar, and King Belaur was reduced to a mere puppet. The common folk of Athalantar feared and hated these "magelords," especially Undarl, the so-called Mage Royal.
By 224 DR, five of Belaur's brothers had either vanished or died *by Belaur's order or as a result of their own scheming), and the last was welling in faraway Calimshan. Only once Aumar other than the king remained in Athalantar - the young Elminster, who had survived the destruction of his home village and the murder of his parents by Undarl. While Undarl and the puppet king Belaur tightened their grip on the kingdom, Elminster went into hiding under a variety of aliases, all the while studying magic and formulating a plan for revenge.
In 240 DR, Elminster returned to the capital city of Hastarl at the age of 28 and enacted his plan for revenge. He shattered the rule of the magelords and slew both King Balaur and the Mage Royal Undarl, revealing the latter as a yaun-ti. (Even that identity was only a mask, however, because Undarl was actually one of the dreaded malaugrym from the Plan of Shadow.) By his authority as the last prince of Athalantar, Elminster then crowned the outlaw knight Helm Stoneblade the new king of Athalantar. With his homeland in good hands, Elminster, now a Chosen of Mystra, departed for the city of Cormanthor. Sadly, Athalantar survived for only a little more than a century thereafter. In 342 DR, a marauding orc horde wiped out the entire kingdom.
Today, only the elven histories from the early days of Myth Drannor and a few confused legends in Secomber include the story of Athalantar. Elminster is the ultimate source of information on the Kingdom of the Stag, but the Sage of Shadowdale remains notoriously glose-mouthed about his own past.
Hastarl
Athalantar's capital and only true city was Hastarl. Though it was as crowded and filthy as any other city on Faerun, its residents were quite proud of it and firmly believed that it would one day be a pinnacle of human culture and learning. The rule of the magelords largely quashed that dream, and the destruction of the kingdom in 342 DR snuffed it out completely. Later, the town of Secomber, which was built over the ruins of Hastarl, became a base of operations for many modern adventures in the Western Heartlands.
Forgotten Realms - Lost Empires of Faerun; pg 88
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