| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alaundo |
Posted - 26 Jan 2005 : 23:23:16
Well met
This being a collective scroll of any questions the Scribes and visitors of Candlekeep wish to put to a new game designer of the Realms, namely - Ed Bonny. Ed has his first Forgotten Realms product released in 2005, namely the eagerly awaited Lost Empires of Faerun.
Present your questions herein and check back to see what news may also come forth from the quill of this Realms master. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| KacyCrawford |
Posted - 09 Jul 2013 : 16:56:30
Hmm, I do not believe I am hooked on the Realms, though do find them interesting. The frist thing that comes to mind that was Realms related was perhaps _Elves of Evermeet, Official Game Assessry_ 9430 which did offer some amazing things.
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| nijineko |
Posted - 14 Aug 2011 : 19:59:15
Greetings.
I note that there is quite the bump in date by my posting here. I hope that the participant(s) are still active.
I noted from other threads the Udoxias Contact feat, and mention of the soon-to-be posted Create Udoxias Epic Power. Will this power be posted?
Regarding the commentary of the portfolios of psionics and dreams... Has there ever been any commentary or remarks on what form, if any, a portfolio takes? Is it purely meta-physical, or is there a physical component? It would seem that there is required more than a simple statement of intent to claim, as most transfers seem to involve either violence, theft, or neglect for a suitable period.
Regarding a certain someone gaining access to the portfolio of dreams... I understand that it is not uncommon for an individual coming out of a coma to fall into a normal sleep, which would include REM cycles, before waking up. It would be interesting if such were the case of the healing slumber of the Power in question. Even more interesting if he did take up the dream portfolio... which could have interesting ramifications.
Possibility one: psionics might only function via dreams, or only while dreaming. In such a case, the Kalashtar as a race could begin existing in the Realms via a Dreamtime, much as the aborigines of Australia profess. They do not dream, because their entire lives is a waking dream. This would also imply that they host tiny fragments of the Power in question... which could help the Power survive until a more traditional faith-based power base can be arranged. Other races could only manifest during normal sleep... (guess who would always be stuck with the watch while everyone else is sleeping. ^^ ) I can imagine enterprising parties knocking out the party psion in order for them to be able to dream, and thus manifest. heheheh.
Possibility two: the initial psionic gift could only be awakened via a dream. Possibly taking the form of some personal prophetic vision. Such a method would lend flavor, and also make for a fun built-in rp handle for local dms. Reminds me of the Cataclysm Mage, which I have recently had to reflavor for the Realms for a dm of mine. It was quite fun researching the various cataclysmic events that have taken place in the Realms in order to match up appropriate places and events with powers.
I will stop here for now and hope for a reply.
Thank you.
nijineko prismaticpison |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 31 Aug 2007 : 04:20:54
Ed,
I was reading through Lost Empires of Faerun and came upon the section detailing the Crown Wars. I'm intrigued by Wendonai and his patronage of House Sethomiir. Specifically I'm interested in the character of Geirildin. Is there any more known or written about this character, starting with gender?
Thanks for a great book and lots of plot potential. |
| edbonny |
Posted - 26 Jun 2007 : 22:06:21
quote:
Originally posted by Ren
I had a question; (and maybe more to follow in subsequent posts) Have you fooled around with the idea of the Synad in the realms? I have been sorely disappointed with the lack of Synad info, and have started to write some of my own, that I may post where applicable in the forums somewhere, but I wanted to hear your take on it. (If any)
Hiya Ren and Welcome to Candlekeep!
I have never really thought of adding the Synad to the Realms (my take is there have been so many new races added in so short a time recently that the Realms could use a break). As far as new psionic races go, Eytan Bernstein has some thoughts over on the Wizard's website for incorporating Elan into the Realms. He might have even mentioned the Synad's there but I don't have the link.
- Ed |
| Ren |
Posted - 26 Jun 2007 : 06:05:47
Heya Ed, I'm a huge psionics and realms fan, and after I saw your work with Jhaamdath, I was overjoyed. I like your work so far, and hope to see more.
Good, now I got that out of the way 
I had a question; (and maybe more to follow in subsequent posts) Have you fooled around with the idea of the Synad in the realms? I have been sorely disappointed with the lack of Synad info, and have started to write some of my own, that I may post where applicable in the forums somewhere, but I wanted to hear your take on it. (If any)
Thanks in advance,
-Ren |
| edbonny |
Posted - 08 Feb 2007 : 17:51:11
quote:
Originally posted by DrunkenHadozee
What worshiper/clergy alignments (as per the old FR 2nd edition rules) would Auppenser have allowed? It doesn't seem to me that he would care much about his worshipers' alignment, but he doesn't strike me as someone who would allow evil folks in the ranks of his clergy (not much serenity to be found in the heart of an evil being, after all).
As the god of psionics, Auppenser (I think) might have accepted all alignments... probably favoring those with more neutral tendencies and also so long as all worshippers abided by his tenets (thinking that the owning of slaves would result in instant ex-communication from Auppenser). |
| DrunkenHadozee |
Posted - 05 Feb 2007 : 15:09:14
What worshiper/clergy alignments (as per the old FR 2nd edition rules) would Auppenser have allowed? It doesn't seem to me that he would care much about his worshipers' alignment, but he doesn't strike me as someone who would allow evil folks in the ranks of his clergy (not much serenity to be found in the heart of an evil being, after all). |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 23 Sep 2006 : 22:13:46
Wow ed that is awsome, and i have to say i like the fact that little if anything survived the distruction of the Jhaamdath empire, mostly because it seems to me that there is Netherness all over the place anymore. what with artifacts, and cities, and well god power lichs and such i just kinda get tired of hearing about the Netherness. But Jhaamdath well i crave lore on that because it is so unknown. I love the idea to restore the city Dhinnilith and restore the people from the caller of darkness. That is an awsome quest and one worthy of a novel at the least and possibly a whole trilogy of its own. That is a golden idea. |
| edbonny |
Posted - 22 Sep 2006 : 17:10:27
quote:
Originally posted by VonRaventheDaring
Okay ed another question to bother you with i guess lol.
I was just thinking if any of the smaller cities or as i would call them communities from Jhaamath were to have survived would they even have returned to the main continent of Faerun, or could they have possibly tried to reestablish a civilization far away from elves and such in say Osse, or other places? That would truely make them lost! okay bad joke sorry! :D
That depends on how closely one wants to stick to established facts of Jhaamdath's destruction. Do you leave Jhaamdath to its utter and total destruction, where the empire was scoured from the face of Toril as described in 2e books? Do you save some Jhaamdath? If so, in what way? And why?
While it very attractive as an idea to salvage something wonderful from the wreckage, it has been done before in the Realms. And I did not want to create another Netheril or Imaskar -- both great empires whose utter destruction was later soft-pedaled with the introduction of Shade and Deep Imaskar.
And because of this, I wanted Jhaamdath to be different, to have very little to survive. I wanted anyone who wished to reclaim anything from Jhaamdathan antiquity to have to work for it (i.e. having to plumb the depths of Vilhon Reach for a psionic artifact). I did give in to the urge for something to survive intact -- Dhinnilith as the Jhaamdathan city that survived but only appears occasionally, and all its inhabitants are now merged into a psionic horror.
As documented already before LEoF, there were enough Jhaamdathan survivors in the region to draw the attention of a few gods seeking to impose order (among other things) on the chaotic aftermath of the tidal wave. As evidenced by who now dwells in the area, these survivors did not reform Jhaamdathan society -- and a good question would be why didn't they?!? But the fact remains that they didn't. Maybe after the catastrophe, they turned their back on everything Jhaamdathan, seeing the old ways as foolish? Maybe life was too hard after the tidal wave, and mere survival caused them to lose their Jhaamdathan lives over time. Maybe they latched onto their new gods as the only way out of their predicament, even though that meant forsaking the old ways.
I would prefer to leave Jhaamdath a mystery but I have one wild way to bring a big part of Jhaamdath back in a way that would be a first for the Realms. Undo the "caller in the darkness" in the Dhinnilith -- and by that I mean find a way to lock the city back on Toril when Dhinnilith next returns, then via a psionic epic power, "untie" the caller in the darkness and "resurrect" the de-glomerated (is that a word?) minds back into the human population that once formed the Caller in the Darkness. Make it so those people have no memory of being a Caller in the Darkness, and you have a true Jhaamdathan city with a full populace the same as it stood the day the tidal wave came.
What do you think of that? |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 22 Sep 2006 : 16:43:59
Okay ed another question to bother you with i guess lol.
I was just thinking if any of the smaller cities or as i would call them communities from Jhaamath were to have survived would they even have returned to the main continent of Faerun, or could they have possibly tried to reestablish a civilization far away from elves and such in say Osse, or other places? That would truely make them lost! okay bad joke sorry! :D |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 08 Sep 2006 : 01:06:47
I don't know ed they (elans that is) could have been used as kind of a way to preserve psionic lore, knowlage, and help keep the empire stable behind the scence, hense the secretiveness of the Elans. They wouldn't want just any psion (especailly evil ones) becoming immortal. But thats just the view i have on it. |
| edbonny |
Posted - 07 Sep 2006 : 14:46:09
quote:
Originally posted by Doug Ramsey
Ed,
Loved your work on Lost Empires of Faerun, from which comes my question. Regarding the timeline on page 113, there is a reference to the eight sons of Taark Shanat each setting up his own subkingdom of Shanatar. The timeline further notes that each subkingdom became associated strongly with the church of the patron deity of the founder. This last part was news to me and my own investigations haven't found it repeated in prior books. Would you happen to know or have decided which subkingdom would have been associated with which dwarven deity? Past lore suggests Dugmaren for Iltkazar and logically Moradin and Berronar would have had the top spot in Alatorin.
Hey Doug,
Thanks for the kind words. I see you have your answers. The Wyrmskull Throne featured heavily when researching that chapter of Ancient Empires.
- Ed |
| edbonny |
Posted - 07 Sep 2006 : 14:42:45
quote:
Originally posted by VonRaventheDaring
Okay ed i know i haven't asked you a question in a while so here you go! How do you deal with the Elan, or Elans or Elanians or whatever the plural is for them. I mean what is their Jhaamdath history? How long have they been around? Did Auppenser create them, or help to create them? Did the god of psionics have plans for them as perhaps chosen, or champions? How many if they had a clan sturcture, clans did the Elans posses during Jhaamdath. Okay i think that that is enough questions for now. :D
Hey VRtD,
If I was going to bring the Elan in, I would do it subtly. The elan would not be a race created by Auppenser but more of a "psionic mutation" that a very very small number of humans might gave birth to (i.e. both parents were high-level psionicists). Outwardly these elan children would appear human, even consider themselves human, except that they were psionically different (gifted?) as a result of their parentage. If an elan mated with an elan, most of their children would be human. There would be a small chance for the child to be elan. This low birth rate would keep elan as an elite fortunate few (and thus ensure a favored place in Jhaamdathan society).
To add elan as a distinct race, you risk creating a competing society of elan within Jhaamdath promoting elan goals, values, and ideals - which to me takes away from the established Jhaamdathan history.
- Ed
|
| Doug Ramsey |
Posted - 27 Aug 2006 : 10:03:56
quote:
Originally posted by Bladedancer
I believe Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to The Underdark has the info you seek.
Almost. Thanks for the suggestion though as it's revealed to me other information that I thought it didn't have about the various subkingdoms, due to its odd organization.
However, right after my last post I realized I had a copy of The Wyrmskull Throne which speaks of the artifact throne of Shanatar. Out of curiosity I started reading and found out that with said throne were scepters for each subkingdom...marked with the symbols of the patron deities all around. Exactly what I needed.
I suppose that figures, as soon as I stopped looking and thought to ask I find it. |
| Bladedancer |
Posted - 27 Aug 2006 : 09:36:50
I believe Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to The Underdark has the info you seek. |
| Doug Ramsey |
Posted - 27 Aug 2006 : 08:56:12
Ed,
Loved your work on Lost Empires of Faerun, from which comes my question. Regarding the timeline on page 113, there is a reference to the eight sons of Taark Shanat each setting up his own subkingdom of Shanatar. The timeline further notes that each subkingdom became associated strongly with the church of the patron deity of the founder. This last part was news to me and my own investigations haven't found it repeated in prior books. Would you happen to know or have decided which subkingdom would have been associated with which dwarven deity? Past lore suggests Dugmaren for Iltkazar and logically Moradin and Berronar would have had the top spot in Alatorin. |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 14 Aug 2006 : 15:47:06
Okay ed i know i haven't asked you a question in a while so here you go! How do you deal with the Elan, or Elans or Elanians or whatever the plural is for them. I mean what is their Jhaamdath history? How long have they been around? Did Auppenser create them, or help to create them? Did the god of psionics have plans for them as perhaps chosen, or champions? How many if they had a clan sturcture, clans did the Elans posses during Jhaamdath. Okay i think that that is enough questions for now. :D |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 17:44:09
quote:
Originally posted by edbonny
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Basically, 3.x says "Oh, hey, it's always been this way! You just didn't notice it before!"
I've felt very much the same way about this, just a little different view, "It's always been there, you just never knew about it until now."
Either way, it's an approach that I feel leaves much to be desired. But I'll not rant on that particular topic, since I've done so in the past. |
| edbonny |
Posted - 19 Jun 2006 : 14:25:10
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Basically, 3.x says "Oh, hey, it's always been this way! You just didn't notice it before!"
I've felt very much the same way about this, just a little different view, "It's always been there, you just never knew about it until now." |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 16 Jun 2006 : 18:03:53
quote:
Originally posted by VonRaventheDaring
Thanks Wooly, but then what about the update from 2nd edition to 3.5?
There's been little or no in-game explanation for most of the changes wrought by 3.x. It's a point of contention with many of us. Since we had a large event (the ToT) to explain the minor changes from 1E to 2E, many of us are of the opinion that the major changes of 3.x should have had some in-game explanation.
Basically, 3.x says "Oh, hey, it's always been this way! You just didn't notice it before!" |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 16 Jun 2006 : 17:45:31
Thanks Wooly, but then what about the update from 2nd edition to 3.5? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 16 Jun 2006 : 17:42:25
quote:
Originally posted by VonRaventheDaring
I was recently reading the R.A. Salvator Book the Sell Swords, and was reminded of my favorite character in that series (besides Jarlax of course) his psionist (2nd edition) who is in charge of the underdark organization. This got me to researching 2nd edition and 1st edition psionists by default of course.
I was wondering ed if you could tell me if the reason for the differences to the types and styles of psioinics through the years was due to the weave change (a possibility) the slumber of Auppenser, the time of troubles, and the stirring to of the god now.
By this i mean that 1st level psionists were the Jhaamdath era before the gods slumber, 2nd edition psionists were the slumber era, till the time of troubles, and 3rd edition psioinists are the god is awakening/semi-sleeping status. IF that makes sense i will feel better. Any way the reason i ask is because while the mage magic stuff has been clarified to account for the timeline (most of the time) the psionics have not.
Thanks
Vonraven
The Time of Troubles also covered psionics -- that was the transition from 1E to 2E, for everything, including psionics. |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 16 Jun 2006 : 15:11:48
I was recently reading the R.A. Salvator Book the Sell Swords, and was reminded of my favorite character in that series (besides Jarlax of course) his psionist (2nd edition) who is in charge of the underdark organization. This got me to researching 2nd edition and 1st edition psionists by default of course.
I was wondering ed if you could tell me if the reason for the differences to the types and styles of psioinics through the years was due to the weave change (a possibility) the slumber of Auppenser, the time of troubles, and the stirring to of the god now.
By this i mean that 1st level psionists were the Jhaamdath era before the gods slumber, 2nd edition psionists were the slumber era, till the time of troubles, and 3rd edition psioinists are the god is awakening/semi-sleeping status. IF that makes sense i will feel better. Any way the reason i ask is because while the mage magic stuff has been clarified to account for the timeline (most of the time) the psionics have not.
Thanks
Vonraven |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 22 May 2006 : 19:20:53
maybe they still worship Auppenser, or at the least have a few forgotten temples to him! the Kukri would make an excellent weapon for them too! |
| edbonny |
Posted - 22 May 2006 : 19:19:01
quote:
Originally posted by Pystian
Since Ghostwise came up before...
When Calim first came to what later became Calimshan, he brought Human and Halfling slaves with him. If those slave families were still in place during the Jhaamdathan anti-slavery movement (which I think is a really safe bet), many of them would have been freed by Monastic Servants of Auppenser. Considering Halfling nature, they might have adapted really well to life in Jhaamdath. That is, until Dharien achieves power. If the Halflings still have ties to the church that rescued them or becomes the target of Dharien's racism, where do they go? Back to Calimshan doesn't make much sense, and they'd never make it across the Sea of Fallen Stars with Dharien's new navy. They could hit the mountains, I guess, but the Chondalwood seems a MUCH more attractive choice, especially if they can ally with the Elves. And at some point in the future, there are telepathic Halflings in the Chondalwood...
Hey Pystian,
Nice idea. I could see a few halfling hidden communities secreted away by monastic servants around the Jhaamdathan kingdom, surviving and thriving. Later on in the empire's existence there might have been trouble with the Jhaamdathan expansionists. A community of psionic halflings would be cool, especially if their legacy came from Jhaamdath.
If the Dragon article I reference above sees print, I would put a fair number of those ghostwise halflings in the little known far eastern halfling kingdom of Delmyr (obscure Dragon magazine reference, issue 269, The Hin Nobody Knows, Ed Greenwood). We shall see.
- Ed |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 22 May 2006 : 19:14:22
Awsome news Ed! your rock as usual! |
| edbonny |
Posted - 22 May 2006 : 19:11:12
quote:
Originally posted by VonRaventheDaring
Hey Ed, So i am a bit confused, about the subserviant comment concerning Auppenser. I thought Auppenser was the leader of his own pantheon, although i understand that he was under the goddess of magic. Did he have any gods working underhim, or that he sponsered? Btw not to get off subject but did you submit anything for lost empires, that Wizards didn't take? Any stuff you wanted to add but didn't, or any stuff for web enhancements, dragon articles you could add? Oh yeah been dying to ask you did Jhaamdath have a great library, like many of the libraries of great civilizations and all. I am just asking cause i always imagined the lore gems of the Elves being more of a psionic thing, than magical in nature, and if Jhaamdath had coppied them they would be awsome for a library. Also a demiplane library would have been cool for Jhaamdath's grand library, kinda an easy all access kinda place.
Hey VRtD,
Auppenser has always been part of the Faerunian pantheon, and was a greater deity in the service of Mystryl. He was subservient to the goddess of magic, but he was not a servant. More like Mystryl was first among equals. There is nothing written that speaks of any gods in his employ but that doesn't mean there wasn't any... although there would need to be an explanation for what happened to this deity after Auppenser went into his slumber.
I didn't submit anything to Dragon about LEoF. Dragon was not really soliciting campaign specific material that directly applied newly published books. That has since changed with Dragon and we are back to the good old days! :) I did submit some Imaskari artifacts to Wizards for use on their online site but they never got published. I don't see why not as far as a Jhaamdathan great library goes. The astral ruins of Dhinnilith would house the only surviving one, and its contents would theoretically be in pristine condition.
I currently have a Realms article under review with Dragon. It is loosely linked with Lost Empires, but has no connection to Jhaamdath. As soon as I hear about that one, I'll inquire about an Auppenser-Jhaamdathan piece.
- Ed
|
| Pystian |
Posted - 21 May 2006 : 20:25:06
Since Ghostwise came up before...
When Calim first came to what later became Calimshan, he brought Human and Halfling slaves with him. If those slave families were still in place during the Jhaamdathan anti-slavery movement (which I think is a really safe bet), many of them would have been freed by Monastic Servants of Auppenser. Considering Halfling nature, they might have adapted really well to life in Jhaamdath. That is, until Dharien achieves power. If the Halflings still have ties to the church that rescued them or becomes the target of Dharien's racism, where do they go? Back to Calimshan doesn't make much sense, and they'd never make it across the Sea of Fallen Stars with Dharien's new navy. They could hit the mountains, I guess, but the Chondalwood seems a MUCH more attractive choice, especially if they can ally with the Elves. And at some point in the future, there are telepathic Halflings in the Chondalwood... |
| VonRaventheDaring |
Posted - 18 May 2006 : 09:33:01
Hey Ed, So i am a bit confused, about the subserviant comment concerning Auppenser. I thought Auppenser was the leader of his own pantheon, although i understand that he was under the goddess of magic. Did he have any gods working underhim, or that he sponsered? Btw not to get off subject but did you submit anything for lost empires, that Wizards didn't take? Any stuff you wanted to add but didn't, or any stuff for web enhancements, dragon articles you could add? Oh yeah been dying to ask you did Jhaamdath have a great library, like many of the libraries of great civilizations and all. I am just asking cause i always imagined the lore gems of the Elves being more of a psionic thing, than magical in nature, and if Jhaamdath had coppied them they would be awsome for a library. Also a demiplane library would have been cool for Jhaamdath's grand library, kinda an easy all access kinda place. |
| Zeboaster of Ordulin |
Posted - 18 May 2006 : 05:08:47
Hi, thanks for all of the great stuff on Auppenser, Ed. That stuff slays.
I have a monk of the Old Order IMC. After reading through this stuff, I'm debating making the defunct deity that the Old Order once worshipped (and now long forgotten) be Auppenser. It's not that much of a stretch from the description in the FRCS to the description of Auppenser that you've given here. Its sounding more and more smashing every second (unless of course, there's some canon description of the Old Order that I've missed somewhere along the way). I've been taking some time out of the Realms the past year or so to run an Eberron game, so I might have missed some things here or there.
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