Forgotten Realms Wiki
Forgotten Realms Wiki
2026 is the Year of Markets on the Wiki!
60,409
pages
in: Locations, Countries, Villages,
and 9 more

Old Illusk

Sign in to edit

Old Illusk was an Illuskan nation on the Sword Coast North, one of the earliest major human civilizations of Faerûn,[1][2] during the first millennia of the Age of Humanity.[10] During its time it was known as Illusk, but posthumously received the prefix of "Old" to differentiate it from its later successor. Others differentiated by referring to its successor as Netherese Illusk.[2]

Description[]

Much of the architecture of Old Illusk was wooden. Consequently, no remnants of the civilization would survive through the ravages of war and time.[11]

Geography[]

While the central most settlement of Old Illusk was at the mouth of the River Mirar,[7][4][5][8] at the peak of its influence the nation spanned from the Sword Mountains to the Spine of the World. They were cut off from the rest of Faerûn by the neighboring nation of Illefarn.[2]

Society[]

The people of Old Illusk worship a pantheon of beast totems, a tradition that they would later pass down to the Reghedmen. In terms of language, they spoke what became known as Old Illuskan, a precursor to the Illuskan language.[3][note 1]

In terms of magic, the Illuskans utilized rune magic.[2][11] This spellcasting tradition was passed down to them by dwarves and giants.[3] The Illuskans made use of the magic in creating defenses for their fortresses, homes, and tombs.[11]

Relationships[]

Over a millennia, the people of Illusk engaged in trade with the gold elves of Illefarn.[12][13] Beyond Illefarn, Old Illusk faced many obstacles to their survival and attempts to expand. Not only from the local savage predators, but from the likes of orcs and giants,[11] though the latter did teach them rune magic.[2]

History[]

Illusk began life around −3000 DR,[2][7][4][5][6][8] when humans from the island of Ruathym[4][5][14][11][15] settled several hunting clans and fishing villages on the Sword Coast,[2][6] displacing local tribes of Ice Hunters in the process.[7][4][5][8] They declared their new community Illusk,[6] with its central most settlement at the mouth of the River Mirar.[7][4][5][8]

Sometime between then and -2475 DR, the people of Old Illusk were taught rune magic by giants from the nation of Ostoria.[2][note 2]

In −2368 DR, the Empire of Netheril established the frontier trading outpost of Quesseer, which would become frequented by seafarers of Illusk.[7][16][17]

During the Golden Age of Netheril,[7][18] in the year 1756 NY (−2103 DR),[2][6][7][8][9][18] giants came rushing out of the Spine of the World to ravage Illusk, commanding a horde of orcs with ogre generals.[2][6][9] When news of this orc horde reached Jeriah Chronos, he moved to aid the people of Illusk,[7][9][18] leading a group of Netherese arcanists.[7][9] However, even with the tremendous power they wielded, the arcanists ultimately failed to save the city-state from ruination.[7][8][9][18] The few surviving inhabitants of Illusk would revert to barbarism and migrate northward and west to Icewind Dale, becoming the progenitors of the Reghedmen.[2][9][19] For generations, well into the 14th century DR, the city's founding and fall would continue to be spoken of through the Reghed Saga.[20]

In the Year of the Reluctant Hero, 95 DR, a Ruathym Thane by the name of Uthgar Gardolfsson sailed a fleet east in hopes of finding the ruins of Old Illusk, having only hints passed down through skalds' songs to go off of for finding their location. When he eventually found the site of the fabled Illuskan nation, Uthgar discovered that Netherese had built a new city upon where it once stood.[2]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ The cited text states that it was the Uthgardt who inherited this beast totem tradition from the people of Old Illusk, however, this is assumed to be an error as historically Old Ollusk has no connection to them. Those tribes were descended from Northmen several centuries removed from Old Illusk. As the remnants of Old Illusk are the progenitors of the Reghedmen, it stands to reason that it was rather they who inherited this tradition.
  2. ↑ The cited text does not provide a definitive date by which the Illuskans first learned rune magic from the giants, however, since the giants are specified to be "of Ostoria" then this would have had to occur before the disestablishment of that nation, which occured in -2475 DR.

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), pp. 3–4. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 94. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Brian R. James (December 2007). “Grand History of the Realms: The Moonshaes”. Dragon #362 (Wizards of the Coast). Archived from the original on 2009-06-01.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 268. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 84. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 136. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  10. ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 29, 33. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  12. ↑ Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 3. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
  13. ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
  14. ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
  15. ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 70. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 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.
  19. ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 137. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
  20. ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms