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BobROE
Learned Scribe
Canada
106 Posts |
 Posted - 21 May 2004 : 14:05:38
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Just made it home from there myself. Gods a 6+ hr drive is way to much to do in one day. BUT THANK YOU ED for the wonderful hour and 45 mins or so. It was a blast finally meeting you.
[/quote]
I'll make it a third thanks, and ask Ed if he's ever thought of doing his books on take. They'd make an entertaining listen.
kuje31: Were you the one who got his picture taken with Ed with your female companion?
Dargoth: You had to post the entire list in the thread didn't you? Couldn't you have posted a link or something? It's here on Candlekeep. |
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RevJest
Learned Scribe
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 14:51:26
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The Hooded One,
Yet another question for Ed of the Greenwood.
Ed,
Please tell us whatever you'd care to about Aundable Inthre', husband of Laspeera of the War Wizards of Cormyr. And if you wanted to tell us a bit about Laspeera as well, I'd certainly not complain.
Sincerely,
Simon Trinity
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"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Myst
Acolyte
34 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 15:20:14
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Hey Ed of the Greenwood
I was just wondering when was the last time you Dmed a overnight game session. Could you name just a few of you more memorable gaming experiences. Like for example:
One of mine was when in a campaign that took the Pc's back and forth between Freeport and some pocket plane Our rogue manged to die three times in 4 sessions after the second time we actually started to root for the Dm he had to be the worst Rogue ever dying while trying to disable Dc 15 devices....lol Good times....He was a horribe rogue and he rerolled 3 times each time he died he had to make a new character( he was in the oringal party then he played the hired rogue and died and then play a freed slave and died).
Anyway who's your Favorite Pc...one that you have played. And who's your favorite group to play with like meaning when you think about that campaign you went on with them your like WOW I don't know what I was thinking and How they survived.....lol |
"The Cure to Ignorance is Knowledge"
-Aristotle- |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 16:37:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
Ive got a Question/Favour for Ed
A while ago one of the posters on the WOTC board created a compiled list (I believe it BobRoe) which had temples for all the gods and whcih towns and cities there in, it was basicly an expanded version of the list in the back of Powers and Pantheons.
A very comprehensive list. Thank you for sharing it. |
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BobROE
Learned Scribe
Canada
106 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 17:14:27
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
A very comprehensive list. Thank you for sharing it.
You're welcome. Not for posting it, but for making it. |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 01:46:58
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quote:
Originally posted by BobROE
Dargoth: You had to post the entire list in the thread didn't you? Couldn't you have posted a link or something? It's here on Candlekeep.
Didnt know it was here at Candlekeep and I orgionally got it from the WOTC message board back in July last year (And Im pretty sure they killed the old boards not long after that.) |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 02:05:52
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quote:
Originally posted by BobROE
kuje31: Were you the one who got his picture taken with Ed with your female companion?
With the long brown hair? Aye..... I was the one who asked about Castlemorn. :) Kind of ruined my night cause when I got home I had a freaking kidney stone attack so I just got back from being in the hospital for 13 hrs'. Grin, but we learned it's good to go to the ER at 3 in the morning cause no one is there! |
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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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 03:51:49
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
With the long brown hair? Aye..... I was the one who asked about Castlemorn. :) Kind of ruined my night cause when I got home I had a freaking kidney stone attack so I just got back from being in the hospital for 13 hrs'. Grin, but we learned it's good to go to the ER at 3 in the morning cause no one is there!
Ouch! Take care of yourself kuje31. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 04:12:54
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Well met, gentles all. Ed hath returned from his venture into Toronto (which no doubt involved a lot of wild and crazy driving that he thankfully still takes in stride, after twenty years of two-hundred-miles daily commuting) having enjoyed his reading at the Merrill Collection immensely. As promised, his first reply via me shall be the long-awaited Krafus query about Raumathar.
Hi, Krafus. Sorry for the wait. Well, please remember we’re dealing with sketchy ancient lore here, and therefore are speaking in generalities. The Raumathari began as a mounted, nomadic people (much as their age-old rivals the Nars did, and later returned to), and became skilled fighters, specializing in lance and sling-work from horseback, and later the use of throwing knives (BIG throwing knives, curved like the kukris of the real-world Gurkhas) and small horse-bows.
There were sorcerers among the Raumathari, and eventually some of these rose to become battle-leaders. The Raumathari, by the way, respected personal ability over gender or family, which was one of the reasons they grew to wealth, power, and sophistication so quickly: they paid collective attention to new ideas and successes, seldom subverting them due to jealousies, clan loyalties, or corrupt desires to remain in power.
The brightest Raumathari sorcerers saw that their spells were limited by their own inspiration and experimentations (and that opportunities to do the latter in anything close to safety were VERY limited) and set about trying to capture and even seduce wizards from other realms and peoples, so as to gain access to existing magical knowledge.
In a few (but enough) cases, these attempts were successful, and (again, the Raumathari respecting ability over origins; there was very little negative opinion of ‘outlander’ wizards) in a few generations the Raumathari had trained up respectable numbers of wizards from among their own people.
Yes, one COULD make a “Raumathari battle-wizard” a prestige class, but I wouldn’t, because I view them as varying so much in ability from individual to individual (see two paragraphs below). Raumathari battle-wizards should be dual-classed wizard/fighters, always beginning as fighters and then, once they demonstrated both interest and aptitude, slowly learning useful-in-battle spells from fellow fighters who’d already mastered some magic.
Those Raumathari wizards and sorcerers who had no taste for battle wouldn’t be battle-wizards: they’d be tapestry-makers or woodcarvers or scribes or whatever, who were also wizards or sorcerers.
As for questions about organization, tactics, favoured magic items, and typical levels: forgive me, but this is an overly modern, real-world way of looking at things. To me, it seems like asking: “All of the men in the world: how are they organized, what are their tactics, and what items do they most often use?”
The Raumathari began as nomadic warriors and achieved early success as mercenaries. They valued individual achievement, and the sharing of useful skills and knowledge throughout all Raumathari . . . so there were no “typical levels” of anyone or anything, and (aside from mobility, striking from horseback and always moving in battle -- until they had cities to defend) their tactics varied greatly from group to group, following what had worked for that particular group, and experimenting with what they’d heard had worked for other groups.
Always of great importance among the Raumathari were sorcerers (and later wizards, too) who could use magic to communicate across great distances, between Raumathari communities and armies and caravans.
So a Raumathari battle group would be a cavalry unit organized around, and protecting, those Raumathari who had communication and healing magic, and led by the most competent battle-veterans. Sorcerers and wizards among them would hurl spells from horseback, or halt while others held their horses, dismount, cast spells as swiftly as possible, and ride on again.
One of the reasons Raumathar ultimately fell was that the Raumathari developed very few magic items, so what they did have would be whatever they’d seized from others or gained in trade.
I suppose you could describe a lot of Raumathari tactics as “hit and run.” They were particularly fond of striking unexpectedly from the rear, and then vanishing again, riding off to rush in later, again and again, rather than standing to fight and be hammered at by a prepared foe in prepared formations and terrain position.
I suppose a typical Raumathari battle-wizard would have four or five levels as some sort of warrior (if you have or use prestige classes for mounted archers, apply them) before gaining a level as a wizard, and thereafter progress as opportunities afforded (both for magical tutelage and for battle experience).
So if a battle-group was thirty or forty riders strong, about a dozen would be low-level novices (as some sort of warrior, with no spellcasting ability), three or so would be powerful fighter/wizard dual-classes, another two would be good riders who were either clerics or arcane spellcasters with long-range communication or translocation (teleport) magics, and the rest would be whatever mounted warrior class you think best fits, of levels 3 through 7, with a quarter to a third of them also having a few levels as a wizard or a sorcerer.
I hope this helps. Eric or George or anyone else, feel free to jump in and augment or correct, if lore exists that contradicts this ‘genesis of the Raumathari’ view. I know that from its nomadic beginnings, Raumathar became a briefly-flourishing great realm, and its character could well have changed, until battle-wizards DID have codified tactics, ranks, organization, and typical levels or spells.
So saith Ed. News to me, a player of a present-Realms-day Knight who spent most of her time plunging from frying pans into fires, or vice versa. :}
More from Ed very soon,
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 04:14:10
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Hail, fellow scribes. Thy Hooded Lady returns, with the latest words from Ed:
To kuje31, Proc, BobROE, John, and some other scribes who desired to remain anonymous,
It was a pleasure to meet all of you at the Merrill Collection reading on Thursday. I hope my narration didn’t put too many of you to sleep.
You can probably tell that I was also seeing some old friends (including my best friend from my high school days, whose wife works at the Merrill) there, and fantasy and sf fans should keep in mind both Michelle West/Michelle Sagara, the lady who was manning the Elminster’s Daughter selling table at the back, herself a deservedly bestselling fantasy author (look for THICK paperbacks with beautiful covers, from DAW), and the library itself, which is a superb collection of reference-only fantasy and sf classics (if you want to see a rare or hard to find work, it’s THE place in North America to go).
I was deeply impressed by the folks who drove for hours (from New Hampshire, in one case! Ye gods!) to see me. I hope you weren’t too disappointed. Well, at least there were lots of good eats.
kuje, you handed me a list of Realmslore questions, and here are my best stabs at some answers:
AvengedMutablegenus:
“1. What was your inspiration for some of the main NPCs? Were they based off of your friends?”
A: No, I am cursed with what some of my teachers preferred to call “an overly vivid imagination.” In short, I just plain ‘made up’ the Realms NPCs. Yes, hundreds of them. Of course, in my imagination I drew on the mannerisms, speech patterns, behaviours, looks, and actions of thousands of real people I met growing up (in a VERY wealthy Canadian neighbourhood, so I got to see lots of eccentrics and new-money puffed up folks; and with three sets of grandparents through whom I met lots of hard-working farmers, some of them old and garrulous; and in a city that many have described as “the REAL United Nations,” full of immigrants from all over the world, with their great collective variety of cuisine, customs, faiths, and philosophies). Yet I’ve NEVER taken a real person and put him or her directly into the Realms, with a new name and medieval garb. Never. And I never will.
“2. How much of FR did RA Salvatore make? Did you give him freelance to make up things like new races monsters etc.?”
A: As far as I know, Bob created the Icewind Dale, Ten Towns, Icingdeath and the mountain that was that dragon’s lair, Menzoberranzan and its inhabitants, Artemis Entreri, Cadderly and his monastery, a lot of the features of Vaasa and Damara, Mithril Hall, Pook and his palace, The Accursed Tower, and details of the Nars. I say “as far as I know” because TSR’s book editors and game designers were the people who ‘gave’ Bob leeway to create things, not me; I don’t control the published Realms, and never have. Bob asked my permission to use Alustriel and the Harpells and the Tower of Twilight and the Arcane and the Herald’s Holdfast and so on, out of friendship and courtesy, and I’ve been thrilled at the colour, vigour, and popularity he’s brought to the Realms over the years. I’m not sure if he’s created any new races (the drow, svirfneblin, illithids, and hook horrors were all part of the game well before I saw the manuscript of The Crystal Shard), but I’m sure the scribes here can supply one if he did. Bob’s chief achievements in the Realms, in my opinion, are bringing a cast of vivid, believable, and memorable characters to life, and creating the drow society of Menzoberranzan in such unforgettable and compelling detail.
“3. Where did the idea of the weave come from?”
A: The idea of the weave has been part of the Realms from the very beginning. It was my way of viewing and understanding “the interconnectedness of all things” in my world, the ways in which magic and all natural forces (kinetic energy, the weather cycle, tides, sunlight, etc.) were linked and interacted together. The name “Weave” was introduced (I believe) by Julia Martin of TSR and now Wizards, as the way folk of Faerun described these interwoven forces. Neither the concept nor the name are truly original; they have been part of real-world mythologies, world-philosophies, and religions for thousands of years.
Zanon:
“Will the drow, Lolth and Kiaransalee still be there after the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen?”
A: I honestly don’t know the fate of the drow, Lolth, and Kiaransalee, although I have been privy to quite enough secret unfolding Realmslore to possess very strong suspicions. However, I wouldn’t tell you those answers even if I knew them, for two reasons: legal (Non-Disclosure Agreements MEAN something, and I keep the agreements I make, even if there aren’t legal penalties attached to not doing so) and because “spilling” certain sorts of Realmslore before they’re supposed to be revealed ruins the fun for everyone. Of COURSE anyone who cares about the War of the Spider Queen plotline wants to know what you’ve asked about, but a lot of the fun of the Realms is watching stuff unfold before your eyes, waiting for the next step, speculating on what might happen, and so on.
Let’s put it another way: pretend you are a young, ardent guy who’s deeply in love with a girl. She’s your first real love, and you hope she loves you, too. Circumstances separate you for a season, and (unbeknownst to her) you sell everything that’s precious to you to buy a plane or train ticket to get across the country to be with her.
So you’re sitting in your seat, halfway through the trip, and the fat bearded stranger (no, not me; perhaps it’s Santa, or a god, or the Lost Sock Fairy) sitting next to you turns his head, greets you by name, and announces he can tell you, in exacting detail and with complete truth, what lies ahead for you, your entire life, with the girl you’re pursuing. Everything: whether she really loves you, if your courtship is going to happen and every good and bad incident that’s going to be part of it, if you’re going to have a life together at all, whether or not either one of you is going to betray the other, or drop dead of cancer or being hit by a car in two weeks or one of you end up murdering the other...whatever. And his words will remain true, describing events that can’t be changed NO MATTER WHAT YOU TRY TO DO, once you know all about them.
More than this: you won’t be able to forget a single word this stranger tells you. And the price is: no matter what he reveals, you have to go ahead with the rest of the trip and trying to find and pursue the girl, even if you know, every moment, that it means you’re rushing towards disaster, or heartbreak, or death.
If I’m the stranger, you’re the young guy -- and either way, I’ve ruined your enjoyment of the War of the Spider Queen, haven’t I? Even if you REALLY WANT TO KNOW, right now, telling you will damage things...and, in this day of the Net, and everyone reading this thread at the Candlekeep site, everyone else will have their experience of the saga ruined too.
Yes, secrets weigh heavily, and carrying a lot of them is a heavy burden. That’s one of the reasons Elminster is so crazy.
WizoBigsis:
“How canon is the concept of canon? To put it another way ... do the designers & writers believe in an “official” line that “trumps” other versions, and do they build this into their work?”
A: Hi! Long time no see! We must get together properly and hoist a flagon or two, some day soon.
I know that in Realms work, various designers and writers have different personal opinions on just what canon is, and how (or if) it should be followed, and that the companies involved (TSR, its various Realms sub-licenses, and TSR as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, etc.) have also held various positions over the years.
As the guy who started the ball game, and whose “authority” to decree details about the Realms was enshrined in the original Realms agreement, I believe there is such a thing as canon (to paraphrase that agreement, if I say something about the Realms, whatever I say is canon until a later TSR printed source contradicts or modifies what I say, this later source becoming canon). The most recent published official source is canon.
I also believe that the Realms must have an official line that everyone tries to adhere to, because the believability of this imaginary world that we now all share depends on ‘the willing suspension of disbelief,’ and this pretending is made harder with each contradiction and inconsistency that creeps into Realmslore.
As the Realms continues, and its detail and the number of creators working with and in it grows, the entire tapestry we’re creating together gets more and more complex, and it becomes impossible for any one person to hold all of it in his or her head (trust me: I know!). The potential for screwups grows greater and greater, and striving for canon, even if we fail from time to time, becomes vitally important to avoid the messes that, say, the comics companies found themselves in twenty years ago, when they had to “invent” multiple dimensions to explain away the varying origins stories and differing details of their characters.
In my experience, some of the richest Realmslore has grown from the efforts of dedicated scribes (to mention just a few names among many: Schend, Boyd, and Krashos) to reconcile and explain away apparent contradictions with “in-the-Realms” explanations. This makes canon an even brighter shining crown to strive for. I would hope that every Realms editor, designer and writer tries to follow canon, and is properly informed of canon sources before a project begins, so that they have a hope of doing so.
Or it makes all of our work and imagining and enjoying a little cheaper, a little hollow. And I’ve now put almost thirty-seven years of work into this.
kuje31: “Do people in FR have birthstones for each month? Or the like?”
A: No to birthstones, although some people seem to have an affinity for certain types of gemstones (discovered quite by accident during their lives, not by prophecy or folklore or priestly decrees or examinations). Yes to “the like:” people in the Realms have stars that are brightest on the nights of their birth (as observed at the place of their birth, that is, so too bad if it’s overcast; this isn’t a matter of astrology or predictions or reliable sage-lore), and when seen shining brightly at some later time, are intepreted to mean a moment of good fortune or likely success or possible importance for that person.
So saith Ed. Whew, kuje, you seem to have kept Ed plenty busy. He’s getting right back to the “small, but growing again” mountain of Realmslore requests, he promises me. I’ll leave him to it for now, and return to my own work, too. Fare thee well for now, fellow scribes.
THO
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 06:06:46
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
Ouch! Take care of yourself kuje31.
Much better now. :) It was my 6th or 7th month due date for a attack any how..... Gods it's sad when you keep track of these things since they come so much. |
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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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 06:13:02
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hail, fellow scribes. Thy Hooded Lady returns, with the latest words from Ed:
To kuje31, Proc, BobROE, John, and some other scribes who desired to remain anonymous,
It was a pleasure to meet all of you at the Merrill Collection reading on Thursday. I hope my narration didn’t put too many of you to sleep.
You can probably tell that I was also seeing some old friends (including my best friend from my high school days, whose wife works at the Merrill) there, and fantasy and sf fans should keep in mind both Michelle West/Michelle Sagara, the lady who was manning the Elminster’s Daughter selling table at the back, herself a deservedly bestselling fantasy author (look for THICK paperbacks with beautiful covers, from DAW), and the library itself, which is a superb collection of reference-only fantasy and sf classics (if you want to see a rare or hard to find work, it’s THE place in North America to go).
I was deeply impressed by the folks who drove for hours (from New Hampshire, in one case! Ye gods!) to see me. I hope you weren’t too disappointed. Well, at least there were lots of good eats.
kuje, you handed me a list of Realmslore questions, and here are my best stabs at some answers:
Thanks Ed and the Flirty Hooded One as well for being the go between for all of us! |
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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Krafus
Learned Scribe
246 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 15:34:56
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quote:
Hi, Krafus. Sorry for the wait.
No problem. I'm a fantasy fan - I'm used to waiting. 
quote:
I hope this helps.
It does, very much so. The battle-group description in particular.
EDIT: Oh, and I've come up with another question (heh heh), from rereading the Shadow of the Avatar trilogy. What has happened to Illistyl Elventree, of the Knights of Myth Drannor, since the Time of Troubles? |
Edited by - Krafus on 22 May 2004 15:39:48 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 20:18:30
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Well met again, fellow scribes. I bring the words of Ed for Athenon, about Calaunt (he’ll get to Harrowdale later):
Calaunt (described in both FRA and briefly in the closing pages of THE CITY OF RAVENS BLUFF) is a grim stone city of high walls that surrounds the silty mouth of the River Vesper in the shape of a gigantic bowl: its grandest, tallest houses line the inside of the city walls, and the lowest, most ramshackle structures lean crazily from prop to improvised prop, nearest the river (ancient warehouses and one-storey shanties). The stink of river-mud wrestles with the reek of the tanneries for olfactory supremacy, in a constant, throat-tightening battle made worse throughout the warmer months by thick dusk-to-dawn fogs.
The tanneries stand on the north bank of the River Vesper, near the two rows-of-carved-gargoyle-surmounted bridges that link the two halves of the city. Except during violent storms over the Reach (which often blow out of the northwest, but bring fresh, damp air to the entire city), the prevailing local breezes blow down the Vesper and then veer southwest, carrying the tannery smells to the harbor and the riverbank slums.
Most streets in Calaunt are cobbled, mosses and clinging vines are the most prevalent greenery (trees are almost unknown, except as indoor luxuries in the tall, narrow mansions of the richest merchants), and buildings tend to be shutter-windowed, unlovely fortress-like boxes. Older buildings sometimes sport small balconies, but these are often crumbling and unsafe, and used mainly as a way to hang washed smallclothes for drying. Damp is an everpresent problem in Calaunt, and keeping clean is often a problem, so those who can afford it bathe in herb-scented oils and then scrape their skins clean. Many of the poorest labourers have skin rashes and molds, and hair that’s home to many lice -- or is hacked off short and kept well-oiled. Open-web hammocks are popular sleeping-places, especially in the crowded homes of the poor.
At night, the Shadowcloaks make the streets murderously unsafe for small parties or lone travellers -- and sometimes even bursts into private homes to stab and rape and steal. Many thieves make “good honest coin” by selling strong drink and tasty cheeses, sweet boiled candies (usually sugar-coated fruit segments) and “softmeats” (spiced pates made of crushed fowl liver) nightly to wealthy merchants and to members of the Teeth.
By day, the well-armed Teeth patrol outside the city walls against “greedy Tantrans” and marauding monsters (and check all incoming and outgoing merchants’ wagons), conduct VERY thorough cargo inspections in the harbour (there’s no smuggling in or out of Calaunt, locals say, that isn’t approved by one of the Merchant Dukes), and keep the peace in the streets. Uniformed, heavily-armored soldiers are everywhere in Calaunt, seldom in groups of less than a dozen, and will challenge anyone who looks suspicious.
This oppression has led to Calauntans doing most things (such as going to work, or to shop, or to taverns or worship) in large groups of neighbours, often with hired “shields.” More Calauntans work as members of the Teeth than anything else, but the next most numerous occupation (before dockloader and tanner) is as a shield, or armed guard. Shields make up the musters of the city Lances, in times of war, but on a daily basis hire out privately as bodyguards and building guards. Many shops have frowning, bristling-with-blades warriors standing in their doorways and back corners -- and many of these men are skilled with throwing lassoes and using slings to bring down fleeing targets.
Shields seeking hire can be found at all city inns, taverns, temple gates, large and important shops, and just inside all city gates. They’re rarest in the streets of the wealthy, who usually have their own hired bodyguards. No Shadowcloak can work as a shield or work with a shield (upon pain of death for both), and any shield who betrays a client will be harshly sentenced (depending on the facts of the matter, this can mean death, sold to a slaver and taken away on a ship, or a public stripping, flogging, and tossing in the river, to try to survive however they can sans shield-license, clothes, and weapons. Typical shield fees are four gp up front for an evening or half-day hire, plus 1 gp per wound taken or opponent defeated or felled. (This increases somewhat with the apparent ability of the client to pay, and the proclaimed skills and equipment of the shield.)
Shields must be licensed by the Dukes, and wear a steel gray “diagonal-crossed-gauntlets-making-fists, knuckles-uppermost” badge that denotes this fact (a badge related to the arms of Calaunt, which display the two crossed gauntlets on a brown field inside a circle of gold coins, which is encircled by an unbroken loop of steel chain).
The coins on the arms of Calaunt look the same as the coins recently minted by the Scepter: rough stamped-out circles of gold, silver, and copper that have the Scepter’s sigil on one side, and a key on the other. The sigil is a vertical human right hand clenched in a fist around a horizontal scepter, knuckles uppermost and fingers towards the viewer, with a scepter being a plain metal bar ending in a four-pointed star at each end. The key is a long-barreled device etched on the diagonal, with a two-flange-end at the viewer’s lower left, and a three-loop-leaf handles at the viewer’s upper right. Behind it are three parallel wavy horizontal lines, representing waves (and Calauntan shipping).
The typical Calauntan manner is a truculent, wary, self-first cynicism, with most folk working doggedly and determinedly to support themselves and to get their fun despite the dangers and the tyranny.
Calauntans love to dance, and love to bake in warmth around fires, often on cushions laid atop rocks heated by the fires. Most of them also love to drink and to engage in lovemaking (as fun and not with any feelings of love involved, so that a happy couple will go to a club and separate to seek pleasure with various partners, often telling each other their experiences afterwards, when they’re home again and falling asleep in bed together). Music (beyond a low, undulating dance-beat, often led by hand-drums, a lone, low-voiced “wordless wailing” singer, and a low-pitched shawm or gloon) and other noisemaking isn’t appreciated or valued in Calaunt, and talk against the Dukes or their magic is frowned upon, because “you never know when one o’ them sharpears might be listening -- with a spell, see?”
It’s common for dockworkers to work as long as necessary when ships arrive, but many other folk work “four days on and then two days off,” leaving most of one day off for laundry, food-shopping, and other errands, and the rest of the time for pursuing pleasures and sleeping it all off. A typical shop will be owned and run by a family, and employ two to three other persons, so as to keep the shop open the usual hours (late morning to dusk) every day, and yet permit individuals to keep to this “time on, time off” cycle. The lowest-ranking employees, of course, must come in whenever needed, and so can’t keep such a regular cycle, snatching both work and pleasure time when they can.
Calauntans who don’t enjoy drinking or “lauthlar” (swinging) often gather in little private groups or clubs centered around a common interest (from playing particular gambling games or sculpting little curios to collecting tapestries; only dabbling in magic is outlawed among such interests, though much of this defiantly goes on). These groups usually meet at the home of one of their members.
The wealthiest Calauntans, of course, avidly follow fashions from elsewhere, often paying retainers to adventurers, minstrels, or merchants to bring them regular news from the wider world.
“Every Calauntan knows” that the Scepter is a figurehead controlled by the Merchant Dukes, and that “there’s something odd” about the Barons of Calaunt. It’s widely known that the Dukes use fell magic to spy on everyone, and permit no mage of any power to tarry or dwell in Calaunt (or any magic item brought inside the walls to remain outside of their possession for long). What Calauntans disagree heatedly over -- and engage in ongoing lively gossip and even wagering about -- is what the Dukes are REALLY up to, who they’re allied with (from neighbouring rulers to dragons or beholders or even the drow of the Deep Realms), and what their future plans are.
Whatever truth there might be among all the speculations, it’s generally understood that the mage Iritar the Dark is truly evil, and that most of his fellow Dukes are more fun-loving, increasingly-corrupt retired adventurers than anything else, who delight in wallowing in the pleasures and riches of having “made it,” and like to think of themselves as folk of importance in the world -- folk whose reputations allow them to participate in the intrigues of the high and mighty.
As I told Lashan in an earlier post, I kept things mysterious so you can ally the Dukes with agents from Zhentil Keep or anywhere else you’d like to pick, from unscrupulous Sembian slavers to drug-runners and pirates serving masters in Westgate -- or with no one at all. What is certain is that they prevent new temples from being founded because they don’t want priests challenging their authority and ‘influence through silent threat,’ that their aggressive defenses of the city have forced Tantras into a wary truce, and that they poisoned and murdered their way into power by downing the merchant lords of Calaunt until the survivors cowered and let them have their way.
Less certain is how they prevented the Red Wizards from establishing a trading enclave in the city -- unless the Thayans merely took stock of the situation, decided Calauntans weren’t worth the trouble as a market for magic items (local wealth is paltry, overthrowing the Dukes would be necessary to allow untrammeled trade in magic items, and such an upheaval might well goad other Dragonreach cities into mustering armies against Calaunt) and fighting Iritar and his servitors and allies was just too much trouble. There are rumours that Iritar reached a private agreement with a lone Red Wizard (some even say he’s having a secret love affair with a female Red Wizard) to win a special status for Calaunt -- although just what that status might be is yet another mystery.
After the sinister Iritar, Alascartha Vyperwood is the most interesting duke. Flame-haired and strong-spirited, but possessed of iron self-control and a glib tongue, she has apparently carried on affairs with all of her fellow Dukes at various times during their adventuring careers, and although they are all wary of her now, she remains the confidant of all but Iritar, and the firm business-partner of the halfling Pirithin Alagost, himself a tireless (if shady) mercantile entrepreneur. Alascartha dreams of being accepted into the ranks of nobles in Cormyr or perhaps even Waterdeep, but failing that would settle for the nobility of Sembia, and is known to have paid handsomely for knowledge of neareby portals leading to upland Sembia and to Marsember, and have paid even more for ‘inside’ information about Cormyr’s noble families (little customs and points of etiquette, who hates whom and why, and so on). On rare occasions she sneaks out of Calaunt for a night to attend a revel somewhere in Cormyr, seeking to be accepted as a noble and just hang out with REAL nobles. This of course makes her ripe for participation in the various conspiracies, and the War Wizards have identified her and are now watching for her visits, though they’ve no intention of stopping her (they want someone to approach her to join a conspiracy, and thereby reveal to them more about that particular conspiracy).
The Dukes dwell in palatial, balcony-and-carving-festooned fortresses at the eastern end of the southern half of the city, near the Fortress of Five Vultures (the government buildings) and the adjacent Keep of the Scepter (abode of the figurehead ruler, and where important guests and envoys are housed). Most of the houses are actually “south, across the road” from those two state buildings, the road being Shardouk Street, which runs through the heart of the southern half of the city before curving north to cross the Vesper at the easternmost or upstream bridge, Klauntspires, and run along the inside of the city wall for most of the length of the north half of the city (the other bridge, Amundurspires, carries the street known as Malvesker’s Run across the river; it also runs through the north half of the city, but exits the south half of the city through Ontrar’s Gate; in both cases, the “spires” part of the bridge name refers to the fang-like upswept stone points of the bridge walls, carved into writhing masses of gargoyles that are rumored to be mainly carvings but also to include real gargoyles that go hunting [people on the streets] when Iritar calls them forth -- or when the night-fogs are thickest).
So saith Ed, and I’m happily adding this to my “essential Realmslore” file.
I’d also like to quickly add, to Sarelle: for mysterious reasons, both Mystra and Azuth from time to time magically “hide” certain beings from various of their Chosen, and Ed says he suspects this is what’s happened in the case of Perendra -- for some as-yet-unrevealed reason, probably involving Perendra dealing with something without being able to call on Elminster for advice or help, her resurrection has been hidden from him, and her memories of their friendship have been suppressed.
Hmmm, deeper and deeper, and (as Alice would say) curiouser and curiouser...
THO
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 22 May 2004 : 22:33:12
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I don't think we know anything solid about the Knights of Myth Drannor post-Godstrife; TSR and Wizards have both honoured their status as PCs and not pre-empted events not yet told in Ed's campaign.
Ed,
I'm still laying off sending you my Realms naming notes (they're not as big or impressive as I may be implying). Later this year...
One of my favourite pieces of Realmslore, and a big influence on my sense of busy many-stranded Faerûn, is the Current Clack that appeared in Polyhedron issues of 1990-1992, as well as FA1 (with DM's notes) and FR11. I think you submitted this in one lump, to be appended to "Everwinking Eye" articles to fill the page. These 5,000-odd words (and the Sembia plot in Polyhedron #94) need rescuing from obscurity and maybe I'll surreptitiously make them available somewhere. Anyway, do you have any thoughts to share on these? What time period they're set -- late 1350s/early 1360s, presumably. Any notes on how a DM might use them in play, any secrets buried in them you never got to follow up, that kind of thing.
A quick yes/no: is elven reverie (as introduced in PHBR8) part of your Realms?
...and why did Bob Salvatore make the Harpells comic? This is just an idle wonder that I keep forgetting to mention, not something I'm burning to know. |
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Athenon
Acolyte
USA
43 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 01:04:58
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Hi,
I just wanted to say thanks to Ed for that fantastic reply about Calaunt! That gives me a wealth of material to build on...
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Will Maranto
Representing the Realms in the Wilds of Northern Louisiana |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 01:45:30
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Hail and down swords, gentles all, ’tis but Thy Lady Hooded, with more of the interrupted-a-few-days-back ‘swift, sharp, and short’ replies from Ed:
To Gareth Yaztromo: I’m afraid I’ve no idea if Wizards of The Coast ever considered working with Games Workshop to create a tabletop battle game or anything else. If by “Fighting Fantasy fan” you mean the early green-spine Livingstone pick-a-path books, I read and enjoyed them as dungeon-crawl fantasy fixes, but disliked their overly-numerous “hah! You chose door number one, and are irrevocably and forever SLAIN haha!” moments; I wanted more choice and chances (nothing beats a live DM).
Of course I sign books for fans, at conventions and bookstore signings and the like, but please never, NEVER mail me a book in hopes of getting it signed. Somewhere in the Post Offal lurks a Realms book-collecting fairy, humming happily as her collection grows . . . and grows . . .
Seriously, the things never reach me; they always vanish without trace.
To Sarelle: I’d prefer not to lose a single monster deity, because I think promoting the different ethics and beliefs they represent, so as to give intelligent critters reasons for what they do beyond hunger and greed, adds a lot of richness to the game.
I don’t know anything about the real chances of fey and sea-race supplement books, but I have my suspicions: not good. I believe the “this is an inherently smaller market than a non-FR book on the same subject, and the subject itself is of sharply limited interest, when we could instead print X, Y, or Z” arguments will apply.
Someday I’d like to see the SOCIETIES of a lot of the “supporting cast” races published as hardcover rulebook tomes, and if I was doing the 'if I ruled Wotc' fantasy you refer to, I’d mate less-popular races to popular ones, so one book would be first half drow and second half gnomes , another would be mind flayers and sahuagin, a third would be the phaerimm and the sharn (!), a fourth would be beholders and bugbears, a fifth would be orcs and hobgoblins, a sixth would be beholders and -- well, you get the idea.
So saith Ed. More soon.
THO
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 03:03:49
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You know who I've wanted to know more about these many years, Ed? Sharanralee, and I'll ask about her... but not yet, not yet.
Sarelle, even though I was devil's-advocating to some extent on that monster-god thread, you were right. |
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 11:13:27
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Hail and Well Met, Lady Hooded One, the Lhaeo to Ed's Elminster!
Does Ed know if there is any intention to do another Arcane Age-like product for the Realms? Or, better yet, maybe another trilogy based in Realms-past? Like maybe about the Harpstar Wars? (I've asked Ed to do this one at several Gen Cons in the past. He keeps envisioning a 12 volume set, leather bound, released one per year. Jeff Grubb liked it too, but poor Steve Schend looked like he was gonna have a stroke! We REALLY shoudn't encourage them!  )
Also, back on the topic of Lhaeo, when will we get some info on who has replaced him for El? Not that anyone COULD replace him! But it seems like someone is pretending to be him.
Thank you, oh marvelous sage! |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 14:35:53
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Well met again, all. Thy Hooded Lady pounding the keys once more to bring you the latest replies of Ed:
Borch, I’ve one disappointment for you, I’m afraid. Your second question (the fate of the former occupant of the Friendly Arm) must go unanswered for now, for not-screwing-up-possible-future-Realmslore reasons. However, I’ll be tackling your other two questions soon. Must do Harrowdale for Athenon first.
Gerath Hoan, about Manshoon: I of course prefer my original, but the gorget (which of course by its name should be a throat collar, and not any sort of mask) is okay as a distinctive look for ONE of the clones. I prefer to think the REAL Manshoon is in hiding somewhere, watching his “lesser selves” operating, and awaiting his chance to strike at Fzoul at the same time as one of his clones does. It’s not just a matter of revenge, it’s a matter of Fzoul’s perversion of the Zhentarim into something less subtle and less effective than Manshoon intended it to be, more tied to the gods and less to subtly ruling and influencing Faerun through an ever-stronger brotherhood of mages (something Mystra would of course have supported, once Manshoon got past the “culling the magelings” stage).
I’ll get back to you with some suggestions on what some of the Manshoons are ‘up to’ (particularly the one co-operating with Fzoul in the Zhentarim).
Melfius, you should see more about “the new Lhaeo” within a year, but I’m afraid I can’t say more at this time. :}
So saith Ed. I must go, but I’ll be back soon (to sing one of Fagin’s lines without the beard or the fingerless gloves),
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 14:38:05
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Yes, on the heels of that horncall behold Thy Hooded Lady once more, bearing the latest words of Ed:
Faraer, here’s another set of naughty words (scribes offended by profanity, please avert eyes now). This time, behold the Realms euphemisms for those feminine features politely described as “breasts.”
The list hereafter ranges from (listed first) the clinical to the polite through the gently racy and silly to the really raw (listed last), with notes on usage and pronounciation in brackets:
Alpetan (plural form: singular is “alb”), brighthelms, bells, saebur (this is a singular and plural form, as in “Hsst! Catch the saebur yonder!” or “Feast on THOSE saebur, hey?”), fruit, pillows, ramraths (derived from “ramrath,” a reddish, round melon grown in the Tashalar), roalen (derived from “rollingheads,” from an old and anonymous ballad that compared the bouncing movement of a running woman’s breasts to the bouncings of severed warriors’ heads being rolled down an embankment by orcs after a battle), puffballs, handheavies, bite-loaves, zarrzem, bitebolds, pluckers.
Of these, a woman speaking to other women might use “bells” when speaking politely of breasts, “pillows” when joking about them, and “bitebolds” when intending to be rude or vicious.
In addition to the listed endearments, ugly, wrinkled, misshapen breasts are sometimes inevitably referred to as “udders.”
Nipples are clinically referred to as parlarren (singular: parl) and sometimes called thorns, daggerspikes, or (poetically or more politely, as in one woman to another, or a male noble trying to be daringly gallant when speaking to a female noble) springbuds. When trying to be coarse, speakers usually dub them “teats” or “suckworts.”
So saith Ed. I’ll just check that my suckworts are in standing order (so to speak), and see you all another time. :}
THO
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 15:43:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Melfius
Also, back on the topic of Lhaeo, when will we get some info on who has replaced him for El? Not that anyone COULD replace him! But it seems like someone is pretending to be him.
Thank you, oh marvelous sage!
Ed sort of answered this in a older reply in this thread. :) |
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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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 15:48:59
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Ed sort of answered this in a older reply in this thread. :)
Can you blame him if he missed it within 36 pages of information? |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 16:57:46
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| Faerûnian women have breasts? Good to know. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 16:58:35
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Hearken, scribes! For Ed returneth once more, or at least his words, borne on this e-platter by Thy ever-flirtatious Hooded One:
BobROE, you’re welcome. It was fun, and yes, I used to volunteer, years ago, to do occasional readings of books (not mine, and mainly mysteries, westerns, and romances -- oh, yes, I did the breathy voices and all! -- onto tape for the CNIB). I prefer to slow down a tad and do more intimate readings (no, no Hooded One, not THAT sort of intimate: I meant for a smaller audience who can sit closer to me!). I’ve done childrens’ storytellings in libraries for over thirty years, including at large festivals in Toronto like Word On The Street.
I’ve acted in plays, too, and done radio dramas (sometimes playing female characters, as The Hooded One can probably vividly recall).
Dargoth, there’s no way I’m going to hunt up all my Realmslore (the house is stuffed FULL) and exhaustively add all the temples I know about. Serpent Kingdoms just might add a few, but I’ll add a handful over the next few weeks, okay?
Krafus, a LOT has happened to Illistyl Elventree since the Time of Troubles, as well as to the rest of the Knights (as touched on much earlier in this thread, Pages 12 through 15, I believe). She’s grown in mastery of magic, self-confidence, and independence, tearing free of just being Jhessail’s apprentice and the tart-tongued lover of Torm, to become a pert, agile, and forceful afraid-of-none Knight of Myth Drannor in her own right. She’s still adventuring with the Knights, based in Shadowdale, and I might tell quite a few more tales involving her, in the years ahead. :} (Mumbles something about a trilogy as he wanders off into the depths of his library . . .)
So saith Ed. By way of an attempt to answer the questions about Ed’s output that were asked at the Merrill Collection (which are always complicated by the delays between acceptance of a “final” piece of writing and its publication), my completely unofficial tally of what he’s written so far in 2004 is: 14 columns, 6 short stories, and about two-thirds of a collaborative novel. By the end of the year, if he sticks to his schedule and doesn’t get run over by a bus, he should have finished that novel and written the first drafts of three more, plus another 4 short stories, 40-odd columns, and a few articles (these include charity and other ‘not to be published’ short stories; he often writes personal fantasy stories for young [sometimes terminally ill] children). And SiriusBlack, I wasn’t there to hear Ed’s reply, but the honest answer to that would probably be that Ed and his wife try to get to bed by about half past midnight, read for a couple of hours, and then sleep until around 7 am, unless Ed’s library work schedule or public appointments force him to rise earlier.
THO
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 17:14:16
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Ed sort of answered this in a older reply in this thread. :)
Can you blame him if he missed it within 36 pages of information?
Yes because search is your friend. :) Only kidding if that wasn't clear. |
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 |
Edited by - Kuje on 23 May 2004 17:25:13 |
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Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 19:28:09
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hail and down swords, gentles all, ’tis but Thy Lady Hooded, with more of the interrupted-a-few-days-back ‘swift, sharp, and short’ replies from Ed:
To Sarelle: I’d prefer not to lose a single monster deity, because I think promoting the different ethics and beliefs they represent, so as to give intelligent critters reasons for what they do beyond hunger and greed, adds a lot of richness to the game.
I don’t know anything about the real chances of fey and sea-race supplement books, but I have my suspicions: not good. I believe the “this is an inherently smaller market than a non-FR book on the same subject, and the subject itself is of sharply limited interest, when we could instead print X, Y, or Z” arguments will apply.
Someday I’d like to see the SOCIETIES of a lot of the “supporting cast” races published as hardcover rulebook tomes, and if I was doing the 'if I ruled Wotc' fantasy you refer to, I’d mate less-popular races to popular ones, so one book would be first half drow and second half gnomes , another would be mind flayers and sahuagin, a third would be the phaerimm and the sharn (!), a fourth would be beholders and bugbears, a fifth would be orcs and hobgoblins, a sixth would be beholders and -- well, you get the idea.
As if I didn't admire you enough, Ed, you are now my official idol!! At least, in terms of D&D.
Thanks for the reply (and for the superb Realmslore you have happily given out to other people - I thoroughly enjoy reading new posts on this thread.)
And thank you for the support Faraer. I am sorry for any stubbornness on my part in that thread, as I have mentioned to Kuje.
EDIT: Yay! Two big red stars! |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
Edited by - Sarelle on 23 May 2004 19:33:30 |
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Gerath Hoan
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 21:36:27
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To THO and Ed...
Thank you again for your continued patience with our Realmslore questions, and in particularly for answering my questions again.
Its so cool that you take the time out of your already busy (and probably sleepless!) schedule to do this for us.
I could ask questions about the Realms for months or years and never satisfy either my curiosity or the depth of information available, but out of respect for your busy schedule i'll keep the questions to the most pertinent and interesting.
Cheers again,
Gerath Hoan |
Knight of the Order of the Keen Eye - Granted by Ed Greenwood, 30th January 2005 |
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Bakra
Senior Scribe
628 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2004 : 23:26:40
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Thanks once again for the wealth of information you have provided for all of us Ed, also thanks to the Hooded One for taking time to be your messenger. Now I just need to buy a black ink cartridge so I can print the 30 page monster file of FR lore. Now to my back-up questions since the last one has been done before...
This question for you (or any fellow scribes that know the answer) pertains once again to Cormyr and that favorite spot of mine in two separate campaigns The Stonelands. I tracked down a Cormyrean Oath of Loyalty and it gave an oath for a War Wizard must take. This got me to thinking if you wrote a Oath for War Wizards and Highknights then there has to be a proclamation dealing with the Stonelands. I was wondering if you could point us in the direction for the official decree by the King if it exists in a past TSR/Wizards material. I know King Azoun made the decree but I don’t know the day, month, year that it went into affect or much less what it says. Like I said above if any scribes know the answer I would appreciate it if they can point me towards the right direction.
Take care everyone and Ed get back to work! *cracks a whip* 
Bakra Lord of the Outlying Thread
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I hope Candlekeep continues to be the friendly forum of fellow Realms-lovers that it has always been, as we all go through this together. If you don’t want to move to the “new” Realms, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either you or the “old” Realms. Goodness knows Candlekeep, and the hearts of its scribes, are both big enough to accommodate both. If we want them to be.
(Strikes dramatic pose, raises sword to gleam in the sunset, and hopes breeches won’t fall down.)
Enough for now. The Realms lives! I have spoken! Ale and light wines half price, served by a smiling Storm Silverhand fetchingly clad in thigh-high boots and naught else! Ahem . .
So saith Ed. <snip>
love to all,
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2004 : 01:25:03
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Well met again, gentle scribes! Thy Hooded One presents the latest words of Ed:
To Gerath Hoan, on the matter of Myrmeen Lhal: Myrmeen was a ranger of Mielikki, who (like most humans in the Realms) venerated both Tymora and Selune ‘on the side’ to aid her in her adventurings. Through an as-ye-untold and very interesting series of events (yes, ANOTHER novel I must get around to telling, someday), Mielikki “shared” her with Tymora, in order that Myrmeen might accomplish a task for the Lady of Luck (and no, I’m afraid I can’t tell you more about this, yet). Myrmeen now worships Tymora first and foremost, and venerates Mielikki and Selune ‘on the side,’ as it were, and she is an exception: the Realms isn’t full of “switch-hitting” rangers, :}
To both Gerath and Sirius Black: I always hoped that Scott would get the chance to pen a sequel to the Night Parade (to clear up the wild new field of Realmslore it opens up, if for no other reason :}), and so I’ve never touched on Krystin’s subsequent career in print. I have a plan up my sleeve (yes, I have VERY big sleeves), but as usual, I daren’t say more yet. Suffice it to say that none of these matters has been forgotten, though I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll live long enough to get to all of them. :}
And while I’m at it: Faraer, Sharanralee is ANOTHER of the characters I haven’t had the chance to properly tell tales of, yet; perhaps someday I can sneak a novel into print that throws her into a crumbling keep with Mirt and Durnan and Randal Morn and Silver Morn and the Rangers Three and everyone ELSE I haven’t had the chance to deal with properly, yet, and then turn on the blender . . . :}
As for the comic Harpells: Victor Selby played Malchor Harpell in the Company of Crazed Venturers, as a stern but wry wizard who had “an odd family back home in Longsaddle.” Bob Salvatore asked my permission (in a storage room full of empty boxes, at a long-ago GenCon) to use Alustriel and the Harpells, et al, in STREAMS OF SILVER and onward, and whilst saying yes (including okaying amusing Harpells), I told him that this fitted hand-in-glove with Victor’s sketchy unfolding history (revealed to that time only in two fleeting Company visits to Longsaddle, and in Malchor’s grousing). So almost all of the details are Bob’s (although some family members were named and given genders and approximate ages before he set to work), but the spirit matches the original Realms.
So saith Ed. Who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat in his last e-mail to me, because he introduced a shy young local teenage lass who was having trouble reading at school to Bone, Girl Genius, Buck Godot, Strangers In Paradise, Lucifer, and Cerebus, and now she excitedly wants more (and is trying, with Ed’s help, to figure out how to sneak Ironwood and XXXenophile home, past her mother’s watchful eye).
Ah, to be young again. 
THO
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2004)
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