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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 11:06:18
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Thus, starting as Erik has suggested, with The Last Legend of Gedrin Shadowbane, I've worked through the first few pages of this short tale.
Accustomed as I am with Erik's fine attention to both descriptive lore and grasp of Realms minutiae, I immediately find myself falling straight into the plight of poor old Gedrin. He's an exhausted character... and, for just the briefest of moments, I felt like Gedrin was perhaps suggesting that a life devoted to combating evil was, ultimately, a wasted life -- given what was eventually wrought by the Spellplague.
Whether intentional or not, I kind of had a Batman The Dark Knight Returns vibe from Gedrin, as he sits pondering his long life of fighting against injustice and whether the lives of innocent[ ? ] Luskanites have been improved by his presence.
Which brings me to Erik's portrayal of Luskan itself. It reads, rather favourably in my mind at least, as almost a supporting character in and of itself. Luskan is such a personable location in the Realms, with a history that brings to mind all manner of tales -- both good and ill. And Erik brings all that up with just a few lines of Gedrin's feelings as he walks the streets of the city. Luskan seems almost to be a travelling companion for Gedrin, if I can clearly describe it as such. Gedrin and Luskan are both partners -- lovers and opponents, I suppose.
...
I'll post more thoughts as I continue my reading of this first part of the saga. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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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 |
Edited by - The Sage on 03 Nov 2013 11:09:00 |
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9thChapter
Learned Scribe
Canada
110 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 15:29:55
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| That's great to know. I've had Erik's books on my To Read shelf for a while now. Being interested in Luskan as well, this has tipped me over the edge to get into them ASAP :) |
Fantasy author of The Rithhek Cage series
http://darrentpatrick.com/the-rithhek-cage-trilogy/ |
Edited by - 9thChapter on 03 Nov 2013 15:30:46 |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 16:56:48
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| I think that Erik has admitted that Batman was an influence on Shadowbane. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
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* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2013 : 17:53:22
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| Good stuff, I've got those books lined up to start reading soonish too. |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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DragonReader
Senior Scribe
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2013 : 19:08:41
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| These are also on my "to read" list, so let us know what you think about them. |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 04 Nov 2013 : 19:36:52
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Admitted and embraced. There is indeed a little bit of Batman in the SHADOWBANE series, but mostly in that the central theme--struggling between the chance to live a normal life and one's quest against evil--is the same. The same could be said of any superhero story. I didn't originally conceive of Shadowbane as the Batman of the Realms, though many have pointed out the shared theme. (And there are several moments throughout the series where I very much play up the Batman reflection and sometimes crack jokes that a Batman fan will totally pick up. You'll see.  )
Also, Sage's dead-on thoughts about Luskan raise an important point in reading the series. I think you'll find that the setting colors each book in a certain shade, and that each book is very much a product of the city wherein it takes place. DOWNSHADOW is Ed Greenwood's vision of a flirtatious, rollicking Waterdeep. SHADOWBANE is a gritty tale of treachery and murder in Luskan. And SB: EYE OF JUSTICE is an intrigue laden, spy-vs-spy tale of Westgate.
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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Tanthalas
Senior Scribe
Portugal
508 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 00:11:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
DOWNSHADOW is Ed Greenwood's vision of a flirtatious, rollicking Waterdeep.
I actually miss this part of Shadowbane. It was nice seeing Kalen having to juggle his everyday life with his Shadowbane activities. |
Sir Markham pointed out, drinking another brandy. "A chap who can point at you and say 'die' has the distinct advantage". |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 02:36:11
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Conceptually, in SHADOWBANE, Kalen has a lot less opportunity to be Kalen, as it were. Though SB:EOJ is more of a balance, perhaps.
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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Lilianviaten
Senior Scribe
489 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 12:08:11
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| Question for you, Erik. If you could point to any particular passage that best hints at Lilten's endgame, what would it be? |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 15:32:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Lilianviaten
Question for you, Erik. If you could point to any particular passage that best hints at Lilten's endgame, what would it be?
Ooh, good, tough question. There are lots of hints scattered throughout, but I'm honestly not sure which would be the most telling for you. The last full chapter of DOWNSHADOW, where he talks with Fayne, is instructive, and the scenes in SB:EOJ with the lanceboard, Lady Ilira, and/or Fayne. Think about where he seems to be pushing things.
More to be revealed later--assuming the story continues.
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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Lilianviaten
Senior Scribe
489 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2013 : 01:55:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
quote:
Originally posted by Lilianviaten
Question for you, Erik. If you could point to any particular passage that best hints at Lilten's endgame, what would it be?
Ooh, good, tough question. There are lots of hints scattered throughout, but I'm honestly not sure which would be the most telling for you. The last full chapter of DOWNSHADOW, where he talks with Fayne, is instructive, and the scenes in SB:EOJ with the lanceboard, Lady Ilira, and/or Fayne. Think about where he seems to be pushing things.
More to be revealed later--assuming the story continues.
Cheers
I have wondered about the scenes with Fayne, because he misled her throughout Downshadow, so I didn't know if he would actually tell her the truth about his plans.
He viewed Rath and Rhett as mere underlings, so he told them nothing. Ilira doesn't seem to have any clue what he's up to, although I bet she will be the first one to figure it out now that she's embroiled in it. Btw, I've got another tough one for you. Does Lilten truly love Ilira (in his own sociopathic type of way), or is she merely useful to him in some way?
I would think that Kirenkirsalai has the best idea what Lilten is up to, since they are old "friends", and the vampire is (seemingly) pursuing the same goal. But Lilten seems much more clever, so I don't know how much of his plan the vampire really sees.
Myrin's story reminds me a lot of Shandril's, being a naive young girl who everybody is looking to use for their own ends. I would guess that Kire wants to use his knowledge of magic to "absorb" her somehow. He reminds me of Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, in that his agenda is simple: the naked, aggressive pursuit of more power.
Lilten's game is impossible for me to figure out, but a crazy idea just struck me. I will PM you, in the extremely unlikely chance that I'm right. One final question though. Why doesn't Lilten simply capture Myrin himself? He's very charming, and she seems to instinctively trust him. If he magically whisked her away somewhere, pretending it was for her own good, she would have gone along with it. And he seems to have enough raw power to defend himself against her, if necessary. Perhaps he's just savoring the process? |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2013 : 04:15:06
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(Gods I hate Littlefinger! )
These are all really good questions, and I'm not sure how to answer them without spoiling the books. (And you might add "spoiler alert" to your post.)
SPOILERS FOR SHADOWBANE SERIES
Lilten and Kire are indeed playing the same game, but their goals are different. Neither wants the other to succeed, and Lilten's plan requires Myrin to be free and at liberty--for now. Not necessarily Kire's plan, which may be more about capturing her. Remember what chased him away in the first place: Vidicator. He's playing carefully around the sword. Why?
Well, by the end of DOWNSHADOW, Myrin is sick of people making choices for her, and she has gained a good share of confidence after that, so odds are she'd be suspicious of anyone taking her away "for her own good." It might be that Lilten is afraid of Myrin, and he's being very careful around her. Or she's a distraction to keep Kire off balance. He does indeed have an endgame, rest assured.
And as to whether he truly loves Ilira, well--that's the question isn't it?
Cheers
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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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The Sage reads de Bie's "Shadowbane Saga"
