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Originally posted by The Hooded One

Oooh, great question!
dravenloft, I can clearly recall a sudden fad among adventurers in the Moonsea North, Dales, Sembia, Cormyr, and Lake of Dragons area, in 1357 DR, for using bucklers (the small, round, hand-sized shields). Great in unexpected duels or close-quarters taverm brawls, but of less utility against orcs or barbarians whaling away at you with huge axes or two-handed swords.
That fad was followed by a fashion that lasted for four years (and in some cases clung for another decade or so) for wearing a huge plate-armored "battle arm" (sleeve, fastened at shoulder and wrist, and covering one arm in a properly-jointed but massively armored [[and adorned]] assembly of overlapping and sliding armor plates that covered one arm from shoulder to wrist. Worn even with festive clothing, not just "when armored and ready for war."
As the creator of all of this, Ed can, of course, elaborate.
love,
THO

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Ah, yes, battle arms. Remember that they are great places to wear hidden keys, lockpicks, pionards and "knitting needle daggers," and for a dwarf to latch a detachable drinking-cup to . . . :}

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Originally posted by Markustay

Kings create nobility, correct? Just like our RW? I understand that in Cormyr ONLY the king may create new nobility (or strip a family of its titles). How does it work elsewhere in the Realms? Are the nobles of one realm accorded equal status in another realm? Kingdoms are rising and falling all the time in FR - some of them quite tiny - are those kings actually recognized as nobility by others? Is there some sort of 'waiting period'? How about folks ennobled by these 'petty kings'? If someone sets themselves up as a king, and makes his constituents all nobles, will the heralds at some point actually recognize all of those noble houses? How does Waterdeep get nobles?

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Originally posted by Markustay

How does this work? Seems to me, anyone with a sword, some friends, and the will to do so can make themselves a noble, or even a king. Is this why the 'status' of nobility is so much less then that of our own RW medieval period? (That they are really just commoners with fancy titles?)

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Originally posted by rjfras

My question concerns the three spring festivals, Imbolic, Greengrass and Beltane, especially Greengrass.

In the northern part of Faerun, Greengrass is the official beginning of spring, a day of relaxation. Flowers that have been carefully grown in the inner rooms of the keeps and temples during the winter are blessed and cast out upon the snow to bring rich growth in the season ahead.

Are these three holidays observed in a place like Sammaresh in Lapaliiya which is warm/hot all year and if so, what differences are there in the celebrations?

Thanks.

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a "pressbow" is a crude factory machine based on an oversized stationary crossbow, its force used not to fire quarrels/bolts but to operate sharp metal stamps to cut leather or soft metals or wax or even cheese. Pressbows were invented (or refined, depending on whom you believe) by a gnome leatherworker named Albryn Telnhand in a workshop along Pressbow Alley around 1226 DR or so. They are still used today, though largely superceded by "stamping mills" that use cranked weights (descending atop a long cutting bar like a guillotine fashioned for lopping off a dozen heads in a row at once) to drive multiple cutters in a single descent.
(This comes straight from Ed's notes.)

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Originally posted by The Hooded One

Hi again, all.
CorellonsDevout, although Ed comes from a very musical family, enjoys music a lot, and has the largest collection of LPs and CDs I've ever seen, in recent years he stopped writing to music and now prefers to write in silence.

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Originally posted by NineCoronas

Hooded One/Ed Greenwood

Hello,

I am (among other projects), researching a character for the Neverwinter Nights roleplay server Arelith. Her story is inspired by Joan-of-Arc, in that Mystra appears to her in a series of visions, grants her intuitive knowledge and powers (directly knights her as a Paladin and some knowledge about her) and gives her a mission that is sort of a mix between the three Mystran order's directives and her own dogma.

To this end, I had some questions, for authenticity sake:

1) What are the lyrics to the Hymn of the Lady?

2) What are common oaths a Paladin of Mystra takes?

3) How would the established churches of Mystra react to a Paladin of their goddess that does not integrate with their organizations?

4) What exactly happens in a typical 15th of Marpenoth (Reference: 3.5ed's Mystra's ascension) celebration? Are they big groups, or on a smaller, personal level?

5) How driven is/was Mystra to interdict in Bane's machinations? Enough to send her followers to fight his?

6) What actions would a Paladin have to take for Mystra to strip him/her of his powers? How forgiving of mistakes is she (I.E., a Paladin is tricked into something, etc.)?

7) What are Mystra's direct desires, as opposed to the interpretations of such that her mortal followers have developed, if there is a difference between the two at all.

8) What colors are Paladin's of Mystra required to wear... and in the same vein as the above question, is it Mystra that requires them to wear those colors, or the religious order?

Thank you for answering these questions (in advance).
I'm interested in hearing it right from the horses mouth >:)>

Cheers!

-NineCoronas

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Originally posted by althen artren

Is there a paladin order to Azuth? I thought I have seen something about
one, but I just can't remember.

Ms. Hoody, this one is for you.
Can you give us some landmarks, abandoned towers, estates,
settlements, Harper drop sites, and what-nots under the
trees of Cormanthor. I want to put more things on my
Dalelands maps.

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