| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 02:24:20
Hello all. It has been a very long while since I've been here...it's good to be back.
So my question is, how well known are the name of years to come? For example, During 1373, the Year or Rogue Dragons how well known is it that he following year will be called the Year of Lightning Storms? And do the common folk refer to the years in this fashion at all or just 1374, 1375, etc...
Thanks in advance. |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Feb 2007 : 08:51:19
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Although there were (and are still) some "alternative local names" for some years, in general, the Roll of Years is known to all sages, all heralds, and copies are kept at all temples. Most bards and even travelling minstrels are aware of the next dozen or so upcoming years, and it is a popular pasttime among many guilds and most nobles, everywhere in Faerūn, to speculate on (and invest or direct activities accordingly, even to placing wagers in some situations) what year names may mean.
I'd imagine local minstrels and bards also include snippets of the Roll of Years in regional chapbooks and the like, along with their calendar details and tidbits about upcoming local and regional events. And mystics probably include references and dates about important religious and/or celestial events, which would likely also need occasional reference to the Roll of Years, and these would probably also be included in regional chapbooks.
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| nbnmare |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 09:31:16
I was reffering to the official campaign dates - 1st edition begins in 1357, 2nd edition begins in 1368, and 3rd edition begins in 1372. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 23:14:29
quote:
Originally posted by nbnmare
From the Realms year 1st Edition began (1357), we've actually had year names from both seers; 1352-1369 are Alaundo's, and 1370-1804 are Augathra's.
Actually, the printed Roll of Years runs from -700 to 1600. It's available in a variety of places, too. The original rtf is still located on the Wizards site, but you have to know the exact URL to find it. We also have various formats for the Roll of Years located here (including, I believe, the original rtf). It's also included in A Grand History of the Realms (get the free version while you can!), and in the nifty Forgotten Realms Calendar Tool.
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| nbnmare |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 18:23:56
In -422 DR, an elderly sage named Augathra the Mad started having visions, and she recorded these along with various prophecies from even earlier seers and prophets, many of which had already come to pass long before she wrote them down. The names ascribed to these prophecies are what later became known as the Roll of Years.
400 years later, Alaundo came along and collected together, recreated, and expanded on Augathra's work, creating a total of nine volumes of prophecies in the process. Several gaps were apparent in the Roll of Years, so Alaundo filled them with names of his own devising. From the Realms year 1st Edition began (1357), we've actually had year names from both seers; 1352-1369 are Alaundo's, and 1370-1804 are Augathra's.
More information on them can be found here: http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/alaundo.htm
(Incidentally, Alaundo lays a major role in the backstory to the Baldur's Gate computer games, though I don't think he's ever mentioned in the novelization of BG1.) |
| Lemernis |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 17:36:38
I had assumed a year would be named after the fact. I.e., after events which have defined it have occured. Interesting that they're generated in advance.
How are the names derived? Does a council of sages somewhere attempt to divine the tone and tenor of each coming year? Or is the list generated by some influenctial seer/prophet like Aluando? |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 16:40:56
Thanks for the informatin THO, I want to work that whole "betting on what the title means" thing as a sort of background flavoring in a campaign one of these days. |
| nbnmare |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 12:45:57
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
Telling a person In Sembia that a Year was a year of Rogue Dragons has no meaning at all if the person has no personal belief that there was even one, late alone many.
Considering the tremendous and widespread destruction cause by the rage of dragons, a citizen of the Realms would have to be in very deep denial indeed to believe it never happened. |
| Chosen of Bane |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 12:42:15
Thanks for the response. This works perfectly. I am running a small plot hook in my game (set in Year of Rogue Dragons) where followers of Talos believe the following year will be a year where Talos Destroys all in Faerun who do not serve him (Year of Lightning Storms).
This of course is the wrong interpretation and I wanted to be sure that the followers would indeed know the name of the year. |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 04:18:11
As the fates rule.
There was a more verbose post that access denied occured. |
| The Hooded One |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 03:53:07
And I'm afraid I must disagree.
To quote Ed's internal TSR guide to the Realms (which he adapted from the "starter guide" given to we players in his home campaign):
Although there were (and are still) some "alternative local names" for some years, in general, the Roll of Years is known to all sages, all heralds, and copies are kept at all temples. Most bards and even travelling minstrels are aware of the next dozen or so upcoming years, and it is a popular pasttime among many guilds and most nobles, everywhere in Faerūn, to speculate on (and invest or direct activities accordingly, even to placing wagers in some situations) what year names may mean.
So saith Ed. The way Ed runs the Realms, the "average farmer or city dweller" might not give two hoots, most of the time (unless dragons are flying overhead or armies are on the move), there are plenty of rumors flying around about conspiracies, the drow coming up from the depths, lost kingdoms rising bubbling out of the sea, dragons or dwarves surging to carve out new realms, and so on, linked to various year names.
Sorry, Kentinal, but that's the way Ed has always run it. This has been de-emphasized in published Realmslore so Realms game designers and especially novelists could "make up a plot" if they needed or wanted to, tied to a year name, without having every Realms fan "know what was coming" because said plot has already been published.
love to all,
THO |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 02:59:56
In my opinion the role of years are known to only a few, the Sages, Diviners, ect. the forward looking.
I would expect that many of the population does not even acept the Roll of Years names.
Telling a person In Sembia that a Year was a year of Rogue Dragons has no meaning at all if the person has no personal belief that there was even one, late alone many.
Realms literacy is high, however communication is low. Add to this different religions that could very well have their only naming system for the years.
All in all I expect the Roll of Years was an outline for events. In effect a DM tool for the tone of future events. |
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