Echo Village was the name given in local legends to a ruined Theskian trading outpost in Thay that was haunted by the spirits of its former inhabitants.[1]
Description[]
The outpost had been a small village prior to its destruction, but soon fell into ruin. Hostile incorporeal undead haunted the rotting buildings and attacked any living creatures that approached the remains of the community, ranting about and cursing Thay as they did.[1]
Geography[]
The village sat near Surcross within Thay's northeastern border with Thesk[1][2] in a region known to the Theskians as the Bonedark Hills.[3]
History[]
Amidst growing concerns among the people of Thesk with Thay's activities at Surcross, Nethentir, and Nethjet in the late 15th century DR,[4] a delegation was sent to establish a trade outpost within Thay's borders in an effort to secure an advantage for Thesk. Despite misgivings about the Thayans' trustworthiness, the mercantile-minded Theskians believed that Thay would be interested in expanding commerce with its neighbors.[1]
The newly founded village spent a few years attempting to establish a major long-term trade agreement with Thay, but were unsuccessful as of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, when the Netherese enclave Kolthunral arrived in the region in an escalation of tensions between Thay and Netheril.[1][5] As the outpost was both insignificant and not aligned with Thay, it was spared from the Netherese bombardment that decimated the surrounding area. However, this made it a target for the Thayans as they sought to launch a counterattack, and necromancers slaughtered the entire village and animated the corpses to serve as an undead strike force in a Thayan brigade.[1]
Inhabitants[]
Ghosts, specters, and other incorporeal echoes of the village's former inhabitants clung to their former homes. Their numbers were bolstered by the spirits of others who had been murdered by the Thayans and were desperate for revenge, which swelled the undead population into the hundreds. All of these spirits' true desire was to repossess their old bodies and wreck havoc on the Thayans who had slain them: only then would they be able to rest.[1]
The spirits violently attacked any living intruders, believing themselves to be defending the ruins against Thayan incursions. Although they were reflexively hostile, they could be reasoned with. Anyone who could quickly and clearly demonstrate that they were no friend of Thay—namely by killing Thayans and providing proof—opened the possibility of winning over the spirits, instantly making the haunted village into a welcoming and safe place.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 222. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 214. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 183. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 182. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 218. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.