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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 16:05:08
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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 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 17:02:17
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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?  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 18:15:36
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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. |
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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 20:49:57
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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! |
"Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly.
How much less them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation in the dust, are crushed before the moth?" - Eliphaz the Temanite, Job IV, 17-19.
"Yea, though he live a thousand years twice, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?" - Ecclesiastes VI, 6.
"There are no stupid questions – just a bunch of inquisitive idiots."
"Let's not call it 'hijacking'. Let's call it 'Thread Drift'." |
Edited by - Menelvagor on 28 Feb 2009 20:51:34 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 21:26:38
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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
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2009 : 21:30:07
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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 |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 28 Feb 2009 21:30:55 |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 01:12:17
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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. |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 03:28:44
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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 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 06:22:00
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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?
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Knight of the Gate
Senior Scribe
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 10:40:16
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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. |
How can life be so bountiful, providing such sublime rewards for mediocrity? -Umberto Ecco |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 11:30:40
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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
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 13:15:16
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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. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 16:44:34
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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 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 18:29:31
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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?  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 01 Mar 2009 18:30:51 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 21:06:34
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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
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Edited by - The Hooded One on 01 Mar 2009 21:08:50 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 21:29:36
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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 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 21:45:42
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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.
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Uzzy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
618 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 22:14:19
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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. |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 22:32:13
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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.)
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 22:37:43
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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 |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 22:53:28
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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 |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 23:29:50
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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). |
Zandilar
~amor vincit omnia~
~audaces fortuna iuvat~
As the spell ends, you look up into the sky to see the sun blazing overhead like noon in a desert. Then something else in the sky catches your attention. Turning your gaze, you see a tawny furred kitten bounding across the sky towards the new sun. Her eyes glint a mischevious green as she pounces on it as if it were nothing but a colossal ball of golden yarn. With quick strokes of her paws, it is batted across the sky, back and forth. Then with a wink the kitten and the sun disappear, leaving the citizens of Elversult gazing up with amazed expressions that quickly turn into chortles and mirth.
The Sunlord left Elversult the same day in humilitation, and was never heard from again. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2009 : 23:37:50
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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. 
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 01 Mar 2009 23:40:08 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 01:54:52
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| 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! |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 02 Mar 2009 01:55:25 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 02:10:29
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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 |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 03:02:23
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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! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Edited by - The Red Walker on 02 Mar 2009 19:12:18 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 03:19:43
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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!
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 03:45:06
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Can I remind a few moderators that this scroll is for questions and answers of Ed Greenwood?
If not so be it. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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Gang Falconhand
Seeker
United Kingdom
85 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2009 : 08:03:39
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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? |
"If you have a quality let it define you." |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2009)
Topic Locked
