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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2009)

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Topic author: The Sage
Subject: Questions for Ed Greenwood (2009)
Posted on: 31 Dec 2008 15:03:15
Message:

Well met

This being a continued collection of scrolls of any questions the Scribes and visitors of Candlekeep wish to put to a master who needs no introduction, namely - Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms.

Ed's works include MANY FR sourcebooks and numerous novels, such as Cormyr: A Novel, Spellfire, Silverfall, The Shadows of the Avatar Trilogy and The Elminster Series, to name but a few.

Present your questions herein and check back to see what news may also come forth from the quill of this author.

For previous entries of the many, many writings of lore by Ed, please see the 2008 entries in this collection of scrolls, the 2007 entries here, the 2006 entries here, the 2005 entries here, and the 2004 entries here. 'ware, these run into over 80 pages, ye may be reading for some time. For a concise read of Ed's replies, visit the "So Saith Ed" page on the Candlekeep site.

Replies:


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 31 Dec 2008 15:23:58
Message:

Just popping in to wish Ed, THO, and all the scribes a happy and prosperous New Year in 2009!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Dec 2008 16:23:37
Message:

And I send those same wishes back to all of you, from me and from Ed. Having such lively, creative, friendly, and intellectually "alive" scribes to rub shoulders with warms and inspires us both. I know Ed views the Keep as the equivalent of a club or quiet, cozy pub where everyone's a friend and fellow Realms enthusiast, and interacting here recharges his batteries.
So, thank you, all.

And in the spirit of dispensing Realmslore (in the manner of Death playing the Hogfather: Ho. Ho. Ho.), I bring Ed's latest Realmslore reply, this one to gomez's query: " What is Lady Addee Ulphor of Shadowdale like? I suspect she is human, or less likely a half-elf? The FRCG doesn't say, so I assume human.
Edit:
I actually picture her a middle-aged woman, likely a bit stubborn and apparently not much charmed by the Sage of Shadowdale (she probably refers to him as 'that mad nutter').
Anyway, I can add any details myself, but I need to know her race (and anything else already determined) to avoid any conflicts with past or future lore."
Ed replies:


Lady Addee is human, though her first name and her very large eyes bespeak elven blood in her past (actually, two half-elves, one a great-grandparent and the other a grandparent on the other side, with everyone else in her ancestry human). She is swift-witted, has a SUPERB memory for names and faces, is conservative and apt to be disapproving of new ways and manners (though NOT prim), and can be quite sharp-tongued when she wants to be. Yes, she's stubborn, and yes, she disapproves of Elminster or anyone else who "goes to strange places, does strange things, indulges in whimsy, and doesn't keep quiet about it, so that he puts odd ideas into the heads of folk and it all leads to tumult and upset."
Lady Addee usually dresses conservatively (ankle-length gowns with shoulder-cloaks [we would call them shawls, though they are NEVER open-work weaves, being instead solid cloth lined with solid cloth - - as are her dresses]). If gardening or out walking in wet conditions or muddy places, she'll wear breeches and mens' leather boots under her gowns, and may hike up the gowns to her knee and "belt them up" at that length. She's a good cook and a sturdy, "do the next task that has to be done, put in a good day's work to see a brighter tomorrow" sort who's physically active and not afraid of work, including trying new tasks she's never done before if they become necessary and she can't think of someone handy who's better trained or experienced. So she preserves, makes wine and small beer, "puts up" her own herbs and makes her own pots, and so on. Over the years, she's picked up a smattering of many languages (that is, she can read, write, and speak a few simple phrases in over a dozen tongues), though she generally keeps this to herself, and is fluent only in Common.
So far as I know, gomez, that's all we have on the lady: my notes plus what's been published. So feel free to add details (hair length, friends, foes, etc.) as the adventure necessitates, or prod me to make up more; i don't mind at all. :}


So saith Ed. Who has to go retrieve his granddaughter from a sleepover now, then drive hither and yon shopping shopping shopping (lads and lasses, Ed is positively feminine in his love of shopping!). He promises more Realmslore replies as soon as he can sit down to write them.

love to all,
and may you all have a splendid 2009!
(Bows to The Sage for handling the year-end turnover as smoothly as usual. Another family story coming in the fullness of time, Ed promises.)
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 31 Dec 2008 17:48:31
Message:

I just want to wish everyone here a Happy New Year!


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 31 Dec 2008 22:00:45
Message:

Here's one, hope this hasn't been asked to death before but I haven't gotten through all the older scrolls of Ed's replies...


What can you tell us about Filfaeril's family and how she and King Azoun got together?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Dec 2008 23:02:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

And in the spirit of dispensing Realmslore (in the manner of Death playing the Hogfather: Ho. Ho. Ho.)
Ed is really the Hogfather?
quote:
(Bows to The Sage for handling the year-end turnover as smoothly as usual. Another family story coming in the fullness of time, Ed promises.)
THO
No worries my Lady. I had intended on posting a question almost immediately to the '09 scroll. But celebrations kinda got in the way.

So maybe later today.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 02:26:55
Message:

Nerfed2Hell,
I'm afraid Ed can't tell you much about Filfaeril (including how she and Azoun got together) because of some current NDAs and the push to get the Cormyr Lineage published.
Ed does have a partly-written (begun back in 1987!) short story up his sleeve centered on an incident in Azoun's courtship of Fee, but it, too, is "hanging fire" until the right time (i.e. those NDAs clear).
Believe me, he'd LOVE to answer you, because Filfaeril is one of his favourite characters. I believe he created her back in 1968 or 1969 (probably the latter) and has portrayed her as an NPC in our 'home' campaign Realmsplay many, many times.
love,
THO


Reply author: Bladewind
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 03:34:31
Message:

*casts some petty pyrokinesis spells on some fire works making it say:*
Happy 2009!
*poof*

Ahum. Pretty tough question. Ed, how much influence do oracles have on politics in for example Cormyr? Are the people who get visions taken seriously by rulers? How much support can a supposed prophet of Savras have in a small village? Is spouting fear inducing prohesies a crime?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 16:20:59
Message:

quote:
And in the spirit of dispensing Realmslore (in the manner of Death playing the Hogfather: Ho. Ho. Ho.)


Hmm. Shouldn't that be in capitals?
The lore is great! I'll see what we can come up with for additional details.

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 17:30:58
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you once more the words of Ed, this time in response to this spanking-new (ahem, BAD Hooded One! Bad! We'll have to spank . . . oh. Ahem again.) query from Bladewind: "Ahum. Pretty tough question. Ed, how much influence do oracles have on politics in for example Cormyr? Are the people who get visions taken seriously by rulers? How much support can a supposed prophet of Savras have in a small village? Is spouting fear inducing prohesies a crime?"
Ed replies:


A FEW hermit and rural oracles are still taken very seriously in Faerun, particularly "new ones," whom most folk believe are truly the direct mouthpieces of deities speaking through them. Most long-established and temple-based oracles are only heeded by clergy (who view them as the deity guiding and critiquing their work) and the most devout lay worshippers), because they have been so wrong or so "right but overly cryptic or woefully partial or miscasting/twisting the truth" before.
So in Cormyr (and most other places), oracles would be viewed as alerts or warnings, but no more (i.e. they would NOT bring existing policies or projects to a crashing halt, but could work to 'steer' future efforts or ongoing efforts). Oracles themselves are generally viewed as well-meaning, honest folk (until spies or third parties prove or strongly suggest they are otherwise). A small village could well believe an oracle of Savras utterly, but not to the point of executing people or burning down major buildings or openly and repeatedly breaking major laws or offending against the rights of other faiths (including Azuth and other "direct rivals"). No, spouting fear-inducing prophecies isn't a crime (though deliberately concoting false prophecies and passing them off as divinely-inspired is), but uttering such prophecies will, over time, get the prophet largely ignored - - and will swiftly lead responsible clergy and local governing officials to denounce the prophet to the extent of "Don't follow what he/she says, but turn to the temple clergy for interpretations! He/she cannot help but distort what the god is trying to say through them!" (And this would be widely accepted by the populace, not seen first and foremost as a cover-up of the oracle's "truth.")



So saith Ed. Eagerly ongoing creator of the Realms.
We can look forward to many more such Realmslore replies in 2009, I hope.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 17:34:48
Message:

Oh, and gomez: of COURSE it should be in capitals, except that neither Ed nor I want to even hint that Ed is really Death or the Hogfather, because we love those characters so much and want Terry to write so much more about them.
However, Ed can claim to be like Death in at least one way, and can say, as Death did in that superb book:

I *AM* LAST-MINUTE STUFF.


Come to think of it, I often am (in my day job), too.
love,
THO


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 01 Jan 2009 21:23:45
Message:

Just popping in to wish Ed, THO and everyone else a Happy New Year 2009! To quote the Knights of the Dinner Table: "May all your hits be crits!"


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 04:48:03
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,

Are most gods of mortal descent?

Thank you.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 07:31:07
Message:

Happy New Year to Ed, THO, Alaundo, The Sage, Wooly, and other fellow scribes!

As my first question of 2009, I second RodOdom's question, and broaden it somewhat: Does Ed have origin tales for the major gods other than Selune/Shar/Mystryl and the Dark Three? The story of Amaunator and Lathander would be particularly interesting, but given its necessary reference to the perpetual mystery of the Dawn Cataclysm, I don't see the story being told in great detail... but I'd still be interested all the same.

And no, I won't ask about the Cormyr Lineage, no matter how badly I want to... must... force... mind... elsewhere...


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 13:25:48
Message:

Hmmm... Just remembered this:

quote:
The Hooded One

A little bird (no, not Ed; he's anything but "little;" this particular bird is American, and dwells very near a seacoast) has told me there will soon be a major announcement regarding the Realms. Scribes, keep eyes peeled . . .
love to all,
THO


Any news on the announcement (and if it was made, did I miss it)?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 15:32:31
Message:

Hello again, all. I'm expecting a Realmslore reply from Ed in a few hours, but in the meantime, can answer some of these latest queries with reference to my notes (drawn from Realmsplay with Ed):

RodOdom, you asked: "Are most gods of mortal descent?"
Ed's notes say:
So far as mortals know from what the gods (primarily through their clergy, but also through holy writings and dream-visions given to lay worshippers) most gods either were once mortal creatures of Faerun or elsewhere, or have "entered into" the bodies of once-mortal creatures of Toril. The 'whys' and all details vary wildly from deity to deity, and may have become confused (or fused) over time; most deities seem to value and preserve an aura of mystery, wonder, and confusion, rather than clearing up theological debates or even schisms.

Jakk, you posted: "As my first question of 2009, I second RodOdom's question, and broaden it somewhat: Does Ed have origin tales for the major gods other than Selune/Shar/Mystryl and the Dark Three? The story of Amaunator and Lathander would be particularly interesting, but given its necessary reference to the perpetual mystery of the Dawn Cataclysm, I don't see the story being told in great detail... but I'd still be interested all the same."

From my notes, I can tell you that Ed wrote up partial (see the mystery, above) origin tales for most of his pantheon; much of what was in the original Faiths & Avatars was based on Ed's notes. However, Ed wanted the focus to be on current worship of the deities (i.e. useful stuff for roleplaying), and to maintain some confusion/disagreement over the past. Unfortunately, Ed turned over all of that information (we're talking scores of closely-typewritten pages) to TSR back in the early days of the Realms, so it's all NDA; he can only paraphrase and talk briefly or obliquely about such matters here, not "set things straight" about the Dawn Cataclysm or anything else. (This has come up more than a time or two before at the Keep, BTW.) So if you're hoping for a string of origins stories for the gods . . . well, keep hoping, I'm afraid.

Ashe Ravenheart, no, there's been no announcement yet. As I said earlier, lawyers are involved, and so things are now moving slowly. Which should come as no surprise around Christmas, when many companies essentially shut down for a week or more, or around year-end for some firms, and the end of the last fiscal quarter of 2008, when (facing tough times ahead) a company might well want to delay any announcement, good or bad, until what they judge to be a better time, in 2009.
Don't worry, when the announcement happens, I'll confirm it here.

So until Ed weighs in with more lore, later today,
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 18:05:46
Message:

Hello again, all. As promised a few hours back, Ed's latest lore reply . . .
Back on the 29th of December 08, rjfras posted this query: “I have a question for Ed concerning one of the rituals performed by the clergy of Mielikki. "At least once a month, every member of the clergy must perform the Song of the Trees and serve any dryads, hamadryads or treants their song calls forth. The clergy members perform small tasks requested of them, but are free of dryad charms through the will of the Lady." Could you provide some ideas on what some of the small tasks might be? Most of the ones I've thought of seem cliche or overly done and needing quite a few a year, I was looking for a new perspective rather then starting to repeat used ones. Thanks...”
Ed replies:



Most of the tasks requested are what we might call “forest gardening.” Usually they involve planting new seeds of trees, tending growing trees (watering, pruning, removing vines choking them or damaged limbs, thinning out tangles, fertilizing roots, removing rocks, et cetera), seeking new sources of seeds, caching (hidden secure storage) seeds to provide for future needs, clearing beaver dams that expand wetlands and drown trees, or improving either water supply or drainage by digging to reach water or change slopes in a localized area, et cetera.
Trees that are at risk from woodcutters or natural forces may require defending, for example by clearing away loose scree that could cause avalanches, planting grasses and “tough shrubs” to anchor sandy areas before they become desert (or to prevent existing deserts from spreading), and the planting of thorn barriers, itch-inducing plants, and the introduction of “monsters” to discourage woodcutters from continuing felling trees in a particular direction (where other directions are available).
The tasks shouldn’t take more than a tenday (so as to prevent a clever dryad keeping a particular priest of Mielikki in perpetual servitude because “Your task remains unfinished!”), and Mielikki makes this clear to the woodland beings her clergy are tasked to serve.
More rarely, tasks can include tracing underground watercourses and aquifers, exterminating or driving off root-devouring fauna or root-damaging miners of all species, and so on. Or preparing “built-upon” ground for expansion by forest life, by breaking up paving, collapsing buildings and carrying off the rubble, or even destroying roads and bridges. (Usually these will be ruins or abandoned structures, because the woodland beings are wise and history-lore-learned enough to know what furious reactions will arise from, say, a human or orc community if “the wild woods encroach.”)



So saith Ed. Who long ago lovingly detailed much of the holy duties and customs of worshippers of Mielikki so as to allow the full and colourful roleplaying of Florin Falconhand.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 19:54:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Most of the tasks requested are what we might call “forest gardening.” Usually they involve planting new seeds of trees, tending growing trees (watering, pruning, removing vines choking them or damaged limbs, thinning out tangles, fertilizing roots, removing rocks, et cetera), seeking new sources of seeds, caching (hidden secure storage) seeds to provide for future needs, clearing beaver dams that expand wetlands and drown trees, or improving either water supply or drainage by digging to reach water or change slopes in a localized area, et cetera.



Hooded One, I've read that beaver dams in themselves play an important ecological role (for example, their creation provides shelter for other creatures), so I was wondering why stewards of nature would set about clearing them. It is true that beaver dams expand wetlands and drown trees, but isn't that just a part of how nature is (that is, environments do not remain static, over time new organisms move in and others get pushed out).


Reply author: Zanan
Replied on: 02 Jan 2009 21:01:27
Message:

Vendui to the Hooded One and Ed in 2009!

Since the revision is still on my alter ego's agenda for January, can I respectfully C&P my question of last year again, even though part of it has already been answered?!

quote:
Vendui The Hooded One!

My alter ego is head and shoulders into the revision of The Knights of Myth Drannor III and when typing the headline it noted that the title of the book does not exactly match up to the sword involved. For while the latter is Armaukran - "The Sword That Never Sleeps", the book is called "The Sword Never Sleeps". Now, the latter could simply rever to the ongoing blade-quarrels the protagonists face up to, but my alter ego wondered whether it was simply a publisher's omission of "that"?
Furthermore, we have now seen the appearance of Torm and Rathan and they are heading in the same direction as the Knights. Will we see another book about those heroes and heroines anytime soon ... or will the 4E Realms take centre stage for the forseeable future?


Aluve, Zanan!


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 03 Jan 2009 03:19:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Most of the tasks requested are what we might call “forest gardening.” Usually they involve planting new seeds of trees, tending growing trees (watering, pruning, removing vines choking them or damaged limbs, thinning out tangles, fertilizing roots, removing rocks, et cetera), seeking new sources of seeds, caching (hidden secure storage) seeds to provide for future needs, clearing beaver dams that expand wetlands and drown trees, or improving either water supply or drainage by digging to reach water or change slopes in a localized area, et cetera.





Hooded One, I've read that beaver dams in themselves play an important ecological role (for example, their creation provides shelter for other creatures), so I was wondering why stewards of nature would set about clearing them. It is true that beaver dams expand wetlands and drown trees, but isn't that just a part of how nature is (that is, environments do not remain static, over time new organisms move in and others get pushed out).



First, thank you Ed and THO for the response..

as far as the beaver dams and why Mielikki would allow their removal at the request of the forest creatures, I think it probably is because she is the Lady of the Forest. A lot of her dogma and teachings all revolve around keeping the forest or at least replenishing them and the animals that live in the forest. In a sometimes losing battle to woodcutters, expansion, etc, they need to preserve all the forests they can. I'm sure a small dam here and there is tolerated, but when they start expanding the dam even bigger, increasing the wetlands even more and reducing the forest in that area and the natural forest wildlife as wetland wildlife moves in, it's an issue at least as far as the forest is concerned. Now, druids of other deities that cover the other aspects of nature probably would see it as the way of the whole of nature and wouldn't have an issue with it. Druids of Mielikki might try to take some of the dams down so the wetland stays small and more manageable but if the beavers continue to keep building them bigger I could see one of their tasks then being to relocate the beavers outside the forest or to another part of the forest where wetlands wouldn't kill as many trees. Just my opinion though...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jan 2009 04:41:57
Message:

Bingo, rjfras! That's exactly right; dryads, hamadryads, treants, and Mielikki all want well-watered forests but not flooded forests (too much standing water drowns the trees, roots first, and creates a wetland with dead standing trees in it). There are other forces at play that value wetlands, but none of these three sorts of sylvan creatures, nor the deity, are among them. Ed and I discussed this in detail once - - and believe me, once you factor in orc hordes, hunting dragons, wyverns, fire lizards, human woodcutters, forest fires, and the like, the forests need all the help they can get. At least to continue to dominate the North (wherever mountains and glaciers don't prevent) as much as they've always been described as doing.
So, yes, Rino, beaver dams play a part in a balanced ecosystem, but there's nothing to stop the beavers from continually relocating and rebuilding, when localized actions (by clergy serving sylvan creatures at Mielikki's behest) are made to preserve particular trees.
love,
THO
Edit: for grammar. Geez, my medications are affecting the aging brain. Time to blurt like a Dalek, I suppose.


Reply author: Kentinal
Replied on: 03 Jan 2009 05:21:37
Message:

Also Beavers eat trees, *wink* which is conterproductive to maintaining a forest. The bigger the beaver lake the more beavers that live in that lake.
There is also a flood concern when the dam breaks because of flooding that takes dead trees (caused by the lake) smashing into the beaver dam and causing flooding damage down stream. Live trees being eroded and stuk by dead lines.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 00:12:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Bingo, rjfras! That's exactly right; dryads, hamadryads, treants, and Mielikki all want well-watered forests but not flooded forests (too much standing water drowns the trees, roots first, and creates a wetland with dead standing trees in it). There are other forces at play that value wetlands, but none of these three sorts of sylvan creatures, nor the deity, are among them.


What about swamps and hammocks, then? Those are wetlands, but there are also plenty of trees there (for some types of trees, wetlands are in fact the ideal habitat). Does Mielikki not value those habitats?

That said, if the habitat is being disrupted anyway by the forces you mentioned before, I can understand the need to step in "leveling the playing field", so to speak. The bit about Mielikki literally "not valuing" wetlands doesn't sit well with me though, I have to admit...she is after all a nature goddess, and a benevolent one, too (if not *the* nature goddess). I look at it this way--If *I* became some great steward (goddess?) of the world's deserts, that doesn't mean I wouldn't value, say, the world's rain forests just because such a habitat is in some ways the polar opposite of "my" area. It might not be my specialty, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't care about it, at least if I cared about being considered a steward of nature.

At this point you can probably tell that this is a topic (nature and ecology, not specifically beavers) that I am not only interested in but have some strong feelings about. I hope I'm not coming off as "over the top" about it.

quote:
Also Beavers eat trees, *wink* which is conterproductive to maintaining a forest...


A forest makes a good home for many types of creatures in large part because there is plenty of food there for them, and that includes the plant life. Like all other animals, the number of beavers are generally kept in check by predators in their natural environment* (and the amount of food around, and the habitat that's available to them to begin with, etc). So I think it is incorrect to say that having beavers around is in itself counterproductive to maintaining a forest (by the way, I'm only addressing this subject in such detail because it was brought up).




*If they are introduced to an area where they didn't exist before, that is of course a different story...


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 02:28:30
Message:

Not valuing something and valuing something else more aren't really the same thing.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 03:42:13
Message:

Hi again, all.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin, I sent your latest post off to Ed for a direct explanation, and here's his piping-hot-from-my-inbox response:


Ah. Further explanation definitely needed here. First, please understand that my replies (and THO's comments) relate to the Realms deities pre-Spellplague (before some of the major changes among the gods).
Mielikki "doesn't value" wetlands because they're not her portfolio; they are the province of Eldath, who is her close friend and co-worker (among the gods, they are almost close, loving sisters). Eldath and Mielikki don't war over "what's trees and what's swamp," because Silvanus takes care of, and oversees the constantly dancing adjustment of, the natural balance. That's why (from the human viewpoint) there are so many nature deities; they have specialized. Mielikki's focus is on maintaining forests and lush forest life (from flying squirrels and owlbears to tiny ferns and stick insects) in all of its variety (so, stunted and blighted as well as lush and deep), and the latter sort of forests need pools, springs, creeks, and abundant water cycling (mists, night dew, et al). However, pools, lakes, rapids, and wetlands are where Eldath "fades in" and predominates.
The two goddesses work together cordially and usually happily, but it is the nature of Mielikki to value trees and ideal conditions for trees, not conditions (standing water, as opposed to bogs) that drown trees . . . and it is the nature of Eldath to value bodies of open water, moving or standing, as one of the best foci of the sylvan refuges and hidden places she champions. In other words, Eldath concerns herself with how open-water features interact with all surroundings, wild woodland surroundings being seen by her as ideal, but Mielikki concerns herself with optimum forest conditions, and sees drowned-tree swamp as "non-forest."
The question at hand was the services clergy of Mielikki would perform in service to dryads, hamadryads, and treants - - and all three of those species value open bodies of water only as sources of needed water and as barriers to forest fires or incursions by various creatures, but value optimum forest-tree growing and living conditions above all else. Hence the focus of the clerical tasks. The creatures the priests are serving want water, but not permanent, well-established, ever-growing beaver dams with greater and greater flooding above such dams. As part of the forest ecosystem, beavers are fine, but as destroyers of the forest, they are not. So the creatures often ask the clerics to destroy the dams (NOT the beavers, please note), so the beavers will spend their time building dams, moving to optimum locations for dams, rebuilding dams, and so on, and dry areas of forest will get temporary flooding to replenish their water but not get root-drowned. It's an attempt at control, not exterminate the beavers or eliminate wetlands - - and like all natural processes, it's ongoing and everchanging, not a "do this task, succeed, and all is done" situation.
Silvanus oversees natural balance, and Mielikki and Eldath champion and safeguard types of wild natural areas that are under constant assault from "civilizing" influences (such as human or other species land clearances and farming, or clear-felling logging, or roadbuilders). These sorts of divine relationships have been regrettably overlooked or ignored in print, in favour of more warlike alliances and feuds, and should be better emphasized.
I hope this helps clarify things. If not, you know where to find me. :}


So saith Ed. Creator of Eldath, and borrower of Mielikki and Silvanus from real-world mythology (in their DEITIES & DEMIGODS forms, back in 1st Edition days - - not because he lacked creativity, but because he was trying to express the Realms in "official" D&D rules terms as much as possible.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 03:48:21
Message:

Hmm. After posting Ed's response, it occurs to me that something hasn't been said explicitly here that is abundantly clear to longtime players in Ed's "home" Realms campaign: the extent to which dryads, hamadryads, and treants are seen as beleaguered, rare, endangered creatures in the (current Faerunian) age of frequent orc hordes and ever-expanding human civilization.
Mielikki's "adventuring worshippers," rangers, are seen as defenders of terrain and creatures very much under assault (hence her clergy being commanded to serve those three sorts of sylvan creatures - - to try to keep them from being exterminated across much of known Faerun).
love to all,
THO
Edit: spelling. Darned medications.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 05:03:51
Message:

So I have been giving a lot of thought to dwarves as of late and I have come up with a few questions. I thought who better to pose them to than the writer of Dwarves Deep, Ed.


The dwarves in Faerun spread out from the Yehimal range. Are there still dwarves there? Did they ever form an empire their, if not why not? The mountain range seems huge maybe one of the biggest on Toril?

Taark Shanat led a group of dwarves to found Alatorin from Brightaxe Hall. Was this named after Haela Brightaxe?

Clan Melairkyn was founded by King Melair I what were his origins. Was he from Shanatar or some other fallen empire?


My thanks again Hooded Lady for sending my inquiries off to Ed. My guess is if answers to these questions exist Ed's the only one who has them.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 05:20:08
Message:

Hello All,

My players have discovered some Chardlyn stones within thayan wizard stash but are unaware of the nature of chardlyn. PC Cleric used detect magic and detected schools of magic on rock and has asked mage to identify them. Casting a spell on the rock doesn't necessarily make it a 'magic item' does it? I'm thinking the identify spells are going to fail unless gray areas exist with divination magic that will reveal just enough to caster to know something?

Lady if you have knowledge of this, I quick reply would be much appreciated.

Thanks regardless


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 06:28:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ah. Further explanation definitely needed here. First, please understand that my replies (and THO's comments) relate to the Realms deities pre-Spellplague (before some of the major changes among the gods).


And, by the way, that is exactly how I prefer it (pre-Spellplague).

quote:
Silvanus oversees natural balance, and Mielikki and Eldath champion and safeguard types of wild natural areas that are under constant assault from "civilizing" influences (such as human or other species land clearances and farming, or clear-felling logging, or roadbuilders). These sorts of divine relationships have been regrettably overlooked or ignored in print, in favour of more warlike alliances and feuds, and should be better emphasized.
I hope this helps clarify things. If not, you know where to find me. :}



It does clarify things*, and I appreciate that--thank you! And I also agree with you that cooperative deity relationships have been sadly overlooked in print--in fact, I'd say I wouldn't mind more information about ecology in general (though, of course, I'm biased). Of course, if I have a question about such things I'll definitely come here first.



*And, so does the explanation that the sylvan creatures in question are small in number and beleaguered, to begin with.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 07:13:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Gelcur
The dwarves in Faerun spread out from the Yehimal range.



BTW the Yehimal range is pictured in the electronic FR Atlas. It is a long, long way from Western Faerun.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 10:43:06
Message:

quote:


Ah. Further explanation definitely needed here. First, please understand that my replies (and THO's comments) relate to the Realms deities pre-Spellplague (before some of the major changes among the gods).
Mielikki "doesn't value" wetlands because they're not her portfolio; they are the province of Eldath, who is her close friend and co-worker (among the gods, they are almost close, loving sisters). Eldath and Mielikki don't war over "what's trees and what's swamp," because Silvanus takes care of, and oversees the constantly dancing adjustment of, the natural balance...
The two goddesses work together cordially and usually happily, but it is the nature of Mielikki to value trees and ideal conditions for trees, not conditions (standing water, as opposed to bogs) that drown trees . . . and it is the nature of Eldath to value bodies of open water, moving or standing, as one of the best foci of the sylvan refuges and hidden places she champions.



This response regarding Eldath and Mielikki reminds me of that nice scene Ed wrote in Cloak of Shadows(?) where Elminster intervenes in a nearly-deadly altercation b/w the faiths of these two goddesses over a freshly fallen meteorite. Elminster's solution was rather spectacular, but I think served to show the lengths El would go to maintain peace.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 19:29:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

My players have discovered some Chardlyn stones within thayan wizard stash but are unaware of the nature of chardlyn. PC Cleric used detect magic and detected schools of magic on rock and has asked mage to identify them. Casting a spell on the rock doesn't necessarily make it a 'magic item' does it? I'm thinking the identify spells are going to fail unless gray areas exist with divination magic that will reveal just enough to caster to know something?



So as strictly a rules question Chardalyns are considered minor artifacts, 3E Lords of Darkness page 181. Which means the magical aura from detect magic should be somewheres in the strong to overwhelming category. It also means that the Identify spell will fail on them.

A player playing a wizard might put two and two together though. Just as the player knows that the spell doesn't work on artifacts so would the wizard. If not I'd give them a Int roll. Hope that helps.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 04 Jan 2009 20:11:04
Message:

Hello,

Thanks for reply, just FYI, I'm never asking a rules question but always how Ed desired something to work foremost, I try to implement it if it doesn't cause seizures in my rules-a@$& group. :)

I don't see how they are artifacts being able to be thrown and destroyed but maybe you're right, wait and see.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 05 Jan 2009 01:29:10
Message:

Additional query,

What medium sized race crafts weapons for all these large and larger creatures, I don't see Ice devils making their own glaives, am I wrong, I'm sure giants have such weaponsmith but what of ogre's and other creatures? Don't other races see the profit to be made in doing so?


I see Eldritch Giant's as creatures who pursue magic, yet they have very well crafted armor and weapons so who makes such items for them?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Jan 2009 03:35:17
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. I bring you once more the words of Ed of the Greenwood. Back on December 19th of last year, Jamallo Kreen posted these three queries: “Which is a lovely opportunity to ask my next question: We know (I think!) that El uses World Walk to visit Ed, but are there ways to intentionally visit Earth in different time periods if one departs from Toril in the 14th century DR? (I mean the real Toril, by the way, just so that we're clear on the when and where.)
In Ed's multiverse, is Earth available to access by spelljammer ships, and if so, in what year do they coming sailing in? (Heard on the wharf: "I know Klaatu, and that isn't him.") Perhaps The Sage will please be so kind as to repost again the URL for the Spelljammer fan site; I know they have at least one map showing Earth's presumed location vis-a-vis other crystal spheres.
Third, in Ed's conception of the multiverse, are there powers (or Powers) associated with Earth which prevent genuine time travel, to Earth's past or future, as Toril has?”
Ed replies:



As far as your first question goes, Jamallo, Gelcur’s post about the Safehold is quite right - - and is the only way *I* know of to travel from Toril to a particular “past” of our Earth (and it should be noted that the Yellowstone past reached seems to be a localized “bubble” or demi-plane that does NOT extend to the rest of Earth . . . so, no Elminster striding around the fog-shrouded, gaslit streets of Victorian London confronting Jack the Ripper or working with Sherlock Holmes . . . unless you as DM want him to, of course). This demi-plane has its own passing time, such that if you affect something on one visit, those affects are evident on a later visit, but doesn’t seem to “age” onwards with the real-world changes that affected the National Park in our world.
Earth IS accessible by spelljammers, but its crystal sphere must be (hint of truth: IS, for all of the following) either very hard to find in the Flow, or very perilous to enter and traverse, or both, because spelljammer visits are VERY rare. Time does elapse at different rates in different crystal spheres, so it’s hard to say what year spelljammers arrive, except from the point of view of Earth (the very few known visits were in the very ancient past, and in early Victorian times).
Regarding your third question, there are indeed preventions associated with Earth that prevent genuine time travel to Earth’s past or future. Just what they are remains mysterious, though they are obviously mighty enough to thwart the most powerful spells known to the Realms . . . so they may well be deities, or mindless natural forces of equal might.
By the way, consider that “remains mysterious” to mean until NDAs are lifted that I don’t believe will ever be removed, given the current ownership of the copyright holder and their usual stances to avoid real-world religious controversies. Any DM is free to arrange things the way they see fit for their own campaign, but it’s unlikely that official published Realmslore will ever Go There.



So saith Ed. Who, please note, isn’t ruling out Elminster or other mages (or users of gates/portals/artifacts) jaunting between the Realms and Earth in “real time” (as happened in those many “Wizards Three” articles, a series begun at the request of the magazine’s editor of the day). Interested readers are referred to Ed’s classic “Gates” article in issue 37 of what was then “The DRAGON” (later DRAGON Magazine) for more, or his classic Hells articles in DRAGON, or the various MANUALS OF THE PLANES (Jeff Grubb consulted Ed unofficially when writing the first one).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 Jan 2009 20:47:14
Message:

Elminster assisting Sherlock Holmes in catching Jack the Ripper?

I think you just found a whole new way to get me excited, THO. Masque of the Red Death is one of my favorite sub-settings (for RL), and I can see El in a suit and Tophat acting in a 'Sagely' capacity, perhaps even working with Torchwood.

AS for an SJ ship in our sphere - we live in what would be called a low-magic sphere, and a Spelljammer would have numerous problems in navigating our sphere, just as a RW spaceship would have problems with the physics of a high-magic sphere (see Expedition to the Barrier Peaks). One doesn't necessarily preclude the other, but magic and technology appear to 'run interference' in regards to each other, which is why most worlds go either one way or another.

Not that work-arounds can't be found, which is evident in worlds like that of The Golden Comapss, or in the very excellent and underated vid-game Arcanum (which had a wonderful system of magic vs tech, requiring a PC to make a choice between the two eventually).

The 'bubble of time' for Yellowstone sounds a lot like the 'slice of time' that Superboy lived in in DC comics (I know you guys are mostly Marvel fans here). Basicaly, it was just a piece of the RW timestream that was 'sliced-out' for use in a closed, experimental world (in the DC comic version, centering around Smallville). This was used by way of explanation when readers (and I suppose watchers of the TV series) wondered why events in Superboy's life never extended forward and effected Superman's. So, as strange as the 'Yellowstone Bubble' sounds, I've seen it done before, and undestand it's necessaity to preserve the 'real' timestream.

After all, we get too many temporal 'crossroads', and D&D will end up with it's own Council of Crosstime Kangs.

@Creativemind - just a shot in the dark here - Ed portrayed Orcs abit more 'advanced' then is commonly believed (yes... RAS wasn't the first, nor was Warcraft). I get this from the Elminster's Ecologies stuff he did - which is worth getting if you can. Of particular interest is the Orcs of the Stonelands, who were nearly as good at smithing as humans, as well as mining and smelting and all the other 'industries' usually only assocated with the 'goodly' races.

It wouldn't be too far-reaching that many of the ogre and Goblinkin races get their weapons from Orcish smiths - even giants keep Orc Tribes as slaves. On the other hand, advanced Cyclopses (not the debased ones we are used to seeing, which appear to be some form of devolved Ogre-crossbreed) are also very good with smithing, so they could be the ones making them for the giantish races (especially the Fomorians, keeping 4e in mind). One might even say they have an 'eye' for detail (sorry... couldn't resist ).

Also, in some of the Erlkazar stuff Steven Schend did (as part of all his excellent Lands of Intrigue work for the Realms), a tribe of ogres - the ones from Rivenshield - work with local human authorities against other humanoids in the region. It would make sense if the Erlkazar Gov't properly outfitted these 'mercenary police', since they gaurd their southern border and patrol the mounatin range there.

Also, let's not forget the Kingdom of Syphilis.. or however the hell you say it...


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 06 Jan 2009 01:06:17
Message:

That helps especially if it's lore.

Thanks


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 06 Jan 2009 03:09:46
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,

Do all Faerunian spellcasters (pre-Spellplague) venerate Mystra (or Shar) at some level? Can someone refuse to believe her role in the Weave and still be successful (learn mid-level spells and higher)?

Thank you !


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jan 2009 15:09:02
Message:

RodOdom, I bring you Ed's prompt reply:


To your first question: No. "Believe in the existence of," yes, but venerate, no.
To your second question: Certainly! Many worship Azuth without believing he's subservient to, or works with, or is even friendly towards, Mystra. Many wizards worship other deities entirely, such as Deneir or Oghma or Tempus. Such wizards may learn specific Weave-lore more slowly or with more difficulty than those who seek and get direct replies on details of Weave-related spellcasting from clergy of Mystra, but level advancement/learning, working with, and crafting mid- to high-level spells doesn't REQUIRE active worship of Mystra. At least one infamous mage gained all of his higher-level spells by stealing or seizing spellbooks and scrolls.


So saith Ed. Creator of Mystra and Azuth, not to mention many, many spells now part of the game (even, transformed somewhat, the current edition of D&D).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 03:02:53
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A campaign question for you both.
In Waterdeep, JUST pre-Spellplague in dating, are there any nobles who lead secret "second lives" as thieves, merchants, low-lives, "just plain folks," and so on? I'm looking for everyone (that is, all motives, from crazy or thrill-seeking to wanting to learn how "the other orders" live and more sinister aims and purposes).
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Aureus
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 07:00:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

RodOdom, I bring you Ed's prompt reply:


To your first question: No. "Believe in the existence of," yes, but venerate, no.
To your second question: Certainly! Many worship Azuth without believing he's subservient to, or works with, or is even friendly towards, Mystra. Many wizards worship other deities entirely, such as Deneir or Oghma or Tempus. Such wizards may learn specific Weave-lore more slowly or with more difficulty than those who seek and get direct replies on details of Weave-related spellcasting from clergy of Mystra, but level advancement/learning, working with, and crafting mid- to high-level spells doesn't REQUIRE active worship of Mystra. At least one infamous mage gained all of his higher-level spells by stealing or seizing spellbooks and scrolls.


So saith Ed. Creator of Mystra and Azuth, not to mention many, many spells now part of the game (even, transformed somewhat, the current edition of D&D).
love to all,
THO



If it weren't like that, arcane magic would only be another kind of divine magic


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 11:40:56
Message:

Asgetrion Posted - 18 Dec 2008 :
Greetings, Milady THO and Ed!

I have been running a Pathfinder Beta playtest campaign, which is set in Thunderstone, in Cormyr. I'm still fleshing out details, and filling in stuff as the campaign progresses and the PCs are drawn deeper into local intrigue, and therefore I have a plethora of questions for you:

1) Which noble families have holdings in or around Thunderstone?

*******************************

From Jerry Davis' excellent list of Nobles of Cormyr two families have direct holdings in Thunderstone. The Huntsilver and Hawklin families.


Other current (circa 1370DR or so) Noble families with an interest/lands in the general area include:
Summerstars (Firefall Keep)

Immerdusk (Storm Silverhand is Marchioness Immerdusk)

Indesm (owns the hold of Hawkhar)

Yellander (seat in Galdyn's Gorge)

Naerinth (Lady Evenspire aka Laspeera of the Wizards of War)

Illance (Served the Crown in the "the Hullack wilds," or lawless rolling country, now tamed and patrolled farmlands, around the Hullack Forest)

Wyvernspurs (ongoing support for the Crown in and around the Hullack)



Deceased
Drauthglas - now extinct, their holdings were the Hullack

Beldarm Truesilver (hm)(1169-1235) likely to have been the Hullack Hawk (dragon magazine 281)

Link's here to Jerry's excellent six part document (about half way down the page)

As I too am running my current campaign in and around Thunderstone so any other Lore from Ed most appreciated

Cheers

Damian



Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 15:36:18
Message:

Re. this, from Aureus:
"If it weren't like that, arcane magic would only be another kind of divine magic"

Good point. Very good point.
THO, I'd like to hear Ed's thoughts, when he has the time, of what a Realms campaign would be like if there were ONLY arcane magic. (That is, priests didn't have or use spells, except inside a sanctified temple, and gods worked exclusively by inspiring mortals via dream-visions.)
Thanks!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 16:33:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Dear Ed and THO,
A campaign question for you both.
In Waterdeep, JUST pre-Spellplague in dating, are there any nobles who lead secret "second lives" as thieves, merchants, low-lives, "just plain folks," and so on? I'm looking for everyone (that is, all motives, from crazy or thrill-seeking to wanting to learn how "the other orders" live and more sinister aims and purposes).
Thanks!
BB


Might want to check out City of Splendors: Waterdeep sourcebook (and ask Mr. Schend as well). There are a LOT of people that fit that bill. In a town where the rulers are hidden and masked to the public, it inspires a lot of 'alter-ego' types.


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 07 Jan 2009 20:58:33
Message:

quote:


[quote]Originally posted by Blueblade

Dear Ed and THO,
A campaign question for you both.
In Waterdeep, JUST pre-Spellplague in dating, are there any nobles who lead secret "second lives" as thieves, merchants, low-lives, "just plain folks," and so on? I'm looking for everyone (that is, all motives, from crazy or thrill-seeking to wanting to learn how "the other orders" live and more sinister aims and purposes).
Thanks!
BB



Ed answered a similar question about particularly blackhearted nobles last year I think - I don't remember when, but it was some pretty juicy information on the Sultlue family of Waterdeep.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jan 2009 01:25:26
Message:

Hi again, fellow scribes. Back in mid-December of this year just past, Asgetrion posted: “Milady THO, I'm (finally) in the middle of reading 'The Sword Never Sleeps', and I must say that to me it feels to be the best novel from Ed I've read to date -- 'Cormyr: A Novel', 'Silverfall', 'City of Splendors' and the books in the 'Shandril Saga' included (all of which I hold in very high regard -- regardless of some of them suffering from butch... uh, poor editing ;). I think Ed has portrayed all the characters and their motives in a very believable light (I just *LOVE* the dialogue and interaction between the characters and their individual personalities -- whether they're Royal Princesses or Court Wizards or Purple Dragon officers or Zhentarim agents). And, there's so much attention to detail and nuances, both in the story and the language. Somehow I feel that Ed would have had more time and energy to spend on this book, because the "tone" underlying the writing seems to be much more... how to say it... light-hearted? Relieved? Excited? Of course, I may be wrong, but to me it feels like a lot more free of pressure (and other hardships) I know Ed had been under.
I'm just *so* excited about this novel, and hope that you convey my humble thanks to Ed for writing this novel -- it feels like a true gem among all the "required reading" I've lately done (for professional reasons, as Ed surely knows). And I also wish to thank him for including so many juice, inspiring ideas and details that I can st... er, borrow into my Cormyr-campaign!
A truly *GREAT* novel, and a "must-read" for all FR fans!”

I conveyed Asgetrion’s glowing review to Ed, who replies:



Awww, shucks. You’ll turn my head. (Strikes pose, stumbles, pratfalls.)
Seriously, I’m very glad you liked the detail and nuances and interactions, because those are just the things I was concentrating on, so I pulled off what I was trying for. Including the light-hearted tone.
However, I certainly wasn’t free of pressure while writing it. I was late with it and juggling many projects at once and dealing with some real-world family crises at the time, and must admit I sat down at the keyboard more than once fending these things off rather defiantly.
So if the book comes across with that loving-what-I’m-writing tone, I conquered and prevailed.
Bwoohahahah! World domination by next Thursday, and so forth. :}
Or better yet, I’ll just write another Realms novel, instead. I have some dandy plans up my sleeve, believe me!



So saith Ed. Who can’t say anything at all yet about what future Realms novels might contain (sorry, Zanan). However, all things come to those who wait . . . and wait . . . and wait . . .
(Patience, grasshoppers all.)
Oh, and Asgetrion: Ed’s at work on a reply to your Thunderstone-vicinity queries.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Razz
Replied on: 08 Jan 2009 02:38:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Hmmm... Just remembered this:

quote:
The Hooded One

A little bird (no, not Ed; he's anything but "little;" this particular bird is American, and dwells very near a seacoast) has told me there will soon be a major announcement regarding the Realms. Scribes, keep eyes peeled . . .
love to all,
THO


Any news on the announcement (and if it was made, did I miss it)?



Please let it be something along the lines of WotC is selling the IP to Paizo! *crosses fingers*

[EDIT: Wishful thinking, I don't see it happening, but that's why it's called wishful thinking. :D ]


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 08 Jan 2009 03:54:34
Message:

Or a publishing company like Del Rey.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Jan 2009 18:19:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Razz

Please let it be something along the lines of WotC is selling the IP to Paizo! *crosses fingers*

And what happens when Paizo retro-fits the Realms to work with their rules... even if they are pretty much built entirely on top of 3.5?

Will people get 'all upset' all over again? Maybe not as much, but think about all those people that have invested in 'the new Realms'. Like them or not, they are still Realms fans, and another shift in direction - especially so soon after the last one - would fragment the fan-base even more, I would imagine.

My own personal vision of the 'perfect future' for FR? Ed gets control back, and develops it as a rules-neutral setting for novels and mechanics-free regional sourcebooks.

This way, we get all that old-school flavor we crave, and people can use whatever the hell rules they want.

I know it can be done, because back in the day several products that didn't have licensing were able to be created just that way - the original Thieves World gaming material comes to mind. You just use words like 'very' or 'extremely' in the text, and then have a 'conversion guide' for what that means in each system (broad strokes here, usually a set of 'target numbers' for each adjective).

I think the Realms could really shine under such a systemless format... too bad we'll never see that.

Sorry for the side-discussion, mods.

While I am eagerly awaiting "the announcment", I do so with trepedition. I am a firm believer in "no news is good news" (less disappointment, I find, in being a pessimist).


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 01:37:42
Message:

Let's pray to Oghma and Deneir that things turn out right (whatever "right" is.)


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 21:38:31
Message:

Okay, I'll bite, Ed: if you had unlimited time and unlimited space to expand THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS (not extend the story into the Dales, but add in "more" up until that chronologial point, and you weren't worried about pacing, what would you show us more of?
In other words, if you were stuffing more lore into the story without having to worry about bloating or slowing down the narrative, what lore would make it in?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 21:52:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Okay, I'll bite, Ed: if you had unlimited time and unlimited space to expand THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS (not extend the story into the Dales, but add in "more" up until that chronologial point, and you weren't worried about pacing, what would you show us more of?
In other words, if you were stuffing more lore into the story without having to worry about bloating or slowing down the narrative, what lore would make it in?
Thanks!
BB
I can answer this one, if Ed will let me. [Of course, he'll add to it, but I cannot resist.]

Everything.

More of Alusair's iron will, more of Azoun and Filfaeril's love (whatever made it past the censoXXX editors), more of Vangerdahast's infinite gears in Cormyr's great machine, more machinations and traitors, more plots brewing behind the scenes, and more schemers, noble and common, trying to take advantage but not simply being "villains." More nobles trying to be heroes, and a few heroes that just happen to already be nobles, too.

More than that, though: more of the Knights showing that being heroes isn't always glamorous work, and that it takes quite a bit of blood to make that armor so shiny.

Oh, and more history, more foreshadowing of events that have already happened, more threads for readers and DMs to pull and tug on in order to make whatever they'd like the Realms post-novel to look like come true.

May he one day get the chance.

BC


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:13:59
Message:

Well said, Brian! Very well said! I'm sure Ed will have very little to add to that.
I know he's told me he LOVED doing the Alusair scenes, and would do more of them, but feels guilty that Tanalasta didn't get enough "face time," in the third Knights book.
Not to mention the Knights themselves didn't get enough scenes, and the hargaunt and the two "ghosts" got all too little explanation and exposure.
So, sigh, "everything" about covers it. :}
love,
THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:21:36
Message:

On a recent business trip, I ran into a fellow traveler in an airport lounge who said he'd played in a "library campaign" set in the Realms and DM'd by Ed years ago. He said it was very enjoyable, had some set goals laid down by the adventuring charter granted to the PCs, was in Cormyr, one of the PCs was a bastard daughter of Azoun IV and didn't know it until the last few sessions, and the play was very low-level, with almost no magic beyond the party's puny magic-user and some one-shot potions and scrolls (oh, and a glowing +1 dagger the party used as a lantern) found as treasure. No wizards, no War Wizards except as an offstage threat, very "let's find food" survivalist level (and they loved it).
My question is: is this typical of Ed's campaign play? His detractors like to decry his superhero-strong "good" NPCs, Elminster swooping in to save the day, and all of that. Is that due to TSR/Wizards, or Ed? I know he has very little control over the Realms, and hasn't had for years, but I'm curious as to "Ed's real Realms."
When Ed is running the Realms, is it "heavy intrigue and almost no orcs," as this former player commented?
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:28:02
Message:

Well, I've played in the Realms at a convention with Ed as the DM, in a one-shot session, and there was TONS of intrigue (sinister nobles and courtiers in Cormyr, trying to get control of a gate/portal to a ruined lodge in a forest in the Dales). Aside from some minor enchanted swords some of the nobles had (that glowed, when drawn), the gate was the only magic we encountered, except for the spells of the PC clerics and wizards (which were few and weak, thanks to our levels).
So yes, from my limited experience, I'd say that IS typical of "Ed running the Realms." He likes to confront PCs with floating talking heads or skulls or some other sort of creature the party will think is powerful but not know the real abilities of, though, just to get players talking in character rather than mindlessly hacking.
And I've heard from others who've played with Ed of wizards (NOT Elminster or any of the Chosen) literally having "walk-on" parts in the games they played, where the wizards strode past ignoring the PCs, unless the players were idiots enough to have their characters try to attack them.
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:31:48
Message:

Heh. I can top that. I've played in a session where Ed was the DM, and briefly played Storm Silverhand as an NPC giving the PCs (all of them were Harpers) instructions on a mission, in her farmhouse. She flirted and calmly dodged someone else's assassination attempt and spoke to Sylune (whom we never saw or heard), and served us all tea.
Then we set out on the adventure, and never saw her again. I loved it, but it certainly didn't seem like misusing a super-character to any of us. And no, she didn't take any of her clothes off.


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:32:37
Message:

Darn.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:33:33
Message:

Ah, but the question is, did she take any of YOUR clothes off?
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 09 Jan 2009 23:37:50
Message:

Gentlemen, gentlemen, we have GOT to get some new jokes in here. On the table, right about now.
(And no, that wasn't a suggestion directed at THO.)
Rather, I have another (serious) question for Ed. In a typical small rural village in the Heartlands, not on a major trade-route, what sort of selection of ointments, medicines, and jars of folk remedies for sickness or wounds or infections would be available? True antidotes for snake bites or insect stings? (I'm not talking magic, here, just physical stuff.) Or does it vary too much to give a "typical" village answer?
How common is good medical knowledge, among village elders or local "wise women" or whatever?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 02:25:26
Message:

I took it as a command, good sir, so here I am. On the table, wearing nothing but a smile and my wristwatch.
Any takers?

love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 02:34:11
Message:

Ahem. Realms questions, yes.
Baleful Avatar, the low-magic and few brute-beasties, more intelligent adversaries and intrigue, intrigue, intrigue is DEFINITELY the order of the day in an Ed-DM'd Realms campaign. Listen not to all the slanderous calumny of "PCs are powerless because it's the Seven all the time, nude except when clad in randy old Elminster, Ed's Mary Sue" talk. Unless players send their characters to actively seek out the rulers amongst the Seven, they will rarely appear in play.
Elminster tends to show up (rarely and for short periods) as a narrator, or "last ditch hint" provider, not a PC ally or superhero who overshadows PC actions. He generally seems whimsical, kindly but sarcastic, a few bricks short of a load, and VERY busy, teleporting "in" for a few moments and then "out" again, moving on to deal with his NEXT crisis. He feeds PCs a sense of excitement, of layers of intrigue they haven't thought about and conspiracies all around them yet hidden . . . and occasional "ye might try this" advice, and that's it.
Otherwise, he's just "not there" most of the time, and PCs blundering into his Tower will find it mysteriously deserted and empty, or that they've been gated halfway across the Realms or into the Underdark as they step across the threshold, or that some frightened Zhentarim adventuring band or other has stepped into the Tower ahead of them, and is now anxiously trying to fight their way back out, through the PCs.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 05:08:08
Message:

Perhaps TSR / WotC made a mistake statting out Elminster and other characters over the years. Too many have mistaken the setting as being about the Chosen, instead of using them as effective plot devices.

Another question for Ed and THO : of the menial jobs in Waterdeep, I think few could be more dangerous than sewer maintenance, with all the criminal going-ons, creatures, and traffic to and from Skullport and Undermountain. What precautions and defenses does the Dungsweepers guild require of their brethren? Does the trade have an especially high "turnover"? Do journeymen end up with the most perilous duties, or is there some system that spreads the risk around? Sincerest thank yous.


Reply author: Garret.Dorigan
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 20:11:20
Message:

Hello good Lady and kind sir! I've been lurking on these forums for, literally, years, never registering to ask a question or any some such. Just reveling in the copious amount of bubbly Realmslore thrown about in all of the topics... but I have an exciting (Albeit personally exciting.) turn of events come my way that force my hand to post a query.

I am not a player. (Gasp!) My only playtime with any pen and paper was a short lived 2nd Edition jaunt into the Realms in my formative years. (I believe I was 6.) But, that started me onto Realms fiction. After passing around some of my novels to friends who DO play, I have been aproached to be a "Subject Matter Expert" (Although I feel not nearly qualified )for the DM on anything he may need clarification on. He has also approached me about playing a recycleable PC, a character that basically does the same as I do for him, just for the three sets of players and their characters. After tirelessly pooring over all of the author scrolls I feel somewhat equipped for this challenge, but there are a few questions posed that I don't have answers for... thus, I come here. And now that the personal narrative is over, the list! (Dun dun DUNNN!!)

1) In one of the scrolls there was a question about Genasi in the Realms, and I believe there was talk of either Para-/Quasi-Genasi (Or one subset specifically.) and whether they could be found in the Realms, though the memory becomes fuzzy. Anyway, I second whatever the original question was and wish to tack on as it were. What regions specifically, if they are even in the Realms, would Para-/Quasi- Genasi be found in, more frequently? Also, would they be acknowledged as being Para/Quasi, or would most learned folk just say they are one of their parental Genasi?

2) Do certain regions have a specific armor setup for their armies, much like Dark Ages countries had specific quirks for their armies in our world? Not so much on the point of "The Purple Dragons wear plate most of the time, Sembians..." but more that, do regions wear different helm types to stand out from others and what are some examples if so?

3) Where, if anywhere, could one find a trenchcoat? Not in a type made famous by the Matrix movies, but more along the lines of the character of Jeffery Chauser in 'A Knights Tale'. A better description would most likely be, similar to a French toggled longcoat of the Hundred Years War.

4) Is there Brigadine in the realms? And if so, where could one find an armorer to convert coats and vests to such? My guess would be Cormyr, but...?

5) Are there any jobs in the Realms that are un-glamorous but well paying, in the same vane as American garbage men (I'm sorry, Sanitation Professionals.) making almost $50,000 a year in most regions?

I talk overmuch. I apologize for being verbose, but they have posed specific questions to me. (Minus the Genasi question, that is in relation to my charater.) I await for you to reply at your leisure Ed.

Now, Ms. Wristwatch-and-a-Smile, I do have questions specifically for you, but I'm sure that this scroll is not the place to speak of such things.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 20:16:25
Message:

Why, Garret.Dorigan, what wonderful questions! Off they go to Ed, who I'm sure will at least have a stab at starting to answer them very swiftly.
As for your questions for me, purrrrrr. I await them, whenever and wherever. I'll even take off my wristwatch.

love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 20:17:01
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you Ed’s latest serving of Realmslore, this time a beginning on replying to the eight Thunderstone-and-vicinity questions posted by Asgetrion back in mid-December.
Here’s the query Ed’s dealing with in today’s post:
“Greetings, Milady THO and Ed! I have been running a Pathfinder Beta playtest campaign, which is set in Thunderstone, in Cormyr. I have written a lot of material for it, but since a lot of the events in the campaign have taken place outside the town, the players have not interacted a lot with NPCs outside their "inner" circle (i.e. families and shopkeepers and prominent allies, such as tutors). I'm still fleshing out details, and filling in stuff as the campaign progresses and the PCs are drawn deeper into local intrigue, and therefore I have a plethora of questions for you:
1) Which noble families have holdings in or around Thunderstone?”
Ed replies:



(The time of the lore that follows is around 1370 DR.)
Between the Thunderflow and (a line of hills that borders) the Vast Swamp is a verdant band of farming and ranching country (rolling, grassy hillsides, hedgerows, wandering dirt lanes and small woodlots) and it’s also what’s sometimes referred to in our real world as “karst” country (springs rise, run along the surface, and then disappear down sinkholes, and there are lots of subterranean streams, hidden caves, and limestone, which means most waters run clear and pure). It’s well-watered by meltwater streams running southwest, down from the Thunder Peaks, and the prevailing winds (usually fairly constant, steady, mild breezes) mean it gets a lot of sun; clouds tend to scud swiftly across the sky, not settle in and cause overcasts. As a result, crops grow well and livestock fattens up swiftly, so a lot of wealthy Cormyrean families (and that of course includes the nobles) have holdings here, even if they’re only farms worked by commoner tenants.
That doesn’t mean that the same “lot” of noble families visit Thunderstone often, or own dwellings in or near the village.
In Thunderstone proper, the Hawklin family owns a row of stores along “the Rise,” the main street (that parallels the Thunder River), and two homes: a modest dwelling with stables in its own small walled orchard and garden, hight “Thundershaws” and used for putting up guests, business clients, and sometimes by certain Hawklins who want to entertain away from the rest of their kin; and Hawklinforce, a stone mansion with its own high stone walls, stables, wagon sheds, and brewhouse. From “the Force,” local factors (trade agents) of the Hawklins administer the dozen ranches and crop farms (cabbages, barley, oats, and parsnips) owned by the family, and rent out family coaches and wagons to locals for divers purposes. As a result, the Hawklins are prominent locally, their views respected and heeded.
The Huntsilvers maintain a lower local profile. Their tall-towered stone mansion is known as Hunting Castle, and has an impressive stone wall and stout front gates, but isn’t otherwise fortified. It is perhaps the most defensible large building in Thunderstone, but its small enclosed grounds are crowded with large, old trees (oaks and duskwoods), the boughs of some of which offer easy access to some of the lower Castle windows. There are persistent local rumors of secret tunnels connecting the cellars of Hunting Castle (which are said to contain all manner of gruesome sacrificial cult altars or Loviatar-loving flogging and trysting “dungeons”) with secret passages in the walls of scores of local buildings. According to Elminster, there are two secret passages, meant to allow olden-day Huntsilvers to arrive and depart without being seen by kin or slayers hired by rival noble families, they are guarded by helmed horrors, and there are no altars or pleasure-dens.
In Thunderstone, the Huntsilvers generally keep to themselves, moving about the village in closed coaches or on fast horses. They use Hunting Castle very much as a retreat, in which to read and catch up on hobbies (such as, for several Huntsilver ladies, crafting gowns and practicing at the lute, handharp, and with voice, and reportedly for some Huntsilver males, wenching with “laugh-pretties” brought up from Suzail for such purposes). The family owns about thirty farms, all worked by tenants, well to the south and southwest of Thunderstone.
Hunting Castle and Hawklinforce both back onto the Thunderflow, having their own (modest and largely disused) docks and boathouses, and face onto the “best” street in Thunderstone, the winding Nightcloak Ride, which is lined with most of the better old stone dwellings in the village. It lies largely north and west of the Rise, but hooks sharply south just west of Stag Skull’s Bridge, to intersect with, and end at, the Rise.

The Illances, Naerinths, Summerstars, and Wyvernspurs all own modest walled stone homes in Thunderstone, but visit them seldom (in the general way of nobility, such “nighthearth” houses are used as overnight way-stops when travelling, to host occasional meetings with business associates, and as retreats or trysting sites by individual family members. These four families are locally most active elsewhere (the Summerstars in Firefall Vale, which I shared lore about back in the 2004 replies here at the Keep, I believe [Sage or Wooly or Kuje, please jump in and correct my dating if I’m misremembering], and the other three noble houses largely to the north of the Hullack, or at least of the Thunderflow.

The Immerdusk noble family owns four old but solidly-built homes in Thunderstone, and owns six farms just south of the village proper. All are worked or inhabited by tenants, and Immerdusks are so seldom seen in this region that many locals believe them to be extinct, and that the factors speaking for them are actually courtiers working for the Crown, who just won’t admit that they’ve taken over the chattels and holdings of the Immerdusks.

House Indesm owns a shop on the Rise and maintains very modest lodgings (a suite of four rooms, occupying an entire floor) above it, with the shopkeeper and his family dwelling in the gabled and dormered attic above them. However, they are seen in Thunderstone seldom, and come and go without fanfare or much in the way of coaches, outriders, servants, and the like. The Indesms own sixteen ranches and farms, mainly east of Thunderstone. All are worked by tenants, though the Indesms visit and inspect them often. This family keeps mainly to the hold of Hawkhar (sometimes called Hawkhar Keep or more often and formally “Hawkhar Hall,” though most folk these days now call it simply “Hawkhar”), consisting of a fortified stone mansion and tower at the heart of a walled horse-farm where many fine mounts are bred, reared, and trained. The walls also enclose a small woodlot and orchard, and have an outer “thrust” or loop of wall, pierced by two always-open gates, that cradles the hamlet of Hawkhar, a small settlement dominated by the families of Indesm servants.

The Indesms are typical of most Cormyrean nobility in the countryside; they have and dominate their own settlement or hold, and only visit and rent or own dwellings in the villages, towns, and cities of the realm. The other three Thunderstone-home-owning noble families follow this pattern, too; they are the Houses of Buckfast, Haelbroke, and Yellander.
For more about the Yellanders, interested readers are directed to SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE. This House did not end with the execution of the lord who featured therein, because King Azoun would not hear of the three estranged and blameless-of-treason Yellander nieces who dwelt in Suzail being shamed and paupered by the actions of Lord Prester Yellander. The War Wizards had already thoroughly upset the three with sudden, brusque mind-reamings (which confirmed their utter innocence; they were wholly unaware of Lord Prester’s drug-smugglings, or his assembling of a private army and the murders he directed them to do). One of the three nieces, Anathae, was a longtime friend and confidant of Queen Filfaeril, who took charge of the rather dazed Anathae and briskly steered her into marriage to a commoner she’d long had eyes on, a Palace courtier by the name of Hresker Falbruin. So there’s now a capable and tactful Lord Hresker Falbruin, charged by Queen Fee with finding suitable and happy mates for Anathae’s two sisters, Paerile and Tannaura (a process that is taking years because both of them are rather shy, delicate ladies and Hresker, Anathae, and Filfaeril are all agreed that the very last thing that should happen is settling them with less than ideal partners).
Hresker and Anathae Yellander now dwell in Whitewings (the renamed Yellander seat in Galdyn's Gorge, a modest, unwalled keep-and-attached stone mansion surrounded by gardens and a deep, wooden-spike-filled ditch to discourage marauding wilderland monsters; its new name comes from all the doves raised for food by Anathae’s longtime maids, who came from farming families known for their flavourful dove pies), visiting Suzail only for major Councils and at the end of summer. Prester Yellander’s simple, rustic hunting lodge on the edge of the Hullack Forest sits disused, and will soon fall into ruin if not maintained.
Less well known in Suzail are the poorer, more rustic local noble families of Buckfast and Haelbroke. These “true bloods of the Thunderflow” lead lusty lives of running their farms directly, brewing and distilling, imbibing the results, and hunting from the saddle.
They also seem to have “ridden” great numbers of willing local lasses, and are impoverished in part because of all the bastard offspring they help to support - - which has linked them, time and again, to divers local families, businesses, and farms.
Their byblows have been sent literally by the score into the ranks of local Purple Dragons, who are inclined to look the other way at Buckfast and Halebroke indiscretions, which in turn has encouraged male members of these houses to becoming accomplished rakes, drunkards, and local “rowdies” behind many a local brawl, wildly whooping midnight gallop, accidental fire, and prank.
The current patriarch of the Buckfasts is Lord Rothtil Buckfast, whose hardy, lusty, fun-loving mate is Lady Suvreene Buckfast, and they dwell with three sons (including the family heir, Ravance) and five daughters at the family seat of Buckhaven Hall, a walled manor house and ‘home farm’ in the countryside east of Thunderstone. This “heart of the Buckfasts” household also rents rent two rooms above a chandler’s (“Maerikho Hayhondlow, Chandler to High and Low”) on the south front of the Rise.
Other prominent Buckfasts include Melhard, a fat and blustering old bellower of a rake with a legendary capacity for drink, and Sargram, an aging but still deadly fighter-of-duels and bedder of anyone female and handy (the reason for a lot of those duels; noble wives are his favourite quarry, and his outrageously leering flirtatiousness [or “charm” as the ladies tend to prefer to call it] seems to conquer many of them).
The current head of House Haelbroke is Lord Larandyr Haelbroke, a haughty, humourless retired soldier (he recently departed the rank of ornrion, a West Reach posting, in the Purple Dragons when his father Lord Uskarr Haelbroke died, his mother Dardorra having predeceased Uskarr). Larandyr’s stunningly beautiful wife is Lady Mirljarla Haelbroke (formerly a Truesilver), and they dwell with their two daughters, Tasharra (the family heir) and Raedaera at the family seat of Buckhaven Hall, a rather spartan walled keep and ‘home farm’ in the countryside west of Thunderstone. They also rent a luxurious house on Nightcloak Ride in Thunderstone (Nightowl Roost, which is owned by Storm Silverhand but managed for her by the suave estate manager Maland Orlstand of Suzail, a secret Harper) where Lady Mirljarla spends increasing amounts of time entertaining noble lady friends “come out from Suzail to see the rustics.” A glowering Lord Larandyr rarely attends these visits, and the couple’s two daughters are caught in a tussle between their parents for their time and attention (although Tasharra and Raedaera, who have both inherited their mother’s raven-black hair and smoky-eyed good looks and buxom curves, dearly want to see the latest “cityside” fashions and manners, they both LOVE riding, ruling, weapons-practice, and all the other “lordly” stuff their father wants to teach them and do with them, that are more often the province of male nobles when their female counterparts are confined to empty-headed chatter in parlors and “lace-chambers”).
Other prominent Haelbrokes include Galragar, Mresper, and Borlingar. Galragar, the eldest, is Larandyr’s uncle, and the other two are his cousins. Galragar is a fair-haired, unshaven, rollicking meaty bull of a man, load and coarse and jovial. Borlingar is a younger, dark-haired echo of Galragar, whereas Mresper is sly, witty, slender, and agile. All three are tirelessly-energetic roisterers, wenchers (Mresper may on occasion also prefer young and handsome male partners), and fun-seekers, the bright stars of every revel they take part in. They are always thinking up some new “society” or club or prank, some entertainment for themselves and those who “ride with them” to take part in; Larandyr’s last attempt to host a solemn feast for Suzailan lords he desired to impress was “pranced” (in the real world, we would say “crashed”) by Galragar and Borlingar leading a dozen strapping local lads, most of them wealthy or highborn or both, all riding horses and wearing heavy makeup and beautiful womens’ gowns, garters, and all, into the ballroom to a skidding dismount and wild dance with the attending - - and utterly astonished - - noble lords. This is a typical prank, neither a highlight or lowlight, but it strengthened Larandyr’s cold distaste towards all three of his “wild wolves” of kin, whom he disowns and shuns at every opportunity. (His house wizard, a lean and homely mage by the name of Baerglan Dunstag, who is of course a War Wizard, refuses to let Larandyr bar his gates to the three or move to try to legally dispossess them [an effort that would fail, anyway, as only the Crown can strip someone of their rightful heritage, and then only by exiling them and taking away their citizenship as well], but Larandyr refuses to recognize or speak to them, always addressing cutting remarks to any of the three to any handy servant or statue or potted plant, loudly enough for the shunned kin he wants to hear, to do so. For their parts, the three are amused at Larandyr’s attitude, not upset or ashamed.)
Those are the living nobles. There are indeed a handful of extinct ones that will serve for answering your second question. For now, enjoy (I hope) this lore.



So saith Ed, whose deep love for Cormyr shows. Damian, will you be a dashing knight and update the Cormyr compilation thread?
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 20:54:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(snip)
These four families are locally most active elsewhere (the Summerstars in Firefall Vale, which I shared lore about back in the 2004 replies here at the Keep, I believe [Sage or Wooly or Kuje, please jump in and correct my dating if I’m misremembering], and the other three noble houses largely to the north of the Hullack, or at least of the Thunderflow.
(snip)



March 4th, 2004.

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=5


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Jan 2009 23:52:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(snip)
These four families are locally most active elsewhere (the Summerstars in Firefall Vale, which I shared lore about back in the 2004 replies here at the Keep, I believe [Sage or Wooly or Kuje, please jump in and correct my dating if I’m misremembering], and the other three noble houses largely to the north of the Hullack, or at least of the Thunderflow.
(snip)



March 4th, 2004.

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=5

Actually, to save scribes the efforts of scrolling down to find that particular entry, I'll improve on Wooly's linking attempt and remind scribes that Ed's entry on Firefall Vale was specially prepared for the "Realms Lore" section of Candlekeep here:- http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/firefall.htm


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 00:07:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. I bring you Ed’s latest serving of Realmslore, this time a beginning on replying to the eight Thunderstone-and-vicinity

So saith Ed, whose deep love for Cormyr shows. Damian, will you be a dashing knight and update the Cormyr compilation thread?
love to all,
THO


My Pleasure Good Lady - more outstanding Lore to help us build our own Realms upon.

Please pass on my personal thanks to Ed

Now, I just need to do a bit of 'creative backfilling' to fit some of this into my Thunderstone and the current campaign, the PC's are going to have a suprise or three very soon.....

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 00:18:58
Message:

Question on Eveningstar if I may please?

On the map featured in the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar and the Waterdeep modules (Avatar Crisis), there is a second river/stream shown to the west of the Starwater bordering the Temple lands - what is is called please and is it more stream than river?

Thanks

Damian


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 02:34:32
Message:

Damian, I'm away from my notes at the moment and can't recall the name, so will have to wait for Ed to answer, but it is indeep more stream than river, and I THINK had "stream" in its name, locally, as in "XXXX Stream."
Sigh. Getting old, memories going . . .
In the meantime,
hello again, all. As promised, Ed has a very swift reply for most of Garret.Dorigan’s questions (the exception is the Genasi query, which Ed has to consult about; his preliminary opinion is that most humans don’t distinguish well between sorts of genasi, though halflings and elves and gnomes do), so here we go:


“2) Do certain regions have a specific armor setup for their armies, much like Dark Ages countries had specific quirks for their armies in our world? Not so much on the point of "The Purple Dragons wear plate most of the time, Sembians..." but more that, do regions wear different helm types to stand out from others and what are some examples if so?”
Ed replies:

All armor is of course handmade, and almost every helm is subtly different.
However, in general, as of 1370 DR, most realms in the Heartlands have helms for knights, nobles, cavalry and officers that resemble real-world historical “great helms” in general looks (full front “prow” faceplate, with two eyeslits and some breathing-holes down near the lower front or beak), except that the frontplate IS a hinged visor, either up-and-down or side-hinged. A gorget to protect the throat will be worn underneath, and usually this goes with plate armor that has an upstanding protective collar that fits outside the helm (and the head wearing it, so there’s room to turn your head without striking your own collar), too. Some sort of plate armor is usual for armored persons of such rank.
General infantry wear chainmail with breastplates, backplates, and plate-fittings at all the joints (elbows, shoulders), and have helms like historical barbutes or “Milanese” style: open slit down the front that widens into two eye-holes at its top, separated by a reinforced noseguard. Castle guards and bodyguards will have better armor than this “augmented” chainmail.
Militia will wear conical “cap” helms or older salvaged helms of all sorts, usually with an attached throat and neck-guard of leather-studded-with-sewn-on salvaged (and thus irregular in size and shape) metal plates. Their armor may be just about anything, from heavy leather “jacks” on up.
The only general comments that can be made about helm styles are these: Aside from the “show” guards flanking some city gates, the gates of Piergeiron’s Palace, and the front gates of Castle Waterdeep, Waterdeep has EVERYTHING, because its folk come from everywhere and merchants and local armorers are constantly introducing new designs. Cormyrean helms are rather English in looks, lacking the pointed “duckbill” or “beak” visors of French design, but the armies of Tethyr, Amn, the Vilhon, and (because they’re mercenaries, drawn from elsewhere [such as the Vilhon]) Westgate and Sembia DO have basinet-style helms with those pointed visors. The sallet (helm with sweeping or lengthened “tail” or back-of-neck-guard) style of helm is favoured in Tethyr and down the Sword Coast, but less often seen elsewhere. And finally, Cormyrean helms tend to have rounded tops, but Sembian helms (and those of Chessenta and around the eastern Inner Sea) have “tall,” pointed-top shapes (in other words, high peaks that enclose some empty air above the scalp).
These are generalizations, remember, because only a few realms have large standing armies with anything approaching a “uniform equipage code” (the Purple Dragons are one such force). Two of the original series of FR supplements (the Horde Campaign and Gold & Glory) have Osprey-style paintings of typical military uniforms of the day that can be consulted for a “general look,” but in a pinch, an individual warrior can be wearing almost anything and the DM can explain it away as a local variance (some places have blacksmiths rather than skilled armorers, and some armories and garrisons have only a few “bright and presentable” suits of war-harness, in only a few sizes, and improvise for everyone else, covering the worst bits with strapped-on shields and bindings of cloth that echo the proper battle-colors on everyone else’s surcoats.



“3) Where, if anywhere, could one find a trenchcoat? Not in a type made famous by the Matrix movies, but more along the lines of the character of Geoffrey Chaucer in 'A Knights Tale'. A better description would most likely be, similar to a French toggled longcoat of the Hundred Years War.”
Ed replies:

As I recall, the Chaucer character showed up NAKED in that film. :} It was the Black Prince (in the scene with Heath Ledger’s hero in the stocks) who wore a magnificent longcoat.
To answer your question for the Realms, you can find such coats almost anywhere in the Heartlands and Sword Coast North, worn by those who must stand or walk distances in the outdoors in almost all seasons except the hottest summer months (and even then, in prolonged driving rain, someone with access to his longcoat might get it out). They are made by tanners and leatherworkers in many, many Faerûnian communities. However, they tend to be owned and worn only by those of means (nobles and the wealthy, and higher-ranking officers); most non-combatants and those of less coin in the Realms wear “weathercloaks” instead, which are almost-down-to-the-ankle-length cloaks, lighter than leather and lacking fastenings except brooches (pins). Weathercloaks blow around more and don’t provide as much protection against cold winds, being as they cling to the arms and shoulders when pinned shut.



“4) Is there Brigandine in the realms? And if so, where could one find an armorer to convert coats and vests to such? My guess would be Cormyr, but...?”
Ed replies:

One can find armorers to do such work in many, many places (cities, large market towns along trade routes, and in dwarven and gnome-dominated settlements everywhere), because reinforcing garments with sewn-on or secured-with-links metal strips is journeyman and ’prentice work, and (like sharpening knives and daggers) part of the daily “bread and butter” coin-earning livelihood of any armorer or smith (yes, any smith can make brigandine, though really good overlapping or not-obvious-as-brigandine-to-the-eye brigandine requires a skilled armorer or at least the close supervision of someone with those skills).
However, making brigandine also requires a skilled leatherworker (the same sort of skills needed for leather or hide armor, or splint mail work, or the making of leather underpadding for full coat-of-plate armor). One can’t just attach shaped pieces of metal to an existing garment; the result will be something that “hangs heavy,” hampering the wearer’s movements, that doesn’t provide proper overlapping coverage during battle (when one twists, trots, swings weapons, and so on), and that can even cut or bruise the wearer. Proper brigandine requires taking the garment apart and rebuilding it in overlapped layers, with a lot of new leather being sewn on.
Any armorer good enough to keep a business going for more than a season will have a spouse, children, aging parents or other relatives, or apprentices or journeymen working for him or her who can do the necessary leather-work to make brigandine armor, or will be able to do the leather-work him/herself. Brigandine armor rots and falls apart (thanks to the metal reinforcements cutting into the leather when struck by weapons, and thanks to rust discharges and the weight of the metal) faster than most other sorts of armor, so repaired secondhand brigandine armor is a plentiful commodity - - but secondhand brigandine armor requiring MORE repair is even more plentiful in shops and smithies.
However, the short answer to your question is that armorers can be found in almost all cities and large towns, and many other places along trade routes or in dwarf or gnome (or orc, for that matter!) communities, and that all armorers can modify garments into brigandine armor. Whether they will agree to do so or not is, of course, a roleplaying matter.



“5) Are there any jobs in the Realms that are un-glamorous but well paying, in the same vein as American garbage men (I'm sorry, Sanitation Professionals) making almost $50,000 a year in most regions?”
Ed replies:

Yes, but how plentiful these jobs are, what they are, and the local definition of “well paying” varies widely across the Realms. For instance, gravedigging is poorly-paid and unglamorous in some places, but very well paid in others. Sewer-work in Waterdeep (because it’s guilded work, and highly dangerous to boot) is VERY well paid, but unpleasant and unglamorous. Stonemason-work concerned with fortifications (castle and wall repairs, or shoring up vaulted cellars everywhere, as well as “mining” to enlarge cellars or tunnels or privy-chutes, plus lining same to prevent collapses) is generally unglamorous and underappreciated by wider society, but is always well paid. Animal-training (and monster live-capturing, which is almost always adventurers’ work) tends to be unglamorous but well rewarded. So, for that matter, is finding and bringing back alive or in good condition rare plants (or eggs) for herbalists and alchemists. The painting and plastering of grand rooms in palaces and nobles’ mansions, and the styling of hair and the custom fitting and making of garments for such persons, is also generally unglamorous but well paid. And so on. In some communities, smiths, plumberers, and butchers (slaughterers) are paid well for unglamorous work. So are bed-nurses for royalty and nobility, particularly those who bathe, tend, and guard the mad or long-term-afflicted . . . and royal or noble tasters, who sample the food and drink of important persons to “take the fall” for them if bad cooking or murderous malice are suspected.
I could go on listing particular occupations in particular places for a long time. In general, if a job is dangerous or unpleasant and the hirer wants discretion (or absolute secrecy) from the person doing that job, rewards are high. One seldom thought-of such job is the person who discreetly writes love letters or job applications or delicate apologies on behalf of noble or royal patrons, or wealthy patrons seeking to deal with nobility or royalty. In short, a scribe who poses as another person, writing for them and keeping both the writing task and the contents of what was written VERY secret. A variant on this (believed to be the source of one court lady’s fortune, some centuries ago in Cormyr) is the writer of “lust tales” [explicit porn] or “heartwarms” [flowery romance] intended only for the eyes of one royal patron (and sometimes written “to order,” naming specific persons or acts to be described). In rarer cases, bards secretly hire others to write their jokes, or royal patrons hire others to write “their” ballads and witty poems.



So saith Ed. Who will, I fondly trust, return with the reply to Asgetrion’s second question (about extinct noble families in the Thunderstone area) tomorrow.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garret.Dorigan
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 02:51:56
Message:

Ah, a speedy reply! Thank you much both Lady and Sir. I'm sure once I relate these answers to the concerned parties I will come back with more questions. And I can't wait for the answer on Genasi.

Also, Ms. Hooded, some of my questions to you are in a message to you.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 03:04:35
Message:

Hel-LO, dahling. I have received that message, and have replied. I like to be quick, too. Sometimes.
love,
THO


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 06:23:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

Gentlemen, gentlemen, we have GOT to get some new jokes in here. On the table, right about now.
(And no, that wasn't a suggestion directed at THO.)
Rather, I have another (serious) question for Ed. In a typical small rural village in the Heartlands, not on a major trade-route, what sort of selection of ointments, medicines, and jars of folk remedies for sickness or wounds or infections would be available? True antidotes for snake bites or insect stings? (I'm not talking magic, here, just physical stuff.) Or does it vary too much to give a "typical" village answer?
How common is good medical knowledge, among village elders or local "wise women" or whatever?
Thanks!


Ed's reply back on March 4th of 2004 might be a good place to start about medical knowledge in the Realms. You can find it here http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=5
It's towards the top of a long reply and the part you want starts out "Bookwyrm, I see medical knowledge as varying widely across the Realms, but" and consists of 5 short paragraphs.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 06:32:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garret.Dorigan


5) Are there any jobs in the Realms that are un-glamorous but well paying, in the same vane as American garbage men (I'm sorry, Sanitation Professionals.) making almost $50,000 a year in most regions?



Garret, did my question about the Dungsweeper's guild lead to this question? Or is it coincidence?


Reply author: Garret.Dorigan
Replied on: 11 Jan 2009 23:03:58
Message:

quote:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Garret.Dorigan


5) Are there any jobs in the Realms that are un-glamorous but well paying, in the same vane as American garbage men (I'm sorry, Sanitation Professionals.) making almost $50,000 a year in most regions?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Garret, did my question about the Dungsweeper's guild lead to this question? Or is it coincidence?


Quite coincedence, actually. I had the 'Post a reply' screen open for a long while (Confirming the content of the questions with Aren, the DM.) before actually sending it. The last reply I saw was THO's containing the 'wristwatch' comment. Meh, great minds think alike, eh?


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 01:14:46
Message:

And fools rarely differ !


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 01:56:09
Message:

Hi again, fellow scribes. I bring you once more the lore-words of Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to two queries.
First, crazedventurers asked the name of the stream in Eveningstar that runs down the west side of the temple lands; Damian, Ed confirms that it’s called “Starglimmer Stream” (or more often just “the Starglimmer”). The priests of the local temple have dubbed it “Morningstar Rill” in honour of Lathander, but no one outside of the temple uses this name or would even know what it referred to, if they heard it. Some elder inhabitants of Eveningstar refer to the stream by its nickname of “Bloodwater Brook,” which came from an old battle between skirmishing nobles in the civil strife of Salember’s Regency, wherein local legend holds the waters briefly ran red with the blood of the fallen.
It strikes the eye as a shallow, fast-running, coldwater stream about eight to ten feet below the level of the surrounding land, that has cut a winding streambed about twenty feet across (as root-choked earthen banks erode and tumble down). Like all fast watercourses, it undercuts its banks on the outsides of curves and deposits large gravel bars on the insides. Children play in it (south of the temple lands, that is) and are sent to bathe in it, and occasionally a goodwife will soak a thoroughly-dirtied garment in its waters, held down by stones, for cleansing [i.e. to “wash out” a large bloodstain].
Second, Ed responds to the second of the eight Thunderstone-and-vicinity questions posted by Asgetrion back in mid-December:
“2) Are there any "extinct" local noble families, who might have dabbled into necromancy and/or demon worship, and were either exiled or executed or imprisoned?”
Ed replies:



There are indeed.
Thunderlunnar (or more recently, “Thunderlans;” both terms mean inhabitants of Thunderstone) and other locals might believe the Immerdusks are extinct, but in truth the following noble families, once locally prominent, have vanished: the Houses of Bracebolt, Drauthglas, Mallowbridge, and Tulwood.

According to what local legends once heeds, any or all of these families may well have dabbled with necromantic magic and/or worshipped or consorted with demons, but there are no local tales or suspicions of the old, old Drauthglas clan being exiled, executed, or imprisoned. “Longest gone and least remembered” is how most locals recall them, if at all; an ancient name clinging to the Hullack forest, and no more. So consider them a possible but least likely candidate, of the four choices, and pass on to the others.

The House of Bracebolt flourished in the time of King Duar, and had a reputation for handsome good looks and skill-at-arms, not any interest in magic. Most Bracebolts died in battle (fighting for Cormyr, loyal to the king of the day), but two were imprisoned for short periods on suspicion of murder; one [Lord Helaerd Bracebolt] was acquitted and the other [Lord Rorell “Rory” Bracebolt] escaped from a dungeon, never to be seen again (he was pardoned in absentia when later War Wizard evidence pointed to another person as the murderer, and was widely thought to have lived out his days either “living wild” in the Thunder Peaks or living simply as a forester under another names, somewhere in Battledale or Featherdale).
The family line went extinct in 1225 DR, when the childless, unmarried Lord Belarkus Bracebolt died fighting for the Crown in one of the many, many battle-victories of King Dhalmass.

The Mallowbridges are quite another matter. The males of this family tend to be soft-spoken, smiling men of dark hair, good looks, and cruel lack of morals, who swindle and deceive and cheat their ways through life, employing secretly-hired agents to end unpleasant problems (such as rivals or those they owe coin to) with a sharp dagger some night.
The last Mallowbridge is thought to have died a pauper’s death in the reign of Rhigaerd II, but the family (which rose to nobility in the reign of Andilber, through wealth and battle prowess and informing the Unfortunate King of several plots against him) lost its title and standing (though not properties) by the decree of King Palaghard II, earning this unusual fate because they were suspected of scores of bad deeds, but no hard evidence could be found against them. They had access to dark magic and used it, because every last War Wizard sent to investigate them died, mysteriously torn apart by unseen creatures who left no traces - - creatures who devoured or carried off the heads of the unfortunate mages, and cast many dark and powerful spells on the remains and the death-sites, that prevented other War Wizards from using spells to determine just how they died or what they saw or learned.
So this family are prime candidates for what you have in mind. The patriarch of the House when they gained noble status was Hander Tarius Mallowbridge, created Lord Tarius Mallowbridge (he never used his childhood name “Hander,” which he hated, once his father was dead; Tarius was the name of his grandsire, and his father had been Honder Mallowbridge, leaving the son heartily sick of being called “Hander son of Honder”).
Lord Baeryn Mallowbridge was head of the house when it was stripped of nobility; he was exiled, but his sons Tonthur and Naernyn were not. Both went on to have large families, that finally dwindled down to Esker Mallowbridge (a descendant of Tonthur), who died living alone as a forester in the Hullack, sometime in either the winter of 1331 DR or the spring of 1332 DR.
However, there are many local tales (mostly dark tales of malicious spellcastings) of various Lady Mallowbridges dabbling in magic, sometimes magically ruining young local men after seducing them. Although Mallowbridge wives came from many families (often of wealthy non-noble Marsemban stock), the tales generally portray them as slender, beautiful, and as having long, long dark hair. Elminster attests that many of the never-wed Mallowbridge daughters, who dwelt in various family homes and became aging aunts and then very-long-lived crones, were accomplished sorceresses or trained wizards, and aided and taught each other, waylaying and seizing the scrolls and tomes of traveling mages when they could to increase the “family power.”
The wife of Tarius was Lady Tamglaera, the wife of Baeryn was Lady Anglorae, and the wife of Glarem (the wealthiest and most powerful Lord Mallowbridge between Tarius and Baeryn) was Lady Resildra.
Tonthur’s wife was named Harellae, and she is known to have been powerful in magic, ruthless, fearless, and to have often fared far in the Hullack, walking alone and using spells to slay creatures that she then devoured raw (earning her the nickname “Wildfangs”).
Naeryn’s wife was Oloebrae, a delicate beauty who was masterful in acting and manipulation, and who probably poisoned Naeryn when she tired of him (she went on to take two subsequent husbands, both wealthy merchants of Suzail, and the first of them also died of poison, as did Olobrae’s sons Ithril and Ongammur. Only a daughter, Taeril, outlived her mother, and she did so by fleeing to Waterdeep and disappearing (probably altering her face, taking another name, and plunging into a new life as a drudge-servant or tavern dancer, though one tale whispers that she used spells to appear to be a man, and rose to become a guildmaster; this tale may well be true, or may have arisen because “Taeril” is a name borne by both males and females in Cormyr).

The last candidate family is the House of Tulwood, a line of arrogant, fair-haired, malicious men (and a succession of commoners who married them, because they seemed uniformly unable to attract brides from amongst the nobility of the realm) who were known for skilled swordsmanship, feuding, and personal obsessions. Some were obsessed with worshipping the Cormyrean monarch of the day, some were obsessed with married noblewomen or priestesses they could not have, and some were obsessed with collecting oddities or with mastering strange hobbies (such as tying miniature animals from knotted string, or painting miniature likenesses of lovers on the fingernails and toenails of their wives).
Aside from fighting, riding, wenching, and feuding, however, few of the Lords Tulwood accomplished much, though Lord Baerent Tulwood was that rarest of things: the head of a noble house (during most of the reign of Azoun I) who was also a master swordsmith.
The Tulwoods rose to nobility in the reign of Irbruin, ennobled for military service to the Crown (defending easternmost Cormyr against brigands, monsters, and various self-proclaimed kings of their own fledgling realms). From the first Lord Tulwood, Omburr, the family had many sons and few daughters, tended to embrace military careers, and tended to have short and violent lives. The last of the many Lord Tulwoods was Korlandur, who died in the summer of 1319 DR in a violent fall over a cliff on horseback that shattered most bones of both horse and rider (the plunge may or may not have been due to foul play; Korlandur was a cruel man known for unhesitatingly disfiguring the faces of those he disagreed with by means of his metal-barbed horsewhip, who’d earned himself many foes).
The Tulwoods were bullies who tended to hire mercenaries and wizards to beat any foe who stood up to them (though they were careful never to cross any courtier, local lord or Crown agent, the Obarskyrs, or any of the three “royal” noble families), and many of them dabbled in magic as a hobby (usually without much results, but then, those who succeed in dark summonings and the like seldom want to advertise their successes in a realm so dominated by War Wizards).
One Tulwood, a heir Rantaver (his younger brother Borovan became Lord after the death of their father, Gulthur), was exiled in the reign of Duar (for strongly suspected but not-quite-proven treason), and more than a dozen Tulwoods were imprisoned for short periods, for various violent actions perpetrated against other nobles (or in one case, a visiting envoy from Amn). There are no records of executions, but there are strong suspicions of Tulwoods being involved in dark magic and of summoning demons, so they, too, are candidates.
Perhaps you could use both the Mallowbridge AND Tulwood families, with Bracebolt as a red herring, and REALLY get your players deep into intrigues and shadowy conspiracies and shadows from the past. Heh-heh, and so forth.



So saith Ed, opening up several cans of worms with great glee, it seems to me.
Ah, Cormyr, so dear to my heart and so delightful. May your tale be told, some day and some way.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 05:38:24
Message:

I've always found "can of wyrms" more appropriate to the setting.

I always get weird looks when I try to make that pun.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 08:46:28
Message:

Wow, that's a good chunk of an original campaign setting right there.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 11:47:08
Message:

Thanks Ed for more excellent Lore regarding Cormyte nobles and their doings. The depth of detail is easily tranferable to any game and any other kingdom (Faerun or beyond) by tweaking a name or two - just brilliant.

In general are nobles whose lands are on the edge of the Cormyr more 'earthy' (or whatever the Realms equivilent word is) in their doings and manner (they seem to like riding, hunting and fighting alot etc) than those in cities (who are perhaps more political and mercantile, or am I stereotyping too much!)? Am wondering if they can be this way because the 'reach of the Court' doesn't stretch that far and/or because the Crown take the view that as long as the nobles keep the borders as safe as possible from monsters, Zhents, brigands and creeping Semban interests then they are not overly concerened what the country nobles are doing unless its extremely bad?

Which leads to another question or three..... I know Cormyr is not Feudal as in real earth history European Feudal, but are Nobles who are stuck out in the wilds expected to keep the borders safe, is that part of the 'deal' that keeps them in their position of nobility?

Are they expected to (can they?) raise their own troop to patrol their lands and/or to support the local Purple Dragons army? If so, do the Crown/Wizards of War turn a blind eye to them raising a 'just larger than required' force of troops that they might use to extend their borders a bit further out into the wilds to secure a mine / forest / farmland / hunting preserve that enriches themselves and not necessarily the Crown or the local subjects? (assume the family are loyal to the Crown and are not raising an army to challenge the Obarskyrs).

(Brian, if you want to chime in with an answer then please feel free)

Thanks once again

Damian
who is off to update his Eveningstar map and file away the differing local names for the stream to confuse his players later


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 12 Jan 2009 15:21:16
Message:

Many, *MANY* thanks, Ed, once again for your *BRILLIANT*, inspiring replies!

The level of detail in your juicy piece of Realmslore is simply *AWESOME*, and thank you for the advice -- I think that is *exactly* what I'll do! Especially as I have dropped hints to PCs about a cursed, demon-haunted magical sword originally worn by local commanders and nobles along the years. The blade is now lost but sought after by the Zhentarim (the PCs foiled their first attempt, but soon realized that the Zhentarim were following a "false trail"). It remains to be seen if the PCs or the Zhentarim will eventually locate the blade (which is currently owned and hidden by a mentor of the PCs, who'll eventually be "corrupted" by it to become a major villain in the campaign). Hmmm... it may very well be that this blade was originally crafted by Lord Baerent Tulwood.

Let's throw in the Men of the Basilisk, Iron Throne, Eldreth Veluuthra... yes, intrigue aplenty -- just as I like it! =)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 15:33:26
Message:

Hello again, all. This time Ed responds to the third of Asgetrion’s Thunderstone-related queries:
“3) Which sort of presence do the Heralds and Harper and Zhentarim agents have in Thunderstone -- i.e. do stay just "stay put" and observe, or have an active presence in the area?”
Ed replies:



There is a local herald, Bannermere, but this is a new office held by a novice, a young, slender, brown-haired man originally from Berdusk, who is polite and rather shy, and derives most of his income by designing and limning signs and writing letters for locals (he is not a Crown herald). He keeps to Thunderstone, and interested clients come to see him; it’s recently come to light (much to his embarrassment) that he secretly writes salacious chapbooks for sale in Scornubel and Waterdeep, including the popular “Rorel the Conquering Blade” series (in which the debonair, swirling-cloaked Rorel beds an endless series of willing women, often after dueling their craven and cruel wife-beating husbands). Interestingly, there’s long been a rumour that the Rorel books were penned by the same anonymous hand that once presented the now-banned chapbook “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” to a receptive Suzail and even more eager Purple Dragon posts up and down the Realm, but a blushing and stammering Bannermere denies ever even dreaming of portraying the Dragon Queen in such a light. (Another rumour whispers that Filfaeril, who has been officially silent on the work, secretly enjoyed it very much and cajoled her royal husband into acting out the events of several of the encounters therein - - but rumour, like a barking dog, oft makes much more noise and arouses more ire than it in truth should.)

There are no publicly-known Zhentarim agents in the area, but “everyone knows” they do pay locals for spying and passing on information, and that there IS a Zhent paymaster somewhere in Thunderstone. It’s almost certainly a shopkeeper, and the local Purple Dragons do keep close watch over one Tunstal Draeger, a seller (but not maker; his wares come from the docks of Marsember) of rope, cord, and wire.
However, the Dragons and even Draeger are unaware that Draeger is a decoy Zhent spy and paymaster, who continues to operate and be paid by a travelling Zhent master (a Selgauntan “manywares” caravan merchant by the name of Drustigo Parltath) despite the fact that the authorities are “on to him,” and the Zhents know this. While the attention is on Draeger, the REAL local Zhent spy, the scent and potion maker and seller Naerilda Jackalane, does the real spying. She’s a bone-thin, long-nosed, rather homely woman who’s a superb mimic and actor - - and VERY careful not to attract attention to herself. She openly makes regular herb-gathering and buying trips (gathering on the banks of the Thunderflow and in the verges of the Hullack Forest, and buying from specific farms), tries to carry on romances with several local Purple Dragons (purportedly because she’s lonely and desperate for a mate and has a “thing” for “men in Crown uniform,” but actually to allay suspicion and to learn what she can of local Dragon gossip), and is known to discreetly visit local households after dark to deliver love-potions and herbal ointments that aid in “love’s arts” (lubricants and stiffeners, to put it less delicately). She has no public skill in healing, but is known to make and sell very effective ointments that effectively deaden all pain (and itching sensations) in a localized body area, and secretly possesses about a dozen magical healing potions for her own use and to aid wounded Zhents who might need them. Her Zhent name is “Thunderblade” or just “Blade,” but Zhents who think they might be overheard while speaking of her are supposed to refer to her instead as “Thunderflow” so that what they say will be mistaken either for the river, or as a SECOND agent.

The Harpers have two safe-houses and lore-moots in Thunderstone, both the homes of retired, aging, limping from old wounds ex-Dragons (who are now covert Harper agents). They do nothing at all to attract attention to themselves, beyond opening their doors after dark when certain signals are given, and taking in guests they hide in their cellars, in secret passages, and in hidden attic areas. An ever-changing succession of younger and more active Harper agents move through the area and do all the fighting, skulking, prowling, and spying (the Harpers in Berdusk regard the Thunderstone area as a good “training-ground,” but also send more experienced Harpers to watch over the novices, both to rescue them if need be and evaluate them).
The two elderly Harpers are the grizzled and laconic (most known for his severe limp and his jutting, oversized, sharp-pointed lower jaw) Pharvukh Bonehondur, once an ornrion in the Dragons who came from Teziir and joined the Dragons as a youth, in a hiring fair in Suzail; and Malaeva Irlingbreak, a sharp-tongued, tall but stooped by her aches, slightly-limping and cane-using woman who has long, untidy white hair, piercing black eyes, and a habit of purring audibly when contented or amused; she was once a constal in the Dragons, at High Horn, and earlier in her career, when holding much lower ranks, served for many years in Arabel.
Both of them are expert at tending wounds and keeping their mouths shut; Bonehondur runs a knife-and-tool sharpening service out of his home, and Malaeva makes carved and ornamented wooden front doors and shutters (and a few small carry-coffers, too).



So saith Ed, who seems to be really building up lore so Asgetrion, Damian, and anyone else who wants to can use this area for a campaign setting. Whee!
(I know Ed expects to have an answer for Asgetrion's fourth question next, then Damian's most recent query. Glancing over Ed's reply, I want to emphasize that the Zhent agents he mentions are NOT the only ones, just the only long-term-resident ones; to avoid being easily exposed, the "do the dirty stuff" Zhent agents, of whom there are probably around six to eight at any one time in the Thunderstone area, "move through" the district and on to elsewhere, being replaced by "the next wave.")
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 17:57:12
Message:

Was this “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” ever mentioned before? And how did the Crown and Fee react (publicly and privately, please) to this? Did they even read it? (I can guess at its contents, so no need to ask about that)


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 18:18:20
Message:

Well, Ed has certainly mentioned it before (verbally, at GenCon seminars). Of course, if he wrote it into a novel or Realms game article, it is JUST the sort of thing that (understandably) would get edited out before the wider reading/gaming public saw it.
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 18:20:41
Message:

Dear and Ed and THO,
A quick lore questions. Is gambling (card, dice, etc. games, played by the gamblers, not betting on what the weather will be tomorrow or some other "outside" event) tolerated among the Purple Dragons? Ignored by officers? Encouraged? Or Banned? (Or . . . ?)
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 18:27:01
Message:

Oops, forgot to post my second question.
Are off-duty Purple Dragons likely to still be in uniform? Or partial uniform? (I don't mean if they stop to buy food or drink on the way home, I mean if they go out carousing most of the night.) Are there rules against wearing your uniform to brotheXXX ahem, festhalls? Or anywhere else?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 18:28:44
Message:

I seem to remember this coming up in play with Ed as DM, and the answer was: it varies according to the local Purple Dragon commander. I THINK. Off to Ed for a proper reply, of course.
love,
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 13 Jan 2009 18:41:21
Message:

Wow, thanks for all this great Cormyr lore!


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 00:21:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

Wow, thanks for all this great Cormyr lore!


Indeed!

Thank you to Ed for responding so generously and THO for posting the replies so promptly and 'filling in the gaps' around the edges.

Cheers

Damian
ps "All about Cormyr" thread updated


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 03:24:56
Message:

Thank you! But (hah-HA!) we're not done yet!
Yes, hi once more, fellow scribes. This time Ed tackles the fourth of Asgetrion’s Thunderstone-related queries:
“4) Are there any notable castles or keeps in or near Thunderstone?”
Ed replies:



Aside from those already mentioned for the various noble families (including the Summerstars, back in my 2004 reply and in the novel STORMLIGHT that preceded it), no.
There IS “Ravaer’s Stronghold,” an “earthen-ring-wall-surrounded by ditch” defensible redoubt for the use of Purple Dragons trying to repel any invasion in force from the Thunder Peaks, that stands in the open countryside (rolling, unfenced common ranchers’ fields) not far west of the mountain foothills. It’s exactly what its name implies: a grass-covered series of earthworks, with a single entry “lane” or elevated “ride” leading into it from the west, this lane having precipitous ditches on both sides, being just wide enough for a small wagon or two riders abreast, and having a “dogleg” bend in it to make charges difficult and aid defenders. This feature is named for a long-ago Purple Dragon commander who died defending Cormyr from a Sembian-sponsored raiding force there, and is notable for having a single stone-lined subterranean “refuge room” at its heart, a chamber about twenty feet square (“about” because its walls are a series of embrasures or niches ending in sleeping benches) that has three stone caskets (like coffins) at its center that can serve as coffins, or tables, or food and water storage (Purple Dragon patrols keep them stocked with skins of water, raw cabbages, sausages enclosed in clay to keep mold from growing on them, and firewood). The refuge room is reached down a long, narrow ramp from a hole in the ground covered by a single stone slab and sheltered by a three-sided earthwork “cave” that can provide some small shelter for hobbled horses; the cave has several hitching-rings set into its sides.

Perched on the sides of the lowest Thunder Peaks are the crumbling, open-to-the-sky remnants of several ancient “robber baron” castles; simple keeps that are much used by roosting birds (and, from time to time, perytons and even wyverns, though the Purple Dragons call in War Wizards to exterminate such unwanted inhabitants, whenever they’re noticed). These serve more as landmarks (meeting-moots and the sites of occasional smuggling caches) than as shelter; the best-known are Kaliphur’s Keep, Imbral’s Tower, the Wyvernteeth, and Black Heldar’s Roost.

A wealthy but non-noble family from Suzail, the Varvrail family, bought a cluster of a dozen farms about a quarter-day’s ride south-southwest of Thunderstone, and there started construction of a grand fortified stone mansion. However, the clan ran out of money after several investments went bad and their participation in smuggling from Westgate to Suzail was uncovered. (Several members were jailed, and the family now toils as shopkeepers in Suzail, in much reduced circumstances.) The mansion was barely begun, and consists of heaps of earth, a large pit, and the beginnings of a front wall with a row of high arched windows; the surrounding farms and the piles of cut lumber and dressed stone blocks assembled at the site but not yet used in the construction were sold off to pay family debts, leaving just the one unfinished wall, plus its temporary timber supporting buttresses and a scaffold that has long since sagged into a crazily unsafe state. It was to have been called Varvrail Hall, but is locally known as “Folly Hall.”


So saith Ed. Who adds that he left the depths of the the Hullack Forest, the heart of the Thunder Peaks, and the Vast Swamp out of this, as being not part of the "Thunderstone area," but rather its borders. All three contain both human and elven ruins (and of course there are also dwarven, gnomish, and orken ruins in the Thunder Peaks), as it happens, but many of them are tied up in all sorts of NDAs, some even linked to the old SPI (TSR-acquired) Dragonquest game (in other words, the Watching Gods alone know when we'd ever get those sorted out, to say nothing of lifted).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 07:43:39
Message:

Ed and/or THO and/or others,

Time for this year's annual question. I thought I'd get it in early in the year...

As a motorcyclist myself, I have lately wondered if anyone in the Realms make use of two-wheeled forms of transport—be they bicycles or some magic/steam/other self-propelled vehicle. I can just picture the “Not the Neverwinter Nine” adventuring party all clad in leather/studded leather armour, pot helmets, boots and gloves taking the “breakfast run” to Leilon—or perhaps Port Llast—and back every tenthday morning. Does such transport exist?

Thanks in advance for your replies.


Reply author: Darkhund
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 16:14:46
Message:

Dear Ed,

Theres a common theme of Elven and Human ruins scattered about Faerun, but are there any notable Halfling ruins?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 20:03:09
Message:

Darkhund, your question has been sent off to Ed, but here's something on the topic from his notes, in the meantime:

Human ruins are numerous across the Realms, those of orcs, dwarves, gnomes, elves, and halflings less so.
Elven ruins are sparser thanks to racial numbers and because many elven dwellings were "alive" (trees), and have not survived in any recognizable form. The other races all had many subterranean or "dug out" dwellings, and these have often collapsed, been taken over and enlarged by later users, or built on by humans (gnome and halfling abandoned dwellings especially).


So saith Ed. Who thinks of all things.
love,
THO


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 14 Jan 2009 21:21:52
Message:

Ed,

I was wondering about how many war wizards there are. I began pondering this after reading swords of dragonfire, since a ridiculous number of war wizards got pulverized in that book. I don't think competent wizards grow on trees, so wouldn't the loss of between 30 to 40 war wizards in less than a day(that's my rough estimate on the number of wizard casualties) be considered near catastrophic?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 02:22:57
Message:

When I read that scene, I thought it WAS portrayed as catastrophic.
However, that aside, I think Ed's answered questions here at the Keep before, in one of the years of this thread, about the numbers of War Wizards, and losses of 40 (to take your upper end estimate) wouldn't even reduce them to half strength.
A real setback, yes, annihilation of the organization, no. Particularly since some of those casualties almost HAVE to be novices.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 02:25:28
Message:

Hello again, all. This time Ed responds to these queries from crazedventurers: “Thanks Ed for more excellent Lore regarding Cormyte nobles and their doings. The depth of detail is easily tranferable to any game and any other kingdom (Faerun or beyond) by tweaking a name or two - just brilliant.
In general are nobles whose lands are on the edge of the Cormyr more 'earthy' (or whatever the Realms equivalent word is) in their doings and manner (they seem to like riding, hunting and fighting a lot etc.) than those in cities (who are perhaps more political and mercantile, or am I stereotyping too much!)? Am wondering if they can be this way because the 'reach of the Court' doesn't stretch that far and/or because the Crown take the view that as long as the nobles keep the borders as safe as possible from monsters, Zhents, brigands and creeping Sembian interests then they are not overly concerned what the country nobles are doing unless it’s extremely bad?
Which leads to another question or three..... I know Cormyr is not Feudal as in real earth history European Feudal, but are Nobles who are stuck out in the wilds expected to keep the borders safe, is that part of the 'deal' that keeps them in their position of nobility?
Are they expected to (can they?) raise their own troop to patrol their lands and/or to support the local Purple Dragons army? If so, do the Crown/Wizards of War turn a blind eye to them raising a 'just larger than required' force of troops that they might use to extend their borders a bit further out into the wilds to secure a mine / forest / farmland / hunting preserve that enriches themselves and not necessarily the Crown or the local subjects? (assume the family are loyal to the Crown and are not raising an army to challenge the Obarskyrs).
(Brian, if you want to chime in with an answer then please feel free)
Thanks once again
Damian
who is off to update his Eveningstar map and file away the differing local names for the stream to confuse his players later”
Ed replies:



Hi, Damian. You’re very welcome. I love doing this, and am always happy to help explore the Realms.
Yes, border nobles (the polite term used in Cormyr is “upcountry nobles” and the less polite one is “backcountry nobles,” which begins a slide into “backcountry bumpkins” and progressively ruder terms) do tend to be more earthy (or “rustic,” which is the more polite disdainful expression) . . . but most of them in return look down on “citified” or “dandified” nobles who “lack all real connection to this great land of ours.”
It’s not out of any blind eye turned by the Crown or the Court, because very few upcountry nobles (except the elderly or ailing) miss any chance to get to Court in Suzail for important Councils, feasts, receptions, and times of important decision-making (which their own house wizards, the local lords and Crown heralds, and local Purple Dragon commanders all take great care to keep them all informed about, because the last thing any occupier of the Dragon Throne wants is unrest among nobles because something happened “behind their backs” because they weren’t told about something that was going on).
It’s simply because they spend more time hunting, riding on woodland trails or trysting out in open countryside or otherwise “taking the air” and enjoying simple pleasures (bobbing for apples, anyone? dancing with village lasses at various farming “fests”?) than do nobles who keep to Suzail and concern themselves with gossip, intrigue, investments (and lather, rinse, and repeat).
It IS true that nobles who help police border areas are allowed more leeway in deeds and speech than a city-dwelling noble would be, because local Purple Dragons know them better and know the scant resources and the problems (brigands, roving monsters, Sembian and Zhent and other organized subversive forces) they and the Dragons themselves face, and (to use a modern real-world term) “cut them some slack” because of this. It’s also true that for years Vangerdahast secretly pursued a policy of letting everyone think his vigilance was sadly lacking “out in the upcountry,” so nobles would “get up to things” (often using their hunting lodges for meetings, as certain nobles did in SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE) and thereby reveal something of their plots and how energetic and committed their opposition to the Crown (if any) really was. It gave his War Wizards something to work with - - and a place to practice using nasty spells on bad guys in a way that would have set any of the three cities of the Realm into rioting, if repeatedly done in their streets.
All nobles are responsible for policing (as in, seeing that Crown law is not ignored, and applied selectively) their own lands (though locally-stationed Purple Dragons and the everpresent War Wizards also do so, as well as watching over the nobles to see how well they do it; the various “local lords” installed by the Crown are largely there to apply justice to the servants and property and minor actions of nobles, and to give commoners someone “objective” to appeal to, if they think nobles are abusing their rights and powers). In border areas, yes, this means resident or property-owning nobles help pay for the militia and see to it that a goodly number (it varies; the local lord will tell them if he thinks they’re shirking) of their servants are part of the local militia and trained and equipped accordingly (these skills should benefit the nobles, too, in case any of their buildings or lands come under attack). In times of declared war, the Crown has the legal right to demand any noble contribute trained and equipped warriors (or mounts and supplies and a large amount of coin in lieu) to the cause; often loyalty is measured in whether or not the nobles themselves (or at least their young and vigorous sons or nephews or even nieces and daughters) “take up saddle and sword” and fight alongside the Crown forces.
This indeed resembles real-world nobles’ duties, but of course where the comparison to feudalism breaks down is in land ownership and the status of commoners. Cormyr is far more like a modern “First World” or “Western” democracy (no serfs or villeins or slaves, genders legally equal, etc.) than medieval real-world feudalism. (Tenant farmers, yes, but they are free to move on and there are strict limits on what any noble can command any commoner to do; except privately, within a family, it’s very hard for a noble - - or anyone else in Cormyr - - to legally get anyone into a situation of “slavery in all but name”).
So, yes, a noble legally can (and are expected to) raise strictly-limited private armies, as personal bodyguards and to defend their homes and other properties. They are expected to lead them, or at least send them, to aid local Purple Dragons (under the command of said Dragons or another ranking Crown official like a senior War Wizard, NOT under their own command, though again, many nobles hold or are given temporary Dragon “battlefield ranks” in the event of war or widespread armed strife). However, arming too many men, and/or sending them to do things that may have something to do with protecting their noble master’s interests or settling his/her feuds, but NOT with directly proftecting the noble’s person (or that of his kin or undisputed property) is a serious crime that will almost always be met with War Wizards immediately casting spells on the men and the noble, and imprisoning them all to await the “justic and pleasure of the King” (or Regent, or ruling Queen; in practice, Vangey often decided things before the Obarskyrs found out, and Bhereu and Thomdor were also trusted to speak for the King). So amassing too many men gets them called a “private army” and that’s bad, but sending servant after servant for full and regular refresher weapons-training and fitting them with armour and arms personally suited to them is good.
Nobles have always (in fact, constantly) tried to arm too many private soldiers and use them to patrol and then use larger and larger border areas, with a fair degree of success (land with structures on it is obvious, but ranching land dotted with small plantings of crops could be the work of someone who “just moved on,” or “the monsters just got ’em” . . . and who’s to tell when a noble’s servant trained to weapons like a good militia member is part of that noble’s private army, or not?).
That’s why house wizards were installed - - and the War Wizards keyed on mindscrying the few house wizards that particular nobles insisted on choosing, rather than having a War Wizard as a house wizard; it was to prevent nobles (such as the usual malcontents in Marsember and Arabel) from quietly assembling dangerously large private armies, or annexing great amounts of territory without requesting (and paying for) formal title.
So minor expansions, yes, particularly if the nobles build or improve roads, but if they then fence off those roads, or become too greedy, Vangerdahast and an Obarskyr (or in later days, Alusair and Caladnei and a large bunch of other War Wizards and Purple Dragons) will pay the offending noble a “friendly visit” at which they’ll be bluntly but privately told their activities have been noticed, and will cease if they desire to retain their heads. If the noble then remains friendly, so will the Crown. However, the noble has been reminded that they are being watched, and will receive subtle later reminders, too (reports from house wizards, sightings of groups of War Wizards strolling through the noble’s land examining wells and granaries and barracks, servants being politely questioned, et cetera).
Heh. Hope this is of help.



So saith Ed. Ongoing and enthusiastic creator of Cormyr and all of this fun!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ergdusch
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 07:41:18
Message:

Dear Ed and THO!

I know a lot of 'Cormyr'-related questions are being answered atm. Maybe there is a chance that you'll answer yet one more:

What would the real estate prices have been like in Arabel before and after the Dragon War? Compared to maybe Eveningstar (most like cheaper), Suzail and/or Marsember.

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Best Regards, Ergdusch


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 10:28:54
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,

I hate to pile on another question impatiently, but I'm excited about this one (I an easily excitable fellow.) The Knights of Myth Drannor were probably quite high on the Zhentarim enemies list. While many of them were given a good personal thumping by the Knights, most never actually fought them. How were they viewed by the rank and file of the Zhents? What did they believe to be true about the Knights ?


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 15:21:13
Message:

Hello to Ed and THO,

I've been reading some excellent information on Randal Morn provided by Ed in a previous column. I was wondering, though, if he could provide dates for some of the events. To wit:

The year of Flars' birth.
The year that Flars retook Daggerdale.
The year that Randal was born.
The year that Silver was born.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 15:32:24
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Some related questions for you: do you envisage Arabel having extensive cellars, underground passages (secret or otherwise), and wells? How high is the water table under the city? If someone tried to enlarge their cellar, how far could they go before they broke into a sewer or water pipe or some other subterranean open space? What if they tried to dig a small secret passage across an interior (not near the walls or civic buildings) street, linking the cellar of one building with the cellar of another?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Zanan
Replied on: 15 Jan 2009 16:42:02
Message:

Vendui to The Hooded One!

While reading The Sword Never Sleeps I noted that some creatures apparently have a "technical term" as well as something else, a "common" name (in that region?). Example in this case was the dirlagraun, "displacer beasts most mages called them".
Now (for some reason) I remembered the lengthy article by Ed about the different names for the "ladies of easy leisure" within Realmspace and I wondered whether some classes would actually have regional / racial names too. While most sorts of fighters or barbarians would simply go as "warriors" (not the NPC class of the DMG, but, of course, just the folk of the axe- and sword-wielding profession), many clerics or hierophants et al as "priests", wizards, necromancers and sorcerers as "mages" or "sorcerers" (again, more with regards to the profession than the class denomination). But what of this more "specialized" or "mysterious" ilk, like the warlocks (Complete Arcane), hexblades (Complete Warrior) or duskblades (elven fighter/mage-style people described in the PHB II, all, incidently, 3,5E)? Even if they do not all have dirlagraun-style FR names, are their more denominations for these people than thief, warrior, priest and mage? I would assume Old Grey Beard can give us a list of 20odd such FR names without even starting to think, can he not?

Aluve, Zanan!


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 00:17:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. This time Ed responds to queries on border nobles......
Heh. Hope this is of help.
So saith Ed. Ongoing and enthusiastic creator of Cormyr and all of this fun!
love to all,
THO


Very much so, it dovetails very nicely into previous answers you have given here (e.g. land rights - commoners vs Nobles, amongst others).

Thank you Ed (and the lovely THO)

Kind regards

Damian


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 01:54:24
Message:

Hello again, all.
This time Ed responds to this recent query from Menelvagor: “Was this “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” ever mentioned before? And how did the Crown and Fee react (publicly and privately, please) to this? Did they even read it? (I can guess at its contents, so no need to ask about that)”
Ed replies:



I have mentioned it in the drafts of several Cormyr-set novels, as one of those “in jokes” that the editors used to enjoy reading privately, and then prune before publication. By which I mean: they and I both knew such snippets were never going to see print, but I wrote them for fun (back in the dear dawn days of TSR, and up until quite recently at Wizards, one of the editors would discover such a screed, have a laugh over it, then print it out, stand on her chair in cubicle-land, clear her throat loudly, and then read the said steamy scene out loud for everyone.
It provided a few moments of amusement for most of the Books Department folks, and those who needed to concentrate hard whilst editing and didn’t want to hear it were already hooked up to iPods or similar headphone and earbud devices that walled them away from such distractions.
In those unpublished (“suppressed” if you will, but with my agreement and expectation that they would be edited out), I mentioned this specific fictitious salacious work as one in which Purple Dragons would laugh over, and then get very red-faced when Queen Filfaeril strolled past them as they stood guard together, AND as something court ladies or noblewomen would gossip and titter about - - and then subside into shocked silence when Queen Fee came upon them quickly and joined their conversation about it.
Publicly and officially, the Crown ignored the work, except to ban its possession by any Purple and Blue Dragon (something deliberately not enforced in private dwellings, only within guardposts, armories, barracks, naval bases, and fortresses such as High Horn) and to send undercover courtiers around the cities of Suzail, Marsember, and Arabel to quietly buy up all the copies they could find, and “disappear” them. The Court Wizard (Vangerdahast) then issued a decree that the said work contained “dangerous hidden magics that would enact a curse upon the reader,” and banned its printing or copying out by hand, within the realm of Cormyr.
Publicly (aside from face to face meetings with individual nobles, as described above) Filfaeril ignored the existence of the work. It would be considered a grave breach of Court etiquette to mention its title to any Obarskyr, though personal friends of various royals know when they can ignore Court etiquette and when they should follow it. Filfaeril herself told some (shocked) noblewomen that she’d “quite enjoyed it,” and “hoped to read a sequel, and see what further fancies the clever, clever author could IMAGINE.” Tanalasta was too embarrassed to ever mention it to any of her fellow Obarskyrs (though a War Wizard reported to Vangerdahast that he found a copy under her mattress during his usual secret “checking for dangers” inspection, as well as finding copies in the possession of several personal maids and ladies-in-waiting to all three female Obarskyrs), Alusair discussed it frankly with both her mother and father (separately), Filfaeril and Azoun do indeed share a copy and have read it separately and together - - and have tried some of the scenes described therein together. Neither of them is inhibited, and as the ruling royals, THEY decide and set the morals of the realm, not the other way round (unlike in our real world, there aren’t sole dominant clergies in Cormyr, and therefore the royal family isn’ beholden to the opinion of this or that priest as to what’s “good” or “proper” or “appropriate” behaviour, because the many differing views of the many differing priesthoods offset each other, as it were.
In other words, the rumours that Filfaeril enjoyed the work are true.
The rumor that Bannermere wrote “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” is not true. The author IS someone long known at Court in Cormyr, but I think it’s time for some fun; I’ll leave it to scribes to guess the identity of the author, here in this thread, and give no hints - - but I WILL confirm when someone guesses right (and say so when a guess is wrong). To avoid repetitive “carpet bombing” guessing, let’s limit it to three guesses per scribe. So, stare at all those Cormyrean faces, and ask yourself: who’s secretly naughty, with pen in hand?



So saith Ed. Ho ho! Unleash the fun, indeed! consider yourself challenged, scribes!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 03:30:20
Message:

Thanks for sharing that with us.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 04:08:12
Message:

Hmmmmm...

Here's my three guesses (and probably the most improbably obvious):

Alaphondar, Royal Sage of Cormyr
Giogioni Wyvernspur

and...

(damn, I can't resist it. I honestly don't think he did, but someone's got to say it and I can't think of someone more unlikely than him...)

Vangerdahast


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 04:41:05
Message:

Hello All,

Ed can you give us a little lore on the Malaugrym, I'm rereading "All Shadows Fled" and you portrayed many of the younger shadowmasters as having very little knowledge of faaerun people, culture and customs.

This raised some questions for me which may have already been asked and answered by you, sorry if thats the case.

Can Malaugrym only impregnate full humans or can they impreganate females of any race?

Is the offspring part Malaugrym or full Malugrym, like can you explain how their blood works on mortals in faerun?

More importantly to me, say a human woman births a child that is of maluag blood but no one comes for this child for first 20 years of his life, is his nature determined by his blood or the life he experiences? Is he going to become evil despite how he is brought up and his own personal code of ethics because of his bloodline?

Will he instinctively learn how to shapechange on his own if never taught by another Malaugrym?

Basically are there Malaugrym on faerun who don't know they are Malaugrym and live "normal" lives and are left alone by those who do know what they are?

Can Malaugrym always find those of Malaug blood, perhaps an ability possessed by the Shadowmasters High to prevent extinction?

Do they only produce male children and if so, why?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 06:00:35
Message:

Createvmind, you might want to check Ed's compiled replies, I could of swore he's answered these in the past. :) Maybe in replies about shape change and birthing/offspring.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 06:16:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

Createvmind, you might want to check Ed's compiled replies, I could of swore he's answered these in the past. :) Maybe in replies about shape change and birthing/offspring.

Yeah, Kuje is on the mark. I can recall some of those replies as well, though they're scattered across several of the compiled reply files.

I'll pick out a few of the more applicable replies tonight.


Reply author: Scarbeard
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 08:14:00
Message:

First, thank you for the fun reads, the Realms in general, and the many questions and comments that abound on these boards. Good stuff.

Now to questions...

Any hint on the whereabouts of the dragonstaff of Ahghairon? Or even its master, Maaril the Dragon Mage, or is all cloaked under the devilry of NDA's after his tower rocketed into the skies?

With Waterdeep's navy in the drink and relying mostly on the graces of Mintran warships for defense, would you guess an increase in pirate activities throughout the Wailing Years? Even more, threats from spell-scarred monsters or even the creepings of the Abolethic Sovereignty (though I know they're mostly in the Sea of Fallen Stars) may tax the resources of protecting merchant vessels and the shores of Waterdeep, giving rise to perhaps the hiring of privateers and such to bolster the Mintarn navy. I'm not very knowledgeable on Mintarn's sea might, but just how dangerous is the Sea of Swords now and has it stifled trade? Is this why Waterdeep scuttled its ships, not having the funds to keep a fleet maintained, and instead hiring out with trade pacts and such?

Thanks for your time,

Cheers from the dirty dwarf


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 09:26:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Alaphondar, Royal Sage of Cormyr


That was the first name that popped into my head as well

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 11:31:57
Message:

King Azoun himself? He's the only guy who can't be punished for writing it !


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 12:11:00
Message:

I have little knowledge of Cormyrian people, but picking from a few names : Valantha Shimmerstar.
Apparently mischievous, and it would be very much Ed if the writer was a woman.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 13:50:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

In those unpublished (“suppressed” if you will, but with my agreement and expectation that they would be edited out), I mentioned this specific fictitious salacious work as one in which Purple Dragons would laugh over, and then get very red-faced when Queen Filfaeril strolled past them as they stood guard together



Everyday the two of you bring us more fun little facts like this is a day I enjoy the realms a little more than the previous. Not only does it make the world seem that much more alive but I think it teaches one to be a better DM.

Lets all hope that one of these days some of these "suppressed" works will make it to the web for our amusement as well.

Thank you both.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 16:33:21
Message:

Oh yes, my guesses!

Elminster?

Storm?

Tessaril Winter?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 16:52:04
Message:

Is it our favorite dealer of turret tops?


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 17:17:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Is it our favorite dealer of turret tops?


LOL - that was the 2nd name to pop into my head.

Am pondering this one - nice Quiz Ed!

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 19:03:25
Message:

I'm going to guess that lady envoy from Silverymoon, from Ed's SWORDS trilogy. Can't remember her name just now, but I'm guessing her, just the same.
Or Laspeera. Hey, it could be Laspeera!


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 19:25:38
Message:

When the contest is done, could Ed please oblige us with a few examples of chapbooks or "proper" books, fiction or poetry or treatises, penned by any of the characters various scribes have put forward as candidates?
I'm not looking for an exhaustive list, I'd just like to know if any of these people, in-game, have written and published anything, and get a few sample titles. We hear lots about monsters (or other humans) slain by adventurers, spells hurled and daring deeds done, but not so much about writers. Scibes, yes, writers, no.
My heart would be warmed by the thought of, say, Filfaeril or Laspeera or King Azoun sitting down to write something. (And yes, I recall that Storm has written works; I was more interested in non-Chosen.)
Thank you!


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 20:07:30
Message:

I'm in the process of running a "as many FR adventures in the same campaign as possible" campaign, which has led to me bumping the start date to 1340 DR, so that I can start with Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Adventure.

One of the PCs is a Paladin of Ilmater, who is a member of House Cormaeril in Cormyr. Despite being mentioned and used in a lot of fiction, I can't find much information on them for that era. I would really like to know who was head of the house and who the more public members of the house were at the time.



Reply author: Steven Schend
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 20:14:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
The rumor that Bannermere wrote �Filfaeril Bound And Willing� is not true. The author IS someone long known at Court in Cormyr, but I think it�s time for some fun; I�ll leave it to scribes to guess the identity of the author, here in this thread, and give no hints - - but I WILL confirm when someone guesses right (and say so when a guess is wrong). To avoid repetitive �carpet bombing� guessing, let�s limit it to three guesses per scribe. So, stare at all those Cormyrean faces, and ask yourself: who�s secretly naughty, with pen in hand.


I name said roguish miscreant Garen Thal, your honors!

Steven
who's now got a ditty stuck in his head from the old AD&D Comic book....

PS: "The queen of Cormyr has ten consorts, we hear...."


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 20:38:19
Message:

Heh. Steven, you rogue, you!
Rhewtani, I believe the paucity of information on the Cormaerils is due to one of them being a PC in one of Ed's long-running library campaigns, and so you might not get much more out of Ed.
So far as I can recall, said PC was Beliard Cormaeril, and was a bastard son of Azoun.
Ed has, I believe, given lore replies here at the Keep in the past that have mentioned the Cormaerils.
Sage? Wooly? Kuje? (I hate to always cry out for assistance, guys, but the search and display powers of the computer I usually use to access the Keep are severely limited.)
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 23:33:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed has, I believe, given lore replies here at the Keep in the past that have mentioned the Cormaerils.
Sage? Wooly? Kuje? (I hate to always cry out for assistance, guys, but the search and display powers of the computer I usually use to access the Keep are severely limited.)
love,
THO
Aye. There's a couple of brief replies in the '05 compiled files -- June 9 and 10 being particularly lengthy replies.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jan 2009 23:35:20
Message:

Oh, and they receive some attention in Cormyr: A Novel and Beyond the High Road too.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 00:51:31
Message:

Hello All,

Currency taken from other planes is worth what on faerun, Ed can you tell us of any currency of other planes that may have high value in faerun?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 03:57:35
Message:

Hello again, all. This time Ed returns to Asgetrion’s list of Thunderstone-and-vicinity questions, and tackles this one:
“5) Which religions have shrines (or even temples) in or around Thunderstone? I've already included shrines to Tymora, Tempus, Chauntea, Silvanus (outside the town) and Torm -- some of these due to PC backgrounds -- but I'd like to hear from you if I have forgotten an "obvious" deity from that list.”
Ed replies:



You have all the major ones except Lathander.
There’s a shrine to Lathander on the south side of the Rise, at the west end of Thunderstone (where the Rise becomes the overland road linking Thunderstone with Hultail and the heart of Cormyr).
There’s also been talk of establishing a shrine to Waukeen, but the presence of a shrine at Hultail has delayed any such plans indefinitely; visiting that shrine gives local merchants an excuse to get loans from moneylenders in Hultail without admitting they’re seeking loans (they explain away such trips by saying they visited those same persons in Hultail for moneyCHANGING purposes, and also made the rounds of warehouses and local merchants in Hultail to restock their wares for their shops back in Thunderstone).
Just north of Thunderstone, across the Thunderflow and into the Hullack Forest, no more than a long bowshot northeast of the forest verge immediately north of Stag’s Skull Bridge, is a clearing in the Hullack surrounded by thick, thigh-high stands of silverleaf fern, where a shrine to Mielikki is situated. Only Harpers and local rangers know about it and use it, though rumors of its existence are beginning to spread in Thunderstone (some Harpers are trying to counter them by spreading other rumors that a shrine USED to exist, but was destroyed with “fell magic that still lingers,” and so should be shunned.
This builds on a Crown prohibition on woodcutting in the Hullack within a half-day’s travel of the north end of Stag’s Skull Bridge, which was decreed just before Azoun IV came to the throne to halt what was beginning to happen: local woodcutters deliberately clearing a swath due north from the end of the bridge, intending to cut clear across the Hullack and found a new settlement on the East Way where their new road, when it was completed, met the East Way. The Crown had no intention of allowing certain beasts and elven ruins in the depths of the forest to be disturbed, and have to deal with the result just so a few merchants could enrich themselves (and found a new settlement that would either be independent of Cormyr and therefore a rallying-point for all rebels and foes of the Forest Kingdom, or an isolated part of Cormyr requiring the Crown to build a castle and permanently station many Purple Dragons (plus a local lord, and necessary staff and servants) there (a permanent ongoing expense).
The planned road was to have been known as the Hullackheart Trail, and the community Rabruin’s Tor after a landmark crag (just south of the East Way, just east of where it plunges into the Hullack on the Thunder Peaks side) bought and occupied by the chief backer of the road, the wealthy woodcutter and wagonmaker Estann Rabruin. He was a strong-willed, unscrupulous, tireless man who’s been dead for more than a decade, but the families of his five far more timid and less energetic sons (of whom the most forceful and capable is probably the eldest, Torstryn) still ranch and cut wood from the Tor.
Back to that shrine to Mielikki.
It’s seldom used, even though it’s shared with worshippers of Lurue, and there’s nothing in it to show its use except an eerie blue glow that arises when the name of either goddess is uttered, or surrounds any offering made to either deity or to Silvanus or Eldath, or that gathers around any unsheathed metal tool or weapon in the glade (rising to a painfully-hot flare around any metal tool or weapon used to cut or strike wood or a growing green plant in the glade). Fires will not ignite in the glade, and fires brought into it will swiftly die (including fireballs, flaming spheres, and other magical fires).
Faithful of Lurue and Mielikki often sleep the night through in the glade, lying on the bare ground (there are some large, soft patches of moss), in hopes of receiving guidance from their goddess through dream-visions - - and they are often rewarded.
Seven narrow, winding footpaths lead out of the glade in all directions, two plunging deep into the Hullack but the others all eventually circling back to its southern (Thunderflow-bank) edge, and by the power of the goddesses and Silvanus, these always remain clear of brambles and saplings, but are never obvious to the eye; they seem “not to be there” except to creatures actually on them.



So saith Ed. THE master of Realmslore, though he has been delighted to witness the emergence of many others, from Ian Hunter to Jeff Grubb and Steven Schend to Eric Boyd, George Krashos, Elaine Cunningham, Grant Christie, Brian Cortijo, Tom Costa, and others down the years.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 04:03:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

Hello All,

Currency taken from other planes is worth what on faerun, Ed can you tell us of any currency of other planes that may have high value in faerun?



Unless the currency is particularly exotic in form, I don't think it would be worth all that much more than any other non-regular foreign currency. A crystalized flame or a platinum piece with a diamond inset would command some serious money as a curiosity, but a gold piece from say Sigil isn't going to be any more impressive than a gold piece from any other distant land in the Realms. At least, that's my take on it.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 04:08:10
Message:

These Thunderstone queries are going to form a small sourcebook by themselves, when Ed's done answering them.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 04:30:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

Hello All,

Currency taken from other planes is worth what on faerun, Ed can you tell us of any currency of other planes that may have high value in faerun?



Unless the currency is particularly exotic in form, I don't think it would be worth all that much more than any other non-regular foreign currency. A crystalized flame or a platinum piece with a diamond inset would command some serious money as a curiosity, but a gold piece from say Sigil isn't going to be any more impressive than a gold piece from any other distant land in the Realms. At least, that's my take on it.

I tend to agree for the most part.

As it is, most of the original TSR fantasy worlds have their own equivalent monetary systems based on the D&D core interpretation -- like gold, silver etc -- and which have standard similar values. So values for common currency types like gold and silver are likely the same across most worlds -- unless there is a particular setting element which can impact upon that. Such as a noted shortage for a material used to craft a particular currency for example. Like steel on Ansalon [in DRAGONLANCE]. Steel actually became more valuable than most metal types [including gold and silver] used for currency on Ansalon because it became rare after being used in armament and tool making. But should a native from Ergoth on Ansalon take his hard-earned steel coins to Waterdeep for example, via some portal travel, he's unlikely to receive the same currency value for his steel pieces on Toril as he would have on Krynn during post-Cataclysmic times.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 04:32:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

These Thunderstone queries are going to form a small sourcebook by themselves, when Ed's done answering them.

I'm way ahead of you Wooly.

I've actually been experimenting with a new method for compiling Ed's replies this year... creating both a master-reply file which contains all Ed's replies, and special "topical files" which include only replies Ed's made about a specific part of the Realms. Like the recent batch of Thunderstone replies for example. It's an expansion of the original idea I had for compiling all of Krash's "Impiltur" replies.

I'll be featuring a combination of compilations for these topical files, such as .doc, .html, and .pdf, so scribes should find them relatively easy to access and search through [not to mention to download as well] when necessary once they've been uploaded to Candlekeep.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 06:33:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

These Thunderstone queries are going to form a small sourcebook by themselves, when Ed's done answering them.

I'm way ahead of you Wooly.

I've actually been experimenting with a new method for compiling Ed's replies this year... creating both a master-reply file which contains all Ed's replies, and special "topical files" which include only replies Ed's made about a specific part of the Realms. Like the recent batch of Thunderstone replies for example. It's an expansion of the original idea I had for compiling all of Krash's "Impiltur" replies.

I'll be featuring a combination of compilations for these topical files, such as .doc, .html, and .pdf, so scribes should find them relatively easy to access and search through [not to mention to download as well] when necessary once they've been uploaded to Candlekeep.


Yes! That would be amazing! It's kinda hard to find specific kinds of information right now, but cataloguing certain topics on their own would make things so much easier.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 17 Jan 2009 07:27:52
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,

I have a question about climate changes in Faerun. The fall of their empire in conjunction with the cooling climate of Faerun forced most Sarrukh into hiding/hibernation. However, comparing the map of the Year of Oaths Forsaken with the map from the 3e FRCS, there is a considerable amount of glacial retreat from what is now Vaasa and Dammara. Does this mean that the climate of Toril, or at least Faerun has gone through both a cooling and a warming phase? Was there a full-on ice age within recorded history? How quickly does the climate go through warming and cooling periods, to what extreme, and has climate change played a major part in the rise or fall of other humanoids or creatures?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 02:11:34
Message:

Hi, all.
Time for an update in the unfolding “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” contest (don’t worry, Ed will think of a suitable prize). Ashe Ravenheart has used his three guesses valiantly: Alaphondar, Royal Sage of Cormyr; Giogioni Wyvernspur; and Vangerdahast.
crazedventurers has echoed Alaphondar, and RodOdom has cleverly suggested “King Azoun himself.” Gomez has advanced Valantha Shimmerstar as a candidate, basing this on her “apparently mischievous” character and the VERY shrewd observation (pray read nothing into this comment of mine, scribes) that “it would be very much Ed if the writer was a woman.”
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin then guessed Elminster, Storm, and Tessaril Winter; and Wooly Rupert opted for Glarasteer Rhauligan (he HAS to be “our favorite dealer of turret tops,” being as Ed deliberately hasn’t named any of his three current competitors in print yet), with crazedventurers then confessing that Rhauligan was the second name to pop into his head (which neither Ed nor I are counting as an official vote, just a comment).
Broken Helm then advanced Lady Aerilee Summerwood (“that lady envoy from Silverymoon, from Ed's SWORDS trilogy”) and Laspeera as possibilities.
Longtime Realms helmsman Steven Schend then nominated (in jest, I hope) “said roguish miscreant Garen Thal.”
Aside from that last one, good and shrewd guesses, all (and mentally picturing it being Aerilee Summerwood, and her, ahem, field research before setting pen to page, gives ME the delighted shiver-giggles), but Ed sadly has to report that all of them happen to be wrong. People AT COURT have suspected all of those candidates, however (Alaphondar, Vangey, and Azoun very strongly).
Yet keep guessing, scribes. Only Ashe and Rino have fired salvos and thus used up their chances, thus far; everyone else is still in the running. I remind scribes again that the hint was that the author was “long known at Court” (rather than necessarily prominent or well-known at Court).
Heh-heh.
As Damian commented, it is a nice contest. Good fun for all. And yes, A Gavel, Ed agrees with you, and will provide a few sample titles of things the various candidate characters have written.
Now for a Realmslore reply from Ed. This time, it’s to Scarbeard’s post: “First, thank you for the fun reads, the Realms in general, and the many questions and comments that abound on these boards. Good stuff.
Now to questions...
Any hint on the whereabouts of the dragonstaff of Ahghairon? Or even its master, Maaril the Dragon Mage, or is all cloaked under the devilry of NDA's after his tower rocketed into the skies?
With Waterdeep's navy in the drink and relying mostly on the graces of Mintran warships for defense, would you guess an increase in pirate activities throughout the Wailing Years? Even more, threats from spell-scarred monsters or even the creepings of the Abolethic Sovereignty (though I know they're mostly in the Sea of Fallen Stars) may tax the resources of protecting merchant vessels and the shores of Waterdeep, giving rise to perhaps the hiring of privateers and such to bolster the Mintarn navy. I'm not very knowledgeable on Mintarn's sea might, but just how dangerous is the Sea of Swords now and has it stifled trade? Is this why Waterdeep scuttled its ships, not having the funds to keep a fleet maintained, and instead hiring out with trade pacts and such?
Thanks for your time,
Cheers from the dirty dwarf”
Ed replies:



I’m sorry, Scarbeard, but for now, the answers to all of your questions are NDA (future fiction plans for the Realms, on the part of more than a few authors). In short, these matters are not (yet, anyway) mine to reveal, though in the unpublished “bible” for the ‘Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep’ series I did say more about Waterdeep’s navy than has thus far been revealed publicly. There may come a time when I can speak more freely, but more likely you’ll read answers (of a sort) to some of your questions in future Realms fiction.
Mind you, no one should interpret these words of mine to mean someone’s writing a book right now about the scuttling of Waterdeep’s navy and the rise of piracy led by that masked swashbuckler Maaril the Dragon Mage, wielding the dragonstaff of Ahghairon . . . but that might make a rip-roaring read, mightn’t it? Hmmm, let’s think more on this . . .



So saith Ed. Who’s teasing, but also reminding us how some of the past Realms novels have come to be written. Hmmm, indeed.
Oh, Wooly? Ed got your e-mail, but it was all scrambled (problems his end, not with your message) and he's only just now managing to get to work on piecing it together. Expect an answer Monday or Tuesday.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 03:05:36
Message:

Does Scornubel have a sewer system, anything of interest down there if so, hidden temples, cults, etc.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 03:19:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, Wooly? Ed got your e-mail, but it was all scrambled (problems his end, not with your message) and he's only just now managing to get to work on piecing it together. Expect an answer Monday or Tuesday.
love to all,
THO




I can resend it, if necessary... It was just a follow-on to the previous question I'd asked.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 04:20:13
Message:

Guess One? Filfaeril herself, perhaps? Who would suspect it?


Reply author: Stratigo
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 06:58:57
Message:

So then, I'm just wondering if there are any diseases like leprosy in Faerun, and if they are are they cureable?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 08:18:12
Message:

From Ed's October 26th, 2004 reply: whitewasting (leprosy). So yes, it exists. As for a cure, not sure.

quote:
Originally posted by Stratigo

So then, I'm just wondering if there are any diseases like leprosy in Faerun, and if they are are they cureable?


Reply author: danbuter
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 13:29:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Stratigo

So then, I'm just wondering if there are any diseases like leprosy in Faerun, and if they are are they cureable?



There are definately some uncured diseases in Mistshore. I recommend the novel.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 16:12:47
Message:

What about Mystical or Fantasy Race STD? Do they exist, like Elven Aids or the Dwarven Clap? A little perverted by an interesting question if your character is going to every festhall in the realms...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 18:37:40
Message:

Yet another round of questions for my queue... I just surfed thru all the notes I'd made, and I didn't see too much relevant to this one...

I'm reading thru the Castlemourn book, and I got to the entry on Dragonhead. It mentions dwarves and golaunt having statues of Larlasse in front of their homes. And that got me to thinking...

For non-clerics, what kind of religious icons are used, and how prevalent are they? The lovely Lady Hooded One mentioned the Knights of Myth Drannor having holy symbols or tokens to their patron deities, but I was wondering how common this was. Also, what about non-adventurers? Small home shrines, religious tokens, statues, other artwork, holy symbols, what?


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 18 Jan 2009 21:57:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

What about Mystical or Fantasy Race STD? Do they exist, like Elven Aids or the Dwarven Clap?


Don't forget Troll Warts, Halfling Herpes, or Sahaugin Siphilis. The logistics of acquiring such diseases seems a whole lot more disturbing than the idea of them spreading very far... I would expect festhalls to keep magical healing either on hand or close by to prevent the spread of such things.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 00:13:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

What about Mystical or Fantasy Race STD? Do they exist, like Elven Aids or the Dwarven Clap? A little perverted by an interesting question if your character is going to every festhall in the realms...

Ed's actually touched on a few diseases and the like previously in his replies here at Candlekeep. [As the leprosy entry indicates] While you're waiting for Ed's take on your query, I'd perform a search through the compiled reply files.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 00:15:16
Message:

Oh, and Ed, you've got a semi-Realms-related email coming your way. [Actually, it kinda deals with other stuff you've written outside the Realms too]

Watch for it!


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 01:22:51
Message:

Ed can you speak about who rules Scornubel during 1372, is it a merchant council and if yes who are they and have any of them been recently added or removed by 1372?


Where Ioun stones invented in faerun and if yes by whom?


Reply author: Ayn Fuuser
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 01:31:04
Message:

As to createvmind and his question regarding the origin of Ioun stones I believe the mage named Ioun from the Age of Netheril created them. He was supposed to have been the second most powerful mage of Netheril, next to Krasus - the man who inadvertently caused the death of the first God of Magic, Mystryl. Hopefully that's accurate. :)

Also, as for one of my guesses to the "Filfaeril Bound and Willing" quandery I'm going to go with a completely wild guess and say Valantha Shimmerstar. A rather mischievous female War Wizard.

Oh, and if someone would be so kind as to expand on Ioun further...I'm no where near my sourcebooks currently. Thanks!

Edit: A typo here, a typo there.


Reply author: Ayn Fuuser
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 02:03:19
Message:

After much agonizing internal debate my second candidate for Ed's quiz would have to be none other than Volothamp Geddarm. That little rapscallion. It may explain why he hasn't realeased any more of his infamous Guides recently!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 03:39:03
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. Ed delves back into Asgetrion’s roster of Thunderstone queries, to deal now with this one:
“6) Which demihuman races have any "presence" in Thunderstone? Is it alright to assume that whole families of gnomes, halflings and dwarves live and work there? Any lost (i.e. forgotten) dwarven or gnome clan holds/strongholds nearby?”
Ed replies:



Even as passing travellers, elves are rarely seen in Thunderstone and the farmlands around it, though there are a few resident half-elves. Dwarves are seldom seen, though there are a handful of residents (and more in small, simple family delves in the foothills of the Thunder Peaks; they will gather at the higher, deeper-dug former dwarven strongholds of Aszcrag and Hulder’s Axe in the mountains proper, in times of war, alarm, or need. (These places are otherwise deserted, except as a place where casks of water and excess grain are cached in times of plenty, for later lean times, and as places passing dwarves may shelter in, overnight, if “stern weather” catches them.)
Gnomes are fairly common, both in Thunderstone and the surrounding ranching and farming country, and in the foothills (where, like the dwarves, they dwell in small and simple family delves, most of them being built around springs of drinkable water that rise to the surface and then flow out of the delve; because bears, owlbears, leucrotta, and other formidable beasts like to lair in such places, gnome family “holds” usually have pit traps lined with sharpened timber stakes, and similar “confinement” misdirections, plus “rockfall” chutes that allow tons of rubble to be unleashed down onto the heads of persistently-digging intruders).
Halflings are very common in Thunderstone and its surrounding farming and ranching country, making up perhaps 2 in every 10 sentient inhabitants, but deliberately keep a low public profile so humans won’t fear their numbers and resent or be suspicious of them. Many farms owned by humans are largely worked by halflings, who tend to be the majority of bakers, brewers, and livestock trainers and tenders in the area.
In Thunderstone proper, dwarves and gnomes do all the plumbing, almost all the smithing and mason-work, most of the roofing and large-scale carpentry, and a lot of the carving of everyday furniture and items (carry-coffers, bread-boxes, storage tins, portable display racks and shelves), too.
This is very much “typical” (stereotypical) work for these races, but there are also local halfling artists, gnome potters, and gnome and dwarf hatters, lacemakers, and gown and dress-makers. A halfling family makes many of the rope-web and heather-and-lavender-stuffed bed riggings and mattresses, too, and several gnome and halfling families compete fiercely to dominate the local glasswork industries (mainly bottle-making, but also lamp “chimneys,” small window-panes [in this region, typical windows consist of a protective grid of stout “beast bars” outside a grid of wood, clay-daub sealant, and small square glass panes], and hand-mirrors).
The highest-profile demi-human in Thunderstone is probably Daerigrol “Old Daern” Halindcleave, who strides the streets every mid-morn and mid-afternoon in a dirty, scorched ankle-length leather apron growling old songs to himself and periodically clashing two sickles against each other above his head. He’s Thunderstone’s roving knife- and tool-sharpener, and will do “three simple blades for a copper, or one good one” (a ‘good one’ meaning a sword, axe, face-razor, cook’s cleaver, or other vital or large blade). Daern’s sons are swift and efficient installers and repairers of hinges and latches, but one must call on them in their shopfront on the Rise to get them to come out to wherever their skills are needed. (They are masters of fashioning, adjusting, and re-rigging counterweights for doors [and, if one asks discreetly, traps].)



So saith Ed. Coming through in his usual enthusiastic manner.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 06:30:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

For non-clerics, what kind of religious icons are used, and how prevalent are they? The lovely Lady Hooded One mentioned the Knights of Myth Drannor having holy symbols or tokens to their patron deities, but I was wondering how common this was. Also, what about non-adventurers? Small home shrines, religious tokens, statues, other artwork, holy symbols, what?


I just have to say that, even from 1st and 2nd edition, a holy symbol was ALWAYS part of my standard adventurer's kit for all of my characters. I always saw it as 'better safe than sorry', and the scene of Beni in The Mummy with all of his holy symbols kinda proved my paranoia...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 07:43:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

For non-clerics, what kind of religious icons are used, and how prevalent are they? The lovely Lady Hooded One mentioned the Knights of Myth Drannor having holy symbols or tokens to their patron deities, but I was wondering how common this was. Also, what about non-adventurers? Small home shrines, religious tokens, statues, other artwork, holy symbols, what?


I just have to say that, even from 1st and 2nd edition, a holy symbol was ALWAYS part of my standard adventurer's kit for all of my characters. I always saw it as 'better safe than sorry', and the scene of Beni in The Mummy with all of his holy symbols kinda proved my paranoia...



I've done it with some of my characters, too, though not all of them... It was just that that bit I read got me to thinking about how non-adventurers honor their deities.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 13:19:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

For non-clerics, what kind of religious icons are used, and how prevalent are they? The lovely Lady Hooded One mentioned the Knights of Myth Drannor having holy symbols or tokens to their patron deities, but I was wondering how common this was. Also, what about non-adventurers? Small home shrines, religious tokens, statues, other artwork, holy symbols, what?


I just have to say that, even from 1st and 2nd edition, a holy symbol was ALWAYS part of my standard adventurer's kit for all of my characters. I always saw it as 'better safe than sorry', and the scene of Beni in The Mummy with all of his holy symbols kinda proved my paranoia...



I've done it with some of my characters, too, though not all of them... It was just that that bit I read got me to thinking about how non-adventurers honor their deities.

Actually Wooly, your query sounds kinda familiar. I could've sworn Ed's discussed something like this previously -- and something not directly related to the Knights. I'll have to check.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 15:00:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Nerfed2Hell

Don't forget Troll Warts, Halfling Herpes, or Sahaugin Siphilis.


Dragon Drip is the worst.



Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 16:38:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

For non-clerics, what kind of religious icons are used, and how prevalent are they? The lovely Lady Hooded One mentioned the Knights of Myth Drannor having holy symbols or tokens to their patron deities, but I was wondering how common this was. Also, what about non-adventurers? Small home shrines, religious tokens, statues, other artwork, holy symbols, what?


I just have to say that, even from 1st and 2nd edition, a holy symbol was ALWAYS part of my standard adventurer's kit for all of my characters. I always saw it as 'better safe than sorry', and the scene of Beni in The Mummy with all of his holy symbols kinda proved my paranoia...



I've done it with some of my characters, too, though not all of them... It was just that that bit I read got me to thinking about how non-adventurers honor their deities.

Actually Wooly, your query sounds kinda familiar. I could've sworn Ed's discussed something like this previously -- and something not directly related to the Knights. I'll have to check.




I searched my own files, looking specifically for "shrines" and "holy symbols", and didn't really find anything...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 16:58:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I searched my own files, looking specifically for "shrines" and "holy symbols", and didn't really find anything...

Yeah, I'm thinking now it might have been something I asked Ed in a private email back in '07. I'll check my logs.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 17:19:37
Message:

Uh...

Originally posted by Erskine Fincher:

"Dragon Drip is the worst."

Your (human or dwarven) PCs have sexual congress with DRAGONS?


I almost hesitate to ask. Yes, I DO hesitate to ask. And there's no way I'm asking Ed (or the Lady THO!!!!) about such matters. Sheesh.

[Yes, I'm joking.]


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 17:22:42
Message:

And why not ask me?
After all, I do have much I can reveal.
(First, get your extension ladder and suction cups . . .)
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 17:35:57
Message:

NOW look what you've done!
You had to get her going, didn't you? Now we'll all have to suffer through moments - - moments, I tell you! - - of innuendo!
And (ahem) I'll have to clean up again.
I ALWAYS have to do the cleaning up. Grumble grumble grumble . . .
BB


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 19:34:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
And why not ask me?



Most likely because that would result in an answer.


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 19:49:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Uh...
quote:
Originally posted by Erskine Fincher:

Dragon Drip is the worst.


Your (human or dwarven) PCs have sexual congress with DRAGONS?


I almost hesitate to ask. Yes, I DO hesitate to ask. And there's no way I'm asking Ed (or the Lady THO!!!!) about such matters. Sheesh.

Half-dragons have to come from somewhere.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 20:09:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Nerfed2Hell

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Uh...
quote:
Originally posted by Erskine Fincher:

Dragon Drip is the worst.


Your (human or dwarven) PCs have sexual congress with DRAGONS?


I almost hesitate to ask. Yes, I DO hesitate to ask. And there's no way I'm asking Ed (or the Lady THO!!!!) about such matters. Sheesh.

Half-dragons have to come from somewhere.


This is making me really not want to know what the symptoms of Dragon Drip are...


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 20:22:00
Message:

Flaming mucous.
Scaly skin.
Hair loss.
Receding gums.
Changing body temperature.
Iris discoloration.

I'd watch out for the flaming mucous.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 20:23:18
Message:

And THO, do the Realms even have extension ladders and suction cups? Than seems a little... anachronistic.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 20:41:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

And THO, do the Realms even have extension ladders and suction cups? Than seems a little... anachronistic.



are you sure you really want an answer to that??


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 20:57:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

Flaming mucous.
Scaly skin.
Hair loss.
Receding gums.
Changing body temperature.
Iris discoloration.

I'd watch out for the flaming mucous.


Aren't those the same steps in the Dragon Disciple prestige class?

Oooooh.... Now I understand that PC.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 21:06:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

Flaming mucous.
Scaly skin.
Hair loss.
Receding gums.
Changing body temperature.
Iris discoloration.

I'd watch out for the flaming mucous.


Aren't those the same steps in the Dragon Disciple prestige class?

Oooooh.... Now I understand that PC.




Great, now I'll never play a Dragon Disciple...


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 22:02:08
Message:

Its not necessarily flaming mucus... its mucus akin to the any given dragon type's breath weapon. So acidic mucus, flaming mucus, cold mucus, electric mucus, or whatever.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 22:28:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

And THO, do the Realms even have extension ladders and suction cups? Than seems a little... anachronistic.



Bah, just use spider climb.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 22:53:15
Message:

First, Nerfed, I was going for slightly ambiguous, and what would arguably be the least comfortable.

And second, Wooly, eew!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 22:57:17
Message:

Okay, we seem to be wandering a little away from questions to Ed. Let's get back on topic, eh?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Jan 2009 23:54:53
Message:

Indeed. Yet that was fun while it lasted.
(As the actress said to the bishop.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 00:19:12
Message:

Right. I have a question for Ed.
What's the last Realms fiction (by someone else, that he's allowed to tell us about) that he's read?
And what other fiction has he read this past week, or is the midst of reading? I recall this was asked some years back in this thread, and I found his answer to be a rich source of "books to look for and read for my pleasure."
So, Ed? Please?
And not to neglect the lovely Lady Hooded: what are YOU currently reading, that you can tell us about?
Thanks!


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 00:19:26
Message:

Actually, my query about extension ladders and suction cups was legitimate. So... ah...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 00:25:48
Message:

Ah, but Elminster has fetched both into the Realms, courtesy of Ed's generous nature (and the poor locks on his barn doors). And both have been copied and adopted by guilds in Waterdeep and some far-travelled and sharp-eyed merchants in Sembia and Westgate. Extension ladders have recently been seen in Suzail.
Wooden, all of them, mind you, not aluminum like Elminster's borrowed original.
I can attest to this because seeing extension ladders during our Realmsplay became a running joke amongst the players in Ed's "home" Realms campaign. One of many running jokes and little private "gotchas" that we enjoy.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 00:40:39
Message:

Well holy crap.

Does that mean El's got relatively educated knowledge of electronics and what have you?


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 01:23:38
Message:

My guesses as to the authorship debate: I would have suggested Filfaeril, Tessaril, and Laspeera, but I believe all three have already been put forward. My three guesses, therefore, are:
1) Tanalasta
2) Alusair
3) Jorunhast

And if I've hit the mark with any of these, I'm sure I won't be the only one who is shocked.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 01:40:05
Message:

Ed and THO: Wonderful lore regarding the Thunderflow. I won't ask any more questions, mostly because I haven't had time to think of any, but hopefully this will give Ed more time to track down answers to those that have already been asked by myself and others.

Many thanks again to Ed and THO for the time they spend both here and in search of answers for us, and to Candlekeep for providing this venue for them to answer our questions.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 02:09:48
Message:

Hello All

Do monks have contest between various schools, like north vs south, friendly contest of course and if yes what is the prize for the winning school/temple?

Another thing, there doesn't seem to be an abundance of monk magic items, perhaps you could name some if not NDA. Do monk orders go out of their way to recover magic items of their culture if they see non-monks with them, perhaps offer bearer something of value for the item? Would orders use force to recover items if bearer refuses to relinquish them, I'm speaking on good-nuetral orders?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 03:29:24
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. A very short Realmslore reply from Ed this time, in response to Asgetrion’s seventh Thunderstone-and-vicinity question:
“7) Can you give any details about the Realm of Wailing Fog?”
Ed replies:



No.



So saith Ed. Heh. He’s not trying to be nasty or flippant, however; he’s smitten with a firm NDA on this one, and is investigating to see just what he CAN say to you, to provide SOMEthing.
I’ve suggested he give you a “well, if I was DMing the Realms right now, and wanted to head the PCs off from this feature but describe approaching it and experiencing its verges, I would handle it this way” reply, and he agrees that’s a good way to go, IF he can get clearance.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 10:44:43
Message:

I just had to pop in and offer a belated (somebody had cast bestow curse on the computer) thank you to Ed for answering my Aglarond rich-list question a while back.

Oh. And expect follow-up questions once I'm done reading a month's worth of unopened e-mails


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 11:33:12
Message:

Argh ! You'd think moving the timeline 100 years would lift most of the NDAs.


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 13:57:05
Message:

Lady Hood,
When you say recently extension ladders have been seen in Suzail, do you mean 1360’s or 1470’s?
Also what years was “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” written? (not published) because I was leaning towards Alusair (she was known at court when it was published unless it was published before she could write…and I just find it funny, “Mother would you imagine yourself in this position?” “Only on Thursdays dear.”
And any scribe can answer the second question of course.

Bakra Lord of the Outlying Thread & small nibbles.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 15:22:25
Message:

Bakra, I do mean in the 1360s.
"Filfaeril Bound And Willing" started to make the rounds in 1369.
I LOVE your imagined conversation between Alusair and Filfaeril; it's one that (given their characters) they could easily have when Alusair was old enough (how old is that? That I leave to Ed; Alusair was both uninhibited and aware of the facts of life at a very early age, but as to how long it would take her to overcome her instinctive revulsion/reticence at discussing such matters with her mother, I'm not sure).
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 15:33:54
Message:

Has anyone guessed Dimswart?

Now that I think about it, I'm a little curious as to how "Filfaeril Bound And Willing" came to be published... We know it was written by someone at court, okay. But I'm curious as to if they arranged for its publication (which seems unlikely, to me) or if it fell into the wrong hands. I can readily see a noble, unhappy with the crown, arranging for the publication -- I don't see it as readily for someone who is loyal and, I'm guessing, something of an insider. Of course, we just know it's someone long known at Court -- which doesn't imply loyalty or even being a Cormyte.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 15:41:34
Message:

Aha! LISTEN to Wooly, guessers. He's elucidating some important points. As to his guess about the author, I'm not so sure.
love,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 18:39:35
Message:

Uh, I just realized...

What does Ed use suction cups for? Well, I guess he doesn't have them anymore , but still...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 18:42:36
Message:

No, he doesn't have them any more (they perish, over time, regardless of Elminster-swipings). Ed used them while he was working on his house, to lift panes of glass into place. You'll see good construction crews and window-glass-replacers using them everywhere.
(You were expecting a steamier answer, I know, but that'd be what *I* use them for .)
love,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 19:07:45
Message:

Actually, I was sort of hoping for an answer depicting activities of questionable legality. Like as part of a heist.

I can't imagine many steamy uses for... wait, no, there it is.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 Jan 2009 22:59:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Has anyone guessed Dimswart?
Funnily enough, Dimswart was one of the first names to come to mind. I don't have much reasoning behind it, but Ed did mention, some time ago, that Dimswart had been busy writing "this and that."


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 02:20:29
Message:

Probably not a very good guess considering it doesn't really fit the clues, but the first person I thought of for the question of authorship was Thone, author of the Heartsteel books.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 02:31:45
Message:

Hi again, scribes. Heh, keep those guesses coming!
In the meantime, here are the latest lore-words of Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to Asgetrion’s last (thus far) Thunderstone-and-vicinity question:
“8) Does Stag's Skull Bridge have any sort of barracks/buildings for the Dragons stationed there, or do they just march to guard the bridge in shifts? Does it have any other buildings, or perhaps even fortifications (such as a barbican)?”
Ed replies:



Stag’s Skull Bridge was recently rebuilt to make it stronger and wider, fuelling speculation that perhaps, just perhaps, the Crown was finally going to permit large-scale logging in the Hullack Forest, or even permit the building (or undertake the building) of a long-locally-dreamed-of road right through the heart of the Hullack, beginning at the Bridge and ending in a moot with the East Way.
The Bridge is now wide enough for two wagons to JUST pass abreast without the wheels of either straying up onto the walkways (like modern-real-world North American sidewalks: continuous paths of smooth stone slabs raised a little more than a handspan above the level of the central “wagon-way” path). These walkways, which are “the height of a shortish man, lying down” across (about five feet), run the length of the bridge on both sides of the central wagon-way, and are bounded by continuous stone parapets four feet high and a foot thick (with a flat top “edge” much used by local youths to leap or dive into the Thunderflow in the warmest months; the Thunderflow is apt to be rather cold for such activities the rest of the year). Fishing from the bridge is forbidden, as is loitering on it “with intent to talk or meet with others,” or blocking it - - and the Dragons guarding it have strict orders to keep anyone from forming the habit of breaking these decrees. (So divers from the bridge have formed the habit of striding briskly onto the bridge, fully clad, then suddenly veering to a parapet, mounting it, and leaping off, without hesitation or delay. Guards tolerate that, even enjoying the entertainment, so they won’t stop a dripping-wet repeat diver from starting across the bridge, even if they know full well what he or she is going to do when they get to midspan.)
From below, the bridge is a high arch (allowing a man standing on the deck of a barge on the Thunderflow to pass under the bridge without ducking), but from above, the wagon-way has been built up and lengthened to minimize the “hump” or grade in the center that wagons must negotiate in slippery weather. There is one drainage-hole in the “deck” or “bed” of the bridge (the wagon-way), usually covered by a circular metal plate, that is wide enough to allow a slender man (or anyone smaller) to pass through it if they raise their arms, though it would be hard to fall through it accidentally. This hole is located just below the high point of the wagon-way, on the Thunderstone side of that crest. It is rarely uncovered, except when during rare torrential rains and when ice or snow are being cleared off the bridge in winter.
The bridge does not yet have any barbicans, gates, or “end-houses,” fortified or otherwise, although there have long been plans for a small barbican at the Hullack Forest end of the bridge. What exists instead, in a straight line north from the wagon-way and about forty feet away from the north end of the bridge, is a small stone “hump” with ground-level firing-ports let into it, and a rusty forest of “thrusting out in all directions” spikes on top (to prevent any wagon, mount, or person from standing atop the hump).
The firing ports have heavy “swing up to the ceiling” metal shutters on their insides (reinforced by locking crossbars), and let into a small “ready room” where Purple Dragons can man multiple-fire heavy crossbows that are mounted on swivel-tripods, loaded (very rapidly) by means of racks, and cocked (fairly rapidly) by means of “master” winch-windlasses operated by turning large “wheels” of open spokes. Intended to repel an invasion in force out of the forest (e.g. by orcs), this small pillbox enclosure (known to the Dragons as “the Sunken Keep”) has never been used “in anger,” and is generally regarded as a mistake (though it has proved useful for private meetings, military initiations, and even trysts). It is accessed by a stone-lined, arch-topped tunnel that runs along the north bank of the Thunderflow for “four long bowshots” and then hooks north into the Hullack, where its hidden (by a screen of woven, living forest plants, and a smaller “mat” of them affixed to the door itself) access door emerges between the roots of an ancient shadowtop stump the size of a small cottage.
As the Sunken Keep is rarely even inspected, there’s little sign of any trail or disturbance at the tunnel entry. Food and water is cached all the way along the tunnel, and it has “sleeping niches” let into its north wall every so often; enough to hide twenty armed and equipped Dragons in comfort, and to “stash” forty of them for short periods in discomfort.
There is a small wooden “keep off the rain” pavilion on the west side of the south end of the bridge. (I call it a pavilion because it’s a steeply conical roof around a central flagpole that a lantern can be winched to the top of, for better visibility around the bridge in times of attack; a flag has never been known to be raised on it, that roof being supported by a ring of eight pillars, with no walls, a flagstone floor, and one solid and very uncomfortable log bench, to discourage any on-duty Dragons from dozing off. The word “pavilion” isn’t used in Cormyr for permanent buildings, only for elaborate tents; Cormyreans call this shelter a “rain-roof.”)
The Dragons DO have a small, simple walled compound consisting of a stone barracks, stables, haypile, underground stone-lined “pit” holding-cell with wall-manacles (six sets), well, and armory at the west end of Thunderstone (just outside the built-up area), and an identical, empty, locked-up “spare” compound at the east end of Thunderstone, beyond the built-up area. The western compound is known as Westhold, and the eastern one as Easthold (ah, the ever-poetic military mind), and Dragons moving between Stag's Skull Bridge and either compound are encouraged to always vary their routes and the times they make the journey (and change bridge-guarding shifts).



So saith Ed. Who wants to know if there are any more Thunderstone-related questions, while he’s still thinking about the place and has his notes out.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 02:47:36
Message:

-Dear Ed care of THO. I just recently got the Cormyr(2E) PDF from Paizo.

-On the map (page 72 of the PDF) it has a location called The Cliff of Lost Lovers. Just south of Halfhap, and due west of the Moonsea Ride. I started a thread about it over at the WotC boards. I got nothing as far as Realmslore is concerned. I looked at some other Realms products yet I can find anything about it. I was wondering if Ed has anything to say about this site. Thanks!


BRIMSTONE


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 11:09:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed. Who wants to know if there are any more Thunderstone-related questions, while he’s still thinking about the place and has his notes out.
love to all,
THO

Thank you for your replies so far - very much enjoyed by all!

More questions you ask? (ahem) well then.......

Wizards of War:
More than the normal contingent for a village of its size given the dangers of the Hullack? Any unusual spells used to blast the enemies in the woods without destroying the place? (general description is fine)

Purple Dragons:
Rangers, druids, scouts in the ranks? Do they 'patrol' the Hullack much or just keep the critters north of the Thunderflow? Do the locals lads and lasses enrol in the dragons?

Ranching:
Are horses bred for work (dray, plough etc) and for the military/general riding? (or do they specialise). Do most folks in Thunderstone know how to ride?

I would presume that hunting is a popular pastime given the location, so do people ride about the coutryside chasing deer and foxes? If so are hounds used, are they locally bred, by whom?

Are they any local laws regarding hunting? (right of way, game in/out of season etc)


What local festivals are celebrated? (excluding Greengrass, Shieldmeet etc) and are there any 'local only' traditions/games held at the festivals?


Beer: what is the local brew and does it travel well? (same for wine, fortified spirits etc)


If I wanted to subtly get some news into circulation, who would be the best person to 'talk to in confidence' and therefore ensure that everyone knew by sundown tomorrow what I wanted them to know


Of the up-and-coming young local lads and lasses who is seen as someone of worth, who is the troublemaker, and who is the one that the War Wizards and Dragons really keep an eye on?


Field boundaries: Hedges or dry stone walls?


I would be interested to know how the worship of Malar is conducted in Thunderstone, whether the locals accept it/embrace it or whether they are seen as those that 'keep the woods wild and hunt beast and man that dare tread the Hullack'.


Any local gossip on ruins/tresure/lost hunting parties/cults etc etc etc are always welcome. Do the locals try to steer adventuring groups to certain areas each summer by telling wild tales? Is there a local adventuring band active?

What is the relationship between Thunderstone and Highdale? much trade between the two, supported by hamlets/fortified waystations in the Thundergap?


Ahem, I could come up with a dozen more questions , but will leave it at that. Ed, am not expecting full blown answers for all and wont be miffed if you miss some out.

Cheers

Damian
ps thank you to THO for posting and sharing her own tales of Cormyr


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 16:54:31
Message:

My guess is Storm Silverhand. She's a marchioness of Cormyr and "long known there" and known to have a love of "bodice ripper" fiction. Maybe she tried her own hand at some ... ?

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 17:38:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

My guess is Storm Silverhand. She's a marchioness of Cormyr and "long known there" and known to have a love of "bodice ripper" fiction. Maybe she tried her own hand at some ... ?

-- George Krashos




I guessed her already, and she was among the wrong guesses.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 19:21:33
Message:

Sorry for the off-topiness in advance...

quote:
Originally posted by RodOdom

Argh ! You'd think moving the timeline 100 years would lift most of the NDAs.
I would think there would be even more NDAs where Ed and 4e is concerned - he knows MUCH less about it then the folks who designed it, and he really can't be "telling it like it is" like he does with the Realms he personally created.

In fact, there seems to be a lot of effort on the company's part to leave a LOT of guesswork in the setting now... which is something I can understand as a DM (but NOT as a fan of the Realms).

As for NDA's - they only concern important, historic matters (and figures), so your best bet is to ask questions regarding 'small details', and NOT large plothooks.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 21:38:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

My guess is Storm Silverhand. She's a marchioness of Cormyr and "long known there" and known to have a love of "bodice ripper" fiction. Maybe she tried her own hand at some ... ?

-- George Krashos




I guessed her already, and she was among the wrong guesses.



Must have missed it in all the excitement. Thanks for the heads up. I shall ponder anon.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 21 Jan 2009 21:41:08
Message:

I know who the author was, It was written by someone with a dirty mind...
hahahahahahaha


Reply author: Ergdusch
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 10:04:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who wants to know if there are any more Thunderstone-related questions, while he’s still thinking about the place and has his notes out.
love to all,
THO



Marvelous answers, all of them. My thanks to the one who asked about Thunderstone in the first place and many thanks of course to Ed for these detailed answers.


Reply author: Tormtar
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 11:04:53
Message:

Hi Ed and The Hooded One,

A couple of Archdale related queries, if I may?

Does Ed have any details on the dwarven master mason Feldyn Fullbellow (he who made the fountain at the Bounty of the Goddess temple in Archenbridge)? Where is he based? Who works for him or does he work alone, etc?

Secondly, the water in the aforementioned fountain turns to blood and has healing properties if a priest/ess of Chauntea is slain within the dale. Are there any other readily to hand examples of such event connected miracles connected with temples in the Heartlands?

Thanks


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 13:19:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Sorry for the off-topiness in advance...

[quote]Originally posted by RodOdom


In fact, there seems to be a lot of effort on the company's part to leave a LOT of guesswork in the setting now... which is something I can understand as a DM (but NOT as a fan of the Realms).



Well, good then. The less they'll have to retcon later.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 13:29:12
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,

In Ed and Jeff Grubb's novel Corymr, Vangerdahast confronts Aunadaur Bleth with a special relic:

“The blade I hold is Symy­lazarr, the Fount of Hon­or, up­on which ev­ery lead­er of ev­ery no­ble house swears his or her feal­ty to the king. Kiss the drag­on’s-head pom­mel and re­peat the last sen­tence you ut­tered,” the old wiz­ard said, and the oth­er two men in the room took a sin­gle step for­ward in uni­son."

What is Symylazarr's story? Is it enchanted? Thank you.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 19:21:46
Message:

IIRC, there are four 'royal blades' of Cormyr, and that is just one.

I'm not sure, but I think one may have been lost during Cormyr's war with Calimshan (the province of Valashar) - Fort Illbratha in the Troll Mountains has some history regarding it.


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 22 Jan 2009 19:31:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by RodOdom
What is Symylazarr's story? Is it enchanted? Thank you.
Symylazarr, like Orbyn, Rissar and Ansrivarr, are all tied into the Royal Lineage (and fully detailed there), and thus their histories and powers--all four are magical--are NDA, beyond what appears in Volo's Guide to Cormyr.

Ilbratha, Mistress of Battles, would be a fifth Sword of State, but it was lost long ago, and picked up by aquatic elves, as detailed in Sea of Fallen Stars.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 00:25:42
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you again Ed’s latest message, this time a hearty “You’re welcome!” to Kajehase, a “good guesses but sorry” to The Sage (Dimswart) and ranger of the unicorn run (Thone) and a “I’m not counting Storm as one of your guesses, George,” being as Storm had already been revealed as a “no,” to George Krashos, a confirmation that Garen Thal’s sword reply (directly above) is “right on” as far as Ed is concerned . . . and the hoped-for Realmslore, too.
This time, Ed’s lore-response concerns two of the questions asked by crazedventurers. Ed promises that the rest of Damian’s questions WILL be answered in later messages.
I’ve interspersed the queries with Ed’s replies:



Q: Wizards of War: More than the normal contingent for a village of its size given the dangers of the Hullack? Any unusual spells used to blast the enemies in the woods without destroying the place? (general description is fine)

A: No, War Wizards operating in the area come to Thunderstone only to investigate suspicious matters reported in Thunderstone itself.
Otherwise, they work up and down the Cormyr side of the mountains to the east, and probe into the Hullack from the north, avoiding Thunderstone except to occasionally “lie in wait” for brigands, smugglers, Zhent agents, or monsters flushed out of the forest, whom they believe will cross the Stag’s Skull Bridge in departing the Hullack on its southern edge.
The only seldom-used spell popular among War Wizards operating against foes in the Hullack is the “loft” spell, which is a swift, long-range cone area of effect spell that levitates warm-blooded, living mammals of the same size as the caster or larger precipitously twelve feet straight up into the air, and then (caster’s choice, made during incantation) ends abruptly, dumping them back down again in a fall, or ends in a feather fall (possibly leaving them a visible target for longer). The fall and crashing up into branches might cause minor damage (1-2 hp), but the main purpose of the spell is to “flush out” persons in hiding, so archers and other Purple Dragons can act against them (a lofted target can’t run away until they are back on the ground, though they CAN grab hold of tree boughs and get up into a tree). The spell is sometimes used on “friendlies,” to boost them up into a tree beyond their reach, or to extricate them from thorns or a bog.



Q: Purple Dragons: Rangers, druids, scouts in the ranks? Do they 'patrol' the Hullack much or just keep the critters north of the Thunderflow? Do the locals lads and lasses enroll in the Dragons?

A: The local Purple Dragons have a handful of trained scouts and rangers in the ranks, but they are primarily used to track horse-thieves and smugglers, and to watch suspicious movements in the foothills of the mountains, not to make forays into the Hullack (though moots “just inside” the forest, or frequent forays into the Hullack, will be investigated). This is because, yes, they tend to work to keep critters north of the Thunderflow rather than patrolling the Hullack in any strength (forays into the Hullack are made by larger forces organized and brought in from Arabel and elsewhere for specific missions). Druids are almost unknown among the ranks of Dragons. Local lads and lasses enroll in the Dragons, some out of interest and some because they find it their best chances of good employment, but they tend to find themselves swiftly reassigned to elsewhere in the realm, with only a few veteran Dragons stationed locally as “local experts.” This policy is to keep corruption among the Dragons to a minimum (young recruits may come in with hidden obligations or debts, or be too eager to make “big coin” quickly, and so be susceptible to bribery and just “looking the other way” when faced with malfeasances by longtime friends or family).



So saith Ed, who will return with more replies on the morrow.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 00:56:58
Message:

I'm getting nostalgic in my old age and was wondering if Ed would find the time to provide us here at the 'Keep with some spellbook write-ups in "Pages From the Mages" style. I'm happy not to get any game mechanics (although mention of unique spells contained witin them and what the spells 'do' would be nice). If I can indicate a preference, I'd love to see something to do with Halruaa or Netheril.

I understand if this might take a while, but I'm the patient sort.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 01:08:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

... a “good guesses but sorry” to The Sage (Dimswart)...
Heh. Ah, well. I guess this means I'll have to keep digging for potential possibilities then.

Okay, then, could we get a "kinda close" or "way off" remark from Ed for some of the suggestions given so far, my Lady?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 01:28:37
Message:

Heh. I'll ask, Sage, and we'll see.
George, what a GREAT suggestion. That, too, goes off to Ed (who's been very busy with some Realms writing today). I suspect patience will be necessary, but I'd not be surprised to see some write-ups. Eventually.
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 03:05:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I'm getting nostalgic in my old age and was wondering if Ed would find the time to provide us here at the 'Keep with some spellbook write-ups in "Pages From the Mages" style. I'm happy not to get any game mechanics (although mention of unique spells contained witin them and what the spells 'do' would be nice). If I can indicate a preference, I'd love to see something to do with Halruaa or Netheril.

I understand if this might take a while, but I'm the patient sort.

-- George Krashos




I'll actually add to this, a bit... I always loved Ed's articles on magical goodies (like the articles on swords, staves, and daggers; I've built an NPC around a dragonfang) and also his NPCs (like Mintiper, Asilther, Elsura, and of course Baelam the Bold). I'd love to see more of those. And if he wants, I'm sure that he could do them as full-on articles, instead of replies, and that Big Al would he happy to host them. This would also apply to George's request, too.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 03:34:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. I'll ask, Sage, and we'll see.
My thanks.

And I'll second Wooly's suggestion above too [and Krash's as well]... as I wouldn't mind seeing a few slightly detailed NPCs from Ed also.


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 04:28:19
Message:

Well, Ed has given us info on NPCs over the years, mostly because I've asked various random ones..... I haven't asked in awhile though because the last request I sent is still outstanding. :)

It's still time for some new FR curse words also. :)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 06:04:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

Well, Ed has given us info on NPCs over the years, mostly because I've asked various random ones..... I haven't asked in awhile though because the last request I sent is still outstanding. :)
Yeah, I remember those... because they're some of my favorite replies. But I'm sure Ed's got plenty more he'd be willing to talk further about if given enough prompting.
quote:
It's still time for some new FR curse words also. :)
That, and some new religious-specific/clerical terms as well.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 08:54:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

What is the relationship between Thunderstone and Highdale? much trade between the two, supported by hamlets/fortified waystations in the Thundergap?

Cheers

Damian
ps thank you to THO for posting and sharing her own tales of Cormyr



I seem to remember a small Purple Dragon outpost (and a village) called 'Thundarlun', which was mentioned in 'Crown of Fire'. I also recall it was destroyed by the Zhents hunting Shandril, but I guess it would have been rebuilt since then (because of its strategic importance).

Oh, and a *million* thanks to Ed and THO for all that marvelous info on Thunderstone -- it's already longer than most Dragon articles, and filled with inspiring, juicy details that I'm going to use in my campaign. Ed just never ceases to amaze and inspire me!


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 10:38:00
Message:

Although Ed has already done a massive job at detailing Thunderstone (I would have *paid* to get that info in print), I might add a few lore questions regarding that area:

9) Are there any Eldreth Veluuthra agents operating in the area, and if so, which sort of means and allies they usually employ? Would they, for example, ally themselves with (or manipulate or "frame") cultists of Cyric or Malar or even the Zhents under any circumstances? I asked this question, because it seems that 4E FR suggests EV is *very* interested in protecting the elven ruins within Hullack Forest, and even considering finding an elven realm there.

10) Are there any Red Wizards or Iron Throne agents operating in or near the town? (I seem to recall a certain cleric of Garagos plus references to brigands in 'Cloak & Dagger' -- would this info still be relevant)?

11) How many businesses in Thunderstone (a rough estimate is enough :) are "backed" or owned by Sembian money, and are there any (known) Sembian merchants/landowners/coster agents here? Also, how do the Cormyrean authorities (Alusair, War Wizards and Purple Dragons) and local nobles usually relate to them?

12) Are there any jewelers and/or moneylenders in Thunderstone?

13) How many armorers, blacksmiths and weaponsmiths are there in Thunderstone, and are these "professions" commonly held by the same persons (doing all the local "smithing work") in rural Cormyr?

14) Which mercantile organizations/costers or shipping companies have a base in or outside Thunderstone? (Cormyrean Coin Coster from Wheloon is one that I've included)

15) From your description I gather that Thunderstone does not have any sort of curtain walls or barbicans or gates -- are there Purple Dragons stationed outside the town (i.e. standing along the roads in shifts), or do they simply use outrider patrols?

16) Finally: I seem to recall that Hullack Trail was presented as a trail (i.e. a "non-paved" road) in 2E maps, but 3E FRCS shows it as a "major" road. Is this a recent change (initiated, perhaps, by Alusair) or simply a "map issue"? So I'm asking: is Hullack Trail paved in 1370 DR, and if so, does the road extend through the Thunder Peaks? Are the streets in Thunderstone paved, and are there any smaller lanes/streets which are "covered" with logs?

Lady THO and Ed, once again my humble thanks for all your patience and the amazing lore you keep providing day after day. :)


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 10:53:00
Message:

End of 2006, Ed gave a length reply concerning the war om Sessrendale and the nature of the Dusklord.
I was thinking to rework that reply into a hand-out (to be added as an appendix to a future adventure), suitable reworked (remove rule refs, possibly add some ambiguity) into a scroll that could be found in the Leaves of Learning in Highmoon.

I would like to attribute it to a writer, and my question here is who that writer could be.
Note that the adventure is set Year of the Ageless One, but the author can be from any time in the preceding 200 years.

Gomez


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 10:57:34
Message:

I promised Ed some follow-up questions to his answer about Aerlathra "Manycloaks" Dethoaran, so here goes (still pertaining to Aglarond in 1372):

What would a typical Aglarondan "house-garden" look like? Wkat kind of plants is it used for growing? Foodstuffs, medicinals, or just to "good-looking ones"?

What is grown in Aglarondan greenhouses? How common are they (the greenhouses)?

What is the normal fee for an apprenticeship?


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 23 Jan 2009 10:59:17
Message:

And as long as I have the floor - reading about Aerlathra's Harper-involvement made me wonder: Who is/was the main "under-cover" agent for the Red Wizards in Aglarond at the time?

And what kind of activities, other than trying to come up with a way to kill Her Majesty of the Shredded Dresses, would the Red Wizards have their Aglarondan agents be up to? Spreading discord among the armed forces? Abducting people to be taken to Thay as slaves? Trying to widen the gap between the various nations that make up Aglarond (Altumbel, Velprin, the Yuirwood, and the Fang if memory serves me correctly - come to that, would nation be the right word for those areas [as in the Iroquois nation, the Swedish nation, and so on])?


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 24 Jan 2009 00:27:09
Message:

Ed what is the one question you have not been asked here that you really, really want to be asked and can't wait to answer?

and what is that answer?


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 24 Jan 2009 00:29:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I'm getting nostalgic in my old age and was wondering if Ed would find the time to provide us here at the 'Keep with some spellbook write-ups in "Pages From the Mages" style. I'm happy not to get any game mechanics (although mention of unique spells contained witin them and what the spells 'do' would be nice). If I can indicate a preference, I'd love to see something to do with Halruaa or Netheril.

I understand if this might take a while, but I'm the patient sort.

-- George Krashos




Halruaa Please!


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 25 Jan 2009 06:50:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I'm getting nostalgic in my old age and was wondering if Ed would find the time to provide us here at the 'Keep with some spellbook write-ups in "Pages From the Mages" style. I'm happy not to get any game mechanics (although mention of unique spells contained witin them and what the spells 'do' would be nice). If I can indicate a preference, I'd love to see something to do with Halruaa or Netheril.

I understand if this might take a while, but I'm the patient sort.

-- George Krashos




Halruaa Please!



If George doesn't mind, I'd like to chime in too. My preference would be spells of the Shoon era in the South. I was quite intrigued with the pyramidal spellshields and "mosaic magic" used by Priamon Rakesk in Blackstaff.

I think it would be interesting to see how the genie magic of the South evolved over time to become Shoonite(?)and then Calishite. Is it considered a separate "pedigree" compared to the Elvish/Netherese of the North and the Imaskari/Mulhorandi/Thay of the South-East?


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 25 Jan 2009 23:52:37
Message:

Hello Ed,

What happens to children born in prison from female criminals, is fate of child dependent on race of mother, social standing? PC asked me this recently?

Regional answers much appreciated.


Reply author: Charles Phipps
Replied on: 26 Jan 2009 09:01:19
Message:

I'd like to add my guess for who is the author of "Filfaeril: Bound and Willing"

LASPEERA! Who else but a woman could write such purple prose but also with some intimate knowledge of the Royal Chambers?

It's always the quiet ones!

But yes, Ed, if you're allowed to do small details of Cormyr in the 4E. Do the Cormyrians have any special ways to honor the Steel Regent, Azoun the Fourth, or Tanalasta in their holidays?

They were pretty heroic figures.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 26 Jan 2009 13:29:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps

I'd like to add my guess for who is the author of "Filfaeril: Bound and Willing"

LASPEERA! Who else but a woman could write such purple prose but also with some intimate knowledge of the Royal Chambers?

It's always the quiet ones!

But yes, Ed, if you're allowed to do small details of Cormyr in the 4E. Do the Cormyrians have any special ways to honor the Steel Regent, Azoun the Fourth, or Tanalasta in their holidays?

They were pretty heroic figures.



Laspeera was already guessed. The list of guesses so far is as follows:

Alaphondar
Giogioni Wyvernspur
Vangerdahast
King Azoun
Valantha Shimmerstar
Elminster
Storm
Tessaril Winter
Glarasteer Rhauligan
Aerilee Summerwood
Laspeera
Garen Thal
Filfaeril
Volothamp Geddarm
Tanalasta
Alusair
Jorunhast
Dimswart
Thone


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Jan 2009 17:41:36
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed returns from judging a round of the current RPG Superstar Challenge going on at Paizo (Villains), and from some frantic days of writing and doing annual library budgets and legal negotiations (the reasons for his short silence) to answer this recent query from Gomez: “End of 2006, Ed gave a lengthy reply concerning the war on Sessrendale and the nature of the Dusklord.
I was thinking to rework that reply into a hand-out (to be added as an appendix to a future adventure), suitably reworked (remove rule refs, possibly add some ambiguity) into a scroll that could be found in the Leaves of Learning in Highmoon.
I would like to attribute it to a writer, and my question here is who that writer could be.
Note that the adventure is set Year of the Ageless One, but the author can be from any time in the preceding 200 years.”
Ed replies:



One can invent any number of sages or Cormyrean courtiers who could write such a brief historical outline of the fate of Sessrendale, of course, but I myself would choose Anlathur of Saerloon, who wrote a series of chapbooks on various locales in the Heartlands during the 1360s and 1370s (DR), including LOST DALES AND VANISHED NAMED PLACES OF THE MOONSEA VICINITY (1364 DR), which became briefly popular among adventurers and treasure-seeking investors in Sembia (and Westgate, and to a much lesser extent, Cormyr) when a (false) rumor spread that the text concealed encoded directions to a treasure hoard.



So saith Ed. Who will return with more Realmslore for us all, as soon as he can. Gomez, expect that report late tonight (it's midday here as I write this) or early tomorrow morn, okay?
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 26 Jan 2009 19:20:30
Message:

Huzzah! Thanks THO and Ed,

That is really useable info.
And looks like I'll have a busy day tomorrow ;)

Gomez


Reply author: Zanan
Replied on: 27 Jan 2009 11:10:38
Message:

Over at the WizBoards, someone asked the following question, one which Ed surely can reply to?!

quote:
I was reading the section in the Forgotten Realms guide about the King's Forest in Cormyr. Anyway, it briefly mentions a prophecy about a "Queen of Thorns" who sleeps beneath the forest. I was just wondering, does anyone know or has it ever been stated who or what this Queen of Thorns is?


http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=17724119#post17724119


Reply author: Amarel Derakanor
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 09:56:26
Message:

I have two questions for 'our lovely hooded lady', actually!

1.) Was it long ago since Ed, you, and the others sat down and enjoyed a game in *his* Realms?

2.) How did that last session play out? Prevented any RSE's did you?

//Amarel


Reply author: Amarel Derakanor
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 10:43:42
Message:

Oh, and by the way, it couldn't be Caladnei who's the author of 'Filfaeril Bound and Willing', right? Or could it...?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 18:42:27
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed has just come in the door from driving his wife to the local hospital for routine tests, through the usual perfectly-timed nasty blizzard (unploughed roads), to give us a brief Realmslore reply, this time to Amarel Derakanor's post (directly preceding this one):


Caladnei is a great guess, but (sorry) not the right one. :}

(I MIGHT give hints later on, Sage, but not yet. Right now, this is too much fun, watching fellow fans of the Realms try to think who the author might be, playing "most likely/least likely" logic chains.


So saith Ed. And as for your questions to me, Amarel, my answers are:
1. Not as long ago as you might think. (And for playing in the Realms without Ed: two nights back.)
2. Sorry; can't tell (I've signed my share of NDAs, too, and have done more "playtesting" for the Realms than many; just because neither Ed nor any of his veteran players tend to get listed in WotC-product front-matter playtest credits doesn't mean we haven't been involved, just that we tend to get forgotten and left off repeatedly). I can tell you that when Ed is the DM for a long-running campaign (as opposed to a one-shot pickup session), there are NEVER RSEs involved, because there are always a dozen or more subplots active at once; even if PCs went looking for RSEs to prevent, they'd never get the time or the freedom from distraction to find any, except by sheerest accident/literally stumbling into the middle of things.
love,
THO


Reply author: Darkmeer
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 19:17:03
Message:

Greetings Ed, THO, and all,

I have a question regarding the Tashalar's cities and villages. Outside of Narubel, the ruined city of Procalith, and Tashluta, there are no other real villages or cities mentioned. Are there more, or is it all just vineyards & farmland constantly watching for yuan-ti?

Many Thanks
/d


Reply author: Kentinal
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 20:04:47
Message:

Hmm, might as well get this name on the list.

Volo, after all he writes about so many things of the Realms *G*


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 23:06:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(I MIGHT give hints later on, Sage, but not yet. Right now, this is too much fun, watching fellow fans of the Realms try to think who the author might be, playing "most likely/least likely" logic chains.
No worries Ed. I am actually having fun deriving my own personal listing on the identity of the author. I'll post any choices I think are relevant... when I think they're relevant.


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 28 Jan 2009 23:13:43
Message:

Hullo again, Ed. On THO's suggestion, I'm rephrasing one of my posts from elsewhere in the forums as a question to thee:

It's Ches, Year of the Tankard/1370. One of my PCs picked up a cohort, a lady knight by the name of "Lorna" (Dalorna) Melruth (a nom de guerre). She's the bastard daughter of a Cormyrean lady of ill repute and a visiting sun elf Everaer noble. She was mostly raised as a playmate to a white sheep of a Cormyrean noble house with anti-royal tendencies, and the two became betrothed. He was likeable and bookish; she was headstrong and martially inclined, and trained by the bodyguards of the house.

Some time in 1369, to pay off debts, her fiancé is assassinated by the Fire Knives and the rest of his family seizes his property and servants. Lorna is disowned, and only manages to keep her engagement gift, a fully barded Cormyrean destrier named Deftin, her armor, shield, and the clothes on her back. Lorna leaves Cormyr for the Dales quietly.

I need a name and house for Lorna's unfortunate betrothed. THO suggested you might be able to dredge up one of the Cormyrean families that gets little screen time; if you have a most likely candidate or three that's not covered by an NDA, I'd love suggestions, and I'm sure my fellow scribes would appreciate the lore.

As for slightly more data to narrow it down, I have no idea, geographically, where this noble family might be based, other than the fiancé living in a semi-rural manor home, his age (mid or late 20's), his family's traditional anti-Obarskyr leanings (with him being an exception), and his bookish self.

Many thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jan 2009 01:51:29
Message:

Hello again, all. This time Ed’s latest offering of Realmslore is directed to Darkmeer, who posted: “Greetings Ed, THO, and all, I have a question regarding the Tashalar's cities and villages. Outside of Narubel, the ruined city of Procalith, and Tashluta, there are no other real villages or cities mentioned. Are there more, or is it all just vineyards & farmland constantly watching for yuan-ti? Many Thanks”
Ed replies:



Well, the first thing you should know about this is that the term “the Tashalar” used to be loosely applied to Lapaliiya, too, and by some to Sheirtalar whilst others used it to mean “everything south and west of Sheirtalar along the coast, until settlements peter out and it’s just the wild jungles of Chult.” Some people in the Heartlands and Sword Coast north of Baldur’s Gate, who’ve never visited this area, still use it to mean that. (A few distant outlanders even include Tharsult when they say “the Tashalar,” though that has to be considered wrong, considering that no one from Tharsult, Tashluta, or the coastal areas in question would ever have agreed that Tharsult should be included.)

With that cleared up, let’s say “the Tashalar proper” includes Narubel, Procalith, Tashluta, and the southern coast of The Shining Sea between the mountains west of Narubel and the mountains just west of Sammaresh (the western boundary of Lapaliiya), south through the Tashan Gap to where cleared (farmed and ranched), rolling uplands end and unbroken jungle starts. (Jungle is often burned or logged or both to keep it from swiftly reclaiming cleared areas.)

This defined area is rolling terrain crisscrossed by many nameless, winding dirt lanes. Near the coast it flattens into very gentling rolling terrain, traversed by a good coastal road (that for mysterious reasons seldom appears on published maps, but that parallels the coast pretty closely, about half a mile inland, and links Tashluta and Narubel).

The upland (southern) ranches of the Tashalar are unfenced areas patrolled by mounted ranchers, that have boundary cairns and tiny woodlots (called “thouks”) of jungle where vines, flowers, trees, birds, and small jungle creatures flourish. In part they flourish because all snakes (not just monstrous ones, or yuan-ti) are slain on sight (except by a handful of ranchers who eat serpent eggs and train house-guardian snakes or fashion snake-constructs or are in league with nagas).

Ranchers and farmers alike leave certain fields “fallow” to reseed themselves from time to time (they quickly become overgrown and can be grazed, and edible peppers and mushrooms are one crop that flourishes amid the chokingly-thick jungle vegetation, growing huge specimens for trade and the table even when untended).
Shifting back to the coast, one finds almost no ranches but many farms and vineyards.

Along the coastal road and along lanes reaching out in all directions (except into the sea) from cities like the “rays” of a star, one also finds two sorts of settlements that don’t make it onto maps, and so don’t have recorded names.

One sort are the truly temporary and nameless “tent cities,” clusters of travelling merchants’ tents that change as trade dictates, as various merchants move toward or away from specific cities, take part in caravans, shift to take part in livestock markets or trade at ports where many ships are docking, and so on. So the size of a tent city and the precise location of particular tents can change daily, especially as spring really “warms up” or fall really “draws down” or “chills.”

The winter season, where local edible crops are lightest but most valuable elsewhere (and so are almost all shipped out from the docks of Tashluta and Narubel whilst locals make do with pickles, preserves, and “meat meals” from hunting and of livestock whose owners don’t want to pay to feed their beasts through until spring [and so keep only the best breeding stock]) is a lean time for these traders, who tend to seek Var the Golden and similar places to trade, or return to bases in the Vilhon, Lantan, and elsewhere to work on crafted goods for sale NEXT season. At such times, the tent cities disappear, and only a handful of tents (often housing those who trade in poisons, potions, prostitution, monster procurement and body parts, and other “somewhat shady” professions or goods) remain, around the cities.

The second sort of unmapped, unnamed settlement is permanent housing: walled “haelaers” (pronounced: “Hail-LAYERS”) that are collectively known as “the Haeloot.” The first word roughly translates as “home ground,” and the second means “all who dwell within walls, outside city walls” (in this context, “within walls” means within a walled compound, not just in a house or hut of some sort. (A modest one-family walled compound of the same sort would be called a “stead” or “steading” in the Sword Coast North, and a “hold” if it was larger and home to multiple families.)

The term “Haeloot” is usually used in everyday conversation to mean the great mass of people who dwell in haelaers, in either a disparaging or a social sense (assuming they make up a discrete “class” of folk, or seeing them in a collective sense as consumers or those privy to information or slower to adopt fashions than city-dwellers or as having a shared opinion among themselves that differs from the opinion collectively held by city-dwellers).

In general, those who live in haelaers are wealthier and enjoy better lives (better and cheaper food, more space and more quiet and privacy, more fresh air) than the poorest city dwellers or the ranchers, but are looked down upon as “gold-shy” (we might say “country cousins”) by the wealthiest city-dwellers, who believe that haelaer-dwellers are too poor to afford grand city lodgings.

Haelaers are actually of two sorts: the abode of a wealthy family who dwell with their servants inside a walled compound owned and (in practise, though Tashlutan laws do in fact formally apply) governed by the wealthy family (some of whom style themselves as nobles); and a walled compound shared by more or less equal families (sometimes related by blood, by shared ownership of a business, or even because their elders were once members of the same group of employees or band of adventurers, and have now retired together).

Both sorts of haelaer tend to have similar features inside the walls: wells (or springs) and ponds (or both), orchards, stables, carriage sheds and/or workshops, food and herb gardens, and dwelling places, with most buildings being erected along the inside of the encircling wall (and sometimes having “back doors” out through it, or overhanging balconies that allow entry or departure by means of rope ladders or lines let down to the ground outside on a temporary basis. Some haelaer walls are banked with earth on the inside, and fall away as stone-clad walls only on the outside (where those earthen banks exist, they are usually grass-covered and contain various small, stone-lined “root cellars” where barrels of vegetables and fruits (in straw) are stored, as well as herbs and drinkables, meat being smoked or salted in barrels, fish in brine, wax-coated wheels of cheese, and so on). Cats are frequent pets (to keep down rodents who might otherwise devastate stored foods), and hobbled or tethered (or both) goats or sheep are often kept a-grazing, to yield milk, cheese, and occasional meat.

Where haelaers differ is in the dwellings they contain. One owned by a wealthy family will usually have a grand mansion (and sometimes a grand detached guesthouse), a gatehouse to guard entrance and egress, and much smaller, more spartan servants' quarters.

A shared-among-equals haelaer sometimes means sharing a grand mansion (with young boys, or older women, or nursing women with young children, or other subgroups using the outlying former servants’ cottages), but far more often was built as a shared haelaer, and lacks a mansion, instead having multiple modest dwellings.

Haelaers are also found in Lapaliiya, so one should think of the coastal areas of that land being crowded with them, in between the named cities and towns (generally, any good port will be a city, and the towns develop around river fords or bridges where the plentiful water makes possible long-established livestock markets, around which permanent market-moots grow).

Here are the names of a few of the haelaers around Tashluta: Bhaelongarr, Chellyth, Dalauntrel, Eskoun, Farrat, Hazlurel, Jarrabar, Laelont, Moraunglel, Skalat, Vaerlont, Yallanth, and Zimzrel.
Here are some of the haelaers around Narubel: Angahlel, Baerazh, Cirindyr (note: pronounced “SEER-in-deer”), Dathrel, Felpharel, Gasiz, Halamarokh, Imdrel, Nebrynth, Toraunna.
Here are a few haelaers found along the coast, not very near any city: Asbrinth, Djathynth, Ilingolorr, Larzrel, Lollonth, Lyrelont, Marelhaummur, Nanryth, Olophyr, Olosstel, Ssantrel, Taenthaun, Uoovralat, Velantrrat.
Feel free to coin your own names; they can sound like just about anything, thanks to the varying origins of (and tongues spoken by) the builders and founding owners. In long-established local dialects, the suffix “el” means ‘abode of’ (whoever’s name precedes it in the name); “alat” means ‘place of’ or ‘well of’; “rrat” means ‘grave of’; “garr” and any ending that includes “th” or “yth” or “ynth” means ‘place flourished in.’ So these suffixes appear often in haelaer names (another note: only very recent haelaer names will refer to “tower” or “keep,” and a haelaer name never evokes “Castle” or “Fort,” even if it’s built like one). The prefix “Olo” denotes good fortune.


So saith Ed. Who first imagined the Realms oh-so-vividly some forty-odd years ago, and continues to do so with every passing day.
P.S. Daviot, thank you, and your request is already on its way to Ed.
Kentinal, Ed chuckled at your guess, wondered why it had taken someone so long to suggest that particular candidate for authorship - - and wants you to know that this time, Volo isn’t guilty. Guess again.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jan 2009 01:55:39
Message:

Ah, one more thing.
Reading over Ed's reply, it occurs to me that he neglected to mention one thing: that caravans have been trade-blood for this region since it was VERY sparsely settled by humans, so all market-moots (towns and cities) always have a "shadow" of commonly-owned grazing land right around them where caravans have traditionally assembled, merchants set up tents and stalls, and so on. This is where the tent cities go; it's only rarely (in cases of extreme crowding) that they spread onto someone's farm or ranch and must pay rent.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Shodanicron
Replied on: 29 Jan 2009 02:05:47
Message:

Hi ed,

I have been searching for the answer to this question for some weeks now but have not yet come up with a satisfying answer.

It pertains to the Style of Armor and weaponry of the Ancient Netherese prior to the fall. Motifs or themes? favored weapons, material and to make things easier to picture any real world equivalents.

Thanks for your time.



Reply author: Amarel Derakanor
Replied on: 29 Jan 2009 09:55:54
Message:

Thanks alot for the answers, Hooded One.


Reply author: Nicolai Withander
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 01:48:01
Message:

Greeting THO and mighty ED.

First of all I hope everyone is well, even thou I dont know any of you and have never met you, a sound greeeting you shall get.

Now to my question.

I have looked and searched, and looked some more but have been unable to find the answer to this question, so now it goes to you.

how long would a wizard lvl 22, with INT 34, WIS 23 and extencive knowlegde on both Netheril and the elves, have to study the Nether scrolls in order to learn the secrets???(Get the bonus) Is it an equal amound of time per chapter or??? And does the study time differ betweene the "beach tree" and the scrolls en their true form?

Basicly, what would it take to learn the information storred in the Scrolls???

best wishes

Nicolai


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 02:00:09
Message:

Heya,

It doesn't really seem like her thing (at least to me), but might I suggest Myrmeen Lhal as the author of Filfaeril Bound and Willing?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 03:11:04
Message:

Hello again, all. This time I bring you new Realmslore from Ed of the Greenwood in response to this query, from Daviot: “Hullo again, Ed. On THO's suggestion, I'm rephrasing one of my posts from elsewhere in the forums as a question to thee:
It's Ches, Year of the Tankard/1370. One of my PCs picked up a cohort, a lady knight by the name of "Lorna" (Dalorna) Melruth (a nom de guerre). She's the bastard daughter of a Cormyrean lady of ill repute and a visiting sun elf Everaer noble. She was mostly raised as a playmate to a white sheep of a Cormyrean noble house with anti-royal tendencies, and the two became betrothed. He was likeable and bookish; she was headstrong and martially inclined, and trained by the bodyguards of the house.
Some time in 1369, to pay off debts, her fiancé is assassinated by the Fire Knives and the rest of his family seizes his property and servants. Lorna is disowned, and only manages to keep her engagement gift, a fully barded Cormyrean destrier named Deftin, her armor, shield, and the clothes on her back. Lorna leaves Cormyr for the Dales quietly.
I need a name and house for Lorna's unfortunate betrothed. THO suggested you might be able to dredge up one of the Cormyrean families that gets little screen time; if you have a most likely candidate or three that's not covered by an NDA, I'd love suggestions, and I'm sure my fellow scribes would appreciate the lore.
As for slightly more data to narrow it down, I have no idea, geographically, where this noble family might be based, other than the fiancé living in a semi-rural manor home, his age (mid or late 20's), his family's traditional anti-Obarskyr leanings (with him being an exception), and his bookish self.
Many thanks in advance.”
Ed replies:



Well, now. At the time of the assassination of Lorna’s affianced, there are almost twenty minor noble families whom he could easily have been a member of. I’m going to choose just four, and to make sure I don’t hamper any plans being hatched by anyone else (and to accommodate the necessary assassination of a son, AND to please Cormyr fans here at the Keep with new lore of the Forest Kingdom), I’ve made sure to pick families I KNOW haven’t been mentioned in official Realmslore before (or in the extensive lore-notes I sent to TSR, back in the day). So what follows is literally ALL that has thus far been seen by anyone about these families.
Take your pick, and feel free to use the others for other purposes.
I’ll send details of one family at a time to THO to relay to the Keep (hopefully one every evening for four evenings, if nothing trips me up).
So here’s our first candidate family . . .

House Arcantlet: [badge: a black side-on dragon’s head (bronze dragon in basis shape, only with a longer, thinner snout) looking to the viewer’s left, on a gold field. From the base of the dragon’s neck, at the bottom of the badge, a black line curves up and around in an almost-complete circle to enclose the gold field, but ends in a point just before joining the neck]
With a modest townhouse on a quiet street in northwestern Suzail, farms south of the Way of the Manticore not far east of the Wyvernflow, and Cantergates, a small but fortified country mansion (in the midst of a private hunting forest or “chase”) southeast of Hultail, the Arcantlet family is comparatively impoverished, unknown, and few in numbers.
Ennobled in the reign of Duar for “valiant personal service to the King” (saving his life in battle more than once, and fighting at his side as a competent and trusted warrior), Lathlan Arcantlet was a quiet, studious, and cunning-in-battle knight who as Lord Arcantlet (given the land where Cantergates now stands and two small adjacent farms that had fallen into royal hands after Duar killed their traitor-owners, but nothing more) set out to found a family and die happy, respected, and rich.
He managed all three, building a slightly smaller Cantergates and adding three more farms to his Wyvernflow holdings before his death, at the age of ninety-six, surrounded by his wife, seven daughters, and three sons.
By royal assent, Lathlan’s wife Paerelle became Lady Arcantlet in her own right, and she shrewdly watched her offspring, trying to decide who would make her best successor. Death took two of the sons and one daughter not all that many years later, another four daughters married into other families, and an elderly and ill Lady Arcantlet named her daughter Raedaunra her successor as head of the house. This enraged her surviving son, Tersarren, who murdered her - - and was promptly executed by the Crown for doing so.
A saddened Raedaunra dwelt in Cantergates with her two sisters for more than a decade, but eventually fell in love with a commoner named Hareth Blacksheath. They were wed, and their son Croenel, a handsome, upstanding and “kingly” man eventually succeeded Raedaunra. Croenel’s weaknesses were gambling and fair lasses, but he was a shrewd merchant trader with an eye for trends and strategic purchases, and died very rich, having replaced the Arcantlet rental accommodations in Suzail with a grand mansion, built a large fleet of merchant caravels busily plying the waves of the Sea of Fallen Stars, and been not too proud to enter scores of business ventures with common-born Suzailan merchants (many of which were successful). However, Croenel’s love for chasing longskirts led to him marrying late. He sired only one son and one daughter - - and the daughter, Nendiira, proved to be a dangerous, murderous madwoman who covertly slew scores of people before she was suspected, confronted, and died under the spells of three Wizards of War after she’d killed a fourth.
Croenel’s son, Thandivurr (a quiet, scholarly man who withdrew from most of the family merchant ventures and had the misfortune to lose much of his fleet over the years in storms, remorse keeping him from adding any ships to replace those lost), also had only one son, Fendrel, an amoral rake and lover of sly schemes and thievery whose shady business dealings impoverished the family and lost them their Suzailan mansion. Fendrel had two sons, Asgreth and Thandurl - - and from that day to this, no Lord Arcantlet has sired more than two sons (and three daughters), and most have managed only one of each.
The family has stayed small and fairly poor, living within its means but as a result having a low profile among the nobility of Cormyr and little influence at Court.
In 1349, a weak and ineffectual Lord Thurcastle Arcantlet died (having spent the previous six years so wandering in his wits that the family’s kindly house wizard [yes, a Wizard of War], Brestor Narbridle, had really run the family, propping up Thurcastle’s saddened wife, Lady Adbrooke). The sole son, Helgrath, became Lord Arcantlet, and proved to be the “brokemirror” (antithesis) of his father; Helgrath was a hearty hunting, riding, brawling, wenching sort, burly, darkly handsome, and jovial.
Helgrath sent Narbridle packing and faced down Vangerdahast, telling him to “send any young novice, as we love the land yet have no love for Court scheming or conniving, controlling mages here!”
Strangely, Helgrath survived saying such words to the Royal Magician, and found himself saddled with an everchanging succession of young, inexperienced, mild-mannered house wizards - - which suited him just fine. He was busy marrying and wearing out wives, taking Nalrue Rowanmantle as his bride in 1351 DR and remarrying (Lalustra Thornstag) in 1357, within months of Nalrue’s death in childbirth. He sired sons Talryn in 1351 and Nesgarl in 1355, and daughters Oromelle (1353), Jathra (1357; her mother died birthing her), and Helbra (1359).
Helgrath died in a suspicious hunting accident in 1360 (it was almost certainly murder, but the identity of the murderers - - Helgrath died with four arrows through him, all fired from different directions in the thick forest and all piercing him before he fell - - was never uncovered, despite a “storm-scouringly diligent” investigation by the Wizards of War).
After Helgrath’s death, the true mettle of the surviving Arcantlets was revealed. Oromelle was a spiteful, brilliant woman and a superb actress, who may well have been no more evil than that (she withdrew to Suzail, survived several attempts on her life that were almost certainly made by “hands” hired by her family, and then “disappeared” with the assistance of the War Wizards and Crown permission, changing her appearance and name and being held “in reserve” to keep this noble family from becoming extinct if the Crown is ever forced to execute the rest, or their misadventures kill them all), and Nesgarl was an easygoing, gentle scholar [this is Lorna’s guy, if you want to use the Arcantlets], but Lalustra, Talryn, Jathra, and Helbra were “pure twisted poison,” to borrow War Wizard Laspeera’s description of them.
Talryn became Lord Arcantlet when young and headstrong, and set about trying to become rich and powerful by scheming with every Sembian cabal and illicit thieving group he could find - - soon running the family deep into debt to his shady allies when slaving and drug-running ventures crumbled in the face of War Wizard-led attacks and surveillance. He began ruthless, and has rapidly become embittered and a cold, tireless foe of many.
Lalustra tried to sleep her way through “every available noble bed” she could worm her way into, seeking a new husband with wealth to keep her pampered and a weak enough character to be dominated. She left a trail of unhappy noblemen she’d stolen from and fought with, and eventually gave up husband-hunting (running out of suitable candidates, and not yet ready to lower herself to “Marsemban nobles, or commoners with much coin but no noble blood”) and ended up back under her son’s roof, unwanted and untrusted.
Jathra and Helbra are superb actresses, poisoners, and wantons who used their bodies and promises to work their way through a succession of men (yes, despite Helbra’s young age; she was born with stunning good looks, matured into ripe beauty at about age nine, and watched and learned “wiles” from her mother and older sisters). Jathra likes rough, strong men and wealthy commoner merchants, preferably both; Helbra prefers lonely noblemen, often the unmarried, unhappy “uncles” of other families.
All of the surviving Arcantlets can be civil to each other, and even work together for common advantage, but none of them trust each other as far as the thickness of a dagger-blade. Moreover, Talryn, Lalustra, and Jathra all actively hate each other so much that any such cooperation between any two of them is going to be short-lived indeed.
As of 1369 [the time of Nesgarl’s murder, if you choose this noble house], the family is in debt and up past its collective eyebrows in shady dealings, though very few commoners and only a handful of noble families and courtiers know this. Some nobles personally know the cavils and worth (not much) of individual Arcantlets, but in general, if nobles or courtiers or the wider Cormyrean public have any attitude at all toward House Arcantlet, it’s to overlook them - - and if faced by the fact of their existence, to pigeonhole them as “one of those minor noble families; no coin, few in number, probably deservedly so.”
Nesgarl would have very seldom visited Suzail (perhaps once a year or so) and spent much of his youth at Cantergates, being transferred to one of several expanded farmhouses somewhere in the farms east of the Wyvernflow once his brother Talryn became Lord Arcantlet and wanted Cantergates to himself (mainly to remove witnesses to his carousings and shady dealings).
These farms, by the way (their actual number and extent have expanded and shrunk over the years, in accordance with family fortunes), are collectively known as “the Windcoast” to the family, though that’s a name anyone else will search for in vain on any maps (yes, the country is windy, and it’s near but not on the coast, though seabreezes - - and mists, blown ashore - - can often be experienced there). The farmhouse Nesgarl was installed in can have any name you want it to, but yes, he would have been surrounded by bodyguards charged with keeping him safe, keeping the farm and its crops safe - - and keeping watch over Nesgarl and his doings.
Nesgarl having a woman (Lorna) would (although it would originally have been Lalustra’s plan, also with an eye to controlling her son without having to openly seem to do so) be viewed with approval by Talryn because, in his thinking, it would keep Nesgarl busy. That is, keep him from perhaps getting restless and starting to do things on his own (such as relocate to Suzail, where he might draw attention to the wider family and cause War Wizards or others to peer at “what the Arcantlets might be up to”).
Now, if Lorna had been the “take me to the bright lights and feasts of Suzail right now” sort, rather than the “train me to arms, bodyguards of the house” sort, Lalustra or Talryn might have “taken care of her” early on . . . but as it happened, she served her purpose until Nesgarl’s removal became necessary.

So that’s our first possible noble family. Houses Bryarn, Haldoneir, and Sorndrake should follow, in the fullness of time (though I am tearingly busy right now, and the fierce winter weather locally isn’t helping matters, eating up spare time with difficult driving and shoveling, shoveling, and more #$@%! shoveling). We’ll see.



So saith Ed. Worldbuilder extraordinaire.
And Zandilar: Hi, and a good guess. Off to Ed it goes, to see if it's right (I'm not thinking so, myself, following the same misgivings you have, but . . .)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 03:18:59
Message:

And this just in, from Ed:


Amarel Derakanor, you're very welcome. Don't be shy about asking more questions, though it can sometimes take me literally years to get around to answering them.

Zandilar, great to hear from you. Sorry, Myrmeen Lhal didn't pen that particular work. Though I can certainly picture her enjoying a perusal of it . . . :}


So saith Ed. The Rapidly Tiring Tireless Snow Shoveller.
love to all,
THO
Edit: typo fix.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 03:30:15
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Zandilar, great to hear from you. Sorry, Myrmeen Lhal didn't pen that particular work. Though I can certainly picture her enjoying a perusal of it . . . :}





I can too!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 05:47:27
Message:

Methinks that when Ed is done responding to Daviot, many scribes will be rejoicing (as I am) and Daviot will have a difficult (but fun!) decision on which family to use...


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 06:22:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Methinks that when Ed is done responding to Daviot, many scribes will be rejoicing (as I am) and Daviot will have a difficult (but fun!) decision on which family to use...



Indeed! Ah, well, I'm still enthusiastically waiting to see what the other three are.

Many thanks, Ed.


Reply author: Ifthir
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 06:28:08
Message:

Greetings lady THO, Ed.

I have a campaign that will be taking the characters into Nimbral for the first time, and I had some questions I was hoping you could answer.

I did some searching on the net and in Dragons of Faerun but found not a single mention of a dragon who laired anywhere near Nimbral. Is this the case? Are the Nimbral Lords just that good at policing their lands? Or, are there dragons who do lair in or near Nimbral, and if so, is there any information you can provide?

Additionally, is there any lore concerning what type of businesses can be found on the Isle of Selpir? Are there inns or taverns for adventurers to stay in, or merchants of any sort?

Thanks in advance for any answers.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 06:43:37
Message:

A recently raised question, brought about by reading TIME and surfing the web:
Ed, what's your opinion about Fan Fiction? Are you for it? Against it? Couldn't care less?
If you like it, what stories would you like to see tried out?


Reply author: Darkmeer
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 06:55:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. This time Ed’s latest offering of Realmslore is directed to Darkmeer
***Snip***



Thank you THO and Ed very much!

/d


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 15:31:24
Message:

Hi Ed and THO,
A question occurred to me while reading the great Arcantlet writeup; aside from War Wizards and house wizards and Highknights and local lords (of the Crown), which courtiers - - if any - - keep watch on the doings of noble families. Not necessarily with criminal suspicion, but just to know where they are and who they're having business dealings with (e.g. Sembia)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 17:22:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Methinks that when Ed is done responding to Daviot, many scribes will be rejoicing (as I am) and Daviot will have a difficult (but fun!) decision on which family to use...



I agree! In a way, I'm a bit jealous.

Loved the lore, thank you!


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 30 Jan 2009 23:32:11
Message:

Greetings all the scribes again from the oh-so-lovable Althen Artren Master of the irrevalent comment:
(Is that an invitation? I wonder?)

More questions to throw on the oh-so-precarious stacked
tower of questions to answer.

Inside the Fall of Stars, we read in VGTtD that there are hidden
goodies in the walls and trophies. May we please have more
items of interest? How are some of these things hidden?
Who are the bodies of past victims hidden in the layers?

Aurglorosa, Great Wyrm Elder Shadow Dragon, may we have a Wyrms of the North
article on her, or at least a few paragraphs on personality and lair location?

What is a werebe-holder? Any write ups anywhere you can remember?

I have tried to map the safehold over the Standing Stone but haven't got anything I like.
Is it like a group of single rooms connected by portals, or a series of multi-room complexes linked by portal, or is it a huge complex that has no A to B to C way to go through it?

I'm sure more question shall be coming soon? Stay warm, everyone. Madam Hooded, you may
stay warm with me. :)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 00:05:30
Message:

althen artren, your questions are on their way to Ed for definitive answers, but I can tell you from Realmsplay experience that the Standing Stone safehold is a small sequence of individual rooms linked by "automatic" portals (step into the right spot at one end of the room and the portal whisks you onwards, into the next room - - or in the case of the last room, back to atop the Standing Stone again). Not all of the portals are strictly one-way, but carrying certain sorts of items prevents some of the portals functioning "in reverse," so until a creature carrying such items figures out what's happening and drops the items, they can only move in one direction through the sequence of rooms (six or seven chambers, as far as I can recall, supplied with fresh air through "micro-gates" that pulse in and out of existence, and move around in the uppermost areas of each room).
love,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 01:08:21
Message:

Did you look in Dragons of Faerun, or the web enhancements for it? Her lair is listed as being in the Thunder Peaks in Thunderholme......

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren

Aurglorosa, Great Wyrm Elder Shadow Dragon, may we have a Wyrms of the North article on her, or at least a few paragraphs on personality and lair location?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 02:47:10
Message:

Hello again, all. Weather and medical forays today prevented Ed from finishing House Bryarn, but he was also at work on other lore replies, and whilst sitting in various doctor’s examining rooms was able to type up one reply, specifically to this query from Shodanicron: “Hi Ed, I have been searching for the answer to this question for some weeks now but have not yet come up with a satisfying answer. It pertains to the Style of Armor and weaponry of the Ancient Netherese prior to the fall. Motifs or themes? favored weapons, material and to make things easier to picture any real world equivalents. Thanks for your time.”
Ed replies:



The correct answer for armor is ALL sorts of armor one can imagine - - but sparsely used.
Or to put it more precisely: the “low” Netherese of the forests occasionally used bracers, shields (including bucklers), and sometimes a back-and-breast or just a breastplate, but the only common sort of armor they wore was a gorget or war-collar (meant to protect the throat, in the case of a gorget, or the neck, throat, underjaw, and their joining to the torso, in the case of the war-collar).
Guards in the floating cities (or other domains of the archwizards) might be found wearing anything the ruler of their domain fancied, up to and including glass armor very like the modern-day Flying Hunt of Nimbral - - but usually far less, typically being limited to “show” armor of greaves, bracers, helms, and breastplates over flowing robes and with flowing cloaks. Sometimes huge gauntlets were also worn - - and as with the “low” Netherese, gorgets were common.
It’s not correct to say that the Netherese hadn’t thought of plate armor; it’s that they never used such heavy, all-encompassing armor. They’d thought of, created, and tried out EVERYTHING, mainly for the entertainment the crafting afforded them.
In fact, the “ultimate” fashion in Netherese armor is flexible metal cladding for the entire body, including a full-face helm (spired), and shoulder-guards (two spires, rising from either shoulder, to protect the helm), that was worn by guards who rode various aerial steeds.
However, it is correct to say that the Netherese didn’t use coat-of-plate or full plate or plate mail.
The reason Netherese armor tended to be light, or for show, or was avoided altogether, was magic. Specifically a now-lost, common low- (2nd) –level spell that allowed electrical and fiery spells to transform the armor worn by a target into molten form, destroying it and doing great agonizing (and typically fatal, flesh-melting) damage to the wearer all at one stroke.
Like real-world cannon making castles obsolete and pistols and muskets that could shoot small iron balls making personal armor largely obsolete, this spell (which went by such names as Avarde’s Ulgaunt, foebite, and searstrike) made the wearing of armor generally more dangerous than beneficial - - because darned near every Netherese spellcaster knew and could readily use the spell; many of them had 4th and 6th level equivalents that (like chain lightning) could arc from armor-wearing target to armor-wearing target, and disable or slay multiple foes at once.
It’s always a stylistic mistake to try to link the Realms to specific real-world ancient cultures - - but if it works for you, in your campaign, go right ahead. I should note that the armor of the inhabitants of the city of Shade is just that: the armor worn in ONE floating city out of dozens whose inhabitants wore vastly differing styles of (mostly light, for the reasons given above) armor.
All of which means you can literally use any look, type, or style of armor you want to, for Netherese armor found or used today. Please note that Netherese armor surviving into the Realms of “today” will have preservative magics - - and that almost all Netherese armor of any sort bore many enchantments, from feather fall to everbright to ironguard and many, many more magical effects now seen in modern spells. Go wild when creating your own, because the Netherese sure did.
Netherese weapons were likewise loaded with magic (among the wizards, who used scepters most of all, with rods, wands, and orbs being their other favored “forms” for enchanted items (including orbs and rods that thrust forth blades when properly manipulated). Rapiers and daggers having multiple magical powers were also popular; almost everyone carried tiny “fang” daggers that had a few magical powers (the ability to glow with an intensity varied by the will of the wielder, feather fall, minor healing, short-term invisibility and/or dimension door, dispel magic, and so on).
Outside the cities, in the wild forest, Netherese used spears, daggers, handbows (hand crossbows), and various sorts of swords; sickles and scimitars (curved, hooked blades) were popular among the easternmost-dwelling Netherese.



So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms and of course Netheril (I know; I’ve seen his original design notes).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Shodanicron
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 02:56:37
Message:

My sincerest thanks for the reply. Much more detailed that i could have hoped. The complexities and variance in the styles was not something i expected, but more than welcome and gives much fuel for thought.

Cheers and thank you


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 05:53:27
Message:

That's a really scary spell, Ed, and one I'm sure did not go unnoticed by Netheril's neighbors. Did the elves (either Eaerlann or Cormanthor) or the dwarves with their love of plate mail create any kind of countermeasure? Either magics or special alloys? Were there limits that could be exploited? I've got some players I'd like to introduce this spell to (they've long since learned to run in the other direction when I whip out the rust monsters), but I'd like to mine you for a few more ideas before I do.

edit: The more I think about this spell, the more I think it could really easily have set off a magical arms race between Netheril and its neighbors. I'm really curious how they reacted since this was clearly not a well-kept secret.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 06:17:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

That's a really scary spell, Ed, and one I'm sure did not go unnoticed by Netheril's neighbors. Did the elves (either Eaerlann or Cormanthor) or the dwarves with their love of plate mail create any kind of countermeasure? Either magics or special alloys? Were there limits that could be exploited? I've got some players I'd like to introduce this spell to (they've long since learned to run in the other direction when I whip out the rust monsters), but I'd like to mine you for a few more ideas before I do.

edit: The more I think about this spell, the more I think it could really easily have set off a magical arms race between Netheril and its neighbors. I'm really curious how they reacted since this was clearly not a well-kept secret.


I'm thinking with the elves, they probably weren't worried too much since the spell effected metal armor and they favored more natural armor and magical defenses. As for dwarves, cold iron and other metal alloys (and pure dwarven craftsmanship) probably blunted the magic quite a bit.

But that's just my take on it.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 09:53:00
Message:

Hi Ed and LHO and fellow scribes,

After paging through The Grand History of the Realms, I saw a lot of instances of "hopeless last stand" battles among the younger races, such as the Last Stand at Humaithira, the sacrifice of the Moonlight Men at Turnstone Pass, the last battles of the Weeping War for the elves and other races, and darn near every dwarf clanhold against the latest orc/goblin horde. Undoubtedly these are memorialized in countless songs and works of art.

What I'm curious about are the older races: giants and dragons. I would expect such battles to be extremely rare and far back in history because both races' populations have been in steady decline since the fall of their respective empires, and now choose to avoid entangling themselves in the affairs of the younger races.

Ed, can you please share some examples of "last stand" battles like Thermopylae or the Alamo that occurred among these two ancient races (not necessarily between each other), and moreover how their descendants memorialized the places and individuals involved? Thank you very much!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 31 Jan 2009 17:12:19
Message:

Dear Ed and Lovely THO,
Another quick Realms question: could you please give us the names of a few well-known singers/bards/"bands" of musicians, that citizens of Waterdeep and Scornubel and Iriaebor and Suzail and Silverymoon and Neverwinter might have heard of, circa 1370 DR or so?
(I purposefull listed all of these places not to get a separate list for each, but to find out if there's anyone well-known enough to have been heard of (not necessarily personally seen or heard by the citizen), that widely.
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Feb 2009 02:34:11
Message:

Hello again, all. Herewith, I present Ed’s second candidate Cormyrean noble family for Daviot to use as the villainous family in the backstory of Lorna . . .

House Bryarn: [badge: an oval, long axis vertical, of thin black thornbranch, zigzagging gently from joint to joint, with a single red thorn protruding outwards from each joint, the lowest two thorns having large teardrops of blood about to fall from them, and the thornbranch framing a four-pointed blue star, long points vertical, all on a steel-gray field, or a steel-gray symmetrical shield shaped like the shield in the arms depicted on page 73 of POWER OF FAERUN]
House Bryarn is small in numbers but notorious among the nobility of the Forest Kingdom and well-known to courtiers (though not to the wider circle of Cormyrean commoners) because of their propensity for dueling rival nobles and just slaughtering (or hiring killers to dispose of) commoners who cross them, even in small ways.
They are cold, calculating “get-even” foes, not fiery-tempered, and often wait years for the best opportunity to arrange an “accident” to befall an enemy. However, they have come to the notice of War Wizards, Highknights, and Purple Dragons over the years because just so darned many deaths occurred to persons who disagreed with Bryarns, fought or competed with them, or spoke out against them or their views at revels, feasts, or Court dealings.
As a consequence, House Bryarn has quietly become shunned by other nobles, and dealt with by Purple Dragons and courtiers with careful, exacting politeness (and as little as possible).
At least two Bryarn nobles (Esklelt in 1356 DR and Morgram in 1364 DR) have been murdered by Highknights to stop them repeatedly trying to assassinate Obarskyrs and Truesilvers who - - in their minds, at least - - had offended them. Curiously, Bryarns do not apply this ‘get even at all costs’ policy to non-Cormyreans, and so have carried on a flourishing trade in slaves, gems, fine furniture, and fashionable wines and spirits with various partners in Westgate and several Sembian cities for almost a century, deriving much of their wealth thereby.
House Bryarn was ennobled in 1262 DR by Azoun III after the head of the family, Sellorn Bryarn, the founder and leader of the Black Rose mercenary company, rescued an outnumbered and trapped band of Purple Dragons from a large and organized monster force attacking out of the Stonelands, destroying that “band of beasts” (though there were many rumors as to who had organized and controlled the monsters; most everyone agreed that wizards were involved, and paid by a backer either outside the realm or among the nobles of Cormyr - - but some said the Black Rose band were initially part of the force, and turned on it when the backer refused to pay them, or even that the Black Rose hireswords repudiated that backer just to make their own fortunes).
Sellorn’s son Siard (“SEE-ard”) is rumored to have become a procurer for Salember even before he succeeded his father as Lord Bryarn (secretly fetching him willing bedmates from Sembia and installing them at various Crown properties for dalliances, in latter days bringing them to the Palace itself - - and enabling the Rebel Prince to stay aloof from all Cormyrean noble families by keeping distant from all the willing and ambitious daughters thrust at him). The family rose in wealth and influence during Salember’s Regency—only to be “cut dead” by other nobles when Salember fell.
Siard fought several duels (in all of which he slew his noble opponents), and is thought to have murdered three other nobles who’d challenged him in the wake of those duels, only to mysteriously die by misadventure (castle parapets twice collapsing onto heads; a horse rearing and apparently triggering a fireball-inducing magic item carried by the victim; and a charging “ghost” causing a terrified and fatal leap from a high balcony) before the duels could occur.
As Crown agents and officers were sent to search for Siard, to compel him to answer royal justice for the duels, Siard hustled his family to various of their country holdings.
Then, as now, the Bryarn properties consist of a modest “northwestern, near the wall” townhouse in Suzail, some rental properties in Marsember, an inn in Arabel, two small farms not far east of Hilp, and Bryargates, a keep (and, curiously, half a dozen fortified stone warehouses) on a large wooded horse ranch and home farm just east of The Way of the Dragon, not far south of the King’s Forest) - - and then vanished. The Crown agents and officers hunting for Lord Siard Bryarn never found any trace of him.
Rumors place Siard almost everywhere in the known Realms, some even insisting he’s still alive today, and whisper that he’s behind any number of plots against the Crown or the realm.
War Wizards thoroughly mind-reamed the surviving Bryarns, and found no hint that Siard’s eldest son Blakann liked or trusted his father, knew of his whereabouts, or held any antipathy towards the Crown, so after Siard was formally stripped of his title and grace in absentia, Blakann was royally confirmed as the next Lord Bryarn (in late 1288 DR).
From that day to this, the Bryarns have kept a low profile inside Cormyr but a higher one outside it (in the easternmost cities of Sembia in particular, which is where various Lord Bryarns - - or their factors [trade agents] go wife-hunting for them). Bryarns never marry other Cormyrean nobility, generally choosing wives for their family wealth, their beauty, and their willingness to be loyal to the succession of strong-minded, ruthless ruling lords of the family. Several Lady Bryarns have proven to be more scheming, farsighted, and ruthless than their husbands, and the family hasn’t hesitated to kill its own members if they showed signs of cooperating too closely with War Wizards or other Crown agents or investigators, romancing nobility of the Forest Kingdom (Lord Vaerend Bryarn infamously told his sons, “You can look at them, even bare them and mistreat them - - but if you ever spill your seed in any of them, I will remove the instrument of that spilling with my most notched and blunt blade, have it cooked for your dining pleasure, and it will be your last meal”).
One such family casualty - - though for too-careful cordiality with suspicious and repeatedly-visiting War Wizards, and to seize his goods to pay family debts, not for dalliance with any noble Cormyrean lass or lady - - was Lyonard Bryarn, quietly killed in 1369 DR by family agents in Maeravelposts, the family-owned Suzailan townhouse (named for its builder, the briefly-famous sculptor and stonemason Maerevel Bryarn); a death they sought to blame on Lyonard’s companion (Daviot, that would be Lorna, if you choose this family).
At the time of Lyonard’s killing, his kin consist of:

Lord Boarrevarn Bryarn, Lyonard’s father and the ruling patriarch of the family, an icily self-controlled sadist who loves torturing young commoner Cormyrean lads and lasses in private and then selling the maimed remains into pot-making and item-painting slavery in back shops for owners in Westgate. He’s burly and pot-bellied, clinging to the remains of the devastating dark good looks of his youth, and sports an everchanging array of close-trimmed beards. Boarrevarn secretly pens torrid “ardent young love” chapbooks for young ladies in Suzail, under the pseudonym “Darra Delanther,” and is gaining fans as his works spread. His driving interests, however (after opportunities to indulge his sadism), consist of manipulating public opinion to slowly turn Cormyr against its ruling family and the Court they govern through, plus all “too rich, too prominent, too haughty” nobles . . . as opposed to “good” nobles. Quieter families, such as (ahem) House Bryarn.

Lady Jeleskra Bryarn, who knows very well what her husband is up to with his whips and brands and knives, and backs him to the hilt so long as he largely leaves her alone to rut with their loyal house bodyguards and to hunt in the woods at Bryargates - - except for her spring and fall visits to Suzail to take part in the rounds of feasts and revels, where she plays the part of a bored, timid, neglected noble wife to a gentle, quiet lord nothing like his disgraced predecessors; a man lost in his hobbies of painting and reading (a fiction she can maintain with some success among the nobility because Boarrevarn NEVER leaves Bryargates). Lady Jeleskra has a small but well-paid band of spies in Suzail, Marsember, Westgate, and Sembia, who keep watch over her husband’s small and better paid band of factors [trade agents] who see to the family businesses, shady and legal - - though Lady Jeleskra in truth gives the orders and ruthlessly advances the family fortunes.

Lord Melivur Bryarn, the eldest son and heir of the house (Lyonard was the second son), a sardonic, softly-purring, superior-to-all sort who curbs his insolence only when dealing with his parents. Genuinely brilliant and possessed of a never-failing memory, even for faces seen fleetingly and scraps of conversations overheard in passing, he is educating himself by reading Lyonard’s library and by seeking out all sorts of people on his frequent “gambling and wenching” trips to Suzail (during which he shepherds shipments of goods to and from the warehouses of Bryargates) and paying them handsomely to answer his questions and show him how things are made, how certain trades work, and what’s in fashion. He considers his parents less than sane and his family headed for self-courted doom, and is quietly building himself various small coin caches, a side-identity complete with a disguise, and a sideline caravan business, for the day he might have to flee in a hurry.
Unless, that is, he becomes head of the house first (whereupon, if his mother isn’t dead already, he’ll dispose of her as brutally as swiftness allows, and set about framing his brother Nuljalak for all family misdeeds and treacheries to the Crown).

Lord Nuljalak (“Jalak” to one and all) Bryarn, the youngest son of the house, a bored and splendidly handsome fair-haired hunter and rider of accomplishment, who enjoys fencing, drinking, and the bed-company of his pick of all young, wealthy, non-noble Suzailans who are interested in knowing a noble. Jalak loves pranks, swindles that make him and his “fast friends” casual coin now and then, and a life of indolence, luxury, and haughty scorn of “oldcoin nobles,” Court officers, and the ruling Obarskyrs alike. He’s good with a sword and learning to become competent with hurled daggers and with handbows (hand crossbows), likes to wrestle the most muscular bare-bodied and oiled lasses-for-hire he can procure in Suzail (he doesn’t bed them, he pays them to pit their strength against his, and cheerfully hires dwarves, half-orcs, and the largest and strongest human women he can find for this), and has a weakness for strong cheeses and exotic liqueurs. He’s recently discovered a wrinkled old crone in living in squalor in westside Suzail who was once a very active poisoner in Amn, and is paying her well to teach him all about poisons, procure their antidotes for him, and dose him with carefully-limited amounts of the ones he can thereby build up an immunity to.

Lady Alazgrelle (“Laz” or “Lazgrel” to family and friends) is a fun-loving, irreverent hard drinker and dancer who can outdrink many men, loves acrobatic pranks, and covers a vicious get-even nature behind a hearty, husky laugh, a willingness to play the fool and bare her skin in public and private, and a seemingly endless flood of curly, golden-hued tresses that reach to her ankles except when she binds them up - - or carelessly hacks them off. An accomplished rider and breeder of horses, she takes daily charge of the Bryargates horse ranch, except when she’s off carousing in Suzail, which is often. She enjoys bedding partners of either gender, but they must be human; elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and crossbreeds (of any of these races with humans) disgust her. Strangely, half-orcs and orcs do not, and she bears several scars from lust-bites suffered in moments of extreme passion when abed with such partners. (There is no truth to the rumor, popular among the Bryargates guards whom she never looks at, that she “ruts with the horses.”)
Lazgrel is tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, and buxom; her uppercut has sent more than a few startled men off to enjoy dream-visions from the gods for a time. Yet of all the Bryarns, she’s the least likely to hold a grudge or want to get even at all costs. Get her own back when she can, yes, and relish it . . . but she’s having FUN in life, and finds nursing hatreds and taking stock of slights and single coins owed to be tiresome, even obsessive.

Lady Alanstel is the youngest daughter of Boarrevarn and Jeleskra, and is a bone-thin, sly, often silent echo of her mother. Swift with sums and shrewd at judging people, she is her mother’s faithful business assistant and understudy, learning all she can from Jeleskra (and taking careful note of all slights and wrongs done not only to the Bryarns, but to her personally). She anticipates the day when the family will meet with disaster, and is positioning herself to pick up the pieces, distancing herself with false documents and the like from the misdeeds and anti-royal deeds and sentiments of her parents.
Right now, she’s quietly seeking out wizards who visit Suzail, seeking to buy some form of mind-protection (or better yet, several forms that she can use at once) from the Wizards of War. She needs to be able to conceal her true self from EVERYONE, and let them see only her chosen role of timid, quiet loyal daughter and loyal subject of the Dragon Throne.
Inwardly every bit as cold-blooded, calculating, and malicious as her mother or her aunt Yaraela, Alanstel is far more rigidly self-controlled, hiding her cruel thoughts and stilling her tongue. There will be plenty of time for paying back and settling scores later . . .

Lady Yaraela, Boarrevarn’s aging elder sister, is a wrinkled but man-hungry, malicious onetime beauty whose longtime lover, a senior Purple Dragon commander and onetime gallant commoner knight, was slain years ago. This broke her heart and turned her first to piety and then to malice, wherein she became a spectator for the lives of her kin and everyone else in Cormyr, deriving amusement from their ploys and delight from their misfortunes. Her reach, as a master manipulator, now extends only to the house bodyguards (who adore her, despite her petty cruelties, and enjoy lovemaking with her despite her age-faded beauty because she’s good at it and briskly enjoys it as physical release for both sides, nothing romantic at all) and Bryargates servants, and Alanstel - - who increasingly sees through her and refuses to play along. No matter; she vicariously enjoys meddling in lives from afar, and is enthusiastically manipulating the family factors [trade agents] into rivalries with each other, ever-harder service to Bryarns, and into themselves manipulating those House Bryarn trades with and against. Just for the malicious fun of it all.

The eldest daughter of Boarrevarn and Jeleskra, Lady Noenel (“NO-en-el”) Bryarn, was a tall, quiet, rather plain young woman with a kind side and a love of maps and books, who was close with her brother Lyonard because of his similar character and interests. (They liked and trusted each other, but they were fast friends, NOT lovers.)
Noenel died in a fierce winter storm in 1366 DR, so ill with fever (that made her “as hot as a roaring forge” inside) that she wandered outside, slipped, split her head open on frozen cobbles, and died of her wound and the cold, being found frozen in the morning.
Although there were some suspicions of foul play (largely thanks to the family reputation), Noenel’s death was a genuine accident, not an arranged one. Jeleskra shrugged off the loss, almost entirely disinterested, but Boarrevarn was saddened (he had secretly begun forcing himself on his daughter, and found her an attentive and gentle lover, the likes of which - - given his habits - - he’s not likely to find again).

And there you have it; our second candidate noble family. House Haldoneir is up next, when I can find some relief from all this shoveling (another two feet of snow fell last night and so far today, and it’s still swirling down, as pretty as a Christmas postcard and gently deadly, as we speak). Then it’s back to Thunderstone, and the questions posed by Damian and Asgetrion. Then it’s back to the ever-accumulating mound; THO has passed on some quite interesting ones in this first month of 09, but I musn’t neglect the vintage ones (2004, 2005 . . .), either.



So saith Ed, creator of the Realms, Cormyr, and a slowly-increasing roster of ah, interesting noble families. Delicious NPCs for a deep, rich Realms campaign.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 02:07:31
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
but Boarrevarn was saddened (he had secretly begun forcing himself on his daughter, and found her an attentive and gentle lover, the likes of which - - given his habits - - he’s not likely to find again).



I suppose it goes without saying, but... What a sick <insert expletive>.

I tried to make a post about this earlier today but there was some kind of error... I think the "forcing himself" and "lover" in the same sentence made my brain explode, and some bits must have been blown into the internet and disrupted things...

Anyway, what an oxymoronic statement that is - how can Noenel be considered his lover? There's no consent there if he's forcing himself on her - even if she gives in, it's still not consensual if he's forcing the issue. I'm sorry, I just don't get it.

(I'm sure some people are going to think I'm oversensitive... )


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 03:12:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(I'm sure some people are going to think I'm oversensitive... )


Nah, I know what you mean. He could've chopped her up and made her into stir fry, and it would have been less shocking. I think we're more affected by reading about the mundane sorts of evil that are all too common in the real worl, especially when they are crimes against children. My DM once described a scene depicted on a wall in an abyssal lair that involved harming children, and I was so affected by it that he's never gone there since.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 03:17:35
Message:

Yes I do find it odd that the wholesale extermination of whole cities, clanholds and races is discussed nonchalantly but types of sex being described is unsettling. If a town is destroyed that means children and infants are killed probably in gruesome fashion not to mention assualts of a sexual nature.

And while it may have started off as a forced situation it seems Ed is implying that both Noenel and father grew to engage in a sexual relationship of choice, an ugly situation to say the least but faerun is rife with that is it not.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 03:29:39
Message:

It kinda reminds me of when my Russian class was watching Dr. Zhivago, we were all a little shocked by the less-than-consentual affair between Laura and her mother's suitor.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 04:14:39
Message:

Just to clarify, I did not say that it was more shocking because it was sexual. It's more shocking for the same reason that serial killers are scarier than vampires: because it's more real.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 04:44:43
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by ErskineF

Nah, I know what you mean. He could've chopped her up and made her into stir fry, and it would have been less shocking. I think we're more affected by reading about the mundane sorts of evil that are all too common in the real worl, especially when they are crimes against children. My DM once described a scene depicted on a wall in an abyssal lair that involved harming children, and I was so affected by it that he's never gone there since.



I think you missed my point. It wasn't that I found the whole thing shocking (I did, but that is actually beside the point)... My point was that there's an inherent contradiction between him forcing himself on her, and her being considered his lover. She'd only be his lover if the whole thing is consensual... Implicit in the term forced is lack of consent. Lover implies something else entirely.

I think use of the word lover trivializes Noenel's violation completely and implies that after the first time he forced her, she folded and then began to enjoy his "attentions". It's this implication that I find most horrific about the way Ed worded this.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 05:11:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

I think you missed my point.


I got it, but I left that part as a discussion between you and Ed, and just responded to the part about whether you're being oversensitive. You're not. :)


Reply author: Gwydion669
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 05:48:57
Message:

Perhaps the implication is accurate.

But Ed would not mean to trivialize the situation ... just make it even more horrific. The "lovers" are a monster and his psychologically destroyed victim (Stockholm Syndrome taken to an extreme).

Even in a "civilized" society such as ours, such situations occur.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 06:36:02
Message:

Folks, we're kinda getting off the path of questions for Ed. Let's try to keep this scroll focused on that, eh?


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 08:00:42
Message:

I find it a bit tragic that there are so many noble families that started when an ancestor did something heroic, and now his descendants have become the kind of people he would most likely have despised.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 15:32:23
Message:

Hi, all.
Zandilar, I checked with Ed, re. this: "I think use of the word lover trivializes Noenel's violation completely and implies that after the first time he forced her, she folded and then began to enjoy his "attentions"."
Ed says that was EXACTLY his implication (Noenel did begin to enjoy his attentions, which is why she kept things secret rather than fleeing the family or running to the Crown). Neither Ed nor I agree that "use of the word lover trivializes Noenel's violation completely," unless you take the sentence out of context (separated from the rest of Ed's entry).
The entire House Bryarn entry is illustrating what twisted people most of these nobles are. Human, yes, so not all bad, but willful in the extreme because of their wealth and noble status . . . they can grow to be the monsters they want to be, or are driven to be.
And yes, khorne, it is tragic.
The setup Daviot gave us all requires a noble family that (in 1369 DR, at least) is less than, ah, "noble," and that's what Ed's giving us.
Ed completely understands that his use of the word "lover" in that context is going to upset some scribes. It was meant to.
The nobles who treated Lorna and her man (one of their own) so badly ARE villains, though some of them are truly evil and others are more weak "go along with it, or vainly/slowly try to find some way out of it" types. Ed is setting them up as villains a DM and players can hate, as well as presenting whatever good traits they have to make them seem real and not one-dimensional.
Powerful writing and design is seldom politically correct, and as a wordsmith Ed's probably not going to choose words by accident, or avoid using words because they may offend (as an editor, I can attest that one CAN'T always avoid using words that offend, because different words offend different readers, and you can end up throwing out every word for a particular situation out of your "toolbox").
I certainly understand WHY Zandilar has reacted this way, though, and Ed does too. In his word choice, he was trying to "say more than he stated baldly" about a situation. Now if Zandilar has a problem with either Noenel or her father behaving like that, that's legit, but Ed is describing what has happened in the past between two fictional characters, in a fictional rather than real-world setting, in order to establish villainy (not Noenel's!).
To shift this discussion away from matters sexual or gender-related, many people end up coerced into doing things they don't want to do, and still try to derive some enjoyment out of doing them; it's one way of dealing with life (one example I know Ed is personally familiar with, from his volunteering: seriously physically handicapped children and middle-aged people in an institution undergoing regular physical pain during their physiotherapy, to try to develop some muscles in wasted, maimed limbs . . . who try to turn their sessions into a social club, trading jokes and the like, to try to make it more bearable.
Some, of course, are going to see things differently. Zandilar, feel free to ask Ed any questions you like, about this or anything else. The welcome mat is always out.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 16:08:20
Message:

I think that it was able to rile up a lot of scribes here (myself included, just being quiet about it), shows how good Ed is at writing, not just heroes, but villains as well. I know that if my group finds themselves involved in some Cormyrean politics, House Bryarn will be making an appearance for them to work against.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 16:56:46
Message:

I expect many would have preferred it if Noenel hadn't given in this way.
People may misread the story as a message that rape is okay if the violated person at some point returns affections.
It also may give the impression that being evil or corrupted doesn't mean you can really be hurt by such actions. Not giving in would have made Noenel more human, which may be something Ed wnated to prevent to make the family more twisted, but imo it is not necessarily bad to have some elements of humanity - even in fantasy evil people need not be totally irredeemable, and such contrasts can actually emphasize the evil of te individual members. A family where everyone is evil and twisted is generally less interesting than one where the corruption is not ever-present.
Of course, in fantasy you do need some hyperbole now and then, so I do see a place for such a family.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 18:32:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

I find it a bit tragic that there are so many noble families that started when an ancestor did something heroic, and now his descendants have become the kind of people he would most likely have despised.



Yes, that was an element in both accountings so far that has really jumped out at me.

I've enjoyed these accountings very much, too.


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 19:38:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

I find it a bit tragic that there are so many noble families that started when an ancestor did something heroic, and now his descendants have become the kind of people he would most likely have despised.



Yes, that was an element in both accountings so far that has really jumped out at me.

I've enjoyed these accountings very much, too.



Indeed, and I could always use one or more of the other noble houses as antagonists should my game veer towards Cormyr (or should I start a game there). I'm enjoying the replies; thanks again!


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 21:01:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

I find it a bit tragic that there are so many noble families that started when an ancestor did something heroic, and now his descendants have become the kind of people he would most likely have despised.



Yes, that was an element in both accountings so far that has really jumped out at me.

I've enjoyed these accountings very much, too.

I suppose it's almost inevitable when it comes to inherited power. The first person who got the throne/title/estate had to work hard to earn it, so he/she was likely at least a competent person. His descendants didn't have to struggle in the same way, and subsequently grow more and more decadent over the generations.

Take that noble woman Florin guided through the forest in Knights of evenstar for example. She was spoiled BEYOND rotten. But when she had to struggle she came to see herself through a whole new light and became a much better person. It should be made law that all young nobles of Cormyr should go through that kind of stuff!


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 21:11:37
Message:

quote:
Ed is describing what has happened in the past between two fictional characters, in a fictional rather than real-world setting, in order to establish villainy (not Noenel's!).


How is Noenal not a villain by this description? She is freely engaging in an adulterous, incestuous affair with her father. If she's his lover, she's a villain. If she's a victim, she's not his lover.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 21:16:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

To shift this discussion away from matters sexual or gender-related, many people end up coerced into doing things they don't want to do, and still try to derive some enjoyment out of doing them; it's one way of dealing with life



Ed's and THO's response, reminds me of a brief scene in one of his novels, where Sharantyr of the Knights recalls being made a torture slave of the drow and destined for breeding experiments. Storm relates her own similar experiences being captured by the drow, and echoes THO's above observation about deriving some enjoyment out of it all, if only to keep oneself sane and retaining a measure of self-control. Of course, this view DOES come from one of the wilder and unrestrained of the Seven Sisters, so take it with a grain of salt.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 22:31:24
Message:

While I'm not arguing with your logic, Erskine, you are using one set of meanings for "villain" and "victim" and "lover." The absolute meanings, one might call them.
I recall, when studying opera in university, that the stories of the various operas contained many incestuous relationships (AND relationships where one of the participants was under a spell, or deceived by shapechanging, or forced into it by a god or devil) wherein the word "lover" or "lovers" was still used. In both translated librettos and in various scholarly commentaries on the operas.
I'm with The Sage; I think we should all shelve this discussion before it gets out of hand. Ed has spoken time and time again about the perils of applying our modern real-world morals, laws, and viewpoints to the Realms, when it gets down to tricky details - - and once we're arguing definitions and semantics, we're in the realm of tricky details. Ed's established that House Bryarn are bad people, who presumably offed the guy who was with Lorna because he didn't fit in. Being as Noenel is dead, it really doesn't matter now if she was a frighted weakling (victim above all else) or complicit (villain above victim).
THO's explained why Ed used the wording he did, and that's good enough for me. Time to move on.
Me, I'd rather ask Ed another lore question, tied to these bad noble families. If a noble goes running to the Crown complaining about another noble, it doubtless triggers the War Wizards into snooping (if they aren't aware of the situation already). But if the complaint is something serious, do they usually only send Highknights to goad and War Wizards to dig, or are there any official, public responses from courtiers or the Obarskyrs (before an arrest, I mean)?
Thanks,
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 23:10:53
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another Realms question for you: do any goods in the Realms (aside from stuff sold in kegs and other "bulk" containers) come in anything like "standard sizes"? Hats, cloaks, boots, gowns? Or is everything a case of "try it on, and if it doesn't fit see if a tailor can modify it"?
Thanks.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 23:16:37
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a campaign situation arising in the early 1360s. The PC party is traveling to Neverwinter for the first time, and they want to quiz a shopkeeper in Waterdeep they've befriended (whom I've already told them recently relocated from Neverwinter) about the city. I, of course, have to roleplay the NPC shopkeeper, and I know they're going to ask about some good/popular/relatively trustworhty/well-run local businesses.
Can you give me a handful of such, that "everyone in Neverwinter" would have heard of, or know?
Thanks in advance!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 23:31:16
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all.
Zandilar, I checked with Ed, re. this: "I think use of the word lover trivializes Noenel's violation completely and implies that after the first time he forced her, she folded and then began to enjoy his "attentions"."
Ed says that was EXACTLY his implication (Noenel did begin to enjoy his attentions, which is why she kept things secret rather than fleeing the family or running to the Crown). Neither Ed nor I agree that "use of the word lover trivializes Noenel's violation completely," unless you take the sentence out of context (separated from the rest of Ed's entry).


Right, I see, thanks! I think that could have been made a little clearer, but that just comes down to semantics...

Irrationally*, I feel the need to take Noenel by the shoulders and shake some sense into her (perhaps by showing her what ultimately happens to her father's victims - leaving her with the strong implication that one day he'd get bored with her and that's how she'd end up if she didn't get out)... Not because I have anything against consensual incest (because I don't, shocking I know), but simply because her father is a very sick and evil bastard and I would genuinely be worried for her safety.

*Because of the fact that this is a fictional character we're talking about.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Feb 2009 23:46:51
Message:

I agree with you, Zandilar.
Ed and I chatted about this relationship when I was gleaning lore to reply to you earlier, and I, too, suspect he would have become tired of her. Noenel probably wouldn't have fled in time, once that happened, because (as Ed saw it) she derived some sort of comfort(?) from the first personal attention anyone had really paid to her. And her father would probably then have wanted her "accidentally" dead to protect himself from any possibility of their shared secret getting out.
What Ed hasn't decided is what Lady Bryarn's attitude would have been to her husband killing her daughter over an affair Ed thinks she knew about (but pretended not to). Not because she was upset by the incest or the adultery, but because she would then "know" that her husband would probably murder her, too, the moment a young, new, beautiful, non-blood-related replacement for Noenel happened along.
Of course (as they say), we'll never know . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 06:38:23
Message:

quote:
How is Noenal not a villain by this description? She is freely engaging in an adulterous, incestuous affair with her father.



I don't consider having a consentual incestual relationship on it's own as villainous.
However, I do think that Noenel can become a villain in an outsiders' eyes (such as an adventuring party) by the fact that her lover (at least a lover in her eyes) is a brutal, most evil man, and that her affair implies she condoned his evil acts (which she likely might not, as possibly she was not in the know, either from being kept ignorant or she actively sheltered herself from finding out).

One issue then is that in a fantasy game, evil people hardly ever are seen as victims. We all have met the 'killing goblin babies is a good act' debates. Having a family where every member is dark and twisted risks the same: that people may not be able to consider Noenel a victim as she is seen as an evil creature (rather than human).
I may be putting too much thought into this, and probably am looking at it a bit too much as a DM (or editor, if you prefer) trying to see the use or effects in a game.

It think some of this can be solved - and the background of the story made more significant in game - if Noenel kept a diary, to be discovered and possibly used against Boarrevarn. I expect even the rumor of such a diary would be cause for Boarrevarn to seek to obtain it will all means, and methinks Lady Bryarn may see possession of it as an opportunity to get a hold over her husband, especially of she does suspect he may wish to get rid of her for a younger wife.
Such a diary could also shed lights on the affair that could cast Noenel in any light needed for the story (victim or villain, or both).

Note that in my case that is a bit moot for this family, as I work in a different era and area. But I suggest to add the diary's existence - if only as a persistent rumor - to the lore.

Gomez


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 11:49:36
Message:

Since it is my question, I guess I should try at least one answer:
Is it possible that the writer of 'Filfaeril Bound and Walking', is none other than good ol' doughy and dependable Maglanna? It's a wild guess, I know, but it seems to fit in with the clue our dear Lady THO gave...


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 14:29:36
Message:

Not to beat the subject to death, but I can't resist adding my own two cents:

I did not see Noenel as freely being in union with her father--I see her entirely as a victim, and if she ever "consented" to his attentions, she probably only did so as a means of self-preservation (Stockholm Syndrome).


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 14:56:40
Message:

Agreed.
On another topic: sorry, Menelvagor, I'm drawing a mental blank: who's Maglanna? Anyone?
Thank you.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 15:43:44
Message:

She's the Matron of a certain floor in the palace.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 17:05:00
Message:

Elves, magic, and dragons I easily accept, but a fantasy world in which rape victims embrace their attackers with "attentive and gentle" love is one too much for me.

We can call it a dead horse though. I'm done.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 18:28:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ErskineF

Elves, magic, and dragons I easily accept, but a fantasy world in which rape victims embrace their attackers with "attentive and gentle" love is one too much for me.

We can call it a dead horse though. I'm done.




To be fair, in the whole realms this is the only example of that I have heard of. So to say "a fantasy world in which rape victims embrace their attackers with "attentive and gentle" love..." is an un-fair assesment of the whole setting.

It is an abnormality that has shown up in one instance over the Millions of words Ed has penned about the realms i think this handful is being given too much weight.


ed:sp


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 20:58:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

So to say "a fantasy world in which rape victims embrace their attackers with "attentive and gentle" love..." is an un-fair assesment of the whole setting.


I'm sorry. I was trying to keep it short, and that made it unclear. I wasn't making an assessment of the whole setting, or Ed, or Ed's entire corpus, just the worth of that one bit. I have a problem with that one sentence, and I think the response to Zandilar's question was inadequate. So I'll toss out that sentence, but keep the rest.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Feb 2009 22:54:01
Message:

Folks, please, let's try to keep this scroll specifically for Ed-based questions.

Thank you.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 03:44:28
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. Herewith, fresh from Ed’s pen, the third candidate noble family for Daviot to employ as the dastards who butchered cohort Lorna’s loved one (who was one of their own).
I give you . . . the Haldoneirs, in all their tainted glory!


House Haldoneir: [badge: the black silhouette of an upright, stylized (not recognizable as any particular known breed; it has a long, slender, almost crocodile-like snout) dragon’s head, facing to the left and with jaws parted to show the tip of a forked tongue and a ragged jet of flame spewing out of the mouth, that ends in a severed straight line at its bottom, said line having three teardrops of black blood depending from it, and a horizontal sword, point to the left, right underneath it; this device has always been known in the family as “the Wyrmdeath,” so the sword is clearly meant to have just severed the head from an unseen draconic body]
A very old human family of Cormyr, the Haldoneirs have tended to be tall, slender, and strikingly handsome, and have always been associated with warfare; hardy and long-lived, but few in numbers due to battlefield losses.
An archer, farmer, and sometime hiresword named Ryneth Haldoneir was part of Ondeth Obarskyr’s fledgling “farms by the shore” settlement, on the site of the future Suzail, and although the Haldoneirs were never leaders or particularly staunch loyalists, and weren’t ennobled for centuries after their arrival in what became Cormyr, nowadays they proudly claim to be one of the “founding families” of the Forest Kingdom, with “blood as regal as any family of the realm” (which of course carefully falls JUST shy of claiming to have blood as royal as the Obarskyrs, while trying to give the impression of that very claim).
Haldoneirs fought on behalf of the early Obarskyr kings, but it’s clear from the hereditary family height and build—plus occasional family members whose features look very elven—that more than a few early Haldoneirs reached their own “separate peace” with elves, taking elves as mates and bringing “much elven moonbright” into the family bloodlines.
There are also old family legends of dragontaming, but these are utter fiction (though the Haldoneirs of today may genuinely not know this), spun by minstrels of the family households centuries back because more than a dozen early Haldoneirs had suits of scale mail made for them that had dragonhead helms, barbs at their elbows, and other “dragonlike” stylings and accoutrements.
Haldoneirs have been members of the Purple Dragons down the centuries, and at times reached high ranks and positions of trust; at least three male Haldoneirs (Amandras, in the reign of Galaghard III; Baerlon, in the reign of Proster; and Galard, in the reign of Palaghard I) have served as Highknights (or equivalents; that is, knights who were trusted personal agents of the monarch).
One widowed Haldoneir, Lady Vaerestra, was a trusted advisor of King Dhalmass, (rightly) entrusted with secrets of the realm and as highly regarded by Jorunhast, the High Wizard of the day, as she was by the reigning monarch. She died deliberately shielding the king’s body, taking a poisoned dagger meant for him. (In recognition of this, Dhalmass ennobled the family, making her “plain soldier” son, Mreldon, the first Lord Haldoneir.)
Although almost every generation of Haldoneirs have sent sons into the ranks of the Purple Dragons (some rendering distinguished service, and some not), most latter-day Haldoneirs enjoy lives of ease, kept in abundant coin by the rents from their many urban properties (scores in Suzail, but hundreds in both Selgaunt and Urmlaspyr). They tend to maintain very haughty manners, literally sneering down their noses at most commoners they meet, and serve as the living epitome of the ridiculously overblown “proper highnoses” (that’s the Realms term; we might say “snotty noble”), exhibiting arrogance without any accomplishment—or in some cases, even basic competence—to back it up.
That’s not to say recent Haldoneirs have been entirely idle. This is a family whose members like to entertain themselves with mistresses or “brightlads” (male lovers set up in their own Suzailan houses just as mistresses are), dabble in various cults, conspiracies, and businesses (usually fads that fail, but including the occasional moneyspinning “hit”), and covertly giving coin to every merchant or noble cabal that seeks to curtail or circumvent royal powers.
Since early in the reign of Rhigaerd II, House Haldoneir has bitterly resented the demotion of Lord Esmarl Haldoneir from the post of Royal Privy Advisor (though Esmarl richly deserved his expulsion from power and favour at Court, being as he was supposed to be finding out truths for the king and instead had started taking bribes in return for passing the lies of the briber’s choice into the royal ear as “thoroughly-investigated and attested truths”). Since Esmarl’s disgrace, the Haldoneirs have been among the most energetic whisperers (in private, among nobles) of the view that “the Obarskyrs are not rightful rulers, they’re just the old-blood family that grasped the throne most ruthlessly, and have long since become so decadent and self-absorbed that they’ve lost all moral right to retain the Dragon Throne.” The royal family, thanks to Vangerdahast and his War Wizards as well as the personal reports of certain loyal nobles, are well aware of the views of the Haldoneirs, which is why they remain “shut out” of Court and largely ignored by the Crown.
The Haldoneirs, as a group, aren’t energetic enough to do anything active against the Crown; they merely bankroll others in small seditions and obstructions. Nevertheless, they are not far from being stripped of their noble status and exiled, though it’s rumoured that no less than two Lady Haldoneirs in a row begged Azoun IV not to disgrace their house in this manner, seducing him to give their pleadings great force. (This rumour is true; Azoun became VERY fond of Lady Aglathna, and came to regard her successor, Lady Ulandra, as a good and trusted friend, and did “stay his hand” at their behest - - though it’s also true that he allowed Vangerdahast to enspell him so that he’d father no Haldoneirs during his dalliances with either lady; something he very rarely allowed the Royal Magician to do to him.)
Throughout their history, the Haldoneirs have had some violent family quarrels, usually kept VERY quiet to keep “wider Cormyr” from gaining any hint of them, and several family members have been quietly murdered by kin.
Recently, a charismatic and clever family heir, Marluke Haldoneir, was slain slowly and painfully (dismembered over a period of days, with all his joints broken and the severings cauterized to keep him from bleeding to death and escaping all the suffering they had planned) by the rest of his family sometime in the summer of 1367 DR, in a Haldoneir-owned Sembian hunting lodge, because he’d gambled away (or lost in foolish business deals) many of the family properties in Sembia, leaving the freely-spending Haldoneirs suddenly very short of funds. The surviving Haldoneirs took to shadier business dealings in Sembia (with the Fire Knives and others) to try to swiftly make a lot of coin; for a year this made them profits - - and then plunged them into deeper debt the next year, which was when the most ruthless Haldoneirs decided to sell some of their family members (notably four daughters and two nieces) into slavery, and let the Fire Knives kill others (including the bookish, “hopelessly upright” second son, Flaernd [Daviot, if this family is your chosen one, this is Lorna’s guy] and two wealthy and successful Sembian-resident uncles) and take their property to offset much of the family debt.
As of the deaths of Flaernd and the two uncles, Baerand and Thruleon, House Haldoneir consists of an unknown number of “vanished” members down the years (most killed by misadventure or in battle, but some merely fled their family and Cormyr for better lives elsewhere, under new names - - or were sold into slavery, like the six young Haldoneir women who vanished in early 1369 DR: the daughters Asmrella, Dorlarra, Feaenrelle, and Paerelle, and the nieces Borlatha and Daunameire) and the following:

Lord Daeromur, the coldly sardonic, elegantly-moustachioed, wine and liqueur “aeravair” (we would say “connoisseur”) and patriarch of the family, a man driven by his cold, ardent hunger for various revenges, and opportunities to indulge his sadism (horsewhipping servants or family members when they’ve erred or displeased him is a common practice).
Under iron self-control when in public, he is oh-so-correct in his Court etiquette and remarks about the Crown and the royal family, but will spend coin and whisper suggestions and rumours in a flash if he believes he can create difficulties or “incidents” to make courtiers, War Wizards, or the Obarskyrs look bad or be exposed to danger.
Daeromur believes the Haldoneirs, as “true” nobles, have the right to do just as they please; laws are for lesser Cormyreans. Yet with another family on the Dragon Throne and their spies the War Wizards prying everywhere, he recognizes that his house must obey laws and royal authority in public, or pay the final price.
Daeromur would cheerfully kill any weak, foolish, or disloyal Haldoneir without hesitation, believing he can always sire replacements - - and he secretly believes the Obarskyrs should have long ago taken up the same view and habits (which would have served Cormyr far better).

Lady Taerenthe is a strikingly-beautiful, clever, swift-tongued and swifter-witted woman who is utterly ruthless, but believes the path to shining success is to endlessly entice and bewitch her lord husband and support his every whim, so that he values her above all other beings (besides himself).
In this she has succeeded, though she has spent small fortunes on various potions and magical procedures (often involving the lives of young, beautiful kidnapped females) on trying to retain youthful-looking beauty. She has ankle-length, glossy and wavy jet-black hair, large and liquid brown eyes, and ivory-white skin - - and she has Lord Daeromur wrapped around her little fingers, manipulating him so skillfully that he’s scarcely aware of it. When rage rises to consume him in the privacy of a Haldoneir home, she doffs her garments in an instant and offers herself to his whip until his arm is tired, whereupon he always thanks her for “knowing him so well,” and professes his love anew. Lady Taerenthe always carries healing potions with her, usually in chased metal containers hidden in her boots or worked into her belt or pectoral jewelry - - and she always carries a spare whip for her lord’s use, usually attached to her belt.
Taerenthe has some small natural sorcerous talent, which she keeps utterly secret from everyone. She has cached disguises, wealth, and even small useful magic items in dozens of places, in case she needs them in an emergency to flee her husband, her family, or even the realm.
She hopes to end her life wealthy and happy, either sharing the Dragon Throne with her husband or with the two of them holding high Court posts and the gratitude and trust of the ruler of Cormyr - - but she suspects the days of House Haldoneir retaining its noble standing in the Forest Kingdom are numbered, and is prepared to carve out a new life of luxury and status somewhere else.
Along the way, she is perfectly prepared to poison, stab, manipulate, lie, and otherwise glibly and unhesitatingly eliminate all impediments to her desires or House Haldoneir.

Lord Raskrel is (he believes) the sole surviving Haldoneir son, and the heir of the House. The laziest and most spineless of a family without scruples, he was a tirelessly wenching, drinking, prank-playing wastrel until his parents recently told him in private that he would die in agony if he didn’t become their loyal, diligent tool to further the family fortunes. If he would become utterly loyal to them, concealing NOTHING from them, and doing as they told him, he would inherit all. He agreed - - and was then plunged into helping to slay Marluke and watching Flaernd and “all the laughing ladies” of the family disposed of, leaving only himself. It was a sobering lesson, and ever since he has been VERY careful to obey his parents. This has led him to do more real work than ever in his life before, and made him glance over his shoulder every breath or so; he doesn’t even drop coins on a bed-lass for the night without obtaining his mother’s permission.
Although a handful of ruthless, carefully diplomatic factors (trade agents) hired by his mother do most of the family’s business deals (legitimate and otherwise) these days, Raskrel has several times been sent to murder or frame factors his mother wants to be rid of, and has done so, with ever-increasing confidence and competence.
If the Haldoneirs flourish for another six seasons or so, and he continues in his newfound roles of service, Raskrel might just become a formidable foe in his own right, rather than just a frightened wastrel doing what he’s told.

Lord Eldaun is “the hidden Haldoneir.” He vanished in a house fire when young, and all of his family except his mother Taerenthe (who spirited him away to be raised ignorant of his true name and heritage by a commoner couple in Westgate who believe she’s a fell mage named “Aumtelarra” rather than a Cormyrean noblewoman) think him dead and gone. Even the War Wizards don’t suspect Eldaun Haldoneir is still alive.
To Taerenthe, Eldaun is her “heir up her sleeve,” to restore the house if anyone tries to exterminate it, or even to lead an army to claim the Dragon Throne if the Obarskyrs strip the Haldoneirs of their status or execute the male Haldoneirs. If in time to come Daeromur should die and Raskrel die or turn against her, Eldaun will be Taerenthe’s replacement - - she’ll even marry him if she thinks that will be the best means of controlling him. She’s thought of many schemes for the future involving him, but of course circumstances will suggest the best one, if any.

As of 1369 DR, the Haldoneir family holdings are much diminished (what with Marluke’s losses and what the Fire Knives took after the death of Flaernd and the grand houses the nieces had dwelt in), but they still retain Wyrmdown, a large country estate and mansion in Cormyr (due northeast of Immersea; on the foldout colour map that came with the 2e CORMYR sourcebook, it’s straight north of the “R” in the “Immersea” tag on the map, about a third of the way between the Immer Trail and the oval denoting Blisterfoot Inn); Ormvraezel Keep, a small castle with a hunting forest and extensive farms, in upland northwestern Sembia; Boarhunt Towers, a hunting lodge in upland central Sembia that has its own expansive wild forest; High Oronel, a grand Suzail mansion; and also secretly maintain at least three more modest townhomes in Suzail (plus more than a dozen abodes of mistresses and brightlads) as well as two apartments (in their own rental-quarters buildings) in Marsember.



And there you have it; our third candidate noble family. Enjoy, I hope.



So saith Ed. Tireless crafter of villainous noble families.
And nicer ones, too.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 03:54:55
Message:

Wow, I'm loving this lore.
And my eyeballs came to a screeching halt at the end, when I read "Boarhunt Towers." Ed, I sat in on a game you ran (set in the Realms, of course) as an observer, at a GenCon in Milwaukee not long before the con relocated to Indy - - and the setting was the forests belonging to a certain Boarhunt Towers!!!
The same place, right? Does this mean the Haldoneirs bought it after the murder of its Sembian owner, that took place in your adventure? Or - - -?
It's GREAT when you see the vast tapestry of the Realms being woven together, right in front of your eyes.
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 03:58:36
Message:

Heh. I can answer you, Blueblade, on this one. (Why? Well, as it happens, I already asked Ed about this. )
After Asmrathan Lharleld's murder, House Haldoneir SEIZED Boarhunt, because they were his principal creditors.
Oh, and Menelvagor: Ed laughed uproariously at your guess, said it was GREAT - - but, sorry, wrong, too.
Ah, well. NEXT time.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 05:48:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

This is a family whose members like to entertain themselves with mistresses or “brightlads” (male lovers set up in their own Suzailan houses just as mistresses are),


So do they use the word "mistress" then? Or is there a Realms version of the word, perhaps "brightlass"?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 06:04:54
Message:

Hey Ed. Here's another question I'll probably add to my growing list... Actually, it was brought about from your most recent reply here.

Any chance you can provide some further info on the holdings of House Haldoneir?

They sound like a suitable addition to a potential side-quest in my current Realms campaign. In fact, Lord Daeromur fits the exact type of NPC I've been looking for.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 07:00:51
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Lady Taerenthe is a strikingly-beautiful, clever, swift-tongued and swifter-witted woman who is utterly ruthless, but believes the path to shining success is to endlessly entice and bewitch her lord husband and support his every whim, so that he values her above all other beings (besides himself).


From which family did this charming () lady come from originally?

quote:
Lord Eldaun is “the hidden Haldoneir.” He vanished in a house fire when young, and all of his family except his mother Taerenthe (who spirited him away to be raised ignorant of his true name and heritage by a commoner couple in Westgate who believe she’s a fell mage named “Aumtelarra” rather than a Cormyrean noblewoman) think him dead and gone. Even the War Wizards don’t suspect Eldaun Haldoneir is still alive.


This is a big risk. Does she have some way of ensuring he grows up to meet the standards of the family? Otherwise, she could well end up with a son who doesn't care for nobility or have a taste for intrigue and scheming, or one who cannot be easily controlled (for example - he becomes a paladin of Torm). Nature only accounts for so much in a person.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 15:07:35
Message:

Wow, one family generating so many questions!

And, not to be outdone, mine's in regards to Lord Eldaun. Being raised away from the family, I'm wondering what he's like. Away from all the politics, is he untainted from the machinations of his blood? Or has hereditary influence reared it's ugly head?

Also, I'm assuming that Lady Taerenthe keeps a couple of eyes on him to make sure he stays healthy. Does this mean secret bodyguards and such? Does he suspect anything of his birthright?


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 15:36:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Wow, one family generating so many questions!



Yeah, I have to admit, I was also wondering where Lady Taerenthe came from, as well.

I was also wondering if the daughters and nieces who were sold into slavery were nice (or even "upright") like Flaernd was. Tell us about them.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 16:21:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

Not to beat the subject to death, but I can't resist adding my own two cents:

I did not see Noenel as freely being in union with her father--I see her entirely as a victim, and if she ever "consented" to his attentions, she probably only did so as a means of self-preservation (Stockholm Syndrome).

EXACTLY.

That is why we have a crime called 'statutory rape' in this country - it is quite easy to victimize some innocent into believing what you are doing is "out of love", when in fact you are jeopardizing the emotional well-being of a child. 'Consent' in this case does not equate to 'accomplice', and therefore no guilt is applied to the victim.

Now, I have no idea who you are talking about here, or her age of involvment, but it boils down to the same thing no matter what age she is - he is a predator, and she was fooled into thinking she was a willing participant. The mind has a wonderful ability of self-delusion when confronterd with unpleasant situations.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 17:25:29
Message:

Hi, all.
Whew; off all these queries go to Ed.
Wooly, I can say up front that there are several Realms words for "mistress," and "brightlass" is one of them, but it has broadened over the years to also mean something like "good time girl" (or "party girl" or "fun-loving girl"), too, so it probably wouldn't be the appropriate one here (as both the mistress and the noble patron would probably prefer to use a word meaning something like "dignified lady of refinement who's romantically involved with one patron, NOT every willing person who happens by").
So we'll see which word Ed opts for.
Words, words . . . there's a reason "words" can be rearranged into "sword."
love to all,
THO


Reply author: panics
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 20:54:23
Message:

Hi,

I have a question for Ed about Tethyr. Don't know if its a part of the realms that he created...

I would like to know more about the Wealdath, the Elmanesse and Suldusk. Do they live together or could be in war ? Could it be possible to have drows in Wealdath ? What kind of creature can we encounter and finally what the Wealdath look like (in Earth form, Sekoya forest) ?

Also, The Small Teeth would look like which kind of mountnain range ? (Appalache ? the Rockies ?)

Thanks


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 21:49:27
Message:

It seems the sex topic really strikes a nerve in the context of a man dominating his daughter, almost every family or situation Ed has described deals with some form of domination, coercion or straight subjugation. Why is sexual assualts frowned on more by players than mental and physical subjugation? Yet I've had many a player pick a half-orc, half-drow and half-fiend templates KNOWING that this means their human parent has victimized by force or through deception and often writing their back story describing such violations. These very same players then cringe if such a situation is described in game, but endless violence and non sexual depravity disturbs not at all. In fact the degree to which they can engage in bloodletting, searching through dead remains often leaves me a little disturbed.

Ed and Lady has this ever created issues within your gaming over the years?

I find it interesting he mentioned that Lady Taerenthe amongst her other dastardly plotting may even marry her own son to further her agenda yet as of yet no outrage posted for her thought process.

Is there any victimless beings in faerun period, someone who is not suffering some form of Stockholm Syndrome as previous poster stated or is the outrage again more because its male subjecting female?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 22:24:58
Message:

panics,
Tethyr is definitely a region Ed created, though Steven Schend detailed it extensively in a 2e Realms boxed set. Ed covered it in VOLO'S GUIDE TO BALDUR'S GATE II, also a 2e product; its contents cover many of your specific questions.
I'm not sure if this is one of the free download Realms products, because I've never gone looking to download anything. To paraphrase the lovely THO: Sage? Wooly? Kuje?

BB


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 22:31:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

panics,
Tethyr is definitely a region Ed created, though Steven Schend detailed it extensively in a 2e Realms boxed set. Ed covered it in VOLO'S GUIDE TO BALDUR'S GATE II, also a 2e product; its contents cover many of your specific questions.
I'm not sure if this is one of the free download Realms products, because I've never gone looking to download anything. To paraphrase the lovely THO: Sage? Wooly? Kuje?

BB




http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads


Reply author: Steven Schend
Replied on: 04 Feb 2009 23:45:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

panics,
Tethyr is definitely a region Ed created, though Steven Schend detailed it extensively in a 2e Realms boxed set. Ed covered it in VOLO'S GUIDE TO BALDUR'S GATE II, also a 2e product; its contents cover many of your specific questions.
I'm not sure if this is one of the free download Realms products, because I've never gone looking to download anything. To paraphrase the lovely THO: Sage? Wooly? Kuje?

BB




http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads



Lands of Intrigue gives you most of the details on these areas you asked about, Panics.

Short answer--all the things you asked about could be possible in the Wealdath (but are much more likely down in the Forest of Mir to the south--especially the drow). As for what the forest is like, it's less sequoias or redwoods and more like the forests of central Oregon (mostly conifers and random hardwood trees). And the Small Teeth probably more closely resemble the wooded mountains of Appalachia (in my mind, anyways) though a few peaks (like Mount Speartop) would be more akin to the rough and rugged Rockies.

Steven


Reply author: panics
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 00:41:14
Message:

Thank you for the fast reply !

Land of Intrigue is my Bible for many years since my campaign evolved in the country (brost).

But I've never seen a Volo's guide to Baldur's Gate II ?? Was it with the game ? (I have Volo's guide to Western Heartlands)

Thank you Steven for the image description... I'll be able to fetch image for my next adventure !!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 00:46:27
Message:

No. Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II was sold as an accessory supplement like most Realms sourcebooks [see here]. You can find reasonably priced copies at nobleknight.com, or you can try Ebay for second-hand copies.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 09:11:25
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind
I find it interesting he mentioned that Lady Taerenthe amongst her other dastardly plotting may even marry her own son to further her agenda yet as of yet no outrage posted for her thought process.


She's contemplating it, she hasn't acted on it yet. My personal opinion is that sending her son away is very risky for her plans as she can't be assured the son will turn out the way she wants him to. He has not yet been made a victim - except to be "orphaned". (In some ways, given the family, being "orphaned" might just be the best thing that happened to the poor kid.)

quote:
Is there any victimless beings in faerun period, someone who is not suffering some form of Stockholm Syndrome as previous poster stated or is the outrage again more because its male subjecting female?



*chuckles* Stockholm syndrome is not actually a medical term, and the jury is out on whether it actually exists or not. There was a paper written in 2008 (Stockholm syndrome: psychiatric disorder or urban myth? - in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica) that studied 12 highly publicized cases of "Stockholm syndrome". Their conclusion is that the similarities between the cases were probably due to a lack of access to primary sources by the media or bias in the publications (ie: media bias and/or poor reporting). This hasn't disproved its existence, but it does highlight a need for more study as there hasn't been much prior to the paper.

So please, lets leave Stockholm syndrome out of it until there's been more studies!

As for the situation - even if the genders were reversed (mother with son), I'd still have taken exception to the words "forced" and "lovers" in the same sentence.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 10:25:43
Message:

Stockholm Syndrome according any Swede living outside of Stockholm: A tendency to speak in a rather ugly dialect, acting like an arrogant prick while visiting somewhere out of one's normal habitat, referring to out-of-towners as the Swedish equivalent of "country-bumpkins" (even though everyone knows that Stockholm is actually populated by people whose grandparents were all reindeer-herding nomads or North-Swedish rednecks), still believing that using the English rather than the Swedish term for an activity makes one sound cool, and having really poor taste in what football club you support.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 15:20:23
Message:

By the way, I was aware that SS wasn't a medical term, but it's still a term, and seemed like the best way to describe what I was trying to get at. I still stand by what I said in my previous post.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 17:11:49
Message:

Hi, all. Just a heads-up, for interested scribes: Wizards has put the ToC for DRAGON 372 up at the website, and Ed's detailed city (Tarmalune, in "Returned Abeir") will be in it. He once described the place to me as a "somewhat more lawless equivalent of Waterdeep: the big crossroads trading-port."
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 18:20:36
Message:

LOL - I had guessed Waterdeep, but it turns out my original guess - Retruned Abeir lore - was correct.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

No. Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II was sold as an accessory supplement like most Realms sourcebooks [see here]. You can find reasonably priced copies at nobleknight.com, or you can try Ebay for second-hand copies.


Ack!

I had always thought that that was the manual that came with the computer Game! I never realized it was an actual sourcebook!

D'oh!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 18:33:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

LOL - I had guessed Waterdeep, but it turns out my original guess - Retruned Abeir lore - was correct.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

No. Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II was sold as an accessory supplement like most Realms sourcebooks [see here]. You can find reasonably priced copies at nobleknight.com, or you can try Ebay for second-hand copies.


Ack!

I had always thought that that was the manual that came with the computer Game! I never realized it was an actual sourcebok!

D'oh!




Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate is part of the manual for Baldur's Gate. Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II is, as Sage points out, a totally separate beast.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 20:43:04
Message:

Yeah, the sort of beast that's the same as, say, VOLO'S GUIDE TO THE SWORD COAST, only at half the length (of any of the earlier "geographical region" Volo's Guides).
Still very much worth having.
BB


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 20:49:05
Message:

Enthusiastic endorsement of Blueblade's post.
If I'd been running TSR, back in the day, we would now all have access to a shelf of 20-some Volo's Guides, all penned by Ed. Talk about dream products...
Heck, I'd even have bought a book of Volo's recipes and restaurant reviews, if Ed had decided to do one.
Most of all, I wish we'd seen Volo "city guides" (just one major city to a book) covering Luskan, Neverwinter, Baldur's Gate, Iriaebor, Athkatla, Scornubel, Silverymoon, Suzail - - well, you get the picture.
If TSR had wanted to keep to its original "don't detail Sembia" policy, but given us Volo city guides to, say, Selgaunt and Urmlaspyr, leaving Saerloon, Yhaunn, and Ordulin for the DM, the result would have been nigh-perfect. Here's Cormyr completely detailed (hmm, something ELSE we never really got!), here're the two Sembian cities closest to Cormyr, and you're on your own for the rest.
Ah, the might-have-beens...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 21:00:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Longtime Lurker

If I'd been running TSR, back in the day, we would now all have access to a shelf of 20-some Volo's Guides, all penned by Ed. Talk about dream products...


Why only 20-some?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 21:48:15
Message:

Hello again, all. I come bearing some replies from Ed, this time in response to the first few of divers House Haldoneir questions from interested scribes. Herewith:

Blueblade: “Ed, I sat in on a game you ran (set in the Realms, of course) as an observer, at a GenCon in Milwaukee not long before the con relocated to Indy - - and the setting was the forests belonging to a certain Boarhunt Towers!!!
The same place, right? Does this mean the Haldoneirs bought it after the murder of its Sembian owner, that took place in your adventure? Or - - -?
It's GREAT when you see the vast tapestry of the Realms being woven together, right in front of your eyes.
Thanks!”

Ed replies: You’re very welcome. And yes, this is the same Boarhunt Towers, and as THO posted, the Haldoneirs seized the place after Asmrathan Lharleld's murder, in lieu of his repaying some large loans they’d made to him (because his coin was seized by relatives and minor creditors in Selgaunt, despite the greater Haldoneir claim).


Wooly Rupert: “So do they use the word "mistress" then? Or is there a Realms version of the word, perhaps "brightlass"?”

Ed replies: As THO posted, “brightlass” COULD be used, but probably wouldn’t be, thanks to that more prevalent “good time girl” meaning it has acquired. The “ultra-polite” term is “confidant,” which of course has a long-established no-sex-at-all meaning, so the word is usually spoken with a wink to denote the second meaning.
The more often employed term is “my lady of the hearth” (meaning: someone I can relax and be cozy with, spending the night, with the unspoken addendums of “and have sex with” and “I pay to keep her in this haven I see her in”). Note that a “lady of the hearth” can be shared by three patrons or less (more makes her a prostitute, and I’ve already related some of the great array of Realms terms for that profession), but always implies someone installed in living quarters, and fed and clothed well, by those patrons.
There’s an old Cormyrean word, “saerla,” that means “unmarried wife,” but this means not just a mistress but “someone I’ve fathered children with,” who remains a friend (if a man says, “She used to be my saerla” it means we’re no longer on friendly terms, NOT “I’m now married or she’s now married so she can’t be called a saerla anymore”).
A new term, gaining popularity in Suzail, is “nightskirts,” which used to mean “sophisticated prostitute I can pass off as a lady of high breeding,” but is now starting to mean something like “bedmate I treat as a lady of breeding, paying for her bed and the walls around it - - because she’s worth it.”


The Sage: “Any chance you can provide some further info on the holdings of House Haldoneir?”

Ed replies: Certainly. Read on . . .

Wyrmdown: I’ve given you its location, but it’s reached from a long dirt road that winds between the Immer Trail and Calantar’s Way not far south of Blisterfoot Inn. This road is known as Elclantar’s Ride, and Wyrmdown greets it with a small, square tower about sixty feet tall with a “swept-spired” roof, on the north of which the twenty-foot-high stone wall of the estate is pierced by an oval arch and stout front gates. Beyond them, a curving dirt lane sweeps through gardens, curling “back upon itself” several times around stands of trees, to reach a hidden-from-the-road oval courtyard onto which front a sprawling stone mansion expanded many times by various owners from a small, square, squat and defensible stone keep; a large stable block; three large barns; and a guest house. From this center, lanes run out like the anchor-strands of a spiderweb across about two hundred acres of rolling farmland, ranch meadows, and woodlots, crossed by at least three small and nameless streams. There are several clusters of cottages and smaller barns at various spots across Wyrmdown, and it’s quite easy to “put up” a lot of folk in the estate without any crowding or the neighbours seeing much evidence of their presence.

Ormvraezel Keep: Picture a stone mansion with small, round, seventy-foot-tall crenelated towers at either end of it and a steep, wood-stakes-filled dry moat around it, and you can picture Ormvraezel Keep. Across one arc of the moat lie a stables, a barn, and a carriage shed, with fields planted with vegetables beyond them in a large pie-shaped wedge stretching for about half a mile into the woods. Across the facing arc of the moat is a grand entry bridge to the Keep, and a winding dirt approach road wide enough for two large coaches to easily pass each other, that runs out to large wooden gates (no guardhouse, but the gates have tree-trunk latch-bars hung with many bells, and linked to other bells hung in trees, so opening the gate WILL make noise; the gates are flanked with deliberately-planted thornbush tangles that stretch for a bowshot or more on either side) onto Olandur’s Way, a dirt lane winding through upland northwestern Sembia. Off that lane run several side-lanes, each leading to its own triple-rings-of-fence enclosed clearing in the forest. One is a camping-place for visitors, one a paddock for horses, another has sheds and is for several hundred goats, and another has sheds and is for about forty sheep; the uses are rotated as the years pass. Around all of this is a wild “hunting forest” of about eighty acres that has no fences (only trails that serve as boundaries between it and adjacent hunting forests belonging to others) but does have a LOT of trees, several ponds, and at least one spring.

Boarhunt Towers: Picture the same set-up (and size of grounds) as Ormvraezel Keep, except that there’s no farmland, no fenced clearings, no moat, and no stone mansion with towers - - instead, a rambling wooden hunting lodge with stout shutters, a moss-covered wooden shingle roof, and huge stone chimneys (at least six of them) rising here and there amid the many-winged structure. About thirty guests can be accommodated with ease (there are sixteen bedchambers and an extensive kitchen with cellars beneath it), and there’s a stables on one side of the lodge, and a pavilion (roof on pillars, without walls) on the other for slaughtering and hanging “kills” taken in hunting, with a small smokehouse beside it.

High Oronel: Directly south across the water from Truesilver Castle in Suzail is a smallish “building block” of two connected buildings. That’s High Oronel, a stone mansion dominated by huge, high arched windows and a central hall that sports many of them, that enjoys splendid views. It stands in manicured grass lawns and gardens, and its eastern balconies overlook the great spread of the Royal Gardens. Six floors tall in some places but five or even four in others, it consists of series of “great rooms,” with very few of the odd corners and poky servants’ chambers found in most Suzailan mansions. It’s too small for a large family, but is perfect for entertaining “select” parties of guests. Many wealthy and rising merchants of the city would give their left arms (and a lot of their wealth) to own it.

Townhomes: of the tall, narrow, touching-neighboring-abodes sort, these structures are all near the Horngate, tend to be four storeys tall (with a rear “two-stall-stables” on the ground floor itself), and are used by the family as havens (that is, places they can go to for trysts, or to hide from society or Court officials, or each other). Ownership of these havens isn’t advertised, and isn’t widely known (and being as many of the neighbours are other noble families doing the same thing, and by tacit understanding turning their backs on whatever they may see next door or of comings and goings, “nosy neighbours” are not a problem). They are well-built and comfortable, with perhaps one luxuriously-furnished room (for meetings) and one nice bedchamber (for impressing bed-guests) each, but are more “everyday” than grand.

Favor Residences: this is the polite term for city lodgings maintained by a wealthy patron for mistresses and brightlads. They are essentially the same as the family townhomes, though they vary in size and grandeur by their location and origin, and the Haldoneirs keep fourteen such places, two of them currently empty (that is, rented out on a “short-stay” basis, usually a tenday at a time, to wealthy visitors to the city, such as factors and successful merchants from Sembia) and a dozen housing partners of various family members. It should be noted that nobles who own such residences tend to keep hiding places for certain items, and “side wardrobes” for themselves, in locked or even “secret” areas of the homes, with the rest being furnished more or less as the occupant (the mistress or brightlad) desires.
The House Haldoneir favor residences are distanced from the family townhomes, and so tend to be scattered throughout the eastern half of Suzail, south of the Promenade. Of these, two are “fairly rough” (as are their occupants), and are near the harbor.

Marsember holdings: just west of the gate connecting the naval base to the rest of the city, House Haldoneir owns two large, five-storey townhomes (near each other but not adjacent), though it doesn’t advertise this fact, and uses hired local citizens as “doorlords” (the local term for landlords) who won’t readily admit the identity of the owner they work for.
Both of these buildings are fairly luxurious (by the damp, cramped standards of Marsember) are divided into rental suites of two or three linked rooms. All of these suites are permanently rented out, under various long-term agreements, to wealthy local citizens - - except for one suite in each building (mid-floor, on the rear, “away from the street” side), kept for family use.
Both of these tall, ornamented stone buildings have their own attached stables, and so are thought of in the city as very desirable addresses.



So saith Ed. Who will return with more House Haldoneir replies ere he details House Sorndrake, and then moves on to replies to some followup Thunderstone-and-vicinity queries.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 22:29:55
Message:

As always, my thanks for the lore!


Reply author: StarBog
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 23:04:47
Message:

I have a small question for Ed:

Given the advent of playable Dhampyr in 4e, do these exist in Faerun?, and if so, how does Kelemvor and the Clergy of Kelemvor view them?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 23:15:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

No. Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II was sold as an accessory supplement like most Realms sourcebooks [see here]. You can find reasonably priced copies at nobleknight.com, or you can try Ebay for second-hand copies.


Ack!

I had always thought that that was the manual that came with the computer Game! I never realized it was an actual sourcebook!

D'oh!
I'm actually surprised by how many people still believe this... even after all the years I've mentioned this book both here and at WotC. But, anyways, 'tis a great sourcebook and offers plenty of insight into the regions covered. In fact, I count it among my top favorites of the various Volo's Guides.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Feb 2009 23:18:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The Sage: “Any chance you can provide some further info on the holdings of House Haldoneir?”

Ed replies: Certainly. Read on . . .
Woot! My thanks Ed, and to you as well my lovely Lady Hooded One.

I'm sure to have a lot of fun with this material in my campaign. Oh, and I've got one more question on the Haldoneirs... but that'll have to wait until I've set down the actual side-quest for my campaign.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 00:30:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The Sage: “Any chance you can provide some further info on the holdings of House Haldoneir?”

Ed replies: Certainly. Read on . . .
Woot! My thanks Ed, and to you as well my lovely Lady Hooded One.

I'm sure to have a lot of fun with this material in my campaign. Oh, and I've got one more question on the Haldoneirs... but that'll have to wait until I've set down the actual side-quest for my campaign.


The Sage said "woot" again! What is the world coming to?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 01:48:07
Message:

Hi again Ed and LHO,

I have a non-FR question, pertaining to Ed's Band of Four novels. Ed, are you working on or planning any future novels set in Darsar beyond Silent House? I thoroughly enjoyed the dynastic framework of the stories in that book and I loved how the stag-headed humanoids looked like they were being set up as future antagonists.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 02:13:16
Message:

Hi again, scribes. This time, one of those lighting-fast Ed replies, this time to Aysen (see above):


Idly planning, yes. I'm not sure more Darsar novels will ever see the light of day, however. I loved doing them, but they suffered the classic "drop-off in chain orders, so drop-off in sales" pattern of too many fantasy series, with darned good sales for THE KINGLESS LAND but fewer and fewer for each title thereafter; hence the new Tor series (the Niflheim books). So it's not looking likely . . . just now.
However, I've been at this game far too long to say "never" (ahem: Never Say Never Again), and yes, I was setting up those stag-headed folks for "something" in the future. There's a preque-to-KINGLESS short story of Hawkril and Craer, published only as a chapbook in 2002, entitled "Where Only Madmen Hide."
I'll try to think of a way of getting it into mass market form, probably with a book-full of newly-written Aglirta stories, somewhere and somewhen.
Thanks for asking!


So saith Ed. Who, just to make this Realms-relevant, is busy on new Realmslore as I post this (what new lore? Ah, no, that would be TELLING!)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Steven Schend
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 02:28:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
However, I've been at this game far too long to say "never" (ahem: Never Say Never Again), and yes, I was setting up those stag-headed folks for "something" in the future. There's a preque-to-KINGLESS short story of Hawkril and Craer, published only as a chapbook in 2002, entitled "Where Only Madmen Hide."



Hm.... I'm remembering a certain stag-headed figure(s) in the Volo's Guide to Cormyr (or was it the North?), so there's a potential of using some of those ideas in the Realms with your usual deft touch, sir.

At least I'd like to see them in more than one place, if only to never let a good idea lie fallow....

Steven


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 03:04:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Woot!



Seriously, dude. Stop hijacking Sage.

THO, what are some of the big difference between Mr. Greendwood's Border Kingdoms and the Kingdoms as they are outlined in the source books and the WotC articles? Anything big?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 05:14:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Woot!



Seriously, dude. Stop hijacking Sage.

THO, what are some of the big difference between Mr. Greendwood's Border Kingdoms and the Kingdoms as they are outlined in the source books and the WotC articles? Anything big?

While Ed will likely have something significant to add to this, I will note that when he and I had discussed the Border Kingdoms in the past, Ed had noted some differences between what was included in the original POLYHEDRON write-ups for the Kingdoms and what was published in sources like Power of Faerûn for example. That's largely why the articles were being published online at Wizards... to include some further lore from Ed that wasn't previously included when the Border Kingdoms had received earlier detailed treatment.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 05:20:20
Message:

Now I can't help but imagine some 'Youngblades' out on the town in Waterdeep, and one turns to the other and says "I need to get me some Hearth tonight".

Great Lore Ed (as usual)

As for that Baldur's Gate Guide - the name is misleasding, since there isn't any 'Baldur's gate II' in the setting. You automatically think its for the computer game - what a bad way to market something (and I can't believe I mssed one!)

And I remember that 'Stag-headed' chap myself... something to do wth a festhall, IIRC...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 07:25:57
Message:

If we are onto Realmsian terms...
I am interested to know what Realms terms exist for 'transgendered' people - which I mean in this case: a person of one gender, who consistently dresses, behaves and even looks like the opposite gender (and is viewed as such by others).
A term that is used by those who know (and that is not an insult, though such terms may be of interest as well).


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 10:27:12
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

If we are onto Realmsian terms...
I am interested to know what Realms terms exist for 'transgendered' people - which I mean in this case: a person of one gender, who consistently dresses, behaves and even looks like the opposite gender (and is viewed as such by others).
A term that is used by those who know (and that is not an insult, though such terms may be of interest as well).



I'd be interested in the answer to this as well.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 15:26:54
Message:

I think in RW, the term 'dandy' was used for effiminant men, but I don't think thats what you mean, and it certainly isn't Realmsian.

American Indians had a term for it - "Two-Spirit" is a close approximation, and they were considered 'blessed'.

Sorry... just some RW trivia to pass the time...


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 16:57:44
Message:

Can Ed share anything about Prince Foril's 1334 assassination? I fear an NDA, but was wondering who and why?(besides being heir to Cormyr)


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 22:41:33
Message:

Heya,

I just had a question pop into my head this morning as I was getting up.

Are there any books/stories, plays, ballads/songs, epics/poetry, or legends in the Realms involving homosexual or transgendered protagonists (ie: main characters, not sidekicks and/or comic relief)? I am interested in all races as well as the entire LGBTI spectrum (I = Intersexed for those who don't know) - but, of course, specifically lesbians and bisexual women with female lovers.

I'm curious about Sune too - are there any legends of her taking female mortal lovers? She'd be one of the most important deities involved in the acceptance of LGBTI people amongst the wider population of Toril... (You can throw in any legends of other deities as well, if there are any!)

I know I'm probably asking a lot, but... there you go.


I haven't said this in a while - but thank you for all the answers you continue to give, and will give in the future.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Feb 2009 23:01:26
Message:

I vaguely remember something about Laelo in fishnets...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Feb 2009 03:32:12
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you Ed’s latest replies to scribes’ follow-up Haldoneir questions, as follows . . .

Zandilar, re. Lady Taerenthe: “From which family did this ‘charming’ lady come from originally?”

Ed replies: Lady Taerenthe Haldoneir was born Lady Taerenthe Goldsword. Yes, THOSE Goldswords. :} She was the youngest of three daughters (Beldrara and Lysandlithe are her older sisters, Beldrara the dark-haired, big-boned, subtle-as-an-axe eldest, and Lysandlithe the smirking, soft-voiced, cynically superior epitome of idle, sophisticated noble beauty and malice) of Aundarra Goldsword - - and there have always been rumors that Lysandlithe or perhaps Taerenthe herself might just possibly have been sired by a certain royal Obarskyr (yes, THAT one).


Zandilar, re. this lore: [[Lord Eldaun is “the hidden Haldoneir.” He vanished in a house fire when young, and all of his family except his mother Taerenthe (who spirited him away to be raised ignorant of his true name and heritage by a commoner couple in Westgate who believe she’s a fell mage named “Aumtelarra” rather than a Cormyrean noblewoman) think him dead and gone. Even the War Wizards don’t suspect Eldaun Haldoneir is still alive.]]: “This is a big risk. Does she have some way of ensuring he grows up to meet the standards of the family? Otherwise, she could well end up with a son who doesn't care for nobility or have a taste for intrigue and scheming, or one who cannot be easily controlled (for example - he becomes a paladin of Torm). Nature only accounts for so much in a person.”

Ed replies: You’re quite right. It IS a big risk, and he could well turn out to be less than suitable as her pawn or tool. However, he’s very much an “ace in the hole” to her, and she hopes never to have to use or unmask him. In the meantime, aside from the occasional scrying (via magic items she stole from one of her conquests, Talander Cormaeril, just before House Cormaeril got stripped of their standing and possessions) to check on his health and whereabouts, she has no contact at all with Eldaun, who is entirely unaware of his origins. He’s grown up as “Loryn Naliver,” by the way, and is contentedly apprenticed to a cabinetmaker in Westgate, one Molvur Hallowrand.


Ashe Ravenheart: “Wow, one family generating so many questions! And, not to be outdone, mine's in regards to Lord Eldaun. Being raised away from the family, I'm wondering what he's like. Away from all the politics, is he untainted from the machinations of his blood? Or has hereditary influence reared its ugly head?
Also, I'm assuming that Lady Taerenthe keeps a couple of eyes on him to make sure he stays healthy. Does this mean secret bodyguards and such? Does he suspect anything of his birthright?”

Ed replies: See my answer just above. No, Loryn has no suspicions of his birthright, but he’s beginning to dimly remember grand rooms in his dreams, and certain faces (of his Haldoneir family, of course, plus the eyes - - JUST the eyes - - of the Selgauntan mage [one Ontan Kheloedrikh, who is a secretive, wealthy, VERY discreet, and quite powerful wizard who casts spells for pay, but never hires himself out as an adventurer] who cast three powerful spells on Eldaun, to suppress his memories and self-awareness). These dream-visions are recurring, but unless he accidentally gets caught in some spell-backlash or dispel magic effect, he’s not going to remember much that’s useful about his past.
Like all adolescents, “Loryn” is a bundle of raging hormones, and is increasingly restless . . . and he has always longed to see Cormyr, the Forest Kingdom, where he imagines himself galloping along on a splendid horse with his cloak flowing behind him, a sword at his hip, and Purple Dragons saluting him as he rides by.
Loryn is essentially a nice, honest lad who believes in family (the commoners who raised him), friends, loyalty to both, and following rules. He doesn’t much like what he learns of of the politics of Westgate, but does take personal comfort in thrilling to the notion that he may someday have secrets - - valuable, important ones. Other than that, he hasn’t yet shown any signs of inheriting a love of intrigue. He certainly has no liking for nastiness or willful lawbreaking or family feuds.
And no, there are no family bodyguards. He’s on his own; it’s not even clear what Taerenthe will do if she perceives a threat to him, because she doesn’t know.



So saith Ed. Great questions, scribes (Rinonalyrna Fathomlin, he’s not forgotten yours, just held it over until he can deal with it properly; hopefully tomorrow). I’m just thinking what a wonderful Cormyr sourcebook could have been published, if Ed and other interested Cormyr experts could have collaborated on pages and pages of lore like this. Ah, the might-have-beens . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Feb 2009 03:34:11
Message:

Zandilar, I know there are many tales of Sune taking lovers of both genders, of most intelligent races and their crossbreeds (e.g. half-elves). Ed will of course furnish a definitive reply in the fullness of time.
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 07 Feb 2009 14:44:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

These dream-visions are recurring, but unless he accidentally gets caught in some spell-backlash or dispel magic effect, he’s not going to remember much that’s useful about his past.



Hmmm... Now what kind of event would cause THAT, like, in a few years or so...?

Gomez,
who is curious what remains of these families in the year of the Ageless One. (though maybe that should stay a mystery... it would possibly spoil it for people)


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 07 Feb 2009 16:27:18
Message:

Part of me would LOVE a "Dallas" style fat novel about the deeds (and misdeeds) of just one Cormyrean noble family (Ed? Anyone?), but I strongly suspect the 4e approach would be to leave the fates of these noble houses unresolved in print, for any DM to use as they please. Maybe Ed will sneak hints and mentios of them into future novels (hint hint oh-so-subtle sharp-elbows hint).


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 08 Feb 2009 16:13:43
Message:

Ed, as an add-on of Zandilar's question, have there been any notorious gay villians of note you've written anything about?
They can be "closet" gay and either sex is fine but I would like to know of a truly heinous villian currently operating in 1370's if possible.

Thanks


Reply author: creyzi4zb12
Replied on: 08 Feb 2009 17:39:46
Message:

Ed, do you know other epic orc characters in Faerun? I'm a big fan of orcs like Oblon Oblivious, Vrakk, Obould, Shield etc. and I can't seem to get enough of them. It'd be cool if you could add up more knowledge to my list, especially the bad-guys.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Feb 2009 19:45:38
Message:

Orc lore?

I would second that request - Orcs had many kingdoms before humans even did, I'd love to get some background on that 'forgotten' people.

I find it sad that human and Elvish history doesn't record much at all about them (other then the conflicts). Perhaps the Dwarves could shed a better light? As for the Orcs themselves, their illiteracy is a major detriment to them keeping any sort of historical records beyond what a tribal 'Skald' might know.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Feb 2009 20:54:15
Message:

Hello again, scribes. This time I bring Ed’s response to the last Haldoneir followup query (thus far), this one from Rinonalyrna Fathomlin: “Yeah, I have to admit, I was also wondering where Lady Taerenthe came from, as well. I was also wondering if the daughters and nieces who were sold into slavery were nice (or even "upright") like Flaernd was. Tell us about them.”
Ed replies:



With pleasure, Lady Rinonalyrna. :}
The background first, and personal spotlights on the missing six next time.
In early 1369 DR, Lord and Lady Haldoneir drugged their nieces Borlatha and Daunameire and sold them into slavery, seizing their Suzailan residence and property, and renting out the townhome after selling off most of its contents. The story was spread that they’d eloped, stealing much coin from their kin, with “rakes from Sembia.” This explanation worked so well that less than a month later, they repeated the process with three of their own daughters (Dorlarra, Feaenrelle, and Paerelle), using the same story. This caused more than a few cutting comments along the nobility about how badly the Haldoneirs must treat their daughters, but no outcry - - and more importantly, no Crown or War Wizard investigation.
Lady Haldoneir had already prepared for the latter by purchasing some mind-cloaking magics from a Chessentan wizard known to the Goldswords (and other nobles, wealthy Sembians and Chessentans, and rising folk of Westgate) and used by them to conceal their inward thoughts and schemes for decades; the cost of these small worn items is staggering, but well worth it to wealthy persons planning treason or murder, and keeps their maker (the mage Aldonasker of Airspur [a reclusive, sardonic, well-guarded by gargoyles and worse wizard rumored - - correctly - - to have come from Halruaa], who warns all clients that when he dies, the mind-masking spells he’s cast on the items will abruptly end, a fiction that keeps him safe from treacheries planned by clients) very wealthy.
A short, quiet War Wizard investigation was launched when the eldest daughter, Asmrella Haldoneir, apparently followed her sisters into flight from the arms of her family, and the realm, but ironically, veteran Wizard of War Nolbrand Tharnsilver so understood that anyone would want to be rid of the Haldoneir name and the current heads of the house that he believed the lasses had done just that, taking their cues from each other. His fellow War Wizards, to the highest levels, did not think the matters being investigated were grave enough to warrant forcibly taking Lord or Lady Haldoneir into custody, removing their magical cloakings, and mind-reaming them - - with all the uproar among other nobles that would cause . . . or the further uproar that would attend the possible execution of the senior Haldoneirs and stripping the family of its grace. Certain Highknights were asked to check with Harpers they knew, operating in Westgate, Sembia, and some Inner Sea ports, to watch and listen for any trace of the Haldoneir lasses, but thus far none has turned up - - and, as they say, weightier matters have occupied the eyes and ears of the Crown of Cormyr.



So saith Ed. Who will return, as promised, with a look at each of the missing six Haldoneir females, on the morrow.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 08 Feb 2009 22:59:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
With pleasure, Lady Rinonalyrna. :}
The background first, and personal spotlights on the missing six next time.
In early 1369 DR, Lord and Lady Haldoneir drugged their nieces Borlatha and Daunameire and sold them into slavery, seizing their Suzailan residence and property, and renting out the townhome after selling off most of its contents. The story was spread that they’d eloped, stealing much coin from their kin, with “rakes from Sembia.” This explanation worked so well that less than a month later, they repeated the process with three of their own daughters (Dorlarra, Feaenrelle, and Paerelle), using the same story. This caused more than a few cutting comments along the nobility about how badly the Haldoneirs must treat their daughters, but no outcry - - and more importantly, no Crown or War Wizard investigation.


Did the Haldoniers offer any proof at all of their claims? (And if they did, then was the proof adequately tested? It seems to me that even a little divination on the whereabouts of the girls (nothing cast directly on the Haldoneir patriarch and matriarch themselves, just their nieces and daughters) would have given lie to the alibi the family produced.)

I also can't help but reflexively thing that had the five missing been nephews and sons the whole thing would have been treated differently. (Cormyr is patriarchal enough for me to think this.)

quote:
A short, quiet War Wizard investigation was launched when the eldest daughter, Asmrella Haldoneir, apparently followed her sisters into flight from the arms of her family, and the realm, but ironically, veteran Wizard of War Nolbrand Tharnsilver so understood that anyone would want to be rid of the Haldoneir name and the current heads of the house that he believed the lasses had done just that, taking their cues from each other.


If the family is that bad (which it is), I'd be suspecting foul play first. Shame I wasn't the war wizard investigating.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 02:23:25
Message:

Ed, thank you so much for this great lore--I can't wait to hear the answers to the other part of my query.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 02:24:36
Message:

Hi again, all.
Zandilar, I'm going to have to disagree with you about this:
"I also can't help but reflexively think that had the five missing been nephews and sons the whole thing would have been treated differently. (Cormyr is patriarchal enough for me to think this.)"
Now, if THE sole heir of a noble house, male or female, disappeared, the War Wizards would be all over it, yes.
However, the way Ed's explained (and showed, in play) Cormyr to us, over the years, sons and nephews OFTEN go missing - - gallivanting, adventuring, "finding themselves," sowing their wild oats; whatever you want to call it, AND, yes, rebelling against parental authority - - during their youthful years. So the "treated differently" would probably have only been to ignore the whole thing (again, unless a sole heir or by far the most likely heir, like an elder son when the other children are more than a decade younger, or children who are Azoun IV's bastard offspring, are involved).
In this case, Ed's clearly said that the eldest child (the older son, and heir) has stayed put, so you can be darned sure the War Wizards are watching him VERY closely now. If either Lord or Lady Haldoneir ever talks or even hints too freely about what they've done, they'll do more than just "watch." Of course, I'm suspecting that Laspeera (and Vangey first, Caladnei later, but Lasp's the continuity, here) is waiting for House Haldoneir to take that one step too far, so she can catch them in something that disgusts even the most ardently anti-Obarskyr of their fellow Cormyrean nobles - - and THEN the Crown will strip them of their nobility, arrest and probably execute the heads of the house, and so on.
Of course, Ed will probably say more. Especially about why simple magical tracings weren't done (or weren't effective). So off your post goes to him, for THE expert's testimony . . .

love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 03:23:16
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Zandilar, I'm going to have to disagree with you about this:
"I also can't help but reflexively think that had the five missing been nephews and sons the whole thing would have been treated differently. (Cormyr is patriarchal enough for me to think this.)"
Now, if THE sole heir of a noble house, male or female, disappeared, the War Wizards would be all over it, yes.


I did say it was reflexive... Meaning that I hadn't really thought, just felt... If that makes sense.

quote:
However, the way Ed's explained (and showed, in play) Cormyr to us, over the years, sons and nephews OFTEN go missing - - gallivanting, adventuring, "finding themselves," sowing their wild oats; whatever you want to call it, AND, yes, rebelling against parental authority - - during their youthful years. So the "treated differently" would probably have only been to ignore the whole thing (again, unless a sole heir or by far the most likely heir, like an elder son when the other children are more than a decade younger, or children who are Azoun IV's bastard offspring, are involved).


There's a difference between going off gallivanting and going missing without a trace. The former implies several things, most importantly, they left a trail that could be followed, and also that they eventually come back, repentant or unrepentant. They're not just there one day, gone the next.

quote:
In this case, Ed's clearly said that the eldest child (the older son, and heir) has stayed put, so you can be darned sure the War Wizards are watching him VERY closely now. If either Lord or Lady Haldoneir ever talks or even hints too freely about what they've done, they'll do more than just "watch." Of course, I'm suspecting that Laspeera (and Vangey first, Caladnei later, but Lasp's the continuity, here) is waiting for House Haldoneir to take that one step too far, so she can catch them in something that disgusts even the most ardently anti-Obarskyr of their fellow Cormyrean nobles - - and THEN the Crown will strip them of their nobility, arrest and probably execute the heads of the house, and so on.



It doesn't make any sense to me that they would have to wait so long, and that the house would have to go to a certain extreme (something past kidnapping, slavery, and murder) before anything would be done about them. It would be like having to wait for a serial murderer to murder someone in front of the police before they could be charge with anything.

Going back to a point I made in a previous post, surely House Haldonier would had to have offered some authority some proof that the girls had eloped with Sembians before they'd be allowed to take their property?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 06:18:23
Message:

Zandilar's comment touch upon an issue I have found rather dififcult to deal with, and something that was recently suggested by someone and shot down by me for that specific reason: that it is hard to have, in a good society, a person who is openly a a villain to the PCs.
If the PCs *know* someone is a villain, then how is it posisble to not have that be realized in a good-aligned society?
I can imagine that in Cormyr the whole 'nobility vs the Crown' political system is a means by which such villains can get away - as long as they cover up and/or deny their crimes, but how does this work in the Dalelands (not counting Scardale)?
Would it be possible for a mayor, a burgher, or a landholder to stay in his or her seat, a clear villain, yet somehow be untouchable? I would actually give the Burgher the better chance, due to the system in which they are chosen, but would a family as evil as Haldoneir be possible?


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 09:48:10
Message:

I was wondering once what would happen if one or two priests of Hoar journeyed to Cormyr to do their god work. Now I know. They would come knocking on Haldoneirs door. (Assuming of course that Hoar sent them a vision about what the family had done)


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 13:36:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,
......
It doesn't make any sense to me that they would have to wait so long, and that the house would have to go to a certain extreme (something past kidnapping, slavery, and murder) before anything would be done about them. It would be like having to wait for a serial murderer to murder someone in front of the police before they could be charge with anything.

Going back to a point I made in a previous post, surely House Haldonier would had to have offered some authority some proof that the girls had eloped with Sembians before they'd be allowed to take their property?




Tho, is the reason the royal hammer has not came down on them yet the likeyhood of Azoun fathering Lysandlithe or Taerenthe ?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 20:07:48
Message:

Hi, Zandilar. THO sent me your last few posts - - along with the missives from everyone else these last few days, too, and to Rinonalyrna Fathomlin: you’re VERY welcome. I’m probably going to be delayed on the Haldoneir lasses reply for a day or so, thanks to a family emergency, but I WILL reply. Promise.
Zandilar, you posted: “There's a difference between going off gallivanting and going missing without a trace. The former implies several things, most importantly, they left a trail that could be followed, and also that they eventually come back, repentant or unrepentant. They're not just there one day, gone the next.”
and you also posted: “Going back to a point I made in a previous post, surely House Haldonier would had to have offered some authority some proof that the girls had eloped with Sembians before they'd be allowed to take their property?”
Now, these are good points, but they’re rooted in modern-day thinking; the way things happen in our real-world, “enlightened” societies. I’m afraid they don’t hold true for Cormyr.
In some cases, there ISN’T any difference between going off gallivanting and going missing without a trace, except in hindsight, after the fact (as you say, “they eventually come back, reprentant or unrepentant”).
First off, who’s doing the tracing? If the family doesn’t care to, and the overstretched War Wizards don’t already have the particular noble under watch because they’ve done something suspicious, and the departing nobles don’t WANT to leave a trail, they don’t - - and NO ONE does any tracing.
If you’re the head of a noble family and you want to trace your departed kin, you send out servants or hire adventurers. Or you can ask your factor (trade agent) to tell the trade agents he or she customarily deals with, in various places the departed one is suspected of heading to, to keep an eye out for them. The effectiveness of this last approach is best illustrated in real-world terms: how many visitors to, say, Melbourne did you personally happen to notice arriving or leaving again in the last month or so? Or how many people who passed through your neighbourhood did you notice and get a good look at? None of them felt the need to seek you out and “check in” with you, did they?
One impression often unavoidably left by all the attention on Vangerdahast’s machinations in discussions here and in the novels I write, and elsewhere, is that Cormyr is some sort of police state wherein the War Wizards SEE ALL. Nothing could be further from the truth. Vangey certainly WANTS to see all, but even at the heights of its power, the War Wizards, Highknights, and various “open and official” Crown agents are all far too few to watch a quarter of what they want to watch, let alone conduct in-depth snoopings they “know” need doing. They are frantically busy, and falling farther and farther behind on watching over things with each passing day. Not to mention that nobles don’t like being watched and often have the resources to do things behind quite a few layers of closed doors, and some rights to privacy that no one else in the realm enjoys.
So, let’s face it, the disappearances of six non-heirs of a low-profile noble family, NOT happening all at once, just aren’t going to attract much attention . . . until long after the disappearances, when folk start to realize they haven’t see this or that person, and wonder where they went. Then and only then are casual questions going to be asked, by those same folk. There ARE no authorities demanding full answers to pointed questions, or demanding proof. You posted: “surely House Haldonier would had to have offered some authority some proof that the girls had eloped with Sembians before they'd be allowed to take their property.”
Nope. First of all, it’s FAMILY property, under Cormyrean law, not the property of the individuals - - because the deed to that townhouse was acquired by the grandparents of the two nieces, and never transferred to the nieces. It customarily isn’t, unless the family owes them a debt and they agree to accept a building as payment. It’s retained by the family, because occasionally such transfers will attract tax or need to be registered, and it’s easier to just avoid all that. So the Crown really has no interest or say in the matter. For ANY noble family. Until a dispute arises - - and even then, the Crown’s first move is usually going to be to try to get the disputing parties to work something out between themselves, rather than step into the fight; the Crown is trying NOT to rile all the nobles, remember?
Secondly, nobles have rights and privileges other Cormyreans don’t - - and one of them is the right to move around as they please. The realm has no customs or border agents per se, although cities have guards at their gates, ports have inspectors on the wharves, and border areas have Purple Dragon patrols - - but they’re looking for brigands, monsters, and armed invaders or raiders, not to pick fights with nobles. Ship cargoes face tax-collector inspections (a few of them, usually only during wartime or when someone’s suspicions have been aroused), but no one is going to keep tabs on the comings and goings of nobles (and a “usual” amount and number of accompanying servants and belongings) except curious War Wizards or Highknights (again, when their suspicions have been aroused). Nobles travel within the kingdom, and into and out of it, far more than most other citizens. Many Cormyrean nobles go to Sembia to do business and to “play” (pursue amusements they don’t want to be seen pursuing at home, or can’t enjoy in Suzail as much as Selgaunt, or are tired of doing in Suzail with the same old faces), often and sometimes on a regular basis. So noble lasses going to Sembia just isn’t something all that remarkable.
If a friend of one of the vanished nieces asked, Lady Haldoneir might say in a bored tone, “Well, dear, off they went to Sembia - - YOU know why; oh yes, I’ve heard some of the tales about Faerdorn and his well-oiled handsome lads - - and this time decided they wanted to stay for the time being, or at least a season or two, and we couldn’t just let the house go to WASTE, now could we? They said they were tired of it all, mind, so they’ll not be wanting to step back into the same old house with the same old furnishings. When they return - - IF they return - - we’ll settle them in something. It’s not as if we don’t have DOZENS of suitable residences, right here in Suzail!”
Some nobles depart with great fanfare, and send messages home; some just go. Some are impulsive, some are very private and don’t WANT nosy family-paid spies or retainers following them, some have done something unlawful and get scared and just want to get far away, fast, and some have quarreled violently with their parents. (Some nobles become “remittance exiles” who stay away for years or even forever, in return for their families sending them funds so they can live idle lives elsewhere; “stay away, out of sight and out of family affairs, and we’ll go on paying you.” I’ve used this particular circumstance repeatedly for PC adventurers, by the way; it gives them an income but prohibits them from entering certain areas of the Realms - - meaning that if they DO want to “go where they shouldn’t,” they have to wear disguises or sneak in, or both, to avoid losing the flow of coins they live on. A few receivers of remittances even get sent missions or tasks they have to do for the family, or risk getting shorted or cut off in future remittances; building in adventures for a PC remittance receiver.)
So in short: no, the disappearances aren’t being treated unusually.
If all six lasses vanished at once and the Haldoneirs went shrieking to the Crown, YES; the realm would be turned upside down looking for them.
If lads rather than lasses vanished, and the family raised no outcry, the disappearances would simply be ignored; it’s EXPECTED that young noblemen want to “see the world” before being forced to settle down into overseeing family businesses and the like.
If a family heir was noticed to be missing, War Wizards would be interested, BUT (and here’s the last point) they can’t just go mind-reaming everyone. For one thing, doing so is illegal in most circumstances, unless royal permission is received (and Azoun wasn’t in the habit of freely giving it). For another, many nobles have acquired mind-protecting magic, some of which “slaps back” at anyone trying a probe (the War Wizard) and some of which either foils probings or so damages the mind of the protected person that they are driven (permanently or temporarily) raving mad. As in, so actively mad that it can’t be concealed from the public. Again, other nobles will collectively take a VERY dim view of this, and there are many nobles who dislike the Obarskyrs or the powers of the Crown already, and won’t miss an opportunity to hamper them. To say nothing of nobility in Marsember and Arabel, with a goodly part of the commoners in those places backing them to the proverbial hilt, who are watching for excuses to rebel or protest or demand War Wizard or Crown powers be stripped away.
Faced with balancing civil war against possible (not even likely) bad fates of six spoiled, barely-heard-of-them young noblewomen, the average courtier or War Wizard isn’t going to come down on the side of the Haldoneirs, other than to murmur, “I wonder if it’s time we took a closer look at the House of the Wyrmdeath . . . hmmm . . .”
Heh. I’m sure this is going to spur further questions and possibly debate on your part, and that of other scribes. Feel free; you know where to find me (just the far side of the lovely Lady Hooded, which is generally a pleasant place to be :} ).



So saith Ed. (And nudge nudge wink wink yourself, old friend and Realms creator.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 21:28:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I’m probably going to be delayed on the Haldoneir lasses reply for a day or so, thanks to a family emergency, but I WILL reply. Promise.



Sincere hopes that this is not related to your wife again, Ed. And that emergency isn't as dire as it always sounds.

Sorry for your troubles. Keep well.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 23:49:51
Message:

Yes, my good wishes, and come back to us as soon as you can.
Which is when you'll see my latest question, tossed onto the pile.
It is:
Can you please give us the names (and maybe a single line about where based, and what cargoes they usually carry) of four or five caravan merchants who'd be well known on the caravan routes between Cormyr and the Moonsea, or Cormyr and Sembia, or Sembia and the Moonsea? Just names I can sprinkle merchants' conversations with, so some of the same names come up again and again and it all "sounds real."
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 23:57:03
Message:

Hi, Ed and THO. I echo the good wishes, and (heh) like Blueblade, bring yet another question for your ever-higher piles of questions. This one is pretty easy.
For a TYPICAL inn maidservant or manservant in Suzail
AND (same question)
for one in any of the Dales,
I know they can tell an outlander from far away by they accent with which they speak Common, but how good are they at correctly identifying the general whereabouts of where someone stopping at the inn came from?
I know some will be good at this and some bad, but what's typical?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Feb 2009 23:59:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I’m probably going to be delayed on the Haldoneir lasses reply for a day or so, thanks to a family emergency, but I WILL reply. Promise.
I hope it's nothing too serious, my Lady? Wishing you well and a safe return.


Reply author: krownhunter07
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 00:56:45
Message:

Hello Ed, I'm new to posting here at the Keep, but I'd really like to know a few things you might have a mind to answer for me...

Firstly, do you know, or could you come up with, any information about where Evermeet is now and what is around it? Still an island or part of a larger area? Friends, enemy's, a little history about what's happened since the Spellplague?

Also, any details on the other Elf blades?

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 01:15:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by krownhunter07

Hello Ed, I'm new to posting here at the Keep, but I'd really like to know a few things you might have a mind to answer for me...

Firstly, do you know, or could you come up with, any information about where Evermeet is now and what is around it? Still an island or part of a larger area? Friends, enemy's, a little history about what's happened since the Spellplague?

Also, any details on the other Elf blades?

Thanks in advance!



Welcome to Candlekeep, krownhunter! While waiting for your reply, you might want to start with p. 132 of the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 04:28:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by krownhunter07

Also, any details on the other Elf blades?



Well, the Crownblade is back in the hands of the ruler of Myth Drannor. As for the Warblade, it's been bonded to a rapscallion half-elven ranger from Aglarond who stumbled upon it while helping some adventurers free Shadowdale from the oppressive army of Zhents, Cyricists, Sharrans and drow. ()

The Artblade, I believe, is still missing.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 11:02:39
Message:

and that blade is likely under a huge NDA.....

oh and will there be a new Villian for 4e realms with the letters NDA in its name???


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 18:59:40
Message:

The National Disaster Alliance?

I had an idea for a post-Spellplague group that was in charge of distributing 'relief efforts' from Cormyr and Luruar to 'less fortunate' regions. The group would have 'gone bad' after awhile, basically selling the stuff on the black market, rather then handing it out to the needy as they are supposed to.

I'm thinking the involvement of some consortium - the Zhents are out - but perhaps the Rundeen or some-such - acting like the 'warlords' in Africa are with the Red Cross stuff, or like Sadam Hussein's generals did with the relief sent into Iraq (having just seent he BBC special about him, it inspired me with this plotline).

Also, some of the less-stellar info that has become known about FEMA comes to mind.

Anyway, I don't want to detract from Ed's thread, but you just gave me a name for my group (and using 'NDA' in-game is just too much fun to pass up).


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 19:24:09
Message:

Use Steven Schend's joke for the NDA --

quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend

If you were referring to the Vaults of Uvaeren, they're under guard by a new Trio Nefarious--Naarlayx, Dhoarkath, and Axarark, three demons bound solely for the purposes of keeping those things secret.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Feb 2009 22:54:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Use Steven Schend's joke for the NDA --

quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend

If you were referring to the Vaults of Uvaeren, they're under guard by a new Trio Nefarious--Naarlayx, Dhoarkath, and Axarark, three demons bound solely for the purposes of keeping those things secret.



Heh. I actually canonised that in my Realms when Steven first mentioned it.

I've still got players who don't realise what it really is in reference to.


Reply author: Hawkfeather
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 00:48:02
Message:

Hello, Ed! One of my players asked me this morning about the relationships between the cities of the Vast. He also wants to know more about how the laws of one city affects the others (specifically Calaunt, Tantras, Ravens Bluff and Procampur - but feel free to share more information about other cities!! Please!!). For example, if a someone commits a crime in one city and hides in another one, the criminal could be sent back to be judged? A representant of the offended city could enter in another city to arrest the criminal?

Could you help me give him the answers?

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 01:39:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin: you’re VERY welcome. I’m probably going to be delayed on the Haldoneir lasses reply for a day or so, thanks to a family emergency, but I WILL reply. Promise.



Thank you--and take your time, family comes first. Like Sage and the others I hope it's nothing too serious.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 02:55:45
Message:

Thanks, R-F. Off that goes to Ed; I know it'll make him feel better.
Hawkfeather, re. your Vast question, I hope you'd like an answer for pre-Spellplague, because I already know that after the Spellplague begins, one of those dreaded NDAs descends on that area.
I expect to hear something from Ed by tomorrow, or the late other end of today. The Realms is ours, scribes; enjoy it until then.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Hawkfeather
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 11:38:43
Message:

My lovely THO, you're right: I'd like an answer for a pre-Spellplague Realms.

Thanks again!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 15:43:36
Message:

You're very welcome.
gomez and Zandilar, while we're waiting for Ed's proper answer to gomez's request for terms for transgendered, I came across this in my old Realmslore notes (i.e. from Ed, during play, years back):

A warrior of either gender who dresses as the other gender (usually to get a job as a guard, bodyguard, or just plain soldier) is called a "winkhelm" in the Sword Coast North (as in: under the armor waits a surprise, to most; the term has NOTHING to do with behaviour, e.g. flirtatious, effeminate, or whatever, and is not pejorative; it's used with about the same casualness as saying, "He be a left-hander with a bow, sir" or "a bit shy on hearing right now on his right side, after that knock on the helm he took a tenday back, but 'twill come back, no fear; has before").

So saith Ed, years ago.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 16:26:59
Message:

A good word - one which people without knowledge of the slang might confuse with an obscure military term, which is always a plus if you want things to stay a surpise...
After hearing 'brightlass' in a way different context, I had come up with 'swordlass' (as in: a girl that carries her own 'blade'). I am not particularly good with such words but I thought it sounded reasonably Realmsian.

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 19:14:19
Message:

Yes, a good coining.
As it happens, Ed uses "swordlass" to mean "lesbian female adventurer, unattached by choice." (The reason for "sword" should, of course, be obvious.)
love,
THO
Edit: not used in printed Realmslore for two reasons: TSR didn't deal with sexual matters of this sort, and "swordlass" also had an "innocent" meaning, too: young (not veteran) female adventurer.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 22:58:00
Message:

Just picked up Dark Lord and when I got it home I was overjoyed to see it checks in at 500 pages!
That my only problem with Ed's FR novels, 310-320 pages is not enough room to fit them. Will this be typical of his Falconfar novels?

And lovely THO, I need to decide rather to read Dark Lord or Dark Warrior rising next, and with spring coming closer on the farm may Only have the chance to enjoy one until summer. Can you give us a hint as to each novels feel compared to each other and to Ed's latest realms works?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 23:07:08
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, Zandilar. THO sent me your last few posts - - along with the missives from everyone else these last few days, too, and to Rinonalyrna Fathomlin: you’re VERY welcome. I’m probably going to be delayed on the Haldoneir lasses reply for a day or so, thanks to a family emergency, but I WILL reply. Promise.


<snip reply>

Thank you for yet another very interesting look into the workings of Cormyr!

I keep getting caught up by my own real world sensibilities, which are sometimes difficult to see around... So what I've come away with from that is a noble can get away with murder, slavery, and other treacherous acts by just being cool, calm, collected, and making sure they aren't caught in the act, or can wash their hands of it and adequately shift blame... Reminds me a little of Drow society - do whatever you want to whomever you want, just don't get caught.

So how would Azoun V's decree that "freemen" are entitled to trials before their peers impact on this, if at all? The nobles fought tooth and nail against this, because it would impact on their "rights". Do you think Azoun and then Foril would work to change the status quo of society - so that nobles can no longer get away with selling their own kin into slavery, or cutting up whatever commoner (aka freemen) they feel like into pieces and then disposing of them? Is Alusair as Steel Regent trying to make changes? Or does she think her rule is precarious enough as it is and will leave that all this her nephew and descendants?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Feb 2009 23:15:02
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Yes, a good coining.
As it happens, Ed uses "swordlass" to mean "lesbian female adventurer, unattached by choice." (The reason for "sword" should, of course, be obvious.)
love,
THO


I couldn't leave this one alone!

But but but... We don't always want a 'blade' of our own! No 'sword' envy here!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 03:56:35
Message:

Heh. Zandilar, I'm thinking it's a reference to the sort of sword that's spelled D-I-L-D-etc. Ahem.
The sense I get from Ed is that Aluzair as Regent VERY MUCH was changing (or trying to change) the "rights" and influence and roles of nobles, with a LOT of support from "her blades" (the young nobles who'd ridden the Stonelands with her [yes, in all senses of "ridden"], knew and trusted her, and saw something of her vision of what the realm had to become . . . either her way, or a bloodier way, through a commoner uprising in which a lot of nobles would lose their heads), and that these changes, albeit with backlash resistance, would continue after her regency ended.
Red Walker, the sequels to both DARK LORD and DARK WARRIOR RISING are out, or very soon will be, and there should be a third book in both series, though I have no idea when the third Niflheim (that's the Dark Warrior series, from Tor) will appear.
Here's a quicky overview for each series:
- - the Falconfar trilogy from Solaris/Black Library (Simon & Shuster in the US) consists of 1. DARK LORD, 2. ARCH WIZARD (out very soon), and 3. FALCONFAR (probably out in the fall). It's the story of a fantasy writer in our world who is startled to discover that Falconfar, the fantasy world he thought he created, seems to be real - - and he's thrust into it. He's an ordinary guy, NOT an action hero, but people in Falconfar seem to think he's . . . the Dark Lord. I won't ruin it by saying more. Much of the action takes place tramping across a medieval-era fantasy world.
- - the Niflheim series from Tor Books consists of 1. DARK WARRIOR RISING and 2. DARK VENGEANCE (with a possible future sequel). Far more than the Falconfar series, each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone novel. They concern a subterranean world dominated by cruel dark elves who are NOT the drow of D&D (no spider goddess), but who take human slaves by raiding the surface world and snatching children. As the first book begins, one human slave, Orivon Firefist, sees a chance to escape his captivity and try to take revenge on his cruel captors AND get back to the surface world . . . and the fun begins. Orivon IS a grim fighting hero, and several reviewers have seen this as very Howard-like action fantasy. The action takes place almost entirely underground.
So I hope that tells you enough to choose, without revealing too much. I liked them both, for very different reasons. (Amusingly, Ed's usual detractors trashed them, but one detractor often directly contradicted another in their stated reasons for doing so; read into that what you will.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 04:09:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Zandilar, I'm thinking it's a reference to the sort of sword that's spelled D-I-L-D-etc. Ahem.
The sense I get from Ed is that Aluzair as Regent VERY MUCH was changing (or trying to change) the "rights" and influence and roles of nobles, with a LOT of support from "her blades" (the young nobles who'd ridden the Stonelands with her [yes, in all senses of "ridden"], knew and trusted her, and saw something of her vision of what the realm had to become . . . either her way, or a bloodier way, through a commoner uprising in which a lot of nobles would lose their heads), and that these changes, albeit with backlash resistance, would continue after her regency ended.
love to all,
THO

-

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 04:11:54
Message:

I would also imagine it was first coined by snickering male warriors who served with such types, and was meant to mean 'Swordless', as in "they wouldn't want yer sword, nor mine... yuk yuk yuk" with much accompanied knee slapping and good-natured back-smacking.

And also because.. ya know... they were swordless...

Now Ed has once again given me a great idea for one of my own homebrew groups - the Seafolk I call the Bey'meir. They use female Sea-mages to control the weather and what-not (yes... it is borrowed - in part - from WoT), and 'Windlass' would be a great play-on-words for them.

And snce this thread is for asking questions, and since it just popped into my head -

Is there a Realms term for female care-givers, like how on Earth nurses have the nickname 'Florence Nightengales'?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 05:00:18
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Zandilar, I'm thinking it's a reference to the sort of sword that's spelled D-I-L-D-etc. Ahem.


Yes, I thought of that one too! But the other was just begging me to say it! (Since it was so "in character" for me, and I have to poke fun at myself sometimes or else I'd go mad... well madder than I already am.)

quote:
The sense I get from Ed is that Aluzair as Regent VERY MUCH was changing (or trying to change) the "rights" and influence and roles of nobles, with a LOT of support from "her blades" (the young nobles who'd ridden the Stonelands with her [yes, in all senses of "ridden"], knew and trusted her, and saw something of her vision of what the realm had to become . . . either her way, or a bloodier way, through a commoner uprising in which a lot of nobles would lose their heads), and that these changes, albeit with backlash resistance, would continue after her regency ended.


One would hope. But the Obarskyrs are seeming more and more like underdogs to me, which leads me to another couple of questions.

How did Azoun V and his son Foril managed to avoid a bloody backlash? It isn't like Alusair's blades (now that has a completely different meaning in my head!) represent every noble family (and there are probably none who are members of the staunchest anti-Obarskyr families, unless they have ulterior motives or are out and out rebels) - has there really been that big a shift in the attitudes of the nobles of Cormyr recently?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 07:54:52
Message:

I got the swordlass reference, though I think not every lesbian has a need for a private 'sword'.
So... a swordlass who doesn't have her own sword is a cutlass?
*ducks*

(and yes, terrible pun... but I couldn't resist either)


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 15:02:43
Message:

In regards to Ed's Falconfar series - I know Ed included a disclaimer in the first book's glossary (and has made similar remarks here at Candlekeep, if I recall correctly), but in case someone's thinking of picking up the books: The thoughts the books' hero have about a computer game company and what it's done to "his" world is not what Ed feels about the treatment that the Realms have received during its publication history - just remember who came up with some of the more memorable monsters that haunt the realms.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 15:36:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Zandilar, I'm thinking it's a reference to the sort of sword that's spelled D-I-L-D-etc. Ahem.
The sense I get from Ed is that Aluzair as Regent VERY MUCH was changing (or trying to change) the "rights" and influence and roles of nobles, with a LOT of support from "her blades" (the young nobles who'd ridden the Stonelands with her [yes, in all senses of "ridden"], knew and trusted her, and saw something of her vision of what the realm had to become . . . either her way, or a bloodier way, through a commoner uprising in which a lot of nobles would lose their heads), and that these changes, albeit with backlash resistance, would continue after her regency ended.
Red Walker, the sequels to both DARK LORD and DARK WARRIOR RISING are out, or very soon will be, and there should be a third book in both series, though I have no idea when the third Niflheim (that's the Dark Warrior series, from Tor) will appear.
Here's a quicky overview for each series:
- - the Falconfar trilogy from Solaris/Black Library (Simon & Shuster in the US) consists of 1. DARK LORD, 2. ARCH WIZARD (out very soon), and 3. FALCONFAR (probably out in the fall). It's the story of a fantasy writer in our world who is startled to discover that Falconfar, the fantasy world he thought he created, seems to be real - - and he's thrust into it. He's an ordinary guy, NOT an action hero, but people in Falconfar seem to think he's . . . the Dark Lord. I won't ruin it by saying more. Much of the action takes place tramping across a medieval-era fantasy world.
- - the Niflheim series from Tor Books consists of 1. DARK WARRIOR RISING and 2. DARK VENGEANCE (with a possible future sequel). Far more than the Falconfar series, each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone novel. They concern a subterranean world dominated by cruel dark elves who are NOT the drow of D&D (no spider goddess), but who take human slaves by raiding the surface world and snatching children. As the first book begins, one human slave, Orivon Firefist, sees a chance to escape his captivity and try to take revenge on his cruel captors AND get back to the surface world . . . and the fun begins. Orivon IS a grim fighting hero, and several reviewers have seen this as very Howard-like action fantasy. The action takes place almost entirely underground.
So I hope that tells you enough to choose, without revealing too much. I liked them both, for very different reasons. (Amusingly, Ed's usual detractors trashed them, but one detractor often directly contradicted another in their stated reasons for doing so; read into that what you will.)
love to all,
THO


Tho, thanks that's just the kind of insight I was hoping for!
I think I will read Dark Lord first, simply because I picked it up in paperback(now watch it be good enough that I am tempted to track it down in hardcover as well!) and can easily trek to and fro with it in hand!

P.S. thanks even more for including my answers underneath you answer to Zandilar.....


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 16:04:47
Message:

You're welcome.
I bring a brief e-note from Ed, this time in response to this, from Zandilar: "How did Azoun V and his son Foril manage to avoid a bloody backlash? It isn't like Alusair's blades (now that has a completely different meaning in my head!) represent every noble family (and there are probably none who are members of the staunchest anti-Obarskyr families, unless they have ulterior motives or are out and out rebels) - has there really been that big a shift in the attitudes of the nobles of Cormyr recently?"
Ed replies:


As for your first sentence, I'd LOVE to reply directly and in detail to this, but I'm afraid it falls into NDA territory, for reasons that I hope in time to come will enrich us all.
To answer the rest of your queries in a more general sense: yes, all of Cormyrean society has been shifting in its attitudes, as generations pass, and the "Devil Dragon War" (like the two World Wars in our own real world) really jolted the status quo; not only did a LOT of nobles die, everyone else (of the surviving populace) saw that the nobles, for whatever reasons, didn't "protect the rest of us" with their wealth, power to hire mercenaries and fortify their own properties and equip their own servants (and militias) properly with enough arms, armour, and horses . . . so a lot of the "automatic" obedience to nobles evaporated. Which meant the far more numerically superior commoners were no longer "amost entirely inclined" to obey or stand aside for nobles, and instead would tend to stand up to them, openly disagree with their crazier ideas, and "neglect" to obey them if not confronting them openly. As a lot of the younger nobles already thought their parents' and older relatives' behaviour was disgusting, and they didn't want to be tarred with the same brush, they started openly breaking ranks with the older nobles (something "just not done" in earlier decades) . . . and the ostracization done to those who did break ranks by the older nobles just didn't mean much, anymore.
So, yes, there WAS a large generational change, and it did happen fairly quickly - - though it had in fact been "brewing" for quite some time.
Now, all of this doesn't mean there aren't still some incredibly arrogant and/or authoritarian nobles; having lots of money gives individuals the freedom to indulge themselves, and inevitably some of them do so in such ways.
Yet a DM can easily have nobles who sneer at commoners or ignore them (except to curtly snap orders at them, when absolutely necessary, e.g. wave riding crop threateningly and snap, "Out of the way, cur!"), nobles who try to deal with commoners as equals ("Well met. I am Daerold Wyndstone, of House Wyndstone. And you are - -?"), and nobles (generally younger ones) who want to be thought of as commoners ("Well met. I'm Raerold Wyndstone, of Cormyr. Still seeking what I want to do in life. You?"), all in the same family.


So saith Ed. Who hopes to resume regular Realmslore replies very soon.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Feb 2009 17:37:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So, yes, there WAS a large generational change, and it did happen fairly quickly - - though it had in fact been "brewing" for quite some time. <major snippage>
And I would imagine A LOT of that attitude change resulted from Allusair's 'involvment' with the younger nobles, which we discussed earlier, a few months back.

She had set the wheels in motion, and I would imagine the entire Devil Dragon/Grod Goblin/Ghazneth triple-wammy was just the catalyst.

She came out of all that looking like the 'brave heroin and saviour of Cormyr', whilst the rest looked like a bunch of petty and scrambling, self-interested cowards.

Its fairly easy to see the change right there - Azoun already had the people's heart - we saw that in the Tuigan Wars - but Alusair captured their soul.

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

I got the swordlass reference, though I think not every lesbian has a need for a private 'sword'.
So... a swordlass who doesn't have her own sword is a cutlass?

No... that would be a circumcised male warrrior... or a male-warrior who got a sex-change (perhaps from a circumcision gone terribly wrong?)

Or would that be a 'Cutlad'?

Which leads me to yet another question; is there such a thing as circumcision on the Realms?

For some reason I'm picturing only the Gnomes usig such practices...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 01:42:31
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed has managed to snatch time enough to continue his reply to Rinonalyrna Fathomlin’s query: “I was also wondering if the daughters and nieces who were sold into slavery were nice (or even "upright") like Flaernd was. Tell us about them.”
Ed replies:



ASMRELLA (“Az-MRELLA”), the eldest daughter, was probably the smartest Haldoneir of the last century. Dutiful, quiet, and under iron self-control at all times, she watched her parents at work, growing up, and thought them fools for being so open in their misdeeds, hatreds, casual cruelties, and arrogance. Far better to become the most superb actor possible, hiding all behind a façade of attentive kindness. Asmrella became that master player-of-roles, and was already a good judge of people.
She became the willing servant of her parents, seeing that as her best defense, and grew up into a taller, thinner, slightly plainer echo of her mother Taerenthe.
Although what her parents did to Borlatha and Daunameire startled her, Asmrella knew right away that it was a fate that might well eventually be hers, and swiftly made preparations - - notably buying a tiny vial of imvris, a contact poison that causes paralysis, from an alchemist on the Suzailan docks, one Rhegrest Marlambar. The vial was small and flat, and attached to an ear-hook wire, and Asmrella took to wearing it constantly under her hair, hooked over her right ear.
When she was “taken” and bundled off into slavery, she kept her calm and patience - - and was eventually rewarded with an opportunity to paralyze a sleeping captor, slit his throat with his own dagger, and make off with his purse, weapons, and cloak into the streets of Westgate. From there, she impersonated a prostitute about to entertain a drunken regular client, snared that merchant’s much fatter purse, and bought herself passage “out” with the next caravan.
She now dwells in Amn, where she managed to drown the dutiful wife of an old, rich, and nigh-blind retired merchant without being seen or suspected of anything (a river obligingly carried off the body), took the wife’s place, and is enduring the merchant’s fumbling caresses as she learns how to invest and reinvest his fortune, buy and sell his properties, and build herself into true formidability before the inevitable day she becomes the widow of Aundemann Haethmur. Whereupon “Marustine Haethmur” intends to sell out before the vultures swoop down to try to seize Haethmur’s worldly goods, relocate to Sembia, and become the doom of the Haldoneirs - - or at least of her parents. If she can manage their deaths in a way that both lets them know who’s killing them AND avoid being blamed for the murders, she will gladly reveal her true name and heritage, step forward to claim House Haldoneir’s wealth and properties, and swear any oaths of loyalty the War Wizards or the Crown want her to. If it benefits her, she may even keep some of them.

DORLARRA (“Dor-LARRA”) was the nastiest, most spiteful of the four Haldoneir daughters, and the least good-looking. Thin, sallow, and seldom to be seen without heavy cloakings of cosmetics and scent, she led a life of lounging, gossip, shopping for the gaudiest of gowns and furs, and been rude to all but handsome, eligible young noblemen at the endless round of feasts and revels she attended.
She enjoyed lovemaking, but believed it to be something to be passively experienced, and so gained not even the most basic skills of pleasing a partner. Which left saying spiteful things to be her sole accomplishment, beyond the ability to read and write.
Lazy, graceless, and utterly untrained, she became the sort of slave known as “empty meat” to slavers (that is: hardly worth feeding); not maimed or diseased, but worth little more than whatever minimum offer she attracted. Bought by a merchant who needed cargo-coffers filled by someone able to sort and handle fragile items with reasonable care (someone chained in place and worked for seemingly endless shifts, being paid only in bread, water, leftover table scraps, and old cheese), she was whipped or just kicked and punched when she worked poorly - - and has become emaciated, scarred, half-mad with fury at the world and grief at her own plight. The warehouse where she’s long-chained to a sorting bench and left to labor alone, following written packing notes, is somewhere in a Sembian port, but she knows no more than that, and as the unnumbered days pass, cares less and less about anything at all.

FEAENRELLE (“FEE-ain-rel”) was a dark, slender beauty with very pale skin, very black hair long enough to reach her ankles, and much silence. When she spoke, her croaking frog-voice made the reason for her customary silence obvious. Clever with numbers and mechanical things, and blessed with not just the wits to reason but the ability to see consequences and likelihoods that were less than obvious, she could make a very good merchant - - and that’s just what she’s become, albeit as a slave and bed-partner to a constantly-travelling merchant, Klardabreir of Airspur, who primarily deals in wines, spirits, and physics (medicinal or purportedly-medicinal drinks). Usually confined to the aging, kindly, stout, white-bearded Naumble Klardabreir’s rooms or ship cabin (he owns three merchant caravels that ply the Inner Sea), she is increasingly trusted and loved - - and is so glad to be rid of the parents and kin she so feared that she’s beginning to return that love and trust, though she longs for Klardabreir to free and marry her, or better yet sell her to someone her age and handsome, who will free and then marry her. Her diligence in matters of trade and her skills have played no small part in the rising fortunes of Klardabreir of Airspur, and though she’s not been paid a single coin for her service, she’s been well fed, given treats and gifts when Klardabreir’s been especially pleased, and although she now has a key to the manacles she wore for so long and a dagger hidden where she can get to them, she no longer dreams every day and night of using them to seize any good chance to escape, when one should come along. If she never saw Cormyr again, that wouldn’t bother her one whit, she thinks - - but finds herself dissolving into tears and excitement whenever she catches even a glimpse of the distant coast of the Forest Kingdom.



So saith Ed. Who will return when he can to describe the last Haldoneir daughter, and the two nieces. Hang in there, scribes; Ed is “on the job.”
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 07:21:48
Message:

Well. That is very intersting. I like Asmrella and Feanerelle. They seem like excellent characters in a story. I pefer Feanerelle, because she seems to be nicer and better. I don't suppose we'll ever find out what really happened in the end, will we? No short story about this? If so, would Ed mind if I try to write something with this?
And I can't wait for the rest of the lore.

EDIT: If Asmerella wants revenge that badly, why get complicated? Wait until her 'husband' dies, go to Cormyr, find a War wizard, and tell him the 'horrible' story of being sold into slavery with her sisters by her parents and brother, thus solving all the problems: Her parents and brother get killed, they know it was she who did it, and she gets the holdings.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 07:22:30
Message:

Asmrella is one of the most interesting NPCs I've seen in a while.

Feanrelle is interesting, too, but not as interesting as Asmrella.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 08:48:20
Message:

Asmrella has the potential to influence 4e realms, even. I can imagine a Haethmur family in Sembia (or environs) as the arch rivals of the remains of the Haldoneirs. It may even be a relatively nice family - the hatred for the Haldoneirs may seem entirely irrational, yet drives the family to oppose them even when that would be against their best interests.
Of course, such would assume Asmrella's plot never really worked out, or at least that her thirst for revenge was never quenched, but her grandsons/daughters may try just the harder.


Reply author: maransreth
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 11:15:41
Message:

How long it takes to catch up on just over one week no internet access and Candlekeep is longer than I envisioned - I should blame it on the long, detailed answers to numerous questions. :)

Now for two of my own, unrelated but bought about by real-life:

1. What do people use for pain relief? Non-clerical specifically. I take it herbs and barks, but what exactly?

2. Economics. I did a bit of a search on the boards but found nothing conclusive. How important is the money market in the Realms? (Drawing upon the current RL situation) Has something similar happened in the Realms in the past?
I can remember the Iron Throne attempting to monopolise trade (I think) and it not really going anywhere.

3. (Ooo just thought of this one, sorry had to ask). Natural disasters. How often in different areas do floods, fires, wind storms, etc occur? Are they lessened/increased in frequency due to the effects of magic?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 12:35:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Asmrella is one of the most interesting NPCs I've seen in a while.

Feanrelle is interesting, too, but not as interesting as Asmrella.

I was actually the opposite. I found Feanerelle to be the more interesting. In fact, I could certainly see myself dropping her into my campaign at some point. I've got an idea for her frog-like voice that would really leave the PC's scratching their heads. Hehe...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 14:34:18
Message:

And yet, I was drawn to Dorlarra.

Perhaps not as suited to a long-running NPC in one of my scampaigns, but a story-arc involving her was the first to jump to mind.

You know, the one where the PCs rescue someone... and then wish they hadn't.

Excellent as usual Ed. Your answers here at the keep always make me feel a little homesick, in a way.

And, of course, manage to maintain my interest in the Realms, despite everything.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 16:17:32
Message:

maransreth, I recall Ed saying at a long-ago GenCon seminar that he wanted to do herblore articles for DRAGON but these got firmly nixed, again and again.
The reasoning:
1. Real-world herbs would "inevitably" encourage experimentation and lawsuits or even state prosecutions in some anti-hippie-drug-mad US jurisdictions of the time (experiment with plants good if large pharmaceutical corp, home remedies by grandmothers very, very bad).
2. Using invented "fantasy" herbs, even with obviously fantastic instructions like "must have been stepped on by a dragon, in moonlight" would cause real-world experimenters to mistakenly or deliberately substitute real-world substances, then see #1, above.
I wouldn't be surprised if those prohibitions still apply. Sigh.
BB


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 16:23:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

maransreth, I recall Ed saying at a long-ago GenCon seminar that he wanted to do herblore articles for DRAGON but these got firmly nixed, again and again.
The reasoning:
1. Real-world herbs would "inevitably" encourage experimentation and lawsuits or even state prosecutions in some anti-hippie-drug-mad US jurisdictions of the time (experiment with plants good if large pharmaceutical corp, home remedies by grandmothers very, very bad).
2. Using invented "fantasy" herbs, even with obviously fantastic instructions like "must have been stepped on by a dragon, in moonlight" would cause real-world experimenters to mistakenly or deliberately substitute real-world substances, then see #1, above.
I wouldn't be surprised if those prohibitions still apply. Sigh.
BB


If you look at Volo's Guide to All Things Magical, though, it talks about how to create elixers, but I haven't heard of anyone attempting to find a real world alternative to some of the ingredients and trying to make something. I think whomever it is that put out this reasoning seems to think that D&D fans are crazy people who think they can cast spells and fight dragons.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 17:48:32
Message:

Wow, Ed (and Hooded One!) thanks for that great lore, I can't wait to see the rest.

I found it striking and even admirable that Asmrella was able to get out of her bad situation, even though she also happens to be wicked...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 22:44:29
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

Wow, Ed (and Hooded One!) thanks for that great lore, I can't wait to see the rest.

I found it striking and even admirable that Asmrella was able to get out of her bad situation, even though she also happens to be wicked...



So did I. :) But then I read the rest and was like... oh wait...

But I do have to echo one of the above posters... Why didn't she just escape and return to Cormyr - surely that would have been proof enough for the War Wizards to go to town on the Haldoniers!


Reply author: Uzzy
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 23:11:27
Message:

Firstly, it'd probably be nothing more then her word against her parents. I doubt she kept evidence of her own time in slavery. Further, it'd be rather humiliating for her, if it were known she was a slave.

Secondly, it's possible her parents wouldn't be killed. Or even if they were killed, they'd be put to death in a way where they didn't suffer. Neither seem like acceptable solutions for Asmrella.

Of course, I could be completely wrong, but that's my own personal reading of her.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 13 Feb 2009 23:35:58
Message:

Why would she return to Cormyr with so much opportunity before her and no same war wizards to watch her every deed for the remainder of her life?

She escaped various forms of bondage IMHO.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 14 Feb 2009 17:21:09
Message:

I wish to ask Ed something I've been pondering about: is the Realm of Gontal in Abeir a literary nod towards the imaginary world of Gondal that Emily and Anne Brontë (as children) wrote stories, poems and articles about?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Feb 2009 19:47:48
Message:

Hi again, all. I just sent the last few posts on this page off to Ed, and got this back from him, lightning-swift:


No, Gontal isn't a nod to Gondal. I have hidden more than a few "Easter Eggs" in the Realms, but nothing so overt or large-scale. Mine tend to be small details. :}


So saith Ed. Who, as we all know, LOVES small details.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 15 Feb 2009 02:41:15
Message:

I agree with createvmind: I think Asmrella was too SMART to return to Cormyr. The price of denouncing her parents and seeing them get their comeuppance would be putting her own neck into the noose of being their replacement. She obviously thought her new life was better than the one she'd escaped, so why go back?
If she still hates her parents when an opportunity arises to do them dirty from afar, she can still bring them down via, say, the Harpers.
Sometimes the best revenge ain't revenge at all. It's stepping right out of the situation, saying good riddance, and really meaning it.
Leaving your enemy's victory really not much of a "victory" at all.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Feb 2009 02:43:34
Message:

Hello again, all. Well said, Malcolm. VERY well said. (And of course Uzzy and createvmind, too; your thinking concurs with Ed's, all of you. That doesn't mean you're wrong, Zandilar; she probably could have destroyed her parents very effectively - - IF she'd wanted to pay the price of doing so.)
Now, Ed returns to the Keep, via me (fresh from the gala opening of an exhibition of caricatures in Port Hope, Ontario, of 42 local celebrities, including Ed himself; he is, of course, “The Wizard”), to describe the last Haldoneir daughter, and the two Haldoneir nieces, for us all:



PAERELLE (“PAY-er-el”) had from early years an unearthly beauty; golden rather than straw-yellow hair, a perfect complexion (nigh-pure white), large dark imploring indigo eyes, and extremely sharp, delicate features. She was small of bone and stature, sleek and curved rather than muscled, and although she’d learned no hand-work skills, she had perfect pitch, spot-on mimicry with a great range in voices (from deep male to faerie-bell clear) and a great natural talent for singing, and could read and write superbly. Blessed with an exacting, exhaustive memory for smells, faces, names, and dates, she might make the perfect witness.
Growing up very much in the shadow of her sisters, she learned to stay mute and challenge no one, even when treated with great cruelty. However, she never forgot ANYTHING, and was quite a shrewd judge of character.
She suspected what her fate might soon be after the “taking” of Borlatha and Daunameire, and quietly made preparations, approaching Lelrard Dorryn, a young male stable servant of the Haldoneirs whom she knew was smitten with her, to follow and rescue her in return for her hand in marriage and what wealth she could snatch.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t present when she was taken, and could only follow her. When the slaving trail led from Marsember to Westgate, Dorryn sought out a Harper he knew in Marsember, revealed all he knew, then bought passage to Westgate - - where he was soon murdered by the slavers when his clumsy pokings and pryings led them to notice him. By then, Paerelle had been bought by a brothelkeeper and had “entertained” hundreds of clients who paid extra to “violate a noble lady;” many of them returned often after they’d seen and felt her beauty.
A tenday later, when Dorryn had failed to leave word with Harpers in Westgate, they set out to find him and Paerelle Haldoneir. The result was a messy little private war that went on in the streets, back alleys, upper rooms, and secret passages of Westgate for the better part of a month, ending with a handful of Harpers dead but a slaving gang nigh-exterminated, a certain brothelkeeper murdered, and his brothel emptied and set afire by desperately-fleeing “working lasses.”
Given refuge by a Harper, Paerelle Haldoneir proved to be as wise as her eldest sister Asmrella; she refused to return to Cormyr or use her own name ever again. She had discovered she quite liked lovemaking (even receiving pain, so long as it was on HER terms), and discovered she liked manipulating men (and women, too) even more.
Local Harpers offered her a deal; if she would join the Harpers, gathering information and providing a safe haven for traveling Harpers, they would set her up in her own “brothel-of-one” in any city she desired . . . and relocate her whenever she grew bored or felt unsafe. She agreed, began work in Alaghôn, has enjoyed it, and is busily learning all she can of other places in the Realms (from clients and Harpers alike) so she can choose the “best” next place she’ll dwell. She has become the lover and fast friend of over a dozen Harpers, and is heartily glad to have put her Haldoneir heritage “forever” (in her words) behind her.

BORLATHA (“Boar-LATH-ah”) was a fat, jovial-mannered but deeply unhappy lass some seven summers older than Asmrella. More fond of food and drink - - for which she has developed a prodigious capacity without seeming to be drunk - - than of anything else, and feeling trapped in “the body of a rosy, cuddly SOW” (as she put it more than once, disgusted and despairing) she had gradually withdrawn from feasts, revels, and all other public appearances. Her life became a matter of staying in her home eating sweets, reading endless racy chapbooks, hearing the latest gossip of Suzail from tale-tellers who visited her for talk, splendid meals, and fine wine whilst she conversed with them from behind a curtain, and making love with her sister. Bored and jaded with idle luxury, she had begun “investigating” various faiths (shady cults in particular) seeking some way out of her body into a new life - - or failing that, some thrills to pass the time.
Sold into slavery as a unlovely, talentless, overfed weakling (literally for a lone copper coin), she was intended to be killed and served up as food to jaded wealthy folk of Westgate seeking illicit thrills. However, she soothed and cuddled the cage full of weeping, shrieking, and self-harming slave children she was thrown in with, and a grateful slavemaster put her to work as a “den mother” for his slave pens. Starved, she has lost most of her fat, though much of her skin hangs in loose folds, and gained a lot of energy - - but can see no way out, and is clinging to her “mothering” role as her only purpose in life. Raped by several male slaves, she is best described as “resigned” to her new life rather than happy, but she’s decided to live for the moment, try not to think about her ultimate fate, and to forget that she was ever noble.

DAUNAMEIRE (“DON-ah-meer”) was as tall, thin, and slender as her sister Borlatha was fat. From birth to now, she has had a build that shows all her ribs for counting. She has a large nose but striking beauty, with severe black brows and curly, honey-hued long tumbling hair - - though she has always preferred the company (and intimacy) of women to men, and was happily her sister’s lover for years until they were snatched into slavery. Daunameire has a sultry, smoky purr of a voice and an unconscious allure (her graceful movements are always just shy of provocative poses, and she’s entirely unashamed of her body and quite likely to casually bare parts of herself to show anyone a scratch or “where it hurts.” Neither stupid nor clever, she has always paid little attention to the world around, and so is by far the most naïve of all the Haldoneirs.
Being taken for slavery and separated from Borlatha caught her completely by surprise. Her arm was broken during her abduction (by accident, not as a result of her putting up any resistance), and one disgusted slaver thought it best to casually strike her senseless and toss her overboard in the Neck - - but she begged the other slavers to spare her life, promising to be their drudge and bedmate and willing slave, never seeking to escape or to harm them, if they’d give her a place to sleep and food to eat.
They took her up on the deal, and from that day to this has labored in a slaver’s kitchen in a low neighborhood of Westgate, cooking, keeping house, and warming the beds of half a dozen cruel, hardened slavers - - who now regard her as family, and will and have scrambled to protect her when the need has arisen.
Her arm healed with a visible irregularity and a recurring damp-weather ache, but is serviceable, and Daunameire herself is content with her new life. She misses being noble not at all, and is only wistful for her former idleness and luxuries on rare occasions, but she would very much like to see her sister - - whom she unconsciously regards as her life partner - - again.
Her owners not only have come to love and value her, they never tire of watching her dance, read them aloud chapbook tales in that loins-stirring purr of hers, and coming to their beds (and after a difficult first few tendays, they made a pact with each other never to fight over who “had” her on this night, but to be generous with each other and with her; if she wanted a night alone, or felt poorly, she would get it - - though to their delight, she prefers sleeping with men, even more than one, to lying in bed alone).



So saith Ed. Who has provided us with another trio of interesting characters; as he’s said many times before, the Realms isn’t geography so much as it is people.
Me, I hope he’ll bring us scores more fascinating characters in the years ahead. I KNOW he’ll bring us more Realmslore replies here to Candlekeep, one by one, as soon as he can get to them.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 15 Feb 2009 09:54:14
Message:

Heya,

I definitely like those last three best out of the whole lot. They might not be the most useful for a DM, but they're the ones I can relate to best. Paerelle might make a good contact for PCs.

But I do have a question about the latter two in the post... Does Borlath view Daunameire the same way Daunameire views her? And if Daunameire were to meet up with Borlath again (both having been freed from their slavery), what would she think then, given the physical changes and psychological scarring her sister would carry? (I find their relationship quite interesting.)

I have one last set of questions not related to the families that have been detailed recently, but still staying with the nobles of Cormyr - which of the noble families would be the most loyal to the crown, and which would be considered the most Good aligned? Are there any noble families that would be Good aligned AND disloyal to the Crown (I am sure that is possible!)? Which of the noble families of Cormyr have pulled themselves out of corruption/depravity and reformed or redeemed themselves from their shady/traitorous pasts? All just things I was musing about in light of the latest details of Cormyrian nobility.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Feb 2009 15:39:09
Message:

Obviously I'm not Ed or THO, but my guess would be the three "royal" noble families have to be considered pretty loyal (Crownsilver, Huntsilver, Truesilver), because even though they might have SOME disloyal individual members, they've intermarried with the Obarskyrs so much down the years that they're tightly knit, and would probably "go down with the Obarskyrs" if Cormyr ever suffered the equivalent of the Black Days In Eleint that Tethyr "enjoyed."
Of the way the noble families have been portrayed, I would have to put the Wyvernspurs (in the 1350s-60s, anyway) at the forefront of truly loyal families (unless I've missed something).
I'm sure Ed doesn't have the time or the desire (not wanting to really hamper future fiction writing) to give us a full scorecard of noble families for answering you, Zan, but I, too, would really like to see "five good examples" of noble families for each of those categories you outlined. NOT the "top five," because that would hamper a DM wanting to surprise his players with a "Hah! You didn't suspect the Hoohahs were blackhearted traitors behind their smiles, did you?" moment.
So, please, please, Ed, add another, oh, dozen waking hours to your days and get to this question soon.
BB


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 16 Feb 2009 01:26:36
Message:

I would love to see Ed caricatured as "The Wizard"!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Feb 2009 02:18:16
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you Ed’s latest Realmslore, this time (sorry, Daviot; House Sorndrake IS coming, eventually) a response to just one of the questions posed by crazedventurers about life in Thunderstone and vicinity (add this to your accumulated Ed-lore on that area, interested scribes - - and yes, Damian, answers to all the rest of your questions are on the way, too; Ed’s just a little overloaded now): “Ranching: Are horses bred for work (dray, plough etc) and for the military/general riding? (or do they specialize). Do most folks in Thunderstone know how to ride?”
Ed replies:



Hi, Damian. Various sorts of horses are bred for both the plough and the saddle, with most of the latter being sold to merchants who come out from Suzail to inspect the trained “stock” and to Purple Dragon buyers (who rely on the constant observation of local animals by the resident Dragons, to make their picks).
Most of the locals who do ride tend to use old, retired plough horses to plod around on, often pulling small work-carts in which non-riders can travel as well as purchases and items they’re transporting. However, there are locals who own and ride horses bred and trained for the purpose, as well as nobles and wannbe-nobles who enjoy hunting (see my next answer, coming soon), and have horses trained for galloping across country, leaping obstacles, fording streams, and the like. I would judge that about 4 in 10 locals can ride, about half that number doing it well, and that perhaps 8 out of 10 have been on a horse (however clumsily and/or briefly : } ) once in their lives.



So saith Ed. Who will, if he can, follow up with details of House Sorndrake, last of his four candidate “nasty noble families” for Daviot, then turn to more in the series of Thunderstone questions posed by crazedventurers, probably starting with hunting.
Not to mention Asgetrion’s followup Thunderstone questions!
If time presses in the next few days, Ed warns, he'll deal with smaller, swifter lore queries instead, for a bit.
After all of that, there are some nice queries posed recently that I know Ed is itching to tackle.
Keep ’em coming, scribes; I’m sure it reassures Ed that the advent of 4e hasn’t caused longtime scribes to abandon the Realms.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 02:00:13
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another question for the ever-growing pile.
When a death occurs in a noble family of Cormyr, and it's "uncomplicated" (they're not traitors, they don't die far from home or suspiciously, they don't carry some sort of horrible plague, and it's not war time or deep howling winter), where do they get buried, and how? I assume in a coffin and in a family crypt, but am I right to assume that? How are the bodies treated/prepared? Do practises vary from family to family or regionally? How is a noble's funeral different from a commoner's, legally or to heralds or in the eyes of the Crown or Court scribes? And are any noble families of the Forest Kingdom really eccentric about this? Severing heads from bodies or doing "prevent undeath" stuff?
Thanks in advance for anything you say on this topic.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 02:06:50
Message:

Hi again, all. This time, a quick response from Ed to one of Zandilar’s followup questions about those enslaved Haldoneirs (and, yes, Zan, he’ll get to your other questions, promise): “Does Borlatha view Daunameire the same way Daunameire views her? And if Daunameire were to meet up with Borlatha again (both having been freed from their slavery), what would she think then, given the physical changes and psychological scarring her sister would carry? (I find their relationship quite interesting.)”
Ed replies:



Borlatha’s world-view and horizons have “broadened” greatly since she was snatched from idle luxury in Suzail (thanks to her enforced contact with so many more individuals, and her loss of weight), so she doesn’t “need” Daunameire as much as she formerly did. Yet Daunameire is “family” to her, and she would be wildly excited at an reunion - - just as Daunameire, with her own deeper feelings for her sister and the excitement she would feel at seeing the “new,” slimmer Borlatha, would be wildly excited at being reunited with her.
So, yes, they would probably try to resume a life together, if at all possible. I have no idea how long it would last. They would both begin it happier than they were (bored and drifting) before they ceased to be “pampered but ignored Haldoneirs,” but they have also both begun to really grow and change as people . . . and they might well “grow apart.” Only time (and the choices of individual DMs running them) will tell.



So saith Ed. Giving us a glimpse of how he views and handles fictional characters, there. (With a lot of respect, be it noted.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 02:14:21
Message:

A question for THO:
Lovely lady, when Ed was DMing you in the Realms, did you ever get the sense he was pushing you and other players to "develop" the characters of their PCs?
I don't mean add detail, I mean mature by being forced into various moral choices, being betrayed and having to learn "life lessons" or whatever you'd prefer to call them. I'm curious, but don't want to pry, so if you'd rather not say, that's okay. Thanks.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 02:19:31
Message:

Heh. Looking back over years of Realmsplay, I can tell you that Ed does that to all of us, all the time. He's pretty subtle about it, though, with so many subplots going on and we as the "heroes" having so much of a say in where we go and what we get caught up in, that we scarcely notice it. We're just "living our lives" in the Realms - - character lives that happen to involve a lot of bold, dangerous adventure.
So yes he does, but no, I rarely stop and step out of character to notice it. The Realms just seems real and we deal with things as they come along. Ed NEVER pulls you out of character to impress upon you that the character you're playing is about to make an Important Decision.
For which I'm heartily glad; I get to do enough facing of Important Decisions in real life!
love,
THO


Reply author: Nerfed2Hell
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 02:43:32
Message:

Animal question: do people of the Realms keep anything resembling the equivalent of "glamour pets"? I'm especially interested in the heartlands, but if there's a notable noble of Waterdeep or elsewhere with the equivalent of a chihuahua on her arm all the time... I'm curious to know what kinds of things people keep just for pets --not just familiars or animal companions-- and whether or not this kind of behavior sets trends or makes others scoff.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 07:11:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Nerfed2Hell

Animal question: do people of the Realms keep anything resembling the equivalent of "glamour pets"? I'm especially interested in the heartlands, but if there's a notable noble of Waterdeep or elsewhere with the equivalent of a chihuahua on her arm all the time... I'm curious to know what kinds of things people keep just for pets --not just familiars or animal companions-- and whether or not this kind of behavior sets trends or makes others scoff.



Well, it's certainly not canon... But I created a kind of fad pat in one of my Hooks; it was specifically Hook V in volume 6 of the Candlekeep Compendium, and I revisited the idea in a still-unreleased Hook. The glamour pet I created was the falcat (originally called the griffling, because I couldn't think of a better name at the time). The falcat is a miniature griffon the size of a housecat; they were originally created by using Duhlark's Animerge on a falcon and a housecat (for the spell, see Volume 1 of the Realms Bestiary by Eric L. Boyd and Thomas M. Costa, specifically the duhlarkin template, or check the 2E City of Splendors boxed set). The critters have since bred true.

As part of the Hook, the falcats were quite popular, particularly among the nobility and other folks of wealth.

Steven Schend helped me with the Hook; it's one of my favorites, and that's why I eventually revisited it. I'd also love to see falcats pop up in canon Realmslore!


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 12:06:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed. Who will, if he can, follow up with details of House Sorndrake, last of his four candidate “nasty noble families” for Daviot, then turn to more in the series of Thunderstone questions posed by crazedventurers, probably starting with hunting.
Not to mention Asgetrion’s followup Thunderstone questions!
If time presses in the next few days, Ed warns, he'll deal with smaller, swifter lore queries instead, for a bit.



Aye, thank you, though after poking my quill around the 'keep and the internet and coming up dry, I'm afraid I might have to add a trio of (hopefully) quick Daggerdale-related queries to the pile:
1. Is there any Realms-specific term or understanding of what we earthlings might term a "sting operation"? The closest I could come up with is "honeypot," with a slightly different connotation. I figured such tactics would be useful to Randal Morn in ousting Zhent agents, and was looking for the right term.
2. There's brief mention of a mage, that's moved into the abandoned homes in Serpentsbridge, Daggerdale: "One abandoned farm has been rebuilt here, along with another enclosed house that is said to belong to a reclusive mage who recently came to the area from the Scardale area. Both Randal Morn and Captain Durmark have met with the mage and afterward told their followers he will 'be an asset to the Dale.' Little more is known about him."
Is this mysterious spellflinger shielded by an NDA? Failing that, does he have a name, and possibly a demeanor and interests?
3. Although we have her name, position, stats, and brief involvement in a few adventures, do we know anything of Captain Mestin "Troll" Durmark's (of the Freedom Riders) physical appearance or personality?

Thanks much. I've really enjoyed reading over the Arcantlets, Bryarns, and Haldoneirs, and shall lore will undoubtedly be useful.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 15:23:28
Message:

Hmm. Where in published Realmslore was this "Troll" Durmark mentioned? I dimly recall this, but I don't remember where. Aaagh. Help, someone! Please?


Reply author: Ergdusch
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 16:06:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Hmm. Where in published Realmslore was this "Troll" Durmark mentioned? I dimly recall this, but I don't remember where. Aaagh. Help, someone! Please?


Hi Boken Helm!
This is not quite the right place to ask, as this thread is ment only for specific querries to Ed of the Greenwood himself, but I'll answer it anyhow:

Mestin 'Troll' Durmark (female ranger lvl 5) is Capt. of the Freedom Riders of Daggerdale. Her stats are in 'The Sword of the Dales' (TSR 9484) as well as in 'Return of Randal Morn' (TSR 9488).

A useful place to look on a search like yours is always the Forgotten Realms Index.


Edit note:
You might want to 'bookmark' the Index for the future.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 16:27:51
Message:

quote:
"One abandoned farm has been rebuilt here, along with another enclosed house that is said to belong to a reclusive mage who recently came to the area from the Scardale area. Both Randal Morn and Captain Durmark have met with the mage and afterward told their followers he will 'be an asset to the Dale.' Little more is known about him."


Daviot, what's the source for this quote? Is it part of the Northern Journeys Daggerdale Expansion, or is it from an official source?


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 17 Feb 2009 20:10:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ErskineF

quote:
"One abandoned farm has been rebuilt here, along with another enclosed house that is said to belong to a reclusive mage who recently came to the area from the Scardale area. Both Randal Morn and Captain Durmark have met with the mage and afterward told their followers he will 'be an asset to the Dale.' Little more is known about him."


Daviot, what's the source for this quote? Is it part of the Northern Journeys Daggerdale Expansion, or is it from an official source?


It may be; I can't vouch for its veracity, but I swore I saw some mention of the mage among my 2e books.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 01:17:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed. Who has provided us with another trio of interesting characters; as he’s said many times before, the Realms isn’t geography so much as it is people.
Me, I hope he’ll bring us scores more fascinating characters in the years ahead. I KNOW he’ll bring us more Realmslore replies here to Candlekeep, one by one, as soon as he can get to them.
love to all,
THO




Agreed on all points, and I'm grateful for that. Thanks once again.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 01:34:24
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. I bring more Ed Realmslore, this one a response to Malcolm’s query: “For a TYPICAL inn maidservant or manservant in Suzail AND (same question) for one in any of the Dales, I know they can tell an outlander from far away by they accent with which they speak Common, but how good are they at correctly identifying the general whereabouts of where someone stopping at the inn came from? I know some will be good at this and some bad, but what's typical? Thanks!”
Ed replies:



It varies wildly, with both the individual servant and the accent of the outlanders, but in general, folk from really distant locales (you said “far away”) won’t be correctly placed by inn staff in the Dales more than ten percent of the time at most, UNLESS they by chance share an accent with a caravan merchant on a local run (meaning, they see him or her at least twice a season, for a stopover), who comes from the same region.
In Suzail, a cosmopolitan seaport of goodly size but not as bustling or seeing as wide a variety of visitors as most of the Sword Coast ports, I’d double those chances (to twenty percent, at most). Selgaunt, Scornubel, and Alaghôn would be twenty-five percent, with Crimmor, Athkatla, Memnon, and Calimport thirty percent, and real “crossroads” places like Tharsult, Baldur’s Gate, and Waterdeep rising to as much as forty percent (again, at most).



So saith Ed. Who’s been known to adopt an accent or three himself, when roleplaying (hearing him do sultry young females is a treat).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 03:13:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(hearing him do sultry young females is a treat).


We're still talking about accents, right?


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 03:50:19
Message:

The whole body, actually. I saw him do the, "Oh, my lord, dost thou not know how I trow," bit at UCon a few years back. It had hands sliding down his sides and at the end there was a darting tongue. It was hysterical. I'm so glad I tape recorded that session. Even just the rather low-quality audio is still funny and insightful.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 04:03:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

The whole body, actually. I saw him do the, "Oh, my lord, dost thou not know how I trow," bit at UCon a few years back. It had hands sliding down his sides and at the end there was a darting tongue. It was hysterical. I'm so glad I tape recorded that session. Even just the rather low-quality audio is still funny and insightful.



Trow? Isn't that... like... a cargo boat? Is there a euphemism at work here? Do I even want to know?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 04:10:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(hearing him do sultry young females is a treat).


We're still talking about accents, right?

I'd imagine Ed's capable of so much more. *snicker*



Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 08:01:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

The whole body, actually. I saw him do the, "Oh, my lord, dost thou not know how I trow," bit at UCon a few years back. It had hands sliding down his sides and at the end there was a darting tongue. It was hysterical. I'm so glad I tape recorded that session. Even just the rather low-quality audio is still funny and insightful.

Oh gods...


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 08:18:49
Message:

Hi Ed,

The elven spirits thread on the general board had me looking through some old material for elven undead and I'm wondering what the incarnates of faith and hope are in Sehanine's entry in Demihuman Deities. They are some of her servant creatures listed on page 126.


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 10:22:47
Message:

I have a question for Ed.

Other than the robes/helm etc. that conceal the identities of the Lords of Waterdeep are there any official regalia of the rulership of the city? Sceptres or crowns of previous rulers prior to the current system of government, symbolic orbs or swords or anything similar, that still play a role in the pomp and ceremony of the governance of Waterdeep. I'm thinking, something like the sceptre used in the UK parliament.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 13:32:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(hearing him do sultry young females is a treat).


We're still talking about accents, right?

I'd imagine Ed's capable of so much more. *snicker*






He basicly seduces the whole room everytime he speaks! You know , the men want to be him and the women want to...


Reply author: Chosen of Moradin
Replied on: 18 Feb 2009 13:45:20
Message:

Another question to Ed´s evergrowing pile.

About the superstitions. There are some specifics Realms superstitions, specially in the Unnaprocheable East region? And racially speaking, there are some superstitions of the stout folk that you could share with us?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 03:21:00
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. Ed now tackles this query from Hawkfeather, about the pre-Spellplague Vast of the Realms: “Hello, Ed! One of my players asked me this morning about the relationships between the cities of the Vast. He also wants to know more about how the laws of one city affects the others (specifically Calaunt, Tantras, Ravens Bluff and Procampur - but feel free to share more information about other cities!! Please!!). For example, if a someone commits a crime in one city and hides in another one, the criminal could be sent back to be judged? A representative of the offended city could enter in another city to arrest the criminal? Could you help me give him the answers?
Thanks in advance!”
Ed replies:



Calaunt (which I most fully described in the 2e FORGOTTEN REALMS ADVENTURES hardcover), Tantras (which got much shorter shrift in my Avatar adventure module of the same name, and talked about briefly here at the Keep, much later), Ravens Bluff (which I described, pre-destruction, in great detail in THE CITY OF RAVENS BLUFF 2e sourcebook) and Procampur (which I’ve touched on here and there, including here at the Keep, but which was a campaign focus for the RPGA for long enough to keep my treatments of it skimpy, at best) are all very different cities.
To put things very simply, Calaunt is a nasty “police-state”-like port that’s no friend of anyone’s. Tantras is a worship-of-Torm-dominated, generally law-abiding port that is a traditional rival of Calaunt, Ravens Bluff is (or was) a colorful, crossroads, generally lawless port, and Procampur is a law-abiding port with many intrigues brewing under the surface, that has more to do with other Inner Sea ports than with the cities of the Vast.
They are all independent of each other, Calaunt sends spies into the other cities and occasional raiders into the lands between it and Tantras to skirmish with the Tantran patrols, Tantras warily watches both Calaunt and “wild” Ravens Bluff, and Procampur regards all of the cities of the Vast as generally dangerous backwaters.
The laws of one city don’t affect the others at all; there’s no cooperation between governments and their enforcement arms, little overlap in actual laws, and a natural inclination to resist or dismiss claims made under the laws of the other cities.
To deal specifically with the two examples you give:
1. If someone commits a crime in one city and hides in another one, the criminal would not be sent back to face justice. A bounty hunter (or hired adventuring group) might privately travel to another city to find and apprehend someone, but their own actions in capturing the fugitive might well not be seen as lawful in the city they’re operating in. News of the crime could quite easily travel from city to city with all the merchants moving about, but might not have reached the authorities - - and if it did, would at best alert them to watch an individual they deemed dangerous (such as a wizard who murdered someone in the first city with spells). If they got word in Tantras that “Garlaustras is wanted in Calaunt for butchering sixteen city officials,” the response might very well be “Well, good for him!” (but also a note to the effect: “If we’re going to collect a fee or tax from Garlaustras, send three men, and make sure they’re armed”).
2. If an official representative of the offended city entered another city to try to apprehend a criminal, it could only be an envoy requesting cooperation from the “other city,” and this would only be given in extraordinary circumstances. If he tried to “arrest the criminal” himself without obtaining that unlikely permission, HE would be seen as a criminal for making the attempt.
Heh; the folk of Procampur just could be right: the cities of the Vast ARE, by and large, dangerous backwaters.



So saith Ed. Who created all of those places except Ravens Bluff (which was plonked atop his original settlement of Sarbreen, and was originally called “Ravensgate,” until someone discovered that a romance already published by another company prevented “Ravensgate” or “Ravens Gate” being trademarked by TSR).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 11:01:01
Message:

A (hopefully) quick question which was asked but never answered last year:

Can we get any more information on Lharave, the swanmay ranger of western Daggerdale? The only mention of her that I've found was in the Old Grey Box...


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 13:14:02
Message:

Raven's Bluff was destroyed?? ::blink, blink:: When'd that happen? And in what product? Or are we just saying that the Spellplague nuked the place just like Halruaa?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 15:04:40
Message:

I wasn't an active Living City player at the time, but I seem to remember that shortly after Ed's mammoth roundup description of the city was published (inevitably incorporating some of the "fantasy equivalents of real-life modern American businesses and in-jokes" silliness the RPGA members put there, but also including GOBS of useful new info on noble families that any DM can swipe for use in any campaign, set anywhere that has nobles), events in the Living City included the city being razed by invading fiends. A "reset" for that campaign, from what I understand, before the Living City was formally wound down. I think what Ed's getting at is that the rebuilt Ravens Bluff can retain anything a DM wants from the sourcebook he did, and eliminate anything a DM doesn't want.
Ed and THO, please leap in to correct me if I've got any of this wrong - - and are there any Living City veterans on these forums who can corroborate or explain further?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 15:25:53
Message:

Started reading Dark Lord......great start, I am hooked already!


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 18:11:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

I wasn't an active Living City player at the time, but I seem to remember that shortly after Ed's mammoth roundup description of the city was published (inevitably incorporating some of the "fantasy equivalents of real-life modern American businesses and in-jokes" silliness the RPGA members put there, but also including GOBS of useful new info on noble families that any DM can swipe for use in any campaign, set anywhere that has nobles), events in the Living City included the city being razed by invading fiends. A "reset" for that campaign, from what I understand, before the Living City was formally wound down. I think what Ed's getting at is that the rebuilt Ravens Bluff can retain anything a DM wants from the sourcebook he did, and eliminate anything a DM doesn't want.
Ed and THO, please leap in to correct me if I've got any of this wrong - - and are there any Living City veterans on these forums who can corroborate or explain further?
Thanks!
BB

I don't think the destruction of RB ever made it to canon... it was just a clumsy fumble from Organized Play, the company who had the rights to Living City at the time...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 18:41:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

He basicly seduces the whole room everytime he speaks! You know , the men want to be him and the women want to...

I have unfortunately never been blessed by hearing him speak in person, but I have to admit when I play the YouTube videos, I listen enthralled - he is an epic-level speaker.

Compared to the podcasts of other 'notables' <ahem>, which I can barely sit-through, he comes-off as completely surprised that folks hang on his every word. You just can't fake that kind of sincerity.

And if I do ever make it to a Gencon, it will be just to see him - products I can buy anywhere, and self-agrandizing muckity-mucks I can find videos of all over the Internet, but being in the presence of true creativity is rare indeed.

I missed-out on ever meeting Gygax, and I don't want to make the same mistake with Ed.

Okay... enough 'rabid fanboism'... we bnow bring you back to our regularly scheduled thread topic...


Reply author: Hawkfeather
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 23:12:38
Message:

Thanks a lot, Ed!


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 19 Feb 2009 23:40:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade
Stuff about Raven's Bluff



Ah, ok. That's why I hadn't heard about it; it didn't happen. :) I'm not an RPGA person, so I hadn't heard of it. Easy enough to ignore. Thanks.


Reply author: Afetbinttuzani
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 00:34:57
Message:

Greeting and salutations. I've posted this question elsewhere, but no one was entirely sure of the answer. So, I was hoping Ed could enlighten me.

In Cloak of Shadows Elminster and company are traveling in a forested area of Daggerdale on a trail that was "once an important trade road" (TSR: 1995, p. 40). Having left early in the morning from Shadowdale on horseback, the sun is setting when Elminster announces that they will spend the night in the ruins of "Irythkeep". They have just put in a hard day's ride, a max of say 25-30 miles. The narrator indicates that "Irythkeep may once have been grand, but the winds and winters of passing time had not been kind to it since a besieging orc band had battered its wall from without, and the Zhentarim mage with them had summoned and let loose a Fire- spitting hydra within" (p. 41)

My question is: where is Irythkeep located and who occupied it before it was destroyed?

Many thanks,


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 03:00:53
Message:

Hi, fellow scribes of the Keep. I bring you once more the words of Ed, this time in swift response to Afet bint Tuzaní:


Your reasoning about the location of Irythkeep is correct; it is only a very short ride north along the Dagger Ride (better known as the Tethyamar Trail) from the North Ride, on the east side of the Trail (and increasingly overgrown). About a third of a mile (“just over one hill” from the North Ride), no more.
Centuries ago, it was built by a trading company headed by Garskran Iryth, a trader from Turmish who established a small hold here (a keep surrounded by a subsistence farm) from which he could trade with the dwarves of Tethyamar (cloth, leather, clothing and leather goods, drinkables, and medicines brought from the Vilhon, in return for smelted metal and forged tools). Here he intended to make his home, far from enemies back home and the taxes and laws of rulers he disagreed with.
Iryth’s small band of warriors held the keep well enough, but took heavy losses trying to get caravans to and from the keep, until they were just too few to defend the keep in a harsh winter. In the end, Iryth and his folk perished to the last hungry, chilled, and terrified goodwife fighting orc raiders and hungry monsters, notably persistent packs of wolves.
The keep then passed through a succession of owners, mainly knights who set themselves up as local lordlings. Most of them perished in monster raids or at the hands of underlings who turned on them, with the keep and its attached stables standing empty until the next would-be lord came along. Few of them did much to the keep beyond replacing its roofs and doors when necessary, and it started to crumble.
It was little more than a ramshackle barracks-fortress guarding the southern approach to Daggerdale by the time Zhentarim started backing orc bands in an all-out attempt to conquer Daggerdale and scour out all inhabitants who wouldn’t bow to them - - and one such band blasted the keep to get at a small band of dale defenders taking refuge in it.



So saith Ed. Who has just sent me another, longer offering of Realmslore, I see. Coming riiiight up, scribes!
P.S. When Ed mentions your "reasoning," Afetbinttuzaní, he means what you posted in your thread querying Irythkeep's location, elsewhere at the Keep (I sent it along to him).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 03:03:24
Message:

As I just said, Ed isn’t done yet. This time, he’s tackled a query from creyzu4zb12: “Ed, do you know other epic orc characters in Faerun? I'm a big fan of orcs like Oblon Oblivious, Vrakk, Obould, Shield etc. and I can't seem to get enough of them. It'd be cool if you could add up more knowledge to my list, especially the bad-guys.”
Markustay then echoed: “Orc lore? I would second that request - - Orcs had many kingdoms before humans even did, I'd love to get some background on that 'forgotten' people.
I find it sad that human and Elvish history doesn't record much at all about them (other then the conflicts). Perhaps the Dwarves could shed a better light? As for the Orcs themselves, their illiteracy is a major detriment to them keeping any sort of historical records beyond what a tribal 'Skald' might know.”
Ed replies:



Some time ago, Gray Richardson asked in this thread (or rather, an earlier year’s incarnation of it) for more orc lore. At the time, what I’d worked up was firmly NDA (as Rich Baker and Bob Salvatore were both at work on Obould, and might well take things in different directions than all the details of clothing, cooking, customs, and the like that I’d done), and I regretfully had to remain silent. Some of that lore is still NDA, but I can now say this much:

Orcs recount great victories and defeats and heroics through long chants uttered in unison over fires by elders, and learned by the rest of a tribe who are expected to echo all they know of such chants, until they learn them “entire,” themselves. Here’s a typical snatch of an orc chant, rendered into Common:
“Well remembered is Grishnakh, who first bore the Black Fang/Founded our tribe and fathered bold Halrak/Then came Great Halrak, four-armed, four-fisted, tall as small mountains, who made Black Fang feared, and fathered many/Regrarl Blackhide, who slew his sire Halrak, then killed many brothers to lead us, but fell to poison/Orglul, son of Regrarl and sly in battle, who turned to dark magic/Then skull-faced Lularleg, servant of shamans, who took us to new crags . . .”
Orc history is indeed hampered by its oral nature. Not only do different tribes contradict each other constantly in their chants (“We the Cloven Skulls beat the Black Fangs!” vs. “Then did we crush the Cloven Skulls, we Black Fangs, as we always do!”), but whenever many elders die - - in hard winters, in a horde sweeping down into human-held lands, or when a tribe is nigh-exterminated by another tribe or a greater foe such as a hungry or angry dragon - - the chants are either lost, or get so distorted because only a few are left to continue them that they become utterly unreliable as historical record (sometimes, it only takes the faulty memory of just ONE old, loud, stubborn orc to get an entire section of chant shifted out of place in the chronology, and if this happens several times over the “life” of an ancient tribe or clan, the mixing up “who came before who” can be very thorough). Moreover, deciding who was REALLY important or dominant can be hard for any later historian, because every tribe has its own self-centered viewpoint.
I’m dancing around something here, because I’m trying to avoid giving you the names of long-gone historical dominant orcs (thanks to the surviving NDA), so here are a few currently-active orc heroes (adventurers, war leaders, and “chiefs” [I’ve put that last word in quotations because actual orc ruling titles vary so much from tribe to tribe]):
Narrgh Longtooth, Glorundoun, Ahrkragh, and Ruglukh.
Details of these “hukrym” (“bold tusks”) will follow in later posts.



So saith Ed. Who’s hard at work on many things, scribes; please ignore his mutterings and pacings . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Afetbinttuzani
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 04:41:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, fellow scribes of the Keep. I bring you once more the words of Ed, this time in swift response to Afet bint Tuzaní:
[Snip!]
P.S. When Ed mentions your "reasoning," Afetbinttuzaní, he means what you posted in your thread querying Irythkeep's location, elsewhere at the Keep (I sent it along to him).
love to all,
THO


Many thanks, THO and Ed for your swift and helpful response.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 05:06:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<snip>
Narrgh Longtooth, Glorundoun, Ahrkragh, and Ruglukh.
Details of these “hukrym” (“bold tusks”) will follow in later posts.



I don't know if it's because I'm working on my Excel encounter generator (which also generates NPC names), but those last two names sound familiar. Have they been mentioned somewhere before?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 06:23:43
Message:

quote:
so here are a few currently-active orc heroes


Does 'currently-active' mean pre- or post Spellplague?
(I assume pre, as I am one of very few asking for post lore at the Keep, but figured I better ask).


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 15:11:27
Message:

Pre-Spellplague, Ed tells me. He's treading VERY carefully re. 4e lore right now, and I suspect [note: SUSPECT; Ed hasn't told me specifically why, and out of respect and my own understanding of NDAs, I haven't asked] it's because of two concerns:

1. Ed doesn't want Candlekeep to get any cease and desist notices because the site has 3e AND 4e material, and therefore gets deemed to be violating a Gaming Licence (if and when the company gets around to releasing the wording of a licence).

2. The style or approach of 4e is to avoid imparting lots of specific lore that can hamper DMs in crafting their own plotlines, and Ed is a professional who tries to work WITH the copyright holder of the Realms. This we have discussed, re. what's said at Candlekeep, and Ed has pointed out that providing detailed late-3.5e-era lore allows DMs running the Realms in 4e "time" to extrapolate from it (for example, inventing the "future" of House Haldoneir through the century timejump, building on what details Ed has given here) in many different ways. It provides a direction rather than specifics.
Ed hopes to have some face-to-face discussions with Wizards management soon (at GenCon, if not much sooner) about these matters, to make sure he knows where they stand on this, but he and they are both very busy, and hooking up via phone or e-mail has proven difficult. RPGA behind-the-scenes advice is a little different, but still "wary" territory.
The primary goal is to avoid having the doors of Candlekeep slammed shut, or Ed fall silent, or anyone else being hampered in posting about the Realms . . . so we can all go on enjoying this sandbox.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 15:22:07
Message:

Oh, and Ed adds this:


Red Walker, I hope you like DARK LORD. I had a lot of fun with it.
Ashe Ravenheart, I don't THINK Ahrkragh and Ruglukh had been talked about in published lore before, though I've definitely mentioned Ruglukh at GenCon.
More Realmslore soon, everyone (probably when I get back from my library job tonight).


So saith Ed. Who is as busy as - - well, insert your own colourful metaphor now (e.g. "The village professional when a marching army stops by the inn.")
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 17:34:18
Message:

Reading your point one makes me glad that I'm not the only one who is concerned about what the GSL might do to Keep. I know I might have angered a few people over the past few months, and during the last week or so, in my defense that Wizards does have the power to close this site because of the material on it. Sometimes it felt, to me, that I was talking to myself or that people didn't understand how easily Wizards could just go, "You are done, now remove everything."

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Pre-Spellplague, Ed tells me. He's treading VERY carefully re. 4e lore right now, and I suspect [note: SUSPECT; Ed hasn't told me specifically why, and out of respect and my own understanding of NDAs, I haven't asked] it's because of two concerns:

1. Ed doesn't want Candlekeep to get any cease and desist notices because the site has 3e AND 4e material, and therefore gets deemed to be violating a Gaming Licence (if and when the company gets around to releasing the wording of a licence).

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 18:22:41
Message:

Most of us understood, Kuje... its just all so... frustrating.. at this point.

Its even affecting some of the Netbook projects I am part of, because we don't even know if any of it can be 'legally' hosted anywhere when we are finished (not that there is any end in site ).

For instance, on the K-T thread, I was extrapolating 4e lore forward from the 3e timeline I am working on, because at least one 4e DM had asked me "How do YOU see Kara-Tur in 1479, Markus?"

I gave a very long reply (as usual - I do tend to blather on about the Realms, but only because I love them so), and the poster was thankful... but others on the project got a little... annoyed... because they said I should be sticking with 3e. The upside is - as I explained over there - is that by posting 3e/4e mixed lore at the WotC site, I couldn't possibly be violating anything (their own rules state they own EVERYTHING posted on their site, including artwork).

I really hate this 'line in the sand' attitude, because its stopping alot of talented folks (no... I don't mean me..) from producing Realmslore ATM. I liked it better when we could draw from everything for our homebrew articles and theories, and now we must 'pick & choose'.

When there comes a point in time when even the creator of the Realms doesn't know what he can and cannot say, there is a HUGE problem here.

I just want things to go back to the way they used to be (and I'm not talking about 4e - I'm talking about when we all could just discuss the Realms ad-nauseum without any worries). It just saddens me so that there is now 'politics' involved in FR discussions.

Anyway, before I get mod-mauled (by a Hamster, no less ), I leave-off on-topic -

Thank you VERY much for those names Ed, and I look forward to any Realmslore you will be attaching to them. The Orcs have always been treated as mere 'canon fodder', and it's high time they got a little respect.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 18:29:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and Ed adds this:


Red Walker, I hope you like DARK LORD. I had a lot of fun with it.
....


So saith Ed. Who is as busy as - - well, insert your own colourful metaphor now (e.g. "The village professional when a marching army stops by the inn.")
love to all,
THO



I am enjoying it greatly so far(9 chapters in) and it is easy to see that you had fun writing it, as they humor and innuendo are freely flowing and do not at all seemed forced or shoehorned in!(It's what I loved about meeting Ed, when you talk to him you may get a bit of this and a pinch of that...but everything he gives you is genuine and from the heart.

Two other things about Dark Lord.
Is there a map of the Falcon Kingdoms that Ed can point me to or share , no matter how rough? It would read much smoother for me if I could picture the lay of the land.
Taya reminds me very much of a few of Ed's beauties and a particularly Lovely Hooded apparition.....was that intentional?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 19:18:09
Message:

Hello, Red Walker. Ed just sent me an answer to you:

To answer your last question first: no, 'twasn't intentional, but (ahem), it happened, didn't it? :}
As for your other question: I'm afraid there's no published map yet. Here's a good way to picture it, though. Imagine a clock on the wall (one with hands, not digital) that has a square face, with 2 o'clock at the top right corner, and 4 at the bottom right. The top of the clock is north.
So Rod and Taeauna appear in Falconfar at about 1 o'clock. There's a mountain range running down the east side of the clock, which also forms the eastern boundary of Galath, and they travel down it to about three o'clock, which is where they turn towards the center of the clock and encounter a certain haystack (and barony).
Bowrock is down at about 7 o'clock, and the ruined royal palace is just south of the center of the clock.
The Rauklor (the seemingly endless forest) is west of the larger, fiercer mountain range that runs down the WEST wide of the clock. The Sea of Storms (with the northcoast Stormar ports) lies due south of the west half of the clock (i.e. from 6 o'clock westwards).
I hope that helps. I'll try to get Solaris to put a map on their website some day, okay?


So saith Ed.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 19:41:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello, Red Walker. Ed just sent me an answer to you:

To answer your last question first: no, 'twasn't intentional, but (ahem), it happened, didn't it? :}
As for your other question: I'm afraid there's no published map yet. Here's a good way to picture it, though. Imagine a clock on the wall (one with hands, not digital) that has a square face, with 2 o'clock at the top right corner, and 4 at the bottom right. The top of the clock is north.
So Rod and Taeauna appear in Falconfar at about 1 o'clock. There's a mountain range running down the east side of the clock, which also forms the eastern boundary of Galath, and they travel down it to about three o'clock, which is where they turn towards the center of the clock and encounter a certain haystack (and barony).
Bowrock is down at about 7 o'clock, and the ruined royal palace is just south of the center of the clock.
The Rauklor (the seemingly endless forest) is west of the larger, fiercer mountain range that runs down the WEST wide of the clock. The Sea of Storms (with the northcoast Stormar ports) lies due south of the west half of the clock (i.e. from 6 o'clock westwards).
I hope that helps. I'll try to get Solaris to put a map on their website some day, okay?


So saith Ed.
love,
THO



That helps thanks! And if they don't get a map online before GenCon, I may just have to plead for you to doodle it in my book for me

I enjoyed the "certain haystack" and how Taya thought Rod was daft for even asking where they were headed! You could almost here her add a Duh! to the end of her answer. Also funy how Rod keeps trying to call her Tay, and she always corrects him, but now calls him Rodrell.

Good Stuff!

P.S. and as always, thanks for the answers to mine and other scribes un-ending queries!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 Feb 2009 23:23:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Pre-Spellplague, Ed tells me. He's treading VERY carefully re. 4e lore right now, and I suspect [note: SUSPECT; Ed hasn't told me specifically why, and out of respect and my own understanding of NDAs, I haven't asked] it's because of two concerns:

1. Ed doesn't want Candlekeep to get any cease and desist notices because the site has 3e AND 4e material, and therefore gets deemed to be violating a Gaming Licence (if and when the company gets around to releasing the wording of a licence).

2. The style or approach of 4e is to avoid imparting lots of specific lore that can hamper DMs in crafting their own plotlines, and Ed is a professional who tries to work WITH the copyright holder of the Realms. This we have discussed, re. what's said at Candlekeep, and Ed has pointed out that providing detailed late-3.5e-era lore allows DMs running the Realms in 4e "time" to extrapolate from it (for example, inventing the "future" of House Haldoneir through the century timejump, building on what details Ed has given here) in many different ways. It provides a direction rather than specifics.
Ed hopes to have some face-to-face discussions with Wizards management soon (at GenCon, if not much sooner) about these matters, to make sure he knows where they stand on this, but he and they are both very busy, and hooking up via phone or e-mail has proven difficult. RPGA behind-the-scenes advice is a little different, but still "wary" territory.
The primary goal is to avoid having the doors of Candlekeep slammed shut, or Ed fall silent, or anyone else being hampered in posting about the Realms . . . so we can all go on enjoying this sandbox.
love to all,
THO

I appreciate the info on behalf of Candlekeep Ed, and from you as well, my lady Hooded One.

I'm actually involved in a rather tense discussion about the fan-site policy on another board at the moment. Do you mind if I borrow some of your words from here to underline a point I've been trying to make about the function of Candlekeep, as part of that discussion?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 02:19:50
Message:

Neither Ed nor I mind, Sage. Caution and prudence are best policy right now, methinks.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 02:21:14
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you more Realmslore from Ed, this time prefaced by an apology to crazedventurers and the words: “I WILL get back to those Thunderstone questions, right after this,” and to Daviot, with the additional comment: “your Daggerdale questions and House Sorndrake, right after THAT. Unless, of course, a query is made that requires a swift response and happens to be something I can make reply to right off the cuff.”
In the meantime, here’s the first of those four hukrym Ed mentioned last time:



Narrgh (“NAR-hh”) is a grim adventuring warrior, a Conan-like loner who attracts followers constantly but whose deeds kill most of them off swiftly (he never turns on them; he just leads them boldly into greater and greater dangers). Several orc tribes claim that he came from their ranks, but all that’s certain is that he was first active near Glister, and has generally ranged east into the Great Dale, Rashemen, and even down into warmer human-held lands, in a three-decade-long career of lurking, raiding, and working with various improbable allies (such as the human sorceress Nlamra of Alaghôn, who cast spells on Narrgh to let him pass for human, several times gave him refuge and nursed him back to health, shared her bed with him on yet other occasions, and benefited from some dangerous slay-rivals-and-seize-valuables missions he undertook on her behalf).
Narrgh is aging now, but is said to be still out there, lurking and pouncing on caravans and lordlings (some say he’s in Chessenta, some put him in the Vilhon, and some swear he’s in the Border Kingdoms). Orcs who “speak with the gods” swear Narrgh is “doomed” to carry out one last great exploit, some great and violent achievement in which he’ll die, yet win victory. (“Longtooth” refers to his longevity, but it’s a nickname Narrgh himself proudly uses, and referred originally not to age, but to his improbable survival as his adventuring career grew longer and longer.) Narrgh has a long, flat head and small tusks, is taller than most orcs but very broad-shouldered, and the skin of his head and shoulders (but not the rest of him) is slate-gray. He has a habit of snapping his head around to cast quick glances over his shoulders, often and suddenly.



So saith Ed. Who uncovered his orc lore with some glee.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 02:54:08
Message:

Hello, Mr. Greenwood. I actually am just wondering a little something. I know you originally designed fey'ri and the Dlardrageth family, and was slightly curious if you've used either one (fey'ri or the daemonfey) in your campaigns that you've run. Thanks for your time!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 04:43:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Hello, Mr. Greenwood. I actually am just wondering a little something. I know you originally designed fey'ri and the Dlardrageth family, and was slightly curious if you've used either one (fey'ri or the daemonfey) in your campaigns that you've run. Thanks for your time!



I'm pretty sure it was Steven Schend who created the fey'ri -- who are perhaps my fave evil race and certain one of my fave evil groups.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 06:01:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Hello, Mr. Greenwood. I actually am just wondering a little something. I know you originally designed fey'ri and the Dlardrageth family, and was slightly curious if you've used either one (fey'ri or the daemonfey) in your campaigns that you've run. Thanks for your time!



I'm pretty sure it was Steven Schend who created the fey'ri -- who are perhaps my fave evil race and certain one of my fave evil groups.

Actually, as I recall, it was Eric Boyd who invented the fey'ri.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 13:37:57
Message:

Hey, I'd happily read seven or eight novels about Narrgh !


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 15:48:50
Message:

While we're on the topic of orcs, could Ed maybe give us some examples of battles/wars where humans, elves or dwarves were soundly defeated because they underestimated their tusked opponents as "foolish brutes"? Seeing high-nosed people get hoist by their own petard because of arrogance is a bit of a hobby for me, and I've never been able to stand the tendency in the novels of the so-called "good" races to look down on the orcs, giants and goblin-kind.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 21 Feb 2009 21:13:09
Message:

I understand Ed being careful when dealing with 4th ed lore - I am not really happy with policies currently in place, but I am familiar with the need to stimmy one's own enthusiasm.
In the meantime, I will plunder this forum for the lore given and extrapolate to get what I need (well, you know I am doing that already...).


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 00:34:18
Message:

Maybe this has been asked already, but in 'Best of the Realms', Ed says in the Introduction to 'So High a Price' that Mystra was 'reputed' to have murmured when she died "All debts must be paid". Is this rue? And if so, to what Debts was she referring?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 03:07:14
Message:

Aha. This is one * I * can answer, by accessing Ed-lore given to me directly as a player in the home Realms campaign.
Menelvagor, hearken to these notes from Ed:

Mystra WAS the Weave (a way of accessing the vast network of Toril's natural forces such as gravity, the force of tides and flowing water, winds, convection currents, magnetic forces, sunlight, heat, cold, and so on, and harnessing these forces to work specific effects, or "magic").

When Mystra says "All debts must be paid," she is really saying: "There is a cost for everything," or "There Ain't No Such Thing As a Free Lunch." She SEES this, constantly (all actions provoke reactions, or have effects; you cannot make the action and avoid the effects, whether you admit this or even know about the effects, or not), and therefore warns her faithful (from servitors and Chosen to the youngest lay worshipper) to live accordingly. In other words, their code to live by includes not acting unless they are prepared to deal with the consequences.


There. So saith Ed. I'll still send your query along to him to see if he has anything to add, of course.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 03:09:06
Message:

Hello again, all. Ed of course has sent me some new Realmslore, too, so here’s the latest from Ed. It’s one of those swift and easy replies he alluded to, that he can interrupt the more substantial lore replies to give quickly, and this particular one is Markustay’s recent question: “Is there a Realms term for female care-givers, like how on Earth nurses have the nickname 'Florence Nightingales'?”
Ed replies:



The Realms has many different equivalent terms, varying by region and race, for “mothering” (including caring for ailing kin), but specifically to describe someone who nurses non-kin, as a good act but not specifically as holy duty (i.e. for non-clergy rendering care to the sick or injured), the most popular term, in Common, is “those who warm the blood” or “bloodwarmers.” (This term is used even if the actual care given has nothing to do with actual bleeding, or necessarily keeping someone warm or sheltered.)
A less popular but closer Realms equivalent to “Florence Nightingale” (as in, echoing the name of a specific real being who acted as a nurse, and was revered for doing so) is “Mondaera the Gentle,” and the Faerûnian phrase would be he or she is “a proper Mondaera” with the collective term being “dedicated gentlers.” Mondaera the Gentle is a long-ago wandering woman of the Tethyr and Amnian coastal areas, who never married or had children, but traveled the coastal roads tending all she met who needed it. She accepted payment if it was offered, but never demanded it, and was a kindly but very homely woman of great girth, strength, and “blacksmith’s build.”



So saith Ed. Tirelessly painting in details of the Realms for us all. Myself, I think he’s more than a little like Mondaera. (Happy sigh.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 05:25:56
Message:

Heya,

Brilliant lore, as usual.

I have been reading The Sword Never Sleeps recently, and wondered where the term "Holynose" came from. Is it a term specific to Cormyr, or does it come from elsewhere? Who coined it, and why?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 15:24:35
Message:

Hello again, all.
Menelvagor, Ed has (as I suspected he would) added something to the passages I quoted:


THO has, of course, done just fine by way of an answer. I'd just like to amplify that reply with this postscript:
The RESULT of Mystra's "teaching" that debts must be paid is that she expects her Chosen to keep their word, honour their promises, and be true to their bargains - - or the price of NOT doing so will haunt them . . . and all of Toril.


So saith Ed. Who will return with more Realmslore this evening (for us) and early tomorrow (Candlekeep time), he promises.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 15:30:22
Message:

Hello All,

Ed did flying Aboleths exist prior to the Spellplague, any creatures of note in your notes, campaigns?


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 22 Feb 2009 21:12:45
Message:

Finished Dark Lord very late last night.

First things first, I may need THO to help smooth out things here at home due to Ed's writing. Seems I was so intently reading, that I was participating in a conversation with my wife using a series of head nods, uh huhs, yes dears and sounds like a great idea honeys. Apparantly I agreed to re-staind our 800 feet of wood fencing Sunday , even though it is 25 degrees, among other things she said to try and gain my atention! Luckily she isn't holding me to it, but she did mutter the following to me verbatum: "It must be the god-damned-est, most interesting effing manuscript since the kama-sutra".

Loved the book and I loved the Falcon Kingdoms. How much, well I always vote with my wallet , so before penning this I went to amazon and got Archwizard in hardback winging it's way to be, along with a hardback Dark Lord a vendor had for $5!
Anyone who enjoys Ed will enjoy Dark Lord , it shares much with Ed's other works. Especially the characters.....too many to list, but Garfist and his lady Vipersides, were .most appreciated.

Thanks for writing it and I cannot wait to devour Archwizard!


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 00:06:51
Message:

Hello All,

Regardless of alignment I assume that an intelligent demon would beg for its life if at risk of true death, would begging and pleading be going to far?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 02:00:19
Message:

Thanks, Red Walker. Your post brought a smile to my face, and to Ed's, too, when I passed it along to him. He wants you to know that Garfist and Iskarra continue their, er, "careers" in both ARCH WIZARD and FALCONFAR (and, yes, Ed originally called the second book "Archwizard," but the editor at Solaris entered it into the catalogue as "Arch Wizard," probably to match "Dark Lord," so "Arch Wizard" it now is).

createvmind, Ed says begging and pleading isn't going too far - - but your average demon wouldn't hesitate for an instant if they got the chance to lash out at someone who was fooled by their begging and pleading enough to let their guard down.

Oh, and a dollop of new Realmslore from Ed, coming soon . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 02:04:16
Message:

Hi again, scribes. Herewith, details of Ed’s second hukrym, straight from the creator of the Realms himself:



Glorundoun is that rarest of things; a shrewd schemer, a truly foresighted orc who plans years ahead, spreading rumors and founding alliances and sending the orcs he commands (a rogue band of outcasts and misfits from many tribes, including “misshapen” orcs visibly different from the norm [such as having three left arms but only one right arm, or long, prehensile tails], plus a few humans, half-orcs, and others - - who at his firm and sometimes violent insistence are treated as “full orcs” by the rest) on missions to accomplish specific tasks that will shape the opinions, deeds, and settlement locations of others.
Active in the Vast, Impiltur, and the Moonsea North, and moving about often, Glorundoun has been behind much of the “orc dangers” that imperil human mining and travel away from the Inner Sea shores; he wants to keep humans from settling, taming, and then spreading over all of the region (so as to prevent all “monsters” [such as himself] ever being crowded right out of non-frozen areas where they can forage).
Glorundoun has no interest in ruling any orc tribe or disputing with tribes, but expects other orcs to cooperate with him once they know what he’s busy doing; if they don’t, he customarily ignores chieftans and warband leaders and speaks directly to the orcs being led by them. If any orc defies him or hampers his schemes, he won’t hesitate to destroy them - - but won’t engage in open confrontation he’ll likely lose, calmly withdrawing to strike at them later.
Glorundoun enjoys eating, drinking, and sex (with partners of all races), but will never let pursuit of such enjoyments lull him into being exposed to the attacks of foes, or distracted from what’s afoot right now.
Glorundoun uses the non-orc members of his band in deceptions, so as to deal with humans and others without them (initially, at least) realizing they’re “treating with orcs,” and seizes and caches items such as weapons and tools, coins and gems, and other useful goods whenever he can, for use later. Over years of successful exploits, he’s established dozens of hidden caches that each hold enough wealth to purchase buildings in many human-dominated cities outright, as well as scores of smaller caches (if buying a building, ship, or caravan will help a scheme succeed, he’ll boldly do so).
Glorundoun himself is gigantic, standing 14 feet tall at his shoulders (which are fully six feet across), and having a flattened, “toad-like” hairless head twice as large as most orcs. His left front tusk is broken off and yellowed with decay, and several wide white scars wander across his features.



So saith Ed, creator of literally scores of interesting and campaign-useful NPCs down the years . . . not to mention a world or three for them to frolic in.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 02:22:21
Message:

Hello all,

Thanks THO, so I assume that a demon is incapable of being genuine in its pleading to agree to whatever terms are made to spare its life? Is that something inherent in being a demon, perhaps the fact that it was forced into such a predicament and must find a way to vent its frustration?

Is self-preservation never the stronger desire than vengance?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 02:55:05
Message:

Rereading Elminster In Hell, I noticed this:
On page 30, El has a memory where he bows over an elven woman who's deathly wounded. Silver Fire springs around her. What is interresting, however, is that it comes from her, not El Who is this elf? The only female Elf Chosen I know of is Syrumstar Auglamyr. So is this a throwback to Elminster in Myth Drannor? When she becomes a Chosen? Or is this some other time? Or is this someone else entirely?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 03:20:38
Message:

Hello again, all.

createvmind, I've checked with Ed, and no, he didn't mean to imply that a demon is incapable of sincerity, especially when pleading for its life - - he meant it will always be alert for some way out, or of turning the tables, or of escape, or of treachery or twisting the terms of an agreement. It could be VERY sincere, and even keep its word, if those it is pleading with are well-prepared and careful.

Menelvagor, Ed tells me that the dying elf woman in question is, to borrow your words, "someone else entirely." Unfortunately, she's also NDA. So we have a battlefield (in the past, Ed hints at least a few centuries, and we have a dying elf female known to El and dear to him, and yes, she certainly seems to be a Chosen . . .
Ed wishes very much he could say more.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 03:37:59
Message:

Oooh, thanks for the prompt reply! Which deserves, of course a question I forgot, as always.
How many (estimated) (known and unknown) daughters and sons of Elminster are there, besides Narnra, Laspeera, and Fee?And could we have information on the known live ones? And have they ever tried to gather a convention? If not, will they gather a convention? If they did or will, will we get to see it in a story?


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 04:13:12
Message:

Thank you much


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 07:39:39
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oooh, thanks for the prompt reply! Which deserves, of course a question I forgot, as always.
How many (estimated) (known and unknown) daughters and sons of Elminster are there, besides Narnra, Laspeera, and Fee?And could we have information on the known live ones? And have they ever tried to gather a convention? If not, will they gather a convention? If they did or will, will we get to see it in a story?



I seem to recall that Ed mentioned (in reply to a question I asked on the same topic a year or two ago) that neither Filfaeril or Laspeera were actually Elminster's daughters, but that they are descended from sons or daughters of his... Effectively they're more like great^x (where x is unknown, since Ed never clarified just how many generations removed they were) grandchildren of Elminster's.

They said they were his daughters to give Narnra some comfort (I can't remember Ed's exact words, unfortunately).


Reply author: PaulBestwick
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 09:24:11
Message:

Ed the talk of Elven Chosen earlier in the thread got me thinking, most Chosen appear to be of human origin with some elven bloodline thrown in. Are there examples of Chosen from the other good races? I would not expect to any Dwarvern Chosen due to the earlier rules over dwarvern arcane magic users. I would be suprised not to see an Aasimar in the mix somewhere, the other races I am not to sure about or am I completely wrong with my assumptions?


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 13:49:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Thanks, Red Walker. Your post brought a smile to my face, and to Ed's, too, when I passed it along to him. He wants you to know that Garfist and Iskarra continue their, er, "careers" in both ARCH WIZARD and FALCONFAR (and, yes, Ed originally called the second book "Archwizard," but the editor at Solaris entered it into the catalogue as "Arch Wizard," probably to match "Dark Lord," so "Arch Wizard" it now is).

createvmind, Ed says begging and pleading isn't going too far - - but your average demon wouldn't hesitate for an instant if they got the chance to lash out at someone who was fooled by their begging and pleading enough to let their guard down.

Oh, and a dollop of new Realmslore from Ed, coming soon . . .
love,
THO



Thanks for the reply. It nice to know those two will be around for all 3 novels. They are quite the scene stealers!
Is Ed planning or have the option to write more of the Falcon Kingdoms after this trilogy?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 17:49:31
Message:

You know, I've got so many questions in the queue right now that I don't even know how many there are, much less what all of them are! And yet, here I am with more...

Randulaith of Mirabar. He works in Undermountain and Skullport for the Eye, and has long wanted to be a Lord of Waterdeep. This is described as being a personal desire, and not as something he's doing to help out his round and eyeful employer. As of City of Splendors: Waterdeep, he's quite close to that goal. This brings up some questions.

What kind of Lord do you imagine Randulaith being? Would he be more loyal to the City, or would his loyalty to the Eye outweigh his assumed duties as a Lord? If he does care more about the City, would he cut off relations with the Eye, or continue working with it, as long as the interests of the City weren't compromised?

Are there any precautions in place to make sure prospective Lords truly have the best interest of the City at heart? I know the Lords watch and test, but I'm wondering if that's all they do, or if they do more, like the War Wizards and their mindreaming.

If the other Lords believed that a person truly had the best interests of the City at heart, would they offer a Lordship to someone they knew was evil? Randulaith could be a good example for this one, and I know some people like the idea of Elaith Craulnober eventually becoming a Lord (I'm undecided on that one, myself)...

I prolly should have asked at least a couple of these questions before I wrote my Lords of Waterdeep articles, I guess.


Reply author: Alisttair
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 18:09:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I prolly should have asked at least a couple of these questions before I wrote my Lords of Waterdeep articles, I guess.



That you should have Wooly - shame on you


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 23:00:35
Message:

Oh another question which rises in the course of re-reading Elminster In Hell:
We see a bit of Alustriel's childhood. We know what happened to Dove, Storm and Laeral - they were raised as sisters by El. And Alasarra was given to the witches of Rashemen. But what of Qilue, Sylune and Alustriel? How was it decided who were they given to? How was the childhood of them and The Simbul? When did they first meet (in years)? Were they aware before their meeting that they were sisters? Is their a written description of their meeting somewhere? And how did they know or find out they were sisters?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 23:10:38
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh another question which rises in the course of re-reading Elminster In Hell:
We see a bit of Alustriel's childhood. We know what happened to Dove, Storm and Laeral - they were raised as sisters by El. And Alasarra was given to the witches of Rashemen. But what of Qilue, Sylune and Alustriel? How was it decided who were they given to? How was the childhood of them and The Simbul? When did they first meet (in years)? Were they aware before their meeting that they were sisters? Is their a written description of their meeting somewhere? And how did they know or find out they were sisters?



I know I'm not Ed, but as Qilue has a completely different birth mother to the other six, I'd say that her mother raised her amongst other Eilistraeean Drow. There's mention of her and other young drow companions (children?) finding the Promenade in the Underdark under Waterdeep (and Skullport).

Would be nice to hear more details on her early life, though. She does seem to be one of the more neglected of the Chosen as far as lore. (You might want to get your hands on a copy of the 2nd Edition supplement Seven Sisters if you don't already have it, which has a lot of lore and information on the Seven.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 23:20:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh another question which rises in the course of re-reading Elminster In Hell:
We see a bit of Alustriel's childhood. We know what happened to Dove, Storm and Laeral - they were raised as sisters by El. And Alasarra was given to the witches of Rashemen. But what of Qilue, Sylune and Alustriel? How was it decided who were they given to? How was the childhood of them and The Simbul? When did they first meet (in years)? Were they aware before their meeting that they were sisters? Is their a written description of their meeting somewhere? And how did they know or find out they were sisters?

Ed's The Seven Sisters tome does provide some tidbits for the types of questions you're asking Menelvagor. You might want to check it out while waiting for a response from Ed.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Feb 2009 23:21:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh another question which rises in the course of re-reading Elminster In Hell:
We see a bit of Alustriel's childhood. We know what happened to Dove, Storm and Laeral - they were raised as sisters by El. And Alasarra was given to the witches of Rashemen. But what of Qilue, Sylune and Alustriel? How was it decided who were they given to? How was the childhood of them and The Simbul? When did they first meet (in years)? Were they aware before their meeting that they were sisters? Is their a written description of their meeting somewhere? And how did they know or find out they were sisters?



I know I'm not Ed, but as Qilue has a completely different birth mother to the other six, I'd say that her mother raised her amongst other Eilistraeean Drow. There's mention of her and other young drow companions (children?) finding the Promenade in the Underdark under Waterdeep (and Skullport).

Would be nice to hear more details on her early life, though. She does seem to be one of the more neglected of the Chosen as far as lore. (You might want to get your hands on a copy of the 2nd Edition supplement Seven Sisters if you don't already have it, which has a lot of lore and information on the Seven.)

Qilue was born to a drow female and prominent worshipper of Eilistraee. Elue Shundar, the mortal host of Mystra, died before Mystra/Shundar could carry the seventh child, Qilue, to full term. And so, a new mother had to be found before Mystra's own power consumed the child. Mystra set about looking for another suitable womb for the unborn Qilue, and found Iliryztara Veladorn. Veladorn was also pregnant but her adventuring ways had resulted in the death of her own unborn child -- she was not aware of this however -- and as a result, her own life was threatened because of it. Mystra decided to replace Iliryztara's dead unborn child with Qilue, thus saving both Qilue's and Iliryztara's lives.

However, Eilistraee had plans for Iliryztara and her unborn child. Mystra, thus, sought permission from Eilistraee about whether the Goddess of Mysteries could intervene in Veladorn's life. Eilistraee agreed and Qilue was placed in Iliryztara's womb. When Qilue was born, she was born a drow and servant of both Mystra and Eilistraee.

This is explained fully in The Seven Sisters.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 03:11:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh another question which rises in the course of re-reading Elminster In Hell:
We see a bit of Alustriel's childhood. We know what happened to Dove, Storm and Laeral - they were raised as sisters by El. And Alasarra was given to the witches of Rashemen. But what of Qilue, Sylune and Alustriel? How was it decided who were they given to? How was the childhood of them and The Simbul? When did they first meet (in years)? Were they aware before their meeting that they were sisters? Is their a written description of their meeting somewhere? And how did they know or find out they were sisters?



IIRC, Mystra took the young Sylune and Alustriel to a retired Harper to be raised with him, as he had lost most of his kin. He wanted them trained as rangers, but they pursued the Art. The Seven Sisters sourcebook, as mentioned above, would fill out the names and details.

Also, I believe Ed recently wrote a short story about Alustriel as a young maiden, and how incredibly difficult it was for her to learn magic. It was a nice tale emphasizing the skillful use of magic over raw power. I'm blanking on the source, but I'm sure LHO or your fellow scribes can come up with it in my stead


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 03:38:20
Message:

Hi LHO and fellow scribes,

I have a couple non-lore questions this time, and they may have been asked and answered previously:

1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.


2.) I have trouble keeping the bare handful of lore requests that I've asked Ed organized in my memory, so how does THO and Ed himself manage to organize the many lore questions we respectfully pile on the both of them? In the case of THO, I imagine a floor-length gown made entirely of our Post-It note questions, that Ed gets to peel off randomly (or not so randomly). And Ed, being the good sport that he is, has a matching gown that THO gets to tackle.


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 03:43:24
Message:

http://ww2.wizards.com/Books/Wizards/Bios/default.aspx?doc=EdGreenwood

That link has them all up to 2008, which probably won't be posted till around Summer/August. It usually comes out just before, or after, in some years, Gencon.

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

Hi LHO and fellow scribes,

I have a couple non-lore questions this time, and they may have been asked and answered previously:

1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.



Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 03:53:06
Message:

Hello again, all. This time Ed turns again to the Thunderstone area of eastern Cormyr, and two more of the questions posed by crazedventurers: “I would presume that hunting is a popular pastime given the location, so do people ride about the countryside chasing deer and foxes? If so are hounds used, are they locally bred, by whom?
Are there any local laws regarding hunting? (right of way, game in/out of season, etc.)”
Ed replies:



In the Thunderstone area, deer, mountain goats, moose, hares, and rabbits are hunted for food, their pelts, and to protect crops, and foxes and worse beasts are hunted primarily to protect livestock and people (and secondarily for pelts and/or for food), but such hunts are usually conducted by crossbow, or spears hurled from horseback, or bows (crossbows and longbows) loosed from the saddle. Young lads and lasses sometimes hunt with slings (weasels, foxes, birds, rabbits, and small “wurren” [= varmints]), and visiting nobles hunt with falcons. If a wolf pack, coyote pack, wild dog pack, bears, owlbears, perytons, or other “marauding” animals are seen, neighbours may well gather in large bands to ride and hunt together, but there’s no local equivalent to a real-world English foxhunt with rules, a pack of hounds, uniforms, and the like (though warhorns ARE used to signal, during hunts and fugitive chases).
The reasons for this are damage to crops and stock from running packs of dogs, were-creatures infecting farmers’ dogs in the past, and dogs running off (to live and breed) with wild dogs or coyotes (English hunting dogs are TRAINED, and there’s nothing approximating that training in the Thunderstone region [[full disclosure: in my youth, thanks to being a close personal friend of a young member of a prominent Canadian “horsey” family, I rode in “drag hunts” with the Aurora Hunt Club on two occasions; no real foxes, ever, just chasing across country, on a vast horse farm, on magnificent steeds, risking broken necks]]).
The Cormyrean laws regarding hunting are as follows:

1. There’s no right of way over any tilled or planted field, EVER, unless a state of war has been declared (and if the Crown forces win, eventual compensation for any trampled or foraged crops or stock is expected).

2. The local lord declares and sets rules for any “varmint hunt” (“monster scouring,” including non-Purple-Dragon reactions to raiding bands of orcs or the like) or “run hunt” (rare events corresponding to a “run of elk” or other movement of many wild beasts through the Thunderstone farmlands and ranches; this I often correctly taken to mean some sort of monster - - that will soon have to be dealt with - - has arrived in the Hullack and is causing other beasts to flee), including horn-calls, boundaries and when a hunt will end.
By not declaring hunts, the local lord has the right to set “seasons.” Those who disobey (except local Purple Dragons obeying their commander, who can ignore the local lord’s dictates unless bound by identical orders given from above in the military hierarchy, which in practice usually means relayed by a War Wizard) are forbidden to participate in future hunts until they seek permission to do so and are granted it (usually in return for specific promises and/or payment of a fine). This means they cannot take up weapons and be “out and about” during a hunt; they must be working off their own lands, or on their own lands.

3. ANYONE can hunt at any time on their own lands (usually to protect their crops), unless specifically forbidden to do so, or specifically enjoined not to hunt a particular creature or species (such prohibitions, made by the local lord, are exceedingly rare). Intelligent creatures, such as human fugitives or orcs, cannot be hunted (that is, “sought out”) and slain except by permission of local authorities such as the local lord or herald, or Purple Dragons, except when chase is being given to recover family members, livestock, or “valuable goods” taken by such quarry. However, such creatures can ALWAYS be fought to protect self, family, kin, or home (that is, in and around one’s own house, stables, barns, wells, and outbuildings).

In other words, hunting for sport is largely unknown in the Thunderstone lands, except in the Hullack and “up in the mountains” (which is where those seeking sport hunting go). So packs of hounds and riders racing across the open country aren’t a local feature. Fishing, by the way, is open to all; unlike real-world English practice, there are no “fishing rights” bought and sold that restrict who can try to get fish out of any watercourse (and there also aren’t any catch limits, regulations about HOW one gets fish, and so on; if locals prefer spearing fish to hook and line, or drag-nets or buckets to either, that’s fine; the law is silent on such matters).



So saith Ed. Doing his usual thorough job on lore-queries about the Realms. More to come in the fullness of time, Damian, but I think he’s turning back to describing another orc of note, next.
Oh, and Aysen? LOVE that Post-Its gown. You don't think lick-n-stick would be better? (Bats eyelashes.) Or will it make me look fat?
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ifthir
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 04:06:44
Message:

Lady THO might ye or Archmage Greenwood know the name of the dragon that the lich Larloch rode out of Jiksidur to escape the enclave's fall?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 04:38:44
Message:

In Elminster In Hell there was a memory of a young Alustriel first mastering magic and fighting with it - and making her decision to become a Harper. This actually promted my question.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 07:43:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen


1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.




The 2007 one has. If you check out my Spin A Yarn links topic, you can read all of the Spin A Yarns from 2001 thru 2007.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 12:35:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen


1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.




The 2007 one has. If you check out my Spin A Yarn links topic, you can read all of the Spin A Yarns from 2001 thru 2007.

And just a note for "Spin A Yarn" fans who, like myself, love these kinds of stories...

I'm actually working on a page for inclusion on the Candlekeep main site that'll include all the links to the Ed's "Spin A Yarn" series, and all the extra comments he's made about each of the tales over the years here.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 13:42:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen


1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.




The 2007 one has. If you check out my Spin A Yarn links topic, you can read all of the Spin A Yarns from 2001 thru 2007.

And just a note for "Spin A Yarn" fans who, like myself, love these kinds of stories...

I'm actually working on a page for inclusion on the Candlekeep main site that'll include all the links to the Ed's "Spin A Yarn" series, and all the extra comments he's made about each of the tales over the years here.

I have about 2 pages of notes from last years spin a yarn, if you would like to see how much Ed has to "distill" into a yarn.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 14:33:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen


1.) Has Ed's 2008 and 2007 "Spin a Yarn" stories been posted anywhere, here or on WOTC's website? The last one I can recall is 2005 really.




The 2007 one has. If you check out my Spin A Yarn links topic, you can read all of the Spin A Yarns from 2001 thru 2007.

And just a note for "Spin A Yarn" fans who, like myself, love these kinds of stories...

I'm actually working on a page for inclusion on the Candlekeep main site that'll include all the links to the Ed's "Spin A Yarn" series, and all the extra comments he's made about each of the tales over the years here.



And it's coming soon, too! Knowing the Sage's habits, I'm sure we can expect it by 2013!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 14:37:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

I have about 2 pages of notes from last years spin a yarn, if you would like to see how much Ed has to "distill" into a yarn.
That'd be great Red, thanks. I've managed to pick up some notes other scribes have made when they've had the opportunity to visit with Ed during his "Spin A Yarn" sessions as well. I'm hoping to include that stuff also.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 14:40:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And it's coming soon, too! Knowing the Sage's habits, I'm sure we can expect it by 2013!

And that's being optimistic folks!


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 14:43:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

I have about 2 pages of notes from last years spin a yarn, if you would like to see how much Ed has to "distill" into a yarn.
That'd be great Red, thanks. I've managed to pick up some notes other scribes have made when they've had the opportunity to visit with Ed during his "Spin A Yarn" sessions as well. I'm hoping to include that stuff also.



Then to wrap up, I will leave you with something a good friend of mine is wont to say from time to time.....

Expect a PM......

at some point

P.S. but you may want to remind me before then!



THO.... I have excellent penmanship and a large stack of....

Post-its , so I would gladly scibble down questions and post them to those hard to reach spots.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 14:57:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And it's coming soon, too! Knowing the Sage's habits, I'm sure we can expect it by 2013!

And that's being optimistic folks!




I'll be in my 20's! Don't speak of such things.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 16:39:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ranger_of_the_unicorn_run

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And it's coming soon, too! Knowing the Sage's habits, I'm sure we can expect it by 2013!

And that's being optimistic folks!




I'll be in my 20's! Don't speak of such things.


Once again, ranger makes me feel old.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 17:32:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by ranger_of_the_unicorn_run

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And it's coming soon, too! Knowing the Sage's habits, I'm sure we can expect it by 2013!

And that's being optimistic folks!




I'll be in my 20's! Don't speak of such things.


Once again, ranger makes me feel old.



Hey, I'll be 20-ish in 2013... in Mars years.

Though... It's got to be kind of an ego rush for Ed. Some of us were just teenagers when the Realms was first published as a setting. And some of us weren't even around. And yet, here we all are now, fans of the setting. There have been other things in the entertainment industry that have lasted that long, but not a lot. It's an impressive lifespan.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 18:51:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Hey, I'll be 20-ish in 2013... in Mars years.


Hey, I like that! I'm going to start telling people that I'm just 24 (martian) yrs old.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 20:20:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ErskineF

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Hey, I'll be 20-ish in 2013... in Mars years.


Hey, I like that! I'm going to start telling people that I'm just 24 (martian) yrs old.



What about Outer Planet years? Like Jupiter (about 1yr= 11 earth years), Saturn (about 30 years for one rotation), Neptune (about 165 years per rotation) or Your-anus (about 85 years per rotation)? What about dwarf planet years like Pluto (about 248 years per rotation)?

So a fifty year old would be about four years old on Jupiter, 1 and 2/3 years old on Saturn, under a year old on Neptune, Your-anus and Pluto.

Of course, if you want to be older... a ten year old would be twelve on Venus and Mercury. Or about there.


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 20:47:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

What about Outer Planet years? Like Jupiter (about 1yr= 11 earth years), Saturn (about 30 years for one rotation), Neptune (about 165 years per rotation) or Your-anus (about 85 years per rotation)? What about dwarf planet years like Pluto (about 248 years per rotation)?


Well, I still wanna be able to drink.

quote:
Of course, if you want to be older... a ten year old would be twelve on Venus and Mercury. Or about there.


I'm a well preserved 190 in Mercury yrs.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/age/index.html

(I knew there would be a website for this...)


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 22:49:37
Message:

Continuing my re-reading spree of Forgotten Realms, I've progressed to Elminster's Daughter, which gives rise to more questions, of course:
First of all: For some reason, I (falsely) remembered that towards the end, Mystra appeared and explained matters. But re-reading it, I find I was wrong. So why did Mystra allow Elminster to have daughters at all, and why Narnra specifically? I apologize beforehand if this has already been asked.
Another question: Regarding Elminster's standing in the Harpers. In the raid, the Harpers appear to be willing to attack Elminster by order of Caladnei. Isn't Elminster the founder and head of the Harpers? How could they follow Caladnei in direct opposition to Elminster? If it was because they are 'loyal Cormytes', isn't that an interest conflict? And if so, why does it seem that their standing as Harpers is emphasized?
Also, what exactly is Alsarra's standing in the Harpers? Is she a 'full member'? Is she part of the council? Or is she simply seen as the (very powerful) 'Master's Lady'?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Feb 2009 23:13:36
Message:

Fellow scribes, while I know I'm partly responsible for this recent bout of off-topicness, Menelvagor has thankfully returned us to questions for Ed, so let's continue to keep on this focus...


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 00:50:22
Message:

Ed, in all your realms work, have you ever killed off a character who's death seemed to work perfectly, but after reading the completed work, wished you had not killed them? Or any you planned to die, but just could not go through with?

THO , which of Ed's characters were you saddest to see pass on? And are there any you want to see kick it, but Ed just won't give you the satisfaction?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 01:54:43
Message:

Oooh, some great questions there. Off to Ed they go . . .
Hi again, all. Well, Ed surprised me by turning to this recent query from Zandilar before plunging back into orc lore: “I have been reading The Sword Never Sleeps recently, and wondered where the term "Holynose" came from. Is it a term specific to Cormyr, or does it come from elsewhere? Who coined it, and why?”
Ed replies:



Just who first coined the term ‘holynose’ is unknown, though it’s thought to be someone in the nobility of Cormyr (of a well-established, influential family, possibly the Bleths or the Dauntinghorns). It was meant as an insult, along the lines of “Don’t get above yourself, priest; know your place. We’re ALL servants of the gods, so don’t be looking down your holy nose at ME.”
(A “highnose” in Cormyr, and increasingly anywhere along a trade route in Faerûn where common in spoken, is any arrogant person. It appears in speech in the Knights trilogy, too.)
In the summer of 1334 DR, “holynose” was a fad word, on everyone’s lips amongst the nobility. By the winter that followed, it was common at Court, and by spring of 1335 had spread to nigh everyone in Cormyr (falling out of fashion amongst the nobility, of course, though individual nobles, during moments of irritation, have uttered it from that day to this).
By the end of the 1330s, amongst the common folk of Cormyr, the term had softened from a pejorative to an almost affectionate slang phrase for “priest.” It still carried the gentle warning of “Don’t get high and mighty with me,” and it was still considered rude to address any high-ranking clergy with it, but travelling priests were used to hearing it and no longer took offense - - unless they were seeking a pretext to take offense.
It has continued to spread across the Realms, along trade routes, and has become a widespread part of Common Tongue vocabulary, though not as popular as “highnose.”



So saith Ed. First Linguist of the Realms (I still hope to see his as-yet-unpublished Gnome Talk article, someday. And there’s more elven language in his lore-books than we’ve yet seen, Dagnirion.).
Red Walker, let me think about that. Pennae's passing saddened me at the time, though it was well handled and got an NPC out of the way so the PC Knights could "grow," in our home play. I'm sure Delg's death saddened Ed. I'll get back to you on this . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 02:02:41
Message:

A quick postscript here, for Ed fans:
For those who haven't heard yet, there's a short Ed piece in the TALES OF ZOBECK hardcover sourcebook from Open Design (Wolfgang Baur, of KOBOLD QUARTERLY fame and onetime DRAGON editor, too), and there's an Ed "4e Realms" article on the Returned Abeir city of Tarmalune in the latest DRAGON, on DDI (the WotC website).
Oh, and ARCH WIZARD, his second Falconfar novel, is out in hardcover. Stay tuned, as they say, for more . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 02:47:24
Message:

Thank you Scribes, for your help with the "Spin a Yarn" links.

And since Menelvagor has raised some questions pertaining to Elminster's Daughter, I'd like to ask Ed two of my own questions about that book.

1.) What is a "gorcraw" that the guards on page 166 mention as what spooked the messenger doves? Is that some sort of predator bird or carrion bird?

2.) I liked the characterization of Harnrim Starangh as a Red Wizard who is cool, calculating, and borrowing one of Ed's lines, is "swiftly capable". One of his more interesting spells involves becoming a "shield shadow" that allows him to move through and around wardings. Ed could you please tell us more about this spell or these particular type of magicks?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 03:00:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

A quick postscript here, for Ed fans:
For those who haven't heard yet, there's a short Ed piece in the TALES OF ZOBECK hardcover sourcebook from Open Design (Wolfgang Baur, of KOBOLD QUARTERLY fame and onetime DRAGON editor, too)...
Aye. This is a release I've long been looking forward to. Any confirmed dates yet, my lady?
quote:
... and there's an Ed "4e Realms" article on the Returned Abeir city of Tarmalune in the latest DRAGON, on DDI (the WotC website).
Indeed. We've a scroll already dedicated to this article, here:- http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12227&whichpage=1
quote:
Oh, and ARCH WIZARD, his second Falconfar novel, is out in hardcover. Stay tuned, as they say, for more . . .
love to all,
THO
Woot! Now all I need to do is start and finish the first book.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 15:39:35
Message:

Hi, all. I've sent a lot of your interesting posts and queries on to Ed, but whilst we're waiting for his replies, I thought I'd start on some housekeeping. Please note, this post and the others that follow aren't meant as replacements for Ed's forthcoming answers, okay?
First, Menelvagor asked: "So why did Mystra allow Elminster to have daughters at all, and why Narnra specifically? I apologize beforehand if this has already been asked.
Another question: Regarding Elminster's standing in the Harpers. In the raid, the Harpers appear to be willing to attack Elminster by order of Caladnei. Isn't Elminster the founder and head of the Harpers? How could they follow Caladnei in direct opposition to Elminster? If it was because they are 'loyal Cormytes', isn't that an interest conflict? And if so, why does it seem that their standing as Harpers is emphasized?"

Menelvagor, I suspect Ed is going to have dodge VERY carefully around more than a few NDAs when trying to answer you about these. I CAN tell you that your first question was discussed by we Knights, in character and during Realmsplay sessions (with, of course, Ed as DM), and the general conclusion, based in part from hints made by Storm and The Simbul, is because Mystra was preparing the NEXT generation of Chosen or other sorts of her servants, and Elminster has "hardy" genes (doesn't get sick often, has high endurance, is stubborn as stone when it comes to patiently achieving goals, etc.). The fact that most of these offspring were reared ignorant of their heritage and with no direct involvement by Elminster means that Mystra was trying to protect them against the agents of divine foes by "ignoring" them, and primarily just trying to breed an ever-growing stock of "suitable to be Chosen" descendants. (It's been said in several places in published Realmslore how few mortals can handle being a Chosen.)

As for all of your other questions, regarding the Harpers: Those Who Harp are NOT a strictly hierarchical organization. Elminster is NOT "Commander-In-Chief. To put it in real-world terms, the Harpers are a little like Israeli politicians, dickering to form coalition governments and jostling for who'll be on top; they may share the same general aims and interests, but may well have very different views as to how to proceed, and what specifically must be done. End of real-world analogy, back to the Realms: many of the local Cormyrean Harpers consider themselves THE experts (within the organization) on local, Cormyrean matters. Elminster is some semi-mythical guy who founded the Harpers, several times, in the remote past. THIS Elminster may be a new fellow using the name of the old one to gain influence, or the old one driven mad by living for over a thousand years, or simply out of touch with Cormyr in his rush to pursue world-spanning aims. I suspect their standing as Harpers is emphasized to remind the reader they are not part of Cormyr's official hierarchy, and may do things very differently than the Crown and its forces, or even work against the Crown and its forces.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 15:43:49
Message:

Hi again.
Aysen, a "gorcraw" is a large, rapacious, aggressive but slow and lazy raptor AND carrion bird, a cross between a large and noisy black crow (hence the name) and a buzzard/turkey vulture. It can hunt as viciously as a shrike when desperately hungry, but is so large, and such a lousy flyer, that a lot of prey can easily avoid it, take refuge in places it can't reach, or (in the case of small children on the ground) easily swat it out of the air, even bare-handed, and jump on it to break its wings (most gorcraws won't even fly within reach of a farm labourer with spade or fork, because they know they'll be hurt or killed with ease). They're not geniuses, but they're not stupid. They ARE impatient, and won't patiently wait for weak prey to collapse or sleep - - they'll fly away to seek something else.
This all comes from Ed's notes; he will, of course, address your other query as soon as he can get to it.
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 15:46:33
Message:

Thank you very much, my lady. I especially liked the comparison to Israeli politicians - I should know how much dickering they have among them, living in Israel.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 15:53:25
Message:

And hello yet again.
This last one (for now) is to The Sage, re. TALES OF ZOBECK. It's out now (copyright date 2008), is a handsome "shiny cover" hardback that's actually double-sided (one front cover and an interior 41 pages [plus "front matter" pages] is a ZOBECK GAZETTEER written by Wolfgang Baur, and the other front cover - - flip the book over and upside down - - is the TALES FROM ZOBECK section, written by divers hands, of 105 pages-plus-front-matter; Ed's bit is in this larger section, is a tiny local dockside neighborhood to use in other adventures, and is 9 pages long).
The publisher is Open Design, it's OGL, and no ISBN is to be found anywhere on the danged thing. Wolf, Wolf, it's a real book; give it an ISBN so folks can order it!
Black and white interior art (not much) and maps, with lots of fun content (new monsters, new spells, lots of adventures). For those not familiar with Zobeck, Wolf created a fantasy city on a river, dominated by kobold miners and clockwork innovations. It looks like a lot of fun.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 15:56:21
Message:

Whoops, one update/correction: gorcraws are USUALLY black. They can vary quite a bit, from purple-blue to (immature young) mottled white/beige/brown "blend in with dead woods and leaves" camouflage. Thanks to hungry gorcraw eating grocraw young.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 16:12:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oooh, some great questions there. Off to Ed they go . . .

Red Walker, let me think about that. Pennae's passing saddened me at the time, though it was well handled and got an NPC out of the way so the PC Knights could "grow," in our home play. I'm sure Delg's death saddened Ed. I'll get back to you on this . . .
love to all,
THO




Oh hells, now that I know Pennae was an NPC I can't get the image of Ed playing her in the scene were she reaches into the front of Florin's breeches.....

In all seriousness , I bet you all had much fun whenever Ed had Pennae cross your path and were very sad to see her go. She had to have been one of your groups favorite NPC's, which would be another great question for you! But I suppose that list would be deserving of it's own scroll.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 16:20:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

.......Oh, and ARCH WIZARD, his second Falconfar novel, is out in hardcover. Stay tuned, as they say, for more . . .
love to all,
THO
Woot! Now all I need to do is start and finish the first book.



I want to take the chance to recommend to anyone who enjoys Ed's work, to read Dark Lord. It has all the little things we love about Ed's work in a new and interesting place! I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Arch Wizard any day and I am looking as forward to it as any novel I have ever pre-ordered!


And Sage.....what are you waiting for good man? Read it already!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 16:45:30
Message:

Well, seeing as I was given answers and forgot to give questions, i must repair this fault:
What year does Silverfall happen in? Its obviously after 1357, as Laeral is with Khelben, and defenitely before 1374, as Khelben passes on then.
Also, is the touch of Shar Mystra frees Halaster from in Elminster In Hell happen n Silverfall? That was my impression, at least.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 18:03:37
Message:

Okay, another thread got me intersted in mapping again, which is great because it starts making me feel positive again.

Going through the wonderful Prayers from the Faithful yet again (and find even more locales I missed), I have a question about the Lash of Loviatar entry.

This is actually more of a clarification: You mention the "Great Rising of the Orcgates" in 955 DR, which conflicts with the date for the Orcgate Wars in -1075. There is also a discrepency as to what they actually did - these Gates are said to have brought-in Orcs from "the Mountains of the North" (Green Orcs native to Faerûn). However, the text goes on to say "some say Thayan archmages experimenting with dangerous spells" - accent, mine. I would think that the less-powerful versions were the pre-cursor to the more powerful ritual used later on, but the dates have it the other way around.

This leads me to believe these later gates were an attempt to re-discover the mighty magics used earlier (which probably required an Artifact), as a more-direct and focused use for "Orc Gates' requiring less expenditure of time and energy. That sound about right?

I had a second question about the Lash, but I found the answer upon re-reading - you're a sneaky one.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again.
Aysen, a "gorcraw" is a large, rapacious, aggressive but slow and lazy raptor AND carrion bird, a cross between a large and noisy black crow (hence the name) and a buzzard/turkey vulture. <snip>
So slapping the 'Dire' template onto a crow would probably gives us a decent set of stats, no?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 23:20:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

This last one (for now) is to The Sage, re. TALES OF ZOBECK. It's out now (copyright date 2008), is a handsome "shiny cover" hardback that's actually double-sided (one front cover and an interior 41 pages [plus "front matter" pages] is a ZOBECK GAZETTEER written by Wolfgang Baur, and the other front cover - - flip the book over and upside down - - is the TALES FROM ZOBECK section, written by divers hands, of 105 pages-plus-front-matter; Ed's bit is in this larger section, is a tiny local dockside neighborhod to use in other adventures, and is 9 pages long).
The publisher is Open Design, it's OGL, and no ISBN is to be found anywhere on the danged thing. Wolf, Wolf, it's a real book; give it an ISBN so folks can order it!
Black and white interior art (not much) and maps, with lots of fun content (new monsters, new spells, lots of adventures). For those not familiar with Zobeck, Wolf created a fantasy city on a river, dominated by kobold miners and clockwork innovations. It looks like a lot of fun.
love,
THO
Oh, it's out already? Heh. I haven't seen it anywhere at my NSFAHLGS. Interesting. Maybe I'll have to ask about it.
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

.......Oh, and ARCH WIZARD, his second Falconfar novel, is out in hardcover. Stay tuned, as they say, for more . . .
love to all,
THO
Woot! Now all I need to do is start and finish the first book.

And Sage.....what are you waiting for good man? Read it already!
I will. I've got some other books to finish [along with those "programming books" {Arrgghhh!}] before I get to it though.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 23:27:46
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. A few more swift comments from me whilst we all await ed's next sending of Realmslore.

Menelvagor, re. this: "What year does Silverfall happen in? Its obviously after 1357, as Laeral is with Khelben, and definitely before 1374, as Khelben passes on then.
Also, is the touch of Shar Mystra frees Halaster from in Elminster In Hell happen in Silverfall? That was my impression, at least."
Yes to your second question, and Ed dated Silverfall specifically, but I'm afraid I can't get to my copies or lore-notes at the moment, to check. Expect an answer tomorrow (I hope).
And of course you're very welcome. Yes, picked that Israeli analogy just for you.

Markustay, you're quite right on both matters: the Orcgate rising Ed refers to is much later than the Orcgate Wars, and the dire template on a crow should indeed give a pretty close approximation of a gorcraw.

Red Walker, Ed is a marvellous actor; you just have to "tune out" the beard and obvious male build when he's doing female characters. Also, both the players of killed off or unconscious PCs get to "step in" to play NPCs during a session, and "guests" sitting in on a session, often to learn what D&D is, got to play NPCs for short periods, too. Not to embark on your list of favourite NPCs, but I should mention at least one (aside from Dove as a party member, of course): Jhaele Silvermane, proprietress of The Old Skull Inn.
And yes, Ed can be wonderfully sneaky. Ask me someday about the . . . well, no, perhaps you'd better not. Candlekeep may want to cling to a "somewhat family friendly" designation.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Feb 2009 23:43:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

And yes, Ed can be wonderfully sneaky. Ask me someday about the . . . well, no, perhaps you'd better not. Candlekeep may want to cling to a "somewhat family friendly" designation.
love to all,
THO
That's why we have personal chambers, my lady. Such discussion is always welcome there.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 00:32:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, fellow scribes. A few more swift comments from me whilst we all await ed's next sending of Realmslore.....


Red Walker, Ed is a marvellous actor; you just have to "tune out" the beard and obvious male build when he's doing female characters. Also, both the players of killed off or unconscious PCs get to "step in" to play NPCs during a session, and "guests" sitting in on a session, often to learn what D&D is, got to play NPCs for short periods, too. Not to embark on your list of favourite NPCs, but I should mention at least one (aside from Dove as a party member, of course): Jhaele Silvermane, proprietress of The Old Skull Inn.
And yes, Ed can be wonderfully sneaky. Ask me someday about the . . . well, no, perhaps you'd better not. Candlekeep may want to cling to a "somewhat family friendly" designation.
love to all,
THO



I wont ask lady, but my PM inbox is always open and I would cherish any tidbits you would ever share!

And I was lucky nough to get a limpse of Ed's acting abilities at GenCon 08! He kmakes a good cast of a Gilbert and sullivan all by himself!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 03:02:57
Message:

Hello again, all. Ed has answered yet another question I wasn’t expecting him to tackle yet, this time from dearest Wooly Rupert: “Randulaith of Mirabar. He works in Undermountain and Skullport for the Eye, and has long wanted to be a Lord of Waterdeep. This is described as being a personal desire, and not as something he's doing to help out his round and eyeful employer. As of City of Splendors: Waterdeep, he's quite close to that goal. This brings up some questions.

What kind of Lord do you imagine Randulaith being? Would he be more loyal to the City, or would his loyalty to the Eye outweigh his assumed duties as a Lord? If he does care more about the City, would he cut off relations with the Eye, or continue working with it, as long as the interests of the City weren't compromised?

Are there any precautions in place to make sure prospective Lords truly have the best interest of the City at heart? I know the Lords watch and test, but I'm wondering if that's all they do, or if they do more, like the War Wizards and their mindreaming.

If the other Lords believed that a person truly had the best interests of the City at heart, would they offer a Lordship to someone they knew was evil? Randulaith could be a good example for this one, and I know some people like the idea of Elaith Craulnober eventually becoming a Lord (I'm undecided on that one, myself)...”
Ed replies:



As for the fate of Randulaith (or for that matter Elaith, and including their possible careers as Lords of Waterdeep), I’m afraid firm NDAs apply.
However, your wording (“do you imagine”) gives me more than ample wiggle room to answer this query as a personal opinion. So there we go . . . :}

Yes, given the opportunity to assume a Lordship, Randulaith would immediately be more loyal to the City than to his eye tyrant employer (but of course would try to conceal this from the Eye as long as possible, and would try to continue working with the Eye, “stickhandling” [to use an apt hockey term] as deftly as he could to protect the city’s interests and not betray the Eye.

The Hidden Lords don’t have any official way of screening new candidates to join their ranks, but unofficially Khelben and Laeral mindscry everyone, FAR more subtly than the War Wizards go about it (Laeral in particular takes pride in the person being examined having no inkling that she’s done any probing). Nor does this thought reading end when someone is accepted as a Lord; Khelben was suspicious enough to eavesdrop on the Lords fairly often - - though he and Laeral had several arguments about this; she didn’t mind him prying and knowing, but she wanted him to keep back and “Let the Lords be lords and do their own ruling, fall into their own corruption, and make their own mistakes. You can’t be ‘fixing’ everyone’s deeds and making up their minds for them in everything, Blackstaff mine!”
Most of the Lords have no idea that Khelben and Laeral do this (rumors in plenty abound in the city all the time about the Lords being the puppets of Khelben or this noble lord or that crime boss, but even the Lords have no hard evidence of their thoughts being monitored often). A few suspect it darkly (and firmly), and Piergeiron “knows” he can call on Khelben to probe someone he himself is very unsure of - - but he believes Khelben does this only reluctantly (because Laeral has badgered Khelben into acting reluctant), when the Open Lord insists on it.
Piergeiron has his own trusted mages he more often uses to pry into the affairs of Lords (though he does so with true reluctance, and as rarely as possible), and certain secret agreements with the Watchful Order (e.g. “If a Lord is murdered, and I confirm to you that the victim was a Lord, you will covertly use spells to spy on, and try to read the thoughts of, certain persons I will then name to you, and report all results back to me in confidence, or in the event of my death will report to the Lord or Lady Mage of Waterdeep”) to cast spells in the event of certain occurrences.

And, yes, if the Lords believe a person truly has the best interests of the City at heart, they would indeed offer a Lordship to someone they knew was evil. Of course, that person would be constantly spied upon, magically and otherwise, by the means I’ve already described and by others (hired guilds and private adventurers who would not be told the person was a Lord, but who would be asked to look for evidence of specific meetings, activities, etc.), from the moment they “took the mask.” Randulaith would of course be one such, if chosen, and Elaith would be another.
Now, as to whether or not the Lords would ever agree to Elaith: the Lords as of 1359 DR would definitely reject him (as would the Lords for at least three decades prior to that). As for after 1359, the decision of the Lords would depend on their changing roster (behind the masks) and upon the prevailing conditions at the time his becoming a Lord was suggested. It would also depend on WHO suggested he become a Lord (if Elaith suggested it, the suggestion would come with much suspicion; if Khelben suggested it, the suggestion would be hard to refuse but would be met with some suspicion; if Laeral or Piergeiron suggested it, the suggestion would likely be adopted but amid some misgivings and much astonishment . . . and so on).
Being evil doesn’t disqualify someone from becoming a Lord of Waterdeep, but it certainly makes that someone a closely-watched Lord, if they do take the mask. And Lords who turn evil have been swiftly and quietly murdered many a time before . . .



So saith Ed. Who certainly knows how to end on a sinister, antennae-raising note.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 03:05:41
Message:

Ed and Lady THO,
Apropos of that reply, I seem to recall Ed once mentioning a murder mystery he ran during Realmsplay, about one of the Masked Lords being killed, and the PCs blundering about trying to find out who did it and why. Were these the Crazed Venturers or the Knights?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 03:08:19
Message:

Neither. That was the Company of the Urdragon, one of Ed's 13-episode library campaigns. We Knights heard about the aftermath during play, however, on one of our jaunts through Waterdeep (it's amazing how many gates [in 3e, portals] link the City of Splendors with various spots in Cormyr and the Dales).
love,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 03:45:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again.
Aysen, a "gorcraw" is a large, rapacious, aggressive but slow and lazy raptor AND carrion bird, a cross between a large and noisy black crow (hence the name) and a buzzard/turkey vulture. It can hunt as viciously as a shrike when desperately hungry, but is so large, and such a lousy flyer, that a lot of prey can easily avoid it, take refuge in places it can't reach, or (in the case of small children on the ground) easily swat it out of the air, even bare-handed, and jump on it to break its wings (most gorcraws won't even fly within reach of a farm labourer with spade or fork, because they know they'll be hurt or killed with ease). They're not geniuses, but they're not stupid. They ARE impatient, and won't patiently wait for weak prey to collapse or sleep - - they'll fly away to seek something else.
This all comes from Ed's notes; he will, of course, address your other query as soon as he can get to it.
love,
THO



Thank you LHO, for this tidbit, I can cross it off my list. I look forward to reading the others sometime in the future.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 07:25:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


And yes, Ed can be wonderfully sneaky. Ask me someday about the . . . well, no, perhaps you'd better not. Candlekeep may want to cling to a "somewhat family friendly" designation.



That's what PM's are for, love ;)

quote:
it's amazing how many gates [in 3e, portals] link the City of Splendors with various spots in Cormyr and the Dales).


Oh, that reminds me: are there any portals from Tarmalune to the Dalelands region? Say, into the Fall of Stars?

Gomez,
who hopes to one day have an opportunity to play one of his female PCs with Ed


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 08:09:03
Message:

Good stuff! That really makes me like the idea of Randulaith becoming a Lord, now -- before I really wasn't keen on it. Much potential, there.

As always, thank you for your answers, and thanks too for the unexpected promptness of your reply!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 13:04:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Good stuff! That really makes me like the idea of Randulaith becoming a Lord, now -- before I really wasn't keen on it. Much potential, there.
Agreed. I'm actually thinking of ways to introduce Randulaith in my campaigns now, based on Ed's recent reply.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 17:39:56
Message:

Hi. Ed or THO,
I've just been paging through A READER'S GUIDE TO R.A. SALVATORE'S DRIZZT etc. (the large guidebook written by Phil Athans and published this last GenCon, full of all the gorgeous art), and found myself wondering: how many of the characters in it are Ed's originals? Most are RAS creations, I know, but I was just curious . . .
Thanks.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 17:59:23
Message:

Thank you for that quick response - it helps with the always-changing super-timeline I'm trying to build.

On a personal note, THO, I had a GM years ago that sounds VERY much like Ed, and I would say both you and I were 'blessed' to be in the presence of 'DM Greatness'. He did everything that you say there, and managed a group of about 20 of us every weekend - and some actually preferred to play NPCs!

Once you've played with someone like that, you realize that D&D is so much more then just a game.

Anyhow, Rusty, if you're out there, I still think about those adventures you ran us through every single day. There were times in my life where those games were all I had to look forward to.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 18:13:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Hi. Ed or THO,
I've just been paging through A READER'S GUIDE TO R.A. SALVATORE'S DRIZZT etc. (the large guidebook written by Phil Athans and published this last GenCon, full of all the gorgeous art), and found myself wondering: how many of the characters in it are Ed's originals? Most are RAS creations, I know, but I was just curious . . .
Thanks.



Off the top of my head, I think that only three people appearing in RAS novels were creations of Ed: Malchor Harpell, Khelben Arunsun, and Alustriel.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 18:15:52
Message:

Arch Wizard just arrived at my door, and first thing I noticed is to cover art. Just gorgeous!!(Dark Lord is nice as well, but I have the paperback so it is a bit condensed) Did Ed have a prior relationship with the artist and/or have any input on which scene was chosen? His work seems to fit the tone of Falconfar so well it would be hard to believe they were told to "do a hero with a sword against a dragon", and have it fit the work so well.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 18:40:41
Message:

Hi again, all. To answer Broken Helm . . . not counting gods and groups (monster species, families, power groups, etc.) that get specific entries in that Reader's Guide, I notice these Ed creations:

Alustriel
Dendybar the Mottled
Dove Falconhand
King Harbromm
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
Malchor Harpell

And to Red Walker: no, Ed has never met the artist, and deals only with the editor of the books, Christian Dunn (who asks for suggested cover scenes, and then discusses the "draft" or prototype cover art with Ed; I believe the Dark Lord cover first had the hero hooded and a dagger in his hand, rather than the hood pushed back and a magical glow in the hand). So, yes, Ed does have input.
Ed LOVES the covers, mind you. He wishes everyone could really see the Dark Lord cover close up, without the overlying words: among the "bottom front edge" of the monster-head Rod and Taeauna are together on, where it's sprawled along the crumbling wall, are some little hidden jokes like hand calculators and the like (the art on the covers is too small, cropped off too high, too dark, and with lettering laid over top, for you to properly see all that's going on even on the hardcover, but Ed was e-sent a jpeg of the prototype art [which of course for copyright reasons he can't share with anyone] that delighted him with these small details.
(I'd check out on the Net to see if the artist has posted the original anywhere on a website, and hope you can scale up what's posted enough to see some of it.)
For fun, Red Walker, see how many small figures you can see, or see parts of, at the lower left of the ARCH WIZARD cover art. As far as I can I recall what Ed told me, there are four, five, or six in the original, but the scene has been cropped to fit the cover.
This is not a slam at Solaris, by the way; in order to make sure the art "bleeds" out beyond the visible cover, a scene is typically painted "a little too big," and then the publisher scales it up to make the critical elements (in this case, Rod facing a greatfangs) as large as possible and in the best spots on the cover for composition (balance), then adds the lettering that has to be there (title, author, any series attribution and cover blurb "sell copy").
Ed can't wait to see the art for the third cover. Me, I'm really enjoying this trilogy, and can't wait for the last book (Sequels beyond the three tomes? Who knows? Sales will determine).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 19:03:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. To answer Broken Helm . . . not counting gods and groups (monster species, families, power groups, etc.) that get specific entries in that Reader's Guide, I notice these Ed creations:

Alustriel
Dendybar the Mottled
Dove Falconhand
King Harbromm
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
Malchor Harpell


I forgot Dove was in that one book... I didn't know that Harbromm and Dendybar were Ed creations.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 19:24:45
Message:

Yes, they are indeed. Now, I'll grant you that Bob Salvatore has brought them to life in published Realmslore, from brief Ed descriptions (I recall, back in the days when Ed was reading the original manuscript of THE CRYSTAL SHARD to review and approve it, Ed asked Bob to use Dendybar rather than Grimwald, who was already a standing joke among we Knights [e.g. "Grimwald did it!" or a Knight picks up a rusty, jagged-blade dagger and announces, "Grimwald's toothbrush!" or we come across copious vomit outside a tavern door and another Knight comments, "Another Grimwald art masterpiece, I see!"] and so on; Ed wanted to keep Grimwald for our collective immature enjoyment (and his own future sly plans as DM - - boy, we did we later get a surprise from Grimwald!).
But then, from the extensive (FR5 THE SAVAGE FRONTIER, and the three linked Daggerdale modules) to just small lore advice and aid, Ed is behind, or involved in, a LOT of Realms fiction and game lore that bears the names of other writers. He has been known to bury writers and designers who ask for the aid in large files of "gotta know this" Realmslore. Just another of the reasons he's so beloved, by so many.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 19:29:12
Message:

Aha! That explains something I've wondered about for years!
At a GenCon, long ago, one of Ed's players (a guy with a mustache, named Jim) was apparently in the audience at an Ed seminar, and he and Ed were looking at a tournament round schedule or some such together for a moment, and one of them said to the other, "Well, real Grimwald organization THAT is!"
I always thought they were referring to a real person, a TSR employee or a GenCon staffer, who was either named Grimwald or whom they called by the nickname of Grimwald.
Does Ed have any juicy Grimwald anecdotes he wants to share, in the Realms or in the real world, like this one?
Please?
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 19:44:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Off the top of my head, I think that only three people appearing in RAS novels were creations of Ed: Malchor Harpell, Khelben Arunsun, and Alustriel.
I'd have to agree - RAS is known for creating his own characters, even if there already was a pre-made FR one around that fit the bill.

He kinda has his own little 'private sandbox', which isn't neccessarily a bad thing. At least he avoids a lot of continuity problems that way.

I think Elminster is actually mentioned by Drizzt in one (in one of those italic maudlin 'musings' he does), but I don't recall El ever making an actual appearance.

I was going to mention Danilo Thann, but then I remembered it was actually Liriel, NOT Drizzt, he had some interaction with. He's probably Elaine's character as well, anyway...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 23:07:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Hi. Ed or THO,
I've just been paging through A READER'S GUIDE TO R.A. SALVATORE'S DRIZZT etc. (the large guidebook written by Phil Athans and published this last GenCon, full of all the gorgeous art), and found myself wondering: how many of the characters in it are Ed's originals? Most are RAS creations, I know, but I was just curious . . .
Thanks.



Off the top of my head, I think that only three people appearing in RAS novels were creations of Ed: Malchor Harpell, Khelben Arunsun, and Alustriel.
Actually, I know there's more than that.

Edit: Ah, I see the Lady Hooded One's already tackled that. The next page of replies didn't register for me apparently.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Feb 2009 23:10:52
Message:

And while I'm hesitant to add "Yet Another Forgotten Realms Question" to my ever-growing pile, some recent replies have intrigued me. Namely:-

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. To answer Broken Helm . . . not counting gods and groups (monster species, families, power groups, etc.) that get specific entries in that Reader's Guide, I notice these Ed creations:

Alustriel
Dendybar the Mottled
Dove Falconhand
King Harbromm
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
Malchor Harpell
Ed, or my lovely Lady, I wouldn't mind hearing how RAS's interpretations of these characters may have deviated somewhat, if at all, from your original conceptions for them?


Reply author: Hawkfeather
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 00:17:50
Message:

Hello, Ed!

Currently I'm dming a campaing situated in the Vast (in 1372). I decided to use the plot hook "Shadow over Scardale" described in the Vast section, about a mercenary captain organizing an army to invade and conquer Scardale Town. The plot hook doesn't make it clear who could be sponsonring the mercenary captain, suggesting merchants in Tantras or Calaunt as the most likely candidates. After a little brain storm, I figured out that the true leader behind this attack could be Lashan himself, since no one ever get proof of his death. The problem is: I know next to nothing about him. How he looks like, his qualities (and flaws), capabilities, personality, etc... Where he could be hidden all this years and how he could have raised a fortune to hire an army... And most important: how the people of Scardale (and the other Dales and factions in Scardale) would view an eventually Lashan's back to power. Is it possible that he could regret his old ways and be just trying to clean the mess he left in his homeland? Or is he "just plain evil"? Any information and suggestions you can spare on this matter will be of great value.

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 03:58:58
Message:

Hi, all. Blueblade, Ed has responded to your request for "juicy Grimwald anecdotes" with just one, for now. A real-world one, mind you:


With THO's (obtained) permission, allow me to briefly tell Candlekeep about the Adventure of the Nude Maiden.
Years and years ago, several Canadians (including yours truly and THO, but none of the other regular Realms players; instead, there were three other guys along who were fellow fantasy and sf fans) stayed at a hotel to attend an sf convention in the U.S. Midwest. Though she was completely unconcerned about sharing a room with several guys, myself included, this was years back, and the hotel (once they discovered she wasn't married to any of us) would not hear of it. She had to have her own room, and all four guys had to squeeze into another - - which the hotel pointedly located on another floor, at the far end of the hotel from hers.
Being Canadians unused to having strangers decide our morals for us, and the rooms having connecting phones, we decided to get together for an evening of games, snacks, and chat. At the end of it (at about three in the morning), THO strolled back to her room stark naked, silent and jaunty.
Well, I exaggerate. She was in fact wearing shoes, her watch, and a smile, and carrying a paperback book and the nightgown she'd worn down to the room, over her arm.
She got spotted, of course, and darned if the hotel didn't call the police.
And direct them to OUR room rather than hers, because of course the guys MUST be responsible because a "young and therefore vulnerable, naive, weak-minded woman" (in their words and their way of thinking, though we were all at the time in our twenties) must be "in the charge of" one of us.
We told the police, who had arrived with the notion in their heads that she HAD to be a prostitute, that her behaviour was the result of being hypnotized by Grimwald the Great, a notoriously lecherous stage magician and longtime enemy of ours whom we'd encountered in a local restaurant earlier in the evening, and who had entered the hotel and confronted her outside our room - - and they must on no account awaken her because permanent mental damage could result.
They bought the story, and took pages and pages of notes (in those days, policemen carried around notepads and wrote, wrote, wrote every last thing they did on shift), asking us all sorts of questions and pressing us to promise them that if we ever saw this Grimwald again, we would promptly report his whereabouts and doings to them.
We gave our promises, and accepted a mailing address and a police officer's name and telephone number. They never did go to her room.
I'm afraid that once we were safely back across the border, THO mailed the poor (?) guy a photo of herself, lying on a table unclad except for some "runes" drawn all over in lipstick, surrounded by lit candles, with a dagger point-down held in her mouth and another driven into the table somewhere, ahem, lower, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling.
On the back of it she wrote, in angular masculine printing, "Regards From Grimwald The Great."
I suppose it's still pinned up on a police office corkboard somewhere.


So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:11:31
Message:

Very Cool.

And here I thought I was the only 'streaker' left around.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:15:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all. Blueblade, Ed has responded to your request for "juicy Grimwald anecdotes" with just one, for now. A real-world one, mind you:


With THO's (obtained) permission, allow me to briefly tell Candlekeep about the Adventure of the Nude Maiden.
Years and years ago, several Canadians (including yours truly and THO, but none of the other regular Realms players; instead, there were three other guys along who were fellow fantasy and sf fans) stayed at a hotel to attend an sf convention in the U.S. Midwest. Though she was completely unconcerned about sharing a room with several guys, myself included, this was years back, and the hotel (once they discovered she wasn't married to any of us) would not hear of it. She had to have her own room, and all four guys had to squeeze into another - - which the hotel pointedly located on another floor, at the far end of the hotel from hers.
Being Canadians unused to having strangers decide our morals for us, and the rooms having connecting phones, we decided to get together for an evening of games, snacks, and chat. At the end of it (at about three in the morning), THO strolled back to her room stark naked, silent and jaunty.
Well, I exaggerate. She was in fact wearing shoes, her watch, and a smile, and carrying a paperback book and the nightgown she'd worn down to the room, over her arm.
She got spotted, of course, and darned if the hotel didn't call the police.
And direct them to OUR room rather than hers, because of course the guys MUST be responsible because a "young and therefore vulnerable, naive, weak-minded woman" (in their words and their way of thinking, though we were all at the time in our twenties) must be "in the charge of" one of us.
We told the police, who had arrived with the notion in their heads that she HAD to be a prostitute, that her behaviour was the result of being hypnotized by Grimwald the Great, a notoriously lecherous stage magician and longtime enemy of ours whom we'd encountered in a local restaurant earlier in the evening, and who had entered the hotel and confronted her outside our room - - and they must on no account awaken her because permanent mental damage could result.
They bought the story, and took pages and pages of notes (in those days, policemen carried around notepads and wrote, wrote, wrote every last thing they did on shift), asking us all sorts of questions and pressing us to promise them that if we ever saw this Grimwald again, we would promptly report his whereabouts and doings to them.
We gave our promises, and accepted a mailing address and a police officer's name and telephone number. They never did go to her room.
I'm afraid that once we were safely back across the border, THO mailed the poor (?) guy a photo of herself, lying on a table unclad except for some "runes" drawn all over in lipstick, surrounded by lit candles, with a dagger point-down held in her mouth and another driven into the table somewhere, ahem, lower, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling.
On the back of it she wrote, in angular masculine printing, "Regards From Grimwald The Great."
I suppose it's still pinned up on a police office corkboard somewhere.


So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO


-

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:17:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO
Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:17:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Very Cool.

And here I thought I was the only 'streaker' left around.


-

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:19:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO
Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.



-Yeah, right Sage!

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:20:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
We told the police, who had arrived with the notion in their heads that she HAD to be a prostitute, that her behaviour was the result of being hypnotized by Grimwald the Great, a notoriously lecherous stage magician and longtime enemy of ours whom we'd encountered in a local restaurant earlier in the evening, and who had entered the hotel and confronted her outside our room - - and they must on no account awaken her because permanent mental damage could result.
They bought the story, and took pages and pages of notes (in those days, policemen carried around notepads and wrote, wrote, wrote every last thing they did on shift), asking us all sorts of questions and pressing us to promise them that if we ever saw this Grimwald again, we would promptly report his whereabouts and doings to them.


Reminds me of something I heard in a song, once...

And that's what we did, sat in the back of the patrol car and drove to the quote Scene of the Crime unquote. I want tell you about the town of Stockbridge, Massachusets, where this happened here, they got three stop signs, two police officers, and one police car, but when we got to the Scene of the Crime there was five police officers and three police cars, being the biggest crime of the last fifty years, and everybody wanted to get in the newspaper story about it. And they was using up all kinds of cop equipment that they had hanging around the police officer's station. They was taking plaster tire tracks, foot prints, dog smelling prints, and they took twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us. Took pictures of the approach, the getaway, the northwest corner the southwest corner and that's not to mention the aerial photography.

Such Puritans...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 04:22:24
Message:

Heya,

All I can say to that story is - ROFLMAO.

And since I should try to be on topic, thank you so much for the response re: Holynose. I have now finished The Sword Never Sleeps, and it definitely kept me from complete madness in this last week (dealing with a nasty bout of gastro). I would love to see more Knights books in the future (For example, I'd like to see what kind of hilarity ensues when Rathan and Torm meet up with the others for the first time), but I am not holding my breath (given I'm sure WotC will want 4th Ed Realms Novels (4eRN) only from now on - if Ed writes any 4eRN, I might just have to make an exception to my no 4e Realms rule for them).


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 05:17:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

THO mailed the poor (?) guy a photo of herself, lying on a table unclad except for some "runes" drawn all over in lipstick, surrounded by lit candles, with a dagger point-down held in her mouth and another driven into the table somewhere, ahem, lower, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling.




Well... I have to say it's an extremely dubious story. Perhaps if a copy of said photo were still around... you know, a bit of hard evidence?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 05:58:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO
Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.




I'd like to read the unedited version, too!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 09:55:17
Message:

So what had happened to the nightgown?

Gomez


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 10:48:02
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

So what had happened to the nightgown?



She was carrying it over her arm when she returned to her room.


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 12:41:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

So what had happened to the nightgown?



She was carrying it over her arm when she returned to her room.



This is sad, I was wondering what book she was reading.


Reply author: sparhawk42
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 13:27:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all. Blueblade, Ed has responded to your request for "juicy Grimwald anecdotes" with just one, for now. A real-world one, mind you:


With THO's (obtained) permission, allow me to briefly tell Candlekeep about the Adventure of the Nude Maiden.
Years and years ago, several Canadians (including yours truly and THO, but none of the other regular Realms players; instead, there were three other guys along who were fellow fantasy and sf fans) stayed at a hotel to attend an sf convention in the U.S. Midwest. Though she was completely unconcerned about sharing a room with several guys, myself included, this was years back, and the hotel (once they discovered she wasn't married to any of us) would not hear of it. She had to have her own room, and all four guys had to squeeze into another - - which the hotel pointedly located on another floor, at the far end of the hotel from hers.
Being Canadians unused to having strangers decide our morals for us, and the rooms having connecting phones, we decided to get together for an evening of games, snacks, and chat. At the end of it (at about three in the morning), THO strolled back to her room stark naked, silent and jaunty.
Well, I exaggerate. She was in fact wearing shoes, her watch, and a smile, and carrying a paperback book and the nightgown she'd worn down to the room, over her arm.
She got spotted, of course, and darned if the hotel didn't call the police.
And direct them to OUR room rather than hers, because of course the guys MUST be responsible because a "young and therefore vulnerable, naive, weak-minded woman" (in their words and their way of thinking, though we were all at the time in our twenties) must be "in the charge of" one of us.
We told the police, who had arrived with the notion in their heads that she HAD to be a prostitute, that her behaviour was the result of being hypnotized by Grimwald the Great, a notoriously lecherous stage magician and longtime enemy of ours whom we'd encountered in a local restaurant earlier in the evening, and who had entered the hotel and confronted her outside our room - - and they must on no account awaken her because permanent mental damage could result.
They bought the story, and took pages and pages of notes (in those days, policemen carried around notepads and wrote, wrote, wrote every last thing they did on shift), asking us all sorts of questions and pressing us to promise them that if we ever saw this Grimwald again, we would promptly report his whereabouts and doings to them.
We gave our promises, and accepted a mailing address and a police officer's name and telephone number. They never did go to her room.
I'm afraid that once we were safely back across the border, THO mailed the poor (?) guy a photo of herself, lying on a table unclad except for some "runes" drawn all over in lipstick, surrounded by lit candles, with a dagger point-down held in her mouth and another driven into the table somewhere, ahem, lower, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling.
On the back of it she wrote, in angular masculine printing, "Regards From Grimwald The Great."
I suppose it's still pinned up on a police office corkboard somewhere.


So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO



No amount of words could express the levels of greatness of this tail, er, I mean tale.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 13:50:31
Message:

Hello again Hooded Lady.

As another great author, Philip Jose Farmer, passed away a couple of days ago(Except for Vance,are there any of the old guard left now?)I got curious. How much inspiration did Ed take from the World of Tiers books when he thought out the world connections of the Realms? I seem to remember he mentioned the series in a Dragon article concerning gates years and years ago.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 14:43:21
Message:

Ahem. Thanks, all.
I should mention that my then-boyfriend was one of the four guys (we'd been planning to either book a suite and all share it, or two adjoining rooms and boyfriend and self bunk down in one, with the three remaining guys in 'tother; no, Ed was not my then-boyfriend). The paperback, as I recall, was a collection of Kipling short stories, and the nightgown was a modest, opaque ankle-length affair with a gathered waist that tried to look something like an Edwardian dress (sleeves ending at mid-bicep, overlap front panels for modesty with row of toggle fastenings, inner slip stitched in, ashes-of-roses hue (that's a becoming shade of something like pink, fellas) that didn't do much for me).
The amusing bit was how the cops were barely interested in a description of Grimwald, but sure wanted an in-depth description of me. I suppose they just wanted to be prepared, in case they encountered several nude females strolling around their city that night, to be able to make a positive ID.
The steamier version, huh? Heheheheheh . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 14:51:15
Message:

Hi, Jorkens. Ed drew on the World of Tiers series for the "mechanics" of gate operations, not for inspiration. Before that PJF series was published, Ed had already read the William Morris THE WOOD BETWEEN THE WORLDS classic (as mentioned in that Dragon article, I believe) as well as Narnia and many other fantasy classics that use the "stepping from our world into another, and back again" conceit, such as John Masefield's THE MIDNIGHT FOLK. So these far older classics were his inspiration . . . and a later series that was itself in part inspired by Farmer, Zelazny's Amber series (we have Roger's own words "proving" this inspiration, in the old Dick Geis THE ALIEN CRITIC fanzine), "inspired" Ed more in fleshing things out, later. Many modern fantasy authors, from Moorcock to H. Beam Piper, have used various versions of what might be called "the Multiverse" (and has been, by some) as part of their fantasy tales - - and Ed's library holds examples of most of them.
This is a topic that Ed and I (and Ed and lots of others, including many TSR designers) have talked over many a time.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 15:56:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.

Please refrain from fiddling with the CK servers after you read that... at least for a little while...

or until you take a cold shower....

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Very Cool.

And here I thought I was the only 'streaker' left around.


-

A VERY long time ago, when there was a LOT less of me to expose.

Its a pretty funny story too, but this isn't the place for that.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 16:12:10
Message:

Markustay, does, uh...

Does involuntary streaking count?


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 16:16:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO
Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.




There you go again my friend, Sagifying another innocent scoll!!

Oh yeah, campaign encounter my arse......we are sure you had an encounter in mind though......


oh well,.....HHHHIOTWIG!!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 18:11:36
Message:

If Candlekeep were a Video-store, the Sage's scrolls would be the ones they keep "in the back".


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 19:40:06
Message:

SUCH a to-do. I walk around my house naked all the time.
One more recollection: part way back to my room, I did in fact loosely tie the nightgown around my waist, so the ends hung down one hip, so I could read in the elevator more easily without breaking the spine of the book or risking dropping it.
I met no one in the elevator, but two hotel guests in the corridors. My favourite was the old man in tux who stopped, looked me up and down, bowed, and murmured, "VERY nice, my lady. Very nice. I thank you . . . and good night." He smiled, put his key in the door (yes, even large chain hotel rooms had KEYS in those days, folks), and went into his room. A classy gentleman, very American (tartan bowtie with the tux). I suppose he's long dead, now.
Which reminds me . . .
Jorkens, I think Moorcock is the last of the prominent old guard, now. LeGuin, too, though I've always counted her as the next generation of fantasy writers. Then there's the debate about John Jakes . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 20:27:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


Jorkens, I think Moorcock is the last of the prominent old guard, now. LeGuin, too, though I've always counted her as the next generation of fantasy writers. Then there's the debate about John Jakes . . .
love,
THO

Isn't David Eddings rather old guard-ish too? Or is he a decade or so too late?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 21:20:23
Message:

Eddings is the right age to squeak in to "old guard" territory, but he and his wife didn't start writing and publishing fantasy (as opposed to HIGH HUNT) until decades after the "old guard" writers started. So to readers who know nothing at all about the writers, but only the passing parade of fantasy for sale, he "comes much later."
From the English-language commercial fiction viewpoint (i.e. not including old folk tales, but novels written for sale, which starts us in Victorian times), we have the Victorians and Edwardians (Morris, Dunsany, Eddison), the pulp-era writers (Howard, Burroughs, Brackett, Quinn, Lovecraft, Vance, Kuttner, Moore, etc.), Tolkien, and then the flood of post-Tolkien imitators and other fantasy writers who rise to prominence (or continue on from their pulp roots) during the founding of the commercial fantasy genre that THE LORD OF THE RINGS spawned.
These are VERY rough-n-ready deliniations, and everyone prefers their own, but that's a simplified way of looking at it. Eddings makes his mark with the Belgariad starting in 1982, well after the first post-Tolkien flood.
Leiber, Moorcock, PJF, and so on got to our bookshelves first.
I was starting to work in publishing back then, so it seems clearer to me than it will to someone "looking back" from now.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 21:26:18
Message:

Piers Anthony and McCaffrey are of course alive still. I always count Moorcock to the next generation, with the 60's and Hawkwind. It started to seem like Williamson was immortal, but by now Moorcock, Ellison and Harrison are the veterans.

Zelazny also wrote a foreword to an edition of A Private Cosmos where he talked about getting the inspiration for Amber.

The theme of Amber and Tiers with the Lords and Princes leads me to another question. Was there ever an idea that the larger gates of the Realms were tied to a certain group or such, that had tied the planes together? Or were the numerous gates the results of the various mages throughout the multiverse working on their own?


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 23:00:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who in this case has toned down a tale that in some ways was rather steamier.
Ah, such a gallant, defending the reputation of a hooded lady . . .
Or not.
love to all,
THO
Any chance you can send me [via ethereal mail] the "steamier" version my lady? I just thought of a rather humorous encounter I can run for my PCs in the next stage of my campaign, based on this. But I'd like to read Ed's full take on it first.




There you go again my friend, Sagifying another innocent scoll!!

Oh yeah, campaign encounter my arse......we are sure you had an encounter in mind though......


oh well,.....HHHHIOTWIG!!



Dude, just be glad he hasn't said something like "woot" yet. Every time he does, I feel like the Earth shifts off its axis.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Feb 2009 23:31:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Please refrain from fiddling with the CK servers after you read that... at least for a little while...

or until you take a cold shower....
Or LARPing with the Lady K, if you know what I mean. *snicker*
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker

There you go again my friend, Sagifying another innocent scoll!!
"Sagifying" is here. No scroll is safe!
quote:
Oh yeah, campaign encounter my arse......we are sure you had an encounter in mind though......
Well, I did have role-playing in mind when I replied to the Lady Hooded One. See my reply to Markus above re: what type of role-playing I was thinking about.
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

If Candlekeep were a Video-store, the Sage's scrolls would be the ones they keep "in the back".

[Ralph Wiggum voice]"All the people are hugging."[/voice]
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

SUCH a to-do. I walk around my house naked all the time.
I used to. But after nearly 20 years of the typical "gamer lifestyle," I'm a little self-conscious now. And that's probably also why the Lady K hasn't yet approved my desire for us to allow "Strip High Dragon" during our gaming sessions.
quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

Dude, just be glad he hasn't said something like "woot" yet. Every time he does, I feel like the Earth shifts off its axis.

Is "neato!" okay then?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 02:16:08
Message:

Ahem. Well, Ed left out the nipple clamps, among other things, Sage. Just so you know . . .
Hello again, fellow scribes. Early this month, krownhunter07 posted: “Hello Ed, I'm new to posting here at the Keep, but I'd really like to know a few things you might have a mind to answer for me...
Firstly, do you know, or could you come up with, any information about where Evermeet is now and what is around it? Still an island or part of a larger area? Friends, enemies, a little history about what's happened since the Spellplague?
Also, any details on the other Elf blades?
Thanks in advance!”
Ed replies:



Hi, krownhunter. As Daviot mentioned, the best answer to your question about Evermeet’s fate is to be found in the 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. I can say that the “shift” during the Spellplague was interesting, to say the least, because the stresses on the elven magic warding the island created many chaotic, short-lived portals and other effects that hurled persons and magic to many places (including Toril’s sister world, Abeir; elsewhere on Toril, primarily in Faerûn; and other planes entirely). Most of these people and things arrived unscathed in their new locations, but of course were in no way “safe” from bad things happening to them once they arrived there.
Ashe Ravenheart ably summarized the fates of the blades for you, and sfdragon was quite right to speculate that the Artblade is “likely under a huge NDA.” I wish I could say more, but right now, I really can’t. Sorry!



So saith Ed. Creator of Evermeet, Faerûn, and the concept of elven high magic.
Who is undoubtedly hard at work writing, as I post this.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 02:48:08
Message:

Well, if you expand things to sf as well as fantasy, the periods of prominence shift somewhat.
But let's take a look:
McCaffrey born 1926, publishes short stories in the early 50s, but first novel is Restoree in 1967.
Moorcock born 1939, short stories that later became Sojan first pubbed in the 1950s, Golden Barge written in 1959 but not pubbed until 1979, first novel The Sundered Worlds (later titled The Blood Red Game) magazine-serialized starting in 1962 (it introduced the Multiverse!).
Farmer born 1918, first sf short story 1946, gains prominence with The Lovers, magazine-published in 1952 but not a novel by itself until 1961.
Piers Anthony (Jacobs) born 1934, first sf short story pub 1963, first novel (Chthon) in 1967.
Ellison born 1934, first sf short story 1956, first sf books both in 1960.
Harrison born 1925, first sf short story 1951 (sf and comics illustrator before that), first sf novel Deathworld in 1960, though most Stainless Steel Rat fiction that was put together into the 1961 book SSR published before Deathworld.
Vance born 1916, first sf short story pubbed 1945, first book The Dying Earth in 1960.
Eddings born 1931, first non-sf book High Hunt in 1973, first fantasy Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad Book 1) in 1982, all fantasies co-written with his wife Leigh.
So as THO said, it's not really a matter of age or strict dating, but when writers rise to prominence. Or when they get published in our local market or language, or when we first notice them.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 02:54:50
Message:

Nicely put, APL. Moorcock is certainly remembered as being part of the 1960s "New Wave," but Anthony and McCaffrey "rise" slightly after he does.
And Eddings is well after all of them, a few years after the Realms has first appeared in print in DRAGON (1979), but before Ed's first fantasy novel (1987) and the launch of the Realms as a game setting (1986) and the first Realms novel (Darkwalker on Moonshae by Doug Niles).
Seems like yesterday to me, but ancient history to many Realms fans, who (gulp) weren't even born then. (!)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kes_Alanadel
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 03:03:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by A Publishing Lackey


McCaffrey born 1926, publishes short stories in the early 50s, but first novel is Restoree in 1967.




The first novel of hers I read, and still one of my favorites!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 05:59:05
Message:

What? No Kurt Vonnegut? I'd say Cat's Cradle was borderline Fantasy/Sci-Fi.

Come to think of it, that describes most of his stuff (the ending to Galapagos was just plain 'out there').

Also, no one mentioned one of my favorites - Stephen R. Donaldson and his Thomas Covenant novels (we had a little bit of dimensional sliding going on there).

And don't forget Jack Chalker - the gates in his Well of Souls novels could swallow an entire planet!

So much yet left to read, so little time... <sigh>


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 07:15:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

From the English-language commercial fiction viewpoint (i.e. not including old folk tales, but novels written for sale, which starts us in Victorian times), we have the Victorians and Edwardians (Morris, Dunsany, Eddison)


Would you include M.R. James in that category? Not fantasy, strictly speaking, but very influential on the genre I would think.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 07:55:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

What? No Kurt Vonnegut? I'd say Cat's Cradle was borderline Fantasy/Sci-Fi.

Come to think of it, that describes most of his stuff (the ending to Galapagos was just plain 'out there').

Also, no one mentioned one of my favorites - Stephen R. Donaldson and his Thomas Covenant novels (we had a little bit of dimensional sliding going on there).

And don't forget Jack Chalker - the gates in his Well of Souls novels could swallow an entire planet!

So much yet left to read, so little time... <sigh>




Donaldson should be mentioned, even if he starts in the mid-70's. As should Cherryh with her Morgaine books. These were also mentioned in the Dragon article in question. Tim Powers (another newer favourite) had some elements of the subject in his The Drawing of the Dark.

That leads me to anotehr question, this time more to The Hooded One. Did Ed ever use the alternative to Gates, of the dying or dreaming travelling through the dimensions/interplanetary worlds? The method is common in so much earlier fantasy (and even before that), but seems to have fallen somewhat out of use.

And just to clarify, I meant Michael John Harrison (b 1945, short stories from late 60's and novels from early 70's).

This subject makes me realise how dated I am in my fantasy/sci-fi reading. And how happy I am to continue being just that.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 15:32:40
Message:

Certainly we could name fantasy/sf authors for pages and pages of this thread, hijacking it thoroughly.
That's why I limited myself to those already mentioned. My point wasn't to catalogue all the worthies who should be mentioned (I'm sure Ed or THO or Jorkens or many other scribes could readily list a hundred or more, without much pause), it was to underscore what THO said about the fuzziness of pigeonholing authors as to "generations" or decades or "before and afters." Sorry about getting the wrong Harrison, there; I believe Ed is quite familiar with both (I've seen him talking to Harry at cons, and was in on an e-mail where he once suggested to a publisher that V-Nights and Pastel City were ripe for North American reprints).
And there's nothing at all wrong about being "dated" in one's reading. Except that it too often means favourite authors are too dead to ever pen sequels and new masterpieces for you to read.
I find the problem to the opposite: newbies who are unaware that derivative, shallow writers of the moment are copying or echoing better, older works, and champion the new writers as groundbreaking geniuses. It means they're missing so much great reading.
And James (again, I've seen Ed trotting around the dealer's aisles at Worldcon with a fat and very expensive complete stories of James under his arm, so I know HE knows James) is indeed, on the ghost story side, one of those older "root" authors (so is Cabell, for that matter).
Cabell, James, Hodgson, and Clark Ashton Smith and Lovecraft once again demonstrate the fuzziness of categorizing; they bridge over the "old classic" and the "pulp" labels (I'm well aware that fans of specific writers and views may disagree, placing a given author firmly in one or the other or a new category). As Ed once said (in a keynote speech at an ALA annual conference, talking to librarians about the inevitable classifying of books libraries do):

"Putting creative works into pigeonholes is an inaccurate, subjective process that at times ALMOST leads to more disputes than it proves useful. Almost. However, that's never a valid argument for not categorizing - - because categorizing is something humans DO. You can't stop it by banning it or refusing to do it. So you might as well do it well."

So saith Ed. Hey, someone who's not THO got to say that, in this thread! Whee! Move over, beautiful hooded lady . . . perhaps right over here, onto my lap . . .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 15:46:25
Message:

Purrr . . . why, APL, what a delightfully improper suggestion . . .
Let's discuss putting things into handy holes. And ending the molestation of pigeons, in that regard. Ahem.
And yes, I can confirm that Ed is familiar with the writings of M.R. James. By the way, DAUGHTER OF REGALS by Donaldson is one of his fantasy favourites. He loved Chalker's works, too, though he said talking to Jack was like "talking to a belching smokestack; I've never seen a man make a succession of lone cigarettes produce so much smoke!" and thought the Well World tales worked best when we were concentrating on Nathan Brazil or the lives of individuals down in the various hexes or worlds, and started to get away from Jack when we were doing the "wars raging across mutliple hexes." He LOVED the way Jack was able to make weird aliens (the Diviner and the Rell, for instance) seem vividly real. (Not since James Schmitz has someone done that quite so well for multiple alien species, Ed once said.)
However, I firmly agree with APL - - if we continue down this road, we can fill pages and pages of this thread, drifting farther away from the Realms as we go. I hope by now all scribes are familiar with the fact that Ed has 80,000-plus books at home, a good chunk of them one of the best READING (not collecting) fantastic English-language fiction private libraries in Canada, that he's familiar with a lot of writers and their works (from the famous unfinished story fragment he wrote with Roger Zelazny to the world he designed with Lynn Abbey to his early publishing of Rob Sawyer in a university literary magazine, and so on and on), and that if you can think of an "older" fantasy or sf writer, Ed has probably read them and has some of their books at home. Not to mention most of the newer ones; being a judge of the World Fantasy Awards or (as he's doing right now) judging the Sunbursts means you get box after box of current books arriving at your door - - literally HUNDREDS of books. And of course anyone who has seen Ed shopping at cons, as APL has, knows that Ed can't resist picking up more books whenever something catches his eye. He's currently rereading old John Dickson Carr locked-room murder mysteries for fun, as well as reviewing some new chick lit titles for his local library (and recommends folks check out the new Christopher Moore, FOOL, which is King Lear told from the viewpoint of, yes, the Fool/jester).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 16:05:08
Message:

Hi, Jorkens. I seem to remember an Ed fantasy short story from the 1970s that used dream-traveling (and I THINK he's using it in an instance at the beginning of his third Falconfar novel, FALCONFAR, but don't quote me on that), but I'll have to pass that query on to him for a proper reply.
I know he wrote at least one Kadath pastiche (HPL's Dreamlands: "For I have passed the Gates of Deeper Slumber" and so forth) back in the 1960s, just for fun, but I think he may have written more substantial fantasies in the 70s and 80s that employed dream travel.
We'll see, okay?
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 17:02:17
Message:

ED uses Elminster's door, doesn't he?

Seriously, it's humanly impossible to do everything he does in a 24 hour day, so I have to assume he's doing a little time-sliding of his own.

80,000?

Are you serious?.. and here I was proud of my (now) woefully inadequate collection.

Can Ed adopt me?

And if not... could you?


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 18:15:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, Jorkens. I seem to remember an Ed fantasy short story from the 1970s that used dream-traveling (and I THINK he's using it in an instance at the beginning of his third Falconfar novel, FALCONFAR, but don't quote me on that), but I'll have to pass that query on to him for a proper reply.
I know he wrote at least one Kadath pastiche (HPL's Dreamlands: "For I have passed the Gates of Deeper Slumber" and so forth) back in the 1960s, just for fun, but I think he may have written more substantial fantasies in the 70s and 80s that employed dream travel.
We'll see, okay?
love,
THO



Thanks THO I await your return eagerly. And I will control myself although my whole system is screaming after continuing to talk about the different authors that jump into my head, both in connection with the Realms and otherwise.

Thanks again.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 20:49:57
Message:

I dont see why I should be left out in this part of lechers... but I think we should get (as much as possible in Ed's scroll) serious. So, I'll be evil ,and add some more questions, which have sprung up in my rather confused re-read of Ed's books (I'm alternating between Beyond the High Road, Death of The Dragon, Silverfall, and a few others) By week's end, I'm sure I'll have finished them all in proper order (which will probably spawn more questions...)
So, here goes:
Though these two have probably been asked, what was the percentage and amount of death in Cormyr in The Goblin War? (something like: "X Purple Dragons which is Y percent of them". Same for nobles, War WIzards, Harpers, civilians, orcs and goblins. no need for Obarskyrs)
Was there nobody else who could help Cormyr? I mean, I know it would detract from the whole 'Cormyte sacrifice for Cormyr' idea, but it does have allies?
In Elminster's Daughter, El takes Cala on some tour, showing her sights, after which she better understands El and Vangey. What did he show her?
El also says Vangey doesn't trust anyone since an event which killed dozens of nobles and War Wizards, and left vangey with a broken heart. WHat was this event, and why did his heart break? (if a beloved died, who was s/he?)
Myrmeen says she will have Vangey's heir for him. I've seen somewhere that the High Mage after Caladnei was a dude called Ganrahast. Is this Vangey's heir by Mreen? If so, can we have some info on him? And why was Cala High Magess for so short a time (most of them extended their lifespan)?

P. S. Lady THO, that was a request/invitation!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 21:26:38
Message:

Hi again, all!
Earlier this year, Broken Helm asked: "Dear Ed and THO, I have a campaign situation arising in the early 1360s. The PC party is traveling to Neverwinter for the first time, and they want to quiz a shopkeeper in Waterdeep they've befriended (whom I've already told them recently relocated from Neverwinter) about the city. I, of course, have to roleplay the NPC shopkeeper, and I know they're going to ask about some good/popular/relatively trustworthy/well-run local businesses. Can you give me a handful of such, that "everyone in Neverwinter" would have heard of, or know? Thanks in advance!"
Ed replies:


Sure, I'd love to. :}
Here are some more "good" trusted and well-known businesses in Neverwinter:

Jathran's Platter (butcher, three locations, sells cut, hung, smoked, and dressed meat, game, and fish; main downtown location also sells marinated meats, pickled spice fish in oilcloth carrysacks)

Korvraun's Armour (armour, shields, barding, and repairs to same, plus general "repairs" blacksmithing; also buys and sells used armor, oils and treats armour against rust, sells handmade nails)

The Nightwynd Cloak (shop that sells cloaks, masks, gowns, scents, baldric-pouches [the equivalent of "dress-up purses"] and "adornments" [cheap "feathers-and-buckles" jewelry that uses enameled metals, cut glass false gems, and painted, dyed, and sculpted wire and cloth rather than expensive components; the wares are all for women and men desiring to dress as women, and the shop also brews cups of spiced teas for customers, and has become something of a gathering-and-gossip place.

Pondur's (a general emporium of cheap used goods of literally sorts, from old wagon wheels to used beds to boxes of broken tools and ship "overcargoes" ["too much" of anything brought into port, which usually means salt-stained or bilge-soiled but otherwise perfectly good bolts of woven cloth]. Another place where folk meet each other often, as everyone drops by to scour the rooms full of junXXX er, stuff. Adventurers love it for the cheap materials they can use for disguises, traps, temporary outdoor sleeping shelters, etc.)

The Loraun Decanter (a shop that sells wines, liqueurs, flavored waters for bathing or sipping or cooking [add to sauces], ointments, oils, philtres [love potions that may or may not work, primarily herbal rather than magical], and elixirs (for which various wild claims are made but seldom believed; they are bought out of hope rather than certainty)



So saith Ed. Who is obviously jumping around among the questions to be answered piles again. Lovely loremaster that he is.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Feb 2009 21:30:07
Message:

Great questions, Menelvagor. Yes, some have already been answered here at the Keep, in earlier years (the extent of casualties, for example). As for allies, Cormyr didn't have any nearby who were sufficiently powerful to aid her, who got wind of things in time [the Dales can muster few enough swords to defend just themselves, and many of them were "cut off" from Cormyr by the rampaging goblins]. Yet Ed can answer all of these definitively . . . though I must warn you that these "larger scope, larger sweep" queries take longer to get replied to than the narrow-focus, more specific ones like the Neverwinter one answered just above (that is, at the bottom of the preceding page).
love,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 01:12:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. To answer Broken Helm . . . not counting gods and groups (monster species, families, power groups, etc.) that get specific entries in that Reader's Guide, I notice these Ed creations:

Alustriel
Dendybar the Mottled
Dove Falconhand
King Harbromm
Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
Malchor Harpell

And to Red Walker: no, Ed has never met the artist, and deals only with the editor of the books, Christian Dunn (who asks for suggested cover scenes, and then discusses the "draft" or prototype cover art with Ed; I believe the Dark Lord cover first had the hero hooded and a dagger in his hand, rather than the hood pushed back and a magical glow in the hand). So, yes, Ed does have input.
Ed LOVES the covers, mind you. He wishes everyone could really see the Dark Lord cover close up, without the overlying words: among the "bottom front edge" of the monster-head Rod and Taeauna are together on, where it's sprawled along the crumbling wall, are some little hidden jokes like hand calculators and the like (the art on the covers is too small, cropped off too high, too dark, and with lettering laid over top, for you to properly see all that's going on even on the hardcover, but Ed was e-sent a jpeg of the prototype art [which of course for copyright reasons he can't share with anyone] that delighted him with these small details.
(I'd check out on the Net to see if the artist has posted the original anywhere on a website, and hope you can scale up what's posted enough to see some of it.)
For fun, Red Walker, see how many small figures you can see, or see parts of, at the lower left of the ARCH WIZARD cover art. As far as I can I recall what Ed told me, there are four, five, or six in the original, but the scene has been cropped to fit the cover.
This is not a slam at Solaris, by the way; in order to make sure the art "bleeds" out beyond the visible cover, a scene is typically painted "a little too big," and then the publisher scales it up to make the critical elements (in this case, Rod facing a greatfangs) as large as possible and in the best spots on the cover for composition (balance), then adds the lettering that has to be there (title, author, any series attribution and cover blurb "sell copy").
Ed can't wait to see the art for the third cover. Me, I'm really enjoying this trilogy, and can't wait for the last book (Sequels beyond the three tomes? Who knows? Sales will determine).
love to all,
THO




THO, I can see all or parts of four small figures on my Arch Wizard covers, though some are obscured by words...so that's not a definative answer. At first glance before you mentioned it I assumed they were in scale to a huge room, but they do seem a bit small! Is there a story related reason or just a quirk I wonder?

And please tell Ed I am enjoying the Falcon Kingdoms as much as any of his works!

I was able to squeeze in Dark Warrior Rising between the 2 Falconfar books, and I really enjoy Ed's version of "dark elves" , the Niflgar and the realms below. Ed sis a good job showing Orvion's and Taerune's (sp?) evolving relationship from slave/mistress to depending on each other.
I am also enjoying the magic, from spellbalades and wards to the ones that take effect after death.

I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoy Ed's work and/or all things drow.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 03:28:44
Message:

Hi again, fellow scribes.
Yes, Markustay, I was serious, though please bear in mind that Ed's 80,000-plus library includes all manner of reference and non-fiction titles, a fair number of mysteries, and lots of mainstream fiction and literary classics, not just fantasy and sf. (And no, youngling scribes, not much more than perhaps 6 percent of it or so is available online, or probably ever will be, Gutenberg Project, Google, and Amazon notwithstanding.)
As for adopting you, why I declarah, every second male scribe done say that, sooner or later! Why ever could that be, I wondah?
Ahem.
Red Walker, don't miss DARK VENGEANCE, the sequel to Dark Warrior Rising.
It sounds like you're really enjoying these Ed-romps outside the Realms; I know I did. Not great literature, just darned good entertaining reads that I can enjoy again and again. As Pierce Watters and his co-reviewer said in a recent REALMS OF FANTASY review of DWR (I'm paraphrasing here rather than quoting): a lot of books promise pulse-pounding action that never flags, but this one really delivers on that promise.
And Ed tells me he's really enjoying writing FALCONFAR, the third adventure of Rod Everlar in the fantasy world he apparently created.
As he teasingly put it:


Watch wizards die! See greatfangs tear apart stone towers to get at the tasty folk inside! Hear floating severed heads talk! Listen as Gar cusses out certain Aumrarr, and Isk tries to tame him! Spy on Taeauna abed with someone, doing something that's decidedly NOT sleeping! Behold, as armies march! Knights bury blades in each other! Villains do villainy! Earth gets invaded!


So saith Ed. Employing the usual calm, quiet Canadian understatement.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 06:22:00
Message:

And now it's time for "The Sage asks Yet Another Forgotten Realms Question" Yay!

Seriously, Ed, here's another to add to my pile. 'Twas originally brought up by the ever vigilant Lady Herald of Realmslore herself. And it concerns, basically, this:-

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed generated TONS of stuff. A LITTLE of it later got used in the CULT OF THE DRAGON sourcebook, but the rest of it TSR gratefully received, used in some small ways (such as a Dragonlance undead dragon in the pages of DRAGON, I believe), and otherwise . . . sat on. So they own it, it's covered by a NDA, and it'll probably never see the light of day, now.
Now, Ed, I know you've talked a little about some of the stuff you've written and turned over to TSR/Wizards over the years. Really, I'm just curious what more you could tell us about some of that past and unpublished material -- NDAs aside, like the Lady Hooded One suggested in that reply I quoted above re: your dracolich material. What are some other examples of curious pieces of Realmslore from previous editions that will likely never see printed publication?

I'm not looking for any type of in-depth listing, since I know a little from your previous replies about just how much material you have turned over. Just a few new examples will do. Like your notes on the clergies and prayers and other religious stuff, or how you've talked about material for a "Trading & Traders" sourcebook. What's happened to most of that?


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 10:40:16
Message:

So.
I'm new to posting on CK. Been a lurker here for eons, but, that was generally b/c when I googled some Realms esoterica, it would lead me here.
Since I registered (about a week ago), I've actually taken a look around the site, and have been really impressed. I mean, how cool, right?
But then I found this thread. And here I am, at 4 a.m., reading the thing in its entirety, when 'd intended to just read a few posts: Of course, that's when I figured that Mr. Greenwood probably accounted for 1/100th of the content here, and the rest was likely just other fanboys (and girls!) ****ing. Then I start reading and see that this man (whom I respect as an author, a game designer, a fellow DM, a creative mind, and as - most key- a brother nerd) is actually taking time to answer questions about minutia from his fans.
I am blown away.
I came to RPGs as a punk kid in rural Pennsylvania, spending time in study hall writing up NPC's for the next session, doing some world-building, and skipping football practice (the creativity I learned in gaming came in handy in many forums, not the least of which was making excuses) to game with my buddies. However, I was ready to put gaming away as a shallow excersize in escapism, as I myself was preparing to graduate and head into the military. Then I found the Old Grey Box. Here was proof that what we were doing need not be just some infantile attempt to escape from a reality that we had no good place in: Here, boys and girls, was Art.
I'm on the verge of gushing, but suffice it to say that I want to take the chance to thank Mr.Greenwood for not only his amazing work, and his unparalleled attention to his fans, but for opening the eyes of a 17 year old kid to the idea that not all fun and games were for kids.
Thanks, Ed. Keep up the good work.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 11:30:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ahem. Thanks, all.
I should mention that my then-boyfriend was one of the four guys



Ah, there's a hint on what happened to the nigthgown (or not, but let's not spoil the fantasies here).

The talk about publishing is spinning my head a bit. I don't know half the names. Then again, I don't really read that much (I'm trying to better my life though...).

Re:Evermeet. There is some talk about it in the Tarmalune article. Not much, except to say that it is a place to best avoid for anyone who isn't an elf.
Though I think right now, Evereska is more interesting as a location.

Gomez


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 13:15:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

But then I found this thread.
Have you also seen the other "Questions for Ed Greenwood" threads for past years? There's links for them in the opening post of this thread.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 16:44:34
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring a response from Ed of the Greenwood to the Knight of the Gate:


Well met, and welcome. Thanks for your post. When THO sends me such words, it makes me smile and feel very good about all of this, setting aside my constant "publishers aren't paying me the current novel is way behind glorking LATE, how many minutes behind the keyboard can I squeeze into today" mental cares.
It IS all about keeping our dreams alive, crafting a wonderful imaginary place for us all to play in - - and making friends through doing so. Although my workload slows me in replying to lore requests as instantly as I'd like to (hey, if * I * was a DM, I want an answer NOW, not weeks or months or years hence), I LOVE working on the Realms, and helping fellow fans of the Realms get specific lore they need, and I'll probably die in the saddle some day happily still doing so.
I don't have a website, or a blog. I don't Tweet on Twitter. For one thing, I haven't time, and for another, those too often seem to be "Hey, look at me! It's all about me!" indulgences. The Realms isn't about me - - it's about us.
And yes, I'm proud of being a nerd. I'm happy to be a nerd. I have never followed the herd, or felt I've missed much by not being "up on the latest gossip about Britney or Madonna or Branjelica or Paris or Pamela or whatever the darling (or favourite train-wreck) of the moment is. Nerd-dom is a cloak to wear proudly. As The Hooded One once smilingly told a disapproving teacher in her high-school days, "That's all right, Miss Johnson. I am more than adequately armoured against YOUR disdain."
My grandparents lamented the loss of the front porch - - or rather, everyone sitting out on their front porch of evenings, chatting with the neighbours walking their dogs or just strolling past. I regard Candlekeep as our front porch. Only a really COOL front porch that's more like a castle, with a chanting choir of monks, flickering torches, and tomes full of wonders guarded by the REAL wonders: the scribes whose brains hold more than the books, and who love that which they guard.
So have my thanks, Knight of the Gate, and my friendship. And hey, ask some questions, so you, too, can wait years for the answers! :}


So saith Ed. Whose sentiments I echo. Welcome! I should add that Ed knows the southwestern rural corner of the Keystone State well, thanks to family friends who live in Perryopolis. And has both gaming friends and one of the original Realms players scattered all over the state (from the Poconos to the hallowed halls of Bucknell). So ask those questions, and flirt with me, and feel at home.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 18:29:31
Message:

Welcome to the boards, KotG... have a seat, and stay awhile.

Now, for a question, because I was answering someone else's query (at WotC) and discovered something odd....

I had always assumed that Wemics have always been part of the Realms. In fact, I had thought for awhile Ed created them... but then I found them in the (1e) MM2 written by Gary Gygax.

So, of course, I had thought all this time that Ed had just taken them for his game setting from the D&D books.

However, while checking the publishing date of that tome, I realized it was printed in 1987... wasn't that the same year TSR bought the Realms?

So I went through the book, and found a couple of other critters that I know have been in the realms for quite awhile, and probably since 'the beginning' - was this some effort on TSR's part to include monsters from this 'recent' tome in the 1st edition Realms?

The only other conclusion I can draw is that these beasties appeared in earlier Dragon articles - possibly be Ed himself - and thats causing this confusion.

So... who came up with Wemics?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 21:06:34
Message:

Hi, Markustay. No, wemics aren't Ed's creation.
Ed and I tend to forget that many scribes here haven't been along for the entire ride, and so don't "know" when things appeared by remembering sequences and dates. Heck, as time goes on, those things tend to get hazy for we grognards, too . . .
Wemics first appeared on a Monster Card (TSR briefly sold packs of Encounter Cards, like playing cards, that DMs could use for, ahem, "random" monster encounters (shuffle deck, turn up card . . . or put face-down card in dungeon room, not to be revealed until PCs get there), and then made their way into the MM2. That book was actually written by many, many people at TSR but bears Gary's name, just as the Oriental Adventures tome written by "Gary Gygax" is actually by Zeb Cook.
As I recall, there are some Ed monsters in the MM2 (and of course in the early Realms products) that were first published in DRAGON, or even snatched away from the magazine lineup to be used first in various TSR products. There was a REASON Ed was known as "the Monster Man" at TSR even before the Realms was purchased, you know. He has contributed more monsters to various editions of the game than any other single designer. The Realms "bible" turnover contained over 80 beasties, if I remember rightly.
And no, the Realms wasn't purchased in 1987. It started to APPEAR in 1987 (as a game line; it had of course been published in DRAGON from 1979 onwards). It was purchased in 1986.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 21:29:36
Message:

Hi again, all.
This time, a quick response to The Sage about the unpublished Edlore that's lying around.
Well, first of all, a then-young Stephen Inniss (a Canadian gamer who lived in British Columbia then, and may still, for all I know; he contributed the lillendi to the D&D game via a DRAGON monster collection article, and an article on trained dogs and dog crossbreed beasts) collaborated with Ed on an in-depth detailing of Limbo (1st/2nd edition cosmology; the planes of the slaad) that was even longer and more detailed than Ed's Nine Hells piece (which he wrote a LOT more about, by the way). TSR asked them to work together, then killed the project a year and a bit later (but of course kept all the stuff).
Some bits and pieces of Ed planar ideas and descriptions found their ways into Jeff Grubb's first Manual of the Planes, I believe.
Ed did several lengthy and heavily-researched druid herbal magic (and natural substances to be used in spell ink formulae or potion formulae or "village healer" healing magics) articles. All nixed, for the reasons given recently in this thread.
Ed did a terms of venery article (a parliament of crows, an exaltation of larks) for Realms monsters, and "Dragon Soup," an article on recipes that used monsters as food for adventurers ("baked stirge on toast," for example). That one was killed because a dragon editor had moral qualms about eating intelligent creatures (intelligent IMAGINARY sorts of creatures, mind you). Ed did many ballads of the Realms with full lyrics and fragmentary scores. Never used because "only Dragonlance fans care about that sort of c**p."
Ed did a LOT of Realms fiction, from "To Slay A Black Raven" right up to full-length Waterdeep novels, that were requested but never used. Ed did the gnome language article that's been referred to any number of times, and a long descriptive list of the hin clans for The Five Shires that was chopped through editorial oversight and then dumped ratgher than being used. On several occasions Ed was asked to generate long rosters of wizard's sigils/runes, and did so; only a handful have ever been published.
And so on and on and on. Including a "Realms Bible" product that was never intended for general publication, but only as a handout guide for licensors (like movie companies) that would tell them what the Realms was, and include enough details to get them excited about stories that could be told in it.
I'm answering this because Ed tends to err on the side of caution when it comes to NDAs, and would probably not even mention the existence of most of these (beyond the ones he's already mentioned). Suffice it to say that there's a LOT of stuff out there, somewhere. Yes, including entire novels. Lots of short stories, lots and lots of unpublished dungeons (Ed tended to craft "mini-dungeons" that were realistic-in-size tombs or castle cellars, and build many stories or subplots around them, only to be used if the PCs went in one direction or another, rather than the classic "linear" published adventures. Though there's the large dungeon of Gauntulgrym, and most of Undermountain (STILL not published), not to mention blah blah blah blah blah . . . well, I'm sure you get the idea.
love,
THO


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 21:45:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
However, while checking the publishing date of that tome, I realized it was printed in 1987... wasn't that the same year TSR bought the Realms?
Monster Manual II was published in 1983.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Wemics first appeared on a Monster Card (TSR briefly sold packs of Encounter Cards, like playing cards, that DMs could use for, ahem, "random" monster encounters (shuffle deck, turn up card . . . or put face-down card in dungeon room, not to be revealed until PCs get there), and then made their way into the MM2.
Yes, Monster Cards Set 3. Each set included a few new monsters: the wemic was created by Dave Sutherland.
quote:
As I recall, there are some Ed monsters in the MM2 (and of course in the early Realms products) that were first published in DRAGON, or even snatched away from the magazine lineup to be used first in various TSR products.
None of the Dragon monsters credited to Ed are in MM2, though.
quote:
blah blah blah blah . . . well, I'm sure you get the idea.


Reply author: Uzzy
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 22:14:19
Message:

Having just watched a programme on Victorian Art, I've a question about Realmsian art. What sort of art styles are famous in the Realms, and what do artists like to draw? The names of some famous Realmsian artists would also be appreciated!

Thanks in advance Ed and THO.


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 22:32:13
Message:

Well met, all! This question specifically asks that which (in 2007 and 2008, by our reckoning) our Lady, the Hooded One, hinted might be a question which Ed was waiting for someone to ask in order to provide an answer which was (perhaps) sitting around waiting for the correct question to be asked ... or maybe I just misunderstood what she wrote a year ago. In either case, here comes some...


Talk About a Changeling


(Which is exactly the same question as that asked on another scroll, so please let's direct non-Ed discussion to that scroll and away from Ed's.)

Long ago a DM pointed out to me that his Supers character, a female human who could regenerate, was virgo intacta each and every time she had sex, which led to this bona fide, genuinely real question coming up during a session of my game, which I solemnly promised my players I would direct towards Ed: if a female who has had the flower of her maidenhood plucked is thereafter given a cure light wounds or stronger healing spell, does she revert to being virgo intacta?

Given the proliferation of magic to cause barrenness in the third edition Realms, my players and I wondered if there was a business of ... ah ... replanting the flowers of ex-maidens? If this can be done, what precautions may be taken to insure that a female is not already gravid with the child of another when she marries (or otherwise presents the garden of her womanhood to a man)? In lands wherein children born out of wedlock may fully inherit or are otherwise rewarded for presumptively having a particular father, one might not even be required to go through the elaborate preparation which might be necessary if one were submitting a potential royal bride. If a noble or a monarch such as Azoun IV plants the royal seed prodigiously hither and thither, how could one prove that a child born on the other side of some noble or royal bed was, in fact, sired by a particular male of note, if a woman can be impregnated by another male, cured of evidence that she was other than <cough> "pure," and then placed in the path of a noble or royal lecher? If the <cough> "lady" in question was impregnated (originally) while unconscious or subject to a mind-controlling enchantment, even zone of truth and similar spells would be unable to elicit from her any hard evidence that there was anything illicit about the conception (other than the fact that it was out-of-wedlock, whose licitness is often not ill-received)? What, in brief, prevents some balor or Red Wizard (see Cormyr: A Novel, for example) or an ambitious fellow of some other sort from being the actual father of some future Crown Prince -- or a future Underwarden of the King's Trout Fisheries or some such thing if the quota of princes (or princesses, for that matter) is already filled?

Inquiring DMs of low (very low) sorcery games want to know!

(And -- lawdy, Lady Hooded One! -- this question may be condensed (a lot!) when the answer is at last forthcoming. Those who desire a framework wherein to understand this question I refer to Ed's earlier answers of April 25, 2007 and March 21, 2008.)





Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 22:37:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed replies:
Hi, Damian. Various sorts of horses are bred for both the plough and the saddle, with most of the latter being sold to merchants who come out from Suzail to inspect the trained “stock” and to Purple Dragon buyers (who rely on the constant observation of local animals by the resident Dragons, to make their picks).
Most of the locals who do ride tend to use old, retired plough love to all,
THO


Thanks Ed and THO for the reply - aplogies for the delay in responding, switching broadband suppliers seems to take a looooong time in the UK now.......

Cheers

Damian
who is busily reading through 20 pages on this thread alone (and is updating the all about Cormyr thread as he does so


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 22:53:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Mondaera the Gentle is a long-ago wandering woman of the Tethyr and Amnian coastal areas, who never married or had children,

Mondaera was a kindly but very homely woman of great girth, strength, and “blacksmith’s build.”


One of the Seven exploring life from a new perspective? am wondering because this sounds like Dove Falconhand (Silverhand) to me (or at least how I have always imagined her to be)

Just wondering

Damian


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 23:29:50
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
Long ago a DM pointed out to me that his Supers character, a female human who could regenerate, was virgo intacta each and every time she had sex, which led to this bona fide, genuinely real question coming up during a session of my game, which I solemnly promised my players I would direct towards Ed: if a female who has had the flower of her maidenhood plucked is thereafter given a cure light wounds or stronger healing spell, does she revert to being virgo intacta?


I started to write quite a screed on this, but decided I should leave it to Ed. However, I will still pipe up and say that I would say no, cure light wounds and other spells (except maybe regeneration, given it will restore lost limbs) would not restore someone's virginity.

See there's a lot of ifs regarding virginity, it's quite interesting. You should do some research on the hymen and how it acts.

Not every woman is born with one (and they come in all types too - from the barely vestigial to completely covering the vagina). It is "designed" to wear away over time, and can tear/rupture (or stretch, because it doesn't always tear/rupture either) for reasons other than having sex with a man (masturbation and strenuous physical activities, even just going to the toilet and straining too hard). I am sure plenty of women in history have been abused and/or killed because they "weren't a virgin" while still really a virgin (having not 'known' a man).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Mar 2009 23:37:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
This time, a quick response to The Sage about the unpublished Edlore that's lying around.
Well, first of all, a then-young Stephen Inniss (a Canadian gamer who lived in British Columbia then, and may still, for all I know; he contributed the lillendi to the D&D game via a DRAGON monster collection article, and an article on trained dogs and dog crossbreed beasts) collaborated with Ed on an in-depth detailing of Limbo (1st/2nd edition cosmology; the planes of the slaad) that was even longer and more detailed than Ed's Nine Hells piece (which he wrote a LOT more about, by the way). TSR asked them to work together, then killed the project a year and a bit later (but of course kept all the stuff).
Oooh! I would've loved to have read that. "Old-style" Limbo was among my favourite planar locations on the Great Wheel.
quote:
Some bits and pieces of Ed planar ideas and descriptions found their ways into Jeff Grubb's first Manual of the Planes, I believe.
Any chance we can know exactly which ideas and descriptions?
quote:
Ed did several lengthy and heavily-researched druid herbal magic (and natural substances to be used in spell ink formulae or potion formulae or "village healer" healing magics) articles. All nixed, for the reasons given recently in this thread.
Can Ed share anymore about this herbal magic here at Candlekeep?
quote:
Ed did a terms of venery article (a parliament of crows, an exaltation of larks) for Realms monsters, and "Dragon Soup," an article on recipes that used monsters as food for adventurers ("baked stirge on toast," for example). That one was killed because a dragon editor had moral qualms about eating intelligent creatures (intelligent IMAGINARY sorts of creatures, mind you).
Sounds good. I can understand about the editor's "moral qualms" at that time, but it's a shame that such information hasn't yet made it into published format.
quote:
Ed did many ballads of the Realms with full lyrics and fragmentary scores. Never used because "only Dragonlance fans care about that sort of c**p."
Yeah, that's why I've spent most of the last 20 years compiling all I can on Realms musical lore, as well as developing some of my own.

As an aside though, could Ed possibly provide some specific examples for these ballads and fragmentary scores? They'd make great additions to my own notes on Realms music, and provide some further inspiration for my own detailing of minstrel-based Realmslore.
quote:
Ed did a LOT of Realms fiction, from "To Slay A Black Raven" right up to full-length Waterdeep novels, that were requested but never used.
Why were some of them never used?
quote:
Ed did the gnome language article that's been referred to any number of times, and a long descriptive list of the hin clans for The Five Shires that was chopped through editorial oversight and then dumped ratgher than being used.
Again, another of the parts of the Realms I find the most interesting -- anything pertaining to the forgotten folk -- and it's left out. *sigh*
quote:
On several occasions Ed was asked to generate long rosters of wizard's sigils/runes, and did so; only a handful have ever been published.
I recall Ed talking about these before. It's a shame such material hasn't been published. I could do a lot with this sort of stuff in my campaign.
quote:
And so on and on and on. Including a "Realms Bible" product that was never intended for general publication, but only as a handout guide for licensors (like movie companies) that would tell them what the Realms was, and include enough details to get them excited about stories that could be told in it.
Heh. I've actually tried composing my own "Realms Bible" that helps to introduce new players to my campaign. And while it does focus on canon Realmslore, I've also included a lot of my own personal Realms history as well.
quote:
I'm answering this because Ed tends to err on the side of caution when it comes to NDAs, and would probably not even mention the existence of most of these (beyond the ones he's already mentioned). Suffice it to say that there's a LOT of stuff out there, somewhere. Yes, including entire novels. Lots of short stories, lots and lots of unpublished dungeons (Ed tended to craft "mini-dungeons" that were realistic-in-size tombs or castle cellars, and build many stories or subplots around them, only to be used if the PCs went in one direction or another, rather than the classic "linear" published adventures. Though there's the large dungeon of Gauntulgrym, and most of Undermountain (STILL not published), not to mention blah blah blah blah blah . . . well, I'm sure you get the idea.
love,
THO
Gotcha!

Oh, and if any of those extra questions I posted above in reply are too difficult for Ed to answer, then simply disregard them.

My thanks and love to you, Lady, as always, and to Ed as well. Again.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 01:54:52
Message:

Okay, so it's already known that I'd love to see the Waterdeep bible Ed wrote... But a lot of that stuff needs to be added onto the list of "Ooh, wanna see! Wanna see! Wanna see!". Especially the Undermountain stuff!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 02:10:29
Message:

Hi again, all. This, from Ed to crazedventurers:

Hi, Damian, welcome back!
No, Mondaera isn't Dove. Dove is tall and muscular, broad-shouldered but not burly, and does NOT have great girth. She does have the blacksmith's build and great strength, though. Dove isn't all that homely, either (though she's "attractive" rather than beautiful), and Mondaera was UGLY. Kindly but ugly.
More Thunderstone lore to come soon, when I can get back to it, by the way. Onwaaard!


So saith Ed. Who once quoth "Onwaaard!" when urging a horse to a gallop. It got so excited that it decided to jump a non-existent fence, and luckily didn't hurt itself. Nor did Ed fall off, though he did curse and laugh and grab at his pommel. (No, no, not HIS pommel; the saddle's pommel. We all know where the other sort of pommel is.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 03:02:23
Message:

I will try not to think overlong on those unpublished short stories and novels It is very sad. How many novels are we talking and were all of them pertaining to Waterdeep?

P.S. Added Dark Vengence to my wish list, just need to procure funding!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 03:19:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Okay, so it's already known that I'd love to see the Waterdeep bible Ed wrote... But a lot of that stuff needs to be added onto the list of "Ooh, wanna see! Wanna see! Wanna see!". Especially the Undermountain stuff!

Yeah, I'd definitely agree with the "Undermountain stuff." Some of the detailing of unknown levels would be neato!


Reply author: Kentinal
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 03:45:06
Message:

Can I remind a few moderators that this scroll is for questions and answers of Ed Greenwood?
If not so be it.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 03:50:54
Message:

Errr... The last few posts have had questions to, and replies from, Ed Greenwood.


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 08:03:39
Message:

Hi all I've got a question for Ed:

Is it true that ne'er-do-wells in Waterdeep are sometimes transported to Undermountain by the authorities in punishment for their crimes? If so, under what criteria?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 08:51:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

if a female who has had the flower of her maidenhood plucked is thereafter given a cure light wounds or stronger healing spell, does she revert to being virgo intacta?


Sounds like a Core rules question rather than a Realmsian one (maybe to be directed towards Bruce Cordell?).
The more Realmsian question might be: would anyone really care about a woman being a virgin - in the Realms, that is?
I think if parentage of a person is a true issue, I am sure there are divinatory spells when there is reason for doubt to determine foul play. The question is - again - mostly in which cases people would bother.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 09:52:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Gang Falconhand

Hi all I've got a question for Ed:

Is it true that ne'er-do-wells in Waterdeep are sometimes transported to Undermountain by the authorities in punishment for their crimes? If so, under what criteria?



it is true, it was stated in most if not all things that dealt with Waterdeep.
transported, or thrown down the yawning portal.




which reminds me.



Does the Yawning Portal still stand in 4e??? and if so who owns it?


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 10:06:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon

quote:
Originally posted by Gang Falconhand

Hi all I've got a question for Ed:

Is it true that ne'er-do-wells in Waterdeep are sometimes transported to Undermountain by the authorities in punishment for their crimes? If so, under what criteria?



it is true, it was stated in most if not all things that dealt with Waterdeep.
transported, or thrown down the yawning portal.




How is it decided who gets thrown down the well? What are the criteria for such treatment?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 15:04:07
Message:

Dear Ed,
Apropos of your recent Neverwinter popular businesses answer, could you do the same for Suzail?
I'm looking not so much for "good" businesses (in fact, they don't have to be businesses at all), I'm looking for shops, services, etc. that are popular landmarks for people to meet in Suzail - - even caravan-masters and other visitors who don't know the city well.
I need an outlander to be told by another outlander to "meet me at - -" in Suzail and have the meeting-place be a busy, bustling spot where someone loitering for an hour or more to meet someone WON'T stick out like the proverbial sore thumb to get noticed by guards, Watch patrols, courtiers, War Wizards, or just plain passing citizens. A place that's not the inside of an inn or tavern, and not "just inside the city gates" or "just outside the main Palace gate," either. Are there popular markets? Shops? The proverbial barber shop? "?"
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 18:46:37
Message:

Hi again, all. Brief housekeeping time again.

Red Walker: three Ed novels, one set in Waterdeep (with brief scenes elsewhere), one in Silverymoon (again, some scenes elsewhere), and one in Cormyr and the Dales. Only the first one was completely finished.

Gang Falconhand: yes, it's true. NOT "thrown down" the Yawning Portal, LOWERED down that shaft (it's a killing fall). Criteria to come, from Ed.

Sage: NDAs on planar and herbal info, and "Who knows?" re. why the fiction wasn't used. Many of the people involved in decision-making are either dead or gone from gaming for years, and most of the rest are gone from TSR and now WotC.

Wooly: this "Bible" wouldn't interest you much. It was a brief handout for newbies not even familiar with D&D. In other words, the raw basics (VERY basics) of the Realms. Like a 28-page photobook for young kids about just one Star Wars movie. Now, Ed beefed that up a bit with a complete index to power groups, places, and NPCs in all published-up-until-then FR products, for internal company use . . . but even that is now so dated as to be nigh-useless.

And that's it for me for now. Am expecting more lore from Ed the other end of today.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 19:18:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Brief housekeeping time again....

Red Walker: three Ed novels, one set in Waterdeep (with brief scenes elsewhere), one in Silverymoon (again, some scenes elsewhere), and one in Cormyr and the Dales. Only the first one was completely finished....

And that's it for me for now. Am expecting more lore from Ed the other end of today.
love to all,
THO



Ah, those would all be so well received.....I always wanted to read much more about Silverymoon myself! (And the Dales, Cormyr and Waterdeep!! Too bad they were too fleshed out )

As Always, we appreciate what Ed does, and what you do for Ed!

When did Ed "turn on the lights" of Falconfar? It seems very rich to have been very recent, just curious as to how long the Chef has been cooking it up!


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 20:29:34
Message:

Zandilar said:

quote:

...

See there's a lot of ifs regarding virginity, it's quite interesting. You should do some research on the hymen and how it acts.

Not every woman is born with one (and they come in all types too - from the barely vestigial to completely covering the vagina). It is "designed" to wear away over time, and can tear/rupture (or stretch, because it doesn't always tear/rupture either) for reasons other than having sex with a man (masturbation and strenuous physical activities, even just going to the toilet and straining too hard). I am sure plenty of women in history have been abused and/or killed because they "weren't a virgin" while still really a virgin (having not 'known' a man).

I am waaay behind on my reading of Ed's replies and those of other authors (a couple of days ago I was still on page 84 of "Ed-2008"!), so I don't know where this occurs, but we have had a discussion of what we -- in "our" world -- would call a "side-saddle," and one of the prime reasons for their use in "our" world was to prevent accidentally creating an impression that "a lady" was something other than that. Given the number of women adventurers who are in the Realms, players should not be shocked if "a high character level" woman has "a court physician" suggest that she may be something "other than a lady," if she is inclined to ride horses. (In desert cultures there is considerable effort devoted to camel saddles not creating the same problem, but one may need to specify request for a "side-saddle" in a culture which do not discourage women from riding horses.) Given the considerable space recently given to such questions here and elsewhere, perhaps simple references to the pages and dates of such questions and answers would be helpful if some of the scholars here can contribute those.





Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 21:04:44
Message:

Thanks for that, THO. You hadn't answered my question entirely (the confusion over 'which came first'), but Faraer answered that portion, so thanks to him as well.

It appears I was looking at the print date of my copy.

I never much cared for Wemics, and always 'felt bad' that there weren't any in 'my Realms'. I had always felt Ed was more about Centaurs - especially after reading the excellent (and now classic) article about Athalanter.

Was this the case? Was it because Centaurs were being featured 'elsewhere' that they were avoided in FR lore for the most part?

Also, I HAVE been here since the beginning... just not HERE. I've been running D&D since the old Chainmail rules, with a photo-copied set, of course.

It took me a very long time to finally give up on my Greyhawk and take a closer look at the Realms (and BOY, am I ever glad I did).


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 21:49:48
Message:

(This is boosted directly from the scroll, Are there longhouses in the Realms? where I foolishly asked a question directed to Ed and THO, to wit:)

... Whew! I am in the process of running the Anthony Pryor-written adventure Throne of Deceit and would be really, really, really embarrassed if there wasn't a longhouse at (f'rinstance) Green Hag Hill or if Tharfenhall wasn't "a hall!"

By the way, those unfamiliar with the concept of the Norse-style "hall" could do worse than see the recent cartoo ... er ... "animated feature film version" of Beowulf, or -- better yet -- the "Making of ..." segments of the extended DVD. (DVD? Wasn't that the game that nerdy kids like The Hooded One used to play in high school? Oh ... no ... wait! ... It was that thing from Cliffs Notes: Beowulf ... no ... wait ... that was the "longhouse....")

And, by the way, those of you whose homes tend to lean less towards beat-up old high school textbooks and more towards the 80,000+ book private libraries may want to peek at pages 28 through 38 of the Dorling Kindersley ("DK") Eyewitness Books: Viking volume, written by Susan M. Margeson, a quick perusal of which will spare a DM ("Dungeonmaster") from having to ask a lot of Ruathym- and Rashemen-related questions. It can also provoke some truly bizarre ones, too, as:

THO -- Ed -- are there any "ordinary" domestic farm animals in the Realms (and where?! please?!) like "the Manx Loghtan ram" illustrated on page 37 of Eyewitness Books: Viking, which, for the benefit of those whose libraries run towards the 8,000 or less books variety, looks like -- I'm not making this up, you know -- like what a sheep and two unicorns might look like if Golskyn and Mrelder got hold of a copy of Encyclopaedia Arcana: Crossbreeding. (I swear to Erda ... I'm not making this up, you know!)





Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 23:06:17
Message:

If you mean the "four horns curving forward" look, yes there are, but darned if I can remember right now what they are and where they are. Ed won't have forgotten, though.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 23:07:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay



...


Also, I HAVE been here since the beginning... just not HERE. I've been running D&D since the old Chainmail rules, with a photo-copied set, of course.

It took me a very long time to finally give up on my Greyhawk and take a closer look at the Realms (and BOY, am I ever glad I did).


DITTO ... except ... "Photo-copied set"? Novice! I have (oops ... had) a real copy which I bought at the Carmel military miniatures shop of Jack Scruby, who, in my opinion, made the best Uruk-Hai miniatures ever. ... Oh ... "Uruk-Hai" ... for the benefit of you real newbies, that's what REALLY BIG ORCS were called between the second edition of (Original) Dungeons and Dragons and the live-action film version of Lord of the Rings. ... I lapse, sometimes.... A few weeks ago I actually used the word "Hobbit" while running a D&D game (3rd edition)! That's how to recognize a real "Original D&D" player!

Which brings me to an Ed-related question (they do ... eventually ... most of the time): "we know" (well, some of us who read the "Ask Ed" archives ... or have good memories ... know) that the Forgotten Realms pre-dates D&D (that's Ed story and he's stuck to it, and I can believe it 'cuz there were these episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies that ... *sigh* ... we (by which I mean someone-other-than-THO-and-Ed really should have an archive of the questions which have prompted all of Ed's answers .... anyway ...) ... we know that the Realms pre-dates D&D, but I can't remember if anyone has ever asked Ed (or if Ed has answered) when he first became aware of this "D&D" game? Ed?

I was in Jack Scruby's shop in Carmel, on a "day trip" out of Los Angeles, where I saw these cool Lord of the Rings (the novels) "military miniatures" which someone kindly explained were for use with "the war game" Chainmail, which had this "Lord of the Rings-type supplement called Dungeons and Dragons" which was my introduction to "Original Edition, Fourth Printing" ... which, at some point in the following years (remember the "had" part) my family decided that, "he never plays with these, anymore, so I guess it's okay to throw them away ..." *sigh* ...) ... so I, like Markus, remember was a game which had unicorns and "the fighting man" and "the elf" and "Ents" ("Ents!" not "treants!") ... and so, I now wonder: Ed, what "races" (which, for those raised in politically-rectified times are what we formerly referred to as "demi-humans" and what are now called -- I think -- "magically-enhanced sentient humanoids") and "monsters" (now called "differently-abled magical creatures," I think) were there in the Realms as you originally conceived them and then as TSR ("Tacictal ..." never mind ... "TSR Hobbies, Inc.") actually received them from you for publication?




Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 23:29:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Sage: NDAs on planar and herbal info, and "Who knows?" re. why the fiction wasn't used. Many of the people involved in decision-making are either dead or gone from gaming for years, and most of the rest are gone from TSR and now WotC.
Understood.

Now, could Ed possibly add anything re: the ballad/lyrics question I asked in reply to that particular post?
quote:
Wooly: this "Bible" wouldn't interest you much. It was a brief handout for newbies not even familiar with D&D. In other words, the raw basics (VERY basics) of the Realms. Like a 28-page photobook for young kids about just one Star Wars movie. Now, Ed beefed that up a bit with a complete index to power groups, places, and NPCs in all published-up-until-then FR products, for internal company use . . . but even that is now so dated as to be nigh-useless.
Well, I don't know about Wooly, but I'd be thankful for the index!


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 23:41:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

If you mean the "four horns curving forward" look, yes there are, but darned if I can remember right now what they are and where they are. Ed won't have forgotten, though.
love,
THO


The one in the book has two "straight" horns, making its profile look like an antelope (or unicorn) with two additional forward-curved horns under its ears. THAT is something to which I must expose my players!

(Could you -- pretty please -- ask Ed -- quick-like -- if they're located in Rashemen? I'm running Throne of Deceit this month and it would be waaay kewl to have The Party run across one of these inside a longhouse or some peasant's farmfouse. (I'm talking about "The Party which spent more than a half hour of real time dealing with the 9-points-of-damage crossbow bolt fired by the NPC who had never before seen a pegasus ... like the pegasus which was the mount of the new PC -- the 400+ year old Sun Elf wizard who thought that it would be informative to have it make its initial introduction by flying at The Party directly out of the Sun." Charlie Brown may have said it first, but I may have said it more often: *sigh* ... well, at least they're amused, and that's what really counts to a real DM, ain't it? Please say that it is, because -- whether in Rashemen or somewhere else -- they are going to share a room with a "Manx Loghtan ram" ... a really, really old one....)




Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Mar 2009 23:56:51
Message:

Hi, Jamallo Kreen. Yes, the dating of Ed's exposure to D&D has been asked (and answered) many a time down the years, often in magazine or podcast or website interviews.
If I remember it all rightly (Ed will correct if I haven't), we have: Realms begins in 1966, but not called "the Forgotten Realms" and given global scope until 1967. D&D first published in 1974, general distribution to hobby shops 1975 (when Ed discovers it), continues to grow as a rules set and Ed re-encounters it in 1978 and is vastly more impressed then he was the first time (and "shifts" the Realms to match the game in terms of races, monsters, how spells work, et al at that time). So when Ed starts detailing the Realms in DRAGON in 1979, right up through his "world turnovers" to TSR in 1986, the Realms holds all the races of the D&D game (plus Ed's own species and subraces, many of which were later made "official" parts of the game, as you know).
And I know Ed remembers Jack Scruby fondly from sandtable wargaming days...
(Proper Ed reply coming later, of course.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 01:06:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
Given the number of women adventurers who are in the Realms, players should not be shocked if "a high character level" woman has "a court physician" suggest that she may be something "other than a lady," if she is inclined to ride horses. (In desert cultures there is considerable effort devoted to camel saddles not creating the same problem, but one may need to specify request for a "side-saddle" in a culture which do not discourage women from riding horses.)







I'm with gomez and Zandilar on this--as I mentioned in the thread where this topic first popped up, based on the copious amounts of information Ed has imparted to us about Realms culture, it doesn't seem likely that most people in the Realms attach great significance to virginity or necessarily associate it with being "lady-like", "pure", or moral. This is a setting that lacks many of the sexual stigmas the real world has happened to acquire.


Reply author: ddporter
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 01:34:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

...D&D first published in 1974, general distribution to hobby shops 1975 (when Ed discovers it), continues to grow as a rules set and Ed re-encounters it in 1978...


Which reminds me of Ed's "First Quest" article in Dragon #218, wherein he describes how a young lady hight September made the game come alive for Ed and his friends. Still the most powerful piece I've read in Dragon's entire run (well, up through 368; I haven't bought DDI).

My question is; which Realms character(s) is/are heavily based on Lady September?


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 03:15:52
Message:

Greetings.

Hooded Lady would you be kind enough to convey to Ed how much I enjoyed reading all his fine work in The Best of the Realms Book 2. Does he enjoy witting short stories as much as full novels? Is there any chance of seeing more full Ed anthologies?

I also had some questions pertaining to A Slow Day in Skullport. Xuzoun setup a teleport trap for Durnan, how was that possible with all the barrier spells in Undermountain? Did the rules of Undermountain function differently in your home campaign?

Well back to reading the Shadow of the Avatar trilogy.

Oh and thank you both for the tale of the Adventure of the Nude Maiden. The gang at home loved that war story and its nice to see other SF/Fantasy groups have crazy real life misadventure also.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 03:57:16
Message:

Gelcur, you're very welcome. As for me, I enjoyed taking part in that adventure (as I'm sure you could tell).
Ed is incommunicado just at this moment (it's his late night at the library, plus "put out the garbage and the recycling" night, plus pick up the mail night, plus make dinner when he gets home for self and ailing wife), but I've forwarded your queries to him, and from a months and months-ago e-mail to me re. the short stories, can quote this:

. . .
I LOVE doing these collections, with prefaces to each tale so I can talk lore. I've no idea if future anthologies are in the cards, because (no inside knowledge of Wizards sales here, just the truism you already know from the field) they always sell less than original novels. However, I've got stories upon stories up my sleeve, and can always write more for fun, given a month to noodle away on them, so if the good Books people ever ask, there can be another collection on their desks in a month or so.
What I've always hoped would happen is a fan-generated "we want to see THIS moment in a story" list of requests, so I could write key tales to order and then balance out the collection with more humour or romance or intrigue or whatever is needed to "offset" the tenor of the to-order tales. Must suggest this again, and see if it flies.
Hugs and smoochies,
Ed


So saith Ed.
Who really would love to do a series of short story anthologies . . .
Hmmm . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 09:44:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One



. . .
I LOVE doing these collections, with prefaces to each tale so I can talk lore. I've no idea if future anthologies are in the cards, because (no inside knowledge of Wizards sales here, just the truism you already know from the field) they always sell less than original novels. However, I've got stories upon stories up my sleeve, and can always write more for fun, given a month to noodle away on them, so if the good Books people ever ask, there can be another collection on their desks in a month or so.
What I've always hoped would happen is a fan-generated "we want to see THIS moment in a story" list of requests, so I could write key tales to order and then balance out the collection with more humour or romance or intrigue or whatever is needed to "offset" the tenor of the to-order tales. Must suggest this again, and see if it flies.
Hugs and smoochies,
Ed


So saith Ed.
Who really would love to do a series of short story anthologies . . .
Hmmm . . .
love to all,
THO





You know, if such a series of fan-requested short stories were made available via subscription to DnD Insider, I would very much consider purchasing a monthly package. Not sure how well it would jive with the "4E's good enough for ye" focus, but it would save a pretty penny on paper and printing (though I'm sure Ed's paycheck would be less too!). Also, I'm unaware how much Ed currently contributes to the online content of Dragon or Dungeon; might there still be room in 4E for "El's Everwinking Eye" or "Pages from the Mages" articles?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 09:56:04
Message:

While I'm here, I also have another question to pass on to Ed, LHO:

It's probably NDA, but can you share some lore with us regarding the once-living (and still existing) members of the Grand Cabal of Illusk? Specifically, whom did Laeral confront in the Hosttower that forced her to seal and ward it? Were these the same "Old Ones" that Arkleem Greeth treated with before becoming Archmage Arcane? And coming from a different angle, did any of these Old Ones have contact or membership with the Twisted Rune?

Thank you Ed and LHO!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 15:42:19
Message:

Hooboy, Aysen: your Grand Cabal questions have all bounced off tall, shiny, heavily-overlapping NDAs! (Which should give you a bit of a hint about what certain writers and designers think is "unfinished business" they hope to get around to finishing, but isn't, I'd guess, much consolation to you.
So, sorry, but Ed can't (right now, at least) answer any of these. They'll be put in that special lined pigeonhole above his desk, awaiting the day when he can say more . . . though that day may well be years off . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 15:57:54
Message:

. . . And Ed comes through again!
Jamallo Kreen, hearken ye to these words of Ed:


The korontaun, or "mountain korrun," are shaggy-coated sheep whose mature males have four forward-pointing horns (two longer central ones, and one on either side of the head that curve forward to flank the central spires). Native to the Giantspire, Icerim, and Sunrise Mountains, where they typically keep to high cliff faces (formerly they populated alpine valleys, but increasing orc populations made tarrying in such terrain deadly), the korauntaun have been domesticated in recent decades; certain Nars "run with them" across Narfell, and they have become farm animals (for their wool, milk [from which the amber-hued, sharp, crumbly "hearthfire" cheese is derived], and meat, not to mention their use as defenders of mixed-beast farm herds against wolves, coyotes, leucrotta, and other predators; korontaun rams calmly regard all animals they dwell with as "theirs," and worthy of their protection) in Rashemen, Thesk, and increasingly in the Great Dale. Some traders have captured korontaun and established domesticated herds in Murghom, but these are struggling in the climate, falling prey to a variety of afflictions and diseases, and not faring well.
Korontaun cheese and increasingly, smoked and hung sides of korontaun meat, is now beginning to reach Impiltur and is being adopted as a "table staple" in the few locales where it can be bought. If properly treated, korontaun meat travels well, keeping for long periods and harboring a pleasant "smoky" falvour; it may well soon become popular all along the trading-routes, throughout Faerûn.


So saith Ed. So, go for it, Jamallo Kreen! An eveneing with a ram for your player characters - - now THERE'S a perilous adventure!
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 17:35:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

DITTO ... except ... "Photo-copied set"?
My first 'real' introduction came through a 'friend' - a grown man who was getting together a group of young boys to play games with - and something like this could NEVER happen today, because people are FAR MORE savy (my parents let me sleep over the guys house!)

No... nothing happened to me personally... but thats another story entirely. My point is that the guy had photo-copied the rules (at work) for D&D back then and gave everyone a free copy (thats called a 'lure', ladies and gentleman). Anyhow, as soon as I discovered an LGS - which were mostly dedicated to miniatures-gaming back then - I got myself a real copy (of the Basic set by that time).

YEARS later, my brother-in-law and his friends - who I don't remember all that fondly - 'forced' me to run FR for them, because it was the 'New Shiney' then (around 1990), and I couldn't convince them to play in Greyhawk. However, I used all my old GH modules IN FR... and they never new the difference. Ergo, I was a 'fake FR DM' for years.

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

(Could you -- pretty please -- ask Ed -- quick-like -- if they're located in Rashemen? <snip>
Not to be negative or anything, buuuut...

Why do people still feel the need to keep their games 'perfectly canon'?

You know what exists in YOUR Realms? Whatever you want there. That being said, I wouldn't mind a few more 'Realmsian Beasties' added to my list - I've gotten in the habit of writing down each Realms-specific critter I find (not monsters - just normal animals), and I really love the way Ed liberally sprinkled them into the Ecologies modules.

quote:
Originally posted by ddporter

Which reminds me of Ed's "First Quest" article in Dragon #218, wherein he describes how a young lady hight September made the game come alive for Ed and his friends. Still the most powerful piece I've read in Dragon's entire run (well, up through 368; I haven't bought DDI).
Ed wrote THAT?!

I should have known... just thinking about it gets me 'misty'.

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

You know, if such a series of fan-requested short stories were made available via subscription to DnD Insider, I would very much consider purchasing a monthly package.
Ditto.

Sans the 'fans request', of course. I haven't really come-across anything written by Ed that wasn't intersting. In fact, if I find an area intersting, its usually because of him in the first place!

Over at WotC, it was brought-up that if the company included the LFR material on the DDi, it would probably generate quite a lot more business for them (plenty of people want the lore, but they want nothing to do with the RPGA). I had even commented (to RB) that even I would consider paying for it at that point.

Having Ed short-stories every once-in-awhile on top of that would make it a 'must-have'.

And YES, MORE anthologies!!! Not just by Ed, but by everyone! the stories are 'smaller', and give us valuable 'windows' into unique persons and places all over the Realms.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hooboy, Aysen: your Grand Cabal questions have all bounced off tall, shiny, heavily-overlapping NDAs!
Mithril-clad Adamantite NDAs with Everbrite and Vorpal High-Magic enchantments.

And this post begs the question... is 'pigeon' Ed's pet name for you, lady THO?

And thanks for the 'ramming'.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 17:38:39
Message:

Oh, another question I forgot:
In Alaundo's prophecy about Cormyr, it said it would be doomed unless 'those who sleep' would rise. Now, this was taken to mean the Lords Who Sleep. But it wasn't them, as they were destroyed. So who was it? Iliphar and the elves who allowed Rowen to take the Scepter?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 17:43:23
Message:

Well, the enchanted cavern they were in still exists...

And Alusair 'disappeared' into the north at some point in the past...

Also, I believe there was also some sort of 'Arthurian' prophesy that Azoun would 'come again' if his country ever needed him, but that might just be wishful thinking on the part of the peasants (or be a reference to his decendents).

Just my two cents.

quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

I'm with gomez and Zandilar on this--as I mentioned in the thread where this topic first popped up, based on the copious amounts of information Ed has imparted to us about Realms culture, it doesn't seem likely that most people in the Realms attach great significance to virginity or necessarily associate it with being "lady-like", "pure", or moral. This is a setting that lacks many of the sexual stigmas the real world has happened to acquire.

Even in RW, this is a fairly recent concept. No one looked twice when girls as you as 11 or 12 were getting married and having children at 13 (which is probably how young you had to go to find yourself one of those mythical 'virgins').

'Immaculate Conception' has only been around since 1854 (declared by Pope Pius IX) - and a lot of our 'Puritan' thinking stems from that.


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 03 Mar 2009 21:10:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen


You know, if such a series of fan-requested short stories were made available via subscription to DnD Insider, I would very much consider purchasing a monthly package.


I would still much rather have them published as a book. It makes me happy every time I pick up one of my old Realms of____ books. I love those things. I'm still much more of a book reader than an online RPGer, so that's just my two cents.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 00:11:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


'Immaculate Conception' has only been around since 1854 (declared by Pope Pius IX) - and a lot of our 'Puritan' thinking stems from that.



This is off-topic, but I'd like to point out the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary being conceived without Original Sin, not to Jesus being conceived within a virgin.*

You are correct to say that it's a relatively recent doctrine, though. Anyway, I could chat with you and everyone else for much longer about all this but I'm trying hard not to cross the line to much with regular "chatter."



*Please note, all, that I'm not saying I believe in this or that anyone else should, it's just that this is a topic I'm happen to know a little about, and I wanted to share what I know.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 01:03:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hooboy, Aysen: your Grand Cabal questions have all bounced off tall, shiny, heavily-overlapping NDAs! (Which should give you a bit of a hint about what certain writers and designers think is "unfinished business" they hope to get around to finishing, but isn't, I'd guess, much consolation to you.
So, sorry, but Ed can't (right now, at least) answer any of these. They'll be put in that special lined pigeonhole above his desk, awaiting the day when he can say more . . . though that day may well be years off . . .
love,
THO



No surprise there... but the only way I see these stories being told is if the "new Realms" fails catastrophically in comparison to the "classic Realms", and I haven't been able to find any numbers to confirm or deny this. I just hope that someone who can do something about it realizes that What Came Before was greater than What Comes After. As to "Before" and "After" what, opinions differ; some say the Spellplague, some say the return of the Archwizards, some say the Time of Troubles. Maybe we just need a DC comic book series: Crisis on Infinite Torils...

Oh... and the Realms since the Time of Troubles has become a haven for NDAs of a different sort... the Nearly Daily Apocalypse. Just another reason why we need to do away with all sorts of NDAs... Enough said on this matter by me.

Anyway, I'm also interested in the Grand Cabal, so hopefully this tale can be told sooner rather than later...

I've been very patient (largely as a consequence of finding things other than the Internet to keep me busy), but I'd love to know if there has been any progress on the release of the Cormyr Lineage. I think that every other question I have for Ed either has been asked already and is either answered or awaiting reply, or will impact directly on the chest of one of those aforementioned Adamantine NDA Golems. If I were living anywhere near Ontario, I would apply to be Ed's Lhaeo; I even have royal ancestry, albeit far distant and quite diluted, but a great many of us can say that. Sadly, I'm in the Upper Fraser Valley near the West Coast, and the commute is a bit much... unless I win the next big lottery jackpot. The best job I ever had was as research assistant to myself in university; sadly, the pay was lousy.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 02:03:11
Message:

Is Nesherrlageth, queen of medusas a creature in faerun known to Ed?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 03:56:53
Message:

Ahem:
"And this post begs the question... is 'pigeon' Ed's pet name for you, lady THO?"
Snort.
Markustay, dear, you say such NICE things to warm this aging lady's . . . heart.
Ah, to be twenty again, and have those twenty-some years back to be the scourge of gamers (or to be scourged BY gamers ).
So go ahead: ruffle my plumage.
love,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 05:32:29
Message:

I dunno, THO. I'm sitting on 22 and am at times simultaneously frustrated by lingering boyhoods and overwhelmed by looming manhoods.

There... uh... there aren't any euphemisms there. Just a little crazy these days.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 06:51:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

I dunno, THO. I'm sitting on 22 and am at times simultaneously frustrated by lingering boyhoods and overwhelmed by looming manhoods.

There... uh... there aren't any euphemisms there. Just a little crazy these days.



I'm glad you said there weren't any euphemisms there. It was a disturbing picture, otherwise.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 07:25:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ah, to be twenty again, and have those twenty-some years back to be the scourge of gamers (or to be scourged BY gamers ).
love,
THO
Fear not. I doubt you've lost any of your particular "Edge," my lady. And you do know what they say about older women and experience, right?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 08:08:12
Message:

The real interesting parts of life start at forty!
Ok, that isn't exactly true, but since that's the part where I am at, it is the most interesting part *now*...
Even then, THO, I am sure most of the gamers at the boards are happy to scourge you whenever you desire.
With or without pegs or pigeons.

And back on topic with a question:
Where in the Dalelands would be the place to find the best cherries*?

Gomez
*) and I do mean the fruit


Reply author: Raelan
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 10:05:01
Message:

Hi, Ed.

I've been wondering a few things regarding the Mad Mage of Undermountain for some time. He's always been a rather enigmatic figure in the Realms, and I'd like to know a bit more, both for my own edification and for the purposes of using some of his ongoing works when running a game.

Would you be willing to offer a conjecture as to what Halaster would've been doing with with his post-Elminster in Hell life had he not died and the Spellplague never happened? What would his goals have been; what type of plots would he have been engaged in; how would his interactions with his apprentices, associates, and people in general have changed; and would he descend into madness once again as a result of the influence of the enchantments of Undermountain? Did he have machinations in motion at the time of his canonical death that you could go into and extrapolate upon as if he hadn't been killed?

Any and all info would be appreciated. :)


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 14:12:59
Message:

Ooh, good question, Raelan!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 14:49:36
Message:

I agree. And it touches on something I've been thinking about since we had that discussion about Halaster and the Spellplague a short while back. But I'm not quite done tinkering with that theory yet, so I'll remain curious about what Ed will say in reply.


Reply author: Alisttair
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 15:44:50
Message:

Can't read anything, web page blocked (banned word)


Reply author: Alisttair
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 15:46:15
Message:

Oh goodie...the topic has gone past pages 24 and 25 that both had a banned word so I couldn't get to them. Thank god for high forum traffic


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 18:23:13
Message:

Hello again, all. A swift Realmslore reply from Ed of the Greenwood to this query, from gomez: "Where in the Dalelands would be the place to find the best cherries*?"
[* = and I do mean the fruit]
Ed replies:


At the market in Highmoon, in Deepingdale (mainly brought up from Sembia).
The Dales tend to be too cold and have too many birds for good crops of good cherries; crabapples serve that local culinary function in most dales. That said, most of the more southerly and easterly dales have abundant wild sour cherries, which get picked and used in tarts and pies and in marinades for meat and poultry dishes (said cherries tend to be small and to get picked green, before the birds want to have at them, by children sent out to do this time-consuming task - - and said cherries get added to lots of other fruits and vegetables for pickling, to yield food in winter to go with the copious venison, rabbit, and onthur (squirrels).
Cherries aren't unknown in the Dales, and are avidly devoured, but they are usually imported, and therefore cost a lot more than wild local fruit that's free for the picking (such as gooseberries, currants, black raspberries, wild strawberries, and the like). BTW, excellent cherry brandy is made just outside Yhaunn and Ordulin, in Sembia, and that gets widely sold throughout the Dales, too.


So saith Ed. Who was pleased by Raelan's question, too, so I suspect we'll see an answer to that ere long.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 04 Mar 2009 18:52:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed replies:
At the market in Highmoon, in Deepingdale (mainly brought up from Sembia).

crabapples serve that local culinary function in most dales.

onthur (squirrels).

BTW, excellent cherry brandy is made just outside Yhaunn and Ordulin, in Sembia, and that gets widely sold throughout the Dales, too.


This perfectly sums up why Ed is the 'world builder extraordinaire'. We don't just get one piece of lore to a simple and elegant question but FOUR.

Thank you Ed for caring and sharing, best wishes to you and yours.



Damian


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 02:38:13
Message:

On the heels of crazedventurers' compliment, I'd like to ask Ed an additional "world-building" question regarding the migration patterns of a few non-fantastic animals. I'm almost positive there's no NDA barrier to bounce off for this one

1.) With regard to whales, are the migration patterns similar to what is seen off the coast of the Americas (birthing in the warmer southern waters of the Shining Sea then migration towards the northern reaches of the Trackless Sea for food?) How does the migration cycle flow in the Sea of Fallen Stars?

2.) Keeping in mind that Faerun has a LOT more hazards of all sorts than Earth, are there any established and well-known (to humanoids) migrations of animals that humans make note of for reasons other than food ?
The last part is emphasized to exclude the Realmsian cultures that are migratory because they are dependent on one or more types of herd animals for their food/livelihood (Tuigan, Shaaryan, etc.) I'm hoping for Ed's Faerunian counterparts of say, "swallows at San Juan Capistrano" or the monarch butterfly migration. Something that has no major effect on life in the Realms, but would definitely be noticed by certain groups if the migration ceased or shifted.

Thanks Ed and LHO!



Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 04:48:00
Message:

Another question, if that's all right. I've been looking over Volo's Guide to Waterdeep and was recently wondering how much a room at The Raging Lion would be, as well as a room in (from Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast) The Halfway Inn. Also, how much does it usually cost to winter in Waterdeep for an adventurer? Do you look at the prices for a tenday (highest or lowest) and multiply by three for the month and go from there, or is the cost lower/higher? Thank you from me and my players.


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 06:09:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. A swift Realmslore reply from Ed of the Greenwood to this query, from gomez: "Where in the Dalelands would be the place to find the best cherries*?"
[* = and I do mean the fruit]
Ed replies:


At the market in Highmoon, in Deepingdale (mainly brought up from Sembia).
The Dales tend to be too cold and have too many birds for good crops of good cherries; crabapples serve that local culinary function in most dales. That said, most of the more southerly and easterly dales have abundant wild sour cherries, which get picked and used in tarts and pies and in marinades for meat and poultry dishes (said cherries tend to be small and to get picked green, before the birds want to have at them, by children sent out to do this time-consuming task - - and said cherries get added to lots of other fruits and vegetables for pickling, to yield food in winter to go with the copious venison, rabbit, and onthur (squirrels).
Cherries aren't unknown in the Dales, and are avidly devoured, but they are usually imported, and therefore cost a lot more than wild local fruit that's free for the picking (such as gooseberries, currants, black raspberries, wild strawberries, and the like). BTW, excellent cherry brandy is made just outside Yhaunn and Ordulin, in Sembia, and that gets widely sold throughout the Dales, too.


So saith Ed. Who was pleased by Raelan's question, too, so I suspect we'll see an answer to that ere long.
love to all,
THO


Hmm... sour cherries! during my childhood in the Province of Quebec, we used to go in the woods and find bushes replete with those, sit on a big rock nearby and stuff our mouths full of the stuff for hours on end. It's so tart that your tongue actually swell after a few minutes, and you get to a point where you can't talk... we'd make it back to the village mumbling under our breaths, slurring so much adults would think we'd been drinking!

My mother and her brothers used to do the same as kids, and she actually required emergency surgery after her appendix burst from swallowing to many sour cherry pits as a child... One of her best lines, "It's like someone holding a dagger in your right flank the whole way down to the hospital, and jiggling it around once in a while, just to make sure you remember how stupid you were..."



Ahhhh... memories!


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 06:23:08
Message:

Wow... thanks to Ed and the Lady! Out of town for a few days, so I'm sorry for not saying so sooner. As Ed has family in my neck of the woods, it goes without saying that should he find himself this far south anytime soon, he has a place to stay (and THO, I'm sure I could find *some* sort of arrangement for you down here, too...).
I'd love to add a question to the pile, but (frankly) I'm too busy reading past years' 'So Saith Ed' replies to make certain that the question I ask hasn't been covered already.
Though, on second thought: I've always been curious about the extent of the empire of the Titans which was destroyed in the creation of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
1)Did these people worship the giant pantheon (Annam, etc) or were they 'above' such mortal concerns?
2)What sort of building did they undertake, if any? What style of architecture did they employ
3)What sort of relations did they have with the 'lesser' giants? and
4)Are there any undersea ruins of their culture? Perhaps known to the Sea Elves?
Thanks in advance, to Ed and to the Lady.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 15:57:16
Message:

Penknight, I know Ed's reply re. Waterdeep will have to include "it depends." Here's the thing: rents are low, but costs of food and drink (and firewood/coal!) go up as the winter wears on and things get scarcer. So adventurers who "lay in" large food stores and can dine on potatoes and pickled things and smoked meat will be able to live far more cheaply than someone who insists on fresh fruit throughout the cold months . . .
But of course, Ed will answer definitively (soon, I hope).
love,
THO


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 16:44:21
Message:

Another question for Ed:

What symbols or heraldic devices did the Vyshaan Clan use to identify themselves?


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 17:23:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Penknight, I know Ed's reply re. Waterdeep will have to include "it depends." Here's the thing: rents are low, but costs of food and drink (and firewood/coal!) go up as the winter wears on and things get scarcer. So adventurers who "lay in" large food stores and can dine on potatoes and pickled things and smoked meat will be able to live far more cheaply than someone who insists on fresh fruit throughout the cold months . . .
But of course, Ed will answer definitively (soon, I hope).
love,
THO

Ok, I'll look forward to hearing his answer, then. And I appreciate your information too, noble lady. Also, have your characters wintered in Waterdeep before, or do you normally choose another city? Just curious on that, I guess.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 17:39:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Gang Falconhand

Another question for Ed:

What symbols or heraldic devices did the Vyshaan Clan use to identify themselves?

Great Question.

For some reason, a picture of the 'German Eagle' popped-into my head. Don't know why my brain went there...


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 19:02:44
Message:

Having started to finish re-reading the Cormyr trilogy in the right order, these questions arise:
What happened to the Scepter of Lords? It isn't mentioned after Alavara's death.
WHat was the crown on the Scepter that Rowen said he drained of magic? The description fits the Crown of Iliphar - later the Crown of Faerlthann - but that would be in the hands of the Royal Family, wouldn't it?


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 19:45:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Having started to finish re-reading the Cormyr trilogy in the right order, these questions arise:
What happened to the Scepter of Lords? It isn't mentioned after Alavara's death.
What was the crown on the Scepter that Rowen said he drained of magic? The description fits the Crown of Iliphar - later the Crown of Faerlthann - but that would be in the hands of the Royal Family, wouldn't it?
Being the "Cormyr guy," I can answer this one fairly definitively, I think.

The Scepter of Lords was consumed in Alavara's destruction.

Iliphar had a number of circlets and crowns, and while Iliphar's Circlet was bestowed on Faerlthann, that doesn't mean he didn't have one or more similar pieces of headgear. A note: Iliphar's Circlet should not be confused with the Crown of Rhiiman. Both are in the possession of the Obarskyrs, but it's the latter that most Realms fans know, from depictions of Azoun IV.

More about the crowns of Cormyr, I would love to say, but then I wouldn't have any surprises later, now, would I?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 20:49:10
Message:

Thanks a lot!
Which raises many more questions: When the 'Royal Tricrown of Corymr' is mentioned, it refers to Iliphar's Circlet, does it not?
And what is the Crown of Rhiiman? Another, later crown made for King Rhiiman? If so, why make it in the shape of Iliphar's Circlet? Most kings who had a new crown made for their coronation obviously had a fancier one?
And what do the Kings of Cormyr usually wear on their heads? In Court? In Battle? In day-to-day life?


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 21:01:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
Which raises many more questions: When the 'Royal Tricrown of Corymr' is mentioned, it refers to Iliphar's Circlet, does it not?
No. They're talking about the Crown of Rhiiman.
quote:
And what is the Crown of Rhiiman? Another, later crown made for King Rhiiman? If so, why make it in the shape of Iliphar's Circlet? Most kings who had a new crown made for their coronation obviously had a fancier one?
The Crown of Rhiiman is not entirely in the shape of Iliphar's Circlet. The Crown is the golden piece of headgear seen on Azoun IV's brow on most game supplements and novel covers. See the covers to Crusade, the Cormyr supplement, or Volo's Guide to Cormyr for an appearance of the tricrown.

The Tricrown of Cormyr was created to be a symbol of human rulership in Cormyr, and so--while it adopted the three spired design of Iliphar's Circlet--is decidedly less elven-looking, with harder lines and more sharp edges. Iliphar's Circlet is a smoother, thinner, more elegant piece of metalwork, and is almost never seen by anyone outside the Royal Family.

As for what the kings wear, I'll leave that one to Ed. Needless to say, it varies greatly. ;)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 22:12:26
Message:

Ah, thank you very much, Garen Thal. Ably answered, and sent to Ed for anything he may want to add re. that last point.
Penknight, characters I have played (and the PC parties they have been members of, at the time) have never wintered over in Waterdeep, no, but (thanks to the huge network of secret and not-so-secret gates [3e "portals"] Ed established all over the Realms) my characters have often VISITED Waterdeep in the winter, and stayed there for as much as two consecutive tendays at a time. It's damp, cold, and expensive, so we seldom stretched our visits longer than absolutely necessary . . . though the seasons are very much the same once you get far enough underground (Skullport is nasty-dangerous all year round, EVERY year )
We have overwintered in Neverwinter (despite the name, it gets winter, all right; damp and wet with rain and sleet and ice, snow melting near the docks and seashore, but deep wet snow in the city neighbourhoods farther inland), Silverymoon, Suzail, Arabel, and the Dales (Shadowdale and once in Battledale's Ghost Holds). Usually we're in the Dales or the woods around them.
By the way, Ed is great at conjuring up the feeling of deep, deadly winter, with "the wolves running" by night, as stars glitter ruthlessly in the clear, cold night air, and all is hushed under thick blankets of white snow . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 22:40:01
Message:

Well met, all!

I have a third edition rules suggestion request for Ed. In order to try to maintain a "Realmsian" feel to my game, I try to enforce a rule that "uncommon," "rare," and "unique" spells are just that, but a player of mine is now playing a sorcerer. This brilliant addition to the plethora of D&D "core characters" can -- as I understand the core rules -- just wish upon a star, or click his heels together, or run around in a circle flapping his arms to imitate his (supposed) draconic ancestors to acquire any spell on the (conveniently conjoined) wizard/sorcerer spell list. Never mind that it may have taken Larloch 600 years to develop a spell, according to the rules, if a sorcerer wants it, and has a slot available to "know" it -- pop! -- its in his head.

The difficulty is that the player wants to "know" a sober-up spell, and the only such spell I know of in the Realms is uncommon (at least). It has been cast once during play in the past three or four years of real time in my game, and the caster menacingly told the only witnesses to the casting that they shouldn't ever discuss the spell unless he chose to teach it to them. (The sorcerer's player wasn't one of the witnesses.) I can, according to the rules, restrict wizards from acquiring rare and unique spells unless they research them independently or someone teaches them the spell, but what is to be done about these hairy kobold-kin who rely upon their feeble and tenuous link to dragons to instantly "know" spells which no dragon has ever learned? Ed, will you put on your DM cap and suggest how I can keep rare spells rare without just eliminating the whole sorcerer class?




Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 22:55:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

Well met, all!

I have a third edition rules suggestion request for Ed. In order to try to maintain a "Realmsian" feel to my game, I try to enforce a rule that "uncommon," "rare," and "unique" spells are just that, but a player of mine is now playing a sorcerer. This brilliant addition to the plethora of D&D "core characters" can -- as I understand the core rules -- just wish upon a star, or click his heels together, or run around in a circle flapping his arms to imitate his (supposed) draconic ancestors to acquire any spell on the (conveniently conjoined) wizard/sorcerer spell list. Never mind that it may have taken Larloch 600 years to develop a spell, according to the rules, if a sorcerer wants it, and has a slot available to "know" it -- pop! -- its in his head.

The difficulty is that the player wants to "know" a sober-up spell, and the only such spell I know of in the Realms is uncommon (at least). It has been cast once during play in the past three or four years of real time in my game, and the caster menacingly told the only witnesses to the casting that they shouldn't ever discuss the spell unless he chose to teach it to them. (The sorcerer's player wasn't one of the witnesses.) I can, according to the rules, restrict wizards from acquiring rare and unique spells unless they research them independently or someone teaches them the spell, but what is to be done about these hairy kobold-kin who rely upon their feeble and tenuous link to dragons to instantly "know" spells which no dragon has ever learned? Ed, will you put on your DM cap and suggest how I can keep rare spells rare without just eliminating the whole sorcerer class?



If it were me, I'd rule that a sorcerer could only get spells automatically if they were common -- those would be the spells the sorcerer has heard of in great enough detail to be able to figure out how to work them. With uncommon spells, it would be more difficult. The sorcerer may have heard of the spell with some (but not all!) of the details, or he might have seen it cast once or twice before. For these spells, he can try to get it automatically, but he has to pass some sort of check (perhaps a spellcraft check, with a DC that's high but not outside of his range). Failing that, he has to research it. With the rare spells, he has to research it, or get phenomenally lucky on a spellcraft check.

I think doing it that way would best keep with the spirit of the rules, but also stick with the spell rarity thing -- which was something I loved from FRA. I wish that was something that they had continued to work with.

I'm reminded of a past user here... This user maintained that a particular PC had an intelligence score so high that he would be able to tell you what Mystra had for breakfast. I argued that having brainpower did not automatically mean that knowledge was in his head, just that his head had the capacity to contain and process it.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 23:17:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If it were me, I'd rule that a sorcerer could only get spells automatically if they were common


From a rules perspective that makes sense to me.

The Realms DM in me thinks this:
1) Mystra/Azuth have the final say-so over what spells any Art wielder can use regardless of how high or feeble their inteligence/charisma is. They can just cut the caster off from the weave in learning a specific spell as far as I am concerned.

2) Of course in this situation I would gladly let the PC have the 'sober up' spell, they will probably regret it as soon as the wider wizardly world finds out of course, because ahem.... "current clack has it, that the spell that <insert PC character name> cast tonight in the Dripping Dagger is a wizardly varient of remove poison prayer favoured by priests....." (or so the PC thief overhears later that night :)). This way the player is happy they have the spell and you're happy as a DM as you can build a whole series of scenarios around the PC and party as they dodge wizard after wizard turning up for a (ahem) 'copy' of the spell......

Just my thoughts

Damian


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 23:22:18
Message:

Ed, you've got an ethereal message coming your way. I would've asked it here, but 'tis likely to be mired deep in NDA territory, so I thought it best to ask it in private. Oh, and you'll likely understand my desire to speak of it privately when you read about the reason for my question.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 05 Mar 2009 23:33:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Ed, you've got an ethereal message coming your way. I would've asked it here, but 'tis likely to be mired deep in NDA territory, so I thought it best to ask it in private. Oh, and you'll likely understand my desire to speak of it privately when you read about the reason for my question.


Just a thought Sage.

Next time why not just ask Ed in the e-mail whether the answer is an NDA and not to be repeated on Candlekeep, rather than post the 'it might be an NDA' precursor here? (that way no one needs to know and no one feels left out?)

Just a friendly suggestion

Damian


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 00:06:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Ed, you've got an ethereal message coming your way. I would've asked it here, but 'tis likely to be mired deep in NDA territory, so I thought it best to ask it in private. Oh, and you'll likely understand my desire to speak of it privately when you read about the reason for my question.


Just a thought Sage.

Next time why not just ask Ed in the e-mail whether the answer is an NDA and not to be repeated on Candlekeep, rather than post the 'it might be an NDA' precursor here? (that way no one needs to know and no one feels left out?)

Just a friendly suggestion

Damian

That's a possibly. But, usually, when I've asked possible NDA questions privately in the past, Ed's usually told me whether or not they are. And if they aren't, I usually include them in the "Questions for Ed Greenwood" compilations that get sent to Candlekeep for download as PDFs later. So you don't always miss out! *wink*


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 00:13:58
Message:

Scrolls shared, Scribes:

Raelan, from you question on page 26 about this current scroll:

Quoted by SES:

Whatever you'd like him to do, frankly. You've got a lot of ideas on what he could do and whatever suits your needs, your campaign, or your concept of the character is honestly the best answer I can give.

That said, you asked my opinion on what Halaster would do, were he not meeting the fate set down by WotC for him. I'm not sure if I'm the best to answer that, but I'll at least touch on a few ideas of yours:

Would be raise another Imasakar? Highly unlikely--he fled that area, remember, to set up his own gig beneath what eventually became Waterdeep.

Would he manipulate others from behind the scenes? Most likely, as that suits him.

Would he bury himself in another hole in the ground? Only if he needs to or can't find a better way to ensure his safety (and remember that Undermountain wasn't always safe for him).

Allies vs. servitors? Since he's never really had allies other than one fella in Skullport, it's leaning toward apprentices/servitors.

Collect Imaskar artifacts? Only if it helps him regain power and doesn't draw more trouble to him.

Destroy the church of Shar? I haven't read exactly what happens to the Mad Mage, but he'd only go after the church if it did something directly to him.

Now go after the Twisted Rune due to their attacks on him? He'd definitely do that, as it's not enough that he has Priamon as a plaything; the Rune were the guys who encouraged his usurpation of Halaster to gain admittance to their number. Thus, they would easily reap the whirlwind of Halaster's hatred and revenge.

Would he be an evil Blackstaff in alliance with the Lords of Waterdeep? Wild idea, but very very unlikely unless the Lords serve a different purpose in your game.

The only thing for certain with Halaster (in my mind) is this: The only thing that matters to Halaster is Halaster. What is good for Halaster is good for the universe. That which thwarts Halaster is something that needs be destroyed.

Steven
who again asserts that this is all conjecture and opinion, not anything concrete or in contention with any decisions made by other designers using this character or its associated setting(s)

Hope this helps.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 02:08:44
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. This time Ed responds to this question from Aysen: “With regard to whales, are the migration patterns similar to what is seen off the coast of the Americas (birthing in the warmer southern waters of the Shining Sea then migration towards the northern reaches of the Trackless Sea for food?) How does the migration cycle flow in the Sea of Fallen Stars?”
Ed replies:



Yes, whales birth in the warm southerly seas, but dolphins and the smallest whales are the aquatic species that use the Shining Sea; most whales calve just south of Mhair, in the Great Sea. Some species tarry for a time, feeding on the abundant life stimulated by the warm flows of water out of the Mhair jungles, and others depart swiftly for the Whale’s Flukes (which seems to be a gathering-place of sorts, and got its name from the frequent sightings of whales sporting on the surface or tail-slapping or surfacing and then diving again), to begin their journey north. Which always stalls for a fair amount of time in the Nelanther, for feeding, and only slowly moves - - with the vast schools of fish circling in from the west to feed their own ways north along the coast as far as the waters off Icepeak, ere they circle west again. Whereupon the whales follow them, in a great arc that passes either side of Araksa, and return southeast, to begin the circuit again. Whales often deviate from their usual routes on this circuit thanks to storms, but do keep to a circuit, until they pass beyond the ages at which they can give birth (as one can imagine, we’re talking a rare few, here) . . . at which time they seem to become restless, and head off on what can only be aptly described as “wanderings of discovery.” Some of their descendants always swim with them, and in this way whales spread throughout the seas to “new waters,” constantly replenishing areas where whales have suffered and dwindled for various reasons.
In the Sea of Fallen Stars, increasing undersea activity in the Vilhon has increasingly driven whales that traditionally birthed there north and east, to just off the coast of Chessenta. Whales in the Inner Sea DON’T follow a circuit; they just move north in warmer (summer) months, and south in cooler months, but otherwise wander all over the place like fishermen seeking favourite (or as yet undiscovered) “good fishing spots.” (Undersea activities and features tend to hamper whales far more in the Inner Sea than in the seas west of Faerûn, and whales move away from harassment and obstacles as a matter of course, and therefore can be found almost anywhere from time to time.)
One note: dead or dying whales may be beached, and severe storms (especially in the Neck, or the southern mouth of the River Lis) may occasionally drive healthy whales ashore (just as such furious storms hurl ships ashore), but “mass beachings” of whales seem almost unknown in the Realms. For reasons just as mysterious as what causes them, in our real world.



So saith Ed. Who thinks of almost everything, and creates links and stitchings whenever gaps in his thinking show up.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 02:56:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If it were me, I'd rule that a sorcerer could only get spells automatically if they were common


From a rules perspective that makes sense to me.

The Realms DM in me thinks this:
1) Mystra/Azuth have the final say-so over what spells any Art wielder can use regardless of how high or feeble their inteligence/charisma is. They can just cut the caster off from the weave in learning a specific spell as far as I am concerned.

2) Of course in this situation I would gladly let the PC have the 'sober up' spell, they will probably regret it as soon as the wider wizardly world finds out of course, because ahem.... "current clack has it, that the spell that <insert PC character name> cast tonight in the Dripping Dagger is a wizardly varient of remove poison prayer favoured by priests....." (or so the PC thief overhears later that night :)). This way the player is happy they have the spell and you're happy as a DM as you can build a whole series of scenarios around the PC and party as they dodge wizard after wizard turning up for a (ahem) 'copy' of the spell......

Just my thoughts

Damian





Oh, yeah, that's the way to do it!

It's something that was far more prevalent in 1E and 2E lore than in 3E lore: the idea that almost anything could be an adventure hook.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 05:13:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Ed, you've got an ethereal message coming your way. I would've asked it here, but 'tis likely to be mired deep in NDA territory, so I thought it best to ask it in private. Oh, and you'll likely understand my desire to speak of it privately when you read about the reason for my question.



Okay, I'm sorry, but...

"Ethereal message"...?
I've been broadsided by a number of puns in my day. Seriously, dude.

And on that note, a query from me...

What sorts of wordplays are popular in the Realms? In this case, I'm talking about local languages and dialects allowing for certain kinds of irony, alliterations, or even the dreaded puns.

All the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 05:20:19
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If it were me, I'd rule that a sorcerer could only get spells automatically if they were common


From a rules perspective that makes sense to me.

The Realms DM in me thinks this:
1) Mystra/Azuth have the final say-so over what spells any Art wielder can use regardless of how high or feeble their inteligence/charisma is. They can just cut the caster off from the weave in learning a specific spell as far as I am concerned.

2) Of course in this situation I would gladly let the PC have the 'sober up' spell, they will probably regret it as soon as the wider wizardly world finds out of course, because ahem.... "current clack has it, that the spell that <insert PC character name> cast tonight in the Dripping Dagger is a wizardly varient of remove poison prayer favoured by priests....." (or so the PC thief overhears later that night :)). This way the player is happy they have the spell and you're happy as a DM as you can build a whole series of scenarios around the PC and party as they dodge wizard after wizard turning up for a (ahem) 'copy' of the spell......

Just my thoughts

Damian





Oh, yeah, that's the way to do it!

It's something that was far more prevalent in 1E and 2E lore than in 3E lore: the idea that almost anything could be an adventure hook.



The ultimate irony would be these NPC wizards spend all this time trying to capture said PC sorcerer, only to find they can't replicate the spell because sorcerers don't cast spells the same ways wizards do. They'd probably have far more luck just researching the spell on their own (but wizards aren't always wise, even if they are intelligent).

The game mechanics might be identical with regard to actually casting the spell, but a sorcerer learns spells by feel, while a wizard learns them by rote. That is why a sorcerer knows fewer spells, but can cast them spontaneously and more often, while a wizard knows lots of spells, and can only cast them as many times as they memorize them, fewer total times per day than a sorcerer.

Judging from your tone, Jamallo, it seems you don't like sorcerers. If you're the DM, you're under no obligation to allow the class in your game in the first place. As DM, you get to have the final say. For the current situation, you can always say "No" if you really don't want the PC to have the spell. You could also say "Yes but you need to research the spell first, or find someone to cast it in front of you a few times". You then need to apply that rule to all the sorcerer's spells, especially if you're already making wizards jump through hoops to get uncommon and rare spells - I personally think that's impinging too much on the sorcerer's greatest strength (flexibility), but you're the one making the rules.

And now I'll bring us slightly back on topic with a quick question for Ed... I'm not sure if you've answered this before, but is there a Realms expression equivalent to cocktail?


Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 05:49:52
Message:

A few questions for Ed about his amazing 80k tome library. (That just blows me away.)

1) Is the library catalogued? (Huge style pts if the answer is yes.)
2) Is it spread all over the house, or does he have one area that serves as the library?
3) Custom built shelving, or modular?
4) Who dusts all those books? (A young lady in a French maid oufit?) ;)


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 06:27:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen

Well met, all!

I have a third edition rules suggestion request for Ed. In order to try to maintain a "Realmsian" feel to my game, I try to enforce a rule that "uncommon," "rare," and "unique" spells are just that, but a player of mine is now playing a sorcerer. This brilliant addition to the plethora of D&D "core characters" can -- as I understand the core rules -- just wish upon a star, or click his heels together, or run around in a circle flapping his arms to imitate his (supposed) draconic ancestors to acquire any spell on the (conveniently conjoined) wizard/sorcerer spell list. Never mind that it may have taken Larloch 600 years to develop a spell, according to the rules, if a sorcerer wants it, and has a slot available to "know" it -- pop! -- its in his head.

The difficulty is that the player wants to "know" a sober-up spell, and the only such spell I know of in the Realms is uncommon (at least). It has been cast once during play in the past three or four years of real time in my game, and the caster menacingly told the only witnesses to the casting that they shouldn't ever discuss the spell unless he chose to teach it to them. (The sorcerer's player wasn't one of the witnesses.) I can, according to the rules, restrict wizards from acquiring rare and unique spells unless they research them independently or someone teaches them the spell, but what is to be done about these hairy kobold-kin who rely upon their feeble and tenuous link to dragons to instantly "know" spells which no dragon has ever learned? Ed, will you put on your DM cap and suggest how I can keep rare spells rare without just eliminating the whole sorcerer class?







Before LHO delivers Ed's formal response Jamallo, I think that Steven Schend also offers an interesting take on how a sorceror develops and casts her spells, as seen in his novel Blackstaff . The sorceress, a half-elf, relies on the emotional triggers brought up by certain memories within her mind, in lieu of somatic/material components. Since sorcerors manipulate the Weave more by instinct and raw emotional willpower arising out of their lineage, I thought Mr. Schend's descriptions reasonable.

For instance, the sorceress thinks of the dual sounds of a hummingbird wings and a plucked bowstring for casting a magic missle spell, and recalls the frosty crackling of the surface of a freezing pond to enact a shielding spell. Later on, she witnesses an ice spell reflected back on an enemy and is able to innovate an icelance spell using the icy corona of the reflected spell.

With respect to a "sobering-up spell", IIRC the uncommon/rare example is Spendelard's Chaser (?) and is only available to wizards who study the spellbook, or are taught by another who had. Or, as you stated, they can research their own version through expensive trial and error. For a sorceror, maybe after a night of binge-drinking and vomiting, AND recalling seeing the priestly version of a "poison-purge" spell, the PC (after successfully making the appropriate game-mechanics dice-rolls) innovates a "purging spell" that leaves one sober, but as a tradeoff induces a fit of vomiting as the "purging method" to get the alcohol out of his system.

With respect to very uncommon or rare spells, maybe you could have the PC delve deeper into the background of his ancestry and bloodlines as a sorcerous analogy to "wizardly research". As the PC adventures and learns more about his background, he collects the necessary memories/life experience to draw out a particularly powerful/esoteric spell from the Weave. It also offers a nice way to enrich the character ("So...my ancestors were gem dragons...maybe I that's why I realized that crystalbrittle spell earlier than meteor swarm...")

Just another viewpoint, hope you don't mind


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 07:14:17
Message:

I hope that neither Ed nor the Mods feel that we've hijacked the thread by offering advice to Jamallo on his Sorc problem: I hope not, that is, since I'm about to add to the pile ;0)
While i agree (Heartily) with all the above-mentioned opinions about how to limit the sorceror in your campaign, I'd like to play devil's advocate in defense of the Sorc. knowing more 'rare' spells, if I may.
From a game balance POV, the sorceror is (IMHO) about 1/10th as powerful as a Wizard. He has less spells known (by a mile), less feats to spend on mastering magic, and (in most game-worlds) is vilified by Wizard's Guilds of all stripes (from the Red Wizards destroying them out of hand to the Halruuans disdaining them as 'second-class' wielders of Art).
My question (upon first seeing the class several years ago)was "Why are a group of people who are defined by high CHA so hated by other arcanists?". Part of the answer is (as suggested by Zandilar) that they bring no spells to the table: They can't teach Wizards their spells, so why bother letting them in the club? - the bigger part, though, (IMO) is that the spell the Wiz. just spent a year, untold gold, and several quests researching, the Sorceror 'just happened to know'.
From an OOG, DM's standpoint, letting the Sorc. know a few 'uncommon' or 'rare' spells just puts them on even footing: it lets them keep up with the Wizard whose ouvre grows every time the party defeats an arcanist with a spellbook in his treasure. From an IG POV, it explains why Wizards have so much animosity toward sorcerors: 'I'm twice as smart, I work 3 times as hard, I know 4 times as much, but he can cast the spell I have searched for my whole life just...because'.
In my game, I let sorcerers pick whatever spells they want (actually, I let them have 1 'uncommon' spell/ level and 1 'rare'/2), whereas the spells a Wiz. gets upon levelling must be common ones. I feel that it balances the classes, and makes Realmsense.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 12:26:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I hope that neither Ed nor the Mods feel that we've hijacked the thread by offering advice to Jamallo on his Sorc problem: I hope not, that is, since I'm about to add to the pile ;0)
It's not a problem. But if you all want to discuss this point further, I would suggest opening a new scroll in the Running the Realms shelf, as it'd be more appropriate.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 15:31:22
Message:

Hello again, all.
I bring you a brief and swift response from Ed to ErskineF’s queries: “A few questions for Ed about his amazing 80k tome library. (That just blows me away.)

1) Is the library catalogued? (Huge style pts if the answer is yes.)
2) Is it spread all over the house, or does he have one area that serves as the library?
3) Custom built shelving, or modular?
4) Who dusts all those books? (A young lady in a French maid outfit?) ;)”
Ed replies:


1. Partially. As in, I don’t catalogue spare used “lending out” copies of tomes, I’m woefully behind on cataloguing the “main sections” because of the literally thousands of tomes that arrive in the mail when judging major awards (the World Fantasy Awards two years back, the Sunbursts this year) - - and because I’m just too darned busy dealing with daily living and writing three novels plus game stuff plus short stories plus Candlekeep replies . . . not to mention READING everything. :}

2. It’s spread all over the house. I have a study on the upper floor that was at one point crammed to the ceiling with just a tiny passageway through it (sculpted to fit my belly as I edged sideways along it) left “open.” I’ve gradually been emptying this into . . .
My main library in the “new basement,” where I work.
Other major book loci are the old basement (that is, the low-ceilinged basement of the original farmhouse, which is linked to the new basement), the dining room (shelves all around the walls and a stack of boxes to the ceiling around which unboxed books are mounded), front hall, bathroom, three bedrooms (bookshelves in all, books hidden in wooden sidetable cabinets in one), the spare room (shelves, piles, books inside a cabinet), gallery (bookshelves beneath the paintings and prints), living room, kitchen (the cookbooks, naturally), office (more cookbooks, the gardening books) . . . and one of the bathrooms has the childrens’ books, on an easy-access floor to ceiling shelf facing the ceramic throne.

3. Everything. The old basement has white metal bolt-together utility shelving, the new basement is an entire room full of custom-built, crammed-in spruce shelving, and the other rooms have a variety of homemade wooden shelves, assembled wood kit shelves, and cheapie modular (the latter often modified by me to take the REAL weight of books, as opposed to the dried flowers, plastic statuettes, and three nice-looking, artfully-arranged books shown in glossy catalogues . . . which turn out to be the only weight the product can really hold up). Oh, and there are built-in shelves (as in: made by me) above almost every doorway in the house, both sides.

4. I dust them. And I’m afraid I can’t get into my French maid costume any more . . . and haven’t recently been trying to get into anyone else wearing one, either. I did once have a houseguest who brought and donned one to tease me and get her boyfriend wild with desire - - and it worked (and our dining room table proved up to the strain of their celebrations). And she DID get up on a stepstool with a leather duster to shake her behind in my face . . . but she didn’t dust a single book, darn it. (Seriously, I find that electrostatic, frequently-washed furnace filters do a lot to keep the dust down.)


So saith Ed. Providing a behind the scenes look at his house. He didn’t even mention the two cottages crammed with books, up in Muskoka, or the reading shelf of books that runs all the way around the sleeping hut deep in the forest of his backyard . . . That many books take up a LOT of space.
Love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 16:45:54
Message:

I glad she didn't do any dusting since you said she had a Leather duster.....I am sure it was put to proper use though?

Are you books grouped in any way or just as they arrive? And do you have a certain area for your "special" Books? Laslty do you have copies of everything you have written?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 19:51:52
Message:

Obviously Ed collects books, but is it ever for value? Or is it a "reader's library"? Does Ed ever hang on to books he doesn't like?
Just curious, so don't reply if you think I'm prying too far. Thanks.
BB


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 19:55:24
Message:

I would like to ask Ed. and the delicious Lady Hooded (actually I'm only assuming you're delicious as I've never tasted . . . I think I'm digging myself a hole here ), about magic items.

Are all magic items individual? What I mean by this is; if a mage enchants a common type item, a sword, a suit of armour or a shield, for instance, to make them a bit sharper, tougher etc. (in game terms giving them a +1 bonus), would they be different to items enchanted to a similar condition by another mage? Or do mages deliberately add extra magical 'touches' so to speak to their items so that no-one thinks that the item was 'made by that lackwit in Scornubel' for instance?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Mar 2009 22:03:04
Message:

Heya,

All these questions about books inspires me to ask another question - what do you think of e-books, Ed? They certainly seem to be the way of the future, but do you think they'll really catch on? Or will they lead to a decline in the quality of novels (since anyone can publish one without much difficulty), much like everyone was saying about vanity publishers like Xlibris years ago?

I'm not really sure myself. I love the feeling of a book in my hands, but having them in e-book format means no broken spines or otherwise falling apart paperbacks (I've taken to collecting Ed books in hardcover where I can get them!)... My other half (who had a Palm Pilot and now an iPhone) loves e-books, as you can buy them cheaper and can also get books that might otherwise not be readily available in Australia without ordering (for example, David Webber is exceedingly difficult to get, at least in Melbourne).

Feel free to chime in on the topic yourself, Lady Hooded One.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 02:28:00
Message:

I haven't run into this, mostly because I use a variant of my own which makes sorcerors 'obsolete' (I have my own spell-point system).

However, as a DM, I'd agree with Wooly 100%, and also add that if they wanted to learn an uncommon or rare spell, they would have to have seen it performed many times (meaning, a wizard would have to 'teach' it to them... sort of), or they would have to find a Wizardly scroll with the spell and study it. After a certain amount of time (20-Int+1d6 weeks; months for rare), I would say the scroll is 'used up' (just as if it were cast), or the Wizard doing the teaching is done, and the Sorceror may now attempt to cast it (probably make it a Wis check, since I already used Int).

Sorcerors and Wizards may have different methods, but both use the Weave (in 3e), and therefore some of the 'secrets' to unlocking a certain bit of magic should be cross-learnable (up to a point).

Edit: And as long as I'm in this thread, where is Aralent? If its on the current maps, then forgive my blindness, but Its mentioned in PftF - the Ilmater entry about the Tome of Torment (a pretty gross relic) - in passing. Its mentioned twice, in regards to an adventuring company leaving Hlondeth and heading there, and normally if samething is a ruin, you say it.

By the way, that particular entry was really chock-full of juicy stuff.


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 03:03:03
Message:

Thank you to all the scholars who've given input on the sorcerer's acquisition of "rare" spells. I think that your ideas are wonderful and each might be applicable in a given circumstance. Starting with Aysen and going more or less backwards (forgive me if I don't mention you by name -- you know who you are): I will require sorcerers to role-play what it is that makes them think of a spell to cast; then (d'uh!) require a spellcraft check to see if their minds can actually grasp the mechanics of how to manipulate the Weave to cast such a complex spell; then enjoy the fun and games as clack goes 'round that some adventurer can cast some particular spell.

Yes, it was, indeed Spendelard's Chaser that I had in mind. Following the collective wisdom here, I will ask the player to tell me what makes him think that such a spell is even possible; put him through a spellcraft check just as if he was a wizard attempting to invent the spell (not knowing that it already exists!); then, if he's successful, let the fun begin when people begin to regard him as a "saint" who can cast poisons from a body (probably through the grace of <fill in the name of whatever deity will provide the most amusement to me>) or a "spell thief" or a really soft target who may have a very potent spellbook at his disposal; and -- yes! -- have him stalked by wizards who want that spell! The latter is not cruel or unusual in my campaign: the PCs long ago came across part of a copy of Unique Mageries (don't ask what happened to the poor hobgoblin who was vigorously interrogated as to his bowel-moving habits over the preceding few days and the efforts of the scouts to reconstruct his path); they were told that the spellbook was so awesomely valuable that the only safe thing to do with it before the First Battle of the Golden Way was to have the PC wizard who was studying it subjected to a teleport without error spell to El's tower (El wasn't home, of course, but Lhaeo was there to accept the book, make tea, and read a scroll to send the PC back to face 100,000 angry Tuigan and 30,000 unhappy Shou conscripts); the PCs thus know the contents of the spellbook and are aware that some people might kill (or worse) to learn the contents; they should be able to infer that there will be consequences to the casting of other especially desirable spells.

Merci beaucoup to all! I consider myself answered unless Ed would like to weigh in himself with some other maneuver to "protect" spells which he in many cases, invented.




Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 03:06:34
Message:

Zandilar, Ed and I are of one mind on this: the POTENTIAL of e-books is just great, but the practice (thus far) has been anything but.
Here's the thing: as you folks in Australia know full well (Weber being a case in point), the old "bricks-and-mortar" bookselling model is badly broken; a lot of books just can't reach the public that wants to buy them. Publishers are losing money everywhere, paper prices are going sky-high artificially through near-monopolies over pulp mills, and the authors (except for the rare few who make BIG bucks) are getting scr*wed as badly as they always were.
However, e-books tend to be overpriced (considering they don't involve the printing, warehousing, shipping, etc. costs of physical books, why are they often as expensive or the same price? With the author getting even LESS of a share?) and most readers hard to read (earlier readers even had proprietary formats). More and more, authors may realize that they just don't need a publisher sucking most of the money out of their livelihoods for standing between them and their readers (after all, that's what going with a "big" publisher gains you over self-publishing: access to distribution).
So we are still "on the brink" (as we have been for about a decade now) of a potential explosion in e-book sales.
However, in the long run, consider this: a physical book can attract new readers just by lying around on beaches, bus seats, library shelves, flea market tables, and in doctors' waiting rooms. An e-book cannot.
A physical book needs functional eyeballs and light (like, ahem, sunlight). An e-book needs power, lack of dropping and breaking, and usually occasional access to the Internet (with credit card or PayPal account in hand). Language changes slowly enough that books that are centuries old are still useful. Good luck on playing that wax cylinder recording or even an 8-track, in most places; although an e-book has LEGAL permanence (i.e. "always in print"), in practice, it can be inaccessible/rendered obsolete much, much faster than a physical book.
Ed and I both have long and successful careers in publishing (he as a creator, me on the other side of the desk). Both of us have watched the e-book market TRY to develop, and noted the same root problems: publishers, be they traditionals or the new Net powers (Amazon, Google, et al), have tried to push various e-formats in order to dominate whatever the future of book publishing might turn out to be . . . and they risk losing control, big time. Which might be great for a lot of writers (those who can attract and hold an audience without good editors, massive publicity, and an active sales force). Writers typically get a VERY small piece of the publishing pie; take away the publisher, and even modest sales can net a writer much, much more cash than some of them "realize" right now.
So the publishers are going to have to tread VERY carefully, and one only has to look at Amazon (with the Kindle and their attempts to control Print On Demand editions), Google (and their current "we'll scan and sell ALL books unless authors opt out" efforts), Facebook (oh, by the way, we own everything you put on your Facebook pages . . . huh? Why are you all so upset?), and countless other examples to know that treading very carefully is NOT something they seem to have thus far been very good at.
Those who push e-sales, e-books, and the like continually belittle the importance of the VAST majority of the bookbuying public who either has no Net access or isn't comfortable shopping online, and WANTS to browse in a bookstore. These readers (whom the Net-savvy love to dismiss as "dinosaurs" or "the fading way of the past") remain over 90 percent (yes, you read that right, ninety percent) of bookbuyers. Grandparents the world over want to buy something TANGIBLE as a Christmas or birthday gift for those they dote on, not "here's a download card." (They may buy the download card if it's demanded, and may even by dumb luck or trying hard buy the right one, but they won't LIKE or be COMFORTABLE doing so.) So we're not yet at the "it's all inevitable, just sign up here" stage, and consumers are very wary at the moment, thanks to the economic downturn worldwide and their suspicions that e-books are going to be like buying movies to watch at home: Betamax no VHS, then competing formats of DVDs, whoops no, throw those old things away you want HD-DVD or no, Blu-Ray. A book they open, turn the pages, and look at with their eyeballs they understand; a welter of new formats, not so much.
There's an interesting old Isaac Asimov sf short story, "The Fun They Had," about kids enjoying these weird old things called books when their electronic "Teacher" breaks down, that points at this mindset from the other direction.
So that's the view Ed and I share on this right now. We're suspicious of publishers trying to push e-books as a format so they can "keep a book in print" forever, and do no publicity (we've both actually - - and separately - - heard publishing execs at different publishers say they're looking forward to e-books so they can fire their salesmen and do away with publicity costs, because "e-books won't need publicity; those kids hear about EVERYTHING on the Internet, so we won't need to do any"). We're suspicious of publishers mishandling all of this badly, and the various players who are interested in e-books to give them "control" over the market doing something that limits access of some readers to some books (many governments heavily censor citizens' access to specific Internet content, and even the so-called Western "bastions of freedom" countries have some heavyhanded new laws in their codes that they could use to censor in the same way; e-books will be much easier to "block" if the market for them isn't "shaped" properly).
We want everything to turn out for the best . . . but we don't yet see clear signs that it's even heading in the right direction to do so.
So we watch. VERY closely. Clinging to hope, and doing what little things we can to nudge things in what we see as the right direction.
We'll all just have to wait and see.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 03:26:42
Message:

Hi again.
Jamallo, I believe you've arrived at just the right roleplaying stance. Ed had "sorcerers" in the Realms long before the rules did (usually as "wild talents" of the Weave who could block/have immunity to one sort of spells [e.g. fire, lightning] AND could cast or launch one sort of magic.
Let me quote Ed's notes (these date from when a wizard was called a "magic-user" in the rules, and there were no official "sorcerers"):


In all cases where someone has a natural aptitude for the Art (a wild talent or someone successfully using non-spellbook "sorcery"), they MUST be able to clearly visualize an "end result" they want to achieve with magic, and successfully think through a way/sequence/method to call on the Weave to achieve that end result.
So a magic-user using a written spell from a spellbook, or being taught how to cast a spell by someone already experienced in its use, is "calling on the Weave" by a particular tried-and-true, already established (by someone else) method of combining incantation with somatic and material components.
In the case of silent "will-force" spells, with no audible incantation, such a magic user is "causing the magic to work" by achieving the right inner mental state - - correctly mentally picturing how to call on the Weave, and correctly mentally picturing what he or she wants the Weave to "do" for them.
A so-called sorcerer, who "thinks of" a magic rather than using a written scroll, material components (and sometimes without using verbal or somatic components, either) must do the same mental work in casting all magics.
If the mind-work goes awry, the magic either "doesn't happen" or magical chaos (a "wand of wonder" effect) results.
It follows that sorcerers who have less than aged, active veteran status will find it vastly easier to cast magics they have seen a magic-user cast, or craft magics to achieve a result they have seen happen previously (lightning striking a tree, a wall being shattered by some force, kindling bursting into flame). If you've seen it, you have a fair stab at duplicating it. If you think fuzzily "I want to be able to knock down yon castle!" you will have VERY little chance of doing that - - but if you can conceive, in detail and correctly, without exaggeration, of forces you have at least some passing familiarity with [a gale-force wind of the sort you've felt, for example], that you can use to make that castle collapse, you have a much better chance of affecting the castle.


So saith Ed, all those years ago (I'd say these notes are from 1981 or 1982). So if your sorcerer has witnessed a successful casting of Spendelaarde's Chaser [that's the correct spelling of the mage's name; "Spendelard" is a TSR simplification], they are far more likely to be able to duplicate it than a sorcerer who's just heard of a sobering-up spell. And a veteran sorcerer will have be more likely to easily and quickly cast a successful Chaser than a low-level novice.
love,
THO


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 03:43:11
Message:

One reason (perhaps the only one) that Ed might like E-books.

If all books are E-books, the can be censored or edited for the masses. Therefore print books could be as anti-establishment, or as an act of rebellion since they can speak the true and 'stick it to the man'.

Many young, attractive women like rebels and 'bad boys'.

So in this future...

Ed could be a counterculture rebel in his cabin in the woods with his old fashion printer/printing press. Publishing physical books with the help of curvy, bouncy, perky older teens and twenty year old.

Or Ed can dream it happening. A man can dream.

Hope he doesn't mind the imagery.


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 03:45:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Obviously Ed collects books, but is it ever for value? Or is it a "reader's library"? Does Ed ever hang on to books he doesn't like?
Just curious, so don't reply if you think I'm prying too far. Thanks.
BB


In the episode "Paladin of the Lost Hour" from "The (New) Twilight Zone," Gaspar (Danny Kaye) is asked if he's read all of the books in his private library and he replies to the effect of, "What's the point of having a library if you've read all the books?" Give Harlan Ellison a tip of the chapeau for writing that profound thought; he won a Hugo award for the novelette upon which the teleplay was based.





Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 04:13:33
Message:

Ed, Lady Hooded One:



!!!



Reply author: ErskineF
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 07:39:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all.
I bring you a brief and swift response from Ed to ErskineF’s queries: “A few questions for Ed about his amazing 80k tome library. (That just blows me away.)


Thanks much Ed and THO for the quick reply. I especially liked the description of how the books are spread all over the house. I don't feel so bad now, except that, you know, I don't have any where near 80,000 of them. They do seem to multiply like bunny rabbits though.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 17:47:08
Message:

What needs to happen FIRST is that Adobe needs to get together with Microsoft and Apple, and create a 'lock' on pdfs that do not allow them to be uploaded by anyone but the author.

Netbooks can't work because they get redistributed too easily.

Once you download a book, you should not be able to re-upload it to anyone (even to another of your own computers - oh well, buy another copy). The only way that would ever work is if the operating system itself locked you out of file-tampering - and even that isn't 100% foolproof, with things like Linus floating around.

And since Microsoft, Apple, and Adobe are highly unlikely to ever sit down at a table together (Billy Gates NEEDS to control everything, and Steve Jobs isn't a whole lot better), we will never get a universal, LOCKABLE format that is un-pirateable.

The best we can hope for is that one ort two of them (I'm seeing Apple and Adobe) come-out with something so incredibly brilliant that the other is forced to follow suit.

And on the other hand, I hate E-books... I have dozens of novels on my computer I have never read because I can't stand reading on my computer. Having a physical book in your hands is such a different experience (and WotC needs to learn this... but I won't go there), and I can't see a time ever where books will entirely fade from our culture.

But who knows? If they come-up with something that mimics a paper-book, but you can change the content, we may have a winner (they do make paper-thin flexible screens these days).


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 17:49:53
Message:

There are rumors about the next-gen iPod having a huge screen to be able to read e-books on. If that's true, then Apple may do for digital books what they did for digital music.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 17:50:01
Message:

Just a quick question I forgot, which has probably been asked already:
Where is Athlanatar these days? In which Kingdom? How was it conquered (or destroyed)? Is there any correlation between it being the 'Land of the Stag' and Cormyr's stag symbol?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 17:53:18
Message:

Yes, I am seeing Apple at the forefront, but they will need the major pdf-making software company - Adobe - to help create the software - with those two powerhouses backing a new format, Microsoft would be forced to follow along (after a brief period of them producing a competing, yet inferior, format).

If I can hold a device in my hands that feels like I'm holding a book (and some of that new touch-screen tech is off the shiz), then this 'old dog' may be able to learn a new trick.


Reply author: Gang Falconhand
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 18:49:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
Where is Athlanatar these days? In which Kingdom? How was it conquered (or destroyed)?



Athalantar was destroyed in 342DR by an orc horde. Secomber was built on the ruins of the capital Hastarl.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 19:57:44
Message:

Also, its hard to pictue it correctly because the entire north was MUCH more heavily-forested at that point in time, and the High Forest itself literally wrapped-around the small kingdom.

The 3e-changes didn't help matters at all - I'm having a hard time figuring out where everything used to be, now that we've lost so much real estate.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 20:04:04
Message:

Hello again, all.
I bring you once again the latest Realmslore from Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to Markustay's anguished query: "Where is Aralent?"
Ed replies:


Unless someone has added it to the FR maps without my knowledge, Aralent has indeed been a "hidden" town-becoming-a-city of the Realms for all these years. Markustay, I'm not sure what maps you are most comfortable using as a "base," but if you have access to the old Fonstad print FR Atlas (1990 publication, very closely based on my master maps wherever they were available), and you use the projections appearing there rather than the later and wildly distorted 3e maps, you will be able to find, NNW of Assam across the Shining Plains, and due west of the southern end of the Lake of the Long Arm, an indentation or "cove" in the eastern side of the Giant's Run Mountains (a long and wide open valley between the eastward-thrusting shoulders of mountains that frame it to north and south). This is rural ranching and farming (and monster-roamed) country, ungoverned by any central authority.
Spang in the middle of that valley is the market-moot and temple-town of Aralent, unwalled and potentially as lawless as Scornubel - - but moderated from its earliest days by various fortress-temples to good- and neutral-aligned deities (such as Ilmater, Torm, Chauntea, Helm, and others) and their various forces of "temple guards," who police the market.
Early on, there were some fierce battles between these holy soldiers, but things reached such a bloody head that the high priests got together and hammered out a firm alliance, forcing their guards to work together (mixed-faith patrols) and trust each other . . . and over time, Aralent started to grow as more and more traveling traders regarded it as "safe." No one taxes you, and no one interferes with sharp business dealings, but the temple guards swiftly stop violence, blackmail, intimidation, arson, brawls, open thefts and robbery with violence, and the like. Wherefore Aralent is slowly growing larger (as a resupply base, safe haven, and trading-town), despite not having a large populace or industries.
The name "Aralent" comes from a long-dead "prince" of Chessenta (heir to a city-state), who fled would-be assassins who'd gravely wounded him with poisoned weapons, came here, settled into a new life as a stonemason, and eventually built some of the earliest temples. His earliest quarries now form some of the temple cellars.
I mention this because there's a ford of Aralent in Chessenta where he's locally believed to have been murdered by those assassin's, and a tor or crag known as Aralent's Tomb, where a local legend insists a grieving lover buried his remains. Neither of those are on the maps, either, largely because TSR seems to have lost or never received my detailed map of Chessenta (sorry! before you ask, they DO own it, so I can't reproduce it anywhere without their permission).


So saith Ed. Creator of Aralent, the Shining Plains, the Lake of the Long Arm, Chessenta, and . . . well, you get the drift.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Mar 2009 21:32:57
Message:

Just... WOW.

That is SO much more then I expected - thank you so much ED (and THO).

Now I REALLY need to do a newer version of the Erlkazar Campaign Map.

And about those Chessenta maps... I don't want them.

I NEED THEM!!!

You don't understand - now that I know they exist, my life will never be complete without them.

Besides, I already say that ALL my maps are WotC property, ergo, their propery just becomes their property all over again.

And since they seem to have lost them, I'd be doing them a favor.

No? Drat... I didn't think that would work....


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 00:45:33
Message:

A quick question for Ed regarding a previously-asked question, and then I'll sit back and be quiet about it for another month or two:

How is progress on getting the Cormyr lineage published?

On a distantly-related note, was that expected announcement from "Wizards of the East" that THO alerted us to some time ago ever made?

That's all. Thank you both, Ed and THO, for your time and answers, which are greatly appreciated by all of us here, and thank you to the site maintainers and moderators for giving us a "here" to be in virtual space.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 02:03:21
Message:

Hello again, all.
I bring a reply of sorts from Ed to Zandilar, about the in-Realms word for cocktails:


There are many local terms for mixed drinks, from "brightsongs" in Silverymoon, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep; to "manyslake" in Waterdeep, Scornubel, Iriaebor, Cormyr, and Sembia; to "ralivarthrem" in Amn and Tethyr; to "ravalankh" in Calimshan and the Tashalar; and "drarraval" in Turmish, the Vilhon and Chessenta.


Ed also sent me replies to Jakk's queries. Re. the Cormyr lineage: little progress at the moment. Re. the announcement: not made yet, more snags have arisen. Patience (hey, I KNOW it's hard. * I * want all of this stuff RIGHT NOW, too!). Yet, I say again, patience. Ed's happily immersed in cranking out a novel right now, anyway . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 04:29:41
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all.
I bring a reply of sorts from Ed to Zandilar, about the in-Realms word for cocktails:


There are many local terms for mixed drinks, from "brightsongs" in Silverymoon, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep; to "manyslake" in Waterdeep, Scornubel, Iriaebor, Cormyr, and Sembia; to "ralivarthrem" in Amn and Tethyr; to "ravalankh" in Calimshan and the Tashalar; and "drarraval" in Turmish, the Vilhon and Chessenta.



Cool! I never grow tired of Ed's ability to make up words.

Thank you both for this and the answer on e-books. I found your insights very interesting indeed. I think I'll be sticking to "normal" print publishers for my first novel (if I ever manage to get it finished, 5 years and I've just tossed the last draft and started from scratch! I really don't know how Ed does it...)


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 04:49:44
Message:

Speaking of e-Books, WotC is offering a free download of Paul's novel Twilight Falling on the site. Here's the link

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20090309


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 06:39:32
Message:

I just thought of a question for the Ed or THO: (Note- I'm working my way backwards thru the previous years, so if this is asked-and-answered, I apologize)
Where did the Mulhorandi/Untheric folk come from? Was it, in fact Earth? I have always operated under the assumption (Just that, too... with no good reason for me to think this, except that it's a conclusion that I jumped to long ago) that they were from worlds in which the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian/Assyrian cultures were the dominant ones.
No real need for me to know this beyond the burning need to have as much of the Realms 'under glass' as possible.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 10:51:56
Message:

Well again all

I have been rereading my dragon magazines and just finished the Ecology of the Beholder (issue 76).

Ed can I ask how this fits with the home Realms campaign? What go me thinking was the section regarding the reproduction cycle of beholders flying off to lay eggs somewhere desolate. I have been speculating how in the Realms the Zhentarim manage their broody beholders! (if they manage them at all).
Do they send guards to protect the eggs?
Do they collect the eggs before/after hatching to raise the next generation of loyal beholder slave, err allies?
Do the senior wizards/priests take eggs/young and experiment on them to create new breeds with new powers? (is this how the gauth, death kiss et al became 'born' in the Realms?)

Would be interested to know more thoughts and wild speculation on Zhents and broody beholders.

Thanks

Damian


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 11:11:53
Message:

As I recall, the Ecology of the Beholder was a hybrid article incorporating material from both Ed's and Roger Moore's noggins. I'd be interested to hear how Ed played beholders in the Realms and any Realms-specific beholder information as he was the first to give them any real substance in the D&D firmament IMO.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 17:28:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I just thought of a question for the Ed or THO: (Note- I'm working my way backwards thru the previous years, so if this is asked-and-answered, I apologize)
Where did the Mulhorandi/Untheric folk come from? Was it, in fact Earth? I have always operated under the assumption (Just that, too... with no good reason for me to think this, except that it's a conclusion that I jumped to long ago) that they were from worlds in which the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian/Assyrian cultures were the dominant ones.
No real need for me to know this beyond the burning need to have as much of the Realms 'under glass' as possible.




Eric Boyd, and the post should still be on the message boards somewhere, basically inferred that they did come from Earth but it's never been flat out stated in sourcebooks. Maybe Sage kept the reply or I did in my gatherings of old posts that are stored on Keep's main site.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 18:09:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(for example, David Webber is exceedingly difficult to get, at least in Melbourne).


You're in the wrong Melbourne. The Melbourne* I'm in has plenty of David Weber books.

*On the Space Coast of Florida -- if you look at the map, halfway down on the Atlantic side, it juts out just a little -- that's where I am.
And the Melbourne FL/Melbourne Australia joke never gets old!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 18:22:41
Message:

I have reversed-played it, and gave the Imaskari a wee-bit of a Stargate spin, likening them to the Goa'uld.

That means the Pyramid-building culture originated on Toril (actually brought in from elsewhere by highly advanced Gnolls... but thats another story, and a Mystara/Blackmoor tie-in) with the Imaskari, who then spread it to other worlds throughout their colonies... like the one in ancient Mesopotamia. I also have them down as having a colony on Oerth (which gave rise to the Suel Imperium)... I do so love tieing my campaign worlds together.

Anyhow, I don't want to go off on a tangent, but my point was that just because the lore infers that said cultures came from Earth, doesn't mean that there wasn't a little cross-cultural polination going on, and that those people may have come from any number of worlds where the Imaskari established colonies (mostly for slave-taking purposes).

I have done the same for Eastern cultures as well (with Brian James' help) - the Shou did not come from Earth; a group that went through a diaspora became BOTH the Shou of Toril and the ancient Chinese of Earth (making them related, but more like 'distant cousins').

And one last thing - it has been mentioned several times by designers, and I believe at least once by Ed himself, that the 'Earth' of D&D is a seperate world from ours - the D&D mulitverse exists in an entireely seperarte universe, which has its own laws of physics and cosmic structure... and it has it's own Earth, who's Solar System exists with it's own Crystal sphere, quite unbeknowst to its inhabitants (refer to he World of Tiers series of novels for how such a thing is posible).

Edit: @Wooly - I believe he is located in The Merry 'ol Land of Oz. I believe you need a balloon or some Ruby Slippers to get to any place with a decent bookstore from there.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 22:33:31
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(for example, David Webber is exceedingly difficult to get, at least in Melbourne).


You're in the wrong Melbourne. The Melbourne* I'm in has plenty of David Weber books.

*On the Space Coast of Florida -- if you look at the map, halfway down on the Atlantic side, it juts out just a little -- that's where I am.
And the Melbourne FL/Melbourne Australia joke never gets old!




ROFL.

Yes, you are right there. I would probably have better luck in the other Melbourne! Though I'm kind of glad to live in temperate Melbourne as opposed subtropical Melbourne. No hurricanes (cyclones)! (But then again, we did just have the worst bushfires over here since Ash Wednesday, killing just over 200 people - so there's a minus for this Melbourne.)


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 22:45:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all.
<snip>

Ed also sent me replies to Jakk's queries. Re. the Cormyr lineage: little progress at the moment. Re. the announcement: not made yet, more snags have arisen. Patience (hey, I KNOW it's hard. * I * want all of this stuff RIGHT NOW, too!). Yet, I say again, patience. Ed's happily immersed in cranking out a novel right now, anyway . . .
love to all,
THO



Thanks for the quick response! No surprises (for me, anyway) about the (lack of) progress on the lineage publication. Can you tell us anything at all, however vague, about what's causing the delays in the announcement, whatever it concerns? I have no idea what this announcement is about, but ever since it was mentioned, I've been curiouser and curiouser... and of course, it keeps getting delayed...


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 22:52:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


2. It’s spread all over the house. I have a study on the upper floor that was at one point crammed to the ceiling with just a tiny passageway through it (sculpted to fit my belly as I edged sideways along it) left “open.” I’ve gradually been emptying this into . . .
My main library in the “new basement,” where I work.
Other major book loci are the old basement (that is, the low-ceilinged basement of the original farmhouse, which is linked to the new basement), the dining room (shelves all around the walls and a stack of boxes to the ceiling around which unboxed books are mounded), front hall, bathroom, three bedrooms (bookshelves in all, books hidden in wooden sidetable cabinets in one), the spare room (shelves, piles, books inside a cabinet), gallery (bookshelves beneath the paintings and prints), living room, kitchen (the cookbooks, naturally), office (more cookbooks, the gardening books) . . .


Ah, gardening books. I'm starting to accumulate a lot of them...

I, for one, would love to know a little about what particular aspects of gardening Ed enjoys the most, and I'd love to hear about what plants Ed likes too. I'm a budding gardener myself (haha!) , and my own favorites are cacti, succulents, native plants of my region (northern New Jersey--if I recall correctly Ed lives in eastern Canada, which would mean we might share the same floristic region )...and I'm also going to try to grow some vegetables this year too. Also, Ed, do you garden with the intent of attracting/nurturing wildlife, such as birds, butterflies, and other animals?

Hooded One, feel free to answer this question too if you want.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Mar 2009 22:55:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I just thought of a question for the Ed or THO: (Note- I'm working my way backwards thru the previous years, so if this is asked-and-answered, I apologize)
Where did the Mulhorandi/Untheric folk come from? Was it, in fact Earth? I have always operated under the assumption (Just that, too... with no good reason for me to think this, except that it's a conclusion that I jumped to long ago) that they were from worlds in which the ancient Egyptian and Babylonian/Assyrian cultures were the dominant ones.
No real need for me to know this beyond the burning need to have as much of the Realms 'under glass' as possible.




Eric Boyd, and the post should still be on the message boards somewhere, basically inferred that they did come from Earth but it's never been flat out stated in sourcebooks. Maybe Sage kept the reply or I did in my gatherings of old posts that are stored on Keep's main site.

Yeah, I've got the reply here somewhere.

I'll note further that Eric gave the strong impression they were kidnapped from Earth in Powers & Pantheons, but did not state so explicitly. Eric also hinted about this in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical [available as a free PDF download at WotC] in the write up of the artifact relating to Ptah.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 00:56:11
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring this reply from Ed to Rinonalyrna Fathomlin's gardening questions:


Well, the bit of gardening I enjoy the most is walking through Capability Brown-style gardens I can never afford, around English country houses, where the entire LANDSCAPE has been sculpted and planted and dotted with follies and so on, marvelling at what can be done, given wealth and space and time and cheap labour I'll never, ever have.
I'm not a fan of overly-formal (Versailles-type clipped-hedge knot gardens and the like) gardens, but love semi-wild gardens . . . which is what Jen and I have, on five acres of mostly woodlot and fields let go to wildflowers (sumac and aspen keep encroaching, and I cut firewood and we harvest wild black raspberries and morels), but we tend to cut "rides" [green-grass paths] and let nature take care of the rest. Except tree-planting and wild shrub planting; we order and plant dozens of specimens every year.
Including roses and vines and our "beer plant" (hops), that grow up the posts of our carport every year and up along the railings of the bedroom-walkout deck atop it, to cloak the wood in a nice carpet of green growing leaves.
We also grow herbs (outdoor pots in summer, move them indoors in winter) and tomatoes and a few other sporadic food crops, and have a mature asparagus bed. In general, we plant a perennial bed, have a south-wall-of-the-house summer "garden" of potted plants arranged in tiers, and year round grow indoor window plants, including lots of cacti, succulents, and a giant jade plant. We also have the usual spider plant, mother-in-law's-tongue, and mares'-tail in hanging baskets, plus a dozen or so pots that move outdoors every spring. We feed birds and have butterfly bushes and plantings and feeders to encourage hummingbirds, wrens, bluebirds, and the like - - and get all sorts of birds, including (thanks to having semi-woodlands right next to the house) large woodpeckers, hawks, wild turkeys, and owls on occasion. I should mention that the house is surrounded by huge trees, mostly black spruce, but there's a gigantic white pine and three larger cedars that shelter the nests of dozens of nesting birds.
Sure beats living in the city.


So saith Ed. My own gardening, thanks to my work, has been far more modest, but I do have a small patio "wild bower" garden, and a growing frame that I use year-round for vegetables and some "companion planted, keep off the unwanted insects and pests" flowers, too. Ed didn't mention that as the years pass, he does more and more of the gardening grunt-work, from running two composters to all the weeding and watering to mulching and feeding and raking and carting brush onto an ever-growing pile behind the barn.
Gads, we're so both charmingly domesticated.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 01:02:23
Message:

Oh, and to add some Realms relevance to my posts this fair even: Jakk, the announcement has been delayed by ongoing legal negotiations. NOT lawsuits or anything of the sort, just getting all the details of an agreement firmed up.
love,
THO


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 03:05:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and to add some Realms relevance to my posts this fair even: Jakk, the announcement has been delayed by ongoing legal negotiations. NOT lawsuits or anything of the sort, just getting all the details of an agreement firmed up.
love,
THO


legal issues should be banned under ndas


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 04:51:43
Message:

Hmmmmmmm...

And thats all I'm gonna say.


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 05:00:04
Message:

A question for THO : did yours and Ed's Knights campaign ever use some of the early AD&D modules (Against the Giants, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, etc.) Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 14:25:53
Message:

No, Ed never used any of the published modules with us, though he was asked to playtest bits and pieces of some of their encounters, and did so when he could sneak them into our unfolding campaign so they "fit."
The early players DID ask him to run them through the Fell Pass, an early DRAGON-published, contest-winning adventure . . . with disastrous results, for them. :}
love,
THO


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 18:41:39
Message:

Well met, all!

Ed, who have been some of the famous topers and drug addicts of Toril's history, and what stray bits of lore are associated with them? The Chinese poet Li Po, for example, was a famous drunkard, and drowned after leaning over the side of a boat to grasp the reflection of the Moon -- that has "mystery cult" written all over it! Have there been groups of famous artists (in the very broadest sense) who have relied upon communal drug-taking in order to produce their work, as did the French Decadents with their absinthe or jazz artists and their reefer? (Hey, I'm hep to the jive -- I know what it was that Minnie was mooching!)




Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 19:12:20
Message:

Thanks for the comprehensive answers on the Earth/Toril connections, folks: If The Bearded One or His Lady of the Hood wishes to expand upon this, I'm sure there would be no gnashing of teeth here at the keep, but I hold myself fully answered.
I dig your reverse engineering Markus: I may just appropriate that- if I ever need to answer a question in this vein.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 21:47:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and to add some Realms relevance to my posts this fair even: Jakk, the announcement has been delayed by ongoing legal negotiations. NOT lawsuits or anything of the sort, just getting all the details of an agreement firmed up.
love,
THO



I must echo Markustay's comment: Hmmm... And then I shall bite my tongue, for the questions begin to form at a fast and furious pace, and I know that I shall receive no answers.

One question that might be answerable does occur to me, however; do my two original questions in this discussion (the announcement/negotiations and the publication of the lineage) have anything to do with one another? A simple Yes, No, or NDA is sufficient; I know the rules of this particular game and how they work... liking them is another matter entirely.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Mar 2009 22:17:50
Message:

I'm going to guess No... final answer.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 00:02:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. I bring this reply from Ed to Rinonalyrna Fathomlin's gardening questions:

...

So saith Ed. My own gardening, thanks to my work, has been far more modest, but I do have a small patio "wild bower" garden, and a growing frame that I use year-round for vegetables and some "companion planted, keep off the unwanted insects and pests" flowers, too. Ed didn't mention that as the years pass, he does more and more of the gardening grunt-work, from running two composters to all the weeding and watering to mulching and feeding and raking and carting brush onto an ever-growing pile behind the barn.
Gads, we're so both charmingly domesticated.
love,
THO



Thank you both for sharing your gardening interests and adventures with me, I enjoyed reading them.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 01:09:08
Message:

Our pleasure!
From visiting Ed's house, I can tell you that he left some book-adorned rooms out. There are even bookshelves on the various landings at the top and halfway up his stairs - - not to mention built-in bookshelves all around the bed in his sleeping hut, down "at the bottom of the garden" (actually one overgrown farm field east of the house, beside the woodlot). When we were younger, Ed and I talked about "dream" garden elements, and Ed's was his own small private lake/overgrown pond with an island at the center of it and a "folly" (built-as-a-ruin stone castle) on it.
However, he can't dig one out where he is now because the soil is too sandy, and besides, springs rise on both sides of his property and run down its edges as full-fledged streams. He has a cottage up in Muskoka to satisfy the "boating on the wild lake" urges, when he gets them.
Steven Schend is the only other scribe of Candlekeep to have visited both Ed's home and cottage, I believe. On one of those visits, I'm told, they cooked up many entries for the Roll of Years.
And to Jakk: Markustay's guess is right: "No."
I only wish I could say more . . . but then, this works just fine as a tease, doesn't it?
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 02:56:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Steven Schend is the only other scribe of Candlekeep to have visited both Ed's home and cottage, I believe. On one of those visits, I'm told, they cooked up many entries for the Roll of Years.
My lady, could Ed perhaps provide a few of those entries that maybe weren't included on the official "Roll of Years?"


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 03:43:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<chop>
And to Jakk: Markustay's guess is right: "No."
I only wish I could say more . . . but then, this works just fine as a tease, doesn't it?
love,
THO


Actually, that answer pacifies my curiosity more than piques it... but thank you and Ed all the same for the prompt reply. I've learned to ask non-research-related questions if I want to get answers soon. After learning of the true magnitude of Ed's library and the state of his notes, this does not come as a shock to me. The curiosity remains, however... "pacified" does not mean "extinguished", so I hope that these processes resolve themselves as speedily as possible... he says with a firm understanding (pun intended) of the role of lawyers: they are the glacial creep in the headwaters of the rushing river that is our society. I quite like that metaphor; if anyone wants it, they are welcome to it.

On the subject of the Roll of Years, after reading the Sage's question: Does every year have a contained event (no matter how insignificant) that its name refers to? If so, I'm rather curious about the Year of Azuth's Woe (1440, I believe), given that Azuth is now (canonically, at least) god-dust... and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague); did the Spellplague mess with the written Roll of Years as well? I'm extending the Roll backward to -1000 and forward to 2000, with 2000 DR being the Year of the Black Star; if anything has already been done toward this that you can share, I'd love to see it. (he says, expecting the usual three little letters that seem to answer any question of burning interest to him)


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 04:51:03
Message:

Heya,

I was just flicking through the Waterdeep novel earlier today (this is another book I've never been able to read from cover to cover), and came across a passage with Elaith contemplating a half-silver dragon "buddy" that has gone missing... One paragraph (the first two sentences in particular) kind of stood out, leaving me scratching my head and saying "huh?"

quote:
Some Craulnobers had been dragon-riders. Matings of dragon and their rider bought instant shame, and any offspring were outcast.


This sounds very un-realmslike, especially given the general sexual permissiveness of the Realms. Why the shame? (Is the shame only restricted to matings that result in procreation?) It's not like Elves or Dragons are non-sentient, and it's not even like they'd be mating elven with dragonform dragon (because that could not possibly work, not without pain or the risk of death). I would have thought this kind of love might well have been celebrated as a coming together of equals/partners. Or am I completely off beam here?

(I also get the feeling this might have been something Elaine wrote, am I correct?)


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 05:59:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague);


Are you looking at the correct year (1479)? Because it's listed that way on my list, and on the list downloaded from the Wizards site.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 06:44:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

On the subject of the Roll of Years, after reading the Sage's question: Does every year have a contained event (no matter how insignificant) that its name refers to? If so, I'm rather curious about the Year of Azuth's Woe (1440, I believe), given that Azuth is now (canonically, at least) god-dust... and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague); did the Spellplague mess with the written Roll of Years as well? I'm extending the Roll backward to -1000 and forward to 2000, with 2000 DR being the Year of the Black Star; if anything has already been done toward this that you can share, I'd love to see it. (he says, expecting the usual three little letters that seem to answer any question of burning interest to him)

I'm not Ed, but I can partly address this point. The names on the Roll of Years are already known, well in advance... since they're drawn from the prophecies of Augathra, Alaundo and others, made centuries past.

Alaundo and Augathra's prophecies are cryptic and poetic, not descriptive, and many of them are nothing more than the year names. The idea is not that they definitely refer to large-scale events: sages differ, even after the fact, on what the prophecies refer to. These guys are crazy mystics, not big-man-theory historians, and their visions were not all of the RSE-type events that TSR has trained some of us to think 'important.'


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 06:48:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague);


Are you looking at the correct year (1479)? Because it's listed that way on my list, and on the list downloaded from the Wizards site.

Indeed. It pays to be extra careful when utilising any kind of "Roll of Years" compilation online. I've noticed some in the past aren't always official. Or some just use the offical Roll as a basis and then add their own home campaign years/events onto the list -- sometimes even replacing existing official year names and the like.

Having said that, 'Year of the Ageless One' is definitely listed on the official Realms "Roll of Years" as Wooly notes above.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 07:59:39
Message:

Hello Ed and LHO,

Before I forget again, thanks for the reply re: whale migrations. Seeing how far they range under the seas reminds me how they are a cornerstone of the Aquatic Relay. They're rather like huge powerful broadcast towers when it comes to passing on information and news.

My question for today runs in a different vein: the prophet Maglas and his infamous work, Chronicle of Things to Come. Although its essentially a MacGuffin, serving only to light a fire in Sammaster's twisted mind, I was wondering what else old Maglas foresaw and recorded. As Sammaster had to translate it, in what language or cipher was it written? Did it predict the Godswar or any of the 3E events from the novels? What else was contained within its pages? And finally, can you reveal more of Maglas' back history? Hopefully it wasn't as tragic as Augathra's

Thank you!


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 08:57:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,
Some Craulnobers had been dragon-riders. Matings of dragon and their rider bought instant shame, and any offspring were outcast.

I would have thought this kind of love might well have been celebrated as a coming together of equals/partners

Just my take on this:

Its a simple matter of our race is greater than you race again. Haughty elves (in general) believe themselves superior to all other races, especially dragons who they superseded to become the 'prime/dominant' race in Faerun (until humans arrived).

Just because you can mate with other races, doesn't mean everyone in your family/circle of friends/anyone else in the Realms will approve of it.

We know that some folk in the Realms have a more liberal view point on life and love but I would suspect they are a small minority. Ed has always painted the Realms as a real living breathing world and not a 'utopian happy-clappy world where everyone gets along all the time' (at least as I have interpreted it).

So it does not not suprise me that elves, who are generally conservative and traditional, would cast out a member of their family who has brought shame onto the family name, (because elves are long lived and everyone will remember that shame for several hundreds of winters, not several winters like humans etc).

Just my thoughts

Damian
ps. I have always wondered about the Elaith Craulnober even since getting FR1 22 years ago (22 years!)

An evil elf in a major city piqued my interest alot as it turned upside down a staple of fantasy (good, noble, wise elf etc). Kudo's to Ed on brining Elaith to life and to Elaine for expanding on him . Of course any other Lore on other Craulnobers is always welcome


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 10:24:42
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
We know that some folk in the Realms have a more liberal view point on life and love but I would suspect they are a small minority. Ed has always painted the Realms as a real living breathing world and not a 'utopian happy-clappy world where everyone gets along all the time' (at least as I have interpreted it).



(Emphasis mine)

That's really not the impression I've got from everything Ed's said on the matter... But I suppose I'll leave it to Ed to answer that. I suppose I could be mistaken.

quote:
So it does not not suprise me that elves, who are generally conservative and traditional, would cast out a member of their family who has brought shame onto the family name, (because elves are long lived and everyone will remember that shame for several hundreds of winters, not several winters like humans etc).


This is actually the thing I've never understood with Elves. In previous Editions of DnD, the default alignment of Elves has been Chaotic Good. This doesn't jibe with strongly conservative views and a strict adherence to tradition. You can have the latter with a largely chaotic mindset, but other aspects of their life are definitely going to be freer.

I think somewhere along the line, someone decided to change their mind on Elven alignment and forgot to change the alignment as listed in the monster manual. Sun Elves, in particular, seem more LE than CG.

quote:

ps. I have always wondered about the Elaith Craulnober even since getting FR1 22 years ago (22 years!)

An evil elf in a major city piqued my interest alot as it turned upside down a staple of fantasy (good, noble, wise elf etc). Kudo's to Ed on brining Elaith to life and to Elaine for expanding on him . Of course any other Lore on other Craulnobers is always welcome



Heh. Elaith has always struck me as someone who is trying very hard to be evil, when he's not really. He still has his nobility, he sometimes does good acts (without necessarily understanding why he's doing them), and he definitely has a sensible head on his shoulders.

I should point out though, he falls outside of my realms of interest - so I don't really know him that well... It is entirely possible my statement above is way off the beam.


Reply author: maransreth
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 10:46:21
Message:

Quick question: What happened to the contest to guess the identity of the scandalous author? Did I miss who guessed correctly or has everyone gone silent wondering?

If it has not yet been guessed, would Ed be willing to provide a small snippet of a clue to help us clueless people along?


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 11:04:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
This is actually the thing I've never understood with Elves. In previous Editions of DnD, the default alignment of Elves has been Chaotic Good. This doesn't jibe with strongly conservative views and a strict adherence to tradition. You can have the latter with a largely chaotic mindset, but other aspects of their life are definitely going to be freer.


I would say you are correct, the alignment of elves is incorret.

I would say that elves lose their 'free-er' natures as they get older, and centuries of living slowly drive them to more traditional clan/family ideals.

Then after a couple more centuries they start to go insane (much like the Chosen do/are doing). All those memories and experiences are perhaps too much for them.

Anyhoo this is a discussion for a another scroll (sorry Mods, will shut up now)

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 13:41:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
This is actually the thing I've never understood with Elves. In previous Editions of DnD, the default alignment of Elves has been Chaotic Good. This doesn't jibe with strongly conservative views and a strict adherence to tradition. You can have the latter with a largely chaotic mindset, but other aspects of their life are definitely going to be freer.


I would say you are correct, the alignment of elves is incorret.

I would say that elves lose their 'free-er' natures as they get older, and centuries of living slowly drive them to more traditional clan/family ideals.

Then after a couple more centuries they start to go insane (much like the Chosen do/are doing). All those memories and experiences are perhaps too much for them.

Anyhoo this is a discussion for a another scroll (sorry Mods, will shut up now)

Cheers

Damian

I hope I can add one thing if that's all right. I've heard from different sources that gold elves tend to be a bit more lawful in their alignment. Is that right? And if so, are they more LN? And I've always thought that moon elves felt more NG.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 14:17:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Sun Elves, in particular, seem more LE than CG.



We do have the Eldreth Veluuthra, who oppose human encroachment, and would happily slay any human, and especially half-elf, they meet.
This pride for a cretain heritage is not uncommon (I saw it in Greyhawk as well), and it could certainly extend to other beings, such as dragons (in the same campaign, my elf-halfdragon came from a elven house that had copper dragon ancestors, and faced the scorn of not being a pure-blood). Still, I would expect that to be not common, more depending on situation.
It may be that shame is not so much about elf and dragon, as it is about rider and mount. It is possible a certain kind of relationship between those two is expected, and being mates may be concidered a breach of that relationship (the mount being in the rider's care, much like a patient in that of a nurse or docter).

Gomez


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 20:18:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague);


Are you looking at the correct year (1479)? Because it's listed that way on my list, and on the list downloaded from the Wizards site.

<snip>

Having said that, 'Year of the Ageless One' is definitely listed on the official Realms "Roll of Years" as Wooly notes above.




Heh. Found it. I was looking at the alphabetical list, and forgetting not to ignore "the" when looking at the list. (My brain works way too much like a computer sometimes.) That's too bad, in a way; I was all set to rant about conspiracy theories. Seriously, that's a rant I'm happy not to bash out.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 22:30:11
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
I would say that elves lose their 'free-er' natures as they get older, and centuries of living slowly drive them to more traditional clan/family ideals.

Then after a couple more centuries they start to go insane (much like the Chosen do/are doing). All those memories and experiences are perhaps too much for them.


They do say that one gets more conservative the older one gets. But that's not actually been my experience - I've become more progressive the older I get! It just goes to show that generalizations are not always right.

As for going insane over time - well there's a difference between humans and elves. Humans aren't designed to last for more than about 70-80 years (and that may well be lower in the Realms), while Elves are designed to live for hundreds of years (and depending on your elf, that might even be thousands). I remember reading somewhere that elves don't die of old age, they just eventually make the decision to move on to the afterlife... I don't know if that applies to Realms elves, but even so my point remains. Elves are supposed to live long lives, and therefore they would have the mental toughness to do so... There's not be much point otherwise, and Corellon would be a cruel creator indeed.

Humans, I might add have the mental toughness to last well into their 100s... And I'm sure there are (many) individuals who are tough enough to live hundreds of years. In the case of the Chosen, I think because of their great power and the extraordinary responsibilities that rest on their shoulders experience far more mental wear over time, than someone who might have found a way to make themselves effectively immortal, and can do as they like without answering to the Gods or being expected to fix the world when it goes off the rails.

And you're right, this is probably a bit too much discussion for this scroll... So I'll just leave it with a - how accurate have I been with my thoughts, Ed?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 23:09:35
Message:

A couple of things I'd like to comment on, if I may...

Gold Elves are NOTORIOUS for their feelings of 'racial purity'. Not all are like that, mind, but just about every clan has a "few of those...". Also, there have been many cases where individual Silver Elves feel the same way. The Craulnobers are an old, PROUD clan, and such 'aberrations' to their gene-pool would be DEEPLY frowned upon.

Also, there is special relationship betwen a Dragon-rider and their 'mount', and to take that to a sexual end is almost a breech of trust, or at least, some may view it so.

And I won't even get into how it gives a whole new meaning to the term 'Dragon-Rider'.

Another strange, or perhaps not-so-strange thing - Elves seem to have a lot more in common with dragons then they are willing to admit. There are several instances - that woman who is in command of the Dragonriders comes to mind - wherein an Elf may 'delay' the inevitable indefinately, by going into long, coma-like 'sleeps'. Aside from the obvious love of finery and inborn magical prowess, this appears to be just one more way in which dragons and Elves are alike. An Elf can chose to extend it's life by 'hibernation', much as Dragons do as they start to reach venerable age.

Elven Attitudes:
As for Elves in general - the way I see it, the only difference between Drow and Elves are their actions, and even then, only to a point. I think deep-down, they are exactly the same (which is most certainly the case - they ARE the same race, at least they were), but an Elf is better-able to hide, or even repress its natural urges. To make a comparison to a well-known SciFi series, Elves are like Vulcans and Drow are like Romulans (who also were the same race before a split thousands of years ago). The Romulans represent everything that a Vulcan would be if they didn't keep a constant vigil against their own baser desires. To me, that explains the relationship between Elves and Drow perfectly - when an Elf sees a Drow, they are seeing the darkness all of them have within staring right back at them.

Lastly, the Roll of years....

We now have two Rolls of Years, and I have a feeling the WotC is going to be using the new one to 'get out of' stuff on the original. My own theory is that the Black Chronology trumps Alaundo's - it was a 'divergent path' of prophesy that Shar forced the timeline to detour down.

I think this because they haven't really given us much of it, which leads me to believe designers left it open so they can put the year-names in as the need them, which is less restrictive then them trying to shoe-horn their stories into the year-names. The created their own set of make-it-up-as-you-go prophesies.

Think about it - how the heck are they going to do 1425 DR: Year of the Seven Sisters now?

Also note that the only roll of Years included in the GHotR (in part) was the Black Chronology, not the old one, which WAS included in Brian's original. They obviously want people's attention focused on this new roll of years over the older one.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 23:29:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

and I've also noticed that the Year of the Ageless One is not on the Roll of Years that I have (in Word format, downloaded from wizards.com pre-Spellplague);


Are you looking at the correct year (1479)? Because it's listed that way on my list, and on the list downloaded from the Wizards site.

<snip>

Having said that, 'Year of the Ageless One' is definitely listed on the official Realms "Roll of Years" as Wooly notes above.




Heh. Found it. I was looking at the alphabetical list, and forgetting not to ignore "the" when looking at the list. (My brain works way too much like a computer sometimes.) That's too bad, in a way; I was all set to rant about conspiracy theories. Seriously, that's a rant I'm happy not to bash out.

Ah, fair enough. I thought it was a little curious, especially after you said this was the list from Wizards. And that listing does have the "Year of the Ageless One" referenced.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 11 Mar 2009 23:36:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Lastly, the Roll of years....

We now have two Rolls of Years, and I have a feeling the WotC is going to be using the new one to 'get out of' stuff on the original. My own theory is that the Black Chronology trumps Alaundo's - it was a 'divergent path' of prophesy that Shar forced the timeline to detour down.

I think this because they haven't really given us much of it, which leads me to believe designers left it open so they can put the year-names in as the need them, which is less restrictive then them trying to shoe-horn their stories into the year-names. The created their own set of make-it-up-as-you-go prophesies.

Think about it - how the heck are they going to do 1425 DR: Year of the Seven Sisters now?

Also note that the only roll of Years included in the GHotR (in part) was the Black Chronology, not the old one, which WAS included in Brian's original. They obviously want people's attention focused on this new roll of years over the older one.



I think you're reading too much into it. For one thing, if the Black Chronology had been intended as a replacement for the Roll of Years, I think we would have seen more of it other than a version that stopped at the Sellplague -- and we wouldn't have later dates that use the original Roll.

Also, the original Roll is still available. The original file is still on the Wizards site, if you know where to look, and the Roll is also part of the Forgotten Realms Calendar Tool.

Besides, including it in the printed Grand History would have taken up something like 20 pages -- 20 pages of nothing but year names in a printed book. I don't think anyone would have been happy about that one... Heck, even the version of the Roll in the original pdf was little more (no offense, Brian) than the rtf file tacked onto the end of the chronology.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 00:47:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Our pleasure!
From visiting Ed's house, I can tell you that he left some book-adorned rooms out. There are even bookshelves on the various landings at the top and halfway up his stairs - - not to mention built-in bookshelves all around the bed in his sleeping hut, down "at the bottom of the garden" (actually one overgrown farm field east of the house, beside the woodlot). When we were younger, Ed and I talked about "dream" garden elements, and Ed's was his own small private lake/overgrown pond with an island at the center of it and a "folly" (built-as-a-ruin stone castle) on it.
However, he can't dig one out where he is now because the soil is too sandy, and besides, springs rise on both sides of his property and run down its edges as full-fledged streams. He has a cottage up in Muskoka to satisfy the "boating on the wild lake" urges, when he gets them.


I wouldn't mind my own lake, myself (and therefore, lake-loving plants). Sometimes it's best just work with what we have though.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 01:28:07
Message:

Hi again, all.
maransreth, the contest isn't over; no one has correctly guessed who got that infamous chapbook into print, yet. Yes, Ed is indeed willing to provide a clue, perhaps even more than one; he promises me he'll get back to me with one soon.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 01:37:54
Message:

Hi again!
Zandilar, Ed says your thoughts re. elven and human mental toughness, as expressed in your last post, are "dead-on accurate." He also says that the post by Markustay, immediately after Zandilar's post, has got the elven attitudes "exactly right," with just one caveat: so long as scribes bear in mind that when Markustay concludes his Elven Attitudes remarks with the "when an Elf sees a Drow" sentence, the elf may think such things (only) subconsciously, and that these are racial norms, not wholly accurate on the level of each and every elf (or drow, or half-elf) individual.
As for the Roll of Years comments, Ed can't confirm Markustay's suspicions, because he just doesn't know. He couldn't confirm them if he DID know, thanks to (yes) NDAs, but he honestly doesn't know. Ed points out that it's quite in keeping with established Realms tradition (and real life, and many other fantasy novels outside the Realms) to have different faiths believing in, and following, different calendars (and interpreting events differently). Ed does NOT think the Sharran Roll of Years was included in the GRAND HISTORY for anything other than "increasing roleplaying possibilities and interest" reasons.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 01:40:00
Message:

Okay, I admit I've totally lost track of the chapbook author thing. Is there an up-to-date list of all the wrong guesses? And just what, EXACTLY, did Ed say about the author (i.e. clues thus far)?
Thanks, all.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 01:51:01
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes.
Ed and I have been e-talking over various lore-queries made in this thread, and although he hasn't yet gotten around to penning a proper answer for Nerfed2Hell's February 17th query: "Animal question: do people of the Realms keep anything resembling the equivalent of "glamour pets"? I'm especially interested in the Heartlands, but if there's a notable noble of Waterdeep or elsewhere with the equivalent of a chihuahua on her arm all the time... I'm curious to know what kinds of things people keep just for pets --not just familiars or animal companions-- and whether or not this kind of behavior sets trends or makes others scoff."
. . . Ed did say:


Yes, of course they do. Including tressym (as pets, not just as familiars), lurlae (longhaired cats with fluffy smoke-gray fur), and flying snakes (see RACES OF FAERUN). More later, when I have time.


So saith Ed. Tireless (but extremely busy) Father Creator of the Realms.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 02:09:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

. . . Ed did say:


Yes, of course they do. Including tressym (as pets, not just as familiars), lurlae (longhaired cats with fluffy smoke-gray fur), and flying snakes (see RACES OF FAERUN). More later, when I have time.
Oooh! I'm actually thinking about having my current PC purchase another feline. She's currently the owner of a proud Russian-blue brought from a recent sojourn on Earth.

So my lady, is there anything more Ed can provide on the lurlae, and their place in the Realms, that we don't currently know?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 02:15:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, fellow scribes.
Ed and I have been e-talking over various lore-queries made in this thread, and although he hasn't yet gotten around to penning a proper answer for Nerfed2Hell's February 17th query: "Animal question: do people of the Realms keep anything resembling the equivalent of "glamour pets"? I'm especially interested in the Heartlands, but if there's a notable noble of Waterdeep or elsewhere with the equivalent of a chihuahua on her arm all the time... I'm curious to know what kinds of things people keep just for pets --not just familiars or animal companions-- and whether or not this kind of behavior sets trends or makes others scoff."
. . . Ed did say:


Yes, of course they do. Including tressym (as pets, not just as familiars), lurlae (longhaired cats with fluffy smoke-gray fur), and flying snakes (see RACES OF FAERUN). More later, when I have time.


So saith Ed. Tireless (but extremely busy) Father Creator of the Realms.
love to all,
THO

Going from memory, right at this moment... and to help answer part of Nerfed2Hell's question about other pets:-

These are for Cormyr --

Eveningstar: tressym [the 'Tressym' entry in Haunted Halls of Eveningstar would seem to suggest that tressym are, on occasion, kept as "loose" pets -- villagers do in fact tend toward feeding them, and sometimes seek to prevent much of the damage they cause to the local surroundings]
Wheloon: ferrets and bluebirds
Tilverton: frogs


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 02:37:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


<chop>
Think about it - how the heck are they going to do 1425 DR: Year of the Seven Sisters now?
</chop>



Not just that, but 1440 DR: Year of Azuth's Woe... a bit late for that, don't you think?


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 02:46:03
Message:

A little late to the party on elven views, but since I've been thinking about it recently, I wanted to add something.

In my opinion, the elven bad opinion of half-dragons stems less from racial purity (though there's that as well), and more from bad memories of the Age of Dragons. Realms of Elves spelled out explicitly what had been hinted at before, namely that dragon lords in the distant past had forced offspring on their demihuman subjects, often against their will.

I don't think there's a race on Faerun that loves their past and holds grudges like elves (with dwarves a VERY close second). They've lovingly held onto hate for more than ten thousand years in the cases of the drow and the Vyshan, why not a bit further back? Thus a half-dragon would be a visual reminder of the "really bad old days," and would be hated because of it. This also has the benefit of applying to moon and sylvan elves, who are historically less interested in "racial purity" than gold elves.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 03:19:16
Message:

not just the demi-humans, but the humans too I'd imagine.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 03:32:23
Message:

I think this is a first for me, but I have a question for Ed regarding two questions he has already answered for me (at least as far as "NDA" can be considered an answer). Are the Shadevari your original creations, or did someone else come up with them later? I believe you already claimed responsibility for the devilishly intriguing pyramids under Ascore, so if you can shed some light on the authorship of the Shadevari, it will allow me to make a decision for the purposes of my own Realms-continuity. Thanks!

That's what they are! Nasty Devilish Assassins of freedom of information...


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 07:33:29
Message:

Well, Year of the Seven Sisters might refer to their disappearence... The Simbul disappeared in that year, if I am not mistaken.
Regarding the Year of Azuth's Woe, that is weird... Maybe something killed off the Magisters forever?
But I do have a question. And this isn't a joke, so no lewd comments!
Ed, why is it that all the elven women I have read about keep their 'Blade of Honor' (the one that they use for the blood-curse) in their, ahem... private parts? And is that why they are called Blades of Honor?


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 14:36:42
Message:

I have some queries concerning the tree-lore in 'Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical'.

The Sycamore does not exist in the Realms. Cool, but I have a query over what you define as a Sycamore. Over here in UK the Sycamore is Acer pseudoplatanus and occasionally A. campestre, the field maple as 99% of people can’t tell them apart. However on a recent (well recent over here), episode of the crime drama ‘NCIS’ Jethro identifies as a Sycamore a seed and subsequently a tree which is plainly and unequivocally the Plane Platanus acerifolia (aka P. hispanica). Please can you let me know which you identify as the Sycamore, or is there yet a third? You say the maple exists in the Realms of which the English Sycamore is a variety, also the sugar Maple, the Norwegian Maple etc. etc. Does the sugar maple exist, and is it a part of the economy of The North? Do all the 1000 odd varieties of the Willow exist?

Hazel is not mentioned at all; in Europe it was an important part of farming for the making of hurdles, bean-poles and wattle & daub, in addition to the delicious and nutritious cob-nut. Does it exist in the Realms?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 15:05:29
Message:

Hi, arry.
Ed will of course answer you properly in time to come, but I can tell you from playing in his campaign that the sugar maple and hazel both exist in the Sword Coast North and the Moonsea North of the Realms, plus Heartlands.
"Sycamore" is a rather loose term (up in Canada, where both Ed and I are from, a plane tree and a sycamore are definitely different things . . . and neither of them is anything like a maple ), so I seriously doubt Ed is saying most maples don't exist in the Realms.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 16:54:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

He also says that the post by Markustay, immediately after Zandilar's post, has got the elven attitudes "exactly right," with just one caveat: so long as scribes bear in mind that when Markustay concludes his Elven Attitudes remarks with the "when an Elf sees a Drow" sentence, the elf may think such things (only) subconsciously, and that these are racial norms, not wholly accurate on the level of each and every elf (or drow, or half-elf) individual.
Not so much my thoughts (except for the Star Trek comparison), but more due to extensive studies I did of Faeries and all things 'Fey' many, many years ago. It seemed to me, in the end, the only real difference I could find between the way Seelie and Unseelie Fey behaved was that Seelie Fey at least tried to control themselves around humans. Elves are nothing more then a Prime material (and therefore mortal) Extension of the Fey court. Every Elf wants to 'revel and cavort' the night away... its just most Golds are too dignified to admit to any such thing (and if you don't think Drow know how to party, then you really need to re-read Elaine's wonderful Stralight and Shadows trilogy again).

As to the way I ended that - YES, when making broad, sweeping statements about ANY race, be it real or fictional, of course exceptions will always exist, and in some cases entire groups can be the exception. Every race has it's Drizzts or it's Craulnobers. My statement was merely another way of saying that an Elf thinks "There, but for the grace of gods, go I". Like the descent curse in miniature, each surface Elf sends his 'inner Drow' into the depths of his subconscious... where it sits... waiting...

He knows its there - thats how Miyeritar and Jhaamdath happens. Thats when unbribled and repressed emotions that have been bottled-up too long explode in a single, furious, and often catastrophic culmination.

As to the part about the Roll of years - I fully understand (and agree with) - both Wooly and Ed's comments. I just think its awful convenient to have a second set of years you can hand-tailor if you need to.

Bring me a Shrubbery!
There are certain types of trees - such as Redwoods - which are identified as being 'Earth trees' which are NOT native to Toril. HOWEVER, there are several species of these Earth trees that ARE native to Abeir, including Redwoods. In the case of all these trees, from time to time, 'pockets' of them have shown-up in Toril, usually when magic somehow "went on the Fritz" (ToT, Fall of Netheril, Spellplague, etc, etc...). This is why we occassionally see in-print Earth flora and fauna on Toril, when it has been stated in certain supplements that no such things exist in the Realms. Ergo, Sycamores, Maples, Hazel, whatever... may all be found somwhere in the Realms, but they are not all necessarily native to the Realms, and some may not even be native to Abeir (you don't think Archmages bring-back seeds from other worlds every once-in-awhile?). Just because an "Unreliable Narrator" like Volo has never seen one, doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere (and don't forget, how would Volo even know about Sycamores, hmmmmm?)

---- Mark, who was big fan of the famous Marvel Comics "No-Prize"

Edit: Tell me a Story, Mr, Greenwood... pweese?
Since I made another post, and I haven't been asking questions in the last few, I figure I might as well throw this one out there -

Ed, tell us about a 'Braveheart'. I just watched this the other day, and although there are a few places in the realms where 'Highlander-types' could fit (most notably Erlkazar), I don't know of any offhand in canon. Could you describe one-such - A man of great personal honor, courage, and fighting skills who lead his people against over-whelming odds and subjugation.

And no... don't bring-up Elminster and Athalanter. I'm looking for more of a 'noble savage', then a wiley sneak-thief with some magical skills.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 17:01:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Well, Year of the Seven Sisters might refer to their disappearence...


Or it might refer to another set of seven sisters, ones who have nothing to do with a goddess. Not everything on the Roll of Years is associated with some major event.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 17:08:57
Message:

While that may be true, you don't honestly believe that the person who thought-up that year wasn't thinking about the famous seven, do you?

Sure... it can be anything NOW... but we know what it was supposed to be...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 18:31:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

While that may be true, you don't honestly believe that the person who thought-up that year wasn't thinking about the famous seven, do you?

Sure... it can be anything NOW... but we know what it was supposed to be...



*shrugs* It's certainly possible... There are 2300 entries on the Roll. I doubt that anything specific was planned or thought up for even as many as 25% of them.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 18:46:10
Message:

Wow, people really paid attention to my request not to make lewd comments regarding my question! For some reason, I feel almost disappointed, like something has let me down...
And no, that was not an invitation for lewd comments!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 18:54:46
Message:

"So thats why I've been calling it my 'Blade of Honor' all these years".

Happy Now?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 20:17:01
Message:

I was happy earlier, simply surprised. See above post, last sentence.
But anyway, we should stop hijacking Ed's scroll with simple banter (although I never liked the term 'hijacking'. I prefer to call it 'Thread Drift'.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 23:32:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Well, Year of the Seven Sisters might refer to their disappearence...


Or it might refer to another set of seven sisters, ones who have nothing to do with a goddess. Not everything on the Roll of Years is associated with some major event.

That's what I was thinking. After all, the Realms does have something of a history with "two" groups of seven things -- like the two groups of "Lost Gods" for example.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Mar 2009 23:33:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

While that may be true, you don't honestly believe that the person who thought-up that year wasn't thinking about the famous seven, do you?

Sure... it can be anything NOW... but we know what it was supposed to be...



*shrugs* It's certainly possible... There are 2300 entries on the Roll. I doubt that anything specific was planned or thought up for even as many as 25% of them.

Indeed. It may even be difficult to understand some of the more confusing names themselves because the particular aspects they are referencing were set down in the Realmslore long ago, and have yet to be fully explored in the material. Or the person/people responsible for those particular year names had ideas about what they could refer to at the time of compiling the Roll of Years, and then forgot all about them.

As it is, I sometimes tend to view the Roll of Years as an archaic source of information about the Realms as it was back when the Roll was first put together. There may have been a lot of good ideas and references floating around at the time that were incorporated into it, and then either ignored, forgotten, or simply cast aside as progress on the setting's design shifted elsewhere.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 02:38:58
Message:

Very true, Sage, very true.
Although Ed has something in mind for every last year he named when creating the Roll, and then again in a later session of augmenting and expanding. He can't, of course, reveal any of those events that may or may not now happen in canon lore, but he DID hint this far:

The Seven Sisters referenced in that year name aren't the same Seven Realms fans have already "met." (And no, this isn't a change or a retcon; they never were.)

"Azuth's Woe" is the poetic/prophetic nickname of a being, not a misfortune befalling Azuth in that year. The being referenced caused Azuth "woe" (and earned the moniker) many years earlier.

So saith Ed. Who also reminded me that many of the events anticipated and then commemmorated in year names are indeed small, local, little-known things, not necessarily "big" happenings.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 03:52:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Very true, Sage, very true.
Although Ed has something in mind for every last year he named when creating the Roll, and then again in a later session of augmenting and expanding. He can't, of course, reveal any of those events that may or may not now happen in canon lore, but he DID hint this far:

The Seven Sisters referenced in that year name aren't the same Seven Realms fans have already "met." (And no, this isn't a change or a retcon; they never were.)

"Azuth's Woe" is the poetic/prophetic nickname of a being, not a misfortune befalling Azuth in that year. The being referenced caused Azuth "woe" (and earned the moniker) many years earlier.

So saith Ed. Who also reminded me that many of the events anticipated and then commemmorated in year names are indeed small, local, little-known things, not necessarily "big" happenings.
love to all,
THO



Once again, my curiosity hath been piqued. I suspected as much regarding the "big happenings" matter, given Ed's love for RSE's, but I'm very curious now about the identities of the "Seven Sisters" and "Azuth's Woe"... and I'm not even going to ask those questions, because I already know the three-letter answer to both.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 05:45:20
Message:

So Sage was correct - Ed just has a 'thing' for the number seven?

Note - there's no need to elaborate - I am fully aware of the mystical symbology involved with that number. I'm a big 'three' man myself.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 09:32:28
Message:

For all we know the year of the seven sisters refers to the the seven orc sister who build the first orcish tapdancing club.


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 12:09:44
Message:

Thanks very much for your reply Lady Hooded!

@Markus Ni!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 13:47:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

So Sage was correct - Ed just has a 'thing' for the number seven?

Note - there's no need to elaborate - I am fully aware of the mystical symbology involved with that number. I'm a big 'three' man myself.



He also likes animated skulls, I've noticed. Which is understandable, as it's a cool concept. I've been fiddling with an NPC, myself, that is nothing but a skull.


Reply author: Portella
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 13:52:12
Message:

Hi my question to is this:

The Karse Stone: It talks about being heavy magic, what is heavy magic and what are it uses? Is it the last remanent part of the old weave? so many questions really... what could a archwizard do with the karse stone?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 16:48:10
Message:

Heavy Magic is discussed, if I recall right, in the Netheril box set from 2e.

quote:
Originally posted by Portella

Hi my question to is this:

The Karse Stone: It talks about being heavy magic, what is heavy magic and what are it uses? Is it the last remanent part of the old weave? so many questions really... what could a archwizard do with the karse stone?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 17:17:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

He also likes animated skulls, I've noticed. Which is understandable, as it's a cool concept. I've been fiddling with an NPC, myself, that is nothing but a skull.
Yeah, I kinda dig the skulls myself, and have connected all of the canon versions to Demilichs - Ed's are just a more powerful, flying (and flaming) form of those, and I even have a HB concept for one.

I call it the Psuedo-Lich (just to make it similar to the equally ill-named Demi-Lich). Basically, its a Lich that has gotten so ancient and decrepit that it transcends into a Demi-Lich state before its skelton fully disintegrates. In this state, the head 'detaches' and flys around (like Ed's skulls) and has all the same attributes as a Demi-Lich, but the rest of it's body is hidden away somewhere, and it has to return to it every 24 hours or so. Its sort of like combining a Demilich with a Penanggalan and a Crypt Thing. The body CANNOT move and may even function as the thing's phylactory (I haven't decided about that yet). I was also going to make it Vampiric, like the Penanggalan, but decided to save that for yet another HM monster (the Vampiric Lich).

Undead are just so much fun.

quote:
Originally posted by arry

@Markus Ni!
Don't 'Ni' me... I still find it... suspect. <where's our 'Razz' smiley?>

Then again... I find EVERYTHING 'suspect'.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 17:38:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

So Sage was correct - Ed just has a 'thing' for the number seven?


Indeed he does, one of the 'seven' that has been mentioned very briefly in passing is the 'Seven Swanmays of the Kings Forest' (Cormyr).

THO, did the Knights ever encounter these seven? And is Lharave (featured in FRO the Old Gray Box Set) one of those seven?

Thanks

Damian




Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 18:17:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Okay, I admit I've totally lost track of the chapbook author thing. Is there an up-to-date list of all the wrong guesses? And just what, EXACTLY, did Ed say about the author (i.e. clues thus far)?
Thanks, all.


This is the list I have. I think I have all of the guesses, but I'm not positive.

Incorrect guesses:

Alaphondar
Giogioni Wyvernspur
Vangerdahast
King Azoun
Valantha Shimmerstar
Elminster
Storm
Tessaril Winter
Glarasteer Rhauligan
Aerilee Summerwood
Laspeera
Garen Thal
Filfaeril
Volothamp Geddarm
Tanalasta
Alusair
Jorunhast
Dimswart
Thone


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 19:48:05
Message:

Greetings All,

Just a quick question. Was my list of Myth Glarauch questions one of those topics too broad
in scope, or is it one of those areas covered by a Dyson Sphere NDA? Just Curious.

I was wanting to know, could we have reoccuring spot of Elven clan info. I loved the stuff on
the two or three clans that were mentioned previously on Ed's scroll.

Blade of Honor? Boy, there isn't anything honorable I do with my blade.
It's more a... oh never mind. Not important.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:11:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren

Blade of Honor? Boy, there isn't anything honorable I do with my blade.
It's more a... oh never mind. Not important.


A Short Sword of Backstabbing? (for those who remember 1E)

(Apologies to Ed, THO, and mods for the... 'thread drift' I believe was the term Menelvagor suggested... but I couldn't resist that one.)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:42:40
Message:

Hello again, all.
Ed is busy with hospital stuff today, but I'll field crazedventurers' question:
"Indeed he does, one of the 'seven' that has been mentioned very briefly in passing is the 'Seven Swanmays of the Kings Forest' (Cormyr).
THO, did the Knights ever encounter these seven? And is Lharave (featured in FRO the Old Gray Box Set) one of those seven?"

Damian, the Knights have encountered various members of those Seven over the years, though never the entire group, formally, as a group. So far as I know, Lharave isn't one of them, but is a friend and ally who has worked with them more than once. Ed will of course elaborate and correct, as the opportunity arises.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:48:50
Message:

. . . And to Jakk, I respond:

No, of COURSE you couldn't.
No apology necessary, though if it's around behind me you're interested in, perhaps shortness is a good thing . . .
She observed innocently, looking off from a hilltop across upland Cormyr, to the interesting landmark of Angrul's Oak (a massive dead oak that stands where two streams meet, due west of The Dead Well, halfway between it and the Belflow (the stream that runs southeast from Arabel to the Wyvernwater). [Yes, an extremely subtle example of obligatory Realms reference, there - - but one can never have too many useful landmarks, yes?]
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:49:52
Message:

Is Dathae of Essembra one of the Seven?

And speaking of PftF lore, I've also come-across TWO different "...of the six curses" characters, one of whom gained a seventh curse (although one was afflicted with them, and the other gave them out, IIRC)

'Six' being Ed's ebil number.

And as long as I'm bringing up PftF, where is/was Carathta? There is a reference to Veloghon of Carathta in the Veloghon of Vigilance entry.

I have more, but I'll sneak 'em in here and there.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:54:59
Message:

Heh.
Markustay, there are more "of the six curses" characters than that, though they may not have made it into printed canon Realmslore (and any number of "of the three curses" or "four curses" or fill in the number, too). That's because it was briefly VERY popular to adopt such a nickname, because it sounds grand without being TOO threatening (unlike, say, "I am Marghon the Mage, Destroyer of Thrones").
And, no, she replied sweetly, Dathae isn't one of the Seven, either. She belongs to ANOTHER secretive group, about which only Ed can really say more . . .

love,
THO
P.S. I am SUCH a tease. Time to spank me, someone. Line up, fellas.
AND lasses!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 21:56:58
Message:

Oh, and "more" is good. Sneak 'em in whenever, or just step forth and ask boldly. We LIKE bold sorts, here in this chamber of the Keep.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 22:23:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh.
<snip>
And, no, she replied sweetly, Dathae isn't one of the Seven, either. She belongs to ANOTHER secretive group, about which only Ed can really say more . . .

love,
THO
P.S. I am SUCH a tease. Time to spank me, someone. Line up, fellas.
AND lasses!


If teasings earn spankings, this lineup already consists of every scribe in the 'Keep, by my readings of Ed's scrolls and my estimated count of occurrences of "NDA" and similar turns of phrase...
I'm going to make another attempt to put two and two together... and probably achieve a sum of five... by asking if the mysterious long-awaited announcement has anything to do with Castlemourn... and yes, I entirely understand if an affirmative answer can't be given. Taking stabs at answering unanswerable questions is how I stay sane, believe it or not...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 22:35:03
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
This is the list I have. I think I have all of the guesses, but I'm not positive.

Incorrect guesses:

Alaphondar
Giogioni Wyvernspur
Vangerdahast
King Azoun
Valantha Shimmerstar
Elminster
Storm
Tessaril Winter
Glarasteer Rhauligan
Aerilee Summerwood
Laspeera
Garen Thal
Filfaeril
Volothamp Geddarm
Tanalasta
Alusair
Jorunhast
Dimswart
Thone




You missed out at least Myrmeen Lhal (I should know, I was the one who suggested her because I had shockingly run out of named characters to suggest (due to everyone else suggesting them)... )


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 23:09:04
Message:

Belts loosened, scribes:

*shoves to the front of the line* SLAP! Now what else I should
do while I'm back here?

No, definite a broadsword of backstabbing, Jakk.

Ahem.

Ed, has there ever been a spell developed by a mage in the Realms that can
sever the Weave connection to another spellcaster like Mystra can, or is
that solely her perview.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 23:18:02
Message:

Hi again, all.
Here's the latest, from Ed:

Jakk, I do hope sometime this year (hopefully before the summer) to be able to announce something more about CASTLEMOURN (no, nothing bad, and nothing about changing publishers for it or anything like that), but the announcement THO has been alluding to has nothing to do with that. Really.

althen artren, Azuth could cut off mortals' connections to the Weave, but no mortal spellcaster I know of ever successfully developed such a spell. Some worked on ways to (imperfectly) "steer" dead magic areas to temporarily achieve the same result, though.

Now, if there are going to be spankings, scribes, surely being the Creator of the Realms should count for SOMEthing . . .


So saith Ed. Whose opinions I always hold dear.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Mar 2009 23:33:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Here's the latest, from Ed:

Jakk, I do hope sometime this year (hopefully before the summer) to be able to announce something more about CASTLEMOURN (no, nothing bad, and nothing about changing publishers for it or anything like that)...
Well, that's good news. I've been slowly working to get my first CASTLEMOURN campaign together over the last year or so. So any potentially new material that may be heading our way will help me out significantly.

Thanks for the update Ed.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 01:06:38
Message:

Belts loosed, scribes:


My sincerest apologies, Ed. Indeed, you should be at the
front of the line. I step back to #2, being the gentleman I am.


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 02:21:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
I would say that elves lose their 'free-er' natures as they get older, and centuries of living slowly drive them to more traditional clan/family ideals.

Then after a couple more centuries they start to go insane (much like the Chosen do/are doing). All those memories and experiences are perhaps too much for them.


They do say that one gets more conservative the older one gets. But that's not actually been my experience - I've become more progressive the older I get! It just goes to show that generalizations are not always right.

As for going insane over time - well there's a difference between humans and elves. Humans aren't designed to last for more than about 70-80 years (and that may well be lower in the Realms), while Elves are designed to live for hundreds of years (and depending on your elf, that might even be thousands).

(snip)


How old (in human years) was that incredibly ancient elf in Cormyr: A Novel who had overseen the beginning of Cormyr and its rise to world (or at least "regional") power? As I recall, he was fond of wands and had fought the Purple Dragon at least once.




Reply author: bobwriggins
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 02:46:22
Message:

Dear Ed and Dearer THO,

While I'm waiting in line for a spanking (spanker or spankee, doesn't matter, I like 'em both) I thought I'd try to get a quick opinion from the grand creator himself. My two daughters, ages 12 and 9 have been introduced to the Realms through Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, and seem to be quite interested in taking on actual role playing face-to-face. Does Ed have any suggestions on introducing younger playrs to the Realms?

Thanks,

Bob


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 03:40:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


(snip)

Lastly, the Roll of years....

We now have two Rolls of Years, and I have a feeling the WotC is going to be using the new one to 'get out of' stuff on the original. My own theory is that the Black Chronology trumps Alaundo's - it was a 'divergent path' of prophesy that Shar forced the timeline to detour down.

I think this because they haven't really given us much of it, which leads me to believe designers left it open so they can put the year-names in as the need them, which is less restrictive then them trying to shoe-horn their stories into the year-names. The created their own set of make-it-up-as-you-go prophesies.

Think about it - how the heck are they going to do 1425 DR: Year of the Seven Sisters now?

Also note that the only roll of Years included in the GHotR (in part) was the Black Chronology, not the old one, which WAS included in Brian's original. They obviously want people's attention focused on this new roll of years over the older one.


If there is a complete listing of the Black Chronology available (for free) on the internet, will someone please post a link to it here?

As for 1425 DR, Markustay, the Seven Sisters of the year name are: Zelda, Magda, Frieda, Arrabella, Bertha, Bettina, and Liz. Zelda being the name of the Goddess of Shopping (wife of Murray, God of Parking Spaces), 1425 may be a year for "interloper" deities to arrive on Toril. (Connie, is, I think, a foster sister, so she doesn't count as part of the "seven," even though most people regard them as eight sisters.)


Now that I have cleared that up, Ed, will you please tell us how Years of the Hierodulic Wolverines (1078) and the Parchment Heretical (1167) earned their names? I'm guessing that the Wolverines (heroes of the war against Cuba and the U.S.S.R. as we John Milius fans know) were servants of either Selune or Silvanus. Real details, please, Ed?


Reply author: Herkles
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 04:24:03
Message:

Hello Ed, I am looking of sun elven houses on evermeet, particularly information upon House Alenuath and any noble sun elven houses in the city of Ruith. Also information upon sun elven festivals, as in what they do during them, would be good.


Thank you

~herkles~


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:04:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


P.S. I am SUCH a tease. Time to spank me, someone. Line up, fellas.
AND lasses!



I'm thinking of the line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. What comes after the spankings interests me more than the spankings!

You know, my travel agent had never heard of Castle Anthrax! How the hell am I supposed to go there on vacation?!?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:07:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen


If there is a complete listing of the Black Chronology available (for free) on the internet, will someone please post a link to it here?


From the description in Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave (page 159), the Black Chronology starts in 1352. From that page:

quote:
The shadows fall properly and other signs make it more clear. At long last, the Black Chronology is coming to fruition. I trust in the shadows that dance at the edge of my sight, for Shar enfolds me in her dark embrace. I can with some authority claim that this year, 1352 DR, is indeed the Year of the Lost King, first year of the Black Chronology. I know that the events prophesied in the Book of the Black will soon come to pass.
Behold the Roll of Years and its Shadow. In due time we shall all bear witness to unfolding of Shar's greatest work.




It only goes up to 1385, the year of the Sellplague. From everything in the description, I'm assuming that there are no listings before 1352 or after 1385 as part of the Black Chronology.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:09:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Herkles

Hello Ed, I am looking of sun elven houses on evermeet, particularly information upon House Alenuath and any noble sun elven houses in the city of Ruith. Also information upon sun elven festivals, as in what they do during them, would be good.


Thank you

~herkles~



Just a note, in case you didn't see my other comment: it appears that House Alenuath is a moon elf family.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:15:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


P.S. I am SUCH a tease. Time to spank me, someone. Line up, fellas.
AND lasses!



I'm thinking of the line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. That interests me more than the spankings!
You've obviously never seen the inside of the Lady Hooded One's chamber here at Candlekeep. One could easily mistake it for a boat-house. What with all the oars and paddles and such*.


* Points to the scribe who notes where that particular reference comes from.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:15:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen


If there is a complete listing of the Black Chronology available (for free) on the internet, will someone please post a link to it here?


From the description in Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave (page 159), the Black Chronology starts in 1352. From that page:

quote:
The shadows fall properly and other signs make it more clear. At long last, the Black Chronology is coming to fruition. I trust in the shadows that dance at the edge of my sight, for Shar enfolds me in her dark embrace. I can with some authority claim that this year, 1352 DR, is indeed the Year of the Lost King, first year of the Black Chronology. I know that the events prophesied in the Book of the Black will soon come to pass.
Behold the Roll of Years and its Shadow. In due time we shall all bear witness to unfolding of Shar's greatest work.




It only goes up to 1385, the year of the Sellplague. From everything in the description, I'm assuming that there are no listings before 1352 or after 1385 as part of the Black Chronology.

Which is why I'm still inclined to assume that what Ed said above earlier, and what we've been discussing as well, is that just because certain references on the Roll of Years might seem familiar, doesn't necessarily mean that they actually are. And it might also mean that they don't necessarily refer to what we would naturally assume they refer to.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:19:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Herkles

Also information upon sun elven festivals, as in what they do during them, would be good.
While you're awaiting a response from Ed, I assume you've checked most of the elven sources in the Realmslore? Like Races of Faerûn for example? I seem to recall one or two brief bits about sun elf rituals/festivals in that tome. [And Demihuman Deities for that matter as well]


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:21:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Which is why I'm still inclined to assume that what Ed said above earlier, and what we've been discussing as well, is that just because certain references on the Roll of Years might seem familiar, doesn't necessarily mean that they actually are. And it might also mean that they don't necessarily refer to what we would naturally assume they refer to.




Indeed. I've learned not to make assumptions about year names on the Roll. And since I started the little project of fixing the errors on the Roll, I've learned a lot of interesting things about some of those year names!

I remember a few years back, discussing 1375, the Year of Risen Elfkin. While the elven Crusade is an obvious choice for the definition, I pointed out that it could have been something else entirely, like the birth of or the rise to prominence of a particular half-elf.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:33:07
Message:

Actually, that brings up another "Roll of Years" -related question that has to do with its compilation. But I want to check my facts exactly first, before I ask Ed. I've got a sneaking suspicion the answer may be hiding behind an NDA, but it's worth asking anyway.

In fact, Brian might have some insight into this as well. I'll edit this post with my question later.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 05:56:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Which is why I'm still inclined to assume that what Ed said above earlier, and what we've been discussing as well, is that just because certain references on the Roll of Years might seem familiar, doesn't necessarily mean that they actually are. And it might also mean that they don't necessarily refer to what we would naturally assume they refer to.




Indeed. I've learned not to make assumptions about year names on the Roll. And since I started the little project of fixing the errors on the Roll, I've learned a lot of interesting things about some of those year names!

I remember a few years back, discussing 1375, the Year of Risen Elfkin. While the elven Crusade is an obvious choice for the definition, I pointed out that it could have been something else entirely, like the birth of or the rise to prominence of a particular half-elf.


Or the year a certain half-elven ranger picks up the Warblade.

Yep, never going to give up on this one. I *will* see it canonized...

In regards to the Black Chronology in Cormyr:tToW, the listed years are copied from the other book, so that's not the only years recorded. In fact, in Anauroch:EoS, it's mentioned that Amgauthra the Mad was chronicling both the Roll of Years and the Black Chronology at the same time. During the day, she would chronicle the roll, while be plagued by the Black Chronology at night. So I'd say it's safe to assume that there are just as many years listed for the BC as there are for the RoY.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 06:07:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart


In regards to the Black Chronology in Cormyr:tToW, the listed years are copied from the other book, so that's not the only years recorded. In fact, in Anauroch:EoS, it's mentioned that Amgauthra the Mad was chronicling both the Roll of Years and the Black Chronology at the same time. During the day, she would chronicle the roll, while be plagued by the Black Chronology at night. So I'd say it's safe to assume that there are just as many years listed for the BC as there are for the RoY.



I'd not assume that, myself. We have a clear reference to the Black Chronology starting in 1352. From what I quoted earlier: "I can with some authority claim that this year, 1352 DR, is indeed the Year of the Lost King, first year of the Black Chronology." Agauthra the Mad was writing the Book of the Black at the same time -- not necessarily an entire alternate Roll. My assumption is that the Book of the Black focuses mainly on the events of the Black Chronology. Some stuff on events leading up to it, sure, but the bulk of it would be the events of the BC. I don't see anything that indicates to me that the Black Chronology goes past 1385.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 06:15:03
Message:

My apologies, oh furry one. It does indeed say first year in Cormyr. I'm currently running Anauroch for my party and reading how Augathra (sorry for the misspelling earlier, it is quite late) spent 'countless lifetimes' chronicling the Roll of Years and being tormented by Shar's Black Chronology, that I thought there would be more to it than a what was listed in the adventure.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 08:32:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart


In regards to the Black Chronology in Cormyr:tToW, the listed years are copied from the other book, so that's not the only years recorded. In fact, in Anauroch:EoS, it's mentioned that Amgauthra the Mad was chronicling both the Roll of Years and the Black Chronology at the same time. During the day, she would chronicle the roll, while be plagued by the Black Chronology at night. So I'd say it's safe to assume that there are just as many years listed for the BC as there are for the RoY.



I'd not assume that, myself. We have a clear reference to the Black Chronology starting in 1352. From what I quoted earlier: "I can with some authority claim that this year, 1352 DR, is indeed the Year of the Lost King, first year of the Black Chronology." Agauthra the Mad was writing the Book of the Black at the same time -- not necessarily an entire alternate Roll. My assumption is that the Book of the Black focuses mainly on the events of the Black Chronology. Some stuff on events leading up to it, sure, but the bulk of it would be the events of the BC. I don't see anything that indicates to me that the Black Chronology goes past 1385.

And I think I'm going to craft a special entry in the Candlekeep's Guide to Forgotten Realms FAQ for this. Because as the 4e timeline becomes more and more established through events in novels and the DDi articles, it seems likely that some scribes will look back on what was revealed in the Roll of Years both before and after the Spellplague when attempting to plot undetailed events between 1385 DR and 1479 DR.

I'm also going to include those notes from Ed about understanding just what the year names on the Roll of Years are all about.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 14:56:27
Message:

Hello again, all.
This time, I bring you Ed's response to this recent query from bobwriggins: "Dear Ed and Dearer THO, While I'm waiting in line for a spanking (spanker or spankee, doesn't matter, I like 'em both) I thought I'd try to get a quick opinion from the grand creator himself. My two daughters, ages 12 and 9 have been introduced to the Realms through Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, and seem to be quite interested in taking on actual role playing face-to-face. Does Ed have any suggestions on introducing younger players to the Realms? Thanks, Bob"
Ed replies:


Sure. :} I'm going to assume that you're completely new to handling beginner players, so please don't be offended by the way I answer this, okay? I'll be happy to say more, differently, if this is too basic.
Here's what I'd do: pick a small rural place in the Realms that's located on a caravan route (like Shadowdale), so you can give Player Characters a "ready road" to cool-sounding other places in the Realms, and some means (gossipy travelers/traders, stopping at the small rural place for a night) of hearing about those places.
Give your daughters "young, bored characters who want adventure" to play, let them shape those characters entirely themselves after you give them the stats (I'd say two rogue types who discover a precious long-hidden cache of stainless steel-vial healing potions very early on, and some magic . . . plus an opportunity to discover that they both have some talent for the Art [can work magic]). Don't worry about rules editions or specific rules; as DM, shape the adventure they have like a storyteller or the director of a TV episode, making sure the action moves along, they have plenty of challenges (puzzle-solving, decisions to make as to who to trust or which lead to follow up on), and PLAY the NPCs like a ham actor, building a supporting cast of eccentric travelers and locals.
For the adventure, pick something very simple from any readily-available source (there are plenty of free adventures online as downloads, for example - - again, old ones are fine) and tear it apart. You don't care about following it, you care about giving your daughters great entertainment. I recommend a mystery (find out who the murderer or spy is, among the locally-known people) with lots of cleverly-hidden messages and minor treasures (a stone that glows on command and so can be used as a light, or a dagger ditto), and a very few SIMPLE but scary monsters (skeletons, the crawling claws I created so many years ago just to have disembodied skeletal hands scuttling after people and scaring them, and nasty people). Not hard-to-defeat foes, except for a longer-term villain you'll want to "set up" (perhaps seen once, very early on, when your daughters' characters don't know who this person is, and then just alluded to later on, as they start to hear just how evil and powerful this person is).
Then drop, add, rearrange, and tinker with elements from the adventure(s) you're adapting, to create a fun sequence of events that plans for the choices the PCs will make (if they go here and do this, then Encounter X happens, but if they instead go there and do that, run Encounter Y; both will lead to Encounter Z, but differently, like so) so your daughters will have fun AND feel like they're getting somewhere and achieving something, not running an endless obstacle course.
Even if there isn't a real mystery at the heart of the adventure, make things FEEL mysterious (as if there are local conspiracies and spies; perhaps a dying old man gasps out a secret or a warning to the PCs just before he passes; perhaps they witness someone they knew and trusted change shape into a monster, when the someone thought they were unobserved; perhaps both those things happen, and a lot more), and try to make sure you have two to four hours of playing time when the sessions begin, and that in every session there's some sort of reward (even if it's just a piece of information), and some challenge, and some new mystery or puzzle or warning.
With that said, don't push it; if your daughters don't want to play that long, or like to "drop out" of roleplaying to gossip or joke or talk about other things with you, LET IT HAPPEN. Without showing them any irritation on your part, over it. Your job as DM is to hand them a fun time (though to be satisfying, that involves challenges, not easy wish-fulfillment), not force them along through "your" hobby or sport. Put various situations in front of them and watch and listen to what they seem to prefer: do they like battle? Or banter? Or confrontational arguments with authority figures or foes? Or sneaking around, spying unobserved? Try to find out, and give them more of that. Not ALL of that, or it'll get boring, but if they enjoy something and are good at it, give them many chances to shine at it. You can teach them life lessons about fairness and "right" ways to behave, of course, but if you do, be darned subtle, or the fun will be ruined. And don't be afraid to change everything, right in the middle of the adventure, if they come up with something really exciting. If they suddenly light up and say, "This guy is selling dragon eggs - - I KNEW it!" then that's what he's been doing, even if you hadn't thought of that until then.
Remember, it's not about "getting through the adventure the way it was written." It's about making your daughters ask eagerly, "When can we play next, Dad? Huh? Huh?"
And don't get upset if they wreck all your best-laid traps and villains, or bypass them altogether. They will. Count on it. NEVER let them think you the DM are your adversary; make sure they always see you as the guy pulling back the curtain to show them this exciting world to play in, NOT their foe who marshals that world against them.
Oh, and have fun! :}


So saith Ed. In as splendid a swift encapsulation of what D&D is about as I've heard in a long time. Good luck, Bob! (I suspect your daughters are going to be the lucky ones.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 15:12:07
Message:

That was one of the coolest things I've read in a good long while, and it really made me smile. I love telling children stories. The look on their face of awe and surprise... really gets ya, you know?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 16:21:22
Message:

And also good advice, even for DM's that have been doing this for a while. Sometimes you need to be reminded of why the job's so much fun!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 17:00:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Indeed. I've learned not to make assumptions about year names on the Roll. And since I started the little project of fixing the errors on the Roll, I've learned a lot of interesting things about some of those year names!
I had implanted an 'Easter Egg' in my CKC article revolving around 1400 DR: The Year of Lost Ships (if you do the math in some of the time-hopping hints). I thought that was rather clever of me - tying a mixed fleet out of the Moonshaes to the rather odd colonization of the Utter East (and using the canon Umberlee's Fist to boot!) - but alas, the Spellplague/4e changes nuked my article. <sigh>

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly RupertI remember a few years back, discussing 1375, the Year of Risen Elfkin. While the elven Crusade is an obvious choice for the definition, I pointed out that it could have been something else entirely, like the birth of or the rise to prominence of a particular half-elf.

Someone - I believe it was Rich Baker (although it may have been SS) said they wanted to use that year, but then had to use the next one, because another author had already 'used up' the Year of the Risen Elfkin.

I remember reading that, and thinking "They are thinking up entire trilogies because of a sentence?! Just WOW...."

I prefer most of the entries be enigmatic, not RSE-amatic.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and "more" is good. Sneak 'em in whenever, or just step forth and ask boldly. We LIKE bold sorts, here in this chamber of the Keep.
love to all,
THO
In your case, M'Lady, I would not be so base as to 'sneak' anything. I would ask, beg... perhaps even grovel... just for the chance to slip ye something.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 17:45:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen:
How old (in human years) was that incredibly ancient elf in Cormyr: A Novel who had overseen the beginning of Cormyr and its rise to world (or at least "regional") power? As I recall, he was fond of wands and had fought the Purple Dragon at least once.


I'll admit I'm not Ed (and therefore will go to the end of the forming line) but you mean Iliphar Nelvenue, Lord of Wands. He was old. I beleive that at the time Cormyr was founded, he was a short time from passing to Arvandor. He appears at the beginning of Cormyr: a Novel, which was -400 DR, and last appears 205 DR. so he was at least 600+ years old. I'm sure Ed can give a more exact span- answer. I said answer. I did not say spank. I didn't!


Reply author: ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 17:50:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by ranger_of_the_unicorn_run
This is the list I have. I think I have all of the guesses, but I'm not positive.

Incorrect guesses:

Alaphondar
Giogioni Wyvernspur
Vangerdahast
King Azoun
Valantha Shimmerstar
Elminster
Storm
Tessaril Winter
Glarasteer Rhauligan
Aerilee Summerwood
Laspeera
Garen Thal
Filfaeril
Volothamp Geddarm
Tanalasta
Alusair
Jorunhast
Dimswart
Thone




You missed out at least Myrmeen Lhal (I should know, I was the one who suggested her because I had shockingly run out of named characters to suggest (due to everyone else suggesting them)... )

I added that to my list, thanks for telling me. Maybe I should go back and search for all of the answers again.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 18:05:15
Message:

Belts tightened, Scribes:

Is there some offical scribe for the Royals, or maybe some head of bodyguards that would
have written this? The bodyguards see just about everything you know. I don't know
nearly as much about Cormyr as I do Myth Drannor.

Also, I have a back history question. Ed, in the area that Larloch
has his fortress in, is there any back-history, maybe a dwarven or
elven fortress, or a mine, or something there before?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 18:11:41
Message:

Darn. There goes my guess that Iliphar Nelvenue published the offending chapbook.
Seriously . . . time to start putting on the guessing cap. Bodyguards? Surely they'd see it AFTER it was published, and copies started surreptitiously making the rounds?
Hmmm...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 18:48:24
Message:

Maybe it was published by that false King - didn't he end up in Ravenloft or something?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 19:13:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Maybe it was published by that false King - didn't he end up in Ravenloft or something?



Gondegal did wind up in Ravenloft. And the market for such a chapbook is much, much smaller there.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 20:31:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Maybe it was published by that false King - didn't he end up in Ravenloft or something?

Wooly's correct. He wound up in Ravenloft, changed alignment, found himself a girl, and became a member of the Circle... a Knight of the Shadows. I myself have a character that's a Knight of the Shadows. I can't wait till Halloween to play him again; it's a seasonal campaign though we play it sometimes on Friday the 13th or during really bad storms. Adds a lot of flavor.

Oh, he's on page 144 of the Ravenloft Gazeteer Volume II if that helps anyone, by the way.


Reply author: bobwriggins
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 21:46:55
Message:

Dear Ed and To,

Thanks for the swift reply! My girls will be over next weekend so I have all week to try to flesh out your suggestions. Wish meluck!

Thanks again,

Bob


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 23:42:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Maybe it was published by that false King - didn't he end up in Ravenloft or something?



Gondegal did wind up in Ravenloft. And the market for such a chapbook is much, much smaller there.

Wooly is indeed correct.

And to keep this Realms-related, I'll note that new lore regarding the "Lost King" was revealed in the Grand History of the Realms.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Mar 2009 23:43:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Maybe it was published by that false King - didn't he end up in Ravenloft or something?

Wooly's correct. He wound up in Ravenloft, changed alignment, found himself a girl, and became a member of the Circle... a Knight of the Shadows. I myself have a character that's a Knight of the Shadows. I can't wait till Halloween to play him again; it's a seasonal campaign though we play it sometimes on Friday the 13th or during really bad storms. Adds a lot of flavor.

Oh, he's on page 144 of the Ravenloft Gazeteer Volume II if that helps anyone, by the way.

And so long as you aren't particular about which edition you're drawing information from... you'll find a little more about Gondegal in the old "Black Box" for the RAVENLOFT setting.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 01:56:42
Message:

Hi again, all.
This, from Ed of the Greenwood and The Hooded One, to bobwriggins:

LUCK!


love,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 02:10:17
Message:

So I come sidling up to THO, not wanting to get my behind handed to me for daring to "nudge" the Creator of the Realms, but I believe someone (not, he added hastily, me) asked for a clue or even two to be provided to flummoxed scribes, re. the possible publisher of the steamy Queen Filfaeril chapbook.
So . . . howzabout it? (Leaps back out of range, adopts wide smile of apology, grovels a bit for good measure, then sits up grinning like an idiot and panting like a dog.)


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 03:38:26
Message:

Hmmm, I wonder if it could be an envoy/ambassador to the Court of Cormyr from somewhere less friendly than Silverymoon (such as Sembia, or Westgate, or Amn). Scribes, has Ed ever named any such?
Or what about those craven high holy men of Cormyr we saw at the end of DEATH OF THE DRAGON? Any of them lust after Queen Fee, or hold a grudge against her, or want to enrage any of the Obarskyrs for some reason?
Hmm, indeed . . .


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 03:40:36
Message:

Oh, and move over, dog of a Broken Helm. I can pant and grin idiotically at the lovely Lady Hooded just as well as you can, and I hear there's room in the spanking line . . .


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 12:46:09
Message:

-I will lay on my back and let THO rub my belly!

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 15:25:33
Message:

I hate it when his leg starts kicking...

Any way, I have a guess for the author - The Lark


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 17:35:25
Message:

As promised, some questions about books!

I was just looking at Krash's Book List for Tomes in Candlekeep, which builds on Steven Schend's Candlekeep Collection. There were three books that jumped out at me (actually more, but that was because of typos; I'm doubting Alusair wrote a book in 1239! ). These particular books jumped out at me because of their names, so I thought I'd see what lore you could provide about these books and their authors.

Memoirs of an Illithid-Human Crossbreed, by Naneetha Shinalstar, War Mage of Saelmur
Tavern Dancing My Way to Wizardly Might, by Jerenneth Ghalvin of Neverwinter
What Came Out of My Mouth Too Swiftly, by Jeremmer Hardree, “the Mad Jester”

As always, thank you for your time!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 20:35:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Gondegal did wind up in Ravenloft. And the market for such a chapbook is much, much smaller there.



He was one of the non-darklords detailed in the first release of the setting.
He was mentioned in the Grand History of the Realms, too, with a totally ridiculous attempt to portray him using some recycled image.
I liked the portrair with the drooopy mustache in Ravenloft.

I wouldn't say the book would be less popular there. It would be the next hot thing in Dementlieu.

Anyway, 'people known at the court of Cormyr' may actually contain a lot of people depending on how well they need be known...

How about Lady Tavernant? I just found her in Volo's Guide to Cormyr, and she is an noblewoman (hence would be known at court, I guess), eccentric, and can print her own copies... even if she didn't write it, I am sure she printed a few...





Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 20:58:00
Message:

Really, because I'd love to see info on this book, and what it contains: 'Why I Ride Men and Not Thrones', by Alusair. What were the reactions? Especially in Cormyr, by nobles, commoners, and family?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 23:24:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

As promised, some questions about books!

I was just looking at Krash's Book List for Tomes in Candlekeep, which builds on Steven Schend's Candlekeep Collection. There were three books that jumped out at me (actually more, but that was because of typos; I'm doubting Alusair wrote a book in 1239! ). These particular books jumped out at me because of their names, so I thought I'd see what lore you could provide about these books and their authors.

Memoirs of an Illithid-Human Crossbreed, by Naneetha Shinalstar, War Mage of Saelmur
Tavern Dancing My Way to Wizardly Might, by Jerenneth Ghalvin of Neverwinter
What Came Out of My Mouth Too Swiftly, by Jeremmer Hardree, “the Mad Jester”

As always, thank you for your time!

Actually, Wooly's question reminded me of my own wish to learn more about some of the books on "Krash's listing" as well. Since I've slowly been adding to it, and trying to including most of the other references, particularly those tomes from Blackstaff and Blackstaff Tower, I've had plenty of opportunity to sit and think about which titles I'd like to hear more about.

So, here's my listing:-

- A Harper's Song by Alustriel, High Lady of Silverymoon
- An Ecology of the Planes by Garth of Suzail
- Anthropologic & Folkloric Histories of the Settled Lands by Carcroft the Long
- Ballads and Lore of One Dusty Road by Sharanralee
- Cormyrian Customs and Scandals by Aserglan Burtrann
- Fallen Legacies: Arcaeological and Historical Analysis of the Mere of Dead Men by Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
- I Harp as I See It by Abranthar "Twoquills" Foraeren
- Lyres, Harps, and Horns: Sixty Years at Court in Suzail & Elsewhere by Aglasz Jhavildar, Sage of Suzail
- The Red Book of a Thayvian Mage by Thaelrythyn of Thay
- The Strings of a Shattered Lyre by Tammarast Tengloves, Bard of Elupar

Ed, I appreciate any lore both you and the Lady Hooded One can provide.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Mar 2009 23:27:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Gondegal did wind up in Ravenloft. And the market for such a chapbook is much, much smaller there.



He was one of the non-darklords detailed in the first release of the setting.
Yes, I believe I mentioned that already.

And in terms of completeness re: lore for Gondegal, you'll also find a little more info in the Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 00:43:18
Message:

Questions raised, scribes:

You must be losing you touch, Madam Hoody.

There are only three or four scribes in line.
I guess I'll have to get in line a second and
third time.

I was just kind of wondering about the Blackstaff.
What was his line of research when it came to the Seros
sea? Do you have knowledge or is this all SES line of
thought?
Can we maybe have a "unofficial list" of things he might keep
in a dead magic field?
How does Elminster like his quiche?
This might be something that I have asked before, but may I
have a description of the Frozen Forest? If I have, I apoligise.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 02:26:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren


You must be losing you touch, Madam Hoody.

There are only three or four scribes in line.
I guess I'll have to get in line a second and
third time.


Ahhh... she's not losing her touch. We're just patient and quietly standing in line.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 03:05:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I hate it when his leg starts kicking...

-

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 05:35:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Actually, Wooly's question reminded me of my own wish to learn more about some of the books on "Krash's listing" as well. Since I've slowly been adding to it, and trying to including most of the other references, particularly those tomes from Blackstaff and Blackstaff Tower.


Mine is updated also and I was thinking the other day about sending through the revised list. I'll have to get onto Alaundo and do so - once I've checked with Steven about some book dates.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 05:42:49
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren
You must be losing you touch, Madam Hoody.

There are only three or four scribes in line.
I guess I'll have to get in line a second and
third time.




I can think of far better things to do than spank or be spanked... that's why I haven't jumped in the queue myself.

Umm... Question... Hmm... Are there any examples of demon/devil hybrids in the Realms? (ie: something that's half demon and half devil)... I'm pretty sure they (demons and devils) don't explode on contact, and there are examples of "risen" fiends of all stripes, so I think it's not beyond the realms of imagining.

I ask because in my home brew (Cresan) there's a big plot involving a faction of demons and a faction of devils who are working together (and creating a bunch of hybrids in the process)... I'm interested in insights (and ideas I can pinch) to make it hold together better... (It is Realms related, because Mystra hopped a ride in one of the NPCs when they and the PCs returned to Cresan. It was an attempt to avoid Cyric's murder attempt by establishing a presence for herself in another world.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 06:05:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Actually, Wooly's question reminded me of my own wish to learn more about some of the books on "Krash's listing" as well. Since I've slowly been adding to it, and trying to including most of the other references, particularly those tomes from Blackstaff and Blackstaff Tower.


Mine is updated also and I was thinking the other day about sending through the revised list. I'll have to get onto Alaundo and do so - once I've checked with Steven about some book dates.

-- George Krashos



Could you possibly send me a copy friend Krash? I can then match it up with my own and, maybe, save you some further work. I've also got to follow-up on Steven's offer about providing me with some details about several tomes that he couldn't include in either Blackstaff or Blackstaff Tower. After all that, I'll send the whole listing to Alaundo for inclusion on the main site.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 06:09:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Actually, Wooly's question reminded me of my own wish to learn more about some of the books on "Krash's listing" as well. Since I've slowly been adding to it, and trying to including most of the other references, particularly those tomes from Blackstaff and Blackstaff Tower.


Mine is updated also and I was thinking the other day about sending through the revised list. I'll have to get onto Alaundo and do so - once I've checked with Steven about some book dates.

-- George Krashos





I did note a couple of oddball dates, like the aforementioned one with Alusair writing a book before she was born. Shall I email you those?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 06:34:44
Message:

I'd like a copy of those "oddball dates" too Wooly, if you don't mind. Just in case I've missed any.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 08:48:38
Message:

Oh, and for lore on books, I'll add a (possibly) final request:
What does A Small But Treasonous Chapbook, by Albaertin of Marsember contain? And why does it sound like something related to Filfaeril Bound and Walking?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 16:38:06
Message:

May I suggest posting the list somewhere, where we could all contribute?

I have a small list of my own, mostly pertaining to books relevant to the east. I'm not sure if you'd consider them 'Realms enough' for Candlekeep, but I have a lot from Kara-Tur and a few from Zakhara.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 20:45:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,
<snip>
Umm... Question... Hmm... Are there any examples of demon/devil hybrids in the Realms? (ie: something that's half demon and half devil)... I'm pretty sure they (demons and devils) don't explode on contact, and there are examples of "risen" fiends of all stripes, so I think it's not beyond the realms of imagining.

I ask because in my home brew (Cresan) there's a big plot involving a faction of demons and a faction of devils who are working together (and creating a bunch of hybrids in the process)... I'm interested in insights (and ideas I can pinch) to make it hold together better... (It is Realms related, because Mystra hopped a ride in one of the NPCs when they and the PCs returned to Cresan. It was an attempt to avoid Cyric's murder attempt by establishing a presence for herself in another world.)



That's the best-kept secret in the multiverse... the demon-devil crossbreeds... they're yugoloths (formerly daemons, for those like me who remember 1E and 2E). At least, that would be a neat answer to the question... but I suspect that the yugoloths have their own origin story already... so we'll await Ed's response.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 21:24:15
Message:

Hello All,

Ed can you speak on thayan circle magic, how it has impacted faerun since Thay's birth. My players have tackled a thayan wizard and turned her over to a certain NPC, this NPC is well warded but I want to know if the investigating red wizards, all currently in Scornubel seek their abducted companion using circle magic, what occurs. I assume circle magic would be potent enough to pierce a single mages wards, if not at first, then eventually but is circle magic something that would be "noticed" by those sensitive to weave within Scornubel? Is it a subtle manipulation or a kick down the door type of manipulation? Would size of Scornubel and multitude of magics great and small within city blunt the circle magic ritual?

Secondly, the mage npc in question is an archmage of respectable lvls, would he know that his magic is being breached by a 'collective' effort as opposed to just hostile magic? Is divination magic something Thayans are good at casting collectively?

Anything you could provide would be helpful, thanks.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 21:50:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I did note a couple of oddball dates, like the aforementioned one with Alusair writing a book before she was born. Shall I email you those?



I think I've fixed them all in my revised, revised list but please send them through. The Book List is like the Roll of Years: no matter how many times you read through it, someone always finds another snafu you've missed.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 23:24:25
Message:

Sage, Krash, give me a day or two. Comparing the original and the revised list, I'm noting some other oddities -- in fact, the odd dates that I was originally noting appear to be caused by a date getting shifted down one row. I've also noted at least one book on the original list that's not on the revised list.

Speaking of sending stuff to you, Krash, I don't believe I received the review of that article I sent you... (hint, hint! )


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Mar 2009 23:25:56
Message:

Oh, and a couple more books to add to my query.

On the Care and Feeding of Banites, by Melthras of Semphar
The Phoenix Prophecies, by Unknown
Words Spent On Little Fools: Instructing Humans, by Hamairathgauraundon, High Wyrm of the Crags
Yellow Stars Above My Grave, by Indrikh Darsiir, "the Deathless Gnome"


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 00:07:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I've also noted at least one book on the original list that's not on the revised list.
Heh. I didn't notice that.

I, however, did notice a few errors with one or two of the authors listed as well, much like your example of Alusair earlier. I think the authors are correct, but with minor spelling irregularities that could've been caused by the transition from text to HTML. I'll take another look.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 00:12:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

The Phoenix Prophecies, by Unknown
Oh, I forgot about this one. Not only was I curious about the actual Prophecies, but much like the other books listed with "Unknown" authors, I was curious about what we could learn about the author as well.

And Ed, here's another three that I forgot to mention earlier. [That Wooly just reminded me of ]

- The High History of Faerûnian Archmages Mighty by Antarn the Sage
- Just Another Tome Among So Many: Last Leaves of a Librarian by Beldrim Bessart of Baldur's Gate
- Letters to Novice Court Wizards by Vangerdahast of Cormyr


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 00:31:27
Message:

The Phoenix Prophesies were penned by the Herald Swordswreath.

However, he was just collecting and recording them for Candlekeep from MANY such prophesies created by the Abbalayar - the 'Arcane Prophets' of Calimshan.

The most famous of those prophets was Nar'ysr, and his Caleph Augeries feature prominently in the Phoenix Prophesies, the most important and cryptic of which are known as The Eclipses.

Empires of the Shining Sea, pg. 6-8


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 01:21:42
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring fresh pearls of Realmslore from the quill of Ed of the Greenwood, but I can’t resist answering althen artren before I present them.
Specifically, in regards to THIS little comment:

You must be losing your touch, Madam Hoody. There are only three or four scribes in line. I guess I'll have to get in line a second and third time.

althen, dear, the scribes are lining up UNDERNEATH me. To save time, you understand. I’d invite you to reach down and feel around to verify that, but some males tend to be, er, squeamish about that sort of thing. (Muffled scream: “He touched my Rod of Lordly Might! He touched it!”)
Ahem.
(Now if you can’t behave, boys, then neither can I. I’ll be over here with Zandilar.)
Now, on to the words of Ed!
Who, curiously enough, also has words for you, althen. To whit, in response to this query of yours: “Ed, in the area that Larloch has his fortress in, is there any back-history, maybe a dwarven or elven fortress, or a mine, or something there before?”
Ed replies:



Yes, Larloch’s Crypt (“Warlock’s Crypt”) actually began as several gnome “strongholds” dug into the southern flanks of the hills, nigh the seashore. Their numbers dwindled under repeated attacks from many foes (goblinkin prominent among them, but also a short-lived “kingdom” of leucrotta and local elves who believed all above-ground fauna belonged to them, for their feasting-spits, from deer to boar to gnomes who dared hunt sylvan beasties), and they were almost all gone (dead or fled to safer areas, such as the seashore south of Neverwinter, and in Velen Peninsula of Tethyr) before Larloch arrived and slew the last of them.



So saith Ed. Who also felt moved to answer this from althen artren: “How does Elminster like his quiche?”
Ed replies:



Raw, of course. :}
Now to be serious: Elminster likes open-faced, small hand-tarts (palm-sized quiches). Made with strong yellow cheese and meat (ham when he eats my frozen ones, bison or bear or moose when he picks through my larder, in that descending order; he made a quiche with fried Spam once, and loved it, though he added other things to soak up some of the salt). He decidedly does not like commercial quiches that are “All crumbling pastry and nothing much in it, look ye!”



so saith Ed. Who now passes on to this, from gomez: “Anyway, 'people known at the court of Cormyr' may actually contain a lot of people depending on how well they need be known...
How about Lady Tavernant? I just found her in Volo's Guide to Cormyr, and she is an noblewoman (hence would be known at court, I guess), eccentric, and can print her own copies... even if she didn't write it, I am sure she printed a few...”
Ed replies:



Right you are: ‘people known at the court of Cormyr’ includes a LOT of people. Let me just provide my first promised clue by refining what I mean by “known at the court.” It means they’ve visited it in person and been announced, more than once, not walked into the room as an anonymous servant or been mentioned by some courtier as some outlander of importance - - that is, important somewhere else. It doesn’t NECESSARILY mean they’re a frequent visitor at Court or well-known there.
And as for Lady Tavernant: what a great guess. Wrong, I’m afraid, but a great guess nonetheless. Almost wish I’d thought of her being the author myself. Right up there with Fee herself as the mysterious scribe. :}



So saith Ed. Who must have been eating his stamina-inducing somethings tonight, because he wasn’t done yet. He moved straight on to Menelvagor’s query: “Really, because I'd love to see info on this book, and what it contains: 'Why I Ride Men and Not Thrones', by Alusair. What were the reactions? Especially in Cormyr, by nobles, commoners, and family?”
Ed replies:



I’m glad you asked. (And in posts to eventually come, I’ll happily talk about many of the titles other scribes are curious to know more about the contents of, too.)
For this particular book, I want to clear up some misconceptions, and this is a handy opportunity.
It’s NOT a sex manual or a randy “steamy confessions for all” tome.
In fact, the title of this book was almost the most salacious part of it. It was not a (forgive me, scribes) blow-by-blow account of Alusair’s lovemaking or what she finds attractive in a bed-partner, it was a frank presentation of why she thought ruling a realm by gaining the trust and support of powerful or soon-to-be-powerful citizens on a personal, individual basis through shared experiences (NOT just lovemaking, but working side by side on shared tasks and projects for the betterment of the realm) was inherently superior to sitting on a throne ruling a populace by decrees, from a distance, through proxies (such as the Purple Dragons, the local Watch, etc.) Her Regency MIGHT have made this book a great irony from cover to cover, but didn’t, because she behaved like that as a Regent, too (no, NOT bedding everyone, though she did from time to time couple with “key” persons, as seen in “The Long Road Home,” my tale at the end of THE BEST OF THE REALMS Volume 2 - - but rather, establishing personal friendships with individuals of high and low station, all over the land, to, and listening to their complaints and suggestions and acting on them, rather than just manipulating them into being her local mouthpieces).
In fact, this book gained Alusair a LOT of support, all over Cormyr, because it was written in such an open, plain, emphatic style - - like someone standing talking to you, not in courtly “high speech” - - that everyone who dipped into it readily understood it, and because it had the ring of truth (the author really believed what she was writing), and the people liked the message. Some conservative nobles were horrified at the thought of “consorting with the lowest and most coarse,” and others winced at the thought that THEIR tenants might now expect them to behave like this, too. However, darned near everyone else, from clergy to Purple Dragons to old shepherds and millers drinking in local taverns, approved highly (whether they believed she’d ever “drop her steel groinsheaths” for them or not).
Her parents admired her for writing it, and openly said so, liking her philosophy and praising it. (Tanalasta’s reaction would of course have been to wince in private, and say nothing in public.) Courtiers are always diplomatic about royal writings (cue the Muppet movie THE FROG PRINCE, and the dignified announcement: “Prolonged applause”).
And of course, the young nobles she rode with were proud and pleased, too, because they now had something to wave at their parents and say, “See? I know you’ve been hearing about her rutting with all of us - - well, THIS is what it’s really all about! Saving the realm in the years ahead, so angry commoners don’t decide Cormyr can get along quite well without our heads still decorating our necks!”



So saith Ed. Who’s done yeoman service this fair even, dealing with divers queries, and now begs leave to go and sort and take out the garbage and the recycling.
So until next time,
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 02:18:19
Message:

Hello, Ed, THO, and fellow scribes. It's me again, trying to tease a little more Cormyr lineage hints from the apparently airtight NDAs...

quote:
February 19, 2006: Hi again, fellow scribes. This time, Ed tries to give a useful reply to Nevorick's query: "Lady Herald, I will take thy advice and ask for small kernels of knowledge from the Sage, Ed. After thy whispers, what can Ed say on the Cormyrian Kings, Belmuth and Arathra?"

Ed speaks:

I'm afraid NDA concerns will render me much more terse than I'd like to be, but here we go:

<chop> ... I must warn that I'm not going to say much more about these monarchs, and not give much greater depth if asked about others, either, because although I'd love to share everything freely with all scribes of Candlekeep and Realms fans, I'm NOT going to imperil the chances of getting the lore of Cormyr featured in some sort of official WotC print publication.


I won't even ask about this; I know all concerned with getting this lore out to us are doing their best... as are those concerned with the opposite goal.
quote:
Nevorick, you must rest assured that the Lineage as it stands now (although we'll always want to add more detail to it, of course) presents a line of succession that has no holes in logic. Weirdnesses, yes, but everything's explained if you read the entire document - - and the scribes THO named have done yeoman service in that regard.

So saith Ed.

Who may be as curious as I am as to why these two monarchs in particular interest you, Nevorick. If you're interested in setting a campaign way back during their times, you'll have to concoct a LOT of information about the wider Realms around Cormyr yourself, and there's a dark shadow hanging over the Forest Kingdom that Ed's trying to avoid saying too much about. If you're planning to have someone or someones around today who's directly descended from either of these, forget it. That same shadow handily eliminated that possibility, although there are "loose end" Obarskyrs from this century who COULD serve that purpose, especially if the descent was illegitimate and secretive. If you were just curious about the stories of Belmuth and Arathra (because of their nicknames, perhaps), I'm afraid that's just what Ed has to be so sketchy about. Sigh. Let us parley.


Okay, now for my question: Can Ed say anything more now about that "dark shadow" hanging over Cormyr? I'm assuming it's not Nalavarauthatoryl or the ghazneths; they're old news when this question was first asked in 2006. Could it be, pray tell, the shadow that blotted out the wondrous illumination that would have been a 3.5E Cormyr sourcebook? If, on the other hand, this shadow is less metaphorical, I'm even more interested... <sigh> Whatever happened to the beauteous idea that more published lore is a *good* thing? I have some theories, but this is neither the time nor the place...


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 02:22:31
Message:

Hmm. On the topic of who wrote Filfaeril, Bound and Willing, I'm going to venture an off-beat (pardon the puns) guess and say Aundable Inthré. No? Didn't think so.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 02:43:46
Message:

My best guess on that 'Shadow', Jakk, is that it has something to do with a very subtle curse that keeps the Obarskyr line lite of males.

The 'curse' itself may not be an actual curse - it could be something more insidious... like certain War-wizards 'pruning' the less-desirables from the lot, or even just keeping the numbers down to prevent civil war. I know of at least one War Wizard who killed a Cormyrian King to save Cormyr.

And I'm only taking a shot-in-the-dark here because me thinks Ed might have another NDA regarding this one.

Also, I was just wondering if you missed some posts, THO? We went through a few pages rather quickly. I had guessed The Lark as the author.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 13:40:22
Message:

Ed and Hooded One, thanks for the wonderful lore on Alusair's book--that was a tome that had always stuck in my mind (along with some of the others that have been mentioned thus far).


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 14:05:20
Message:

You're very welcome. That comes from both Ed and me.
Oh, and to Markustay: sorry, I didn't miss seeing it but I did miss responding to it (things have been somewhat hectic away from the keyboard these last few days, for both Ed and me). Unfortunately, it's not The Lark. Sorry.
Nor is it Aundable, Garen Thal. Sorry again. However, both Ed and I like the way your mind works, on settling on such a guess.
Heh. This is fun!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 17 Mar 2009 16:53:46
Message:

Thanks a lot for the lore!
Regarding the shadow over Cormyr: could it be that this shadow has anything to do with the current (4e) king's nephew (I don't remember either of thier names). It was mentioned in the FRCG that the king's nephew is quite evil. And if he wants to be king, it would make sense for him to kill off rivals.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 02:05:08
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes. I bring you another omnibus Ed answer, to the following queries:
First, from Jakk:
Hello, Ed, THO, and fellow scribes. It's me again, trying to tease a little more Cormyr lineage hints from the apparently airtight NDAs...
THO quote, re. a Feb 19th, 2006 Ed response to Nevorick about the Cormyrean kings Belmuth and Arathra: “If you're interested in setting a campaign way back during their times, you'll have to concoct a LOT of information about the wider Realms around Cormyr yourself, and there's a dark shadow hanging over the Forest Kingdom that Ed's trying to avoid saying too much about. If you're planning to have someone or someones around today who's directly descended from either of these, forget it. That same shadow handily eliminated that possibility, although there are "loose end" Obarskyrs from this century who COULD serve that purpose, especially if the descent was illegitimate and secretive. If you were just curious about the stories of Belmuth and Arathra (because of their nicknames, perhaps), I'm afraid that's just what Ed has to be so sketchy about.”
Okay, now for my question: Can Ed say anything more now about that "dark shadow" hanging over Cormyr? I'm assuming it's not Nalavarauthatoryl or the ghazneths; they're old news when this question was first asked in 2006. Could it be, pray tell, the shadow that blotted out the wondrous illumination that would have been a 3.5E Cormyr sourcebook? If, on the other hand, this shadow is less metaphorical, I'm even more interested... <sigh>”

Markustay then posted: “My best guess on that 'Shadow', Jakk, is that it has something to do with a very subtle curse that keeps the Obarskyr line lite of males.
The 'curse' itself may not be an actual curse - it could be something more insidious... like certain War-wizards 'pruning' the less-desirables from the lot, or even just keeping the numbers down to prevent civil war. I know of at least one War Wizard who killed a Cormyrian King to save Cormyr.
And I'm only taking a shot-in-the-dark here because me thinks Ed might have another NDA regarding this one.”

Menelvagor then posted: “Regarding the shadow over Cormyr: could it be that this shadow has anything to do with the current (4e) king's nephew (I don't remember either of their names? It was mentioned in the FRCG that the king's nephew is quite evil. And if he wants to be king, it would make sense for him to kill off rivals.”

Ed now responds:



Menelvagor, it would indeed make sense, and that’s the obvious “adventure motivator” set up in the 4e Realms for DMs who want the nephew’s bid for the throne to drive all sorts of adventuring fun in their campaigns.
However, that’s a “modern” shadow. The shadow referred to by THO hanging over the reigns of Belmuth and Arathra is a quite different one.
Markustay, you’re right that an NDA still forbids me from saying much about the shadow in question, and I’m afraid your guess as to its nature is wrong (but at least I can go so far as to confirm that).
So, Jakk, I CAN’T say much of anything more now about said dark shadow hanging over Cormyr - - except to once more confirm what it isn’t.
It isn’t Nalavarauthatoryl or the ghazneths, and it isn’t a metaphor (or anything else) about something that may or may not have prevented the publication of a 3.5e Cormyr sourcebook. It IS “less metaphorical,” so I’m afraid you are indeed going to be more interested . . . but left frustrated by my inability to say more at this time.
What I can say is that there are obviously future plans (that my even come to pass) to say more about this dark shadow, somewhere and somewhen to come, and that the NDA and my own coy evasiveness center on desires not to ruin that future chance to say more.
Watching Gods above and below, I sound like a weaseling politician. Ale for all, this St. Patrick’s Day, and let’s hope you all forget what I haven’t said! :}



Er, so saith Ed. Who I know is BURSTING to say more, but certainly doesn’t want to ruin the chances of a certain someone telling a specific tale about a particular dark shadow at work (at some time or times unspecified) in the Forest Kingdom of Cormyr.
Gads, this cryptospeak is contagious, isn’t it?
We’d better (she purred, and winked once, slowly and languidly) switch to more non-verbal communication . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 03:00:27
Message:

Thank you for that answer, and also for Ed's compliment in the reply before that.

As I said, it was only a shot in the dark (if you recall, I had asked about the 'heir-lite' Obarskyr line not too long ago, so thats definately something that peaks my interest, even if it is just happenstance).

Shadows... Mists... so may possibilities.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 07:36:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

We’d better (she purred, and winked once, slowly and languidly) switch to more non-verbal communication . . .



I'll get the whipped cream!

Gomez,
who has enough trouble with shadows in the Dalelands to worry about any in Cormyr...


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 17:05:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

We’d better (she purred, and winked once, slowly and languidly) switch to more non-verbal communication . . .


I'll get the whipped cream!



And the honey!?

Ahem . . . I'd like to ask Ed if there is a season in the North corresponding to the Russian 'raspuzitsa', the 'season of mud' when the winter snows have melted and ground travel is almost impossible? If there is one, approximately how long does it last?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 17:41:15
Message:

Ooo... BEAST where are you? I know that RAS mentioned this in a few of his novels. But I can't remember the details (and I'm currently at work).


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 18 Mar 2009 22:22:53
Message:

Magic items shunned, scribes:

Alas the only Rod of Lordly Might I will be touching will be my newborn son when he
gets here in early May, and only in diaper changes and bath-time. Boy, talk about
getting submarined.

Ed, could you describe some of the other elven ruins left in the dales, similar to the
one in Tasseldale in VGtTD.


Reply author: Jamallo Kreen
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 02:21:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
maransreth, the contest isn't over; no one has correctly guessed who got that infamous chapbook into print, yet. Yes, Ed is indeed willing to provide a clue, perhaps even more than one; he promises me he'll get back to me with one soon.
love,
THO


Dear Lady,

For those of us 50 pages or so behind in our scroll reading, do please remind us of the subject and/or title of the "infamous chapbook." Those of us who did without the InterScroll for a few months want to play along with evryone else.





Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 03:53:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<chop>
What I can say is that there are obviously future plans (that may even come to pass) to say more about this dark shadow, somewhere and somewhen to come, and that the NDA and my own coy evasiveness center on desires not to ruin that future chance to say more.
Watching Gods above and below, I sound like a weaseling politician. Ale for all, this St. Patrick’s Day, and let’s hope you all forget what I haven’t said! :}

Er, so saith Ed. Who I know is BURSTING to say more, but certainly doesn’t want to ruin the chances of a certain someone telling a specific tale about a particular dark shadow at work (at some time or times unspecified) in the Forest Kingdom of Cormyr.
Gads, this cryptospeak is contagious, isn’t it?
We’d better (she purred, and winked once, slowly and languidly) switch to more non-verbal communication . . .
love to all,
THO




Has this specific tale by a certain someone about a particular dark shadow been written and just awaiting a publication window, or is there composition yet to be completed? (he asked, possibly not cryptically enough) THO, I do like your suggestion... words create more questions than they answer... particularly when those attempting to answer the questions have been bound, gagged, and what-have-you by those Naughty Dominatrix Aliens. Hrm... on that note... perhaps if I were one of those *receiving* the questions, I'd be better disposed to resist their answers...


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 08:20:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen


Dear Lady,

For those of us 50 pages or so behind in our scroll reading, do please remind us of the subject and/or title of the "infamous chapbook." Those of us who did without the InterScroll for a few months want to play along with evryone else.






Chapbook's title: "Filfaeril, Bound and Willing". Please draw your own conclusions as to the likely subject .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 14:48:18
Message:

Jamallo Kreen, it is indeed time for a recap. This “who wrote the naughty chapbook” contest arose from posts early in this year’s thread, from Ed, which I’ll quote in part.
The first one is a reply to part of a question from Asgetrion about Heralds in the Thunderstone area of eastern Cormyr, and the second is a reply to Menelvagor’s query about the work itself.
Heeeere’s Ed:


There is a local herald, Bannermere, but this is a new office held by a novice, a young, slender, brown-haired man originally from Berdusk, who is polite and rather shy, and derives most of his income by designing and limning signs and writing letters for locals (he is not a Crown herald). He keeps to Thunderstone, and interested clients come to see him; it’s recently come to light (much to his embarrassment) that he secretly writes salacious chapbooks for sale in Scornubel and Waterdeep, including the popular “Rorel the Conquering Blade” series (in which the debonair, swirling-cloaked Rorel beds an endless series of willing women, often after dueling their craven and cruel wife-beating husbands). Interestingly, there’s long been a rumour that the Rorel books were penned by the same anonymous hand that once presented the now-banned chapbook “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” to a receptive Suzail and even more eager Purple Dragon posts up and down the Realm, but a blushing and stammering Bannermere denies ever even dreaming of portraying the Dragon Queen in such a light. (Another rumour whispers that Filfaeril, who has been officially silent on the work, secretly enjoyed it very much and cajoled her royal husband into acting out the events of several of the encounters therein - - but rumour, like a barking dog, oft makes much more noise and arouses more ire than it in truth should.)


I have mentioned it in the drafts of several Cormyr-set novels, as one of those “in jokes” that the editors used to enjoy reading privately, and then prune before publication. By which I mean: they and I both knew such snippets were never going to see print, but I wrote them for fun (back in the dear dawn days of TSR, and up until quite recently at Wizards, one of the editors would discover such a screed, have a laugh over it, then print it out, stand on her chair in cubicle-land, clear her throat loudly, and then read the said steamy scene out loud for everyone.
It provided a few moments of amusement for most of the Books Department folks, and those who needed to concentrate hard whilst editing and didn’t want to hear it were already hooked up to iPods or similar headphone and earbud devices that walled them away from such distractions.
In those unpublished (“suppressed” if you will, but with my agreement and expectation that they would be edited out), I mentioned this specific fictitious salacious work as one in which Purple Dragons would laugh over, and then get very red-faced when Queen Filfaeril strolled past them as they stood guard together, AND as something court ladies or noblewomen would gossip and titter about - - and then subside into shocked silence when Queen Fee came upon them quickly and joined their conversation about it.
Publicly and officially, the Crown ignored the work, except to ban its possession by any Purple and Blue Dragon (something deliberately not enforced in private dwellings, only within guardposts, armories, barracks, naval bases, and fortresses such as High Horn) and to send undercover courtiers around the cities of Suzail, Marsember, and Arabel to quietly buy up all the copies they could find, and “disappear” them. The Court Wizard (Vangerdahast) then issued a decree that the said work contained “dangerous hidden magics that would enact a curse upon the reader,” and banned its printing or copying out by hand, within the realm of Cormyr.
Publicly (aside from face to face meetings with individual nobles, as described above) Filfaeril ignored the existence of the work. It would be considered a grave breach of Court etiquette to mention its title to any Obarskyr, though personal friends of various royals know when they can ignore Court etiquette and when they should follow it. Filfaeril herself told some (shocked) noblewomen that she’d “quite enjoyed it,” and “hoped to read a sequel, and see what further fancies the clever, clever author could IMAGINE.” Tanalasta was too embarrassed to ever mention it to any of her fellow Obarskyrs (though a War Wizard reported to Vangerdahast that he found a copy under her mattress during his usual secret “checking for dangers” inspection, as well as finding copies in the possession of several personal maids and ladies-in-waiting to all three female Obarskyrs), Alusair discussed it frankly with both her mother and father (separately), Filfaeril and Azoun do indeed share a copy and have read it separately and together - - and have tried some of the scenes described therein together. Neither of them is inhibited, and as the ruling royals, THEY decide and set the morals of the realm, not the other way round (unlike in our real world, there aren’t sole dominant clergies in Cormyr, and therefore the royal family isn’ beholden to the opinion of this or that priest as to what’s “good” or “proper” or “appropriate” behaviour, because the many differing views of the many differing priesthoods offset each other, as it were.
In other words, the rumours that Filfaeril enjoyed the work are true.
The rumor that Bannermere wrote “Filfaeril Bound And Willing” is not true. The author IS someone long known at Court in Cormyr, but I think it’s time for some fun; I’ll leave it to scribes to guess the identity of the author, here in this thread, and give no hints - - but I WILL confirm when someone guesses right (and say so when a guess is wrong). To avoid repetitive “carpet bombing” guessing, let’s limit it to three guesses per scribe. So, stare at all those Cormyrean faces, and ask yourself: who’s secretly naughty, with pen in hand?


So saith Ed, and here we are, many guesses later (but not the correct one, yet). As you know, Ed has very recently begun to provide some clues, and will continue to do so. Of which the next one is this: please bear in mind that the writer of the chapbook, and the person or persons responsible for printing multiple copies of it and beginning to circulate them, may well not be the same person at all.
Let the fun continue . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 15:04:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Ooo... BEAST where are you? I know that RAS mentioned this in a few of his novels. But I can't remember the details (and I'm currently at work).

Dude, I'm purty sure I'd remember if RAS had ever written about purring, whip cream, and honey in any of his books.

But I definitely do not.

Best left to those who know the subject matter more intimately.

If you were referring to this:
quote:
Originally posted by arry

Ahem . . . I'd like to ask Ed if there is a season in the North corresponding to the Russian 'raspuzitsa', the 'season of mud' when the winter snows have melted and ground travel is almost impossible? If there is one, approximately how long does it last?

RAS mentioned the muddy summer of the Bloodstone Lands in the novel Promise of the Witch-King and in the old accessory sourcebook The Bloodstone Lands. Per TBL, p.2, this muddy summer season in the northern region of Vaasa lasts "only for a few short weeks".

The 1E FRCS said the same thing, referring to "an impenetrable bog during the few weeks of High Summer" ("Cyclopedia of the Realms": "Vaasa": p.86).


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 16:02:08
Message:

Ed, I would like to ask why so many people in the Realms (such as Elminster or Khelben) seem to consider Volo a fool. If he was an idiot, he would not have survived gathering the information contained in his guides.


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 16:27:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

Ed, I would like to ask why so many people in the Realms (such as Elminster or Khelben) seem to consider Volo a fool. If he was an idiot, he would not have survived gathering the information contained in his guides.
Ahem. The only reason Volo has survived, as has been suggested elsewhere (though hidden), is that Elminster has been instructed to keep the nosey fool alive long enough to do... something. Why, and what, we've not been told, but it's an interesting little subtext to the relationship the two have.

Now, "alive" can mean all sorts of things, as certain toadstools know, but...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 16:28:13
Message:

Volo was not so much a fool as Khelben and Elminster would lead people to believe... which is exactly why they lead people to believe that.

Far easier - and better - to discredit his work, and still keep it around: Volo did seem to have a penchant for finding trouble, and thats something groups like the Harpers or Lord's Alliance found useful from time to time.

As for the chapbook - I've used but one guess, and now Ed's hint has me thinking it was never meant to be published, which has me thinking of possible suspects I wouldn't have considered earlier...

Can we get a date on that chapbook? The title actually sounds like a real event I can think of...


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 19:27:51
Message:

Here's a question or two in regard to translating 4th edition core to the realms. Not sure if you can answer this, but it is important to see if we can make it work.

Primordial and Primal Spirits...

Certain gods like Kossuth are now Primordials instead of gods, Barbarians/Druids/Shaman/Wardens gain their powers from Primal spirits. Yet previous realms lore state the power of druids and clerics of Kossuth all come from gods, and could not gain them from another source.

My question is what would you suggest to adapt 4th core lore with previous realms lore to make effective 4th realms lore?

My two best ideas is either a link between the gods and these other great powers... or cases of Hybred powers like Silvanus and Chauntea being both gods and Primal spirits and Kossuth as well as his fellows being both primordials and gods.

I know a couple of people asking these questions, so any answer would be welcomed which can solve this.

Thanks,

Foxhelm


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 19:39:07
Message:

I've finally gotten around to properly re-reading Silverfall (tests, tests!) and already racked up a few questions:
Even before the Copyright, there are a few words in some language I do not know. "tantaene animis caelestibus irae?" Transalation, anyone?
Also, in the title of each part, there is a different font. I do not understand a letter there. In Dove's part it appears thus: "No ?lore in Armor for ?ly Sake" What is this letter?
Last (for now) I still don't understand what Dove was doing with that sword dance. How exactly does that empower magic swords?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 20:24:01
Message:

quote:
Why, and what, we've not been told, but it's an interesting little subtext to the relationship the two have.



If the answer is 'procreate', that would be... interesting. :P


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 21:55:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I've finally gotten around to properly re-reading Silverfall (tests, tests!) and already racked up a few questions:
Even before the Copyright, there are a few words in some language I do not know. "tantaene animis caelestibus irae?" Transalation, anyone?


It's Latin - "Can such anger dwell in heavenly minds?"


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 22:10:32
Message:

And the Dove quotation is "No More In Armor For My Sake," though I seem to recall THO saying someone at TSR screwed it up in editing, and it should have been: No More In Armor For THY Sake.
Unlike the Latin epigram, I don't think Ed's quoting anyone, known or anonymous, there. (That line is his invention.)
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 22:16:39
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a Cormyr, just-pre-Spellplague lore question. If a noble or anyone else either a visitor to Cormyr unknown to the War Wizards or a native Cormyrean who's never before done anything suspicious went on a "normal" trip outside the Realm, obtained magical means of protecting their thoughts from scrying by the War Wizards or a house wizard dwelling in a noble mansion, and returned with this protection operating, how soon in the usual course of events would this be noticed by anyone?
And how suspicious would it (usually) seem, when detected?
I'm assuming the thought-protected person isn't doing anything suspicious, just going about their usual daily activities and tasks in life.
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 22:23:34
Message:

By the Mysteries of Mystra, * I * have a just-pre-Spellplague Cormyr lore question, too! Mine is a little more mundane.
If a visitor to Suzail starts a new fashion in garments or headgear or undergarments for women, that "catches on" in the city, how soon does it usually take for such a fashion (however brief a fad it later turns out to be) to spread across the realm? A. Word of it, and B. Being taken up by Cormyrean women who never visit Suzail. (I'm assuming there's no impediment to it spreading, such as a law or a shortage of supply of whatever's new, that traders could carry.) How slavishly do social climbers watch and copy the fashions at Court? Of the royals? Of nobles? (And if it varies within one of those categories, such as "some nobles but not others," why?)
Thanks. No hurry on this one, as my campaign is galloping in another direction at the moment.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 22:51:38
Message:

@Foxhelm - This came-up over at the WotC boards, and since I seem to be the only FR 'Sage' (over there) that is willing to create 4e lore, I usually field these lore conundrums (I prefer calling them that rather then retcons - that's such a 'dirty word'). Besides, I like puzzles...

It is canon that the gods used the Weave as an interface to supply their followers with spells. Now, we know that on other worlds without a Weave gods grant their spells to their followers directly, or perhaps some other interface is in-place. The reason why I say it is canon is because Mystra can deny followers of a god spells - she basiclly 'breaks' their connection.

Since we know that this situation does not exist on other worlds, and that gods cannot be stopped so easily by the god of Magic there, then Toril is a unique case (AFAWK).

Taking that into consideration, and knowing already that the Weave merely acts as a user-interface, enabling mortals easier access to magic (supposedly, 'Pure Magic' is too potent in Realmspace, so the interface is required), we can see how the gods could have come to use this plug-&-play interface to just put their religion on 'auto-pilot'.

Its quite simple - Mystra made their jobs simpler, and even gods like ease-of-use, so they began to use the Weave as a spell-delivery system, so they could spend more time playing Golf or whatever gods do. This happened over the course of many millenia, until it became the standard way of doing things in Faerûn (although not necessarily elsewhere on Toril). The gods gave Mystra a bit of their power, and she used her distribution infra-structure to get the job done.

They got an easy way of doing things, and Mystra was able to get a big boost to her portfolio (all that power running through her Weave). I even believe that Mystra's church spread 'un-truths' around about how the Weave was the only way to do magic - which we now know in hindsight is patently false.

Some gods never chose to use Mystra's Weave - most notably Shar. Some may have had alternate power-sources to aid their clergy with easy spell use and retrieval (for instnace, the nature gods may have been tapping into fey magic for quite some time). Others were so 'new' that they didn't even realize they had other options (such as Cyric).

What that means is that when the Weave came down, all those gods that had been using Mystra's Weave - which is nearly all of the Faerûnian Pantheon, had to start doing things the 'old-fashioned way', and send spells to their clergy directly. Although this means more work on their part, it also means they can keep closer tabs on their priests now - we had quite a few priests behaving in very odd ways before the Spellplague, and one had to wonder why they were still receiving spells from their deity.

Now, to FINALLY address your question - The Weave was such a handy thing to have around that other beings of immense power - namely primordials and Arch-Fiends - were also able to use it to give their followers spells (with the requisite power 'donation' to Mystra).

With the Weave gone, all of those non-gods are now completely out-of luck! With the change in magic, even demi-powers can't grant spells without the help of a god. Things are back to the way it is supposed to be, before Mystra's Weave changed all the rules of Magic in Realmspace. Just as mortals were never meant to cast 12th level spells, neither were non-gods ever supposed to grant spells.

All is as it should be with Mystra and her Weave gone.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Mar 2009 23:12:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

Ed, I would like to ask why so many people in the Realms (such as Elminster or Khelben) seem to consider Volo a fool. If he was an idiot, he would not have survived gathering the information contained in his guides.

Ed has touched on this before, as I recall, when I asked him about Volo's status some years ago.

Though, Volo as a Realms character is pretty well summed up in the introduction to any of the Volo's Guides.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 00:24:29
Message:

Hello again, all. This, from Ed, commenting on Markustay's Weave explanation post, above:


Nicely put, Markustay. VERY nicely put.
You "think Realms" with the best of us. :}


So saith Ed. And I (of course) concur.
love,
THO


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 00:58:20
Message:

It still doesn't explain where Primals get their powers from or future elemental source powers. Druids have to get powers somewhere, or else you might as well exclude Druids and the rest from the realms.

Primal classes get their power from the spirits of the mortal world, or Toril in this case. If the weave was supplying the power before, non-god characters can not give power, and all druids get their powers form the gods... where do the modern druids gain their powers? Wouldn't that exclude all Primal, all non Martial/Psionic/Arcane/Divine power sources?

By your example, all druids have no power.

Can I get an explanation of where the power, whom the power comes from? Has the realms followed the core and now spirits provide the power for druids or is it something else.

Basically the explanation is incomplete when trying to include the new classes of the PH2 and further expansions.

You have explained why Spirits and Primordials can not grant Prayers (Divine source powers), not where Evocations come from (Primal sourced powers).


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 02:09:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. This, from Ed, commenting on Markustay's Weave explanation post, above:


Nicely put, Markustay. VERY nicely put.
You "think Realms" with the best of us. :}


So saith Ed. And I (of course) concur.
love,
THO



Markustay has just accomplished what I heretofore thought impossible... making the demise of Mystra and the Weave seem like a Good Thing(TM). I'm shocked, to say the least, but not at all surprised that he was the one to make sense of it. Of course, what this all means is that there need be no barrier to the ascension of new powers of magic in the Realms; Ao (and/or His superiors) need only prevent the re-creation of the Weave. After all, as far as we know, Oerth gets along fine in 4E with Boccob, Wee Jas, and no Weave, so why should Toril not be allowed to have deities of magic just because the guiding principle of 4E is that magic shouldn't be any more powerful than any non-magical discipline? Just phrasing it that way makes it sound patently ridiculous; why would magic exist at all if this were the case? Anyway, this is turning into something between a rant and an essay; I'm not sure which, and either way, I'm threadjacking Ed, which is not my intent. I'll shut up now, but I'm interested in Ed's thoughts on my views. Essay finished / rant over.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 02:32:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

By your example, all druids have no power. <major snippage>
Which is why I left an 'out'.

Notice I metioned how some 'nature gods' may have already been tapping Fey magic, or even another source. 4e's 'power-sources' all amount to the same - ways in which to manipulate the universe around you to do your bidding. Arcane Power became the dominant force on Toril because Mystra made it so. People forgot 'the old ways' because she made it so easy - you impress a mystic formula into your brain, mumble a few eldritch words, sprinkle some powder and 'POOF', instant effect.

Now arcane formulas are no longer the short-cut they once were, and people have to rely on their own inner understanding of magic itself. This means that they can't learn as many different effects as they did before, but they are able to master the ones they do learn, and cast them repeatedly now.

Without the Weave and its easy connection to the Arcane source, folks are exploring forgotten paths to power, not just Arcane. This is nothing new - Shadoweavers have been doing it for years, and on other parts of Toril other magical traditions have kept-on despite the Weave, such as the Pluma magic of Maztica, or the Zakharan Elemental Sorcerors.

I didn't say all those other beings aside from Gods couldn't ever grant spells - I merely pointed out that they were no longer able to use the easy method employed before.

Some will discover new ways, or rather, 're-discover' old ways. Others will not, and be forced to be beholden to Higher Powers to supply their followers - in the case of Arch-Devils, Asmodeus would suit this purpose now.

Heck, I can even back some of this up with canon - it is a fact that the Sarrukh had recorded strange magical traditions in the Nether Scrolls - just because the majority of Archwizards chose to follow the arcane path (because of Mystryl's Weave) doesn't mean they all did, and I know that Telemont and the Chronomancer certainly went their own way, and even Ioulaum eventually sought an alternate source (psionics). In fact, probably most of the ones who walked a different Path then Arcane Magic are the ones who survived the fall.

'Strange Ancient Magics' have always been a staple of the Realms - its just rising to the forefront again. The wheel of time turns, and a new age has dawned.

Its just my take, so you can use it or throw it out if you hate it, but explaining away inconsistencies helps me sleep at night. With the Weave and Mystra out of the picture, and the Spellplague rolling over the cosmos, its really not that hard to figure out why everything works differently now.

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

Markustay has just accomplished what I heretofore thought impossible... making the demise of Mystra and the Weave seem like a Good Thing(TM).
You should here my take on the changes to the Elves some time... change... what change?


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 02:45:22
Message:

With the recent reply on Bannermere of Thunderstone, it reminded me...how deep in Ed's queue are the travails of Cormyr's Sorndrake family?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 04:11:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Notice I metioned how some 'nature gods' may have already been tapping Fey magic, or even another source. 4e's 'power-sources' all amount to the same - ways in which to manipulate the universe around you to do your bidding. Arcane Power became the dominant force on Toril because Mystra made it so. People forgot 'the old ways' because she made it so easy - you impress a mystic formula into your brain, mumble a few eldritch words, sprinkle some powder and 'POOF', instant effect. <snip>



If it helps, think of it this way:

Mystra is Bill Gates and the Weave is Internet Explorer. Clerics of most of the gods use it because it's the most-used method to access the magic, but there are some gods that use other methods (Shadow Weave could be Firefox, Nature magic could be Safari, Elemental magic could be Chrome).


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 06:16:50
Message:

I've used that computer-interface analogy so many times over at WotC, I didn't want to use it again here.

But yes... thats the idea... Just like everyone went to Windows because Bill made it easy. And just like Microsoft (Mystrasoft? ), it was a way of getting everyone to follow your banner and gain control of an industry (or magic, in Mystra's case).

Using Raw Magic is like trying to program in assembler, and No-one does that anymore. I suppose if we were hit with the 'Codeplague' tomorrow and it wiped-out Windows for good, then we'd have to re-learn the older, harder (and yet, far more powerful) way to program computers.

See? Thats why I didn't bring it up... you got my started again...


Reply author: The Simbul
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 06:17:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I still don't understand what Dove was doing with that sword dance. How exactly does that empower magic swords?


I believe I may be able to answer this one for you.

Dove was dancing in Greentree Haven, a magical grove in the Sword Coast North that grew from the remains of Eirl Rauthantannar, who was the Magister of Mystra from 236-247 DR.

As a result of Eirl's legacy, the grove has many powers that can be called upon by those who stand within it. One of these powers causes spells cast within the grove that enchant magic items (or that transfer enchantments from one magic item to another) to function at a greater efficiency and reduces the casting times of such spells. That alone is a enough of a boon, but Dove had something else to aid her; for the story suggests that the silver fire that flows through Dove's veins (and those of all Mystra's Chosen) enabled her to make the duplicated enchantments in those weapons permanent with greater ease, likely as an alternative to casting a permanency spell.

As for what the "sword dance" actually was, I would guess it was akin to a casting of the spells steeldance and a variant of double steel or enchant an item, with the silver fire emanating from her wounds serving as a substitute for permanency.

Bear in mind that both Silverfall and the lore regarding Greentree Haven (from Secrets of the Magister) were written during the 2E era of the rules, and thus I am referring to the magic item creation rules from that edition of the game in the comments above. Steeldance and Double Steel appear in The Seven Sisters AD&D game accessory.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 10:58:45
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Markustay has just accomplished what I heretofore thought impossible... making the demise of Mystra and the Weave seem like a Good Thing(TM). I'm shocked, to say the least, but not at all surprised that he was the one to make sense of it. Of course, what this all means is that there need be no barrier to the ascension of new powers of magic in the Realms; Ao (and/or His superiors) need only prevent the re-creation of the Weave. After all, as far as we know, Oerth gets along fine in 4E with Boccob, Wee Jas, and no Weave, so why should Toril not be allowed to have deities of magic just because the guiding principle of 4E is that magic shouldn't be any more powerful than any non-magical discipline? Just phrasing it that way makes it sound patently ridiculous; why would magic exist at all if this were the case? Anyway, this is turning into something between a rant and an essay; I'm not sure which, and either way, I'm threadjacking Ed, which is not my intent. I'll shut up now, but I'm interested in Ed's thoughts on my views. Essay finished / rant over.



But the thing that really ****** me off is that they could have accomplished all that without killing Mystra. For example - Mystra could have completely changed the way magic worked of her own free will - after all, she wasn't Mystryl or the previous Mystra, and she might well have seen the inherent flaw in a single deity having control over all of magic (which she didn't in the first place - and the flaw in the idea is very plain to see with Mystra's death followed by spellplague). Toril ends up with a magic deity that isn't "all powerful" (which is laughable in the first place because she patently wasn't!), and I (and a lot of other people) get to keep my (our) favorite deity.

To combine that with the death of one of my other favorite deities (Eilistraee), and the total wreckage that was inflicted on another (Tymora), still just makes me want to spit bile. (Not to mention that Sharess is now listed as just a minor deity of cats with no apparent mention of her at all as goddess of pleasure - but I could have just missed that in my half-heated flick through the 4e Realms books.) If I were completely paranoid (and I'm not, so I well know what I'm about to say is not true), I'd say that the powers that be went out of their way to drive me away from the setting. They pretty much annihilated everything I liked about the Realms in one go, and haven't done anything since to try to win me (and people like me) back. (I don't see anything in 4e Realms that excites me, not even the half-hearted attempt to include a bisexual character in the first chapter of FRCG. *waits for someone to go "huh? what bisexual character?"*)

(Sorry, I had to get that off my chest... again.)


Mod Edit: Censored the language slightly.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 13:24:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
(Not to mention that Sharess is now listed as just a minor deity of cats with no apparent mention of her at all as goddess of pleasure - but I could have just missed that in my half-heated flick through the 4e Realms books.)


I tried to portray Sharess as a deity of pleasure in DALE1-1 The Prospect. Then again, I did the same thing with Loviatar, and I am sure some people may frown at the two faiths co-existing in peace in the same locale.
It also has a reference to Mystra (rather obviously) and to Eilistraee (though you probably have to know it to find it).
As to sexuality: that is not unusual to not get mentioned as it is generally not of interest to the game. The Prospect does contain two bisexual characters (the final 'skill challenge' allows seduction as part of a SC). But there is also a lesbian one, and her sexuality is not mentioned because it wasn't necessary (yet) - I just know she is.

I am just saying that there are still lots of possibilities. RPGA may not be your thing, but LFR does expand the Realms (though yes, sometimes things do get cut, but often for very different reasons than you may think), and there is also DDI, where you can contriubute if you don't wish to write for us.

I am also dissapointed with some of the changes. Not Mystra so much, but I do miss Eilistraee, Kiaransalee, Dambrath (as it was), Eldath, Mask (though my guess is he'll return), and people such as Mirt, Alustriel, and whole lot of interesting minor NPCs.
But while we can fume about things that change, we also we can still bring some pieces of the old lore back to the fore, while maintaining the present. I hope I can find that depth (and occasional Ed-lore) and bring it to the new audience.

Gomez,
who, while not a sage, definitely feels he brings 4th ed lore to the people...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 14:43:09
Message:

Hello, all.
Daviot, Ed says we're about a week away from Sorndrake details for all, though it might turn into ten days if "certain fecal matters come into contact with particular whirling metal bladed objects."
Which words I think I may send to certain real-world politicians, to help them in future speeches about how long it may take for financial fixes to take effect. Or not.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 14:45:58
Message:

This is not really the appropriate thread for this, so my apologies in advance to Ed (and THO and the mods).

Not saying I agree with everything WotC did, but it is what it is.

The folks at the company had MULTIPLE reasons for everything that was done, not all of which we are privy to. Picking just one reason and figuring out why something was unnecessary isn't a good way of doing things, since they were trying to accomplish several things with each change.

Granted, we were handed THREE major changes all at once, and I personally feel any two would have been sufficient - as of right now, the century timejump is the only thing that still sticks in my craw (I feel that was overkill).

Anyhow, when they needed to make changes to magic before, as the did between 1e and 2e, Mystra's 'rebirth' was sufficient. Magic didn't need to change that much because we still had Vancian casting. This time out, D&D has had its most major single-edition overhall since AD&D first appeared, and we have finally moved away from Vancian Magic. The dsigners felt something more significant then just "Mystra 4.0 made some changes" was needed to explain such a drastic shift, and at the same time accomplish the secondary goal of getting rid of Mystra and her Chosen (which were felt - for right or wrong - were a hindrance for some players to enjoy FR).

Think about the 2e changes and then think about the 4e changes - we barely noticed when Midnight became Mystra. Something far more profound was needed this time out (for better or worse).

Once again, I'm not going all 'pro-4e' here. I still feel strongly about quite a few decisions that were made - I'm just saying I understand their reasoning behind many of those decisions at this point.

There is a difference between understanding someone's point of view, and agreeing with it.

Edit: And before I get spanked (), I might as well throw a question in here - Someone in another thread asked me about doing an 'historic' map of Netheril, but the truth be told, I'm not really too keen on Netherease lore. I do remember some discussion about the Narrow Sea, and how its direction needed to be changed in source because the designer of the Netheril box put it the 'wrong way', or some-such. However, I note that the map in the GHotR shows it going the same way as it did on those old maps, which leaves me scratching my head. There was a perfect opporunity to correct things, and show which way it should have went. I realize some lore was added-in about the Sarrukh and why it changed direction, but I'm still somewhat confused by all of this.

Did the Narrow Sea originally run north-south in the days of Thunder? If thats the case, then doesn't some of the lore-conundrums still exists (certain original Netherease ruins where not 'followed' by the box designer)? It just seems to me to be a good 'fix', the sea would have needed to change during the time of Netheril. I was just wondering if you had an insight into what is going on with that Sea.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 14:58:42
Message:

No, dearest Markustay, it's quite all right to post that here. You saved either Ed or me saying the same things you just did, which one or other would have done eventually, just in response to Zandilar's quite legitimate upset over what was done.

On another matter: scribes in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area may be interested to know that Ed will be attending Ad Astra (next weekend) at the Crowne Plaza Don Valley (Eglinton at DVP) as a panelist, on Saturday and Sunday only. He'll be doing a reading and will be part of a gang-signing, for those who want to chat or get autographs, and will probably "hang around" Saturday night (that is, when not actually in panels; I understand the panel sked will go up soon at the website: www.ad-astra.org ). He probably won't have time or energy left then for pickup games of anything, but is always up for friendly chat.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 19:08:17
Message:

I have a question for Ed: Did the Simbul and Szass Tam ever directly meet in battle in the cannon versions? If so, where could I find it, cause lemme tell ya, that'd be a read.
Also, can we expect any more Instalments in the Elminster series? Or even a new series of Elminster stories?

By the by, I can't wait to read the third book of Swords of Eveningstar. Couldn't put the first two down. Is it even out yet in paperback?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 20:02:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

By the by, I can't wait to read the third book of Swords of Eveningstar. Couldn't put the first two down. Is it even out yet in paperback?



Amazon says May 5th for the paper back. :)


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 22:20:57
Message:

Also with Mystra, going by the 4E Design on the Pantheon. Mystra would have had her own Super Mini Pantheon(TM). Her, Azuth, Sevras(sp), Velshalroon(sp), Seven Sisters, The Real Blackstaff, (If he didn't die in Steven's Novel) and last but not least Elminster.

That would be at least 12 different beings in her orbit. Yes if Mystra made it into 4E her Chosen would be Exarch's. All other Gods Chosen became Exarch's in 4E. If they made the transition to 1479 DR. Not saying I agree with what was done to Mystra, but comparing it with what was done, it does makes sense to remove her. Mystra would have been the single most powerful and dominating God in the Realms.

You mileage may vary.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 20 Mar 2009 22:25:19
Message:

Hello Ed, LHO, and fellow scribes,

Apologies for the long entry to follow, but I've a few thoughts to discuss, regarding Filfaeril Bound and Willing, a couple longshot guesses at the mysterious author, and indirectly flowing from that, a question regarding the background of a certain War Wizard. Here I go

1.) This one is primarily directed to the Moderators of this forum thread. Generally regarding the guessing contest of Filfaeril Bound and Willing, has the discussion reached a critical mass sufficient to support its own thread, possibly in the "Sages of Realmslore" section? Is it possible to comb through the entries over the past months to "reconstruct" the discussion of the contest in another thread specially devoted to it?
Pros: No need to cherry-pick through other discussions if you want to go back and see what others have guessed and LHO's responses (which sometimes themselves are clues )

Cons: Assuming that more fellow scribes peruse the "Ask Ed" thread than browse the "Sages of Realmslore" section, there will be less people hazarding guesses at the authorship. Also, since LHO serves as the middle-man (ahem, middle-ma'am) between us and Ed, she visits this particular thread more often than any other and thus moving the contest to its own thread results in less frequent responses from Ed regarding our guesses.

(Or was I mistaken LHO? Did you set up this guessing contest for your own amusement, aside from Ed's, since you are privy to the author's name? Perhaps demanding a bit of cerebral exercise after all the carnal teasing? )

Ultimately, I'd like to promote the guessing contest to as many fellow scribes as possible. Whether this means leaving it intertwined with "Ask Ed" or moving it to its own thread is up for debate. I'd like to read what the Moderators and others feel about this. Perhaps, at Ed's and LHO's pleasure, this "guess the author" contest could become a repeatable thing?


2.) Here are my two longshot guesses at Filfaeril Bound and Willing, holding my last allowed guess in reserve for the future:

-- Lord Boarrevarn Bryarn

He's a noble, probably rich enough to secretly fund publication of a chapbook, and already experienced at penning torrid chapbooks under the pseudonym "Darra Delanther". Desires to sway public opinion against the Obarskyrs and the Court, and Filfaeril... may have been a failed attempt. Known to the Court but keeps his family fairly aloof from it.


-- Court Herald Touchstar of Cormyr

I personally don't know much about her, but as a fixture at the Court, she's probably privy to a lot of the "goings-on" and machinations there. Although she's based in the Suzail, her allegiances would likely be with the High Heralds balanced with the needs of the Royal Court, so there is some distance maintained. Who knows? (Ed and LHO knows!) Maybe she penned the steamy chapbook.


3.) Lastly, a question to Ed for a bit of character background and explanation. My last guess on authorship would have been a War Wizard, one Huldyl Rauthur, based mostly on his love of chapbooks as seen in Elminster's Daughter. However, after thinking about it, I decided that its unlikely that he wrote it and more likely that he simply read it, despite it being banned.

[ALERT! SPOILERS AHEAD!]

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Why does Huldyl go from being a trusted and experienced ranking War Wizard in the Cormyr Trilogy, only to willingly commit treason with a Red Wizard a few years later in Elminster's Daughter? Is it because of sheer arcane greed for the dozen or so spells offered by the Thayan, plus a sense of "I'm not being appreciated here, and I'm starting to feel my age" etc.? Perhaps it was "I don't like whatever secret Vangy's working on that keeps us all occupied, and Caladnei and Laspeera are too close to him to stop him, who can I turn to (and make a tidy profit for myself)"?
How did Darkspells make contact with Huldyl and decide "he's my way in to Vangy's sanctuary" --- through other members of the Rightful Conspiracy, Joysil Ambrur, or his own methods?

Thanks Ed and LHO!

--Aysen


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 00:05:56
Message:

Heya,

I'm sorry for my ranting again... But I have a few things to say that kind of address both Markustay and Gomez.

The big irk is that we really did get the 1st to 2nd ed changes all over again (Remembering that Mystryl's death predates edition changes and so happened "off page"). Mystra has to die so magic changes? Why can't Mystra herself make changes? I can understand that the previous LN Mystra might not have been able to adapt, and so her death may well have been necessary, but NG Mystra has no "alignment restrictions" that might stop her from making fundamental changes to the way magic works (LN Mystra could have made changes if she really wanted to). She might have actually, you know, thought about it and come to the conclusion that so much power in one set of hands with no real backups is not a good idea. She is a deity of magic, and she would see all possibilities before her regarding magic - including her becoming a tyrant if she ever died and came back again (LE Mystra, anyone?).

Mystra could easily have become unaligned in the process, and bang there you are... a non-"all powerful" Mystra, who didn't have to die for magic changes, who is no longer good aligned. There could even have been consequences - she may have had to be absent for a while, which might well have caused the spellplague - but that would have been a small sacrifice for her to make to avert an even bigger disaster (like Toril being torn apart because some powerful deity got it into their head to try to wrest magic from Mystra completely). They really really didn't have to kill her again.

As for making Chosen into Exarchs? I think you might find that not all Chosen got to become Exarchs, so why would all of Mystra's have had to become Exarchs? We wouldn't have had to have Khelben, Elminster, and the Seven Sisters in Mystra's mini-pantheon. Besides which, I never liked the idea of cutting down the pantheon (I really think they went too far with that). Honestly, the Realms pantheon has always been small fry when compared to some pantheons that belong to ancient religions here on Earth.

If I were in a position to write for the Realms (and I'm not, being that I live in Australia, have little experience in the industry, and haven't written anything significant enough to get noticed, let alone published), I would happily try to fix things a bit at a time (as subtly as I could), or reintroduce 3.5e (and earlier) lore, or even introduce new strong female characters for feminists like me to latch on to... But I'm not, and so I am currently doing the only thing left to me, voting with my wallet. WotC has got none of my money since I purchased the first three core 4e DnD books.

Anyway, if mods want to move this post to somewhere more appropriate, please do so (and let me know where it's gone, as I rarely post or even read outside of this thread). I won't even append a question for Ed to make this easier, though I would be interested to hear any ideas he might have had to "save Mystra" instead of this regurgitation of the change from 1st to 2nd Ed Realms without the phoenix factor.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 00:44:59
Message:

<sigh> As I said, changing the magic for 4e was but one of many considerations - Mystra herself seems to have been a problem to a great many people (and no... please don't ask me how that was possible - there have been 100-page threads over at WotC on the subject). Once again, I don't agree entirely with their reasoning, but I can follow their reasoning.

@Aysen - a seperate thread would spoil our fun.

And BTW, who the heck is LHO? Has our fair hostess suddenly become French - La' Hooded One?

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

Also with Mystra, going by the 4E Design on the Pantheon <snip> You mileage may vary.
And it would have been just as easy to cut a few and trim the fat, then throw out the entire side of beef.

I had more here, but this isn't the place...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 01:01:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

And BTW, who the heck is LHO? Has our fair hostess suddenly become French - La' Hooded One?
I'm assuming Aysen means "Lady Hooded One," a title some of us have used in the past.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 01:04:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


@Aysen - a seperate thread would spoil our fun.

And BTW, who the heck is LHO? Has our fair hostess suddenly become French - La' Hooded One?


I had more here, but this isn't the place...



Well, LHO is short for "Lady Hooded One", but really any "L" adjective or adverb will work. Based on the whipped cream and honey remarks mentioned earlier by other scribes, "Libidinous", "Lascivious", "Luscious" could be duly substituted


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 01:05:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

1.) This one is primarily directed to the Moderators of this forum thread. Generally regarding the guessing contest of Filfaeril Bound and Willing, has the discussion reached a critical mass sufficient to support its own thread, possibly in the "Sages of Realmslore" section? Is it possible to comb through the entries over the past months to "reconstruct" the discussion of the contest in another thread specially devoted to it?
I was actually thinking about opening a separate scroll for the discussion last week, since it's now beginning to become something more than just a simple guessing-game for the most part. [And with the Lady Hooded One involved, I supposed that's to be expected. ]

Hmmm... I'll scour through the last few pages and pick out the Lady Hooded One's most pertinent quotes later today. Whereupon I'll generate a new scroll for the discussion.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 01:38:00
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

<sigh> As I said, changing the magic for 4e was but one of many consdierations - Mystra herself seems to have been a problem to a great many people (and no... please don't ask me how that was possible - there have been 100-page threads over at WotC on the subject). Once again, I don't agree entirely with their reasoning, but I can follow their reasoning.


As far as it goes, I think the main problem seemed to be with her alignment (easily changed, they had set up a potential shift to TN in canon text, if people had cared to read it), and how her Chosen were such meddlers and they couldn't run their games without the Chosen spoiling their plots... I really think that some of them wouldn't be happy, unless the PCs were always the highest level characters in the game world (aside from villains, of course, you have to give the PCs a challenge) - which isn't really realistic. I think the best way to solve the latter problem is simply not to give NPCs a level in canon text, and let the DMs nut those out themselves.

quote:
And it would have been just as easy to cut a few and trim the fat, then throw out the entire side of beef.



I whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 02:47:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

And it would have been just as easy to cut a few and trim the fat, then throw out the entire side of beef.

I had more here, but this isn't the place...


I agree. But what is done is done.

Then there is always "Not in my Realms".

Sorry folks, done derailing this topic.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 02:50:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
And BTW, who the heck is LHO? Has our fair hostess suddenly become French - La' Hooded One?



Well, she is Canadian, isn't she? Maybe she's from Quebec?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 04:08:17
Message:

She's Canadian?

Ohhhhhh... how....... Exotic.

Now I finally understand that saying "A Beauty way to go".

And to try to bring this somewhat back on topic - Ed, I was just trying to find something... ANYTHING... on Shaareach. I found two mentions of it in your wonderful Elminster Speaks column, but aside from that I can't find a thing. You care to tell us whats there (or was there... its among the missing in the last two editions).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 06:01:05
Message:

I think the "Elminster Speaks" articles are pretty much the only detailed sources we have on Shaareach. Most everything else about it would probably have to come from Ed.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 10:45:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

If I were in a position to write for the Realms (and I'm not, being that I live in Australia, have little experience in the industry, and haven't written anything significant enough to get noticed, let alone published)


You are describing a significant number of (aspiring) authors in LFR... several of which are scribing right now.
If you want a shot, just mail me with what you would want to do, and I can see what possibilities exis , in mine or other's region (though actual changes in the Realms need R&D approval, and trust me that is not a given). I have a few specific and over-ambitious Dalelands plotlines (no idea yet if those will ever fully be realized), but there is lot of space for deviation, and room for interesting NPCs (female or... otherwise).


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 18:15:14
Message:

quote:
Publicly and officially, the Crown ignored the work, except to ban its possession by any Purple and Blue Dragon...


My bold there. I don't know why I missed this before, but, Lady THO and Ed, who are the Blue Dragons of Cormyr? Or anybody else, where should I go read about them if I should have heard of them before? Many thanks in advance.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 19:35:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

quote:
Publicly and officially, the Crown ignored the work, except to ban its possession by any Purple and Blue Dragon...


My bold there. I don't know why I missed this before, but, Lady THO and Ed, who are the Blue Dragons of Cormyr? Or anybody else, where should I go read about them if I should have heard of them before? Many thanks in advance.



I believe the are mentioned in the 4th FRCG, at least. They are the navy to the Purple Dragon's Army.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Mar 2009 23:49:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

quote:
Publicly and officially, the Crown ignored the work, except to ban its possession by any Purple and Blue Dragon...


My bold there. I don't know why I missed this before, but, Lady THO and Ed, who are the Blue Dragons of Cormyr? Or anybody else, where should I go read about them if I should have heard of them before? Many thanks in advance.



I believe the are mentioned in the 4th FRCG, at least. They are the navy to the Purple Dragon's Army.

From Garen Thal:- "The Blue Dragons are members of Cormyr's Imperial Navy (a rather swollen name for such a small force)--Purple Dragons who staff the Forest Kingdom's ships of war and certain port/harbor locations. They are known as Blue Dragons both in recognition of their distinctive garb (the aforementioned blue sashes, bracers, and shoulder flash), and their specific role within the armed forces of Cormyr."

From myself:- There's also a few tidbits about the Blue Dragons in the Sea of Fallen Stars tome. And you might want to check some of Ed's previous replies, because he's talked briefly about the Blue Dragons before.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 11:02:36
Message:

Thanks for the answers to the Silverfall questions. Therefore, I continue:
What exactly happened to Laeral in the spell-trap Halaster left? I assume her body was destroyed. But how did she survive? Is it a Chosen thing? And why is it that Khelben needs to start working qucikly on healing her? Will she 'drift away' without a body?


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 13:58:12
Message:

Regarding the Blue Dragons, there's also a fair amount about them in Brian R. James' "Backdrop: Cormyr" article at p. 20 in Dragon #365. There's a bit of historical information about how their numbers came to expand at the turn of the fifteenth century, descriptions of the numbers and naming conventions (with examples) of their ships, explanation of ranks, identification of the titular commander and a very broad sketch of their general activities and patrol routes.


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 16:41:01
Message:

Thanks for the Blue Dragon info, fellow scribes! Of course, if Ed wants to say more, I'm not going to tell him no.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 17:46:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

Thanks for the Blue Dragon info, fellow scribes! Of course, if Ed wants to say more, I'm not going to tell him no.



Makes me wonder what they would name their Air Forces or Special Forces, since Dragons seem to be the theme in Cormyr...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 21:31:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

Thanks for the Blue Dragon info, fellow scribes! Of course, if Ed wants to say more, I'm not going to tell him no.



Makes me wonder what they would name their Air Forces or Special Forces, since Dragons seem to be the theme in Cormyr...



Special Forces would be the Black Dragons.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 23:23:09
Message:

Scrolls shared, scribes:

Ed, would like to know are all the current leadership in Tasseldale
as of 1375 DR. Will try and bring a much more meaty question next
time.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Mar 2009 23:38:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

Thanks for the Blue Dragon info, fellow scribes! Of course, if Ed wants to say more, I'm not going to tell him no.



Makes me wonder what they would name their Air Forces or Special Forces, since Dragons seem to be the theme in Cormyr...



Special Forces would be the Black Dragons.

Hehe... I wonder how many scribes will pick up on this one -- Ed and the Lady Hooded One included.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 00:59:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

Thanks for the Blue Dragon info, fellow scribes! Of course, if Ed wants to say more, I'm not going to tell him no.



Makes me wonder what they would name their Air Forces or Special Forces, since Dragons seem to be the theme in Cormyr...



Special Forces would be the Black Dragons.



You're American. Shouldn't the special forces be... Green Dragons?



A while back, Mr. Greenwood answered a query of mine with a detailed list of music he likes to listen to. This is an expansive question.

What records or CDs or [storage medium here] do you have around the house for ready listening? Moreover, what music do you like to listen to when you're just in the mood to listen to music? This can be genres, artists, even individual songs.

THO, same question if you have the time.

All the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 02:23:13
Message:

I totally get it! Nicely put!!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 03:22:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

You're American. Shouldn't the special forces be... Green Dragons?

He was thinking 'Black Ops', not Green Berets.

Now 'Green Dragons' might make an interesting name for a unit of Marines.

What are Cormyr's 'trim colors'? Either 'Gold' or 'Silver' Dragons would work for a unit of Griffonriders.

I suppose a covert group with double agents could be called 'Red Dragons' (thinking that certain Red Wizards may have 'turned coat' and be secretly working for the War Wizards...)

Hmmmm... has something like that ever happened?

I know the reverse has...


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 03:27:02
Message:

Black Ops isn't the name of a specific special forces group, though. Black Ops refers to a type of operation (probably performed by special forces) that is conducted in secret, and probably illegal. Deniable cause.

Green Dragons was referring to the Green Berets, the American Special Forces.

And stopping with the tangent, because I become a jerk when I argue.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 03:57:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

You're American. Shouldn't the special forces be... Green Dragons?

He was thinking 'Black Ops', not Green Berets.
<snip>



I served with a few of those guys, and for the record... they hate that particular nomenclature. 'A Green Beret is a hat, not a man' is something I heard more than once.
On the topic of the Blue Dragons, there are a few tidbits on them in Power of Faerun, to add to the list of tomes mentioning them.
And insofar as Spec Ops, the Forest Kingdom has Highknights for that sort of tomfoolery.
Though, IMO, there's actually very little place for 'special operations' in the Realms in general, let alone in Cormyr. Most of the jobs of SF are 1)raising and training native insurgents for the purpose of overthrowing the extant government or resisting invasion by a hostile force inimical to your nation-state's interest in the region, and 2) Advanced patrolling utilizing small-unit tactics, i.e. intel-gathering (specifically known as HumInt). These functions can be performed by other (namely magical) means in the Realms far more efficiently by magical means than by small elite groups of highly-trained warriors. And, again, when the Forest Kingdom needs those sorts, it has War Wizards and Highknights, repectively.
But, hey... what do I know?

EDIT: To make this more appropriate for Ed's scroll, a question or two as regards Heralds in the Realms: Just how many Heralds are there, and how ubiquitous are they? Would (say) a baron in Damara have a Court Herald? Would this be dependent on whether or not the baron in question was the holder of 'important' lands? In short, what sort of courts play host to a permanent Herald? And who decides which courts 'get' Heralds? I'm fascinated by the Heralds, and would love any info in them that Ed (or, it should go without saying, the delectable THO) should like to share.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 04:38:36
Message:

Knight, Ed's talked about the Heralds at length in previous replies. There are simply too many to re-post here. So, instead, I would suggest you search through the compiled reply files [see the "So Saith Ed" URL in my sig] for the specific entries on the Heralds. Most of the replies are scattered throughout the '04, '05, and '06 files.

And along with Power of Faerûn, see Ed's Code of the Harpers as well for more on the Heralds.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 04:48:03
Message:

Thanks, Sage: I'm about 2/3 of the way thru the '08 'Ed Scroll' now. Thanks for the heads up, and I'll get to 'em eventually!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 08:04:34
Message:

More SIlverfall questions!
So, The SImbul - what happened? Obviously, the black fire did something, but how did it stop her from casting spells? Was that really The Simbul? Did she transform herself into the wand? How did she survive and turn into that 'imprisoning sphere'?


Reply author: PaulBestwick
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 08:08:46
Message:

I always thought of adventurers as special forces. Small unit of individuals who have disperate skills that make them more powerful than the sum of the whole. Especially in Cormyr with the Royal Charter for certain adventuring groups.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 14:57:18
Message:

Hi, scribes. Sorry for the silence yesterday, and the brief nature of this post: I'm on assignment, and borrowing a library public access Net terminal to type this.
Menelvagor, this is by no means a "proper" reply, but Laeral's "silver fire" will be sucked into the Weave (either to be lost forever, or to be snared by a god, including the possibility of it "drifting back to Mystra") if she's too long without a body.
And the Knight of the Gate has the right of it: in Cormyr, the Highknights and the War Wizards perform the functions of both "special ops" government military and paramilitary, and not-so-secret police/espionage government organizations. Though they aren't above hiring or manipulating (or even framing) adventurers, during such operations.
Of course, if nobles want to play the special ops/espionage game, they hire adventurers (if they're wise, through several layers of intermediaries, and with their own "house spies" watching over the hired adventurers).
Also, to Knight of the Gate, regarding heralds: very briefly, there are "heralds" (a Court staffer, paid by the ruler who hires them) and "the Heralds" (the Faerun-wide organization of High Heralds and lower "official" heralds under them). The first sort of local herald keeps records, records marriages, establishes seating orders at feast banquets and precedence during ceremonies, makes grand verbal announcements in the physical court, and so on. The second sort keeps the "true" genealogies and register and orders blazons (coats of arms), independent of all rulers, kingdoms, and the like. The Harpers have in the past been an arm of these Heralds, and the two groups still work closely and cordially together on a regular basis.
Or to put it colloquially, the first sort of herald is a ruler's barking dog; the second sort keeps all rulers in line, as far as displaying blazons and claiming inheritances/descent/claims/blood relationships goes.

Heh. So saith me.
(Ed will be back soon; he's been VERY busy these last few days.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 18:25:18
Message:

Gee, THO, it makes me all... *tingly* when you use my name.

On the Heralds: So the 'heralds' of Cormyr aren't 'big H' Heralds? My confusion is boundless. What else is new?

Many thanks for taking the time to post, milady. If it isn't said enough, one and all appreciate the lengths to which you go for us; and would gladly offer recompense in the form of whatever... services milady might require.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 19:11:24
Message:

Purrrr...I love Knights who offer to service ladies. Their swords are always so bright and long and keen ... ohhhhhhh... ahhh.
Ahem.
Knight of the Gate, Cormyr has BOTH sorts of heralds. The "lower h" heralds include Court (or Crown) heralds (each "local lord" has one, and there's a backup or second herald for each city [Suzail, Marsember, Arabel], plus a staff of six or seven heralds based in the Royal Court building, who travel to assist in investitures, carry proclamations to nobles, etc.) and private heralds (that is, heralds who work for nobles). These "local heralds" hold offices named for the settlement they're based in, so there's a High Horn, an Eveningstar, and so on. These are the sorts of heralds which members of the "court herald" prestige class detailed in POWER OF FAERUN would be part of.
There are also "capital H" Heralds of two sorts: the large, leading offices of that organization, such as Crescentcoat and Old Night (collectively known as the High Heralds), whose holders move around the Realms constantly, as necessary for their duties, and may pass through or even tarry in Cormyr - - and lower-ranking "capital H" heralds who are stationed in geographical areas and "responsible" for those areas (for instance, policing the misuse of heraldic blazons, which is why nobles or brigands have to be shrieking mad before they will even consider using someone else's badge or full coat of arms on their armor, to deceive witnesses as to who's doing nasty things whilst wearing that armor). I'm away from my notes and can't recall the names of these lower-ranking Heralds whose regions include Cormyr or part of Cormyr. Although the War Wizards, the Obarskyrs and most nobles, senior courtiers of Cormyr, and for that matter heralds of all sorts know who these Cormyr-responsible Heralds would be (I seem to recall that Starblade is one of them, covering southeastern Cormyr, but I may be mistaken; Garen Thal?), the general populace generally does not; they keep a low profile except when confronting someone who's breaking the rules of heraldry. They are chosen (evaluated, and dismissed if need be) by the High Heralds, by the way, not by any local ruler or government.
Ed of course has copious notes on the Heralds, both published and unpublished, but likes to keep them mysterious, too; we'll have to see how much he wants to reveal about Cormyr's Heralds (there were or are some long-standing fiction NDAs tied to some of them, which is why he tends to deflect attention to the local heralds and those six or seven traveling Court Heralds).

So saith me, again. Hurr HURR, and so forth.
love,
THO


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 19:33:38
Message:

There's that tingle again...
The delineation betwixt Heralds and heralds is now clear even to me, milady. And all I have to offer in recompense for such a trove of lore is to pledge my *sword* to milady's service when and where she will. It's only the chivalrous thing to do, after all!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 20:13:32
Message:

Hah! Your 'sword' is probably nothing more than a thin dagger! Pay no attention to him, my lady! A true protector, such as me, wields a spear!
But on to (I think) my last Silverfall question:
Alustriel has a part where she does some remembering, and thinks of Khelben and El. She mentions El as the person who raised her. Now, according to The Temptation of ELminster, El raised Dove, Storm and Laeral. And in Elminster In Hell, Alustriel was raised by her uncle. So what's going on? Is it a retcon. Did ALustriel later come to El, and learn from him for some years?


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 21:41:36
Message:

All this, ahem, sparring is unfortunately apropos of my question. It's somewhat disturbing, and I apologize in advance if anyone is offended, but THO has said we can ask her or Ed anything, and I could use some advice on this one.

Background: one of my players, a high level wizard, is starting to make noises about maybe starting a school of magic in some goodly nation or city. While I'm sure this makes Mystra happy, it's making me look at the low-level spells in the (2e) PHB in a new light. Maybe I need to go sing a couple more happy songs, because I'm suddenly seeing how many of them can be used for sexual harassment and out-right rape. Sleep, friends, forget, unseen servant, invisibility, hold person, suggestion, and that's just the really obvious ones in the first few levels!

The problem is that all this is front-loaded. A first level wizard can make themselves an essentially-permanent sex slave, especially if they pick someone good looking with the brain of sand. And since many places keep "apprentices" around far beyond the first level, the potential for trouble staggers the mind. Especially when you think about how much sex goes on in your average high school or college, without any magic whatsoever.

My question is two-fold. First, how do magical institutions clamp down on this sort of thing? I'm assuming that those schools that focus on teaching beginning magic (ie: K-12) to usually young novices would have the most problems, as opposed to "graduate studies" schools like Windsong Tower, since the young people are less mature, more awkward, and their targets (fellow students) aren't as likely to have defenses against this sort of thing. Masters wandering around zapping students at random with dispel magic to see if something breaks doesn't seem very practical. Bad enough worrying about someone messing up their fireball enchantment, how do students come out without their brains being scrambled into fine goo?

Second, and just as important, how do schools situated within cities prevent all of the above from happening to the general populace? Heading off campus for a bit of "fun" would likely seem to be less risky (again, less chance of your target noticing what you're doing). Do mage schools coordinate with local law enforcement? Would students out on the town be followed (physically or magically)? If a student did something, how would reporting/arresting/trial go? And given all the above, how aware is your average city of these potential subtle problems (as opposed to the obvious "They're going to blow up the Docks Ward!") of allowing a mage school inside the walls?

We have numerous instances of mage schools existing throughout Faerun's history, so some solutions must have been found besides Thay's "Do whatever you want to those weaker than you" mentality. I'd appreciate any help you could give me in dealing with this disturbing use of magic.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 21:56:40
Message:

Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, re this query of yours: "Did Alustriel later come to El, and learn from him for some years?"
EXACTLY. Remember, El's well over a thousand years old, and most of the Seven are hundreds of years old. Plenty of time for "raising."
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 22:02:27
Message:

Hoondatha, good questions all.
I know this is something that Ed and several female TSR staffers discussed in detail over a GenCon dinner, years ago (they were what might be called feminists, and were quite concerned that the POTENTIAL was there, in the game as then detailed, for the concerns you're raising . . . and the Code of Ethics meant the subject could even be alluded to, even if only to say "X and Y prevent Z and A for being used for personal exploitation of students," or something carefully "neutrally worded" as that.
I know that in our roleplaying, as Ed "ran" it, Laspeera kept VERY close watch over War Wizards possibly misusing their positions, and expected them to in turn watch over all other wizards in Cormyr (and, when they could, priests, though THAT was an ongoing cause of problems, thanks to "pushback" from all of the churches involved). What happens elsewhere in the Realms will have to left to Ed to answer, I'm afraid.
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 22:14:15
Message:

I'm not too concerned about priests at the moment. I imagine the player will get a couple priests of Mystra and/or Azuth to take up residence, as a combination of school counselor and healer of all the injuries I KNOW will happen. I'm quite sure both deities would ruthlessly squash any clergy that tried any such tricks, especially on the next generation of mages.

Sometimes there are advantages for a DM when people get their magic from a higher power.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Mar 2009 23:01:16
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
<snip!>
We have numerous instances of mage schools existing throughout Faerun's history, so some solutions must have been found besides Thay's "Do whatever you want to those weaker than you" mentality. I'd appreciate any help you could give me in dealing with this disturbing use of magic.



I hope you don't mind me pipping up Hoondatha, but I have thought about this quite a bit. (Is this really a surprise?)

First of all, comparing "Wizard School" to High School is a mistake, a more apt comparison would be an elite (enrollment by scholarship only) private school or something like the Australian Institute of Sport (high school+ for elite athletes). The students are there because they're better than anyone else of their age, but they're held to much higher standards. I would imagine in such a place that magic outside the grounds would be strictly forbidden (much like summer holidays at Hogwarts - J K Rowling was on to something there).

If you take into consideration that the class size would be far smaller than modern high school, the students could probably be easily watched quite closely when they're outside school grounds, if they're let out at all. Maybe even an enchantment or an enchanted item the students carry to trigger an alarm at the school when they cast a spell. Other wizard schools solve the problem by simply setting themselves up way out in the boonies rather than in the middle of a city or town. Isolation would solve 99% of the problem, and being closely watched while in the school and only having magically aware people around would probably solve the last 1%.

I also think that people in the general vicinity of a "wizard school" would be a lot more wary and watchful for misteps by the students... Wizards make most people uneasy at the best of times. Young wizards would be frightening because they haven't had the years to hone their discipline.

Another thing that stops magic being so freely used in public (especially by apprentices) is that it is obvious when it's being done. You say a magical phrase, wave your hands and wriggle your fingers, as well as manipulating material components. If someone sees you, the game is up and the watch would probably be called. I know at least one of my DMs reminds me of this every time I go to cast Detect Magic in public (it has both verbal and somatic components, the same as Charm Person). If people see you casting a spell, they don't know what you're up to, they don't know if you're targeting them - they're likely to react badly. I suppose they could drag their victim aside somewhere private, but it's still a big risk. Especially if the victim starts acting differently afterwards. Alarm bells (for others witnessing such a thing) will certainly ring if the victim didn't want to have anything to do with said wizard student, and then they're suddenly all over them.

I'm not Ed, but I hope this helps a little.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 01:13:11
Message:

This isn't really a question, though I'll try to wrench it around into one by the end. I was just doing some indexing work and noticed that the very first bit of published Realmslore, Ed's "Dragon's Bestiary: the Curst" piece from Dragon #30, is coincidentally coming up on its thirtieth birthday this October! I know Ed and Co. have been working and playing in the Realms even longer than that, but for the rest of us (well, for me, anyway, and I imagine for others as well), that's pretty momentous! Thirty years of Realmslore!

So. Any plans to celebrate? :)

Cheers,

Christopher


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 04:52:29
Message:

Hi Ed,

I've been reading a book I picked up about the evolution of writing and how it shaped our brains and I was thinking about some of the written languages in the Realms. :)

Anyhow, what is the oldest written language that is still used as of the 1370's? If there is any? I was thinking maybe that draconic or espruar might be two of the oldest alphabets.... But maybe there are even some written languages that are older that aren't discussed on page of 85 of the FRCS.

Instead of asking about dozens of different alphabets, how about you choose five of the most common alphabets and expand on them? :) But I was curious about how some of them might be written? For example, we still have written languages on Earth that aren't written from left to right, some languages are written from top to bottom or even top to bottom to right/left to left/right. Are there any that are picto languages like the Egyptians used? I figured, already, that Mulhorandi would have written language like this but what about parts of Faerun? Do any of the written languages have missing letters like the runic language of the Norse had?

What about some written languages that are gender specific? Earth, at times, had written languages that were woman or man specific.

What class of people learn how to read? I think you might have answered this in past replies though. :)

I suppose I'm just curious about different languages and how they differ. :) And this might be a topic that might take a long time to discuss, which is why I was going to let you choose which written languages you wanted to discuss. :)


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 07:58:41
Message:

Re: wizard Schools: It is important to remember that things like charms and dominations can be detected, even by people not savvy with magic. You don't always need magic to know something is up.
Then again, the scary thing is that people gave a tendency to ignore even the obvious if it makes them uncomfortable. If a wizard's school's (or any private school's) masters aren't eager to kepe their students in check, if they have a dark agenda or simply don't care, then you might have a problem. It may be short-lived, though, as surely a school where such things happen too often won't grow to be popular (at elast, I would hope not).

Concerning private Schools: How common are mixed private schools (not magic schools) in the Realms? Is it more common practice to have a private school for each gender?
The school we intend to use is in High Dale, teaching the sons and/or daughters (tbd) of the rich from (mostly) Cormyr and Sembia.

Gomez


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 08:08:51
Message:

Ed and/or THO and/or others,

Inspired by both Hoondatha and Kuje, I just have to ask the following*:

The word "tumble" (in the "sexual intercourse" sense) has always struck me as cleverly evocative of the act. What are its different meanings in the Realms, origins and who would use it in what company and under what circumstances?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

* Yes, I know I have exceeded my annual quota...


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 13:46:06
Message:

Ok, I know I'm a bit behind the times, but...

MYSTRA'S DEAD???!?!?!?!!!!?!??!!?!? *Cries*

I just discovered this and I'm thoroughly unhappy, to say the least...
Not that I ever intend on recognizing/acknowledging such terrible news, but why wasn't a new Mystra chosen like the one's before her? I mean, we knew that whoever was going to be the keeper of the Weave was not going to be eternal, so how come her power didn't pass on to some one else, like it did with Midnight? What happened to Elminster and the rest of the Chosen after this? Does one of them get to become god/dess of magic?

AZUTH KILLED BY ASMODEUS?!!!?!?!??!?!!??? *Cries harder*
...The office of Magister is no more, either?
I'll prolly play 4e FR just so I can ensure that Cyric and Shar will drown in their own blood. And Asmodeus, too...Yep, no diety/archdevil is safe from my char's vengence now. Gloves are off...

Ed, How did you feel about this? I mean, Dweomerheart just exploding, the goddess of magic being murdered in her own realm, and all the power of the weave becoming unraveled, laying waste to area's of Faerun?
...You gotta tell me everything is gonna be ok, dude...lol

By the way, just pointing out that I haven't recieved and answer to my first question yet. Take your time, though. Just a little reminder .
My previous question was: Did the Simbul and Szass Tam ever directly meet in battle in any cannon (Or any non-cannon lore that you know about) lore? And if so, where can I read about it, cause that'd be a heck of a read.

Thanks in advance,


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:05:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ok, I know I'm a bit behind the times, but...

MYSTRA'S DEAD???!?!?!?!!!!?!??!!?!? *Cries*

I just discovered this and I'm thoroughly unhappy, to say the least...
Not that I ever intend on recognizing/acknowledging such terrible news, but why wasn't a new Mystra chosen like the one's before her? I mean, we knew that whoever was going to be the keeper of the Weave was not going to be eternal, so how come her power didn't pass on to some one else, like it did with Midnight? What happened to Elminster and the rest of the Chosen after this? Does one of them get to become god/dess of magic?


In a manuever that contradicts and/or ignores all prior lore, Shar somehow blocked the ascension of a new deity of magic.

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ed, How did you feel about this? I mean, Dweomerheart just exploding, the goddess of magic being murdered in her own realm, and all the power of the weave becoming unraveled, laying waste to area's of Faerun?
...You gotta tell me everything is gonna be ok, dude...lol


Keep in mind that Ed has to have a working relationship with the WotC folks. You're likely to get a far more neutral and diplomatic response than you may want.

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

By the way, just pointing out that I haven't recieved and answer to my first question yet. Take your time, though. Just a little reminder .


Join the crowd. Some of us have had questions in Ed's queue for years. I myself can't even remember all the questions I've asked -- though Ed does keep a list of all questions that he works from. Here's a relevant quote from the lovely Lady Hooded One, from three years ago (I keep this one handy, because it's one I have to use every few months):

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, Ed knows that, all right.
His problem is threefold:
1. Total lack of time. Ed is actively writing or editing SIX projects (plus yours) right now, with another eleven sitting on his desk staring mutely at him, waiting. This means he just CAN’T go off into the basement (or the library of diskettes and Zip disks in his study, either), looking up older Realmslore. It also means he often has to drop everything to deal with emergencies (and the recent WotC layoffs have spawned a lot of those). Ed loves to answer your questions, but he’s as busy as the head of any major company or country - - without having any staff to support him. That means some of the larger-scope questions, or the really, really obscure points, just have to wait.
2. The minefield of constantly-shifting NDAs, and unfolding WotC and Paizo projects and articles Ed is aware of, but can’t publicly talk about. And doesn’t want to screw up. Many scribes ask about matters that a lot of Realms fans have wanted “cleared up” long ago. Other scribes ask about interesting things unfolding in recent books (e.g. the Shadovar). Still others ask about basics (agricultural practices, land-law). All of these things SHOULD be answered, and Ed wants to, but often other folks are already at work on answers, or MIGHT answer them as their novel or game sourcebook tromps through relevant real estate, or uses relevant NPCs. So Ed is duty-bound (and legally bound) to keep quiet. Sometimes even admitting that he’s keeping quiet will tip off Realms fans about something in the future that shouldn’t be revealed yet. So he waits…and waits…
3. Rules queries that shouldn’t be directed to Ed in the first place. You know, the “let’s use Ed’s opinion as a weapon in my ongoing argument about X” requests.
4. Questions about the gods, ditto. Yes, Ed created the great majority of deities specific to the FR setting. Yes, he detailed them, and provided spells for them. No, he’s never had the chance to put into print their prayers and rituals properly, or what daily life is like both for a humble priest and for an ambitious upperpriest in the upper echelons of church hierarchy. Yes, he wants to. No, he can’t move on this without WotC cooperation. And everyone, from other fiction writers to WotC designers to every FR fan, has their own, different - - often fiercely different - - ideas of what’s “right” and “true” about the gods. To Ed, most of this (arguing about the Dawn Cataclysm, for example, or Eilistraee) is just like arguing about the weather: fun (when it doesn’t turn nasty), but ultimately useless to the roleplaying experience (mortals can never know the truth, so the truth doesn’t matter: what matters is what priests and fiathful worshippers IN THE REALMS think). And so on. Yes, these are basics I’m reiterating, but it’s time to repeat them for all. Ed has a huge electronic file of ALL the queries not yet fully answered that have been posed in this thread. Not one gets forgotten, and Ed tries to answer one a day no matter how busy he is. So he’ll get to them, unless the gods take him from us first. Promise.
(No matter how lovingly I have to persuade him. And you know how lovingly THAT can be.)
love to all,
THO



Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:06:03
Message:

Let me help, as I was helped!
EDIT: Well, I see one of those helpful people I was tlaking about already answered a few questions better than myself.
Regarding Chosen: None of them have become a new god/dess of magic yet, and their status, besides what was published in FRCS, is unknown. Here is what I remeber is known:
Elminster hears voices in his head that he fears magic will release, due to ravages from the Spellplague. He no longer practices the Art, and has isolated himself, where others believe he is an insane hermit. He is a threat to no one as long as he does not cast magic. The consequences of this would be devastating.
The Simbul faked her death in 1425, and now lives in the Dalelands, in disguise, presumably caring and watching over Elminster.
Alustriel passed away (died a normal death).
Khelben gave up his life during the Mythal ceremony thing.
Qilue - beheaded by the Crescent Blade by Halistraa, along with Eilistraee, who was also destroyed.
Sylune - Used all her power to get rid of the dead magic field over Shadowdale, causing her to finally pass away.
Laeral, Dove, Storm - unknown. If I'm not mistaken, it was said that one of them had died (it wasn't revealed which one), but maybe I'm wrong.
Well, that's all I know and remeber. I'm sure other helpful people can help more.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:13:41
Message:

I'm betting more precise information about the fates of the Chosen, and the "whys" of Mystra's death and the lack of a new deity of magic ascending, are all going to be firmly and heavily NDAed for now.
Not that this is a particularly bold or risky bet on ym part, mind you.
BB


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:14:44
Message:

lol, your the man, Wooly.
I understand Ed is a busy guy. I mean, hey, he's the creater of Forgotten Realms...THO said it all when he's like the head of a country.
Thanks for posting so promptly. I didn't expect to hear a response from Ed or THO that denounced 4e or anything like that, just an author's perspective.

And, yes, Shar is a greater diety, but doesn't Ao have final say so of who's who among the gods? Perhaps she struck a deal with him. Maybe she will now be the new goddess of magic and have absolute power over the weave and the shadow weave. Woe to all who practice the arcane...
That's just pure speculation on my part, of course.

Thanks, Mene. That certainly answered a few questions and was extremely helpful. Thanks for the info!

What is 'NDA'?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:20:42
Message:

Well, I'M betting you'll hear something out of Ed, soon, Archmagus. Though I suspect diplomatic words and invocation of NDAs will be involved.
And Ed has several times, over the years in this thread, said things akin to this: mortals in the Realms (and gamers in the real world) can't really be sure of what they think they "know" about the gods - - only about what priests and the gods (both of whom may be either lying or mistaken, and are always slanting things to cast their faith in the best and most important role) SAY is true or right about the gods.
So we may THINK Ao this and Shar that, but we can never really be sure . . .
And "NDA" stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement. Common in the game industry and other "intellectual property" business fields, like Hollywood. Someone signs a document with a company they are working for, as a freelancer or a staffer (usually if a staffer it's written into their employment contract rather than being its own document) that says they won't "spill the beans" to the rest of us about something that hasn't been released yet, until their superiors in the company say it's okay to talk about whatever it is.


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:23:31
Message:

I see, Malcolm. Thanks for the imput.
NDA = No direct/darn answers? lol


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:54:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ok, I know I'm a bit behind the times, but...

MYSTRA'S DEAD???!?!?!?!!!!?!??!!?!? *Cries*

I just discovered this and I'm thoroughly unhappy, to say the least...
Not that I ever intend on recognizing/acknowledging such terrible news, but why wasn't a new Mystra chosen like the one's before her? I mean, we knew that whoever was going to be the keeper of the Weave was not going to be eternal, so how come her power didn't pass on to some one else, like it did with Midnight? What happened to Elminster and the rest of the Chosen after this? Does one of them get to become god/dess of magic?
Ed has tackled this somewhat, but only briefly, in previous replies to concerns about the status of the Chosen in the post-Spellplague period. You might want to spend some time searching through the '08 reply file -- simply use the "So Saith Ed" URL in my sig to get you started.
quote:
Ed, How did you feel about this? I mean, Dweomerheart just exploding, the goddess of magic being murdered in her own realm, and all the power of the weave becoming unraveled, laying waste to area's of Faerun?
...You gotta tell me everything is gonna be ok, dude...lol
As Wooly noted above, it's worth keeping in mind that this really isn't something Ed can fully comment on. Non-Disclosure-Agreements and other aspects of his relationship with WotC may mean that whatever answer may be forthcoming from Ed, will be heavily influenced by these factors.
quote:
By the way, just pointing out that I haven't recieved and answer to my first question yet. Take your time, though. Just a little reminder .
My previous question was: Did the Simbul and Szass Tam ever directly meet in battle in any cannon (Or any non-cannon lore that you know about) lore? And if so, where can I read about it, cause that'd be a heck of a read.

Thanks in advance,

As I've said to some other scribes before, and as the Lady Hooded One states in that bit quoted above, it's not really necessary for you to re-post or remind Ed or the Lady Hooded One about previously asked questions. I mean, I've still got some questions outstanding from 2004, when Ed first started taking questions here at Candlekeep. But I know from previous comments that Ed can only tackle certain questions at a time. And with an ever increasing list of questions waiting to be answered, Ed must maintain a measure of focus.

And besides, the Lady Hooded One is a particularly vigilant lass when it comes to such matters here at Candlekeep, and has assured us many times that nearly every appropriate question asked to Ed has been passed along. If there's something she has missed, then it's usually only because of slight errors in posting technique here. And we Mods are fairly dedicated toward ensuring that rarely happens.

Rest assured, we're all on it!


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:55:10
Message:

Thanks, Sage.
I'll be patient. As I said, there's no hurry. I just figured since this forum gets so many posts/replies, it may have been lost in all the hubub. Now I know different. Thanks for the reassurences, everyone!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:56:19
Message:

Regarding Shar nad the Shdow Weave after Mystra's death: currently impossible. Shar and Cyric miscalculated. They indeed planed to take control of the Weave after Mystra's death, but it collapsed, along with the Shadow Weave.


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 14:59:23
Message:

HAA!!! Take that you coniving vipers! (Cyric and Shar, that is.)
Thanks for the info, Mene.
Wonder what She and Cyric will do now? They have to be in danger from the other dieties seeking vengence, right? I mean, Selune herself must be pretty upset, not to mention Cyric's many enemies.

Is this kind of speculation inappropriate? I'd hate to be banned from Candlekeep.


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 15:34:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

HAA!!! Take that you coniving vipers! (Cyric and Shar, that is.)
Thanks for the info, Mene.
Wonder what She and Cyric will do now? They have to be in danger from the other dieties seeking vengence, right? I mean, Selune herself must be pretty upset, not to mention Cyric's many enemies.

Is this kind of speculation inappropriate? I'd hate to be banned from Candlekeep.



It isn't inappropriate but lets take it to another scroll and leave this one for Ed. :) A lot of chatter has been filling up his scroll lately.

Edit: Ha! Beat Sage by three seconds! Grin.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 15:35:00
Message:

Any and all Realmslore discussion, regardless of edition, is welcome here at Candlekeep Brandon.

I would prefer, however, that any speculation not directly pertaining to questions for Ed be taken to other existing scrolls on the subject. Or, if you would like, simply open a new scroll for further discussion on the topic of Shar and Cyric.

It's just something I like to suggest, so that when I get to compiling the Ed-lore from this scroll, I don't have to shuffle through post after post of non-Ed-lore-related discussions.


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 15:36:24
Message:

Will do, Sage. Your awesome
I completely undersand, and wouldn't want to have to go through all the unrelated hubub, either. Archiving is a hard job and I'm sorry if I've contributed to it's difficulty for you.

General FR Chat: Topic - Cyric and Shar's Most Foul Betrayal.

Look forward to hearing the views and opinions of any and all!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 20:06:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
In a manuever that contradicts and/or ignores all prior lore, Shar somehow blocked the ascension of a new deity of magic.



I have a different theory: that Mystra, knowing that it was time for change, allowed her own death to happen, while simulateneously arranging things so that Shar wouldn't gain her power.
Re:the Chosen: Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that Laeral had died?

Gomez


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 24 Mar 2009 22:29:37
Message:

It was mentioned in Blackstaff Tower that Laeral passed away, but no details. And you should check out my theory on Brandon's thread for Mystra's death...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 03:46:52
Message:

Someone is fond of the 'Puppet man' from the TV show Heroes.

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

A first level wizard can make themselves an essentially-permanent sex slave, especially if they pick someone good looking with the brain of sand. And since many places keep "apprentices" around far beyond the first level, the potential for trouble staggers the mind.

The Ministry of Magic steps in and stops any underage or un-authorized use of magic.

Oops.... wrong setting.

Anyhow, without the use of magic (directly), this sort of behaviour goes on quite a bit, especially between master and apprentice, and even between apprentices. Thayans are known for it; apprentices - both male and female - are expected to 'perform' WHATEVER task is asked of them. I believe Calimshan has a reputation for this as well... but it goes on just about everywhere (including RW) at times. Young apprentices become enthralled with their masters, and mistake it for love, and unscrupulous types often take advantage of the situation, as do older students (who are more knowledgable) with younger students.

Occassionally, it is the 'victim' that is the actual instigating party - many a pretty female (and male) aspiring mage has gotten spells and magical knowledge out of older, 'doting' Sages. The Shadowsil is an excellent example of one such a 'pretty lass' (who managed to con both Elminster and Manshoon!) Lirael from Elaine's wonderful novels also used her wiles thusly (what? Shes a Drow!)


quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Regarding Shar and the Shadow Weave after Mystra's death: currently impossible. Shar and Cyric miscalculated. They indeed planed to take control of the Weave after Mystra's death, but it collapsed, along with the Shadow Weave.


Shar got what she wanted, and no longer needed the crutch that was the Shadoweave. Mystra got both Arcane and Ubral energies from her two mothers, but she never bothered with the 'dark side' of her power. Shar took advantage of that situation by creating the Shadoweave within the shadow of Mystra's own Weave.

Now that Mystra's been 'shattered', the original power has gone back to Selune and Shar - Shar can tap into the Shadowfel directly, as can her followers now, and without the Weave around, there's absolutely no need for her to build another competing 'interface' again.

But I do agree Shar was foiled somewhat - she was trying to get ALL of Mystra's power, but only got her own back, so there is definately something more to the story.

Cyric was just her dupe - she was planning for him before he was even born.

Ed's Answers: I have learned, through trial and error, that if you ask a question that is already founded in Realmslore and is NOT covered by an NDA and Ed (or THO) happens to already know the answer, then you get a fast reply (which is why I like to stick to geograpy). If it's something Ed has thought about but hasn't fully committed to paper, it may be awhile before you get an answer (because the man can create faster then he can write it all down). If it is something that he hasn't even thought about - and I doubt there's a lot of subjects like that - then you'd better hope it at least sparks his interest enough to put some though into it immediately, otherwise you may be waiting a LONG time.

And because I mentioned "things Ed hasn't thought about", I had to think of at least one question that could possibly fall into that category -

Why do Liches bother to wear clothes?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 04:52:59
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
And because I mentioned "things Ed hasn't thought about", I had to think of at least one question that could possibly fall into that category -


Known unknowns? Unknown unknowns?

quote:

Why do Liches bother to wear clothes?


Habit.


And on to a question... Ed, I'm not sure if I've asked this already, but what can you tell us (if anything, *hisses at NDAs*) about Yanseldara and Vaerana Hawklyn before they came to rule Elversult?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 05:58:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


Why do Liches bother to wear clothes?




Where else are they going to keep all their components and magical goodies, as well as such mundane things like quills and keys?

There's likely a degree of vanity with some liches, as well, though I'd not think this widespread. Nice, fancy robes cover up and make it easier to overlook rotting flesh.

Though habit is likely the best reason.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 06:17:11
Message:

I think Jean Rabe briefly hit upon this concept of liches wearing clothes in her Red Magic novel. Or was it "Red Ambition" from Realms of Magic? Then again, it could've been Szass Tam's entry in the Spellbound book? I can't recall at the moment. Anyways, I do recall some Realms-based thinking on this.

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Why do Liches bother to wear clothes?
Hilarity aside, I wouldn't mind also hearing Ed's thoughts on this. I recall a few tidbits from Van Richten as per the RAVENLOFT setting and why liches may still tend toward garments of a kind. But I'm curious about the Bearded One's take on it as well.

So, Ed, consider this question to be seconded.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 06:36:17
Message:

I'd imagine that, from a completely tactical standpoint, most liches' vestments are very heavily enchanted.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 07:04:01
Message:

I've got a question:
Was Azoun a feminist?
Let me explain: During Azoun's rule, it seemed to me that many women came to powerful positions - appointed by Azoun. Myrmeen Lhal, Tessaril Winter, Gwennath of Tymora, etc. So, my question is this: Did Azoun appoint them because he thought women would be better at these posts than men, or because 'she's the right person for the job, and I don't care if she's a commoner and a woman'?
And let's not look at the hands on the reins after Azoun's death...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 12:52:15
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I've got a question:
Was Azoun a feminist?

(Oooooh, sorry, gotta stick my oar in here!)

While we could think of Azoun as a feminist*, feminism, as we think of it, does not exist on Toril.

I'd definitely put him in the category of "gynephile" or someone who loves women (in his bed, preferably ). Though I think he might also fall into the sex addict category too. (I use sex addict in the sense that he enjoys is and does it as often as he can, not as in really addicted and would be treated for it if he existed on Earth in the 'naughties**').)

quote:
Let me explain: During Azoun's rule, it seemed to me that many women came to powerful positions - appointed by Azoun. Myrmeen Lhal, Tessaril Winter, Gwennath of Tymora, etc. So, my question is this: Did Azoun appoint them because he thought women would be better at these posts than men, or because 'she's the right person for the job, and I don't care if she's a commoner and a woman'?
And let's not look at the hands on the reins after Azoun's death...


I don't think Azoun was fulfilling any quotas in his lifetime. I'd say that he, being a fair minded individual, would have appointed them because they simply were the best person for the job at the time. (Plus, Myrmeen Lhal didn't start out as Lady Lord of Arabel, her husband was Lord before her, and she kind of inherited it when he died - though if Azoun didn't want her there, he'd have kicked her out.)

As for Alusair as Steel Regent (with Caladnei, Laspeera, and Filfaeril ably assisting her in the background), she only became the regent because she was the last of the Obarskyr line (aside from Azoun V who was far too young to become the new king)... The ladies of the Obarskyr family got skipped for the actual Crown (Regent is not exactly the same as Queen, though it is a very powerful position).

I won't say anything about the travesty that is Cormyr in 4th Edition (a complete lack of powerful women in the canon***, nuff said).


* Azoun as a feminist is really a stretch if you ask me - if he was, he'd change the way Cormyrian inheritance worked to be fairer to noble womenfolk, for example.
** For those who don't realize what I mean, 2000-2009 is the "naughties".
*** I have not read anything new on DDI since the Cormyr preview article, so if that's changed since then... My bad, sorry.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:16:04
Message:

Hi again, fellow scribes. Ed has been busy busy busy, but he's also been reading the posts from this thread that I shuttle along to him, and has sent some Realmslore replies, to whit:


Hi, everybody. Markustay, liches wear clothes for a variety of reasons. Zandilar is correct when she says habit, GoCeraf is right when he says many lich garments are enchanted, and provide a way for liches to carry more "ready" magic around on their persons for use (particularly defensive), and Wooly is correct re. both clothing providing a means of carting useful stuff around and for reasons of vanity (partially concealing their wasted bodies). however, there's a "crowning" reason, too: clothing provides a psychological "anchor" for liches, rooted in human nature and in the writings of early lichnee-attainment procedures by long, long-ago mages, right down to Nulathoe (who believed that retaining clothing and footwear slowed the "inevitable decay" of the physical body of the lich). So a lot of them are afraid of falling apart faster, and believe that clothing, however ragged, rotten, or "abbreviated," somehow provides a binding for the body that slows its deterioration. That's alos why many liches LET clothing decay: although they may don new clothing OVER the old, rotting stuff, they seldom remove the garments they were wearing at attainment of lichdom, or donned right away after they "rose" as liches.
Remember, all: there are no trivial questions, only trivial answers. :}


So saith Ed. Who will have more to say soon, I'm thinking as I look at my inbox.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:17:59
Message:

I did say I didn't mean a feminist in our world. I don't think he was a feminist; but I am trying to figure out if he believed in empowerment of women. Not changing the rules doesn't mean he wasn't for it; it probably means he couldn't. Heck, the Obarskyrs have enough problems without all the male nobles protesting to them.
And Cormyr is a place where the woman you marry is important, and should actually listen to, in contrast to many places in olden times, where a wife was just a decoration.
My last sentence was intended as more of a joke than anything, but I beleive Azoun's reign still had some effect on that. Laspeera was an important member of the court during his rule, Alusair could do what she did because she was highly respected by many, including her father, and Filfaeril held some power because Azoun had listened to her.
Regarding 4e Cormyr: Actually, there's hardly any information. Only the name of the King (Foril), and that his nephew is quite evil. Although I saw somewhere that there was a new Court Mage, Ganrahast, which mean Caladnei is gone. This would also probably be one of the shortest tenures as Mage Royal of Comyr. This may indicate what you spoke of, Zandilar.

But I have another question: are there any writing concerning the schism between Khelben and the Harpers, which led to the formation of the Moonstars? If not, could we have some information regardingit? I know what the schism was about, but how did the Chosen deal with it? Did it make them grow distant for a time?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:30:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

But I have another question: are there any writing concerning the schism between Khelben and the Harpers, which led to the formation of the Moonstars? If not, could we have some information regardingit? I know what the schism was about, but how did the Chosen deal with it? Did it make them grow distant for a time?



The Schism itself happened in Cloak & Dagger -- the last 2E FR supplement, and in my opinion, one of the best. This is where almost all of the info about the Schism is.

Unfortunately, it was a plotline that was mostly ignored for 3E (though City of Splendors: Waterdeep did give us a Moonstar PrC). In fact, one of the designers is on record as saying he didn't like it, and that's why it was left alone.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:40:01
Message:

. . . And I was (ahem, of course!) right.
Menelvagor, Ed has STARTED to tackle your "Was Azoun a feminist?" query; he says he'll provide a much more comprehensive reply later, "when he can" (read: NDA trouble). Here's his start, however (please note, he hadn't seen your last, clarifying your position post when he penned this):


Hi, Menelvagor. Zandilar has pretty much "hit it" correctly in her reply. Here's the thing: "feminism," as we know it, is a concept unfamiliar to folk in the Realms. They know all about cronyism and corruption, and all about men who oppress women (as a fact of human nature, not as any sort of "syndrome" or necessarily "wrong for society in general" thing). Wife-beaters are considered bad, and idiots or crazies to boot (if you were a slaver, would you think highly of a slave-dealer who damaged the goods?).
Azoun DOES enjoy sex, as often as he can get it. He DOES enjoy the company of women, both spirited intellectuals flirting or disputing with him, and in bed (or on a saddle - - highly uncomfortable, that; I don't recommend any real-world experiments; trust me, I've made them for you :} or handy patch of ground, flat roof, whatever). However, he was by no means following some sort of equal rights or affirmative action hiring process; he was putting into positions the best people he thought he could find (and he was largely right in his judgements).
Remember, he can only go by the people he's gotten to know, well enough to see them under stress, test them, etc. . . . and that meant a lot of women, more than men. He needs people who are capable AND LOYAL, and he's satisfied himself that all of these women he put into positions were loyal to the realm (not necessarily personally to him, so he's not a self-serving despot). Male nobles tend to be hostile towards the Obarskyrs, and male commoners he has a hard time getting to know; he CAN'T take long periods "off the throne, in among the people in a magical disguise, getting to know the real people" without Vangey's help, and he doesn't quite trust Vangey, Vangey won't give that help ("I spent years suffering at your side all around the realm so you'd learn this already; I've DONE it, stay on that throne and DO YOUR JOB - - oh, and your crown's askew") [see CORMYR: A NOVEL for a glimpse of those years].
So he grabbed the best people he knew, and put them into positions he needed filled. Yes, he's admirably free of the misogyny many male nobles of his generation display some openly (and his appointments gained him a lot of quiet support and admiration from the noble wives of these same blustering, bullying male nobles, who saw his naming of women to so many important posts as good for the realm AND giving their daughters some hope for better, more meaningful lives - - as in, lives with careers in them beyond "breeding our own horses" and "painting or sewing or weaving splendid things").
Azoun would not have thought of himself as doing anything "for women," collectively. He would have seen himself as "doing the right thing," in each individual "hire," and we know from his statements on several occasions that he thought older generations of Cormyreans were idiots, who harmed the quality of life in the realm greatly, by "wasting" the skills and potential of so many women, noble and common.
In all of this, it should be borne in mind that most women of Cormyr, no matter how ambitious and capable, tend to be more subtle than the Alusair sorts: they rule by tongue and manipulation and forethought, more than by swinging a sword from a saddle and trying to "out-boy the boys." (Not that one approach is inherently superior to the other; I'm just pointing out that in our game adventure and fictional "radar," we would focus more on the action sorts, and less on the quieter, more behind-the-scenes manipulations.)
I'll post more about this when I get the chance. The short answer would be: Azoun would be initially bewildered if you asked him if he thought he was a feminist. Once you explained the concept, he would say he was not; rather, he was a pragmatist doing the right thing for the realm where so many predecessors had not because they were blind to the unused talents of so many women of the realm. Some observers would say that regardless of what Azoun thought, his actions could be seen as the largest steps yet in supporting feminist values (Zandilar, your comments re. inheritance are a larger subject I'll have to tackle in another post; every family has their own tradition of inheritance, and it's NOT always [but is usually] the male line - - and because of this, ANY monarch who tried to change those rules would have a REAL fight on their hands, because each and every noble family would view it as a personal attack on THEIR house), in the recent history of Cormyr.
That's all for now. As it happens, I'm busy writing a scene in fiction not set in the realms, where the poor male protagonist is very much being dominated by a woman. However, it's keeping him alive, so I suppose he shouldn't complain. :}


So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms, and deep thinker about many, many more facets of it than any of the rest of us have thought through.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:52:47
Message:

Oh, and one little addendum, scribes:
I see from Ed's latest e-mail to me that he intends to soon reply to Christopher Rowe, Hoondatha, and Zandilar (Zan, re. your request for more "about Yanseldara and Vaerana Hawklyn before they came to rule Elversult"), but feels duty bound to revisit the noble families Daviot's been so patiently waiting for the Sorndrake details of, first. Then there's more of the Thunderstone and vicinity replies, those remaining orc "heroes," and so on.
No rest for the willfully wicked.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:54:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

... and Wooly is correct re. both clothing providing a means of carting useful stuff around and for reasons of vanity (partially concealing their wasted bodies).
Vanity would seem to be partly Szass Tam's reasoning, at times, I would imagine.
quote:
... however, there's a "crowning" reason, too: clothing provides a psychological "anchor" for liches, rooted in human nature and in the writings of early lichnee-attainment procedures by long, long-ago mages, right down to Nulathoe (who believed that retaining clothing and footwear slowed the "inevitable decay" of the physical body of the lich). So a lot of them are afraid of falling apart faster, and believe that clothing, however ragged, rotten, or "abbreviated," somehow provides a binding for the body that slows its deterioration.
The "psychological anchor" bit is interesting. I kinda get the feeling that, given the overall long-term effects of lichdom upon a lich's mind, clinging to old garments helps the lich to retain a sense of self through physical memory.

Additionally, another consideration is the fact that time loses all meaning when embracing lichdom. Essentially, each day becomes largely the same for a lich, so alternating clothing and fashion styles may occasionally help to break up the monotony associated with "eternal existence."


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 14:56:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

But I have another question: are there any writing concerning the schism between Khelben and the Harpers, which led to the formation of the Moonstars? If not, could we have some information regardingit? I know what the schism was about, but how did the Chosen deal with it? Did it make them grow distant for a time?



The Schism itself happened in Cloak & Dagger -- the last 2E FR supplement, and in my opinion, one of the best. This is where almost all of the info about the Schism is.
Steven Schend has, however, elaborated on a few points concerning the Schism, here at Candlekeep. They're required reading for any Realms fans who have an interest in how this particular plot hook may have developed further.

The relevant replies can be accessed through the "So Saith Ed" archives.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 25 Mar 2009 22:08:16
Message:

Hello All,

Ed has detailed ways of repairing Dead Magic and Wild Magic areas by non-chosen been written by you anywhere, there is an order of paladins in 'Champions of Valor' who supposedly take on this challenege and are not followers of Mystra or Azuth.
These paladins actaully serve Torm so then I assume the manner in which they repair weave would be different, and being paladins first would likely mean far limited access to magic. Have you a take or any knowledge of this or could whip something up?

Thanks as always


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 26 Mar 2009 00:27:45
Message:

A query for Ed, if I may.
The setting: a Realms campaign centered on Highmoon, in Deepingdale. If the Spellplague comes, how soon will it have dramatic local effects, in your opinion (and what would those initial effects be), and how long might it be "bad news from elsewhere" that might cause refugees, or good shortages, or the like in Highmoon, but not much else?
Thanks!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Mar 2009 04:03:43
Message:

There was an intial 'wave' that basically rolled across everything on Toril, but did so haphazardly, the moment Mystra perished. The effects were EXTREMELY random and chaotic, so it could have been anywhere from an entire nation blowing up (Halrua), to everyone in town getting 'the hives'.

Then there were a series of 'aftershocks' - various sporadic 'eruptions' of cerulean energy throughout the world, almost on a daily basis for the first couple of weeks, to once or twice a week for the next few months, until there was only several a year after the first year... and then nothing (or nearly so) after a decade.

I say "nearly so" because you still get spontaneous Wild-magic flare-ups here and there, but usually nothing on the scale that was seen in that first holocaustal decade. Most of that was gleened from answers given here and over at WotC (I believe Rich Baker was the one that said things calmed down A LOT after the first ten years).

We also have the Plague-changed Lands, which are akin to 2e's Wild Magic zones (coupled with Red Steel's mutanagenic effects), which are permanent in nature, and are like little 'Spellplagues' going off all the time.

Thats as much official detail as your likely to get, because it is up to you (the DM) to decide whats what in your 1479 DR Realms.

And now I'm going to create a naked lich that sews pockets into his skin, just to be contrary.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Who will have more to say soon, I'm thinking as I look at my inbox.
love to all,
THO

May I, too, perchance have a peek, M'Lady?

I am SO very interested in your SHE-mail.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Mar 2009 19:20:07
Message:

Ed, I'm am currently trying to get the FR map as precise as possible to the original. In your response to my query about Aralent, I noted you metioned that the FRA by Karen Fonstad (a MUCH-treasured resource) is the closest to your original ever officially published, so I have been gleening it for every scrap I can find.

While studying The North, I noted something peculiar - a lake in the Evermoors! It appears on pgs. 62-63 (and is repeated again on 64-65). This lake does not appear on any other maps, including others in the same book - was this part of your original?

I've managed to find three forests and a slew of tiny lakes that were dropped between 2e and 3e, but this is the only place I have seen a lake in the Evermoors (and I even went back and checked all the 1e maps, in case it was dropped when 2e came around). I also read ever source on it, from 1e-3e, and no mention of any lake therein.

Thanks --- Mark

P.S. - and since it appears in an official source, I am going to add it regardless (it looks cool there), so I guess what I'm really looking for is some sort of name for it if it was 'yours'.

And while I'm asking for names - there is a small 'clump' of Mounatains NW of the Citadel of the Raven (not the White Mountains north of The Ride - I already found that name).


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 01:37:22
Message:

Tantam Ed and THO!

Ed, an interesting discussion here about the Risen Sun Heresy has sparked a couple of questions please.

Question 1:
The Tripartite Sun God: Can I ask, was this part of the home Realms game, or was it Eric playing creatively in the sandbox of the published Realms?

Question 2:
Going back to the OGBS (with some additional lore from Faiths and Avatars) there seems to be several 'three' themes related to deities, to whit:
Risen Sun - Lathander, Amaunator and the unknown Dusk God (I prefer Jergal but Myrkul seems favoured by most)
The Triad - Tyr, Torm and Ilmater
The Gods of Fury - Auril, Umberlee and Malar
The Gods of Knowledge - Oghma, Deneir and Milil
The Jergal Three - Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul
The Moon Three? - Selune, Shar and Mystral/Mystra (born of the two?)
The Nature Gods - Silvanus, Mielikki and Eldath

Was the 'Three Deities together' a deliberate design choice of yours when putting together the Realms pantheon? (or am I making tenuous connections and shoe-horning gods into a thoery that is ridiculous?)


Thanks

Damian


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 02:32:48
Message:

Thanks, Damian. Off to Ed these questions go.
Myself, I think the answer to Question 1 is that this is Eric's baby (with Ed's approval, of course; Mr. Boyd always called Ed about such things, because he's a friend and a professional, and because he cares deeply about the Realms and knows full well a tapestry turns out better when everyone working on it knows and agrees on details here and there, and some end results.
I suspect some of the trios of gods (such as the Triad) were named by Eric and George Krashos, guiding others into thinking and writing of those deities in that manner. Some of the trios (Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, the nature trio, and the Gods of Knowledge, for example) were definitely linked that way by Ed, from the beginning.
Hmm; I know we're straying into territory Ed likes to keep mysterious so as to give DMs maximum freedom (he has said a time or two that the game should "handle religion softly so as to leave players and DMs, who are real people who may well have very real religious beliefs, the maximum comfort in tailoring 'their' Realms for their own best enjoyment"). I'm quoting here from some design notes he wrote in 1979, BTW.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 02:38:47
Message:

Hi, all, again.
Markustay, I'm looking at one of my old player's maps (Ed used to hand these out on occasion during play, with some features "known" and labelled and correctly mapped, others mapped but not named, and blank spots where our knowledge didn't extend to), and there's definitely a lake in the Evermoors in a 1981-or-so map Ed drew. So it's "in his original." No name, of course, because our characters didn't go there then, and I can't yet find the later, more extensive maps we were issued after we found a hidden cache of maps in Scornubel and became "sort-of experts" on that region.
So we'll see what Ed says, but yes, it IS his (pre-published-Realms) lake.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 04:18:36
Message:

Wonderful.

It appears Ms. Fonstad had access to Ed's maps, or at least the ones he sent-off to TSR, rather then just relying on other's earlier works (which I've noted leads to countles multiple-edition errors). She was simply amazing.

The North is getting Northier by the minute.

Thanks for that - I feel better about adding it now.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 14:31:28
Message:

Yes, TSR provided Karen with photocopies of every map Ed had sent in to them (until they cried halt, when they ran out of empty cubicles to pile all the stuff Ed was sending up in), plus copies of all of their own generated-for-adventure-modules maps. She created the rest by meticulously reading all of the novels and adventures and working out travel times and therefore distances, etc.
Over the years since, Ed has provided TSR (and later Wizards) with many more maps, though they have tended to be of small locales or cities (Crimmor, Tarmalune) rather than larger regions. Ed's preferred mapping style is akin to Fonstad (mountains are drawn in, in a perspective view, imparting some "feel" for the land), but he does professional-quaity topographical maps when he has the time and inclination, and delivered at least one of these, of an orc-infested mountain pass, for SILVER MARCHES (it wasn't used).
Ms. Fonstad is, of course, justly famous for her atlases of the works of Tolkien, McCaffrey, and Donaldson, among others. She attended one of the Milwaukee GenCons as a guest, but unfortunately passed away some years ago.
love,
THO


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 14:55:42
Message:

While on the topic of maps. The Hooded Lady was kind enough to describe the Stonelands to us in another thread recently. And suggested asking further questions here.

I am curious if Irongard's location in the Interactive Atlas is correct? I now know the Stonelands is a lose term but I imagined Irongard much closer to Eveningstar, the Atlas has it placed east past Arabel. Markustay's map has the Forgotten Keep near Eveningstar which looks correct. I know in an earlier post it was stated that the two were very close about a quarter day if one knew the way.

I am looking forward to running Irongard for the first in the near future with a group very new to D&D.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 27 Mar 2009 15:56:01
Message:

Lady THO,

If you would please convey my heart-felt thanks for Ed's introduction to my novel Downshadow? I just received my author's copies and read his kind and extremely flattering words.

He is truly a prince.

Cheers


P.S. And anyone with doubts about the existence and role of powerful women in the 4e FR has only to read this novel. Just sayin'.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 02:55:23
Message:

I look forward to reading Downshadow. I loved Mistshore, and Blackstaff Tower.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 03:03:41
Message:

Over the last three years, I've had to make many 'sacrifices' as far as scale and distances, and also some locales were just too close together to show both (such as the Forgotten Keep and Irongaurd).

With the new, higher resolution, I should be able to add-in a LOT more locales I've discovered.

Edit: And this from another thread -

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

Oh, and our first 'official' look at Halruaa was here:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/tsrnewsletter.pdf


Are the Aglarond and Halruua maps Ed's originals? (similarly is the Simbul sketch an Ed original?)

Yep, they were original "Ed maps".

I've tried blowing that Map of Halruaa up, but the res is too poor - Once I get around to re-doing that region, I may need to ask Ed what some of these are (although it looks like I got most of them already).

BTW - What product did that come with?


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 05:18:57
Message:

It was material that was originally slated for the Ol' Grey Box but cut for space.

It ended up in the "Secrets of the Sages" newsletter (a one-off) headed up by Bryon Wischstadt (one of the original fan lorelords of the Realms). His idea to provide a fan-organised and produced FR newsletter as an adjunct to the officially published products unfortunately didn't receive ongoing support.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 15:11:45
Message:

Thanks for the info... but I still don't know WHERE it appeared.

I'm thinking it looks a bit 'early' to have been on the Net, so I'm thinking it either came in a box, or was given out at a con.

And I'v also just checked it against mine, and there is one locale missing as far as I can tell - a small setlement that looks like "Assunzmim" on the coast to the east.... but I'm sure that can't be right.

So my question now is, what the heck is it supposed to be?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 16:21:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Thanks for the info... but I still don't know WHERE it appeared.

I'm thinking it looks a bit 'early' to have been on the Net, so I'm thinking it either came in a box, or was given out at a con.


It was a mailed-out newsletter. The tale (and another link to the file) are here:
Secrets of the Sages: The Long-Lost 1988 Forgotten Realms Newsletter


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 20:10:52
Message:

Wow... they actually went as far as mailing stuff to their customers to keep them well-informed about Faerûn?

DAMN... how times have changed.

Anyway, I'm picking my way through SotM ATM, so I'm sure I'll have a slew of Geographic questions again by Monday.

Actually, come to think of it, I have one now (that others here are more then welcome to answer to save Ed some time) - Where is Greentree Haven?

I had assumed it was in the High Forest, but I'm not seeing it - do we have any lore on this site?


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 21:53:50
Message:

Yeah, I really miss TSR. *sigh*


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 22:21:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Yeah, I really miss TSR. *sigh*

Too bad they did themselves in. Wasn't it mainly the fault of a female version of Voldemort? O'course, I could be completely wrong here (wouldn't be the first time).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 23:16:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Thanks for the info... but I still don't know WHERE it appeared.

I'm thinking it looks a bit 'early' to have been on the Net, so I'm thinking it either came in a box, or was given out at a con.


It was a mailed-out newsletter. The tale (and another link to the file) are here:
Secrets of the Sages: The Long-Lost 1988 Forgotten Realms Newsletter

Indeed. And I was lucky enough to receive one all the way here in Australia. But that was largely thanks to a US relative who had two copies of the newsletter.

Heh. Halruaa then became a featured adventuring location in my Realms of '89.

Wow. It's almost hard to believe that was nearly 20 years ago.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Mar 2009 23:34:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Actually, come to think of it, I have one now (that others here are more then welcome to answer to save Ed some time) - Where is Greentree Haven?
Hmmm... I don't immediately recall it's location being referenced anywhere else other than in Krash's "the North" timeline:- '... Greentree Haven, an enchanted grove in the wilderlands of the Sword Coast North.' Though I think that comes from the Secrets of the Magister tome itself.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 Mar 2009 02:48:57
Message:

That tome mentioned it being in a 'Vast Wood', and although several forests in The North could be described that way, the High Forest certainly jumps to mind first. That bit in SotM also mentioned it makes an 'appearance' in Silverfall (which I haven't read, unfortunately) - Dove goes there to dance (aren't there any good clubs on HER side of the Anauroch?!)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 Mar 2009 04:24:54
Message:

Hmmm... It's been a while since I've read it, so I'll flick through Silverfall later tonight. Maybe Ed, or another FR designer, could elaborate on this in the meantime.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 29 Mar 2009 04:54:46
Message:

Heh heh heh.

...Vast Wood.

THO, back when he was starting out, who did Mr. Greenwood count among his influences? Now that he's a veteran in his field(s), from what does he draw inspiration and to whom does he hope to act as a role model?

All the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 29 Mar 2009 14:19:10
Message:

There is no real location or name given for the place where Dove dances, but Mirt walked there on foot (when in poor health), so it can't be too far from Waterdeep.
Depending on what you define as 'Vast', alternatives for the High Forest could be Kryptgarden or Ardeep.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 Mar 2009 16:54:17
Message:

Actually, ANY forest appearing on the continental map could be considered vast, so yeah... it could be anywhere...

As for the name of the place where Dove dances - Silverfall is referenced in the Greentree Haven entry in Secrets of the Magister as being that place. Unfortunately, aside form saying the woods "grew around the enchanted grove", it does't say much else (which leads me to believe it couldn't be the High Forest or Kryptgarden - probably someplace much newer and smaller).

Ed- ignore my last query about that city in Halruaa - its called Assundath (it was on the map that came with Hordes of Dragonspear, weirdly enough).


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 30 Mar 2009 01:11:16
Message:

Hi. I've been at the Ad Astra convention, sitting in on some delightful panels (all of which had Ed as a panelist, as well as some delightful sf and fantasy pros and fans). Must correct something in this thread:
Bryon Wischstadt wanted to do his own FR newsletter, tentatively entitled REALMSPEAK, that TSR nixed.
Well before that, the SECRETS OF THE SAGES newsletter was edited for TSR by David Martin (who lined up some other issues, all of "cutting room floor" Realmslore that we later saw snuck into various FR products). The newsletter was indeed killed after the first issue for lack of funds and printing press time (this was in the days before TSR briefly owned its own means of printing).
This info comes from Ed and others in various GenCon seminars, from years gone by. I know this is right because Mr. Martin was on one of those panels with various TSR staffers and Ed, who would surely have corrected him if the info was wrong.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Mar 2009 19:25:52
Message:

Hello again, all.
Markustay, Ed confirms that Greentree Haven is JUST inside the outermost trees on the western verges of northwesternmost Ardeepforest (or, if you prefer the later name, "Ardeep Forest").
love,
THO


Reply author: Aerik DeVallo
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 01:18:19
Message:

Ed, is it true that The Simbul was raised and apprentaced by the Wychlaran before she became an apprentice to the former ruler of Aglarond (or was she the ruler's apprentice?)? If so, how long did that go on and is there any lore written on that subject? Is there ANYTHING, like a biography of the Simbul's early life, childhood and rise to power, or anything like that? I'd appreciate any clarification that any one could give me.

Thinking about it deeper, it would explain her battlerages she fell into before she and Elminster became involved, being raised by witches that rule a land of berserker's. I know that when Elminster first encountered her, he didn't know she was one of the Seven and almost killed her. But, what was the circumstances that led to her herritage being unknown. The Simbul has always been my second favorite Realms character and I know less about her than I'd like to.

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 02:07:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ed, is it true that The Simbul was raised and apprentaced by the Wychlaran before she became an apprentice to the former ruler of Aglarond (or was she the ruler's apprentice?)? If so, how long did that go on and is there any lore written on that subject? Is there ANYTHING, like a biography of the Simbul's early life, childhood and rise to power, or anything like that? I'd appreciate any clarification that any one could give me.

Thinking about it deeper, it would explain her battlerages she fell into before she and Elminster became involved, being raised by witches that rule a land of berserker's. I know that when Elminster first encountered her, he didn't know she was one of the Seven and almost killed her. But, what was the circumstances that led to her herritage being unknown. The Simbul has always been my second favorite Realms character and I know less about her than I'd like to.

Thanks in advance!



The Seven Sisters sourcebook has a lot of info on all of the histories of the... well.. the Seven Sisters. :) But you could also find info on some of their backgrounds in Heroes Lorebook. Or, for the Simbul, you could look in the Spellbound box set and or Unapproachable East.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 02:18:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ed, is it true that The Simbul was raised and apprentaced by the Wychlaran before she became an apprentice to the former ruler of Aglarond (or was she the ruler's apprentice?)? If so, how long did that go on and is there any lore written on that subject? Is there ANYTHING, like a biography of the Simbul's early life, childhood and rise to power, or anything like that? I'd appreciate any clarification that any one could give me.

Thinking about it deeper, it would explain her battlerages she fell into before she and Elminster became involved, being raised by witches that rule a land of berserker's. I know that when Elminster first encountered her, he didn't know she was one of the Seven and almost killed her. But, what was the circumstances that led to her herritage being unknown. The Simbul has always been my second favorite Realms character and I know less about her than I'd like to.

Thanks in advance!



The Seven Sisters sourcebook has a lot of info on all of the histories of the... well.. the Seven Sisters. :) But you could also find info on some of their backgrounds in Heroes Lorebook. Or, for the Simbul, you could look in the Spellbound box set and or Unapproachable East.

The Seven Sisters does indeed cover this aspect of Alassra's early life, and her rearing by Oraumae, a witch of Rashemen.

And along with the other sources Kuje mentioned, you might also want to check out the chapter on the Simbul in Ed's Silverfall novel -- as it appropriately captures much of her mindset and a little about her history too.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 02:31:43
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring you this, from Ed of the Greenwood, to Erik Scott de Bie (after I conveyed Erik's "heart-felt thanks for Ed's introduction to my novel Downshadow? I just received my author's copies and read his kind and extremely flattering words. He is truly a prince. Cheers."):


Erik, I mean every word of it, and more. My chief personal delight in the published Realms is when I get to read great new stories set in "my" world (now, of course, really "our" world) that I didn't write. I LOVED Downshadow.
(Actually, I've loved all of the books I've read thus far in this series, though all in quite different ways. Jaleigh's City of the Dead is magnificent and great fun, too, but it's very different from Downshadow.)
So you EARNED all that praise, my friend, and I hope you get many more chances, in the Realms and in your own fantasy settings, from other publishers, to earn a lot more. If you write something that I can walk into a bookstore and order or pluck off the shelf a copy of, I'll be buying and hurrying home to read. Just as I always hurry home to read Elaine's stuff, Realms or not, and - -
No, I'm NOT going to start in on the long, long list. This is about you; this is your moment, and deservedly so.
Scribes of the Realms, if you turn your back on this book, because it's 4e Realms or for any other reason, you're missing out on a darned good read (and re-read!) yarn.
Heck, when it comes right down to it, you can enjoy this book whilst pretending it isn't 4e at all, but instead only about ten years ahead of the LAST time you nosed around Waterdeep, whenever in your 3e campaign or fiction reading that was. Or you can read it and enjoy it and not care about when it's set, or even look up and say, "So this is 4e Realms? Okay, fine, if it's all like this book, bring it on!"
I have 80,000 books crammed into my home, and I work in a public library and am board chair of a (different) library system, and have toiled in public libraries for pay for 35 years-plus, now; I have read a LOT of fantasy books. In one recent year I judged the World Fantasy Award, and literally read thousands (yes, no exaggeration: thousands, plural) of fantasy tales published that year. Right now, I'm judging the Sunbursts, Canada's sf and fantasy awards, and reading another year's truckload of works. So I get to read, ah, much fantasy.
And there's never enough GOOD fun "cracking good read" fantasy. For me, this is one such book, so it's a "must-have" for my library. An eternal literary classic? No. A darned good read, that I'm proud to have set in the Realms? YES.
Erik, if *I * owned Wizards and ran the book publishing program, I'd already be hounding you for another book. In hardcover, just as soon as you could get it done. You and Paul Kemp and Jaleigh and one or two others are the bright lights who should be leading the charge onto the general fantasy bestseller lists, not just "oh, that gaming fantasy stuff" subgenre recognition.
I wish, oh Watching Gods above how I wish, that Brian Thomsen hadn't died when he did. SO much stopped with him. You getting a Tor Book fantasy debut was one of those things, and in these current economic hard times for the publishing industry, getting that back on track is going to take some time. I laid some groundwork at Ad Astra this weekend . . . but in the meantime, we all have DOWNSHADOW to enjoy.
Scribes, get out there and enjoy it!

So saith Ed. Who means every word, believe me.
love to all, and (heh, wink) a pull-open-my-gown salute to Erik!
THO



Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 03:23:16
Message:

Heya,

Well, Ed (and Erik), I'll certainly keep an eye out for that book. I am not holding my breath though (most of the bookshops local to where I live tend to have Salvatore fairly quickly, but they're very spotty on Realms authors who are not Salvatore - even (especially) you, Ed. )

Here is a website that you must never ever go to, because you'll end up lost for hours and hours and hours... But I'm linking to a page on it anyway, since it has some relevance... TvTropes Forgotten Realms Page... If you ever get some spare time (and you haven't already seen it before), it might be worth a scan. (Authors should pay special attention to some of them! Lets see how many tropes can be averted/inverted/subverted in the next round of novels, hey? )


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 05:42:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Erik, I mean every word of it, and more. My chief personal delight in the published Realms is when I get to read great new stories set in "my" world (now, of course, really "our" world) that I didn't write. I LOVED Downshadow . . .

So saith Ed. Who means every word, believe me.
love to all, and (heh, wink) a pull-open-my-gown salute to Erik!
THO

Wow, just . . . wow.

(Oh, and thanks to Ed too, lady. )

Well, I certainly hope Shadowbane can rise to the challenge.

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

But I'm linking to a page on it anyway, since it has some relevance... TvTropes Forgotten Realms Page... If you ever get some spare time (and you haven't already seen it before), it might be worth a scan. (Authors should pay special attention to some of them! Lets see how many tropes can be averted/inverted/subverted in the next round of novels, hey? )


That's pretty hilarious, Lady Z.

Cheers


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 05:45:27
Message:

Ed, this question comes from something the Lady Hooded One brought up in the "FR Trivia" scroll here at Candlekeep:-

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I'd just like to pipe up here and note that Furjur the Flippant (in Portella's answer, above) is ANOTHER of Ed's unjustly neglected original Realms NPCs.
I'm curious about Furjur. Is there anything more about him that you can share with us?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 15:49:51
Message:

Ahhh, Furjur. Where to begin?
Um, ask Ed, and get back this update on my scanty old notes:


Okay, take the character portrayed by Ricky Gervais in the movie STARDUST, for the fast sales-patter speech combined with the brightly optimistic manner ("I can get you one of those!"). Boundless energy, cheerfully dishonest without ever ACTING sly, always with three or four good ideas for turning a profit (perhaps far in the future) being worked on in advance. Put these into the steretypical stage Fagin: filthy hat and long coat, "fingerless mittens"/gloves, fairly thin. Once fat, but now retains only a fattish face and broad shoulders, with folds of loose skin hanging off a now thin and supple, even bony in place, body. Huge nose, broken many times in fights, so is a very battered beak. Always smiling, very bright green eyes, the "fattish" of the face comes from plump cheeks and a very large jaw, and there's a long, wagging "spike tuft" goatee beard JUST on the point of the chin (rest of jaw and cheeks clean-shaven), daggerboard sideburns, and untrimmed, very busy eyebrows. Hair is brown shot through with steel gray.
Furjur CAN'T stop making jokes and smartass remarks; his speech is endlessly peppered with them, even when inappropriate (quips about the deceased at a funeral, for example). For years he was a panderer who provided pretty lasses of particular builds and hair hues to wealthy clients, and was so kindly and fatherly that he was actually beloved by most of the women he worked with (though his days of traveling the Realms with a dozen of them are in his past). Almost twenty of them are now his "de facto" (unmarried) wives, all over the Realms, in taverns and inns and shops he "set them up in" (and they form a network of warm waiting beds, contraband refuges, and message-drops for him). His onetime work as a panderer left him a skilled hairstylist, perfumer, cosmetician, midwife, garment alterer, and applier-of-disguises.
Furjur wears many gaudy rings, most of them set with colored glass rather than gems, but worth a few gp for the gold in them (and he won't hesitate to use them as currency). He wears and bears a few defensive and protective magic items, always has a few potions of healing in steel vials somewhere in his effects or shoved down his boots, and always wears an earring of regeneration. He pretends to know nothing about magic and never to trade in it, so careless and casual foes won't expect him to be harboring any. He also regularly uses at least one magical means of spider climbing, of providing the equivalent of a flashlight (small, aimable beam of light), and of suddenly producing thick, billowing smoke in a small area, to aid him in escaping or "throw off" hostile missile weapon aiming.
Most of Furjur's life story is NDA because it's linked to planned FR projects that may or may not ever happen, so I'll leak it only as such revelations become possible.


So saith Ed. Who is still scrambling to finish something, scribes, but is always interested in imparting more lore.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 16:12:28
Message:

Awesome stuff, Ed. Thanks.

As it is, I can definitely see Furjur featuring at some point in the next stage of my current Realms campaign.


Reply author: Bladewind
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 18:57:04
Message:

Dear Ed and our Lady the Hooded One.

First I want to give thanks for your reply to my question about sages and seers and their obstruction with laws and rulership. Well thought out and surprising aswell. I loved the hint that most seers get fame (very) early in their youth and struggle to maintain a good track record of correct visions. Made me chuckle. That's a maddening prospect for most leaders in monasteries of Savras, Sehanine and other visionairy dieties, as they would constantly compete with the younger generations of oracles. Visiting a girl or boy oracle must make for some powerful roleplaying scenes.

Another new question goes to the origin of lycanthropy in the Realms. Who devised this curse/blessing first? Does it have a mortal origin or was it a divine curse? Did Selune somehow cause this to happen and somewhere down the road she lost control of the Beast-side of the blessing?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 21:29:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind


Another new question goes to the origin of lycanthropy in the Realms. Who devised this curse/blessing first? Does it have a mortal origin or was it a divine curse? Did Selune somehow cause this to happen and somewhere down the road she lost control of the Beast-side of the blessing?



That's an interesting question... I've come up with my own tale for the origin of lycanthropy, so I'd really love to see what Ed has to say about it.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 31 Mar 2009 23:56:27
Message:

I'll third (?) Bladewind and the Hamster-in-Chief's request on lyanthropic lore. while we're at it, though, the origin of vampirism in the Realms would be neat to know, too!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 00:18:34
Message:

Ed has touched on vampirism, briefly, in some of his previous replies, Knight. While your waiting for anything further from the Bearded One on the subject, you might want to review some of those past entries.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 02:19:59
Message:

Should we throw-in Mummy's and Flesh Golems too?

Just kidding... the Lycanthropy lore would be of great interest to me as well. My own 'Vampire History' is adapted from Marvel - when in doubt, turn to comics.

Thank You for the reply on Greentree Haven Ed, THO.


Reply author: skychrome
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 03:01:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Wow, just . . . wow.

(Oh, and thanks to Ed too, lady. )

Well, I certainly hope Shadowbane can rise to the challenge.




Wow Erik! If I hadn't promised you already to get Downshadow asap, then this praise should be one more good reason!
Gotta solve the logistics... Can't wait to read it!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 07:56:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I'll third (?) Bladewind and the Hamster-in-Chief's request on lyanthropic lore. while we're at it, though, the origin of vampirism in the Realms would be neat to know, too!



Hamster-in-Chief... That's a new title for me!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 08:29:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Should we throw-in Mummy's and Flesh Golems too?
Well, I kinda like Paul Jaquay's stuff on mummies in the original Lords of Darkness. But I'd be curious to hear Ed's take as well.


Reply author: The Simbul
Replied on: 01 Apr 2009 14:26:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Archmagus Brandon

Ed, is it true that The Simbul was raised and apprentaced by the Wychlaran before she became an apprentice to the former ruler of Aglarond (or was she the ruler's apprentice?)? If so, how long did that go on and is there any lore written on that subject? Is there ANYTHING, like a biography of the Simbul's early life, childhood and rise to power, or anything like that? I'd appreciate any clarification that any one could give me.

Thinking about it deeper, it would explain her battlerages she fell into before she and Elminster became involved, being raised by witches that rule a land of berserker's. I know that when Elminster first encountered her, he didn't know she was one of the Seven and almost killed her. But, what was the circumstances that led to her herritage being unknown. The Simbul has always been my second favorite Realms character and I know less about her than I'd like to.

Thanks in advance!

The vast majority of the lore you seek on the early life of the Simbul will be found in:

The Seven Sisters AD&D 2nd Edition game accessory
The Simbul's Gift, a novel by Lynn Abbey (specifically the prologue).

The Seven Sisters has about three paragraphs which touch upon her early childhood until the time Elminster discovered her in Aglarond several centuries later. The prologue of The Simbul's Gift consists of a few pages written in first-person as if it were an excerpt of a tome that exists in the realms, titled "The Concise Hisory of the Chosen Seven". It slightly expands upon the information on her in The Seven Sisters, specifically the circumstances of her becoming a Chosen of Mystra in the aftermath of a lover's death, and the motivation behind her hatred of the Red Wizards of Thay.

In either case however, the information is sparse. Beyond that, there is a short story about her in Dragon #242 that takes place in the Year of the Roaring Tempest (1016 DR), and the memory of Elminster when he first encountered her appears in Elminster in Hell in the Year of the Burning Steel (1246 DR). In terms of the timeline of the Realms, these are the earliest events of her life to be explored in published stories.

In any event, the vast majority of her deeds, exploits, and adventures are left to the imagination for the time being. There is about a 400 year gap between when she departs Rashemen at the age of 16 and when Elminster discovers her in Aglarond posing as the "apprentice" to Ilione. It is stated in the lore that during this time she wandered the realms in search of magic and then took her curiosity to the farthest reaches of the outer planes in search of answers of her heritage, and that she was approached by Mystra and became her Chosen after a lover had perished (which is expanded further in The Simbul's Gift). Little else however is known at present, other than her travels and adventures during this period elevated her skill with arcane magic well beyond that of her peers among the Chosen and nearly all of her enemies among the Red Wizards of Thay.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 02 Apr 2009 16:09:05
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
At the recent Ad Astra convention, one of the panelists (on a panel I attended that you weren't on) mentioned "Ed's pet peeve with Internet reviewers," but never said what it was.
So...what is this pet peeve, please?

BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Apr 2009 16:12:39
Message:

Heh. I'm not Ed, obviously, but I'm guessing it was a reviewer castigating a book because the author didn't write the book the reviewer wanted them to.
Example: Ed, you wrote a new Elminster book but it wasn't the "Elminster and The Simbul, A Love Story" book I wanted to read, so therefore the book you DID write is by definition c**p.
Just a guess, but I'll lay serious coin I'm right.
We'll see.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Apr 2009 16:32:39
Message:

Postscript: not applied just to Ed personally, of course, but whenever a reviewer does this. Ed thinks it's valid crit only when a writer markedly twists the "character" or origins or nature of a character to suit the plot of a new book, in a way that will quite rightly disappoint readers of earlier books.
Yet as I said, Ed's peeve could be something else entirely ...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 02 Apr 2009 16:57:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I'll third (?) Bladewind and the Hamster-in-Chief's request on lyanthropic lore. while we're at it, though, the origin of vampirism in the Realms would be neat to know, too!



Hamster-in-Chief... That's a new title for me!



Well, I doubt not that all the other hamsters defer to your wise judgment. I was gonna go with 'King Wooly' but 'Hamster-in-Chief' just sounds better... and it uses not one, but 2 hyphens!

Also, Sage thanks for the heads-up in re: Ed's prior commentary on vampirism in the Realms. I've just finished the 2008 thread and am onto 2007 now. I'll get it all eventually!

To The Bearded Creator: You, sir just made me go back on my word to give WoTC not one more red cent with that review of Downshadow; Amazon, here I come.

And to the Her Royal Flirtiness, the never-forgettable THO, a hearty !


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 03 Apr 2009 02:15:35
Message:

Well, I don't know how to begin everything that i have to say.
First thing, I'm brazilian.. So english is my second language, than, you could wait many writing mistakes.

But let's begin.

Sir Ed... I couldn't belive that was possible talking, or simply send a message directly to you. Here at Brazil we don't see this kind of treatman from the authors with their readers. I've already contacted with Elaine, Kemp and Lee Byers, that made my heart beat faster.. I've got truly amazed by the possibilites of talking with our idols.. But finding you here... My god... I play RPG since 97, and FR since 98, and like, probably many others have already said, without your work, my whole life and personality could be totally different. Congrats for everything that you have already done, you made a fantastic world that made thousands of fans.

Well, in the last years I started to read FR novels, and got addicted with it. I've already read 42 novels, "Making of a mage" and "Elminster in Hell" are on my already read list, and now I'm starting a campaign to make FR novels more famous here at Brazil, 'cause even having only Icewind Dale trilogy translated, half of the role players can read english. I've already got a message from Richard Lee Byers to us, I wish I could get other messages, from other authors to compilate everything and send to many forums and communitys so we could get more people to read FR books. Obviously, I'm asking to you if you could send this kind of message to help my task of making you world's novels more famous.

My second question, requires an explanation...

Two of my friends that plays on my group are in jail... One of them, Alan Müller, is my DM and my son's godfather... He is, truly, one of the best person that I have already met, but one year ago, he started to work with his brother... His brother had some ilegal casino-machine on my city, and the federal police got them... He started to work with him cause he needed some money, and now, one of my best-friend, that plays with me 'til the beginning, that showed me my first FR novel, and is a ####### fan of you, is passing through his hell...
Since that, tendays ago, we're sending some letters to him, to give strength on this dark moment of his life. I expect that in one month he will get out, but we will continue sending messages to him, and our other friend that worked with him.
So, I asks you, what would Elminster, the Sage of the Realm, would say to enlighten their minds? Probably Alan and Fabiano, our two chaotic-good adventurers, would enjoy his message more than any of ours. It would be an undescritible pleasure.
If there is some problem speaking on the name of Elminster, or one of the Seven Sisters that would be great too, I'm sure that our Sage of THIS "unreal world" (talking about planet earth), Ed Greenwood, could find the right words to give courage to their hearts.

Thanks, and please, I beg you, help me help them.
(My god, I've spent one hour writing this message)

Ed Appel


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 03 Apr 2009 22:55:32
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I recently dropped in to a farm co-op to try to buy some tools, and some farmers were gathered talking about buying seeds. Which got me to thinking, and to asking this: in the Realms, is it the norm for farmers/villagers/anyone to harvest "extra" seed for sale, or do they tend to keep it for their own use and to trade with peddlers/caravan merchants (is it that valuable?)? If storing seed for later use, is it usually hidden? How is it guarded against damp, birds, rodents, theft, etc.?
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 03 Apr 2009 23:02:46
Message:

Huh. Well, while you were out shopping and overhearing farmers, I was at home doing my taxes - - which got ME to thinking:
Ed, in Cormyr, if a commoner owes taxes but can't pay them, what happens? Is there a grace period? Does the tax collector "run accounts" of outstanding amounts for a certain time, or until what's owed really amounts to enough to equal something (a horse, an ox, a building, land, a wagon) that can be seized? Or are things worth a lot ever seized to be sold to collect a little? Does the Crown keep the rest of the wealth when something's sold, or does it get returned to the person they seized the sold goods from? Can you do labor for the Crown, in lieu of paying? Or be jailed for debts, and be forced to labor as a prisoner? If so, doing what?
Hmmm, seems like the questions are running away with me. So I'll stop now, and be content with whatever you want to say on this topic, whenever you can. Thanks!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 05:13:36
Message:

Just re-reading all your early (pre-TSR) FR stuff in Dragon, and I note that the Calender of Harptos was created by Harptos of Kaalinth.

Where is/was Kaalinth?

(and if it's on the current map and I'm just not seeing it, my apologies in advance)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 15:46:09
Message:

Markustay, Ed's incommunicado for yesterday and today, but I recall that Kaalinth doesn't exist any more (so you're not "missing seeing it" on the maps). If I remember rightly, it's "drowned beneath the waves," but where and why I've forgotten.
Ed will elucidate, of course.
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 15:48:01
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
One of my players asked me about The Fall of Stars, and I'm blanking on this. What is it and where is it, please?
Anyone?
Getting old . . .


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 15:51:19
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I dimly recall Ed discussing an adventure (that I don't think was ever released) with a TSR designer at one of those long-ago GenCons, that featured a mountain gorge crossed by a rickety dwarven or gnomish mining railway - - a trestle with tracks that unpowered ore-cars were pushed along.
My question is: are dwarf or gnome railways, in mines or mountains, a "standard" Realms feature, or rare and unusual? In either case, what can Ed tell us about them?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 15:53:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
One of my players asked me about The Fall of Stars, and I'm blanking on this. What is it and where is it, please?
Anyone?
Getting old . . .



It's an adventurer's club in Harrowdale. Check out pages 143-8 of Volo's Guide to the Dalelands, which is a free download from the Wizards downloads page.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 15:57:29
Message:

Dear Ed and Lovely Lady THO,
I have a question about something Ed was talking about with some gamers at a recent GenCon (I was listening in; if Wizards wanted to be really brilliant, they'd schedule some "just hang with Ed" events in small rooms and set up the chairs in a circle, so Ed could just "talk Realms" with any of us who want to show up; how about, Wizards? Please?).
Ed was mentioning an incident in a small village where a young girl killed a stirge by hitting it with her yarting (guitar; apparently she was part of a local family of musicians, non-adventurers who played and sang at local events). Ed said it wasn't the blow that killed the beastie, but an electrical discharge caused when SOMETHING broke off the yarting. My question is: what was that something, and why was it so charged with (killing) electricity? Was it magical? Why would a kid be using an instrument that could kill her, and/or was magical?
No rush on this, I was just curious. Every so often I remember this and wonder about, and I finally remembered it whilst I happened to be sitting at a Net-connected computer, so . . .
Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 17:11:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Markustay, Ed's incommunicado for yesterday and today, but I recall that Kaalinth doesn't exist any more (so you're not "missing seeing it" on the maps). If I remember rightly, it's "drowned beneath the waves," but where and why I've forgotten.
Ed will elucidate, of course.
love,
THO

I think this has come up before. Another scribe was asking you/Ed about Kaalinth -- and Ed said that the "long-dead" description referred to more than just the wizard itself. A long-dead land, perhaps?

Anyways, it was when the Grand History PDF was still in circulation. I'll have to check.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 20:10:52
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A followup question: in the Dales, would a "root cellar" usually be under a house, or dug into a hill nearby (that is, on its own, like an outhouse).
Thanks.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 20:15:14
Message:

Dear Ed and Lovely Lady THO,
A Realmslore question for Cormyr and the Dales (and Sembia and the Stonelands) circa "just before the Spellplague."
Are there any "popular heroes" known in this region, who are alive and active at this time (from Robin Hood types to mysterious-identity masked and costumed sorts)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 20:18:12
Message:

I've noted at least one Realm, along with many islands and locales (and a penninsula!) that have all been 'drowned' off the Swordcoast at some point, and methinks there was some MAJOR tidal-activity during the last millenia (I've noted some Tidal Waves mentioned in the GHotRs).

There is a mention of 'Global Warming' in the past few hundred years (Pelvuria 'released' Vassa), and a rotational-shift (Meteor strike?) in 1038 DR (mentioned in The Great Glacier).

One would assume the major climactic changes (it sounds like Toril was put under a mini-Ice Age for awhile) caused much havoc along the coasts, especially if I'm correct about that meteor strike. That would explain why so much 'went missing' in the past five hundred years or so out at sea. The flooding alone from the recent warming (Glacier melting) could account for many sea-level lands being drowned.

Does this sound about right, Ed?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 20:18:45
Message:

Hmm. I THINK Jack o' Flames and the Knight of the Moon are both still alive, just to name two.
Ed will of course give us the definitive answer...
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 20:26:10
Message:

Moon Knight!

I LOVE that guy....

Anyhow, wouldn't the Knights of Myth Drannor all qualify?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 21:23:46
Message:

They would, of course, but I was actually not thinking of groups of adventurers at all . . . and it looks from her reply like our lovely Lady Hooded read my mind in that regard.
Ummm, she's WATCHING me, she understands me . . . what a surprisingly delicious thought.
Now, it would be creepy if the guy next door did that, but when it's The Hooded One, I just feel a delicious thrill.
So, please, yes, let's not include adventuring groups - - unless they really are "beloved by the people" for some reason (and of course please tell us what that reason is).
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 21:26:34
Message:

Hmmm, I DID think from the wording of your question that you were interested just in loners (or the head of a small gang of faceless "merry men" whose names the public doesn't know).
Interesting; perhaps we ARE connected. Purrrr...
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 04 Apr 2009 21:31:33
Message:

Thanks, Wooly. Yes, Volo's Dalelands. Must hunt up my copy and have another read, because my memory is obviously fading. Sigh.
On the other hand, I guess that means I can enjoy old my old Realms adventure modules all over again!!!!


Reply author: elfchild
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 00:26:18
Message:

Well met.

This isn't really a question for Ed, but I felt it important to post it here. Please forgive me if the moderators don't feel it appropriate.

I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.

Christian (his real name) was the DM for my game and he held Ed in the highest regard. He would show up at games with the newest bit of Realmslore - excited to weave it into his elaborate story. He would always tell us that he was trying to give us the feeling of playing in Ed Greenwood's home game. His game was singularly unique and sadly ends without conclusion.

So Hooded One, I do hope you can relay to Ed the thanks of myself and the other players in my campaign. These Forgotten Realms, and specifically the additional information Ed has generously supplied, made Christian feel like he was part of something really special. I know that while he is gone from the material plane, his spirit lives on in all of the players who had to pleasure to game with him.

Please forgive the fact that my first post here had to be so sad. Christian never wanted us to come here, lest we spoil any surprises he had in store for our characters. If any of you knew JamalloKreen well or have anything to say about him, I'll share anything sent to me with the rest of my group.

The world has lost a great sage, and the Realms have lost a great DM.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 00:48:09
Message:

Thank you, elfchild.
I know Ed will be saddened to hear this (and probably feel a little guilty that he hadn't managed to get around to answering all of Christian's questions - - though he will, albeit too late), and I'm certainly sad.
J-K was indeed one of the posters we looked forward to hearing from, thanks to his zest, joie de vivre, and general lightheartedness.
He will be missed, and thanks for being his last herald.
Another voice stilled,
another light lost.
We are all left darker.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 00:50:55
Message:

Aye.
To echo the words Ed said to me when last we met at a convention: "I've always known the Reaper knew where I lived, but he's been coming around the neighbourhood a bit too often, lately. I wish he'd go and busy himself taking more of the people who deserve to go, and spare the brighter lights amongst us."

Sigh.
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 00:51:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Moon Knight!

I LOVE that guy....
He's in my Realms. As a servant of Khonshu, of the Mulhorandi pantheon.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 00:53:21
Message:

Oh, and elfchild?
Please be welcome, and feel so, and join in this thread whenever you'd like. There's no need to avoid it now, for you or any of Christian's players.
We try to have a pleasant fireside; come and warm yourself, and share in the converse. It's better than being alone out there in the dark.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 01:00:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by elfchild

I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.
What!?!

By Labelas, that's terrible. I counted Jamallo among one of my close friends here at Candlekeep. We chatted often about all kinds of topics, both through the public forum and by PM. I absolutely loved his elaboration on the subjects of Realmslore that he felt were interesting. And I sometimes came away with new ideas myself.

This is such a shock. He will indeed be sorely missed. Please, pass along my deepest thoughts and wishes to both his family and friends.

Today is a dark day.


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 01:03:11
Message:

Ah man,

Indeed he will be. :(

Not sure what else to say.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 03:54:48
Message:

And I, too, counted Jamallo as one of those sages whose opinions and posts I held in high regard... I'm shocked to hear that he's passed away. My condolences, elfchild, for you did not only lose a fellow gamer but also a good friend who was (at least by my standards) a great guy and a well-respected poster here. I'd like to cite something from an eulogy I once read in Polyhedron (as well as I only remember it):

"We have words for those who've lost their husband, wife or parents, but when you lose a friend, all languages fall silent on that."


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 04:31:09
Message:

Jamallo was a good guy, and a scribe I quite respected. It's a sadness to know he isn't with us any more.

My condolences to his friends and family.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 07:38:14
Message:

I, too, greatly respected Christian. We had shared quite a few private messages on several diverse matters. He was always polite, knowledgeable, but most of all, open to the idea that his ideas might not be correct. I will miss him greatly, and his departure leaves us all deeper in the dark. Let us comfort ourselves with the knoweldge that he is in a better place.


Reply author: Stranjer
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 07:46:42
Message:

OK... being pretty new to the forums, and still in the process of reading the "So Saith Ed" responses given by THO, this may have been mentioned already, so forgive me. The following questions have to do with an upcoming game, and decided it would probably be a safer solution to ask now, rather then read all the numerous previous responses and hope there is an answer there first.

1) The Red Knight is listed as having monks as worshipers, are there any monasteries devoted to her? Or, barring that, what monasteries have her as a worshiped god(but are devoted to a higher deity instead).

2) This seems like a dumb question, but ill ask anyway. One of my players wants to work into his monks back story that he is a noble, apparently he isn't too specific of where, any suggestions. I already told him that i won't be starting him out with loads of money, probably just with the same amount typically listed to monks.

And that's it, the rest I'd be pretty sure if it hasn't already been established, I could fairly easily adapt other things to... like towns, or names of BBEG NPCs. I don't think it would bother you overmuch, but i know at least one of my players would know my user name here... so don't want to give any details away.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 09:43:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by elfchild



I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.


Aw, ****. What happened to him?


Mod Edit: Watch the language please.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 11:07:21
Message:

That's so sad, I'm sorry to hear this. He was one of the members whose opinions I most enjoyed reading.

There is nothing much I can say, except to give my condolences to those touched by his death.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 11:14:44
Message:

It really is such a sad thing to lose a friend. Please, pass along my condolences as well, if you would please.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 13:48:13
Message:

Wow. That made me cry.

I guess my Realms will have a sage named Jamallo Kreen in it.

Rest in Piece Loremaster.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 13:59:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and elfchild?
Please be welcome, and feel so, and join in this thread whenever you'd like. There's no need to avoid it now, for you or any of Christian's players.
We try to have a pleasant fireside; come and warm yourself, and share in the converse. It's better than being alone out there in the dark.
love,
THO


Hear Hear!

Would be good to make new friends in these hallowed halls and celebrate the life of one monk who has left us.

Condolences to Christian's family and friends.

Best wishes

Damian


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 16:33:32
Message:

Hello again, all scribes. I bring you now these words from Ed:


elfchild,
Thanks very much for telling us all of Christian’s passing.
It has hit me harder than I’d thought, possibly because I’ve lost so many good friends and family these last few years.
If we are wise, in life, we make friends and cultivate them - - be there for them, share experiences with them, stand by them, live life with them. Roleplaying gaming is one way to do that, and it’s why I first played D&D in the Realms, and later shared the Realms with a wider world. It’s certainly not for the money; I’d have made far, far more if I’d done what my grandparents wanted, and become a doctor or a lawyer (both of which I’d probably have been very good at, as it happens). I did it to make friends, and share laughs with them. On one level, it still amazes me when people I’ve never met, from far away around the world, excitedly ask me about this or that detail of a character or place I’ve created, and I become aware of how much IT MATTERS TO THEM. Leaving me awed I did that, somehow.
I, too, will miss Christian’s jests and comments and queries; he was a welcome friend at my fire whenever he appeared. My loss is a trifle compared to yours, and to all who knew him personally and sat down to play D&D with him, yet it is a loss we all feel. I now really KNOW how grownups felt, when I was dragged (in my Sunday best) to small villages to attend funerals as a boy, and one adult would ask another, “How’s old XXX YYY?” and the reply would be a grim: “Remember how hard last winter was? Well, he didn’t make it.” I feel that grimness now.
May Jamallo Kreen be remembered here, may Christian be remembered everywhere. I WILL answer his outstanding questions, for the rest of us to hear the answers and to honour him and because he just might be able to read those responses, somewhere and somehow.
Scribes, let us raise glasses, now and when April rolls around in years to come: to Jammlo Kreen! We shall not forget.


So saith Ed. Who will turn to edappel’s Alan next, the moment he gets home (this post was sent to me as an e-mail from a public library terminal, in a spare few minutes Ed snatched during a long drive).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 19:09:22
Message:

Aye, he was among the best. One who calmly weathered the storm of a new edition, rather then rail against it. He will be deeply missed here, even if we never got to meet him in person.

Damn... thats the second death I've heard about since yesterday... another poster's wife died.

It really sucks getting old - it's not my own passing I fear so much, but rather that of friends and family lost.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

He's in my Realms. As a servant of Khonshu, of the Mulhorandi pantheon.
Mine too.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 20:18:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Aye, he was among the best. One who calmly weathered the storm of a new edition, rather then rail against it. He will be deeply missed here, even if we never got to meet him in person.

Damn... thats the second death I've heard about since yesterday... another poster's wife died.

It really sucks getting old - it's not my own passing I fear so much, but rather that of friends and family lost.



Aye, Christian's passing will be deeply felt here in Candlekeep... I regret that I never got to meet him in person, and I'm sure -- based on his insightful ideas and answers here -- it would have been fun and a real privilege to play in his campaigns.

My fellow scribes and sages... would it be a bad idea, if each of us lit a candle, in private, to Jamallo's memory? I think that would be a nice way to honor a long-time poster and respected member of our community.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 20:40:06
Message:

Here's something I've yearned to ask Ed about for some time now... it concerns the "sundries" shops in the Realms: are they what we would call second-hand shops, and do they buy (and sell) all kinds of stuff (e.g. cutlery, tools and clothes) or just "adventuring gear" (armor, weapons, scabbards, etc.)? Also, can you trade stuff there, i.e. a farmer brings in a used shovel and trades it into, say, a knife and a belt?

How about "allgoods" shops I've seen mentioned... are they equivalent to "general stores"? Or can you really buy/order, well, *all* sorts of stuff in them?

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 20:50:53
Message:

My sincere condolences.
I didn't know Jamallo Kreen well, but it is always a sad day if a person in ones community passes on.
I believe that at least we are lucky that someone took the time to come online and told us of his passing, and to not let him dissapear anonymously into the void.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 05 Apr 2009 23:51:37
Message:

Heya,

I'm not sure what to say, but I feel I should say something.

Death has always had the power to render me speechless.

*Takes her hat off and bows her head*

Rest well, Jamallo Kreen.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 00:31:24
Message:

I never really spoke much to JK. Still, sympathies to all affected.

All the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 00:52:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion

My fellow scribes and sages... would it be a bad idea, if each of us lit a candle, in private, to Jamallo's memory? I think that would be a nice way to honor a long-time poster and respected member of our community.
Aye.

I'm also thinking about collecting together some of Jamallo's best Realms posts/scrolls here at Candlekeep and compiling them into a PDF-styled source that future scribes could access. I'd dedicate it the man himself, and include Ed's own heart-felt responses as a tribute.

If any scribes here want to assist me with such an endeavour, either by finding/sorting any posts made by Jamallo for inclusion in the PDF, please let me know via PM.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 02:48:58
Message:

To Jamallo:

We shall collect your books and scrolls. We will bind them to our hearts and
and imprint them in our minds, so you knowledge may never pass away. May
your books have strong bindings on them so we may never need worry about
they steadfastness, and be able to hand them around to all in future generations
without worry of damage. Your scrolls we shall tie with ribbons instead of
seal with wax, so we can open them and be reminded of your studies and your contributions. Your knowledge was keen, your wit was sharp, and you
friendship enjoyed. The next time I pick up a quill and blotter, may I be reminded
of what you shared with us and feel you guide what I write. Tonight, I shall cut my studies short and raise a tankard to one of our fallen.

Our best to the loved ones left behind, for their's is the keenest loss of all.

Scrolls closed,
Althen Artren


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 02:56:34
Message:

Althen, I commend you for putting into words what most of us felt and could not express.

I also found this and though I should share:

Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting, when we meet again.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 04:11:05
Message:

My condolences as well.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Scribes, let us raise glasses, now and when April rolls around in years to come: to Jammlo Kreen! We shall not forget.


And well said Ed. I've always told my friends that when I pass I would much rather be remembered and celebrated rather than mourned. And I think its true for all creatures.

*Gelcur raises his glass.*


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 04:15:27
Message:

Light, Peace, and Progress to the JK and his family.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 05:55:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

My sincere condolences.
I didn't know Jamallo Kreen well, but it is always a sad day if a person in ones community passes on.
I believe that at least we are lucky that someone took the time to come online and told us of his passing, and to not let him dissapear anonymously into the void.
Agreed.

I often wonder what happens to people who just vanish off forums, and I would like to thank elfchild for bringing us this news, however sad.

He took the time to tell people he doesn't even know about the passing of a mutaul friend - SALUTE!

@Sage - thats a lovely thought; a CK tribute to the man and his love for the Realms sounds like a very good idea.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 10:04:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by elfchild

Well met.

This isn't really a question for Ed, but I felt it important to post it here. Please forgive me if the moderators don't feel it appropriate.

I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.

Christian (his real name) was the DM for my game and he held Ed in the highest regard. He would show up at games with the newest bit of Realmslore - excited to weave it into his elaborate story. He would always tell us that he was trying to give us the feeling of playing in Ed Greenwood's home game. His game was singularly unique and sadly ends without conclusion.

So Hooded One, I do hope you can relay to Ed the thanks of myself and the other players in my campaign. These Forgotten Realms, and specifically the additional information Ed has generously supplied, made Christian feel like he was part of something really special. I know that while he is gone from the material plane, his spirit lives on in all of the players who had to pleasure to game with him.

Please forgive the fact that my first post here had to be so sad. Christian never wanted us to come here, lest we spoil any surprises he had in store for our characters. If any of you knew JamalloKreen well or have anything to say about him, I'll share anything sent to me with the rest of my group.

The world has lost a great sage, and the Realms have lost a great DM.


My Heart filled Condolences to friends and family.


life with all its pleasures; both great and small, has pain to counter it.
The bad with the good, walk hand in hand through life.
when one is born, the mold is broken, when one dies the map is destroyed, leaving only memories and a feint imprint.....


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 14:39:48
Message:

Does THO or Ed have something to say about Dave Arneson? I've heard that he have only a few days of life...
Maybe JK, Gygax and Arneson will play the best campaign ever on after-life...

Until there, lets hope he still have some more years to enlighten our world. Unfortunetly, even the legends dies...


Reply author: RodOdom
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 15:08:18
Message:

I enjoyed your opinions, Jamallo, thanks. May your next life be as interesting as the last.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 15:57:55
Message:

Well, Ed and Dave are old friends, who have long chats whenever they see each other at cons - - and although Dave's been in a wheelchair recently (which is what happened to Gary in the end, too), his mind and enthusiasms are as bright and energetic as ever. Or so he was when last I saw him, so that is how I'll remember him, if his time has come.
If you should read this, Mr. Arneson, I'm the gal from a Milwaukee-era GenCon whom you asked Ed if I was aware the man's shirt I was wearing was unbuttoned down to the waist, and he said that yes, I'd not only noticed, but I'd done that deliberately, and you grinned and shook your head and said, "Damn, I was born too early."

love,
THO


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 16:04:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by elfchild

I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.




Oh my God. I'm so sorry to hear that. We definitely lost a good guy.

*raises glass*


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 18:04:24
Message:

Oh no! JK? Gone?

This is a sad day indeed. I know I, for one, had thought very highly of his voice, and I am glad he was with us for the time we had.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Cheers


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 18:40:02
Message:

Thanks Ashe,

I haven't been a frequent poster here, but I've read so much
of the posts that I feel like I know everybody a little bit.
I'm sure that everybody else feels the same way. Would I
have liked off the board talks with him, yeah. I'd like that
with everybody. But my world just doesn't allow it. Not enough time.
But, I do understand him a little due to his written words.
May they never be lost.
I hope someone will tell the rest of the Keep if I go too soon.
Gotta go, need to shed some tears.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 22:43:53
Message:

Hello again, all. I think I can handle this query from Asgetrion, before Ed "gets back":
Here's something I've yearned to ask Ed about for some time now... it concerns the "sundries" shops in the Realms: are they what we would call second-hand shops, and do they buy (and sell) all kinds of stuff (e.g. cutlery, tools and clothes) or just "adventuring gear" (armor, weapons, scabbards, etc.)? Also, can you trade stuff there, i.e. a farmer brings in a used shovel and trades it into, say, a knife and a belt?
How about "allgoods" shops I've seen mentioned... are they equivalent to "general stores"? Or can you really buy/order, well, *all* sorts of stuff in them?
Thanks in advance!

Right, here I go, cribbing unashamedly from Ed's notes . . .


A "sundries" shop means a shop that doesn't specialize in one thing, but carries several lines of wares (e.g. glass floats for nets, wicker baskets, some cooking oils and wines, and gloves or trinkets, all in the same place). Some of the goods MIGHT be used, in some sundries shops.

An "allgoods" shop tries to carry everything that will sell regularly, in a given locale. So it's the Faerunian equivalent of a general store. There's no guarantee of getting any particular something (the shopper in front of you may well have bought their last storm-lantern), and few of these shops will special-order anything unless Volo/Ed has noted them doing so (it's rare, not the norm).

Neither of these sorts of stores is necessarily useful to adventurers (except those seeking "everyday gear" like towels, blankets, short coils of rope or tying twine, candles, belt knives, lamp oil, and lanterns. Shops specializing in arms, armor, long lengths of continuous rope, cages, and anything specifically intended for use in disguises is always noted as such (when Ed's doing the writing, anyway).

So a "sundries" shop can be anything from the Realms equivalent of a scratch-n-dent warehouse or army surplus store, down to a boutique that sells scented candles and one other not-necessarily-related sort of goods (like pots). An "allgoods" shop tries to be the local department store, though the range of its goods is shaped by the usual local clientele, and limited by the proximity of other local shops that specialize (so if there's a locksmith across the road, don't expect to find anything much in the way of locks in an allgoods store except perhaps hasps, or [hidden under the counter, and sold only to those who ask] lockpicks).


So saith me. Except that most of those sentences are Ed's just rearranged and edited by me into a specific answer to your query, Asgetrion.
So there you are!
love,
THO


Reply author: WraithCaller
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 23:04:28
Message:

I have a question for Ed about the Sultlues, whose villainy he discussed in 2008.

According to the 3.5 Web Enhancement for Waterdeep: City of Splendors, the Sultlues are a Tashalan noble family originally from Lushpool, who worship the Yuan-ti god Sseth and have numerous members that possess the Snake Blood feat (meaning they have some Yuan-ti blood).

I was wondering, what is the extent of the Sultlue's connection to the Yuan-ti?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Apr 2009 23:44:57
Message:

Hi. Well, obviously I'm not Ed, and he will certainly provide you with a juicy “proper” Realmslore answer to this great query, WraithCaller, but the short answer is going to be:

It depends on the family member.
Some of the younger generation have nothing to do with Yuan-ti, and a few even don't believe the "family stories" about direct connections, believing only in "some unfortunate magical curse or other, decades back, that gives some of us a few scales and fangs and limited venom immunities."
However, others work hand-in-glove with certain secretive yuan-ti, and there have even been recent romances. (Which were far more frequent one and two generations of Sultlues ago.)

This much I know as a player in Ed's "home" Realms campaign, not from seeing any notes of his (or Eric Boyd's, for that matter). We met (and fought) yuan-ti who were meeting with Sultlues, and on one occasion lovemaking with a Sultlue!
love,
THO
P.S. I've since found some of MY notes of play session, and can tell you where a certain magical sabre that "fires" serpents (one/3 days, venomous, never found out the strength of poison, but it was fast-acting and fatal) upon command is hidden - - or WAS hidden, by a Sultlue, in a sewer in Waterdeep.
A lady never tells, of course ... but then, I'm no lady.


Reply author: KnightErrantJR
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 01:35:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by elfchild

Well met.

This isn't really a question for Ed, but I felt it important to post it here. Please forgive me if the moderators don't feel it appropriate.

I wanted to let the readers, the Hooded One, and Ed know that last week JamalloKreen passed away suddenly. He was an avid poster to this thread over the years, so I thought it only right that you all knew about it. I only found out a couple of hours ago.

Christian (his real name) was the DM for my game and he held Ed in the highest regard. He would show up at games with the newest bit of Realmslore - excited to weave it into his elaborate story. He would always tell us that he was trying to give us the feeling of playing in Ed Greenwood's home game. His game was singularly unique and sadly ends without conclusion.

So Hooded One, I do hope you can relay to Ed the thanks of myself and the other players in my campaign. These Forgotten Realms, and specifically the additional information Ed has generously supplied, made Christian feel like he was part of something really special. I know that while he is gone from the material plane, his spirit lives on in all of the players who had to pleasure to game with him.

Please forgive the fact that my first post here had to be so sad. Christian never wanted us to come here, lest we spoil any surprises he had in store for our characters. If any of you knew JamalloKreen well or have anything to say about him, I'll share anything sent to me with the rest of my group.

The world has lost a great sage, and the Realms have lost a great DM.




I don't want to take up too much space in Ed's thread, but I was absolutely stunned when I saw that JK had passed on. I've not been around much lately, but he was truly a fixture of this place, and I'm greatly saddened that he won't be here to conjecture and poke and prod new Realmslore out of anyone.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 06:12:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Thanks, Wooly. Yes, Volo's Dalelands. Must hunt up my copy and have another read, because my memory is obviously fading. Sigh.
On the other hand, I guess that means I can enjoy old my old Realms adventure modules all over again!!!!



Just to add: there were a few oddball questions on the Fall of Stars a few years back on the Ambreeauta and Breeandra Nenthyn (who own and run the Fall).
If your friend is dealing with 4th ed Realms, the Fall of Stars plays a role in a few LFR adventures.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 06:49:42
Message:

THO, while the Bearded One is away, and we have the chance to prod you (double entendre much?) for 'THO lore', I have a question for you (though, of course, if Ed insisted on expanding upon it, I wouldn't cry overmuch) which was brought on by your mention of the serpent-shooting sabre above. What sort (and in what amount) of magic items were 'common' in your home game? Were they mostly 'common' items (i.e. rings of protection, swords +x, cloaks of elvenkind,-even if they had cool names and histories) or were they rarer items, thus given more rarely (or some combination of the two)? Would you call it a 'high magic' game, or not? From what I've read, I'm sure that the game wasn't driven by such rewards but also from what I've read, I know they played a part.
And thanks, as always, for sharing your lore and your time


Reply author: BlackAce
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 09:58:14
Message:

Damn and blast! Jamallo was a nice guy. I always enjoyed listening to what he had to say, (though I didn't always agree with his opinions!) and it's really sad to hear he's no longer with us... well physically, at least, I'm sure many of us will remember him fondly, so he's definetly still around in spirit.

So long, Christian, you'll be missed but not forgotten.


Reply author: Chosen of Moradin
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 12:07:55
Message:

By Moradin´s beard! Jamallo was a really nice friend, someone with always have something to add to our ideas, and to share his creativity and imagination with us.

What a sad new...


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 12:55:57
Message:

Tonight I shall go forth and have a drink for Jamallo.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 15:19:28
Message:

Hello again, all.
To the Knight of the Gate, re. the query on magic items, above:

Well, magic items in Ed's game tend to be of two sorts. A FEW were items you've seen in the rules, that Ed designed for TSR/WotC, that we were "unwitting playtesters" for (TSR of course could always assemble "witting playtesters," but you need a strong, ongoing campaign with many layers of detail for the playtesters not to know right away that they're playtesting.
The vast majority of items were "Ed specials," because our experimentation with them encouraged roleplaying, and because hidden powers (later revealed) could be used to nudge us into later adventures. Most of them were of this sort:
+1 dagger (remember, needed just to hit certain sorts of creatures, in the rules editions current at the time) that can be made to glow like a lantern upon command, or ITSELF go invisible (not the wielder), or feather fall automatically, or "float in midair" upon command when released by a hand (and so can be used to "hang things in midair" or as a 'handhold" in the middle of a chasm). The dagger might have a second power, like the power to "record" and play back twelve words spoken near it after a command word, or every sound heard by the wielder in a minute, or two minutes, after activation (so the wielder could murmur "anahabra" to activate the dagger, and then "record" a villain giving orders to kill a king, for example).
There were many items like this, but that doesn't mean we adventurers had them. Most of us ended up, at around 9th level (SIX years of real-time frequent adventuring), with a magic sword, a magic dagger, and a ring or "oddball" item, each. A mayor might have one of those glow-daggers, or a noble or grizzled veteran traveling merchant trader; powerful NPCs had more magic than we ever did.
It encourages good roleplaying, and mitigates "adventurer swagger" (hey, we're the heroes here, the ONLY heroes in this game, so we can bully and dominate people and give orders like runaway cops, because we can "take" anyone who disagrees with us). Ed HATES such misbehaviour, and to indulge in it always meant getting taught a lesson by a blacksmith who MADE magic swords (". . . and one day, one day, I will find that six-fingered man, and I will say to him, Hello! My name is--") or a far more unlikely commoner, eventually.
There's a popular myth in gaming that the Realms was "high-magic gonzo," but that's how TSR wanted to position it - - not how Ed's home campaign depicts it. Ed's view is: this world is always more complicated, more many-layered, than you think. Only use the layers you want to for YOUR campaign, but don't think "that's all the Realms is." Ed even has items (like the Rod of Seven Parts, only far lower-powered) whose powers grow as you collect and fit together its component pieces (each of which has a single power of its own, but each COMBINATION of which also "awakens" other powers, in addition to the piece-powers.
Again, it's all about encouraging roleplaying.
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 15:53:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed even has items (like the Rod of Seven Parts, only far lower-powered) whose powers grow as you collect and fit together its component pieces (each of which has a single power of its own, but each COMBINATION of which also "awakens" other powers, in addition to the piece-powers.
Again, it's all about encouraging roleplaying.
love,
THO



Steven Schend wrote an article about items like this. The article was entitled "Series Magic" and appeared in Dragon 213. It was also in this article that we found out Elminster and Khelben both like pizza, but the latter doesn't care for frozen pizza.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 16:02:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed even has items (like the Rod of Seven Parts, only far lower-powered) whose powers grow as you collect and fit together its component pieces (each of which has a single power of its own, but each COMBINATION of which also "awakens" other powers, in addition to the piece-powers.
Again, it's all about encouraging roleplaying.
love,
THO



Steven Schend wrote an article about items like this. The article was entitled "Series Magic" and appeared in Dragon 213. It was also in this article that we found out Elminster and Khelben both like pizza, but the latter doesn't care for frozen pizza.

I remember that article. Because I initially used it as a excuse to drop a pizza into the Realms for the PCs during one adventure session. They initially scoffed at the idea of such conventional fare in the Realms. Whereupon I quickly reminded them that Ed himself had noted pizza-like edibles in the Realms already:- "The taverns of Tantras serve the usual drinks and ‘hot buns' covered with melted cheese (some taverns putting sliced olives or slices of sausage on the cheese so they'll stick, to make their buns distinctive and popular), but little other food."

Sounds like pizza to me.


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 17:38:07
Message:

Until I don't receive the answer from Ed, i have some questions to you, THO, about your campaign...
After reading many novels, I'm trying to play a more "realistic" game... I hate the idea of even after a tough fight, everybody getting up with healing surges (on 4e) or many cleric's healing powers (2nd and 3rd edition). How do you (and Ed) control it?
What about some realistics moves like threatening someone's throat with a dagger?
Do you have some special house-rule?

I've almost thought of playing Gurps on FR... But I think it would need too much balancing and development of the rules.

I've got tired of seeing "robo-cops characters" with thousands of magic itens and powerfull combos... Even my group taking a media of 1.5 encounters per session (what is very rare in Brazil) I would like to make it more like a novel than a Pure-Action PC game.


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 17:50:06
Message:

JK's writings were always worth reading. He will be missed

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 18:00:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed even has items (like the Rod of Seven Parts, only far lower-powered) whose powers grow as you collect and fit together its component pieces (each of which has a single power of its own, but each COMBINATION of which also "awakens" other powers, in addition to the piece-powers.
Again, it's all about encouraging roleplaying.
love,
THO



Steven Schend wrote an article about items like this. The article was entitled "Series Magic" and appeared in Dragon 213. It was also in this article that we found out Elminster and Khelben both like pizza, but the latter doesn't care for frozen pizza.



Arm of Valor detailed in Myth Drannor Boxed Set was one such "Set Item" created by Ed, I think. One PC in my group actually found two pieces, but in the end we found it to be far too powerful (and unpredictable) to our taste (and it drew the unwanted attention of certain organizations, as well). I can't recall how we lost those parts... but I suspect we just gave it away as a "contribution" (i.e. a payment for healing, resurrection, restoration, and identification of other magical items) to the clergy of Shaundakul found in the ruins?

Experimenting with magical items has always been fun... and items created by Ed (such as those +1 "glowdaggers") were far more interesting than 99% of the "core" magic items.


Reply author: Quale
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 19:40:44
Message:

Jamallo was very creative and his posts inspiring. I'm sorry.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 19:56:27
Message:

Unfortunately the published Arm of Valor is WAY overpowered, because all the side-effects/drawbacks he designed into it got edited out.
Sigh.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 20:11:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Unfortunately the published Arm of Valor is WAY overpowered, because all the side-effects/drawbacks he designed into it got edited out.
Sigh.
love,
THO



Could you possibly give some hints as to what these were My Lady?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 20:43:12
Message:

Thank You for confirming something about Ed that I had always assumed, THO.

He is NEVER 'finished' with anything...

And I mean that in a GOOD (DM) sort-of way. Treasure isn't something you just pick-up and stuff in your backpack to be used or sold... it has a history...


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 07 Apr 2009 23:55:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Unfortunately the published Arm of Valor is WAY overpowered, because all the side-effects/drawbacks he designed into it got edited out.
Sigh.
love,
THO



Could you possibly give some hints as to what these were My Lady?

I also would love to hear how he had it originally designed.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 00:11:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Unfortunately the published Arm of Valor is WAY overpowered, because all the side-effects/drawbacks he designed into it got edited out.
Sigh.
love,
THO



Oh, we didn't even *need* to see any serious drawbacks... as "old skool" gamers (i.e. we believe that power usually comes with a price tag attached) we were just so paranoid about it ("Wow, this is so good it *HAS* to have some nasty drawbacks we don't yet know about, or otherwise we wouldn't have found it!"). And there were liches and beholders and whatnot trying to wrest it from us, so we thought it better to get rid of the artifact...

But it was a cool, flavorful item with sense of history... like so many of items created by Ed. Another favorite of mine is the magical sword 'Flame of the North' in Undermountain, which we almost didn't dare to pick up, because of so many cursed weapons our characters had carried out of there (one of my 2E characters, a ranger, actually ditched four *actually* magical swords in Undermountain and happily carried out two runed, glowing ones... *BOTH* of which were cursed -2 swords!). Ah, good times, good times...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 00:20:20
Message:

I gave one of my players a 'singing sword' that just wouldn't shut-up... and it had the voice and personality of Joan Rivers.

Well... he did beg me for a magic sword in the next treasure horde... be careful what you wish for, and all of that.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 01:04:23
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by edappel

Until I don't receive the answer from Ed, i have some questions to you, THO, about your campaign...
After reading many novels, I'm trying to play a more "realistic" game... I hate the idea of even after a tough fight, everybody getting up with healing surges (on 4e) or many cleric's healing powers (2nd and 3rd edition). How do you (and Ed) control it?
What about some realistics moves like threatening someone's throat with a dagger?
Do you have some special house-rule?

I've almost thought of playing Gurps on FR... But I think it would need too much balancing and development of the rules.



Sorry for butting in here, but this is the sort of question that drives me crazy. It sounds like you don't want to play DnD. GURPS would be a superb choice, IMHO, I've always had a soft spot for it. It might take a bit of work to convert FR, but you would be happier in the long run with a system you have better control over.

If you wanted to do this from within the DnD system(s), you'd need to do quite a bit of work. For 4th edition, you'd need to rewrite the way healing surges work (or completely write them out of the system), but realize that doing so is going to completely change the nature of the game - you'd need to do almost as much work re-balancing the system as you would need to do to convert the Realms to GURPS. As for 3rd/2nd Edition clerics and healing magic, the same thing applies - you'd have to either bump up the level for every single healing spell (and drop off the more powerful ones like Heal and Resurrection/True Resurrection), or make the priest's deity more active in their spell choice (get rid of spontaneous healing, and have the god choose not to give clerics so many healing spells) - but again, this is going to completely change the balance of the game.

As for the knife at the throat, if the person has them immobilized you could just rule they can perform a coup de gras - that would definitely give a PC pause if an NPC had a knife at their throat, but it should work equally well for the PCs. You could also change the way hit points work, such as they get X amount at first level, where X = their constitution score, and only gain more hit points if their constitution changes upwards (loosing points if it goes down). This would also make the game more lethal, would make poisons and diseases far more powerful, and most combats would be over in a single round, and far more susceptible to bad luck (ie, if the dice roll the wrong way just once, you have a total party wipe on your hands).

But I have to be honest with you here, with these kinds of changes you're probably making the game unplayable. If you're really serious about a more realistic game, as I said, you'd be better off with a totally different system.

GURPS is probably the best system I know of for making magic far more limited (for both Mages and Clerics), and combat more deadly. It also makes controlling the power level of the game easier because there's no great leaps (like a level up), the game is entirely skill/points based. The side effect of this is it has no real classes, and thus characters can become a mix and max of different abilities... which probably only helps the feeling of realism in the game, and makes it easier to reflect novel characters in game stats.


quote:
I've got tired of seeing "robo-cops characters" with thousands of magic itens and powerfull combos... Even my group taking a media of 1.5 encounters per session (what is very rare in Brazil) I would like to make it more like a novel than a Pure-Action PC game.



Limits, limits, limits. You are the DM, you control XP and other rewards (magic items). Also remember, what's good for the PC is good for the NPC. If you limit PC magic, by necessity you need to limit NPC magic as well to keep the game balanced.

But my pure honest opinion is that Dungeons and Dragons is a very poor system for a realistic game. Also, I wouldn't like playing in such a game - I play games to escape reality, not have reality shoved down my throat... You might want to talk this through with your players, one or two might feel as I do.

I'd add a rant about how much I hate novels not adhering to the system very well, but I think it would take all day and I've already stuck my nose in enough anyway.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 01:34:41
Message:

Not that this is my thread or my topic, but . . .

In the name of making your games more "grim and gritty," you might see if you can't scare up a copy of the (now-out-of-print) S&S d20 Game of Thrones system. It has things like being stunned by too much damage, suffering serious or mortal wounds regardless of hit points, etc., etc.

I found it to be pretty playable and while it is considerably deadlier than the basic d20 system, still fun.

Cheers


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 02:09:01
Message:

Good points, Erik and Zandilar both.
(Oh, and Knight of the Gate: you can prod - - or even poke, ahem - - me with your double entendre ANYtime.)
As for the Arm of Valor, as I recall, the request Ed and all other designers received was for "gonzo artifacts: as blow-up-the-world as you want!" Ed wrote his up (also as requested) in the standard rules format for artifacts (which had sections for side effects and for malevolent effects/powers, both major and minor - - and it was these sections that were largely pruned away, for publication). I'm afraid I never had any more access to those than reading Ed's printout of his work when I was snooping, and of course Ed can't publish them now because it was work commissioned by TSR, paid for by them, and delivered to them: edited-out material remains their property, even if they choose never to reveal it to anyone. We'll see if Ed can recall (and give hints about) the drawbacks he built in to the Arm.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 02:12:34
Message:

Oh, and Sage: to make those buns into pizza, you'd have to put them on the floor and tromp on them (hopefully with CLEAN boots). Ed was definitely talking about pizza-like dressing atop rounded buns - - but yes, in the same way your countrymen have gotten quite used to ANYTHING being available baked into a "meat" pie, patrons of those establishments Ed was describing do indeed enjoy "adorned buns" that, yep, taste like plump, rounded mini-pizzas.
love,
THO
P.S. Erik, I'm loving DOWNSHADOW!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 02:18:51
Message:

Markustay, you're "dead on" re. Ed and history; even if it never gets developed in our campaign for a particular item or person, place or group, he always makes us FEEL as if it's all there, waiting to be explored, if we only grab time and inclination.
That's what makes Ed's Realms come so alive, when you play in his campaign.
And (heh-heh) when it comes to singing swords, Ed's done the same to us. One sword that was like a haughty opera tenor who'd never shut up, and another who never stopped making smart comments, and talked - - and sang! - - like Jimmy Durante.
The genius of Ed is: somehow he makes these seem REAL and FITTING in a serious fantasy context, not elements that devolve into slapstick humor at every appearance.
love,
THO


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 03:06:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

P.S. Erik, I'm loving DOWNSHADOW!

I am honored, gracious lady.

I will say that in several moments when I was writing--the one that comes to mind is what I believe is Ed's favorite scene (in chapter 16: involving a closet, entirely too many suspicious ladies, and a main character in very clear peril of the amorous variety), I asked myself WWTHOD?

I am quite pleased if you're entertained by the result.

Cheers


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 04:39:15
Message:

If its got 'plump buns' () and no sauce, then it's usually called Focaccia bread.

--- Mark, who baked himself some nice 7-Grain bread a couple of hours ago.


And thanks for the response THO; you can just tell when Ed writes about somthing that he has so much more he'd like to say, given an infinite amount of time and page-counts. If there is anything that is truly the 'Realms Flavor', that would be it - that no matter how deep you dig, there's alway another layer.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 04:56:45
Message:

Heh... talk about singing swords reminds me of a magic item me and a friend designed for his 2E druid. Since there wasn't much that could benefit a druid, we came up with a figurine of wondrous power. It was a squirrel that gave him some AC bonus and such, enough that he wouldn't get killed by a kobold with a pointy stick.

Our DM took that and decided that it was intelligent. And spoke with a french accent. And called the druid 'an idiot' a lot while trying to get a peek at my "then-girlfriend-now-ex-wife's" bard naked.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 05:28:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and Sage: to make those buns into pizza, you'd have to put them on the floor and tromp on them (hopefully with CLEAN boots). Ed was definitely talking about pizza-like dressing atop rounded buns - - but yes, in the same way your countrymen have gotten quite used to ANYTHING being available baked into a "meat" pie, patrons of those establishments Ed was describing do indeed enjoy "adorned buns" that, yep, taste like plump, rounded mini-pizzas.
love,
THO
P.S. Erik, I'm loving DOWNSHADOW!

My thanks to you, Lady.

And I'll happily remain mute on the issue of unusual contents in Australian "meat" pies. There are just some things we're not supposed to know about. Hehe...



-- Oh, and just a further note:- Your using works like "bun" and "plump" brought certain images to my mind. You look great, BTW!


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 05:29:54
Message:

THO, thank you for your (as always) timely, concise, and comprehensive response. The more I DM, the more I strive to re-create the mood around that original game-table.
And am I the only one who went back to re-read THO discussing 'adorned buns'? And making use of the adjectives 'plump' and 'rounded'? Because, if so, either A)I've finally achieved the 'dirty old man-ness' for which I've so long sought, or B)my fellow scribes just aren't as on the ball as usual.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 06:43:46
Message:

No, Knight of the Gate, you're not the only one who noticed these words. However, this simply shows your amatureness. I, personally, was concentrating on the 'Rod of Seven Parts'. Heh heh.

EDIT: Suddenly remembered a question I had, brought on by recent events:
In the Realms, are there cultures that hold with 'Spring Cleaning'? Is there such a concept at all, that once a year, you clean your entire house?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 09:38:06
Message:

Hands up anyone who believes that the double-entendre of 'buns' by THO was sheer unintentional...
Not sure what I have to think of 'unusual contents' in meat pies, either.

On topic again, a question (open to all while Ed is away):
Does anyone have or know of a map or some such of White Ford, Archendale?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 10:08:47
Message:

I don't immediately recall any published maps for White Ford. But the write-up for the hamlet in Volo's Guide to the Dalelands* should provide you with a basis for constructing your own map.


[* Which is available as a free PDF download at WotC]


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 14:00:35
Message:

Well, sorry for my last question, I didn't mean to annoy you all... I was just expecting to get some "hints" to DM from Ed or THO... Even so, thanks for the answers, and Erik... I'll check Game of Thrones... I will follow your advice. ;)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 15:03:50
Message:

Hi, all.
edappel, the short answer is that Ed's home group have been roleplaying together for YEARS, and like most long-term groups, we've settled into a style of play that's most comfortable for us. Which is: heavy on roleplaying, light on rules (many of us are game designers or sometime game designers, by the way). So unless a player or players (or, very rarely, Ed) insists on a "full play out of this" particular combat (akin to a "recorded vote" at a government council meeting), the "knife at the throat" situation you mention would be described by Ed as the storyteller, and the players would accept it and run with it. In short, the "players trying to get an edge in a combat over monsters, other players, and/or the DM" situations which lead to yearnings for more detailed/"realistic" combat rules just don't arise very often.
Now, adopting such a style may anger some of your players, particularly if they perceive it as a "DM versus players" situation. We don't, for two reasons: Ed has ALWAYS given the PCs the edge (we always had initiative, except against guards or monsters waiting in a "prepared attack" siutation, for example) in play, preferring to balance things by giving us tougher challenges to fight and harder puzzles to solve - - AND things have developed naturally in our group, over a long period of time, to this style (BTW, we vote on important rules adoptions, etc., because Ed's cardinal rule is: "I'm here to entertain you players, not entertain myself at your expense").
love,
THO
Edit: So the postscript from Ed would be something along the lines of: you should bend, adapt, and adopt rules to best suit your playing group. As long as you all remember things will be different in a tournament played at a convention with gamers not of your group, mold the roleplaying game to be what best suits you all. That's what leads to campaigns lasting decades, and richly-detailed settings like, yes, the Forgotten Realms.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 15:08:18
Message:

Hi again, all!
Well, DOWNSHADOW finished, and yes, it's a keeper. A great book I'll re-read more than once.
As for the situation you establish in Chapter 16, Erik, my answer to your posted query is unfortunately fairly predictable:

I'd make passionate, ardent love to them all.

Yes, until none of them could stand up. Then rummage the kitchen for honey or fruit syrup or even jam, spread it on some handy areas, and do it all over again.

Just in case you're looking for a "top that" sex scene for your NEXT novel. Ed tells me Susan Morris loves to read them, even if she can't print them, but you MIGHT (I say might) still have a reputation to salvage. Ed sure doesn't . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 15:16:38
Message:

And well met AGAIN, scribes. I've just read through the preceding page, before e-mailing it off to Ed for his reading (and Realmslore replies, in the fullness of time) pleasure.
And I simply must comment on plump, buns, and the speculations of my fellow scribes...
No, of COURSE it wasn't unintentional.
However, they were the best words to describe the serious Realms topic at hand, so I used them, knowing full well that even if certain minds at Candlekeep weren't corrupted before I began work here, I've been doing my level (horizontal) best to drag them down to my level for over four years, now.
I used them solemnly, however, demonstrating that I can FAKE being subtle for a few seconds at a time, even if my subtlety is of the "stampede charging through brick wall and across the china parlor, horns lowered to skewer all the shrieking little old ladies" variety.
A girl has to have SOME fun. And these days, so many things are illegal...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 17:56:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
A girl has to have SOME fun. And these days, so many things are illegal...
Ahh, but a cup of tea, properly and promptly delivered, can be oh so much fun... ;)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 17:59:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

No, of COURSE it wasn't unintentional.
So you would be pizza, and not Focaccia bread, because you are quite saucey?

Thy Pepperoni's are quite tantalizing, Lady Hodded One.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Apr 2009 18:17:58
Message:

quote:
I'd make passionate, ardent love to them all.


Hmm. That doesn't actually tell us much about the book, since that could apply to any number of situations... ;)
I may pick up Downshadow after I finish Silverfall (still not done yet, editing keeps me from reading atm), but there still is a lot of stuff I haven't read yet. I'm such a newbie...

Oh, and THO, in the Netherlandas we have far less activities that are deemed illegal... (wiggles eyebrows Magnum-style).

Gomez


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 02:18:30
Message:

Once I again I throw a coupl.... er, handful of questions at Ed:

In a community (large town) like Thunderstone -- in which dwarves, halflings and gnomes are present and do a lot of smithing, building, glasswork and so on -- is there any competition from the "tall" races, knowing that dwarves, for example, "outshine" them in crafts? For example, would you set up a weapons shop, if there's a dwarven-operated forge in the same town? And how many shops or craftsmen of the *same* trade (i.e. how many blacksmiths, armorers, weaponsmiths, leatherworkers etc.) would you find in a place like Thunderstone? And could there be a "sundries" shop and an "allgoods" shop in the same town, or would they be too "similar" in wares to exist simulaneously? And how "specialized" shops a "border town" of that size could have, i.e. would there be shops dealing in art objects, crystal/glass items, helms and scabbards and shields (rather than whole sets of armor or weaponry), fine ladies' gowns, rare/exotic imports, fine wines/liquors, carved boxes and chests (instead of "woodworks" shop) etc.?

Also, would said dwarves or halflings, for example, rather come to town to ply their trade (i.e. walk around the town or set up a a booth at the marketplace), or set up permanent shops there (e.g. "Dorn's Forge", "Jhallavian's Glassworks", "Blackhammer Building and Stonecraft")?

Huge, HUGE thanks once again for the great work you're doing here, Ed and Milady THO!


Reply author: Firhyanda
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 10:49:53
Message:

Greetings all just thought I would duck in with a quick question for Ed.
The realms seem to be full of magical crossroads and a wide selection of magical portals and teleportation circles that lead hither and yon until all of water deep appears to be riddled with them like Swiss cheese. I keep hearing some song about gnomes a repressed memory I’m trying to stifle. This got me thinking about doors with hinges. I am currently beginning to write my new water deep campaign which I have decided to title “The war of the doors begins as before”. And I am wondering if there are any famous magical doors or magical door makers in fairun that Ed of the Greenwood would care to enlighten us about. So its magical door lore I’m asking for.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 15:25:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Firhyanda

Greetings all just thought I would duck in with a quick question for Ed.
The realms seem to be full of magical crossroads and a wide selection of magical portals and teleportation circles that lead hither and yon until all of water deep appears to be riddled with them like Swiss cheese. I keep hearing some song about gnomes a repressed memory I’m trying to stifle. This got me thinking about doors with hinges. I am currently beginning to write my new water deep campaign which I have decided to title “The war of the doors begins as before”. And I am wondering if there are any famous magical doors or magical door makers in fairun that Ed of the Greenwood would care to enlighten us about. So its magical door lore I’m asking for.




Ed actually wrote an article on magical doors, back in Dragon 106. The article was called "Open Them, If You Dare". It talks of a maker of magical doors, and details (gives rules for) his dozen "standard models". It's 1E, but it should be easy enough to flip for 2E or 3.x.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 15:48:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert


Ed actually wrote an article on magical doors, back in Dragon 106. The article was called "Open Them, If You Dare". It talks of a maker of magical doors, and details (gives rules for) his dozen "standard models". It's 1E, but it should be easy enough to flip for 2E or 3.x.



Nadrun the Artificer! Man, that guy's handiwork caused me a world of hurt back in the day. Recommendation heartily seconded.

(That issue was also Keith Parkinson's first Dragon cover, I think--the half-elf lady with a little fairie dragon familiar.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 16:09:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Firhyanda

Greetings all just thought I would duck in with a quick question for Ed.
The realms seem to be full of magical crossroads and a wide selection of magical portals and teleportation circles that lead hither and yon until all of water deep appears to be riddled with them like Swiss cheese. I keep hearing some song about gnomes a repressed memory I’m trying to stifle. This got me thinking about doors with hinges. I am currently beginning to write my new water deep campaign which I have decided to title “The war of the doors begins as before”. And I am wondering if there are any famous magical doors or magical door makers in fairun that Ed of the Greenwood would care to enlighten us about. So its magical door lore I’m asking for.




Ed actually wrote an article on magical doors, back in Dragon 106. The article was called "Open Them, If You Dare". It talks of a maker of magical doors, and details (gives rules for) his dozen "standard models". It's 1E, but it should be easy enough to flip for 2E or 3.x.

And Ed has previously discussed portals and other assorted magical doors in some of his earlier replies here at Candlekeep.

Firhyanda, you might consider also performing a search through the "So Saith Ed" archives.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 18:28:59
Message:

I want to get my hands on Downshadow,b ut I have a question regarding it (anybody can answer):
Would one need to read Mistshore, or Blackstaff Tower to understand it? Or are these books in the smae series, but not connected except that they all happen in Waterdeep?


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 18:49:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I want to get my hands on Downshadow,b ut I have a question regarding it (anybody can answer):
Would one need to read Mistshore, or Blackstaff Tower to understand it? Or are these books in the smae series, but not connected except that they all happen in Waterdeep?
The books are not directly connected except for the setting, but I would characterize them like guidebooks when visiting a large, popular city.

If, for example, you were a food enthusiast visiting New York, you would of course want a food guide. But you might also want a map, a guide of some museums or other cultural institutions, maybe some local tidbits.

The Waterdeep series is just such a set of books. You might come for the de Bie, but to truly enjoy the city, it's best to learn as much as you can when planning a visit.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 19:34:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I want to get my hands on Downshadow,b ut I have a question regarding it (anybody can answer):
Would one need to read Mistshore, or Blackstaff Tower to understand it? Or are these books in the smae series, but not connected except that they all happen in Waterdeep?
The books are not directly connected except for the setting, but I would characterize them like guidebooks when visiting a large, popular city.

If, for example, you were a food enthusiast visiting New York, you would of course want a food guide. But you might also want a map, a guide of some museums or other cultural institutions, maybe some local tidbits.

The Waterdeep series is just such a set of books. You might come for the de Bie, but to truly enjoy the city, it's best to learn as much as you can when planning a visit.


What Garen said--books are not connected, except taking place at roughly the same time (DS takes place in the spring of 1479, BST in the autumn[ ? ] with the prologue earlier than mine, MS I don't remember, and CotD I think is in the last part of the year). That said, the chronology doesn't matter at all. I didn't read anybody's draft before I finished DS, so it isn't connected.

That said, you should totally read them all, and in whatever order you like.

And yes, DS contains a number of scenes involving "tourist attractions" in Waterdeep, such as a truly excellent restaurant (called a "hearth-house") at which to eat, the 4e FR Temple of Beauty (Sune), what broad-sheets (newspapers) to read and which to toss in the trash, a few places to shop for chapbooks, masks for a ball, and ravishingly beautiful clothing, and (who could forget?) the clock tower . . . for all your time-telling, site-seeing, and/or dare-deviling needs. Not to mention a good bit about the night-life/underworld-life (Downshadow, you know).

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As for the situation you establish in Chapter 16, Erik, my answer to your posted query is unfortunately fairly predictable:

I'd make passionate, ardent love to them all.

Yes, until none of them could stand up. Then rummage the kitchen for honey or fruit syrup or even jam, spread it on some handy areas, and do it all over again.



I just want to note for not-yet-readers that there are 4 women and 1 man in that particular scene (1 of the women being a halfling, 1 of them being something of a specialist in such matters). All in all . . . a rather unexpected party, if you know what I mean. (Ahem!)

quote:
Just in case you're looking for a "top that" sex scene for your NEXT novel. Ed tells me Susan Morris loves to read them, even if she can't print them, but you MIGHT (I say might) still have a reputation to salvage. Ed sure doesn't . . .

I haven't yet mustered the bravado/madness to send the steamiest bits that I *do* think up and *do* write down to WotC, but I shall certainly make sure to clip and set aside such scenes from the pre-edited drafts of future novels . . . just in case.

In fact . . . [clicks over to word doc]

Cheers


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 19:38:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie


quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As for the situation you establish in Chapter 16, Erik, my answer to your posted query is unfortunately fairly predictable:

I'd make passionate, ardent love to them all.

Yes, until none of them could stand up. Then rummage the kitchen for honey or fruit syrup or even jam, spread it on some handy areas, and do it all over again.



I just want to note for not-yet-readers that there are 4 women and 1 man in that particular scene (1 of the women being a halfling, 1 of them being something of a specialist in such matters). All in all . . . a rather unexpected party, if you know what I mean. (Ahem!)


A specialist in halflings?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Apr 2009 23:47:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie

And yes, DS contains a number of scenes involving "tourist attractions" in Waterdeep, such as a truly excellent restaurant (called a "hearth-house") at which to eat, the 4e FR Temple of Beauty (Sune), what broad-sheets (newspapers) to read and which to toss in the trash, a few places to shop for chapbooks, masks for a ball, and ravishingly beautiful clothing, and (who could forget?) the clock tower . . . for all your time-telling, site-seeing, and/or dare-deviling needs. Not to mention a good bit about the night-life/underworld-life (Downshadow, you know).
Oooh! Tantalising right to the last moment, eh Erik?

I especially like hearing about the part re: the chapbooks. Do you happen to name any of them specifically? I'd love to add them to the "Candlekeep Book List" that I'm re-compiling.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 00:21:51
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
And yes, DS contains a number of scenes involving "tourist attractions" in Waterdeep, such as a truly excellent restaurant (called a "hearth-house") at which to eat, the 4e FR Temple of Beauty (Sune), what broad-sheets (newspapers) to read and which to toss in the trash, a few places to shop for chapbooks, masks for a ball, and ravishingly beautiful clothing, and (who could forget?) the clock tower . . . for all your time-telling, site-seeing, and/or dare-deviling needs. Not to mention a good bit about the night-life/underworld-life (Downshadow, you know).


Oooh, a clock! Is this a magical clock or a clockwork clock? (I don't recall Waterdeep having a clock tower, so I presume this is a post-100 year leap development)... Have they managed to make clockwork small enough for watches by then?



Err... I mean, I hate the 4th Ed Realms and I want nothing to do with them! (I still would love to see the answer to that question...)

(Hmm... I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye out for Downshadow here in Australia. Anyone know if it's out here yet? Or is it something I'm going to have to order specially?)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 00:38:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(Hmm... I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye out for Downshadow here in Australia. Anyone know if it's out here yet? Or is it something I'm going to have to order specially?)
I've yet to see it on the shelves here. And the clerk at my local book store said the shipment is scheduled for arrival sometime next week, or the week following.

If you're looking to order online, galaxybooks.com.au already has copies available for pre-order.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 01:09:35
Message:

I don't know how common this knowledge is, as I learned from Order of the Stick, but Dave Arneson passed away on April 7th. For those who don't know of him, he co-created the Dungeons and Dragons game with Gary Gygax back in the day.

Memories around, and all the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 01:18:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf

I don't know how common this knowledge is, as I learned from Order of the Stick, but Dave Arneson passed away on April 7th. For those who don't know of him, he co-created the Dungeons and Dragons game with Gary Gygax back in the day.

Memories around, and all the best,
Wolfram

Aye. We've two scrolls discussing this already:- Dave Arneson hospitalized and In Memoriam.


Reply author: Stranjer
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 04:17:52
Message:

As I still havent fully finished perusing the former scrolls, I cannot be sure this hasnt already been covered. But I decided to ask anyway. One of my player in my upcoming game expressed that he wishes to be of a former noble house(preferably of Cormyr, but he said others would do if applicable), former being the key word. He wishes to, through his adventuring, re-establish his family house as nobles. I thought I'd ask Ed if there were any not well known ones. The only reference I could find was http://oracle.wizards.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0603C&L=REALMS-L&P=1264&I=-3 that bit. Which was written in 2006, and does detail some dispossessed noble houses. But other then the Cormaerils and Bleths, which i already knew a good amount about from Cormyr : a Novel, and the Turcassan and the Merendil's, which don't have much information on them anyway, all the rest are extinct. Can you think of any dispossessed noble houses not before mentioned? Any place for a warrior who always talks in a straightforward manner, doesnt like political intrigue, but wishes to see his family restored to "its former glory"? Or, if not new family's any details on the Turcassans and Merendils?


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 07:52:08
Message:

So as not to distract further from Ed's thread, I'm going to reply to Sage and Zandilar's questions in my own CoS thread:

http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3930&whichpage=32

(CTRL-F "10 Apr 2009")

Cheers


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 07:54:18
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(Hmm... I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye out for Downshadow here in Australia. Anyone know if it's out here yet? Or is it something I'm going to have to order specially?)
I've yet to see it on the shelves here. And the clerk at my local book store said the shipment is scheduled for arrival sometime next week, or the week following.

If you're looking to order online, galaxybooks.com.au already has copies available for pre-order.




Thanks, Sage. I have some gift vouchers for Dymocks, so I'll just order it through them.

Question for Ed: Who exactly can be admitted to the War Wizards of Cormyr? My other half seems to think that because Bards can cast arcane spells, they'd qualify? (Outside of game rules, this is, by the way. I'd check the War Wizard PrC for a guide, but my books are currently in storage. I can't wait to get them back.)

To expand things a little bit - say this Bard had proved him/herself to the current Mage Royal (in this case, Caladnei) through great sacrifices for and service to Cormyr, what sort of position (if any) would she reward them with? (In this case, the Bard risked her own life and sanity to act as bait to drawn out some Cyricists who were about to cause a (potentially unstoppable) catastrophe for the Royal Family. Which, of course, lead to the War Wizards making arrests and also having the solid proof they needed to smash the ring completely.) (The game is being played systemlessly, which is why game rules are not all that important, and the character is actually mine... My other half is an evil DM. )


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 13:43:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

(Hmm... I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye out for Downshadow here in Australia. Anyone know if it's out here yet? Or is it something I'm going to have to order specially?)
I've yet to see it on the shelves here. And the clerk at my local book store said the shipment is scheduled for arrival sometime next week, or the week following.

If you're looking to order online, galaxybooks.com.au already has copies available for pre-order.




Thanks, Sage. I have some gift vouchers for Dymocks, so I'll just order it through them.

Question for Ed: Who exactly can be admitted to the War Wizards of Cormyr? My other half seems to think that because Bards can cast arcane spells, they'd qualify? (Outside of game rules, this is, by the way. I'd check the War Wizard PrC for a guide, but my books are currently in storage. I can't wait to get them back.)

To expand things a little bit - say this Bard had proved him/herself to the current Mage Royal (in this case, Caladnei) through great sacrifices for and service to Cormyr, what sort of position (if any) would she reward them with? (In this case, the Bard risked her own life and sanity to act as bait to drawn out some Cyricists who were about to cause a (potentially unstoppable) catastrophe for the Royal Family. Which, of course, lead to the War Wizards making arrests and also having the solid proof they needed to smash the ring completely.) (The game is being played systemlessly, which is why game rules are not all that important, and the character is actually mine... My other half is an evil DM. )
Entry into the Wizards of War is not merely based on whether a being can cast arcane or divine spells (with arcane as the qualification), but the manner and sort of spells the person can cast. If the bard can cast mind-altering or -invading magic, then War Wizard is the appropriate role; if the bard's magic tends toward support-role castings (for speed, strength, healing, stealth, etc.), then it's more likely that Highknight is a better fit.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 15:07:59
Message:

Y'know how I moved the converse to my scroll? Well within just a single post, we had a good question for Ed:

Ed, the novel Downshadow (Erik Scott de Bie, 3rd in the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series, out now!) presents a clock tower the "Timehands" in Waterdeep, based on designs from a century ago. Questions:
1) When was it built?
2) How tall is it?
3) How does it work (i.e., sequence of chimes? every hour or ...)?
4) What else can you tell us about it?

~Question originally posed by Zandilar, reworded for insidious marketing purposes by Erik.

Cheers


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 15:33:56
Message:

Hi, all.
Hmmm. I'm thinking Ed's going to have to clear what he says on this with Wizards, though I recall him mentioning, in a spell-induced vision of our characters had of "the future of Waterdeep" [or perhaps: "A future Waterdeep," meaning an alternate one, on another Prime Material Plane; the spell allows for that], a tall, darkish clock tower that struck the hours. I asked him if such a feature would be included in the reference document ((a huge long thing, BTW, that Brian James had to rewrite down to a few paragraphs for the 4e FR core book, and THAT would be a task I'd have heartily hated to do)), and Ed grinned and said, "Well, if that feature DID exist in a future Waterdeep, it would CERTAINLY be in such a document. If one existed, of course."
Such a coy NDA dancer, our Eddie.
Now I know one little tidbit more, that I shouldn't . . . (hums innocently). There's a novel in the Eddie Presents series AFTER Erik's that exists in at least first draft form, that Ed read very recently, and very much enjoyed, and I know that it mentions the Timehands.
I haven't seen the MS (I suspect Ed read it off his computer screen so snoopy players like me would have nothing to "just happen to let our eyeballs roll over, in an idle moment"), but he was deep in reading it when I called him once, and as his wife passed him the phone, I heard him murmur, "Ah, the Timehands, good, good."
Ed wants to pass on his apologies for his lengthening silence (especially to edappel, knowing that his friend is waiting for that heartening Elminster missive), but he has been STUPENDOUSLY busy this last week-and-a-bit, and probably will continue to be so for this unfolding weekend (though he says he'll try to steal some sleep time to catch up on some lore replies for you patient scribes).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 15:40:14
Message:

To add to the 'War Wizards' discussion -

War Wizards need not be native Cormyrian, and in fact, are just as often not.

Also, they seem to operate like the CIA (or the Mafia) - you can 'retire' from the WW, but you are still considered one - there's no such thing as 'quitting'. It's not a job, it's a life-commitment (including for certain personages who have lived near to a millenia or more).

Which means even if you have 'retired', you can still be called upon when the country is 'in need'.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 15:40:31
Message:

Oh, a postscript, Zandilar: I asked Ed if this clock tower chimed the quarters, or half fours, or tolled the hour-count, or marked any specific time with a carillon or motif . . . but he merely smiled coyly, struck a femme fatale pose, stuck one finger in his mouth and sucked on it in a satire of sex-kitten movie queens everywhere, and said: "That" (deep, purring breath) "would be TELLING."
So, we'll have to wait and see just how much he's able to tell us. Which I suspect will involve a swift e-chat with Susan Morris, AFTER the Easter holidays, when she's back at her desk to engage in her end of it (Ed wouldn't dream of interrupting someone at home during a family holiday, and I suspect his own family's going to keep him more than a little busy during this one).
Of course, until then, you have me to play with, fellas.
Garen, I salute you for the tea. Not just the post now, but your gallant moment at GenCon (a moment that's become immortal at WotC, by the way) wherein you providing timely succor to the Lady Mazzanoble...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 15:57:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, a postscript, Zandilar: I asked Ed if this clock tower chimed the quarters, or half fours, or tolled the hour-count, or marked any specific time with a carillon or motif . . . but he merely smiled coyly, struck a femme fatale pose, stuck one finger in his mouth and sucked on it in a satire of sex-kitten movie queens everywhere, and said: "That" (deep, purring breath) "would be TELLING."
And to mark the "telling," he pushed his hand forward, as though to 'pshaw' or to brush an imaginary crumb from a gentleman's lapel.

That Ed...
quote:
Garen, I salute you for the tea. Not just the post now, but your gallant moment at GenCon (a moment that's become immortal at WotC, by the way) wherein you providing timely succor to the Lady Mazzanoble...
Ahh, but you didn't think that I forgot, now, did you? Hooded Lady, a gentleman must remember his gallantry, if for no other reason than to top himself at next opportunity.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 16:18:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all.
Hmmm. I'm thinking Ed's going to have to clear what he says on this with Wizards, though I recall him mentioning, in a spell-induced vision of our characters had of "the future of Waterdeep" [or perhaps: "A future Waterdeep," meaning an alternate one, on another Prime Material Plane; the spell allows for that], a tall, darkish clock tower that struck the hours. I asked him if such a feature would be included in the reference document ((a huge long thing, BTW, that Brian James had to rewrite down to a few paragraphs for the 4e FR core book, and THAT would be a task I'd have heartily hated to do)), and Ed grinned and said, "Well, if that feature DID exist in a future Waterdeep, it would CERTAINLY be in such a document. If one existed, of course."
Such a coy NDA dancer, our Eddie.


Have I mentioned that I want to see this document?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Apr 2009 17:01:42
Message:

I'd also want to take a peek over Wooly's shoulder while he's reading said document, if that's okay my lady?

Oh, and I've got a related "Timehands" question that's based on the recent exchanges in this scroll. But I'll wait until Ed's chimed in more directly on the matter.


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 11 Apr 2009 01:14:13
Message:

Here's a littl'un. Given that 'backpack' is a recent Americanism, and the modern connotations of 'backpacking', is there a Realms-particular term for that kind of bag?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 11 Apr 2009 15:28:00
Message:

Adventuring.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 11 Apr 2009 18:35:10
Message:

I'm not sure if I asked this question before, but better asked twice than not asked at all, right?
In Elminster In Hell, El states that he hasn't spoken with the Srinshee since she took the Artblade. But she appears in the subsquent battle with the Thayans, Sharrans, and demons. So did she resume contact after that? In Spin A Yarn, she appeared, and El was also there. Or did she wait until she returned the Artblade to resume contact?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 15:44:27
Message:

Hi again, all. I'm afraid that Waterdeep reference document is unlikely to see wider distribution unless Wizards wants it to. Perhaps when the Eddie Presents series wraps up, he can convince the good mages of WotC to make it available on their site (but I'll not hold my breath).
Sorry, avid readers!
As for Markustay, your view of the War Wizards is quite correct, and you win a date with my pepperonis.
Not that I've heard them called THAT very often, before! Better have your hot sausage ready. Ahem.
[Oh, yes, subtle like brick, that girl. I notice this before. Hard not to, really.]
love to all, and promising Ed's return as soon as he can,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 15:53:44
Message:

Heh. Until then, we're here to chime in on this thread for Ed and for you, beautiful Lady! Accordingly, my two coppers toward answering Menelvagor:
In an earlier year of this thread (which one, I forget, but The Sage and Wooly and Kuje all seem to be able to pinpoint wheres and whens swiftly, using the documents they've derive from the master thread), Ed discussed how Elminster goes somewhat insane (and probably physically a wreck, too) right after the events of ELMINSTER IN HELL. So he's NOT a "reliable narrator" (aside: Ed has told us all often that he's not, anyway, but that's another, wider matter) when speaking about contact with the Srinshee.
In short, even when sane, he lies a lot.
For various arcane reasons, not inability to tell the truth or because he's evil. He's a manipulator above all else, who's been doing it for many, many centuries and pursuing all sorts of plots and schemes and goals that most mortals don't know about.
So Trust Not the Tongue of Elminster.
(And that last sentence is a direct Ed quote, from a GenCon seminar.)
BB


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 16:06:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. I'm afraid that Waterdeep reference document is unlikely to see wider distribution unless Wizards wants it to. Perhaps when the Eddie Presents series wraps up, he can convince the good mages of WotC to make it available on their site (but I'll not hold my breath).
Sorry, avid readers!


Who said anything about wider distribution? I was only interested in distributing to a single person who really loves Waterdeep -- me!

I've even got the map of the city from Waterdeep and the North on the wall of my computer room. If I had a big enough wall, I'd put up the über Waterdeep map from City System -- I've got at least one extra copy of that one.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 16:08:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

In an earlier year of this thread (which one, I forget, but The Sage and Wooly and Kuje all seem to be able to pinpoint wheres and whens swiftly, using the documents they've derive from the master thread), Ed discussed how Elminster goes somewhat insane (and probably physically a wreck, too) right after the events of ELMINSTER IN HELL.
You might be thinking of the 4 September reply back in '05.


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 16:15:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

So Trust Not the Tongue of Elminster.

Well, no. We don't know where it's been.

Or, rather, we have a pretty good idea and that doesn't make it any more trustworthy!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 17:34:53
Message:

LOL!
Oh, NICE one, Icelander!
Ah, that sort of comment comes never amiss, for me.
Lovely . . .
As for the wheedling re. Waterdeep reference document, boys, sorry. I'm locked-and-loaded indomitable armor on that one. Though you're welcome to try rusting through me, of course. By the usual application of tongues method (I didn't say it would be FAST, now did I?).
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 18:05:23
Message:

And it was only just yesterday that I was boasting about my own personal Knowledge: Arcana skill base.

...

Silly old sage. I should've been focusing on Open Lock!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 18:41:29
Message:

Ah, THO: Our board's very own Tootsie Roll pop!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 12 Apr 2009 22:13:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

By the usual application of tongues method (I didn't say it would be FAST, now did I?).


Well, if you would just lay very still...

Gomez,
who can be quite patient if he wants too.
(and who has a PC who is not so much intersted in where Elminster's tongue has been, but where it'll be next...)


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 01:17:08
Message:

Heya,

I just want to say:

I wonder where I put that tamed Rust Monster...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 04:12:20
Message:

Spoil sport... we weren't done trying to cunningly worm our way beneath her outer shell...

Tell Ed I just finished both Swords of Eveningstar and Swords of Dragonfire and eagerly await reading The Sword Never Sleeps - they were most excellent. Lots of great Realms history worked-in... like usual. That scene in Halfhap was classic... and makes me wonder exactly what choice words Khelben had for Elminster later on.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 05:30:53
Message:

I apologize if I put you or Ed on the spot, my lady THO--I am sure Z and I would be quite happy with any answer, even if it is "yet to be revealed."

And for those interested in the mythical 4e Waterdeep Bible, I highly recommend the books in the Ed Presents series, as I believe all were written with said bible in hand.

Cheers


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 05:48:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Spoil sport... we weren't done trying to cunningly worm our way beneath her outer shell...

Tell Ed I just finished both Swords of Eveningstar and Swords of Dragonfire and eagerly await reading The Sword Never Sleeps - they were most excellent. Lots of great Realms history worked-in... like usual. That scene in Halfhap was classic... and makes me wonder exactly what choice words Khelben had for Elminster later on.

The Sword Never Sleeps left me wanting more. I felt like a junkie needing another Ed fix.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 08:00:21
Message:

The Sword Never Sleeps... heh heh. With our Lady here, of course not!

Blueblade, of what you said I was aware. However, it is known The Srinshee was there. She appeared to Vangy first, and asked him to come. And even if you doubt that, there was the Spin A Yarn (although admittedly, the canonity of it may be doubful).

EDIT: Oh, a question I had regarding Laeral:
Why did it take 20 years for Khelben to come and free her from the Crown of Horns? I mean where were all the others for 20 years? She has 6 sisters, and a powerful 'uncle'. Where were they for 20 years? And what about Mystra? What was she doing, not caring for her Chosen?
Or was it all game designer plotting? Did they go: 'Let's make sure Khelben frees her, then marries her, so we can spread rumours of him manipulating her into it and she seeking adveturers to help her against him, thus giving adventure hooks to all the players'?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 09:16:37
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Spoil sport... we weren't done trying to cunningly worm our way beneath her outer shell...


It would take forever for saliva to rust the armour away... Of course, if it were chocolate armour, that would be a different matter... I'd be happy to lick my way through that.

And yep, I'd be happy with "yet to be revealed" answers regarding the clock.


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 09:28:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Spoil sport... we weren't done trying to cunningly worm our way beneath her outer shell...

No, no, no! I agree with Zandilar: Bring in the rust monster so that we have more time to lick at THO in person. Regardless of how long it takes us, or whether or not we even care about the reference document as prize*.

* Oftentimes the journey, however fraught with valleys, nooks and crannies, mounds, hills, peaks, gushing geysers or any other anatomical topographical sights, is its own reward.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 16:29:18
Message:

You make it sound like we are back on the 'Backpacking' subject of a few posts ago.

I'm all for any activity that provides great exercise and a magnificent view.

@Menelvagor - Mystra is not 'uncaring', but would rather manipulate mortals into doing her bidding (I believe there are rules about such things - except for during the ToT; there is only a limited amont of influence a god may use directly on the mortal world, else you would have divine beings making war on each other and destroying worlds). Another factor is that Mystra wants her Chosen, Magisters, and other 'agents' to all learn from their own mistakes. One doesn't learn the 'hard lessons' unless one gets burned once in a while. Thirdly, the crown is an artifact, and is therefore hard to 'track' through divination. Khelben and others may have known about the crown resurfacing, and some folks may have also been wondering where Laeral was during that time, but it may have taken awhile to connect the two (most who knew her would not have suspected Larael to have become the Witch Queen (or whatever she was calling herself then), and Chosen do disappear for years at a time (Elminster did so for a century!) occasionally.

Khelben did not know her before then, so even when he began to scry her and take steps to stop her as the Witch Queen, he didn't recognize her as one of the Seven - I believe even Elminster only knew who a few were at that point in time. Also, Chosen are supposed to do Mystra's 'work', which is NOT necessarily 'good'. She is all about strengthing magic and building it, so as long as Laeral was still developing magic and thereby growing her portfolio, Mystra would not have felt much need to do anything at all about her. Another thing is that the Crown is a mind-contolling ARTIFACT, and any 'hasty' removal of such would most-likely end in the victim's brains being 'permanently scrambled'. So even after he learned who he was dealing with, much time and care (and another artifact) were required for its safe removal.

One final thing, and this is completely non-canon and homebrew: I was discussing some of this in Steven Schend's thread with the man himself, and I personally came to the conclusion (for plothook purposes) that the Laeral Khelben 'saved' was not the original - it was a clone 'left behind' after the 'Dark Powers' took the real Larael to Ravenloft.

Completely homebrew... but it allows adventurers to free the 'real' Larael from RL in a 4e adventure (giving us back one of the seven in 4e). As for the Crown - even the Dark Powers can't move artifacts between worlds, so the original crown was left behind (and donned by the clone), whilst a duplicate was created by the Dark Powers for the RL version. A bit hokey, but it would make for a great trans-planer epic adventure.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 17:15:26
Message:

The only thing I don't like about the homebrew is that means Laeral and Khelben's children would fall into some 'Spider-man'-like plot device.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 17:38:03
Message:

I thought Larael had only one child, and that child's father is 'unknown'?*

Information about the Seven and Mystra's Chosen isn't really my Forté, so forgive any mistakes I may have made.

I just thought it would be cool is she was 'whisked away' during her tenure ruling that little kingdom (wasn't it Luskan?), and an(other) FR-like Realm existed in the Land of Mists. You have 'good Larael', and 'evil Larael'. You could always switch it around and say that Larael's clone was somehow accidently activated, and that's who donned the crown... in which case Khelben never really 'saved' her. He destroys the Larael wearing the crown (who is then stolen by the 'Dark Powers'), and finds the real Larael hidden in stasis (placed there by the clone). He tells her the story of the her time with the crown (perhaps using some mind-influencing magics on her), and she believes the whole thing, and is grateful. It certainly wouldn't be the first time Khelben lied his arse off to get what he wanted.

If that works better for you, then use it - I just thought it was a neat plothook (and I like RL and the idea of 'Evil Laeral' having a realm there). The only problem with that version is that you must assume the official version is incorrect (which breaks canon somewhat, except that Khelben is known for his purposeful misdirections).

*Edit: Nevermind... I forgot she was pregnant in Blackstaff....

Still, what would be the difference? Either way, a clone (especially a magical one) is an exact duplicate of a person, so she would still be their mother (even if they didn't physically come from her body). I have to admit it is a little comic-bookish, but I did say I designed this plothook with 4e in mind.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 17:55:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

<snip>
Still, what would be the difference? Either way, a clone (especially a magical one) is an exact duplicate of a person, so she would still be their mother (even if they didn't physically come from her body). I have to admit it is a little comic-bookish, but I did say I designed this plothook with 4e in mind.


Ask the legion of Spider-man fans what the problem with clones are.

Clone Saga

Seriously, the only fictional character to have more clones than Spider-man is Jango Fett.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 19:32:19
Message:

I initially though it was a nice idea... however, the Dark Powers make darklords of people who ruly deserve it, and who made their own choices.
A Laeral turned evil by an artifact does not really fall into that category, unless they would have freed her form the artifact, and then give here a choice between good and evil... and have her choose evil.
But that makes saving Laeral from the mists near impossible, because she'll be truly evil then (unless you would go the 'Lord Soth' way). Of course, in 4ted, Ravenloft is now only a region in the Shadowfell, so these things may now be less difficult than they were.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 21:29:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

<snip>
Still, what would be the difference? Either way, a clone (especially a magical one) is an exact duplicate of a person, so she would still be their mother (even if they didn't physically come from her body). I have to admit it is a little comic-bookish, but I did say I designed this plothook with 4e in mind.


Ask the legion of Spider-man fans what the problem with clones are.

Clone Sage

Seriously, the only fictional character to have more clones than Spider-man is Jango Fett.



Clone Sage? I was expecting something else from that link!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 21:34:29
Message:

<ahem> Yes... link wordage stuff changed.

Now, time to go back to the basement and finish that experiment. (Once I've got Sage cloned, then I can work on THO! )


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 22:26:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

<ahem> Yes... link wordage stuff changed.

Now, time to go back to the basement and finish that experiment. (Once I've got Sage cloned, then I can work on THO! )



I think you've got the order reversed, there. Who'd want an extra Sage around? I'd start with four or five clones of the lovely Lady Hooded One. That's two or three to keep for myself, and two to send to Ed to act as his assistants.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 22:51:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

<ahem> Yes... link wordage stuff changed.

Now, time to go back to the basement and finish that experiment. (Once I've got Sage cloned, then I can work on THO! )



I think you've got the order reversed, there. Who'd want an extra Sage around? I'd start with four or five clones of the lovely Lady Hooded One. That's two or three to keep for myself, and two to send to Ed to act as his assistants.



What about cloning the Sage's brain and placing it into the Hooded One's Body? All of the realm lore in a prettier package... when Ed isn't being entertained by his/her body....


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 23:08:03
Message:

Thats just wrong on so many levels.

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Seriously, the only fictional character to have more clones than Spider-man is Jango Fett.
Manshoon.

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Ask the legion of Spider-man fans what the problem with clones are.
To tell you the truth, I was thinking more in terms of an X-Men/Dark Phoenix scenario here, or perhaps the Johnny Storm/Skrull Chick storyline (considering how things wound-up with love involved). Hmmmm... a Dopplganger or a Malaugrym would be very strange, but Khelben would have saw right through those...

Also, there are many cases of people becoming 'evil' accidently and becoming a Darklord in Ravenloft. All it takes is the intial decision that sends you down that path... and she did WILLINGLY don the crown....

Either way, I'd like the real one alive in Ravenloft, and not the clone, just so we could still have her (in all her nasty glory). Who knows? By now (1479) she may have become the Raven Queen.


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 13 Apr 2009 23:24:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor


EDIT: Oh, a question I had regarding Laeral:
Why did it take 20 years for Khelben to come and free her from the Crown of Horns? I mean where were all the others for 20 years? She has 6 sisters, and a powerful 'uncle'. Where were they for 20 years? And what about Mystra? What was she doing, not caring for her Chosen?
Or was it all game designer plotting? Did they go: 'Let's make sure Khelben frees her, then marries her, so we can spread rumours of him manipulating her into it and she seeking adveturers to help her against him, thus giving adventure hooks to all the players'?


Interesting question, that. Ever since this thread first appeared (in FR5-The Savage Frontier, if memory serves me right, I had the impression that Laeral's acquistion of the Crown of Horns was quite "recent" (1356-1357 DR or thereabouts), given the reference that the Nine had acquired in in Yûlash. I always figured the Nine had swooped in after Yûlash had been obliterated by the Flight of Dragons of 1356. I remember being surprised when I saw the date of the [Thomas] Crown Affair being set in 1337. I always figured that was a type (funny how a hand-written "5" can resemble a hand-written "3"). Heh.

So to add to Menelvagor's question - was this incident always supposed to be 1337, or was it set for 1357? I would certainly find it odd that nine powerful (human) adventurers would be at each other for twenty years without the good and the great noticing anything. Otherwise, my guess would be that, even though Laeral donned the hat, the hat had to work very hard (some twenty-odd years or so) to wear Laeral's mental defenses down and cause the worst case of PMS (Possessed-by-Myrkul-Syndrome) anyone has ever seen.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 00:08:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Thats just wrong on so many levels.

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Seriously, the only fictional character to have more clones than Spider-man is Jango Fett.
Manshoon.



Nah... Manshoon had what? A dozen clones? By the end of the Clone Saga, Spider-man fought over a hundred of his clones. And Jango literally had tens of thousands, if not a whole lot more...


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 01:06:14
Message:

Greetings Ed,

I noticed a question from someone at the Wizards forums who wants to know what the Realms is all about. I know the question has been answered before, both here and in books. What I found interesting is that the interested poster included in his post the questions from the one-page entry format for the WotC Campaign Setting Design Contest of 2002.

Interestingly the sample Core Ethos Sentence uses the Realms as an example. I've always wondered how you would have answered those questions if let's say you were entering that contest with the Realms as an unpublished setting.

Regarding Question #2 and #3, I'm interested in an answer for this section applied to player character heroes and "adventurers" in general. Who are they? What do they want? Why are they here?

quote:
Originally posted by WotC
Fantasy Setting Proposal Template

1. Core Ethos Sentence. [A sentence that describes the core ethos of the world. For example, Forgotten Realms is a world of sword-and-sorcery adventure, where heroes battle monsters with magic.]

2. Who are the heroes? [Brief description of heroes central to the setting. This need not be a comprehensive list.]

3. What do they do? [What are the main objectives of the heroes, and what steps do they take to achieve those objectives?]

4. Threats, Conflicts, Villains [What is the main danger to the world, and from whom does it come?]

5. Nature of magic [What is the source of magic? How abundant/scarce is it?]

6. What’s new? What’s different? [What makes this setting unique?]



This is the poster's original post from the WotC forum:
quote:
Originally posted by SillySymphonies
[Long read, so get a snack. Summary: Eberron DM wants to know what's so interesting about the the Forgotten Realms.]

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons (3.5th edition) since late 2006. My DM (who has been my DM from the beginning onwards) has been using homebrew settings most of the time (recently he started a new campaign in the Planescape setting though). Since January 2009 I have started DMing for a group of close friends in an Eberron setting while at the same time still playing in my own DM's games.

My DM, a long-time Forgotten Realms and Planescape fan, seems to like the Forgotten Realms setting better than Eberron (fair enough). However, he never clearly explained to me what (in his opinion) makes Forgotten Realms the wonderful setting he claims it to be.

Curious what the fuss was all about, I tried and perused the 3.5 Player's Guide to Faerûn. I didn't have the time to read all of it, and nowhere I could find a decent summary of what the setting was about. Recently, I got the chance to take a look at a copy of the AD&D Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (1987). Since -in my opinion- an idea doesn't improve if one elaborates more on it, I decided to peruse this very first Forgotten Realms booklet. To me it seemed a rather cookie-cutter setting, with only a few intersting elements in there (like the NPC beholder Manxam; the sage Elminster; the Anauroch desert and great glacier being located right next to each other). I concluded that this setting might have been new and interesting back in the eighties and nineties, but that since then most of its unique elements have become core (by which I mean 3.5 edition PHB, DMG and MM) and that it is now a setting that's only interesting to people who have been playing in it since the eighties or to people who have read the novels. Perhaps I made this conclusion wrongfully so, so I am turning to the people on these boards to explain to me what makes the Forgotten Realms so special.

So, a long story short: What in the Nine Hells is all the fuss about?
Or, to put i in a nicer way: could someone provide me with a short summary or introduction into the Forgotten Realms? Like was done in the ECS for Eberron (pages 7-9: Introduction; The tone of Eberron; Movies to inspire you; The world; Ten things you need to know) or in the FAQ for Eberron Newbies thread at these boards.

Or maybe someone would be willing to answer the following questions for me?

1. Core ethos sentence:
2. Who are the heroes?
3. What do they do?
4. Threats, conflicts, villains:
5. Nature of magic:
6. What's new? What's different?

Many thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 01:08:37
Message:

Folks, as much as I want to reply to some of the more recent exchanges, I think we should take Dark Wizard's last post as a convenient way to return to actual questions for Ed, and discussions related to the answers that come forth from the Bearded One.

Thank you.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 01:11:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard

I noticed a question from someone at the Wizards forums who wants to know what the Realms is all about. I know the question has been answered before, both here and in books. What I found interesting is that the interested poster included in his post the questions from the one-page entry format for the WotC Campaign Setting Design Contest of 2002.
While the poster in question is awaiting a response from Ed, I would advise that he/she also review the previous editions of the "Questions for Ed Greenwood" scroll. All of which contain fascinating replies on Ed's thoughts processes on the Realms, and a lot about it's early beginnings.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 01:55:42
Message:

It just noticed that this will be my five hundredth post and wanted it to be in this topic.

And now I have to come up with a question.

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?

Cheers,

Christopher


Reply author: Stranjer
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 04:06:53
Message:

Hey, just thought of a topic that I am interested in, and would like to see if Ed can say much on the topic. Riddles being present in any sort of civilization that has a language, I was wondering, other then published ones, if there are any realms specific riddle's. I know Elaine Cunnigham published some in her books, and I have posted in her thread curious about any others she had penned, but was wondering if Ed, or THo, or any sage here for that matter, had any good Riddle's from the Realms that I might be able to stump my players with, for a bit. Plan on trying to create a few of my own, as well.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 05:19:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
EDIT: Oh, a question I had regarding Laeral:
Why did it take 20 years for Khelben to come and free her from the Crown of Horns? I mean where were all the others for 20 years? She has 6 sisters, and a powerful 'uncle'. Where were they for 20 years? And what about Mystra? What was she doing, not caring for her Chosen?



Where did you read that Laeral was under the influence of the Crown of Horns for 20 years?

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 05:27:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

It just noticed that this will be my five hundredth post and wanted it to be in this topic.

And now I have to come up with a question.

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?

Cheers,

Christopher





Ed has shared a bit of evil twin lore with me, and it included some identical twins... If it's okay with him, I'll repost it here.

It's not twins in general, though -- I was specifically looking at the evil twin trope.

And there is one set of identical twins in published Realmslore that comes readily to mind... Voaraghamanthar "the Black Death" and his brother Waervaerendor "the Rapacious Raider", the twin black dragons in the Mere of Dead Men. They're from the old Wyrms of the North series, and were first seen in Dragon 258. The article is also online, here.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 05:29:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

Where did you read that Laeral was under the influence of the Crown of Horns for 20 years?

GHotR

She puts it on and "descends into madness" in 1337, and Khelben "Frees her from the influence of the Crown of Horns in 1357.

Its all right there in B&W.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 06:27:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

It just noticed that this will be my five hundredth post and wanted it to be in this topic.

And now I have to come up with a question.

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?

Cheers,

Christopher



A few examples I can recall at the moment:-

Alcedor and Duhlark Kolat in Waterdeep. They're friends of the Harpells.

And the female wang-liang of Kara-Tur sometimes bear identical twins of each gender.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 06:28:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Ed has shared a bit of evil twin lore with me, and it included some identical twins... If it's okay with him, I'll repost it here.
If it's okay with Ed, I'd like to see it, so that I can include it in the "So Saith Ed" compilations.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 09:23:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms?


In 4th ed, Kira and Dayan Nenthyn, who own the Fall of Stars.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 12:18:13
Message:

Laeral's twins?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 13:40:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Laeral's twins?


Since they are male and female, they would be fraternal instead of identical twins.

Heh... Twins. Dark Wizard got us off the topic of cloning, then Christopher put us right back in the middle of it.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 13:41:02
Message:

Oh, sorry, missed the identical part.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 14:20:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Laeral's twins?


Since they are male and female, they would be fraternal instead of identical twins.
Indeed -- many of the Sage Schend's elaborations on Khelben & Laeral's twins indicate that they are fraternal.


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 14:42:11
Message:

Hey Sage... Could you post somewhere your compilation "So saith Ed?"


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 14:55:19
Message:

Actually, if you check out the "So Saith Ed" link in my signature, you'll see that all the previous incarnations of the "Questions for Ed Greenwood" scroll have been dutifully compiled here at Candlekeep, originally by Kuje, and now, for the last few years, by myself.

They're available for download in both PDF and HTML versions.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 14 Apr 2009 19:09:29
Message:

A pair of the Moonflower children were twin sons, one being killed (IIRC) on the Moonsheas by the Ityak Ortheel; Also, aren't there 2 sets of twins amongst Alustriel's brood of half-elven sons?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 00:21:15
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

A pair of the Moonflower children were twin sons, one being killed (IIRC) on the Moonsheas by the Ityak Ortheel; Also, aren't there 2 sets of twins amongst Alustriel's brood of half-elven sons?



I do seem to remember having read something about that myself, but danged if I can remember where.

Also, could we please say "Alustriel's children" or "Alustriel's brood of half-elven children"? She does have daughters, too, you know. (Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine. Does anyone honestly believe she'd have ~12 sons without having a single daughter? (Yes, I know, maybe Mystra wanted her to only have sons, but the point remains that's not actually the case as has been stated by Ed in his threads.))

I'd dearly love to know more about her daughters, but I'm sensing NDAs on them are still in force.

(I once started to write a short story starring three daughters of Alustriel (making things up, since they're pretty much tabula rasa - no canon information to get in the way of my own thoughts), but I never got very far with it (I felt the plot was too thin, if I remember rightly, and I was trying to figure out whether to add flour or corn starch to thicken it up! ). I never did get back to it.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 00:22:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

Also, aren't there 2 sets of twins amongst Alustriel's brood of half-elven sons?

Yes. Hardorbryn Tanagathor and Alondel Tanagathor. And Elinthalar Tanagathor and Andelver Tressymfriend. There's also a set of triplets as well, Lilinthar Moonweather, Naerond Aerasume, and Tarthilmor Aerasume.


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 02:38:21
Message:

THO,

Beginning within the next week, I'm going to be off-site for an indefinite period of time. The only certainty is that it's gonna be a pretty long period, so any of my outstanding queries that Mr. Greenwood still has can probably go on a long-term hiatus. I'll be back when I'm back.

Thanks, and all the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 03:11:41
Message:

Thanks for letting us, Wolfram. Ed will be back just as soon as he can. As it happens, I do have something to add to the current twins discussion: the names of two of Alustriel's daughters (no, they're not twins, and I don't even know who the father[s] were; I SUSPECT they had different fathers, but it's just a suspicion, based on the widely separated by time places they were noted down.
Alustriel has at least seven daughters I know of (or at least know of evidence for; I don't mean to imply I can name or properly 'place' seven), and the two I have names for are:

Lorondra "Lorimel" Maerel (what last name she uses, I don't know; I do know that she's even taller than her mother, is of slender build, and has been seen wearing a loooong sword scabbarded down her back on a baldric).

Sarithrele Glaendra (again, surname unknown; supposedly stunningly beautiful but very quiet, "remote" or "dreamy" in manner, often seems to drift by people without seeming to realize their presence)


(I don't even know if they're human, half-elven, or half-something else!)
Yes, this comes from Ed's campaign play support notes, snooped into by me, Lorimel's description coming from something that would have been revealed by a NPC if we'd asked him the right (or wrong, depending on your point of view) thing.

This probably just whets your curiosity, Zandilar, but at least it's SOMETHING to start with. Will pester Ed re. identical twins . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 06:29:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

It just noticed that this will be my five hundredth post and wanted it to be in this topic.

And now I have to come up with a question.

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?

Cheers,

Christopher





Ed has shared a bit of evil twin lore with me, and it included some identical twins... If it's okay with him, I'll repost it here.

It's not twins in general, though -- I was specifically looking at the evil twin trope.

And there is one set of identical twins in published Realmslore that comes readily to mind... Voaraghamanthar "the Black Death" and his brother Waervaerendor "the Rapacious Raider", the twin black dragons in the Mere of Dead Men. They're from the old Wyrms of the North series, and were first seen in Dragon 258. The article is also online, here.



Hmm, my memory is a bit foggy, but I do recall some twins among the goodly races:

Brookwine and Winebrook - twin elven mages from the Pool of Twilight novel

Queen Amlaruil's twin sons - lost after Synnoria was attacked (?)

Tasster and Teszter - dwarven sons, of the Iron House of Tethyamar (Lost Empires of Faerun)

Samular Caradoon and Renwick Caradoon - I was a bit surprised at this revelation from Elaine Cunningham's "Knights of Samular" in Best of the Realms III. Also, the story involves a demon that always breeds demonic twins and involves a bit of discussion into the nature of the twin relationship.

Also, I seem to remember there being a WOTC NPC article on twin fiendish or tiefling assassins a few years back in the 3.0 days. I've looked, but can't find it; mayhap another scribe has the link saved?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 06:37:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

A pair of the Moonflower children were twin sons, one being killed (IIRC) on the Moonsheas by the Ityak Ortheel; Also, aren't there 2 sets of twins amongst Alustriel's brood of half-elven sons?



Whoops, guess I've got a redundant entry


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 10:19:28
Message:

When do taverns generally close for the night, in the cities or smaller towns? Thank you!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 15:28:37
Message:

Dearest Lady THO,
Please don't take this question the wrong way. I don't mean it as any sort of attack, okay?
It just intrigues me.
By "snooping" into Ed's notes, aren't you damaging your own enjoyment of playing in the campaign? Sorta like peeking behind the curtain and seeing "The Great and Terrible Oz" pulling the levers and shouting into the microphone?
?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 16:00:15
Message:

That's quite all right. You can ask me ANYTHING; depending on what it is, I may not answer, but I won't feel attacked. (Avoiding the obvious innuendos for a moment...)
Your point is a good one; "breaking the fourth wall" is always fraught with the dangers of ruining enjoyment of play.
However, it doesn't in this case, thanks to something I should have explained: Ed has two categories of notes.
First, the private DM stuff (not really a lot; it's mostly in his head) that WOULD ruin play for me, if I poked through it. (Add to this: the stuff he's contractually obligated to keep secret, when writing for Wizards.) I don't snoop into these. as a point of honour and so as not to ruin things for anyone (harms roleplaying, harms trust among friends, ruins my play enjoyment and probably everyone else's, and so on).
Second, the "sorta open" notes he lets us "find" and peruse. This second sort has existed from the beginning of play in the Realms, as far as I know (certainly for as long as I've known Ed), and Ed lets players occasionally run their eyeballs over whatever they want to look at, AS A WAY OF SIMULATING THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (OR SUPPOSITIONS, GAINED THROUGH GOSSIP) OUR PLAYER CHARACTERS WOULD HAVE, FROM LIVING IN THE REALMS.
That's something hard to do, in most play situations, and I think Ed's come up with as good a way as any to address it (being as players asking out-of-character question after question during play sessions isn't ideal).
And I don't mind you asking, Malcolm. Really.
(Candlekeep should be a place where scribes can talk openly and freely, as much as possible.)
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 16:41:42
Message:

Besides, what fun is having secret notes if you don't have any secret notes that people can snoop in?
That is what makes the secret notes more... ehr... secretish!

Gomez,
who has most secret notes in his head, except campaign plotline overviews that I have to share with people. And even those generally turn out to contain only half of what I have planned.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 15 Apr 2009 18:12:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Barshevy

When do taverns generally close for the night, in the cities or smaller towns? Thank you!





I'd add a bit to this... do cities ever keep their gates open during night, such as during festivals? Do any cities/towns seeing "busy" traffic (lots of caravans) keep their gates open (on a regular basis) at night?

Also, how common is the habit of using church/temple/shrine bells to measure time in the Realms, i.e. is it only used in "bigger" cities? What about towns/cities which do not have shrines or temples with bells/belltowers... would there be a separate belltower, then? Or is the "norm" that most (if not all) bigger shrines or temples have bells for this purpose?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 16 Apr 2009 01:23:30
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
<snip!>
This probably just whets your curiosity, Zandilar, but at least it's SOMETHING to start with. Will pester Ed re. identical twins . . .
love to all,
THO



*squees and bounces happily* Oooh thank you for that. At last I have a couple of names! And an approximate number!! *HUGS THO giddily*

Lorimel and Sarithrele sound very interesting, more so than Alustriel's boys are to me (for some reason, I get this image in my head of twelve strapping young half-elven men, all with silver hair, the same uniformly handsome features, and who all speak with the same voice... I know it's silly of me, because it's fairly clear that they aren't like that (and are mostly of differing ages too!), but darn it that thought makes me giggle! ). The sword Lorimel carries seems significant - she's slender and she's got a great big sword... that screams magical sword to me (either that, or she takes after her Aunt Storm. Or maybe both!)

I imagine that many of Alustriel's children have gone on to become fathers and mothers themselves before the end of 3.5e, and I'm sure that plenty of her descendants are floating around in 4th Edition Realms. I wonder if we'll see them at all? *crosses fingers and hopes that we do*


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 16 Apr 2009 15:23:45
Message:

Oooooh... I just read something I just have to ask Ed about...
In Spellbound (Campaign Guide), p. 51. by Anthony Pryor, it is rumoured that Alasrra had written a document that named her successor and that the document is in the hands of the Harpers, believed to be with either Elminster or Khelben.
So... any truth to the rumour? If so, who has the will? If Khelben, where/with whom is it now? If El, does he still have it? If not, did Alassra make a new one and give it to someone? And most important, who does name as her succesor?
EDIT: Also re-reading Lands of Intrigue. If I have some Cormyr lore I want to know about which appears there, should I ask Ed or Steven?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 03:55:34
Message:

If the Cormyr lore concerns the 'history' between Cormyr and Calimshan (Valashar, actually), Steven Schend would probably be a better source, considering most of that is 'his', AFAIK.

If the lore concerns Cormyr directly, and any developments that came out of that little war (such as attitudes, etc...), then Ed would be the better source (once again, AFAIK).

I happen to be a big fan of that lore - Cormyr seems to have a long history of 'spanking' monolithic political entities who thought they were nigh-unstoppable.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 07:27:02
Message:

Well, the question was brought because of the war between Valashar and Cormyr. But I wanted more info on Ilbratha, Mistress of Battles, the short sword with a bloodstone.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 14:45:50
Message:

Hmmm. I'm thinking Ilbratha is still heavily NDA'd, because of some fiction plans not known to me (and not by Ed).
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 15:28:16
Message:

Darn it. Would the planner of these plans be able and willing to answer me, though?
EDIT: Is anything known about whether Ed has any upcoming novels? And if so, would anything be known (or could be made known) about the novels?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 20:00:29
Message:

Well, typically Wizards and Ed's agent (The Zack Company, Inc.) make a joint announcement/press release when Ed signs a contract (typically a multi-book contract). Locus is the best place to look for announcements about Ed's novels with other publishers (such as Tor and Solaris), because Quill & Quire and Publisher's Lunch both tend to ignore sf and fantasy books (let alone game-related books, which they seem to regard as hardly publishing at all). I, of course, can't legally or morally tell you anything about forthcoming books (when I know things). However, I CAN confirm that I know of the existence of three forthcoming anthologies that Ed has contributed tales to, and one forthcoming Ed novel, for which Ed's work is done, accepted, and will appear. Not to mention at least one game thing.
However, pressing me for more is just going to get you silence, for now. Rest assured that the moment I can squawk, I will!
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 22:24:50
Message:

Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, from Ed's notes:
Yes, the rumour about The Simbul's document is true. Neither Khelben nor Elminster has had it for some time; it is in the keeping of the Harpers (precise keeper and whereabouts: secret), and it does name HER choice of her successor.
The folk of Aglarond, or other powers active in the Realms, may well have other plans, of course.
And if you think asking me or Ed is going to get you a direct answer as to who is named in that document to be The Simbul's choice regarding the next ruler of Aglarond, too bad. THE SIMBUL has other plans.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 22:34:50
Message:

And hello once more, fellow scribes!
A message just arrived from Ed. This one is in response to Dark Wizard's query (on Page 47 of this thread) for Ed's own Realms-specific answers to the Wizards template for settings (core ethos, etc.).:


Hi. Dark Wizard, I'm afraid you've asked a question I can't legally answer, because as part of the Realms retooling that went on before 4e, I formally and in detail answered those questions for Wizards of the Coast (as did many of their designers), in confidence. They own those replies of mine, and only they can publish them; I can't. I am bound by the NDAs, contracts, and other agreements I have signed, so I must remain silent on this. Sorry.


So saith Ed. Reminding us all of something often forgotten on the Net; there is a "real world" of legal agreements and professional behaviour, that Ed is part of and must abide by, regardless of how much he might want to reply (or how strongly a third party may believe "But surely that won't apply to this! What harm could there be in discussing this?" etc.).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 22:47:05
Message:

Hi. Ed or Lady THO,
I just noticed a listing for a DAW anthology called "Gamer Fantastic," with Ed's name attached to it. Any details you can share?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Apr 2009 22:56:26
Message:

Sure.
A mass market paperback, due on sale July 7th of this year, ISBN 978-0-7564-0563-2, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes (who I think is in cahoots with Ed on something else that's still nebulous/fuzzy).
It has a story by Ed in it, and a tribute to Gary Gygax written by Ed, too (both quite a while ago, now), as well as stories by Steven Schend, Richard Lee Byers, Jean Rabe, the late Brian Thomsen (perhaps it's Brian's last; Brian wrote Once Around The Realms and was head of TSR's Book Department for some time), Bill Fawcett (familiar to early DRAGON readers as "the druid guy"), and Don Bingle.
There are also tales in it by Jim Hines (author of the delightful Goblin trilogy, and co-editor of HEROES In TRAINING, which contains an Ed-penned Arthurian fantasy story), Jody Lynn Nye, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and others. Oh, and an introduction by Margaret Weis!
Yes, I'll be buying it.
love,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 00:05:14
Message:

Hello all,

Ed can you elaborate on teleport chases, you and others have written in novels describing various beings setting traps and wards to foil pursuit in this manner? If I'm in pursuit of someone who just teleported, what is required on my part to achieve that? You mentioned various ways of teleporting, riding the weave strands themselves, moving within the spaces I believe is the other and some other more aggressive, damaging method. I'm assuming the more agressive forms are easier to track but then a voice in my head says probably the opposite due to weave repairing damage and masking the teleporters resonance, or some magical jumbo like that.

Help if you can.

Thanks


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 04:34:43
Message:

Thank you Lady THO and Ed,

That was a swift reply. I understand that Ed has many agreements and obligations to maintain. I've lurked on this thread often enough to see other responses unfortunately veiled by NDAs and the like. Hopefully this one, like those other replies, will continue to enrich the Realms in the background.

This just means I will have to come up with another topic question I think Ed will be allowed to answer.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

And hello once more, fellow scribes!
A message just arrived from Ed. This one is in response to Dark Wizard's query (on Page 47 of this thread) for Ed's own Realms-specific answers to the Wizards template for settings (core ethos, etc.).:


Hi. Dark Wizard, I'm afraid you've asked a question I can't legally answer, because as part of the Realms retooling that went on before 4e, I formally and in detail answered those questions for Wizards of the Coast (as did many of their designers), in confidence. They own those replies of mine, and only they can publish them; I can't. I am bound by the NDAs, contracts, and other agreements I have signed, so I must remain silent on this. Sorry.


So saith Ed. Reminding us all of something often forgotten on the Net; there is a "real world" of legal agreements and professional behaviour, that Ed is part of and must abide by, regardless of how much he might want to reply (or how strongly a third party may believe "But surely that won't apply to this! What harm could there be in discussing this?" etc.).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 15:34:51
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I know some elves in the Realms live in tree houses. Do any humans live in tree houses? Do human children ever build "tree forts" to play in, or even "sleep over" in? Is there a human attitude towards tree-dwelling, perhaps shaped by elven tree-dwelling?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 15:37:47
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Another one from me, too.
Pumps in a village in the Heartlands: will these be the "crank a handle, water comes out of the spout the handle is attached to" sort? (I think they're sometimes called reciprocating, but real-world engineering terms aren't my strong point) Or foot-treadle? Or the capstan type (spoked wheel on its side, the sort Conan is seen turning as a slave as he grows from childhood to youth, in the (first) Conan movie? Or ...?
Thanks!


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 16:30:28
Message:

Dear Lady Hooded One and Ed,
I confess I'm always interested in knowing what Ed's reading, so I'd like to ask for an update. Now, I know the answer will probably be something along the lines of "Not much, just at the moment, because he's so busy," but . . . what has he most recently read, or is waiting piled up on the bedside table for those falling-asleep moments?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 16:37:25
Message:

Hi again, all.
Well, I can tell you two SORTS of things Ed's been reading, recently: forthcoming titles in the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep series, for one, and submissions for the Sunburst Awards (Canada's sf and fantasy annual best adult and best young adult books; I believe Ed said there were something like 120 titles submitted). I've sent your query off to him along with all the rest, to see if we can get more personal reading answers (one recent book I KNOW he read, from talking to him, was Malliet's DEATH OF A COZY WRITER [a modern murder mystery]).
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 18:22:14
Message:

Just curious if Ed has read or is even aware of this book -
The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy
I noticed it at a discount bookstore yesterday, and I was tempted to get it, but I only recognized a couple of the authors interveiwed (Le Guinn and Pratchett, naturally).

I probably would have bought it if I saw any FR authors in there, but I didn't, and I was just wondering if Ed had any opinions of the work in case I find myself back there soon.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 18:59:06
Message:

Hi, Markustay.
Yes, Ed and I are both familiar with that book, and own copies of it. It focuses on Commonwealth and teen or childrens' fantasy authors (Tamora Pierce, Brian Jacques, Terry Pratchett) more than on North American and adult fantasy authors, and doesn't reflect gaming fantasy at all. Like any book of interviews with authors, it's increasingly dated as time passes, but in the main we both found the interviews very good. Interesting reading and a worthy addition to a fantasy fan's library.
As far as relevance to gaming-related fantasy goes, though: darned near none.
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 19:50:02
Message:

Nobody really regards gaming novels. It's a real shame...
But I also have a question: In ELminster In Hell, there's a memory in Chapter 14, p. 242. The party, El teasing Vangy, etc. So what service did Sir Sabrast WIndriver do? Or was it just a way of annoying Vangy?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Apr 2009 23:04:21
Message:

Thank you, THO, for your speedy answer.

@Menelvagor - he is obviously a Harper spy, most-likely set there specifically to talk "negatively of the crown" and see what stirs up.

Vangy was more upset about 'Harper Spies' then he was about the man's taxes.

I wonder if he ever figured-out the Queen was one as well.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 06:44:29
Message:

That's what I thought, but it seems so... well, expected. Routine.
And why would he not pay taxes in the first place? Does he trust the Harpers/Elminster to bail him out?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 16:03:12
Message:

Well, thats why I had assumed his 'assignment' was to seek-out 'fellow dissidents'. A good taxpayer certainly would be 'suspect' to those working against the crown. What better way to be contacted by rebellious-types then to not pay your taxes and grumble against the unfairness of the Crown all the time?

Vangy's organization - impressive as it is - can only weed-out malcontents up to a certain level. His own people - War Wizards and High Knights - are aware of many of his own spies, so he is particulary vulnerable to treason from that quarter. Harpers, on the other hand, are completely independent, and therefore can find plots originating outside of Cormyr or starting at 'higher levels' of society.

I think what bothers Vangerdahast the most about this situation is that there is someone 'policing the police', which means even he is being watched. I'm sure it urks him no end that he alone isn't responsible for the "well-being of Cormyr". When someone is that full of himself, it is extremely hard for them to even admit they need help (as shown in at least three stories regarding him that I can think of off the top of my head). He considers the Harpers both 'meddlers', and a 'neccessary evil'.

Your post got me to thinking a lot about Cormyr's 'situation' last night, and it appears to me that certain 'powers' are very interested in maintaining Cormyr as a 'shining example' for others. Not sure if thats related to, or because of, the high number of organized magic-users in the Kingdom (which is a situation that almost always goes bad, eventually).

Edit: Sorry for voicing my opinions in Ed's thread - I'm sure he or THO will be along to correct any wrongful assumptions I have made, and I eagerly await anything Ed has to add.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 16:06:34
Message:

Ahhh, Grasshopper, no need to apologize at all, for that is not only what this thread is for, you stand strong at this moment, for when it comes to matters cormyrean, you begin to see clearly, you do indeed . . .

love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 17:58:19
Message:

I feel like a puppy who has just had his belly rubbed.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 19:37:05
Message:

Puddles cleaned, Markus:

I'm sure she'd be willing to rub some more if you start drooling.
Stay on the floor.


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 19 Apr 2009 19:49:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren

Puddles cleaned, Markus


Well said!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Apr 2009 03:43:25
Message:

Ah, such a handy thing 'tis, to have a 'certain' reputation!
Of COURSE I'll rub more, and lower, too . . .
Ahem.
To put things more boldly, Markustay is quite correct that the non-payment of taxes was indeed a tactic to draw malcontents to Sir Sabrast. Yes, it IS routine, Menelvagor, but the great majority of espionage, agent provocateur, and for that matter police work and politics is unglamorous, plodding routine.
Ed is deep in the throes of his taxes now, having charged through a LOT of work in the last week or so, and is looking forward to his chance to return to the Keep.
(I suspect he'll look forward to just about anything that isn't taxes, right about now. )
A tidbit of Realmslore for you all, from Ed's notes: no less than six aging, ramshackle warehouses in Waterdeep's Dock Ward have roofs that have been augmented (repaired, to stop leaks) with the upturned hulls of old harbour barges - - which of course means adventurers seeking such conveyances in a pinch just have to find the right warehouse, have a wizard or two powerful enough either among them or agreeable to being hired, and a warehouse can lose its roof at about the same time as adventurers gain a barge . . .
A moment of Realms goodness brought to you by everyone's favourite hooded lady, who is typing this fetchingly clad in her wristwatch and a smile.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 20 Apr 2009 13:20:38
Message:

You don't happen to have a webcam do you Hooded One?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Apr 2009 14:38:40
Message:

Geeze.. I know I'm dead sexy, but still....




Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Apr 2009 16:53:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Geeze.. I know I'm dead sexy, but still....



Imagine how hot you are when you are still alive!


Reply author: kysus
Replied on: 21 Apr 2009 03:39:02
Message:

Dear Ed and lady Hooded one
I was wondering if there is anymore information concerning the elven mistwinter clan, like how they manage to all die off,if there was any further stories on past members exploits in the realms prior to the making of myth drannor, or if maybe some was still alive living in secret perhaps. Sorry in advance if the question sounds stupid, its just that im pretty curious if there was anything more to this clan seeing as how they have a big impact in my gaming group.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 21 Apr 2009 09:13:45
Message:

hey has Mr. Greenwood bought a copy of dragon age: stolen throne??? and if so what did he think of it?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Apr 2009 17:57:01
Message:

Another novel and author I would like to hear Ed's take on-

I have been a fan of Mithgar far some time, despite its highly derivitive origins. Mr. McKiernan has come a long way from his original stories in differentiating his world from a mere Middle Earth copy.

I have just started Red Slippers yesterday, and am finding it highly enjoyable (McKiernan's novels could all fit the 'game novel' niche far better then some that actually hold that 'honor'). His novels always center around a small group of adventurers getting 'big' stuff done, but in small ways, one step at a time, rather then through WSEs. Building a better world through perseverance, rather then sheer fire-power.

Anyhow, it reminds me of Ed's style a lot (and I hope he takes that as a compliment), and I couldn't help but think of Ed whilst reading the foreward - the concept of the 'Red Slippers' is so... Edwardian... in nature, I couldn't help but wonder if Ed is even aware of it (the term, I mean).

For those of you who haven't read the book, 'Red Slippers' is a literary term McKiernan himself created to describe an authors habit of mentioning past events, personages, or places that have no real bearing on the story. Basicaly, the author has "dropped a Red Slipper" - something that makes the world seem more real, by mentioning the wider world around the current story. The foreword itself is worth the cover price, just because of this concept, which McKiernan claims to have taken from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (who would constantly refer to other cases that were never covered in any other novels).

Like I said, I find the term brilliant, and would love to see it achieve common usage in the literary world. This is also something I see that newer Realms sources have lacked for quite some time - whereas before every nook and cranny was filled with 'Red Slippers' for us to wonder about, now it seems everything NOT pertinent to the story at hand is lost in editting. Although I'm talking primarilly about sourcebooks, I feel some novels have suffered as well.

It's a shame, really, because it is that 'excessive verbiage' which makes the world seem so real to so many of us.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 21 Apr 2009 18:25:25
Message:

For those of you not privy to the foreward, here it is: Red Slippers

And I'm still waiting for my Caverns of Socrates (not the book, the actual events).


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Apr 2009 19:24:46
Message:

Didn't even think to look for that online - thanks for the help.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 01:29:09
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Being as it's tax time here in Canada (and the deadline has very recently passed for our American friends), I'm curious about taxes in the Realms.
Specifically in Waterdeep, Cormyr, Amn, and Tethyr.
Is everything a "passage" (docking, city entry, city departure) or consumption (pay an extra copper when you buy a pot, or anything else over 3 or 4 sp in price) tax?
Or are there any "head" or income taxes that require having detailed tax rolls? If so, who maintains the roll, where is kept/guarded/how amended, what's the normal procedure for putting people on it, and how can slay/clever/dishonest people (such as those living in hiding from justice elsewhere) keep themselves off it?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 01:33:56
Message:

Okay, I'll bite: sfdragon, what is "dragon age: stolen throne"?


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 09:33:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Okay, I'll bite: sfdragon, what is "dragon age: stolen throne"?



a book
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Age-Stolen-David-Gaider/dp/0765324083


Reply author: Liliella
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 12:39:09
Message:

I did a search, but haven’t come up with anything as this forum isn't the easiest place to find things sometimes, so I hope these haven’t been asked previously. If they have, a nudge in the right direction would be appreciated :)

1) Are there any questions that Ed has always wanted to be asked about the Realms, and no one has ever thought to ask? And if so, what are they?

2) What are Ed’s favourite things about the Realms to detail? Is it to expand on local customs, geography, details of specific NPCs, expand on stories or anything else?

3) What is the question (or questions) that Ed has been asked which he would most like to answer, but can’t, due to NDAs or other reasons?

4) What is the most interesting or unusual Realms–based story that Ed has come across, that doesn’t come from his own campaign, or any published works?

Thanks for reading!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 13:35:04
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Okay, I'll bite: sfdragon, what is "dragon age: stolen throne"?



a book
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Age-Stolen-David-Gaider/dp/0765324083



More factoids: It's a novel based on a CRPG game world. The game it's based on, Dragon Age: Origins, is not due out until late this year. I believe the game has been in development since close to or soon after the release of Bioware's Neverwinter Nights. I, for one, was beginning to think it was a vapourware.

David Gaider is a developer at Bioware, who I believe wrote a good deal of text for such games as Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Throne of Bhaal, and Neverwinter Nights. He did some of the romance storylines in BG2 (and maybe NWN as well?), and was a great supporter of them in Bioware games in general. Will be interesting to see just how well he writes conventionally.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 14:15:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
More factoids: It's a novel based on a CRPG game world. The game it's based on, Dragon Age: Origins, is not due out until late this year. I believe the game has been in development since close to or soon after the release of Bioware's Neverwinter Nights.


Yeah, I remember discussion about it from five years back. I'm glad the game is close to being wrapped up (hopefully--they could always push the release date back).


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 15:01:18
Message:

Sigh. Once again I'm away from all my game books, and my memory is failing me: I remember reading about the Mistwinters, but not WHERE I read about them. Nor do I remember reading they were wiped out, or possibly wiped out.
Help, somebody . . .
Thanks.


Reply author: kysus
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 18:11:12
Message:

The only information on them that im aware of is the cormanthyr book talks briefly about clan mistwinter on pg 115 and how dathlue mistwinter is the sole living member left and that she was the founding leader of the harpers, while the fall of myth drannor book goes on to describe her death in on of the battles. I also think there was some information about her in the code of harpers book but i could be wrong on that one. Anyway that is why i had asked my question is cause even with that information it would seem there maybe more to such a noble clan.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 21:03:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Okay, I'll bite: sfdragon, what is "dragon age: stolen throne"?



a book
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Age-Stolen-David-Gaider/dp/0765324083



More factoids: It's a novel based on a CRPG game world. The game it's based on, Dragon Age: Origins, is not due out until late this year. I believe the game has been in development since close to or soon after the release of Bioware's Neverwinter Nights. I, for one, was beginning to think it was a vapourware.

David Gaider is a developer at Bioware, who I believe wrote a good deal of text for such games as Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Throne of Bhaal, and Neverwinter Nights. He did some of the romance storylines in BG2 (and maybe NWN as well?), and was a great supporter of them in Bioware games in general. Will be interesting to see just how well he writes conventionally.

the book is out now, and the game will be later this year


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 21:08:11
Message:

Edit: I thought I had already asked this, but I just went back a few pages and it doesn't seem I ever did (I must be having one of those 'senior moments'), so I may as well ask in this post (mainly because I've been doing more talking then question-asking )

Have there been any famous 'Earthers' in the Realms? I've noticed characters from several other worlds (Krynn, Lankhmar, Oerth, etc..), but none from Earth (aside form Ed himself, of course ). I was just wondering if there was any 'Thomas Covenant' type travellers on Toril (or 'Conneticut Yankee', if you prefer).

quote:
Originally posted by Liliella

I did a search, but haven’t come up with anything as this forum isn't the easiest place to find things sometimes, so I hope these haven’t been asked previously. If they have, a nudge in the right direction would be appreciated :)

1) Are there any questions that Ed has always wanted to be asked about the Realms, and no one has ever thought to ask? And if so, what are they? <snip>
I asked this about a year ago, but I don't recall if I got an answer or not. You're 3rd query is related, but different enough form me to be very interested in that answer as well. I'd also love to hear his answer #4, but I'm not so sure that it would be 'PC' for him to do so ('unusual' can be taken so many ways).


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 22:17:45
Message:

That's a really good question, Markus.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 22:53:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

This is also something I see that newer Realms sources have lacked for quite some time - whereas before every nook and cranny was filled with 'Red Slippers' for us to wonder about, now it seems everything NOT pertinent to the story at hand is lost in editing. Although I'm talking primarilly about sourcebooks, I feel some novels have suffered as well.

It's a shame, really, because it is that 'excessive verbiage' which makes the world seem so real to so many of us.

Not to hijack Ed's thread or anything (a momentous task, and one that involves serious chastening by our Lady THO [meow!]), but this is something that I also find important: the slipping of non-/seemingly non-pertinent details into books that bring the setting alive.

To an extent, I think all books need to do that in order to succeed in constructing a fantasy world (and all authors try to varying extents). But the tiny historical or social or cultural notes have been important to Realms books for a long time, and I don't see them going away. At least, in my own writing, they are extremely important (and I managed to slip a veritable sea of small references and bits and pieces into Downshadow that I don't think detract from the plot at all--in fact, IMO, they only make it better).

There is a line to be drawn, of course, to stop us writers from just reveling in the setting and ignoring the demands of the story we're telling--i.e., get to the point in good time. So clearly some forethought/editing is indeed necessary.

Cheers


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 22 Apr 2009 23:44:26
Message:

Re David Gaider: I wouldn't publicize the work of a man who's blatantly insulted Ed's writing on Ed's own thread.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 00:24:04
Message:

I find that people who criticize Ed's writing don't 'get' Ed's writing.

The timing couldn't be more perfect for this response, especially right after Erik's commentary (and thank you for that - I did use the word 'some' when referencing the novels ).

Ed, like Dennis McKiernan, strives to fill your 'peripheral vision', as well as where your eyes are focused. You may be looking at the small hamlet of Gillian's Hill, but you 'see' Daggerford, just up the road. You 'know' Waterdeep lies just beyond. You are aware of the Lands of Intrigue to the south, and the unforgiving vastness of The North.

You may be looking a something right in front of you, but you are fully aware of the world around it at all times.

To be honest, I didn't fully enjoy Ed's writing until I got to know the Realms, and then once I did, I went back and re-read everything and enjoyed it all the more.

When you are writing a one-shot, or even a single trilogy, you can afford to concentrate on just the action, but readers of a grander, more-developed setting (often shared) expect a 'panaramic view', as it were. History doesn't happen inside a bubble - it evolves through interaction with the cultures and geography around it. Thats how real worlds work, and thats how fantastic ones should.

So when I read about Gillian's Hill, or wherever, I don't want to read just read about the heroes, I want to hear about 'Granny Sweetwater' and 'Old-man Jonson'. I could care less if it helps the story or not - I want to know if she put-out a fresh pie on her windowsill, or if Jonson is still chasing those kids out of his cornfield.

Otherwise, those heroes just become cardboard cut-outs against a two-dimensional backdrop. How can I care about what the heroes are doing, if I don't know who they are doing it all for?

Just my two cents.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 01:54:14
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Faraer

Re David Gaider: I wouldn't publicize the work of a man who's blatantly insulted Ed's writing on Ed's own thread.



Oh really? I don't recall ever reading such here, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. Still...

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I find that people who criticize Ed's writing don't 'get' Ed's writing.


I have always admired his work with the Realms, but I haven't (and still don't) always appreciated his writing.

I'd go on a longer spiel about the things I haven't liked about Ed's writing, but I suspect I've already gone through some of that on these threads before (such as the lack of page time dedicated to the titular character in Elminster's Daughter).

I just really wanted to point out that, one can respect Ed without necessarily liking everything he writes.


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 02:06:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


I just really wanted to point out that, one can respect Ed without necessarily liking everything he writes.



I agree, but I do recall Gaider's criticism of Ed's writing and I'm not sure if I'd say it was respectful in tone (and that's coming from someone who has enjoyed the work of both writers).


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 02:32:33
Message:

http://forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=353237&forum=84&sp=30

Not respectful, civil, or professional in the least. Or criticism.


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 03:23:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Faraer

http://forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=353237&forum=84&sp=30

Not respectful, civil, or professional in the least. Or criticism.


I believe this discussion, valid though it may be, belongs in another thread.

That being said, I don't see anything wrong with liking an author's work no matter what he may or may not have done. The day I start evaluating works of art based on what I think of their creator, I'll just stop thinking altogether and mainline Survivor shows.

And while I have nothing but the warmest regard for Ed as a person (his attitude towards fans and the unpaid time he's willing to dedicate to questions speak very highly of him in that respect) and greatly enjoy his creation, the Forgotten Realms, I have to say that I found Spellfire to be among the worst fantasy works I've ever read. For much the same reasons cited by Gaider.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 04:09:57
Message:

Right.

And as I have said, I only became a fan of Ed's writing when I became more knowledgable about the Realms. Not that I hadn't enjoyed it before, but I wouldn't have counted myself a 'Fan' either.

I think that particualr style - the 'fleshing out' of the world around the characters, have been handled adeptly by some (Robert Silverberg jumps to mind, as does the incredible Jack Vance), while it has been 'overdone' by others (I couldn't even make it through Gormenghast).

It is something one must get used to, I think, and as I get older, I find myself more drawn to that type of 'deep fantasy' then to the pulpy kind (although both are excellent in their own right).

In fact, I would consider RAS a 'pulpy' author, and yet I have read every one of his FR novels - thats not something I can say about any other FR author. Sometimes you just want a good hack'N'slash.

Anyhow, I digress... suffice it to say that Ed is an aquired taste, but once you grow to appreciate it's subtle nuances and flavor, you appreciate it all the more. Some books are meant to be read, whle others are meant to be savored.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 05:56:16
Message:

Folks, I think we can shift the discussion about appreciating Ed's writing to another scroll.

Let's leave this specifically for questions to Ed, eh?


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 06:04:52
Message:

I'm going to go back and read Spellfire. I remember it as a fun book, and I'm a bit confused regarding the animosity towards it.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 07:45:41
Message:

I just found this question, floating in the ethers...

quote:
Originally posted by prespos

Hi Ed, it's John from TO (remem me from Brookbanks?). Hope Mike is doing OK. (Of course, hope you're doing OK too!)

Was just about to drink some VSOP and get around to flogging the henchwoman into doing my taxes (you'd be surprised at the motivation that a rolled up copy of Dragon 48 can inspire), when my thoughts turned to food.

Yet,of a sudden, I got the munchies, and my thoughts turned to food:

spitted oxen
spitted boar
pies of stewed eels,
squabs baked in clay,
roasted pumpkins stuffed with onions and sausage,
honey-soaked sweetmeats,
stews [cauldrons?] of fresh and dried fish and fruits.

do you know where in Ontario one might be able to find any of these snacks? I checked M&M meats, but no luck there. [brownie points to anyone who can source the list]

if anyone else is able to answer this Q (even for your own province, state, etc.), that would be of interest as well.

thanks, and bon appetit!

prespos
modheaven7@gmail.com

it's better to be a carnivore and drink lots of red wine,
than to be a vegetarian and be eaten by carnivores
(i am so tempted to attribute this quote to Peter Steele, but after the foreign editions thread (please, don't ask), I really have to be careful with what I type).




Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 07:58:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Barshevy

I'm going to go back and read Spellfire. I remember it as a fun book, and I'm a bit confused regarding the animosity towards it.

You might also want to spend some time reading through Ed's previous replies to questions about the both the content and the writing of the Spellfire novel itself. They make for interesting reading.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 16:03:11
Message:

Very good point, Sage. I don't want to go on talking about SPELLFIRE, but Ed has said publicly more than once that no one has ever seen the book he wrote, only various "heavy edits" of it. It was cut (by other hands) by almost two-thirds, and rewritten (not by Ed). With that said, I was astonished, a few years back, to read Gaider's comments; that's VERY unprofessional, when the company you work for, and on whose boards you're commenting (identifying yourself in your posts as a company designer), has licensed a property.
Imagine the fan furor that would have resulted if the first thing Peter Jackson had said, when word spread that he was going to do THE LORD OF THE RINGS, was that Tolkien got it all wrong and he was going to fix it and do much better.
I've read the first Gaider novel, and I found it to be a fast-moving adventure, with some good characterization and some "I know big words, see?" passages of overwriting. In short, a better-than-average first novel.
I'd guess that Ed will probably find a politer way to say much the same thing, because he's Ed - - but I shouldn't put words into his mouth. After all, he's done all or a share of, what, 160-plus books now? He's probably learned how to probably speak for himself . . .
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 16:14:32
Message:

Very well said, Blueblade.
One other facet of the entire SPELLFIRE affair that always seems to get neglected and overlooked is that Ed was asked to write the book for a specific purpose: "show us the Realms."
In other words, it was always intended to introduce LOTS of characters and locales, without necessary having a central plot that resolves. It was a specific writing assignment, not a "write us a story." That a complete change in the management of the Books Department (between Ed being given the assignment and the book being delivered) meant got viewed very differently from what it was intended to be.
And as what Ed was asked to do, even in the seriously shortened version that first got published, it succeeds admirably: it throws tons of vivid characters, places, and Realms details (of food, washing up, jargon, et al) at the reader.
Though Ed still winces, almost every time he sees a copy. Sigh.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 16:31:10
Message:

Please let Mr. Greenwood know that I was introduced into his writing by Spellfire, but my personal favorite of his so far is Elminster in Myth Drannor. I always try to run Myth Drannor (well, I should say when I used to run my Arcane Age campaign) the way that he showed it to us in that novel. The sights, sounds, and the wonders. My players have always enjoyed that part. I guess I get my love of describing that city of legend from reading his own words on it. I always read it, put it to the side, and try to picture it in my own mind. Truly, it's one of his best in my opinion.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 17:16:10
Message:

I was fortunate enough to read Spellfire only recently, and it was the newer edition that Ed was able to 'patch' to the best of his ability (although still not the original novel, I have to assume it reads much better then the version I never got to see).

Great Yarn, and a perfect example of what I was talking about above - Ed's 'world-building' style. Its also the perfect introduction to the Realms - how a small party of fairly weak characters can accomplish great things.

Thats what the Realms has always been about.
It's a setting built from the ground-up to go adventuring in.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 23:43:25
Message:

I recently read Elminster Making of the Mage. Boy would I love to have a map of that area at that time. Those Magelords really got my attention.

So Sage do you have a list of the Magelords around by chance?

I am going to start El in Myth Drannor tonight at work.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 23 Apr 2009 23:51:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

I recently read Elminster Making of the Mage. Boy would I love to have a map of that area at that time. Those Magelords really got my attention.

So Sage do you have a list of the Magelords around by chance?

I am going to start El in Myth Drannor tonight at work.

BRIMSTONE



I thought there was a map in Ed's Athalantar article in Dragon #228. That article also contained the Magelords. :)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 00:41:27
Message:

No map, but a description of Athalantar and the surrounding environs at the time is more then adequate to picture how things were.

Also a VERY comprehensive list of Magelords was includied, with backgrounds, physical descriptions, etc, etc...

Ed never disappoints.

I just double-checked (you threw me when you mentioned a map) - fortunately that mag is never more 12" or so from my fingertips. It really is a must-have issue.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 00:48:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

I recently read Elminster Making of the Mage. Boy would I love to have a map of that area at that time. Those Magelords really got my attention.

So Sage do you have a list of the Magelords around by chance?

I am going to start El in Myth Drannor tonight at work.

BRIMSTONE



I thought there was a map in Ed's Athalantar article in Dragon #228. That article also contained the Magelords. :)

Hmmm... I don't recall any maps for Athalantar being published.

The DRAGON #228 article and the entry for Athalantar in Lost Empires of Faerûn [pg. 88] provide some details on how the nation was geographically situated. It should be enough for you to plot a rough map of the Kingdom of the Stag.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 01:55:38
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ed drew a very detailed map of Athalantar, at the request of TSR, and sent it in. It was, of course, never published, and remains their copyrighted property (whether or not it ended up in the dumpsters, when TSR was shut down), so Ed can't distribute it now.
Sigh.
However, from memory I can tell you: Hastarl occupied the site of present-day Secomber, the river effectively formed the southern border of Athalantar (and had much the same location and meanderings as it does "today"), but the High Forest hadn't been cut back nearly as much, then, and extended long fingers down almost to the river's edge in the east, and so as to almost divide the realm into segments, west of that.
Ed is still scrambling to get back atop his paid writing commitments and real-world obligations (such as his taxes), but promises a return just as soon as he can.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 04:23:14
Message:

Thanks Scribes and THO.

Now I wonder where that Dumpster would be. I would go "Dumpster Diving" for some of Ed's Realmslore.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 05:13:34
Message:

Sure, sure...

We know your just looking for some Pizza crusts and a half-eaten bagel....


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 05:58:12
Message:

I hope TSR / Wizards pays Ed for all these gems that they never use !


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 08:28:38
Message:

Well I have a shrink wrapped copy of Dragon 228 on the way via Noble Knight.com Plus Volo's Guides To Waterdeep, The North, and The Sword Coast.

Now if only Ed could do a Pathfinder Chronicals book or three for Paizo.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 12:25:51
Message:

Heya,

Currently resisting the urge to make a few long winded observations about Spellfire (it's the novel that drew me into the Realms, but it's not without problems - not all of which can be attributed to the editors chopping large amounts out) and David Gaider (in whose defense I will say that he was bluntly expressing his opinion on a single novel, and not the entire Realms or about Ed Greenwood)... But this talk about David Gaider brings me to the topic of Neverwinter Nights 2 (yes, I know NWN2 is by Obsidian not Bioware - but it's the mental association of the two).

I just purchased Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, and was most interested to find that one of the major NPCs you interact with, at least at the start of the game, is the irrepressible Volothamp Geddarm. He's one of the few NPCs to be fully voiced, and his converse is rather amusing (well done whoever wrote his dialogue!)... Volo also takes on the part of the narrator, and he makes an off hand comment at the start that made me curious - apparently Elminster stopped Volo from publishing "Volo's Guide to the Behaviour of Nymphs" because it was too naughty. Now I'm pretty sure that probably wasn't the real reason, I wonder if Ed knows (or can take a guess, knowing El and Volo) what the real reason was? Or was it really just too naughty?


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 13:36:27
Message:

I have a question that I'm sure one of you will be able to answer, though if Mr. Greenwood has more information on it, I'd *love* to hear it. Was the city of Lothen of the Silver Spires in the High Forest in 2nd Edition, or was it added later for 3.xE? I've been looking at my old 2nd Edition maps but I don't have any that really detail the High Forest all that well. Hmm... come to think of it, I'm sure that Markus can answer part of this too. I'm especially curious since my players and an NPC of mine recently took control of the city after cleansing it from orcs. I'm really proud of them. They did it so well! Also, was Lothen an idea of Mr. Greenwood's for 3E (provided it wasn't part of 2nd Edition)?

Also, since every edition kind of stayed away from the High Forest, are there any parts of elven lore from that area that Mr. Greenwood can share with us? Pretty please?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 19:13:39
Message:

Out of curiousity, Zandilar, what year does that game take place in? It appears to be pre-plague, and yet we have Zehir...

Does it use 4th edition rules?

"Volo's Fieldguide to Nymphs"...

Maybe El was afraid Volo was going to be giving away 'trade secets'.

And Volo-style guides for Golarion would be pure WIN.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 24 Apr 2009 21:24:49
Message:

Storm of Zehir is last 3.5 expansion for NWN2.

It is pre-plague and introduces the diety Zehir attempting to gain a foothold in faerun.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 00:15:59
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Out of curiousity, Zandilar, what year does that game take place in? It appears to be pre-plague, and yet we have Zehir...


I think it's 1374 DR, I'd have to start up the game to check (if it even says?). There's also a doomsayer that predicts the death of Mystra in the first town you come across.

quote:
Does it use 4th edition rules?


It's using the NWN2 engine (though they've done some interesting stuff with it, including allowing you to have a self-created party that can interact in conversations), so it's still the hybrid 3.5e rules (computers generally can't implement game rules fully) that was used in the OC and Mask of the Betrayer.

quote:
"Volo's Fieldguide to Nymphs"...


Hmm.. I dunno if I really want to read about Volo's romp with some nymphs. (On the other hand, if Volo was a girl... )

quote:
Maybe El was afraid Volo was going to be giving away 'trade secets'.


HA!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 00:30:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

There's also a doomsayer that predicts the death of Mystra in the first town you come across.
I guess Mystra was the only one who didn't see it coming.

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Hmm.. I dunno if I really want to read about Volo's romp with some nymphs. (On the other hand, if Volo was a girl... )
I'm down with that.

Thanks for the reply (and I apologize to the mods - I should have asked her in PM).


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 14:11:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight
Was the city of Lothen of the Silver Spires in the High Forest in 2nd Edition, or was it added later for 3.xE?
Lothen is first mentioned in print in the Dragon #228 Athalantar article discussed above.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 15:07:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Faraer

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight
Was the city of Lothen of the Silver Spires in the High Forest in 2nd Edition, or was it added later for 3.xE?
Lothen is first mentioned in print in the Dragon #228 Athalantar article discussed above.

Ok, thank you!


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 20:35:29
Message:

Hmmm.
Dear Lady THO and Ed,
All this talk of Volo reminds me of a rumor that was making the rounds some years back. So I thought I'd ask: is there, or is there not, an unpublished Volo story (by Ed) kept under wraps all these years because of its amusing and scatalogical nature?
Or was that just the fabrication of someone wanting to inflate Ed's "dirty minded" reputation?
Thanks.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 20:59:58
Message:

Well, now. I have a similar but different request. I know Ed wrote and published at least one novel (FOOL'S MASTER) before SPELLFIRE, and a lot of short stories, but are there any other completed and professional-quality novel-length works that Ed wrote in his early years? Either published, that I've missed, or never published?
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 21:21:43
Message:

What I'd love to know is: are there any Wizards plans to publish another collection of Ed's Realms short stories? I loved the first one, and it had a LOT of previously-unpublished fiction.
In fact, one of my idle dreams is a poll or contest run by Wizards for "great Realms moments of the past that we'd like to see," or some such, involving Ed characters (so, none of Drizzt's or Liriel's pasts, because Bob or Elaine should write those). Then Ed would write a short story covering that moment or confrontation or big event or just the personal life of a character who right now is only a name.
I'd LOVE to read a book like that. (Hint, hint.)
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 21:23:09
Message:

Heh. Blueblade dear, in the words of Ed's now deceased father (a longtime chorister and faithful churchgoer): "Son, you're preaching to the perverted."

love,
THO


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 21:28:51
Message:

Perverted, eh?
So would that be, as Ed once described you sharing in such situations, "happy bouncing love"?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Apr 2009 21:32:57
Message:

It would indeed.
You HAVE been paying attention.
Which reminds me: Ed commented to me that he has now seen at least the first drafts of the six "Eddie Presents Waterdeep," and has been both delighted by them as "cracking good stories" and for their attention to Realmslore and detail.
So, happy reading ahead for all . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 01:39:24
Message:

The next six in the series?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 03:36:22
Message:

No, the six novels that have been scheduled or already published (so: Blackstaff Tower by Steven Schend, Mistshore by Jaleigh Johnson, Downshadow by Erik Scott de Bie, all out already, and three more that haven't yet been printed). Word is out unofficially about some of the not-yet-published titles, but I'm not sure if specifics can officially be discussed yet. Nor do I know if there will be more than six books in the series. I'd love to see a "Waterdeep jam" book with Ed and lots of other authors having a wild collaborative story, but arranging such a project seems a lot harder these days than in the elder and wackier times of TSR.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 04:28:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I'd love to see a "Waterdeep jam" book with Ed and lots of other authors having a wild collaborative story, but arranging such a project seems a lot harder these days than in the elder and wackier times of TSR.
love,
THO

I wouldn't mind seeing something like that myself. The City of Splendors is home to such a unique mixture of themes and cultures. A collaborative undertaking would indeed be a worthwhile project -- and would, again, underline what I love most about Waterdeep.


Reply author: Erik Scott de Bie
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 05:13:01
Message:

I know *I* would love to revisit some of my Downshadow characters, or any of the awesome personas Ed wrote for the Waterdeep bible. [tease tease]

And the titles of the six Ed Presents Waterdeep novels are all listed in the front of Downshadow . . . but I think I'll let people check for themselves. Just one more reason to pick up a copy at the bookstore, nay?

Cheers


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 05:14:35
Message:

I'm going to have to figure out how to get hired as a WotC writer, I think, because I really want to see that Waterdeep bible!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 06:32:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie

And the titles of the six Ed Presents Waterdeep novels are all listed in the front of Downshadow . . . but I think I'll let people check for themselves. Just one more reason to pick up a copy at the bookstore, nay?
The last time I checked, they were all pretty much listed at WotC now as well.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 06:50:15
Message:

I've got another question, though it's more gaming related: I read in 'Four From Cormyr', that Azoun and Fee often attend parties, where the PC's can meet them, and talk with them for a minute or so (before Vangey shoos them away). Now, a PC of mine was once a young married man, whose wife had a fling with Azoun, and died in childbirth along with her child. However, she told him that before she died. The guy went king of grief-insane, and convinced himself it was all Azoun's fault. SO in return, he decided to become an adventurer and kill Fee. He plans to bypass the peace-bond on his sword by having the wizard of the group cast 'animate rope' on it, pretend to want to talk with Fee, release the peace bond, stab her (the sword is poisoned, obviously). He really couldn't care much about escaping (I said he was kind of grief-insane).
My question is, is this possible? Could he feasibly do it? Would Vangey note there was magic on the peace-bond? If so, could he not realize it if both the scabbard and sword were also enchanted? And my PC succeeds, what would be his fate? I plan to have Fee resurrected (if she even dies), so no harm there (I wouldn't go against canon), but would that matter to Azoun? Will the fact that the guy is half-insane matter? Will his motive matter? Might it be that Azoun will understand, and decide, 'If this guy is so determined, let's make him an agent of the crown' (somewhat like Storm did in the memory in ELminster in Hell)?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 07:17:01
Message:

I'm not Ed, but I'd say Vangey has at least Ironguard (Spell Compendium, p125) and Delay Poison cast on both Azoun and Fee before they attend any such party.

Storywise, I'd also put it out there that the character should succeed in the attempt (i.e. he stabs Fee), but the spells of course protect her. Then have Fee recognize him, realize the grief-induced stress of the situation and have Azoun and Fee forgive him in a scene that is 'Ed-esque' with lots of hugging by Fee, fond memories of his wife by Azoun (along with the 'she was utterly faithful to you' speech).

If that doesn't bring the character around to forgiving them and becoming a staunch king's man (or if he keeps trying to kill them), have Vangey and the other dozen war wizards in the room make a spectacular example of him to the other nobles.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 07:53:20
Message:

Heya,

I'm not Ed, but I think I have an idea how this might go... If people want me to sit down and shut up, please tell me.

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
My question is, is this possible? Could he feasibly do it? Would Vangey note there was magic on the peace-bond? If so, could he not realize it if both the scabbard and sword were also enchanted? And my PC succeeds, what would be his fate? I plan to have Fee resurrected (if she even dies), so no harm there (I wouldn't go against canon), but would that matter to Azoun? Will the fact that the guy is half-insane matter? Will his motive matter? Might it be that Azoun will understand, and decide, 'If this guy is so determined, let's make him an agent of the crown' (somewhat like Storm did in the memory in ELminster in Hell)?



From my reading of the situation, it would be impossible for the PC to kill Fee. Hurt her, yes indeed, kill her? Not very likely.

If the War Wizards haven't picked up the guy's insanity via various mind reading spells, and he manages to get close enough to strike her, the chances are Fee will have a Periapt of Proof against Poison, or some other such enchanted item or spell cast upon her designed to stop poisons from harming the wearer, on her. If she doesn't and Vangerdahast is there, the chances are that he would easily be able to produce a potion of Neutralize Poison (and of Cure X Wounds) from somewhere on his person. If he didn't have the potion on hand, then one of his War Wizards in the vicinity would, and if even they don't then a quick teleport to a temple in order to have a cleric cast Neutralize poison would do the trick.

But IF all of this falls through and Fee is instantly killed in such a way that cannot be prevented, then they wouldn't resurrect her because there are laws against any of the Obarskyrs being raised (which is the reason Tanalasta wasn't raised after she was killed in Death of the Dragon). This has something to do with preventing complications to clean succession. Unfortunately, I expect Filfaeril falls under these laws as well as Azoun and his children.

As for the PC, I'd expect he'd be captured and mind reamed forthwith. I doubt they'd kill him, except if he tried to fight back, and even then I expect they'd be more interested in who put him up to the assassination in the first place, and would try to subdue him quickly. After that, I suppose it would be up to Vangerdahast to determine the fate of the poor guy - but the chances are, after all the rough treatment of his mind he won't be up to much. So, in other words, I'd be saying to the player, "Are you really sure you want to be doing that?"! Also, the trouble is, the guy is (partially?) insane with grief, this is not a man who is going to listen to reason (at least not immediately). There's nothing in this story to suggest that the man wouldn't have another go at Fee if he got the chance, and that would likely sign his death warrant. (Oh and if Fee is killed outright, the PC is unlikely to survive the experience, IMHO.)

ETA: OOH, I forgot about Ironguard spells... So yeah, there's no way this guy would kill Fee.

I'm also less sentimental, and I think insanity should be treated seriously - this guy is insane with grief, no amount of begging for forgiveness is going to make this man forgive Azoun. He's unreasonable, and acting irrationally. This is not something that you can fix with a few hugs, IMHO.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 11:25:13
Message:

Thanks for the answers, first of all.
I don't know. When I asked him to describe his insanity, he quoted Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters regarding Duke Felmet: 'Shreds of insanity surrounding, a strong, utterly determined will'. He was aware there would be spells, which was why I asked the question: I wanted to know which spells and help would be around. The PC was thinking of getting a wizard to cast some nullifying magic [what, he isn't sure yet, although from the description, I'd say he'd need a Dispel (maybe a few of them) and an anti-magic field - it would mean they'd have to drag Fee out of the shield first, by which time she might be dead]. I might give him some help from Zhentarim or Red WIzards if I feel he needs it - they'd definitely agree to it. I too, am more leaning towards the make-up option. But it'll be a bit of a problem
Just a question Ashe: Why would Fee recognize the PC? She doesn't know him (it would seem), and it was Azoun who dallied with his wife. Now, Fee might know all about Azoun's 'rides', but actually recognizing the guy seems a bit far...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 12:45:49
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Thanks for the answers, first of all.
I don't know. When I asked him to describe his insanity, he quoted Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters regarding Duke Felmet: 'Shreds of insanity surrounding, a strong, utterly determined will'. He was aware there would be spells, which was why I asked the question: I wanted to know which spells and help would be around. The PC was thinking of getting a wizard to cast some nullifying magic [what, he isn't sure yet, although from the description, I'd say he'd need a Dispel (maybe a few of them) and an anti-magic field - it would mean they'd have to drag Fee out of the shield first, by which time she might be dead]. I might give him some help from Zhentarim or Red WIzards if I feel he needs it - they'd definitely agree to it. I too, am more leaning towards the make-up option. But it'll be a bit of a problem


In order for the nullifying spells to be cast, the Zhent or Red Wizard or whomever would have to first get past the War Wizards and Highknights who are sure to be on hand somewhere, and probably avoid the gaze of other benign protector types around (the Harpers, Alusair, Elminster in disguise, Sylune (if it's at the palace, since some of her flagstones are present within the palace, and she may well have had a tip off from Harper agents via Storm), the odd Paladin, or whoever else is present with the best interests of Cormyr/the Crown at heart)... They might even need to avoid other malevolent people who might try to stop them to their own ends. There's a reason the Zhents and/or Red Wizards have been unsuccessful in their attempts to knock off the royals (or pull other types of stunts). Getting at the Obarskyrs is just not something you wake up one day and decide to do, then get it done that same night.

Oh, also, how would this PC know what kinds of spells Filfaeril might be protected by, or is he just assuming "all of them"? I definitely would not tell the player what spells he's going to come up against unless he has a genuine in character reason for knowing... And even then, there's also a very good chance there might be one or two protective spells that are very rare or unique to Vangerdahast's spell books, which he is not going to have a hope in all the planes of knowing about. Educated guesses can only take you so far.

And since you've stated you don't really want him to succeed, well... What can I say? He's going to fail. (Don't forget, as I mentioned in my last post, that Filfaeril cannot be raised from the dead by law, so she has to survive this attempt if you don't want to stray too much from canon!)

If the PC has brought those types in, then he's toast when it's all over. I can't think of anyway he'd be saved from the executioner. Sounds like the player is about to commit character suicide by Good Guy.


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 14:57:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
Getting at the Obarskyrs is just not something you wake up one day and decide to do, then get it done that same night.
Right. The plan is just much too simple: if it was so easy to kill queens it would happen far more often. It would need to be much cleverer, with several more layers, to anticipate and bypass the various physical and magical securities (including personal and local wards, item-borne protections, contingencies and more) that protect such as the Obarskyrs. Just getting a rough idea what those were would involve extensive magical observation (liable to be detected!) or bought intelligence/expertise. All this is why direct attacks on rivals are so rare in these ranks of intrigue: they're likely suicide even for archmages.

The plan would get nowhere near succeeding, and there, perhaps, the dramatic pathos would be.

On the other hand, suddenly playing up this complexity and layeredness might seem a stark change if you've not already done so in the campaign.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 15:58:30
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ashe is quite right; the Obarskyrs have doubled Ironguard and poison-quelling magics on them whenever appearing in public, and a single layer of such magics (via rings or gorgets they wear) at all other times.
The problem with an "anti-magic" spell of any sort being employed by a would-be assassin is this: the asssassin must be able to manage the casting JUST before striking (i.e. in the room with the royals, AND with a lot of watchful War Wizards and a Highknight or two). If the assassin is carrying an item capable of generating anti-magic, they'd have to be a loyal War Wizard to get that close without being challenged (what's this item you're carrying, saer? Let's go into this handy chamber over here and talk about it, shall we?), and if they are bearing an operating anti-magic effect of any sort on their person, they'd never get anywhere near a meeting with the Obarskyrs: there are so many wards and other magical effects operating in both the Royal Court building and the Royal Palace (not to mention, again, on-duty War Wizard and Highknight observers) that the presence of the anit-magic effect would be detected, and the intruder physically stopped, overpowered, or misdirected away from the royals (and the royals moved away from anywhere the intruder can get to), not far from wherever the would-be assassin entered either the Court or the Palace.
Now, as this would-be assassin is an adventurer, he would already be, by definition, suspicious to the War Wizards (adventurers mean TROUBLE, remember?), and already attracting particular attention. Even if such an adventurer poses no trouble at all, it's quite likely an adventurer seeking to meet with the royals wants to ask a boon, or share information that hasn't been "cleared" by Vangey first, or cause some other sort of long-term trouble. So don't expect that the adventurer would go unnoticed. Nor should one expect that Vangey doesn't know about the dead wife (and the potential for revenge) already; the War Wizards and Highknights keep records on all adventurers, of both facts and suspicions. It's also not customary for persons who are not also nobles of Cormyr, or envoys of other realms, or members of Cormyr's armed forces, to come armed into the presence of royalty in formal settings (i.e. feasts and revels, as opposed to encountering an Obarksyr at a hunting lodge or in the forest or riding on the road). The very charters that bind Cormyrean-resident adventurers include provisions for adventurers to be disarmed in all sorts of necessary situations (at the sole discretion of War Wizards or courtiers and Purple Dragons of particular ranks), including something so simple as arrest for a possibly spurious or honestly mistaken charge.
Now, I'm not saying that the adventurer COULDN'T get to the king or queen; I'm just saying that a fairly simple plan that doesn't happen to benefit from the aid of favourable circumstances isn't likely to succeed . . . and an adventurer who skulks about seeking to watch the Obarskyrs for either a good opportunity to strike or to learn about their routines and habits to try to plan a good attack, is NOT going to go unnoticed. War Wizards and Highknights may very well pay such an adventurer a "friendly visit" long before they approach the Palace or Court, if their preparations aren't covert enough.
All in all, this can make for a very good long-term roleplaying challenge, Menelvagor, and your suggestion about Azoun's reaction is right on: you obviously "get" the king's character very well.
Back to you . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 16:28:58
Message:

First off, many thanks THO!

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

<snip>
Just a question Ashe: Why would Fee recognize the PC? She doesn't know him (it would seem), and it was Azoun who dallied with his wife. Now, Fee might know all about Azoun's 'rides', but actually recognizing the guy seems a bit far...



Actually, it goes hand-in-hand with what the Lovely Hooded One said regarding Vangey knowing everything about the adventurer. Fee has her own network of information outside of Vangey's, and I'm sure that she's kept tabs on Azoun's 'rides' as well, especially if the word 'pregnancy' has come up.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 16:54:53
Message:

Thanks a lot for all the help. This will make it a lot more complicated - and fun.
Just a little more background, so I can get a bit more information:
The PC had a plan to murder Fee all along, and has spent the last 5-10 years of his life building to it. He's a powerful adventurer - 14th level. He and his friends have helped Cormyr quite a few times, giving them recognition, the right not to bear a charter, and a bit of land, so technically, they're noble. The PC did all this because he knew it would help him achieve his goal. He also took care to disappear as completely as he could, because of stories of Vangey's watch over Azoun's rides. I'm not saying he managed it, but he thinks he did.
So: they may be allowed to bear weapons, are respected enough to be able to have a word or two with Azoun, are not expected to ask anything of him, trusted, and have never met either the Royals or Vangey directly until now (they dealt with underlings - the highest they've gotten is Laspeera).
As I said, I am disinclined to give him outside help, mostly for the reasons you yourself mentioned, Milady. However, the wizard of the group has agreed to help him, as he's strictly neutral, and the PC has promised he can have all his wealth if he dies.
I know he probably won't succeed, especially as I don't want him to, but I want him to at least do some damage to her. Dramatic effect, and all that. It would be kind of disappointing if he stabs her, and then nothing happens, after all the effort he took. I plan to have Azoun and Fee forgive him, and as he's no fool, he'll probably take it. He just likes lots of drama. He'll probably find himself a new craze soon enough. It's hard, but makes for a much better game. So, any ideas how he might harm her, and nobody will die (except maybe the wizard, but he plans to teleport out... which may be the next adventure...)?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 17:16:54
Message:

Hee-hee! I'm liking this story. I think it works better if Fee isn't hurt at all. It drives home the fact that the crown is near-impossible to assassinate. I suspect that they will be much more lenient towards the grief-stricken PC than the wizard. In fact, as the PC stabs at Fee, if the wizard attempts to teleport, he should complete the spell and have nothing happen except a war-wizard and Highknight grabbing his elbows to 'discuss' proper protocal when visiting royalty much like THO described them directing would-be assassins to a nice, quiet corner.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 19:51:48
Message:

A poison with a anti-magic field would work (and did, in Beyond the High Road). However, getting close-enough to use such a thing would require a brilliant plan.

In that novel, it required a many-tiered plot, worked-out for months (years?) in advance, which included both a Netherease artifact and a seduction.

In other words... good luck with that.

Oh, and someone tries to kill Fee and Azoun hugs them afterwards?

NOT!!!!!!!!!!

In fact, Vangerdehast would be hard-pressed to keep the fellow alive long enough to mind-probe. Azoun is far more likely to forgive someone of attempting his life, then that of his wife (and he really wouldn't be overly found of them for attempting his either).

That entire 'observation' was full of holes - why is Azoun telling him "she was utterly faithful to you"? That implies Azoun forced her, and I am certainly NOT seeing that in his character AT ALL. You'd be turning him into Uther Pendragon.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 19:57:49
Message:

Actually, MT, I was setting it up as Azoun had a relationship years ago, before she met the PC.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 26 Apr 2009 20:01:46
Message:

Oh. Whoops, sorry Ashe, I didn't realize that. The point is that he actually fears his son wasn't his, it was Azoun's.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 00:25:01
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Thanks a lot for all the help. This will make it a lot more complicated - and fun.
Just a little more background, so I can get a bit more information:
The PC had a plan to murder Fee all along, and has spent the last 5-10 years of his life building to it. He's a powerful adventurer - 14th level. He and his friends have helped Cormyr quite a few times, giving them recognition, the right not to bear a charter, and a bit of land, so technically, they're noble. The PC did all this because he knew it would help him achieve his goal. He also took care to disappear as completely as he could, because of stories of Vangey's watch over Azoun's rides. I'm not saying he managed it, but he thinks he did.


5 to 10 years and the best plan he can come up with is "take one anti-magic device into the palace and stab her with a poisoned dagger"? I think he needs a better plan.

Also, if he's been planning this for some time and acting in the best interests of Cormyr because he wants to kill the Queen - well if he's insane, he's a coldly calculating crazy, not a in the heat of the moment grief stricken passionate insane. I personally think the War Wizards might have picked up on his deception by now.

And from the rest of your description, I'd call him a suicidal psychopath - he's there for the thrill, and he doesn't seem to care who gets hurt along the way - even himself. I think the death of his lover/wife is just an excuse.

Unless you rule that Heal can heal those kinds of insanity (ie: non-spell induced insanity), I don't expect the crown to have much mercy on him... I agree with Markustay - Azoun is not going to be hugging and forgiving someone who tried to kill his wife and actually succeeded in hurting her in the process, at least not in a hurry or on the spot. (He might forgive someone who tried but failed with no harm done, but even then...)

quote:
As I said, I am disinclined to give him outside help, mostly for the reasons you yourself mentioned, Milady. However, the wizard of the group has agreed to help him, as he's strictly neutral, and the PC has promised he can have all his wealth if he dies.


And the wizard thinks he's going to get away with helping him scot free? Ha, that's a laugh!

quote:
I know he probably won't succeed, especially as I don't want him to, but I want him to at least do some damage to her. Dramatic effect, and all that. It would be kind of disappointing if he stabs her, and then nothing happens, after all the effort he took. I plan to have Azoun and Fee forgive him, and as he's no fool, he'll probably take it. He just likes lots of drama. He'll probably find himself a new craze soon enough. It's hard, but makes for a much better game. So, any ideas how he might harm her, and nobody will die (except maybe the wizard, but he plans to teleport out... which may be the next adventure...)?



Well, pick some place outside the palace. Maybe when the King and Queen are riding off somewhere. Hire a (very) large number of thugs (including a number of spell casters) to ambush them on their route somewhere, ride in to the rescue - and then try for the Queen in the confusion. They'd need to act quickly before Vangerdahast could teleport the royals out. (Knowing Azoun, he'd insist on sticking around and fighting - I'm not sure what Filfaeril would do).

If you have to bend canon somewhat to get the effect you want, then bend it. But just bear in mind that the immediate reactions of Vangerdahast and the King and Queen won't necessarily be to forgive this PC and his wizard accomplice on the spot. And even if the Queen herself does forgive the man, the King may not be as ready to do so... And if they BOTH forgive him - don't expect Vangerdahast to let him go that easily. If Vangerdahast thinks this guy is a threat (and he will, because he won't believe any contrition on behalf of the man - he spent 5 to 10 years preparing for this, and there's no reason to believe he won't try again), he'll go to whatever lengths he thinks he needs to in order to neutralize the threat (and the simplest way would just be to kill him). There's no way your PC and his wizard friend are going to avoid incarceration (even if forgiven by the King and Queen) for at least a short time, and accidents do happen...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 00:46:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh. Whoops, sorry Ashe, I didn't realize that. The point is that he actually fears his son wasn't his, it was Azoun's.

Well, I got that part (after all, you said his wife died in child-birth).

Unless she was an elephant and had been pregnant for 22 months.

The only way that would have been feasable is if they were married less then nine months, in which case he certainly couldn't be all that mad at Azoun. Another thing working against that scenario is that it would have happened recently, and AFAIK, Azoun's 'wenching days' have been over for years.

Oh, and to add to my last post - the poison was inhaled, which is why it didn't need to bypass an Irongaurd.

Read the novel if you need to know more.

And since I don't want to get in trouble, and another possible method has just occurred to me...

Ed, is the Royal Complex warded against undead? I would imagine such was common practice (I remember you detailed a Keep that had such in a Dragon article).

Because if it wasn't, or you could find out where and when Azoun was going to be outside of the Castle, probably the easiest way to get to him would be to have a spirit possess someone close to him, that he trusts (like Fee... woudn't THAT be a surprise...)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 01:01:47
Message:

Folks, can we shift the current side-discussion to another scroll? Markus has returned us to questions for Ed, so let's keep it at that.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 01:47:14
Message:

Hi again, all. This is fascinating, reading everyone weighing in. Great stuff!
Markustay, I can answer your Ed query: yes, the stables, nearby Royal Gardens (as far as certain statues), Royal Palace, and Royal Court, up into the air and down below the deepest cellars, most of the way down the wells, are indeed warded against undead. As a result of certain problems in the past (yes, you can guess very well, can't you?), and lasting well into the ravages of the Spellplague (I have that last bit directly from Ed rather than from his notes, which of course spurred me to ask him what happened AFTER those ravages hit, whereupon he twinkled at me and said he really WISHED he could tell me, buuutttt . . .).
You know, from my character interaction with Azoun and Fee, down the years, I'd say both of them COULD forgive an unsuccessful killer, Fee quite swiftly and Azoun only if the killer survived Azoun's initial cold rage and somehow got away long enough for Fee to talk her husband "down." However, Vangerdahast is the problem: he WOULD try to keep the would-be slayer alive long enough to thoroughly mind-ream the guy and learn all he could about the attack and its motives . . . and then he'd probably kill the PC just because it's the safest thing to do, UNLESS specifically forbidden to do so by Azoun or Fee, if they were standing right there and he couldn't pull the "he tried to escape, I had to blast him because" excuse.
Hmm. As I said earlier, chances for some interesting roleplaying abound.
You could, of course, have Laspeera or Dove show up in Fee's shape to "take the blade' for her, because the royals have somehow found out about the attack beforehand, but want to know WHY. In that case, with the PC unable to really wound the false fee and having done nothing at all to the real one, the PC might well have quite a good chance for survival, and even being made a special agent (and sent on missions far away ).
love,
THO


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 02:46:45
Message:

I have another one for Ed, though it seems like the kind that might have been answered before, forgive me if it is a repeat. This one has been a minor itch on my mind for years.

The city Ithmong in Tethyr (renamed Darromar) and the city of Ithmong in Lapaliiya shared a name, but is there a deeper connection beyond that?

Thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 03:36:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard

I have another one for Ed, though it seems like the kind that might have been answered before, forgive me if it is a repeat. This one has been a minor itch on my mind for years.

The city Ithmong in Tethyr (renamed Darromar) and the city of Ithmong in Lapaliiya shared a name, but is there a deeper connection beyond that?

Thanks in advance.

I can field this one. See this scroll.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 04:52:17
Message:

LOL... I answered that one.

Anyhow, thanks for the quick response, THO. I had assumed as much, but confirmation is always a good thing.

And just to keep the questions flowing...

Have any of Azoun IV's decendents achieved the level of... fame... that he had?

I'm talking about any area - statesmanship, well-loved, fighting-prowess, even notoriety...


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 05:03:15
Message:

Thanks Sage! Consider that itch scratched.

Reading the Lady Hooded's response including the ending root of "alglatarr" for Lapaliiyan Ithmong in Ed's notes has me asking another question:

Does Ed have any rubric for naming cities (towns, villages, vassal domains or subregions), for the Chondath and Chessenta regions specifically?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 06:28:35
Message:

Thanks a lot for all the answers, everybody. Now that I have described nearly the whole idea, what do you (or Ed) think should happen, Milady?


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 08:00:39
Message:

Hello Mr Greenwood and Lady THO. Can you perhaps tell me if Elminster(and other former chosen) will become players in future 4e novels and if a novel detailing El's last century and what drove him to where he is now? (i understand if you cant because of NDA's and such was just hoping that the info in the 4e FrcG and Ghotr wasnt the last of characters i loved to read about)

Thanks to you both for whatever detail you can provide even if it's a "maybe".


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 17:33:37
Message:

So you are trying to solve the 'heated' debate going on over at WotC?

Good luck with that - part of the arguments over there is that if it hasn't been in a written published source, it doesn't count, so what Ed or anyone else 'thinks' isn't going to solve anything for certain hotheads.

People can be very selective about what they consider 'canon'.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 18:13:14
Message:

Shhh MT no giving away secrets. lol

I figured that if anyone could solve the debate it would be Ed. Can't blame a guy for trying. I'll edit and ask another question then.
Thanks for your input. I hate going on wild goose chases.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 18:35:09
Message:

Hmm... I seem to recall Ed mentioning something about a new Elminster novel set in PS Realms a while back...

Has that been incredibly NDA'd or taken off the table, THO?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 18:50:40
Message:

Hello again, all.
Drizztsmanchild, the answer to your FIRST question is something Ed probably won't answer, now that you've taken it off the table (because I hadn't yet sent it to him). Anyone can accept, reject, or modify anything for their own Realms campaign, but the "what is canon" argument for the Realms is very simple, and specified by the original legal agreement when TSR purchased the Realms: canon is everything Ed says or writes about the Realms, unless or until superceded in print by a later official (not licensed, but TSR, so now, WotC) product.
That's it, pure and simple. No one can alter that without Ed's agreeing to the alteration, and he hasn't ever been approached to alter it. Individual gamers may disagree with that definition, but that's beside the point: except for little fragments in DRAGON articles (and the Heralds piece in one issue of GAMEPLAY, pre-1986) they only got to see the Realms AT ALL because of this agreement, so they're stuck with its terms, whether they admit that or not.
I doubt Ed can answer your second question due to NDAs, but I've sent an e-mail off to him, and we'll see.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 18:54:07
Message:

Hello again!
Well, Ed hath replied, so the answer to the second question, Drizztsmanchild and Ashe, is: Ed can't talk about any future Realms fiction to be penned by him or others, other than to say he'd really, really like to see some. Lots, even.
No surprise. He did say he'll let slip more when he's allowed to do so, so I'd say those NDAs are as sturdy and as numerous as ever.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 19:22:27
Message:

Lady Tho, Thank you for your time and response. I figured as much about the NDA's and what not. I was just hoping some new info was out. My other question was something concerning a debatr about Lolth. But as MT was helpful in pointing out the answer probably wouldn't have helped end the debate. That is why i edited it.

Thank you again and I look forward to new news about future novels whenever the NdA's allow you to speak of such.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 20:01:39
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Are either of you directly affected by the proposed "Google settlement"? Any comments?
Thanks.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 20:03:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Hello Mr Greenwood and Lady THO. Can you perhaps tell me if Elminster(and other former chosen) will become players in future 4e novels (snip)



Considering that part of the reasoning for inflicting the Sellplague and the timejump on the Realms was the badly-mistaken perception that Elminster and the Chosen were too prominent, I doubt we'll see much of them in post-3E material.

Of course, El and the Chosen weren't all that prominent, originally, until TSR started the thing of "Oooh, powerful people -- shove them into the spotlight and make sure they're involved in everything!" trend. So it's theoretically possible that years down the road, WotC (if it's still around) will decide to make that mistake again. I don't think it likely (they'll shove new powerful people into the spotlight and refuse to look at anyone else, like they've done with Shar and the Shades), but it could happen again.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Apr 2009 20:43:20
Message:

I don't want Ed or anyone to think that I don't think what Ed says is canon - I'm just saying others often purposely create their own definitions of canon to prove a point.

So in other words you can't win an argument on the internet, even when your right.

Also, RB has figured-out a perfectly legitimate way to circumvent Ed's 'authority', which is also part of the problem over on the WotC boards.

It appears that if an 'in-house' person posts something on the official WotC site, it is considered canon (because it is in-print, and the DDi has now made the site a 'source'). I have seen several people get responses here they didn't care for, and then go running to the "Ask Rich Baker" thread, and in a couple of cases, he "respectfully disagreed".

So you see, there's always a way around something without having to involve lawyers. The Internet creates too much of a 'grey area'.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 00:43:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Hello Mr Greenwood and Lady THO. Can you perhaps tell me if Elminster(and other former chosen) will become players in future 4e novels (snip)



Considering that part of the reasoning for inflicting the Sellplague and the timejump on the Realms was the badly-mistaken perception that Elminster and the Chosen were too prominent, I doubt we'll see much of them in post-3E material.

Of course, El and the Chosen weren't all that prominent, originally, until TSR started the thing of "Oooh, powerful people -- shove them into the spotlight and make sure they're involved in everything!" trend. So it's theoretically possible that years down the road, WotC (if it's still around) will decide to make that mistake again. I don't think it likely (they'll shove new powerful people into the spotlight and refuse to look at anyone else, like they've done with Shar and the Shades), but it could happen again.

And Ed has elaborated on this particular pre-4e tendency -- especially with respect to the appearances of Elminster and Storm in Realms fiction -- in his previous replies.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 01:10:23
Message:

Hello All,

Hooded One, can you ask Ed some insight on this and add your own if willing?

Nightal 1372

In my game the PC's set out to recover a member of their group, this NPC was hoodwinked by bodysnatcher thugs who unknowingly work for a Rakshasha who has set himself up in a ruin below ground within the forest outside Scornubel. The creature stumbled across lair some years back and has been unable to pierce or modify the many ancient wards of its original owner other than the Teleportation circle and an augmented summoning circle (I assumed that actual celestial blood enchanted to stay fresh and other components of celestial beings incorporated into the thaumaturgic bindings would make it more potent in containing very powerful fiends?) which the Rakshasha has only used to summon minor fiends so far. His understandings of the circles creation are poor and its actual creation process tax the fiend's magic even summoning minor fiends.

The ruin also has a permanent symbol of weakness which the rakshasha has enclosed into a caged area where he keeps his slaves and creatures he is selling to others. He has established an amicable relationship with an Ogre mage who has found and set up within the cavern that the teleportation circle sends travelers. The flow of travelers in and out of Scornubel make it a perfect location for such a business, the rakshasha has the option to buy slaves as well as snatch specific beings requested by his clients. The mage of group manages to scry their companion who is manacled and hooded within the cell area along with many others and decide to teleport right above them hoping to grab and go. Almost entire group fails save to symbol and several are left unable to move at all, in ensuing fight they manage to badly wound Rakshasha and hurt Ogre Mage who is present to purchase 'wares' and flee (via teleport) with companion and few slaves.

The Ogre mage decides to strike down the rakshaha (fiend still alive though) during the fight and throws him within symbol area after divesting him of all items, cast an alarm spell and leaves using teleportation circle.

Back in Scornubel, the cleric of group (selunite) goes to temple to seek assistance and inform them of slave ring and the clerics of temple agree to help him recover other captives once they have prepared themselves. Group also inform Palain of Torm who they have allied with in past and he demands they try and save captives immediately, with PC mage being only one able to take them to location. The other PC's are forced to remain behind so that clerics who can teleport once there back with captives can go along with paladin. PC mage takes the four of them and with protection against the necromanctic magic of the symbol they find the remaining living prisoners and a unconscious Rakshasha. The clerics teleport captives and rakshasha to temple but are now aware of the ruin itself and what could be called forth.

What would temple of Selune do?
The creature is currently helpless and badly wounded and I'm wondering if they would just decide it best to slay it or would they seek to question it to deal with its underlings within Scornubel who have stolen women and children for the creature? Secondly the ruin itself and the magic circle within, would the selunites seek to return and destroy such a place if they could or inform allied faiths better able to deal with it? Unbeknownst to all, the ruin is warded to direct all incoming teleporters to the actual symbol area where a dimensional lock spell would trigger as well as several other wards, all of which have become warped. Teleporting to the symbol area purposely somehow doesn't trigger these other traps, so the PC's were lucky to begin with.

The PC mage took an immediate interest in the ruin especilly the fact that an adamantine door within a far wall which no one was able to even approach might signify more magical goodness. The paladin does not yet know the awful nature of summoning circle (they were in and out too quickly and his detect evil was blocked by wall although he would have been stunned regardless) but will want it destroyed.

SOOOOOOOOOO the dilemma now for PC's (mage in particular since he knows location better than anyone else but still doesn't know its but few miles from Scornubel) is that depending on the swiftness of action by selunites and paladin, they will likely be asked to teleport do-gooders to ruin regardless of their own interest or possibly lose favor and allies within city. This is not even including the person the PC's work for would love first crack at this ruin regardless of who has a problem with it.

So would the church of Selune really care about this locale or be focused on dealing with rakshasha and his minions, clients, etc..?

Would the Paladin press the group to seeing it destroyed or would this fall into gray area of code of order, faith?


Whew, thanks


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 03:35:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by A Publishing Lackey
I know Ed wrote and published at least one novel (FOOL'S MASTER) before SPELLFIRE . . .
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
. . . (and the Heralds piece in one issue of GAMEPLAY, pre-1986) . . .
Blistering bibliographic barnacles!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 03:44:19
Message:

Heh. Channeling your inner Captain Haddock, Faraer?

FOOL'S MASTER is VERY rare and hard to find, and is a youth caper novel in the mold of Phil Stong's WAY DOWN CELLAR (or for English readers, a funnier version of Pertwee's classics THE ISLANDERS and ROUGH WATER). Even Ed calls it "more forgettable than fun, but as good as Gordon Korman. I was VERY young, and the book reads that way. With a lot of Wodehousian or Charterisian - - or even Bonfigliolian - - 'arch narrator' stuff."

GAMEPLAY Magazine was the short-lived periodical started by "Jake" Jaquet when he departed the editorship of DRAGON magazine. Ed wrote an article, "Heralds All Bright And Shining," on the Heralds (High Heralds and local heralds) of the Realms. (As he had the perfect legal right to do, in those pre-TSR-buying-the-Realms days; the article has NO game stats, it's pure lore of the Realms. TSR knew about it, and a photocopy of the article was included in Ed's turnover-to-TSR "bible" of the Realms, back in 1986.) Like the Ed Realms story used in one of the computer games (wherein we Knights galloped past a character on a road, and proffered our emptied teacups, a favourite Ed-penned image of mine), it seems destined for never-to-be-republished legal limbo, but Ed covered most of the same lore in his heralds stuff included in POWER OF FAERUN).

Essential root Realmslore; there you go. Just call me the Hooded Librarian. Wearing a smile, a hood, and my everpresent wristwatch. Glows in the dark so you can find me.
love,
THO


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 03:47:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Hello Mr Greenwood and Lady THO. Can you perhaps tell me if Elminster(and other former chosen) will become players in future 4e novels (snip)



Considering that part of the reasoning for inflicting the Sellplague and the timejump on the Realms was the badly-mistaken perception that Elminster and the Chosen were too prominent, I doubt we'll see much of them in post-3E material.

Of course, El and the Chosen weren't all that prominent, originally, until TSR started the thing of "Oooh, powerful people -- shove them into the spotlight and make sure they're involved in everything!" trend. So it's theoretically possible that years down the road, WotC (if it's still around) will decide to make that mistake again. I don't think it likely (they'll shove new powerful people into the spotlight and refuse to look at anyone else, like they've done with Shar and the Shades), but it could happen again.

And Ed has elaborated on this particular pre-4e tendency -- especially with respect to the appearances of Elminster and Storm in Realms fiction -- in his previous replies.



If what you've put forward is truly the reason, then why is Drizzt in 4e?

Sorry MT, didnt mean to get you in trouble here.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 03:59:19
Message:

Ah, well, the answer to that, Drizztsmanchild, is that Drizzt is a strong, steady fiction seller for Wizards (probably more so than the rest of the Realms, now that 4e has come about). I'd expect that Wizards would keep Drizzt even if the Realms faded away, for that reason alone.
Wooly is quite right to point at TSR for starting the "iconic characters" thing. (Drizzt for Bob, Elminster for Ed, and so on.) I suspect that they still push for that. You can see Bob writing a Wulfgar Drizzt book, an Artemis Drizzt book, and so on, among his later works, trying to get out of the box or at least expand it, and Ed only managed to take a breather from Elminster by doing the Knights books and including Old El in them anyway; if Ed does future Realms novels, I'll wager they'll have Elminster front and centre because it'll be a condition of Ed getting to write them that they "star" Elminster (notice how much of ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER was about El, rather than his daughter?).
So don't blame Ed if it's Elminster all the way. That's the thing all the Net posters who claim Ed has this love-thing for Elminster, or the Old Mage is his male Mary Sue, and so on all misunderstand: like any freelancer, Ed gets a writing ASSIGNMENT. It's a credit to his skill and style that he can sneak so much Realmslore into his books, and so much detail about ALL the characters, not just the old bearded guy with the hawk nose and the smart mouth . . .
(Whom I, personally, love. Thanks to some incidents in play with certain of my characters [and no, they were NOT sexual in nature].)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 05:25:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Just call me the Hooded Librarian. Wearing a smile, a hood, and my everpresent wristwatch.
That's it? That's all you're wearing?

My lady, you don't need to "glow in the dark." I've no doubt that I'll find you easily enough.

Is groping in the dark still an appropriate search method for you?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 05:26:20
Message:

I've made comments to the effect that I feel sorry for RAS, and that people shouldn't dislike him because of Drizzt - I think Drizzt has become more of an albatross for him.

Heck.. I got to give him credit... the first book in the Sellswords series actually started out as a Drizzt novel. Pretty clever the way he steered a lot of it away from Drizzt himself.

And after your last comment, THO, I'm starting to see that Elminster has become somewhat of an albatross for Ed.

And here I thought only actors could get 'type cast'.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 05:30:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Hello Mr Greenwood and Lady THO. Can you perhaps tell me if Elminster(and other former chosen) will become players in future 4e novels (snip)



Considering that part of the reasoning for inflicting the Sellplague and the timejump on the Realms was the badly-mistaken perception that Elminster and the Chosen were too prominent, I doubt we'll see much of them in post-3E material.

Of course, El and the Chosen weren't all that prominent, originally, until TSR started the thing of "Oooh, powerful people -- shove them into the spotlight and make sure they're involved in everything!" trend. So it's theoretically possible that years down the road, WotC (if it's still around) will decide to make that mistake again. I don't think it likely (they'll shove new powerful people into the spotlight and refuse to look at anyone else, like they've done with Shar and the Shades), but it could happen again.

And Ed has elaborated on this particular pre-4e tendency -- especially with respect to the appearances of Elminster and Storm in Realms fiction -- in his previous replies.



If what you've put forward is truly the reason, then why is Drizzt in 4e?

Sorry MT, didnt mean to get you in trouble here.

It's as the Lady Hooded One said. Simply, Drizzt equals increased sales. And since a few of the more prominent pre-4e "iconic NPCs" have either been killed off or died during the period before, or in the interim between between 1375 DR and 1479 DR, Drizzt remains one of the few that will have enough reason to be carried into the future material.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 06:04:00
Message:

Thank you all for your answers. I'm pretty much a novel person and again hope that novels pertaining to the lost or missing info during the 100 jump(with certain Npcs) will present themselves in the near future.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 15:38:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Thank you all for your answers. I'm pretty much a novel person and again hope that novels pertaining to the lost or missing info during the 100 jump(with certain Npcs) will present themselves in the near future.



That'd be nice, but it's pretty much been stated they're not touching that timeframe. We can hope they change their minds, but I, for one, am not holding my breath.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 15:55:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Thank you all for your answers. I'm pretty much a novel person and again hope that novels pertaining to the lost or missing info during the 100 jump(with certain Npcs) will present themselves in the near future.



That'd be nice, but it's pretty much been stated they're not touching that timeframe. We can hope they change their minds, but I, for one, am not holding my breath.

Though, we've already had a few examples of writers offering "flashbacks" and historical tidbits -- in their novels -- about events that occurred during the interim period between 1375DR and 1479DR. Like Steven Schend's Blackstaff Tower for example.

Granted, it's not an entire focus on times past, but it's all we're likely to receive for the time being.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 16:31:44
Message:

Brian's post-plague timeline, despite not being offical (or canon, but I understand we had a comment on that already) is quite useful as well.
I am interested to know if any authors would use it as a reference for events that pertain their novels (or adventures).
In the end, I assume Bruce Cordell and Susan Morris keep tabs on realmslore continuity, but I do wonder how they do that - whether they have this list of 'stuff to check for', or just go at it at random.
Hmm. Would Ed use the timeline as a reference (assuming it would matter in what he writes)?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 16:49:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Thank you all for your answers. I'm pretty much a novel person and again hope that novels pertaining to the lost or missing info during the 100 jump(with certain Npcs) will present themselves in the near future.



That'd be nice, but it's pretty much been stated they're not touching that timeframe. We can hope they change their minds, but I, for one, am not holding my breath.



Well, except for Mr. Cordell's novels.


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 28 Apr 2009 17:08:50
Message:

Query: Would I find anything like a bastle house in the Realms? I recall a Dragon article (this would have been part of Elminster's Guide to the Realms, probably early #300s) detailing an inn in the wilderness. As I think of it now, it had very limited physical defenses, despite its isolation.

And, as I thought on what home construction I've seen, I don't recall a lot of obvious preparations for the typical, limited (non-magic-using) orc raid on an isolated (non-magic-having) farmstead.

Any thoughts from the Forêt Vert?


Reply author: Sparrowhawk963
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 01:23:52
Message:

I don't know if anyone has asked or not. But I would like to know why more of Ed Greenwood's books aren't audio books? Especially the Elminster series. The only audio books I can find from Ed are A Dragon's Ascension, The Dragon's Doom, and The Kingless Land. Thanks


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 02:16:50
Message:

Hi, Sparrowhawk963,
I can tell you that Blackstone Audiobooks has released all five of Ed's Tor titles (THE KINGLESS LAND, THE VACANT THRONE, A DRAGON'S ASCENSION, A DRAGON'S DOOM, and THE SILENT HOUSE) as cassette-set audiobooks.
Brilliance Audio (based in Michigan) has released the first two of Ed's Solaris titles (DARK LORD and ARCH WIZARD) as CD audio books, and ARCH WIZARD also as a MP3-CD set.
All in English; I believe there are also some foreign-language audio editions (Italian, German, Spanish, and French for sure).
That's because Ed holds the copyrights for those books, and his agent licenses the audio rights.
TSR/WotC/Hasbro owns all rights to Ed's Realms books, and as far as I know, has never bothered to make any of them available as audio editions (though I've heard rumors of the existence of MAKING OF A MAGE and SPELLFIRE audio editions). You'll have to ask them why they've never sought wider markets for titles they own; it seems a poor business decision for me (if licensed, the licensor bears the costs of the recording and distribution, so any profit is profit to the publisher; even if there's little or no profit, it expands the number of people who have been exposed to an author, and therefore may become potential book purchasers in future).
But then, I've been involved in book publishing, off and on, for more years than either TSR or Wizards of the Coast has existed - - so what do I know?
love,
THO


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 03:40:35
Message:

Figuring Ed might be a bit of a history Buff, I was wondering if was watching Spike's new Show "Deadliest Warrior."

(Article by Newsarama link: http://www.newsarama.com/tv/090421-deadliest-warriors.html)

Basically experts use the deadliest weapons of the warrior, test on human analogs like pigs and ballistic gel with organs and bones with sensors taking readings. Then they run 1000 battles on a gaming computer so powerful it isn't out yet, to take luck out of it.

So far there have been three shows and one on now.

Apache vs. Gladiator (Winner: Apache)
Viking vs. Samurai (winner: Samurai)
Ninja vs. Spartan (Winner: Spartan)
Pirate (Blackbeard version) vs. Knight (Winner: Pirate)

Next Week: Mafia Vs. Yakuza (20th century versions)

Any thoughts on this show?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 04:30:39
Message:

When they run Elminster vs Khelben, let me know.

Also, I want to hear Ed's FR novels narrated by the man himself - you could probably get big bucks for those.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 05:25:08
Message:

I'd like the show better if it were a ladders system. So the next one should be Apache vs. Samurai, then Spartan vs. Pirate, then the winners of both.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 10:57:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm

Figuring Ed might be a bit of a history Buff, I was wondering if was watching Spike's new Show "Deadliest Warrior."

(Article by Newsarama link: http://www.newsarama.com/tv/090421-deadliest-warriors.html)

Basically experts use the deadliest weapons of the warrior, test on human analogs like pigs and ballistic gel with organs and bones with sensors taking readings. Then they run 1000 battles on a gaming computer so powerful it isn't out yet, to take luck out of it.

So far there have been three shows and one on now.

Apache vs. Gladiator (Winner: Apache)
Viking vs. Samurai (winner: Samurai)
Ninja vs. Spartan (Winner: Spartan)
Pirate (Blackbeard version) vs. Knight (Winner: Pirate)

Next Week: Mafia Vs. Yakuza (20th century versions)

Any thoughts on this show?




gots several, but mostly I want to see
ninja vs. Apache


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 15:08:47
Message:

Hi again, all. Foxhelm, I don't know if Ed's been watching that show. He has very little "tube time" these days, what with the logjam of work, family stuff, library stuff, and so on. I know he tries to catch The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) when he can, and Mike Holmes and Good Eats from time to time, but . . .
One thing I DO know is that just under 30 years ago, when Ed was a journalism student covering a case, he suggested to a Toronto police forensics guy that they use a "plug" of raw pork (by firing a bullet into it) for a comparison with a body. The policeman started to brush him off with "sounds like science fiction," but another cop said of course they would (it turns out that Ed has earlier covered a story about a meat processor near the Toronto stockyards (gone now) who "deboned" hogs for delivery to meat canning plants (for the Canadian equivalent of Spam and similar "lunch meats"). Ed was also involved in the early days of the SCA up in Canada, and they did some "fire arrows into phone books" and "hack at particular-density foam with various swords" tests. So the show sounds like it would be right up Ed's alley, so to speak.
I am awaiting word from the Bearded One right now, so I'll put this to him along with the rest of the recent lore queries, scribes . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 15:22:19
Message:

I seem to remember seeing a Japanese Ed audiobook once, too.
And having heard Ed give readings at ABA (now Book Expo America) in the past, I heartily concur: Ed is a MAGNIFICENT reader. He did volunteer CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) book readings for years, and not a few library program book readings, too. I understand that he writes and reads an annual Christmas story at the Port hope library where he works part-time now, in semi-retirement from library work (why semi-retired? because we Realms fans keep him too busy, folks!).


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 15:53:09
Message:

Well, it is interesting. Perhaps he can catch up on it later or when it comes to DVD.

I can remember the Spartan fight as it own about 60% of the battles due to it's shield (which it could use as a blunt weapon). The host mentioned the Ninja could harm or distract the Spartan, but the Spartan could kill the Ninja.

The Pirate one due to a Grenada, an early Grenade and the Blunderbust, the early Shotgun. It is interesting that the final killing blow by the Pirate was with the Knight on his back. The Pirate pull the visor and shot him with a Flintlock Pistol at close range.

Also about the Ladder system, they haven't ruled it out in later episodes. So you might see Apache vs. Samurai or Pirate vs. Spartan in the future.

They haven't ruled out shows on fan favourites or fictional characters, they just need raw data for the last one. So there could be Pirate vs. Ninja or they have suggested the Thing based on the data from the motion picture.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 15:55:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Foxhelm, I don't know if Ed's been watching that show. He has very little "tube time" these days, what with the logjam of work, family stuff, library stuff, and so on. I know he tries to catch The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) when he can, and Mike Holmes and Good Eats from time to time, but . . .


Really? Ed likes Jon Stewart? That is so cool!

Does he also watch The Colbert Report?


quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

One thing I DO know is that just under 30 years ago, when Ed was a journalism student covering a case, he suggested to a Toronto police forensics guy that they use a "plug" of raw pork (by firing a bullet into it) for a comparison with a body. The policeman started to brush him off with "sounds like science fiction," but another cop said of course they would (it turns out that Ed has earlier covered a story about a meat processor near the Toronto stockyards (gone now) who "deboned" hogs for delivery to meat canning plants (for the Canadian equivalent of Spam and similar "lunch meats"). Ed was also involved in the early days of the SCA up in Canada, and they did some "fire arrows into phone books" and "hack at particular-density foam with various swords" tests. So the show sounds like it would be right up Ed's alley, so to speak.




That's cool... Most of my knowledge of these things comes from Mythbusters.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 16:00:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

TSR/WotC/Hasbro owns all rights to Ed's Realms books, and as far as I know, has never bothered to make any of them available as audio editions (though I've heard rumors of the existence of MAKING OF A MAGE and SPELLFIRE audio editions).
How old are these rumours? For curiosity's sake...


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 16:11:14
Message:

Where would we be able to discuss Ed's recent non-FR books?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 16:19:13
Message:

Ahhh... two unsung geniuses of our time, Alton Brown and Jon Stewart.

I was a mere dabbler in the culinary arts until I began watching Good Eats. Knowing the 'why' of the ingredients leads to creating new dishes and no longer being restricted to the printed recipe.

And Jon Stewart is the true heir (and weird bastard son) of Carson and Cronkite.

Now, for a question (brought on by thoughts of news):

'Broadsheets' in Waterdeep. Any new popular sheets? Any of the old sheets (Waterdeep Wazoo, The New Waterdhavian) still in circulation? How have they 'evolved' over the period of the Spellplague?

(Re: Evolved; I'm thinking of how news media evolved over the years. For instance: newspapers & jingoism during the Spanish-American war; newsreels during WWII; television news during McCarthy, then Vietnam, then CNN)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 Apr 2009 16:42:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Barshevy

Where would we be able to discuss Ed's recent non-FR books?

So long as you've got questions pertaining to those non-FR books that have been written by Ed, you're free to ask them here in this scroll. I've done this before, with respect to Steven Schend's and Thomas Reid's non-FR works.

If you're looking to discuss the novels themselves though, I suppose we can make a little room on the Novels shelf for those particular discussions.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 15:30:13
Message:

Hello again, all. Ed is ALMOST ready to return to daily Realmslore replies (edappel, he's mindful of the timeliness of your request), but briefly e-mailed me last night, so I can now answer this query, from Longtime Lurker: "Hmmm. Dear Lady THO and Ed,
All this talk of Volo reminds me of a rumor that was making the rounds some years back. So I thought I'd ask: is there, or is there not, an unpublished Volo story (by Ed) kept under wraps all these years because of its amusing and scatalogical nature?
Or was that just the fabrication of someone wanting to inflate Ed's "dirty minded" reputation? Thanks."
Ed replies:


No, there are no unpublished Volo stories. There are about a dozen one- or two-liner "Volo jokes" (like Laurel & Hardy moments of er, witty repartee), wherein Volo makes some idiotic or inappropriate response to some "real" sitation in the Realms, dashed off for the amusement of various TSR staffers in e-mails, over the years, but no, no stories.
Not that I wouldn't mind writing one . . .


So saith Ed. Heh. About what I expected.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 20:30:49
Message:

A quick question: Did the moderators ever open a separate thread for the discussion of who was the author of Filfaeril Bound and Walking? And if not, and nobody's guessed correctly, maybe we can have a clue form Ed or our lady?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 20:42:39
Message:

New Guess: King Azoun himself.

He wrote it as a lark, for him and Fee to enjoy, and someone got their hands on it.

I still have no idea who would have gotten it published - it may have even been Alusair just before she ran-awy (trying to cause a scandal and re-direct attention away from herself). In other words, it could have been anyone who had access to the private royal chambers - Servants, War Wizards, High Knights, advisors, family members (inluding cousins, uncles, etc), certain Harpers, etc, etc....


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 21:19:21
Message:

Hello,

Is Jergal a creation of Ed's?

If so is this scroll of names of all the dead an artifact within itself and does it grant any powers if read from, does Jergal write down the souls truename or name they had in life?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 23:19:08
Message:

Yes, Jergal is an Ed creation, but he's been fleshed out by Julia Martin, Eric Boyd, George Krashos and others from what little lore Ed provided. Off to Ed your query goes . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 30 Apr 2009 23:34:27
Message:

Thanks lady,

Any insight on my Selune clergy question?


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 01 May 2009 08:42:40
Message:

Ok I have another question.


How exactly did Shar prevent a new GoM from ascending. And why did Ao allow it? I thought the Overgod was all about balance of the pantheon?
(So it's 2 questions)lol ;)

If NDA's are involved I understand:)


Reply author: Stranjer
Replied on: 01 May 2009 11:10:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Ok I have another question.


How exactly did Shar prevent a new GoM from ascending. And why did Ao allow it? I thought the Overgod was all about balance of the pantheon?
(So it's 2 questions)lol ;)

If NDA's are involved I understand:)



Well, I can almost guarantee NDAs are involved, but its all because WotC wanted to be rid of her, I suppose. If you are looking for a lore answer, I guess it would be because unlike the Karsus tried to steal the mantel of God of magic from Mystryl, or when the Time of Troubles killed the old one, giving rise to Mystra(Midnight version), she didn't transfer her power over to anyone. With Karsus, she had cut him off while hes was trying to take her power, so she transfered some to him, but probably retained most of her divinity/portfolio. During Time of Troubles, she foresaw herself getting kicked out of Heaven so to speak, so before that happened transferred a good portion to Elminster, who held onto it. I believe(quite possibly incorrectly here) that El had most of her power held within himself, so there was a lot more around than that she lost when challenging Helm. And even that power she passed a good portion of to Midnight.

Also, if you read the Avatar series, you would remember that as Ao proves, both by his existance and his deference, there is ALWAYS someone higher up to answer to.(Didnt mean to get religious there, especially since I'm not religious by nature, just thought that analogy was fitting)


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 01 May 2009 11:20:19
Message:

Actually, it was revealed that though Mystra is the most powerful goddess, this is becasue of her Chosen, who retain (if I'm not mistaken) half her power, thus preventing her from taking over. So El did have a good portion of her power within herself even before the ToT, being one of the earlier Chosen.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 01 May 2009 15:34:26
Message:

The most simplest answer is that Ao (after three dieties) didn't want another deity of magic, seeing as it was too powerful a portfolio and caused too much strife, so he didn't allow for a new one. Though there also may not have been another candidate (Elminster wouldn't be a good candidate if only because he wouldn't want to).
It may be that in future editions he'll change his mind again.

Gomez


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 01 May 2009 15:54:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

The most simplest answer is that Ao (after three dieties) didn't want another deity of magic, seeing as it was too powerful a portfolio and caused too much strife, so he didn't allow for a new one. Though there also may not have been another candidate (Elminster wouldn't be a good candidate if only because he wouldn't want to).
It may be that in future editions he'll change his mind again.

Gomez



That is the simplest explanation -- but it's explicitly stated that only Ao can allow or disallow the ascension of a new deity, and it's explicitly stated that Shar is the one that stopped it, this time.

But my feelings on this one are well-known, so I'm not going to further clutter this thread with them.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 May 2009 16:31:34
Message:

However, Ao's main job is to make sure the deities are acting within their portfolios, and if Shar's methods can be directly attributed to her portfolio, then Ao would indeed allow it.

In other words, Shar is the one that stopped a new god from ascending, but Ao could have intervened if he wanted to (but he didn't, which is telling - he probably got tired of the 'Mystra of the Month' club).

Another theory is that Ao himself (itself?) was 'damaged' during the Spellplague, which sounds a bit far-fetched, but would explain the return of Abeir. From all appearances, it was Ao that kept Abeir's existance hidden from everyone, and it looks as though he lost control of that, for whatever reason, when the Spellplague hit. Ergo, I propose Ao himself was either too busy or perhaps even injured (power-drained) just by trying to keep the various worlds seperated (not just Abeir and Toril, but also form keeping parts of the feywild and Shadowfel from merging with parts of Realmspace).

Normally protecting Realmspace is part of Mystra's job, which she delegates to her Chosen (see Elminster in Hell). With Mystra gone and the Weave collapsing, Ao was forced to step-in and stop the implosion of the Realm's plane. This could also be the reason why he is not reacting to ANY of the divine strangeness - he is recovering, and in the mean-time the gods have 'run amok', killing and absorbing each other, invading other pantheon's ZOC's, grabbing redundant portfolios (Set and Zehir), etc, etc... Ao is on sabaticcal.

Which is a great way for them to bring about the 5e changes - the return of Ao! <don't throw stuff at me>

@Drizztmanchild:
Ed has already stated (through THO) that he will NOT answer 4e-specific questions because he is not entirely sure of WotC's ideas for most things in that timeframe, and does not wat to contradict anything they may have planned. Returned Abeir (Laerakond) questions are exceptable because Ed himself is in charge of developing that particular region in 4e.

Questions regarding the Spellplague, the events leading up to it, and the results of it are all definately taboo subjects. This is something WotC is purposely keeping mysterious, and Ed certainly won't tread into that territory, more then any other.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 May 2009 16:52:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

But my feelings on this one are well-known, so I'm not going to further clutter this thread with them.
Indeed.

Folks, I think we should probably take this discussion to another scroll. So please, if you're interested in exploring this subject more, I'd recommend opening a new scroll.

Let's leave this scroll for questions and answers to/from Ed.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 01 May 2009 17:19:18
Message:

Thanks for the heads up MT. Sage: I wasn't trying to derail the thread with my question.
Just impatient with the lack of info. I dont really mind the jump just looking for info.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 02 May 2009 02:31:40
Message:

I just saw a note at the Wizards board from Chris Perkins that Ed's going to have a monthly column in one of the magazines!

Well, specifically he says, "Starting in May, we will have no fewer than one 4E Forgotten Realms article every month, to which we'll add a spankin'-new column by Ed Greenwood.

Is the piece titled "Gontal" scheduled for May 22nd in Dragon an entry in Ed's column? One of the articles? Both? And may I say "Yippeee!"?


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 02 May 2009 02:45:24
Message:

Ed,

I asked you a while back about shops in large towns (namely Thunderstone), but I realized I may have worded some questions poorly. My intention to ask about "can shops with similar wares co-exist" was meant to or would there typically be only should they

It's the game rules (and Volo's Guides, also) that prompted this question; namely, that Craft-skills in 3E allow you pretty much to work anything from your chosen material. Not to mention that members of certain classes (Expert, since we're talking about "non-adventuring" professionals) could (and probably would) logically invest in more than one Craft and/or Profession skills in 3E.

For example, a carpenter might "legally" work as a carpenter, thatcher/roofer, woodcarver, furniture-maker, wheelwright/wagon-builder, cooper and so on. All that and even more for a single skill, although in my opinion each of them should be a "subskill". Many times this also seems to be the case in Volo's guides, i.e. a carpenter is also an expert cooper, wheelwright and sledge-maker.

Anyway, I know that it depends on a number of factors (resources, location, etc.), but when we're talking about your "average" large towns in the Realms, would it be more likely that there's only one craftsman/shop handling all business of one material, or would there be more than one but each "specialized" in a certain products?

For example, if Gulthaeron the Leatherworker of 'Gulthaeron's Leatherworks' has set up in shop in town X, would it be likely that he makes and/or sells *all* hide/leather products (gloves, tack & harness, straps, saddles, scabbards, etc.)? Or would it be more likely that town X has several leatherworkers, such as 'Skondul's Scabbards' and 'Horthavir's Gloves' and 'Fondelmeir's Furs' in addition to Gultharon's shop? And if there is an "allgoods"/sundries shop in town, would it affect this?

And applying the same to armorers, would the same town X have several armorers such as Roldron the Shieldmaker (specialized in shields and shoulder guards) and Jelkraen (specialized in gauntlets and heavy armor; does not sell or make masterwork items), or just one who makes and/or sells "everything"?

If there are "specialists", such as craftsmen who work on wooden items, what is the "limit" of specialization in "average" towns? Could Roldron the Woodcarver -- who crafts pipes and figurines of wood and ivory -- make a decent living, or are his wares already covered by general stores or even a "generic" carpenter/woodworker who imports all wooden items and/or crafts them with several hirelings/apprentices? And if Roldron makes pipes, would he also sell tobacco on the side, or is that more likely to be found in the general store -- or even in both shops?

I know it's hard to make any generalizations (and this whole question may seem a bit silly) but this is something that really bothers me because the 3E rules allow for it, and Volo's Guides also have numerous such shops in them.

Thank you, Ed and THO, in advance!


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 02 May 2009 03:50:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

I just saw a note at the Wizards board from Chris Perkins that Ed's going to have a monthly column in one of the magazines!

Well, specifically he says, "Starting in May, we will have no fewer than one 4E Forgotten Realms article every month, to which we'll add a spankin'-new column by Ed Greenwood.

Is the piece titled "Gontal" scheduled for May 22nd in Dragon an entry in Ed's column? One of the articles? Both? And may I say "Yippeee!"?



Good to know.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 02 May 2009 09:33:11
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Actually, it was revealed that though Mystra is the most powerful goddess, this is becasue of her Chosen, who retain (if I'm not mistaken) half her power, thus preventing her from taking over. So El did have a good portion of her power within herself even before the ToT, being one of the earlier Chosen.



Sadly enough, this is only conjecture and not fact.

It apparently goes something like this - In the begining, Mystra was almost as powerful as Ao himself (or maybe as powerful, or more powerful - who knows). This is because she (the Weave) permeates everything in the world. She touches everything, which gives her immense power. As a result, Ao asked her (nicely, I presume) if she couldn't weaken herself a little, and being the Good deity she is (even though she was probably CN or LN at the time), she gave up a little of her power by investing it within her Chosen.

If I remember correctly, she can't take this power back from the Chosen, nor can they voluntarily give it back to her. When a Chosen dies, that power is lost.

But that's just one theory. We don't really know anything definitively about the gods, and the gods themselves, understandably, aren't talking. From a game point of view, the beauty of this is that it then becomes up to the DM to determine the truth (if he or she needs to), keeps the deities themselves and their plans mysterious and unknowable, and keeps the players (and readers) guessing.

By the way... Because Mystra gave up some of her power to her Chosen, Chauntea is probably more powerful than Mystra. In 3.5e Chauntea has the highest DR of any Faerunian deity (sitting at DR 19 - I think that was higher than Mystra, who was DR 18 iirc (I still have no access to my books ). For some reason people (and deities like Shar or Cyric) don't seem as threatened by Chauntea as they are by Mystra! (I'd talk about this some more, but I don't think this is the place for it. Maybe I'll write a post about it for my blog... )


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 May 2009 16:45:05
Message:

Hi again, all.
I'm thinking Ed would regard it as less than professional to let slip much of anything about the new column unless Wizards gives him permission to do so. It's my strong suspicion that Gontal, whether or not it's based on Ed's writing or uses the Ed Gontal writeup trimmed from the Campaign Guide for space reasons, probably won't be part of the column. Unless the DRAGON editorship makes it so, of course.
Asgetrion, Ed will answer you properly when he can, but the short answer is this: in the Realms, except by government fiat (which always in turn creates a behind-doors "black market" in competition), it's nigh-impossible to create monopolies ecept in VERY small settlements (i.e. you open an inn and one or two people build homes nearby). In almost every established village and certainly in every town, there's more than one source for everything. Even if you're the only skilled armorer in town, someone will be selling used, salvaged armor, some smith will be making and selling crude armor pieces, and someone who isn't a smith will be punching holes in scrap pieces of metal and lacing them together with leather thongs into clanking "plate shirts" of some sort. So, no, "cornering the market" will be very rare, and very hard to do for long.
Influencing PRICES, now, a la Silk in the Eddings novels and many merchant cabals in the Realms, that's another matter . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 02 May 2009 18:39:46
Message:

So to answer Asgeterion's question, YES, you would find several different people in larger settements plying the same trade, buuuuut...

You will find that some are known better then others for certain things. Ergo, every leatherworkr can make just about any leather product, but one may be more famous for the fit of his gloves, whist another would be known for his splendid armor, and yet another would win reknown for his fine boots, etc...

But they can all do everything, if need be, so competition does exist regardless of specialization.

I think that was what Asgetrion was looking for. He specifically mentions carpenters, and being one for my entire life I am considered a specialist in certain things (Deck-building and Windows), but I can do everything (Roofs, siding, furniture-building, etc..), so I thought it was okay for me to add to what THO said because of my RW expertise.

You'll find it's usually better for busines to focus your skill set a little, but not to limit yourself by doing so.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 May 2009 19:21:27
Message:

The new Gontal article is by Bruce Cordell.

Gomez


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 02 May 2009 23:46:58
Message:

Thank you for your answers, Lady THO and Markus!

You know, my question was prompted such shops as, for example, 'Wheloon Tack & Leather' (Volo's Guide to Cormyr, p.113), which seem to handle nearly all products made from a material (in this case scabbards, gloves, tack & harness, breeches, belts, scabbards, leather armor and so on).

Maybe Lady THO can also answer this one, too, without "bothering" Ed: A lot of Herbs/Component shops in the Realms also seem to sell and/or produce scents as well, but not dyes or pigments. Why is that? I'm curious, because you would think that cheaper scents are as hard to make as dyes or inks... of course, I'm not an expert on this issue, so my own reasoning may be far from the truth!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 May 2009 16:12:55
Message:

Certainly I can answer that one. Herbs and scents tend to be sold in small vials (if powdered or liquid), or small pouches (if loose herbs, or if the scent permeates a cloth or natural sponge). In other words, small containers, in shops that can be set up to sell small items and so carry a wide variety.
Cosmetics and paints have tended to be controlled, in larger urban centers, by different guilds or cabals than herbs (which can often be gathered wild, locally, and so sold by non-guilded "commoners").
"Larger" dyes (garment dyes) in the Realms tend to be used in the form of vats or open half-barrels, into which clothing is immersed, stirred, and held down with a frame that in turn is held down by stones. So a dye shop will tend to be a messy place requiring a large (but roofed, to keep rain out, which will dilute the dyes) floor area.
In other words, aside from a few places where there ARE legal or guild prohibitions, there's nothing stopping anyone from selling both dyes and herbs. It's just unusual, because of the mercantile requirements.
This "take" of mine isn't based on Ed's notes, but IS based on in-character discussions with Ed (and overheard, as Ed as DM spoke to others) over years and years of play in the Realms.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 May 2009 15:31:09
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I've noticed that Ed is doing design work for Golarion (Paizo) and Zobeck (Kobold Quarterly) and probably some other fantasy settings, too. I'd like to ask Ed: how does it feel to design in someone else's sandbox? It's different from "doing Realms" how, exactly?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 May 2009 15:35:40
Message:

Hmm, I recall Ed answering that very question for someone else (relayed via me), and I'll poke around and see if I can find that e-mail, to quote from, here.
Re. what I posted earlier about Ed's audiobooks; I need to correct something. Brilliance Audio has released both DARK LORD and ARCH WIZARD as multi-audio CD sets AND as single-CD MP3 releases (all in the same sort of plastic snap-cases, and unabridged).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 May 2009 15:43:12
Message:

Hi again, all. Also, to this, from Drizztsmanchild: "How exactly did Shar prevent a new GoM from ascending. And why did Ao allow it? I thought the Overgod was all about balance of the pantheon?
(So it's 2 questions)lol ;)
If NDA's are involved I understand:)"
I shall essay a reply, before Ed weighs in:

Yes, NDAs ARE involved, but so is something else Ed tends to cleave to: that mortals can rarely know or fully understand the truths about the gods and their dealings. (After all, how would any mortal in the Realms really KNOW? If the mortal gets told directly by the god that such-and-such happened or so-and-so is the truth, can the god be trusted? After all, if they're trying to get more worshippers, they're essentially always advertising or doing PR work for themselves, not necessarily presenting unvarnished truth.)
I quite understand (being, ahem, a mortal human myself, despite what some may believe) the human nature of REALLY WANTING TO KNOW all about the gods, and dealings between them, and who's more powerful, and how their magics work, and so on. Knowing this will make any DM's job easier.
Yet it will also "handcuff" every DM to a specific world-view that, in the age of the Internet, inevitably many players will know, too ("But Odin would win, so Loki CAN'T pull that off!") - - and it also essentially reduces gods to an arms race of newer, shinier models with more features, rather than keeping things mysterious and therefore capable of inducing awe. Which is a tragic loss in anyone's roleplaying experience.

So saith me, quoting extensively from Ed's notes on the subject.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 May 2009 15:45:45
Message:

LOL

Technically, when Ed does 'Realms design', he IS designing in someone else's sandbox.

Unless you think Ed used the Spellplague and has Returned Abeir floating around his Realms. Even in 1e/2e/3e the canon Realms were always different then Ed's version, and with each edition is grows further from the original.

Only THO (of the folks here) has been lucky enough to have a gander at Ed's sandbox...

I wonder what she let him see in return....


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 May 2009 16:05:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I wonder what she let him see in return....
Maybe it was kind of a "Let me show you my wares" deal.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 04 May 2009 19:52:17
Message:

Greetings.

A season or so ago Ed was nice enough to confirm my theory on how the currents in the Trackless Sea functioned, here.

But today I was looking into some information for a player about travel between Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep via ship and the information I found seemed contradictory. It listed travel from Waterdeep to Baldur's Gate as 9 days and the opposite route as 7. This seems to imply that one would be going against the current heading south and with it heading north.

Hooded Lady could you or Ed shed some light on this?

My theory is that it may function something like the Pacific Ocean on this map. Note the small cycle at the top and the much larger cycle in the middle.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 May 2009 22:38:18
Message:

According to Maztica, there is a clockwise current that travels sluggishly up the coasts of Maztica and Anchorome, across the north (and past Evermeet), and then south along the swordcoast, and then returns once again to Maztica as it goes past Chult and the Shining Sea.

That is the water current. Any loose floating flotsam would eventually drift around from one continent to the other, if it were afloat long enough.

HOWEVER, sailing ships depend on wind-power, and the prevailing winds blow in a north-westerly fashion off the Sea of Swords, such that a sailing ship under a steady wind would be able to easilly defeat the weak ocean current (which is actually stronger below the surface). Ocean currents are NOT like rivers - they have only a minute effect on surface objects, unlike wind.

It is those same warm southern winds that make The North and places like Ten Towns bearable, and keeps harbors from freezing-over during the winter months.

Hope that helps.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 May 2009 23:31:00
Message:

Bingo. Dead on, Markustay. A perfect answer; saves me from doing the honours.
At least (purr) in THAT way.
love,
THO


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 05 May 2009 15:14:23
Message:

Hey THO or Ed...
I've posted this question at another topic, but they told me to make this question for you.

There is any non-capitalism society at FR? Like a village with co-operative work and without monetary coins and leaders.

Thanks,


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 05 May 2009 17:07:29
Message:

Thanks Markustay and thanks for confirming THO. It makes a lot of sense when explained that way. For some reason I always assumed wind current and water current tended to sync up. Though I have very little nautical knowledge. Good to know.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 May 2009 17:10:09
Message:

No problem - because of where I live and the varied and sometimes bizarre weather swings we experience, I am very much aware of what happens when you have air and water currents in competition.

And thanks for the compliment, THO - FR geography and what effects it is sort of 'my thing'.

I am always glad to service a Lady.. err.. I mean "be at service to a Lady".



quote:
Originally posted by edappel

There is any non-capitalism society at FR? Like a village with co-operative work and without monetary coins and leaders.

Thri-Kreen.

Sorry, couldn't resist.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 06 May 2009 01:34:09
Message:

Another one to my ever-growing pile of Thuderstone questions: which goods are crafted/made/sold locally in Thunderstone (beyond the obvious ones, i.e. ale/wine, foodstuffs, timber/wood, and livestock/steeds) and which are imported?

EDIT: The point of this question is that would crystal and glass items, for example, be manufactured and sold locally or rather imported? And would they be "luxury" items sold in a "finery/luxury" shop, or cheaper items (bottles, glasses, flasks and so on) in a "common" shop and crystal statues and spyglasses (for example) in a "luxury" shop?

Once again my humblest thanks, Ed and THO!


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 06 May 2009 08:41:10
Message:

Hello Ed, LHO, and scribes,

I've been re-reading the "Best of Ed" realms anthologies and I had a question from "Tears So White". I was wondering if Rhaugilath the Ageless was one of the liches involved in the mythal-tampering in that story, either directly or indirectly. Thanks Ed and LHO!


Reply author: lordsknight185
Replied on: 06 May 2009 20:56:18
Message:

Hello Ed, THO, and scribes,

I made a thread elsewhere but was told i sould post here instead.

The French braid.

My cousin is in the planning stages of her first novel when she hit a snag. What are french braids called in the realms?

We search for real-world alternatives for the name "french braid" But since the french braid was made by a frenchmen no other name exists

The snag? There is no france in faerun.

She said it would have no troubles simply describing it, But i wanted to look upon my elders to see if they had any thoughts on the matter.

--Johnny


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 06 May 2009 21:57:55
Message:

Well yesterday the Mafia beat the Yukuza in "Deadliest Warrior" and next Tuesday it is the Green Berets versus the Russian Spetznaz. If Ed wants a heads up try this link for the site including Aftermath discussing Controversies over why each side won.

But for a question? What would be the various non-human versions of the Organized clan-based crime families in the realms and how do they work and what are their specialties (weapons, businesses, tactics)?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 May 2009 23:09:43
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed remains as busy as several presidents and prime ministers rolled into one (and remember, all of those gentlemen have large staffs to help them accomplish things), but I see a query I can answer with reference to Ed's notes:

lordsknight185, I can tell you that the classic (single, down the back) French braid is known in the Realms as a "tail plait" because it is a plait (even in our real world, it's sometimes called a French plait) and because it resembles the way the wealthy and/or nobility in certain long-ago kingdoms of the Realms (and much of Chessenta and Tethyr, still, in the Realms of today) braided the manes and tails of their horses.
And, no, Ed is NOT equating women with horses, though I note in the most innocent of tones that we can both be ridden
(and ridden hard, and put away wet, and I'd better stop now before we get to show jumping . . .)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 06 May 2009 23:24:04
Message:

Too late.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 06 May 2009 23:43:43
Message:

See, I figured Ed or THO would have an answer about the braid question. :) Glad he took my advice and asked.

And to THO, well, you can also flog both of them, if you enjoy that. :) Course, you can do that to men to.... :)


Reply author: lordsknight185
Replied on: 06 May 2009 23:57:46
Message:

Thank you lady herald for the swift answer

and thank you kuje for the advice, i feel silly for not thinking of posting here to begin with.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 07 May 2009 01:34:20
Message:

I think the scribes here and THO are more likely reason ice caps are melting, sheesh.


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 07 May 2009 12:46:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

And, no, Ed is NOT equating women with horses, though I note in the most innocent of tones that we can both be ridden
(and ridden hard, and put away wet, and I'd better stop now before we get to show jumping . . .)
love to all,
THO

Never look a gift woman in the mouth either. Nor try Rodeo Style, from what I hear.

And after that equine frivolity, we return you to Questions for Master Greenwood...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 May 2009 18:36:04
Message:

While we are on this subject (the 'nice' one, not the 'naughty' one )

Don't spurs exist in the Realms? I thought I remember readig that somewhere (maybe even right here). What about stirrups? That would be a leg-up (no pun intended) for fighters and Horseback riders in general.

Saddlehorns?

What is the extent of equine-riding technologies in the Realms? I would assume with the amount of ridable creatures (no, not 'coin-lasses'... down Scribes!) that it would have developed to a fine art, perhaps on par with our own modern techniques. Especially given the age of certain races in the Realms, and their interaction with humans (the Elves really jump to mind here).

Also, how would intelligent, related creatures look upon things like spurs? I'm talking about Centaurs, or even Pegasi or Unicorns?

--- Mark, who's love of Centaurs has always made FR lore in this dept. feel a little... ignored.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 May 2009 21:32:57
Message:

Markustay, off your query goes to Ed (who is busier than ever), but I can tell you right off the top of my head that stirrups, saddlehorns, and spurs (and for that matter, reins and bridles, too) all exist in the Realms. I don't think the use of spurs is widespread in the North among horse-riders (certainly not among the Uthgardt), but everyone having any experience at riding knows what they are, how they are used, and so on, even if they don't themselves use them. (The moral stance is most properly answered by Ed.)
love,
THO


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 08 May 2009 09:27:22
Message:

can ED tell us who all has books unwriten in the ED greenwood Presents: Waterdeep??


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 08 May 2009 13:42:15
Message:

Ed, THO:

Bear with me, please, I've skipped many a Realms novel over the years, so if some of these are known, feel free to let me know. But...

What about nicknames? How do they typically come about? We know about "El"(minster), "Khel"(ben), "Shar"(antyr) and "Mourn"(grym), what about Alustriel? Cadderly? Or Mintiper? "Mint" doesn't seem to work, and "Minty" seems like something that might have been a nickname but probably would have gone out of favor around the time he started slaughtering orcs. One look at Mintiper wielding a gore-drenched bastard sword and Minty would seem to have died away. "Perry"? The British "Mints"?

Kappiyan Flurmastyr? "Kaps"? "Kappy?" Sounds like a drunken sailor. Etc.

Any general rules? Perhaps a quick listing of favorites?

Thanks!


Reply author: Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Replied on: 08 May 2009 15:03:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
...what about Alustriel?


As per Silverfall, "Lustra" is one possible nickname for her.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 08 May 2009 15:38:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by capnvan

Ed, THO:

Bear with me, please, I've skipped many a Realms novel over the years, so if some of these are known, feel free to let me know. But...

What about nicknames? How do they typically come about? We know about "El"(minster), "Khel"(ben), "Shar"(antyr) and "Mourn"(grym), what about Alustriel? Cadderly? Or Mintiper? "Mint" doesn't seem to work, and "Minty" seems like something that might have been a nickname but probably would have gone out of favor around the time he started slaughtering orcs. One look at Mintiper wielding a gore-drenched bastard sword and Minty would seem to have died away. "Perry"? The British "Mints"?

Kappiyan Flurmastyr? "Kaps"? "Kappy?" Sounds like a drunken sailor. Etc.

Any general rules? Perhaps a quick listing of favorites?

Thanks!



Mintiper's nickname is Tippy.


...Yes, I just made that up.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 May 2009 15:51:55
Message:

Hi, all.
Well, nicknames proper are of course NOT derived directly from an individual's everyday name, so they don't follow any rules. "Short-names" derived from the real names are pretty much all over the map, too.
For instance (drawing on Ed's unpublished notes), "Alustriel" is "Lustra" formally, "Luse" to some of her sisters, and even "Lussa" to some now-long-dead folks who remember her as a child.
Ed has no notes on Cadderly, because that's Bob's character.
Mintiper was called "Per" by one female intimate, but he tends to have more nicknames than derivants ("Longwalker" and "Longshanks" and "Watchful" [shortened from "Watchful Wanderer"] and "Tallgrim" [a gnome once referred to him as "Tall-and-grim," and it stuck]).
Off the query goes to Ed for a proper answer, of course. He's tearingly busy this weekend, still, trying to get certain Realmslore in your collective hands in the future.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 May 2009 16:05:14
Message:

Markustay and Sage,
I would be happy to show Ed anything he wanted to see, at any time. (Not that he hasn't already seen it, ahem.) However, to answer Blueblade, I found that e-mail, and heeeere's Ed:

For both Golarion and Zobeck, I am hesitant about plunging into extensive design, because I don't want the owners of those worlds to ever feel like I'm "horning in" and shaping their world my way (yes, of course I can only do design work if invited to do so, and I have been invited and have taken up those invitations - - but I'm still proceeding slowly and carefully). I know how it feels to get continually blindsided by design occurring that you weren't told about, that "doesn't fit" with the immediate surroundings or other plans (not just mine, but other plans afoot at the publishing company, at the time), and the damage that is done by turf battles within a company, however they happen. I just want to avoid all that, by proceeding with the utmost respect and slow pacing.
With the Realms, I "know" the setting well enough (before the Spellplague; after is far more of an "open field for everybody," at this point, though some designers are going to be very surprised by just how quickly areas get "painted over" with in-depth design) that I can design (and explain away developing inconsistencies) without much hesitation. The same goes for Castlemourn or Embersea (yes, I'm still working on both of them, in my [hah-hah] spare time).


So saith Ed.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 May 2009 16:26:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Markustay and Sage,
I would be happy to show Ed anything he wanted to see, at any time. (Not that he hasn't already seen it, ahem.)
So, would I be right in thinking... lucky Ed?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 May 2009 19:51:50
Message:

Well, I tend to think of it as lucky ME.
Ed and I aren't lovers; we're longtime friends. Close, informal, and uninhibited, as children of the 60s tend to be. I think of myself as lucky to have friends like Ed. He's generous, caring, relaxed . . . and one of the kindest, most understanding people I've ever met. He's also tender, gives great massages (feet and back and guys as well as gals), funny, and witty. For some years I used to attend the same sf conventions as Ed did (back when he went to a lot of them), and was repeatedly amused when some professor or world authority started to pontificate, and Ed's converse with them revealed he probably knew as much about their field of expertise as they did. And, boy, is he a fun "ham actor"!
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 08 May 2009 19:58:14
Message:

Dear Lady THO,
Can you possibly give us any hints as to what will be in this year's (okay, actually last year's - - I mean the one Ed is currently writing, drawn from the 2008 GenCon seminar) Spin A Yarn tale?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 May 2009 20:04:12
Message:

Hmmm. Hints?
Well, Ed has by now either written it, or mostly written it.
I haven't seen it, but I HAVE seen the list of story elements provided by seminar participants, and I recall pirates, a peg leg female pirate captain, a lich with a little sister who borrowed something from a brothel, a LOT about that brothel, mention of Mirt the Moneylender getting pregnant (!), gnomes and something called Gnomeball, a blind alchemist, the demon Graz'zt, and other stuff I can't remember right now.
Which gives you some idea of the zaniness of those seminars AND what Ed will work into the story (barring the no-nos like using other writers' characters and trademarked elements not owned by Wizards of the Coast, he tries to include EVERYTHING, albeit sometimes twisted more than a bit . . . not that the original suggestions aren't - - ahem - - twisted enough). I guess we'll see . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 09 May 2009 01:39:52
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

For instance (drawing on Ed's unpublished notes), "Alustriel" is "Lustra" formally, "Luse" to some of her sisters, and even "Lussa" to some now-long-dead folks who remember her as a child.


Ha, that's funny. My other half gets the names Alustriel and Alusair confused all the time, which means I'm not surprised to find they share a nickname (I never get them confused! )... I do recall reading in one (or more) Ed novel(s) that Alusair is also sometimes referred to as Luse by her family. Luse is an especially amusing nickname for them both, actually, considering that in my head it's pronounced "loose", and of course there are connotations with that word.

Another nickname I remember is Mreen (M'reen?) for Myrmeen. (Don't have my books still.)

quote:

Ed has no notes on Cadderly, because that's Bob's character.
Mintiper was called "Per" by one female intimate, but he tends to have more nicknames than derivants ("Longwalker" and "Longshanks" and "Watchful" [shortened from "Watchful Wanderer"] and "Tallgrim" [a gnome once referred to him as "Tall-and-grim," and it stuck]).


Aren't those sort of nicknames called epithets? Or is that an overly formal term?


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 09 May 2009 04:31:21
Message:

They are, but in the older and more formal use of the word "nickname," they were the ONLY usages that were "nicknames." Derivatives (shortening "Edward" to "Ed," for example) weren't nicknames.
A "nick" name then strictly meant a way of referring to someone WITHOUT using their name directly - - as in: because you didn't want to "name the Devil" in medieval times, and thus, draw his attention [= evil, or ill luck], you referred to him as "Old Nick" (which is, yes, a "Nick name").
Drops the mantle of pedant, and goes back into silence . . .


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 09 May 2009 15:42:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hmmm. Hints?
Well, Ed has by now either written it, or mostly written it.
I haven't seen it, but I HAVE seen the list of story elements provided by seminar participants, and I recall pirates, a peg leg female pirate captain, a lich with a little sister who borrowed something from a brothel, a LOT about that brothel, mention of Mirt the Moneylender getting pregnant (!), gnomes and something called Gnomeball, a blind alchemist, the demon Graz'zt, and other stuff I can't remember right now.
Which gives you some idea of the zaniness of those seminars AND what Ed will work into the story (barring the no-nos like using other writers' characters and trademarked elements not owned by Wizards of the Coast, he tries to include EVERYTHING, albeit sometimes twisted more than a bit . . . not that the original suggestions aren't - - ahem - - twisted enough). I guess we'll see . . .
love,
THO


Is Gnomeball anything like jiggly ball? Or can we go straight to the prolly most thoughts that pop into minds reading that, that it involves throwing or kicking gnomes? ie such games as Dwarf tossing or gnome punting...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 May 2009 18:35:27
Message:

I don't know. I think "Gnomeball" will turn out to be whatever Ed makes it into (as in: he was just given the name).
I know very well how to play jiggly ball, but (ahem) this is a family forum, as much as I can control myself, to make it so . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 09 May 2009 19:43:16
Message:

Wait. So the scene in Cormyr: A Novel where Brace Skatterhawk massages Alusair was based on a true story? You mean the disclaimer ('this is a work of fiction.. any resemblance... real person... purely accidental...') lied to us?
But I should ask a question, this being Ed's scroll, so I will:
I wanted to know if my question about my campaign in Cormyr was ever sent to Ed. Because I got such great answers from people here, I fear it wasn't sent, assuming I got an answer. Not that the answers I got were great, but I wanted an answer from the creator of Azoun and Fee (or Azoun's son... whichever you believe...). Here's a summation of the situation:
The PC wants to kill Fee, in revenge for his wife, who died in pregnancy with the baby, but before dying confessed she lay with Azoun around the time of the wedding. The PC's are landed, having some land to the north, given in thanks and in the hope they will defend it after some help to Cormyr (which was actually planned by the PC, so it would give him access to Azoun and Fee). They would have access to them in a party, and wouldn't be suspected, being loyal people of Cormyr. The Wizard of the group, being True Neutral, was willing to help the PC by casting some nullifying magic, thus dispelling the spell defenses of Fee. He plans to teleport out immediately afterwards, and escape. He got in return all the murderer's money (he has a motive, too - his kid sister was captured, and he needs the money to get her back). I want the PC to almost succeed (actually manage to attempt to stab Fee, at any rate), so I don't want Vangey to be able to stop him. I also don't want him to die - hopefully forgiven by Azoun and Fee after learning the motive, and becoming an Agent of the Crown - maybe even being sent with the rest of the PC's after their wizard friend. So I need to know what defenses Fee would have, what would be the best way of countering them, how not to get detected by War Wizards, and whether Azoun and Fee would actually forgive him. Also, would he still be forgiven if he stabs Fee, actually wounding her? Because I don't want him to feel cheated. Don't worry, I don't plan to tell them 'You'll need to do this and this'. But I do want to know what will work, if I can. So if the question wasn't sent to Ed, it will be, and if it was, perhaps this will clarify matters.
Thanks a lot, and sorry if I'm bothering you for nothing.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 May 2009 20:08:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I wanted to know if my question about my campaign in Cormyr was ever sent to Ed. Because I got such great answers from people here, I fear it wasn't sent, assuming I got an answer. Not that the answers I got were great, but I wanted an answer from the creator of Azoun and Fee (or Azoun's son... whichever you believe...).


Pretty much everything in Ed's thread -- especially the questions -- gets sent to him. But he's got a lot of questions coming in from us, and a host of other responsibilities (if you notice, not many questions for anyone have been answered, of late)... So some questions go for a year or more without an answer. To repost a quote from the lovely Lady Hooded One:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, Ed knows that, all right.
His problem is threefold:
1. Total lack of time. Ed is actively writing or editing SIX projects (plus yours) right now, with another eleven sitting on his desk staring mutely at him, waiting. This means he just CAN’T go off into the basement (or the library of diskettes and Zip disks in his study, either), looking up older Realmslore. It also means he often has to drop everything to deal with emergencies (and the recent WotC layoffs have spawned a lot of those). Ed loves to answer your questions, but he’s as busy as the head of any major company or country - - without having any staff to support him. That means some of the larger-scope questions, or the really, really obscure points, just have to wait.
2. The minefield of constantly-shifting NDAs, and unfolding WotC and Paizo projects and articles Ed is aware of, but can’t publicly talk about. And doesn’t want to screw up. Many scribes ask about matters that a lot of Realms fans have wanted “cleared up” long ago. Other scribes ask about interesting things unfolding in recent books (e.g. the Shadovar). Still others ask about basics (agricultural practices, land-law). All of these things SHOULD be answered, and Ed wants to, but often other folks are already at work on answers, or MIGHT answer them as their novel or game sourcebook tromps through relevant real estate, or uses relevant NPCs. So Ed is duty-bound (and legally bound) to keep quiet. Sometimes even admitting that he’s keeping quiet will tip off Realms fans about something in the future that shouldn’t be revealed yet. So he waits…and waits…
3. Rules queries that shouldn’t be directed to Ed in the first place. You know, the “let’s use Ed’s opinion as a weapon in my ongoing argument about X” requests.
4. Questions about the gods, ditto. Yes, Ed created the great majority of deities specific to the FR setting. Yes, he detailed them, and provided spells for them. No, he’s never had the chance to put into print their prayers and rituals properly, or what daily life is like both for a humble priest and for an ambitious upperpriest in the upper echelons of church hierarchy. Yes, he wants to. No, he can’t move on this without WotC cooperation. And everyone, from other fiction writers to WotC designers to every FR fan, has their own, different - - often fiercely different - - ideas of what’s “right” and “true” about the gods. To Ed, most of this (arguing about the Dawn Cataclysm, for example, or Eilistraee) is just like arguing about the weather: fun (when it doesn’t turn nasty), but ultimately useless to the roleplaying experience (mortals can never know the truth, so the truth doesn’t matter: what matters is what priests and fiathful worshippers IN THE REALMS think). And so on. Yes, these are basics I’m reiterating, but it’s time to repeat them for all. Ed has a huge electronic file of ALL the queries not yet fully answered that have been posed in this thread. Not one gets forgotten, and Ed tries to answer one a day no matter how busy he is. So he’ll get to them, unless the gods take him from us first. Promise.
(No matter how lovingly I have to persuade him. And you know how lovingly THAT can be.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 09 May 2009 20:45:47
Message:

Oh, Wooly, you misunderstand. I know Ed will answer in his own time; I was just unsure that the question had even been sent, seeing as you all gave me such great answers. It could be that our Lady assumed that the question had been answered to my satisfaction, and so there was no need to burden the already over-burdened Ed with it. I did apologize, and will again, if people think this indicates a lack of trust. Also, I felt the situation could use a bit of clarification.
EDIT: Although I'm always willing to hear from (or about) our Lady...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 May 2009 21:13:10
Message:

Hi! It did indeed go off to Ed, who will reply when he has some time to call his own (NDAs prevent full public detailing of what Ed's working on, this last week and the next one, but I, who am quite used to how quickly Ed can produce game and fiction writing, was astonished at the pace he was setting - - all this despite looming surgery and lots of real-world engagements and obligations). I CAN tell you, because Chris Perkins let it slip, that Ed will indeed be web-writing regularly for Wizards again, that you will be seeing the Spin A Yarn tale that some of you have been awaiting for a long time, that Ed will again grace the pages of Kobold Quarterly and bookstore shelves with the last book of the Falconfar trilogy, entitled, ahem, FALCONFAR, that there will be future Realms novels from Ed's pen, that he is involved with some new and still-secret game and fantasy fiction projects (yes, "projects" plural), and that he's been a busy busy BUSY boy. Er, at the keyboard.
And Menelvagor, just for you, I stripped off the jeans, bra, and panties I was wearing, but put on a festive party mask that I keep handy for such occasions...
love,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 09 May 2009 21:19:07
Message:

Surgery?

Just a festive party mask.

BRIMSTONE


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 09 May 2009 21:33:50
Message:

THO.

Please tell Ed for me to take a day off and sniff the flowers... one must never forget that.

It's okay to be a little selfish once in awhile.


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 10 May 2009 00:17:19
Message:

Sorry to jump in, but can anyone enlighten me on Embersea?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 May 2009 01:23:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Oh, Wooly, you misunderstand. I know Ed will answer in his own time; I was just unsure that the question had even been sent, seeing as you all gave me such great answers. It could be that our Lady assumed that the question had been answered to my satisfaction, and so there was no need to burden the already over-burdened Ed with it. I did apologize, and will again, if people think this indicates a lack of trust. Also, I felt the situation could use a bit of clarification.
EDIT: Although I'm always willing to hear from (or about) our Lady...

Menelvagor, we've covered this before.

Even in the past, when we've tackled questions on Ed's behalf, the Lady Hooded One will still pass along the question to Ed since he'll likely have a response that none of us could've known about. Ed's always got something extra to add. And that's something you should expect when you're communicating with him via THO.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 10 May 2009 02:05:35
Message:

Heya,

As I was trying to go to sleep last night, I was musing about my vision impairment (which is really nothing major, just short sightedness with a splash of lack of depth perception) - which is (almost) completely corrected by my glasses. Given the lenses in my glasses are made of high index plastic and usually has to be ground overseas (in Japan or in Europe where the plastic comes from - they've got the usual correction for shortsightedness with the addition of prisms to force/trick my eyes/brain to see in stereo), I figure it would be hard to find something in the Realms to correct such an impairment. So here's my question...

How do average people cope with/treat (severe) myopia in the Realms? How about other vision problems like hyperopia (hypermetropia, long sighteness) or astigmatism? How common are glasses? Are there spells to correct problems with vision, and if so how accessible are they?

Hmm... I think that's all...

Edit: Ooh, I just remembered that there is a Cure Blindness/Deafness spell in DnD, but I always just thought of it as a dispel type spell to cure magical ailments... I suppose it can cure naturally occurring vision impairment (and deafness) as well? And that reminds me of Heal... Does it cure naturally occurring insanity/mental illnesses?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 10 May 2009 10:21:29
Message:

Hi everyone,
Zandilar's question about physical impairments inspires my next question to Ed: Do wheelchairs exist in some form in the Realms? I assume palanquins and stretchers exist, and there was a mention of carry-chairs in one of Ed's novels, so how about wheelchairs?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 10 May 2009 11:12:34
Message:

Why thank you, my lady. And I did say I was sorry, Sage. Again.
But let's put all that behind us. I do have a question (more of an assumption*, actually): I assume the announcement from WotC still hasn't come to light because of those problems you mentioned, right? Because I'd hate to think I missed it because I'm learning for all my finals.

* As we all know, it is never safe to assume, so I suppose that means I'm being threatened by somebody, having got into his (or hers!) area of threat...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 May 2009 12:23:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Why thank you, my lady. And I did say I was sorry, Sage. Again.
You've nothing to apologise for Menelvagor. You're simply curious about the procedure here. There's nothing wrong with that.


Reply author: Sian
Replied on: 10 May 2009 13:38:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

Hi everyone,
Zandilar's question about physical impairments inspires my next question to Ed: Do wheelchairs exist in some form in the Realms? I assume palanquins and stretchers exist, and there was a mention of carry-chairs in one of Ed's novels, so how about wheelchairs?



Well ... i know that a wizard in a former group i attended fixed a Tensers floating disc with Permenency to cook up something similar when the he lost his ability to walk (long story)


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 10 May 2009 18:49:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage:
You're simply curious about the procedure here. There's nothing wrong with that.

Really? Are you sure? Because I heard that curiosity killed the cat (or another word, which is inexplicably censored...), and I wouldn't want to be blamed for that.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 11 May 2009 04:03:17
Message:

Hello All,

Ed can you tell us anything in regards to LARGEST crystal balls, scry devices in faerun say year 1373, powers, locations?

Same on other planes as well, excluding any that are in possesion of deities or archfiends, demon princes.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 11 May 2009 23:14:15
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I have a swift need for a Cormyrean "wannabe noble" family based in Marsember. Not one of the let's-go-independent brigade, but one of the if-we-expose-local-traitors-maybe-the-Crown-will-ennoble-us sort. Can Ed (or his notes) oblige?
Thanks!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 12 May 2009 12:36:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

And Menelvagor, just for you, I stripped off the jeans, bra, and panties I was wearing, but put on a festive party mask that I keep handy for such occasions...



Which would be excellent attire to the masked dance at Gencon Indy... ;)
Will you be available for a dance then, lady?
Or Ed, perhaps?

Gomez


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 May 2009 20:29:51
Message:

A quick question for Ed: Is there insurance in the Realms? Like Insurance companies, and such? I know that in a party mentioned in Elminster In Hell, some Cormyte merchant mentions buying a 'Godsfrown Shield', which seems to be a sort of insurance. But how widely spread is this practice? Are there many who engage in it? And are there any who specifically engage in it? Clerics of Tymora, for example, or something?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 May 2009 01:49:38
Message:

While Ed will likely have more, I'll note that the "Play The Market" chapter of Power of Faerûn has a little on the concept of surety in the Realms.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 13 May 2009 09:20:27
Message:

I'm not sure about other references but RAS included to forms of travel for the impaired in his Drizzt Hunter's Blade saga.
1. A type of chair that required 4 dwarves to carry was built for Cattie-Brie when she was injured(Cattie-brie refused at first but used it a couple of times until she was able to walk)
2. Another chair(this one with wheels) was built for Banak when he became paralyzed after the final battle for keepers dale I think.


So they're in the realms;)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 May 2009 15:20:38
Message:

Now you guys have me thinking about creating a cool new villain in a flying chair (I've seen similar things in comics - like Modok - but usually a guy in a flying chair is one of the 'good guys').

You can never have too many cool 'bad guys'.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 13 May 2009 15:59:34
Message:

Whether they're good guys or bad guys--individually and collectively--is kind of an open question only now being addressed in the novels and LFR modules, but the Stewards of Akanûl are said to each hold "his or her own tiny 'thronemote'" (p. 91, FRCG).


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 13 May 2009 16:18:16
Message:

Is that a flying/hovering chair, or is it the term being used for the landmote they are in control of?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 May 2009 16:28:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Is that a flying/hovering chair, or is it the term being used for the landmote they are in control of?



Having read that entry recently myself (a day or two ago) I'm assuming it's the latter.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 13 May 2009 16:43:43
Message:

I'm kind of envisioning both, actually. A tiny earthmote carved into a throne. Now, whether or not they can zoom around on it is a different question--the "Shift Mote" ritual is very high level, and incredibly expensive. That said, there could easily be a lower level version for such tiny motes, and further, if House Jordain and the Five Companies can ride around the Realms on Yaulazna and even shift it in and out of the Astral Sea, I suppose it's not a stretch for the leaders of a nation like Akanûl to be able to navigate a throne in three dimensions.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 May 2009 16:59:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Now you guys have me thinking about creating a cool new villain in a flying chair (I've seen similar things in comics - like Modok - but usually a guy in a flying chair is one of the 'good guys').

You can never have too many cool 'bad guys'.

Heh.

I had MODAM in my Realms once. She was actually once a well-known NPC who was also a prominent psionicist and Witch of Rashemen. Unfortunately, she met a particularly nasty and violent end in my campaign, whereupon she was later resurrected and "rebuilt" by the Arcane who were secretly operating in Rashemen at the time. Of course, these Arcane were a rogue group, who kinda looked like agents of AIM, but that's a whole other campaign scenario.


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 13 May 2009 20:09:54
Message:

Having just got hold of a copy of 'Secrets of the Magister', yay eBay!; I would like to ask Ed: Who was Askravan of Nudd and what were his Seven Scarlet Curses?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 May 2009 21:33:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Now you guys have me thinking about creating a cool new villain in a flying chair (I've seen similar things in comics - like Modok - but usually a guy in a flying chair is one of the 'good guys').

You can never have too many cool 'bad guys'.



I've actually been playing with a similar idea... It goes back to an older monster concept of mine (since abandoned), and was in part inspired by a still-unanswered question from 2006 (similar to the recent question on wheelchairs, actually).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 May 2009 00:43:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by arry

Having just got hold of a copy of 'Secrets of the Magister', yay eBay!; I would like to ask Ed: Who was Askravan of Nudd and what were his Seven Scarlet Curses?

I think Ed's [or was it Krash?] briefly touched on Askravan before. I'll have to check the archives.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 14 May 2009 06:31:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Now you guys have me thinking about creating a cool new villain in a flying chair (I've seen similar things in comics - like Modok - but usually a guy in a flying chair is one of the 'good guys').

You can never have too many cool 'bad guys'.



IIRC, the Wyrmskull Throne can fly about, and the sitter can cause it to shoot lightning bolts.

Also from my own games, I can remember 2 "throne villains" we faced: a ghaunadan riding a throne where the underside was a mass of crawling tentacles and pseudopods that served as its mode of attack/mobility.

Another villain we faced (a diviner) seated herself on a floating highback "throne" where the seat's lower half was huge lidless eyeball. She sat upright, in a yoga-like lotus position, cradling an orb in her lap, and each hand curled around an attendant floating sphere. To our real-life and characters' groans and winces, she grandly announced the throne as Erlanya's Eye Spire

Ahh memories :)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 May 2009 07:20:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Now you guys have me thinking about creating a cool new villain in a flying chair (I've seen similar things in comics - like Modok - but usually a guy in a flying chair is one of the 'good guys').

You can never have too many cool 'bad guys'.



IIRC, the Wyrmskull Throne can fly about, and the sitter can cause it to shoot lightning bolts.
And you'd be right. Among the many actual and powerful aspects catalogued as part of the "Wyrmskull Throne's" abilities, are floating and 'breathing' lightning bolts.

The full powers of the Throne are fully detailed in The Wyrmskull Throne adventure module.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 14 May 2009 09:10:03
Message:

Hmm, how to formulate this one...

Ed, what's this I hear (or more accurately, remembered) about the powers-that-be wanting realms books to be written for the "average 12-year old american male?" Because from what I've gleaned of that it seems to mean a hormone-ruled adrenaline junkie who only wants to read violence and is pathologically scared of strong female character and subtle dialogue.

In my opinion, that seems like a huge insult to boys.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 14 May 2009 10:44:09
Message:

I just started reading Falconfar. Very interesting.

Brimstone


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 14 May 2009 12:57:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

Ed, what's this I hear (or more accurately, remembered) about the powers-that-be wanting realms books to be written for the "average 12-year old american male?" Because from what I've gleaned of that it seems to mean a hormone-ruled adrenaline junkie who only wants to read violence and is pathologically scared of strong female character and subtle dialogue.

In my opinion, that seems like a huge insult to boys.



Regrettably, almost all entertainment and media companies tend to insult their audiences.

But, to keep with the topic, a question for Ed:
Can you give us any more, well any, really, information about Melisander, "the Last Lonely Harpist" from Dragon #164? He gave us the spell Melisander's Harp. (And contributes to my curiosity about the "Lonely Harpist" title, since Mintiper also bears that epithet, and if Melisander was the "last," well, I assume you see the confusion...)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 14 May 2009 15:17:17
Message:

When big companies start to dump their customers into categories and niches, it's the beginning of the end.

At that point, the needs of the individual are lost and the product gets boiled-down to the 'lowest common denominator'.

Shiney packaging then begins to supercede quality...

Not that this has anything to do with anything we discuss here. <smirk>

On Topic: (sort of)
I had forgotten about the Wyrmskull Throne - good call! Ed, are there any other 'famous flying chairs' (while we are on the subject of mobility-assisstance equipment), or mages/priests/whatever that have been known to fly about in such an ostentatious manner?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 May 2009 23:51:56
Message:

Hi, all. Off all of these queries go to Ed.
Who of course I am not (love THAT syntax), yet do remember from play more than a few "floating thrones" (many elder mages in Halruaa use them, and there are at least two hovering in the ruins of Myth Drannor, one of them being used as a nest by some raptors (and treasure storage, under their nest, by some adventurers), and the other, about seventy feet aloft, that holds the remains of a VERY-long-dead mage who was sitting in it and presumably once commanded it).
An interesting topic indeed . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 May 2009 23:57:31
Message:

Hi again, all.
Dark Wizard,
Embersea is the fantasy setting Ed is (very slowly) at work on, for Studio 2 Publishing. When it will see print, I'm not sure; Ed has been very busy for a long time, and only his fiction writing really brings in enough money for him to live on.
love,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 15 May 2009 00:12:54
Message:

Embersea sounds neat.

Brimstone


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 15 May 2009 01:38:42
Message:

And don't forget Eric Boyd's (greatly truncated) Toppled Thrones article in the last days of DRAGON magazine.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 15 May 2009 02:45:46
Message:

"Last days"

It's still going strong, George!

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

And don't forget Eric Boyd's (greatly truncated) Toppled Thrones article in the last days of DRAGON magazine.

-- George Krashos



Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 May 2009 03:02:34
Message:

Krash *may* have been referring to the last days of the PRINTED magazine [#351] -- which contained the article he refers to.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 15 May 2009 13:58:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

"Last days"

It's still going strong, George!

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

And don't forget Eric Boyd's (greatly truncated) Toppled Thrones article in the last days of DRAGON magazine.

-- George Krashos




Strong indeed. As a house organ and easy preview avenue for a plethora of core 4E rulebooks. Nothing in it to tempt the FR junkie in me to take out a DDI subscription.

-- George Krashos



Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 15 May 2009 14:25:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos


Strong indeed. As a house organ and easy preview avenue for a plethora of core 4E rulebooks. Nothing in it to tempt the FR junkie in me to take out a DDI subscription.

-- George Krashos




Fair enough. I'm digging my subscription because I play 4E--but I'm also looking forward to the new monthly Realms material and column from Ed!

Cheers,

Christopher


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 15 May 2009 15:11:07
Message:

Some of us 'old timers' still think magazines should be made of paper.

And damn the trees!

What did a Dryad ever do for you, eh?


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 15 May 2009 15:31:17
Message:

The Dragon is dead. Long live the Kobold !


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 15 May 2009 15:32:20
Message:

Well, I don't know about you, but if a Dryad had never done anyhting for you (or should I say, to you) your charm must be greatly reduced... I know I had great fun with a few of them...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 15 May 2009 16:04:50
Message:

And perhaps we can get back to asking Ed questions...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 May 2009 16:37:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

That did a Dryad ever do for you, eh?
I'm sure both Florin and Torm have their own stories to tell.

Maybe Ed [or the Lady Hooded One] could elaborate?


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 16 May 2009 14:12:38
Message:

so I was curious about something, and was hoping ED could tell me.
why does Wuakeen have numchuks as her favored weapon??


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 May 2009 16:11:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon

so I was curious about something, and was hoping ED could tell me.
why does Wuakeen have numchuks as her favored weapon??



Because rubber chickens just aren't that effective.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 May 2009 17:02:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon

so I was curious about something, and was hoping ED could tell me.
why does Wuakeen have numchuks as her favored weapon??

Hmmm. I think it's important to note that some of the 3e favoured weapons for the deities were chosen/changed to show off the 3e weapon roster. And, thus, make little actual sense.

Maybe Ed will have more.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 May 2009 20:43:14
Message:

Hi again, all. Sage, you're quite right about some of the favored weapons making little sense. Fortunately, Ed thought so too, and back at the time of the 3e launch, came up with an explanation. Here are his relevant notes:

Waukeen is first and foremost the god of merchants, and the priests of Waukeen have for years carried "tally-sticks" for keeping count of goods, payment amounts, and debts, particularly when called upon to settle disputes between merchants. At first these were individual batons, often drilled with rows of holes for counting-pegs to be moved along (like a real-world cribbage board), but over time amounts customarily grew too large for single-stick counts. So priests took to carrying two separate pairs of sticks, each pair being joined together at the ends by a length of chain, so that one stick could be crossed over the fellow it was chained to in various arrays and patterns to denote different numbers, and one pair of sticks had gold painted ends, while the other was silver-ended. This allowed priests to readily keep side-by-side counts, or use on pair for "ones" and the other for "tens" or "scores" or "full wagons" or whatever. Their use as weapons developed in practical "desperation" incidents after that, but soon became a matter of training within the clergy.

There. A Realmsian explanation. Ed and I would both have preferred sharpened-edge coin shuriken, but still . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 17 May 2009 00:32:24
Message:

That's actually kind of neat. I don't usually like retroactive lore for dumb WotC ideas, but that one works. Nice job, Ed!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 17 May 2009 01:39:29
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
There. A Realmsian explanation. Ed and I would both have preferred sharpened-edge coin shuriken, but still . . .



But wouldn't that just be throwing money away?

Tymora got the coin shuriken. I really wish they'd stuck to Longsword as it was in 2nd Edition (what with her tear becoming a blade and all).


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 May 2009 01:41:39
Message:

Ed's the master of making Lemonade from Lemons.

Of course, killing someone with a Silver piece would have been very cool as well.

Not to mention effective against Lycanthropes...


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 18 May 2009 00:37:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Dark Wizard,
Embersea is the fantasy setting Ed is (very slowly) at work on, for Studio 2 Publishing. When it will see print, I'm not sure; Ed has been very busy for a long time, and only his fiction writing really brings in enough money for him to live on.
love,
THO



Thank you Lady THO. I look forward to another well-composed setting from Ed. Any hints as to what it's like, or is it still too early or NDA-locked to say?

By the way, did you catch my question regarding settlement/city naming schema for the Chondath and Chessenta regions?

My apologies if my wording made it difficult to pick out from the rest of my post. I really should go over my posts before hitting reply. Thanks again.

I really do love Ed's answer to the question on Waukeen's favored weapon, and his answers to those types of questions in general. He has a way of tying the lore in culturally and functionally that many others often don't think to.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 May 2009 01:04:39
Message:

Hi again, all.
Dark Wizard, your Chondath/Chessenta question has gone off to Ed; I don't recall anything useful in trying to answer it in the lore-notes he's given me over the years, or in the notes I made during play. So it'll have to wait for his return, which will hopefully be by end of next week.
Yes, Ed tries to envisage the Realms as a real place, and work out details and lore explanations that make it seem more real AND create new roleplaying opportunities. I think he's become pretty good at it over the last forty-some years.
As for Embersea, I know very little about it, because Ed (following professional protocol) has said very little. I once overheard him mention something about "lots of small islands to adventure on, clustered around large ones," that MIGHT have been Embersea, or might not. That was years back, before he offered the setting to Studio 2, which is when his silence descended. I suspect Embersea was one of the many projects affected when Ed's father died and Ed missed a crop of deadlines, with everything snowballing and getting delayed. However, it's NOT a dead setting, by any means.
love,
THO


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 18 May 2009 09:24:12
Message:

Ed, I was wondering if you have ever written characters with mental disorders (NOT insanity) in the realms? Like Autism or Asperger's syndrome for example. I'm asking because I've got Asperger's myself.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 18 May 2009 09:53:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Sage, you're quite right about some of the favored weapons making little sense. Fortunately, Ed thought so too, and back at the time of the 3e launch, came up with an explanation. Here are his relevant notes:

Waukeen is first and foremost the god of merchants, and the priests of Waukeen have for years carried "tally-sticks" for keeping count of goods, payment amounts, and debts, particularly when called upon to settle disputes between merchants. At first these were individual batons, often drilled with rows of holes for counting-pegs to be moved along (like a real-world cribbage board), but over time amounts customarily grew too large for single-stick counts. So priests took to carrying two separate pairs of sticks, each pair being joined together at the ends by a length of chain, so that one stick could be crossed over the fellow it was chained to in various arrays and patterns to denote different numbers, and one pair of sticks had gold painted ends, while the other was silver-ended. This allowed priests to readily keep side-by-side counts, or use on pair for "ones" and the other for "tens" or "scores" or "full wagons" or whatever. Their use as weapons developed in practical "desperation" incidents after that, but soon became a matter of training within the clergy.

There. A Realmsian explanation. Ed and I would both have preferred sharpened-edge coin shuriken, but still . . .
love to all,
THO




M'lady Hooded one.

do tell ED thanks for me, and also tell him, that the coin edged shuriken would have been better, as it seams the majority of them in 3.x had numchuku has a favored weapon or atleast one to many of them had that and with no monk levels it makes no since whatso ever.


heavy mace= Terminal Migraine
numchuku= less than so


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 18 May 2009 10:27:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by khorne

Ed, I was wondering if you have ever written characters with mental disorders (NOT insanity) in the realms? Like Autism or Asperger's syndrome for example. I'm asking because I've got Asperger's myself.


If you dont mind me asking, what is Asperger's. I have heard of it before. Good question too.

Brimstone


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 18 May 2009 11:12:56
Message:

Hello again Ed, LHO, and fellow scribes,

I've been re-reading the the "Elminster" Quintet of books, and I've a few more lore questions that I hope don't infringe on any NDAs. I vaguely remember an earlier question to Ed regarding Moonshorn Tower from "The Temptation of Elminster", but these current ones come from some of the other novels.

From "Elminster in Myth Drannor": Ed or LHO, do your notes have anything further on the bloodlines of the Srinshee (the Estelda line) or Mythanthor (the Iydril line)? Are there any surviving relatives or offshoots, or were they each the last to carry those names?

From "Elminster in Hell": Similar to Moonshorn Tower, I'm curious about Spelldown Hall, the mageduel arena revealed in a brief wisp of El's memory. Where was it located, and when was it built? Does any part or legacy of it persist into 3rd Ed.?

Thank you profusely in advance!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 May 2009 15:05:24
Message:

Hi again, fellow scribes.
Aysen, I can START to answer your just-posted questions (Ed will of course handle them "properly," in due course), by drawing on Ed's notes. Here's Ed:

The Srinshee has at least three living (younger) blood relatives, at least two of whom are completely unaware of their heritage.


I suspect (from hints during play) that the same applies for Mythanthor, but I could quite well be mistaken about this.
Ed's off to the hospital tomorrow, and doing all the "clear liquids only, no solid foods" dance right now . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 May 2009 15:45:50
Message:

My prayers go out with Ed.

And if he doesn't comply with the after-surgery bedrest, sit on him THO.*

We need Ed hale and whole.



*Which can be quite pleasant, if done correctly.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 18 May 2009 16:13:08
Message:

Likewise on the 'Get Well Soon'!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 18 May 2009 17:10:50
Message:

Having been taught to learn and respect our elders and sages, I must agree with Markus, and send my own wishes for a quick recovery.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 18 May 2009 20:14:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe

It just noticed that this will be my five hundredth post and wanted it to be in this topic.

And now I have to come up with a question.

Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?

Cheers,

Christopher





Ed has shared a bit of evil twin lore with me, and it included some identical twins... If it's okay with him, I'll repost it here.

It's not twins in general, though -- I was specifically looking at the evil twin trope.

And there is one set of identical twins in published Realmslore that comes readily to mind... Voaraghamanthar "the Black Death" and his brother Waervaerendor "the Rapacious Raider", the twin black dragons in the Mere of Dead Men. They're from the old Wyrms of the North series, and were first seen in Dragon 258. The article is also online, here.



Okay, I just remembered this post, and asked Ed if I could share the twin lore I got from him... It's not a direct answer to this question; as mentioned already, I was specifically looking for lore about evil twins.

First, about the whole evil twin trope that we see in our own entertainment:

quote:
The 'evil twin' trope pops up in the Realms mainly in ballads and plays, in two ways: substitution of nobles' dupe for real prince or princess, and long-lost, separated-at-birth-or-childhood sibling reappears to bedevil grown-to-adult 'good twin' (often when parents die; evildoer steps onto the scene to try to seize or claim inheritance).
The concept is well-known to everyone, but not used much by "modern in the Realms" composers and performers in new tales or performances, for that reason.[Somewhat akin to everyone being familiar with "Waltzing Matilda," so very few people are going to embark on a song with similar lyrics or subject matter.]
And it does continue to happen, "for real," in the Realms, due to nobles having bastard children, factional fights within noble or wealthy families, and so on.


Later, I asked about real evil twins in the Realms. And here is what he shared:

quote:
As far as ‘real’ evil twins in the Realms go, the best-known would probably be Harthus Draer, the evil (unrelated by blood, but almost a perfect likeness) double of Ammanthrus Boldoum, a VERY wealthy merchant of Athkatla who became known for his mercantile successes and stupendous wealth, and then for his philanthropy.
Working with a small cabal of Boldoum’s trade rivals, Draer replaced the real Boldoum in 1344 DR, and in the guise of the philanthropist visited many Amnians and Tethyrians, learning much of craft innovations and trade deals that he passed on to the ruthless cabal.
The real Boldoum was kept in hiding in the Amnian mountains and cruelly experimented on, alongside kidnapped persons of the same general build, looks, and hair color; without involving a wizard until it became necessary to replace Draer (either because of treachery or because he’d met his death or maiming through misadventure) and mind-control the replacement, Boldoum’s trade rivals wanted to create several “replacement Bouldoums.”
In late 1347 DR, a bandit raid on that mountain stronghold resulted in the ruination of all the likeness-altering surgeries and “experiments,” and in Boldoum and one of his ‘almost-doubles’ escaping.
The secret was out, but Draer swiftly hired all the mercenaries he could and tried to eliminate both the real Boldoum and the trade-rivals who’d backed him, so he could be left as the only Boldoum standing, and deny the heritage of all the others (who’d be then too dead to promote themselves).
This private war ended up almost causing the death of one of the Council of Six, and for an entire summer (of 1348 DR) was the talk of Amn, Tethyr, and traveling merchants up and down the Sword Coast, with many individuals rumored to be part of this plot or that, and no one really fully understanding the truth. As a result, Draer and Boldoum are famous, or infamous; the war ended with the mysterious backers all slaughtered by the Council, Draer fled far into the Turmish backlands as a hunted man, and Boldoum a changed, paranoid recluse thought to be an impostor by about a third of Amnians.

The second-best-known set of evil twins are a pair of elegant, sophisticated, thoroughly amoral sisters who look identical (milk-white skin, tall and sleek, raven-black hair down to their behinds), and who are ruthless in their pursuit of wealth and power. Their names are Serelke (“SAIR-elk”) and Ryngoleira (“RINN-go-leera”) Tabarcrast, and they are minor nobility in Chessenta who fully intend to end up ruling Chessentan cities some day.
They work both independently and (at times) together, as friendly rivals, and both are equally evil, scheming, brilliant actresses. They often exploit confusion among others (such as outlander merchants, arms-dealers especially) who mistake one of them for the other. They are expert poisoners, have amassed a lot of largely-hidden, cached wealth and steadily growing personal collections of magic items they use to defeat foes in private, and they are superb in the arts of lovemaking; their common approach to advancement thus far has been to “sleep their way to the top” in Chessenta, poisoning or arranging ‘accidental’ deaths for those who spurn them or grow tired of them or defy their manipulations.
The “Tabarcrast Shes” have become legendary for their bored, jaded mannerisms and fell beauty, and the whiff of more rumored than properly understood corruption that clings to them; legends spread by talkative caravan merchants throughout the Heartlands.
In 1377 DR, they are in their late twenties, and have been at their climbs upward since their mid-teens.

Among fictitious evil twins, the most famous would probably be Laevur, the villainous long-lost brother (and double) of the hero Raulaerik, who kills and impersonates his older brother in the play THE BRIGHT BLADE AND ITS SHADOW (written by an anonymous playwright, and first performed in Neverwinter in 1339 DR; an instant hit, it was put on by various troupes up and down the Sword Coast, becoming an always-running standard in Waterdeep about the same time it reached Suzail and Westgate, in 1347 DR; it’s very well-known now and its popularity has waned somewhat, but its utility to comment on local government and local liked and disliked persons cause it to be remounted often). In the play, Laevur gets all he wants (rulership, specific women in his bed, and riches), but finds them hollow - - and in the end, deadly, as he’s slain by an old foe of Raulaerik who herself impersonates one of Laevur’s bedmates.

The second most famous would be from an old ballad, THE GHOST DANCERS, wherein a good man, Althus, ends up haunted by ghosts who intend to frighten him to death because he happens to have built his farmhouse atop the buried treasure they guard - - but Althus is murdered by his unscrupulous identical twin brother Ulgram (because Ulgram has heard tales of the treasure). Ulgram proves impossible for the ghosts (who have no idea Althus has been replaced) to scare, but at the end of the ballad they manage to kill him by surrendering the treasure to him and then locking him alive, to suffocate, in the largest treasure chest.
This ballad dates from 1167 DR or so, and if there was ever any real-life truth inspiring it, it’s been forgotten. It was formerly far more famous than the play I mentioned first, but these days its melody and refrain (“The ghosts they danced, cold white flames under the moon/The ghosts they pranced; we’ll join them soon”) are better remembered than all the stanzas (and thus, the entire story).



From the keyboard of Ed himself.


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 18 May 2009 20:22:53
Message:

Get well, soon Ed!

And thanks Wooly!


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 18 May 2009 23:17:15
Message:

Yes, get well soon Ed.

Brimstone


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 18 May 2009 23:51:53
Message:

Thank you LHO for a swift reply on the bloodlines!

My thoughts and prayers go with Ed on a swift recovery as well.


quote:

If you dont mind me asking, what is Asperger's. I have heard of it before. Good question too.

Brimstone



Although khorne can give his own unique response to your question, here's a link to a general description of Asperger Syndrome for Brimstone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 May 2009 00:26:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Okay, I just remembered this post, and asked Ed if I could share the twin lore I got from him... It's not a direct answer to this question; as mentioned already, I was specifically looking for lore about evil twins.
Ah, good. I'll add this to the "So Saith Ed" compilation for '09.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 May 2009 00:27:26
Message:

I'll second Khorne's question, and for similar reasons; I was diagnosed with my Asperger's about four years ago after seeing a PBS documentary on the condition and pushing my GP for a specialist referral.

Get well soon Ed!


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 19 May 2009 00:53:06
Message:

All the best to you Mr. Greenwood. Please get well soon. Without you here keeping an eye on Elminster, who knows what might occur! And Volo too, for that matter.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 19 May 2009 01:17:07
Message:

Heya,

Hmmm... Hospital is no fun. Have my best wishes for a speedy recovery, Ed!


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 19 May 2009 13:41:35
Message:

Well.. I ever knew that gods could get sick too...
Hey THO, sorry bottering, but what happened to him? Is it serious? We are anxious here!

Best wishes to Ed. He deserves the best of the world.


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 19 May 2009 15:02:27
Message:

Best wishes, Ed !


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 19 May 2009 15:08:40
Message:

Best wishes to Ed, as well!

When there's time (though kind of urgent for me, but nothing gaming related should be altogether "urgent" when someone is ill) ...

Who was in charge of House Cormaeril in 1340? What was he like?


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 19 May 2009 17:34:17
Message:

Please get well soon Ed!


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 19 May 2009 20:47:23
Message:

I have a question for Ed, though it is one that the Hooded One can prolly answer from her travels through the Realms.

Are calendars prevalent in the realms to normal folk? Or are they still pretty much only in temples, government offices, guilds at this point?

i.e. something like a wall calendar for the home or a desk calendar for the office of a noble or scribe, sage, etc?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 May 2009 21:39:21
Message:

Hi, all.
rjfras, a proper answer to your question will have to come from Ed, of course, but from my playing experience in Ed's home Realms campaign, I can say that harbormasters and guildmasters would have office wall calendars, merchants who do a lot of shipping ditto, as well as courtiers, "revelmasters" (those who arrange feasts and parties), and temple clerks (the priests who book weddings and funerals and other events not part of "the daily offices" of prayer).
I don't think homesteading farmers or ranchers would have such things, though. We once spent the night in an abandoned steading, and on the wall by the kitchen was a hook with four rows of holes beneath it. On the hook was hung a whittled wooden plaque to denote the month, and a wooden peg was moved along the holes to mark the day. On "special" days (Greengrass and the other festivals), the month plaque was replaced for the day by a special plaque for that festival.
At the time, I got the impression from Ed that most other folk dwelling nearby would have consulted the now-gone dweller in that house as to what day it was. Precise dates weren't as important to farmers as other people; the "natural calendar" of weather and seasons ruled their lives, and there are other ways for a rural person to know when it's market day at the nearest "market-moot" (or market-town), such as pennants being flown, livestock being driven past to reach the market, wagons rumbling by ditto, and so on.
love,
THO


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 19 May 2009 23:28:19
Message:

Milady THO, your reply about harbormasters prompts me to ask this:

Are there any "dockmasters" in towns with docks/small harbour, and which see river traffic i.e. boats and barges with merchandise? Specifically, does the town of Thunderstone have docks (it apparently *does* have lots of fishermen according to 'Volo's Guide to Cormyr') and a dockmaster/rivermaster? Would it be a hired person, crown official/post, or would a Purple Dragon officer act in such a role (i.e. keep track of shipments and barges)?

Once again thank you in advance!


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 19 May 2009 23:29:38
Message:

And my best wishes to Ed - may he get well soon!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 May 2009 03:50:05
Message:

Hello again, all!
I bring Realmslore at last from Ed, who has just returned from the hospital safe and sound (though housebound for the next few days). It wasn't how he intended to return, with a reply for edappel, nor is he free of the blinding flurry of demands on his time, but he did manage to snatch a few minutes to provide this, for Rhewtani's query: "Who was in charge of House Cormaeril in 1340? What was he like?"
Ed replies:


Three people can be said to be in charge of House Cormaeril at that time:

1. Lord Dasmer Cormaeril, a patrician, dignified, handsome "straight shooter" of a man with streaks of white hair through his darker mane, who is the eldest male of the house.
2. Lady Jlanesse Cormaeril, wife of Dasmer, a white-haired, sloe-eyed, white-skinned "brittle beauty" of a woman who is always quiet, sleek, polite - - and an utter tyrant, who gently but firmly commands her husband (and through him, all he has influence over). A master of strategy, shrewd "reading" of others, and foresight, she has few equals at manipulation among the nobles of the time (Queen Fee is one of those equals).
3. Baskorm Cormaeril, younger in years than Dasmer and Jlanesse, but Dasmer's "uncle" (by descent from a dead father), a boisterous "Squire Allworthy" character (if you know your TOM JONES) who is square of jaw, ruddy of face, prodigious of tankard-capacity, roistering, rutting, jovial, swift to brawling anger but never holds grudges . . . and, from Teziir, is the master of all exiled Cormaerils and family wealth and doings outside Cormyr. Jlanesse makes him literally shiver with fear, so he ignores her existence (and any demands sent by his brother, deeming them all to really come from her). He's not quite the "rustic simpleton" he appears, either; under his guiding hand, the Cormaerils are becoming quite wealthy outside the Forest Kingdom.
So there you have it: THREE people who are all, in different ways, "in charge of" House Cormaeril at that time.


So saith Ed. Ahhh, juicy fresh Realmslore again at last!
I just wish Wizards would give Ed about a hundred thousand dollars a year to just sit and write two novels and, say, a dozen short stories every year, to tell us all the tales of these colorful characters he whips up. (Well, a gal can dream, can't she? With the assistance of her whip and a little thing that seems to constantly need new batteries?)
love to all,
THO

Edit: for spelling and grammar.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 20 May 2009 04:49:27
Message:

To begin, I (as I am sure, are many others) am delighted to hear that the Man is on the mend. And, also: You know, I would GLADLY send Ed the amount I used to spend on sourcebooks for about a page a week of whatever he felt like writing. As I see it, that's about $200 a year... If we could get five hundred of us...

KotG: Always trying to make a lady's dreams come true...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 May 2009 05:35:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(Well, a gal can dream, can't she? With the assistance of her whip and a little thing that seems to constantly need new batteries?)
Interestingly, I was recently told that not even re-chargeable batteries are enough for such devices these days.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 20 May 2009 05:48:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(Well, a gal can dream, can't she? With the assistance of her whip and a little thing that seems to constantly need new batteries?)
Interestingly, I was recently told that not even re-chargeable batteries are enough for such devices these days.


"not even re-chargeable batteries"? Does this mean such devices now need to be connected directly to AC power? AC is such a "standards-free" standard, with different plug and socket styles everywhere... personally, I think that's just to frustrate the proponents of free love...

Good to hear that Ed's back from the hospital. Is there anything more he can tell us about his pending web-writing for Wizbro? I'm assuming it will be part of D&DI, but if it will include a certain lineage in its future, it may well force me to subscribe...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 20 May 2009 06:54:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

Is there anything more he can tell us about his pending web-writing for Wizbro?


I asked him about that a day or two ago, and he said the NDA shield was still in place.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 20 May 2009 07:10:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

[quote]Originally posted by The Hooded One

(Well, a gal can dream, can't she? With the assistance of her whip and a little thing that seems to constantly need new batteries?)
Interestingly, I was recently told that not even re-chargeable batteries are enough for such devices these days.



In the case of THO, I (as someone who could play an MD on TV) recommend a model that has a kick-stand and runs on diesel.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 20 May 2009 07:36:21
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
"not even re-chargeable batteries"? Does this mean such devices now need to be connected directly to AC power? AC is such a "standards-free" standard, with different plug and socket styles everywhere... personally, I think that's just to frustrate the proponents of free love...


There are ways around differing plug types... Besides, plug in types perform far more consistently than battery ones, IMHO.

Toys are fun. Ahem.

I wonder if there are magical toys like this in the Realms, perhaps manufactured by Sharessans? Or maybe clockwork ones invented by gnomes... I've always wondered about gnomes...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 May 2009 08:03:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

I wonder if there are magical toys like this in the Realms, perhaps manufactured by Sharessans? Or maybe clockwork ones invented by gnomes... I've always wondered about gnomes...
I actually did have an sophisticatedly worded "sex toy" question prepared for Ed, but I wasn't too sure on whether it'd make for appropriate discussion here at Candlekeep.

Then again, given what sometimes comes up in these discussions when the Lady Hooded One is involved, I don't supposed it'd make much difference.

What do you think, THO?


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 20 May 2009 09:54:48
Message:

I did once have a Realmsian female declare this:

quote:
“I’d want that,” she whispered then giggled huskily, “Don’t think I’d get that rod of vibration working at this point anyway…”
I would therefore second The Sage's query.

Also, glad to hear that Ed is back from hospital and that THO is still 'on top' of things...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 May 2009 12:10:14
Message:

In my GH days, I had an entire group of 'leather nuns' who worshipped a god called Vibronicus.

They were similar to the Mord Sith of the SoT novels, except their faith was more like Sharess', and instead of those little leather 'wands', they carried Rods of vibration, which were both weapons (inducing incredible pain in nerve-clusters)and ...'entertainment devices'.

They were actually pretty damn sinister, even though I started them out to be a running joke. I even eventually created a speciality priest-class around them with some rather interesting spells (once I took them seriously). Amazing how many truly-destructive things you can do with vibrations.


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 20 May 2009 14:24:22
Message:

This things remembers me 3th edition "book of erotic fantasy"... I finally found some guys that may use it.
That's why I say that here, candlekeep forum, we see that everything is possible.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 May 2009 15:50:16
Message:

Sage, I think ANYTHING can and should be discussed, so long as we steer clear of real-world connections that can at times rightly upset people (e.g. religious and lifestyle views). Yes, there are sex toys in the Realms, from whips and dildos through use of costumes and roleplaying (including cross-dressing; any amount of rough, tough armored guards secretly wearing silken feminine scanty panties under their leather cods and "unders," to "tingling creams" and wine-dissolved aphrodisiacs. Endless nipple-clamp-dangling adornments (including at high society revels and in the "official" garb of priestesses).
However, Ed has never dwelt on such things, only mentioned them as they came up in play (e.g. Torm's running joke about pulling down the pants of guards to see "what THESE bold jacks are wearing").
Ed's Realms has never been wholly for children or innocent teens, but it's not a smut-bath either; it's an attempt at portraying ALL of life, so actions have consequences, and there are trends and a meaningful unfolding history.
Which, yes, includes lovemaking.
Not that your average wayfaring adventuress has any need for batteries. Not when there are handy bedposts in so many inns.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 May 2009 16:06:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Sage, I think ANYTHING can and should be discussed, so long as we steer clear of real-world connections that can at times rightly upset people (e.g. religious and lifestyle views).
Gotcha.

I'll tinker around with the question some more then, since recent discussions here have raised a few other queries.
quote:
Yes, there are sex toys in the Realms, from whips and dildos through use of costumes and roleplaying (including cross-dressing; any amount of rough, tough armored guards secretly wearing silken feminine scanty panties under their leather cods and "unders," to "tingling creams" and wine-dissolved aphrodisiacs. Endless nipple-clamp-dangling adornments (including at high society revels and in the "official" garb of priestesses).
I'll note too, that Ed has briefly discussed other similar "elements" while describing activities performed at various festhalls across the Realms.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 May 2009 18:52:23
Message:

Hi again.
Sage, I await with (purrrrrr) anticipation.
Asgetrion, I believe I remember Ed describing a dock (as in, singular) and some very small, narrow barges (like the canal boats of England) at Thunderstone during an early convention play session - - not the home campaign - - once, but of course your query goes off to him for a proper reply.
love,
THO


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 20 May 2009 18:59:32
Message:

Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 20 May 2009 19:39:54
Message:

They are the only item in the Crystal Spheres immune to the good old Sword of Underwear Snatching.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 20 May 2009 19:44:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)



Well, the powers of the undergarments have never been detailed. But the enchantments on those undergarments are the reason he enjoys so much female attention! Do the math.



Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 20 May 2009 21:43:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)



Well, the powers of the undergarments have never been detailed. But the enchantments on those undergarments are the reason he enjoys so much female attention! Do the math.






Not sure if it's the undergarments that causes the female attention or the +3 sock of illusion.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 May 2009 23:51:39
Message:

Heh. Here we go again . . .
Just to be a LITTLE serious for a moment: I recall a long-ago GenCon seminar in which Ed mentioned that many of the Knights, regardless of gender, wore panties of feather falling that they'd obtained from somewhere while adventuring. Yes, to protect them from falls down pit traps, dungeon and mine shafts, off rooftops in cities, and off cliffs.
(Here comes Florin, fire in his eye and sword gleaming as the corded muscles of his arms ripple . . . resplendent in a crotchless wisp of high-thigh-cut pink silk . . .)
Ahem.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 May 2009 23:56:08
Message:

You are remembering correctly, Blueblade.
And, scribes, BB isn't far off the mark indeed in his invented Florin description. No, indeed.
Although at least one of the male Knights had a garter belt of feather falling (no, he didn't have to wear garters with it, to make it function; it and the panties worked automatically, unless the wearer murmured a word to "turn them off" because they WANTED to plummet fast.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 May 2009 00:32:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

(Here comes Florin, fire in his eye and sword gleaming as the corded muscles of his arms ripple . . . resplendent in a crotchless wisp of high-thigh-cut pink silk . . .)
I've got to use this in my campaign. Since Florin is acting as an NPC at the moment, I think it would be rather amusing for the party to encounter him in such a state. And given the recent trials they've each faced, it ought to give them something of a laugh.

At Florin's expense, but...

Thanks BB.


Reply author: Solomon
Replied on: 21 May 2009 11:05:45
Message:

Thanks again to both Ed and the Hooded One for giving us this delightful privilege.

When Ed has a moment, could you please remind him of a character named Harmel Artru he referenced back in the Jan-March 2006 era of 'So Saith Ed'? He sounds like a fascinating character and as he was cited by Ed as then being the 'best' (according to his terms and conditions) swordsman in the Realms, I'd love to hear more details about him, just as he did with Sraece Telthorn.

All the best,
Solomon


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 21 May 2009 19:43:50
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have just surfaced after participating in a Realms campaign in which a DM did a "foreshock" of the Spellplague: no change in game rules or time jump, but a wave of blue fire in the skies, then all magic went wild (so became dangerous to the wielder as well as potential targets of any spellcaster), and those who tried to study for spells or experiment with magic started to rave and then fell unconscious, coming to days later without the replacement spells they'd been trying to get.
At the same time, Westgate (where the PCs happened to be) got shrouded in clinging, never-going-away mist and dark tentacled things started emerging from the sewers and harbor . . . and things went very Cthulhu.
It was scary (taking away reliable magic turns things very "survivalist") and exciting and memorable, all at the same time. The party eventually left Westgate, where it seems the monsters are taking over, using doppelgangers (who serve the tentacled ones!) to impersonate/replace city officials, and magic is starting to return to normal.
The thing is: we questioned our DM pretty firmly, outside of play, after this all got going, and he swears he got the idea from talking to Ed at a GenCon YEARS ago, as "a way to save a runaway campaign, or just one you want to turn in a very different direction."
Is this true? If so, did others who talked to Ed in that room at GenCon (our DM says there were about twenty people there, some of them TSR designers, filling in after a seminar went bust because the guests of honor failed to show up) remember this and use it, years later, as the Spellplague?
I don't think for one minute, from the things that have been posted here and elsewhere or what Ed and others (Rich Baker, etc.) have said at the last two GenCons, that the Spellplague as presented in print was Ed's idea, or written by Ed. I'm just curious as to whether someone took his old Godswar idea (DRAGON issue 54) and what was said at the older Milwaukee GenCon that i'm talking about, and spun them into the Spellplague of 2008.
Ed? THO? NDA silences?
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 21 May 2009 19:45:07
Message:

Hey, heavy stuff there. Can't we just talk about Elminster's undergarments, first?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 May 2009 03:37:48
Message:

Heh. Of COURSE we can. His collection of trophies, or those he wears himself?
And, Baleful Avatar, from where I'm sitting Ed's NDA silence looks large, heavy, healthy, and rather grim. It's gray and looming and blocking the light.
And it's very, very . . . silent.

love,
THO


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 22 May 2009 04:20:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Dark Wizard, your Chondath/Chessenta question has gone off to Ed; I don't recall anything useful in trying to answer it in the lore-notes he's given me over the years, or in the notes I made during play. So it'll have to wait for his return, which will hopefully be by end of next week.
Yes, Ed tries to envisage the Realms as a real place, and work out details and lore explanations that make it seem more real AND create new roleplaying opportunities. I think he's become pretty good at it over the last forty-some years.
As for Embersea, I know very little about it, because Ed (following professional protocol) has said very little. I once overheard him mention something about "lots of small islands to adventure on, clustered around large ones," that MIGHT have been Embersea, or might not. That was years back, before he offered the setting to Studio 2, which is when his silence descended. I suspect Embersea was one of the many projects affected when Ed's father died and Ed missed a crop of deadlines, with everything snowballing and getting delayed. However, it's NOT a dead setting, by any means.
love,
THO



Thank you for your swift reply once again Lady THO. I'm glad to hear Ed is doing well. The potential hint you provided for Embersea only makes me more curious. It sounds like a grander more focused take on Ed's own original Anchorome concept. If that is indeed the case, I'm all for it, though I'm sure we would all find many things of interesting in any of Ed's settings, whatever they may be.



Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 22 May 2009 09:45:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard
The potential hint you provided for Embersea only makes me more curious. It sounds like a grander more focused take on Ed's own original Anchorome concept.

Now wouldn't that be a fine and dandy thing. I had exactly the same thought myself

I would love to see this product, it is a definite buy for me.

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 May 2009 10:10:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Of COURSE we can. His collection of trophies, or those he wears himself?



Why choose when we can have anecdotes of both?
And your own trophies, of course, while we are at it...

Gomez,
wondering what comments he would get if he added 'garter of feather falling' to his treasure bundles..


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 May 2009 16:44:50
Message:

To digress for a moment... in the 70's (around here) it became somewhat 'popular' for young men (late teens) to hang a girl's panties from his rear-view mirror in his car, as a trophy of-sorts from certain 'conquests' he has made in the vehicle.

Some guys had several pairs (and only one per girl was allowed), so the whole thing became a matter of 'bragging rights'... which only lasted a couple of years because it became obvious some guys were just buying the underwear or stealing their sister's <eeew>.

Anyway, enough about growing-up on Long Isalnd...

This current converstaion now has me picturing a very special, very secret room in El's tower with thousands of rear-view mirrors mounted to the walls.

With trophies... of course...

Some perhaps rather....... bizarre....


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 22 May 2009 16:46:12
Message:

I was curious how the dwarves of Clan Battlehammer might actually say the name of their home, "Mithral Hall", in Dwarvish. My guess is HIMral ULtok:

"mithral: himral ('HIMM-rall')" (<"Questions for Ed Greenwood (2005)">, THO's post on 16-APR-2005)

"ultok: meeting-place, coming together, rendezvous" (Dwarves Deep, p.12)


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 22 May 2009 16:49:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

This current converstaion now has me picturing a very special, very secret room in El's tower with thousands of rear-view mirrors mounted to the walls.

With trophies... of course...

Some perhaps rather....... bizarre....

Upcoming products for next month include:

Volo's Guide to Elminster's Shag Pad . . .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 May 2009 21:32:04
Message:

Hello again, fellow scribes!
Markustay, re. this: "This current conversation now has me picturing a very special, very secret room in El's tower with thousands of rear-view mirrors mounted to the walls.
With trophies... of course...
Some perhaps rather....... bizarre...."

Markustay, dahling, you have NO idea. I could tell you things about the striking nude female we Knights once found self-bound to the bedroom wall of El's Tower, but if I did, The Simbul would kill me, so I won't.
Oops.
Ahem.
BEAST, Mithral Hall would actually be "HIMral ULdoum"
"Uldoum" means "favored dwarven settlement" (meaning favored by the speaker, which is a formal way of saying "I am of that settlement" . . . and "ul" in ultok, uldoum, uldrar and ulglath means "we people" or the dwarves)
"Uldrar" means "way of the dwarves," or literally, a route through the Underdark that is used, marked, and improved by the dwarves [steps cut into stone, bridges, some tunneling, etc.].
"Ulglath" means "dwarf-made" or "dwarven-work" or even "of the style of the dwarves" (so a dwarf could pick up a hammer he knows to have been made by a gnome, and say as a compliment: "Serth. Uglath!" meaning: 'I approve. Like dwarf-work!')
This all comes from Ed's notes, which were truncated sadly for DWARVES DEEP, and have been added to in play, since.
Ed tells me a dwarf who'd never heard of Mithral Hall (the known place, that is, as a named dwarven settlement) might say "himral ultok" to describe a hypothetical large cavern where Underdark dwellers already meet or gather to trade in mithral, or that was discovered to be full of mithral [a lost armory or ready-refined metals cache or something of the sort, not a lode or vein of the raw makings of mithral].
There. More potted dwarf-lore.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 May 2009 00:50:40
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, fellow scribes!
Markustay, re. this: "This current conversation now has me picturing a very special, very secret room in El's tower with thousands of rear-view mirrors mounted to the walls.
With trophies... of course...
Some perhaps rather....... bizarre...."


Hmm... Well that would definitely justify some people's view of Elminster...

quote:

Markustay, dahling, you have NO idea. I could tell you things about the striking nude female we Knights once found self-bound to the bedroom wall of El's Tower, but if I did, The Simbul would kill me, so I won't.


If it was a Nymph, that might be an effective trap. Especially if your DM rules that her ability to strike people blind is not under her control, and if it works on any sentient being regardless of gender... (One of my DMs used to LOVE using this trap on our hapless characters - very cruel, if you ask me! Poor Nymph! Poor PCs - we'd come around a corner, and WHAM! Blinded by beauty! So of course we'd then derail the whole plot trying to rescue the Nymph. Serves the DM right!)


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 May 2009 03:01:01
Message:

Heh. Reading THO's wording, methinks the selfbound female was The Simbul herself, awaiting old Elminster's return from somewhere. I hope he was feeling energetic when he padded wearily towards his bed . . .
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 May 2009 04:42:06
Message:

He's always prepared with his +5 Viagra or a handy Ironwood spell.


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 23 May 2009 06:57:00
Message:

THO: I switched job in March and now take the train to work instead of driving... so I have resumed my reading of FR novels. Please tell Ed that Waterdeep: City of Splendors is perhaps the best FR novel I've ever read to date. It's simply amazing: I am utterly staggered at how the plot, well into a 500+ pages novel, NEVER stops twisting and turning. Every chapter I read brings a "wow, I did not expect that" surprise. I really like how famous NPCs were used as liberally as the new noble and blue collar younglings... (in the same frames/scenes, we really get a feeling at how mighty or famous they are vs. the regular folk) Love the Gemcloaks. In the first 200 pages or so... did not care about the Amalgation, but they grow on you (no pun intended! :P) and you soon see yourself wishing Mrelder would kick his crazy old man's arse with a good old spell duel! (maybe it has yet to happen... I'm almost at the end, so don't tell! :D )

Kudos to Elaine as well!


Reply author: Indoril
Replied on: 23 May 2009 17:13:42
Message:

I've got a question I've been wondering for a while, and scouring the net as yielded little for answers:

Aside from the basic languages of common, elven, dwarven, blah-blah-blah for the many, many races, is there anything similar to French, German, etc. used amongst humans in certain regions? I imagine different parts of the realms have different languages, like the humans in Chult might have their own native language for example. (Though I can't say I've looked to see if that's actually fact, I assume it is so, though)

But is there any kingdom or land where the people speak other languages resembling to other non-English real world languages?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 May 2009 19:16:46
Message:

See Eric Boyd's excellent work in RACES OF FAERUN (3e sourcebook) for various regional human languages . . . but Ed and THO (who both dabble linguistically) will no doubt repeat the oft-stated truism that no Realmsian languages are modelled on, or intended to resemble, ANY real-world languages. Apart from being made up of sounds pronounceable by human mouths and vocal cords, of course.
This is something I've heard said over and over by Ed and by various TSR designers at past GenCons, when the Realms seminars flew thick and fast, and sometimes stretched to FOUR HOURS.
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 23 May 2009 19:24:59
Message:

Yeah, I can still see Ed up on stage, sweating in that heavy Elminster costume, ad-libbing both jokes and heavy-duty Realmslore for hours at a stretch, in response to audience questions. I knew he was a genius when I first read the Old Gray Box, but I WATCHED him be a genius, for three years running in Milwaukee . . . and he never repeated a joke!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 23 May 2009 19:44:16
Message:

Agghh! No more nostalgia Realms tales! I'm starting to sniffle! You're taking me back to the time when the Realms was unfolding bright and new, and fool that I was, I thought TSR would do as they had been doing for Dragonlance, and did for the Known World: keep on selling us regional sourcebooks and boxed sets until the globe (both sides, and even the hollow inside!!) had been covered.
Instead, they went back to the Waterdeep well again and again, and started separate product lines for Al-Qadim and Maztica and then got distracted into Spelljammer and Planescape, and somehow ran out of steam on the Realms coverage.
When Ed could have been kept busy writing annual Volo's Guides for the last TWO DECADES, and given us rich depth to the entire darned thing.
I think Wizards should bring Volo back, only a befuddled-by-magic Volo: he's wandering in the Realms, not quite knowing where he is, but still bitching about bad meals and bug-infested beds and giving us recipes and gossip and the good local landmarks for every place he does stumble across.
And you can use the published results in the Realms (where they JUST HAPPEN to perfectly match the Realms we first saw in the Old Gray Box), the Abeir part (so if you're using the "new" Realms, it'll work for right now), Eberron, or wherever (Golarion, your own homebrew...) because Volo's down on the "this inn and that tavern" level.
I can't for the life of me figure out why Wizards doesn't hire Ed to just churn out Volo's Guides. The argument they gave, back at those old GenCons, was "the hobby retailers don't like the format." But since they're now selling PDFs and making some stuff web-only, I think they just hurled their own argument out the nearest window...


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 23 May 2009 20:13:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

To begin, I (as I am sure, are many others) am delighted to hear that the Man is on the mend. And, also: You know, I would GLADLY send Ed the amount I used to spend on sourcebooks for about a page a week of whatever he felt like writing. As I see it, that's about $200 a year... If we could get five hundred of us...



I'm in too... and for me in 2E and 3E days, that's about $600-800 a year that I've been saving since the advent of 4E. Yes, I have just about everything.

All I really want is anything that's been buried under somnolent NDA's for a decade or more. No good lore should have to suffocate to death in that manner.

Looking forward to whatever Ed will be producing for Wizbro's web publishing; will it be for D&Di or "open content" on the site? Or is that NDA'd at this time too?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 23 May 2009 21:24:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar


I can't for the life of me figure out why Wizards doesn't hire Ed to just churn out Volo's Guides.


Wizards has some reserves to follow the publishing model of the Volo's guides. The realms are a little darker these days, a little harder to get around, and they don't really want 'a single voice connecting disparate areas'.

Of course, in a year or five, they may change their minds, but I wouldn't count on Volo guides at the moment. thena gain, I don't know what Ed is going to write for Dragon...

Lady, can we post suggestions? :D

Btw, I hope Ed is all well - somehow I missed a few posts a few pages back. Give him a hug from me (he'll probably enjoys it much more if you give it ;) ).

Gomez


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 May 2009 21:57:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk


Looking forward to whatever Ed will be producing for Wizbro's web publishing; will it be for D&Di or "open content" on the site? Or is that NDA'd at this time too?



I believe it's already been stated that it's going to be DDI.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 May 2009 01:08:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar


I can't for the life of me figure out why Wizards doesn't hire Ed to just churn out Volo's Guides.


Wizards has some reserves to follow the publishing model of the Volo's guides. The realms are a little darker these days, a little harder to get around, and they don't really want 'a single voice connecting disparate areas'.

Of course, in a year or five, they may change their minds, but I wouldn't count on Volo guides at the moment. thena gain, I don't know what Ed is going to write for Dragon...
Did any of you read the [brief] Volo's Guides by Eric and Ed published individually in the last few printed issues of DRAGON Magazine?


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 24 May 2009 03:25:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar


I can't for the life of me figure out why Wizards doesn't hire Ed to just churn out Volo's Guides.


Wizards has some reserves to follow the publishing model of the Volo's guides. The realms are a little darker these days, a little harder to get around, and they don't really want 'a single voice connecting disparate areas'.

Of course, in a year or five, they may change their minds, but I wouldn't count on Volo guides at the moment. thena gain, I don't know what Ed is going to write for Dragon...
Did any of you read the [brief] Volo's Guides by Eric and Ed published individually in the last few printed issues of DRAGON Magazine?

More than Eric and Ed. Ed wrote an introduction to each of the Volo's entries from DRAGON 351-359, but there were other authors. For those interested, here's a complete rundown of those last Volo's Guides:

#351 - "Lost Regalia of the North: The Toppled Thrones," by Eric L. Boyd
#352 - "Volo's Guide To the Forgotten Dead," by Brian Cortijo
#353 - "Outsiders of the Forgotten Realms," by Thomas M. Costa
#354 - "Cormanthor: War Amidst the Trees," by Eric L. Boyd
#355 - "Demon Cults of the Realms," by Eric L. Boyd
#356 - "Wyrms of the West, East and South," by Brian Cortijo
#357 - "Renegades of Darkhold," by George Krashos
#358 - "War Upon the Sands," by Brian Cortijo
#359 - "Myth Drannor, City of Song," by Eric L. Boyd

And yes, I've read them all. ;)


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 24 May 2009 04:03:03
Message:

It's just a shame they never released them aside from the magazines. I wish they were around online for those of us that don't have the issues to read.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 May 2009 04:38:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

More than Eric and Ed. Ed wrote an introduction to each of the Volo's entries from DRAGON 351-359, but there were other authors.
Sorry Brian. I'd meant to mention you, Tom, and Krash as well. But when I re-edited the post earlier, I forgot.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 May 2009 05:31:18
Message:

Ed, I'm finally geting around to re-reading Code of the Harpers (the last time I read it was when it first came out), and I greatly enjoyed the opening 'tale' (synopsis is more like it) of the exploits of Mestrel Hawkmantle (all in a single year!)

You left it with him walking through a portal and disappearing... whatever happened to him? Where did that portal lead? It just so happens to be in an area I have a great interest in (the borderlands between the Taan and kara-Tur).


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 24 May 2009 09:16:18
Message:

It's only now with the benefit of hindsight that I recall how eager and encouraging Ed was for a few of us to "write, write, write" and get published in Dragon Magazine, moving the Seven Heavens and Toril behind the scenes to put in a good word for us with the Paizo guys. Like all good seers, he could see the Spellplague looming on the horizon.

Then too I recall how open and eager the Paizo people were to entertain article suggestions, even when they knew also that they only had less than a year of issues to release under their tenure. My piece on Semmemmon and Ashemmi came about because I suggested the article to them at their prompting after my Impiltur piece was finally published, not from any random pitch on my part. Sad that Paizo lost control of the magazines and 4E came along - I know in my bones I would have got in at least 2 articles a year of juicy realmslore if things had continued in that vein. I had about three articles "ready to go" with ideas for another half-a-dozen.

Thankfully, my thread here at C-Keep has meant that some of those articles/ideas have had a place to (hopefully) shine.

But I'd like to thank Ed for his efforts anyway. As a "corner man", he has no equal.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 24 May 2009 14:21:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Did any of you read the [brief] Volo's Guides by Eric and Ed published individually in the last few printed issues of DRAGON Magazine?



I only have three of those (356/357/358), and only Semmeon is of any interest to me from those three (YMMV).
I think such articles will still be written. I just don't think it will be Volo that will be doing the writing.

As to writing for Dragon/Dungeon: we still can do that. I do plan to set something up (I merely need to get time to gather all the random thoughts in my head and put them together into something coherent).

Gomez


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 24 May 2009 15:13:34
Message:

Re. this:
"As to writing for Dragon/Dungeon: we still can do that. I do plan to set something up (I merely need to get time to gather all the random thoughts in my head and put them together into something coherent)."

HA! I've ben trying to do THAT for, like, thirty years now.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 May 2009 15:17:30
Message:

Too true, Blueblade. Too true.

George, Ed (who is away from all keyboards at the moment, though I managed to speak to him via the cellphone of someone whos' with him) would like to thank YOU.
He says he always looks forward eagerly to every time you or Eric (Boyd) would "roll back the curtain and show me more of the Realms," and "wishes like all heck" it would happen more often. For us all.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 May 2009 15:26:30
Message:

Hi again, all. I almost forgot:
Purple Dragon Knight, Ed thanks you for the kind words, but wants you to know that Elaine did most of the heavy lifting when it came to the plot of CITY OF SPLENDORS, so she deserves most of your thanks.
Yes, Ed and Elaine (who are good friends, BTW) "overwrote" each other many times, particularly when the book needed to be shortened, but the Amalgamation (Mrelder and his dad) and the Dyre daughters and their interactions with the Gemcloaks were established by Elaine from the outset.
Ed agrees with you that it's a "different" Realms book (just as ELMINSTER IN HELL was a very different sort of "different" Realms book), and he, too (however immodestly), thinks it's one of the best. "Those who want guys fighting orcs and dragons are going to be a bit disappointed, yes - - but then, those who hate such things get disappointed when they pick up Realms fiction so more often."


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on NDA'd lore-work right now.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 24 May 2009 15:52:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade
HA! I've ben trying to do THAT for, like, thirty years now.



I am fully aware that I may be repearing exactly the same statement thirty years from now... :P
Though I do give myself a fair chance that I actually will produce something.
First have to write an adventure though... apparently before june 7th. Hmm.

Gomez


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 24 May 2009 16:00:45
Message:

Mmm... NDA'd lore-work... that's actually the best kind, if it's being worked on, because that means it might actually see the light of day... right?

When is Ed's first work appearing in DDi? I need to know when my subscription needs to start, because I'm not paying for a month that *doesn't* contain lore from Ed (or Brian, or George, or Eric). Yes, my standards are high, but I suspect I'm not the only one so discriminating here at CK.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 May 2009 16:21:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

As to writing for Dragon/Dungeon: we still can do that. I do plan to set something up (I merely need to get time to gather all the random thoughts in my head and put them together into something coherent).
ONLY if you support their new edition.

If you are like most 'Realms Sages', you prefer the 1e/2e/3e era. The articles must contain at least 1/3 mechanics (IIRC), and a lack of familiarity with those rules precludes anyone with any talent but no interest in 4e to write for the DDi (I REFUSE to call that Dragon).

When they announced their 'open call' (yeah... right...) over a year ago, I quickly put together twenty ideas (10 for Dragon, and 10 for Dungeon, with a couple being cross-overs). However, once they made it clear that they would not be accepting any articles that did not take place in the 4e era, I didn't bother. I simply do not know enough about that time period (does anyone?) to feel I can do it justice.

Sorry for the 'mini-rant', mods, but I'm tired of the "you can join us, if you'll just think the way we tell you" attitude these days over at WotC.

BTW, after that supposed 'open call', the only two non-in-house guys to write articles were Ed and Brian - where are all these 'new writers' they were asking for?

They didn't want our articles, only our ideas......


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 24 May 2009 18:39:49
Message:

(content voluntarily removed for reposting in a more general scroll with further commentary, so as not to further derail Ed's scroll)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 May 2009 00:58:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

(content voluntarily removed for reposting in a more general scroll with further commentary, so as not to further derail Ed's scroll)

And said scroll is located here:- http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12528


Reply author: Elric
Replied on: 25 May 2009 04:47:16
Message:

Hello Ed and THO,

I have been a reader of your Q&A threads for some time but have never posted before. I’ve thought of a couple of questions that I want to ask you about, but first, I want to say that I am glad to hear that you are feeling better!

I haven’t been able to locate much information on the Cormyrian fortress of Castle Crag (other than a little information in the 2nd edition FR boxed set). Sadly, there was no entry in the Cyclopedia of the Realms from the original FR “grey box” set. I also checked Volo’s Guide to Cormyr but couldn’t find much information in this sourcebook either. I was wondering if you could provide me with some information on this structure (its appearance, the military strength housed within, commanding officer, etc.) circa 1357-1358 DR (pre-Time of Troubles)?

My other question is in regards to the Moonshae Islands. I know that the published version of the Moonshaes isn’t the original version that you turned in to TSR. I recall reading a past post where you gave a description of what the original Moonshaes looked like (similar to the islands of Earthsea).Wizards posted a tie-in article to the Grand History of the Realms on their website awhile back that deals specifically with the history of the Moonshaes. It depicts what the Moonshaes looked like circa -11,000 DR. I was curious if this is what the original Moonshaes look like in your home campaign (I thought maybe they used your original version for this article)? Also, a quick question related to the Moonshaes, is the wizard Flamsterd and his island your creation and part of your original Moonshae Islands?

I apologize in advance if any of these questions have already been answered in previous posts.

Thanks very much for everything you do for us Realmsfans. It is greatly appreciated!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 May 2009 07:28:04
Message:

Flamsterd is indeed one of the remnants of Ed's original Moonshaes.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 25 May 2009 07:58:38
Message:

Welcome Elric, and Indoril too, to the forum!

As someone not too far past his own acolyte-hood, I thought I'd be the first to offer a warm welcome. Personally, I don't mind if a question is repeated, because often the senior scribes or The Hooded One can direct you to Ed's indexed response, and often leads curious readers (such as I) trailing down the same path.

Based on my own brief observations, 3 things generally keep this thread rolling along:

1.) Questions to Ed, and the corresponding responses, via The Hooded One,

2.) The community's own brief discussions that spring from those questions to Ed, rather like ripples from a stone dropped into a pond, and

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)

So to both of you, Well met!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 25 May 2009 08:11:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)


Geologic time? Wow, that's more credit than I would have given him!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 May 2009 08:44:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)
Awesome!

Does this also mean that I could qualify for my own epoch? Perhaps even something that could be slipped into the Realmslore.

Ed, THO, take note!


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 25 May 2009 08:53:03
Message:

Sage's list is so long that the continents will reform as Pangea before he finishes everything. :)


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 25 May 2009 09:07:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)
Awesome!

Does this also mean that I could qualify for my own epoch? Perhaps even something that could be slipped into the Realmslore.

Ed, THO, take note!



Well, perhaps just your own geologic stratum; with all the work you do moderating it's no surprise we take you for granite....

----> http://instantrimshot.com/ <----


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 25 May 2009 11:59:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Elric

Hello Ed and THO,
My other question is in regards to the Moonshae Islands. I know that the published version of the Moonshaes isn’t the original version that you turned in to TSR. I recall reading a past post where you gave a description of what the original Moonshaes looked like (similar to the islands of Earthsea).Wizards posted a tie-in article to the Grand History of the Realms on their website awhile back that deals specifically with the history of the Moonshaes. It depicts what the Moonshaes looked like circa -11,000 DR. I was curious if this is what the original Moonshaes look like in your home campaign (I thought maybe they used your original version for this article)? Also, a quick question related to the Moonshaes, is the wizard Flamsterd and his island your creation and part of your original Moonshae Islands?

I apologize in advance if any of these questions have already been answered in previous posts.

Thanks very much for everything you do for us Realmsfans. It is greatly appreciated!



Hi Elric


Brian R James who wrote the article posted this response on another thread

"You are the first to comment on my homage to Ed's Earthsea-like Moonshaes. Well done. I never saw Ed's original map, so I hope it is a close approximation of his vision"

More on Flamsterd here (its a loooong Ed post, you need to scroll down about halfway)

Hope this helps

Damian


Reply author: D-brane
Replied on: 25 May 2009 14:50:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)
Awesome!

Does this also mean that I could qualify for my own epoch? Perhaps even something that could be slipped into the Realmslore.

Ed, THO, take note!

I'm not Ed, but I have a suggestion.

Sage Reckoning: An archaic dating system used by the monks and scribes of Candlekeep to record the amount of time that has passed since the Sage of Perth's last completed project for the great library.

That okay?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 25 May 2009 16:26:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by D-brane

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

3.) Gentle teasing of longstanding members, like The Hooded One (well-nigh unshockable, despite our many attempts) and The Sage (runs on geologic time, but gets results!)
Awesome!

Does this also mean that I could qualify for my own epoch? Perhaps even something that could be slipped into the Realmslore.

Ed, THO, take note!

I'm not Ed, but I have a suggestion.

Sage Reckoning: An archaic dating system used by the monks and scribes of Candlekeep to record the amount of time that has passed since the Sage of Perth's last completed project for the great library.

That okay?



Sage Reckoning = Year in DR + 10,000


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 May 2009 17:31:17
Message:

I had my math final today(it was okay), and that got me thinking:
How much math is there in the Realms? Are they aware of the Sines and Cosines Functions? Is there even such a concept as 'X'? What of Geometry? And plane geometry? Or Integrals? Graphs?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 25 May 2009 19:13:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I had my meth final today(it was okay), and that got me thinking:
How much math is there in the Realms? Are they aware of the Sines and Cosines Functions? Is there even such a concept as 'X'? What of Geometry? And plane geometry? Or Integrals? Graphs?



First off... 'meth final'?

Geometry (and some trigonometry) are used in arcane formulae for spells and rituals. Architecture and Engineering uses a lot of higher math to figure out structural integrity of buildings and such. Finally, I think Gondsmen and Lantan gnomes have established some calculus and physics-related math for their experiments.


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 25 May 2009 20:47:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I had my meth final today(it was okay), and that got me thinking:
How much math is there in the Realms? Are they aware of the Sines and Cosines Functions? Is there even such a concept as 'X'? What of Geometry? And plane geometry? Or Integrals? Graphs?



At the final book of Lady Penitent Trilogy, there is an awesome Drow-character that is a "Geometric Mage". He don't stop examining paramethers on everything he sees. (unfortunetly I have this habit too.. I can't see a grid that already beginning to turn my head to find patterns in images)


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 25 May 2009 21:09:34
Message:

THO or Ed... (Maybe Brian James or Eric Boyd could help me too)
I've asked this questions on another topic, but no one answered me with a good explanation (Well... Wooly told me he thinks that doesn't have a canon answer, but even so I have to ask you )

There's any explanation to the elves' changes of 3e to 4e?
Why do they live only 200 years now? And how can Sun and Moon elves teleport? What about wild/wood elves "sleeping"?

Thanks.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 25 May 2009 21:31:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I had my meth final today(it was okay), and that got me thinking:
How much math is there in the Realms? Are they aware of the Sines and Cosines Functions? Is there even such a concept as 'X'? What of Geometry? And plane geometry? Or Integrals? Graphs?



I also remember two separate instances in Realms works that mention complex mathematics, and checked on the sources:

1.) Realms of the Elves - "The Staff of Valmaxian" : The spellcasting chambers used by the main character are inlaid with golden lines that describe precise angles, radii, and calibrations to either heighten or refine the arcane power raised therein. I imagine many accomplished mages that work in Divination, Enchantment, or Conjuration/Summoning would have similar ones.

2.) Midnight's Mask by Paul Kemp: This might be closer to our real-life use of mathematics. Towards the close of the book, the villain incorporates extremely complex math formulae. --- SPOILERS ---(highlight) He does so while casting the epic spell Eclipse. The Sojourner needed to account for Toril's speed through space, spin on its axis, the movement of the sun, and the corresponding physics of the eclipsing object (a Tear of Selune) in order to achieve a 24-hour eclipse. --- END SPOILERS ---

And, as edappel mentioned, geometer mages do exist since 3rd edition, that perceive the Weave through math computations.


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 26 May 2009 07:00:30
Message:

Thanks, M'Lady and Sir Ed, for the Dwarvish lingo lesson. It answered my question, and more!


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 26 May 2009 15:24:15
Message:

Has Ed ever shared with us how he got introduced to Dungeons & Dragons in the first place?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 26 May 2009 15:35:13
Message:

Yes, there was a column in DRAGON years back ("First Quest," or am I misremembering the name?) and Ed did one of them on his introduction to D&D.
It began, as I recall:
"Play with me," she breathed . . .


A powerful piece of writing.
BB


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 26 May 2009 16:57:33
Message:

Hiya, Ed and lovely Lady Hooded One!

I'm adding yet another question to my ever-growing queue, and this is one that I think may be good for a lot of people...

One of the few high points in the FRCG is the amount of detail and such in the Returned Abeir section. It's quite obvious that that section of the book is pure Ed; his world-building is what makes that area usable.

It occurs to me that Returned Abeir could easily replace one of Toril's undescribed landmasses, rather than replacing something that may not be to everyone's liking but is a part of official canon. The shape isn't right, but since those other landmasses are mostly just blobby shapes on a map, I think that's easy enough to ignore.

However... I'd want to use it as Laerakond, and I'd want to use it in the pre-Sellplague Realms. So all the "Returned" aspects have to be tweaked. I'm thinking the Dawn Titans could be banished/exiled deities, perhaps even one of the groups of Seven Lost Gods. The missing part of the dragonborn kingdom is a bit harder, but maybe it could be an earthquake or the result of an awakened nastybad, perhaps even a Dawn Titan.

So, here's the question, friend Ed: if you had to make that continent work as part of the 1370-ish era, how would you do so?


Reply author: ijkay
Replied on: 26 May 2009 17:21:50
Message:

Greetings!

Having just had knee surgery to reconstruct my ACL I was wondering about surgery in the Realms. How advanced is it? Are any cities/nations known for specialities? Obviously in a magical world the more common method may be to seek help from the local temple or respresentative of your diety. Additionally are limb braces known in the Realms? I seem to remember lots of limb replacement (normal and magical) examples described in various resources. What I am curious about though are devices to overcome muscle/ligament/bone injuries or degradation (knee braces etc)that would allow one to continue to be active and proficient in a very physical profession (warrior, farmer etc.). Would the Church of Gond or other artificers produce such devices? How efficient and effective would they be?


Reply author: Fillow
Replied on: 26 May 2009 17:41:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ijkay

...
Would the Church of Gond or other artificers produce such devices? How efficient and effective would they be?


Is it not what we saw in Temple Hill ? Where Fendel, a gnomish tinker priest of Gond, build a hand in order to replace Corin's one which was cut in a battle.

I also remember a veterinary cabinet in The Empire of Shade - Anauroch. That's to say that if animals are subjects to surgery, it means that surgery "level" about humans should not be far away from the first one. no ?

No real interest about your question but we find a Knive kit for surgery (among other aims) in Aurora's catalogue


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 May 2009 17:43:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Barshevy

Has Ed ever shared with us how he got introduced to Dungeons & Dragons in the first place?

Bits and pieces. If you search through the older reply files, you'll find sections were Ed talks about some of his earliest D&D experiences.

I'd love to hear a flow-blown account, though.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 May 2009 20:24:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

A powerful piece of writing.
If its the story I'm thinking of, it was indeed.

I get 'misty' just thinking about it.

Ed and my Ex-wife are the only two people that can get me to cry... and she needs a lawyer to do so.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 26 May 2009 20:39:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

<snip>and she needs a lawyer to do so.


I feel for ya, brother. Just caught a great joke on 'Burn Notice' last night:

"Wanna hear a funny story about my divorce?"
"Yeah."
"So do I."


Back on topic. I'd like to hear Ed's recounting of his first D&D game as well. I've heard many times about how Faerûn came about and how the rules fit the world pretty well, but not on the details of that first encounter.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 May 2009 02:08:45
Message:

Hi again, all.
I'm told that the first part of what I believe is a four-part interview with Ed (conducted by Jeremy Jones, a prof at Wofford) is up at the KOBOLD QUARTERLY website, as part of (ahem) "Ed Greenweek."
Geez, I was thinking of asking Parliament in Canada and Congress in the United States to create a national holiday in Ed's honour (after all, he creates WORLDS, yes?), but now someone's gone ahead and given him a whole WEEK.
It'll go to his head. Gasp - - the horror - - he might even break down and buy a suit!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 27 May 2009 02:10:01
Message:

Heh. One without a top hat and matching bustier and garters, you mean?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 May 2009 02:11:14
Message:

Yes, that's what I mean. He's been the wrong size to borrow my bustier and garters for years . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 27 May 2009 03:25:51
Message:

Linky to the Ed interview

Linky to Part 2

Edit: Added Part 2 link. Thanks BB!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 27 May 2009 20:06:37
Message:

Part 2 of the interview is up. (I mention this because the "linky" above goes to Part 1.) Ed being candid. Good stuff.
BB


Reply author: Fillow
Replied on: 27 May 2009 20:25:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Elric


I haven’t been able to locate much information on the Cormyrian fortress of Castle Crag (other than a little information in the 2nd edition FR boxed set). Sadly, there was no entry in the Cyclopedia of the Realms from the original FR “grey box” set. I also checked Volo’s Guide to Cormyr but couldn’t find much information in this sourcebook either. I was wondering if you could provide me with some information on this structure (its appearance, the military strength housed within, commanding officer, etc.) circa 1357-1358 DR (pre-Time of Troubles)?



I saw no answer to this one from your two questionsand I do not know if Cormyr sourcebook is part of those you have already read.

So, I wanted to tell you that I saw few Castle Crag data in the Cormyr sourcebook (TSR9410). round one column p.24, 33, 34, 43, 56, and in the Major Cities' Statistics


Reply author: PaulBestwick
Replied on: 28 May 2009 10:20:47
Message:

Part three of the Greenweek articles is up http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/article885.php


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 28 May 2009 15:53:41
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
A campaign question arises:
Just inside a city gate for, say, Suzail or Waterdeep or any other walled city with not too much sprawl outside the walls, there will inevitably be shops that just-arrived people will blunder past or up to. I'd imagine that a fair amount of newcomers ask "where is?" questions, and that shopkeepers would either go nuts or resign themselves to answering - - and probably shift the wares they sell to be "handy things a new arrival needs or wants to buy, right away." And perhaps provide washrooms? Water-troughs for tired mounts or pack animals?
My question is: could Ed - - or, THO, if Ed is still busy, Ed's notes - - give us any examples of one or two shops/shopkeepers (names, brief outline of what the place looks like and sells) one might encounter if entering Suzail through, say, that northeastern city gate, the one closest to the Palace?
Thanks!


Reply author: ijkay
Replied on: 28 May 2009 19:10:59
Message:

Ed and Lady THO

In Dragon 253 in the Worms of the North series Raulthim has his lair on the isle of Axard. Is Axard the same isle where Rethgaard lies or a smaller isle further north unmarked on most maps?

Additionally Raulthim is described as occasionally trading with the Halfling family of Taerseer in Holgerstead. Is there a story behind this family as Ruathym seems an odd place for halflings to settle.

Thanks for any info you can provide.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 29 May 2009 03:48:04
Message:

I seem to recall a long-ago GenCon Realms seminar with Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb at which they explained that halflings (and to a lesser extent gnomes) are "in darned near every human city or town" working as launderers, chimney sweeps, spice grinders and providers, fine-part forgers (who make the little metal innards of locks, etc.), dishwashers, darners and menders of garments and so on.
I also remember, years ago in this thread (2004? 2005?) Ed answering questions on what could be found on Ruathym. Sage? Wooly? Kuje? Other elder scribes? I seem to having a senior moment . . .
(Or is that a "dwarf after his helm got deeply dented in battle" moment?)
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 May 2009 03:57:00
Message:

Rauthym Map

Rethgaard?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 May 2009 04:23:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

I seem to recall a long-ago GenCon Realms seminar with Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb at which they explained that halflings (and to a lesser extent gnomes) are "in darned near every human city or town" working as launderers, chimney sweeps, spice grinders and providers, fine-part forgers (who make the little metal innards of locks, etc.), dishwashers, darners and menders of garments and so on.
I also remember, years ago in this thread (2004? 2005?) Ed answering questions on what could be found on Ruathym. Sage? Wooly? Kuje? Other elder scribes? I seem to having a senior moment . . .
(Or is that a "dwarf after his helm got deeply dented in battle" moment?)
BB

Aye. There's a few bits in the '05 compilation files as I recall. Around March, I think.


Reply author: ijkay
Replied on: 29 May 2009 17:20:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Rauthym Map

Rethgaard?



Rethgaard - Stone fortress built by the seagoing dwarves of Haunghdanner - mapped in FR 5 Savage Frontier - Text insinuates occupied by Northmen.

Thanks for the pointers for info regarding Rauthym (Didn't seem to be able to find it though). I found the halfling presence strange because I thought it was a little far afield even for the hin.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 May 2009 20:16:22
Message:

Hi again, all.
The fourth and final part of Ed's interview is up at the Kobold Quarterly website. It's the longest, wherein Ed says the most about writing...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 May 2009 21:12:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by ijkay

Thanks for the pointers for info regarding Rauthym (Didn't seem to be able to find it though).

I found the answer on the Realms L-List awhile back (where it was mispelled 'Axgard').

Updated the Map as well.

Northmen Halflings?

Viklings?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 30 May 2009 15:52:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
The fourth and final part of Ed's interview is up at the Kobold Quarterly website. It's the longest, wherein Ed says the most about writing...
love to all,
THO



And just to have all the links made pretty and in one place...

Ed Greenwood's Kobold Quarterly interview, part 1
Ed Greenwood's Kobold Quarterly interview, part 2
Ed Greenwood's Kobold Quarterly interview, part 3
Ed Greenwood's Kobold Quarterly interview, part 4


Reply author: Fillow
Replied on: 30 May 2009 15:59:23
Message:

Wooly, you're so awesome !


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 30 May 2009 16:41:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
The fourth and final part of Ed's interview is up at the Kobold Quarterly website. It's the longest, wherein Ed says the most about writing...
love to all,
THO

While the entire article series has been awesome, I found this last part to be among the most useful. There's a lot here from Ed that I've found has helped me to understand something about my own attempts at writing.

Words are indeed tools. And they're what I use to build my own worlds. But I'd also like to think that some of the energy that goes into my using those tools effectively, comes directly from everything I read from Ed.

He's a source for inspiration, no matter what he does!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 May 2009 17:33:28
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring, from Ed's notes, a tentative answer to this recent query from Malcolm: "Just inside a city gate for, say, Suzail or Waterdeep or any other walled city with not too much sprawl outside the walls, there will inevitably be shops that just-arrived people will blunder past or up to. I'd imagine that a fair amount of newcomers ask "where is?" questions, and that shopkeepers would either go nuts or resign themselves to answering - - and probably shift the wares they sell to be "handy things a new arrival needs or wants to buy, right away." And perhaps provide washrooms? Water-troughs for tired mounts or pack animals?
My question is: could Ed - - or, THO, if Ed is still busy, Ed's notes - - give us any examples of one or two shops/shopkeepers (names, brief outline of what the place looks like and sells) one might encounter if entering Suzail through, say, that northeastern city gate, the one closest to the Palace? Thanks!"

Here we go . . . with an answer set JUST before the Spellplague erupts (from Ed's notes, extracted by me and given a swift edit and revision by Ed, who is seeing to a hundred household chores that he's let slide for almost a year, including clearing a path through the basement so he can finally take down the family Christmas tree and all its decorations after FOUR YEARS; yes, that's how busy he's been):

For the last two decades, three merchant families have run various shops and stalls near that gate, shifting around in terms of actual premises as rents (and their fortunes) have gone up and down.
They are:

The Landaeyrs ("Lahan-DAY-urs"), consisting of four sons, six daughters, Emra Landaeyr who keeps to the back rooms, overseeing and cooking and keeping the family accounts, and her husband - - the main public face of the family, Ansraeve ("Ann-SRAY-vvve") Landaeyr, a tall, thin, jovial and wisecracking man who cheerfully gives directions and contact information (most of it correct) and whose family-run shops are always crammed, chaotic, dimly-lit dust-heaps of sundry goods, from candles and bits of rope and wire to pots, pans, tools, and crocks ("handy household items," in other words). Whenever it's open (usually dawn to well after dusk) their shop always sells large mugs of hot beef broth-and-onion soup, mug and all, for 1 cp. They usually have "stones" (we real-worlders might call them small, slim bricks) of imported cheese and imported pressed dates for sale, too, but aside from occasional jars and vials of spices from the docks, no other food. Their shops tend to be known simply as "Landaeyr's."

Havrath Hrungoun: this short, fat, sly, fast-talking "wheeler dealer" of a man lives alone except for a man-mountain of a bodyguard, the slow-witted (but VERY observant, and a deadly accurate thrower of handy items to bring down fleeing shoplifters) Goroth Marl. Hrungoun sells broadsheets, love poems ornately written on scrolls, sweets (including chocolates, the most popular being tiny statuettes of King Azoun and Queen Filfaeril; he calls the former "bites" and the latter "lickables"), brightly-decorated bowls and decanters and ewers, and other "gift" wares.
He employs a small army of street youths to hawk the broadsheets and to "talk up" his shop everywhere in the streets, performing the only Suzailan equivalent of hard-sell, loud radio ads (of the used-car dealer "so come on down to" sort). Hrungoun is cheerfully crooked, sells booze and drugs (and purported love potions that will either "make her wild for you" or "make you a rampant bull, all night long") from under his counter, and also provides a secure short-term "lockup" service for valuables (and, it's rumored, for slaves and kidnapped persons). He's also a panderer, providing willing bedmates for visitors to the city. These latter two services he manages with the help of his three shifty sons (and their wives and children) who live in various modest homes across the city, and whom Hrungoun supports - - so although none of them trust him (no sane person trusts him), they work loyally for him.

Tarpreskur's Conveyances: Naldron Tarpreskur, his wife Tlalla, and his daughters Gontra and Marvroune run a stables (buying, selling, and boarding and tending mounts and light draft beasts), a taxi service of sorts (known as a "fastcoach carry," though it tends to be three-wheeled, two seat open conveyances with rain-hoods like some early real-world cars had), and a small-wares delivery service (same as fastcoach, but for small crates, barrels, baskets, and suchlike of goods that can be easily carried and handled). All of these operate within Suzail's walls only. The tall, laconic, battered-looking Tarpreskur is an expert horse trainer and doctor, an experienced coach and wagon repairer, and he and his family make, repair, and sell rain-hoods for everyone's coaches (that is: hood-shaped awnings, both cloth and supporting framework, that fit over coach seats, and sometimes can be folded down or back, and sometimes have added fasten-on "full weather covers" to keep the conveyance dry when it's just going to be left standing in all weather for some time.

All three of these families are consistently located just within that city gate, and habitually answer questions about the city from arrivals through the gate (doing so eagerly and well, not grudgingly or in a pranksome, deliberately-inaccurate manner).



So saith Ed, with a little help from my whip. Garen Thal and other fans of matters Cormyrean, here's another tidbit from the pen of the master!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 31 May 2009 03:59:00
Message:

Greetings Lady THO,

Quick aside, any chance Ed can grab and share a random tidbit about the Realms from his basement notes on his way up?

I'm curious about a few things regarding Returned Abeir/Laerakond.

What inspired the shape of that landmass? What was the design process behind the continent?

Ed often designs and writes more than the books have space for. Is there material written and designed for Laerakond that didn't make it into the book? Enough for DDI articles perhaps?

Thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 May 2009 16:09:19
Message:

Hi again, all.
Here's an extract from a quick e-mail from Ed, re. Dark Wizard's questions, which appear just above:

The shape of the landmass arose because I wanted two dragon-ruled kingdoms separated by a logical natural barrier (so, across the sea from each other, with harsh mountain terrain as the bridge) and because I wanted sea trade, lots of ports, and that same watery barrier (dominance of which is forever strategically important) to separate potentially-warring realms. The river serves the same purpose for the human Sword region. I was given the Dawn Titans, a wordcount, and "put in some dragon rulers; here's why," and from that tried to quickly build a continent that could function as a campaign setting all on its own (so overseas voyages or constructing/finding portals could be a campaign option, not a forced-on-the-DM necessity). Then I just imagined things, as I always do, made sure all the terrain options (jungle, subterranean, icy mountains, monster-roamed temperate forested woodlands, etc.) were included, drew the map, and sent it.
Yes, of COURSE there's material written and designed for Returned Abeir/Laerakond that didn't make it into the book. It would have to be rewritten, rounded out, and so on to make DDI articles, IF the copyright owner wants DDI articles using it (yes, I'll be suggesting it, and I see work on detailing Gontal - - my stuff had to be completely pruned to fit the FRCG space limitations - - has started).
When I get the chance (busy finishing up the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale right now), I'll answer Wooly's request for more on how I would use that landmass as part of the pre-Spellplague Realms. Promise. Sorry folks, but there's only one of me, and I have to do much more around the house these days as the passing years do their grim work and my wife's health slides.


So saith Ed. Who will, as he promises, return to"full bellow" ASAP.
love,
THO


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 31 May 2009 23:51:07
Message:

Whoa that was swift. Thank you Lady THO and pass my thanks to Ed for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer my question.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 11:06:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
For the last two decades, three merchant families have run various shops and stalls near that gate, shifting around in terms of actual premises as rents (and their fortunes) have gone up and down.


Thank you both for the lovely lore (Cormyr thread updated)

Cheers

Damian
ps Best wishes to Jen


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 17:12:10
Message:

I'm hoping to get a quick reply to this, because I am answering someone else's question over at the WotC boards, and want to make sure my info wasn't incorrect.

What part(s) of Golarion did Ed work on?

He is listed as one of the authors, but I'm not sure what he himself detailed.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 18:16:28
Message:

Hi, Markustay. I'm not sure what the precise answer is, and I know Ed's at work on something set in Golarion for the future, but the short answer - - I can't consult with Ed just now, because I know I can't get hold of him - - is: the elves. Ed was handed a handful of paragraphs (all that had been set down as "the elves of Golarion") and asked to flesh it out into a culture and "character" for the race (not stats, but what elves are like, as a people). He did that, writing more text than would fit Paizo's immediate needs, as usual.
I can't tell you more than that, because that's all I know; I never saw what he was given or what he wrote, and have deduced this from passing comments and stuff I've noticed, as a professional snoop. He may well have written a lot more - - or not.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 18:58:24
Message:

Thank you for that quick reply, and if you don't mind, I will like to re-post that over at WotC for the people who have been wondering about this.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 22:23:36
Message:

By all means, Markustay. Just please preface it with a reminder that Ed hasn't told me ANY of this, explicitly; I've snooped and asked obliquely and put two and two together.
Which is why I can't be sure of the extent of Ed's Golarion work. Nor, not having seen his original text, can I tell you how much of what he wrote made it into the printed sourcebooks, and how much it was altered (or not).
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 01 Jun 2009 23:00:56
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Because Halruaa and Netheril have or have had skyships, the idea of "contraption" flight (as opposed to aerial steeds) must be well-known in the Realms. Are the Lantanna or anyone else at work, pre-Spellplague, on new or alternative flying machines? Gliders? Dirigibles/balloons?
There are even floating motes in the original Realms (the Temple In the Sky); has anyone tried (again, pre-Spellplague) to make "new" floating or flying fortresses?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 00:19:32
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I have a brief query about the etiquette, if any, of duels: are there usually "seconds"? A chance to fight to a lesser limit than death (first blood, or a fall, or some non-violent contest)? Are champions allowed? Hired champions? Deceptions regarding weapons? A "proper" size and nature of audience or duelling grounds?
Thank you.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 00:28:03
Message:

Ed and THO,
A quick campaign-related question: I want to have a PC find a painted portrait, of a person he doesn't know, but that he WILL know is "old" by the person's dress. Said person is a man of wealth, but not noble, depicted out-of-doors in a cloak, gloves, and a nice shirt and breeches, possibly with a sword scabbarded at his hip.
So . . . how can I, by the style/fashion of these new- and fine-looking clothes, make them obviously "old" by dating, so the PC will know this is long ago.
I guess what I'm asking is: how have styles of these sorts of clothes clearly and obviously changed over the last two centuries (pre-Spellplague)?
Thanks!


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 00:33:13
Message:

Dear THO,
Can you tell us if Ed is a "foodie" who eats at classy restaurants a lot, or is a chef (which I'm defining here as someone who creates their own dishes, often, and feels comfortable doing so because they're very familiar with the properties and tastes of foods), or makes wine or cheese or farms or something of the sort?
Or does he truly "make it all up" when writing as Volo the restaurant critic?
I've always been curious about this . . .


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 00:38:57
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a need to quickly name about a dozen villagers/farmers for mid- to northern-Cormyr, just pre-Spellplague. Could you give us some "typical" or common first names, that a LOT of people would have, so they seem ordinary?
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 00:41:50
Message:

What a great idea! I'd like to put in a very similar request to BA's, if I may, but I'd like human names of Laerakond/Returned Abeir, five or six male and five or six female first names.

Er, pre-Spellplague (when the continent was either on Abeir, far from Toril, or on Toril but incommunicado) OR post-Spellplague, Ed's choice.

Thanks!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 06:52:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Because Halruaa and Netheril have or have had skyships, the idea of "contraption" flight (as opposed to aerial steeds) must be well-known in the Realms. Are the Lantanna or anyone else at work, pre-Spellplague, on new or alternative flying machines? Gliders? Dirigibles/balloons?
Shou-Lung has been using Kites in a glider-like fashion since 1357 DR, and was experimenting with them for military applications (reconnaissance, ariel bombardnment, ect...)

Also, Elves and other humans have from time-to-time developed and tinkered-with flying ships, as per the 261 DR timeline entry in Ed's Athalantar article.

A dirigible-like airship was used in the novel Once Around the Realms... but it was supposedly Halruaan, so one must assume it was an 'outdated' and antiquated model (which makes sense, since it was basically decommissioned and sold for scrap).

There was also a skyship 'out of' the Utter East in the Old Grey Box, but it's origins were unknown.

And of course there is The Lost Ship - another of Ed's creations.

Airflight is nothing new to the Realms... and may even be more reliable then our own... all things considered.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 08:03:02
Message:

Don't forget the amazing Da Vinci-esque "flying creations" of DaRoni's Workshop from the Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue tome.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 10:25:06
Message:

Another question brought on by finals:
Is there a concept of Physics in the Realms? Like, Gravity, or laws of motion? Are any laws of physics non-existent in the Realms because of the magic?


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 14:25:27
Message:

Might one learn the date (month, & day) of the Festival of the Founding in Menzoberranzan? It's been established that the Founding occurred in the year -3917 DR (GHOTR), but I haven't been able to track down the date of the Festival commemorating the event.

Some of us scribes were discussing the canonicity of the short story "The Fires of Narbondel" over in <another scroll>, and the events there take place right around the time of the Festival. We could actually pinpoint the chronological setting of that story down to a specific trio of days and year, if we knew when the Festival takes place each year.


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 18:28:27
Message:

I was recently researching foods to present to my party for breakfast.

Then I remembered "Hand of Fire" had some breakfast scenes on the road. Looking through it I saw mention of Thrusk which got me curious.

What exactly is it? Its used as a morning pick me up what is it made from, what does it taste like? I know they refer to it tasting like boiled boots at one point. If prepared correctly does it ever taste good?

If either Ed or the Hooded Lady could shed some light on this odd drink it would be much appreciated.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 02 Jun 2009 21:45:09
Message:

I'm working on new map of the Inner Sea (hopefully, for use in 4e, and older edition campaigns), and checking the original FR map that came in the old grey box, I see an island called 'Earthspur' east of Prespur - was this island renamed 'The Dragonisle', or was this some other island?

On another note, the shape of that island (the Dragonisle) appears different on nearly every single map, and the most official source for it - Pirates of the Fallen Stars - actually has the 'least attractive' representation of it. I always try to defer to Fonstad maps (since you informed me that that was the most accurate), but in this case, there isn't any showing a close-up of that area. I was just wondering, on what map is it shown the most accurate, according to your original? Would it be that one on the 1eCS map? The 2e campaign map shows it pretty-much the same layout.

Edit: One last thing - is there a name for the small island just north of Prespur?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 02:06:28
Message:

Hi again, all. Great queries, Markustay; I'm sure Ed will come through with a reply soon.
As for thrusk, Gelcur, Ed's notes serve us all once more:

Thrusk is a brewed drink made by boiling the roots and leaves of a very tough wild grass, thrusk, that grows in tufts from long underground roots (somewhat like ferns do), and can therefore survive long droughts and hot sun. Thrusk is sustenance grazing for horses, livestock, and pack animals, because its ropy, slightly-licorice-like bitterness is always strong.
As a drink, it is tan-brown, with a hot-chocolate-like "muck" sediment that precipitates out of the liquid at the bottom of every mug or tankard (and can be saved to be drenched with hot water later to produce a drink that's a weak echo of real brewed thrusk, and is sometimes called "echo"). Good thrusk is bitter but warming to the chest, and bracing, with that nutty, licorice-like undertone; it's an acquired taste, but popular among many wayfarers and caravan merchants because it warms the body (rapidly decreasing numbness in cold extremities), clears foul tastes from the mouth (and what we would call "morning breath" and the Realms knows as "tonguefoul"), and banishes headaches that don't have a severe concussion or head-wound cause (so drunkards with hangovers are still hung over, but lose any splitting headache they may have). Dipping bun-loaves (currant-studded hardbread, sometimes sliced into fingers in what our modern real world calls "biscotti") into thrusk for a sweet/bitter swift morningfeast snack ("daybreak-swallow" to folk of the Realms) is becoming increasingly popular.


So saith Ed (or rather, wrote Ed), and there you have it: thrusk, demystified.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 08:22:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

...busy finishing up the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale right now...


I'm looking forward to the Spin-a-Yarn event this year (I'll be attending for a change to bring forth a suggestion or two).
Do you know if Ed will attend the FR event that follows it, or any others?

Gomez,
who'll be running a few of the Dungeon Delves, but may be coaxed into running a (L)FR game as well


Reply author: Barshevy
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 09:28:18
Message:

A question for the Lady, if I may : was Lord Mourngrym of Shadowdale a player's character in your "home games" with Ed?


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 12:35:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Barshevy

A question for the Lady, if I may : was Lord Mourngrym of Shadowdale a player's character in your "home games" with Ed?



He was an NPC.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 14:02:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed (or rather, wrote Ed), and there you have it: thrusk, demystified.
love to all,
THO



Thank you dear lady. I can only imagine the numerous things Ed has written down. A product of just tidbits like this would be great. Sort of an encyclopedia with short entries of just all this flavor. *sigh*

Well I hope Ed is feeling well and that you are your always frisky self.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 21:11:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Gelcur

[quote]Originally posted by The Hooded One

A product of just tidbits like this would be great. Sort of an encyclopedia with short entries of just all this flavor.


I thought of the same thing.
Anyone interested to make one?
I actually took the above description and divided it in several entries. I thought of starting a list, but I don't have much material or time to delve for it, though I could compile it if supplied with material.

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 21:42:13
Message:

Hi again, all.

Gelcur: yep, I'm my usual frisky self. Care to try me?

gomez, I LOVE that idea, but I'm not sure it's wise, right now. We're still waiting for Wizards to develop the website policy, and although they may well keep us waiting forever, I don't want to shove them into any "stop this at all costs" stance by doing the wrong thing.
More lore, coming up . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 21:45:13
Message:

Oh Glorious Master Creator, Bane of All Irrational Change
and Friend of Reasoned Thought Process..

oh never mind, Hi Ed and Hoodie.

I was wondering, in one of the Swords books there is a blurb Elminster says
to Manshoon about is mating with beholders but that is never finished.
I don't suppose I could liquor you up and get you to spill more detail, could I?

*holding a jack of german honey ale out*

HMMMMM?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 21:52:54
Message:

Hi again, all.
Longtime Lurker, re. this: "Dear THO, Can you tell us if Ed is a "foodie" who eats at classy restaurants a lot, or is a chef (which I'm defining here as someone who creates their own dishes, often, and feels comfortable doing so because they're very familiar with the properties and tastes of foods), or makes wine or cheese or farms or something of the sort?
Or does he truly "make it all up" when writing as Volo the restaurant critic?
I've always been curious about this . . ."

Heh. Ed would love to eat at classy restaurants a lot, and loves eating at just plain simple ones, too (he hates crowding and noise, but also hates dress codes and overly fussy formality). He can't afford to do either much, however, and since heart troubles and onset of diabetes has to be quite careful about how he eats.
Which I suppose makes him a "foodie" of sorts, being as he's now far more interested in what he eats and can't eat and wholesome home- or local-grown food (Ed lives in the country). Ed will tell you he's always been intensely interested in food, but he means by that that he was always ravenously hungry as a kid and teen, had a hellish work and commuting schedule that kept him hungry often as an adult, too, and now has to be careful of what he eats.
Yes, Ed loves some Food Network shows (GOOD EATS with Alton Brown prominent among them), and Ed's brother is a chef who now teaches future chefs at a college in Toronto. Ed loves good wine AND cheese, and grows his own herbs, but I'd not call him a farmer. He knows his food, though, knows some restaurant critics, and did brief stints as one in Toronto when being a journalism student - - but when he's being Volo, he is indeed "making it up" (drawing on his real-world knowledge of kitchens and cookery and herbs and foodstuffs to make it seem gloriously real). When you read Ed's invented recipes, they ARE imaginary, but draw on what he knows and has heard of real-world food preparation.
You'd be surprised, though, at how lightly Ed eats. Drinks tons of tea, but his lunches are often a plate of raw vegetables.
I do know he makes soups by "cooking down" lots of raw vegetables from a stew into a seasoned soup, almost weekly (soups that last for four or five meals, that is).
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 21:59:53
Message:

Dear THO, I have a small question I was pondering as I was walking home today about the various quotes from various people famous and not that tend to start the chapters of Ed books. Are any of them already-existing sages/minstrels/etc. that have shown up in home Realmsplay? Are any of their saying things you Knights had already heard variations upon? Or are they all made up on the fly when he's writing the novels?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 22:06:57
Message:

So I'm happily reading this thread and my eyes fall on this:

"in one of the Swords books there is a blurb Elminster says
to Manshoon about is mating with beholders but that is never finished."

WHAAAT? althen artren, which book? And where? Did I fall asleep when I came to that passage, or get interrupted and somehow miss actually reading a page, or what? I genuinely don't remember this!
(Shaken, but just as interested to hear Ed's reply as althen is)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 22:13:48
Message:

Heh. Malcolm, you're going to have to wait for Ed's take on beholder matings. I mean, I'm a big girl, I can handle these things, but I doubt TSR or WotC would want to.

Hoondatha, I THINK most of those header quotes were made up on the fly at first. Increasingly, however, Ed has built up a "body" of writings for many of the fictitious sources that he's used more than once (often deliberately, to establish a mood or sense of time). Knowing Ed, he probably keeps track of those writings, writer by writer - - but I'm sure the actual content of the quotations, if not the tone, is just invented to fit the chapter (often to give it a title) as he comes to that part of the book.

Because Ed outlines his Wizards books beforehand (as part of the approvals process), and has so many projects on the go at once at doesn't want to add unnecessary confusion atop the wild confusion that's already his "normal" creative mental state, he tends to write much of them chronologically, rather than jumping around from big scene to big scene (he's already covered the highlights of what he wants scenes to accomplish, in the outline).
I will of course send your query to him, and he will add something if I've portrayed things wrongly. I think I'm on the mark, though.
love,
THO


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 22:51:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
Is there a concept of Physics in the Realms? Like, Gravity, or laws of motion? Are any laws of physics non-existent in the Realms because of the magic?

There are certainly theories and models of the cosmos, but they're going to be along the lines of natural philosophy rather than of the modern desouled physical sciences.

'The laws of physics' are one description of parts of the physical working of our universe. I don't think they apply to the subcreated sword-and-sorcery Forgotten Realms at all.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 03 Jun 2009 23:59:23
Message:

Its in Swords of Dragonfire, where Manshoon, Khelben, and Elminster are all standing around
threatening each other. Also in the conversation is the mention of 39 Manshoon clones,
2 of which have had surgery on them to remove appendiges. Its at the very bottom of a left handed page in the paperback.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 01:25:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Faraer

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
Is there a concept of Physics in the Realms? Like, Gravity, or laws of motion? Are any laws of physics non-existent in the Realms because of the magic?

There are certainly theories and models of the cosmos, but they're going to be along the lines of natural philosophy rather than of the modern desouled physical sciences.

'The laws of physics' are one description of parts of the physical working of our universe. I don't think they apply to the subcreated sword-and-sorcery Forgotten Realms at all.

Indeed.

This doesn't, however, mean that the Realms doesn't have an entirely unique set of physical laws all its own -- as the Old Grey Box states:- "The physics of the Realms are slightly out of sync with the rest of the planes, so that gunpowder and many technological devices which operate on electronics do not function. Equivalent devices may be developed by player-characters. DM’s judgment is advised as to what may be allowed into the world." [DM's Sourcebook of the Realms pg. 9]


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 01:31:30
Message:

Okay, so I thought it time to I add to my ever-increasing backlog of questions for Ed. This one comes from Swords of Eveningstar, which I've been re-reading parts of recently.

Thus, Ed, on pg. 20 of the hardcover edition of the novel, when Delbossan and Florin part ways, you've written "In the words of the old song: 'Twas time to be taming the lady...'"

I'm just curious. What "old song" was that? Could you tell me anything more about it?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 03:08:07
Message:

Hello again, all.
Baleful Avatar, a page back, said he needed some names quickly, so I plunged into Ed's notes. I'm afraid I haven't found the female given names yet, but for upland Cormyr, here are the most common male first names. If they have a popular diminutive, it's given in parentheses and quotation marks after the full formal name; if none's listed, there's no 'set' diminutive (and yes, there are a few where the diminutive doesn't match the formal name all that closely; these aren't mistakes).
I'll follow up with female names as soon as I can, but I'm afraid that will probably be late tomorrow . . .
Right. Here we go . . .

Brannon, Brennan ("Bran" or even "Bram"), Daerent ("Daer"), Garlin ("Garl"), Hargath ("Gath"), Ilmer, Jurusk ("Jusk"), Larthlan ("Larth"), Melsarl ("Sarl"), Naryk ("Nar"), Rorn, Rory, Sanraven, Sorbrar, Tellond ("Tuth"), Vornyn ("Vorn").

Note that these are rural upland names; when it comes to cities, they are common only in Arabel - - and if you start to include Purple Dragon garrisons (staffed by a mix of people from everywhere in the realm) or nobility and their households (again, from everywhere, but often of middle-class or "gentle" birth), the "common" names start to shift to some other names more popular in wealthier and more urban families.

So saith Ed (I've just done some light editing and linking up of sentences from different places in his notes, not real rewriting).
More when I can,
love,
THO


Reply author: Elric
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 06:11:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

quote:
Originally posted by Elric

Hello Ed and THO,
My other question is in regards to the Moonshae Islands. I know that the published version of the Moonshaes isn’t the original version that you turned in to TSR. I recall reading a past post where you gave a description of what the original Moonshaes looked like (similar to the islands of Earthsea).Wizards posted a tie-in article to the Grand History of the Realms on their website awhile back that deals specifically with the history of the Moonshaes. It depicts what the Moonshaes looked like circa -11,000 DR. I was curious if this is what the original Moonshaes look like in your home campaign (I thought maybe they used your original version for this article)? Also, a quick question related to the Moonshaes, is the wizard Flamsterd and his island your creation and part of your original Moonshae Islands?

I apologize in advance if any of these questions have already been answered in previous posts.

Thanks very much for everything you do for us Realmsfans. It is greatly appreciated!



Hi Elric


Brian R James who wrote the article posted this response on another thread

"You are the first to comment on my homage to Ed's Earthsea-like Moonshaes. Well done. I never saw Ed's original map, so I hope it is a close approximation of his vision"

More on Flamsterd here (its a loooong Ed post, you need to scroll down about halfway)

Hope this helps

Damian



Thanks Damian (and to The Sage) for the replies to my question from a few days ago regarding the Moonshaes and Flamsterd.

I was truly hoping that they had used Ed’s original Moonshae Islands for the web enhancement. Like many fans, I would love to see what the Moonshae’s look like in Ed’s home campaign.

Elric


Reply author: Elric
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 06:17:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Fillow

quote:
Originally posted by Elric


I haven’t been able to locate much information on the Cormyrian fortress of Castle Crag (other than a little information in the 2nd edition FR boxed set). Sadly, there was no entry in the Cyclopedia of the Realms from the original FR “grey box” set. I also checked Volo’s Guide to Cormyr but couldn’t find much information in this sourcebook either. I was wondering if you could provide me with some information on this structure (its appearance, the military strength housed within, commanding officer, etc.) circa 1357-1358 DR (pre-Time of Troubles)?




I saw no answer to this one from your two questionsand I do not know if Cormyr sourcebook is part of those you have already read.

So, I wanted to tell you that I saw few Castle Crag data in the Cormyr sourcebook (TSR9410). round one column p.24, 33, 34, 43, 56, and in the Major Cities' Statistics



Hi Fillow, thanks for the reply.

I did check the Cormyr sourcebook that you mentioned (forgot to include that in my original post), but some of the information on Castle Crag was very similar to what was presented in the 2E FR boxed set. Was hoping to find out some info on what the castle was like prior to the ToT (around the time of the original grey box set). Although I realize from the author credits that Ed played a huge part in the 2E boxed set, I wasn’t sure if he did the write-up on Castle Crag or if it was the work of a different author. I thought perhaps Castle Crag may have been depicted differently in Ed’s campaign.

Again, I appreciate the info.

Elric


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 15:30:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Gelcur: yep, I'm my usual frisky self. Care to try me?



One of these days I will take you up on that offer. The question is should I take a number now?


Reply author: Fillow
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 16:27:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Elric


Hi Fillow, thanks for the reply.

Was hoping to find out some info on what the castle was like prior to the ToT (around the time of the original grey box set). Although I realize from the author credits that Ed played a huge part in the 2E boxed set, I wasn’t sure if he did the write-up on Castle Crag or if it was the work of a different author. I thought perhaps Castle Crag may have been depicted differently in Ed’s campaign.

Again, I appreciate the info.

Elric


Sorry for this "missed" answer.


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 17:27:44
Message:

I understand that the city Tsornyl was destroyed by a Moander-related creature in 75 DR. The House of Tsornyl lost most of its members in that incident.

What was the basic status of the House in the later eras (specifically, 1340s-1350s).

I know the city was reduced to a village. Did the house regain any footing or does it eventually die out?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 18:07:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Rhewtani

I understand that the city Tsornyl was destroyed by a Moander-related creature in 75 DR. The House of Tsornyl lost most of its members in that incident.
Can you site a source for this?

Thanks - Mark


Reply author: Fillow
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 18:30:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Can you site a source for this?

Thanks - Mark


About the incident, from the Grand History of the Realms
quote:
75DR - The deity Moander hurls his forces and the “creeping evil” against the elf village of Tsornyl, blighting much of the surrounding woods. The High Mages of Cormanthyr use their magic to sever the “creeping evil” from Moander and imprison the corruption at Tsornyl, weakening the Darkbringer’s presence in Toril.


And from the Volo's guide to the Dalelands :
quote:
The city of Tsornyl was blighted and corrupted beyond redemption and many of its inhabitants twisted into dark, monstrous races. However, the creeping evil Moander threw off to do this deed was severed from the god forever by a divine mighty countermagic that cost many bright elves their lives


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Jun 2009 23:07:22
Message:

Hi again, all.
Two things:
Elric, there are TWO Castle Crags: the "big" one in Cormyr, and the tiny ruined one in Shadowdale. There's a long behind-the-scenes story about these, but I can assure you Ed created them, and the original ("Old Gray") boxed set lore stuff (as opposed to the rules stuff like the hexes and movement/terrain details and comparison with a map of the USA, which is by Jeff Grubb) is almost entirely from Ed's pen; Jeff's main task was arranging Ed's stuff, deciding what to leave out to put into other products (such as FR1, FR4, FR5, FR6, etc. etc.), and deciding how to streamline and "shape" what was included to cover hard D&D game rules and to be in clear english without Ed's trademark digressions (because the use of "sidebars" wasn't yet common).
Ed detailed the Cormyrean fortress of Castle Crag extensively for the Avatar series of modules, and that map and description was then edited right out of the adventure to make more room for story. The result was a sort of "black hole" when it came to the Cormyrean Castle Crag (which is both a fortess and a thriving community around the fortress, but within an outer "curtain wall").
Ed can fill in this lore hole for you, I hope, in the fullness of time. It would probably take him years to find his maps, but the three-paragraph-or-so overview, the governing NPCs, and so on, should be far more readily accessible.
Re. the thrusk notes I posted recently; looking over them, Ed mentioned that his notes convey an incomplete impression re. the sustenance grazing: what he meant to say was that thrusk's strong taste makes it sustenance grazing, NOT PREFERRED GRAZING, for the listed beasts (they prefer sweeter grasses, and will avoid thrusk whenever they can get said grasses, leaving abundant thrusk for travelers to just yank up and use in brews).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 02:25:26
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another question for the ever-growing pile.
Hats, both noble "showy" headgear and utilitarian keep-warm/keep-off-the-rain chapeaux: how are they customarily cared for (cleaned) and stored when not on the head? On pegs? Shelves? Wooden or other shaped "head" substitutes? All of the above? Do they ever get scented? Are hats usually "refurbished" after a few years, or discarded/handed down and new ones purchased?
Weird, yes, but I have an in-campaign reason for asking.
Thanks.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 02:31:51
Message:

Ooh, that's a fun question. Me likee.
Ahem.
Hi, all. As promised, here's my delving into Ed's notes for the most common upland rural Cormyrean female given names (with diminutives, if any, appearing in parentheses and quotation marks after the full, formal name). Bear in mind that these are the names borne by salt-of-the-earth farmers, carters, millers, and foresters, of the lowest incomes in the realm. As you move up the middle class, other names become more popular, and the list changes.

Argatha ("Gatha" or "Gath"), Baerla, Bremma, Claela or Claera, Dethra, Flarra ("Larra"), Haela, Hilbremma ("Bremma"), Imsra ("Issa"), Jalyth, Laritha ("Lara"), Maethe, Naneesa ("Neese"), Orarra, Orprelle ("Pel"), Parella ("Rella"), Sartranna ("Tana"), Tethyl, Umbra, Vaerl

So saith Ed, for this list is direct from his notes. And there you have it; go forth and name those goodwives!

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Tormtar
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 09:25:37
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,

A player in my campaign raised this question: do the Gods and Goddesses of the Realms have associated stones (gems, semi-precious stones, etc), animals and/or plants that were commonly linked with them by their worshippers and, if so, could we be let in on a few for the larger faiths (Triad, Chauntea, etc, etc)? I’m assuming that Selune would be linked with Moonstone, for example.

Thanks


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 14:27:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Tormtar

Dear Ed and THO,

A player in my campaign raised this question: do the Gods and Goddesses of the Realms have associated stones (gems, semi-precious stones, etc), animals and/or plants that were commonly linked with them by their worshippers and, if so, could we be let in on a few for the larger faiths (Triad, Chauntea, etc, etc)? I’m assuming that Selune would be linked with Moonstone, for example.

Thanks




Actually, most of this information is already out there. Check the books of the 2E deity trilogy (Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities). They contained a wealth of lore about the various deities of the Realms, their churches, and their followers. Those three books are the most informative sources of lore on the deities, and they are some of the best Realms products that we've ever had.

Selûne, for example... From page 135 of Faiths & Avatars:

quote:
Selûne often manifests as trails of dancing light motes known as "moondust" or "moon motes" that resemble will-o’-wisps. These guide folk who are lost at night or who must travel over treacherous ground; they also appear in order for her faithful to provide the light necessary to perform a delicate task. These moon motes may exude sparkling, glowing drops of pearly liquid — "drops fallen from the moon" — which Selûnite clergy gather and prize highly, using as an ingredient of power in many helpful potions and healing ointments. She also sends owls, weredragons, certain lycanthropes and shapechanging creatures, and the Shards to aid mortals or to show her favor or presence.



On page 137 it adds:
quote:
The ceremonial costume of Selûnites varies from place to place. Selûnite clergy members wear everything from plain brown robes to only a little moonstone jewelry as an accent to normal clothing to rich bejeweled gowns of the finest make and haughtiest fashion with enchanted, animate trains and capes and accompanying moonstone crowns.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 14:52:25
Message:

Ed, I've another Swords of Eveningstar query, similar to what I asked yesterday.

Thus, on pg. 212 of the hardcover edition you've written "... and idly sang a snatch of a well-known ballad: 'Are you there listening, pretty nightbird? Pretty nightbird?'"

What ballad is this? And what can you tell me about it?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 16:08:30
Message:

Hi again, all.
Tormtar and Wooly, I went straight to the notes I've made or Ed's given me (as a player) over the years to see if there was more there to augment those F&A passages Wooly quoted - - but discovered they were taken line-for-line from Ed's notes (F&A is built on Ed's copious churches and priesthoods writings).
Wooly's quite correct; almost all of what you're asking for, Tormtar, is already in published Realmslore.
love,
THO


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 17:58:09
Message:

Hooded,

A question for you - sort of.

Because I've been reviewing some Moander info (because after Pool of Radiance, I want to run Curse of the Azure Bonds), I'm noticing this more.

What role has Moander played in the Knights' campaigns? It seems like he has so many history points that he had to be important to both the central story and the outer lying story.

Just sort of wondering.


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 18:27:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Tormtar

Dear Ed and THO,

A player in my campaign raised this question: do the Gods and Goddesses of the Realms have associated stones (gems, semi-precious stones, etc), animals and/or plants that were commonly linked with them by their worshippers and, if so, could we be let in on a few for the larger faiths (Triad, Chauntea, etc, etc)? I’m assuming that Selune would be linked with Moonstone, for example.

Thanks




go to the WotC site here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20020504a and download the Deity Do's and Don'ts Web Enhancement... it has a whole section on the manifestations of the Faerûnian gods which appear in a series of tables starting on page 10 that cover animals, monsters, gems and precious metals, colors and finally misc that don't fall under the others. It's basically what was in the other sources compiled in one place...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 18:39:53
Message:

Hi again, all.
Rhewtani, Moander has been there, behind the scenes, throughout the Knights' careers. I don't think we've ever even SEEN him directly, let alone confronted him, but he works constantly behind our backs (what Ed called "the quiet creep of rot and decay") to attack walls and keeps and bridges and even burial markers everywhere, seeming to take dead aim at shaky or undermanned governments and lawkeepers, and "let in the jungle." He's particularly dangerous to dungeon-delvers because of cave-ins (roof of the dungeon falling to entomb you). Ed is very subtle about this; he always manages to avoid making players feel as if the DM (and all of the world-setting) is against them - - but repeatedly blindsides us with things cracking or falling when we didn't expect them to.
love,
THO


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 23:41:10
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Rumors are beginning to percolate past my desk of a multi-book deal Ed has signed with Wizards. Is there anything either of you can say on this topic? Confirm, deny, details? Inquiring minds want to know . . .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Jun 2009 23:43:31
Message:

Heh. I can say nothing at all, beyond the fact that I'm almost certain Ed's at work on another Realms novel. We'll have to see if Ed can elucidate further . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Tormtar
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 08:58:04
Message:

Thanks rjfras. Must have missed that one, I withdraw the question.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 17:37:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. I can say nothing at all, beyond the fact that I'm almost certain Ed's at work on another Realms novel.
Thats like saying the sky is blue.

When is Ed NOT working on the Realms in some fashion?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 19:14:44
Message:

Hello again, all!
This time I bring a reply from Ed to Wooly Rupert’s recent query: “Hiya, Ed and lovely Lady Hooded One!
I'm adding yet another question to my ever-growing queue, and this is one that I think may be good for a lot of people...
One of the few high points in the FRCG is the amount of detail and such in the Returned Abeir section. It's quite obvious that that section of the book is pure Ed; his world-building is what makes that area usable.
It occurs to me that Returned Abeir could easily replace one of Toril's undescribed landmasses, rather than replacing something that may not be to everyone's liking but is a part of official canon. The shape isn't right, but since those other landmasses are mostly just blobby shapes on a map, I think that's easy enough to ignore.
However... I'd want to use it as Laerakond, and I'd want to use it in the pre-Sellplague Realms. So all the "Returned" aspects have to be tweaked. I'm thinking the Dawn Titans could be banished/exiled deities, perhaps even one of the groups of Seven Lost Gods. The missing part of the dragonborn kingdom is a bit harder, but maybe it could be an earthquake or the result of an awakened nastybad, perhaps even a Dawn Titan.
So, here's the question, friend Ed: if you had to make that continent work as part of the 1370-ish era, how would you do so?”
Ed replies:



Hi, Wooly! This is a great topic, and, yes, “Returned Abeir” can function just fine as a long-unseen continent of Toril circa 1350s through 1370s with almost no “foreground” changes - - that is, alterations to what mortal adventurers see around them and experience - - at all.
Returned Abeir becomes the identical continent of Laerakond, well southwest of Evermeet, that’s been isolated from direct contact with the distant continent of Faerûn because, yes, the Dawn Titans have been imprisoned there after a long-ago Godswar, behind a mighty Weave-warping divine magic enacted by the familiar Faerûnian gods we all know agreeing and working together (under the direction of Ao, if you use Ao in your campaign).
{If for some reason you want Mystra gone or diminished in your campaign, she could have sacrificed herself to BECOME this magic, retaining power and influence in Faerûn only through her Chosen and her church, as more and more of her divine energy was sapped, as the years passed, in binding and holding the Titans, who are increasingly able to devour it; see hereafter. Or perhaps, if you want to jettison Ao or specific deities from the published pantheon, they made this sacrifice.}
Even deities - - such as Mask, Bane, and Cyric - - who customarily cheat and manipulate to get their own ways in dealings with their fellow gods have no interest in working treachery on this particular deal among the gods, because the Titans, unleashed, are a direct and malicious threat to the gods of Faerûn and all their mortal worshippers. The Titans gain power not through worship, but by devouring souls and life-essence (godhood being their first and foremost desired meal). Letting the Titans go free would eventually mean no deities, and a Toril stripped of all life - - literally bare, windblown earth, with not a plant or beast left.
The Titans entered Realmspace through a rift inadvertently caused by the elven High Magic that cloaked Evermeet, stealing in through the “back door” so to speak, so their point of entry was “behind” (farther from Faerûn than) Evermeet. By chance, it was in the northern part of Laerakond.
Where dragons were already resident, and battling each other in struggles that had long ago reduced them to few in number and forced their conflicts into contests of etiquette, influence, strict rules, and fighting through proxies (lesser beasts, right down to their dragonborn slaves) - - lest their continuing struggles result in no food left for any dragon, or their destruction at the hands of the vastly less powerful but numerically far more numerous other races of Laerakond (such as the giants, humans, et al).
{For a hint of what this dragon society might have been like, recall the evil Skeksis of the DARK CRYSTAL, and also look to a certain contest introduced in the opening pages of the forthcoming - - and great - - Erin Evans novel THE GOD CATCHER, fifth in the ED GREENWOOD PRESENTS WATERDEEP series.}
The arrival of the Titans shattered this status quo and awakened savage battle among the dragons once more - - and the arrival of the deities of Faerûn, alerted by the shockwaves sent through the Weave by Titans hurling magic at dragons who presumed to defy them, and the subsequent battle between gods and Titans, destroyed much of Tymanther. The dragonborn won free of their dragon overlords, the dragons were reduced to a mere handful, much of Laerakond north of “The Snouts” (the capes projecting into the Dragon Sea east of Marrauk and southwest of Stormhelm) was left a magic-ravaged chaos (not lifeless, but a turmoil of destruction and raging wild magic and wild growth and mutation spawned by it, of monsters wandering the land and no order but that of fang and claw) . . . and the Titans were magically bound into stasis, in deep caverns blasted out beneath Fimbrul and Relmaur.
Where they remain to this day, already awake and scheming but unable to win free of their immobility, not daring to try anything too drastic - - like crashing their spell-chains against each other violently and repeatedly - - for fear of collapsing the caverns around them and perishing under the weight of the mountains above. Yet seeking to reach out and rule all Toril from their prisons, by means insidious. They managed much during the Time of Troubles, luring many creatures to them through dream-visions sent forth while the gods were walking Faerûn, and their power is increasing, as rumors spread in Laerakond lure more and more adventurers and power-seekers to them, to this day.

So we have a longtime inability to pass from Faerûn to Laerakond and vice versa, except through a few secret gates (portals), because the elves wanted Evermeet cloaked not just from Faerûn, but also from Laerakond, and for years used lesser magics to aid and abet the magical experimentations of the great ruling dragons of Laerakond.
The dragons were alarmed by some ships arriving at their shores (from Faerûn and elsewhere), and - - after enslaving the crews, from whom many of the humans of their continent are descended - - raised magical storms in the seas around Laerakond that made sailing to and from it foolishly perilous.
Which left legends in Faerûn of a lost land somewhere across the seas, a vast land of terrible dragons and great riches, that a few sailors found long ago, but that none can find today.

Until recently, if you the DM want it to. Perhaps the Time of Troubles, or the deaths and shifting portfolios and power alliances among the gods since (if you have had any of those happen in your campaign) or any of your own tinkerings with the pantheon, have weakened or ended the “storms at sea” zones, and a few intrepid seacaptains have voyaged between one continent to the other, and back. (Or not, if you prefer; I designed both the continents of Faerûn and Laerakond to function perfectly in isolation, each as a campaign setting.)

Note that none of this (the “what happened” ideas I advanced above) invalidates what’s written in the FRCG as “Abeir’s Past.” Those published words merely become the locally-accepted version of things; what most folk of Laerakond believe happened “before the days we know now.”

The Titans become the source of Shar’s recent success, if you want them to, and of the Shadow Weave, if you want to use it, and can even be the backers of Shade (the Princes may or may not be aware of this). They can also be the source of any monsters or cults you want to add to the Realms (even “don’t fit” elements, such as the dragon kings of DARK SUN or something from RUNEQUEST or another fantasy setting or game, that you just want to experiment with as “one-offs”), or hitherto-unknown links (portals) connecting the Realms with, say, Golarion, or Eberron, or the fictional settings of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE or the WHEEL OF TIME or the setting of the Eddings BELGARIAD and MALLOREON or whatever you’d prefer.
The point is that the Titans are bound, and although they may individually be too strong to destroy (and their destruction, akin to an atomic explosion of unprecedented proportions, may be too damaging to Toril to dare attempt), they dare not break free and act openly, because the gods will swarm them and imprison them again, in (already explicitly threatened) greater torment. So instead, they work through proxies, seeking to sew discontent and warfare and mistrust, to weaken rulers and order and increase violence and “the wild” right across the face of the Realms, by cults here and monster breedings there. Perhaps they are behind the deepspawn, or the rise of a beholder realm, or both. They are certainly behind cults, cabals, and attempted treason and usurpations everywhere, and seeking to subvert existing merchant costers, brotherhoods, and other established power groups (the Harper, from within? the War Wizards? the Red Wizards?).
And they are certainly behind expedition after expedition of adventurers, both duped “good” bands and grasping evildoers (or adventurers hired by power-seekers in Tarmalune and your choice of the cities and lands of southern Laerakond) into Relmaur and Fimbrul, seeking to find the deep cavern of this or that Titan, and physically free them. Perhaps the imprisoned Titans are aware of a way to substitute a captured dragon or wizard (or even some or all of the adventurers who are rescuing them) for themselves in the bindings, to prevent gods whose attentions are now elsewhere from knowing that a Titan has won free . . .
Ah, such delicious cans of worms, all opened up in a row before you. Your choice of which to partake of, and how much, and when.
Dig in! :}



So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms and Laerakond and lots of crazy, sneaky, fun campaign ideas like this!
GREAT question, Wooly!
love to all,
THO

Edit: I fixed two of Ed's typos. Content otherwise unchanged.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 19:53:38
Message:

Oh. Em. Gee.

Thank you THO and Ed for that terrific bit of lore!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 20:41:01
Message:

Great lore, indeed! Huzzah!
Though, Lady THO, apropos of your closing comment, I can't help but add:

Fried worms, anyone?


BB


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 20:59:04
Message:

Alright. That was just cool. Thanks once again Ed and THO. I need to go High-Five someone.


Reply author: Nightseer
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 22:03:22
Message:

High Five! Wow that was...wow! Talk about eating yourself out of house and home.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 22:40:07
Message:

That is indeed an awesome bit of lore. I am especially impressed that he spun it without having to contradict what's in the FRCG.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 22:50:44
Message:

Agreed.
I love the way Ed made the Titans as powerful as gods yet DIFFERENT than the gods. I told him so, and he reminded me that being as various "lost" gods (the Seven Lost Gods and others) are remembered by mortals only in (distorted) legends, that doesn't prevent the Titans from BEING those "lost gods."
Ed has also made the Titans into a version of the stock "Destroyer of Worlds" trope (they lay waste to worlds they invade, by devouring life-energies, and so must continually move on), and thereby linked them to all the fantasies where there's a quest to "close a gate" to keep some evil out of a world (just to pluck forth one at random, Lin Carter's OUTWORLDER) and, once again, to one of Ed's favorite long-standing fantasy tropes: the battle for control of gates that link worlds (Philip Jose Farmer's WORLD OF TIERS series and many, many others).
Lovely stuff. He hasn't lost his touch, to be sure.

(edappel, Ed tells me he's at work on a message for Alan; do you want it written as from Elminster, or as Ed?)

love,
THO


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 23:01:27
Message:

I feel one of my rare needs to delurk coming on . . .
THO and everyone, some years back, at a convention, when Realms fans were deep in arguments over whether or not dragons were a "Creator Race," and Ed had let on that there was a time when dragons ruled the Realms, before humans came to dominate, Ed and I had a chat about the ancient past of the Realms.
He said that in his opinion, dragons had "come to" the Realms through magical gates or rifts, and stayed because they found the word to their liking.
"But why did they come?" I asked him. "Were they adventurers? Or bored teenagers looking for new thrills? Dragons fleeing overpopulation and needing to find new lands full of food to rule over? What?"
"I think they were fleeing something," Ed replied. "A group or race more powerful than the most powerful dragons, who had started to enslave dragons."

Ladies and gentlesirs, I believe we now know who that race or group was!

Now, back then when Ed and I were talking (it's highly worth the time to sit and chat with Ed at conventions, believe me), I raised a design objection to that "fleeing from a more powerful group" theory by asking: "What about Bahamut and Tiamat and other dragon gods in the game?"
Ed replied (I am of course paraphrasing) that gods aren't all-seeing and all-knowing, however much priests may claim they are. And that gods can be duped, or manipulated, or even taken over by some Overpower that speaks through them, and so gains a measure of control over their worshippers.
Holy dancing dragons, Batman! So if Tiamat is secretly a Titan, or the mind-slave of an unseen Titan "puppeteer" . . .
I believe I can hear the sound of DMs starting to rejigger their campaigns, on all sides of me!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jun 2009 23:04:42
Message:

You, sir, remember things all too well!
I now know why Ed added this line to me, in the e-mail in which he sent me his lore-reply to Wooly:

Sage of Stars just may have something to add to this, once you post this and he reads it. Let's just keep mum for now, and see (heh-heh).

Ladies and gentlesirs, they're all around us. We stand in the midst of . . . a conspiracy!

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 01:05:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sage of Stars
I believe I can hear the sound of DMs starting to rejigger their campaigns, on all sides of me!



Or DM's ignoring it completely. But that's another great thing about Ed: he doesn't care if you mix and match, or selectively ignore lore to better suit your campaign, your players, or your preferences. In fact, he expects you to.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 01:25:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed has also made the Titans into a version of the stock "Destroyer of Worlds" trope (they lay waste to worlds they invade, by devouring life-energies, and so must continually move on)...
I knew it! Ed's a Galactus fan.

Awesome write-up Ed. This is indeed where the grandness of your lore-crafting ability shines through. You compliment, rather than contradict previous work on Returned Abeir -- ensuring that fans of either the pre- and/or post-Spellplague Realms can find something to use here.

Good stuff, as always.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 02:06:07
Message:

Yes, indeedy! I especially like the way it explains how characters (the inhabitants of Shade) and even gods (Cyric, Shar) could do things "they shouldn't have been able to do" . . . we now know it was the unseen help and influence of the Titans making such things possible. Perhaps with everyone not knowing it . . .
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
And we got it for free, too!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 06:50:11
Message:

The only thing I could possibly add to Ed's great 'Laerakond Now!' lore is that if you use it to replace Anchorome, you should double all distances (which leaves lots and lots more room for cool stuff, like ruins and 'bandit Kingdoms').

In fact, BRJ was asking me recently about using Ed's far-western Island chain (which was detailed in an L-List entry I found) in a version of Anchorome, and if we go back to the original concept of Anchorme just being the Island Chain, then Laerakond could be the continent 'behind' them.

I feel a map coming on....


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 15:43:25
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring a reply of sorts from Ed to Rhewtani, re. this query: "I understand that the city Tsornyl was destroyed by a Moander-related creature in 75 DR. The House of Tsornyl lost most of its members in that incident.
What was the basic status of the House in the later eras (specifically, 1340s-1350s).
I know the city was reduced to a village. Did the house regain any footing or does it eventually die out?"

Rhewtani, a proper answer from Ed is still forthcoming, but he wanted you to know right away that the family line persists. Specifically:

There is indeed still a House Tsornyl, though these days they are few in number, go by another name, and are powerful in another place in the Realms.

So saith Ed. Mysteriouser and mysteriouser, as Alice might have said . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 07 Jun 2009 22:14:26
Message:

Wonder work on Returned Abeir sir. I might actually use that bit at least in
passing.

More questions for the que:

Who or what made the Onaglym, when was it created, and what was its purpose?
What are some of the elf clans that have gone extinct due to the Weeping War?
Which of the mage schools in Myth Drannor did the adventure "Lashan's Fall" occur in?
Next time I have a neat theory about Hesperdan I want to give out to the
group.


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 00:19:08
Message:

Hi Lady THO and Ed,

I recall mention that the original Realms only went as far east as Thay and perhaps the Endless Wastes (before TSR added whole continents). If a character (before the Kara-Tur days) inquired about what laid far beyond even the Unapproachable East and the known world for the people of Faerun, what would be the answer? What rumors and stories trickled through the wastes about potential distant locales, legendary denizens and fabled realms? What in those rumors and tall tales are fact?

Thank your both for taking the time to answer questions.

Also that wonderful post of Ed's about Laerakond as applicable to pre-4E Realms, just fantastic. It helps open up a whole new realm of possibilities without restricting anything. It's done in a way that is coherent with the rest of the setting and offers a number of enticing plot hooks. As always a pleasure to read and ponder over.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 02:45:51
Message:

Hi, all.
News flash from Ed: the 2008 Spin A Yarn story, which is over 20,000 words long (and incorporates, if only in small and sneaky ways in some cases, EVERY LAST STORY ELEMENT suggested here at the Keep and by the seminar audience at GenCon) has been turned in to Wizards. Its working title is: VOLO BREAKS A HOT TALE, and tells me it is set in Waterdeep and even has a plot, "once you get to it."

So, expect some forthcoming reading pleasure on the Wizards website.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 03:01:27
Message:

Hi again, everybody. A few swift matters . . .

althen artren, a little bird tells me we may in the fullness of time learn more about Hesperdan in published Realmslore.
That is: already-written but not-yet-published, canon Realmslore (and no, not a Spin A Yarn story).

Dark Wizard, it's a pleasure to answer the questions you and every scribe pose here at the Keep, for both Ed and myself. Ed is one of those writers who never forgets that, behind and beneath all the contracts and marketing strategies and author tours, he does this for fans, not for publishers.
To answer your questions:
The original Realms did not end at Thay, nor the Wastes beyond. "Known Faerun" ended about two mapsheets east of Thay, with "everyone" knowing that there were lands, strange and exotic and never seen except by dragons and other flying creatures, or folk with access to magic or flying steeds, beyond (east of, and south of) what the maps showed.
Of course, bards and priests and everyone else knew they were free to make up all sorts of wild stories about those Far Lands - - and did so, especially when they needed excuses to account for contraband, things gone missing, and failures of magic or grand plans.
As a longtime player in Ed's home Realms campaign, I can confirm that this was what folk "knew" and were told. From my notes I can probably dredge up half a dozen tales our PCs heard in taverns or around firesides, down the years of play - - and some persistent names and rumors I took note of.
I do know that Ed has always had some secret maps of a few realms clustered around a sea-gulf, with open sea to the east, that didn't get shared with TSR back in the day because they specifically called a halt to his sending in stacks of lore, and said (I paraphrase, of course) "Save it for some other day or other project, we've got more than enough to work with here."
I also know that Jeff Grubb took the attitude that what Ed never submitted and got paid for was still Ed's, not part of TSR's purchase of the Realms, but I have no idea how Hasbro's lawyers, all these years later, would view those unseen lands. I suspect Ed will be reluctant to share details of them here for fear of landing himself - - and Candlekeep - - in possible legal troubles.
Nor does it seem likely, unless Eberron's newest incarnation and the current WotC business models fail utterly, that the Realms will be resurrected in a form that would want new lands added to the east.
After all, we now have Laerakond/Returned Abeir to play with, to the west, and we STILL don't have half the level of detail Ed wanted, for the familiar bits of Faerun. Remember his DRAGON article on Crimmor? Ed wants about every third city as one travels along major trade-roads in the Realms (including every capital city, of course) detailed to that level, with the ones between left to individual DMs to flesh out.
Ah, so much to do, and so little time . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Nightseer
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 03:07:30
Message:

Whoa...

What issue was the "DRAGON article on Crimmor" in?


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 03:41:05
Message:

Lady THO,
Thank you for your reply. I suspected the majority of details on those far lands would old NDAs or virtually so given the direction TSR and WotC chose to take with the areas beyond Faerun. Already the lore tidbits you revealed give me much to digest. Knowing how Faerun proper actually used, rumored about, elaborated upon, or embellished those areas goes a long way in "filling in the map" (so to speak) in a continuous way coherent with the overall vibe of the Realms.

Jeff Grubb is right of course, having Ed's interest (and general fairness) in mind as opposed to some corporate lawyers doing their job. Ed should hold his unrevealed creations to unleash if and when he decides and the time is appropriate. We never know what will happen in the future or what setting-altering calamity may befall the Realms. Alternatively, perhaps Ed will someday consider them as seeds for a standalone setting that we could all not-so-stealthily slip east of the Faerun map with a knowing wink and nod amongst fans.

Going back to your response, you said "Known Faerun" ends two map sheets east of Thay. How much distance is two map sheets? What was on those map sheets?

I'll throw one last comment out, preaching to the converted style. We certainly don't even have half of the detail Ed wants (or most of us here want). Even then, that's only about a third of the setting. Its mind boggling how much room and potential there is, despite some misplaced perception to the contrary.



quote:
Originally posted by Nightseer

Whoa...

What issue was the "DRAGON article on Crimmor" in?



It was in Dragon #334.
An excellent article and a sorely missed style of article now that I don't get Dragon. The article gave Crimmor a character, life, and history of its own far beyond the brief blurbs it gets in most books.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 04:56:14
Message:

I'm sorry, but I saw the avatars of the two scribes above me (Nightseer and Dark Wizard) and all I could think was 'JAWA RAID!'.
Ok, I'm better now.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:02:42
Message:

Looking at how Shar acts made what her goal is, I was wondering whether Shar could be a deified Primordial, rather than a 'mere' deity. History seems to oppose this idea, but if you look at how Shar works in Shadow Realm (from Paul Kemp), it is not hard to imagine her being one - possibly without the other gods being aware - seieng as she was bron from the chaos like the primordials themselves.
What does Ed think of this idea?

Gomez


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:18:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all.
News flash from Ed: the 2008 Spin A Yarn story, which is over 20,000 words long (and incorporates, if only in small and sneaky ways in some cases, EVERY LAST STORY ELEMENT suggested here at the Keep and by the seminar audience at GenCon) has been turned in to Wizards. Its working title is: VOLO BREAKS A HOT TALE, and tells me it is set in Waterdeep and even has a plot, "once you get to it."

So, expect some forthcoming reading pleasure on the Wizards website.
love to all,
THO

Awesome news! My thanks, Lady, for the update.

I'm looking forward to some new Volo-fiction.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:25:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Or not, if you prefer; I designed both the continents of Faerûn and Laerakond to function perfectly in isolation, each as a campaign setting.


Noticed that - one of teh dumbest ideas of WotC was to NOT make it into two settings. With two setting books. And two player guides. And an adventure. Missed chance, really.

Ah well. I haven't done much with Abeir. I may get a chance to play in it come GenCon.

How does the lore re: the Dawn Titans work in 4e Realms? I am stuck to canon, but how to match it?
And does this mean this Gods War occurred after Toril was created, so after the fight between gods and Primordials (I am thinking Titans are Primordials, and the Primordials were already defeated by then)?

Gomez


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:28:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Or not, if you prefer; I designed both the continents of Faerûn and Laerakond to function perfectly in isolation, each as a campaign setting.


Noticed that - one of teh dumbest ideas of WotC was to NOT make it into two settings. With two setting books. And two player guides. And an adventure. Missed chance, really.

Ah well. I haven't done much with Abeir. I may get a chance to play in it come GenCon.

How does the lore re: the Dawn Titans work in 4e Realms? I am stuck to canon, but how to match it?
And does this mean this Gods War occurred after Toril was created, so after the fight between gods and Primordials (I am thinking Titans are Primordials, and the Primordials were already defeated by then)?

Gomez


I think the Titans and Primordials are "apples and oranges". It was in answer to how to fit Laerakond into pre-SP realms without the "Returned Abeir" baggage. In other words, a different take on the same place, not lore to the current 4E.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:37:07
Message:

Yes, but the Primordial vs Gods war also happened in the Pre-realms, iirc, before Toril was created.
And my question was how to fit it into 4th ed Realms.

Gomez


Reply author: Nightseer
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 06:40:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I'm sorry, but I saw the avatars of the two scribes above me (Nightseer and Dark Wizard) and all I could think was 'JAWA RAID!'.
Ok, I'm better now.


Your Droids belong to me now.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 10:37:30
Message:

Actually I thought NS and DW's avatar looked a lot like the dink-dinks(the little creatures who helped Lonestar find Yogurt):P


Reply author: Nightseer
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 10:46:27
Message:

Oh, it's Dr. Manthingy. I was wondering where you wandered off to. Did you get lost, or something? Now all we need is your boy JD to show up and then you two can whisper sweet nothings to one another.





Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 16:02:58
Message:

I seem to recall someone (Rich Baker? Bruce Cordell? The new lore stuff, explicitly, somewhere?) explicitly saying the Dawn Titans (a WotC invention, not Ed's) ARE Primordials.

Dark Wizards, years ago at the GenCon "Ed Roast," Julia Martin brought in the Realms map she'd inherited from Jeff Grubb or Steven Schend: Ed's turnover "master map" photocopies taped together and magic-marker-colored. I distinctly remember she said it was "55 or 59, depending on whether or not you count the sheets that are empty sea except for a few tiny islands" sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper, all oriented horizontally (east to west, to someone looking at a map with north at the top). Ed also drew less-detailed "player's maps" (what you can buy as a PC in the Realms, or assemble out of your own head from your own traveler's knowledge) and lots and lots of city, town, village, and Dale maps, plus fortresses and dungeons, and turned most of them in to TSR. I've seen photocopies of some of the originals, and except for being hand-lettered, they're of professional quality. Dead Orc Pass is even a professional-level topographical map.
And then, of course, there's the HUGE original map of the city of Waterdeep, that covers the floor of a large room . . .
Cartographers and map-lovers of the Realms, let us collectively swoon together.
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 16:09:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I do know that Ed has always had some secret maps of a few realms clustered around a sea-gulf, with open sea to the east.. <snip>
I'll trade Ed my first born for a copy of that.

Then again, I wouldn't want to do that to Ed... the kid is 6'5" and never stops eating...

Anyhow, I have LOTS of room on the K-T map for a gulf with some cities, and Wizbro can't get mad at something if they don't know where it came from...

Can't blame a guy for trying...
quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Cartographers and map-lovers of the Realms, let us collectively swoon together.

You had me at 'Hello' (or rather, "realms map").

Realms Maps make me drool like one of Pavlov's dogs.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 18:28:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade


And then, of course, there's the HUGE original map of the city of Waterdeep, that covers the floor of a large room . . .
Cartographers and map-lovers of the Realms, let us collectively swoon together.
BB



How does that map compare to the 10-poster map of Waterdeep that was in the City System boxed set?

(Note: I've got two or three copies of that map set! I do not, however, have enough wall for all of them... I don't think my wife would even entertain the idea of putting them up in the living room! )


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 20:09:09
Message:

The map Blueblade's referring to DWARFS the City System map. We're talking over 20 17" x 35" inch white pieces of paper, with buildings drawn on them as black outlines ("empty boxes" not "filled in boxes"). A typical rectangular two-to-three or three-to-four storey Waterdhavian building, with street-level shop and two or three floors of living quarters above, is a rectangle of about 3/4" wide by around 1" long (in other words, the base of an old Airfix model soldier figure will JUST fit inside one, which is how Ed denoted where "the PC party" was, where Watch patrols were, where "bad guys we were following" were, and so on. Trees, ponds, public pumps, fountains, and statues were all included, too.
In other words, HUGE. Two lucky gamers, out there in the world, have copies of this (aside from whoever kept it at TSR, if it didn't just go into the dumpster): it was a "door prize" at a long-ago PHANTASM convention in Peterborough, Ontario (the Guests of Honor that year were Richard and Lilly Garfield, and Ed), and it was a charity auction item at a Milwaukee-era GenCon.
Ed didn't send it to TSR on 17x35 mapsheets; he sent it to them on foolscap-length photocopies, overlapped copiously to minimize photocopier "around the edges" distortion (so buildings would line up, and all distortions, by judicious cut-and-paste surgery, could be shifted into the "white space" of streets and alleys.
When CITY SYSTEM came out, all of us original players were greatly disappointed, not just at the small size of the maps, but at the "districts get strong color hues" rather than having cobbles, dirt, and building roofs. I'm a big girl; I can tell boundaries by myself by reading street names and referring to a 1-page district boundaries guide.
Ah, well . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 08 Jun 2009 20:45:47
Message:

Wow... I'd love to see that original map.

I'd love it even more to own a copy of it, but that's rather unlikely, thinks I.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 00:27:51
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Looking at how Shar acts made what her goal is, I was wondering whether Shar could be a deified Primordial, rather than a 'mere' deity. History seems to oppose this idea, but if you look at how Shar works in Shadow Realm (from Paul Kemp), it is not hard to imagine her being one - possibly without the other gods being aware - seieng as she was bron from the chaos like the primordials themselves.
What does Ed think of this idea?



Logically, if Shar's a primordial, then so is Selune.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 01:02:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

And then, of course, there's the HUGE original map of the city of Waterdeep, that covers the floor of a large room . . .
I've got a nice large-ish white-wall in my library room which would be the perfect place for such a map.

Ed, if you ever need a *place* to store it...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 01:08:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed didn't send it to TSR on 17x35 mapsheets; he sent it to them on foolscap-length photocopies, overlapped copiously to minimize photocopier "around the edges" distortion (so buildings would line up, and all distortions, by judicious cut-and-paste surgery, could be shifted into the "white space" of streets and alleys.
By, Shaundakul, that would've been something to see.

A lot of my old Realms maps that I personally generated exist in much the same way. I spent hours ensuring each edge of every page would match-up with the next section of the map. My attention to detail was meticulous. Even when such areas weren't included on maps, or detailed in the Realmslore, I'd generate my own map locations and include them on the map.


Reply author: Nightseer
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 05:27:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Nightseer

Whoa...

What issue was the "DRAGON article on Crimmor" in?


I just bought said issue for $1.00 from Paizo.
Lisa Stevens is selling off magazines cut rate. I guess they are moving.
http://paizo.com/store/blog#v5748dyo5lach
Quick question, It said that Crimmor was the first article by Mr. Greenwood on cities in the Realms. What other issues do I NEED to get?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 06:38:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
Logically, if Shar's a primordial, then so is Selune.



Possibly - if the creation myth that both are 'true' sisters is correct.
Selune migth have emerged as a primal creature tied to the feywild, a mother-of-archfey (it fits with her associations with the moon and Sehanine Moonbow). The embodiment of light and fey.
Shar could have been a more distructive primal force tied to the shadowfell. The embodiment of shadow and death.
The beings born from their battle would be true deities (a bit like the greek myths) - with possibly a few exceptions to account for darker primal or shadow beings born from Shar, or the archfey born from Selune. The battle that brought forth Mystryl may even have removed part of their primal nature.
They would also have sided with their children in the Dawn War, and being powerful enough to grant spells, possibly awarded by Ao or gained through the birth of Mystryl, people would forget - if they ever knew - of the two's true origin.
But the origin may still be there. Shar is a destructive force, and who says how supportive her role was in the Dawn War, and if she does not, secretly, still turn to the primordials from which she came to have the end of the universe realized. The death of Mystra may have returned a portion of her primal power to her, and in seeking out that power may grow yet again into a primordial force.

Gomez


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 06:47:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Looking at how Shar acts made what her goal is, I was wondering whether Shar could be a deified Primordial, rather than a 'mere' deity. History seems to oppose this idea, but if you look at how Shar works in Shadow Realm (from Paul Kemp), it is not hard to imagine her being one - possibly without the other gods being aware - seieng as she was bron from the chaos like the primordials themselves.
What does Ed think of this idea?



Logically, if Shar's a primordial, then so is Selune.



And by extension, Mystryl would have been a primordial, as well.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 08:08:44
Message:

Folks, it might be more convenient to take this speculative side-discussion about other Primordial-beings, to another scroll. Please? Let's keep this one set on questions for Ed.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 09:52:51
Message:

It started with a question for Ed: his opinion/take on the Shar-is-a-primordial theory.
I just expanded the theory a bit.

Gomez


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 14:36:17
Message:

Hey THO...
What's better for Ed? His message, or El's message probably would have the same impact.

Obviously, El's message would be different, but even so, if there's any problem writing on his name, we would understand. Thanks THO!


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 17:28:20
Message:

quote:

Rhewtani, a proper answer from Ed is still forthcoming, but he wanted you to know right away that the family line persists. Specifically:

There is indeed still a House Tsornyl, though these days they are few in number, go by another name, and are powerful in another place in the Realms.



So ... un ... fair.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 18:41:58
Message:

Sorry, is this House Tsornyl from A GRAND HISTORY? I'm drawing a blank on where they're mentioned in Realmslore . . .
Anyone?
Thanks!


Reply author: Steven Schend
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 19:12:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The map Blueblade's referring to DWARFS the City System map. We're talking over 20 17" x 35" inch white pieces of paper, with buildings drawn on them as black outlines ("empty boxes" not "filled in boxes"). A typical rectangular two-to-three or three-to-four storey Waterdhavian building, with street-level shop and two or three floors of living quarters above, is a rectangle of about 3/4" wide by around 1" long (in other words, the base of an old Airfix model soldier figure will JUST fit inside one, which is how Ed denoted where "the PC party" was, where Watch patrols were, where "bad guys we were following" were, and so on. Trees, ponds, public pumps, fountains, and statues were all included, too.
In other words, HUGE. Two lucky gamers, out there in the world, have copies of this (aside from whoever kept it at TSR, if it didn't just go into the dumpster): it was a "door prize" at a long-ago PHANTASM convention in Peterborough, Ontario (the Guests of Honor that year were Richard and Lilly Garfield, and Ed), and it was a charity auction item at a Milwaukee-era GenCon.
Ed didn't send it to TSR on 17x35 mapsheets; he sent it to them on foolscap-length photocopies, overlapped copiously to minimize photocopier "around the edges" distortion (so buildings would line up, and all distortions, by judicious cut-and-paste surgery, could be shifted into the "white space" of streets and alleys.
When CITY SYSTEM came out, all of us original players were greatly disappointed, not just at the small size of the maps, but at the "districts get strong color hues" rather than having cobbles, dirt, and building roofs. I'm a big girl; I can tell boundaries by myself by reading street names and referring to a 1-page district boundaries guide.
Ah, well . . .
love to all,
THO



I'm one of the lucky few with a copy of a copy of Ed's original Waterdeep map(s) PLUS the close-ups he'd done for the Volo's Waterdeep materials. It was all part of his turnover for the 1993 CITY OF SPLENDORS box and I've sneakily kept my 1.3 inch-think pile of 11x17" sheets of that map in a safe place. It was vastly helpful when I worked on Blackstaff Tower to check against some of the lesser known neighborhoods up in Sea Ward (as the foundations aren't apt to change, no matter how many times the buildings fall over). :)

Steven
who isn't gloating but noting that Ed (and Professor Tolkien) set the bar on how to detail a world for stories and hopes to put it to use sooner than later....


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 19:17:36
Message:

Where did you say you live again Steven? I've got a scanner and it would be a TERRIFIC shame if we didn't have an electronic backup of those pages...


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 20:57:48
Message:

Okay, finally have to ask - and I think Ed might know - about this, since it pertains to early DND Realms.

What happened with Pool of Radiance/Ruins of Adventure? I feel like there has to be a story here.

-Phlan naming structure is bad spanish with a little german thrown in. The Realms details seem to have been sprinkled on after the fact.

-The book is very inconsistent with the adventure (and I know the adventure was from a PC game). The adventure has someone looking for their wizard master ... Ren, while the book has Ren (Ranger/Rogue) teamed up with the apprentice looking for Ranthor.

So, I was just curious - since this is a VERY early Realms adventure, if Ed could talk about it a little.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Jun 2009 21:49:46
Message:

Hmmm. Well, I can tell you this much: POOLS OF RADIANCE, complete with the river and the town/city, was inserted into the Realms by TSR (I strongly suspect that some or all of it was "done" before they bought the Realms), in place of what Ed had there.
So I doubt Ed's going to be able to say much.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 10 Jun 2009 02:36:34
Message:

Hi. Nightseer, Crimmor was the only Ed city article ever published in the Paizo era of DRAGON. He finished Teziir and handed it in, but it never saw print before the license was ended, and Paizo handed it to Wizards. As the Realms then got "jumped" into the future, it probably never will get published, now.
This information comes from two GenCons ago (the last sentence from someone senior at WotC I got referred to at last year's GenCon). Ed or THO, please correct me if I'm wrong. So, Nightseer, you've got the only issue you need for cities.
I took notes at some WotC seminars, and from them I can tell you this: Ed had worked out a list of a dozen cities that Paizo got approval to do from Wizards (meaning: it wouldn't interfere with WotC game or novel publishing plans, but they could then use Ed's work for later novels, the way they used Oeble from his POLYHEDRON column, and Selgaunt for the Sembian novels from FR ADVENTURES plus a later lore writeup Ed did for the Sembian series - - and the recent lore writeup Ed did for Waterdeep for the current Waterdeep series). A WotC staffer mentioned we might soon see the capital of Aglarond, so I'd guess that was one of the later cities on the list.
BB


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 10 Jun 2009 03:07:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

I seem to recall someone (Rich Baker? Bruce Cordell? The new lore stuff, explicitly, somewhere?) explicitly saying the Dawn Titans (a WotC invention, not Ed's) ARE Primordials.

Dark Wizards, years ago at the GenCon "Ed Roast," Julia Martin brought in the Realms map she'd inherited from Jeff Grubb or Steven Schend: Ed's turnover "master map" photocopies taped together and magic-marker-colored. I distinctly remember she said it was "55 or 59, depending on whether or not you count the sheets that are empty sea except for a few tiny islands" sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper, all oriented horizontally (east to west, to someone looking at a map with north at the top). Ed also drew less-detailed "player's maps" (what you can buy as a PC in the Realms, or assemble out of your own head from your own traveler's knowledge) and lots and lots of city, town, village, and Dale maps, plus fortresses and dungeons, and turned most of them in to TSR. I've seen photocopies of some of the originals, and except for being hand-lettered, they're of professional quality. Dead Orc Pass is even a professional-level topographical map.
And then, of course, there's the HUGE original map of the city of Waterdeep, that covers the floor of a large room . . .
Cartographers and map-lovers of the Realms, let us collectively swoon together.
BB



Whilst I don't have a copy of the big Waterdeep map, Ed had prezzies for the first time we met face to face at GEN-CON 2007. My FR party pack included various maps of the North and the Heartlands as well as some original art of various Knights of Myth Drannor and p/copies of Ed's original hand-drawn graph pad maps of the Haunted Halls including the heretofore never seen (by me) lower level.

The man's attention to detail is faultless and has always been my personal FR standard to aspire to when writing or thinking Realms. To do otherwise would fail to do justice to Ed's amazing work over the last 40+ years.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 10 Jun 2009 12:34:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hmmm. Well, I can tell you this much: POOLS OF RADIANCE, complete with the river and the town/city, was inserted into the Realms by TSR (I strongly suspect that some or all of it was "done" before they bought the Realms), in place of what Ed had there.
So I doubt Ed's going to be able to say much.
love,
THO


Interesting, Lady Hood I have two questions for you and/or Ed. The first question, you wrote ‘Pools’ in your reply. Is this a typo or do you follow along the path that there are multiple Pools? And now for the really obvious question which may not be answered do to NDA’s: What did Ed have there originally?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jun 2009 14:56:25
Message:

Hi again, all.
George, your words of praise for Ed warm me, and I'm sure will make Ed smile happily.

Bakra, I got to see some of the TSR design drafts at a GenCon seminar well after the printed TSR product came out, and the concept there ("borrowed," I suspect from Zelazny's Pattern in Amber and other teleport "gates"/portals from fantasy) was that there were multiple Pools, scattered in remote sites all over the campaign world and even a few other planes, and that those who knew how could "pass" (teleport) from one Pool to another.
So that, of course, coloured my answer.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Jun 2009 17:34:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

The man's attention to detail is faultless and has always been my personal FR standard to aspire to when writing or thinking Realms. To do otherwise would fail to do justice to Ed's amazing work over the last 40+ years.
Bravo. <we need a clapping smiley>

I'll find juicy tidbits about something (like the Shadowsil) spread through a half-dozen books, and all of it is consistent to itself, and makes the world seem that much more real to us. Its not the 'heavy-hitters' that make the realms seem so real... quite the contrary. Its all those people, places, and things that you "catch out of the corner of your eye" that makes the Realms so different from any other setting I've ever encountered.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hmmm. Well, I can tell you this much: POOLS OF RADIANCE, complete with the river and the town/city, was inserted into the Realms by TSR (I strongly suspect that some or all of it was "done" before they bought the Realms), in place of what Ed had there.
So I doubt Ed's going to be able to say much.
love,
THO

I believe you may be right, THO, and it may go back much further then anyone realizes. A friend of mine who was a DM used the city of Phlan, and that game was run in the early 80's. I think he got the name/idea from a Dragon article, but it may have been some older module (or novel) produced by TSR.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 03:24:52
Message:

I believe I recall hearing Ed once at a con answer a question very similar to Bakra's - - and his reply was something like:

Two small ruined, monster-haunted human cities that had been wealthy mining ports, but got overrun by orcs and ogres so often that eventually the humans stopped coming back to refortify and reoccupy them. They faced each other on opposite sides of a rivermouth, right where the river emptied into the Moonsea.

. . . and he later described one of these ruins as having lots of roosting wyverns, whose presence makes any shipcaptains entertaining thoughts of tying up at the crumbling wharves to rearrange or exchange cargoes have second thoughts.

THO? Ed? Am I remembering rightly?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 03:39:48
Message:

Ed, I'm looking at the notes I took when I played in one of your old convention adventures ("The Unseen King"), because I want to try to run it - - the feast with all the outrageous old drunken nobles spilling out into the Royal Gardens, anyway, making it up as I go along as I know you did [[yes, I saw when we were finished four fun-filled hours, and you were folding up your DM's screen, that your entire scenario is only TWO PAGES LONG, you rogue you!]].
Remember the guy with the green-and-black cheese? That tastes nutty and smoky, and loosens tongues like nothing else?
Okay, what is that cheese called, where is it made, about how much does it cost (rare/expensive, or fairly common/moderate, or - -?), and how is it made (what provides the milk, what other ingredients, anything special about the process?)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 03:52:02
Message:

Hello again, all.
Rhewtani, Bakra, and Baleful Avatar: Baleful is remembering rightly. Ed will check to see what his notes have about those two ruins (he thinks he never wrote more than a couple of paragraphs).
Blueblade, I've sent your query off to Ed, too - - but I can tell you, because my character once landed on a wheel of said cheese (after unintentionally "dropping in" to a Cormyrean noble's kitchen), that the cheese you speak of is known as Roaroke (or "Rokeheart" in the Border Kingdoms, where it's popular but hard to obtain, so many inferior versions of it are locally made).
We will, of course, hear much more in the fullness of time from Ed.
And Rhewtani, Ed wasn't jerking your shackles; he WILL give you a proper reply, as soon as he can (right now, he's attending family funerals - - yes, again! - - and finishing up the judging for the Sunbursts; it's crunch time, where the judges battle it ouXXX ahem, debate their picks in order to come up with just one winner for the adult and the YA categories (for most scribes: the Sunbursts, which have gone by other names in the past, are Canada's annual best sf/fantasy awards, for adult book and YA book).
Oh, and Ed will have family visiting this weekend, so I suppose he'll be busy cooking, too.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 05:19:58
Message:

Ed, I've another question coming from my re-reading of the "Knights of Myth Drannor" trilogy. This time, I'm focusing on the last few pages of Chapter 8 from The Sword Never Sleeps.

Thus, I'm curious about this snippet:- '"Den of traitors, den of thieves," she muttered, remembering the old Suzailan song deriding the Court.'

What more can you tell me about this "old Suzailan song?"


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 07:32:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The map Blueblade's referring to DWARFS the City System map. We're talking over 20 17" x 35" inch white pieces of paper, with buildings drawn on them as black outlines ("empty boxes" not "filled in boxes"). A typical rectangular two-to-three or three-to-four storey Waterdhavian building, with street-level shop and two or three floors of living quarters above, is a rectangle of about 3/4" wide by around 1" long (in other words, the base of an old Airfix model soldier figure will JUST fit inside one, which is how Ed denoted where "the PC party" was, where Watch patrols were, where "bad guys we were following" were, and so on. Trees, ponds, public pumps, fountains, and statues were all included, too.
In other words, HUGE. Two lucky gamers, out there in the world, have copies of this (aside from whoever kept it at TSR, if it didn't just go into the dumpster): it was a "door prize" at a long-ago PHANTASM convention in Peterborough, Ontario (the Guests of Honor that year were Richard and Lilly Garfield, and Ed), and it was a charity auction item at a Milwaukee-era GenCon.
Ed didn't send it to TSR on 17x35 mapsheets; he sent it to them on foolscap-length photocopies, overlapped copiously to minimize photocopier "around the edges" distortion (so buildings would line up, and all distortions, by judicious cut-and-paste surgery, could be shifted into the "white space" of streets and alleys.
When CITY SYSTEM came out, all of us original players were greatly disappointed, not just at the small size of the maps, but at the "districts get strong color hues" rather than having cobbles, dirt, and building roofs. I'm a big girl; I can tell boundaries by myself by reading street names and referring to a 1-page district boundaries guide.
Ah, well . . .
love to all,
THO



I'm one of the lucky few with a copy of a copy of Ed's original Waterdeep map(s) PLUS the close-ups he'd done for the Volo's Waterdeep materials. It was all part of his turnover for the 1993 CITY OF SPLENDORS box and I've sneakily kept my 1.3 inch-think pile of 11x17" sheets of that map in a safe place. It was vastly helpful when I worked on Blackstaff Tower to check against some of the lesser known neighborhoods up in Sea Ward (as the foundations aren't apt to change, no matter how many times the buildings fall over). :)

Steven
who isn't gloating but noting that Ed (and Professor Tolkien) set the bar on how to detail a world for stories and hopes to put it to use sooner than later....



Dude, Jealousy is an ugly thing... so I'm gonna hide mine just now. I don't even know you, but I hate you a little for this.

Edit: I couldn't agree more with your last statement, Steven. In all of fantasy, the only creator I can compare to He of the Green Wood is Prof. Tolkien. I came to DnD looking for LotR-type immersion as a teenager and was mostly disappointed- till I found the Realms. It's all about Depth and Detail, and both of these masters of the genre give it to us.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 14:43:05
Message:

Ed, this may seem like a personal question, and if so, I apologize, and don't answer, but I've got to ask:
Why is it that there are barely any details on your life on the web? Many other authors have information in many sites, detailing their parents, where they live, their spouses, etc. So why not you? Is it just the fact that nobody ever did it for you, and you don't have the time? Or is it that you don't want people to know?
Again, if this is offensive, please don't answer, and I apologize.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 15:35:44
Message:

quote:
Edit: I couldn't agree more with your last statement, Steven. In all of fantasy, the only creator I can compare to He of the Green Wood is Prof. Tolkien. I came to DnD looking for LotR-type immersion as a teenager and was mostly disappointed- till I found the Realms. It's all about Depth and Detail, and both of these masters of the genre give it to us.

There are other 'truly amazing' world-builders out there, but unfortunately, the majority of them write SciFi.

Two that spring to mind that are SciFi authors but read like Fantasy are Jack Vance (naturally) and Robert Silverberg (His Majipoor series could easilly be a fantasy world, and an incredible one at that).

For some reason, many modern fantasy authors think all you need to do is toss in a few Dwarves and Elves and send a group on some sort of quest, and then ignore the backdrop (which appears to be nothing more then a cheap medieval Europe knock-off in most cases). True world-builders are hard to come by these days <sigh>.

Edit: I feel the need to also mention the late James Oliver Rigney (Robert Jordan) - although I grew exasperated at the 'never-ending' aspect of his story(ies), I have to say that a lot of thought and amazing world-building went into his Wheel of Time series. Like the Realms, it seems that every little corner of the world had something interesting going on (which was part of it's charm, but also made it a nightmare to keep track of with all those sub-plots).


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 16:01:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Ed, this may seem like a personal question, and if so, I apologize, and don't answer, but I've got to ask:
Why is it that there are barely any details on your life on the web? Many other authors have information in many sites, detailing their parents, where they live, their spouses, etc. So why not you? Is it just the fact that nobody ever did it for you, and you don't have the time? Or is it that you don't want people to know?
Again, if this is offensive, please don't answer, and I apologize.



I think he's too busy sharing what's going on in his head to share what's going on in his life.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 16:21:12
Message:

I've another question Ed. Perhaps I should just start a new backlog for this year, eh?

Anyways, this comes from my re-reading of The Temptation of Elminster from The Annotated Elminster compilation.

Specifically, I'm curious about the kingdom of Galadorna. We learn a little in the novel itself, and from your "Realmslore" notes in the aforementioned The Annotated Elminster. And given that the 4e shift now makes it highly unlikely that Galadorna will ever be featured in any future published Realmslore, I'm just wondering what more you could tell me about this kingdom?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 16:22:16
Message:

Because when it comes right down to it, Ed is a very private person. He greatly enjoys the time he spends with fans... but then likes to have time to do the things he enjoys (which may include the Realms, but go far beyond just them... Ed Greenwood as a person is much more then the 'Forgotten Realms' he is so famous for).

I find it so very distasteful that many of today's 'celebrities' (and I use that term loosely) like to 'Twitter' <vomit> about every little thing happening in their lives, as it happens.

Do we really care that Paris Hilton broke her heal this morning, or that Justin Timerlake just enjoyed a realy good BM?

Seriously... there are some things people should keep to themselves, and I applaud Ed for not flaunting his private life... thats why it is called PRIVATE.


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 16:35:49
Message:

I know I will get some heat for this but this is something I've always wanted to know since I read both Drizzt and El's novels and I was wondering what El's view is on Drizzt and have they ever met? I know Drizzt met Khelben very briefly. Thanks and I'll prepare myself now for the ribbing I'm about to get


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 16:42:28
Message:

quote:
I find it so very distasteful that many of today's 'celebrities' (and I use that term loosely) like to 'Twitter' <vomit> about every little thing happening in their lives, as it happens.


I'm in complete agreement with you there.

Truthfully, I did suspect the answer would be a combination of both: He doesn't have enough time to actually put it on the web, and he feels his private life should remain private.


Reply author: bradhunter
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 18:17:30
Message:

Hello Ed,

I'd like to start off simply saying, "Thanks." I've played in the Realms off and on since the 80's and have always enjoyed it.

My questions come from my playtime in the new Living Forgotten Realms campaign. I'm not sure what, if any, connection you have with the RPGA, but my questions are strictly lore, so I hope you can help.

LFR allows a variety of monster races as PCs, namely gnoll, minotaur, and orcs (with a reward card.) Are there any examples of heroic members of these races that exist in your notes? It would be nice to have a few positive examples that a player could use as reference or even work into their backgrounds to support being "good" members of a typically evil race.

Warforged are now walking the Realms, as well. Since these were an Eberron race, a Dragon article explained how we could fit these into the setting. However, I was hoping you might shed some light on countries and cabals, historical or current, that might have created living constructs. Any notable constructs that were living/sentient/both?

The Dhampyr were introduced earlier this year as a bloodline. Do you have any "half-vampire" figures, individuals or even families/bloodlines of note? What would the stance of the Church of Kelemvor be on these creatures? They are not undead or unaging, but they do have vampiric blood and can feed on the living to heal.

Lastly, we have a race called Revenants coming up. It looks like this might cause a bit of a stir, with players of Kelemvorites seated at a table with a Revenant player. Can you think of any reason a member of that faith would work with an undead creature instead of outright destroying it? Any notable lore exceptions where the church ignored, or even allowed, the continued existance of an undead creature?

Thanks in advance for any response you may give. A lot of players don't bother worrying about the lore of the world or the background of their characters, but I'd love to find any way to make these things fit better in the Realms at least for my characters, friends and some local gamers.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 18:47:05
Message:

Hi again, all.
bradhunter, Ed will be providing some details of heroes of the "monster" races (he's named a few already earlier in this year's iteration of this thread). Ed is a Charter Life Member of the RPGA, and is quietly working behind the scenes with at least two regional groups (that is, the gents and ladies who write the adventures for an area of the Realms) that I know of. Your questions have been sent off to him, and hopefully we'll soon see answers.
Menelvagor and Markustay, it's really a function of time; Ed holds down several jobs, and could spend all his waking hours NOT writing or designing, if he let himself be lured into all the distractions. Two of the organizations he works for (or with) have strict rules re. what should be self-posted on the Net to help prevent identity theft, and as Ed will tell you (as he replied to a library director re. why he didn't blog and livejournal):

I find my life incredibly interesting, but that's because I'm living it. :}
That is, I'm learning and researching and creating and mulling over stuff. Yet the daily humdrum stuff is just that: daily and humdrum. Why should anyone else CARE? I'm just not that self-centered, I guess. I suppose I could and should self-promote, but many of the writers who do that manage to produce about a book a year. Why not use that time to do FIVE books a year - - (as I, instead, do)? Yes, I may kill more trees, but I'm also getting better as a writer - - and I might get run over by a truck tomorrow, and then it'll be a little too late to write the great books I might have gotten around to doing someday.


So saith Ed. Who also, as cribes here know well, spends a little time almost every day writing something for us, here.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 19:31:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by bradhunter

Warforged are now walking the Realms, as well. Since these were an Eberron race, a Dragon article explained how we could fit these into the setting. However, I was hoping you might shed some light on countries and cabals, historical or current, that might have created living constructs. Any notable constructs that were living/sentient/both?


I've been working on a couple of ideas for making warforged that have a uniquely Realms-based creation story... One of those ideas is still in development, and I'm hoping for Ed's input on the other idea (which is fully written up).

Page 42 of Halls of the High King said this about helmed horrors:

quote:
In some cases, however, the orders of a horror allow it autonomy in the absence of commands, or are simply silent on the subject of a Horror's freedom. If not specifically commanded to cease existence at the death or behest of their creator, horrors will continue operating until destroyed.

Some horrors have been encountered as bandits or adventurers. At least one horror, Aragus, leads a small caravan company operating out of Waterdeep. It communicates by writing, gestures, and (with its underlings) a tapping code. Other horrors have been found in groups, wandering the wilderlands or exploring old ruins. Horrors never seem to willingly fight other horrors.


When I read this, I asked Ed about Aragus. Here's his reply:

quote:
Hi again, all.
This time I bring some brief words of Ed in response to Wooly Rupert’s Helmed Horror queries: “That of course got me wondering (especially since I've always loved helmed horrors). Is Aragus still around? What are its goals? How is it treated by the folk of Waterdeep? What is its legal status (as in, is it considered a citizen, and if not, what rights does it have?)? Can helmed horrors gain levels or class abilities? And lastly, are there other noteworthy independent helmed horrors out there?”
and:
“And as an addendum to my previous helmed horror questions... Can they be created without the use of a corpse and/or the Doom of Bane spell?”
Ed replies:



Hi, Wooly! Yes, Aragus is still around, but has “faked” its own destruction and is now keeping a low profile, with rooms it can hide out in, in both Dock Ward and North Ward, and using a hargaunt (see my current Knights trilogy of novels) to give it various lifelike “human face” masks.
Its goals remain mysterious (as in, both NDAs and my own unfolding campaign needs to remain silent apply). Most folk in Waterdeep consider Aragus to be “no more” (some Lords know better, but are keeping silent for their own reasons.
No, helmed horrors can’t gain levels or class abilities in the same way that PCs can. They CAN be augmented by wizards (and if playing 3e, insert applicable prestige classes here) of sufficient power and learning, so as to gain hit points, better attacks, particular abilities, etc.
Yes, there are other noteworthy Helmed Horrors active in the Realms right now (I have to check with certain mysterious WotC personages to see if some current NDAs prevent me from discussing two of the most famous/infamous, so I’ll return at some later date with more . . . or not).
And yes, there are several other methods of creating helmed horrors besides using a corpse or a Doom of Bane spell. Magic armor can be mated with a wraith (by means of the right sequence of spells), for one (and other undead can serve, to be “bound into” armor; even simple animated skeletons can be put into armor and spells used to create a crude facsimile of a helmed horror. Augmented battle horrors (the feather fall, dimension door, and magic missile-hurling variants, only “powered up” to do worse things) can be made by a variety of magical processes, and at least one priesthood (Gond’s) has been seeking to craft its own guardian helmed horrors through rituals and prayers (that is, divine magic only, with nary an arcane spell involved; BTW, they have done this thus far unsuccessfully).



So saith Ed.
And I’d like to add a personal postscript to dalor: certainly you can ask me things, and I’ll be quite happy to answer. I’ll probably post an answer to your question that Sage redirected here, tomorrow, but I must run now. The phone we nicknamed “the Bat Phone” years back is ringing, and that means urgent work . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 12 Jun 2009 21:38:39
Message:

And there have been quasi-vampires of various sorts in the D&D game since the first edition, and therefore in the Realms, too. I remember a "secret society" of them in Waterdeep in an early Ed-GenCon-run Realms adventure.
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 01:34:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

I remember a "secret society" of them in Waterdeep in an early Ed-GenCon-run Realms adventure.
I remember reading something about that on the REALMS-L. But that was a long time ago. Could either Ed or yourself provide some further details about this adventure?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 05:03:00
Message:

Heya,

Half and/or partial vampires have always bugged me.

Firstly, if the state of being a vampire is curse - how can you have someone who is only half cursed? Isn't that a bit like saying a woman is a little bit pregnant?

If the state of being a vampire is a disease, then you can't half way pass on a disease. That is like above, being a little bit pregnant.

If a woman is bitten by a vampire when she's pregnant, she dies. When she dies, so does the child she carries (because that's just how it works without medical intervention). And when she rises as a vampire, either the child inside her is still dead, or it too lives again but will be a full vampire, and will never be born because the woman's bodily functions no longer work in the same way. So no half or partial vampires there.

The only way this could work is if vampires are an actual race (which they're not in DnD, as they're a template you pop on top of a PC/NPC - the PC/NPC is still their race, but is also a vampire), and are both capable of impregnating someone and genetically compatible with humans (or whatever). A child born of a living member of <insert compatible race here> and a vampire would be a half vampire. This would only work with a male vampire and a female <insert race here>, since female vampires would most likely be incapable of having a child.

So, after all that extrapolation on my behalf, here's my question - Ed... How do half or partial vampires work in the Realms?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 07:34:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

The only way this could work is if vampires are an actual race (which they're not in DnD, as they're a template you pop on top of a PC/NPC - the PC/NPC is still their race, but is also a vampire), and are both capable of impregnating someone and genetically compatible with humans (or whatever). A child born of a living member of <insert compatible race here> and a vampire would be a half vampire. This would only work with a male vampire and a female <insert race here>, since female vampires would most likely be incapable of having a child.


Of course, with vampires being undead, it does beg the question of how well certain portions of the anatomy continue to function, if they function at all... This is a thought that crossed my mind when designing my own (now abandoned) half-vampire character.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 09:07:18
Message:

The concept of the dhampyr is a curious alternative. Brian James notes some particularly creative ideas in his "Playing Dhampyr" article from DRAGON #371.

In fact, I've always thought of Blade the Vampire Hunter [from Marvel Comics] as being somewhat akin to a dhampyr in D&D terms, given that his mother was bitten by a vampire [Deacon Frost] during Blade's birth. This resulted in Blade being born with certain quasi-vampiric traits, much like the classic interpretation of the dhampyr.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 15:40:02
Message:

Thinking of them as Necromungers - Half-dead - from The Chronoicles of Riddick movie is a possibility, although I usually think of Shades as being Necromungers (same concept, especially in 4e, since the Negative Plane got rolled into the Plane of Shadows)

In fact, now that I think about it... aren't half-vampires (Damphyrs) rather redundant with Shades? How many half-undead do we need in D&D?

Blade worked because he was unique, but if you were to create a 'race' of these, I'd go the Underworld route (where, apparently, Vampires cab stil have children).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 16:23:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Thinking of them as Necromungers - Half-dead - from The Chronoicles of Riddick movie is a possibility, although I usually think of Shades as being Necromungers (same concept, especially in 4e, since the Negative Plane got rolled into the Plane of Shadows)
I initially wandered down that route of thought as well, until I started speculating on the possibility that CoR's "Underverse" was actually more like D&D's Far Realm. At which point, I began looking at the necromungers/necromongers as pseudo-natural-type half-dead entities.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 17:06:29
Message:

Hello again, all. EdAppel, I have the pleasure to present the long-promised Elminster message to Alan, from Ed writing as Elminster:




To Alan,
From the hand of Elminster of Shadowdale,
This:


Word hath come to me lately of thy recent sojourn in durance vile.

I set down these few words not merely to congratulate thee on thy release, nor to hearten thee down the rest of thy days, but to extend the hand of friendship and let ye know that there are other wayfarers through life who honour thee and understand thee. The one I know as EdAppel, for one. Even when companionship cannot be directly seen or touched, thou art not alone.

Now that thou hast known a cage, and seen something of the darker sides behind the faces of thy fellow men, reflect: ye still live, and breathe, and are stronger for the experience.

Trite words, those, I know. Others have said them before, and no doubt they shall be said again. Yet a truth lies in them, for we are strengthened by every experience we survive. “Enriched” is the currently-popular word, I believe. We cannot help but be enriched, for a life is no more than a collection of experiences, and what their remembered colour and lessons lend to us as we face later experiences.

Think of thy life as a pathway ye are building through an unknown, mysterious, mist-shrouded land, a forest or jungle. Ye never know what lies ahead, and may even question why ye are making the journey. More than that, every flagstone ye set down has its cost to ye. Yet ye are on the path before ye truly know ye have begun it, just as all others are on their paths. Our paths may cross, or run together for days or months or years, yet in the end our path is - - must be - - our own. We all make choices, all the time, and some of them turn out to be mistakes, or less bright than other choices we might have made, yet the time of that particular choosing lies behind us, and we cannot go back.

So, in the end, we are left with three sorts of choices: to refuse to choose, and drift aimlessly, restless and accomplishing little and tasting more and more dissatisfaction; to choose recklessly, not really caring or letting anger rule us or the excitement of the moment and hurling aside judgment, consideration, and counsel; or to choose with thought and deliberation the route of our path, its way marked by choice after choice. The last way can be hard at times, yet also holds the most satisfaction, for however unwisely we choose, we at least have chosen, have taken some hand in deciding and shaping our life.

Ye did not choose that cage, nor the time spent there. Yet having tasted it, ye can draw from those memories and call on their teachings in thy time ahead. Ye can look back and take pride in surviving that dark time, and take it up like a bloodied and battered suit of armour, and say, “I wore this.” More than that: “I wore this, and lived to look back and gaze upon this armor. If ever I must put it on again, I will know what I am putting on - - and know that I can survive through it, for I have survived before.”

Not everyone lives that deeply, ever. Not everyone is tested and tempered in flame. The old warrior who has scars can be proud of them in a way that the naïve young maiden can preen in her beauty, but any pride she takes in it is empty and foolish, for it has cost her nothing, and so she knows not its price, and is not mindful of the weights of life. The darkness that makes warming flames all the brighter.

Hold on to those flames, and do not forget your time of imprisonment. Be as the bars that confined thee: patient, enduring, uncomplaining. If ye remember fear and anger, close thy hand around it and keep it safe and stored, ready to be a weapon when needed - - but wielded well, not foolishly, wildly, and to no good end.

Let it be thy inner flame, a flame that faileth not, until the day of thy passing - - and let that day be a long way off, after the deaths of all who put thee in the cage. Endure, outlast, and be stronger.

For it is the only good way to build thy path, and the best prize of the hard work of building.

Know quiet pride, and wise peace, Alan. Ye are not alone.

And ye do NOT lack armour, nor the respect of thy friends. Walk tall.


Until next,

Elminster of Shadowdale



Whooo. So saith Ed.
love,
THO


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 17:12:36
Message:

Milady THO, I think you can answer this question without bothering Ed:

I used Maglor and his son as antagonists in my Eveningstar campaign years and years ago, and that prompted me to ask how common are apothecaries in the Realms, i.e. would smaller settings (anything smaller than a city) rather have herbalists than apothecarists? How often have you encountered them in the "Home" Realms?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 13 Jun 2009 23:24:13
Message:

Funny you should ask that.

I was just re-reading Realms of Infamy the past couple of days (scouring it for lore), and just last night I read a pretty good story about an Apothecary in a small Sembian town in that tome. He specialized in poisons (for an assassin), but his knowledge-base extended far beyond that, and he even had some substances from as far away as Wa.

The story was called And Wringing of Hands - I thought it was rather unique to have an apothecary as the main character.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 01:18:00
Message:

Hi. Well, the answer to that would be: fairly often.
Almost every non-wilderness rural place has a herbalist or two (plus "old family remedies" everyone else knows, from farmers to foresters to shopkeepers), and "some" villages have an apothecary if they're on a trade route. Almost all market towns have an apothecary (and a "hedge wizard").
If a village NOT on a trade route has a shrine (as opposed to just a priest or hermit), the priest who tends the shrine often functions as an apothecary (to earn an income). If a shrine has two or three staffers (even if only one of them is a proper priest), an apothecary is likely to be on that staff.
We Knights encountered apothecaries many, many times. Some of us even killed several apothecaries during play (always for very good reasons, of course; tried to poison us, was a known Zhent spy who attacked us, et cetera).
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 01:35:08
Message:

Ed, I've got another two song-related questions from The Sword Never Sleeps. Heh.

The first is to do with Chapter 14:- '"I am haunted, truly haunted..." Semoor started to sing a well-known tavern song.'

And the next is from Chapter 17:- '"Black, black temper," he murmured the words of a currently popular ditty, seeking to divert himself.'

What more can you tell me about both songs?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 16:25:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

We Knights encountered apothecaries many, many times. Some of us even killed several apothecaries during play (always for very good reasons, of course; tried to poison us, was a known Zhent spy who attacked us, et cetera).
love,
THO

Ah, yes... I had forgotten about the Apothecary in Swords of Eveningstar...

And the story I mentioned earlier also featured a young woman who went to a priest who functioned as an apothecary, but the priest didn't have a certain herb, so she had to travel to the next village (where she encounters the main character).

Thus completely supporting THO's post above (not that there was any need to).


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 16:46:54
Message:

Hi again, all.
Oooh, Markustay, there are two features of mine that need constant support, if you're needing something to do with your hands . . .
Ahem.
Yet I post here now not to TITillate, but to bring Ed of the Greenwood's reply to The Sage in the matter of one of the songs he's asked about (Ed will, of course, answer them all in the fullness of time).
To whit, the "well-known tavern song" of Chapter 14 of THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS.
Here's Ed's reply:

The ballad in question, much sung in unison by melancholy tipplers all over the Western Heartlands and Sword Coast as far south as Calimshan, is:


HAUNTED

I am haunted, truly haunted, by deep need for some more drink
Oh, I am haunted, truly haunted, and given much to think
On ways and days so long gone
When I was a hero bright
A-saving the Realms from dusk to dawn
In many a ferocious fight
And lovers came and lovers went
So many now dead and dust
Sword-brothers all their blood I spent
In many dooms, so avenge I must
And I am haunted, truly haunted, by their faces in my dreams
Yes I am haunted, truly haunted, by their whispers and their screams
The dead they ride you long and hard
They steal all peace and precious sleep
And all my terrors they nightly guard
Through all contentment coldly creep
So I am haunted, truly haunted, by the things I have not done
Haunted, truly haunted, by the battles I’ve not yet won
I cannot rest, I cannot laze; O never idle, I
Am doomed to do cold bidding under moon and sun
Seasons chasing seasons until I avenge or striving die
So I am haunted, truly haunted, by deep need for much more drink
I am haunted, truly haunted, too tired to care or think
So pour me more, and sing of hope
That’s worn by someone else
For I am haunted, truly haunted, and just want to see some joy.



(The composer is anonymous, but was probably a bard of Tethyr, in the 1200s DR)

So saith Ed. Who will dredge up the other songs (lyrics, at least) from his notes as he has time to do so. Not that he intends to neglect other scribes' requests that have languished too long unanswered!
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 17:20:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Yet I post here now not to TITillate...
Oh, but I so love titillation. Especially if you know where my weakest spot is.
quote:
... but to bring Ed of the Greenwood's reply to The Sage in the matter of one of the songs he's asked about (Ed will, of course, answer them all in the fullness of time).
That's neato Ed. And 'tis much appreciated. It'll be featuring in my campaign this coming weekend, I think. I might even arrange some possible sheet music to go along with it before then.

Good stuff. And thanks again to you both.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 14 Jun 2009 20:02:50
Message:

So Ed, it's been mentioned on Paizo's boards that you've developed some NPCs for the Kingslayer adventure. Any comments?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 00:18:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Oooh, Markustay, there are two features of mine that need constant support, if you're needing something to do with your hands . . .
Ahem.
I'm always willing to lend a hand to a damsel in distress...

Just direct me to their proper placement and my apendages are yours, fair Lady.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 03:28:14
Message:

Hi again, all.
Why, THANK you, Markustay. Such a gentleman . . .
I need one of your hands here, and the other just over here. Now squeeze. Hard.
Don't do this to most females, mind you; it HURTS. I just happen to like this particular pain (yes, you can bite them, too; just don't bite chunks out of them; high school was many years ago for me . . .).
Ahem. Now, where were we?
Oh, yes.
Ashe, Ed says he really can't comment on Kingslayer yet; 'twouldn't be professional. Though notice that "yet."
Ed is still wrapped up in family matters, but is busy with a number of writing projects, about which he'll say more when publishers give him approval to do so.
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 06:10:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
(yes, you can bite them, too; just don't bite chunks out of them; high school was many years ago for me . . .).



So it was ok to bite off chunks in high school? Me confused.
Of course I may be thinking of the wrong things and taking stuff too literally.

Gomez,
who is not much of a biter, but has a fairly flexible tongue


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 13:34:53
Message:

My thanks, lovely Hooded One. It's not the answer I was hoping for, but definitely the one I expected. Ah well, it never hurts to ask.


Reply author: Snowblood
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 15:08:01
Message:

Dear Ed & THO & all who might know stuff I don't. Do you have any lore/history on Myth Glaurach. Is there any truth to the rumour that it is built upon the ruins of Sharlarion??????????


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 15:27:48
Message:

Thanks THO and Ed!

My friend loved the message! He'll send you a message probably today... But he needs some time to write in english..

It really worth the wait.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 17:10:55
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I was wondering if Ed has had a chance to read THE GREAT BEYOND, the recent Paizo book by Todd Stewart (Shemmy on these boards) and what Ed thinks of it?
It seems to me as if it could easily be used with a Realms campaign, with very little tinkering - - but Ed, if YOU were DMing a Realms campaign, would you use it, and what tinkerings, if any, would you do?
If you'd rather not answer this, that's okay. I'm just curious. As usual.
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 17:12:31
Message:

Heh. I'm thinking there are no questions Ed won't answer, though sometimes those answers may be invocations of the infamous NDA.
I, too, am curious about this.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 19:35:28
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ed just replied to me re. that last question, from Malcolm:


Yes, I have read and very much enjoyed THE GREAT BEYOND. Todd Stewart did a great job, and produced what a completist might call "a great beginning" because it's not long enough. Yet you know and I know that the writer/designer doesn't get to choose the length/wordcount of a book; he could just go into more depth here and there if he wanted to, because the pages to do that just aren't there.
VERY little tinkering is necessary to use THE GREAT BEYOND in the Realms (depending on how much you use or apply the REALMSPACE sourcebook in your campaign). For me, personally, I'd not change my original detailing of the Nine Hells because players in my home campaign have journeyed in it with their characters too much to shift anything now (a substantial "play history" has been built up), nor abandon some of the little wrinkles Jeff Grubb and I worked on, back when the first MANUAL OF THE PLANES was being designed (because, again, certain home campaign maguffins are tied to those wrinkles; no, THO, I'm not going to let slip anything more on this, so give up on trying to purringly persuade me - - or no, don't give up on it, work harder on it, ahem). Most of the planar activity in the home Realms campaign is via gates to parallel Prime Material Planes (other fantasy worlds, and our own Earth), anyway.
So all in all, I really enjoyed the book, and really recommend it. I have a soft spot for planar lore (I really liked BEYOND COUNTLESS DOORWAYS from Malhavoc, too, though it would require far more rejiggering to use it with the Realms), but that also means I've taken a look at lots of versions of "all that lies beyond our world" and done substantial "official at the time" work on the D&D planes (the Hells, Limbo, et al), and have some basis upon which to judge THE GREAT BEYOND against other planar sourcebooks. Great work, Shemmy! Thank you!


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on to-be-published lore of his own, right now. Not to mention wrapping up the Sunburst judging today. Oh, and rummaging for more song lyrics to answer The Sage, too!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 19:42:00
Message:

So you have a "fairly flexible tongue," gomez? Good to know!
Let's just say that back in my high school days passion could overwhelm me so much that I didn't mind hard biting . . . until afterwards. Hard to explain those marks to doctors, family, school team athletic coaches, et al - - as anything other than just what they are. "I got mauled by a lunatic from the local asylum, but they pulled him off me"? Well, that might work ONCE. Back then.
Ahem.
Apropos of the Realms, Ed tells me that he's digging into the backlog of scribes' lore questions at last. Or will be, by late tonight.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 20:17:31
Message:

. . . And, as promised, here's what Ed has to say about another of The Sage's musical queries from THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS:


The "currently popular ditty" we hear a short snatch of in Chapter 17 comes from Sembia, and is thought to have been composed by a local minstrel by the name of Blackaland Helveshield (though there is, inevitably, a dispute over this, in the form of other minstrels and bards claiming authorship).

Here it is (crude rhymes, yes, but songs that becoming popular as singalongs tend to have simply lyrics, and succeed thereby):

DARK TIME

My swordarm it is restless
My anger dark and strong
I stride the floor from door to door
And brood on matters wrong
Sinking into a black, black temper . . .

The shadows they all watch me
I give them warnings grim
Skulking lurkers shift and prowl
Turning from me to him
For I’m dark, dark danger . . .

My love is gone, my love is fled
I’m left here all alone
I draw my blade and heft it
Slicing dreams of flesh and bone
Feeling wet, wet bloodlust . . .

Somewhere folk are happy
Still laughing and trading jests
They have no fear of beasts nor men
Who’ll sink blades into their chests
Can’t wait to kill, kill anyone . . .

No more I’ll suffer lass or jack
To stand in my striding way
No more accepting silence
When someone dares me gainsay
I’ll raise red, red war . . .

I’m pacing all the morning
I’ll be bloodletting all the night
In between I brood and keen
Warming for the fight
I’m building a black, black temper . . .

Come back to me, my lover fair
So I can shake this curse
Of death and so much wanting it
No god has seen me worse
I want your bright, bright love . . .

(repeat first verse, usually "slow, loud, and long")

So saith Ed. Who's off to the library now, to work, he tells me.
love,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 21:35:50
Message:

Hi Ed, LHO, and scribes,

I have a question for Ed about our questions to him (how meta!). Based off of earlier anecdotes here, I assume that when Ed writes his novels and game material, he can roughly predict what areas will be pared away by editors for content and formatting purposes (more than he hoped, but less than he feared? )

Does Ed ever set aside realmslore notes that he is fairly certain we at Candlekeep will ask him about, so that they will be readily at hand when The Hooded One comes calling with our questions? Using The Sage's latest question as an example, does Ed keep copies of completed ballads and songs at hand because he knows he'll only need a snippet of it as "flavor lore", but that we will ask for more later?

Or am I giving Ed too much credit about the organized state of his office?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:14:27
Message:

Heh. You are giving Ed WAY too much credit for any organized state of his office. Ed outgrew his office and bookshelf space two houses ago, and despite expanding this current one of his by about half and building himself a large (and crammed) library, things are still mass chaos.
Not because Ed's disorganized, though.
It's because he's, as I've said before, about as busy as the leader of any large country you care to name, or the CEO of a LARGE corporation, but has no staff at all. It's all him, and he has to run a house, hold down a day job, deal with all the daily life stuff we all do (shopping, cooking, laundry), oh, and write books and design games at a pace any three other people just might match. Re. his papers and records: Ed's been working on the Realms for over forty years, and things long ago got boxed, misplaced, rearranged, lost, found, repackaged, and so on.
However, YES, Ed keeps lore-notes (like the songs Sage has been asking about) more or less to hand for his most recent novels for each publisher. Just not the previous 160-some books, that's all. :}
For one thing, Wizards staffers, designers, and fellow Realms authors ask about stuff all the time for other projects, and Ed likes to be able to help them in a timely manner, not months or years later.
love,
THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:37:22
Message:

If I'm prying too much, please just say so, but I am curious: if I somehow (I wish!) ever got to visit Ed and see his office, are there any "cool" sights?
Suits of armor, trophies, model snakes or stuffed dragons or some such? Or is it all books, books, and more books? (Oops: and, of course, games, games, and more games.)
Thanks in advance. Again, quite all right if Ed doesn't want to say.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:47:29
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
BA's question spurs me to ask a somewhat related one: if I somehow magically dropped by Ed's house some night when he had leisure time(if that ever happens!) and he has family or friends over who aren't gamers, and they want to play a game (not FRP, but a board game or card game of some sort), what does Ed most often drag out? Or is likely to suggest?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:54:16
Message:

I'm guessing the best time to see sights in Ed's office is when THO is visiting him, and perches in it somewhere. :}
Ahem.
Dearest Lady THO and Long-Suffering Ed,
I have yet another Cormyr question (sorry, but I just love the place, and play for us rarely goes anywhere else). My question is this: how many Cormyrean noble families have gates/portals hidden on their estates, either of their own deivising or inherited or that they don't even know about?
(I will scream - - but understand - - if you answer something like: "Lots.")
Thanks.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:55:18
Message:

Okay:

Lots.




love,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 15 Jun 2009 23:57:13
Message:

Awwww! Lady, tease me not!!!
Oh. Wait.
Teasing is what you DO, isn't it?

Sigh.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 00:16:00
Message:

Thank you very much, Milady! It was nice to see Maglor mentioned in 'Swords of Eveningstar', but I wonder if the Knights ever met (and killed?) his son, Maethlin?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 01:09:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

. . . And, as promised, here's what Ed has to say about another of The Sage's musical queries from THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS:
Fantastic! [Uttered with the same emphasis as the voice-over from the 60's Fantastic Four cartoon]

This is the Realmslore that I truly love. It illustrates the vast foundation of lore that serves as the established basis for everything that Ed writes in and about the Realms. I can't wait to drop this into the next tavern-jaunt my players attempt.

Thank you Ed. And to you as well my lovely Lady.

...

Oh, and before I forget, my Lady, any chance Ed has a date for when that ditty was first written/heard?


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 02:37:51
Message:

I've got another query for Ed. It's about as obscure as most of mine, but that's part of the fun.

Are there alpaca in the Realms, besides Maztica? I'm thinking of making a new Burgher of Harrowdale (replacing Mulmaster's spy who's been unmasked and executed) a very wealthy sheep farmer, and that part of his secret is that he's imported alpaca and sprinkled them liberally through his sheep herds. IRL, alpaca put in with sheep will "adopt" the sheep and protect them from preying dogs, wolves, etc. I've always sort of pitied the poor dog, out carousing at night looking to tear out the throats of some sheep for entertainment, only to be confronted with a stomach-acid spitting, forked-hoof swinging, mean-tempered, protective alpaca instead.

So if I wanted to make this happen, and didn't want them to come from Maztica, is it possible? Are alpaca raised anywhere else by anyone else (human or demihuman)?

As always, thanks, Ed.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 03:36:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

If I'm prying too much, please just say so, but I am curious: if I somehow (I wish!) ever got to visit Ed and see his office, are there any "cool" sights?
Suits of armor, trophies, model snakes or stuffed dragons or some such? Or is it all books, books, and more books? (Oops: and, of course, games, games, and more games.)
Thanks in advance. Again, quite all right if Ed doesn't want to say.




In the old "Wizards Three" articles, he was often hiding in armor, watching the whole thing.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 03:58:11
Message:

Wish there were more Wizard Three stories. Curious if Eberron would have come up. Also would have laughed my butt off if the great Wizards took a moment to play one of the editions of D&D. Wonder what classes they would be and what races?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 05:00:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

Are there alpaca in the Realms, besides Maztica?
Actually, Ed's tackled this one before, back in '07:-

"And to AlorinDawn’s query: “Ed & THO, Greetings. I was just wondering which herd beast is more commonly kept in the Realms for meat. The standard cow or Rothe? In addition where in the Realms are Alpaca and or Lammas commonly kept? Thanks”

Ed now makes reply:

The most popular “meat” animals (as opposed to pigeons, grouse, wild turkeys, chickens, and other meat birds, which are wing-clipped and reared in large penned-in flocks in many places) in Faerûn are, in descending order of popularity:

1. sheep
2. goats
3. rothé in the North, but cows south of the northern border of Amn, and including Cormyr, the Dales, Sembia and the Vast (and south of those places). Alpaca- and llama-like creatures are kept in northern Rashemen and points east of there, plus sprinklings all over cold, mountainous regions throughout the Realms.
4. hogs and boar.

The popularity of sheep and goats is due to their relative hardiness, small and manageable size (it’s easier to lift them out of chasms, carry injured ones, shut them inside a structure with a human family of nights when wolves or other predators are prowling, and so on), and ability to forage on rougher terrain than cows (goats in particular will eat almost anything; like hogs, they can be used as a garbage disposal).

So saith Ed, wise sage of Realms agriculture.

love to all,
THO"


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 05:22:16
Message:

::Peers around, blinking at the daylight::

Kay-oh, well, I've been gone for a while.

THO, if you would be so kind, I'm once again in the realm of... um... being around, so if my questions could be taken off hiatus, I'd appreciate it.

All the best.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 15:59:25
Message:

Duly noted, GoCeraf, and welcome back!

Foxhelm, Ed teasingly planned just such a scene, but it got nixed by a nervous DRAGON editor because of possible trouble from higher-ups if the wizards said anything at all that could be construed as negative about the game - - and you KNOW they would have, just because of their characters.

Sage, I'm thinking DARK TIME would have been composed about three years before the date of Chapter 17, but of course Ed will give a proper answer for you.

Hoondatha, mules or donkeys are most often put in with herds of other grazing beasts, to protect them against coyotes, wolves, wild dogs, etc. Alpacas tend to find the Dales humid and overheated, insect-infested agony in summer. My notes (drawn of course from Ed's utterances, during play) tell me that alpacas WERE kept in some of the "enclosures" in the Citadel of the Raven, as meat beasts, though. Torm briefly hid amongst them once to avoid being discovered, and had some uncomplimentary remarks to make, afterwards, about their dung.

More Realmslore later. Don't know when; busy day for Ed today!

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 16:04:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
My notes (drawn of course from Ed's utterances, during play) tell me that alpacas WERE kept in some of the "enclosures" in the Citadel of the Raven, as meat beasts, though. Torm briefly hid amongst them once to avoid being discovered, and had some uncomplimentary remarks to make, afterwards, about their dung.
He's only upset because it resulted in an improvement to his complexion.

Poor bugger.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 16:05:21
Message:

Oh, I almost forgot.
Yes, we Knights have met Maethlin, both as a youth and later on. No, we didn't kill him.
We don't kill EVERYONE we meet in the Realms, you know . . . just most of them.
love,
THO

Edit: Garen, you slay me! LOL! You know Torm all too well!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 16:37:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hoondatha, mules or donkeys are most often put in with herds of other grazing beasts, to protect them against coyotes, wolves, wild dogs, etc. Alpacas tend to find the Dales humid and overheated, insect-infested agony in summer. My notes (drawn of course from Ed's utterances, during play) tell me that alpacas WERE kept in some of the "enclosures" in the Citadel of the Raven, as meat beasts, though. Torm briefly hid amongst them once to avoid being discovered, and had some uncomplimentary remarks to make, afterwards, about their dung.
Any Pushmepullyou's?

Which makes me wonder about 'two-headed' varieties of natural beasts in the Realms, and their commoness (or lack there-of). I would think that both the ToT's Wild Magic Zones and the new 'Plaguedlands' would produce such oddities.

And this train of thought now has me thinking about a 'Dr. Doolittle' type character in the Realms - I suppose a Druid mght qualify... perhaps an urban druid who specializes in domestioc animals? Any such notables that Ed cares to share? I would think that in a world so full of magic, a person who could "talk to the animals" would almost be a little passé.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

It's because he's, as I've said before, about as busy as the leader of any large country you care to name, or the CEO of a LARGE corporation, but has no staff at all.
So he plays golf all the time while running everything into the ground around him?

Is Ed seeking a Bailout, by any chance?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 17:43:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Sage, I'm thinking DARK TIME would have been composed about three years before the date of Chapter 17, but of course Ed will give a proper answer for you.
Ah, good. I'll wait for Ed's reply then, before I assign the date to the entry in my reference file.


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 18:05:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Duly noted, GoCeraf, and welcome back!

Foxhelm, Ed teasingly planned just such a scene, but it got nixed by a nervous DRAGON editor because of possible trouble from higher-ups if the wizards said anything at all that could be construed as negative about the game - - and you KNOW they would have, just because of their characters.




Of course another interesting scene would have been if they saw the last issue of Dragon pgs 84-87 by Cam Banks, a little Article with commentary by a Ms. Weis and Mr. Greenwood which involves a Mr. Mordenkainen arranging a fight between a Mr. Elminster and a Mr. Raistlin.

Certainly would be an interesting conversation between the Wizards Three/Four about "Elminster Vs. Raistlin".

Care to comment?


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 16 Jun 2009 21:05:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, I almost forgot.
Yes, we Knights have met Maethlin, both as a youth and later on. No, we didn't kill him.
We don't kill EVERYONE we meet in the Realms, you know . . . just most of them.
love,
THO



Ah, I certainly don't think so... But if I remember correctly, the Eveningstar module hints at Maethlin (statted as a NE 5th level thief) seeking vengeance for his father's death (I may be incorrect about this, and it may just be my own motive for involving him in the campaign years and years ago), so I thought Maethlin might have tried to avenge his father on the Knights.

Milady, can you share any stories or details about Maglor (and his son) beyond those revealed in 'Swords of Eveningstar'?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 18:21:43
Message:

Hi again, all.
Markustay, Ed replies:


Heh. I cannot play golf. "A good walk spoiled," as they say. When I look at a beautiful golf course, I think the same thing THO does: "There are much, much better things I could be doing in or on this lovely landscape rather than bashing a tiny ball around it with an overly-expensive array of clubs. Hmm, perhaps not with a large gallery watching. Mass audience participation can be crushing."

As for a bailout: if it's a gift, sure, I need about 4 million. If it's a loan, no, I'll struggle along. Or you could give me 100 billion and I'd set up proper, civilized health care for all Americans. (If Barack wants me, he knows where to find me.)


So saith Ed. Hmmm. With 100 billion, I could do a LOT of things. And I guarantee I could do all of them better than either Wall Street or a large automaker, but perhaps that's enough of real-world politics. Sometimes, things ARE simpler in the Realms.
love to all,
THO

Edit: Fixed some of Ed's typos. He was at the library, using one of their decaying keyboards balanced atop stacks of books. And was utterly sober, he added firmly. In such a mournful tone that I'm compelled to believe him.
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 18:47:50
Message:

Thanks Sage and THO, for the alpaca info. I'm in the DC area and a friend has alpaca, so I didn't think the Dales would be too hot for them. On the other hand, my friend shears his alpaca each spring, so maybe that has something to do with it.

On a related note, I only have the compiled Ed responses up to 2006. Have 2007 and/or 2008 been transferred to pdf?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 18:57:27
Message:

Funny we went to Golf Courses (which I'm sure you realize was a joke - I wouldn't want to be compared to a corporate Chairman...).

Over at the WotC forums we were just discussing how cemetaries are a major waste of Real Estate (you have to be from crowded NY to appreciate this), and I decided that they should be combined with Golf Courses - the other major waste of Real Estate.

Not very respectful, perhaps... but it would at least make the game a lot more interesting.

And so that I'm not wasting anyone's time here with my semi-incoherent ramblings, I just wanted to give Ed a 'wee reminder' - I had asked about a name for that very small range of mountains just NW of the Citadel of the Raven (not the long chain north of that - I already found an official name for that one). While I am at it, I need a name for the small chain of mountains east of The Misty Vale of the Grugach. The 3e maps have it as The Wormbones, but that is incorrect (the Wormbones are further north, and were left-off the 3e maps). I had it as The Cauldron on an earlier edition map of mine, but that was a bit of fudging on my part (the Cauldron are actually the hills at the end of the Wormbone chain, as you well know).

Another bit of strangeness - we now have two ranges named Sunrise Mountains. I couldn't find an older name for the chain that acts as Thay's eastern border, and the 3e map uses the name of that FAR northen chain (above Ghaethluntar). However, I found an alternate for the northern chain in The Great Glacier, so no big deal. I suppose my question then - just out of curiousity - would be if you originally had some other name for that Thayan range.

Thank you in advance for any geographic help you can provide.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 20:36:39
Message:

Hi again, all.
Markustay, the alternate (local) name for the Sunrise Mountains (which is the Aglarondan and hence Inner Sea name for them) is the Thaedanth Range, or Thaedanths. Yes, the "Thae" is pronounced like "Thay." Sounded confusing to someone at TSR, so it was dropped.

Re. cemeteries: not a waste of green space when you're looking to stop urban developers from paving every inch of green space, though. Provides air scrubbing from the trees and slows runoff and cools the microclimate and so on. Yet making them multi-use (parkland with burials), YES.

love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 20:37:41
Message:

Oh, forgot to add: yes, Ed will get back to you on your earlier mountain range name query. He has a library board meeting to chair tonight but I'll prod him.
love,
THO


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 20:55:50
Message:

I asked this on another thread but I think it isn't visited much.

Is there any official Name/use/cannon for the blank continents on the map in the FR campaign book? The pull out map is fantastic but there is just the one WORLD map in the book, it shows 2 or 3 empty unnamed continents.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 23:24:04
Message:

This may help - There are some unoffical names floating around for some of the other stuff, but I tried to keep this one as official as possible.

Note: 'Tabaxiland?' is stated thusly because a "large island" is noted as the homeland of the Tabaxi in RoF, which could be an error, and that certainly wouldn't be it's name regardless. There is one other non-canon name there, but I feel ever setting needs one of those.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Markustay, the alternate (local) name for the Sunrise Mountains (which is the Aglarondan and hence Inner Sea name for them) is the Thaedanth Range, or Thaedanths. Yes, the "Thae" is pronounced like "Thay."
Thanks for that...

... and while I have his ear, there is another I just re-placed in the last hour - a small range in Thazalhar, just north of Sultim and west of Ganathwood. It is probably just a southern spur of the Sunrise (Thaedanth) Range, but it is far enough away from them to warrant it's own identifier.

Hmmmmm... you know... I should just call THAT Thaedanth!


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 23:34:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

This may help - There are some unoffical names floating around for some of the other stuff, but I tried to keep this one as official as possible.

Note: 'Tabaxiland?' is stated thusly because a "large island" is noted as the homeland of the Tabaxi in RoF, which could be an error, and that certainly wouldn't be it's name regardless. There is one other non-canon name there, but I feel ever setting needs one of those.



Let me guess...The Land of the Flying Monkeys...that's the non-cannon...right??? *crosses fingers*

If not...I will HAVE to send my victims(a.k.a. players) down for a wee visit in the land of the airborne poo flingers...should be a hoot.

Thank you


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 23:38:24
Message:

There's just something so... kewl... about flying Monkeys. Ever since I saw Wizard of Oz as a child, those images have been burned into my fantasy cortex.

I was trying to leave-off all the homebrew names from the first one of those I did awhile back, but people seemed to love that one, and I felt it was harmless.


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 17 Jun 2009 23:53:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

There's just something so... kewl... about flying Monkeys. Ever since I saw Wizard of Oz as a child, those images have been burned into my fantasy cortex.

I was trying to leave-off all the homebrew names from the first one of those I did awhile back, but people seemed to love that one, and I felt it was harmless.



HARMLESS !!! HARMLESS!!!! Its flippin GENIUS is what it is. I have bright little DM lights going off in my head now...I may wreck on the way home.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 01:16:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

On a related note, I only have the compiled Ed responses up to 2006. Have 2007 and/or 2008 been transferred to pdf?
The '07 replies are all compiled, and are available via the "So Saith Ed" link in my signature. Alaundo's only had the chance to update the '08 replies to April [as I recall]. I've completed the year's compilation, but I'm waiting for Alaundo's return to Candlekeep so he can upload the rest of the '08 files.

My '09 files are also up-to-date [as of this week].


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 03:38:24
Message:

Hi again, all.
Teneck, I sent along Markustay's "world" map to Ed. He chuckled at the Land of Flying Monkeys, tells me the "Eastern Sea" is all wrong (about a quarter the width it should be), that Anchorome (there should be a circonflex accent mark over the second "o", and an accent grave over the "e" but I can't type them on this machine) is an island chain and NOT a continent (that's a Faerunian mainlander's mistake), that the northwesternmost "Unknown Lands" should be "Aurune," and that the "Utter South" should be "Umbrar" (its proper name).

Markustay, Ed tells me that little outlier of the Thaedanth Range are collectively known as "the Shraaeve" (which means "Skyfangs" in a local dialect).

Sage, Ed tells me three months is too little; almost seven months before Chapter 17 is the right reply to give you.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Daviot
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 04:04:17
Message:

As an addendum, I responded with both my simpler hand-edit and a copy of Markustay's map (both are based off the mostly-blank one included the 3e FRCS) on Teneck's original post, but I too would love any other outlying geography comments that Ed can (sneak past the NDA's and) give us.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 06:57:06
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Daviot

As an addendum, I responded with both my simpler hand-edit and a copy of Markustay's map (both are based off the mostly-blank one included the 3e FRCS) on Teneck's original post, but I too would love any other outlying geography comments that Ed can (sneak past the NDA's and) give us.



I just checked out Markustay's maps, as well as the ones you posted Daviot, and I noticed something interesting... The outline for Osse looks like someone's taken a map of Australia and distorted it (all the major elements are there, really)... Are we sure Osse isn't supposed to be Australia?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 07:22:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Daviot

As an addendum, I responded with both my simpler hand-edit and a copy of Markustay's map (both are based off the mostly-blank one included the 3e FRCS) on Teneck's original post, but I too would love any other outlying geography comments that Ed can (sneak past the NDA's and) give us.



I just checked out Markustay's maps, as well as the ones you posted Daviot, and I noticed something interesting... The outline for Osse looks like someone's taken a map of Australia and distorted it (all the major elements are there, really)... Are we sure Osse isn't supposed to be Australia?

Back in '07, Rich Baker speculated that "Osse is the large 'unknown land' due east of Kara-Tur -- the 'rightmost' large continent" on pg. 231 of the FRCS.

All we know about the land itself has been revealed in Lady of Poison. But aside from a few obvious examples in the book, I wouldn't say that Osse is a direct translation of, or heavily influenced by, real-world Australia. Nor do Gunggari's mannerisms [as well as his dizheri], reflect, exactly, Australian Aboriginal culture. The supposed "ways" of the Osse people could very well be associated with many other examples of real-world Polynesian tribal cultures.

In fact, I always thought the actual name "Osse" was a bit of a joke.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 07:42:12
Message:

Just to clarify - that map isn't mine in any way, shape or form - its a 'colorized' version of the one in the 3e FRCS.

I'll have to add 'Aurune' to that map. There are actually two Islands there - I'm assuming thats the larger one?

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Markustay, Ed tells me that little outlier of the Thaedanth Range are collectively known as "the Shraaeve" (which means "Skyfangs" in a local dialect).
Thanks for that.

Noted and placed.

EDIT: Newer version of Toril map, with all corrections noted by Ed (except scale - that map is completely wack).


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 10:00:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Re. cemeteries: not a waste of green space when you're looking to stop urban developers from paving every inch of green space, though. Provides air scrubbing from the trees and slows runoff and cools the microclimate and so on. Yet making them multi-use (parkland with burials), YES.

love,
THO



Not a waste of green space when you and a certain special someone wants to have some time of your own (wink-wink, say no more, say no more) and you know that either of your houses will be occupied by that most prevalent of pests - parents.

Kajehase, who has some very good nightly teenage memories of a cemetary.


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 15:58:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Just to clarify - that map isn't mine in any way, shape or form - its a 'colorized' version of the one in the 3e FRCS.

I'll have to add 'Aurune' to that map. There are actually two Islands there - I'm assuming thats the larger one?

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Markustay, Ed tells me that little outlier of the Thaedanth Range are collectively known as "the Shraaeve" (which means "Skyfangs" in a local dialect).
Thanks for that.

Noted and placed.

EDIT: Newer version of Toril map, with all corrections noted by Ed (except scale - that map is completely wack).



Thank you so much Markustay. Awesome job on the map...and hey don't feel bad about the whole scale thing...inaccurate maps is what a good sea adventure is all about...if the map is wrong enough they could end up in the land o' airborne poo flingers...hee hee hee...and they will...oh yes...they will.
And a thank you to you as well Daviot.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 17:10:19
Message:

Hi again, all. Yes, Markustay, your assumption re Aurune being the larger isle (as you placed it on your revised map) is correct. More geographical nomenclature from Ed when he gets time; he's looking with some trepidation at the huge backlog of questions first, and not forgetting he owes some Thunderstone and some Cormyrean villainous families lore, high up in priority.
Sigh. His dread work ne'er done . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 18:00:49
Message:

Well, I figure lore is much harder for Ed to 'churn out' then names - he appears to be some sort of fantasy-naming machine of the nether Realms.

I've only been asking so many because I was hoping they were quick responses rather then anything he'd need to put any work into (knowing full-well how incredibly busy the man is). I thought some of these (like The Shraaeve) he'd know off the top of his head, or have ready access to (having already created his lore and maps YEARS ago). Plus I hoped you might have known a few of these as well, THO.

I'm in no real hurry.

I just have a really bad fantasy-geography addiction...


Reply author: Foxhelm
Replied on: 18 Jun 2009 19:05:05
Message:

Simple...

Ed eats Alphabits for Breakfast, Alphabet soup for Lunch and a hardy dinner each day as his contract with TSR/Wizard asks for. This causes him to randomly speak out words made up of the letters he has eaten.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 19 Jun 2009 01:45:18
Message:

I'm getting forgetful. I SWEAR somewhere in this thread, or last year's version of it, Ed gave us the Realms word for "buffet" or "smorgasboard," but I can't find it.
Anyone know it, or remember where he said it, off the top of their working-much-better-than-mine head?
Please?
Hellllp!
Thanks, all!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jun 2009 02:39:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

I'm getting forgetful. I SWEAR somewhere in this thread, or last year's version of it, Ed gave us the Realms word for "buffet" or "smorgasboard," but I can't find it.
Anyone know it, or remember where he said it, off the top of their working-much-better-than-mine head?
Please?
Hellllp!
Thanks, all!

'Twas from back in July '05:- "A little bit of a “catch table” (the Realms term for buffet or smorgasbord) of replies and comments this time around."


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 19 Jun 2009 15:46:27
Message:

Thank you VERY much, Sage. That was really bugging me, and I'd been (obviously) searching the wrong years of the thread. Thanks again.
I have a related Realmslore question for Ed and THO: I'm quite familiar with the concept of a shared dish in the middle of the table that a family (plus guests, if any) eat from, either directly or onto their own plates. My question is: how often (and/or where in the Realms) would a group of travelers who take rooms at an inn together, and order an evening meal, be served like this?
Or is is always "a platter/bowl of food served to each diner"? Or some combination, like "bowl of food for everyone, plus a shared loaf of bread in the middle of the table"?
Of course any DM can modify things for a specific inn or occasions, but I'm looking for the general thinking/practice/expectation.
Thanks.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 14:44:22
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a Realms city question. In the larger cities (Waterdeep, Calimport, et al), will there be lots of shops that sell footwear but don't repair or modify footwear -- or is it the general custom to buy footwear from a cobbler? (With perhaps used footwear, or stuff from afar brought by caravan merchants, for sale elsewhere?)
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 15:01:49
Message:

Dear Ed,
I recently talked to a lovely lady (no, it wasn't THO; I asked hopefully) who attended a Worldcon (World SF convention) some years ago in Toronto. She said she attended a Terry Pratchett panel you were on (with Terry) and some other panels you were on, and at one of them you and a big New York publisher editor spent about twelve minutes publicly brainstorming an epic fantasy series, off the top of your heads, that had everyone interested.
Can you tell me more about that, please? Did anything ever come of it?
Thank you in advance.


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 16:13:05
Message:

Heh. I attended that panel. I believe both the Tor and Del Rey editors started scribbling notes, so that's where I'd look for "swipes" of the ideas to appear. From other names, of course ...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 16:46:54
Message:

Not to go off-topic (we do that a lot here in this thread) once again, but that irks me.

A person holds their job/position supposedly because they are knowledgable in their field, and should be making decisions based on their own accumulated knowledge.

The fact that book pubishers need 'cheat-sheets' is very discouraging, IMHO. If they can't tell what needs to be in a good series of fantasy (or any other genre for that matter) novels, maybe they should find a new line of work.

Sorry for the micro-rant, but I think Ed of all people will understand where I'm coming from. I DETEST people in positions of power who have NO INKLING of how to wield that power.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 17:11:40
Message:

True, but think of the roleplaying possibilities. It's always fun for player characters to ridicule/best/take down pompous incompetents among the military/Watch, palace officials, tax collectors and border guards, et al.
Just don't try it in "real" life.
love,
THO


Reply author: Shemmy
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 18:13:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Ed just replied to me re. that last question, from Malcolm:

Yes, I have read and very much enjoyed THE GREAT BEYOND. Todd Stewart did a great job, and produced what a completist might call "a great beginning" because it's not long enough. Yet you know and I know that the writer/designer doesn't get to choose the length/wordcount of a book; he could just go into more depth here and there if he wanted to, because the pages to do that just aren't there.
VERY little tinkering is necessary to use THE GREAT BEYOND in the Realms (depending on how much you use or apply the REALMSPACE sourcebook in your campaign).

...

Great work, Shemmy! Thank you!


*GRIN*

I am seriously, seriously honored and flattered to hear that from Ed. Wow. :D I'm going to be grinning all week.

As for the book's length, trust me, I could have written it four times its published length if I'd had the word-limit to do so. As it stands, around 18k words were chopped out to fit under that limit, though some of it has worked its way into other material by Paizo, and may very well appear in later stuff as well.

Ed just complimented something I wrote. *glee*

Todd


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jun 2009 18:33:34
Message:

Heh. He's done more than that; he's going to buying extra copies (beyond the one he ordered already for himself, because he didn't want to wait) at GenCon, to give out to some novice gamers who are starting campaigns, that he's "behind-the-scenes coaching." As in, they drop by the library and chat with Ed about possible subplots and "what to do nows," over coffee. Ed thinks THE GREAT BEYOND is one great way to handle the planes (the other is to minimize the role of all planes except alternate Prime Materials, do the "many gates controlled by shadowy power groups" thing, and keep things mucho mysterious).
So: good on ya, Shemmy! Write some sequels, if Paizo will let you!
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Jun 2009 02:10:09
Message:

Heh. Ed wants me NOT to leave any impression that he can "chat with DMs" during his work shifts. He has coffee with them after he's done work; while he's at the library, he's running the Circulation desk, which is like being the only cashier in a busy supermarket, so PLEASE don't "drop by" while he's working.
Sorry, all!
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Jun 2009 17:04:44
Message:

I'm back in Amn today, enjoying a personal tour by Volo...

I came across "The Battlescarred Bard" on the map in VGtBG2, but I can't seem to locate any reference to it. The icon indicates it is a ruin... but those map symbols have been known to mislead me before.

Anyone know anything about this locale, and/or where I can find out more about it?

I only found it whilst trying to place Daufin, which I found through the L-List, which I found through LoD, etc, etc...

Every stone o'er-turned leads to yet more mysteries in the Realms...

EDIT: ACK! Nevermind... it had it's own entry...


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 21 Jun 2009 20:17:34
Message:

Another Finals question!
Approaching my final in History (it's tomorrow morning). How prevalent is education of History in the Realms? Does it exist (among the common folk, not the scholars)? Or is it simply in the form of 'A long time ago...' 'you know, the great king...' 'my father once told me...'? Also, does it exist in a wider sense? Do people (who aren't scholars) in Cormyr know something of the history of Myth Drannor, Silverymoon, or Waterdeep, for example?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Jun 2009 23:06:55
Message:

Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, good luck with your final!
As for history in the Realms, the common folk know a LOT about it, but each individual will have some gaps in what they do know, and know less and less about current, up-to-date everyday events in far-distant lands.
Here's why, straight from Ed's notes:


Social life in the Heartlands of the Realms is quite similar to rural England pre-Industrial Revolution; most folk never travel far from where they live, but DO go down to the local tavern (like an English pub) of evenings. Where tales are told and re-told, growing and getting distorted in the telling as tales do everywhere (including at home, within families).
However, travelling bards and minstrels, not to mention peddlers and caravan merchants, stop at local inns as they travel, and drop by local taverns, trading tales for drinks and/or food bought for them. Peddlers and merchants tend to carry rumors and current news, and minstrels and bards tend to bring songs and jokes and history (particularly if you don't know many good jokes or your singing voice is temporarily damaged by a cold, you will resort to historical tales.
Yes, bards and minstrels distort tales in the telling, just as everyone else does, but the most senior bards try to make sure their datings and namings of kings and salient facts of "big events" match what other bards are saying; no one wants to be dismissed as a "false bard" or something of the sort. Sages and priests are the counterpoints to bards, but the common folk know that doctrine and faith colour everything a priest says, and as a result take what priests say with (our saying, not a Realms saying) a pinch of salt.
Between what sages, priests, and various bards say, commoners in a particular place can figure out for themselves quite well "the general shape of past events." A commoner might not get dates right, or try to keep them as specific as a Court scribe, but locals will agree that such-and-such an event happened "before the mill burned" or "Draesrae had triplets born all with white hair" or "lightning struck the shrine of Helm" (which serves their purposes). Common folk are very good at seeing causes and effects and consequences (at least in hindsight), and so can understand why things happened the way they did in many cases more clearly than modern real-world historians who chase pet theories or modern interpretations of other cultures long ago.


So saith Ed. Writing with his usual wise reason, some thirty years ago.
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 21 Jun 2009 23:25:56
Message:

Hello again! I've been doing some research on Realms gnomes, partly because I'm currently playing a rather, ah, intense member of the race here at the Keep, and I'm finding that the usual distressing lack of information about the Forgotten Folk has extended to the Ask Ed threads. So my question is more along the lines of a plea: tell us something of the gnomes, please!

What, exactly, I leave entirely up to Ed. A gnomish kingdom or clan home, a battle, local lore they tell around mugs at their taverns (or jokes they tell at the big folks' expense), some famous gnomes active in the 1360's DR, whatever comes to mind. The gnomes have been sadly neglected, and I'd like to use this thread to prod a bit more info about them out into the open, if I might. Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 02:15:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

Hello again! I've been doing some research on Realms gnomes, partly because I'm currently playing a rather, ah, intense member of the race here at the Keep, and I'm finding that the usual distressing lack of information about the Forgotten Folk has extended to the Ask Ed threads. So my question is more along the lines of a plea: tell us something of the gnomes, please!

What, exactly, I leave entirely up to Ed. A gnomish kingdom or clan home, a battle, local lore they tell around mugs at their taverns (or jokes they tell at the big folks' expense), some famous gnomes active in the 1360's DR, whatever comes to mind. The gnomes have been sadly neglected, and I'd like to use this thread to prod a bit more info about them out into the open, if I might. Thanks!
Have you read the "Hin Nobody Knows" article in DRAGON #269? It provides more of a handle on what Realms gnomes are like.


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 03:15:41
Message:

Yes. I want more! Muahahahaha!


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 05:10:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

Hello again! I've been doing some research on Realms gnomes, partly because I'm currently playing a rather, ah, intense member of the race here at the Keep, and I'm finding that the usual distressing lack of information about the Forgotten Folk has extended to the Ask Ed threads. So my question is more along the lines of a plea: tell us something of the gnomes, please!

What, exactly, I leave entirely up to Ed. A gnomish kingdom or clan home, a battle, local lore they tell around mugs at their taverns (or jokes they tell at the big folks' expense), some famous gnomes active in the 1360's DR, whatever comes to mind. The gnomes have been sadly neglected, and I'd like to use this thread to prod a bit more info about them out into the open, if I might. Thanks!

Don't try, Hoondatha... I've tried so many times to extract gnomish info from Ed, to no avail. It's like the Forgotten Folk made a pact with Ed, "You forget about ever seeing us, and we'll keep away from your lawn," or something like that...


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 05:13:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Shemmy

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Ed just replied to me re. that last question, from Malcolm:

Yes, I have read and very much enjoyed THE GREAT BEYOND. Todd Stewart did a great job, and produced what a completist might call "a great beginning" because it's not long enough. Yet you know and I know that the writer/designer doesn't get to choose the length/wordcount of a book; he could just go into more depth here and there if he wanted to, because the pages to do that just aren't there.
VERY little tinkering is necessary to use THE GREAT BEYOND in the Realms (depending on how much you use or apply the REALMSPACE sourcebook in your campaign).

...

Great work, Shemmy! Thank you!


*GRIN*

I am seriously, seriously honored and flattered to hear that from Ed. Wow. :D I'm going to be grinning all week.

As for the book's length, trust me, I could have written it four times its published length if I'd had the word-limit to do so. As it stands, around 18k words were chopped out to fit under that limit, though some of it has worked its way into other material by Paizo, and may very well appear in later stuff as well.

Ed just complimented something I wrote. *glee*

Todd

I'm glad Ed recognizes the masterpiece that is THE GREAT BEYOND. Never again, whether be it a Realms or Golarion campaign, will I use any other cosmology. THE GREAT BEYOND cosmology structure was built with thought and attention to detail. It is beautiful.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 05:40:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

Hello again! I've been doing some research on Realms gnomes, partly because I'm currently playing a rather, ah, intense member of the race here at the Keep, and I'm finding that the usual distressing lack of information about the Forgotten Folk has extended to the Ask Ed threads. So my question is more along the lines of a plea: tell us something of the gnomes, please!

What, exactly, I leave entirely up to Ed. A gnomish kingdom or clan home, a battle, local lore they tell around mugs at their taverns (or jokes they tell at the big folks' expense), some famous gnomes active in the 1360's DR, whatever comes to mind. The gnomes have been sadly neglected, and I'd like to use this thread to prod a bit more info about them out into the open, if I might. Thanks!

Don't try, Hoondatha... I've tried so many times to extract gnomish info from Ed, to no avail. It's like the Forgotten Folk made a pact with Ed, "You forget about ever seeing us, and we'll keep away from your lawn," or something like that...


From what the Lovely Lady has told us about Ed's lawn, maybe the pact was that they'd make sure to keep an eye on his lawn...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 15:29:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight

Don't try, Hoondatha... I've tried so many times to extract gnomish info from Ed, to no avail. It's like the Forgotten Folk made a pact with Ed, "You forget about ever seeing us, and we'll keep away from your lawn," or something like that...



Although I think Forest Gnomes would already have a kinship with someone named Greenwood.

Maybe Ed's a Gnome with a hyperactive thyroid, and doesn't want to 'spill the beans' on his brethren.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 16:32:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

...the common folk know that doctrine and faith colour everything a priest says, and as a result take what priests say with (our saying, not a Realms saying) a pinch of salt.


So what is the Realms saying?

Gomez


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 16:42:54
Message:

Today I'm back over in the Akanamere region, as per This Thread, and the question came up whether or not "The Blade Kingdoms" name came from Ed. Most folks thought it was created by Paul Kidd for his novel, but I pointed-out that it appeared on the Vilhon Reach map first (making me think it was Ed's).

Also, the name sounds very Realmsish (and Ed does have a thing for the word 'Blade'), which lends a wee bit of credence to my theory that it was an Ed-original, that later went in a direction it shouldn't have.

Anything at all he can share about those kingdoms, the Akanamere in general, and whether the name was his concept?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Jun 2009 19:36:30
Message:

Hi, all.
Markustay, there's a specific NDA in place about that area. I'll have to check with Ed to see if there's any wiggle room in it yet.
I believe that the name "The Blade Kingdoms" is Ed's, though. Just going by the timing of when we first heard it mentioned (the Kidd novel came three or four years later).
BTW, Ed is REALLY busy again, but will be sending me a lore reply later today. And I will again try to weasel some of his gnome lore out of him.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 00:00:05
Message:

Hi again, all.
As promised, I bring a reply from Ed, this time to Blueblade's query: "Dear Ed and THO, BA's question spurs me to ask a somewhat related one: if I somehow magically dropped by Ed's house some night when he had leisure time (if that ever happens!) and he has family or friends over who aren't gamers, and they want to play a game (not FRP, but a board game or card game of some sort), what does Ed most often drag out? Or is likely to suggest? Thanks! BB"
Ed replies:


I'm afraid this is going to have to be one of those "it depends" answers. As in: it depends on the family or friends (age, interests, attention span, et al).
It might be some simple card games like WATER WORKS or (for young ladies) HORSE SHOW, or classics like SCRABBLE or CHESS, or fun games like ELEFANT HUNT or SNIT'S REVENGE or AWFUL GREEN THINGS FROM OUTER SPACE or LORD OF THE FRIES, or gamers' classics like DIPLOMACY or KINGMAKER or OGRE or the original release of ARKHAM HORROR...or it might be a variant like "Spy" (played with a CLUE boardgame). In short, just about anything fairly fun, simple, fast-playing, and visual (as in: the board is the centre of attention, so non-gamers can be helped to "see" what's going on. Even good old games like PIRATE & TRAVELLER, or SPI classics like WINTER WAR, have seen yeoman service; ask anyone who visits my cottage what sort of game library is sitting there, and you'll get the idea. I also like wacky games like EXPLODING COWS and THE ENEMY CHOCOLATIER, and "builder" games like RAIL BARON. I even like flawed designs like DIVINE RIGHT, because I don't care who wins; it's having fun playing that matters. Some of my friends even like to play solitaire tactical games like BATTLE OF BRITAIN (the West End Games game of this title), with the rest of us occasionally stepping in to do a "blind" German move (not looking at the player's resources and position when we make it). MILLES BORNE, even Crokinole, GLOOM, many of the Cheapass Games releases . . . oh, we might pull out almost anything.


So saith Ed. And it's true, too. Just don't expect Ed to remember all the rules or play aggressively to win. He just likes to play. At chess, I've seen him lose to young kids but beat grandmasters.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 00:53:45
Message:

Water Works and Mille Borne... I've played those games, and rather enjoyed them, but not for a long time!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 01:01:04
Message:

Heya,

A thought popped into my head this morning, as they sometimes do (), and I was wondering if Ed could shed any light on some famous (or infamous) "Physical Adept" style wizards/sorcerers/bards/druids/clerics of the Realms.

By physical adept, I mean a spell caster who specializes in magically enhancing his or her own body and skills, rather than flashy or showy spells that blast.

I'm sure they run the full gamut, from people blessed with good physical ability as well as intellect/wisdom, to those who start off being weak physically, but use their magic to compensate. I imagine also that there would be more than a few who would venerate Lathander (given he is the god of self-perfection and athletics).

To narrow this down somewhat, I'm more interested in the arcane casters, as divine casters seem to have it far easier when buffing their own bodies by comparison (at least by comparing the spell lists of clerics/druids to wizards/sorcerers/bards, anyway).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 01:33:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Markustay, there's a specific NDA in place about that area. I'll have to check with Ed to see if there's any wiggle room in it yet.
I believe that the name "The Blade Kingdoms" is Ed's, though. Just going by the timing of when we first heard it mentioned (the Kidd novel came three or four years later).
Interesting. I had a feeling this would likely the case, as I recall a similar discussion where Ed outlined some of his original campaign ideas for the region.

The NDA is particularly welcome news for me, as I've often had my own ideas about further developing the Akanamere and Blade Kingdoms region.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 03:27:04
Message:

Hello again, all.
Markustay, Ed says: Not much wiggle room at all, no. However, if you're coming to GenCon, let's find each other - - and talk.

Zandilar, great question, and off to Ed it goes. In the home Realms campaign we've met quite a few wizards who've enhanced their senses (smell, hearing, or expanded "wild talents" like detect magic or detect life in a limited range around them) so as to earn mundane (i.e. non-adventuring) livings. Wizards who can identify spices and their intensity/quality by smell, identify molds, that sort of thing; they "hire out" in large cities earning small but steady daily sums identifying and grading wares, for fees.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 17:07:39
Message:

Ack!

A personal invitation from Ed for a 'secret' conversation?

Hmmmmmm... I didn't think I'd make Gencon this year, but where there's a will, there's a way...

I guess I'll have to sell my soul...... again...


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 17:17:14
Message:

Heh... I could be your 'point person' if you want MT. I'll be there and have a phone... set up a nice little conference call.

I promise I won't take many notes!!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 18:06:15
Message:

LOL - I'm already way past the initial 'how to get there' phase, and am now trying to figure-out where to get one of those mini-recorders.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 18:07:30
Message:

I have a recorder on my phone. If that's not enough, I'll have my laptop with me... (Desperately wants to just sit in)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 19:25:38
Message:

I'll wear a trenchcoat, and hide in the shadows, and use the code-name 'Deep Spawn'.

We'll meet in an underdark parking garage....


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 19:33:55
Message:

Oh, good. I'll be the one on my knees, wearing just a dangerous smile.
When we're done, I'll take you to Ed...

love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 20:17:04
Message:

I'll be in th shadows, holding your coat... for when you get cold. Well, I'll probably forget the coat. But I'll get you warm in other ways.

Moving back into the real world, maybe we can all get together and buy Ed (and the lovely lady, if her schedule allows her) a meal? I know Ed is probably busy with 100 different meetings, but still... if we dib him before anyone else can (yeah we are probably six months too late for that...).
Does Ed still have an evening he isn't swamped?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 20:51:39
Message:

I'm afraid not. Ed gets "booked up" very quickly - - and even so, these last few GenCons he's done multiple brunches, lunches, and dinners on the same day. Not that he's complaining.
As for me: thanks to the nature of my employment, there are many years when I can't attend GenCon - - or I can at best "drop in" for an hour or so to give Ed a quick kiss and hug, peek at the art show, then move on...
Sigh.
And gomez, of COURSE you can. A girl never spurns assistance in scaling those peaks...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 21:09:57
Message:

I was afraid of that... Maybe a midnight snack over a game? (After all, it is Gencon... Isn't he supposed to get game in?) I can possibly offer my hotel room as an alternate location if needed (I think... not sure about guest rules).

And I am sorry for you, lass. My work is likely not as exciting as yours (if I can draw any conclusions from the honey incident), but it does have the perk of choosing my own vacation days.
If you do find a few hours, dont forget to poke me so I can 'warm you up' for Ed ;)

Gomez,
persistence is futile...


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 21:42:30
Message:

Speaking as someone that often steals Ed for an hour when he can come GenCon time, I will tell you, from experience, that there is often not a spare moment in his day. [I will also share that I fully expect to steal some more time this year, Saer Greenwood, so be prepared!]

He has meetings, secret meetings, the requisite Realms seminars, meals, time with his wife (who must, of needs, also eat, and has rightful "dibs" on our beloved bard), more meetings, last-minute [b]super[b]-secret meetings, author signings, wooings by various companies that he's not currently working for, reminders from his friends that he needs to learn how to say "no," just once, and therefore earn a nap, repeat meals on the run so as not to offend those friends he is currently chatting with, and far, far too little time actually cruising the exhibit hall (I once had to steal my time by acting as Ed's escort as he picked up Galadriel and Arwen Lord of the Rings movie figurines for his granddaughter).

All that, and he needs to wrangle enough to sleep to do it all for three more days.

I still have no idea how he does it.


Reply author: Uzzy
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 23:18:21
Message:

So, this isn't a FR question, or even an RPG question, so if the mods want to say it's inappropriate for the thread, that's fine.

Ed, I've been looking at careers post University, and given my love of books and information in general, I've been considering becoming a Librarian. Given that you've talked on these threads about being a Librarian (at least part time) yourself, I was wondering if you had any advice about becoming one, what to look forward to, downsides and upsides of the job? Thanks in advance.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Jun 2009 23:22:20
Message:

Sleep?

What is this silly 'sleep' you speak of?

Why, in my day, we'd start gaming at college on a Friday night, and not fall asleep until late Sunday!

Besides, with THO around, who's going to want to go to sleep?

Now BED... thats a whole 'nother story.

Anyhow, I can only imagine how busy Ed will be... the fact that he thinks he'd be able to actually give me a few minutes of his time is very generous of him. Whether I make it there or not, I do indeed appreciate the gesture.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 00:31:12
Message:

Hi again, all.
This time I bring a swift reply from Ed to Uzzy, about being a librarian:


Hoo, boy. Uzzy, first off, I'm only superficially familiar (from touring libraries as a visitor and from some short 'shop talk' chats at cons, sometimes with people who were less than sober) with library service outside North America (I can only share HINTS re the UK, Sweden, Australia, and Germany). I'm quite familiar with libraries in Ontario, Canada (from a 34-year-and-counting career as a page, security guard, public service clerk, "unfrocked librarian" [the job title but not the degree; something that's actually quite common in small rural libraries where they can't pay for "real" librarians], library board member, and chair of a small rural library board) and somewhat familiar (as a sometime keynote speaker and guest author at the annual "big conventions" of OLA, CLA, and ALA (twice; these being, respectively: Ontario Library association annual conference, Canadian Library Association annual conference, and American Library Association a.c.).
So, here we go...
Library careers, except in upper management in large cities, are generally NOT well paid. If unionized, they can have good to decent benefits, but if you're looking to get rich, library work is probably not the field for you.
(On the other hand, it's generally indoors, and doesn't involve digging graves or ditches. Usually.)
Library work CAN be incredibly rewarding, if you genuinely love helping people (problem solving, connecting people to information they need, sharing favourite authors, mounting library programs, etc.). It can also require the patience of Job, particularly in large libraries where entrenched bureaucracies have developed; small-minded, vindictive, and even afflicted with Alzheimer's senior staffers can make your working life hell. Again, in some situations. Patience, accepting people as they are (and not as you'd like them to be, even just to qualify as "people"), and more patience are very useful job skills. One more thing: much of library work is routine, so if boredom is a problem for you - - again, another field might be preferable. For anyone creative who can mull over game design or fiction writing in the back of their head WITHOUT fellow staffers figuring out what you're doing, boredom usually won't be a problem - - but there have been more than a few library staffers who have found themselves fired or threatened or punished in various ways by vindictive superiors who discovered said staffers were also authors or game designers, and had the temerity to publish whilst employed by the library (there have even been library systems who have sued authors on the grounds that what they published while employed by the library belonged to the library - - or that the library should have creative control over what they published, to "maintain the library's image" or some such). On the other hand, some libraries are DELIGHTED to discover they have authors/creatives on staff, and regard it as a feather in their collective caps. I'm just putting the warning in your lap so you're aware of it before deciding.
Libraries differ greatly from place to place in what they do, and what their staff does. I have encountered a very high percentage of bad or incompetent managers in libraries (and in school boards and civil service jobs) because there doesn't seem to be the same pressure to improve such people or get rid of them (as compared to private corporations). On the other hand, I have encountered some of the nicest, most loyal, friendly, and intelligent and learned without being "lordly" about it people working in libraries, from student pages right up to chief librarians (or CEOs, or Directors, or whatever the local title is). Some of the nit-picking, "I don't think you put the semicolon in quite the right place in that catalogue record, dear" stuff involved in many library jobs evolves BECAUSE the rest of the job is so stable, well performed, and meeting service needs. In some inner city libraries, the "books on dusty old shelves" part of the job has almost entirely given way to an "Internet cafe with teens hanging out, drug deals going down, knives being pulled, cops being called AGAIN" atmosphere.
Again, things vary from place to place, and any job is as enjoyable as you work hard at making it - - and your co-workers work hard at making it for you and for them and for the public you serve.
There are also private, corporate, and school libraries, which are different yet again. I love library work, but it's not for everyone.
And always remember what Spider Robinson said: "Don't ever piss a librarian off: they CONTROL INFORMATION." :}


So saith Ed. Who can say more if others are interested or if you have more specific questions, Uzzy; just hurl 'em our way, okay?
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 02:25:35
Message:

Heh. Apropos of those GenCon eats, I remember sitting in the Marriott lobby playing a boardgame with friends, and seeing Ed rush from Champions (the Marriott sports bar, where he'd been at a table with staffers of a certain game company) across the hotel lobby to the Circle City Bar & Grill (the 'upscale' Marriott resto, where he had a dinner date with one of his New York publishers), stopping for a moment to chat with Bob Salvatore and his wife in the bar lounge area . . . and about an hour later reappearing from the Circle City and rushing back out into the lobby to rendezvous with Wizards staffers to catch a taxi to another eatery for a WotC dinner . . . then arriving back to sit down with some friends who were waiting for him in the bar lounge.
So, THO, does Ed gain about twenty pounds each GenCon? Or does he sweat it all off, rushing around like a looney to get to all of these places?
BB


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 02:31:42
Message:

My turn to "Heh."
A kindly word of GenCon advice, for those thinking of sitting and chatting with Ed: DON'T ever, ever try to drink the man under a table. In recent years, he usually has only two drinks or so of an evening, but I once attended a publisher's "liquid lunch" where a certain (New York book, not game) publisher, and that publisher's contracts lawyer, tried to get Ed drunk to twist his arm on some book contract terms.
Ed just sat there smiling and emptying every drink they brought him. They were reeling in a few hours, and Ed was . . . getting amused at their attempts to get him inebriated. Much to the delight of the rest of us.
Now to keep this Realms-relevant, Ed at that very same lunch made mention of three Realms novels he started, long ago, but never finished. Would he be willing to tell us where and when they were set, and who the protagonists were? Pleeeease?


Reply author: Dark Wizard
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 03:34:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Interesting. I had a feeling this would likely the case, as I recall a similar discussion where Ed outlined some of his original campaign ideas for the region.

The NDA is particularly welcome news for me, as I've often had my own ideas about further developing the Akanamere and Blade Kingdoms region.



Is there a transcript/archive I can read of this discussion where Ed mentioned his original ideas for the region?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 04:28:32
Message:

Heya,

I was studying to be a librarian myself when the course changed from Social Science to Business... Subjects like Psychology became Macro Economics, and Accounting. So, I dropped out.

Reading that makes me glad things turned out the way they did. I honestly don't think being a librarian was the career for me.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 05:47:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Interesting. I had a feeling this would likely the case, as I recall a similar discussion where Ed outlined some of his original campaign ideas for the region.

The NDA is particularly welcome news for me, as I've often had my own ideas about further developing the Akanamere and Blade Kingdoms region.



Is there a transcript/archive I can read of this discussion where Ed mentioned his original ideas for the region?

I'm sure it's somewhere in the "So Saith Ed" archives, as that's where I remember reading it [I think it was taken from the REALMS-L]. I'll have check for it myself.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 06:17:03
Message:

Uzzy, as a librarian I will echo Ed's words (and he said it so well that I don't know if I can add anything)... it can be the most tedious or rewarding job in the world, and a lot depends on your co-workers, general working atmosphere, location, size, and so on. Of course, love of books and reading plus getting the degree is a good start, but it doesn't stop there -- you need to read *constantly* (and not just works from your preferred genre, but also what we call "required reading") and keep up with the current "clack" (both in libraries and publishing industry, e.g. by reading journals, lists, blogs and sites dedicated to literature, publishing and libraries).
All this requires adaptibility, speed-reading and personal sacrifices on your spare time.

You also need to know a bit about, well, pretty much everything, and even if you don't, you need to at least know how to search and identify the relevant sources where the information is to be found (e.g. the relevant titles in the library catalog or on the shelves or references/documents in an online database). A good librarian knows how to analyze people and interpret their questions and needs (for example, someone asking for a certain issue of a magazine might only want a single tidbit of information which might be found directly on the Internet). You need to think, read and analyze things quickly (analytical thinking also helps a lot with cataloguing ;)).

Also, these days you need good social skills as well, at least in most public libraries (in big libraries you *could* just apply for cataloging or closed stacks).

If you ask me, it's occasionally far more stressful than I could ever imagine before my studies, but most of the time it feels like my dream job.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 06:34:02
Message:

With a few word replacements, that sounds like a webmaster, but without the decent salary.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 10:17:21
Message:

I'll also chime in on the librarian issue, since my mum is a librarian. At least in Finland it doesn't pay very well (despite the fact that you have to study for a long time to become a librarian), and the libraries are also among the first to get the axe when authorities decide to save some money.
Dunno about hidebound, but according to my mother one problem is that librarians as a group are rather timid, and not good at roaring loudly in protest when budget cuts head their way. Of course, there are also plenty of good things about being a librarian. Otherwise my mother wouldn't be one, after all.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 15:08:58
Message:

I have certain... fantasies... concerning Librarians....

And Elves and Dwarves are not involved in that particular fantasy (although a dwarf could be entertaining, to say the least).

Anyhow, I tried to pull it off (talk about pulling some major strings... I was up to renting a car...), but no can do on Gencon once again. Its my oldest boy's 21st birthday on the 13th of Aug, and we already had a week-long trip planned to Virginia.

Which I conveniently forgot about until reminded...

<sigh> There's always next year.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 16:39:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I have certain... fantasies... concerning Librarians....


Same here... Did you spend too much time watching the old Batman show when Batgirl was on like I did?
quote:

And Elves and Dwarves are not involved in that particular fantasy (although a dwarf could be entertaining, to say the least).

Anyhow, I tried to pull it off (talk about pulling some major strings... I was up to renting a car...), but no can do on Gencon once again. Its my oldest boy's 21st birthday on the 13th of Aug, and we already had a week-long trip planned to Virginia.

Which I conveniently forgot about until reminded...

<sigh> There's always next year.


My offer still stands if you want.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 17:34:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
<sigh> There's always next year.



Hopefully, I'll see you there.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 24 Jun 2009 22:32:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I have certain... fantasies... concerning Librarians....


<sigh> There's always next year.



Well, we need to do something about those fantasies... here's a picture of my former colleague -- enjoy!

http://irc-galleria.net/view.php?nick=Hui_hai&image_id=59858350


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 01:51:33
Message:

Hi again, all. I bring thee this time the words of Ed of the Greenwood in response to this, from Sage of Stars: ". . .Ed at that very same lunch made mention of three Realms novels he started, long ago, but never finished. Would he be willing to tell us where and when they were set, and who the protagonists were? Pleeeease?"
Ed replies:


Of course I'm willing. :} (Pause for obligatory THO double entendre.) Just so long as everyone understands these are fragmentary, unfinished, rather clumsy juvenalia; attempts at storytelling better left buried rather than "ready to go" novels that someone should rush into print, okay?

The first novel was to be a tale of Mirt getting deeper and deeper into mercantile scrapes with a hitherto-unknown-to-him cabal of sinister merchants, and Durnan finally going to his rescue. Waterdeep and Sword Coast dagger-in-alley intrigue.

The second novel was to be a Saint-style (the Leslie Charteris flippant rogue character, not a religious title) "rebel Waterdhavian noble" getting into lots of trouble amongst guilds, fellow nobles, and corrupt Palace courtiers, in Waterdeep.

The third novel was to be a young librarian lass in Neverwinter figuring out the hiding-place of long-hidden treasure by idly puzzling out what's in a particular book in the library she works in, almost getting murdered, and fleeing Neverwinter with some unlikely Mutt-and-Jeff style mercenaries (a smart-mouthed thief and a lumbering warrior, the originals of Craer and Hawkril in my Aglirta books) as opportunistic protectors. They go to Silverymoon, where the treasure is said to be hidden, and plunge headlong into some REAL intrigues (sinister elves, half-elves, and jaded/sophisticated upper crust spellcasters galore) there, becoming a truly-loyal-to-each-other team as the book progresses.

Those are tales I'll probably never write, now. On the other hand, you could bombard Wizards with demands for them, and perhaps, just perhaps . . . probably set more than a century after they were originally intended to be set . . .


So saith Ed. Who's probably kidding when he talks about bombarding Wizards. No, REALLY.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 02:22:18
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
The third novel was to be a young librarian lass in Neverwinter figuring out the hiding-place of long-hidden treasure by idly puzzling out what's in a particular book in the library she works in, almost getting murdered, and fleeing Neverwinter with some unlikely Mutt-and-Jeff style mercenaries (a smart-mouthed thief and a lumbering warrior, the originals of Craer and Hawkril in my Aglirta books) as opportunistic protectors. They go to Silverymoon, where the treasure is said to be hidden, and plunge headlong into some REAL intrigues (sinister elves, half-elves, and jaded/sophisticated upper crust spellcasters galore) there, becoming a truly-loyal-to-each-other team as the book progresses.


Reverse the genders of all three protagonists, and that could have been interesting.


Reply author: Brian R. James
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 02:57:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

Hopefully, I'll see you there.
Nice. Planning a return trip to Gen Con in 2010 George?


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 04:16:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion



Well, we need to do something about those fantasies... here's a picture of my former colleague -- enjoy!

http://irc-galleria.net/view.php?nick=Hui_hai&image_id=59858350



Hello, inopportunistic curiosity. I missed you so.


On the subject of librarians, what social class generally finds itself supplying them in the Realms? I'm kind of keeping certain libraries, such as the "real" Candlekeep, out of the questioning on this one. This would focus instead on libraries of the mundane, like old research journals and literature. Are the librarians of the Realms prone to particular personalities or natures, and is the vocation typically well-paid? What regions tend to have smaller, public-style libraries the most?

All the best,
Wolfram


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 05:51:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

Hopefully, I'll see you there.
Nice. Planning a return trip to Gen Con in 2010 George?



I turn 40 next years and am "negotiating" regarding getting to GEN-CON as a birthday present. The decision will most likely revolve around GFC-issues and my spouse's generosity of spirit ... but here's hoping.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 09:58:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I have certain... fantasies... concerning Librarians....


<sigh> There's always next year.



Well, we need to do something about those fantasies... here's a picture of my former colleague -- enjoy!

http://irc-galleria.net/view.php?nick=Hui_hai&image_id=59858350



We could also get him a DVD-box set of Sally (did they run that in Finland?).

On the topic of working as a librarian, I should also note that one thing I picked up in my two weeks of studying to become one (before I realised I needed to get away from schoolbooks for a while or go slightly bonkers) is that there's more money to be had from working as a corporate librarian than as a publicl sector one (though the public libraries seem like more rewarding work environments to me).


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 15:40:07
Message:

And having dated a lovely and spirited (that's politespeak for voracious and raring anywhere, anytime) lady who had worked in both public and corporate environments, I can echo that opinion; she said the same thing.
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 19:57:21
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Inspired by the post count in this Questions thread right now (1812 before I post this, and 1813 with this post, a reminder to me of something I studied in depth in my academic er, career: the 1812-1815 war between Canada and the USA, which Canada won [!]), I am moved to ask about warfare between Cormyr and Westgate, which has also been skirmishes and raids across a narrow body of water. Is it the presence of Sembia (as the opportunistic elephant in the room) and the damage to trading prosperity that has largely kept these two traditional antagonists from going at it, all-out, in recent times? Or are the leaders of both places wise enough to avoid open large-scale war (as opposed to afraid to/faced with sufficient disincentives to)?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 20:00:56
Message:

Blueblade, did you mean to say this sometime lady partner of yours worked in public and corporate libraries, at various times? Or other work ("environments" covers a lot of ground)? Or did she work in BOTH corporate and public libraries (or something elses) at the same time?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 25 Jun 2009 20:05:24
Message:

Heh. Sorry.
Yes, I meant to say that she'd worked in a public library (and took courses to upgrade her professional skills at the same time), then got a corporate librarian job, then later got "headhunted" back to a much higher position in a public library.
And from her own experiences, said much the same as Kajehase posted here.
But to add a little more Realms relevance to this: Ed and THO, are there "headhunting" organizations or individuals in large cities (or particular realms or regions) of the Realms?
[I mean "head hunting" as in the "find suitable skilled person and offer job" sense, not bounty hunting or assassination.]
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 00:01:56
Message:

Does Amn have a national flag, symbol, heraldry, or 'colors'?

I'm asking this of Ed, but anyone (like Steven Schend) who may have an answer is more then welcome to pitch-in.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 02:09:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I have certain... fantasies... concerning Librarians....


<sigh> There's always next year.



Well, we need to do something about those fantasies... here's a picture of my former colleague -- enjoy!

http://irc-galleria.net/view.php?nick=Hui_hai&image_id=59858350



We could also get him a DVD-box set of Sally (did they run that in Finland?).

On the topic of working as a librarian, I should also note that one thing I picked up in my two weeks of studying to become one (before I realised I needed to get away from schoolbooks for a while or go slightly bonkers) is that there's more money to be had from working as a corporate librarian than as a publicl sector one (though the public libraries seem like more rewarding work environments to me).



On top of my head I can't recall them ever showing Sally here. And it's true that you can't make a lot of money as a public librarian, and even in Helsinki (our capital city) you get paid the average salary at best. Private companies pay better, but it's not a stable job -- I remember three librarians I met who were working for a major company around here and really enjoyed their work... they all lost their jobs last year when the company decided their researchers should use databases and libraries themselves.

Even though the pay is not good, I personally like the stability and enjoy the work in public libraries.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 10:30:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Reverse the genders of all three protagonists, and that could have been interesting.



Or just make all of them women. As long as they are not all seven-sister-like hot babes. We need more strong women that are not stunningly beautiful, imo.

Talking about strong women: excepting some specific groups or cultures, the Realms are less gender-baised, right? Does that mean the boss of a crime syndicate, the hired mercenary, or the bully thug has equal chance of being male or female?
I am particularly interested in the gender 'demographics' of such type of groups in areas such as Cormyr, the Dragoncoast, and the Dalelands.

(Note: not that I do not already try to spread genders across the NPCs I use - barring some specifc groups - but it may help to instruct my authors)


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 13:19:24
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez
Or just make all of them women. As long as they are not all seven-sister-like hot babes. We need more strong women that are not stunningly beautiful, imo.


This! Heavens yes, very much this.

It seems far more acceptable for men to be less than attractive in fiction.

(I can get behind everything you said there, Gomez. )


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 13:53:01
Message:

On the topic of librarians (and by extension, archivists, of which I am one), I'll echo Asgetrion. I'm in DC, and practically all of the positions here in both fields are contract-based. I have a friend who is (currently) a librarian for the US State Department, and he's said that his resume makes perfect sense to anyone in DC, but if he goes elsewhere, people look at it and say, "You were at this job for eight months, then you quit, at this job for two years, then you quit, this other job for three months, then you quit. What's your problem sticking with one job??" When in actual fact they were all contract positions (public, private, and NGO), where the money can run out at any moment.

Private librarians (and in this category I'll throw in Non-Governmental Organizations) do tend to pay better. They make up for it with being much less stable. For instance, I had a job that was a contract position and one morning my boss called all of us in and told us the money ran out that morning and this was all our last day. He was really sorry, but there was nothing he could do.


Reply author: Brian R. James
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 15:20:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

We need more strong women that are not stunningly beautiful, imo.
Lady Lord Addee Ulphor of Shadowdale fits that description nicely I'd say.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 15:29:46
Message:

Hi again, everyone.
This time I bring the words of Ed in response to this query from gomez: "Talking about strong women: excepting some specific groups or cultures, the Realms are less gender-biased, right? Does that mean the boss of a crime syndicate, the hired mercenary, or the bully thug has equal chance of being male or female?
I am particularly interested in the gender 'demographics' of such type of groups in areas such as Cormyr, the Dragoncoast, and the Dalelands."
Ed replies:

Hi, gomez. Well, most bully thugs tend to be male just because there are more large, lumbering, upper-body-strong males than females (due to mothers feeding their children more and better food than they themselves eat, and girl children often marrying young and turning into more relatively-underfed mothers), but the boss of a gang of thugs is just as likely to be female as male (chief qualification being so smart and swift-witted that the other thugs respect you and believe your brains will net them better lives than if they operated alone), but for most other professions, there IS almost no gender bias. In my version of the Realms, anyway. Again, most female mercenaries specialize in thrown knives, hand crossbows, darts, or bows of various sorts, and javelins or spears, rather than "hack toe to toe" weapons - - but that doesn't make them any less effective as mercenaries.
There will be a few women in positions of power who ARE very beautiful, and trade on this - - just as there are handsome men who trade on their looks, too. Several crime bosses in Tethyr are beautiful and cling to a naive, innocent, "sweet" act, garb, and looks - - until the time comes for them to reveal their true selves (usually swiftly and bloodily).
And yes, if you read my Realms novels, you'll find quite a few instances of women who aren't physically stunning (though some of these know quite well how to be attractive, by force of personality or flirtatiousness or other wiles, when it suits them to be). Meaning: a DM running an adventure (or a designer crafting one) can by all means use the female foe of PCs who acts demure or weak or in need of their protection until the best moment arrives to turn on the PCs. In the Realms, women may be inexperienced or misinformed, but they are NOT stupid.
The published Realms, particularly in its art, has tended to focus on the stereotypical scantily-clad female who's either a femme fatale or a submissive "on display" female, but that's not the Realms you'll encounter in my play sessions.
As the gruff veteran Purple Dragon advice hath it: "If you're captured, lad, DON'T let them give you to the women." :}


So saith Ed. Who believes this in life as well as in the Realms, folks. He loves to flirt, but he considers it flirting with EQUALS, and not toying with a succession of easily-fooled women who will become conquests. Trust me; I've known Ed for some forty years now.
love,
THO


Reply author: D-brane
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 16:05:03
Message:

Ed, I have a question from another thread which I'll just repost here - -

quote:
Originally posted by D-brane

Now, before we get too far, I know and appreciate the info about Realms and real world comparisons. This isn't really about all that. I just need some help for an upcoming part of my Rashemen campaign.

As it stands now, I don't have much time to write-up any specific info on a few of the places in the NE Realms that my PCs will be visiting. Places like the Great Glacier, Sossal, Vaasa, and Narfell. So I thought I'd cheat for the time being, and scour some real-world sources for info that I could spend a few minutes tweaking in order to make it feel "Realmsian."

Which brings me to this post. What real-world locations would you associate with the Realms of the Great Glacier, Sossal, Narfell, and Vaasa? Any history/cultural sites would be a plus. But I'm really just looking for suggestions from the posters here at the 'Keep. What real-world places do you see as best reflecting the Realms locations I asked about?

Thanks in advance.


Can you help me with this?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 17:06:47
Message:

D-brane, in order to assist Ed further, I'm including this next post you made about what you're looking for exactly, in terms of comparisons.

Ed/THO, consider this part of D-brane's above post:-

quote:
Originally posted by D-brane

Thanks Ashe. That helps.

But to be a little clearer, I'm actually looking for the medieval-equivalent of these Realms locations. Kind of what like Ed originally did when he was working on the core Realms areas.

And I'll go ask Ed as well. Thanks again.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 17:34:45
Message:

One example of a strong-yet-unattractive 'powerful' female I can think of off is Blentra Whaelbuckler, "a local eccentric of prodigous girth and strength". She owns the best restaurant in Marsember, and is a covert Harper Agent. For a visual, I picture that woman that Hagrid fell in love with in the Harry Potter movie Goblet of Fire, and like that character, I would swear she had some giantish or Ogre-blood running through her veins.

There's a picture of her on pg.46 of Volo's Guide to Cormyr, tossing a grown man through the air like sack of potatoes!

But like the 'incredibly beautiful' atypical NPCs, she still stands-out. The majority of Harper Agents (and the sneakiest because of it) are the ones who look nondescript - neither ugly or attractive, who are able to easilly blend into any crowd.

We only see the 'unnusual' ones depicted in Realms-art, because fantasy artists prefer to depict that type of female/male, and that's what 'sells'. For every one of those, there are a hundred we never see.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 26 Jun 2009 19:17:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
(SNIP)

We only see the 'unnusual' ones depicted in Realms-art, because fantasy artists prefer to depict that type of female/male, and that's what 'sells'. For every one of those, there are a hundred we never see.



I've always thought the same thing: Most of the fantasy art 'bias' toward beautiful, scantily-clad women, and ruggedly handsome, mighty-thewed men was for 2 reasons: 1) They catch the eye, and since that's the whole point to a book jacket, that's what the artists are paid to do, and probably even more so 2) How much easier is it to draw/paint/etc attractive, striking, distinctive people than ordinary, nondescript ones? Not being an artist myself, I don't know, but it seems to me that having outstanding features to depict is probably quite a lot simpler than the reverse.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 02:36:23
Message:

Hi, D-brane.
Re. this: "But to be a little clearer, I'm actually looking for the medieval-equivalent of these Realms locations. Kind of what like Ed originally did when he was working on the core Realms areas."

As Ed and others have told us many times, this is exactly what Ed DIDN'T do when creating the Realms. It was TSR that bolted "real world equivalents" onto Ed's fantasy Realms, not Ed.

Now, I do recall Ed accessing photographs of real-world topography in the past to tell TSR artists and some gamers, "Region X of the Realms looks like Photo A in topography, but with foliage like Photo B."

THO will correct me, i'm sure, if I'm wrong on this.
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 05:08:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Hi, D-brane.
Re. this: "But to be a little clearer, I'm actually looking for the medieval-equivalent of these Realms locations. Kind of what like Ed originally did when he was working on the core Realms areas."

As Ed and others have told us many times, this is exactly what Ed DIDN'T do when creating the Realms. It was TSR that bolted "real world equivalents" onto Ed's fantasy Realms, not Ed.

Now, I do recall Ed accessing photographs of real-world topography in the past to tell TSR artists and some gamers, "Region X of the Realms looks like Photo A in topography, but with foliage like Photo B."

THO will correct me, i'm sure, if I'm wrong on this.
BB


Indeed. And both Ed and the Lady Hooded One have discussed this at length in previous replies here at Candlekeep.

They're required reading D-brane, especially if you're looking for assistance in fleshing out your own home Realms campaign.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 19:13:59
Message:

Hello again, all. Ed has family visiting again, and is hampered in his online time (and Realms-attention time, too!) hereby, but has managed to produce lore in response to a promise I made in the Realms Challenge thread.
The Simbul (our scribe here at the Keep by that name, that is) posed an excellent multi-part question in challenge to fellow scribes; that of naming the apprentices of The Simbul (the in-the-Realms character of that name, Ed's creation). It was answered, largely by Fillow and George Krashos, and the challenges have moved on.
However, I promised The Simbul (the scribe) that I would provide the list of apprentices I had in my player's notes, drawn from Ed's handouts, comments, and my remembrances of play sessions, if Ed gave me permission to do so.
Well, Ed went one better, as usual. He checked his NDAs and then passed along a longer list of his own - - and here it is.

According to Ed’s notes, an incomplete list of The Simbul’s DIRECT apprentices down the years (that is, individuals she trained personally, on more than an one-incident or single task basis; she instructed many, many groups of mages on spell-work for specific battles) is as given hereafter. Note that these are the “callings” used by individuals when actually apprenticed to The Simbul, not necessary their real, entire, or best-known names.


Alaeya Summerstar
Alueeme Saryn (“The Masked One”)
Bowmyn Starbridge
Braskelo Moonweather
Brenna Graycloak
Callond Mornbright
Daerovyn Bracegaunt
Emraryl Silver
Evenyl Tharnian (Evenyl Nathtalond)
Filaerra Firehorn
Gelroar Sparpyke
Haerla Glasryn
Hondrar Silver
Indrin Melpretarr
Ismur Isyioanthan (“Isyio of Teziir”)
Jasma Palondorn
Jelarra Haelhart
Kethrae Alantrorra
Labranth Harpell
Luin Alamanther
Lyran Duskwood
“Mandrar” (Manshoon clone)
Melué Helmantle
Nalandra Ravendown
Ohland Grethgar
Omrae Manannthor
Phaeldara Mrallow
Phendelopé Dracostrond
Roryn Ostil
Soebraya Tarntarth
Thorneira Thalance
Trestar Zhelankho
Veldarra Maerynd
Vorn Halakrand
Yarrana Tambranthur


(And there are more, but some are still NDA’d and others tied to possible future projects by other creators whose hands Ed doesn’t want to tie by mentioning anything as of yet.)
Just the names thus far, but if you wheedle Ed with sufficient vigor . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 19:34:11
Message:

Well, I'll ask for more info about a few (mainly chosen because of cool names, though I'd really like to know about the Manshoon clone!)...

Alaeya Summerstar
Alueeme Saryn (“The Masked One”)
Bowmyn Starbridge
Braskelo Moonweather
Daerovyn Bracegaunt
Emraryl Silver
Hondrar Silver
Ismur Isyioanthan (“Isyio of Teziir”)
Jelarra Haelhart
Labranth Harpell
Luin Alamanther
Lyran Duskwood
“Mandrar” (Manshoon clone)
Nalandra Ravendown
Phendelopé Dracostrond


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 20:01:39
Message:

Well, it was George Krashos who remembered the Manshoon clone, and I believe The Simbul said in replying to him that this clone hadn't been mentioned in 3e lore, so I'm thinking he's in CLOAK AND DAGGER or earlier. George?
Looking down the list, I'm going to guess that Luin Alamanther is the mage we just knew as "Alamanther," and that the Summerstar, Harpell, and Silver apprentices are all from the already-known families of those names (from Cormyr, Longsaddle, and Aglarond respectively).
Am I right? THO? Ed?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 27 Jun 2009 20:15:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Well, it was George Krashos who remembered the Manshoon clone, and I believe The Simbul said in replying to him that this clone hadn't been mentioned in 3e lore, so I'm thinking he's in CLOAK AND DAGGER or earlier. George?


The Manshoon Wars were in Cloak & Dagger. That is indeed where that clone was mentioned, though he wasn't given a name. When the 3E FRCS came out, they kinda just brushed the Manshoon Wars to the side and left us with three surviving clones.


quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Looking down the list, I'm going to guess that Luin Alamanther is the mage we just knew as "Alamanther," and that the Summerstar, Harpell, and Silver apprentices are all from the already-known families of those names (from Cormyr, Longsaddle, and Aglarond respectively).
Am I right? THO? Ed?



I'm assuming the same thing, but either way, I would like to know more about them. The familiarity of some of those names is why I picked them.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 01:38:24
Message:

My Lady, I'll echo Wooly's listing, and also ask about those he missed, since some of the names intrigue me particularly:-

Callond Mornbright
Evenyl Tharnian (Evenyl Nathtalond)
Filaerra Firehorn
Gelroar Sparpyke
Haerla Glasryn
Indrin Melpretarr
Kethrae Alantrorra
Melué Helmantle
Ohland Grethgar
Omrae Manannthor
Phaeldara Mrallow
Roryn Ostil
Soebraya Tarntarth
Thorneira Thalance
Trestar Zhelankho
Veldarra Maerynd
Vorn Halakrand
Yarrana Tambranthur


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 01:40:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Looking down the list, I'm going to guess that Luin Alamanther is the mage we just knew as "Alamanther," and that the Summerstar, Harpell, and Silver apprentices are all from the already-known families of those names (from Cormyr, Longsaddle, and Aglarond respectively).
Am I right? THO? Ed?

Ed, I wouldn't mind also hearing about how these particular apprentices fared among their already "well-known" families.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 02:27:27
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate
I've always thought the same thing: Most of the fantasy art 'bias' toward beautiful, scantily-clad women, and ruggedly handsome, mighty-thewed men was for 2 reasons: 1) They catch the eye, and since that's the whole point to a book jacket, that's what the artists are paid to do, and probably even more so 2) How much easier is it to draw/paint/etc attractive, striking, distinctive people than ordinary, nondescript ones? Not being an artist myself, I don't know, but it seems to me that having outstanding features to depict is probably quite a lot simpler than the reverse.



It is quite possible to be distinctive without being overtly attractive.

If you saw a woman walk into a bar with a scar down the left side of her face that had taken her eye, which can plainly be seen because she doesn't have a patch covering the ruined eye socket, but her non-marred features are relatively plain looking... You'd notice her, I'm sure.

That's a rather extreme example - but how about Elminster-in-female-form - Elmara? She's got a beak-like nose, but is rather plain otherwise... She's distinctive.

I could go on and on with this, but I think I've made my point.

Edited to Add: Rather than post another reply right after this one (I was in a hurry and didn't manage to read the rest of the thread from the message I replied to here), some of the names in the list are ambiguous (to me) regarding gender... Would be nice to at least have that cleared up.

Also, I'd like Ed to expand on whichever of the apprentices has the biggest impact on the Simbul's life. And whichever is his personal favorite. (I don't mind if that turns out to be the same one. )


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 04:40:42
Message:

I'd be more interested in knowing if they are all human, or rather, 'humanish' (which would include demi-humans). I think it would be kinda cool if there were a couple of oddballs thrown in there, like a Goblinoid, or even an Illithid.

Leave it to the Simbul to create a Kobold Archmage.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 05:26:11
Message:

I'm in the process of collating Ed's answers here for my own ends and I came across this post from the Simbul about ... THE Simbul.

quote:
Originally posted by The Simbul
In either case however, the information is sparse. Beyond that, there is a short story about her in Dragon #242 that takes place in the Year of the Roaring Tempest (1016 DR), and the memory of Elminster when he first encountered her appears in Elminster in Hell in the Year of the Burning Steel (1246 DR). In terms of the timeline of the Realms, these are the earliest events of her life to be explored in published stories.



As a consequence of other projects, I've been looking at the Simbul's pre-reign activities and I had another look at this snippet from 'Elminster in Hell'. The book's preface says that the first 'confrontation' between Elminster and the Simbul occurs in the Year of Burning Steel (1246 DR). I note however that the snippet talks about Aglarond's ruler being Queen Ilione. She didn't ascend to the throne of that realm until the Year of the Broken Blade(1260 DR) [incorrectly dated in GHotR as 1261 DR]. Is the story 'dating' in error (i.e. does this event actually occur after 1260 DR)? I note also that the "meeting date" of 1246 DR comes from "Seven Sisters" (p.9). Thara and Ulae lived until 1257 DR so .. what gives?

Also, as an aside, the story snippet on their meeting and the accompanying piece in "Seven Sisters" seems to imply that the Simbul is aware of her bond with Mystra at the time of their encounter. On this, is she aware that she is "Chosen" or simply "special"? When did she learn that she was "Chosen" and about her abilities (i.e. silverfire etc.) Is she aware that she has sisters? If so, when did this happen?

Lore-hungry as always. The yum-cha this morning has filled the provender void, but now I need some Realms sustenance!

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 06:28:26
Message:

Correct me if I am mistaken: The Simbul's primary apprentices (who are also regals) who appear in books (notably Silverfall and Elminster in Hell), were Alueeme Saryn (“The Masked One”), Evenyl Tharnian (Evenyl Nathtalond), Phaeldara Mrallow, and Thorneira Thalance ("The Small Fury"), yes? Do they appear elsewhere in books or sourcebooks?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 12:41:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

Also, as an aside, the story snippet on their meeting and the accompanying piece in "Seven Sisters" seems to imply that the Simbul is aware of her bond with Mystra at the time of their encounter. On this, is she aware that she is "Chosen" or simply "special"? When did she learn that she was "Chosen" and about her abilities (i.e. silverfire etc.) Is she aware that she has sisters? If so, when did this happen?




The exposition in the first chapter of Lynn Abbey's The Simbul's Gift answers most of these. As a toddler, Alassra was given to the care of the Witches of Rashemen by Elminster and he told them she was an orphan without sisters. She was probably oblivious to her siblings until Elminster or Mystra revealed them later after she was a Chosen (the novel doesn't say).

However, the novel explains that Alassra was already a powerful sorceress before she became the Simbul or Chosen. While exploring the planes, she realizes she doesn't age and is "special" somehow. Later during her lost wanderings, she meets and falls in love with Lailomun Zerad, a Thayan mageling. Lailomun's mentor Mythrell'aa discovered their tryst, and definitively ended that relationship, perhaps kindling Alassra's hate of Red Wizards.

Alassra then retreats to the planes to gather spell components to take her vengeance on Thay. While there, Mystra confronts her and after a month of confrontation, Alassra returns to Toril as a Chosen. Soon after she settles in Aglarond and becomes a part of that realm's history. Unfortunately no dates or Roll Year names are given for any of the above, so its hard to know how many years Alassra spent as the Simbul before Elminster confronts her in 1246DR.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 15:08:00
Message:

Hi again, all.
A passing note re. the 35th Annual ORIGINS Awards: the FRCG lost out, but Devil’s Due, Jim Lowder, et al won for WORLDS OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 2 (which included “Elminster At the MageFair”).
George, I quite agree the conflicts and fuzzinesses re. El and The simbul’s early encounters need to be cleared up, and have forwarded your post to Ed - - but I have to stress that most of the NDAs Ed is stickhandling around directly concern The Simbul’s activities (rather than most of her apprentices), and it may take a little while for Ed to literally negotiate his way through them (he and Lynn are friends, and he doesn’t think she’ll be doing another Realms novel soon, and “elbow room” for her to do so are linked to some of the NDAs, but since the advent of Hasbro, simple “gentlemens’ agreements” [ladies included or not] are no longer so simple).
However, I can go through the list again and give a LITTLE more information, in the way of gender (aside from my speculations, not race, yet, although most of them are going to be human or half-elven):

Alaeya Summerstar: f
Alueeme Saryn (“The Masked One”): f
Bowmyn Starbridge: m
Braskelo Moonweather: m
Brenna Graycloak: f
Callond Mornbright: m
Daerovyn Bracegaunt: m
Emraryl Silver: f
Evenyl Tharnian (Evenyl Nathtalond): f
Filaerra Firehorn: f
Gelroar Sparpyke: m [this guy may be a half-orc or something exotic, because of the way he was spoken of by the NPC we Knights met, who mentioned him]
Haerla Glasryn: f [she may be exotic, too; cambion? Alu-fiend? Some sort of lower-planar/human crossbreed?]
Hondrar Silver: m
Indrin Melpretarr: m
Ismur Isyioanthan (“Isyio of Teziir”): m
Jasma Palondorn: f
Jelarra Haelhart: f [noted as “a wild one” by NPC commentator]
Kethrae Alantrorra: f
Labranth Harpell: m
Luin Alamanther: m
Lyran Duskwood: m
“Mandrar” (Manshoon clone): m
Melué Helmantle: f
Nalandra Ravendown: f
Ohland Grethgar: m
Omrae Manannthor: f
Phaeldara Mrallow: f
Phendelopé Dracostrond: f [“a noble from somewhere; Tethyr?” was the NPC comment]
Roryn Ostil: m
Soebraya Tarntarth: f
Thorneira Thalance: f
Trestar Zhelankho: m
Veldarra Maerynd: f
Vorn Halakrand: m
Yarrana Tambranthur: f


So there’s another step in this tantalizing “slow peel and reveal” we seem to be doing. (Ahem; SUCH a foreign concept for moi!)
More when I can find out more,
Love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 15:17:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

so.
Well, Ed went one better, as usual. He checked his NDAs and then passed along a longer list of his own - - and here it is.



I had half expected - well, hoped, perhaps - to see Breeandra Nenthyn among them. Not that I ever thought Breeandra was more than a dabbler in the arts, but some hints in Volo's Guide implied that the two knew each other more than just in passing... unless 'Brenna Graycloak' refers to Breeandra?
If it doesn't break NDA's (Breeandra Nenthyn died some time ago now), would Ed be able to tell a bit about whether existed a relation between the two?

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 15:24:45
Message:

Hi again, all!
George, this just in, from Ed:
The story dating in ELMINSTER IN HELL is indeed in error: the "memory snippet" that was published in that novel took place in 1262 DR.
The two DID meet in 1246 DR, in a scene that was edited out of EL IN HELL for length reasons (a LOT got snipped out of that book, for those same reasons). El was posing as someone else, in a magical disguise and using another name, to work against certain Thayan mages in a subtle rather than a "I'm a Chosen, my spells defy and defeat thee, hahahaha!" manner. The Simbul (I don't know if she was using that name at the time) was also in conflict with the Thayans, and the two of them ended up as brief, temporary allies in spell-battle.
Ed doesn't have time to try to retrieve that scene right now (it's on one of several hundred backup floppy discs, the computer it was written on having crashed, Zip drive first and the Zip cartridge in it dying an inglorious death in the process), but promises me he'll unearth it eventually. And either share it here at the Keep or try to get it onto the WotC website (free part only!), or something of the sort.
I never read the scene, so I can't tell you if El recognized The Simbul as the child he'd left with the Witches, or if Mystra or Azuth was keeping the Chosen informed as to the maturing and progress of the Seven all along, or . . . anything. I AM fairly certain, from the way Ed spoke of the scene, that The Simbul didn't know who her temporary ally really was.
So the "bad date" tag left in the published EL IN HELL referred to the wrong scene: the one that got taken out, rather than the one that survived (its date tag got edited out in error).
Sigh.
It's things like this that start wars in our real world . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 15:27:26
Message:

Hi yet AGAIN.
gomez, I THINK Breeandra was another ally and sometime working-partner of The Simbul rather than an apprentice - - but I'll ask Ed. This may be another case of "not mentioned because of NDA" (which covers, I believe, almost a dozen more characters who should be on an "Apprentices of The Simbul" list).
love,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 15:57:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

unless 'Brenna Graycloak' refers to Breeandra?
Gomez



I don't believe so. Brenna mostly plays a part in the Red Magic novel and she's written up in Heroes Lorebook. She is briefly mentioned in the Spellbound box set.

I always wanted to know more about her after reading that Harper novel. Hint, hint. :)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 16:50:21
Message:

Hi again, all.
Kuje is correct: Brenna and Breeandra are two different people. Kuje, your "hint, hint" has been sent off to Ed, who responded with a "teaser" for us all: his notes entry for the first apprentice on his long list.
Here, then, is all we know of Alaeya Summerstar (enjoy!):

Alaeya Summerstar: human female, great-aunt to the Lord Summerstar (patriarch) of Cormyr seen in Ed’s KNIGHTS OF MYTH DRANNOR trilogy. Young, impish, wayward, and gentle, light blonde hair, snub nose, “plain as a boot.” Considered “strange” (perhaps even of illegitimate birth) for having a talent for the Art, Alaeya sought out The Simbul for guidance. Of middling magical skills, Alaeya parted amicably from The Simbul, went her own way, and became a bucolic wanderer, living for short periods in many villages and wilderland steads. She never returned to Cormyr or her kin, and worked with Harpers from time to time. Last heard of on the verges of the High Forest north of Secomber, circa 1344 DR.


So saith Ed. More from him later, I hope. (To The Simbul: hope you've seen these posts. Talk about starting something . . . )
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 17:31:27
Message:

. . . And hello again, all.
Here's another Simbul's apprentice writeup Ed just sent me. This one was obviously close to hand because he'd updated it recently for 4e design use of some sort. Enjoy.

Daerovyn Bracegaunt: human male, sandy-haired, brown-eyed, restless young man of nondescript appearance and “serious, quiet-voiced, dry humour” manner. The son of Laraunder Bracegaunt, a busy glover and baldric-maker of Highmoon in Deepingdale (who sold his popular wares in Ordulin, and had all of his large, three-generation family engaged in making them - - until Laraunder and many of his family died in the plague that afflicted Scardale, while on a “set up a shop here?” visit), Daerovyn had wanderlust - - and a hunger for the Art - - from a very young age. The Zhentarim tried to recruit him as a local spy when he was very young, and when he later had contact with a traveling Harper, tried to threaten him by promising violence would be done to his family. A terrified Daerovyn fled to Yhaunn, signed on as a “copper and bread” crewman on a ramshackle freight cog helmed out of Tantras, and fled the cruelty of that life at the first port of call, in Aglarond. Came on The Simbul by chance while wandering through the realm, while she was using the guise of an aging male peddler, traveled with her for some days, fought to defend her when she was attacked by brigands - - and she took him on as an apprentice after revealing her true self in routing the brigands.
Always more comfortable as a warrior and wanderer than as a mage, though he could “feel the Weave” (detect magic, acutely discerning nature and strength, in a limited range) almost as well as a Chosen, Daerovyn became a loyal traveling envoy for The Simbul, and was still in her service when the Spellplague hit. Believed to have wed and settled somewhere in rural Aglarond, and to have had descendants.


So saith Ed. Bringing us all rich Realmslore, day by day in small but satisfying ways.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 28 Jun 2009 22:57:12
Message:

If milady has common Dalesfolk names to hand, like the Cormyte ones a little while back, I'd be pleased to see them.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 09:36:02
Message:

I have a question about Elminster to Ed. Could you tell us of some times when Elminster badly misjudged his opponent? You see, I was remembering some scenes when baddies blast at El and when the smoke clears he just stands there and grins. In particular there was a scene with a lich who summoned an assortment of various nasties (can't remember which book it's in).

This got me thinking, has El ever been in a situation where he just stands still, waiting for the baddie's magic to just bounce of him (this seems to be a favorite of Ed. I think something like that happened in the first elminster book between a magelord and the Magister), and when the attack comes he realizes that he has severely underestimated the foe. Sort of like a zhentarim wizard of middling strength who has by chance discovered a killing spell that slices through protection spells like a knife through butter, or someone Elminster thought was just a random mugger in an alley (like how he met his daughter in the titular book) but turns out to be so supernaturally fast and strong that he/she is a genuine threat.

Sorry if this was a bit rambling, I have just been pondering this for "checks calendar" 5 months now and I had to spit it out.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 14:28:03
Message:

He underestimated Shandril... but she was on 'his side', fortunately.

Then again, nearly everyone underestimated Shandril.

IMHO, someone like Khelben (full of hubris) would more-likely fall into that trap then Elminster - he doesn't seem the type to take stuff for granted. He is also the sneakiest git in the Realms, and usuaully had been observing any opponent for YEARS before they even became aware of him.

In fact, that's Elminster's Forte' - probably learned early-on against the Mage-Lords - know your enemies better then your friends, keep them close, and note any and all weaknesses. El could only be surprised by someone he has never encountered before... which is highly unlikeluy given his penchant to snoop into everything everywhere.

Someone from 'outside' the Realms could surprise him, as did that Saurial Wizard who swapped places with him, much to the Old mage's chagrin. Or maybe some 'random nobody' who just happen to stumble upon some ancient and powerful, magic.

But known quantities such as Zhentarrim and Red Wizards, not so much.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 15:18:21
Message:

Hi again, everybody.
Good question, khorne. Off it's gone to Ed, and we'll see. In my play experience, Elminster does the "stand and take it" tactic in two situations: when he wants others to see and get wiser by seeing (the "oops, better not tangle with the old guy with the beard"), and when he's giving his attacker or a bystander time to make a moral decision or see the true nature of someone ("Will I strike this bearded old man down?" or "By Chauntea, that jack just hurled a spell at that old man! Smote him in cold blood, he did!").
However, Ed will of course have his own take on the situation.

In the meantime, I bring you Ed's swift reply to Faraer's query, being as this was something Ed has "ready notes" on. Here, therefore, are given names of the Dales, ladies first, listed alphabetically. Where variants are listed in a "comma row," they are listed in order of greater popularity before lesser. The most common names, overall, are denoted with an asterisk. Ed tells me these are current as of the 1370s; there have been some shifts in favoured nomenclature since the 1350s.
So here we go . . .

FEMALE
Alys *
Barandra
Bethra
Cheleace
Dellora, Delorna
Embra
Faehe
Glarra *
Haelone
Hestra *
Imbra
Jadynth
Jhaele
Kandratha
Kelnaere
Larune *, Lorune
Lyla *
Maethe
Malaena *
Mindra
Narra *
Nelnora
Ondra
Perendra
Raene
Ressa *, Resra
Sabrelle *
Saeryle
Sarindra *
Tarondra
Tashandra
Tessyn *
Velna, Velorna
Wyndra, Wyndara

MALE
Alarn
Bellard, Beliard
Brace *
Cadarn
Deln, Delyn
Dorn *
Embryn
Esmer, Esmur
Farl
Gulkin
Hargin, Hargrim
Harl *
Jaskur
Keldorn
Loryn *
Loskur
Mane
Mororn
Nardryn
Nindan, Nindyn
Norbryn
Parlond
Rory *, Roryn *, Rornagar
Rygur
Sandryn *
Telver *
Torst *
Wuldyn


So saith Ed. And there you have it, Faraer and all. Useful Realmslore; clip and save! (Collect [ahem] 'em all!)
love,
THO


Reply author: bradhunter
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 15:22:37
Message:

Dear Ed,

With the publication of the compilation issue of the recent Dragon magazine #376, Revenants have now become a legal player option for the Living Forgotten Realms campaign. The article shows these beings as souls returned by the Raven Queen in order to complete an unfinished task. There is a little fluff for alternate options, but nothing Realms specific is given, sadly.

Generally, when the Raven Queen is referenced, we are to assume that in a Realms game this means Kelemvor. Given his stance on undead, however, this would seem illogical. Kelemvor is for people dying at the appointed time and opposed to those who seek to extend their life unnaturally. Revenants are not truly undead, but are affected by spells and effects as if they were both undead and living.

Can you offer any insight? Might Kelemvor allow someone who has passed on to return to finish something left undone? If not Kelemvor, could you offer good alternatives to explain this in a Realms-specific fashion? Something that would allow one to play a revenant without stepping all over canon?

I hope to play one of these soon, and I'd like to be as true to Realms lore as possible.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 15:37:48
Message:

bradhunter, this is something I can give you a swift answer on, by quoting my notes from Ed's comments from the time of the Avatar design discussions (not the internal TSR ones, but the gaming community ones that followed publication of the Time of Troubles/Avatar affair).
So, here's Ed, from almost two decades ago:

Kelemvor is one of the most unwilling and conflicted of the "New Gods." Although he has a fierce revulsion for undead, his hatred is reserved for "undead by choice" (such as liches). He has sympathy for haunts, apparitions, and revenants that exist because someone died without being able to finish a task, mission, or achievement that dominated their lives at the time of death, or so violently and "unfairly" that revenge or at least public identification of their slayer (as a warning to others) leaves them unable to "rest." So Kelemvor will turn a blind eye to "unfinished business" undead, but stand against those who seek to cheat death and achieve undeath thereby.

Now, that's Ed's opinion, at the time (and please note that "haunts, apparitions, and revenants" in his words refer to the 2e "monsters" of the game), but it's an opinion reached and informed by many discussions with TSR designers of the time, and their bosses, too (managers). In other words, the equivalent of Wizards designers and brass of today; those in charge of the game rules and of the unfolding metastory of the published Realms.
So I'd say Kelemvor would both allow such a "return," and not stand in the way of another deity empowering such undead, so long as that other deity wasn't using it to assemble an army of undead and try to dominate undeath (i.e. wrest portfolios or influence away from Kelemvor [[BTW, adding divine portfolios, per se, to the game was another Ed innovation, though in fuzzier form they were around in the game and real-world mythology and fantasy fiction long before Ed]].
So start playing your revenant right now . . .
I'll contact Ed with your post right away, of course, to see if he reacts with a "Whoa!" . . . but I don't expect one, and if you don't see one, Ed's long-ago words still stand.
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 16:06:59
Message:

So how would Kelemvor look at someone like a baelnorn -- a voluntary undead, but still one with a mission?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 16:07:35
Message:

Shar is the most obvious choice for a Raven Queen replacement. Considering her connections to the Shadowfel, into which the Negative Palne was rolled, I think it's a given that this is something she would 'back', simply because it sows chaos, which helps entropy along.

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, everybody.
Good question, khorne. Off it's gone to Ed, and we'll see. In my play experience, Elminster does the "stand and take it" tactic in two situations: when he wants others to see and get wiser by seeing(the "oops, better not tangle with the old guy with the beard"), and when he's giving his attacker or a bystander time to make a moral decision or see the true nature of someone ("Will I strike this bearded old man down?" or "By Chauntea, that jack just hurled a spell at that old man! Smote him in cold blood, he did!"). <snip>

Elminster also has spell-absorbing mantles usually in-place, which means he is clever-enough to be empowered by his foes attacks.

Why waste your own energy, when you can waste your enemy's against him?

I thought of this after my last post, but I figure it's still relevant - the first word that comes to mind when I think of Elminster is 'Wiley' - he does nothing without a reason, even if his reasons are unfathomable by most folks. He is the supreme coservationist - you do not knock down a village just to kill a rat (something many mages are guilty of - wasteful 'overkill').


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 16:58:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

So how would Kelemvor look at someone like a baelnorn -- a voluntary undead, but still one with a mission?


This is something that I had to deal with in my last campaign, where the party, including both a Cleric and a Paladin devoted to Kelemvor, needed assistance from a baelnorn. My conclusion was that baelnorn are outside Kelemvor's 'jurisdiction', by agreement with Shehanine, the elven goddess of the dead: Kelemvor instructs his undead-hunters to ignore these creatures (distasteful as they might be), because the elven system is 'different', and these individuals are tied up in the fate of the Fair Folk, something which he has no desire to tinker with. Again, this was my take on it, and as much as it makes sense to me, it's equally possible that I just hand-waved it for expediency, and am trying to justify it to myself now.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 17:03:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

So how would Kelemvor look at someone like a baelnorn -- a voluntary undead, but still one with a mission?

Ed, I'm adding to Wooly's question, since I'd like to know how Kelemvor would also view an archlich [which is, obviously, something more than just a lich]?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 20:09:44
Message:

I can't answer for Ed re. archliches, but I can confirm that the Knight of the Gate is quite correct: Ed, as DM, has during play (in response to pointed in-character questions) told us that "the elves see to their own" (meaning the human deities don't have jurisdiction over elven undead, and would ignore them; unlike bestial destructive undead, they are indeed "undead with a task/mission" and therefore not "best destroyed").
Off your posts go to Ed, of course, for his eventual responses.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 20:19:03
Message:

Oh, forgot to respond to Markustay's post: yes, Elminster is indeed a "do no more than is needful" spellhurler (though of course he sometimes, as in the famous fire-magic hurling scene in ELMINSTER AT THE MAGEFAIR, believes that an overkill demonstration is the best "needful" response to prevent ongoing troubles). More than once Ed has included scenes in his fiction about the true wisdom of the veteran trained archwizard being knowing when NOT to use power.
And longtime Realms designers, from Jeff Grubb onwards, will confirm that the governing design principle for Elminster in adventures is that he won't aid PCs if he need not (in other words, he won't do the adventuring thing and reduce them to spectators or sidekicks; only in the not-by-Ed scene in the Avatar modules where he's spell-dueling gods does he engage in spell battle in the presence of PCs). Ed used to portray El as a befuddled, fussy old man if PCs showed up at his Tower and tried to get him to do magics for them, or tried to bully or threaten him. Then he'd hurl a titantic, Shadowdale-shaking meteor swarm out over the meadow, chuckle and say, "Aha! Remembered it! That's fun; let's do it again!" (And he'd gleefully cast a second one, usually leaving prudent players shaking in their boots and hastily revising what they were going to have their characters try to do to him.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 20:37:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

More than once Ed has included scenes in his fiction about the true wisdom of the veteran trained archwizard being knowing when NOT to use power.

Mr. Pratchett also has that in his discworld novels. The wizards are very good at NOT using magic, since in far too many places where they practised no such restraint, grass will never grow again...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 29 Jun 2009 20:37:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. And there you have it, Faraer and all. Useful Realmslore; clip and save! (Collect [ahem] 'em all!)



I did ;) This will be helpful.

Gomez,
who wished he could have a PokéBall with a THO inside... ;P


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 02:30:49
Message:

No, no, gomez! "PokéBall" is what * I * do to YOU.
Ahem.
Realms relevance? Oh, yes ...

bradhunter, Knight of the Gate, and other interested scribes: Ed has confirmed that his view still stands: Kelemvor (and by his instruction, his clergy) ignore baelnorn. That is, they do not treat them as undead to be destroyed, and deal with them only as necessary; polite avoidance and minimal contact is best (and being as Ed is the creator of baelnorn, he's by definition the go-to expert on them).
According to Ed, archliches are regarded as undead to be aided in achieving their task/mission and then cajoled to "pass on" into true death rather than hanging around; archliches who disagree, or who have established "unfulfillable" or really long-term tasks or missions for themselves, are to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis (i.e. Kelemvor, working through his servants as proxies, wants to truly understand the motivation and natures of each individual archlich before deciding on a policy towards each particular archlich).
I grinned at that and sent Ed a "weasel, weasel, weasel" tease, and he replied:


Weasel, of course. :} Yet on the other hand: why not? Herein lies the sort of roleplaying that should be at the heart and core of every long-running D&D campaign. So long as the DM arranges it so that players, through their characters, have a chance to govern/substantially influence outcomes, rather than being reduced to spectators of the DM's acting out events.

So saith Ed. Here endeth the latest word from the Greenwood.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 02:37:39
Message:

khorne, yes indeed!
Both Ed and I love Terry's books, and devour them all as they appear. (Attendees at the last Toronto Worldcon may remember Terry's panel, wherein he and Ed, who shared the panel podium with him, got along just fine.)
Knowing when NOT to use your magic, and the folly of forgetting that prudence, is an old, old idea in fantasy literature (as in: at least as old as the knightly romances and Celtic folklore, to say nothing of the Brothers Grimm). Ed and Terry just both happen to believe it should apply to the truly wise spellhurlers in their respective fantasy worlds, and both of them have firmly put it there, by example and by narrator's comment. More than once, each.
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 13:40:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

No, no, gomez! "PokéBall" is what * I * do to YOU.



That is a promise?

Would Ed like to explain how he determines regional (or racial) names? Is it a 'gut feeling' mix-and-match (which is basically how I do names) or does he use a certain system (i.e. the use of certain vowels or combinations of letters for names in specific regions or races)?

Gomez,
who recalls the last years of the Living Greyhawk campaign (other setting, I know), where PC wizards/sorcerers apparently got so lazy they would teleport or fly anywhere (often polymorphed or shapechanged), rather than walk... It got so 'bad' that Nesalia (my PC) banned the use of magic in her bathhouse out of sheer annoyance over the ego-tripping.
Ands tehn she went isnane and almost set her bath house on fire.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 14:22:56
Message:

I was gong to repond to the Pokéball thing, but I bit my tongue...

Now I just can't help myself. The first thing I pictured in my twisted little mind was throwing one of those much-beloved red & white balls and yelling "Hooded One! I choose you!"

"Hooded One! Saucey Dance Attack, now!"

Anyhow, Ed, and Terry, and many, MANY other authors (including 'pulp' greats such as Howard and Moorcock, and tons and tons of folklore) traditionally have mages growing weaker as they cast spells - something sadly missing in D&D (I have my own stamina system which deals with this).

Any author worth his salt will portray Magic-users thusly, and thats why a truly great Mage knows how to do the most while exerting the least amount of energy. Many a Magister tired himself out, only to be taken by surprise by another contender for the title (and why Mystra had to change the rules). Only an idiot - or wet-behind-the-ears apprentice - uses-up his best spells at the start of any conflict.

As shown in Elminster in Hell, even an Archmage and Chosen of Mystra can leave himself so exhausted as to become helpless.

Magic itself is a resource, and like any resource, you must use it wisely, and sparingly. This is a hard-won lesson that comes with age and experience, and as we know, anything that comes with age is something Elminster should be exceedingly good at.

Elminster is more about being 'proactive', then 'reactive'. Very little happens that he hasn't already anticipated. He actually enjoys it when an opponent surprises him, just for the novelty of it.

Another reason that is occasionally used in stories for NOT over-using magic is the Yin-Yang principle, or rather, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." We see this with both Gandalf and Belgarath - you do not go-about changing the wheather unless you have a very good reason, because somewhere else in the world you just created an entirely new wheather problem. I've even seen that applied in Marvel comics, and it is one of the few 'limiting factors' of Dr. Strange's magic (and why he won't meddle in the timestream - it usually leads to something far worse).

And the reason why I bring this up is because I have yet another question - which THO could probably answer - does that come into play at all in Ed's Realms? I'm fairly certain Ed uses the first one - that Mages become weaker as they use magic - but I'm not sure how much he applies that second 'law' (Basically, the Butterfly effect).


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:08:41
Message:

He does. During the climactic spell-battles near the end of SPELLFIRE, the Shadows of the Avatar trilogy, and other Ed books, Ed wrote a lot of "window cutaways" that were akin to this:
Meanwhile, somewhere in Amn, an old and mighty duskwood turned a brightly glowing pink, tore itself up out of the forest loam, and shot several hundred feet into the air. Several vastly impressed vultures, squawking on nearby branches, promptly turned into green flowers.

(I'm making that one up, paraphrasing Ed rather than quoting him, but it's fairly close to the sort of passage Ed wrote.)

Unfortunately, these are the sort of touches that editors who don't "grok the Realms" sufficiently furrow their brows at, proclaim, "Huh?" - - and edit out. So the published books contain very few of them. They're always there in Ed's original manuscripts, though. Nor is this a problem confined to Ed's Realms fiction. Copy editors at other publishers have pounced on such touches with such comments as: "Doesn't directly advance the plot" and "Seems part of another book, dropped in by your word processor, perhaps?" and so on. One wonders just how anyone writing fantasy books above the level of, say, car-chase and bang-bang gets them published these days. (As an editor, hearing - - and in Ed's case, seeing with my own eyes, written on manuscripts - - such horror stories make me sick. If the editor wants to tell a story their way, they should write their own book. Of course, they'd better make sure they get to edit it, too, or they'll know just how it feels to have someone tromp all over their prose. )
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:14:21
Message:

Hi, Ed and THO.
I was watching an old M*A*S*H* episode yesterday, wherein the 4077th encampment was freezing in unusually cold weather. The action opened with a poker game being played for socks, hats, scarves, and so on.
Which made me wonder: in the warmer parts of the Realms (Chult, the Tashalar, etc.), how often does sudden cold weather hit, and how do "just plain folks" deal with it? Are there closets full of "keep warmer" clothing that people maintain? Do they build fires and huddle around them? Does this sort of weather bring travel and commerce to a grinding halt (i.e. merchants don't bother to travel to markets to open their stalls)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:19:52
Message:

Ah, MASH! Now, THERE was good TV scriptwriting. Then, as now, too few shows display it. Sigh. Guess that's the nature of talent: never enough to go around.
Which (ahem) leads to my question: in stable, long-term, relatively non-tyrannical regimes like Waterdeep and Cormyr, how many smart, capable, dedicated courtiers are there, and how many drones and lazy obstructionists? Does the proportion of "bad bureaucrats" increase steadily over time, or does the presence of the War Wizards in one place and the (masked, and therefore able to snoop "out of uniform") Lords in the other help to weed out the really corrupt and keep things groaning, if not humming, along?
Thanks in advance. No rush on this one, I'm just curious.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:23:53
Message:

This talk of M*A*S*H reminds me to ask: is Ed doing - - or has he done recently - - any television writing that he can tell us about?
Some of the dialogue on NCIS, though modern American, has at times reminded me of some of Ed's dialogue in his early Realms novels.
Thanks.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:27:24
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I was at a party last night at which some writers were discussing the pros and cons of joining SFWA. Is Ed still a member?
I seem to remember reading somewhere that he was a lifetime member; true?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 15:32:49
Message:

Hi again, all.
Yes, Broken Helm, Ed is a Lifetime Active Member of SFWA. I'll leave it to him to comment on those pros and cons. SFWA has done some great things, and been very useful, but has also been home to many, many vicious internal feuds and bickering, down the years. I DO know that Ed ALWAYS votes in its elections and for the Nebulas, and diligently reads every work he can find that's on the ballots and candidates' platforms, too, so as to place his vote most intelligently - - which argues that he takes that part of SFWA very seriously.
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 30 Jun 2009 20:26:09
Message:

If I may try to give a tentative answer:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay:
Another reason that is occasionally used in stories for NOT over-using magic is the Yin-Yang principle, or rather, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." We see this with both Gandalf and Belgarath - you do not go-about changing the wheather unless you have a very good reason, because somewhere else in the world you just created an entirely new wheather problem. I've even seen that applied in Marvel comics, and it is one of the few 'limiting factors' of Dr. Strange's magic (and why he won't meddle in the timestream - it usually leads to something far worse).

And the reason why I bring this up is because I have yet another question - which THO could probably answer - does that come into play at all in Ed's Realms? I'm fairly certain Ed uses the first one - that Mages become weaker as they use magic - but I'm not sure how much he applies that second 'law' (Basically, the Butterfly effect).


Well, I don't know whether this is Ed speaking or Troy Denning, but this is what Vangerdahast thinks, from Death of the Dragon, Page 183 (hardback edition):
"The problem was that wishes were reasonable things. They were entirely reasonable, and it was that which made them entirely unpredictable. For the multiverse to stay in balance, there had to be a certain equilibrium so that even as the thing the wisher asked was granted, something he did not wish also came to be. If people could simply go around wishing thing without consquences, the multiverse would quickly go unstable and spin out of control. By wishing Nalavara out of existence, he had merely taken her out of his immediate existence and placed her in another where he wanted her even less, and the multiverse had stayed in balance."


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 01:24:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


Anyhow, Ed, and Terry, and many, MANY other authors (including 'pulp' greats such as Howard and Moorcock, and tons and tons of folklore) traditionally have mages growing weaker as they cast spells - something sadly missing in D&D (I have my own stamina system which deals with this).

Any author worth his salt will portray Magic-users thusly, and thats why a truly great Mage knows how to do the most while exerting the least amount of energy. Many a Magister tired himself out, only to be taken by surprise by another contender for the title (and why Mystra had to change the rules). Only an idiot - or wet-behind-the-ears apprentice - uses-up his best spells at the start of any conflict.





I'm sure Terry Brooks' Shannara books would be a part of that "magic at a price" theme. One of my earliest fantasy reads was "The Elfstones of Shannara" and I vividly remember an ending scene where the druid-mage Allanon reveals how his magic has burned away much of his lifeforce and aged him. He says, "There is only so much life/power given to us, only so much, and no more."


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 02:26:44
Message:

Hi, all.
Menelvagor, that's one of Troy's passages. Ed was facing heart surgery at the time that book was being written, so in case he "went" early, he wrote the death of Azoun scene first, then worked his way backwards through the book (he and Troy having divided up the chapters). In general, if you have Tanalasta onstage, or Vangerdahast onstage outside of Suzail, you're in Troy's hands.
Back at the time just post-publication of the book, we went through in detail "who'd written what." (Each collaboration Ed has done has happened in a different way, because Ed wants to try every sort of method, and so always wants his collaborator - - Jeff Grubb or Rob King or Troy or Elaine Cunningham - - to "do" the collaboration the way they're most comfortable, and Ed will go along with whatever they prefer, so they're happiest and we get the best resulting writing, and so Ed has the fun of potentially doing it differently every time.
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 07:49:03
Message:

Well, that's certainly interesting. But the question is, did Troy write this scene without 'agreement' from Ed, or did Ed agree with the general theory given in this scene?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 08:11:37
Message:

Hello again everyone,

Ed and LHO, I have a question regarding how the different religious faiths of Faerun carry out executions within their own organizations (i.e. for heresy or unforgiveable crimes), or against a sworn enemy of their faith or ethos (usually another deity's followers.)

My curiosity springs from two sources: your article on the Scarlet Mummers engaging Loviatans with dance, bladed boots, and chimes of harmonic agony, and a description from a novel that notes how Oghmanytes once bound authors of false/evil tomes with their books and burnt them both amidst bonfires.

I'd imagine evil gods decreeing specific methods on how to execute heretics or enemies of the faith more often than goodly gods, but you never know (I was surprised by Llira's Mummers). I'm most interested in the faith-based execution methods of Mystra, Lathander and Sune if they exist, but anything that you share would be wonderful.

Thanks in advance!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:17:48
Message:

I had always thought gods merely placed the thought "Kill the infidels!" in the heads of priests, and clergy came-up with all the interesting and inventive ways to carry that out.

The way heresies work, and the way 'godly power' works (especially post-ToT), I think a god would support his/her own heresies, if only because it would attract persons to the faith who would not ordinarilly be drawn to it. I think mortal priests would have the bigger problem with them, because they view them as competition.

Now, going against other religions is a whole different ball of wax, and something that is quite common in the Realms. I wouldn't mind hearing about how certain churches 'handle' executions of specific other god's clergy.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:21:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I had always thought gods merely placed the thought "Kill the infidels!" in the heads of priests, and clergy came-up with all the interesting and inventive ways to carry that out.

The way heresies work, and the way 'godly power' works (especially post-ToT), I think a god would support his/her own heresies, if only because it would attract persons to the faith who would not ordinarilly be drawn to it. I think mortal priests would have the boigger problem with them, because they view them as competition.

Now, going against other religions is a whole different ball of wax, and something that is quite common in the Realms. I wouldn't mind hearing about how certain churches 'handle' executions of specific other god's clergy.



MT, I'm always amazed at your ability to totally threadjack a topic on a side-trip to Mordor, but then bring it back to the Shire before you wrap it up.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:30:34
Message:

Hi, all.
Menelvagor, Ed was in total agreement with Troy (they did each read each other's chapters, and Troy asked Ed to do a "light overwrite" to catch anything that didn't "sound like the Realms" [meaning dialogue or detail that was just wrong; as I recall, Ed didn't find anything that he felt was "wrong enough" to justify monkeying with another writer's storytelling]).
The agreement was hardly surprising; Troy and Ed were, after all, both game designers who worked a lot on and with D&D (Troy on staff, Ed as freelancer), and the DM misuse and player abuse of wishes was one of the "hot problems" of the game at the time. For one thing, any novel writer, faced with a book in which a beloved monarch dies or a kingdom is faced by a great monstrous foe, has to dispose of the "so why doesn't someone solve/prevent the whole thing with a properly-worded wish spell?" (and leave us with no book full of derring-do) conundrum.
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:32:48
Message:

Re. killing priests: discipline within a church is one thing, but killing off your own priests, if godly strength is tied to amount of worship, would seem to be counter-productive.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:35:26
Message:

I remember this being discussed at a Milwaukee-era GenCon seminar about the Realms, and Ed and some TSR staffers agreeing that "cleansing fire" would be the most popular method of killing a "completely fallen and unrepentant" priest. Yes, those are direct quotes; I took notes.
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 15:38:46
Message:

Re. this, from our Lovely Lady Hooded:
"a book in which a beloved monarch dies or a kingdom is faced by a great monstrous foe"
. . . I just wanted to comment that I always loved how that book was both; it could have been a great train wreck in which the one overshadowed the other, and ALMOST was, but in the end . . . wasn't.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 20:37:03
Message:

I just got around to reading Ken Hite's Tour de Lovecraft, and it struck me that giving the same treatment to Ed's Realms fiction would be a very useful and fun read (themes in Ed's tales).
What do other scribes think? What do YOU think, Ed and THO?


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 20:47:32
Message:

Wellllll... I see a problem with it.
Not that Ed's work isn't literarily worthy of it (heck, the very success of the Realms, even if the world sold ten products and its sole popularity was Drizzt novels, qualifies it; far more obscure writers, turning out stuff that many will agree is "bad" [really hack pulp writers, for instance], have received such treatment in the past).
The "problem" is that Ed (thank all the gods of the Realms!) isn't dead and gone and hasn't stopped writing about the Realms, yet.
The Chulthu canon is alive and flourishing, but Lovecraft is long dead and so a critic or writer or anyone else can look over his entire canon and reach some valid conclusions; we can't yet do that with Ed's writing, despite its vastly greater volume than Lovecraft's (Lovecraft's own writing, that is, not counting the letters and non-horror and everything else that Hite leaves out), because it isn't finished, and Ed could change any conclusion by something he writes next, or two books from now.
We can't yet see the "whole picture" when it comes to Ed's themes. I can list some of them off the top of my head (for instance, the "little guy/gal or common man being forced into doing something heroic, and doing the right thing, and that being as heroic as any wild action sequence"), but I can't yet draw a final, valid conclusion about Ed's use of them because Ed isn't finished using them.
It's like looking in Ed's kitchen and saying, "Okay with meats and vegetables, but doesn't do pastry at all" - - and the next day Ed starts learning how to bake for the first time, and becomes a superb (or lousy but persistent) pastry cook, and stops preparing meat and vegetables and anything else. My first opinion is then not just dated, it's useless.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 20:53:19
Message:

Full agreement with Sage of the Stars, from me. As Tolkien used to say about critics of LOTR (I'm paraphrasing, not quoting exactly): "I'd prefer that they waited until I was dead - - and I'm not, yet."
I know quite well the marketing reasons behind calling Ed's short story collection the "Best of Ed Greenwood" and doing the same with Elaine's, but in both cases I winced. Who knows what better short stories they'll do later?
I happen to think that at least three of Ed's SPIN A YARN tales, despite all the silly ideas he was forced to include in them, are better STORIES than many in his "Best" collection. I also happen to know that several tales that Ed considers better than the ones that were included in that book were left out of it for various reasons.
Judging Ed's Realms fiction without having seen most of it is a waste of time, IMHO. By all means let's discuss the themes Ed's shown us thus far; just leave any notion of "touring his canon" out of it. We've seen probably three or four rooms in his literary mansion (I hope).


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 20:55:40
Message:

I, too, am going to wheel my creaking old bones up to stand in agreement with A Publishing Lackey and Sage of Stars.
Not that looking at Ed's themes is a bad idea, Baleful Avatar. It's just that the sort of overview Mr. Hite gives to Lovecraft just can't be gained with Ed, yet. Not that both men haven't given us all great sandboxes to play in.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Jul 2009 20:59:53
Message:

Acck! I turn my back to do some Canada Day security work, only to see "litter-ah-choo-er" discussions breaking out behind me.
"Ed Greenwood: Guilty of Literature?"
Reminds me of Terry's face, when someone started reading out his (real) version of that (spun from Terry's by me) book title while interviewing him: a little pleased, a little amused, and a little despairing.
Oh, nooooo! (And so forth.)
Just let Ed write the next dozen Realms things first, okay? Don't distract him with this; look at all the unanswered lore questions we have here at the Keep for him to dig through!
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 01:01:10
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen
My curiosity springs from two sources: your article on the Scarlet Mummers engaging Loviatans with dance, bladed boots, and chimes of harmonic agony, and a description from a novel that notes how Oghmanytes once bound authors of false/evil tomes with their books and burnt them both amidst bonfires.


Both examples sound wrong. In the former, subjecting the Loviatans to pain before death would seem to be playing straight into Loviatar's hands, and the other just seem wrong for a largely neutral faith (false/evil tomes... what?! That seems a highly highly highly subjective judgment to make for a god of knowledge (knowledge is knowledge, evil or not)! Maybe it's just that burning books is abhorrent to me... *shrug*).

quote:
I'd imagine evil gods decreeing specific methods on how to execute heretics or enemies of the faith more often than goodly gods, but you never know (I was surprised by Llira's Mummers). I'm most interested in the faith-based execution methods of Mystra, Lathander and Sune if they exist, but anything that you share would be wonderful.


If execution is really performed by good faiths (I have no doubt about evil faiths, they'd be very cruel about it too), I would hope that truly good faiths would make their execution methods as quick and painless as they could - and only after they were 100% sure, with no doubt about it, that the person they're executing was really guilty... Also, given the way the afterlife works (and given what everyone knows about it, particularly clergy), killing an enemy is just handing them back to their deity (especially if they were true to their deity). It's can't be much of a punishment.

It's possible that my opinion here is coloured by modern sensibilities, but execution just seems like a wrong headed approach to punishment for a good society. (Most modern western nations have done away with the death penalty, and for very good reasons.)

Anyway, just my musing. I will be interested in Ed's answer to this question too.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 07:22:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen
My curiosity springs from two sources: your article on the Scarlet Mummers engaging Loviatans with dance, bladed boots, and chimes of harmonic agony, and a description from a novel that notes how Oghmanytes once bound authors of false/evil tomes with their books and burnt them both amidst bonfires.



Both examples sound wrong. In the former, subjecting the Loviatans to pain before death would seem to be playing straight into Loviatar's hands, and the other just seem wrong for a largely neutral faith (false/evil tomes... what?! That seems a highly highly highly subjective judgment to make for a god of knowledge (knowledge is knowledge, evil or not)! Maybe it's just that burning books is abhorrent to me... *shrug*).

quote:
I'd imagine evil gods decreeing specific methods on how to execute heretics or enemies of the faith more often than goodly gods, but you never know (I was surprised by Llira's Mummers). I'm most interested in the faith-based execution methods of Mystra, Lathander and Sune if they exist, but anything that you share would be wonderful.


If execution is really performed by good faiths (I have no doubt about evil faiths, they'd be very cruel about it too), I would hope that truly good faiths would make their execution methods as quick and painless as they could - and only after they were 100% sure, with no doubt about it, that the person they're executing was really guilty... Also, given the way the afterlife works (and given what everyone knows about it, particularly clergy), killing an enemy is just handing them back to their deity (especially if they were true to their deity). It's can't be much of a punishment.





As to the Scarlet Mummers, they are special militant sect devoted to punishing the Loviatans for daring to murder a high priestess who was Llira's lover during the Time of Troubles. Ed personally makes no mention of the magical chimes in his article, but the item is later mentioned here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070306a) as being used by the Mummers to show the Loviatans that true pain comes from the loss of love, not scourges. Nice flavor text, but like you I'm skeptical as to whether a Loviatan would take time to appreciate the irony...

As to the Oghmanyte practice, unfortunately I can't remember which novel I read it from, but the speaker refers to the burnings in the past tense, so I assume that it was a practice that was either isolated, or met with disfavor and was not continued.

Also, while I hope that none of the goodly faiths of Faerun have as cruelly elaborate methods of execution as their evil counterparts, I suspect that not all would go for quick beheadings/sword-through-the-heart type executions. Hence, I didn't request those for whom "quick and painless" would be most likely, such as the three T's (Tempus, Torm, and Tyr) or Ilmater. Aside from Lathander, the other two faiths tend more toward neutral/chaotic goodly tendencies which might allow for some surprising practices.

Finally, elaborate and ritualized executions are more for the living than the soon-to-be dead. True, it's a final punishment for that individual, but it's also meant as a deterrent for those who would follow in his/her wake ("This is the fate that awaits you, and its not going to be pretty!"). For the victimized religious community, perhaps it also serves to satisfy a visceral need for vengeance, more than a rational desire for justice. In any case, though the execution sends the offending person straight to their deity, that's one less individual running around on the Prime Material advancing their deity's goals.

Anyways, I'm glad that I've piqued a few others' interest on the matter.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 17:11:09
Message:

Oghma 'might' be 'into' burning False tomes, because he is more about knowledge itself (despite his title, "The Binder").

Deneir is more about the physical books, and would probably allow for 'false tomes' to continue to exist, because his clergy follows the addage "There is no such thing as useless lore" (which means even pure fiction has it's uses).

The existance af 'false histories' and other fictionalized texts still have an important purpose - they teach students of lore not to rely on a single source, but to do their own investigations and draw their own conclusions.

Oghma, on the other hand, is probably offended by what he consider 'untruths' written down.

At least, that is how I see the difference between the two very similar gods. Steven Schend touched upon some of that in his Blackstaff novel (there was some problems between the church and Khelben - the biggest perpetrator of 'false tomes' if there ever was one - although the conflict primarilly addressed his "hidden knowledge").

Just my Two Cents.


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 17:55:46
Message:

Aha! Now you touch upon the subject of my long-ago discussion with Ed. "The love of books" is strong in both Oghma and Deneir (and passed on to their clergy). Oghma would rarely want to advocate the destruction of books that didn't harm readers (i.e. the poisoned book in THE NAME OF THE ROSE, or a book full of Explosive Runes or other nasty "activate by reading" magics WOULD be a candidate for destruction).
Rather, Oghma's clergy would want to revise books to remove mistakes and incorrect perceptions. Censors, if you will, except that they don't want to stifle the opinions and "voice" of the original writer, so that in passages where the writer expands on mistaken assumptions, they would want to bind into the book an editorial commentary pointing out the mistakes, erroneous assumptions, and so on.
This comes from Ed, back in the day. We joked about readers who "don't get" satire because they're too ignorant of the original or the subject being satirized to recognize it; well, priests of Oghma would LABEL satire as such.
So saith Ed, circa 1992 or so.
Corrections? Changes in opinion since? Ed, THO?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 17:59:10
Message:

Hmmm. Baleful's mention of TOUR DE LOVECRAFT made me wonder: are such "overview" books (of literary works by others, not "real" topics and persons and objects) popular in the Realms, among the general reading public?
Or are they confined to small circles of "those in the know," sages, monks of Candlekeep, and so on?
Are they primarily "rant" chapbooks, or are some (most?) of them more substantial, longer lasting, and widely regarded?
Inquiring minds, as always, want to know . . .
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Jul 2009 20:33:57
Message:

Hi again, all.
Blueblade, Ed has just responded to your latest question, which I sent him moments after you posted it; here's his reply:

Hi! What you term "overview literary criticism" has a relatively narrow readership in the Realms; it IS primarily read by sages, Oghmanite and Deneiran clergy, printers and book collectors. The sole exception is colorful ranting, which is sometimes read by a wider audience for the sheer entertainment value of the insults, invective, and sarcasm (which can be adopted by local minstrels, actors, and wits). So in Waterdeep and other large cities, "rant chapbooks" are popular (on all sorts of topics, not just literary crit). In market stalls and city bookshops, secondhand crit chapbooks and slim tomes can often be found (Athkatla, Silverymoon, Neverwinter, Waterdeep, and Selgaunt are known to have particularly good selections on offer, at any time; many wealthy patrons buy books, read them, have hired scribes write out their own copies of the juicy passages they'll want to re-read often, then resell the books to recoup as much as possible of the scribe's fee and the initial purchase price of the book), but peddlers seldom have them unless they've "struck rich" by buying the entire library of a deceased hermit or villager for a song, and are now selling it all off, item by item, as they travel on.


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work writing yet more "official" Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 01:20:02
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen
As to the Scarlet Mummers, they are special militant sect devoted to punishing the Loviatans for daring to murder a high priestess who was Llira's lover during the Time of Troubles. Ed personally makes no mention of the magical chimes in his article, but the item is later mentioned here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070306a) as being used by the Mummers to show the Loviatans that true pain comes from the loss of love, not scourges. Nice flavor text, but like you I'm skeptical as to whether a Loviatan would take time to appreciate the irony...


IMHO, the Scarlet Mummers are prime candidates for being corrupted/converted to Shar or Loviatar or even Bane (he is the god of Hate, isn't he?) etc. Lliira is the goddess of Joy, and while I can see her being angry and maybe doing something in the immediate years following the death of her lover, I can't see her wanting to continue the rampage for very long. She's both Chaotic and Good, and being a deity I'm sure she's wise enough to see the peril her Mummers face if they continue down the bloodthirsty path of hatred.

No, the whole order is illogical and very very out of character for Lliira who, lets face it, still has the soul of her lover with her in her domain - it isn't like she couldn't elevate the High Priestess to some other state than petitioner, or intervene to allow the Priestess to keep her memories. In fact, they are united forever. (But even if she didn't want that, she could also restore the Priestess to life!} Yes, it may well be a tragedy that this particular Priestess had her life struck short, but the life she did live was full of Joy serving her goddess (and she was one of the few mortals who had her own deity as a lover!). Llirans hunting down and subjecting any and all Loviatans to painful deaths for the murder of their Priestess (it's certainly not as if ALL Loviatans are responsible for the death!) seems counter intuitive to Lliira's dogma. Once those directly responsible for the murder had been taken care of, it would be well on time to let go.

quote:
Also, while I hope that none of the goodly faiths of Faerun have as cruelly elaborate methods of execution as their evil counterparts, I suspect that not all would go for quick beheadings/sword-through-the-heart type executions. Hence, I didn't request those for whom "quick and painless" would be most likely, such as the three T's (Tempus, Torm, and Tyr) or Ilmater. Aside from Lathander, the other two faiths tend more toward neutral/chaotic goodly tendencies which might allow for some surprising practices.


Quick and painless deaths are not the sole domain of the Lawful Good alignment. The important part of a person's alignment is the latter half. We are all capable of vindictive cruelty, we can all be overcome by rage - being Lawful offers no immunity to this. So I will fully admit that there might be times when hatred, anger, or fear overcome the better parts of ourselves, and we do something terrible - but Lawful people are just as likely to succumb to these gut reactions as Neutrals or Chaotics. What sets Good apart from Evil is that nearly all of the time Good people will fight against those gut reactions and try to embrace empathy and compassion, even for those who have harmed them. This has been a common thread through out our own history, and I can't see why it wouldn't be in the Realms as well.

quote:

Finally, elaborate and ritualized executions are more for the living than the soon-to-be dead. True, it's a final punishment for that individual, but it's also meant as a deterrent for those who would follow in his/her wake ("This is the fate that awaits you, and its not going to be pretty!"). For the victimized religious community, perhaps it also serves to satisfy a visceral need for vengeance, more than a rational desire for justice. In any case, though the execution sends the offending person straight to their deity, that's one less individual running around on the Prime Material advancing their deity's goals.


Must be my modern sensibilities coming into play. No matter how many examples we've made (by killing the "guilty"), people still continue to kill, maim, and/or torture other people. It's clear that death as a deterrent doesn't work, and I can't see how making the deaths any more gruesome would work any better. All we've done is mistakenly killed some who were not guilty along with those who were.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. If a deity can't see this, then we're all in trouble.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 01:28:37
Message:

Oh, well said, Zandilar!
(In my professional work, I have seen SO many instances of "revenge" and "just retribution" that were anything but, that made everything worse, and that in some cases started feuds and dragged not just families, but communities and countries into strife and bad feelings and lasting "hard attitudes" . . . that were all unnecessary, or cynically manipulated by those who personally profited from the strife. Details, of course, I can't give.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 01:42:54
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
I met a 50-ish gamer in a shop in Toronto today who said he once attended an sf convention where you and Roger Zelazny were lying on a ROOF at night, looking up at the stars and discussing sf, fantasy and gaming. He heard the two of you discussing Cthulhu and Amber and MESSENGER OF ZHUVASTOU by Andy Offut and a lot of other things besides, including a possible future collaboration. !!!!
Can you tell us anything about that collaboration? Obviously it was never published, but how far along did it get?
I believe this guy, and I know about "A Secret of Amber" and told him what I'd read about it, and he said it wasn't about Amber at all.
So . . . I'm, like, EXCITED. Tell tell tell!
BB


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 03:37:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


IMHO, the Scarlet Mummers are prime candidates for being corrupted/converted to Shar or Loviatar or even Bane (he is the god of Hate, isn't he?) etc. Lliira is the goddess of Joy, and while I can see her being angry and maybe doing something in the immediate years following the death of her lover, I can't see her wanting to continue the rampage for very long. She's both Chaotic and Good, and being a deity I'm sure she's wise enough to see the peril her Mummers face if they continue down the bloodthirsty path of hatred.

No, the whole order is illogical and very very out of character for Lliira who, lets face it, still has the soul of her lover with her in her domain - it isn't like she couldn't elevate the High Priestess to some other state than petitioner, or intervene to allow the Priestess to keep her memories. In fact, they are united forever. (But even if she didn't want that, she could also restore the Priestess to life!} Yes, it may well be a tragedy that this particular Priestess had her life struck short, but the life she did live was full of Joy serving her goddess (and she was one of the few mortals who had her own deity as a lover!). Llirans hunting down and subjecting any and all Loviatans to painful deaths for the murder of their Priestess (it's certainly not as if ALL Loviatans are responsible for the death!) seems counter intuitive to Lliira's dogma. Once those directly responsible for the murder had been taken care of, it would be well on time to let go.





After reading your response, I went back to Ed's article on the Scarlet Mummers and re-read it. I think that Llira was aware that an order solely devoted to vengeance would not last long amongst her faithful once the original perpetrators were brought to justice, so she allowed the order to broaden its aims. The article says they have expanded their role to protecting the Lliran temples and defending their more peaceful peers. They aren't actively engaged in killing all evil people, only those strike out against Llira's faithful first. In her response, the lady Zandilar affirms a solid stance against eye-for-an-eye practices, so even this may meet with disapproval.

Also, the article states that Llira keeps very close personal tabs on each Scarlet Mummer to keep them from straying her service, or to prevent others from impersonating them. It wouldn't be impossible for the Mummers to be corrupted, but it would be very hard for it to do so unnoticed by Llira (who will almost certainly act to end the corruption in some way).

Zandilar, I agree that the Mummers seem illogical and out-of-character as an order devoted to Llira, and that's what makes them so interesting. Ed always seems to come up with these surprising tidbits of realmslore that show another side of a person, place, deity, or organization, and there's always a reason behind it. In this case it was a darker side, borne out of tragedy. I'm curious about whether other goodly faiths have a darker side too, and whether its expressed through some unique capital punishment, and the reasons behind it. So here I am patiently waiting for further information from Ed and LHO.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 07:55:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar



IMHO, the Scarlet Mummers are prime candidates for being corrupted/converted to Shar or Loviatar or even Bane (he is the god of Hate, isn't he?)

Why not converted to Hoar? He's the god of vengeance after all.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 08:29:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Acck! I turn my back to do some Canada Day security work


I had to google that.
I liked the older name better. "Dominion Day". That's almost Realmsian. ;)

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

IMHO, the Scarlet Mummers are prime candidates for being corrupted/converted to Shar or Loviatar or even Bane (he is the god of Hate, isn't he?)


I like the Scarlet mummers as a concept, but they are indeed treading on dangerous terrian, risking becoming what they seek to destroy (but isn't that a classic element of fantasy?).
Mind, I always liked Loviatar (and Sharess and Llira - though I liked Sune less) and I worked to use them all in the Dalelands adventures.
I assume the Mummers migth have a royal pain with some NPCs that worship both.

Note that in 4th ed Realms, Llira may well have more trouble keeping tabs on her Mummmers (since revoking powers etc is not as easya ny more). That migth make things more interesting.
Now a Scarlet Mummer as a villain... hmmm.

Gomez


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 08:45:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen
Ed always seems to come up with these surprising tidbits of realmslore that show another side of a person, place, deity, or organization, and there's always a reason behind it. In this case it was a darker side, borne out of tragedy. I'm curious about whether other goodly faiths have a darker side too, and whether its expressed through some unique capital punishment, and the reasons behind it. So here I am patiently waiting for further information from Ed and LHO.



You only have to read his write-up for the "prayer book" for Ilmater in "Prayers from the Faithful" to see how good religions can go bad ...

-- George Krashos


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 09:04:50
Message:

Folks, we seem to be deviating somewhat from the original purpose of this scroll. If you'd all like this current bout of off-topicness to continue, I'd suggest shifting it to a new scroll. Let's keep some room for questions/answers to/from Ed.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 09:20:19
Message:

Scarlet mumemr question for Ed then:

After the Spellplague and the last era with teh resshuffling of deities and their respsonsibilities and powers... how much control would Llira still ahve over her Scarlet Mummers? Would she still be able to intervene is one went 'bad'?
Or does the 'Blue Breath of Change' include a greater disconnect between deities and worshippers, thus allowing for a less moral order of Mummers?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 15:00:44
Message:

Heya,

Firstly @Lady Hooded One -
Thanks!

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Scarlet mumemr question for Ed then:

After the Spellplague and the last era with teh resshuffling of deities and their respsonsibilities and powers... how much control would Llira still ahve over her Scarlet Mummers? Would she still be able to intervene is one went 'bad'?
Or does the 'Blue Breath of Change' include a greater disconnect between deities and worshippers, thus allowing for a less moral order of Mummers?




Adding on to that: would they even exist 100 years later? (Things change, folks, the Realms haven't been static, and Chaotic aligned organizations would be the most fluid of them all.)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Jul 2009 15:39:56
Message:

Hi again, all.
Aysen and Zandilar, Ed hath responded to your Scarlet Mummers queries:


Hi. Well, if you're looking at the Realms on or after the Year of the Ageless One, I think the Scarlet Mummers might still exist as a sort of self-interested secret society/violent power group, but NOT as a "holy arm" of any faith. There would still be temple guards, yes, and they might even cling to the name ("We are the TRUE Scarlet Mummers!"), but the Scarlet Mummers as depicted in published Realmslore thus far . . . no. I can't see them NOT getting out of hand over a century, because they already were out of hand in many ways in the 1370s DR.
Deities can always take action in the Realms, but I see them all, in the wake of the "we all got scorched" events of the Spellplague and the deity shenanagins that precipitated it, as being far more cautious. As in: primarily working through mortal pawns, both clergy and "right outside the faith" individuals whom they can use to do things clergy dare not do (lead raids, do murders and arson, et al) without losing public support and good regard. Now, when I write those words, I don't want to leave the impression that all deities are busily scheming their ways through a constant campaign of "dirty tricks" - - mortals just don't know what most deities spend their primary attention and time on, and some of them seem very "remote" from priestly pleas, or send the same dream-visions to many supplicants who pray to them (i.e. "here's your nightly broadcast" rather than, "Hello, particular mortal. Here is YOUR message from me").
It may be trite to restate that "Gods move in mysterious ways," but they do.
So in my Realms campaign, if it ever reaches the 1470s, the Scarlet Mummers will at "best" (if that's the right word) be a name appropriated by various independent power groups, not servants controlled by a goddess to work her will.


So saith Ed. Who's now turning back to writing . . . oh, sorry. I can't say more, so I'll just remind everyone that the important paperback anthology GAMER FANTASTIC (which contains tales by Steven Schend, Richard Lee Byers, Don Bingle (longtime "lead" RPGA player), Bill Fawcett (designer of much of the original D&D druid in early DRAGON articles), Jim Hines (writer of the delightful Goblin trilogy and an even more interesting series now unfolding from DAW), Jody Lynn Nye, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Brian Thomsen's last published story [which Realms fans will find MOST interesting], and others - - not to mention Ed, who contributed both a fun-new-look-at-fantasy-gaming-conventions [and elves, Dagnirion!] story and a tribute to Gary Gygax) will be released July 7, 2009! Essential reading, folks; buy it!!!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 04 Jul 2009 01:32:19
Message:

Heya,

This question is kind of a blast from the past for me. A loooong time ago, I read a Dragon article called "A Plethora of Paladins"* - it was first published in Dragon #106, and I actually read it off the Dragon Archives CD set. A friend of mine was really taken by the Lyan (the LN Paladin presented in APoP), and so it made its appearance in several games he ran as a DM (needless to say, I dislike the LN alignment most of all DnD alignments, so the experience of the rather overpowered Lyan N/DMPC was not a pleasant one for me - especially since this DM conflated LN with LE a lot of the time too.)

I was wondering what Ed thought of the article (I'm not even going ask if he read it, because I'm sure he has), and whether he ever contemplated adapting something like it to the Realms? Personally, I think the article overemphasized alignment, and feel that multiple types of paladins would most likely be distinguished by their religions not their alignments (for example, a paladin of Sharess and a paladin of Tymora would be very different classes, despite both being CG).

3e DnD did try to bring back the idea of alignment based paladin types (separate classes for some, but not all, alignments, in Unearthed Arcarna, and I think Complete Divine(?)), but I don't think it succeeded terribly well, and 4e has lifted alignment restrictions on paladins all together IIRC.

*The article can be found online, but since I'm sure it's not been reproduced with permission, I won't link it here.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 04 Jul 2009 09:14:40
Message:

Firstly, thanks Ed and LHO for the swift feedback on the Scarlet Mummers.

I have another question that deals with the passage of time in Seros and the Sea of Corynactis.

How do the civilized denizens of the seas, especially in the deeper areas of the oceans (middle-pelagic on downward), mark the passage of months or days?

There is the Timesong Calendar to mark off years, but is there a need to chart months or days? That far down, your circadian rhythm couldn't rely on the sun, nor would there be a need for a lunar calendar. Whereas on land, the Harptos Calendar corresponds to seasonal weather change and agricultural activities, is there a parallel under the seas that, for example, relies on krill spawnings or migratory patterns, or the temperature change of ocean currents?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Jul 2009 16:53:11
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring you olnce more the words of Ed, this time in response to this, from Blueblade: "Dear Ed and Lady THO, I met a 50-ish gamer in a shop in Toronto today who said he once attended an sf convention where you and Roger Zelazny were lying on a ROOF at night, looking up at the stars and discussing sf, fantasy and gaming. He heard the two of you discussing Cthulhu and Amber and MESSENGER OF ZHUVASTOU by Andy Offut and a lot of other things besides, including a possible future collaboration. !!!!
Can you tell us anything about that collaboration? Obviously it was never published, but how far along did it get?
I believe this guy, and I know about "A Secret of Amber" and told him what I'd read about it, and he said it wasn't about Amber at all.
So . . . I'm, like, EXCITED. Tell tell tell!
BB"
Ed replies:


Hi, Blueblade. Yes, the gamer you met wasn't telling any fibs. Roger liked to lie on roofs and talk. And we did have a chat or two up on roofs (where for one thing, if there was any sort of breeze, he could chain-smoke to his heart's content without asphyxiating the rest of us), including the one you mention. Which I remember well. :}
The short way of answering you is: no, the planned collaboration was nothing at all to do with Amber, and in the end never happened, because Roger died.
The slightly longer version is: I wrote up about four paragraphs of "development" after talking with Roger, and later read them to him, and we were going to get together at the GenCon where he was to be GoH, in 2005, and expand things and really get going. Of course, Roger didn't live long enough to attend that GenCon. I haven't used that material in anything else, and probably won't, though I've learned never to say never . . .
It's really too fragmentary to be anything more than notions, and was to be picaresque, using the familiar smart-mouthed first-person Zelazny narrator, an Anthony Villiers (Panshin) or Hub (Schmitz) -style intergalactic empire, and magic that works (on a personal, short-range level, not a world-shaking or militaristic level) spreading throughout that empire from a single planet that the empire "conquers" but ignores (a la THE THURB REVOLUTION) as an undeveloped backwater.
So many things were lost (sigh) when Roger died . . .


So saith Ed. Who still mourns Roger, as you can see. Pity we all lost that series; it sounds as if it would have been a good one. I know Ed has other irons in his creative fire, such as an entire NEW game/novel setting (not the Realms, not Castlemourn, and not Embersea) that he'll unfurl when the time is right. Right now, however, he's writing hard in the Realms.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 15:56:02
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
A young friend of mine has finally "discovered" D&D, and wants to start a Realms campaign. His birthday gift was a set of the 4e rulebooks plus the two Realms books, and he wants me to DM. I'm up for it (he's going to discover I like Ed's "storytelling, what rules?" style rather than "straight" 4e rules), but for now he definitely wants to expereince the 4e Realms, rather than the older 1350s-1370s times.
Knowing something about my players, I'm starting them in rural Cormyr, with an eye to travel to the bright lights of Suzail (to try to get a charter) after they have a few adventures under their belts. I have "Backdrop: Cormyr" but I also have a question or two, one of them being: how much cultural knowledge (books, music, dances and fashions, daily broadsheets or social-comment chapbooks) was "lost" in the Spellplague ravages? Did plays and rural peoples' memories of good (or just notorious) writers, bards, and minstrels pretty much survive? How about rumors, tall tales, and "open" dirty secrets about local rogues, misbehaving nobles, and womanizers? And if they did survive, how much has faded into irrelevance with the passage of a century? I'm talking Wheloon, Waymoot, Espar, Hultail, Immersea, and places of that ilk, not Arabel and Suzail (Marsember I'm saving for later).
Thanks in advance for any information and/or guidance you can give.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 16:03:04
Message:

Dear THO,
I recently ran into an older black gamer at a local hobby shop for the first time, and he fondly remembered Ed as "a complete non-racist" who cheerfully invited black and Indian (as in, from India) gamers to his gaming table at a long-vanished local hobby store when other DMs were telling them to "find their own DM, you know, one of you" and form their own gaming group.
My question is: when running the Realms, has Ed as DM ever depicted characters having any racist attitudes within the same race (i.e. not humans hating orcs, or dwarves sniping at elves and vice versa, but humans about other humans)? I know he's described class-sneering (commoners vs. nobles, resistance to social climbers and "wannabe" nobles), and older folks having set ideas about the gender roles younger generations should be fulfilling, but I was curious about the racist angle.
If you'd rather not say, I quite understand. I'm not trying to light any fires here, I'm just trying to get a very clear picture of the Realms as Ed portrays them. I envy those who've played with Ed as DM in any sort of long-running sense, as opposed to one-shot sessions at conventions.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 16:19:05
Message:

Hi Ed and THO,
Another Knights of Myth Drannor question, this time: have Rathan or Torm every fathered children? Have either of them ever had any stable, long-term relationships (wedded or otherwise)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 16:28:17
Message:

Just an observation from a purely 'scientific' standpoint, and also that of an avid SciFi reader/fan (which addresses this much more then fantasy).

The existance of other races tends to lessen the 'human on human' hatreds we are so familiar with in our own world. Racism is is based on ignorance, and the thought "THEY are different then US". In a society where there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other races other then humans, the ignorance and prejudices will naturally gravitate to those that are even more different then what we are accustomed to.

First, a RW point-of-reference: Freaks... it's an ugly word. And yet, humans have a horrible habit of paying to see those 'different' then ourselves, and developing illogical revulsions for such people. This goes all the way back, when Kings and Pharoahs used 'dwarves' to entertain them and their guests.

Second, a very good if fictional reference from a fairly recent movie - do you remember in the film Independence Day, when Earth was being decimated by the aliens? One of my favorite parts of that movie was that the humans from all over the world suddenly put aside their ancient hatreds - there is a scene where the Arab and Israeli airforces are working together! Positively brilliant!

And thats what would happen - Bigotry works just that way. You only hate those that are 'different' from you, until something even more different arrives on the scene. History is full of warring factions putting aside their differences when some common 'threat' arrives, and on a fantasy world like Toril, that 'common threat' is all around, and constantly 'in-your-face'.

Ergo, the very existance of Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and even Halflings would cause humans to get along with each other much better, and all of those races would get along with humans (and vice-versa) because of the even greater (and uglier) threat of Orcs, Goblinoids, Illithids, Drow, etc, etc....

I think Starman said it best - "Humans are at their best, when things are at their worst".

Sorry for the side-discussion, but I just felt the need to toss my two cents into the pile on this subject. I think Ed did a helluva job in eliminating the RW predujices against race, creed, color, and sex, and unlike many folks I've discussed it with, I think it makes perfect sense when you take the vast cultural landscape of Toril into consideration. Someone's skin color matters very little when there is an Orc Horde over the next hill.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 19:02:56
Message:

Well, if you count multi-species racism, such as Drow vs. Gold Elf vs. Moon Elf, you can actually find quite a lot of it in the Realms.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 20:31:38
Message:

Blueblade, when it comes to Torm fathering children, we'd better specify to Ed that we're including both children he knows of - - and DOESN'T know of.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 05 Jul 2009 20:40:33
Message:

I'd like to second Blueblade's question and expand it to encompass all the Knights' offspring, legitimate and otherwise.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 01:04:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<chop>
Pity we all lost that series; it sounds as if it would have been a good one. I know Ed has other irons in his creative fire, such as an entire NEW game/novel setting (not the Realms, not Castlemourn, and not Embersea) that he'll unfurl when the time is right. Right now, however, he's writing hard in the Realms.
love to all,
THO



I second the lamentation. But what's this about a NEW world? And has any progress been made on revealing my favourite piece of NDA'd lore (yes, that's right, the Cormyr lineage again; I'm trying not to flog this dead horse *too* terribly often, for all of our sakes)? Please, THO, don't provoke questions you can't answer. It's not a very nice thing to do, especially to answer-obsessed people like myself. But because it's you, I'll forgive you.

I've just finished catching up on this scroll after a roughly month-long absence from the Keep, and I'm delighted by some of the gems of lore I've found, particularly the list of former apprentices of The Simbul and the exchange between Ed and Wooly regarding Laerakond. I'll try to check in a bit more regularly from now on; I burned my dinner in an effort to get through the last two pages of the scroll before eating. Oh well. It wasn't *badly* burned.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 02:05:59
Message:

Hi, Jakk. I hope you were able to eat the blackened bits. I always found they went down easier if I pretended I was at camp, and cooking over a fire.
As for the Cormyr lineage, attempts were being made to post that (for free, and in the free area) of the Wizards website, but somewhere along the line someone at WotC shifted it into the hands of the D&D Insider people, who treated it as a regular submission - - and of course it's WAY too long, and not specifically 4e, and so on, for their purposes. So it got stalled again.
Ed has already resolved to try again in person, at GenCon, to talk to some of the Wizards brass to get it onto the free part of the website, or failing that to get permission to post it here at Candlekeep or somewhere else on the Net . . . so he's preceding very cautiously, trying not to mishandle things and get the attempt quashed for good.
The lineage is massive, and represents a lot of effort by a lot of people, including Grant Christie, Bryon Wischstadt, Tom Costa, Eric Boyd, Steven Schend, George Krashos, Ed himself of course [the "root document" was his, and he's stepped in to augment and edit several times], and most recently, in a steller rewrite and expansion, by Brian Cortijo. I hope I'm not missing anyone out. Truly, it's a piece of lore to rival the Grand History Brian James assembled, and it SHOULD be published, somewhere and somehow, for interested Realms fans. So, stay tuned . . .
Ed is trying to claw some time free in every day to at least try to concoct more Realmslore replies for us here at the Keep. However, the man DOES have to try to earn a living, and is usually juggling a lot more projects than most of us ever face. So again, stay tuned, and I'll rush you and every scribe his replies without delay, whenever I can.
love,
THO


Reply author: Arivia
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 03:55:30
Message:

Ed, both City of Splendors and Waterdeep and the North mention non-magical divination as a service that can be bought in Waterdeep (although noting that most prefer priestly methods.) How do those non-magical diviners work? What are their methods (I know I have a list of standards from Earth, although not at hand)? How often are they right (beyond pure, random chance)? Finally, have any of these non-magical auguries ever been significant, whether in truth or in influence over events (ie: crafting mass hysteria, or courting public opinion?)

Edit: As always, any answer is appreciated. Thank you.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 04:16:13
Message:

Hi, Arivia. Your question has been sent on to Ed (I e-mail all the relevant postings from this thread to him, as his Net connection remains primitive indeed).
I know that part of his response to you (the methods of non-magical divination) were covered in a long-ago DRAGON article by another of Ed's original "home Realms campaign" players, Andrew Dewar (who has for many years now been the head of a university library in Japan). I'm blanking on the title of the article (the DRAGON editors always made up those terrible titles anyway; they almost never used the titles that writers submitted the articles with), but it was an NPC class for the early D&D game, a diviner. Andrew listed twenty or so traditional real-world methods of divining, from goat entrails to tea leaves, and their real-world names; you can assume that almost all of them are in use in Waterdeep and other Sword Coast and Heartland cities.
Ed will, of course, provide a proper answer in the fullness of time.
Er, whenever that may prove to be.
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 04:20:25
Message:

I'm not Ed, so I can't help with the broader answer, and I can't tickle like THO, so I can't hurry it along, but I can at least point you at the Dragon article. It's called "The Oracle: When He Talks, Everybody Listens," and it's in Dragon #53. Hope that helps some.


Reply author: Arivia
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 04:40:23
Message:

Thanks a lot, both of you. As I'm looking at Mellomir's legacy in 1470s Arabel, those will fit perfectly.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 04:56:34
Message:

And then there's Paizo's Harrow Deck that could be used as an in-game fortune-telling tool (though I'd be more than a little shocked if it turned up in that article

And for once I'm actually going to make a post that's somewhat on topic...

Way back when in the first of these "Ask Ed" threads, our Lady of the Hooded Visage told us of a section where she'd not needed to bring her dice since it was going to start with her "writhing on the altar" or some such as part of an attempt to discover whether an NPC had been falsely posing as a Sharess-cultist. My question now is, how does deities in general view people who "take their name in vain" (using the worship of a god or goddess as a front for a scam or other money-making operation without actually paying homage to them [I'm guessing Mask might be quite forgiving, but what do I know])?

Is there any difference depending on the deities' alignment? And if so which axis matter most - good/evil or chaotic/lawful?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 06:22:33
Message:

Regarding interhuman racism in games: there does exist a certain 'separatism'in the Realms. A specific example are Shou vs non-Shou, specifically in areas such as Nathlek city in Nathlan, where the Shou have their 'own' town.
I would not necessarily call this 'racism' as much as it is a 'clan' thing (similar to what you might find with other clan-based cultures such as the Nar), where families or a people stick to gether and form a closed society, which may prompt other restrictions such as blood ties and such (i.e. one of the Shou clans only accepts women).
I could wellsee a Shou clan accepting non-Shou as a member of the clan under the rigth circumstances (i,e, marriage, through favors, etc) and then fully be accepted as a clan member regardless of their race.
You are not likely to see actual racism in a WotC game (including LFR), since such elements are found unfit for publishment. It does mean we have to be very careful when dealing with the clan nature of some groups in FR adventures.


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 09:30:24
Message:

On the subject of racism between human groups, I think gomez made the salient point of why we don't see blatant "Jim Crow" institutionalization of racism in the sourcebooks, it would get edited out immediately, though only Ed can speak to what plays out in his home campaign for Malcolm.

I think the closest we come in the source material are the "superiority complexes" and enslavement practices we see among several groups:

- Imaskari enslavement over proto-Mulhorandi and proto-Untheric peoples

- "Mulan" superiorty complex in present Thay

- Halruaan isolation, and bloodline/breeding records (for ensuring superior arcane talent)

- Calishite view of the North as uncivilized and barbaric

- Zakharan view of everyone else as uncivilized and barbaric

- Faerunian imperialism and enslavement(?) of Maztican native peoples

- Moonsharran Ffolk subjugation of the Mar people of the Utter East


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 14:49:04
Message:

Kajehase, at the risk of jumping in on Ed's eventual reply, I'm going to make two points by way of reply:

1. It depends (on the nature and character of the deity, of course, as you correctly pointed out).

2. Many deities operate (or do so from time to time) on the principle of "all publicity is good publicity." Of course, every one has limits, which when crossed make them decide that suddenly this particular publicity is NOT good publicity.

I'll leave it at that, and await Ed's sage response.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 14:55:29
Message:

There are probably 'prescient' diviners of a more psionic nature as well. I think Alaundo may have been one of these (just a hunch).

While we are on the subject of the the infamous Cormyr lineage...

I have two RW friends who have teenage daughters who have recently 'run away' from home, much as Alusair did many years ago. They fled because of certain... belly broadening... reasons...

Which made me think of Alusair, and whether or not there just might be some 'secret heir' floating around out there somewhere... perhaps being raised by dwarves, or some-such.

It also made me think that I was blessed to have four boys...


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 15:05:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
While we are on the subject of the the infamous Cormyr lineage...

I have two RW friends who have teenage daughters who have recently 'run away' from home, much as Alusair did many years ago. They fled because of certain... belly broadening... reasons...

Which made me think of Alusair, and whether or not there just might be some 'secret heir' floating around out there somewhere... perhaps being raised by dwarves, or some-such.
It's pretty well-established in extant lore (both published and through Ed's answers here) that, at least as of the time of Death of the Dragon, Alusair is entirely convinced that Vangerdahast's magical tampering has rendered her barren.

While it's not impossible for this lore to match up with the idea of a secret child of Alusair living among the dwarves, it's... less than probable.

Now, a secret heir from another line....


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 18:46:06
Message:

Oooh, a subtle hinter, our Garen.
Makes me wonder just what Cormyr novels certain scribes have up their sleeves, if Wizards ever unleashes them.
So, Garen Thal, ahem, if such a secret heir did - - hypothetically, of course - - exist, how would one hide such a babe from discovery by the War Wizards? Rear said hypothetical well away from the realm? If so, how would they come to really know and care about Cormyr? If not, how would you hide them "under the noses" of everyone without some busy little mind-reamer uncovering everything? Are there magical defenses?

Personally, I find the "hiding in Cormyr" option more exciting for play purposes. The "rearing far away across the Realms" option realistically runs the risk of the grown-up heir being told of their heritage and saying, "What? Stick my head into a noose on behalf of some place I've barely heard of, clear across the world? No fear! I'm staying right here, and to the Nine Hells with your Dragon Throne and crown and all!"

If you really ARE at work on something and don't want to answer this so as to not to harm your chances at publication or say too much, I quite understand. Just say so, and I'll go away and gleefully nurse my hunger for someday seeing such a tale or adventure. Just as I right now brood about the chances of Ed being handed back the Realms to publish his way...

And, just to keep this right for this thread, how do you feel about such future Cormyr possibilities, Ed? THO? I mean Garen or others writing things Cormyrean, because I KNOW you can't tell us about anything you're planning to write. Ed, would you have secret heirs up your sleeve, just on design principles? (I'm thinking you would, but it would be lovely to know I've sussed your thinking right.)
Thanks to all, in advance, and I'm now eagerly waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 19:42:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

Oooh, a subtle hinter, our Garen.
Makes me wonder just what Cormyr novels certain scribes have up their sleeves, if Wizards ever unleashes them.
So, Garen Thal, ahem, if such a secret heir did - - hypothetically, of course - - exist, how would one hide such a babe from discovery by the War Wizards? Rear said hypothetical well away from the realm? If so, how would they come to really know and care about Cormyr? If not, how would you hide them "under the noses" of everyone without some busy little mind-reamer uncovering everything? Are there magical defenses?

Personally, I find the "hiding in Cormyr" option more exciting for play purposes. The "rearing far away across the Realms" option realistically runs the risk of the grown-up heir being told of their heritage and saying, "What? Stick my head into a noose on behalf of some place I've barely heard of, clear across the world? No fear! I'm staying right here, and to the Nine Hells with your Dragon Throne and crown and all!"

If you really ARE at work on something and don't want to answer this so as to not to harm your chances at publication or say too much, I quite understand. Just say so, and I'll go away and gleefully nurse my hunger for someday seeing such a tale or adventure. Just as I right now brood about the chances of Ed being handed back the Realms to publish his way...

And, just to keep this right for this thread, how do you feel about such future Cormyr possibilities, Ed? THO? I mean Garen or others writing things Cormyrean, because I KNOW you can't tell us about anything you're planning to write. Ed, would you have secret heirs up your sleeve, just on design principles? (I'm thinking you would, but it would be lovely to know I've sussed your thinking right.)
Thanks to all, in advance, and I'm now eagerly waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .
I'm going to answer your question by not quite answering your question.

Please keep in mind that it's very unlikely that any legitimately presentable heirs would have been born to ruling Obarskyrs or their immediate kin at any point during the tenure of Vangerdahast (this meaning Azoun, his sister Sulesta, his father Rhigaerd II, or either of his adult children). Things are pretty well accounted for in most generations on either side of that iconic crowned head.

There are bastards, sure, in near every lifetime, but legitimate heirs to the Dragon Throne in the era that most scribes are familiar with (1350s to 1370s DR)? Not without some very creative thread-tugging.

As for the royal family and its possibilities, let me just say that if I had the rest of my life to write, and the freedom to do so, I might be able to get it all out. Ed, of course, is familiar with some of these ideas (in broad strokes), because they've been the subject of more than one whispered conversation in the Marriott lobby and elsewhere at GenCon (and likely will be again, this year).

Let's just say that I have a book or two in me, at least, and leave it there for now.


Reply author: ddporter
Replied on: 06 Jul 2009 21:38:39
Message:

I have just returned home from the International Convention and Contest of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and bring a Question for Ed (TM):

Which cultures in the Realms have traditions of a cappella harmony singing, and what does it sound like? (Yes, I know; writing about music... insert your own definition of futility here. But if anyone can describe music through the written word, it's Ed.)

Barbershopping Realms fan (any others out there?)


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 00:10:02
Message:

I like old barbershop recordings, before it got all showy with forty-two "descants" and rounds and all of that. (I find some of the newer stuff too "bright" and clashy, like the Andrews Sisters harmonizing.)

Re. your question to Ed: I sat and watched (all the players' seats were "taken," it being a charity auction bidding for seats at the table) an Ed-run Realms play session at a long-ago Milwaukee GenCon, and the PCs found themselves literally falling (through a ceiling) into a temple where a service to Chauntea was taking place: a congregation was planting seeds under the leadership of a priest, who would sing a line, more or less on one note (dipping down and then back up at the end), and the congregation would then in unison sing a (thunderous) response. It wasn't plainsong, because the congregation sang a more-or-less-one-note line of lyrics that then climbed into a harmonizing chord at the end. Ed sang it all, of course. Quite striking.
I remember hearing several times that Ed and all of his family sang in church choirs, and Ed parents first met in a professional choir, so I'd imagine Ed has plenty of musical Realmslore.
Oh, and I remember a later GenCon moment: someone played a Paul Robeson recording, as part of a Call of Cthulhu adventure, and the recording (tape cassette) broke in the middle - - and Ed, from right across the gaming hall, turned and sang the rest of the verse. JUST like Robeson.
BB


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 02:32:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

<chop>
Now, a secret heir from another line....


Hrm... anything to do with Queen Silbran (widow of King Ulbaeram, and also a blood descendant of Faerlthann, as revealed in response to my pestering some time ago), or is this possibly to do with Azoun IV's cousins Bhereu and Thomdor (both killed in the Abraxus Affair)?

I realized as I was typing the above just how far I'm reaching here, but the unbridled speculation is part of the fun... more likely, I suspect, is an heir descended from the tangled webs of unclear parentage surrounding the other monarchs of the Thronestrife...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 08:53:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

... so I'd imagine Ed has plenty of musical Realmslore.
Oh yes, and I'd very much like to get my hands on all of it.

I've spent the last ten years compiling all the references to musical Realmslore in the published sources. And I'm still not done. Even now, I'm finding references and tidbits related to music and its practice in the Realms that I'd missed earlier.

Having said that, ddporter, I've found some references to the practice of a capella music in the Realmslore. I'll send you a small file compiling those references, while you await Ed's response [I know I am ].

And as for what it sounds like, I've often assumed that the choral singing heard in the temple of Tempus in the Icewind Dale CRPG is one example.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 12:39:26
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Kajehase, at the risk of jumping in on Ed's eventual reply, I'm going to make two points by way of reply:


Thank you The Hodde One.

I'm waiting eagerly then - and feel free to jump as much you like, I'm sure no-one here is going to mind

Gods... that was bad even by my standards


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 14:39:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

Thank you The Hodde One.

Hooded One + Hotty One -> Hodde One?

A-questin' to the Sex Shoppe to inquire of The Hodde One . . .

Hey, that could almost work for a radio call sign . . .
quote:
Fugly Two, Fugly Two
This is Hodde One, Over . . .



Ahem.

Somebody over on RAS.com recently asked if Emlyn/Emelyn the Gray, of the Bloodstone gang, ever met Elminster. We've been told that Em' was quite the adventurer when he was younger, yet he's gotten kinda crotchety and has decided to settle down in Bloodstone in his later years. But might he have e'er exchanged a spell or a tale with ol' El', back in the day?


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 14:55:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Hrm... anything to do with Queen Silbran (widow of King Ulbaeram, and also a blood descendant of Faerlthann, as revealed in response to my pestering some time ago), or is this possibly to do with Azoun IV's cousins Bhereu and Thomdor (both killed in the Abraxus Affair)?
No. Now patience.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 15:34:48
Message:

Hi, all.
BEAST, Ed and Bob have always worked matters in the Realms out thus: they talk things over. Happily, as two friends. That very much includes using each other's characters, or (far more often) just keeping them out of each others' way. I sent your post to Ed, and he responded thus:


Years back we agreed that Emlyn and Elminster would both have known of each other, and that they are friendly with each other and don't step on each other's toes. (Matters MUST be that way, to allow Bob's plots to unfold as they do without a certain annoying Old Mage showing up to meddle. Which those who've read the books know he hasn't.)
So, yes, they know each other, are friendly, don't see each other often, and as mages whose actions have far-reaching consequences, take care to keep out of tangling in each others' work. If the world wasn't such a dangerous place that didn't keep them so busy, and they could relax and visit more often, they'd probably wind up as very close friends, hanging out together of evenings and lazy afternoons.
Like Bob and me. :}


So saith Ed, and there you have it.
love,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 18:14:36
Message:

I really doubt there is any Mage of power in Faerûn... perhaps even all of Toril*... that Elminster hasn't 'met' and evaluated. I say 'met' because it most-likely was in disquise, and the other mage was probably completely unaware that he had met Elminster.

However, I like to think that there were a couple of Archmages that just pretended ignorance, and was well-aware of who they were dealing with, and chose to just "play along" (which means they had gotten the better of El, unless of course he realized that they knew who he was, and he himself decided to just continue to "play the game" and see where it lead).


* I say "all of Toril" because I have come across his name numerous times in the Kara-Tur material, including one reference to him being a 'demi-god' (obviously some Wujen's perception of him after one of those 'evaluations'). Hmmmm... considering that both Chosen and Demi-gods have been rolled into the term 'Exarch' in 4e, I suppose that Oriental mage wasn't far off the mark afterall.

I have yet to come-across his name in any Zakharan material, but I'm sure more then a few Sha'ir have encountered the Old Mage as well. Mystra's Weave extends to all of Toril, and I'm sure she likes to keep tabs on what's going on 'elsewhere'.

Which actually brings me to yet-another question (my backlog may be approaching Wooly's and Sage's at this point ). Does/did Mystra have Chosen outside of Faerûn proper? I think it would be REALLY interesting to hear about any Sha'ir and Wu Jen Chosen (or Magisters).


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 19:07:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Hrm... anything to do with Queen Silbran (widow of King Ulbaeram, and also a blood descendant of Faerlthann, as revealed in response to my pestering some time ago), or is this possibly to do with Azoun IV's cousins Bhereu and Thomdor (both killed in the Abraxus Affair)?
No. Now patience.


Thank you, Garen, for so quickly and decisively squashing my speculations, and thereby assisting my patience. I sincerely hope for this to be my last posting on this subject before it is time to thank you, Ed, and others for all your hard work in getting this lore to see the light of day.

Enough said... I hope.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 19:33:06
Message:

Heh. Markustay, yes to El checking out mages in disguise, and yes to some of them tumbling to it and him knowing they know and so on, and YES to Mystra having Chosen outside Faerun.
About which I'll see just how much I can wheedle Ed into saying...
love,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 20:16:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Markustay, yes to El checking out mages in disguise, and yes to some of them tumbling to it and him knowing they know and so on, and YES to Mystra having Chosen outside Faerun.
About which I'll see just how much I can wheedle Ed into saying...
love,
THO



I have a feeling I'm going to have to do a happy dance if the words "Chosen" and "Kara-tur" are in his answer...


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 21:37:29
Message:

Yuppers.

I hear ya'... I'm "as giddy as a school girl" ATM (I always wanted to use that phrase... though I'm not sure what, exactly, they are so giddy about... perhaps THO would care to reminisce and share with us all).

Just the thought of Elminster in Kara-Tur gives me tingles, even though I know he knew Mei Lung personally. Then again, El befriending Dragons is nothing new...

I could also easily see him as a guest of the Grand Caliph... dancing harem girls would definately be something 'up his alley'.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 22:00:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay


I hear ya'... I'm "as giddy as a school girl" ATM (I always wanted to use that phrase... though I'm not sure what, exactly, they are so giddy about... perhaps THO would care to reminisce and share with us all).


And while she's reminiscing, perhaps she can dress the part!


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 22:28:26
Message:

How you were made a moderator I will never understand...


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Jul 2009 23:57:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

How you were made a moderator I will never understand...



It's my ready wit, infectious smile, roguish good looks, and a fine selection of blackmail photos.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 00:43:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

How you were made a moderator I will never understand...



It's my ready wit, infectious smile, roguish good looks, and a fine selection of blackmail photos.



Ah, after all these years I finally begin to understand...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 01:39:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I really doubt there is any Mage of power in Faerûn... perhaps even all of Toril*... that Elminster hasn't 'met' and evaluated. I say 'met' because it most-likely was in disquise, and the other mage was probably completely unaware that he had met Elminster.
I'd probably expand the scope of El's reach when evaluating other mages of power. We know he's a semi-frequent planewalker, and that the Old Mage likes to visit other worlds/planes, to explore, battle threats beyond, and such. So I wouldn't at all be surprised to learn that he's often evaluated the many other wizards of considerable power that he encounters during his extra-planar travels.

In fact, given the wide planar scope my Realms actually has, through the background lore I've written for my own PLANESCAPE games, I've already established this particular piece of lore for my own interpretation of Elminster.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 01:42:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Markustay, yes to El checking out mages in disguise, and yes to some of them tumbling to it and him knowing they know and so on, and YES to Mystra having Chosen outside Faerun.
About which I'll see just how much I can wheedle Ed into saying...
love,
THO

I'd like to add a bit to Markus's original question, milady, if I may.

Ed, I'd also like to hear more about any Chosen of Mystra who might reside [or, maybe, once did reside] beyond Toril itself, perhaps somewhere else out among the reaches of Realmspace?


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 02:44:48
Message:

My thanks to Garen Thal for that Cormyr answer. It was more than I actually expected to get, and I, too, am excited by the possibility of someone beavering away behind the scenes on our beloved Forest Kingdom.
Speaking of which: is Ed now working, or has he recently been working, on anything related to Cormyr?
(Hey, if I'm going to daringly ask questions, I'm going to be DARING, okay?)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 02:47:11
Message:

Purrrr. I LIKE daring men.
So I'm going to answer you in two ways: Ed can't tell you anything about what he's been working on recently, or is working on now.
I, however, have done some snooping, and I can tell you: yes.
Just that, no more.
Now, doesn't that set your daring mind at ease?
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 03:00:34
Message:

Oh, and while I'm being naughty, Wooly: I used to look really hot dressed as a school girl (that is, the sort that wears glasses and a school uniform). Now, I'm sufficiently matured/decayed that I look like a school teacher - - or perhaps like an aging porn star dressed up a school girl. Not so much hot as . . . lewd.
Which is (ahem) so out of character for me, and for this thread, that I think we'd better say no more about it.
So to bring this back to Realmslore, and to tease Baleful Avatar a little more, here's a sentence of Realmslore from Ed's pre-1986, never published notes (not covered by TSR/WotC's copyright, because it was never submitted to them, after they expressly said 'don't send any more, that's more than enough"), a sentence that should also be of great interest to Markustay and others interested in the Chosen:


Among the most seldom-seen of the Chosen were the sorceresses Taerele and Jalathleena, the first because she dwelt far to the east of Faerun and had little to do with humankind or other civilizations, being primarily concerned with repairing the Weave and learning to master its manipulation, and the second because she loved walking the multiverse, and pleaded with Mystra to take on the role of Mystra's 'procurer,' bringing back items, magic, enchanted items, plants, and even sentient creatures from myriad planes to Faerun and the lands around it.


So saith Ed. I'm thinking these notes date from around 1982, judging by what they're written in and Ed's handwriting (which deteriorated over his years of schooling, as he was forced to take notes faster and faster by various teachers who filled blackboards full of notes before class, all around the classroom, and slid them aside to reveal a second layer of note-filled blackboards, then started erasing the earliest boards in the sequence and continuing the notes . . . and their classes, writing hard and cramping as they did so, silently cursed. And sometimes not so silently, too.)
I've never shared this before because I thought it was too Tolkien-like (shades of the "blue" Istari who went east and right out of the story, never to be heard from again). Once TSR got hold of the Chosen and started treating them as comic book superheroes, I think Ed wanted to keep very quiet about various "other Chosen," too, to put the brakes on what was fast becoming an arms race - - but that's just my take on it; we've never actually discussed this, he and I.
So enjoy, scribes!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 04:26:59
Message:

Can we get any lore on anything of interest that you would have had Jalathleena bring back to Toril and where it would have been kept in your home game, creatures, plants, items, anything?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 08:04:56
Message:

You say that they were among 'the most seldom seen'. But do the Chosen we know of know them? Or is it that some (Elminster) know and others don't?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 14:48:29
Message:

Good question, Menelvagor, and thanks for that tidbit, THO. I'm sure I'll use it somewhere.

And lewd can be... interesting... under the right circumstances.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

I'd probably expand the scope of El's reach when evaluating other mages of power. We know he's a semi-frequent planewalker, and that the Old Mage likes to visit other worlds/planes, to explore, battle threats beyond, and such. So I wouldn't at all be surprised to learn that he's often evaluated the many other wizards of considerable power that he encounters during his extra-planar travels.

In fact, given the wide planar scope my Realms actually has, through the background lore I've written for my own PLANESCAPE games, I've already established this particular piece of lore for my own interpretation of Elminster.
I stated multiple times on these forums how I used to run Greyhawk, until 'forced' to run FR for my brother-in-law and his friends (a group of teens wanting to learn the game). Since I was a proficient GH DM but knew very little about the Realms, I 'ported' over quite a bit, and my Elminster was one of those things I stole from my GH games.

You see, Tenser didn't die, son, he just went home...*

I married my two campaigns in other ways, like the fact that Mordenkainen is the real Khelbun Arunsun. I had a lot of fun putting all the things I loved about GH into FR, and looking back, I think it was kind of fitting that El was a member of the Circle of Eight (although I'd probably make him Serten now, if I were to revisit that storyline). Considering Mystra was Wee Jas' BFF, its not all that far-fetched.

I've also played with the idea of Elminster having been Merlin. Since that figure from folklore was known to "come and go as he pleased" and was often not to be found I thought it would work, and when I read that Ed's version of Elminster was very similar to the Merlin character in Excalibur, I thought it was an even better fit. I never used that plothook, though - I could never figure-out a way of using it without sending a party to medieval Earth... and that I wouldn't do.


*with apologies to Tommy Lee Jones for stealing his Elvis line.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 15:45:46
Message:

Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, re. this: "Or is it that some (Elminster) know and others don't?"
Yes. That's it, exactly. As Ed put it to me:

Most Chosen know most of the other Chosen, but usually only work with a few of them, or work alone. Some Chosen aren't aware of certain other Chosen at all.

I'm thinking Ed will give us a few more hints about these Chosen, in the days ahead.
love,
THO


Reply author: edappel
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 18:41:49
Message:

Hello again THO.
With the wish to Alan's message from Elminster, I asked Ed if he could send a greeting message to all FR Brazilians fans. I know that probably I'm asking too much, but even so I should try..
I already have Lee Byers, Erik and Rosemary's messages, they are kind of making some promotions to their books, but I think Ed could tell something more about the world itself and the distinguished value of the novels to the lore of the Realms.

I'm kind of making a "marketing" for all novels, after receiving some more messages, I'll compile them all and send to many comunitys and blogs around my country. (I feel so lonely being a FR novels reader around here... I'm even making a blog to put my reviews, trying to find another addicted reader like me)

Thanks again, and I don't wanna spend Ed's time with something unused.. But I really think it could help even him indirectly.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 18:49:05
Message:

Ed's a great guy. I'm sure he'll do that even if it didn't earn him a penny in book sales.
I suspect he was just angling for some more soft, sweet THO "persuasion."
Ahem, speaking of which: Dear Ed and THO, in Cormyr circa 1370s, how socially acceptable is it among the common folk for seduction (or the withholding of intimacy, even among wedded couples) to be used to get someone to do something or not do something. Is it frowned upon? Or . . .?
(This is for campaign purposes.) Thanks!
BB


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 08 Jul 2009 20:13:01
Message:

Thank ye kindly for the Emelyn info, THO/Ed. I reckoned as much, but now I have more than just my personal suspicion. :)


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 09 Jul 2009 15:21:12
Message:

@Blueblade - you're poking a stick into the core of human nature - using whatever you have available to get what you want.

And we all know what the "oldest profession" is...


Reply author: rjfras
Replied on: 09 Jul 2009 21:20:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

@Blueblade - you're poking a stick into the core of human nature - using whatever you have available to get what you want.

And we all know what the "oldest profession" is...


now what did the hunters and farmers ever do to you?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 09 Jul 2009 22:26:11
Message:

Aside from food, there was other... stuff... they were 'hunting' and 'gathering'.

How does that old saying go? "The mightiest hunter gets the most tail"?

And the best tail gets the mightiest hunter. Using ones... assets... has always been a way to get something you wanted but were unable to obtain on your own. A cavewoman had to do what a cavewoman had to do, and all that.

Applying this to the Realms, someone like The Shadowsil managed to recieve training by both Elminster and Manshoon... obviously she had some mighty fine assets.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 01:53:29
Message:

Ahem.
Some of which are what you were thinking about, yes, but more importantly (as Ed revealed in play with the Knights, long ago) because The Shadowsil had a natural "wild talent" to pluck energy from the Weave and use it to briefly (as, in, one or two spells a day, tops) "boost" her spells (not give her extra spells, but increase the power of the spells she was casting). So Elminster didn't want her wandering the world without training . . . and Manshoon wanted to exploit her powers. She in turn wanted power, importance, and respect, so she went to one wizard after the other to get it.
With ultimately tragic results, as you know...
Ed has built thousands of little "life tales" like that into the Realms.
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 03:26:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ahem.
Some of which are what you were thinking about, yes, but more importantly (as Ed revealed in play with the Knights, long ago) because The Shadowsil had a natural "wild talent" to pluck energy from the Weave and use it to briefly (as, in, one or two spells a day, tops) "boost" her spells (not give her extra spells, but increase the power of the spells she was casting). So Elminster didn't want her wandering the world without training . . . and Manshoon wanted to exploit her powers. She in turn wanted power, importance, and respect, so she went to one wizard after the other to get it.
With ultimately tragic results, as you know...
Ed has built thousands of little "life tales" like that into the Realms.
love,
THO



That's a nifty ability...

It also brings to mind some of the innate talents mentioned in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical (formerly a suppressed work , now available from the Wizards downloads page), or Naoni Dyre's ability to weave anything into cloth...

All of which of course begs the question, O Lovely Lady Hooded One, can you or Ed share some more of these interesting wild/innate talents?


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 03:44:40
Message:

Which means Ed invented meta-magical Feats before WotC did.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 06:03:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed has built thousands of little "life tales" like that into the Realms.
Indeed. And this Shadowsil tidbit has me hungry for more.

Any chance, Ed, that you can share a few more little "life tales" for other NPCs, even if only briefly?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 16:19:03
Message:

Hi.
"Which means Ed invented meta-magical Feats before WotC did."

But of course. Ed has invented or created SO much for the D&D game. . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 17:00:20
Message:

The recent mention of the Shadowsil raises in me this question: Is there a place with a complete story of the Shadowsil (or at least as complete as written in published books)? Or a list of books she sppears in?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Jul 2009 18:45:03
Message:

Hi, all.
No, Menelvagor, I'm afraid there isn't. I DO think there are some short glimpses not yet published in official Realmslore, plus what was seen in THE SWORD NEVER SLEEPS and SPELLFIRE and one other book that I'm blanking on at the moment. Sorry.
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 00:31:34
Message:

Heya,

When I was casting around for ideas for names for my Death Knights in WoW, I decided on Shadowsil and Ashemmi. Shadowsil has since gone on to become my main character (before Death Knights I was a die hard Hunter player). I know, how unimaginative of me.

Buuuuut I did actually have two (multi-part) questions...

Question the first: A centaur arrives in Neverwinter in the company of a pair of adventurers. Where would said centaur find accommodation, and what form would it take? How would she be received by the watch and by the townsfolk?

Question two: The centaur wishes to be trained by an itinerant priestess of Sharess who is currently residing in the city. One of the adventurers is this priestess's protege. The church doesn't have a formal presence in the city, nor a building of its own (which is why the centaur needs to find her own accommodations) - but I suspect that the protege is planning to establish one at some point when she has enough money to do so. What hoops would the protege (who is well regarded by some amongst the powers that be, and has a small amount of fame in the city itself for spoiling a plot by Aurilites to bring winter to Neverwinter) have to jump through in order to gain permission to set up a temple to Sharess within the city limits? What part of the city would the temple be permitted to be built and/or set up in?

Yes, this does concern an on-going game, but there's no real rush for answers. I'm sure we can make it up as we go along, so I ask more out of curiosity than anything else.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 02:41:04
Message:

Reviving two old topics here...
1) Has the identity of the mysterious Cormyte author been guessed and/or revealed? (I hope I'm using the correct adjectival form here.)

2) Has that equally mysterious and long-delayed announcement pending from Back East been made yet?

That's all; any other questions I have, I suspect I've already asked them, and either way the answers are all bound up in NDA red tape.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 03:19:33
Message:

Hi again, all.
Well, this from Ed just popped up lightning-swift in my inbox. A response to Zandilar's questions: "Question the first: A centaur arrives in Neverwinter in the company of a pair of adventurers. Where would said centaur find accommodation, and what form would it take? How would she be received by the watch and by the townsfolk?

Question two: The centaur wishes to be trained by an itinerant priestess of Sharess who is currently residing in the city. One of the adventurers is this priestess's protege. The church doesn't have a formal presence in the city, nor a building of its own (which is why the centaur needs to find her own accommodations) - but I suspect that the protege is planning to establish one at some point when she has enough money to do so. What hoops would the protege (who is well regarded by some amongst the powers that be, and has a small amount of fame in the city itself for spoiling a plot by Aurilites to bring winter to Neverwinter) have to jump through in order to gain permission to set up a temple to Sharess within the city limits? What part of the city would the temple be permitted to be built and/or set up in?"
Ed replies:


Hi, Zandilar. I have always seen and depicted Neverwinter as the tolerant counterbalance to Luskan. Loose, gentle government, a lot more "keeping of the peace" by neighbours standing and acting together than by jackbooted authority. A lot more "live and let live" attitude, so long as that's not exploited to "I get to punch your face because I feel like it" extremes.
Neverwinter has both inns and rental lodgings that cater to shapeshifters, centaurs, wemics, and other four-footed, intelligent speaking guests. So a centaur would be calmly received by the Watch and most inhabitants. Some shops will simply be too crowded for a centaur to navigate through, but a good two-thirds of the proprietors of such places will be eager, not just grudging, at fetching selections of wares and bringing them out to where a centaur can look them over and purchase (or not).
As for Sharess: no problem at all. I'd say Neverwinter already has shrines to Sharess and most other non-evil deities, so establishing a temple is a simple manner of applying to the "city courtiers" so they can tax said temple. Presto: end of hoops. :}
Most of the rental lodgings mentioned above, and the best temple sites, are in the lightly-wooded inland or northeastern parts of Neverwinter; the near-the-shore "downtown" is already crowded and built up - - but then, it's also the least hospitable local terrain for hooved creatures and those who want room to do things in (like worship, dance or flirt or more to the greater glory of Sharess, and so on). Neverwinter and Everlund are the only large centers in the northern Sword Coast region that have substantial "forested park" -like conditions within their dwelling and patrolled areas, and those very conditions would be enticing to both a temple to Sharess and any centaur who doesn't mind sharing with other sylvan folk.
Now, that's not to say that Neverwinter doesn't have some inwardly-unfriendly-to-Sharess folk who will take advantage of the open, tolerant nature of the city to come and spy on who worships at the temple and what they get up to (and even some non-Sharess-haters who are just looking for an orgy to enjoy).
Neverwinter is yet ANOTHER of the too-neglected cities I wish we could have done a lot more with, in the published Realms. It can make for a great campaign setting, and I regret that the scenes set in it in SILVERFALL are such a brief glimpse of the place.


So saith Ed. Who will return with more Realmslore in the fullness of time, folks. Yes, he's still in the saddle; he's just very busy right now, particularly at his library day job, which has shifted to full-time this week so some of his co-workers can take some well-deserved holidays.
One Ed, amongst so many weary women; now THERE'S a vision to conjure with . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 03:24:19
Message:

Jakk, no to both of your questions: the identity of the Cormyrean author hasn't been revealed (correctly guessed) by anyone yet, and no, the Big Announcement hasn't been made. I'll nudge Ed to see if he can find out anything about the second one . . . and the first one is of course up to the guesses of the scribes of Candlekeep.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 03:28:31
Message:

Oh, and a reply to Wooly:
I can recall off the top of my head at least one innate talent a NPC demonstrated in the Realms (quite an otherwise normal, young, non-adventuring, low-ranking, "ordinary" mundane boy of a NPC, too): deadly accurate mimicry of someone he'd just heard speak. I mean, DEAD ON, extending their voice, including singing voice and/or sound of breathing or wheezing, to a full vocabulary even if he'd only heard a few words. He got hired by lots of shady characters to work small, short-lived impersonations to deceive various people.

Ed will of course provide more, when he gets around to that query in the huge and ever-growing heap of queries.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 08:55:19
Message:

Ed and THO,

I was just perusing the scroll with the help of Google Advanced Search, updating my lore-notes for Cormyr, and I noticed that the forthcoming details of House Sorndrake were last mentioned on March 25... I have enjoyed the lore on the other houses so much that this forthcoming lore has become just as eagerly anticipated by me as by my fellow scribe Daviot. Hearing that Ed is in fact even *busier* than usual (how is that even possible?) reassures me somewhat. Exactly *how* huge is that heap of queries at this time, just out of curiosity?

On a related note, hopefully Ed is next in line for those well-deserved holidays; I'm about to start a week off from my day job myself, and spending most of that week visiting my mom and packing up my collection of 1E/2E publications, including a hard-copy collection of Dragon magazine from #52* up, as I try to orchestrate a way to move it all to my current residence four hours' highway drive away without a vehicle of my own.

* - I'm looking for a cover-and-pages-intact copy of #51, if Ed happens to have an extra one or know someone who does; no special reason, except that it's Volume VI, Number 1, and I like my collections to be complete that way if possible.

By way of a Realmslore question: regarding one earlier asked, and answered with my favourite three letters: is there anything at all other than "NDA" that you *can* tell me about those thirteen pyramids under Ascore? George Krashos mentioned (in a tease elsewhere in CK) that there was something regarding the pyramids that was planned for LEoF, but that piece didn't make it into the final product. That being said, is there any chance of that material ever being released in any form, or of the NDA being revoked if not?

Apologies for the long-windedness of this inquiry. I meant what I said about Ed deserving some vacation time from his day job, even if he spends it all writing novels and Realmslore. Many thanks in advance,

Jakk


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 10:33:12
Message:

I am interested if ED can tell me about the imaskarcana that hasnt been released and if he can share anything about old imaskar.

( 10 to 1 that atleast one of them is nda...)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 16:28:37
Message:

Hi again, all.
Yes, Ed is busier than the wind and the tides at the moment, and I'm sorry, sfdragon, Imaskar and everything about it is NDA right now (but look on the bright side: that means SOMEONE is at work on SOMETHING involving it).
Jakk, Ed is acutely aware that he's left the very patient and polite Daviot hanging, waiting far too long for the Sorndrake lore. He'll get to it, he promises.
Ascore is another "partially NDA'd" matter; Ed will have to check to see what he's allowed to reveal, if anything. I'm suspecting "nothing" will be the reply he gets, but we'll see . . .
Unfortunately, Jakk, Ed doesn't have any spare DRAGONS, any more; he gave some of them to friends replenishing a damaged-in-fire (actually by the firemens' water hoses) collection, signed a few more for charity give-aways, and is down to the bare bones.
Apropos of Ed's reply to Zandilar about Neverwinter, I unearthed this from my Ed campaign notes about the city:


To the north and east, the city becomes a series of irregular "blocks" formed by wandering streets that abandon any semblance of a grid pattern. This is largely due to the prevalence of small rills (brooks or tiny streams) that rise as springs in this area, and then tumble and meander gently down into pools and even a larger pond or two. As a result, there's a light forest covering much of the area, and mansions with gardens, walled and otherwise, have been built in plenty. Sinkholes and the many thirsty roots have prevented open bogs or swampland for the most part, creating an entire third or so of the city that looks more like forest than built-up area. Small arch bridges are common, only a few lanterns provide any lighting on the roads at night, and well-trained guardian dogs (and other creatures, including panthers and golems) guard some estates against brigands and raiding bands (of orcs, half-orcs, and sometimes hobgoblins, gnolls, and flind) from the surrounding wilderlands (miles of wooded, gently-rolling hills). The custom in Neverwinter is to have SILENT guardians, not barking, howling alarm-raisers, and to pin or surround or drive out intruders rather than savage them, but monsters of decidedly non-human form are generally exceptions to this; their presence will evoke alarm-raising and battle.


So saith Ed, with another tidbit of Neverwinter lore from the past (I believe he wrote that lore from which my notes are derived during or before 1988).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 22:38:21
Message:

hate NDAs dealing with the extremely distant past......


so someone is doing someinthing with the resturned imaskar.... interesting, as long as its a novel and not some dumb living FR module...



how many novels are in the Ed Greenwood presents: waterdeep??


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 23:33:08
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
To the north and east, the city becomes a series of irregular "blocks" formed by wandering streets that abandon any semblance of a grid pattern. This is largely due to the prevalence of small rills (brooks or tiny streams) that rise as springs in this area, and then tumble and meander gently down into pools and even a larger pond or two. As a result, there's a light forest covering much of the area, and mansions with gardens, walled and otherwise, have been built in plenty. Sinkholes and the many thirsty roots have prevented open bogs or swampland for the most part, creating an entire third or so of the city that looks more like forest than built-up area. Small arch bridges are common, only a few lanterns provide any lighting on the roads at night, and well-trained guardian dogs (and other creatures, including panthers and golems) guard some estates against brigands and raiding bands (of orcs, half-orcs, and sometimes hobgoblins, gnolls, and flind) from the surrounding wilderlands (miles of wooded, gently-rolling hills). The custom in Neverwinter is to have SILENT guardians, not barking, howling alarm-raisers, and to pin or surround or drive out intruders rather than savage them, but monsters of decidedly non-human form are generally exceptions to this; their presence will evoke alarm-raising and battle.


Sounds just like the kind of place I'd like to live in.

The vision of Neverwinter I had in my head was largely shaped by the Neverwinter Nights game by Bioware, but I'm beginning to see that Bioware's designers were fairly obviously limited to what would work well in a computer game (or else they didn't really have that much information on Neverwinter and made it up as they went along).

From this, it sounds like Neverwinter doesn't actually have a wall. Am I right in guessing that?

Thanks to you, THO, and to Ed for some more superb Neverwinter lore, it will definitely come in handy.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Jul 2009 23:59:22
Message:

Hi again, all.
A pleasure, Zandilar.
That's right, Neverwinter doesn't have a city wall.
It does, of course, have many walled "compounds" around caravan coster bases (paddocks plus wagon repair sheds, warehouses, and bunkhouses), walls around various mansions and gardens, and a small walled area at the older, southern end of the docks (from the days when goblinkin raids on the dockside warehouses were a nightly problem).
Yet no city wall, no.
Of course, from the beginning TSR latched on to Neverwinter as a place to license for a computer games BECAUSE it had a prohibition on published city maps to hamper raiders (TSR figured that gave any computer company who picked up the license "free reign" to develop the city as they pleased).
"Neverwinter Nights" itself was originally the name of the local Neverwinter city newpaper (Ed actually published some issues of it, just for fun for his players), until the name was "given" to BioWare. So Ed named the game before it was a game - - and before there was a BioWare, too!
love,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 12 Jul 2009 03:31:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

"Neverwinter Nights" itself was originally the name of the local Neverwinter city newpaper (Ed actually published some issues of it, just for fun for his players), until the name was "given" to BioWare. So Ed named the game before it was a game - - and before there was a BioWare, too!
love,
THO



Showing my age here but actually, AOL had Neverwinter Nights before Bioware. :)


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 12 Jul 2009 06:33:05
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

"Neverwinter Nights" itself was originally the name of the local Neverwinter city newpaper (Ed actually published some issues of it, just for fun for his players), until the name was "given" to BioWare. So Ed named the game before it was a game - - and before there was a BioWare, too!
love,
THO



Showing my age here but actually, AOL had Neverwinter Nights before Bioware. :)



Yes, indeed. It was a gold box game, and was arguably the first "modern" graphical MMORPG. But I have a feeling that Ed's Neverwinter Nights newspaper predates that too. (It was a co-production of Stormfront Studios, SSI, TSR and AOL, published in 1991, and ran until 1997. Wikipedia linky here.)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Jul 2009 17:36:29
Message:

Yes, Ed's Neverwinter Nights predates the gold box game, too. I'd forgotten about that one. I do remember Ed showing us POOL OF RADIANCE and EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (games were, well, a little primitive at the time; for a lark I wrote up a Realms equivalent for LEATHR GODDESSES OF PHOBOS, for our own private amusement; I used teleports to "loop" you back out of various hilarious perdicaments in Waterdeep, to the "main action sequence," which ended in Kitten's bed. With Laeral shooting beholders out of the sky like fireworks. Ed loved it.
Ah, nostalgia . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Jul 2009 21:30:51
Message:

Ooooooh... Any chance of us getting our paws on this adventure, milady? It will please us greatly, and pleasure is usually shared, is it not?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Jul 2009 02:35:09
Message:

You have a working Mac II running System 6.02, that has an 800k floppy disc drive, Menelvagor?
I suppose I could print it out and turn it into a text-only "Choose Your Own Adventure" or "Pick-A-Path" -style prose adventure, but I can also see that taking more than a YEAR of my spare time. That I could far better use for doing other things. Getting my body licked all over a few thousand times, for instance.
love,
THO


Reply author: BEAST
Replied on: 13 Jul 2009 15:15:04
Message:

"Lit Your Own Adventure" vs. "Lick Your Own Adventure"?

Are we really all that surprised at her preference?


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 00:04:53
Message:

Heh. No, strangely enough.
I have a plea re. the "mysterious Cormyrean author" of the salacious book about Queen Fee: can THO or Ed "help" guessers by eliminating, say, characters named in his Realmslore series of web articles (the people Azoun and Filfaeril met, and all the courtiers named in the two-part "Cormyr protocol" pieces)? Please?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 00:10:50
Message:

Hi, all.
Baleful, your command is my wish (she purred masochistically). Consider it done. That is, characters mentioned in Ed's Realmslore series of web columns are eliminated. None of them wrote that sizzling tome.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 00:25:21
Message:

Neverwinter doesn't have a city wall? Eeeehh...for a city in the North of all places, that doesn't sound so smart.


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 00:26:19
Message:

A Mac II. Heh. Nope, my Baffling Vault of Antiquity doesn't stretch quite that far back.

The hard part would actually not be the hardware part, I'm an archivist, I'm sure I could dig something up if I put my mind to it, but rather what to do with the program once it was running. Are we wanting to just do a text dump, are there custom graphics that we're wanting to capture, is the gameplay the thing that's key? And then... ah. Ahem. Sorry. As I mentioned, I'm a digital archivist. This is the sort of problem I work with every day. Sometimes I get carried away.

Thinking about getting carried away in our fields, THO, does Ed ever use his long experience with libraries to snow people who think too highly of themselves? (ie: bury them in technobabble?) And, to put a Realmsian twist on it, how does he handle in the home campaign the unfortunate occurance of provoking a similar flood from a mage/scholar/other irate learned person? By which I mean someone who definitely knows what all the technical jargon means, but it's jargon for something that doesn't exist IRL?


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 00:40:06
Message:

But khorne, that's the thing: not everyone behaves in a similarly "smart" fashion. In both real world and fantasy world settings. For a long time Silverymoon had no walls, either. Everlund still doesn't.
To have city walls, you need either a united prosperous populace to tax without wild unrest to pay for said walls, or a strong militaristic rule to order them built and force slaves or citizens or convicts (or a combination of those) to do the building. Which can take not just decades, but in some cases generations. If there are water supply or sewage problems, they will often take precedence.
Rather than either a large taxable populace who agreed on walls, or a tyrant, Neverwinter had lots of mages (no walls means free fields of fire for whiz-bang "smash invading armies" spells) and nature-lovers instead.
Or so I read the situation, anyway. In the real world, city walls (that a city hadn't outgrown) are more the exception than the rule, actually.
And both Ed and I, in completely different novels, have used the alternative to walls: frequent armed perimeter patrols.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 18:40:21
Message:

Hi again, all. Well said, Sage of Stars.
I bring a brief Realmslore reply from Ed, in response to this, from Drizztsmanchild (back on page 61 of this thread): "Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)"
Ed replies:


The only consistent enchantment on El's smalls is the same magic that empowers panties of feather falling. Sometimes, however, he has added wards, or ironguard, or "trigger teleports" (teleports wearer away to pre-selected spot, or overriden by willed destination, at the contact of certain sorts of magic).


So saith Ed. One wonders about the enchantments on lingerie . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 20:52:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Well said, Sage of Stars.
I bring a brief Realmslore reply from Ed, in response to this, from Drizztsmanchild (back on page 61 of this thread): "Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)"
Ed replies:


The only consistent enchantment on El's smalls is the same magic that empowers panties of feather falling. Sometimes, however, he has added wards, or ironguard, or "trigger teleports" (teleports wearer away to pre-selected spot, or overriden by willed destination, at the contact of certain sorts of magic).


So saith Ed. One wonders about the enchantments on lingerie . . .
love to all,
THO




One wonders why El would feel the need to ironguard his skivvies. That's protection above and beyond that of a cup or codpiece!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 14 Jul 2009 21:26:47
Message:

I daresay that would be for intimate dalliances with ladies in too much of a hurry to remove their armor, Wooly.
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Jul 2009 01:05:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Well said, Sage of Stars.
I bring a brief Realmslore reply from Ed, in response to this, from Drizztsmanchild (back on page 61 of this thread): "Ok, Since we are are discussing...ahem odd things. On another post there is a discussion on El's undergarments. For arguements sake and for lore what exactly are the magical properties of said undergarments? Thank you :)"
Ed replies:


The only consistent enchantment on El's smalls is the same magic that empowers panties of feather falling. Sometimes, however, he has added wards, or ironguard, or "trigger teleports" (teleports wearer away to pre-selected spot, or overriden by willed destination, at the contact of certain sorts of magic).


So saith Ed. One wonders about the enchantments on lingerie . . .
love to all,
THO




One wonders why El would feel the need to ironguard his skivvies. That's protection above and beyond that of a cup or codpiece!

Ah, I had Elminster prance around with his enchanted clout during a gaming session once. I won't even go into what I had ready for the enchanted undergarments of the other Chosen.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Jul 2009 19:33:58
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another Cormyr question, if you will.
In the 1370s DR, is there any substantial settlement going on in the westernmost reaches of the realm (i.e. along the road that runs west out of High Horn, then turns south to the Bridge of Fallen Men)? Or is that still the home of hermits, loner steaders, prospectors, a few foresters and hunters, and outlaws?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 15 Jul 2009 19:50:24
Message:

Wait until you see my newest version of the FR map - there are quite a few more settlements in the area of the Tunlands then most folks realized (at least twenty, all canon).

However, with the growth (and integration) of the swamps in 4e, many of those may have been destroyed (and, of course, the Spellplague could have done a number on all of them... or not).

I noted that not a lot of 'settlement' happened in the Stonelands, despite Cormyr's best efforts in the 1300's. I suppose the proximity of the Shades and destruction of Tilverton have something to do with that.

BTW, since I just mentioned it... does 'New Tilverton' even exist? perhaps Brian James knows?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 16 Jul 2009 08:33:42
Message:

Also, Cormyrans may have decided to settle closer to Sembia (since there now are a few independent cities as a buffer) or near Highdale.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 16 Jul 2009 15:35:58
Message:

AFAIK, there already were hundreds of tiny settlements along that border.

'Conquering' the Stonelands was a major initiative of Azoun IV, and one of the main reasons why he was so willing to give charters to adventuring companies. I guess after his death, that 'project' went on a back-burner.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 16 Jul 2009 15:40:15
Message:

Well, of course. No point settling in a place (the Stonelands) where you can't grow food, where there are no roads (and no near neighbors or supplies), and where monsters show up to try to make YOU dinner every few minutes.
When the alternative settlement areas have all that the Stonelands is missing.
Now, if there was a sudden gold strike or people started finding caverns full of gems that are easily reached by average folk, then settlement (at least temporarily) might happen.
Just reading Ed's descriptions of the terrain (bare rock ridges, deep ravines between, no level ground) make me not want to ever go near the Stonelands. Er, nearer than Eveningstar, at least.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 17 Jul 2009 14:50:59
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Yet another request for Cormyrean lore:
Are there any "mass" makers of nails, spikes, or other metal fasteners (screws? bolts? Do they exist in the Realms at this time?) circa the 1370s, in Cormyr?
Some sort of foundry/factory, I mean, as opposed to every smith hand-making what he needs "plus a few extra" for sale.
I didn't mean hinges or hook and eye catches, but now that I'm asking, I might as well include them, too . . .
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 17 Jul 2009 14:52:54
Message:

I'd like to ride the coat tails of Blueblade's request: if there are such foundries or factories, is there one or more in Suzail? Can we know something about them (name, location, reputation, do they sell through other shops?). Please?
Thank you!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 17 Jul 2009 14:55:38
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I, too, have another campaign-related request: does Suzail have any acting or dancing schools, circa the 1370s DR, that recently had a scandal or were mentioned in unsavory rumors of some sort? Yes, I can obviously make up my own, so Ed doesn't have to, but I didn't want to contradict canon if he already has something up his sleeve . . .
Thanks.


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 17 Jul 2009 14:59:51
Message:

Ed, have you seen any sign of the SONGS OF THE DYING EARTH tribute anthology to Jack Vance, that George Martin's co-editing? Supposedly an August release, but I haven't heard anything for some time. I know you wanted to pick it up. Subterranean Press, yes?

And for Realms relevance, everyone: Ed, I know about the upcoming "Realms of the" anthology; do you know of any other planned anthologies or collections to be published set in the Realms?
Thank you in advance for anything you can share, old friend.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 17 Jul 2009 15:50:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

Dear Ed and THO,
I, too, have another campaign-related request: does Suzail have any acting or dancing schools, circa the 1370s DR, that recently had a scandal or were mentioned in unsavory rumors of some sort? Yes, I can obviously make up my own, so Ed doesn't have to, but I didn't want to contradict canon if he already has something up his sleeve . . .
Thanks.

How about a producer of plays?

Check the adventure section of 2e's Draconimicon.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 01:38:37
Message:

Heya,

Just a quick question (with lots of explanations...) of relevance to my home brewed campaign, and maybe of interest to other people...

Just how far do you think Midnight/Mystra would go to hold onto existence?

Now I have two versions of the Realms, both of which I've managed to "save" Mystra in.

The first one is attached only to itself (and which other worlds or planes I decide to use if I ever run a game there), and Mystra knew her demise was imminent, so she went to Eilistraee for help (being the deity she's probably closest to given they share a Chosen) - Eilistraee gave up what was left of Vhaeraun, and Mystra was able to use that extra "stealthy" power to not be where Cyric was expecting her to be, and thus escaped death. (Mystra did replace the power she took from Eilistraee with some of her own, and afterwards she retained Vhaeraun's power in the form of an extra portfolio - Illusions, which Cyric lost.)

The second one, which is relevant to this question, is the Realms attached to my home brewed world of Cresan. Mystra knew her deminse was imminent, so she found a stray adventurer from Cresan (a changeling sorcerer called Harana, an NPC/Henchman), appealed to her, converted her from her original deity (Ah'an), then made her a Chosen. Harana was quite happy to help this foreign deity, and accepted (I am not entirely sure of Harana's motives, sometimes characters do things that surprise me when I let them slip off the leash). When Harana and the rest of her party were returned to Cresan, stuff happened - to cut a long story short a combined faction of demons and devils, and their hybrids, had tried to make the world into a NE plane and had almost succeeded. After seeing some pretty gruesome sights, Harana suddenly spoke up, but she was Harana no longer. Mystra had taken over. Her power had been placed within Harana for just this purpose, to bring her into Cresan and away from Cyric and Shar who would have almost certainly succeeded in killing her. Harana/Mystra cryptically blamed herself for what was happening in Cresan, then disappeared, leaving the party wondering what to do. Cutting another long story short, eventually the PCs came across Harana/Mystra battling Ah'an (a TN deity) for dominance over magic - which she wins. The reverberations in time and space from this battle had frozen the portal that was supposed to deliver the PCs to Cresan in time to avert the current crisis before it began, which caused the PCs to arrive when they did - too late to do anything about it. (But then they discovered an old friend who was able to teleport them back to the correct time by sacrificing herself and her power to do so - with the new deity of magic's help, of course.). Of course, with the time traveling you might wonder if Mystra was able to survive after all - yes, but she won't appear in Cresan for another three game years. (I am also in two minds as to whether or not the party will get Harana back. I think Harana and Mystra are too well integrated (especially given the impact of Mystra's battle with Ah'an), and have warned the party that they may be unable to "save" Harana. I liked Harana, but sometimes you have to let your darlings go. )

Of the two survivals, I think the former is probably more in character for Mystra, as it harms no one and manages to use friendship and stealth to thwart stealth and hatred. But I could see the second one working if Mystra felt she was that pressed and that in danger, and if she felt the Realms without her would suffer badly enough - the plan was to become a deity in another world so she could not be entirely defeated, and would leave the door to her coming back to the Realms once Cyric and Shar's attempt to kill her merely kills the avatar she left behind.

(Okay, enough working on this. Time to post. Hopefully people will be able to make sense of what I wrote. )


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 13:14:28
Message:

Canonically, Mystra is/was closest to Wee Jas, part of Greyhawk's Pantheon (On Hallowed Ground). As an old GH DM, I probably would have used her instead of Eilistraee (sort of combining your two).

The second scenario, IMHO, is more suited to the "Lady of Mysteries".
Mystra 'eating' Vhaeraun's remnants is a bit... icky.


Reply author: Brian R. James
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 17:05:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

BTW, since I just mentioned it... does 'New Tilverton' even exist? perhaps Brian James knows?
New Tilverton was included in the map order for Backdrop: Cormyr, located just southwest of Castle Nacacia along the Moonsea Ride. Mike Schley, the cartographer, mentioned that someone at WotC asked him to remove it. So it does appear that New Tilverton no longer exists, but even if that were so I'd rather have it marked as a ruin than not appear on the map at all.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 17:38:02
Message:

Hi, Wooly! Ed tells me there's something wrong with his Yahoo account right now (in general, not just with messeages from you), so he'll get back to you ASAP. Which I presume means he knows he's got a message from you, he just can't get the account to either show it to him or to let him reply.
To all other scribes, I do have an Ed lore reply to share with you, in just a moment when I can get it downloaded.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 18:17:56
Message:

Ed and THO,

Thanks for the quick replies re: my most recent inquiries. Shortly thereafter, I was able to track down that elusive Dragon #51 online, in NM condition from a reputable used-RPG dealer I've ordered from in the past. I paid a pretty penny for it, but it's worth it. I found a couple of other titles I was looking for; they made the shipping charges to Western Canada worthwhile.

Hopefully something will be made available soon re: my two Hasturian questions (and no, they are not to be named until they can be answered, however vaguely, with something other than "NDA"; if *I'm* getting tired of seeing my questions rephrased by me in an effort to squeeze out the slightest bit of an answer, I can only imagine how the rest of CK feels...).


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 18:23:30
Message:

Hi again, all.
As promised, lore from Ed, this time in reply to a query from Raelan back in early March of this year: "Hi, Ed. I've been wondering a few things regarding the Mad Mage of Undermountain for some time. He's always been a rather enigmatic figure in the Realms, and I'd like to know a bit more, both for my own edification and for the purposes of using some of his ongoing works when running a game.
Would you be willing to offer a conjecture as to what Halaster would've been doing with with his post-Elminster in Hell life had he not died and the Spellplague never happened? What would his goals have been; what type of plots would he have been engaged in; how would his interactions with his apprentices, associates, and people in general have changed; and would he descend into madness once again as a result of the influence of the enchantments of Undermountain? Did he have machinations in motion at the time of his canonical death that you could go into and extrapolate upon as if he hadn't been killed?
Any and all info would be appreciated. :)"
Ed replies:

Halkaster's problem was madness induced and exacerbated by Weave overload; he was trying to maintain too many wards and "hanging" spells (waiting to be triggered) and scrying ports and gates/portals - - at the same time as he suffered spell backlashes and mind damage from spell-duels. For a time he was just paranoid, then he was "wild-mad," and for a time thereafter he was sane inside Undermountain (i.e. within all his wards), but mad outside Undermountain. Then it became vice-versa.
In ELMINSTER IN HELL, Mystra didn't "cure" his insanity; she increased his Weave-handling ability by a LOT. Allowing him to recover control of himself.
So, Halaster would still be as whimsical/unpredictable to most humans as, say, Elminster is . . . but quite lucid and farsighted and cunning. He would still be paranoid - - and now able to travel freely and function freely wherever he was. Meaning he'd set out to see to "unfinished business" (like getting even with the Twisted Rune, and resuming all of his long-neglected projects outside Undermountain - - which include mending fences with some of his apprentices, moving to influence the rule of certain city-states and countries where he desires to operate, such as Amn and Tethyr, and take a few revenges on others besides the Rune).


So saith Ed. Being as general as possible in his reply, I see. Quite possibly due to not wanting to hamper some developments in the "home" Realms campaign [[insert chords of doom here]]
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 18:57:37
Message:

Mmm... tasty Halaster-lore... I had assumed much of this, and the rest fits in nicely with my plans for the Mad Mage...

Edit: In my campaign, Mystra is CN, not CG. Her near-demise at the hands of Shar unhinged her somewhat, ironically rebalancing the moral scales of magic in the process. Magic itself is neither good nor evil, and as such neither should be the god who oversees it. Besides, it works better for my aforementioned plans for Halaster. That's all for now; this is still a details-in-progress project.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 19:39:32
Message:

Hello All,

Ed what would you say are the properties of this 'permanant darkness" over Tilverton and what creatures would now make this area their home in your mindseye. I'm assuming undead who shun light would flock to this area if it was not harmful to them. Also is this a sustaining magic effect, is it actually eating away at the weave surrounding it or perhaps anchored within the weave itself?

Another question is would surviving Phaerimm be able to subsist off of this area, would it have the 'meat; of a mythal or be more like 'chinese food', tasty but leaving phaerimm craving for something more substantial?

Thanks


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 20:55:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Wait until you see my newest version of the FR map - there are quite a few more settlements in the area of the Tunlands then most folks realized (at least twenty, all canon).

However, with the growth (and integration) of the swamps in 4e, many of those may have been destroyed (and, of course, the Spellplague could have done a number on all of them... or not).
<snip>



And how long will we have to wait to see that map, Mark? And I hope you're keeping 4E changes to a separate version of the map... as much as I've resigned myself to the reality of 4E, that doesn't mean I like the geography any more... apart from the undesertifiation of Anauroch.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 22:58:07
Message:


Ed:
Dove-tailing (and what a tail she has too)...

Could you try and mechanically/functionaly explain the "increase
of Weave-handling ability" you mentioned a couple
of posts ago with Halaster. That caught my
attention a lot.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 18 Jul 2009 23:11:56
Message:

Ooh! I second the request from Althen. I'll maybe work on my own explanation while we're waiting; it's a weekend, after all...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 00:44:08
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Edit: In my campaign, Mystra is CN, not CG. Her near-demise at the hands of Shar unhinged her somewhat, ironically rebalancing the moral scales of magic in the process. Magic itself is neither good nor evil, and as such neither should be the god who oversees it. Besides, it works better for my aforementioned plans for Halaster. That's all for now; this is still a details-in-progress project.



Mystra's never been CG, 1st Ed Mystra was LN, while post Time of Troubles (2nd Ed and 3rd Ed) Mystra was NG. The very first incarnation of Mystra (Mystryl) was CN, so it's a fitting alignment... A return to her roots, of sorts.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 01:50:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

<snip>

Mystra's never been CG, 1st Ed Mystra was LN, while post Time of Troubles (2nd Ed and 3rd Ed) Mystra was NG. The very first incarnation of Mystra (Mystryl) was CN, so it's a fitting alignment... A return to her roots, of sorts.



That's right... my bad. I have a tendency to overlook NG as an alignment; in any case, it certainly doesn't fit the deity of all magic, imho... anyway, so as not to hijack this scroll any further, I have (sigh) yet another question for Ed, entirely unrelated to my previous ramblings.

Ed, is there anything you can tell me about the whereabouts of the Artblade between its first disappearance with Zaos Durothil in 450 DR and its return with Josidiah Starym? I know its current status is NDA in the realm of NDA, kept concealed by NDA until NDA happens, but I'm hoping that some light can be shed on its more distant past. Thanks in advance for whatever other than NDA you can tell us.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 02:11:06
Message:

@BRian J. - Thanx for the response; I remember you saying something to that effect, but I wasn't sure if you learned anything new since that article was released.

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

And how long will we have to wait to see that map, Mark? And I hope you're keeping 4E changes to a separate version of the map... as much as I've resigned myself to the reality of 4E, that doesn't mean I like the geography any more... apart from the undesertifiation of Anauroch.

The new one is in a more useful format, with an index. Its a pdf Atlas, fully referenced. There will be seperate layers for everything so DMs can print-out what they want (and what they don't want their players to see).

I do plan a "4e layer"... eventually.

Since that's an eventually tacked-onto my already Sage-like () concept of time, thats like me saying you'll see it the day after forever.

But seriously, more gets done each day... I'm hoping the wait will be worth it.

Anyhow, just to keep this on-topic, I too would like to know what was meant by an 'enhanced' Halaster (increase use of Weave-hamdling). It almost sounds like she made him a Chosen... almost...


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 02:32:14
Message:

Mmm... yummy... so does this mean that the original image-file map is history? Or is it still around in some form as a source to work from? And in your continued search for locations of places, were you able to locate all of the mythal cities? (Apologies to Ed and the mods for cluttering up Ed's scroll; it stops now. Mods: If you want to excise this map-chatter and place it in a new scroll, please do so; I can see it growing based on what Mark has most recently said here.)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 03:06:35
Message:

Candlekeep currently doesn't have the function for allowing discussions to be split into new scrolls, unfortunately. 'Tis coming with Candlekeep 2, though.

In the meantime, if both you and Markus wish to continue with this mapping chatter, I'd suggest you open a new scroll on the General Forgotten Realms Chat shelf.

Now, back to questions for Ed of the Greenwood...


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 06:15:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Candlekeep currently doesn't have the function for allowing discussions to be split into new scrolls, unfortunately. 'Tis coming with Candlekeep 2, though.




Well, this is the first I've read of a new website in the works. I'm looking forward to Candlekeep 2: Esoteric Boogaloo coming to a computer server near me.

And to make this post scroll-legal, here's a question for Ed and LHO:

Do underwater siege engines exist, and what do they look like?

Obviously, in an underwater environment, where you can move freely in the x-y-z axes affects siege strategy, and the nature of water affects the physics of warfare (ie ratcheted crossbows over pull-string bows). So, are there parallels to scorpions, mangonels, and trebuchets? What about boiling oil and greek fire?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 06:49:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, Wooly! Ed tells me there's something wrong with his Yahoo account right now (in general, not just with messeages from you), so he'll get back to you ASAP. Which I presume means he knows he's got a message from you, he just can't get the account to either show it to him or to let him reply.
To all other scribes, I do have an Ed lore reply to share with you, in just a moment when I can get it downloaded.
love,
THO



Heh, okay. Thanks for letting me know.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 06:51:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
As promised, lore from Ed, this time in reply to a query from Raelan back in early March of this year: "Hi, Ed. I've been wondering a few things regarding the Mad Mage of Undermountain for some time. He's always been a rather enigmatic figure in the Realms, and I'd like to know a bit more, both for my own edification and for the purposes of using some of his ongoing works when running a game.
Would you be willing to offer a conjecture as to what Halaster would've been doing with with his post-Elminster in Hell life had he not died and the Spellplague never happened? What would his goals have been; what type of plots would he have been engaged in; how would his interactions with his apprentices, associates, and people in general have changed; and would he descend into madness once again as a result of the influence of the enchantments of Undermountain? Did he have machinations in motion at the time of his canonical death that you could go into and extrapolate upon as if he hadn't been killed?
Any and all info would be appreciated. :)"
Ed replies:

Halkaster's problem was madness induced and exacerbated by Weave overload; he was trying to maintain too many wards and "hanging" spells (waiting to be triggered) and scrying ports and gates/portals - - at the same time as he suffered spell backlashes and mind damage from spell-duels. For a time he was just paranoid, then he was "wild-mad," and for a time thereafter he was sane inside Undermountain (i.e. within all his wards), but mad outside Undermountain. Then it became vice-versa.
In ELMINSTER IN HELL, Mystra didn't "cure" his insanity; she increased his Weave-handling ability by a LOT. Allowing him to recover control of himself.
So, Halaster would still be as whimsical/unpredictable to most humans as, say, Elminster is . . . but quite lucid and farsighted and cunning. He would still be paranoid - - and now able to travel freely and function freely wherever he was. Meaning he'd set out to see to "unfinished business" (like getting even with the Twisted Rune, and resuming all of his long-neglected projects outside Undermountain - - which include mending fences with some of his apprentices, moving to influence the rule of certain city-states and countries where he desires to operate, such as Amn and Tethyr, and take a few revenges on others besides the Rune).


So saith Ed. Being as general as possible in his reply, I see. Quite possibly due to not wanting to hamper some developments in the "home" Realms campaign [[insert chords of doom here]]
love to all,
THO




She gave him more RAM and a faster processor!

On a more serious note, oh, what evil fun! I'm liking this little bit of lore!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 10:26:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Since that's an eventually tacked-onto my already Sage-like () concept of time, thats like me saying you'll see it the day after forever.
You know I've my own continuum now, right?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 10:28:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Candlekeep currently doesn't have the function for allowing discussions to be split into new scrolls, unfortunately. 'Tis coming with Candlekeep 2, though.




Well, this is the first I've read of a new website in the works. I'm looking forward to Candlekeep 2: Esoteric Boogaloo coming to a computer server near me.
There's been no definitive details. Just some discussion here and there about what will likely be featured as part of the forum software upgrade.

For a discussion already in progress, see here.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 15:39:14
Message:

Hi again, all.
Wooly, that's a GREAT shorthand explanation of what Mystra did to Halaster.
As Ed explained it to me, Mystra can aid mortal spellcasters in a variety of ways:
[I'm quoting Ed, now]


* show them how to cast something or create something or prepare or find something (implant a "movie" of a process or route plus landmarks or a performance [e.g. precise casting of a spell] in their minds)
* give them a spell or spells permanently ("impress" it on their minds; this can extend to a new "ability" [feat], but that just means Mystra's handed the mortal a combination of magic not yet mastered as individual spells by mortals)
* give them a spell or spells temporarily ("implant" it in their minds; once cast, it's gone)
* charge or "enstar" them with power (pour Weave energy into them, to be released in the form of touch-fire, spat-out fire [temporary, use-it-and-gone spellfire], or to "pay for" multiples of spells they have memorized in their minds at the time (cast spell, but it's not forgotten and gone, because you filled the mold with Weave energy and let fly, keeping the "charged" original in your mind; this boon is potentially very harmful to minds if the mortal tries to hold onto the energy too long, or if it's a mind not used to wielding the Art or not competent at using the Art)
* make them a Chosen or servitor by imparting some of her divine power into them in a long, complex, and exacting process that transforms them
* augment their ability to handle the Art by using a different long, complex, and exacting process to cleanse their minds, reorganize their minds, "grow" the numbers of (and repair and expand) brain cells to handle more: that's what she did to Halaster, with a big boost, and it's also what she does to each and every spellcaster who increases a level in spellcasting ability, albeit more slowly and to a lesser extent, as they sleep in between sessions of being tutored or trained, or practising the Art on their own; she does the expanding, and the training or use crafts new neural pathways to enable the mind to comprehend and control its expanding power
* cast spells on the mortal (e.g. shape change), with or without permanency


. . . .and So saith Ed. Essential Realmslore to clip and save; enjoy!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 15:44:44
Message:

Hi again, all.
Aysen, Ed is temporarily incommunicado in some ways; see my earlier reply to Wooly (Ed can sneak out onto the Net using his wife's account; he apparently just can't "see" recent messages in his own account, right now), but in the meantime I can make a tiny partial answer to your underwater siege engine query: we Knights once saw a large contraption in a museum/trophy hall in Athkatla that was billed as a "merfolk-cooker" used in siege battles: it used magically-heated metal spheres spun around in a bottle-like cauldron to heat up water, which was then jetted out of the bottle at apertures in undersea caverns and structures, to boil creatures inside.
Torm, of courtse, couldn't resist a tasteless "boiled crabman" remark. Right up there with his: "Children. Heh. They're all the same - - on a platter, with an apple in their mouths."
[I don't defend the character, I merely report]
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 15:57:34
Message:

Ed, you've got an email coming your way.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 19 Jul 2009 21:39:03
Message:

Okay, came across another of Ed's 'random abilites' (a little girl with Psyhometry), and it got me thinking - Ed seems to have used this more often with PCs (naturally) and important NPCs then commoners, but it does seem to be a 'running theme' in the Realms. When I couple this with the lore about The Incipient Clans from 2e's Secrets of the Magister, I get the feeling that Toril is almost 'Xanth-like' in nature - magic is inherent in all things, and flows stronger in certain bloodlines.

Obviously Ed likes to throw unexpected twists at his players, sometimes in the form of 'strange powers suddenly manifesting', and I was wondering if he did this at the spur of the moment (or as needed), pre-planned for such things, or made some sort of random tables that he just rolled on to see if someone had some unique ability (sort of like the old 1e 'wild talent' psionic rules).

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Also, anything at all on the Incipient Clans would be cool.

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

Since that's an eventually tacked-onto my already Sage-like () concept of time, thats like me saying you'll see it the day after forever.
You know I've my own continuum now, right?

So you are like the Dawn Cataclysm - everything you do occurs "outside of time"?


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 01:32:39
Message:

Fascinating.

So, I would guess that spellcasters use a larger percentage
of their brains computing ability.

Something else I wanted to quickly ask. Had the events of
Shar attack on his tower not occured, would Elminster have stayed
in Shadowdale or would he have moved to Myth Drannor after
the retaking?

Also, in the Knights trilogy during the discussion with Khelben,
is a divine breach of the Weave just an in-Realms way of saying
a magic dead area caused by divine magic?


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 01:50:33
Message:

Hey Madam Hooded One:

May we have more Hesperdan stories from the home game? I got some
theories I turning over in my head.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 02:49:50
Message:

Hi again, all.
Markustay, I can tell you "for certain" that Ed has never rolled on a random table for a "wild talent." He creates the NPCs and waits for us to stumble upon them, sometimes years later (no, he doesn't "pick up prepared encounters and move them to plonk them in our way," he keeps track of what all these NPCs are doing with THEIR lives, and lets players direct their characters freely; it's up to us what lane we come stumbling down or shop we walk into; Ed had plenty of interesting stuff everywhere for us to browse amongst).
That's one reason gal gamers like playing with Ed so much: it's like one huge shopping spree, where we pick stuff over and choose what we like. Or just what we rouse and disturb into choosing US.
Ed has told me that he sometimes rolls to see if an event, situation, or contact with magic will trigger a hitherto-quiescent innate ability in someone (PC or NPC), though. When it does, THOSE are the jaw-dropping play sessions.

love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 02:52:49
Message:

Hi again.
althen artren, dearest, I hate to have to answer you this way, but: no more Hesperdan stories yet. Until something gets published. Then Ed will happily tell you more. You'll see, but the wait will be some months, I'm afraid.
Also, his response to you about where Elminster dwelt or dwells or would choose to will have to wait a little longer, until something ELSE gets published.
Again, you'll see (we'll all see).
I wish I could say more, but I've already said too much. Spank me, please . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 02:58:47
Message:

. . . and it's me, AGAIN.
althen, I just spotted your Hesperdan musings thread. I've promised not to say too much about Hesperdan, so let me say just this much: Hesperdan may have been more than one role (of the sorts of roles/explanations/identities you postulate for discussion, and others) over the passage of time. Though I make, of course, no promises. Nor will Ed be issuing any confirmations at this time, nor for some time to come. The sun will, however, likely continue to rise and set, and Elminster to weep from time to time.
There. That ought to make things as clear as mud.
love,
THO


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 04:07:54
Message:

Believe me missy, if you were right here in Wentzville MO
I would have all ready had you over my lap from the previous
thread wailing away on those honeybuns.

Good thing my hands are small.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 06:53:17
Message:

Unsure if this is a question Ed can answer (if not, I am going to pester Bruce with it - well, I probably will, anyway :P ).

In DALE1-1, I introduced the drow Yellira Am’benuinyl, the Mistress of Stars of the Fall of Stars adventurers’ club.
It's implied (not outright stated) that Yellira is a (former) priestess of Eilistraee.
However, some people state that this isn't possible since 'all' chosen (as in: worshippers) of Eilistraee were transformed to dark elves (in one of the novels, haven't read those yet, not really sure if I want to but I will probably have to at some point...). They state that exceptions are not possible. My stance is that exceptions, by their very nature, are possible - almost unavoidable, even (I mean, this is a fantasy game...).
The question I have is: how exceptional would it be? It would definitely be rare, but would it be unique for a priestess to resist (most likely actively) the change?

Gomez,
working on his last edits before GenCon...


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 11:08:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Markustay, I can tell you "for certain" that Ed has never rolled on a random table for a "wild talent." He creates the NPCs and waits for us to stumble upon them, sometimes years later (no, he doesn't "pick up prepared encounters and move them to plonk them in our way," he keeps track of what all these NPCs are doing with THEIR lives, and lets players direct their characters freely; it's up to us what lane we come stumbling down or shop we walk into; Ed had plenty of interesting stuff everywhere for us to browse amongst).
That's one reason gal gamers like playing with Ed so much: it's like one huge shopping spree, where we pick stuff over and choose what we like. Or just what we rouse and disturb into choosing US.
Ed has told me that he sometimes rolls to see if an event, situation, or contact with magic will trigger a hitherto-quiescent innate ability in someone (PC or NPC), though. When it does, THOSE are the jaw-dropping play sessions.

love,
THO



And let me tell you that all the wonderful shops, inns, taverns and NPCs (shopkeepers, merchants, innkeepers, craftsmen, stable boys etc.) Ed has created over the years and shown us had made my male players shopping fans, too ("Ooh, that one sounds so interesting... I think I'll step inside to see what they're selling!"). As a player, my own all-time favorite shop is probably Old Xoblob Shop in Waterdeep (you just have to love old Dandalus! )

My deepest thanks, Ed, for showing me how to write interesting, memorable "mundane" NPCs with great personalities, and how to use them to make the world feel even more "alive"!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 13:45:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Unsure if this is a question Ed can answer (if not, I am going to pester Bruce with it - well, I probably will, anyway :P ).

In DALE1-1, I introduced the drow Yellira Am’benuinyl, the Mistress of Stars of the Fall of Stars adventurers’ club.
It's implied (not outright stated) that Yellira is a (former) priestess of Eilistraee.
However, some people state that this isn't possible since 'all' chosen (as in: worshippers) of Eilistraee were transformed to dark elves (in one of the novels, haven't read those yet, not really sure if I want to but I will probably have to at some point...). They state that exceptions are not possible. My stance is that exceptions, by their very nature, are possible - almost unavoidable, even (I mean, this is a fantasy game...).
The question I have is: how exceptional would it be? It would definitely be rare, but would it be unique for a priestess to resist (most likely actively) the change?

Gomez,
working on his last edits before GenCon...





If they bring it up again, point out that (as far as we know, anyway) Drizzt hasn't transformed and is still a 'good' guy.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 15:35:09
Message:

But at no point in time was Drizzt a worshipper of Eilistraee, and if anything, he was actually 'evil' by her standards (he turned his back on his people). There was a reason why Drizzt worshipped a human goddesses - he was a self-hater (or rather, a self-species hater).

IMHO, exceptions always exist, Gomez... don't listen to LK. Whatever you produce for the LFR is far more official then his opinions.

Besides, I would think that those closest to Eilistraee (the clergy, not just the general layman) were given a choice - to leave the Drow behind forever, or to stay Drow and try to bring more into 'the light'. It's easy to look down at others and pity them, but it is a truly brave soul that "stays in the trenches" and tries to make changes from within.

Note that Drizzt wasn't that brave... not by a longshot. He ran as far and as fast as he could.

@Althen Artren- I think it was more along the lines of what happened in Elminster in Hell. Toril's planer barrier appears to be inherently 'weaker' then most (I have many theories about that, the newest being that it was first weakened when Ao split Toril and Abeir). The Weave was more then just a 'magical interface' for mortals to be able to juggle spells - it acted as a barrier to keep all sorts of 'nastiness' out. Now, I'm not really remembering that particular conversation, but I do recall there were some Malaugrym running about*...and they are one of the things the Weave is designed to 'keep out' (amongst MANY others). The Weave is a combination 'Planer Buffer' and "early warning system", along with everything else it does. Without it, the veil between worlds becomes very weak indeed.

Sorry for my musings (some would say 'ramblings'), my apologies for going a little off-topic with discussion.

Thank you for that answer, THO. I had a feeling that was the case. I had considered making just such a set of tables (which would be a huge undertaking, considering the possibilities), but then I realized I would never really use them myself (except, perhaps, in the case of 'magic gone awry'). I prefer to assign things to players that best fit them, and the group, and the style of play.

I have a feeling Ed plays it like I do - things are a LOT less random then they appear.

*Edit: I just realized I may be getting confused with Spellfire. I read that novel the same week I read the Knights novels, and many of the characters were the same. I should have really looked back at the novel before commenting on it.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 15:35:42
Message:

Drizz't isn't a worshipper of Eilistraee though.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 15:47:53
Message:

Was the transformation singled out to Eilistraee worshippers? I thought that also transformed other 'good' drow as well...


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 16:55:32
Message:

Well, the RPGA might cleave to "no exceptions" just to keep the lid on what some gamers will try to do with their characters, but I would also hold to the "there are always exceptions" view.
In the Time of Troubles we had "all" assassins wiped out at one stroke, remember? Except for all the assassins who somehow became exceptions (quite a few of them, as I recall, if you read the backgrounds of some published AND RPGA characters carefully - - meaning mid- to high-level assassins who'd begun being so before the Godswar and still were at some later point, with no mention of them ceasing to be assassins in the middle, so to speak).
Of course, some will certainly disagree, but that's my two cents. We have clear examples in canon of exceptions (not all of them of the "let's change class writeup" sort, as some did for Artemis), so therefore there ARE exceptions.
However, gomez, I really think you've got another problem here. It's whether the RPGA higher-ups will accept the character, not Ed. (I believe Ed is still a Regional Director with the power to write certs, because he's never been officially dismissed/demoted - a subject of some amusement at certian GenCon seminars, whereat Ed and others wrote "duelling certs" that canceled and augmented each other - and I know he is a Charter Lifetime RPGA Member - - but of course there are no certs any more and Ed may or may not have any contact with the current RPGA admins.)
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 17:01:40
Message:

Yeah, that is a sticky situation, BB. As there's yet another factor to throw into it: what Ed says about the Realms is canon/official until contradicted in print.
I know a lot of the younger WotC designers like to ignore that one, but it's part of the original Realms agreement, so if they deny it, they're in effect denying that they have any control over the Realms at all. And the RPGA is a part of Wizards.
So while gomez on a practical level needs clearance/buy-in from the RPGA brass and not Ed, the RPGA brass ultimately can't ignore Ed. Except of course that they may pretend they can.
Urkh. My head's beginning to hurt. Now I know how a Realms designer feels, I guess.
So, Ed, a query for you: how much is all of this moot, in your mind, because you (unlike the monotheists who seem to dominate game design and the ranks of Wizards staff) "see" a Realms where most individuals worship almost ALL of their race's gods, in varying degrees?


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 17:06:48
Message:

Hi Ed and THO,
Reading the recent Realmslore reply re. Halaster, plus my own recent dabblings into Cthulhu FRP gaming, lead me to ask: has Ed ever done much in the home Realms with mad gods, or not-really-dead gods who are sleeping or bound or whatever (but will "awaken and return" if their cultist worshippers find the right stone or chant the right chant or sacrifice the right maiden/monster/coconut)?
And if so, how much would mortals know or believe that a god was crazy? Is this sort of thing almost daily propaganda (Banites insist Mystra's crazed, Chauntea's priests tell their faithful Tempus is nuts, and so on), or is it "off limits" for 'proper' priests to even suggest, for anyone ("Beyond the pale, old boy; simply NOT done")?
Thank you in advance (and I don't mind waiting . . .)


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 17:10:16
Message:

Hi Ed.
So QADIRA by our own Brian Cortijo is now out, and I'm impatiently waiting for my copy to arrive. Have you seen it? Do you like it? Would you use it in the Realms, as a DM?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 17:19:13
Message:

Hi again, all.
Well, Malcolm, as it happens, I can answer you with Ed's words without ever sending your question to him, because he and I recently discussed PATHFINDER COMPANION: QADIRA, GATEWAY TO THE EAST, via e-mail. Here's Ed:

I've ordered it from my local indie bookstore, the wonderful AVID READER in Cobourg, just to cover my behind if it sells out at GenCon before I can get to the Paizo booth (they've got me busy this year with signings and such), as I suspect the Pathfinder rulebook quickly will. However, I will be picking up a copy at GenCon if at all possible, so I can get Brian to sign it. A great writer and designer, a great guy, and a good friend. As a gamer, I suspect I'd be buying it anyway, even if no parts of my preceding sentence were true. Ye I'm happy to say that they are!

So saith Ed. Who is looking forward very much to GenCon, by the way. Even if it does exhaust him (at the same time as it inspires and recharges him), every year.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 17:40:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Well, the RPGA might cleave to "no exceptions" just to keep the lid on what some gamers will try to do with their characters, but I would also hold to the "there are always exceptions" view.
Precisely - what NPCs are capable of (both novel and game) should NOT be what characters are capable of - that is the biggest mistake the 3e ruleset made.

The DM couldn't do a damn thing without some player saying 'Hey! I want to do that too!".

I remember at least one author commenting on how he recieved a lot of flak because his character cast too many fireballs in a row. He couldn't believe people actually took the time to count them....

PCs MUST be balanced... the world, not necessarily.

Sorry once-again for the side chatter.

Gomez, I would say just go for it... but you had better be ready to accept the consequences when tons of 'grognards' want to know how such a thing is possible (and want to do the same for their PCs). People need to stop analyzing everything and remember it is just a damn game... have fun with it.


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 19:04:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


Torm, of courtse, couldn't resist a tasteless "boiled crabman" remark. Right up there with his: "Children. Heh. They're all the same - - on a platter, with an apple in their mouths."
[I don't defend the character, I merely report]
love,
THO

Damn, frankly it's amazing that Torm is still alive after all this time.


Reply author: Galen
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 20:26:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

... In the Time of Troubles we had "all" assassins wiped out at one stroke, remember? Except for all the assassins who somehow became exceptions (quite a few of them, as I recall, if you read the backgrounds of some published AND RPGA characters carefully - - meaning mid- to high-level assassins who'd begun being so before the Godswar and still were at some later point, with no mention of them ceasing to be assassins in the middle, so to speak).
Of course, some will certainly disagree, but that's my two cents. We have clear examples in canon of exceptions (not all of them of the "let's change class writeup" sort, as some did for Artemis), so therefore there ARE exceptions.
BB



As to this particular story, I was lucky enough to attend a panel at Norwescon this year that Jeff Grubb was running, and none other than Bob Salvatore decided to crash. I can't remember why the big-wigs had decided to kill all assassins (besides the excuse that their god Baal was getting killed, ergo all assassins have to die as well), but poor Jeff was given the task of informing Bob about it and offering him first-refusal to write Artemis' death. Bob, unsurprisingly, did not take the news well, and a long and angry conversation ensued. Which was eventually ended with the surprise revelation from Bob that Artemis Entreri was, in fact, no assassin, but "a fighter-thief who killed people for money".

So there you go. It's all about how you spin the exceptions.

Also hello to all. I've been reading for years now and very much enjoyed the great questions, comments and speculations. Finally found something I could contribute to.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 20 Jul 2009 22:02:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Galen

I can't remember why the big-wigs had decided to kill all assassins (besides the excuse that their god Baal was getting killed, ergo all assassins have to die as well),


It was the other way around, actually... 1E had assassin as a PC class. This class was dropped when 2E came out. Killing off all of the assassins was part of adjusting the Realms from 1E to 2E. And since there were no assassins, they didn't need a god for them.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 00:48:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Galen

I can't remember why the big-wigs had decided to kill all assassins (besides the excuse that their god Baal was getting killed, ergo all assassins have to die as well),


It was the other way around, actually... 1E had assassin as a PC class. This class was dropped when 2E came out. Killing off all of the assassins was part of adjusting the Realms from 1E to 2E. And since there were no assassins, they didn't need a god for them.

Additionally, it is important to note that only those characters in the Realms who had the assassin class would've actually died [which means any unstatted characters before this time could have easily survived the event].


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 04:49:11
Message:

A question about two different answers to the same question, both from Ed:

26 Feb 2004, re: Kuje's query regarding meetings between the Seven Sisters and Dornal Silverhand:

quote:

Oh, boy. Part of me hates to provide clear answers here because doing so restricts or ties down future WotC Realms authors. On the other hand, I stoutly maintain the fiction that everything we know of the Realms comes through Elminster (or, on rare occasions, Laeral), so this conceit (of the sometimes-deliberately-unreliable narrator) should be enough to “explain away” inconsistencies between what I say here and what you may someday read . . .
My take on things is this: Dornal has met all of his daughters except Qilue (sorry, can’t do accent marks through this primitive e-mail [Hooded One note: Sorry, neither can I.]), because Mystra thought this might be too painful/mentally damaging to him, but she did carefully and covertly manipulate the other six of the Seven into meetings with him. Most of them know he’s still alive but have been privately, one-on-one, been mind-told by Mystra not to go looking for him because doing so will doom him to torment and death at the hands of evil beings seeking to force Mystra to do certain things (which she will have to refuse), and because it will harm his delicate mental state.
Some of the six Sisters realized who Dornal must be, during or after their encounters, but kept this knowledge from him. The Simbul did once openly rescue him from destruction (with a spell cast from afar, accompanied by a verbal message: “Father, I honour you!”) years after they met.
Dornal is bitter, but not as mentally fragile as all that, and is slowly “forgiving” Mystra (who went so far as to create a mortal avatar of herself whom he could physically punish and lash out at, to get back at her; he did so, and of course felt even worse). Mystra herself felt guilt over what happened to Dornal, and not only kept him alive far beyond his normal lifespan in an effort to bring him to “peace” before he died, but brought about these manipulated meetings (in each of which Dornal was made aware who his daughters were immediately after parting from them) in an attempt to heal his mental hurts.
In this, she largely succeeded, but Dornal is now suffering the same mental degeneration/utter exhaustion that most long-lived humans (such as Elminster and Khelben) do: the cumulative effects of repeatedly outliving friends, relations, and loved ones and seeing beloved places swept away or changed beyond recognition.
Dornal is still bitter over Mystra “using” him and his wife, and even feels bitterness about her obvious role in the manipulated meetings with the eldest six of the Seven, but knowing he has grandsons (some of whom he’s met), the passage of time, and Mystra’s clear sorrow and humbleness towards him have made these “old hurts” that are growing easier to live with. And there may even be some small satisfaction in knowing that he outlived the goddess that did this to him.
He remains a Watcher for the new Mystra, and even has some other “secret agent” duties for her (after all, a VERY experienced adventurer who really doesn’t care what happens to himself can be quite useful for certain tasks). It will probably come as no surprise to you to hear me say: “I’d love to do a novel about Dornal Silverhand’s doings in the Realms of today.” It probably also wouldn’t surprise you to hear that the long-suffering folks of WotC’s Book Publishing division are almost certainly heartily weary of hearing me utter that sentence, with various characters attached to it. :}
If you met Dornal Silverhand in the present-day Realms, you’d be seeing a tall, gaunt, cavern-eyed man of grim manner and utterly silent movements, who seldom speaks. He sees all (even tiny details, glimpsed momentarily), forgets nothing, and can reason very quickly (interpreting what he sees). He carries an astonishing variety of concealed weapons, knows the back trails, ruins, nearby caves, and other “quick getaway” features of locales across the Sword Coast North and the Heartlands of the Faerun better than most beings, and is utterly fearless (not bold or reckless; he simply doesn’t care what happens to himself).
He often tried to poison himself when it first became clear to him that Mystra wasn’t going to allow him to suicide, and she kept him alive by magically neutralizing lethal dose (or even combination ‘cocktail’) after dose, with the result that he’s now immune to all effects of most poisons, and suffers only minor harm from the known remainder.
Dornal’s hobby, as a onetime noble, has been to learn and keep straight the genealogies and family histories of divers nobility and self-styled nobility of Waterdeep, Sembia, and Cormyr, plus their exiled offshoots; as a result, he can smilingly deflate a noble dandy by revealing that their great-grandfather took the name and titles of a dead battle-comrade, and so the dandy and his kin really don’t deserve to be treated as nobles at all . . . or shock sworn enemies or lovers by revealing their true blood relationships to each other. He doesn’t go around doing so, of course, but he’s not above “taking care of” cruel or over-ambitious nobles by letting rivals or family members know some truths about skeletons in family closets.
His favourite daughters are Dove and Storm, the former because she’s the closest to him in manner and (in his eyes) the least “tainted” by her own spellcasting, and the latter because he’s watched Storm comfort folk, aid in childbirths, entertain with songs, and pitch in and help strangers fight fires, hunt down missing children, and the like, and has come to love and admire her as many folk in the Realms do. He also sees something of his own “don’t care what happens to my own skin” thinking in her deeds and behaviour, yet admires the way she couples it with empathy for others, and complete lack of personal pride.
He once gave all of his clothing to shivering beggars on the road near Neverwinter and walked naked into a blizzard, hoping to die numbed and unaided (Mystra, of course, has other ideas), and was awed when he once witnessed Storm disrobed completely to give all of her clothing to freezing folk who’d been driven out of their (wooden) home by fire, and then lead them for miles to shelter (striding naked through the snow to her farmhouse). A sort of: “That’s my girl!” admiration. (Storm’s casual attitude regarding nudity should of course be well-known to Realms fans and detractors by now. :})
Sembia is a place where wealth and boredom have reached sufficient levels that young nobles and inheritors are doing all sorts of crazy things, just now, and magically-gifted individuals often manage to indulge themselves (and yet survive) long enough to develop some of their potential. Silverymoon has long been such a place, too, and Everlund increasingly so. As a result, Dornal has been spending a lot of time quietly and covertly observing magic-related activities in these three places, walking everywhere and working alone. He has acquired some minor magic items that aid in healing and in disguise, and “the new Mystra” (who seems to admire him) has been covertly recharging these items, ‘beefing them up’ on occasion, and even surprising Dornal (and sometimes, pursuers) with casting feather fall or teleport spells on him that he wasn’t expecting, and isn’t quite sure of the origins of. On the other hand, she doesn’t watch over him closely, and he’s spent some agony-filled days crawling with broken limbs and ribs, or lying almost bloodless, waiting for wounds to heal under the slow benison of his healing magics. Yet he seems to have found reasons, at least for now, to keep going and to serve the new Mystra as capably as he knows how.
<snip>

And there you have it, from the Master himself. Me, I’m just (ahem) His Master’s Voice.
Hmmph. Well, I guess THAT advertised my age to everyone. Sigh.
The Hooded One



However, according to "The Seven Sisters" (Ed Greenwood, TSR9475, published 1995):
quote:

[In 767 DR, the year of Qilue's birth and Elue's death] Dornal spurned his lands and children, never to return. For the next 20 [should be 30] years he raged across the North as an adventurer seeking his own death in reckless attacks on orcs, monsters, and brigands. He saved his deepest hatred for evil mages. Mystra watched over Dornal Silverhand, and death was not so easy for him to find. When he met his end at last, in a single-handed hillside battle against raiding orcs in the Year of the Hearthstone (797 DR), he called on Mystra to remember him. His words made it clear that he had guessed she had been protecting him. She was so touched that she offered him existence as a servant: the Watcher, who wanders the Realms seeking out potential new Chosen and looking out for magical problems. Dornal accepted and-unnoticed by mortals-continues this service to this day.



So saith Ed... but which Ed's right?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 06:47:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Well, the RPGA might cleave to "no exceptions" just to keep the lid on what some gamers will try to do with their characters, but I would also hold to the "there are always exceptions" view.



The objections did not come from the RPGA/R&D, but from FR fans (Markustay's grognards) at the wizards boards. I actually don't think R&D has objections.
I asked about this at the start of the campaign, and got permission to cast Yelirra as a drow. I am unsure if they really understood the question at the time, so I didn't mention Yelirra's faith - just hinted at it. I'm considering mentioning her faith in an upcoming adventure though.

I do want to stay consistent with canon (well, I have to :P). I can think up several reasons why Yelirra is still a drow, but it is nice if I can make it plausible. If Eilistran's who didn't turn into dark elves (either because they refused it, carried too strong the taint of Wendonai, or were otherwise singled out) are exceptional but not unheared of, then I can just lay those discussions to rest.

I will ask Bruce Cordell at Gencon (if I can track him down), or someone from novels, but I value Ed's opinion, both on the specific question and on the general idea of using exceptional cases.

Gomez


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 07:17:44
Message:

This is a question for ED and the lady THO

On the assassin topic I thought it was only those who worshipped Bhaal. So wouldn't that make those who didn't exempt? And while Artemis may be that "Fighter-thief" class now he was definitely an assassin in 1e.

And if you can answer the following if you choose to(NDA's not withstanding of course):
1.Why didn't Cyric assume the portfolio of the God of Magic upon the slaying of Mystra(as he did with Leira)
2. There was mentioned elsewhere about "a traitor was released" who helped prevent the ascension of a new deity of magic. Has anyone heard of who this is?

2 things I apologize for beforehand
1. If these questions are not appropiate for this board.
2. If these questions have been asked already.


Thanks in advance for those who contribute to this post.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 15:17:20
Message:

There not my Grognards!

Most of those people who get that appelation - people who who love the Realms but despise the 4e Realms - are my friends... who I side against more often then not. That doesn't mean I claim any short of ownership over them... I wasn't born in Thay, you know (or Calimshan, or the Old Empires, etc...).

I just happen to be one of those strange people who actually believe-in the statement: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Which extends to 4e gaming. I may not like it, but I will not tolerate folks interferring with others enjoyment of it. 'Different strokes' and all of that.

As for your 'dilemma'... I look at it this way - certain followers of Eilistraee did not recieve the 'deliverance' and become Dark Elves again. Most - as in 99.99% DID become Dark Elves - but that rare few that did not probably don't even understand the reasons themselves. Did they not "measure-up" to Eilistraee's requirements? Was there some personality flaw that kept them from becoming Elves again? Was this a punishment, of sorts, or did Eilistraee have 'bigger plans' for them (plans that may never see fruition, now that she is gone)?

That 'mystery' is one of the very core elements of the Realms. It should not stop you from creating an interesting character-concept, but rather become one of the very things the character is based on. Perhaps Yelirra has nightmares about Lolth killing Eilistraee, maybe she has many a sleepless night wondering why the Seldarine have forsaken her...

HER not knowing makes her all the more interesting, and the rest of the campaign world as well. People like Yelirra, Drizzt, and perhaps Liriel are now looked at with double-suspician. If 'good Drow' became Elves again, why didn't they? If it was hard for characters like those to make their way in the surface world before, imagine how much harder it is now, with all the re-fueled distrust.

All WotC did was put Drow back in their place, as distrusted, vile things, and the VERY RARE 'good ones' are now exactly what they were meant to be - anomalies no-one can fully explain.

Embrace the mystery, don't try to explain it. Thats what fantasy gaming is all about (IMHO).

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

So saith Ed... but which Ed's right?

Silly boy... BOTH!

The first is obviously Ed describing things in his own campaign - which hasn't reached the point of the published Realms. The second is the official outcome in the canon Realms.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Additionally, it is important to note that only those characters in the Realms who had the assassin class would've actually died [which means any unstatted characters before this time could have easily survived the event].

I would just like to add to this - by "The Realms", we mean only Faerûn-proper. Baal-worshipping assassins in the Hordelands did not die (but DID lose their assassin abilites and become just thieves). Thats in The Horde material.

Ergo, thats why I postulate the entire ritual cast by Baal (with Myrkul and Bane's assisstance) was an AoA spell, and had a radius of thousands of miles, but didn't incorporate the entire planet. Centered in the Dales as it was (IIRC), it would have encompassed nearly all of the main campaign area... but not beyond.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 16:27:10
Message:

Hello all,

Ed I was curious as to the this dead magic area in the Anauroch caused by phaerimm, how far above the surface does it extend and how far below? How big is it and is this something you came up with or WotC?
To be honest I don't remember reading about it in any novels and recall Ruha using her magic in the novel with harper, recently reading "Anauroch The empire of shade" is where the dead magic zone over desert is mentioned.

Thanks


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 16:36:07
Message:

The Anauroch: The Empire of Shade adventure has the dead magic zone, not from the Phaerimm, but from the arcane ritual being used by Hadhrune to 'transform' the Nether Scrolls into something that can the Shades can use to rip apart the Weave and replace it with the Shadow Weave.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 16:56:30
Message:

Ahhhhhhh thanks, I am much relieved by that actually.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 19:20:47
Message:

Once more.

Ed does Truename magic and Dark Speech work regardless of within weave or shadow weave magic, are these two a type of raw magic all their own?

Another question

Mephistopheles allows himself to be summoned to city of Shade by Brennus in Shadowrealm and is able to use his magic freely, however its my understanding from The Anauroch: The Empire of Shade that the city itself is surrounded by a field that negates the use of weave magic so is this just an oversight of authors or is Mephistopheles magic powered by Hell itself? Can he and other such beings employ magic in either weave with no problems?

Secondly if the Lord of Cania used Truename magic or Dark Speech on someone within a silence spell does the silence spell prevent the effects especially coming from such a powerful creature? In your realms do either forms of magic really require the target to hear it personally to be affected?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 20:04:47
Message:

Heard a rumor that today is a certain Canadian Sage's 50th anniversary on this planet...

Please pass along my heart-felt congratulations and a wish that he and his get to see another 50 (at least)!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 21:32:40
Message:

It is indeed Ed's 50th, and I wish him well. VERY well. The ladies from his local bookstore have already dropped into the library with balloons and chocolates and a saucy card, I'm given to understand.
So, let the good wishes - - and the sauciness! - - begin!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Ed I'm coming!!!
Oops. That sounded entirely TOO accurate.
love,
THO


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 21:35:43
Message:

Many happy returns Ed...and Thank you for all the years of Realms goodness.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 22:18:23
Message:

Just a tad older then I... and still quite young.

The very best of wishes, and remember, you're only as young as those you feel... errrrr... as YOU feel.



Well... THO did invite sauciness, and since I can't very well drive up to Canada with a bowl of my homemade Pasta Primavera...

Happy B-Day, Mr. Realms.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 21 Jul 2009 22:44:14
Message:

Happy Bornday sir Greenwood


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 00:19:30
Message:

Happy Birthday Ed! By way of a gift, I will not add another question to my already-too-large pile thereof.


Reply author: Arivia
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 00:26:27
Message:

Happy Birthday, Ed.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 00:47:35
Message:

Happy birthday, happy birthday Ed!


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 01:18:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

So saith Ed... but which Ed's right?

Silly boy... BOTH!

The first is obviously Ed describing things in his own campaign - which hasn't reached the point of the published Realms. The second is the official outcome in the canon Realms.



I didn't think Ed's home campaign was set *that* far back... it would have to be prior to 797 DR for Dornal's death simply "not to have happened yet"... Ed? THO? Is there a resolution to this paradox? If so, is it NDA'd?

Edit: Yes, I know I promised Ed no questions from me on his birthday... but if you'll look at the timestamp, you'll see that my birthday wishes are in fact belated, and Ed's birthday is already yesterday according to the 'Keep's clock.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 01:24:35
Message:

A very happy birthday, Ed!


Reply author: Drizztsmanchild
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 03:27:39
Message:

Happy B-day Ed. Is it Els b-day as well?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 03:56:21
Message:

Hello again, all. Ed thanks everyone for their birthday wishes (he's had a very full day :} ), and passes on two replies to the scribes perusing this thread:

First, to Drizztsmanchild:

Thank you for the birthday wishes. I don't feel a day over 70. Ahem. No, it's not Elminster's birthday (his actual birthday is - - surprise! - - NDA, but I feel confident that admitting it's not the same day as mine, and leaving MORE than 364 other days in the Realmsian year for it to be, instead, isn't breaking that NDA, quite). Elminster and I are - - thank the gods! - - very different people, not the same guy. I just play him at conventions. As Shatner said (I'm paraphrasing here), "I'm NOT a starship captain, I just play one on TV. So please don't ask me to fix things or tell you about astronomy."

Second, to Jakk:

Markustay is right. The one is Realmsplay history, and the other is what became published Realms canon. Yes, I wrote both.
I have the "home" Realms campaign, but I have also run over twenty short, set-number-of-sessions "library mini-campaigns" down the years, usually centered on a fledgling adventuring company trying to fulfill the conditions of its charter, but some of them have also roleplayed "key moments in Realms history" that THEY (the gamers, all Realms fans and experienced roleplayers) wanted to "be present at." Encounters with Dornal as the Watcher have featured in three of those.
I wrote the published version the way I did to satisfy an editor AND stay as close as possible to what happened in play; you can see how much I succeeded, but you can also see that the published version can be taken to apply to his life before it ended, and his time as Watcher that followed thereafter (after he was raised, obviously) can end up being steered very close to the longer, "play" version I described here at the Keep.
What "happened" in your campaign is, of course, up to you. In both of them Dornal can be still around as the Watcher, if you want him to be.


So saith Ed. Who is happily at work on more Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO


Reply author: Mr_Miscellany
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 06:21:07
Message:

Hello Ed and THO,

I have more than a few questions that have sprung up in my mind, owing to my listening to Neil Gaiman read his story, "November in The Chair", itself part of a collection of stories titled "Fragile Things" (available on iTunes in audiobook format).

In this story Gaiman brings to life the various months of the year and describes them as people chatting amicably as they gather round a fire to share food and drink. Gaiman's writing mixes snippets of what you'd expect a month to look like by what season of the year it correlates too with humanizing character traits of his own invention. (Hearing Gaiman read the dialogue in character really brings it off.)

In the story, November is in the chair and so must tell a tale to the other months. He chooses to tell a cold and somewhat sad story involving a little boy that runs away and befriends a ghost.

Now suppose for a moment the months of the Faerûnian calendar held similar gatherings that took place in some otherworldly, not quite extraplanar location.

With this thought in mind, how would you describe how each month looked? Would they all be human? Might some of them be elfin, dwarven or another race?

And how might they relate to each other? Would one or more months consider the vast history of events that happened "on their watch" to be a measure of relative importance? Might other months disagree, owing to the idea that the more placid a set of tendays the better for all?

Do you suppose Shieldmeet would hold any particular importance to them? As well Midwinter, Greengrass, The Feast of the Moon, and so on?

Lastly, given that it's July currently, if Flamerule had taken the chair, what sort of story might that month tell?

I realize my inquiry is rather open ended, just as I know you're quite busy. Thus please answer as little or as much as you see fit.

Thank you (both) in advance, as always.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 07:23:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

It is indeed Ed's 50th



A bit late with wishes (dumb time zones), but still: congrats Ed! Hope you had a good day, and may there be 50 more.

Gomez


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 07:52:44
Message:

I'll join gomez both in cursing the time zones, and in wishing Ed a (belated) very happy birthday!
And to add a question, so this won't be off-topic: Which races in the Realms would have a problem with a brother/sister sexual relationship? Are there human cultures who don't care, and allow it? And what do the Seven Sisters think? (I hope this isn't an inflamtory question. If it is, tell me and I'll remove it.)


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 08:53:55
Message:

I'm late, too, but I'll make up for it with a song (people, lock up your cats).

Happy Birthday to You
From the Candlekeep Crew*
You sound like Elminster
Or mayhap he sounds like you

* Disclaimer - No, I don't work at Candlekeep, but poetic license and the need to rhyme make people do... things. My next best alternative was "You live in a zoo". So be glad, be very glad.


Reply author: Eldacar
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 09:28:24
Message:

Late here, too - but a happy birthday nonetheless.

I've got a multi-part question to add to the pile, too. Specifically, regarding the "Name and Song Attunement" of the Chosen of Mystra. As I understand it, they can hear their own names, nicknames and so on anywhere on Toril, as well as the next nine words of the speaker. It can be turned on or off at will. Now, the question itself is: Which Chosen are the most likely to "keep it activated" more often, and vice versa? Even regarding people who don't really know it beyond the names of the Chosen, and possibly not even that (going double for the Seven, since they have the nursery rhyme which is often recited though not fully understood by some), there are a lot of people in Faerun.

Also, have enemies of the Chosen tried using it to attempt to spread disinformation? How widespread is knowledge of the ability? Or is it very little-known, and have enemies unwittingly in the past revealed their plans? Is it an ability that the Chosen prefer to conceal unless they absolutely have to, or will they reveal it to friends, allies and so on, since it can help if a friend or somebody they're watching needs aid desperately and sends a quick SOS message to somebody that they know will hear? Of course, this would also tie in to which Chosen keep the ability switched on more often, since it doesn't help much if you try and send a message but find that the receiver is busy doing something else.

Next, does it function across planar boundaries, or does it only work as long as the user is within the scope of the Weave (on Toril or in Dweomerheart)? What I mean is, can Elminster step out to, say, Sigil, and still hear his name spoken on Toril, or can somebody in Sigil speak his name and expect him to hear them? Or would he have to be in an area where the Weave exists to hear? Or does the essence of Mystra that he carries serve the same role, and communicate it to him "from itself" (so to speak) no matter where he is?

And lastly, is it a particular function of the silver fire, a special attunement to the Weave seperate from their other abilities that Mystra grants (the Seven Sisters, for example, can hear the nursery rhyme, while AFAIK Elminster, Khelben and so on can't, so there appears to be some differences), or something else?


Reply author: Atomo
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 13:06:28
Message:

I usually just lurk in the shadows of this forum, reading the wonderful topics... But now I need show myself to wish a happy birthday to Ed.


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 13:44:12
Message:

More belated birthday wishes to Ed!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 15:00:17
Message:

Okay, the belated Birthday wishes got me thinking about time portals, and of course the one that leads to Yellowstone sprang to mind, which immediately made me think of a question...

The King's Forest in Cormyr is the closest thing to a 'National Park' that I can think of in FR - are there any others?

Aside from Elven forests, of course, are there other nations that set-aside parts of their 'undisturbed wilderness'. Maybe even have 'game preserves' (for endangered species), or perhaps even 'reservations' for aboriginal groups?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:13:57
Message:

Hi again, all. Thank your the the birthday wishes for Ed, who is a busy boy right now. All of your queries have been forwarded to him (Wooly, he tells me he thinks his e-mail account is "fixed," and will be reading back to examine certain messages), and I can make a start on answering Eldacar on my own, from Realmsplay experience with Ed as DM: the "hear your name" ability extends only as far as the Weave (so, NOT onto other planes), very few people outside the Chosen know of it or even suspect it (Sammaster of course is the major sort of exception, but I know he was keeping that knowledge secret so he'd have a "leg up" on his rivals), and one of the "listen all the time" Chosen was Khelben. The Simbul and Elminster also listened often, and Dove almost never.
So (and here we pass from certainty to my opinion) it wouldn't have been used to spread msinformation (again, with only Sammaster as a possible exception), and I believe it is a separate Weave attunement thing.
Ed, of course, can be far more certain and specific than I can, so we'll wait and see. And speaking of waiting and seeing, I hope Wizards remembers to post the Spin A Yarn tale on the website. Ed sent it in months ago now, so it would be up in plenty of time for GenCon, but . . .
Unless, of course, I've missed seeing it, and it's faded into view somewhere on the website that I haven't seen. Intrepid scribes, anyone want to have a go at exploring and peering?
Either regarding me or the website . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:32:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Thank your the the birthday wishes for Ed, who is a busy boy right now. All of your queries have been forwarded to him (Wooly, he tells me he thinks his e-mail account is "fixed," and will be reading back to examine certain messages), and I can make a start on answering Eldacar on my own, from Realmsplay experience with Ed as DM: the "hear your name" ability extends only as far as the Weave (so, NOT onto other planes), very few people outside the Chosen know of it or even suspect it (Sammaster of course is the major sort of exception, but I know he was keeping that knowledge secret so he'd have a "leg up" on his rivals), and one of the "listen all the time" Chosen was Khelben. The Simbul and Elminster also listened often, and Dove almost never.
So (and here we pass from certainty to my opinion) it wouldn't have been used to spread msinformation (again, with only Sammaster as a possible exception), and I believe it is a separate Weave attunement thing.
Ed, of course, can be far more certain and specific than I can, so we'll wait and see. And speaking of waiting and seeing, I hope Wizards remembers to post the Spin A Yarn tale on the website. Ed sent it in months ago now, so it would be up in plenty of time for GenCon, but . . .
Unless, of course, I've missed seeing it, and it's faded into view somewhere on the website that I haven't seen. Intrepid scribes, anyone want to have a go at exploring and peering?
Either regarding me or the website . . .
love to all,
THO



I shall take on the assigned quests of my fair maiden!

I will return as soon as the first is completed!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:42:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


Unless, of course, I've missed seeing it, and it's faded into view somewhere on the website that I haven't seen. Intrepid scribes, anyone want to have a go at exploring and peering?
Either regarding me or the website . . .



Exploring you leaves no time for exploring websites. Besides, who'd want to explore a website, given this particular alternative?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:43:20
Message:

I have returned my fair lady!

But I bring grievous news:

The only thing on the Wizards site about Ed's Spin a Yarn is the announcement of the seminar.

quote:
Wizards Website
Spin a Yarn with Ed Greenwood
Join the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, Ed Greenwood, for a rollicking group storytelling experience that's always memorable and highly amusing. Fri 2 PM


They do not have the 2008 Spin a Yarn posted on the site (all the previous years are available here, at the bottom of the page).

Now about that second quest...


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:44:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


Unless, of course, I've missed seeing it, and it's faded into view somewhere on the website that I haven't seen. Intrepid scribes, anyone want to have a go at exploring and peering?
Either regarding me or the website . . .



Exploring you leaves no time for exploring websites. Besides, who'd want to explore a website, given this particular alternative?



Ahh, but if the first leads to the second...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:50:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


Intrepid scribes, anyone want to have a go at exploring and peering?
Either regarding me or the website . . .



Are there people we should poke to get it up?
I doubt it - as the people who control the website are, iirc, quite a different bunch than the people who write the web articles...

Gomez
who would very much like to peer at THO, but is currently also interested in her feedback...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 16:52:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

All of your queries have been forwarded to him (Wooly, he tells me he thinks his e-mail account is "fixed," and will be reading back to examine certain messages)...
My lady, I'm assuming this also includes my recent ethereal mail message to the Ol' Bearded One as well? Or should I re-send it?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 17:00:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

I have returned my fair lady!

But I bring grievous news:

The only thing on the Wizards site about Ed's Spin a Yarn is the announcement of the seminar.

quote:
Wizards Website
Spin a Yarn with Ed Greenwood
Join the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, Ed Greenwood, for a rollicking group storytelling experience that's always memorable and highly amusing. Fri 2 PM


They do not have the 2008 Spin a Yarn posted on the site (all the previous years are available here, at the bottom of the page).

Now about that second quest...



That's the first time I've seen a link to "Never A Warpig Born" since they revamped the site a couple years ago... Either way, I've also got a scroll collecting all the links, appropriately named Spin A Yarn links.

I think since it's that time of year again, that I'll resticky it.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 17:07:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

I have returned my fair lady!

But I bring grievous news:

The only thing on the Wizards site about Ed's Spin a Yarn is the announcement of the seminar.

quote:
Wizards Website
Spin a Yarn with Ed Greenwood
Join the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, Ed Greenwood, for a rollicking group storytelling experience that's always memorable and highly amusing. Fri 2 PM


They do not have the 2008 Spin a Yarn posted on the site (all the previous years are available here, at the bottom of the page).

Now about that second quest...



That's the first time I've seen a link to "Never A Warpig Born" since they revamped the site a couple years ago... Either way, I've also got a scroll collecting all the links, appropriately named Spin A Yarn links.

I think since it's that time of year again, that I'll resticky it.

Actually, I found that link again about a month ago while I was digging through the WotC archives looking for articles that I might have forgotten to save during my previous delvings.

Still a good read.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 19:09:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. Ed thanks everyone for their birthday wishes (he's had a very full day :} ), and passes on two replies to the scribes perusing this thread:

<snip>

Markustay is right. The one is Realmsplay history, and the other is what became published Realms canon. Yes, I wrote both.
I have the "home" Realms campaign, but I have also run over twenty short, set-number-of-sessions "library mini-campaigns" down the years, usually centered on a fledgling adventuring company trying to fulfill the conditions of its charter, but some of them have also roleplayed "key moments in Realms history" that THEY (the gamers, all Realms fans and experienced roleplayers) wanted to "be present at." Encounters with Dornal as the Watcher have featured in three of those.
I wrote the published version the way I did to satisfy an editor AND stay as close as possible to what happened in play; you can see how much I succeeded, but you can also see that the published version can be taken to apply to his life before it ended, and his time as Watcher that followed thereafter (after he was raised, obviously) can end up being steered very close to the longer, "play" version I described here at the Keep.
What "happened" in your campaign is, of course, up to you. In both of them Dornal can be still around as the Watcher, if you want him to be.


So saith Ed. Who is happily at work on more Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO




Thanks very much for clearing that up, Ed. Markustay's ability to "think Realms" is once again showcased.

My current DM recently did something similar (except involving actual time travel by the PCs) in our campaign. Thanks to a malfunctioning portal in Waterdeep, we (the PCs) were transported in time and space to Cormanthyr at the close of the Weeping War. We found ourselves escorting a group of survivors out of the fallen realm, including a large number of orphaned children, mostly elven and human. One of the PCs, a female half-elven ranger, went by the surname Silverhand, chosen in complete ignorance by the player, who was entirely new to the Realms. Our DM took this and ran with it, having one of the older orphan boys develop a mad crush on said PC. When we finally returned to our own time (quite some time later), at the end of the session we (the players, out of game) were told that Nanara's boy-crush had taken her surname as his own and went on to father a boy named Dornal. The rest, most of us here all know. A brilliant piece of time-travel lore, if I do say so myself.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 22 Jul 2009 21:40:39
Message:

do the grey hands still exist in 4e waterdeep??


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 00:56:53
Message:

I'm not entirely all up on 4e Realmslore for Waterdeep, but I do recall a tidbit in Blackstaff Tower that made me think of the Grey Hands. Let me find it.

Edit: Got it! -- pg. 191. A bit about all grey-robes possessing wands that allow them to paralyze or slow their opponents. This rang "Grey Hands" bells in my mind.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 02:42:49
Message:

Question time Ed. Yes, another from the Sage. And yes, again based on my obsession with Realms music.

Anyways, I was speculating on my blog earlier about this. Then I thought to come directly to you for a little further inspiration.

The main gist of my mental ramblings:-

I'm thinking about FORGOTTEN REALMS "theme music." You know, the kind of repetitive tune that you'd expect to hear throughout the game and that is purposely designed to help gamers and readers of the Realms identify with their favourite campaign world. We've had some previous examples in many of the CRPGs released for the Realms, I know. Some of the tunes from the two Icewind Dale games immediately come to mind. As does the introductory music to the first Neverwinter Nights game.

What I'd actually like to do, is try my own hand at composing something like this. Nothing too extensive. Just a short piece that I think would reflect the central/core elements of the Realms -- and stuff like characters, places, groups, etc. Obviously, those kinds of elements are wide and often diverse enough in tone and attitude that it would make it difficult for me to properly incorporate them all into a "theme song" for the Realms. But the ideas behind some of the themes inherent in the Realms, along with those supporting some characters and places, are basic enough to be related to other similar examples in many fantasy-worlds. And thus, I've got an effective basis to start from. So I want to try and build on that, all the while making sure there's suitable Realms influence. I don't want to make this too much like generic fantasy music after all.

...

So, Ed, what are your thoughts on this? And what do you think are the crucial themes/elements of the Realms that I should be trying to work into my music?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 07:45:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
The Simbul and Elminster also listened often


Ah, but this raises the question: What did the Simbul listen for? While I am certain 'The Simbul' was said quite a lot, she would be safe in listening for her given name. After all, how many people in the Realms know who Alassra Shentrantra is?
So, to sum it up: When the chosen listen, can they also listen to nicknames, such as 'Blackstaff' and 'The Simbul', or can they only listen to their given names?


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 09:37:03
Message:

happy be-day ED


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 15:22:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
The Simbul and Elminster also listened often


Ah, but this raises the question: What did the Simbul listen for? While I am certain 'The Simbul' was said quite a lot, she would be safe in listening for her given name. After all, how many people in the Realms know who Alassra Shentrantra is?
So, to sum it up: When the chosen listen, can they also listen to nicknames, such as 'Blackstaff' and 'The Simbul', or can they only listen to their given names?



Page 10 of The Seven Sisters:

quote:
Chosen can hear the Rune of the Chosen (see the Introduction of this book) and their own names -- nicknames and titles included -- spoken anywhere on Toril.


On a related note, though... So they can hear names and titles that refer to them as a Chosen. But can they hear other names, names by which they might not be known as Chosen? For example, Khelben can hear his name or his title Blackstaff. But if someone speaks of Malek Aldhanek, one of his earlier identities, would he hear it? Would he have heard it when he was Malek? If Elminster chose to spend a day every now and again as Bahb the fighter, would he hear it when someone spoke of Bahb?


Reply author: Auzoros
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 16:34:17
Message:

A very happy birthday to you Mr. Greenwood! And for what it's worth I want to thank you for writing "Spellfire" all those years ago. It was the very first novel I ever read. It introduced me to the Realms and I have never looked back. My gift to you is my appreciation for the gift you gave to me and many, many others. Cheers!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 16:46:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Are there people we should poke to get it up?


I am SO surprised that THO didn't jump on that...

<and yes, that was a triple-entendre.>

Now, since my thoughts have already traveled down this dark and glorious path, perhaps we can explore our LHO and pretend she is a website?

I've got my search engines ready....


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 23 Jul 2009 17:29:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
The Simbul and Elminster also listened often


Ah, but this raises the question: What did the Simbul listen for? While I am certain 'The Simbul' was said quite a lot, she would be safe in listening for her given name. After all, how many people in the Realms know who Alassra Shentrantra is?
So, to sum it up: When the chosen listen, can they also listen to nicknames, such as 'Blackstaff' and 'The Simbul', or can they only listen to their given names?



Page 10 of The Seven Sisters:

quote:
Chosen can hear the Rune of the Chosen (see the Introduction of this book) and their own names -- nicknames and titles included -- spoken anywhere on Toril.


On a related note, though... So they can hear names and titles that refer to them as a Chosen. But can they hear other names, names by which they might not be known as Chosen? For example, Khelben can hear his name or his title Blackstaff. But if someone speaks of Malek Aldhanek, one of his earlier identities, would he hear it? Would he have heard it when he was Malek? If Elminster chose to spend a day every now and again as Bahb the fighter, would he hear it when someone spoke of Bahb?

I've speculated previously, that this could indeed be the case. Since it's entirely likely that such alternate names will be referenced somewhere at some point in time -- either through song, story, or just plain Realmsian gossip for the most part.

I think the example of public knowledge regarding 'Rune of the Seven' is appropriate here -- in that, even the most common Realmsian, who has likely never heard of the Seven/Chosen or appreciated the fact that they are actually real and living beings, know this simple and old rhyme.

In other words, your common Realms folk may know of or about such beings of incredible power -- either by name, reputation, or what your grandmother said she once saw. However, these are details almost entirely based on bards tales or rhymes like the 'Rune of the Seven', and they largely form the basis of most of the "public" knowledge regarding both the Seven and the Chosen. Not intimate details, and certainly nothing specific, just rumour, hearsay, and idle speculation in the local tavern on a cold and wintry night.

So while the individual names of the Chosen might change, they're names that are still connected to those touched by Mystra herself.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 04:20:23
Message:

Hello all,

Are there any lich-vampire hybrid creatures in faerun, is there a way for a vampire to gain lich like abilities? Would not the deities dedicated to undeath have created some more evolved creature over the ages?

Also, are the Troll Hills possible to speak on now, you mentioned getting to them few years back.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 06:57:09
Message:

If I already mentioned her name, I might as well mention this insane idea of mine:
Is it possible that Shentrantra is a condensed version of 'She Not Rant/Rage', an attempt to define The Simbul's personality which went horribly wrong? It may be insane, but that's what I suddenly noticed when I read over her name.


Reply author: Stranjer
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 13:26:02
Message:

Hmm, all this talk of what the Chosen can hear and not hear begs a question. Since people name their children after pretty much anything and everyone, can a Chosen filter their listening that precisely? I mean, if The Simbul decided to listen in on people using her real name, and someone decides, out of the blue, to name their child Alassra as well, or say several people do (idk, becomes popular name one year or something of the sort), can she still listen in to people using that name to refer to just her?

If so, how well does that work with a Chosen such as Khelben, who is pretending to be his own grandson? Does he just choose to listen to both people referring to Khelben the Elder and Khelben the Younger? And it would quite possibly be even more confusing if applied to nicknames, I mean, most of the nicknames of the Chosen are well known, but some may not be and be used by multiple persons who achieve fame. When it comes down to stories then, the people saying the nickname wouldn't know who they are refering to, so...

Stranjer
Longtime lurker, who is insane enough with only my voice in my head, couldn't imagine if there were others joining it.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 15:06:43
Message:

Hi Ed and the Hooded One, another deity question (sort of):

To what extent do the "common" folk of Faerûn (without ranks in Knowledge [the planes]) know the difference between the gods and other powerful outsiders like the demon lords, archdevils, bigwig angels and eladrin (can't remember the term for those at the moment) or the more powerful among the genie rulers? (I notice that the top elementals are gods.)


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 15:09:08
Message:

Might be that it's not actually the name that triggers the spell, but the process of thinking or evocating a certain person, where the name may act as a lever of sorts - similar to one of the rationalisations on verbal and somatic components: that the words and movements have no power by themselves, but that uttering the words and making the gestures triggers the synapses in the brain, or opens the mental pathways that allow a caster to release magic / access the weave.

In that case of spellcasting, "the weave" picks up on the thought patterns provoked by the gestures. With the names, it may be the other way around, rather than the Chosen's abilities being triggered by the utterance of the name, or of one of the aliases of the Chosen, it's the thought pattern (the thought about the Simbul preceding the utterance of "Alassra") that alerts the chosen, through the thought patterns in the Weave, to which the Chosen are attuned.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 15:30:57
Message:

And another...

Supposing a wanted to add more regional pantheons to Faerûn, what regions would Ed recommend splitting the continent into?

At the moment I'm thinking:
A group of "universal" deities (Selûne, Chauntea, Mystra, Shar, Bane, Silvanus, and the Elemental deities) - worshiped "everywhere," but sometimes under different names.

The "original pantheon" worshiped in Chondath, Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Dragon Coast, Sembia, and Turmish (and maybe Halruaa).

A "southern" pantheon (possibly centred around a sun-moon-theme) - worshiped in Calimshan, Tethyr, Amn, the Nelanther Isles, and around the Lake of Steam.

A "western" pantheon - the Western Heartlands (the region entailed by this term in the 3E FRCS), and the Sword Coast up to and including the region around Waterdeep.

An "Illuskan" pantheon - the northern Sword Coast, the Moonshaes, the various islands in the Sea of Swords, and the Silver Marches (and possibly Halruaa)

A north-central (Damaran) group - Impiltur, the Vast, Damara, Vaasa, Narfell, and the Moonsea (and maybe Halruaa).

An eastern group - Rashemen, Aglarond, Thay (though I'm also thinking Thay might be moved into the Mulhorandi pantheon worshipers), Thesk, the Great Dale (and maybe Sossal).

A south-eastern pantheon - Tashalar, Lapaliiya, Tharsult, the Shaar, the Vilhon Reach, and Chessenta.

As for the rest, Dambrath would contain a mix of the southeastern, the Illuskan, and the Drow pantheons; Mulhorand and Unther would have their own "as is" pantheons, and anywhere else would have to be moved in with one of the others (since I'll have forgotten about it).


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 15:41:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth

Might be that it's not actually the name that triggers the spell, but the process of thinking or evocating a certain person, where the name may act as a lever of sorts - similar to one of the rationalisations on verbal and somatic components: that the words and movements have no power by themselves, but that uttering the words and making the gestures triggers the synapses in the brain, or opens the mental pathways that allow a caster to release magic / access the weave.

In that case of spellcasting, "the weave" picks up on the thought patterns provoked by the gestures. With the names, it may be the other way around, rather than the Chosen's abilities being triggered by the utterance of the name, or of one of the aliases of the Chosen, it's the thought pattern (the thought about the Simbul preceding the utterance of "Alassra") that alerts the chosen, through the thought patterns in the Weave, to which the Chosen are attuned.



See, that's similar to what I was thinking, and why I asked my question. If people at the time didn't know that Malek Aldhanek was actually a Chosen, would speaking his name still get Khelben's attention? If a modern-day sage, after reading a book of history, mentions Malek Aldhanek in passing to a friend, does that trigger it? And with the Bahb example, if someone met him once, as a caravan guard, then never saw him again and had no reason to assume he was anything other than a simple swordswinger, would speaking of him get Elminster's attention, because El was Bahb that day?

Even better, what about cases where Chosen impersonate specific folks? If El spent a few days as Azoun so that Azzie could sneak off with a trio of nubile noblewomen, would El then hear Azoun's name when spoken? How about when Qilué impersonates Laeral, as we know she's done? And so on...


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 15:53:51
Message:

Arrrgh! You're giving me a headache Wooly!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 16:46:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

Hi Ed and the Hooded One, another deity question (sort of):

To what extent do the "common" folk of Faerûn (without ranks in Knowledge [the planes]) know the difference between the gods and other powerful outsiders like the demon lords, archdevils, bigwig angels and eladrin (can't remember the term for those at the moment) or the more powerful among the genie rulers? (I notice that the top elementals are gods.)
I'd actually like to add a bit to this, if both Ed and Kaje don't mind.

I'd also include the various "special" Para- and Quasi- Elemental "Entities of Noteworthy Power and/or Level" we've briefly heard about in previous editions.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 16:49:00
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed was incommunicado yesterday visiting family (driving through absolute INSANE blinding rain in the middle of the night, with so much water on the road that all the cars were hydroplaning constantly), and will be catching up on hammering out the novel today, but I can START to make a stab at some answers to all of these speculations about the Chosen hearing their names.
I know, from previous conversations with Ed, that a Chosen can "pick" one name at a time to listen for (so, Elminster or this or that pseudonym, but NOT a name of someone they have impersonated - - e.g. Halaster - - but the wider Realms doesn't know they are or were or pretended to be).
Also, a Chosen can control the physical range (spherically, outwards from themselves) they are listening within. This makes it useful to listen in a dungeon, or castle, or a forest. However, the Chosen CANNOT, except by physically moving themselves, "pick" some within-range speakers to listen to and ignore others (e.g. listen to nobles plotting in the tower, but not soldiers grumbling out on the walls).
I also know that the Chosen tend not to use this power very much, because of the overwhelming "noise" of so many mentions of their names.
More details will of course have to wait for Ed.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 16:53:41
Message:

Oh, and I'd love to hear what others think of the idea about adding more pantheons, but perhaps not on this thread, so in a burst of optimism I started a new thread here.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 19:00:35
Message:

Now, now, Markustay, I can't hurl myself on each and every double or triple entendre; that would reduce this girl to mere predictability.
However (let me whisper, my lips parted just enough to purr) bring on your search engines . . .

love,
THO


Reply author: panics
Replied on: 24 Jul 2009 20:13:47
Message:

Hi

Happy birthday to Ed ! (I'm a bit late, but I only finish now all the pages !)

My questions to Ed or lovely lady THO is simple and a bit sad (since its Ed's birthday), is what could happen to all of Ed's realmslore if he saddly dies ? Also, what ED gave to TSR/Wizards is (in percentage) how much of what he designed ? And what percentage he thinks they have published ? (and remained, to date, unpublished ?)

I hope Ed Greenwood would be, has Elminster, eternal, but we all get old and crumpy. Poor old grandpa... sorry, i'm just sad !

Thank you !


Reply author: Nevorick
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 00:15:57
Message:

Well again, my dear fellow scribes and lorekeepers! I have been away for some time from Candlekeep and have just learned today of the untimely passing of our friend Jamallo Kreen. It saddens my heart to learn of this, and I can only say I found his contributions to be of much worth here. My next drink shall be in his honor.

Now, if I may, I would like to ask Ed and the Lady Hooded One, if they can share anything regarding any of the consort queens of Cormyr who married into the Obarskyr family? I'll understand if NDA applies to everything about all of them, but if it doesn't, I would just like to learn whatever neat little nuggets Ed is willing and able to share with us.

If all of these queens remain sancrosanct "behind NDA lines", may I ask instead for any interesting (non-noble) members of the royal court of Azoun the IV and any of their duties and personalities?

My humble thanks!


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 00:40:05
Message:

Nevorick,

I've been wondering about those queens for some time now, and we're waiting patiently (some more successful with the patience than others; I'm definitely one of the "others" in that equation) for Ed to get the Royal Lineage document made public. Until that happens, I don't know how much Ed can tell you...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 03:58:50
Message:

Hi again, all.
panics, Ed's still incommunicado, so here is my informed but possibly not up to date "take" on your question:
The Realms belongs to TSR (WotC), unless or until they cease to publish an original novel-length Ed Greenwood book in any calendar year (except when he agrees to an exception, and game sourcebooks "count" as books, not just fiction.
When Ed dies, that doesn't just "go away." So IF that ever came to pass, the rights to the Realms would revert to his estate (heirs). It would be up to them, and whatever agreements they then made with Wizards or another company.
However, in the real world, Ed's heirs would have to vigorously want to helm the Realms and be willing to put time and money (lawyers) into doing so. And at the same time, it would be in the interest of Wizards to go on publishing hitherto-unseen Ed Greenwood material just as long as they could dredge some up. Which, given the amount of stuff Ed's given them over the years that hasn't seen print (as opposed to on the website), could be a decade or more. The detailed city of Teziir, for example, or uncollected short stories, or the small truckload of lore Ed has written as "bibles" for series (Sembia, Eddie Presents Waterdeep, the Realmslore package of oaths and undergarments notes and suchlike, and many more tidbits).
Perhaps (my estimate, not Ed's) twenty percent of what Ed's handed TSR and Wizards over the years remains unpublished, and all that Ed has given them, from 1979 to date, is perhaps (again, my estimate) a quarter of what he's designed for the Realms that could be made into publishable material of general interest (as opposed to of interest just to we "home" players). Could be made into, note, not necessarily is in publishable form right now.
I can tell you that I doubt Ed has any interest at all in fighting with Wizards over the Realms. At least when asked about it, he tends to stick to this view: that "any disputes that arise hurt the hobby, and the Realms, and Realms fans" and are therefore best avoided. If he's talked to his family/heirs about that, they'll probably respect his wishes, and that attitude will continue. Which will allow, in a future time when Ed is gone, Wizards or a successor publisher to let the Realms be forgotten, or revamp it freely as they see fit.
The published Realms, that is.
YOUR Realms is yours to do anything you want with (except publish it :} ). Mine lives in my heart, in all the memories of play sessions and discussing lore and reading Ed's superb fiction and the laughter. And I can't imagine any of it without Ed.
love,
THO


Reply author: Eldacar
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 05:25:55
Message:

quote:
I know, from previous conversations with Ed, that a Chosen can "pick" one name at a time to listen for (so, Elminster or this or that pseudonym, but NOT a name of someone they have impersonated - - e.g. Halaster - - but the wider Realms doesn't know they are or were or pretended to be).
Also, a Chosen can control the physical range (spherically, outwards from themselves) they are listening within.

And they can pick more than one name at a time? So Khelben for example might be listening for "Khelben" and "Blackstaff" all the time, likely within the bounds of Waterdeep on most days? Is it possible to extend the range and add in different names at different ranges? To add on to the Khelben example, within Waterdeep, he might add three or four names to listen for, but outside of Waterdeep (up to, say, a thousand miles or so outside of it) he only listens for one name? Or are there only two "variables" that can be used - the number of names and distance?

And again on the "which of the Chosen listens" query, when they do listen in, how wide is the range they normally settle for? I would imagine Khelben is likely to pick Waterdeep (or at least the entirety of Blackstaff Tower), but others are more nebulous, so to speak.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 06:55:20
Message:

If Ed doesn't have any kids, I volunteer myself to be adopted by him.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 07:12:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

YOUR Realms is yours to do anything you want with (except publish it :} ). Mine lives in my heart, in all the memories of play sessions and discussing lore and reading Ed's superb fiction and the laughter. And I can't imagine any of it without Ed.
Beautifully said, my Lady.

And I wholeheartedly agree. Each and every moment my players and I spend with my Realms, are moments we treasure always. But just as much, are the times when we'll forego the scheduled campaign session and opt just to sit around the table "talking Realms."

It's a truly testament to Ed's remarkable creation that we can each share in his fantasy of the FORGOTTEN REALMS.


Reply author: Auzoros
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 14:32:30
Message:

A question for Mr. Greenwood if I may about druids of the Moonshae Isles.
1) I'm curious to know if Moonshae druids are prone to wander or travel the Realms. And if so, for what reasons?

2) Do any of them know that the Earthmother is an ancient aspect of Chauntea? Do they even acknowledge her at all?

3) If a Moonshae druid settled on the Faerun mainland would they continue to worship the Earthmother? Or is it likely they would acknowledge Chauntea or even convert to another deity?

Thank you for your time.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 25 Jul 2009 17:31:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

If Ed doesn't have any kids, I volunteer myself to be adopted by him.



I've already made that offer (I think; if not, I have now); I'd also love to be Ed's "Candlekeep research assistant"... with his ever-growing list of questions, combined with how busy he is between family, writing, and his day job, I'm sure he could use one...

Just one quick question that can hopefully be answered without adding to the pile... Has anything new developed with regard to that long-awaited announcement THO teased us about several months ago? (I could ask about the Cormyr lineage document too, but I know Ed will report on that if something happens, as he has already done at least once.)


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 26 Jul 2009 10:07:03
Message:

Here's a question that I'd like to ask, if I may. Here when a gentleman has his beard growing in after shaving that morning, we say he has a 5 o'clock shadow. What does a person say in the Realms? I thought of one, but it sounded like I was talking about a drunk. "It looks like he has a shade of the fifth, wouldn't you say?"


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Jul 2009 15:41:47
Message:

Hi again, all.
Jorun, your question is one I can answer, from Realmsplay (i.e. the answer comes from Ed as my DM). The answer is: "He looks a bit half-shorn."
Remember, in the Realms far fewer men and women remove facial hair (women tend to do so by plucking, but these would usually be strikingly-dark chin and cheek hairs, not a mustache). So there's no stigma whatsoever to being hairy, or stubbled, or "fuzzy." There ARE situations where such conditions are frowned upon or not tolerated - - when one is invited to sup when it's known when soup or stew is to be served, in Cormyr and the Dales, for instance. Nobles in many places (Waterdeep included) of course use specific habits or fashions to set themselves apart from non-nobles, and from time to time being clean-shaven or stubbled goes in or out of fashion, and therefore in and out of tolerance.

So saith Ed, filtered through me.
love,
THO


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 26 Jul 2009 21:47:27
Message:

Thank you, lady fair. I know that my paladin Joran (hence the name) always remained clean shaven, though when he did toy with the idea of a beard back in '99, the party always laughed at him when it would start to itch. One even teased me (and poor Joran) about it. "How are you going to lay on hands while your scratching your chin, paladin?" This of course was hugely popular with the rest of the party who then proceeded to tease him. Needless to say, Joran shaved the next morning.

Another question, if I may. Joran is from Cormyr... are noblemen more apt to wear a beard in Cormyr, especially the landed gentry?


Reply author: Gelcur
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 00:15:13
Message:

Dearest Lady I wonder if Ed or you could speak on the topic of Durlag?

My players will be finding a stolen Shield Portal from Durlag's Tower and I was wondering if such an item would continue to function outside of the tower and more importantly if it bore a family crest? I know Durlag was known as Trollkiller and his father was named Bolhur "Thunderaxe" the Clanless.

If it can be said as to why Bolhur was clanless that would be grand as well.

Thank you much.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 00:19:48
Message:

Actually, on the topic of Durlag's Tower, was an adventure ever written where players began the exploration of that fabled location? It was always something I wanted to do after playing Baldur's Gate.


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 16:24:54
Message:

I was up in Lily Dale over the weekend - a far trip from where I live, despite being in NY - and I took the opportuninty to drive along the Great Lakes and visit my son (who is attending college in upstate NY).

As I stood on the shore and looked out, I realized that Canada (and ED) was just across the water... and I waved.

Silly... I know.

Anyway, thats beautiful country around there... very peaceful... and I was wondering if Ed has ever taken the opportunity to travel that region (on either side of the border). Bear in mind I have no idea what part of Canada Ed lives in, so forgive me in advance if this question sounds stupid.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 17:19:06
Message:

Hi again, all.
Markustay, Ed has indeed traveled extensively on both sides of the border in the Ontario/New York vicinity during his fifty years (have to say that, it sounds so grandly ominous for a guy I’ve known since his teens - - and, ahem, mine), and lives about a mile from the north shore of Lake Ontario, about halfway between Toronto (third largest city in North America, so it should be on most maps ;} ) and Kingston, both of which are also on Ontario’s north shore. So if you were on the shore of Lake Erie, near Lily Dale, you were waving at a part of Ontario Ed has visited about a dozen times. If you were standing on a Lake Ontario shore, you were waving at a part of Canada Ed knows very well. If you were near Rochester, New York, you were pretty much straight across the lake from Ed. And no, that’s not silly at all. Hold to your dreams and enthusiasms, celebrate them, and be guided by them. That and good friends are what makes life worth living.

I actually have a brief, spanking-new (ummm, one of my favorite expressions; wonder why?) Realmslore reply from Ed, this time to Joran Nobleheart’s query: “Another question, if I may. Joran is from Cormyr... are noblemen more apt to wear a beard in Cormyr, especially the landed gentry?”
Ed replies:



Yes, indeed. Noblemen almost all have mustaches, long sideburns (though they may be very thin, mere “lines along the angle of the jaw” in many cases), and beards. However, LONG or shaggy facial hair is very rare among the nobility; the whole point of the fashion is to show off your wealth and idleness (i.e. I’m rich enough to have a personal barber, and idle enough that I can sit down TWICE A DAY to be trimmed and shaved). So a nobleman will ALWAYS (except when “roughing it” with Alusair or during emergencies) have clean-shaven throats, cheeks, and other areas (no untidy regions of “stubble or hairs that become a beard as one moves across the visage”), and will usually have a very close-cropped, trimmed beard and mustache. Mustaches may have long ends (either side of the mouth), but are usually like thin lines along the upper lip above the mouth; below the mouth, the chin may well be entirely covered with hair, but a noble’s beard is seldom longer than about two inches below the point of the chin, and almost always takes the form of a neat, uniform “jaw-fringe” from this point all along the edges of the jaw, continuously to merge with “daggerboard” sideburns in front of the ear.
Young nobles, very fair-haired nobles, and anyone who for whatever reason can’t grow (or can’t have at the moment) a tidy, continuous beard, will be clean-shaven - - but even then, pencil-line-thin (or bushier) mustaches and sideburns will be maintained if at all possible. Dying of facial hair to keep it dark is sometimes done, but only utter fops dye their hair any hue other than a color that attempts to match its natural hue, and scenting facial hair is a fashion that comes and goes (mostly goes) with the passing years.
Interestingly, the upland landed gentry have always clung to a habit of “going shaggy” for a tenday or so, here and there, usually when hunting or at lambing or horsebreeding time. This is a signal to all that I’m “not at home” in my persona as Lord So-and-so right now; I’m on vacation, so to speak, and can be dealt with as an equal by anyone, but am temporarily not interested in the obligations and frippery courtesies of being a noble. (It does not of course actually release practitioners from the obligations of being noble, though the ruling Obarskyrs tend to respect it except during emergencies; if a king should awaken at the royal hunting lodge and see a few “shaggy” nobles at the morningfeast table, it means they want to share time with him as a plain-speaking friend and fellow hunter, not bring their heralds and trade factors and other servants along, and speak with formal dignity. It’s the sort of occasion when it was perfectly all right to, say, address oneself to King Azoun IV with the unadorned words, “Hoyeh! Pass yon butter, Longshanks!” and he might either pass it, or belch and reply, “Hook a finger into it yourself, Bentnose!” . . . and when Filfaeril might come to the table with her hair all wild from slumber, clad in old hunting breeches, and be addressed as “Fee” or perhaps “Crownlass” by everyone at the table. (Of course, it was NOT free license to be as rude as possible to royalty, or anyone else; folk didn’t entirely forget or ignore what was said at such occasions. It WAS a male noble’s best chance to, say, tell Filfaeril a dirty joke without half a hundred courtiers overhearing and promptly spreading gossip about it.)
Now, as those of us who have beards and mustaches and sideburns know, it’s possible with the air of a sharp razor or scissors, mirrors, and good lightning to keep oneself in fair trim when it comes to mustaches, beards, and even sideburns and neck and cheek shaving, so not all nobles actually have personal barbers, or use their services twice a day; that’s merely the look being striven for.



So saith Ed, reigning expert on Cormyrean facial fashion (ask him sometime about the Calishite and Tashlutan fashion for setting cabochon-cut polished gems into the cheeks of wealthy females).
He hopes to be back to regular Realmslore replies very soon. gomez, I’ll PM you about our play-related matter (done!) very soon, too.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 17:30:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Markustay, Ed has indeed traveled extensively on both sides of the border in the Ontario/New York vicinity during his fifty years (have to say that, it sounds so grandly ominous for a guy I’ve known since his teens - - and, ahem, mine), and lives about a mile from the north shore of Lake Ontario, about halfway between Toronto (third largest city in North America, so it should be on most maps ;} ) and Kingston, both of which are also on Ontario’s north shore. So if you were on the shore of Lake Erie, near Lily Dale, you were waving at a part of Ontario Ed has visited about a dozen times. If you were standing on a Lake Ontario shore, you were waving at a part of Canada Ed knows very well. If you were near Rochester, New York, you were pretty much straight across the lake from Ed. And no, that’s not silly at all. Hold to your dreams and enthusiasms, celebrate them, and be guided by them. That and good friends are what makes life worth living.



I'm glad Mark didn't come through Rochester on Saturday. It was nasty here and we got hit by two tornadoes! First time in almost 80 years that one has touched down within Rochester's city limits/suburbs.

Darn Mark, you could have came by and visited. :)


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 18:16:05
Message:

Interesting... how long are those sideburns? I ask because as an orthdox jew, we have to grow sideburns, at least until the cheekbone (think where glasses would be). But they're usually grown until the top of the earlobe. They often join a beard. And quite a few jews (including myself) grow out the hair from above the ears into long locks. These are called in Hebrew 'Payot'. So I wonder if these exist in the realms, or among nobles.
Here's a link to Wikipedia, for some info and pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payot


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 18:35:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<snip> ... and good lightning ... <snip>



Well, that explains the 'frizziness' of Ed's beard

And, speaking as someone with a long time goatee, I can attest that at times when proper trimming utensils were not handy, a comb and razor performed well enough to trim back the errant beard.

This answer, of course, leads me to question further on the 'facial habits' of other nations/cities like Waterdeep, the Dales, Sembia and such. Could we get a look into what's currently in fashion (for both men and women) in various well-known locales?


Reply author: panics
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 20:10:23
Message:

Hello lady,

I was wondering, because of Markus silly wave ;), if Ed ever visited fair Quebec City ? If he hasn't, I would suggest him, if he likes very old buildings ;)

Also, very impressed to hear to not so much of what Ed created for the realms hadn't been published ! Wizards would win to make an FR Magazine !


Reply author: Arivia
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 20:17:13
Message:

Random question that occured to me while reading the news:

Ed, what are auction houses like in the Realms? Additionally, what's art patronage and industry like? Are there popular or celebrity painters, sculptors, etc, and do they take their works to auction?


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 20:23:04
Message:

Hmm... so it seems that Joran's different than the rest of the Cormyrian landed nobles. Perhaps I'll have to amend that and give Joran a fine mustache and goatee (like the one I have). Thank you!


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 20:25:20
Message:

Or, it may be his way of 'rebelling' against the established nobility (not the crown, of course, but the snivelling nobles and their fashions)!


Reply author: Markustay
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 21:47:45
Message:

The place where I waved from was actually at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River - but I skirted both Lake Eerie and Lake Ontario. I had decided to take the 'scenic route' around the Lakes, taking something called "The Seaview Trail" (which only occassionally allowed a view to the water). I stopped at that particluar place because it was interesting (and I had to go... ya know...), and it had a GREAT vantage point - there was some old historical plague there saying it was a French Fort called "La' Lookout" or some-such.

I ended up there because I went to Morris Town to see my son... and then found-out when I got there he was about three hours south in Morrisville!

However, I would not have gotten to see what was probably one of the most beautiful parts of my country if not for that blunder, so it wasn't a waste (and I had dinner with my son, rather then lunch).

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

I'm glad Mark didn't come through Rochester on Saturday. It was nasty here and we got hit by two tornadoes! First time in almost 80 years that one has touched down within Rochester's city limits/suburbs.

Darn Mark, you could have came by and visited. :)

The road I was on was closed because of those Tornados!

I was told there were ten of them, and the Econo-Lodge I got stuck at (because the storm became so bad I couldn't see anymore), was FILLED with people who got stuck because of that freakish storm.

BTW, I had tried to stay in Buffalo when that storm broke-out, but EVERY room in the city (and outside of it) was filled with Lawyers! It appears the Barr exams are held there that weekend, and Lawyers converge there from all over the world to take it.

I have seen the ultimate in evil... a city of Lawyers...

Drow have NOTHING on them.

And they were even scarrier then the Tornados... and probably more destructve...


Reply author: Herkles
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 23:20:37
Message:

I have a question for Ed.

Do any of the deities have any saints in the realms and if so could one give a couple of examples of them? Also what of holy texts, do any deities have any holy text associated with them? Also what about other ways of worship such as ancestor worship? is that practiced in any of the religions in the realms? I can see it applying to races like elves or dwarves, but not sure if it is in the realms or not.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 23:21:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Or, it may be his way of 'rebelling' against the established nobility (not the crown, of course, but the snivelling nobles and their fashions)!

Good point! Maybe it's a seasonal thing he does... beard in the winter, clean shaven in spring/summer?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Jul 2009 23:58:17
Message:

Joran, more lore coming your way when I can (got your message). I would stress that your PC can be clean-shaven if he wants to, because of course many nobles LIKE to be mavericks, or set fashions rather than follow them, or yes, rebel against parents or kin. :}
Which lets you do just what you'd prefer, either way.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Jul 2009 00:09:04
Message:

panics,
ED has indeed visited Quebec City, and loves it. These days he usually stays in a B&B-like co-op hotel situated on the same park that has the American Consulate on one side, and the Chateau on the other (the hotel is on the third side, the river [actually, the drop to the Old Town] being the fourth. But he's been known to stay at the Chateau, too. Lovely bistros.
I like the cannonball embedded in the tree, and Ed loves to play solitaire with the nuns at their museum. ;}
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 28 Jul 2009 00:45:57
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed, reigning expert on Cormyrean facial fashion (ask him sometime about the Calishite and Tashlutan fashion for setting cabochon-cut polished gems into the cheeks of wealthy females).



That sounds very painful! Consider him asked.

How do they do it? Is it just in the skin, or are they set in the bone of the cheek (given that's where the skin/flesh is thinnest)? Is it just a single gem, or a pattern of multiple gems? It is totally a fashion thing, or is there some other cultural significance/meaning to it (and if so, what is it)? And is there something equivalent that the men do?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 28 Jul 2009 03:31:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed, reigning expert on Cormyrean facial fashion (ask him sometime about the Calishite and Tashlutan fashion for setting cabochon-cut polished gems into the cheeks of wealthy females).



That sounds very painful! Consider him asked.

How do they do it? Is it just in the skin, or are they set in the bone of the cheek (given that's where the skin/flesh is thinnest)? Is it just a single gem, or a pattern of multiple gems? It is totally a fashion thing, or is there some other cultural significance/meaning to it (and if so, what is it)? And is there something equivalent that the men do?



I couldn't help but notice that LHO didn't mention which set of cheeks were inset with gems on wealthy females ....although if it were the nether-more cheeks, simple horseriding and sitting would be mightily uncomfortable if not impossible. Still, its not the most wince-inducing description Ed's fertile imagination has conjured up, and if one's really wealthy, well there's always palanquins!

Btw, thanks LHO for the little tidbit about the merfolk-cooker and Torm's lack of restraint


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 28 Jul 2009 04:44:22
Message:

Hello All,

Ed does Mystra herself safegaurd the true names of her chosen preventing their enemies from gaining advantage through truename magic?


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 28 Jul 2009 10:30:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Joran, more lore coming your way when I can (got your message). I would stress that your PC can be clean-shaven if he wants to, because of course many nobles LIKE to be mavericks, or set fashions rather than follow them, or yes, rebel against parents or kin. :}
Which lets you do just what you'd prefer, either way.
love,
THO

All right, thank you milady. I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes back. And again, I hope you didn't mind the message. If so, I humbly apologize and beg your forgiveness.

And I'll keep all of that in mind for Joran, who even now was getting ready to suffer through the growing in of a beard. He just rushed off to his keep due to your timely message thanks to a friendly little ring of teleportation and lovingly pulled out his razor, scratching at his cheeks while mumbling about noble customs. Poor guy... paladins do suffer from time to time due to fashion!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 29 Jul 2009 18:54:07
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I'm looking for the names of a few families who were very wealthy but NOT noble, in Suzail and/or Marsember, who "went bust" but didn't die out (it's okay if they scattered out of Cormyr).
I can of course easily make some up, but if Ed has anything, I'd rather follow canon.
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Jul 2009 19:14:54
Message:

Hi, Blueblade.
I can think of one, off the top of my head, from campaign play: the Narnantheirs. Formerly a powerhouse in weaving and import and export of bulk textiles, the Narnantheir ("Nar-NAN-theer") family is now scattered and poor, with some of the sons living in Suzail's shady districts, living hand-to-mouth.
love,
THO


Reply author: Purple Dragon Knight
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 02:38:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

panics,
ED has indeed visited Quebec City, and loves it. These days he usually stays in a B&B-like co-op hotel situated on the same park that has the American Consulate on one side, and the Chateau on the other (the hotel is on the third side, the river [actually, the drop to the Old Town] being the fourth. But he's been known to stay at the Chateau, too. Lovely bistros.
I like the cannonball embedded in the tree, and Ed loves to play solitaire with the nuns at their museum. ;}
love,
THO

Nice. Love that canonball... dunno why... :)

If he likes the Chateau and feels like celebrating, tell him to try the venison at "Le Champlain" Restaurant, inside the Chateau facing the cliff overlooking the St.Lawrence river... *do* go for dessert, as they bring the whole kitchen on a rolling tray (about a dozen WHOLE cakes, pies, millefeuilles, cheesecakes, etc.) for you to choose AT THE TABLE! (ok, I only did this once; was wearing a tux; and the lady I was dating at the time was very, very, very impressed... bill over $300 and all... very impressed I say! as in, I got my money's worth... and more! )


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 02:56:50
Message:

Hi again, all.
Aysen, Ed chuckled at your post, but he did indeed mean the cheeks that are part of the face (sorry). So, in answer to this, from Zandilar: "That sounds very painful! Consider him asked. How do they do it? Is it just in the skin, or are they set in the bone of the cheek (given that's where the skin/flesh is thinnest)? Is it just a single gem, or a pattern of multiple gems? It is totally a fashion thing, or is there some other cultural significance/meaning to it (and if so, what is it)? And is there something equivalent that the men do?"
Ed replies:


It is just a fashion thing, originally a "rebellious younger generation" fad that has become an "adornment for many." It is painful. A slit is made in the skin of the cheek, NOT all the way through, and a thumbnail-sized flat chip of stone that's been rounded to remove all sharp edges is put in it. Then GENTLE flame is applied to the stone to cauterize without heating up the stone too much or burning the flesh. When cool, alcohol is used to disinfect (yes, THAT's painful), and then flat-backed, cabochon-rounded gem chips can be slipped into the slit in place of the stone, of hues to match cosmetics, clothing, and other jewelry. SOME women of course went for multiple gems in a pattern, but it never caught on. No, there's no male equivalent. Yet. :}


So saith Ed. Who has just handed WotC artists a cool gift for their use in future illustrations, methinks . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 03:09:07
Message:

Hi again, all. Just got a note from Ed which included this, for Menelvagor:


Sorry, no peyot in the Realms. I have always tried to avoid specific real-world elements, and that particular one is strongly associated in the minds of many with Orthodox Judaism, so I avoided putting them into the Realms. That's not to say that there aren't many folk in the Realms who don't have long locks, or curly hair, or wear their hair in various ways for religious or cultural reasons - - just not that specific feature. For the same reason, I'd not put a "punk Mohawk" hairdo, or a Jeep, or a Coke can, into the Realms: the reason being the real-world association (it would jolt many encountering it out of "thinking Realms" into "thinking about the real world").
That's not to say they can't appear in YOUR Realms, of course.

So saith Ed. Who will probably be a VERY busy boy at this year's GenCon, and who has his latest novel (probably a Realms book, folks) more than half way done in first draft, and is having much fun with it. I pressed him for some details, but all he would do is grin and say, "So many nobles are dastardly, aren't they?"
Hmmmm...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 03:13:04
Message:

Oh, and I just received THIS, too, from Ed, a belated reply to Thauramarth:

Thanks for the birthday ditty, but it's okay: I DO live in a zoo. Just ask my wife, and the cat. ;}


So saith Ed. Sigh.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 03:42:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Herkles

I have a question for Ed.

Do any of the deities have any saints in the realms and if so could one give a couple of examples of them? Also what of holy texts, do any deities have any holy text associated with them? Also what about other ways of worship such as ancestor worship? is that practiced in any of the religions in the realms? I can see it applying to races like elves or dwarves, but not sure if it is in the realms or not.



Not Ed, but I can help out on a couple of these points.
1) Ilmater has a few saints, notably St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred and St. Dionysus; there are others, but I don't have my sources handy at the moment. Ed can probably add some saints of other deities to the list.
2) For holy texts, the best source is the 2nd Edition supplement Prayers from the Faithful (by Ed, of course). Unfortunately, it's not available in PDF on WotC's download page, but you can probably find a used copy somewhere.
3) Ancestor worship is found among the Uthgardt and (IIRC) the witches of Rashemen. Ed can probably add some detail and/or correct me if necessary.
Hope this helps for a start.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 05:27:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

1) Ilmater has a few saints, notably St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred and St. Dionysus; there are others, but I don't have my sources handy at the moment. Ed can probably add some saints of other deities to the list.
I'd recommend reading through Steven Schend's compiled replies also [located through the "So Saith Ed" URL in my sig], as he's discussed this topic somewhat as well.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 15:03:41
Message:

The intro and part one of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale are now available on the Wizards website. Here are the links:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part One)

I'll also be adding these links to my dedicated Spin A Yarn thread, which contains links to all the prior Spin A Yarn tales.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 15:18:51
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

The intro and part one of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale are now available on the Wizards website. Here are the links:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part One)

I'll also be adding these links to my dedicated Spin A Yarn thread, which contains links to all the prior Spin A Yarn tales.

Woot! I can never get enough of Volo.

Are there any extra tidbits you can share about these tales, Ed?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 16:24:00
Message:

Part One?
So is there a Part Two?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 16:51:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Part One?
So is there a Part Two?




Part two is not yet available. I'll keep updating the links as more parts come available.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 16:52:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Part One?
So is there a Part Two?
Yes. I recall Ed once saying it was a length enough tale for it to probably be split into parts.

We'll likely see the second part uploaded to the Wizards site at some point in the future.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 21:01:50
Message:

By the looks of that excerpt, assuming Wizards haven't edited a LOT out of the story, there should be more than two parts. Perhaps four. Ed told me it was the longest one yet.
He also hinted that Wizards is planning something new, website and publicity-wise, involving GenCon, but wouldn't say what. I'm guessing that 1) it's still tentative, and that 2) it somehow involves Ed, or he wouldn't know anything about it . . . but we'll just have to wait and see.
He did say he's REALLY having fun with this new novel, and that it is a Realms book.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 21:36:16
Message:

Ah, loving my Volo fix.
I'd love to see Wizards do an "author jam" novel where everyone gets to write a chapter, and it's a Volo comedy epic.
I mean EVERYONE. Steven Schend, Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb, Erik Scott de Bie, Rosemary Jones, Jaleigh, Elaine, Mel Odom, Jim Lowder, Rob King . . . everyone they could lure out of the woodwork who's done Realms fiction before.
Wizards would only have to pay people for what are in effect short stories, plus royalties, and we'd all get a great fun read out of it. Probably more fun than a great book, but hey, give me some side-splitting comic scenes over sturm und drang anyday.
Ed? Are you in? And if so, how the heck do we get to tell WotC editors that we want to see something like this? Suggest it at GenCon?
BB


Reply author: Harquebus
Replied on: 31 Jul 2009 23:01:08
Message:

Here is a question, and apologies if it has already been asked.

Back in '04 when asked about sexy fun times in the realm you made the following comment:

quote:
I’m not sure if you’ll see a clearly lesbian or gay male character in a novel soon, because the only way to give them that status “clearly” is to engage in protracted sex scenes...


Which has raised a few eyebrows, mine included.

Do you still feel this way? If so why?

Full context here: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=53


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 00:33:51
Message:

Hi again, all.
Harquebus, you're in luck. Ed and I happened to be back-and-forthing via e-mail when your post came my way, so I handed it along, and got this swift reply:

I do indeed still feel this way, and here's why: in "my" Realms, pre-adoption as a game setting, men could hug or kiss men and women could hug or kiss women without any sexual meaning behind it.
These were expressions of love, familial or friendship or kin or gratitude and expressions of great joy in a success shared, yes, but "confirmations" of overall sexual orientation, no. There were also flirts and effeminate characters, particularly among decadent nobles, and many bisexual characters (please remember, we're speaking of my original fictional Realms, not the published GAME setting).
All of which means to "confirm" a sexual orientation, protracted sex scenes are necessary. Anything less doesn't "confirm" anything IN THE REALMS. Certain readers might view a guy kissing another guy as meaning they're both gay, but I'm not that sort of reader. They could be grandfather and grandson, and it could be deep affectionate love, NOT sexual at all. Others will view grandfather/grandson kissing as evidence of some sort of sexual deviance or exploitation, but it simply isn't so in Realms culture (just as it isn't in, say, Italian real-world culture, though older generations kiss more than younger).
I was, back in 2004, simply making the point that TSR/WotC-published Realms books are never going to be primarily about, or filled with, sex, and that therefore (barring bald statements by a narrator or character about sexual orientation) there isn't going to be enough on their pages for readers to be SURE about a given character's orientation. A writer can hint or signal, and a particular reader can interpret as they please (and often do), but in a fantasy world in which hugging and kissing and even lovemaking may not confirm a sole sexual orientation, certainty is either established by definite statements or overwhelming evidence - - neither of which is going to be editorially welcome in the Realms novel lines.
Or to put it more colloquially, we aren't writing those sort of books. :}
I can readily conceive of a plot where sex, sexual orientation, and the complications of sexual choices will be vital, major elements - - but I doubt Hasbro would want one of their subsidiaries publishing such a book.
If I just show you, say, the Shadowsil tossing her clothes aside and waltzing into Manshoon's bedroom, you can be fairly certain that she wants sex to take place. You CAN'T be fairly certain that she's married to Manshoon, or has or hasn't a spouse or other lovers, or even that she prefers guys in bed. You can choose your preferred interpretation, or even go to great lengths to read over all the published Realmslore to arrive at "the best possible" interpretation, but you can't be SURE.
I know you can't, because I can tell you flatly, outside of published Realmslore, that the Shadowsil was a passionate, troubled voyager through life who bedded men, women, half-elves and elves and drow of both genders, both male and female dwarves, and a female halfling. As well as one powerful shapechanging mage whose true race and nature she was never sure of.
THAT'S my point; in such a complicated setting and with truly three-dimensional characters, certainties are hard to come by, if we can't "show it all." And the stories we're trying to tell, and being allowed to tell, aren't about "showing it all." That is, of course, editorially deliberate: no publisher WANTS to offend some readers by leading them to conclusions they may find unpalatable. Better to leave room for ambiguity, and a reader to make their own choices.
Some publishers go much farther than drawing the line on explicit sex. Some don't want the writer to specify hair or eye color for heroes/heroines, so a reader can more easily identify themselves with the characters.


So saith Ed. Just trying to clear things up - - by leaving things ambiguous.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 03:59:09
Message:

Hi again, all.
I come bearing two things: a question for the scribes, and a very short reply from Ed to The Sage re. the Spin A Yarn.
First, the question: anyone have a ticket yet for the Spin A Yarn? Do we know what room it's going to be held in, precisely? Or the "D&D World of the Forgotten Realms" seminar? I probably won't be able to make it to GenCon at all, this year, but if there's a chance, I'd LOVE to be able to give Ed a grin from a doorway . . .
And now, heeeeeeeeeere's Ed:


I'm not sure there's much else I can tell you about this Spin A Yarn tale, other than to reiterate that I incorporated EVERY LAST suggested story element that the long-suffering Shelly Mazzanoble typed into her Mac that didn't break the rules (can't be too X-rated, can't involve Drizzt or any other toys belonging to other writers, and can't use real-world names, trademarks, items, and too-overt references), PLUS those suggestions Kuje sent me from the Keep.
I believe someone else will be my Spin A Yarn "scribe" this upcoming GenCon, as Shelly works on other duties.
Oh, other than to say this story takes place in Waterdeep, post-Spellplague, and that (obviously) Volo is a major protagonist. It's the longest Spin A Yarn tale thus far, it DOES have a plot, and I - - as usual - - had a blast doing it. Though (hint hint) it would be nice, just once, if the Spin A Yarn audience gave me more to work with than the utterly lewd (I'm not offended, you understand, I just can't "go far enough" when writing to handle utterly lewd elements properly, so they end up as watered-down or one-line throwaways or twisted into something remotely politically correct. Don't be shy if you want to give me "pulp" elements like dooms and villains and dastardly plots, as well as all the banana-peel, dropped-drawers humor, okay?


So saith Ed. Whom I will drop my drawers for, AND wave a banana peel at, I promise. Perhaps in the same deft movement . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 04:15:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I come bearing two things: a question for the scribes, and a very short reply from Ed to The Sage re. the Spin A Yarn.
First, the question: anyone have a ticket yet for the Spin A Yarn? Do we know what room it's going to be held in, precisely? Or the "D&D World of the Forgotten Realms" seminar? I probably won't be able to make it to GenCon at all, this year, but if there's a chance, I'd LOVE to be able to give Ed a grin from a doorway . . .
Dear Lady, I do, in fact, have these things, and can share such truths, both for Your Hooded Grace and the general fair-attending public:

"Spin a Yarn with Ed Greenwood" will be held on Friday, August 14, at 2 pm, in the Marriott's Indianapolis Ballroom G.

"The D&D World of the Forgotten Realms" will be held immediately following that seminar, at 4 pm, in the same room. If we're lucky, they'll let someone bring Ed a glass of water (and, ahem, a bucket).

At 6, the Dragonlance crowd comes in, and so we must all scatter.

Good gaming, all, and see you there (those who can make it)!

BC

[p.s. Let's not turn this into a 'sorry I can't make it to GenCon' discussion, please. There are other threads for that. I'm just passing along the relevant information...]


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 04:35:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

PLUS those suggestions Kuje sent me from the Keep.
love to all,
THO



I forgot that I had those last year. Grin. Uh, I'm willing to give Ed another list if anyone wants me to deliver it to him. :) But that would be better to take to another scroll.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 04:56:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

... and a very short reply from Ed to The Sage re. the Spin A Yarn.

My thanks Ed.

And I know we're talking about a "Spin A Yarn" tale, but 'twas nice to see Volo back in action again, and in the post-Spellplague Realms.

Though, my mind, of course, will continue to wonder about how Volo spent the time between 1375 DR and 1479 DR.

I just hope this isn't the last we'll hear from him.


Reply author: Lady Kazandra
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 05:48:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

At 6, the Dragonlance crowd comes in, and so we must all scatter.
Just be sure to check your possessions after leaving. What with the kender and all.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 08:48:19
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I do indeed still feel this way, and here's why: in "my" Realms, pre-adoption as a game setting, men could hug or kiss men and women could hug or kiss women without any sexual meaning behind it.
These were expressions of love, familial or friendship or kin or gratitude and expressions of great joy in a success shared, yes, but "confirmations" of overall sexual orientation, no. There were also flirts and effeminate characters, particularly among decadent nobles, and many bisexual characters (please remember, we're speaking of my original fictional Realms, not the published GAME setting).
All of which means to "confirm" a sexual orientation, protracted sex scenes are necessary.



*splutters in incoherent rage*

This isn't the first time I've had a wallbanger moment over this, but it is the first time I've had a wallbanger moment from Ed.

NO, you don't need a protracted sex scene to confirm an orientation!!! A sex scene doesn't necessarily confirm a person's orientation, anyway - for example, a bisexual man having sex with another man is bisexual, but anyone looking at it without knowing the first man is bisexual is going to think he's gay. So no, a protracted sex scene is not going to give any more indication of a person's sexuality than a friendly hug is.

HOWEVER, as a lesbian/bisexual (sue me, it's fluid but mostly lesbian) female myself I do know how you can have gay people in books... Simply allow them to be involved in a romantic (not necessarily erotic) relationship (with a person of the same gender), or have them mention their attraction to someone of the same gender in passing (people, regardless of their sexuality, mention their attractions all the time, without thinking about it ("oh, he's cute" "gods she's gorgeous" "I'd hit that" etc etc))! It might not be confirmation of their sexuality (because bisexuals can love either gender, and that's not taking into account people who either exist between the genders or are transexuals), but it is inclusion and it makes it clear they're not heterosexual and that no one sees anything overly wrong with it in the Realms.

Romantic relationships on the page don't always have to incorporate explicit sex. Heterosexual relationships abound in the Realms novels, and none of those have required an intimate look into their bedrooms (though even there there's plenty of fade to black moments!). So why is it required to show a gay, lesbian, or bisexual in a relationship? For the love of Sune! We love just like straight people do, for crying out loud. I'm so sick to death of this view point, it's what's sticking in the collective craw of the LGBT community... The vast majority of straight people refuse to treat our relationships as seriously as their own. They think that our relationships are all about sex - but they're not. They are every bit as complicated and fulfilling as a heterosexual relationship. Is there sex? Yes. But there's also that deeply fulfilling feeling of completion - all the little intimacies that we all take for granted, from holding hands, to affectionate little pecks on the cheek, to arguing, and to making up again. To a desire for children, to a need for simple companionship. How do you write a homosexual/bisexual in a relationship? Just like you'd write a heterosexual in a relationship. No sex required.

I've had enough, I have. I'm sorry, this got on my last nerve and if this was a little bit ranty, it's because I'm so so so so so tired of it.

Honestly, I expected better of you Ed. I really did.

ETA: Now, having read the REST of the reply, I sort of see where you're coming from Ed. However, not everyone's the Shadowsil, and there are plenty of people with less fantastic lives that we can see on the page and who could be involved with a person of the same sex at the time. No we don't know if they're bisexual, homosexual, or simply heteroflexible and experimenting, but it's still representation of non strictly heterosexuals. Representation matters.

ETA2: I keep thinking of other things I want to say. This dancing around homosexual relationships (not to mention the nearly invsible bisexuals and transsexuals) has made me a little unsure of my own writing recently. I want to write a blatantly lesbian main character and have her involved in a romantic non-erotic relationship with another woman, but from what you've just written Ed, I get the impression that I'd have to look for a niche publisher just to get someone to even look at it, because even implying a sexual attraction between two people of the same gender seems to equate to explicit sex.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 17:50:38
Message:

Bingo, Zandilar. After the rage, at the end of your post (ETA2), you "got it."
Ed wasn't speaking of the Realms as he wants it to be, or the published Realms as he wants it to be, but of the realities of publishing. Note that when speaking of the sex scenes, he used the word "protracted," NOT "explicit." Ed makes his living by writing, and chooses his words carefully: he meant not long, detailed sex scenes, but the ability to show a reader repeated sex scenes to underscore a sexual inclination (because, just as you say in the example you gave of the bisexual male making love with another guy, a single sexual encounter can be so readily misinterpreted).
To reiterate for all: in that 2004 comment, so recently elucidated upon here, Ed was trying to make it clear that the Realms is not a simple series of black-and-white situations or characters, so a hint or a glimpse of a possibly sexual act (a hug or a kiss) DOESN'T CONFIRM anything. It's just that: a hint, that can be interpeted in various ways. And that most modern publishers, in this day and age, prefer hints and ambiguities to flat, bald, definite statements, if they're not publishing explicit sex novels (and Realms books aren't explicit sex novels).
Zandilar's strong reaction is a perfect illustration of WHY hints and ambiguities are preferred: publishers are interested in sales, not losing sales. Ed was merely underscoring that because Realms books aren't primarily about sex, making flat statements (either as the author playing narrator, or out of the mouths of characters) about sexual orientation is out of place, and seeing a sex act or possible sex act doesn't "confirm" anything about characters.
To most Realms novel plots, the sexual orientations of characters don't matter all that much (relationships do, kinship does, and legal unions can), because those aren't the sort of stories that the publisher is interested in publishing.
So what Ed was saying isn't far at all from what you're saying, Zandilar. He's just pointing out that within the existing publishing limitations, it's very hard to specify sexual orientation, and warning all readers that you can assume things about characters from what is written, but concluding definite things about those characters can be very tricky.
For one thing, well-written characters grow and develop (read: CHANGE) over time.
Ed happens to agree with you entirely, Zandilar, about how character relationships should be portrayed in fiction (when you post: "Simply allow them to be involved in a romantic (not necessarily erotic) relationship (with a person of the same gender), or have them mention their attraction to someone of the same gender in passing . . . it is inclusion and it makes it clear they're not heterosexual and that no one sees anything overly wrong with it in the Realms . . . Romantic relationships on the page don't always have to incorporate explicit sex").
Ed does just that, when editors let him get away with it. He was simply warning all readers that, saying, having two guys (or gals) kiss doesn't NECESSARILY mean they're gay or lesbian, and that it's unlikely a reader will ever get "certainty" within the restrictions existing re. published Realms fiction.
Ed is not saying anyone has to, or would want to, "confirm" sexual orientation for a character. He's merely underscoring that it is difficult to do so, in print, for Realms characters, because that's not the (forgive me) "thrust" of what publishing Realms fiction is about.
The problem with topics like this is that people interpret the way they want to interpret, or that their own experience leads them to interpret. Reading Ed's posts, I think Zandilar misinterpreted Ed completely, and was enraged at him for something he actually didn't say. I can tell, you, from years of being involved in North American publishing, that sexual matters and their portrayal is ALWAYS a concern for publishers, and generally for the same basic reason: pleasing the maximum number of buying patrons, and displeasing the minimum number. It works both ways, from the sort of Christian publisher who doesn't even want kissing before marriage (and doesn't want to even acknowledge the existence of anything besides male-female relationships) to the porn publisher who worries that a book isn't "juicy explicit" enough, and that buyers might feel "ripped off" that they didn't get the "real goods." (Yes, those are actual quotes from an editorial comment I once read, of a porn manuscript - - and NO, it wasn't Ed's).

Ed's argument here really boils down to:
My world and the characters who form the core of it aren't simple and one-dimensional, so assume whatever you like about them, but concluding definite things about them can be very mistaken. When it comes to sexual orientation, the limits on Realms publication make "definites" hard to convey, so be warned, and view characters accordingly.

That's not something I see reasonable people disagreeing much with. Unfortunately, because sex happens to be involved, people tend to react to what they think is said. Which is one of the reasons Ed tends to avoid most such discussions; he just doesn't want to upset anyone - - so let people believe what they want to believe, for their own version of the Realms, and leave what need not be made explicit unsaid. Ed is NOT advocating lots of explicit sex scenes (though like all writers, he'd like the maximum freedom possible, so he could do one if he thought it would improve the story - - ask him some time about the farce he wrote involving two prominent Realms characters and a quite explicit sexual encounter between them that gets comically interrupted every few panting breaths by the arrival of someone [else] with a pressing problem).

Zandilar, you'll probably be interested to know that Ed has derived wry, resigned amusement over the years from such things as TSR changing character genders because "Well, he wrote that these two live and sleep together, not just work together, so one of them HAS to be female. Guys don't sleep with guys." and the female vice versa, too. I know that as a player in Ed's campaign, I've been amused more than once at character portrayals in the published Realms, and turned to Ed and asked, "Umm, do they know that X is really gentle, effeminate, and bisexual? Because what I'm reading is Macho City, here!"
After initial head-butts with various editors, Ed retreated early on to just shaking his head and "letting it go." Because of, yes, those same publishing realities you allude to in your ETA2 addendum.

So saith me. Because I've done more publishing work than Ed has. (He, of course, has done a lot more writing and design work than me.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 17:58:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Zandilar, you'll probably be interested to know that Ed has derived wry, resigned amusement over the years from such things as TSR changing character genders because "Well, he wrote that these two live and sleep together, not just work together, so one of them HAS to be female. Guys don't sleep with guys." and the female vice versa, too. I know that as a player in Ed's campaign, I've been amused more than once at character portrayals in the published Realms, and turned to Ed and asked, "Umm, do they know that X is really gentle, effeminate, and bisexual? Because what I'm reading is Macho City, here!"


Now that's interesting... Can you or Ed speak of some of the characters who changed gender?


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 18:08:10
Message:

Whew. Have the guns stopped firing, yet? Safe to raise my head enough to comment?
Seriously, I have to agree with THO here. I read Ed's reply pretty much as she put it, not as a dismissal of any sexual orientations or a need for lots of explicit sex scenes.
Zandilar, as someone active in publishing right now, take it from me: you can send your MS to any publisher, but I suspect that most of them would reject it (they might not be honest with you as to why; saying "it doesn't meet our needs at this time" is always safer) if they aren't a niche lesbian publisher.
The exception is: if the story you're telling is strong and compelling enough, they won't care if the main character is "blatantly lesbian." But some editor, at some point in the process, will almost certainly gently approach you with some variant of : "We really don't see why the main character has to be lesbian, because it doesn't seem to be germane to the story." (meaning: please remove this sexual element)
If you object, saying it's crucial/the root of the story, the response will be some sort of VERY vaguely worded variant of: "but she doesn't show her lesbianship. It's non-erotic, so it's not really part of the story. If you had some really hot sex scenes, on the other hand-"
Of course, if you then put them in, they'll (very probably) then reject the story because of them, or want them toned down or taken out, leaving you feel like your chain has been repeatedly jerked.
That's just the realities of the way publishers behave, in these Politically Correct times. I think that's part of what Ed was saying: without the sex scenes, sexual orientation doesn't matter or can be passed off as trendy "I kissed a girl and I liked it" doesn't-really-matter sizzle, not steak - - or will be edited out as needlessly harmful to sales. If you put the sex in, it'll possibly hurt sales and therefore cause some publishers to back away - - and as you and Ed both know, a few sex scenes does not a lesbian, gay, or bisexual make.
Looking back over the published Realms, I think Ed (with his editors) has done a masterful job of hinting without being blatant, and inclusion without upsetting those who'll be upset by inclusion. It's subtle because, as Ed said, he can't state anything bluntly.
There. My two coppers.
Feel free to decry the state of publishing, everyone, but the line for complaining is already a long, long one . . .


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 18:09:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Zandilar, you'll probably be interested to know that Ed has derived wry, resigned amusement over the years from such things as TSR changing character genders because "Well, he wrote that these two live and sleep together, not just work together, so one of them HAS to be female. Guys don't sleep with guys." and the female vice versa, too. I know that as a player in Ed's campaign, I've been amused more than once at character portrayals in the published Realms, and turned to Ed and asked, "Umm, do they know that X is really gentle, effeminate, and bisexual? Because what I'm reading is Macho City, here!"


Now that's interesting... Can you or Ed speak of some of the characters who changed gender?

I'd like to add a question of my own to this as well, for either Ed or the Lady Hooded One.

I'm curious about the reactions and/or opinions of other NPCs towards characters who've changed gender?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 18:15:16
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I don't want to add to the controversy of these last few sexual orientation posts, but reading them did make me want to ask a Realmslore question: we know that young nobles tend to rebel against authority, their parents, and so on like all other teenagers, and that they tend to have the money and leisure to do it a bit more than, saying, working-class youth.
So if young noble lords and ladies become sexually adventurous, and flirt, flaunt possible gay or lesbian behavior or experimentation, and - - albeit with parental disapproval, often - - get away with it . . . how do "wannabe-noble" wealthy parents regard THEIR teenaged children trying to do the same sort of thing? How does the rest of Suzail regard them? I.e. do the Watch roll their eyes and grumble at "buckheaded noble lordlings,' but get tough with non-noble wealthy youths trying to emulate those same lordlings?
Thanks in advance for anything you want to say. Or not say.


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 18:19:15
Message:

Yes, easy there, Zandilar! Ed's one of the GOOD guys, remember?
Speaking of which, I seem to remember that Ed was writing something for a charity cause, but can't find any mention of it in the usual channels.
Ed, THO, care to enlighten me?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 20:59:12
Message:

quote:
Originally poste by The Hooded One:
ask him some time about the farce he wrote involving two prominent Realms characters and a quite explicit sexual encounter between them that gets comically interrupted every few panting breaths by the arrival of someone [else] with a pressing problem

'Some time' has been changed to 'now'. In other words, I'm asking the question that needs to be asked.
I'll just put in one comment: I feel that acceptance is the way. Yes, I'm a religious (Modern) Orthdox Jew, and yes, that means that I don't think I'll ever engage in this. It also means that I would disapprove if my mother/sister/daughter/father/son engage in this relationsip - but not because I hate it, but because I feel that they knew what they were doing when they accepted this (religious) lifestyle, and if they want to do it, they shouldn't lie to themselves about it. I'm not saying they should abandon God and religion - but don't call yourselves 'Religious Modern Orthdox Jews' when you're doing something forbidden by that group.
Personally, I don't have any objection to orientation. I feel that I can't force people to accept my view, and I shouldn't - if they want to join my religion and forbid it on themselves, they can, but I won't make them if they don't want to.
Same for content. If there's an actual scene, I won't read it - I'm not married yet, so I'm not ready. But I won't say they shouldn't exist because they're 'corrupting' or some such blather.

EDIT: Oops. Rereading my post, I've just realized how long my 'one comment' was. I apologize, though I own't delete it because I feel a religious PoV may be useful. But if one of the mods feels the need to, do. I apologize again, and move the thread beck to questions for Ed.


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 21:21:34
Message:

Put me down with those who don't think any apologies are necessary, Menelvagor. A board, a thread, and a site are always better when people feel comfortable enough to express themselves fairly freely.
And reading over Page 88, I don't see anyone going "over the line" on rudeness. Being passionate, yes, but that should never be something to apologize for. I find it refreshing to find in Ed's thread a generally high level of friendly cordiality, debate, and explanations, lore and otherwise. For selfish reading enjoyment reasons, if nothing else, I'd like it to stay that way.
So, Ed, are the two characters Piergeiron and his champion? Or Mirt and Durnan? (Just to start the tongues wagging.)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 23:53:29
Message:

Oh, Gavel, you DIDN'T!!!
You did.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Aug 2009 23:57:31
Message:

Hi again, all.
Blueblade, Ed wants you to know he's definitely "in" on that book idea of yours. It's very similar to pitches he's made to Wizards in the past, that haven't progressed very far, so please don't hold out a lot of hope, but he WILL suggest it at GenCon to one Wizards editor he knows will be attending.
We'll just have to wait and see . . .
Although "jam" books have an all-too-frequent tendency to collapse into parody, in-jokes, and authors deliberately "getting at" each other (see some of The Detection Club releases), I would buy and read such a book in a proverbial shot.
love,
THO


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 00:01:17
Message:

I wasn't thinking along those lines. I was thinking Khelban and Laeral, or Elminster and the Simbul, myself. And I have to say, if it was Khelban and Laeral (and I were Khelban), I'd create an extra dimensional space just to guarantee I was left alone with her.

*looks around*

What?


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 08:00:51
Message:

Hmm, here I am ready to ask Ed another lore question and I can't help but comment first on the interesting tangents floating in this thread.

1.) If we're all throwing in guesses on Ed's farcical "coitus they keep barging in to interruptus" here's mine:
Azoun/Tessaril
Mourngrym/Shaerl
Alusair/Caladnei
Alustriel/ ?

2.) On visibility of LGBT relationships in published Realms fiction, I was pleasantly surprised that a few same-sex pairings were seen in the latest novel, Erik Scott de Bie's Downshadow. One minor occurrence happened in a brothel and was a purely physical-expression/camera-pans-elsewhere kind of thing, and the other involved an important character in the book and a deeper emotional connection. I'm glad the editor(s) left them both in. I don't think either one would have made it past the editing phase if this were several years earlier.

And to get back to my question for Ed:

3.) I'm re-reading the novel Stormlight and while I'm sure a few more questions will be forthcoming, here's my first bundled one:

Early on in the book, a Cormyrean country noble and heir to his family's name dies and is cremated. They take his ashes and put them in a bowl, tie it to the saddle of his horse, and let the horse run free, thus scattering his ashes out amongst the countryside.
Is this a common practice amongst country nobles in Cormyr and elsewhere? Is there a specific term for such a ritual, like "last-ride"? Did the noble's status as family heir or the fact that he had military training factor in? What about the fact that the family patronized Chauntea (a Chauntean officiated the cremation and burial)?

Thanks Ed!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 10:44:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Whom I will drop my drawers for, AND wave a banana peel at, I promise. Perhaps in the same deft movement . . .



So where's the banana then?

Gomez,
who has some ideas for the next Spin-A-Yarn.
I can also confirm that I got a ticket. Not sure if you *need* a ticket, but I got myself one.
We should smack your boss for not letting you come...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 11:17:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Simply allow them to be involved in a romantic (not necessarily erotic) relationship (with a person of the same gender), or have them mention their attraction to someone of the same gender in passing


I agree with Zandilar. If, say, people would ask Yellira Am’benuinyl what her relation was with Breeandra Nenthyn (who died some time ago, and whose duties Yellira took over), she might say 'We were lovers'. No sex need be shown or mentioned - a plain simple statement on how people relate. Of course, people do not ask such things easily or often, but there are moments were it has a place.
Also, you can show a loving relatioship between two people, especially over the course of a book.
It is harder in adventures (I am, obviously, not a novelist), where you don't often need to expose relationships and doing so may be seen as an 'agenda'.
But several NPCs in my adventures are (or I perceive them that way). Yellira is a lesbian (Breeandra was bisexual, but as I see it her love for Yellira was real.) Kira and Dayan, the twins, are bisexual, and very relaxed and comfortable with their own sexuality (though Kira has her own specific little issues). Despite that, when it was needed, I still choose to pair Dayan with a woman, partially because it worked better for a future story (hard to explain that without spoilers), and partially because, as a random flirt, making it a man would have been a bit tacky.

So I understand Ed in the trouble in having to stay within certain boundaries as set by WotC, but also feel that we should not hesitate too much in showing that love is universal and that gender is really optional.

Gomez


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 14:33:32
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

He did say he's REALLY having fun with this new novel, and that it is a Realms book.
love to all,
THO


Nice...I look forward to reading it. When ever it is released.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 15:41:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Aysen

Azoun/Tessaril
Mourngrym/Shaerl
Alusair/Caladnei
Alustriel/ ?



Hmmmm... That brings up an interesting thought. Was Tessaril one of the characters that had a gender change? Her backstory from Haunted Halls makes it appear likely...


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 16:27:15
Message:

No arguments with your "we should not hesitate," gomez, but that isn't what Ed SAID. He said - - which Zandilar seemed to miss entirely - - that readers should not be taking confirmation about a particular character's inclination from the brief sort of coverages that the Realms novel format allows.
As Zandilar herself said, you can misinterpret a single male-on-male scene as gay rather than bisexual. I think Ed was making it clear that his characters not only change over their lives, they experiment, and that hugs and kisses in the Realms need not tell us anything about gender preferences at all.
This seems to be twisting into some sort of complaint about not putting gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. characters into Realms novels, or Ed's failing in being able to portray them without what he called "protracted" sex scenes.
However, scribes, that just ain't what he said. Read the words in his post!
Ed said he can't CONFIRM a sexual orientation from anything less (being as editors have in the past not let him make bald statements in print about a character's orientation), and that readers are free to interpret however they'd like, but they can't "confirm" from what is allowed to be shown either, and may later get a surprise or two if they do.
Now (ahem) I have a Realmslore question that doesn't have anything to do with gender. I hope.
I want to ask about pots and pans, and where they are made in numbers (are there any factories, anywhere? or is it all individual artisans, at the "family business assembly line" level? If so, are they predominately dwarves and gnomes, or - - ?
Also, in the areas (if any) where pots and pans are produced in bulk, are they cheaper than in large trading cities? (I know they'll be more expensive out on the frontier.)
Thanks!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 02 Aug 2009 20:55:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Ed said he can't CONFIRM a sexual orientation from anything less


And my particular disagreement is with that statement (though, to be specific, I care less about the sexual orientation of a specific individual than the nature of specific relationships). Yes, sexual or tender activities or scenes are only moments, and can be attributed to friendship, good-natured fun or hedonism as much as love. But the nature of a relationship can, in my opinion, be made clear. I do not think WotC is that narrow minded that they would at every occasion cut a statement on their nature.
I do think it should fit a story, but if, say, two men in a story are lovers, it does not take too many words to make that clear (in fact only one: the word 'lover').

Note that in my own adventure writing, I did this exactly once, in a RPGA adventure (set in Greyhawk), where I defined the relationship between a countess and her female advisor (since that relationship explained why the advisor, despite conflicting loyalties, was still trusted).

I am sure Ed has met with some resistances - I suspect novels are screened a bit more thoroughly than RPGA adventures, and I may very well underestimate the small-mindedness of editors - but I do think there are means other than repeated sex scenes to say something about the nature of a relationship.

I'd be happy to discuss the (im)possiblities with Ed at GenCon, over a beer :)

Gomez,
Possibly being incredibly naive.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 01:27:02
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

No arguments with your "we should not hesitate," gomez, but that isn't what Ed SAID. He said - - which Zandilar seemed to miss entirely - - that readers should not be taking confirmation about a particular character's inclination from the brief sort of coverages that the Realms novel format allows.


There's a whole lot of misunderstanding going around, I think. As I said in my second edit, I understand where he was coming from on the whole "we can't confirm a character's orientation..." Yes, it's very very difficult. You can't tell if a person is straight just because they currently happen to be in an opposite sex relationship. This is true, it's as true in Real Life as it is in a novel or a game. In fact, sexuality is quite a bit more fluid than most people give it credit for. But that's another story for another time.

However, what I vehemently disagree with is the idea that in order to make a character's sexuality clear, a writer must include protracted sex scenes. A female character who is shown to be romantically involved with another woman (with no actual sex scenes on the page), who expresses her attraction for other women in passing, while showing no interest in men, and who later actually rejects advances from a man, is clearly meant to be a lesbian. You don't need to show her having sex over and over again with women - any more than you'd need to show a heterosexual woman having sex over and over again with men. There is still room for said character to be bisexual, but it's quite unlikely.

We don't need confirmation. Confirmation is not possible in any context, honestly. You can show a person having sex with a particular gender over and over again, and they still might surprise us. What we do need is representation. Because that matters a whole lot more to people than you'd think.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 02:16:30
Message:

Hi again, all. I bring this reply from Ed, to Zandilar's post above:


Then I don't think we have any disagreement here at all.
I'm sorry if my words upset you, Zandilar. I DO agree we need representation, and lots of it - - so that it becomes "matter of fact" calmly accepted as part of the setting.

My reply was specifically about confirmation, and the inability to do that under the limitations placed on me (before and during 2004, not so much now) in Realms fiction - - unless I limited myself to one-dimensional characters. And to one-dimensional behaviors (i.e. that kissing and hugging are always a prelude to sex or a signal that the characters involved are in a sexual relationship).

I could not have gleeful dwarves hug each other (because, according to one editor, that meant they were in a sexual relationship [to which I could only reply, "Huh?]). I could NOT have anyone clearly and baldly say they were "lovers" with anyone else (I know - - I tried!), though I could sneak close to such a statement by having an angry noble accuse someone of being so-and-so's "lover," or have some known-to-be-rude-and-crude character like Torm or Mirt allude to such status, and even have "known crazies" like Elminster or The Simbul (yes, "known crazies" was how one editor described them) utter "lovers" or "they're together" or some such - - but I couldn't have either a narrator or an "average polite" character say any such thing. The old (TSR days) Code of Ethics even specifically prohibited mention or inference of homosexuality.

The limitations have changed over time, yes, but so have the sort of stories I'm telling, so I stand by my reply re. my opinion about confirmation.
Please note that I never said that confirmation was necessary or desirable; I happen, as a writer, to always want the "elbow room" that ambiguities leave for later plot twists.
And as you know, I can signal like crazy. The ongoing problem has been the tendency for editorial hands, especially in the older days, to take happy, ongoing female-female pairings and male-male pairings and change the genders of some of the participants to shift them to male-female.
And as my Realms writing is work-for-hire and as "we're not in the business of telling Realms stories that are ABOUT sex" (to quote a long-gone editor), fights over those changes were lost causes.

Too-deep adult content (such as those very "protracted sex scenes" I mentioned) are still "off the table" these days, because those are still not the sort of stories Realms novels are supposed to be concerned with. Yet the Knights trilogy in particular allowed me to hint and calmly state and show more than ever before (except in the "hothouse" books SILVERFALL and ELMINSTER IN HELL). Those who've read my fantasy novels set outside the Realms know that I can and do get more specific, when the tale heads in that direction.

So the reply of mine that you reacted to was not a "call for more sex scenes" or my opinion about my own inability to describe sexual inclination in any other way than repeated same-gender or opposite-gender sex scenes - - it was my opinion that within the "window of opportunity" that Realms writing allowed me, readers could only be sure of a character's inclination if I limited myself to very clear-cut, simplified characters.

I did not and do not think that a reader should necessarily be "sure" of anything in a Realms novel, so long as they don't feel cheated by a writer who makes belief-shattering changes and plot twists that repeatedly rob scenes the reader has enjoyed of the meaning the reader though they had. (No one likes being tricked.)

So I think we're on the same page. If the way in which I wrote that reply upset you, I'm sorry about that, because I'm not in the business of upsetting people, in life, unless it really can't be avoided. And this CAN be avoided.

You're always welcome at my table, Zandilar. (Tea?)
Hugs,
Ed


So saith Ed. Who is a kindly and understanding man, one of life's "nice guys." Really.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 02:30:07
Message:

Hi again, all.
gomez, Ed is currently wrestling with a truly hairy GenCon schedule, but if he can, he'll be happy to chat over a beer with you.
And he sent me a Realmslore reply, too, this one to Aysen, re. this: "Early on in the book, a Cormyrean country noble and heir to his family's name dies and is cremated. They take his ashes and put them in a bowl, tie it to the saddle of his horse, and let the horse run free, thus scattering his ashes out amongst the countryside.
Is this a common practice amongst country nobles in Cormyr and elsewhere? Is there a specific term for such a ritual, like "last-ride"? Did the noble's status as family heir or the fact that he had military training factor in? What about the fact that the family patronized Chauntea (a Chauntean officiated the cremation and burial)?"
Ed replies:


This is an old "upland" (rural) Cormyrean practice, also seen in the Dales and Sembia in elder days (not so much in the 1300s), known as a "grave ride" or "last ride." His nobility was a factor, yes, because the only families who did this were those who owned large tracts of land (enough for a "scattering from the saddle" to be worthwhile), but not the fact that he specifically was the heir, nor his military service or rank. Last rides were generally only done by families who felt close ties to the land (farmers [there's the Chauntea connection, in this specific case], hunters, foresters, and strong worshippers of nature gods like Silvanus and Eldath), and wanted their lost ones "returned to the land."
[[Remember, in the Realms everyone "believes in" and worships ALL of the gods, though most people feel "closest" to a handful of deities. Only clergy and a relatively few "devout lay worshippers" devote themselves primarily to a single deity.]]
In Cormyr, everyone knows what a "grave ride" or "last ride" is, and everyone sees it as "doing right by the dead" and "pleasing to the gods." That doesn't mean it's a frequent custom among most citizens, not even among nobles (who tend to prefer the family crypt with intact bodies laid to rest in it).


So saith Ed, who will get to your other questions posed in the same post later on, Aysen. He's really busy right now (the first draft of the book is on Chapter 18, I believe, but of course Ed can't let anyone see it, or say too much about it), but will send me Realmslore replies to post as he can.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 07:59:30
Message:

Ahhh... Insomnia has gotten a hold of me and I've been trying to tire myself out by searching the scrolls for information on NPCs of Candlekeep. On the brigh side, I am tired enough to go to sleep. However, my searches have not found any information on personages of our fair 'keep.

Specifically, could you provide us with some details on the Gatewarden, the Chanter, the Guide and some of the Great Readers?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 08:21:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Ahhh... Insomnia has gotten a hold of me and I've been trying to tire myself out by searching the scrolls for information on NPCs of Candlekeep. On the brigh side, I am tired enough to go to sleep. However, my searches have not found any information on personages of our fair 'keep.

Specifically, could you provide us with some details on the Gatewarden, the Chanter, the Guide and some of the Great Readers?

Ashe, in case you weren't already aware, you may wish to read Ed Greenwood's Introduction to Candlekeep, written especially for us herein, and which features some details on the various positions and personalities of Candlekeep.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 11:48:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I could NOT have anyone clearly and baldly say they were "lovers" with anyone else


That is pretty sad. I makes me wonder what century those editors were from. I really hope that changed now.

Gomez,
who agrees that sexual orientation is not something you can really confirm since it is pretty fluid. I mean, with some NPCs, you can't even be sure of gender ;)


Reply author: khorne
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 12:29:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One




My reply was specifically about confirmation, and the inability to do that under the limitations placed on me (before and during 2004, not so much now) in Realms fiction -

So what changed for the better after 2004, and why did it change?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 12:38:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I could NOT have anyone clearly and baldly say they were "lovers" with anyone else


That is pretty sad. I makes me wonder what century those editors were from. I really hope that changed now.


Keep in mind that when the Realms was first published, we weren't too far past the days of Jack Chick and the "D&D is evil" crusade of some prominent religious figures. They were desparate to avoid anything that cast D&D into a bad light, to the point that they "kiddy-fied" a lot of things. Evil could never be triumphant, even momentarily, everything from the Lower Planes got renamed into baatezu and tanar'ri (I actually like those names!), brothels were renamed "festhalls" (where a festive time would indeed be had!)... It's kind of surprising that in Spellfire, Lhaeo got away with saying people thought he was a "simpering man-lover".


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 13:53:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Ahhh... Insomnia has gotten a hold of me and I've been trying to tire myself out by searching the scrolls for information on NPCs of Candlekeep. On the brigh side, I am tired enough to go to sleep. However, my searches have not found any information on personages of our fair 'keep.

Specifically, could you provide us with some details on the Gatewarden, the Chanter, the Guide and some of the Great Readers?

Ashe, in case you weren't already aware, you may wish to read Ed Greenwood's Introduction to Candlekeep, written especially for us herein, and which features some details on the various positions and personalities of Candlekeep.



My thanks, Sage! I had read through it (and it's an excellent source), but I was wondering more about the 'names and faces' of those personages I listed.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 14:44:51
Message:

Ah.

Ashe, you might also want to view Kuje's NPC file. I recall that it listed several of the Candlekeep personages referenced in the Realmslore. 'Twill make for pleasant reading while awaiting Ed's reply.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 16:49:30
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ashe, the names and faces of the individuals holding those Candlekeep ranks have of course changed over time. That's one of the reasons Ed's Candlekeep piece (written for the site) keeps vague about the office-holders, as opposed to the offices. The other reaon is that Ed wanted to give DMs maximum freedom in their own campaigns to insert, move, and tailor NPCs to best fit the unfolding action in THEIR Realms.
As anyone who's read Ed's early - - and still unpublished - - Realms short story "The Endless Chants of Alaundo" can tell you, those office holders sometimes change quickly.
Wooly, I believe Ed got that particular phrase into the published SPELLFIRE because Jim Lowder protected it, in the editing process (while vetoing some of the more tortured Ed medievalisms like "think ye me a codloose winker?" [[translation: Do you take me for a flirt who really does sleep around?]]).
gomez, I agree that, yes, "pretty sad" describes it. Wooly's right about the state of thinking that prevailed from time to time, and khorne, what changed was the personnel at the company, over time, AND the general attitude of American society, over time, and therefore the approach taken to Realms novels.
BTW, for Zandilar and everyone: Ed wasn't saying that you need repeated sex scenes to confirm orientation in a character OUTSIDE Realms fiction writing, ever.
He was saying that back then, in Realms writing, that would pretty much have been the only way to make orientation clear, being as you weren't allowed to explicitly state anything about sexual matters, and being as the only hints he would have been able to sneak into print (kissing and hugging and occasional not-detailed glimpses of nudity) prove nothing at all about sexual orientation.
Ed has family visiting (again!) but is still charging along in the novel: into Chapter 19, and over halfway in total allowed wordcount, and still (he tells me) having a LOT of fun!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 16:56:21
Message:

Thanks, goodsir and milady! That's what I was thinking, I just thought I'd see if there were any particulars floating out there in the ether.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 17:17:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As anyone who's read Ed's early - - and still unpublished - - Realms short story "The Endless Chants of Alaundo" can tell you, those office holders sometimes change quickly.
Is there any possibility that we'll ever see some or all of this tale at one point in the future?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 20:13:04
Message:

I hope so. TSR asked for and was sent it FOUR TIMES over the years (starting in 1986), but repeatedly "lost" it, so it's never been published. Ed has plans to offer it to Wizards for free website publication, as a "long lost root tale of the Realms," after he's got the current novel first draft safely submitted.
We'll just have to see what happens...
love,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 03 Aug 2009 21:43:19
Message:

Hello all,

Ed quick question, are there magic items that negate the need for sleep for more than 24 hour period, limitations or side effects if there are such items.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 04 Aug 2009 06:57:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I hope so. TSR asked for and was sent it FOUR TIMES over the years (starting in 1986), but repeatedly "lost" it, so it's never been published. Ed has plans to offer it to Wizards for free website publication, as a "long lost root tale of the Realms," after he's got the current novel first draft safely submitted.
We'll just have to see what happens...
love,
THO



Mmm... early Realms fiction... On a somewhat related note... how are matters proceeding regarding another hopeful "free website publication" regarding Cormyr? If this is waiting until the novel is at the above-described stage, I understand completely and will continue to be as patient as I possibly can.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 04 Aug 2009 15:07:44
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
My reply was specifically about confirmation, and the inability to do that under the limitations placed on me (before and during 2004, not so much now) in Realms fiction - - unless I limited myself to one-dimensional characters. And to one-dimensional behaviors (i.e. that kissing and hugging are always a prelude to sex or a signal that the characters involved are in a sexual relationship).


That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, because despite that policy, relationships of a sexual nature (only ever heterosexual, of course) still managed to make it onto the page, unless I am completely misremembering things. One of the very first Realms novel I ever read had a prominent relationship between two characters front and centre, and there was a couple of not-so-very subtle hints that Narm and Shandril had sex at some point (always of a fade to black nature, of course, but the hints of what they got up to behind that black curtain were there and very clear to me as an older teen (I might have been 18 or 19 at the time)).

quote:
I could not have gleeful dwarves hug each other (because, according to one editor, that meant they were in a sexual relationship [to which I could only reply, "Huh?]). I could NOT have anyone clearly and baldly say they were "lovers" with anyone else (I know - - I tried!), though I could sneak close to such a statement by having an angry noble accuse someone of being so-and-so's "lover," or have some known-to-be-rude-and-crude character like Torm or Mirt allude to such status, and even have "known crazies" like Elminster or The Simbul (yes, "known crazies" was how one editor described them) utter "lovers" or "they're together" or some such - - but I couldn't have either a narrator or an "average polite" character say any such thing. The old (TSR days) Code of Ethics even specifically prohibited mention or inference of homosexuality.


So what you're saying is that you couldn't show any PDAs, but the Simbul sitting, half clad, on Elminster's lap telling him how lonely she was, was perfectly A-okay?

quote:
The limitations have changed over time, yes, but so have the sort of stories I'm telling, so I stand by my reply re. my opinion about confirmation.


I am not sure what to say, because the way I see it the status quo has been kept for the most part. I don't see much difference in between the way (heterosexual-seeming) relationships were portrayed in Spellfire to the ones portrayed in Blackstaff (just to give an early and lateish examples of Realms novels).

I think I must be missing something here.

quote:
Please note that I never said that confirmation was necessary or desirable; I happen, as a writer, to always want the "elbow room" that ambiguities leave for later plot twists.
And as you know, I can signal like crazy. The ongoing problem has been the tendency for editorial hands, especially in the older days, to take happy, ongoing female-female pairings and male-male pairings and change the genders of some of the participants to shift them to male-female.


Examples please! Enquiring minds want to know. (That is, of course, if you're allowed to say.)

quote:
And as my Realms writing is work-for-hire and as "we're not in the business of telling Realms stories that are ABOUT sex" (to quote a long-gone editor), fights over those changes were lost causes.


Sex is caught up with a lot of baggage (mostly rubbish) in our society. America in particular seems to hate it fiercely and yet can never get enough.

Still, we really don't need Realms porn (though that could be fun ). You can have homosexual people represented in fiction, though, without it being porn or even tasteful erotica.

quote:
Too-deep adult content (such as those very "protracted sex scenes" I mentioned) are still "off the table" these days, because those are still not the sort of stories Realms novels are supposed to be concerned with. Yet the Knights trilogy in particular allowed me to hint and calmly state and show more than ever before (except in the "hothouse" books SILVERFALL and ELMINSTER IN HELL). Those who've read my fantasy novels set outside the Realms know that I can and do get more specific, when the tale heads in that direction.


I may well have to go back and read the Knights trilogy again, but I do recall plenty of heterosexual activity and umm... nothing much on the other front. Maybe I missed something - I hate saying that, because as a writer myself I'm supposed to be a little more observant - and back in my high school days, I'd never have missed such hints. I guess part of it is just sheer disillusionment, never seeing what I'd like to see, and just... not looking for it anymore.

I have tried to read a non-Realms series of yours before, but I couldn't get into it for some reason. I'll have to give it another try because I go through phases in my reading. At the moment I'm reading quite a bit (I've been reading David Webber's Honor Harrington series, which have been quite good reads for anyone interested in military science fiction or strong female characters (or universes where the gender ratio seems to be close to 1:1 )).

quote:
So the reply of mine that you reacted to was not a "call for more sex scenes" or my opinion about my own inability to describe sexual inclination in any other way than repeated same-gender or opposite-gender sex scenes - - it was my opinion that within the "window of opportunity" that Realms writing allowed me, readers could only be sure of a character's inclination if I limited myself to very clear-cut, simplified characters.


I didn't think you were calling for more sex scenes. To be honest, that wouldn't bother me at all (and I'd be quite happy to see more, but I know the audience that the novels are aimed at, and understand why it would be inappropriate). What I am bothered by is the implication that homosexual relationships are only defined by the sex that occurs within them (and that usually means only anal intercourse, because obviously lesbians are about as real as the Easter Bunny). You might not have meant it, but it is there. It's actually a common assertion by the anti-gay lobby, which is why the unfortunate implication touched a nerve.

I am also rather puzzled by the last bit there - you could only show their inclinations by turning them into shallower characters? How does that work? (Keeping in mind that I've never asked for confirmation, simply representation (not caring if the character is homosexual, bisexual, heteroflexible, transgender, or intersex).)

quote:
I did not and do not think that a reader should necessarily be "sure" of anything in a Realms novel, so long as they don't feel cheated by a writer who makes belief-shattering changes and plot twists that repeatedly rob scenes the reader has enjoyed of the meaning the reader though they had. (No one likes being tricked.)


Tricked? *takes a deep breath and thinks things through this time*

Well, we are never sure about people's sexuality, why should we expect to be sure in a novel. On the other hand, Dumbledore was gay. We only found out because J K Rowlings said so after all the novels had been published. We had some hints given, but they only made sense in hindsight (much like the subtext about the relationship between Yanseldara and Vaerana in The Veiled Dragon only became apparent after the publication of the FRCS for 3rd Ed). Most people just assume "heterosexual until proven otherwise", which is why this is so very tricky.

For example, you've told us Myrmeen Lhal is bisexual. But if we were to go only from her appearances in novels and short stories, we would certainly conclude that she was heterosexual. While the fact that she is bisexual means we have representation, it's representation in the closet. No one who doesn't post to this forum and/or read your replies on this very subject would know, they would assume (and reasonably so) that she was straight.

There really has to be a better way, don't you think?

quote:
So I think we're on the same page. If the way in which I wrote that reply upset you, I'm sorry about that, because I'm not in the business of upsetting people, in life, unless it really can't be avoided. And this CAN be avoided.


Very hard to stay annoyed with you, you know. (Which is a good thing too!)

I'm sorry for being overly touchy on the subject.

quote:
You're always welcome at my table, Zandilar. (Tea?)
Hugs,
Ed


*hugs* Why thank you, I think I will.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 04 Aug 2009 20:03:18
Message:

A question on the Spin a Yarn tale, part one:
Is this tale 'canon'? I am asking because it means Volo is still alive in The year of the Ageless One (and quite healthy apparently). Don't know if Mirt is - it is a bit hard to date some of the events (the fact that Volo hadn't heard of it meant it would have been recent, but other details make it less likely).
Just wondering if this earns Volo is also alive in Wizards' Realms. And how he would relate to, ahem, family.

As an aside, this must have been the silliest tale I have read so far. Mind, I had expected it to play pre-Spellplague.
Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Aug 2009 20:56:10
Message:

Hi, all.
gomez, Ed tells me the tale is post-Spellplague, the story briefly alludes to how Volo "made it" over that missing century (and why he's a bit "out of the loop"), but as for Mirt, Ed tells me he can't reveal the fate of everyone's favorite fat brawling moneylender yet.
Note that "yet."
And if you think it's silly so far, just wait . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 04 Aug 2009 21:24:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

gomez, Ed tells me the tale is post-Spellplague, the story briefly alludes to how Volo "made it" over that missing century (and why he's a bit "out of the loop")



Have to await the remainder of the story then, I guess. I wonder if it will reveal anything regarding family though (ah, I'll ask him at GenCon).


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 04:13:57
Message:

There are a lot of questions I'd love to ask Ed at GenCon, but most of them are NDA'd and probably still will be the next time GenCon comes around to Seattle, which is the only way I'm getting there.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 15:00:09
Message:

Part Two of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale is up.

All the links for the current tale:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part One)
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part Two)

And to reiterate, all the links for prior Spin A Yarn tales can be found in my Spin A Yarn links thread.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 16:04:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Part Two of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale is up.

All the links for the current tale:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part One)
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part Two)

And to reiterate, all the links for prior Spin A Yarn tales can be found in my Spin A Yarn links thread.


And I knew this would prompt a new Volo-based question for Ed. Though, I've a feeling it might be a little too risqué for Candlekeep.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 17:30:17
Message:

". . . a little too risqué for Candlekeep"?
Sage, IS there such a thing?
We may, of course, have to readily resort to euphemisms for certain pungent and commonly-known words, good old Anglo-Saxon and otherwise, but I'm sure the question itself can be posed and discussed.
The Realms is, after all, an imaginary world, and therefore anything said about is by definition theoretical in nature.
We can even use perfectly innocent (well, to a computer, if not to our minds with their well-developed imaginations) words, like "Peter" for the male naughty bit, "Bubbles" for feminine upperworks, "Velvet" for feminine lowerworks, "Warmcoin" for prostitution, and so on. See? Easy? I'll be happy to provide any demonstrations deemed necessary, and . . .
Just turn off the smoke alarms before we begin, will you? THERE'S a good boy.
Oooh, and THERE'S a good boy, too, I see.
See? Easy!
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 18:21:27
Message:

Hello again, all.
Zandilar, I bring you Ed’s response, to specific (quoted) passages from your most recent post:

“That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, because despite that policy, relationships of a sexual nature (only ever heterosexual, of course) still managed to make it onto the page, unless I am completely misremembering things. One of the very first Realms novel I ever read had a prominent relationship between two characters front and centre, and there was a couple of not-so-very subtle hints that Narm and Shandril had sex at some point (always of a fade to black nature, of course, but the hints of what they got up to behind that black curtain were there and very clear to me as an older teen (I might have been 18 or 19 at the time)).”


Hints made it onto the page, but as I was saying: for a reader to think they “knew for sure” a character’s orientation from such hints would be a mistake. Yes, the heterosexual was toned down and kept, and the homosexual wiped away (for Code of Ethics reasons; one must remember that in certain states of the United States homosexuality was itself still illegal at this time, and references to it in fiction were by definition “obscene” in the criminally punishable sense - - as a Canadian, that made no sense to me, because if you can’t even mention something it can never be discussed and therefore dealt with in any way). My one sex scene with Narm and Shandril consisted of a single sentence, AFTER a long, long period (cut from the book) of the two of them concluding they’re entombed alive and will die there. It was this sentence (also edited out of the book): “They twisted and arched fiercely in the darkness.”
(A lot more than vague, but a lot less than detailed, yes?)


“So what you're saying is that you couldn't show any PDAs, but the Simbul sitting, half clad, on Elminster's lap telling him how lonely she was, was perfectly A-okay?”


Yep.


“I am not sure what to say, because the way I see it the status quo has been kept for the most part. I don't see much difference in between the way (heterosexual-seeming) relationships were portrayed in Spellfire to the ones portrayed in Blackstaff (just to give an early and lateish examples of Realms novels).
I think I must be missing something here.”

In the beginning, everything I wrote was toned down. Later on (STORMLIGHT and especially SILVERFALL) I was actually asked to “sex things up a bit. Just a BIT, now . . . but a bit.”


“Examples please! Enquiring minds want to know. (That is, of course, if you're allowed to say.)”

I’m not, yet. If times and places when and where permission arises, I will give examples.


“Sex is caught up with a lot of baggage (mostly rubbish) in our society. America in particular seems to hate it fiercely and yet can never get enough.
Still, we really don't need Realms porn (though that could be fun ). You can have homosexual people represented in fiction, though, without it being porn or even tasteful erotica.”

True, True, True (and true), and true. You’re preaching to the perverted. ;}


“I may well have to go back and read the Knights trilogy again, but I do recall plenty of heterosexual activity and umm... nothing much on the other front. Maybe I missed something - I hate saying that, because as a writer myself I'm supposed to be a little more observant - and back in my high school days, I'd never have missed such hints. I guess part of it is just sheer disillusionment, never seeing what I'd like to see, and just... not looking for it anymore.
I have tried to read a non-Realms series of yours before, but I couldn't get into it for some reason. I'll have to give it another try because I go through phases in my reading. At the moment I'm reading quite a bit (I've been reading David Webber's Honor Harrington series, which have been quite good reads for anyone interested in military science fiction or strong female characters (or universes where the gender ratio seems to be close to 1:1 )).”

Yes, there was nothing much on the other front, except a few hints about Pennae. Over the years, one self-censors to give the publisher more of what they want with fewer battles. When I wrote about being able to hint and show more than ever before, I meant that I pretty much had free reign to shape my own tale, so that I could tell the story of Florin’s sojourn with a certain spoiled lady noble when in the past it would have been vetoed flatly EVEN IF MADE CLEAR HE DIDN’T “TOUCH” HER, on the grounds that “readers and their parents will ASSUME that’s what was happening, so we just can’t ‘go there.’”
My non-Realms fantasies aren’t greatly concerned with matters sexual, but try (via a public library, to save your coins unless you really do like them) my Falconfar trilogy from Solaris or Niflheim books from Tor. Those two series begin with DARK LORD and DARK WARRIOR RISING, respectively. The first is the story of a real-world fantasy writer plunged into a fantasy world he THOUGHT he created, and the second is a dark elf story (not the spider-goddess-worshipping drow of D&D, but how I would have handled evil subterranean dark elves if Gary Gygax had never developed the drow the way he did). Only two books in each series have been published thus far, and it’s made fairly clear that an entire race has a lesbian culture in the Falconfar setting, whereas among the dark elves, homosexual norms depend on one’s faith and profession (priestesses of a certain deity, “nobles” of a certain status), and it’s individual preferences outside those groups. Weber writes superb militaristic sf, and not work-for-hire where editorial decisions are binding.


“I didn't think you were calling for more sex scenes. To be honest, that wouldn't bother me at all (and I'd be quite happy to see more, but I know the audience that the novels are aimed at, and understand why it would be inappropriate). What I am bothered by is the implication that homosexual relationships are only defined by the sex that occurs within them (and that usually means only anal intercourse, because obviously lesbians are about as real as the Easter Bunny). You might not have meant it, but it is there. It's actually a common assertion by the anti-gay lobby, which is why the unfortunate implication touched a nerve.
I am also rather puzzled by the last bit there - you could only show their inclinations by turning them into shallower characters? How does that work? (Keeping in mind that I've never asked for confirmation, simply representation (not caring if the character is homosexual, bisexual, heteroflexible, transgender, or intersex).)”

I was saying those who object to depictions of homosexuals at all only define homosexuals by sex acts (not by affection, stable family or romantic relationships), but include kissing and hugging and even tender speech as “sex acts” (as opposed to demonstrations of affection, love, or friendship), so they can’t see two guys hugging as anything BUT two gay males. I remember once hugging my (male) childhood best friend, whom I hadn’t seen for two decades but literally bumped into at an airport, and having a Customs official snap, “Oh! Go get a ROOM, guys!” because she somehow couldn’t conceive of two guys hugging because they were FRIENDS. If I give in to such thinking, inevitably I dumb my characters down to that level. :{
In my 2004 post, which was in reply to queries posed by someone else, I wasn’t speaking of representation, only of confirmation - - and how it just wasn’t possible under the limitations (if you’re not allowed to “tell,” you must “show,” and if every character is multidimensional and may well have sexual relationships with other characters of both genders, then a repeated “showing” of sex acts with only one gender would be the only way left for confirmation).


“Tricked? *takes a deep breath and thinks things through this time*
Well, we are never sure about people's sexuality, why should we expect to be sure in a novel. On the other hand, Dumbledore was gay. We only found out because J K Rowlings said so after all the novels had been published. We had some hints given, but they only made sense in hindsight (much like the subtext about the relationship between Yanseldara and Vaerana in The Veiled Dragon only became apparent after the publication of the FRCS for 3rd Ed). Most people just assume "heterosexual until proven otherwise", which is why this is so very tricky.
For example, you've told us Myrmeen Lhal is bisexual. But if we were to go only from her appearances in novels and short stories, we would certainly conclude that she was heterosexual. While the fact that she is bisexual means we have representation, it's representation in the closet. No one who doesn't post to this forum and/or read your replies on this very subject would know, they would assume (and reasonably so) that she was straight.
There really has to be a better way, don't you think?”

Yes, I VERY MUCH agree that there has to be a better way.
I also agree re. Myrmeen Lhal, though in my “When Shadows Come Seeking A Throne” short story I hinted very strongly (it got toned down). So, yes, it is representation in the closet. Which is preferable to most publishers because they can get maximum sales by NOT offending the anti-gays, and still get sales from the gays who “know the truth.”
Yes, most people do indeed just assume "heterosexual until proven otherwise", but that’s the way of the world, not something any one person can change.
When I wrote “tricked,” I did NOT mean exclusively or even primarily in any sexual sense. I meant in the more general sense of avoiding deux ex machina situations and other writing creations where the writer essentially lies to the reader about story basics, and the reader is left feeling cheated when the deception is revealed (e.g. the murder mystery in which at the very end, the narrator character says, “Oh, I’m the killer. You didn’t realize that because I’ve been lying to you in what I told you of the killing, all along”). In short, fling the book across the room and cuss out the writer situations.
I know that having homosexual characters present and identified as such in the Realms, and depicted as people and not “crazy” or “freaks,” is very important to you and many other readers.
For years (until he died of natural causes) I corresponded with a (male) fan who was convinced I was gay, or must be but didn’t know it yet, because of the way I wrote about male characters (in non-Realms, non-fantasy writing I did in the 1970s and 1980s). I come from a background of the Swinging Sixties, where “doing your own thing” and society accepting that was the desired goal, so most gays and lesbians, crossdressers and trannies-in-transition (the surgery was expensive and hard to arrange, so a changeover could take years) just wanted to be accepted as “neighbors and just plain folks” and did NOT want to be labeled or called out and made an example of - - and didn’t want to have to fight for rights; they wanted those rights to be freely given because they wanted society to agree with their thinking.
In short, they were hoping for a situation where sexual orientation didn’t MATTER to society in general. That’s the thinking that unconsciously guides me; to step out of that view I have to consciously think about things.
Zandilar, I hope I’ve finally explained “where I’m coming from” better.


love to EVERYONE,
Ed

So saith Ed. Who has family visiting, but will try to get some more Realmslore replies to me before he has to drop everything and start the long drive down to GenCon.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 05 Aug 2009 23:01:35
Message:

I still wonder what would happen if you would just put in a novel a situation where two males (or females) are simply mentioned to be 'lovers'. I still can't fathom people being so narrowminded as to cut such a reference.

Gomez


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 01:00:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

I still wonder what would happen if you would just put in a novel a situation where two males (or females) are simply mentioned to be 'lovers'. I still can't fathom people being so narrowminded as to cut such a reference.

Gomez



In the US, some people are that narrow-minded. My step-sister would wig out about that simple a reference.


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 01:14:24
Message:

Heck, you go down to Atlanta, GA and there's people FIGHTING to have Harry Potter (for witchcraft) and Pokemon (for evolution) BANNED outright!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 01:25:50
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Heck, you go down to Atlanta, GA and there's people FIGHTING to have Harry Potter (for witchcraft) and Pokemon (for evolution) BANNED outright!



Oh, don't get me started... *mutters*


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 01:37:56
Message:

Okay folks, we really don't need to start debating that particular nonsense.

Let's keep this focused on questions for Ed. Thank you.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 01:42:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

". . . a little too risqué for Candlekeep"?
Sage, IS there such a thing?
We may, of course, have to readily resort to euphemisms for certain pungent and commonly-known words, good old Anglo-Saxon and otherwise, but I'm sure the question itself can be posed and discussed.
The Realms is, after all, an imaginary world, and therefore anything said about is by definition theoretical in nature.
We can even use perfectly innocent (well, to a computer, if not to our minds with their well-developed imaginations) words, like "Peter" for the male naughty bit, "Bubbles" for feminine upperworks, "Velvet" for feminine lowerworks, "Warmcoin" for prostitution, and so on. See? Easy? I'll be happy to provide any demonstrations deemed necessary, and . . .
Just turn off the smoke alarms before we begin, will you? THERE'S a good boy.
Oooh, and THERE'S a good boy, too, I see.
See? Easy!
love,
THO

Actually, my lady, you've brought another question to my mind with respect to this post.

Realms-based euphemisms. What more can you tell us about the common examples of euphemisms used in the Realms? And in what types of subjects will they often find the most use?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 09:25:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
". . . a little too risqué for Candlekeep"?
Sage, IS there such a thing?
We may, of course, have to readily resort to euphemisms for certain pungent and commonly-known words, good old Anglo-Saxon and otherwise, but I'm sure the question itself can be posed and discussed.
The Realms is, after all, an imaginary world, and therefore anything said about is by definition theoretical in nature.
We can even use perfectly innocent (well, to a computer, if not to our minds with their well-developed imaginations) words, like "Peter" for the male naughty bit, "Bubbles" for feminine upperworks, "Velvet" for feminine lowerworks, "Warmcoin" for prostitution, and so on. See? Easy? I'll be happy to provide any demonstrations deemed necessary, and . . .
Just turn off the smoke alarms before we begin, will you? THERE'S a good boy.
Oooh, and THERE'S a good boy, too, I see.
See? Easy!
love,
THO


I feel the need to quote Terry Pratchett, in that case:
Mind you, the Elizabethans had so many words for the female genitals that it is quite hard to speak a sentence of modern English without inadvertently mentioning at least three of them.

And I see the Sage has asked my question first. I was going to ask it because in Discworld, the owner of a 'festhall' was named Mrs. Palm, and her 'girls' were called her daughters.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 13:12:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

I feel the need to quote Terry Pratchett, in that case:
Mind you, the Elizabethans had so many words for the female genitals that it is quite hard to speak a sentence of modern English without inadvertently mentioning at least three of them.

And I see the Sage has asked my question first. I was going to ask it because in Discworld, the owner of a 'festhall' was named Mrs. Palm, and her 'girls' were called her daughters.
Folklore of Discworld is a worthwhile purchase for this kinda stuff. Terry spends some time identifying noteworthy Discworld-based euphemisms. Most of which I've happily borrowed for my Realms.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 15:41:12
Message:

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Or am I misremembering from what he said in one of his seminars? I remember talking to Mr. Peter Archer, who at the time was head of the Books Department, and he said Ed had provided files for authors to use that had swearwords, curse-euphemisms, "naughty bit" euphemisms, diseases, names of wines, and so on.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 16:25:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Or am I misremembering from what he said in one of his seminars? I remember talking to Mr. Peter Archer, who at the time was head of the Books Department, and he said Ed had provided files for authors to use that had swearwords, curse-euphemisms, "naughty bit" euphemisms, diseases, names of wines, and so on.



Indeed. However, any language has lots more euphemisms than just the ones covering profanity, naughty bits, and various sex acts.

I recently explained some euphemisms to my wife the other day, to help her understand the jokes in a particular show -- she'd never heard of some of them. And it was that that made me realize that while we know Realms words for various anatomical bits, we know very few of the euphemisms for doing stuff with those bits, whether alone, in pairs, or in larger groups.

And then there's always euphemisms and odd phrases that come into play for other acts, too, acts that have nothing to do with naughty bits or profanity. Kicking someone's butt, for example, rarely involves the forcible application of the foot to the backside of another. And there is certainly no physical contact in jumping down someone's throat... "Naughty bits" is itself a euphemism, an all-encompassing phrase that we don't have a Realms equivalent of.

So this is yet another area where we simply don't know enough about the Realms, despite knowing a little.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 17:04:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Aye. But Ed also indicated, during those earlier discussions, that he had more to cover at some point in the future. And given the Lady Hooded One's earlier post about them, I thought this would be a good time to ask about any other euphemisms Ed could share with us.

Besides, as I see it, euphemisms, in and of themselves, are one of the richer areas to explore when thinking about language in the Realms. I think some of the dialogue in Ed's "Knights of Myth Drannor" trilogy can be taken as an example of that.


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 17:16:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Aye. But Ed also indicated, during those earlier discussions, that he had more to cover at some point in the future. And given the Lady Hooded One's earlier post about them, I thought this would be a good time to ask about any other euphemisms Ed could share with us.

Besides, as I see it, euphemisms, in and of themselves, are one of the richer areas to explore when thinking about language in the Realms. I think some of the dialogue in Ed's "Knights of Myth Drannor" trilogy can be taken as an example of that.



Indeed...and I would imagine that they are regional as well...as a real world example...if you are anywhere west of the Mississippi the word "you'uns" would just get you strange looks, but in the South Eastern U.S. 80% of the people would know what you mean.

So in the Common tongue used in the Dales the euphemisms used there may be quite different then what is used in Waterdeep.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 17:57:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Teneck

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Aye. But Ed also indicated, during those earlier discussions, that he had more to cover at some point in the future. And given the Lady Hooded One's earlier post about them, I thought this would be a good time to ask about any other euphemisms Ed could share with us.

Besides, as I see it, euphemisms, in and of themselves, are one of the richer areas to explore when thinking about language in the Realms. I think some of the dialogue in Ed's "Knights of Myth Drannor" trilogy can be taken as an example of that.



Indeed...and I would imagine that they are regional as well...as a real world example...if you are anywhere west of the Mississippi the word "you'uns" would just get you strange looks, but in the South Eastern U.S. 80% of the people would know what you mean.

So in the Common tongue used in the Dales the euphemisms used there may be quite different then what is used in Waterdeep.



Indeed. As a military brat, I've seen this first hand. When I moved to Biloxi and saw "po boys" listed on the school lunch menu, I had no idea what they were. And then I went to lunch and saw that it was a sub sandwich. When I lived in California, my use of the word "y'all" was a source of endless amusement to my classmates. I moved down here to Florida, and one of my classmates had just moved down from New Jersey. He had no knowledge of the word "y'all;" he amused us with repeated references to "youse guys."

And this is all within one country, with regular, easy communications and travel between these respective points. In the Realms, where travel is more difficult and long distance communication slow and sporadic, regional euphemisms and words are going to be far more prevalent. Add in different races with their own languages and dialect, and it gets more complicated. I'd imagine that you could fill an entire sourcebook with nothing but euphemisms and regional linguistic quirks.

Edit: In fact, here's an interesting page (not the one I was looking for, but similar). It maps out what people in different parts of the US call their carbonated soft drinks: The Pop vs. Soda page. (I myself call these drinks "carbonation" )

And just for THO, I'll add that my linguistic skills could be described as cunning.


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 06 Aug 2009 18:01:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Teneck

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Didn't Ed give us lots of euphemisms, in earlier years of this thread? (Various words for female breasts, etc.)
Aye. But Ed also indicated, during those earlier discussions, that he had more to cover at some point in the future. And given the Lady Hooded One's earlier post about them, I thought this would be a good time to ask about any other euphemisms Ed could share with us.

Besides, as I see it, euphemisms, in and of themselves, are one of the richer areas to explore when thinking about language in the Realms. I think some of the dialogue in Ed's "Knights of Myth Drannor" trilogy can be taken as an example of that.



Indeed...and I would imagine that they are regional as well...as a real world example...if you are anywhere west of the Mississippi the word "you'uns" would just get you strange looks, but in the South Eastern U.S. 80% of the people would know what you mean.

So in the Common tongue used in the Dales the euphemisms used there may be quite different then what is used in Waterdeep.



Indeed. As a military brat, I've seen this first hand. When I moved to Biloxi and saw "po boys" listed on the school lunch menu, I had no idea what they were. And then I went to lunch and saw that it was a sub sandwich. When I lived in California, my use of the word "y'all" was a source of endless amusement to my classmates. I moved down here to Florida, and one of my classmates had just moved down from New Jersey. He had no knowledge of the word "y'all;" he amused us with repeated references to "youse guys."

And this is all within one country, with regular, easy communications and travel between these respective points. In the Realms, where travel is more difficult and long distance communication slow and sporadic, regional euphemisms and words are going to be far more prevalent. Add in different races with their own languages and dialect, and it gets more complicated. I'd imagine that you could fill an entire sourcebook with nothing but euphemisms and regional linguistic quirks.

And just for THO, I'll add that my linguistic skills could be described as cunning.



Wooly...proudly living up to the "Master of Mischief" moniker on a daily basis.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 00:58:20
Message:

Okay, I think we've all meandered far from the purpose of this scroll. And I blame myself for that.

Anyways, back to questions for Ed.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 05:20:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Okay, I think we've all meandered far from the purpose of this scroll. And I blame myself for that.


I blame you, too. In fact, I blame you for most things on these forums. I have to blame someone, and Lurue knows I can't blame myself... So you're a worthy target.

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Anyways, back to questions for Ed.


Despite all the meandering about the topic, I'm also interested in gaining more Realmsian euphemisms.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 05:53:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Okay, I think we've all meandered far from the purpose of this scroll. And I blame myself for that.


I blame you, too. In fact, I blame you for most things on these forums. I have to blame someone, and Lurue knows I can't blame myself... So you're a worthy target.
You know, I'm starting to think this might be time for me to pen my own "Revenge" list.

...

Oh, and Ed, I was just compiling last month's lot of replies, when I noticed a curious occurrence with one or two of THO's postings. Specifically, two bits I'd like to follow-up on. And since these queries will likely concern events in the next stage of my upcoming Realms campaign, I think I'll take them to a somewhat more private chamber.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 07:16:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Okay, I think we've all meandered far from the purpose of this scroll. And I blame myself for that.


I blame you, too. In fact, I blame you for most things on these forums. I have to blame someone, and Lurue knows I can't blame myself... So you're a worthy target.
You know, I'm starting to think this might be time for me to pen my own "Revenge" list.


I'm not worried. Once you put that on your to-do list, I can rest assured that Tempus will become a pacifist before you get around to doing it.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 08:02:59
Message:

Maybe I should start praying to Eshowdow then.


Reply author: Auzoros
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 12:32:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Edit: In fact, here's an interesting page (not the one I was looking for, but similar). It maps out what people in different parts of the US call their carbonated soft drinks: The Pop vs. Soda page. (I myself call these drinks "carbonation" )

And just for THO, I'll add that my linguistic skills could be described as cunning.



Indeed.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 14:22:25
Message:

Part Three of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale is up.

Once more, all the links for the current tale:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part One)
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part Two)
Volo Breaks a Hot Tale (Part Three)

And to repeat myself once more, all the links for prior Spin A Yarn tales can be found in my Spin A Yarn links thread.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 15:11:38
Message:

This just keeps getting better!

I can't wait to see what the Gen Coners (?) come up with this year.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 21:53:40
Message:

Neither can I.
More than one part more to go, folks (I think), and I REALLY enjoyed Ed's fat elf Watch officer (cobbled together from seminar attendee suggestions, yes, but it's Ed who brings Olimbur and his Watch nemesis to life in all their back-and-forth verbal fencing).
Ahhh, just like gamers staring at the GenCon exhibit hall for their first time ever, THIS is fun to watch.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Aug 2009 21:59:58
Message:

Hi again, everyone.
I forgot to mention: an interesting post-Apocalyse (near-future disaster) American sf anthology entitled GRANT'S PASS will be released at GenCon. Edited by Jennifer Brozek (who worked with Ed on CASTLEMOURN) and Amanda Pillar and released by Morrigan Books, it will be for sale at Author's Alley with Jennifer and Ed signing copies, on Saturday from 4-5 pm. Worth a look.
It's not about the disaster, it's about how people cope with the aftermath. If I remember rightly, the setup revolves around a young teen girl's Internet post about wanting to meet up with someone at Grant's Pass, if something bad happens.
So when something bad does happen, all sorts of folks who read the post remember it, and try to get to Grant's Pass, or think about doing so, or . . .
Look for it. Sounds interesting.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Aug 2009 02:42:57
Message:

Hi again, all.
I just e-spoke with Ed, and he confirmed that the first three parts of "Volo Breaks A Hot Tale" posted thus far have brought us to right around the halfway mark of what he wrote.
So, Sage, lots more comedic action Realms goodness to come . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Aug 2009 04:46:26
Message:

Ah, Realms comedic scenes. Always good! And something we don't see enough of.

...

Actually, that'd make a fairly interesting question for Ed. Examples of other Realms comedic action from his home campaigns, or stuff that he would've like to have included in his published Realms writings.

Any thoughts on that, Ed?


Reply author: Steven Schend
Replied on: 08 Aug 2009 16:38:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, everyone.
I forgot to mention: an interesting post-Apocalyse (near-future disaster) American sf anthology entitled GRANT'S PASS will be released at GenCon. Edited by Jennifer Brozek (who worked with Ed on CASTLEMOURN) and Amanda Pillar and released by Morrigan Books, it will be for sale at Author's Alley with Jennifer and Ed signing copies, on Saturday from 4-5 pm. Worth a look.
It's not about the disaster, it's about how people cope with the aftermath. If I remember rightly, the setup revolves around a young teen girl's Internet post about wanting to meet up with someone at Grant's Pass, if something bad happens.
So when something bad does happen, all sorts of folks who read the post remember it, and try to get to Grant's Pass, or think about doing so, or . . .
Look for it. Sounds interesting.
love to all,
THO



I've read it and it IS a fascinating and well-written anthology. Ed's story sticks in my head as it's somewhat local to my current location in Michigan and it's far better post-apocalyptic fiction that 2012 will be. (Jeff Grubb's comment on the trailer of that is "It's disaster porn." :) )

Steven
who'll be seeking another copy of GRANT'S PASS to loan around


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 08 Aug 2009 17:30:28
Message:

Part Four of the 2008 Spin A Yarn tale is up.

Yet again, all the links for the current tale:

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part One)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Two)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Three)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Four)

And to repeat the by now annoying refrain, all the links for prior Spin A Yarn tales can be found in my Spin A Yarn links thread.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Aug 2009 17:43:39
Message:

I really like where this is going.

The funny thing is, I can see setting this tale as the basis for an FR campaign. The only problem is, Volo's kinda off-world at the moment in my Realms.

I'll probably have to bring him back in order to work with this Spin A Yarn tale. But I'll wait until we've all the parts uploaded before deciding how.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Aug 2009 19:34:16
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sage, Ed is pleased by your comments re. the campaign possibilities of the Spin A Yarn tale ("At last!" he e-mailed me. "The fringe benefits of every Yarn story, exposed for all to read!"), and also wants to say "You're very welcome" to Auzoros (who wished Ed a Happy Birthday back on page 86 of this thread).
Then Ed handed me a response to this, from The Sage (also from p86): "I've speculated previously, that this could indeed be the case. Since it's entirely likely that such alternate names will be referenced somewhere at some point in time -- either through song, story, or just plain Realmsian gossip for the most part.
I think the example of public knowledge regarding 'Rune of the Seven' is appropriate here -- in that, even the most common Realmsian, who has likely never heard of the Seven/Chosen or appreciated the fact that they are actually real and living beings, know this simple and old rhyme.
In other words, your common Realms folk may know of or about such beings of incredible power -- either by name, reputation, or what your grandmother said she once saw. However, these are details almost entirely based on bards tales or rhymes like the 'Rune of the Seven', and they largely form the basis of most of the "public" knowledge regarding both the Seven and the Chosen. Not intimate details, and certainly nothing specific, just rumour, hearsay, and idle speculation in the local tavern on a cold and wintry night.
So while the individual names of the Chosen might change, they're names that are still connected to those touched by Mystra herself."
Ed comments:


There are even some rumors that certain "Chosen" have actually been three or four or more individuals, over time, taking turns being the same guise.
Though the truth about such rumors is for the most part unobtainable (or one can't trust the source to be telling the truth), for what it's worth, Elminster has said, more than once, that some of those rumors are true.


So saith Ed, sewing mysteries anew . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Aug 2009 22:09:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
<snip>
Ed comments:


There are even some rumors that certain "Chosen" have actually been three or four or more individuals, over time, taking turns being the same guise.
Though the truth about such rumors is for the most part unobtainable (or one can't trust the source to be telling the truth), for what it's worth, Elminster has said, more than once, that some of those rumors are true.


So saith Ed, sewing mysteries anew . . .
love to all,
THO




Hrm... one known example of this in reverse is Khelben masquerading as his grandson... another one, but not involving Chosen, is the "succession" from Galaghard I to Galaghard II to Draxius (possible spoiler follows): (actually all the same king, if you read GHotR's Cormyr Succession) (spoiler ends)

Apart from Khelben, I can't think of any obvious possibilities of false (or concealed) identity continuity... unless we're talking about the Seven here... but that would involve retcons of a massive scale, given the published histories... and I know how Ed feels about retcons. But what about (first name eludes me) Tasundrym? Or Halaster's former apprentice, turned Magister, turned Chosen, vanished until events in Blackstaff... or [no first name again] Auglamyr... although she's presumed dead... but no body.

There are all kinds of secondary names popping up as candidates now... Ed, see what you've done? You've caused rampant speculation again, and I try to avoid that kind of "tabloid Realmslore"... can you at least end some other speculation, and tell me anything at all more about the Ascore pyramids? Or about progress on the Cormyr lineage seeing publication?

Thank you, Ed and THO! For everything, even the brain-twisting mysteries, for they give my overactive theorist-brain something to do in the wee hours of the night when I should be sleeping...


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Aug 2009 22:24:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

<chop>
Edit: In fact, here's an interesting page (not the one I was looking for, but similar). It maps out what people in different parts of the US call their carbonated soft drinks: The Pop vs. Soda page. (I myself call these drinks "carbonation" )
<snip>


Interesting page... but they're also collecting data for Canada, not just the US... and I "popped" my data in as well. Up here in Canada, I think we're mostly "pop" drinkers. Historical linguistics and language drift is a hobby of mine, inspired by Tolkien and strengthened by half a dozen linguistics courses in a B.A. degree in Cognitive Science that I need at least an M.A. to do anything with... and for a number of reasons, some monetary, grad school hasn't happened in the nine years since I graduated from college. On a (somewhat) related note, still off-topic for this scroll: I have redefined "hypocrite" phonetically and etymologically as follows:

hippocrit (n): someone who needs to be kicked in the head (crit) by a horse (Gk: hippo). This is the kind of language drift that I find myself engaging in on a regular basis.

Back to Questions for Ed... please.

[edit]
In fact, I just thought of one... er, two.
1) Ed, with regardt to the Uthgardt... no, no typo, just me being silly... how close is what was published over the years (particularly as seen in the original Savage Frontier supplement and as written by Bob Salvatore) to what your Uthgardt are like? I'm developing the long-term ancestry of two of my original 1E Realms PC's (brothers) and I have a theory... and I'm curious as to (a) how close that publication/origination correspondence is, and (b) how you would characterize the Uthgardt language in relation to Earth languages? I know you've said in the past that you have tried to keep your fictional cultures and languages as non-derivative as possible (and succeeded quite well at this, imho, knowing what I know about the published Mulhorand, Unther, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara). 2) On a related note, and just thought of... apologies if these points have already been asked and answered, but (a) does your Anauroch have "native" human inhabitants post-desertification, and if so, how closely do they resemble the Bedine (if at all), and (b) do the Phaerimm exist in your Realms? I'll search your previous replies regarding these two points after I make and eat dinner... that's what I'm off to do right now. Thanks!
[/edit]


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 02:27:05
Message:

I have a question about a previous post here that I can't seem to find. Did I read something about the nobles of Cormyr having mistresses or a mistress, and it being a Cormyrean custom? I think I did, but just want to make sure. Thank you!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 02:43:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Sage, Ed is pleased by your comments re. the campaign possibilities of the Spin A Yarn tale ("At last!" he e-mailed me. "The fringe benefits of every Yarn story, exposed for all to read!")...
Heh. Both I and my players you'd love to thank you Ed. We had a lot of fun with the side-quest I put together last night that explored the first part of Volo's new "Spin A Yarn" tale. They were all so happy to see Volo back in action once again.
quote:
Then Ed handed me a response to this, from The Sage (also from p86): "I've speculated previously, that this could indeed be the case. Since it's entirely likely that such alternate names will be referenced somewhere at some point in time -- either through song, story, or just plain Realmsian gossip for the most part.
I think the example of public knowledge regarding 'Rune of the Seven' is appropriate here -- in that, even the most common Realmsian, who has likely never heard of the Seven/Chosen or appreciated the fact that they are actually real and living beings, know this simple and old rhyme.
In other words, your common Realms folk may know of or about such beings of incredible power -- either by name, reputation, or what your grandmother said she once saw. However, these are details almost entirely based on bards tales or rhymes like the 'Rune of the Seven', and they largely form the basis of most of the "public" knowledge regarding both the Seven and the Chosen. Not intimate details, and certainly nothing specific, just rumour, hearsay, and idle speculation in the local tavern on a cold and wintry night.
So while the individual names of the Chosen might change, they're names that are still connected to those touched by Mystra herself."
Ed comments:


There are even some rumors that certain "Chosen" have actually been three or four or more individuals, over time, taking turns being the same guise.
Though the truth about such rumors is for the most part unobtainable (or one can't trust the source to be telling the truth), for what it's worth, Elminster has said, more than once, that some of those rumors are true.


So saith Ed, sewing mysteries anew . . .
love to all,
THO
Very interesting. Any Ed-styled hints as to who these "certain Chosen" are?

And you both have my thanks, as always.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 08:56:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk:
or [no first name again] Auglamyr... although she's presumed dead... but no body.

Syrumstar Auglamyr. *Spoilers?* First appeared in Elminster in Myth Drannor. Became a Chosen at the end of the book. Died in the Fall of Myth Drannor, on the 6th campaign, at the Battle of Shadusk Glade, aka Detente at Shadusk, Gaulguth's Cost, Symrustar's Mirthless
Laugh. Syrumstar and some casters hit Gaulguth hard, costing him his left eye and arm. As the Army of Darkness begam to retreat, Malimshaer caught Syrumstar in his hand, treating her as a plaything and beleiving her powerless. She claughed at him, and erupted in flame, shooting fire from her eyes and incinerating his claws with Silver Fire. He took to the sky until they couldn't be seen, where there was a great explosion of hundreds of yards. Malimshaer's seared
skull and ribcage fell at Captain Selorn's feet, and other remains
dropped onto the battlefield. No remains of Syrumstar were found, but her Choker was found in the Captain's hand in the end, and she had vowed to leave her Choker only at her death. I always like dher, and considered her a fascinating character. I asked Steven about her 'death' as well, and he said she's NDA.
Sorry for posting so much info. But I always loved Syrumstar, and wanted to know more of her.
But to add a question to Ed: Were there any other non-human/half-elf Chosen you can tell us about? All the Chosen we know of are humans or half-elves (except for a certain Drow). And why is it that we know only of human/half-elf Chosen? Is it because they are the only ones who exist? If so, why? (actually, I think I might have asked a similiar question last year... if so, don't answer, I'll look for it)


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 15:11:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk:
or [no first name again] Auglamyr... although she's presumed dead... but no body.

Syrumstar Auglamyr. *Spoilers?* First appeared in Elminster in Myth Drannor. Became a Chosen at the end of the book. Died in the Fall of Myth Drannor, on the 6th campaign, at the Battle of Shadusk Glade, aka Detente at Shadusk, Gaulguth's Cost, Symrustar's Mirthless
Laugh. Syrumstar and some casters hit Gaulguth hard, costing him his left eye and arm. As the Army of Darkness begam to retreat, Malimshaer caught Syrumstar in his hand, treating her as a plaything and beleiving her powerless. She claughed at him, and erupted in flame, shooting fire from her eyes and incinerating his claws with Silver Fire. He took to the sky until they couldn't be seen, where there was a great explosion of hundreds of yards. Malimshaer's seared
skull and ribcage fell at Captain Selorn's feet, and other remains
dropped onto the battlefield. No remains of Syrumstar were found, but her Choker was found in the Captain's hand in the end, and she had vowed to leave her Choker only at her death. I always like dher, and considered her a fascinating character. I asked Steven about her 'death' as well, and he said she's NDA.
Sorry for posting so much info. But I always loved Syrumstar, and wanted to know more of her.
But to add a question to Ed: Were there any other non-human/half-elf Chosen you can tell us about? All the Chosen we know of are humans or half-elves (except for a certain Drow). And why is it that we know only of human/half-elf Chosen? Is it because they are the only ones who exist? If so, why? (actually, I think I might have asked a similiar question last year... if so, don't answer, I'll look for it)



Me, I'm going to speculate that the reason most Chosen are human or half-elf is because those races are more likely to venerate Mystra, a human deity. While it's true that any race can venerate just about any deity, the mere existence of racial pantheons shows that most races stick to their own gods above the gods of other pantheons.

We have had at least two named elven Chosen, though. One is the Srinshee. It's not confirmed in any sourcebook that I can think of, but Ed has said that the Srinshee is a Chosen.

There's also Embrae Aloevan of Ardeep, and her tragic tale. I found this info on her online somewhere; I believe it came from the now defunct Yet Another Forgotten Realms Website.

quote:
"Embrae Aloevan got edited out of [SECRETS OF THE MAGISTERS] (sigh); it was only a passing mention, not a heavy-duty bio, but here you go, from "The Magisterium" (my collective name for "Mystra's Other Servants"); hope you enjoy this; you can probably tell why it got cut:

Carrying the silver fire is burden enough; the secrets of Mystra, and the cares of all the moral choices one must make regarding sharing or concealing them is another. Moreover, certain bodies-notably elven ones-sicken or shrivel or are twisted into strange powers (newly manifesting 'wild talents,' or even uncontrollable wild magic effects when normal spellcasting is attempted) by directly holding a part of Mystra's power for more than a month or so.

The elf-queen Aloevan of Ardeep was one such victim. A kind, loving lady of slender - some non-elves described her as "frail," even before her decline - beauty, known for her dancing and ardent lovemaking, Embrae Aloevan suffered the same fate as Elue Shandar, mother of the Seven; her vitality was burnt away from within, leaving her, at the last, a tottering husk. Although Aloevan was proud and regal, capable of fierce firmness when ruling required it of her, she loved physical intimacy with "hes" and "shes" of elven, half-elven, human, and even halfling blood, and was quite capable of surrendering herself utterly to a human lordling in the morning, casting all dignity aside and indulging all of his whims, and then defying him from her throne, every inch a pillar of authority, on the same evening. In this, she was not capricious or whimsical, but sorrowfully steadfast in what she must do for her people and her realm, as opposed to what she did as herself. Not surprisingly, she was often forced to explain this; it is a measure of Embrae Aloevan that most who listened to her explanations heard her out to the end, and in so doing moved even from angry or ridiculing beginnings to a measure of respect (and often understanding and even acceptance). The truly noble (as opposed to noble of birth) humans who came to understand her also came to respect and often love her, and during her reign Aloevan was able to call on the services of many 'unofficial' human guardians of Ardeep.

She also served Mystra by spreading a lot of Mystra's power-in the form of aptitude for wizardry and magical 'wild talents,' in particular a bloodline still found in Waterdeep, Secomber, and Daggerford, of being able to 'feel' something of the nature of an enchantment by contact with it (an unreliable 'by images' identify and legend lore ability) - through her lovemaking, as if she imparted a gene or essence to those who lay with her although she never had children by them to pass things on in the usual way. The descendants of Aloevan's lovers, through other, later unions, exhibited magical powers as intended (Elminster believes) by Mystra.

It is important for students of Realmslore to understand that Aloevan's people did not think ill of her for consorting so freely, just as the folk of Silverymoon do not disparage Alustriel's 'court of love' and freely-given favors (witness her many sons) today."


[ 8/15/01 NOTE ]: Additional information on Embrae Aloevan can be found in this passage from the Demihumans and Deities supplement, authored by Eric Boyd;

"While the largest temples of Sehanine are found on the Green Isle, in the Vale of Evereska, and in the woods of the Elven Court, the site most sacred to the Lady of Dreams is the Tears of Aloevan. This is an otherworldly cloud of magic accessed through a mystical pool of water found in an unearthly sylvan glen at the heart of Ardeep Forest. Much like the dark elf Qilué Veladorn serves both Mystra and Eilistraee today, Aloevan was once the Chosen of both Sehanine and the Lady of Mysteries. The moon elven queen's descent into madness and her eventual death was a tragic loss for both the Fair Folk and the other human and demihuman races of the region caused by her inability to control the silver fire that raged within here.

Upon her death, Aloevan's spirit was unable to pass on to Arvanaith and was instead enmeshed within a nimbus of silver fire that hovered between Faerun and Arvandor. To assuage the madness of their queen who had sacrificed so much, seven priests of Sehanine created a link between the natural world and the spiritual limbo in which Aloevan's spirit was trapped. For centuries, Sehanine's priests have labored to ease the torment of the mad queen and in the process have recreated the long-lost court of Ardeep within the pocket dimension formed from the silver fire Aloevan could no longer control. Aloevan's spirit is now capable of manifesting in a form similar to that of a spectral harpist within the Court of Silver Fire, as the mystic temple is known, but her laughter and tears are tinged with madness and only the beneficence of the seven priests enables her to hold on to the vestiges of her sanity.

During times of a solar eclipse, passage between the glen in Ardeep Forest and the Court of Silver Fire is possible. At such times a priest of Sehanine may make his or her way to Aloevan's mystical court at Sehanine's request to replace one of the seven priests who is ready to pass on to Arvanaith. Although many others have sought entrance to Aloevan's court, none have returned to tell the tale, so it is unknown if any who were not called there by Sehanine have ever succeeded. It is rumored that the entrance to the Court of Silver Fire in Ardeep is guarded by a moonstone dragon."


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 15:49:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

We have had at least two named elven Chosen, though. One is the Srinshee. It's not confirmed in any sourcebook that I can think of, but Ed has said that the Srinshee is a Chosen.
Ed's also shared some brief tidbits on the Srinshee's status as a Chosen in the "Realmslore from Elminster in Myth Drannor" section of The Annotated Elminster.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 17:51:49
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed is busy dealing with the whirlwind of real-life matters (paying bills, etc.) that must be taken care of before the long drive down to GenCon.
However, he's just dropped me an e-mail that Grants Pass won't be available at GenCon due to printing delays. However, bookplates for it WILL be, from Jennifer Brozek in Author's Alley, for interested scribes.
Also, Jakk, I can confirm that Ed created the Phaerimm and they do exist in his "original" Realms and the home campaign I play in.
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Aug 2009 18:32:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Ed is busy dealing with the whirlwind of real-life matters (paying bills, etc.) that must be taken care of before the long drive down to GenCon.
However, he's just dropped me an e-mail that Grants Pass won't be available at GenCon due to printing delays. However, bookplates for it WILL be, from Jennifer Brozek in Author's Alley, for interested scribes.
Also, Jakk, I can confirm that Ed created the Phaerimm and they do exist in his "original" Realms and the home campaign I play in.
love,
THO



I overlooked the Phaerimm question before... Obviously our lovely Lady Hooded One has answered the question, but I'll add a tiny bit. I don't recall which reference came first, but the Phaerimm were detailed in both FR13 Anauroch, and The Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set. Both of these are 2E sources that were penned by Ed.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 00:44:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I overlooked the Phaerimm question before... Obviously our lovely Lady Hooded One has answered the question, but I'll add a tiny bit. I don't recall which reference came first, but the Phaerimm were detailed in both FR13 Anauroch, and The Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set. Both of these are 2E sources that were penned by Ed.

Anauroch came first, in 1991. Ruins of Myth Drannor was released in 1993.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Also, Jakk, I can confirm that Ed created the Phaerimm and they do exist in his "original" Realms and the home campaign I play in.
love,
THO
Ed, and THO... could you possibly share with us some details about the phaerimm of Ed's home campaigns? And, also, some of the experiences the characters of those early campaigns may have had with them?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 02:42:23
Message:

I recall Ed once mentioning (at GenCon) the Knights being either pinned-down spectators or caught up in a memorable Phaerimm vs. Sharn fight.
BB


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 03:00:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

I have a question about a previous post here that I can't seem to find. Did I read something about the nobles of Cormyr having mistresses or a mistress, and it being a Cormyrean custom? I think I did, but just want to make sure. Thank you!

I'm still looking for this post, and don't seem to have much luck with the Search function as it doesn't list individual posts for quick perusing. Could someone offer some advice, please?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 03:12:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

I have a question about a previous post here that I can't seem to find. Did I read something about the nobles of Cormyr having mistresses or a mistress, and it being a Cormyrean custom? I think I did, but just want to make sure. Thank you!

I'm still looking for this post, and don't seem to have much luck with the Search function as it doesn't list individual posts for quick perusing. Could someone offer some advice, please?

Sure. I'll take a look through my own personal archives and see what I can find.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 06:16:35
Message:

Thank you, Sage. I apologize for asking the question twice. I guess the Search function and I aren't that good of friends.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 08:40:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

I have a question about a previous post here that I can't seem to find. Did I read something about the nobles of Cormyr having mistresses or a mistress, and it being a Cormyrean custom? I think I did, but just want to make sure. Thank you!

I'm still looking for this post, and don't seem to have much luck with the Search function as it doesn't list individual posts for quick perusing. Could someone offer some advice, please?

Sure. I'll take a look through my own personal archives and see what I can find.
Right. Ed touched on this during his 'House Haldoneir' replies earlier in the year [around February]. There's also this bit [Feb. 5th], which I think could be what you're thinking about:-
quote:
There’s an old Cormyrean word, “saerla,” that means “unmarried wife,” but this means not just a mistress but “someone I’ve fathered children with,” who remains a friend (if a man says, “She used to be my saerla” it means we’re no longer on friendly terms, NOT “I’m now married or she’s now married so she can’t be called a saerla anymore”).
A new term, gaining popularity in Suzail, is “nightskirts,” which used to mean “sophisticated prostitute I can pass off as a lady of high breeding,” but is now starting to mean something like “bedmate I treat as a lady of breeding, paying for her bed and the walls around it - - because she’s worth it.”


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 10:50:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert:
We have had at least two named elven Chosen, though. One is the Srinshee. It's not confirmed in any sourcebook that I can think of, but Ed has said that the Srinshee is a Chosen.

There's also Embrae Aloevan of Ardeep, and her tragic tale. I found this info on her online somewhere; I believe it came from the now defunct Yet Another Forgotten Realms Website.


There is another elf Chosen, actually. And I quote from earlier in the year:

quote:
Rereading Elminster In Hell, I noticed this:
On page 30, El has a memory where he bows over an elven woman who's deathly wounded. Silver Fire springs around her. What is interresting, however, is that it comes from her, not El. Who is this elf?

quote:
Menelvagor, Ed tells me that the dying elf woman in question is, to borrow your words, "someone else entirely." Unfortunately, she's also NDA. So we have a battlefield (in the past, Ed hints at least a few centuries, and we have a dying elf female known to El and dear to him, and yes, she certainly seems to be a Chosen . . .
Ed wishes very much he could say more.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 11:29:08
Message:

Thank you Sage. I really wish I had your capability of keeping everything sorted. I went through the scroll, and I tried the Search feature, but all it did was list the scroll, not the individual posts with my keywords. It was... irritating not being able to go right where I wanted to go. Again, thank you so much for your time and dedication!

Hmm... there's one more on the same topic where they mention the mistress being introduced formally as 'his' or 'their' mistress at a function or party. I'll look around there and see if I can find it. It's come up in-game is why I'm asking.


Reply author: Nevorick
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 12:24:55
Message:

The Hooded One, I have two quick questions regarding Undermountain for my campaign currently taking place there. First, using the timeline, what years did the Knights adventure into Undermountain? Second, regarding the magic "Horned Ring" found in Undermountain, is its teleport function strictly bound to the confines of the dungeon? Does this exclude Waterdeep and its environs?

Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 12:28:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

Thank you Sage. I really wish I had your capability of keeping everything sorted. I went through the scroll, and I tried the Search feature, but all it did was list the scroll, not the individual posts with my keywords. It was... irritating not being able to go right where I wanted to go. Again, thank you so much for your time and dedication!
Aye.

I'll be uploading the first of the '09 compiled reply files soon. So searching for any answers provided by Ed for the year so far will be much easier for all scribes.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 14:43:22
Message:

Hi, all.
Nevorick, I'm away from my notes right now and so can't be certain of the Realms dating of our forays (they were brief, and spread over about a decade; it was Ed's earlier Company of Crazed Venturers who spent a lot of time in Undermountain), but I CAN tell you that the Horned Ring can teleport all over Waterdeep (everywhere inside the walls, and the harbor and its islands) AND about a stone's throw outside the walls in at least one area, due east of the southern gate into the city. How do I know this? Heh-heh; let's just say it's part of why my character is still alive . . .

love,
THO
P.S. Falling silent now as I try to fool my employer into letting me get within swooping distance of GenCon. I'll be traveling on business, at least as close as Ohio. We'll see if I can manage that last leap (probably not, but worth the proverbial old college try . . .)


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 14:57:24
Message:

While we're on the subject of elven Chosen, we're missing the best known: Symrustar Auglamyr; first introduced in Elminster in Myth Drannor, expanded upon in Cormanthyr, and killed in Fall of Myth Drannor (unless she shows up in Blackstaff Tower, a book I haven't read since it's 4e).


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 11 Aug 2009 20:55:23
Message:

No, we already mentioned her in the previous page.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 12 Aug 2009 00:08:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert:
<snip>

There's also Embrae Aloevan of Ardeep, and her tragic tale. I found this info on her online somewhere; I believe it came from the now defunct Yet Another Forgotten Realms Website.


There is another elf Chosen, actually. And I quote from earlier in the year:

quote:
Rereading Elminster In Hell, I noticed this:
On page 30, El has a memory where he bows over an elven woman who's deathly wounded. Silver Fire springs around her. What is interresting, however, is that it comes from her, not El. Who is this elf?

quote:
Menelvagor, Ed tells me that the dying elf woman in question is, to borrow your words, "someone else entirely." Unfortunately, she's also NDA. So we have a battlefield (in the past, Ed hints at least a few centuries, and we have a dying elf female known to El and dear to him, and yes, she certainly seems to be a Chosen . . .
Ed wishes very much he could say more.




Re: the identity of the mysterious elven female Chosen... what about Symrustar Auglamyr, as mentioned in a subsequent post to the above-quoted post? That's my only stab at this; can Ed give us any sort of timeline on the project the NDA is related to, or is there a project at all at this point?


Reply author: Nevorick
Replied on: 12 Aug 2009 00:38:38
Message:

My thanks, Lady THO. I suspected that the "Horned Ring" might allow for very local teleportation. It's good to know now, before anyone tries to use it.

Good luck on your swooping.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 12 Aug 2009 00:40:14
Message:

Yet another question (or set of related questions) from me...

Regarding Torm (the deity): Is there any more non-NDA'd lore available regarding his mortal kingdom of Chalsembyr beyond what is presented in Champions of Valor in the write-up regarding Chalsembyr's Heart? I'm thinking specifically of timeline and location, of course. Okay, I guess that's only one question. Many thanks!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 12 Aug 2009 08:27:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk:
Re: the identity of the mysterious elven female Chosen... what about Symrustar Auglamyr, as mentioned in a subsequent post to the above-quoted post?


I'll requote the original, just to make it clear:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor:
On page 30, El has a memory where he bows over an elven woman who's deathly wounded. Silver Fire springs around her. What is interresting, however, is that it comes from her, not El. Who is this elf? The only female Elf Chosen I know of is Syrumstar Auglamyr. So is this a throwback to Elminster in Myth Drannor? When she becomes a Chosen? Or is this some other time? Or is this someone else entirely?

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
Menelvagor, Ed tells me that the dying elf woman in question is, to borrow your words, "someone else entirely."


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 02:12:41
Message:

Heh. Oops. My bad. And we've accounted for the other known female elf Chosen, Embrae Aloevan... Me big doofus. Me go think about other questions to ask Ed now... *Jakk the half-ogre trudges off trying to remain inconspicuous*


Reply author: Draenar
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 06:25:35
Message:

I've been lurking around here for a while, now, and I'd like to thank Ed for all the amazing detail he provides for the Realms -- it's made them come to life all the more for me, and I hope I've managed to pass some of that along to my players.

I have come out of lurking to ask a question (although expressing my thanks is reason enough). Specifically, I'm looking for the name and description of any songbirds you can give me. I'd like one that is native to the Western Heartlands, especially the Berdusk area, but that has a fairly large habitat, and that tends to bright colours, especially green. (If the colour restriction is a problem, it's not that important.)

As background, I'm including in my game an artificial bird given by Finder to Cylyria Dragonbreast as a gift, to convey that he has no hard feelings towards the Harpers. The bird is entirely lifelike, and in fact intelligent, and was intended to act as a spy and messenger. (It also knows and can sing all of Finder's songs, as well as others, as a bit of a joke on Finder's part.) So, of course, a type of bird that is a common sight in many areas of the Realms would be desired.

I realize that, what with GenCon, this is a poor time to add a question to the pile, but I can just vaguely call it a "songbird" meanwhile.

Thanks.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 06:45:26
Message:

I can toss out a bit about a songbird that Ed had previously shared with me.

quote:
Hi, Wooly, here's a reply from Ed:


Hi, Wooly! Lyrewings haven't yet appeared in published Realmslore. They are long, slender, mist-gray birds with gray-blue wings and pinkish-gray underbellies, and they get their name for their calls, which sound like descending runs (slow chords) being played on a lyre. Very pleasant, laid-back melodic.
When these calls are answered by another lyrewing, a lyrewing switches from them into a liquid warbling that sounds like a high-pitched human or half-elven soprano singing wordlessly, in a liquid, always-have-breath-enough manner (think the female vocal from Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" from the classic DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, only about an octave higher and with no rough or "panting" passages). Lyrewings are highly intelligent (and emotional), and can converse in this language for long stretches of communicating quite complex ideas, statements, arguments, and responses.
Sages know this, and have communicated it centuries ago to bards, wherefore bards see lyrewings as transformed human lovers, or able to witness human love and report or even advise humans on love, and so on (or at least, they depict lyrewings thus in many ballads and laments).
The approval or befriending of a lyrewing is said to betoken near-future success in love; meeting a sad lyrewing presages doom or bad times for one's relationship or lovers or loved ones, and so on.


Hope this helps.
Love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 07:43:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I can toss out a bit about a songbird that Ed had previously shared with me.

quote:
Hi, Wooly, here's a reply from Ed:


Hi, Wooly! Lyrewings haven't yet appeared in published Realmslore. They are long, slender, mist-gray birds with gray-blue wings and pinkish-gray underbellies, and they get their name for their calls, which sound like descending runs (slow chords) being played on a lyre. Very pleasant, laid-back melodic.
When these calls are answered by another lyrewing, a lyrewing switches from them into a liquid warbling that sounds like a high-pitched human or half-elven soprano singing wordlessly, in a liquid, always-have-breath-enough manner (think the female vocal from Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky" from the classic DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, only about an octave higher and with no rough or "panting" passages). Lyrewings are highly intelligent (and emotional), and can converse in this language for long stretches of communicating quite complex ideas, statements, arguments, and responses.
Sages know this, and have communicated it centuries ago to bards, wherefore bards see lyrewings as transformed human lovers, or able to witness human love and report or even advise humans on love, and so on (or at least, they depict lyrewings thus in many ballads and laments).
The approval or befriending of a lyrewing is said to betoken near-future success in love; meeting a sad lyrewing presages doom or bad times for one's relationship or lovers or loved ones, and so on.


Hope this helps.
Love,
THO


Heh. I actually included a few bits on the lyrewings in my "Keys to Realms Music" submission for the published DRAGON a few years back. I built a little on Ed's original idea, though I tended to focus more on detailing the relationships between lyrewings and bards -- borrowing somewhat from Oscar Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose" [one of my favourite tales from among Wilde's many works].


Reply author: Draenar
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 08:47:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I can toss out a bit about a songbird that Ed had previously shared with me.

<snip>




Wow, that actually works near-perfectly. Especially the symbolism and connection to bards. (Though it might encourage misinterpretations of what Finder was trying to say with his gift.)

On a related note, what, if anything, can or has been revealed about Cylyria's background? (I just looked through the pdf compilations of these threads, and got only tantalizing glimpses....) I'm wondering if she might have read more into the gift (coming from a god, no less!) than Finder intended ... or whether he might have indeed intended for her to read something into it. (Sorry about that last, mangled sentence.)


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 13 Aug 2009 10:07:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Draenar

Specifically, I'm looking for the name and description of any songbirds you can give me.

Also have a look at Birds of Faerûn (although it's non-canon and not by Ed).


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 15 Aug 2009 03:28:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

<chop>
1) Ed, with regardt to the Uthgardt... no, no typo, just me being silly... how close is what was published over the years (particularly as seen in the original Savage Frontier supplement and as written by Bob Salvatore) to what your Uthgardt are like? I'm developing the long-term ancestry of two of my original 1E Realms PC's (brothers) and I have a theory... and I'm curious as to (a) how close that publication/origination correspondence is, and (b) how you would characterize the Uthgardt language in relation to Earth languages? I know you've said in the past that you have tried to keep your fictional cultures and languages as non-derivative as possible (and succeeded quite well at this, imho, knowing what I know about the published Mulhorand, Unther, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara). <snip>


I've managed to answer this one myself, having found a very old scroll here at the 'Keep that describes the Uthgardt as being Paul Jaquays' creation. One less question for Ed to deal with, and I'll give my questions quoted above the answers that I want.

Edit: And I'd forgotten about the distinction between the Uthgardt and the Reghedmen... silly of me, what with Wulfgar not having black hair and all... regardless, my question's answered, so strike it from the list.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 15 Aug 2009 19:16:58
Message:

Ed, I assume rainbows exist in the Realms. Do Moonbows http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010704.html? And if so, are they venrated by any religion, for example Sehanine?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Aug 2009 01:16:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

Ed, I assume rainbows exist in the Realms.
Rainbows do indeed exist in the Realms, though they're a little different to those of Earth.

As Ed explains:-
quote:
Yes, rainbows in the Realms do differ from those of our real world, but only VERY slightly. Essentially you can think of them as the same (same spectra bands, same conditions for their appearance, et cetera). The presence of the Shards and the slightly different Torilian lunar situation make rainbows in the Realms shine much more brightly and persist in visibility longer than they do in our real world, with a longer “pink and purple” fadeout as they do dwindle.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 16 Aug 2009 02:09:17
Message:

Since I've mentioned it elsewhere, and am now curious, I may as well ask Ed (although I'm expecting "NDA" as my answer):

quote:
From page 55 of Book 1: The Wilderness in the 2E boxed set The North:
The only building that weather the centuries without scars is an eerie, black pyramid that pulses and flickers with a sickly green radiance.


Does this pyramid (edit: found in the ruins of Karse; sorry ) have anything to do with Wulgreth? Phylactery, for instance? (Assuming, of course, that this particular pyramid was not the creation of someone else.)


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 18 Aug 2009 15:45:08
Message:

Hello again, Mr. Greenwood and Lady THO. I actually have a couple of old questions that I'd like to ask if that's all right. My first question is: What year was it when Storm and Elminster went to the magefair? I think it was before the Time of Troubles, but just wanted to make sure.

My second question comes from a module that is my absolute favorite ever that Mr. Greenwood himself wrote, though I've never found anyone that would run the adventure. I've always wanted to take Joran through there at low level in 2nd Edition. The module is the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar. I was always interested in the young woman Miior that was in temporal stasis and wondered if perhaps you could give us a little more information about who she is, her background, and also what the year was when she was put in stasis.

Oh, and one last question if that's all right too. I had a character that met Storm once for a few minutes in a campaign, but the adventure wound up being ran only one night, sadly. It made me wonder... what kind of man would it take to win the Lady Bard's heart? I appreciate both your time and also Lady THO's. Thank you both so much!


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 18 Aug 2009 18:06:51
Message:

THO, I heard Ed went to Gencon this year. What about you. If so what did you and Ed think about this one.

Spoil us, spoil, spoil us.

Any tidbits to share from the Realms Seminar from Ed and maybe you if you went?


Reply author: Pierre-Luc
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 04:16:05
Message:

Does anyone know of current (1479 DR) schools of magic in Cormyr or the Dalelands? Thank you!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 04:29:43
Message:

Heya,

Now I know I'm not Ed, but I'm putting my oar in here to see how close I get to accurate.

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart
Oh, and one last question if that's all right too. I had a character that met Storm once for a few minutes in a campaign, but the adventure wound up being ran only one night, sadly. It made me wonder... what kind of man would it take to win the Lady Bard's heart? I appreciate both your time and also Lady THO's. Thank you both so much!



Now that would depend on exactly when it was happening... As far as I know, Storm has an invisible boyfriend (Maxer) who hangs around on her farm as per the end of Stormlight (and comments by Ed about what happened to Maxer afterwards). So the first thing is, if Maxer is still around - it would depend on if your character felt like sharing! (And also, what Maxer's attitude towards sharing is as well - Ed, care to comment?)

If Maxer is not around, I think she'd after someone who is tough and no nonsense, but also kind and compassionate, with their heart firmly in the right place. Someone with a good attitude towards life and a strong sense of humor. Someone who isn't too phased by the unusual or magical, and could deal with/get along with Storm's friends. Someone who can put up with her rather legendary temper (see the novel Shadowdale for an example*), but not necessarily someone who was a match for her physically (lets face it not many people (men or women) would** - said potential mate would have to be able to accept that Storm is going to be the stronger partner***), and also someone who won't take any nonsense from Storm herself****.

I expect that any potential mate would also have to settle for being with her when they can - this for two reasons, the first that she's often off "saving the world behind the scenes" and they may not be powerful enough to go along with her (ie: they would be a liability), and the second is that I don't expect anyone would get total monogamy out of her. Also, I don't think male gender would be mandatory in a mate, though I suspect the underlying preference would be in that direction (sadly enough).



Footnotes ('cause my parenthetical comments were getting out of hand!).

* Though I still think she was acting rather out of character in that novel.
** In 1st Edition, she had 18/00 Strength, or something close to that and I definitely recall she exceeded the maximum female strength.
*** Which isn't to say that Storm can't be "soft" with a person, but that if she is, the potential partner would have to accept that Storm could still tie them into pretzels if she had a mind to - some men are that insecure that they wouldn't be able to accept that (they would be forever striving to be dominant), which I think would be a real turn off for Storm. So an Alpha Male is right out, IMHO.
**** For example, getting past the standard: "Oh but my life is complicated and dangerous, and you might become a target if I get involved with you, so it's best if I don't!"


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 07:25:52
Message:

Ooh! I second Joran's request for lore regarding Miior. I'm also interested in anything else Ed can say about the Haunted Halls... I know about the Spellplague-related inscription that was cut from the published adventure, but are there any other bits of similar lore that Ed can share with us? Please?


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 07:58:01
Message:

Quoting myself here, from the Candlekeep Castlemourn scroll...

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

Hrm... five months since Sage's post [regarding the inaccessibility of the Margaret Weis Productions website]... the site is accessible now, but there's no sign of Castlemourn on it. If MWP has dropped the setting, maybe Paizo will pick it up? Has anyone else heard anything?


THO? Ed? Anything new to add to this yet? If not, I'll try to be patient... really, I will...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 11:49:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

any potential mate would also have to settle for being with her when they can - this for two reasons, the first that she's often off "saving the world behind the scenes" and they may not be powerful enough to go along with her (ie: they would be a liability),


From what little I have read (Silverfall, mostly - but you also see it in Qilue's behavior in the Lady Penitent series), the sisters have some issues to work well with others.
They seem a bit overeager to go off and solve it all themselves, rather than ask aid or use other people's skills. A partner (lover or otherwise) may have to work to gain recognition as being something more than the supporting character at home.
I am unsure if it is Sister specific, or if it is something inherent in a Chosen.

Gomez,
back from GenCon, and still recovering from his first participation in the pudding - I mean, the Spin-A-Yarn seminar ;)


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 11:55:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Pierre-Luc

Does anyone know of current (1479 DR) schools of magic in Cormyr or the Dalelands? Thank you!



Not in the Dalelands, as far as I know (maybe in Highmoon? Doesn't sound likely though).
There is a boarding school in High Dale (the Arrowpoint Institute), but it doesn't teach magic other than a basic background on history and principles (i.e. enough so you won't look like a fool when dealing with arcane spellcasters).

Gomez


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 12:52:09
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez
From what little I have read (Silverfall, mostly - but you also see it in Qilue's behavior in the Lady Penitent series), the sisters have some issues to work well with others.
They seem a bit overeager to go off and solve it all themselves, rather than ask aid or use other people's skills. A partner (lover or otherwise) may have to work to gain recognition as being something more than the supporting character at home.


See the problem is, in most cases Storm would actually be correct - Said love interest would be a liability.

The Chosen are exceedingly powerful beings - one would have to be Chosen as well (or at least an extremely experienced adventuring type) to be on the same footing. That's why we've really only seen three long term relationships amongst the sisters... I am sure Florin sometimes (most times?) feels like a liability to Dove, since he's pretty much a bog standard adventuring ranger (leveling at a glacial rate ) - when Dove has to deal with something important, the chances are Florin would not be at her side. As for the other two, well the Simbul and Laeral are both involved with other Chosen. (I know Alustriel's 12 sons have the same father (don't know about the daughters though), but he seems to be very much in the background when compared to Elminster, Khelben, and Florin.)

quote:
I am unsure if it is Sister specific, or if it is something inherent in a Chosen.


I don't think it's inherent in being a Chosen of Mystra... I think it's just inherent in being very powerful with a lot of enemies - and you don't need to be a Chosen of Mystra for that.

quote:

back from GenCon, and still recovering from his first participation in the pudding - I mean, the Spin-A-Yarn seminar ;)



*Zandilar is jealous*


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 14:04:43
Message:

I appreciate all of the help and thoughts on this, lady(ies?) and gentlemen. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes from it when we get a response back. I personally can't wait!


Reply author: Kes_Alanadel
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 15:51:14
Message:

Well met Ed,

I just wanted to say thank you for taking time to speak with me at GenCon. It was a pleasure to meet you, Garen, and the folks from Paizo. I had a grand time at my first GenCon, and maybe someday will be able to return!

~Kes


Reply author: Iluvrien
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 17:56:00
Message:

My first ever question to Ed... although it has been a while in coming.

Having searched the scrolls here, and indeed ranged far and wide (electronically), and have found no further information about the subject of my question I thought I might now trouble you with my question instead, Ed and Lady THO.

Is there any more to the story of Sharindala, the Lady of Scorchstone Hall (near Ripplestones) featured in, I think, 2 scenes in Temptation of Elminster. An interesting lady who had... vitality issues.

The scenes never failed to both amuse and move me, and I always wanted to know if there is more to her story than this? Thank you both!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 20:56:40
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sorry for my silence, as I went "on mission" in an attempt to once again sneak off to GenCon to see Ed and buy some games.
That try failed this year, though I did manage to chat with Ed on the phone Sunday evening. He was tired but very happy, and will be sending me some e-mails to post here soon.
Menelvagor, moonbows do indeed, as Sage has said, exist in the Realms, and are venerated in various ways by the clergy (and worshippers) of Selune, Eilistraee, Sehanine, Lurue, and others. Hopefully I can cajole some details out of Ed for you, but it may take a while. The boy is awesomely busy.
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:02:14
Message:

Hi. I picked up a "giveaway" sheet off the Goodman Games booth at GenCon. I haven't noticed it posted at the Keep (apologies if it has, and I just missed it):

"Goodman Games is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Forgotten Realms creator and legendary fantasy author Ed Greenwood to publish Ed Greenwood's Fantastic Worlds, a line of rules-neutral role playing supplements slated for release starting in spring 2010. The first release will cover castles, keeps, and fortifications, with future books scheduled to cover world-building, city design, mythology, and other subjects."
etc. with the important points being: hardcovers, systems-neutral, full press release at: www.goodman-games.com

Don't know about other scribes, but having hung out with Ed a time or two, I'll be ordering mine as soon as possible. I could listen to that man read the phone book. :}


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:10:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

<snip>

"Goodman Games is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Forgotten Realms creator and legendary fantasy author Ed Greenwood to publish Ed Greenwood's Fantastic Worlds, a line of rules-neutral role playing supplements slated for release starting in spring 2010. The first release will cover castles, keeps, and fortifications, with future books scheduled to cover world-building, city design, mythology, and other subjects."
etc. with the important points being: hardcovers, systems-neutral, full press release at: www.goodman-games.com

Don't know about other scribes, but having hung out with Ed a time or two, I'll be ordering mine as soon as possible. I could listen to that man read the phone book. :}




I'll definitely be picking these up. I'm not buying as much gaming stuff as I used to, and not because of my budget. Rules-neutral gets a big thumbs-up from me, and hardcovers are always better.

Does anyone else think it's curious that the first volume covers castles etc., in light of the mystery surrounding the fate of Castlemourn? Hopefully THO will have some information to share with us when next she posts...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:14:54
Message:

Hi again, all.
I'm reading quickly down this page (93) of the thread to see what recent queries and posts have landed whilst I was running silent and deep, and herewith, some reactions:

Joran, EL AT THE MAGEFAIR has been specifically and accurately dated in lore. Isn't it in GHotR? If not, I'll try to track it down, though I'm hoping some scribe can answer it far faster than I can look it up...
And, yes, Ed has about as much unpublished HAUNTED HALLS material as what did see print; he designed it to be a campaign basis, not a short-and-tiny adventure (plans changed at TSR, without his being informed). However, most of it belongs to TSR/WotC, and so can't be reproduced here. Ed can probably paraphrase a lot of the Miior background, though . . .

Brimstone, by now you'll know from my earlier post that I didn't make it to the con this year. Ed will share what we can, as soon as he can.
One tidbit: apparently RPGA members who sign up to run tournaments will be able to get new (penned by RPGA members, and edited/checked by playtesting and by RPGA HQ/Chris Tulach) printed Realms adventures, in a "pack" of related adventures.
Bill Slaviscek also floated the idea of one-a-year printed Realms products at the seminar, and there was a roar of approval from the room.

More soon; delivery van at the door and must rush.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:18:39
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm
Don't know about other scribes, but having hung out with Ed a time or two, I'll be ordering mine as soon as possible. I could listen to that man read the phone book. :}
As it happens, a number of us were treated to Ed reading far worse than the phone book on Saturday night, and I will testify that it was absurdly entertaining.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:23:05
Message:

Hi again, all.
gomez, you're quite right re. the behaviour of the Sisters.
However, as Zandilar posits, it's not inherent in being a Chosen. Anyone with many enemies, lots of experience in dealing with bureaucracies and corrupt rulers and human sloth and organizational inertia loses patience with being patient.
However, there IS one way in which this tendency IS part of being a Chosen: loss of sanity. As they age, century after century, the Sisters either despair of their careers or become increasingly driven by their work, and this is reflected in an impatience with others who are less capable or energetic (or more cautious) or who won't see things "their way" (example: Khelben, not just the Seven).
This comes from extensive discussions with Ed, BTW, and isn't just my opinion.
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:39:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm
Don't know about other scribes, but having hung out with Ed a time or two, I'll be ordering mine as soon as possible. I could listen to that man read the phone book. :}
As it happens, a number of us were treated to Ed reading far worse than the phone book on Saturday night, and I will testify that it was absurdly entertaining.
Oh? Can this tale be shared? Ed, I'll direct that question to you, since, given the anonymity of the author at this point, it's apparently your tale to share... or not, should CK's decency guidelines (or other considerations) prevent it.


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:48:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm
Don't know about other scribes, but having hung out with Ed a time or two, I'll be ordering mine as soon as possible. I could listen to that man read the phone book. :}
As it happens, a number of us were treated to Ed reading far worse than the phone book on Saturday night, and I will testify that it was absurdly entertaining.
Oh? Can this tale be shared? Ed, I'll direct that question to you, since, given the anonymity of the author at this point, it's apparently your tale to share... or not, should CK's decency guidelines (or other considerations) prevent it.
No, it's not Ed's tale, but from an execrable book called Bronwyn by Ron Miller.

And no matter how lax Candlekeep's standards might ever become, no guidelines could ever mark what Ed read aloud as 'decent.'


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 21:57:52
Message:

Hi again, all!
I am happy to bring you Ed's first post in a week or so, fresh from my inbox:

Jen and I are just back from my happiest GenCon ever. Yes, it beats the years of being named Dragon's Contributing Editor and winning Best Player at the AD&D Open and being presented with awards.
In part, it was because of the wedding of my dear friend Calye (Chainmail Girl to many gamers) and Phil Lacefield of GAMA fame. I had to give Calye away, and although Phil is a great guy and fast becoming a dear friend, I sure didn't want to; I wanted to keep her. Many eminent gamers attended the happy event, and I'm sure will agree with me that as radiantly beautiful brides go, Calye was stunning.
The axe she carried, Phil's short kilt, the superb ceremony conducted by Reverend Michael Webb (a great guy and longtime gamer), the dice given away, and watching all sorts of gamers dance or try to dance, all made it a memorable "you HAD to be there, your loss if not" event.
However, for me, that was the lesser part of this GenCon's happiness. The greater part, by far, was the surprise just-a-little-late 50th birthday party thrown for me by our very own Garen Thal (Brian Cortijo), who worked on it for the greater part of a year. He quizzed THO for the recipe of the chip dip that I inflict on my home gamers, and had me make a bowl right there and then, I was gifted with a shadow box by Jeff Thetford remembering Brian Thomsen, Brian had "it's okay . . . I'm Canadian" T-shirts made up for Jen and moi, and scored me a signed copy of the new Pathfinder core rulebook, and best of all, Brian assembled, edited, and had printed and bound a one-of-a-kind book of remembrances, FIFTY RINGS ROUND WOODED GREEN, that is now my most treasured possession.
It's full of stories, memories, and friendly joshing and jokes by many of my longtime friends, including some of my players, but also gamers and gaming luminaries such as (I'm just going to list in order of appearance, or I'll forget someone!) Jim Butler, Julia Martin, Erik Scott de Bie, Jen Brozek, our very own Wooly Rupert (and, hey, your e-mails finally came through; expect a reply the other end of this coming weekend), Jim Lowder, Paul Kemp, Thomas Reid, Steve Sullivan, Miranda Horner, Wolfgang Baur, James Davis, Mary-Liz Allen, Cam Banks, Brian Gute, Sean Reynolds, Stan!, Elaine Cunningham, Wes Schneider, George Krashos, Lester Smith, Karen Boomgaarden, Carrie Bebris, Jeff Grubb, Larry Elmore, Bob Salvatore, Jeff Thetford, Margaret Weis, The Sage (yes, our Sage, here at the Keep), Peter Archer, Brian James, Jaleigh Johnson, Richard Lee Byers, Calye, Rosemary Jones, Steven Schend . . . and of course, Brian Cortijo himself.
I can't begin to describe how touched I am by this, how honoured, and how fortunate I feel to have such a friend, and so many friends good and true. I WISH you could all read this book; it has two superb fantasy stories in it (and some old scribblings of mine, too), a number of neat game contributions, some topnotch art, and . . . lots and lots of love.
I now have a new book of essential Realmslore, and feel very loved.
Brian, take a bow. Take LOTS of bows. Let there be hugs all around. I will be thanking people properly for years, but I want every scribe and casual visitor at the Keep to know just how magnificent it feels to have such good friends, led by a peerless one.
Thank you.
THANK YOU.
Okay, time for hugs and backrubs and ticklings.
THO wants me to promise to answer Realmslore questions more often and faster, and I do. Oh, I do.
(Watch me fall short, but darn it, I do.)
love to all,
Ed


Well done, Brian and all of you who had a hand in this. You've made the Old Mage very happy, and that puts you all in my good books.
So,
love to you all from ME, too!
(And I'm prepared to prove it! Yes, I'm well aware Ed is, too, but I'm curvier and less hairy.)
Kisses,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 22:07:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Brimstone, by now you'll know from my earlier post that I didn't make it to the con this year. Ed will share what we can, as soon as he can.
One tidbit: apparently RPGA members who sign up to run tournaments will be able to get new (penned by RPGA members, and edited/checked by playtesting and by RPGA HQ/Chris Tulach) printed Realms adventures, in a "pack" of related adventures.
Bill Slaviscek also floated the idea of one-a-year printed Realms products at the seminar, and there was a roar of approval from the room.

More soon; delivery van at the door and must rush.
love to all,
THO


My thanks. I would like a once a year Realms Product.

Yep I need to get off my rear and get hooked up with the Living Realms here in Texas.

James Lowder mentioned Gamer Fantastic yesterday in another scroll.

I got it this morning, and I really appreciated Ed's chapter to Gary Gygax. I liked Ed's story about saving the elven princess again. And Brian Thomsen chapter was very revealing. I haven't read Steven's story yet.

So what do you think about it?

And again thank you for all that you do here for us Realms Fanatics.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Aug 2009 22:51:19
Message:

Speaking for myself, it was an honor to be included in that book, especially next to some of the others on the list. I'm overjoyed that Ed liked it.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 00:11:45
Message:

Hi again, all. Heh, Brimstone, I enjoyed GAMER FANTASTIC very much. Like most anthologies, some strong stories, some weaker. Some light fluff, and some . . . well, Ed's tale was a romp, Brian's swan song was a romp with razor-sharp edges, and Ed's eulogy was probably as classy as Gary will get, aside from what close family chooses to say.
Ed also wanted me to post this (and will send along a Realmslore reply soon, too!):


I also had the distinct pleasure of meeting Erin Evans in person, for the first time - - and, ahem, being shadowed by her for Wizards website purposes - - at GenCon, and found her delightful and nice (I already knew she was clever, witty, and a sensitive writer, and you will, too, when you read THE GOD CATCHER, next in the "Eddie Presents Waterdeep" series, and due out in February 2010, I believe).
I flirted outrageously, she took it all in stride, I had great fun with Shelly and Laura (another first meeting), and the fun, good-natured, and ever-stalwart Marty Durham (look for a "Book Nook" You Tube interview we did in a hotel room at the Marriott). Erin and Bruce Cordell, both typing furiously, were co-scribes at this year's Spin A Yarn, which has much to do with pudding, thanks to the inspired contributions of a certain Mr. Rowe known here at the Keep (another first meeting, and another pleasure!).
By the way, if Susan, the great and long-suffering helmslady of the Realms (and much missed at GenCon, sniff) reads this: I did no work at all on the novel during GenCon, but am hard back at it today, with another chapter rolling out under my flying fingers. Should be in early, in first draft!
Revealed at GenCon, the title of this unfolding work: ELMINSTER MUST DIE!
I miss all of you I saw at the con greatly, and those who couldn't make it, I hope to see next year (if Jen's health holds out: as long as she can withstand the rigors of the trip, I intend to be at each and every GenCon; I'm attended numbers 8, 13, and 17 to date).
So next year, when you need a Realms fix that's not set in Waterdeep or the Wilds or looking over Drizzt's shoulder: there'll be a new series of standalone but related mass market paperbacks by divers authors . . . and then there'll be ELMINSTER MUST DIE!


So saith Ed. Who is still bubblingly happy!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 00:30:33
Message:

Hi again, all.
As promised, Ed has come through with a Realmslore comment, this one in response to Zandilar’s response to Joran Nobleheart’s “what kind of man would it take to win the Lady Bard's heart?” question.
Heeeere’s Ed:



Zandilar, as always, you are dead-on accurate everywhere where you aren’t darned-closed accurate. Please stick your oar in, anytime. (Sorry, haven’t stopped flirting from GenCon yet. Go ahead, hit me. I like it.)

Maxer is still around (though he “goes on missions” farther and farther afield, empowered by Mystra and Azuth, at least until the Spellplague hits and probably destroys him as the Weave goes down), so, yes, it WOULD “depend on if your character felt like sharing.” Maxer is completely generous about sharing, because he loves Storm - - and her den-mothering of all Harpers, and her ongoing love affairs and friendships with many, many folk (from halfling, gnome, and dwarven to the more numerous human, elven, and half-elven, all of both genders but probably about three-quarters male) are all part of the woman he loves.

Your summation of Storm’s preferences is dead-on accurate, though you are correct in thinking her temper was a little overblown in SHADOWDALE, and her customary character a bit different than portrayed therein. The deceitful are her pet hate, but she makes exceptions for deceivers who are trying not to hurt and telling “little white lies” and other kind deceptions, as opposed to evil deceptions. Yes, no alpha males, and yes, she’s strong but can and does love to yield and be soft (and be dominated during sex, but no “that means I can lord it over you the rest of the time” stuff, or the mate is GONE). You are also dead-on correct in this: “I expect that any potential mate would also have to settle for being with her when they can - this for two reasons, the first that she's often off "saving the world behind the scenes" and they may not be powerful enough to go along with her (ie: they would be a liability), and the second is that I don't expect anyone would get total monogamy out of her. Also, I don't think male gender would be mandatory in a mate, though I suspect the underlying preference would be in that direction (sadly enough).”
For the record, Storm has “been with” female partners for decades at a time in the past, and during her youth, as a slave, those were the only sort of willing relationships (as opposed to male captors forcing themselves on her) she had, for some time. Yet, yes, she does tend to enjoy guys. As I once had her comment, in a scene that got firmly cut by Brian Thomsen for obvious reasons (but not until after he’d chuckled over it and said, “Nicely done. We can’t use it, of course - - but nicely done all the same”), “They have this funny, funny handle, that feels so good within, reaching up for the back of your throat.”
Ahem.



So saith Ed. Ahem, indeed, Old Mage. Down from the GenCon high, there’s a good lad.
He’ll be back with more tomorrow, folks (in fact, he’s here all week! Try the beans!).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 00:37:20
Message:

Jakk, about Castlemourn: I can provide a GenCon scoop of sorts.
I happened to overhear Ed standing talking with Margaret Weis outside the MWP booth (they were hugging like old friends, actually), and I think Castlemourn is done and over as a MWP product line. Like I said, they sounded like two old friends being regretful something hadn't gone well, not enemies or angry or anything like that.
Which doesn't mean it's done forever and for good, of course. Ed, can you comment?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 00:50:19
Message:

Hi AGAIN, folks!
Ed just sent me another e-mail:


Kes Alandel, it was a pleasure to meet you, too. One of the delights of GenCon is actually getting to stop and talk to people we only know as names on a board or at the other end of an e-mail. So next time, instead, you'll get to hook up again with your GenCon friends you only meet at the con. :}
And shop and eat and game. My GenCon secret? I've not signed up for a single event in YEARS. For me, it's all meeting friends, stopping by booths and playing demos of new games, shopping, dining with friends (pickup gaming at such opportunities is free), stopping to enjoy the medieval performers, walking the exhibit hall and art show and seeing all that glorious art and meeting the artists, going to Author's Alley and meeting the authors there, and dropping by the Wizards seminars (if you don't have a ticket, you might have to stand, but they're sure not going to turn you away).
Come back whenever you can manage it - - I have, for years, and on the rare occasions when I pass through Indianapolis at other times than GenCon, it always feels really weird that the con isn't going on.
One hint: in a year when you can't afford GenCon, plan on attending a small local con instead, like the excellent Pentacon in Fort Wayne (early November, every year) or U-Con in Ann Arbor, or any of a dozen other good ones. Origins in Columbus in June is the closest thing in size to GenCon, and none of them are "the big show," but they're still great. Paizo held their own con in June this year in Seattle for the first time, and it sounds great, too...

Also, to Pierre-Luc: the only public (as opposed to secret, or members-only like the War Wizards' training sessions) school of magic in Cormyr or the Dales in 1479 DR that I know of, thus far, is a small academy called Arlrandur's, in Marsember (run by Arlrandur, a "renegade" War Wizard who increasingly is suspected of being an undercover War Wizard, identifying prospects and potential foes and troublemakers).
However, I'll check my notes and ask around, and see if there are any hints of others. In Sembia and Westgate, YES, there are several...


So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms and its reigning Lorelord, as always . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 01:34:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The greater part, by far, was the surprise just-a-little-late 50th birthday party thrown for me by our very own Garen Thal (Brian Cortijo), who worked on it for the greater part of a year. He quizzed THO for the recipe of the chip dip that I inflict on my home gamers, and had me make a bowl right there and then, I was gifted with a shadow box by Jeff Thetford remembering Brian Thomsen, Brian had "it's okay . . . I'm Canadian" T-shirts made up for Jen and moi, and scored me a signed copy of the new Pathfinder core rulebook, and best of all, Brian assembled, edited, and had printed and bound a one-of-a-kind book of remembrances, FIFTY RINGS ROUND WOODED GREEN, that is now my most treasured possession.
It's full of stories, memories, and friendly joshing and jokes by many of my longtime friends, including some of my players, but also gamers and gaming luminaries such as (I'm just going to list in order of appearance, or I'll forget someone!) Jim Butler, Julia Martin, Erik Scott de Bie, Jen Brozek, our very own Wooly Rupert (and, hey, your e-mails finally came through; expect a reply the other end of this coming weekend), Jim Lowder, Paul Kemp, Thomas Reid, Steve Sullivan, Miranda Horner, Wolfgang Baur, James Davis, Mary-Liz Allen, Cam Banks, Brian Gute, Sean Reynolds, Stan!, Elaine Cunningham, Wes Schneider, George Krashos, Lester Smith, Karen Boomgaarden, Carrie Bebris, Jeff Grubb, Larry Elmore, Bob Salvatore, Jeff Thetford, Margaret Weis, The Sage (yes, our Sage, here at the Keep), Peter Archer, Brian James, Jaleigh Johnson, Richard Lee Byers, Calye, Rosemary Jones, Steven Schend . . . and of course, Brian Cortijo himself.
I can't begin to describe how touched I am by this, how honoured, and how fortunate I feel to have such a friend, and so many friends good and true. I WISH you could all read this book; it has two superb fantasy stories in it (and some old scribblings of mine, too), a number of neat game contributions, some topnotch art, and . . . lots and lots of love.
I now have a new book of essential Realmslore, and feel very loved.
Brian, take a bow. Take LOTS of bows. Let there be hugs all around. I will be thanking people properly for years, but I want every scribe and casual visitor at the Keep to know just how magnificent it feels to have such good friends, led by a peerless one.
Thank you.
THANK YOU.
Okay, time for hugs and backrubs and ticklings.
THO wants me to promise to answer Realmslore questions more often and faster, and I do. Oh, I do.
(Watch me fall short, but darn it, I do.)
love to all,
Ed
You're so very welcome Ed.

I was extremely honoured that Brian offered me the opportunity to contribute to such an august tome. And to have my words of praise and tribute featured alongside other such "Realms Greats" was indeed one of the main highlights of 2009 for me.

Here's to the next 50!


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 04:16:15
Message:

Thank you THO.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 05:08:44
Message:

Thank you very much, and I appreciate the answers very much! I'm also really looking forward to hearing more about the Haunted Halls, (again, my favorite module and I still hope to get to play through someday). Here's a question that I'd like to add about Miior, based off of how you designed her, is she the type that would be happy to have a relationship with one of the people that rescued her? (Well, after she's had time to come to learn of what's all transpired around the Realms while she was sleeping). Thank you again, and I'm really looking forward to hearing more!

Ah, I almost forgot. A few years back, my old DM and I had a discussion about paladins and how their parents viewed them. He told me that with Joran, that he was almost a disappointment because he was a paladin, in the fact that paladins die so young due to their duties. I debated back (yeah, it became a debate) that a parent would be pleased that their child had become a paladin and that it was an honor, especially in the case of Joran due to his father being a knight of Cormyr and his mother a cleric of Torm. My question is this: how would parents in Cormyr view their child becoming a paladin? And how would (normally) Joran's parents view the fact he's a paladin? Sorry to tack this on, I've wanted to ask for a while but always forgot.

Oh, and as a side note, I did brag about Joran's family keep being named by both yourself Lady THO, and Mr. Greenwood. I think they were a little jealous.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 08:18:12
Message:

Huh... Are there tales of the slavery experiences of the Seven Sisters published? I know Dove maqueraded as a slave for some time, as mentioned in Silverfall. But were they the only ones of the Seven to do so? And was it planned to be so, or was any of them truly captured? And if there aren't any published tales of these experiences, could you tell us some?


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 10:52:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
gomez, you're quite right re. the behaviour of the Sisters.
However, as Zandilar posits, it's not inherent in being a Chosen. Anyone with many enemies, lots of experience in dealing with bureaucracies and corrupt rulers and human sloth and organizational inertia loses patience with being patient.



I noticed Alustriel has a better time of it though. She does seem more capable of working with others (and she is the only sister so far that I have seen making an apology to someone she slighted). That really made her the most loveable sister. It is really sad that she is gone in 1479 DR (though I comfort myself with the thought that she passed away peacefully - at least, that was what I deduced).

Re: Gencon, I have definitely missed some very fun events (though at least I got the anecdotes on Caley's wedding, and yes she looks lovely, going by the picture I was shown).
Next time, I will attempt less gaming and more getting about meeting people. Though I hope I didn't pester Ed too much this Con...

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 20:39:19
Message:

Hi again, all.
gomez, you didn't pester Ed too much; in fact, he was worried that he hadn't made enough time for you, and will try to do so next time (this was another year of Ed's schedule morphing a lot). So rest easy on that score.

Menelvagor, there's nothing in published Realmslore about the early slavery experiences of some of the Seven beyond bare mentions of Minark the Salt Torturer (who wounded slaves, then put salt into the open wounds, then bound the wounds over with leather, then watered the leather to make it tighten, grinding the salt in) and rescue from him, plus a few single-line references to Storm and some of her sisters being used to being chained, branded, whipped, marched nude for days (chained together, sleeping in the open still chained together), and so on. The Code of Ethics of TSR prohibited publication of such details; slavery was simply something to be fought against or rescued from.

Joran, I can tell you from playing with Ed as a DM and watching him DM two other groups of players through the Haunted Halls, that Miior definitely WOULD form a relationship with one or more of her rescuers, for two reasons: she always wants to be linked to a stronger male as a protector, provider, and dupe (someone she can frame and/or steal from), and she is looking for a real mate (in other words, she will feign "falling for" a PC adventurer, strong and wealthy human male preferred, but either gender and any race if someone else seems more useful, and she's a consumate actress, BUT she can very easily genuinely fall in love with either her "chosen dupe" or someone else, and with that love will come loyalty, so she may later stand beside/support/return swindled loot to her dupe, and become his/her staunch partner).

So there you have it, from Ed to me to you...

love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 20:57:43
Message:

Hi again, all.
I'm reposting this from another thread, here at the Keep. It's my summation of what's PROBABLY going to be in ELMINSTER MUST DIE!
". . . Ed tells me it was two-thirds finished in rough draft before he left for GenCon, and he's having a BLAST writing it. Here are some speculations on my part about its contents that are based on reading between the lines of some Ed comments:
Elminster appears, and so does at least one of the Seven Sisters, probably more than one. Cormyr is involved in some way, probably as the setting for some of the book.
It's likely set in 1479 DR, though perhaps not wholly . . .
There are some nobles in the story but it's NOT primarily a story about rulers and nobles."

Not wanting to get Ed in trouble, or influence him as he's writing what is, after all, a first draft (or misinform any scribes, when the book may morph some, in the weeks ahead), I'm not going to add much to this or try to get him to add anything, until I have his say-so, and he will only give me that when he has approval from Wizards.

I can impart this much: I have the feeling that Ed is happy and pouring out his creative self as enthusiastically as ever, that he's getting better as a writer, and that the age of darned good Realms novels is FAR from over. Ed has been inspired by the quality of the "Eddie Presents" books about Waterdeep, and loves his editor.
(No, NOT the way you're thinking, you in the back wearing the leer. BAD scribe!)

love,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 21:08:40
Message:

The Ed Greenwood Presents Series has me enthusiastic.

The 3 novels I have read, soon to be 4 have not disappointed me in the least.


Reply author: Teneck
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 21:10:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


<snip>
(No, NOT the way you're thinking, you in the back wearing the leer. BAD scribe!)




It's not a leer...it is an evil grin thinking about what poor fool they are going to recruit to kill El. Seems to me that whole conversation is going to be...

"Sure I am an assassin for hire...who has to die?"

"Really....Elminster?...ELMINSTER!!!! has to die ...I think I just retired.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 21:18:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


(No, NOT the way you're thinking, you in the back wearing the leer. BAD scribe!)



Now you are making it sound like that is a *bad* thing.

I recall Ed said we would be 'pleased' with some of the outcome of the novel. Of course, since he didn't specify what we would be pleased about, that is not actually much help :P
I guess we will just have to wait...

Gomez


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 21:24:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Teneck

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


<snip>
(No, NOT the way you're thinking, you in the back wearing the leer. BAD scribe!)




It's not a leer...it is an evil grin thinking about what poor fool they are going to recruit to kill El. Seems to me that whole conversation is going to be...

"Sure I am an assassin for hire...who has to die?"

"Really....Elminster?...ELMINSTER!!!! has to die ...I think I just retired.


It's likely that The Simbul will be by his side, so...yeah its time to retire and move to another plane.


Reply author: Draenar
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 22:23:26
Message:

I'm quite excited to hear about Elminster Must Die. (That title is great.)

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart
My first question is: What year was it when Storm and Elminster went to the magefair? I think it was before the Time of Troubles, but just wanted to make sure.



It took place in 1355 DR, according to this (official) site: http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/fr_timeline.asp. (It's not very up-to-date, but I've found it a good quick-reference, when hunting through the Grand History would be too distracting.)


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 20 Aug 2009 22:48:33
Message:

I'm not exited.... Elminster mustn't die......

oh great, ow I've got a new book to look out for to buy.

ohwell....


Reply author: Pierre-Luc
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 00:36:56
Message:

Hi, I'm from Quebec and I'd like to know if there's a way of getting the RPGA adventures even if I'm not a member? A way to pay-and-download, maybe? Thanks very much.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 00:58:23
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Zandilar, as always, you are dead-on accurate everywhere where you aren’t darned-closed accurate. Please stick your oar in, anytime. (Sorry, haven’t stopped flirting from GenCon yet. Go ahead, hit me. I like it.)




*hits Ed with a soft suede cat-o-nine-tails* *does it again for good measure*

quote:
Maxer is still around (though he “goes on missions” farther and farther afield, empowered by Mystra and Azuth, at least until the Spellplague hits and probably destroys him as the Weave goes down), so, yes, it WOULD “depend on if your character felt like sharing.” Maxer is completely generous about sharing, because he loves Storm - - and her den-mothering of all Harpers, and her ongoing love affairs and friendships with many, many folk (from halfling, gnome, and dwarven to the more numerous human, elven, and half-elven, all of both genders but probably about three-quarters male) are all part of the woman he loves.


Sounds like a very patient man.

quote:
Your summation of Storm’s preferences is dead-on accurate, though you are correct in thinking her temper was a little overblown in SHADOWDALE, and her customary character a bit different than portrayed therein. The deceitful are her pet hate, but she makes exceptions for deceivers who are trying not to hurt and telling “little white lies” and other kind deceptions, as opposed to evil deceptions. Yes, no alpha males, and yes, she’s strong but can and does love to yield and be soft (and be dominated during sex, but no “that means I can lord it over you the rest of the time” stuff, or the mate is GONE). You are also dead-on correct in this: “I expect that any potential mate would also have to settle for being with her when they can - this for two reasons, the first that she's often off "saving the world behind the scenes" and they may not be powerful enough to go along with her (ie: they would be a liability), and the second is that I don't expect anyone would get total monogamy out of her. Also, I don't think male gender would be mandatory in a mate, though I suspect the underlying preference would be in that direction (sadly enough).”


It was a nice exercise to stretch my mind and try to think like you, Ed (thinking like you thinking like Storm). Good to see I'm not too bad at it. I always figured she was mostly straight, but I'm not really able to put my finger on why - probably because of her seeming desperation to have a child. I'd ask if she actually managed to accomplish that before whatever fate awaits her in 4e, but I suspect the answer will be tightly under the rotting wraps of the Great Mummy NDAkhaman. (I'm always puzzled when infertile people will do anything they can to have a child of their own, when there's millions upon millions of orphans in the world looking for someone to love them and raise them, and that puzzlement extends to fantasy worlds as well - but I'm not the mothering type, so maybe I'm missing something.)

quote:
For the record, Storm has “been with” female partners for decades at a time in the past, and during her youth, as a slave, those were the only sort of willing relationships (as opposed to male captors forcing themselves on her) she had, for some time.


I'd probably put her on the opposite side of the Kinsey scale to me - in the bisexual range, but on the border with heterosexual, while I'm on the other side on the lesbian border... And both of us being women, that is somewhat more fluid than fixed in stone.

quote:
Yet, yes, she does tend to enjoy guys. As I once had her comment, in a scene that got firmly cut by Brian Thomsen for obvious reasons (but not until after he’d chuckled over it and said, “Nicely done. We can’t use it, of course - - but nicely done all the same”), “They have this funny, funny handle, that feels so good within, reaching up for the back of your throat.”
Ahem.


Funny handle huh? *chuckles* I don't know what the fascination is myself, but that's not the only time I've head such sentiments (with much blushing from the males involved when their partners have said as much).

quote:
So saith Ed. Ahem, indeed, Old Mage. Down from the GenCon high, there’s a good lad.


A question out of curiosity - is GenCon always in August? I ask because I'm right at the beginning stages of planning (mostly pondering how we'll be able to afford it, especially since I'm too big for cattle class air travel right at this moment in time) a visit to America for both GenCon and BlizzCon in 2011 (don't think we'll make it next year), I think, especially if GenCon and BlizzCon are always so close to each other by timeframe (BlizzCon 09 starts this Friday). Otherwise I'll have to decide which one to go to... (GenCon is higher in my priority list at the moment, meeting Ed in person is something I've wanted to do for ages! I missed out last time he was in Australia. )


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 01:39:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

A question out of curiosity - is GenCon always in August? I ask because I'm right at the beginning stages of planning (mostly pondering how we'll be able to afford it, especially since I'm too big for cattle class air travel right at this moment in time) a visit to America for both GenCon and BlizzCon in 2011 (don't think we'll make it next year), I think, especially if GenCon and BlizzCon are always so close to each other by timeframe (BlizzCon 09 starts this Friday). Otherwise I'll have to decide which one to go to... (GenCon is higher in my priority list at the moment, meeting Ed in person is something I've wanted to do for ages! I missed out last time he was in Australia. )



It seems to always be around August, least it has been for the last four years. However, this is also the case up to 2015 when it's in the end of July as seen from this press release:

http://www.gencon.com/2009/indy/sm/press/releases/2009/2009.04.07b.press.aspx


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 03:28:31
Message:

Hi, all.
As I understand it, since moving to Indy, GenCon has to shift around (in terms of dates) to avoid the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard 500 (car races at the nearby Speedway, for those not North American), and other events that will snap up all the hotel rooms in the vicinity. So it won't always be over the "same weekend" in August.
It officially starts 6 am Thursday with DAWN PATROL, but in recent years so many events and registrations (and for anyone not in the continental USA, Zandilar, like you and Ed and me, "Will Call" con badge pickup, which involves lining up and presenting your passport as photo ID) have taken place on Wednesday, that the last half of Wednesday is "part of the con" (just not part of shopping the exhibit hall, which opens 10 am Thursday). I recommend staying in Indy Sunday night, or it'll feel like you're leaving a party that's still raging.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 03:38:07
Message:

Oh, and Zandilar: Ed tells me that with all the food, drink, games, and suchlike he buys, plus his hotel room and parking, attending a GenCon costs him about 4 thousand US dollars. Not including airfare.
However, he also says that if you can curb your game buying (and there's parcel shipping available right outside the exhibit hall, in the convention center lobby; ask "Uncle" Wes Nicholson all about that, because he's been attending GenCon from Oz for seemingly decades; he's a Sydneysider, if I remember rightly), and aren't buying dinner for lots of folks, and avoid the pricey restaurants, and aren't parking a car, you COULD do GenCon in some style on about 1800 US dollars. Or bare-bones for about 1300.
Ed also wants you to know that if you are attending GenCon in a year in which he does (he intends to be at every one until he dies, but if his wife's health deteriorates much more, he may miss a few years), he'll buy you dinner and lunch and hand you cash to cover more meals when he can't be at your table (he has some "duty meals" with various publishers and game companies, and private munches with longtime friends, too), if that helps.
Oh, and if you bring a flogger or just make do with whatever's handy, he'll arch to meet and greet the blows.
Hmm. I think I'd like to watch.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 03:52:37
Message:

Ahem.
"but that's not the only time I've head such sentiments"
Zandilar, PLEASE tell me that's a typo.
Or, dear Mystra, I'll explode with mirth. I will.
BB


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 04:00:33
Message:

And to go serious for a moment, I'm guessing that Ed's "base cost" for GenCon is largely hotel rooms, which run around $170/night in the downtown, at con rates, plus an almost 20 percent [or will be; it goes up next year, I'm told] state "occupancy tax."
You can stay at B&Bs or distant hotels for less, the room rate is always the same for one or two people and goes up with more occupants after that, and there ARE cheap eats like the Subway and the Steak & Shake (and the food court in the attached mall). Of course, they're not always stellar food (though the Subway is probably the healthiest food in the downtown).
However, Ed's the expert here. I'd wager he's attended more GenCons than anyone else here at the Keep (if I remember rightly, it's GenCon 8, then 13, then 17 to date - - and we're up to, what, 42?
BB


Reply author: Kes_Alanadel
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 05:10:53
Message:

Aye, I was able to attend this year for just under 1600 USD, with hotel, food, air fair, and what I bought at the Con. The restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn had a really great soup and salad bar, and I walked to a nearby store for basics as snacks and breakfast to help keep costs down and eat healthy. (GenCon was a reward for losing weight/pant sizes, so I didn't want to undo all my hard work, lol. Plus I saved up for over a year to be able to do this year.) Most of the places I went to, you could find something fairly healthy on the menus, but you just had to dig a bit. :)

Thanks Ed for the suggestions about local conventions. The Paizo one would be the closest to me, since I'm only about 250-275 miles south of Seattle. Although any kind of fun trip has been put on hold for me indefinitely, since I'm embarking on a new career as a college student, and finding out that "poor college student" is indeed a true statement!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 07:40:45
Message:

Heya,

@Ed: Are you sure you're not an angel in human form? 'Cause I'm really beginning to think that! (An angel of Sharess, purrhaps? )

Depending on how things go, I may well take you up on the offer of a meal - as for the rest... well, I couldn't accept such generosity.

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Ahem.
"but that's not the only time I've head such sentiments"
Zandilar, PLEASE tell me that's a typo.
Or, dear Mystra, I'll explode with mirth. I will.
BB



*picks herself off the ground after laughing herself off her chair*

Oh, I wonder where the r went?! No, it wasn't intentional... But funny nevertheless.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 08:02:30
Message:

Excuse me from being a pest, my Lady and Ed, but I assume the rest of my questions regarding slavery are waiting for an answer, and were not unnoticed, yes? (I'm chronically insecure about asking anything on the internet... comes from when I was a kid and nobody would listen to me when I was right in front of them... seriously)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 08:17:24
Message:

I can understand your feelings about insecurity re: posting on the web, Menelvagor. But there's really never any need to concern yourself with that here. Rest assured, the eternal vigilance of the Lady Hooded One has ensured her recording of your questions for Ed.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 11:04:55
Message:

Greetings sweet Lady.

It seems like I have another question to add to Ed's long list, as it seems like he might be the only one to know the answer.

I was reading in the Grey Box (again) and on the entry on the diplomat Luvon Greencloak in Cormanthor, I found the location-name of Cormesta being used. I cant remember seeing that name before (although I must remember that elven history is not my strong suite), is it a variant of Cormanthyr, the name of a settlement or what?

Thanks for the help.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 11:33:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I recommend staying in Indy Sunday night, or it'll feel like you're leaving a party that's still raging.



Sunday evening is also a good moment to hook up with some people and have a drink-and-a-bite.

As for registration: assuming the systemw ill work the same as this year, you can try to volunteer for the RPGA for 4 slots (to DM, or for setup if you're quick) and get a DM badge (7 slots also gets a room wednesday til sunday). Then you only need to be at Will Call if you bought tickets online. Of course, that takes up a few slots, and it will need some planning if you want to attend a few seminars.

And if I'll be at GenCon 2011, which is not a given, I'd be happy to buy you (and THO, if she makes it there, and Ed) a meal and a drink. Or several drinks.

Edit: and I'll be happy to buy a round for the guys I met this year as well (Brian, Brian, Matt, Chris, Jeff, and Erik). Or at least arrange for the pizza.

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 15:36:00
Message:

Hi again, all.
Jorkens, "Cormesta" was a tent settlement located in various spots on the edges of the great forest that contains the ruins of Myth Drannor and borders or surrounds many of the Dales.
In other words, it was moved about by the elves to avoid Zhentarim and brigand depredations, plus attempts by wealthy Sembians to dominate it. The elves established it in the late 1330s, and it appeared in various forms until around 1362 DR or so; they intended it to be a "trading fair" where humans and other races could meet and trade with elves, hopefully without blundering deeper into the forest.
It served its purpose, but wasn't a shining success - - other than as a way for the elves to learn and identify some of the Sembian and Zhent traders who were most keen to acquire elven magic and goods, by whatever means (bribery, murder, robbery, etc. as well as through trade). Luvon saw its usefulness in this regard (as in: "Brings the b***tards to one place, so we can save on time and foot-sores and arrows in taking them down," though those actual words would never, of course, be uttered by Greencloak), but did not think that its establishment was that great an idea. For one thing, its moving about led to wild tavern-tales and expeditions to search for "lost Cormesta," and beliefs about all sorts of magic elves used to hide the place, which would of course be very useful to humans if hey could get their hands on such Art, by any means.
All the above comes from Ed's notes and discussions with him over the years.
love,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 18:57:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I recommend staying in Indy Sunday night, or it'll feel like you're leaving a party that's still raging.



Sunday evening is also a good moment to hook up with some people and have a drink-and-a-bite.

As for registration: assuming the systemw ill work the same as this year, you can try to volunteer for the RPGA for 4 slots (to DM, or for setup if you're quick) and get a DM badge (7 slots also gets a room wednesday til sunday). Then you only need to be at Will Call if you bought tickets online. Of course, that takes up a few slots, and it will need some planning if you want to attend a few seminars.

And if I'll be at GenCon 2011, which is not a given, I'd be happy to buy you (and THO, if she makes it there, and Ed) a meal and a drink. Or several drinks.

Edit: and I'll be happy to buy a round for the guys I met this year as well (Brian, Brian, Matt, Chris, Jeff, and Erik). Or at least arrange for the pizza.

Gomez



Assuming that it's will be the same next year, volunteering for Paizo Pathfinder Society games holds similar rewards. They have a 'Tier' system depending on how much you volunteer. If you go all out, you'll get a four day pass and all the bells and whistles. I volunteered to run two scenarios and got a discount at the Paizo booth, credit on my GenCon account and a nice tee-shirt!

Also, I agree with THO, stay Sunday night (I know some were forced to because of weather problems in Chicago). Not only does it make Sunday more relaxing, but you're also not trying to carry around your luggage since you have to check out in the morning.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 19:07:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Jorkens, "Cormesta" was a tent settlement located in various spots on the edges of the great forest that contains the ruins of Myth Drannor and borders or surrounds many of the Dales.
In other words, it was moved about by the elves to avoid Zhentarim and brigand depredations, plus attempts by wealthy Sembians to dominate it. The elves established it in the late 1330s, and it appeared in various forms until around 1362 DR or so; they intended it to be a "trading fair" where humans and other races could meet and trade with elves, hopefully without blundering deeper into the forest.
It served its purpose, but wasn't a shining success - - other than as a way for the elves to learn and identify some of the Sembian and Zhent traders who were most keen to acquire elven magic and goods, by whatever means (bribery, murder, robbery, etc. as well as through trade). Luvon saw its usefulness in this regard (as in: "Brings the b***tards to one place, so we can save on time and foot-sores and arrows in taking them down," though those actual words would never, of course, be uttered by Greencloak), but did not think that its establishment was that great an idea. For one thing, its moving about led to wild tavern-tales and expeditions to search for "lost Cormesta," and beliefs about all sorts of magic elves used to hide the place, which would of course be very useful to humans if hey could get their hands on such Art, by any means.
All the above comes from Ed's notes and discussions with him over the years.
love,
THO



Thank you to you both Ed and Lady of the Hood.

This will be useful, a settlement that might be located anywhere along the borders if needed. Great for starting adventures or to give the characters a helping hand if needed.

But if it was a spot for trading, how did it fill this role? Did the inhabitants move along a set trail or where runners sent out to surrounding areas informing of the new location of the settlement?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 19:42:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

(I know some were forced to because of weather problems in Chicago).


Doesn't even want to talk about what Chicago was like on Sunday. My 1030 arrival turned into 230. What a freaking mess Chicago turned into.


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 20:19:54
Message:

Hey, Ed! Congratulations on getting your own Liber amicorum!

I am guessing the answer will be NDA, but a question: in Laeral's entry in The Seven sisters, you wrote about the two other survivors of the Nine. Can you share anything about the other six(presumably dead, even as of 1367 DR) members of the Nine? Who were they? Were they always the same Nine, or did the roster fluctuate over time? If you can share anything about some of their henchmen and hangers-on, that would be very nice, too.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Aug 2009 22:36:56
Message:

Hello again, all.
I bring you the latest Realmslore reply from Ed:

Jorkens, elves left word at the inns all across the Dales, then functioned as guides to Cormesta for interested traders.

Thaura,arth, I wish I could say more about the Nine right now, but I can't; they're under a shiny new NDA. Which should in itself tell you something. ;}


So saith Ed. A subtle hinter, as always! (As in: as subtle as brick.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 00:40:21
Message:

Hello all,

Ed are there regions with strong magnetic fields in the underdark that make traversing them with metal possesions difficult to nigh impossible?

Can you name a few off the top of head possibly?

Glad you had a great Gencon, wasn't able to make it this year, dad now.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 02:18:23
Message:

Ed and THO,

I'm once again going to take a stab at penetrating an NDA wall, but it's a rather vague hypothesis, so if anything more detailed is not NDA'd, I'm always interested.

The pyramids of Ascore:

quote:
Originally posted by Skeptic

I asked Ed about this one and I got 3 letters...

NDA.



Conversation with other scribes here at the Keep got me thinking that they form a magical binding circle (given their appearance on the map of the ruins). Are they related in any way to the nameless evil that has been lurking/trapped in Ascore for the past two millennia-plus?


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 07:18:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Thaura,arth, I wish I could say more about the Nine right now, but I can't; they're under a shiny new NDA. Which should in itself tell you something. ;}


So saith Ed. A subtle hinter, as always! (As in: as subtle as brick.)
love to all,
THO



Thanks for the reply (quick, too!). Shiny new, huh? A very subtle hint indeed... Allow me to retreat and go slap myself, while repeating the mantra "Why did you not think of this earlier, you big schmuck!"


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 08:55:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all.
I bring you the latest Realmslore reply from Ed:

Jorkens, elves left word at the inns all across the Dales, then functioned as guides to Cormesta for interested traders.


So saith Ed. A subtle hinter, as always! (As in: as subtle as brick.)
love to all,
THO



Thanks again. Its amazing that this settlement, with all its potential in adventures has been left untouched throughout all the published products since the grey box.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 10:00:59
Message:

Thank you, Lady THO, and I apologize for not getting here sooner. I got together with an old friend for a three day Forgotten Realms campaign, which I haven't done in a few years, and that took up a lot of my time these last few days.

I really am appreciative of the information on Miior. I was wanting to use her properly (if I find myself forced to run the adventure since I can't find someone to run me, LOL). Thank you so much for the information thus far, and I look forward to hearing more if Mr. Greenwood's able to say more and can find the time. I always love hearing about Cormyr and the areas therein. It always reminds me of Joran and causes me to want to play him all the more.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 22 Aug 2009 10:02:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Draenar

I'm quite excited to hear about Elminster Must Die. (That title is great.)

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart
My first question is: What year was it when Storm and Elminster went to the magefair? I think it was before the Time of Troubles, but just wanted to make sure.



It took place in 1355 DR, according to this (official) site: http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/fr_timeline.asp. (It's not very up-to-date, but I've found it a good quick-reference, when hunting through the Grand History would be too distracting.)

Ah, thank you my friend!! I appreciate the time you took to find this out for me!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 16:57:03
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring this tidbit, from Ed of the Greenwood:


Hi, Jakk. Regarding CASTLEMOURN, my honest answer is: right now, I don't know about its future. I have to chat with Jamie Chambers and Margaret Weis and see what their take on things is/are; I still have (eventual, future) plans for novels set in Castlemourn, with or without MWP involvement. I'd like to see Brian Gute and Jenn Brozek (plus three other writers who must remain secret for now, two because I haven't fully discussed this with them yet, and the other because of the uncertainty and his situation) get a chance to spread their wings and do Castlemourn fiction, probably a line of novels. However, I do want you to know that as far as I'm concerned, Castlemourn is NOT dead, and I retain rights to the setting.
And then there's Embersea . . .


So saith Ed. Who I know chatted with a Tor editor at GenCon, and of course is now working with Paizo and Herobits and Goodman Games, not to mention Open Design and of course WotC.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 17:26:34
Message:

Hi again, all. Tidbit time again, courtesy of Ed!
Back on page 80 of this thread, The Sage asked this (as a followup to a query from Markustay about Ed telling us about any Chosen who might reside outside Faerûn): “Ed, I'd also like to hear more about any Chosen of Mystra who might reside [or, maybe, once did reside] beyond Toril itself, perhaps somewhere else out among the reaches of Realmspace?”
Ed replies:



Some of what I’d like to say is under several NDAs, but I can mention one such Chosen: Narandor the Metal Mage. An embittered, cynical hermit (think Eeyore in the Pooh tales, for disposition), this archwizard of early Halruaa ended up on the wrong end of a spell-duel and got mangled horribly, in magics that kept him alive to feel the pain as a foe’s sequence of minor acid-burst and transforming spells wracked him (envisage, if you will, spells that shield the target from system shock and unconsciousness, and shapeshift them constantly to heal and reform around budding cysts in the interior of which flesh-searing acid is developed; the cysts grow and then burst, showering the surrounding flesh of the victim with agonizing “melting” effects; the cysts have an interior coating that resists and contains the acid until the cyst ruptures).
Debilitated but unable to die, Narandor writhed in helpless pain until some of his former apprentices found him. They tried to quell the spells riding him, but managed only to isolate them in several of his limbs—which they then blasted into oblivion. Narandor lost consciousness, and they debated as to what to do for him; slay him out of mercy, transform him utterly, transfer his sentience into a beast-body, or - - their eventual choice - - replace his missing limbs with flowmetal, something many Halruaans had been working on. This is in effect “living” metal that bonds with an organic body and slowly poisons it, but in the meantime can function as replacement limbs, digits, etc. Flowmetal’s poisoning has never been overcome, and its use was later abandoned as spells were developed that could “infect” it swiftly to cause death of someone bonded to it in a handful of breaths, but Narandor received a right arm and shoulder, a right leg, and a left knee, all of replacement flowmetal - - which he has to this day. He counteracted the poisoning by devising a spell that shifts the chemical balance of his remaining organic body constantly, so that it flows in shape, weeps a pus of ceaseless discharges, and can grow functional fingers, breasts, crude press-lungs, false eyes, etc. as he wills.
Narandor was already a master of skyship design, and he sailed one of his ships high into the sky and tethered it to a magically-levitated chunk of rock (all that remained of a blasted-to-dust “skycastle” fortress, that had once belonged to a Netherese archwizard until several rivals decided to destroy him whilst he was in residence).
Then Narandor used his spells to cover the rock with edible mosses, lichens, and mushrooms, and settled down in isolation to devise new spells. His experiments were long and studded with more failures than successes, but he eventually achieved two things: the ability to ensnare moisture and shield his home from the full heat of the sun, so as to keep that dampness and preserve his plants from baking on the rock - - and the ability to move his home through the skies with fair precision. Whereupon, of course, he set about traveling around collecting other aerial fragments, and “growing” his home into his own private little jungle, plus bits and pieces of several ruined skyships and aerial abodes.
Mystra imbued him with some of her silver fire (with his enthusiastic agreement) not to have him be a meddling “remake the world” Chosen, but to store some of herself where others were unlikely to come into contact with it. For his part, Narandor gained a permanent freedom from the flowmetal poisoning effect (the silver fire offsets it), Mystra’s love, gratitude, and presence whenever he grows lonely and calls for it, and philosophical debates from time to time with Mystra or various of her servitors, who now act as Narandor’s agents in Faerûn, to bring him back items he desires (mainly substances for spell experimentations).
Narandor is now fairly contented, though he retains his doleful manner, and lives his life making various exotic wines, researching spells, and using his magics to observe events on Faerûn far below.
This is all pre-Spellplague, of course; what befalls him when the Weave fails is up to you; I’d suspect his aerial home would be sent on a wild ride, and eventually crash to earth - - but I’d not count Narandor out as conveniently dying in the crash. I’d suspect he’d survive the Spellplague, as a disfigured, part-metal wandering wizard who keeps to himself and stays hidden as much as possible. Extremely bad news for any arrogant young warlock or wizard who encounters and misjudges him, of course. ;}



So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms, and spinner of masterful little tidbits of additional Realmslore (like this one) whenever we can nudge him into doing so.
And I (she purred) am a nudger from way back . . .

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Bladewind
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 18:46:15
Message:

Horrible and fascinating! Thanks Ed and THO


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 18:55:10
Message:

are there plans for a falconfar campaign setting book???


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 20:41:09
Message:

Hi again, all.
sfdragon, I sent your query off to Ed, and he sent back:


There are vague, nebulous, no-publisher-attached plans for a setting book, yes. However, don't expect to see one soon. The final novel in the trilogy, also called FALCONFAR, has been submitted to the publisher, accepted, and is expected to appear in February 2010.
I say "expected" because there's a complicating factor (which is also why setting book plans remain nebulous): Black Library put the Solaris imprint up for sale, and any new owner may well have different plans (and interpretations of current books and series) than Solaris has right now.
However, yes, I would very much like to do a Falconfar setting book. Even a boardgame. :}


So saith Ed. Builder of worlds upon worlds...
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 21:28:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
I bring this tidbit, from Ed of the Greenwood:


Hi, Jakk. Regarding CASTLEMOURN, my honest answer is: right now, I don't know about its future. I have to chat with Jamie Chambers and Margaret Weis and see what their take on things is/are; I still have (eventual, future) plans for novels set in Castlemourn, with or without MWP involvement. I'd like to see Brian Gute and Jenn Brozek (plus three other writers who must remain secret for now, two because I haven't fully discussed this with them yet, and the other because of the uncertainty and his situation) get a chance to spread their wings and do Castlemourn fiction, probably a line of novels. However, I do want you to know that as far as I'm concerned, Castlemourn is NOT dead, and I retain rights to the setting.
And then there's Embersea . . .<snip>


Yes... and let's not forget Falconfar, as mentioned in Ed's reply to sfdragon... many very good things... thank you, Ed and THO.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 23 Aug 2009 21:29:32
Message:

Castlemourn Novels sound great. I would read them.

Narandor the Metal Mage: pretty interesting. I see him Floating in the Astral Sea after the Spellplague.

Falconfar Setting would be total win. I still need to order Archwizard.

Thanks THO and of course Ed.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 00:26:25
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Debilitated but unable to die, Narandor writhed in helpless pain until some of his former apprentices found him. They tried to quell the spells riding him, but managed only to isolate them in several of his limbs—which they then blasted into oblivion. Narandor lost consciousness, and they debated as to what to do for him; slay him out of mercy, transform him utterly, transfer his sentience into a beast-body, or - - their eventual choice - - replace his missing limbs with flowmetal, something many Halruaans had been working on. <snip explanation of flow metal>



I just love how his apprentices come up with several things they could do, then do the worst possible one they could - one that is (to the best of their knowledge at the time) going to result in a long, drawn out, and painful death. (Which is on top of what was already done to the poor man, really, did they want to break him completely?)

What happened to getting him to a cleric stat?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 01:38:11
Message:

Ed, you've my eternal thanks. And you as well, my lovely Lady.

So this is intriguing stuff. I'll definitely be dropping this into my campaign when I've an opportunity. As my players can always expect some tantalising piece of Realmspace-lore to find its way into whatever type of campaign they're running through.

One additional question:- Could you possibly tell me more about Narandor's past skyship designs?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 02:33:30
Message:

Heh. Zandilar, you speak with the calm, reasoned voice of truth.
So at odds with early Halruaa, with all of its Netherese treachery, insanity, paranoia, backbiting, and wild reasoning.
I often wish a little more of Ed's Halruaa had been published, before we got the FR16 (it was 16, wasn't it? I'm away from my lore-library right now) and then Elaine's versions, both of which deal with the later, more tradition-bound and "ordered society" evolution of the land.
Sage, your query has been e-hurled in Ed's direction, to see what he'll cough up.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 06:44:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Heh. Zandilar, you speak with the calm, reasoned voice of truth.
So at odds with early Halruaa, with all of its Netherese treachery, insanity, paranoia, backbiting, and wild reasoning.
I often wish a little more of Ed's Halruaa had been published, before we got the FR16 (it was 16, wasn't it? I'm away from my lore-library right now) and then Elaine's versions, both of which deal with the later, more tradition-bound and "ordered society" evolution of the land.
Sage, your query has been e-hurled in Ed's direction, to see what he'll cough up.
love to all,
THO



Yup, FR16 -- the first of two FR tomes to bear the name Shining South.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 08:04:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Sage, your query has been e-hurled in Ed's direction, to see what he'll cough up.
I've got a side-query related to that question as well. But since it'll bring up some details of my own campaign [which I can't really post here], I'll e-hurl your way.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 12:05:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Yup, FR16 -- the first of two FR tomes to bear the name Shining South.



Isn't one of them called the Shining South, though?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 14:29:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Yup, FR16 -- the first of two FR tomes to bear the name Shining South.



Isn't one of them called the Shining South, though?

Yes. FR16 is titled The Shining South. The 3e tome is simply Shining South.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 15:31:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Yup, FR16 -- the first of two FR tomes to bear the name Shining South.



Isn't one of them called the Shining South, though?

Yes. FR16 is titled The Shining South. The 3e tome is simply Shining South.




Quite true, but it's a pretty minor difference in titles. I wish they'd given the 3E tome a name that wasn't practically identical, because that kind of thing only leads to confusion.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 16:01:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Yup, FR16 -- the first of two FR tomes to bear the name Shining South.



Isn't one of them called the Shining South, though?

Yes. FR16 is titled The Shining South. The 3e tome is simply Shining South.




Quite true, but it's a pretty minor difference in titles. I wish they'd given the 3E tome a name that wasn't practically identical, because that kind of thing only leads to confusion.

Hmmm. I seem to recall either Thomas Reid or Rich Baker [over at Wizards] suggesting that alternate names for the 3e tome were discussed at some point.

I'll have to check my archives.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 17:09:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I often wish a little more of Ed's Halruaa had been published, before we got the FR16 (it was 16, wasn't it? I'm away from my lore-library right now) and then Elaine's versions, both of which deal with the later, more tradition-bound and "ordered society" evolution of the land.
Sage, your query has been e-hurled in Ed's direction, to see what he'll cough up.
love to all,
THO



How much did the south, as shown in that product, match with Ed's original ideas? I would guess that most of it was the creation of Tom Prusa, but did it still manage to portray the right "feel" of the region as originally intended?


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 24 Aug 2009 21:33:29
Message:

Hello All,

For Ed, THO you can answer if you hav any info as well. I want to know if Ed used diseases or poisons that affected creatures thought to be immune to either?
I'm thinking that Talona in particular would surely have issues with those that oppose her being immune to her afflictions.

I assume that Ed created afflictions that might be technically considered a poison or a disease in terms of symtoms but may have been something else entirely.

Any thing you can share?


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 25 Aug 2009 22:38:11
Message:

Hey Ed, I hope you're recovering from GenCon alright; one of these days I'll make it down there and say hi again. In the meantime, however, I have a quick question: I was rereading Volo's Guide to All Things Magical and noticed something that had escaped me all the other times I read it. In the section on Elixirs, under the Great Elixir, Volo mentions that Elminster has assured him that the recipe he's about to give is accurate. However, he doesn't actually *give* a recipe, the way he does with the other three elixirs. Instead he launches right into the effects. Can you share how to make it? I enjoy sending my players off on various wild-goose chases (if anyone from my CK game is reading this... uhh... heh heh ), and could definitely make use of the recipe. Many thanks.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 06:57:33
Message:

Hello Ed and THO,

I was perusing Candlekeep's library when I found (again) a scroll by Doug Niles recounting the Darkwalker on Moonshae refitting. It reminded me of a question I had when I first read the scroll three years ago (at which time I was not a contributing scribe, just a newly-arrived frequent reader). Is the original geography of your Moonshaes covered by the original-submission NDA blanket, or is it possible for you to share a map of that region with us at Candlekeep? Thank you for your reply, whatever it may be.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 18:26:41
Message:

Sorry, Jakk. The "original" Moonshaes are indeed behind the mighty NDA wall.
Some scribes have seen them when (the Ed roast at a GenCon some years back, for instance) the "master" map of the Realms has been exhibited (Ed's photocopies all taped together and marker-coloured; glimpses of it can be seen in the D&D 40th anniversary coffee table book, again from a few years back), but neither TSR nor WotC have ever officially published them anywhere.
However, who knows? Ed will try again to get them into print, somehow and somewhere, and we'll see.
One can but try.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 18:29:33
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ed has fallen silent for two days to quickly take care of some future Realms matters. The Realms are not dead!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 19:23:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Ed has fallen silent for two days to quickly take care of some future Realms matters. The Realms are not dead!
love to all,
THO


That looks promising.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 19:31:20
Message:

Please tell Mr. Greenwood that I wish him all the best with his new Realms project, and that this is one paladin that's looking forward to opening a chest (my bookstore) and reading through the brand new tome that's found therein!


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 26 Aug 2009 19:53:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Ed has fallen silent for two days to quickly take care of some future Realms matters. The Realms are not dead!
love to all,
THO


That looks promising.


It does indeed...


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 10:05:57
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed has fallen silent for two days to quickly take care of some future Realms matters. The Realms are not dead!



I don't know why, but I feel like a goose just walked over my grave...

There's something ominous about the way you had to clarify that the Realms were not dead, my lady. Is there something I'm missing?


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 10:44:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed has fallen silent for two days to quickly take care of some future Realms matters. The Realms are not dead!



I don't know why, but I feel like a goose just walked over my grave...

There's something ominous about the way you had to clarify that the Realms were not dead, my lady. Is there something I'm missing?



I just read that as eagerness and encouragement to those who are sceptical about the future of the Realms product-wise myself.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 13:51:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens


I just read that as eagerness and encouragement to those who are sceptical about the future of the Realms product-wise myself.



The Realms are vibrant and alive!

I also think she was joking about the relative quietness on the board.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 16:39:35
Message:

Hi again, all.
Right on, gomez and Jorkens.
You need not worry about the Realms, Zandilar. The number of burgeoning projects Ed is involved in or being consulted on or hearing about bodes very well for the Realms as a continuing published presence.
Not in the "half dozen sourcebooks and same number of novels plus comics and other extras, per year" form it used to be in - - but then, if you look across the industry, NOTHING is getting that sort of coverage these days (Warhammer comes closest, but only if you consider all the different novel lines still "one"). The era of the Net and the PDF and the online magazine and web enhancements have all hit, and wrought their changes.
Me, I'd still prefer the bookshelf of tangible books I could read, and re-read (and buy still-in-print replacements for, when they finally fell apart through heavy usage and love), but as Ed often says: "I'm not running a game company. I'd be a disaster at it if I tried."
love,
THO


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 20:10:31
Message:

hehe THO tell ED for me that its a disaster if anyone tries that, even the ones who are doing it.
disaster= pain killers and killer headaches.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 27 Aug 2009 20:50:29
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I ran into a gamer earlier today who once played in an Ed-run Realms adventure, and he told me to ask Ed to tell me "the story of the six dragons fighting in a castle, and wrecking it," apparently while he and other PC adventurers were inside.
So, Ed, being as this is one I've GOT to hear . . . please?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 28 Aug 2009 01:20:15
Message:

Congrats THO on your 3000th post!

Question related to my earlier query about the Moonshaes: Is there any geographical part of Ed's Realms that was not used by TSR/WotC and is not covered by NDA? Primarily, I'm thinking of the continent north of Maztica on the "Scholar's View of Abeir-Toril" map in the 3E FRCS (if there is in fact anything more than a coastline), as I know that Ed's Anchorome was quite different... which leads me to my second query: How much of the geography of that map (speaking here strictly in terms of continental outlines) is Ed's, and how much is the work of Zeb Cook (Kara-Tur), Jeff Grubb (Zakhara), and others? What I'm really wondering is, were Kara-Tur, Zakhara, and Maztica placed in existing (formerly blank) geography, or were the maps designed along with the settings occupying them? Apologies for the long-winded phrasing of the inquiry. I'm going to try to cut back on the queries for a while and give Ed time to catch up on some answers for all of us... I've been told for over thirty of my less than forty years that I ask too many questions.


Reply author: vallon
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 00:56:18
Message:

Greetings! This is my first post on CK Forum. I've been reading everyone's posts for some time and have been amazed at the knowledge of all of the scribes. The kindness of THO and the Old Mage's incredible imagination is truly humbling. I came to FR thru the novels--the first was Elminster in Hell. I think it's a great novel (not 'just' a great FR book). I was hooked and knew that I wanted to explore Ed's world and writing. I've read all of his novels and have just finished Elaine Cunningham's, as well. Thanks again, Ed, for a wonderful world.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 01:04:40
Message:

If I may say so, welcome to Candlekeep!


Reply author: vallon
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 01:07:45
Message:

Why thank you, Joran!


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 01:17:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by vallon

Why thank you, Joran!

You're very welcome, Vallon. And I have to say that Elaine Cunningham's books are some of my favorites. I hope that you enjoyed them as much as I have. Some of her characters have been used to great effect in my campaigns, especially Elaith.

I'll go back to being quiet now, LOL.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 02:39:46
Message:

Hi again, all. I bring the latest words of Ed:

Vallon, welcome, and thank you very much for your kind words about ELMINSTER IN HELL. I'm rather proud of that one, myself. :} Right now, I'm contemplating putting old El through a rather different sort of hell, but NDAs prevent me from saying anything more useful about that.
Sage, you asked about Narandor's skyship designs. Narandor was one of the first to move past wanting to design sleek, "super sea-sailing vessel" ship shapes, into gigantic round discs with a central torus or "bulge" full of living or cargo quarters, with multiple linked-control wings, rudders, and steering vanes all over the ship. He kept refining these designs, in various sizes, most of them looking increasingly less like something meant to fly - - but they were incredibly durable because they had tripod feet, could suffer the loss of several wings and fins and vanes and still maneuver and fly with some precision, and were riddled with internal braces, buttresses, and "crumple zones" (not a term anyone in the Realms would use, of course). As a result, many of them - - more than three dozen - - still survive, crashed in mountainous regions or buried under city buildings or drowned deep in seas but serving aquatic races as abodes. Narandor even devised ships that "gave birth" to smaller gigs or launches that could be used to ferry passengers and small cargoes to and from the larger ships, or to escape them if need be.


So saith Ed. Who will return with more Realmslore late tomorrow, if possible (he has family visiting again, hence the slowdown in his Realmslore offerings).
love to all,
THO

Edit: Oops, I dropped the last two lines Ed wrote to Vallon from Ed's post. Here they are (with apologies to Elaine, who is named in them):
I share your love of Elaine's books, too, and have done from my first glimpse of ELFSHADOW, so long ago, when I got to really revel in Waterdeep brought to life so well that throughout the entire book, there was never a jarring moment for me; it was literally my imagined city brought to life (with GREAT new characters, too!). I loved working with Elaine, much later, on CITY OF SPLENDORS, and would cheerfully write half a dozen sequels if Wizards would let us, and we could do them all together, and Elaine wanted to; I want to see more of "what happened next" to all of the surviving characters, plus the ones we had to trim for lack of wordcount.


Sorry, Ed and Elaine. Two long and important sentences almost fell into oblivion, there!
My bad. Ed, I'll expect my usual punishment. Elaine, feel free to join in if you're that way inclined, too.
love,
THO


Reply author: vallon
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 14:25:35
Message:

Thank you Ed and Good Lady. I'm currently reading the Best of the Realms Book III: the stories of Elaine Cunningham. City of Splendors was, of course, brought to mind as I read the excellent story 'Fire is Fire'. So much to admire in this book! Until that happy day when I can browse the shelves of Larksong Stories once again, it's on to the 'Ed presents...' books(City of the Dead-featuring the wonderful Carver family-has whetted my appetite for more!). Love to you both and to Elaine, as well.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 14:44:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

If I may say so, welcome to Candlekeep!


I agree. Well met.


Reply author: vallon
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 15:07:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

If I may say so, welcome to Candlekeep!


I agree. Well met.



Thank you, kind sir!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 15:59:25
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a rooftop question, pre-Spellplague, for the cities of Suzail, Marsember, and Arabel. Omitting public buildings, castles, and nobles' mansions, and just considering multi-storey "street block buildings" (er, like the brownstones of real-world NYC, or the "street-floor-shop, two or three levels of office or living quarters above" rectangular buildings of many, many places)...what are the roofs GENERALLY like?
As in: ventilation shafts, roof hatches/ladders/what access is there, exactly? Flat areas? Nearly-flat areas? Any spots that could be used to shelter from wet or cold weather? Any hiding places for humans? Or for much smaller objects?
I'm awaiting some rooftop fights, in my current campaign.
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 29 Aug 2009 16:43:46
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a fashion question, for nobles and wealthy "noble-wannabes" in Suzail and high society Cormyr. Both pre- and post-Spellplague, if you will...
When do fashion-forefront, "daring" ladies wear boots? Slippers? Stiletto-heeled shoes? (Or do these exist at all?)
And how do elderly, conservative, "dowdy" noblewomen and rich old non-noble ladies behave differently, re. wearing footwear?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Aug 2009 18:49:33
Message:

Hi again, all. I bring you once more the words of Ed, this time in response to Blueblade's recent query: "Dear Ed and THO, I ran into a gamer earlier today who once played in an Ed-run Realms adventure, and he told me to ask Ed to tell me "the story of the six dragons fighting in a castle, and wrecking it," apparently while he and other PC adventurers were inside. So, Ed, being as this is one I've GOT to hear . . . please?"
Ed replies:


Ah, that was back in the 1980s; a standalone 4-hour Realms adventure I ran at several conventions, usually at charity events. That one concerned a long-abandoned, ruined castle (one of the Ghost Holds in Battledale) whose upper floors had been gutted by a long-ago fire. A wounded, pursued-by-former-comrades Sembian thief had hidden loot in one of its cellars, intending to return, and been slain before he could. Monsters were now lairing in the place, and the PCs are a band of young novices out to seek their fortunes, hoping to earn a few coins from alchemists in Ordulin and Yhaunn who've promised to pay well for certain sorts of beast scales, blood, claws/talons, tails, and internal organs.
It was a low-level dungeon crawl, with more mysteries and minor encounters than really tough beasts, a few undead, no "traps" . . . and one big "teach players when the have their characters just flee like heck" moment: if a certain long-lost Netherese magic item is disturbed, it is activated, sending out images and silent "mind-calls" across most of the Sea of Fallen Stars and Moonsea North region to lure dragons. Unwitting hatchlings and immature young drakes will be drawn to it, but a few of the elder wyrms will recognize it for just what it is, and come at speed to destroy it. It can be used to compel (command, perfectly) dragons by those who know how, and some evil dragons may succumb, once close to it, to the temptation to seize and wield it against other dragons, to turn them into its slaves.
So what happens, if the PCs disturb this item, is that the elder wyrms come winging to the castle in a frantic race to get to the item first and destroy it (or if beset by other dragons, use it to force them away or to fight each other so as to leave them time enough to destroy it [or if they're evil, goad all other dragons into slaughtering each other so as to leave it with as few rivals as possible, ere they need to sleep, and "turn the item off" ere hiding it in their own hoard or elsewhere]).
The dragons literally tear apart the upper floors of the castle searching for the item ans fighting each other; the PCs risk being buried alive, and so must come up into the midst of this battle, and become its focus. What happens then depends on their actions (throwing the item away and fleeing, trying to use the item against the dragons, trying to just flee with it, and so on). There is nothing in the adventure that tells the PCs how to use the item or what it does, so they are unlikely to "do the wisest thing" except by observation of the dragons, swift reactions, or chance.
They are also extremely unlikely to be able to control the dragons well enough for a clear triumph; the item in effect causes the adventure to end in a frantic whirlwind of fleeing, fighting, and trying to figure out what to do. Several parties saw one member either foolishly or heroically die in the jaws of a dragon, item in hand, trying to control a situation where far too many dragons are coming at the PCs from far too many directions to cope with all at once.
Heh-heh.


So saith Ed. Who isn't usually this, ah, "mean" to players, but enjoyed posing this challenge to them. When he sprang it on the Knights, we hurled the item into the deepest cellar, and as the dragons swarmed after it, clawing each other and at the walls and earth around, our mages blasted the damaged ruins so as to collapse it all down on their heads - - long enough for us to take ourselves elsewhere. In a farukking hurry!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 30 Aug 2009 19:06:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

<chop>So saith Ed. Who isn't usually this, ah, "mean" to players, but enjoyed posing this challenge to them. When he sprang it on the Knights, we hurled the item into the deepest cellar, and as the dragons swarmed after it, clawing each other and at the walls and earth around, our mages blasted the damaged ruins so as to collapse it all down on their heads - - long enough for us to take ourselves elsewhere. In a farukking hurry!
love to all,
THO



Great story, Ed and THO! Thanks for sharing! I would imagine that after dropping a castle on a bunch of dragons, the only way to flee is via teleport... anything else just isn't fast enough for anybody concerned.

No question; just wanted to share my appreciation for a good adventuring tale. I have a few of those myself, but this is not the place for them. Besides, I have timeline tweaks and an old PC ancestry to work on for an eventual campaign. Not to mention a Pathfinder rulebook to read... enough babbling by me. Oh, and one quick question while I'm about it: Anything new to report on the liberation of pre-Spellplague lore from the NDA vaults? That's all. Thanks!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 30 Aug 2009 19:55:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ah, that was back in the 1980s; a standalone 4-hour Realms adventure I ran at several conventions, usually at charity events. That one concerned a long-abandoned, ruined castle (one of the Ghost Holds in Battledale) whose upper floors had been gutted by a long-ago fire.



Hmmm. Would it be possible to rework this adventure (possibly sans Nethril item, or maybe a bit changed) for 4th ed? It might make a nice LFR Dalelands introduction adventure.
If Ed sees a possibility - well you have my email address ;)

Gomez


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 01:55:53
Message:

Heya,

Just a quick question that occurred to me this morning while musing about the Realms (I tend to do that from time to time ).

Does the art of Hypnosis exist in the Realms, and if so, how is it viewed? And more importantly does it actually work (given that some things just don't seem to translate from Earth to Realms)?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 02:16:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Does the art of Hypnosis exist in the Realms, and if so, how is it viewed? And more importantly does it actually work (given that some things just don't seem to translate from Earth to Realms)?

While awaiting Ed's reply, I will note that a form of self-hypnosis exists in the Realms, among the Rashemaar berserkers.

And, as I recall, the morkoth [as noted in Sea of Fallen Stars] utilise hypnosis against their prey.


Reply author: reiwynn
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 07:48:15
Message:

Dear THO and ED,

I have a post (possibly pre) Spellplague question about Vangerdahast. In Elminster's daughter he was told that the chosen could turn him into a dragon so that he could become one of Cormyr's new guardians. Would he still be in this stasis after the Spellplague or would he have perished / been let loose because of it, and if he's still alive how would he be affected by it having been in stasis?

Thank you =)


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 16:19:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a rooftop question, pre-Spellplague, for the cities of Suzail, Marsember, and Arabel. Omitting public buildings, castles, and nobles' mansions, and just considering multi-storey "street block buildings" (er, like the brownstones of real-world NYC, or the "street-floor-shop, two or three levels of office or living quarters above" rectangular buildings of many, many places)...what are the roofs GENERALLY like?
As in: ventilation shafts, roof hatches/ladders/what access is there, exactly? Flat areas? Nearly-flat areas? Any spots that could be used to shelter from wet or cold weather? Any hiding places for humans? Or for much smaller objects?
I'm awaiting some rooftop fights, in my current campaign.
Thanks!



I'm definately not Ed (no beard for one thing), but there was a mention or two of characters wearing stiletto-heels in War of the Spider Queen - then again, seeing as that were drow, I guess it could be a more literal description


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 16:58:15
Message:

Hi again, all! reiwynn, Ed has sent me a very swift reply to your query about Vangerdahast:


Sorry, but a bright, shiny new NDA (hint hint HINT) is in place regarding Vangerdahast's fate. We shall have to see . . .
And yes, there are plans to let all of us see.


So saith Ed. Ho ho, and so forth.
love,
THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 17:05:54
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another question, if you will.
Does the average shopkeeper in Suzail (and Waterdeep, and Iriaebor) make notes? As in, the equivalent of a little notepad or pocket book for jotting down contact information, orders, requests, reminders of stuff to do, tallies, and so on?
If so, what format do these usually take? A chalkboard? Stuff chalked on a countertop? ?
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 17:08:43
Message:

Heh. Regarding BA's previous question, I seem to remember another canon reference to stiletto heels in the Realms, as worn by a human female in a city. I just can't remember where. I DO know I'm not recalling a website piece (so, no Spin A Yarns) or magazine article, either. Hmmm.


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 17:47:53
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Sorry, but a bright, shiny new NDA (hint hint HINT) is in place regarding Vangerdahast's fate. We shall have to see . . .
And yes, there are plans to let all of us see.

That is all.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 31 Aug 2009 21:29:36
Message:

so Vangy's fate too is veiled by NDA the Great Knowledge With-holder.....

how very interesting, maybe in Elminster must die.

I swear if El dies I wont buy anymore FR novels...



um yes a Question,

has anyone in any of Ed's games had a character that worshiped a non canon home grown deity ??? and what was its name.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 01 Sep 2009 00:32:44
Message:

I'm waiting for Wizards to give Ed a chance to fill in the gaps in Elminster's Saga, so it gives us the overall panorama of his life, like Salvatore has been able to do with Drizzt. For one thing, it would show us SO many more useful Realms NPCs, familiar to us and not yet known to us.
Failing that, I want to see more about the descendants of, say, Elminster's daughter, or the Knights of Myth Drannor - - or even what Narm did after the end of the Shandril trilogy.
So many stories . . .


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 01 Sep 2009 02:54:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

I'm waiting for Wizards to give Ed a chance to fill in the gaps in Elminster's Saga, so it gives us the overall panorama of his life, like Salvatore has been able to do with Drizzt. For one thing, it would show us SO many more useful Realms NPCs, familiar to us and not yet known to us.
Failing that, I want to see more about the descendants of, say, Elminster's daughter, or the Knights of Myth Drannor - - or even what Narm did after the end of the Shandril trilogy.
So many stories . . .



Baleful Avatar, you might be waiting a long time, given Wizards' stated intent to avoid pre-Spellplague storylines... which is what frustrates me about the timejump, as I've already said. They won't tell the stories, but they won't repeal the NDAs either, which means the old lore stays bottled up.

Ed, I'm really hoping that (a) I'm very wrong in my perception here, and (b) you can correct me at least in a general sense (I understand that specific examples are impossible where the mighty NDA is concerned). That's the closest thing to a question I have; I'm trying to let you catch up in your answers to older queries, but I suspect that my efforts are in vain here.

The only thing I can think of regarding my earlier thoughts is that Wizards is keeping the old lore back as an ace in the hole if the Spellplagued Realms don't do well, so they have something "new" to reboot the setting with for 5E... whenever that comes along. It should be noted that this is all just my speculations; I have nothing to base this on, because I can't find any data to provide the slightest bit of a foundation for a real theory. Hopefully I've emphasized that enough. I hope for the sake of the Realms as a continued publication that it does well, regardless of my personal feelings about its current state, and the last thing I want is for Wizards to turn it into a novels-only setting because the game products aren't selling.

Ed, if there's anything you can contribute to correct my assumptions, I'd love to hear it... particularly if it's lore that you've managed to pry out from uNDA whatever was trapping it.


Reply author: reiwynn
Replied on: 01 Sep 2009 11:41:19
Message:

Thank you THO and Ed for the reply it's very much appreciated. Now to wait with much anticipation for Elminster must die. =)


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 02 Sep 2009 21:30:50
Message:

Dear Ed,
Years back you gave a talk (at one of the GenCons you were a Guest of Honor at, but I can't recall which one) during which you mentioned a merchant character who bred small lizards for cooking-pot use in the Vast, who was traveling with caravans through Cormyr and Sembia trying to establish regular buyers for his lizards, and not encountering many takers except in Marsember.
What was that character's name, did you develop any more about him, did you use him in play (e.g. with THO and the players of the Knights), and what was his fate?
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 02 Sep 2009 21:34:17
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I've just found some of my notes from a chat I had with you at the Great Canadian Baycon a few years ago.
Unfortunately, I wasn't (and "amn't") a very good note-taker. So could you please tell me: what is or was "The Book That Talks Back" ?
And how did it come to "public" attention in the Realms?
Thanks,
BB


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 02 Sep 2009 23:30:51
Message:

Hi Ed. Happy belated birthday and all that - as I knew about your 'surprise', I didn't get in touch before GEN-CON but will drop you an e-mail this weekend to shoot the breeze.

I was thinking the other day (dangerous, I know) about the Simbul and the Red Wizards of Thay and it sent me wondering as to whether there were any Red Wizards that she respected or perhaps (*horror*) even feared just a teensy little bit. You've long stated in published realmslore that the zulkirs of Thay are not necessarily the most magically mighty in the realm (save for Szass perhaps) so I was wondering about other, more subtle but still powerful movers and shakers in Thay.

Show us what you got! (And if that doesn't provoke a response from THO, I don't know what will ...)

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 02 Sep 2009 23:38:55
Message:

I had no idea that I missed Mr. Greenwood's birthday greeting. Please send along my own Happy Belated Birthday too.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 03 Sep 2009 01:02:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

I had no idea that I missed Mr. Greenwood's birthday greeting. Please send along my own Happy Belated Birthday too.

If you scroll back several pages [back into mid-to-late-July], you'll read some happy birthday messages to and from Ed.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Sep 2009 17:27:18
Message:

Hi again, all.
Ed is inundated with family again (!), but reports that the book is three-quarters done (in first draft), and is still humming along.
George, one of those mighty Thayans would be a guy called "Aumoaran," about which I know only his name. We Knights saw him from afar, momentarily, once. Able to blast (most) zulkirs into nothingness without much apparent qualm, preparation, or fuss.
love,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 03 Sep 2009 17:33:55
Message:



Sounds scary.


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 03 Sep 2009 19:13:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Joran Nobleheart

I had no idea that I missed Mr. Greenwood's birthday greeting. Please send along my own Happy Belated Birthday too.

If you scroll back several pages [back into mid-to-late-July], you'll read some happy birthday messages to and from Ed.


Thank you, Sage.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 04 Sep 2009 08:33:42
Message:

Ah, but what does the Sibul feel towrds Aumoaran? Respect or fear? And what about Lauzoril? WHat does hse feel regarding him?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 04 Sep 2009 15:29:32
Message:

Someone finally remembered to give us the final bit of the 2008 Spin a Yarn. According to the Archives page, it's been up since August 10th -- but I've been keeping an eye out for it, checking daily, and it wasn't there yesterday or any time before then.

Anyway, here's all the links!

Introducing "Volo Breaks a Hot Tale"
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part One)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Two)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Three)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Four)
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (Part Five)

And for the last time this year, I'll repeat that all the links for prior Spin A Yarn tales can be found in my Spin A Yarn links thread.

Edit: While updating my own page of links, I noted that this time, they compiled the entire tale into a single pdf. Here's the link (which is also on my Spin A Yarn page, noted above):
"Volo Breaks a Hot Tale" (collected pdf)


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Sep 2009 16:33:24
Message:

Oooh! Another fine addition. And, also, kinda what I was hoping for in terms of a finish. This will definitely fold nicely with my currently planned Volo-based side quest in my Realms campaign running this weekend.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Sep 2009 21:51:33
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
My Realmslore question for today: in Waterdeep, Cormyr, Sembia, or Amn, if Character X gets fined by the justice system, HOW do they pay it? Are they held in custody until someone brings the money? Do they have a few days to pay? Are they escorted home from the court by Watch officers who stay with them until they get the money and bring it back? Or - - ?
And what tender is acceptable? All coins accepted, or - -?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 02:50:35
Message:

Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, when you ask: "Ah, but what does The Simbul feel towards Aumoaran? Respect or fear? And what about Lauzoril? WHat does she feel regarding him?"
I'm awfully tempted to reply:

You'll have to ask her. She's right over yonder. Ask VERY nicely, and be sure you have an escape route ready. Me, I'll stand well back.
love,
THO
P.S. Don't worry, your post has been sent to Ed. He's inundated with family right now (yes! again!), but I'm sure he'll reply soon after he digs himself out. The book is still coming along nicely, he tells me; deep in Chapter 28, right now.


Reply author: The Simbul
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 04:53:10
Message:

Its worth noting that the Simbul's feelings toward and interactions with Lauzoril are covered fairly well in The Simbul's Gift by Lynn Abbey.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 07:39:30
Message:

Hello again. In my campaign, something came up that I was hoping Mr. Greenwood could solve for me. A few months back, my players and my NPC succeeded in freeing Lothen of the Silver Spires from the orc tribes that had inhabited the city. My question is... when it was a living, vital city back in the days of Siluvanede, how large was the city, population wise? And if there's any further information that can be brought to light on this city, I'd be very grateful to hear it. Thank you!


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 11:29:49
Message:

do tell ED that I finally finished archwizard.
started slowly but it was a good read.


.... to many other good books to read.
wasnt for those blasted good for nothing book reports during school growing up I would of picked up a book long ago......


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 16:10:49
Message:

Heh. I'm enjoying that Ed series (Dark Lord, Arch Wizard . . .) very much, and am impatiently waiting for the third book, Falconfar.
Black Library just announced that Rebellion (publisher of Abaddon Books) has bought Solaris (no change for us in North America, because Simon & Schuster remains as the US front for both publishers).
Does Ed know yet if this delays or otherwise affects the planned (February 2010) release of the third book?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 16:14:51
Message:

Hi again, all. Baleful, Ed doesn't know the answers you seek. Yet.
My guess is that FALCONFAR will be delayed, because although Ed submitted a complete first draft and Solaris accepted it, negotiations were apparently well under way at that point - - so my guess is that none of the editorial work (reading the MS and requesting revisions, if any, copyediting, even perhaps procuring cover art, though THAT should have been done if the usual timetables were being followed) has taken place.
However, the book IS finished, Ed enjoyed doing it and thinks its rounds off the trilogy nicely, and we should all see it in the fullness of time.
So, stay tuned . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 20:19:03
Message:

quote:
Originally poisted by The Simbul:
Its worth noting that the Simbul's feelings toward and interactions with Lauzoril are covered fairly well in The Simbul's Gift by Lynn Abbey.


Yes, but (not to disparage Ms. Abbey's portrayal of The Simbul) I want to know what Ed feels on the subject.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Sep 2009 23:07:49
Message:

Hi again, all. A surprise Realmslore e-mail from Ed has just arrived, this time in response to Longtime Lurker re. this: “Dear Ed, Years back you gave a talk (at one of the GenCons you were a Guest of Honor at, but I can't recall which one) during which you mentioned a merchant character who bred small lizards for cooking-pot use in the Vast, who was traveling with caravans through Cormyr and Sembia trying to establish regular buyers for his lizards, and not encountering many takers except in Marsember.
What was that character's name, did you develop any more about him, did you use him in play (e.g. with THO and the players of the Knights), and what was his fate?
Thanks!”
Ed replies:



That was Moristro “Manycoins” Haelandram from Tantras, originally from Calaunt but fled from there to its rival city, and soon farther away from the reach of his “unfriends” in Calaunt.
The “Manycoins” nickname was a mocking one, a needling slap from more successful merchants, as Moristro was something of a bumbler who was constantly running out of funds and having to borrow or improvise. However, when he hit upon stewing or fire-roasting the lizards known as “rocktails” (abundant and fast-breeding insect and plant-eaters akin in shape and looks to the real-world lizards sometimes called “bearded dragons,” though slate-gray rather than orange/white/red-streaked in hue, and far more suited to colder, damper climes than the hot-arid-terrain bearded dragons), he had something that finally supported him. He got quite good at seasoning and preparing lizards so as to be very flavorful (think a cross between venison and good roast beef, only always moist and soft rather than tough, even when reheated for the sixth time), and by persistence built up a trade among traveling merchants and backland innkeepers, who in turn slowly “sold” their patrons on eating “tails.” Marsember was full of folk who added “tails” to their daily fare with swift enthusiasm, but over the next two decades Moristro built up a solid trade throughout Sembia, the Dales, and coastal Cormyr.
The Knights met him only once, briefly, and were busy just keeping themselves alive at the time (no interaction occurred), and Moristro was getting older and stouter but wealthier, with careful building purchases in Saerloon, Suzail, and Teziir and lumber investments in Archendale and upland Sembia, when the Spellplague hit.
His fate, after that, is unknown to me, but I’d say he was close to marrying, settling down to a successful life as a shopkeeper (almost certainly in Saerloon), and having a large family to carry on his various businesses. However, in your Realms campaign, feel free to steer him elsewhere; I’ve written nothing at all “official” about him, and probably won’t have occasion to. So, have fun!



So saith Ed. Who still has family visiting but has just written a “fun little struggle scene” in the novel he’s working on, and is tired but happy.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 09:13:24
Message:

Hey Ed and THO,

I was curious about how Ed is related, if at all, to Cayle Lacefield? I was looking at the wedding pics from Gencon and saw that it looked like Ed was involved in the wedding. My thanks. :)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 16:53:06
Message:

Hi, Kuje.
Ed and Calye are old, old friends (not lovers, but good friends, who e-chat and dine out at many cons). Longtime Realms fans may recall that when TSR presented Ed with an "Elminster staff" done to look like the one painted on the first Elminster hardcover, they asked Calye - - as Chainmail Girl - - to present it to him (he was in costume as "Elminster"). I believe Calye has no living male relatives, so she asked Ed to "give her away" to Phil at their wedding, and Ed was happy to oblige.
Ed tells me it was a GREAT wedding, by the way. The bride and groom are such fun people, and their core friends ditto, with lots of zany gaming pals attending, the best wedding service from the reverend Ed has ever heard (ya gotta love it when he begins, a la Peter Cook in THE PRINCESS BRIDE, with "Mahwage!")
Ed is very happy for Phil and Cal, whom he says are a great couple. The wedding was a blast, what with the gown, the axe, Phil's VERY short kilt, the garter hijinx, the wedding cake (dice), the great hotel (Pullman railway cars permanently parked INSIDE the hotel - - third floor, yet - - serving as hotel suites) . . . the works. Ed loved it, and said Calye "looked even better than when she's in chainmail."

love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 17:02:59
Message:

Re. this:

Ed loved it, and said Calye "looked even better than when she's in chainmail."

Impossible!

BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 17:07:31
Message:

Gallantly said, BB. Gallantly said.
However, I think Ed meant Calye was both regal and radiant, as only brides can be on The Day, and that her happiness and the spectacular dress made her look truly exceptional.
As opposed to merely a gamer's wet dream.
I can't say, as I (sniff) wasn't there. I didn't manage to make GenCon this year, despite my sneakiest efforts. Ed tells me he doubts he can persuade them to do the wedding again for me next year, too.
(Pout)
Ah, well, I'll just have to console myself with thoughts of the consumation.
love,
THO
P.S. Er, now where in the Realms WERE we?


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 19:14:12
Message:

Ah very cool,

Thanks again and that's why I was curious, because it looked like Ed was giving her away, so I decided to ask.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 22:16:23
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Watching the furor of all the "back to school" sales raging in various stores I've had occasion to be visiting recently spurs me to ask: are there "school years" or "schooling seasons" for formal tutelage in the Realms, or do those receiving formal training attend academies or whatever and just go along with however the particular academy arranges things, time-wise (meaning every academy is different)?
Do any places have either temple or state control or influence over what is taught, or laws regarding what instruction is given/tests are given/records are kept?
Thanks.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 06 Sep 2009 22:19:45
Message:

Ed and THO,
I'd like to amplify something from what Broken Helm just asked, if I may: in Cormyr, Sembia, and the Dales, pre-Spellplague, is there anything in law or custom preventing, say, a teacher or tutor or teaching institution from teaching students in a manner very critical of the ruler or government? Lying about the government/ruler/history of governing and ruling?
Regardless of whether there is or isn't, what sort of reprisals have taken place, if this happens, or can be expected? (Teachers "disappearing" or being exiled or just fired, for instance.)
Thank you.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 07 Sep 2009 03:18:38
Message:

From the FR Trivia scroll...

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Well, capnvan, there were four I know of:

Brorarr, a much-scarred outcast orc with four arms, who gathered various orc brigands into a powerful band that had to be hunted down and battled several times.

Velarr Anandragon, a shipcaptain from the Vilhon who "went pirate" and got chased inland and became a bandit lord and a persistent pain in Enchara's backside for six summers, until she finally tracked him down and slew him.

Omontos Velandryl, a minor mageling on the run from Amn for murdering several sons of wealthy families during burglaries, who brought his band of murderous thugs to Esparin posing as a caravan, and "melted into the Stonelands," deciding to stay. He lasted for YEARS.

. . . And then there's the personage you're seeking in your answer, the only one of the four from Ed's notes that's been officially published yet.
Just enjoying the thread as a spectator. Ed might have more on these three, if anyone asks in his Questions thread.
We've had a hint already? Gosh, scribes, this one's easy!
love to all,
THO



I think I'll take THO up on this invitation... so, Ed, anything more that you can tell us about these bandits? Please?

Thanks!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 07 Sep 2009 16:48:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I can't say, as I (sniff) wasn't there. I didn't manage to make GenCon this year, despite my sneakiest efforts. Ed tells me he doubts he can persuade them to do the wedding again for me next year, too.
(Pout)



We can always do an re-enactment, with you as the bride.

Gomez,
who wasn't present either, though Ed's report definitely made it sound like I missed something


Reply author: capnvan
Replied on: 07 Sep 2009 21:03:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

From the FR Trivia scroll...
*snip*



I knew if I just gave it some time...


Edit: S'posed to ask a question. Repeating: any more on Melisander, of the spell and the lonely harp?


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 08 Sep 2009 04:31:33
Message:

One more... Ed, is there anything you can tell us about the "Seven Sisters" the respectively-named year refers to, or are they firmly NDA'd? Hopefully I haven't already asked this question...


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 08 Sep 2009 18:37:11
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Today's Realmslore question from moi concerns street lighting in Suzail at night: oil lamps? Candle lamps?
A few stationary high-up ones, or mounted on pulleys and chains, or taken away every morning, filled up, and brought back and lit at dusk (or when?) and hung up, as needed?
If so, how good is the overall lighting? Just along the Promenade and the wealthy/nobles' neighborhoods, or - - ?
Does the port "work" at night?
And who does this? The Purple Dragons? Crown servants/special lamplighters? Or - - ?
Thanks. Bunch of questions, it turned out to be. Sorry.
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 08 Sep 2009 19:22:07
Message:

Ed and THO,
I have a question about pilgrimages, post-Spellplague. Do any faiths in the Realms have big, recurring ones?
Or "every faithful should do this once in their lives" ones?
Or personal, coming-of-manhood/womanhood ones?
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 08 Sep 2009 20:22:09
Message:

Heh. BA, I presume you meant to add: "And what are they?"
Right?
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 08 Sep 2009 20:32:49
Message:

Yes, I did.
Ahem: And what are they, please?
As in, for what faiths, why are they undertaken, and where do they go to (or through, if it's a sequence of places)?
And what special respect or status, if any, do pilgrims gain for completing them?
There. Done properly, this time.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 05:50:09
Message:

Ed and THO,
I'd like to express my interest in (and seconding of) a few requests on this page. I'm interested in the schooling inquiries from Broken Helm and Malcolm, and in the subject of pilgrimages raised by Baleful Avatar. I'd like to expand the pilgrimages inquiry to include pre-Spellplague (and pre-Time of Troubles) faiths as well. I just got a brilliant campaign idea, and it involves a timeline reset to 1357 DR. I can't say any more about it at this time, as I don't yet know whether or not my players frequent CK.

Edit: Trivia: My 888th post!


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 15:44:53
Message:

Hello,

Can Ed comment on Moander's Rot in Darkwatch and can it be cured, does the affliction travel by touch, is it airborne only within Darkwatch or anywhere that the afflicted travels? Any info at all. It looks like Ed's style of writing so I'm assuming he wrote it.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 18:25:10
Message:

Yes, I think Ed has confirmed elsewhere, some time back, that he did write the Darkwatch lore.
BB


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 18:57:59
Message:

What's the source for Darkwatch?


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 19:11:11
Message:

In 75 DR, Moander the Darkbringer hurled his forces and the "creeping evil" against the elven city of Tsornyl, blighting much of the surrounding woods. The magic of Moander twisted all life, both follower and victim alike, into corrupt monsters, including deepspawn and shambling mounds. While the evil could not be destroyed, High Magic severed the creeping evil from Moander and imprisoned the corruption at Tsornyl (soon to be called the Darkwatch). This weakened the Darkbringer's presence in Toril, though it cost the lives of thirty-two elves, including two High Mages, to sever and bind the power.

This evil still lurks in the area known as the Darkwatch and awaits a sliver of divine energy to return Moander to life.


With additional lore in Powers of faerun and Finder's novels I believe.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 09 Sep 2009 19:57:47
Message:

And in Volo's Guide to the Dalelands, which is available as a free download from the Wizards downloads page.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Sep 2009 00:57:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Yes, I think Ed has confirmed elsewhere, some time back, that he did write the Darkwatch lore.
BB

That does ring a bell. I'll search the archives and see what I come up with.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Sep 2009 00:58:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And in Volo's Guide to the Dalelands, which is available as a free download from the Wizards downloads page.

Also, see Cormanthyr [available as a free PDF download as well] pgs. 96–7.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 10 Sep 2009 16:13:39
Message:

Dear Ed and THO, in the years after the 1380s, Spellplague or no Spellplague (i.e. if one doesn't have the Spellplague happen in a campaign, or does), do you see a few, some, many, or most noble families of Cormyr having extensive direct investments and residences outside the kingdom?
By "direct," I mean businesses and properties they own or co-own, not businesses run by others that they are one of many "backers" of.
I'm not looking for any exhaustive economic examinations of things, I'm really trying to get an idea of how frequent and "good" the foreign experience, interests, and involvement of Cormyr's nobles are, on a family level rather than eccentric individuals who happen to have wanderlust or want to be adventurers or are black sheep fleeing scandals or hate their folks or the realm and want to live their lives elsewhere. Are Cormyr's nobles traditionalists who dislike/mistrust/know very little accurate about "outlanders," or are they engaged in the wider world around them? I figure most of them hear news and have visited some Sembian cities and Westgate, but I'm interested in "beyond that."
Thanks.
BB


Reply author: Amarel Derakanor
Replied on: 11 Sep 2009 09:59:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Dear Ed and THO, in the years after the 1380s, Spellplague or no Spellplague (i.e. if one doesn't have the Spellplague happen in a campaign, or does), do you see a few, some, many, or most noble families of Cormyr having extensive direct investments and residences outside the kingdom?
By "direct," I mean businesses and properties they own or co-own, not businesses run by others that they are one of many "backers" of.
I'm not looking for any exhaustive economic examinations of things, I'm really trying to get an idea of how frequent and "good" the foreign experience, interests, and involvement of Cormyr's nobles are, on a family level rather than eccentric individuals who happen to have wanderlust or want to be adventurers or are black sheep fleeing scandals or hate their folks or the realm and want to live their lives elsewhere. Are Cormyr's nobles traditionalists who dislike/mistrust/know very little accurate about "outlanders," or are they engaged in the wider world around them? I figure most of them hear news and have visited some Sembian cities and Westgate, but I'm interested in "beyond that."
Thanks.
BB



Good question! I'm interested in finding out more about this as well!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 11 Sep 2009 12:04:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

This evil still lurks in the area known as the Darkwatch and awaits a sliver of divine energy to return Moander to life.



It is not very likely that Moander will return any time soon (though his name was dropped recently, it was in association with the Citadel of Fungi, not the Darkwatch), but one never knows. I do have some vague plans to use the Darkwatch, not eaxactly sure how yet. Returning Moander isn't very likely a consequence (R&D doesn't seem very keen on it), but there may be a role for him somewhere.

I believe Moander's touch causes the Darkwatch to rot and verpert everything in its vicinity and to work on the minds of those who enter it, but it is not contagious once you leave the area. The Darkwatch and how it affects a person features in Sacrifice of the Widow.

Gomez


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 11 Sep 2009 14:39:06
Message:

Hello Ed,

A few years back I posted a question about whether we would see a story involving Maderion Sunderstone and find out more about him. You indicated he was a character you wanted to write about and other had expressed interest but your schedule was packed.

With all the changes to the Realms, is it still possible that we might see a story or find out more about him.

Thank you in advance.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 12 Sep 2009 19:08:41
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
My Realmslore question this time around is about a Cormyrean noble (not large and powerful, but not young or newly ennobled, either) who falls behind on paying his taxes, by more than a year.
What would the consequences be? Does he lose rights or powers? Suffer confiscations? Do Crown agents hassle him? Or - - ? (Is interest charged on arrears taxes?)
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Sep 2009 19:12:12
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed tells me the first draft of the new Realms novel is done and has been e-hurled in the direction of Wizards. So of course I cajoled him to answer a few more lore queries right away, before he turns to the next matter on his highly-heaped desk . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 12 Sep 2009 19:21:47
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Is there anything more you can tell me about the north beyond Glister, in the just-pre-Spellplague era? Are there any permanent settlements or recurring encampments that humans (among other races) use? Any ruins of a scale that humans can use for shelter?
Thank you.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Sep 2009 19:23:18
Message:

Hi, Baleful Avatar. There ARE ruins, because some of the Knights once did shelter in some, during a howling blizzard. Can't remember enough about them to tell you anything useful, so we'll have to wait for Ed to tell us all more.
love,
THO


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 12 Sep 2009 22:09:10
Message:

Casting quelled, all.

Adding to my list of outstanding questions:
In the last printed Dungeon, on the new map of Myth Drannor, what used to be
House Symbaern is now under House Orangyl. Ed, may I have more details on this
clan? I have nothing in my collecton that mentions this family.

If I was to try and write up the Araemyth spell into 3.x addition, would this be a level
spell or would it work as a epic level magic?

Where exactly is the Library of the Durothil?

The events of the book "Lost Library of Cormanthor" made me ask a question.
What where the dimensions of that library and where exactly is in under the
Speculum. Also the tunnels everbody ran around in, were those in any way connected to
the Tarynstone tunnels under Myth Drannor, or were they enclosed with no outlets
except to the underdark?

The battle in the Weeping War, the "Exiles War" wasn't fought on the site of the Polyandrium, was it?

Can you also add some clan surnames for star elves?

Hope the family visit went well. Later.


Reply author: BadCatMan
Replied on: 13 Sep 2009 03:06:59
Message:

Hello. My first ever question to Mr Greenwood, and one I've never been able to find anything about elsewhere.

Weekends in the Realms - do they have them, and if so, how many days are there, and how are they arranged in the ten-day week? Is there a set-aside "holy day" (I know some deities have weekly ceremonies) or day of rest? And is there a common market-day, or does it vary from town-to-town?

I did some research on 10-day-week calenders. Ancient Egypt, Tang Dynasty China and Revolutionary France all had 10 day weeks, with the latter two having one day off at the end (rather unpopular, I imagine).

***

One more, if I might beg. How would Elminster react to someone invoking his name falsely? Maybe from "Elminster himself recommends my pies!" to "I have Elminster waiting out back, ready to blast you all."

Like when a certain trickster-mage PC with the aid of a glibness spell tries to scare off a drow pirate ship by claiming that both Elminster and Khelben are on board. I'm sure the Old Sage with his Chosen ability to hear his name spoken anywhere in the world would catch a bit of "Will you be quiet, woman!? You'll wake up Elminster and Khelben, here - and at their age, if you wake them from their nap, you know they'll get cranky and start throwing spells around! They didn't come to Chessenta on holiday to be bothered by drow, or pirates, or both at the same time, after all!" :D

I'm thinking that a stern talking to would be in order. :) Especially after any number of would-be assassins and enemy agents get wind of it and begin converging on the party... :D


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Sep 2009 05:40:36
Message:

Hmmm. I seem to recall Ed saying something about weekends in the Realms. Having to do with trade-fairs, perhaps?

I'll check the archives.

Edit:- Found it! From March '04 --

quote:
Hi, Proc. Most communities in the Realms hold ‘trade fairs’ (annual events tied to local commerce, such as farmers driving their herds into town on one or two weekends every fall for ‘bulk buyers’ to see and bid on -- around which slowly ‘grows’ gatherings of food vendors, camp followers, and finally wagon-peddlers of all sorts, until the local authorities decide to make a few silver coins off everyone and stake out proper ‘rental areas’ for the erection of stalls.
Maybe Ed could elaborate on this further?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Sep 2009 23:15:59
Message:

Hi again, all. Baleful Avatar, I found more of my notes from that long-ago play session. Three long-ruined cities, one of them of a scale to house giants or titans, all of them reduced to wind-scoured stone pillars, cellars, and heaps of collapsed rubble.
One ruin infested with gargoyles, either because the long-ago inhabitants made lots of gargoyles, or because gargoyles are attracted from elsewhere; both of these Knights' speculations are supported by what we found in that ruin (which we hurriedly fled from, thanks to all the gargyole attacks): many other stone statues of various things that animate into fearsome beasts/stone creatures. Names and more details will, of couirse, have to wait for Ed, who is deep into some short, swift writing matters right now, but WILL (probably Thursday) surface with some more Realmslore replies.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 15 Sep 2009 21:01:10
Message:

Hello Ed and THO,
I have a couple of questions(I apologize if any of these has been answered to already but I couldn't seem to find it doing a search).

-I've noticed there's a Dragon deity called Garyx who shares the same portfolio as Kossuth (destruction, fire, renovation). I I remember well, Ao stated that deities couldn't share the same portfolio so I was wondering if Garyx was just another aspect of Kossuth. Speculating about it, I might believe he could be the Salamander worshipped by the monks of Kossuth's order named after it but that is just my wild guess
What's the correct interpretation?

-What can you tell us about the Dark Moon Heresy? Where can I find more info about it?

Thanks a lot and tanks in advance to whoever from the community might be able to help as well:)


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 00:26:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

Hello Ed and THO,
I have a couple of questions(I apologize if any of these has been answered to already but I couldn't seem to find it doing a search).

-I've noticed there's a Dragon deity called Garyx who shares the same portfolio as Kossuth (destruction, fire, renovation). I I remember well, Ao stated that deities couldn't share the same portfolio so I was wondering if Garyx was just another aspect of Kossuth. Speculating about it, I might believe he could be the Salamander worshipped by the monks of Kossuth's order named after it but that is just my wild guess
What's the correct interpretation?

-What can you tell us about the Dark Moon Heresy? Where can I find more info about it?

Thanks a lot and tanks in advance to whoever from the community might be able to help as well:)



Deities can share portfolios; they just can't share portfolios in the same area of influence. In this instance, Kossuth gets the humans and such that are into fire and all, and Garyx gets the dragons that are into fire. It's the same with deities like Sehanine and Selûne -- they both cover the moon, but Sehanine gets the elves, Selûne gets the humans.

What we couldn't have would be another human deity of fire popping up in the same area as Kossuth, or another elven deity trying to cover the moon, and so on.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 01:02:15
Message:

Ed, this question comes directly from the Lady K.

Since she's been busy watching the Australian "Dancing with the Stars," the Lady K has suddenly become curious about what dancing styles would seen in the Realms.

I, naturally, directed her to some of the relevant novel and sourcebook examples of dancing and such, as well as some of your previous brief notes on the subject. But now the Lady K's looking for more.

So what, if anything, can you add to this particular subject?


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 13:38:36
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

Hello Ed and THO,
I have a couple of questions(I apologize if any of these has been answered to already but I couldn't seem to find it doing a search).

-I've noticed there's a Dragon deity called Garyx who shares the same portfolio as Kossuth (destruction, fire, renovation). I I remember well, Ao stated that deities couldn't share the same portfolio so I was wondering if Garyx was just another aspect of Kossuth. Speculating about it, I might believe he could be the Salamander worshipped by the monks of Kossuth's order named after it but that is just my wild guess
What's the correct interpretation?

-What can you tell us about the Dark Moon Heresy? Where can I find more info about it?

Thanks a lot and tanks in advance to whoever from the community might be able to help as well:)



Deities can share portfolios; they just can't share portfolios in the same area of influence. In this instance, Kossuth gets the humans and such that are into fire and all, and Garyx gets the dragons that are into fire. It's the same with deities like Sehanine and Selûne -- they both cover the moon, but Sehanine gets the elves, Selûne gets the humans.

What we couldn't have would be another human deity of fire popping up in the same area as Kossuth, or another elven deity trying to cover the moon, and so on.



Yeah I thought so but I was wondeirng if there was any connection with the two deities. I remember that a position among the worshipers of Kossuth is called knight of the fire dragon...maybe it could relate to Garyx?

Since I'ma t it, I'll ask another question(of course any help from anybody else is really appreciated).
What's known about Longsaddle and the Harpell family? There's very little about it and mostly there's a reference in Salvatore's book but I was wondering if this was also coming from Ed's mind.

I've also been asked about Alorgoth, chosen of Shar. Where can I find info about him? does Ed has some of his precious notes he didn't share yet?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 16:12:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

Hello Ed and THO,
I have a couple of questions(I apologize if any of these has been answered to already but I couldn't seem to find it doing a search).

-I've noticed there's a Dragon deity called Garyx who shares the same portfolio as Kossuth (destruction, fire, renovation). I I remember well, Ao stated that deities couldn't share the same portfolio so I was wondering if Garyx was just another aspect of Kossuth. Speculating about it, I might believe he could be the Salamander worshipped by the monks of Kossuth's order named after it but that is just my wild guess
What's the correct interpretation?

-What can you tell us about the Dark Moon Heresy? Where can I find more info about it?

Thanks a lot and tanks in advance to whoever from the community might be able to help as well:)



Deities can share portfolios; they just can't share portfolios in the same area of influence. In this instance, Kossuth gets the humans and such that are into fire and all, and Garyx gets the dragons that are into fire. It's the same with deities like Sehanine and Selûne -- they both cover the moon, but Sehanine gets the elves, Selûne gets the humans.

What we couldn't have would be another human deity of fire popping up in the same area as Kossuth, or another elven deity trying to cover the moon, and so on.



Yeah I thought so but I was wondeirng if there was any connection with the two deities. I remember that a position among the worshipers of Kossuth is called knight of the fire dragon...maybe it could relate to Garyx?


Page 89 of Faiths & Avatars:
quote:
The crusading military order of Kossuth is the Knights of the Fire Drake. This order's members guard the holy sites of the faith, lead the faith's numerous holy campaigns, and provide personal protection to Eternal Flames.


I'm sure it's a coincidence. I just looked thru Faiths & Avatars, Faiths & Pantheons, Dragons of Faerûn, the 2E Draconomicon, and the 3E Draconomicon. None of those sources mentioned any connection whatsoever betwixt Garyx and Kossuth. It's not even mentioned if they know of each other.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 16:23:53
Message:

Hi again, all. Sage, here's a tidbit from Ed re. dancing (more to come, of course):


The latest popular dance in the Heartlands and Sword Coast, at both upper-crust functions (court dances, noble balls and revels) and lower-class ("just plain folks" having fun) is a dance wherein partners (usually male and female, but not necessarily) face each other, clasp their left hands together, wrap their right hands around the rear of each other's waists, and step "forward and back." That is, one of the two dancers takes two smooth steps right "at" or "into" the dance partner they're holding, who gives way two steps in unison - - only to then take two steps forward whilst the first dancer gives way. Then the partners rotate, often waving to or speaking to other dance couples nearby on the same dance floor, and repeat. Partners are either changed not at all, or at the end of a tune (typically about two minutes or a little less).
To avoid confusion, I've not used an real-world dance terms in this reply, but we're talking music that has the tempo of a waltz (not a slow waltz).


So saith Ed. Who's racing to get caught up on some swift game design work, and will return with another lore reply tomorrow.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 16:27:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I just looked thru Faiths & Avatars, Faiths & Pantheons, Dragons of Faerûn, the 2E Draconomicon, and the 3E Draconomicon. None of those sources mentioned any connection whatsoever betwixt Garyx and Kossuth. It's not even mentioned if they know of each other.
It's similarly absent from Garyx's other brief reference -- namely, Cult of the Dragon.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 16:31:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Sage, here's a tidbit from Ed re. dancing (more to come, of course):
Awesome Ed! Thanks. I'll be sure to shift this along to the Lady K who, I suspect, intends to make use of this info in some way.


Reply author: Bladewind
Replied on: 16 Sep 2009 21:37:44
Message:

Dear Ed. If you have the time and inclination could you ask a question that popped up in my mind just now. I would be most pleased.

What do human nations and the ruling elites think about commoners or people of low birth getting thaught in the magic art? Do they actively put a stop to clandestine training in the Art to stop it from becoming a commoners tool?

Is it possible for a farmers third or second child to learn the Art or the Power (clandestinely) or do economic barriers help stop such a family to achieve an easy way out of their low station? I can imagine arcane academies having large fees just as todays top academic schooling has. Are there any unscrupulous mages who have seen this as an oppurtunity to get money and influence from the lower and less wealthy parts of Fearuns societies? Or are there hidden dangers to a teacher in the Art that I am overlooking that stop them from teaching magic to large amounts of people?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 17 Sep 2009 06:50:32
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
Is it possible for a farmers third or second child to learn the Art or the Power (clandestinely) or do economic barriers help stop such a family to achieve an easy way out of their low station? I can imagine arcane academies having large fees just as todays top academic schooling has. Are there any unscrupulous mages who have seen this as an oppurtunity to get money and influence from the lower and less wealthy parts of Fearuns societies? Or are there hidden dangers to a teacher in the Art that I am overlooking that stop them from teaching magic to large amounts of people?



Not wanting to address everything in your post (as I'm not Ed, and I'm also interested in hearing what he has to say about it), I thought I'd point out that there are a lot of nations that will probably come at this from different points of view. There aren't really that many big Academies or Universities or what have you dedicated to teaching the Art in the Realms, and therefore isn't really likely to be an obstacle to people, unless they're in a country where that is the only way to learn. There are many practitioners of the Art who take on apprentices, and aren't always picky in who they choose - the biggest example that springs to mind is Blackstaff tower. I'm pretty sure the pupils there are stringently screened, but their social class is not something that's looked at.

Priest training (which I presume you meant when you mentioned the Power) is another kettle of fish, I can see there may well be a larger variety, and not all churches dedicated a particular god will treat it the same way - especially churches dedicated to Chaotic gods.


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 17 Sep 2009 08:03:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

That is, one of the two dancers takes two smooth steps right "at" or "into" the dance partner they're holding, who gives way two steps in unison - - only to then take two steps forward whilst the first dancer gives way.

Is there a pause (or a stationary step) after the second step?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Sep 2009 00:25:44
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed’s latest e-mail to me included this snippet of Realmslore, in response to maransreth’s query from just-before-mid February of this year: “What do people use for pain relief? Non-clerical specifically. I take it herbs and barks, but what exactly?”
Ed replies:



In my original Realms, I used real-world herblore. That is, both fact and fictional beliefs of what various plant substances (sap, leaves, distillates, inhaling the smoke from various combinations of leaves, barks, flowers, saps, and so on) could do as medicinal treatments. I figured this was a great basis to start from, being as none of my players were foolish enough to confuse the real world with my fantasy Realms, and I could devote my creative energies to extrapolating from this herblore (effects on humans) to how these substances would affect various other intelligent races and monsters (is something beneficial to human poisonous to orcs? or gnomes? or dragons? does something that heals dragons also heal wyverns?).
However, TSR was a little wary of this approach, I suspect (and these are just my suspicions; even a direct discussion was avoided, several times) for two reasons: the anti-drug view in the US that began with the establishment decrying recreational drugs (aside from the “establishment drugs” of tobacco and alcohol, though those have since been frowned upon) and extended into “don’t treat yourself with those old folk remedies, buy our expensive pill instead” (which might well lead to the game being banned in certain jurisdictions for this as WELL as the then-very-strong “Satanist” fears) . . . and the liability of “what happens if Johnny puts X on a cut he gets, because he read about someone doing that in his Realms game book, and then Johnny dies; whither the lawsuits then?”
Now, those are fair, valid arguments for any published fantasy game setting.
So I switched to what we might call “clearly invented medicine.” As in, let’s use “matter from the eyeball of a beholder” and other monsters that are clearly GAME inventions and not from folklore, and plants I invent myself. Now, there’s still some peril in using invented plants, because as anyone who studies anything about real-world plants knows, a single plant goes by so many different names around the world, or a “good” plant name gets applied to so many different real-world plants . . . but I persisted, and eventually came up with these “common in the Realms” ones:

Chewing the soft wood that directly underlies the bark of a felsul tree, or chewing small datherthorn roots (those of purplish hue) quells nausea and deadens all mouth, tooth, and throat pain. Note that this does NOTHING to remove the cause of the discomfort; it merely temporarily removes the discomfort to allow sleep, hearty eating, or other “normal” activity/functions. Eating a volume roughly as much as the eater’s palm, as thick as the eater’s hand, will “work” (deaden) for a day and night (24 hours) or so.

Drinking the liquid derived from boiling down equal parts of the thorns snapped off harl-thorn (a common Heartlands thorny wild shrub) bushes with leaves of the very common weed known as hoof-leaf (because its flat, on-the-ground leaves look like the print of a cloven-hoofed herd animal; these leaves need not be fresh, which is why many households keep a crock of various dried leaves, wrapped in scrap cloth, for use in winter) calms delirium, rage, and grief, and soothes skin itches, allowing for rest or sleep.

Eating small flakes of tatterskyre bark (the tatterskyre is a gnarled shrub that tends to form “loops” or drooping arcs like wild raspberry canes, re-rooting when it touches the ground only to throw up fresh stems; it grows all over the Heartlands and the North, smaller in colder climes, and its bark is very “flaky” as easily brushed off; its foliage sprouts as “bursts” of needle-like flat leaves all up and down its stems) slows bleeding (both internal and external) and thickens the blood, soothing and making agitated folk drowsy. This can aid the healing of many sorts of internal wounds.
Orcs and all goblinkin (goblins, hobgoblins, et al) are especially susceptible to the effects of tatterskyre bark, and typically fall asleep if given as much to eat as would cover their palms. As this is a sleep typically filled with pleasant dreams, many orcs gather and carry the bark, and eat it regularly.

The tiny petals of the common white ground-flower known as “dathlil” work to neutralize poisons for some who consume them (typically washed down with water or even alcohol, or drunk as a tea). The effects vary widely with the individual and the poison being fought against, and even vary unpredictably for the same individual, over time, but do apply to all known creatures, mammalian, avian, and reptilian, and are sometimes (not often) absolute (as in, one petal banishes all poison effects). Dathlil can work on contact, ingested, and insinuative poisons - - but of course sometimes does nothing at all. For most individuals, it usually slows poison and lessens its eventual damage.

Tonandurr bark, bound against open wounds, inhibits bleeding and infection, and helps skin and flesh to expand and knit together (heal). This works on humans, halflings, dwarves, and gnomes only; to elves, it helps not at all, and it actually harms goblinkin, making wounds fester. (Tonandurr is a tall, spindly “weed tree” of the Heartlands and more southerly forests; it’s not hardy enough to survive winters much north of Waterdeep, though some few specimens are kept alive in indoor gardens in Silverymoon and Neverwinter.



Again, I’d like to reiterate that the above examples do NOT apply to any real-world plant matter, even if someone somewhere happens to have given a plant the same or a similar name as the invented ones in my examples, okay?



So saith Ed. Growing more cautious (socially responsible) in his old age.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Sep 2009 00:39:20
Message:

Kyrene, Ed says:


Well spotted, and thank you! I forgot to write that in: it is indeed two steps, then a "flourish" for a beat (the time it would take to make one step; the "flourish is instead both dancers remaining stationary below the waists, but flinging their arms up and bending backwards a bit at the waists from each other), then the two steps back.
Well caught; thank you!

So saith Ed. Who's obviously not as good at the dance as Kyrene is! Well caught, indeed!
love,
THO


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 18 Sep 2009 11:39:43
Message:

One more question!

After Khelben's death, who takes charge of the Moon Stars?


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 18 Sep 2009 21:00:37
Message:

Quick question, hopefully not covered by an NDA and perhaps even answerable by the Lady Hooded One without bothering Ed:

What were the roles* of Moriath, Bralagar Winterhand and Tzarrakyn the Elder in the Company of Crazed Venturers? And if possible, a short description of them. Do any of them still live in 1373 DR, at least as far as published Realmslore is concerned?

*Arcane spellcaster, melee combatant, spymaster, negotiator, etc. What was their utility to their fellow adventurers, which can be as simple as their D&D class or as complex as listing their various areas of competence, all according to the time the Lady Hooded One or Ed have to spare on it. I'd rather have it quick and incomplete than late and perfect. ;)


Reply author: Randal_Dundragon
Replied on: 19 Sep 2009 05:13:25
Message:

Hey Ed, Ive actually got a question that doesn't necessarily have to do with the realms (then again it does). My question is, when you originally designed the realms, what exactly was your focus? i guess im just trying to figure out what your basic battle plan was :)

Ive been trying to create my own home brew campaign for a while now, and ive always wondered what your Advice would be when doing so.

Thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Sep 2009 17:50:10
Message:

Hi again, all.
Some quick partial replies from me (waiting on Ed, who should be along late today or tomorrow):
As far as I know, all three of those Crazed Venturers you mention, Icelander, ARE still alive as of 1373 DR (albeit Moriath and Tzarrakyn after several resurrections back in the 1350s-1360s). Published canon Realmslore definitely says nothing about demises for any of them.
Randal, Ed designed the Realms first as a fictional setting, semi-detailed around the travels of Mirt, who was moving in a southerly direction along the Sword Coast from port to port, one step ahead of creditors, trade rivals, and out-and-out "kill ye when I catch ye" enemies.
However, later on, when he was making it also a game setting, I know he designed from the "home base" of the adventurers (Waterdeep, or Shadowdale, or Eveningstar; he had three) outwards. In other words, where they'd live or stay first, the neighbourhood NPCs and all the rumors, news, and subplots going on locally that might lure them into alliances, feuds, and adventures, then any "dungeons" or ruins or monster lairs or fortresses-in-use where they might "go adventuring," and then the wider world around, starting with the immediate roads and trade routes, then the flows of trade, then the "larger" legal authority (and enforcement) of whatever ruler held sway over the starting spot, and then outwards from there (i.e. if Waterdeep's at peace rather than at war or preparing for it, that tells you something about Waterdeep's neighbours and region, and becomes part of the wider socio-political design).
Ah, well, enough "here's the process" blathering from me; Ed will give us more hard and fast lore and replies as soon as he can.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Sep 2009 17:57:14
Message:

Hi again, all.
A swift public service bulletin for gamers interested in meeting Ed, getting autographs, hearing him speak, and possibly getting in a game with him as DM:
Ed will be attending the Phantasm gaming convention as usual next weekend (September 26the and 27th) in Peterborough, Ontario at the Peterborough Public Library (main downtown branch on Aylmer Street, in the basement). Ed will be there Saturday evening to give his annual "state of gaming/answer queries" talk, and at least the first half of Sunday. This is a small, cozy local con that's been running for, if I remember rightly, over 20 years (and has in the past had such distinguished Guests of Honour as Richard and Lily Garfield, senior designers from TSR and FASA, and of course Ed). The con has a website, for those interested.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 19 Sep 2009 18:07:13
Message:

Darn! Wish I could be there; D&D with Ed is always a lot of fun. A Realmslore question, please: if a ship (or for that matter, a small rowboat, barge, or skiff) sinks in the harbors of either Suzail or Marsember, in the 1370s DR, how soon is it raised or cleared away? Have any wrecks been "missed" and lost in the muck, so locals might well remember them from rumors but the local authorities genuinely not know exactly where they are, if they still exist, and/or what state they're in?
And finally, if aquatic nasties try to use a wreck as a lair and prey on cats, dogs, pigeons, sailors, and dockworkers around the harbor, how long could they be expected to "get away with it," if they strike only by night and VERY cautiously? Before a large-scale "scour them out" operation involving priests and wizards would be mounted?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: bladeinAmn
Replied on: 19 Sep 2009 19:55:18
Message:

Randal_Dundragon, Ed answers some of your question at loremaster. Check the September 17th 2009 entry:

http://www.loremaster.org/vbinterviews.php?do=showinterview&id=6

The September 18th, 2009 entry is also in the same vein of your question. A really good read, so I posted it here.


Reply author: Randal_Dundragon
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 07:58:49
Message:

Thanks blade and to the hooded one, just a random question wanted answered :)


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:20:21
Message:

Dear Ed,
What's this I'm hearing about you working on the script for the first Hobbit movie?
Or is this something you're constrained from discussing (or even admitting)?


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:26:39
Message:

Heh, that's a rumor that's been quietly working its way around the industry for some time now.
I have an industry question related to the Google publishing mess: being as they intend to publish "unavailable" (OOP) works, some of us have been trying to track how many languages certain authors have been published in (being as foreign-language editions still on sale maintain a copyright). Can Ed or THO tell us how many languages they know of, that Ed's works have been published in? (Comics, lyrics, short stories, poetry, scripts; the works, not just the novels.) I've come up with 38 languages, thus far. I'm hoping that if Ed's figure is far different from mine, scribes from around the world can chime in with languages they've seen Ed's stuff printed in...
Oh, and did anyone ever correctly guess the authorship of Filfaeril Bound And Willing?
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:28:34
Message:

Nope, no one has. Not yet.
At least, not here at the Keep, in the forums. Quite a few scribes who have guessed haven't yet used all three of their allowed guesses, though.
Me, I've given up and am just waiting for Ed to tell us. Patiently.

BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:30:20
Message:

Hah! Patient, my left-side nose-hairs!
Has any other scribe been following Ed's interview at the Grognardia blog, of James Malizewski (probably got that surname wrong, sorry)?


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:34:34
Message:

No, but I'll check it out.
I can't keep up with Ed: Paizo, Open Design, Facebook, here at the Keep, Loremaster, this Grognardia blog now, Wizards, Tor, Solaris, DAW, Morrigan Books and all of the other places he gets published; does the man ever SLEEP?


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 20 Sep 2009 17:36:45
Message:

Hah! What is this "sleep" you speak of?
Me, I'm dedicated to denying Ed sleep for the rest of his life! I intend to keep him busy answering endless lore questions, like: so, Ed, WILL you be writing stuff for this new company Frank Mentzer, Jim Ward, and Tim Kask are starting (as reported at Dragonfoot)?


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 21 Sep 2009 10:03:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Kyrene, Ed says:


Well spotted, and thank you! I forgot to write that in: it is indeed two steps, then a "flourish" for a beat (the time it would take to make one step; the "flourish is instead both dancers remaining stationary below the waists, but flinging their arms up and bending backwards a bit at the waists from each other), then the two steps back.
Well caught; thank you!

So saith Ed. Who's obviously not as good at the dance as Kyrene is! Well caught, indeed!
love,
THO


Oh, think nothing of it. I was merely wondering if there would be enough time during the "flourish" (yes, that is a much better word for it) to do something more: like perhaps a quick twirl of one or both partners, or the "rock back" step like in the two-step. I then noticed that the beat was missing...

I would definately try this dance as a variation to the waltz.


Reply author: Jorkens
Replied on: 21 Sep 2009 16:46:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sage of Stars

Dear Ed,
What's this I'm hearing about you working on the script for the first Hobbit movie?
Or is this something you're constrained from discussing (or even admitting)?



This sounds like a loose rumour to me. Then again, I pay little attention to the movie plans.

And what Google publishing mess?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 21 Sep 2009 18:53:12
Message:

Jorkens, I agree; sounds like mere rumor to me, too.

As for the Google publishing mess, A Publishing Lackey means the plan by Google to make out of print fiction works in English available online, without asking permission from the authors, UNLESS authors register to "opt out."
In other words, if you don't discover that we're going to do this and tell us to stop in a certain way (online) by a certain date, your books will be made available to everyone online, regardless of current copyright status, legal entanglements, outstanding rights (such as a movie or television option that hasn't yet expired, foreign language editions still in print that will face sales losses because someone using Google's local translation will now be able to obtain a novel without actually buying the book), etc.
I say "mess" because I might well be describing Google's position incorrectly (because they have stated it in several different ways over the previous year, as objections have arisen), and because of those objections: the U.S. Justice Department has objected to this Google plan, Amazon has objected, various groups (e.g. the Author's Guild, SFWA, the romance and mystery writers' associations in the US, and so on) have taken various positions on it - - and of course no one in any other country but the US has even been directly notified, let alone consulted.
So as of right now nothing's been settled, everything is in confusion, various American judges have issued various injunctions and rulings, and many parties (NOT writers, by and large, because they lack the money to do so) are now "lawyering up" for the big fight.
I have no idea what position Ed or THO hold on this, BTW, but most successful genre writers and their agents are furious, because it means no book can ever be "resold" after it's been unavailable for years. (Some of the less successful ones are hopeful their works will reach a wider audience, so long as they get compensated, but exactly what compensation will be paid to writers, and how, has been murky, too.) Also, many print publishers will probably never admit, ever again, that a work they've published is going out of print, to keep it out of Google's clutches (unless THEY sell it to Google, perhaps without the author's involvement or knowledge).
Whatever happens, many countries (the UK included) are going to wake up and have to hastily amend their long-standing copyright laws to reflect or address "whatever happens."
All of which means . . . "mess" is a good word.
Wizards of the Coast and other large game publishers will probably largely avoid this, because Hasbro has a large and energetic legal department used to protecting its trademarks, copyrights, and intellectual properties.
Sorry to inject a lot of real-world, unfun "lore" into this thread, but it DOES directly affect Ed Greenwood's career, works, and perhaps how lore (including Realmslore) will be published in the future, so it IS relevant.
And to further bolster that relevance: care to comment, THO or Ed?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 21 Sep 2009 19:03:38
Message:

Whew. Nicely put, Blueblade. I was sitting here pondering just HOW to explain the Google thing to Jorkens, when your post appeared. You've done as good a job as is possible, I think.
Everything IS confusion . . . and, yes, a "mess."
We'll just have to see what unfolds.
In the meantime, back to Realmslore! Ed and THO, my question this time is: how well does the average, stay-at-home citizen in a port city on the Sword Coast (Baldur's Gate, say, or Neverwinter, or Athkatla, or Murann) know the geography of what's nearby, inland? What roads lead where, known disputes or trouble areas for monsters or brigands, crops grown or stuff mined or logged, that sort of thing? Inland politics (either in their own realm or neighboring)?
Thank you.


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 22 Sep 2009 07:55:40
Message:

It seems greedy in the extreme to impose again, but indulgence has always bred an unwarranted sense of entitlement in the spoilt and wicked (among whose ranks you will find me, sleek and happy).

I'm looking for a noble family of Cormyr that was considered iconic and part of the realm's history (and if possible, its very identity) for a long time, but somehow fell from grace before the war with the Witch Kings and was stripped of all titles and lands.

If it could tie into the earliest history of the Forest Kingdom, that would be even better.

I'm going to have a surviving scion of the house have provided personal service to the King in the war against the Witch King and been restored to his anscestral rights, but died before he could claim the rights.

Without my players' knowledge, an adventure they took part in a several years ago (real time, the time in-game is just over a year) resulted in evidence being unearthed that allowed the current heir of the family to prove his status and enter upon the long and difficult task of joining the ranks of Cormyr's fair nobles. His relationship with the Dragon Throne will be helped in no small way by the fact that he is a warrior of courage and skill (who has ruled a minor duchy in the Border Kingdoms until now) and has 'more innate honour and nobility than a ten titles could give him', in the words of Caladnei after being allowed to probe his mind throughly.

Now I wonder what family name to give this scion, since the player characters will meet him within a few sessions.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 22 Sep 2009 16:19:24
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Apropos of the geography question posted by A Publishing Lackey, above, I have a supplementary, for Murann only:
How quickly does news and rumor usually travel from inland Tethyr to Murann? And vice versea? And how often/how badly does it usually get distorted, in the process?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Sep 2009 20:38:15
Message:

I am using an unaligned cleric of Malar in my current campaign (THO should know which one).
While I have a fair idea on how she became a cleric, and can still be considered unaligned, I run into people who balk at the idea. So I am looking for more context to place her in and give her some sympathy.
So, are there any known Malar-worshipping hunts (including clerics) that are non-evil? Particularly the Moonsea area, but can be anywhere. How do these groups interpret Malar's will?
Both pre- and post-plague may be of interest. )

Also, though I suspect it is NDA, I am intersted on whether and how Malar's behavior (or attitude) changed after leaving Talos and coming under the influence of Silvanus.


Reply author: uaintjak
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 01:27:40
Message:

This is mostly a question for THO, I guess, though I'll certainly take any answer I can get.

The Knights of Myth Drannor were really what sold me on the whole Realms...I'm not entirely sure why, as their background in the old grey box set is relatively sparse. Nevertheless, they're what made me fall in love with the Realms before I even got past the "Adventuring Companies" chapter in that old beat up book.

Ok, now to the question. You've mentioned before that the "core" Knights (Florin, Jhessail, Illistyl, Doust, etc) were only about a third or so of the actual roster, but we've never seen or heard about any of the others (as far as I know). I'd like to introduce my players to some of the lesser known (unknown) Knights, without them knowing just who they're tangling with. Would it be possible to get some basic info on some of those "lesser" Knights? I still use a combo of 1st/2nd ed. rules, so "Vedellen Hawkhand (NG hem R1)" is really all I'm looking for, if it doesn't violate any NDA. Heck, even just name, race, and class would be great, as I can adapt them to fit my group's levels and temperaments...but with still somewhat of an official Realms flare.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 02:02:14
Message:

uaintjak, I'm not THO or Ed, but I can help a little, I think.
One of the Knights was a female cleric (of what, I can't remember) named Eressea Ambergyles, and there was briefly a Nehwonian ghoul (female transparent flesh over visible skeleton) named Lacheera (I think) adventuring with the Knights (don't know if she officially was a Knight or not), and Mourngrym Amcathra (the Lord of Shadowdale after Doust) was a Knight, as was Aumark Lithyl, who was a young noble of Ruathym and left the Knights to return home when family deaths left him suddenly heir to the rulership of that land . . . and the ranger Sharantyr (of the Rangers Three) was also a Knight. These are just who I can remember from many short conversations with Ed at GenCons (and a Great Canadian Baycon, too), down the years.
If more pop back into my mind, I'll post again - - unless Ed or THO beat me to it, of course.
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 02:06:38
Message:

Was Dove Falconhand (Florin's bride, formerly Dove Silverhand, of the Seven Sisters) ever officially a Knight?
And didn't Ed once say that Lacheera came to the Knights as the companion of Tamper Tencoin? Was HE ever a member?
Hmm. The depths of my ignorance yawn, they do . . .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 02:15:07
Message:

Hi again, all. Great questions re. both the Crazed Venturers and the Knights, but I'm not going to reply to them until I've checked with Ed (there ARE some NDAs buzzing around some characters, and I want to be VERY sure what's "allowed" and what's not, when I start typing).
This time, Ed tackles this recent query, from Blueblade: "How quickly does news and rumor usually travel from inland Tethyr to Murann? And vice versa? And how often/how badly does it usually get distorted, in the process? Thanks!"
Ed replies:

Just before the Spellplague, I'd say coastal stuff, nobles' scandals and deaths, massacres and major news OR rumors of the "dragon flying in to devour herds or attack a town" or "brigand massacre in X!" sort would take two tendays or less to reach Murann. Big news from either of the "next along the coastal road" communities, 2 days or so. Minor stuff (three black cows born where none known before) might take a month, or five tendays at most. Interestingly, in Tethyr, the distortions tend to get wild when the news travels fast, rather than being twisted along the way when it travels slowly (the reverse of what happens in most of the rest of the Realms). Yes, some manglings are severe - - but in Tethyr, since the Black Days, the populace has learned to be wary and suspicious, and corrections/debunkings soon follow, and tend to be believed (even when themselves wrong). In short, almost all Tethyrian coastal port dwellers are cynical and worldly-wise . . . or like to think of themselves as so.


So saith Ed, creator of Tethyr, Murann, and most of the Realms around them.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: uaintjak
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 15:07:18
Message:

Thanks for the swift replies. Blue, I knew about Sharantyr, Mourngrym, Dove, etc (to me, they count on the roster as more of the "well known" Knights). Aumark Lithyl I know about from FR7 (in fact. the entire reason I bought that was to get more on the history of the Knights). I always assumed Aumark Lithyl was a cavalier, due to his being replaced by Mourngrym, though I could of course be wrong on that score. Eressea Ambyergyles was a cleric of Tymora, btw (hey, I know my grey box stuff).

Stupid questions begetting more questions! Thinking of FR7 made me think of two more questions. Were Alura "Pennae" Durshavin, Agannor Wildsilver, Bey Freemantle, and Martess Ilmra (and thank goodness she finally got a last name, can't tell you how long that's bugged me) run by players or as NPCs?

Second question. I know that the Company of Eight was created by Steven Schend (I think that's who it was) but when reading their history in FR7, I came across the names of former Eight members, whose names sounded distinctly Greenwoodian (for lack of a better term). I'm thinking of Kaleene Thalwood, Mirthal Aendryr, Thiel Ralmun, and Chiaelin Frendel. Did Ed create these characters to give the Company some history, or did Steven?


Reply author: Kilvan
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 16:56:06
Message:

Hello dear scribes.

I’m currently reading Sword of dragonfire, and I’ve just finished what I now consider to be the best chapter I’ve ever read: Ch 16. The high price of entertainment. I don’t want to spoil it to anyone, but in it there is an encounter involving a few of the Realm’s greatest names, including Elminster and Manshoon.

My question is this: At some point, Elminster threaten Manshoon to reveal to Fzoul the wording of the pact with the beholders which involves Manshoon mating with… someone (or something?). Manshoon interrupted Elminster before he could finish, so we are left in the dark as to what this is about. I wondered if Ed could enlighten us on this.

Thank you


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 19:25:39
Message:

Kilvan,
It's beholders. It seems that he was actually mating with beholders. As to the why, I doubt we'll ever know. But I did ask about this in
another forum.


Reply author: Kilvan
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 19:33:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by althen artren

Kilvan,
It's beholders. It seems that he was actually mating with beholders. As to the why, I doubt we'll ever know. But I did ask about this in
another forum.




Is it strange that I'm almost more interested in the how than in the why? Seriously though, I hope Ed can provide some more info on the reasons for this... deal.


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 23 Sep 2009 21:56:51
Message:

Hey there,
another question from my community:

-What's the exact process through which Mystril reaches godhood becoming Mystra?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Sep 2009 04:05:21
Message:

Hello again, all. I've just had an e-mail from Ed, back home from a late meeting inspecting a library renovation (he's chair of his local library board, and a heritage library is being "fixed"), in response to the last two queries in this thread.
Heeeere's Ed!


Marek, I'm afraid mortals (i.e. all characters in the Realms) don't know how Mystril reached godhood, or precisely how any of those who were Mystra became Mystra. Even Midnight, the "last" Mystra, isn't quite sure HOW she became Mystra, because her mind was overwhelmed by the process.
I and some former TSR designers know - - or at least, we know what was agreed-upon, back in the late 1980s, behind the scenes; current WotC designers may well have different views - - re. this, but NDAs prevent any of us from telling you. Such is one of the hurdles of playing in a shared world.


Kilvan, althen artren is indeed correct on what Manshoon was doing. As to "how" AND "why" - - I'm sorry, those are both ALSO under NDA right now. All I can say is you certainly should eventually discover something of the "why," in something obviously not yet published. I'm afraid I can't yet be more specific. Sorry (and I really am; I KNOW the ache of wanting to know, and am feeling the ache of wanting to spill the beans, right now - - but I can't).


So saith Ed. I, too, know (from long-ago events in the home Realms campaign, not from familiarity with whatever not-yet-published lore Ed is speaking of, above). However, I've signed my share of NDAs, and also know how horrible it is when someone ruins a surprise, so . . . I'm afraid you'll just have to wait on this one.
love,
THO


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 24 Sep 2009 06:48:36
Message:

Heya,

Mating with Beholders? I'd say magic, probably some kind of divine driven polymorph (since aparently arcane magic isn't subtle enough to reproduce working genitals (pun not intended))... But that's just a guess.

I do actually have a question for Ed. The situation is this - three men are caught red handed forcing a Dryad (they had a way of avoiding her usual charms, perhaps rings of mind shielding - and had something to use against her to coerce her out of her tree and into cooperation) in the King's Forest (in Cormyr) to give up her "sap" - by way of cutting her and harvesting her blood without killing her, they didn't want their source to dry up, so to speak. Said blood was to be then sold to a merchant specializing in rare/unusual spell components (the three men had already done this a few times).

What penalties could these men face for their crimes? What penalty could the merchant face (the PC is going after him as well)? Is what they were doing a crime at all? (I'd be surprised if it wasn't!) Also, what status in Cormyr would the Dryad have? Would she be considered a citizen at all?

Anyway, I'm sure there are more questions I could be asking about the situation - but I shouldn't be greedy.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 04:02:02
Message:

Hi, Zan! Ed had to go for his annual heart stress echo, EKG, and the works today, and has a full day of library work tomorrow and then a convention on the weekend, so his chances to make Realmslore replies look a lit slim for the next few days.
However, I can START on a reply for you by saying it IS a crime, and the crime is something like (I probably have the formal title of it wrong, here) "stealing from the Crown."
NOT in the sense that the dryad or her tree belong to the King (though trees that aren't sentient and don't have dryads but are in a royal forest ARE Crown property), but in the sense that at the heart of Cormyrean law is the concept that the Crown IS the land and the bounty of the land, including living things of the land and bound to the land, so rare flowers and the stags of the King's Forest and dryads are all "of the Crown." So they're stealing from the Crown.
Speculating - - and I stress this is my speculation, not Ed giving us a definitive reply - - on the basis of having Ed as my DM play the parts of many Cormyrean lawkeepers, courtiers, and Obarskyrs over the years, I'd say that they would face a light sentence (fines and a prohibition on ever doing it again, or else THIS) if the dryad freely consented to this, or initiated the transactions and the wounding (wanting to sell her sap, for some strange reason). Otherwise, oh yes, they're in trouble.
Which is where I stop pontificating and hand it to Ed.
love,
THO


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 04:44:55
Message:

To Ed or THO,

I had some questions regarding Madeiron Sunderstone and was wondering if you could indulge. Was he native to Waterdeep? How did he come to be Piergeron's Champion? Was he a well known Paladin or adventurer before his role as champion, if so what were some of the things that led to his notoriety. Was his size just a random genetic anomaly or was their some magical or supernatural explanation? His description lists him as not especially bright, how does that contrast with the wisdom inherent in Paladins?

Thanks so much in advance for my requests.


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 06:46:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

To Ed or THO,

I'm no Ed*, but...

*Though I do try. Current status of belly, round and ample. Beard check, flowing. Ability to act as effortless fountain of lore... unfortunately lacking.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

I had some questions regarding Madeiron Sunderstone and was wondering if you could indulge. Was he native to Waterdeep?

He is not. He was born in Hartsvale, a small kingdom north of the Silver Marches.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

How did he come to be Piergeron's Champion?

During his twenty year sojourn in Waterdeep, Madeiron Sunderstone worked his way up the ranks of the City Guard to become the Champion.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

Was he a well known Paladin or adventurer before his role as champion, if so what were some of the things that led to his notoriety.

He was a notorious adventurer around the Inner Sea lands. I have no information about the specifics of his adventuring career, though.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

Was his size just a random genetic anomaly or was their some magical or supernatural explanation?

He is descended from the giants of ancient Ostoria through the royal family of Hartsvale (of which he is a distant cousin).

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

His description lists him as not especially bright, how does that contrast with the wisdom inherent in Paladins?

That depends on the individual GM, but I've always interpreted as meaning that he is not analytical or intellectual, but instead relies on a gut instinct (which he perceives as guidance from his god) when he has to make a decision.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 07:19:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Icelander

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

His description lists him as not especially bright, how does that contrast with the wisdom inherent in Paladins?

That depends on the individual GM, but I've always interpreted as meaning that he is not analytical or intellectual, but indeed relies on a gut instinct (which he perceives as guidance from his god) when he has to make a decision.



It seems to me that the mistake may be conflating the concepts behind Wisdom and Intelligence. The way I look at it, Intelligence is two things: how quickly you process information, and how much information you can store. Wisdom, on the other hand, is a combination of common sense, being able to think ahead and examine consequences, and and being capable of learning from experiences.

So an individual might not be capable of learning all that much or thinking on his feet all that well, but he uses what he does have to think thru everything and to avoid potential missteps.

At least, that's my opinion on it.

I once had a coworker explain to me that since he was older than me, he was smarter. His logic was that being older meant he had more experiences, having more experiences meant he had learned from them and was therefore wiser, and that being wiser was the same as being smarter. I actually opened my mouth to argue with him before I realized that if he truly believed that, it was all the necessary proof that he was wrong!

And he did prove to everyone but himself that he was incapable of learning from experience.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 08:00:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Icelander

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

His description lists him as not especially bright, how does that contrast with the wisdom inherent in Paladins?

That depends on the individual GM, but I've always interpreted as meaning that he is not analytical or intellectual, but instead relies on a gut instinct (which he perceives as guidance from his god) when he has to make a decision.

I think Ed [or was it Eric?] has covered this, briefly, before, in terms of what a character can know with respect to his/her intelligence. I'll search through the entire archives for both Ed and Eric.


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 17:51:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Icelander

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

To Ed or THO,

I'm no Ed*, but...

*Though I do try. Current status of belly, round and ample. Beard check, flowing. Ability to act as effortless fountain of lore... unfortunately lacking.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

I had some questions regarding Madeiron Sunderstone and was wondering if you could indulge. Was he native to Waterdeep?

He is not. He was born in Hartsvale, a small kingdom north of the Silver Marches.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

How did he come to be Piergeron's Champion?

During his twenty year sojourn in Waterdeep, Madeiron Sunderstone worked his way up the ranks of the City Guard to become the Champion.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

Was he a well known Paladin or adventurer before his role as champion, if so what were some of the things that led to his notoriety.

He was a notorious adventurer around the Inner Sea lands. I have no information about the specifics of his adventuring career, though.

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

Was his size just a random genetic anomaly or was their some magical or supernatural explanation?

He is descended from the giants of ancient Ostoria through the royal family of Hartsvale (of which he is a distant cousin).

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

His description lists him as not especially bright, how does that contrast with the wisdom inherent in Paladins?

That depends on the individual GM, but I've always interpreted as meaning that he is not analytical or intellectual, but instead relies on a gut instinct (which he perceives as guidance from his god) when he has to make a decision.



Thanks for the replies.

I think the Hartsvale and Inner Sea adventurer was something new with Waterdeep 3.5 and not Ed's original work. I could be wrong. I was kind of hoping to get some of the original background and motivations as he was originally published back in the first Waterdeep and the North accessory. Ed had mentioned in a reply to a post I made a couple years ago, that he was a character that had been neglected, that he would like to write about, time permitting at some point and others had shown interest as well. I was wondering if there was any detail that he could provide here.

Thanks.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Sep 2009 23:56:00
Message:

Okay, I think we've deviated enough. Let's wait to hear back from Ed.


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 26 Sep 2009 00:03:05
Message:

Thanks a lot for the answer Ed and THO.
Is it possible to talk bad about WotC in here? just kidding but there's a reason why we're sticking to the old editions when it comes to interesting materials.
It's really sad what they did to your world:(


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 26 Sep 2009 01:07:43
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, Zan! Ed had to go for his annual heart stress echo, EKG, and the works today, and has a full day of library work tomorrow and then a convention on the weekend, so his chances to make Realmslore replies look a lit slim for the next few days.


I do hope everything went all right with the tests! Medical tests are not fun (says she who had yet another battery of blood tests last week).

quote:
However, I can START on a reply for you by saying it IS a crime, and the crime is something like (I probably have the formal title of it wrong, here) "stealing from the Crown."
<snip!>


Pretty much what I thought (except for the stealing from the Crown bit! That is interesting, something I'll have to bear in mind next time I run something in the Realms (my campaign has moved back to the homebrewed world they started in, and are not likely to go back to the Realms via player "vote" - though not because they didn't like the Realms.))

Anyway, I look forward to anything Ed can add to your reply, Lady Hooded One. Especially the status the Dryad would hold within Cormyr... Since she's clearly not an immigrant, and in some ways, is a native to the land - more native than the human inhabitants, one could further argue.

*hugs to you and to Ed* (Wish there was a huggy smily!)


Reply author: Snowblood
Replied on: 26 Sep 2009 16:11:55
Message:

Dear Ed, can you enlighten us all on what were the names of the cities in old Illefarn apart from the capital where WD now stands were there any others???????


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 28 Sep 2009 02:08:12
Message:

Dear Ed,
I just wanted to thank you for the long, friendly chat at Phantasm. You literally handed me a whole refresh and deepening of my campaign, enough intrigue and subplot ideas spun off my existing play history to keep us going for another five or six years, at least. When my players dang near ordered me to ask you that little list of questions, they should have known better. Heh, soon they WILL know better. Soon being, of course, too late.
Brilliant, brilliant ideas, Ed, and they dovetail so well with what I've already done. It all FITS, it feels right.
Thank you, thank you, THANK you.
And to all gamers within reach of Peterborough, Ontario, Phantasm is a small, relaxed, cozy little con where you can just hang out for hours with Ed, and get autographs, talk to him, no lineups, nothing. And for me, he just rejiggered my entire campaign in a golden half-hour or so.
Ed, you (as they say) rock!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 29 Sep 2009 00:30:26
Message:

Arrrgh. I wanted to get to Phantasm this year, I really did. (Sometimes, real life obligations suck.) So I have a question for THO this time: if you were starting up a new Realms campaign, where (and when) would you set it, and with what startup situation for the PCs, and why?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Sep 2009 18:25:54
Message:

Depends on the players. If inexperienced, I'd start them as restless teenagers in a Sword Coast North hamlet near, say, Everlund or Neverwinter, and let them discover the "civilized" Realms at their own pace, after some necessary monster-hunting out in the wilderlands just to get anywhere.
If experienced (and somewhat-Realms-knowledgeable), I'd start them in Highmoon or Daerlun if I wanted a Sea of Fallen Stars campaign, in upland Tethyr or the Velen Peninsula if I wanted a Sword Coast campaign, or in South Ward, in Waterdeep, of poor working-class parentage. (In all cases, I'm talking pre-Spellplague. If I was thinking post-Spellplague, I'd start in Returned Abeir and let them hit mainland Faerun when they felt ready, or keep to that sandbox if they preferred.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 29 Sep 2009 18:43:39
Message:

Hi Ed and THO,
A Cormyr lore question: if a merchant ship owned by a noble family docks in Suzail, and the crew has exciting news, does it get spread at the docks, or would it be customary that it be reported to the family (or senior servants/trade agents employed by the family) first?
Thanks!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 00:40:59
Message:

Heya,

A question just popped into my head... not sure if it's been asked before, but...

What is the Realmsian term for Cannon Fodder?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 02:14:42
Message:

Hi, Zandilar. It has been asked before, and I can't remember which of the several terms Ed answered with then, but the two I noted during play, over the years, were the polite terms used in Amn and Waterdeep ("brawn") and in Cormyr and the Dales, for warriors only, though it meant militia, adventurers, and uniformed soldiers ("boots").
One of the less polite terms (common in Sembia, Amn, Tethyr, and the Heartlands caravan routes) is "emptyheads."
Sage? Wooly? Ed DID mention another term somewhere here at the Keep in the past, didn't he? Or am I growing forgetful as I sink into my still-curvaceous dotage?
love,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 02:25:51
Message:

Ahem-ahurm, Lady Hooded One? Feel free to sink in my direction, anytime . . .
[cough]
Oh, yes, a Realmslore question; I DO have one. Reeeely.
To whit:
Is there an official channel (who and how, I guess I'm asking) for asking the book publishing people at Wizards of the Coast for specific topics or tales to be told? (e.g. get Ed to tell us more about Princess Alusair as the Steel Regent, or Erik Scott de Bie to tell us about Twilight between her fiction appearances so far, or . . . whatever)
I'd love to write a formal, polite letter suggesting some possible topics of interest, knowing that it's just one reader's want list and may never cause any results - but then, maybe it COULD, yes?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 03:17:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Sage? Wooly? Ed DID mention another term somewhere here at the Keep in the past, didn't he? Or am I growing forgetful as I sink into my still-curvaceous dotage?
love,
THO
Well, I've just made a quick scan of my Ed-lore archives, and I found very little in terms of "another term" for cannon fodder. Mayhap 'twas something Ed posted on the REALMS-L?


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 04:13:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

Hi Ed and THO,
A Cormyr lore question: if a merchant ship owned by a noble family docks in Suzail, and the crew has exciting news, does it get spread at the docks, or would it be customary that it be reported to the family (or senior servants/trade agents employed by the family) first?
Thanks!


In all lands, at all times, and in all worlds, I imagine the answer for this to be somewhat similar.

An official emissary is sent with the message. The sailors unofficially spread it to anyone who comes aboard. And after you allow them liberty of the port, they'll spread it like a badger digging through dung.

If the family and/or anyone aboard the ship has official status of the sort that can justify it (Heralds, Highknights, perhaps military and naval officers) or the news is sufficiently important, the emissary to the family will take a ship's gig for immediate embarkment, before even the ship is cleared through whatever inspections are currently required. In that case, the family and whomever else the Crown would need informed would indeed be the first to know*.

*Well, perhaps after the harbour clerk, pilot and Purple Dragon officer who authorised the gig to land before the ship was cleared.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 15:12:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, Zandilar. It has been asked before, and I can't remember which of the several terms Ed answered with then, but the two I noted during play, over the years, were the polite terms used in Amn and Waterdeep ("brawn") and in Cormyr and the Dales, for warriors only, though it meant militia, adventurers, and uniformed soldiers ("boots").
One of the less polite terms (common in Sembia, Amn, Tethyr, and the Heartlands caravan routes) is "emptyheads."
Sage? Wooly? Ed DID mention another term somewhere here at the Keep in the past, didn't he? Or am I growing forgetful as I sink into my still-curvaceous dotage?
love,
THO



And in Zhentil Keep it's "orcs," "apprentices," and "acolytes" respectively, right?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 18:55:16
Message:

Hello again, all. I bring new Realmslore from the ever-busy Ed of the Greenwood, this one in response to Zandilar’s query: “The situation is this - three men are caught red handed forcing a Dryad (they had a way of avoiding her usual charms, perhaps rings of mind shielding - and had something to use against her to coerce her out of her tree and into cooperation) in the King's Forest (in Cormyr) to give up her "sap" - by way of cutting her and harvesting her blood without killing her, they didn't want their source to dry up, so to speak. Said blood was to be then sold to a merchant specializing in rare/unusual spell components (the three men had already done this a few times).
What penalties could these men face for their crimes? What penalty could the merchant face (the PC is going after him as well)? Is what they were doing a crime at all? (I'd be surprised if it wasn't!) Also, what status in Cormyr would the Dryad have? Would she be considered a citizen at all?”
(I haven’t repeated my half-reply and Zandilar’s subsequent response to that.) Ed replies:



Hi, and hugs right back to you! I’m fine; this is my annual checkup (but has slowed down to every-two-years), and the doctor said he wanted to swap hearts with me, so I guess that part of my anatomy is dandy.
THO is quite right in saying that things would get complicated if the dryad had consented or initiated this arrangement (so much so, that it would really be a case-by-case judgement, more than applying the relevant laws in any set manner), but because they’ve coerced her, they would be fined and banned from entering any royal forest for ten summers, and also prohibited from selling any dryad larlyn (that’s the local term for dryad or treant blood or “sap”) anywhere in Cormyr, forever (upon pain of four summers of imprisonment followed by forty summers of exile). The charges would be “theft from the heart of Cormyr, and unlawful sale of the property of the Crown.”
The second charge would apply even if the dryad had consented (but would probably, in those circumstances, earn them only a small fine and the lifelong prohibition on selling larlyn), but the first charge speaks to the status of the dryad (and also applies to treants, unicorns, and other native life of Cormyr considered to be royal property or under royal protection [so, NOT the dragons or elves dwelling in the realm, but royal stags, flowers, protected woods, rare birds, and so on that have been proclaimed as “under the royal hand,” a term meaning only members of the ruling family, or regents, can harvest them or direct others to harvest them or make use of them [including gifting them freely]). In short, such life is “of the heart of Cormyr” and can demand royal protection, but is not considered to have the responsibilities and obligations of a full citizen. (So a dryad has the RIGHTS of a citizen, but not the responsibilities.) A severely handicapped or insane royal ward, incapable of living without care, would have the same “heart” status in recognition of their inability to undertake and carry out the responsibilities of a citizen.



So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on more Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 19:07:33
Message:

Thanks for looking, Sage. It may well have been; I'll ask Ed.
Who also sent me this, for Bahgtru:

The Hartsvale origins were added to Madeiron just a few years back, and not by me, but that lore is just fine with me. Madeiron was always from somewhere far from Waterdeep, had giant blood in his ancestry, and was an adventurer of accomplishments ("always" meaning in my earliest lore). He was somewhat NDA back when you asked because certain staffers were toying with notions of writing about him (as a supporting character in fiction primarily concerned with other characters). They may still do so, wherefore the NDAs remain and so does my lack of lore about him posted here at Candlekeep.
However, the information Icelander reminded us of is just fine, and accepted by me at the time as "canon" without any cavils or misgivings.
Exactly how Madeiron became Piergeiron's Champion is part of that NDA, but the two men trust, respect, and like each other and have faced hostile foes together.
I'd also say that Wooly has put it pretty well: Madeiron is a street-smart veteran adventurer and wise in the ways of human nature and Realms lore, and reacts very swiftly in battle, but he prefers to mull over new concepts, notions, and views for quite some time before making decisions, fully grasping them, and so on; he won't be the man to think up any sly new ways of making money or solutions to a thorny problem. He's more the stolid, calm, trusting sort who will carry a solution out that's been proposed by someone he trusts.
I caution all scribes not to over-emphasize this; Madeiron is not a slow-speaking, dim as a a post, easily tricked man-mountain. He's alert, can act quickly, habitually anticipates trouble or "surprise" attacks, and is aware he's not the sharpest-witted person around, and that he prefers to take his time making decisions (if faced with a situation where there's little or no time to decide something, he'll ask someone else to decide and support them fully, not stand hemming and hawing or stubbornly disagreeing with anyone).


So saith Ed. Creator of Madeiron, Piergeiron - - and Waterdeep, too!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 19:26:35
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I've been examining the 4e Realms, and like some of the new features, but dislike others (e.g. large genasi- and dragonborn-ruled areas and presence). My question is this: is the Spellplague done and finished? Or could there be new eruptions of blue fire, localized aftershocks if you will, that could conveniently wipe out what I don't personally like, and leave ruins to adventure in behind?
Some writers seem to suggest the Spellplague is still unfolding, and others write as if it happened in a year or so, long ago, and is done and only dimly remembered.
Of COURSE I can do whatever I want in my own campaign, and if the Realms is done as a published game world except for RPGA adventure tidbits, novels, and online articles, the chances of any of my changes being "overwritten" are small . . . but I'm interested in your take, both of you, on this. Doth it feel right and sit well, or not?
So: ?


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 20:22:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Thanks for looking, Sage. It may well have been; I'll ask Ed.
Who also sent me this, for Bahgtru:

The Hartsvale origins were added to Madeiron just a few years back, and not by me, but that lore is just fine with me. Madeiron was always from somewhere far from Waterdeep, had giant blood in his ancestry, and was an adventurer of accomplishments ("always" meaning in my earliest lore). He was somewhat NDA back when you asked because certain staffers were toying with notions of writing about him (as a supporting character in fiction primarily concerned with other characters). They may still do so, wherefore the NDAs remain and so does my lack of lore about him posted here at Candlekeep.
However, the information Icelander reminded us of is just fine, and accepted by me at the time as "canon" without any cavils or misgivings.
Exactly how Madeiron became Piergeiron's Champion is part of that NDA, but the two men trust, respect, and like each other and have faced hostile foes together.
I'd also say that Wooly has put it pretty well: Madeiron is a street-smart veteran adventurer and wise in the ways of human nature and Realms lore, and reacts very swiftly in battle, but he prefers to mull over new concepts, notions, and views for quite some time before making decisions, fully grasping them, and so on; he won't be the man to think up any sly new ways of making money or solutions to a thorny problem. He's more the stolid, calm, trusting sort who will carry a solution out that's been proposed by someone he trusts.
I caution all scribes not to over-emphasize this; Madeiron is not a slow-speaking, dim as a a post, easily tricked man-mountain. He's alert, can act quickly, habitually anticipates trouble or "surprise" attacks, and is aware he's not the sharpest-witted person around, and that he prefers to take his time making decisions (if faced with a situation where there's little or no time to decide something, he'll ask someone else to decide and support them fully, not stand hemming and hawing or stubbornly disagreeing with anyone).


So saith Ed. Creator of Madeiron, Piergeiron - - and Waterdeep, too!
love to all,
THO




To THO and ED,

Thanks so much for the lore on Madeiron and thanks for sharing the creative genius that led to the Realms, Waterdeep and its denizens and the hours and hours of gaming and reading so many of us have enjoyed.

I've always loved the character of Piergeiron as he always reminded me of King Arthur and of course his loyal champion Madeiron. I hope we get the opportunity to see them in a story at some point.

Thanks again.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 22:33:19
Message:

Longtime Lurker, I've heard Ed speak on the Spellplague, and he said it was like many lightning strikes or tornadoes: clobbered some spots and left things that were right beside those destroyed spots completely untouched. Unpredictable, varying wildly in effects from place to place, MAINLY long ago and over with (cue the local array of colourful stories) - - but still active in some places, in unexpected spurts or spasms or whatever term you prefer.
Ed specifically said that it can be a carte blanche way of not only eliminating or reversing the 4e Realms changes published in the Guide, but also a way of moving things around (genasi to another land or city, for example, or the location of a published adventure to a different spot).
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 22:36:21
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a campaign question: paints. I know local dyes and pigments can be derived in lots of places, but are there any cities or realms in the just-pre-Spellplague era known for producing "special" paints? Or large selections of well-regarded paints for sale? Who makes "the best" paints? Do they travel well?
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 22:52:49
Message:

One Ed term for cannon fodder I recall from long ago is "gorcraw feed."
Meaning, I thinking, soon-to-be-carrion vultures or buzzards or the equivalent would feed on.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 30 Sep 2009 23:06:55
Message:

Years (?) back, in this thread, Ed was asked about what he'd been reading during that week, or some short, recent time period.
I've just had to move for job reasons, and am looking to buy a shelf-load of books for my reading pleasure, not to mention looking ahead to Christmas and the inevitable family presents (I like to give books).
So, Ed and THO, could you oblige with some recent titles you've enjoyed?
I don't need an exhaustive "here's everything I read" list, nor do the books have to be new (I buy plenty of secondhand books for me), but I'm hoping I'll discover some new interesting reads. Anything from cookbooks to politics, please, not just fantasy and sf. Though I know Ed just judged the Sunbursts, and eyeballed a LOT of fantasy and sf...


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 01 Oct 2009 01:39:19
Message:

Hello all,

My questions seem to meet wall of silence, I know I ask odd ones often so understandable, how about this, Exactly what is larlyn used for, its properties? How much sap can one get from average treant upon defeating it, I'm going with treant being unwilling to let someone drill holes in it, is the larlyn its blood or another fluid within Treant?


Reply author: BadCatMan
Replied on: 01 Oct 2009 02:58:51
Message:

Reposting, because I guess it got lost amidst all the demands for book spoilers and help writing one's own campaign (grizzle, grumble, whinge).

quote:
Originally posted by BadCatMan

Hello. My first ever question to Mr Greenwood, and one I've never been able to find anything about elsewhere.

Weekends in the Realms - do they have them, and if so, how many days are there, and how are they arranged in the ten-day week? Is there a set-aside "holy day" (I know some deities have weekly ceremonies) or day of rest? And is there a common market-day, or does it vary from town-to-town?

I did some research on 10-day-week calenders. Ancient Egypt, Tang Dynasty China and Revolutionary France all had 10 day weeks, with the latter two having one day off at the end (rather unpopular, I imagine).

***

One more, if I might beg. How would Elminster react to someone invoking his name falsely? Maybe from "Elminster himself recommends my pies!" to "I have Elminster waiting out back, ready to blast you all."

Like when a certain trickster-mage PC with the aid of a glibness spell tries to scare off a drow pirate ship by claiming that both Elminster and Khelben are on board. I'm sure the Old Sage with his Chosen ability to hear his name spoken anywhere in the world would catch a bit of "Will you be quiet, woman!? You'll wake up Elminster and Khelben, here - and at their age, if you wake them from their nap, you know they'll get cranky and start throwing spells around! They didn't come to Chessenta on holiday to be bothered by drow, or pirates, or both at the same time, after all!" :D

I'm thinking that a stern talking to would be in order. :) Especially after any number of would-be assassins and enemy agents get wind of it and begin converging on the party... :D


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 01 Oct 2009 03:10:12
Message:

There's no need to re-post, BCM. The Lady Hooded One remains vigilant in noticing each and every question posed to Ed from all the scribes of Candlekeep. It's more likely that Ed simply has had an opportunity to respond as yet.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 01 Oct 2009 22:59:31
Message:

Hello again, all. Back in mid-July, Blueblade asked this: “Are there any "mass" makers of nails, spikes, or other metal fasteners (screws? bolts? Do they exist in the Realms at this time?) circa the 1370s, in Cormyr?
Some sort of foundry/factory, I mean, as opposed to every smith hand-making what he needs "plus a few extra" for sale. I didn't mean hinges or hook and eye catches, but now that I'm asking, I might as well include them, too . . . Thanks!”
and Malcolm chimed in: “I'd like to ride the coat tails of Blueblade's request: if there are such foundries or factories, is there one or more in Suzail? Can we know something about them (name, location, reputation, do they sell through other shops?). Please? Thank you!”
Ed now replies:



Everything I say here is a generalization, with many local exceptions that DMs should feel free to invent as enthusiastically as they see fit, okay?
In the 1370s, in Faerûn, screws and threaded bolts are “holy secrets of Gond,” and pretty much limited to temples and to furniture and special devices built, guarded, and used only by priests of that god.
Bolts ARE known to dwarf and gnome smiths, and human smiths up and down the Sword Coast and around the shores of the Shining Sea, but they’re of the (lacking threads) “rod pierced by hole that’s filled with a wedge or pin [[‘cotter pin’ in modern North American real-world parlance]]” sort, where the rod is run through a hole in a timber or stone block, and the pin applied to the hole on its far side to keep the rod from being pulled back through, shim-wedges being used if necessary to make the fastening secure and rigid rather than loose and with ‘play’ in it.
“Strap” hinges with simple, single pivot pins are known and widely used, right across the known Realms, as are rigid angle-braces of the same design (lacking a hinge, but having instead a bent right angle of metal) used to protect and strengthen the corners and sides of carry-chests and strongchests. Hook-and-eye catches are known but not so widely used, being mainly restricted to small-sized, interior uses (seasonal freezing problems make larger and exterior usages rare in the North). Nails, spikes, and wedges (wooden, metal, and stone) are known everywhere, though only dwarves and gnomes make and work with stone ones, and wooden ones are less and less popular due to weathering/short-life problems). Delicate work such as needles and wire tend to be rare and expensive, more known-of in Calimshan and the Tashalar than elsewhere.
You’re correct in surmising that the majority of mongery production among humans is smiths hand-making what is pressingly needed "plus a few extra for sale.” Apprentices are often kept busy making nails and spikes, so successful smiths tend to build up a fairly impressive inventory of nails and spikes of all sizes, as well as hooks and “eye” spikes (spikes made for driving into tree-trunks or wooden walls, with a long shaft made for then fashioning into a ring suitable for fastening ropes to).
However, there ARE mass makers of such mongery, including surface human foundries in Waterdeep, Amn (several), Tethyr, Sembia, Turmish, Calimshan (many), and the Tashalar (many). In Cormyr, there are five very busy local smiths but no mongery-only foundries.
However, there is one in Arabel, that sells much of its wares either in Suzail, and to the wider Realms through the docks of Suzail (a smaller flow goes the other way, through the Dales to the Moonsea). It’s known as Garthen’s Hammer (after the now-aging smith Askarl Garthen, a human whose family came from Everlund; his own numerous sons and grandchildren work and run it), and (if you have access to the detailed maps of Arabel) is the complex of connected buildings on the north side of the street that runs right through the city, JUST inside The High Horn Gate (south of the row of House of Thond rental warehouses). It was formerly across the street, due south of its current location, but expanded into the premises of a decaying old inn, and Garthen then sold his former location to a wealthy and ambitious Suzailan merchant, one Handren Tharmarklor, who tore down the old smithy and built on its site a mixed-shops complex that he rents out, himself inhabiting the uppermost three floors of “Tharspire,” the tower that rises from the northwesternmost building of Tharmarklor’s Doors (the complex). Garthen more or less permanently rents the southernmost House of Thond warehouse for his inventory of nails, spikes, axe-heads, hooks, eye-spikes, door-plates (both kickplates and lockplates), and strap hinges, from which traders’ wagons run constantly to Suzail and elsewhere (Garthen himself takes no part in marketing his wares, restricting himself to selling from his premises in Arabel).



So saith Ed. New Cormyr lore, if someone’s still maintaining that thread here at the Keep. Ed will, of course, return with more lore, probably tomorrow.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 02 Oct 2009 00:33:45
Message:

Here's a question I've been wondering about for a while, and hope you can help me, Mr. Greenwood. Braerindra Calauth, Lady of Moonlight had a wonderful spell on her called mithrilskin that I believe is of her own design. I was wondering, would that spell be an Epic spll in 3.5, or a 9th level spell? Also, what would be the benefits of it for the caster? And may I also say, I have always loved that character. I hope that she's still around in 3.5 in Myth Drannor.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 02 Oct 2009 02:29:27
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed astonished me with a snap-right-back reply to Penknight's post, right after I sent it his way.
So, heeeere's Ed:


Mithrilskin is a 9th level spell, and its effects could even be replicated by certain natural shapechangers who are also spellcasters as an 8th level spell (if they hit upon the right casting process through experimentation, of course). Its possible benefits are many, depending on the creativity of players whose characters employ it (everything from bodysurfing/luging ice chutes to doing smithy work with less protection and more dexterity than is usually possible) and the leeway a DM allows.
And yes, the Lady of Moonlight still survives in the Realms, even post-Spellplague (at least, she does in mine!), and there are some not-yet-revealed reasons for this (as in, that she can be expected to be on the scene, if not destroyed by deliberate attack).


So saith Ed. Who by the tone of his last sentence, is dancing deftly along the edge of NDA chasms in this reply. Hmmm . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 02 Oct 2009 03:32:12
Message:

Ed and THO,

One more question on Madeiron if that is ok? Is the respect shared between Piergeiron and Madeiron also shared between Madeiron and Khelben, Laeral, Danillo, Mirt, Durnan, and the other prominent members of Waterdeep politcs,comerce, etc?

Thanks.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 02 Oct 2009 15:13:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Ed astonished me with a snap-right-back reply to Penknight's post, right after I sent it his way.
So, heeeere's Ed:


Mithrilskin is a 9th level spell, and its effects could even be replicated by certain natural shapechangers who are also spellcasters as an 8th level spell (if they hit upon the right casting process through experimentation, of course). Its possible benefits are many, depending on the creativity of players whose characters employ it (everything from bodysurfing/luging ice chutes to doing smithy work with less protection and more dexterity than is usually possible) and the leeway a DM allows.
And yes, the Lady of Moonlight still survives in the Realms, even post-Spellplague (at least, she does in mine!), and there are some not-yet-revealed reasons for this (as in, that she can be expected to be on the scene, if not destroyed by deliberate attack).


So saith Ed. Who by the tone of his last sentence, is dancing deftly along the edge of NDA chasms in this reply. Hmmm . . .
love to all,
THO

Thank you so much, Lady THO and Mr. Greenwood. I seem to be running a little slow today and need a little clarification on the "basics" as it were if the two of you have the time.

It's apparent that it works better that stoneskin which in 3.5 gives you DR 10/adamantine. Could you please give a few more basics on what the spell itself would do in general, and how long it lasts? Also, would it remain a 9th level spell in 3.5, and how hard would it be for a player to procure it if he were a sorcerer?

I'll ask one more question that I'm interested in. Do you think that the Lady of Moonlight would meet with my NG fey'ri bladesinger and discuss elven history with him? He's one that was freed from Nar Kerymhoarth, and has found that his views were a little tainted and converted his alignment thanks to awesome roleplay by one of my players. I hope you both can forgive me for not understanding, I have a good deal going on today.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 02 Oct 2009 23:26:36
Message:

Hello All,

It has been discussed often that longevity of life leads to insanity as the years pass, I then wonder if the gods shield their favored ones from this unknowingly. Has Mystra for instance tampered with the minds of her chosen to keep them from succumbing to madness from the horrors of such long existences?

Are they aware that they are having their minds tampered with if answer is yes? Have any ever asked to not have their minds tampered with and have the gods complied? Basically are the gods more concerned with their favored being able to function optimally even if that means altering what their favored think is their free will?


I ask because you told me years back that I guessed correctly that it was Mystra who put El in stasis so he wouldn't sacrifice himself trying to stop fall of Myth Drannor. Did she ever let him know it was her who did that to him?


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 03 Oct 2009 03:42:28
Message:

Hello. I found another Ed term for cannon fodder, for Zandilar's recent question. It's in my notes from a Realms adventure he ran for charity at Worldcon (the world science fiction convention held a few years back in Toronto), wherein he had the head of a noble house of Waterdeep refer to mercenary warriors he was sending to certain death, just to slow down mercenaries hired by a rival, as "graveyawn."
Presumably derived from the "grave yawns for them," or something of the sort.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Oct 2009 03:50:52
Message:

Hi again, all.
Bahgtru, re. this: "Ed and THO, One more question on Madeiron if that is ok? Is the respect shared between Piergeiron and Madeiron also shared between Madeiron and Khelben, Laeral, Danilo, Mirt, Durnan, and the other prominent members of Waterdeep politics, commerce, etc.? Thanks."
I can reply from experience as a player in Ed's home campaign that all of the specific characters you name respect Madeiron and know his true 'character,' and Mirt, Durnan, and Laeral can be said to be among his fast friends (Khelben keeps aloof from most, and Danilo and Madeiron just haven't had much contact with each other, thus far). As for the "other prominent members" you mention, no; most heads of noble houses, guildmasters, and successful wealthy independent merchants think of Madeiron as a stone-headedly loyal warrior, if they think of him at all. I know of almost a dozen instances where such people underestimating, discounting, or just plain ignoring Madieron has come back to haunt them - - hard.
love,
THO


Reply author: Ruben The Dark One
Replied on: 04 Oct 2009 00:51:26
Message:

Hello Mr. Greenwood,

My name is Damon and I have a question to ask you kin sir. Have you ever considered speaking with Margaret Weis in regards to writing a book featuring Raistlin and Eliminster as a dynamic duo, facing a powerful enemy that only the two of them together, could ever hope to defeat? Fans have longed for such an epic story....

My Email is Nomad2k001@aol.com


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 04 Oct 2009 00:55:54
Message:

Thank you THO!


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 04 Oct 2009 11:53:21
Message:

Hey Ed,

I was wondering if there was any light you might be able to shed on the mortal life, and early lichood, of Larloch (especially his time in Netheril and his activities during and after its fall, and how/when he took over the Warlock's Crypt [was it his enclave?]), and anything about the enclave that became the Warlock's Crypt and the liches (especially those demiliches) that inhabit it. As much as we all love the super powerful, puppet master Larloch we have now, what was he like before he could take over half the world before lunch? Even the smallest amount of information would be very welcome, though, as they say, the more the merrier.

Cheers, and thanks in advance.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 03:25:25
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sandro, I'm sure Ed will have to check with Wizards to see how much he can say about Larloch; how much of a delay that will cause, of course, remains to be seen.
To Ruben The Dark One, Ed replies:


Hi, Damon. Margaret and I are good friends and chat from time to time about all sorts of projects. Wizards of the Coast controls what Elminster and Raistlin do, and especially how much their fantasy settings link up or overlap, and their policies (and those of their predecessor TSR) have changed from time to time. For instance, I started writing "The Wizards Three" articles in DRAGON at editorial request, to link up Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and the Realms - - and soon had to do a delicate tapdance around the representative from Krynn because of editorial uncertainty over Raistlin's fate. Later, company policy shifted to keep the settings separate, rather than linked - - and that's where things stand as of right now, so far as I know. Meaning characters from two settings "shouldn't" meet, making the team-up you're interested in seeing impossible.
However, policy has changed before, and may change again.
Personally, I'd probably have a blast working with Margaret on that sort of a collaborative epic, but . . . we'll just have to see.


So saith Ed. Who is probably thinking it's highly unlikely to ever happen - - just as I do. Not that any of us should stop mulling over possibilities, mind you . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: GoCeraf
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 05:36:04
Message:

I've been gone awhile. And I'm half a nipple down from when last I visited.

Stupid ferrets.

Are there any scholars in the Realms of the "natural" sciences? If so, where do these scholars tend to congregate? Are there any institutions dedicated to the study, teaching, and research of theoretical sciences?

All the best.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 06:26:44
Message:

At the wizard boards, Pamela asked the following question, and I think it may result in some interesting realmslore, so I'll repeat it here.

It concerns the 'Meeting of the Three' (Garagos, Sharess, and Jergal) at Godswalk keep in the Barony of Great Oak, described here: not-so-big link

The question is simple: why do the three meet there?

The boards question, should you desire to post there (but I can relate it as well) is at:
big, page-stretching link

Gomez

Mod edit: rendered page-stretching links pretty.


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 08:42:03
Message:

quote:
Sandro, I'm sure Ed will have to check with Wizards to see how much he can say about Larloch; how much of a delay that will cause, of course, remains to be seen.

Mm, of course. Like I said, anything he can say would be very welcome, even if that doesn't amount to a great deal.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 13:07:08
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

At the wizard boards, Pamela asked the following question, and I think it may result in some interesting realmslore, so I'll repeat it here.

It concerns the 'Meeting of the Three' (Garagos, Sharess, and Jergal) at Godswalk keep in the Barony of Great Oak, described here: not-so-big link

The question is simple: why do the three meet there?


Consider this question seconded? "thirded"?

Not sure what Sharess would have to do with either god - just seems... out of character for her... unless she's taunting them for some reason. (Yes, love her I may, I'll be the first to admit that she's somewhat shallow and flighty, and would be more interested in things of beauty and passion than she would ugly hateful slaughter and cold emotionless death.)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Oct 2009 23:24:40
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed tells me that he's NDA-bound not to answer Pamela's question (brought to this thread by gomez, and second/thirded by Zandilar), but says it's all right from me to reveal what my character learned during play - - which admittedly isn't all that much.
At certain times, "when the stars are right" (about once a year, or once every two years, or so; we Knights were never able to learn precisely how often these certain times happened, though there ARE celestial "signs" linked to them) the ruins of the Keep become the place of release of magical energy and memories from elsewhere (I'm guessing from beings who have died on other planes or parallel "Prime Material Planes," but that's just my guess, and various deities, powerful divine servitors, and long-lived individuals (Larloch, Elminster, etc.) come to the ruins to acquire the energy/feed off of it/revel in being in its presence (hence the dancing).
Formerly many creatures came to the ruins at these special times, including nagas, illithids, and other psionically-gifted creatures, but over the years Garagos and other rapacious attendees have slain so many arrivals that very few come to the ruins (or still survive, to come to the ruins), that it's down to those three deities and a few other lurking creatures who hide from the deities (for some reason not known to us, because Ed hasn't so much as hinted why, only those three deities were ever drawn to the ruins). Apparently the energies can be used for healing, recharging magic items, and restoring/fixing magics, by those who know how (and written procedures for doing so are hidden at Candlekeep, somewhere in a library controlled by the Zhentarim, somewhere in a tome possessed by a noble family of Waterdeep, somewhere "ditto" in Halruaa, and somewhere "ditto" in Thay).
So the three deities aren't meeting up out of friendship, or in some sort of pact, or as lovers; they're each there independently, "after the same thing."
Hope that helps!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: uaintjak
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 04:03:30
Message:

Maybe those three in particular need to feed off the energies to retain their godhood (or needed it in the past). Jergal and Garagos were fading gods, their portfolios and worshippers superseded by others, and Sharess couldn't have started off with much power, since she was an aspect of Shar that split off and sought independence (as I understand it).

Perhaps the energies allowed them to survive where other dieties might have faded.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 06:21:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all. Ed tells me that he's NDA-bound not to answer Pamela's question (brought to this thread by gomez, and second/thirded by Zandilar), but says it's all right from me to reveal what my character learned during play - - which admittedly isn't all that much.
At certain times, "when the stars are right" (about once a year, or once every two years, or so; we Knights were never able to learn precisely how often these certain times happened, though there ARE celestial "signs" linked to them) the ruins of the Keep become the place of release of magical energy and memories from elsewhere (I'm guessing from beings who have died on other planes or parallel "Prime Material Planes," but that's just my guess, and various deities, powerful divine servitors, and long-lived individuals (Larloch, Elminster, etc.) come to the ruins to acquire the energy/feed off of it/revel in being in its presence (hence the dancing).
Formerly many creatures came to the ruins at these special times, including nagas, illithids, and other psionically-gifted creatures, but over the years Garagos and other rapacious attendees have slain so many arrivals that very few come to the ruins (or still survive, to come to the ruins), that it's down to those three deities and a few other lurking creatures who hide from the deities (for some reason not known to us, because Ed hasn't so much as hinted why, only those three deities were ever drawn to the ruins). Apparently the energies can be used for healing, recharging magic items, and restoring/fixing magics, by those who know how (and written procedures for doing so are hidden at Candlekeep, somewhere in a library controlled by the Zhentarim, somewhere in a tome possessed by a noble family of Waterdeep, somewhere "ditto" in Halruaa, and somewhere "ditto" in Thay).
So the three deities aren't meeting up out of friendship, or in some sort of pact, or as lovers; they're each there independently, "after the same thing."
Hope that helps!
love to all,
THO



Can these deities or anyone else acquire those memories? And is there any possibility that the energies and memories -- either all or some of them -- come from elsewhere in time?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 07:38:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Formerly many creatures came to the ruins at these special times, including nagas, illithids, and other psionically-gifted creatures...
Ed, can you tell us a little more about what these creatures did in the Keep?
quote:
Apparently the energies can be used for healing, recharging magic items, and restoring/fixing magics, by those who know how (and written procedures for doing so are hidden at Candlekeep, somewhere in a library controlled by the Zhentarim, somewhere in a tome possessed by a noble family of Waterdeep, somewhere "ditto" in Halruaa, and somewhere "ditto" in Thay).
Also, what can you tell us about these "written procedures?"


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 13:18:57
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So the three deities aren't meeting up out of friendship, or in some sort of pact, or as lovers; they're each there independently, "after the same thing."



How intriguing.

*sigh* Wish you (both) could tell us more!

ETA:
quote:
Originally posted by uaintjak

Maybe those three in particular need to feed off the energies to retain their godhood (or needed it in the past). Jergal and Garagos were fading gods, their portfolios and worshippers superseded by others, and Sharess couldn't have started off with much power, since she was an aspect of Shar that split off and sought independence (as I understand it).

Perhaps the energies allowed them to survive where other dieties might have faded.



Quick Cliff Notes version of Sharess's origin:

  • Bast came into the Realms. Goddess of cats and pleasure, sometime lover of the wargod Anhur, had a particular hatred of Set.

  • Bast absorbed the beast cult deity Felidae, a very minor deity of cats.

  • Bast came across the captive Zandilar the Dancer, a Yuirwood deity of love, more physical than romantic though, who had taken it upon herself to distract Vhaeraun while the rest of her pantheon fought the other drow gods. Vhaeraun had seen through her rouse and was in the process of absorbing her, but with Bast's help, Zandilar was able to break free of Vhaeraun. Unfortunately, Zandilar the Dancer was fataly injured by the encounter, and voluntarily agreed to merge with Bast.

  • Sometime after that, Bast/Zandilar was a fading deity who was coming under the influence of Shar, her pleasures becoming increasingly dark. I think it was about this time that she became known as Sharess. Shar's faithful promoted her as the "harbinger of the loss", and spread the lie that Sharess was merely an aspect of Shar.

  • During the Time of Troubles, Sharess could be found in Calimport, inhabiting the body of the Pasha's (think that was his title) favorite concubine, having a rather decadent time. Shar turned up to kill and absorb Sharess once and for all, but Sune came along, conveniently with a chalice of water from the Evergold, which she then proceeded to douse Sharess in, saving Sharess from Shar, and banishing the darkness that had engulfed her, restoring her radiant beauty (Sharess's beauty is only outmatched by Sune herself).



Yes, that was the cliff notes version.

Which begs a question, Ed... Where did Sune get access to the Evergold if she was trapped in Avatar form on the Prime? Is there a "branch" or "tributary" or even "spring" of that river on the Prime?


Reply author: Morioculus
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 15:18:07
Message:

Hi Mr. Greenwood!
I've had a couple questions about The Temptation of Elmister that I've been trying to find out...but with no luck.
Ok, first off I've been trying to find out which region Karsus' treasure trove is located. I've read your book DOZENS of times(beginning to end) and all I've gotten is that it MIGHT be in the Gulthmere Forest. I've also been told it's in one of the forests in the Great Dales in Impiltur. My question is: where exactly is it?
My second question is, can I have a bit of background info on Saeraede Lyonora? So far I have a theory that she's Netherese and that(drawing from what I read about the Netherese mage "Ander" in The Making of a Mage) she was able to pass beyond death and become a wraithlike being who feeds off life-forces.
Thanks Mr. Greenwood!


Reply author: WarlockII
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 19:16:43
Message:

What does the spellplague do to Realmspace and the other continents of toril, is there a complete post spellplague map of toril yet?


Or in other words is there a somewhat complete Geographic text of what effects the spellplague had?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 20:01:41
Message:

Hi again, all.
Zandilar, Wooly, and Sage: I really can't say more.
Other than to rephrase for clarity: anyone can gain memories just by being there, and those who know how (that's where the written procedures come in) can gain power...hence the presence of the illithids and others...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 06 Oct 2009 20:51:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar:
... conveniently with a chalice of water from the Evergold, which she then proceeded to douse Sharess in, saving Sharess from Shar, and banishing the darkness that had engulfed her, restoring her radiant beauty


Hmm... any chance this was inspired by the Wizard of Oz? Because this really sounds like the opposite of what happened to the Wicked Witch of the West.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 00:02:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by WarlockII

What does the spellplague do to Realmspace and the other continents of toril, is there a complete post spellplague map of toril yet?

Or in other words is there a somewhat complete Geographic text of what effects the spellplague had?
While Ed may have something to add...

I'd imagine that, in the Realms, theories abound re: the Spellplague and its impact on both Faerûn, and Toril itself. But just like most historical texts, I doubt any could completely and accurately describe just what, exactly, had happened. With such significant changes to many regions, both across the Realms and beyond, as well as fundamental alterations to the very basis of the Weave, the cosmology, and the power and position of deities, it would likely take centuries of searching, study, and experimentation to properly construct a sound theory that takes all of this, into account.


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 13:58:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Zandilar, Wooly, and Sage: I really can't say more.
Other than to rephrase for clarity: anyone can gain memories just by being there, and those who know how (that's where the written procedures come in) can gain power...hence the presence of the illithids and others...
love to all,
THO


So,the written procedures could help an individual locate and gain a particular skill set. For example, a 1st edition fighter who wanted to cast some wizardly spells without wasting time on all the training. This fighter could use the procedures to find a Netherese wizards memory of apprenticeship then absorb the ‘good stuff’. While a character who stumbled into the area could end up with a wild talent for a limited amount of time or permanently end up with an individual’s lifetime in their noggin .
You know, being a devious person, I would have a false set of written procedures that would either not work or work all too well. (Nothing like absorbing the final moments of a violent death to teach a thief a lesson)
Would I be correct in assuming the procedures vary by location?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 15:27:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bakra

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Zandilar, Wooly, and Sage: I really can't say more.
Other than to rephrase for clarity: anyone can gain memories just by being there, and those who know how (that's where the written procedures come in) can gain power...hence the presence of the illithids and others...
love to all,
THO


So,the written procedures could help an individual locate and gain a particular skill set. For example, a 1st edition fighter who wanted to cast some wizardly spells without wasting time on all the training. This fighter could use the procedures to find a Netherese wizards memory of apprenticeship then absorb the ‘good stuff’. While a character who stumbled into the area could end up with a wild talent for a limited amount of time or permanently end up with an individual’s lifetime in their noggin .
You know, being a devious person, I would have a false set of written procedures that would either not work or work all too well. (Nothing like absorbing the final moments of a violent death to teach a thief a lesson)
Would I be correct in assuming the procedures vary by location?




I would assume that you'd not get a person's entire set of memories, or an entire skillset like going from apprentice to archmage in one evening. I'd assume it would be a more dreamlike thing, with random flashes of insight mixed with a whole lot of nonsensical stuff.

So Bahb the Fighter might have a memory of casting -- and perhaps the ability to cast one time -- a single spell, while Tahm the Mage standing next to him instead remembers a nasty marital argument, and Ralf the Thief, standing on the other side of Bahb, remembers the way past a trap into a treasure hoard that might or might not still exist.

At least, that's how I'd set it up. And considering some of the things we've seen from Ed before, like Weave Whispers and Kings' Tears, I'm thinking that's prolly similar to how Ed does it.

Of course, all this brings another question to my mind: Why does this happen at this one location?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 15:48:31
Message:

Hi again, all. Wooly has it quite right: random single memories flood into the minds of creatures in the ruins at the right times: "wisps of remembrance" is how Ed described it.
So NO, Bakra, no one can gain any sort of "set" of memories - - nor would experiencing someone else's memories ever confer a class skill (they could help someone who can already cast the spell control or cast it more precisely, and/or impart valuable pointers/warnings of what can go wrong). They can impart a "knack" (throw the weighted rope PAST someone, not at them, to make it more likely they can grab it).
The written procedures are personal accounts written by various long-dead individuals of just when to go to the ruins and just what to do to gain the memories or powers; written "treasure maps" if you will (remember the "stagger stagger crawl crawl" scene from YELLOWBEARD?). So a Red Wizard might learn the exact spot where a long-ago Red Wizard went to gain some memories or power.
Ed has never revealed whose memories these are, or where they come from, but they DO seem to be from Toril or a similar world, and largely concern humans (or rememberers whose thoughts "feel" human, and who saw and interacted with other humans, as seen in the memories).
So it's a series of random boons, not "count on it" character boosts.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 15:55:10
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The written procedures are personal accounts written by various long-dead individuals of just when to go to the ruins and just what to do to gain the memories or powers; written "treasure maps" if you will (remember the "stagger stagger crawl crawl" scene from YELLOWBEARD?).
Is there any chance you can, at the very least, share some names of these "long-dead individuals," Ed?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 16:02:45
Message:

Heh. Like starving men, or hungry sharks, we rush in to pounce on new Realmslore.
THO, what of memories being imparted by direct touch, by dying characters? I seem to recall that happening in Realmsplay (from Ed's comments at a GenCon or other). True?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 16:39:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Heh. Like starving men, or hungry sharks, we rush in to pounce on new Realmslore.


I'd imagine that THO and Ed are sometimes amused by what bits we suddenly pounce on.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 16:48:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Heh. Like starving men, or hungry sharks, we rush in to pounce on new Realmslore.


I'd imagine that THO and Ed are sometimes amused by what bits we suddenly pounce on.

Agreed. Sometimes, I think it might be more appropriate to direct questions about any minor tidbits to Ed via email. But then, I think back to previous conversations, and recall that most scribes usually love dissecting the little bits like this, so I ask here instead.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 18:55:21
Message:

Heh. Starving man (or hungry shark) right here, seconding what Sage just said: I LOVE the tidbits. Ed's tidbits always get me to thinking about adventure ideas (intrigue, power groups, things not yet revealed . . . yes!!!).
However, I have a straight-ahead question for Ed and THO (yes, again :} ).
In Cormyr, I iknow cities have sewers and drainage, and suspect the best farms do, too (irrigation), but what about the small, unfortified villages along the roads? How is sanitation handled? The "honey wagon" trundling wastes out to some remote stinkpile?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Oct 2009 19:03:02
Message:

Heh. Off to Ed that question goes, BA, but I can tell you that although Suzail DOES have sewers, it definitely has "honey wagons" (in that part of the Realms, they're known as "nightsoil carts") that take the chamberpot-emptyings of the less wealthy neighbourhoods out of the city to middens.
We Knights have had several adventuresome encounters with various of those wagons and their drovers.
love,
THO


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 08 Oct 2009 01:07:58
Message:

To Ed and THO,

Do Piergeiron, Madieron, and Texter find it a challenge to balance their patronage of Tyr and their roles in leadership and law and order in a city like Waterdeep with such diversity that has people operating on behalf the city, that might not always operate on the up and up or in the confines of the law? How do they view someone like Elaith Craulnober who acts for himself outside the law but usually Waterdeep's interests are served in the process? What kind of challenges does that pose as Paladins of Tyr?

How do each of them view the Knightly orders operating in Waterdeep like the Knights of Samular and the Order of the Even Handed and visa versa? What interaction do they have with the Church of Tyr in the city and what expectations does the church place on them? Do the three of them converse often on Tyr or ideas on advancing the cause of justice on Tyr's behalf? Do they have similar views in their beliefs?

I would imagine the Piergeiron's duties prevent it, but does the church ever call on Madieron or Texter for specific tasks or assignments?

Thank you again for considering my questions.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Oct 2009 22:57:20
Message:

Hi again, all. I've passed the latest posts on to Ed as usual, but because Bahgtru's most recent question is very close to queries Ed answered for a TSR designer "back in the day" and I have a copy of Ed's words, I can provide the beginnings of an answer, using Ed's own words:


Tyr is the god of justice: that is, the even-handed application of laws, rules, and codes (the three things being differentiated by the sorts of penalties imposed for breaking them) within a society. In a polytheistic setting such as the Realms, it is important to "stand back" from real-life Judeo-Christian views of "absolute good" and "one correct way to behave and all others are shades of sin or human failing or succumbing to temptation," and think of things as intelligent beings OF THE REALMS do.
That is: paladins of Tyr who are part of the government of Waterdeep see the continuance of a cosmopolitan, tolerant, prosperous port city as good in itself, and see their role as twofold: continually seeing that the laws/rules are the "best" possible to keep Waterdeep thriving and a "good" place to live (that is, a place people WANT to reside in, and see themselves benefitting by doing so, to the point of being loyal to Waterdeep and willing to obey its rules and pay its taxes), and seeing that those laws are administered fairly and impartially.
Or to take a step closer in detail: the laws have to be continually adjusted and refined so as to serve the populace (not just its most wealthy and powerful) as best they can, and if there are instances where treating citizens differently from each other is desirable for making Waterdeep better, that's fine IF THE LAWS ARE WRITTEN OR REWRITTEN to allow that difference of treatment, or leeway. In other words, "absolute" or "blind" justice is bad and not to be championed, but a continually-evolving, ever-more flexible/farsighted (of consequences down the road) system of laws and their administration is what paladins of Tyr (and others in civic government, and those who run guilds) should be busy doing. This is why Texter and Piergeiron both support having "shady" lords like Mirt involved in government, and in having agents who covertly and continually investigate the City Guard and City Watch, to mitigate against human nature and slow or stifle corruption. They KNOW corruption will happen, and that some Watch officers will be lazy, stupid, and play favourites from time to time; it's their business as those in charge to try to arrange the Watch policies and procedures and training, and the structure of civic justice, to work against that. It's desirable to understand criminals and watch their plots, rather than always wade in, the moment wrongdoing is detected or suspected, because Waterdeep benefits in the long run by those in government knowing what's going on, how the city "works," and to be as tolerant as possible. The laws treat nobles differently than other citizens, and that's part of Waterdeep's history, not something to be automatically struck down without thinking. Yet nobles who misuse their wealth or high station must be resisted . . . it's all a huge balancing act, with ever-changing obstacles and "sweet spots" where the balance will be right.
Or to put it far more simply, a paladin of Tyr wants laws to be applied properly. If the law contains discrimination in the law, that's okay - - unless the paladin sees bad consequences to this discrimination. Then it is the HOLY DUTY of the paladin to try to get the law changed, refined/augmented, or struck down. Laws are seen as imperfect, and always capable of improvement, NEVER something to be blindly applied.


So said Ed, all those years ago. Bahgtru, Ed's more up-to-date (and directly relevant to your follow-up questions) replies will no doubt follow in time to come, when he has time.
In the meantime, hope these words of his help!
love,
THO


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 09 Oct 2009 02:01:29
Message:

quote:
If the law contains discrimination in the law, that's okay - - unless the paladin sees bad consequences to this discrimination.

So the paladins don't see discrimination in and of itself to be a bad thing? Would a law that, say, taxed the poor heavier than the rich, but not cause anything more than dissatisfaction amongst the poor be seen in the same light as a law that charges, say, dwarves (this is all hypothetical) a certain "fee" to work in the city that could cause extreme unrest/lawlessness amongst those affected? What is most imporant, fairness for all, or that the law simply be upheld?

In a nutshell: what is most important, justice for all, or merely that no laws are broken?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Oct 2009 04:11:37
Message:

Hmmm. Your last sentence poses an either/or choice, Sandro, that would seem to hold true for a real-life person considering questions of ethics, laws, and social order . . . but my reading of Ed's words leads me to strongly suspect that he would reject that either/or as applying to paladins of Tyr.
Ed does, after all, repeatedly state that in the view of the faith of Tyr, justice is served by applying existing laws fairly but also through continually examining and modifying laws to make them more just.
I can tell, from my roleplaying experiences with Ed as DM, that he portrayed Piergeiron (Texter was only encountered briefly, and as more of a "going it alone" paladin outside of Waterdeep's jurisdiction) as seeking safety and fairness for citizens of all "standings" (social class) in Waterdeep, but accepting the competitive strivings and clashing interests of guilds and independent merchants and viewpoints as being part of the essential nature of Waterdeep, not something to be trammeled by a social order imposed by ever more laws. I also recall Ed portraying Piergeiron as being practical over all else, so that illithids were banned from being citizens or owning property in the city to prevent others from fleeing Waterdeep out of fear, or attacking illithids on sight (so, yes, Piergeiron was advocating discrimination on a racial basis out of practicality). However, the Lords of Waterdeep KNEW there were illithids operating down in Skullport, yet did nothing about it, because they saw Skullport as the necessary "relief valve" for trade outside the laws and legal reach of the city proper.

Again, everyone reading this should remember that ALL intelligent beings of the Realms who don't also happen to be fanatics view ALL deities as real and worthy of some sort of worship, so even paladins of Tyr would not think that Tyr's faith and decrees should necessarily reach everywhere (or be made to do so) or override conflicting beliefs of other faiths. A paladin of Tyr would not try to force a priest of Chauntea to alter the way plants grow to conform to a law passed by someone ignorant of plant growth, just to promote the law. Nor would a paladin of Tyr expect or seek to force all combatants in a war to follow a specific set of rules (unless everyone fighting was dedicated "first to Tyr, before all others"), because they recognize that Tempus (and other gods) hold sway over battlefields.

Ed is busy with family matters (in Canada, Thanksgiving is this weekend), but will weigh in on this when he can.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 09 Oct 2009 06:21:00
Message:

Mm, thanks for your thoughts, Lady Hooded One -- that was what I expected, but due to the wording I wasn't quite sure.


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 09 Oct 2009 17:59:27
Message:

To THO,

Thank you for finding the response from Ed and expounding on it. It was very helpful in giving more clarity to Piergeiron and why he has such success in governance as the Open Lord of Waterdeep.

I look forward to Ed's insights on the other questions and continue to be very grateful for all the great Lore shared here.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Oct 2009 19:40:02
Message:

My pleasure. Really.
I love doing this, and of course darned near dragooned Ed into it, back in 2004, after Elaine Cunningham suggested these Sages threads. Ed loves providing the lore, too, obviously, and I'd imagine that what he's imparted here for free over the years could well have been spun into half-a-dozen or so good, meaty Realms sourcebooks, if everything was collated, organized, and only slightly expanded.
So keep the questions coming, everyone, and Ed WILL keep on answering them. He has a very busy publishing career atop a normal working life, so there are times when his answers slow down or grow sporadic, but he never loses interest or desire to find or restate Realmslore, or create it anew.
So ask us anything. As you know, I'm a little less than bashful - -so you may well get some interesting answers!
love to you all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 00:41:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Ed loves providing the lore, too, obviously, and I'd imagine that what he's imparted here for free over the years could well have been spun into half-a-dozen or so good, meaty Realms sourcebooks, if everything was collated, organized, and only slightly expanded.
I'm following a somewhat more simpler course, by collating/compiling most lengthy replies into separate files -- each dealing with a specific Realmslore topic. Eventually, these separate files themselves, will be compiled into sourcebook-styled PDFs, which will individually cover certain subjects.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 01:42:34
Message:

Great. Be sure to give Ed some followup queries, when the time is right, to fill in any gaps/augment any lean bits in those files. The man's a bottomless fund of Realmslore.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 02:06:07
Message:

I've got a small-ish, list compiled already. But, overall, it's slow work. Great, to be able to re-read through all this stuff again, but it is time-consuming. Plus, it doesn't help that I often just end up sitting in front of the computer getting caught up reading through several dozen replies and eventually forgetting what I'm actually supposed to be doing. Only Ed-lore can do that!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 02:34:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As you know, I'm a little less than bashful


Really? I hadn't noticed!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 03:28:49
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A recent re-reading of Terry Pratchett's NIGHT WATCH leads me to ask: how much do members of Waterdeep's City Watch "keep to themselves" when off-duty, in the just-pre-Spellplague City of Splendors? Are they allowed to have "outside" jobs or investments? Make business trips?
Oh, and do they get holidays/vacations, or just unpaid leave when requested?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 03:30:39
Message:

Ed and THO,
While you're answering Blueblade's Waterdeep question, here's one from me.
Is anyone in Waterdeep allowed to be a member of multiple guilds? If so, are there any restrictions on their voting/rights/activities?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 03:34:23
Message:

. . . And now that the usual suspects have asked their questions, here's the third one (me). sorry I'm late, but was for a good cause: I was busy gaming!
My question is: in Suzail and in Waterdeep, just pre-Spellplague, if I am a young female of wealthier than shopkeeper class but not noble, and I have other, older siblings so am not "heiress" of the family, what are the most respectable professions I can enter? Can I join a guild? Try for a courtiers' job? Do I start my own business or shop?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 05:12:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As you know, I'm a little less than bashful


Really? I hadn't noticed!

I have. And I've got the evidence to prove it.


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 10:20:08
Message:

Adding (kinda) to the Waterdeep queries:

What would the prices for inns (good and bad) be like in Waterdeep? What about the price of meals? How would these prices compare to other places on the Sword Coast? How about Cormyr? Sembia? The Dales? Which of these places is regarded by travellers as being the best place to stay, from a hospitality standpoint?

Cheers!


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 10:40:24
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sandro

Adding (kinda) to the Waterdeep queries:

What would the prices for inns (good and bad) be like in Waterdeep? What about the price of meals? How would these prices compare to other places on the Sword Coast? How about Cormyr? Sembia? The Dales? Which of these places is regarded by travellers as being the best place to stay, from a hospitality standpoint?

Cheers!

You might try Volo's Guide to Waterdeep, as well as the Volo's Guide to Cormyr, the Sword Coast, and the North. It gives a good description of the inns, the quality of the rooms, food, etc. Absolutely indespensible!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 17:45:42
Message:

And in counterpoint to Broken Helm's question, what would happen if a daughter to a middle class and above family chose to become a courtesan/lady of pleasure? Obviously, this depends where, but would there be places where the family would still support her? And to add, if she chose to become a Priestess of Sharess, would the attitude still be the same if the family did not respect Sharess (I know it's not that same at all, but would the family know/care?)?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 17:56:41
Message:

Hi again, all! Recently, Broken Helm asked this: "Years (?) back, in this thread, Ed was asked about what he'd been reading during that week, or some short, recent time period.
I've just had to move for job reasons, and am looking to buy a shelf-load of books for my reading pleasure, not to mention looking ahead to Christmas and the inevitable family presents (I like to give books).
So, Ed and THO, could you oblige with some recent titles you've enjoyed?
I don't need an exhaustive "here's everything I read" list, nor do the books have to be new (I buy plenty of secondhand books for me), but I'm hoping I'll discover some new interesting reads. Anything from cookbooks to politics, please, not just fantasy and sf. Though I know Ed just judged the Sunbursts, and eyeballed a LOT of fantasy and sf..."
Ed replies:


Well,in this last week, I've read several things I can't talk about for legal reasons (forthcoming, that is, not "bad legal matters"), plus these:
EARTH TO TABLE: Seasonal Recipes From An Organic Farm by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann
NIGHT WATCH by Terry Pratchett (a re-read, purely for fun)
THE UNSEEN ACADEMICALS by Terry Pratchett (the latest Discworld novel)
THE MERMAID'S MADNESS by Jim Hines (good friedn and a superb writer of "fun" fantasy)
206 BONES by Kathy Reich
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
THE WOMEN OF NELL GWYNNE'S by Kaje Baker (FINALLY I could get to this)
THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES edited by John Joseph Adams
. . . and that's it. More next week!


So saith Ed.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 10 Oct 2009 21:03:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

THE UNSEEN ACADEMICALS by Terry Pratchett (the latest Discworld novel)



I will have to look out for this one (after I finish reading the War of the Spider Queen - I just started in Insurrection).

Gomez


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 11 Oct 2009 00:09:40
Message:

2 questions easily answered, good sir.

I was reading in the persistant interview and a question came to mind.
How in the world with over 180 books and stuff printed are you not
getting massive amounts of royalties? I mean, with the popularity you
have in the genre, you should be almost set for life right now. Are you
not a hard negotiator?

I know that Canadian thanksgiving is coming up. Are you hosting or cooking?
If so, whats on the menu?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 11 Oct 2009 01:52:31
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

THE UNSEEN ACADEMICALS by Terry Pratchett (the latest Discworld novel)
And what, briefly, are Ed's thoughts on Pratchett's latest DW tale? I'm curious, because I've been eagerly anticipating this release for some time, but haven't had the chance to read it, yet.


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 11 Oct 2009 04:45:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

quote:
Originally posted by Sandro

Adding (kinda) to the Waterdeep queries:

What would the prices for inns (good and bad) be like in Waterdeep? What about the price of meals? How would these prices compare to other places on the Sword Coast? How about Cormyr? Sembia? The Dales? Which of these places is regarded by travellers as being the best place to stay, from a hospitality standpoint?

Cheers!

You might try Volo's Guide to Waterdeep, as well as the Volo's Guide to Cormyr, the Sword Coast, and the North. It gives a good description of the inns, the quality of the rooms, food, etc. Absolutely indespensible!

Ah, cheers for that. I do own the Volo's Guides, but I think I'll leave the question open, in case there's anything Ed wants to add that wasn't included in those books.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Oct 2009 18:10:32
Message:

Hi again, all. A swift start to a reply for althen artren: only the very early D&D gaming products paid royalties, and fiction products only pay royalties when they're still in print. New editions using old lore rewritten and repackaged are considered "new products" and don't pay royalties even if the "old lore" did, in its earlier publication. Moreover, royalties are only paid when any advances are earned out, and some foreign publishers deduct expenses from royalties (sometimes admitting they're doing so, more often just doing it without admitting so). And Ed isn't a hard negotiator, though his current agent is - - and even that agent has experienced many instances of publishers just ignoring details of contracts and having to be firmly reminded of them.
So Ed makes a living, but is by no means rich. In fact, he's like many folks: heavily in debt re. his home expenses, generous to his family and charities whenever he can be, and happy to have enough money to support his hobbies (in Ed's case, buying books and games).
love,
THO


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 11 Oct 2009 19:52:32
Message:

It occurs to me that the compilations of these responses really good use tags. Not volunteering, just ... wishing. :)


Reply author: Tormtar
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 09:39:05
Message:

Could Ed (or the lovely Hooded One) give us any more detail on the Sword Coast races held outside Baldur's Gate every year, as detailed in the Amphail entry in Volo's Guide to the North? I am particularly interested in the participants and horse owners (besides the Ilzimmer's)and whether or not there are any famous horses which often win such races c.1370's.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 14:58:05
Message:

I'm blanking on where these races were mentioned, in published Realmslore. Was this in Ed's New Adventures of Volo columns in DRAGON, or in a Volo's, or - -?
Help, anyone?
Thanks.


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 15:11:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

I'm blanking on where these races were mentioned, in published Realmslore. Was this in Ed's New Adventures of Volo columns in DRAGON, or in a Volo's, or - -?
Help, anyone?
Thanks.


According to the post above yours, they are found in Volo's Guide to the North.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 15:25:36
Message:

Sorry, Icelander. I missed one word in my first post. I meant to post: "on where ELSE these races were mentioned" (that is, aside from Volo's North) because I'm darned sure they were, in something else by Ed . . . but I can't remember where.
Sigh.
Getting older, mind getting emptier . . .


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 15:40:46
Message:

Hi, Ed. Okay, so I was reading NIGHT WATCH - - and so were you. Just for fun, the both of us. Just curious: are we psychically connected? Don't bother to reply if you'd rather not, but I was just curious as to what brought that particular book "back to mind" for you. Full disclosure my end: I thought of it out of the blue after some years, and went and fetched it from my back bookcase.
Thanks.
Again, not wanting to press if you feel this is private; just astonished at the coincidence!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 15:44:10
Message:

Hah, * I * can answer this one for Ed, because I've already asked him about it, as it happens.
He was asked to suggest a good "first fantasy book read, ever" for the husband of a friend, who is a cop, and thought of NIGHT WATCH because of its subject matter. He glanced through it to make sure he was right, then sat down to enjoy the whole tale again.
So there you are. Coincidence, or psychic link, or whatever.
love,
THO


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 16:42:54
Message:

I'm not in the least creeped out by the fact that I also re-read NIGHT WATCH this week... no, not at all...
On topic: Re-reading Cloak and Dagger last night, I noted that in the Moonstars' entry, it is rumored that Khelben and Laeral have been using ritual magic to grant various abilities to certain agents. This got me to wondering what sort of 'powers' Ed would have the Blackstaff bestow on PC's? Not 'mission-specific' enchantments, which (I suppose) would be the most common sort of thing, but general 'you're valuable, well-placed and trusted operatives, and I want to both reward you and make you more efficient' type stuff. Also, am I right to think that it's unlikely that Khelben would give anyone these sorts of abilities without having either 1) a way to 'turn off' or nullify the power or 2) a 'backdoor' of some sort- maybe the ritual empowers the character, but it also places a mark on them through which Khelben can always find (and strike at) the bearer. Or am I misreading Khelben? From my perspective, I think Khel only trusts for a given value of 'trust', even in his nearest and dearest(given that he's seen even Laeral subverted).
Thanks in advance: I'm using the Moonstars in my current campaign- though whether the PC's ever find that out, and what they think of how they've been manipulated if ever they do is another matter...


Reply author: deusex2
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 17:52:03
Message:

Greeting to all. I've been looking for a while for any practical information about Anchorome. In my early post, in another part of the forum? I've been told that Anchorome was intended to be a joke dungeon, consisting of a series of islands, however later it was turned into lands, north of Maztica.

So my question is there any detailed information about that region(besides Flaming Fist's expedition)? What races live there besides people and elves? What about it's geography and topography? What local political forces exist in there?

Thank you very much for any information you can provide.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 22:38:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

I'm not in the least creeped out by the fact that I also re-read NIGHT WATCH this week... no, not at all...
On topic: Re-reading Cloak and Dagger last night, I noted that in the Moonstars' entry, it is rumored that Khelben and Laeral have been using ritual magic to grant various abilities to certain agents. This got me to wondering what sort of 'powers' Ed would have the Blackstaff bestow on PC's? Not 'mission-specific' enchantments, which (I suppose) would be the most common sort of thing, but general 'you're valuable, well-placed and trusted operatives, and I want to both reward you and make you more efficient' type stuff. Also, am I right to think that it's unlikely that Khelben would give anyone these sorts of abilities without having either 1) a way to 'turn off' or nullify the power or 2) a 'backdoor' of some sort- maybe the ritual empowers the character, but it also places a mark on them through which Khelben can always find (and strike at) the bearer. Or am I misreading Khelben? From my perspective, I think Khel only trusts for a given value of 'trust', even in his nearest and dearest(given that he's seen even Laeral subverted).
Thanks in advance: I'm using the Moonstars in my current campaign- though whether the PC's ever find that out, and what they think of how they've been manipulated if ever they do is another matter...




Steven Schend is very much the go-to guy on both Khelben and the Moonstars; you might pose these questions to them, when he ends his internet exile next month.


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 12 Oct 2009 22:58:09
Message:

Just popping by to wish Ed a happy Thanksgiving today.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Oct 2009 00:28:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Steven Schend is very much the go-to guy on both Khelben and the Moonstars; you might pose these questions to them, when he ends his internet exile next month.
I'd also search through Steven's own replies, here at Candlekeep, as he's pretty much discussed a variety of aspects of the Moonstars over the years.

And as for Steven's return, recall, as I mentioned elsewhere, that his projected return date was based on the progress of his current schedule. Thus, it could last longer than a month.


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 13 Oct 2009 04:47:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by freyar

Just popping by to wish Ed a happy Thanksgiving today.

Aye, I'll second that (and, while slightly late, it is still Thanksgiving in Ontario), from one Canadian to another (this one on the other side of the world, though).


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 13 Oct 2009 20:58:56
Message:

Hi. deusex2, the Lady THO sent you a long reply about Anchorome in the thread you started on it, already...
BB


Reply author: VonRaventheDaring
Replied on: 13 Oct 2009 22:09:03
Message:

I had a quick question for Ed, which as usual probably means it will drag on forever......

I have to say thanks first to him for posing for a picture with me and my friend at the Pazio booth when we kinda discovered him there. Listening to him speak about porn, and stuff with the designers there was hilarious and well made the trip for me to be honest.

Anyway my question is can Ed, tell us what he designed in the new pathfinder world setting, and if any of the characters he did for that setting was inspired by things he had wanted to include in the realms but just hadn't or hadn't been allowed to by the Red Wizards of the coast (yes i gave them an appropriately evil sounding nickname).


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 01:37:10
Message:

Hi everybody. I've been reading the persistent interview with Ed over at loremaster (thanks to the Brothers James!), and he's just revealed some interesting lore about old Illefarn that's really worth checking out!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 01:50:22
Message:

Hi again, all. Just received this from Ed:


Thanks for all the nice Thanksgiving wishes. I had to work at the library and so miss a big family get-together, but another arm of the family descended on me for the rest of the weekend and we did all the autumn things (gigantic turkey, picking apples at the local "Appleyard," getting winter tires put on family chariots, walking in the leaves . . .). I am now RECOVERING from all of this. ;}
To VonRaventheDaring, you're very welcome. I have lots of fun teasing my gaming friends, because, hey, I only see most of them once a year and I'm delighted to see them! We're all just "somewhat normal" gamers underneath, no matter how famous or infamous we become, you know . . .
As for Golarion: the only design work I should really talk about yet is the elves: I "developed" them from a few paragraphs to a lot more than would fit into the needed wordcount. Of course. :}
I have done a lot more design for Golarion that the wider world hasn't seen yet, so I'll keep mum about it until the right time. Yet no, not a word of it is doing something I couldn't do in the Realms. I approach each world as a completely different playground, and this one isn't mine to even start to try to control, so like a good guest I play with the toys I'm given and ask "how far" I can go with them, and obey the boundaries. None of it is a reaction to Wizards or the published Realms. Really.


So saith Ed. Who is telling the truth at the end, there. Ed really does believe what the Beatles sang about "life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting" He avoids fights and feuds, as much as he can - - and this is NOT a weakness or a character flaw, believe me. (Believe me; much of MY daily work consists of dealing with unsavoury people who enjoy fighting and feuding . . . and sometimes go armed and make use of that artillery and sharp edges!)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 01:56:49
Message:

Hi again, all.
Deusex2, Anchorome was never a "joke dungeon," nor intended to be. It is the center of a web of myths and sailors' tall tales to mainland Faerunians, yes.
Some other designers than Ed created a continent north of Maztica and called it Anchorome, but that could well have been a "mainlander Faerunian" mistake or even deliberate misinformation put forward by elves of Evermeet or merchant shipcaptains of Baldur's Gate or others, to paint a false picture of "what was over the waves" for those back in Faerun.
When it comes to the Realms, I'd trust Ed over all other sources. It is, after all, his creation, predating the Dungeons and Dragons game and all of its publishers, competitors, editions, and incarnations.
love,
THO


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 11:05:22
Message:

One more question for ED:

I've been doing some research on the term Toril vs Abeir-Toril and have noticed different explanations for these two names.

One of the sources simply says it is the same thing and the prefix Abeir was added at a later date just to make it appear on top of the Realms encyclopedia.
Other sources state Toril and Abeir-Toril are different things and it talks about Primordials...

Can you please clarify what is the truth behind the FR planet's name?


Thanks!


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 11:40:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
(Believe me; much of MY daily work consists of dealing with unsavoury people who enjoy fighting and feuding . . . and sometimes go armed and make use of that artillery and sharp edges!)
love to all,
THO



Ahha! You're a sexy spy lady aren't you?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 14:32:02
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

One more question for ED:

I've been doing some research on the term Toril vs Abeir-Toril and have noticed different explanations for these two names.

One of the sources simply says it is the same thing and the prefix Abeir was added at a later date just to make it appear on top of the Realms encyclopedia.
Other sources state Toril and Abeir-Toril are different things and it talks about Primordials...

Can you please clarify what is the truth behind the FR planet's name?


Thanks!



Ed didn't originally have a name for the world. Jeff Grubb named it Toril, and then added Abeir to shift it to the front of the alphabetical entries. Though the world was named Abeir-Toril, most references to the world's name dropped Abeir and just called it Toril.

When WotC decided to inflict 4E on us, they decided -- despite a total lack of any prior lore backing it up -- that Abeir was some sort of parallel world, where Primordials called the shots instead of deities. It was a retcon -- "retroactive continuity".

So both of your sources are technically correct.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 15:16:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

One more question for ED:

I've been doing some research on the term Toril vs Abeir-Toril and have noticed different explanations for these two names.

One of the sources simply says it is the same thing and the prefix Abeir was added at a later date just to make it appear on top of the Realms encyclopedia.
Other sources state Toril and Abeir-Toril are different things and it talks about Primordials...

Can you please clarify what is the truth behind the FR planet's name?


Thanks!



Ed didn't originally have a name for the world. Jeff Grubb named it Toril, and then added Abeir to shift it to the front of the alphabetical entries. Though the world was named Abeir-Toril, most references to the world's name dropped Abeir and just called it Toril.

When WotC decided to inflict 4E on us, they decided -- despite a total lack of any prior lore backing it up -- that Abeir was some sort of parallel world, where Primordials called the shots instead of deities. It was a retcon -- "retroactive continuity".

So both of your sources are technically correct.

There's actually log and detailed discussions about this, both among Ed's previous replies, and in other discussion scrolls here at Candlekeep. Marek, you should probably seek them out using the SEARCH function, if you're interested in researching this question further.


Reply author: Marek
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 15:45:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Marek

One more question for ED:

I've been doing some research on the term Toril vs Abeir-Toril and have noticed different explanations for these two names.

One of the sources simply says it is the same thing and the prefix Abeir was added at a later date just to make it appear on top of the Realms encyclopedia.
Other sources state Toril and Abeir-Toril are different things and it talks about Primordials...

Can you please clarify what is the truth behind the FR planet's name?


Thanks!



Ed didn't originally have a name for the world. Jeff Grubb named it Toril, and then added Abeir to shift it to the front of the alphabetical entries. Though the world was named Abeir-Toril, most references to the world's name dropped Abeir and just called it Toril.

When WotC decided to inflict 4E on us, they decided -- despite a total lack of any prior lore backing it up -- that Abeir was some sort of parallel world, where Primordials called the shots instead of deities. It was a retcon -- "retroactive continuity".

So both of your sources are technically correct.



Thanks a lot Wooly, I thought I was right to ignore the second option(being that crappy 4E) and you confirmed it to me:D

Thanks The Sage, I just feel a bit too lost when I use the search function...felt like drowning!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 19:10:25
Message:

Now, arry, that would be TELLING.
I'm actually a bit more "counter" than proactive, if you catch my drift.
And men who can catch my drift are purrrrrfectly exciting, BTW.
love,
THO


Reply author: deusex2
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 19:28:49
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Deusex2, Anchorome was never a "joke dungeon," nor intended to be. It is the center of a web of myths and sailors' tall tales to mainland Faerunians, yes.
Some other designers than Ed created a continent north of Maztica and called it Anchorome, but that could well have been a "mainlander Faerunian" mistake or even deliberate misinformation put forward by elves of Evermeet or merchant shipcaptains of Baldur's Gate or others, to paint a false picture of "what was over the waves" for those back in Faerun.
When it comes to the Realms, I'd trust Ed over all other sources. It is, after all, his creation, predating the Dungeons and Dragons game and all of its publishers, competitors, editions, and incarnations.
love,
THO



Now I see. Thank you very much for clarifying this matter.

This, however brings me to another question, rather to anybody, but Ed Greenwood. Was there any information published about lands north of Maztica and if there was any, which books should I be looking for?


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 14 Oct 2009 23:15:33
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by deusex2
This, however brings me to another question, rather to anybody, but Ed Greenwood. Was there any information published about lands north of Maztica and if there was any, which books should I be looking for?



Quick reply - there is a short reference to the coastlands north of core Maztica in FR15 - Gold and Glory; there is some detail about the lands immediately north of core Maztica in FMQ1-City of Gold, bot of which can still be downloaded for free from this Previous Editions Download Page on the Wizards website. As far as I know, nothing else has been published on the area, which is pretty much outside the core of a part of the setting that was already far outside the core to begin with.

If you are looking for something non-Realms specific that could be put in place, David Howery wrote an article called "The People: Add fantasy Americans to your campaign" in Dragon Magazine 205. Although not Realms-specific, David made allowances for adding his "fantasy Nort America" to MAztica, and drafted his map in such a way that it could line up easily with the official maps of Maztica as they existed at the time.


Reply author: deusex2
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 00:03:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth

quote:
Originally posted by deusex2
This, however brings me to another question, rather to anybody, but Ed Greenwood. Was there any information published about lands north of Maztica and if there was any, which books should I be looking for?



Quick reply - there is a short reference to the coastlands north of core Maztica in FR15 - Gold and Glory; there is some detail about the lands immediately north of core Maztica in FMQ1-City of Gold, bot of which can still be downloaded for free from this Previous Editions Download Page on the Wizards website. As far as I know, nothing else has been published on the area, which is pretty much outside the core of a part of the setting that was already far outside the core to begin with.

If you are looking for something non-Realms specific that could be put in place, David Howery wrote an article called "The People: Add fantasy Americans to your campaign" in Dragon Magazine 205. Although not Realms-specific, David made allowances for adding his "fantasy Nort America" to MAztica, and drafted his map in such a way that it could line up easily with the official maps of Maztica as they existed at the time.



I see, thank you very much.


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 01:54:51
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,

Is Duke Eltan's success as leader of the Flaming Fist equal parts based on his physical prowess as a warrior and administrative and tactical abilities? Did he become a ruling Duke of Baldur's Gate independently of his success with the Flaming Fist or did one drive the other? As he and Piergeiron are both warriors cast into administrators of vibrant cities, how would you compare and contrast their leadership styles and how they are viewed by the citizens of their respective cities? How is Duke Eltan viewed by other rulers in the Lord's Alliance? Does he ever use the Flaming Fist in a non-for profit scenario, i.e aiding another city in the Lord's Alliance?

Thank you in advance and Happy Thanksgiving!


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 08:53:44
Message:

Ed and/or THO and/or others,

Running through my notes on notable NPCs in Neverwinter, I came accross this little throwaway comment concerning Alasturan Malatheer:
“Elminster refuses to do more than smilingly muse about what a formidable foe a song dragon wizard who retained his magecraft in gold dragon form would be—and then adds enigmatically that Mystra would almost have to take a personal interest in such an individual.”
Is/was he a Chosen of Mystra, or have I just run into an NDA wall at high speed?


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 11:39:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Now, arry, that would be TELLING.
I'm actually a bit more "counter" than proactive, if you catch my drift.
And men who can catch my drift are purrrrrfectly exciting, BTW.
love,
THO



You're a sexy spycatcher lady?

Hey, look at me; I'm a spy, catch me


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 12:48:28
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
Running through my notes on notable NPCs in Neverwinter, I came accross this little throwaway comment concerning Alasturan Malatheer:
“Elminster refuses to do more than smilingly muse about what a formidable foe a song dragon wizard who retained his magecraft in gold dragon form would be—and then adds enigmatically that Mystra would almost have to take a personal interest in such an individual.”
Is/was he a Chosen of Mystra, or have I just run into an NDA wall at high speed?



Hmm... I was under the impression that all song dragons appeared female... Obviously I was mistaken!
I might have to go look it up... *rummages around through her books, then comes back to the keyboard* It seems I wasn't mistaken... Quoting Monsters of Faerun: Song Dragons are a rare and mysterious race of dragons that prefer life among humanity to the company of other dragons. They can freely take on the form of a human woman, and in this guise they live among humankind, revealing their true nature only in times of personal peril or great crisis. (Bolding mine for emphasis!)

Furthermore, it goes on to describe the song dragon's draconic appearance (iridescent silver-blue scales!), which really doesn't bear any resemblance to any other type of dragon.

Therefore, I must conclude that Alasturan Malatheer, is most likely a Gold Dragon... Or else MoF is completely wrong.

Curiosity prompts me to ask (if MoF is right) - are song dragons actually all female? And if so, how do they reproduce? I'd assume with humans, and that some children grow into dragons as they age, some might be half dragons, and others might just be human.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 20:59:07
Message:

Hi again, all.
Bahgtru recently asked: "Dear Ed and THO, Is Duke Eltan's success as leader of the Flaming Fist equal parts based on his physical prowess as a warrior and administrative and tactical abilities? Did he become a ruling Duke of Baldur's Gate independently of his success with the Flaming Fist or did one drive the other? As he and Piergeiron are both warriors cast into administrators of vibrant cities, how would you compare and contrast their leadership styles and how they are viewed by the citizens of their respective cities? How is Duke Eltan viewed by other rulers in the Lord's Alliance? Does he ever use the Flaming Fist in a non-for profit scenario, i.e aiding another city in the Lord's Alliance? Thank you in advance and Happy Thanksgiving!"
You're welcome, Bahgtru, and thanks for the festive good wishes. Drawing on Ed's notes, I can tell you that Duke Eltan's success is rooted in the fact that he's both a capable, VERY-quick-witted battlefield leader and a shrewd, far-sighted scholar of human nature and successful political manipulation. His success with the Flaming Fist, and his ability to use them to keep order in the city at critical times, definitely drove his rise to rulership. Eltan is viewed as far colder and more ruthless (and less tolerant of dissent) than Piergeiron, but they are both respected as fair, smart rulers and capable warriors, personally free from corruption and disliking it in others. The Flaming Fist has been used in not-for-profit ways in the past, yes; I'll leave longer and more detailed replies to Ed.
love, THO


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 21:04:08
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are there any "social magazines" printed and distributed among the nobles of Cormyr or Waterdeep? If so, names and prices per issue and how often published, please? And if so, can courtiers and wannabe nobles subscribe, or are they "exclusive"? How intelligible would they be to a non-noble, or are they all written in jargon and "we all know Fancypancy's predelictions" "in" gossip?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 21:11:47
Message:

Hi again, all! BA, such magazines do indeed exist; off your queries go to Ed for his replies.
arry, I'll catch up with you later.
Kyrene, you sure did. And the wall hasn't budged an inch.
And Zandilar, you've spotted a WotC shift in how they viewed song dragons (the former "weredragons" of Ed-lore): initially (MoF) female-only, later seen as both genders with males VERY rare, for the very "how does the species reproduce, then?" reasons you bring up. Ed explained this discrepancy away by saying they all have the ability to take human female form, and are cross-fertile with humans when operating as females, but some of them use spells to APPEAR as human males for certain times, either out of preference or for business or personal mission reasons. So the male human is actually a magically-disguised human female who is really a song dragon in its only "natural" human form.
Myself, I share Ed's preference: that they'd stuck with weredragons all along, by all means revamping them for 3e if they wanted to do so, but thinking through such basics as species reproduction before writing up "official" rules. Sigh.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 22:04:30
Message:

A quote from Elminster in Elminster in Hell comes to mind
with this page and the Hooded One's profession.
Vangey and Luse:
condensed:
Luse: Armor is supposed to be tight, men come at me with swords and daggers.
Vangey: They are the smart ones. (of course referencing Luse tendency to bed all of her personal noble son followers.)


Reply author: uaintjak
Replied on: 15 Oct 2009 23:28:55
Message:

Was Espar ever written up anywhere? I'd be interested in seeing the village the senior Knights started in.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 01:01:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by uaintjak

Was Espar ever written up anywhere? I'd be interested in seeing the village the senior Knights started in.

Volo's Guide to Cormyr has some tidbits, as does Ed's Swords of Eveningstar novel. There's some brief bits in both the 1e and 2e FR boxed sets, Haunted Halls of Eveningstar, and Ed's '05 Candlekeep replies as well.


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 09:45:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Kyrene, you sure did. And the wall hasn't budged an inch.
love to all,
THO


I'll take that as a "Yes, maybe" rather than a "No, definately not" then. Is there anything Ed can tell us about Alasturan Malatheer that has not already been published and would not be behind that wall? Yes, I'm keeping it purposely vague, and so can be whatever Ed can reply with. A single word of lore is still 'more lore' afterall.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 12:49:46
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
And Zandilar, you've spotted a WotC shift in how they viewed song dragons (the former "weredragons" of Ed-lore): initially (MoF) female-only, later seen as both genders with males VERY rare, for the very "how does the species reproduce, then?" reasons you bring up. Ed explained this discrepancy away by saying they all have the ability to take human female form, and are cross-fertile with humans when operating as females, but some of them use spells to APPEAR as human males for certain times, either out of preference or for business or personal mission reasons. So the male human is actually a magically-disguised human female who is really a song dragon in its only "natural" human form.
Myself, I share Ed's preference: that they'd stuck with weredragons all along, by all means revamping them for 3e if they wanted to do so, but thinking through such basics as species reproduction before writing up "official" rules. Sigh.
love to all,
THO


I am not really sure what I want to say to that. I'm quite happy with the concept of a magical species that is monogendered and has to mate outside the species to reproduce. (We are talking about magic here!* Anything is possible!)

Where would I find stats for the original Were-dragon (I probably have 2nd Edition stats hanging around somewhere but goodness knows where!)? Or were they never published? If not, what are the main differences between Song Dragons and were-dragons? Was MoF accurate, were they only female?

* Even Nature is more varied than some would have us believe.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 14:22:06
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


Where would I find stats for the original Were-dragon (I probably have 2nd Edition stats hanging around somewhere but goodness knows where!)? Or were they never published? If not, what are the main differences between Song Dragons and were-dragons? Was MoF accurate, were they only female?


I believe that the weredragon was first published in Dragon 134 -- in a 1E article. And in that article, they were all female.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 14:43:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


Where would I find stats for the original Were-dragon (I probably have 2nd Edition stats hanging around somewhere but goodness knows where!)? Or were they never published? If not, what are the main differences between Song Dragons and were-dragons? Was MoF accurate, were they only female?


I believe that the weredragon was first published in Dragon 134 -- in a 1E article. And in that article, they were all female.

Yep. And this has all been covered before, in a previous version of Ed's replies. If you search the archives, Zandilar, you should find Ed's earlier replies.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 19:23:30
Message:

uaintjak, I can ask Ed for his "handy" Espar notes, if you'd like. The published lore has been pretty slim.
love,
THO


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 20:18:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

uaintjak, I can ask Ed for his "handy" Espar notes, if you'd like. The published lore has been pretty slim.
love,
THO


If he has any handy Esparin notes, that would be great.

You know, stuff on where the original settlers came from, how the culture differed from modern Cormyrean (and Cormyrean at that time), any famous heroes of the realm and famous monarchs.

Basically, stuff that could be useful for portraying a border marcher Cormyrean who proudly retains some of his Esparinnar cultural roots.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 16 Oct 2009 21:26:47
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,
I am not really sure what I want to say to that. I'm quite happy with the concept of a magical species that is monogendered and has to mate outside the species to reproduce.


That's one thing I like about (4thed) Lamia's (I really dislike the 3rd ed version). They should have kept medusae one-gendered as wel.


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 03:49:42
Message:

To THO and ED,

Thank you for the reply to my last request. The next one may seem strange. I just finished watching an ESPN MetRX World's Strongest Man competition.

If such a competition were held in say Waterdeep during shieldmeet, who would the top entrants be? If it is possible, could you provide what city or nation they hail from and what their vocation or background is? Also who might the favorites might be?

Thank you in advance.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 06:34:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bahgtru

To THO and ED,

Thank you for the reply to my last request. The next one may seem strange. I just finished watching an ESPN MetRX World's Strongest Man competition.

If such a competition were held in say Waterdeep during shieldmeet, who would the top entrants be? If it is possible, could you provide what city or nation they hail from and what their vocation or background is? Also who might the favorites might be?

Thank you in advance.




My minotaur, Takkus Gal-Zon, would be an entrant. Not sure what his 3.x strength would be, but in 2E, he had a 20 strength. He and his friends are co-owners of a Waterdhavian inn, now, and he doubles as a bouncer.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 06:48:56
Message:

I had a minotaur bouncer once, too, in Sigil. The Fest Halls were never the same. Of course, he had a "stake" in the earnings of the place [which, ironically, was forged of wood -- a piece of which the minotaur used as a weapon to guard entry against malcontents], so he *retired* from official bouncer duties and instead began tending bar.

...

Anyways, Ed, I shot off a quick email to you. Just wondering whether it came through intact?


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 14:36:52
Message:

There's also a minotaur bouncer in canon lore, in the Moonsea product. His name is Thud, and he runs an inn in Thentia.

Takk was an actual PC of mine; I imported him into the Realms as an NPC, built an adventuring group around him, and had them eventually settle in Waterdeep (because there's no place better in the Realms! ). They collectively bought an inn, but they don't run it themselves -- they hired someone else to do that. They just enjoy the profits and have a place to relax and drink for free.

...And I've been trying to think of a name for that place for a long time. I think it finally came to me, just now.

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 15:34:38
Message:

Ed, I've since sent a follow-up email, that largely continues on from the previous one. But if the earlier message didn't come through, then this second one is unlikely to make much sense.

I'll await your reply before sending the first email again.


Reply author: Bahgtru
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 15:40:39
Message:

One of my favorite gaming experiences was adventuring in a group of young, slightly cocky treasure seekers from the Dalelands. We heard through a Cormyrean merchant selling an ancient elven blade that some ancient ruins in the King's Forest of Cormyr housed treasures of an abandoned Elven enclave from earlier times.

To make a long story short, after several days of searching and finding everything but the Elven ruins, we decided to reprovision in Waymoot. Of the six of us, who all tended to the arrogance of youth, a certain boisterous ranger in our group got carried away with a serving wench at the Silver Wink in Waymoot.

Of course the many rounds of Ale literally and figuratively did not help to temper the situation. When a middle aged man who was so large and wide he had to duck and turn sideways to enter the Tavern asked us to leave, our good friend did us the great disservice of calling him a misbegotten son of a firbolg hag that should be snoozing in front of a fire somewhere, and proceeded to plant a kiss on the serving girl.

The next morning we all awoke, some miles out of town and quite sore, bruised, and black and blue. We all had vague memories of the earth turning upside down and flying out the tavern and careening off a building on the other side of the street but the note found on Rodrik, our lovable, loud mouthed friend cleared up the remainder of the night.




To the young whelps,

While my sensibilies and sensitivities are able to withstand the indesretion of youth, such is not the case for the young lasses of Waymoot. I trust I did not cause any permanent damage but left you with a reminder that will last a few days about the prudence of harnessing your vigor and ambitions, respecting your elders, and the prudence of good manners.

You will find your gear, in a depression 100 yards off the road to the East covered by plucked folliage. Please gather it and be on your way. When or if you learned the lesson I hope I imparted, please feel free to enjoy the hospitality of our town.

The misbegotten son of a Firbolg hag,

Lord Filfar Woodbrand



After that experience, Filfar would be on my list. It was a brief encounter but one that we laughed about for some time. We also learned the importance of the great Volothamp's local research, sorrily after the fact. The DM appreciated Volo's work and got a good laugh out of it.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 16:07:20
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sage, Ed hasn't - - yet, anyway - - received EITHER of the e-mails you sent. At all, in any form. He promises to keep me posted and let me know right away when he does, so I can tell you, AS WELL AS replying directly to you, himself. We'll figure out these Net grmelins yet.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 16:36:00
Message:

Aye. It's a problem on my end. Apparently, some new sub-routines I added to SageBrowser have been causing conflicts with my posting techniques. It'll register a post or message, but won't actually carry that post or message to the next stage. Curious.

The messages have undoubtedly been lost, so it looks like I'll have to re-compose and re-send.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 16:40:20
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another Realmslore question. This time regarding falconry in Cormyr: outside of nobles' households, how many falconers (breeders, tamers, tenders of sick or injured birds, sellers of birds, etc.) can be found in the realm, that commoners and outlanders can readily do business with? Some names and reputations?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: uaintjak
Replied on: 17 Oct 2009 18:09:03
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

uaintjak, I can ask Ed for his "handy" Espar notes, if you'd like. The published lore has been pretty slim.
love,
THO



That would be great, thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 18 Oct 2009 16:45:39
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A campaign question: on the main trade roads through Cormyr, there must be many bridges carrying those roads over all the streams that wander in and out of the King's Forest, through it, and so on.
Are those bridges large and high enough to hide a large armed band under? Take shelter under, in a blizzard or torrential downpour?
And do Purple Dragon patrols habitually check under them, at every pass, to see if fugitives or monsters or anyone else, or contraband or other items, are there?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 18 Oct 2009 20:32:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Dear Ed and THO,
A campaign question: on the main trade roads through Cormyr, there must be many bridges carrying those roads over all the streams that wander in and out of the King's Forest, through it, and so on.
Are those bridges large and high enough to hide a large armed band under? Take shelter under, in a blizzard or torrential downpour?
And do Purple Dragon patrols habitually check under them, at every pass, to see if fugitives or monsters or anyone else, or contraband or other items, are there?
Thanks!
BB



Ooh, I'm definitely seconding this one!

Let me also add a quick additional question: which of the "major" roads in Cormyr (i.e. those depicted on the maps) are actually cobbled?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Oct 2009 17:35:11
Message:

As far as I can remember, Asgetrion, cobbled streets are restricted to the cities of Cormyr, High Horn, and the "main drags" of larger places like Wheloon. Everywhere else is hard-packed fine gravel atop dirt, with stones and moss on the flanks to slow washouts (and repaired constantly; the Purple Dragon road-patrols inspect and report constantly). With logs under the dirt in swampy spots.
Of course, I'll pass your query on to Ed, in case anything's changed.
love,
THO


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 19 Oct 2009 22:46:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

As far as I can remember, Asgetrion, cobbled streets are restricted to the cities of Cormyr, High Horn, and the "main drags" of larger places like Wheloon. Everywhere else is hard-packed fine gravel atop dirt, with stones and moss on the flanks to slow washouts (and repaired constantly; the Purple Dragon road-patrols inspect and report constantly). With logs under the dirt in swampy spots.
Of course, I'll pass your query on to Ed, in case anything's changed.
love,
THO



Thanks, Milady!


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 20 Oct 2009 16:09:59
Message:

Hi Ed. I'd like to ask a non-FR question for a change.

The Nobel-prizes are a pretty big affair 'round where I live, so for some reason I was wondering who Ed thinks deserve to win the literature one? (Personally I'm rooting for British folk-singer Billy Bragg, but that's not going to happen) What does he think of this year's winner, Herta Müller (based on the one chapter from one of her novels printed in my local paper she's very good). And finally, who's Ed's favourite past winner?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Oct 2009 18:26:44
Message:

Hi! Ed responded darned-near instantly to that one, Kajehase:

Hmmm. I'd vote first for Terry Pratchett.
Then for Guy Gavriel Kay.
I've not read much Muller, but liked what little I have seen.
As for past winners, there are a lot of worthies, but if you force me to pick just one, it's the 1907 Laureate: Rudyard Kipling.


So saith Ed.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Oct 2009 16:05:07
Message:

Whoops! Lost a line from Ed's e-mail, that I quoted just above. Here it is; it follows directly after "but liked what little I have seen."

Ed wrote:

My German isn't good enough to enjoy anything written in German, so I've read the Serpent's Tail translation into English of THE PASSPORT - - and that's it.


So saith Ed. Sorry, all.
love,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 21 Oct 2009 16:18:17
Message:

You only need to know enough german to understand the german version of the Lumberjack song.


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 22 Oct 2009 01:06:53
Message:

On the subject of Ed's reading preferences, I'd like to know if he has yet read 'Songs of the Dying Earth', the tribute anthology for Jack Vance's acclaimed 'Dying Earth' stories? Assuming he has, what does he think of it? And was he asked to contribute to the anthology?

I have to say that although I love the book, I personally think Ed's writing style would have been a perfect fit for this book -- even more than that of some of the selected authors. Not to mention that I remember (and hopefully my memory serves me right, but I also think the influence is pretty evident in Ed's writing, which in my opinion also shares the same kind of inspiring, creative genius I love in Vance's stories) Ed mentioning on this forum that he is a fan of Vance's work.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Oct 2009 07:32:43
Message:

Was Kiaransalee Ed's creation?
I am a bit confused on her history, particularly her being a drow, and whether she was one before the Descent, or whether she 'became' one afterwards (possibly taking it up to attract followers).


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Oct 2009 09:02:57
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Was Kiaransalee Ed's creation?
I am a bit confused on her history, particularly her being a drow, and whether she was one before the Descent, or whether she 'became' one afterwards (possibly taking it up to attract followers).

As I recall, Kiaransalee was a Carl Sargent creation, for DMGR4 Monster Mythology.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Oct 2009 13:59:26
Message:

Ah. Well, since it is not really feasible to ask Sargent, I guess I have to make something up myself.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 14:57:21
Message:

Hello All,

ED who are some of the best armorsmiths when it comes to winged humanoids and where are they to be found?


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 16:30:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi! Ed responded darned-near instantly to that one, Kajehase:

Hmmm. I'd vote first for Terry Pratchett.
Then for Guy Gavriel Kay.
I've not read much Muller, but liked what little I have seen.
As for past winners, there are a lot of worthies, but if you force me to pick just one, it's the 1907 Laureate: Rudyard Kipling.


So saith Ed.
love,
THO



Thanks for the alacrity Ed. (My favourite among the past ones is Steinbeck, if anyone was interested)


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 16:33:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Whoops! Lost a line from Ed's e-mail, that I quoted just above.


Baaad Hooded One. Someone should punish you

quote:

Here it is; it follows directly after "but liked what little I have seen."

Ed wrote:

My German isn't good enough to enjoy anything written in German, so I've read the Serpent's Tail translation into English of THE PASSPORT - - and that's it.


So saith Ed. Sorry, all.
love,
THO



I took French at school, so in the case of Müller I, too, will have to make do with the translated versions. At least they should be easy to find now.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 16:34:30
Message:

Hi, all. gomez, The Sage is right; K was Carl's creation (Ed created Eilistraee and Vhaeraun).
Asgetrion, Ed pre-ordered that collection, read it and enjoyed it very much. No, he wasn't asked to contribute, and I agree with you that he could have written a superb story. Heck, he can echo Jack Vance's own style very well, if called upon; he once did so for a local "stage a mystery" dinner party theatre event, wherein a coded message had to be hidden in a story (Ed faked a Dying Earth fragment to be found in the "corpse's" hand, purporting to be torn from a library book, the damaged library book that was used as a prop being TALES OF THE DYING EARTH).
Ed has written an appreciation of Vance's Dying Earth, for an issue (6? I can't recall the precise issue number) of THE EXCELLENT PRISMATIC SPRAY, the magazine put out by Pelgrane Press as part of its Dying Earth roleplaying game line (the superb game itself being the work of Ed's fellow Canadian and famous game designer Robin Laws).
love,
THO


Reply author: Atomo
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 17:07:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by gomez

Was Kiaransalee Ed's creation?
I am a bit confused on her history, particularly her being a drow, and whether she was one before the Descent, or whether she 'became' one afterwards (possibly taking it up to attract followers).

As I recall, Kiaransalee was a Carl Sargent creation, for DMGR4 Monster Mythology.



Seconded about Kiaralansalee's informations. It was always one of my preferred deities . Even if she is not Ed's creation, I would like to know how he used her in Realms.

Bleh to Orcus. Kiaralansalee is much better


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 23 Oct 2009 20:47:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all. gomez, The Sage is right; K was Carl's creation (Ed created Eilistraee and Vhaeraun).



Ah, ok, then on Eilistraee and Vhaeraun: were they always drow? Or did they 'become'drow after the Descent?
(Iow were the drow created after an image of Lolth and her children, or were the dark elves, or - being deities - did they form an image after their followers?)

Gomez


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 16:33:03
Message:

Hi again, all. Some little time back, Blueblade asked this: "Dear Ed and THO,
Today's Realmslore question from moi concerns street lighting in Suzail at night: oil lamps? Candle lamps?
A few stationary high-up ones, or mounted on pulleys and chains, or taken away every morning, filled up, and brought back and lit at dusk (or when?) and hung up, as needed?
If so, how good is the overall lighting? Just along the Promenade and the wealthy/nobles' neighborhoods, or - - ?
Does the port "work" at night?
And who does this? The Purple Dragons? Crown servants/special lamplighters? Or - - ?"
Ed replies:

Both. And some "lit candles floating in oil" hybrids, too. All of them in metal "cages" looking rather like the "coach lamps" of the fogbound London of Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, et al. These tend to be mounted on black cast iron brackets that thrust out from the streetside walls of stone buildings, are very good along the Promenade and in the area north of the Promenade and west of the Palace complex (i.e. the nobles' and wealthiest Suzailans' neighbourhood, where these lamps are almost all on freestanding metal poles ("posts"), fairly good down the east wall of the city (the barracks areas) and along the docks (so, yes, the port can and does work at night, when trade warrants, which is most of the time), sparse in the central heart of the city (where taverns and clubs tend to have door-lamps, and some major streetmoots [[we would say intersections]] are lit, and there's not much else), and darned near non-existent in the western part of the city (the slums and poor neighbourhoods, sometimes called "Darkstreets" as a result).
Businesses fuel and light their own lamps (i.e. many of those I mentioned in the heart of the city), and these lamps may be of any sort and mounted any way; most are on pulleys and chains, and "drawn in" to a window with a long metal hook mounted on a wooden reaching pole, for filling (they must be GENTLY let go again, not left to fall and swing, or they tend to smash against the building wall on the backswing; local laws prohibit mounting lamps on wooden walls), but some are unhooked and "reached down" via hooked poles; VERY few are let down to the ground on pulleys and chains, because of recurring vandalism/pranksters/lamp thieves in the past.
The inner wall lamps, Promenade lighting, nobles' district lamps, and port and barracks lamps are lit by hired lamplighters overseen by Crown officials (minor courtiers; there are enough of these to form lighting crews if the hirelings quit or are too scared to light particular lamps or all fall ill). These lamps are all of the "reached down" with hooked poles sorts, and are secured with safety-chains so they can't blow down from the hooks they hang from; the chains can also be unhooked by the poles from the ground, but are situated in opposition to each other, to keep the lamps from crashing down in even gale-force gusts.
However, these Crown-overseen lamps (and the Crown pays for the fuel, lamp repairs and replacements, by the way; the hired lighters are paid for the lighting work only) are in daily practise almost always filled directly, by hand, by workers standing on platforms built atop tall wagons; to prevent thieves employing these wagons at night, these wagons MUST be locked away in sheds when not in use (and can, if permits are obtained, be used for roofing repairs, hanging signs, and other non-lamplighting tasks).


So saith Ed. There you go; covered exhaustively. Oh, save for one thing; Ed neglected to mention something he's often said in play to us: that a lot of private residences have "lamps in the window" (that is, on the sill inside), sometimes as signals (i.e. prostitutes signalling they're home and open for business, or family members telling each other dinner is ready or whatever).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 17:41:10
Message:

Well Again All!

A few questions if I may regarding the naming of Cormyr's towns/cities.

We know from 'Cormyr: a Novel' that Dhedluk is named after an individual who helped 'save Cormyr', am wondering whether Tyrluk is named after someone as well? (given the similar nomenclature?). I would of course be interested in all the other major town names (Suzail excluded for obvious reasons) and how they came to be called what they are (Arabel - a corruption of 'a rebel' given its history?)

As an aside: Eveningstar is it named after the Starwater? I have always assumed this is a common transalation of the elven name for the settlement that was there before humans came to rule Cormyr?

Best wishes

Damian


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 18:01:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


So saith Ed. There you go; covered exhaustively. Oh, save for one thing; Ed neglected to mention something he's often said in play to us: that a lot of private residences have "lamps in the window" (that is, on the sill inside), sometimes as signals (i.e. prostitutes signalling they're home and open for business, or family members telling each other dinner is ready or whatever).
love to all,
THO




Would those prostitutes use any special kind of lighting (such as the proverbial red lights from the real world), or is it more a thing of "If the southeast window of 'Lady Malara's' home is lit, then she's willing to entertain clients"?


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 18:19:37
Message:

Well Again!

Another Cormyr question (or six!) relating to the coast (inspired by my recent holiday to the coast to celebrate my upcoming 40th birthday!)

Does the Crown own the cliffs and beaches in Cormyr? If so does it tax people to use them and how does it collect said taxes?

1)
Launch/docking fees, in Marsember/Suzail/Immersea etc harbour fees are easily collected (I presume), but if I was a fisherman with a small boat that barely supported myself/my family in the dozens of unnamed port hamlets do I need to pay a launching fee to go out to sea? Do I need to get permission to launch my boat? How much control do the local Lords have regarding this? Is there a tax on any catch that is brought back?


2)
Smuggling by sea: how rampant is it? what are the most commonly smuggled goods into Cormyr? who is major smuggling boss/group (circa 1370 DR or so)


3)
What are the laws regarding salvage? for instance a ship grounds on rocks and its cargo washes ashore, who owns the cargo? what steps would the Crown take if every one from 20 miles around came looting? What is the penalty for the deliberate wrecking of ships?


4)
Similar to above, what happens if a whale/sea serpent/shoal of tuna/insert Realms equivilent large fish beaches? can folks just go down and help themselves to this free bounty? Do the clergy of Umberlee/Selune/Valkur consider this bounty theirs by divine right?


5)
If a local farmer goes down with a small cart to load up with sand to marl his heavy clay soil, does he need to get permission/pay a fee (include taking away seaweed or guano as fertiliser as other examples of harvesting, they similarly considered as crown property?).


6)
Are there firms involved in gravel extraction for road building (or are all roads built by the Crown)? Would said firm have a crown contract to build/service roads? or can they just work for local Nobles/merchants for pay? If they are independent do they have to pay the Crown for taking sand/gravel?

What if a local noble decides that his country estate requires gravel paths/roads and sends his servants down to collect as much as they need from the local beach? Does the Local Lord have the right to intervene?

Thanks Ed for your time

Best wishes

Damian
ps I have updated the Cormyr Scroll with all the recent responses from Ed and THO, (sorry it has taken so long )


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 19:59:40
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring this very short reply from Ed to Wooly's followup question: "Would those prostitutes use any special kind of lighting (such as the proverbial red lights from the real world), or is it more a thing of "If the southeast window of 'Lady Malara's' home is lit, then she's willing to entertain clients"?"
Ed replies:

The latter. No "red lights" that announce to all what the light is for, but a myriad of private codes/messages intended for established clients. Visiting sailors and caravan merchants can get directions to "warm and willing arms" in all the inns and taverns of the city, from low to high, so advertising to visitors isn't crucial.


So saith Ed. Damian, good to hear from you! Your queries have gone off to Ed, but I can tell you from play experience that there are no launching fees, and I THINK the Crown owns all shorelines (cliffs, beaches, the lot).
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 20:24:42
Message:

Great questions, crazedventurers. I'm not Ed, but I think the correct answer to your beaching question is that it's "free for all" and a mad scramble sometimes happens.
Years ago, I watched (couldn't get a seat at, but Ed let extra bodies sit and listen in to play sessions) a charity Ed-run four hour Realms game, and it involved hunting for a crown, orb, and sceptre reportedly found by villagers in the body of a whale beached on Cormyr's coast not far east of Suzail, as they were cutting it up. There wasn't any hint that the vilagers had done anything wrong, and nothing at all about any clergy.
But of course, Ed will provide more lore. He always does. :}
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 24 Oct 2009 20:37:08
Message:

Having just read the end of THE GHOST KING (don't worry, no spoilers!), I'd just like to ask Ed: how do you PREFER to end series books? Cliffhanger? Revelation? Big battle? Or does it depend on the story?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Oct 2009 01:16:01
Message:

I've an addendum to make to one of crazedventurers queries, as it is something I'll soon be dealing with in my current FR campaign...

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

2)
Smuggling by sea: how rampant is it? what are the most commonly smuggled goods into Cormyr? who is major smuggling boss/group (circa 1370 DR or so)
And what measures does Cormyr employ to stamp out smuggling? Additionally, are there any other "well-known/notorious" smugglers which the Blue Dragons would like to catch in the act?


Reply author: Asgetrion
Replied on: 25 Oct 2009 19:58:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Great questions, crazedventurers. I'm not Ed, but I think the correct answer to your beaching question is that it's "free for all" and a mad scramble sometimes happens.
Years ago, I watched (couldn't get a seat at, but Ed let extra bodies sit and listen in to play sessions) a charity Ed-run four hour Realms game, and it involved hunting for a crown, orb, and sceptre reportedly found by villagers in the body of a whale beached on Cormyr's coast not far east of Suzail, as they were cutting it up. There wasn't any hint that the vilagers had done anything wrong, and nothing at all about any clergy.
But of course, Ed will provide more lore. He always does. :}
BB



Ooh, now I *really* want to hear this tale... what happened in the adventure?


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 26 Oct 2009 22:35:38
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
In the time before the Spellplague, in Silverymoon, does High Lady Alustriel customarily dine in the Palace? Or does she visit city eateries? (And does this change, after she leaves rulership of the city to run the Silver Marches?)
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 26 Oct 2009 23:46:27
Message:

A question for Ed and THO:
If either one of you were given the chance to write a Realms novel starring a female protagonist (of known canon females), pre-Spellplague, who (whom?) would you choose?
Just curious...thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Oct 2009 15:37:15
Message:

Hi, all.
Well, I would choose Storm Silverhand. She needs a LOT more love.
Ed agrees, and would do her second; he wants to do Alustriel first, before "the chance is completely gone."
So saith Ed. And me.
love,
THO


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 27 Oct 2009 16:12:37
Message:

Hello,

ED where would one find the most extensive collection of bestiaries, underdark, planar, aquatic etc cetera....who is the most famous author of such compendiums?

Are there any such magical compendiums that actually give the reader knowledge of creatures upon request, possibly at a cost of severe headaches, temporary mental damage for having ones brain crammed suddenly with information? I plan to make such tomes but wonder if any already existed, possibly in temples to Sarvas or Candlekeep?

Might such bestaries actually be found likely on other planes?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 01:53:53
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I've been asked to help write a "Murder Mystery Dinner Party" for a local charity, and knowing Ed has done at least one, I wanted to know if either of you could share any pointers on establishing atmosphere (plot is no problem, and the venue - - a smallish ornate old local mansion - - is a given). Are there mystery books I should read? Pitfalls to avoid?
Thanks!

P.S. No rush on this. I've got until spring.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 07:04:05
Message:

Found this question floating in the ether:-

quote:
Originally posted by Snowblood

Hi Ed..took your advice decamped my biggys to the main arena...so in the 'ye olden days' how did the elves go about bonding and raising their dragons.

What kinds of 'monsters' over ran the southern high forest and how did they change the landscape?

Did Eaerlann have a Coronal?

Is Myth Glaurach built on the ruins of Sharlarion??????


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 14:09:21
Message:

Hmmm. Methinks there's been something said about Myth Glaurach's location here at the Keep, but not by Ed or THO. Anyone remember where this lore might be found?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 14:12:21
Message:

Sage? Wooly? This thread of Ed's seems to have gone wonky again. It's not updating post counts or displaying this page (109) in the Chamber of Sages threads overview page...
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 14:29:37
Message:

Aye. I'll check the archives Blueblade.

And yes, we're "on the case" as it were, with respect to the "wonky" problems plaguing Ed's scroll once again.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 14:49:25
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Hmmm. Methinks there's been something said about Myth Glaurach's location here at the Keep, but not by Ed or THO. Anyone remember where this lore might be found?



We have a pretty exact placement for Myth Glaurach, from the Mintiper's Chapbook entry of the same name. What I don't know is where Sharlarion was -- it's been a while since I read Evermeet, and I'm not recalling other references to its location.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 15:24:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Hmmm. Methinks there's been something said about Myth Glaurach's location here at the Keep, but not by Ed or THO. Anyone remember where this lore might be found?



We have a pretty exact placement for Myth Glaurach, from the Mintiper's Chapbook entry of the same name. What I don't know is where Sharlarion was -- it's been a while since I read Evermeet, and I'm not recalling other references to its location.

Brian James made an early attempt at placing Sharlarion in the '-25,500 DR map' of the Grand History PDF. It's just SW of the western most border of Ostoria.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 28 Oct 2009 15:33:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi, all.
Well, I would choose Storm Silverhand. She needs a LOT more love.
Ed agrees, and would do her second; he wants to do Alustriel first, before "the chance is completely gone."



Hmm. Interesting deductions can be made from that statement.

Gomez


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 29 Oct 2009 19:18:01
Message:

Dear Ed,
Last night I encountered a beautiful lady at Toronto's airport. She saw the copy of ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER I was reading while I waited for my relatives' flight to arrive and told me she once worked for TSR and she "loved meeting you" because you were "such fun."
She also said that you did a "mean striptease" !!!
And she added teasingly that something in that book is based on a real-life detail of something about TSR, at the time.
So, care to elaborate?


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 29 Oct 2009 23:33:43
Message:

"Mean striptease"? Oh, THIS I've gotta hear!


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 30 Oct 2009 07:26:59
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
Ed agrees, and would do her second; he wants to do Alustriel first

So Ed would 'do' them both, but you would only choose them? Have you converted or something, my lady?
Seriously though, I've got a question: How would you classify Alassra's madness before and after Elminster? For example: 'Before Elminster her madness was seen by general unhinged behavoir, such as [insert behavoir here], and after Elminster her madness was seen only in [insert behavoir here].
Of course, if that's too specific, I'll take whatever you can give.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 30 Oct 2009 10:48:40
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar
Last night I encountered a beautiful lady at Toronto's airport. She saw the copy of ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER I was reading while I waited for my relatives' flight to arrive and told me she once worked for TSR and she "loved meeting you" because you were "such fun."
She also said that you did a "mean striptease" !!!
And she added teasingly that something in that book is based on a real-life detail of something about TSR, at the time.
So, care to elaborate?



This story kind of confuses me... I think it's the "real-life detail of something about TSR" in a Elminster's Daughter. Elminster's Daughter was definitely published by Wizards of the Coast (TSR is long defunct now). I presume that she meant it was based on a real life detail of something that happened in the past while TSR was still in existence?

I'd love to hear an elaboration too!


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 30 Oct 2009 15:52:13
Message:

Well, duh. It obviously refers to when Gary Gygax had to chase Jeff Grubb across the rooftops of most of Lake Geneva back in 1983.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 31 Oct 2009 16:22:45
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I was re-reading my way through one of my old GenCon program books (I used to write notes to myself in them, about what I heard at seminars and people I met and new products and games to try and suchlike), and I came across this one, from the last or nearly the last Milwaukee GenCon: "Jim Butler has new Realms art/Elminster with Lion Sword/ask Ed about the Blue Unicorn"
So, okay, Ed, belated this truly is, but . . . what's the Blue Unicorn, and what else can you tell us about it?
BB


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 31 Oct 2009 16:39:37
Message:

Hi, everybody. I just received this e-mail from the lovely Lady THO, who tells me she can't log on to the Keep for some tech-glitch reason. She's asked me to post it, so here it is:



Hi again, all.
crazed venturers recently asked: "We know from 'Cormyr: a Novel' that Dhedluk is named after an individual who helped 'save Cormyr', am wondering whether Tyrluk is named after someone as well? (given the similar nomenclature?). I would of course be interested in all the other major town names (Suzail excluded for obvious reasons) and how they came to be called what they are (Arabel - a corruption of 'a rebel' given its history?)
As an aside: Eveningstar is it named after the Starwater? I have always assumed this is a common transalation of the elven name for the settlement that was there before humans came to rule Cormyr?"
Ed replies:


My full nomenclature notes for Cormyr are both scattered and buried (as a result of respnding to various TSR requests long ago, at various times, then packing everything up for a house move), but I can tell you that "luk" in the old human local parlance meant "place of" or "home of" ("alukh" in speech, shortened to the suffix "luk" when made part of a name), and that Tyrluk is so named because of a local human "lord" (war leader; a 'robber baron' sort of chap) named Arlutyr (pronounced "Arl-ah-TEER") about whom not much is remembered save that he was black-bearded and handsome, a gallant rake, a forester who led a large band of outlaws who got along well with the elves but resisted all attempts by anyone to rule over him, and who slaughtered a lot of monsters [he was fond of threatening those who came after him by leaving the bleeding corpses of monsters in their homes for them to find when they awakened one morning, WITHOUT wakening them during his break-in to put them there].
Eveningstar is a human translation of an elven name, but then "Starwater" is also based on an elf name that meant in part "Stars-in-the-Water." When I find my #$%@$# notes, I'll be able to tell you more. :}


So saith Ed, who is busy busy busy. As usual.
love,
THO


. . . And that's it. Great fun, receiving a THO missive in my inbox. Perhaps some day I'll meet the lovely lady in person (hint hint, no need to wear clothes yto our meeting, ahem).
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Oct 2009 16:52:35
Message:

Hi again, all! The glitch Blueblade refers to was apparently in my keyboard, not the Keep end, and it seems Ed's thread is working again! Huzzah! (And thanks to Sage, Wooly, and whoever else my have hand a hand in fixing it!)
I even bring another Ed-reply, this time to Baleful Avatar: "Having just read the end of THE GHOST KING (don't worry, no spoilers!), I'd just like to ask Ed: how do you PREFER to end series books? Cliffhanger? Revelation? Big battle? Or does it depend on the story? Thanks!"
Ed replies:


It very much depends on the story. I like any and all of cliffhangers, revelations, and big battles, but NOT contrived ones. They have to be part of the story; throughout the reading experience, I want the reader to feel as if I'm reporting the unfolding history of what actually happens in the Realms, never "constructing a plot."
Bob and I have discussed what's going on at the end of GHOST KING, and why, and I fully agree with him. LOVE his poignant last line, too!


So saith Ed. Who will return with more Realmslore as soon as he can.
love to all - - and thanks, Blueblade, for the prompt assist!
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 31 Oct 2009 19:34:25
Message:

Hi again, all.
Blueblade, unless a different Blue Unicorn I've never heard of is meant, the Blue Unicorn in the Realms is two linked things:
1. A famous Waterdhavian-noble-born lady of pleasure who worked in Suzail, masked to conceal her identity, and:
2. The brothel/"club" she founded, owned, and ran, in Suzail (it's still going, but she died of old age/natural causes in the 1340s, though I THINK one of her "girls" took over the title and mask). It's very upper-crust; that is, a quiet, luxuriously-furnished, discreet "grand house" in which members can relax, read, play board or card games, chat, dine on meals prepared in the club for them, and so on, with lots of well-behaved servants/bouncers to keep things private. It is NOT haughty, or reserved for the nobility, though a lot of them frequent it, and it's become a sort of "neutral ground" for them, a place where feuds and so on are temporarily set aside, and nobles mingle with wannabes they'll "cut dead" outside, on the street.
Ed can, of course, say more - - such as whether or not a THIRD "Blue Unicorn" (search me . . . please!) is meant.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Oct 2009 23:52:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

(And thanks to Sage, Wooly, and whoever else my have hand a hand in fixing it!)
Actually, I think it just adjusted itself. It sometimes happens, when enough posts are made to register the new page on the forum tables. The delay, I'm afraid, is connected to the little ASP gremlins that have again began plaguing Candlekeep.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 01 Nov 2009 07:09:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Hi, everybody. I just received this e-mail from the lovely Lady THO, who tells me she can't log on to the Keep for some tech-glitch reason. She's asked me to post it, so here it is:



Cheers BB for posting THO's email and thanks to Ed and THO for responding so quickly.

Much appreciated

Damian
wondering if the ghoulies and ghosties have been active in Faerun recently?


Reply author: AlorinDawn
Replied on: 03 Nov 2009 01:52:59
Message:

It's been a long while since I've roamed these halls. Since it's been a while. I have the only question that is approproate at my return.

Ed & THO,

How the hell have you two been?


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 03 Nov 2009 04:21:30
Message:

It's been a while for me too, and I don't have any new questions. I just thought I'd check in on the core of my interest, being a mere fanboi of all things Realmsian and their lineage. That's all.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Nov 2009 18:31:49
Message:

Oh, Jakk, believe me: once he saw the stellar expanding and polishing job our Garen Thal did on the Cormyr lineage, Ed started moving heaven and earth to get it published, somewhere and somehow.
Even though that was a metaphorical heaven and earth, moving it was still a hard and heavy task, and isn't finished yet.
Believe me, we all want to see the Lineage published. Brian Cortijo did the superb job of rounding out the work of Ed, Eric, George, Grant, Tom, Bryon, and several others!
love,
THO


Reply author: Hemera
Replied on: 03 Nov 2009 20:23:18
Message:

Dear ED/THO:

I am a great fan of the FR campaign set and I play a group of Eilistraeen followers with my friends. We would like to know if there is any information available of any legend or tale about the Seldarine and the chronicles of the War of the Elven Gods. I have read somewhere that there was something canon, but I don't know for sure if it's just a rumor.

Also, is there any reference of all the orders that serve to the church of Eilistraee? I have read about the Protectos of Song and the Darksong Knights. Are there the only ones?

Finally, we would like to know if there is a list somewhere of Eilistraeen shrines and settlements through the Realms.

All these questions are of previous Spellplague age, of course, before that *cough* nasty thing that happens (I will not spoil anything here).

Thank you for your time and best regards.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 03 Nov 2009 22:26:05
Message:

Here are some random questions that I have thought of as I populate
my Myth Drannor for 1377 DR.

The redeemed drow. It has been stated somewhere else to use either
the ability mods of either moon elves or wild elves. Is there an
official stance somewhere?
What kind of general personality traits do these elves have now?
I am totally unable to wrap my head around how these elves will
interact with their former deadly adversaries.
Would they still use their drow surnames, or would a change be
encourage to show their new start?
Same general combat styles and magic preferences?
Would there be prejudice from the conservative old money
elven families, or would there be a race wide message from
the Seldarine to welcome them back into the fold?


Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 06:25:48
Message:

In the City of Ravens Bluff accessory, Dean of Illusion at the Wizards' Guild, Uldiznae Rockfall, is stated to bemoan the status of his people, the gnomes, as the 'Forgotten Folk' of the Realms. He longs to make Ravens Bluff a place where they might be more accepted and take a larger role in shaping events.

As the first step of realising his dream, he is reportedly planning to manouver at least four gnomes to the Merchant Council of the city.

This interests me and I'd like to showcase this gnome and his ambitions further in my campaign. But I have a bit of a conundrum. I couldn't find four gnomes or gnome-run businesses in the book, let alone four with enough clout and revenue to be considered for the Council.

Can Ed point me toward any powerful gnomes in the city, either ones I might have missed in the book or ones that did not make it in, for some reason?

I can, of course, make them up from whole cloth, but I would prefer if at least some of them fitted into the fabric of the city as Ed sees it.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 09:29:06
Message:

Greetings Ed, another question that's perhaps not entirely FR-related from me again (sorry)

I've been on a Jacqueline Carey-trip lately (strongly recommended to those who like long novels where the author allow the plot to develop at its own pace, and who don't mind some occasionally very detailed sex-scenes - quite often between characters of the same gender), and one of the things I really like about her first trilogy is the way it has a leading lady who is completely and utterly unsuited to be the heroine of your typical epic fantasy series: (no magic powers [or well... that statement could be discussed, but no obvious magic powers as a D&D-player would recognise it], would probably have a hard time beating your average 14-year-old boy in a hand-to-hand fight, and would probably rather go shopping for new clothes than gallivanting 'round the alternate Europe she lives in). So to bring this post on to topic - has Ed ever considered writing (or even written) a story or novel about a similarly fish-not-so-much-out-of-water-as-out-of-the atmosphere-character?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 14:13:43
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

Greetings Ed, another question that's perhaps not entirely FR-related from me again (sorry)

I've been on a Jacqueline Carey-trip lately (strongly recommended to those who like long novels where the author allow the plot to develop at its own pace, and who don't mind some occasionally very detailed sex-scenes - quite often between characters of the same gender), and one of the things I really like about her first trilogy is the way it has a leading lady who is completely and utterly unsuited to be the heroine of your typical epic fantasy series: (no magic powers [or well... that statement could be discussed, but no obvious magic powers as a D&D-player would recognise it], would probably have a hard time beating your average 14-year-old boy in a hand-to-hand fight, and would probably rather go shopping for new clothes than gallivanting 'round the alternate Europe she lives in). So to bring this post on to topic - has Ed ever considered writing (or even written) a story or novel about a similarly fish-not-so-much-out-of-water-as-out-of-the atmosphere-character?



Not to step on anyone's toes, but you might want to check out Ed's Falconfar Saga.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 16:44:03
Message:

Well said, Ashe.
Kajehase, the Falconfar trilogy (Rebellion will publish the third book, FALCONFAR, as soon as they can; Simon & Shuster now have it slated for March 2010 in North America; Ed finished it long ago) is centered on a fish-out-of-water protagonist.
And although many of the supporting characters in Ed's Niflheim books are capable and heroic, they are also fishes out of water, operating outside the environments they grew up in and understand (surface world vs. underground, city-dwellers in the subterranean world out in the wild tunnels, clergy out in the secular world, etc.)
love,
THO
P.S. MANY of Ed's short stories, outside the Realms, and some set in the Realms (e.g. The Place Where Guards Snore At Their Posts) feature unlikely, "unqualified" heroes.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 20:16:43
Message:

Okay... no one has yet made any remark on Kajehase saying that Phedre has no magic powers? Aren't we growing staid and prim...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 04 Nov 2009 23:38:28
Message:

How so?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Nov 2009 02:27:46
Message:

Hi, all.

Menelvagor, we're just trying not to be one-note predictable. We certainly haven't stopped being, ah, filthy-minded. Believe me.

Icelander, I'm almost certain you haven't missed anything that's in the book. As I recall, a LOT had to be left out of that book, being as the RPGA notes Ed was handed to do that project from amounted to a little over 4 million words. John Rateliff was the editor on RB, but I think Ed was "editing down" before he handed anything in, to keep the book manageable (it was a balancing act between including enough to please long-time Living City participants, and giving a newcomer - - a non-RPGA member, for instance - - something readily useful in basing a campaign in "the Bluff"). So there's probably lots in Ed's notes. I recall gnome painters and rope, cord, and "finethread" (embroidery thread) makers, myself, from the Knights' adventures in Scardale, investigating ship cargoes brought from the Bluff.
I've handed your query on to ed, of course, to see what he turns up.

althen artren, I'd say the redeemed drow run the gamut of world-views and attitudes, from a few wild-dwelling brigands and a few urban "mystics" (turned to mumbo-jumbo cult-like mock ceremonies, divinations, and drug use to induce visions to use for guidance) on the two extremes, to everything in between from wanting to function as a dark-skinned human among humans, in a city, to wanting to establish elf-only realms in which they occupy positions of importance (among other "breeds" of elves). However, that's just my reading of the probable situation; Ed's will probably be different, and I hope he'll provide it in the fullness of time.

And that's all from me for now. Life is getting busy again...

love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 05 Nov 2009 02:37:03
Message:

Oh, where are my MANNERS?
I'm SORRY, AlorinDawn! Welcome back; Ed and I have been getting steadily older (the days pass . . . and I just can't stop them!) and weary from time to time with the various loads of life, but in general we're both busy, optimistic, happy people who want our glasses more than half full, and keep right on refilling them, whenever we can.
We haven't abandoned the Realms, we won't abandon the Realms, and we're constantly striding ahead into new stories and new fun. Promise.
Why, just last night I had some new fun involving a feather boa, some stretchy rubber tie-downs, and a few dog toys that I put to uses that would have astonished some dogs I know...

love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 03:12:37
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I remember Ed once mentioning a minor noble of Cormyr who secretly, while abroad, hired tutors and became enough of an accomplished wizard to face down and surprise a War Wizard at a confrontation.
Who was that noble, and what was the confrontation about? (I remember it happened at the noble's family country mansion or castle.)
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Afromania
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 03:13:10
Message:

Heya "THO" and Ed :)
I'm a "new" reader of the realms (aside from the Drizzt books, all, which i grew up with) and so I'm rather ignorant of what's going on around me. I checked around the people and the FAQ section but some things I could not find answers for.
I'm currently reading the Elminster series (in the beginning of the 3rd right now) and so my questions are pretty much only around that one:

1. When, as much as we can tell, did Elminster got the power of Spellfire? It seems to me (again, a new reader) like he uses some sort of spell-reflecting ward right on the first or second book of the series, but is it Spellfire or is it some "normal" magic ward of reflection?

2. How come you haven't put more about Elminster's life between "Elminster in Myth Drannor" and "Elminster's Temptation".
Not that I can tell, but it seems like a lot of interesting things might have happened (not to mention, i always enjoyed the "creation" of strong mages - their studying years and so on, which you seem to skip or speak of in a rush in this series at least). I find that the Elminster in the 2nd book is not the same one that in the 3rd book. Obviously, 300-400 years passed, and that changes a man - or even an elf for that matter - so why not expand about these parts?

3. How long can one take to grow up to be a capable wizard? After living 400 years or so he still seems like he could use a good apprenticeship of sorts (hence, the dark lady in the 3rd book). And that's one of the greatest mages in the realm? Comparing him to some other mages I've read stories about - he's not that impressive considering the time he had to become impressive. Why did you make it so?

4. Would you say, as the author, that the Elminster series is the way to start reading about the great mage that he is?
Have i wronged you by starting with that series and not another one involving him in the future? I am after all new to the larger realms, and so, missing the "future Elminster" to see the progress of his as leading to greatness.


Sorry if i ask questions that have been answered before, truly the threads of questions to Ed are too vast for anyone with time-limit on his hands (hey, we're not all Chosen!) to read through and seek his answers one by one.
Also, I'm no book criticizer - just part of my persona is to doubt and question all that is to be doubted and questioned, and so i question Elminster's "greatness" - especially since I've not read about his future self (or well, current self for the ones up-to-date).

-And thanks for your hard work "THO" and Ed, it seems to pay off seeing this community that you and the moderators (and all the authors and whatnot) created here. I am appreciating it more by the second and it makes me want to read more, play more and think more Realms.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 03:18:50
Message:

I'm not Ed, obviously, but I seem to recall Ed saying he'd like to tell a LOT of stories of Elminster, but TSR and now Wizards haven't given him the opportunity to tell Elminster's story right up through the ages.
And all the Chosen have silver fire, that works a lot like spellfire. Elminster I think also has spellfire, but didn't have it for the first few centuries of his life. He DID have psionic powers (that he used in that first fight in the village where he was born).
But enough from me. Ed and THO can both say more, SO much better than I can . . .


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 08:11:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

How so?




She's been "divinely touched," one may put it, to ...ahem... like pain. A lot.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 08:22:01
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

Greetings Ed, another question that's perhaps not entirely FR-related from me again (sorry)

I've been on a Jacqueline Carey-trip lately (strongly recommended to those who like long novels where the author allow the plot to develop at its own pace, and who don't mind some occasionally very detailed sex-scenes - quite often between characters of the same gender), and one of the things I really like about her first trilogy is the way it has a leading lady who is completely and utterly unsuited to be the heroine of your typical epic fantasy series: (no magic powers [or well... that statement could be discussed, but no obvious magic powers as a D&D-player would recognise it], would probably have a hard time beating your average 14-year-old boy in a hand-to-hand fight, and would probably rather go shopping for new clothes than gallivanting 'round the alternate Europe she lives in). So to bring this post on to topic - has Ed ever considered writing (or even written) a story or novel about a similarly fish-not-so-much-out-of-water-as-out-of-the atmosphere-character?



Not to step on anyone's toes, but you might want to check out Ed's Falconfar Saga.



*facepalm* Well. I have read book one, and will definately be getting parts two and three soon enough...

And thanks to Ed and THO for the answer.

Continuing on the Carey-inspired track, though. In the series, one of the major festivities of the country in which the main characters hail from (a sort of alternative renaissance France, sans Christianity [in this reality, only the jews became Yeshuites, funnily enough], for those who hasn't read any of the books) is a celebration inspired by a typical explaining-the-turning-of-the-seasons myth: at the hour of midnight, someone dressed as the Sun Prince enters and "weds" the Winter Queen, who turns from an old crone into a young woman. Are there any similar myths to this told in Faerûn? (For instance, Auril kidnapping Chauntea, causing snow and cold to cover the land, but then in the spring, Lathander/Amaunator rescues the Earthmother. To take inspiration from two of the many similar real-world myths on that theme).

(And sorry about the excessive use of paranthesis. I'm working on it. I really am.)


Reply author: Marco Volo
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 09:09:58
Message:

Hello folks and Ed !
I'm sorry about my english but I'm a dirty frenchman so, forgive my mistakes.

I don't know if these questions have been asked, so I shoot by the way :

I would know the secrets of the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar, i e :

- Mellomir was he inside ? What has he doing inside ?
- How many levels exist ?
- Can we learn more about the dwarves that have bought the Halls for Rivior ?
- What Bhaal was exactly doing in the Haunted Halls during the Trouble Time ?

Can you give to the Forum a map of the levels of the Halls ? It would be so nice... I'm sure I'm not the only that have dream of a miracle like this

I know how I'm make great demands on Ed, but Nothing ventured, nothing gained...


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 11:28:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Marco Volo


- Mellomir was he inside ? What has he doing inside ?
- How many levels exist ?
- Can we learn more about the dwarves that have bought the Halls for Rivior ?
- What Bhaal was exactly doing in the Haunted Halls during the Trouble Time ?

Can you give to the Forum a map of the levels of the Halls ? It would be so nice... I'm sure I'm not the only that have dream of a miracle like this



Hello MV your English is perfect.

Dreaming is a pastime we should all do more, alas I fear that the map of the Haunted Halls will always remain a dream for most of us as it is owned by WoTC and is unlikely to get published.

What can we answer:
We know from previous replies that there are two main levels of the Halls, plus the Kobold redoubt and Whispers Crypt which Ed expanded upon. It is also mentioned that Halfling Inc. an adventuring band, destroyed a gate (portal) in the lower halls (I have always assumed this was in a secret hard to find and beholder guarded sub-level rather than part of the second level, similar to how Whispers Crypt is?)

The dwarves built (the now wind torn and ruined) Rivior Keep that stands at the top of the Starwater Gorge, which Rivior left as a trap filled murdering place to kill his enemies whilst he moved into the Halls proper. His most notable enemy Enchara, warrior Queen of Esparin, killed Rivior and his followers and later married into the Obarskyr line (and so Esparin was absorbed into Cormyr).

re Bhaal this purely conjecture on my part; Bhaal took refuge in the Halls for two reasons, one to rest and heal after his trials so far and two to find something(s) of great power. What I think was that he was hoping to find the aforementioned gate still in working order allowing him to leave Faerun and get back to the planes (and/or other gates that allow travel to to other places on Faerun/other planes). I am sure he was after whatever magic he could find as well to bolster his current mortal form. (In my campaign there was a small secret long abandoned temple built by the fire knives in the well at Riviors Keep dedicated to Bhaal).

Mellomir: I would like to hear more about him from Ed as well.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Damian


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 13:28:35
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

How so?




She's been "divinely touched," one may put it, to ...ahem... like pain. A lot.

Ah. I knew it! The Lady Hooded One is, in actuality, the Lady of Pain. And the Cage... Ed's* basement.



*So would that make Ed, Aoskar?


Reply author: arry
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 18:13:40
Message:

Be careful Sage, you're stepping pretty close to worship of LHO/Lady of Pain and we know what happens to those that do


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 20:27:47
Message:

Marco Volo, I doubt Ed will legally be able to give us a map of the Haunted Halls, being as it was officially published in a TSR "module" adventure, back in the day. I'm sure Ed submitted his original (more extensive) map to TSR back then, got paid for it, and therefore TSR owns it.
Right, Ed? THO?
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 20:29:56
Message:

That's exactly right, Blueblade. Sorry, Marco Volo. Damian (crazedventurers) did a great job addressing your other queries, and both your questions and Damian's replies have gone off to Ed, in hopes that he'll reveal more - - especially about Mellomir.
love,
THO
P.S. Sage, you're a VERY good guesser. Except about Ed's basement. So good, in fact, that if ever you make it to Ontario, Canada, you and I may just have to meet, and take turns tying knots and plying the whip, if you take my meaning. Worry not; I don't scar easily.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 23:21:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

P.S. Sage, you're a VERY good guesser. Except about Ed's basement. So good, in fact, that if ever you make it to Ontario, Canada, you and I may just have to meet, and take turns tying knots and plying the whip, if you take my meaning. Worry not; I don't scar easily.
love,
THO
The Lady K whispered to me last night, that she would have no problem with this, so long as she was also involved.

I suppose stamina is just the issue of concern, now.


Reply author: Elfinblade
Replied on: 06 Nov 2009 23:56:12
Message:

Now now boys and girls, put aside the whips and the gimpsuits and lets tackle some realmslore shall we? :)

Mr. Greenwood, Lady Hooded.
In our rather extensive and ongoing campaign, that by the way had it's 10 year anniversary the other day, we have a troupe of entrepreneurs and occasional adventurers who at this moment have their interest in: Fish! We've tackled coffee and tobacco export before. But right now i am in need of some mundane lore on freshwater or saltwater fish/crustaceans from Chessenta to Chondath.
I notice from the map that there is a great lake in Chessenta called The Akanamere. Do you have any information to pass along about certain fish habitats in said lake, which kind of fish/crustaceans would be liable to support a large fishing/export operation? Also, what kind of preservation would be the preferred method, i.e. Salting, drying etc for long transport hauls across the plains between Chessenta and Chondath?

Hail to thee lord of realms.

-Stig-

(EDIT: I forgot to mention, we still play pre-spellplague, in the year 1360. So if you would be so kind as to zone back in time to that particular year concerning my queries i would be much obliged)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 00:09:03
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sage, of COURSE Lady K must be a full participant in any, er, hanky-panky that may ensue. 'Twouldn't be llicit, otherwise. As for stamina . . . there's no need to RUSH. We'll have lots of time for tea and chat and, ah, recovery. I know some tricks involving my fingertips that are likely to be timely . . .

(There, Menelvagor; explicitly steamy enough for you?)

Ahem. I DO have a Realmslore reason for posting, now, too. To whit, Ed's response to this earlier query, from Blueblade: "Dear Ed and THO, I remember Ed once mentioning a minor noble of Cormyr who secretly, while abroad, hired tutors and became enough of an accomplished wizard to face down and surprise a War Wizard at a confrontation.
Who was that noble, and what was the confrontation about? (I remember it happened at the noble's family country mansion or castle.) Thanks! BB"
Ed replies:


You remember matters well, Blueblade! The noble is Lord Erephrand Downshield (the Earl of Downshield), the son of Roryn Downshield, who was ennobled by Azoun IV very early in Azoun's reign for personal loyalty to the king (read: defeating an assassination attempt and taking wounds in the process). Erephrand is a mild-mannered, middle-aged, single man who rode with Alusair and has his own fierce personal loyalty to her. He's not a rebel or any sort of foe of Cormyr, he simply dislikes the meddling of the Wizards of War, whom he regarded as the REAL traitors to the realm, under Vangerdahast. When young and vigorous and busy making many trips to, and later extended stays in, Suzail on his father's business (enriching the family through shrewd trading deals and investments in the prosperous, ever-expanding Sembian economy of the time), he discovered that he had a natural, hitherto hidden talent for the Art, and decided to hire tutors and take some training so as to be able to hold his own against passing hedge-wizards, overbearing minor priests, and, yes, overly officious War Wizards (of lesser magical accomplishments; he never intended nor expected to be a match for a group of wizards or a senior War Wizard). Again, let me stress that Erephrand Downshield is NOT a rebel. He simply wanted the confidence of knowing his own abilities, and of being able to control them, to hold his own in defending his shousehold and his family interests - - rather than having the War Wizards clamp down on him the moment his facility for magic was discovered.
The confrontation was just that: upon ascending to the lordship (earldom, that is, but I've used the customary colloquial Cormyrean term of "lordship"), on the death of his father, Erephrand politely but very firmly disagreed with the War Wizard who had been serving as his father's "house wizard" on how family business should be conducted. The particular low-level wizard was a rather sneering, superior sort, and Erephrand took some delight in publicly astonishing - - and besting - - him in a minor trading of warning (as in "shot across your bows") magics. Which earned him a swift visit from Vangerdahast, and a quite amicable understanding being reached, involving the installation of a new house wizard. :}
The confrontation took place in the hall (great room or feasting hall, but Downshield Keep has just the one large room, so it's simply called "the hall") of the family seat, which is a three-storey walled stone manor house that boasts a lone crenellated stone tower, located on a lane running north off The Way of the Manticore, about a day's easy ride east of the Wyvernflow (or of Wheloon, if you prefer), about a sixth of a day's ride up that lane, in the heart of the rolling farm and ranch countryside of eastern Cormyr.
Erephrand hasn't yet (just pre-Spellplague) married, and has outlived his father, mother, and one sister, so he might well be the second and last Earl of Downshield - - or he might sire a large next generation of Downshields; we just don't know yet. (However, we do know that he's very fond of Alusair and that he enjoys the company of women.)


So saith Ed. Font of the true, original, and best Realmslore, as ever.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 00:24:04
Message:

Hi again, all.
Elfinblade, your great query goes off to Ed, of course, for a proper reply, but from my own notes (given to me years back by Ed, as a result of queries during play) I can tell you:

The Akanamere supports local fisheries in crabs, eels, and the druth or "brown flatfish" (which resembles nothing so much as the detached sole of a leather moccasin or slipper). The eels and flatfish are sun-dried for transport and sale; when soaked in water or shredded into a soup or stew they readily reconstitute, the eels having an odd "nutty" taste and the flatfish having a hearty "smoked bacon"-like flavour but a leathery, hard-chewing consistency.
The crabs are often called "stone crabs" for their usual human-palm size, mottled gray color, and rounded shape, are VERY tasty steamed, boiled, fried, or fire-seared (boiled treats them the worst, and fried the best). They are usually tossed alive into layers of salt in barrels for transport elsewhere, which kills them and preserves them; when bought out of the barrel, soak them for a day to get rid of the salt, or boil them very briefly with kurlath leaves (the broad green leaves of a wild, shady-loving ground plant otherwise useful only for wrapping things in; kurlath sap "cuts" salts of all sorts) to drive out the salt, and then prepare the crabs however you prefer. Stone crabs, when eaten raw, have a taste somewhat like real-world tinned smoked oysters [though they're not at all oily]. They readily "awaken" when cooked with herbs and spices, becoming stronger and more crab-like [[that's a direct quote from Ed, so you'll have to ask him what "more crab-like" really means]].


There. Lightning-fast Realmslore, courtesy of the sheer coincidence of my having found and re-read those particular campaign lore notes yesterday! Enjoy!
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 03:03:41
Message:

Icelander,
I just unearthed an important gnome of Ravens Bluff in the notes I took at the "Realms All-Stars" GenCon seminar the year CITY OF RAVENS BLUFF was released. Ed told someone in the audience who asked about adventurers selling exotic weapons in the city that a wealthy gnome artificer, "Uldoth Tannerthar," was a good place to discreetly sell such items without attracting a lot of attention from the authorities.
Tannerthar is (or was, if the bluff got destroyed in your campaign) a landlord who rented out more than a dozen houses scattered all over the Bluff and who "has a hand in several local businesses, including Bantarl Anchors [a local gnome anchor-making foundry], Lhaurauna's Bright Manes & Tails Hoof Physics [maker and seller of medicines for horses, goats, and cattle, and poison antidotes for all], and Calthon's Coachworks [a halfling-owned firm that makes luxurious or serviceable interiors for all manner of coaches]." He's a dandy who dresses in silks, fur-trimmed cloaks, and gorgeous clothes, always twirls jeweled canes, and always has visible bodyguards with him and undercover "sniper" crossbowmen covering him from afar, and he lives in a grand house somewhere in the Bluff. (Where, I don't know; I suspect Ed didn't say, but in any event I didn't write any location down for it.)
So, there's one.
Over to Ed, now, for corrections, amplifications, and of course to provide Icelander and all of us with two or three other rich and important gnomes of the Bluff...
Well, well, those notes came in useful after all!
BB


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 03:20:37
Message:

Heh, it's always fascinating watching the places this thread goes. And that goes for the Realmslore too!

So I take it, THO, you're a fan of Jacqueline Carey's, uh, genre?

And to bring this back around, I have what is hopefully an easy question: how the heck do you pronounce Eaerlann? Up til now I've been pronouncing it as "AIR-eh-lann," but I realized the other day that that's not at all how it's spelled. I have no idea how to pronounce "eae," and so for years I've been subconciously moving letters around, pronouncing it as though it was spelled Aerelann. Which isn't how it's spelled. I was hoping the great wordsmyth might help a poor, tongue-tied player with the proper pronunciation. Thanks!


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 03:32:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
The noble is Lord Erephrand Downshield (the Earl of Downshield), the son of Roryn Downshield,


Excellent, another unbeknownst to us all Noble of Cormyr, with enough Lore to build upon (as with the others on the All about Cormyr Thread )

Thanks Ed for sharing

Kind regards

Damian


Reply author: Marco Volo
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 15:10:31
Message:

quote:
both your questions and Damian's replies have gone off to Ed, in hopes that he'll reveal more - - especially about Mellomir.

Thanks a lot THO and Damian for your help and your answers !
I hope Mr Ed. will grant our wishes with his knowledge.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 16:18:53
Message:

Hi again, all.
Hoondatha, regarding these queries: "So I take it, THO, you're a fan of Jacqueline Carey's, uh, genre?
And to bring this back around, I have what is hopefully an easy question: how the heck do you pronounce Eaerlann? Up til now I've been pronouncing it as "AIR-eh-lann," but I realized the other day that that's not at all how it's spelled. I have no idea how to pronounce "eae," and so for years I've been subconciously moving letters around, pronouncing it as though it was spelled Aerelann. Which isn't how it's spelled. I was hoping the great wordsmyth might help a poor, tongue-tied player with the proper pronunciation. Thanks!"
I can step forward to reply, Ed being hard at work at his library job right now. Some of Ms. Carey's writing works for me, and some has pacing problems, but the sex is just fine. I like it outdoors, I like it bondage or not, spanking or whipping or not, and so on (in other words, I could go on being far more explicit than some scribes might prefer, just to say I like it in all sorts of ways ). So, on to Eaerlann . . .

From hearing Ed (who created the place and coined its name [pre-TSR, I'd say, looking at his old pencil maps]) use its name for years, I can tell you definitively that it's pronounced "AIR-hh-lann" (the "hh" being little more than an audible indrawing of breath, softer than an "uh" . . . and the voice lingering on the "an" at the end, in a "go down and hold it, flat" intonation.
And yes, the Elvish "Eae" is usually pronounced "air" (the exceptions being modifying consonants following the "eae" in a name or word; "v" and "y" and "z" all cause the "E" to be sounded in "Eae" so that, for example, Eaeve is pronounced "EE-vh" (again, "vh" being a shorter, softer variant of "vuh"). [[Or to put it far more simply, "Eaeve" would be pronounced by a real-world North American speaker as "Eve."]]

There you go. So saith me.
Call me any time, Hoondatha. [[purrrr]]
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 16:53:36
Message:

Heh. It's a good thing you usually attend GenCon incognito, THO, else you'd have quite the devoted pack following you around!

And thanks for the pronunciation help, I was rather embarrassed when I discovered what I'd been doing. Turns out I wasn't as far from the truth as I thought.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 19:14:12
Message:

THO: So many willing partners, so little time, eh?
Seriously, Ed and THO, I have another Realms question (surprise!). This one concerns Sembia. Does Sembia have any government-related secret strike forces or cabals or even government departments of wizards, who might do the "secret service" MI5/MI6/FBI/CIA investigation and enforcement that Cormyr's War Wizards do?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 19:16:42
Message:

Malcolm, in answer to your first: YES.
In answer to your second: Yes they do, from time to time. I'm actually surprised it's taken this long for someone to think along these lines and ask. I'm not sure how much Ed will want or be willing to reveal at this time, so off your query goes to him, and we'll all see...
love,
THO


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 21:06:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, Jakk, believe me: once he saw the stellar expanding and polishing job our Garen Thal did on the Cormyr lineage, Ed started moving heaven and earth to get it published, somewhere and somehow.
Even though that was a metaphorical heaven and earth, moving it was still a hard and heavy task, and isn't finished yet.
Believe me, we all want to see the Lineage published. Brian Cortijo did the superb job of rounding out the work of Ed, Eric, George, Grant, Tom, Bryon, and several others!
love,
THO



Thank you for the update, THO! I have one (erm... two) teensy questions regarding the logistics (not unpublished content) of the lineage, that I'm hoping Ed can answer.
1) Draxius: Was his lifespan and reign extended after the fact to account for chronological difficulties in previously published lore, or had he lived for so long from the time of his creation?
2) Also Draxius: Spoiler for those who have not read the Cormyr line of succession from the GHotR: Were he and his two predecessors always the same king, or was this a minor retcon? (I'm starting to hate that word, but I've been using the concept a lot in my Realms of late as I eradicate Earth-origin deities (with the exceptions of the Norse and Finnish pantheons) from my Realms.)

Thank you both, Ed and THO, for all of your time and energy spent on enlightening us poor benighted scribes!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 21:29:29
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are there any half-orcs known and tolerated as members of the royal household (servants, courtiers) in Cormyr? Are there any half-orcs known and tolerated as long-established inhabitants of Suzail?
Thanks!
P.S. As of just pre-Spellplague. Sorry, should have specified.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 21:31:46
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
(There, Menelvagor; explicitly steamy enough for you?)


It's not myself I'm thinking of, my lady! It's all those scribes who need stimulation to their tired brains after some hard work! Malcolm put it perfectly, I think.
Anyway, there is a question to be asked here: What is the greatest desire of El and the Seven? I reaized that in fact, this is a very interesting question. They're quite powerful in the Realms, but as Chosen, they devote their power (though likely not all of it) to Mystra's will. So what would they wish for themselves, if they could?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Nov 2009 21:55:05
Message:

Menelvagor, from years of conversations with Ed, I'd say that if El and the Seven can ever be said to have a single common desire, it is this (from about the 1350s onwards): to have successors they can trust to take over safeguarding the Realms, so they can retire and die. Literally "rest in peace."
Of course, this is MY guess. Off to Ed for confirmation/comment...
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Nov 2009 02:55:54
Message:

Hi again, all. I'm back with more Realmslore and a clarification. That clarification first: I was astonished to learn that one of my work colleagues is a Realms fan, and has been quietly reading this thread for years. She put a question to me whose answer I will share with you all, regarding the Earl of Downshield: he only had one sister, and has outlived her, and so (as of the situation and time as Ed described it to us, in his reply to Blueblade) is the "last of his line." He is the only living Downshield noble.

Right. Now the Realmslore. Marco Volo, Damian (crazedventurers) posted in response to your Haunted Halls questions: "I have always assumed this was in a secret hard to find and beholder guarded sub-level rather than part of the second level, similar to how Whispers Crypt is?" and Ed replies:

Yes, indeed, Damian. Spot on. There is a room on the second level that several other rooms open out of. One of these entrance is a huge, tall, grand-looking pair of tall metal doors that are a trap: they aren't attached to their frames at all, which are overlapping lips on the inside, that prevent them being pushed inwards. If pulled (by their visible pull-rings) outward to open them, they topple onto the pullers, filling all of the floor space except those facing the areas of wall on either side of their frames.
Those frames are set into a stone wall that's six feet thick, and one of the frames is itself a secret, hidden door opening into a passage inside the thickness of that six-foot-thick wall, that leads down a flight of stone steps into the very beholder-guarded sub-level you speak of (there are other ways in and out, too).
I'd love to just hand over the keyed map and let you all enjoy, but I'm treading VERY carefully here to stay legal and avoid trouble for myself and Candlekeep. I'll reveal more when and if I get permission to do so.


So saith Ed. Who's back hard at work on the Realms.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Marco Volo
Replied on: 08 Nov 2009 09:20:54
Message:

That's great informations !
Thanks you so much Ed and THO !!
Good work and Love from Volo


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 08 Nov 2009 09:32:09
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha

Heh. It's a good thing you usually attend GenCon incognito, THO, else you'd have quite the devoted pack following you around!

Thats the truth!


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 08 Nov 2009 13:06:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
he thickness of that six-foot-thick wall, that leads down a flight of stone steps into the very beholder-guarded sub-level you speak of (there are other ways in and out, too).



Thank you Ed for your reply. As ever one question answered leads to a few more

Question for Lady Lord THO first:

Did the Knights discover this beholder guarded sub-level? if so can you briefly described what happened?


Questions for Ed:
purely speculating regarding the beholders, it would seem that they would be enthralled to be there as gate guardians given their intelligence and ferocity. Could you speculate on who might have placed them there and why? (to stop things going through from the Halls, or to keep things from coming through INTO the Halls perhaps?). Unless of course the beholders have chosen to guard the gate?


Were Riviors Keep and the Haunted Halls built in the same time period? Can you share any lore on the dwarves that constructed them? (Clan name would be fine). Are the Dwarfs survivors of the Oghran kingdom?


World building question: We see lots of mini dungeons/self contained sub-levels throughout the Realms, as a DM do you prefer them to larger more sprawling dungeons that were the 'norm' when D&D first came out? Am wondering the how/why/when's of choice of dungeon design and their playing style? Do they suit your DM'ing style and your players more?

Thanks Ed for taking the time to share with us all.

Best wishes

Damian



Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 08 Nov 2009 18:31:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers

<chop>
World building question: We see lots of mini dungeons/self contained sub-levels throughout the Realms, as a DM do you prefer them to larger more sprawling dungeons that were the 'norm' when D&D first came out? Am wondering the how/why/when's of choice of dungeon design and their playing style? Do they suit your DM'ing style and your players more?

Thanks Ed for taking the time to share with us all.

Best wishes

Damian



Damian, I'm not Ed, but I'd venture to say that the proliferation of smaller self-contained dungeons relative to sprawling complexes like Undermountain is a simple matter of statistics and consistency in world-building; you will find many more small complexes simply because they're easier to construct, and therefore many more interested builders have the time for them. It's like community sizes; you only see the big cities on large-scale maps, but there are many more villages and hamlets than cities; they just don't show up on the big maps.

Sending this back to Ed for the right answer... and Ed's preferences as a DM, which interest me as well.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Addendum: A further dungeon-related question, also inspired by Damian (as recently re-posted in the "All About Cormyr" scroll):

Is there any chance of the complete Haunted Halls ever seeing publication? This is a publication I would pay money for, even as a PDF with 4E mechanics, as long as the entire module outside of game mechanics is either left as-is or handled by an Ed-friendly editor. Note that I would pay money for this particular publication; WotC should know that releasing this through DDi will not motivate me to sign up, nor will any financial consideration short of six figures (this is WotC paying me now, not the other way around). Given what we've heard about the Spellplague and the magical inscription cut from the original module, I think it would make a great "introduction to the Spellplague" mini-campaign. Also, what I said about being willing to pay for a downloadable PDF separate from DDi also goes for the Cormyr lineage as well. Maybe the smell of money will get Wizbro moving on this...


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 09 Nov 2009 02:13:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Menelvagor, from years of conversations with Ed, I'd say that if El and the Seven can ever be said to have a single common desire, it is this (from about the 1350s onwards): to have successors they can trust to take over safeguarding the Realms, so they can retire and die. Literally "rest in peace."
Of course, this is MY guess. Off to Ed for confirmation/comment...
love,
THO



Heh. That's the opener for all kinds of cans of worms labelled clearly by the Spellplague (or, perhaps, with that word itself) after so many other high-profile NPCs have passed on... anyway, I have a question regarding wyrms, not worms...

Is there a name for the draconic pantheon of the Realms, in the way that the elven pantheon is the Seldarine and the dwarven pantheon is the Morndinsamman? I ask partly out of curiosity, and partly out of a desire to have a proper draconic name for the pantheon's home plane in the Realms cosmology; having a proper dwarven name for the home plane of the Morndinsamman would be nice too, but I may just use Nidavellir; I am, after all, integrating the Realmsian Great Tree with the Norse Nine Worlds in my redevelopment of the Northmen. Yes, I know it's derivative, but I'm compensating for it by eliminating the canonical Mulhorand as well as Unther in my Realms; I suspect they will be crushed by a ruthlessly expansionist Thay in the aftermath of the Spellplague (my version) in which the Mulhorandi deities are slain by a long-dormant Imaskari retributive contingency that was intended to be triggered by the dissolution of the Imaskari barrier, but experienced a "hang-fire" of sorts until the Spellplague came along.

Thanks again, Ed and THO!


Reply author: Elfinblade
Replied on: 09 Nov 2009 20:11:23
Message:

Thankee for the fast reply lady hooded. That had everything i needed on that particular subject :)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 09 Nov 2009 21:01:48
Message:

A pleasure, Elfinblade!
Jakk, I know that Draxius was someone else's brilliant idea (not Ed's), but that he wasn't handled the way he was because of published lore conflicts...it was just that the idea was too good NOT to use.
I'll leave it to Ed to say more, if he can.
love,
THO


Reply author: Garen Thal
Replied on: 09 Nov 2009 22:09:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
1) Draxius: Was his lifespan and reign extended after the fact to account for chronological difficulties in previously published lore, or had he lived for so long from the time of his creation?


quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Jakk, I know that Draxius was someone else's brilliant idea (not Ed's), but that he wasn't handled the way he was because of published lore conflicts...it was just that the idea was too good NOT to use.
I'll leave it to Ed to say more, if he can.
I can elaborate a very little bit, if I may.

THO is, of course, correct; in fact, by the time I got my hot little hands on the Royal Lineage of Cormyr, Draxius' life (and his predecessors') had already beeen established. Although some royals have been created in order to make the Cormyr lore 'fit' into the established timeline, the actual crowned heads have been pretty well set for several years. Their reigns were tweaked very slightly to match published Realmslore, but a lot of work went into getting those dates right long before I ever even knew there even was a Lineage, and any tweaks to the final roll of kings (as it appears in GHotR) were done with great care.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 10 Nov 2009 23:16:00
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I presume apothecaries in the Realms make their own "pills" (or powders, or drinks). Do they share raw ingredients, though? As in, buy and sell stuff from herbalists and alchemists? Or do they have to almost exclusively gather their own or hire others (e.g. adventurers) to gather/harvest/hunt down stuff for them?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 00:55:09
Message:

Hmmm. That question spurs me to ask another of my own: in the Hitchiker books, we hear of famous/infamous mixed drinks like the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.
Are there notorious drinks in the Realms? Either mixed or "house brew" beers/wines/spirits widely known to have strange or potent or fierce effects or side-effects?
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 00:57:29
Message:

Dear Ed,
Is there one of the Seven Sisters that you'd love to write more about? If so, why?
(I'm not asking you to give away secrets about forthcoming Realms fiction by you or anyone; I'm really asking about which character you feel has been most neglected, and why that "relative neglect" needs, or might need, redressing...


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 12:57:43
Message:

Baleful Avatar, I believe Ed recently commented that Alustriel, followed by Storm, would be his choice at this point in time.
The actual answer be several pages back in this thread.


By the way for those who are interested, Eye on the Realms is at:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/duad/20091111

Amreth Gaunt trades a lot in Sembia, Cormyr, and more to the west, but it seems not much in the Dalelands or the east.
Very useful as a NPC if you wish to work with some Cormyr-Sembia friction (not my terrain at the moment, sadly).

Here is hoping for more lore that is closer to my work area ;)
At any rate, it is good to see these type of articles surface after the avalanche of crunchy-lore-lacking two-page power/feat/PP Dragon articles.

Gomez


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 15:53:06
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
In the time before the return of Shade, was any foreign power trying to control Sembia or succeeding in any measure in doing so? (Obviously no one was publicly trying, because there's no hint in published Realmslore of successul manipulation or coercion, but I think I've detected some hints in the way in which both of you have answered questions in this thread, over the years. Am I right?)
Thanks. I'll understand if this is NDA.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 18:23:11
Message:

Hi! You're right, Malcolm, but I don't know if I've just been reflecting what pertains in Ed's home campaign, or if this is strongly NDA, so I've sent your post on to Ed and won't say anything more, only await his reply.
love,
THO


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 18:27:33
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A Waterdeep question, if I may.
In Castle Ward and in North Ward, how many "odd substances" get washed down the street sewers (as opposed to privy-chutes and outlets from inside buildings)? If a vividly-coloured liquid (or a lot of blood) showed up to temporarily change the hue of water draining from a particular street, court, or alley, how likely would it be for someone to notice it and spur the authorities to investigate?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 11 Nov 2009 18:47:35
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
If I am in Arabel and need a harp re-strung AND repaired, how easy is to find craftworkers who do that? Is there competition (i.e. several equally or roughly-equally skilled persons I can go to?) Are they/he/she/it (all) backlogged, or can I get the work done quickly? (Or can I jump queues by paying extra for "emergency" repairs?) Any names of crafters, just-pre-Spellplague?
Thanks!


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 12 Nov 2009 16:11:06
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
"The Project" looks to be ready for your input. Contact me here or through Paramount, okay?


Reply author: NyluenathaStareyes
Replied on: 12 Nov 2009 16:24:39
Message:

Hey Ed, I was wondering if you could tell me what year it was that Djerad Kusold, the Swallowed City of Melebrauth was well...swallowed hah. I'm doing some campaign work in Laerakond and was hoping to get that date as it impacts a few NPCs I'm working up. I'm happy to use a date of my own choosing, but just wanted to see if there was any official word.

Thanks for your time!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 12 Nov 2009 19:02:09
Message:

Hi again, all. Another raft of posts off to Ed, who is tearingly busy right now but loves the questions, so keep 'em coming. Regarding your Arabel harp request, Broken Helm, I know there's more than one place/person you can go to, but the only one I remember right now is in the southwestern part of the city, in a modest upper-floor living quarters/workshop, and is an aging, gnarled human woman named Harsratha Taree.

So saith me (from Ed, of course; this comes from playing in Ed's campaign).
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 03:04:04
Message:

Hi again, all. It’s my proud task to bring some new Realmslore replies from Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to Baleful Avatar, who asked (back on page 105 of this thread): “Is anyone in Waterdeep allowed to be a member of multiple guilds? If so, are there any restrictions on their voting/rights/activities?”
Ed replies:


Usually a particular individual can’t be a member of multiple guilds, but I say “usually” because the truth is that all guilds have their own rules, that differ in specifics from other guilds. It is VERY rare for someone to be allowed to simultaneously be a full voting member of more than one guild; more often someone who has dual or multiple memberships would only be allowed to vote or hold “full” (as opposed to “apprentice”) membership in one guild. There have been, of course, a rare handful of individuals who have managed to belong to more than one guild by establishing several identities (attaining multiple memberships through deception). So, yes, there would be all sorts of restrictions in the rare instances of membership in more than one guild being held.


. . . And more recently (on page 111) Baleful Avatar asked: “Are there any half-orcs known and tolerated as members of the royal household (servants, courtiers) in Cormyr? Are there any half-orcs known and tolerated as long-established inhabitants of Suzail? Thanks! P.S. As of just pre-Spellplague. Sorry, should have specified.”
Ed replies:

In the royal household, just pre-Spellplague: not to my knowledge. Of course, half-orcs who don’t LOOK like half-orcs might be servants, courtiers, or guards in the royal household - - and of course, by all means create some if you’d like to, for your campaign. Yes, there are about sixty half-orc longtime Suzailans, mainly dockhands (ship loaders and unloaders and warehouse “cargo handlers”) who dwell in the poorer western regions of the city. They mainly adopt an amiable “surly but placid” persona so as to fit in, and have earned tolerance among their neighbours, though not always from visitors to the city or the more xenophobic nobles.


So saith Ed. Spinning Realmslore day after day, year after year, decade after decade, for us all.
Regarding matters large and small.
More soon, he promises.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 03:08:53
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
The above answer from Ed leads me to wonder: would a half-orc (who presumably is going to get mind-reamed thoroughly to check on his loyalty, possible ties to Cormyr's foes, and so on) who is deeply loyal to the Dragon Throne and who is magically talented be accepted into the War Wizards under Vangerdahast? What about Caladnei?
Would a loyal but not magically-gifted half-orc ever be made a Highknight, during the same time period?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 03:19:05
Message:

Hi again, all. Ed promised more Realmslore, and here it is. Just a smidgen, but it’s lore nonetheless. Back on page 106 of this thread, Kyrene posted: “Ed and/or THO and/or others,
Running through my notes on notable NPCs in Neverwinter, I came across this little throwaway comment concerning Alasturan Malatheer:
“Elminster refuses to do more than smilingly muse about what a formidable foe a song dragon wizard who retained his magecraft in gold dragon form would be—and then adds enigmatically that Mystra would almost have to take a personal interest in such an individual.”
Is/was he a Chosen of Mystra, or have I just run into an NDA wall at high speed?”
I warned Kyrene that there was indeed an NDA wall, and that it hadn’t “budged an inch,” to which Kyrene responded: “I'll take that as a "Yes, maybe" rather than a "No, definitely not" then. Is there anything Ed can tell us about Alasturan Malatheer that has not already been published and would not be behind that wall? Yes, I'm keeping it purposely vague, and so can be whatever Ed can reply with. A single word of lore is still 'more lore' after all.”
Ed now replies:


No, Alasturan isn’t a Chosen, but Mystra has many other (lesser) allies and servants (see SECRETS OF THE MAGISTER for some “types” of these). Hint, hint.
As for other lore about Alasturan, my notes contain these tidbits:

Alasturan has amassed a collection of maps and charts (apparently as a hobby, enjoying examining them even when he knows their details are fanciful, incorrect, or outdated), plays chess and some other complex board games (for fun, and often alone, not to gamble over or “smash opponents”), has done extensive experimentation and development of new spells involving runes and glyphs . . . and loves going out onto coastal headlands in fierce storms and enjoying the lashing weather firsthand.
Not much, but more facets of character. Have fun!


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on more Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 08:11:05
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Not much, but more facets of character. Have fun!


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on more Realmslore for us all.
love,
THO


THO,

You may tell Ed that I think he is as modest as he is gracious. That little "Not much" lore is more than I could have hoped for. In plain Afrikaans I thus say, Verskriklik baie dankie!*

*Translates roughly as "Terribly lots of thanks!"


Reply author: freyar
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 13:18:41
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sage of Stars

Dear Ed and THO,
"The Project" looks to be ready for your input. Contact me here or through Paramount, okay?



Now this is just teasing!

Anything at all the rest of us plebes can know about this Project?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 21:01:58
Message:

Well, obviously it's something to do with movies, and is hush-hush. I'm guessing it's the Hobbit movies, but that's just my guess.
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 13 Nov 2009 21:31:07
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Thanks for the lore answers! I have, of course, another question.
Or three, but I'll just ask one right now. Can anyone enter the Royal Gardens on normal, everyday times? (i.e. daylight hours, nothing special going on). I'd assume the gates are guarded and anyone in the Gardens is going to either watched or escorted or both, but are they actually off limits? And does being a noble or a courtier or a member of the Palace staff make a difference?
Thanks!


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 04:37:56
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
1) Draxius: Was his lifespan and reign extended after the fact to account for chronological difficulties in previously published lore, or had he lived for so long from the time of his creation?


quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Jakk, I know that Draxius was someone else's brilliant idea (not Ed's), but that he wasn't handled the way he was because of published lore conflicts...it was just that the idea was too good NOT to use.
I'll leave it to Ed to say more, if he can.
I can elaborate a very little bit, if I may.

THO is, of course, correct; in fact, by the time I got my hot little hands on the Royal Lineage of Cormyr, Draxius' life (and his predecessors') had already beeen established. Although some royals have been created in order to make the Cormyr lore 'fit' into the established timeline, the actual crowned heads have been pretty well set for several years. Their reigns were tweaked very slightly to match published Realmslore, but a lot of work went into getting those dates right long before I ever even knew there even was a Lineage, and any tweaks to the final roll of kings (as it appears in GHotR) were done with great care.



Many thanks to Ed, THO, and Garen for the info; here's hoping we can all peruse the Lineage ourselves one day soon... but I'll keep my expectations at a safely abysmal level for the time being.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 17:40:44
Message:

Hi again, all! Back in mid-October (page 107), Blueblade asked: “Dear Ed and THO, A campaign question: on the main trade roads through Cormyr, there must be many bridges carrying those roads over all the streams that wander in and out of the King's Forest, through it, and so on.
Are those bridges large and high enough to hide a large armed band under? Take shelter under, in a blizzard or torrential downpour?
And do Purple Dragon patrols habitually check under them, at every pass, to see if fugitives or monsters or anyone else, or contraband or other items, are there?
Thanks!” and Asgetrion then posted: “Ooh, I'm definitely seconding this one! Let me also add a quick additional question: which of the "major" roads in Cormyr (i.e. those depicted on the maps) are actually cobbled?”
whereupon I responded: “As far as I can remember, Asgetrion, cobbled streets are restricted to the cities of Cormyr, High Horn, and the "main drags" of larger places like Wheloon. Everywhere else is hard-packed fine gravel atop dirt, with stones and moss on the flanks to slow washouts (and repaired constantly; the Purple Dragon road-patrols inspect and report constantly). With logs under the dirt in swampy spots.
Of course, I'll pass your query on to Ed, in case anything's changed.”
Ed now replies:



THO is entirely correct about the cobbles, except that cobbles are also found on every bridge that isn’t a small, simple “flat planks covered with gravel affair,” and on some stretches of the main coastal trade-road linking Cormyr with Sembia (where on-its-way-down-to-the-sea drainage dictates that cobbles are better than more-readily-washed-away fine gravel).
The main trade roads tend to have tile culverts (filled in all around with VERY broad stone-rubble shoulders) for some forty or so small rivulets and drainage ditches, but wherever a watercourse is larger and “running” year-round, they do have large and robust bridges that, indeed, a “large armed band” could hide under or take shelter under.” And yes, Purple Dragon patrols do have standing orders to check under them at every pass, by the following method: shuttered lanterns lowered on poles so their illumination shines only on one side (toward the underside of the bridge and away from the Dragon observers “behind” the lanterns), while Dragons from the patrol armed with ready crossbows peer in under the bridge from some distance away “behind” the lanterns. Or to explain it more clearly: patrolmen get bows wound and ready, then go to prepared vantage-points thirty yards or more away from the bridge on either side, then signal their readiness. Lit lanterns are then lowered, with their dark sides kept towards the observers and their light-emitting sides toward the underside of the bridge. A third and fourth lanterns are already lit and ready, but kept completely shuttered. If there’s nothing under the bridge, the observers return. If this is occurring in dark or dim conditions, all four lanterns are aimed at the surroundings while other Dragons (that is, not the returning observers) watch. The patrol reforms, the crossbows are unloaded and uncocked, the patrol crosses the bridge, the lanterns are extinguished, and the patrol moves on. Those third and fourth lanterns can serve as replacements for the two lowered lanterns if they are broken, but a fifth and sixth will then be lit to replace THEM.
This procedure sounds more cumbersome than it is, because it’s all smooth habit to the patrols.



So saith Ed. Founding Creator of Cormyr and of course the Realms around it.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 20:20:37
Message:

An explanatory followup from Ed, just received: he meant to say that:


The small, simple “flat planks covered with gravel affair” (uncobbled) bridges would only be those over the small tile culverts. In other words, such a bridge is twelve feet long or less, and largely covered by gravel (i.e. not necessarily recognizable as a bridge to travellers on the road), the buried planks being a means to stop heavy wagons crushing the tile culvert, which will almost always be a single "pipe" of about a foot across - - but in rare instances two or even three parallel pipes. Newer culverts are cylindrical sections of fired clay, and older ones are a flat plate of fired clay with an upside-down "U" of fired clay resting atop it.

So saith Ed. Seeing to even the smallest details.
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 20:25:16
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
As I sit watching football games, a thought occurs to me: do the armed forces of Cormyr have any sort of trophies that can be won, either challenge cups or annual or every-Shieldmeet affairs? Do the nobles of the realm have any? The War Wizards?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 20:28:22
Message:

Oh, great question! I was going to ask something similar.
So, Ed and THO, here's mine:
In Waterdeep, pre-Spellplague, are there any recurring public competitions? As in, open to everyone, not just within guilds or within the nobles or private wagers between trade rivals? (I.e. not "first ship in" for the season or anything of the sort, but something, whether there's a prize or not, in which any citizen who cares to participates in?)
Thank you.


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 20:31:31
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Some years back at a convention I attended (U-Con in Ann Arbor, Michigan), Ed made mention of a certain "lady to beware" in Athkatla, one Maraera Moontalar, but never said why she was dangerous or should evoke wariness.
Ed, care to share? Or is this something still NDA?
Thank you in advance for anything you can say about this, which has intrigued me since then.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 22:24:41
Message:

Ed, THO, is there any places in the Realms were natural phenomena takes place for extended periods of time?

The reason I ask is I just finished watching a show called "Raging Planet" on the Discovery Channel. This show was about Lightning. One part of the show was about how in Venezuala, in a certain area at night about 200 days out of the year has a lightning storm for about 10 hours a night. Hundreds of years ago sailors used the storms as a "lighthouse".

So anything like this in the Realms.

Obviously it would by sacred to the Stormlord.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 14 Nov 2009 22:46:19
Message:

I think that this was touched on once before, but wanted to ask just to make sure. Everyone knows of the Northern Lights, and I was just curious if there was anything like that in the Realms, and if so, where? Also, are there any tribes or religions that hold them as a sign from their deity or worship them? Thank you for your time.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 15 Nov 2009 00:46:58
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Oh, great question! I was going to ask something similar.
So, Ed and THO, here's mine:
In Waterdeep, pre-Spellplague, are there any recurring public competitions? As in, open to everyone, not just within guilds or within the nobles or private wagers between trade rivals? (I.e. not "first ship in" for the season or anything of the sort, but something, whether there's a prize or not, in which any citizen who cares to participates in?)
Thank you.



Tymora's Luck, pages 100-4 mentions a couple of Waterdhavian lotteries... One of them was run by a halfling named Joshuan Havabuck. It was a bet on the daily tonnage of cargo arriving by ship on any given day. Since the dockmaster was known to be incorruptible, it was a pretty reputable thing. "Fast Joshy" took a gold for a bet, paid out a thousand gold, and had 10,000 players on a regular basis.

That one was in the Dock Ward. Widow Silvermane did something similar in the North Ward, and there are horse races -- with betting and odds -- at the Field of Triumph Race Track in the Sea Ward.

And there's at least a couple of gambling houses, too, discussed in Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. People in places like that will bet on just about anything.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Nov 2009 01:14:14
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

And there's at least a couple of gambling houses, too, discussed in Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. People in places like that will bet on just about anything.
2e's City of Splendors contains a bit of info on them also.


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 15 Nov 2009 02:27:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by A Gavel

Dear Ed and THO,
Some years back at a convention I attended (U-Con in Ann Arbor, Michigan), Ed made mention of a certain "lady to beware" in Athkatla, one Maraera Moontalar, but never said why she was dangerous or should evoke wariness.
Ed, care to share? Or is this something still NDA?
Thank you in advance for anything you can say about this, which has intrigued me since then.



Ooh! Mysterious NPC! Consider this request seconded! Thank you again for whatever you can tell us... even if it is "NDA"...


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 15 Nov 2009 06:48:38
Message:

Apologies, but here I go again...

I was rounding up my CK musings/rantings on the Spellplague and other topics when I found a year-old scroll about Nalavarauthatoryl:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2320
In this scroll, I asked about a rumoured contradiction regarding the death date of Thatoryl Elian; Garen Thal responded, but was unable to answer my question due to NDA. My question (strictly logistical in nature) is this: Is the aforementioned contradiction resolved in the Cormyr Lineage document? I expect the answer will be "NDA", but I thought I'd try all the same...

Thank you for all your efforts in pushing for the release of the Lineage, and it would be my best Christmas present ever... but I'm thinking (optimistically) Christmas 2012, so don't do anything drastic on that account...


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 15 Nov 2009 11:01:35
Message:

okay I have abizzre question that came out of the blue.....
have any of the nobles in Cormyr that gain the position of Noble ever got the position by wining a bet??


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 02:38:07
Message:

Thanks, Wooly and Sage, but I really meant the sort of competitions where those who participate have to DO something, not just place bets or play a game. Something physical or some sort of an achievement, I meant. Didn't word my question very well; sorry. I suppose even a scavenger hunt would count, but I wasn't really thinking sports (so, no races).
Ed and THO, please consider my question reworded, okay?
Thanks.


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 03:52:17
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Jakk

Apologies, but here I go again...

I was rounding up my CK musings/rantings on the Spellplague and other topics when I found a year-old scroll about Nalavarauthatoryl:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2320
In this scroll, I asked about a rumoured contradiction regarding the death date of Thatoryl Elian; Garen Thal responded, but was unable to answer my question due to NDA. My question (strictly logistical in nature) is this: Is the aforementioned contradiction resolved in the Cormyr Lineage document? I expect the answer will be "NDA", but I thought I'd try all the same...

Thank you for all your efforts in pushing for the release of the Lineage, and it would be my best Christmas present ever... but I'm thinking (optimistically) Christmas 2012, so don't do anything drastic on that account...



I didn't know that the solution was NDA. It is however elegant and impressive.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 10:48:09
Message:

When is Falconfar: Archwizard in paperback being released?

I loved Dark Vengance.


Reply author: Ozzalum
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 11:44:43
Message:

A simple Realms-terminology question...

What is infection called in the Realms? As in, someone gets cut and the wound becomes infected. It sounds a bit too clinical to me.

On a related note, how about some other quasi medical terms. Do any of these have specific Realsmian equivalents?

artery
pulse
heart attack
stroke
cancer

I'm sure you can, and already have, thought of a few dozen more, and I'd love to hear them.

Thanks


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 13:40:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

When is Falconfar: Archwizard in paperback being released?
My local distributor says it ships early-to-mid December in Australia. Though, I suspect Ed might have a more accurate date, if one is available.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 14:13:59
Message:

Thanks Sage.

I keep getting late December when I google search it, when I was told November by the local B&N employee in September.


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 21:01:08
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum

heart attack

Thanks



Heart Stop, I believe.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 21:26:24
Message:

Hello again. I actually have another question about elves if that's all right. What are the special ceremonies that elves drink elverquisst for, and what all are entailed in the ceremonies? And does elverquisst date back to Faerie also, or was that something that came to them later on? Are there known families that make elverquisst that produce bottles that elves prefer over others? Thank you for your time!


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 21:46:54
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Hello again. I actually have another question about elves if that's all right. What are the special ceremonies that elves drink elverquisst for, and what all are entailed in the ceremonies? And does elverquisst date back to Faerie also, or was that something that came to them later on? Are there known families that make elverquisst that produce bottles that elves prefer over others? Thank you for your time!


Seconded: This is one of those 'How did none of us ever ask this one before' questions.


Reply author: Penknight
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 22:30:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Hello again. I actually have another question about elves if that's all right. What are the special ceremonies that elves drink elverquisst for, and what all are entailed in the ceremonies? And does elverquisst date back to Faerie also, or was that something that came to them later on? Are there known families that make elverquisst that produce bottles that elves prefer over others? Thank you for your time!


Seconded: This is one of those 'How did none of us ever ask this one before' questions.

Hey, thanks Knight!!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 22:40:12
Message:

Ozzalum, a stroke is "godstruck" or "godsmite" (according to my notes of an old Ed seminar at a Milwaukee-era GenCon). I also recall Ed saying there's a section on medical terminology and general "state of that art" in his huge root Realmslore package he gave Wizards to furnish Realms authors with...
BB


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 23:10:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate

quote:
Originally posted by Penknight

Hello again. I actually have another question about elves if that's all right. What are the special ceremonies that elves drink elverquisst for, and what all are entailed in the ceremonies? And does elverquisst date back to Faerie also, or was that something that came to them later on? Are there known families that make elverquisst that produce bottles that elves prefer over others? Thank you for your time!


Seconded: This is one of those 'How did none of us ever ask this one before' questions.

Hey, thanks Knight!!


Nono- Thank YOU
To add to the query; I've always assumed that Elverquisst is imbibed at room temperature- but are there either 'varietals' of Elverquisst which are considered better chilled or iced, or perhaps certain groups that traditionally chill the drink? Is there a single, overriding method for producing the beverage, or does each 'vintner' have his/her own devices? Finally, how does ageing affect elverquisst? Can all elverquisst be aged? (For those scribes who aren't cork-dorks like I am, comparitively few RL wines benefit from ageing, and the vast majority of those can really only be aged for a decade or so before declining and eventually becoming vinegar)
Actually, on a related note, what percentage of Faerunian wine is vintage wine?
Sorry to be so greedy with the wine questions, but if there's a field of nerdery to which I am more devoted than Realmslore, it's Oenophilia.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Nov 2009 23:36:59
Message:

Hi again, all.
Knight of the Gate, Ed and I are also interested in wines. The Realms has liqueurs, sherries, and "winter wines" (wherein wines are poured out in pans at below freezing winter temperatures, the ice skimmed off, and therefore the alcohol content of the remainder is increased) that are meant to last for years, in stoppered bottles suitably wax-sealed, but I'd say a little more than 80 percent of wines in the Realms are designed to be drunk right away, and kept for no more than three seasons at most (usually less). They are little more than a way of "trusting the drinking water" or achieving pleasant tastes, or both, for some.
There ARE connoisseurs, especially among nobility and wealthy wannabe-nobles in Waterdeep, Cormyr, Amn, and elsewhere, who champion and enjoy the remaining 20 percent or so of wines, which usually can be aged 10 to 12 years at most before they start to fade (vinegar in about 20, give or take 2 years each way).
Elves make wines, and halflings beer, and dwarves and gnomes fortified spirits, that last MUCH longer, however (but these rarely reach human markets or attention. Some human-city-dwelling demihumans use them as "bases" for various medicines that they sell to humans.
And those are the basics. Ed has extensive notes on this topic, but I'm not sure how much is NDA and how much he's free to share.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 17 Nov 2009 00:09:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Kuje

quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum

heart attack

Thanks



Heart Stop, I believe.

Kuje has the right of it. From Ed, in October 2004:-
quote:
heartstop (heart attack)


Reply author: George Krashos
Replied on: 17 Nov 2009 13:18:55
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Ozzalum, a stroke is "godstruck" or "godsmite" (according to my notes of an old Ed seminar at a Milwaukee-era GenCon). I also recall Ed saying there's a section on medical terminology and general "state of that art" in his huge root Realmslore package he gave Wizards to furnish Realms authors with...
BB



I've used "sweet sickness" to denote diabetes in my writings. I recall also using "brain bolt" to describe a stroke.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 17 Nov 2009 17:33:07
Message:

Thanks for the lore, THO: I am not only a cork-dork myself, but most of my players are, too. This sort of thing comes up shockingly often in our campaigns. Thanks again, Lady!


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 18 Nov 2009 05:18:54
Message:

Hello Ed and THO,

The following question was originally asked in George Krashos's scroll; I am reposting here as his response (also posted here) hinted that you may have an answer... whether or not that answer is bound by NDA is another matter.

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

I've finally found Ed's missive regarding Manshoon. Here it is in all its (short) glory ...

Manshoon’s family name is “Shoon,” and all members of his family use a single name, derived by adding a prefix to “Shoon” (usually an established family one, such as Brar/Brarrara; Caul/Caulra; Dusk/Duskra; Farl/Farla; Gul/Gularra; Harl/Harla; Kul/Kuldra; Man/Mana; Pel/Pelra; Sarr/Sarrla; Tarl/Tarla; Vorl/Vorlarra [the male form first, female form second]). So, no first name and surname, just a single name. This is a naming convention once very popular in southerly coastal lands (of the coast known, in its more northerly reaches, as the Sword Coast), but now dying out because most of the peoples who used it were conquered or made slaves, and gradually died out or intermarried and in any case adopted the naming conventions of those “over” them (so as to “belong” and escape inferior status).

This of course, tells you where Manshoon’s family originally came from. Don’t forget he had an older brother; as far as we know in print thus far, he killed off all of his kin, but the Knights have been searching for an elusive sister of his (Duskrashoon) AND a niece (Tarlashoon) for years, without success - - because they’ve been hiding from Manshoon, and know his finding them will mean their deaths; they are of course far from Zhentil Keep and don’t use their original names.

-- George Krashos




I don't know why it took me this long to ask this question, being the obsessive genealogist that I am, but I was wondering if the precise connection between Manshoon and his infamous southern relatives has been mapped out, and if so, is it NDA? (I'll assume an affirmative answer to the latter question, regardless of the answer to the former.)

quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

No, no details regarding the Shoon Dynasty and Shoon family have been mapped out that I'm aware of - of course Ed has that answer (and a myriad of others) so I guess we'll have to defer to him.

-- George Krashos


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Nov 2009 21:38:57
Message:

Hi again, all. Ozzalum, I found another general term for infections in my Ed-campaign-play notes: infected battle wounds were often referred to as having "swordtaint" (or being "swordtainted").
love,
THO


Reply author: Ozzalum
Replied on: 18 Nov 2009 23:31:52
Message:

Excellent, just what I was looking for. And thanks to you other guys too. I especially like sweet sickness.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 19 Nov 2009 18:01:19
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Have either of you, or anyone you know of, ever tried or thought about running a campaign where all the PCs were War Wizards or Highknights, In Cormyr, or the equivalents in other realms of FR, doing a combination of BONES or NCIS casework, and James Bond-style counter-espionage?
The notion has struck me, and I just want to explore any pitfalls or glitches or complications or things to gaurd against/not miss, in making this really work for the players in my new Realms campaign (haven't decided yet on pre- or post-Spellplague). Any other scribes who read this, please comment and pitch in on whatever's said. I'm interested in the "defending the society and playing within its rules" aspect more than the usual "adventurers haul out swords and spells, and just hack and blast bad guys" aspect.
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Nov 2009 20:23:08
Message:

Hi, all. Baleful Avatar, Ed ran at least one "library campaign" (a 13-week, one-four-hour-play-session-a-week adventure) set in Cormyr, years ago, using the PCs as Highknights to do NCIS/BONES/CSI investigations (long, long before any of those television programs was thought of, of course) within the realm.
Ed's REALMS OF MYSTERY short story, "The Grinning Ghost of Taverton Hall," echoes what that campaign was like (I didn't play in it, but I dropped by briefly to watch short stretches of two of the play sessions). There were plots and subplots galore, of course, but some of them centered around wayward nobles murdering rivals and upstart wannabe nobles whom they had trade dealings with, that went sour, and other nobles who were plotting treason and killing anyone who got even a whiff of their plans, all complicated by husband-hunting young noblewomen, some enterprising blackmailers (commoners seeking to pry money out of indiscreet nobles), various ambitious lone courtiers trying to manipulate noble families, a band of merchant thieves just trying to rob anyone and frame everyone else for everything they did . . . oh, it was a happy traffic jam, believe me, with the PCs (low-level, starting-their-careers Highknights, all of them) caught in the middle. A GREAT setup for a campaign...or for that matter for a short story anthology that I think Ed should suggest to the Books Department folks.
Unless, of course, they still covertly read this thread. Folks?

love,
THO


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 20 Nov 2009 20:37:23
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Baleful Avatar

Dear Ed and THO,
Have either of you, or anyone you know of, ever tried or thought about running a campaign where all the PCs were War Wizards or Highknights, In Cormyr, or the equivalents in other realms of FR, doing a combination of BONES or NCIS casework, and James Bond-style counter-espionage?
The notion has struck me, and I just want to explore any pitfalls or glitches or complications or things to gaurd against/not miss, in making this really work for the players in my new Realms campaign (haven't decided yet on pre- or post-Spellplague). Any other scribes who read this, please comment and pitch in on whatever's said. I'm interested in the "defending the society and playing within its rules" aspect more than the usual "adventurers haul out swords and spells, and just hack and blast bad guys" aspect.
Thanks!


My current campaign is run along these lines, and I'd love to expound, but I don't want to overtake Ed's scroll. If you want to, start a topic in Running the Realms, and I (and no doubt, others) would be happy to chime in.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 Nov 2009 23:38:16
Message:

I recall Ed mentioning in a GenCon seminar a few young nobles who needed to clear their names with the Crown (establish themselves as loyal, not traitors as the rest of their kin were regarded; one of them was a Cormaeril), who started working with a Highknight and a War Wizard, as undercover "agents" (informants and spies among the nobles, reporting back to the Crown).
BB


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 21 Nov 2009 04:48:47
Message:

Good evening to both Ed and to THO. I recently linked up with this site after it was greatly recommended to me, and have been participating in a thread in which several Candlekeepans have been aiding me in my current dilema.

I have no doubt that this has been proposed countless times before, and so feel free to copy and paste. Ha ha. It seemed to be ridiculous to think that I could pose this question to the very likes, but the others told me to go ahead and that you dont mind, so here goes.

I spent the last few years on my first work, in which I wrote a novel that I had planned to set in Faerun. With the rise of the Spellplague and such, I figured it might be a good idea to look into whether or not I should edit my story to incorporate it, and after a resounding yes, I was also told that my lack of writing experience will have my work disregarded as a whole.

This makes sense to me, and I am not wholly disheartened, but am rather rejuvenated with my new adventure of writing something solely my own, and will attempt to get this new story published elsewhere before going back to my one true goal in submitting something worthy of the REalms.

My question hence lies in what sort of publishing company should I seek out, and whether you have any suggestions. The story I've since been writing is adult oriented and not for kids, yet does hold a touch of fantasy. The only mystical creatures it holds are dragons, though you do get a feeling for the imaginary throughout.

Any direction you'd be able to point me in would be of great help, and I thank you both for your time.

e-mail:doc_holiday4@hotmail.com


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Nov 2009 05:05:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sandstorm

Good evening to both Ed and to THO. I recently linked up with this site after it was greatly recommended to me, and have been participating in a thread in which several Candlekeepans have been aiding me in my current dilema.
Actually, we prefer the term scribes. Or Candlekeepers, I suppose.

...

Interestingly, this raises a question for Ed. Do you have any other specific terms you use to describe the inhabitants of Candlekeep?


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 21 Nov 2009 05:10:17
Message:

Keepers of the Candles? Ha ha.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 03:31:01
Message:

Hi again, all. I bring Ed’s swift response to Sandstorm’s query about novel writing:



Hi, Sandstorm. What follows is my opinion more than anything else, and please bear in mind that it’s a snapshot of an always-changing position (i.e. the marketplace, and all details of publishers’ aims, wants, intent, and so on, alter constantly). Also, please don’t be offended if I speak simply and bluntly here; you may already know or suspect much of what I say here, but as I don’t know “what you know,” I’m starting from the basics.

First off, yes, any future Realms novel published by anyone except Bob Salvatore or me is going to have to be set post-Spellplague. Rare and fleeting flashbacks MAY be permitted to “set up” a tale, but the current Realms book editors tend to frown on flashbacks, and the line is really concentrating on stories wholly set in the “now” (post-Spellplague) Realms.

Secondly, you’ve been told correctly about the slim to nonexistent likelihood of getting an unsolicited Realms novel published. It’s not primarily that you’re a first-time writer; it’s that you’re crashing head-on into a policy adopted by the publisher of the Realms (and to get published, one must always “fit in” with a publisher’s current plans, so trying to break or get made an exception to their policy is usually doomed). This policy, which can be found in their writers’ guidelines on the WotC website, states flat-out that the publisher doesn’t currently accept ANY novels set in any of the D&D “worlds” (the Realms, Eberron, etc.) except novels they ask specific writers to write for them.
In other words, Wizards contacts Writer X, asks for a novel on (I’m inventing here) flying stone statues, the writer prepares an outline that gets accepted (usually after being tinkered with), a contract is signed, and the writer sits down and writes the book. There aren’t many “novel slots” open right now, and Wizards tend to contact writers they are already familiar with (such as those who’ve written books for them before, or who have written short stories Wizards have published in one of their anthologies before - - which is a way of demonstrating the writer can write good stuff, deliver it on time, and work cordially with the editors).
If you send your own (as in, “plot invented on your own”) Realms novel to Wizards, it will be rejected without even being read.
It’s my guess [[please note that word “guess”]] that this admittedly-disappointing policy is the company legally protecting itself against lawsuits from Writer A, who is angry that they submitted a novel featuring (I’m inventing again) Calimshan being conquered by a band of adventurers and a new kingdom being founded there by those same adventurers, when Wizards soon after publishes a book that features the very same plot, by someone else (Writer B). This published book would be an honest coincidence, founded in the fact that all fans of the Realms know it in some detail, and could very well come up with similar ideas independently of each other. The policy allows the publisher to argue in court that they didn’t copy Writer A’s book because they didn’t even read it, and point to their policy; subpoenaed staff members need only swear under oath that they followed the policy and didn’t read Writer A’s book, and the case is dismissed. Again, this is just my reading of the situation.
Yes, it costs all of us some potentially great Realms stories that we don’t even know about, but It Is The Way It Is. The time when I, the creator of the Realms, could call up the publisher of the Realms and ask to write a novel about whatever I felt like writing about, without telling them what that topic would be and getting permission, is over twenty years and one publisher ago.

All of which brings us to what you should do instead of submitting your Realms book and having it get shredded unread. Yes, keep it (print it out as well as keeping it on computer or diskette or flash drive, but show it to NO ONE, because doing so is technically “publishing” it). Perhaps, one day, after you’re a bestselling fantasy author, Wizards will enthusiastically agree to look at your long-hidden Realms novel.

In the meantime, you should indeed start writing stories that are all your own, set in a setting NOT owned or previously published by anyone else. Adult-level (yes, I know you don’t mean porn, you mean not aimed at kids) fantasy is a very popular genre these days, yet publishing in general is under intense economic pressure in these current hard times.

My general advice is: keep telling the story as the most important thing, with detailing the setting (and sharing those details with the reader) secondary. No one cares who married so-and-so or tamed a dragon three centuries back or who the fifth king of yonder fallen kingdom was, if the story doesn’t grab them. Read fantasy, LOTS of fantasy, and read other genres, too (thrillers and mystery and horror). See how writers pace their tales, how they “grab” the reader, how they describe without over-describing and getting bogged down (or to put it another way, how much they leave to the reader’s imagination to fill in), how they avoid making the storytelling seem too modern or mundane or hitting the wrong tone, and so on.

Some writers find that doing short stories first is the best way to get comfy with their new world and telling stories in it. Very, very few people can make even a paltry living just writing short stories these days, but it does give practice in meeting deadlines, dealing with editors, handling someone else wanting your story heavily rewritten, and so on, without it taking you years because you’re having to revamp a full-length novel. The best markets right now are probably REALMS OF FANTASY and THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION; both have websites and can be bought on newsstands (or try a large public library). Don’t try to write for a magazine without reading a few issues to get an idea of length and tone the editor wants, and what topics (sort of stories) have just been told. In a wider sense, looking into a library interloan for a recent copy of the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America) BULLETIN and looking at the “markets” column to see what editors ask for, in magazines and anthologies of original stories, is a good idea to try to get a grasp of the market. So is perusing recent issues of LOCUS (it has a website, too: www.locusmag.com), which show you what’s being published (the actual magazine, as opposed to the website, also tells you what’s been bought by publishers, that will appear in a year or two, and gives copious reviews of current books).

That “learning your market” advice goes for writing novels, too: it’s simply idiotic to try to send your book to a publisher who’s not interested in publishing whatever you’ve written. That includes, by the way, checking to see if a publisher accepts “unsolicited” submissions at all (meaning, in this case, books or queries about books sent to them by writers, rather than by literary agents acting for writers - - and for many writers, finding an agent who will represent them, so they can get their book even LOOKED AT by a publisher, is another hurdle they have to find a way over even before getting a publisher to accept a book; there are simply too many hopeful wannabe writers, and already-published writers, out there for most publishers to read the avalanche of stuff sent to them, so they use agents to whittle down the flood, in the same way that some companies demand job applicants have university degrees that aren’t really necessary for the jobs they need filled, just to cut down on the number of people they’ll have to interview). So you may end up doing this: 1. Write Book. 2. Find An Agent Willing To Represent it. 3. Wait for a Publisher to “Bite” on your Book after Agent sends it to them. 4. Agent Fights With Publisher to get a Contract for your Book. 5. Start the Editing and Rewriting Process.
Yes, my hair went gray and is now going white. Writers need lots of PATIENCE.

To start your deciding on possible publishers, what follows is a very abbreviated and simplified overview of North American publishing companies (I mean American, really; Canadian publishers - - and I speak as a Canadian who’s been making a living from my writing for about thirty years now - - just don’t have the money to offer you decent payment for a fantasy novel, or to promote it enough so that it will sell well). I’ve left out gaming publishers because almost universally fiction written for them is “work for hire” (they own it, and you don’t, so you’ve just given them your fantasy setting, usually for not much money).

If your fantasy book is primarily feminist or dominated by female (human or close-to-human) characters, DAW might be interested in your fantasy novel. If your book is militaristic in tone and content, Baen Books might be the best place to send it. If it’s primarily a romance (a fantasy or sf romance), Luna Books (an imprint of Harlequin) might be the best place to send it.
Otherwise, there are the “big New York publishers,” and then the smaller ones (that is, both smaller publishers and big publishers that only have small fantasy “lines”). First of the “bigs” is Tor Books, because they publish the most titles every year, and try to cater to every sort of fantasy and sf reader, publishing almost every “flavour” of book (so you have the biggest chance). Then there’s Del Rey, then Bantam (Bantam Spectra), Eos, Ace, and then things start to get smaller, with Harper, Simon & Schuster, Warner Books, Night Shade Books and so on; again, finding an “annual survey” issue of LOCUS that counts all the titles published in a year by various publishers, and then checking out the websites of those publishers and what’s said about them in LOCUS and the BULLETIN, will give you some grasp of who’s out there that you should be aiming to get your book published with.
I could go on gabbing for pages and pages and not be much more helpful to you, because everything I say is subjective and will soon become dated (editors die or retire or get fired, publishers merge imprints or shut them down or get out of publishing fantasy, and so on and on), and what worked for me might not work for you, and so on.
So I’ll stop now, and await your inevitable followup questions.
Hear me loud and clear: I feel your pain about not getting your Realms book done and then just getting it published. There are DOZENS of Realms novels I would have liked to have written and got into print before the Spellplague, and there are still dozens more Realms books I want to do before I die (hopefully many years from now). Yet you will be a better writer if you do your own original work, not relying on the setting you obviously love. And if you get famous and bestselling enough on your own, that’s the very best way to maybe, just maybe, getting that Realms book published, somewhere down the road.
Let’s talk. :}



So saith Ed. Who has written or co-written almost 180 books since he started, hit the New York Times bestsellers lists, won a shelf-full of awards, and of course created the Realms.
I’m a freelance editor these days (not very active, thanks to my mysterious day job), but I can add little details here and there to what Ed says, Sandstorm. However, so we don’t blather on and on, it’s best if you follow Ed’s lead: ask specific things you want to know more about, and we’ll try to answer. One tip: type “Predators and editors” into the exact phrase box of a Google advanced search to see what’s what with some good and bad literary agents. It’s a jungle out there (yes, writing the book is the EASY part).
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 03:37:46
Message:

Oh, and Sage, in answer to your query about what terms Ed uses for the inhabitants of Candlekeep, he sent this:


In the Realms:
scribes, monks, scholars, seekers (as in "seekers after knowledge"), lorekeepers, loremasters

In our real world, about this site:
scribes, good folks, true Realms fans, loreseekers, loremasters, my friends


So saith Ed. That made me feel warm and welcome, inside.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 03:41:12
Message:

I really liked that too. I hope very much to have the chance to meet Mr. Greenwood in person to thank him for all he's done for me and my friends. Lady THO, I hope you'll pass that along for me, please.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 08:29:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oh, and Sage, in answer to your query about what terms Ed uses for the inhabitants of Candlekeep, he sent this:


In the Realms:
scribes, monks, scholars, seekers (as in "seekers after knowledge"), lorekeepers, loremasters

In our real world, about this site:
scribes, good folks, true Realms fans, loreseekers, loremasters, my friends


So saith Ed. That made me feel warm and welcome, inside.
love to all,
THO

Thanks Ed, and to you as well Lady Hooded One.

Interestingly, of the "In the Realms" choices, I think I prefer 'seekers' and 'lorekeepers' -- if only because they're a deviation, somewhat, of the more standard and well-known terms like 'scribe' and 'scholar' for example.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 18:49:19
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Where in Suzail would a visitor or citizen be able to find a well-known, long-established firm or family or individual armorer who can construct really splendid-looking helms (with crests and dragonheads or masks or ornamental horns and so on), or who can alter "my favourite helm" to look like such a helm?
And, of course, the name of that source of helm gussying-up would be?
Thanks!


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 19:13:07
Message:

Well, it's not every morning you sit down with your coffee only to find that you've got a response froM Ed Greenwood and Company awaiting you, so this is truely invigorating let me tell you. I would first like to say thank you for your time, and give my thanks and praise to Ed (insert any omnipotent title he would so enjoy here) Greenwood as well!

I realize the uphill struggle that is this publishing process and to have such encouragement from sources such as yourself is truly rejuvenating. Normally, whenever I need inspiration or motivation for my writing, I sit myself down on the edge of my bed and gaze over my book collection, imagining what it would be like to have my new emblazoned under the heading of Forgotten Realms. That's my dream. I look over all the wonderful and inspiring works i've read by all the fascinating and talented authors, (though to be truthful, I get a shudder whenever my eyes fall open the volume that is Elminster in Hell... I had to hand that one off to my buddy Kevin halfway through and say "I need a break... read this and give it back to me...") Ha ha. Wow did that book ever take a lot out of me. The one that highlights itself for me is actually Philip Athans' The Watercourse Trilogy. I don't by any means try and emulate his style in my own, but the way in which that series was written, I will never get oer it. No book has ever conjured images in my head and made me swim with both delight and revulsion as did that series. I have suggested it to those who don't even understand the concept of Fantasy Fiction, let alone know what a Gensai is.

And so I write... This is my goal, and one I do not take lightly, nor do I underestimate the farfetchedness of that dream. I will strive forth regardless of those slim chances, and so I hope you take solace in knowing that the aid you have given me and the support you have offered is not to no end. I have thanked you once, I have thanked you twice, and I shall a thousand times I am sure.

As for my queries, the one I currently have is the writing 'agencies'. Let's say I wanted to send my work in to Baen Books, or to Eos. Is there a suggest writing agency that I should go through? Do these publishing companies have standing relationships with particular agents that would better suit my interests? Or is it just a matter of "you're represented, therefore we shall speak with you". If it is the former, and that I should seek out particular agencies, how would I go about ascertaining this information? I CAN tell you that the book I am currently writing is dark, but not TOO dark, has some brutality in it and the action it does have is 'assassin, lurking amidst the shadows before striking out his unsuspectingg victims body, type of stuff. So my first task would be, which company enjoys this style of story? Then find out what sort of agency credits that?

Also, you mentioned that there are often times publishers who request certain fictions for their future publishings, and so I will seek out those listed companies you mentioned and try and find what I can, but I'm quite engaged in the path i've set myself on with this current story. I'll try not to be bullheaded and over confident in my work, and bend to the wills of the hierarchy, but if I'm able to stick to my gut instinct and keep my current ideas direction, then WONDERFUL :)

~Sandstorm (also, where do you get your 'The Hooded One' title from? Sandstorm has a lot of relevance to the past book I wrote, just curious as to where yours is from)


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 20:58:07
Message:

Hi again, all.
Sandstorm, I call myself "The Hooded One" here at Candlekeep because I'm keeping my identity secret, for real-world work-related reasons (nothing sinister, it's just that my current employer has a policy whereby every single posting I make here would have to be pre-approved by superiors who know nothing about roleplaying games or the Realms, and have a natural tendency to deny communications and keep secrets; imagine a 6-month delay in every reply I made to you, and you can see why I prefer to be anonymous, instead).
As an editor active in publishing, I can handle your followup questions. It's true that some editors at publishing houses have friendships (or hatreds) for specific agents, and vice versa, but in general it's the story they're putting before the publisher for consideration that determines whether or not a deal gets made.
In other words, so long as you avoid the scam or "problem" agencies I mentioned identifying through Predators and Editors, your choice of literary agent should be whoever agrees to represent you that you feel most comfortable with. Large, long-established agencies have more clout with publishers, but also have large client lists, which mean you may be far down their priority list, as a new, first-time client...whereas a small agency (or lone agent), just starting out, may have a lot of time to devote to you but little influence with publishers.
So, no, don't try to pick an agency to be the best match for the publisher you'd like to have publish you.
Again, check out the websites of Baen and Eos, see if it says anything about writers' guidelines, and if some are offered, FOLLOW THEM (it's like a school test; if you ignore instructions, you lose marks in their eyes). They should say if the publisher "doesn't accept unsolicited manuscripts" or "isn't accepting X or Y at this time."
You are quite right to devote almost all of your time and attention to the story you're now working on. If it's great, getting the right agent and publisher will be relatively easy. If it's mediocre, every step along the publishing road is harder.
Good luck!
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 21:00:57
Message:

Me again.
Joran, of course I'll pass that along to Ed, right away. I hope you get to meet Ed too. He's sort of a big amiable bearded friend to everyone . . . and none of us can ever have too many friends.
love,
THO


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 22 Nov 2009 23:13:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Me again.
Joran, of course I'll pass that along to Ed, right away. I hope you get to meet Ed too. He's sort of a big amiable bearded friend to everyone . . . and none of us can ever have too many friends.
love,
THO

Thank you so much, my lady. I really do appreciate it more than you realize. The Forgotten Realms have brought a lot of friends to me over the years, both in the books that he writes as well as the countless other authors, and the ones that I meet at the gaming table that have been friends of mine now, more like family really, for the last ten years.


Reply author: NyluenathaStareyes
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 15:24:26
Message:

THO, thanks for that detailed and inspiring post about where to go / who to look for on publishing our very own works of creative fantasy. I've been working on NaNoWriMo along with a friend all this month, writing up my own little attempt at a novella and have always had an interest in writing for fantasy. Actually probably since my first reading of the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, my intro to fantasy literature. Since then, I have sort of lost the idea to pursue that, but this information has definitely sparked a fire in me to actually go for it!

I just would like to personally say thanks for taking the time to feed all of us ravenous Realmsfans out there the great tidbits you've been giving us (and obviously, Ed too!). You're the best!


Reply author: Rhewtani
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 19:05:36
Message:

Wait ... did I hear ... flying ioun stone statues? That begs the question - are there any ioun-esque items that are not small rocks out there?

In my campaign, I had to create ioun spheres for the Ruins of Adventure module. In the novel ioun stones were very important and in the game module, anything and everything was giving out free ioun stones (literally - there was a spectre giving out free ioun stones).

So, it just makes me wonder what else is out there.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 19:35:20
Message:

So, Ed, is this a good time to tell everyone about the long-hidden intelligent ioun stone civilization? Huh? Huh?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 19:37:01
Message:

Be careful what you jest about, Malcolm! You may think you're just joking, but I'm not so sure Ed won't . . . no, no, I'll not say another word!
At least not in this post!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 19:39:34
Message:

Well, Candlekeep IS all about uncovering lore-secrets. So before I groan and confirm that Malcolm is on to something, let me just ask any interested scribes: what do YOU think the origins and true nature of ioun stones are?
(In the Realms, I mean; Ed and I are both well aware that they come from Jack Vance's Dying Earth tales.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Draenar
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 21:37:02
Message:

I thought they were created by Congenio Ioun, a Netherese arcanist. (That's what the Netheril boxed set said, anyhow.) But I suppose a Netherese wizard wouldn't be above claiming something he merely discovered as his own original creation.

Are you implying that ioun stones are like the Dreaming Jewels of the Theodore Sturgeon book of the same name? Because, even if not... well, my mind's cogs are turning, now. (For anyone who doesn't know the book, they're basically psychic stones that have their own ... existence, I guess, completely separate from the squishy biologicals around them. They're only discovered by accident, since they have no reason to interact with humans in any way.)


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 22:33:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Draenar

Are you implying that ioun stones are like the Dreaming Jewels of the Theodore Sturgeon book of the same name? Because, even if not... well, my mind's cogs are turning, now. (For anyone who doesn't know the book, they're basically psychic stones that have their own ... existence, I guess, completely separate from the squishy biologicals around them. They're only discovered by accident, since they have no reason to interact with humans in any way.)


Never Read them. More Novels to check out.

Yet why did I think of Jhaamdath while reading that?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 23 Nov 2009 22:45:02
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Well, Candlekeep IS all about uncovering lore-secrets. So before I groan and confirm that Malcolm is on to something, let me just ask any interested scribes: what do YOU think the origins and true nature of ioun stones are?
(In the Realms, I mean; Ed and I are both well aware that they come from Jack Vance's Dying Earth tales.)
love to all,
THO



I've always thought that Ioun Stones were more psionic in nature than magical. Probably because they're crystalline.

Were any of the Creator Races more psionic than magical? I could easily see them dating back that far... I know, that's not very imaginative...

And I'll add a question to the pile - what would happen if a prominent member of a noble family in Cormyr were to be permanently magically shape changed (transformed by an evil cult (actually by their demon lord) as part of a prophecy)? Assuming that they could prove they were who they were (by mind reaming, if not by other means), what sort of reaction might a noble transformed into the form of an evil outsider get from her peers? For this hypothetical, assume that the noble is known as being of good heart and true loyalty, and has never given the War Wizards, or anyone else for that matter, any reason to suspect her of trechery or treason.


Reply author: Faraer
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 12:03:18
Message:

I think the origin of IOUN stones is as revealed in Rhialto the Marvellous. The Realms exists in the same multiverse as those stories, and I doubt either Gary or Ed intended any separate nature or source for them.


Reply author: Bakra
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 13:41:13
Message:

I had a DM who made a NPC that was a friend to a cleric of Mystra who mentioned Ioun stones were harvested from the corpse of a long dead deity.


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 15:51:09
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I find myself with a campaign need for a lot of shipwrecks in shallow water somewhere along the Sword Coast, preferably the aftermath of a battle NOT part of "The Threat from the Sea" and probably (because I don't want the wrecks to be stripped or heavily covered and decomposed) more recent in Realms history than that time of aquatic/land invasion conflict. Any suggestions, say around the Velen peninsula?
Thank you for anything you can suggest or share.


Reply author: Lenora Ilvastarr
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 15:51:33
Message:

Hail and well met, all. Yet another question to add to the mountain of requests :).

Two of the major products of the halflings in the Purple Hills of Tethyr are wines and pipeweed. Could you please give some examples of these? I suppose I love this area due to its resemblance of the Shire in Middle Earth. Of course, any other info on those who make these would be much appreciated ;).

Thank you, Ed.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 15:54:04
Message:

Hi Ed,
Have you written any Cthulhu Mythos tales or Sherlockians that are currently available? Either unpublished or published but can now be published elsewhere?
No rush on this. A colleague has anthologies in the "let's brainstorm about this" stage, nothing definite.
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 15:57:03
Message:

Ed and THO,
Can you name and briefly describe a fancy dessert that might be served at a nobles' feast or Court banquet or high-society get-together, that could survive uneaten but still palatable a day or so later? I'm toying with the idea of something fairly portable and non-messy (the Realmsian equivalents of muffins or cookies, maybe?) that a small item (a ring) can be hidden in, for smuggling out of a place unseen.
Heh heh, and so forth.
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 16:01:07
Message:

Gods, I love this thread! Ideas and more ideas that I can swipe for my campaign...
Ahem.
Dear Ed and THO,
This time I'm after the name of a really high-class cloakmaker (or seller, or alterer) who does business in Suzail. Someone with name recognition like the real-world Dior or St. Laurent or [insert your widely-known fashion designer, whose name will at least be recognized even by someone who cares nothing for fashion and may not even known if the named designer makes gloves or boots or belts or gowns or whatever]. Like Chanel in perfume or Hugo Boss or . . . the Realmsian equivalent, anyway. I'm after someone associated with great expense and almost reverence among fans, not someone derided for scandal or excess.
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 16:19:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Gods, I love this thread! Ideas and more ideas that I can swipe for my campaign...
Ahem.
Dear Ed and THO,
This time I'm after the name of a really high-class cloakmaker (or seller, or alterer) who does business in Suzail. Someone with name recognition like the real-world Dior or St. Laurent or [insert your widely-known fashion designer, whose name will at least be recognized even by someone who cares nothing for fashion and may not even known if the named designer makes gloves or boots or belts or gowns or whatever]. Like Chanel in perfume or Hugo Boss or . . . the Realmsian equivalent, anyway. I'm after someone associated with great expense and almost reverence among fans, not someone derided for scandal or excess.
Thanks!
BB


I like that!

PS. If you can THO add someone derided for scandal or excess also.

Sorry BB I couldn't resist it.


Reply author: crazedventurers
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 20:31:53
Message:

Ioun Stones?

Well one may think they are related to Peltasts. Perhaps the next stage on from Greater Peltasts, the Ancient Ones perhaps, who have fed on other intelligent beings for so long that they take on a characteristic (the dex bonus/spell storing etc) of said 'being' and slowly 'die' hardening and becoming what we know as Ioun stones?

Just a random thought

Cheers

Damian
ps who thinks they would be better as immature peltasts, slowly feeding on their owner before being 'born' as a Peltast. The hard crystalline shell (IOUN stone) is their cocoon until they are ready to emerge?
(Though this does not fit with the lore we already have about them from the 'Halls of the High King' module)


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 24 Nov 2009 22:53:37
Message:

THO, I just saw the "Cover" to Elminster Must Die. It was in the WotC Summer Catalogue. August 3 2010, just in time for Gencon.

I was wondering if that was a Mock Up or the real deal. It shows El in front and the Simbul behind him surrounded by blue/silver fire. It also had some Warriors facing them. All, in all really nice cover.

The blurb said that El has to "feed" The Simbul Magic Items so she wont go insane..., and that their stash is running out!

So what if any can Ed share on that tid-bit?

It also said that when you have been alive as long as Elminster you tend to get alot of enemies. So is this Ed's version of the FR Master's of Evil teaming up against El and The Simbul?

August needs to get here now!


Reply author: BadCatMan
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 00:45:15
Message:

Trying again. I don't mean to be annoying, I just thought this was fundamentally important to the setting, and I'm deeply curious to know.

Weekends in the Realms - do they have them, and if so, how many days are there, and how are they arranged in the ten-day week? Is there a set-aside "holy day" (I know some deities have weekly ceremonies, presumably this will vary according to which deity is most popular) or day of rest? And is there a common market-day, or does it vary from town-to-town?

I did some research on 10-day-week calenders. Ancient Egypt, Tang Dynasty China and Revolutionary France all had 10 day weeks, with the latter two having one day off at the end (rather unpopular, I imagine). And I know Turmish has a day off to "chase the sun" every seven days.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 01:28:32
Message:

Hi again, all. BadCatMan, I've sent your queries to Ed, but I can tell you off the top that there's no set-aside "holy day" in the Realms; everyone believes in just about every deity (that their race venerates), and worships them energetically or marginally, depending (if you're a farmer, you'd pray a lot to Chauntea, but if you had to send your grain or hogs by ship to market, or ever had to make an ocean voyage yourself, you'd sure worship Umberlee and Talos energetically, to try to make that passage safe), all the time. Yes, there are particular important festival days and holy days for each faith, but there's no once-a-tenday "day of rest" (that's a real-world Christian feature). Which would argue that the weekend as a time off routine work doesn't exist, either (we Knights have never encountered a commonly-observed "every-tenday-hiatus" that would correspond to a weekend in the real world, to be sure) - - but I'll leave it to Ed to explain more fully.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 01:38:26
Message:

Oooh, and an astonishingly swift reply from Ed just landed in my inbox! Brimstone, re. ELMINSTER MUST DIE!, Ed shares this with us all:


Well, Wizards of the Coast has the perfect right to spill whatever teasing beans they want to about ELMINSTER MUST DIE! (and in a pre-order catalogue is the sensible and time-honoured way of doing such spilling), but I'm contractually bound NOT to. So I can't say anything at all, beyond explaining I haven't seen the cover you mention, and if things work the way they usually do, I wouldn't know if I was seeing a prototype or a final anyway, and couldn't confirm anything.
As for your last question, re. Masters of Evil: No.
Regarding sharing: Sorry, but I Iegally can't. Other than to comment that what you paraphrase of the teaser blurb certainly isn't inaccurate, but of course teasers usually can only hint at a small part of what's in a book.
And * I * can't wait for August to get here, either! By then, I hope to have the first draft of my NEXT Realms novel done!
I will blurt out this much, because I don't think it offends against what I've agreed to say and not say: Susan Morris, my editor (editrix, if you prefer) on this book, loves the Realms and is a GREAT and enthusiastic editor. I very much look forward to working on a lot more books with her!


So saith Ed. Who tells me he's loving all the work he's doing on ELMINSTER MUST DIE! Now I'll tell you all something: true Realms fans, DO NOT MISS this book!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 02:02:36
Message:

Hi again, all!
This time I bring yet ANOTHER lightning-swift Ed Realmslore reply, this time to Blueblade and Brimstone:


Suzail has dozens of importers who sell cloaks made in Sembia and Amn, and will alter them or add trim at a local shopkeeper’s (or walk-in client’s) request, or more often on their own, to try to create a stylish new look to differentiate their wares from everyone else’s. Many, many seamstresses toil in the poorer parts of the city altering and recycling (cutting down into other garments) clothing of all sorts, and there are at least four clothing shops on the Promenade and central-city streets immediately south of the Promenade that routinely dye and adorn all manner of clothes to make them flashier, to stimulate sales.
However, Suzail has only one “known” high-class cloakmaker: Antheava Maeroara, who has an extensive second-floor shop above the premises of Harlthas Oamurburl, a custom boot maker, in Pendle Street (the two floors above Maeroara’s shop and workshop are the living quarters of rental tenants, mostly workers in the two shops).
Antheava is a tireless, eager-to-please, seemingly ageless thin and supple woman who for decades has been a custom cloak designer and maker to the nobility and to all others with coin enough to pay outrageous prices for their cloaks (four times what a fine cloak costs elsewhere, and more). At all hours of the day or night she’ll respond to their entreaties for emergency repairs, cleaning, or alterations; scores of noblewoman adore her and consider her a “quiet” (close-mouthed keeper-of-confidences) friend.
There has never been a breath of scandal associated with her; she’s known to prefer the company of women, and to gently but firmly dissuade all advances from clients or other nobles of either gender.
Many Suzailan designers of other items of clothing or accoutrements have been touched by scandal, however, and the majority of these seem to deliberately behave outrageously (indulging in many excesses) to repeatedly gain attention and so gain notoriety. The undergarment-maker Haelaera Immermoon is perhaps the most currently (just pre-Spellplague) infamous of these. A sexually voracious lover of seemingly-endless fondlings and orgies with anyone and everyone (both genders, and many races and species, from snakes to orcs to drow), who seems to enjoy feeling pain and having some means of healing herself from even grievous wounds, she delights in all manner of salacious behaviour that usually begins with the “personal fittings” she demands all of her clients take part in. Most Suzailans either avoid her entirely or can’t afford her wares, or enjoy dealing with her but find her “exhausting, simply exhausting - - and you MUST hear what she made me do!” Haelaera is a young-looking, thin-to-bony, blonde human Aglarondan woman who seems never to sleep, or need to do so.



So saith Ed, tireless revealer of all manner of sidelines and oddities of the Realms.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 02:21:23
Message:

Heh. I think Haelaera will be making an appearance in my Realms campaign very soon. The party's nowhere near Suzail, but it'll be worth the trip if a meeting with the infamous undergarment-maker is the result.


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 02:58:49
Message:

quote:
The blurb said that El has to "feed" The Simbul Magic Items so she wont go insane

The Simbul, go insane? Surely that could never happen.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 05:35:48
Message:

Thats THO.


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 07:43:38
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Many Suzailan designers of other items of clothing or accoutrements have been touched by scandal, however, and the majority of these seem to deliberately behave outrageously (indulging in many excesses) to repeatedly gain attention and so gain notoriety. The undergarment-maker Haelaera Immermoon is perhaps the most currently (just pre-Spellplague) infamous of these. A sexually voracious lover of seemingly-endless fondlings and orgies with anyone and everyone (both genders, and many races and species, from snakes to orcs to drow), who seems to enjoy feeling pain and having some means of healing herself from even grievous wounds, she delights in all manner of salacious behaviour that usually begins with the “personal fittings” she demands all of her clients take part in. Most Suzailans either avoid her entirely or can’t afford her wares, or enjoy dealing with her but find her “exhausting, simply exhausting - - and you MUST hear what she made me do!” Haelaera is a young-looking, thin-to-bony, blonde human Aglarondan woman who seems never to sleep, or need to do so.



This is quite amusing. There was a running "joke" in my other half's version of the Realms that the (vast majority of) seamstresses of Faerun were all controlled by the Church of Loviatar (some more willing than others). Loviatan seamstresses loved to feel up their clients, mis-stick pins, overly tighten corsetry, and otherwise get up to other sorts of mischief depending on how permissive the client was (with an eye to getting them more and more involved in S&M type activities). Many of them specialized in fetish-type wear. Haelaera sounds like she might fit in well in that organization (the seamstresses ran the full spectrum from sadist to masochist and every combination in between).

Later on, one of the PCs managed to break the power of the Loviatan controlled seamstress's guild... But there are still a few of the more willing ones around, if one knows the signs to look for.


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 25 Nov 2009 20:13:51
Message:

Hey THO, and to Elmin...err... Ed ;)

I just wanted to say thanks once more for all the advice. I've been browsing the BAEN, TOR and EOS websites about submisison guidelines as much as I have been working on my novel. I feel very confident in my approach for the first time in a long time.

A question for Ed and for yourself as well if it interests you THO. Just for fun, what Fae'run city, whether you've dabbled with it or not, would you find fascinating to set a story within, if it had to be based around the city itself, incorporating it's personality into the plotline... ShadowDale? Thentia? Mossstone? Athkatla? Other?

I DM every sunday for my friends, and we're always setting our campaigns in Fae'run. We find it a blast to travel to and from. Had them doing Firefingers in THentia's bidding one time... had them clearing Frost Giants from the outskirts of Castle Tethyr... beating their way through the wilds of Chult one time, and are now surviving the streets of Athkatla. Its such a wonderful world to play within as well as to read.

Also, in response to Blueblade, if you or anyone else wants to chat it up about dnd campaigns, and where the story can go...i love to chat REalms, bounce ideas back and forth. doc_holiday4@hotmail.com msn me if youd like to chat.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 26 Nov 2009 23:47:21
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another quick, simple question (thanks to the unfolding needs of my Realms campaign): in Suzail, if I need to buy a "catwalk" (rope-and-board walkway with rope "rails" both sides, that can be strung from building to building high in the air), about eighty feet long (enough to cross a major city street but not a really wide one like the Promenade; I'm talking one of the arterial grid streets in the heart of the city), can I? On short notice, "walk in and pay" rather than having it made to order?
If so, how much, where would I buy it, how widely would this source be generally known, and how widely or quickly would "the city at large" (or just the Watch) learn that I'd bought it? Would they come calling to ask me questions as to where and how I intended to use it?
In other words, can I, as a citizen of Suzail, quietly buy a catwalk of that length or longer, without attracting lasting attention (do shops keep records of who buys from them, or just coin and stock inventory tallies?), for later use? If I buy it and try to use it in an assault or thieving job that same night, how soon would the authorities learn who bought such an item?
Whew. Turned into a whole raft of questions. Sorry.
(Well, not REALLY sorry, but . . . you know what I mean.)
Thanks.
BA


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 26 Nov 2009 23:56:03
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Zandilar's post, just above, makes me think of something: some real-world "Goths" or "Emos" (or whatever the current term is) I know are "into" the practise of sewing real stitches into their flesh, as adornments (to make themselves look wounded and on the mend or stitched up like Frankenstein's monster, some of them after cutting themselves, and some of them after just drawing on a fake "cut" with cosmetics.
I seem to remember Ed once mentioning devout of Loviatar doing something similar; am I recalling correctly? And if so, would this be seen in Westgate, Suzail, Marsember, and/or Arabel? How do Dalesfolk react to travelers having such adornments? And does the existence of healing potions encourage masochistic revelers to "hurt themselves farther" knowing the pain and visible wounds can be wiped away?
Thank you.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 26 Nov 2009 23:59:03
Message:

Dear Ed,
I'm mightily intrigued by what little I saw of ELMINSTER MUST DIE! in the Wizards 2010 Summer Catalog. I'm sure you're sharply limited in what you're allowed to tell us, but I just wanted to ask you to please share all you can, when you can, with us scribes here in this thread, okay?
Feed the hunger . . .


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 27 Nov 2009 00:00:02
Message:

Hear! Hear! Heartily seconded: fan those flames!
BB


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 27 Nov 2009 08:18:01
Message:

Does Haelaera travel?
She sounds like an interesting ally to Kira Nenthyn (of the Fall of stars).
I could give her a cameo in a future adventure.


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 27 Nov 2009 09:04:21
Message:

Something else I've been wondering about lately - what is the ratio of land-owning farmers to farmers paying someone (probably a noble or religious organisation, I'm guessing) for the privilege of working their homesteads in Cormyr, the Vast, and the Waterdeep uplands respectively?

Note: Question may be reformulated in a more elegant way once I'm not too tired to come up with a better sentence-structure in Swedish, let alone English.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 27 Nov 2009 22:34:04
Message:

Ah, another question occurs to me: do any buildings in Waterdeep have "fire escapes" as we would recognize them? Or just outside "zig-zag, wall-mounted" staircases connecting to various floors of the building, regardless of what they were built for and what the "ground end" looks like?
Thanks!


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 00:37:04
Message:

hello All,

Ed, are there any creatures whose dung is considered valuable, what are dangers in acquiring it if any?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 03:05:52
Message:

Hi again, all. A quick Ed-reply to Kajehase’s question: “. . .what is the ratio of land-owning farmers to farmers paying someone (probably a noble or religious organisation, I'm guessing) for the privilege of working their homesteads in Cormyr, the Vast, and the Waterdeep uplands respectively?”
Ed replies:



The owners versus tenants ratio is about 85 percent owners to 15 percent tenants in Cormyr (with almost all tenant farmers in the southeast; if you expand the definition of “tenants” to include the household staff of nobility working the nobles’ farmland, AND include farmers who farm their own land but also farm a field or two owned by absentee landlords [[usually city folk or nearby nobles]], the ratio shifts to about 70 percent land-owning farmers versus 30 percent renting farmers).
In the Vast, it’s 75 owners to 15 tenants, but if you use the expanded tenant definition above, matters shift to about 67 percent owners to 33 percent tenants.
In the Waterdeep uplands (Goldenfields and similar temple-farms farmed by the resident clergy specifically excluded), the ratio is 82 percent owners to 18 percent tenants, but if you use the expanded definition, things shift only slightly (to 79 owners vs. 21 percent tenants).



So saith Ed. Who adds that Amn is the land where tenants widely outnumber owners, except in the hilly and mountainous borderlands.

love to all,
THO


Reply author: Kentinal
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 03:53:40
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Ah, another question occurs to me: do any buildings in Waterdeep have "fire escapes" as we would recognize them? Or just outside "zig-zag, wall-mounted" staircases connecting to various floors of the building, regardless of what they were built for and what the "ground end" looks like?
Thanks!



Not Ed and no way connected to him, however it does appear Waterdeep has no building code. I am also unsure of what you consider a recognized fire escape. Where I live they are hard to see and of those found some are made of wood, the theory being that metal get too hot to walk on (apparently ignoring that wood burning is also hard to walk on).

All in all odds are on the Ed will reply with it depends. that is where the building is and how important the building is considered to the Lords of Waterdeep.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 04:08:07
Message:

I don't know about fire escapes, but I do recall Ed talking about buildings in South Ward and Dock Ward that have wooden outside stairs that connect from balconies on various levels, and to the ground. Used for egress, entry, laundry hanging, and "rail-box" gardening.
BB


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 15:45:12
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

The owners versus tenants ratio is about 85 percent owners to 15 percent tenants in Cormyr (with almost all tenant farmers in the southeast; if you expand the definition of “tenants” to include the household staff of nobility working the nobles’ farmland, AND include farmers who farm their own land but also farm a field or two owned by absentee landlords [[usually city folk or nearby nobles]], the ratio shifts to about 70 percent land-owning farmers versus 30 percent renting farmers).
In the Vast, it’s 75 owners to 15 tenants, but if you use the expanded tenant definition above, matters shift to about 67 percent owners to 33 percent tenants.
In the Waterdeep uplands (Goldenfields and similar temple-farms farmed by the resident clergy specifically excluded), the ratio is 82 percent owners to 18 percent tenants, but if you use the expanded definition, things shift only slightly (to 79 owners vs. 21 percent tenants).



So saith Ed. Who adds that Amn is the land where tenants widely outnumber owners, except in the hilly and mountainous borderlands.

love to all,
THO




Tenants *facepalms* I couldn't remember the word for the life of me, and when I went to check a Swedish-English glossary, the Swedish term eluded me Very frustrating.
Anyway

My thanks to Ed and The Hodded One both. A quick follow-up: How are the tenants usually paying their rent - coins (not very often I'm guessing), giving part of "their" farm's produce, or by working a set number of day's on a property run by the landowner?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 28 Nov 2009 16:32:17
Message:

Haelaera Immermoon sounds like an intriguing character, What more can you tell us about her, Ed? Is she Human at all? Does she have any secret allegiances, to Shar, Loviatar, Sharess, or any other sect/religion/cult?
Zandilar - fully agree with you regarding Semstresses. And anybody who's read enough Terry Pratchett will also find the inner humor in this...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 02:52:51
Message:

Heh. Seamstresses as something more sexual is far, far older than Terry (he's looking back some centuries at our real world).

Kajehase, Ed tells us:

Tenants have all three of those options open to them in Cormyr, and usually choose the third (but sometimes the second). This is the norm across the Realms, wherever tenant farmers exist.
In Amn, however, only coin is accepted by the landlord, so the farmers have to sell their crops or labour as dearly as they can, to get coin enough to pay (or be forced into a period of unpaid labour, in lieu).


So saith Ed. Who is busy busy busy with Realms writing, these last few days.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Aysen
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 05:14:56
Message:

Hi Ed, THO, and fellow scribes,

It's been some time since I visited, and I see that the lore-pile hasn't suffered for my absence in the slightest

My curiosity has led me to ask you questions on two separate areas:

1.) With respect to the entrepreneurial mage Aurora (she of the oh-so-useful Catalogue), was she your creation? If so, are there any other notable members of her former adventuring band (aside from Jhegaan the Maestro?) as of 3.5 edition? I'm interested in whether any of them have become as prominent as her.



2.) In the novel "The City of Splendors", after Khelben is laid low by a magical backlash, his apprentice Tammert Landral prays to Mystra for guidance and reassurance and sacrifices one of his memorized spells in the hope that his prayer is heard. (Mystra does later answer him in a somewhat direct fashion.) This whole scene intrigued me, as this was the first I'd ever read of a wizard doing this.

Was Mystra moved to respond more because the situation involved a Chosen who happened to be the apprentice's master, or because Tammert had made a personal sacrifice of one of his spells? Is this practice common among mages who wish to show the depth (or urgency) of their devotion? Does the number and power of the spell(s) sacrificed cause a bigger reverberation in the Weave so as to draw the attention of Mystra or Azuth? And accordingly, would such a sacrifice be similar to "lighting a votive candle" for giving up a simple spell, all the way up to "offering the fatted calf on the holocaust pit" for a major sacrifice of the Art?


Thanks Ed!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 05:44:35
Message:

Oh, I like that second question!


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 06:12:31
Message:

Thirded! The second question that is THO.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 06:14:13
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

In Amn, however, only coin is accepted by the landlord, so the farmers have to sell their crops or labour as dearly as they can, to get coin enough to pay (or be forced into a period of unpaid labour, in lieu).
Actually, this ties in somewhat, with my current campaign. Thus, my question.

Ed, have there been any officially documented cases in the past, whereupon coin wasn't accepted by a Amnian landlord? Perhaps because the landlord was feeling generous, or agreed to other more "special" types of payment...


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 20:02:48
Message:

Hi again, all!
Some quick housekeeping, as we wait for more Ed Realmslore...

Aysen, Aurora and her band weren't Ed creations, but I've sent your queries to him, of course, to see if any of the band were drawn from Ed's NPCs (he created batches of them for the use of others at TSR, back in the day), and to see if he incorporated them into "his" ongoing Realms and created ongoing histories for them.

As for your second question (or series of same), I can tell you that Mystra DEFINITELY responded more because of Tammert's sacrifice than because Khelben was involved; I can speak this emphatically because Ed and I discussed this, in the past, and I remember that much of his reply, right off the top of my head. And yes, for those mages who venerate Mystra more deeply than, say, Azuth or other deities, offering a memorized spell as a sacrifice IS a common practice.

Menelvagor, Ed tells me he will have more to say about Haelaera, for you.

Sage, Ed also tells me that there have been many cases where Amnian landlords have accepted other payment than coin. Here are his words:


Some Amnian landlords find it more advantageous to have a debt or "favour" forgotten, or something that was witnessed formally but secretly repudiated, in a document the landlord keeps hidden until (if ever) it becomes needful. Some landlords even prefer taking payment in the form of taking over one end of a business deal, or accepting part ownership in something (or even, in the case of some of the more venal landlords, carnal access to a tenant's wife or daughter), or taking a prized horse or just the right to breed that animal (and keep the resulting offspring). In short, there have been many exceptions, down the years, but Amnian law doesn't formally speak of them, most Amnians don't publicly discuss them (they fall under the heading of "accommodations," meaning not places to stay but things yielded in private, in business negotiations), and non-Amnians would think them very rare and unlikely.
Like a real-world statement beginning with "The government always - -" it's one of those cases where there are always exceptions . . . but don't count on being one. :}


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work in the Realms as I post this.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 20:08:57
Message:

Another question, but this one I feel is of utmost importance. Perhaps even more than Aysen's question (which I fourth):
In Elminster's Daughter, when Noumea visits Candlekeep, a monk named Thaerabho speaks with her, and reveals information about the Thayans. He reveals that the Chosen of Mystra have worked against the Thayans, and I quote: "With spells they 'twist' many of the portalsestablished by the Thayansin thier enclaves so those who use such translocations can have sapells stolen from their minds en route, suggestions planted, memories and information 'read', and so on." Thaerabho continues to reveal that the Chosen can blow up the portal along with all those using it at the moment, or implant a suggestion in all those who pass through it to do what they want; he gives attacking Szass Tam beofr he succeeds in some evil ritual as an example.
How true is this? Has any use ever been made of this, if it is possible? Is it still possible to do this after the Spellplague?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 29 Nov 2009 22:59:30
Message:

Heya,

I was just thinking about pantheons lately, because I was a little concerned with the way the pantheon for my home brewed world is coming out. Then I realized that the Faerunian pantheon seems to have the same problem...

It seems there's dearth of actual familial relationships between the deities. Most Real World (tm) Pantheons have somewhat of a family tree - the Greek/Roman pantheon and the Norse pantheon for example (which are the two I am most familiar with!)... This is something I'm planning to fix with my homebrew pantheon, because it seems to be more realistic for the gods to have closer ties to each other... But, what about the Faerunian pantheon?

About the only relationships other than alliances (which are listed in each deity's entry, but not many details are really given about the nature of those alliances) that we know of is that Lliira and Waukeen were once very close, Lathander was once Tyche's lover and is now Chauntea's, Tymora and Beshaba are sisters in the sense they split from the same initial deity, Eilistraee is "unusually close"* to Mystra, and Tempus seems to think of The Red Knight as a daughter. The Evil deities have less of this (or it could just be I'm missing something because they don't interest me as much). I have probably left out some of the relationships, but I don't seem to remember there being very many.

Why is this? Page count? Editors wanting to steer clear of making them too much like real world pantheons? Or just simply the nature of the pantheon?

* That is a direct quote from Demihuman Deities, not just me putting quotes around the words implying a euphemism that isn't there. Though I must admit, I gleefully read more into the wording than is probably really there.


Reply author: The Red Walker
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 01:07:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone

THO, I just saw the "Cover" to Elminster Must Die. It was in the WotC Summer Catalogue. August 3 2010, just in time for Gencon.

I was wondering if that was a Mock Up or the real deal. It shows El in front and the Simbul behind him surrounded by blue/silver fire. It also had some Warriors facing them. All, in all really nice cover.

The blurb said that El has to "feed" The Simbul Magic Items so she wont go insane..., and that their stash is running out!

So what if any can Ed share on that tid-bit?

It also said that when you have been alive as long as Elminster you tend to get alot of enemies. So is this Ed's version of the FR Master's of Evil teaming up against El and The Simbul?

August needs to get here now!




Wow...The Simbul may be all strung out on magic.....that could make for some interesting reading! I just hope some of the magic items he feeds her are his enemies!

Glad to hear its got a date and I just pre-ordered my copy!


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 06:17:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

It seems there's dearth of actual familial relationships between the deities.


Well, there is a lot of import, and deities probably consider each others as 'bloody foreigners' or 'new kids on the block' for quite some time. Anyway, just to add from what is known before Ed adds his own:

In 4th ed there are a few extra relationships. Tempus' lover is Beshaba. Bane's consort is Loviatar.
And don't forget Kelemvor-Mystra, the hotbed that is the Seldarine (with the Lolth - Corellon Larethian - Sehanine Moonbow love triangle), and the actual family relations between Selune, Shar, Chauntea, Mystra, a load of other deities that were 'born' of the fight between Selune and Shar.
Also, Tyr once courted Tymora.

Gomez


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 07:49:11
Message:

That's brilliant Ed. Thanks.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 10:36:44
Message:

Oh, another quick question which has probably been asked: Noumea Fairbright, who visited Elminster in Elminster In Hell with four other Sembian ladies and became his apprentice, is the same as Noumea Cardellith, who appears in Elminster's Daughter as an ally of Joysil. What did you intend by having her appear again?


Reply author: Christopher_Rowe
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 16:08:07
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


It seems there's dearth of actual familial relationships between the deities. Most Real World (tm) Pantheons have somewhat of a family tree - the Greek/Roman pantheon and the Norse pantheon for example (which are the two I am most familiar with!)... This is something I'm planning to fix with my homebrew pantheon, because it seems to be more realistic for the gods to have closer ties to each other... But, what about the Faerunian pantheon?

[...]

Why is this? Page count? Editors wanting to steer clear of making them too much like real world pantheons? Or just simply the nature of the pantheon?



Zandilar, since you're asking about the Faerûnian pantheon in the context of working up your own, I highly recommend you track down Ed's original "Down-to-Earth Divinity" article from The [sic] Dragon #54, October 1981. It provides invaluable advice on pantheon-building and, as Gomez intimated, may answer your question about that "dearth" as well, given the origin of many of the Realms gods (their origin in the sense of their being literary characters, not their "in game" origins).

Cheers,


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 19:32:07
Message:

If I remember my university comparative religion studies correctly, having familial relationships in a pantheon is slightly more popular/frequent than having deadly opposed foes portrayed as having no blood connections to each other (not that you can't have bitter feuds within families, a la Loki versus most of the Norse pantheon).
Note that "slightly" - - meaning it's by no means essential to have family relationships within a pantheon. So Ed might well not see it as a "problem," if you catch my drift.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 19:40:29
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Having just bought some boxes of frozen "appetizers" (hors d'oeuvres, party "finger foods," call them what you will) for Christmas, I'm moved to ask: are there mass-produced, buy-from-a-shop "finger foods" for revels, feasts, and celebrations? If so, what are they called and what are they? (I'm looking for what can be bought in human cities, not undersea or underground.)
Thanks!


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 21:08:12
Message:

Heh. Broken Helm, I presume you mean the above question to apply in the Realms, yes? :}
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 30 Nov 2009 21:09:22
Message:

*facepalms* Yes. Thanks.
Brain, brain, I know I had one once . . .


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 01 Dec 2009 17:09:57
Message:

THO, I have a question for Ed, or if you know the answer yourself, feel free to oblige. This one isn't about writing, I think I'm on a good track with that now and am writing somethign I think fit to submit to BAEN BOOKs. No this one is about my current campaign I'm DMing.

I'm running a campaign set in Athkatla. We have four characters: Tiefling Shadowblade working for the Temple of Shar, A Kenku Drugdealer/informant. (Kinda running a sort of Jarlaxle type character, but not to that extent) The Kenku doesn't fight etc...and is currently trying to gather 1000 pounds of flesh so that this gnome will create him a Flesh Golem. heh heh. How's he getting the flesh? He's recetnly contacted our third player who is running a Gnoll Graverobber. SO sick. The gnoll is however, secretly under the influence of a vampire living in the sewers of Athkatla. The fourth is workin for one of the merchant houses, and he is a drow spellchaser. His job is to apprehend anyone using arcane magic in the streets of Athkatla.

My question was for this drow. How do the mages in the city detect the use of arcane use?


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 01 Dec 2009 18:38:18
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sandstorm

THO, I have a question for Ed, or if you know the answer yourself, feel free to oblige. This one isn't about writing, I think I'm on a good track with that now and am writing somethign I think fit to submit to BAEN BOOKs. No this one is about my current campaign I'm DMing.

I'm running a campaign set in Athkatla. We have four characters: Tiefling Shadowblade working for the Temple of Shar, A Kenku Drugdealer/informant. (Kinda running a sort of Jarlaxle type character, but not to that extent) The Kenku doesn't fight etc...and is currently trying to gather 1000 pounds of flesh so that this gnome will create him a Flesh Golem. heh heh. How's he getting the flesh? He's recetnly contacted our third player who is running a Gnoll Graverobber. SO sick. The gnoll is however, secretly under the influence of a vampire living in the sewers of Athkatla. The fourth is workin for one of the merchant houses, and he is a drow spellchaser. His job is to apprehend anyone using arcane magic in the streets of Athkatla.

My question was for this drow. How do the mages in the city detect the use of arcane use?



Just on principal, I'm sending my adventuring group out to kill yours...


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 01 Dec 2009 20:40:30
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

quote:
Originally posted by Sandstorm

THO, I have a question for Ed, or if you know the answer yourself, feel free to oblige. This one isn't about writing, I think I'm on a good track with that now and am writing somethign I think fit to submit to BAEN BOOKs. No this one is about my current campaign I'm DMing.

I'm running a campaign set in Athkatla. We have four characters: Tiefling Shadowblade working for the Temple of Shar, A Kenku Drugdealer/informant. (Kinda running a sort of Jarlaxle type character, but not to that extent) The Kenku doesn't fight etc...and is currently trying to gather 1000 pounds of flesh so that this gnome will create him a Flesh Golem. heh heh. How's he getting the flesh? He's recetnly contacted our third player who is running a Gnoll Graverobber. SO sick. The gnoll is however, secretly under the influence of a vampire living in the sewers of Athkatla. The fourth is workin for one of the merchant houses, and he is a drow spellchaser. His job is to apprehend anyone using arcane magic in the streets of Athkatla.

My question was for this drow. How do the mages in the city detect the use of arcane use?



Just on principal, I'm sending my adventuring group out to kill yours...

Well said, Ashe!

I always kind of wondered if it was sort of like an analyze dweomer spell of some sort (that is far more powerful) that the mages had cast on them that could pick up tremors in the Weave, actually. It was how I tried to explain the situation to one of my players, at least. I hope I'm at least partially right!


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 01 Dec 2009 23:22:25
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
Zandilar, since you're asking about the Faerûnian pantheon in the context of working up your own, I highly recommend you track down Ed's original "Down-to-Earth Divinity" article from The [sic] Dragon #54, October 1981. It provides invaluable advice on pantheon-building and, as Gomez intimated, may answer your question about that "dearth" as well, given the origin of many of the Realms gods (their origin in the sense of their being literary characters, not their "in game" origins).



I should have that article floating around on a CD somewhere. Been a while since I've read it though, so I suppose I should go looking - I have a sneaking suspicion it's on Dragon Archives CD 1 (given the early number of the magazine), and that it has been missing since I moved. Will have to go and check. Thanks for the reminder though.

I actually do also have the World Builder's Guide which was released towards the end of the 2nd Edition era, which I think had some good information on pantheon building too. Time to dust that off too. Thing is, though, the pantheon is built - I just now need to work out the ties between each of them (considering this campaign has been running for over a year, it's way over due! ).

But I am still curious about the reasoning behind not having (many) clear familial (as in deities who are spouses, siblings, or off spring of other deities) ties between the non-immigrant deities in the Faerunian pantheon.


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 02 Dec 2009 01:43:02
Message:

Well ya I would think it wuold have to be something like that, something that detects the weave, and not the actual spell caster itself.. because then simply donning cloaks of non-detection would make it easy. no scrying, no nothing. but the Cowled Wizards would usurp those somehow... because right now none of them are running magic users... but lets say one of them one day knows an NPC wizard, and simply asks for him to don a cloak of non detection... wha then??


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 02 Dec 2009 01:45:54
Message:

and as for AShe... you could take out the Kenku informant like nothing if ya get him before he gets his Flesh Golem, though he does have a host of spearman with him at all times... the Shadowblade of Shar, good luck finding him... the Drow Spellchaser... he's taken the Forsaker class, so he's got a 28 SR.. but otherwise killable... but then there's the Gnoll Graverobber... man... you dont want to face the Gnoll Graverobber. Especially since he's kind of ummm... a vampires 'pet'...


Reply author: Kajehase
Replied on: 02 Dec 2009 15:43:19
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Kajehase, Ed tells us:

Tenants have all three of those options open to them in Cormyr, and usually choose the third (but sometimes the second). This is the norm across the Realms, wherever tenant farmers exist.
In Amn, however, only coin is accepted by the landlord, so the farmers have to sell their crops or labour as dearly as they can, to get coin enough to pay (or be forced into a period of unpaid labour, in lieu).

So saith Ed. Who is busy busy busy with Realms writing, these last few days.
love to all,
THO


Thanks for the speedy reply Ed and THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 00:12:08
Message:

Re. Menelvagor's latest question: ARE the two Noumeas the same person?


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 00:17:09
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
This is NOT a Christmas or any special day question but a general one about Cormyr nobles: any special quirks about gift-giving, in any circumstances, among nobles?
(I.e. during courtship, when it might be insulting, etc.)
Thanks!


Reply author: Kuje
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 02:57:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm

Re. Menelvagor's latest question: ARE the two Noumeas the same person?



Ed has said that they are not the same person, they just share the same first name. I didn't look through Ed's replies saying this though, but Ed will correct me if I'm wrong.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 11:41:11
Message:

Yes, the two Noumea's - Fairbright and Cardellith - are the same person. It says so in Elminster's daughter. But this is not the same Noumea as Noumea Drathchuld, who was Magister during the Time of Troubles. My question was what was the purpose of Noumea Fairbright reappearing.
Although this makes me add another question: Why did she her married name (Cardellith) if she was divorced? Is this common practice in the Realms (or at least in Sembia where she comes from)?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 15:39:45
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Would a written message (of instructions) from the Palace (high-up courtier, or even a royal) to a "local lord" or high-up courtier "in the field" be in code? Or would it use jargon phrases, like "We'd better do a Hawkfield on this one" or similar, making it harder to precisely understand for an outsider's eyes?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 16:45:59
Message:

Heh. MY turn.
The above question meant to apply within Cormyr, I presume?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 21:12:14
Message:

Heh. YES.
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 21:16:24
Message:

Hi, all.
Hmm, I seem to recall all sorts of messages: plain uncrypted written, coded messages in which "shorthand" words (like the "Hawkfield" example you cite) were placed within lines of communication purporting to be something else, messages that unleashed another, spoken message when touched and the right command word spoken, and verbal message memorized by the messenger, who also carries a "dummy" (and deliberately misleading) plain uncrypted written message.
However, Ed will certainly be able to say more, so off to him it goes...
love,
THO


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 21:18:44
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Is Ed still interested in the Sherlock Holmes meets Cthulhu project we discussed about a year back? If so, please have him get in touch with me via the usual agent-to-agent route.
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 21:28:22
Message:

Heh. Ed's going to be a busy boy this weekend, I'm thinking . . .

Hello again, fellow scribes. I know this is last-minute, but scribes who happen to be in the vicinity of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 4th) might want to drop by the Port Hope Library for their annual Christmas Open House. All day long there are the usual carol singings and visits with Santa, appearances by childrens' authors, and so on. Every year Ed Greenwood writes a new Christmas story (usually not fantasy, but sometimes there's magic involved) and gives a public reading of it during this Open House; this year he'll be upstairs at 2 pm doing so, followed at 3 pm by Shane Peacock, author of some "young Sherlock Holmes" novels for teens, and at 4:30 pm by Farley Mowat, the famous Canadian author. Admission is free, and Ed usually hangs around for a while after his reading to sign books, chat with fans, and generally just "hang out." So if you'd rather not travel to GenCon (or another convention) to see Ed, here's one more chance.
Also, Ed has just confirmed that he plans to attend Ad Astra (one of Canada's oldest annual sf conventions) this year, as a panelist (April 9-11th, 2010, at the Toronto Don Valley Hotel and Suites). This is a small, relaxed con where fans have easy access to lots of Canadian and northern U.S. sf, fantasy, and horror writers (and editors, too!).
Right. Enough public service announcements. Back to the Realmslore! Bring on those questions, folks! Ed LOVES answering them, whenever he can find the time!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: ZandroAmanodel
Replied on: 03 Dec 2009 22:31:37
Message:

Coming home from my (physically laborious) job with another backache has inspired me to stop lurking and post a question for Ed: Are there anything like chiropractors in the Realms? If so, where and how do they go about their practice? Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 04 Dec 2009 16:28:20
Message:

ZandroAmanodel,
off the top of my head I can tell you that many brothels and herbalists offer inexpensive "herbed bath" or "herb steambath" services, which always include a "rubdown" (deep hand massage). Many, many travelers and street-dwelling poor use these services regularly to get clean, get their clothes washed, get warm, and have aches and pains seen to; for some, it's what makes their lives (of having little, and being in contact with folk who have so much more) bearable. So that part of what chiropractors do (the application of heat, and massage) is in part covered by these relatively inexpensive services (usually 1 cp for a bath or a massage, and 2 cp for both with washing and "ovenboard" drying thrown in; "ovenboard" drying is laying wet clothing out flat on boards heated by proximity to an oven or hearth or chimney, to rapidly dry, the clothes being moved to new dry hot surfaces several times to speed the process).
This comes from my Realmslore notes imparted by Ed during play. I will of course relay your query to him to see if any "medical" chiropractor equivalents are present in the Realms, or anyone (besides the obvious trained monks) who knows and uses application of precise amounts of pressure in specific places, to loosen muscles and treat pain.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 04 Dec 2009 17:05:32
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are there "windowbox" flowers seen anywhere in Suzail? If so, what sorts of flowers are the most popular? (And if they're created fantasy varieties, what colors are they and what do they look like?)
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 16:55:03
Message:

This is an important question, and if anyone can answer it, I'll be glad. I looked in the Code of Conduct, and in the FAQ, but none of them told me what to do.
What do I do if I find the complete text of one of the Forgotten Realms boks on the web? Who am I supposed to go to? Am I supposed to send a message to someone? And this is very important, because I just found the complete (or so it seems from the brief perusal I gave it) text of Elminster in Myth Drannor while searching on the internet.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 17:01:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

This is an important question, and if anyone can answer it, I'll be glad. I looked in the Code of Conduct, and in the FAQ, but none of them told me what to do.
What do I do if I find the complete text of one of the Forgotten Realms boks on the web? Who am I supposed to go to? Am I supposed to send a message to someone? And this is very important, because I just found the complete (or so it seems from the brief perusal I gave it) text of Elminster in Myth Drannor while searching on the internet.



I would start with contacting WotC's Customer Service, and ask them where to direct you. They are the ones who hold the rights to the IP, and they're the ones with the lawyers to sic on people illegally sharing such material.

In the meantime, keep yourself out of trouble by not sharing the link or the pirated material with anyone. Sharing it could cause lots of legal issues for you, for whoever you share it with, and whoever facilitates that sharing (in other words, people, PM'ing him to ask for the info could cause us trouble).


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 17:10:19
Message:

hank you very much Wooly. I'll do it. And what you say is precisely why I didn't post a link. And I'm also sorry for posting this here, but it was the speediest way i could think of getting a good answer.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 17:32:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

hank you very much Wooly. I'll do it. And what you say is precisely why I didn't post a link. And I'm also sorry for posting this here, but it was the speediest way i could think of getting a good answer.



No worries, my friend. We're here to help.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 23:33:16
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor

This is an important question, and if anyone can answer it, I'll be glad. I looked in the Code of Conduct, and in the FAQ, but none of them told me what to do.
Heh. I was actually thinking about this the other day, when contacted by another scribe via PM re: a similar situation.

I think I'll probably need to add a section to the CoC specifically for this.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 05 Dec 2009 23:42:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I would start with contacting WotC's Customer Service, and ask them where to direct you. They are the ones who hold the rights to the IP, and they're the ones with the lawyers to sic on people illegally sharing such material.
I'd also recommend a quick message to the author of the pirated text in question, if you're able. I've seen similar suggestions elsewhere -- especially regarding illegally distributed BattleTech material. Some authors are keen on this, because they often have access to official legal channels that can correct the copyright breach quickly and surely. However, I don't recommend you attempt this UNLESS you're certain they can and are willing to help. There's no need to heap this kind of problem on their shoulders without their consent first.


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 06 Dec 2009 22:10:39
Message:

I got a look at the WotC flyer that showed the cover for Elminster Must Die.
In particular intiguing was the subtext: 'Sage of Shadowdale Book 1' (if I remember correctly).
I assume NDA's limit what Ed can comment, but that is at the least interesting. :P


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 00:46:05
Message:

Was it the Summer 2010 one Gomez?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 01:22:28
Message:

Brimstone, the subtitle "The Sage of Shadowdale Book 1" certainly appears on the colour cover of ELMINSTER MUST DIE that's printed in my copy of the 2010 Summer Catalog from Wizards (spread on pages 8 and 9, the cover being on page 8).
Interesting indeed . . .
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 01:28:10
Message:

Interesting, but not at all surprising.
You'd expect Wizards to try to sign Ed to a multi-book contract, and their recent publishing pattern is trilogies for authors writing about signature characters, and quartets of themed stand-alone books. So just as RAS has trilogy after trilogy about Drizzt, most of them following chronologically after the preceding trilogy rather than jumping about in time, this is probably Ed doing an Elminster trilogy.
I'm expecting NDAs prevent him from saying much of anything, but I'm going to guess that this is post-Spellplague, and I'm even going to speculate farther, and say that it will probably have Cormyr in it, because Ed seems to have unfinished business there, and that I expect we'll learn something about the fates/futures of some more of the "core" Chosen (more beyond El and The Simbul, I mean), even if only in passing.
Beyond that, my speculations go from "gut hunches" to the usual shopping list of what I'd love to see Ed cover in an Elminster novel . . . so I'll stop.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 04:16:27
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade

Brimstone, the subtitle "The Sage of Shadowdale Book 1" certainly appears on the colour cover of ELMINSTER MUST DIE that's printed in my copy of the 2010 Summer Catalog from Wizards (spread on pages 8 and 9, the cover being on page 8).
Interesting indeed . . .
BB


Thanks I did not remember seeing that part. I guess I was entranced by the Cover.


Reply author: ZandroAmanodel
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 04:48:49
Message:

Thanks much for the info, THO! I look forward to hearing more from Ed himself, and in the meantime I'll entertain myself with pleasant fantasies of hot rubdowns.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 18:19:25
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Beside Vangerdahast and Caladnei, are there any well-known (as in, citizens in Arabel, Marsember, and Suzail can pretty much be expected to have heard their name, and know what organization they belong to) War Wizards, just-pre-Spellplague?
Thanks in advance for anything you can share on this.


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 18:21:33
Message:

Dear Ed,
I recall listening to you talk about Tharsult years back, at a convention. Do you have any really big plots or power groups or important events up your sleeve about this strategic trading island, that haven't been published yet? If so, could you hint or even spill major beans about them?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 18:25:33
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I need the name (and a little about the notoriety) of any Highknight of Cormyr who's known to have turned traitor, or been caught up in a scandal and seen as guilty/dishonest/disloyal in some way.
Sure, I can invent one, but I'd just as soon stick with canon if you have any candidates in mind, published or unpublished.
No rush on this. Thanks.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 18:33:06
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Does Cormyr have any sort of equivalent to a passport, for frequent travelers who don't happen to be the envoys of foreign governments? Do any priesthoods issue "the bearer of this really IS our Magnificent Plenipotentary Most Holy of X" documents?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 22:23:26
Message:

Ah! Here comes another one . . .
Are there any "black sheep" courtiers in Cormyr, gone missing after a revealed swindle, mistake, treason, or just an operational screw-up, in the five years or so before the Spellplague hits?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 23:49:32
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I'm hoping Ed can spill a teaser or two about his forthcoming Elminster novel. Anything at all?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 07 Dec 2009 23:51:52
Message:

Ahem. Hi, all.
Well, Malcolm, there MIGHT be a ghost in it.
And I'd be very surprised if it didn't have several wizards in it (beyond the two we already know about, of course).
Yet I'll see what I can get Ed to reveal, in my usual winsome way . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 08 Dec 2009 00:11:57
Message:

Ooh, ooh, I bet Elminster smokes his pipe in it, too, and refers to someone as "ye"!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 08 Dec 2009 00:17:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Ooh, ooh, I bet Elminster smokes his pipe in it, too, and refers to someone as "ye"!

Heh. Maybe that's why it's titled Elminster Must Die!. He finally learned about the long-term dangers involved with smoking his pipe.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 08 Dec 2009 00:26:43
Message:

Hi again, all.
This, from Ed:


I'm afraid I can't say anything at all about ELMINSTER MUST DIE! without clearing it first with Wizards. Sorry.
I might let slip that before editing, the book did have a "ye" or two in it.
But then again, I might not. :}


So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on something Realms-ian that he can't (of course) tell me about. Which is frustrating but bodes well for us all in the long run . . .
love to all,
THO


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 08 Dec 2009 06:55:29
Message:

So Susan is editing out the "ye"s?
Tsk.

Gomez,
who is currently reading Wrath of the Blue Lady (it's a fine read so far).


Reply author: Iluvrien
Replied on: 08 Dec 2009 23:47:15
Message:

Dear Ed and Lady THO,
Just a quick query that was suggested by a recent reread of Silverfall (a book that never fails to bring a smile... and the occasional sympathetic wince to my face, by the way) and was wondering about the past of the not-so-young Taern Hornblade, follow in footsteps (with his lips anyway) of Alustriel. I had remembered, accurately it seems, a reference to a "reckless youth" in Silver Marches and being fond of him (and of any character who serves with love from love) I had wondered about the details. Having spent a few hours searching what materials I have at hand I came up with nothing. Is there any possibility you could shed any illumination on the subject for me?

Your humble (and awe filled) servant, Iluvrien


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 09 Dec 2009 08:29:05
Message:

So this is a question that I've struggled with asking (mainly worrying over the phrasing, hoping to elicit as much info as possible, without offending any scribes) but one I'd love to see an answer to.
We all know that the Realms are (mostly) far more freewheeling when it comes to sexuality than most of our real world. I have always taken it as read that most kinks/fetishes are (again, mostly) openly, or open-secretly, tolerated or endorsed by the populace. For instance, 3 somes, 4 somes (and More-somes) seem to be rather commonplace, and openly accepted by the average Faerunian. Not to say that Husband A wants Wife B to be one of the participants (unless he is invited too, maybe) but again, on the whole, it seems that we can guess that common kinks are mostly accepted/tolerated.
The question, then is this: What sort of intimate activity would be regarded as 'deviant' by (say) the average Cormyrian or Waterdhavian? Does this change from social class to class? In other words, is it expected that the nobility will be 'kinkier' but that commons 'should be more 'grounded' or 'normal'? Also, are there intimate acts which are universally reviled across Faerun? For instance, can we assume that things that we find reprehensible (like rape and incest) are likewise held to be universal crimes, or are there places in Faerun where there acts are tolerated, or even the norm? Of course, being as magic is always a differential when calculating how Realmsian values differ from our own, are there magically-enabled sex acts which are frowned upon or even illegal(Shapechangeing alone seems to offer a load of possible new fetishes)?
Again, any light you'd be willing to shed would be useful in allowing (at least) this DM to get a better handle on Realmsian thinking.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 09 Dec 2009 16:01:03
Message:

Hey, now, gomez, I wouldn't assume that "ye-s" are being edited out. I think it was just Ed being both coy AND careful. As in, even if he was free to talk about the upcoming El novel as much as he wanted to, he'd not promise something would appear in it when there IS an editorial process that could affect that. Being as Ed has praised Susan in this thread, I don't think he's taking any sort of aim at her.
I just wish there was something we could do to get some teasers out of Ed about the book. Short of buying Wizards of the Coast, that is, being as my wallet is a little lean this month.
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 09 Dec 2009 16:07:18
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Watching a recent episode of a TV program wherein a servant of a noble family either killed to protect the family reputation or claimed to have done the killing to shield the real murderer who was a family member, I'd like to ask just how deep the loyalty of longtime retainers (say, servants who have lived with and served the same noble family for generations, as the TV show servant was portrayed as having done/been) in Cormyr is? I realize that I'm asking for a generalization and it will vary with each individual servant and with every noble family, but some of Cormyr's nobles have been portrayed as so unsavoury or "casually, constantly rude" by Ed in his Realms fiction that I'm really curious as to how much they'd be backed up by their 'most loyal' retainers?
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 09 Dec 2009 16:14:11
Message:

Hmm. That spurs me to ask a question: if a servant is ordered by his/her Cormyrean noble master to commit a crime, and they do so, is obedience any sort of defense for them? Are their masters liable in any way (if there's not much doubt that the servant WAS ordered to do whatever the deed was)? And how often does this happen in cormyr, just pre-Spellplague? If a servant CLAIMED to have been ordered to, say, murder someone, how likely is it that general public opinion, among Cormyreans who heard about it, would believe the servant's claim if the noble family denied it?
Ah, I love the depths of the Realms. Whenever I start to think about things like this, the richness deepens, and MORE questions pop up . . .


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 09 Dec 2009 22:05:56
Message:

I was talking in jest, Blueblade.
I know Susan is capable - she is one of the people who judge the LFR adventure summaries.
So far, she has given good comments and not shot down any of my ideas... yet. :P

Gomez


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 17:34:22
Message:

The eye on te Realms article is up, but sadly only half of it is published:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/duad/20091210b

The pdf stops after page 2.
Hopefully they fix this.
I admit it is tempting to use the Flame Door.
I am wondering what the Flame Door's position is with respect to the Shades.
Work with them? Against them? Both?
And how deal with existing organsiations, such as the Six Coffers Market Priakos (controlled by Mirabeta Selkirk)?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 17:35:26
Message:

Oops. Sorry about that, gomez. My bad.
I have (surprise) another question for Ed and our lovely Lady Hooded:
Would it be possible to provide us with the names of a few (er, if there are any) Cormyrean nobles who are staunchly loyal to the Crown, circa just-pre-Spellplague, whom the Obarskyrs KNOW are loyal, and trust (as much as they dare to trust anyone)?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 17:37:42
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
A Waterdeep question from me, this time, also just before the Spellplague. Are there, at that time, any really widely known satirical ditties being sung in the city ridiculing city personalities? Something impolite, but with a tune that if hummed or whistled, without actual words, even "respectable" citizens (and nobles ) will recognize?
Thank you!


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 19:45:40
Message:

I have a question for Mr Greenwood.
will there be any Eyes on the Realms on Myth Drannor?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 23:47:24
Message:

Hi again, all.
Another raft of excellent questions . . . and off they all go to Ed.
sfdragon, I doubt Ed is legally allowed to reveal what future columns will cover. I do know he's done ten or twelve of them already, so if Myth Drannor isn't among them, it may well be a year before Ed would get a chance to do it.
"If," I emphasize.
Right now, Ed is out ploughing (or plowing, if you prefer) icy snow, so he won't spend a THIRD day housebound. Not that he hasn't got a lot of juicy writing accomplished...
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 10 Dec 2009 23:59:51
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Is there anything you can tell me about a War Wizard named Imcathra Haelant? The name sounds female, but it's all I have. (From notes taken from a VERY-dimly-remembered talk with Ed in the Marriott lounge about two GenCons ago.)
Thanks!


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 11 Dec 2009 01:32:41
Message:

Hello,

Ed my question regards Oghma, how does his clergy not face the most opposition due to his dogma of bringing what is hidden and kept secretive to light? Is secrecy used by his clergy/followers to accomplish a means to an end, fight fire with fire strategem? Does he make pacts with the more good aligned deities, they agree to part with certain information/secrets in order to continue with their more crucial endeavors without interference? Or do the other deities simply do their best to handle Oghma's meddling, I would think Shar's followers in particular would take extreme prejudice when they came across an Oghmyte, am I wrong?


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 11 Dec 2009 18:32:58
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are there any famous/infamous/legendary cases of people being murdered in Waterdeep by being hurled down wells? Are there any publicly-known cases of people who shouldn't have been in Castle Waterdeep being founded dead/murdered there?
Thank you.


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 11 Dec 2009 18:35:19
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I'm curious if the Sword Coast trade-roads have anything like a fast-responding "emergency breakdown service" for wagons, who come to the site of the damaged conveyance and do roadside repairs? Or rent or sell on-the-spot replacements?
Thanks.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 11 Dec 2009 18:37:00
Message:

Dear Ed,
Have you seen the new Cameron movie, AVATAR, yet? Are you interested in the concept? It's hardly groundbreaking to any sf fan, I know, but what do you think of how the ideas were handled?


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 11 Dec 2009 18:40:50
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
In the years preceding the Spellplague, in Cormyr, Sembia, the Dales, and the Moonsea, how advanced is forensics? Are "fingerprints" known? Are Legend Lore or Stone Tell or other magics often used to help solve crimes ("who was there")?
Anything at all you can hint or say about this would be helpful. I'm wondering how authorities handle "ticklish" cases (murder involving highborn or envoys as suspects, etc., politically sensitive thefts and violence, and so on).
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 12 Dec 2009 15:35:54
Message:

Dear THO,
Are there aspects of the Realms or places and people in them that Ed as your DM has really brought to life, prominently in the "home" campaign, that haven't really received much notice or prominence in the published Realms?
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Dec 2009 16:16:55
Message:

Hi again, all.
I bring a brief Ed reply to Baleful Avatar re. AVATAR:


No, I haven't seen it yet. Way too busy with work and holiday family stuff to try to finagle my way into a press preview. The concept is, as you say, hardly new (hey, neither was TITANIC, being as we all knew going in that the ship sinks), but the execution, based on the "long trailer" I've seen so far, looks superb. So does what little I've glimpsed of the computer game (animation a cut above the standard thus far). I really can't tell you about the story or my overall impressions/judgement until I see it, of course, but I WILL be going to see it. Eagerly.


So saith Ed. Who lives in a rural area, and so has more limited opportunities to take in a particular movie on big screens than he did when he lived in "the Big Smoke" (Toronto - - and for the Americans on this forum, Toronto is the third-largest North American city; it's smaller than New York or LA but bigger than Chicago, and has more of the "feel" of the Windy City than the other two cities).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 13 Dec 2009 16:21:00
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Arre toboggans (and their use as a fun, downhill run activity) known and used in the Realms? If so, what are they called?
I seem to remember from an Ed talk that sleds and sledges, which are essentially the same item, are used for overland travel carrying goods across snow and ice-covered ground.
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 13 Dec 2009 16:58:40
Message:

Hi again, all!
Earlier this year (I’m sorry, but I’m away from both my computer and proper display access to the Forum right now; I hope Sage or Wooly or someone can “fill in the gap” as to just when; I know it was revisited on page 92 of this year’s thread, but that wasn’t when it was first asked), Menelvagor asked Ed, in part, this: “Rereading Elminster In Hell, I noticed this: On page 30, El has a memory where he bows over an elven woman who's deathly wounded. Silver Fire springs around her. What is interresting, however, is that it comes from her, not El. Who is this elf?”
(BTW, the page number Menelvagor cites is from the paperback edition of EL IN HELL, not the hardcover.) I consulted with Ed and provided this reply: “Menelvagor, Ed tells me that the dying elf woman in question is, to borrow your words, "someone else entirely." Unfortunately, she's also NDA. So we have a battlefield (in the past, Ed hints at least a few centuries, and we have a dying elf female known to El and dear to him, and yes, she certainly seems to be a Chosen . . .
Ed wishes very much he could say more.”
Well, now he can. So, scribes, NDAs DO fall. Once in a proverbial blue moon. Heeeeeere’s Ed!



The battlefield in that brief memory fragment was somewhere in the upper Delimbiyr valley (on the eastern bank of the river, a little south of halfway between The Shining Falls and Hellgate Keep). The date was 882 DR, the Year of the Curse. The strife was the battle of Blades Afire (so named for a mighty high magic elven spell that made magical fire leap from sword to sword wielded by the elves, enabling them to do greater damage to the demons from Ascalhorn they fought), wherein elves of Eaerlann defeated a demon army.
It was a Pyrrhic victory; the elves won the day, but their heavy losses left them unable to properly defend their realm against future attacks, whereas the demon force they exterminated was but a part of Ascalhorn’s strength - - so after Blades Afire, Eaerlann was doomed.
The dying moon elf in Elminster’s arms, who spent her strength in several great magics during the fray, ensuring the elven victory but sacrificing herself in the doing (she left herself unprotected against demonic counter-attacks), was Duethaea Lauraunfeir (pronounced “Doo-eth-AY-ah Lore-AWN-fear”), a Chosen of Mystra whom Elminster had recruited and trained. She was young, vigorous, and strong in Art and will, but driven by her emotions, described as “spirited” and even “difficult” by her own family.
Duethaea and El were close friends but never lovers, El regarded her as a daughter, and he thought her foolish to sacrifice herself for her land, though he understood why she made that decision (“’Tis unusual, indeed, for an elf to take the shorter view, and not cleave to the longer”) and later came to respect her for it. Duethaea was tall, “rapier-thin,” and preferred to go about in a battered old leather human warriors’ greatcoat, that came down to her ankles.
She fashioned several multi-function magical bracers that enabled her to fly and hurl an array of battle spells, she had a “hard-bitten” face rather than great beauty, and far more than other moon elves of that time and place, she loved to drink ale and stronger beverages, befriend and spend time with halflings and dwarves, and keep close watch over ever-expanding human settlements and activities in the Sword Coast North, trying to see the wisest future for her realm and her people (and increasingly coming to the view that living with humans was better than fighting them and seeking to keep them out of the High Forest).



So saith Ed. And there you have it, bright new (or rather, long-hidden) Realmslore!
Ed tells me there are still more as-yet-unrevealed or -detailed Chosen, but VERY few of them were still alive by the 1350s (in other words, don’t expect to learn of many “secret hidden Chosen dwelling among us” during the decades extensively detailed in published pre-4th Edition Realmslore).
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 13 Dec 2009 17:24:44
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all!
Earlier this year (I’m sorry, but I’m away from both my computer and proper display access to the Forum right now; I hope Sage or Wooly or someone can “fill in the gap” as to just when; I know it was revisited on page 92 of this year’s thread, but that wasn’t when it was first asked),


Page 19, on the 23rd of February.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 13 Dec 2009 23:51:28
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all!
Earlier this year (I’m sorry, but I’m away from both my computer and proper display access to the Forum right now; I hope Sage or Wooly or someone can “fill in the gap” as to just when; I know it was revisited on page 92 of this year’s thread, but that wasn’t when it was first asked),


Page 19, on the 23rd of February.

Given Alaundo's extended absence, and the lack of access to compiled '09 replies files for Ed's scroll, I've been thinking about offering them, temporarily at least, via a sub-section of my work website. But I recall had much trouble Kuje had with downloads and bandwidth and site access when he allowed for much the same during his time as compiler of Ed's replies. So unless I can come up with an alternative, we'll all just have to wait until Alaundo finds the spare time needed to upload the rest of the '08 and '09 compilation files to Candlekeep.

As it is, I'll apologise on his behalf for the delay. He's just too busy with non-Candlekeep related stuff at the moment. But rest assured, it's among the first few items on his and my "To-Do" list once he gets back.


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 16:39:16
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are there book copying services available in Suzail? As in, a stranger arrives on the doorstep, willing to pay and with a tenday or more to wait, who DOESN'T HAVE a copy of a fairly-well-known Common Tongue book, but is willing to pay for one . . . are there scribes who have copies of such works and will copy out another copy for someone who pays?
For that matter, are there large and well-stocked bookstores? Street vendors?
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 16:42:28
Message:

Thanks for asking that question, BA! It reminded me of something I've wanted to ask Ed for a long time.
Ed, THO, any scribes who read this, please feel free to chime in...
For a long time now, I've had vague memories of Ed once writing something about a book that has some secret or other hidden in it (NOT a spell or spellbook with magically-concealed/disguised pages).
The problem is, I can't track it down. Volo's guides, I thought, but I can't find it.
Anyone remember this?
Ed, is my mind playing tricks on me? (Er, about this, I mean. )
Thank you, all!


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 16:43:02
Message:

Hello dear friend Hooded, and hello of course to you Ed.

Well Ed, hopefully you are not still digging out of the snow there in Coburg, though those of us here in "Big Smoke" lol lol never heard Toronto refered that way before, still have escaped snow.

Let me first take this opportunity before I ask my question to extend to you both my friends sincerest wishes of a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and that 2010 bring you joy, lots of love, health above success(heehee since you are already successful in our view), and that long lost projects you have been itching to get out for years finally see the light.


Here is my question...

In Lisa's last novel, Qilue is killed. Now Laeral mentions in that book that technically it she cannot be killed like that. Now correct me if I am wrong, but since Mystra differed to Eilistraee Qilue's fate, and her soul is lost according to the novel, does that mean that she is destroyed fully or Mystra somehow took her in?

Now I think we all know that Mystra has been murdered, so will there be a novel or a series of novels pertaining to her murder? I think most of us would like to know the circumstances around that and how that will trully impact FR. After all I think even the Gods are having trouble channelling their energy to Faerun because Mystra is no longer there? Why didn't Mystra have prepared another vessel in case she was killed to infuse her power in order for a new Mystra, like all the other times it has happened?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 18:24:53
Message:

Hi again, all.
Bruce, you pose some very good questions, all of which have been asked before and that the answer to are NDA, I'm afraid.
So let me just say this:
It SEEMS to me, from the responses I've had from Ed and from various Wizards staffers I've asked at cons, that there won't be a novel or series of novels describing Mystra's demise/destruction. It appears that WotC has decided to "jump over" the cause of the Spellplague, the cataclysm itself, and its immediate aftermath, and move on into a later era in the Realms when it comes to storytelling.
I also have a more than sneaking suspicion that although we may never learn all the details of the whys and hows and Mystra's plans or safeguards or forethought or lack of same, that this story isn't quite finished yet...
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 19:46:23
Message:

One thing that's always puzzled me is...what happens to PC paladins of a deity killed or "vanished" in the Spellplague?
BB


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 21:40:50
Message:

Where can we read up as to what really happened in the Spellplague and what exactly it is?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 15 Dec 2009 23:29:11
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Donohue

Where can we read up as to what really happened in the Spellplague and what exactly it is?

You mean beyond what was included in the online DRAGON articles at WotC and the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide?


Reply author: Zandilar
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 00:21:52
Message:

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I also have a more than sneaking suspicion that although we may never learn all the details of the whys and hows and Mystra's plans or safeguards or forethought or lack of same, that this story isn't quite finished yet...



This ignites in me the very faint hope that we may not have seen the last of Mystra in the Realms.

By Tymora, I think she might make a come back.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 00:35:12
Message:

You know, it's nice to see a NDA actually fall. I thought that
they never will.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 01:48:16
Message:

Hello,

Ed I assume you helped with much of the lore and characters mentioned in "Blackstaff" novel. Can you elaborate on any of the mages, chars mentioned in that novel like Gamalon, Turlun and more importantly a WHAT IF query. Say in home campaign some of these mages met their end, who would have been YOUR replacements for them and can you elaborate on the replacements? Basically who was Kehlben's or better yet Mystra's second unit if something happened to first unit?


Reply author: draethe
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 02:41:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

I also have a more than sneaking suspicion that although we may never learn all the details of the whys and hows and Mystra's plans or safeguards or forethought or lack of same, that this story isn't quite finished yet...
love,
THO



Yes thats exactly what im hoping. That there is more twists to play out after mystra's downfall. Hopefully the new elminster novel will enlighten us more.


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 03:15:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

Hello,

Ed I assume you helped with much of the lore and characters mentioned in "Blackstaff" novel. Can you elaborate on any of the mages, chars mentioned in that novel like Gamalon, Turlun and more importantly a WHAT IF query. Say in home campaign some of these mages met their end, who would have been YOUR replacements for them and can you elaborate on the replacements? Basically who was Kehlben's or better yet Mystra's second unit if something happened to first unit?



Gamalon Idogyr was Steven Schend's creation -- he was, I believe, Steven's first D&D character.

Tulrun was written up long-ago in a two-part Polyhedron article. I happen to have both issues, but there appears to be some dropped text in the article, and I've not been able to find anything on that dropped text.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 03:30:22
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by createvmind

Hello,

Ed I assume you helped with much of the lore and characters mentioned in "Blackstaff" novel. Can you elaborate on any of the mages, chars mentioned in that novel like Gamalon, Turlun and more importantly a WHAT IF query. Say in home campaign some of these mages met their end, who would have been YOUR replacements for them and can you elaborate on the replacements? Basically who was Kehlben's or better yet Mystra's second unit if something happened to first unit?

Gamalon Idogyr was Steven Schend's creation -- he was, I believe, Steven's first D&D character.
And he first appeared, officially, in DRAGON #159, in an article of SPELLJAMMER-based goodness.
quote:
Tulrun was written up long-ago in a two-part Polyhedron article. I happen to have both issues, but there appears to be some dropped text in the article, and I've not been able to find anything on that dropped text.
Issues #125 and 126. I once found an archived site that contained the missing text but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active and I didn't save the info at the time.


Reply author: createvmind
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 03:33:42
Message:

Thanks!


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 05:07:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Issues #125 and 126. I once found an archived site that contained the missing text but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active and I didn't save the info at the time.



I say thee: aaarrgghh!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 06:08:48
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Issues #125 and 126. I once found an archived site that contained the missing text but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active and I didn't save the info at the time.



I say thee: aaarrgghh!



I know. I wished I'd made more of an effort back then, but I hadn't really thought about saving the info at the time. Which is funny, because I did consider, at least, copying the information for storage here at Candlekeep.


Reply author: Thauramarth
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 06:45:04
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Issues #125 and 126. I once found an archived site that contained the missing text but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active and I didn't save the info at the time.



Damn... I s'pose you also tried the Wayback Machine?


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 07:03:45
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Issues #125 and 126. I once found an archived site that contained the missing text but, unfortunately, that site is no longer active and I didn't save the info at the time.



Damn... I s'pose you also tried the Wayback Machine?

Indeed, I did. And I spent several days searching through the terabytes of FR stuff I've saved from the web over the last ten years -- just in case I did save it and didn't remember. But, ultimately, no luck.


Reply author: Afetbinttuzani
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 18:48:22
Message:

Well met, Ed, The Hooded One, and all.

Ed, I have PC who would like to play a bard from Waterdeep in our 4E FR campaign. Could you tell me the fate of the bards college of Waterdeep? In past centuries it was, if I understand correctly, Ollamh.

There has been some discussion of the Bard's colleges in the pre-Spellplague Realms here:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3837

Any information that would help my PC flesh out her character would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 19:11:34
Message:

Hi again, all. I'm away from home and Realmslore notes at the moment, but I clearly recall Tulrun as being part of Ed's original (pre-TSR) Realms. Tulrun's Tent is on his original pencil maps, that I snuck peeks at, way back in the early 1980s...
And I know he has unpublished, never sent in, Tulrun lore, too.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 16 Dec 2009 21:10:37
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are skates (worn strapped to the feet, and used by individuals for locomotion across ice) known and used in the Realms? If so, what do they look like/who makes them/how much do they cost?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 14:09:29
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar


By Tymora, I think she might make a come back.



I fear not.
The realization that she won't come back was the inspiration to the title (and ultra-vague blurb) of DALE2-1 Forever.

Gomez,
who may be wrong, but fears he isn't


Reply author: Longtime Lurker
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:35:25
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are pirates as plentiful and powerful/troublesome to the Sword Coast shipping trade in the time setting of the 4e Realms as they were at the time of the 3e Realms?
Thank you.


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:36:43
Message:

Hello Hooded,

With Spellplague going on at the moment, does it bring into questions some similarities with FR and the former Dark Sun? Reason I am asking is in Dark Sun, there are no Gods, magic exists but it has a severe toll on the land itself, and psionics works normally from the individual. I am wondering if the further progression of years after the Spellplague, and more and more things start to unravel and degrade, if we you see a slippery slop towards an evolution of FR towards Dark Sun?


Reply author: A Gavel
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:38:04
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Does the published Realms specify that Azuth has perished? Or is he just "gone from the Realms"? (Which is what the material I have suggests.)
Thank you in advance for whatever you can reveal.
(Other scribes, if you've read something official that says more, please chime in.)


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:39:45
Message:

Ed and THO,
Have you done anything with Melvaunt or Thentia in the 4e Realms? Has anyone else, do you know?
Thanks.


Reply author: A Publishing Lackey
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:41:43
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Is there a revised release date for FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST yet? You did a game writeup in it, yes?
Thanks!


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:43:07
Message:

So, Ed, if Elminster had a Christmas wish (for a gift for him) this year, what would it be?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:44:27
Message:

Heh.
Mystra alive and lounging under his Christmas tree waiting for him, wearing nothing but a smile.
BB


Reply author: Sage of Stars
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:45:49
Message:

Hmmm. Knowing Elminster, I'd say Blueblade is right.
Though perhaps she might be wearing a row of waiting unwrapped chocolates . . .


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 17:47:11
Message:

Why, Starry Sage, you've been peeking!
Ahem. As it happens, * I * have been known to do that.
love,
THO


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 17 Dec 2009 18:59:44
Message:

Umm...Lady Hooded? (waves)
Ahem.
You missed MY tree.

BB


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 02:18:30
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I have a circa-1370 DR Realmslore question: how closely does Mirt the Moneylender know the heads of the various guilds in the city? I'm sure they all know OF each other, and have met at various social functions, but is he "good friends" with any of them? Business colleagues? Old rivals? Any feuds/hatreds?
Thanks!


Reply author: Sandro
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 07:26:20
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by A Gavel

Dear Ed and THO,
Does the published Realms specify that Azuth has perished? Or is he just "gone from the Realms"? (Which is what the material I have suggests.)
Thank you in advance for whatever you can reveal.
(Other scribes, if you've read something official that says more, please chime in.)


Well, I'm not quite Ed (still working on the beard), but the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide does say this about Azuth's fate:

quote:
The destruction of Dweomerheart sent the dying Azuth (a patron deity of mages) into Asmodeus’s fiery domain. The archdevil killed him and consumed his divine essence.


Of course, there's nothing there saying he didn't have some contingency in place, or that he was just too cool to be killed that way, if you need him around for your campaign, but, canonically, he's dead.


Reply author: Kyrene
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 09:42:50
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Sandro

Well, I'm not quite Ed (still working on the beard), but the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide does say this about Azuth's fate:

quote:
The destruction of Dweomerheart sent the dying Azuth (a patron deity of mages) into Asmodeus’s fiery domain. The archdevil killed him and consumed his divine essence.


Yup, makes sense to me. He got blown from Mechanus to the lowest layer of Baator, while all the faithful in Dweomerheart merely got blown/insta-ported to the Fugue Plain?!?

Anyway, a question for Ed then, considering the above: As you (possibly) have more insider information on the Spellplague than most of us here, are you satisfied with the direction it took the Realms? Or to put it differently, is the post-Spellplague Realms a place you'd still recognise as a whole or want to campaign in?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 15:59:54
Message:

Hoo-boy. I sense a big, looming NDA on the answer to those, Kyrene.
Still, doesn't hurt to try . . .
BB


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 19:53:25
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Is there anything you can tell us about any recently (as in, in the two decades before the Spellplague) exiled nobles that hasn't appeared in print yet? (e.g. Cloak & Dagger)
I'm wondering about the fates of some of the younger, more innocent (of the treason that got them exiled) members of some of the families booted out in the later years of Azoun's reign and the beginning of the Steel Regency . . .
Thanks!


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 21:23:43
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Do any Cormyrean noble families, circa just-pre-Spellplague, own farms or ranches or houses and land on the south coast (and inland from that) of the Lake of Dragons? I'm thinking rural, not houses in Westgate or Teziir or another big settlement . . .
Thanks!


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 18 Dec 2009 21:34:15
Message:

Hi, all. Malcolm, I know that some do, but only Ed will be able to give us specifics or even a good idea of how much (Sembia, thanks to the rich trade and commerce, is the most popular locale for "outland holdings" of Cormyrean nobles; after that comes the city of Waterdeep).
However, we'll see . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 12:42:02
Message:

Hello Hooded and Ed

Hooded is Ed able to comment... Laeral I feel for her pain recently, she has just lost a sister in the cruelest of ways, Khelben is now in Arvandor and she is baring twins. Can Ed comment as to Laeral's perpective and outlook on life at the moment, how she feels, her place and mindset for the future especially now that Mystra is no more, and how did the Casting on the High Moor to create the City of Hope affect the twins still within her womb?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:09:48
Message:

Hi again, all.
Bruce, I'm afraid Ed can't comment on Laeral yet; There Are Plans. Which will involve Steven Schend far more than they will Ed. And before you rush off to put those same questions to Steven: HE can't answer you without seriously harming the chances of said Plans ever happening. Sometimes we must all just be patient and see what comes into print, I'm afraid.
love,
THO


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:18:19
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
If all the Obarskyrs were wiped out at once (and for the sake of convenience, let's say Vangey and Caladnei, too), who's next in line for the Dragon Throne?
A "proven" bastard of Azoun? A member of one of the "Royal Houses" of nobility?
I'm well aware that it would really come down to who could physically hold the throne and attract the support of the majority of nobles and commoners, but "on paper," whose claim takes precedence?
Oh, and a P.S.: just pre-Spellplague is the time setting, and Cormyr is the place.
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:23:21
Message:

Hey, everybody, I just spotted this over at loremaster:


Eaerlann's symbol is the maranthae.
Specifically, the maranthae is a small woodlands flower found throughout much of Eaerlann (and almost nowhere else in Faerun). It's faintly phosphorescent, in that it captures and gives off (as a VERY faint glow) sunlight and other radiances (e.g. a lantern).
As a badge or symbol, the maranthae is depicted as an eight-petaled flower seen "straight-on" from above (so the long, thin, curved-to-symmetrical-points petals occupy the four cardinal compass points and their bisectors). The petals are, as in nature, a rich blue at their central hub, shading to gold one-third of the way "out," with two-thirds of each petal gold. The maranthae is closely surrounded by a circular wreath of overlapping green leaves, points to the right (clockwise), with the ring of space between flower and circle of leaves being a light sky blue.
There. :} Potted Realmslore!


Those words were posted by Ed of the Greenwood, in response to a question that boils down to "what is the symbol of Eaerlann?"
Goodly Realms goodness!


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:26:52
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
Bruce, I'm afraid Ed can't comment on Laeral yet; There Are Plans. Which will involve Steven Schend far more than they will Ed. And before you rush off to put those same questions to Steven: HE can't answer you without seriously harming the chances of said Plans ever happening. Sometimes we must all just be patient and see what comes into print, I'm afraid.
love,
THO

Regardless, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. I've long been intrigued by Laeral's post-Khelben status. So anything from either Ed or Steven that focuses on that, will be well received by this old sage.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:27:27
Message:

Hmmm. Ed neglected to mention that's the "classical" symbol of Eaerlann, back in the days of its greatness.
In the time since, some elves have used a silver-blue, unsheathed and VERY slightly curving longsword, horizontal with the point to the viewer's left, to denote Eaerlann (and those who'd like to restore its greatness).
(I draw this from Ed's notes to me, BTW. I suspect Ed knew the questioner at loremaster was interested in the realm at its height.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Wooly Rupert
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 16:27:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Donohue

Hello Hooded and Ed

Hooded is Ed able to comment... Laeral I feel for her pain recently, she has just lost a sister in the cruelest of ways, Khelben is now in Arvandor and she is baring twins. Can Ed comment as to Laeral's perpective and outlook on life at the moment, how she feels, her place and mindset for the future especially now that Mystra is no more, and how did the Casting on the High Moor to create the City of Hope affect the twins still within her womb?



Since we know that Mystra has to okay her Chosen having offspring, I think it's safe to assume that the twins would have been shielded from any adverse effects of that spellcasting. They may have a unique tie to the city, though...


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 17:00:42
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Donohue

Hello Hooded and Ed

Hooded is Ed able to comment... Laeral I feel for her pain recently, she has just lost a sister in the cruelest of ways, Khelben is now in Arvandor and she is baring twins. Can Ed comment as to Laeral's perpective and outlook on life at the moment, how she feels, her place and mindset for the future especially now that Mystra is no more, and how did the Casting on the High Moor to create the City of Hope affect the twins still within her womb?



Since we know that Mystra has to okay her Chosen having offspring, I think it's safe to assume that the twins would have been shielded from any adverse effects of that spellcasting. They may have a unique tie to the city, though...

Well, according to Steven, this wasn't Khelben's first set of twin progeny, so I suspect there's probably a little more to this story than just what we've learned so far.


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 19 Dec 2009 19:21:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
Hi again, all.
Bruce, I'm afraid Ed can't comment on Laeral yet; There Are Plans. Which will involve Steven Schend far more than they will Ed. And before you rush off to put those same questions to Steven: HE can't answer you without seriously harming the chances of said Plans ever happening. Sometimes we must all just be patient and see what comes into print, I'm afraid.
love,
THO


While I'm certainly keeping the above comment in mind (especially the part about neither Ed or Steven being able to comment), is there anything we may be told about this? If not, we'll just have to wait patiently as you said, and hope for the best.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 04:01:08
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Are any of the Knights of Myth Drannor (any, not just the "core starters" who featured in the recent novel trilogy) likely or somewhat likely to still be alive, post-Spellplague?
I'm thinking: stasis or being trapped/hiding in a magic item or some other magical means of lasting for a century or so, or having a long lifespan through being non-human . . .
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 04:08:24
Message:

Oooh, shrewdly asked, Blueblade.
So much so that I'm thinking NDAs will prevent Ed from answering you. I strongly suspect that one of the magical things you mentioned has been used as a means of "cheating the timejump" for at least one Realms character, though none of us will know for sure for a while yet.
Oh, and more than that: that another possibility you mentioned has served ANOTHER Realms character in achieving the same ends.
However, I more than strongly suspect that neither Ed nor I can say more (in his case thanks to NDAs, in mine because I just don't know, and if I asked Ed his NDAs would prevent him from telling me - - and if I guessed and asked him to confirm my guess, he'd instead ask me as a longtime close friend to accept "nothing" by way of an answer, and not to speak publicly about THAT, and I of course would agree).
Which means we'll all just have to wait and see.
Ah, for the good old freewheeling days when Ed and other designers just couldn't wait to share the next tidbit or facet of the unfolding Realms with us all . . .
love,
THO


Reply author: Hoondatha
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 05:54:01
Message:

Those days aren't gone... Ed still can't wait to share lore with us. It's just that he has to, occasionally. But then he finds other lore to give us instead, so it's almost perfect.

And BA, that's a great catch. I've been trying to figure out what Eaerlann's symbol was for years. Now I know. Thanks.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 15:21:02
Message:

Oh, good...because I (as usual) have MORE questions.
However, right now I'll ask just one (or rather, a bunch of questions all about the same thing):
How well is sewer DESIGN understood? Do sewers just "happen," being added to over time on the general principle of water runs downhill, and we'll harness tides in a coastal port or a spring or two under the city to provide the flushing, and if we don't have a big flow, we use spells to move the water - - or do we flush it anywhere at all? Does it just sit brewing in cesspools, with the overlying water keeping the smell down? Or human wastes used as fertilizer, intentionally?
Hmm. It all comes back to the stinky stuff, eventually.
BB


Reply author: Snowblood
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 16:41:30
Message:

you are absolutely spot on there THO I was and am interested in Eaerlann at its height.....:-) and thanx for that little added bonus..... much appreciated.....


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 16:58:12
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Do merchant ships sailing the Inner Sea, just-pre-Spellplague, carry spare rudders? If not, what do they have on board they could press into service as an emergency replacement if their rudder broke or got carried away? Big steering oars?
?
Thank you for anything you can say...


Reply author: Jergal
Replied on: 20 Dec 2009 23:54:25
Message:

Dear Ed and THO:

I was wondering if it would be canon if there were paladins of Jergal in the realms at the time of 3.5 edition?

Thanks for your time.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 00:03:46
Message:

I'm not Ed, but I think I can partly address this while you're awaiting the Bearded One's response.

There aren't any canon paladins for the Lord of the End of Everything. At least, not that I can [immediately] recall. Though, as of F&P, the Companions of the Pallid Mask are said to combat/command undead not sanctioned by the Jergali church.

So if you require a close-to-Paladin-fighter-type, you could probably utilise the Companions as a possibility.


Reply author: Knight of the Gate
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 04:09:00
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Jergal

Dear Ed and THO:

I was wondering if it would be canon if there were paladins of Jergal in the realms at the time of 3.5 edition?

Thanks for your time.

I'm not Ed, but I think I can partly address this while you're awaiting the Bearded One's response.

There aren't any canon paladins for the Lord of the End of Everything. At least, not that I can [immediately] recall. Though, as of F&P, the Champions of the Pallid Mask are said to combat/command undead not sanctioned by the Jergali church.

So if you require a close-to-Paladin-fighter-type, you could probably utilise the Champions as a possibility.


Not to nitpick, but I think they're the Companions of the Pallid Mask.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 04:37:58
Message:

That's right. My mistake for not re-checking the source before I replied.


Reply author: Jergal
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 07:30:04
Message:

Yeah, its just a tough subject. I know Jergal was once lawful evil. Now he's lawful neutral. But with his dogma I'm not sure about paladins. In the Faiths and Pantheons source it says paladins worship him. This is why I was wondering if you could be a paladin. Since one of his portfolios is guardian of tombs. I don't know if paladins are allowed to worship just one aspect of a god on Toril. I just want to know since I want to create a character on Neverwinter Nights 2 and want it to be as canon as possible. Also thanks for all the help in advance with this question.


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 15:45:47
Message:

I would like to take this occasion to wish all on the boards a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Best to all!

Meilleurs voeux a tout et a tous en cette occasion du temps de fetes. Joyeux Noel et Bonne Heureuse Annee


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 16:15:37
Message:

Does anyone now if the Archwizard Novel by Troy Denning that is supposed to come out this month is just the reprint of the Archwizard Trilogy regarding the arrival of the Netherese back into the Realms, or is it a brand new novel?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 16:18:41
Message:

Hi, all.
Well, I asked Ed about Jergal and paladins, and he said:

Sure, there can be paladins of Jergal. However, they'll be VERY rare, and will be self-sufficient loners, "doom-swords" who stalk the world without much benefit of established churches, a helpful clergy, etc.
(Think of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane character.)
Jergal will speak to them personally, in dreams and waking "talking in their heads," and will guide them to aid and hidden treasure caches (usually in tombs) when they have need of such things. His paladins are "my little aimed arrows," as he once referred to them.
Please note that Jergal's aims (and what he has his paladins do) may seem rather confusing to many mortals.

So saith Ed. More Realmslore, as we approach Yuletide, and Ed busily wraps and wraps and wraps presents . . .
(Having just finished and sent off some new Realms writing for Wizards, last night.)
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 16:23:29
Message:

Bruce, it's almost certainly a reprint, though I'm checking with my sources in the industry (and if I come up empty, I'll get Ed to check with Troy!).
love,
THO


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 16:39:29
Message:

Thanks so much THO and does Ed know what type of ceremony that an priest aspirant goes through before he or she is to graduate to the ranks of full priest of Corellon?


Reply author: Jergal
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 18:41:25
Message:

Thank you Ed and THO for this info. I will tell the realm that I play in of this and direct them to this website if they have any questions about it. This is incredible and again thanks. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 19:36:21
Message:

Hello Hooded and Ed,

Now all the Drow that were Eilistraee worshipers and all those that were good and descendents of Mieryatar (sorry about the spelling) at end of Lisa's Book were changed back to their true Mieyatar elves, thus brown skin with black hair. My question is, in the new FR, are they considered Eladrin, Copper or Wild Elves now?


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 22:03:35
Message:

Hello Hood and Ed,

Do you know if in Myth Drannor, or in the Dale Lands there is still the Temple of Amaunator (Lanthander as he used to be called in 3FR)?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 21 Dec 2009 23:53:11
Message:

Hi again, all. I have a surprise smidgin of Realmslore to share with you all, in response to Christopher Rowe's query about twins (originally posted on page 47 of this thread): "Okay, how about this. Have there been any/many famous sets of identical twins in the Realms? I know that the Thunder Blessing brought about increased twin births among the dwarves--but are twins counted rare or (relatively) common among elves and halflings? Are twins thought to be good or bad luck in any cultures?"
Ed now adds:


Aha. Just came across those elusive identical halfling twins in my 1981 Realms notes: the male hin Amandar and Melver Minstrelwish, both handsome, agile, and tall and thin (for halflings) sorts who were scourges of both halfling and human lasses in their youths (spent errand-running, swift-package-delivering, and spying [often from rooftops, by night, on "embarrassing bedchamber moments" for the patrons who hired them to blackmail with] in Waterdeep). They were born in the summer of 1349 DR, and both left Waterdeep hurriedly (a running stride or so ahead of slayers hired by furious nobles whose wives [Melver] or daughters [Amandar] they had seduced, Amandar fleeing in the spring of 1367 DR and Melver in the fall of that year. Amandar hid out in Tethyr's Velen region for some years, and Melver ended up in Sembia . . . where he got into the same sort of trouble. As a result, he fled to Deepingdale, where Amandar, working with a caravan as a scribe, limner, and forger, happened across him by chance and settled down with him in Melver's sylvan "hidehold" (that he shared with a female half-elf lover, Jarantha Moonfall, a onetime "nightskirts" of Highmoon). The hidehold became a Harper safehouse stopover, and the three settled down into living quietly in the woods and making a good living falsifying documents for Harper agents, and writing steamy romance chapbooks and "wildsword" adventure chapbooks (short, lurid pulp adventure tales, often involving murder mysteries and hidden treasure, and ALWAYS involving lots of swordfights).
The fates of the three are unknown, because they maintained very low public profiles, using passing Harpers to send out their work and receive payments. They could have died or moved without the wider Realms being aware of it, if Harpers didn't talk...and most Harpers don't talk about such things, Spellplague or no Spellplague.
Thus far, that's all I have.


Wow! So saith Ed. Imparting another fascinating little tidbit of Realmslore. The place is real and alive, I tell thee!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Sandstorm
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 05:21:35
Message:

*insert round of applause here*

You have no idea how real it is :P I love these little stories about random characters, so full of life. I can't wait to contribute ;) (not sure if you remember, but i'm the aspiring author... which by the way, my new novel you both suggested I delve into is going VERY well)

I especially enjoyed this tid bit because I have always had an extreme fondness for halflings. I believe it was Troy Denning who did wrote the third book of the Avatar Trilogy in which the halfling Sneakabout was mentioned. (though I believe he was under the pen name Richard Arlinson or something like that at the time) That halfling was SO well written, made me love them forever.

Also, I wrote a post no here a while back, i BELIEVE on page 116, wherein I asked about Athkatla, and the Cowled Wizards. It was an inquiry as to how it is the Wizards detect the casting of magic that goes on in the city, which has (or at least WAS... not sure where it stands now) been deemed illegal within its walls.

Yours Truely, Deder Sandstorm


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 07:22:37
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One


The fates of the three are unknown, because they maintained very low public profiles, using passing Harpers to send out their work and receive payments. They could have died or moved without the wider Realms being aware of it, if Harpers didn't talk...and most Harpers don't talk about such things, Spellplague or no Spellplague.



It's not that likely they survived the hundred-year gap though, right?
Halfling and half-elves do not live that long, iirc.

Gomez


Reply author: gomez
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 07:34:34
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Donohue

Hello Hooded and Ed,

Now all the Drow that were Eilistraee worshipers and all those that were good and descendents of Mieryatar (sorry about the spelling) at end of Lisa's Book were changed back to their true Mieyatar elves



Not *all* of them. A few priestesses of Eilistraee stayed drow (due to exceptional circumstances).
I think they are considered green elves (or a version thereof).

Gomez


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 17:47:40
Message:

I read today in the book Grand History of Forgotten Realms, that in 1385 that Cyric and Shar combined forces and murdered Mystra on her home plane, the blast resulting from her death killed Savras, and expelled Azuth and Velshoon to the Astral plane, furthermore, it states that only the Greater Gods survived. It states that Lathander,Sune and Tyr, combined forces and imprisoned Cyric for 1000 years to the confines of his home plane.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 18:31:53
Message:

Yes. That's what we know thus far (and remember: unreliable narrators, always; the major facts are certainly right, but the details may be wrong or slanted).
Sandstorm, as it happens - - YES, by coincidence - - I just got Ed's answer to your question ("How do the mages in the city detect the use of arcane use?"), and here it is:


By use of a large web of wards covering much of the city, of course (a patchwork equivalent of a mythal). Though this webwork is constantly failing, here and there (and having to be repaired by the Cowled Wizards doing new castings), it holds up pretty well except when deliberately magically attacked, because all it does is detect, scry, and provide "anchor points" ('perfect' destinations) for Cowled Wizards teleports. All Cowled Wizards use a phrase or gesture in their castings that identifies them as Cowled Wizards to these wards; all other castings within or entering or exiting the wards trigger an alarm (so it's a detect magic modification thing). Shows precise location and extent of spell effects, but nothing else...so patrols of warriors, with wizards as "undercover" backup, are sent scurrying to the spot.


So saith Ed. More Realmslore, served up piping fresh!
love to all,
THO


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 19:03:50
Message:

<Yes. That's what we know thus far (and remember: unreliable narrators, always; the major facts are certainly right, but the details may be wrong or slanted).> quote from THO.

Sorry THO I must have missed something in reading the previous posts, but which question does this relate to?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 20:39:25
Message:

Hi, Bruce. It was directly in response to your post, right above mine. As in: yes, that's what Grand History says...but we don't know details, or if it's been stated slightly skewed (after all, from whom does this data come? what all-knowing mortal? If a god, well, all the gods lie or exaggerate or...).
Just saying.
love,
THO


Reply author: Ashe Ravenheart
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 20:54:09
Message:

Exactly! I mean, for all we mere mortals know, Cyric and Shar struck at Mystra, but failed miserably. In the ensuing battle, Mystra could have killed both gods, absorbing their portfolios, which drove her insane, forcing the other gods to lock her in Dweomerheart and make it look like it was destroyed until Mystra could 'right' herself. This could have caused the Spellplague as well, and the story of her death may just be a grandiose tale from Cyricists/Sharrans that are trying to resurrect their deities with lies to gather belief in the dead gods.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 21:16:04
Message:

No way!





Reply author: Icelander
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 21:24:21
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Just came across those elusive identical halfling twins in my 1981 Realms notes: the male hin Amandar and Melver Minstrelwish, both handsome, agile, and tall and thin (for halflings) sorts who were scourges of both halfling and human lasses in their youths (spent errand-running, swift-package-delivering, and spying [often from rooftops, by night, on "embarrassing bedchamber moments" for the patrons who hired them to blackmail with] in Waterdeep).

Any relation to the Minstrelwishes of Ravens Bluff?


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 21:45:42
Message:

Hi, all.
Yes, Icelander, they are...but not closely.

The Minstrelwish clan is HUGE and many-branched, not to mention scattered across darned near all of Faerun. With its own internal feuds and "standoffish" facets, too, though in general all Minstrelwishes give shelter and aid to all others, who appear and are in need.


(The paragraph I've set apart, above, comes straight from Ed's notes.)
love,
THO


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 22 Dec 2009 23:25:35
Message:

Heehee thanks THO, insert Duh, on my part. Sorry I missed that. That is a very cool and interesting way to look it from that perspective. I guess we will have to see if anyone can substantiate it at some point, on a side note, I thought Ed might know considering he wrote it <insert mischevious grin> I wonder if any scribes who have survived that time did look into it,such as any reputable cleric of Sune, Tyr, or Lathander,mmm of maybe Oghma hiself if he chronicled it in his writings. It would make for one very interesting campaign for sure and I wonder who would sponser such an investigation?

THO can you ask Ed if the Temple of Lathander in Myth Drannor was re-established post Spellplague since it was still in effect in there up until the Spellplague and I think there used to be another one in the Dales but I can't remember the town's name.Where was it again?

Is the reason that the that Anaroch is fertile again in part because the spells of the Phaerimm that caused it are no more and because of the Spellplague that ar the cause of the restoration of the land? Or is it due the Shadovar?

Thanks again in advance for any help you can give.

Bruce


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 23 Dec 2009 01:48:11
Message:

Uh, no, Bruce, that account of Mystra's death ISN'T one of the passages in GHotR that Ed wrote.
From what was said at GenCon this year, all of the "advent of the Spellplague" stuff was written in-house, and not shown to freelancers working on the project.
Now, Ed MIGHT have be shown it before publication, out of courtesy, but he didn't write it. (This information comes from Wizards staffers answering questions at panels at the last GenCon - - and if any of them spoke incorrectly, there were six other staffers, right up to Bill Slaviscek, head of the game end of things, sitting there who could have corrected them. And didn't.)
I'm guessing Ed isn't free to talk about this . . . but I also think, from some half-hints dropped in this thread by Ed and by THO, that we'll learn more, in little bits, in future FR publications.
Just my two coppers.
BB


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 23 Dec 2009 10:34:14
Message:

Ok cool and thanks Blueblade, wasn't sure or not since on the cover of the book it had his name indicated. Much appreciated for the heads up. :)


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 25 Dec 2009 06:45:01
Message:

So I've got a new question for Ed:
I've noticed that in most of your books, before the dedication, there is usually some phrase in Latin. My question is in two parts: First, where does this fondness for latin phrses come from, and does it signify something?
Second, regarding the relevance of the quote. In Silverfall, it was quite understandable. The second phrase in Elminster's Daughter was quite relevant, but what did the first part ('sedit qui timuit ne non succederet') have to do with? Was the phrase in Swords of Eveningstar relevant to the book, or as I suspect, to the writing process? Also, what was the relevance of the quotes in Swords of Dragonfire and the Sword Never Sleeps?
Just to be clear, I'm not asking for translation; I've gotten that on my own. I want to know (if Ed is willing to say) how these phrases are connected ot the book.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 25 Dec 2009 08:28:57
Message:

Didn't Ed learn about the Spellplague at a secret Gencon meeting in 2005, or 2006? I remember reading or hearing that I think on the WotC boards.


Reply author: Kes_Alanadel
Replied on: 25 Dec 2009 15:58:28
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,

Just popping by to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a profitable and Happy New Year. Thank you both for the many gifts that you give the scribes here at the 'Keep all year long!

Warm regards,
~Kes


Reply author: Joran Nobleheart
Replied on: 25 Dec 2009 20:39:49
Message:

Dear Mr. Greenwood and Lady THO, Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Year to you and your families.


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 26 Dec 2009 04:19:42
Message:

Happy Holidays.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 15:53:25
Message:

Hi again, all! Ed and I both want to wish you all happy holidays - - and to a brighter, happier-than-2009 New Year of 2010 for everyone!
May we all greet the end of 2010 in a better wise than we stand here now. With the Realms rich and vibrant around us, as well as the real world.

love to all of you,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 15:59:27
Message:

Hi again.
Brimstone, Ed was indeed part of that secret Realms summit held in certain "back of the Marriott ground floor" at a GenCon some years ago.
However, the Spellplague had no name then, and there were no details of divine deaths (or anything more than the floating of a "prune the large pantheons" idea). That meeting featured much fierce (but not unfriendly) debate, because everyone taking part cared passionately about the Realms.
NDAs still cover details of what was (as opposed to what was not) discussed and decided, but Ed tells me he won't get into answering "Well, if this wasn't said, was that said?" queries designed to winnow it information by elimination. He'd much rather put the time into writing new Realmslore and Realms novels rather than playing nudge-and-wink duck and dodge NDAs games.
To which I responded: Awwwwww...
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 16:05:18
Message:

Hmmm. Speaking of which: Ed is well aware of the unfinished four sample Cormyrean noble families, Thunderstone lore, and all the other queries, from 2004 through until today, he still needs to get around to answering.
However, he's interested in knowing what topics of Realmslore (specific things, not "all about Cormyr" or "everything that happened from the end of Grand History to the start date of the 4e guide") scribes would most like to see covered, somewhere and somehow, in 2010. Ed's Eye on the Realms column in D&D Insider (Dungeon Magazine) is written in advance for almost an entire year's-worth, and he can't put Realmslore into Kobold Quarterly or other non-Wizards sources (except here and tangentially at loremaster), but he CAN steer writing he is doing to touch on, give hints about, and somewhat address some things, if he knows you're burning to know more about something specific (regulation War Wizards undergarments, for example ).
So, right here and right now, let us know, okay?
love,
THO


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 16:13:03
Message:

It's funny you should mention that my lady, because that's one of the "changes" I've been thinking about implementing for next year's Questions for Ed Greenwood scroll. I'll likely follow this up in an email, however, as there's a few delicate points I want to address first.


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 16:18:37
Message:

Fire away, Sage dearest. I'm all ears.
(Except, of course, for my more interesting body parts that aren't ears. )
Ahem.
love,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 16:45:54
Message:

Hi again, all! A tiny snippet of Realmslore just arrived from Ed, this one in partial response to this query, from Broken Helm (page 116 of this thread): " Dear Ed and THO,
Having just bought some boxes of frozen "appetizers" (hors d'oeuvres, party "finger foods," call them what you will) for Christmas, I'm moved to ask: are there mass-produced, buy-from-a-shop "finger foods" for revels, feasts, and celebrations? If so, what are they called and what are they? (I'm looking for what can be bought in human cities, not undersea or underground.) Thanks!"
Ed replies:


Still assembling a proper reply, but the short answer is: yes, as of just before the Spellplague. One appetizer popular in Sword Coast ports and now in Suzail and Westgate (creeping into Sembian cities) is the "talyth," which is a cracker the size of a small human palm, onto which has been placed a thin slice of sausage, with various sorts of herbs, spices, and mush-down-flat foodstuffs in between, everything being lightly baked to "glue" it together. These are usually savory, and can include anything from snails and oysters and spiced worms right up through diced eggs and mixed cheeses. Sugars are often added, and they are wrapped in pig's bladders, heated on metal plates over fires to drive out moisture, tied shut, then "painted" all over with "tansel," which is an egg-and-certain-plant-pastes glue mixture that can provide an airtight seal, and packed in little pitch-sealed tins full of edible plant oils to guard against spoilage. Caravan companies ship these tins to shops, and you buy individual bladders of half a dozen or a dozen talyth for your meal or feast or revel.
Of course, these are just premade versions of talyths that have been "made fresh" in Waterdeep, Neverwinter, Luskan, Mirabar, Elturel, Everlund, Silverymoon, and Scornubel for decades. In winter, these can be premade and packed on ice, for later heating or reheating, to be served immediately.


So saith Ed. Thinking of our tummies again at this festive season; how thoughtful.
love to all,
THO


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 16:49:10
Message:

A postscript: yes, Ed is well aware that "talyth" is already a name for something else in the Realms. He's deliberately introducing another of the sort of realistic confusions (as found in our real world, and as deliberately removed by TSR and later Wizards down the years, for greater clarity, in the published Realms) that are found in the original Realms, such as a demon AND a devil sharing the name "Ashtaroth" (among many other examples).
love,
THO


Reply author: Brimstone
Replied on: 27 Dec 2009 21:10:35
Message:

Thats awesome.


Reply author: sfdragon
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 04:20:37
Message:

is selunnarra(sp??) aka the netherese enclave at the gates of the moon under an nda?


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 16:49:00
Message:

I'm about to start re-reading the Knights of Myth Drannor trilogy, so I'll probably have lots of questions, but let's start with a rather simple and basic one: When do these novels take place? Obviously before 1369 DR, as that is the year of the Abraxus Affair, where both Tanalasta and Alusair are older, and Bhereu and Thomdor die. Since the birth of Alusair was (if I'm not mistaken) in 1335 DR, and she's 12 or so in the novel, I'd put the trilogy in 1347-9 DR, but can I get an exact fix?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 18:25:58
Message:

If I recall rightly, Menelvagor (I'm away from my books right now), the first book of the trilogy (in the first page of the story text)tells you the day, month, and year that the action starts (or at least tells you early or late in the month; early, I think), and you can figure out elapsed time pretty easily as the books unfold (second follows on RIGHT after the first, etc.).
BB


Reply author: The Hooded One
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 18:45:15
Message:

Hi again, all. Menelvagor, Blueblade is right re. the dating of the trilogy. Quite specific. (Though I can't be, I'm afraid, because I'm away from my books, too.)
I bring Ed's response to Blueblade about another matter: the fate of the Knights, post-Spellplague (or more specifically, the nigh-century-timejump that brings us to the date of the 4e Realms Guide). Ed responds thus:


I'm afraid the fates of the Knights and many other Realms characters are NDA'd right now. Obviously, you can draw conclusions from that published Wizards catalogue writeup of ELMINSTER MUST DIE, and I can add that the text of that novel will (largely in passing, whilst telling another tale) shed light on the fates of some other Realms characters, when it's published in August 2010. Who, and what those fates are, are just going to have to remain mysterious until then. Sorry.

So saith Ed. Who doesn't fault you for trying, at all (he expects it).
love to all,
THO



Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 18:55:38
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm

Dear Ed and THO,
If all the Obarskyrs were wiped out at once (and for the sake of convenience, let's say Vangey and Caladnei, too), who's next in line for the Dragon Throne?
A "proven" bastard of Azoun? A member of one of the "Royal Houses" of nobility?
I'm well aware that it would really come down to who could physically hold the throne and attract the support of the majority of nobles and commoners, but "on paper," whose claim takes precedence?
Oh, and a P.S.: just pre-Spellplague is the time setting, and Cormyr is the place.
Thanks!



Ooh! Someone else who would love to see the Cormyr Lineage! Malcolm, said document would likely answer those questions, if Ed can ever persuade it to be published... but I'm not sure that there's anything more he can say until then... because Ed wants it published almost as badly as I do. Anyway, that's my answer; Ed may be able to share a bit more that I'm not aware of (and Ed, you have my enthusiastic encouragement to do so).


Reply author: Jakk
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 19:01:15
Message:

quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar

Heya,

quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I also have a more than sneaking suspicion that although we may never learn all the details of the whys and hows and Mystra's plans or safeguards or forethought or lack of same, that this story isn't quite finished yet...



This ignites in me the very faint hope that we may not have seen the last of Mystra in the Realms.

By Tymora, I think she might make a come back.



That's Ed... he even has contingencies for the contingencies. Besides, (in the Realms) what kind of greater deity would Mystra be if she didn't have some kind of plan for such occurrences, particularly given that she's already died twice, and (in RL) what kind of publisher would Wizbro be if they didn't give themselves an out in case the death of Mystra proved to be vastly unpopular?


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 20:27:04
Message:

Heh. Let's keep that last "(RL)" question rhetorical. As in: you don't want to let me give my opinion as to what sort of publisher they are. Really.
Nor am I, I suspect, the only one.
Let's just say we can all see that a bold reset has already been used, so there's ALWAYS an out.
BB


Reply author: Menelvagor
Replied on: 29 Dec 2009 21:39:19
Message:

Ah, I've found the year. I'm sorry I asked, although admittedly, the references were easy to miss: The month was easy to find: It was Tarask, in the first sentence of the first chapter. But the year was harder. It was referenced in the title of the book containing the quote opening the book (before the prologue), saying in what year the book was written in, while the gist of the quote was 'In the time I wrote this, there were many adventurers in Cormyr'. A bit obscure, but I found it after all. I was right - 1348 DR, Year of the Spur. Thanks for the help.


Reply author: althen artren
Replied on: 30 Dec 2009 00:27:39
Message:

Just so that I may go with alternative timelines,
I would like to see some of the problems and successes
that the restored Myth Drannor will experience. New Npc's
new elven families detailed (or old families detailed anew),
fate of the Srinshee (who I am guessing will make an appearence
in Eleminster Must Die), and other some suches.


Reply author: Bruce Donohue
Replied on: 30 Dec 2009 09:49:53
Message:

Hello Hooded, I am sorry I don't have my FR book with me at the moment, can Ed give information about the other floating city Sh(something or other)in Netheril? Because it talk about it under Netheril but doesn't say where it is floating or much more about it.


Reply author: Malcolm
Replied on: 30 Dec 2009 18:49:13
Message:

I'm away from my gaming books at the moment, but I THINK there's more about that floating city in the 3e Realms sourcebook LOST EMPIRES OF FAERUN.


Reply author: Broken Helm
Replied on: 31 Dec 2009 14:56:37
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
Another campaign question, this one not urgent at all.
In westernmost Cormyr, where no named settlements are on the map and things sort of trail off along the coast (by the mountains that have the Marshes of Tun on the west side of them), are there any skilled human weaponsmiths/armorers?
Thanks!


Reply author: Baleful Avatar
Replied on: 31 Dec 2009 14:59:21
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
I'm looking for any information you can share about a successful, hard-working, NOT rich or noble or socially high-profile merchant who frequently runs goods into Waterdeep as part of caravans, but doesn't live in Waterdeep (or run any caravan company or coster or priakos). Can you share the name and a little about anyone, circa a decade before the Spellplague?
Thank you.


Reply author: Blueblade
Replied on: 31 Dec 2009 15:01:20
Message:

Dear Ed and THO,
The place is Neverwinter, the time is the summer of 1357 DR. A merchant serves wine to guests he wants to impress, at an expensive private dinner he's hosting in his own home. What sorts of wines are "impressive" at the time, locally? In fashion? Denoting status/wealth/success?
Thanks!
BB


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Dec 2009 15:03:21
Message:

Well met

Could I please ask that my fellow scribes refrain from posting any more requests for lore to Ed and THO as this scroll will soon be sealed [this then allows THO to better synchronise the crossover into the upcoming 2010 scroll]? You may soon resume your requests in the 2010 scroll.

Thank you.


Reply author: The Sage
Replied on: 31 Dec 2009 16:08:16
Message:

And with that being the case, and since Australia has now entered 2010, please be aware that this scroll will now be closing, with Ed's Realmslore answers and The Hooded One's grace and charm starting fresh in a new scroll for 2010.

Casts Seal Scroll.


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