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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 01:31:21
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*sigh* First I get trapped in "script timeout hell" and then I wind up deleting ALL of my last posts, including the original. *sigh*
Anyway, vis-a-vis the flourescent kittens, Red Walker, they tie in nicely to my question to the Hooded One about how Ed runs the spell ultravision. We may hope that Toril's kittens glow when viewed with ultravision. (But what about tressyms ... ?)
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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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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 03:43:52
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Hi again, all!
A few days (and pages in this thread) back, AlorinDawn asked me this: "THO, When I was at Pentacon this year, I asked Ed the outward differences from an Amnian and Sembian, as they are both rich mercantile countries that value coin seemingly above all else. Ed provided a very nice separation of the two cultures. From your experience as a player in Ed's game, how would you describe the differences between Amn and Sembia's wealthy merchant folk in looks and behaviors?"
. . . and I'm sorry I've been so tardy about replying.
From my experiences as a player, I would say that (although all generalizations are just that; stereotypes that might be dangerous to follow) Amnians are more "old money" (confident investors, old-boys-network "connected," haughty, farsighted/connected, conspicuous consumption only when they want to, diverse in holdings, a little more carefree about their money/looking for things to DO with it) and Sembians are more "new money" (wheeler-dealer types, impatient/overeager to make a coin/exploit "marks," flashy big spenders to impress everyone, restless constant deal-makers and social "measurers" [Am I richer than the Joneses? Am I keeping up? Okay, it's been half the morning since last I asked; am I still richer than the Joneses?], always want to haggle and never want to concede a copper coin - - a Sembian will bowl others over to snatch up a fallen copper, but an Amnian will ignore it because he's no longer so eager to be a copper richer than he was a moment ago).
As I said, these are stereotypes, but they're pretty close to how Ed portrayed them in our play sessions. The Amnians are the Rockefellers of today, and the Sembians are the fresh new rising (and "out of control") teenie pop stars or Hollywood "heartthrob" movie stars, in terms of their behaviour.
So saith me. 
love,
THO |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 04:40:37
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Hello again, all!
Back on October 12th of this year, Charles Phipps posted this question: “Well, we all know Gondegal at TSR ended up in the Demiplane of Dread. However, I was curious what would have happened to The Lost King if he'd stayed in the Realms?”
As a pre-Christmas surprise, I have just received an answer from Ed, and here it is:
Well, the easy and flippant answer is of course, “It depends.” That is, of course, also the correct reply, because Gondegal’s fate depended on so many variables that were beyond of his control.
However, let me explore the situation a little.
Gondegal’s main weapon or strength was his charisma: he was very like Azoun IV in his fighting prowess, lack of fear, and ability to inspire loyalty in others. He had managed to acquire a fiercely loyal bodyguard of adventuring companions, but was otherwise really “on his own.” So he made deals with several other parties, including Sembian backers (whose Red Wizard and other sponsors he was largely unaware of), the Zhentarim (whose territory, the Stonelands, he needed to retreat into; never mind who lawfully or formally owns it, Gondegal rightfully saw them as controlling it to a larger degree than anyone else), and a myserious “witch” (or three, or six, who may or may not have had any connection with Rashemen).
Gondegal’s short-term success was his ability to harness the perennial restless dissatisfaction of the folk of Arabel with their standing in Cormyr, perhaps best described on the commoners’ level as “those $%#&! highnosed rich folk in Suzail, led by the Obarskyrs, treat us as a backwater and make jokes about our crude coarse ways, all the while they get richer by exploiting OUR sweat, our honest toil . . . and we pay heavier and heavier taxes and shiver in the winter without all the luxuries they have in Suzail, without even being kept decently safe against the orcs and bugbears and outlaws, because the Dragon Throne won’t spend the coins on us that they spend on pampering themselves!”
Gondegal’s call for independence acted as a magnet for malcontents and the “have-nothings” of the realm, who flocked to his banner in hopes of getting more for themselves if the Obarskyrs and the War Wizards were “thrown down or thrown out” (defeated entirely, or just driven out of a new kingdom in what was northeastern Cormyr). He received covert aid from opportunistic noble families and certain wealthy non-noble merchants in both Arabel and Marsember (succeed or fail, his doings drew the Crown’s policing and spying attention to him, and away from Marsembans - - and if he could weaken the Purple Dragons and/or War Wizards, it could only aid Marsember in the future).
However, in the field, Gondegal’s army collapsed like the proverbial house of cards; he had nothing to combat the War Wizards and couldn’t match the training, equipage, and discipline of the Purple Dragons. One charismatic warrior surrounded by a loyal bodyguard just wasn’t going to shake the Dragon Throne.
So as Gondegal fled north, into the Stonelands, his fate depended very much on his various allies and sponsors (Sembian, Zhentarim, et cetera). Would they desert or dismiss him as quickly as they’d seized on him? Demand he do various things that would bring him into conflict with the desires of another sponsor? Or aid/rescue him in return for tightening their control over him (which would either have propped him up for some time, or swiftly doomed him by throwing his life away in reckless attacks on Cormyr’s forces (because the sponsors cared about Gondegal only as an expendable tool, and not as a lasting puppet ruler [or saw making him a ruler as too difficult, expensive, or time-consuming to be worth it])?
I suspect the various sponsors would have begun fighting each other as they discovered the extent of each other’s involvement with Gondegal, and that he would have suffered from a lack of their timely support as they bickered, regardless of the outcome of their disputes.
After all, Vangerdahast would NOT have been idle, and would have happily hired outlander adventuring groups to hunt down and slay Gondegal, as well as hurling all the War Wizards he felt he could spend the lives of, at the “Lost King.” So Gondegal’s life would very much have turned into “hide, flee, sleep in your armor, fight for your life, now lather rinse and repeat.”
However, as I said, it depends. If someone had seen a great benefit in a war-torn, weakened Cormyr (Sembian interests, anyone? Particularly with exiled former Cormyrean noble families handy in Westgate and more distant locales across the Realms?), they might well have rushed some hired wizards and a hired adventuring band or two to Gondegal’s side, to protect and aid him, and then sponsored some REAL support among opportunistic nobles and using a mercenary army or two.
The truth is, we’ll never know for sure, given “recorded Realms history” as it has turned out. If your campaign is set back at this time, however, or you want to diverge from published Realmslore, use these mentioned sponsors/allies and perhaps some new ones of your own (I’d mention a handy Cormyrean one, but I know Garen Thal has plans, and I don’t want to ruin them), roll the dice, and . . . see what happens. I happen to love the Obarskyrs, warts and all, but then I love ALL of my created characters, from Manshoon and Fzoul to Szass Tam, and being as I’ve set them up in various conflicts with each other, they can’t all flourish and succeed as a result of my love.
Oh, and BTW: I am happily at work on future Realmslore, and very much enjoying myself. The old magic is tingling . . .
And I am so far resisting the urge to make Rich and others twitch by sending them a “Hey! Just got a great idea! A new god has arisen: Gondegal, the Lost God! Yeah! And he has a new Anti-Weave of his own, and Shar is smitten with him, and he’s creating his own Chosen like mad, thinking he needs about two dozen, and being as the sister thing worked so well for Mystra - -"
Joke, scribes of Candlekeep, the preceding sentence is a JOKE. Yes, really. However, the one before that, about enjoying the new Realms design, is very much heartfelt truth. The flame is alive. See? I hold out my palm, and . . .
Ahem. Better stop now, before I get myself in even deeper. Christmas presents ALMOST all wrapped, and the bank account is emptier than empty, and I have pages to write before I sleep, so … Bye for now! May we all be happy in 2008, and happy with what we see of the Realms in 2008, too!
So saith Ed. The above answer, BTW, demonstrates the sort of strategic thinking about Realms events and politics that Ed indulges in, and has always encouraged in his players (because he believes that PC adventurers TRULY succeed when they literally start to shape the world around them, not just react to the latest attack on them or go galloping off towards the most recent report of a marauding dragon).
I echo Ed’s sentiments, but of course hope we’ll hear from him again a time or two, before the end of the year.
Love to all,
THO
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 04:52:31
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Does El have any of children, Alive or passed, besides his daughter from the novel?
Yes.  We know Laspeera and Filfaeril are descended from Elminster, so he obviously has had other children besides Narnra.
As for other living children--don't know, but it's probable.
TY, where did we learn those tidbits?
'Twas mentioned in Elminster's Daughter. And Ed's discussed El's children in previous replies here at Candlekeep.
Filfaeril and Laspeera aren't literally daughters of Elminster. As Ed said:-
"Narnra is a “direct” daughter of Elminster; Laspeera and Filfaeril were bending the truth a little to make her feel better when they spoke thus: they’re among Elminster’s many grand and great-grand, and great-great-grand (and so on) -children."
We also know Elminster has sons... some of which are still alive. Ed's only briefly mentioned them here in his replies.
quote:
I would think that with all the time he spent and does spend
with pretty lasses there would be a few more. Or is that something that he can control with his power?
I can't believe that there is not at least one Elf-minster cavorting in the woods somewhere!
Remember that Mystra has the final say on whether her Chosen can produce children.
From Ed:-
"Over his thousand-some years of lusty living, he’s sired quite a few offspring, though not nearly as many as he would have done if Mystra hadn’t been applying her silent “you’re one of my Chosen, and I don’t want you to father anyone just now, so here’s my birth control” powers so often."
And:-
"Let me just note that MYSTRA decides when or if any of her Chosen will “cause” children, and if any such offspring will have any aptitude for magic or become Chosen."
Thank Ye Sage! I will have to re-read that tome |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 15:26:43
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| Another Mystra question of a sort, has she ever allowed a non human to wield spellfire for any period of time? Second, I'm also curious if Spellfire or Silverfire can absorb or negate Hellfire? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 16:51:28
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Hi, all.
createvmind, I can answer your first question with a definite "yes" (there have been elven and half-elven Chosen).
As for your second, judging by what I remember from our Realmsplay sessions, spellfire and silver fire can wrestle hellfire to a standstill if it comes from greater devils and archdevils, in the Nine Hells, and cleave or push it back if it comes from lesser devils in the Hells, scattering it to uselessness and blasting through it if it comes from least devils.
In the Realms proper (Toril), everything shifts up a step: spellfire and silver fire can blast through and scatter hellfire coming from least and lesser devils, and cleave through (to strike) or easily thrust back hellfire that comes from greater devils, wrestling with archdevils' hellfire and SLOWLY defeating it.
However, I have of course sent your query on to Ed for the definitive answer, in the fullness of time...
love,
THO |
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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 19:07:43
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Thanks Lady,
Dang you guys/gals had all the fun and realmslore going on in your games. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2007 : 20:29:41
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Hello again, all.
Yes, createvmind, we have fun and tons of Realmslore, but to us, while immersed in it, it just seems all REAL. That’s Ed’s genius; he makes his created imaginary world seem like a very real place (a very interesting, more enticing than the mundane everyday real world place).
Fellow scribes, I bring you another Realmslore reply from Ed, this time to a later October request from Malcolm: “Plates and bowls and such (to eat off of, not cook in): metal? Carved wood? Ceramic? Earthenware? What predominates, where made, etc? Thanks!”
Ed replies:
All of the above, made locally wherever the raw materials are available. Ceramic is the rarest (followed by earthenware) because of its fragility and because the really good clay plus proximity to plentiful “free” fuel for firing is a rarer combination than simply wood that can be whittled, or (in the mountains) ore that can be smelted and then beaten out flat, or cast. Carved wood lasts longest in dry regions (e.g. desert), earthenware and metal ditto. [Note: the following is a generalization, and so should be taken with much proverbial salt when applied to specific locales and situations.] Trade in the Realms is abundant and long-established enough that aside from in communities with large potteries or smelters, NOTHING predominates; everything can be found everywhere.
So saith Ed. Master of Realmslore.
Who I hope will send us more before year-end.
Love to all,
THO
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 01:11:41
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello again, all.
Yes, createvmind, we have fun and tons of Realmslore, but to us, while immersed in it, it just seems all REAL. That’s Ed’s genius; he makes his created imaginary world seem like a very real place (a very interesting, more enticing than the mundane everyday real world place).
Fellow scribes, I bring you another Realmslore reply from Ed, this time to a later October request from Malcolm: “Plates and bowls and such (to eat off of, not cook in): metal? Carved wood? Ceramic? Earthenware? What predominates, where made, etc? Thanks!”
Ed replies:
(snip)
So saith Ed. Master of Realmslore.
Who I hope will send us more before year-end.
Love to all,
THO
Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog, which Ed wrote, and which is available as a pdf, has prices for many types of pots, cups, plates, bowls, and what-not in the "Inn" section. I have my players buy from that.
I'm sure someone else knows the answer to this, so I'll ask it: are tarred leather jacks used as cups in Faerun, and if so, what's their price?
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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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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 01:45:54
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Does Araumycos ever produce spores? If it does, may these be planted elsewhere and grow into another fungus-thing, even if cuttings of Araumycos won't transplant? And -- being a mycophile I must ask -- what does it taste like -- at least when sauteed in a light butter sauce?
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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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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 02:10:14
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Hello all,
Lady I am curious how you guys/gals dealt with summon monster spells, if you summoned a fiendish spider did Ed consider it an evil spell and thus you as a caster risked corruption so to speak and did you only get to summon what was listed as alignment accpetable creatures or were you able to stray from that listing? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 02:29:32
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Jamallo, you might want to ask Eric as well. As I recall, he may well be the Lorelord who knows the most about Araumycos.
Ed's spoken a little about Araumycos before. Here's some brief notes from '04:-
""Araumycos is alive and sentient, but does not think as we do. It is magically bonded both to The High Forest above it and to the Weave which it in part anchors. The strong innate magic of that spot both feeds it and was the lure for those things it guards, simply by smothering them in its own body: the abandoned domiciles of ancient, now-vanished beings of several races who desired to master magic. Think of it as unslayable, un-conquerable -- and best left alone. There ARE a multitude of far easier foes and treasures in Faerun, awaiting even the most stubbornly foolish adventurers."
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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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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 02:34:08
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Hello again, all.
Jamallo Kreen, Ed conributed a lot of "base lore" to Aurora's, but it was actually written by many, many designers at TSR at the time, each doing their own section.
And from my notes, I can answer your queries about tarred leather jacks: yes, they are (especially popular with rangers, prospectors, peddlers, caravan merchants and guards, and others who travel a lot, because of their durability, but less prized by everyone else because they rot, grow mildew, and eventually start to impart tastes to drinkables quaffed from them; carved wooden (and then fire-charred or otherwise sealed), metal, or ceramic tankards are usually preferred (depending on one's budget).
Tarred leather jacks cost 2 cp in most places, 3 or 4 cp in "scarce markets" like Ten-Towns, and more (up to 1 sp) in very expensive shops or if decorated highly by some well-regarded artist or other in a wealthy city such as Athkatla or the cities of Sembia.
So saith me. 
love,
THO |
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dravenloft
Acolyte
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 12:52:43
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| What with the Christmas/Yule/Chanukah/whatever holidays coming up I thought to wonder what Realms gods have such a holiday (or in the cases of Liira and other more party happy deities... holidays) and what they'd be like. For that matter if any of the peoples of Faerun have non-religious traditions that are Christmasy (this last bit I suspect strongly I've seen answered before but couldn't find it). |
Space Opera, Planetary Romance, Speculative Fiction and similar by me.
check it out at http://universal-nexus.com |
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dravenloft
Acolyte
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2007 : 12:56:06
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That reminds me:
Happy (belated) Chanukah and Yule to any who celebrate it!
And an early Merry Christmas THO, Ed, and all else with that preference! |
Space Opera, Planetary Romance, Speculative Fiction and similar by me.
check it out at http://universal-nexus.com |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2007 : 17:56:09
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And likewise, back to you! 
Hello, all.
I’m back with an Ed Realmslore reply, this time to Faraer, re. this query of his: “We have a Plato's cave situation with Realms magic: lots of example manifestations, but only glimpses and inferences about the underlying structure. Was there ever serious talk of presenting the thing itself?”
Ed replies:
Yes, there was “serious talk,” in-house, and the decision reached was NOT to reveal the underlying structure except in small parts, and then only as necessary as “link to the Realms justification” for new products (you’ll recall that all sorts of formerly independent products, from the Doug Niles Albion material that became the Moonshaes to the Desert of Desolation modules and The Great Khan Game, were shoehorned into the Realms to piggyback on the sales success of the line).
The thinking - - which from a game line development point of view is almost certainly the right thinking, even if it slights the from-the-other-end-of-things “Realms as a coherent world, so how can we present it” approach that I (inevitably, as the creator of the place) have always used - - was that the less said about details of the Weave, Ao, Mystra vs. Shar vs. Selune (and various other godly relationships and relative powers), and so on, the more future new ideas, new product formats (collectible card games, online games, in-your-desktop-computer games, etc.) could be accommodated.
To invent a hypothetical example, if I am an independent console game maker, and the limitations of my gaming format (the state of the industry technology at the time) necessitates my excluding, say, the ability of PCs to teleport into and out of my predetermined path of encounters, it’s easier to come up with an in-game explanation for teleportation magics suddenly and temporarily ceasing to function (regardless of whether or not the explanation is good or bad) if less has been said in print before I design my game, than if a lot of specifics have been printed.
Inevitably, as any game line continues, more and more lore accumulates, inconsistencies become more likely, and carefree design (desirable or otherwise) becomes more difficult.
This is simply the nature of the beast; Star Wars provides us all with a setting that has a clear-and-(relatively)-recent beginning, wherein we can all SEE product after product adding on, fan speculation and desire for involvement growing and creating its own additions and demands for more official lore, and so on (just as with the Realms).
Designers always want to jealously safeguard maximum design freedom for themselves, precisely because they have seen difficulties and inconsistencies occur with other product lines or “worlds” (or with the very one they’re working on, in the past). I have always followed a personal design principle in the Realms of creating three new “loose ends” (unfinished or onsolved mysteries or hints or unfolding events, to serve as adventure hooks or design roots) for every one that published Realmslore ties off and resolves. It has been a delight whenever I’ve encountered both staff designers and freelancers (Jeff Grubb and Steven Schend, and Eric Boyd and George Krashos, just to name two out of many more examples, of both sorts of FR designers) who agree with, and follow, the same approach.
Fans buy new stuff because they “want to know,” so we must not cheat them by not telling them. Inevitably, we impart details. Yet to avoid static growth or stagnant sales and an end to the setting, we must always intrigue the fans with NEW matters they want to know about next. It’s a dance and deceit both sides agree to participate in because they want to, and one that will end if either side becomes dissatisfied either with their role in the dance, or the nature of the dance itself.
So saith Ed. Who is peeling vegetables for the Christmas Eve feast as we speak. Wish I could be there!
Love to all,
THO
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2007 : 19:16:57
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Thank you, my Lady!
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Jamallo, you might want to ask Eric as well. As I recall, he may well be the Lorelord who knows the most about Araumycos.
Ed's spoken a little about Araumycos before. Here's some brief notes from '04:-
""Araumycos is alive and sentient, but does not think as we do. It is magically bonded both to The High Forest above it and to the Weave which it in part anchors. The strong innate magic of that spot both feeds it and was the lure for those things it guards, simply by smothering them in its own body: the abandoned domiciles of ancient, now-vanished beings of several races who desired to master magic. Think of it as unslayable, un-conquerable -- and best left alone. There ARE a multitude of far easier foes and treasures in Faerun, awaiting even the most stubbornly foolish adventurers."
This makes my question about spores even more pressing, I think: if Araumycos "anchors" the Weave, might it be spread to counteract Sharran attacks on the Weave? Given its size, I think that if it just blew out spores from itself it could cover much of the Underdark and thereby "anchor" the Weave in Faerun. But ... what do I know?
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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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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 00:53:40
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Hello All,
Happy holidays to everyone first off. Normally I don't ask Elminster questions but this is more about possible events in 1372.
Elminster learns about these "whorlspells" that deposit food and items into Avernus, did he pass on this info once out of hell to his "crew" to keep an eye out for such things (wormholes I assume) and ways to counter them, did Mystra simply provide him and others the knowledge thereafter of how to deal with these things if they exist within Faerun and other realms Elminster defends?
Next, the Phaerimm gathered many scalykind from the serpent hills area, did any of them take up residence within this mythal/ward as I assumed they became aware of it during this time? Did the Yaun-ti and Naga's go to ground during this time to avoid having to combat the thornbacks or did they resist and how long did it take the lizardfolk and such to bounce back from cannon fodder usage, basically what state are the Serpent Hills denizens in after the thornbacks incursion by the fall of 1372, say Marpenoth? Secondly Boaresky bridge was deserted for how long during 1372 and what affect did the battle in Tilverton and the Phaerimm predation have on Soubar which was already a town of outlaws so to speak during this same time period? |
Edited by - createvmind on 25 Dec 2007 00:59:12 |
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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 00:59:34
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Ohhh and I notice the term Tharguth used to describe abishai, can Ed give us some other "grimoire' term for other creatures within faerun say, trolls, jellies, undeads other fiends, any types of terminology you recall from various regions/cultures describing creatures in/out of faerun.
Thanks again. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 02:41:50
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Hello again, all. I bring a Christmas-tide response from Ed of the Greenwood to Jamallo Kreen, re. these two related queries: “Does Araumycos ever produce spores? If it does, may these be planted elsewhere and grow into another fungus-thing, even if cuttings of Araumycos won't transplant? And -- being a mycophile I must ask -- what does it taste like -- at least when sauteed in a light butter sauce?”
and:
“This makes my question about spores even more pressing, I think: if Araumycos "anchors" the Weave, might it be spread to counteract Sharran attacks on the Weave? Given its size, I think that if it just blew out spores from itself it could cover much of the Underdark and thereby "anchor" the Weave in Faerun. But ... what do I know?”
Ed replies:
Araumycos does produce spores, very rarely, and yes, they will grow into another Araumycos-like fungus, given the proper conditions (and there’s the kicker: no intelligent beings yet heard from know those “proper conditions”). Araumycos tastes like very nutty truffles; in other word, a cross between real licorice root and smoked-on-a-grill hazelnuts, but some who eat it die horribly as their bodies are poisoned from within, and others are afflicted with fungus growths that if not magically checked, will turn them into various myconids.
The problem with depending on the spores of Araumycos to counteract attacks on the Weave is that in some widespread disaster, like the Spellplague, they might very well become the flaming cinders, shards, and shrapnel of an explosion, rather than anchors. Acting to spread and increase the devastation, rather than mitigating damage, in other words. There’s only one way to find out, and the experiment can quite well be terminal. Myself, in that cataclysm, I’d not bet on the fungus to sustain and protect.
So saith Ed. Who seems to be hinting rather broadly. And who tells me (sounding happy) that he just finished “detailing a land no one has ever seen before” (presumably for the 4e Realms). I’m starting to get the old excitement back . . .
Love to all,
THO
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 16:54:52
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It ain't Christmas without nation-sized fungus!
Thanks for the magic reply. Will the barcode sticker come off my Annotated Elminster (part one, I assume) without hurting it? |
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Gelcur
Senior Scribe
502 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 17:17:31
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I wouldn't try it, I tried being gentle and I ripped my back cover. Let age take its course and hopefully a dozen years from now the glue will have decayed. :(
Why they insist on sticking those things on our books especially ones that are hardcovered and potentially a collector's edition... I will never know. |
The party come to a town befallen by hysteria
Rogue: So what's in the general store?
DM: What are you looking for?
Rogue: Whatevers in the store.
DM: Like what?
Rogue: Everything.
DM: There is a lot of stuff.
Rogue: Is there a cart outside?
DM: (rolls) Yes.
Rogue: We'll take it all, we may need it for the greater good. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 18:15:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
It ain't Christmas without nation-sized fungus!
Thanks for the magic reply. Will the barcode sticker come off my Annotated Elminster (part one, I assume) without hurting it?
I don't know.
And yes, thanks for the fungus response--and Merry Christmas to all! |
"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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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 19:18:13
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Thank you Ed and THO for giving us our "Christmas" gifts to us all year long!! Not to mention a Xmas eve and Xmas day reply by our Lady Herald!
You go above and beyond the call of duty milady and I thank you whole-heartedly.(which may not be enough, but it is the best I can do!)
Yours and Ed's candor, bluntness, forthright natures, honesty and most importantly....your senses of humor are what the Realms are all about and on this day of thanks and gift giving I just wanted to say you are both well loved and cherished by us all!!
We all laugh with you, cry with you and dream Dreams bigger than all of us thought possible, together in this little world that Ed created all those years ago.
Love to all who read these words. Bless you Ed, your family and your ability to put pen to paper! And bless you Tho, your family and your ability to be just what we need, when we need it! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Edited by - The Red Walker on 25 Dec 2007 19:19:32 |
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AlorinDawn
Learned Scribe
USA
313 Posts |
Posted - 25 Dec 2007 : 19:48:37
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quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
Thank you Ed and THO for giving us our "Christmas" gifts to us all year long!! Not to mention a Xmas eve and Xmas day reply by our Lady Herald!
You go above and beyond the call of duty milady and I thank you whole-heartedly.(which may not be enough, but it is the best I can do!)
Yours and Ed's candor, bluntness, forthright natures, honesty and most importantly....your senses of humor are what the Realms are all about and on this day of thanks and gift giving I just wanted to say you are both well loved and cherished by us all!!
We all laugh with you, cry with you and dream Dreams bigger than all of us thought possible, together in this little world that Ed created all those years ago.
Love to all who read these words. Bless you Ed, your family and your ability to put pen to paper! And bless you Tho, your family and your ability to be just what we need, when we need it!
Well said sir, well said. I onluy regret I did not find Candlekeep far earlier than I did.
Ed and THO, your time and effort are appriciated! Happy holidays to you, your families, and my fellow scribes!. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2007 : 01:27:05
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quote:
Originally posted by AlorinDawn
Well said sir, well said.
Indeed! |
"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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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2007 : 16:10:41
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From Ed and myself,
Thank you all for the nice words and friendship throughout the year! We do this for all of you, and value the fellowship and laughs and shared fun above all else.
Faraer, I wouldn't try peeling off the sticker; I believe it WILL tear the lightweight cover material, regardless of precautions taken. If I was trying to remove it, I'd start the peel from both ends, put thin table knife blades (NOT razor blades) under the peel (warm the knives SLIGHTLY to loosen the adhesive) and slowly, SLOWLY work the knives towards each other (remove knife, reheat, place in again, inch it a little farther in; you can leave this process ongoing or paused for days, allowing the lifted label ends to curl up and touch each other).
A better process would be to find or make some beige Forgotten Realms logo stickers (using the RIGHT sort of stickers; the cheap ones have adhesive that actually rots after a few years, turning sticky and brown like old Sellotape used to), and cover over the offending white barcode sticker.
Myself, I'd leave it be. I wish they hadn't applied it, but they did, so I'm (sorry for this groaner, folks) stuck with it.
As for it being Volume 1: I hope. It certainly SHOULD be, once Ed has written another Elminster novel, it's had a good long run, and they have decided to retire it . . . but in the publishing world, matters have a habit of not staying still, and the publishing of Realms books could be very different by then.
love to all,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 26 Dec 2007 21:34:59 |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2007 : 18:48:38
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello again, all. I bring a Christmas-tide response from Ed of the Greenwood to Jamallo Kreen, re. these two related queries: “Does Araumycos ever produce spores? If it does, may these be planted elsewhere and grow into another fungus-thing, even if cuttings of Araumycos won't transplant? And -- being a mycophile I must ask -- what does it taste like -- at least when sauteed in a light butter sauce?”
(snip)
There’s only one way to find out, and the experiment can quite well be terminal. Myself, in that cataclysm, I’d not bet on the fungus to sustain and protect....
Which brings to mind a catchphrase of my favorite character: "Here, taste this."
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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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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2007 : 00:50:40
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
As for it being Volume 1: I hope. It certainly SHOULD be, once Ed has written another Elminster novel, it's had a good long run, and they have decided to retire it . . . but in the publishing world, matters have a habit of not staying still, and the publishing of Realms books could be very different by then.
love to all,
THO
By decided to retire "it", is the "it" the Elminster series? |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2007 : 07:27:36
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| It took me rereading that sentence a few times as well, but no, what she meant by "it" was "the new Elminster novel." Meaning it's come out in hardcover, sold until it doesn't, then come out in paperback and sell for a good long while. So in the omnibus we'd get, what, El in Hell, El's Daughter, and [The Elminster to be Named Later]? Or am I missing one? |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
Edited by - Hoondatha on 28 Dec 2007 07:29:21 |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2007)
Topic Locked
