ForgingtheRealmsArchive|4/8/2014 New!

TheCauldronofMonsters
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,andhow
doestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersinhis
campaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsandmore.

hereareplacesalloverFaernthatseemalivewithmagic.Someofthemareheraldedbyglowsatnight,
tensions,cracklingsintheair,andthepresenceofplantsandanimalsthataretwistedor"tainted"fromthe
norm.

Sometimestheselocalessurroundportals,ordeepspawn,orthesitesofdecayedandoncemightywardsormythals,
andsometimesthey'reduetoleakagefromartifactsofgreatpower,ortheechoesofspellbattles.

Andsometimes,they'retheaftermathofhugespellsgoneawry.

Whereasthoseothercausesofmagictendtoresultinsmallspotsofrestlessmagic(suchasgrovesorruinsthe
BorderKingdomsaredottedwithmanysuch),thesitesoftitanicspellcastings,orspellcastingsgoneawry,tendtobe
muchlarger.

NotSoHospitableThar

OnesuchplaceisthelandofThar,northoftheMoonsea,thesiteofthreeormorefallenkingdoms,though"Thar"was
onlythenameofthesecondlastofthose,anogrerealm.Today,Tharisrockyandnearbarrenwilderland,ruledbyno
one,andamongthemanysnakes,lizards,rabbits,andbirds,strangemonstersprowlthere:manticores,perytons,
leucrotta,bulettes,andibrandlin.Yearafteryear,adventurersandcaravanmerchantsandguardsreportencountering
theminsuchabundancedespitethehungrybandsandtribesofogresandorcsthatforageTharconstantly,seeking
meatmealsastoalmostoutstripbelief.

EitherdeepspawnoranotherforceisaggressivelyrepopulatingTharwith
monstersofmagicalorigin,orsomethingmagicalaboutTharitselfcauses
thesebeaststoreproduceoftenandtoflourish.

ThesecreaturesarebothnumerousandvigorousdespiteThar'snearbarren
state,whichisitselfcuriousindeed,giventhatwaterisn'tscarcethere,
coastalfarmlandsliejusttothewestofit,duststormsaren'tfrequentandnot
allofTharhasbeenscouredtobarerock.Groundmosses,lichens,and
grassesareabundant,buttreesarenot.Beforethelasttwocenturiesof
heavyhumantravelandprospecting,however,standingandleaflessdead
treeswereeverywhere.Greatforestsofreadyfirewoodgotusedassuch,and
treesentirelylackedswampsaroundtheirtrunks,asevidenceoftheusual
causeof"standingdeadfalls."Sowhatslewallthetrees,moreorlessat
once,andinhibitedwindandbirdseededsaplingsfromgrowingand
renewingthetreecanopy?

Somesagesarguethatwhenmoreusualfoodisscarce,magicalcreatures
aretheonlylifethatcanthrive,butotherscounterthatdragonsarenotthe
onlycreaturesthatcanhibernateorgotorpidforlongperiods,awaitingrare
timesofplentifulfoodtoreviveandgorge.Manydesertlizards,toads,andthelikedosoallthetime,lyingburiedand
asifdeadformonthsorevenyearsuntilrainscometofloodtheland,foodbecomesbrieflyplentiful,andtheyrouseto
devour,onlytolapsebackintotorporagainandawaitthenextSendingfromtheGods.
Somagicalmonstersarefarmorenumerousthantheyshouldbe,somethingkilledmostofthetreesmoreorlessallat
once,andthehumanprospectorsofthe1300sDRrediscoveredwhattheogresandlatertheorcswhodweltinThar
alreadyknew:thatinmanyspotsspreadthroughouttherollinghillsandrockycleftsandridgesofThar,thosesmall
spotsofintensemagiccanbefound,placeswherebetimes"theairfairlycrackles."

Someofthesesiteshavebeenusedtoforgemagicweaponsorrechargemagicitemstherearetalesofindividuals
havinginnatetalentfortheArtbeing"awakened"totheuseofmagicbyvisitingsuchplaces(sometimesinadvertently,
andwithnointentnorpreparations).Soit'sabundantlyclearthat"thelandcalledTharisacrawlwithmagic,"touse
thewordsofthesageRaethaeralofArabel,whowrotethatinhischapbookTheWeaveintheMoonseaNorth,
publishedin1389DR.

Itseemsthatintheremotepast,somethingmagicalhappenedthatblastedTharsothatithasn'tyetrecovered,and
thatleftbehinditsownechoesmagicalradiationsthataffectthefaunaoftheareatothisday.

Butwhat?

TheTestamentofYhorlanglarorl

Fewindeedhaveheardofthistome,writtenbyMyrmeenLhalinthefirstyearofher"dragonguardianship"ofCormyr,
alongsideVangerdahast.Andnowonder:onlyonecopyexists,anditscurrentwhereaboutsareunknown,thoughit
seemslikelythatDoveoftheHarperstookitintoaplaceofhiddensafekeeping,perhapsinthehandsoftheHigh
Heralds,orinafastnessofThoseWhoHarp.ItseemsMyrmeenLhalmetandconversedwithoneYhorlanglarorl
(pronounced"YorlANGgalarorl"),acopperdragonofgreatageandfrailty,whosetalesshefoundsofascinatingthat
shesetdownsomeofthemas"essentialloreoftheInnerSealands."

Oneofthosetalesconcerned"thePrideandFollyofEmbrurshaile,"andtoldofthecrowningdeedormisdeedof
Embrurshaile(pronounced"EMbrurrshale"),anelderblackshedragonwhohatedandfearedneighboring
dragonkind,fromthe"Purple"DragonofCormyrtothesilverandcopperdragonswhodweltinthelandsouthwestand
southofCormyr(ofwhomYhorlanglarorlwasthenajuniormember).

ItseemsEmbrurshailecouldnotabidebeingunabletodestroyorconquerandenslaveotherdragonsuponawhim.
Shewasadamantthatnootherdragonsstrongerornearequaltohermustexistwithinherchosendomain,which
stretchedfromtheEarthspurMountainsandtheGalenaRangetotheFarHillsandtheOrsraunMountains(thatis,
whatisnowtheMoonseaNorth,theDales,Cormanthor,Cormyr,Sembia,Tunland,andallofthecoastallandsand
citystatesoftheDragonmere,theNeck,andwhatwasStarmantle).

Yetshewasclearlynotasold,wise,worldly,ormightyasmostofherdraconicneighbors.Moreover,hertemperand
boldpublicbehaviorhadannouncedherpresenceandintentionsalltooclearlytherewaslittletonohopeoftaking
anyofthemunawares,ortrickingthemintovulnerabilitysoshecouldpounceandslay.Evenifshemanagedthatwith
onerival,theotherswouldsurelybewarned,andtheymightevenriseincommoncauseagainsther,tooverwhelm
anddestroyher.

Soanotherwaymustbefound.Embrurshailehadanaturalhungerformagic,whichwaswhyshecravedthemagic
itemsthatlayinthehoardsofotherdragonssomuch.Onlytimecouldmakeherolder,andonlyexperiencecould
makeherwiser,butperhapsshecouldincreasehermasteryofmagic.Todosothroughtheinstructionofothers
wouldbeperilousindeed,forshealreadyknewofwyrmswho'dbeenenslavedbypowerfulwizardsthey'dalliedwith,
oragreedtoservetemporarilyinexchangeforpayment.Yettherewerecreaturesofmagic,creatureswhofeddirectly
onmagicalenergy,andevencreatureswhoserveddeitiesofmagicandwereempoweredbythem.

AccordingtoYhorlanglarorl(whoseveracityMyrmeenLhaladmitsshehadnowayofverifying),heandthesilver
dragonsBhaerindulandur("BareindooLANdur")andPerythammar("PairithTHAMmar")hadbeenmagically
spyinguponEmbrurshaile,andtheyguessedherintentfrombriefmutteringsloudtoherselfassheworked,andbythe
spellshecrafted.

EmbrurshailesoughttocraftaspelltotrytomakecreaturesofTharmagical,soshecoulddevourthesecreatures,
andovertime,byabsorbingtheiressence,makeherselfmoreandmoremagical.Shebasedhermagicuponsome
ancientdragoncastings,devisingaspellthatYhorlanglarorlinsistswassoundinprinciple,butnotinexecution,being
basedonanincompleteunderstandingoftheWeaveforcesshewasseekingtoharness,andnotrecognizingthatjust
becauseshewasgoingtodrainbothmagicalandlifeenergiestopoweraspellthatwasfarbeyondherabilities,that
didnotmeanshewouldbeabletoproperlyshapetheformingmagic,orcontrolittobringabouttheeffectshesought.

Elminsteragreesthatsuchamagicmightbesowroughtastobesoundasmagic,butsettingasidemoralconcerns,
andthedisapprovalofsomedeitiesthismightbringisbasedonasimplisticbeliefthat"eatingawarthogwillmake
youpartwarthog,"which,asheputsit,"doesnotfollow.Atleast,notforthoseofuswhoarenotalreadypart
warthogs."

Embrurshailebeganbyassemblingmanymagicitemstopowerthespell.Shepainstakinglycraftedpropermeansof
linkinganddrainingthese,andthensetaboutroundingupandmagicallypenningthewildbeastsshesoughttowork
upon,boththenativecreaturesoftheareaandspecimensofthemagicalbeaststhatarenowsoprevalentinThar,
thatshehunted,seized,andbroughtbackalivefromalloverFaern(comingtothenotice,androusingtheire,of
manyotherdragonsintheprocess,thoughshecarednot).Whenthiswasdone,shesetaboutwhatshethoughtwas
thekeytothespell:capturing,magicallybinding,andslayingayoungdragontodrainitslifeforceduringthecastingof
hergreatspell.

Shehadkeptthispartofherworkingsosecret,andpouncedsoswiftly,thatthedragonsspyingonher(whoallhad
ongoingaffairsoftheirown)didn'tnoticeituntilthecastingbegan,thedraconicvictimayoungbluefemalefrom
somewhere"beyondUlgarth"wasdying,andEmbrurshaile'smagicstartedtogospectacularlywrong.

AccordingtoYhorlanglarorl,theeffortessentiallywentwild,strippingthelanditselfoflife(thetrees)aftertheblue
wyrmling'sessencewasgoneandthelifedrainingeffectofthemagiccontinued.Intheend,itrobbedEmbrurshaile
herselfofherlifeorperhapsreducedhertosomethingakintoadracolich.Yhorlanglarorlisuncertain,becausethe
explosiveaftermathofthespelldestroyedallscryingandpreventednewscryingspellsfromworkingfora
considerabletime.Shecollapsedinagreatfuryofunleashedwildmagicthatbroughtabouttheproliferationand
imbuementofvitalityintothosemagicalcreaturesthatstillroamThartoday,andhereffortsultimatelyconsumed
Embrurshaileandallherambitions.

WhatCameAfter

OtherdragonsMyrmeenLhalspokewithinformedherthatEmbrurshailehadayoungerbrother,oneIyrauroth,who
hatedandfearedher,andhadforcenturiesavoidedherbyhidingoncontinentsdistantfromFaern.Embrurshaile's
deathwassospectacularthatalldragonswhowereawakefeltit,andthroughtheWeavetheyreceivedconfused
glimpsesofthemagicalcataclysm.

Iyraurothmusthavelearnedofhissister'sdemiseinthisway,forhealmostimmediatelytraveledfromafar,withhis
manyyoung(sixteensonsanddaughtersatthattime),andseizedherdomain,takingoverhermanylairs(herown
cavernandthoseofmanylesserdragonsshe'dslain)intheGalenasandelsewhere.

Iyraurothkeptfirmcontrolandcommandoverhisprogeny,andusedthemasanarmy,flyingandfightingtogetherto
enforceIyrauroth'swillanddefeatformidablefoes.Withthem,helaterdestroyedNorthkeep,andstilllatertheogre
capitalofTharniir,shatteringtheogrerealmofThar.

MorethanoneofMyrmeenLhal'sdraconicsourcessaidthatmanydragonssoughttocovertlyslayvariousof
"Iyrauroth'sget,"andsoreducethisarmyofdragons,longbeforethefallofIyrauroth,sothatIyraurothwouldnot
merelybereplacedascommanderbyhismostruthlessoffspring.SeveralofthedragonsLhalspokewithbelievedthat
giventimeenough,Iyrauroth'sprogenymightwellhavefoundawaytoharness"themagicstillfesteringinThar"and
increasetheirownmasteryofmagic.

Thisinturnhintsthatsomedragonstoday,ortomorrow,maytrytodojustthat.

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafewrooms
inhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952014WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.