| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mkhaiwati |
Posted - 18 Jul 2008 : 09:30:19
The long awaited part on Cormyr is up here.
Brian did a good job with the article, and has a few good treats, including an -ahast.
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 03 Aug 2008 : 06:59:15
The complete issue has been posted, with some updates to the Cormyr article (mostly to the mechanical bits). Download it at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drtoc/365 |
| Chosen of Moradin |
Posted - 23 Jul 2008 : 15:40:54
I just want to add my congratulations here! Excellent article, and now, more than ever, I´m anxious to see the 4th Edition of the Realms (not to mention the sneak peak of the Swordmage that was released in the RPGA article, too.  )
Congratulations for the article. |
| Venger |
Posted - 23 Jul 2008 : 12:39:00
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I think this is a case of making a mountain out of a mole-hill. As Brian has said, there already was a single Ironclad warship in existance in the Realms (that we know of) called The Red Scourge, and assuming that at least one other power would copy the design in the past century is acceptable, if not inevitable.
One or two? I remember reading about Zhentil Keep contracting some Gondsmen to make them those ships. Let me take a quick look in Ruins of Zhentil Keep.
Ah, here we go.
quote:
Amid much fanfare, the first two vessels of Zhentil Keep's new navy are launched and dedicated to Umberlee. They are the Payback and the Revenge.
quote:
The secret project the Gondsmen were assigned to is finally revealed when the vessel Revenge encounters five Mulman ships: Moonsea Monarch, Umberlee's Teeth, Bulwark, Zhentbane, and Flaming Arrow. A ferocious sea battle ensues, and the Revenge is discovered to be armored with metal plating. It also sports a backup steam engine to supplement its sails. Though the steam engine only works briefly, it works long enough to allow the Revenge the extra maneuverability it needs at a crucial moment. All five Mulman ships are sent to the bottom.
I assume the Payback is also a steam powered ironclad. Huh, the Payback and the Revenge. Those rascally Zhents and their crazy ship naming conventions. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 21 Jul 2008 : 02:34:42
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Speaking of which, I just now noticed the city of New Tilverton is missing from the map.  It was supposed to be just west of Castle Nacacia along the Moonsea Ride. I wonder why it got yanked.
I had noticed that before and was puzzled by it. |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 21 Jul 2008 : 01:11:43
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to spot that! Ok, ok, I'll come clean and admit I did indeed name the road after Wooly Rupert. 
And 'Old Sage's Street' in Waterdeep will be next, hey?  It's great that you did this, Brian, as our resident Master of Mischief has certainly earned it! 
quote:
I'm not sure I follow exactly. Paragon paths only have a handful of powers by design. As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm explicitely asked to include game mechanics in the articles. It's simply not an option to remove them to increase the lore.
My bad -- you're indeed correct in Paragon Paths having only a handful of powers. This is actually a bit sad, as to this represents less choice as you progress in levels, and to me one of the most fun things in D&D is being able to endlessly tinker with my characters and still having a lot of options left even at the epic levels. In 4E, it seems, your options are narrowed down to about 10 powers when you hit 11th level. I would have liked to see at least half as much choices -- at least during the paragon levels -- than the heroic PCs get. If I played 4E, I would probably just pick another core class at 11th level, and ignore the whole paragon stuff altogether.
quote:
They still pay me by the word so there is still some financial constraint there. I also suspect layout and design play a part. But you'd really have to ask Wizards for the real answer.
I guess it is indeed due to financial reasons, but I'm just wondering why they kept saying that they're able to publish longer articles in DDI than ever in Dragon. They *are* saving a lot of money for eliminating shipping and printing costs, after all. |
| Ahwe Yahzhe |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 21:42:38
quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
two
Alusair is the best Battlemaster Cormyr has (at the time), and King Azoun V requests (tells her!) that she become Lord High Marshal of the Realm and leader of the army. However Alusair is sick to the back teeth of leading armies and 'doing' politics and refuses. So she leaves, goes back 'adventuring' with her blades and finally builds herself a castle in northeast Cormyr protecting Gnoll Pass and Tilvers Gap from the goblinoids of the Stonelands and the Shade armies of the Anauroch.
Her castle would probably be called Castle Nacacia and would act as a rallying point for bored young nobles and adventuring types to flock to, to fight the good fight against the enemies of the North whilst the professional army (led by King Azoun V) engages in the war with Sembia and its mercenaries to the East and across the Dragonmere to the South.
I vote Two - I also noted in the excellent map of New Cormyr "Castle Nacacia." Surely her fate is tied up in that castle somehow...
Awesome article and great map- I say this because I finished reading it wanting more. And I'm sure that there was a lot of cool characters and plot setup that didn't make the article... so many teasers!
-Ahwe Yahzhe |
| Soturno |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 16:53:19
quote:
This didn't make the cut for the article Soturno, but as far as Garen and I are concerned the Red Raven Mercenary Company is no more. Sorry.
1410 DR Year of the Eight-legged Mount
This year witnesses the annihilation of the Red Raven Mercenary Company by a horde of rampaging aurumvorae.
Thanks James! My Campaign is running at 1400 DR, then I'll keep my plans to them! |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 16:20:11
quote:
Originally posted by Soturno
The article cites about the fate of the Alliance of Freesailor, but what happened with Red Raven Mercenary Company? Are they still around scouring the Stonelands?
This didn't make the cut for the article Soturno, but as far as Garen and I are concerned the Red Raven Mercenary Company is no more. Sorry. 
1410 DR Year of the Eight-legged Mount
This year witnesses the annihilation of the Red Raven Mercenary Company by a horde of rampaging aurumvorae. |
| Amarel Derakanor |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 15:55:23
Excellent article about Cormyr, Mr. James! I sure enjoyed it, as I enjoyed the Grand History of the Realms.
However, while I like your work, I belive I'll stay as far away as possible from the Sellplague, however. I'm kind of ..."unhappy" with certain parts of it(well, pretty much everything I've read about it so far, except this!)...
Axe high! |
| Soturno |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 12:33:57
The article cites about the fate of the Alliance of Freesailor, but what happened with Red Raven Mercenary Company? Are they still around scouring the Stonelands? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 20 Jul 2008 : 01:38:16
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Sorry Wooly, it's true!  When I get to Waterdeep, I'll see what I can do.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
While I do like the idea of somehow being immortalized in Realmslore, I'm doubting this road is named after me. 
What I'd really love to see is one of my own Lords of Waterdeep get a canon mention.
Nice!
I'm starting to wonder though Brian... are you intentionally targetting select scribes of Candlekeep? First Kuje, now Wooly. Hehe... Whose next? |
| Markustay |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 23:55:11
Sorry for the DP, but of course I looked at the map before even reading the article (and it's got my adrenaline pumpin'... to put it mildly).
I think, without even reading said areticle, I want to play in the 4e Realms.
I notice at least one non-canon location from my Stonelands campaign map Brian... Thanks for that. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 23:45:35
I think this is a case of making a mountain out of a mole-hill. As Brian has said, there already was a single Ironclad warship in existance in the Realms (that we know of) called The Red Scourge, and assuming that at least one other power would copy the design in the past century is acceptable, if not inevitable.
In a world with flying ships and cities, a magicallly-propelled watercraft bothers you?
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
It's sent.
And, since we know you love maps... I mentioned earlier that I extracted the map from the pdf, and that it was an impressive size. I included that.
Thank you so much, Sir Hamster.
I'll be sure to leave an offering on Rupert's Way during my travels.
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Speaking of which, I just now noticed the city of New Tilverton is missing from the map. It was supposed to be just west of Castle Nacacia along the Moonsea Ride. I wonder why it got yanked.
Oh No!
There was an RSE before the map even shpipped! Tilverton's been blown up... AGAIN! |
| Uzzy |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 23:24:15
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
quote:
Originally posted by Uzzy
What's with the Ironclad? If they've got Steam Engines, that's kinda changing things in the Realms quite a bit.
No no no. This ironclad is not a steam engine. In Realmslore there is a well feared Thayan ironclad known as the "red scourge" [see Spellbound 2nd-Edition boxed set]. Cormyr's Steel Princess is simply similar in design, being built of iron and powered by magic.
So, we have magic that can be the equivalent of steam engines? How does that not change things just as much? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 23:04:34
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I still can't download this article (even after signing in) - I get like two pages of Internet/computer jibberish on my screen instead. 
Not even an error message - just a bunch of proggie-speak. This is a new one on me. If anyone wants to be kind enough to mail me a copy directly (Markustay@optonline.net), I'd be very grateful.
I'm practically drooling over here trying to access that map.
It's sent.
And, since we know you love maps... I mentioned earlier that I extracted the map from the pdf, and that it was an impressive size. I included that. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 22:46:42
I still can't download this article (even after signing in) - I get like two pages of Internet/computer jibberish on my screen instead.
Not even an error message - just a bunch of proggie-speak. This is a new one on me. If anyone wants to be kind enough to mail me a copy directly (Markustay@optonline.net), I'd be very grateful.
I'm practically drooling over here trying to access that map. |
| Sanishiver |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 19:51:34
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Speaking of which, I just now noticed the city of New Tilverton is missing from the map. It was supposed to be just west of Castle Nacacia along the Moonsea Ride. I wonder why it got yanked.
You just answered my next question for me. Good on you man!
So I'll shift it over to the "Tilverton Scar" (going from memory, don't have the map up).
Is that scar still a shadowy void like it was in 3E? OR has that faded/gone/been ntaken away over time? |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 19:46:28
This is exactly the sort of articles that I wish had been available for areas like Cormyr that did not receive much of an update for the 3.x Realms. *pout* |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 19:26:18
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Sorry Wooly, it's true! When I get to Waterdeep, I'll see what I can do.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
While I do like the idea of somehow being immortalized in Realmslore, I'm doubting this road is named after me.
What I'd really love to see is one of my own Lords of Waterdeep get a canon mention.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing at least 'Big Al's Alley' and 'The Sage's Street' in Waterdeep! |
| Garen Thal |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 18:26:45
As regards the Goldfeather noble house:
The Goldfeathers are, indeed, a house that's been stripped, exiled, executed, and re-invested multiple times over the course of Cormyr's history. Chapter 30 of Cormyr: A Novel (set in 1324DR) talks about one such extinction of the line, yet in Swords of Dragonfire (1348DR) we're already hearing reference to "Lord Goldfeather" and his treacherous ways.
The Goldfeathers are an old family, and--like many old noble houses--occasionally step across the line and find themselves no longer titled. However, being old, there are always non-noble branches of the family to creep out of the woodworks a generation or a century later, declare and prove their loyalty, and get the family back on track.
More generally speaking, many of the notes I passed to Brian James for inclusion in the article were items I had "always" planned on incorporating into Cormyr when I got the chance (by "always" I mean "as soon as I learned of the century jump"). I worked out many of the details with Ed, squared them with what was already established in the 4E Realms, and the result are some of the things being discussed in this thread. Some are mere threads to be developed later, and others lead to piles of notes I've been working on for a long, long time--massaging and kneading and adapting to what was published or privately revealed to me--and waiting patiently for my chance to reveal them to all.
To be perfectly honest, I probably have enough material on-hand to populate an entire 160-page sourcebook. But that, friends, is an entirely different subject. :/ |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 17:04:39
quote:
Originally posted by Sanishiver
I see on the new map a place called “Azoun’s Hold” located on the Way of the Manticore between Battlerise and Daerlun.
Am I to take it this is a new fort or keep of some kind built during or after the war with Sembia?
Absolutely correct. Several new forts have been constructed over the last century. The most notable being Azoun's Hold, Castle Nacacia, and Form Helm.
Speaking of which, I just now noticed the city of New Tilverton is missing from the map. It was supposed to be just west of Castle Nacacia along the Moonsea Ride. I wonder why it got yanked. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 17:04:14
quote:
Originally posted by Brian R. James
Sorry Wooly, it's true! When I get to Waterdeep, I'll see what I can do.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
While I do like the idea of somehow being immortalized in Realmslore, I'm doubting this road is named after me.
What I'd really love to see is one of my own Lords of Waterdeep get a canon mention.
Really? Wow, that's pretty cool. Thanks! |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 17:02:01
Sorry Wooly, it's true! When I get to Waterdeep, I'll see what I can do.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
While I do like the idea of somehow being immortalized in Realmslore, I'm doubting this road is named after me.
What I'd really love to see is one of my own Lords of Waterdeep get a canon mention.
|
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:59:50
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
I thought the Goldfeather family had been extinct for two or three hundred years? Werem't they first mentioned in 'Cormyr: A Novel', when young Azoun and Vangerdahast stumble upon the ruins of a Goldfeather mansion?
You are absolutely correct. The Goldfeathers were indeed a lost noble family of Cormyr. Garen Thal asked that I restore the family to nobility and I was happy to do so. Perhaps he can say more.quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
The road between Berdusk and Iriaebor is called 'Rupert's Way'. Rupert who? Maybe this is a hidden reference to a certain resident hamster here at Candlekeep, hmmm?
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to spot that! Ok, ok, I'll come clean and admit I did indeed name the road after Wooly Rupert. quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
I also wondered about 'Draeven Marauders', as I found the name to be a bit undescriptive and even boring -- have they been mentioned in previous Realmslore?
No this organization is new in the Realms. They are freedom fighters seeking to drive Cormyrean occupation of the Dragon Coast. As for the name, they were called Draeven Rapparee (after their signature weapon; the 'rapparee' short pike) in my turnover. One of the editors must have changed it.quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
Why try to fit in a new Paragon Path, if you can only include four or five powers? Besides, leaving them out would let you concentrate on writing more "fluff".
I'm not sure I follow exactly. Paragon paths only have a handful of powers by design. As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm explicitely asked to include game mechanics in the articles. It's simply not an option to remove them to increase the lore.quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
Why is there a word-count, if one of the "selling points" of the digital Dragon was that this new digital format enables them to publish longer articles which practically have no "max." length?
They still pay me by the word so there is still some financial constraint there. I also suspect layout and design play a part. But you'd really have to ask Wizards for the real answer. |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:41:11
quote:
Originally posted by Swordsage
[quote]Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
There was one other disappointing aspect to the article which was the inclusion of the 4E versions of PrCs. We'll get a million of those in the Core, why waste space on things like that in a Realms article where we are, looking forward, unlikely to get much opportunity to showcase lore?
I've been asked to provide "crunchy bits" with every article I submit and I don't see that policy changing anytime soon. In any event, you'd never find a paragon path such as 'Luckbringer of Tymora' in a core sourcebook. |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:34:00
quote:
Originally posted by Uzzy
Why is Tyr dead, and what happened to Tymora?
I knew Tyr was being replaced with Torm, but Grimjaws' actual demise was news to me too.  quote:
Originally posted by Uzzy
What's with the Ironclad? If they've got Steam Engines, that's kinda changing things in the Realms quite a bit.
No no no. This ironclad is not a steam engine. In Realmslore there is a well feared Thayan ironclad known as the "red scourge" [see Spellbound 2nd-Edition boxed set]. Cormyr's Steel Princess is simply similar in design, being built of iron and powered by magic. |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:21:51
quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
Elturgard? I take it Elturel has expanded and become a new kingdom/city state? Does this mean that the Zhents in Darkhold are finished off?
'Correct' to the former, and 'Not quite' to the later. quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
Goldfeathers are back? interesting, can you shed any more light on how this happened please?
Brian Cortijo will have to provide further enlightenment about the restoration of the Goldfeather family. |
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:17:18
The cliché doesn't bother me that much truthfully, but in this matter I just expanded upon what was given to me.quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
We've got an illegitimate scion of a dead crown prince, and he's evil and wants to take the throne? Really? We had to dive right into one of the oldest and worst clichés in the fantasy canon?
|
| Brian R. James |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 16:14:23
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Twice in the article, it was called the Forest Country, instead of the Forest Kingdom (which was used once).
Sage has the right of it. I researched every Cormyr source I could get my hands on. Forest Country and Forest Kingdom seemed to be used interchangeably.quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
And now that there's a new -ahast, I'd like to know more about him.
All in good time my wooly friend.quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Why did the Freesails disband?
Brian spoke to this but I'll add that Impiltur's fleet suffered greatly during the Spellplague; many of the harbors in their port cities drying up completely. Without Impilturan assistance against the Sembians, the Freesails simply disbanded.
|
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 19 Jul 2008 : 14:40:16
You know, I was just thinking about the Alusair angle...
What if it was all staged?
Think about it. Alusair wasn't happy being regent, and a lot of nobles weren't happy having her as a regent. A public confrontation leading to her apparent departure makes her look bad, and depending on how it went down, it could make the young king look foolish. And either of those would tend to make enemies a bit more obvious, as they jockey to take advantage of what went down.
If she did leave, she could have been doing some secret things for the Crown. She could even have formed Cormyr's equivalent of the Red Sashes: someone who thinks they oppose the throne while actually supporting it.
Another option is that Alusair publicly left, and the young Azoun V soon after appointed an older advisor to help him steer the ship of state -- and said older advisor was actually Alusair in magical disguise. |
