Rhymanthiin

Rhymanthiin
Geography
Aliases	Hidden City of Hope
Type	City
Region	High Moor, Western Heartlands
Society
Religions	Corellon Larethian Dumathoin Mystra Oghma Sehanine Moonbow

Rhymanthiin, also called the Hidden City of Hope, was a city on the High Moor in the Western Heartlands. It was created in 1374 DR through a High Magic Ritual of Myriad and manipulation of the Killing Storms through Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun, Tsarra Chaadren, and Danthra the Dreamer, all of whose souls were within the body of Tsarra Chaadren, and over ninety wielders of the Art, including five Chosen of Mystra, all by the design of the Pentad (the five gods Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow, Dumathoin, Mystra, and Oghma). It was a reconstruction of the ancient Miyeritari city of Faer'tel'miir, the Library City. Rhymanthiin served as a center for magic, knowledge, lore, and the unity of different races.

Description

The great boulevards and high walls of Rhymanthiin were clean and straight. They were constructed of massive, pitch-black stone blocks.

Geography

Rhymanthiin was located on the High Moor on the exact spot that the Miyeritari city of Faer'tel'miir once occupied. The High Moor was partly cleansed by this city-raising, and the toxins were redirected into the body of the lich Priamon "Frostrune" Rakesk, thus also starting the rejuvenation of the High Moor. The city only accepted those who were "worthy of her," and those with malice in their hearts "shall not find their way here."

Defenses

The city had high walls and was invisible to most outsiders, appearing as an empty plain. Within the city, sharns lived within the walls and streets, and could freely emerge to attack any who threatened the city.

History

Construction

While much of the building material came from the Moor itself, the sharn, who were also present, shed their oily black skins as they returned to their original forms, weaving their former skins into their new city. (These sharn were previously three grand mages of Miyeritar—T'karon, Hamra, and Alunor—and some 80 other citizens.) Thus, much of the architecture took on a variety of darkened hues, though it lacked any malevolence in its demeanor despite that.

The first structures to emerge complete and intact were the streets and outer walls, very dwarf-like and orderly with clean lines and heavy block constructions. They laid out the city in the shape of a circular wheel. The central court plaza surrounded the Counciltor, atop which the pyre burned. From that point, nine major trade roads split the city like spokes, each directly aligned with the nine sentinel towers twenty-five miles distant in each direction. Five broad roads provided a circumference for the city just inside the walls and each equidistant from the others down to the smallest of the ring roads that encircled the Court Plaza.

Buildings of various styles and shapes and sizes grew along the skeleton of the major and minor roadways and perfect duplicates of the Eightower, Blackstaff Tower, and the Dragontower rose in various places throughout the circled city. The streets and defensive walls kept the black-as-pitch hue of the sharnskin. Any malefactors on those streets would face the sharn that chose to remain, for they would become drow due to Corellon's Descent had they relinquished their sharn forms. They remained as Rhymanthiin's defenders against corrupt magic could form from any wall or street.

Khelben Blackstaff and Ualair the Silent sacrificed their lives in this casting, and their spirits went to Arvandor, the elven heaven.

Among the notable participants in the ritual were the three grand mages and many other sharn:

• The Chosen of Mystra: Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun, Elminster Aumar, Laeral Silverhand, Alustriel Silverhand, and Alvaerele Tasundrym the Silent Chosen.
• Mentor Wintercloak, one of the Seven Wizards of Myth Drannor.
• Ualair the Silent, Grand Mage of Myth Drannor, keeper of Uvaeren's Secrets, and master of the N'Vaelahr of Myth Drannor.
• High Mage Orjalun of Silverymoon.
• The elf wizards Darcassan of Windsong Tower and Shalantha Omerdawn.
• The human Jhesiyra Kestellharp.
• The gnome Parthar the Valiant or Rhymallos the Hidden Eye, an unsung hero of Myth Drannor who took the form of a mezzoloth to infiltrate the Army of Darkness.
• The wizard Malchor Harpell.
• Syndra Wands, granddaughter of Khelben.
• The Tethyrian wizard Lord Gamalon Idogyr, Count of Spellshire, Sage of the Royal Court of Tethyr, and great-grandson of Khelben.
• Lord Maskar Wands
• Phaerl Hawksong
• Luvon Greencloak
• The bronze dragon Essioanawrath the Elder.
• The gold dragon Tlanchess.
• The dragon called the Argentalon.
• The tiefling mage Tulrun of the Tent.
• The Mistmaster and his consort Azure.
• The wizards and former Zhentarim Sememmon and Ashemmi.
• Maaril, the Dragonmage of Waterdeep
• Nain Keenwhistler.
• The high-ranking clerics of Oghma: Fourth Reader Shaynara Tullastar of Candlekeep, Loremaster Cadathlyn of the House of Many Tomes, and Sandrew the Wise, lorekeeper high and ranking priest of the Font of Knowledge in Waterdeep.
• Kyriani Agrivar, half-elf mistress of Selûne's Smile
• Elsura Dauniir

Legacy

Rhymanthiin was largely untouched by the Spellplague. As of the late 15^th century DR, the "Hidden City of Hope" still stood, hidden within the Feywild and invisible to any outsiders not welcome in the city. It had grown to be roughly the size of Waterdeep, and hosted the largest population of "redeemed" drow in Faerûn alongside goodly folk of all races.

Appendix

Sources

• Steven E. Schend (July 2006). Blackstaff. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0786940165.