http://it.geocities.com/lutetius2/Mappe2/Glantri_Dragonlord.JPG
From the Trilogy books we know that the Flaems who came on Mystara were divided in 7 bands, headed by the descendandts of the 7 original warlords who escaped the destruction of the Old Alphatia. By AC500 their descendants are called "dukes" and they rule seven separate dominions in the highlands.
From the Trilogy we know that Braastar and Braejr are not subjected to any duke: Braastar is the original city of the Flaems, founded just after their arrival on Mystara, and it is administrated by a "Major", while Braejr was founded in AC450 to host the governement of the Archduke (an elected representative among the seven dukes; his role was created to reduce the internal conflicts among the dukes) and to better control the Radiance (the Fire Wizards knew of the radiance before their arrival on Mystara, but as of AC500 they don't know its origins, its scope and its major uses).
Notice that the map shows other seven settlements beside Braastar and Braejr., so we can think that each settlement is the seat of a duke.
By using the info in the Trilogy and those described in the GAZ3, it is possible to assign six settlements to a duke:
Graez (???)
Aalbansford (Duchy of the Aalban family)
Linden (Duchy of the Vlaardoen family, from GAZ3)
Traagen (Duchy of the Veerbyn family)
Nordeen (Duca of the Ardelan family)
Beraan (Duca of the Vyldeaar family)
Terreja (Duca of the Maarsten family)
The seventh ruling family is unknown, but it seems to be a minor one, connected with or subjected to the Aalban family. The actual ruling Archduke is called Jherridan Maarsten (book I and II of the Trilogy, substituted by Thelvyn Foxeyes in Book III), while the leader of the Fire Wizards is called Byen Kalestraan (book I and II, substituted by Alessa Vykldeaar in book III).
About towns size: Braastar is the biggest town of the Highlands, but Braejr is fastly expanding, and its population is nearly the same as Braastar. Aalbansford should be the third biggest town, nearly equated by Traagen. The Vyldeaar Family is considered "of minor nobility" so Beraan should be quite small. Graez is about 1/3 or 1/4 the size of Aalbansford. Terreja and Nordeen should be quite big, considering that Maasten and Ardelan Families are quite important.
Present Boldavia is called "Eastern Reaches", and it populated with Flaems.
The "new" and "old" elven dominions are quite a mistery: the Trilogy says many times that there are seclusive elves in the forest in the south; they do not seem to have large numbers,a nyway. I suppose these elves are Belcadiz elves that refused to go away with their kin, possibly moving from the "old holdings" to the "new holdings".
It is possible to estimate the Flaems population in AC500 by knowing the size of their armed forces. From Trilogy's information it is possible to estimate an army of 5500 Flaems in the whole Highlands, thus leading to about 30.000 Flaems living in the area.
From book III of the Trilogy we know that many more Flaems come in the Highlands from the External Plane of Veydra (the last stop of the Flaems migration) after the defeat of the Overlord (a powerful being that keeps them as slaves in this Plane).
By the way, it is also possible to roughly date the three books of the Trilogy:
Book I: not before AC505 (Darokin and Alfheim's forces fight together; this is not possible before the Elven War)
Book II: not before AC510-511 (it is set 5 years after book I)
Book III: not before AC511-512 (it is set 1 year after book II, with an epilogue three years after)
I must have missed the reference to the plane of Veydra. I always assumed that the Overlord was from the Dimension of Nightmare. Well, I suppose in theory Veydra could be the Flaem name for that dimension. It just seems to fit in many other ways.
Havard
Book I: not before AC505 (Darokin and Alfheim's forces fight together; this is not possible before the Elven War)
Book II: not before AC510-511 (it is set 5 years after book I)
Book III: not before AC511-512 (it is set 1 year after book II, with an epilogue three years after)
I'm not sure you're correct about that.
I have discussed the timeline of these books with "Cthulhudrew" before, and he pointed to a telling reference in "Dragonlord of Mystara", p.2 of the prologue, which begins with Thelvyn's birth:
"The Flaem had first come into the northern frontiers of the Highlands only eighty years or so earlier..."
Now, on page 22 of the same book, we get the following:
"...but all Thelvyn could think about was that he belonged somewhere else. So it happened that that early in the spring of his fifteenth year, he found himself between prospects."
Since we know from Gaz 3 (the timeline on page 5) that the Flaem colonize the Highlands in AC 395, this places Thelvyn's birth 80 years later in 475, and so the events of "Dragonlord of Mystara" fifteen years after that in AC 490.
Book II is definitely 5 years later, and Book III 1 year after Book II, however.
I have discussed the timeline of these books with "Cthulhudrew" before, and he pointed to a telling reference in "Dragonlord of Mystara", p.2 of the prologue, which begins with Thelvyn's birth:
"The Flaem had first come into the northern frontiers of the Highlands only eighty years or so earlier..."
[snip]
Since we know from Gaz 3 (the timeline on page 5) that the Flaem colonize the Highlands in AC 395, this places Thelvyn's birth 80 years later in 475, and so the events of "Dragonlord of Mystara" fifteen years after that in AC 490.
Book II is definitely 5 years later, and Book III 1 year after Book II, however.
Well, this is arguable.
Dragonlord says "The Flaem had first come into the northern frontiers of the Highlands only eighty years or so earlier...". The book would have presumeably said "The Flaem had first come into the Highlands" if the author would mean that they first arrived on Mystara in that time, wouldn't it?
When Thelvyn is discovered being Thelvaenir of the Foxwoods, a gold dragon, we learn that the Foxwoods are located in the northern slopes of the Wendarian Ranges, in or near Wendar. So it's perfectly reasonable that the Flaems had not come into contact with the northern slopes of the Wendarian Ranges in the earliest stages of their Mystaran existance, and that instead said contact dates back to AC510, during the Flaems' initial expansion. ;)
Moreover, IIRC, LoZompatore cited in the Italian MMB a pass (perhaps from the Dragonking) in which it's said that Alfheim would rush in Darokin's defense if the latter would be attacked by dragons. And this would be impossible if the Elven War (AC501-504) wouldn't still have happened.
Moreover, IIRC, LoZompatore cited in the Italian MMB a pass (perhaps from the Dragonking) in which it's said that Alfheim would rush in Darokin's defense if the latter would be attacked by dragons. And this would be impossible if the Elven War (AC501-504) wouldn't still have happened.
To be fair, though, book one of the trilogy also refers to the "Republic of Darokin" and Darokin did not become a republic until 927 AC, well after the trilogy. The author did a really good job of making it as historically accurate to the Mystara timeline as possible, but there were some discrepancies here and there. The Alfheim/Darokin alliance could well be one of those.
If Darokin is not a Republic, that helps explain why Sir George can still be a Knight of Darokin then doesn't it?
So whats the rest of the Known World like at this time? Has anyone done writeup on the Parliament of Dragons or of the Rogue Dragons btw?
Havard
So whats the rest of the Known World like at this time?
Thyatis and Alphatia controlled much of Ylaruam, and their colonial wars were beginning.
Minrothad and other coastal nations were just recovering from the great lycanthropic plague. Several great heroes related to that event (Saimpt Malinois the Wereslayer, Ruaidhri Hawkbane, Mrikitat) live in this time (400-600 AC). Minrothad itself was rising among the merchant nations thanks to the Alphatia-Thyatis wars.
The Broken Lands were more or less as in the modern times, with Sitting Drool instead of Thar.
Vestland and Soderfjord were just being colonized by Cnute's sons. Ostland was already a unified kingdom.
Traladara was getting out of the dark age, though not without some strife.
Ierendi's only inhabitants are the Makai and the Utter albinoes.
Darokin was a kingdom under the Attleson dinasty.
Rockhome was much like the modern nation, and was ruled by the second Syrklist dynasty (and therefore in time of mercantile expansion).
The Five Shires are also already in their modern form.
The Savage Coast is more or less as described in the adventure of the same name -- the great ancient civilizations have been destroyed, and the modern ones are still in their barbaric phase.
Rockhome was much like the modern nation, and was ruled by the second Syrklist dynasty (and therefore in time of mercantile expansion).
Hmmm... I wonder how much of the colonial wars in Ylaruam were fed by Rockhome merchants selling weapons and armor to both sides... that might be interesting to explore in an historical campaign. Perhaps the blowback from their involvement in this led to some of the isolationist philosophies in Rockhome to develop. Plus, it may have eventually led to dwarven support of the revolution of Al-Kalim -- as a buffer between Rockhome and the unhappy imperial powers -- and thus to the level of friendship that exists today between Rockhome and Ylaruam...
And to add to other events already mentioned
Not much happening in Ethengar - lots of warring clans as usual - a raid into Glantri beckons in 585AD (GAZ12 p5)
The shadow elves are going to attack Alfheim in 560AD.
The shadow elves are going to attack Alfheim in 560AD.
EUREKA!
That's it!
Often wondered why there was a black-skinned elf on the cover of the Alfheim gazetteer? Well, there's the answer... during the attack on Alfheim, so as not to tip off their hand that they really, truly appear little different from their surface-born cousins (to protect their spies), the Shadowelves used magic and/or a special fungus concoction to make their skin ebon black, also the better to protect their skin from the sun and hide at night. The nature of the magic was such that no surface elf ever realized that the Shadow Elves were "painted", and not black skinned in fact... and the Shadow Elves never left behind any bodies.
Hmmm... I wonder if that fits fully into canon... not sure off the top of my head, and I'm at work (yeah, on Sunday at 5:30... go figure)...
the Shadowelves used magic and/or a special fungus concoction to make their skin ebon black, also the better to protect their skin from the sun and hide at night.
I guess that's a very nice way for explaning the "drow" of the cover of Alfheim Gaz and Tower of Doom/Shadows over Mystara ;)
...during the attack on Alfheim, so as not to tip off their hand that they really, truly appear little different from their surface-born cousins (to protect their spies), the Shadowelves used magic and/or a special fungus concoction to make their skin ebon black, also the better to protect their skin from the sun and hide at night...
That's a pretty good explanation. The one that I just came up with the other night while reading through HWQ1: The Milenian Scepter was that the character on the cover was a mortal elf offspring of Nyx (like Vix in HWQ1).
EUREKA!
That's it!
Often wondered why there was a black-skinned elf on the cover of the Alfheim gazetteer? Well, there's the answer... during the attack on Alfheim, so as not to tip off their hand that they really, truly appear little different from their surface-born cousins (to protect their spies), the Shadowelves used magic and/or a special fungus concoction to make their skin ebon black, also the better to protect their skin from the sun and hide at night. The nature of the magic was such that no surface elf ever realized that the Shadow Elves were "painted", and not black skinned in fact... and the Shadow Elves never left behind any bodies.
Hmmm... I wonder if that fits fully into canon... not sure off the top of my head, and I'm at work (yeah, on Sunday at 5:30... go figure)...
I totally buy this. And I like Wilhelm's mention of the dark skinned SEs from the CRPGs too. What would be the name of this magical ointment or the fungi used to make it?
Havard
I totally buy this. And I like Wilhelm's mention of the dark skinned SEs from the CRPGs too. What would be the name of this magical ointment or the fungi used to make it?
Maybe it's a distillation/concoction involving the Darksnap or Blackspore, or else a related fungi?
Maybe it's a distillation/concoction involving the Darksnap or Blackspore, or else a related fungi?
Sounds good to me
Havard