Luruar, also commonly known as the Silver Marches, was a confederation of cities in the north of Faerûn, under the leadership of Alustriel Silverhand, former ruler of Silverymoon. It consisted of Silverymoon, Citadel Adbar, Deadsnows, Jalanthar, Quaervarr, Citadel Felbarr, Everlund, Mithral Hall, and Sundabar, and its goal was to protect the North against the growing horde of orcs in the mountains.[1] The nation was also a member of the Lords' Alliance.[2]
Geography
It was bordered by the Anauroch desert to the east, the High Forest to the south, the Savage Frontier to the west and the Spine of the World mountain range to the north. It also shared a border with the kingdom of Many-Arrows.[citation needed]
Geographical features
- Bodies of Water
- Icespear River: This river wound around the northern stretch of the Rauvin Mountains before being crossed by the Fork Road.[3][4]
- River Rauvin: The great many boats, rafts and merchant-barges that passed along this river granted its moniker of the "Road Through the Marches".[5]
- Redrun: The Redrun flowed south from the Spine of the World and met with the mighty Rauvin just north of Sundabar.[4][5]
- River Surbrin: Running between the Frost Hills and the Moonwood, this river continued west into the Dessarin Valley.[6][4]
- Forests
- Arn Forest: The remote Arn Forest was home to a small community of rock gnomes.[7]
- Glimmerwood: This vast woodland encompassed three, adjacent forests.[citation needed]
- Cold Wood: This pine, birch and spruce forest has remained unmarked by civilized settlers or foresters. While it was home to some of the Uthgardt tribes, orcs and ettins have also been known to roam the woods.[7]
- Druarwood: The sparse trees of this forest served as refuge for many orcs and giants that came down from the Spine of the World.[8]
- Moonwood: This large forest north of Silverymoon was free of goblinoid races. This was due to the large population of lycanthropes, many of whom are members of the People of the Black Blood.[1]
- Night Trees: Nearly all of the intelligent races of the marches avoided the two diminutive forests and the mysterious temple-tower that lay within.[9]
- Silverwood: Previous connected to the great High Forest, these woods were since seperated by the Everlund Pass.[10]
- Vordrorn Forest: Also known as the "Ghostwood", this unexplored forest was one of the most menacing locales in the area.[11]
- Hills and Mountains
- Ice Mountains: The harsh, freezing gales that blew down from these mountains whipped down across the surrounding valleys.[12]
- Ice Spires: Located beyond these dual ranges was the realm of Hartsvale, the home of men who were said to be descended from giants.[12]
- Nether Mountains: There were many monsters that spread from these mountain ranges to the surrounding areas.[1]
- Rauvin Mountains: The River Rauvin passes through the peaks in a steep-sided, mist-filled gorge of roaring white water. There was a perilous trail in the gorge that runs through the Dead Orc Pass to the north side of the Rauvin that contains a strong and aggressive orc tribe.[1][13]
- Surbrin Hills:
- Regions
- Moonlands: Located north of River Rauvin and east of River Surbrin, this stretch of wilderness was claimed as part of the territories of at least three Uthgardt tribes.[14]
- Old Delzoun: The area that was once home to a kingdom of dwarves comprised the eastern part of the Cold Run, the Adbar Run further west, and the Sundabar Vale to the south.[9]
- Valleys
- Adbar Run: This wild and untamed area was home to orcish and goblinoids.[9]
- Cold Vale: The northern-most of the marches' valleys spread down from the Spine of the World[8]
- Sundabar Vale: Encompassing its namesake city and its surrounding holds, this central valley was nestled between the Nether and Rauvin Mountains.[9][4]
- Rauvin Vale: Considered by many to be the heart of the Silver Marches, this bountiful valley was dotted with thriving holdings, farmsteads and small villages.[15]
Government
The League of Silver Marches began in the late 14th century DR as a confederation of city-states, united to defend themselves from a common threat.[16]
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Trade
Due to its bounty of natural resources, and the open-trade mindset of its confederated cities and towns, the Silver Marches were rich with opportunities to find wealth and fortune.[17] The lands were vast and fertile enough for farmlands to produce ample food[18] and ranches to raise small herds of livestock. Its rivers, forests, and mountains supported the livelihoods of many fishermen, furriers, lumberers and miners. Merchants plied their goods between the various cities of the marches, by wagon or barge, and further out to destinations beyond.[19]
Various common and uncommon currencies were accepted in the cities of the Marches, though less so in the smaller towns.[18] Silverymoon minted a coin unique to the region, called a moon, that was accepted all throughout the region.[19]
Defenses
Due to the many perils and hostile forces that made home in the North, the Silver Marches' first line of defense often came in the form if information. Many small groups of city-sponsored scouts, bands of rangers, adventuring companies, independent cells of Harpers, and others scouted the stretches of Wilderness that often presented threats to the civilized lands. Many of the smaller towns maintained their own local patrols, comprised of militiamen and other volunteer defenders.[20][21]
While each of the cities maintained their own armed forces, such as the Knights in Silver of Silverymoon and the Army of the Vale in Everlund,[22] the combined armies of the marches banded together for quite some time, forming the collective Argent Legion.[23]
History
The years 1368 through 1370 DR were particularly turbulent for the city-states of the North. Troll attacks, orc hordes,[24] an combined army of demons and barbarians as well as a particularly harsh winter spurred the leaders of those cities to convene a council. After many heated arguments were calmed by Alustriel's diplomatic skills, it was decided that the cities would band together and form a confederation under Alustriel's leadership.[25]
Alustriel declared, at the suggestion of Old Night, that the nation would be known as "Luruar" in honor of the goddess Lurue, sometime between the winter and midsummer of 1371 DR. She rejected the suggestions of "New Delzoun", in honor of the fallen dwarf kingdom, and "Alustryr", in honor of herself.[citation needed]
When Alustriel left, her eldest son Methrammar Aerasumé took over and immediately lost the support of Citadel Adbar, Citadel Felbarr and Mithral Hall whose leaders refused to spend effort and resources helping smaller settlements at the expense of their own. Though the three cities remained allies of Luruar, they no longer considered themselves members of the confederation, nor could they be relied upon to answer calls for help.[citation needed]
In the Year of the Awakened Sleepers, 1484 DR, the Darkening was cast over the region in preparation for the drow and orc invasion.[26] The attacks involved sieges and attacks on Winters Edge, Mithral Hall, Nesmé, and Silverymoon, as well as subterfuge interfering with trade in Blingdenstone. The spell was finally overcome by a band of adventurers, during the battle of Eryndlyn.[27]
Ultimately however, thanks to disagreements following the war, the League of Silver Marches was disbanded in the Year of Dwarvenkind Reborn, 1488 DR.[28] The Silvaeren were blamed for providing insufficient aid for Sundabar, whose surface population had been completely wiped out. As a result, all of the dwarven states left the League of Silver Marches, and without their support, Luruar collapsed.[29]
Important Locations
Confederacy of the Silver Marches
- Everlund: A walled city that was home to several races and is ruled by the Council of Six Elders.[30]
- Citadel Adbar: A powerful, hard-to-reach stronghold of the dwarves.[30]
- Citadel Felbarr: This former dwarven citadel that, since 1367 DR, has been inhabited by humans, orcs and most recently, dwarves once again.[30]
- Mithral Hall: Once one of the greatest shield dwarf holds, Mithral Hall remained home to their kin.[30] after it was recaptured by Clan Battlehammer and their allies[31] in the mid–14th century DR.[32]
- Silverymoon: A bastion of culture and learning in the Silver Marches. After Lady Alustriel stepped down to lead the nation, the city was handed to Taern "Thunderspell" Hornblade.[33]
- Sundabar: This city of war was home to miners and crazed orcs.[2]
Other Settlements
- Ancestral Mounds
- Beorunna's Well: This was the famous ancestral home of the Black Lion tribe of Uthgardt barbarians.[30]
- Hamlets and Villages
- Deadsnows: While the town was long-served by the noble Icespear family, it became without a lord during the late 15th century.[34]
- Hilltop: This small community was situated in the foothills of the Nether Mountains.[35]
- Khelb: The village of Khelb was best known for being located on the western side of the Silverymoon Pass.[36]
- Lhuvenhead: This was one of the many small communities that dotted the Rauvin Vale.[citation needed]
- Winters Edge:
- Landmarks
- Towns
- High Hold: High Hold fell under the governorship of Silverymoon.[14]
- Jalanthar: Many human trackers, hunters, guides and trappers could be found in this small town. Many of whom were experts of dealing with the orcs, most often in a violent manner.[30]
- Quaervarr: This small woodland town of humans and half-elves,[30] fell under the protection of the confederation.[37]
- Rivermoot:
Appendix
See Also
Gallery
Sourcebooks
- Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (September 2008). Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-0-7869-4929-8.
- Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
Articles
- Rand Sharpsword (December 2001). More High Forest, Savage Frontier, and Silver Marches! (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
- Rand Sharpsword (January 2003). Politics in the Silver Marches (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
- Rand Sharpsword (January 2003). Odds and Ends for Silver Marches (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
- Rand Sharpsword (March 2003). Organizations of the Silver Marches (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
- Mintiper's Chapbook
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rob Heinsoo (2001-01-17). The Silver Marches. Sneak Peak. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 275. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 75. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 9. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 15. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 32. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 151. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 83. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 84. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 88. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 100. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 6. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore (March 2014). Night of the Hunter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 378–379. ISBN 0-7869-6511-8.
- ↑ Shawn Merwin, Steve Townshend and James Wyatt (August 2012). War of Everlasting Darkness. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 60.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 54. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 172. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore (July 2003). The Thousand Orcs. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 32. ISBN 978-0786929801.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 81. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ BioWare, Floodgate Entertainment (June 2003). Designed by Brent Knowles, Rick Ernst. Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. Atari.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 14. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 79. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.