| Author |
 Topic  |
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Dec 2007 : 15:08:27
|
Well met
This being a continued collection of scrolls of any questions the Scribes and visitors of Candlekeep wish to put to a master who needs no introduction, namely - Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms.
Ed's works include MANY FR sourcebooks and numerous novels, such as Cormyr: A Novel, Spellfire, Silverfall, The Shadows of the Avatar Trilogy and The Elminster Series, to name but a few.
Present your questions herein and check back to see what news may also come forth from the quill of this author.
For previous entries of the many, many writings of lore by Ed, please see the 2007 entries in this collection of scrolls, the 2006 entries in here, the 2005 entries here, and the 2004 entries here. 'ware, these run into over 80 pages, ye may be reading for some time. For a concise read of Ed's replies, visit the So Saith Ed page on the Candlekeep site.
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2007 : 15:14:38
|
Okay, first question for '08...
Ed, this is a follow-up to something we discussed back in '05 about languages and such. I'm curious about what type of languages and/or dialects you think may exist throughout the Border Kingdoms region? Which of those do you think have the most impact/influence? How have they developed and evolved over time? Do they regularly change to reflect the political and economic chaos that often grips the region?
Also, with the near-constant shifting tides of power and "occasional" influence from greater surrounding political entities in the region, I'd like to hear your thoughts on any potential clashes that could develop [or perhaps have developed] between foreign and indigenous languages. What about those indigenous languages that struggle to compete with the more widespread tongues from the North? How are they affected by those foreign languages that may be slowly reaching into the Border Kingdoms via cultural exchanges established through trade caravans and increased contact with locales north of the Lake of Steam? Are they affected?
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 31 Dec 2007 15:18:47 |
 |
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2007 : 18:04:46
|
Hello again, fellow scribes! So we greet another year of Realmslore; on with the show, this is it . . .
Our first Realmslore from Ed this year concerns a query from Mandras back in May (of 2007), which Ed hopes doesn’t come too late, but which could only be answered now, when the contents of the forthcoming 4e FR launch products are settling into place.
Mandras asked: “I am considering DM-ing a campaign in Amn and its surrounding regions (Southern Sword Coast mostly) and I am in a dire need for interesting, not well known, evil-aligned secret organization or cult to be used as main antagonist for PC-s.
The Cult I am looking for should be non-religious (it could be pseudo-religious as is the Cult of the Dragon), nor highly magical in nature (its leadership should not include high-level mages), it should be centered around humans (leader is human) and should have considerable mercantile and monetary powers. It would help if the main philosophy of the cult is strange or weird.
As my players have read a lot of Forgotten Realms materials I am looking for something that has not been published before or is mentioned very briefly in official materials.
Are there any such organizations that match my description active in Amn region? Best Regards, Mandras”
Ed replies:
Yes, as it happens. :}
In a library campaign I ran some years ago, the Knights already “dealt” with this group, so I can Reveal All now . . .
A small group of wealthy merchants have secretly been listening to one Haedruld Marlsword, who has been discussing his search for immortality at feasts and revels in Amn for decades now. Marlsword has recently been whispering rather more to certain merchants who are willing to pay 25,000 each for “initiation” into the Order of the Dark Caress (said initiation involves passwords, clandestine meetings naked under cloaks and boots, “rituals to Shar” that involve sex with hired (and very well trained in the invented creed of the Dark Caress) prostitutes (who have been promised long life and beauty from Shar in return for their service, as well as the pay Marlsword gives them).
Here’s the root secret of the Order, as Marlsword puts it to Order members: Marlsword found an old diary recording the activities of an Order of the Dark Caress, and tried one of the rituals therein to see if it worked. It did, Shar herself answering Marlsword in his dreams to say that she had no objection to his reviving the Order, so long as it had nothing at all to do with her clergy, and kept its activities secret. Shar revealed to Marlsword that eternal life can be gained by drinking the “heart blood” of certain Amnians, who are individually revealed by Shar from time to time, mixed with particular wines and “secret ingredients” [harmless spices, known only to, and added only by, Marlsword]. “Heart blood” means is that the certain Amnians must be sacrificed, and as much of their blood as possible collected. The Order is to covertly kidnap them, then “gentle” them so they aren’t really upset when they are killed (Marlsword achieves this by drugging them and then having Order members caress or have sex with them as their veins are opened as their blood flows out (usually into a bathtub where the sex is taking place).
As might be expected, Order members are mainly older men (with a scattering of young, vigorous ones - - but only those who have demonstrated they can keep their mouths shut, before being approached to join the Order), and their victims are almost all attractive and wealthy Amnian women, often widows or wives whose husbands are busy traveling traders, and away from home. Marlsword is after their gold and valuables, and the rituals of drinking the heart blood are a sham. He selects appropriate victims by researching their circumstances, and then tells the Order that Shar has named them to him.
Marlsword (a CE human male thief 15 who was formerly a moneylender and - changer, an investor in caravans, and a dealer in “curios from afar” [small carved flasks, vials, and sculpted-lid boxes for spices and powders, made cheaply in Murghom], after retiring from an increasingly dangerous career of stealing from Calishite pay caravans) is not crazy, but is a charlatan who merely wants to separate as many folk from as much of their money as he discreetly can. He has amassed (mainly through theft) dozens of healing potions that he uses to recover swiftly from injuries; on at least one occasion he wounded himself for Order members to see, and covertly drank a potion to “heal with astonishing speed through the favor of Shar.” He is living simply, using the wealth taken from victims to fund Order activities and to buy buildings all over urban Amn, both as hideouts and as revenue generators (he has secretly become a landlord of large holdings in Athkatla, Crimmor, and Esmeltaran).
He never found any diary at all, and the only dreaming involving the Order he did was dreaming the whole thing up. The Order has dues, so he derives an income from all of this, and being as it isn't "really" invoking Shar (the actual wording in rituals speaks of the Dark Caress rather than Shar by name; only Marlsword's initial discussions with initiated members involve use of Shar's name).
As for Shar herself, she has become aware of the invented Order, amused by Marlsword’s presumption and activities, and has been watching Order activities from time to time for her own entertainment. She has no intention of acting against the Order or aiding them in any way (except by sending magical darkness from time to time to obscure the vision of onlookers who might see Order members performing a kidnapping, or be able to successfully chase or trace them), and won't change that unless or until they act against Sharran clergy directly. After all, she grants Order members nothing, and gains, in a sense, their worship.
So saith Ed. Who hopes this is pseudo-religious enough for your needs, doesn’t come way too late to be of any help, and will be of interest to other scribes using Amn in their Realms campaigns.
First Realmslore of 2008, folks; enjoy!
love to all,
THO
|
Edited by - The Hooded One on 31 Dec 2007 18:07:48 |
|
|
|
Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 01:41:21
|
That's great. And it could easily be moved to Sembia, and maybe Waterdeep or another trade-heavy city. Not Cormyr, though, as Vangey would sort of frown on that sort of activity.  |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
|
|
|
Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 07:49:37
|
THO/Ed: thanks for this new Realmslore, and Happy New Year to you both! 
Edit: to save wavelength, I shall adjoin my question to this post rather than create a new one... here it goes:
--> Ed, now that gnomes aren't even going to be in the picture anymore in 4E, can you oblige us with that big "gnomes in the Realms" bonanza post some of us have been pleading for during the last few years?  Anything to help us ground our gnome PCs and NPCs better into the grand story that is the Realms would be great. Anything on Rock and Forest gnome ancient/existing civilizations/kingdoms/lands would be greater (i.e. much has already been said on svirneblin, but not on the surface-dwelling cousins...)
Cheers! |
Edited by - Purple Dragon Knight on 01 Jan 2008 07:56:22 |
|
|
|
Neriandal Freit
Senior Scribe
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 12:05:03
|
| Fresh topic and I'm just signing on for all those juicy little tid-bits Lady THO often let's slip out of her braziers.. |
"Eating people is wrong...unless it's on the first date." - Ed Greenwood, GenCon Indy 2006 |
|
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 16:59:57
|
Good question, Neriandal Freit! Off to Ed it goes.
I do know, from some discussions we players had with Ed over the years, that "the gnome way" has been to dwell in human cities, as the plumbers, launderers, roof-shinglers, whittlers, packers, and makers of greases and ointments (among other things) so darned well that they literally fall beneath notice.
Meaning that they are just accepted as part of the neighbourhood, and always go for the shy, quiet smiling public persona rather than the cheerful "bouncy" or cocky persona of many halflings. As a result, they live with humans happily unregarded, whereas the halflings live with humans happily noticed.
(I am, of course, handing out a generalisation here, and it should be treated as such.)
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 06 Jan 2008 01:49:37 |
|
|
|
Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 17:33:38
|
Many thanks Lady Hooded! it is perhaps as a results of their ancient servitude to the Netherese then? their collective memory remembers, and actively strives to keep them in a low profile, even after all these years... Yessss... I think I like the simple "shy/smiling" human neighbours explanation!! 
Now, heading off to a different section of Candlekeep to inquire about Songfarla... |
|
|
|
createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 23:40:05
|
Hello All,
This has been on my mind for awhile now and I wonder if it's come up before, a dimwit/halfwit I assume applies to those who may be mentally challenged and that has me wondering ( think "Of Mice and Men") how are they affected in terms of alignment and what deity claims these poor souls who are not capable of understanding their actions? Are their souls doomed to the wall or worse as soul currency by extraplanar beings?
Thanks as always |
|
|
|
Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2008 : 00:24:59
|
A Very Happy New Year to you, Lady, and Ed!
I have three questions, but I am not completely certain if I have already asked one or two of them -- if that is the case, ignore those questions. :)
1) Where are the dead buried in Eveningstar? On the Temple Grounds? A separate graveyard away from the village (i.e. "off the map")?
2) Is there anything you might tell about 'Pillar Rock', which has "an old tomb complex" at its base? Who were buried there and are there any hazards (traps, undead) within the complex?
3) Will Eveningstar be featured in any upcoming novel or accessory to your knowledge?
|
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
|
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2008 : 15:22:12
|
Hello again, all. Ed remains chained to his keyboard, trying to get overdue stuff done and in to the good and very patient folks at Wizards, but we did chat briefly, and I can offer my usual partial answer to some recent queries (pending his "proper" replies, sometime in the future).
To The Sage: the constant influx of traders, adventurers, and fugitives from justice into the Border Kingdoms has always made the Common Tongue THE vital and paramount language there. Rural areas develop their own "special meaning" words and expressions (so, dialects in the linguistic sense), but Common remains the (forgive me) lingua franca. That's not to say that a score or so of other languages don't flourish as a means of personal communications between certain Borderers, but Common is the primary tongue of trade, because in most market-moots in the Borders, you never know who will be listening to, and understanding, your asides in "your own tongue."
Asgetrion, the dead are buried in Eveningstar as follows: all Lathanderites and good-aligned folk whose families don't express wishes to the contrary are interred, yes, on the Temple Grounds (crypts for the wealthy who donate, and in a ground plot to the north of the tilled temple fields, hard by the temple buildings, for the less wealthy). "Unknowns," the homeless, and outlaws tend to get buried in the Gorge, anywhere well away from the stream and not too much of a hike away from Eveningstar. There are also separate burial grounds for some other faiths (small boulder-walled rectangles of ground with lots of mature trees growing in them, shading all) on the north side of the main trade-road, west of the temple lands (so, just off the map). A few eccentrics have been buried in their own cellars or in various odd places, at their written-before-death requests. The diseased or poisoned or "tainted by necromancy" are usually burned in an outdoor pyre, and then their ashes buried in a regular grave.
As for Elminster, the answer depends on what you mean by "featured." It also depends on whether certain future plans come to fruition.
Pillar Rock is a tall rock "chimney" or "stack" with a cave-mouth in its eastern face, leading into a natural rock cavity that was chipped out a little to give it a more level floor, and to turn the rock at its heart into a massive, still-joined-to-the-floor stone coffin (with massive lid). Various bodies were stashed temporarily in there in recent times, and there are many, many conflicting tales about who was first buried in there, when, and by whom.
So saith me. More as soon as I can.
love to all,
THO |
|
|
|
Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2008 : 23:50:55
|
Hi. Lady THO, I once heard Ed talk about a "battle in the graveyard" between the Knights and a band of mercenaries hired by the Zhents, that took place one night in Eveningstar because the Knights were lured there by a planted story about someone hiding treasure and Zhentarim messages in the place. Would that have been one of these walled other-faiths burial grounds you mention?
Thanks.
BB |
|
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2008 : 23:56:39
|
It would indeed. Complete with fake "ghost" to keep the locals away. It was The Swordyard, the burial yard for followers of Torm, Helm, and Tempus, which is the most easterly of the five north-side cemeteries (the one closest to the temple-farm of Lathander). The Zhents had simply lifted up a headstone and hollowed out a small storage cavity beneath it. Torm of the Knights left two severed hands behind in that space, severed during the fight (a Zhent brandished what he thought - - and the Zhent wanted him to think - - was a powerful evil magic item, and Islif swung around and sliced into the man's wrists, her steel biting through them when her swing drove him back against a treetrunk that was right behind him).
Ah, grand old adventuring moments . . .
love,
THO |
|
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 00:08:20
|
My thanks to Ed, and to you as well my Lady.
I've also got another follow-up question on language coming... kind of an addendum to the question I just asked. But I'll get to posting that later.
|
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
|
|
|
Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 04:49:19
|
My deepest thanks to Ed and you, Lady! Your reply gave me some nice ideas for plot hooks! 
Another question: do you recall if the map of Berdusk in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast is right "on spot" with your personal notes? Some of the locations given in the text (especially the shrines/temples of Lathander, Azuth, Tempus, Leira and Helm) do not seem to correspond to the map correctly -- at least the way I interpreted the text. Considering that Marsember's map in the Dungeon Magazine had such errors, I was wondering if this is a similar case or just a case of my own flawed judgement?
Also, can you tell me what the very "manorhouse"-like walled compound on the SE corner of the map outside the city (along the Chionthar ; the "southeasternmost" building on the map along the road) is? It looks like a noble mansion but stands next to three caravan compounds... |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
|
|
|
Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 14:27:04
|
To bother poor Ed with additional questions:
Can you give any details about heraldry in Sunset Vale? I was mainly thinking of Berdusk and Hill's Edge, but this prompts me also to ask whether small villages in the Realms use any sort of "badges" or "runes" or actual heraldry (i.e. Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast includes a drawing two swords on a shield, which seems to indicate that it is the Arms of Drawn Swords)?. What about the "First Folk" ("nobility") in Berdusk -- do they have family Coats-of-Arms and would they prefer more "eloquent" heraldry or badges to more practical ones?
Are the Coats-of-Arms presented in 'Power of Faerûn' just meant to be "flavour art" or are they "actual" heraldic devices in the Realms?
And this shall be my last question for a while (I promise) -- when you listed the Guilds of Cormyr a year or two ago, I noticed that your list did not include any sort of Sewerers' or Cellarers' Guild. So, who takes care of sewers and cleaning of streets in Cormyr? |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
|
|
|
Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 14:41:52
|
Asgetrion,
While I can't answer all your questions, this one is fairly straightforward: "when you listed the Guilds of Cormyr a year or two ago, I noticed that your list did not include any sort of Sewerers' or Cellarers' Guild. So, who takes care of sewers and cleaning of streets in Cormyr?"
The answer, in large part, is "convicts," supervised by Purple Dragon details and certain experts (in the case of the sewers) People convicted of crimes in Cormyr, rather than being subject to simple imprisonment and isolation from society, get to do the hard labour of the Realm: dredging the Starwater, cleaning the streets and sewers of the city, cutting and clearing for roads, and similar tasks. The only people that get locked up are those too dangerous to be let out in public at all (mages, for example), or those who are sentenced to death and awaiting execution (usually a pretty rapid process).
Needless to say, convicts don't get charters or permission to unionize. The individuals, in fact, are rotated away from areas once they become familiar, to keep them from growing attached, from doing damage, or from learning enough about an area to escape. Occasionally, a former convict will eventually become one of the experts that guides prisoner work groups to the right spots ("The blockage will be down that tunnel, fifty paces, beneath a grate that always comes unstuck."), but most sane folk are thankful when they get sent from Suzail's sewers to the Starwater. |
|
|
|
Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 17:54:14
|
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
What about the "First Folk" ("nobility") in Berdusk -- do they have family Coats-of-Arms and would they prefer more "eloquent" heraldry or badges to more practical ones?
I'd be interested in the Caunter coat of arms/heraldry because of my email game. :) Hint Hint, Ed. Grins. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 04 Jan 2008 17:54:53 |
|
|
|
Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 22:15:32
|
Heya,
Given the origins of the Seven Sisters - are they quasi-divine?
Edited to clarify: while the write ups for the Seven in FRCS and other sources don't list them as having DvR 0, it could be argued that since they are the daughters of Mystra they should be DvR 0. That's pretty much what I'm asking - could/should the Seven Sisters be considered quasi-deities or hero deities as per Deities and Demigods (which says explicitly that any child of a mortal and a deity would fall into that category... The book says that while DvR 0 entities are immortal, they can't grant spells, it says that they may have one or more stats greater than the norm for their race (I interpret to mean "but not necessarily"), and that they may have worshipers (also not necessarily))?
I suspect I know the answer to this, but I'll wait and see what Ed has to say. :)
(Oh and a very happy and prosperous New Year to Ed, THO, and all the scribes here!) |
Zandilar
~amor vincit omnia~
~audaces fortuna iuvat~
As the spell ends, you look up into the sky to see the sun blazing overhead like noon in a desert. Then something else in the sky catches your attention. Turning your gaze, you see a tawny furred kitten bounding across the sky towards the new sun. Her eyes glint a mischevious green as she pounces on it as if it were nothing but a colossal ball of golden yarn. With quick strokes of her paws, it is batted across the sky, back and forth. Then with a wink the kitten and the sun disappear, leaving the citizens of Elversult gazing up with amazed expressions that quickly turn into chortles and mirth.
The Sunlord left Elversult the same day in humilitation, and was never heard from again. |
Edited by - Zandilar on 04 Jan 2008 23:43:31 |
|
|
|
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 00:04:55
|
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
What about the "First Folk" ("nobility") in Berdusk -- do they have family Coats-of-Arms and would they prefer more "eloquent" heraldry or badges to more practical ones?
I'd be interested in the Caunter coat of arms/heraldry because of my email game. :) Hint Hint, Ed. Grins.
Oooh, yes, I'd be interested in that too! |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
|
|
|
Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 00:12:11
|
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
What about the "First Folk" ("nobility") in Berdusk -- do they have family Coats-of-Arms and would they prefer more "eloquent" heraldry or badges to more practical ones?
I'd be interested in the Caunter coat of arms/heraldry because of my email game. :) Hint Hint, Ed. Grins.
Oooh, yes, I'd be interested in that too!
I was waitin for you to comment. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
|
|
|
Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 03:34:56
|
quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Asgetrion,
While I can't answer all your questions, this one is fairly straightforward: "when you listed the Guilds of Cormyr a year or two ago, I noticed that your list did not include any sort of Sewerers' or Cellarers' Guild. So, who takes care of sewers and cleaning of streets in Cormyr?"
The answer, in large part, is "convicts," supervised by Purple Dragon details and certain experts (in the case of the sewers) People convicted of crimes in Cormyr, rather than being subject to simple imprisonment and isolation from society, get to do the hard labour of the Realm: dredging the Starwater, cleaning the streets and sewers of the city, cutting and clearing for roads, and similar tasks. The only people that get locked up are those too dangerous to be let out in public at all (mages, for example), or those who are sentenced to death and awaiting execution (usually a pretty rapid process).
Needless to say, convicts don't get charters or permission to unionize. The individuals, in fact, are rotated away from areas once they become familiar, to keep them from growing attached, from doing damage, or from learning enough about an area to escape. Occasionally, a former convict will eventually become one of the experts that guides prisoner work groups to the right spots ("The blockage will be down that tunnel, fifty paces, beneath a grate that always comes unstuck."), but most sane folk are thankful when they get sent from Suzail's sewers to the Starwater.
My deepest thanks, Garen!
As I read your reply, I wonder how come I did not realize it myself, as it is quite obvious when you think about it.  |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
|
|
|
Uzzy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
618 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 16:37:44
|
Hey Ed and THO. Hope you had a good christmas and a happy new year, and that THO wasn't too naughty this year. Ahem.
I've a couple of quick questions on Westgate. Firstly, what currency do they use there? And secondly, has there been a name given to the events in the novel Masquerades, where the Iron Golems attack the nobles at the tower during a Masquerade Ball?
Thanks again. |
|
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2008 : 02:08:40
|
Hello again, all. Ed is thundering along on new Realmslore and e-hurling it to the good designers at Wizards just as fast as he can, leaving me to handle the Realmslore (consulting with him, of course) for a little while longer yet.
First, re. gnomes: the Gnome Talk article that was supposed to be one of "The New Adventures of Volo" column in DRAGON never did get published. Ed will see (when he as the time, of course) if it can't be put up on the Wizards website. The free area, hopefully. (And yes, he knows he owes everyone the 2007 Spin A Yarn story.)
Second, Garen Thal is quite correct in his reply re. the cleaning of Suzail's streets and sewers. More from Ed on the other lore queries asked at the same time, as soon as he can.
Third, the Berdusk questions from Asgetrion: the map is correct, and the text should be amended (in editing, it got shortened and rewritten, catty Volo comments being removed, until the rejoined ends of sentence fragments ended up not matching the map). No big matter; just assume Volo was less than sober when penning those few paragraphs.
As for the mysterious compound you speak of: it's a caravan "corral" or walled campground, for mustering outgoing caravans, disassembling arriving caravans, and for the wagons to be stored guarded against theft for a few days. These are shared by several costers or caravan companies.
The compound to the east of it is a stockyards, with sorting paddocks joined to a "throat" enclosure, for driven oxen, sheep, horses, cattle (and sometimes hogs and goats) to be confined separately, auctioned or bought and separated out for buyers (such as butchers or grand-house-cooks from the city, or drovers seeking to take a few animals elsewhere).
This lore comes directly from Ed's notes. When I spoke to him, he added that no manor house would for choice be sited between a busy, noisy city gate and road approach, and a smelly, busy stockyards. A manor house would have trees, its own pond (for water storage for beasts), a separate pond for human drinking water storage, a gardens with an ornamental pond (bridge to island folly, if coins stretch that far), an orchard, and a site along its own winding (and probably gated) lane, far from major roads. Ed says there are about a dozen walled mansions around Berdusk, but they're far from the walls, "just within sight of the city, no closer."
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 07 Jan 2008 22:36:04 |
|
|
|
Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2008 : 02:56:42
|
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
First, re. gnomes: the Gnome Talk article that was supposed to be one of "The New Adventures of Volo" column in DRAGON never did get published. Ed will see (when he as the time, of course) if it can't be put up on the Wizards website. The free area, hopefully.
Licking my lips with anticipation!  |
|
|
|
Aureus
Learned Scribe
Luxembourg
125 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2008 : 23:08:37
|
Dear Lady THO and Mr. Greenwood, this may be question that has already been posed at some point, but where do the goblins come from in FR?
Did they naturaly develop and if so, what area do they originate from? And if they were artificially created, by whom and where and why? (ok, the why I can guess, but the rest...)
Or do they originate from another plane like the orks (Orks do come from another plane or dimension, or don't they?)
And how does it come that they are related to bugbears? (who are in general by far more formidable foes than goblins)
Many thanks in advance Mr. Greenwood and Lady THO |
That is not the weirdest thing that happened to me |
|
|
|
Neriandal Freit
Senior Scribe
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2008 : 23:41:18
|
Oddly enough I seem to have lost my mailing of this thread in THO's Braizers once again..
Silly me... |
"Eating people is wrong...unless it's on the first date." - Ed Greenwood, GenCon Indy 2006 |
Edited by - Neriandal Freit on 07 Jan 2008 23:41:45 |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2008 : 00:32:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by Aureus
Dear Lady THO and Mr. Greenwood, this may be question that has already been posed at some point, but where do the goblins come from in FR?
When two goblins love each other very much... |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2008 : 01:00:26
|
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Aureus
Dear Lady THO and Mr. Greenwood, this may be question that has already been posed at some point, but where do the goblins come from in FR?
When two goblins love each other very much...
Goblins can Love??
I suppose next you will expect a Goblin Kingdom rising in the middle of the dales that all will decide to let alone for the good of all, cause after all goblins are people too!
Now to be on suject:
Lady Herald,
When you mention poor, overworked Ed chained to his keyboard....What is said keyboard attached to? As in what does he currently do his writing on? Typewriter, Word Processor, PC?
Thank you Milady! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
|
|
|
|
tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2008 : 10:48:51
|
Dear Ed,
First of all, a happy new year to you and your kin, and thanks for giving us the best sandbox we all could have ever wished for!
I dm a campaign who’s main plot centeres around an aboleth schmeme to rule the world (the “Night Below” box written by Carl Sargent) and have a few questions about aboleth in the Realms. I don’t need them urgently answered, so take your time. However I would be happy if I could read your opinion still in 2008 (I know there are unanswered questions older than that, and I feel bad when jumping the queue). Many thanks in advance! :o)
The main plot (and plot device to enter the PC) is that magic users (mages, priests, bards, etc.) dissappear. After a bit of investigation the PC discover several groups of kidnappers and follow their trails into the underdark, where the victims are handed down from one group to the next, until they finally end up (or down, considered the location) in the hands/tentacles of aboleth who are in the process of creating a “machine” that will extend their mental domination powers all over the world.
Here are my questions (and sorry for them to be so drawn-out!):
1) When an aboleth consumes someone, he gains all(!) the knowledge of that individual, and when aboleth spawn, their offspring inherits all(!) of their parent’s knowledge. I cannot begin to imagine how vast their intellet must be and how quickly this mechanism might lead to intellects that unbalance these creatures, making them far too clever to be used as villains. At least this feature was countered in 3rd editions “Lords of Madness” by stating that their ancestral knowledge is not readily accessible and has to be searched for specific facts in protracted mind-wanderings. Still, when a whle city of aboleth comes up with a plan for world domination, I expect it to be quite bullet-proof.
...and no finally comes my question: What kind of spellcasters would they have kidnapped, and where? My take was that they would spread the kidnappings all over Faerun to avoid “spikes” that can be too esily detected, and I had them concentrate on “common” reasons for dissappearance to cover their actions: adventuring bands or lone travelling individuals or wandering small groups like bands of priests travelling from one temple to another. Anything you could add? What native groups would they blame?
2) Would the gods of the realms get upset when their priests get kidnapped, and how would they react? I know it depends on the size of their followers as well as how much each individual god involves himself in mortal affairs, so the question can’t be answered in general. How is your take on Shaundakul (very small following, around 400 realms-wide according to Faiths and Avatars), Tempus, Chauntea, Tymora, Bane, Cyric, Xvim? I know that’s a lot, but a small note for each is enough. Apart from the gods themselves, how do the churches react, both on an intra- and interreligious level? Form joint search and rescue teams or hire adventuring bands (like they do so often)?
3) What would Cormyr (in 1371 DR) do if the PC inform them about the kidnappings (they know that the victims dissappear deep in the underdark, but not the aboleth involvement)? My take was that in the beginning they would see it as “just another thing we have to keep our eyes on, along with those two dozen sembian plots, the zhents, our own nobles and scores of adventuring bands”. Since the aboleth should not make the mistake of becoming active in the domain of Cormyr because that realm is too highly organized, can be expected to make trouble and effectively jeopardize their plan, the Forest Kingdom should experience the whole affair as something that doesn’t concern tha nation directly. Would they inform other organizations, and which?
4) And the last question: How do you envision the aboleths in the realms? How commonly known are they among sages? Are they seen as legends or real dangers that luckily concern mostly the dwellers of the underdark? Who in the realms would most likely have reasonably solid lore about these monsters? I am tempted to send my players to cosmopolitan underdark cities like Sshamath, for example...
OK, I guess that’s enough stuff to answer. You can keep your replies short – I know you don’t have the time for answering every question in detail. ... not that I woulnd’t like the long versions, mind you! ;o)
Tauster |
|
|
|
The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2008 : 18:40:43
|
Great questions, tauster!
I suspect Ed will want to take a good look at the 4e version of aboleths (note: I am making an assumption that there is one, here, NOT operating on any "inside knowledge") before replying to you in full, but we'll see what comes back from Winterkeep . . .
love,
THO |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
Questions for Ed Greenwood (2008)
Topic Locked
