DnD Books for Neverwinter's backstory?

timmo1988

So yeah, I haven't played a game of DnD since 3.5e and my days as a Half-Orc Bard. So, needless to say, I have not read any of the 4e books. The mentioning of the Spellplague caught me off guard, and now I'm confused and out of the loop when it comes to the happenings of the Forgotten Realms. I need to know so I can write better backgrounds for my two characters I chose to bring into Neverwinter.

1. Gartok, Half-Orc Devoted Cleric. Raised to hunt the undead since birth in service to Kelemvor.

2. Dur'Dorl Zau'ana, Drow Great Weapon Fighter. His parents were exiled from the Underdark and raised him as a soldier in service to Selune.

arontimes

In the Forgotten Realms, I find that orcs are portrayed more believably than drow. They're both chaotic evil races, but for some reason, drow are able to construct magnificent cities in the Underdark despite suffering from a Chronic Backstabbing Disorder pandemic. Orcs, on the other hand, have enough self control to actually try and establish diplomatic relations with other races, at least in 4e. 4e Forgotten Realms orcs are basically Klingons.

Anyway, is your cleric a first generation half-orc? Or is he descended from other half-orcs or perhaps a half-orc and another race? Was he a founding left at a temple's steps by his non-orc parent?

As for your drow, we're his parents commoners or nobles? Lowborn drow are vicious by necessity, the better to survive their oppressive masters. Highborn drow, on the other hand, tend to be sociopathic.

ocampusmaximus

The Drizzt books seem to be the best source if you want to learn more about the Spellplague. There's also the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, both for 4e, the latter having the best quality and, of course, is focused on the city.

Also, you could play both Neverwinter Nights games, which will tell you a lot about Nasher Alagondar and the problems with Luskan.

If you choose to read the novels:

- The Orc King: Narrates the founding of the Many-Arrows orc kingdom.
- The Pirate King: One of Drizzt's dearest friends wants to make Luskan a decent city. First introduction of then-alive moon elf wizard Valindra Shadowmantle.
- The Ghost King: It tells about the Spellplague and shares some precious depth into its effects.
- Gauntlgrym - The Neverwinter Saga, book I: This book narrates the destruction of the city during the Cataclism and introduces some power players like the lich Valindra Shadowmantle. There are three more novels in the Neverwinter Saga but they are <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font>.
- Brimstone Angels: This novel by Erin Evans will take you to the city one year before the current game events.

If you want to learn more about the upcoming Sundering, which will set the Forgotten Realms back as they were in Third Edition, the new Drizzt novel, The Companions, is awesome.

timmo1988

arontimes wrote: »

In the Forgotten Realms, I find that orcs are portrayed more believably than drow. They're both chaotic evil races, but for some reason, drow are able to construct magnificent cities in the Underdark despite suffering from a Chronic Backstabbing Disorder pandemic. Orcs, on the other hand, have enough self control to actually try and establish diplomatic relations with other races, at least in 4e. 4e Forgotten Realms orcs are basically Klingons.

Anyway, is your cleric a first generation half-orc? Or is he descended from other half-orcs or perhaps a half-orc and another race? Was he a founding left at a temple's steps by his non-orc parent?

As for your drow, we're his parents commoners or nobles? Lowborn drow are vicious by necessity, the better to survive their oppressive masters. Highborn drow, on the other hand, tend to be sociopathic.

Gartok's father was an orc and his mother was a human, so he's a first generation half-orc. He was left at the doorsteps of the Temple.

Not sure about Dur'Dorl's parents. The whole point of his backstory was that he would be raised by his parents as a tool of vengeance against the rest of the Drow race. They decided to have him dedicate his life to Selune as, pretty much, a slap to the face of Lolth.

greeniewolf0

ocampusmaximus wrote: »

The Drizzt books seem to be the best source if you want to learn more about the Spellplague. There's also the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and the Neverwinter Campaign Setting, both for 4e, the latter having the best quality and, of course, is focused on the city.

Also, you could play both Neverwinter Nights games, which will tell you a lot about Nasher Alagondar and the problems with Luskan.

If you choose to read the novels:

- The Orc King: Narrates the founding of the Many-Arrows orc kingdom.
- The Pirate King: One of Drizzt's dearest friends wants to make Luskan a decent city. First introduction of then-alive moon elf wizard Valindra Shadowmantle.
- The Ghost King: It tells about the Spellplague and shares some precious depth into its effects.
- Gauntlgrym - The Neverwinter Saga, book I: This book narrates the destruction of the city during the Cataclism and introduces some power players like the lich Valindra Shadowmantle. There are three more novels in the Neverwinter Saga but they are <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font>.
- Brimstone Angels: This novel by Erin Evans will take you to the city one year before the current game events.

If you want to learn more about the upcoming Sundering, which will set the Forgotten Realms back as they were in Third Edition, the new Drizzt novel, The Companions, is awesome.

The subseries Empyrean Odyssey is also really helpful for understanding the Spellplauge as well as the events surrounding the deaths of several of the human deities which is touched in somewhat in the game.
If you want some alternative looks at the Drow, Elaine Cunningham's Starlight and Shadows trilogy gives a look to another Drow who leaves Drizzt's home city, and Lisa Smedman's Lady Penitent trilogy lays out the fall of Eilistraee and Vhaeraun.

dddeemm

arontimes wrote: »

In the Forgotten Realms, I find that orcs are portrayed more believably than drow. They're both chaotic evil races, but for some reason, drow are able to construct magnificent cities in the Underdark despite suffering from a Chronic Backstabbing Disorder pandemic. Orcs, on the other hand, have enough self control to actually try and establish diplomatic relations with other races, at least in 4e. 4e Forgotten Realms orcs are basically Klingons.

Anyway, is your cleric a first generation half-orc? Or is he descended from other half-orcs or perhaps a half-orc and another race? Was he a founding left at a temple's steps by his non-orc parent?

As for your drow, we're his parents commoners or nobles? Lowborn drow are vicious by necessity, the better to survive their oppressive masters. Highborn drow, on the other hand, tend to be sociopathic.

Do check the Many-Arrows kingdom in Forgotten Realms 4e.