DOCSLIB.ORG

Volo's Guide to Cormyr

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Volo's Guide to Cormyr VoLo's GcifDe to Another morn brightens the rain And so I must travel on again To see fresh marvels ahead. Eating wayfarers' bread, The leavings are my only pain. —Synder Gallowglass, The Minstrel of Many Roads, "Ballad of the Wayfarer" Sample file Dedication To Wes Nicholson— Grand host, greater booster of gaming, and a traveller even more energetic (and con- siderably more competent) than Volo. A good man—may Earth and Toril alike hold many more of them. Crcedfts Design: Ed Greenwood Editing: Julia Martin Cover Art: John and Laura Lakey Interior Art: Valerie Valusek Cartography: Dennis Kauth Typesetting: Angelika Lokotz Production: Dee Barnette Othew Socmcebooks in This Senfes Volo's Guide to Waterdeep Volo's Guide to the North Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&.D, and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTKOL'S MANUAL and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR Inc. C199S TSR, Inc. A)l Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. 94S6 Sample file TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom Foreword 4 Stag Steads 169 Volo's Ratings System 5 Tyrluk 172 Waymoot 174 The Forest Kingdom 6 Bearing Arms in Cormyr 7 The East Reaches 180 How Best to Behave 8 Hultail 189 Passwords 8 Juniril 191 Procuring Licenses 9 The High Helm 192 The Crystal Grot 10 Thunderstone 194 The Swords of State 11 Tilverton 195 The Character of the Realm .... 11 The West Reaches 204 The Cities 12 Greatgaunt 209 Suzail 15 Hornshield 212 Marsember 34 Wyvernhunt 215 Arabel 53 Appendix I: The Coast 76 Folk of Cormyr 217 Bogbrook 81 Dawngleam 83 Appendix II: Gladehap 87 The Sword Heralds 225 Kirinwood 92 Monksblade 97 Appendix III: Wheloon 104 Magic in Cormyr 230 Wormtower 117 Appendix IV: The Heartlands 122 Index 238 Aunkspear 127 Blisterfoot Inn 129 Dhedluk 135 Espar 139 EveningstaSampler 142 file Immersea 152 Jester's Green 159 Games 161 Knightswood 163 "The Cormyte's Boast" 165 Mouth C Gargoyles 166 elcome to the fourth of folk thinking of Cormyr from afar. The I my groundbreaking section on the heartlands is followed (umm, perhaps that's an by one covering the east reaches, unfortunate choice of where the countryside is more open, I word) travel guides. Many and finally by one on the almost- folk have long clamored for coverage of forgotten, mountainous west reaches. I the fair realm of Cormyr in my oeuvre (I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised don't know what that word means, but as I was to find all the delightful back- Elminster uses it, so it must mean waters and corners the Forest King- something grand),1 and your wishes, dom holds. ladies and gentlesirs, are my com- The reader interested in things magi- mands. I pray, therefore, to all the gods cal is urged to consult the second and who may be disposed to smile favorably third appendices forthwith. They con- upon such efforts that your eyes also tain much of interest to the visitor to find favor with this latest of my works:2 Cormyr. Volo 's Guide to Cormyr. What's Heize Using and Why This Guidebook A casual glance at this peerless tome Entries have been included not for may reveal to the discerning reader a every hamlet or backlane crossroads in slight paucity of information on the Cormyr, but for every place that's likely larger cities of the Forest Kingdom. to be interesting—or unavoidable and Please be aware that this is not due to useful—to the traveler. For ease of use, I any lack of proper diligence on my have divided Cormyr into the districts part but is part of a deliberate plan:3 It familiar to most Cormyreans. From is my purpose in this work to eschew them I have plucked the cities to investi- repeated coverage of the all-too-famil- gate first. iar ground of what's where in Suzail, As you page through this guide, first Arabel, and Marsember, and instead you're presented with the cities and show the reader something of the thenSample the coast. These are followed by countryside of th e Foresfilet Kingdom, the the heartlands, which are the area cov- glories of its lesser-known and smaller ered by the King's Forest—the endless settlements, and places even some deep green woods envisaged by most Cormyreans may know little of. Read 'Elminster: The base flattery of the man disgusts me. -Elminster: Sigh. He's been taking lessons, hasn't he? ^Elminster: I used to sound like this—about a thousand years ago. reporting everything folk would fain keep on, then, and discover the real 4 secret for good reason. When he was done, Cormyr —Volo's Cormyr. what he'd produced was a treatise on the security of Cormyr, how precisely the war wizards guard it, and how ye—or rather, a less honest and scrupulous reader—could shatter it and quickly bring about the downfall of the realm. Mindful (sigh) of the beauty of Cormyr and how some of us are responsible [Ahem. "Real" Cormyr, eh? Ah-hah. Well, enough that we'd like to preserve it, I set the reader who hopes this book provides about expunging the most vital of his reve- any sort of useful place-by-place guide to lations. What remains is far more than the fair kingdom of Cormyr will of course enough for adventurers to get themselves (and as usual) be sadly disappointed. Those into deep trouble and give Vangerdahast who want to get a feel of the flavor of back- more than few anxious moments (heh- country Cormyr will, 1 trust, be generally heh). That should only make the realm well served by this work. As gossip, 'tis pure stronger—and a more entertaining place to gold, and as entertainment, 'tis worth—sev- dwell in.l eral tankards. (Er . empty ones, of course.) Ahem, yes. There's something I should tell ye. Volo spent his youthful energies doing what he does best—spying and then ^Elminster: Delusions this grand are the final frightening stages of the descent into babbling idiocy. Hmmm, perhaps the lad would've made a good mage after all. VoLo's Ratings System Pipes Tankards Coins Daggers (Inns) (Taverns) (Prices) (Alleyways, Courtyards, etc.) WorstSample fileUnsafe Dangerous Deadly Sample file.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Incomplete Devout Handbook Benjamin Huffman and Ross Leiser
    The Incomplete Devout Handbook by Benjamin Huffman and Ross Leiser Sample file Desktop Publishing by Nathanaël Roux Contents Introduction he Complete Devout Handbook was Cleric 3 written to expand the options available Prophecy Domain ...........................................................3 to you in your Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. It includes original archetypes Druid 3 for the cleric, druid, monk, and paladin Circle of the Bond ...........................................................3 classes. These new archetypes broaden the fiction of each of these classes, letting Monk 4 Tyou play everything from a cleric who finds divine inspiration in the invisible hand of the market to a Way of the Tattooed Temple ..........................................4 paladin communing with the spirits of their ancestors. Paladin 5 In addition to the new archetypes, The Complete Devout Handbook also adds new spells and magic items. Oath of Rebellion .............................................................5 But you’re not reading The Complete Devout Spell Lists .........................................................................6 Handbook! This is The Incomplete Devout Handbook, Spell Descriptions ...........................................................6 a sampler platter of the goodies you can add to Cleric ..................................................................................6 your campaign if you pick up The Complete Devout Druid ..................................................................................6 Handbook.
    [Show full text]
  • Kingdoms of Kalamar (4Th Ed.) Preview
    BOOK 1: CAMPAIGN SETTING SOURCEBOOK Design Team: David S. Kenzer, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, Lloyd Brown III, and Jolly R. Blackburn Sourcebook Revision: Mark Plemmons Editors: Brian Jelke, Jennifer Kenzer, Pat Horn, Mark Plemmons Cover Illustration: William O’Connor Interior Illustrations: Matthew Armstrong, Jennifer Burke, Anthony Carpenter, Caleb Cleveland, Storn Cook, Thomas Denmark, Henry Glass, Lars Grant-West, Renato Guedes, Scott Kester, Ginger Kubic, Hung Vinh Mac, Matt Mitchell, Travis Moore, William O’Connor, Eric Olson, C. D. Regan, Kevin Stephenson, Rebecca Tudor, Ray Vantilburg, George Vrbanic, Kevin Wasden Cartography: Bob Burke, Brian Jelke, David S. Kenzer, Mark B. Tudor, Craig Zipse Art Director/Layout: Mark Plemmons Production Manager: Steve Johansson Table of Contents Introduction . .2 Chapter 8: Organizations . .163 Chapter 1: Races of Tellene . .7 Chapter 9: Languages . .169 Chapter 2: Brandobia . .21 Chapter 10: The Gods of Tellene . .181 Chapter 3: Kalamar . .41 Appendix A: Celestial Bodies and Calendar . .239 Chapter 4: The Young Kingdoms . .77 Appendix B: Cities and Law . .245 Chapter 5: The Wild Lands . .101 Appendix C: The Imperial Legion . .251 Chapter 6: Reanaaria Bay . .125 Appendix D: Quick References . .257 Chapter 7: Svimohzia . .141 Appendix E: Pronunciation Guide and Glossary . .269 © Copyright 2008 Kenzer and Company. All Rights Reserved. Questions, Comments, Product Orders? Kenzer & Company Phone: (847) 662-6600 511 W Greenwood Ave Fax: (847) 680-8950 Waukegan, IL 60087 email: [email protected] Visit our website: www.kenzerco.com This book is protected under international treaties and copyright laws of the PUBLISHER’S NOTE: United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced, without the This is a work of fiction.
    [Show full text]
  • Dragon Magazine #236
    The dying game y first PC was a fighter named Random. I had just read “Let’s go!” we cried as one. Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber and thought that Mike held up the map for us to see, though Jeff and I weren’t Random was a hipper name than Corwin, even though the lat- allowed to touch it. The first room had maybe ten doors in it. ter was clearly the man. He lasted exactly one encounter. Orcs. One portal looked especially inviting, with multi-colored veils My second PC was a thief named Roulette, which I thought drawn before an archway. I pointed, and the others agreed. was a clever name. Roulette enjoyed a longer career: roughly “Are you sure you want to go there?” asked Mike. one session. Near the end, after suffering through Roulette’s “Yeah. I want a vorpal sword,” I said greedily. determined efforts to search every 10’-square of floor, wall, and “It’s the most dangerous place in the dungeon,” he warned. ceiling in the dungeon, Jeff the DM decided on a whim that the “I’ll wait and see what happens to him,” said Jeff. The coward. wall my thief had just searched was, in fact, coated with contact “C’mon, guys! If we work together, we can make it.” I really poison. I rolled a three to save. wanted a vorpal sword. One by one they demurred, until I Thus ensued my first player-DM argument. There wasn’t declared I’d go by myself and keep all the treasure I found.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaz Wendar V3[1].2.Pdf
    Unofficial Game Accessory The Realm of Wendar Editor J. T. R Content by Jesper Andersen, Traianus Decius Aureus, Marco Dalmonte, Gary, Geoff Gander, Bruce Heard, Lost Woodrake, Mortepierre Malepeste, J. T. R, Shawn Stanley, Patrick Sullivan, Thorfinn Tait, and Zendrolion Table of Contents Welcome to Wendar ................................................................................................................................... 2 History as the Characters Know it ........................................................................................................... 3 History as the Immortals Know it ............................................................................................................ 4 Geography ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Society ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 Military....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Personalities .............................................................................................................................................. 16 Special Rules for Wendar ........................................................................................................................ 18 Monsters....................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • By Jeff Grubb, Aaron Allston, and Thomas M
    , TM By Jeff Grubb, Aaron Allston, and Thomas M. Reid Karameiko.1 ... a cla.1.1icf antady .Jetting where bouJ a'Jventurer.1 can become legendary beroe.J. Whether you have played only the FIRST Q UESTT"' audio CD game or have enjoyed the AD&D ® game for years, you'll find high adventure in the kingdom of Karameikos. Discover a magical land sure to challenge the bravest hearts and sharpest swords. Hear this realm come to life in two extraordinary quests featuring dramatic sounds on compact disc! ln.Jide you'll di.1cover ... an interactive audio compact disc featuring thrilling sound effects, character voices, music for two adventures in Karameikos a 32-page Adventure Book compatible with the rules of the FIRST Q UEST audio CD game and the AD&D game Player'.J Handbook and Du GEO N MASTER® Guide a 128-page Explorer's Guide, lavishly illustrated in full-color 2 full-color poster-sized maps 12 parchment maps, iUustrations, and player props 8 full-color hero cards See the wonders of Karameikos, from deadly Fort Doom to King Stefan's castle . Study at the School of Magecraft. Clash swords with th~ noble Knights of the Griffon. Match wits with nefarious thieves of the Iron Ring. Uncover dark mysteries of the past, including the jackal-headed Hutaakans ... and much more! TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton I SBN SampleWI 53147 Cambr idge CB1 3LB file U.S.A. United Kingdo m ADVANCEDDunGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D , DUNGEONMASTER are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc .
    [Show full text]
  • Deep Breath: Lord Chance's Meetings
    Deep Breath: Lord Chance's meetings a.k.a Races manual by /tg/, v0.1.6 Picture from Ona Zelda “ViolentCosmos” Pitschka Ye olde introduction So yeah, this is the manual for Deep Breath. It’s still a WIP, though. This introduction itself is a WIP, since it should start with something like “Welcome to this wondrous work of imagination!” or something equally cheesy. Here’s what you need to know: Text that is written like this is just information dumped in the PDF. While they are true, they’re not assimilated in the “official” lore and description yet. Text written like this constitutes the “official” lore and description. As I write, there are nine PDFs: – The Book of Legends; – Cosmogony and Geography manual; – Crunch manual; – Esoteric manual; – Flora, Fauna and Spells compendium; – Quotes and Shenanigans compendium; – Races manual; – Technology compendium; – History and Geopolitics manual. Enjoy! Children of Death Those races were given birth by Death herself, that decided to create something able to play a game with her and to defy her power; thus, life. Though Time meddled in this, deciding that nothing should be given the power to fool a god eternally, and gave mortals a life expectancy. Some time, one of those is born “marked”. The marked either have draconic features (scales, horns, vestigial wings), and are considered a blessing, or aquatic features (gills, webbed hands and feet, constant smell of brine) that is considered a curse from the Deep Ones. The dragonmarked most often rise in the clergy and social status, and the deepmarked are often abandoned a birth, sometimes taken in by a wandering halfling.
    [Show full text]
  • The Domain and City of Greyhawk
    THE GREYHAWK CAMPAIGN The GREYHAWK® campaign was surprises held by a certain "dungeon" in the Barrier Peaks, about which we the first setting designed for the will say no more here. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & Materials were scarce for a few years before the GREYHAWK Adventures DRAGONS® game, and is also the hardbound saw print in 1988, marking the start of the "second wave" of the second-oldest fantasy roleplaying campaign's life. The world was converted to the AD&D 2nd Edition game campaign. It is familiar to many rules in the wide-roving adventure WG8 Fate of lstus, and the City of thousands of gainers the world over, Greyhawk was detailed in its own boxed expansion in 1989. Carl Sargent, though the campaign world has Rik Rose, Doug Niles, Jim Ward, Dan Salas, Nigel Findley, Anne and undergone considerable change over Richard Brown, Dale "slade" Henson, and more joined the crowd of the years. It began with E. Gary Greyhawk designers and authors. Most notable in this period were the Gygax, who created and developed WGA1-3 "Falcon" adventure trilogy, set in the City of Greyhawk, and the the world as a home campaign. The notorious WGA4 Vecna Lives!, which contained probably the most shocking world took shape with the publication beginning and end of any AD&D adventure published. The campaign years of the WORLD OF GREYHAWK for these adventures were around 582 CY or shortly before. folio in 1980, which was greatly The "third wave" of publications for the official GREYHAWK campaign expanded and improved in 1983 as began in 1991 with the publication of David Cook's GREYHAWK Wars the WORLD OF GREYHAWK boxed boxed game, which detailed the cataclysmic political changes brought about set.
    [Show full text]
  • Religions of Mystara
    BY MARCO DALMONTE BBOOOOKK TTWWOO RREELLIIGGIIOONNSS OOFF MMYYSSTTAARRAA This work is a freeware manual in the form of an e–book: a paper version of the “Codex Immortalis” does not exist and it never will nor will it be published for financial gain. This manual is freely downloadable from the net and it is possible to freely print it out in part or in its totality. Any activity of sale, gain or profit is prohibited, such as the alteration of the present document; any form of non-profit making distribution must however be authorized previously by the author (for any request, refer to the e–mail address of the author of the current book). The imagery present in this document has been taken from the net without the consent of its owners: the owners of such can write to the e–mail address shown on the following page and I will see to the immediate removal of his work. Dungeons & Dragons®, D&D® and the Mystara™ setting are registered marks of TSR Inc., a division of Wizards of the Coast Inc.: their use isn’t in any way a form of competition for their intellectual property nor, however, does it imply TSR Inc. approval or permission. Any part of this work that refers to Third Edition and to “d20 System”: this latter (and the relevant logo) are registered marks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms in the d20 System License version 6.0. It is possible to obtain a copy of this license on the www.wizards.com/d20 site.
    [Show full text]
  • Lista De Libros En
    El Orbe de los Dragones http://www.orbedragones.com DRAGONLANCE Chronicles Crónicas Vol I: Dragons of Autumn Twilight El Retorno de los Dragones Vol II: Dragons of Winter Night La Tumba de Huma Vol III: Dragons of Spring Dawning La Reina de la Oscuridad El Ocaso de los Dragones Vol IV: Dragons of Summer Flame Vol I: Los Caballeros de Takhisis Vol II: La Guerra de los Dioses Legends Leyendas Vol I: Time of the Twins El Templo de Istar Vol II: War of the Twins La Guerra de los Enanos Vol III: Test of the Twins El Umbral del Poder Preludes I Preludios I Vol I: Darkness and Light El Guardián de Lunitari Vol II: Kendermore El país de los kenders Vol III: Brothers Majere Los Hermanos Majere Preludes II Preludios II Vol I: Riverwind, The Plainsman La misión de Riverwind Vol II: Flint, The King Flint, Rey de los Gullys Vol III: Tanis, The Shadow Years Tanis el Semielfo Meetings Compañeros Vol I: Kindred Spirits Qualinost Vol II: Wanderlust El Incorregible Tas Vol III: Dark Heart Kitiara Uth Matar Vol IV: The Oath and the Measure El Código y la Medida Vol V: Steel and Stone Pedernal y acero Vol VI: The Companions Mithas y Karthay Tales I Cuentos I Vol I: The Magic of Krynn La Magia de Krynn Vol II: Kender, Gully Dwarves, and Gnomes Kenders, Enanos y Gnomos Vol III: Love and War Historias de Ansalon Tales II Cuentos II Vol I: The Reign of Istar El Reino de Istar Vol II: The Cataclysm El Cataclismo Vol III: The War of the Lance La Guerra de la Lanza Heroes I Héroes I Vol I: The Legend of Huma La Leyenda de Huma Vol II: Stormblade Espada de Reyes
    [Show full text]
  • Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Primer
    PLAYER’S PRIMER: A GUIDEBOOK TO TELLENE Authors: Doug Click, D. Andrew Ferguson, Chris McFarlane and Mark Plemmons Additional Contributor: Brian Jelke Editors: Brian Jelke, Mark Plemmons Art Coordinator: Mark Plemmons Cover Illustration: Keith DeCesare Project Managers: Brian Jelke, Mark Plemmons Production Manager:SampleSteve Johanssonfile Behind the Scenes: Jennifer Kenzer, Clayton Van Sickle © Copyright 2004, 2008 Kenzer and Company. All Rights Reserved. Questions, Comments, Product Orders? Phone: (847) 662-6600 Fax: (847) 680-8950 Kenzer & Company email: [email protected] 511 W. Greenwood Waukegan, IL 60087 Visit our website: www.kenzerco.com This book is protected under international treaties and copyright laws of the United PUBLISHER’S NOTE: States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced, without the express This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the written consent of Kenzer and Company. Permission is granted to the purchaser of product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance this product to reproduce sections of this book for personal use only. Sale or trade of to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. such reproductions is strictly prohibited. With respect to trademarks: Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer and Company. Player’s Primer and the Kenzer and Company logo are trade- marks of Kenzer and Company. © 2004, 2008 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeon Master are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction Welcome to Kalamar What Is
    Note: This document was written and designed by the staff at Terminal Studios with the approval of Kenzer and Company. while maintaining the kick-ass attitude that always set it apart (and some would dare say head and shoulders above) many of Introduction the other games on the market today. The original HackMaster game was a D&D inspired orgy of But for those who loved the tone of Original HackMaster, do old-school roleplay and next generation hack-and-slash. It took not despair. The new HackMaster maintains much of that the high adventure feel we loved from 1st and 2nd edition sentimental Old School feel. Don’t believe us? Crack open a Dungeons & Dragons, turned it sideways, dialed the amp up to copy of Frandor’s Keep and thumb through the pages. You’ll find yourself looking at a classic concept that’s been expanded, 11, and blasted it at us with a high-energy abandon. impeccably re-designed, and brims with enough campaign In 2009, that game finished in the epic adventure known as options to leave your players busy and happy for months, if not Hacknarok. It was then that the Garweeze Wurld saga ended, years. And yet, while the feel is Old School, the look of the system leaving HackMaster players without a home and original edition is new, innovative, and – rare to any game – actually makes sense. HackMaster without company support (although Garweeze enthusiasts remain). Luckily, the pieces were already in place for Rather than having characters and monsters take turns, an even greater setting, known as Kalamar.
    [Show full text]
  • The Official History of the Greyhawk Wars
    The Official History of THE GREYHAWK WARS by David "Zeb" Cook edited by J. Robert King prepared for America Online by Roger E. Moore ©1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Preface The defining event in the recent history of the continent of Oerik was the series of conflicts known collectively as the Greyhawk Wars. This file presents, in its entirety, the actual campaign history of the fighting, taken from the Adventurer's Book in the Greyhawk ADVENTURES WARS boxed board game (1991). This material should be common knowledge to any characters in a Greyhawk campaign who have paid the slightest attention to current events or their history lessons. Any number of adventures may spring from this material—but that is for the Dungeon Master to create. Introduction: The Antagonists Philosophers say that war is always born of lust—lust for power and loot. Perhaps this holds true for the petty forays and border raids that have plagued the Flanaess through history. However, the grand carnage of recent years cannot be explained by mere lust. Rather, the complex alchemy of mortal passions, foibles, and dementia is what hurtled nation against nation in the wars that reworked the Flanaess. To understand the so‐called Greyhawk Wars, therefore, one must understand the cast of characters. The cast ranges widely—from demigods to outcasts and from heroic warriors to red‐hooded spies. Together they comprise a grand dramatis personae, the cast of a great tragedy. Iuz the Old "His Most Profane Eminence, Lord of Pain, Fiend of the North, Child of the Evil One, Master of the Dread and Awful Presences, Iuz the Evil, Iuz the Old"—so was this foul demi‐god hailed by the corrupt and evil things that served him.
    [Show full text]