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Baleful Avatar
Learned Scribe
Canada
161 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 02:47:21
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Dear Ed and THO,
Could you please suggest a few noble families of Cormyr who are COVERTLY working with wealthy wannabe noble families of, say, Suzail, to trade with companies, guilds, costers, or families in Amn or Tethyr to get wealthy/wealthier?
I'm in need of some "players" in PC intrigue I want to work up for a campaign.
Thanks!
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
729 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 08:45:29
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Ed,
After today's "Free Realmslore," it is no longer Elminster Must Die! but rather "Elminster Must Be Mine!" And did I detect a small Pratchett homage in the description of the stale, empty room?
Oh, and a glossary question: What's a "spelldoom"? |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 09:04:10
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One of the GREAT Realmslore quandries!
What is a Spelldoom?
Sounds kinda nasty if you ask little old me.
Maybe another version of Doctor Doom?
Doctor SpellDoom! |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 13:02:19
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by Rhewtani
I think it's the way she was portrayed in the Curse of the Azure Bonds adventure that paled my image of her. Thank you for the tidbits there that have me thinking of a better way to fit Alusair into a Pools of Darkness adventure that I'm trying to put together.
I think what you were trying to say is that Alusair somehow lost class levels between Pools of Darkness and Cure of the Azure Bonds, and therefore became less capable? Is that's what you meant by her going "down hill"? |
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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Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 16:03:24
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Zandilar,
It certainly seemed that way, she's what - a rogue in Curse? I think it was mainly the crying in Azoun's arms and him promishing never to try and marry her off again scene. It might just be that when I played through that adventure, Alusair had been run by a PC for 5 years of real time (Curse had been moved to 1369 in that campaign) and the player had moved away. He appearance as an NPC was nothing like the her we knew and then when the player returned for a month she was back to her own gravitas. |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 16:29:17
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THO/Ed,
Is Dornal Silverhand still around and kicking(as of El must die)? If so(or if not) can you share any tidbits? |
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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Zireael
Master of Realmslore
Poland
1190 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 18:26:49
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The facts about Alusair are really interesting.
As for Dornal, I seem to recall he got killed some time after Elue died. Or he died of grief. Either way, he's been dead for a long time. |
SiNafay Vrinn, the daughter of Lloth, from Ched Nasad!
http://zireael07.wordpress.com/ |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2010 : 22:15:05
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Hi, Kyrene. That MIGHT be a Pratchett homage (Terry and Ed are friends, and Ed loves Terry's writing and devours every TP release). but Ed has been writing in that style (about rooms, and chairs, and combs, and the like) since before Terry ever broke into print. It's one of my favourite "Ed-isms," though I'm sure it drives some editors nuts.
love,
THO |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 09:09:55
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by Rhewtani
It certainly seemed that way, she's what - a rogue in Curse? I think it was mainly the crying in Azoun's arms and him promishing never to try and marry her off again scene. It might just be that when I played through that adventure, Alusair had been run by a PC for 5 years of real time (Curse had been moved to 1369 in that campaign) and the player had moved away. He appearance as an NPC was nothing like the her we knew and then when the player returned for a month she was back to her own gravitas.
Just grabbed CotAB (module) off the shelf, and Alusair Nacacia is listed as being a 6th level Thief. (And having read her history as presented in the module, I expect she was biding her time until she found a way to escape, I can't see that Alusair (or even the more recent Alusair, actually) taking captivity lying down... It's just not in her nature to wait for someone to rescue her.)
Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the Pools of Darkness module (was there one? I do have the novel somewhere, though, and I can't recall Alusair making an appearance. I probably also have the computer game as well somewhere)... But I do have another source with Alusair's stats...
In the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting She's a Fighter 7/Ranger 2/Purple Dragon Knight 2.
Yes, they are from different editions of DnD... However, her description in CotAB implies that she's good a thieving - "...found a vocation she was very good at: recovery and redistribution of wealth (theivery)." There's no way to misinterpret what that means, IMHO. Ftr/Rgr/Prp bears no similarity at all to Rogue (Thief), except maybe that hide and move silently are class skills for Rangers. (I already have an idea what Ed is going to say here...)
I'd say that this is a case of, to coin a phrase, development drift. Somewhere along the line the vision for Alusair got garbled and/or deliberately changed. Personally, I think I prefer the idea of Alusair as a warrior type rather than a rogue. |
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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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
729 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 11:55:45
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
It's one of my favourite "Ed-isms," though I'm sure it drives some editors nuts.
THO,
I personally love it. The author keeps attacking the scene from one side, setting you as reader up for what you expect to be the logical conclusion to the descriptive narrative. Only to then throw you a dramatic or humerous curveball.  |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2010 : 19:20:39
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| Actually, Zireael, Ed recently told us that Dornal was still alive and kicking in the Realms, and that Mystra herself watched over him. Of course, that makes his fate in 4e entirely unknown... and probably NDA. |
"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'." |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 03:21:47
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Hi again, all.
Kyrene, according to Ed, a "spelldoom" is:
An unleashing of magic intended to bring about the deaths of multiple entities. Usually this term is used when the magics are both deadly and dangerous to handle (and so would normally not be unleashed in this manner, or so profusely, or in such a reckless way), and their wielder either doesn't expect to survive their unleashing, or doesn't care if they survive doing so.
So a wild hurling of several highly-destructive spells in a confined or crowded-with-people area would be one sort of spelldoom. So would starting a spell duel in a wild magic area, or an armory in which many easily-awakened magic items are stored.
So saith Ed. Realms linguist par excellance.
love to all,
THO |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 03:24:12
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Oh, an addendum I forgot to include:
Ed has never heard of a DOCTOR Spelldoom in the Realms, Brimstone, but there WAS a wizard who earned himself the nickname "Saer Spelldoom" for his habit of starting deadly spell-brawls in public places (and slipping away from them, so that others paid the price).
love,
THO |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 05:19:41
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| Awesome! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 05:41:05
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Oh, an addendum I forgot to include:
Ed has never heard of a DOCTOR Spelldoom in the Realms, Brimstone, but there WAS a wizard who earned himself the nickname "Saer Spelldoom" for his habit of starting deadly spell-brawls in public places (and slipping away from them, so that others paid the price).
love,
THO
Doctor Spelldoom? That is so going in my Realms. |
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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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 06:40:46
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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 07:15:54
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| Can you or Ed tell us anything more of this Saer Spelldoom, milady? He sounds like an interesting character. |
"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'." |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
729 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 08:46:11
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Oh, an addendum I forgot to include:
Ed has never heard of a DOCTOR Spelldoom in the Realms, Brimstone, but there WAS a wizard who earned himself the nickname "Saer Spelldoom" for his habit of starting deadly spell-brawls in public places (and slipping away from them, so that others paid the price).
love,
THO
Doctor Spelldoom? That is so going in my Realms.
And if he's known wide-and-well enough, he's becoming a reference in any joke when spells fizzle in mine. |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Edited by - Kyrene on 11 Jul 2010 08:47:24 |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 09:24:46
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Limp spells?
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 12:48:12
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Oh, an addendum I forgot to include:
Ed has never heard of a DOCTOR Spelldoom in the Realms, Brimstone, but there WAS a wizard who earned himself the nickname "Saer Spelldoom" for his habit of starting deadly spell-brawls in public places (and slipping away from them, so that others paid the price).
love,
THO
Doctor Spelldoom? That is so going in my Realms.
a note to any of Sage's players if they happen to read this.....
Expect Doctor Spelldoom in your game around 2014.......that SageTime is in full effect! |
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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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
729 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 14:06:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
Limp spells?
Heh! Not quite Brimmy. I was think more along the lines of:
*mage's spell fizzles*
Rogue/Fighter: "Aye, a real Saer Spelldoom ye are today mage! Lackspell much?"  (Yeah I know, the last is a bit of modern teenage vernacular. Sorry! ) |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 14:58:30
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quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Oh, an addendum I forgot to include:
Ed has never heard of a DOCTOR Spelldoom in the Realms, Brimstone, but there WAS a wizard who earned himself the nickname "Saer Spelldoom" for his habit of starting deadly spell-brawls in public places (and slipping away from them, so that others paid the price).
love,
THO
Doctor Spelldoom? That is so going in my Realms.
a note to any of Sage's players if they happen to read this.....
Expect Doctor Spelldoom in your game around 2014.......that SageTime is in full effect!
Actually, there's probably some truth to that. More than you suspect, I'd imagine, since it will likely take me some [Sage]Time to determine just where to place this Doctor Spelldoom NPC. He's sounds too cool to be dropped just anywhere.  |
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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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3240 Posts |
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Snowblood
Senior Scribe
Australia
388 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 16:42:01
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| Dear Ed & Lady THO....just a simple question but probably filled with hidden meanings....I notice that some scribes questions are answered by Ed quite smartly, whilst others seem to drift along in the ether....is there a method used to prioritise questions or is it a case of NDA...NDA...always getting in the way......???? :-) |
Aryvandaar, Ilythiir, Arnothoi, Orva, Sarphil, Anauria/Asram/Hlondath, Uvaeren, Braceldaur, Ilodhar, Lisenaar, Imaskar, Miyeritar, Orishaar, Shantel Othrieir, Keltormir, Eaerlann, Ammarindar, Siluvanede, Sharrven, Illefarn, Ardeep, Rystal Wood, Evereska are all available here for download:http://phasai.deviantart.com/gallery/
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 16:58:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Snowblood
Dear Ed & Lady THO....just a simple question but probably filled with hidden meanings....I notice that some scribes questions are answered by Ed quite smartly, whilst others seem to drift along in the ether....is there a method used to prioritise questions or is it a case of NDA...NDA...always getting in the way......???? :-)
It's a case of how readily Ed can lay hands on the appropriate lore. If it's close at hand, the question gets answered, regardless of how old it is. If it's buried in a box at the back of his legendary lore-filled basement, then it doesn't get answered until he gets down there. |
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! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 16:59:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Snowblood
Dear Ed & Lady THO....just a simple question but probably filled with hidden meanings....I notice that some scribes questions are answered by Ed quite smartly, whilst others seem to drift along in the ether....is there a method used to prioritise questions or is it a case of NDA...NDA...always getting in the way......???? :-)
I'm sure Ed will probably tackle this one in greater detail, but I can say, based on previously similar questions posed to the Ol' Bearded One from fellow scribes, that there's no definitive "priority" to Ed's answering technique.
Sometimes, Ed can answer questions just as soon as they've been asked because:-
1 -- They might relate to something he's working on/thinking about at that time.
2 -- They pertain to information he might have easy access to.
3 -- The Lady Hooded One has access to information relating to the question asked, and answers in Ed's stead. [I like the way that sounds! ]
Some reasons for why he can't:-
1 -- NDAs, NDAs, and NDAs, can sometimes make it difficult for Ed to weave through what can and cannot be said here.
2 -- Ed's online time is extremely limited. He's almost always got multiple projects going one [some of which are Realms-related], so the amount of time he can devote to answering/replying-to queries from scribes isn't always a luxury for him.
...
Ultimately, Ed works according to his own internal whims when it comes to answering questions from Candlekeep. And that's how it's always worked. I myself still have one or two questions pending from 2004, but I appreciate that Ed can't always tackle what I'd like because he has an extensive backlog of questions from other scribes to work through as well. And when you incorporate the kind of answering techniques I briefly outlined above, you can begin to see why Ed's answering strategy appears, to us at least, to be a little inconsistent in terms of priority.
The one thing you can bank on, though, is that Ed WILL get to your question. Maybe not today, or tomorrow. But one day. |
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 11 Jul 2010 17:05:30 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 17:18:03
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No, there's no hard-and-fast method.
However, there ARE factors.
The most important one is Ed's time. As in: time it takes him to receive my e-mails, how busy he is at the time (it can't be emphasized enough: Ed is one of the busiest men I've ever met, constantly juggling home life [which these days, increasingly means "caring for his wife" and doing the lion's share of the housework, including cooking and shopping], a "day job" with a 40-mile-each-way commute, being there for his friends (of whom Ed has a lot. who are constantly at work on various projects), volunteer work in his community (among other things, Ed chairs his local public library board), and of course a writing workload that makes many writers wince.
This time boggle can delay him in answering "big" questions, and it can prevent him from taking the necessary time to find old lore notes to answer something.
The second factor is NDAs. Things Ed can't answer (yet), or shouldn't answer (yet), to avoid legal problems for Candlekeep and himself, to avoid screwing up/contradicting some forthcoming project that might not be finished at the time of asking, and to avoid harming the Realms enjoyment of some scribes by revealing too much or by saying something definite in a matter or detail where DMs should have "wiggle room" left to them, or by restricting future spinoff or followup products.
The third factor is courtesy. Where another designer or author is or is becoming the "prime" authority on something, Ed wants to avoid saying things that will tromp on their turf, or their future planned projects. So Ed created Elaith ("the Serpent"), but considers Elaine "THE" expert on that character now, and wants her to be free to say, write, or do anything with Elaith without having to worry about contradictions or interference from him. In like manner, ask Steven about Khelben and Bob about Drizzt, not Ed, and ask staff Wizards designers about rules queries, not Ed (except for "old" rules from earlier editions that Ed designed; for instance, the shortform "NG hm W14" notation used for character stats in 2e was an Ed innovation, to cut down on wordage in early Realms sourcebooks [heh; imagine what Ed thinks of stat blocks]).
The fourth factor is the nature of the request. The "I'm always been curious about this cheese" versus "Help, Ed, I need this for my campaign tonight!" Ed just CAN'T be on "instant emergency call" for gamers (his wife comes first, then his family, and then his professional obligations, such as EDITORS and fellow designers needing swift rescues, but he'll try to be, as much as he can. Please note that NO ONE should be misusing Ed's volunteered lore and advice here as a "Secret DM" to use to beat players over the head with, or adjudicate in-campaign disputes in an ongoing manner. That's the wrong way to handle any campaign. Yet Ed will try to be timely where he can be. Narrow requests (a name, a location, something small and specific) are more easily and swiftly answered than large-scale, broad requests ("tell me all about gnomes in the Realms"). Be aware that large-scale requests are often cutting into professional writing gigs for Ed and others; Ed may secretly know that someone's written a gnome article (for Insider, perhaps), and won't want to rain all over their parade by publishing reams of competing lore.
To give a more personal example for you, Snowblood: a lot of elven lore Ed is being careful not to comment on, because of what he knows Elaine Cunningham or Rich Baker or others are working on. You may want to know something specific about, say, Myth Drannor, and Ed may very much want to tell you - - but he knows doing so will damage or restrict what someone else is working hard on. So he just waits, silently. It's the best approach, because for some matters, just confirming or discussing can do damage in itself.
This skillful tightrope-walking Ed has always been careful to do is almost certainly a large part of why Candlekeep hasn't been shut down or restricted by Wizards, because I KNOW that staffers and managers at Wizards are well aware of Candlekeep, and follow what's posted here.
Which is a very long-winded way of saying Ed has no formal method of putting lore requests in priority, but does have an "approach" to them.
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 11 Jul 2010 17:20:22 |
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Broken Helm
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 17:45:52
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Dear Ed, I've always been curious about this cheese. . .
Seriously, I'd like to know the names and a line of description (color, taste, consistency, used primarily for) of, say, half a dozen local cheeses made in the Dales (and nowhere else). Just for local colour. No rush on this.
Thanks! |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
729 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 17:47:18
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THO,
Some questions for you rather than Ed. How often (if at all still) do you manage to play in Ed's home campaign? What ruleset (if any) do you folks use? Has your character/s died before, and if so, what was the most memorable death? What was the most memorable (or crowning achievement type of) success your character/s had? And, lastly, what was the funniest moment?
I hope none of the above are in any way too personal, as I do appreciate how you value your privacy. All this talk of what a premium Ed's time is (and has always been) just started me wondering about his home campaign. |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Malcolm
Learned Scribe
242 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2010 : 17:47:31
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| And I'd like to cap that last lore query with one of my own: the same number of local wines or spirits of the dales, to go with those cheeses. We hear all about ales, but not so much about vintages. Thank you. |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2010)
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