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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  06:12:48  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message
Another query to add to my own queue of questions... We know Syluné died blowing up a red dragon during a Flight of Dragons in the Year of the Worm. And that's about all we know... We don't know anything about the dragon, about whether or not it or any other dragons attacked any other part of Shadowdale, or how the dragon was able to kill such a powerful spellslinger (because Seven Sisters specifically says it was killing her). So, is there anything you can tell us about this incident?

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Vangelor
Learned Scribe

USA
183 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  08:42:46  Show Profile Send Vangelor a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

. . .
Hi again, fellow scribes.
This time Ed tackles some elf-related queries from Vangelor:


...Who just now is getting back online to read this reply.

Thanks again, Ed and to you O Hooded One. The bit about long oral histories as song is especially gratifying, as I have been playing my bard as though this were second nature to him, and it is always pleasant to find my instinct carries me closer to "canon" rather than not.

All of this is very helpful, and much appreciated. My best to you both.
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Swordsage
Learned Scribe

149 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  09:15:11  Show Profile  Visit Swordsage's Homepage Send Swordsage a Private Message
Just a quick supplementary question to Ed's rabies response, are any of these 'cures' edible in their own right or are they eaten only for curing purposes?

The Swordsage
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createvmind
Senior Scribe

490 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  15:58:39  Show Profile  Visit createvmind's Homepage Send createvmind a Private Message
Thank you goodsir
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Hoondatha
Great Reader

USA
2449 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  20:17:25  Show Profile  Visit Hoondatha's Homepage Send Hoondatha a Private Message
Well, I'm back from an internet-less Thanksgiving, and I wanted thank Ed (and the other scribes) for making UCon such a fun time (and especially for letting me sit in on the Game with the Creator). I hope your drive back went well, and that you aren't too buried in work (yes, I'm an optimist).

I'm sure I can come up with a question for you, unfortunately I've got my own avalanche of work to dig myself out from under. Sigh. Time to get a bigger shovel.

Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well.
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe

USA
804 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2006 :  22:21:37  Show Profile  Visit Blueblade's Homepage Send Blueblade a Private Message
I remember Ed describing Sylune's death once, at a GenCon panel, so he should be able to say more.
Hoondatha, can you tell us more about this gaming session? U-Con sounds like it was great, but I lack specifics.
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore

5056 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  05:52:08  Show Profile  Visit The Hooded One's Homepage Send The Hooded One a Private Message
Hello again, all. To Faraer’s comment “An ironguard is worth more than any 10 Elminster's effulgent epurations (or 100 Proctiv's move mountains),” Ed and I both confirm our hearty agreement.
This time, Ed feels moved to tackle another recent post, this one from Uzzy: “Hello Ed and THO! [:)) Don't know if its considered rude to have more then one or two questions up at a time, but here goes anyway.
What would a Cleric of Kelemvor do for someone who is dying? Would they do their own version of the 'Last Rites'? What about other Religions? Do followers of other gods go to their own clerics when they are dying, or do they try to get to a Kelemvoran? Thanks in advance for any Lore you can share with us (and for all the Lore you've previously shared too!)”
Ed replies:



You’re very welcome. And no, of course it’s not rude to pose multiple questions. Please pile them up (everyone!) and (eventually) I’ll get to them. Promise. I’ve done all but a handful of the 2004 ones!
Now, as for these current questions: Uzzy, the Realms is pantheistic; everyone believes in almost all of the gods they’ve heard of, and worships most of the relevant gods of their own racs’ pantheons (by relevant, I mean Auril isn’t worshipped much in hot deserts, and Umberlee not all that much by folk dwelling inland, far from a sea, who never travel near one). So unless you mean “followers of other gods” to mean just clerics of those gods, or clergy-in-training, or fanatics, no one’s “tied to one god.”
With that said, dying Faerûnians who have time enough to do so (i.e. they are conscious and dying slowly enough to have time to “go” anywhere, or pray, will turn to the deity they feel closest to, or feel they owe the most to, or who can best aid their loved ones/heirs. So, no, dying folk don’t go seeking clergy of Kelemvor per se.
“Last Rites” and burial customs are matters I’ve given just a glimpse of here at Candlekeep, for reasons of design time pressure (I’m still turning out two novels at once, two short stories, and three online columns all at once, as you read this), but to put matters very briefly, a Cleric of Kelemvor does this for someone who is dying: performs the Passing, which is a swift, simple calling upon Kelemvor, to alert the Lord of the Dead that this particular mortal is now moving from life to journey down the Final Road (the Passing is replaced by the Lament for the Fallen if mass deaths occur, in cases of battle, massacre, or plague). Kelemvorite clergy are responsible for informing heirs and relatives of the deceased of deaths, of helping such folk grieve (in the Remembrance, a ceremony in which the deeds and accomplishments of the dead are lauded), ensuring that any last wishes are carried out (if possible, and if they judge the dying weren’t “maddened” by pain, bitterness, or desperation into making “insane” demands), and that the goods of the deceased are distributed in accordance with the wishes of the dead (so long as no laws in force upon the place of death are broken in doing so).
The Lament is a long dirge, best performed by at least three and preferably five or more Kelemvorite clergy, who perform a low-pitched, droning chant and strike their ash staffs (weapons or walking-sticks of the fallen will do if they lack ash staffs, or boughs fresh-cut of other wood in lieu) rhythmically and in unison upon the ground throughout the chant.



So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms, which I guess makes him the Father of the Gods.
Oooh, now THERE’S something you don’t see everyday on a resumé.
love to all,
THO
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Uzzy
Senior Scribe

United Kingdom
618 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  15:39:26  Show Profile  Visit Uzzy's Homepage Send Uzzy a Private Message
Many thanks for that Ed and THO!
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RodOdom
Senior Scribe

USA
509 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  15:49:57  Show Profile  Visit RodOdom's Homepage Send RodOdom a Private Message
Dear Ed and Lady THO,

Here's what I hope is a quick question: when mages invent spells, are they creating something that has never existed before in their world, or are they discovering something that already existed in Mystra's Weave?

Edited by - RodOdom on 28 Nov 2006 15:52:00
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Besshalar
Learned Scribe

Finland
166 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  15:52:55  Show Profile  Visit Besshalar's Homepage Send Besshalar a Private Message
Greetings Ed and ofcourse the lovely lady Hooded One.
I was wondering about the Witch Lords of Wyvernwater. Who we're they ? I know they we're mentioned briefly in "Cormyr : The Novel" but apart from that they aren't really mentioned anywhere (except, as a certain sage with his own namesake dragon pointed out, for some ancient Dragon scrolls). These guys seem extremely interesting.


The large print giveth , and the small print taketh away.
-Tom Waits
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31701 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  15:59:13  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
Besshalar, I asked Ed about the Witch Lords back in August last year... to which he responded --

"Spinning Realmslore wherever he goes. Apropos of which, here’s ANOTHER swift reply (this time to The Sage), in the matter of the Witch Lords:

I would love to say more about the Witch Lords, but I’m afraid there’s a firm, hard, still-shiny NDA forbidding me to utter a syllable. Which in itself should, of course, tell you something. :}

Let me be tauntingly mysterious for a moment and say that at least four scribes of Candlekeep (not counting my lovely Lady Hooded, of course) know more. I’m not going to identify them to you, of course. :}

Ah, that’s my naughty Ed!

More Realmslore tomorrow!

love to all,
THO"

I hope that helps.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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-- 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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Besshalar
Learned Scribe

Finland
166 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  18:22:38  Show Profile  Visit Besshalar's Homepage Send Besshalar a Private Message
Hmmm so there is either a product or a book coming well I suppose I'll have to wait for that then ....

Thank you nevertheless Sage...

The large print giveth , and the small print taketh away.
-Tom Waits

Edited by - Besshalar on 28 Nov 2006 18:23:26
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turox
Learned Scribe

USA
145 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  18:38:13  Show Profile  Visit turox's Homepage Send turox a Private Message
To the most gracious one known as The Hooded One: Could you please pass on the following note to Mr. Greenwood for me? With all my thanks! -Turox

To the most esteemed Mrs. Cunningham and Mr. Greenwood, I hope this note finds you in excellent health and spirits. I am writing you to show my appreciation of the both of you penning the City of Splendors Novel. I just finished it up last night and I do have to say that it has been a long time since reading a book brought a tear to my eye. Thank you so much for penning such a wonderful novel! I look forward to reading about more adventures the two of you have penned. Also I loved the dedication to candlekeep.com! It made me stand a little taller in the store reading that. This Thanksgiving Day for me was to be thankful I found such a wonderful site to learn more about my favorite setting and after ALOT more reading a place where I will be able to help pass on info to others with similar interest.

Embarrassingly yours

Turox Antas Dragonslayer -
"People will believe anything they want to believe, or fear to believe."
Wizard's First Rule: Chapter 36, Page #397, US Hard Cover (revealed by Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander).
Explanation by Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander: "People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool."
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore

United Kingdom
1176 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2006 :  22:33:18  Show Profile  Visit Kaladorm's Homepage Send Kaladorm a Private Message
Ed,

Despite hardly knowing Pendelope, Starragers new lady friend in CoS, I felt a quite sad when she died. It seemed like an out of place feeling for a character who I knew hardly anything about, which leads me to believe that there must be more to her story than was told in the novel.

If I'm correct I'd very much like to hear some of that story

Thanks

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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore

5056 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  04:27:08  Show Profile  Visit The Hooded One's Homepage Send The Hooded One a Private Message
Hi again, scribes.
Turox, I sent your post to Ed, and he replied in a flash (along with the lore query he was sending me):

turox, Elaine Cunningham is one of the most talented, articulate, and astute people I know, and so perfectly captured Waterdeep as I saw it in ELFSHADOW, so long ago, that I have felt honoured to work with her at every chance since. (May we have many more chances in the future, though at the moment none seem to be offering themselves soon.)
With that said, I would never dare to presume to speak for her, and so for my own part I say: you’re very welcome.
The same book strikes every reader differently (and for that matter, the same reader differently at various times in their lives), so the enjoyment you felt in CITY OF SPLENDORS isn’t universal. Yet this is the true delight and reward for every writer: of knowing when you’ve really “reached” someone. So, thank YOU for enjoying it - - and saying so. Your reaction is why I write novels, instead of doing something easy (like, say, brain surgery or applied rocket science ;} ).
And we dedicated the book in the same spirit: to recognize and thank friends who make us feel at home.
Writers tend to look at their books and see shortcomings and “shoulda woulda coulda” changes and edits, and I think in CITY we started to tell too big a tale and ran out of wordcount to wrap it properly (especially the passing of one character near the end, and the consequences of that). It hurt like heck to trim a bit here and a bit there, shortening the book.
Yet I’m still glad we wrote it, and I would leap at the chance to write another one.
So, thanks for your thanks. I deeply appreciate the friendly and bluntly honest criticisms scribes have offered here, and would never want anyone to hold their tongue for fear of offending, and in doing so offer nothing but praise - - but writers are human, and it certainly feels good to feel the love, and not just the sniping.


So saith Ed. To Kaladorm, he added this:


I, too, would love to write more about Pendelope. Be assured that if I see a good chance, I will!


So saith Ed, again. And now for that aforementioned lore query. This time Ed replies to Jamallo Kreen’s recent query about Ed’s mention of bombards in Waterdeep’s navy: “Are these "bombards" what WE would ordinarily consider "bombards" (i.e. size Large cannons) or are they the size Huge(+) Thayvian bombards mentioned in Pirates of the Watchamacallit? Are they the more ordinary sort of bombards, the smokepowder users, used to fire stone or metal balls -- or both? Inquiring Gondians want to know! (An aside to those who haven't read the book -- Thayvian bombards fire hollow stone balls filled with a flammable liquid of secret recipe, and {if I recall correctly} their propulsive force is also a Thayvian secret, because it isn't smokepowder. {Could it be ... gunpowder?!?!})”
Ed replies:



To answer your last, first: No, it could not. Gunpowder doesn’t (yet, anyway; NDA NDA NDA) work in the Realms. Thayvian bombards work by means that remain secret for now, which suggests that if they aren’t a combination of magic and “natural” (i.e. chemical reaction) means, magic IS applied for purposes of concealing the true nature of their propulsion and functioning.
The Waterdhavian naval bombards are indeed “ordinary” bombards (large cannons), in which smokepowder is used to fire stone or metal balls (and for which [as Jim Ward suggested in print, lo these years ago] certain necromancers have been known to craft “bone balls” of skeletal undead to be fired onto the decks of enemy ships, that if not magically protected simply become cones of lacerating bone shards rather than undead that can peel themselves apart to fight). A Thayan bombard fired aboard most ships would do the ship it’s mounted on great damage, tearing up its deck mount, felling masts and crew, and perhaps even holing it and causing it to sink!



So saith Ed. Who briefly helped crew a tall ship in his youth (when the Pathfinder and the Trident were sailed out of harbours around the Great Lakes; the Pathfinder’s still going, but the Trident that Ed remembers has been replaced by another tall ship).
love to all,
THO
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Kuje
Great Reader

USA
7915 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  04:49:11  Show Profile Send Kuje a Private Message
Wow,

I remember having my grandparents take me to see those ships. Gods, that was years ago and that reply brought that back. :)

To keep this partly on topic, Unapproachable East and or Magic of Faerun has info on the Thay bombards.

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium

Edited by - Kuje on 29 Nov 2006 04:50:57
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31701 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  05:58:07  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message
As does Pirates of the Fallen Stars and the 1e and 2e FR boxed sets.

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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Tormtar
Acolyte

20 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  09:23:13  Show Profile  Visit Tormtar's Homepage Send Tormtar a Private Message
Dear Ed and THO, more than likely this question will be covered by a bright shiny NDA (so to speak) but nothing ventured nothing gained!

Could Ed enlighten us on how other faiths have reacted to the actions of the Heretics of the Risen Sun and specifically the casting of Amaunator’s Eternal Sun by Daelegoth Orndeir? I’m thinking that a number of faiths (Selune and any number of the nature deities, to say nothing of Shar) would be seriously displeased with the idea of perpetual sunlight and might consider taking remedial action?

Thanks for giving us the Realms and for continuing to devote your precious time to answering our myriad queries and also to THO for relaying your lore to us.
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Lauzoril
Seeker

Finland
71 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  10:56:33  Show Profile  Visit Lauzoril's Homepage Send Lauzoril a Private Message
Greetings again, Lady Hood and Ed.

As far as Faerun region is concerned, how popular is tea in there? Do they have same kind of tea as we have in here or do Realms sport different of teas varieties entirely? Do they have anything resembling 'regular' tea?

And one partially serious/humorous question.
If it would be available here, would you accept Lichdom in order to continue your work as long as you liked?

And speaking of bombardments, the part of 'nightly catapult bombardments of unknown origin' towards a mad toymaker of sorts in Volo's guide to Baldur's Gate is hilarious.

Thank you.

Take care both and Happy new Year.





"Death to the enemies of Bane."
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Zanan
Senior Scribe

Germany
942 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  11:38:42  Show Profile  Visit Zanan's Homepage Send Zanan a Private Message
Vendui Hooded One and all readers!

While researching on the history of my home down there beneath the West Galena Mountains, I once again stumbled over topics shrouded in mystery or tainted by hearsay. One such topic was the number of drow cities of the Deep Realms and the number of their inhabitants. Recent events (i.e. the coming of the 3rd edition of D&D) saw a rapid decline in population numbers of some of the more prominent places, e.g. Menzoberranzan's population was cut to a third of previous knowledge, while Sshamath lost just as much in drow inhabitants. People were now asking about the approximate number of drow throughout the Underdark of Faerûn, cities, settlements and free-roaming bands alike - and how that number would rank among the other elven subraces. A lot of calculation has started, taking the number of drow cities given in The Drow of the Underdark (some 30 names) into account and going by an average population of 20,000 drow each (i.e., the middle of a "small" city like Menzoberranzan (10,000), a large city like Llurth Dreier (60,000), and just below Eryndlyn ("thrice as many drow as Menzoberanzan")). That would leave us with city-dwelling drow ranging from 600,000 to 800,000 in numbers. Would this be a reasonable estimation? Some sources also had a fair number of drow living in the Forest of Mir, venerating Bhaelros (an alias of Talos) or, as others claim, Vhaeraun. Is Ed able to confirm these guesses or has his own opinion on these numbers?
One other point - while we are speaking on these drow cities. Ed mentioned quite a number, but only very few made it onto the maps of the Underdark. This leaves us with the obvious question about the actual size of these places, for if they were as important or large as e.g. Guallidurth or Llurth Dreier, one would expect that they had made it onto the maps. On the other hand, it could also indicate that they are simply more removed from the surface than the cities above, lie beneath less explored locations in the Night Below or something along these lines. Does Ed has some more knowledge - or information - on this topic?

Bhaelros ... can we assume that some drow in the Forest of Mir still venerate the Stormlord in Disguise?

Aluve, Zanan!



(PS: Bhaelors makes his appearance in Empires of the Sands, while his (IMHO not required "substitute" Vhaeraun is related to in Tethyr - Lands of Intrigue)

Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!

Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel!

In memory of Alura Durshavin.

Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerûn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more.
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Delzounblood
Senior Scribe

United Kingdom
578 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  12:12:38  Show Profile Send Delzounblood a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by Lauzoril

Greetings again, Lady Hood and Ed.

As far as Faerun region is concerned, how popular is tea in there? Do they have same kind of tea as we have in here or do Realms sport different of teas varieties entirely? Do they have anything resembling 'regular' tea?

And one partially serious/humorous question.
If it would be available here, would you accept Lichdom in order to continue your work as long as you liked?

And speaking of bombardments, the part of 'nightly catapult bombardments of unknown origin' towards a mad toymaker of sorts in Volo's guide to Baldur's Gate is hilarious.

Thank you.

Take care both and Happy new Year.








I seem to remember a Tarbine or Tarbin tea being quoted in some novels..

But nothing can touch Yorkshire Tea!!

Delz

I'm Back!
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe

Canada
956 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  14:38:19  Show Profile  Visit Kalin Agrivar's Homepage Send Kalin Agrivar a Private Message
Hi THO and Ed

I guess this is a quick question for Ed unless the sages in the 'keep have already asked it (I’m at work and don’t have the time to go through Ed’s past replies)

What does Ed think the survival rate of new/green adventurers (e.g. 1 in 5 survive their first adventure)? What is the retirement rate (e.g. retire in 2 years? Retire by Lv 3?)?

I’m just curious to get his take on this

Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar

- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe

USA
573 Posts

Posted - 29 Nov 2006 :  15:10:51  Show Profile Send WalkerNinja a Private Message
Ed & THO,

Thanks for the reply on the Thar!

Another question... What are the five most famous adventuring companies that have not appeared in the published realms, and what are they famous for?

Another question on adventurers... The standard size of a party in D&D is 4-6 adventurers, but the realms seem to regularly produce bands of much larger number (most notably: The Nine, The Knights of Myth Drannor, and the Company of Crazed adventurers). What would be a good median population for successful bands.

And since THO encouraged us to post multiple questions, here's one more: Pirates of the Carribean refers to a ficticious "code" by which all pirates are bound, and I find the idea appealing (even if its "more like a set of suggestions"). Do adventurers in the Realms recognize a "code" loosely determining expected behaviour, inter-party relations, governance of a party, or intra-party relations.

Thanks!

-Walker

*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore

5056 Posts

Posted - 30 Nov 2006 :  00:37:14  Show Profile  Visit The Hooded One's Homepage Send The Hooded One a Private Message
While he was polishing off Jamallo Kreen’s bombards questions, Ed shrugged, smiled, and penned a reply to his next question, that followed on its heels: “After decades of gaming with almost no one having a familiar, my current batch of players have ALL decided to have familiars. What, prithee, Master of the Green Wood, would be the Elven term for a normal (i.e., non-sidhe) riding dog which is a familiar for its rider? That, at least, is how the player would probably like the question phrased. Others might phrase it as, "What is the term for a big, stupid, vicious, paladin-biting, cannibalistic mongrel?"”
Ed replies:



The applicable elven words here are:
dog = taryaryah
large = raun
dangerous/vicious = gabreth, glaeth
(gabreth literally means “likely to turn on you, cruel in battle” whereas glaeth means “formidable in battle, well armed or having the capacity to do much damage”)
riding, hunting, trained = irbryn

However, as is often the case in matters linguistic, speakers found “raun-gabreth-ibryn-taryaryah” way too much of a mouthful to use as a term (an explanation, yes, but a term, no), and so coined a word for the hunting dogs they often encounter (such as the war dogs many humans use): the word “raegar.”
Note: this is never applied to wild dogs, just to trained dogs.
Pronounciations:
gabreth: “gah-BRETH”
glaeth: “GLAY-thh”
ibryn: “IB-rin”
raun: “RAW-nn”
raegar: “RAY-garr”
taryaryah: “tar-YAR-yah”



So saith Ed. Who’s not the linguist Tolkien was, but does his best (given the scant time he has to deal with all the Realmslore queries hurled at him, in the crazily crowded endless omnibus of a farrago he has of a “life”). Or as he once put it, “Why can’t * I * have the time to be an Oxford don, and go strolling out of an evening to drink and debate with friends? Nix on the smoking, but I’d stick an unlit pipe in my mouth all night if it was demanded of me!”
love to all,
THO
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Bahgtru
Acolyte

29 Posts

Posted - 30 Nov 2006 :  04:29:51  Show Profile  Visit Bahgtru's Homepage Send Bahgtru a Private Message
Hello Ed. I just finished reading City of Splendors and loved it. I would love to see more of the character, Madieron Sunderstone. Do you think he wiill ever take a greater role in any future stories or game material? Thanks and Happy Holidays!
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 30 Nov 2006 :  19:26:01  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message
And because I don't have enough outstanding questions... I was just rereading the old Dragon article on Eveningstar. I found myself wondering about a couple of things with Lord Tessaril Winter.

First, why did she masquerade as a male?

Second, why did she, after becoming a skilled mage, decide to become a fighter?

Third, what's her connection with Azoun? As in, how did they meet, and what all (other than sex ) did they do together before he named her a Lord?

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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Blueblade
Senior Scribe

USA
804 Posts

Posted - 01 Dec 2006 :  21:19:17  Show Profile  Visit Blueblade's Homepage Send Blueblade a Private Message
Hello, all. THe Lovely Lady Hooded just e-mailed me this:

Ed is busy reading a Christmas story (he writes a new one every year) at a public library, and may not be back home in time to send me the lore reply he promised before end-of-day.
In the meantime, I can tell Wooly this: Tessaril adventured with Azoun back in his days with the adventuring band that was known for a time as the King's Men. They have a long history, and no, it's not JUST sex.
love to all,
THO

...I've heard they're having ice storms in Ed's neck of the woods now. Perhaps that's the delay. Hmmm.
BB

Edited by - Blueblade on 01 Dec 2006 21:22:05
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore

USA
1537 Posts

Posted - 01 Dec 2006 :  23:57:14  Show Profile  Visit Jamallo Kreen's Homepage Send Jamallo Kreen a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello, all. Gray Richardson recently asked: “Hi Ed, I was wondering if you could tell me about taxes in Suzail.

(snip)

What other surprising taxes, tarrifs or fees might an adventurer in Suzail stumble across?”
Ed replies:

(snip)

So saith Ed, who just once wants to do lounge naked on a bed of shiny new gold coins (or so he tells me).
love to all,
THO




Each answer provokes so many questions!

Apropos of stall rentals, what sort and level of rent would be charged a tenant for dwellings of various types in various cities? (For ease of comparison, let's assume that all cities are the equivalent of Atlantic City in Monopoly, each city with its equivalent of Baltic Avenue, Marvin Gardens, Park Place, etc. shall we?)

Are rural rents usually collected in coin or in kind or in service? How do they vary from region to region?

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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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore

USA
1537 Posts

Posted - 02 Dec 2006 :  00:09:51  Show Profile  Visit Jamallo Kreen's Homepage Send Jamallo Kreen a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hello again, all. Jamallo Kreen recently posted: “Please correct me if I'm wrong, Ed, but my understanding is that one can -- without violating the time stream -- even go back in time to Netheril, study with an archwizard for a year and then come back with cool new tricks to show off at one's New Year's Eve party. Is it not so, or does Mystra purge one's memory of spells learned in the past? One can imagine what hilarity would ensue if such a time travelling magical apprentice returned to 1374 and then happened to bump into Tabra, whom he knew from their student days in jolly old Netheril. Apropos of which hilarity, has Tabra cast Iolaum's longevity more than once, or was her casting of it centuries ago the only casting of it which she has done?”
Ed replies:



Unfortunately for would-be avid scholars, “the new” Mystra and Azuth, having observed and discussed some previous mortal doings and experiences (and the consequences of same) have now both agreed to neatly fix matters so that arcane spellcasters moving into the past “leave their lore behind them.” In other words, mortal spellcasters arrive back in the past knowing NOTHING about magic, not even recalling their aptitude for it (they still have that aptitude, but unless circumstances point it out to them, they have “forgotten” that they have it - - along with all memorized spells, of course!).
So they COULD study, back in the past, but it would be as green novices - - and for each year spent “back in the past” studying, their chances of returning sane decrease. In effect, the various deities of magic allow someone who jaunts back into the past for a specific bit of information (a word of activation/command word, a specific conversation between mages, the whereabouts of a hidden magic item, and the like) to be able to “bring it back,” but NOT to profitably study in the past to improve performance in the present.
And yes, Tabra HAS cast Iolaum’s longevity more than once. She’s cast it twice, but the second casting is NDA.



So saith Ed. Who was not all that pleased with chronomancy, as I recall . . .
love to all,
THO




CURSES! Foiled again! Confound you hooded crusaders! Just you wait and see -- some day the time stream will be free from the meddling of goody-two-shoes deities (and -- especially! -- of those darned kids!)!

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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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore

5056 Posts

Posted - 02 Dec 2006 :  00:21:47  Show Profile  Visit The Hooded One's Homepage Send The Hooded One a Private Message
Thanks for the assist, Blueblade, dear.
Hi again, all. This time Ed replies to David Lázaro’s followup re. Silverymoon: “Thanks Ed and The Hooded One for such an inspiring piece of Silvaeren lore. There are many things in the Realms that I find fascinating, but currently (Ed's version of) Silverymoon is one of my dearest. I have some related questions that I hope you can answer when you find the time.
In relation to the illustration of Silverymoon by Sam Wood, I love it (FRCS, p. 173), it's a wonderful depiction of Silverymoon. I suppose that most of the trees are inhabited by elves and the underground dwellings are occupied by dwarves, gnomes and halflings, am I right?
I also remember from the time I read Elminster in Myth Drannor, that some of the elven houses there were real buildings and that old blooded elven houses tended to be very, uhm... imaginative with the architecture. Is it the same in Silverymoon?
With (around) 10,751 elves and 4,448 half-elves, Silverymoon is as much an elven city as it is human. How are Silvaeren elves different from their cousins? In the Silver Marches sourcebook there is information about a dwarven establishment, The Hammer and the Helm, but there is no information about elven establishments, is there any remarkable elven establishment in the city or with that many elves should I suppose that the other ones are mixed-race? And in a related note, is there a local elven nobility or even a local nobility at all? The only reference to a powerful and influential Silvaeren not related to the government that I could dig is Draevin Flarwood, from the Silverfall novel, who seems to be related to the Braeder Merchant Collective of Silverymoon (whatever that is).
Regarding the Argent Legion towers, I wonder if the local jail is also there, but I remember you writing that long term imprisonment is a modern concept not applicable to the Realms, and there are also cells for the use of the High Guard in the palace.
I have even more questions remaining (that idea of Alustiel's orgies seems to good to pass by, my Lady Hooded One *wink*), but I suppose that it is best to leave them for later. I must say (isn't it clear already?) that I love the Silver Marches, one of the best things 3rd Ed. realms has brought to our table, the other one being Power of Faerûn.”
Ed replies:



I would have loved a Silver Marches that was at least three times as long, so as to have room to do PROPER city detailings for Silverymoon, Sundabar, Everlund, and so on. However, I was pleased to be able to squeeze in as much of Silverymoon as I could. I love the place (glad I created it :} ), and it probably shows.
By and large, yes, most of the trees are inhabited by elves and half-elves, and most of the underground domiciles by gnomes, dwarves, and halflings. However, there’s a LOT of intermixing in Silverymoon (“mixed race longterm relationships, formal marriages and otherwise”), and folk party and visit back and forth, so you’re more likely to see an elf who’s gotten used to caves, and dwarves scampering around tree boughs (to halflings doing so in second nature) in Silverymoon than elsewhere.
Yes, elven architecture is inventive in Silverymoon, much given over to sweeping curves, growing plants, courtyards with “sunshafts” and angled surfaces and mirrors to catch and direct moonlight down into interior rooms, rainwater cisterns redirected into interior waterfalls and “Fallingbrook”-like [the reference here is to the Pennsylvania, USA private home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which every student of urban affairs and architecture in Ontario, Canada, at least, gets coverage of, and which I later visited] interior descending streams. Elven residences ALL have “green growing things” of some sort growing indoors.
Yes, elves and half-elves do form a slight majority in the city, though they don’t vote, think, or act as any sort of unified bloc. Silvaeren elves, however, are not distinctly different from other elves, elsewhere, except that the xenophobia and superiority (that some other races think of as “arrogance,” when thinking of sun/gold elves in particular) are almost entirely absent. Individuals may exhibit it (and in private, roll their eyes at the incompetencies and lack of forethought some races, such as halflings and humans, often seem to exhibit, or the “humourless stubborness” of the stereotypical dwarf), but in general, Silverymoon is home to the “young, tolerant, swinging” elves, mainly moon elves with a scattering of others, including avariel.
The reason why there’s coverage of The Hammer and the Helm but no “elven establishments” in Realmslore is that (most) dwarves feel most comfortable in a dark stone warren of a place, drinking with other dwarves, but most other races in the city (the elves in particular) like consorting with other races, humans in particular - - so, yes, the “other establishments” are indeed “mixed-race.” Elves who want to remain exclusive tend to form private clubs that meet in private residences, not found their own elf-exclusive inns, taverns, or businesses.
And no, the city has no local formal nobility (beyond Alustriel) at all, elven or otherwise. Some families have “leading” reputations, but no formal rights, privileges, or powers.
Merchant Collectives are akin to costers, but rather than operate caravans, they buy and sell as a group, which helps to keep prices the costers (and other importers) charge them down by giving them marketing clout. They also establish and enforce local business rules, standards, and “best practices” far better than any constabulary ever could (if you break the rules, others just won’t trade with you, so you can be ruined [forced to depart the city, or starve] in short order). Silverymoon has seven or eight large collectives, but they cross the lines of fields of trade (preventing the formation of guilds, and being fundamentally different in that they don’t contain all [or only] the coopers, all the chandlers, and so on).
There are holding cells under the Argent Legion towers, yes (and large spellcasting chambers/“parade ground halls”, too), but they are very rarely used. They do have massive and plentiful manacles set into the walls for restraining very dangerous captives, and some worshippers of Loviatar once had to be evicted after sneaking in to chain each other up and ritually flog each other.
Glad you like the Silver Marches, thanks for the great questions, and yes, I suppose we’ll get around to discussing Alustriel’s orgies sooner or later. Can’t I delay you for now by mentioning that Our Lady Hooded’s character couldn’t resist being stripped, chained, and flogged in those aforementioned manacles as a lure to draw out some still-hidden Loviatans? No? Well, ask her how she plays “Hide The Whip” sometime . . .



So saith Ed. Mentioning something VERY indelicate at the end, there. No, I think I’ll just leave scribes to guess at how that’s played. They’re all FANTASY fans, after all . . .
love to all,
THO
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