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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Jul 2014 : 20:50:49
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Quick question for Ed.
Larloch has claimed to be the last chosen of Mystryl yet in the story Tears So White he is afraid to touch Storms silver fire. Does this mean Larloch has no silver fire of his own? Did he ever have any (I thought it was an automatic gift when becoming a chosen for the lady of magic)? If he did have it yet lost it in some way then how did this happen?
Many thanks. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2014 : 02:51:04
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Hi again, all. Arcanus, this happens to be something I talked over with Ed YEARS ago, after a particular play session in the "home" Realms campaign, so I can answer this one.
Larloch, as a lich, will be destroyed by the silver fire (a "tiny touch" might burn a hand or arm away, but prolonged or "all over" contact will disintegrate him, sentience and all, preventing him "escaping into the Weave." Back when he was a living man and not undead, silver fire would not have been deadly to him, though Mystryl's version of silver fire, which was "electric blue" in hue, worked slightly differently - - and in lich form, he dare not even use that. If Larloch ever got the opportunity to slowly and painstakingly "attune himself" to the Weave - - which actually consists of calling on the Weave to power a long and exacting sequence of enchantments that alter his lichnee body step by step [[if you're familiar with Zelazny's Amber series, the way in which scions of Amber travel through shadows by adding conditions they want and subtracting conditions they don't want, to get closer and closer to a desired destination, is pretty close to the process I'm clumsily describing here]] - - he could overcome this peril and master and wield silver fire.
The problem is, he'll be vulnerable to attack (from his own liches, is his personal greatest fear) throughout this long process, so he thus far hasn't dared even attempt it.
Oh, and one more thing. I'm glad you used the phrase "claimed to be the last chosen of Mystryl," because Ed did caution me that we have only Larloch's word that he is; there could well be others, some of them perhaps "hiding in plain sight." (And Ed then added the nudge-nudge, wink-wink routine so familiar to Monty Python fans...)
love,
THO |
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dead_alewives
Acolyte
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2014 : 03:19:43
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| Hi there, Ed (or whoever it is I'm referring this query to), just want to start out by saying that I'm a long time fan of the Realms, though maybe not as long as some of the members here. Regardless, Forgotten Realms has always been my favorite module for D&D and always my first choice for setting if I'm ever having a pen and paper campaign with my friends. That being said, I've had a question that's been itching me for a long while: have you ever played any of the Forgotten Realms video games, notably the Baldur's Gate series, Neverwinter Nights and Icewind Dale? If you have, what did you think of them and how much input did you have in the development process? |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1847 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2014 : 08:05:47
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| I believe Ed actually wrote some of the dialogue for the Baldur's Gate series. Oh, hail and well met btw! |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2014 : 10:31:37
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Ooh, thanks for your prompt reply lady. Ed and his unreliable narrators eh?
Another question if you would indulge me-
Did Ed have to change his original plotline (that started with his latest pre sundering books) in the Herald? If so, how much?
Failure to answer will result in a fish slapping dance challenge being issued lol. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jul 2014 : 15:40:41
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quote:
Originally posted by dazzlerdal
Also on a completely separate note. Given that Khelben and his Moonstars were working towards stopping Larloch from destroying the weave all along. Does this mean that Larloch was one of the "Prefects" mentioned in the prophecy in the Cloak and Dagger sourcebook. Are the Chosen of Mystryl the Prefects (it seems a nice title for a guardian of the weave), in which case are there two other former Chosen of Mystryl out there (perhaps Telemont is one)
The Herald states that the "Prefects" is an old, forgotten term for the hierarchy of Candlekeep, namely the Great Reader and those just below him.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2014 : 07:40:50
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It's killing me that I don't have a copy of "The Herald" yet. Oh the lore collecting I could be doing on Candlekeep right now!
Instead I’ll content myself with some Yes/No/NDA/Don’t Know Realmslore questions. Thus:
Have any of Maxer Hlaar’s construct creations survived to the modern day Realms, around the time of the events that took place in “Elminster Enraged”?
Did Maxer (himself, not through his constructs) ever visit Lantan?
Were any of Maxer’s creations that were successful in recovering items from lich holds and tombs also capable of teleporting themselves to, or near to, those destinations (as mentioned on page 221 on Volo’s Guide to Cormyr)?
Did Maxer ever send a construct to Candlekeep, equipped with the price of entrance (a book or scroll, for example)?
If yes, did the monks let it in?
Thanks to you both, as always. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jul 2014 : 20:59:57
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Tantam All
Ed I realise it is early days with the 5E Necromancer Games kickstarter however can you hint at what sort of involvement you are having in the adventure book that is planned?
thanks
Damian
ps its here folks
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/necromancergames/necromancer-games-back-for-5th-edition?ref=discovery
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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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Eli the Tanner
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
149 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2014 : 12:01:32
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Hello Ed and THO, I have two sets of questions today.
What criteria do the runemasters of the Twisted Rune use to select new runemasters? Are new members nominated? Do they have to undergo a test? Is there a vote or is the new member chosen by a senior member?
Secondly, are there any rules (unspoken or otherwise) to guide or keep the runemasters in check. I can imagine keeping 9 potent undead spellcasters from usurping each others power or conducting secret wars would be hard. I know infighting has occured numerous time in the past but is any one runemaster repsonsible for dealing with these or is it a darwinian approach of survial-of-the-cleverest.
Most discreetly
-Eli the Tanner |
Moderator of /r/Forgotten_Realms |
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Torkwaret
Seeker
Poland
82 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2014 : 19:05:49
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First of all, a great many thanks to you Ed, for the short (at least for now  ) but very helpful answer !
Second - another question 
Thay. An exotic land ruled by eight powerful and paranoid wizards, each one a true master of his chosen school of magic - the Zulkirs. But today's Zulkirs (today is 3rd edition to me ) - Shass Tam or Aznar Thrul for example, are only the most recent holders of these titles.
Back in 2005, I his write-up of the Covenant, George Krashos mentioned that the wizard Aganazzar died in 1018DR, battling many Red Wizards, including one called Pharazeen, the Zulkir of Invocation of that time.
This is so far the only bit of information about any past Zulkir I managed to find, be it in 2nd and 3rd edition books or the net.
My question to you Ed is - can you write a few words about some Zulkirs of the past ? Ones of your choice of course, preferably those not under NDA (Your best swordsmen of the Realms, eg. Loaros Hammarandar and Ember Tsartaera are regularly apperaring in my campaigns, that writeup was a true marvel !)
Cheers |
...Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin... |
Edited by - Torkwaret on 08 Jul 2014 19:09:17 |
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Portella
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
247 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 00:49:44
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Hello THO and ED
In a few place has been mentioned about the dracorage mythal being housed in a citadel in the north... the far far away north only reachable by a portal located in the centre of another far far away citadel in the centre of the great glacier. I was wondering if you could give any further information/rumours about the place. ;) like the sort of thing you might find the candlekeep or if you overhear el talking to someone about it.
Regards and thank you in advance. |
Purple you say?!
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 18:32:30
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I've been thinking about Tymoran magic. As a goddess of adventurers, healing magic and the general situational cleric spells are highly appropriate. Her special magic -- deity-specific and 'domain' spells -- should reflect her ethos of 'Dare, and good fortune will be with you.' So indeed we have spells like favor of Tymora that grant good luck -- a priest of Tymora is both a person who submits himself to the Lady and one who enacts the Lady's fortune with his divine magic. But in a way, spells that manipulate luck create a more controlled situation, granting fifth-edition Advantage reduces the vagaries of chance. So I like the idea that (as a specialty priest/domain power) Tymora would *unpredictably* grant good fortune by a sort of formalized DM fudge: it doesn't fit with latterday-D&D principles of player control, but raspberries to that.
I like the luck spells in the Kobold Press book Deep Magic: lucky break, blessed chance, wild errantry, exalted chance, bright errantry, holy chance, and bold errantry. Some might even be Ed's. Lucky break makes a *random type* of future failed die roll a success, and the errantry spells specifically aid a *crazy or daring* action.
So if any respected Canadians would like to share any thoughts on such matters . . . |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 18:37:02
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I think those luck spells were designed by Ed. THO said something about that, somewhere and somewhen, but darned if I can find it now...
BB |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 21:03:55
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| Ah, yes. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 21:17:22
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Hi again, all. Faraer, Ed tells me he did shieldmaiden spells and gambling spells for that project, the gambling ones being (turnover, not what appeared in the final product):
Blessed Chance
Bold Errantry
Bright Errantry
Crawling Chaos
Exalted Chance
Face of Deception
Fools Gold
Holy Chance
Mantle of Trust
and
Wild Errantry
...And there you have it. :}
love,
THO |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2014 : 23:13:29
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| :} The chance and errantry spells seem clear matches for Tymora, and I see that face of deception is a clerical (Maskarran?) equivalent of fleshmask. Crawling chaos became crawling corruption, perhaps. |
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Infamous
Acolyte
42 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2014 : 16:27:47
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Hi there everyone.
I have been feeling a little down about the combat-oriented nature of FR (specifically, D&D's) spells. I just watched a few documentaries about other civilizations and there is so much more than war to life. There could be house-building spells, foot-massage cantrips, magical candy, enchanted boots for everyday use, hair-loss hexes, and so many delightful sexual charms and incantations for pleasure or to uphold certain customs. In a nutshell, I have found that the -- probably incorrect -- vision of FR as nations of either mostly poor, medieval-europe-like folk with magic-less tough lives, or a few nobles and adventurers who can afford magic which is only battle-oriented, to be... a boring concept.
In other words, the game focus of D&D has been stealing away flavor from my Forgotten Realms.
The question is: where, outside of Ed's mind, do I find what I crave for? Where are the magical things for everyday life and regular folk? I think J.K. Rowling did a wonderful job with the Harry Potter series balancing war and quotidian wizardry; I wish we could achieve that, too.
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Edited by - Infamous on 11 Jul 2014 14:54:25 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2014 : 17:42:41
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There have been plenty of non-combat spells, particularly in older sources. A couple that immediately come to mind are Quimby's Enchanting Gourmet and a personal fave, Spendelard's Chaser.
We've seen less of those in recent years, though, because there has been a focus on presenting that which is useful in combat, and de-emphasizing that which isn't. I hope 5E reverses this trend. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2014 : 18:30:28
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Magic is a bit rarer than you're suggesting, Infamous: not so common that the average person has felt it cast on him or her (Elminster's Forgotten Realms p. 179). The magical candy and enchanted boots would mainly be for the wealthy. And there are lots of utilitarian cantrips from Unearthed Arcana, scattered published spells explicitly for non-adventuring use, such as at the back of Prayers from the Faithful, and lots that have everyday uses, such as curative, movement and communication spells.
Still, you're right, the published spells are highly skewed towards action and conflict -- not just D&D but sword and sorcery -- and it would be nice to have more of the sort you suggest. Have we even seen, for instance, a child-birthing spell? |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1847 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2014 : 22:25:50
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Agree agree agree. One of the things I loved about earlier source material (including some articles in Dragon Magazine) were the non-combat utilitarian spells. Over the years I've collected source material from other company's to fill in this gap in DnD material as well, including the Quintessential Temprtess and Arcane Nymphology (for the sex-related stuff).
Such sources are a bit rare but they are out there. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Infamous
Acolyte
42 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2014 : 14:58:38
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One would think that the huge success of living, breathing fantasy settings like Martin's, Tolkien's or Rowling's would have taught Wizards of the Coast that the value of engaging people with a story is deeper and more lasting than engaging them with a game...
Ops, did I just write the 4e -> 5e imbroglio in a sentence?
Hear, hear, o mighty WotC.
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Edited by - Infamous on 11 Jul 2014 15:00:49 |
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Eli the Tanner
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
149 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2014 : 15:34:26
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More questons for the mouting list for the seemingly tireless Ed and THO,
During the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, what were the harpers up to during the Rage of Dragons? Did they try to investigate it or were they focused on humanitarian efforts? How much success (if any) did they have in either regard? How aware were people like Elminster, Khelben etc. of Sammaster's involvement? Did the elves have any idea that their mythal had been tampered with, if so, did they make any attempts to correct it?
Can you tell us anything more about Sammaster's behind the scenes efforts to keep this quiet from the 'powers that be'? Any other tidbits about this time would be very intersting.
Yours humble inquirer
-Eli the Tanner |
Moderator of /r/Forgotten_Realms |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2014 : 22:57:36
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| From what Mike Mearls says, story is well on the upswing -- though perhaps of a sensational and episodic sort. What we've yet to see is their commitment to world. There are positive signs in Lost Mine of Phandelver, and I imagine Ed's done his best lobbying. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2014 : 03:16:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Torkwaret
Back in 2005, I his write-up of the Covenant, George Krashos mentioned that the wizard Aganazzar died in 1018DR, battling many Red Wizards, including one called Pharazeen, the Zulkir of Invocation of that time.
Yeah, I'm sneaky like that.
Whilst I'm not Ed, I know how busy he is so I can tell you that there have been other mentions of past zulkirs in published and unpublished lore.
In my "Soargar's Legacy" article in Dragon #277 I mentioned Elzarr of the Crimson Eye, the Zulkir of Divination.
In his "Everwinking Eye" article in Polyhedron #109 (p.8), Ed mentioned the Zulkir Thalomeade (no school noted).
In "Volo's Guide to the Dalelands" Ed notes that Rhauntides of Highmoon slew an unnamed Zulkir of Thay.
In the "Spellbound" boxed set there are references to Narvonna Kren the Zulkir of Evocation (Campaign Guide, p.5), Nymor Thrul the Zulkir of Illusion (Campaign Guide, p.5), Nyressa Flass, the "Vampire Zulkir" (Campaign Guide, p.8) and Sabass the Zulkir of Conjuration (Campaign Guide, p.113)
The novel "Red Magic" by Jean Rabe featured Maligor, the Zulkir of Transmutation.
Ed's posts here at Candlekeep reveal that the first Zulkirs were:
Hahlomede Teeos (Abjuration)
Tlantros Tulhoond (Conjuration)
Zarhandro Laeluth (Enchantment)
Dlueae Sharshyndree (Evocation)
Yaerind Mahl (Illusion)
Tarabbas Mroound (Necromancy)
Kulvur Naraelond (Transmutation)
He then notes that after that initial roster but before the list set out in the "Spellbound" boxed set, there were the following zulkirs:
Eldryn Lammaraster (Abjuration)
Ballneth Skroun (Conjuration)
Iyrith Telgahlagar (Enchantment)
Uldreth Korroth (Evocation)
Mahlind Yarrr (Transmutation)
I'd love it if Ed had anything more for us, but that's all the references I've found over the years. Most likely I've missed some, so more than happy for anyone else to chime in.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 12 Jul 2014 03:17:54 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2014 : 04:46:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
From what Mike Mearls says, story is well on the upswing -- though perhaps of a sensational and episodic sort. What we've yet to see is their commitment to world. There are positive signs in Lost Mine of Phandelver, and I imagine Ed's done his best lobbying.
From "D&D: Breaking (is) Bad" by Shawn Merwin: "The game has to be about the story if the hobby as a whole is going to flourish."
Some commentary Ryan Dancey on Facebook (scroll down a bit), inspired by Merwin's blog post suggests D&D is cyclical between power gaming and story-based gaming.
Apologies to the mods and THO for off topic, but both articles are worth a read. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2014 : 10:20:13
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Greetings Ed and THO, I have a question for you.
I know that Eilistraee was created by Ed under commission by TSR, however I was wondering if he decided to include her in his Realms (and if you ever got to meet some of her followers during your campaign) and -assuming so- if his version of the Dark Maiden is any different from the published one.
Thanks for your time. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
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Beppe63
Acolyte
Italy
43 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2014 : 14:53:56
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Hi all,
according to the Race of Faerun (p. 110-111) all, or almost all, human languages have their own alphabet, but there are not mentioned some humanoids languages.
For example, the language of the Orcs, Goblin, Gnoll and Giants also have a written version or are only spoken languages?
Which alphabet, if there is one, have languages as Aquan, Ignan, Sylvan, Gnomes and Halfling given that Thorass (Alzhedo) is that of the creatures of the air?
Thanks for any suggestions. |
Bye.
Beppe63 |
Edited by - Beppe63 on 13 Jul 2014 14:55:06 |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2014)
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