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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
 Posted - 09 May 2009 : 15:12:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
I just recently managed to get my hands on a copy of Best of the Realms III (along with II), and while the writing is top notch, I am mightily confused by The Knights of Samular story. What indeed am I missing, or what more need I read in order to make more sense of it?
An enchanting tale nonetheless, with a shrunken Algorind's escape being the best part. I think I have read far too little of your work, Elaine, and I am very glad I have gotten this little anthology.
As Wooly has already mentioned, this tale is a follow-up to the novel THORNHOLD, which was written as a "pivot novel" to end the Harper series and lead into a new story arc, told in novels and game products, about the dissolution of the Harpers and the trial of Khelben Arunsun. Editorial directions changed and this storyline was abandoned, leaving THORNHOLD readers scratching their heads in puzzlement. "The Knights of Samular" was intended to pick up a couple of the open story threads, particularly that of Algorind, the young paladin who in THORNHOLD started to learn that in a morally complicated world, good intentions are no guarantee of good results.
Thanks for your post. I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed the story collection. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 09 May 2009 15:13:53 |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2009 : 19:02:06
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Elaine, I've been told by Lady Hooded / Ed that you did most of the heavy lifting for the intricate plot of "Waterdeep: City of Splendors". I believe this is the best Realms novel I've read in over a decade. Every page has an unforeseen twist that makes this 500+ page brick feel like it's in the low 200s, as it makes you want to keep reading to find out where this is all going. Simply amazing!  |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2009 : 19:33:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
Elaine, I've been told by Lady Hooded / Ed that you did most of the heavy lifting for the intricate plot of "Waterdeep: City of Splendors". I believe this is the best Realms novel I've read in over a decade. Every page has an unforeseen twist that makes this 500+ page brick feel like it's in the low 200s, as it makes you want to keep reading to find out where this is all going. Simply amazing!
Hi, PDK. Glad to hear you enjoyed CoS. I think Ed and THO are being overly generous; after all, it was to Ed that the editor gave the ms with the admonition to "cut 14,000 words and make it sound like it was written by one person." :) So on the whole, I think the writing style owes more to Ed, but the plot.... yeah, maybe. Or maybe the Excel spreadsheet storyboard color-coded for point of view, subplot, character appearance, and so on just made it SEEM like heavy lifting. 
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 26 May 2009 : 00:00:01
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Elaine,
As a result of a move, I came across my box of FR novels, and I picked up the parts of what later was turned into the Song and Swords series. No doubt you've heard this a couple of million times already, but what the heck... Almost twenty years I first read "Elfshadow", when it was first published, it (and its sequels) are still the finest stories I've seen published for FR. Elaith, Khelben, Laeral have been among my favorite NPCs to use in my games for a long time. For a large part (or even for the most part), this is due to your portrayal of them in the novels. Kudos! |
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skychrome
Senior Scribe
713 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 01:23:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth
Elaine,
As a result of a move, I came across my box of FR novels, and I picked up the parts of what later was turned into the Song and Swords series. No doubt you've heard this a couple of million times already, but what the heck... Almost twenty years I first read "Elfshadow", when it was first published, it (and its sequels) are still the finest stories I've seen published for FR. Elaith, Khelben, Laeral have been among my favorite NPCs to use in my games for a long time. For a large part (or even for the most part), this is due to your portrayal of them in the novels. Kudos!
Elaine, I have to second that. I already told you and yes, you have heard it a thousand times before but still: Songs & Swords is truly truly truly one of the best series in FR. Loving it forever! |
"You make an intriguing offer, one that is very tempting. It would seem that I have little alternative than to answer thusly: DISINTEGRATE!" Vaarsuvius, Order of the Stick 625 |
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Kyrene
Senior Scribe
South Africa
757 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 09:02:33
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Elaine,
Still plodding on in Best of the Realms III, not that your excellent writing is the reason for the plodding. Rather, I’m having the hardest time motivating myself to carry on reading, knowing that it is all for nothing thanks to the Spellplague and hundred-year-jump. Not that that is my reason for this post either (I shall get to it, yes I will).
After The Knights of Samular story, I’ve cottoned on to something that makes my reading of these stories much more enjoyable. As I’m not all that familiar with the histories of your characters (I actually own only BotRIII and City of Splendors), even if I love Elaith Craulnober (due to ‘meeting’ him in NWN1 and some bits about him I have read in other parts of my collection), I at first had the hardest time understanding what was happening. Now, I have written some really short vignettes about NWN2, and realised that I should rather read what is printed in your ‘Best of’ book as such. Short little interludes, almost behind the scenes happenings, like you would get on an extended version of a DVD, or indeed like my own vignettes.
That all said, I come to the point: I am loving Best of the Realms III, with the wonderful Elminster’s Jest thus far taking the cake. I am really sorry that I never got to read any of your work in the hey-days, but this almost makes up for that. |
Lost for words? Find them in the Glossary of Phrases, Sayings & Words of the Realms
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 14:05:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Thauramarth
Elaine,
As a result of a move, I came across my box of FR novels, and I picked up the parts of what later was turned into the Song and Swords series. No doubt you've heard this a couple of million times already, but what the heck... Almost twenty years I first read "Elfshadow", when it was first published, it (and its sequels) are still the finest stories I've seen published for FR. Elaith, Khelben, Laeral have been among my favorite NPCs to use in my games for a long time. For a large part (or even for the most part), this is due to your portrayal of them in the novels. Kudos!
Thank you, Thauramarth. 
ELFSHADOW was published in 1991, shortly before my younger son's second birthday. He will turn twenty this year. It's difficult to get my head around the passage of time--both in the publishing and the personal sense.
I've been getting nostalgic of late--a curse of advancing age, perhaps. This weekend I finally bought a copy of the 4th edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 14:08:25
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quote:
Originally posted by skychrome
Elaine, I have to second that. I already told you and yes, you have heard it a thousand times before but still: Songs & Swords is truly truly truly one of the best series in FR. Loving it forever!
Thank you, skychrome! The characters in the Songs & Swords series are closer to my heart than any others I've created. They are as likely to show up in my dreams as people I know IRL. Remind me some time to tell you about the time Arilyn and Dan were dropped into the middle of a performance of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."  |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 14:19:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Kyrene
...I’m having the hardest time motivating myself to carry on reading, knowing that it is all for nothing thanks to the Spellplague and hundred-year-jump.
.
I understand your reasoning, having faced the difficulty of writing about characters who would shortly be slain by the Spellplague and/or the time jump. But I've come to terms with this, mostly by dipping back into my familiar historical fiction metaphor. Other than the setting, writing and reading Realms fiction is very similar to writing and reading fiction set in Tudor England or the American Civil War. We know the events are in the past and the characters have lived and died, but that becomes a clause in the Suspension of Disbelief contract that both writers and readers enter into. We decide to focus on the moment--to wonder what happens on the next page and to enjoy the process of discovery--even though our knowledge of history informs us of the eventual outcome.
"Elminster's Jest" was fun to write. FYI, there's a melody to go with it, not to mention a harp arrangement. Recently I've been in a mood to write ballads. Once the deadline dust settles, I really need to work on another fantasy featuring bards so I have an excuse to do so. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 27 May 2009 16:12:46 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 15:29:18
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Remind me some time to tell you about the time Arilyn and Dan were dropped into the middle of a performance of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."
I wouldn't mind hearing that tale myself, Elaine. When you have the time, of course. 
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
"Elminster's Jest" was fun to write. FYI, there's a melody to go with it, not to mention a harp arrangement.
Any chance you have some sheet music for the melody, Elaine? I'd love to be able to play it myself.
quote:
Recently I've been in a mood to write ballads. Once the deadline dust settles, I really need to work on another fantasy featuring bards so I have an excuse to do so.
Well, you've got my support. Bards/minstrels are among my favourite fantasy character-types.
Of course, being as I am, mostly classically-trained in the ways of music means I tend to appreciate more, the often subtle nuances that are part of a bard's musical repertoire. |
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skychrome
Senior Scribe
713 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 15:50:34
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Thank you, skychrome! The characters in the Songs & Swords series are closer to my heart than any others I've created. They are as likely to show up in my dreams as people I know IRL. Remind me some time to tell you about the time Arilyn and Dan were dropped into the middle of a performance of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."
Reminder! I would really love to hear that one Elaine!
The Song and Sword characters feel a bit as if they were family which is probably an effect of how you feel about them.
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"You make an intriguing offer, one that is very tempting. It would seem that I have little alternative than to answer thusly: DISINTEGRATE!" Vaarsuvius, Order of the Stick 625 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2009 : 16:31:54
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quote:
Originally posted by The SageAny chance you have some sheet music for the melody, Elaine? I'd love to be able to play it myself.
Years ago--shortly after ELFSONG was written--I did sheet music for the melody on an old, old version of Cakewalk. I also scored it for voice, harp, viol da gamba, descant instrument (flute, recorder, whistle, or a Realms version thereof), and bodhran. Those file are long since lost. I bought a new music composition/arranging software a while back, but I haven't made the time to do much with it.
One of the reasons I'd like to write about bards again is that I'd like to do more with music. Sheet music and audio files would make nifty additions to a website.
I have some classical musical training, as well. My undergrad degree was in music education, emphasis on vocal and choral music. I was primarily a singer, but I play (or have played) with varying degrees of proficiently the celtic harp, Irish fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and piano. There were a few other instruments along the way. I played mallet percussion in high school, I used to play recorders and for a short time I played in a handbell choir. I studied lute on a POS instrument until my teacher said I'd gotten as much music out of the thing as it had to give. (Never did get a better instrument, alas.) I was a church organist for a couple of years because the gig came with the teaching job, but the less said about my affinity for that instrument, the better. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 01:26:36
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The "Marriage of Figaro" story is actually pretty short and simple. A couple nights after my husband and I attended a performance of that opera, I had a dream in which Arilyn and Danilo teleported onto the stage. It wasn't just a stage, however--it was bigger, and it comprised the entire reality. In other words, this wasn't a staged performance but a time and place, and as such, there was no getting out of there. Arilyn and Dan were in Realms attire, which looked a bit at odds with the 18th century wigs and frills, but the Mozart/Da Ponte characters didn't seem to see anything amiss. Dan looked delighted by this turn of events and joined right in with the fun, even singing all his dialog in stylistically appropriate recitative. Arilyn, on the other hand, hung by the side of the stage, an expression on her face that said, "Okay, who do I have to kill to get out of here?"
That was pretty much it. But it amused me, and I really enjoyed seeing and hearing the characters in such a vivid fashion. It seems to me that when characters show up in your dreams, that's a sign that you've either a) done something right or b) need to adjust your meds. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 28 May 2009 01:28:21 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 02:00:58
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Years ago--shortly after ELFSONG was written--I did sheet music for the melody on an old, old version of Cakewalk. I also scored it for voice, harp, viol da gamba, descant instrument (flute, recorder, whistle, or a Realms version thereof), and bodhran. Those file are long since lost.
I'm a big fan of the viol. I've even got a fantasy recreation of one of the Saronno Cathedral frescoes adorning my library wall.
quote:
I bought a new music composition/arranging software a while back, but I haven't made the time to do much with it.
Do you happen to have it's name handy? I've been in the market for some new music software for a while now. The one I'm using at the moment has an awful and confusing configuration.
quote:
One of the reasons I'd like to write about bards again is that I'd like to do more with music. Sheet music and audio files would make nifty additions to a website.
They [being the sheet music] also tend to clutter the living room where the piano is located.
I really need to bind them into folios, I think.
quote:
I have some classical musical training, as well. My undergrad degree was in music education, emphasis on vocal and choral music. I was primarily a singer, but I play (or have played) with varying degrees of proficiently the celtic harp, Irish fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and piano. There were a few other instruments along the way. I played mallet percussion in high school, I used to play recorders and for a short time I played in a handbell choir. I studied lute on a POS instrument until my teacher said I'd gotten as much music out of the thing as it had to give. (Never did get a better instrument, alas.) I was a church organist for a couple of years because the gig came with the teaching job, but the less said about my affinity for that instrument, the better.
Awesome stuff. I appreciate you sharing this, Elaine. Thank you.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 02:04:34
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
The "Marriage of Figaro" story is actually pretty short and simple. A couple nights after my husband and I attended a performance of that opera, I had a dream in which Arilyn and Danilo teleported onto the stage. It wasn't just a stage, however--it was bigger, and it comprised the entire reality. In other words, this wasn't a staged performance but a time and place, and as such, there was no getting out of there. Arilyn and Dan were in Realms attire, which looked a bit at odds with the 18th century wigs and frills, but the Mozart/Da Ponte characters didn't seem to see anything amiss. Dan looked delighted by this turn of events and joined right in with the fun, even singing all his dialog in stylistically appropriate recitative. Arilyn, on the other hand, hung by the side of the stage, an expression on her face that said, "Okay, who do I have to kill to get out of here?"
That was pretty much it. But it amused me, and I really enjoyed seeing and hearing the characters in such a vivid fashion. It seems to me that when characters show up in your dreams, that's a sign that you've either a) done something right or b) need to adjust your meds.
That's really great stuff. And, somehow, I don't feel so bad for once imagining Danilo in The Abduction from the Seraglio. I think he'd make an interesting Belmonte.  |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 05:22:33
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
I've been getting nostalgic of late--a curse of advancing age, perhaps. This weekend I finally bought a copy of the 4th edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.
 "bought?!?!"
You meant, they "paid" you for you to read that... object, right? 
[sorry... I stopped putting ranks in diplomacy a long time ago, especially when it comes to books I would rank slightly below labels on the side of cereal boxes... ] |
Edited by - Purple Dragon Knight on 28 May 2009 05:26:00 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 13:09:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
I've been getting nostalgic of late--a curse of advancing age, perhaps. This weekend I finally bought a copy of the 4th edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.
"bought?!?!"
You meant, they "paid" you for you to read that... object, right?
[sorry... I stopped putting ranks in diplomacy a long time ago, especially when it comes to books I would rank slightly below labels on the side of cereal boxes... ]
Nope, I went to Borders this weekend, my "40% off for any one item" computer-generated coupon firmly in hand and bought the 4e FRCS, just like any other 4e-curious, 2nd-ed-relic geezer-geek. I haven't had time to read it yet, but I will. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 13:13:24
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Do you happen to have its name (the music software) handy? I've been in the market for some new music software for a while now. The one I'm using at the moment has an awful and confusing configuration.
It's "Music Creator 4" by cakewalk. I can't really recommend it because I haven't worked with it enough to know what it can do and how well it works. My initial impression was along the "awful and confusing" lines, but that may have more to do with my dubious grasp of technology than the relative merits of the software.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 28 May 2009 13:38:23 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 13:37:31
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
And, somehow, I don't feel so bad for once imagining Danilo in The Abduction from the Seraglio. I think he'd make an interesting Belmonte.
I hadn't thought of that role, specifically. The only performance that really brought my image of Danilo to life was Rupert Everett in the movie adaption of the Oscar Wilde play "An Ideal Husband." Everett's performance nailed Dan's Waterdeep persona. But now that you mention it, Dan is about the right vocal type for Belmonte.
Musicians do tend to pick up on other aspects of a bard-infested story than do most readers. For example, I received an email from a PhD musicology student in the UK who was tickled to see a mention of L'homme armé in Elfsong. At the time, I had a backstory concept that involved Finder Wyvernspear and plane-hopping, and I was working from the idea that Finder traveled to other realities, including ours, and left some of his tunes behind, thus being the source for some of the more popular music written by the prolific Anonymous. I like to add little things like that from time to time to amuse myself and to hide Easter eggs for other musicology geeks.
Unfortunately, many fantasy writers who write about bards don't seem to know the first thing about music. Charles de Lint is a notable exception. He gets it right, always. Patrick Rothfuss does pretty well, too, even if the instrument shown on his website page that discusses lutes is actually a vihuela. But I cringe every time a fantasy novel informs me that a sound "reaches a crescendo" (Note to the clueless: a crescendo is the process of getting louder, not the end point of that process) or that a "melody is so complicated only three living bards" can play it on a harp. (Clue the second: a melody involves one note at a time. Pretty much any competent musician can manage that, provided the instrument or voice has a range that encompasses the melody's.) And omg, some of the stuff in the gaming handbooks. Bards with an affinity for dragons play the "water pipe"? More likely. bards who eff with water pipes long enough just THINK they see dragons. What I find most head-shaking is the widespread assumption that bards are invariably vainglorious attention hounds, because really, what other reason would anyone have to stand up and perform? My feeling is that anyone who doesn't know and love music enough to understand why someone would spend their lives learning, writing, and sharing it probably ought to be writing about gnolls, instead.
Geez, I must have been using Purple Dragon's dice when I rolled the Diplomacy check.... |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 28 May 2009 13:44:04 |
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3243 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 13:59:11
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| Ooh... Now I'm getting some urgings to ask you a lot about how you would envision a Changeling (Eberron) bard's performing. I've been playing her as this seeker for knowledge whose bardic skills center around her vocal talents (after all, a changeling should be able to make 'tweaks' to her vocal chords to sing any range, a lá Diva from Fifth Element). |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2009 : 14:08:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
Ooh... Now I'm getting some urgings to ask you a lot about how you would envision a Changeling (Eberron) bard's performing. I've been playing her as this seeker for knowledge whose bardic skills center around her vocal talents (after all, a changeling should be able to make 'tweaks' to her vocal chords to sing any range, a lá Diva from Fifth Element).
Can't help you here. I haven't ventured into Eberron, other than a quickly-abandoned attempt to read Marcy Rockwell's novel. (Nothing against the novel--I really wanted to read it, but the print was too small and eyestrain set in before I'd read three pages.) |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 03:50:19
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunninghamAnd omg, some of the stuff in the gaming handbooks. Bards with an affinity for dragons play the "water pipe"? More likely. bards who eff with water pipes long enough just THINK they see dragons.
*snort* Do you remember where you read that? You have to admit, in a way, that's pretty funny. |
"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 - 30 May 2009 : 04:53:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunninghamAnd omg, some of the stuff in the gaming handbooks. Bards with an affinity for dragons play the "water pipe"? More likely. bards who eff with water pipes long enough just THINK they see dragons.
*snort* Do you remember where you read that? You have to admit, in a way, that's pretty funny.
It was in one of the bard handbooks. 3.5, I think? |
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Drizztsmanchild
Learned Scribe
USA
228 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 09:06:14
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| Good Morning Mrs/Ms(?) Cunningham. I don't really have a question, just stopping in to thank you for all your creativity in your Songs and Swords novels(with Danilo and Arylin Elaith Khelben et al). They (among others) helped introduced me to the FR world and provided many a night of adventures more vivid and exciting than anything Hollywood can seem to come up with(10 dollars for the trash they call movies now... no thank you, unless they're well made FR movies ). I enjoyed every aspect of those books and was disappointed when "Reclaimation" was never published(No need for explanation, I've read your reasons why and have accepted them with complete understanding). Thank you again and I'm going out to purchase City of Splendors and Best of the Realms III. BTW What is your first novel with Liriel in it? (So there was question after all ;) ) |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 14:29:42
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| Liriel was introduced in Daughter of the Drow. Her tale continued in Tangled Webs and Windwalker, and there's a few short stories about her, collected in The Best of the Realms III. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 14:35:41
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Nope, I went to Borders this weekend, my "40% off for any one item" computer-generated coupon firmly in hand and bought the 4e FRCS, just like any other 4e-curious, 2nd-ed-relic geezer-geek. I haven't had time to read it yet, but I will.
Ah... that explains why you are still sane! |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 14:57:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
Nope, I went to Borders this weekend, my "40% off for any one item" computer-generated coupon firmly in hand and bought the 4e FRCS, just like any other 4e-curious, 2nd-ed-relic geezer-geek. I haven't had time to read it yet, but I will.
Ah... that explains why you are still sane!
Geez, PDK, you've really got to stop repressing everything. Try to express an opinion every now and again.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 15:00:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild
Good Morning Mrs/Ms(?) Cunningham. I don't really have a question, just stopping in to thank you for all your creativity in your Songs and Swords novels(with Danilo and Arylin Elaith Khelben et al)... BTW What is your first novel with Liriel in it?
Thanks, DMC! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the Songs & Swords stories. Wooly covered the Liriel question.
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3243 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 16:58:41
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Ah, the water pipe entry is from the 3.0 Song and Silence:
quote:
Song And Silence, p 49
Water-Pipe: The water-pipe, or hookah, is widely known among some human cultures, but its properties as a musical instrument were developed at the behest of a bronze dragon who wanted an instrument he could play without assuming anthropomorphic form. Many other dragons have since adopted this unusual instrument as their own.
Like a smoking hookah, the musical water-pipe works by filtering smoke through water held in a large, vaselike vessel. Instead of cooling the smoke for inhalation, however, the instrument version uses various special additions to enhance the sound of the bubbling water. Some water-pipes contain tiny crystal beads that tinkle against the sides of the vessel each time a puff of smoke stirs the water. Others have chimes or even tiny cymbals hung inside, which strike one another and ring softly whenever air moves within the vessel.
Dragons have seemingly boundless enthusiasm for the water-pipe and its music. In fact, dragon musicians sometimes spend years contemplating possible improvements and refinements. Most humanoids find water-pipe music soothing, but not particularly interesting. Occasionally, however, a humanoid sorcerer or a kobold takes up the water-pipe to stress his or her affinity with dragons.
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I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
Edited by - Ashe Ravenheart on 30 May 2009 16:59:38 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 17:15:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
Ah, the water pipe entry is from the 3.0 Song and Silence:
quote:
Song And Silence, p 49
Water-Pipe: The water-pipe, or hookah, is widely known among some human cultures, but its properties as a musical instrument were developed at the behest of a bronze dragon who wanted an instrument he could play without assuming anthropomorphic form. Many other dragons have since adopted this unusual instrument as their own.
Like a smoking hookah, the musical water-pipe works by filtering smoke through water held in a large, vaselike vessel. Instead of cooling the smoke for inhalation, however, the instrument version uses various special additions to enhance the sound of the bubbling water. Some water-pipes contain tiny crystal beads that tinkle against the sides of the vessel each time a puff of smoke stirs the water. Others have chimes or even tiny cymbals hung inside, which strike one another and ring softly whenever air moves within the vessel.
Dragons have seemingly boundless enthusiasm for the water-pipe and its music. In fact, dragon musicians sometimes spend years contemplating possible improvements and refinements. Most humanoids find water-pipe music soothing, but not particularly interesting. Occasionally, however, a humanoid sorcerer or a kobold takes up the water-pipe to stress his or her affinity with dragons.
Yep, that's the one. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 30 May 2009 17:15:28 |
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