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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 14 Oct 2011 :  03:03:54  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

There's a new Sevrin lore post on www.elainecunningham.com: "The Cat Tail Crusade." You KNEW there would be cats on Sevrin. It was only a matter of time before we heard from them.

You've struck a chord with me, as I'm a great lover of cat-lore for most setting -- including Sevrin now.

Interestingly, you've also promoted me to wonder whether my cat -- Sibelius -- is, by chance, engaging in similar practices when, in the past, I've seen him in a "gathering" with other neighbourhood cats.



If it's a cat coven, they're raising magic for some hidden purpose of their own. Next time they gather, get as close as you can without disrupting the proceedings. You might catch a bit of magical overflow.
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Farrel
Learned Scribe

United Kingdom
239 Posts

Posted - 14 Oct 2011 :  13:39:21  Show Profile Send Farrel a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

Scottish singer Andy Stewart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RjxIcEmAA4

Lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/Lyric.nsf/The-Humours-Of-Whiskey-lyrics-Andy-M-Stewart/B311DA795F3A4B0448256FE20008EDFE



This was quite a surprise for me... I never thought i'd like folk songs but these can grow on you

When I listened to the Wild Rover I couldn't get the tune out of my head for days... I didn't mind too much as it was backed up by your alternate lyrics
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 19 Oct 2011 :  16:08:13  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I'm trying something a little different on my blog. The last two Sevrin lore posts have been in the form of micro-stories, which give a glimpse into the setting but avoid the "fluff article" style.

Comments? Suggestions?
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Hawkins
Great Reader

USA
2131 Posts

Posted - 19 Oct 2011 :  16:31:16  Show Profile  Visit Hawkins's Homepage Send Hawkins a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hi Elaine,

Can you tell me why your Star Wars novel, Blood Oath, was cancelled. I had not even heard of it until I ended up on http://www.njoe.com/ from a link that Paul posted on Twitter. Now that I am no longer blissfully unaware of it, it makes me sad that I will never be able read it.

Thanks,
Hawkins

Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane

* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives

My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 19 Oct 2011 :  18:37:10  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Hawkins

Hi Elaine,

Can you tell me why your Star Wars novel, Blood Oath, was cancelled. I had not even heard of it until I ended up on http://www.njoe.com/ from a link that Paul posted on Twitter. Now that I am no longer blissfully unaware of it, it makes me sad that I will never be able read it.

Thanks,
Hawkins



Long-standing health issues, missed deadlines. It's a sadly familiar tale.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 20 Oct 2011 :  02:53:29  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

I'm trying something a little different on my blog. The last two Sevrin lore posts have been in the form of micro-stories, which give a glimpse into the setting but avoid the "fluff article" style.

Comments? Suggestions?

Honestly, I've long been a fan of these style of narrative/"fluff" articles. Not only do they provide intriguing lore, but they often further serve to demonstrate how the lore works or applies, to the actual state of the world.

Give me more!

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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 21 Oct 2011 :  02:55:22  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

I'm trying something a little different on my blog. The last two Sevrin lore posts have been in the form of micro-stories, which give a glimpse into the setting but avoid the "fluff article" style.

Comments? Suggestions?

Honestly, I've long been a fan of these style of narrative/"fluff" articles. Not only do they provide intriguing lore, but they often further serve to demonstrate how the lore works or applies, to the actual state of the world.

Give me more!




Thanks for the feedback. I'll be posting new lore on Monday. :)
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 21 Oct 2011 :  02:57:22  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
This week's story, "Maintenance," is a bit of flash fiction (a story told in under 1000 words) I wrote a couple of years back. It's urban fantasy, but Forgotten Realms readers may notice a familiar element. :)

http://www.elainecunningham.com/2011/10/20/free-friday-flash-fiction-maintenance/
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 26 Oct 2011 :  20:04:51  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
How about about a Sevrin ghost story for Halloween? "Mistwraiths," a very short retelling of a Sevrin legend, is online at www.elainecunningham.com.

No worries--you can also have chocolate ::hands you a KitKat::
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 29 Oct 2011 :  04:35:25  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Quick query Elaine...

I was looking for an older post on your blog from this month -- particularly, back on the 17th, entitled "Old Race Genetics." But I can't seem to find it now. Have you relocated/removed/deleted it?

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

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"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 29 Oct 2011 04:36:10
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 29 Oct 2011 :  14:49:59  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

Quick query Elaine...

I was looking for an older post on your blog from this month -- particularly, back on the 17th, entitled "Old Race Genetics." But I can't seem to find it now. Have you relocated/removed/deleted it?




I deleted it, as a Very Trusted Reader decreed that it was "boring."
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 29 Oct 2011 :  15:15:35  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ah, okay.

That's a shame, though, because the title of the post intrigued me. I wouldn't have minded having an opportunity to read it before it was deleted.

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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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-- 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 29 Oct 2011 15:16:24
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 31 Oct 2011 :  15:04:00  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Happy Halloween! Today's Sevrin lore post describes the equivalent holiday--Winterborn, a festival of peace and plenty that nonetheless has its share of odd customs. (Want to know your fortune? Try crow-chasing!)

http://tinyurl.com/425n74z
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 17 Nov 2011 :  18:26:30  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
"Winter Wolves," a new Sevrin lore post, offers a very short and slightly twisted tale of wolves and wishes, fairies and philanderers.

http://tinyurl.com/6tk43v3
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36798 Posts

Posted - 17 Nov 2011 :  19:25:19  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Okay, I gotta say, I love the way that tale ends. There's some fun potential in that idea (yeah, it's short, but I'm still avoiding spoilers! ).

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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  00:54:54  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

"Winter Wolves," a new Sevrin lore post, offers a very short and slightly twisted tale of wolves and wishes, fairies and philanderers.

http://tinyurl.com/6tk43v3


Neat. This has actually triggered a latent concept I've been tinkering with since I last read the 3e Bastion Press Fairies tome.

I sense new hybrid winter wolf theories springing into my mind this weekend.

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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

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"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood

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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  11:33:02  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

"Winter Wolves," a new Sevrin lore post, offers a very short and slightly twisted tale of wolves and wishes, fairies and philanderers.

http://tinyurl.com/6tk43v3


Neat. This has actually triggered a latent concept I've been tinkering with since I last read the 3e Bastion Press Fairies tome.

I sense new hybrid winter wolf theories springing into my mind this weekend.



I'm tickled that the Sevrin lore is inspiring ideas for your home campaigns. :)
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  15:09:36  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

"Winter Wolves," a new Sevrin lore post, offers a very short and slightly twisted tale of wolves and wishes, fairies and philanderers.

http://tinyurl.com/6tk43v3


Neat. This has actually triggered a latent concept I've been tinkering with since I last read the 3e Bastion Press Fairies tome.

I sense new hybrid winter wolf theories springing into my mind this weekend.



I'm tickled that the Sevrin lore is inspiring ideas for your home campaigns. :)

I'm eventually hoping to compile most of what you've presented on your website into a mini-Sevrin campaign setting.

I know most of the players at my gaming table are not-so-patiently waiting for it!

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

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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36798 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  17:37:03  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

I know most of the players at my gaming table are not-so-patiently waiting for it!



I'm sure there's a lot they're waiting for!

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  18:08:16  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I'm eventually hoping to compile most of what you've presented on your website into a mini-Sevrin campaign setting.

I know most of the players at my gaming table are not-so-patiently waiting for it!



Keep me posted! One of the long-term plans for Sevrin is a campaign setting amd ready-to-play adventures. :)
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High

Australia
31734 Posts

Posted - 18 Nov 2011 :  23:37:37  Show Profile Send The Sage a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I'm eventually hoping to compile most of what you've presented on your website into a mini-Sevrin campaign setting.

I know most of the players at my gaming table are not-so-patiently waiting for it!



Keep me posted! One of the long-term plans for Sevrin is a campaign setting amd ready-to-play adventures. :)

Indeed, I will.

I've been teasing my players with brief snippets of Sevrin-based lore converted for the Realms in my latest campaigns. But the Sevrin material, I feel, can definitely stand on it's own as a unique setting for adventures, so I'm hoping to build up to that point eventually.

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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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 20 Nov 2011 :  17:07:31  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
There's more Sevrin lore and fairy mischief up on ElaineCunningham.com, featuring our friends Askur and Bejarki, the unfortunate fishermen from the Winter Wolves tale. :)

http://tinyurl.com/bohgn4y
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Lady Shadowflame
Learned Scribe

115 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2011 :  17:36:40  Show Profile Send Lady Shadowflame a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hullo to you, and a couple of questions.

In one Liriel book, you use the drow term parzdiamo. In Gorlist's story, you use parzdiametkis. Is one the plural of the other? A ruder version, given Liriel used her version in front of the Promenade ladies and Gorlist picked up his version near a brothel/tavern?

Also regarding Gorlist's story, given his clear love for his mother (until she sold him) and a few other things, would you say he'd be one of those drow who could have wound up much better people, if they'd not been put in the 'be evil or die' circumstances that harden them until they become as nasty as the rest? Signs of what could have been, in a less evil society?

Have you any thoughts on what Wyn Ashgrove would have done after his part in Elfsong? He never seems to be heard from after that, and I'm really curious about him, and any extra details you might have envisioned regarding him - the kind of family he might have had, or anything else of that nature. I really liked him, with the exception of one single moment, as mentioned below this.

Danilo and Wyn discuss the use of charm spells, to prepare for facing the dragon. Danilo asks if Wyn's ever used them on anything larger than a tavern wench, and Wyn refers to the susceptibility of North-women to the spell. I was at first amused... and then queasy thereafter at the implications. Was Wyn lying for the sake of the joke? Or has there just been a case of different perspectives here? Because I find the notion of using charm spells to snare a partner uncharacteristically unethical for the general portrayal of those two gentlemen... (Only a few steps below deserving the tag 'magic roofies', in fact...) I hope this isn't offensive to you. But it did trouble me quite a bit.

Save a lizard... Ride a drow.
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore

1864 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2011 :  17:43:00  Show Profile  Visit Icelander's Homepage Send Icelander a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lady Shadowflame

Danilo asks if Wyn's ever used them on anything larger than a tavern wench, and Wyn refers to the susceptibility of North-women to the spell. I was at first amused... and then queasy thereafter at the implications. Was Wyn lying for the sake of the joke? Or has there just been a case of different perspectives here? Because I find the notion of using charm spells to snare a partner uncharacteristically unethical for the general portrayal of those two gentlemen... (Only a few steps below deserving the tag 'magic roofies', in fact...) I hope this isn't offensive to you. But it did trouble me quite a bit.


I took it as a joke, not something he had actually done.

Using charm spells to get sexual partners is in no way, shape or form more ethically acceptable than using Rohypnol to do the same. It's the same thing, allowing for the substitution of magic for technology. If Wyn really did that, he'd be a rapist.

As it was, I think it was a typical ribald joke.

Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!

Forgotten Realms fans, please sign a petition to re-release the FR Interactive Atlas
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Lady Shadowflame
Learned Scribe

115 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2011 :  18:14:17  Show Profile Send Lady Shadowflame a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Icelander


I took it as a joke, not something he had actually done.

Using charm spells to get sexual partners is in no way, shape or form more ethically acceptable than using Rohypnol to do the same. It's the same thing, allowing for the substitution of magic for technology. If Wyn really did that, he'd be a rapist.

As it was, I think it was a typical ribald joke.


The main reason I was uncertain was because they were discussing it as relevant to not getting eaten by a dragon. In which instance joking around a bit is one thing, but one would also wonder if there was some accuracy involved.

(And since charm spells make a person friendly, without actually giving full control over them, I do view it as a step down. Basically it's terribly unethical regardless of which spell is used, but some spells are worse than others in that regard. Dominate being worse than Charm, for instance. Though really, plenty of the spells in a bard's repertoire have potentially iffy uses. Glibness plus "If we don't get it on, the world will end!", anyone?)

Plus, of course, even jokes about that kind of thing can be a bit queasy-making...

Save a lizard... Ride a drow.

Edited by - Lady Shadowflame on 27 Nov 2011 18:15:40
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 27 Nov 2011 :  23:13:13  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Hi, Lady Shadowflame.

quote:
Originally posted by Lady Shadowflame
In one Liriel book, you use the drow term parzdiamo. In Gorlist's story, you use parzdiametkis. Is one the plural of the other? A ruder version, given Liriel used her version in front of the Promenade ladies and Gorlist picked up his version near a brothel/tavern?


Yes, it's a much ruder version.

quote:
Also regarding Gorlist's story, given his clear love for his mother (until she sold him) and a few other things, would you say he'd be one of those drow who could have wound up much better people, if they'd not been put in the 'be evil or die' circumstances that harden them until they become as nasty as the rest? Signs of what could have been, in a less evil society?


Gorlist is definitely a product of his environment. Even later, in Daughter of the Drow, a certain heinous action does not occur to him until Nisstyre suggests the possibility. I'm not sure how "good" a person he'd be under any circumstances, but in a more wholesome environment he would act quite differently. I see Gorlist as the sort of person who would accept and conform to his environment without much thought.

quote:
Have you any thoughts on what Wyn Ashgrove would have done after his part in Elfsong? He never seems to be heard from after that, and I'm really curious about him, and any extra details you might have envisioned regarding him - the kind of family he might have had, or anything else of that nature. I really liked him, with the exception of one single moment, as mentioned below this.


I have some idea about Wyn, but I'm afraid I can't get into details. After something is published, I can discuss it. Before, not really. Even if there is no specific project in the works--and to the best of my knowledge there isn't anything being written about Wyn--speculating on what might happen offstage tends to muddy the waters. Some writers do it, sure, but I don't think it's a good idea.

quote:
Danilo and Wyn discuss the use of charm spells, to prepare for facing the dragon. Danilo asks if Wyn's ever used them on anything larger than a tavern wench, and Wyn refers to the susceptibility of North-women to the spell. I was at first amused... and then queasy thereafter at the implications. Was Wyn lying for the sake of the joke? Or has there just been a case of different perspectives here? Because I find the notion of using charm spells to snare a partner uncharacteristically unethical for the general portrayal of those two gentlemen... (Only a few steps below deserving the tag 'magic roofies', in fact...) I hope this isn't offensive to you. But it did trouble me quite a bit.



Danilo did NOT ask Wyn if he'd ever used a charm spell on anything larger than a tavern wench. He asked him if he'd ever tried to CHARM anything larger than a tavern wench. This is what you call a double entendre--a joke, usually a bawdy one, dependant upon a word that has two meanings. "Charm" has several.

When a person acts in a pleasant, engaging fashion, he is often said to be charming. This is what Dan referred to when he mentioned "charming a tavern wench." He did NOT mean "to cast a spell that influences a sentient being's mind and will." When Wyn mentioned that the Northwomen were susceptible, he was NOT implying that they were succeptible to a charm spell, but to his personal charm. That's why Danilo was surprised that Wyn caught the joke and responded in kind, since elves tend to be a tad literal. If Wyn was unaware of the double entendre, he would have gravely replied, "No, I have not cast such a spell on any being larger than a tavern wench." If he really, REALLY missed the play on words, he might have added, "In all candor, Lord Thann, the suggestion that I might employ this form of persuasion on any female is highly offensive." But he was able to see the semantic two-step that moved from "casting a spell" to "being charming" and back again.

Consider for a moment yet another meaning of "charm:" a small decorative object hung from a "charm bracelet." Suppose one of Danilo's Merry Band of Second Edition Bards was wearing such a bracelet. Dan might have tugged at one of the charms and said, "We'll need a bigger charm than this to hold the dragon." He would not be implying that they should find a much larger version of the little gemstone-and-metal object so that they could hurl it at the dragon in hope of stunning him. He would simply be making a play on words to lighten the mood, or at the very least, to amuse himself. That's what Danilo does.

Repeat: At NO TIME were either Danilo or Wyn referring to casting a charm spell on women to lure them into bed. That concept would be repugnant to either character.

Hope this puts your mind at ease concerning Wyn's character.
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Lady Shadowflame
Learned Scribe

115 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2011 :  04:41:22  Show Profile Send Lady Shadowflame a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I guess I'm just elflike in my literal mind, then, because I missed the double entendre. (And if I had to pick up an elf trait, why could it not have been one of the cool ones?) That or just too much exposure to people playing less ethical bards, thus putting the idea firmly in my head...

Thanks for the correction. Wyn did seem to have this strangely huggable quality to his demeanour, and I'm glad to know it was just me missing a pun that put something at odds with that. He's just that sweet-seeming - and presents a nice counter to some of the other depictions of sun elves.

(That aside, I think it was just demonstrated precisely how Danilo's clever mouth may have got him into trouble now and then. Even those with good intentions can miss a joke, after all...)

Thank you also for the parzdiamo/parzdiametkis clarification - I think I can extrapolate the relevant levels of reference from that.

It is interesting, regarding Gorlist; that would definitely go a long way to demonstrate that drow society has its fair share of those who are not inherently malicious, but just responding to the societal pressures. The end result is still evil, but the beginning, and the alternate potential? Not nearly so much.

The only other thing I wondered about Gorlist possibly answers itself; one assumes that, since the tattoo is on his face, he'd have to carry a mirror around if there are no handy companions to helpfully tell him if it's changing colour? Admittedly, there are probably any number of drow who wouldn't be caught dead without a mirror in their accoutrements in any case...

Save a lizard... Ride a drow.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2396 Posts

Posted - 28 Nov 2011 :  14:40:04  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lady Shadowflame
It is interesting, regarding Gorlist; that would definitely go a long way to demonstrate that drow society has its fair share of those who are not inherently malicious, but just responding to the societal pressures. The end result is still evil, but the beginning, and the alternate potential? Not nearly so much.


I had an interesting conversation with my son the philosophy major this weekend about the concept of "character," which translated to D&D would aproximate "allignment." He contends that most of the choices people make have more to do with situation than values.

We also discussed an article entitled "Culture of Shock" in the latest issue of Scientific American Mind (Maybe not what you'd expect from a fantasy writer with a music and history background, but neuroscience holds tremendous fascination for me...) that revisits the famous Milgram experiments. In short, Stanley Milgram explored the nature of conformity and the willingness of people to inflict pain on others if instructed to do so by someone in authority. This involved administering a series of shocks to a "test subject" (in actuality, a fellow researcher) in a purported study of the effect of shock on memory training. A stunningly high percentage of normal people were willing to press a buttons delivering severe, potentially lethal shocks. People are still sorting through the test results and trying to figure out what this indicates about human nature.

Taking this back to the drow, you have a society that's not only a highly structured matriarchy, but is also a virtual theocracy. Conformnity is not only an important cultural value in Menzoberranzan and other drow cities, it's a survival skill.

Everything we know about human nature suggests that most drow are not "inherently evil," but complex sentient beings who behave according to the situation in which they find themselves. There are always exceptions in every society, on both ends of the good/evil continuum, but people tend to reflect the attitudes and accept the practices of the societies to which they belong. Most people will do what's expected of them. Gorlist falls squarely into the "most people" catagory.

quote:
The only other thing I wondered about Gorlist possibly answers itself; one assumes that, since the tattoo is on his face, he'd have to carry a mirror around if there are no handy companions to helpfully tell him if it's changing colour? Admittedly, there are probably any number of drow who wouldn't be caught dead without a mirror in their accoutrements in any case...



No drow fighter is ever without several knifes and daggers. The reflective surface of a blade won't give you the clear, detailed image you'd see in a mirror, but it's good enough. The tattoo is mostly symbolic, though--a reminder of a certain drow Truth. The likelihood that he'll ever need to use it to determine a dragon's true color is very, very slim.

Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 28 Nov 2011 14:45:36
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ElaineCunningham
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Posted - 28 Nov 2011 :  14:42:56  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lady Shadowflame
That aside, I think it was just demonstrated precisely how Danilo's clever mouth may have got him into trouble now and then.




Indeed. Why do you suppose that Danilo carries a sword and learned to cast spells?
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Lady Shadowflame
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Posted - 29 Nov 2011 :  13:58:26  Show Profile Send Lady Shadowflame a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham


No drow fighter is ever without several knifes and daggers. The reflective surface of a blade won't give you the clear, detailed image you'd see in a mirror, but it's good enough. The tattoo is mostly symbolic, though--a reminder of a certain drow Truth. The likelihood that he'll ever need to use it to determine a dragon's true color is very, very slim.


It's only a very close-range thing, then? For some reason I envisioned him able to creep up to near a dragon's lair, and be told by his tattoo's going shinier that the dragon was in fact in residence.

Plus, what with his being a Vhaeraunite, and their surface shenanigans... Well, FR seems to have a number of dragons that like to wander around in more innocuous forms. In their shoes I think I would like to know if anybody nearby is capable of growing fifty-plus feet and trying to eat me before I tried anything...

I think some of those dragons own taverns and inns scattered across Faerun. Not that I'm expecting to see a 'Gorlist: The Lost Years' story anytime soon in which Nisstyre sends him out on a Faerun-wide pub crawl to find dragons, of course...

Save a lizard... Ride a drow.

Edited by - Lady Shadowflame on 29 Nov 2011 14:12:51
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