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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 00:12:52
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It begins... here.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
    
Australia
31799 Posts |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 02:51:33
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quote: Originally posted by The Sage
I'm tingling with anticipatory glee!
The only downside is that I can't currently access this article from my present location. 
Well, let me give you a sneak peek at what's in the article:
-An examination of the courts of Steel Regent Alusair Obarskyr and King Foril, as of Midwinter 1379 and 1479 DR, respectively.
-The first-ever depictions (in artwork) of King Foril Obarskyr and the Dragon Throne of Cormyr.
-A map of the Hall of the Purple Dragon (the throne room of Cormyr), and the Shrine of the Four Swords.
-The Royal Succession of Cormyr: an updated family tree of the ruling family, stretching from King Rhigaerd II to the present day (1479 DR)
-A Partial Timeline of Cormyr: some of the events that carried the Forest Kingdom from the regency of Alusair to the 4th Edition Campaign Guide.
-Hidden hints as to what might happen in the coming years for Cormyr.
-On page 2: the most important (in my opinion) sidebar in the history of the Realms.
All this and more, packed into 18 (!) pages of Cormyrean goodness.
I hope you folks like it! |
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Diffan
Great Reader
    
USA
4458 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 04:46:24
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Very impressive, love it a lot!! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
    
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 05:08:53
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quote: Originally posted by Garen Thal
-An examination of the courts of Steel Regent Alusair Obarskyr and King Foril, as of Midwinter 1379 and 1479 DR, respectively.
Cool. Nice to see some further focus on Foril.
quote: -A map of the Hall of the Purple Dragon (the throne room of Cormyr), and the Shrine of the Four Swords.
Oooo! I'm particularly keen to see what the Shrine looks like. Good stuff.
quote: -Hidden hints as to what might happen in the coming years for Cormyr.
Always useful for potential plot hooks.
quote: -On page 2: the most important (in my opinion) sidebar in the history of the Realms.
I really raised my eyebrows with curious intrigue when I read this.
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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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Bakra
Senior Scribe
  
628 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 15:15:37
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quote: Originally posted by Garen Thal
[quote]Originally posted by The Sage
I'm tingling with anticipatory glee!
-On page 2: the most important (in my opinion) sidebar in the history of the Realms.
I found the sidebar hilarious & frustrating. Hilarious because there are players who need the sidebar to enjoy their game. Frustrating because there are players who need the sidebar to enjoy their game. :(
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I hope Candlekeep continues to be the friendly forum of fellow Realms-lovers that it has always been, as we all go through this together. If you don’t want to move to the “new” Realms, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either you or the “old” Realms. Goodness knows Candlekeep, and the hearts of its scribes, are both big enough to accommodate both. If we want them to be. (Strikes dramatic pose, raises sword to gleam in the sunset, and hopes breeches won’t fall down.) Enough for now. The Realms lives! I have spoken! Ale and light wines half price, served by a smiling Storm Silverhand fetchingly clad in thigh-high boots and naught else! Ahem . . So saith Ed. <snip> love to all, THO
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 16:34:05
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quote: Originally posted by Bakra
quote: Originally posted by Garen Thal
[quote]Originally posted by The Sage
I'm tingling with anticipatory glee!
-On page 2: the most important (in my opinion) sidebar in the history of the Realms.
I found the sidebar hilarious & frustrating. Hilarious because there are players who need the sidebar to enjoy their game. Frustrating because there are players who need the sidebar to enjoy their game. :(
I understand your frustration, Bakra, but the intent was neither to amuse nor to frustrate anyone. There are some people who embrace canon, and want to march alongside it. There are others who need to be freed from it. I hope the article can be of use to everyone.
There's an awful lot of material and history in that article--more than I think people will realize on their first reading. It's enough that a group playing in 1375 or 1380 might say, "This doesn't match where we've been going at all. I can't use it." The same is true for a group that's already advanced to 1481, and has forged its own Court for Foril or developed a personality for Ganrahast or...
Yes, people should feel free to tweak or change or ignore official histories when it suits their games, to whatever extent it makes the game more fun for the group. They should also feel like the setting embraces that idea. For a long time, there's been history for the Realms; history with context, yes, but there has been no room for anyone to say "Hey, it's your Realms. You want to do that? Go for it!" I thought it was important to do that here, especially when covering a whole century of stuff.
But enough about the sidebar. What do people think of the article, hmm....? |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
    
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 17:24:18
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This article is awesome, Brian. You have truly outdone yourself!
One minor facet I particularly like is the presence of so many powerful women in Cormyr--something that was definitely the case in the 3e era but proved conspicuously absent in 4e (at least in the superficial glance Cormyr received in the 4e FRCG). I'm glad you got the chance to correct that oversight. 
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Bakra
Senior Scribe
  
628 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 21:43:36
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It is a damn fine article. I hope this is the way FR articles/ products end up being for 5E.  |
I hope Candlekeep continues to be the friendly forum of fellow Realms-lovers that it has always been, as we all go through this together. If you don’t want to move to the “new” Realms, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either you or the “old” Realms. Goodness knows Candlekeep, and the hearts of its scribes, are both big enough to accommodate both. If we want them to be. (Strikes dramatic pose, raises sword to gleam in the sunset, and hopes breeches won’t fall down.) Enough for now. The Realms lives! I have spoken! Ale and light wines half price, served by a smiling Storm Silverhand fetchingly clad in thigh-high boots and naught else! Ahem . . So saith Ed. <snip> love to all, THO
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 22:24:16
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quote: Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
This article is awesome, Brian. You have truly outdone yourself!
quote: Originally posted by Bakra
It is a damn fine article. I hope this is the way FR articles/ products end up being for 5E. 
Thank you both! I'm quite proud of it (and its companion pieces), but we'll have to see if those came out quite as awesome-tastic. |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 22:32:25
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quote: Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie One minor facet I particularly like is the presence of so many powerful women in Cormyr--something that was definitely the case in the 3e era but proved conspicuously absent in 4e (at least in the superficial glance Cormyr received in the 4e FRCG). I'm glad you got the chance to correct that oversight. 
I don't consider this facet minor in the least. The original 4E coverage of Cormyr (as designed for the Campaign Guide) was sparse indeed when it came to female characters--there weren't any. I fed some to Brian R. James for his "Backdrop: Cormyr" article, but I always bear in mind that ever-important maxim from Abigail Adams: "Remember the ladies." |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
    
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2012 : 23:13:53
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quote: Originally posted by Garen Thal
quote: Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie One minor facet I particularly like is the presence of so many powerful women in Cormyr--something that was definitely the case in the 3e era but proved conspicuously absent in 4e (at least in the superficial glance Cormyr received in the 4e FRCG). I'm glad you got the chance to correct that oversight. 
I don't consider this facet minor in the least. The original 4E coverage of Cormyr (as designed for the Campaign Guide) was sparse indeed when it came to female characters--there weren't any. I fed some to Brian R. James for his "Backdrop: Cormyr" article, but I always bear in mind that ever-important maxim from Abigail Adams: "Remember the ladies."
Heh, yes. When I said "minor," I didn't actually mean it. 
The feminine in Cormyr, in greater Faerun, and in all of Fantasy, is extremely important, and I'm glad to see how important it is to this article.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
    
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 00:11:35
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Arrrrgh.... Hulk no like puny humans!
Yes, I am turning large, green, and angry, because I can't read this.
Okay... okay... I was already large....
This is so unfair. You are making it impossible for me to ignore the DDi any longer.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 13 Jan 2012 00:11:55 |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
    
USA
3290 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2012 : 00:52:35
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quote: Originally posted by Markustay
This is so unfair. You are making it impossible for me to ignore the DDi any longer. 
Hook, line, and sinker!
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"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding." Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
    
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 03:04:31
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Caladnei's history has always fascinated me. So my first query about your article, Brian, is based on your tidbit about Thabrant.
What more, if anything, can you reveal about the Swordsilvers? |
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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Matt James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
  
USA
918 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2012 : 14:27:32
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The article is epic, folks! Realmslore explosion. Expect much, much more! |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2012 : 02:04:24
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quote: Originally posted by The Sage
Caladnei's history has always fascinated me. So my first query about your article, Brian, is based on your tidbit about Thabrant.
What more, if anything, can you reveal about the Swordsilvers?
Not much, unfortunately, without bumping into either NDAs or 'Ed hasn't told me yet's. Suffice it to say that they are not, despite the immediate instinct to assume to, related in any way to the Silver family, nor are they nobles of Cormyr.
I would say more on Caladnei, if I could. Alas, this is not yet the time.
*sigh* Yet another thing people will need to wait for the Lineage to learn about. If only they'd ask. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
    
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2012 : 03:15:25
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Ed had told me how good your piece was, but I was STILL blown away. Brain, you "get" Cormyr like Ed does. When you write about the Forest Kingdom my characters have stomped through so much of (with Ed as the DM), it feels like home. Thank you, goodsir! love, THO |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
   
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2012 : 23:43:43
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quote: Originally posted by The Hooded One
Ed had told me how good your piece was, but I was STILL blown away. Brain, you "get" Cormyr like Ed does. When you write about the Forest Kingdom my characters have stomped through so much of (with Ed as the DM), it feels like home. Thank you, goodsir! love, THO
I cannot think of higher praise than this. I am truly flattered, lady. Thank you. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
    
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jan 2012 : 02:02:21
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quote: Originally posted by Markustay
This is so unfair. You are making it impossible for me to ignore the DDi any longer. 
You're not the only one, Mark. My disappointment in this impossibility is exceeded only by my anticipation of this article... and the rest of this month's content.  |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
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Jakk
Great Reader
    
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jan 2012 : 05:46:19
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The article is amazing, Brian! I've had some issues with downloading the articles; apparently the direct links from Candlekeep to the articles are the only ones that work, so I still haven't been able to download any of your Dragon articles from this month. I have a service ticket pending with WotC... unless links to the other articles can be posted here before that gets resolved. I'm still not sold on a long-term subscription, largely because of the technical issues that we didn't have with dead-tree magazines... but if this keeps up, I may be forced to change my thinking. 
Edit: Technical issues somewhat resolved; article titles on the issue summary page are not hot-linking, but I can at least get to the articles via the main article index.  |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 21 Jan 2012 06:20:14 |
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