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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Dec 2004 : 08:26:14
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Where in the Dalelands/Cormyr/Sembia/Moonsea regions would one find Copper Dragons? (aside from Glen in Mistledale)
There's Othauglarmar, an old copper he-dragon who dwells in the Desertsmouth Mtns, north of the Spiderhaunt Wood. He's a friend of Dove Falconhand - see "Seven Sisters", p.25.
-- George Krashos
Hmm not quite the right area (the PCs are looking around Mistledale and the Eastern dales)
Hopefully Ed will have more info on Copper Dragon lairs |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2004 : 13:58:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Regardless, the political intrigue is something I'd really like to read -- Cormyr had some good parts to it, but I think that the Silver Marches, with its fledgling nature and quasi-democratic elements, as well as its position on what is still very much the frontier (and all the independant attitudes that go along with it), would be even more interesting . . . .
I'll agree with this statement. I'd love to see the political machinations in that section of the North getting some air-time.  |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2004 : 17:15:43
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
SB: Yes. Partially. No worries, Ed says.
Good to hear for both parties involved. Thank you EG for replying and good luck in the future when dealing with "overnight delivery"  .
quote:
I’d love to do a heavy-political-intrigue book centered on the struggle to succeed Alustriel as ‘boss’ of the Silver Marches,
I'd LOVE to see something like that. The description of that council in Silver Marches seems to hint at political intrigue overflowing in this nation. |
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Milil
Acolyte
Canada
4 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2004 : 23:56:35
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Hi all.
I'm a student in university in Edmonton and am trying to cobble together a paper examining the correlation between RPGs and novels set in their worlds, with a specific focus on the Forgotten Realms. I'd like to get some authors' feedback regarding the influences that the game has had on their writing. Mr. Greenwood, you present somewhat of a special case, being the creator of the Realms. If you could give me any insight into how being such a prominent force in the creation of the setting has affected your writing and if you had problems moving away from the FR setting when penning some of your other books I would be much appreciative.
Thanks in advance for your time. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2004 : 02:35:47
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Hello, all. I bring Ed’s latest lore reply:
Torkwaret, most of the trading organizations don’t use livery in daily wear or ‘in the field’ because identifying themselves is more of a hindrance or danger than a help. THO has provided you with details of their trailglyphs and banners (the simplified glyphs are often used as badges, and as brands to mark company-owned items like coffers and strongchests, as well as their primary use as trail-markers), and I can add only a few “colours,” as follows:
The Merchants League has a formal cloak (often made of dyed silk) worn at meetings (usually in Athkatla): a deep purple field with a double edge-stripe: that is, going inwards from the edge of the cloak, a your-little-finger-wide line of the purple field (and edge-binding sewing), followed by a line of similar width of gold, followed by another line of the same width of the purple field, followed by another line of the same width of scarlet, followed by the rest of the (purple field) cloak.
The Seven Suns used to wear cloaks of similar design, except that the field was deep blue, and both lines were stripes of gold, with seven sunbursts spaced around the ‘collar’ (head-hole) of the fitted cloak. These are very rarely seen nowadays, being replaced almost entirely by purple sashes that have many (countless, the actual number determined only by the length of the material) tiny gold suns running in a line down their centers.
Firehands: a sash worn around the neck like a muffler or scarf, of maroon or claret-hued shimmerweave and dagged (NEVER tasseled) ends, with a human hand with fingers and thumbs of ragged flame at both ends of the sash. The sash is worn with both ends showing down the wearer’s front, so the hands are both visible, fingers pointing toward the wearer’s shoulders (invisible wrists closest to the ground or the wearer’s feet), and thumbs on the ‘inside’ (toward the center of the wearer’s body). These hands are fashioned of orange silk, shimmerweave, or other fabric that has a sheen or lustre.
Duskos Trading Coster: I couldn’t pen this reply without salving my Lady Hooded’s curiosity at least a trifle. The “two adjoining vertical stripes of orange (on the left) and brown (on the right)” she observed in Scornubel are used by a small but busy trader-in-sundries, Malahvo Duskos (and the sixty or so folk who work for him) trading between Waterdeep, Scornubel, Iriaebor, Elturel, and Baldur’s Gate. Duskos has agents in all of these places, and buys whatever’s scarce in one locale at another one, rushing said goods for sale on his next run. He also carries individual orders of shopkeepers to suppliers, and the goods ordered, and makes his living being personally attentive to ‘small folk.’ He also helps to cover his costs by taking paying passengers in any empty space in his wagons - - so long as said passengers pay in advance, and agree to being strip-searched and relieved of all weapons and suspicious substances (bottles or tools that could be used as weapons, drugs, poisons, and spirits). Such things are carefully stored and shipped, along with any goods beyond immediate changes of clothing and shuttered lanterns, in separate wagons from those the passengers ride in.
So saith Ed the Tireless. From whom I’ll doubtless be soon receiving more Realmslore.
love to all,
THO
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RevJest
Learned Scribe
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2004 : 06:56:20
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I’ve thought about it, and decided I have two replies for you: my “If I could write absolutely anything” novel, and the “What I’ll settle for, considering that Ed can write this and that and the other so much better than I can.”
What I’ll Settle For: Storm Silverhand and Maxer, falling in love. Torrid romance and full, in-depth Realmslore.
That would be so awesome. I'd love to see what it takes to get Storm Silverhand to fall in love with you. I mean, really fall in love. I would *love* to read that story!
- S
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"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 03:54:45
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Dargoth, there have indeed been many massive, temporarily-climate-altering volcanic eruptions in the history of the Realms. Ed tells me that most of the recent ones were far to the southwest of Faerûn, but George Krashos has ably answered you in providing the ‘nearer and dearer’ ones.
He also sends this reply to Verghityax:
kuje31 is quite correct; the permission I was given for mauricio was clearly worded so as to also apply to you: all verbatim translations (and re-postings) of what I post in this thread are fine. Rewriting and expanding it for your own purposes, and using it in your games, are also just fine - - that’s what this is all for, as far as I’m concerned.
kuje gave you the list thus far of plagues and sicknesses (from Page 27 of this thread), and I recapped and expanded on it on Page 63. There are many others, of course, because local outbreaks often leave no survivors who have the eloquence, wider world experience, or knowledge to distinguish one “fever” from another, and so mislabel afflictions. Please note also my ‘godmad’ note about hallucinations, in my recent answer to Lord Rad.
So saith Ed, the man who is busier than Business itself. A nice lady at a library open house once asked him rather patronizingly, “Do you have any grandchildren yet?” and Ed smiled and said, “Not yet. I haven’t had the time. But I’ll take care of that soon.” 
(He now has, by the way, though not as directly as he implied.)
love to all,
THO
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 03:57:12
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Couple of new questions for Ed o' the Greenwood:
#1 - Thus far, info on the worship of Akadi has been sketchy at best. Do you have anything on Faerûnian worship? Who are the best known followers? What holy days do they celebrate and how?
#2 - Does the realm of Faerie connect in any regular way with Faerûn? If so, where and how?
Thanks ever so much, both to you, Ed, and to your ever-impressive herald, the Hooded One. The next round of Heineken is on me! |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 05:52:33
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To Ed and THO,
I have had a nagging question in the back of my head for days, one that has sprung from a rather heated debate on psionics within the Realms... I am of the opinion that psionics have not been truly developed within the Realms (i.e. in terms of institutions devoted to the Invisible Arts, teachers/mentors, and just plain raw psionic lore...)
Am I misguided and completely off the tracks, or is there a ring of truth to this perception? Were psionics introduced in the Realms, say, to cater to a subgroup of gamers or because the psionic rules were developed in the D&D game? (i.e. because the psionics were "just there" and that it was perhaps "cool" to introduce one or two in the setting) or were they rather introduced out of pure creative willingness, with a plan in mind for future development?
I believe the former, that no initial plan was in place and that they grew organically out of a gamer's demand or from author NPC experimentation. PGtoF makes an honest effort at developing psionic organizations, which is a first IMHO.
Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated, and thank you for frequenting these boards Ed! It truly amazes me to see that you keep up with these boards better than this FR fan!  |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 06:32:05
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I'm compelled to address the psionics question posed by Purple Dragon Knight (and, I'm sure, nagging others). Ed, I hope, will elaborate, but this is my take on the matter.
Psionics was part of the Realms at its initial release; just as psionics were a part of AD&D at the time, so were they a part of the Forgotten Realms. Considering two of the Knights of Myth Drannor (as presented in Hall of Heroes possessed psionic abilities, it can be said that the group being "catered" to by "introducing" psionics into the Realms was their own. That was the only subgroup of gamers necessary to please at the time. When 2nd Edition took psionics out of the core rules, the Realms ("home" to all things 2E) was forced to have psionics retconned out of it; 3E has allowed them to resurface according to the original take on them--as a secretive, personal, and unpredictable force that could not be reliably predicted or trained in a given individual.
As Forgotten Realms Adventures proclaims, "Any study of psionics in the Realms has had a swirl of mystery and misinformation wrapping it like a thick fog." There isn't a great deal of information about psionic institutions in the Realms because psionics are rare, and barely (if at all) understood by the unreliable narrators through which we have been looking at Faerûn all these years. 3E deals with matters with far more certitude than the Realms were handled with in previous years, so it can be reliably stated that this monastery here or that cabal there is truly made up of psionic characters or creatures, rather than just hinting at it. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 06:52:18
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| Thank you Garen! I started playing D&D in the Realms circa 1988 or 1989 (2nd edition Realms Box), which could explain my perception of the Realms' detachment to psionics. If psionics had a solid presence in the Realms in the days of the Old Grey Box, then I am satisfied and willing to give them a place of honor in my own Realms. Thanks for the huge clarifications: I cannot wait to hear Ed's take on this, and read about the Knights of Myth Drannor whenever this most wonderful novel comes out! |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 07:40:39
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In my campaign Ive restricted Psionics by race, a character can only take psionic class if hes a certain race, these include Drow, Tiefings, Aasamair, Half-Drow, Genasi (All Native outsiders) Half Fiends/Celestials etc The rule of thumb is if you have an Inate spell then you can take a Psionic class.
I was also thinking of making a "Psionic Sensitivity" Feat like the Force Sensitvity Feat in the SW D20 game |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 08:19:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
I was also thinking of making a "Psionic Sensitivity" Feat like the Force Sensitvity Feat in the SW D20 game
There's already a feat working to that effect. As per the Psionic Feats section of the SRD: (link found under my sig)
"WILD TALENT [GENERAL]
Your mind wakes to a previously unrealized talent for psionics.
Benefit: Your latent power of psionics flares to life, conferring upon you the designation of a psionic character. As a psionic character, you gain a reserve of 2 power points and can take psionic feats, metapsionic feats, and psionic item creation feats. You do not, however, gain the ability to manifest powers simply by virtue of having this feat." |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 11:33:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
Thank you Garen! I started playing D&D in the Realms circa 1988 or 1989 (2nd edition Realms Box), which could explain my perception of the Realms' detachment to psionics. If psionics had a solid presence in the Realms in the days of the Old Grey Box, then I am satisfied and willing to give them a place of honor in my own Realms. Thanks for the huge clarifications: I cannot wait to hear Ed's take on this, and read about the Knights of Myth Drannor whenever this most wonderful novel comes out!
I thought I had pointed out in the other thread that they were mentioned at least once in the Old Grey Box... |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 13:34:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
Thank you Garen! I started playing D&D in the Realms circa 1988 or 1989 (2nd edition Realms Box), which could explain my perception of the Realms' detachment to psionics. If psionics had a solid presence in the Realms in the days of the Old Grey Box, then I am satisfied and willing to give them a place of honor in my own Realms. Thanks for the huge clarifications: I cannot wait to hear Ed's take on this, and read about the Knights of Myth Drannor whenever this most wonderful novel comes out!
I thought I had pointed out in the other thread that they were mentioned at least once in the Old Grey Box...
I'd like to blame your tiny little hamster voice, but no: my bad! |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 15:13:58
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PDK, I talked briefly on the phone with Ed about psionics in the Realms, and he said that psionics were in the Realms from the outset, with characters having ‘wild talents’ and no such thing as a psionicist or other “character class” exclusively devoted to psionics, because that was the state of the (1st Edition) AD&D rules at the time (which was what Ed had shifted his fictional world to “match”).
Psionics were taken out of the Realms by TSR editors later, at first (Ed believes from hearsay) because Gary Gygax had come to the belief that psionics would be better handled in a separate mind-combat game (or a separate rules expansion that could be used with the D&D rules but were independent of them), and (this part is definite, not hearsay) psionics were to be the hallmark of Dark Sun, and so had to ‘disappear’ from the other D&D worlds (which is why dragonriding and magical lances disappeared from the Realms; though Ed’s were quite different, these elements were a hallmark of Dragonlance, and Ed’s heraldry and geopolitical politics were also downplayed, because these elements were seen as ‘belonging’ to Greyhawk).
Ed has always preferred psionics in the Realms to be disorganized (i.e. individual creatures have wild talents, and may or may not have managed to find a tutor possessing the same power who can guide them in strengthening their own, in the same 1st and 2nd Edition way that magic users/wizards must bargain with and pay a tutor at each level advancement), for maximum surprise-in-Realmsplay reasons. He sees nothing wrong, however, with having secretive cabals (or blood-related families) of psionically-gifted individuals, or even a citadel or ‘local hotspot’ of psionic users.
I hope this helps,
love to all,
THO
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 15:46:30
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| Gary has certainly said in the last several years that he regrets including the psionics rules in the Player's Handbook in the form they appeared, and that he doesn't use them (along with the weapon speed, weapon vs armor, and grappling rules). |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 16:34:27
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Thank you Ed!
This somewhat supports my perception that psionically gifted humans, elves, etc. are very rare in the Realms, and that they should be treated as individual/unique creatures when encountered.
Mind Flayers and other nasties naturally gifted with the Invisible Arts are, of course, available in large quantities, but it was the "races of men" I was wondering about!  |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 23:18:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
I'd like to blame your tiny little hamster voice, but no: my bad!
Tiny? Tiny? I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! There is nothing tiny here, I'm bigger than a Tyrannohamsterus Rex!
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2004 : 23:31:45
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*Glances about*
Did anybody hear a squeak ;-) |
"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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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 00:04:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
*Glances about*
Did anybody hear a squeak ;-)
I will sic a swarm of Miniature Giant Space Hamsters on you if you keep it up... |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 02:37:38
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Gently, Wooly, gently. Size doth matter, and (purr) I think you're just FINE in that department . . .
(Ahem)
Hello, all.  Herewith, Ed’s reply to Lauzoril:
Most common folk of Faerun have neither the time nor coin to spare to travel far just to “learn things.” Instead, they consult (and pay, in rural areas payment often being in the form of food) the nearest sage, or bard, or local temple priest, or failing that an elder in the community, traveling minstrel, or (often for the price of a tankard of ale) a widely-traveled merchant who’s stopped for the night with his caravan (or peddler, who’s stopped all by himself :} ). If they dwell in a city and are members of a guild, they’ll ask fellow guild members, or through those members contact other citizens who may know what they want to learn. If it’s genealogy and general history, the Heralds (spread across the Heartlands) can provide that lore.
Candlekeep is a temple (abbey, actually) of Oghma, and yes, can be consulted by those who can jump the hurdles of its entry policy. But its primary purpose is to preserve writings. It’s rather like the Library of Congress in the United States: you don’t go there to borrow the latest Stephen King (there are smaller local libraries for that) but if you were an American citizen, you depend on the L of C to keep two copies of everything published in the country safely stored for the reference use of select citizens and future citizens. It’s the “repository” side of librarianship, rather than the lending side.
This is only “kinda weird” from an enlightened modern viewpoint of libraries being open to all (a very recent phenomenon, looking down the centuries of recorded history) rather than exclusive. “Ordinary people,” after all, can always get a local priest of Oghma to ‘look something up’ at Candlekeep via the lines of communication within the priesthood of Oghma (in other words, neither the “ordinary person” nor the local priest has to travel to Candlekeep; a request is sent, and yes, an answer may take a long time to come, but unless it involves magical lore, probably won’t be all that expensive IF the questioner is a devout or regular worshipper of Oghma).
Your question “Where on Faerun could some commoner find a rare book or some other knowledge which would satisfy the monks to let them in?” was asked by the Knights of a senior priest of Oghma (in Highmoon), who replied with a smile, “That’s easy: write a book of poems, and take it. Find an old family diary, or ledger from some vanished but locally-important business, and take it. Write down local folktales, ghost stories, and beliefs, in your own words, and proffer that. Even if we have all those stories already, told by someone else, we won’t have YOUR telling.” The most common problem (as illustrated in the fictional part of my Introduction on this website) arises when someone finds an old book and judges (wrongly) that it’s so rare and precious that the monks will accept it. The monks are always looking for what they DON’T have, or a complete and unblemished copy of something they only own damaged copies of, and so on.
And the entry hurdles only apply to someone coming to the gates to try to get in and browse in person. Most folk send written requests to Candlekeep, and the monks spend time daily researching and writing out replies (which are sent via the clergy of Oghma back to the questioner). So the knowledge ISN’T “locked away” as you put it: only the tomes containing it are, to best preserve them. And yes, the monks ARE “hoarding the knowledge mainly for themselves and those with means and privilege to access them.” Life, in the Realms as in our real world, isn’t fair. However, the monks are bound by the dictates of Oghma, and provide what some folk would see as an astonishingly easy and open-handed access to the contents of their library (just not the books themselves).
No, it doesn’t “bother Mystra at all that Candlekeep is storing magic spells,” because the monks will, for fees, copy out many of the spells and provide them to the wider Realms upon request. It’s against her creed for HER clergy to try to hamper the sharing and spread of use of magic, not for the clergy of others. To her, Oghma and his priests admirably fulfill the ‘safe repository’ function I mentioned earlier. There are a few spells considered too powerful and dangerous to share out without very good reasons, yes, but every wizard across Faerun who knows such spells holds a similar attitude about the wisdom and advisability of those magics being freely shared. Only the Chosen, clergy, and servants of Mystra are bound to act more generously in sharing magic and magical lore.
Yes, paupers have a hard time getting written answers out of Candlekeep (as do persons known to have burned or stolen books). However, these individuals rarely want or need a written reply from Candlekeep - - and when they want one, can always try to have someone else do the asking for them. Petitioners at the gates who are known to have rescued books or aided writers ARE often let in, as are those prepared to worship Oghma.
Candlekeep, like all long-lasting institutions, has acquired its own quirks and odd rules and strange customs over the years, but is above all a place where written expression is hoarded and celebrated. It makes no attempt to be a public lending library, though it does share knowledge (in exchange for fees, in the same way a farmer shares milk in exchange for fees: so that the farmer can afford to keep farming).
However, your PCs’ local attempts to learn things can provide fascinating roleplaying opportunities. Just ask the Knights; they once spent three weeks of real-world playing time trying to pry some records out of Court scribes in the vast, labyrinthine Royal Court building in Suzail.
So saith Ed. Who in the lines just above has reminded me of a moment of er, glory for the Knights that I can recall for myself all too well. I don’t THINK the injuries we dealt the last six scribes were fatal, but we decided to depart in a hurry anyway.
love to all,
THO
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 02:59:38
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| Before accepting a PC-written book of poems or folktales, do not the monks at Candlekeep study their writing first to deem it worthy? Something similar to the guidelines of WotC's submission guidelines? |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 18:44:12
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Yes, Melfius, they do study it, largely to make sure it's not a duplicate of an already-possessed work. During this examination, they determine its worth: anything old, even business ledgers, tends to be valued because of what sages and the monks can deduce from combining it with what they've learned from other old books. Fictional works are akways valuable if they record folk tales, song lyrics, etc. unless all have been previously duplicated in the Candlekeep collection. Brand-new, self-penned works received the harshest scrutiny, but if they tell a story, however banal, they're almost always accepted. Candlekeep wants all written stuff, and there's no such thing as "political correctness" or budget constraints or even space limitations on their collection.
This answer comes from Ed, via a phone conversation (his ISP is "down" right now).
love to all,
THO |
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Imvarda "Beal" Vodu
Acolyte
0 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 21:41:55
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Double post due to massive lag here. My apoligies.
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[URL=http://www.house-shivering.org][IMG]http://www.house-shivering.org/signatures/bealsig.png[/IMG][/URL] |
Edited by - Imvarda "Beal" Vodu on 15 Dec 2004 21:50:14 |
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Imvarda "Beal" Vodu
Acolyte
0 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2004 : 21:44:48
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Greetings,
Could you perhaps tell me something more about Szass Tam's background? According to the FRCS he has skillpoints in Profession: Sailor... which seems kinda odd... Pirate Tam? I haven't read any novels on him, but I kinda doubt his sailing background would be in those.
And he also has knowledge: religion, which religion is he part of?
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2004 : 02:45:41
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No worries about 'political correctness'?!? Ed, you just HAVE to move there! Then maybe we can get the full details about all the stuff you were forbidden to write about the Nine Hells!  |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2004 : 03:54:53
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Ah, shrewdly spoken, Melfius! Well said!
Hello, all. Herewith, Ed replies to darling Woolpert:
Wooly Rupert, Elminster and the Seven Sisters were ALWAYS Chosen of Mystra as they came into personal focus (in other words, by about 1972 I knew what a Chosen of Mystra was, some of the identities of the Chosen, and a lot about Mystra herself; I hadn’t figured out who the Seventh Sister was, and in fact left that for Steven Schend to deal with, much later, but before there ever was a D&D game, I knew that a select circle of powerful folk, many of the ladies being sisters who had silver hair and were ‘almost’ daughters to Mystra, were ‘special’ servants of hers, called the Chosen).
When TSR first purchased the Realms, this matter was informally discussed VERY briefly and then kept for my home campaign rather than being championed into print (I believe the thinking on the TSR end was that Dragonlance had used gods masquerading as mortal characters or developing from mortals before the readers’ eyes, so this Dragonlance-specific element had to be omitted from the Realms, but this is just a personal guess).
I dropped plenty of hints as to a ‘special relationship’ between Khelben, El, the Sisters, and Mystra and Azuth, and particularly between El and Mystra, during my 1986 turnover packages to Jeff Grubb at TSR, but you have to peer very carefully at the Old Gray Box to see hints of them.
The formal relationship was properly introduced to TSR later on for the same reasons I’d created it originally: they wanted to know why in tarnation certain characters could do, or had accomplished, what they did (and the status of Chosen was the explanation).
I know some TSR folks thought this was a mistake, and others welcomed the ‘superhero’ flavor the Chosen might be able to inject into the Realms (this being a currently-enticing design philosophy, at the time), but for me, it was merely revealing the explanation for why the Zhents hadn’t swept away Shadowdale long ago, the bad guys weren’t ALREADY ruling the known Realms, and so on: there had to be vigorous Forces For Good or Stability or the Status Quo ‘on the ground’ in the Realms, working against the jackbooted hurl-all-walls-down-ers.
Please note that this was part of limiting Mystra’s dominant divine power, and that only she was to have Chosen. Continuing the superhero vein, other creators working in the Realms invented Chosen of X and Chosen of Y, but it was never intended that other deities have Chosen who were more than mortal champions or individuals marked with the deity’s favor: Mystra was and is ‘special.’ As the goddess of magic in a high-magic world, she has to be.
So yes, “El and Storm and Khelben and the rest” WERE “Chosen from the beginning,” but the decision to feature them as such WAS “decided later on.”
So saith Ed. I’ve read longhand pencil manuscripts of Ed stories that bear dates in the early 1970s (before there was a D&D game) that refer to various characters being Chosen (one passage I recall was: “So it comes to this, Chosen of Mystra. Think you your fancy titles impress me, or will avail you one finger’s-worth in deciding this fray?”).
love to all,
THO
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2004 : 04:14:59
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ah, shrewdly spoken, Melfius! Well said!
Hello, all. Herewith, Ed replies to darling Woolpert:
Woolpert? That's a new one...
Thank you, Ed, for your prompt reply!
Now, for the next question: in another scroll, we've been discussing various real people who have had Realms characters either based on them or named after them (This discussion due to Sean K Reynolds and his most recent article, which mentions a Saint Schend of Waterdeep).
So, have you also included the names or personalities of real people as characters in the Realms? |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2004 : 04:25:11
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My theory on why other gods having chosen
One possable Catalyst for the rise in the number of Chosen could be the Time of Troubles which saw gods more or less possessing mortal hosts for almost a year, this may well have left Faerun with a large number of intentional and unintentional Chosen in the form of Abandoned hosts after the time of troubles, what effects would having your deities essense have on a mortals body and Soul
Potentially there could be a chosen for almost every deity in the pantheon with the exception of Cyric and Mystra/Midnight as they werent Gods at the time and Helm who never took a mortal host. Even Bane left a potential Chosen as he possessed Fzoul during the ToT.
What do you think of my theory Ed? |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2004)
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