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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 10:41:54
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I found the following quotes [both in this post and the next] floating in the ether. Both are from scribe Jakk.
Now, I don't entirely remember whether Brian's actually been asked about whether he wanted his own "Questions" scroll here in the Chamber of Sages. But I'll set this aside for the time being.
...
Well met
This being a collective scroll of any questions the Scribes and visitors of Candlekeep wish to put to master contributor for all-things-Cormyr, Brian "Garen Thal" Cortijo.
Present your questions herein and check back to see what news may also come forth from the quill of this author.
quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Seeing as Garen Thal is our resident expert on Cormyr, I thought he should have his own scroll, even if he is a regular contributor throughout the 'Keep. I know that I have more than my share of questions about the Forest Kingdom. 
Brian, if you'd like me to close this scroll, since you may prefer the somewhat easier process of contributing to other Cormyr-related discussions around Candlekeep, just let me know.
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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 18 Oct 2008 10:53:21
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 10:52:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
So here goes, Garen... my first question is regarding the Wyvernspur lineage. Are Shara and Lamala Winter any relation to Lord Tessaril Winter of Eveningstar? If so, can you be more specific, or am I asking for too much? 
My second question is regarding the Obarskyr lineage. We have the royal line detailed now thanks to the insert in the GHotR (thanks to Brian James and all who contributed dynastic lineage information to that project, including, I assume, yourself, Ed, and George Krashos). How developed is the extended family tree, and is there a chance of it (or parts of it) being made public? We know most of the royal spouses, but it would be nice to have more meat on the bones of the ancestry of the Royal Houses (the Silvers) in particular. I'm hoping that the 4e time-jump has made some of this information more accessible. (He says, perhaps a touch too optimistically.)
Please?  And thank you for anything other than "NDA" (because I know those aren't your fault). 
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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 |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 13:32:21
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Brian, if you'd like me to close this scroll, since you may prefer the somewhat easier process of contributing to other Cormyr-related discussions around Candlekeep, just let me know.
I'm actually quite honored and rather flattered to have my own thread. If folks wish to pose questions directly to me here, I'm happy to answer them as best I can, so leaving the scroll open is perfectly fine. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 14:00:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
So here goes, Garen... my first question is regarding the Wyvernspur lineage. Are Shara and Lamala Winter any relation to Lord Tessaril Winter of Eveningstar? If so, can you be more specific, or am I asking for too much?
While I've had a small hand in tinkering with the Wyvernspur line to make their years match up, the specifics of this question are known to Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak (we Cormyr scribes consider Giogi, Cat, Finder, et al to be "theirs"), and possibly Ed. I could speculate, of course, but it would be only that, and I prefer not to speculate on matters not mine to determine.
quote:
My second question is regarding the Obarskyr lineage. We have the royal line detailed now thanks to the insert in the GHotR (thanks to Brian James and all who contributed dynastic lineage information to that project, including, I assume, yourself, Ed, and George Krashos). How developed is the extended family tree, and is there a chance of it (or parts of it) being made public? We know most of the royal spouses, but it would be nice to have more meat on the bones of the ancestry of the Royal Houses (the Silvers) in particular. I'm hoping that the 4e time-jump has made some of this information more accessible. (He says, perhaps a touch too optimistically.)
Scribes may have noticed mentions of the Royal Lineage of Cormyr in threads throughout Candlekeep over the years (and on the Realms-L, when it was more active, too). This is a real, complete file that discusses of all the crowned heads of Cormyr, some important non-ruling royals (spouses, siblings, etc.) and an overall arc of the Forest Kingdom. It does explain the Silver houses and their relationship to the Obarskyrs, and quite a few other lingering secrets for Cormyr--and, of course, creates quite a few more, if anyone takes the time to go through it carefully. I've been the "keeper" of it for the last few years, making updates as additional canon lore is released, correcting inconsistencies, and adding detail as necessary.
The Lineage was started by Ed Greenwood and Grant Christie back in God-knows-when, and was passed along to me a while back, whereupon I assumed my duites as Keeper of the Blood Royal. I've done quite a bit of work on it since then, with advice, guidance, and contributions from both Ed and George Krashos. The Lineage is where George pulled the dynastic progression, to go with his fabulous grouping of royals for GHotR.
Because of the way the Royal Lineage has been constructed, I can't, on my own, publish, release, or distribute it, even a portion. It's up to WotC to determine the future of the Lineage. To answer your question directly: yes, there is a chance of it being made more public, if WotC is convinced that this is something folks want to see. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 20:40:21
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Thanks! Both for what little information you could give me (which is enough to suggest a poll on interest in the subject; see my related scroll) and for letting this scroll exist. I thought that anything that reduces Ed's workload, especially at this time and by however little, is a good thing.
Re: my previous questions: I'll have to dig up the specific file or post, but I remember finding the basics of the initial connections between the Obarskyrs and Silvers, and the separation of the Silver family lines; I also remember that the Silver daughters in question were unnamed. Is it possible to get names for those daughters without higher-power approval? I'm expecting not, based on your earlier response, but I thought I'd ask anyway.
Also: I know that the birth years of the more recent generations of Obarskyrs changed between the Old Gray Box and the second edition and later sources... but I currently have none of my pre-3E sources with me... which means nothing hard-copy on Cormyr beyond the bits in GHotR and the 3E FRCS. I have the 4E Dragon article on Cormyr, but it's largely irrelevant to me because I don't play 4E and my timeline in Cormyr diverged rather significantly from canon around the present-day time of the Cormyr Trilogy, particularly DotD. Is the original partial Obarskyr lineage from the OGB available anywhere without me buying the PDF of the entire boxed set (which I have in hard-copy, just not with me)?
Edit: Exactly what kinds of secrets can there be in the lineage? We know about Draxius thanks to GHotR... but there's the mystery of the dual fates of Thatoryl Elian... and other secrets, I'm sure. I'm curious as to what reason there is to keep all of this "old lore" under NDA if the emphasis for new products (D&Di) will be on "new lore" (post-1385, or at least post-1375, I assume).  |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 18 Oct 2008 20:51:40 |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 20:51:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Re: my previous questions: I'll have to dig up the specific file or post, but I remember finding the basics of the initial connections between the Obarskyrs and Silvers, and the separation of the Silver family lines; I also remember that the Silver daughters in question were unnamed. Is it possible to get names for those daughters without higher-power approval? I'm expecting not, based on your earlier response, but I thought I'd ask anyway.
I'm afraid not. Sorry. :/quote:
Also: I know that the birth years of the more recent generations of Obarskyrs changed between the Old Gray Box and the second edition and later sources... but I currently have none of my pre-3E sources with me... which means nothing hard-copy on Cormyr beyond the bits in GHotR and the 3E FRCS. I have the 4E Dragon article on Cormyr, but it's largely irrelevant to me because I don't play 4E and my timeline in Cormyr diverged rather significantly from canon around the present-day time of the Cormyr Trilogy, particularly DotD. Is the original partial Obarskyr lineage from the OGB available anywhere without me buying the PDF of the entire boxed set (which I have in hard-copy, just not with me)?
The dates were not changed; they were adjusted for the difference between Cormyr Reckoning (CR, which is how the dates of the Gray Box are determined) and Dalereckoning (pretty much everything else, including GHotR). The GHotR line is correct, and should be considered official. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2008 : 20:54:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
The dates were not changed; they were adjusted for the difference between Cormyr Reckoning (CR, which is how the dates of the Gray Box are determined) and Dalereckoning (pretty much everything else, including GHotR). The GHotR line is correct, and should be considered official.
 I should have spotted that... but it's been a while since I looked at the OGB, and I just remembered that the dates were different. Thanks for clearing that up, anyway. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2008 : 10:45:06
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Yay! Brian gets a thread! Woohoo! Well deserved indeed.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2008 : 20:45:37
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yay! Brian gets a thread! Woohoo! Well deserved indeed.
-- George Krashos
 Come to think of it, George should have his own scroll too, being our resident expert on Impiltur... George? Sage? Any thoughts? |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2008 : 23:33:41
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Just a link to my poll regarding the popularity of the aforementioned Cormyr genealogical lore:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11753
I think the 'Keep wants this lore, Garen...
But I know it's early in the poll, and I also know that the Wizards are not typically motivated by public opinion, at least when it comes to Cormyr. My point is, Wizards has declared their intention to focus on post-Spellplague events, and this lineage is 99% pre-Spellplague. My argument is, if they're not going to use the information for anything, they should make it available to those who will use it.
As it stands right now, I'm not willing to shell out for DDi. If I knew that Wizards would release the old lore on DDi, I would probably sign up for a guarantee of at least one pre-Spellplague Realmslore article a month. Otherwise, the information should be made public for free availability. I'm going to stop there, because I feel this turning into a rant, as many of my posts regarding the Realms do these days, and I don't want to rant at the wrong person any more. I've done too much ranting since the FRCG came out. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 19 Oct 2008 23:48:29 |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2008 : 00:49:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yay! Brian gets a thread! Woohoo! Well deserved indeed.
-- George Krashos
Come to think of it, George should have his own scroll too, being our resident expert on Impiltur... George? Sage? Any thoughts?
Naaah, I don't need my own scroll. If anyone has a question they want to ask me, they know where to find me.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2008 : 01:52:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yay! Brian gets a thread! Woohoo! Well deserved indeed.
-- George Krashos
Come to think of it, George should have his own scroll too, being our resident expert on Impiltur... George? Sage? Any thoughts?
And, as I recall, Krash has actually been asked. But said he prefers to answers any and all questions he can where they occur. |
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 |
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Brian R. James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
1098 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2008 : 18:34:47
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Brian is truly is one of the great lorelords of the Forgotten Realms and it’s wonderful to see a thread where he can share his thoughts on everything Cormyr and beyond.
/Cheers to Brian! |
Brian R. James - Freelance Game Designer
Follow me on Twitter @brianrjames |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2008 : 20:00:02
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Yay! Brian gets a thread! Woohoo! Well deserved indeed.
-- George Krashos
Come to think of it, George should have his own scroll too, being our resident expert on Impiltur... George? Sage? Any thoughts?
And, as I recall, Krash has actually been asked. But said he prefers to answers any and all questions he can where they occur.
Fair enough. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't left out, because Krash has been as great a loremaster for Impiltur as Garen has for Cormyr. Anyway... on with the questions! |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 20:46:00
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| Another quick question: Do we know what became of Rowen Cormaeril post-Spellplague? Is he still around, or is this NDA'd? |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 21:32:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Another quick question: Do we know what became of Rowen Cormaeril post-Spellplague? Is he still around, or is this NDA'd?
Until Rowen is discussed in a game or fiction publication, he's pretty much off-limits. I have my own opinions on what's happened to him since Death of the Dragon, but it's not really my place to speculate at the moment. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 22:00:07
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Thanks for the reply; it was more or less the answer I was expecting.
I posted a request for the Cormyr dynastic information on the WotC boards, along with an expression of my willingness to pay on a per-article basis for Realmslore on subjects that interest me (which is anything existing in the Wizards vaults that isn't NDA'd and doesn't have 4e crunch, preferably pre-Spellplague) and my unwillingness to subscribe to DDi for the same reason, so we'll see what (if anything) happens there. Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath. I learned a long time ago that doing so just makes you turn blue and pass out. Anyway, any help you can give that suggestion, either directly or indirectly, is greatly appreciated by myself and (I'm sure) other scribes here as well. Directing someone at Wizards to my poll on the matter might be of use (even if there aren't a legion of responses yet), but a number of their designers already read and post here, so maybe we should just *ahem* subtly suggest that they convey the demand to the Dark Powers That Be. 
Okay. All done. "Look! It's the new, improved Happy Rant!"
Edit: Addendum: I've posted my thoughts at WotC; my username there is (no surprise) FrustratedRealmsFan. I wasn't sure where to put my post to get the attention of the People That Make Such Decisions, so if you can give me a better idea of where things of that nature should be directed, it would be much appreciated; PM me if this is a more appropriate means to do that. Thanks! |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 21 Oct 2008 23:19:20 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 22:04:28
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Yay Brian! Yay thread!
Seriously, well and truly deserved.
Good to have you, buddy.
So . . . any more releases from you that have been announced?
What about the Musings--are they coming back?
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 23:37:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
So . . . any more releases from you that have been announced?
What about the Musings--are they coming back?
Yay!
There aren't any other releases that have been announced, unfortunately, but I have been hard at work on a couple of things (non-Realms, unfortunately) these past couple of weeks that required extra hours of key-pushing and far less time at the 'Keep. Hence the lack of Musings these last two weeks.
Musings should be back on target next week with the probably-controversial Gods of Magic entry. If I can swing it, I'll double-dip and post two, but I don't want to get into the habit of doing them throughout the week. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2008 : 23:48:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Because of the way the Royal Lineage has been constructed, I can't, on my own, publish, release, or distribute it, even a portion. It's up to WotC to determine the future of the Lineage. To answer your question directly: yes, there is a chance of it being made more public, if WotC is convinced that this is something folks want to see.
(emphasis added)
I just wanted to inquire about the bolded part: When you say "the way [it] has been constructed," do you mean that it was built with WotC proprietary software? Or is it more to do with the assemblage of data and the sources of that data? And if you can't answer this question, I understand that too. Must... resist... rant... on corporate... secrecy... [rolls] Natural 20! |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2008 : 00:02:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
Because of the way the Royal Lineage has been constructed, I can't, on my own, publish, release, or distribute it, even a portion. It's up to WotC to determine the future of the Lineage. To answer your question directly: yes, there is a chance of it being made more public, if WotC is convinced that this is something folks want to see.
(emphasis added)
I just wanted to inquire about the bolded part: When you say "the way [it] has been constructed," do you mean that it was built with WotC proprietary software? Or is it more to do with the assemblage of data and the sources of that data? And if you can't answer this question, I understand that too. Must... resist... rant... on corporate... secrecy... [rolls] Natural 20!
What I mean is that there are a lot of hands in that particular pot, that some of its contents are based directly on WotC products, some of them are based on notes created by authors (primarily Ed) while working on WotC products, and all of it is based on intellectual property owned by Wizards of the Coast. It's also been shown to WotC several times over the years, for use as a design document. Any posting of the Lineage would very likely be subject to legal action if all the principals involved--which, at present, includes Wizards--weren't explicitly okay with the posting. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2008 : 00:29:20
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quote:
<snip>...What I mean is that there are a lot of hands in that particular pot, that some of its contents are based directly on WotC products, some of them are based on notes created by authors (primarily Ed) while working on WotC products, and all of it is based on intellectual property owned by Wizards of the Coast. It's also been shown to WotC several times over the years, for use as a design document. Any posting of the Lineage would very likely be subject to legal action if all the principals involved--which, at present, includes Wizards--weren't explicitly okay with the posting.
Door #2, then; my question's phraseology was poor. Entirely understandable, given the level of detail put into Cormyr (at least outside of 3.x publications... no! Bad rant! Stay!) Thanks for all your answers and time on this subject, and anything you can do to facilitate the aforementioned posting is greatly appreciated. (I'm an amateur genealogist, I love royal family trees, and Cormyr is my favourite part of Faerun, so my interest is threefold.)
Thanks again! Hopefully I'll come up with some questions for you that are more easily and directly answerable. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2008 : 08:58:20
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Oh... one more question that I just remembered. In the year 710DR (The Year of the Toppled Throne), three noble families of Cormyr were taken into the Underdark by drow and enslaved, and believed dead by the rest of Cormyr. Are there names for these families, or are they NDA? Oh! I've got it:
Nightcrown
Darksword
Arndusk
(Because, after all, they're being kept in the dark just as effectively as we are.)
(Yes, I've started to have fun with my lack of knowledge; it's how I cope.) |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2008 : 09:05:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
<snip>
Musings should be back on target next week with the probably-controversial Gods of Magic entry. If I can swing it, I'll double-dip and post two, but I don't want to get into the habit of doing them throughout the week.
In my rampant speculation about Cormyr, I missed this. I'm looking forward to this one. As I said before, if you can make me calm down over Mystra... nah. Can't happen. Still, I'm looking forward to your attempt. I've enjoyed all of the Musings thus far, and I'm sure this one will be no less fascinating. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2008 : 09:14:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
Oh... one more question that I just remembered. In the year 710DR (The Year of the Toppled Throne), three noble families of Cormyr were taken into the Underdark by drow and enslaved, and believed dead by the rest of Cormyr. Are there names for these families, or are they NDA? Oh! I've got it:
Nightcrown
Darksword
Arndusk
The names of the families were never officially determined, but I'm hoping to slip this into something in the future. So, not "NDA" so much as "reveal this later, when I can."
In general, Jakk, any questions that involve specific characters, names, or other information that is not available in print but has been decided upon falls into NDA territory--because the decisions are usually made as part of the design process leading up to an actual product, and all notes turned over to TSR or WotC on that product are covered under the contracts, meaning only WotC has the power to release them.
So, while I can answer questions about how things work in Cormyr, about organizations and locations [usually], anything about a specific character or small group of characters isn't something I can discuss. |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 03:23:53
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| Oh, and since you have your own thread now, I figured I'd go ahead and say congrats to Brian for completing the final chapter of Second Darkness for Paizo. I'm really looking forward to that. Sneaky devil. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 05:37:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Garen Thal
In general, Jakk, any questions that involve specific characters, names, or other information that is not available in print but has been decided upon falls into NDA territory--because the decisions are usually made as part of the design process leading up to an actual product, and all notes turned over to TSR or WotC on that product are covered under the contracts, meaning only WotC has the power to release them.
So, while I can answer questions about how things work in Cormyr, about organizations and locations [usually], anything about a specific character or small group of characters isn't something I can discuss.
Thanks for the clarification on that issue. I believe that Ed has in the past asked the "powers that be" about my following question, but I'm not sure what (if anything) has come of it: What are the chances of an NDA being vacated if an in-house project is cancelled, rather than a license expiry situation as in the case of Ironfang Keep? I'm guessing not good, since they can decide that they are simply "postponing" the project indefinitely.
Okay; enough about NDAs. What can you tell me about the relationships between the Cormyrean noble families? We know from Ed through various sources that they tend to intermarry, and that's what inspired my question. Specifically: Are families with similar names connected by blood more often than not? For example, are the Blacksilver and Silversword families offshoots of the royal Crownsilver, Huntsilver, and Truesilver families (which we know are descended from Jaquor and Tristan Silver)? Or are these similarities of name coincidence or deliberately done for prestige of the younger family? I suspect the answer to be a combination of the three, depending on specific cases.
In case you hadn't figured it out, my two most involved hobbies are D&D in the Realms and genealogical research, and any chance I get to combine the two tends to make me obsess a little... or more.  Thanks for putting up with my obsession. I'm guessing that my poll results, while decidedly in favour of the release of the noble genealogy, are not significant enough for WotC to do anything about it yet.  I'll have to see what I can do with the scanty information that I have.
Thanks again for any answers you can give me regarding my latest query, and I'll see if I can keep busy with other Realmslore research while I wait for my queries to Ed to be answered. If patience is a virtue, I must not be very virtuous.
[edit]Fixed duplicate noble house name; I must have been tired when I did that. [/edit] |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 03 Nov 2008 07:20:33 |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 07:21:32
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I have (sadly) yet another question, again genealogical, this one regarding the bastards of Azoun IV. I almost posted this to Ed's scroll, but I've put enough questions on Ed's plate in the last week or two. The question is in regard to a response THO posted to another scroll regarding said royal bastards, which is quoted in part below the link to the scroll in which the response is found:
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11667
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
... And yes, Harpers, War Wizards, AND Highknights watch over all known royal bastards.
There are some Ed hasn't revealed yet, who will surprise many Realms fans when (or, ahem, considering the 4e timeshift, IF) their heritage becomes known.
love,
THO
My question is very basic and general, in keeping with NDA guidelines; of course, if any more specific information is available (i.e., already published), please enlighten me. It's been three years since I read the Cormyr trilogy, and about as long since I've had a look at any of my (pre-3E) Cormyr sourcebooks.
Are Azoun's bastards documented in the previously-discussed Holy Grail of Cormyrean noble bloodlines? A simple "No," "In part," or "Fully" will suffice, but if more information is open for disclosure, I'll happily receive it.
It will be a very sad thing if this lore alluded to by The Hooded One doesn't come out at some point. I've already inquired (above) about the sustainability of NDAs regarding pre-Spellplague lore, but I assume that Ed is still finding out about such things at this point, given how busy he is. With regard to both this query and my previous post, I would hope that WotC does the right thing and cancels all NDAs pertaining to pre-Spellplague projects that will not be completed, and makes this lore available in some form (probably, and preferably, not D&D Insider, given their stated intention to focus that product on the post-Spellplague Realms).
From what has been said elsewhere, I know that if there is an NDA in place, the lore will eventually appear somewhere if plans don't change. I'm thinking that the Spellplague constitutes a change in plans for NDAs on older lore, and this is what inspires my (rather obsessive and manic) concern. I'm going to be quiet now, and try to remain so for a few days... at least on matters of unavailable lore. Thank you again for enduring my inquiries and protestations. |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 23 Oct 2008 07:22:45 |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 16:39:19
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Oh, and since you have your own thread now, I figured I'd go ahead and say congrats to Brian for completing the final chapter of Second Darkness for Paizo. I'm really looking forward to that. Sneaky devil.
Thanks! It was one heck of a trial getting that thing done so quickly, but I'm proud of the work, and hope that everyone enjoys it. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 16:51:34
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quote:
What can you tell me about the relationships between the Cormyrean noble families? We know from Ed through various sources that they tend to intermarry, and that's what inspired my question. Specifically: Are families with similar names connected by blood more often than not? For example, are the Silversword, Blacksilver, and Silversword families offshoots of the royal Crownsilver, Huntsilver, and Truesilver families (which we know are descended from Jaquor and Tristan Silver)? Or are these similarities of name coincidence or deliberately done for prestige of the younger family? I suspect the answer to be a combination of the three, depending on specific cases.
Names of noble houses sometimes (such as in the case of the Crownsilver/Huntsilver/Truesilver houses) indicate common descent, but don't always. There are a *lot* of "silver" houses in Cormyr, but only the Royal Three have a direct connection to the Silver brothers and their daughters.
Houses aren't just named based on their family histories; their means of ennoblement or enrichment also are hinted at by the names of houses. "Silversword" suggests a mercenary house that made much silver in their exploits (as does "Goldsword"), while "Blacksilver" could indicate a talented blacksmith that made a lot of money in his days, or one that supplied good swords to the Crown and so turned his skill with iron into a silver crown. Swordsilver (the family name of Caladnei's father) is not a noble house at all.
I know that Ed would love to reveal the origins of some of the noble houses, and I would, too--and plan to do so as soon as I have the chance.
That's the long-winded way of saying: No, there's no connection of direct descent between the listed houses and the three Silver houses. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2008 : 17:50:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk Come to think of it, George should have his own scroll too, being our resident expert on Impiltur... George? Sage? Any thoughts?
His own scroll? That's aiming WAY too low. I think WotC should put him on retainer, with an official title and a regular paycheck.
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Questions for Brian Cortijo
