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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Feb 2013 : 19:18:01
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I have an unusual question - been percolating in the back of my mind for a while.
From a sales / real world perspective I understand why this wouldn't have happened. But from an in-world perspective, particularly Elminster's, I'm curious why he never went this route:
After Mystra's murder, which led to the spellplague and so forth, why did Elminster never use one of the known time-gates to go back in time and stop it from happening? Elminster had to know of these gates, and with Mystra dead (or functionally so) there was no god or goddess to enforce the "policy" on time travel. Or is this a kind of catch-22 thing, where even if El had gone back in time, the Mystra or Mystryl alive in that past would have been deaf or unresponsive to the future Elminster's warnings? As goddess of time, I'd find it hard to believe she'd plug her ears to such a warning.
Or did Elminster try it - and it failed for some reason? If so, what might that be?
Perhaps more importantly, is there some reason or temporal magic issue that might prevent a group of post-Spellplague adventurers from utilizing a time gate and attempting to create an alternate timeline? Do Mystryl's chronomancy travel rules apply whether a god or goddess of magic exists?
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Edited by - Laeknir on 12 Feb 2013 19:26:37 |
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2013 : 21:21:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Laeknir
I have an unusual question - been percolating in the back of my mind for a while.
From a sales / real world perspective I understand why this wouldn't have happened. But from an in-world perspective, particularly Elminster's, I'm curious why he never went this route:
After Mystra's murder, which led to the spellplague and so forth, why did Elminster never use one of the known time-gates to go back in time and stop it from happening? Elminster had to know of these gates, and with Mystra dead (or functionally so) there was no god or goddess to enforce the "policy" on time travel. Or is this a kind of catch-22 thing, where even if El had gone back in time, the Mystra or Mystryl alive in that past would have been deaf or unresponsive to the future Elminster's warnings? As goddess of time, I'd find it hard to believe she'd plug her ears to such a warning.
Or did Elminster try it - and it failed for some reason? If so, what might that be?
Perhaps more importantly, is there some reason or temporal magic issue that might prevent a group of post-Spellplague adventurers from utilizing a time gate and attempting to create an alternate timeline? Do Mystryl's chronomancy travel rules apply whether a god or goddess of magic exists?
Maybe Mystra wanted it to happen? |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2013 : 01:40:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
Maybe Mystra wanted it to happen?
I suppose that's possible, but usually gods don't like to lose their power and control over their portfolios. In the latest Elminster book, Mystra did not seem to possess much of her knowledge and essence - well, at least until the Simbul and El did their thing at the end. So it's a curious thing. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2013 : 18:43:58
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I think its either a self-correcting thing (which the D&D supplement Chronomancer alludes to), where no matter what you did you can't stop it (and may even be RESPONSIBLE for it happening in the first place), or you create an alternate reality that the 'you' is from, and the reality you fix isn't yours (at least not anymore).
Or it could just be that post-plague the time portals all 'went on the fritz'.
New Question: I once asked about famous Earth personages (who have mysteriously disappeared) that may have wound-up on Toril. That was never answered, so now I have an add-on (or entirely new question if you prefer) - have any RW groups made their way over to Toril? I'm not talking about 'cultures' - we know about a few of those. I'm talking about the Knights Templar, Free Masons, the Illuminati, the Amish, etc - anything at all like that. Maybe even a bunch of Nazis in a cheesy 50's B-movie fashion? |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2013 : 20:15:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I think its either a self-correcting thing (which the D&D supplement Chronomancer alludes to), where no matter what you did you can't stop it (and may even be RESPONSIBLE for it happening in the first place), or you create an alternate reality that the 'you' is from, and the reality you fix isn't yours (at least not anymore).
Or it could just be that post-plague the time portals all 'went on the fritz'.
Well, possibly. Still, I'm hoping for some detailed answers to my Q's from Ed & THO, which is why I asked here rather than in General.
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Edited by - Laeknir on 14 Feb 2013 01:18:42 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2013 : 02:21:21
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Fellow scribes, please, I ask that you remember that this scroll and those of other designers, are exclusively set aside for questions to and answers from the designers themselves.
It's making my task of compiling these scrolls for inclusion on the mainsite somewhat more difficult when I have to navigate through side-chatter from other scribes.
Thus, I would again request that we all try to keep the side-chatter to a minimum. If a point of interest in a question or answer to/from Ed sparks further discussion, I would prefer that it be taken to another shelf.
Thank you.  |
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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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 01:22:01
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It's too quiet in here. So... moar questions! Maybe something with room for a touch of spice, for THO.
When illustrations are made for races, classes, prestige classes, etc, where the caption only identifies the race/class/whatever, does anyone officially decide who these individuals are (and generally just neglect to inform us; how rude)? If the author doesn't decide on an identity, essentially just introducing a face with no story, do you create an identity for them and introduce them to your players?
Example: the woman identified only as "Durthan" on page 23 of Unapproachable East. Who is she? What's her story? In a no-magic wrestling match between her and Laeral, who would pin whom and how many spectators would faint?
PS: there are many other examples, as you probably know, so you should expect --if you're inclined toward spontaneously inventing an identity for her just to address this query-- dozens more NPCs will appear in similar questions in the near future, from myself or similarly sadistic scribes. I unabashedly put a floodgate in front of you.
PPS: even if the answer is no, you don't invent stories for unidentified NPCs in pictures (you're not fooling me, by the way) I'd still like to hear about the wrestling match.  |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 04:19:38
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Hi again, all.
xaeyruudh, Ed DOES invent names and stories for Realmslore illustrations, but only for our home campaign (back in the old TSR days, such names were shared back and forth with staff designers, because Ed had far more of a "spokesman for the Realms" role back then, and didn't want to inadvertently contradict lore someone else was about to reveal or had cooked up for a future product).
However, Ed has told me that he's not going to "go public" with his labelings of illustrations, due to these same consistency concerns. As for the wrestling match you posit, he doubts any spectators would faint (if they were queazy, they wouldn't remain as spectators), and his money would be on Laeral.
Who's "a bit of a spitfire," according to Ed, who added mysteriously: "As you'll see."
(!)
love,
THO |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 06:37:51
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Queazy wouldn't my first guess for anyone's reaction, but I suppose there are folks who just don't like good clean (or preferably dirty) fun. The issue of consistency/flexibility is understandable. Bit of a downer, but a very reasonable one. And I was already thinking Laeral had some fire (other than Mystra's) but I'm looking forward to seeing more evidence of it!
So I guess the answer to the unasked portion of my earlier question is that these illustrations are not always/generally identified by authors; some/many of them remain open for individual DMs to assign names and personalities to... At least until/unless a designer or author says "hey I'm thinking this character I wrote about looks like Whozatguy on page X of The Whatchamacallit of Plumzarguud."
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 20:08:22
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Hi again, all.
I bring you the latest words from Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to this, from Laeknir: "I have an unusual question - been percolating in the back of my mind for a while. From a sales / real world perspective I understand why this wouldn't have happened. But from an in-world perspective, particularly Elminster's, I'm curious why he never went this route:
After Mystra's murder, which led to the spellplague and so forth, why did Elminster never use one of the known time-gates to go back in time and stop it from happening? Elminster had to know of these gates, and with Mystra dead (or functionally so) there was no god or goddess to enforce the "policy" on time travel. Or is this a kind of catch-22 thing, where even if El had gone back in time, the Mystra or Mystryl alive in that past would have been deaf or unresponsive to the future Elminster's warnings? As goddess of time, I'd find it hard to believe she'd plug her ears to such a warning.
Or did Elminster try it - and it failed for some reason? If so, what might that be?
Perhaps more importantly, is there some reason or temporal magic issue that might prevent a group of post-Spellplague adventurers from utilizing a time gate and attempting to create an alternate timeline? Do Mystryl's chronomancy travel rules apply whether a god or goddess of magic exists?"
Ed replies:
Ah, a good question indeed.
First, I'd like to say to Markustay (re. "Or it could just be that post-plague the time portals all 'went on the fritz'.") that although many gates/portals "went wild" or only functioned intermittently or even faded away or blew up as the Spellplague raged, they didn't all go awry. All "time portals" DID stop functioning, and attempts to use them by spell resulted in deadly "wild" magic rebounding on the casters, so people stopped trying, and therefore it's unknown if they are all still "gone." (I would suspect that they are.)
Second, the short answer to your second-last question, Laeknir, is that if a group of post-Spellplague adventurers can find a functioning time gate and use it without destroying themselves, an alternate timeline is all they could create, no matter what they do (in other words, they can't affect the "prime Realms" they departed from, regardless of what they do). (In other words, Markustay was right, in what he said in his post.)
Third, to answer your last question, Mystryl's rules of chronomancy apply so long as a Weave (in any form: decaying, Shadow Weave [as it's not independent, but depends on the Weave to "hold it up/together," no matter what condition the Weave itself is in]) exists. As we've seen in the Spellplague, the Weave persisted (badly damaged) with Mystra gone. Chronomancy (as a profession/skill) itself is only possible within Realmspace with the Weave to anchor it; without a Weave time travel is truly random and no "returns" are possible; it's a one-way trip to an unknown destination date. So you can't have time travel in the Realms without a Weave, and the "rules" are of the Weave, just expressed formally by Mystryl (she didn't make them, she merely described them for mortals) - - but you don't actually need a god/goddess of magic (or chronomancy) for the rules to pertain. Or perhaps it would be better to say the rules are of Ao and the (essential nature of the) Realms, not at the level of mere divinity.
Elminster didn't attempt what you suggest because he knew it wouldn't work, and because all Chosen are expressly forbidden to engage in attempts at chronomancy - - because all such attempts strain/stress/endanger the Weave. Keeping the Weave stable and flourishing is one of the primary tasks of the Chosen; El would never try to harm the Weave. The prohibition may be "policy" but the reasons for it are something anyone attuned to the Weave (as all Chosen are) know, FEEL (harming the nearby Weave causes actual pain and nausea to a Chosen), and would never offend against.
Neither the Time of Troubles nor the events that led to the Spellplague would have happened (or been necessary) if deities or anyone else could just go back in time and arrange things to their liking/advantage. Nor would the leapfrogging of rival deities to get back in time before or after other deities who've already done so to meddle (so the rivals could out-meddle them) ever cease. Ao knows this, and so the Weave itself prevents chronomancy that affects the Weave. (Certain mortals may think differently or honestly believe differently due to their own experiences, but that usually means they've been deceived, gone insane, or created their own new timeline without realizing it.)
Mind-numbing and circular, yes, but . . . you asked. :} Many priests in the Realms have pondered such things, and ended up with headaches.
So saith Ed. Explaining some of the limits of chronomancy clearly for us all, for the first time. Let the enlightenment spread.
love,
THO
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Edited by - The Hooded One on 15 Feb 2013 20:12:29 |
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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2013 : 21:20:22
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hi again, all.
I bring you the latest words from Ed of the Greenwood, this time in response to this, from Laeknir: "I have an unusual question - been percolating in the back of my mind for a while. From a sales / real world perspective I understand why this wouldn't have happened. But from an in-world perspective, particularly Elminster's, I'm curious why he never went this route:
After Mystra's murder, which led to the spellplague and so forth, why did Elminster never use one of the known time-gates to go back in time and stop it from happening? Elminster had to know of these gates, and with Mystra dead (or functionally so) there was no god or goddess to enforce the "policy" on time travel. Or is this a kind of catch-22 thing, where even if El had gone back in time, the Mystra or Mystryl alive in that past would have been deaf or unresponsive to the future Elminster's warnings? As goddess of time, I'd find it hard to believe she'd plug her ears to such a warning.
Or did Elminster try it - and it failed for some reason? If so, what might that be?
Perhaps more importantly, is there some reason or temporal magic issue that might prevent a group of post-Spellplague adventurers from utilizing a time gate and attempting to create an alternate timeline? Do Mystryl's chronomancy travel rules apply whether a god or goddess of magic exists?"
Ed replies:
Ah, a good question indeed.
First, I'd like to say to Markustay (re. "Or it could just be that post-plague the time portals all 'went on the fritz'.") that although many gates/portals "went wild" or only functioned intermittently or even faded away or blew up as the Spellplague raged, they didn't all go awry. All "time portals" DID stop functioning, and attempts to use them by spell resulted in deadly "wild" magic rebounding on the casters, so people stopped trying, and therefore it's unknown if they are all still "gone." (I would suspect that they are.)
Second, the short answer to your second-last question, Laeknir, is that if a group of post-Spellplague adventurers can find a functioning time gate and use it without destroying themselves, an alternate timeline is all they could create, no matter what they do (in other words, they can't affect the "prime Realms" they departed from, regardless of what they do). (In other words, Markustay was right, in what he said in his post.)
Third, to answer your last question, Mystryl's rules of chronomancy apply so long as a Weave (in any form: decaying, Shadow Weave [as it's not independent, but depends on the Weave to "hold it up/together," no matter what condition the Weave itself is in]) exists. As we've seen in the Spellplague, the Weave persisted (badly damaged) with Mystra gone. Chronomancy (as a profession/skill) itself is only possible within Realmspace with the Weave to anchor it; without a Weave time travel is truly random and no "returns" are possible; it's a one-way trip to an unknown destination date. So you can't have time travel in the Realms without a Weave, and the "rules" are of the Weave, just expressed formally by Mystryl (she didn't make them, she merely described them for mortals) - - but you don't actually need a god/goddess of magic (or chronomancy) for the rules to pertain. Or perhaps it would be better to say the rules are of Ao and the (essential nature of the) Realms, not at the level of mere divinity.
Elminster didn't attempt what you suggest because he knew it wouldn't work, and because all Chosen are expressly forbidden to engage in attempts at chronomancy - - because all such attempts strain/stress/endanger the Weave. Keeping the Weave stable and flourishing is one of the primary tasks of the Chosen; El would never try to harm the Weave. The prohibition may be "policy" but the reasons for it are something anyone attuned to the Weave (as all Chosen are) know, FEEL (harming the nearby Weave causes actual pain and nausea to a Chosen), and would never offend against.
Neither the Time of Troubles nor the events that led to the Spellplague would have happened (or been necessary) if deities or anyone else could just go back in time and arrange things to their liking/advantage. Nor would the leapfrogging of rival deities to get back in time before or after other deities who've already done so to meddle (so the rivals could out-meddle them) ever cease. Ao knows this, and so the Weave itself prevents chronomancy that affects the Weave. (Certain mortals may think differently or honestly believe differently due to their own experiences, but that usually means they've been deceived, gone insane, or created their own new timeline without realizing it.)
Mind-numbing and circular, yes, but . . . you asked. :} Many priests in the Realms have pondered such things, and ended up with headaches.
So saith Ed. Explaining some of the limits of chronomancy clearly for us all, for the first time. Let the enlightenment spread.
love,
THO
If you can create new timelines... is it possible to travel sideways in time from one timeline to another? And has this happened in the realms before? Anything we might know about? |
Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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Laeknir
Seeker
68 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 03:48:08
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
So saith Ed. Explaining some of the limits of chronomancy clearly for us all, for the first time. Let the enlightenment spread.
love,
THO
Wow, very very interesting! This gives me a number of really interesting ideas for some upcoming games. Thanks very much!
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 16:45:48
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Very interesting indeed; although I suspected/knew much of that already, I find further confirmation about other theories I have regarding The Weave (that 'The Weave' is the set of rules/physics governing the Crystal Sphere, and that ALL spheres have this, to some extent or another). In other words, Mystra IS the Weave, but in much the same way that 'we' are our bodies - we reside within our bodies, and are its caretakers, buuuut... I'd like to think we are just a little bit more then just our physical forms (thus, the 'spirit' of Mystra resides within the 'body' of The Weave).
So when the spirit flees, the 'body' is still there, left behind. Just inanimate material waiting for something to happen to it. Am I on the right track here?
quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm
If you can create new timelines... is it possible to travel sideways in time from one timeline to another? And has this happened in the realms before? Anything we might know about?
According to the very first issue of Dragon Magazine, and Gary Gygax (writing under a pseudonym, IIRC), EVERY world in the D&D universe is a 'reflection' of every other. Some may be very similar to The Realms - perhaps frighteningly so - while others can be quite a bit different (like Athas). New worlds are 'born' all the time, perhaps from those divergent strands of reality being created by tampering with Temporal Prime. Occasionally, these 'different paths' remerge... we just had that happen, didn't we? 
At least, thats how I look at it. As always, I am looking forward to Ed's own answers on this. |
"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 16 Feb 2013 21:42:35 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 20:02:23
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Ahhh good to see the heralds are still at work and keeping coat of arms legal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-21475707
As an aside, Ed can you spill the beans on any rogue heralds in Cormyr's recent history that didn't keep things legal (circa 1200 - 1400DR) and what if anything might have happened to them?
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 20:19:42
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Hey Guys (and Gals): any chance we can avoid quoting entire walls of text as part of our responses?
I get my hopes up when I see there's some movement on this thread (the smaller the scroll bar on my browser, the more new posts are loading on the page since I last visited), but then I see someone's quoted an entire post, just to give a three sentence response.
Pretty please? |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 21:43:24
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| Is there any further information available on Lyra, half-elven ranger and narrator in Elminster's Ecologies? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 04:40:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
Hey Guys (and Gals): any chance we can avoid quoting entire walls of text as part of our responses?
I get my hopes up when I see there's some movement on this thread (the smaller the scroll bar on my browser, the more new posts are loading on the page since I last visited), but then I see someone's quoted an entire post, just to give a three sentence response.
Pretty please?
I'm inclined to agree.
Folks, I know we're all often eager to reply when the Lady Hooded One posts Ed's latest message, but we don't usually need to quote the entire lengthy message unless specifically referring to portions of that message. For further clarification or elaboration, it's fine. There just isn't any particular need to quote a message from Ed just to say "Thank you" or some such.
If we're intent on asking something further which pertains to a portion of the greater message from Ed, then I would ask that we all try instead to quote only the portion itself and not the whole message.
Thank you. |
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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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 08:40:43
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Hello Ed and THO,
Ed, I just read your latest Eye article, Alana Nruneree, Unraveler of Secrets (the name appears to be wrong; she’s called Alara in the text), and had a few questions.
Of the seven lords of Zirta, were any of them collectors of plays, chapbooks, rare books, spellbooks, scrolls or other forms of writing? If yes, could you tell us something about their collections and their dispersal or presumed loss in the strife that led to their owners’ demise? (The lords personal names aren’t necessary, in case you want to save that lore for later use.)
Would you be willing to elaborate on the general nature of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th measure of a four-stage contract, as written in the Sword Coast or Heartlands? Also, in the Realms as regards contract writing, is the word “measure” borrowed from written music scores and the like?
As a supplement to my question on 09 Feb 2013 : 22:44:28 regarding the Naughty Nine: the word “daerrem” applies to them, yes? It seems like it should, I’m just not sure if that word is more then a century old or not. Speaking of: is “daerrem” of the Common tongue? And is it by any chance borrowed from another language?
Lots of good stuff in that article to use.
Thank you both very much!
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Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
Edited by - Jeremy Grenemyer on 17 Feb 2013 08:42:57 |
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Marco Volo
Learned Scribe
France
204 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2013 : 21:13:20
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Hi Ed and THO,
In a previous reply to one of my question (back to January, the 24th), Ed had mentioned the presence of “adventurers’ clubs” in Waterdeep. It would be interesting for me to hear more about them, their operating and whereabouts in the city.
If he has time, maybe Elminster (who probably has an house somewhere hidden in Waterdeep) can say a little more about these clubs in the city of splendors ? Or about adventurers club in general ?
Marco
PS : maybe "adventurers' clubs" is just an Ed of the Greenwood term for "group of adventurers", and I've over-interpreted this expression ? It could be that, and if so, I hate my comprehension of english language... |
Edited by - Marco Volo on 17 Feb 2013 21:32:42 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 02:47:20
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Hi again, all.
Marco Volo, I can assure you that Ed did NOT mean a band of adventurers when he said "adventurers' clubs," he meant actual clubs (like the clubs of Victorian and Edwardian London [[and P.G. Wodehouse novels]], some of which survive to this day). In other words, buildings housing organizations that adventurers can belong to, dine in, in some cases sleep in/live in [like a boarding house], and meet at.
And yes, Ed WILL detail some of these clubs in Waterdeep for you (and all of us), he promises. He just has to write a novel in a month, first. Or perhaps, during...
love,
THO |
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Xar Zarath
Senior Scribe
Malaysia
552 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 05:09:46
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| Dear Ed and THO, many fiends of the lower planes and angelic beings of the upper planes have access to powerful magic, including their own spellcasting powers, some of them are even epic magic. Whats to stop these beings from using gate spell or plane shifts(they could scry an area) into the Realms? |
Everything ends where it begins. Period.
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Marco Volo
Learned Scribe
France
204 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 07:22:26
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Marco Volo, I can assure you that Ed did NOT mean a band of adventurers when he said "adventurers' clubs," he meant actual clubs (like the clubs of Victorian and Edwardian London [[and P.G. Wodehouse novels]] (...)
And yes, Ed WILL detail some of these clubs in Waterdeep for you (and all of us), he promises. He just has to write a novel in a month, first. Or perhaps, during...
Thanks THO and (in advance) Ed ! I can wait, there's no hurry at all |
Edited by - Marco Volo on 18 Feb 2013 11:52:59 |
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Eli the Tanner
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
149 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 11:52:54
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Hello Ed, and his illustrious scribe THO,
My university recently underwent a rather tumultuous merger to become part of a larger multi-college university, which resulted in all sorts of drama, cut backs, strikes, course changes etc. Although the change brought a lot of investment to the uni with new shiny buildings and cafeteria, a lot of us students had fight to keep our favourite lecturers and staged sit-ins to keep departments running….all in all it changed the feel of the university quite dramatically from a close-knit community to a much more professionally run but distinctly distant experience.
Now I‘m sure you’re thinking this is a rather odd place to bring this up but it made me wonder about the formation of the University of Silverymoon in 1369(ish). Having experienced a similar change myself, I’m curious how the various colleges were affected by joining the larger University. Was a curriculum introduced to bring some of the ‘wilder’ colleges up to standard? Did many haves courses or tutors cut? Who judged which colleges were fit to join or was it open to all? Did any students stage protests about the change? Did they fight for any notable lecturers or courses to be kept?
I’m aware Lady Alustriel subsidises the University and along with the ‘substantial fees’ to join the Lady’s College…what sort of improvements(if any) were made to the various colleges. What would you say is the biggest change post-merger, is there a different feel or culture in the uni compared to before? What is the pervading opinion of tutors since the change? Do they grumble about more paperwork or that ‘just any still-wet-inked scholar can wander in now!’? Any noted lecturer’s to take a public stance on the issue? Are there any great/famed pieces of research to emerge from the university since its formation?
A lot of queries for a rather complicated topic, I’m sure. I guess I have a personal interest in the idea but I think it could make quite a dynamic campaign backdrop too, with all sorts of politics and dealings going on to secure jobs or make a pretty coin. Perhaps adventurers being paid by one college to delegitimise the claim of another or to make sure a certain lecturer’s experiments lose their funding….all sorts of dirty secrets are upturned when such reshuffling occurs.
-Eli the Tanner
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 22:28:14
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Mass
So here I sit drawing (as usual) and a funny notion struck me as I was tweaking the Marsh of Chelimber. It occurred to me that at least two of Toril's massive swamps were created artificially, by outside forces 'adding' water to the planet. Over time, I'm sure this has happened a lot, and not just with water. In fact, we can even lump humans (ands other creatures) into this 'Mass Effect'. I can't imagine how much mass an Orc Horde is, but I'm sure its significant.
So we multiply all of the known events by 35K+ years, and also figure we probably know of only the 'big stuff' (I'm aware of 'imports' from other crystal spheres and planes as well). What that means is that Toril's Mass is constantly getting added to, and even if these things aren't very significant individually, they will add-up over time. Now, I'm not sure if you are aware of the problems centering around the Three Gorges Damn in China, but even in the RW just shifting large amounts of mass around can change the rotation of a planet. So if technology can cause such problems, I would imagine that magic - over the long run - could theoretically cause much more severe changes.
So, here my question - is there any sort of counter-balancing effect? Does Toril somehow 'bleed mass' so everything stays a constant? |
"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 18 Feb 2013 22:28:51 |
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Mapolq
Senior Scribe
Brazil
466 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2013 : 23:55:18
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Sorry to intrude on Ed's thread, I'll just make this comment in regards to Markustay's question.
I can't remember any event happening currently (late 1300s) which could alter the rotation of the planet significantly. The Marsh of Chelimber and the Akhlaur Swamp are wetlands, not lakes, and as such they don't hold a huge amount of water in them. The melting of the Great Glacier and the High Ice could actually have the opposite effect, as water runs from the icy highlands into lower seas and lakes. The mass of all interloper races combined would hardly make a dent on the calculations, however (unless you have a few billion titans hiding somewhere). In ancient times, the Netherese would actually be able to control this somewhat. Considering their flying enclaves were made out of mountains, if you take a 3-kilometre high enclave with a 50 square kilometre flat area, this will amount to 50 cubic kilometres of earth and stone (which is denser than water). Factor in about 50 enclaves, and you have 2500 cubic kilometres. Now, I suppose they could easily rise the center of gravity of the enclaves by, say, 7000 metres, or 40 times the height shift done by the Three Gorges Dam (they might need some breathing-assisting methods and heating to go that high, but, hey, they've got mythallars). So that's 2500 times the effect produced by the Chinese dam, which would slow Abeir-Toril's rotation by 0,00015 seconds a day, if my (and their) calculations are correct. So... not so much of a big deal after all. |
Never sleep under the jackfruit tree.
Tales of Moonsea - A Neverwinter Nights 2 Persistent World. Check out our website at http://www.talesofmoonsea.com and our video trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am304WqOAAo&feature=youtu.be, as well as our thread here at Candlekeep: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12955
My campaign thread: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16447 |
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Euranna
Learned Scribe
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 01:46:22
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My husband and I were talking this morning about different settings, and we started to talk to talk about Ravenloft and how the Mists take "people" from various worlds, including the Realms.
Which leads to my questions, does anyone in Realms know about the Mists (specifically El)? Maybe not a lot of information, but is it known that it exists and does on occasion claim people in various worlds? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 03:28:38
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Hi again, all.
Euranna, the answer to your question is: Oh, yes.
When Ravenloft was being created,Jeff Grubb asked Ed to prepare a list of notable Realms individuals who could have "disappeared" from the Realms (and wound up in Ravenloft). The one that was used in published lore was Gondegal, the "Lost King" who fought to end up on the throne of Cormyr, but Ed prepared quite a few, with the background stories of "who knew what" (or what gossip said, more often) about their disappearances.
I read what Ed wrote (all of we Knights discussed it, yes with TSR's approval), and not just El and his fellow Chosen knew about the mists (and Ravenloft at the other end of them), quite a few wizards and high-ranking priests across the Realms did.
That was TSR's official position at the time, though I don't think it was ever outlined explicitly in print.
love,
THO |
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Euranna
Learned Scribe
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 03:40:42
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Thank you THO. I actually thought perhaps the Chosen would know about it. Much like when a paladin shows up in on of the domain lords' domains, they know. That is a heavy magic to move through with no one noticing.
I think I now have a fun idea for an adventure. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 04:14:17
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To expand on that, a bit... How much did they know about the Mists? Did they just know the Mists popped up and took people elsewhere, or did they know where those folks went? Was there any way of telling the difference between the Mists and regular mist/fog? And did they have any way of knowing when or where the Mists would appear?
Even further, were there any legends about the Mists? "You don't want to go into that valley, son, not tonight. I remember one night, many winters ago, when I was no older'n you. Mists like that gathered down in the valley, and the locals knew not to go in there. But that highnose Sir Gadariel, he wasn't going to let a tale or two scare him none, and he rode down in there. We looked for 'im the next day, a course. Old Tarl, he found the hoofprints. It wasn't but a few minutes later he found where the hoofprints got lighter and then disappeared altogether. And then we added Sir Gadariel to the Book of the Lost that Father Melcam keeps in his shrine." |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Feb 2013 : 08:13:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
To expand on that, a bit... How much did they know about the Mists? Did they just know the Mists popped up and took people elsewhere, or did they know where those folks went? Was there any way of telling the difference between the Mists and regular mist/fog? And did they have any way of knowing when or where the Mists would appear?
From the perspective of RAVENLOFT, this was covered in the Realms of Dread boxed set. Most Realmsfolk had little to no existent knowledge of what happened to the people and/or regions stolen by the Mists from Toril.
I don't recall it ever being exclusively dealt with in the Realmslore, so I'm kind of keen to hear what Ed has to say on this as well.
...
Additionally, Ed, I'll add my own query to this Mist-centric series, and ask whether the Mists [providing Realmsfolk know of them] might have been successfully prevented from taking anything from the Realms in its history? |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2013)
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