| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jamallo Kreen |
Posted - 08 Sep 2008 : 22:02:30
Tell us, please, o ye sages and scholars of antique lore: who's the blue-haired woman on the cover of the Spellbound "Campaign Guide"? She's between (presumably) Szass Tam (living person guise) and (presumably) the Masked One -- who's always in disguise.
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| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 13 Sep 2008 : 11:41:40
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Simbul
For one, her hair is too short, her height is way off, and she hardly looks like someone who has agelessness and a constituition score of 25+.
Okay, I've gotta ask... What does a 25+ Constitution score look like? 
More awake than the girl in the picture. Of course, Fred could have painted her after one of her nights with El...
Like in many of his paintings, I think Fred used his wife as the model on this one (it surely looks a lot like his wife), which would explain why the Simbul looks a bit... *ahem* ... closer to being a middle-aged human woman than an ageless Chosen of Mystra (with 25+ Constitution).  |
| Markustay |
Posted - 13 Sep 2008 : 04:05:53
It might sound very mean of me to say, but Mr. Fields should have used a better-looking model.
It looks like he used his Mom.  |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 10 Sep 2008 : 15:13:16
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Lance Armstrong would have to be close to +25 I think
As somebody whose closely followed professional cycling for a decade now, I gotta say--not on his own, he don't.  |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 10 Sep 2008 : 14:55:31
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Simbul
For one, her hair is too short, her height is way off, and she hardly looks like someone who has agelessness and a constituition score of 25+.
Okay, I've gotta ask... What does a 25+ Constitution score look like?
Lance Armstrong would have to be close to +25 I think |
| Jamallo Kreen |
Posted - 10 Sep 2008 : 09:54:08
Ah. That sounds like her. Given that she has silver hair (not blue), I'm sure that she would have altered her appearance for a sitting (given her propensity to appear as statues, mailboxes, and whatnot).
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| The Hooded One |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 15:45:23
Now, now: the "hag" look (Ed's original illo, and dead-on correct) is actually a strikingly beautiful woman (silver hair but dark eyebrows, i.e. the Xaveria Hollander contrast "look") with her hair flying out wildly in all directions as lightning streams through it, and with her face contorted with rage.
For much of the time we Knights had contact with her, The Simbul appeared (when not in another guise entirely, due to her nigh-constant shapechanging) as a barefoot woman clad in the revealing tatters of a black gown that was torn, burned, and slashed from collar to ankle.
I really, really wish Ed's original (and quite striking) depictions of the Seven had been published, rather than being kept hidden as artists' references, as various TSR and freelance artists trying to "improve" on them over the years, and generally doing a rather poor job. It's quite right to say that most depictions of all of the Seven (current DDP comic version of Storm included) do NOT look like wise, VERY experienced women, when one concentrates on faces, eyes, facial expressions, and mannerisms.
Ed has always explained away the various "not even close" interpretations of Elminster and other Chosen, over the years (and their changes; e.g. Elminster from Gandalf clone to Sean Connery lookalike), by reminding us that all of these characters use magic to present an appearance to the world, and can alter it at will. I suspect The Simbul didn't want a lot of Thayans to know what she really looked like, and so altered herself for her artist's sitting. 
love to all,
THO |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 14:53:20
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Okay, I've gotta ask... What does a 25+ Constitution score look like?
"Constitution represents your character's health, stamina, and vital force." --Player's Handbook, p. 16
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| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 13:44:46
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by The Simbul
For one, her hair is too short, her height is way off, and she hardly looks like someone who has agelessness and a constituition score of 25+.
Okay, I've gotta ask... What does a 25+ Constitution score look like?
More awake than the girl in the picture. Of course, Fred could have painted her after one of her nights with El... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 12:43:36
quote:
Originally posted by The Simbul
For one, her hair is too short, her height is way off, and she hardly looks like someone who has agelessness and a constituition score of 25+.
Okay, I've gotta ask... What does a 25+ Constitution score look like? |
| Thauramarth |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 07:38:45
It's the Simbul, alright. For the trivia section: the cover of Spellbound was done by Fred Fields. If you can get a hold (a search on Google helped) of the original covers of Daughter of the Drow or Masquerades, you'll notice a more than passing resemblance between Fjodor, Szass Tam, and Victor Dhostar, as well as between Liriel Baenre, the Simbul, and Alias.
Maybe the Simbul is yet another Alias clone? |
| The Simbul |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 06:10:49
I am fairly certain that it is supposed to be the Simbul, but it varies greatly from previous illustrations and descriptions of her. For one, her hair is too short, her height is way off, and she hardly looks like someone who has agelessness and a constituition score of 25+.
More consistent depictions of her were presented by Valerie Valusek (The Seven Sisters), Fred Foster (Silverfall), Todd Lockwood (The Simbul's Gift & Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), Rebbecca Guay (Epic Level Handbook), and Kev Walker (Best of the Realms Book II) .
That said, she looks better than the hag she appeared as in the Secrets of the Sages 1988 TSR newsletter. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 05:48:12
Rashemi witches always wear masks, so I'd say the one on the right is a witch. And I do believe that the blue-haired lady is actually the silver-haired Simbul, although I can't find any information on the cover except that it was done by Fred Fields. |
| scererar |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 03:39:29
I would agree with some sort of Rashemi witch, but not my view of what the Simbul would look like. |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 09 Sep 2008 : 02:22:01
I think it is a Rashemi Witch. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 08 Sep 2008 : 23:17:12
It's not supposed to be the Simbul? |
| Chosen of Moradin |
Posted - 08 Sep 2008 : 22:27:20
This is a question that I have see the answer, too. |
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