I'm trying to piece together the lore for Out Of The Abyss as to make it more immersive for the players. I obtained the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms setting book and the Underdark book from the same era. I have already learned of the floating cities of the Netheril and how Brysis' tomb is related- even though there is no recorded enclave bearing the name Khaem in my studies...
I have desired to research the meaning of Cyrog, and found that the only information on that is in Sword Coast Legends, and after watching that boring boss fight with "the legendary Cyrog", watching the entire gameplay looking for lore drops is not worth the sanity I would lose from that boring game.
Recently I have picked up a "where are they now" on city leaders, and found something exciting. In a matter of what may be just ONE YEAR, there may have been three or more Gray Dwarf kings of Gracklestugh. Whenever the FRCS book was set, there was the Derro-controlled king Tarngardt Steelshadow. Then, there was Horgar Steelshadow the Fourth. And rising in 1372, which is said to be near when FRCS was set, Horgar the Fifth was officially set as OOTA claims. In 1371, Blindgenstone fell, according to the oldest book of the three! That means that according to a literal interpretation of the lore, Tarngardt fell following the fall of blingdenstone, then Horgar the Fourth rose up to invade Menzoberranzan, which occurred in 1372 following the silence of Lloth- and officially ended in 1373- AFTER Horgar the fifth took power. Sources say that Horgar the fourth died in the retreat, did their brother take power while they were out in siege of the drow? Fourthy here was killed by a drow named Nimor- but rumor says that Fourthy hired the same Nimor to kill THEIR father. Nimor killed a king and a prince in the same year, and we are left with Fifthy here in charge of the city now. Did Nimor and Fourthy know that the king Tarngardt was subject to the whim of the old Derro? Where does the council fit into all of this, the death of the old king hurt them badly! What the bloody hell happened with this one city in the matter of a single year? ----NOW the new king, Fifthy, is even more compromised! HE has a succubus in the guise of Shar who worships Grazz't, and Fifthy is INSANE because of it! It's been over a hundred years hasn't it? Maybe a hundred and fifty or two hundred- isn't HOTDQ set in 1579? What the hell happened with Fifthy for them to survive so long? Is it because Nimor was punished? What the bloody hell is with the Duergar!!!
Lastly is the most hilarious and puzzling thing. Underdark says that the current ruling Giant is Stonespeaker Hgraan. Wait- HgraaN? What- he's HgraaM in OOTA! Did the dev team actually make a typo? And don't tell me it's two different giants- because OOTA has an echo of a younger stonespeaker Hgraam wondering thoughts that precede all of this! What the bloody hell!
AND THIS isn't even getting into ORCUS! According to my research, his staff is at the bottom of the deepest pit of Pandemonium! When did he even return to full godhood? I feel like that guy from the Game Theorists who does the SCIIEEENCE videos because Out Of The Abyss makes NO GOD DAMN SENSE.
I still love it tho, let's talk lore and inconsistencies! Who'se read the books? -Patt
My guess is that the name is an error/change made for 5th edition, okay so probably an error of someone not remembering the name correctly or possibly Underdark printing the name incorrectly originally. But really probably the same person.
As far as I know Orcus is not a god at the moment, or is he? As far as published material goes I believe he isn't, but maybe you have stumbled upon a hint of things to come?
My guess is that the name is an error/change made for 5th edition, okay so probably an error of someone not remembering the name correctly or possibly Underdark printing the name incorrectly originally. But really probably the same person.
As far as I know Orcus is not a god at the moment, or is he? As far as published material goes I believe he isn't, but maybe you have stumbled upon a hint of things to come?
There's still the problem of his Staff, which theoretically is only solvable by playing or watching Sword Coast Legends, or finding someone who played it. Which is about as unlikely as finding Gravenhollow without Ghazrim's ring. Hopefully someone's at least played Neverwinter: The Maze Engine, and can enlighten us about what Baphomet's doing.
My favorite part from the Gracklestugh situation is that the current king did NOTHING to become king. Nimor is responsible for basically everything in Gracklestugh right now.
Also, if we're going full OOTA spoilers and dumpster diving, Menzoberranzan is really subtly described in OOTA, the whole "House Do'Urden is back" thing is so subtly swept under the table. Think about it- how is everyone not freaking out that house FREAKIN Do'Urden was DESTROYED and is all of the sudden not only being repaired and doted on by Baenre, but a brainwashed undead MOON ELF is 'leading' the house? Sheesh! If Demogorgon hasn't already made Drizzt insane, then hearing about that would really set him off.
Also- what's Demogorgon's whole deal down here anyway? I feel like the PRINCE OF DEMONS would, even with their chaotic nature, at least have some semblance of a pair of plans for what to do down there. They wreak havoc in Menzoberranzan, and head directly southwest, making a grand appearance at the altar for the deep father in Sloobloodop. Then they dispensary from the story. Where the hell is he going? If he's headed to Gracklestugh, you'd think they would let us know. Maybe one head wants to go to wherever they are worshipped, and the other needs something else? What if one wants to go to Gracklestugh but the other wants to go SouthEast, like say.... [Consults map] Well all in that direction for miles is Auramycos... There's Aarimandar, Ched Nassad, yathchol, where the hell is Demogorgon going? If Drizz't is tracking him, where does it all lead him? IF ONLY SOMEONE PLAYED THAT GAME and could tell us!
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I'm trying to piece together the lore for Out Of The Abyss as to make it more immersive for the players. I obtained the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms setting book and the Underdark book from the same era. I have already learned of the floating cities of the Netheril and how Brysis' tomb is related- even though there is no recorded enclave bearing the name Khaem in my studies...
I have desired to research the meaning of Cyrog, and found that the only information on that is in Sword Coast Legends, and after watching that boring boss fight with "the legendary Cyrog", watching the entire gameplay looking for lore drops is not worth the sanity I would lose from that boring game.
Recently I have picked up a "where are they now" on city leaders, and found something exciting. In a matter of what may be just ONE YEAR, there may have been three or more Gray Dwarf kings of Gracklestugh. Whenever the FRCS book was set, there was the Derro-controlled king Tarngardt Steelshadow. Then, there was Horgar Steelshadow the Fourth. And rising in 1372, which is said to be near when FRCS was set, Horgar the Fifth was officially set as OOTA claims. In 1371, Blindgenstone fell, according to the oldest book of the three! That means that according to a literal interpretation of the lore, Tarngardt fell following the fall of blingdenstone, then Horgar the Fourth rose up to invade Menzoberranzan, which occurred in 1372 following the silence of Lloth- and officially ended in 1373- AFTER Horgar the fifth took power. Sources say that Horgar the fourth died in the retreat, did their brother take power while they were out in siege of the drow? Fourthy here was killed by a drow named Nimor- but rumor says that Fourthy hired the same Nimor to kill THEIR father. Nimor killed a king and a prince in the same year, and we are left with Fifthy here in charge of the city now. Did Nimor and Fourthy know that the king Tarngardt was subject to the whim of the old Derro? Where does the council fit into all of this, the death of the old king hurt them badly! What the bloody hell happened with this one city in the matter of a single year?
----NOW the new king, Fifthy, is even more compromised! HE has a succubus in the guise of Shar who worships Grazz't, and Fifthy is INSANE because of it! It's been over a hundred years hasn't it? Maybe a hundred and fifty or two hundred- isn't HOTDQ set in 1579? What the hell happened with Fifthy for them to survive so long? Is it because Nimor was punished? What the bloody hell is with the Duergar!!!
Lastly is the most hilarious and puzzling thing. Underdark says that the current ruling Giant is Stonespeaker Hgraan. Wait- HgraaN? What- he's HgraaM in OOTA! Did the dev team actually make a typo? And don't tell me it's two different giants- because OOTA has an echo of a younger stonespeaker Hgraam wondering thoughts that precede all of this! What the bloody hell!
AND THIS isn't even getting into ORCUS! According to my research, his staff is at the bottom of the deepest pit of Pandemonium! When did he even return to full godhood? I feel like that guy from the Game Theorists who does the SCIIEEENCE videos because Out Of The Abyss makes NO GOD DAMN SENSE.
I still love it tho, let's talk lore and inconsistencies! Who'se read the books? -Patt
My guess is that the name is an error/change made for 5th edition, okay so probably an error of someone not remembering the name correctly or possibly Underdark printing the name incorrectly originally. But really probably the same person.
As far as I know Orcus is not a god at the moment, or is he? As far as published material goes I believe he isn't, but maybe you have stumbled upon a hint of things to come?
My favorite part from the Gracklestugh situation is that the current king did NOTHING to become king. Nimor is responsible for basically everything in Gracklestugh right now.
Also, if we're going full OOTA spoilers and dumpster diving, Menzoberranzan is really subtly described in OOTA, the whole "House Do'Urden is back" thing is so subtly swept under the table. Think about it- how is everyone not freaking out that house FREAKIN Do'Urden was DESTROYED and is all of the sudden not only being repaired and doted on by Baenre, but a brainwashed undead MOON ELF is 'leading' the house? Sheesh! If Demogorgon hasn't already made Drizzt insane, then hearing about that would really set him off.
Also- what's Demogorgon's whole deal down here anyway? I feel like the PRINCE OF DEMONS would, even with their chaotic nature, at least have some semblance of a pair of plans for what to do down there. They wreak havoc in Menzoberranzan, and head directly southwest, making a grand appearance at the altar for the deep father in Sloobloodop. Then they dispensary from the story. Where the hell is he going? If he's headed to Gracklestugh, you'd think they would let us know. Maybe one head wants to go to wherever they are worshipped, and the other needs something else? What if one wants to go to Gracklestugh but the other wants to go SouthEast, like say.... [Consults map] Well all in that direction for miles is Auramycos... There's Aarimandar, Ched Nassad, yathchol, where the hell is Demogorgon going? If Drizz't is tracking him, where does it all lead him? IF ONLY SOMEONE PLAYED THAT GAME and could tell us!