ForgingtheRealmsArchive|2/25/2014

TheLostTriarchyofScorune
ByEdGreenwood

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

anycornersofFaernhavecolorfulbutlargelyforgotten(ortwisted)localhistories.Humananddwarven,
gnome,halfling,andelvennaturebeingwhatitis,thisloreofteninvolvestreasure,plustalesoflove,
betrayal,andviolence.

Here'sonecenteredontheregiondominatedtodaybythecityofScornubel.Whatfollowsisthetaleastoldbyvarious
Amnianfamilyhistoriesothersmayseethehistoryofthisregiondifferently.

Beginnings

Longago,wellbeforetherewasanotoriouslylawlesscrossroadscitynamedScornubel,therollingwilderlandsonthat
partofthenorthbankoftheRiverChionthar(andforsomedays'travelwest,east,andnorthofthesiteofthepresent
daycity)werethehauntsofbugbears,gnolls,andwanderingwildherdsofdeer,roth,andboar,nottomentionafew
scatteredgoblinvillages.Wolves,wyverns,andperytonspreyeduponallthisfoodonthehoofregularly,andeveryfive
decadesorsoahungrydragondescendedfromtheskiestoindulgeinagreatdevouring.Onrareroccasions,orc
hordesspilleddownoutofthenorth,hackinganddevouringeverythingintheirpath,beforefadingawayagainstfiercer
resistancefarthersouthatthebordersofAmn.

Thentothesewilderlandscamehumans,intheformofridersoutofAmnseekingriches.Theyswiftlycorralledthe
herdsanddrovemostofthosebeastsbacksouthintomoresecurelands,thensetaboutwoodcutting,prospecting,
fishing,andexploringthebacklands.Theyfoughtandslaughteredmonsters,huntedandcapturedusefulwildbeasts
totakebacktoAmn,andtamedtheland.

Afterafashion.

Bugbear,gnoll,goblin,andothermarauderscontinuedtoraiddownoutoftheeastandnorthinwarbands,and
AmnianoutlawssoughtthisregionasarefugefromwhichtopreyupontheAmnianscomingnorthwithincreasing
frequency.Thepersistenceoftheirdepredationsledtotheregionbeingdubbed"theDangerlands."Inthetongueused
inAmnatthetime,"scorune"meant"danger,"sotheregionbetweentheriversChiontharandDelimibyrbecame
Scorune(fromwhichthenameScornubelderives).

Atthetime,therewasn'tevenaferryatthesitewhereScornubelwastorise,andnooverlandtraderoadexistedto
warrantone.Ithadonlyrolling,treecloakedhills,endlessgametrails,andnohumanhabitationbeyondarmed(and
oftenpalisaded)camps.

Astimewenton,eventhedangersofScorunewereworndownandlessened,ifnottamed,andsomeoftheboldest
andhardiestofpoorAmniansdecidedtoestablishfarmsinthese"unspoiled"backlands.Wellwateredandnever
farmedbefore,thehillsofScorunenightheChiontharyieldedrichly,andthesefarmsprosperedandswiftlygrew.

Scorunebecameaplaceofburgeoningopportunityandswiftrisingwealth.

TheWarofFiveWizards

Allplaceswhereprosperityincreasessharplyattractstheinterestofthosewhodesiretoexploit,andinFaern,
inevitablysomeoftheseambitiousandenergeticindividualsarewizards.Notmany,forthenasnowthemajorityof
magestendtobereclusiveanddevotedtostudyingandmasteringmagic,andarenotinterestedinthecutandthrust
ofpoliticsandsocialpower.Itdoesn'ttakemanytomakeamark,oftenahighlydestructiveone,iftheybehavewith
aggression.

AndtoScorunecamewizardsfromafarwhowantedthewealthandpowerofrulership,andsawtheDangerlandsasa
placewheretheycouldsetthemselvesupaslordsandenjoyagoodlife.Seventheywere,nonealliedwithanother
andnonehailingfromthesameplace.AllofthemforesawaScoruneruledbythemalone,withoutotherwizardsbeing
welcomeorallowed.

Sowhentheydiscoveredeachother,theyinstantlyviewedeachotherasrivals.Twowerestruckdownswiftly,
murderedbyoneoranotherofthefivesurvivingmagesallofwhomwerenowclearlyawareofthedangertheirrivals
represented.Sotheytooktousingmagicaldisguises,gatheringapprenticesandalliesandhiringmercenaries,
buildingupsmallwarbandsandwarmagic,andpreparingtomakewaroneachotherforScorune.

RumorsofthisreachedAmn,andcauseddisgustandconsternationamongthemerchantinvestorstherewhosawthe
ruinationofanyprofitstheirfledglingmines(forplentifulsurfacecopperdepositshadbeenfoundineasternScorune)
mightmake.

MeetingsandnegotiationsaplentywereheldinAthkatla,decisionstakenamonga"quillpact"(wemodernrealworld
typeswouldprobablyusetheword"syndicate"),andthreemercenarywarcaptainswereaccordinglyhiredtolead
smallarmiesnorthtoScoruneandseethatthewizardsruinednothing.Thesethreewarleadersweregiventhetitle
triarchanddeemedequalstheyweretosplittheterritoryofScoruneintothreeparts,eachkeepingthepeacewithin
theirpart,andeachrulingthat"march"andreceivingasixthpartofthesmeltedtradebarsproducedbythemines
withintheirmarch.

Yetbeforetheycouldmarch,wareruptedamongthefivewizards,andScorunewaslaidwaste.Thespellbattles
blasteddownsteadingaftersteading,alongwithmostoftheinhabitantsandatleastthreeofthefivewizards.

Thefatesofthelasttwo,NaethEskereloftheTashalarandImchraeWelthondofHalruaa,remainsunknowntothis
day,thoughwildtalesconcerningthemaremany.MostoftheseaccountsinsistEskerelandWelthondweredriven
madandforcedintobeastshape,andtheywanderScoruneyetas"dragonheadedgiantwolvesthatcan'tbekilled,"
orsimilar"strange"monsters.Severalsageshaverecordedstoriespasseddownfromthattimethatinsisttheselast
twowizardswereforcedtomagicallyreplacetheirownlostlimbsandblastedbodieswithgraftedonreplacement
partsfrombeasts,andbecomeuniquehorrorsthatprowledthecountrysidekillingtodevourandsurvive,aswolves
do.Somestoriessaytheybecamelichesandsurvivestill,whileothersmerelyreporttheydisappearedandhavenot
beenseenformanyyears.

TheTriarchs

WhatiscertainisthatwordofthespellbattlesreachedAmn.Allthreetriarchs,despitetheirsponsorsinitiallyinsisting
theybeaccompaniedbynowizards(toavoidoneproblembeingsupersededbythesameproblem,onlybetter
equippedandmilitarilyorganized),refusedtomarchnorthwithoutthesponsorsprovidinghiredwizards.Afteralmosta
seasonofdisputeanddebate,one"lessermage"wasassignedtoeachtriarch.

Thetriarchsthenledtheirarmiesnorth,findingaScorunedesertedofAmnians,itsfarmsabandonedandswiftly
returningtowildforest.Theybeheldnowarringwizardstofight,inalandthatwouldberefoundedforAmnonlyifthey
themselvesdidtherefounding.

Sotheydid,thoughoncewordreachedAthkatlathatfightingwasnomorethanpatrollingformonstersandthe
occasionalbugbearorgoblinwarband,theaidthetriarchsreceivedfromAmn,andtheobediencetheypaidtoAmn,
wasminimal.Withthethreatofthewizardsgoneandtheoutputoftheminesflowingfreelyagain(andrapidlybeing
exhausted),Athkatlaseemedtoforgetaboutitstriarchs.

TherestofFaern,iftheyknewofthetriarchsatall,regardedthemasthreemoreorlessindependentneighboring
barons.

Undertheirmilitaryprotection,Scorunewasswiftlyrepopulated,androadsandbridgesbuilt.Thetriarchybecamea
success:theirprosperousfarmingandloggingregionhadactiveprospectingandevenfurharvesting.

Until,ofcourse,Beshabavisitedmisfortunesonallthreetriarchs.

FellFates

Oncemore,wizardsweretheproblemonlythistime,itwasthehiredlessermageswho'daccompaniedthetriarchs.
Grownwealthyandhaughty,theysoughttoadvancethemselves,quarreled,andattackedeachotherwithspells.

Inoneofthesebattles,theTriarchUrbronThelsaddlewasliterallyblastedapart,alongwith"his"wizard.It'ssaidthe
othertwotriarchs,uponhearingofhisfate,justvanished.

Andthisiswheretheaccountsdiverge.SomesayTriarchLhandarlSuldragonandTriarchVhoruneMelvarthwere
murderedby"their"wizards,andothertalesinsisttheyforesawthatthemageswouldkillthem,andfledintohiding
withjustthewealththeycouldcarry,journeyingfarfromScorunetoliveoutliveselsewhereunderothernames.

Inevitably,manyofthestoriessayallthreetriarchshadbecomeverywealthy,andtheyhadcachedmagicaltreasures
andwealththatmaywellstillexist.ThoselookingmightfindthesecachesinScoruneyet.

Scorunetodayisbutanighforgottennameandalocalexpressionforacomplicatedmessinvolvingmistakesand
highfeelings,thatwillberesolvedonlywithdifficulty:"apropertriarchy!"

Andifsomeofthewhispersaretrue,somemagicitemsandwealthhiddenbythefleeingbaronsorthetwowizards
whooutlivedthetriarchs'rulebidelostandwalledupincellarsunderScornubelorinancienttombsbelongingto
others.Thesetombsmightbewizardsburiedearlier,andtheycouldhavemagicallyanimatedguardiansintheirlost
andovergrownlocationsintheScornubriancountryside.

Thoseadventurousenoughtoseekthesecachesoutcouldlearnthetruthofthesemattersforthemselves.

AbouttheAuthor

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

19952014WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.