1467

## **The Church of the Light illuminates Western Faerûn**

### **Two decades after the return of divine-like expression, Stonehearth was a beacon**

**1467****DR:** The best solution is to return things to just the way they were. Make it as if nothing ever changed. That wasn’t possible here. Even if the gods came roaring back, which they hadn’t yet – and showed no signs of doing, this period when the portfolio suffered for the sake of its coordinator would never be forgotten – or truly forgiven.

Even the eternally faithful had doubts – and when the power of a timeless god is contingent on the shining belief from a mortal, the mighty shall fall.

### **Stonehearth success motivates the neighbors**

Waterdeep was one of the prime trading partners with the Stonehearth Marquisate. Now six years after the marquisate’s victory over the Shadovar and New Netheril avoided the central west Sword Coast as if it weren’t even there. Every place else? All bets were off.

Among the places New Netheril was seeking power and influence was New Neverwinter, who were even defending it against Thay zombies and Ashmadai trying to take the city (1463). Those forces were competitors…

The other competitor was from a short trip south: Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep. He arrived in Neverwinter and soon became its Lord Protector, a position where he can begin to rebuild the city.

While Neverember’s noble aspirations are embraced, especially against the likes of the Shadovar, the Thay and a secretive devil worshiping cult dedicated to the god Asmodeus, it was a major risk for potential war.

Was it a bigger risk that Neverwinter might fall to enemy forces? Yes. None of the factions mentioned were in line with the Lords’ Alliance or any of the members therein. What was the *largest* risk? Few were willing to mention the unmentionable motivation from the south.

It was widely believed that Stonehearth all but owned Baldur’s Gate. Did that spark Neverember’s drive for a soft annex of Neverwinter? People didn’t want to believe that of his selfless contributions – but he was himself an ambitious man… even as Stonehearth Merchant Company ships brought discounted goods to a rebuilding Neverwinter…

### **The Mageweave focii**

The mages of Mageweave had cracked focuses

A focus for a spellcaster allowed them to channel through the focus instead of any using any other non-consumable item.

The Mageweave Focii allowed all sorts of general and specific effects for casters, including and especially amplification. It worked for arcane and divine casters. It even worked for weave casting (though at half power).

…30 years ago...

The Mageweave consortium had cracked the focuses three decades prior, but it was top secret. They’d been working on power, safety, amplification, phase, polarity and a dozen meta categories through which focuses were channeled, including eliminated the need for consumable spell components.

By 1467, the Mageweave (and Stonehearth Arms) casters had models of extraordinary power, utility and versatility. That was when the low level “introductory” models were released for limited sale to trusted civilian Stonehearth casters.

There was perhaps a week or so where this sunk in, and started slow circulation through Mageweave, North Point and the marquisate… then it exploded as far as Waterdeep.