Silvanesti – War of the Lance Era

This once beautiful forest was the home of the Silvanesti elves for millenia. During the War of the Lance, The Speaker of the Stars, Lorac used a Dragon Orb and accidentally turned his homeland into a living nightmare. Let’s learn more about Silvanesti.  Buy Tales of the Lance: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16961/Tales-of-the-Lance-2e?affiliate_id=50797 

https://youtu.be/2ik8BvEzwe0

Transcript

Cold Open

Lorac’s Nightmare has twisted both the land and its inhabitants.

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Silvanesti in the War of the Lance Era. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing the Tales of the Lance boxed set and War of the Lance sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!

Discussion

The nation of Silvanesti has suffered the most in the War of the Lance when the Speaker of the Stars, Lorac Caladon used the Dragon Orb in an attempt to halt the advance of the Dragonarmies, but instead the spirit of Viper within the Dragon Orb took control of Lorac, summoned Cyan Bloodbane and twisted the land into a living nightmare. While these fabled woods were the homeland of the elves for millennia, they had to earn it, through two dragon wars. Now in the War of the Lance, they must somehow cleanse the forest of Lorac’s Nightmare and start life anew.

While the War of the Lance era only recently affected Silvanesti, let's examine how it was just before and after Lorac used the Dragon Orb. The Silvanesti forest is unutterably beautiful. The trees stretched high into the sky creating a canopy over the forest floor. The crystalline Thon Thalas river ran through the forest, splitting to surround the capital city of Silvanost, then turning west to split again toward Blöde and The Plains of Dust. The cities were crafted from living wood and marble. After the vast population fled to Southern Ergoth, and Lorac’s Nightmare took over the land, the climate matched its new state. Winters run from H’rarmont to Chislmont which feature blizzards and biting winds. Springs are stormy due to the warm currents from the Eastern Courrain Ocean. The Thon-Thalas River  frequently floods between Chistlmont and Corij, and summer begins thereafter from Corij to Reorxmont with hot and humid weather and the perpetual stink of decay. By Autumn in Reorxmont, the living trees turn as dry and brown as the dead ones.

While the Silvanesti are xenophobic, focusing on preserving the integrity of their race and being distrustful of other races after the Cataclysm, they live in a rigid caste system. You are born into a House and you are expected to perform your duties under the House in service to the nation. They are taught the skills relevant to their House, and rarely ever leave or change their House. Prior to their exile, they traded little with outsiders, and when they did it was with ivory, wood, wine, woodcarving, needlecraft, metalcraft and herbal medicines. When the Dragonarmies first arrived, the Speaker of the Stars attempted to negotiate a truce, however the Dragonarmies turned against their truce and attacked the nation. While the population fled, the Speaker stayed to face them with the Dragon Orb. Under a hundred Silvanesti Elves remain in the forest in this era.

Silvanost, the City of Towers,