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manaeater
Acolyte
13 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 04:57:26
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Thank you Elaine! I always wondered why Qilue didnt resurect them(she is a cleric after all ) |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 07:05:48
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| She might have tried, only to discover he liked it so much in Eilistraee's realm that he preferred to wait for Qilué to come to him. (In game - and flavour - terms, Resurrection only works on people who want to return to life.) |
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 |
Edited by - Kajehase on 13 Mar 2011 07:06:12 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 07:18:41
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I don't know if this is allowed, but...
Do you currently have contract to write further for the Golarion setting?  |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 12:09:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I don't know if this is allowed, but...
Do you currently have contract to write further for the Golarion setting?
I do not have another project under contract with Paizo at this time. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 12:20:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
She might have tried, only to discover he liked it so much in Eilistraee's realm that he preferred to wait for Qilué to come to him. (In game - and flavour - terms, Resurrection only works on people who want to return to life.)
This might indeed be the case. But it also seems to me that in many cases Resurrection is an act of selfishness and perhaps even disrespect. Someone risks death in a cause they believe to be just, true, and important, only to be dragged back from the afterlife their heroism has earned and told, "Nope, sorry--try again."
And in practical terms, while Resurrection is a great boon to gamers, it's a curse to novelists. Every time someone dies, be the deceased the consort of a cleric or the scullery maid's twin brother, many readers assume they can and should be ressurected, simply because the spell exists. Stakes are lowered, sacrifice is trivialized, and authors have to go to sometimes ridiculous lengths to explain why someone is going to STAY dead. |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 14:18:11
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
This might indeed be the case. But it also seems to me that in many cases Resurrection is an act of selfishness and perhaps even disrespect. Someone risks death in a cause they believe to be just, true, and important, only to be dragged back from the afterlife their heroism has earned and told, "Nope, sorry--try again."
And in practical terms, while Resurrection is a great boon to gamers, it's a curse to novelists. Every time someone dies, be the deceased the consort of a cleric or the scullery maid's twin brother, many readers assume they can and should be ressurected, simply because the spell exists. Stakes are lowered, sacrifice is trivialized, and authors have to go to sometimes ridiculous lengths to explain why someone is going to STAY dead.
Agreed on all counts. As if divination magic didn't cause enough trouble!  |
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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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 03:41:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
Does that make me a bad writer for using a Wish to bring back a character who had died to protect someone he cared about? It was done by accident, by activating an item (unknowingly), and the character who died later ended up in prison after being blamed for the battle that killed him. What are your thoughts, Elaine?
I don't think using Wish, Resurrection, or any other spell makes you a "bad writer." It all comes down to story logic and execution.
It sounds as if you've got an interesting twist going on. Frankly, I'm surprised there aren't MORE stories that deal with the negative effects Resurrection has on the recipient's life. The trope "yesterday's hero becomes tomorrow's scapegoat" certainly fits. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 04:16:07
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I've often had being reincarnated backfire on people...especially if it is widely known that they died, or died in front of many people.
Accusations of being Undead, being a Shapechanger, etc.
Good stuff.
More on topic, Elaine: would you have a chosen place/topic to write about if you had the choice on your next project? |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 04:55:21
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Lol, thanks. Although I'm not sure anyone aside from the woman he was helping would have considered him a "hero". The battle was between himself and his evil half-sister (both drow), with a half-dragon sorceress on his side. (Hhe was the one he "died" to save from a hold spell and a dagger in the chest.) The down side was- they were fighting in the middle of a church during an evening prayer service. His sister threw a couple of fireballs, and..... Well, you can see where that went.
Unfortunately, when the authorities finally arrived, they simply assumed he was responsible for the carnage, since the sister's body had disappeared shortly after the dragon-lady broke the hold and, er- left her as shredded toast. The guy got a bum rap for being a dark elf in a fight that killed several people, even though he was one of the good guys. And scapegoat is pretty accurate. He was sentenced to hang...... |
The Goddess is alive, and magic is afoot.
"Where Science ends, Magic begins" -Spiral, Uncanny X-Men #491
"You idiots! You've captured their STUNT doubles!" -Spaceballs
Lothir's character background/stats: http://forum.candlekeep.com/pop_profile.asp?mode=display&id=5469
My stories:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Mickeys_Comic_Tavern/index.php?showforum=188
Lothir, courtesy of Sylinde (Deviant Art)/Luaxena (Chosen of Eilistraee)
http://sylinde.deviantart.com/#/d2z6e4u |
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Barastir
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1600 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 11:12:15
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I remember reading an article in an old Dragon Magazine talking about how Ressurection should create problems for the ressurected person... The article suggested some complications, like, for example, having heirs not willingful to give back the lands they received as inheritance, and some others.
And I agree that spells shouldn't be used just because they are available. In my campaign, even spells like "fly" and "fireball" are not common. They have some potions, but permanent magical items are quite hard to find. It makes magic more wonderful and special. And powers like flying and exploding things, in my opinion, should be very special indeed (and my elf mage has "flame arrow", a spell that is very elegant, and what better for an elf than firing - no pun intended - a mystical bow?).
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"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."
The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood) |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 11:44:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Barastir
I remember reading an article in an old Dragon Magazine talking about how Ressurection should create problems for the ressurected person... The article suggested some complications, like, for example, having heirs not willingful to give back the lands they received as inheritance, and some others.
And I agree that spells shouldn't be used just because they are available. In my campaign, even spells like "fly" and "fireball" are not common. They have some potions, but permanent magical items are quite hard to find. It makes magic more wonderful and special. And powers like flying and exploding things, in my opinion, should be very special indeed (and my elf mage has "flame arrow", a spell that is very elegant, and what better for an elf than firing - no pun intended - a mystical bow?).
Good points all.
And now, for a totally unsolicited writing tip. Sometimes we use phrases without thinking back to their origin. "Fired an arrow" is one that crops up in fantasy quite freqently. I've probably used it myself a time or two, early on. But it's anachronistic.
A gun is "fired" because a spark sets off the gun powder in a small, fiery explosion. Arrows are shot, not fired. Even flaming arrows. There is no fire involved in the process of transferring an arrow from a quiver to a bow to an enemy's left eye socket.
Since there are canons aned gnome-built pistols in the Realms, you could make an argument that the phrase "fired an arrow" is a metaphor, reverse engineered, as it were, from guns. But keep in mind that there are a lot of history geeks, and more than a few archers, among fantasy readers who will read this as a mistake, whatever your reasoning might be.
$.02,
ec |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 12:26:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Barastir
I remember reading an article in an old Dragon Magazine talking about how Ressurection should create problems for the ressurected person... The article suggested some complications, like, for example, having heirs not willingful to give back the lands they received as inheritance, and some others.
::nods:: In general, it's a good idea to consider what problems magic might CREATE as well as those it solves. Obviously, magic can be used to slay the dragon and defeat the Evil Overlord, but if it always behaves exactly as anticipated and never has mixed (or even catastrophic) results, it's not very interesting.
When Andrew was in high school, he had a gaming group that met regularly around our dining room table. There was an amazing amount of intelligence at that table. Members of the group have gone into engineering, medicine, math, and computer science. One is a PhD candidate in chemistry and another is on his way to becoming an astrophysicist. But the future Harvard grad student in astrophysics was probably the most boring gamer upon whom I've eavesdropped. He applied spells to situations as if plugging an equasion into a math problem. Ghoul touch and coup de grace were as commonly used as X and Y. After a few repetitions, I wanted to shriek, "For the love of God, just STAB someone already!"
If something is boring in a campaign, it's doubly so in a novel. The spells are part of the setting and should be used, but the characters who use them also need to consider and experience complications and consequences. In real life, no powerful device or power source, no matter how beneficial it might be, does NOT have unfortunate side effect. The family car, for example.
Over a million people die every year in car accidents. Cars are a major source of polution. Wars are fought over control of fuel-producing areas. Transporting the fuel can lead to ecological disasters. Most of us don't think about these things every time we back out of the driveway. Similarly, spellcasters don't ponder the history and possibile consequences of magic every time they use a cantrip. But consequences exist, and the possibilities of chickens coming home to roost provides a backdrop of dramatic tension even when these consequences do not form a part of the plot.
To further extend the metaphor, you don't always need to WRITE car crash to create drama. Your character speeds along a winding mountain road in pouring rain, a dark sedan on his tail. The car might help him evade the pursuer, or he might lose control of it and crash into the valley below. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 14 Mar 2011 12:42:22 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 12:29:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I've often had being reincarnated backfire on people...especially if it is widely known that they died, or died in front of many people.
Accusations of being Undead, being a Shapechanger, etc.
Good stuff.
More on topic, Elaine: would you have a chosen place/topic to write about if you had the choice on your next project?
The Serpent's Daughter is set (primarily) in Silverymoon and environs, a place I've long wanted to explore. So for now, I'm happy. I really haven't thought ahead to a new project.
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 12:56:40
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| How goes the Serpent's Daughter, Elaine? Any sample chapters or previews on the horizon? |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 13:22:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
How goes the Serpent's Daughter, Elaine? Any sample chapters or previews on the horizon?
Soon, I hope! |
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Barastir
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1600 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 16:06:13
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
A gun is "fired" because a spark sets off the gun powder in a small, fiery explosion. Arrows are shot, not fired. Even flaming arrows. There is no fire involved in the process of transferring an arrow from a quiver to a bow to an enemy's left eye socket.
Even if it's a spell that uses flint and oil as spell components, and both the bow AND the arrow are made entirely of fire?
Barastir, trying hard to save $.02 
Nice to see you around, Mrs. Cunningham, and even better having news about TSD... |
"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."
The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood) |
Edited by - Barastir on 14 Mar 2011 16:23:29 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 17:35:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Barastir
Even if it's a spell that uses flint and oil as spell components, and both the bow AND the arrow are made entirely of fire?
Barastir, trying hard to save $.02
In that case, the term "FIRED an arrow" might be redundant.
If you chose to use this phrase, you'll get no further argument from me. As for the archers, you might want to keep in mind that they are, by definition, armed. |
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Barastir
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1600 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2011 : 18:32:33
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
In that case, the term "FIRED an arrow" might be redundant.
If you chose to use this phrase, you'll get no further argument from me. As for the archers, you might want to keep in mind that they are, by definition, armed.
I actually said my elf (not archer) fired a mystical bow... But I was just kidding, thank you for your advice (how do I say "put it om my account?")! |
"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."
The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood) |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2011 : 22:06:56
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Mrs. Cunningham, I'd love it of you would comment and give me advice on a story that I am working on. You cann read my thread. Drow Story to get the basic nrun down of it :)
Thank You! |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2011 : 23:02:41
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quote:
Originally posted by tradwitch1313
Mrs. Cunningham, I'd love it of you would comment and give me advice on a story that I am working on. You cann read my thread. Drow Story to get the basic nrun down of it :)
Thank You!
Hi, tradwitch.
It's very difficult to say no to requests such as this. Unfortunately, most working writers don't read and comment upon unpublished work, ESPECIALLY when the work is set in a licensed world in which they also write. This practice is fraught with copyright peril. Also, the realities of 24/7 simply don't permit it.
Have you looked into an online critique forum? Many writers find peer critiques very helpful. |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2011 : 00:17:52
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Oh, wow lol. I didn't even think of that, I was too excited to hear from you :)
I want to write stories/novels for FR but I don't know about now. Seeing as what WotC did to it.
I doubt it would get published by them anyway because it features a male/male romance :/
I am also going to start a story about my Sun Elf character and another one about my Star Elf character. Both feature m/m ;)
I'd really like to know about the realm of Faerie, I'd like to set the stories there.
P.S. I ordered your Everquest novel, The Blood Red Harp, and can't wait to read it! And as soon as I pick that book up, I'm going to order Evermeet: Island of Elves. As you can tell, I have an onsession with fey things.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2011 : 16:55:56
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Hi, folks.
Just wanted to give a quick heads-up on a newly published story. "The Illusionist" is a very short (approx 2500 words) story in Wayfinder #4, the most recent issue of an excellent Pathfinder fanzine. The story focuses on a young man from the Mwangi Expanse, a jungle culture, and his encounter with Jamang Kira, a manipulative fellow student at the academy of magic. Jamang is a minor character in the Pathfinder Tales novel Winter Witch, but no knowlege of that novel or even the setting is needed to follow the story.
Wayfinder #4 is available as a free download on the Paizo website, www.paizo.com.
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Barastir
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1600 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2011 : 18:04:21
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Very nice, mrs. Cunningham!
Another question: do you plan to attend to GenCon this year? |
"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."
The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood) |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2011 : 16:36:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Barastir
Very nice, mrs. Cunningham!
Another question: do you plan to attend to GenCon this year?
I'm seriously considering it.
At present, con attendance for 2011 is as follows:
Sept. 2-4: DragonCon, Atlanta, GA
Sept. 9-10: Geek.Kon, Madison, WI |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2011 : 17:37:12
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| Blood Red Harp, I had forgotten about that gem. I read it years ago because it was written by the lovely and talented Ms. Cunningham and enjoyed it thoroughly. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2011 : 17:51:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Blood Red Harp, I had forgotten about that gem. I read it years ago because it was written by the lovely and talented Ms. Cunningham and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Heh. Thanks for the kind word, Fellfire.
I had a good time with that story, and consider Blood Red Harp to be one of my better books, despite all the craziness that attended the project. |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2011 : 19:58:28
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| Could you give me a thorough description of Nyson Impholder? His looks in detail, his mind set, sexual preference, etc? And can you give me some Koada'Dal lore? EQ lore practically doesn't exist as far as I've looked. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2011 : 20:34:32
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quote:
Originally posted by tradwitch1313
Could you give me a thorough description of Nyson Impholder? His looks in detail, his mind set, sexual preference, etc? And can you give me some Koada'Dal lore? EQ lore practically doesn't exist as far as I've looked.
You're kidding, right? In Candlekeep? :)
If you're looking for more EQ lore than the game contains, have you considered the RPG products? I made extensive use of these during the writing process. Unfortunately, I no longer have them in my library, so I can't look up any information. Come to think of it, is there an EQ Wiki? If so, that might be helpful.
As for Nyson, the info is in the novel. He is a tall, slender, fair-haired elven male, the elven equivalent of an 18- or 19-year-old human. He spends the entire novel searching for his ladylove, which tell you something about his sexual orientation. His behavior gives you a fairly good idea of his mindset. He's dealt a couple of extremely difficult blows. He handles them well, but how they will change him in the future is not known. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2011 : 01:28:38
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lol, Elaine, we love you and will hunt you down relentlessly. 
Yes, there are several EQ wikis and flurries of fansites ... I really don't know a thing about EQ (sorry) but I keep bumping into these places. Try this. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 03 Apr 2011 01:37:58 |
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Questions for Elaine Cunningham [II]
