Undumor, or the Hollow City,[1] (previously known as Emmech) was a fortress in Aglarond. The fortress was located at the mouth of the River Umber, atop a low hill.[2] It was built from gray stone, and designed with towers and walls with parapets and crenulations.[3]
History[]
The fortress was originally named Emmech, and was built by King Brindor Olósynne to aid in the defence of Aglarond against invaders from Thesk.[4]
In 1194 DR, it launched forces to repel the invasion of the Red Wizards from Thay in the Battle of the Singing Sands, in which King Elthond Olósynne was killed.[5][6]
By 1368 DR, the number of troops in Emmech had increased to 2500, which was a large proportion of the total army. There was also a village around the fortress with five hundred inhabitants, who kept the harbor and provided services to the troops.[7]
In 1374 DR, the detachment of Aglarondan griffonriders stationed in Emmech were led by Captain Araevil Darkeye, and the overall command of the troops, known as the Army of the Lion was held by Lord Gante Demelin. The amount of soldiers had been reduced to 1500, but the population of the old village had swelled, with the town of 6100 ruled by Lady Mantelia Parsuns. The settlement outside the fortress had a military feel and most of its buildings were constructed of stone. The two towers facing the River Umber were equipped with a river chain that could be raised from the bottom of the river in order to block the passage of ships.[8]
In the Year of Silent Thunder, 1432 DR, Emmech fell under Thayan control following a major battle of Red Wizards' armies and living soldiers. The attack was swift and relentless. The first wave was composed of the undead that attacked from the Shyvar Pass as Red Wizards teleported angry monsters straight onto Aglarondan troops to sow chaos. Thay's living soldiers marched behind golems, yet the attack was repealed before the troops reached the Tannath Mountains, which was exactly what the Thayan strategists planned for. As the defenders were distracted, a small strike force infiltrated Emmech and turned down the fortress's defensive magics and wards, exposing it to Red Wizards' teleportation spells that brought in hundreds of less powerful Red Wizards. Battles on the streets lasted for a month, fueled by barges full of undead soldiers shipped down River Umber from Nethentir and Nethjet, until all resistance quelled. Thay exterminated all civilians and Aglarondan soldiers. However, the conquest came at a price – lives of thousands of lesser Red Wizards under the zulkirate's command, several thousand living Thayan soldiers, and tens of thousands of undead. This hefty price curbed Szass Tam's ambitions for decades, forcing him to focus on recovering his military numbers. This win also convinced Tam that undead legions were the best military force one could have. The "lean years" of weakened Thay caused the living Thayans to lose the last vestiges of respect for Tam as a leader, and fear was the only thing that kept them in check.[1]
Tam appointed a personally-loyal apprentice, governor Undumora, who began to transform Emmech into a formidable Thayan fortress with a sizable garrison of undead forces.[1] In spring of the Year of the Mages in Amber, 1466 DR, Undumora was disintegrated by a guerrilla spell attack by the Simbarch Council of Aglarond. The attack's goal was to disrupt and delay any offensive plans Thay might've had against Aglarond. Tam was "wildly beyond rage" that his loyalist didn't leave behind enough to be returned to life or unlife (some speculated Tam desired Undumora as some sort of consort). The keep soon was renamed to Undumor in her memory.[2][1]
As of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, Undumor, sometimes called the Hollow City,[1] contained such undead soldiers as vampiric knights.[2] Its population consisted of very few living inhabitants – Red Wizards and their bodyguards. Its governing body consisted of a single governor and six Red Wizard commanders. The most senior of them was a conjurer named Ruralekh Prator, a master of monster summoning, including spells that called forth behirs, chimeras, and ropers.[1] During that time, Citadel Dantalien conducted regular assaults on Undumor in attempts to clear the undead, but they were rumored to be digging beneath the river in order to circumvent Citadel Dantalian altogether.[2]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
A Handful of Dust
Gallery[]
 |
This Realmslore article about a geographical location is a stub. You can help the Forgotten Realms Wiki by expanding it. |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Ed Greenwood (2023-03-04). Emmech (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2023-03-04. Retrieved on 2023-03-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 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. 88. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 62. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 48. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 61. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 123. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 107. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.