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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Aug 2004 : 21:53:03
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Hello again, all. Just a quick answer to some concerned scribes --- and dearest Alaundo, too. 
Yes, Lord Bakra, Ed drinks cups and cups of regular (black) tea by day (full-boiled British, not hot-water-and-teabag American), and green tea with dinner/supper/evenfeast. No arcane rituals about writing, though. He does try to get away from radio, television, or interesting-lyric music, though, because it slows his writing because he starts listening and paying attention to the sound source. Also, music is DANGEROUS when writing fiction: the emotional reactions and 'colour' it engenders has a way of tricking the writer's mind into thinking they've got that same emotional feeling and richness down onto the page, when they really haven't (Ed knows this).
Wooly, of COURSE I'll not stop flirting. (Those bothered by explicit flirtation should just skip to the next paragraph right now, okay?) Why, all I'm wearing right now is handcuffs (ankle and wrist) and a wry smile, as I type this. Alaundo is right to warn you, but I hope he warns ME, too. Ummm, physically. 
Alaundo, dearest? 
Taelohn, I'd use the 3rd Edition version of El, myself. Elminster's memory is failing, but in specifics it comes and goes depending on what's happening to him. The "new" Mystra can't resupply missing memories during full-mind-contact the way the old one routinely did, whilst ahem, 'enjoying' El, but Azuth can and does do occasional "blow out the dust" retunings, and I see El's basic 'other' class skills as just that: so basic that they can't ever be really forgotten. So I'd restore his ability to use fighter, thief, and cleric (of Mystra) again. The latter is almost automatic, really, and El will lose dexterity and practise at manual-dexterity thief skills -- but never the sly swindles, tricks of booby-traps or learning answers, outthinking a foe or chosen victim and so on.
My musings for now. I hope Ed will be able to 'clock back in' before he departs for GenCon. He's still busily working away on projects to delight you all in future.
I remain, as ever, your delightfully obedient
THO
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2004 : 23:25:56
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Well met, Hooded One
Ahem Aye, no need for the handcuffs, my dear lady. Fellow scribes will get the wrong idea about the interrogation chamber interview room 
Now get ye back to thy Realmslore duties, and nay distracting my hard-working scribes hither with thy frivolities |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2004 : 00:36:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Alaundo
Now get ye back to thy Realmslore duties, and nay distracting my hard-working scribes hither with thy frivolities
But Al, some of us like the distractions the lovely Lady Hooded One provides! |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 13 Aug 2004 00:38:18 |
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fourthmensch
Acolyte
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2004 : 01:48:49
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| Well, Ed's clearly busy at the moment, so I won't pester him by adding any more queries to the queue than he already has. However, Lady Hooded, I'm curious if you still find time these days to game on any regular basis. I believe you (or Ed) mentioned long ago, in the early days of this monstrous thread, that the Knights group doesn't get to meet with any regularity--do any of you manage to play in other games? If so, do you prefer good old Realms goodness, or have you branched out into any of the other settings available in these d20 days? |
I want you to go home and ponder the meaning of the word subversive.
Gully Foyle is my name
And Terra is my nation
Deep space is my dwelling place
The stars my destination. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Aug 2004 : 03:50:43
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| Ed: a big "THANK YOU!" for the articles on Nimbral and Storm's quieter days... they bring me much enjoyment. They are a delight to read, and I cannot wait for the next instalments! |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 17:35:46
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Hello again, fellow scribes. fourthmensch, thy curiosity should be assuaged forthwith. 
Wherefore: I can’t speak for all of the Knights, of course.
Two of us spent some years involved in computers for our livelihoods, and so never missed a chance to play computer games. When it came to the various FR computer games, their reactions were often winces and grimaces at the altered Realmslore and the often crude game mechanics -- not that the games were particularly bad vis-a-vis the technology of their time, just that keyboard roleplaying (as opposed to, say, first-person shooters) was so limited and clunky compared to flesh-and-blood (BLOOD! ahahahaha [ahem]) roleplaying. Being as certain of us got VERY big bucks for a time as programmers, that sometimes meant rewriting code for the buggy beta games so they’d actually run properly, and “while under the hood,” so to speak, augmenting them to be better games. (And before various scribes rush in to say such things were illegal: nope. Not in the countries where such work was performed.)
My own professional work has sometimes involved complex simulations (put in all the factors, then sit back and watch where the computer ends up): SIMCity is probably the closest commercial computer games comes to these.
I can say that when we Knights manage to gather in our handfuls and less-than-full-quorums, we often play the ‘beer-n-pretzels’ side-games that have always delighted us: Arkham Horror, Kingmaker, Empires of the Middle Ages, Mille Bornes, International Oilman, Illuminati, Awful Green Things From Outer Space, Diplomacy, and dozens more. As far as roleplaying goes, we’ve always played and enjoyed Call of Cthulhu and Metamorphosis Alpha, as well as non-Realms 1st edition AD&D settings run by others of us besides Ed. Yes, we prefer “good old Realms goodness” to everything else, and most of us regard d20 releases as interesting ‘buy-and-read-for-design-goodies’ things rather than game products we’ll actually use in play. You can probably tell from the above list that we’re “old gaming farts” by today’s standards.
To put things in real-world perspective, someone up here in Canada once asked Ken Dryden, a famous goalie (now a politician), what the golden age of hockey was, and he gave a brilliant answer: “Whenever YOU were twelve.” Add a handful of years to that, and you have the golden age of gaming, for most of us. Even game designers who KNOW that recent games are better ‘game technology’ than most older releases have the same golden nostalgia we all do -- because gaming is all about getting together and having fun with friends, and most of us only really have leisure time to do a lot of that in our teens.
Heh-heh. For an editor, I can sure get wordy in my replies here. fourthmensch, I guess you’ll have to spank me.
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 17:38:03
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Well met again, scribes. To Purple Dragon Knight, Ed makes this reply:
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you’re enjoying these. I wrote them more than a year ago, now, and (NDAs) have had to sit quiet as scribes discussed issues that I’d already answered; some of you may recall questions about Nimbral that I had to skate around rather than answer.
These two series (and the My Slice of Silverymoon web-article) are exactly the sort of Realmslore that I most enjoy doing: augmenting existing places and characters, and giving us “closer looks” at thus-far neglected locales. If the web team doesn’t chop’n’change, there should be eight instalments on Nimbral when we’re done.
I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to scribes for my silence of late. I’m caught in a wild logjam of writing projects (most of which must remain mysterious for now, I’m afraid) requiring hasty resolutions both before and after GenCon. Those of you on the Realms-list know that I’ve also been answering lore questions on Cormyr’s navy, and I hope to see a lot of you at GenCon, both as friends and as audiences at the various panels and workshops (my Thursday morning writing workshop, BTW, has been moved from the Marriott to the Consulate Room on the fifth floor of the Embassy Suites, northeast of the Marriott). A few of you share some future Realms secrets with me already, and although the months between now and year-end look to be professionally VERY busy for me, I hope to get back to answering your questions often (and volubly). There are secret Realms projects ahead, too, of course.
Sorry, can’t resist teasing. I’ll go now, and leave you in the capable hands (ahem) of The Hooded One.
So saith Ed. Who’s safely hundreds of miles away from my hands, I’ll have you know. He just wrote a BEAUTIFUL Realms short story that I read whilst visiting a month ago, but its title and where and when you’ll see it must remain deeply secret -- and he’s becoming something of a behind-the-scenes guru to various publishers and Hollywood companies, too, by the sounds of the incoming phone calls. Thank goodness he has no interest in becoming a movie star: the necessary cosmetic surgery would be frightful.
Fare thee well for now, all!
THO
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 17:59:11
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Those of you on the Realms-list know that I’ve also been answering lore questions on Cormyr’s navy,
Does anyone here have this information? I'm not a member of the list so I didn't catch it.
Thanks again to THO and EG for the replies. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 18:04:32
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Hello again, all. I’m pecking away at all the queries I can, here, avoiding those that need Ed’s “full bore Realmslore” replies, okay?
So Gareth Yaztromo is the lucky scribe this time. As Ed has said before, Elminster and all of the Chosen can choose to appear however they’d like to appear (if not sustained and altered by the Weave, remember, most of them would be piles of dust by now!). So shifting Elminster’s appearance is no big thing. However, I think if you check most of Ed’s prose closely, he sticks with El’s “hawklike” nose, and blue (going to blue-gray according to emotional state) eyes. Except for his youth (recounted in The Making Of A Mage) El always has a beard, long and deft fingers, prefers to wear robes, and so on.
Years ago, fantasy writer Lin Carter wrote that he preferred to give the eye and hair colour of heroes upon their first appearance, and thereafter refer only to their general physique (body shape, muscles rippling and hair flying as they did things, etc.) so every reader could form their own personal mental picture of the character, and be happiest.
The ‘shared world’ aspect of the Realms pins Ed down to far less freedom than this, of course, but I know from discussions we had at Ed’s cottage years back (and let me tell you, ONLY at Ed’s cottage would you find nude females sunbathing on a point with nude guys among them, everyone lying on their backs staring at the clouds above and discussing details of an imaginary fantasy world!) that Ed liked Lin Carter’s idea.
Regarding Torm and Silk: many Realms fans have commented on this. Torm was around first, of course, and there’s no real possibility that either Ed or David Eddings copied from each other, nor that Victor’s roleplaying was informed by reading about Silk (the character was well established long before Victor was handed a copy of Pawn of Prophecy). I see Silk, with his royal blood and years of trained expertise, as being far more mature and urbane than Torm, though they both have the “ruling streak” of being impudent, irresponsible, irrepressible, and ‘playing the game for fun’ more than for personal gain. Torm is just as sarcastic as Silk, but younger and less mature than Silk, and cares far less for consequences, international diplomacy, and so on. The essential truth here is that Torm and Silk both represent an archetypal character (Till Eulenspiegel/[several variant spellings exist] and many fairy tale characters echo the same archetype) of the “Merry Thief.” What I regret is that Realms fans haven’t really seen enough yet of Rathan being Torm’s foil, and the byplay between the two of them. (If Ed sets the Knights trilogy at the formation of the Knights and doesn’t “jump ahead” in time much, you won’t even see Torm and Rathan in most of those books, because they won’t have joined the Knights yet.)
As for writing books about the individual characters: of course there’s a possibility. I’m not sure if WotC wants to go in that directin -- but I suppose if the Knights trilogy is a HUGE hit . . .
This is of course what TSR should have done with Realms fiction back in, say, 1988 and 1989. Then Florin and Torm and Rathan and Jhessail and Mirt would all be as well-known as, say, Drizzt, and we’d all be looking at a richer Realms tapestry. (And Ed might be [shudder to think what he might try to do] writing Star Wars books!).
If you’ve just read the first El novel, Gareth, I envy you. What a treat you have ahead! El in Myth Drannor is a direct sequel to Making Of A Mage, then Temptation jumps ahead about five hundred years, Elminster in Hell (a very DIFFERENT novel than most straight-ahead-chronological fantasy novels, and to my mind the closest thing to serious literature Ed has thus far published -- so it’s VERY good, but has disappointed many Realms readers who were expecting just one more “fun romp read”) is very recent in the Realms timeline, and Elminster’s Daughter (yes, a romp, and one of Ed’s most satisfying Realms books) is current Realms time. Elminster does of course manage to worm his way into a lot of Ed’s other books, too, notably Spellfire and the Shadows of the Avatar trilogy -- and no one should miss “Elminster At the MageFair” (in print right now in the Best of the Realms Volume 1 collection, and first published in the out-of-print Realms of Valor paperback).
Ed toyed with the idea of doing an entire Elminster side-novel once, covering El’s youthful career as a thief in the city of Hastarl, but although some Realms book editors were enthusiastic, others didn’t want to make space on the schedule for such a thing (at the time, TSR was VERY sensitive to right-wing-religious criticisms that D&D was a Satanic game that corrupted youth, and the LAST thing they wanted was a novel that showed thieves cavorting in a big city, with gang fights, heist techniques displayed before the reader’s eyes, and so on).
But I blather overmuch again, as usual. So I’ll pass on your desire that Ed keep up the good work to him, and we’ll both see what gets published! 
Ed
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Bergan
Acolyte
14 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 18:41:32
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Ack!
Now you've got me salivating over the thought of that young thief Elminster novel.
Just out of interest THO, has anyone written any other accounts of the Magefair? |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2004 : 23:30:47
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Elminster in Hastarl wouldn't have got past the TSR Code of Ethics:quote:
3: AGENTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
Agents of law enforcement (constables, policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions) should not be depicted in such a way as to create disrespect for current established authorities/social values. When such an agent is depicted as corrupt, the example must be expressed as an exception and the culprit should ultimately be brought to justice.
4: CRIME AND CRIMINALS
Crimes shall not be presented in such ways as to promote distrust of law enforcement agents/agencies or to inspire others with the desire to imitate criminals. Crime should be depicted as a sordid and unpleasant activity. Criminals should not be presented in glamorous circumstances. Player character thieves are constantly encouraged to act towards the common good.
As far as I can tell, the main commercial effect of anti-D&D mania was to publicize D&D, and there was nothing like the real danger that led to the comics industry censoring itself (like the quoted clauses, outright political censorship) with the Comics Code.
Torm and Rathan weren't in the Espar proto-knights, but Florin sure was, and Florin to me is the grandest, most essential warrior-hero the Realms has, far away from the preening, self-obsessed, cynical, narcissistic villains passed off so often as heroes these days. We can be thankful though that he wasn't turned into an 'iconic character'. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2004 : 00:19:59
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Yes, ’tis me again, you can’t stop me!
Lashan is the man this time, specifically his queries about Torm’s temple punishments.
The Mask-clergy-ordered thefts were usually covert (and sometimes puzzling to Torm) redistributions of specific items, rather than “take any valuables” affairs. I would say that they were to increase the effectiveness and strength of the Church of Mask and its allies, and thereby augment the reputation of the Church AMONG THIEVES, but not necessarily to increase its public popularity or reputation. The thefts weren’t always take from the rich and give to the poor, but they WERE often take from the powerful and oppressive (e.g. petty local rulers, guildmasters, and gang bosses) and give to the weak and disadvantaged. There may be nothing at all ‘noble’ about this, but rather that the clergy of Mask wanted to give said weak individuals more ability to fight back/stand up for something else/hamper the increase in power of those taken from (for some long-range, cryptic Church of Mask reason). Occasionally, yes, the thefts were from an enemy of the Church of Mask and to be given to an ally of the Church of Mask.
The Church of Tymora celebrates and values daring, the taking of chances -- and sometimes their penances would be to return items Torm had stolen TO THE EXACT SPOT he’d taken them from, braving all increased guardians and traps his first theft might have engendered. In most cases, however, it was to do a specific dangerous and daring task AND REFRAIN FROM stealing tempting valuables that the task would bring him into contact with. For instance, a particular Calishite satrap kept gemstones his buyers had acquired but his gemcutters hadn’t yet valued and examined with an eye to remounting them in customized jewelry in a large but shallow stone bowl-depression or ‘pit’ in an inner room. Torm’s task brought him to a landing in that pit full of gems, without telling him about it -- but he knew better than to scoop any gems, recognizing it as a temptation the Church of Tymora had led him into, and warned him (in general terms, of course) about.
And that’s it from me, this time.
Ed will of course be silent whilst attending GenCon, and I’ll probably also be heard from very little in the next few weeks (I must attend a professional get-together that’s a lot less fun than GenCon!). We’ll both be back, never fear.
So ta-ta for now,
THO
P.S. Ah, Faraer: you ALWAYS get it right. Florin, yesss. You'll get to see Florin at the young-and-still-learning stage at the beginning of the first Knights novel, I believe. |
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Blueblade
Senior Scribe
USA
804 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2004 : 15:56:22
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| Hi, Hooded One. I know Ed's going to GenCon. Are you going to be there? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2004 : 16:04:15
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Hello, all. Two quick answers: no, Blueblade, I’m afraid I can’t make GenCon this year (although I have attended some GenCons, years back). Real-world work keeps me too busy just now, I’m afraid.
Bergan, Ed has three thus-far-unpublished short stories relating incidents at various MageFairs, but as far as I know there aren’t any other “direct” descriptions in published Realmslore beyond Ed’s Realms of Valor story, just passing references to MageFairs and events befalling at various MageFairs. I’ll check with Ed when he gets back from GenCon, though, and get Ye Definitive Answer. In the meantime, can other scribes help, perhaps pointing out something I’ve missed?
THO |
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Lashan
Learned Scribe
USA
235 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2004 : 16:27:22
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| Ahhh....you have entertained my thoughts as I sit here trapped in the center of the earth. Oh, to take back that brash attack on that insane lich. At least I have internet access while trapped down here. You have helped keep me from going a little insane. My thanks. |
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Bergan
Acolyte
14 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2004 : 17:22:50
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Ack! Thanks again THO for whetting my appetite with stuff that's unavailable. Only joking, of course, and hopefully some day we'll see those stories published.
Oh for a Dragon Magazine-like Realms monthly (I'd settle for bi-monthly or quarterly too). Has there ever been talk of this?
Ta! for answering THO. |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2004 : 17:58:35
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Yes, Bryon Wischstadt was going to edit a Realms magazine called RealmSpeak which sadly never appeared, though there was a nice www.realmspeak.com website (now down, but accessible via archive.org). I think the first issue was to include an early Ed-story called "Magister's Work" (what with that, and "Zirta", and the newly named old stories and the gods know what else, we really need a Greenwood anthology).
I've failed to solicit from Erik Mona some sign of how receptive to Realms source material the new Dungeon will be. Unless the answer is "very", then yes, a new Realms magazine would be very welcome. |
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Bergan
Acolyte
14 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2004 : 23:02:13
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Huzzah for a Greenwood anthology! How about a Magefair anthology?
Interesting about Realmspeak - I've been disappointed by Dragon content for a couple of years. A Realms oriented mag with more writing and less tables would be LUVERLY!
Perhaps this might come up on some other (non-novel) thread if there is enough interest! |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2004 : 23:39:50
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Hiya Ed,
I know this is probably not the place for this and Alaundo might yell at me but.
On page 109 of the Silent House there's a interesting editing error.
"Jusper plucked two daggers from the belts of a sprawled and still Silvertree warriors who'd never know of thier loss - or of anything else, ever again - and threw them at Maerlin faces. One day you (here's the error since I think that should read: One dagger, not One day you.) glanced away after drawing but a thin line of blood, but the other took a man in the nose or mouth...."
Edit: Almost a month ago Gadodel posted this over on the WOTC boards, "Ed's giving another Eulogy at GenCon... Which Realms character should die and why?"
Did this really happen or? And if Ed did give a eulogy for a FR char.... Who was it that died?
Edit #2: It didn't happen after all. :) |
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 24 Aug 2004 03:35:29 |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2004 : 20:53:31
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Well met
May I take this humble opportunity to personally thank Ed for the wonderful Realmslore he wrote especially for us here at Candlekeep. I will treasure this work forever more and see this as a great honor from the Great Sage himself
So thank ye Ed and the Hooded One for thy presence herein and for the most splendid Realmslore in which ye share with us. I hope ye always find Candlekeep a comfortable and friendly place to stay.
For those who wonder of what I prattle on about, please see the latest site update announcement. For future reference, Ed's scroll of the Introduction to Candlekeep will always be available on the top of the home page of the site proper, and on the Realmslore page. It can also be linked to from the Home page news section and Whats New page site update section. |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Edited by - Alaundo on 24 Aug 2004 20:56:48 |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2004 : 09:23:01
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The Realm of Nimbral, Part Two
Ed, I think you just described Vancouver Island in your latest article... (Vancouver Island being that big hunk of rocky-shored forest west of the British-Columbia mainland, for those who have no rank in Knowledge: Local [Canada], or those with less than 5 ranks in Knowledge: Geography)
Things here are almost the same as your article, except the fireflies (I miss those a lot from my East Coast days - East Coast here referring to everything east of Manitoba! ) |
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Bakra
Senior Scribe
628 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2004 : 20:44:11
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| With the introduction that Ed wrote and the new article it is a great day for us all. Thanks Ed and The Hooded One for providing us with some fun! |
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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Karth
Seeker
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2004 : 01:44:55
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Yes, a most wondrously fluff-filled introduction to Candlekeep, to be sure. Many thanks, Ed. You must *really* like us or something.
Now if we could only get Ed an official, full time map maker to follow up his beautiful place descriptions with well-keyed maps that are final-approved by Ed for accuracy.
Back off, man. I can dream... ;)
-Karth |
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Lauzoril
Seeker
Finland
71 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2004 : 18:32:17
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I haven't seen anywhere else such a well written introduction. It adds a nice to touch to the Candlekeep. Well done, Ed.
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"Death to the enemies of Bane."
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The Blue Sorceress
Learned Scribe
107 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2004 : 02:37:12
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Hail and well met, Mr. Greenwood,
I have a question regarding the religious prohibitions of the Ilmatari. Specifically, I want to know if Ilmatari priests and paladins are allowed to marry. Thank you in advance for your time.
-Blue |
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.
I see your walrus and raise you a carpenter |
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Moonharp
Acolyte
Canada
38 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2004 : 18:52:35
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quote:
Ed, I think you just described Vancouver Island in your latest article... (Vancouver Island being that big hunk of rocky-shored forest west of the British-Columbia mainland, for those who have no rank in Knowledge: Local [Canada], or those with less than 5 ranks in Knowledge: Geography)
Things here are almost the same as your article, except the fireflies (I miss those a lot from my East Coast days - East Coast here referring to everything east of Manitoba! )
Purple Knight, do you by any chance have a link to that article? I must have missed it, and I would love to see something so simillar to Vancouver Island as you describe.
For Mr.Greenwood...
I have made a personal observation when reading your novels (mostly in Elminster series,but others as well) that you rather favor and focus on external conflicts than internal ones... is there any "truth" in my statement or or reason, or is it just my stupid whim... It seems to me that what drives the story forward, in your novels, is always external conflict (hey, I know, this is the case in most novels), but some novels also have a very strong underlying current of internal unsettlement. Your characters have internal conflicts, yes, but not as strong as in some other fantasy novels I have read. Any validity in this observation? |
Moonharp the Marvelous |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2004 : 09:36:11
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quote:
Originally posted by The Blue Sorceress
Hail and well met, Mr. Greenwood,
I have a question regarding the religious prohibitions of the Ilmatari. Specifically, I want to know if Ilmatari priests and paladins are allowed to marry. Thank you in advance for your time.
-Blue
In "War in Tethyr," Zaranda Star is accompanied by an Ilmateri cleric for about the first half of the book, and I seem to recall it being mentioned that he's taken a vow of celibacy.
Whether this is a personal vow or official church-policy is, as far as I can recall without access to the book, not mentioned though. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2004 : 16:26:36
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Well met again, fellow scribes!
I apologize for my lengthy silence. Ed is finally back from GenCon but preoccupied with family matters, and so will remain e-quiet for a little longer, I’m afraid. He did want to pass on his thanks to Garen Thal for being such good company at GenCon, and to all of his “seen once a year friends” he managed to see once more. He THINKS Mary-Liz and Chris Perkins will both recover from spending time on panels with him.
Ed’s also pleased that so many folks have enjoyed his Candlekeep intro (yes, this is the Big Surprise that’s been mooted for some time now), and thinks Alaundo has done a VERY nice job of ‘presenting’ it. (And * I * think ’tis lovely, too!) So you’re welcome, Alaundo, and thank YOU!
A few swift lore replies, now . . .
To The Blue Sorceress and Kajehase: many but by no means all Ilmatari practise celibacy. It’s a matter of avoiding distractions over one’s personal pain and suffering, not anything the church or the deity regard as “exalted.” A technique rather than doctrine, if you will, but by no means frowned upon by the church. Like hair shirts, flagellation, stuffing undergarments with nettles, and so on: accepted means to the greater goal. Marriage isn’t prohibited, and there are numerous instances of committed partners serving together in the priesthood or in lay worship, dealing loving pain to each other (S& M devotees take note).
Moonharp, it’s not that Ed prefers external conflicts to internal: it’s that most of his editors do. They want action fantasy, and Ed tends to stuff his books so full of subplots and supporting character and lore/ ‘colour’ that there’s little room for internal strife. However, check out ELMINSTER IN HELL for perhaps the ultimate in internal conflict.
kuje31, your editing is correct: “day” should indeed be “dagger” in THE SILENT HOUSE passage you mention. And yes, Ed gave no eulogy at GenCon. My spies at the con (remember my profession, and yes, there ARE FBI agents at GenCon every year, unidentified amongst you bwoohahahahahem) tell me he outdid himself at his writing seminars and the FR seminar (reducing Chris Perkins to helpless laughter over a certain comment about “15 Manshoons showing up for the same hotel reservation”) – and the AUDIENCE outdid themselves this year in filthily inventive suggestions for story elements for the 2004 Spin A Yarn (Mary-Elizabeth even offered to spank Ed, which should be a standing-room-only event NEXT year if she can be convinced to actually go through with it ). So kudos to all. I think.
Ed is also furiously busy with a secret project, just now, AND finishing his last charity short story and his tale for the next Diamond Throne anthology from Sue and Monte Cook at Malhavoc. So busy, in fact, that he’s skipping Worldcon this year and so missing another chance to do a panel with his friend Terry Pratchett. Ah, well: he has to write all of these books SOMEtime.
Ed did mention that his meeting with Keith Baker (like his chat with the Salvatores) was all too brief, and he wants to at least take the new Worldmaster out for drinks at GenCon next year. He’s well aware that some scribes may feel the perils of advancing age overcoming them as they wait and wait and, oh, yes, wait for their Realmslore requests to be answered, but he assures me that he’s typing just as fast as he can.
Yours until Manshoon stops all that cloning around,
THO
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5695 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2004 : 16:49:02
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Well met
Welcome back, Hooded One.
Oh the pleasure is all mine regarding Ed's Intro to Candlekeep. I'm happy that you are both happy with the presentation, it is certainly the very least we could do for such a beautiful piece of Realmslore
...now, I just need to duplicate another two copies, and thats the room totally wallpapered |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2004 : 17:55:29
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Yours until Manshoon stops all that cloning around,
THO
That, my dear Lady Hooded One, was a horrible pun. However, I really love bad puns, so I forgive you!
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2004)
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