Myth Drannor
Myth Drannor, often called the "City of Song," is one of the most legendary and tragic locations in Faerûn. Once the shining capital of the elven empire of Cormanthyr, it now lies in ruins within the heart of the Cormanthor Forest, a short journey east of Shadowdale in the Dalelands.
History
Myth Drannor’s history spans millennia, marked by glory, unity, and catastrophic decline:
- Founding (–261 DR): Originally named Cormanthor, the city was founded by the elves of Cormanthyr as a center of magic and culture. In 261 DR, the Coronal Othreier raised the Standing Stone (near Battledale), marking the Dales Compact with humans, and renamed the city Myth Drannor, meaning “Myth of Peace.” It became a beacon of unity, opening its gates to non-elves (humans, dwarves, halflings, gnomes) to foster cooperation and share magical knowledge.
- Golden Age (261 DR–711 DR): Myth Drannor flourished as a center of art, magic, and learning, rivaling the Netherese Empire. The city was protected by a mythal, a massive magical ward that enhanced spellcasting, repelled evil, and fostered harmony. Elven High Mages, alongside human and dwarven artisans, created wonders like Moonblades (sentient elven swords), kiira (lore gems), and the School of Wizards, which trained mages of all races. The Coronal, an elven ruler chosen by the Seldarine, governed with a council of noble houses.
- The Weeping War (711–714 DR): Myth Drannor’s fall began with the Army of Darkness, a horde of demons, devils, and yugoloths summoned by drow, orcs, and other foes. The conflict, known as the Weeping War, culminated in the Final Flight (714 DR), where the city’s defenders made a last stand. Despite heroic efforts by the elves and their allies, Myth Drannor fell, its mythal corrupted and its streets overrun by fiends. Most survivors fled to the Elven Court or Evermeet, leaving the city a haunted ruin.
- Post-Fall (1372 DR): By the 3E timeline, Myth Drannor remains a dangerous ruin, its mythal fractured but still active, creating wild magic zones. The city is a battleground for various factions—demons, drow, adventurers, and Zhentarim—all vying for its lost treasures. The Elves of Cormanthyr occasionally attempt to reclaim it, but their numbers are too few.
Geography and Layout
Myth Drannor lies deep within the Cormanthor Forest, roughly 40 miles east of Shadowdale and 20 miles south of the River Elvenflow. The city spans several square miles, its boundaries marked by the mythal’s faint shimmer, though much of it is overgrown with vines, trees, and thorny underbrush.
Key features include:
- The Mythal: A city-wide magical field, now damaged, that once enhanced magic, protected against evil, and regulated the weather (keeping Myth Drannor temperate). In 1372 DR, it causes erratic effects like spell misfires or teleportation malfunctions.
- The Polyandrium: A necropolis north of the city, once a burial ground for honored dead, now home to undead (e.g., banshees, liches) and fiends.
- The Speculum: A massive wizard’s tower, once the School of Wizards, now a lair for a beholder or illithid colony, filled with arcane secrets.
- Castle Cormanthor: The Coronal’s palace, a crystalline structure now shattered, haunted by elven ghosts and guarded by baelnorns (elven liches sworn to protect the city).
- The Dawnspire: A temple to Corellon Larethian, its spire still glowing faintly, but overrun by drow worshippers of Lolth.
- The Glim-Gardens: Once beautiful parks with glowing flora, now twisted by the mythal’s corruption, home to fey and plant monsters like shambling mounds.
The city’s streets are a maze of crumbling marble, overgrown with roots, and littered with bones, shattered statues, and rusted weapons from the Weeping War.
Inhabitants
Myth Drannor’s fall transformed it into a monster-haunted ruin, but it still attracts various factions:
- Fiends: Demons and devils, remnants of the Army of Darkness, remain bound by the mythal or ancient summonings. Notable threats include al kilith (demon lords) and pit fiends, guarding hoards of elven treasure.
- Drow: Dark elves from the Underdark beneath Cormanthor, worshippers of Lolth, seek to plunder the city’s magic or corrupt the mythal further. They lair in the Dawnspire and underground tunnels.
- Undead: Elven ghosts, banshees, and liches haunt the Polyandrium and Castle Cormanthor. Baelnorns, benevolent elven liches, protect sacred sites but may attack intruders.
- Monsters: Beholders, illithids, aboleths, and green dragons are drawn to Myth Drannor’s magic, establishing lairs in towers or ruins. Packs of ghouls and trolls roam the streets.
- Adventurers: Treasure hunters, Harper agents, and Zhentarim operatives explore the ruins, seeking artifacts like the Nether Scrolls or Moonblades. Many perish, but some return to Shadowdale with tales of horror and wealth.
- Elves: Small bands of Cormanthyr elves, led by rangers or mages, attempt to reclaim the city or protect its sacred sites. They are hostile to most outsiders but may ally with those who oppose the drow.
Summary
Myth Drannor, once the jewel of Cormanthyr, is a ruined city in the Cormanthor Forest, a short journey from Shadowdale. By 1372 DR (3E timeline), it is a haunted battleground, its mythal corrupted and its streets overrun by fiends, drow, undead, and monsters. The city’s lost magic—Moonblades, Nether Scrolls, and mythal shards—draws adventurers, while its dangers threaten the Dalelands. Shadowdale serves as a gateway, with the Old Skull Inn as a hub for tales and quests. Myth Drannor’s blend of ancient glory and present peril makes it a rich setting for 3E campaigns, offering high-stakes adventures in the heart of Faerûn.
Myth Drannor was a nexus of High Magic, and its ruins are a treasure trove of magical artifacts, as detailed in 3E sources like Magic of Faerûn:
- Moonblades: Sentient elven longswords, each bound to a noble house, that choose their wielders. They grant powers like spell resistance or extra attacks but reject unworthy users.
- Nether Scrolls: Fragments of these ancient texts, stolen from Netheril, grant godlike arcane knowledge. They are scattered throughout the ruins, guarded by fiends or traps.
- Kiira (Lore Gems): Elven gems that store memories, spells, or histories. A kiira might contain a High Mage’s knowledge but drive the wearer mad if incompatible.
- The Staff of the Winds: A legendary staff that controls weather, once wielded by the Coronal, rumored to be hidden in Castle Cormanthor.
- Mythal Shards: Pieces of the mythal, crystallized into gems, that can enhance spellcasting but risk corruption by fiendish energies.
The mythal’s corruption causes wild magic surges, where spells might fail, amplify, or summon extraplanar creatures, making magic use risky.
