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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Feb 2007 : 15:35:07
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Alright, finished up the first story in the anthology, and I have to say that it was a great read. Not only did it set up the anthology, but it somehow managed to both introduce new nuances about Sembia that I hadn't really thought about while still reinforcing what I thought about Sembia from previous Realmslore.
It was interesting to see some first hand examples of how some things work from what Ed has said in his answers over the years, i.e. legal proceedings being witnessed by government officials and priests. I also liked how this set up the the Uskevren as a family that has a jaded past, but is also honorable compared to other Sembians. They still care about coins and status, but they also pay attention to aspects of "merchantcraft" that go beyond "buy low, sell high, by any means."
I am somewhat curious about a cleric of Lathander being involved in this deception. Its not that I don't think a Lathanderite would be corrupted, I'm just wondering the specific story behind this guy, but then again, while I wonder, one of the things I like about Ed's work is that there are usually about a thousand other stories that could spin off of the one at hand. Its also kind of ironic that in a way, "good" churches like Lathander's are probably more prone to temptation than "neutral" ones like Oghma's or Waukeen's, because the latter churches have to work very hard to make sure they have their reputations to rely on, whereas a church like Lathander's tends to be "assumed" to be "in the right."
This was definately a fun read, and an interesting introduction to Sembia, and with glimpses of other family members, it definately makes this story a good set up to the rest of the anthology (and series, I would venture to say). |
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The Halls of Stormweather: "The Burning Chalice"
