| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| barry |
Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 20:45:58
Pleas excuse my spelling.
In the last empires book their are no specs on the abilities and level
of the srinshree . Can a wise scribe clear this up for me
Thanks Barry in south Africa |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 24 Sep 2023 : 01:56:52
Yes |
| x.Teller.of.Tales.x |
Posted - 22 Sep 2023 : 00:00:18
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
That's nice. Good thing I found it.
But one of the sources says she's 46th level! Can anyone confirm it?
Hmmm. I seem to recall Ed provided some brief 'unofficial' 3e stats/rules advice for the Srinshee in the "Realmslore from Elminster in Myth Drannor" of The Annotated Elminster. Those stats declare the Srinshee as a 54th level character [Wizard29/Sorcerer16/Archmage9].
Are you telling me that she is higher lvl than Larloch??? Thats preette vild!
Also the whriteup of her is nice, but how can you raise the ability score first 5 with a tome and then 2 moere with Wish
I thought that one could only raise it 5 in total inherent bonus, but it seemes she has gained +7 inherent bonus??
So is Telamont Tanthul, the Shade and Netherese Archmage, who rules Thultanthar.
And yeas, I did just hop onto a 13 year old thread. |
| Blueblade |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 18:21:07
I just meant that if something Weave-related (like a magic worked by Mystra or Azuth) was affecting what the Srinshee knew, it would presumably go away after the Spellplgaue hits (destroying the Weave and with the alleged/likely deaths of Mystra or Azuth).
BB
edit: spelling. |
| Menelvagor |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 16:44:06
Well, I would still like whatever you could send me, Sage. And yes, I was aware you could not legally offer me all the info from The Annotated Elminster. However, it sounded like you were offering a more condensed version. What I meant was that I wanted all you could give.
How is the Spellplague connected to The Srinshee as a Chosen of Mystryl? And I did mention having 'amnesia' - though I should have added 'or a similiar condition/spell/effect'. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 16:17:06
Indeed. Blueblade has the right of it.
I was content to summarise the most important bits, but outright copying of the info for private distribution is illegal in most countries, as I recall. |
| Blueblade |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 15:52:09
Menelvagor, Sage CAN'T legally provide all the Ed-info from THE ANNOTATED ELMINSTER. That's a no-no; gotta buy the book (and, yes, I KNOW it's out of print). He can, however, quote one or two sentences of Ed-speak directly from it, because that's fair use under all copyright law from countries that are signatories to the Berne convention (darned near all English-speaking, Israel too).
And as for your reasoning re. the Srinshee: you're correct only if we assume that the Srinshee's status is unchanging (and there's no logical reason to assume that, because even ancient elves change as they go through life, like all other living things in the Realms). Or to put it another way, the Srinshee could "get closer" to Mystra (become a Chosen) AFTER the events of ELMINSTER IN MYTH DRANNOR. Or Mystra or someone else could have magically affected what the Srinshee could sense . . . an effect that was later removed or altered. Pure speculation on my part, yes, but we have examples (Halaster and others) of Chosen having their "awareness of what's what" hampered or masked or changed, during their lives. So the Srinshee of post-Spellplague could very well be MUCH different in this regard than the Srinshee of the later 200s DR (EL IN MYTH DRANNOR), some 1200 years (!) later.
Yes?
BB |
| Menelvagor |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 14:11:16
Still, you'd think there'd be memory of it, no? Like when you open a document froma flash drive, you can see it in recent documents, even if you can't open it.
I mean, you can't be a Chosen and not be aware of your God/dess at some point, no? Obviously it's possible to forget you are a Chosne (Seven Sisters) but eventually the God/dess or one of their messengers makes it known to you. Otherwise, how would you have access to their power? The computer must recgonize the flash drive in order for it to work. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 13:53:36
I don't think the Chosen's part of Mystra/Mystryl is a 'connection' to the goddess, more like a portion of them that's been bottled up within the chosen.
In other words, it's not an internet connection, it's a flash drive.  |
| Menelvagor |
Posted - 14 May 2010 : 07:55:04
But if so, wouldn't The Srinshee know who Mystra was, when Elminster came to Myth Drannor, and realize how Mystra had all that power? According to your theory, either The Srinshee had amnesia or was never aware of Mystra replacing Mystryl, which seems unlikely...
And Sage, I'd rather have all the info, not a summarized version, if it is possible. |
| Jakk |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 23:24:08
And I have one more speculation to add to my previous post:
Given what we know about the Chosen of Mystra, that they carry a part of their goddess' power and divinity with them, then would this not also be true of the Chosen of Mystryl? So should there not also be fragments of Mystryl's divine essence still present in certain beings on Toril (at least Ioulaum, Larloch, and (presumably) the Srinshee as well)? Of course, the same should be true of the remaining former Chosen of Mystra, and similar fragments of Mystra's divinity... Given that Halaster was blown to bits while (presumably) trying to prevent or circumvent the Spellplague, the presence of a fragment of Mystryl's divinity in his soul certainly explains why someone (I can't remember who off the top of my head right now, but I think it was from a BRJ timeline entry) is trying to track down all of his soul-shards... curiouser and curiouser...  |
| Jakk |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 23:12:51
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
And in all of this... what does that make the Srinshee?? She is almost 10.000 years old ( I believe ) and might be Chosen of the Seldarine or Mystryl.
While it doesn't fully "explain" the Srinshee, Ed's notes about her in The Annotated Elminster really do help to conceptualise just what she... ... is, in terms of the Realmslore.
I strongly suspect that she's a fourth surviving Chosen of Mystryl... and I suspect that she survived the death of her goddess much more intact (sanity-wise) than Halaster, Ioulaum, and Larloch because of also being a Chosen of at least one elven deity, if not the entire Seldarine; we know it's possible to be a Chosen of more than one deity thanks to Qilue Veladorn. Her retention of her sanity is probably a big reason why she subsequently became a Chosen of Mystra upon the latter's ascension, while none of the other three named Chosen of Mystryl were reclaimed as such by Mystra.
Anyway, just my thoughts... hopefully THO will drop in on this scroll and let us know (where possible) how accurate my speculations are...  |
| Dennis |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 22:01:12
Sage,
THO said that ED DID NOT SAY that the Srinshee IS the most
powerful spellcaster in Toril...
So, IF it's NOT asking too much, can you QUOTE in your summary ED's exact words (a sentence or two) regarding the Srinshee's power/strength? =)
Thanks ahead!... |
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 21:38:45
Yeah Sage..please!!!!! |
| Jakk |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 21:25:05
Sage,
I second the request of scribe dennis... please and thank you. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 21:20:17
That should take awhile... |
| Dennis |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 19:21:59
Sage,
Please...if you don't mind... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 17:13:11
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
And in all of this... what does that make the Srinshee?? She is almost 10.000 years old ( I believe ) and might be Chosen of the Seldarine or Mystryl.
While it doesn't fully "explain" the Srinshee, Ed's notes about her in The Annotated Elminster really do help to conceptualise just what she... ... is, in terms of the Realmslore.
Now this partly makes me regret that I did not buy it. I already have all the El books, but not that...And now that I want to buy it, our bookstores no longer have copies...And I cannot trust amazon.com anymore...
Um, Sage, will you be kind enough to tell me what exactly did Ed mention about the Srinshee?
There's about a page and a half of info, as I recall. I can probably summarise for you, if you'd like? |
| Dennis |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 16:39:19
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
And in all of this... what does that make the Srinshee?? She is almost 10.000 years old ( I believe ) and might be Chosen of the Seldarine or Mystryl.
While it doesn't fully "explain" the Srinshee, Ed's notes about her in The Annotated Elminster really do help to conceptualise just what she... ... is, in terms of the Realmslore.
Now this partly makes me regret that I did not buy it. I already have all the El books, but not that...And now that I want to buy it, our bookstores no longer have copies...And I cannot trust amazon.com anymore...
Um, Sage, will you be kind enough to tell me what exactly did Ed mention about the Srinshee? |
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 13:49:48
Again... thats why its so sweet to read and play in the realms! Just wish I knew some more "secret" stuff! |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 03:08:45
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
See, this is why our realm is SOO cool! All this lore and legend makes me wanna know it all!
Yet we never will. There will always be something else over the next hill... |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 02:06:40
quote:
Originally posted by Nicolai Withander
And in all of this... what does that make the Srinshee?? She is almost 10.000 years old ( I believe ) and might be Chosen of the Seldarine or Mystryl.
While it doesn't fully "explain" the Srinshee, Ed's notes about her in The Annotated Elminster really do help to conceptualise just what she... ... is, in terms of the Realmslore. |
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 13 May 2010 : 01:49:10
Hmm... never thought of a "Chosen of Mystyl"... Read somewhere that Elminster was the first chosen, but then again...
I wonder what powers were given to them? Goldfire or Platinumfire perhaps
And in all of this... what does that make the Srinshee?? She is almost 10.000 years old ( I believe ) and might be Chosen of the Seldarine or Mystryl.
See, this is why our realm is SOO cool! All this lore and legend makes me wanna know it all! |
| Jakk |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 20:05:26
Okay, back to The Srinshee again... this exchange in Ed's scroll (which appears to have begun here) has become verrry interesting... I'm putting out a call for canon Srinshee-lore from all published, CK, and other (non-NDA'd, obviously) sources. What follows is an exchange between Ed, THO, and various CK scribes regarding our mysterious elven lady mage. Parts of the exchange not relevant to the Srinshee have been snipped out for brevity, so my apologies if it seems somewhat disjointed in the flow of conversation. Nothing relevant has been excised, I assure you.  Erm... I hope.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
And behold, a reply from Ed:
quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
<snip> However, dennis, when Ed speaks of the power of the Srinshee, he's hinting at something. Remember that none of the Chosen are "just" mortal, at least before the Spellplague (so the timing changes the "who's the most powerful?" answer, too).
If I were you, I'd jaunt on over to his thread and ask him. NDAs will probably prevent him giving you a direct answer about the Srinshee's precise powers, but he can certainly tell you why he says anything at all about character powers, and how he shapes what he does say.
<snip>
Ed, <snip> what are you hinting at when you speak of The Srinshee's power?
Hi, Menelvagor. <snip>
And as for the Srinshee, I can't tell you what I'm hinting at. Other than to remind you of the hints. ;} NDAs, you know.
So saith Ed. Tireless hint-meister of the Realms...
love,
THO
So... I think it's safe to say that, even post-Spellplague and after the death of Mystra, the Srinshee (and likely the other remaining former Chosen of Mystra) are still more than they appear to be. I'm just trying to collect all the lore so that I can track down the hints; after the look back at the harbingers of the Spellplague in Ed's scroll some time ago, I think that the answers must be in the lore somewhere. This may also connect with another "open secret" that I'll find the quote for shortly... 
Edit: Here it is... from the "Questions for Ed 2005" scroll:
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje 22 Dec 2005
Ed,
I was pondering the Chosen of Mystra and some of your past replies about Mystra, and her power, and her investing her power in mortals. This led me to ponder Mystryl, who seemed even more powerful then Mystra and Midnight/Mystra.
So my pondering led to me this thought: Did Mystryl have any Chosen like Mystra and Midnight/Mystra does? If so, are any of them still "alive?" Or did they all die when she "died?" If there is anything else that you might want to add to this pondering of mine then it's more then welcome.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One 22 Dec 2005
Oooh, Kuje, dear: you tread into darkly perilous ground, approaching (gasp) a secret of the Realms that has been sitting in plain sight for lo these many years, just waiting for a brilliant scribe to pounce upon.
Heh-heh. Which is a grand way of saying Ed won't answer you directly. You'll have to wait (for some time) for a rather more public answer.
Heh heh heh.
love,
THO
Edit: And the latest exchange in this puzzle, from earlier this year (and yes, the NDA wall is still solid on this one, at least until after GenCon (see below), so don't bother asking Ed):
quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by createvmind
Which leads to wonder if any of Mystryl's Chosen still live pre-spellplague?
The Lady Hooded One, ever the mistress of mysteries, once told us re: the fate of some of Mystryl's Chosen:-
" ... you tread into darkly perilous ground, approaching (gasp) a secret of the Realms that has been sitting in plain sight for lo these many years, just waiting for a brilliant scribe to pounce upon.
Heh-heh. Which is a grand way of saying Ed won't answer you directly. You'll have to wait (for some time) for a rather more public answer.
Heh heh heh.
love,
THO"
This post immediately grabbed my attention. Upon reading this for the third time, I was struck by a possibility... or three. (1) Halaster (we know what happened to Sammaster, and now that I see the names in print so close together, I'm struck by their similarity, but that's another matter...) -- maybe, as one of Mystryl's Chosen, his madness was induced by the death of his goddess in the Year of Sundered Webs. (2) Larloch -- he's just as crazy as Halaster, but in different ways. (3) Ioulaum - you'd have to be crazy to merge yourself with an illithid elder brain, but this one's wide open.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Heh. Heh. Heh. NDAs are frustrating things from the inside, too. As it happens, I know far more than I can tell.
As for Ed, he knows LIBRARIES full of lore he can't tell. Imagine HIS frustration.
I wonder if he'll be able to cajole a loosening of NDAs at GenCon this year, to let slip a few hints and whispers...
love,
THO
quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Re: THO's response: I'll take the staccato chuckle to indicate confirmation on three counts, thank you. No more need be said (or, likely, can be at this point... hopefully this is not a permanent state, however).
Edit: I share your hope for a loosening of NDAs... particularly around the Cormyr Lineage and, now, this great secret sitting in plain sight... I *do* wish I had my full lore library accessible to me at this moment... 
Can Ed say approximately how *much* time we'll have to wait? Or is this dependent on publisher plans unconfirmed (or even unmade) at this point?
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Jakk,
Yes, I believe you've interpreted my chuckles correctly.
And the NDA loosening depends on plans not yet finalized, and convincing arguments not yet put.
soft warm love,
THO
Everybody have their thinking caps on? Good!  |
| Jakk |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 18:36:17
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
They're not the only option, actually... we son't know what happened to some of the Seven (Dove, Laeral and Storm) and Alvaerele Tasundrym (The Silent Chosen) amy also exist soemwhere. And who says the new Mystra has to be female? What if Elminster and Alasssra become joint deities of magic, a new Mystra and a new, (equal to Mystra) more powerful Azuth?
And if we think of it, Elminster has had more time as a Chosen of Mystra, even if less magical power and knowledge.
In terms of raw magical power, though, I have to agree. The Srinshee is the most viable candidate.
Hmm, I do not like El to ascend to godhood, because that would rob him of any time to DIRECTLY address Faerunian matters. I like him the way he is now. And I doubt Ed can use him to further advantage if he becomes a god. As with the Srinshee or the Simbul, I must say they are the best candidates to replace Mystra. And who knows, much of this speculation will be answered in El Must Die!...I even plan to fly to our bookstore later to grab a copy of Circle of Skulls, primarily because it includes the first few chaps of EL Must Die!
On the subject of Elminster's ascension... I just found this scroll in the last day or so, and I was mightily intrigued by the possibilities... |
| Jakk |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 18:03:20
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
THO,
I understand that the world changes and so does the powers and states of the characters. For every change that happens, a character is affected either minutely or considerably, thereby making him/he powerful at one second, and least at another...That notion is rather APPARENT. The point of my question, as I deemed it was clear when I posted it, is just to know ----if possible---- who really IS the most powerful in Toril ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (THE words of Ed and Wizards to the matter, THE present time, THE characters' abilities to fashion spells of great power (and I do not care whether they use their might to blast each or to increase their body odor to suffocate each other to death =), THE changes brought by SP and THE individual struggles of the prominent characters and what-have-you). And let us exclude the deities [Really, I scarcely care about them. They're characters too, I know, but let's put the divinity aside].
If you mean in terms of raw numbers, living mortal spellcasters only, then given what we've learned recently about the Srinshee, she wins. Easily. Ioulaum and Larloch, while likely more powerful, are both undead now (hard to say exactly what Ioulaum is now, but hopefully Ed will be allowed to tell us more about him/it/them circa 1385... unless said entity survives the Spellplague and has a recent NDA in force) and, for the sake of argument, I'll remove undead as well as divinity from the equation. That makes the answer easy.
THO? Any hints to drop as to Ioulaum? Or should we just ask Ed about this in his scroll? Thinking about it, I may have already done so... |
| Dennis |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 17:03:35
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
THO,
I understand that the world changes and so does the powers and states of the characters. For every change that happens, a character is affected either minutely or considerably, thereby making him/he powerful at one second, and least at another...That notion is rather APPARENT. The point of my question, as I deemed it was clear when I posted it, is just to know ----if possible---- who really IS the most powerful in Toril ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (THE words of Ed and Wizards to the matter, THE present time, THE characters' abilities to fashion spells of great power (and I do not care whether they use their might to blast each or to increase their body odor to suffocate each other to death =), THE changes brought by SP and THE individual struggles of the prominent characters and what-have-you). And let us exclude the deities [Really, I scarcely care about them. They're characters too, I know, but let's put the divinity aside].
Right now, right here, in this very time and space. I AM THE MOST POWERFUL!!
*zap*
owie
 |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 16:29:43
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
THO,
I understand that the world changes and so does the powers and states of the characters. For every change that happens, a character is affected either minutely or considerably, thereby making him/he powerful at one second, and least at another...That notion is rather APPARENT. The point of my question, as I deemed it was clear when I posted it, is just to know ----if possible---- who really IS the most powerful in Toril ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (THE words of Ed and Wizards to the matter, THE present time, THE characters' abilities to fashion spells of great power (and I do not care whether they use their might to blast each or to increase their body odor to suffocate each other to death =), THE changes brought by SP and THE individual struggles of the prominent characters and what-have-you). And let us exclude the deities [Really, I scarcely care about them. They're characters too, I know, but let's put the divinity aside].
Right now, right here, in this very time and space. I AM THE MOST POWERFUL!!
*zap*
owie |
| Dennis |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 15:59:44
THO,
I understand that the world changes and so does the powers and states of the characters. For every change that happens, a character is affected either minutely or considerably, thereby making him/he powerful at one second, and least at another...That notion is rather APPARENT. The point of my question, as I deemed it was clear when I posted it, is just to know ----if possible---- who really IS the most powerful in Toril ALL THINGS CONSIDERED (THE words of Ed and Wizards to the matter, THE present time, THE characters' abilities to fashion spells of great power (and I do not care whether they use their might to blast each or to increase their body odor to suffocate each other to death =), THE changes brought by SP and THE individual struggles of the prominent characters and what-have-you). And let us exclude the deities [Really, I scarcely care about them. They're characters too, I know, but let's put the divinity aside].
|
| Jakk |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 03:41:01
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
I just notice that some authors tag certain characters as "the most powerful wizard/arcanist in Faerun." Richard said so of Gromph in Dissolution. Troy of Telamont in Return of the Archwizards, and I think Paul, too, in Twilight War. If I remember it right, Richard, in HL trilogy, also called Szass Tam as the most (or was it ONE of the most?) talented/powerful spellcaster in Toril. And as mentioned several posts, Ed said of the Srinshee.
So who is what? Must we simply believe Ed since he's the creator of the realms? Is there really an established fact (per canon or whatever) that points out who really is the greatest/most powerful wizard/arcanist/spellcaster in Faerun, either living or, as of the case of liches and other undead, existing?
Arguing from a different perspective than that provided by THO, I would suggest that, from an in-world perspective, the answer is basically "no"... even though the universe is made of numbers (yes, I am a Pythagorean IRL; see also the June 2010 issue of Discover magazine), the numbers are directly meaningless to our senses, and this is the way it should be in-game as well. For the most part, the answer to the question "who is the most powerful wizard in Faerun?" is going to be framed by the personal bias and knowledge (or, more likely, lack thereof) of the person answering the question.
As far as stats go, if we're not talking about divinities, I'd have to say that the Srinshee wins hands-down, at least among the characters we know about. Of course, Larloch doesn't have firmly-set stats, and has always been described by Ed as "as powerful as [or slightly more powerful than] the DM needs him to be [to keep the PCs suitably overawed and/or humbled]."
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
<chop>
However, dennis, when Ed speaks of the power of the Srinshee, he's hinting at something. Remember that none of the Chosen are "just" mortal, at least before the Spellplague (so the timing changes the "who's the most powerful?" answer, too).
If I were you, I'd jaunt on over to his thread and ask him. NDAs will probably prevent him giving you a direct answer about the Srinshee's precise powers, but he can certainly tell you why he says anything at all about character powers, and how he shapes what he does say.
Unless, of course, someone even more powerful prevents him.
love,
THO
Milady, we at Candlekeep are all too familiar with the powers of the NDAo, otherwise known as the Non-Disclosure Archoverdeity, but I'm rather curious as to all the talk lately regarding the Srinshee... and I'm thinking also that there's still something lingering in her, El, and Alassra, as well as Storm (and Dove, if she is also still around)... but I dare not speculate too much; all that does is make me thirst for answers. Thoughts of certain images of Storm conjured by Ed and yourself over the years here make me thirst for other things too, but I digress...
Let's just say I have my theories as to what's around the corner in canon lore, even though it's no longer directly applicable to the Realms my group prefers to game in. Do I like everything that's happened since 1375 DR? No, but I didn't like everything that happened before then either. I'm enjoying my time as a player over the past few years, and rewriting the Spellplague and a few earlier events as well to better suit my evil plans... when I am once again behind the DM screen, my players will know fear... |
| The Hooded One |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 02:43:26
Well, the short answer is: Yes, we DO believe Ed. Because the rule is that anything Ed says IS canon, unless or until contradicted in print by an official Realms product (NOT a licensed product like a computer game, BTW).
However, with that said, consider the following:
1. Discount anything said in a catalogue, or on the covers of a book, or in an advertisement. That's not the author talking, but a marketing writer (and most marketing writers are FAR from authorities on what they're writing about [do you believe every car ad that says their particular car is the best?]).
2. Look at EXACTLY who's saying the Srinshee or any other character is the "shiniest" or "most purple" or whatever. Is it a character in the book? (Which makes it an opinion.) Is it the narrator? Is it the author, speaking or writing OUTSIDE the book (i.e. on a website or in an interview?) Or is it "widely accepted opinion, in the Realms"? Consider real-world political figures, and how opinions of them are colored by the political beliefs of whoever is holding the opinion, AND over time (as opinions change, or the general public learns more, or...)
3. What exactly is the claim being made (fastest, most learned, whatever) and in what context ("best ever" is an obviously useless judgment, because unless the world ends right now, we haven't had "ever" yet, and can never have )? Some people have been VERY careful how they word what they say. Case in point: look at what Ed has ACTUALLY SAID about the Srinshee, as opposed to what others, paraphrasing his words, have "said he said." Ed seldom speaks in clear superlatives. He might say "the Srinshee is more powerful than character X" but he's very unlikely to say ANYONE is the most powerful (unless he qualifies it with "in my opinion" or "as thus far revealed" or something of the sort) . . . because for one thing, Ed's always planning several steps ahead of the published Realms, and for another thing, Ed never trashes X to make Y look better (unlike some other pundits, critics, designers and writers).
. . . And no, there is no established fact in canon, or measure, of who's the strongest or whose judgment is supreme. Even the gods disagree, all the time, and mortals can't know the truths about what they're disputing, or even the true natures (let alone powers) of the gods, and therefore a ranking. You may believe that, say, Bane is a more powerful deity than dead-and-vanished Bhaal . . . but as a mortal, you can never be certain you are correct in that ranking. You simply CAN'T know enough.
And that applies to rankings of mortals, too. No one can know who's the most powerful spellcaster, even if the "right" answer doesn't change every few seconds (and it probably does). We don't know the full capabilities of any of these characters, what daring or desperate innovations they'll come up with in battle, what other circumstances will affect their performance (I was dizzy, he was half asleep, I haven't eaten for days, they attacked out of the sun), and "most powerful" AT WHAT, anyway (creating new magic? blasting each other down, toe to toe? body odor? doing things that will be remembered thousands of years after they're gone?)
. . . which is why such rankings tend to be useless, or have limited utility as "blurred and very rough yardsticks" at best.
However, dennis, when Ed speaks of the power of the Srinshee, he's hinting at something. Remember that none of the Chosen are "just" mortal, at least before the Spellplague (so the timing changes the "who's the most powerful?" answer, too).
If I were you, I'd jaunt on over to his thread and ask him. NDAs will probably prevent him giving you a direct answer about the Srinshee's precise powers, but he can certainly tell you why he says anything at all about character powers, and how he shapes what he does say.
Unless, of course, someone even more powerful prevents him.
love,
THO |
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