The work contained on this page has been penned over time by the creator of the Forgotten Realms - Ed Greenwood, and kindly provided to us here at Candlekeep by The Hooded One on the Candlekeep Forum. The collection presented here is a digest version which has been collated by Scott Kujawa, presenting all Ed's responses and omitting other posters discussions which followed.

(Answers from Ed Greenwood)

Nov - Dec 2004

Well, Taelohn, if I tell you the locations and destinations of such gates, they won't be "forgotten" anymore, will they? :}

Seriously, I'm reluctant to curtail DM creativity overmuch, so I'll give you just a handful, WITHOUT telling you precisely who controls them.

Let me tackle your second question first. Most of these gates tend to be controlled by the wizard, or small cabal of wizards, or priesthood, or even wealthy merchant, who stumbled across them -- or learned of them from someone who did (whereupon they usually killed the "someone" so as to make the gates 'their' secret alone).

Individual Red Wizards tend to behave like everyone else when they learn of a gate: if they think other Red Wizards haven't observed them, they try to keep it 'their own' secret. Ditto the Zhents, unless it's a Zhentilar warrior who wants nothing to do with gates; such a one will report his find to a wizard but profess ignorance of the EXACT location of the gate (so he won't be ordered to be the guinea pig who demonstrates it to a watching mage).

Larloch has learned where a lot of gates are by magically farscrying unwitting beings, over the years, but even his minions rarely use them (except to pounce on emerging users they're interested in). Halaster traditionally hasn't been interested in gates that don't impinge on Undermountain, but it remains to be seen what new attitude he may or may not have acquired towards such matters since the events of ELMINSTER IN HELL.

Lone wizards and lone merchants tend to use gates they find in very similar ways: as 'secret getaway' routes, and as a way of reaching a new territory to explore (typically they'll establish a hidehold or hidden cache at 'the far end' of the gate, to use as a second base; if things ever get 'too hot' for them at one end of the link, they relocate to the other).

Merchant cabals and priests usually establish regular 'trade-runs' through their gates, and cabals of wizards tend to use them either to raid through, or (as merchant cabals often do) steal goods in one place and whisk them away to another -- often stealing items that are scarce at one end of the gate so they can be sold for great amounts at the other end.

Gates whose ends are in different climes, of course, allow merchants to make 'easy killings' by taking fresh fruits to snow-choked winter locales, to sell for stiff prices, or to transport skins of drinking water into dry regions for the same purpose.

As I've said many a time before, the Realms is riddled with hundreds of ancient gate-links, most of them long forgotten.

Here are four sample gates:

Tesper's Stride: Noted in some old diaries at Candlekeep as being the secret behind the financial success of the long-ago Waterdhavian merchant Ultath Tesper (no relation to the famous mage Tesper), this gate links a knoll near Amphail with a cellar somewhere under a Southbank building in western Scornubel (in what was once known as Zirta).

Its active area seems to be two men wide and taller than a man carrying a boar-spear at shoulder rest (in other words, at least twelve feet high), and traversing it reportedly takes but an instant "of extreme cold, while falling through blue-white mists."

The northern end of the link functions 'towards Zirta' only when bathed in moonlight, but works 'from Zirta' at all times. It's entered by mounting the westernmost of two like-sized boulders at the north end of a knoll that lies about a bowshot west of the main trade-road. Face south when atop the boulder, and step at least a handspan up off the rock. These boulders are about as tall as a cottage and as long as three horses, and have bird-dung-spattered but otherwise bare, smooth stone tops, but sides thick with green moss. Seek a knoll that has three bare 'fallaway' rock outcrops facing the road (on its eastern side), south of a tiny creek that comes out of a thick stand of blueleaf trees. Note that the scrub-covered ridge immediately to the north overlooks the boulders, and a watcher there has clear bowshot down at anyone arriving through the gate.

The southern end of the link seems to function in both directions all the time. Taking it 'north' to Amphail is a matter of entering the westernmost end chamber of a low-vaulted, stone-lined cellar, going to its northwestern corner, and touching a particular wall-stone that's visibly darker than the rest. The cellar is one of many in Zirta, where goods were and are kept safe from theft in deep cellars -- but just which building it underlies is uncertain, because this cellar was long ago linked to many others, and fitted with traps and access-chutes from above by the now-extinct Three Hands Coster (a local trading group of unsavoury reputation). At least two local thieving bands, the Blue Cloak and Rassavar's Blade, keep watch over who uses the cellars -- or at least, who ventures west from the busy, used-by-many-caravan-companies eastern end of the cellars (which are rented out by a sinister fat, bearded man hight Ravosz Orthroth.

Tesper used this gate to shuttle stolen goods out of Waterdeep, and to bring drugs, poisons, and perfumes from Scornubel into the City of Splendors, hiding them in chambers in the middle of 'fixed' casks of "winter ale" from Everlund, in the wagons of his passing-through-Amphail caravans. Some persons have definitely discovered and used this gate recently -- because fresh blood was found all over the north-end boulder last season, and a strange whisper-tale is making the rounds in Scornubel: of men 'ridden' by a chill presence in their minds, that 'stole into them' when they were using "a hidden, magical way."

The Westwalk: this gate functions in one direction only: east to west, or outside to inside. It functions at all times, and is entered by finding a slight hollow about six wagonlengths south off the coast trade-road that runs east from the westernmost gate of the city of Westgate. This grassy depression is several hundred paces east of the gate, well within view of wall-sentinels, and they've learned about the gate's presence (but not yet how to make it function), and now cut all brush in the area, to keep activities there in clear view.

Only one being at a time can use this gate, though they may carry anything they can lift and move on their backs. There are three elements to the gate's functioning:

-- the user must step into the right puddle or (when weather has been very dry) ground-hole: the northernmost of the three

-- the user must be carrying four silver coins and no other silver of any sort

-- the user must utter the word "Alamaraska" (this may be whispered)

If all three conditions are met, the user is whisked into a stone cupola (roof-chamber) atop "Mother" Mustivvur's rooming-house, just inside the western run of the Westgate city wall. The cupola has window-openings on its east and south, a stone hatch in its (yes, stone) floor that's usually barred from below, and a door in its east wall that opens onto an outside stair. Two guards armed with loaded crossbows guard the cupola at all times, and a third man collects the gate toll: the four silver coins. Those desiring to dispute payment are advised to beware his sharpened, poison-tipped fingernails (he's built up an immunity to the unidentified venom he uses).

This gate is, of course, used by persons desiring to enter Westgate unidentified or uninspected by the authorities.

The Lion Gate: this two-way, always-functioning gate has made many a Amnian fortune over the years, and its use is now monitored and taxed by the Athkatlan authorities (a guard of one concealed hired wizard, one armed official, and two guards armed hand crossbows that fire darts that have been sleep-venomed, who collect a toll of 5 gp per use, and detain and question any armed groups of users of more than four in number) at the city end of the link.

That terminus is a second-floor room (now permanently occupied by city authorities) in the Sleeping Lion salon in southern Athkatla. One of several salons in the city, the Sleeping Lion is a place for discussions, dice and card games and the gambling that accompanies them, and light drinking and dining (of grapes, chopped fruit, nuts, wedges of cheese, and small spiced pastries). It's the 'lowest class' (most tolerant and least opulent) of Athkatla's salons, and has no guards barring admittance to persons purely on the basis of their apparent wealth or status, as the other salons do (the Lion does, however, have swift-acting bouncers to deal with violent or snatch-thieving guests, including both strongmen and roof-spies armed with blowguns that fire sleep-envenomed darts).

Those who keep order in Athkatla want to prevent invasion of their city by, say, the Zhents or the Red Wizards, or anyone practising slavery or hustling kidnap victims through the Lion Gate. Otherwise, they don't care how it's used, so long as the toll is paid (failure to pay results in imprisonment and confiscation of goods valued at twice the toll; repeat offenders face harsher penalties).

The Lion Gate permits the passage of only one living being at a time (additional living creatures will be teleported to random locales elsewhere in the Realms, arriving safely but with no indication of where they are, and no direct way of return). Similarly, non-living material up to the mass and weight of the living user's body can pass through if worn or carried by the user; all matter in excess of either the mass or the weight of the user will simply vanish, apparently disintegrated (some users know this, and have used the gate to 'disappear' corpses by loading themselves heavily with supplies, and then dragging a body behind them -- which the magic of the gate obligingly causes to vanish). In any case of 'overage,' material in direct contact with the user's body is retained when cargo carried in a packsack, satchel, or bag disappears.

The other end of the Lion Gate link lies in a cave in rolling, bandit- and leucrotta-infested hills just north of the Lethyrstream and east of the Eastingreach coastal wagon-trail, nigh the Forest of Lethyr south of the Great Dale, almost clear across 'known' Faerun. There are several such caves in an area of loose-scree-covered hills surrounding an old gravel-quarry, and they all seep water and are used as lairs by a succession of opportunistic prowling beasts. Some bandits apparently know of the gate and lie in wait for those traversing it.

To enter the gate heading to Athkatla, a user must climb the sloping rocky back of the correct cave, passing through a strange feeble green luminescence that seems to 'drink' some magics but not others, unpredictably (affecting only magic items, or actively operating spells, rather than written or memorized spells), to reach a ledge, and there touch the proper two stones at the same time. Just which two jutting stones is a secret, but they're close enough together that an average-sized elf, lying down, can touch one with a leg and another with a hand. Regardless of how a user's body is arranged, they reach Athkatla standing upright -- and also come from Athkatla standing upright, too (there's enough headroom on the ledge to do so, even for a troll or ogre).

Jusk's Stroll: This gate-link works in both directions, but functions only when the end it's being entered through is in darkness (both daylight and lamplight temporarily cause it to 'sleep'). It links a certain spot along the south wall of a dockside warehouse in Suzail with the alleyway behind (directly south of) the Dragon's Jaws tavern (feature 39 on the 2nd Edition Realms boxed set "Grand Tour" book [page 54] map). The warehouse is Flar Oldbottle's Nets, Ropes, Cables, Hawsers, and Cords establishment (a stout stone two-story building topped by a hammerbeam wooden loft and slate roof). It's the second long rectangular building on the east side of the channel leaning to The Basin (feature 16 on the map), counting northwards. In other words, it's the rectangular building that has a tiny shed attached to it on its north side ("Old Rak" Jumble's Fresh Fish, a reeking sty of a place best avoided). The gate is located between Oldbottle's and the warehouse of similar construction to the south of it (Red Sunsets Trading Company, a Suzailan merchants' collective rental space for 'small cargoes'), a little east of midway along the wall of Oldbottle's, and in the "towards the Jaws" direction only works when the warehouse wall is touched in just the right spot (about three feet up off the ground, and near a waterstain that runs diagonally down the wall).

The terminus behind the tavern is marked by a square of paving stones in the dirt, kept clear by city authorities. This gate is well-known to them, and they watch both ends of it to see who uses it. It's also an open secret among dockworkers and merchants having business on the docks; other folk of Suzail know of it but not precisely where it is or how it works.

Imprur Jusk was a long-ago wealthy halfling investor of Suzail. He discovered the gate and had no idea who created it or why, but he controlled the dock end of it until his death, of a winter fever (Oldbottle's was once one of his warehouses). The link got its name from his nightly use of it to swiftly reach the upper-class taverns and festhalls he favoured, along the Promenade. It was said you could tell where Jusk had fared on many an evening by the strong smell of harbour fish clinging to this or that highcoin girl.

Ahem. So saith Ed.

Who'll have more answers for scribes, I'm sure, tomorrow.

love to all,
THO

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November 1, 2004: Hello, all. I bring Ed's reply to The Blind Ranger:

Hmm. I'd not want to 'be around' during 'big stuff' like the Dawn Cataclysm, the fall of Karsus or the Time of Troubles. Pivotal, yes, but mighty uncomfortable times to be living.

So I'd have to say I'd want to be living in:

-- Myth Drannor when it was really 'working' as a crossroads of all races (i.e. after the majority of its elves had accepted and embraced the various non-elves now living among them, but before the stormclouds gathered against it).

-- Waterdeep after Ahghairon assumed power and everything settled down, so prosperity was rampant, trade bustling, and the institutions of the city (sewers, policing, garbage pickup, standards being enforced for building, etc.) were all being improved at once. That feeling of living in a place that's visibly being made better and better with each passing day.

-- Silverymoon after Alustriel took power but before the advent of the Silver Marches (and her handing things in the city over to Taern Hornblade), for the same reasons as for Waterdeep.

These are, as usual, hard choices ("Which of your children do you love the most?"), and there are many Obarskyr reigns during which I'd want to be living in Cormyr, or times when I'd want to be in this dale or that (I'd have given a lot to attend that founding meeting of the Harpers in the Dancing Place, for example), but right now, these are what strike me as the times and places I'd really want to LIVE in (and not just see and then duck out again to some place of more safety or tranquility).

So saith Ed.

Who's hard at work on the first Knights novel as I post this, but will return with more replies anon.

love to all,
THO

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November 2, 2004: Hello, all. Ed makes reply to Capn Charlie:

Capn, please tell Dark Wolf this:

Every town, city, and village has its own rules about dealing with bloodshed within its boundaries, of course, and most of the latter have to deal with more brigand and monster raids than they do marauding armies (if they see the latter, everyone usually flees!), but 'rules of war' governing an area only apply when a strong ruler holds sway over that area (for instance, Alustriel over the Silver Marches, or any priest of high rank over an area influenced by his or her temple), and when communications are good and/or that ruler commands magic that means transgressors will expect that reports of wrongdoing and mistreatment will 'make it back' to the ruler.

simontrinity correctly points out that most moral codes of war-behaviour are rooted in faiths, and promoted by priests. Except when orders to the contrary are given or warriors are 'carried away by bloodlust' in the heat of battle, a priest's orders WILL be heeded, because he's your means of healing!

In general, across Faerun, the answer to your first question is: no. No structured rules, beyond what superior officers give as commands, either before a battle or during it ("Kill all prisoners!" etc.) No human willingly surrenders to orcs or any goblinkin, for instance, because they'll expect to get eaten if they do.

Spies are usually tortured or mind-reamed with spells to find out what they've learned or already passed on (the 'general knowledge' their superiors have shared with them), and then slain -- but in some cases a spy will be 'allowed to escape' so as to unwittingly carry misinformation back to the enemy.

Wounded enemy soldiers on the battlefield (unless of high rank so they can be ransomed: i.e. "keep me alive and I'll send a messenger to fetch back the title deed to my house in Waterdeep; when it comes, feed me and then release me") are usually killed and their bodies looted, by commoners living locally (who creep out onto the bloody field after darkness has fallen) if not by the victorious soldiery. Sometimes such scavengers don't bother to slay helpless and unconscious or apparently dying prisoners, who survive (stripped and weaponless). If the presence of lots of bodies is thought to be a monster-luring or stream-poisoning danger (or a disease danger inside a settlement), the bodies will be piled up and burned.

When an army is occupying an area, orders are often given to butcher most people or just locals of importance, and spare the rest. This is done to 'make examples of those who resist' to terrorize the populace, so they'll obey without having to be compelled at swordpoint all the time. Even some 'good' folk countenance this, rationalizing it as making for more lives saved and less violence in the long run.

Prisoners of war will be spared if they can talk glibly enough offering to share information or to fight for their captors, but this is usually only believed if said captors have a good reason to do so. (Knowing beforehand that a particular duke of Tethyr is hated and feared might cause you to believe low-ranking soldiers of his who offer to aid you the invader against him, for example.) Otherwise, prisoners are kept alive for callously practical reasons: we need you to build a bridge, cut down all those trees, bring us livestock we can eat, or form a defensive ring around us as we advance on your own castle, so the arrows they fire will kill you and not us... and so on.

In general, war in the Realms is more brutish than real-world moderns might expect. Trickery and incitement to hatred/scapegoating occurs, and grudges are long-held.

On to Lizardfolk. These Scaly Ones vary in intelligence from barbarian-thick (but cunning) to (rarely) as smart as humans. The smart ones will, of course, take almost anything. The brutish majority raid to get food (yes, that includes humans, and almost exclusively meat will be sought), useful items (weapons of all sorts [missile weapons least preferred because of the practise/training effective use of them requires], ropes, chains, chests, lamp oil [for use as a weapon]), and to weaken foes (trash a village that's too close or has been too aggressive against lizardfolk). Even stupid lizardfolk are smart enough to seize any item that they've seen emitting magic (even if they can't use it, they can take it so it can't be used against them again), and even wizards or priests (who will be bound securely, ankle-hobbled, and usually head-hooded). Some lizardfolk use coinage in trade (and so will seize it), and some don't. The Threat from the Sea aside, it's very rare to see lizardfolk raiding a city, though sometimes, in thick fogs, individual young lizardfolk will seek to 'prove themselves' by snatching a few humans from the docks of a port. There was a time, in the southern ports of Tethyr, when lizardfolk of some tribes lauded those of their number who could enter a port and bring back alive a highcoin girl (she was released unharmed after being 'displayed' to all), because it was known that such lasses could only be got from a particular festhall well inland within the city -- thus proving that the capturing Scaly One had traversed quite a few city streets, and overcome some resistance at the always-busy festhall, to gain his prize (not merely grabbing someone within easy reach on a dock).

As to your questions about Thay, I'm afraid the NDA wall comes down like thunder. I can say only this much: slaves are haggled over (though, like our modern real-world monetary exchange rate or share prices, 'everyone knows' a ballpark current base price for, just to pick one category, a strong but unskilled male human). Trained warriors and craftworkers are highly prized (but also closely watched, sometimes by child slaves assigned as constant 'glaring from a distance' escorts, for signs of treachery).

So saith Ed, who's busy crafting more answers as I post this.

Ahh, dispensing with sleep again, Great Bearded Thing?

love to all,
THO

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November 2, 2004: Hello, all. I bring Ed's reply to Karth:

I still rock, eh? Good to know. :}

Seriously, you're welcome. I love doing this, as you might well have guessed by now. As for the street keys, some I can share, some I can't (I shared the key to Marsember here already, for example -- but I've also done little streetscapes like I just did for you, for Realms authors, and feel dutybound to say absolutely nothing about those until after their book, or sometimes a series of books [in case the narratives return to locations], is published). What I never want to do is 'trip up' a Realms author who misses seeing my posts here and names a street in a city one thing, when I've firmly dubbed it another.

It's my intent to eventually provide this much for all cities on the Sword Coast, all around the coasts of the Moonsea and the Sea of Fallen Stars, and between: ruler, main imports, main exports, lawkeepers ('City Watch') patrol particulars, main streets and features (large temples, architecturally striking buildings, landmarks, a few taverns, a few inns, and a shop or two). Enough so a DM can 'wing it' if players send their characters into a city.

However, it looks like it's going to take me years to nail down such coverage in print. So I'm glad you're a patient waiter. :}

"Patient waiter, I'll have what the gentleman over there is having... elf maiden covered in fresh cream, isn't it?"

Ahem. So saith Ed.

Who isn't done with answers today, yet, by the looks of my inbox.

love to all,
THO

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November 2, 2004: Hello, all. Hereafter, Ed provides an answer to Bookwyrm's "GIMME!"

Sorry, Bookwyrm, all I can say is: perhaps I'll be able to reveal more by the end of 2005. Perhaps.

I'd LOVE to lay bare all sorts of lore about the College, though I've created so many 2nd Edition spells and magic items that I'm largely stepping back to watch others do such things for 3e (and so, specifics of new spells won't be part of anything I post here). In fact, I'd love to provide details of many features of [NDA], but I simply can't comment on them yet. And yes, that includes names of haughty gold elf Masters of the College, I'm afraid.

In most cases, I slip and wriggle and waffle all I can, 'pushing' my NDAs to the limit, because I think it's good 'teaser' advertising for the Realms rather than anything damaging to the Intellectual Property (after all, what concept of FR can rivals swipe? Castles? Dragons? Rescuing princesses? Spells that work? Sheesh).

Also, the original Realms agreement 'recognized me as creator' of the Realms by explicitly giving me freedom to promote the Realms and create anything I wanted in it and for it, in an ongoing manner. These NDAs came along later, after WotC bought TSR, and a whole new wave of them (followed by several successive waves) have followed since Hasbro acquired Wizards. That's fine, but the NDAs apply to specific things, and I play them that way, rather than letting some lawyer who's never negotiated anything with me (and probably never even heard of me) shut down a right I bargained for and obtained.

If I don't see anything harmful to future products or still-secret projects I know about or suspect will soon be pursued, I'll hand you lore here. I never want to 'tie the hands' of a WotC or freelancer writer by scouring out a topic in depth, but I DO want you scribes to be able to pursue your Realms campaigns right now rather than leaving you waiting (perhaps forever) for details I could easily have provided.

With all that said, I'll impart more about the College as soon as I can, but I'm not sure when that will be.

So saith Ed.

Who's deep in crafting the first Knights novel right now, and "revelling" in it.

love to all,
THO

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November 2, 2004: Hello, all. Ed's latest answer concerns Baldur's Gate:

Verghityax, it doesn't take a cartographer to know that the map (or rather, 'gazing down from the clouds three-quarter view') in the computer game is, ahem, "wildly inaccurate." Fanciful, even. I understand the memory limitations of the computers of the day would force 'shrinkage' of features included in the game, but to this day I don't know why the end result bore so little resemblance to the master Baldur's Gate city map I drew (printed 'straight' in the FR Adventures hardcover with blue colouring and a better compass rose added, and used again in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast). The Volo's map is the one you need to look at, because of its keyed features.

As George said, the city wall doesn't 'show' because, over the years, it's been partly dismantled (cannibalized for building stones), and partly rebuilt into building after building. A visitor to the city can readily recognize that the wall used to exist, and see where it ran, by glancing at those buildings, even if they knew nothing about a wall.

The dismantling process has only recently been 'completed,' and has been going on for years. It has always been unofficial (not marked by any formal decree or law, neither to order it done nor to forbid it; it began when some builders whose own offices backed onto the wall started tearing down 'their' bit of wall, and selling the stone), and thus has reached the attention of few sages elsewhere in Faerun.

The Volo's map shows a shop, Felogyr's Fireworks, marked "15." That shop fronts on, and stands on the south side of, a long curving street that runs across the city, with a curious 'prow' or deviance at about its midpoint (west of Felogyr's), where it meets a short street that runs almost due south to the docks. The longer road is Stormcanter Street, and the shorter one is The Windgallop,' and the old wall ran along the north side of Stormcanter and the west side of 'the Gallop,' so many buildings along those two 'fronts' are stout, thick-walled fortress-like boxes of large old close-fitted stones (many of them at the western end of Stormcanter are the houses of well-to-do Baldurians, whilst all of those along the Gallop, and most of those on the easterly stretches of Stormcanter, are shops at ground level, with apartments above (Gallop end: a few warehouses with business offices sprinkled amongst; Stormcanter end: the occasional tavern or festhall).

Steven's comments on the sort of city buildings the Flaming Fist own are (of course) spot-on. Back to the Volo's Guide map. North of the Seatower of Balduran (feature 6) are two parallel wharves. The longer and more northerly of the two is known as Hethkantle's Jetty, and the street that runs roughly northwest from its 'dry' (land) end, right out to the city wall, is Caundorl Street. Follow Caundorl, yes, right out to the city wall, and you'll find a miniature keep: four towers linked by stone walls.

That's the headquarters of the Flaming Fist: an impressive-looking little castle known as The Keep of the Flame. Please bear in mind that the Fist is too large to muster inside ANY city. The Keep of the Flame consists of offices, weapons-practise chambers and an archery 'gallery' (with cable-drawn targets) rather than the usual open-air 'butts,' uniform and equipment storage, armories, and yes, dungeon cells below for the holding of prisoners for ransom (and, som Baldurians mutter, guardian monsters and darker things).

The Keep also features a glorious upper-floor map room (in its largest tower), and several one-way-outbound gates (ahem: portals) that lead to several hilltops well east of the city, where Fist members can assemble in the event of a mustering, or when they want to depart the city unnoticed (for example, with captives). The Fist also owns several other permanently-guarded armory buildings around the city, including two of the massive 'former bits of the city wall' structures on northfront Stormcanter.

So saith Ed, tirelessly setting straight more Realmslore.

Yawn. I'm for bed (ALONE, Wooly, and Sirius, and Karth, too. Sorry!)

love to all,
THO

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November 3, 2004: Hello, all. Ed answers kuje31's latest:

kuje, Sandrew the Wise IS that busy, and DOES get around that much. A rising star in the faith, he was 'called' from Neverwinter to Silverymoon to receive instruction from senior priests of Oghma. He resided in the Gem of the North for about a season in doing so, worshipping and serving the Binder in Silverymoon -- and then sent off to Waterdeep, to take charge of the temple there.

Sandrew is very tall and very charismatic, with a mellifluous voice and deeply-hooded eyes that blaze "with zeal," as other priests of Oghma like to say. They DO seem to emit a golden light at times (his pupils are a strange butter-yellow hue), and some folk have mistaken him for a god, or the servant of a god, when meeting him. Sandrew dresses simply, in ankle-length robes of white shimmerweave (while conducting 'high rituals) or beige homespun (the rest of the time). He wears several magical rings, carries a magical staff, and wears slippers that have toes that can sprout sleep-venomed daggerblades when he needs to defend himself. Sandrew's chief talents lie in NEVER forgetting a reference, or where he saw it, and in perceiving how best to state or impart something for his intended audience (as Kitten of Waterdeep once put it, "he can make even the outrageous seem reasonable").

So saith Ed.

Another Realmslore query dealt with (dusts hands briskly, reaches for mug of tea). Ah, this is the life. Feet up, Realmslore flooding into my computer, Ed's teasing merrily everpresent...

love to all, until next,
THO

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November 3, 2004: Hello again, fellow scribes. I bring Ed's latest:

Blind Ranger, you're quite welcome. Oooh, and a Lordship! Thank you, I'll take very good care of it... I'll just put it on this shelf over here, and... there we are...

There's no "official" postal service in the Realms, with stamps and uniforms and suchlike, but all peddlers, minstrels, caravan wagon-merchants, trading coster offices, and caravan masters have traditionally taken verbal messages, written messages, and small packages (usually a canvas 'purse' sewn together and sealed against damp with pitch or sap before being sewn inside a second layer of canvas) for delivery to distant places, in return for quite steep fees (so common folk use such means only in emergencies). The cost reflects the fact that the delivery person may pay someone else, partway along the route, to do the last leg of the delivery, and still wants to make a few coins of profit after doing this. It would be rare to find any tangible message being delivered for less than a 6 gp 'up front' charge, unless it's "just to the next village or two along" a shared road.

Heralds and court envoys regularly deliver official messages and royal communications, of course.

All priesthoods maintain a regular message service between temples (and can use spells to deliver short verbal messages 'directly'), and often offer a cut-rate service to faithful worshippers (who have already given regular or substantial offerings to the temple) for including their messages along with the temple reports, written prayers and sermons, and holy decrees.

Lastly, shippers of large cargoes will often make several copies of a message for their intended recipient, and slip it inside crates or coffers that are then closed and sealed. Sometimes these are of the "If the finder of this delivers it unopened to Durth Merrilees of Merrilees Tapestries on the Way of the Dragon, Durth will pay a reward of 4 dragons" variety (this example obviously being for a message inbound to Waterdeep).

Note that this can take some time, and many messages never arrive. Note also that there's really no such thing as privacy unless codes are used, because in many cases a 'local village scribe' does the initial writing for the sender, and anyone can open and read (or even alter) the message en route. Many folk employ 'private codes' of this sort: plain everyday writing, but certain phrases have a previously-arranged 'private meaning' (example: "Aunt Maerl continues to do well, and asks after you" really means: "Our investment scheme is flourishing, and that extra money you offered to put into it is now needed")

There are armed, experienced, mounted couriers within Cormyr and Sembia (operating only within the boundaries of those countries), because there's enough wealth and population density to support such services. They typically deliver small packages swiftly and reliably, in return for 25 gp or more fees.

As for the general spread of information (news and rumors), it spreads by priests spell-talking to distant priests, via 'wandering' peddlers and minstrels and the Harpers, via trading costers, and with every ship and caravan (alert readers of my accounts of the Realms from 1979 onwards should recall what THO knows well: every arrival of a caravan to stay the night at the Old Skull spurred most of Shadowdale to turn out to "hear the latest" news).

There are even newspapers ("broadsheets") published in many cities (see my Realmslore WotC website column for some details of those printed in Waterdeep), and these travel with all of the above. The arrival of a 'new' (sometimes seasons-old) broadsheet in a remote village is cause for a social gathering at the local tavern for the best reader to entertain everyone for an evening.

Thanks for the question, Blind Ranger, and keep 'em coming!

So saith Ed, who's enjoying spinning the Knights novel right now.

I can't WAIT to read it. Sigh.

love to all,
THO

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November 4, 2004: Hello, all. I present Ed's latest words:

Bookwyrm, Faerun IS getting crowded. From the original Fiend Folio onwards, the number of hitherto-unknown races has increased sharply, and as the Realms was the official home of the 2nd Edition of D&D, every last one of them had to be shoehorned in. The apparent overcrowding was made worse when a lot of the 'wide open spaces' were trimmed from the Realms map for 3e (in other words, the "empty spaces between the human cities and realms, where one could meet with all manner of talking critters" suddenly just weren't there anymore).

However, I've always postulated that the continent of Faerun, at least, is a verdant breadbasket that can feed LOTS of folk (except in its desert and frozen bits -- hence the orc hordes sweeping south to raid from time to time). It HAS to be that way to feed all of these folk, and there HAVE to be a lot of folk, or (most of the species of) dragons (a very-firmly-bolted-on element of the game) would starve.

TSR from the first downplayed the sexual side of things, and so my hints that, hey, there seems to be "something in the air" here: everyone's coupling like bunnies, and babies are born in relentless profusion, have always been omitted or watered-down. To my way of thinking, this fertility MUST be present, or none of the races would ever produce enough bodies to fight all of these wars and still have civilizations (of sorts) standing -- or to fill the slave markets (and country) of Thay.

I plant a radish, and sixteen sprout. I make love to a partner, and twins or triplets arrive; the next time we couple, pregnancy occurs almost immediately (the females of Toril must be internally as strong as oxen!).

Something else should be noted, too: check out page 10 of the DM's Sourcebook of the Realms, in the original Realms boxed set ("Old Gray Box"), wherein the map of the United States is size-compared to the Heartlands. We're talking a LARGE area, please remember.

After all of this, if things still seem uncomfortably crowded to you (especially given the dominance of humans atop the soil, and drow below), make many of the peoples very scarce ON FAERUN, but more numerous on other continents of Toril (so they can arrive on trading ships, and leave a scattering behind across the lands, but be very rare "here"). That's what I did with the dwarves, the gnomes, and to a large extent with the elves. The halflings I spread thinly everywhere humans dwelled, and then gave their own kingdom 'way down south.' The flind, gnolls, ogres, and giants were my real problem, and you'll notice I shoved them into remote, inhospitable locations. My original players will recall that there's an entire continent dominated by giants, and another landmass (that they've explored but little) that seems to consist of vast rolling grassy plains, inhabited by lots of centaurs, wemic, gnolls, flind, and so on.

So saith Ed.

I can certainly attest to the lusty side of Realmsplay, but it seems some of you (hello, Wooly... and Sirius... and Karth) have already figured that out.

love to all (breathlessly),
THO

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November 4, 2004: Hello, all. Herewith, Ed makes reply to Gerath Hoan:

Ah, Gerath, you've stumbled across an Untold Secret of the Realms. Way back when Barb Young was editing DUNGEON Adventures magazine, she asked for short, simple adventures ("Side Treks" and slightly-larger equivalents). I did one for her ("Irongard," published in issue 18), but we never got around to publishing my second one, "The Haunted Well." I still have it, somewhere, a simple little three-chamber (or so) 2nd Edition dungeon, and may in time publish it somewhere and somehow. It's, yes, a wayside well that's locally deemed to be haunted. Though its water is just fine (drinkable), overnight camping near it is strongly discouraged.

So saith Ed.

Who's not telling you the whole story, in part because we Knights left some unfinished business there.

love to all,
THO

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November 5, 2004: Thank you, Alaundo. I suspect Ed's most recent NDAs are going to stop him from even commenting on Jerryd's (ahem, Jerry D--'s) Cormyr files, but I'll pass them on, never fear.

Hello, all. Bookwyrm, you mentioned you lacked access to the Old Gray Box. I know there's been some monkeying with the FR map since then. Among other things, it's shortened the distance between the Sword Coast and the Sea of Fallen Stars, but before that 'telescoping of wide open spaces' occurred, a due east-west line across the Heartlands land mass of Faerun, from the Sword Coast to the city of Telflamm, was just a shade greater than the distance across our real-world United States of America at its widest point (from about Eureka, California to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina). That's what the page Ed mentioned depicts.

On to his latest answer:

kuje31 and Faraer, I must begin by apologizing to Faraer for taking so long to answer his Reverie query, which was asked here months back. Briefly, I see the elves (including the drow) as evolving, so that definitive answers no longer fit each and every individual elf. For most drow, gestation takes, yes, two years -- but just as for Faerunian and real-world humans, there are premature-birth children who survive and thrive, sometimes after as little as eleven months of pregnancy.

As Elaine Cunningham said, elsewhere here at Candlekeep: "I postulated that natural adaption would result in other solutions, but also assumed that their elven natures, including the ability to enter reverie, were fragmented by their environment. So I left the issue unresolved, describing various drow in different situations. Some drow slept, some entered a form of Reverie, and some, such as Gromph, could not sleep at all. (It also occurred to me that the drow would likely have developed some sort of brief but deeply restorative meditation -- a very useful skill for warriors, priestesses and wizards who, for whatever reason, cannot afford to take their eyes off their enemies for long.)... there are references in the earlier lore to support these possible options: dreamless sleep, sleep with a dream phase, elven reverie."

I've always treated surface elves AND drow like this: this elf does this, this elf does that, and no definitive statement can be made for the entire race, any longer.

So, yes, Colin McComb's elven Reverie is part of 'my' Realms, but not all elves go into Reverie all the time. Some don't sleep at all (until they get sick or are wounded, whereupon they typically 'crash' in a semi-coma for tendays at a time, only to snap out of it 'just fine' and go on sleepless as before). How upset or wounded a particular elf is, drow or otherwise, affects which of the three options Elaine outlined 'govern' that particular elf. There's also the deeper 'stasis Reverie' that elves who "sleep" for long periods (like the Srinshee) enter.

MOST surface elves don't sleep, but do Reverie (not very often). MOST drow sleep as humans do, tormented by dreams, but don't need to sleep very often (they can 'remain awake' for days, though that doesn't mean they can run for days on end, or fight unceasing for days on end: physical exertion causes weariness of the body for elves just as it does for humans. Dwarves and gnomes CAN perform prolonged physical exertion for longer than other races, and halflings can engage in complicated mental exertion (adding up sums, sorting, remembering genealogies) for longer than other races without making mistakes due to mental fatigue.

Again, these are gross generalizations, of the sort that if I made them of real-world human sub-races I'd be rightly accused of "stereotyping." However, I make no apologies for having some elves do one thing at a particular time and another thing later on, or this elf doing something different from that elf. It's one of the features that lends them this fey 'aura of mystery' in the eyes of Faerunian human characters, and real-life human gamers.

So saith Ed.

Who's still happily writing away on SWORDS OF EVENINGSTAR (or whatever it'll eventually be called).

love to all,
THO

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On November 5, 2004 THO said: Hello, all. Thy Hooded One. Ed is busy ferrying wife to medical appointments for the first half of today, and I'll not presume to answer for him, but I feel moved to point out a logical fallacy in your post, Jerryd.

I'm not disagreeing with your conclusions about widows (and I doubt Ed will, given what I've seen of the Realms in well over a decade of Realmsplay), but this sentence of yours is suspect: "It seems obvious to me from this that the peoples of Faerûn would place a high value on fertility and childbirth."

You're assuming superb communications, clerical near-unanimity, and a societal consensus here. Folk tend to value highly what is rare and unusual, not what is commonplace. If fertility and pregnancy are everpresent, it's merely "the normal state of affairs," and for most common folk there's little awareness of overall population losses, only of local deaths and bereavements.

kuje31, please tell Kezghan that his request for particulars of our Knights characters can't be honoured. As Faraer pointed out, it amounts to sabotaging our campaign (however unintentionally), and is in fact written in to the release forms we all signed, so long ago, for each of our characters.

Ed will return with more replies as soon as he can.

love to all,
THO

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November 6, 2004: Hello, all. I bring Ed's answer to Taelohn (re. "lusty business"):

Taelohn, the ability to wield spellfire is usually inherited, yes, but very unreliably (it may manifest generations down a bloodline from the 'last' hurler-of-spellfire). So it's by no means even to be expected that the son or daughter of a spellfire-wielder will themselves be able to hurl spellfire (remember, it's usually been so rare in the Realms that the folk belief that 'the gods only let one person at a time wield spellfire' was able to both exist and persist).

With that said, of course if you as DM want your spellfire-wielder player character's offspring to also be a spellfire-wielder, of course they will be. However, there ARE other things to consider. The ability to handle spellfire IS very rare, despite the fecundity of the Realms, so perhaps the gods DO restrict its use.

Yes, it would "be possible that some other folks out there might want such a thing." However, few women would want to be among those to bear and mother a spellfire-wielder, because if they know about spellfire at all, they know too things: it's dangerous, and a lot of powerful wizards seem to want to get spellfire, and are prepared to do almost anything to get it.

Certain women in the Realms may be as naive and stupid as any other grouping of Faerunian lifeforms, but folklore and rumours in Faerun will swiftly and very colourfully supply whatever might not have occurred to them, from the "Wizards will enslave me to get my child, and slaughter me the moment it's born" to: "Wizards will rape me magically to get me pregnant, and then twist me into something inhuman, spell to spell, to give my unborn child various powers" to: "Wizards and priests and rulers from all over Faerun will come to capture me with swords and spells and commanded monsters, and kidnap and slay everyone I hold dear to compel me to behave thus and so, only to be slain by the NEXT wizard or priest or ruler -- and I and my friends and neighbours and our homes will be caught right in the middle of all their fighting."

The exceptions to such attitudes might be found in these three small subgroups of women: insane (megalomania) women who ARE rulers or powerful clergy or mages; devout female priests whose doctrines of faith (as stretched by superiors, perhaps) could embrace such a role; and frustrated wealthy social-climbers [successful merchant families] who've realized that they're being permanently shut out of local nobility, and so have nothing to lose in their attempts to become REALLY special. 'Real' noble females would never go for this unless very jaded, lonely, or insane, because deviance from the norm within their elite means loss of status as part of that elite (in other words, they could be shunned and lose their nobility).

If your spellfire-wielding character has access to any of those groups, we have a 'perhaps.' A possibility tempered with the fears of such women about being caught in the crossfire of power groups ambitious to gain spellfire, and with the dangers you've pointed out that the PC will bring down on his own head by going about announcing his power. He will of course have to demonstrate his own spellfire ability, or a rather large percentage of women will treat him as real-world women do any man who makes 'special powers' claims: prove it, baby, or it's just another line spun by someone who wants to get into my pants. (Of course, as you speculated, the PC's rank and charisma will come into play here.)

Certainly a woman of any of the groups mentioned above (or a woman controlled by a power group), could offer the PC several thousands in gold for his seed (probably not more, because they'll play up the "unproven reliability" of his passing on the power, in order to keep the price low), BUT if the PC thinks for more than a few hours (and isn't governed by recklessness), that notion that "Once they have my seed, or perhaps my child with proven powers, they'll have me 'make' a second one, just in case, and then they'll be almost certain to slay me to keep their spellfire rare and valuable. Or they'll enslave me somewhere to turn out their own private army of spellfire-children whom they can train and indoctrinate from birth to serve them. The moment any of my sons reach puberty, I the un-indoctrinated one am surplus to their needs!"

Of course, all of this probable activity flows from a lot of people taking the idea of inherited spellfire seriously, and to answer that part of your question, yes, the general idea probably IS sound. So then it comes down to "How much excitement do you want in your life?"

To highlight the choice facing your PC, let's spin a sideline fantasy (hey, bear with me here, this is what I do for a living). Say another of your players had a female character, who knew for certain (because a god had told her so, privately) that she, and anyone who came into sexual contact with her, would become immune to a plague that is very rapidly killing all other humans. She knows the god is right, because she's nursed her entire dying family, covered often in their bodily messes, and although they've all died, she's just fine. In fact, she's the only one left alive in her village, as desperate humans from everywhere else flee through it, heading they know not where, in a probably vain attempt to escape the plague (she can tell that many of these people are fleeing it). Does she dare tell anyone she can "save" them? If she wants to save someone, how will she do it and not then be forced into sex with anyone who has magic or physical might to overcome her? How can she retain the power of choice? Or will it just be easier to say nothing, and try to lie low and avoid being killed by the desperate folk fleeing everywhere?

That's the flipside of "Hey, perhaps I can get women to PAY me for sleeping with them, whether or not I'll manage to fill the world with spellfire-wielders!" The religious beliefs of the PC will come into play in this decision, too -- because the gods of the Realms are real to folk of Faerun, and this is important enough to not merely be left to the PC consulting a local priest, but will instead probably get the PC a manifestation in his waking lap, or dream-vision-visitations in which the god or a servant of the god will make some powerful suggestions as to what the PC might do (my little parable of the plague-immune woman might be one such vision).

A great question, Taelohn, and a fascinating ingredient for campaign play. I'm not trying to influence you one way or the other on allowing it; as DM, responsibility for entertaining your players is yours, and so 'the call' on this must be yours, too.

Just remember that Azoun was a special case. He had great charisma and an even greater reputation, causing almost hero-worship among the majority of Cormyrean commoners -- who knew, on the basis of his past performance, that there were so many bastard offspring 'out there' already that bearing the King's child WASN'T going to bring them unwelcome attention from War Wizards or nobles (or Sembians or anyone else) wanting to capture royal offspring for some plot or other. Azoun was so revered among Purple Dragons, especially, that there are many instances of women offering themselves to Azoun for a night with the full eager, admiring consent of their husbands. That attitude probably wouldn't be extended to the PC you mention, coming through the door with a cheesy grin on his face as he says something akin to: "Hi, I'm Joe, and I'm a spellfire-wielder. Care to pay me for enjoying my favours?"

I'm going to stop typing now, before I inspire the lovely Lady Hooded to think up something REALLY provocative. I can just HEAR her evil chuckles, reading the last few lines I typed, above.

So saith Ed.

And so right you are, Cuddly Bearded Thing -- oop, EXCUSE me, Exalted Master of the Realms and Great Sage Unsurpassed. So... when were you planning on trying to give ME spellfire?

love to all,
THO

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November 6, 2004: Oh, Wooly, now you've told the world! Thy hamsters, with their soft fur and enthusiastic wrigglings, their bright eyes and breathless - - Ahem. Sorry.

Now, where was I?

Ah, yes, Sourcemaster 2's post.

Oh, Sourcemaster, I love suitors who lay on the sarcasm so thickly that it almost buries me. Accordingly, you may, just as much as you like, beat around MY bu--

AhemhemhemHEM. Yet perhaps I should say rather less about things, lest Wooly and his ferocious hamsters run amok and do damage enough to upset the noble Alaundo, our long-suffering host (to whom we owe so much for making this ongoing revel possible). I wasn't sure if you wanted my answers to your questions or Ed's, but as it happened, we chatted about them back and forth this evening, and agreed on things, so you may take the following as coming from both of us:

1. Probably, given your use of the word "eventually." However, until a new deity rose to control whatever new system of magic replaced the Weave (remember, Mystra IS the Weave; for her to be destroyed "beyond re-creation," Azuth and all of Mystra's Chosen, in whom parts of her power reside, would have to be destroyed, too), magic would be wild or simply wouldn't work. Probably magic items would do SOMETHING when their stored powers were unleashed, but not function as their wielders expected them to (and not under any precise control or exhibiting any consistency of effects).

It's doubtful if most spell-using beings would survive such a cataclysm. None of them would survive it unchanged, to be sure. Nor would the Shadow Weave just 'step in and take over' if Mystra were destroyed utterly, because the Shadow Weave depends on the Weave; without the one, the other (which opposes it, and is 'balanced' to do so) will inevitably collapse too.

So the gods who remained would probably battle for control of magic, in a world in which all magic will have a governing tendency to 'go wild.' Farewell Realms as we know them, and so on.

We're both curious: why do you ask this? :} Is a particularly foolish PC in your campaign planning to assassinate Mystra? (And if so, HOW?)

2. Psionics might be seen as a threat by particular gods in particular passing situations, when wielded by particular other gods or beings, but in general: no. Most gods themselves use psionics, so it's just another ability (like breathing, and it's a rare god [except one whose portfolio is unconcerned with the dead] who'll look down at mortals and seriously say, "Look at all those dangerous beings! Yes, dangerous, I say: see? They're all BREATHING!").

3. Your third query is so important that I'm going to start by quoting it straight: "Just how much control do Faerunian clerics have over the spells they are given? Can a priest trust that the spells he prays for will be granted, or will the gods deny a spell they believe will be used for unworthy aims? Might a deity slip in a different spell if it thinks it will be needed, or is such intervention extremely rare?"

In the PUBLISHED Realms, particularly in Third Edition, it seems to be against design principles to have the gods use their extraordinary powers in ways "unfair" to mere mortals. To put it another way, if the PCs have to follow spellcasting rules, so do the gods.

However, in the 'home' Realms, the gods have ALWAYS showed their displeasure (and sometimes approval) of PC performance by controlling what divine spells are granted in return for prayers. In other words, the god can see if Priest X intends (at the time of asking) to use a spell for selfish purposes not in accordance with the faith, and bestow a lesser spell or nothing at all (or the spell plus a warning lecture).

If the deity is particularly pleased with the performance or aims of Priest X, a spell or spells might be placed in the PC's mind that they could never hope to gain by prayer (i.e. something beyond their level limits).

In all cases, cleric PCs are on constant 'performance review.' If you fail in your mission due to circumstances honestly beyond your control, that's fine, but if your actions and motives stray from the faith (or the commandments, however mistaken or foolish, of your clerical superiors, EXCEPT when you knowingly disobey because you can clearly see THEY are straying from the faith and by your disobedience you will be cleaving to it and furthering the aims and influence of the deity), you will pay a price. Sometimes it's a penance, sometimes a difficult mission or test assigned to you, and sometimes it's 'shorting' your requested spells.

This is one of the key DM tools to making priests very different from "fighters who can cast healing spells, so the rest of the party had better suck up to them, or at least pay lip service to the priests' gods."

So say we both, Ed and I, and I know from experience that he does this.

Which is why priests and credos and priesthoods in the 'home' Realms have always felt real and meant something, long before the superb series of books crafted (in part using Ed's notes, of course) by Eric Boyd and Julia Martin and others.

love to all,
THO

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November 7, 2004: Hello, all.

Athenon, Ed asked Keith Parkinson (the artist who did that particular piece) that back in 1987, and Keith shrugged and said, "Whoever you want it to be. I dunno." So there you have it. Ed wanted a more Merrie Olde Englande/Sherwood Forest look, and in fact was asked to prepare (and did) an exhaustive art order of three figures (with particular attention to every last little detail of what they'd be wearing).

Faraer, I passed your post about wanting to see The Haunted Well on to Ed, whose reply follows:

In design terms, it wouldn't be hard to convert it to 3.5e, but it would have to wait for three things: next year (Hasbro budgets done and set for 2004, so no more web acquisitions), approval from those who do such buying that they want to see it at all (and remember, there are 'orphaned' EEE and Volo's columns from DRAGON floating around that WotC already owns and has paid for, that haven't seen publication because of lack of desire to show them to the wider world), and -- being as it's an adventure that uses some hitherto-unseen (but very minor) magic items and spell effects -- approval by the internal WotC 'Rules Council,' who have a lot of far more important work on their plates to review.

So I'd like to publish it, somewhere and somewhen, as much as you'd like to see it, Faraer, but neither of us should hold our breath awaiting it. I'll mention it to certain Mysterious Masked WotC Masters, though, and see what befalls.

So saith Ed.

I suspect Ed also wants us Knights to return to the Well and play through it before he unleashes it on a waiting world, too. And as you may have gathered, we're an oh-so-obedient lot.

love to all,
THO

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On November 8, 2004 THO said: To Taelohn and Wooly Rupert:

Well, of COURSE I'd like more special powers. Seriously, I'd love to live the rest of my life, from this moment on, able to wield these powers or effects, at will:

Ask Advice Of Dead Ancestors and Former Teachers
Counter The Bosom-Droop of Age
Feather Fall
Fly
Mend
Message
Move Silently
Peer into Ed's Mind
Procure Munchies from Afar
Recover from Peering into Ed's Mind
Spider Climb
Teleport From/To Lap of My Choice
Teleport Self and Lover from Bed to Surface and Location of My Choice (and then back again)
Two-hour Spontaneous Orgasm
Unseen Servant
Write A Brilliant Fantasy Novel (Without Selling Soul To Anyone)
Write Another One

That's just those that've occurred to me off the top of my head, just now. I'm disconsolate at the thought I can never have any of these in real life, and find myself in need of being cheered up.

Personally. Right now. Leash and all.

Helpful scribes?
THO

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November 8, 2004: Hello, all. Thanks, Wooly; I knew I could count on you. I bring Ed's latest reply, this to Kajehase from fair Sweden (a country Ed enjoyed visiting very much):

Sorry, Kajehase, it IS just a coincidence. The "Obarskyrs" have no relationship at all to "Boareskyr Bridge" (please note the 'e' in there). Jeff Grubb and his wife Kate Novak named the ruling family of Cormyr, and I named the place (after the long-ago adventurer Boareskyr [also my creation] who built the first bridge there). Ah, but you're a daring scribe, if you're going to try for the Lady Hooded's leash. Me, I'd just walk up to her and ask for a kiss -- that usually gets you a kiss and then some.

So saith Ed, who's busily blowing my cover again (reputation? Hah! Gone long ago, in one sense, and better than ever, in another).

love to all,
THO

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November 8, 2004: Hello, all. Ed replies to Jerryd this time:

Hi, Jerry! Yes, I'm afraid the dreaded NDA wall hath come down, and I can say little on your chapters (and many other topics besides [sigh]).

You're quite correct on the higher mortality rate in the Realms than in the real-world, with one seldom-mentioned difference: these days, in Faerun, there are fewer 'killer plagues' than in our real world (medieval, Dark Ages, Renaissance, and even the post First World War so-called "Spanish Flu"). There USED to be just as many 'plagues' among humans in the Realms, but the mingling of so many species (predatory beasts and 'intelligent races') would tend to pass around all the 'bad bugs' centuries ago, so most folk in the Realms are now fairly resistant to diseases. So nowadays, individuals die of disease all the time, and many travellers are unwitting carriers, but pandemics are rare.

As has been said before, the Realms in general is more gender-equal than our real world (although I'm speaking in generalities here). Widows and widowers often remarry or just re-cohabit (remember, the pantheistic Realms is VERY different from our medieval real world, wherein the European recorded history we have is of a society dominated by one faith, albeit with many schisms: it's simply wrong to think of "marriage" customs in the Realms in anything like Christian terms).

You are quite correct (in your reply to the Hooded One) when you point out that most priesthoods want folk to have abundant offspring, but she's right in disagreeing with you that Faerunians consciously "place a high value on fertility and childbirth." To them, it's simply normal for women to be very fertile (hence the use of herbal contraceptives by many women who for one reason or another dare not have a child at a certain time [examples: a warrior woman in the midst of desperate guerilla-style warfare, for whom a pregnancy will hamper them when fighting, and a babe die of lack of care when born; or a noblewoman, priestess, or other socially prominent individual who'll rose rank or perhaps even her life by bearing the child of the 'wrong' man, or a child at all]).

Your assumptions about most warfare being conducted by males is (as a generalization, of course) right, and so most battle casualties will in turn be male, yes, and so there will indeed tend to be significant numbers of widows who are still of childbearing age. You're correct that (aside from VERY small-population hamlets and villages, where some women will be jealous of others who can seduce several men, and so sneer at their bastard children, and the aforementioned noble and royal cases) there's little stigma to being a bastard child.

I'm not so certain that (aside from those dominated by priests of certain faiths) there'd be "significant social pressure" on widows to continue bearing children. It's more that, again, it's 'the normal way of things,' and isn't thought about all that much in general social mores.

Which brings me to your "wild and wicked thought." Now, tempting as this idea is to the fiction writer in me (sorry, Realms porn fanciers, I merely said I was tempted -- and, by the way, The Hermit is quite correct in pointing out that it seems to be largely a fiction [we can try to pin the blame on the French romantic writers who also cooked up Lancelot]), I'm going to have to say no to this as a general custom. I will, however, accept that certain priesthoods (Sharess ahem, leaps to mind) might hold with such ideas, and that unscrupulous local rulers, priests, and landowners might try to invent and claim such a right, after hearing bardic ballads and minstrels' tales that feature the notion. The "lord chasing the lass his eye falls upon" element so crucial to Tess of the D'Urbervilles and so many other tales of yesteryear is a stock element of certain sorts of novels because it's rooted in human nature. In the Realms, of course, I see no reason why (given that there are herbs that 'unman' a male for a time, and others that force him to be rampant) women with power and influence couldn't go chasing men in this way. However, combining these claimings with wedding nights is only going to be acceptable to certain faiths, so it's not going to be the norm.

Now we have been assuming 'power overcoming the desire of the wedded couple' here, and being as you brought up the Obarskyrs as an example, I should point out again that in their case (as probably with many nobility, such as the nobles of Tethyr centuries back), certain commoners saw it as an honour to 'entertain' royalty or nobility -- and bearing bastard children was could well mean social advancement, not (real-world Christian thinking again) shame or loss of status.

An interesting topic to explore, but one can readily see (given the Code of Ethics and now the Code of Conduct) why those who publish the Realms have been less than eager to allow delvings along these paths. On the other hand, one only has to glance at a Terry Goodkind novel to know that other fantasy publishers go much farther than we've ever cared to.

So saith Ed, who's busily putting his garden to bed for another year.

He hasn't had to fell any trees for firewood, though, as obliging windstorms keep splitting the old forest giants and bringing them down for him.

love to all,
THO

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November 9, 2004: Hello, all. kuje, I just e-talked to Ed, and he said: no snow yet, but bitter cold. He was out clearing brush down by the road, stripped to the waist, and looked up and saw a teenaged lass staring at him -- from the depths of her snorkel-hooded parka! Ah, Canada when the season turns...

In the words of Ed that follow, the Great Sage tries to help Verghityax:

Sigh. Here we run straight into NDAs, I'm afraid. Let me try to take your questions in order:

1. [NDA]

2. [NDA]

3. There's NDA trouble here as well, but I can say this much about just one temple: the Rose Portal, the Baldurian house of Lathander the Morninglord, is a beautiful structure made of rose-red sandstone, cut and polished into a upsweeping-from-the-ground giant pair of humans hands, clasped together. Long, narrow stained glass (pink in hue, of course) windows are located between the fingers, and the entire structure has been coated in melted glass (sandstone being a notoriously soft, easily-weathered stone). Spells cast within the vaulted central sanctuary of this place cause 'doors' of red radiance to appear and drift about in the air, at various heights (these are illusions, 'shadows' of magical portals rather than real portals -- but when the clerical choir that dwells in the temple, and in tallhouses immediately around it, sing particular harmonies during hymns, some of these doors drift together, and a real portal appears; its destination is said to be any other consecrated altar of Lathander in Faerun that its user is familiar with [has previously visited]).

4. Certainly, for "a few."

First, the street that runs along the inside of the city walls from the Stormkeep (the fortress at the westernmost end of the walls) to Black Dragon Gate is known as 'The Run.'

The street that runs along the edge of the docks from the Seatower of Balduran (feature 6 on the Volo's map) to The Water-Queen's House (8) is 'the Western Wet,' and the street that runs along the docks from the two 'keel-slips' (boatbuilding drydocks) east of The Counting House (29) around the ship-basin and along the wharves as far as Waendel's Wharf (the centermost protruding dock protruding from the east side of the harbor, that has three [and only three] 'legs') is 'the Eastern Wet.'

The wharf to the south of Waendel's (that has four 'legs') is Stormwynd Dock.

The wide, legless wharf north of Waendel's is Athcaulyr's Stand.

The small wharf between Hethkantle's Jetty and the Seatower of Balduran is Glaezel's Dock (it's had several owners and different names in the past; Manthuran Glaezel is the very wealthy head of a prosperous, long-prominent Baldurian family that owns many city businesses and properties), and the street that runs roughly northwest from its 'dry' (land) end, right out to the city wall (parallel to, and immediately south of, Caundorl Street), is Black Eel Street.

The street that begins at Black Eel Street one block in from the Western Wet, and curves northeast near Krammoch Arkhstaff's house (21) to pass along the front of The Lady's Hall (7) and then in front of Black Dragon Gate (10) right to the city wall, and thereafter curve south along the wall to The Rose Portal (27), is Wendserpent Street.

Belltoll Street (9 on the Volo's map) runs from The Wide (2) west to join another street just north of the home and office of the sage Ragefast (a fascinating fellow who tries to trace the whereabouts of magic items and dragon treasures, among other things; this building is map feature 22). The street that Belltoll joins, that curves east from that moot to end at its moot with Wendserpent, and west from that moot to the Stormkeep, is Sornbanner Street.

Another street, Long Lane, can be found by tracing the way that passes the walls of the Blushing Mermaid (map feature 19) and Manycoins House (20) to curve to the eastern city gate. The northern end of Long Lane is a small triangular open plaza (often crowded with wagons loading and unloading crates, coffers, and barrels destined for, or fresh come from, city shops). This open space is called 'the Thulgrave,' because the tall, narrow fountain at its heart (a pillar of stone carved into the likeness of a waterspout, with the hands of Talos and of Umberlee rising out of fierce waves around its base to direct the waterspout higher; its water falls back down into the waves and drains away through holes bored at their lowest points) is Thulgrave's Fountain. Ilgrar Thulgrave was a wealthy merchant fleet shipowner (and yes, he's buried in the base of the fountain, so it's literally 'the Thulgrave'). It should be noted that "plaza" is a word unknown in the Realms. In Baldur's Gate, such an open space is called a 'strake.'

Immediately east of Long Lane, paralleling it on its path from the city gate to the Thulgrave (and running right past the doors of map feature 5, the Elfsong Tavern), is Lorammor Street. Many small shops line Lorammor (sometimes three establishments to a building, in cellar, on street level, and in the upper level).

The street that passes Manycoins House (20) on its west side, and curves around to the southernmost city gate, is Nuthkhal's Way.

The street that encircles The Wide (2), running from The Counting House (29) north past the doors of Flamesinger House (23), and then south again to pass the doors of The Rose Portal (27), is Manyspears Lane. Its run is dominated by three- and four-story tallhouses that have been divided into many small apartments; many Baldurian shopkeepers, crafters, and shop assistants dwell along Manyspears.

Lastly, three moots (street intersections) have names that visitors to Baldur's Gate would do well to know, because locals use them as everyday landmarks (e.g. "He dwells seaward of Three Spires"). They are: Three Spires, Fox Bottom, and Lionsmoot.

Three Spires, named for the spired towers of three ornate private mansions that tower above the moot, is the six-way intersection just west of map feature 21 (Krammoch Arkhstaff's house). On the Volo's map, it's directly above the numeral "2" of the "21." The north-south street that passes between the "2" and the "1" is Hauth Lane, and the other two streets involved in the moot are Wendserpent Street and Blackraven Lane (Arkhstaff's house actually fronts on Blackraven, and it runs west through the moot to end in a moot with Chalsendace Street, a curving street lined with the mansions of the wealthy, that runs from the city wall to end in a moot with Stormcanter Street.

Years ago, Fox Bottom was a wooded hollow where a vixen denned under rocks and bore brood after brood of hungry foxes. Now it's the closest thing Baldur's Gate has to a slum: a moot surrounded by crowded, run-down rooming-houses where rats scurry, washing hangs on high everywhere, and beggars and maimed old sailors are watched warily by well-armed patrols. Fox Bottom can be found a mere two blocks south of Manycoins House (20), where Long Lane crosses Hulkael Street. Hulkael begins in the Lathdell (the small open strake where the Shrine of the Suffering, Volo's map feature 26, stands), and winds south through Murl's Rest (the strake where Sorcerous Sundries, map feature 14, stands) to pass along the east side of The Blade and Stars inn (map feature 18), before hooking around west and northwest to the docks.

Lionsmoot is just southeast of Stormkeep. From the fortress, one takes Stormshore Street (feature 11 on the Volo's map, and yes, it runs clear across the city, not far north of the docks, through where the numeral "11" appears on that map, and beyond) to the end of Stormcanter Street. That threeway moot, where Stormcanter begins its run across the city, is named for The House of the Lion, a luxurious festhall that stands in its eastern angle. For some years, it's been the habit of young 'blades' (men of youth, style, and coin) and 'lacethroats' (daring young women of style and coin enough to dress fashionably) of the city to gather on pleasant evenings to duel, gamble, flirt to choose bedpartners for the night, and parade their fashions and attitudes. When things grow too rowdy, the 'waycudgels' (bouncers) of the brothel go out and drive many of the couples indoors to the Lion to continue their revelry, scattering the rest to continue their fun elsewhere.

Pronunciations: "WAYNe-del" and "Ath-call-EER's" and "THULL-gray-ve" and "Lore-AM-more" and "NUTH-call's" and "Chall-SEN-dace" and "Hull-KALE"

5. [NDA]

So saith Ed.

Well, at least you've got about a third of the Baldurian streets named, now! Sorry about the unanswered questions, Verghityax, but at least Ed's NDA notations tell you he's involved in some way with something to do with Baldur's Gate that's not yet appeared. I'm guessing a licensed product (Atari computer game?), but that's just a guess -- Ed has told me absolutely NOTHING about this.

love to all,
THO

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November 9, 2004: Hello, all. Ed makes another reply:

Torkwaret, Steven's already dealt admirably with your first question; of COURSE you can still have baneliches around if you'd like to use them in your campaign.

Here are some banelich names from my notes: Clarth Hornhaeld, Khorvan Jaeleth, Harlrhys Moksoun, Haursar Rhallowglas, and Laumbur Yuthlekh.

As for burnbones, to quote the rules: "The early days of the Banedeath did not go well for Cyric, the (then) new god of the dead, and many of his fledgling clerics were slaughtered at the hands of powerful Banites. Cyric soon after empowered select members of his clerical faithful with a portion of his power -- so much power, in fact, that these clerics' mortal forms dissolved into nothing more than mere bones and the fiery power of the Dark Sun. These new undead, burnbones, are similar to the blazing bones found in the ruins of Myth Drannor in appearance, but that is where the similarity ends. Burnbones tend to wear the symbol of Cyric on themselves (as a holy symbol, for instance) as a sign of their devotion."

In other words, they're paranoid, fanatical worshippers of Cyric who appear as walking skeletons sheathed in everburning flames. They do fiery damage by their touch, and heat damage to all creatures within ten feet (the flames never consume their bones, and they're a lot more powerful than skeletons). They retain the spellcasting abilities (but no actual casting needed; they just point a finger and the spell issues forth) they had in life (as priests of Cyric of 12th or greater level). Cast spells return in 24 hours, spells can't be interrupted, and they can cast a spell with one hand and attack with the other in any given round. Curing spells harm them. Burnbones are detailed in the 2nd Edition D&D Realms boxed set TSR1120 Ruins of Zhentil Keep (the cover of the box shows three adventurers confronting a burnbones).

Cyric controls them personally if he desires, so there's no need to hunt down these rules; make their specifics whatever you want them to be, and blame the result on Cyric's presence.

So saith Ed.

We Knights never faced a burnbones, but we did tangle with more than one blazing bones. Not nice creatures. REALLY not nice creatures.

love to all,
THO

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On November 10, 2004 THO said: Ahem, Bookwyrm, what is this talk of brothXXX festhalls? I accept no coin, and thus... well, anyway...

Karth, I believe Loudwater is under heavy NDA protection at the present time because of the RPGA (Green Regent). Are there any scribes reading this who can enlighten me on this, one way or the other? I'm not a member and never have been, but Ed's a Charter Lifetime member, and although he regards Ian Richards (current RPGA head) as a friend, I also know he's out of touch with the current RPGA program.

Me, I miss his diabolical chuckles as he penned yet another silly cert that he knew would drive HQ nuts ("A cert that forces Azoun to trade his armor and swords for yours on sight, because you hold the Ancient Acorn of Thargoth? What the @#$#%^^$&! was Ed DRINKING?"). :}

Ah, those were the days.

love to all,
THO

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November 10, 2004: Hello, all. This just in! I bring a reply from Ed to kuje regarding Larloch:

It's certainly true that the 3e philosophy is that PCs can do (or at least attempt) everything. However, this reminds me of the old "I killed the god!" and "Our party wiped out the dragon in two rounds, no problem!" 1st edition arguments. Plus ca change...

Hunting Larloch could make the basis for a fascinating high-level campaign, but the DM must run it as if Larloch is amused by the PC attempts, and thus doesn't swat them (much) the moment they begin trying, or it'll be a very SHORT campaign ("You attack Larloch? Okay. WHAM. Right, everyone roll up new characters...").

In the same way as too many PC dragonslayings depend upon the dragon being played as a dumb brute, it's highly unlikely that any PC party will have the sheer power to take down Larloch - - and in any war of attrition against his many, many liches and modified powerful undead minions (forty blazing bones over here, a demi-lich over there, various hulking gigantic undead concoted of many battle dead yonder,deceptions galore ("That wasn't Larloch, that was your KING enspelled to look like Larloch! NOW you're in trouble!"), traps that release disease, poisoned this, poisoned that [like, ahem, the PCs' drinking water] etc. etc.), a party of PCs would have to be stupid indeed not to figure out that destroying Larloch just isn't worth the effort.

Like most gods in most situations, Larloch doesn't NEED to stand and fight when it's not to his advantage. Like gods, he doesn't need to sleep, and most PCs do. So he'll just have his minions harry them until they're stumbling-exhausted, and then throw MORE minions at them. Larloch isn't insane or stupid enough to need to show up in person to gloat; subtly controlling things from afar is what he DOES, and enjoys. So PCs can expect to find themselves attacked by civil authorities in whatever realm they're in, and then brigands, and then a few guilds, never being allowed to sleep without yet another undead attack - - and even zombies and skeletons can wear you down when they come in waves, dozens daily, for day after night after month.

And if the PCs DO win their ways through all the liches to Larloch, "he" will almost certainly be just another lich (loaded with explosive spells) set up as a decoy, with dozens of hidden liches waiting to pounce on any surviving PCs who 'celebrate' after they take Larloch down. As the REAL Larloch watches (magical scrying) from afar.

Myself, as DM, I'd be wondering: "Such a glorious game, so many opportunities laid out before your PCs to devote your time to, and THIS fixation is the best you can come up with? Are you SURE you're adventurers?" :}

So saith Ed.

I take the view that if a DM tells you that a city your PCs are visiting is surrounded by a ring of hills, it requires a lot of PC insanity to try to destroy the hills "just because they're there." Consider Larloch a hill, part of the furniture of the Realms Ed has presented to you, not a target. Sounds like the very worst sort of power-gaming to me, and although we all need an outlet to just SMASH something once in a while, I'd hesitate to call this approach "roleplaying."

love to all,
THO

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On Novemer 11, 2004 THO said: Ah, you ask something we Knights asked Ed long, long ago. Remember the mention of a Lord casting a mass teleport variant spell on a Hunt? Well, they can TRACE those suits of armour if they want to (with the right spell). So armour-snatchers have tried it, and paid the price.

Ed told me this, years back:

Bear in mind that most mainlanders have only scant knowledge of Nimbral, and most of what they do "know" is fanciful and distorted . . .[snippage of much here That Should Remain Secret For Now] . . . See the glowing glass armour when a Hunt flies overhead, ask a sage or bard about it, and you'll probably (if you get any real answer at all) get the "and they always hunt down anyone who tries to steal yon battlemetal" as part of it . . . So there's your answer, DDH.

As for "Knightse," obviously someone at WotC didn't check their computer work, and somehow Knights' became Knightse.

love to all,
THO

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On November 11, 2004 THO said: Dargoth, some months ago (on Page 44 of this thread) you asked about the locations of some artifacts in the Realms.

I've found my old notes, and can enlighten you somewhat (I doubt Ed will, because he wants such things to either be widely-known "temple treasures" or surprises for a PC party):

In the city of Waterdeep, there's a deck of many things hidden behind a loose stone somewhere in the older, deeper chambers of Castle Waterdeep (don't ask how we found THIS out).

There's a Staff of the Magi 'hidden' as one of the four posts of a canopied four-poster bed in Alustriel's guest bedchamber in her palace in Silverymoon. There's another Staff of the Magi somewhere on a rooftop in Suzail (dropped there during an aerial night battle above the central streets south of the Promenade). And somewhere in the Ghost Holds, on the finger of an undead skeleton that can't operate it, there's a ring (finger-ring) that can make the user blink and emit a flame blade, and summon (teleport) yet another Staff of the Magi from an unknown elsewhere to the ring-wearer's hand.

I know this was a long time coming, but I hope it's of help.
THO

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November 12, 2004: Hello, all. Ed doth make reply to lordhobie:

Hi. Over the years (and various game editions), I've created bands of tournament PCs from whole cloth, originally to tailor their levels to the adventure challenges, and thereafter because many players return to GenCon after GenCon (to give just one example) to play in my events year after year, and like to 'pick up' their favourite characters. Many, many people have played the parts of members of the Baron's Blades band (personal bodyguard of Baron Uldonner Erendin, the Baron of Hawkhill in northeasternmost, mountainous rural Amn [no, you won't find Hawkhill on any Realms map) more than once, unfolding such puzzles as "Spellstorm" and "Lord Ravelstan's Left Nostril."

As they clearly enjoy running 'the next episode' in the exploits of these characters, I've been careful to stick to characters I use just for tournament play, so as to keep them 'unencumbered.'

So saith Ed.

Ah, yes, the gruff, lecherous old Baron (all bluster and walrus moustache and great big goblets of highly-fortified wine) and his frighteningly beautiful, and even more frighteningly capable, daughter...

Now, THEY should be in a television series. Move over, Addams Family.
THO

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On November 13, 2004 THO said: As it happens, Blueblade, I've just been e-talking to Ed about pretty much this very thing, so I can give you a swift answer.

Ed has a long, long list of ideas: stories he'd like to tell, interesting questions ("What if the Simbul and Alustriel went after the same guy to be their lover? And he was being manipulated by Shar?"), and topics about the Realms or Aglirta that he knows have been neglected thus far.

However, Ed makes his living writing, these days. Which means he has to sell what he writes. So editors, who buy writing, really make most of the decisions. Ed is in the category of bestselling writers who seldom, if ever, have to write something 'on spec' and then try to sell it; he's almost always accepting an assignment from someone (who tells him length, deadline, tone [for kids/adult, humourous/serious, etc.] and content [put these characters together here, and there has to, ahem, be a cucumber in the story], and only then writing the tale.

When it comes to the Realms, Ed has a large amount of input in discussing what should go into stories, and after an editor approves an outline, is pretty much left alone to tell the story himself. If the result isn't what the editor wanted, the editor will demand a rewrite, sometimes several, and then of course (because Realms writing is "work-for-hire") can change literally every line after Ed turns it in. Some Realms writers get heavily line-edited, and some get off lightly. Ed's in the latter group because he's a good writer, has a professional attitude (if asked to change something, he usually does without argument), is the world's reigning expert on the Realms (so it's hard for an editor to tell him with a straight face that, just to invent some examples, he's presented Azoun IV wrongly, or misunderstood the nature of nobles in Waterdeep), and by now knows pretty much what WotC editors are looking for, and so delivers it (self-censors, if you will).

So deciding on the plot of a novel begins with: "Hey, Ed, how'd you like to write a novel about X? With Y and Z showing up in it? We need it to..."

Ed then replies, "Okay, but remember that X is currently A, so do you want this to be light and humorous? Should Y and Z be..."

There's brief discussion, Ed promises to whip up an outline and send it, the editor suggests changes, agreement is reached, and Ed goes to work. When the editor reads the first draft, they'll point out plot holes and confusing passages, AND say, "I was looking for more pathos (or whatever) in Chapter Q, so could you...?" Out of that comes the second draft, or sometimes just a few-paragraphs e-mailed 'tweak' of Chapter Q, and the latest masterpiece is done.

BRW, Ed rarely has less than four novels (and/or major gaming products) on the go at once.

So there you have it. love to all,
THO

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November 14, 2004: A good question, Blueblade. I was on the line with Ed when you posted, so here like lightning is his reply:

Every busy person has to deal with lots of tasks and make up priorities, whether they sit down and do it consciously, or admit it, or not. Writers are no different. I usually have about a dozen projects on the go at once, in some sense or another (even if it's just ideas jotted down that I'll do more with 'in an idle moment,' whatever THAT is), so I very much have to prioritize.

For me, what I've promised trumps all. I'm only as good as my word, and if I've made a firm promise, formal contract or not, I do everything I can to fulfill it. That's good business sense as well as my personal creed; there's no worse pariah in publishing than an author who NEVER makes deadlines. (They call them "DEADlines" for a reason. :} )

Leaving that aside, here's how I choose.

Realms first. My first love, my greatest creation, the baby I've put thirty-seven years of work into thus far, my headspace HOME.

Second, what friends ask me to do. I value my friends, and will drop everything if I can to help out a friend. Yes, it wins brownie points, but that's not why I do it. I do it because it makes me feel good, like keeping my word, and I don't want to do writing/designing at all if it's not going to make me feel good.

Third, something new. A challenge. A very short deadline or a confined format or style are my least favourite challenges, but they make the list. The challenges I love are interesting topics.

Four, everything else. Drafting a constitution for a local ratepayers' association. Crafting legal agreements and policy statements for a local library board. The necessary but unexciting donkeywork.

And that's it for me. Pretty simple.

Now, Blueblade, if you were trying to slyly find out what I'm working on right now, halfway through November 2004, my reply must be: four novels and the planning of three more, articles for magazines, columns for websites, eight short stories, three gaming sourcebooks, and two projects that must remain mysterious as of this writing. Plus procedural rules for meetings for that ratepayers' association, and some "here's something interesting at your library" columns for a local newspaper. Plus my annual Christmas story to be read aloud at a library in another town, and the annual Spin A Yarn frolic for the WotC website. Oh, and some ticklish correspondence, too. Plus dust-jacket blurbs for books by other writers.

I'm also reviewing two Realms novels right now, and will be writing suggestions/don't-forget-this notations very soon.

So saith Ed.

It's been said before just how blamed BUSY the man is, and this just demonstrates it again.

love to all,
THO

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November 15, 2004: Nobly tried, SB.

Ed would say only this:

Well, Sirius, one of them is in your poll, and one isn't. Both are by staffers or ex-staffers of TSR and WotC, both are largely set in the Heartlands, and both (from what I've seen thus far) should be very good reads.

So saith Ed.

About whom * I * now know a 'book secret' that I'm not going to breathe a word about, yet. Heeheehee (ah, such a mature and urbane reaction; SB, tug my leash, will you? I'm sure Wooly won't mind, as long as he gets to watch)

love to all,
THO

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November 16, 2004: Hello, all. Blueblade, Ed doth make reply:

Yes, Castlemorn WILL be published (as at least the root sourcebook; as for the rest of the planned product line, we'll have to see). Think of a long, lumpy potato, surrounded by so-called impenetrable mountains (where many monsters and outlaws dwell) along one side (say, the 'north' side). The south side of the potato is a seacoast, and the potato itself is an array of many fascinating kingdoms. The seacoast looks out onto a saltwater bay, created by an arc of breakwater islands, and enclosing a mysterious island shrouded in legends and studded with ruins. The seas outside are 'trackless,' and to east and west are cloaked in everpresent mists, strewn with dangerous shoals, and said to contain a city of wizards and some other perils. No sailor can reliably go there and return.

So Castlemorn would work well as part of a continent of Toril distant from Faerun and isolated from it (except by, say, portals). There are differences in the deities, but it's not as if the Realms hasn't seen THAT before. :}

Myself, I think the sourcebook (or ANY single tome) is too small to provide the level of detail we've managed to build into the published Realms over twenty-five years, so I'm hoping you'll buy truckloads of the first book so we can do more.

So saith Ed.

Who surpriseth me not.

love to all,
THO

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November 17, 2004: I have a question for The Blind Ranger, relayed from Ed:

... "significance" of El's sigil how? Magical powers? What his being a Chosen does to it? Or is this "why does it take the form it does/is shaped the way it is"?

And (the Big One :}) which sigil? Elminster has two.

BR? Thanks!

love to all,
THO

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November 18, 2004: Hello, all. Blind Ranger, Ed tells me the fruit answer is going to take a few days. As for the Elminster's sigil, his words to thee are thus:

Okay, let's forget I mentioned two sigils for now, all right? Not because I want to keep secrets, but because transmitting a drawing of 'the other one' isn't going to be easy for me right now, and because it's a LONG story. I'll tell it, some day - - just not now.

So we're left with the crescent moon, horns uppermost, and an oval floating in the 'bowl' created by those horns. This is the second sigil Elminster adopted (again, the why is very much part of that long story I referred to; the very short version is that he took this one because Mystra asked him to), he designed it himself, and he chose the crescent moon to echo the symbol of the Harpers (which he'd also designed, earlier) and because it also echoes the sigil of the Srinshee, his first teacher of magic in Myth Drannor, of whom he is very fond. The oval within the crescent symbolizes the 'Great Watching Eye' of Mystra, which was one of her favourite manifestations (a semi-tangible form in which she appeared to mortals: a giant floating eye that faded in and out of visibility/prime material plane "existence" and that could vary in apparent size from about nine feet across to about ninety feet across) at that time. (This is of course 'the first' Mystra, Elminster's lover, not her replacement Midnight/Ariel Manx.) Elminster wanted a simple, easily-drawn sigil that pleased his eye, and that meant sweeping elven curves rather than any angular or 'crossing strokes' designs.

Thanks to some work Azuth did with Mystra, all of the Chosen of Mystra can use their sigils in some ways that the sigils of 'just plain wizards' won't function unless their 'owners' find or create special spells to imbue their sigils with such powers. Such mortals would have to cast one such spell to 'empower' each drawn sigil with a particular ability, whereas the Chosen can automatically use the functions I outline below on any drawing THEY HAVE PERSONALLY MADE of their own sigil, no matter where it is in Toril (or rather, Realmspace: in other words, these powers only function when the sigil is in contact with the Weave). These aren't all of the uses of a sigil, they are merely those Mystra has revealed to her Chosen thus far.

It should be noted that many of the Chosen strongly suspect that Mystra and Azuth can both use their sigils for much greater magical purposes (sending healing through them into the bodies of someone touching such a sigil, sending spells through these sigils into the minds of creatures touching them, either to affect the creature or for the creature to cast as if they had themselves memorized it, and so on). This would explain instances of devout worshippers or servants of Mystra or Azuth touching a sigil in personal emergencies and being healed, rendered invisible or gaseous, enabled to fly, teleported elsewhere, and so on. The deities (but not their Chosen) are also believed to be able to temporarily reshape sigils into writing, so as to send short (or slow, a few words at a time) messages.

As any Chosen of Mystra can, Elminster can use his sigil as a spell focus in the following ways.

Any of his sigils, no matter where the surface (page of a book, tile, or whatever) on which he drew it has been moved (even without his knowledge), are to be considered a known, familiar locale to him for the purposes of his casting clairaudience/clairvoyance 'through' the sigil (it becomes the magical sensor of the magic, regardless of distance from him at the time). Such a sigil is also considered a "very familiar" locale, regardless of where it may have been moved to, for the purposes of determining the success of a teleport or teleport object spell.

In the same 'regardless of distance' manner, any of his sigils can function as the source (as if the sigil was the caster) for the spells: arcane eye, message, and silent image (remains stationary, anchored at sigil). The arcane eye can move about in the usual manner, or (more often used by Chosen) the sigil itself can function as the sensor.

A sigil drawn directly over the arcane mark placed by another being doesn't obliberate that mark, but causes it to completely cease functioning until the sigil is removed (this can have implications for the function of a Drawmij's instant summons or other magics cast by the being who placed the arcane mark).

At will, without casting a spell, a Chosen can cause any of his or her personally-drawn sigils to glow (akin in all respects to a faerie fire spell, with hue and intensity of light governed by the Chosen; the light can be made to pulse or wink in silent communication - - "Two means yes? One means no?"), and this function can work simultaenously with a spell (for example, clairaudience/clairvoyance used by the Chosen). The Chosen can instead cause a sigil to emit a continual flame (cancelling it by will at any time), but this power, though it can ignite things, apparently can't be made to change colour or pulse.

So saith Ed, who's just explained quite a few 'mysterious' happenings we Knights observed down the years. Hmmm.

love to all,
THO

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November 19, 2004: Hello, all. Herewith, Ed's reply to Baalster of Whitehorn:

Regarding the Knights of the North, if it suits your own campaign, it would be fine to "assume that the Knights would have gained followers, who also could have ended up Knights themselves."

However, I can make no promises whatsoever that added members will be echoed in official Realmslore, and can in fact say nothing at all regarding the Knights of the North other than to hint that all fans of the Realms may fairly soon know rather more about them.

Gosh, that hint was subtle. :}

So saith Ed, wallowing in sarcasm there at the end.

Ah, there's nothing quite like a good wallow in sarcasm.

love to all,
THO

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November 19, 2004: Hello, all. Ed makes answer to Foxhelm:

1. Yes. Many times.

2. I'd bring to the Realms: lots and lots of candy to use in bribery, to get people to do things to aid me. My maps of the Realms. Lots of pencils and a tiny knife to sharpen them with, and notebooks to make LOTS of notes in. And at least three digital cameras with LARGE memories.

The only way I'd get there would be with the aid of Elminster or Laeral, and my "musts" would be to visit Storm in Shadowdale, Alustriel in Silverymoon, Mirt in Waterdeep, and Tessaril Winter in Eveningstar in Cormyr (in that order), to see all of those places (I need a strong escort to take me all around Waterdeep whilst I gawk, enjoying the Moon Sphere, and then get me into a nobles' revel). (If things 'went bad' in Cormyr, I could hide in the Hidden House.) I'd ask El to take me to see the Srinshee, and beg her to show me some of the most beautiful places known to elves. (At least a few moments, under her protection, at the heart of the overgrown-by-forest ruins of Myth Drannor, please!) I'd want to be taken up the Unicorn Run, and - - so on, and on, and on. Believe me, I have a LONG tour list.

I can tour all of these places in my imagination, right now, but it would be good to dine in Storm's kitchen and really taste the soup, if you know what I mean. Even if the only way to do so was to let Sylune 'ride' my body, using it to go and do what she wanted.

And you're welcome. Don't worry about taking up my time. This is what I do with my life, quite willingly. It's like having the whole world come and play with a toy I created. I derive daily enjoyment from finding out new things about the toy, watching people add to it or debate about it, and watching it 'grow.' So thank YOU.

So saith Ed.

I know the longing he feels, believe me! Sometimes during play sessions I just lie back in the armchair, close my eyes, and let his voice take me there, as he described this or that, and spoke as various NPCs or made noises for the wind, beasts, doors crashing open, knockings, the hooves of horses, and suchlike. That's always been the great attraction for me: stepping through the door into the Realms, not hacking this or blasting that.

love to all,
THO

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November 20, 2004: Ah, a lull. How nice; perhaps Ed will snatch the chance to get the Spin A Yarn tale done.

Ahem. Hello, all. Ed answers zeathiel:

The armies of Silverymoon have changed in name and organization many times over the years, both as a result of plagues (1150 DR) and various orc hordes, and at the whim of many early Warlords of the city. They changed again after Alustriel became High Mage of the city.

Silverymoon still has a militia, and a Sword-of-Coins (officer who hires mercenary bands for particular missions, such as "scour out that trollhold," and "drive out any orcs you find betwixt XX and YY on this map"). The Knights in Silver are Silverymoon's professional standing army of very well armed, trained, and armored mounted cavalry, and are the backbone of the standing military. The 'Knights in Silver' name was adopted circa 1349 DR, from a line in the lyrics of a popular-across-the-Sword-Coast-North ballad by the bard Mintiper Moonsilver (before that time, the heavy cavalry of Silverymoon's paid soldiery was known as 'the Silvershields,' and had no formal name at all; both they and their motley fellow warriors (see below) were 'Soldiers of Silverymoon' in 'the Army of Silverymoon.'

The Spellguard (founded in 1255 DR) and the High Guard (palace guards, who also serve as bodyguards for Alustriel, Taern, all city officers, and visiting VIPs) were and are separate units, and so is Silverymoon's city watch. What has 'melted away' over the years (mainly due to combat losses not being replaced) are the outside-the-walls-patrol and training units known as 'the Steelshields.' These motley warriors (I describe them as that because of their widely varying weaponry and armor, not as any aspersion on their discipline or quality as a fighting force) dwindled in numbers, until they were quietly folded into the Knights in Silver. So the Knights now serve to patrol the lands around the city (in all directions, at least a three-day-ride out from the walls), and to escort important travellers, garrison encamped visitors and caravans, serve in the Argent Legion on Silverymoon's behalf, and be ready to sally forth as a strike force against raiding bands of brigands, orcs, trolls, hobgoblins, and suchlike.

The Argent Legion officially came into being in 1371 DR (as reported in THE SILVER MARCHES sourcebook, which also details the Knights in Silver and the Spellguard), when the League of the Silver Marches was proclaimed.

So saith Ed.

Who knows the Realms like no other, of course.

love to all,
THO

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November 21, 2004: Hello, all. Ed doth make ahem, fruitful reply to The Blind Ranger:

It was a design decision from the outset of the published Realms that gamers who didn't want to learn a world's worth of invented fruit, vegetables, trees, and metals could stick to what they knew. So you'll find oranges and blackberries and limes in Realms fiction and gamelore, under their own names. My various Volo's Guides and more recent WotC website article "My Slice of Silverymoon" give glimpses of Faerunian cuisine, and earlier in this thread I mentioned food of Tantras and Turmish.

There are publishing plans, I'm afraid, that prevent me from providing any exhaustive catalogue of fruits here. Here are some highlights.

The severe climate of the North means very little fresh fruit is available in winter (after freeze-up, when ships stop sailing into Waterdeep and other ports) except in processed (jams, brandies, pickled or honeyed) form. Berries (literally hundreds of different sorts) and apples are the main fruit native to the North. There's also a savoury (not sweet) fruit native to, and cultivated in, the North known as the sarsae. Sarsae are tough-skinned and hardy, with a mottled green skin that darkens from yellow-white as it ripens, firm yellow-white flesh similar to that of some real-world apples, and an almost cheese-like, but tart, taste. Sarsae are used as we real-world folk would use tomatoes, and vary widely in size depending on how wet the warm growing months are, and how much sun they get (edible, unshrivelled sarsae may be as small as real-world golf balls, or as large as real-world volleyballs, with most of them being about the size of a softball).

One curiosity of the North is 'firefruit' (sometimes called 'amberglows'). These are small, succulent golden berries, very hard-skinned but filled with a semi-liquid as sweet as honey but fruity in flavour, that grow every three or four years on certain mosses and lichens, when these growths flower. Most mosses and lichens never bear such fruit, and only rangers and other experts on the flora of the area are usually able to tell which of the rare sorts of fungi will bear firefruit. When seen, protruding from hair-thin stalks out of the scabrous fungi, they can be eaten with surety, because there's nothing poisonous or inedible that looks like firefruit.

Another culinary peculiarity of the North are 'snowberries,' which grow in profusion in the Fallen Lands and near Glister in the Moonsea North, but can be found everywhere in the Sword Coast North. Heavily grazed by birds and animals of all sorts, these aren't a single variety of fruit but rather a rangers' (and Uthgardt barbarians') classification of many sorts of vines and bushes whose berries remain quite pleasant and edible when frozen - - and so can readily be eaten when found under ice and snow in the howling hearts of winter blizzards.

Many larders in the North, Sword Coast, and Heartlands hold wax-sealed jars of apple and berry jams and jellies, marmalade, pickled whole quinces and lemons (chopped up and used in cooking; almost never eaten whole, and honeyed figs.

Ships bring all of these processed foods (usually in large barrels, with the jarring being done in the ports where the ships unload) from warmer climes, and also bring fresh fruit in season.

One of the most popular such fruit - - popular because it travels so well (resisting rot and bruising, and is little loved by shipboard rats, hence only lightly nibbled), AND because it has such a long growing season, with fruits ripening for use from Flamerule through Marpenoth - - is the tammar, native to Calimshan, the hills around the Lake of Steam, and the Border Kingdoms. Tammar are small, round, hard fruit (about the size of a lacrosse or squash ball). The pink (when unripe) to crimson (when ripe; they go black when overripe) peel or rind is inedible and very hard to 'knocks,' but can readily be cut and then peeled (slowly, in a spiral one-layer-after-another tearing open) to reveal firm, chewy pink flesh that tastes something like real-world tangerines or clementines. This flesh is juicy when chewed, but isn't as 'wet' with running juice when revealed as that of tangerines or clementines, and is split into only four segments (more like 'buds' of garlic in sturdiness and shape than the many smaller lobes of most real-world citrus fruit).

A lime-like fruit called a 'quace' is also abundant in the coastlands of the Shining Sea (in other words, in all the areas the tammar flourishes in plus Lapaliiya and the Tashalar), but is very easily bruised and very strong (acidic) in taste. Except in various bottled sauces, it's little known in the North.

'Ockles' in Waterdeep are oranges from the Shining South coasts (that is, Estagund, Durpar, and thereabouts) that grow in long strings of attached globes, looking more like strands of pearls than fruit. Except for this configuration, they pretty much ARE what we real-world eaters would recognize as oranges.

All over the southern lands, pomegranates grow wild, and are sometimes shipped to the Heartlands and the Sword Coast North when a ship has extra space (they command low prices, but can be picked almost for free throughout the warm lands (the Shaar, of course, excluded); many southerners boil them to make sauces or dyes rather than eating them as fruit). In the Realms, however, the word 'pomegranate' is unknown; to folk of Faerun, these are 'araed' (as with sarsae, tammar, and quace, singular and plural the same; thus, 'a basket of araed' and 'I ate an araed' or 'Cut up two araed').

The other fruit imported into the Sword Coast lands and Heartlands from late summer to freeze-up (most of them can be kept for some months, if buried under earth or leaf mulch in a cool cellar to keep them from freezing) are melons of various sorts. The most popular three types of melons are ramrath, mritha-fruit, and tlarm-melons.

The ramrath is a reddish, round (volleyball-sized) melon grown in the Tashalar. Its flesh is firm and scarlet, and it can be used as we use watermelons, or sliced and fried (with the rind removed) to make a slab-of-cake-like fruit served on platters topped with desserts (confections of creams and syrups and more decorative fruit). Never say "ramraths," by the way, unless you really mean to. 'Ramrath' is the plural form of the fruit, whereas 'ramraths' is a euphemism for human breasts (both female and the large pectorals possessed by fat men).

Many shiploads of mritha-fruit and tlarm-melons are exported from Lundeth. Mritha-fruit are very like apples, but with sweet, acidic citrus-like juices at their hearts. Their skins are pale pink, and grow many reddish streaks and mottlings as they ripen. They can be eaten at any stage from pink to when they become 'all over red,' and although their early edibility has nourished many hungry Northerners who eagerly buy them from the first shipcaptains to brave breakup (of the sea-ice), most folk swear by the rich, strong, almost (black) licorice taste they get, from Eleasias on, when fully reddened.

Tlarm-melons are large, oval, green with streaks of darker green (think real-world watermelons in outer size and hue) fruit that have golden-yellow flesh. They taste almost like real-world rhubarb (which, by the way, is also found growing wild in abundance, in the Heartlands), and have very thick white inedible rinds that can be boiled down to make a glue or caulking, and that keep them very well protected against bruising and rotting. Tlarm-melons ripen late (Eleint), but are so numerous then that tlarm-flesh alone could feed almost everyone in the North (though they'd soon be sick of a steady diet of only tlarm, of course) if some way could be found to ship it all. Many farmers along the Shining South coasts gorge themselves on tlarm-melons, fill their cellars with tlarm-preserves, compete with each other to make tlarm soups and stews that taste like something else - - and still have wagonloads of tlarm that they plow under as fertilizer. That's one of the reasons that the South is where spices are big business (and a wide variety of strong spices are gleamed from local plants).

So saith Ed.

Enough to go on, TBR?

love to all,
THO

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November 21, 2004: A serious answer for simontrinity (who probably wasn't expecting one): Ed's hardest task is keeping straight details of Realmslore added by other creators, because increasingly (as he ages), such details don't "stick" in his mind.

NDAs are easy. Err on the side of caution, always, and then when it comes to teaser time, put yourself in the position of what the company would want (easy if you've discussed a project with the company staff handling it) and proceed accordingly.

I usually imagine Ed, these days, as an eye winking at me through this or that chink in this ever-rising castle wall of NDAs.

love to all,
THO

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November 22, 2004: Hello, all. Thy Hooded Lady with a response to the Hells thing.

Ed (yes, that guy, the creator of the Realms and of the Nine Hells as D&D-ers know them, as well as the writer who inflicted Elminster In Hell on a bewildered world) speaks:

The Hooded One has sent me the entire text of the thread thus far, and I must say first off that I'm pleased and impressed that scribes feel so passionately about what is, after all, a series of imaginary creations. There's hope for us all yet! :}

Everyone has the perfect right to hold personal opinions, and I'd be astonished if everyone started to like the same things - - even alarmed: if all the readers in the world shared the same tastes, there'd likely only be one novelist getting published at a time (until burnout and replacement), and it probably wouldn't be me! ;}

There are no definitive answers about matters planar, so I can't give any, and in any case don't want to squash or inhibit debate. Have no fears that 'the displeasure of the Great God Greenwood' is going to descend on anyone. (Uh, that'd be my dad in any case, and I doubt he reads these forums.)

I've no interest in getting into heated debate with anyone over what is "right" or "wrong." After all, El in Hell is published (as amended by its editor), so it's all, in one sense, water under the bridge (or as we longtime Realms toilers inside and outside TSR are wont to say, "we burned that bridge when we were on it, as we always do") and not worth upsetting anyone over.

However, it's worth reminding EVERYONE that Realms publications are all 'work for hire.' In other words, WotC editors can change every word of text between turnover and publication. Not that they always do, by any means, but it's important to remember that authors of Realms novels DON'T have an entirely free hand in determining what you read on the page. El in Hell did get edited, both for length and content details, and the 'mechanics' of the Nine Hells, its archdevils, and Mystra (and what she could do and did) WERE discussed and agreed-upon. So in one sense, if you don't like what was portrayed, tough fudge: you can't change it now, and neither could I then, as I was writing. Don't like the power level of the Lords of the Nine, as portrayed? Don't like the absence of Bel? Too bad. I had to stick to what was official, in the same way that an engineer assigned to design a car will probably get fired if he instead designs a childrens' wading-pool and tries to present it as the finished car. I was given the title "Elminster In Hell," and the opening situation (Elminster having fallen through the rift, descending into Avernus), and was asked to write it (with the promise that if I didn't, someone else would be assigned to write the book). I chose to tackle the task. You've read or not read the result, and like or dislike it, and I can't do anything about that. (I must and do thank the scribes, such as Moonharp, who've noticed what I've been doing with my Realms books.)

What can be of value to everyone interested in running D&D play involving the Nine Hells or writing future Realms fiction ditto is running through some of the specific points of contention. Not to prove anyone right or wrong, but to give a glimpse of the reasoning behind the design decisions.

First, the Nine Hells as portrayed. Simply put, what you see in El in Hell matches not just PGtF, but the 3e Manual of the Planes (the official rules of the D&D game, which I'm bound by as a creator; you can do what you like in your home campaign, but *I* can't when writing WotC products). Aside from adding the Blood War and making minor urban renewal changes to the Bronze Citadel, everything you read in the Manual of the Planes about Avernus and Nessus is as I originally put them into the D&D game, from the very names of both, to the basic concept of Avernus, unchanged through all editions of the game and game lines, that Avernus was the uppermost and most chaotic (least tightly governed and ordered) layer of Hell, where Tiamat could be found, the outcast archdevils who weren't Lords of the Nine lurked and schemed, and all manner of non-native-to-the-Hells visiting creatures could be met with, in a tortured landscape of rivers of blood and a generally dry and rocky terrain, with few green growing plants and much dog-eat-dog hunting and battle. When I wrote El in Hell, PGtF hadn't yet been published, but the Manual of the Planes (which Jeff Grubb had shown me the text of before publication for my suggestions [I was then a p