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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Apr 2006 : 02:32:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Doesnt a mortal Mystra 1.0 appear in the Arcane Age novels set it Netheril?
I seem to recall that she had some involvement with the Time traveling Netherese character and that she met them on Karsus enclave before its fall
Yes, yes she does appear there. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2006 : 02:40:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Doesnt a mortal Mystra 1.0 appear in the Arcane Age novels set it Netheril?
I seem to recall that she had some involvement with the Time traveling Netherese character and that she met them on Karsus enclave before its fall
Yes, yes she does appear there. :)
In fact I recall Ed even taking about her once in the '04 replies.
I'll take a look.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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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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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2006 : 17:13:46
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I warned you, Ed, that I'd find some more NPC's I'd like to know more about. :) And so, sticking with my fascination with Waterdeep NPC's I'm going to ask about Mhaere Dryndilstann and Tamsil.
What does Durnan's wife and daughter look like? Clothing and the materials it's made out of, jewelry, weapons, physically markings, etc, would be great, if you want to supply them. Thier personality. Do they help at the Yawning Portal? Some of thier history would be grand. What does his wife do as a cleric of Lathander? Do they know he's a Lord? Is this his only wife or has he had more? What about other children? What do they think of Mirt and the adventures Durnan and Mirt have had/still have? And as usual, I'll leave it with: Add anything else you want to add that you think we should know or you want to impart. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 17 Apr 2006 17:32:34 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:08:04
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Hello again, all. This time Ed happened to be at work on something that enabled him to very swiftly tackle this question, from Charles Phipps: “Ed, do the Chosen of Mystra have any tactical or military skill? Would you say they could lead armies and if so, would they lead them well?”
Ed replies:
The short, flippant answers are yes, yes, and yes. :}
My more responsible response will begin by limiting my reply, for NDA reasons, to Elminster and the Seven Sisters (not just Khelben is “tied up” by future plans or projects), and to explain that it’s hard for many Realms scribes to get a proper picture of the Seven, even if they read the published fiction and game products exhaustively, because there’s so much of the early personal histories of the Chosen that we haven’t had proper opportunities to present yet. I’m going to go one step farther, and drop Qilué out of this, also for NDA reasons.
Which leaves us with Elminster, Alustriel, Dove, Laeral, Alassra (The Simbul), Storm, and Syluné. All of them are servants of Mystra, and therefore can, through the Weave, consult with Mystra, Azuth, and all of Mystra’s servants (and so call on nigh-countless experience). Most of them hate doing so, because it strips them of personal freedom and claws at what’s left of their sanity. Oh, yes: most of them are, it must be remembered, no longer sane as most humans in the Realms would think of sanity. Moreover, increased contact with Mystra and her guidance pulls them ever-closer to her aims (the spreading of the use of magic). Those aims, by the way, are a large part of the reason why all of the Chosen seem concerned with promoting peace in the larger scale (keeping countries from going to war), even if they employ much violence on a personal level. It’s why Laeral, Alassra, and Alustriel, in their various ways and styles, are currently ruling or assisting in government, and why ALL of the Chosen (even those NDA’d and thus not discussed here) have in the past either tried their hand in ruling, or acted as “powers behind thrones” to support and guide rulers they liked or wanted to see reigning. Folk who’ve only read Realms novels (or a subset of Realms novels) or who have only “come to the Realms” recently have often missed the references to Stornanter and other now-vanished realms and city-states ruled by various Chosen.
All of the Chosen I’m discussing here have lived for centuries (far longer than most military individuals they will work with or against), and hence have more experience than almost any mortal foe in grand strategy, propaganda and morale, long-term manipulations, supply and foraging, living through both victory and defeat, dealing with the "fog of war," and battlefield tactics. Most mortals who have contact with a Chosen on more than a few occasions pass from awe to disappointment or contempt (they’re human after all, and pretty wilfull, have-their-own-way-or-else humans at that), then to wariness (they’re crazy, and unsafe to be noticed by, and really powerful) to respect (they’re geniuses after all).
Now, the term “genius” is one I tend to avoid, because it means something slightly different to almost every speaker who employs it. I cleave to the view that a genius is someone who can see things others can’t (when given the same information), who can create things or arrive at conclusions or new processes or views that others can’t reach (so there are superbly skilled forgers who can paint a painting or carve a relief-carving every bit as well as the genius who created the original, but couldn’t “see” and thus create that original in the first place to save their lives; they are always followers). There is also a genius in being able to handle more complexities (tasks, information) than others can, and still “see how it all fits together” and strive for a goal or visualized end result rather than just reacting to crisis after crisis and “surviving.” It’s hardly fair to non-Chosen to label any Chosen a “genius” at magic, because their access to the Weave allows them to manage magical effects and see (and therefore learn and understand) things about magic that mortal non-Chosen can only dimly perceive or grope at mastering, reaching accomplishments by luck or unseen Mystra-servant aid or just plain dogged hard work and repeated experimentation as often as by correctly “leaping ahead to what only they can see, but in doing so perceive how to get there.”
Please note that the Chosen ARE humans (yes, less than demigods), and are faltering in their faculties (though some of the Seven are still increasing their skills, particularly at rulership, and have a few centuries to go before they begin to decline as swiftly as, say, Elminster is now). They do make mistakes, and they can’t personally prevail against overwhelming odds or motivate fighting forces that don’t want to be motivated (they can magically overwhelm and control individuals, yes, but in the Realms turning military leaders or even rulers into your own mind-controlled robots doesn’t usually translate into anything close to precise command and control of lower-ranking forces).
This sort of personal control is all that is really left to Syluné now, and she is beloved in Shadowdale but has only a “Wise Witch but dead and gone now” reputation in the northern Dales, and no public profile to speak of, elsewhere. So she can hardly inspire or lead troops, beyond “whispering in the ear” of someone ELSE who’s trying to do so.
So now we’re down to Elminster, Alustriel, Dove, Laeral, The Simbul, and Storm.
All of the Chosen left on our list have had Harper involvement, and thus experience in spying, manipulating, behind-the-throne intrigue, and judging military strength and deployments (in many lands, over many years). Dove is the one who’s had an extensive military career (both mercenary and in the more-or-less disciplined forces of several realms), largely eschewing magic. The Simbul is the least stable and self-controlled (apt to “cut loose with spells”), and Elminster is the most experienced and wily. Alustriel, Laeral, and Storm display a marked preference for the soft word and superb acting to manipulate folk, rather than lashing out with swords and spells - - but, please note, they are thus manipulating those who DO lash out with swords and spells, and therefore commanding military forces, even if they don’t put on uniforms, get on horses, and ride out into “bloody-bannered fields” to do so. However, all of the Chosen listed here have in the past done all of those things, and fought both hand-to-hand and spell-to-spell, faced down foes and slaughtered foes, and commanded military forces. So, yes, they all can “lead armies.” And HAVE led armies in the past, though tactics and real-world situations change over time; we don’t know if they would, but it seems likely, given how much better informed about life in the Realms they are than most mortals. The real meat of your questions is: “. . . would they lead them well?”
Again, the answer depends on who’s doing the judging. A bored, mad, or weary-of-life commander (like all of the Chosen are, or can very easily be) can achieve both disasters and brilliant victories, exhibiting what some observers call “fearless” or “heroic” battlefield performances, and motivating troops to lay down their lives eagerly in the heat of battle. Is that “well”?
What’s kept most of the Chosen going for such long lives is their obsessive pursuit of some goals in the service of Mystra. This service and those goals hamper them in ways other mortal commanders aren’t trammeled (leading them to prefer peace over warfare, for instance), and may well weaken them in some military situations - - when compared to other mortal commanders.
THO has passed on to me some of the postings in the Heroes In Novels thread, and among them were some posts belittling Alustriel’s military leadership because she hasn’t launched a preemptive strike on Obould and his forces. This points out differing viewpoints once again: in many real-world modern-day countries such preemptive behaviour is seen as criminal lack of military discipline, clear court-martial offenses if not done with full government sanction beforehand (not wise tactics or military leadership at all) - - and a proper reading of SILVER MARCHES shows us that Alustriel (even though she may have established the confederation) really can’t act militarily on her own without endangering the unity of the Marches: she will be establishing the very precedent that she’s seeking to avoid, to keep Harbromm and Warcrown from doing just the same thing, and picking fights they’re not militarily ready to win. She also can’t act preemptively except by doing so without government sanction (in effect, “going rogue”). It might be smart tactics to clobber Obould before he can gather and consolidate his strength, but it’s very bad grand strategy - - IF you can see the “bigger picture.”
The very strength of the Chosen is also their weakness, to those who view military matters as “success here and now, and let others worry about tomorrow or down-the-road consequences.” The Chosen can see those down-the-road consequences all too clearly in most cases, and so seek to avoid many military confrontations that will result in disaster: you can’t promote the widespread public use of magic if most of your magic-using individuals are dead, and the rest are strictly controlled by military authority or church dictates.
So we’ll just have to see (and continue to debate) how “well” the Chosen perform, as the great tapestry that is the Realms unfolds before us. However, if you’re asking me are these Chosen I’ve discussed here capable of out-commanding in the field darn near every mortal leader I can see alive and on the scene in the Realms right now, the answer is a resounding YES. However, it must come with this caution attached: BUT THEY REALLY DON’T WANT TO, and may avoid doing so even when the result is disaster for a particular realm or city.
So saith Ed. Who can see the Realms more clearly than all of the rest of us, remember. (And spare me, please, all the ignorant moans about “Elminster being Ed’s favourite” or “the Chosen are all Mary Sues,” because such views are simply uninformed and wrong, and wilfully ignore the fact that the entire Realms is “Ed’s favourite,” and he’s given us thousands of characters in various shades of gray, good sides to all villains and vice versa.)
love to all,
THO
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Edited by - The Hooded One on 18 Apr 2006 02:17:51 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:12:46
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed. Who can see the Realms more clearly than all of the rest of us, remember. (And spare me, please, all the ignorant moans about “Elminster being Ed’s favourite” or “the Chosen are all Mary Sues,” because such views are simply uninformed and wrong, and wilfully ignore the fact that the entire Realms is “Ed’s favourite,” and he’s given us thousands of characters in various shades of gray, good sides to all villains and vice versa.)
love to all,
THO
There you go Faraer... as recent words from Ed about the status of Elminster with regard to supposedly being Ed's favorite. Perhaps you should share this with that FR Wiki author who deemed to say otherwise and base it all on rumor and third-hand thoughts!
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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 |
Edited by - The Sage on 18 Apr 2006 02:13:40 |
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Neriandal Freit
Senior Scribe
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:19:41
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Wow. That was so informative, honestly.
I mean I personally as a reader know that the Chosen aren't all magic. They aren't just old and crazy, that they actually see everything in the broadest aspect.
But you left out one person Ed, what of The Shrinshee? Is she NDA on us or is she allowed to be explained as the others have on Military wise? |
"Eating people is wrong...unless it's on the first date." - Ed Greenwood, GenCon Indy 2006 |
Edited by - Neriandal Freit on 18 Apr 2006 02:21:46 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:23:49
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Ed actually left out more than half a dozen Chosen (The Srinshee being one of them, yes), all for NDA reasons.
[insert diabolical laughter here] 
love,
THO |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:41:07
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| And I guess that answers that for the Heroes thread. Ed said, in more words, what most of us were saying all along. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 02:43:43
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hi again, fellow scribes. Ed replies to this, from Taelohn: “. . .While Midnight's ascension to become (the second) Mystra is well documented, most mentions of the death of Mystryl say that she was "reborn" or "reincarnated" as (the first) Mystra. I suppose I always just assumed that Mystra sort of "sprung into existence" as a new deity.
Does this instead imply that Mystryl bestowed her powers onto a mortal woman, just as she sacrificed herself? Perhaps someone she had vested powers in (like a Chosen)? If so, who was (the first) Mystra in her mortal life?”
Ed speaks:
(and fascinates when he does so...)
If it's not NDA, was the woman's own name Mystra? If so, is it (or was it) a common woman's name? I gather that there are quite a few Elminsters in Faerun, but aside from godesses I've never run across "Mystra" as a woman's name. Do enlighten us further, please, Ed.
Apropos of the name(s) of the Lady of Mysteries, I am curious about what power (if any) is bestowed upon those who know what Midnight's given name was before her ascension. We know that Kelemvor knows it, but not Cyric, but I would imagine that quite a few living mortals know it, too -- after all, hers is the ultimate "small town girl makes good" story, and some of the people from her past ought to have realized who she was as a mortal.
EDIT: Ah, yes, I do recall that there was a woman named Mystra in Netheril just before the webs were sundered, but I don't recall any details about her.
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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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Edited by - Jamallo Kreen on 18 Apr 2006 03:10:32 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 03:41:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
Apropos of the name(s) of the Lady of Mysteries, I am curious about what power (if any) is bestowed upon those who know what Midnight's given name was before her ascension. We know that Kelemvor knows it, but not Cyric, but I would imagine that quite a few living mortals know it, too -- after all, hers is the ultimate "small town girl makes good" story, and some of the people from her past ought to have realized who she was as a mortal.
Cyric does know it. He overheard her telling Kelemvor, as I recall. At the end of the Avatar trilogy, when he sees that she's ascending to godhood, as well, he ponders the same issue: does knowing her mortal true name give him power over her?
I, personally, would be inclined to say no, for the simple fact that Midnight is now far beyond being mortal. She's left behind a lot of the mortal weaknesses, like a need for food, sleep, having to run to hopper, etc.
I see it like being the difference between a child's balloon and the Goodyear blimp. Picture the mortal Midnight as the child's balloon. Poking it with a straight pin (her truename) would have disastrous effects. But use that same pin to poke the Goodyear blimp, and even if it manages to penetrate the skin of the blimp, its effects will still be negligible.
Besides, if it would have helped Cyric, he surely would have used it against her by now.
At least, that's my thinking on the whole thing. He of the Weird Beard may of course have something quite different to say.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 08:32:15
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello again, all. This time Ed happened to be at work on something that enabled him to very swiftly tackle this question, from Charles Phipps: “Ed, do the Chosen of Mystra have any tactical or military skill? Would you say they could lead armies and if so, would they lead them well?”
Ed replies:
If I could tack on a follow up question to Charles
In Powers of Faerun Scylla has a penalty for maintaining troop numbers for the Zhentlar due to their recent loss in Shadowdale..
Should the Town Watch and Town Guard of Waterdeep suffer a similar penalty due to the War against the fight Phaerimm in Evereska where probably close to 95% of the troops who served in LAerals and Blackstaffs armies perished? |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Neriandal Freit
Senior Scribe
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 12:59:49
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed actually left out more than half a dozen Chosen (The Srinshee being one of them, yes), all for NDA reasons.
[insert diabolical laughter here]
love,
THO
Aww, what a shame. She would bound to know tactical stradgies and see more things then anyone could expect...
I figured she was NDA'd after I made my post, but I thought I'd ask.. |
"Eating people is wrong...unless it's on the first date." - Ed Greenwood, GenCon Indy 2006 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 14:47:54
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Ed,
About http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elminster_Aumar:
'JarlaxleArtemis' quotes the 'about the author' blurb of the paperback Elminster: The Making of a Mage. Does the latter sentence, given you have clarified on multiple occasions that Elminster is not your alter ego, accurately report any statement of yours:quote:
Ed Greenwood created the FORGOTTEN REALMS® setting nearly forty years ago when he wanted a place to set the stories he was telling to his friends. Since then he's written a heaping pile of novels, short stories, articles, and roleplaying game product set in the lands of Faerûn. Among his most recent novels are Silverfall and Elminster in Hell for Wizards of the Coast, and The Kingless Land and The Vacant Throne for Tor Books. Ed lives in a book-crammed house in Ontario, Canada, but admits he is happiest when walking the shadow-lined streets of Waterdeep with his alter ego, Elminster, by his side.
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 15:10:08
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Hi, Faraer. I sent this off to Ed, and his response follows:
No, of course not. WotC authors are often asked to provide “sell copy” for book jackets, though it NEVER reaches print un-tinkered-with, but in the old TSR days, writers were rarely invited to do so. I had never seen that blurb until a copy of the book was brought to me for signing at a convention, and I certainly never wrote a word of it. No, I have never said Elminster is my “alter ego.” TSR has, many times; a practice that began in GenCon pre-registration blurb booklets, describing the seminars I did in costume, acting the part of Elminster - - ALSO a practice TSR asked me to begin and carry on. When they, many years later, asked me to leave the costume at home, I happily did so. Those robes are hot. :}
To reiterate: I have never, ever said that Elminster is my alter ego or wish fulfillment character, or thought that way for one minute. I will never use any Realms characters in that manner, because doing so would ruin the whole fun of creating the world and its characters, and watching what happens and how they evolve. Just as all of the gamers who have played various PC adventurers in my Realms sessions over the years are playing roles, not themselves.
So saith Ed. Who will return with regular Realmslore about ten hours from now, if he stays on schedule.
love,
THO
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 15:33:05
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That's going in my "quick-reference Realmslore replies" file as well... for occasions when such topics pop up.
Oh and Faraer, I'd be interested to hear what, if anything, this 'JarlaxleArtemis' has to say in reply to what Ed via THO just said about the "alter-ego" issue.
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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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Archwizard
Learned Scribe
USA
266 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 18:38:54
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Dear Ed,
I was wondering, are there swordsmanship styles or martial traditions in the various parts of the Realms? Are there formalized fighting styles (armed or unarmed), anything along the lines of martial arts schools or fencing academies? Or do most warrior types just learn the basics and figure out the rest through experimentation and experience. If there are, what are some of the more prominent or popular ones? What are they like descriptively and what are their histories?
My second question is much broader and more of a throwaway curiosity. From what I can gather, you didn't detail further east than the Endless Wastes in your original Realms. The lands of Kara-Tur were obviously added later by TSR. I know you've stated that you try not to create places and cultures with direct real world analogies. However, I'm curious to know, say WotC commissioned you to recreate and detail the area east of Faerun using oriental style archetypes and influences, what sorts of things would we see, or things you would have liked to see in Kara-Tur. I guess I'm asking what a Greenwood-style Kara-Tur/Oriental Adventure area would look like.
I guess one possible answer is that you wouldn’t take the assignment; I understand that many people are not interested by an OA style campaign. Though, either way, any sort of answer I think would be worthwhile, especially in dealing with the official Kara-Tur and its interaction with Faerun. I have no rush for answers on these two questions, they are just ponderings. I look forward to your replies. Thanks in advance. |
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Akashayana
Acolyte
USA
7 Posts |
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Beirnadri Magranth
Senior Scribe
USA
720 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 20:29:05
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This question is posed to Ed: Is there any information besides whats in the FRCS 3.5e on the Thayan enclave there. Is it large like the one detailed in Lords of Darkness or is it on a way different scale... What is the architecture and layout of the place like.... i am sorta imagining the feel of the La Sorbonne in paris where it is similar to renaissance city manors but with walled off courts and few large amin entrances (instead being several small entrances). Proportionally what percent of members are wizards... how many members are there about? How has the local population adjusted to this enclave (only a year old) what is still being worked on within the enclave etc. How well do Hill's Edge officials get along with or tolerate the red wizards. How does the local populace treat the thayan blooded merchants etc.?
EDIT: i rephrased my question so that it depicted what type of information i wanted (realmslore not just stats etc.) hopefully this peaks Ed's interest and sparks a reply....
eventually
::crosses fingers:: |
"You came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory... instead you will die with a whimper."
::moussaoui tries to interrupt::
"You will never get a chance to speak again and that's an appropriate ending."
-Judge Brinkema |
Edited by - Beirnadri Magranth on 20 Apr 2006 05:11:02 |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 18 Apr 2006 : 22:26:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Akashayana
Hey THO & Mr. Greenwood,
I posted a pair of questions a while back, one about the Icerim mountains and the other about the Raurin desert. They haven't been touched yet, so I just wanted to remind you all that I am still following this thread hoping for answers. Don't forget me!
(LOL)
Questions are on this page (by Akashayana):
http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=18
and this one (by Akashayana):
http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=26
Thank you.
-Akashayana
Please,
Let's keep the "Hey Ed, I haven't received a reply" threads down. He'll get to them when he can. :) Ya'll just have to wait. Hells, some of us have been waiting since 2004 for some of our answers. :)
This wasn't directed to just you, but to everyone. :) Ed's a extremely busy person, and so just have patience. He'll get to it, when he can. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 18 Apr 2006 22:26:56 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2006 : 01:05:16
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Hello again, all. This time, for reasons he states hereafter, Ed deals with this recent question from RodOdom: “Dear Ed, In the Realms you introduced a number of very long-lived characters. Besides the Chosen of Mystra, hidden here and there are mortals who've lived thousands of years, such as the survivors of Netheril. What drives these people to live on? Why haven't they succumbed to ennui?”
Ed replies:
My previous lore reply (to Charles Phipps, about the Chosen) provides some illustrations of the reasons why certain individuals (who have the magical power, or have magic “done to them,” such as being put into stasis or a sleep of ages by someone else, to “last” for thousands of years) desire to continue to exist.
Most such individuals are obsessed with reaching various goals, or completing unfinished tasks. Sometimes it’s prolonging and defending a kingdom, or one’s own descendants, or conversely destroying a foe (or the foe’s kin or organization or kingdom). Sometimes it’s cheating mortality, living on as a lich or prolonging life indefinitely by some other means - - and sometimes it’s perfecting some other sort of magic entirely, or founding a faith, or . . . any number of aims that may seem strange or puny or futile to us, but that provide a drive and reason for the existence of someone. In some cases it’s trying to craft a replacement body for oneself or a dying (frozen in stasis, or dead and “living on” as some sort of phantom) loved one; in others, it’s putting one’s own descendants on a throne, or at the head of a guild, or completing some magical experiment or other. Driving, all-consuming obsession seems to be the key, and those who fulfill or lose it often fail and die swiftly, or seek to die by suicide or by plunging into a fight that’s almost certain death.
So saith Ed. Who once told me that love is the strongest force of all, and was why certain undead that my character was encountering existed.
So, with more feeling than usual:
love to all,
THO
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2006 : 03:47:59
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hi, Faraer. I sent this off to Ed, and his response follows:
[snip]To reiterate: I have never, ever said that Elminster is my alter ego or wish fulfillment character, or thought that way for one minute. I will never use any Realms characters in that manner, because doing so would ruin the whole fun of creating the world and its characters, and watching what happens and how they evolve. Just as all of the gamers who have played various PC adventurers in my Realms sessions over the years are playing roles, not themselves.
[snip]
Sigh... well, I, for one, DO show sign of Elminster-envy, seeing how many lasses land on his lap on a given tenday... err... day... if not for the magic, at least for that!  |
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Larloch
Acolyte
Spain
24 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2006 : 18:41:11
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| I image the last mail get lost in the spamm folder (something all suffered some times) so I have resend the questionnaire and the interview. The reminder of the mail is Pau Valdés Matias and the mail: pauvm84@hotmail.com I hope this time arrive well. |
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Patrakis
Learned Scribe
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 01:58:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
[quote]Originally posted by Akashayana
Hey THO & Mr. Greenwood,
Please,
Let's keep the "Hey Ed, I haven't received a reply" threads down. He'll get to them when he can. :) Ya'll just have to wait. Hells, some of us have been waiting since 2004 for some of our answers. :)
This wasn't directed to just you, but to everyone. :) Ed's a extremely busy person, and so just have patience. He'll get to it, when he can.
Thanks for the heads up on that Kuje,
I just started following this thread and just didn't know what to expect about a response to my request last week. I wasn't even sure if Ed replied to every queries on this board. Frankly, i don't expect a response but it will be an honour if he does. So i come from time to time to see if i see my name come up in an answer posted by the delightful THO.
So thanks for the warning...no asking for update on when is the answer coming...noted :)
Pat |
Dancing is like standing still, but faster.
My site: http://www.patoumonde.com |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 02:12:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Patrakis
Thanks for the heads up on that Kuje,
I just started following this thread and just didn't know what to expect about a response to my request last week. I wasn't even sure if Ed replied to every queries on this board. Frankly, i don't expect a response but it will be an honour if he does. So i come from time to time to see if i see my name come up in an answer posted by the delightful THO.
So thanks for the warning...no asking for update on when is the answer coming...noted :)
Pat
Aye,
He does reply to every thing, sooner or later. :) Just sometimes he has to dig up answers and other times the answer is right at hand or closer by. Plus, as I said, he's busy. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 02:26:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
Just sometimes he has to dig up answers...
Indeed.
Kuje, myself and several other scribes all still have questions pending from both '04 and '05. But we're content enough to know that Ed will get to them eventually -- he's said as much on more than one occasion  .
Patrakis, just remember to check in every few days or so. Or, subscribe to this scroll itself and receive messages (or is it an email?) for when new postings are entered.
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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 |
Edited by - The Sage on 20 Apr 2006 02:27:06 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 03:12:36
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Hi, all. This time, Ed tackles this, from Scarabeus: “In D&D the rules are pretty clear about how a wizard might learn his spells. Such was not the case for clerics, who we assumed could learn every spell availlable in their sphere (now spell-list 3E+). When Prayers from the Faithfull came out I was quite pleased to see a new twist whith the fact that a cleric must dig through sacred tomes, work his way to access them and ever wonder if one of his spell might hold a surprise (pleasant or not) for him. This point of view felt more real, more alive that the simple morning prayers where spells are always taken for granted. I used this principle, which also have the advantage of controling what spells PC clerics might have. Looking through Prayers of the Faithfull though it feels like some informations are missing about how sacred tome are used and how clerics can learn their prayers and rituals. And in the same subject I like to learn more about how you view the role of divine intermediaires (sp?) in relation the clerics (spell learning, spell granting and behavior correction). Thanks for you time, your writtings are always inspriring and I need a little boost on the subject, with no specific faith in mind.”
Ed replies:
When writing PRAYERS FROM THE FAITHFUL, I did not intend to make clerics follow the same “find, or create, and practice” spells that arcane spellcasters do (except for rare instances of discovering long-lost holy items and books while adventuring). Instead, I wanted to control their spell access by their behaviour (holy devotions, obedience, undertaking of missions requiring more spell “muscle,” and so on).
Everyone can get first and second level spells (and orisons) “automatically,” but use of more powerful prayers require that either a higher-ranking priest teaches or gives the precise wording of the prayer to you-the-cleric-character (“here’s HOW to pray for that flame strike”), or that your own performance in the service of the deity attracts the attention of one of the god’s servitors (divine intermediaries, who may be creatures or “spirits,” seen or unseen), who gives you guidance through dream-visions or visions imparted to you in your mind during rituals or even “made manifest to all” (everyone can see them), at crucial moments or during rituals - - and in the same manner “inspires” you by giving you that same “here’s HOW to pray for that flame strike” information, directly into your mind (in other words, you suddenly see how to pray for this or that magical effect, as a reward for your sufficiently attentive and faithful worship and holy service). Divine manifestations (a rosy glow for Lathander, for example) can also serve to give spiritual or literal guidance (“it’s hovering above that stone: move the stone!”).
Moreover, if you displease the deity by straying from the deity’s outlook, flouting holy rules, or harming the larger priesthood while pursuing your personal ambitions, your prayers may be answered by a lesser or markedly different spell from the one you prayed for, or you may be given nothing (prayers unanswered by anything except stony silence), or you may be given a penance (punishment or task) or a stern lecture (with or without the desired spells being granted).
I originally wanted to take this approach because of the many instances I encountered at GenCon and other “tournament” play of what I view as sloppy clerical roleplaying: “My priest is a fighter who can’t used edged weapons, and you’d better obey me or suck up to me because I’m your only healing. I can do pretty much as I please, ‘in the name of the god,’ as long as my DM doesn’t give me alignment grief, but I can lecture everybody else on THEIR behaviour because of my interpretation of the god’s views - - and luckily this game [or this tournament round] doesn’t have superior priests telling me what to do, a set creed for my religion, or the god directly and constantly telling me what to do!” (Some DMs laid on superior priests requiring services and missions pretty heavily when PCs came asking for raise deads for their fallen fellows, but that was about it.) I wanted to put into the Realms those religious creeds, those higher-ranking priests, and some degree of attention on the part of the deity (or divine servant creatures) so that the player of a cleric would have to roleplay properly. Years later, it’s a task I’m still hard at work on. :}
So saith Ed. Who HAS made playing clerics meaningful in the home Realms campaign, I must say.
love to all,
THO
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Scarabeus
Acolyte
Canada
27 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 04:20:52
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hi, all. This time, Ed tackles this, from Scarabeus:
I originally wanted to take this approach because of the many instances I encountered at GenCon and other “tournament” play of what I view as sloppy clerical roleplaying [...]
Years later, it’s a task I’m still hard at work on. :} So saith Ed. Who HAS made playing clerics meaningful in the home Realms campaign, I must say. love to all,THO
Thanks again for you time and ... devotion. It's, as ever, really inspiring. I can imagine that you've seen all kinds of players in those conventions and tournaments. One of my PC priest of Istishia, though not really sloppy, is shy and is afraid to look silly. While good at throwing dices and bashing monsters, his greatest challenges are Role-Playing events like settling feuds or just uttering a prayer loudly to bless some sailors or makes some monster flees. Always funny to watch.
I've absolutely no doubt that Ed can make playing clerics really meaningfull. Since he can make anything sound interesting dealing with gods is surely awe inspiring. Ed, noticing that you are still hard at work on the subject, let me know if you have any updates.
Kuje : Speaking of any subject that can sound interesting, I'm eager to see Ed's reply to your baby related questions. I just can't imagine his face when reading thoses questions. Quite imaginative. Do you plan a baby-sitting adventure ? Role-playing a baby avatar or god king (It might by funny) or do some breast tasting ? 
Scarabeus |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 04:27:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Scarabeus
Kuje : Speaking of any subject that can sound interesting, I'm eager to see Ed's reply to your baby related questions. I just can't imagine his face when reading thoses questions. Quite imaginative. Do you plan a baby-sitting adventure ? Role-playing a baby avatar or god king (It might by funny) or do some breast tasting ?
Scarabeus
Actually, many of my general, hey Ed, can you give me some info about these topics, type of questions are related to ideas that I've been pondering for my laborers articles or the questions are just things I feel are lacking in the sourcebooks, and so if I wanted to add such lore to my articles, I decided to come to the man first. :) However, this isn't the case with my npc questions and those are just to get some more lore out of Ed since I've always enjoyed the NPC's.
Or maybe, I had that in mind since I'm going to be a uncle in a few months and it was on my mind. :) Yes, that probably sounds strange..... |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 20 Apr 2006 04:31:30 |
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Scarabeus
Acolyte
Canada
27 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2006 : 04:32:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I decided to come to the man first. :)
A GREAT source of information indeed ! Edcyclopedia Greenwoodica. |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006)
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