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Originally posted by The Hooded One

Well met again, fellow scribes! Ed’s Realmslore replies continue, with a response to this post from Barastir, from June 25th: “Speaking of dragons, in the 2e Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set, specifically in the adventure "The Wyrm Below," there is a mention to temple of a human cult to some "Aumrathar the Greater Dragon." THO, can you provide more details about this, or ask Ed if he has something to add? Sages, was anything else published or revealed about this cult, that I missed?
Was Aumrathar actually a dragon, an archetypical dragon, or a divine manifestation? Was it good, evil or neutral (after all, its cult was hidden, right)? If it was a dragon, to which race/color it belonged to? Was it a manifestation a Bahamut, Tiamat, or other known deity/entity? Was it a he or a she?”
Ed replies:

Aumrathar was an elder male gold dragon to whom something “happened” that his worshippers believe was ascension to divinity (but might have been empowerment by literally stumbling into ancient magic that transformed him, as some sages suggest, or the meddlings of Bahamut, Tiamat, or another draconic deity or dragon-interested god, as yet other sages have postulated).
To put it simply, it seems Aumrathar gained the ability to become any dragon type and age or either gender at will, shapeshifting as often as desired and gaining all powers and abilities of “his” assumed form (except perhaps - - mortals debate this - - not being able to gain the powers of ancient wyrms older than Aumrathar was when he “Changed”), while retaining the powers, memories, and capabilities he had before his Change. Aumrathar became a wanderer, hidden in many forms, visiting other dragons for the apparent aim of making lots of dragon babies and repopulating the Realms with dragons (of all sorts).
Some sages think this is mere meddling, or intended to break the power of human civilizations, while others think some dark deity is behind this, desiring to gain dragons as steeds, attack forces, and long-term servitors. Still others believe Aumrathar is the herald of a new age (or cycle) among dragons, and that this has nothing to do with other beings in the Realms at all (except as they’re inevitably affected by there being more hungry, power- and wealth-seeking dragons around).
Aumrathar’s cult in Myth Drannor is small, controversial, and something many don’t even want to think about, because they need to think about more immediate threats to the status quo.
The truth behind all this? Yet to be revealed, and I’d say up to individual DMs, because I can’t see the published Realms getting to addressing this anytime soon. However, I control not the Realms and see the future but poorly, so snatch up thy proverbial grains of salt and be ready, grasshopper . . . :}


So saith Ed. Venerable sensei of the Realms, who like all of us mere mortals, is getting more venerable by the day.
love to all,
THO

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Originally posted by George Krashos

Hehe. I've done a lot of work free for WotC/Hasbro for the better part of a decade. If I did it for anything resembling recompense, I'd have walked away years ago! Who knows, one day my author copies of GHotR might even turn up in the post ...

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Originally posted by The Hooded One

So saith Ed. Elucidating Realmslore every day, like the Energizer Bunny of game designers.

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Originally posted by The Hooded One
Aumrathar’s cult in Myth Drannor is small, controversial, and something many don’t even want to think about, because they need to think about more immediate threats to the status quo.

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Originally posted by Veritas

Some Manshoon related questions

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Originally posted by Faraer

Seeing pictures of Ed's game session at OSRCon, without rulebooks on the table, reminds me that the next D&D and publication of the Realms will offer a great chance to introduce people to this style -- people who weren't there when, instead of writing to Penthouse, he first reminded us that 'Players don't need to know all the rules'. Let's see this discussed in a Realms book, or at least an online piece.

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Originally posted by Faraer

Seeing pictures of Ed's game session at OSRCon, without rulebooks on the table, reminds me that the next D&D and publication of the Realms will offer a great chance to introduce people to this style -- people who weren't there when, instead of writing to Penthouse, he first reminded us that 'Players don't need to know all the rules'.

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Originally posted by Hoondatha

Hi Ed! I know you're still at Gencon, but I figured I'd get this in now while it's still fresh in my mind.

There's been a lot of talk stirred up by the keynote and the CK seminar, on a complete range of good, bad, and "eh, show me." One of the things that sounds very interesting is the idea of "edition and time neutral" adventures and sourcebooks. It sounds like this amazing idea, but from where I'm sitting I don't see how it's possible. How can you have a sourcebook that carefully and lovingly details a particular place, but have it be at any point of time? And even if you can do that for that for an isolated place (Vaasa, or Sosal, maybe), how do you do it for two deeply interconnected places? I'm thinking specifically of Thay and Rashemen/Aglarond, where the one has a very specific influence on the others and affects their history and course of development, but the argument could also be made for the Dalelands and the Moonsea and plenty of other places.

Time neutral adventures would be easier to pull off. Setting neutral would be a lot harder, since a lot of people buy adventures specifically so they don't have to go through the process of statting out a dungeons and all the inhabitants.

I was hoping you could speak a bit about how you see something as time or edition neutral actually working in practice. I realize you're probably hosting several scores of NDA's, so if you can't say, or need to get general, that's fine. I'd just like to get some ideas on how this concept might actually be made practical in a setting with as much history (both in game and RW) as the Realms.

Thanks, as always, and I hope your Gencon went as well as you were hoping!

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Originally posted by NineCoronas

How do you pronounce "The Lluirwood"?

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I'm concerned that Ed gets lonely if I don't ask a new question every few months... so here's a new one!

Is there a Realms term for "sixth sense"? I don't mean sixth sense as in "I see dead PCs!" or sixth sense as in "I, Madame Whosabob, will part the strands of time to reveal your destiny!" I mean sixth sense like the guy who realizes he's about to be ambushed a few seconds before the baddies jump out, or the guy who arbitrarily ducks and doesn't get hit by the attack from behind -- more like "my spider-sense is tingling!"

Is there a term for that in the Realms?

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Originally posted by ericlboyd

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I'm concerned that Ed gets lonely if I don't ask a new question every few months... so here's a new one!

Is there a Realms term for "sixth sense"? I don't mean sixth sense as in "I see dead PCs!" or sixth sense as in "I, Madame Whosabob, will part the strands of time to reveal your destiny!" I mean sixth sense like the guy who realizes he's about to be ambushed a few seconds before the baddies jump out, or the guy who arbitrarily ducks and doesn't get hit by the attack from behind -- more like "my spider-sense is tingling!"

Is there a term for that in the Realms?

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Kissed by Tymora?
Beshaba's butt-kicker?
Mr. I-took-Improved-Initiative-five-times-and-house-ruled-it-stacked?

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

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Originally posted by ericlboyd

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I'm concerned that Ed gets lonely if I don't ask a new question every few months... so here's a new one!

Is there a Realms term for "sixth sense"? I don't mean sixth sense as in "I see dead PCs!" or sixth sense as in "I, Madame Whosabob, will part the strands of time to reveal your destiny!" I mean sixth sense like the guy who realizes he's about to be ambushed a few seconds before the baddies jump out, or the guy who arbitrarily ducks and doesn't get hit by the attack from behind -- more like "my spider-sense is tingling!"

Is there a term for that in the Realms?

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Kissed by Tymora?
Beshaba's butt-kicker?
Mr. I-took-Improved-Initiative-five-times-and-house-ruled-it-stacked?

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I'd imagine the first two would apply more to anyone one who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, whether it was for a chance encounter with an attractive member of the opposite sex or having a horseman speed by and drop his purse.

I'd actually expect something more like "he's got Helm's eyes" or "Tempus's foresight" or something more like that.

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert


I'd actually expect something more like "he's got Helm's eyes" or "Tempus's foresight" or something more like that.

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Originally posted by ericlboyd

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert


I'd actually expect something more like "he's got Helm's eyes" or "Tempus's foresight" or something more like that.

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Treating your question seriously, I think talking about someone having "Helm's eyes" is a great turn of phrase.

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Originally posted by Garen Thal

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Originally posted by ericlboyd

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert


I'd actually expect something more like "he's got Helm's eyes" or "Tempus's foresight" or something more like that.

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Treating your question seriously, I think talking about someone having "Helm's eyes" is a great turn of phrase.

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I tend to use Helmsight or battlesight for this sort of thing, depending on the skill and the context.

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Originally posted by Markustay

Although James Lowder was no slouch either. The two together were like a comedy team - you guys were awesome.

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Originally posted by Garen Thal

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Originally posted by ericlboyd

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert


I'd actually expect something more like "he's got Helm's eyes" or "Tempus's foresight" or something more like that.

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Treating your question seriously, I think talking about someone having "Helm's eyes" is a great turn of phrase.

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I tend to use Helmsight or battlesight for this sort of thing, depending on the skill and the context.

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Originally posted by Hoondatha



So you could have Elaine writing about Liriel and the Elves Three, you writing adventures of a young Mirt and Durnan, Bob finally getting to show Josidiah's quest for the Warblade, all while Erin Evans continues her 4e-era works, and someone else who wanted could write "picking up the pieces after the Spellplague." Or the Return of Bane. Or Romeo and Juliette as reimagined in the Crown Wars. Or whatever. And since novels are only supposed to have local consequences, as opposed to major across-the-Realms changes, all of these series could co-exist in peace.

Do you think this is at all possible, once the Sundering RSE is over? And is there anyone we could lobby to make it more likely?

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