quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheIriaeban

A question for George, Eric, Steven, or whomever else may know:

I know you have slept since then but can you remember when you were putting together the Grand History of the Realms, how was the work divided up? Did different writers specialize in different time periods or different areas or both or neither? Just curious.

---

I know exactly how GHotR was put together, because I still have the original work files. Obviously the baseline was Brian's internet timeline. The other "authors", including myself, had been brought in to write the various vignettes that are scattered through the book. At that time, I had my own FR Timeline which I provided to the group and elements of which were incorporated into the whole. After that Eric Boyd and I submitted a number of edits re dates and events, as did Tom Costa. I also had a range of lineages which I sent through as "something different" and quickly wrote up some new ones on the fly (Narfell, Raumathar and Velprin) when asked for more. Finally, the editor Kim Mohan asked for a few more dates on various topics (e.g. he wanted a few more Sossal dates/events which I duly supplied) to pad out some bare areas.

You have to understand that this external involvement to the core project was requested and provided in a very short period. I see the timeline (from my files) as being mid-Feb 07 to 1 May 07. In other words, about 10 weeks. Not much time at all when you have several contributors.

I can also confirm that a lot of work went into the GHotR after our requested input had been provided. The day/month dating for 1372-1375 DR was done in house as were all the years after that and things like the "Black Chonology" sidebar. I didn't find out about the Spellplague until Gen Con 2007 (the first that I attended), and don't recall it being named that at the time when Rich Baker let a few of us in on the planned 100 year jump. All the Spellplague info and dates in GHotR were a surprise to me when I bought my own copy here in Australia in late 2007. I have no idea if Brian James knew about that stuff either - I suspect not.

There was no time (and maybe budget) to commission new art so we were required to trawl through older WotC products and re-use images we found suitable. Some of those requests were flubbed in translation, which is why the art for Ed's 1352 DR vignette and Eric's -349 DR vignette don't make much sense.

They did do the original maps, but we didn't get to see them in our input time - although Brian James likely got to look at them and consult.

So there it is, the heralded GHotR. A brilliant and yet flawed product. I often think how much greater it would have been if we had been given a heads up that it was in production and more time to iron out the kinks, add the dates that didn't go in (there are lots) and fix some of the snafus. Fun times, although I can't believe that was 13 years ago.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

All the Spellplague info and dates in GHotR were a surprise to me when I bought my own copy here in Australia in late 2007. I have no idea if Brian James knew about that stuff either - I suspect not.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheIriaeban

Another "behind the scenes" question if you don't mind:

When y'all were writing the supplements, adventures, etc., did you have access to something like an index of all of the Ed's unpublished Realms materials or did you have to dig through thousands of pages to try and locate all the information Ed or previous writers had already created for a specific area, organization, item, or person?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheIriaeban

Another "behind the scenes" question if you don't mind:

When y'all were writing the supplements, adventures, etc., did you have access to something like an index of all of the Ed's unpublished Realms materials or did you have to dig through thousands of pages to try and locate all the information Ed or previous writers had already created for a specific area, organization, item, or person?

---

I've long had a chuckle at the idea that some fans hold that TSR/WotC always had some Realms "bible" for designers to consult. There were style guides and general guidelines about FR "dos and don'ts" but nothing like that has ever existed - and still doesn't despite some implied statements to the contrary.

So it always came down to this: who is writing the product? FR products have seen many hits and misses over the years. Some works by X were heavily over-written by Y, especially in 2E and the swinging gulf in quality typified by 1E was an example of just how green most FR authors were in terms of understanding the setting and their ability to create out of whole cloth in a way that seemed "Realmsian". Some few writers were prepared to ask for help and grateful when it was given, a lot were not. Personally, I think you can pick the former from the latter in terms of quality.

So, to your question - and noting that I can only speak from my personal experience. I worked on two types of FR products: the ones by Steven Schend where he actively canvassed the fan base for information/lore/references to include in his work - which produced the gorgeous LOI and EotSS boxed sets, and to a lesser extent SoFS. The other type were the works of Eric Boyd where he and I worked pretty closely to gather the information. I'm a compulsive Realms List maker and lore collector so when, for example, Eric started work on Dragons of Faerūn he asked me for all the dragon lore I could find. My list of dragons - suitably enhanced - formed the backbone of the web enhancement. I did the same thing for DDGttU, CoS:W, SK, POF, et. al. and we did a bunch of work behind the scenes for LEoF and RoF. 3E was where I made my biggest contribution to the published Realms.

So basically, I would trawl through the products and provide a bunch of references for Eric to add to the stuff he already had or was looking to incorporate and then I'd field the incessant questions that still pop up daily from him: I need a wizard active in the North in the 600s DR; are there any artifacts/powerful magic relating to the Tashalar?; what lore do we have on standing militaries in the Realms?, etc. etc.

So we are clear, I was the research guy with the occasional good idea - Eric was the genius writing guy, weaving it all together. Ed always did his own thing and being the creator of the whole shebang never needed to ask us mere mortals for assistance. As it should be.

So yes, I had to dig through thousands of pages. Still do. Daily. It's fun.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

Eric and I re-did most of the human chapters - the racial histories of the Damarans and Illuskans stem from my historical work over the years.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos


I've come up with both a line of monarchs for Damara and a story for the origin of the name. Ed liked it. It also explains that godawful "FR" instead of "DR" dating system in FR9 Bloodstone Lands.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

There is no official lineage of Damara. I have one, but most of it is ... ahem ... made up.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ericlboyd

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

There is no official lineage of Damara. I have one, but most of it is ... ahem ... made up.

-- George Krashos

---

We know George. The rest of us do the hard work of traveling to the Realms and interviewing surly Realmsians, but you just make it all up. ;-)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

Saisha Level 20 Poison

Made from ever-rarer Tashlutan herbs, this flavourless, reddish liquid is known as “Hammerlock” for the rigid immobility it causes. It is commonly used by slavers to subdue their prey.

Poison: 38,250 gp
Attack: +23 vs. Fortitude; paralyzed (save ends) [see sidebar].
Aftereffect: immobilised (save ends).
Special: If this poison is delivered by way of food or drink it makes its first attack 1d4 rounds after its victim consumes it. All saving throws against this poison are made with a -3 penalty.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

was left crippled and blind by a malady that defied all attempts to heal it whether by magic or through more mundane medical efforts. Uldrith committed suicide some months afterward, unable to cope with the constant pain that wracked his body, and Wendren was anointed as heir of the Balindre family. Of course none know that Uldrith's malady was as a result of a rare poison, known as "minth" and hailing from the Tashalar which Wendren had a pleasure lass ply on a drunken Uldrith, thereby assuring his succession to the rulership of Telflamm.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

The description is intended to provide campaign immersion and flexibility at the same time. Enjoy.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kyrene

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

The description is intended to provide campaign immersion and flexibility at the same time. Enjoy.

---

Thanks for the reply!

In that case, for my upcoming Tashalan campaign, I'm going to interpret Tashlutan as Tashalan, with those three plants formerly having been more abundant in the Tashalar and Jungles, and now rarely found in the wild, but definitely cultivated by the priests of Talona.

Any ideas on the "minth" part of the question? More the lore, since I can take a stab at the stats now that I own your "DMs Guild effort"s as follows:
Minth (Ingested). George's awesome lore here.
A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) poison damage and become poisoned. The poisoned creature is blinded and must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours. Until this poison ends, the damage the poison deals can’t be healed by any means. Any creature that attempts to end an effect on the creature must succeed on a DC 17 spellcasting ability check or fail. After three successful saving throws, the effects end and the creature can heal normally.

I think that would satisfy "was left crippled and blind by a malady that defied all attempts to heal" while being low enough in damage to not outright kill a commoner NPC. I'd probably price it in line with Bakhalam (another long-duration DC 17 ingested poison).

---

quote:

---

That all sounds good to me. Didn't realise people paid so much attention to my off the cuff postings. I'll have to be more careful going forward!

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lukas Kain

quote:

---

That all sounds good to me. Didn't realise people paid so much attention to my off the cuff postings. I'll have to be more careful going forward!

-- George Krashos

---

George, I type up and cross-reference your musings and print them into a binder for a greater sense of cohesion and seeming-omniscience for my players in my Impiltur campaign. There are more than a few of us that pay great attention to your postings.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ericlboyd

I, for one, find his complete omission of Realmslore about the demon-worshiping gnomes of Impiltur very frustrating.

--Eric

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lukas Kain

quote:

---

That all sounds good to me. Didn't realise people paid so much attention to my off the cuff postings. I'll have to be more careful going forward!

-- George Krashos

---

George, I type up and cross-reference your musings and print them into a binder for a greater sense of cohesion and seeming-omniscience for my players in my Impiltur campaign. There are more than a few of us that pay great attention to your postings.

---

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

Hi Wooly

There would be plenty of sages information about the group in terms of their clashes with the Red Wizards several centuries ago. The actual Tome of the Covenant is extant and as per City of Splendors: Waterdeep, the wizard Savengriff is looking to recreate the group. In terms of what form the information would take, I think it would either be something like an actual tome on the history of the Covenant (likely to be found in a major library in the North or Candlekeep), or alternatively something a bit less expansive such as a diary. Of course the coolest and most dangerous way to get the info might be conversing with the wizard trapped in the crystal ball to be found in the Stag-Horned Flagon in Amphail who may know something or not ...

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

That's the one.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Asharak

Hi, the Goblin War began in 753 DR, but when did it end ?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ericlboyd

quote:

---

Originally posted by Asharak

Hi, the Goblin War began in 753 DR, but when did it end ?

---

Started and ended in the same year.

---