Imaskar
Encyclopedia
In the fiction
al fantasy
setting of the Forgotten Realms
, on the continent of Faerûn
, Imaskar was the first overpowering human empire, predating even Netheril. It was responsible for the creation of the oldest empires still in existence, the ancient empires of Mulhorand, Unther and Chessenta. They were the first astronomers and the first to give names to the planets. Their artificer-kings held tremendous power and respect, leading forays into other planes to bring back otherworldly slaves for use in building the cities of Imaskar (one such plane was Earth's). Later, Southern elves and the Shou (at least, people from Kara-Tur
) helped them to improve their knowledge and expand their power, further strengthening the empire.
The empire was destroyed in -2488 DR by a cataclysmic uprising among their Mulan and Untheric slaves assisted by the incarnate gods of the slaves themselves. By this time it is suggested that the slaves in Imaskar numbered in the tens of millions. The war that followed was brief but catastrophic, and the destructive battles between the Imaskari artificer-kings and the slave's vengeful gods destroyed most of the empire, whilst the freed slaves looted and burned the once proud cities. The event led to the creation of the Raurin
Desert.
Everyone thought Imaskari to be long dead, but a group led by the wizard-lord Ilphemon actually survived the cataclysm by descending into the Underdark
and creating a hidden city called Deep Imaskar. The city was constructed to be magically self-sufficient and was concealed by a great magical seal. In -634 DR a cabal of necromancers overthrew the descendants of Ilphemon, ending his line of hereditary kings, and in -511 DR the necromancers were themselves overthrown by a champion named Chaschara. She established a non-hereditary system of government by three officeholders that continued to the present day.
The Deep Imaskari dabbled with expanding their territory into the elemental planes, but an invasion from the elemental plane of Air in 799 DR led them to give that up and seal the portals there. For the next five hundred years the Imaskari chose to live in isolation, but recently they have decided to break the seal on their underground city and began sending adventurous individuals to explore the outside world. The location of Deep Imaskar remains a closely held secret, however, and is magically erased from the minds of the adventurers that leave it.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
setting of the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, on the continent of Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
, Imaskar was the first overpowering human empire, predating even Netheril. It was responsible for the creation of the oldest empires still in existence, the ancient empires of Mulhorand, Unther and Chessenta. They were the first astronomers and the first to give names to the planets. Their artificer-kings held tremendous power and respect, leading forays into other planes to bring back otherworldly slaves for use in building the cities of Imaskar (one such plane was Earth's). Later, Southern elves and the Shou (at least, people from Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur is a fantasy world created by David Cook in the Oriental Adventures rulebook for the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game in 1986. Kara-Tur's cultures and peoples are fantasy analogues of medieval China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Tibet, and other regions of...
) helped them to improve their knowledge and expand their power, further strengthening the empire.
The empire was destroyed in -2488 DR by a cataclysmic uprising among their Mulan and Untheric slaves assisted by the incarnate gods of the slaves themselves. By this time it is suggested that the slaves in Imaskar numbered in the tens of millions. The war that followed was brief but catastrophic, and the destructive battles between the Imaskari artificer-kings and the slave's vengeful gods destroyed most of the empire, whilst the freed slaves looted and burned the once proud cities. The event led to the creation of the Raurin
Raurin
Raurin is a location on Faerûn, a fictional continent, the primary setting of the Forgotten Realms, for Dungeons & Dragons.-Description:Raurin, known as the Dust Desert and the Desert of Desolation, was once the center of the ancient empire of Imaskar, but it was transformed into a wasteland in...
Desert.
Everyone thought Imaskari to be long dead, but a group led by the wizard-lord Ilphemon actually survived the cataclysm by descending into the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
and creating a hidden city called Deep Imaskar. The city was constructed to be magically self-sufficient and was concealed by a great magical seal. In -634 DR a cabal of necromancers overthrew the descendants of Ilphemon, ending his line of hereditary kings, and in -511 DR the necromancers were themselves overthrown by a champion named Chaschara. She established a non-hereditary system of government by three officeholders that continued to the present day.
The Deep Imaskari dabbled with expanding their territory into the elemental planes, but an invasion from the elemental plane of Air in 799 DR led them to give that up and seal the portals there. For the next five hundred years the Imaskari chose to live in isolation, but recently they have decided to break the seal on their underground city and began sending adventurous individuals to explore the outside world. The location of Deep Imaskar remains a closely held secret, however, and is magically erased from the minds of the adventurers that leave it.
Official Material
Specific prestige classes
- Imaskari Vengeance Taker (image)
