Delhumide

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

Now ruined, Delhumide was once the capital of the Mulhorandi province which controlled the region now known as Thay after the fall of Raumathar.

It’s noted that one of the God-Kings ruled the city, but was absent when the Red Wizards unleashed Eltab on Delhumide.


Sources

  • Old Empires [FR10/9274] page 4
  • Dreams of the Red Wizards [FR6/9235] page 18
Maps

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Gheldaneth

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

Gheldaneth is the second-largest city of Mulhorand.

Who Rules

Derlaunt, Precept of Gheldaneth, rules in the name of Pharaoh Horustep III and the God-Kings of Mulhorand.

Locations

Notable Individuals

Source

  • Old Empires [FR10/9274] Map and pages 15, 17, 18, 21, 26, 30, 32, 53, 66

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

The Timeline of Mulhorand

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

The following events in the history of Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta are significant.

MC DR Events
-353 -2488 By now, everyone has heard the nigh-unbelievable tales; Raurin, the imperial province of Imaskar, has been devoured in a cataclysm of fire and melting earth which left the Raurin Desert.
1 -2135 Re and his followers establish the city of Skuld and the nation of Mulhorand.
49 -2087 Enlil and his followers establish the city of Unthalass and the nation of Unther.
169 -1967 A territorial dispute erupts between Mulhorand and Unther.
175 -1961 Re and Enlil reach an agreement that the River of Swords will be the boundary between their lands. This agreement is honored for more than three thousand years.
c. 650 c. -1500 Mulhorand and Unther expand. This marks the beginning of the First Empires.
c. 900 c. -1250 Unther wars against both the elves of the Yuirwood and the dwarves of the Great Rift, seeking to colonize these areas. Mulhorand, in contrast, works to control lands to the east which were historically dominated by Imaskar.
1049 -1087 Thayd’s Rebellion.
1055 -1081 Thayd is captured and executed. He prophecies that the priests’ persecution of wizards in Mulhorand and Unther will cost the empires much of their power and glory. Of course, the priests don’t see things that way, and his prophecy is discredited and ignored for two thousand years.
1061 -1075 The Orcgate Wars begin. Hordes of orcs pour forth from the mountains, besieging the northern colonies. Estimates of the death toll climb into the tens of thousands within the first month.
1065 -1071 The climactic Battle of the Gods, where Re is apparently slain by an avatar of Gruumsh. However, Horus becomes Horus-Re, and the Mulhorandi armies rally.
1067 -1069 The Orcgate Wars end, as the avatars of the orc deities are defeated by the God-Kings of Mulhorand and Unther. The orcish armies are routed, and flee to the north. A “kill on sight” edict is enacted in Mulhorand and Unther, which prevents orcs from settling in those lands even to this day. The paladins of Osiris quietly stopped counting when they exceeded 100,000 dead, so no accurate record exists of how many lives were lost. Mulhorand is rocked to its core by the loss of Re. Unther is, if possible, even more disheartened; most of their pantheon was destroyed.
1086 -1050 Set defies the authority of Horus-Re, and reportedly kills Osiris. Osiris, if he fell, was quickly resurrected.
1088 -1048 Horus-Re publicly declares himself Pharaoh of Mulhorand and of the Gods. He exiles Set and condemns his church; from this day forward the worship of Set is punishable by death in Mulhorand.
c. 1250 c. -900 Narfell and Raumathar rise to power in the north.
1402 -734 Enlil passes leadership of the Untheric pantheon (and his church) to Gilgeam and vanishes from the Realms. Gilgeam immediately declares this to be Year 1 of the new Untheric Calendar. The Untheric Calendar is grudgingly recognized in Unther’s vassal states, but remains ignored by all other nations.
1513 -623 Narfell attempts an invasion of Mulhorand and Unther by sea. The northern armada is obliterated, and Narfell quickly turns its attention back to other interests.
1986 -150 Narfell and Raumathar achieve mutual destruction.
1988 -148 Predictably, a large number of demons and other creatures loosed in the final battle between the northern empires quickly leave the dead realms and enter the colonies of Mulhorand and Unther. The God-Kings defeat and banish as many of these creatures as they can find, determined to avoid another catastrophic loss of citizens.
2001 -135 Mulhorand and Unther expand again, and the Second Empires begin.
2136 1 The Standing Stone is raised in the lands northwest of the Inner Sea — this event is ignored by most of the South, but is included for reference.
2243 108 The first Great Flood of the River Alamber nearly destroys Unthalass.
2337 202 Barbarians invade southern Unther and Mulhorand.
2340 205 The armies of Mulhorand and Unther chase the fleeing barbarians back to their settlements and exterminate them.
2617 482 Delthuntle and Laothkund declare their independence from Unther.
2639 504 Teth and Nethra declare their independence, provoking Unther into a long and bloody campaign against its northern colonies.
2778 643 Nezram leaves his tower on the shores of Azulduth, and is not seen in the Realms for several centuries.
2814 679 Unther is forced to recognize the independence of all the Coaster Cities. This marks the end of the Second Untheric Empire.
2816 681 Nezram’s tower is destroyed by Chathuulandroth; Nezram’s descendants found Nezras.
2866 731 The second Great Flood of the River Alamber devastates Unthalass.
2958 823 Mourktar declares its independence from Unther.
3057 922 The Battle of Thazalhar. The Red Wizards achieve a coup in Mulhorand’s northern province, and declare themselves the sovereign nation of Thay. This marks the end of the Second Mulhorandi Empire.
3064 929 A small army of dissidents, led by Tchazzar, puts Unther’s northern province to the sword and founds the Alliance of Chessenta.
3111 976 Mulhorand‘s first (and so far, the only) invasion of Thay is defeated at the River Thazarim.
3153 1018 King Tchazzar disappears during an attack against sahuagin. His body is never found, and some of his followers form a cult based on the belief that Tchazzar is now divine.
3165 1030 A small cabal within the Red Wizards declares itself to be the head of that organization, and the rulers of Thay. Much strife ensues. The eight wizards call themselves the Zulkirs.
3209 1074 The Zulkirs eradicate the last known resistance to their rule.
3233 1098 Thay‘s first invasion of Mulhorand is defeated at Sultim.
3252 1117 Mordulkin defies the King of Cimbar, fracturing the Alliance of Chessenta.
3289 1154 The armies of Akanax and Soorenar lay siege to Cimbar. The King of Cimbar is forced to sign a pact placing severe limits on his authority. The lord of Akanax refuses to sign, on the grounds that he himself would be a better leader of the alliance. This, of course, ensures that the squabbling between the city-states will escalate and continue in perpetuity.
3296 1161 The Karanok family rises to power in Luthcheq.
3318 1183 Paladins of Osiris exorcise the fortress of Sekras and make the entire length of the River of Swords safe for human habitation. Werecrocodiles vanish, but quietly settle in the Adder River Delta.
3383 1248 Rehorusteb II becomes Pharaoh of Mulhorand.
3415 1280 Thay‘s second invasion of Mulhorand overwhelms Sultim. The city very nearly falls before reinforcements arrive from Skuld. The church of Anhur is blamed for the debacle.
3436 1301 The cult of Tiamat, long-forgotten, abruptly comes back into public awareness in Unther.
3446 1311 Rezim becomes Vizier of Mulhorand, and dramatically broadens the persecution of Anhurites. Chessentan mercenaries replace Anhurites as the guards of Mulhorand’s cities.
3452 1317 The Great Plague of the Inner Sea begins.
3455 1320 Baphoseti becomes the incarnation of Set, and quickly galvanizes that cult.
3458 1323 The Great Plague fades away. Chessenta is devastated, having lost up to 40% of its population in coastal cities and towns. Chondath and the Coaster Cities suffer similar losses. Unther has also suffered — Messemprar and Unthalass in particular, where up to 20% of the population perished. Mulhorand, in contrast, is unaffected. Murghôm, Semphar, the Shaar, and other lands further away from the Inner Sea, are also spared.
3459 1324 Luthcheq invades Mordulkin, seeking to take advantage of the plague’s ravages. Luthcheq loses the war, and most of its army. House Karanok blames wizard-spy-infiltrators who warned Mordulkin’s leaders of the attack, and begin persecuting wizards.
3481 1346 The Cult of Tiamat summons The Dark Lady.
3485 1350 The Cult of Set gains control of Sampranasz, and successfully suppresses news of the event, thus gaining a base of operations close to Skuld. Baphoseti forms the Fangs of Set.
3492 1357 Fire elementals destroy the eastern Coaster Cities. Rioting in Messemprar threatens to destroy that city.

Source

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Mulhorand

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

Mulhorand is one of the oldest nations of modern Faerûn, founded 3500 years ago by survivors from the fall of Raurin.


Departure

Much of the material found in this blog related to Mulhorand is based on material from Old Empires (FR10/9274). However, there are some occasions where the fact that the nation is 3500 years old has led me to tweak things a bit. Also, I may play up the role of technology a bit more than FR10 did.


Visiting

Mulhorand is located on the eastern shores of the Alamber Sea. It’s an idyllic land blessed with eternally rich soil, mild weather, and a year-round growing season. Several meltwater rivers, each flawlessly clear, are diverted into thousands of cut channels that irrigate the farmlands. A few sprawling cities line the coast and several bustling towns speckle the interior, but two out of three citizens live in peaceful farming communities too small to appear on maps.

The northern border of Mulhorand is the blasted wasteland of Thazalhar. Stretching south from the River of Dawn to Skuld is a highland region known in Mulhorand as the Taranoth. South of Skuld, wrapping around the southern end of the Alamber Sea, is an exceptionally fertile plain called the Menesankh. East of this Plain of Life is the Asanibis, or Great Vale; rolling hills and gently sloping plains predominate here. The Dragonsword Mountains and the Sunrise Mountains make up the eastern border, and are collectively called the Furitep.

Communities

Nezras, while founded by Mulhorandi citizens, isn’t claimed (or even known) by the current Pharaoh and doesn’t have an Imperial Legion presence.

Ruins
Roads
Other Landmarks
What You See

The major cities of Mulhorand are a mix of golden sandstone, pale marble, and dark clay, all cut into an assortment of shapes and fitted together without grout or nails. Towns of moderate population have less marble and more clay, and the small villages are almost all clay.

The country, for the most part, is cultivated land. Most of the population lives near the coast; in some places villages are found at five-mile intervals along the roads. As the land slopes gently upward toward the Dragonsword Mountains, the farms get bigger and the villages are more sparse.

Spells and Portals

Generally speaking, there are no bans in effect that affect spellcasting across the empire. Certain structures are warded against certain spells, but that will be addressed in the descriptions of each such structure.

There are no widely known portals leading to Mulhorand; of course, that doesn’t mean that none exist.

Defenses

The Imperial Legion defends Mulhorand from ground-based armies. Mulhorand also has a navy, based in Sultim, and small contingents of various flying beasts stationed in the three largest cities.

Neighboring Nations and Features

Politics

Who Rules

The Pharaoh rules in the name of the God-Kings of Mulhorand.

In 1365 DR, Horustep III has been Pharaoh for 8 years. His father, Akonhorus II, ruled from 1320 to 1357 DR.

Who Really Rules

The Pharaoh understandably doesn’t take an active hand in the daily humdrum of government; most matters are left in the hands of the Vizier. Rezim has been the Vizier of Mulhorand since 1311 DR.

The Vizier understandably doesn’t take an active hand in the daily humdrum of government. He allows the Precepts to govern their Precepts, and directs the Hierarchs to deal with the matters of their respective churches. This leaves the Vizier free to attend to matters of higher importance.

The Vizier rules the empire from behind a multi-layered veil of bureaucrats and priests. When things go well, he gets all the credit for his brilliant planning and capable delegation of duties. When things go badly… well, he can’t be everywhere simultaneously to rescue every servant of the Pharaoh from their individual faults and errors. He is unfailingly calm and collected, always has two or three contingency plans, and has “plausible deniability” in all situations.

Political Divisions

Mulhorand is divided into sixteen provinces called Precepts.


Notable Individuals


Culture and Society

Demographics

Officially, the overall population is 99% human and 1% other races. The human population is 92% Mulan, 6% Durpari, 2% Turami, and less than 1% other subraces. The primary language is Mulhorandi.

This fails to distinguish the large planetouched population in Mulhorand, so I’m rearranging the demographics for this campaign. Also, the population of Mulhorand is about 900,000 in 1357 and over 5.3 million in 1372. This suggests that the authors of 3e completely ignored the 2e population numbers. I feel justified in ignoring the 3e population numbers.

Religion

Unlike many other realms, Mulhorand has its own pantheon, and the churches of those deities comprise the vast majority of the citizens. Certain powers of other pantheons have small followings here but they are a matter of individual veneration, kept secret, rather than cohesive groups of worshipers.


Local History

The nearby nations of Thay, Murghôm, and Semphar were once provinces of Mulhorand but have gained autonomy within the last several centuries.


Sources

  • Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting [11836] (3e) pages 101 (map), 184, 267
  • Old Empires [FR10/9274] — the whole book
  • Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting [1085] (2e) A Grand Tour of the Realms page 122
  • The Forgotten Realms Atlas [8442] page 11
  • Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting [1031] (1e) Cyclopedia of the Realms page 65

Passing Mention

  • Shining South [17929] page 178
  • Dreams of the Red Wizards [FR6/9235] pages 7, 22
  • Elminster’s Everwinking EyePolyhedron #110 page 6

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Neldorild

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

The fourth city of Mulhorand. The nobility is dominant here, and this city has strict laws regarding acceptable attire, behavior, and cleanliness. Theft is a capital offense.

Locations

Source

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Skuld

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

Skuld is the capital and largest city of Mulhorand.

A permanent two-way portal somewhere in one of the city’s marketplaces leads to Dead Dragon Gorge in the Underdark near Menzoberranzan.

Who Rules

Ceianre, Precept of Skuld, rules in the name of Pharaoh Horustep III and the God-Kings of Mulhorand.

Locations

Notable Individuals

Source

  • Old Empires [FR10/9274] pages 5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 30, 31, 32, 33, 83, 86, 93

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Maerlar

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

At a Glance

Maerlar is one of the few villages which still stands along the ancient Road to the Dawn.

Source

Thazalhar

This information is intended for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.


At a Glance

A desolate region north of Mulhorand and south of Thay. Most of the battles between the gods during the Orcgate Wars took place here, and the land has never recovered.

Thazalhar is claimed and patrolled by Thay, but it is secretly watched by Mulhorand as well. Skirmishes are infrequent due to the use of concealing magic, but when they occur they are always fatal — each patrol will seek to annihilate the other in order to seize magic and prevent a report from being made.


Overview

The Landscape: What You See
Settlements
Ruins, Dungeons, Etc
Roads
Other Landmarks
Neighboring Nations & Features

Politics

The year, in the Xaeyruudh campaign, is 1365 DR.

Who Rules

There is no throne, or even a capital, but the man given dominion over Thazalhar is Milsantos Daramos.

Who Really Rules

Thazalhar is one of those places where the quickest blades and strongest magic make the rules, but only within the conqueror’s reach and only as long as he lives.


Local History

Timeline
Recent Events

Notable Individuals

  • Milsantos Daramos — Tharchion of Thazalhar

Sources

Primary Sources
Passing Mention
  • Old Empires [FR10/9274] 5, 14, 15
  • Dreams of the Red Wizards [FR6/9235] 9, 23, 28
  • Xaeyruudh — whatever is not specified in the sources above was written for this campaign
Maps

Disclaimer

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Forgotten Realms, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.