What exactly are the stones by Gorion's death meant to represent?
TethorilofLathander
Member Posts: 427
I hear they were a place where mages used to meet and generally use magic, but I'd like to know if there's actually any story behind them?
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The Western Heartlands and Sword Coast are theoretically supposed to represent the North West European Cultures in which ancient stone circles still stand to this day. It is likely that the ancient 'Sword Coastians' migrated to the Moonshae Isles, giving rise to the Brythonic type cultures there (or possibly but unlikely vice versa). This is almost certainly to have happened way back when the ancient Netherese (Forgotten Realms version of the Romans) started to conquer everything in ages past - effectively forcing all the indigenous people away from there ancestral homes.
In relation to mages meeting there to do.. well.. magical things. The same can happen in real world contexts where you have modern day Wiccan and Druidic folk congregating at stone circles. We have a few stone circles near where I live. Nobody, to this day, knows what they mean or what they represent. However, they are spiritual and attract people of all belief systems. We are curious about the unknown. The unknown is the arcane. Mages are arcane.. aren't they?
What do they represent in relation the Gorion's death? Possibly nothing. Possibly something. It is very poetic though. I always imagine a half mist rising from the grass, leaving nothing but the heads of the stones in view. Gorion's body - butchered and lifeless as I approach. Funnily enough I always hear the Metal gear Solid intro music in my head also.
....and then I strip him and the ogres of all valuables and go and buy some better armour.
Stone circles for primitive and ancient worship; sometimes still used by travelers, druids, et al. There is only one complete stone circle within the areas of Amn, Tethyr, and Erlkazar, though there are fourteen ruined stone circles throughout the three countries.
May have been more----Shoon Emperors had many destroyed for their stone which became either palace walls or road stone.........
The 15 circles are:
4 in Amn: near Purskul, between Amnwater and Keczulla, between Keshla and Torbold, west of Ishla; 4 in Erlkazar: NE Impresk Lake, SE of Llorbauth, among east foothills of Kuldin Peaks, directly east of Saradush
Standing Stones Names
A) The Seventeen Sentries: Along South Fork between Purskul & Amnwater; huge ring atop hill with village at foot of hill.
A) Waukeen's Circle: roundish.....like 5 Silvers, but 7, slightly more oval, and set in high hills overlooking Imnescar
A) The Five Silvers/Five Coins: Five roundish marble slabs
A) The Giants' Dance: Along the Ridge half way between Amnwater and Keczulla, ruined: with all but two stones fallen over, three cracked asunder
T) Calimban Knoll: from Calim's Bane, or held off Calishite attack in 1st Empire.
T) The Giants' Ring: Valashar, 20 m. SE of Riatavin
T) Cairn Wheel: Noromath, within forest of tethir; still used by druids.
T) The Standing Stones of Suldell: Spellshire's standing stones....near forest line...
T) The Nanarch's Ring: Hazamarch, 10 m E of Sulduskoon's headwaters and garrison for (Knightly Order of Innocents?) ("Nine Arches Ring")
T) The Nine Ladies: Uluran; in foothills
T) The Seven Stars: Purple Hills, by Myratma; ded. to Selune, used sometimes by halflings as sacred place to Sheela Peryroyl
E) Myrjala's Circle: Ahlarkhem; five miles east of Duhlnarim, 1 m. south of road; The whole standing stones of Myrjala's Circle just southwest of Impresk Lake are still used today by the faithful of Mystra; allegedly, any priest of Mystra who dies within the circle forever attends to the circle and adds ghostly prayers. This legend is why this circle, outside of all others, remains inviolate----it is a holy place for Mystra and the ghosts keep all desecrators away, and protect any wizard who sleeps herein as if it were a druids' grove.
E) The Bluestones: Tanistan; 30 m SE of 5 Spears Hold; one fallen slab out of 14 has mysterious footprints in it---one for each race, though amidst a mass of footprints, incl. giants' and dragons' tracks. Legend: If you approach in bare feet with eyes closed and your foot fits cleanly into a footprint here, you'll have safe travel for a year.
E) Cumber's Cairn: Among foothills south of Soaring Spirit; now, with a great crystal set in a steeple of SSpt, a refracted light beam settles on the standing: of Cumber's Cairn and people say that they should be able to learn things unknown within the blessed light of Deneir. Used to be simple place marker and place safe from monsters at night.
E) Kammarthorden: Carrelath, north of Golconda; ("Kammar's Bones"---great giant slain; allegedly his bones)
So it's possible that this is an ancient Druid Circle- and since Druids still exist in the area, it's possible that this is merely a minor circle. Since Stonehenge in our world was supposedly used a mystical site/Calendar by the Druids, this may be a Realmsian version of the same, although the ones in the Realms are also used for magic. Some say you can travel between different circles if you know the right spells/rituals.
Demihuman Deities says under the Elven Gods section that stone circles are used in the worship of the Seldarine. And I know in the Evermeet book that there is a specific stone circle/henge set up for the worship of Corellon Larethian and Angharrad in/near the capital. So it's possible it could also be a holdover from the times when the Elven Court was in existence.
In Curse of the Azure Bonds, there are mentioned to be several (Three?) stone menhir circles outside the city of Westgate. They have a connection with "Lost Gods", supposedly.
And the Moonshaes and some places in the Utter/Unapproachable East have them as well. I'd say they are fairly common in places with Druids.
As to what the stones are in the game, that's still up in the air, but likely either the remains of an Elven or Druid ritual site is the most likely. According to some sources, one can also access knowledge at such sites, and they are can/be studied by Priests of Deneir, who is the patron of Candlekeep. This may be why Candlekeep was built so close... early priests of Deneir studied the stones, needed a place to live nearby and... voila! In any case, there is no in-game or pen and paper game explanation for that particular stone circle/circles.
Excuse my babbling. I have just watched all four Jack Sparrow films and have this unnecessary urge to talk like a drunk, crazy jabbering pirate.
Bloody scallywags.
I always thought those stone circles were fire pits. The biggest pointer towards the evidence that cub scouts were in the area... Possibly on a Bear hunt... (I usually am on that map...)