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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 20:56:55
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One of the outstanding facts of the Realms' publication history is that Ed Greenwood has several hundred large cardboard boxes of Realmslore notes that after twenty-five years seem no closer to seeing daylight. A quarter of a century; yet even on Candlekeep this is rarely discussed.
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 21:30:15
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It is a sad commentary lady THO mentions in passing from time to time, followed by an acclaim from various scribes desiring to satiate their lust for these scrolls (or for the lady THO) at any price.
All serious questioning into such stuff is blocked with routine invocations of Power Word: NDA. Not even Alaundo's magic has been able to reliably pierce this barrier, although I suspect Sage is sometimes able to piece together blurred secret glimpses in his eternal and usually-vigilant quest for lore.
[Edit]
Since these cardboard boxes of Realmslore are not discussed I'm unsure of their current status. But I was under the impression that some undisclosed (yet large) quantities/containers of Realmslore penned by Ed were destroyed or never accounted for after the TSR offices were closed and relocated. Clearly the work of Elminster, that scampy old opportunist. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Jan 2012 21:36:25 |
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Halidan
Senior Scribe
USA
470 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 21:43:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Since these cardboard boxes of Realmslore are not discussed I'm unsure of their current status. But I was under the impression that some undisclosed (yet large) quantities/containers of Realmslore penned by Ed were destroyed or never accounted for after the TSR offices were closed and relocated. Clearly the work of Elminster, that scampy old opportunist.
Ayrik - I had the pleasure of going to college (and gaming with) Julia Martin. At a WotC hosted gathering at GenCon sometime after the move (I can't remember exactly which Gen Con), she mentioned to me that they had indeed lost some of Ed's lore in the move - but it was my strong impression that it was no where near a "large quanity".
Does any other sage (or Lady THO) know the truth? |
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied,
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allen Poe - 1849 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 01:19:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
One of the outstanding facts of the Realms' publication history is that Ed Greenwood has several hundred large cardboard boxes of Realmslore notes that after twenty-five years seem no closer to seeing daylight. A quarter of a century; yet even on Candlekeep this is rarely discussed.
I know we usually joke about these cardboard boxes in Ed's scroll, but this is a crucial concern that should strike at the heart of every Realms fan.
To imagine what still remains buried in Ed's notebooks and collections upon collections of loose-leaf papers... maps, descriptive locales, NPCs, plot-hooks... the mind boggles at the potential Realmslore that we have yet to see.
Of course, while I suspect Ed the librarian doesn't require any assistance in the task of indexing this great pile o' lore... I'd more than happily move all the way to Canada just to make the offer!  |
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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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 08:10:01
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| Every time I read a Realms product I think about those boxes and what might written on a subject by Ed. Unfortunately I have no way in the world to get access to them. |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 13:13:29
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Apart from anything else, I hope they're saved before they turn into papier-mâché. While they were never going to directly turn into print sourcebooks of the 3E or 4E style, I admit to being frustrated at times that we got so many clever confections, many by clearly unqualified authors, while the existing, first-hand lore got perpetually ignored.
I also think, in terms of the publication of setting material, that there's a crucial difference between publishing lore that already exists, and has been developed as part of a unity and tested and matured in play, and making up stuff an author may not personally care about to fill sourcebook pages. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7969 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 13:32:05
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Lost lore for the Forgotten Realms has an enticing appeal, though. A way for bards to claim their tales have never before been heard, for liches to drive themselves towards undiscovered power, for Wizards of the Coast to market an endless trickle of published Realmslore. (Even when Ed is uncooperative or unavailable.)
DMs, players, readers, authors, and designers of the Realms are never meant to know everything there is to know within the setting ... there are always secrets forgotten and questions unanswered, room for mystery and imagination and growth. Ed's "Rule of Three" is firmly anchored within this murky premise.
For all I know this lore never existed and was created only through Ed declaring it as a missing item on some inventory list. What better way to stoke curiosity than to let people convince themselves they need to search for something precious that was lost?
Indeed ... this missing lore might serve the Realms better if it were never found, since it impels an ever-vigilant search which constantly unearths other details of interest. It could be a myth like Atlantis, the Holy Grail, the Necronomicon, hopefully one which can never be conclusively found and observed as something quite ordinary and unexciting - a bunch of scribbly play notes stuffed into a couple of dairy crates would hardly compare against the endless journey of discovery it motivates across generations of scholars seeking Realmslore. A legend like this might turn out immeasurably greater for the Realms than anything Ed could possibly write. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 14 Jan 2012 13:45:14 |
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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 13:52:26
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| Ed's home has often been described as being brimmed with notes, scribblings, and other artifacts of his imagination--most related to the Realms. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 14:47:19
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Correctly, let me assure you. Not to mention his barn, his cottage . . .
love to all,
THO |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 18:59:14
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| well, I'll believe it when I see it |
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The Realmslore backlog
