| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Durothil |
Posted - 09 Feb 2016 : 02:15:08
Hello there!
I am looking for some specific Lore:
1. Regarding the Laws of Magic(Laws of Names, Laws of Knowledge, etc). Especially relevant lore about them in relation to the Forgotten Realms.
2. Some lore that speaks about the Metal of Silver and why it has properties that helps it harm Evil creatures such as Lycanthropes or Demons?
Thanks in advance! |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wrigley |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 18:35:25
quote:
Originally posted by Durothil
Hello there!
I am looking for some specific Lore:
1. Regarding the Laws of Magic(Laws of Names, Laws of Knowledge, etc). Especially relevant lore about them in relation to the Forgotten Realms.
2. Some lore that speaks about the Metal of Silver and why it has properties that helps it harm Evil creatures such as Lycanthropes or Demons?
Thanks in advance!
Silver is mainly linked to Selune that is one of the oldest dieties representing Goodness. So most of the evil beings are vulnerable to it. Magicaly it is a symbol of good, purity and light. It is mainly used for protection and positive energy effects. |
| Delwa |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 17:39:18
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
I have no Realms specific lore. However, this scroll made me curious about the silver - lycanthropy connection, and I came across this article, which notes a connection between sulfur and silver. Sulfer, also known as brimstone, has definite fiendish connections, so I am intrigued by this theory.
I feel for the next flatulent person who stands by someone after they read that article.
Werefarts? 
So... lycanthropes can assume gaseous form? Must be an enlightening experience. Forcing them to take baths just became even more difficult. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 17:37:18
It's all cultural holdovers... For whatever reason, various critters from folklore had various particular vulnerabilities. And since D&D draws from from pretty much any culture it can lay hands on, it means that critter A from culture A has one particular vulnerability, and critter B from culture B may be entirely unrelated, but share that vulnerability.
It's all about the particular culture, their legends, and what mystical properties they assigned to what materials.
For fey, for example, cold iron probably represents Earth in a highly refined form, and if faeries hailed from somewhere else, being in contact with 100% pure Earth would cause them pain. This is just a guesstimate, though, I've not done enough research into fae lore to know, one way or the other.
D&D has lifted from the legends and lore of dozens (if not hundreds) of cultures, nations, and regions, and has drawn from a lot of pop culture sources, as well. And some of those things have been modified for no readily apparent reason (gorgons are a great example!). Heck, some D&D critters -- the rust monster and owlbear are examples, IIRC -- originate solely in a bag of cheap plastic toys.
Trying to make connections between some of these things is, given that background, an endeavor doomed to failure. In my mind, it's like trying to make a connection between Legos and Lincoln Logs, since they're both toys that interlock and can be stacked. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 16:53:36
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
I have no Realms specific lore. However, this scroll made me curious about the silver - lycanthropy connection, and I came across this article, which notes a connection between sulfur and silver. Sulfer, also known as brimstone, has definite fiendish connections, so I am intrigued by this theory.
I feel for the next flatulent person who stands by someone after they read that article.
Werefarts? |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 13:05:29
My thoughts on this came to no satisfactory conclusion but I have in the past wondered why fey are vulnerable to cold iron, why lycanthrope are vulnerable to silver (especially since they strike me as fey influenced), why undead are sometimes vulnerable to silver (vampires), why demons are vulnerable to cold iron and why devils are vulnerable to silver.
All I could find was an alignment reason with chaos being vulnerable to cold iron and law being vulnerable to silver.
Demons and fey are definitely chaotic.
Devils are lawful.
Undead I placed in the lawful category
Lycanthropes I couldn't place.
But it's an explanation I was never truly happy with and only used it to give additional vulnerabilities to creatures when creating my own rule system which depended on every creature being vulnerable to something |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 11:58:53
quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
I have no Realms specific lore. However, this scroll made me curious about the silver - lycanthropy connection, and I came across this article, which notes a connection between sulfur and silver. Sulfer, also known as brimstone, has definite fiendish connections, so I am intrigued by this theory.
I feel for the next flatulent person who stands by someone after they read that article. |
| Delwa |
Posted - 10 Feb 2016 : 01:44:55
I have no Realms specific lore. However, this scroll made me curious about the silver - lycanthropy connection, and I came across this article, which notes a connection between sulfur and silver. Sulfer, also known as brimstone, has definite fiendish connections, so I am intrigued by this theory. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 09 Feb 2016 : 18:21:25
quote:
Originally posted by Durothil
Is there a good source recommended regarding to the Law of Magic?
I know of no such Law, in regards to the Realms.
quote:
Originally posted by Durothil
Regarding Silver: Why would silver affect Lycanthropes and Demons and not say Undead? Is it possible that Lycanthropy is in fact a demonic hex/curse and thus that's the connection between the two?
I've not heard of anything connecting fiends and lycanthropes. I would suspect it's either a coincidence, or perhaps that silver has an effect on living flesh when imbued with particular magical properties... I would lean heavily on the former, though, and not so much on the latter.
(It is my personal theory that in the Realms, lycanthropy originated with Malar) |
| Durothil |
Posted - 09 Feb 2016 : 17:10:05
Is there a good source recommended regarding to the Law of Magic?
Regarding Silver: Why would silver affect Lycanthropes and Demons and not say Undead? Is it possible that Lycanthropy is in fact a demonic hex/curse and thus that's the connection between the two? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 09 Feb 2016 : 16:58:17
Silver also has an association with the moon, which itself has an obvious association with lycanthropes. |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 09 Feb 2016 : 16:49:58
quote:
Originally posted by Durothil
1. Regarding the Laws of Magic(Laws of Names, Laws of Knowledge, etc). Especially relevant lore about them in relation to the Forgotten Realms.
No relation. 
quote:
2. Some lore that speaks about the Metal of Silver and why it has properties that helps it harm Evil creatures such as Lycanthropes or Demons?
I don't know. I have heard of "Metal! of Steel!" (from NanowaR of Steel) however.
But if you mean what unusual properties silver has specifically in FR and theology of it, well... theology is largely absent, but silver is commonly associated with magic, starting at least with the Elves.
Volo's Guide to All Things Magical has details for a lot of "raw materials", specifically silver is good for use in magical items related to moon, electricity/lightning or force/"pure energy" effects, and a lot of others use silver too.
A lot of item preparation processes and general alchemy (especially alloys) involves it - e.g. cutting the wood intended for magical uses should be done with silver blades (but not necessarily carving later). And of course, a lot of spell material components (mostly force and lightning, but also metamagics and some wards) involve silver parts.
Several deities traditionally use it for holy symbols or other ceremonial purpose (Tyche), a few in their titles (Selūne is called "Lady of Silver", among the other things). |
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