quote:

---

Originally posted by The Hooded One

BTW, all scribes: if you want a fix of Ed speaking in his mellifluous tones, there are little videos at theedverse.com that show you a glimpse of Ed's writing lair . . .

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blade of Beregost

I was rereading the 2006 edition of this scroll the other day, and I happened to come across Ed's thoughts on Wonders. Hope it (somewhat) helps.

quote:

---

The short, simple reply is that no Faerûnian creature would have any “Seven Wonders” list. It’s not something they’d ordinarily think about or speak of, certainly never in terms of a ranking of rival “wonders.” Folk in the Realms DO speak of wonders they’ve seen in distant lands, in taverns (usually when explorers or other far-traveled wayfarers are vying with each other to entertain the locals for some drinks or to seem important or to manipulate someone into investing in a venture). If you asked a particular Faerûnian, his reply would depend on him: if he was a farmer or rural person who’s never traveled far from his home village, he’d probably say so, and disqualify himself from relevant comment on the grounds that “they talk of many wondrous things, but I’ve not been and seen enough to tell you anything useful. I saw a melon as big as a cow once, in yon market, but then I’ve heard tell of bigger melons’n’ that, in bigger markets, see?”
Even alert, informed merchants or soldiers would say some variation on this, recognizing that they’ve hardly seen enough to venture a useful opinion. Priests and devout worshippers of one god above others would list the wonders associated with their deity (“the little stone stop Tharun’s Mount that bears the shape of Eldath’s hand, where she touched it when weeping over the death of a flower”), and that points at the key to Faerûnian attitudes towards wonders, and the reason my answer is taking the shape it is: in the Realms, everything’s slanted by the fact that EVERYONE knows the gods are real, and respects their power even when considering gods they fear, hate, or shun worship of; the knowledge that the gods walk the world (from time to time) and make changes to it colours everything. So various individuals might give you wildly different “seven wonders” lists, if you asked them to pick seven (and why seven? the concept has no significance to them, of course), UNLESS they were stay-at-homes from the same village, and so shared the same life experiences (“well, we’ve both been to Suzail once, and there were some pretty wondrous mansions THERE, let me tell you!”). So, yes, the Waterdhavian and the Thayan would probably give different lists based on different life experiences, NOT on nationalistic (or even cultural) grounds. (By “cultural,” I mean that unless they were more stupid or self-centered than most folk, both would recognize and say that they’ve not seen enough in their travels to be sure they weren’t missing important “wonders,” as a preeminent factor over seeing things as exemplifying a slave-based culture [as good or bad] or a mercantile, cosmopolitan crossroads trading center [as good or bad].)
“The Faerûnian sensibility” is “in general more inclined to be impressed by a natural wonder” than a magical construction, with one caveat: the most awe is evoked by natural wonders for which no explanations are generally known, or no god is directly and clearly attributed as the cause of (so the waterfall or the natural arch NOT “known” to have been created by the god is generally more impressive than the one this or that god altered or created - - except to a devout worshipper of that god, of course. Everyone is impressed by major magical constructions like walking colossi or flying cities, but not as “wonders” UNLESS the means of making them is now unknown or forgotten (i.e. unless they’re now unattainable or mysterious). Yet this sort of “gosh wow” admiration is a step down and to one side of “the great wonders.” It’s more a “How did they DO that?” marveling (which is, to resurrect some very old Realmslore, why folk differentiate between “Marvels” and “Wonders;” the former being man- [or rather, sentient-being-] made items and magics and processes, and the latter being things that occurred naturally or mysteriously.

---

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by paladinnicolas

Dear Ed and THO, I would like to know if in Ed's campaigns Lantan, the gnomes or any other group has managed to produce somewhat advanced technology, even one qualifying as 'steampunk' (I must confess that I love steampunk), or if lost civilizations in the Realms achieved it, including mass transportation vehicles. Thanks!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:

---

Originally posted by paladinnicolas

Dear Ed and THO, I would like to know if in Ed's campaigns Lantan, the gnomes or any other group has managed to produce somewhat advanced technology, even one qualifying as 'steampunk' (I must confess that I love steampunk), or if lost civilizations in the Realms achieved it, including mass transportation vehicles. Thanks!

---

It's one of the great misconceptions of the Realms that Lantan has a sizable population of gnomes. During the ToT, an avatar of Gond in the guise of a gnome washed up on the island's shore. This did lead to an influx of gnomes for a time to the island - not sure the Lantar would have been too happy about that - but there shouldn't be an instant association between Lantan and gnomes.

-- George Krashos

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markustay
Have their been any major 'holy wars' in FR's past?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markustay

Great article - now I feel inspired to get back to my Shar/Border Kindoms/Elsir Vale map!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Sage

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markustay

Great article - now I feel inspired to get back to my Shar/Border Kindoms/Elsir Vale map!

---

Eh... Border Kingdoms map?

*Drums fingers on tabletop in a somewhat expectant manner*

---