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## ***The Spellplague***

The Stonehearth district of Baldur’s Gate was cosmopolitan enough to be considered a hotspot for fancy foreign visitors. The bulk of the traffic was coming from Lantan and Halruaa, but there were visitors from every corner – including former family connections of Candlekeep and the Edificant Library.

Indeed, given the arcane prowess of Stonehearth, it was wondered by some why a Stonehearth wizard hadn’t been tapped as Magister. There were already answers proffered by some, which included Stonehearth had turned it down to stay in their sweet spot, or… that they’ve had divine connections for quite some time. Neither was true: it was chaotic turbulence and divine influence always seemed to be close by – but there were points about their magic that made the Magisters and Mystra above them uneasy: they were looking at the roots of magic, the power between the limits of the weave.

## ***Stonehearth’s Foreign Allies***

By the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, when Spellplague ripped lands right out of the world, the two biggest allies were devastated. Lantan and Halruaa had waves of refugees, survivors of the cataclysm, and Stonehearth was instrumental search and rescue operations to the distant east and nearby west alike. A huge number resettled in Baldur’s Gate, specifically because of Stonehearth efforts.

From Cormyr, displaced War Wizards were taken in, healed and counseled. Likewise, though Stone was expatriate himself, some part of the heart never let go of Cormyr. Trade relations had remained strong, and when the Spellplague ripped into the land, Stonehearth was a beacon to the west.

*Or a target*… After the spellplague impacted traditional spellcasters (and even some in the SMC), the level of arcane trust dropped precipitously. While that varied from area to area, it varied even within The Gate. If it was “new” or “magical” – *it was suspect*.

It is said that in the following years, the surviving nations experienced a surge in the use of technology, divine magic, and worship of the Deities of Knowledge and Invention. That was partially true, including a rise in psionics, but many citations of “the surge” were a confusion with bright light that House Stonehearth already shone.

From Halruaa and Cormyr alike, there was now an army of investigators turning the eye of the *Naturalist Method* on the natures and causes of the Spellplague and the contamination of wild magic, the natural philosophy of Magic (especially arcane magic), the Weave itself, and the raw magic that was behind it. Over the next forty years, discoveries would be made that would that change the face of Toril and perhaps all of Realmspace…

## ***Impressing upon Impresk***

The Impresk Barony, covering the Snowflake Mountains, had been part of the Stonehearth portfolio for 11 years. Easing the transition, they'd largely been allowed to proceed with their way of doing things. In that short period of time:

* The beautiful and magically-erected Spirit Soaring cathedral on the south side of the Snowflakes, had been destroyed in a massive supernatural battle.
* The Castle Trinity, close to the north end of the Snowflakes, had been the staging area for the forces that had been the downfall of the Edificant Library. The semi-hidden fortress had been partially castle-fied, greatly reducing its covert qualities, and never fully abandoned by darker elements.

By now, Stonehearth's tolerance of the native's suspicions of outsiders was reduced to zero. Likewise, Stonehearth's non-interventionist policy was no longer active as this barony was under the jurisdiction of the House (with the approval of the Kingdom of Tethyr). The Stonehearth Arms began native recruitment and a major move to bring the area under control.

Over the next year, two major changes took place:

* Castle Trinity was cleansed and sanctified, then rebuilt. The extensive caves were deepened and reinforced, becoming Stonehearth's baronial seat of ***Stonegate Fortress***. Given that the Snowflake Mountains were the highest peaks in Southern Faerûn, the Stonehearth Arms used the patrol area as a training opportunity for mountainous environments.
* Likewise, the ruins of the Spirit Soaring cathedral were cleansed of the wards (and what was contained within), and the spirit of Cadderly Bonaduce was released from his otherwise eternal bonds. The site that once had two tragedies was turned into a grove with two memorial plaques and life was allowed to flourish where death had once marked.

House Stonehearth had, in the space of 13 months, turned around the distant eastern frontier barony. This made Stonehearth an MVP at the Royal Court of Tethyr. In turn, Stonehearth received a license to construct and fortify a manor on the outskirts of Tethyr's capital city of Darromar, which ensured Tethyr's crown always had access to House Stonehearth.

### **A Mind for Change**

It was after the Impresk overhaul that Stonehearth established official (if quiet) relations with the College of the Eclipse, the psionic institute in Riatavin. Psionics were a valuable art and science in every way imaginable, but In the post-Spellplague era, they were that much more critical.

Everett Stonehearth, patriar of House Stonehearth (and survivor of the fall of the Edificant Library), was the first to go through the College of the Eclipse program. After setting the precedent, every House senior leader would go through a psionic training program, if only to recognize when psionic or psionic-like effects were around or affecting them.