Tergs and Neureni question

[Troukk]

Hey guys.

I wanted to know more about the Terg and Neureni culture. In what culture are they inspired on? I know one of them seems to be like ancient china? Or mongolian barbarian types?

I'd like to know more, but I'm not sure where to look.

[EO]

Tergs are Turks (notice the similar name?).
Neureni would probably be the Mongol horde since they're described as fighting on horseback.

It's very much a pastiche of Romanian history where Vlad the Impaler fought the Ottomans (Turks) and prior to that the Mongol horde had passed through/invaded Romania. Gundarak is inspired by Hungary.

[Troukk]

That's very helpful thanks!

[Miuo]

Now iv a few questions, since the topic was brought up.

Are both cultures supposed to be 100% wiped out? Or is what we find from them just supposed to be left over ruins while they occupied land here, and have since moved on else where or back to their own lands?

[EO]

Now iv a few questions, since the topic was brought up.

Are both cultures supposed to be 100% wiped out? Or is what we find from them just supposed to be left over ruins while they occupied land here, and have since moved on else where or back to their own lands?

It happened in pre-Ravenloft Barovia so they probably still exist on the Material Plane but when Barovia was brought into the Mists, the Tergs and Neureni were no longer in Barovia. Strahd kicked the Tergs out of Barovia and Nicoleta von Zarovich (not sure of the first name) booted the Neureni out a generation or two before that.

[Troukk]

Gazetteer I suggests that the Neureni might be in a way ancestors of the Gundarakites though. Although it confuses me because all of this happened before the Land of the Mists was a thing. Here's the quote:

[EO]

I would take most of what's written in the Gazetteers' IC part with a grain of salt; this is S speculating here in-character. OOCly, we know that Erlin = Nerull, the Greyhawk deity that was imposed on Gundarakites by Duke Gundar, who hails from Greyhawk.

[Bluebomber4evr]

I would take most of what's written in the Gazetteers' IC part with a grain of salt; this is S speculating here in-character. OOCly, we know that Erlin = Nerull, the Greyhawk deity that was imposed on Gundarakites by Duke Gundar, who hails from Greyhawk.

Well, not exactly. Nerull is a Greyhawk deity, but is also worshiped on other worlds besides Oerth. Nharov Gundar worshiped Nerull on his homeworld, but there's no indication that his homeworld was Oerth.

[McNastea]

Can characters use information from the ic part of the gazeteers, like the theory about the gundarakites being descendants of the nuereni?

Also, when exactly did Barovia enter the land of the mists? If the Tergs and the Neureni were defeated prior to that then that would mean that Strahd was alive when it was taken to the mists, I assume, so did that happening coincide with him killing his brother and all that business or was that after the fact? I'm a little confused by this, because I could see that being the point when it all happened-but at the same time would have assumed that Barovia was already in the land of the mists when something like that occured, sort of influencing him and shaping him in to a dark lord. So I guess what came first, the dark lord or the mists? 

[EO]

Can characters use information from the ic part of the gazeteers, like the theory about the gundarakites being descendants of the nuereni?

Also, when exactly did Barovia enter the land of the mists? If the Tergs and the Neureni were defeated prior to that then that would mean that Strahd was alive when it was taken to the mists, I assume, so did that happening coincide with him killing his brother and all that business or was that after the fact? I'm a little confused by this, because I could see that being the point when it all happened-but at the same time would have assumed that Barovia was already in the land of the mists when something like that occured, sort of influencing him and shaping him in to a dark lord. So I guess what came first, the dark lord or the mists?  

Here's from our timeline as compiled by Bluebomber (and based on Mangrum's timeline); read only if you want spoilers.

Spoiler: show

230 BC The Neureni Horde invades Barovia. Their seven-month invasion was routed by the legendary General-Princess Nicoleta von Zarovich. The Neureni came from the east and advanced as far as Vallaki before they were routed via a three-month siege. (Ravenloft Gazetteer I^)

320 BC The Tergs invade Barovia, conquering the ancestral lands of the Von Zarovich family. (Domains of Dread^)

321 BC Strahd von Zarovich leads the armies of Barovia in battle against the Tergs in an attempt to reclaim his ancestral lands. (Domains of Dread^)

325 BC The Barovian army presses the Tergs back from the Borjian region, thus sparing Borjia from the Terg conquest. Borjian craftsmen supply the Barovian armies with all their needs and grow rich in the bargain. (Ravenloft Gazetteer IV^)

326 BC Strahd rallies the Barovian troops to succeed against the Tergs in the siege of Krezk, despite the fact that the Tergs greatly outnumber them. (Ravenloft Gazetteer I^)

333 BC Tatyana Federovna born in the Village of Barovia. (Realm of Terror^)

347 BC General Strahd von Zarovich is waging war with the last of the Terg warlords, Dorian, also known as “the Goblyn King.”  General Von Zarovich makes a pact with the fiend Inajira for victory the night before the battle.  Strahd conquers Barovia, but he cheats the fiend.  The defeated Tergs are driven from Barovia.  Strahd claims the throne as his reward.  (Late fall.)  Strahd moves into Dorian’s castle; renames it Castle Ravenloft; begins renovations. (Dec.) (Domains of Dread^, Vampire of the Mists*, I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire*, Roots of Evil^, Realm of Terror^)

351 BC Sergei and Tatyana’s wedding.  Strahd makes pact with Death, becoming a vampire. Strahd approaches Tatyana, but she flees from him and commits suicide. Leo Dilisnya attempts an assassination of Strahd at the same time, unaware of Strahd's new abilities. When Strahd is struck by Dilisnya's crossbow bolts, he retaliates, but in his rage and grief over losing Tatyana, he does not distinguish between the assassins and his guests. Between Strahd and assassins sent by Leo Dilisnya, all the guests are killed. The Demiplane of Dread forms as Barovia becomes an island domain. (I6 - Ravenloft^, Realm of Terror^, Domains of Dread^, From the Shadows^, I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire*, Vampire of the Mists*)

[EO]

Can characters use information from the ic part of the gazeteers, like the theory about the gundarakites being descendants of the nuereni?

It depends on the information. S obviously is not your typical native of the Core and she knows more than most. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that one of the reasons the Barovians disliked Gundarakites was because they associated them with the Tergs.

[Ercvadasz]

Gazetteer I suggests that the Neureni might be in a way ancestors of the Gundarakites though. Although it confuses me because all of this happened before the Land of the Mists was a thing. Here's the quote:

I am unsure where, but i think i read it in one of the novels, where it was hinted that the Gundarakites, are offspring of the neureni barovian intermarriage. Not sure though:D

[A normal snake]

Gazetteer I suggests that the Neureni might be in a way ancestors of the Gundarakites though. Although it confuses me because all of this happened before the Land of the Mists was a thing. Here's the quote:

I am unsure where, but i think i read it in one of the novels, where it was hinted that the Gundarakites, are offspring of the neureni barovian intermarriage. Not sure though:D

The Tergs and Neureni don't actually exist in the Core though. Barovia was the first domain. ICly, nobody really knows this. ICly they just know Gundarak appeared later and share similar features, so ICly they theorize that there's a relation.