Okay okay, fine. Lost Mine of Phandelver, the adventure written for a beginner box set, is designed as an introduction to Dungeons & Dragons. As such, I accept that game designers were not going to burden new Dungeon Masters with Forgotten Realms lore to run a game for people new to the hobby – whose expectations are likely: roll dice/kill stuff.

But if you’re like me, and you want to make the lands between the High Road and the Long Road your local adventure area for many stories yet to be told, then it’s helpful (and fun) to fill in the blanks left by the game designers.

Today, I came across this little nugget on the Forgotten Realms wiki:

In the years following the Second Sundering, the Thayan Red Wizards were once again relegated to serving as agents of the zulkirs or even Regent Szass Tam himself. They were often directed to travel the Realms to acquire powerful magical items in order for the zulkirs to further consolidate their power.

According to Lost Mine of Phandelver, Hamun Kost is a ” mage who is busy exploring the site (Old Owl Well) in the hope of gleaning arcane lore left behind by its builders.” In his time at Old Owl Well, he’s discovered a rare magical item: a ring of protection.

So, it’s not unreasonable to deduce that Hamun Kost’s actual mission at Old Owl Well is left unsaid, and that he has traveled to the site under the direction of either the zulkirs, or Szass Tam himself.

The Second Sundering occurred from 1482 DR – 1487 DR. Lost Mine of Phandelver takes place in 1491 DR, which are “the years following the Second Sundering.”

Hamun Kost’s is a Wizard of Thay, and his residency at Old Owl Well fits the timeline. So his purpose for being there seemingly fits into this particular bit of lore.

Okay. But why would he want to know who built Old Owl Well?

How does an evil mage without access to 3rd level spells control twelve zombies anyway?

What other magical items would Hamun discover with his archaeological dig at Old Owl Well that fit into the lore?

I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone who frequents this space that I have some thoughts on those things. Therefore, I declare this week Hamun Kost Week here at Along The Triboar Trail. Stop by each day this week to explore Old Owl Well and Hamun Kost with me.

If you’d like to support my efforts, please consider buying me a coffee. Or check out my free/PWYW titles over at Dungeon Master’s Guild. Thank you for reading!