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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6643 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 09:56:56
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quote:
Originally posted by AlorinDawn
Ed & THO,
Wow, thanks you for the quick and detailed answer, even before my next game session. Glimish Rocktapper will indeed eat, sleep, and live well and play the best musical instrument coin can buy in Waterdeep for a long time to come.
In modern terms "Cha-Ching"!
Well, at least until the word hits the streets that a few of the figurines feature Craulnobers - that's when Glimish is going to get an "offer he can't refuse".
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 15:50:05
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Dear Ed and THO,
I am emboldened to ask my own price and costs question: if an adventurer of middling-wealth garments, nondescript charisma, and non-threatening manner (who leaves all weapons and magic at home, of course) wants to quickly get to see and privately speak with "any" Obarskyr in the Royal Palace ("private" meaning of course War Wizards and guards will be present, but not every courtier who wants to stand near), how much would it cost in bribes (ahem: fees)? What would the process be? What's the best way (that doesn't get the adventurer in permanent trouble, ruin his reputation, or attract notoriety) to make it faster?
Whom does he approach first, and how many "steps" are there in getting to his goal (speed matters, remember)?
And, what's the process, and how much, for doing the same thing to get to see Caladnei? Has it changed much from Vangerdahast's time? (I want to know about Vangey's time to properly describe what a now-dead NPC did, to gain access to Old Thunderspells in the past.)
Thank you very much in advance. I know this is a "fun but a lot of work" query. |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 15:57:12
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And another question, on behalf of one of my players (I feel greedy, but, hey, I said I'd ask):
The PCs want to buy a house in Suzail south of the Promenade, but they're hoping to find one that has a turret, and rises at least three floors from the street.
Are there a lot of these? What neighbourhood are they most likely to find one for sale in?
(And now I'm going to shamelessly add my DMing needs to this question.)
And if there aren't any, how would they go about having a turret built onto a house without one, that they do buy? (I'm assuming they'll buy two adjoining houses and partly knock one down to get the space needed.) Who gives permission? What are the fees and conditions? Who in Suzail (aside from the infamous Glarasteer Rhauligan) builds turrets, anyway?
Thanks! |
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AlorinDawn
Learned Scribe
USA
313 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 16:15:02
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
quote:
Originally posted by AlorinDawn
Ed & THO,
Wow, thanks you for the quick and detailed answer, even before my next game session. Glimish Rocktapper will indeed eat, sleep, and live well and play the best musical instrument coin can buy in Waterdeep for a long time to come.
In modern terms "Cha-Ching"!
Well, at least until the word hits the streets that a few of the figurines feature Craulnobers - that's when Glimish is going to get an "offer he can't refuse".
-- George Krashos
George,
Glimish will of course "negotiate" whatever terms that keep his little gnomish butt safe and sound. As my character is the mouthpiece for Company of the Iron Crown hopefully my wit, role-playing skill, and appropriate skills will allow me to recognize the potential danger of possessing such an intact and ancient piece of elven history.
Wish me luck and Garl Glittergold's blessing.
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Edited by - AlorinDawn on 28 Apr 2007 19:37:24 |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 19:33:58
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Well met all!
Ed, I have a question concerning mathematics on Toril. I suppose we may take it for granted that almost everyone in Faerun can add and subtract numbers (one at a time, at least), but is knowledge of multiplation and division common outside of those crafts and professions which need them to calculate supplies or building materials or what-not? Do the people of "old" Toril (i.e. NOT-Maztica) understand the zero as we do -- do they grasp that you can't divide by it and that multiplying by it yields zero?
Is geometry taught as a mental discipline outside of those crafts and professions which need to be able to calculate area and volume? Is algebra known, and if it is, how many variables can non-Maztican mathematicians work with? Who have been particularly famous mathematicians on Toril (Maztica included)?
Are ballistics and trajectory calculation understood by non-Spelljammers? (I daresay that anyone who boards a Spelljamming ship had better understand trajectories, but what about Elminster of Corm Orp, siege engineer, adjusting his catapult in Faerun?)
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Taelohn
Acolyte
36 Posts |
Posted - 28 Apr 2007 : 21:56:47
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Thanks, Ed! I don't suppose we'll ever get to see one of those Raistlin-related meetings? ;)
If comparing timelines via Ravenloft won't work, are there any other guidelines that can be used, or is it roughly "modern Greyhawk = modern Realms"? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2007 : 01:37:47
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Hi again, fellow scribes. On the table of lore this time: Ed’s response to createvmind’s post: “Does Faerun have Nor-Easters storms? Has the Shade tampered weather extremes created any unusual type of weather effects of this magnitude anywhere? And more importantly have the druids who reside in regions affected thus and learned it was created unnaturally used their powers to try and re-balance the areas they have sworn to protect? Do druids now have a certain enmity for beings capable of causing such widespread or long term damage to nature and are figuring how to address this?”
Ed replies:
Druids ALWAYS dislike anyone except other druids meddling with the weather (and they tend to get angry at any fellow druids doing so whom they regard as “reckless” or “out of control,” too).
By no means all or even many druids have learned or decided that the meddling of Shade is affecting weather, and of those who have, very few have conferred with other druids in attempts to reach a common viewpoint or reaction. Yet.
On an individual basis, many druids are using spells to try to influence local weather (as they quite often do, usually in the smallest and most subtle ways possible, such as adjusting rainfall or sunlight in a tiny spot, by shunting cloud cover around in the sky).
Yes, the spells cast by the spellcasters of Shade have caused violent storms, but thus far most of them have been north and east of Sossal (over the nigh-uninhabited interior of the Endless Ice Sea) and over the open ocean, well west and a little south of Fireshear (where few creatures and even fewer ships are ever to be found). So no general alarm, resentment, or even realization of their activities (or rather, the consequences of those activities) has arisen yet. (Hmm; kinda like global warming, for all those years.)
So saith Ed. Weathermaster of the Realms.
love to all,
THO
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2007 : 01:44:31
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Heya,
The questions about Suzail from Blueblade have kind of inspired my own (long) series of Cormyr related questions...
I'm curious what a typical "day in the life" of Lady Lord Myrmeen Lhal of Arabel might be like. What kinds of things does she have to do from day to day. Does she hold court on a daily basis? What happens during those sessions? And what kinds of things are bought straight to her for attention? Also, what sorts of things does she do in her spare time (if she has any!  )? What ever became of Krystin, the girl in the novel The Night Parade by Scott Ciencin whom Myrmeen appeared to adopt by the end of the novel? What role does she play in the life of Myrmeen, if any?
How has her (strongly implied in Elminster's Daughter) pregnancy changed this routine, if at all? How likely is it to change her routine once she starts showing (and further down the track)? Is she likely to face any problems with her pregnancy due to her age? How likely is it that she will even have a viable birth? Would this be with or without magical intervention? (Even on Earth, pregnancies after the age of 40 are discouraged due to the inherant problems that an aging human body causes - there are exceptions, I know, but the general rule of thumb is the older you get past 40 the more likely children will be born with some kind of genetic defect, like Down Syndrome.) Of course, you could quash this by saying that Myrmeen only thinks she might be, but isn't really. (I mean, how would she know? She's not a cleric, and not enough time passed for her to realistically notice a missed period in the span of the novel!)
Lastly, going on the assumption that she is pregnant, how likely is it that enemies of Vangerdahast might discover Myrmeen's pregnancy? What kinds of things are they likely to do, if anything? Kidnapping? Assassination (of Myrmeen, or simply attacks aimed at aborting the pregnancy (ie: poison that may not kill Myrmeen, but almost certianly would result in the fetus's death))?
(And because it's me, I can't help but ask - is the gender of the child in question going to be 50/50 male/female possibility, or are forces going to ensure one gender or t'other? "Heir" implies male within Cormyr, but could realistically be female too.)
I know this is a lot of questions, so I thank you very much in advance for whatever information you can provide. |
Zandilar
~amor vincit omnia~
~audaces fortuna iuvat~
As the spell ends, you look up into the sky to see the sun blazing overhead like noon in a desert. Then something else in the sky catches your attention. Turning your gaze, you see a tawny furred kitten bounding across the sky towards the new sun. Her eyes glint a mischevious green as she pounces on it as if it were nothing but a colossal ball of golden yarn. With quick strokes of her paws, it is batted across the sky, back and forth. Then with a wink the kitten and the sun disappear, leaving the citizens of Elversult gazing up with amazed expressions that quickly turn into chortles and mirth.
The Sunlord left Elversult the same day in humilitation, and was never heard from again. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2007 : 02:09:06
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Nice questions, Zandilar. Off to Ed they go.
I can tell you that SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE includes a few short scenes that have Myrmeen vividly portrayed in them. A younger Lady Lord of Arabel than today, of course, but they should be a nice glimpse of her manner in dealing with matters of the day.
However, Ed will of course give you the real goods. He loves Cormyr stuff, so both you and Blueblade will probably get answers here soon (or sooner, if Garen Thal gets here first ).
love,
THO |
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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2007 : 03:18:14
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| Thank You. |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 29 Apr 2007 : 03:22:47
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Nice questions, Zandilar. Off to Ed they go.
I can tell you that SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE includes a few short scenes that have Myrmeen vividly portrayed in them. A younger Lady Lord of Arabel than today, of course, but they should be a nice glimpse of her manner in dealing with matters of the day.
However, Ed will of course give you the real goods. He loves Cormyr stuff, so both you and Blueblade will probably get answers here soon (or sooner, if Garen Thal gets here first ).
Thanks!
I just did a quick check of facts, and found that Krystin, the girl Myrmeen "adopted" in The Night Parade, would be something like 29 years old now (concidering the current year is 1374 DR and the Night Parade happened in 1359 DR and Krystin was 14 then), more than old enough to have a life of her own. However, it would still be interesting to know what happened to her between then and now.
As for the appearance of Myrmeen in upcoming novels... OH GOODIE!!! My day is made!  |
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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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 02:53:33
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Nice questions, Zandilar. Off to Ed they go.
I can tell you that SWORDS OF DRAGONFIRE includes a few short scenes that have Myrmeen vividly portrayed in them. A younger Lady Lord of Arabel than today, of course, but they should be a nice glimpse of her manner in dealing with matters of the day.
Personally, I've very much enjoyed Myrmeen's appearances in the Knights trilogy thusfar. She's an interesting character, and one who's been ruling a major city for three decades now; it's fun to see what she was like back in the beginning.quote:
However, Ed will of course give you the real goods. He loves Cormyr stuff, so both you and Blueblade will probably get answers here soon (or sooner, if Garen Thal gets here first ).
Hoho, I'm here first. Beware, ye mortals...
Well, not this minute. I have to consider my responses carefully. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 03:23:20
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Keep in mind, as always, that my answers aren't official. I talk like I know what I'm saying, but everything is merely conjecture, synthesized information, and fabricated opinion. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade
And another question, on behalf of one of my players (I feel greedy, but, hey, I said I'd ask):
The PCs want to buy a house in Suzail south of the Promenade, but they're hoping to find one that has a turret, and rises at least three floors from the street.
Are there a lot of these? What neighbourhood are they most likely to find one for sale in?
The vast majority of large Suzailan buildings, and turreted ones (and thus, those both three or more stories tall and possessing turrets) lie to the north of the Promenade, among the villas and castles of the Cormyrean nobility--and the adjoining blocks, most of which property is the oldest in Suzail, and owned or controlled by the noble families. Finding such a building south of the Promenade (either turreted or tall, to say nothing of a building that's both), available for sale, is difficult, because it represents prime real estate for the upwardly mobile that want make themselves visible [for the purpose of ennoblement within the next three generations], and so wish to to own property outright rather than leasing buildings from the oldbloods.
quote:
And if there aren't any, how would they go about having a turret built onto a house without one, that they do buy? (I'm assuming they'll buy two adjoining houses and partly knock one down to get the space needed.) Who gives permission? What are the fees and conditions? Who in Suzail (aside from the infamous Glarasteer Rhauligan) builds turrets, anyway?
Ahh, this is the meatier question. Careful, now, for there is a whole lot of information revealed simply by Glarasteer Rhauligan's occupation.
Turrets are expensive business in Cormyrean cities, because they are a clear and very public declaration that the property owner has things to protect, the means to protect them, and the disposable wealth to do so in such an obvious manner--after magical and mundane (that is, armed guards) defenses are already seen to. Beginning work on installing a turret is letting everyone in the city know: "I am a wealthy adventurer, powerful mage, seeking to become noble, or more than one of same. Look at me." No one gets involved in adding any sort of fortification to the exterior of any building in Suzail without being watched by the Crown, the War Wizards, and the Harpers. Anyone who begins such an enterprise expecting privacy just isn't bright enough to be working on that sort of thing.
Being a turret salesman is one of those jobs that requires a warrant or license issued by the throne (or the King's Lord of the given city). Glarasteer Rhauligan is the most well known such salesman, and it's no surprise that he is both a highknight and a Harper; he has access to wealthy up-and-comers, free reign through their homes (turret building requires extensive structural support, after all), and an affable enough demeanor to get away with some minor indiscretions. That he is a loyal Cormyrean means that whatever information he gathers goes upwards to the Crown.
There are a great number of officials that need to approve the demolition of a home in Suzail (many buildings are attached on both sides, or have interconnecting cellars or upper stories), and--depending on the official reached, the degree of work that's needed, and exactly which buildings are being dealt with--the process can take several months... more if anyone at all is opposed to the measure.
All they get, in the end, is a house with a partial tower on it (that's all a turret is, after all), a rather large bill, and a city full of people eyeing them as would-be nobles--and a northern swath of the city filled with people that would frankly prefer that adventurers not so view themselves... |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 03:43:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Blueblade
If an adventurer of middling-wealth garments, nondescript charisma, and non-threatening manner (who leaves all weapons and magic at home, of course) wants to quickly get to see and privately speak with "any" Obarskyr in the Royal Palace ("private" meaning of course War Wizards and guards will be present, but not every courtier who wants to stand near), how much would it cost in bribes (ahem: fees)? What would the process be? What's the best way (that doesn't get the adventurer in permanent trouble, ruin his reputation, or attract notoriety) to make it faster?
Whom does he approach first, and how many "steps" are there in getting to his goal (speed matters, remember)?
And, what's the process, and how much, for doing the same thing to get to see Caladnei? Has it changed much from Vangerdahast's time? (I want to know about Vangey's time to properly describe what a now-dead NPC did, to gain access to Old Thunderspells in the past.)
Thank you very much in advance. I know this is a "fun but a lot of work" query.
<deep breath>
Since the death of Azoun IV and the retirement of Vangerdahast, quite a bit has changed with regard to reaching royal ears. Alusair and Caladnei are less patient with the niceties of state, and far less forgiving than either of their respective predecessors, with anyone who bribes any of their underlings to reach "the top"--keeping in mind, of course, that in many minds, the top isn't actually Alusair or Caladnei, but Filfaeril or Laspeera.
Bribing an official to get to someone higher to 'hear my very urgent concerns for the realm and its future' usually winds you in a room observed by War Wizards, being secretly watched and obviously interrogated as to your reasons for needing to meet with their superiors, which will only get you higher up the chain if the reasons are valid (or, if the next one up is corrupt, if you pay more).
The process can be laborious, consisting of a number of twenty minute-or-so meetings that don't actually get you anywhere but up the chain a bit farther. Eventually, everyone meets a 'gatekeeper' sort of official, who has the power to request access to the king/mage royal/regent, or invite the petitioner along to an already-scheduled meeting to stand by and speak for a moment or two with the crowned head, but no one--and that really means no one--has the ability to grant a meeting with Alusair or Caladnei. At best, one can expect to spend an entire day at the Court (not the Palace), and get a few minutes after supper to speak with the desired ruler. If more time is warranted, it will be offered later.
Under Vangerdahast, the process was much the same, but Vangey would (eventually) get wind of the petition and eavesdrop on one of the earlier meetings, both to test his War Wizards and other Crown agents, and to determine whether more haste was necessary. Thunderspells was very fond of making people sweat, though, so it might be hours--crossing normal mealtimes--of waiting alone, in a room, with nothing but one's own thoughts and various probing spells, before the next official ever made it through to see you.
To answer the question a bit more directly, though, an adventurer that seems to be of middling wealth (not approaching the money or attitudes of nobility when it comes to attire) and little charisma (I ignore the issue of nonthreatening manner because a threatening one normally gets one blown to bits) has little chance of getting to see Alusair except at a public function or with a very good reason offered to some underling before the meeting takes place. Regents and royalty (and remember, Alusair is both) require a reason for an audience, and simply waving money around without a stated request ("I wish to sponsor adventurers to clear out the Haunted Halls and establish a permanent outpost against the horrors of the Stonelands") isn't going to get you far enough to speak to anyone that high in the food chain.
Spending a great deal of money without such a request to meet the Steel Regent, well, that's another matter entirely... |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 05:57:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
I'm curious what a typical "day in the life" of Lady Lord Myrmeen Lhal of Arabel might be like. What kinds of things does she have to do from day to day. Does she hold court on a daily basis? What happens during those sessions? And what kinds of things are bought straight to her for attention? Also, what sorts of things does she do in her spare time (if she has any! )? What ever became of Krystin, the girl in the novel The Night Parade by Scott Ciencin whom Myrmeen appeared to adopt by the end of the novel? What role does she play in the life of Myrmeen, if any?
Myrmeen has always been a 'train every day' sort of woman: practice at swordplay, riding, or walking the wilds makes it into her daily routine in some way, usually in the very early hours of the morning. Being the lord of Arabel, she can sneak beyond the walls even when gates are barred to traffic, and return at her leisure. She engages in other tasks that most of her stature would consider beneath her, such as tending her own possessions (especially weapons), straightening her own chambers, and cleaning her own boots (not polishing, but scraping mud and other offending materials). A good amount of her day is spent hearing or reading reports from certain Purple Dragon officers (although most go through Oversword Dutharr), corresponding with Suzail, trying to avoid the Warden of the Eastern Marches (she does not get along with Dauneth Marliir nearly as well as she did Baron Thomdor), and wishing she were not stuck between the massive walls of Arabel. Although she is a ranger and always longs for the greater spaces beyond her domain--the campaign to retake the city, fighting from the King's Forest and Eveningstar, was an invigorating experience for her--Myrmeen loves the people of Arabel, and they love her. The thirty years she has ruled them has created a great deal of mutual affection, and the renewed loyalty of the Caravan City is largely attributed to the many walks through the streets she makes in order to assure the people that the King's (Lady-)Lord of Arabel is among them, watching, and involved in the city's welfare.
I can't and won't speak on Krystin, although there's a great deal of speculation floating around my head. That's a Not For Me To Say topic.
quote:
How has her (strongly implied in Elminster's Daughter) pregnancy changed this routine, if at all? How likely is it to change her routine once she starts showing (and further down the track)? Is she likely to face any problems with her pregnancy due to her age? How likely is it that she will even have a viable birth? Would this be with or without magical intervention? (Even on Earth, pregnancies after the age of 40 are discouraged due to the inherant problems that an aging human body causes - there are exceptions, I know, but the general rule of thumb is the older you get past 40 the more likely children will be born with some kind of genetic defect, like Down Syndrome.) Of course, you could quash this by saying that Myrmeen only thinks she might be, but isn't really. (I mean, how would she know? She's not a cleric, and not enough time passed for her to realistically notice a missed period in the span of the novel!)
The pregnancy isn't just implied; Myrmeen is pregnant. Rather, she was pregnant; El's Daughter starts and ends in the Year of Rogue Dragons (1373DR), and we're getting ready to jump into the Year of Risen Elfkin (1375DR). So the child is born by now.
During her pregnancy, Myrmeen cut down on the swordplay (mostly) and riding (almost entirely), but engaged in more walks through the streets and the forests outside the city. She made no effort to hide the pregnancy, but the fatherhood of her child is unknown to virtually everyone, and since almost no one even knows that Myrmeen spent any time at all with Vangerdahast (much less that some of that time was more intimate than they'd guess), the notion that it's Vangey's child isn't even floating around out there.
Magic can and does extend the healthy childbearing years of those who bear children beyond the expected window of time. Although the child was unexpected, it can be assumed that once she knew she was pregnant (which was just about immediately), Myrmeen would have taken every available precaution to protect the child's health, up to and including tolerating the presence of Daramos Lauthyr.
As for how she knew, that's actually the easiest part of the equation. Here in the Real World, people have dreams and visions and feelings about their relatives' or their own pregnancies all the time. Not all of them are accurate, of course, but in a world where the gods are known to be real, and send such messages all the time, it's not so much of a stretch to believe that a ranger of Tymora received some sort of hint from her goddess about the pregnancy... or from Mystra who--although the -dahast mages are not Chosen--has a very powerful interest in the future of that bloodline.
quote:
Lastly, going on the assumption that she is pregnant, how likely is it that enemies of Vangerdahast might discover Myrmeen's pregnancy? What kinds of things are they likely to do, if anything? Kidnapping? Assassination (of Myrmeen, or simply attacks aimed at aborting the pregnancy (ie: poison that may not kill Myrmeen, but almost certianly would result in the fetus's death))?
See above on the likelihood of anyone knowing who the father of the child is (almost nil). If they knew, however, there'd be all manner of assassination or kidnapping attempts (on both the pregnant Myrmeen and the delivered child), to try and wipe out Vangerdahast's line, strike him from afar, or keep him from establishing some sort of dynasty in Cormyr--something a very many nobles accused him of doing, some not so quietly. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 05:57:57
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| Whew. Sorry about all the wordiness. I'll be quiet for a minute now. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 09:07:56
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There's absolutely no need to apologise Garen. I don't know about any other scribes here, but I could definitely sit here and listen to you talk about the Forest Kingdom for as long as you want!
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 09:57:16
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Heya,
Garen Thal - Thanks for the information regarding Myrmeen's day to day activity, it will prove very useful for me in the short term (I'm fairly confident that if Ed will correct you at all, they'll be fairly minor corrections. )
quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
I can't and won't speak on Krystin, although there's a great deal of speculation floating around my head. That's a Not For Me To Say topic.
Bah, you're no fun!  It would be nice to know if she at least adopted her.
quote:
The pregnancy isn't just implied; Myrmeen is pregnant. Rather, she was pregnant; El's Daughter starts and ends in the Year of Rogue Dragons (1373DR), and we're getting ready to jump into the Year of Risen Elfkin (1375DR). So the child is born by now.
I said implied because one can never be certain of anything in a novel, and it kind of confused me because there was no indication of why Myrmeen may have thought she might be pregnant - especially given that most healthy adult women (and men) who have no intention of becoming pregnant (or impregnating someone) use herbs and minor magics to prevent conception. So the fact that she did end up pregnant means she was planning it (or Vangey was and asked her to cooperate and she agreed) - but there was no indication of this given in the novel. Now I kill my own argument by noting that Myrmeen may not have been on herbs, and/or her actions with Vangerdahast took even her by surprise and she wasn't prepared - but I doubt Vangerdahast didn't have a way of preventing conception himself... and I can go around and around in circles with this... I'm not too good at "filling in the gaps" in a novel - particularly ones that seem unexpected... They have a tendancy of putting me into an endless loop of ifs buts and maybes. Especially on something so important.
Also, it wouldn't be the first time something in a novel is mentioned once, then never mentioned again (Krystin) - even when it would make logical sense to (like in the FRCS entry for Arabel).
quote:
During her pregnancy, Myrmeen cut down on the swordplay (mostly) and riding (almost entirely), but engaged in more walks through the streets and the forests outside the city. She made no effort to hide the pregnancy, but the fatherhood of her child is unknown to virtually everyone, and since almost no one even knows that Myrmeen spent any time at all with Vangerdahast (much less that some of that time was more intimate than they'd guess), the notion that it's Vangey's child isn't even floating around out there.
Unless someone is directly trying to prevent divinations from working, I can't see why an enemy of Myrmeen's might not try to use magic (either their own, or by hiring a wizard, sorcerer, or cleric) to determine who the father is (especially if they thought it would grant them some kind of advantage they could use).
Now I think about it though, they don't even really need to know the child is Vangey's for them to attempt something of the order of killing the infant or kidnapping them once they're born, or just interfering before Myrmeen can bring the child to term. (Yes, I'm trying to plot something out. Don't worry though, I don't have any intention of the bad guys being successful - no harm will come to either Myrmeen or her child! )
quote:
Magic can and does extend the healthy childbearing years of those who bear children beyond the expected window of time. Although the child was unexpected, it can be assumed that once she knew she was pregnant (which was just about immediately), Myrmeen would have taken every available precaution to protect the child's health, up to and including tolerating the presence of Daramos Lauthyr.
Yup, I figured that it would be something like that... But I still don't buy that the child was unexpected, not when contraception is nigh on 100% effective in the Realms. (Except for the infinite loop of ifs buts and maybes I'm trying to avoid falling into. )
Anyway, Daramos Lauthyr isn't particularly powerful by my reading (and to be honest, I don't know why Tymora tollerates him - but I'm not a god, so it's not unexpected that I don't understand. ). I don't think he's even powerful enough for spells like Regenerate, which is a must have for preserving the fertility of a woman past her child bearing prime. (*checks* Daramos was 11th level according to Kuje's NPC file, which is high enough for 6th level spells, but not Regenerate which is 7th. Of course, time has passed since he was last given stats, so it's possible he's now high enough level to cast Regenerate, given he only needs to be 13th for that. (I believe the level conversion for single classed characters between 2nd and 3rd was 1 to 1.) *Zandilar's brain does a loop the loop*) (There might even be a non-specified spell specifically for that purpose, but I can't see it would be any less powerful!)
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As for how she knew, that's actually the easiest part of the equation. Here in the Real World, people have dreams and visions and feelings about their relatives' or their own pregnancies all the time. Not all of them are accurate, of course, but in a world where the gods are known to be real, and send such messages all the time, it's not so much of a stretch to believe that a ranger of Tymora received some sort of hint from her goddess about the pregnancy... or from Mystra who--although the -dahast mages are not Chosen--has a very powerful interest in the future of that bloodline.
Ah yes. Do you think Mystra's interest in the Dahast line would extend to stopping divinations by enemies on Myrmeen to determine who the father of her child was? Of course, it could be one of the more powerful wizards in Cormyr casting scrying/divination countermeasure spells, so Mystra's participation isn't necessary. (Again, this is kind of beside the point, since they don't really need to know the father to try and use the pregnancy/child against Myrmeen, but I'm curious. Oh, and I just had another thought - no matter who stopped the scrying, the fact they were being stopped might just make them assume there's something interesting about the child!)
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See above on the likelihood of anyone knowing who the father of the child is (almost nil). If they knew, however, there'd be all manner of assassination or kidnapping attempts (on both the pregnant Myrmeen and the delivered child), to try and wipe out Vangerdahast's line, strike him from afar, or keep him from establishing some sort of dynasty in Cormyr--something a very many nobles accused him of doing, some not so quietly.
Well I don't think they need to know for there to be attempts at killing her, the child, or kidnapping them (while the child is in the womb and after).
Lastly, I'd be interested in knowing any details that can be shared regarding the birth and Myrmeen's child too (daughter? son? enquiring minds want to know!)... *Zandilar looks Ed's way and bats her eyelashes enticingly* |
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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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 14:06:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
I said implied because one can never be certain of anything in a novel, and it kind of confused me because there was no indication of why Myrmeen may have thought she might be pregnant - especially given that most healthy adult women (and men) who have no intention of becoming pregnant (or impregnating someone) use herbs and minor magics to prevent conception. So the fact that she did end up pregnant means she was planning it (or Vangey was and asked her to cooperate and she agreed) - but there was no indication of this given in the novel. Now I kill my own argument by noting that Myrmeen may not have been on herbs, and/or her actions with Vangerdahast took even her by surprise and she wasn't prepared - but I doubt Vangerdahast didn't have a way of preventing conception himself... and I can go around and around in circles with this... I'm not too good at "filling in the gaps" in a novel - particularly ones that seem unexpected... They have a tendancy of putting me into an endless loop of ifs buts and maybes. Especially on something so important.
Also, it wouldn't be the first time something in a novel is mentioned once, then never mentioned again (Krystin) - even when it would make logical sense to (like in the FRCS entry for Arabel).
Ahh, but there are too many possibilities here. What if Myrmeen wasn't employing the necessary herbs, or didn't have access to them at the time (cassil and nararoot both have uncertain lengths of potency in their uses)? What if she simply didn't care, and was leaving the matter to the gods? What if she was expecting Vangerdahast to magically prevent any unexpected consequences? Or what if they took every potential precautions, and Mystra or Tymora or some other god stepped in and cancelled them all?
Krystin appears only in Night Parade, but Myrmeen's adoption of the girl is confirmed in Heroes' Lorebook.
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Unless someone is directly trying to prevent divinations from working, I can't see why an enemy of Myrmeen's might not try to use magic (either their own, or by hiring a wizard, sorcerer, or cleric) to determine who the father is (especially if they thought it would grant them some kind of advantage they could use).
Divinations are powerful, of course, but this question begs the 'offense over defense' mechanical questions over who wins: the diviner trying to determine the child's parentage, or the abjurer protecting the identity. You can be sure that there are War Wizards ordered to continually scry for spells attempted on the babe, and it's usually the case that you need to be close to someone (or have a sample of their tissue) to determine parentage at all.
I agree, though: even if no one at all knows who the child's father is, there are enough people that want to hurt Myrmeen or distract her from the Crown's business to start making attempts on her infant.
quote:
Anyway, Daramos Lauthyr isn't particularly powerful by my reading (and to be honest, I don't know why Tymora tollerates him - but I'm not a god, so it's not unexpected that I don't understand. ). I don't think he's even powerful enough for spells like Regenerate, which is a must have for preserving the fertility of a woman past her child bearing prime.
My comment had far less to do with divine magical might than politico-religious influence. In Arabel, Daramos is the head of the Tymoran church (and wants to be so for all Faerűn). Arranging for the magical care of the lord of the city during her pregnancy, even if he does not himself provide the spells (which would never be public, anyway), is something he'd be salivating to do, because it gains him influence in both the church and in Cormyr. There's no way he wouldn't get himself involved, and Myrmeen would likely need to contact him to bring more powerful clerics to the city during her pregnancy. 'Only the best for my baby.'
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Do you think Mystra's interest in the Dahast line would extend to stopping divinations by enemies on Myrmeen to determine who the father of her child was? Of course, it could be one of the more powerful wizards in Cormyr casting scrying/divination countermeasure spells, so Mystra's participation isn't necessary. (Again, this is kind of beside the point, since they don't really need to know the father to try and use the pregnancy/child against Myrmeen, but I'm curious.
A frustratingly cryptic 'Yes.'
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Oh, and I just had another thought - no matter who stopped the scrying, the fact they were being stopped might just make them assume there's something interesting about the child!
Being stopped doesn't tell you who's stopping you, or why. Myrmeen is, after Alusair, Filfaeril, Caladnei, and Laspeera, the fifth most powerful woman in Cormyr, and as such would be expected to protect her child, and its parentage, by any means available or necessary. The very fact that the child's fatherhood isn't public is 'something interesting.' Failed divinations--which are going to be assumed to fail just for being too far from the child's person, anyway--aren't going to raise interest any more. That's somewhat akin to asking the FBI about a file that doesn't exist, being told it doesn't exist, and proclaiming "They're hiding something, see?!"
Of course, there are people that do that, but that's neither here nor there...
quote:
Lastly, I'd be interested in knowing any details that can be shared regarding the birth and Myrmeen's child too (daughter? son? enquiring minds want to know!)... *Zandilar looks Ed's way and bats her eyelashes enticingly*
I can't share, because I don't know. Unfortunately, the progression of Realms-time and the absence from current-day Cormyr in fiction means that by the time we get back to the Forest Kingdom, Azoun V will be well past his toddling years, Myrmeen's child will probably be just past them as well, and the details of all will be glossed over in favor of 'getting to the action.'
I'd love to see a short story or novella just detailing the various births and young lives of the important characters for Cormyr's future (some already detailed, others hypothetically wandering my mind...), but with Ed's current schedule, I doubt it will make it in before it's long past relevant. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 15:07:34
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Superb answers, Garen. I'll run them by Ed, but I doubt we'll see anything more than minor amplifications. As for indications in ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER, Zandilar: a few short lines were in there, pre-editing. Why they went away is a question only Wizards' editors can answer (or folk now gone from Wizards), but I'll see if I can't tease Ed into revealing more. Your batting lashes will help.
Ahem. Well met again, fellow scribes of the Realms! This time, being as we're deep in the bosom of Cormyr on this page of the thread, I bring you the words of Ed regarding this query, from Blueblade: “How do the nobles of the rebellious, oft-conquered cities of Arabel and Marsember generally regard the nobles of the rest of Cormyr, and vice versa? I'm not asking for individual friendships, hatreds, and love-matches here, just general attitude/status? Any distinctions drawn, at all? Thanks!”
Ed replies:
Though attitudes vary widely among the nobles (thanks to individual differences in character and in what said individuals were taught or absorbed of their parents’ attitudes, while growing up), in general: nobles under the age of 48 or so draw no distinctions based on city of origin. for one thing, most noble families have a “Suzail house” plus their traditional country seat, AND any number of other holdings, any one or more of which they may move to, or scatter to if they don’t get along well, together. In other words, to the younger nobles, individual likes and dislikes, plus ongoing family feuds or trading alliances, matter far more than “where a family comes from,” particularly when the family seems to come from a large handful of places.
Among older nobles, however, houses based in Arabel are fiercely proud, and resentful of being dismissed as what we might call “backcountry bumpkins” by nobles of Suzail (whom they in turn regard as “soft, silly, lazy city folk”). Houses in Marsember are also fiercely proud, and regard their own lineages as every bit as old and worthy as “upstarts” from Suzail who have “no business sneering at us!”
Whereas nobles from the heart of Cormyr may deride nobles from Arabel or Marsember as “crooked, lawbreaking rebels who break every law that doesn’t please them, but fiercely insist on their rights under all the rest of the laws,” and themselves dislike Suzail and its ways if they’re from the countryside and usually resident in it.
In truth, not even folk of Marsember really like its rotting damp, and not even folk of Arabel like being in Arabel in the howling frigid heart of a winter blizzard.
As the years pass, the differences are fading with each new generation. The personal hatreds, feuds, and intermarryings, of course, are not. :}
So saith Ed. Creator of Cormyr and most of its noble families.
love to all,
THO
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 18:37:00
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Well met, all!
I have finally been able to begin reading Shadows of Doom, and almost immediately I had a question: was Savras confined in the Scepter during the ToT, or was he briefly freed, since his imprisonment was the doing of a god, not of Ao? Savras wasn't the only demi-god who was imprisoned in Faerun before the ToT began (at least according to the Age of Worms adaptation), so if Savras was freed briefly, were the others also free?
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2007 : 22:53:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
I have finally been able to begin reading Shadows of Doom, and almost immediately I had a question: was Savras confined in the Scepter during the ToT, or was he briefly freed, since his imprisonment was the doing of a god, not of Ao? Savras wasn't the only demi-god who was imprisoned in Faerun before the ToT began (at least according to the Age of Worms adaptation), so if Savras was freed briefly, were the others also free?
Savras' imprisonment occurred before Azuth ascended to godhood, and was unaffected by the beginning of the Time of Troubles. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 03:01:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
by the time we get back to the Forest Kingdom, Azoun V will be well past his toddling years
..And already chasing every woman in sight!  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 01 May 2007 03:03:14 |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 03:11:08
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
by the time we get back to the Forest Kingdom, Azoun V will be well past his toddling years
..And already chasing every woman in sight!
Or every pretty boy... We need to be open minded here.
Edit: or both!
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist!) |
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. |
Edited by - Zandilar on 01 May 2007 03:12:01 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 03:22:44
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| Wow, awesome answers about Cormyr! Thanks so much. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 03:25:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Wow, awesome answers about Cormyr! Thanks so much.
Wait, those questions were about Cormyr? Aww, crud. Lemme get an eraser...
You're welcome. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 03:48:57
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Hi again, everybody. I see you've been having fun while I was gone.
However, I come on sacred duty bent, bringing Realmslore to patient scribes everywhere. This time Ed of the Greenwood tackles a query from Hawkfeather: “Hello again, Ed (and, of course, THO). I've been reading (again) the 2nd edition sourcebook "The City of Ravens Bluff". The book says that dwarves (along with elves and humans) created a "steel whose bite was poison to orcs"; it is called orcslayer. I'd like to know more about it. What does it look like? How exactly does it affect orckind (half-orcs, mountain orcs and gray orcs)? It seems that this metal is not magical in nature (just very virulent), so I'm assuming that its effects are very different from the bane ability that can be enspelled on magical weapons. Is skin contact sufficient to harm an orc or is necessary to have blood contact (making bludgeoning weapons useless)? And, please, could you give us some clues about the process of making it and some of the necessary materials?
Thanks in advance!”
Ed replies:
Orcslayer is an alloy very like steel in hardness, magnetic attraction, temper, and weight. It cannot be made “stainless,” and always looks “smoky” rather than brightly reflective, no matter how long and keenly it’s polished. It sounds like steel when ringing off objects, and holds an edge like steel. The making of orcslayer is known to VERY few individuals in the Realms, because once word of its existence started to spread, many orcs (organized and aided by their shamans, who hired human mercenaries, including wizards) set about hunting down and killing everyone who possessed any of this metal, and everyone who knew how to make it.
Orcslayer is made like most steel, except that it has two additional “secret” ingredients: the rare Faerűnian forest herb known as thaeril (a small, dark green ground-growing plant that looks very much like about a dozen other plants, and is used in cooking by crushing its leaves into cooking-water to impart a tangy, peppery bite to anything cooked in that water), and powdered pyrites (“fool’s gold”).
These must be added in the steel-making process in precisely the right amounts (proportions to the rest of the raw materials), at exactly the right times (a different moment in the process for each ingredient), and at exactly the right temperature (knowledge of these three things are the true “secrets” of orcslayer). Otherwise, the resulting metal will shiver into worthless dust when it is struck with a hammer to shape it into a blade (or struck with any other sort of metal, at any time after the ingredients have been added).
Orcslayer melts at a slightly lower temperature than true steel, and once it starts to melt around the edges (folk in Faerűn refer to this as “cooked”), it loses its deadly-to-orcs properties forever.
Orcslayer can be fatal when brought into contact with the bloodstreams of all goblinkind (orcs, hobgoblins, goblins, and so on, as well as half-orcs). So unless an orc target has an open wound into which an orcslayer tool or blundgeoning weapon is thrust, such an item will do only “normal” weapon damage. Effective orcslayer weapons must be edged or pointed, having cutting or thrusting blades.
The special damage wrought by orcslayer weapons is chemical (poisonous), not magical. It can be halted or nullified by magic designed to foil poisons, and by eating natural antidotes (the roots, and earth around the roots, of certain bitter-tasting field and moor weeds similar to real-world endive and dandelions: tartak, orsrimmur, and hathul).
The special damage (in addition to normal weapon damage) of orcslayer is as follows:
full contact with the bloodstream of a fullblooded orc:
Injury DC 25; initial damage: 4d4 hp; secondary damage: unconscious
glancing or momentary contact with the bloodstream of a fullblooded orc:
Injury DC 20; initial damage 3d4 hp; secondary damage 1d4 Dex
full contact with the bloodstream of another sort of goblinkin or a half-orc:
Injury DC 18; initial damage 2d4 hp; secondary damage 1d4 Dex
glancing or momentary contact with the bloodstream of another sort of goblinkin or a half-orc:
Injury DC 16; initial damage 1d6 hp; secondary damage 1 Dex
Antidote eatings (ingesting or tongue contact or bloodstream contact with any amount of a true antidote) allow an additional saving throw to immediately remove all secondary damage effects suffered. Eating a volume of antidote greater than the size of both the afflicted victim’s fists, touched together, will within a round “wipe out” 2d4 hp of the initial damage suffered (this restoration can’t impart “extra” hp; it can only bring back a victim to their hp total at the time they suffered the wound that gave them orcslayer damage).
As a result of the persistent and aggressive orc hunting, very few individuals who know how to make orcslayer are still alive, and almost no one will admit to having any orcslayer weapons or knowing anything at all about it, beyond the name. Most orcslayer weapons are carefully hidden away (there are no known spells that can specifically detect orcslayer metal).
So saith Ed. The future looks rather grim for orcslayer traders, doesn’t it?
Hmm. I’m sure Torm will smell an opportunity to (ahem) make a killing . . .
love to all,
THO
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Edited by - The Hooded One on 01 May 2007 03:51:30 |
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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 04:03:24
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Thats some incredible lore both from Ed and Garen.
Thanks for sharing. |
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Hawkfeather
Seeker
Brazil
64 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 04:11:12
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| Great piece of lore, Ed!!! I love it!! Thank you very much!! |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2007 : 04:51:28
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Ahh, but there are too many possibilities here. What if Myrmeen wasn't employing the necessary herbs, or didn't have access to them at the time (cassil and nararoot both have uncertain lengths of potency in their uses)? What if she simply didn't care, and was leaving the matter to the gods? What if she was expecting Vangerdahast to magically prevent any unexpected consequences? Or what if they took every potential precautions, and Mystra or Tymora or some other god stepped in and cancelled them all?
And that is what I mean by the infinite loop of possibilities.
quote:
Krystin appears only in Night Parade, but Myrmeen's adoption of the girl is confirmed in Heroes' Lorebook.
Ah, well now... I don't have that book. Good to know. (I'll now have to make sure I get it.)
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Divinations are powerful, of course, but this question begs the 'offense over defense' mechanical questions over who wins: the diviner trying to determine the child's parentage, or the abjurer protecting the identity. You can be sure that there are War Wizards ordered to continually scry for spells attempted on the babe, and it's usually the case that you need to be close to someone (or have a sample of their tissue) to determine parentage at all.
Yes, I rather thought that might be the case... Which was something I was relying on for part of the plot (someone tries to spy, the authorities get wind of it and send someone to try to subtly draw the bad guys out in a suitably incriminating fashion).
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My comment had far less to do with divine magical might than politico-religious influence. In Arabel, Daramos is the head of the Tymoran church (and wants to be so for all Faerűn). Arranging for the magical care of the lord of the city during her pregnancy, even if he does not himself provide the spells (which would never be public, anyway), is something he'd be salivating to do, because it gains him influence in both the church and in Cormyr. There's no way he wouldn't get himself involved, and Myrmeen would likely need to contact him to bring more powerful clerics to the city during her pregnancy. 'Only the best for my baby.'
So who would Daramos go to for these kinds of things? How many clerics of Tymora in Cormyr are powerful enough (and trustworthy enough) for the task? Are these clerics loyal to Daramos or to the Crown? And, while we're on the subject of Daramos, just how many clergy (in Cormyr) actually agree with Daramos's contention that he should be the pontiff of Tymora's faith realmswide? He obviously hasn't been too successful concidering that it's been 16 years since Tymora was in Arabel.
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A frustratingly cryptic 'Yes.'
 
quote:
I can't share, because I don't know. Unfortunately, the progression of Realms-time and the absence from current-day Cormyr in fiction means that by the time we get back to the Forest Kingdom, Azoun V will be well past his toddling years, Myrmeen's child will probably be just past them as well, and the details of all will be glossed over in favor of 'getting to the action.'
I didn't think you would be able to. Sorry if I'm coming across as too strident or demaning. 
I suppose the haziness is partly to let each individual DM come up with his or her own ideas about what's going on... Which doesn't help when you're trying to be "authentic". (Like, writing a well researched fan fiction as opposed to running an actual game... which is my situation and the reason for my queries. I love the Realms, but I can't bring myself to run a game there because of the overwhelming feeling I can't do them justice (which confuses me somewhat, since I'm fairly comfortable with the idea of setting fiction there...))
quote:
I'd love to see a short story or novella just detailing the various births and young lives of the important characters for Cormyr's future (some already detailed, others hypothetically wandering my mind...), but with Ed's current schedule, I doubt it will make it in before it's long past relevant.
I'd like to see that too, but I agree with you on the time issue. (I also have a bad feeling about the future of Dungeons and Dragons, but that's neither here nor there.) |
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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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2007)
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