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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3806 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Jan 2015 : 17:52:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The way I reason-out Halruaa in 4e is that it was a lot like Japan when the Tsunami hit. The government actually ordered people to NOT post how devastated they were (videos, etc). Some stuff eventually leaked out, but they didn't want anyone else to really know how truly cataclysmic it was. They even denied international aid offered to them (they didn't want anyone to see how bad it was!)
Now, we can postulate lots of reasons for that (pride, fear, etc), and we could see much the same happening to Halruaa, applying what Malcolm said (and THO acknowledged) about the place. People 'lost contact' with Halruaa, and given what they know happened to other 'magically heavy' regions, they suspected the worst. Halruaa went along with that. They WERE devastated and incredibly reduced in power... and they wouldn't have wanted anyone 'jumping all over that'. Ed has stated in the past the Halruaa does use agents outside of Halruaa to keep tabs on other countries - they may have even used those to help spread the misinformation about Halruaa ("the whole thing just blew up!!!")
So the 4e lore regarding Halruaa is correct, in that it is the information that the folks of the Heartlands believes to be true. Because of the on-going 'magical chaos' everywhere, only a madwits would dare to try and see what was left there (and the few that may have tried this would have simply disappeared, thus adding to the rumors). As far as anyone in Faerûn was concerned, Halruaa was 'just gone'. The survivors would not dare reveal themselves until they felt they had sufficient power to protect themselves (from whatever - they were always a paranoid bunch).
They could even link this to a return/lore of Lantan and Nimbral. Surviving Halruaans may have gone to Nimbral, and both of those groups could be working with the Lantanese to help obscure whats left of them (also still 'in hiding' until they rebuild).
This would actually make sense and be a good way to ''bring back'' Halruaa (even if it was never wiped out, to begin with).
quote:
Lots of great ways they can spin things in 5e - here's hoping Ed truly does have a hand in steering things. Why, we could even see some of Ed's 'albino drow' show up (that nasty spellplague got all over everything!) 
Of course, I too hope that Ed gets to directly influence how steer the Realms. Nations/deities/npcs should be brought back in this fashion, rather than ''Ao snapped his fingers'' (not that I actually mind the latter at this point, but still...).
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Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 16 Jan 2015 17:53:47 |
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Aureus
Learned Scribe
Luxembourg
125 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2015 : 23:49:31
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Greetings Lady Hooded One,
while preparing a setting for the Underdark and writing down page after page of notes on characters, economy etc to create a functioning society that doesn't come apart once people start interacting with, I got sucker-punched by an hilariously mundane question.
"What do they eat?"
Trying to answer that one led to more problems like:
"There is no sunlight, ok, so no fruits, no grain, no rice, no algae, no lichens (lichen are part algae, so no algae, therefore no lichens). They can't just eat mushrooms, fish, bugs and rothé all the time. And what do these live off anyhow. They need some source of power (like sunlight) and simply answering magic every time is stupid and lazy. I am (hopefully) nothing of that and neither is my audience."
The answer is actually rather simple
"The Underdark has no daily cycle nor season. Only the races that originated on the surface would even care about time like that. So no day/night or summer/winter means the temperature is basically the same all the time. And once you go to a certain depth it actually becomes warmer. So there could be microorganisms that are using the heat as their source of power to digest matter, to grow and to procreate. Just like those microorganisms that live in the black depth of the oceans near geysers and underwater volcanoes. Now the rest of the food pyramid has a basis to sustain itself."
(I love science  )
So, now I had came up with a functional ecosystem yet I still don't know anything about drow's or duergar's or any other races' cuisine. (mindflayers and their "hmmm, brains..." hardly count as cuisine, cuisine needs more than one dish)
Cuisine is an integral part of any culture and honestly, usually I wouldn't care so much, but since the ecosystem is vastly different from the surface, I need to think further hence my actual questions
"What do they eat?"
"With what do they eat?"
"How do they like it?"
"What are their customs?"
"Who who are the cooks and chefs in these societies?"
and so on.
(it is mainly about the poorer/non-elite/normal people of the Underdark that I am interested in)
I am sorry if I grew overboard, but I hope I have given some food for thought and I would be more than delighted at answers Lady The Hooded Beauty One.
Have a lovely day,
Aureus |
That is not the weirdest thing that happened to me |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 04:12:20
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Excellent questions, Aureus. I know Ed created detailed recipes for his 2e sourcebook DROW OF THE UNDERDARK (not to be confused with later products of the same title), but I don't think they ever saw print.
All I can recall, without checking with him (your queries are winging their way through the Net right now, to do just that), is that there are blind fish in the Underdark lakes and streams, there's plentiful edible fungi that thrives on the moisture and energy provided by the faerzress radiation (which in the Underdark is a sunlight equivalent), and I do remember large, glistening white worms (as long as adult human arms, and thicker, that Ed described as having flesh and taste "somewhat like real-world shrimp") gracing drow plates (which are usually oval, and have raised sides, so they're like flat-bottomed bowls). There was also a vivid emerald-green soup, snail soup I think, but Ed will have to step in and provide you with proper answers . . .
love,
THO |
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Aureus
Learned Scribe
Luxembourg
125 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 12:54:07
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Excellent questions, Aureus.
Aw, thanks 
I have given it some thought though and it also taps into where the different species live.
So concerning Duergar.
Duergar are immune to poison and the only thing they really care about is survival, hard work (which ties into survival), greed (which ties into survival and hard work) and domination (which also ties into survival and also greed). Ok, nothing surprising given the dangerous environment. Poison immunity means that they can't get drunk and even the worst rotgut that would kill a stonegiant would simply be a high caloric drink to them. (all alcohols are nerve toxins) They also cannot get high on any drug. (no wonder they are so grim all the time) It also means they are not affected by carbon monoxide (they still need oxygen to breath), a very dangerous odorless gas, common where fires burn in incomplete reactions and also without sufficient ventilation (like deep in caves...). It would mean that many if not most duergar settlements are highly toxic to most creatures of the Underdark. (now that is a powerful defense mechanism) It also means that nigh any food is edible to them and they don't have any kind of problem even the most toxic of flora or fauna. In fact, I would not be surprised if they flavour their food with cyanide acid for that lovely almond taste and smell. Delicious to them, absolutely lethal to by far most of the Underdark's lifeforms. (Devious, I like it) I bet their flesh is so saturated with all kinds of toxins, most natural predators of the Underdark avoid them. (makes me wonder why they are not dominating the Underdark more or less completely, I mean they work very hard, they even manage capable teamwork, they are absolutely pitiless and will subjugate or annihilate anything or anyone that wrongs them or opposes them) |
That is not the weirdest thing that happened to me |
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Xnella Moonblade-Thann
Learned Scribe
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 13:38:38
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
(snip) So saith Ed. If he takes this long to answer a one-liner, imagine the foreplay...ahem.
love,
THO
 That little bit made me laugh a little too much...of course, now I have certain images in my head that refuse to go away... |
"Sweet water and light laughter until next we meet." - traditional elven farewell
Please forgive any spelling and grammer errors, as my android touch-screen phone has no spellchecker. If I do make a grammer mistake, please let me know and I'll try to fix it.
New laptop, still trying to sort my "scrolls" on its shelves...and when will this cursed thing stop doing things I tell it not to? |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 13:50:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm
Well, as Ed explained it to me at a recent convention, Halruaan magical shields went up, making teleportation and scrying impossible and clouding most divination magic into chaotic uselessness . . . and when the Spellplague hit, many Halruaans died went magic briefly "went wild" and structures collapsed, in-flight effects failed and gravity took over, active magics turned chaotic, and so on. At the same time, many wizards went insane or got brain-burned or were killed when caught in their own spells going chaotic . . . and a lot of the surviving Halruaans assumed the realm was under attack and cast or activated all of their appropriate "rainy day" defenses - - so MORE shields went up, many of them twisted or going wild as time passed . . . so Halruaa was effectively cut off from the rest of Faerûn. And caught in mid-dimensional segueing between Abeir and Toril (and not the entire country as a neat whole unit, but bits and pieces of it in a very localized fashion). Which in turn meant more wild magic and the leakage of other magics from elsewhere through it, and MORE defensive spellcasting, and . . . an increasing "no go zone" from the POV of those nearby in Toril.So it doesn't so much "blink" as it disappears into/behind impenetrable mists of tangled magic (old comics readers, think of all of those weird panels drawn in elder Doctor Strange issues), for a time.
To emerge with many structures devastated (think of many World War II cities after heavy bombing), the populace scattered, weary, and wary . . . and even more determined to be isolationalist.
Have I got it right, THO? Ed?
This is good. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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paladinnicolas
Seeker
92 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 13:55:25
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| Dear Ed and THO, I have asked something similar in the past, but I want to see if I'm lucky this time and Tymora smiles upon me. Know that Ed mentions the coexistence of and connections among the 'classical' DnD worlds (Greyhawk and Dragonlance), I would like to ask Ed if he thinks there has been or can be any connection, contact, coexistence or influence with or in relation to the world of Eberron. Thanks! |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 14:25:22
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Ed,
Please forgive my lack of research on this point. I didn't get into 4e at all and I don't play DDO. However, from what I'm reading, it sounds like after the Sundering, Eberron and FR become linked. Its also noted that the big linkage has to do with Lolth and her demonweb pits. We know that during Lolth's whole "move to her own domain" she left behind the OLD demonweb pits. Just wondering, did Lolth have some kind of "inkling" that the old demonweb pits might be "cycling" into connectivity with Eberron. By this, to make it more clear, I'm kind of wondering.... was Eberron in "phase" with Abeir...... (as in Toril/Abeir are in the same crystal sphere but usually out of phase with one another)..... and did some of the godly domains that disappeared actually become in phase with Eberron. Hmmmmm, and now I'm left with an odd thought even further Eberron.... Abeiron.... could there be a third "dimension" / "phased world" within Toril's crystal sphere that's some kind of in-between between Toril and Eberron. Might it even be that we find that SOME of the places that we've all assumed transferred to Abeir actually went to Eberron? |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1152 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 15:00:09
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As far as I can tell (I don't play DDO any more either and I'm not enthused about having to pay for the expansion that facilitates the move to Faerun) there was a female drider-like creature called the 'Spinner of Shadows' - one of Eberron's thirty or so overlords (primordial fiendish creatures about as powerful as gods) trapped in a prison in Eberron's Khyber (that setting's equivalent of the Underdark) beneath the city of Stormreach. The wards to her prison were failing but, upon their restoration, a rift opened within her prison leading directly to the Demonweb Pits (if you have the expansion). The rift was a threat to Eberron itself and players are encouraged to find out how to stop it from doing too much damage. Elminster shows up to guide players out of the Demonweb, into Cormyr's Underdark and then into Eveningstar where they can get involved with the whole Darkening, Demon Weave thing. The game does explain how the rift was created and I've seen people make positive comments on this story aspect but not owning the game itself, I find it sooper difficult to describe.
In short, I believe Eberron became linked with the Demonweb Pits (which is not a plane in Eberron's cosmology), not Toril. The trip to Cormyr was made afterward.
Interestingly, Keith Baker used a similar backstory to explain how his warforged artificer managed to show up in the Realms for a charity game last year but used Tiamat (also one of the overlords) to create a rift - though this one led directly to Faerun.
Edited after further research. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
Edited by - hashimashadoo on 17 Jan 2015 18:03:15 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 15:13:12
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Hmmmm, and just since my mind is kind of wandering around this subject now..... IF Halruaa would have "displaced" into Eberron during the Sundering, how would their skyships affect the world. After all, Eberron has skyships using bound elementals, but the dragonmarked houses control them as I understand it. Along these lines, might Mystra have in her "death throes" made this linkage/move in order to protect the people who most followed her ethos.
Anyway, may be letting an idea that feels cool to me at this second get some play.... but it might be adaptable. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 18:35:39
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As far as I can recall, in our recent chats, Ed considers all of the D&D worlds now linked (so that includes Eberron and Dark Sun, despite past "official" statements to the contrary), and that seemed to be not his opinion but rather the accepted design guidelines he was now working under (which would mean it's Wizards' position now, on this). So, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Mystara, the Realms, Spelljammer, Planescape, Eberron, Dark Sun, and the "sub-lines" like Al-Qadim and Red Steel and the Living Jungle and other Living campaigns...are all now reachable, one from the other (I'm not sure how much else it means, i.e. what the hoops that need jumping through and details are, differences in godly power from one setting to another, and so on). All lore it would lovely to know, but that will probably only be spelled out if and when it applies to a specific publishing project. And of course, anything more specific is likely to be either unknown to Ed, or under NDA. (However, I'll ask, of course. Never hurts to ask.)
love,
THO |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2015 : 19:02:01
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
As far as I can recall, in our recent chats, Ed considers all of the D&D worlds now linked (so that includes Eberron and Dark Sun, despite past "official" statements to the contrary), and that seemed to be not his opinion but rather the accepted design guidelines he was now working under (which would mean it's Wizards' position now, on this). So, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Mystara, the Realms, Spelljammer, Planescape, Eberron, Dark Sun, and the "sub-lines" like Al-Qadim and Red Steel and the Living Jungle and other Living campaigns...are all now reachable, one from the other (I'm not sure how much else it means, i.e. what the hoops that need jumping through and details are, differences in godly power from one setting to another, and so on). All lore it would lovely to know, but that will probably only be spelled out if and when it applies to a specific publishing project. And of course, anything more specific is likely to be either unknown to Ed, or under NDA. (However, I'll ask, of course. Never hurts to ask.)
love,
THO
Thanks THO. Along those lines, do you know if there will be any plans to specifically provide links from Toril to Abeir, and how common might those linkages be in rough comparison to say linkages to GH, DL, etc.... |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2015 : 02:55:11
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
(Interestingly, a "secret agent of Halruaa" adventuring alone in the Realms was a concept Ed pitched as a novel line - - not written by him, but a series of novels all written by different first-time authors - - but that the TSR editors didn't bite on. I think it could have been great, if writers had managed to capture a fantasy feel of James Bond without copying James Bond.)
love,
THO
Oooo! Freaky. This ties rather closely with some similar thoughts I had back when Halruaa first disappeared as a result of the Spellplague.
I toyed with the idea of having either the Chosen, or, more appropriately, perhaps, agents working for the Chosen, to discrete investigate Halruaa's destruction and pursue all the leads -- regardless of how absurd or mundane they may have initially proven.
An alternate spin on this was having an agent of the Chosen FROM Halruaa being left being after her country's destruction, and seeking answers from elsewhere in the Realms.
I'd love to know what more Ed could possibly share about this intriguing concept. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2015 : 03:00:34
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
As far as I can recall, in our recent chats, Ed considers all of the D&D worlds now linked (so that includes Eberron and Dark Sun, despite past "official" statements to the contrary), and that seemed to be not his opinion but rather the accepted design guidelines he was now working under (which would mean it's Wizards' position now, on this). So, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Mystara, the Realms, Spelljammer, Planescape, Eberron, Dark Sun, and the "sub-lines" like Al-Qadim and Red Steel and the Living Jungle and other Living campaigns...are all now reachable, one from the other (I'm not sure how much else it means, i.e. what the hoops that need jumping through and details are, differences in godly power from one setting to another, and so on). All lore it would lovely to know, but that will probably only be spelled out if and when it applies to a specific publishing project. And of course, anything more specific is likely to be either unknown to Ed, or under NDA. (However, I'll ask, of course. Never hurts to ask.)
love,
THO
Nice. It also does remind me of how Ed tends to view the grand planar framework for how all this works, too, as he's discussed here in the past about the relationships between the various worlds published by TSR/Wizards.
I'm curious, though. Has Ed ever thought about where some of the other fictionalised settings published by TSR/Wizards might sit with the Realms? I'm talking mainly about ALTERNITY's Star*Drive for example [and one of my personal favourites], or even the older classic Star Frontiers?
I know Rich Baker [who worked on the STAR*DRIVE line] suggested possibilities for connecting the setting's Drivespace to the D&D planar framework. Nothing official, of course. But it was nice to see this kind of consideration for how the Realms might cosmologically relate with non-fantastical settings.
So, I'm just wondering whether Ed might have also given this some thought as well? |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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paladinnicolas
Seeker
92 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2015 : 10:16:03
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| Thanks THO! And thanks for asking Ed. I hope he can provide us an answer, small though it may be ;) |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2015 : 19:52:19
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slevyas, if I knew, I almost certainly wouldn't be able to say (such things are right in the central wheelhouse of NDAs), or would Ed, but in this case, I honestly don't know.
Sorry.
love,
THO |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 03:55:30
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| The 2e Cormyr book mentions the Lord Magister of Suzail, the Lord Magistrate of Suzail, and the Lord Master of Suzail, and at least the latter two are Sthavar. What are the meanings of these titles, and are they sometimes held by three different people? |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 05:30:55
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Well Again THO and Ed,
Ed, your novel "Elminster Enraged" talks about imprisoned male nobles at Castle Irlingstar. Unless I missed it while collecting lore notes, I didn't see a mention of where female noble prisoners are kept. Are females also kept at Irlingstar, or somewhere(s) else?
Thanks to you both, as always. :D |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 19:53:03
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Hello again, all.
Jeremy, Ed's notes (the bits that I have copied over the years, when Realmsplay meant my character had "found out" this or that)on this topic say:
Female prisoners have been far fewer in number (the nature of their offenses tends to be more fines and property - - or in rare cases, title - - forfeitures than imprisonments), and are usually housed in cells at High Horn, or even individually at various state-owned fortresses and hunting lodges.
And:
Irlingstar was instituted for imprisoning male nobles when rebellions resulted in a high number of inmates at once, and their wealth and connections meant geographical isolation was wisest, to prevent bribery and to make their imprisonment "hurt," as opposed to becoming a country club stay whereat they could still make investments, carry on businesses, and affect politics during their incarceration (which a number of nobles managed to do while locked up in cells in Suzail, years earlier).
So saith Ed. And there you have it. 
love,
THO |
Edited by - The Hooded One on 20 Jan 2015 19:55:09 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 21:43:09
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Hi again, all. I bring you the words of Ed, in response to xaeyruudh’s query: “The 2e Cormyr book mentions the Lord Magister of Suzail, the Lord Magistrate of Suzail, and the Lord Master of Suzail, and at least the latter two are Sthavar. What are the meanings of these titles, and are they sometimes held by three different people?”
Here’s Ed:
Yes, those three titles can and have been held by different people at various times.
The Lord Magister of Suzail is the Palace official in charge of keeping straight the registrations (and reportings-in, and whereabouts) of all independent, non-Wizards of War arcane spellcasters resident in Suzail or visiting the city. (The War Wizards spy on all such individuals when they can spare the manpower, and doing so is ongoing training for their novices and junior members - - and something of “punishment duty” for veterans.)
The Lord Magistrate of Suzail is head of the courts in which legal disputes in the city are adjudged. Cases involving nobles are an exception; they are heard in the Royal Court by senior courtiers, an Obarskyr, and usually also by a jury of peers (i.e. other nobles), treason being an exception often handled in near-secrecy by the Court Wizard and the reigning monarch. For matters large and small involving commoners, in which nobles and royalty are only involved as property owners, will be heard by the Lord Magistrate or magistrates (“magisters,” a term which often causes confusion with the “Lord Magister”) reporting to him.
The Lord Master of Suzail is an office that could in real-world terms probably best be described as “Manager of Public Works/Civic Works/Roads, Streets, and Sewers (also: Water and Drainage).” This “lord” can be a commoner (it’s an office awarded by the Crown, sometimes as a reward), and oversees the actual city workers.
So saith Ed. Providing Realmslore for us all, whenever he can.
love,
THO
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 23:00:40
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| Hi THO - I was happy as a clam to hear that a new Baldur's Gate game is in the works in my favourite time period of the Realms (anything pre-3rd edition). Has Ed been asked to provide any content or help in anyway? Would love to see an Elminster cameo again! |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2015 : 23:07:14
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Awesome, thank you both!
So saith this fan, eagerly awaiting more books inscribed with "By Ed Greenwood"
I would very much like to see a "By THO" too. Perhaps a DVD entitled "THO Presents Ed Greenwood's Gaming Table Uncensored: Spoofs, Bloopers, and Deleted Scenes, Volume 1"
Subsequent volumes to be released annually on Ed's birthday, forever.
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Edited by - xaeyruudh on 20 Jan 2015 23:08:22 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2015 : 16:51:01
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| Thank you very much THO for that quick answer. Much appreciated. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2015 : 19:28:13
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Found some other jottings I made (during play, with Ed as DM) re. those three offices of Suzail, so for xaeyruudh and all scribes interested in the lore of Cormyr:
The Lord Magister of Suzail advises the Crown on regulations and laws regarding the use of magic (so do the War Wizards, so the Lord Magister usually ends up championing the interests of visitors and "just plain citizens" as opposed to lawkeeping and state interests).
The Lord Magistrate of Suzail is responsible for the written records of all sentences. When records are incomplete or unclear, he acts as an appeals court of sorts, because he can change sentences in such cases.
The Lord Master of Suzail recently* hired some Suzailan beggars, idle street youths, the lame, and the elderly, to go about the city peering up at all buildings and noting crumbling stonework, roofing in need of repair, rickety outside stairs, and other "weathering that needs attention," so civic officials can talk about such things with property owners before collapses or really major repairs come about precipitously.
* = "recently" in this case meant 1358 DR
Knew I'd made some notes, but took me some time to find them, because none of this ever featured much in our adventuring.
love,
THO
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2015 : 19:54:29
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Knew I'd made some notes, but took me some time to find them, because none of this ever featured much in our adventuring.
Rock on THO! Thanks for taking the time to find those notes and to share them with us. VERY much appreciated. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Kris the Grey
Senior Scribe
USA
422 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2015 : 20:24:52
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As far as I can recall, in our recent chats, Ed considers all of the D&D worlds now linked (so that includes Eberron and Dark Sun, despite past "official" statements to the contrary), and that seemed to be not his opinion but rather the accepted design guidelines he was now working under (which would mean it's Wizards' position now, on this). So, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Mystara, the Realms, Spelljammer, Planescape, Eberron, Dark Sun, and the "sub-lines" like Al-Qadim and Red Steel and the Living Jungle and other Living campaigns...are all now reachable, one from the other (I'm not sure how much else it means, i.e. what the hoops that need jumping through and details are, differences in godly power from one setting to another, and so on). All lore it would lovely to know, but that will probably only be spelled out if and when it applies to a specific publishing project. And of course, anything more specific is likely to be either unknown to Ed, or under NDA. (However, I'll ask, of course. Never hurts to ask.)
love,
THO
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Ah, the classic 2E vision of the D&D multiverse! I can't tell you how pleased I am at that. Let's hope this vision prevails as we move forward. Heck, it is an excellent D&D marketing trick if nothing else, so let's hope corporate sees the wisdom of it. |
Kris the Grey - Member in Good Standing of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, the Arcane Guild of Silverymoon, and the Connecticut Bar Association |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2015 : 22:57:59
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As Jeremy said, thanks for the extra notes!
And a fact check... the road north out of Arabel is the Mountain Ride, but north of Gnoll Pass at Halfhap it's the Moonsea Ride. Does the name change at the pass?
Orrrr maybe it's the Mountain Ride when you're heading toward the pass from either direction, and the Moonsea Ride only after you exit the pass heading north? |
Edited by - xaeyruudh on 22 Jan 2015 23:03:05 |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2015 : 23:49:52
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| Also: on the inside back cover of the 2e Cormyr book (finishing up my indexing of that book, finally) there are a couple of merchants listed which I don't recognize: Marker in Waymoot, and Mrastos in Immersea. Are these individuals or families? |
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Demzer
Senior Scribe
877 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2015 : 14:55:57
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Gracious Lady, Revered Master,
here are my unrelated queries about Faerun in the mid-late 1370s:
1) Is there any portal connecting the Lake of Steam to Chessenta?
2) Interfaith marriages (between dedicated-to-one-deity individuals like paladins and priests of different faiths): are these a problem for some faiths? Are these allowed to happen generally for good-aligned faiths? Are the parties involved required to perform specific vows, sacrifices or rituals? Are there any established mixed rites in the case of allied Churches in which interfaith marriages are more numerous? Bonus question: when a dedicated-to-one-deity individual marries someone without a clear patron deity, are they expected (by some Churches) to try and convert their spouse?
Thanks! |
Edited by - Demzer on 25 Jan 2015 14:56:53 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2015 : 17:36:53
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Hi again, all.
Questions have been e-flung Ed's way as usual, and I got back just two replies from Ed thus far, both to Demzer.
First, the bonus question ("when a dedicated-to-one-deity individual marries someone without a clear patron deity, are they expected (by some Churches) to try and convert their spouse?"): Although there have been instances (involving evil deities such as Bane, Asmodeus, and Lolth) of this happening when the new spouse is desired to play a part in a specific task to further the power and influence of the deity, it's not so for the vast majority of both deities and marriages in the Realms. "Conversion" is largely a foreign concept to thinking in the Realms, where everyone knows all the deities exist and believes in all of them. It's considered much better form among the gods to manipulate mortals so they they do X, believing to advance the aims of Deity A, when it will actually also accomplish something Deity B wants, without the mortals involved realizing it. And all of this holds true only for relatively rare dedicated-to-one-deity mortals; most mortals never think of themselves as "belonging to" any one deity. (I know this is a hard concept for some Realms fans and gamers to grasp, who come from a monotheistic faith background or monotheistic-dominated society, but it bears repeating once more that the Realms is NOT Earth.)
Secondly: "1) Is there any portal connecting the Lake of Steam to Chessenta?"
Ed: There are several, but they are hidden, lost, or forgotten (i.e. adventurers will have to go seeking them; they are not "known highways" for trade or invasion or any other use). The most easily found is a stone archway somewhere not far underground in the northwestern Border Kingdoms, but it's the infamous "Beast Portal;" those using it have an apparently-random chance of having one of their limbs altered into that of a monstrous beast (e.g. a scaled and clawed arm), an alteration that only can undone by magic - - or by traversing the gate again, which may restore the limb to its original state, or change it to yet another bestial form, and possibly turn another limb to a monstrous shape that doesn't match the first limb.
So saith Ed. Serving up Realmslore tirelessly for us all.
love,
THO |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015)
Topic Locked
