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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jul 2006 : 02:48:45
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| Ah, that makes sense. I never understood why Beatrix chose to pet a clockwork cat over a real one. Thanks for the answer. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2006 : 14:11:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Ah, that makes sense. I never understood why Beatrix chose to pet a clockwork cat over a real one. Thanks for the answer.
Once an obsession starts, it feeds upon itself and can end up in odd places.
I knew a woman once who hosted a outdoor party, then spent most of the time sitting in the kitchen so she could dash into the powder room after anyone used it to wipe up drips of water left on the sink after hand-washing. Between uses, she complained that people weren't wiping up said drips of water. This small household chore utterly consumed her thoughts and conversation for an entire summer afternoon. And this is a woman who would be considered sane. Beatrix had been shattered by torture and confounded by magic. When I think of the state of her mind, I get a mental image of an broken electrical device--still whole, but partially dismantled and with loose wires sparking and sputtering, unable to make connections. In a way, Beatrix's experiments with clockwork are a metaphor for her fervent desire to put HERSELF back together. But because her state of mind is unsound, these attempts turned into obsession. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 12 Jul 2006 14:13:03 |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2006 : 22:28:13
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| Elaine, your characters are so thorough! |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2006 : 22:36:00
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quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
Elaine, your characters are so thorough!
Sometimes I suspect that I spend far too much time thinking about these things. As a fellow writer once jokingly advised me, "Writers aren't supposed to think; they're supposed to TYPE!"
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2006 : 00:06:16
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Once an obsession starts, it feeds upon itself and can end up in odd places.
I knew a woman once who hosted a outdoor party, then spent most of the time sitting in the kitchen so she could dash into the powder room after anyone used it to wipe up drips of water left on the sink after hand-washing. Between uses, she complained that people weren't wiping up said drips of water. This small household chore utterly consumed her thoughts and conversation for an entire summer afternoon. And this is a woman who would be considered sane.
That sounds rather like obsessive-compulsive disorder to me (obviously, that's a guess on my part)--and it's something I'm not entirely unfamiliar with.
quote:
Beatrix had been shattered by torture and confounded by magic. When I think of the state of her mind, I get a mental image of an broken electrical device--still whole, but partially dismantled and with loose wires sparking and sputtering, unable to make connections. In a way, Beatrix's experiments with clockwork are a metaphor for her fervent desire to put HERSELF back together. But because her state of mind is unsound, these attempts turned into obsession.
Wow, I never thought of it that way--that's a nice metaphor.  Thank you for the detailed explanation. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2006 : 00:15:58
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quote:
Sometimes I suspect that I spend far too much time thinking about these things. As a fellow writer once jokingly advised me, "Writers aren't supposed to think; they're supposed to TYPE!"
I say to that - scoff! ;) I'd rather have a single, really well-thought out, nicely-sized novel every 2 years, myself. I wish more authors thought more! |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jul 2006 : 08:38:48
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Once an obsession starts, it feeds upon itself and can end up in odd places.
I knew a woman once who hosted a outdoor party, then spent most of the time sitting in the kitchen so she could dash into the powder room after anyone used it to wipe up drips of water left on the sink after hand-washing. Between uses, she complained that people weren't wiping up said drips of water. This small household chore utterly consumed her thoughts and conversation for an entire summer afternoon. And this is a woman who would be considered sane. Beatrix had been shattered by torture and confounded by magic. When I think of the state of her mind, I get a mental image of an broken electrical device--still whole, but partially dismantled and with loose wires sparking and sputtering, unable to make connections. In a way, Beatrix's experiments with clockwork are a metaphor for her fervent desire to put HERSELF back together. But because her state of mind is unsound, these attempts turned into obsession.
You remind me why Counselors & Kings is one of my favorite FR trilogies. :) Beatrix's insanity is dealt with in a way that's rare for fantasy characters -- it's genuinely quite creepy.
I couldn't help but feel that the restoration of her memories and sanity was a bit pat, though. |
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Narwe
Acolyte
Slovenia
3 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2006 : 18:23:46
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| I have a question about Kymil Nimesin. At the end of Evermeet he escapes, so he's now 'somewhere out there' and he knows about Amnestria's first child, a potential heir to Evermeet's throne. That's a piece of information that he could use with potentialy devastating results if he still has the necessery 'backup'. Did Lamruil later tell Amlaruil about this and warn her? |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2006 : 18:31:26
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
You know Elaine . . . no one has ever done a gnomish epic in the Realms . . . 
Indeed. They seem to appear mostly in (ahem) short stories. ::ducks::
Seriously, there WAS a gnome-intensive book in the Harper series--Soldiers of Ice, by David Cook. Not exactly an epic, but it did give considerable insight into a particular gnome culture. Interestingly, these gnomes were fighters, not tinkerers, and there wasn't a bit of comic relief in sight.
Now isn't this just a curious co-inky-dink? Just last Saturday I ran a session set in Ches 1360, in which the party had to face the first bit of flotsam tossed to the Sword Coast by the Tuigan Horde: short, ferocious, dirty creatures waving swords from ponyback and shrieking furiously beneath fur hats. They were, of course, gnome-mads.
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2006 : 18:33:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
You know Elaine . . . no one has ever done a gnomish epic in the Realms . . .
Indeed. They seem to appear mostly in (ahem) short stories. ::ducks::
Seriously, there WAS a gnome-intensive book in the Harper series--Soldiers of Ice, by David Cook. Not exactly an epic, but it did give considerable insight into a particular gnome culture. Interestingly, these gnomes were fighters, not tinkerers, and there wasn't a bit of comic relief in sight.
Now isn't this just a curious co-inky-dink? Just last Saturday I ran a session set in Ches 1360, in which the party had to face the first bit of flotsam tossed to the Sword Coast by the Tuigan Horde: short, ferocious, dirty creatures waving swords from ponyback and shrieking furiously beneath fur hats. They were, of course, gnome-mads.
It could be argued that I had that coming.
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lowtech
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2006 : 03:39:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Once an obsession starts, it feeds upon itself and can end up in odd places.
I knew a woman once who hosted a outdoor party, then spent most of the time sitting in the kitchen so she could dash into the powder room after anyone used it to wipe up drips of water left on the sink after hand-washing. Between uses, she complained that people weren't wiping up said drips of water. This small household chore utterly consumed her thoughts and conversation for an entire summer afternoon. And this is a woman who would be considered sane.
That sounds rather like obsessive-compulsive disorder to me (obviously, that's a guess on my part)--and it's something I'm not entirely unfamiliar with.
More like obsessive-compulsive personality disorder; people with true OCD usually realize how irrational their obsessions are, and try to hide the symptons from others (something I am unfortunately very familier with). |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2006 : 11:57:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Narwe
I have a question about Kymil Nimesin. At the end of Evermeet he escapes, so he's now 'somewhere out there' and he knows about Amnestria's first child, a potential heir to Evermeet's throne. That's a piece of information that he could use with potentialy devastating results if he still has the necessery 'backup'. Did Lamruil later tell Amlaruil about this and warn her?
Amlaruil is aware of the situation, yes. |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2006 : 20:30:25
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| At the request of Elaine, I unlocked this. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Beirnadri Magranth
Senior Scribe
USA
720 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2006 : 21:17:50
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Elaine this is the first time asking you something so well met!
I read a long time ago the Magehound book. I recalled a short snippet in there where there is some one on stage telling a story about a man and woman who were chased by pirates. eventually she hikes up her skirt and then runs faster than the pirates with their pants down.
To be quite honest that is a hilarious part in the story. Did you make that story in a story up or did you read that somewhere? |
"You came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory... instead you will die with a whimper."
::moussaoui tries to interrupt::
"You will never get a chance to speak again and that's an appropriate ending."
-Judge Brinkema |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2006 : 21:32:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Beirnadri Magranth
Elaine this is the first time asking you something so well met!
I read a long time ago the Magehound book. I recalled a short snippet in there where there is some one on stage telling a story about a man and woman who were chased by pirates. eventually she hikes up her skirt and then runs faster than the pirates with their pants down.
To be quite honest that is a hilarious part in the story. Did you make that story in a story up or did you read that somewhere?
In all candor, it's a "recycled story." The basic concept is that a woman threatened with unwanted sexual attention responds by pulling up her skirts. The man, assuming surrender or even interest, promptly drops his pants. The punchline (a woman with her skirts up can run faster than a man with his pants down) has been around for quite a while, so you'll probably run into various versions of it here and there. |
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Beirnadri Magranth
Senior Scribe
USA
720 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2006 : 21:45:31
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| still was really funny |
"You came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory... instead you will die with a whimper."
::moussaoui tries to interrupt::
"You will never get a chance to speak again and that's an appropriate ending."
-Judge Brinkema |
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Corran Horn
Seeker
54 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2006 : 19:35:48
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Firstly i want to say that it is a great pleasure to talk with you Ms. Cunningham.
I want to write article, for official polish dnd site, about wielders of moonblades. How many of moonblades is still active? Could you name some wielders? Do we know history of some moonblades? What they will do now, when Myth Drannor is retaken, when elves are returnig to Faerun? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 14 Oct 2006 : 01:24:14
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I know Elaine has said, in the past, that she would like to start shifting away from answering purely "moonblade" questions...
So in that regard, Corran, I would suggest you take a look through the rest of this particular scroll, since I'm fairly certain Elaine has already answered similar questions before about the history of moonblades.
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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 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Oct 2006 : 02:34:35
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The history of moonblades will be addressed and the recent issues resolved in the upcoming Songs & Swords book. Unfortunately, I really can't talk about this before the book comes out.
BTW, I will be away from keyboard until late next week. I'm typing this at a family member's house, but after tonight, I won't be anywhere near a computer for several days. I'll stop by late next week. |
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Red Marauder
Acolyte
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 10:30:54
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You have mentioned that you have plans in the future to write a short story about Elaith Craulnober for Dragon Magazine. Will this be focusing on the following subject matters you have previously hinted at:-
"Return to Craulnober Keep," in which Elaith visits Evermeet shortly after the events of the novel EVERMEET, and considers rebuilding his ancestral home
or
His relationship with Azariah's mother (think Otello, except Desdemona actually DOES fool around...)???
Thanks in advance to any response you can give.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 11:08:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Red Marauder
You have mentioned that you have plans in the future to write a short story about Elaith Craulnober for Dragon Magazine. Will this be focusing on the following subject matters you have previously hinted at:-
"Return to Craulnober Keep," in which Elaith visits Evermeet shortly after the events of the novel EVERMEET, and considers rebuilding his ancestral home
or
His relationship with Azariah's mother (think Otello, except Desdemona actually DOES fool around...)???
Thanks in advance to any response you can give.
Neither. Given the audience for Dragon Magazine, it would probably be better to submit a story that's more adventure than lore. I haven't decided yet--I'm finishing up a few things first--but most likely it'll be something focusing on his criminal activities.
ec |
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Corran Horn
Seeker
54 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 11:57:27
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Hi Ms. Cunnigham. I have another question about elves.
Is Lady Ashakala Durothil still alive? |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 14:20:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Corran Horn
Hi Ms. Cunnigham. I have another question about elves.
Is Lady Ashakala Durothil still alive?
I can't give a definitive answer to this, as my last official foray into Evermeet was with the novel of that name, published back in 1999. This book ended in the year DR 1371. Quite a lot has happened to the elves since then. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 17:20:26
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
I'm hoping to advertise the book with two or three new short stories scattered here and there. If you have a particular character, event, or location you'd like to see revisited in a short story, stop by my Q&A thread with suggestions. I'll be writing a story about Elaith to submit to Dragon Magazine, but I'd also like to do at least one more story as a free web download.
I can never get enough of Arilyn, Danilo, and Elaith!
Or...
As we've discussed before, a lot of Amlaruil and Zaor's children are, as far as the wider Realms is concerned, missing in action. We only know the final fates for a few of them, though you've said that Amlaruil knows where her kids are. I would love to read about one or more of those "lost" royal kids.
Oh, and it's almost a given that people want to know more about Elaith and Amnestria's son. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 20 Oct 2006 17:57:47 |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:02:54
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| I'd like to know more about Elaith's female moon elf apprentice that is mentioned, and short stated, in Lost Empires on page 145. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 18:37:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I'd like to know more about Elaith's female moon elf apprentice that is mentioned, and short stated, in Lost Empires on page 145.
So would I. For starters, I should probably find out if she's the elf mentioned in City of Splendors, or whether someone assigned him an apprentice. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 19:18:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
As we've discussed before, a lot of Amlaruil and Zaor's children are, as far as the wider Realms is concerned, missing in action. We only know the final fates for a few of them, though you've said that Amlaruil knows where her kids are. I would love to read about one or more of those "lost" royal kids.
Oh, and it's almost a given that people want to know more about Elaith and Amnestria's son.
Stay tuned for Reclamation, the sixth and final book of the Songs & Swords series. Many hitherto secret things will come into the light, and the cryptic will be made plain. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2006 : 19:34:46
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I'd like to know more about Elaith's female moon elf apprentice that is mentioned, and short stated, in Lost Empires on page 145.
So would I. For starters, I should probably find out if she's the elf mentioned in City of Splendors, or whether someone assigned him an apprentice.
I was going to ask Ed about her but if you add her somewhere, then I'll wait. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2006 : 01:42:24
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
As we've discussed before, a lot of Amlaruil and Zaor's children are, as far as the wider Realms is concerned, missing in action. We only know the final fates for a few of them, though you've said that Amlaruil knows where her kids are. I would love to read about one or more of those "lost" royal kids.
Oh, and it's almost a given that people want to know more about Elaith and Amnestria's son.
Stay tuned for Reclamation, the sixth and final book of the Songs & Swords series. Many hitherto secret things will come into the light, and the cryptic will be made plain.
Just so long as "every" secret isn't given its time in the literary light!
And like Wooly, I'm also eager to learn more about Elaith and Amnestria's son, though, perhaps not as eager to know "everything." Part of Elaith's charm is the mystery that surrounds a great many things in his past.
I'll echo the request for more on the "lost" royal children though... they seem to garner a great deal of attention on FR message boards, though there's still very little written about their activities.
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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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Questions for Elaine Cunningham
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