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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Jul 2010 : 21:03:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
So, the 'deeper layer' I alluded to was how Mystra chooses her Chosen
Hmmm. I would keep in mind though that the original Mystra was not specifically good. I can see she would look for people who would figth for the free development of magic, but good vs evil did not seem to be a fight that interested her, except wher that fight hampered magic.
In fact, I would say that she erred with the Chosen, in that they turned out too much a force for good, making some of the choices Elminster was forced to make so hard on him.
Regarding all highknights being harpers: I would say that would seem a very unwise thing to do. It seems to me that Highknights should be loyal first to the realm, not to a higher ideal that may or may not benefit Cormyr.
Gomez |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jul 2010 : 21:42:42
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Exactly. It would be the Harpers trying to infiltrate the Highknights, NOT anyone of Cormyr wanting any of them to be Harpers. They'd be dismissed (or even killed) if a "higher loyalty" than to the king was discovered in any of them. (Remember, the Highknights serv the monarch, not the realm.)
BB |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 02:02:23
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by gomez
Hmmm. I would keep in mind though that the original Mystra was not specifically good. I can see she would look for people who would figth for the free development of magic, but good vs evil did not seem to be a fight that interested her, except wher that fight hampered magic.
This is quite interesting to me. I've always thought Mystryl and Mystra (LN) were more Good than Neutral. It might not actually be true, but it seems to me that Evil is more likely to suppress magic than Good is.
I wonder how much of my personal "Chaotic Good" mindset colours that though - would a LG society suppress magic because it might be used for evil?
A question for Ed - Are there any examples of Good societies in Faerun that have tried to or are trying to suppress magic? |
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. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 03:25:34
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Hi again, all.
I bring these words from Ed of the Greenwood, in response to the flurry of Cormyr posts:
Hi. Markustay, re. this: "I also noticed that Ed uses the words 'Harper' and 'High Knight' interchangeably throughout the novel"
You did?
Because I certainly didn't! :}
To make things clearer: Elminster is happy to dwell in the Dales, and from the 1350s onward to the Spellplague, his primary focus is on the Dales (to keep the Zhents and Hillsfar and Sembia AND Cormyr from conquering them, because they have an intrinsic value in and of themselves that he highly prizes, because they buffer the ruins of Myth Drannor and prevent any of those four local powers from seizing them, and because their continued existence helps to "hold those four apart" and prevent them from warring with each other directly, ruining the lives of thousands and bringing down a kingdom that is unintentionally doing much to foster widespread use of magic: Cormyr.
Through the Harpers but also working on their own, various Chosen of Mystra are trying to keep Cormyr "magic friendly."
No, all Highknights are NOT Harpers, and Azoun would react with suspicion (and Cormyr's courtiers, nobles, and War Wizards would all react with horror) if they thought Harpers were trying to infiltrate or even influence the Highknights, the Court, or the War Wizards.
The Harpers ARE trying to get some of their number into the Highknights, and to watch the Highknights closely to make sure Sembia, the Zhentarim, and others (Thay, Amn, etc.) aren't succeeding in getting agents of their own into the Highknights.
Markustay, you're close to a not-so-well-kept secret regarding Cormyr (and Elminster), but from what you've posted (about choosing Chosen) I don't think you've got it, yet. However, don't stop digging. :}
So saith Ed. Who has Explained All to me. Some scribes, including Markustay, are "all over it" without quite hitting on it...but you're VERY warm . . .
Oooh, such teasing...
love to all,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 15 Jul 2010 03:26:56 |
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Baleful Avatar
Learned Scribe
Canada
161 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 03:29:35
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| So the Chosen are working to keep Cormyr a breeding ground for wizards and sorcerers, without letting the War Wizards oppress non-member mages and ever get out of hand enough for them to be hated by the commonfolk, right? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 03:30:58
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Right!
love,
THO |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 04:48:26
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| Can't say I have any sudden insight on what the big secrets of the Realms are, but all this back and forth hinting, prodding, and poking stoked an faint ember in the dim recesses of my mind. It's not Realms related, but I had to share my delight at something else clicking together due to this discussion. |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 07:23:28
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Heya,
I just spotted that there's going to be another GenCon Australia this year, in September. Is Ed making the trip Down Under again?
Otherwise, I'll keep saving my money for a three month US trip in order to try to catch both GenCon and BlizzCon in either 2011 or 2012. ;) |
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. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 08:08:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Zandilar
Heya,
I just spotted that there's going to be another GenCon Australia this year, in September. Is Ed making the trip Down Under again?
Oooh! I'm keen on an answer for this as well, since I'll likely be attending GenCon Australia this year also.  |
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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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 09:10:36
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One:
to keep the Zhents and Hillsfar and Sembia AND Cormyr from conquering them, because they have an intrinsic value in and of themselves that he highly prizes, because they buffer the ruins of Myth Drannor and prevent any of those four local powers from seizing them
So with the restoration of Myth Drannor, how much of this would change? Would El feel he needs to guard the Dales less, since Myth Drannor is no longer in danger and can also protect the Dales? |
"Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly.
How much less them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation in the dust, are crushed before the moth?" - Eliphaz the Temanite, Job IV, 17-19.
"Yea, though he live a thousand years twice, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?" - Ecclesiastes VI, 6.
"There are no stupid questions – just a bunch of inquisitive idiots."
"Let's not call it 'hijacking'. Let's call it 'Thread Drift'." |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 16:41:54
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Hi again, all.
Sage and Zandilar, I'm afraid it's unlikely that Ed will be at GenCon Australia this year; no one's contacted him about it, and his September is already booked (the "public" con will be Phantasm in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, though Ed will be at FanExpo in Toronto at the end of August, too).
The torturously long flight and connections to Oz last time finished his wife (who is, after all, in poor health and in her seventies) for flying, and Ed has to care for her and won't willingly be parted from her, so . . . it doesn't look good.
That said, Ed would LOVE to visit Oz and see his friends again. Yet, after all, it's expensive, and there are bills to pay and a third new Elminster book to write, with time remorselessly passing . . .
love,
THO |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 16:48:22
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Hi again, all.
Menelvagor, re. this: "So with the restoration of Myth Drannor, how much of this would change? Would El feel he needs to guard the Dales less, since Myth Drannor is no longer in danger and can also protect the Dales?"
Ed replies:
Yes, it would change. El would no longer feel he had to guard the Dales in the manner he has been doing. However, there's a bigger change involved, too. To see what it is, you'll have to read ELMINSTER MUST DIE! (Sorry.)
So saith Ed. Who isn't fooling. Much is revealed in that tome, not just in the up-front action, but to those who contemplate why matters are this way or that way, and deduce more . . .
love to all,
THO |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 20:02:26
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Ed,
Just read the preview chapter of ELMINSTER MUST DIE! and loved whom all I saw, even after all the years. I broke a wry smile at this passage:
“Someone had to save the Realms.
Why? And who were they to dare such meddlings?
They were the Old Guard, the paltry handful who still saw needs and cared.”
Will it be released as paperback only next year, or sooner? |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Edited by - Kyrene on 15 Jul 2010 20:15:55 |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3287 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 22:38:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
Ed,
Just read the preview chapter of ELMINSTER MUST DIE! and loved whom all I saw, even after all the years. I broke a wry smile at this passage:
“Someone had to save the Realms.
Why? And who were they to dare such meddlings?
They were the Old Guard, the paltry handful who still saw needs and cared.”
Will it be released as paperback only next year, or sooner?
Hardcover August 3rd... |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2010 : 23:51:31
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First, I never said Mystra was a 'force for good' - she isn't.
She is a force to promote Arcane magic, and she uses the weave to that end. Technically, I think of Mystra as more of an immensely powerful, sentient artifact. She was created by gods, and is the self-aware consciousness of the weave. At that level of power, the difference between such an artifact and a 'true god' is negligible; merely a matter of semantics. She's like an overly-complex computer program that keeps needing to be rebooted every so often.
Anyhow, the spread of Ubral (shadow) magic is what she is trying to prevent - its natural connections to death would have a devastating effect on the Realms (look at Anauroch). That may make it seem like she is a force for good, but technically 'Good vs Evil' don't enter into it - magic is merely a means to an end, and can be used for either. It is the type of magic she is most concerned with.
While the 'free use of magic' is best-promoted by a free, democratic society, it is not necessary. She obviously had no problem with Aryvandaar and the Vyshann Empire (although it is questionable how much control she can exert over elves). Tyranny tends to lend itself to those in power being the only ones allowed to hold power,and that is the only reason why Mystra opposes those types of cultures.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Some scribes, including Markustay, are "all over it" without quite hitting on it...but you're VERY warm . . .
Oooh, such teasing...
The 'great revelation' I had was simply this -
Cormyr is what Athalanter could have been... should have been...
And Vangerdehast is the key reason why he feels he can finally 'let go' of his care-taking responsibilites (at least, in that regard). Of all his students, Vangy turned out to be 'the most like himself' in the end.
This is why my half-asleep, 'giddy' thought of Elminster as 'The Father of Cormyr' made me stop and think. I would guess he has been there, nearly from the beginning, 'steering' it along (with a light touch, most of the time).
Or is there even more to it then that?
As for the 'deeper truth' - I said I only catch a glimpse of it - that has to do with things divine. Some sort of on-going Yin & Yang thing.
As for the High Knights/Harpers thing, if there is some clear seperation in the novel, I don't see it. I see both terms used to describe the same group of persons repeatedly. Perhaps that particular group happens to be both, but then that is misleading, isn't it?
I am right about Harper-involvement in Cormyr being much more open now that Azoun is dead, though, aren't I? It appears everyone involved in that 'raid' at the beginning knew who they were, even 'the bad guys'.
Sooooooo... who modified the Cormyrian bloodline? Was it Olohmber Starnardyn, Maxiladanarr Torstren, or some other unknown (or perhaps, well-known) agent? Was Elminster 'tampered with' even before his birth? Having latent psionic powers seems to help augment a person's ability to handle magic (considering how D&D's magic used to work - the memorization of 'spell-matrixes', it only seems natural).
Anyone know what Filfaeril's maiden surname was?quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
Hardcover August 3rd...
Yay! Just in time for my Birfday!!!  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 16 Jul 2010 00:36:36 |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 04:29:14
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Thanks for the answer re Astrid Lindgren, Ed. Good to hear the closest thing we've got to an official national saint isn't forgotten about abroad, yet. (Of course, in reality she was much too cool for proper sainthood.)
Way back during the early part of the year I threatened to ask more about Orlumbor - but eventually decided it'd be more fun to answer those questions myself so never got round to posting them. There is, however, one question about the island I'd still like to hear what Ed has to say (if he has the time, inclination, and no pesky NDAs in the way, of course). Namely, what can he tell us about the island's ruler Delshara Windhair? Other than a brief mention in the Old Grey Box, I've been unable to find anything on her. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 06:40:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone (emphasis mine)
quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
Will it be released as paperback only next year, or sooner?
Hardcover August 3rd...
You know, this reminds me of that old joke about the consultant and the farmer.  Thanks for the reply, Brimmy, but you didn't answer my question, and answered a question I didn't have.  |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Edited by - Kyrene on 16 Jul 2010 06:42:14 |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 06:58:18
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| Sorry for appearance without question. Is there no answer on the question about male clerics? |
You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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Knight of the Gate
Senior Scribe
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 08:44:43
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OK. I hate to do this in my current state (I'm two and three-quarter sheets to the wind, but I shall undertake to overcome)but I have thoughts to share and hypothesis to test.
First: MT, I *like* your metaphor likening Mystra to a complex but ultimately faulty OS, but I have a different take, one that I formulated back in the heady days of the Old Grey Box. To whit, Mystra is an Overgod in waiting. She would have long ago overtaken Ao in sheer might, except that it is given to him to dictate how the power of the Powers is used: IMO, it was he who coerced her into granting divinity to first Savras, then Azuth (both times removing not only a sliver of power from her, but also fragmenting the worship of Mystra and thus taking some measure of power from her in that manner)but also in the creation of the Chosen: We know that creating Chosen 'diminishes' a Power. That's why so few deities name and imbue Chosen, since it is generally more efficient to merely create servitor creatures. This reality notwithstanding, Mystra seems to have a pattern of creating Chosen once a generation or so; which says to me that (since it seems impractical in the sense that she is undertaking what is essentially a crapshoot with a HUGE portion of her power) she is not necessarily the one who decided that she needed so many Chosen. I feel that Mystra/Mystryl is/was under an 'arms treaty' (likely imposed by Ao) to keep her from becoming too powerful in comparison to the other Faerunian powers, but is/was allowed to 'invest' the power that she must shed, rather than simply divesting herself of it to no end. THO/Ed, I would love to know: Am I on the right track with this?
Second, regarding Mystra's morality: One of the best parts of the 3.0 PHB was the statement (regarding Neutral alignments) that Neutrals ALL tend towards good, since everyone would rather have a good neighbor than an evil one. I see Mystra in exactly this light: She favors 'good' Chosen since you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Likewise, she tends to favor 'good' groups of magic users, since they are the only users of magic likely to share, whereas evil magic-users are likely to hoard power and knowledge. It's not that Mystra was a 'good'power, but rather that 'good' served her interests better than evil, and I would be shocked to hear that she never had a 'working' evil Chosen.
Just my thoughts on the subject. |
How can life be so bountiful, providing such sublime rewards for mediocrity? -Umberto Ecco |
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Knight of the Gate
Senior Scribe
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 08:45:14
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| Edit: Double post. |
How can life be so bountiful, providing such sublime rewards for mediocrity? -Umberto Ecco |
Edited by - Knight of the Gate on 16 Jul 2010 08:46:19 |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 08:53:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
Sorry for appearance without question. Is there no answer on the question about male clerics?
There probably is an answer, but as was stated about one or two pages back in this thread - some questions have a longer wait than others. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 09:52:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay:
Sooooooo... who modified the Cormyrian bloodline? Was it Olohmber Starnardyn, Maxiladanarr Torstren, or some other unknown (or perhaps, well-known) agent? Was Elminster 'tampered with' even before his birth?
Why do you supect those Magisters? Obviously Maxiladanarr, because of Incipient Clans, but why Olohmber? And why do you suspect Elminster was tampered with? |
"Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly.
How much less them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation in the dust, are crushed before the moth?" - Eliphaz the Temanite, Job IV, 17-19.
"Yea, though he live a thousand years twice, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?" - Ecclesiastes VI, 6.
"There are no stupid questions – just a bunch of inquisitive idiots."
"Let's not call it 'hijacking'. Let's call it 'Thread Drift'." |
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Knight of the Gate
Senior Scribe
USA
624 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 10:45:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Menelvagor
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay:
Sooooooo... who modified the Cormyrian bloodline? Was it Olohmber Starnardyn, Maxiladanarr Torstren, or some other unknown (or perhaps, well-known) agent? Was Elminster 'tampered with' even before his birth?
Why do you supect those Magisters? Obviously Maxiladanarr, because of Incipient Clans, but why Olohmber? And why do you suspect Elminster was tampered with?
I've always suspected the same thing, and the reason is simple: Elminster is an almost perfect vessel for the Silver Fire... almost too perfect. We know that Mystra 'tampered' with the Seven Sisters, to the point of personally overseeing their conception and upbringing- why would she stop there? It makes total sense that her 'main' Chosen should be a being whom she not only hand-picked, but also had a hand in creating. |
How can life be so bountiful, providing such sublime rewards for mediocrity? -Umberto Ecco |
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Zireael
Master of Realmslore
Poland
1190 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 11:59:20
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quote:
Anyone know what Filfaeril's maiden surname was?
I think it was Selzair. If we go with English tradition of putting maiden name before the marrried one, eg. [not Realms, HP] Lily Evans Potter or Ginevra Weasley Potter.
Or we can assume Selzair to be second name, like in Alusair Nacacia Obarskyr. |
SiNafay Vrinn, the daughter of Lloth, from Ched Nasad!
http://zireael07.wordpress.com/ |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 12:09:04
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| Fellow scribes, I'm seeing a lot of side-chatter here. Can we please move these discussions to other shelves, and leave this scroll for questions to Ed? |
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 16 Jul 2010 12:10:20 |
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Menelvagor
Senior Scribe
Israel
352 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 13:14:09
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Sage, aren't you just side-chattering by asking a question that isn't directed at Ed now?
But seriously, another question: Might it be possible to know if Incipient Clans had any effect on the Realms whether before or after the Spellplague? That is, known families of spellcasters, more powerful spellcasters, etc? And if so, could we have some names? |
"Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly.
How much less them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation in the dust, are crushed before the moth?" - Eliphaz the Temanite, Job IV, 17-19.
"Yea, though he live a thousand years twice, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?" - Ecclesiastes VI, 6.
"There are no stupid questions – just a bunch of inquisitive idiots."
"Let's not call it 'hijacking'. Let's call it 'Thread Drift'." |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3287 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 13:45:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone (emphasis mine)
quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
Will it be released as paperback only next year, or sooner?
Hardcover August 3rd...
You know, this reminds me of that old joke about the consultant and the farmer. Thanks for the reply, Brimmy, but you didn't answer my question, and answered a question I didn't have.
If the hardcover is in august, 9 to 12 months later it should be released in paperback... |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 13:53:31
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Knight: I remember from somewhere (and I can't remember where despite ten minutes of cudgeling my brains) that that hypothesis of Mystra intentionally weakening herself through Chosen had actually been confirmed. Or at least, as confirmed as anything related to the gods ever is. The worry, IIRC, was to keep Mystra from becoming an all-powerful weapon that gods could take control of and then use against other gods. Which explains why Bane devoted essentially his entire existence to trying to do just that.
Mystra, and especially Mystryl, had the capability to be the most powerful diety in FR space by a fairly large margin. This was considered bad (again, I think you're right that it was Ao who handed that down), and so deliberate action was taken to weaken her. Remember, Chosen hold the silver fire, and can block Mystra from accessing it if they deem it necessary. I think at their core, the Chosen are a fire-break against Mystra becoming an all-consuming raging inferno, and any other good that they can do, either for Mystra or for the world at large, is a happy byproduct.
And Sage, didn't THO explicitly invite all of this pondering? Easier to do it all here, than to split it off into another scroll and force her to jump back and forth... |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Zandilar
Learned Scribe
Australia
313 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 14:13:35
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Heya,
quote:
Originally posted by Knight of the Gate
Second, regarding Mystra's morality: One of the best parts of the 3.0 PHB was the statement (regarding Neutral alignments) that Neutrals ALL tend towards good, since everyone would rather have a good neighbor than an evil one. I see Mystra in exactly this light: She favors 'good' Chosen since you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Likewise, she tends to favor 'good' groups of magic users, since they are the only users of magic likely to share, whereas evil magic-users are likely to hoard power and knowledge. It's not that Mystra was a 'good'power, but rather that 'good' served her interests better than evil, and I would be shocked to hear that she never had a 'working' evil Chosen.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
That's exactly what I was trying to get across. :)
(I'm assuming that you meant "I wouldn't be shocked to hear that...") |
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. |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2010 : 15:01:20
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I am actually pretty confident that Mystra DID have working evil Chosen.
I think the reason Mystra chooses good Chosen is passion: good people are often more passionate and driven to protect than neutral or evil people.
As to Elminster's connection to Cormyr, I would not be surprised if the Obarskyr line is somehow related to the Aumar line in one way or another.
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2010)
Topic Locked
