Lore

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Anphillia Early History

During the tempest which created the world, great volcanoes erupted across the planet and numerous islands were formed as many of the volcanoes rose out of the ocean and spewed forth countless tonnes of lava. Several such volcano’s created a small archipelago in the great watery expanse which became known as the trackless sea. The largest island is today called Anphillia.

The island still bears the marks of its fiery creators, several weather smoothed mountains strike high into the sky and the largest of these mountains now lays host to the island’s only Blue Dragon, Taluk. The Wyrm's name is elven in nature, tal = city and luk = to swallow.

c. -37000DR during Toril’s most recent ice age, much of the trackless sea was covered by an enormous glacier which stretched for thousands of miles and encompassed Anphillia. It was during this time that the isle received it's first humanoid inhabitants in the form of giants, orcs, trolls and the like.

As this ice age came to an end, Anphillia once again found itself isolated in the ocean and the creatures that had taken residence on the isle dominated the landscape. The island was not found again by humanoids for several dozen millennia.

It was around -7600DR, following the fall of the Telantiwar Drow empire that Anphillia was discovered by its first civilised race through a connection to the underdark deep below Mount Tarnor. Drow scout parties visited a large island and documented the rich ore and mineral deposits, untouched since it's formation.

The Drow did not stay to take the resources or form a city however, considering the underdark area under the isle to be too readily accessible from the surface. Their expedition records thought lost to the ages, changed hands for coin many times over the centuries and eventually was left forgotten in the royal library of Tethyr.

Anphillia Recent History

Our story beings in earnest with King Alemander Anphis IV of House Tethyr in 1331DR. His court wizard, the first in several millennia to successfully translate the ancient drow parchments, convinced Alemander to dispatch his own expedition to uncover this resource rich land.

After many moons on rough seas, the scout ship 'Blue Dolphin' found a the series of islands and weighed anchor in deep water upon the southern edge of what was by far the largest island. The initial exploration was difficult, with thick brush covering many parts and untamed monsters roaming free. However, even in their short trip they found many valuable ores and mineral deposits - which was duly reported back to the King.

In order to both tame the island and establish a viable mining operation, in the spring of 1333 a trio of cargo ships led by the Royal flagship set sail from the port of Velen. Their primary cargo, a royal guard detachment under the command of Guard Captain Gord MacCleaven along with a strong mining force of indentured servants.

This mining operation was successfully established on the isle, proclaimed in the name of the king as 'Anphillia'. The operation was managed from a fort just inland dubbed Ramsallis, the island garrison also maintained a small outpost to the west, a series of mines in the bitterly cold north east and a watch over their ships moored in the natural deep water harbour to the south.

By 1335, news had spread of this distant isle far across the trackless sea and a useful way point on the long voyage between the continents of Faerûn and Maztica. Over the coming years an independent trading port became well established in the south harbour by the wealthy and wily merchant captain Ranzing as traders from Amn and Waterdeep flocked to the isle.

For some years the merchant port of Ranzingtion as it became known, flourished alongside the successful

In 1347 King Alemander of Tethyr was killed along along with much of his family and the garrison on Anphillia was effectively cut-off. Seizing on this

In 1371, the Great Blue Wyrm, Taluk, arrived on Anphillia and settled on a high mountainside. Less than a month after his arrival, the great wyrm is disturbed by an adventuring party from Ranzington. Taluk questioned and devoured the explorers in short order, then descended upon Port Ranzington. The mighty dragon laid waste to the western side of the town, two moored ships and several establishments on the promenade. The blue dragon threatened more death and destruction if he is disturbed again. This infamous day is locally referred to as 'The day of terror'.

In Ramsallis

Ranz at the same time instigates a revolt among the miners that wipes out a good portion of the army and leaves the main fort, Ramsallis, in ruins. During the fighting a captain MacCleaven dies while saving a large group that escapes to an outpost on the west of the island. They name it Fort Cleaven, and Captain is the highest rank there. (Maybe Hullet kills the General leading the entire expedition and takes that title?)

A few battles rage on for a few more years and rebels retreat into the mountains where the Cleavens were reluctant to follow them. A few groups split off and form their own small villages, but the bulk of them set up a fort in the mountain, named Axfell.

A few (2-10?) years pass, Ranz is growing from trade with both the mainland and the forts. Forts still fight, but neither has the strength for an all out assault.


Meanwhile, the island wasn't really deserted, a small nature oriented community founded by Lady Shilar retreated onto a small island. They are introverted and don't really care about the war, just want to help the people. Lady Shilar actually knew that there's powerful unnatural magics on the island and has come to destroy them, but somehow got lost in the process, and her acolytes don't know what to do but just keep on with their ways.