The Caravan War was a conflict between Netherese human colonists and the owlbears of the Savage Frontier in 1491 NY (−2368 DR), during the Silver Age of Netheril. It led to the establishment of Old Owl Well (also known as Quesseer) and the near-eradication of the local owlbears.[1][3][2]
History[]
At the adamant insistence of the Terraseer, the Empire of Netheril began earnestly colonizing the Savage Frontier. They established several outposts at which Netherese travelers heading west could get fresh horses and supplies, such as Spirecoast and Kryptgarden Falls. In 1491 NY the Terraseer himself pointed out a perfect spot for one such outpost, north of the mineral-rich Sword Mountains where fresh water could be extracted, and a good hidden place to spy upon the nearby elves of Illefarn.[1][2] Unknown to his Netherese compatriots, the chosen site was actually very close to an ancient Isstosseffifil Sarrukh vault filled with chardalyn gems, protected by deepspawn guardians.[4]
Because of the deepspawn, the area was home to a 3,000-strong population of owlbears and other monstrous beasts that would trouble the caravans and made long-term inhabitation untenable. Seeking access to the vault, the Terraseer had his Netherese forces destroy the beasts in a series of ferocious and lethal battles dubbed the Caravan War. The outpost was named "Quesseer," also known as "Old Owl Well" after the glorious victory over the owlbears.[1][4]
Following the annihilation of most of the beasts and the construction of the outpost, the Netherese scouts tracked the remaining creatures to the deepspawn lair. They slew the progenitor creatures and discovered the shockingly unexpected wealth of chardalyn gems within the vault, causing a revolution in the field of gem magic. Though a profitable venture, the very noticeable battles for the spot earned the attention of the Illefarni elves, obliviating its purpose as a secret spy outpost. It instead became a trademeet for the nearby peoples in the region.[4]
Despite the destruction of the deepspawn, owlbears and other magical monsters continued to plague the region in higher-than-normal numbers through to the 14th century.[4]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.