Dungeons and Dragons Lore: History of Imaskar
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- The History of Ancient Imaskar, the birthplace of the Mulan people, the ancient empires of Unther and Mulhorand. Imaskar held the secrets of the fabulous magical might of the lost Batrachi creator race and more! Their empire stretched a vast distance across the continent of Faerun, for thousands and thousands of years until finally, disease and disaster brought it to ruin. But, while the empire is no more, it's people lived on, founding new nations and populating the eastern lands of Kara-Tur, as well as a pocket of their original culture, now a unique and mysterious wonder, located somewhere in the Underdark.
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With the amount of knowledge you've collected this channel has turned into a sort of techno-library and it just keeps expanding. I feel the need to thank you because a few of the cool things I've thrown at my party come from here.
That is why this channel is in the education, not the gaming category :D
This comment is still SO relevant 4 years later.
I love the idea of ancient artifacts being able to generate magical effects that are no longer known to modern Wizards. Thrown in a couple spells from earlier editions and have some mage NPC act awed upon witnessing the use of “The Ancient Techniques”.
The Demand spell seemed fun and interesting as a thing to riff off of. Demand being similar to Command, but *maybe* not exactly the same, inspires homebrew implication for new versions of spells...which are just new spells, I guess.
@@draxthemsklonst demand is a mix of suggestion and sending
I think they were both 4 level suggest may have been 3
2e also had demand I think
The irony of a character who worshipped the Egyptian pantheon and sought out the mightiest of Imaskar’s relics. That would be fun
I don’t know how, but the music in conjunction with your naturally soothing voice somehow made discussing the abduction and enslavement of thousands of people no less relaxing than the rest of the video. How is that even possible???
I am a warlock and Bob Ross is my Patron
Oh good Bright is here. I suddenly am struck with the inspiration to place a facsimile of the Kingdom of Abadon (scp 001 proposal I think?) in the ruins of Imaskar. Would that create issues for the foundation?
he is mordenkainen, what do you expect...
There's a lot of excellent well-researched content in this one. It must have taken a while to collect!
The setting has such amazing resources to study and enjoy, it's like a game within a game.
Leave it to Horus to inflict an entire civilization of powerful magic wielding people with Theophobia.
I had read somewhere in the lore that Ao allowed the earth deities to send avatars, but nothing more, to aid their people. I wish I could remember which book I read that in, but it escapes me.
Yeah, I remember that too
It was the Imaskari that prevented their direct intervention. They had a planar barrier that prevented the Egyptian gods from interfering, but a loophole allowed the gods to turn Mulan subjects into their Avatars, who later became their own God Pharaohs.
Love how you established the timeline with our own world. That was super nerdy and quite fun. Would definitely love a dive in the Deep Imaskar
I just read the 3.5 psionic rule books. Looking forward to the talk about those psionic nations!
They are amazing, a story of the rise and fall of another civilization, with a cataclysm that is just terrible at the end of it, I am looking forward to deep diving into that lore!
@@AJPickett Jhaamdath is sooooo cool.
Coffee and lore videos are a wonderful combination
Would you like to know more?... That line reminds me of Starship Troopers. 😂😂
I love how in Hilather saved the realm from destruction. It gives so much more insight into how truly powerful he must be in Undermountain. The knowledge he must know, is probably even greater than Elminsters since he isnt nearly as old. I wonder when Hilather was approached by Mystra (Mystryl) to become a Chosen? Was it before or after his descent into madness?
Anyhow, this video was great!
He was approached before going mad, if I recall correctly.
That was impressive. Any campaign set in these time periods would function very differently as I assume magic functioned quite differently, and some technologies that are common on modern Fearun would be magical in that time. With such a mastery of portal magic its hard to believe they were all wiped away, and so the story goes on with the Deep Imaskar.
This video works very well in tandem with the videos on the history of Netheril, particularly the second one, because yes, you are absolutely right, a lot of the spells in the modern game were not invented yet.. however, a lot has also been lost, waiting to be rediscovered, and a lot of very gifted artificers were inventing new things every day.. for every wondrous item in the sourcebooks, ten more are lost and buried under the shifting purple sands.
When I listen to this video, I feel like I need a whiteboard map in front of me so I can take notes and such😁
Secrets of Imaskar talks about the Seventh Imaskarcana that's a Key
Ah right, the web enhancement adventure! Drat, I missed that, thanks Aaron, I shall include that in the Deep Imaskar video.
Good catch!
Would definitely enjoy more of all things Imaskar! Thanks for the incredible amount of work you do for TTRPG's.
Yes of course we want to know MORE.😁😁Please
Oh it's coming :)
I like your choice of music for this video, takes me back to my school days when learning about ancient civilizations
I love all your videos. I may never use this information in my campaigns, but it's good to have the lore and information for world building and item creation. I really enjoy the videos in the longer time format so I can just pop one on while doing house work. Thank you again man.
My pleasure 😊
Videos like Imaskar and Netheril give a lot of context for the creation of magic items dont they. Its so much cooler when theres a story behind it. :)
@AJ Pickett if you could sir go through the current state of Faerun outside of the Sword Coast?
Like what happened to the Shaar and surrounding citys, is it just a dessert now and The Rift is gashed across it like a planetary axe wound?
YES! I would like to know more!
Out standing
I'm very interested to know more. The earth root portion of the underdark is intriguing.
Huh. To think that a society birthed in a world with magic noticeably more accessible than electricity or even fire would have advanced technologies that would make us marvel at their wonder irl, yet they would be completely bamboozled by the most basic of ours. What an interesting basis for a culture.
I am taking mental notes.
It's important to note that magic was openly accessable to all back then. Since then, after Karsus attempted to steal the power of a god, magic access has been restricted, so, some of the things that were possible, and common, in the time of Imaskar, are no longer achievable.
Mhmhm. The concept that a farmer would have to be a literal idiot not to pick up some basic druidic magics in that time to embolden their crops is equivalent to using fertilizers and crop rotation today. Naturally post Karsus that changed and they had to learn how to do it the right way, but pre Karsus that's a complete game changer.
In a world where food is less than an issue due to magical influences, unique and unobtainable resources become more valued, even if their functions are minimal.
I always liked the idea that the Ethergaunts are actually decedents from Imaskari who fled to the Ethereal Realm and over time changed...
I was toying with the idea that the Imaskari became the Arcane/Mercane, but that may be too timey wimey for some. ;-)
@@scottmcley5111 Yeah, that would be a bit too much of a stretch for me, Toril is really an unimportant little backwater to the Arcane, barely worth the effort.
Thanks for this content!
Seriously, its a lot of contentin this 35 min masterpiece and it keeps unraveling more. This is one of my favorite lore videos now. It can help a DM add some depth. Thanks again Sir.
Absolutely fantastic video AJ you knocked it right out of the park!👍 I can't wait for your video on deep imaskar! Ps also don't burn your self out.
Yes more please!! This video was absolutely amazing!! ❤️
More to come!
I know this may be partially redundant, but a video explaining Mulhorand, Unther, and Chentessa would be really cool. How the realms are now i mean.
Great video AJ!!! Nice way to start a Saturday morning. Thx
*Relevant and Supportive Comment*
("AJ Pickett....y u upload so early?!?"
Meme aside, I need slumber.)
If you live in America, I think AJ lives on the other side of the planet. It's at least an 8 hour difference from where I am!
@@stevewinkleburg5300 True, I live just over the mountains from Hobbiton, in New Zealand.
Great video AJ. This made me understand some of my veteran players in my campaigns more. My campaigns are Loom of Magus, a homebrew multiverse thing.
Gateway Castle would have been Imaskar.
Imaskar involves Tiamat vs. Marduk. GOLDEN! Every world in Loom of Magus has them opposing each other. I prefer Babylonian mythologies over AD&D conversions, and other world mythology original sources, over the AD&D versions. I do like to tweak in the reasons via gameplay. That part is DM golden fun.
The ambiguous part of the Imasakar is awesome! Why? It opens a LOT of homebrew opportunities. The best of the best of the best DMs homebrew and do it in a way that make their players return like crack addicts looking for their next fix... metaphorically speaking.
Thank you for this absolutely informative and fascinating video! So helpful for tying in player backstory and potential adventures! I can tell that you find this history interesting as well. Awesome video 👍
Neat collection of lore! Thanks for uploading!
This was a fantastic post!!! Would love to hear more on Imaskar.
6:10 for Idris Elba as a wizard.
@@draxthemsklonst can't we have both?
I would watch that film.
He is a decent actor.
@Lamodrick Foster
True.
Very cool!👏
Good as always
Day 1 of petititioning lord Ao to give AJ time travel so that we can get more videos but hell be able to use time travel so he can still go about things as normal
Two lore vids per week and a live stream, and I still wish I could do more.
Unfortunately, even the gods are barred from time travel.
Good luck buddy; Ao generally refuses to interact with any non-deities.
Such a cool peice of lore. Giving me great ideas for some portal use in my setting as well as how to frame some of the timelines for the big historic events.
I love how the idea of sophisticated shipbuilding is something so thoroughly alien to the Imaskari. Like the idea is quiet unnecessary given their mastery of long distant travel via portal travel.
One of the hardest things to come up with is credible reasons why certain technological innovations don't exist in your setting and magic is often the reason. But bledning magic and technology believably together often takes some thourough explaining
I have a video coming up soon that talks about this.
@@AJPickett
Awesome! Always delivering AJ! Your channel is ever a delight!
Oh thank you so much...i have been trying to find info on Imaskar to use in my campaign
You're most welcome!
Great video AJ
Tien Lung : Dragon of Light
Keep up the great work. I have been sending my players to your videos when they want to know game lore. Also helps me with world building for my campaigns. Thank you so much! ^_^
34:00 Yes! I would like to know more.
As always excellent thank you and have a good evening.
Also i remember reading somewhere that Hilather and Madryoch the Ebonflame helped in the creation of the 7 Imaskarcana.
@@echoesofadistanttime7244 Source? I am pretty sure i remember reading the former...
@@echoesofadistanttime7244 " Under orders from Omanon artificers created the Imaskarcana- seven great artifacts in witch the empires immense magical lore was recorded for all eternity. The elite mages of Imaskar- foremost among the archwizards Madryoch and HIlather- also rose to power in this period." (-3920 to -2488) A Grand HIstory of the Realms pg. 18
@@echoesofadistanttime7244 Looks like this person did some of their own writing, not sure if what you are talking about is part of what the writer took liberties with, but its not an official source.
"Compiled, Edited & in parts WRITTEN by
“Snowblood”" is the first thing on the page. (Emphasis mine)
Also "A Grand History of the Realms" was not used in the creation of the document.
Further evidence (circumstantial) would be the Imaskari were repositories of all the knowledge of their history and magic, so creating them BEFORE the history would have happened seems like putting the cart before the horse.
@@echoesofadistanttime7244 Sure, i checked out the list of sources, thats how i noticed Ed Greenwoods Grand History of the realms was missing.
I have a lot of those other materials myself, with the exception of the Underdark book which i still need to pick up. The problem is we dont know WHAT your author wrote himself and what was taken from sources.
I did see the First (crown) was created when you say, as well as the Scepter was also rumored to be older. But that is in direct conflict with THE CREATOR (Ed Greenwood) who seems to say otherwise.
I dont think AJ took any liberties to create/write his own opinion as he enjoys doing research from as many sources as he can find.
That quote from lost Empires of Faerun on page 61 actually supports MY opinion so i dont know what you meant by it.
(Saying that the 7 Imaskarcana were created -3891, was also the time of Hilathers rise to power)
The link you put up is REALLY cool though and i looked through it completely. :)
Hope i am not coming across like a douche as i recognize another loremaster when i see one, and we need to stick together.
@@echoesofadistanttime7244 Ah, so Ed Greenwood was the creator of the Forgotten Realms, it was his personal world he started and Dungeon Mastered back in the early 1980's. (maybe even 1970's?)
Yes it is sad that there is no Imaskar boxed set or any specific book detailing their full history. Its why i was so glad to see AJ was covering it because he is pretty thorough in his research.
I can totally see the creation of the Crown and Scepter as the symbols of power of the Grand Artificer, and may have been created earlier....before the reunification.
However during the reunification of upper and lower Imaskar is when the rest of their creation were to have taken place. So at the bare minimum we know the OTHER 5 were supposed to have been made at this time.
The LeShay, while being an interesting source of the Imaskarana, seem to have been written in about 2002 as far as i can tell with a quick search. (The Epic level handbook)
So with that in mind, when Ed Greenwood created ancient Imaskar, the LeShay are only 18 years old in their creation (3rd edition), while the story of Imaskarcana seems to have been a 2nd edition D&D (1989-1999) ,since the items stats reflect that, making them 21-31 years old
So the LeShay werent even a twinkle in Ed Greenwoods eye yet from the looks of it.
I have read some about the false Imaskarcana, but not much is known about them.
My comment that you didnt understand was just me saying, i hope i am not coming across as rude or anything like that. :)
It might not speak well of me, but Ancient Imaskar is one of my favorite long lost empires, alongside Netheril. Obviously, the rulership of Imaskar did terrible things, followed by more terrible things to defend the first, but as a player who favors Wizard to the degree that I do, I love seeing the upper limits of what a culture steeped in arcane magic, and embracing it even in their day to day loves, is capable of. I also can appreciate that they aren't still here, and they did suffer some setback for the sins they propagated in putting themselves on said high pedestal. Netherlands is great, and my favorite, but I have a personal soft spot for porting magic, portals, and extradimendional spaces; it's something I really wish a variant of Conjurer focused on, since porting magic is often something specifically player characters like to use, but no.
Seeing as I have watched a lot of your videos, this one does bring up a little question for me. In your Netheril series, I seem to recall you went through an impressive list of spells; formulae "modern wizards" just know, and use as they grow in skill, but that didn't exist way back when, and that said Netherese arcanists actually invented, and codified. If Imaskar is older than Netheril, and most of its magic is arcane; they didn't favor the gods much, what magic DID they have, or didn't, as it hadn't been coded yet? I have a potential PC, if I ever need her, using the Last Emperor from Heroes of Baldur's Gate, and she's a survivor from the assault on Inupras. She's a wizard, obviously, and has her spells from back then, as well as hoping to discover some caches of her lost people's magic. She struggles, at first, to figure out how modern wizards use their magic, as it seems different to how she would have been taught, but then it gets back to what spells are older than Netheril? What magic would she know, or would Ancient Imaskari archmages?
So good. This would have been awesome to ave during my Mulhorand campaign. Great work!
I dont use the spell plague or sundering in my FR game so feel free to leave all that out ;-)
I would love to have more Imaskar lore
This channel has been exceptionally helpful in getting back into the lore for BG3
Glad to hear it!
I really appreciate all the work you have done with your channel and love all of your content. As a Forgotten Realms lore fan, doing research for a FR campaign set in the distant past (pre Time of Troubles), your videos on these types of subjects are invaluable. Especially for Imaskari and Jhaamdath lore.
Much appreciated! But I really do need to cover Jhaamdath lore and the history of the Vilhon reach.
Definitely like to know more!!!!!!
Tell me more, tell me more! Didcha read very far?
Tell me more, tell me more! Speak of Deep Imaskar!
Ah ha, ah ha, ah ha, ah ha.
Deep imaskar lore for my great old one warlock please! Make Imaskar great again.
Very interested!
Yes give us more!!!!
How about a video featuring Netheril vs. Imaskar? I wonder which one was the strongest. Even ancient Elven empires seem to pale compared to them! If they attained such powers without the help of the Nether Scrolls, how powerful could they have been if they started off with them as well I wonder.
Those two empires at war? The world would have been devastated.
A second Days of Thunder, since the Netherese are using Sarrukh magic from the Nether Scrolls while the Imaskari are using remnants of Batrachi magic. Flying citadels raining down raw power vs energies from the Inner Planes and planars unleashed from the Outer Planes.
@@AJPickett Toril, devastated? Happens ALL the time! 😉 What I meant is a comparison between them in terms of power.
@@TheFacelesssoul Imaskar was ancient by the time Netheril developed, however, I couldn't honestly call it... Evenly matched.
Arcanist vs. Artificer
more please
Love ne some AJ in the Morning..Coffee time 😁
Yes yes yes I want more I need more was doing research for my campaign and this has easily doubled if not tripled the merger amount of info i was able to find you do such fine work ser
Deep Imasker sounds interesting!
Great video
Love these long videos with so much detail on research. Can I get a degree in Faerun History from you? 😏
You can pick your diploma up from Candlekeep, but there is a test.
@@AJPickett oh man! Need to find a book to donate to get in the doors.
was kinda hoping for the background dragon at the start to collide with the window and slip down
love this one AJ it is really an eye opener.
Love it. Super good video.
the answer is Yes. Yes we would like more, plz
Me too!
Im building a homebrew earth campaign, this seems like great inspiration for how we would use magic if it were introduced
Please do a second video on the Deep Imaskar which is also a race along with the Gloaming that WOTC needs to make playable in there next monster tome👍🏼👍🏼💯
MTG art is always welcome.
This was killer! Thank you very much! Absolutely need to know more. A war between Imaskar and Jhaamdath? Notepad at the ready!
12:00 What's the Shadow Stone and the plane of imprisonment? Also is Madryoch still alive?
excellent questions moonring.
@Lamodrick Foster thanks! :)
Yay something more to watch
I was cursed by a half dead grackle! It’s a good video and I enjoy this sort of primitive mix with very advanced culture stuff. But according to Irish tradition, leading wild Bird to your house is some serious bad luck.
Deep imaskar please!!!!
Do you ever feel burnt out, and follow up question, how do you deal with it?
Yeah of course I have my ups and downs, I'm only a dire halfling after all. I shift focus if possible, do something else for a while, sometimes just a walk outside and some non-writing task clears my gears. Other times I just put my brain in neutral and binge watch some Netflix or draw something or have a conversation with someone new, I think the key is these sort of rules I set for myself, and knowing that, whatever happens, I'm the one who decided to do this, I do it my way, and honestly, I can't imagine doing anything else that would be this satisfying and personally rewarding. You fine people in I get to interact with, your kindness and enthusiasm for the hobby I love, is so amazing.. it's like everyone is cheering me on as I run a marathon with no particular destination or finish line in mind, I just want to run.
AJ Pickett The way I go about avoiding burnout in my work is by forcing myself not to do too much at once. I just do stuff whenever I get an idea on something to do.
Y'know, I think we could do with some lore videos on Karatur, Chult, (we already have a video on Thay) and various other nations/lands. The anthropologist in me is loves these older videos on the places and peoples of DnD.
Imaskari ruins were featured in Neverwinter Nights 2 Mask of the Betrayer. There was a ruins tile set which was absolutely stunning. Best of all, there was a great sunken Imaskari city which you visited as part of the main quest. The player character was thrown into the Skien and had to visit the Slumbering Coven. Ahh, the whole feel of it touched me in a place no other game ever has since. Just pure magic.
So the imeskari are like dnd's version of the ancient sumarians
They are like D&D's version of the Ancients from Stargate Atlantis.
AJ Pickett more like the goa’uld since they kidnapped the earthlings and brought them to the Realms as slaves.
Unther is the nation in FR that corresponds to Sumerians.
Sumarian, Phoenician (aka Mesopotamian/modern terminology: middle-Eastern area) & ancient Egyptian peoples/cultures, brought to Toril's version of "Atlantis"/Imaskar.
Great video u rock⚡👍
We always want to know more!
6:06 . . . Idras Alba?
- Can people born from a world where there is no magic learn/become able to use magic if they're taken to a world that has it in abundance? I'm trying to relieve my guilt for thinking I'd be ok with being a slave if I could learn magic😂
- 16:45 LMAO, The poor guy holding the halberd in the bottom left corner. You can tell he's just like, ". . . Nope. F@ck that noise"
- We (politely) demand Deep Imaskar lore😀
They have the potential, particularly back then, the use of magic was even more open to mortals, however, the Imaskari restricted access to education and technology, look at the nation of Thay.. the practice of shaving their head to identify themselves as citizens, while those who were not allowed to cut their hair were the slaves and indentured servants.. Imaskar is where that culture began.
@@AJPickett Oh, I remember your video on That. I'll go brush up😋 Thanks, Professor
Thay* autocorrect, haha
I would like to know more!
That line made me think of Starship Troopers btw, I think that was what you were going for
It was 😄
I would like to see the deep and newer Imaskari empires. Question, wasn't there two seperate Tiamats and the dragon one absorbed the one from earth?
I'm not sure about that one sorry.
@@AJPickett no problem. If i find which book i read that in ill let you know. But congrats on another great video. I've been interested in this area for a long time.
Id love to write a book about the epic story of how the old Egyptian gods came to there world and free'd the people. The lead up, the break through, and the epic 10 day war for freedom.
I would like another imaskar video
Wait did you ever make a video about the "psionic nation to the west"? Can't find it on the channel
The cities of the Sword? No, sadly.
great sage please do Jhaamdath
I sensed you would say that.
So I have been searching the internet to no avail. AJ I need your help! In this video you mention that it's because of the Imaskari that we know the difference in date between Toril and Earth. What was the date on Earth when the Imaskari came? I am planning a trip to Earth in my campaign and I need this date to wind it forward to present day Toril lol 😄😄
it's currently 1750 on Earth.
@@AJPickett thank you! Keep up the brilliant work, your videos have been what gets me through working from home 🙂
Ok. So I'm ashamed to say that I'm just now subscribing after having listened to like 20 of these substantially informative videos. Im curious if AJ Pickett retains this information or just saves a script somewhere on a hard drive after doing LOADS of research? Pickett is better than any history teacher I've ever had, but the lore is barely real, and I have a hard time seeing even my college professors being able to spout this much detail without having to consult their notes.
Even a bucket with a hole in it can be filled if you keep pouring in, faster than it pours out.
12:43 Aren’t “manifestation” and “avatar” synonyms of each other?
You'll have to forgive me, I don't know the Roushoum word they used.
I think manifestation is more like any sort of general appearance while an avatar is a physical thing that they have to spend time making so they can put some of themselves inside and walk around in a special lil demigod level fleshdroid bod but idk
Avatar is a specific type of manifestation.
@@draxthemsklonst This
Avatars are normally immortal
We must know more! Those deep imaskari might be the only real way to learn the ancient language!!
I wonder if Tongues spell would work?
@@scottmcley5111 Maybe. But I suspect that because of the artifact nature of the 7, they were probably made with a built-in way of detecting such basic work-arounds.
Yay!
Woot!
Make Imaskar Live Again
So now I can totally run a campaign that is basically an Isekai where real world characters are brought into the Realms.
Just start it off at a Stargate-ish secret military instillation and the PCs are the recon team that travels through the mysterious archway. They bring some modern (or victorian or whatever) equipment with them but are trapped as the other side is abandoned and the magic key to the portal is still lost. They might bring with them firearms but they have limited ammo and they would have to craft more. I suspect Gond wouldn't appreciate the secret of gunpowder being back in mortal hands.
Deep go Deep
in our raurin game my wizard has just come into possession of the first imaskarcana
we are all panicking... luckily the old snake knows roushoum and has set up a contingency for remove curse.
we are now being hunted by a lv 20 wizard of unknown skill and his men. wish us luck.
Imaskaruhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I also note that there is a consideral bent toward elementa veneration and arcane magic in Imaskar culture. Is there much trafficking between the Imaskar and the Primordials and their servants? I can imagine the gods of Toril would be very disappointed to find that happening and would have been all to pleased to side with the Mulan to destroy the Imaskari culture.
There was also a huge amount of elemental activity going on in the land that became Calimshan, and between there and Imaskar was the rise and fall of the Psionocratic sword city states, far to the northwest, the tail end of the empires of the Elves and Dwarves and the Rise of Netheril... it was a complicated time.
@@AJPickett
High Magic and High Adventure indeed
@@AJPickett Very complex. But explains a great many things to how the realms operates now. Thats why its so interesting.
Zexthandrim? I cannot seem to find any info on that.