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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 18:06:19
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Hail, scribes of Candlekeep. Another adventurer saunters into the famed library, casually putting a well-worn copy of Lancegrove's Travels in the hands of whatever scribe accepts the entry fee. Quite a daunting task, actually, venturing into these halls, after many years of lurking - reading and enjoying many topics, especially over the course of the last month or so.
I was first introduced to tabletop roleplaying back in 1992-93 or thereabouts - these games (which I remember vividly - well, at least the parts I do actually remember) took place in what I later learned was the world of Mystara; but in that same time, I discovered the Forgotten Realms through that classic of classics in computer gaming, Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon. I do not remember when and how I finally got hold of the campaign setting boxed set, but I know I was GMing the Realms as a student, so that would be around 1997-2000. I remember running "The Wyrmskull Throne" for one group at home, and "The Accursed Tower" for fellow students. I remember, though this is not Realms per se, running "Night Below", and buying up whatever Realms lore was available at the game shop - which was not much. Most of those books survive to this day, and the dust has been brushed off them again.
When AD&D became D&D 3rd Edition, I had moved on to other games. Did a two-year run of Star Wars (West End Games), dabbled with the cosmic horrors of Chthulhu...and a lot of other stuff. Now, in 2013, I suddenly find myself feeling this... surge... of interest in the Realms. This may have been caused, maybe, by GOG.com releasing the two Neverwinter Nights games, which I already owned in their original boxes. The re-releases packing all the expansions for cheap was too good an offer, though, and, I actually bothered playing them this time around (had lots of fun with NWN2 today). At the same time, I've found new players (long story, but I live very far away from all my gaming buddies of yore), and we decided to go old school. So, as I said, my old AD&D material is once again relevant, and all this lead me to return to Candlekeep after many years away (I don't think I've had an account here before, though..but maybe).
I've also begun a quest to complete my AD&D Forgotten Realms collection of RPG products, the most recent addition being a pristine copy of Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast.
As it happened, my new players wanted to start in the area around Baldur's Gate (and I had planned the campaign to start around Daggerford), so I wanted some additional information on the region (I had hoped for more). So I've been searching the Interwebs for a good map of Beregost, but can only find screenshots from the (excellent) Baldur's Gate. So I made one myself using Campaign Cartographer 3 (if anyone would like to have a look, I can upload it and link to it).
Anyway, I'm not getting any younger at soon thirty-eight; I am a member of a number of fantasy-related forums (including running one myself), I've published a book (the sequel is in the printer). I have many hobbies, RPGs, music & writing being the three main ones. And always been a Star Wars nut.
I have to admit (and I guess this won't go over well..) that I am not fond of D&D novels. I've tried several and never managed to finish them. This time though (as long as I'm in Realms-heat) I've decided that I'll read a few more for the atmosphere and setting. My favorite novels are the first three novels of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', Joe Abercrombie's novels, and perhaps most of all - as my username alludes to - Steven Erikson and his epic beyond epic "The Malazan Book of the Fallen". Don't worry, though, I'm not here to slag on D&D books (I do, after all, love the RPG products, the video game stuff etc.)
So, at long last, I decided to join the merry band of, uhm, librarians over here. I must say it's been a real treat coming back to lurk at Candlekeep. I was not aware that luminaries such as mr. Greenwood himself were actively involved with this site (hence the reluctance to crawl out from under my rock, perhaps).
As a GM of many years, maybe I can contribute to some threads, and maybe I can find help and inspiration for running the Realms here as well. I admit that I have only a vague notion of what the Realms are about these days. I know there's something about a Spellplague and now there's a Sundering coming, but I am pretty happy stuck in, oh, about 1366 DR.
I'll shut up now but post a question first, because it's been gnawing at me for a short while. Are there any sources dealing with Beregost, the Coast Way, Candlekeep and Baldur's Gate aside from the boxed sets and sourcebooks and the computer games? I'm so pedantic about this stuff. I would like to know stuff like, you know, what kind of road is the Coast Way? Brick? Trampled earth? Does my map fairly represent Beregost as described in Volo's guide (which seems to be quite different from the representation in the video game)? What kind of encounters can PCs expect on said Coast Way aside from merchants and their caravans?
If this is not the right place to ask these questions (have a nagging suspicion about just that), feel free to hold my hand.
As for why I chose an undead for my avatar; I think there was a very large and good selection of character portraits on here, but I did not see neither of my two favorite D&D faces (those would be this cool picture of Drizzt as used in ads back in the day: http://suvudu.com/files/suvudumedia/Drizzt.gif
and the dude on the first edition DMG opening up those doors. Maybe I missed him, he's not that unique perhaps.)
And I blather on... also have to congratulate the moderators and owners and what not on keeping this site alive and relevant, what with all the information, great threads etc. I raise a Tanagyr’s Stout in salute.
Oh, and final thingamagog (from my perusing of the many scrolls here, I feel I am not alone in this): I kind of wish for more material outside the Dalelands and Cormyr and the North. I would love a big sandbox RPG set around the Moonsea, for example, or a grand adventure taking PCs to other less-visited corners of Faerûn.
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8035 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 18:24:14
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Welcome to the Keep, Caladan of Norway. The strange blue creature which roams the halls will be along shortly to great you, I'm sure.
You may submit custom avatar requests to Alaundo in this scroll. I believe you must first crop the image into a 64x64 jpg, although perhaps Alaundo can assist.
Insofar as sources of Candlekeep lore ... there is the main Candlekeep site which links to Ed Greenwood's Introduction to Candlekeep and Alaundo's Library (and other collections). Many past and present FR authors/designers frequent the keep and are willing to answer questions. |
[/Ayrik] |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 18:25:47
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1st off - Well met.
2nd - Which box sets and source books are you talking about? If you have them all that pretty much covers all products, except for the odd adventure book here and there... or perhaps magazine articles.
I'm personally not aware of an existing map of Beregost. The general region map for those places would be in Lands of Intrigue. |
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LastStand
Learned Scribe
130 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 18:29:35
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Well met, fellow adventurer.
Enjoy the keep and soak up the lore. |
"Don't. The battlegrounds that you and I have returned from alive are too different."
~ Claymore ch106 |
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Caladan Brood
Senior Scribe
Norway
410 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 19:23:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Welcome to the Keep, Caladan of Norway. The strange blue creature which roams the halls will be along shortly to great you, I'm sure.
You may submit custom avatar requests to Alaundo in this scroll. I believe you must first crop the image into a 64x64 jpg, although perhaps Alaundo can assist.
Insofar as sources of Candlekeep lore ... there is the main Candlekeep site which links to Ed Greenwood's Introduction to Candlekeep and Alaundo's Library (and other collections). Many past and present FR authors/designers frequent the keep and are willing to answer questions.
Thank you for that information :) I am already warming up to the skeleton, though. It both represents my "role" as an adversary for the player characters and I believe it's from the art used on the first Eye of the Beholder-game (or was it the third..) which I happen to love anyway.
quote:
2nd - Which box sets and source books are you talking about? If you have them all that pretty much covers all products, except for the odd adventure book here and there... or perhaps magazine articles.
I'm personally not aware of an existing map of Beregost. The general region map for those places would be in Lands of Intrigue.
Well, I forgot to add that during the move from one side of the country to the other, I lost some Realmslore due to having left the tomes for too long in an unheated garage. Mold had assaulted the pages of such treasures as the boxed sets of The Ruins of Undermountain II and The North, so I will have to re-purchase those. Oh, and Lands of Intrigue, indeed. Of course with Internet being what it is, it is not very hard to get hold of whatever information contained therein, but now I'm really on a binge so, old school "printed paper" it is. SO yes, to answer the question, I have access to everything I suppose, and the search feature in Windows 7 is incredibly handy (when I needed information on Beregost, I simply searched it and all the relevant PDFs showed up), but I was wondering if there was more to find about Beregost beyond the RPG materials - a novel where it is featured, or maybe someone's made a map too, or anything really. Since I haven't followed 3rd, 3.5 and 4th editions of D&D maybe there's stuff there that I could use even though I am about a century behind the current clack :)
Thanks for the welcome. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36968 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2013 : 03:13:29
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Welcome to Candlekeep! 
Feel free to ask any questions you may have... A lot of us have been Realms fans for years, and we know a thing or three about the setting. Plus, we've got some of the authors and creators here! 
As for the rest of us, we are friendly, mostly harmless, and occasionally strange... Enjoy your stay! 
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8035 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2013 : 03:43:12
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| Yeah, there he is. |
[/Ayrik] |
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CorellonsDevout
Great Reader
USA
2708 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2013 : 04:42:14
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| A lot has happened since 1366, but welcome :) |
Sweet water and light laughter |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2013 : 21:44:11
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| welcome, those are some of my favorite fantasy novels too |
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Hail! (Not a weather-related topic)
