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createvmind
Senior Scribe
490 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Jul 2010 : 16:06:48
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| Half-golem what........., where did you get that tidbit from? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2010 : 16:52:42
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Hi again, all.
Re. this:
(Originally posted by Dalor Darden: "Ed and THO, In essence: which of the devils is considered least evil and dangerous by the folk of the Heartlands...specifically the Dales, Cormyr and Sembia?"
to which Jorkens posted: "I am certainly not Ed, but my guess, at least where common people are concerned, would be the Zentarim as the greatest evil. The Red Wizards are a scary rumour (like the Drow) seldom met by most people. The Zentharim and their agents are a constant threat that probably gets blamed for a lot of the crimes done by others who keep a lower profile.")
Jorkens is dead-on correct. To folk in the locales you mentioned, Dalor, the Red Wizards are a persistent rumour, but the Zhents are a nearby-to-doorstep-to-lurking-spying-among-us, always-active local threat.
love,
THO
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2010 : 19:20:32
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THO, in your answer to drkissinger1 above, about Cyric...
When you say "guiding utterances," these are Ed's famous "voices issuing from consecrated altars in a temple, heard by clergy and anyone else worshipping at the time," right?
Not voices out of nowhere, heard anywhere?
Thanks!
BB |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2010 : 20:02:03
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Would the Zhentarim fear still apply in the Year of Deep Water Drfting?
I did play on the Zhents's reputation in one adventure we wrote (Blades for Daggerdale), but the presence of the Zhents is much diminished now. The drow are not very visible (though a nasty threat easily underestimated).
I am thinking Sembia and Netheril are 'currently' a more visible threat. Then again, opinion on their danger may differ depending on who you ask (one thing I am using in adventures is that some people feel the ones that are most dangerous are not the shades but the ones that are provoking the shades...).
Would this be right, or am I underestimating the influence (and threats) of the Zhents in the 4th ed Dalelands?
Gomez |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 00:23:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
7) What about Khelben? Does HE have any particular pet names that he would detest being called, but that El (or others) take occasional glee in poking fun at him for? Embarrassing moments, perhaps? :)
Laeral can get away with calling him Khellie, but she's the only one. He was once called Susan, by someone who quickly transitioned into a smoking crater.  |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 01:42:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
(I seem to remember one Ed reply talking about a Halruaan mage who's a half-golem Chosen?) ...
Hmmm. A quick search of the archives didn't reveal much in the way of this. Are you certain it was posted here at Candlekeep? |
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"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 02:23:17
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
(I seem to remember one Ed reply talking about a Halruaan mage who's a half-golem Chosen?) ...
Hmmm. A quick search of the archives didn't reveal much in the way of this. Are you certain it was posted here at Candlekeep?
I believe he's thinking of Narandor the Metal Mage, though he's not a half-golem...
quote:
Hi again, all. Tidbit time again, courtesy of Ed!
Back on page 80 of this thread, The Sage asked this (as a followup to a query from Markustay about Ed telling us about any Chosen who might reside outside Faerûn): “Ed, I'd also like to hear more about any Chosen of Mystra who might reside [or, maybe, once did reside] beyond Toril itself, perhaps somewhere else out among the reaches of Realmspace?”
Ed replies:
Some of what I’d like to say is under several NDAs, but I can mention one such Chosen: Narandor the Metal Mage. An embittered, cynical hermit (think Eeyore in the Pooh tales, for disposition), this archwizard of early Halruaa ended up on the wrong end of a spell-duel and got mangled horribly, in magics that kept him alive to feel the pain as a foe’s sequence of minor acid-burst and transforming spells wracked him (envisage, if you will, spells that shield the target from system shock and unconsciousness, and shapeshift them constantly to heal and reform around budding cysts in the interior of which flesh-searing acid is developed; the cysts grow and then burst, showering the surrounding flesh of the victim with agonizing “melting” effects; the cysts have an interior coating that resists and contains the acid until the cyst ruptures).
Debilitated but unable to die, Narandor writhed in helpless pain until some of his former apprentices found him. They tried to quell the spells riding him, but managed only to isolate them in several of his limbs—which they then blasted into oblivion. Narandor lost consciousness, and they debated as to what to do for him; slay him out of mercy, transform him utterly, transfer his sentience into a beast-body, or - - their eventual choice - - replace his missing limbs with flowmetal, something many Halruaans had been working on. This is in effect “living” metal that bonds with an organic body and slowly poisons it, but in the meantime can function as replacement limbs, digits, etc. Flowmetal’s poisoning has never been overcome, and its use was later abandoned as spells were developed that could “infect” it swiftly to cause death of someone bonded to it in a handful of breaths, but Narandor received a right arm and shoulder, a right leg, and a left knee, all of replacement flowmetal - - which he has to this day. He counteracted the poisoning by devising a spell that shifts the chemical balance of his remaining organic body constantly, so that it flows in shape, weeps a pus of ceaseless discharges, and can grow functional fingers, breasts, crude press-lungs, false eyes, etc. as he wills.
Narandor was already a master of skyship design, and he sailed one of his ships high into the sky and tethered it to a magically-levitated chunk of rock (all that remained of a blasted-to-dust “skycastle” fortress, that had once belonged to a Netherese archwizard until several rivals decided to destroy him whilst he was in residence).
Then Narandor used his spells to cover the rock with edible mosses, lichens, and mushrooms, and settled down in isolation to devise new spells. His experiments were long and studded with more failures than successes, but he eventually achieved two things: the ability to ensnare moisture and shield his home from the full heat of the sun, so as to keep that dampness and preserve his plants from baking on the rock - - and the ability to move his home through the skies with fair precision. Whereupon, of course, he set about traveling around collecting other aerial fragments, and “growing” his home into his own private little jungle, plus bits and pieces of several ruined skyships and aerial abodes.
Mystra imbued him with some of her silver fire (with his enthusiastic agreement) not to have him be a meddling “remake the world” Chosen, but to store some of herself where others were unlikely to come into contact with it. For his part, Narandor gained a permanent freedom from the flowmetal poisoning effect (the silver fire offsets it), Mystra’s love, gratitude, and presence whenever he grows lonely and calls for it, and philosophical debates from time to time with Mystra or various of her servitors, who now act as Narandor’s agents in Faerûn, to bring him back items he desires (mainly substances for spell experimentations).
Narandor is now fairly contented, though he retains his doleful manner, and lives his life making various exotic wines, researching spells, and using his magics to observe events on Faerûn far below.
This is all pre-Spellplague, of course; what befalls him when the Weave fails is up to you; I’d suspect his aerial home would be sent on a wild ride, and eventually crash to earth - - but I’d not count Narandor out as conveniently dying in the crash. I’d suspect he’d survive the Spellplague, as a disfigured, part-metal wandering wizard who keeps to himself and stays hidden as much as possible. Extremely bad news for any arrogant young warlock or wizard who encounters and misjudges him, of course. ;}
So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms, and spinner of masterful little tidbits of additional Realmslore (like this one) whenever we can nudge him into doing so.
And I (she purred) am a nudger from way back . . .
love to all,
THO
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 05:44:09
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Heh. And it was a question I'd asked as well. You would've thought that I'd remember that. 
Well, when you get old...  |
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Aysen
Learned Scribe
115 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 05:45:32
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Hi Ed, LHO, and fellow scribes!
Its been awhile, and more than a few cups of hot brew to catch up with everything happening in Candlekeep. I've a question to ask, hopefully its not one already covered. It concerns how two individuals would "pool" their spellcasting ability.
In the first instance, there is a "master-servant" almost parasitic relationship. The wizard uses his apprentice as bolster (or unscrupulously as bulwark) to augment his own abilities or shield himself from arcane backlash when attempting some spell or effect. An example would be in The Temptation of Elminster where an elf wizard uses his apprentice as bolster AND bulwark to investigate the cause of Mystra's Silence. This would NOT be the Thayan version of the circle spell, so how powerful or skillful would a wizard have to be to perform this? What would the benefits be versus the risk? Would it require a formal linking ritual performed beforehand?
In a second similar instance, there is a scene in Waterdeep: City of Splendors where Mirt calls on the aid of Senior Magist Amaundra Logra (sp?) to engage in a spell-meld with Piergeiron's wizard bodyguard to bolster a force shield protecting the group. This is an impromptu, spur-of-the-moment thing, so there wasn't any time for the two to be formally linked (which is the case with Rashemi witches when they cast their cooperative spells). How powerful and skillful would the individuals have to be to pool their abilities like this? Can this pooling be done with instantaneous effects like dispel magic or fireball for greater effect, or only with permanent or semi-permanent effects like a force shield?
Thank you both in advance! |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 05:46:26
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To THO/Ed:
I searched in several scrolls, but found no answers to my questions. Maybe I am not diligent enough? Anyway, here they are:
1.Is Mystra's Ban permanent, existing even though she's destroyed?
2.Unlike the Weave, the Shadow Weave has no Ban. Does this SOMEHOW make it more powerful than the Weave? I remember in RotA Vala asked Galaeron this, and the latter said not powerful, but different. And I can't help but wonder if he should have said powerful AND different. There's Shade's mythallar to consider, which still works by drawing magic from the SW – which would not have been possible had it drawn magic from the Weave (because, again, of the Ban). And if the answer to my question is yes, will they be of equal strength should Mystra decide to lift the Ban?
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Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 05:58:14
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Ed/THO,
Another question...=)
Is there something special about Shar? Many deities, evil and good alike, were destroyed and came back to life, Mystra being the best example. Yet Shar remains, despite that there are many evil greater deities (should they put their mind to it, which is very likely, considering Shar's new toy, the SW) who could destroy her and steal her portfolio (and her toy). Maybe Mask is already planning to do that? I just think that Shar has been around for quite awhile, and that perchance it's time to have a Shar 2.0?
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Every beginning has an end. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 06:21:31
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quote:
Originally posted by dennis
1.Is Mystra's Ban permanent, existing even though she's destroyed?
Hmmm. I seem to recall this being "officially" answered *somewhere* -- though maybe not by Ed.
I'll check my own archives. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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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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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 06:35:18
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Thanks in advance, Sage. I remember the Ban discussed in a few scrolls in Gen FR Chat, but I don't recall a mention of it being permanent or otherwise, only speculations. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 06:45:44
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Ed/THO,
How is it possible that a god (a greater deity, that is) would succumb to a threat of a lich? In Richard's “Undead,” Szass Tam had the guts to threaten Bane that he would use all magic left to him (and I wonder how much, since the SP weakened him considerably) to bind and give the said god utter inconvenience if Bane denied him his request. Bane was even surprised that a mere lich dared threaten him. Yet he granted Tam what he wanted. Did Bane realize the value of Tam's soul that he agreed to the bargain? Even so, is it that to summon and explicitly threaten a lawfully wicked god is a grave transgression that no evil god will leave unpunished? I thought of asking this to Richard, since he's the one who wrote the book (which is excellent, by the way), but since this touches the nature of gods, I thought I better ask you.
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Every beginning has an end. |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 11:45:32
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
(I seem to remember one Ed reply talking about a Halruaan mage who's a half-golem Chosen?) ...
Hmmm. A quick search of the archives didn't reveal much in the way of this. Are you certain it was posted here at Candlekeep?
Wooly Rupert is correct - it was indeed Narandor who I was thinking of. All I could remember at the time of writing was that he was a Halruaan archmage who was a Chosen, lived on a floating island, and had a number of body parts replaced with metallic components. When I couldn't recall the exact details, my brain just clicked "metal body parts" over to "half-golem" as a result.
quote:
Originally posted by dennis
2.Unlike the Weave, the Shadow Weave has no Ban. Does this SOMEHOW make it more powerful than the Weave? I remember in RotA Vala asked Galaeron this, and the latter said not powerful, but different.
I'm certainly not Ed, but one theory for the Shadow Weave appearing to be more powerful than the Weave might be because the Shadow Weave is less-used than the Weave, particularly so back during the time of Netheril (all those archwizards drawing massive power from the Weave to use their 10th-level spells without any drawbacks like what Epic Magic/True Dweomers/whatever have, compared with just a few using the Shadow Weave). Mystryl had to spend a lot of time repairing the Weave (which I think has been mentioned in various supplements) because of the power that the Netherese were constantly using. Because the Shadow Weave never had the sort of drain on it that the Weave does, it isn't holding as much as the Weave does, and so there is less general stress on it. If you reversed it and had everybody using the Shadow Weave, then it'd probably either collapse under the strain (being just a "shadow" of the Weave, or like the space between the walls of a house) or Shar would need to do the same sort of things that Mystryl/Mystra does to maintain the Weave.
Of course, the Shadow Weave seems to be naturally "better" than the true Weave at some things (shadow, illusion and so on), and much worse than it for others (not as good with evocation, horrible at creating light, and things like that). So while you do gain some things, you lose others.
Just my theories, though.
The question on the Shadow Weave does bring up another query, though. During the Time of Troubles, the Weave was going crazy because of the gods being cast down and so on. Was the Shadow Weave also out of sync? Or was it unaffected? If it's a shadow of the Weave, then I'd expect it to suffer at least some of what the Weave did (like a reflection in a mirror - you lift a hand, the reflection lifts a hand, you go crazy, so does your reflection). Does Shar need to be around in order to regulate it like Mystra does for the true Weave? |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
Edited by - Eldacar on 27 Jul 2010 11:49:06 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2010 : 13:43:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
The question on the Shadow Weave does bring up another query, though. During the Time of Troubles, the Weave was going crazy because of the gods being cast down and so on. Was the Shadow Weave also out of sync? Or was it unaffected? If it's a shadow of the Weave, then I'd expect it to suffer at least some of what the Weave did (like a reflection in a mirror - you lift a hand, the reflection lifts a hand, you go crazy, so does your reflection). Does Shar need to be around in order to regulate it like Mystra does for the true Weave?
Most probably the SW also went crazy during the ToT. I think it was mentioned in some 3E or/and 4E novels (I can't remember which) that Shar has been the only "caretaker" of the SW and without her constant "guidance," it will surely collapse, or something like that.
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Every beginning has an end. |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2010 : 10:07:18
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Ed and/or THO,
In my searching for 'Realmspeak' I have come accross the following terms:
“merenthe” – Common:- “to bring sleep whate’er the pain”; a substance with a soporific effect? (Hand of Fire by Ed Greenwood)
“sarsson” – Common:- “After various body parts have been removed, stabbed, or sliced open, the firenewt is treated with sarsson, an herb that giant striders find irresistible, and fed alive to his own mount.” (Serpent Kingdoms by Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader, Ed Greenwood)
“tanglemoss” – Common:- “The streets (of Loudwater) are planted in tanglemoss[, though they give way to bare earth in busy areas].” (The North by Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend, Paul Jaquays, Steve Perrin; Volo’s Guide to the North by Ed Greenwood)
“glowmoss” – Common:- “Lit by cages of glowmoss, the rooms are crammed with a wide variety of furniture and other items made by local craftsfolk.” (Volo’s Guide to Cormyr by Ed Greenwood)
“sword-she” – Common:- “. . .and unshakable loyalty of Enda Quellinghunter, the Captain of the Cudgels. This fearless fire genasi "sword-she" isn't just a shrewd battle-commander. . .” (Realmslore: Uthmere, Part Eight by Ed Greenwood)
Can Ed tell us any more about these things?
Thanks in advance for your replies. |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2010 : 10:20:05
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Ed/THO,
Are there bizarre superstitious beliefs in the Realms? Like some of the ones we have here in Asia. To name a few: when you're eating and “accidentally” drop the fork, you'll have a female visitor, and male if it's the spoon; when you sneeze, it means someone is vigorously talking about you or seriously thinking of you; when you see a black cat while walking in the street, you'll suffer a dose of bad luck for a week; when you say something important and a lizard makes a sound, it means what you say is true or will come true... (And believe it or not, some people still believe these outrageous things...)
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Every beginning has an end. |
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Ruul
Seeker
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2010 : 16:38:54
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quote:
Originally posted by dennis
Ed/THO,
Are there bizarre superstitious beliefs in the Realms? Like some of the ones we have here in Asia. To name a few: when you're eating and “accidentally” drop the fork, you'll have a female visitor, and male if it's the spoon; when you sneeze, it means someone is vigorously talking about you or seriously thinking of you; when you see a black cat while walking in the street, you'll suffer a dose of bad luck for a week; when you say something important and a lizard makes a sound, it means what you say is true or will come true... (And believe it or not, some people still believe these outrageous things...)
If you decapitate a goblin and the head lands face down, expect 6 more weeks of winter. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2010 : 17:34:07
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Heh. I LIKE that one.
Hello again, all. Kyrene, I sent your e-mail off to Ed, and got back this lightning-swift reply:
Hi, Kyrene. All five terms are, of course, confirmed, and here’s something small and swift about each:
MERENTHE:
This purple-black, opaque watery liquid tastes something like raw avocados or eggplant, and when ingested or insinuated, is a potent sleep-inducing drug that can bring “easy slumber” regardless of pain or nausea. It has no known side-effects except entirely quelling snoring, teeth-gnashing, and body movements during sleep, is effective on all known intelligent mammals, and the amount of the dose directly affects the length of slumber. It works very swiftly, and when “passing off” causes swift awakening with little or no drowsiness.
Merenthe is much used in healing, to keep wounded persons immobile, but also serves to more easily “govern” or “master” prisoners, flight risks, and formidable foes, and to disable sentinels without harming them.
The secrets of its making are widely-known in Calimshan, known to a few in the Vilhon, the Tashalar, Amn, and Waterdeep, and little known elsewhere (where prices are high; typically 60 to 80 gp for a standard-sized potion vial, which if entirely imbibed at one sitting by an average-sized adult human male will cause about 5-and-a-half days of slumber).
Merenthe first became popular as the main thing sold by the Calishite “witch” Merenthe Iyrdril, some three centuries ago. It is known to be a distillate of at least three ingredients, one of which is a powdered low-value (fairly common) gemstone, and two of which are plants; for one of those, merenthe uses the crushed and boiled leaves.
Merenthe is effective when mixed with some alcoholic beverages, but not all. It works in combination with all other beverages (though dilution of course alters the length of its efficacy). Cooking beyond certain temperatures destroys its effects, so it can only be hidden in some foods.
SARSSON:
This common, little-known herb has broad, short yellow leaves. It grows very close to the ground, as a “carpet” ground cover, in wet tropical regions (jungle, riverbanks, marshes, bogs) aboveground, and damp warm (near volcanic) caverns underground. It has a strong peppery, lemony taste, and can be used to make foul water palatable (not safe, just more pleasant in taste) and to complement meat; it “enlivens” uncoagulated blood on contact to bring forth a vivid, strong taste that some creatures (such as giant striders and certain carrion birds, like gorcraws) find irresistible.
TANGLEMOSS:
This lush, soft, green ground-covering moss resembles miniature pine boughs in configuration (needles sprouting from a stem), but is soft and delicate, sometimes being visually mistaken for dill and other “lacy frond” herbs and plants. Its name comes from its natural tendency to twine around (“entangle”) other vines, roots, and plants without strangling (killing) them, but firmly anchoring itself. It doesn’t “tangle” creatures, however small; its name is derived from its firm adherence to underlying rock or earth, and hence its usefulness, and tendency to flourish, in high-traffic areas such as paths, roads, and drainage spillways.
Tanglemoss is found everywhere north of the southern border of Tethyr, though it is rare in Amn outside of mountainous areas, and the Vilhon and everywhere north of that; the warmer prevalent climate of more southerly lands causes it to grow only in small, sickly brown clumps that soon wither and die. Dried tanglemoss is used as packing and insulation, because it doesn’t crumble and disintegrate for more than a season after death, but it has no other known uses. An old Moonsea North saying refers to someone in poverty as being “down to dining on tanglemoss soup.”
GLOWMOSS:
This once-common, but now increasingly rare due to over-harvesting moss absorbs heat and light energy, and glows softly in dim or dark conditions.
Its soft radiance is usually an amber-white or greenish-white hue (the exact colour is influenced by the mix of minerals the growing moss is in contact with), and it can be “fed” to keep it alive with moisture, salt (so, sea-breezes make it flourish) and light (torchlight and “cold magical glows” benefit it as readily as sunlight). Formerly much used as a light source in dark interior rooms by being hung in clumps in cages, its increasing rarity has led to this custom falling out of popularity.
Owners of glowmoss who understand its needs can readily illuminate a dwelling or structure by moving clumps of glowmoss from interior ceiling “light cages” to sunlit outdoor “reviving” locations, and back again, on a cycle that involves at least two tendays at a stretch of normal daytime periods of sunlight, and some water. Glowmoss need not be anchored on anything to grow or flourish. No known creatures find it edible, which has led some insects to lay eggs in it; to keep their homes from being infested by larvae falling out of glowmoss, most glowmoss users simply soak the glowmoss in buckets of water, agitate the moss vigorously by hand, and then hang it to drip dry before indoor, “in the cage” use.
SWORD-SHE: Female mercenary. This term is generally applied to individuals who make their living as hireswords and advertise this fact, and tends to be most often used by humans, when speaking of good-looking female humans, or females of forceful personality.
So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms and its tireless head loremaster to this day.
Lovely stuff...
and my love to all,
THO
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Baleful Avatar
Learned Scribe
Canada
161 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2010 : 20:38:05
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Ahhhh, awesome Ed-lore. That's what I come here for...
More! More!
Realmslore question: so I have a belt flask and want to fill it with brandy or sherry or the equivalent: strong-flavored, won't-go-bad-soon-or-easily drink of some sort. Aside from sherry, zzar, and the like, what are some popular "brand names" (for want of the proper Realms term) I can get, that other Realms folk will know if I name them?
The conversational equivalent of the real-world: "This? It's Cianti." (Or "Chivas." Or "Grey Goose." or whatever...
Thanks! No rush on this, at all . . .
BA |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 06:41:08
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When Ed says Tanglemoss is rare in the Vilhon and everywhere north of that, does he mean just until the Sea of Fallen Stars or also further north (i.e. Cormanthor)? His comments suggests the moss does grow in the Moonsea area.
Oh, and while I am at it: Merenthe sounds like a drug. Is it addictive (i.e. causes people to sleep less well without it if they use it frequently)?
Gomez,
being picky
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Edited by - gomez on 29 Jul 2010 06:42:37 |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 08:26:57
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello again, all. Kyrene, I sent your e-mail off to Ed, and got back this lightning-swift reply:
. . .
So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms and its tireless head loremaster to this day.
Lovely stuff...
and my love to all,
THO
Wow! Just, wow!  THO, my thanks to Ed, and to you, his lovely messenger on winged slippers (or is it winged thigh-high boots?) |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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capnvan
Senior Scribe
USA
592 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 09:18:56
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Tanglemoss is found everywhere north of the southern border of Tethyr, though it is rare in Amn outside of mountainous areas, and the Vilhon and everywhere north of that...
quote:
Originally posted by gomez
When Ed says Tanglemoss is rare in the Vilhon and everywhere north of that, does he mean just until the Sea of Fallen Stars or also further north (i.e. Cormanthor)? His comments suggests the moss does grow in the Moonsea area.
I believe the commas separating the Amn phrase are meant to indicate that that phrase is parenthetical to the Tethyr comment. In other words, read it like this:
"Tanglemoss is found everywhere north of the southern border of Tethyr (though it is rare in Amn outside of mountainous areas) and the Vilhon and everywhere north of that..."
In short, Tanglemoss is found in the Vilhon and everywhere north of that. |
"Saving a life, though regrettable, is a small price to pay for a whole lifetime of unfettered killing." |
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gomez
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
254 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 11:43:39
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| Ah. Right, that makes more sense... |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 17:30:56
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Hello again, all.
gomez, capnvan is correct. Tanglemoss doesn't do well in more southerly lands than Tethyr because of climate, but can be found in all more northerly areas (though it's rare east of The Sea of Fallen Stars, where other plant varieties crowd it out, and is sparse in Amn for unspecified reasons).
And yes, merenthe is a drug in the sense that it's a subtance deliberately taken to alter bodily processes and/or symptoms. It isn't addictive, however, so there's no "withdrawal" or craving or addiction, or behaviours associated with such.
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 29 Jul 2010 18:55:52 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jul 2010 : 19:14:36
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Hi again, all! I bring this lore from Ed of the Greenwood, in response to this recent query by Joran Nobleheart: “Hello again! I've read about the herbs used to prevent pregnancy and even the potion mentioned in Magic of Faerun, and I was wondering if there's a potion or herb if not both that actually helps increase the chance of pregnancy. Also curious about the wives tales that don't work, or some that have different effects from what they should have. Thank you for your time!”
Ed replies:
Hi, Joran! Yes, there are many, many herbs, potions, and even diets and thorras (“teas” or more properly tissanes made by boiling the leaves of various plants; a “thorra” is the Realmsian term for purely medical-use drinks that aren’t primarily sustaining or pleasant to the taste) used across the Realms to try to increase chances of, or “ensure,” pregnancy. I don’t have time just now to delve into all of the old wives’ tales/wrong or exaggerated-efficacy means, or the poisonous ones, but I can tell you about one of the most popular effective ones: the (fictitious, not real-world) Realmsian herb “halvalondur,” which is a once-common, now uncommon and increasing in rarity (due to overpicking, for this use) little clover-like groundcover plant found in most Northern grasslands. By “northern,” I mean roughly the same range as for tanglemoss: halvalondur is found in Tethyr and anywhere north of that, from islands off the Sword Coast as far east as the Vilhon and Chessenta, in usually-fully-sunlit open grasslands only.
It is used by harvesting the blossoms, and females then eat them raw (they need not be fresh, so they can be harvested in Mirtul and the two months after that, kept in glass or clay jars sealed from the air with pitch or clay). This apparently makes females more likely to conceive, if they are at the right stage of their cycle. However, neither milk nor dairy products (such as cheese) nor alcohol should be ingested just before, with, or after the halvalondur blossoms, or they nullify the fertility effect.
I hope this is of help (in fathering many little paladins-to-be?)
So saith Ed. Creator of the Realms. Whose “fathering” experience is greatly exaggerated, I’m given to understand.
love to all,
THO
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2010 : 01:43:00
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Do they also guarantee that the child will be physically normal, meaning no defects (lacking ears; one eye is blind; one arm is smaller and far thinner than the other; lacking fingers,etc...)?
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Every beginning has an end. |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2010)
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