Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Forgotten Realms Journals
 General Forgotten Realms Chat
 How did Zaknafein return?
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 4

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  05:58:27  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Okay, so as I've said before, I gave up on Lord Ginsu after reading the Thousand Orcs books. With the exception of the one book of the Sundering series RAS wrote, I've not touched anything by him since.

I'm not planning on reading that new one that's coming out, but I've seen that the synopsis references Jarlaxle (a character I really dig) trying to help his buddy Zaknafein.

The last time I saw Zaknafein in one of the Lord Ginsu books, he was dying for the second time.

So... Keeping in mind that I'm not going to read any more books about Drizzt (so please don't suggest it), can someone enlighten me as to how Zaknafein is alive and kicking again?

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!

Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3805 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  06:27:15  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Someone resurrected him. I believe it was the reincarnation of Yvonnel, who resurrected him using Lolth's powers, even against Lolth's will, because Lolth actually didn't give a flying or something like that. Also, Lolth stated she didn't have his soul.

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
Go to Top of Page

HighOne
Learned Scribe

216 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  15:33:16  Show Profile Send HighOne a Private Message  Reply with Quote
It happened at the end of Hero. I was under the impression that Lolth returned him to life, though I don't remember why. Maybe it was Yvonnel. Either way, I thought it was a moving scene and a good book.

From what I recall, Drizzt and Lolth meet face-to-face at the end of Hero, and Lolth is amused by Drizzt's defiance enough to leave him be. She is the goddess of chaos and strife, after all, and Drizzt's existence riles up the drow so much that it actually pleases her. Letting him live causes far more chaos than killing him ever would.
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  15:34:41  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan

Someone resurrected him. I believe it was the reincarnation of Yvonnel, who resurrected him using Lolth's powers, even against Lolth's will, because Lolth actually didn't give a flying or something like that. Also, Lolth stated she didn't have his soul.



Why did she resurrect him, particularly if Lolth was against it?

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!
Go to Top of Page

Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3805 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  15:54:26  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
This was explained in the followup books, apparently, and I was filled up on the details by someone who read those, but I didn't particularly care for Yvonnel or her reasons, so I may be wrong.

But the reason that I recall essentially is that Yvonnel has a thing for Drizzt and/or just felt like resurrecting Zak. Lolth let her do that because apparently people think that chaos=randomoness=an excuse to have a character do whatever is convenient for the plot.

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
Go to Top of Page

Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  16:27:53  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Irennan

Someone resurrected him. I believe it was the reincarnation of Yvonnel, who resurrected him using Lolth's powers, even against Lolth's will, because Lolth actually didn't give a flying or something like that. Also, Lolth stated she didn't have his soul.



Why did she resurrect him, particularly if Lolth was against it?


Because "Lolth doesn't care" in the sense that while she will display favour and disfavor, in reality she, according to RAS, doesn't care if she's defied as long as it causes chaos, she can just administer more favor or disfavor as she pleases. Apparently. And Yvonnel's reincarnation seems to also be Lolth's "chosen" priestess even while she lacks the same attitude as her prior life (but has all the memories from it, or a lot of them).

So Drizzt defying her comes to mean nothing because he causes chaos to the drow, and resurrecting Zaknafein, "who cares" as well. In a later book, she subsequently allowed two yochlol to "display her favour" to one house (Xorlarrin) while also allowing Baenre and Del'Armgo (who were seen as out of favour) to use clerical magic to de-drider hundreds of driders she had locked up in the Demonweb Pits. The act turns those former driders against Xorlarrin, destroys Xorlarrin's attempt to achieve supremacy in Menzoberranzan, and the two yochlol just shrug, smirk, and leave Xorlarrin to its fate. Meanwhile, the logic becomes that if Baenre and their allies were allowed to return the driders to drow form using Lolth's own magic, Lolth must have approved its use for that and so Baenre's position is reinforced, while the priestesses who cast it are confused and uncertain about what it even means.

Which seems to be triggering the civil war among the Drow in Menzoberranzan in this new book, so Lolth is probably having a good laugh about the whole affair because more chaos, more death, and more of the drow running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

It's confusing to the point of incomprehensibility, though this is just my recollection and I may have missed some things. I only read it once and had no desire to do so a second time. Long story short, Lolth allowed it for her own unknown reasons, probably to cause chaos somehow, and Yvonnel was the one who cast the spell.

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  16:43:38  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Okay, but what was Yvonnel's objective in bringing back Zaknafein?

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!
Go to Top of Page

sno4wy
Senior Scribe

USA
466 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  17:34:12  Show Profile Send sno4wy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Okay, but what was Yvonnel's objective in bringing back Zaknafein?



Because, in essence, like everyone else, she's in love with Drizzt, and wants to do everything in her power to help him.

Later, she even magically changes her eyes so that they're the same purple as his.

Edited by - sno4wy on 30 May 2021 17:34:37
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  18:19:01  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Okay, but what was Yvonnel's objective in bringing back Zaknafein?



Because, in essence, like everyone else, she's in love with Drizzt, and wants to do everything in her power to help him.

Later, she even magically changes her eyes so that they're the same purple as his.



This further confused me, since I didn't know about Yvonnel II.

Now that I've read about her on the FR wiki, my decision to continue avoiding these books is reinforced.

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!
Go to Top of Page

sno4wy
Senior Scribe

USA
466 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  18:24:47  Show Profile Send sno4wy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I forgot to mention that Yvonnel II plans to be with Drizzt after Catti-brie dies of old age. She was asked if she plans to kill Catti-brie so that she could have Drizzt and she was like, nah, humans don't live very long, I can wait.

*watches Wooly facepalm*

Edited by - sno4wy on 30 May 2021 18:25:29
Go to Top of Page

TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore

USA
1289 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  18:27:14  Show Profile Send TheIriaeban a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Okay, but what was Yvonnel's objective in bringing back Zaknafein?



Because, in essence, like everyone else, she's in love with Drizzt, and wants to do everything in her power to help him.

Later, she even magically changes her eyes so that they're the same purple as his.



Sounds like he has a stalker. He'd better run and keep running. I could see this ending with her killing him and then bringing him back as a flesh golem because, finally, he WILL pay attention to her just like she deserves.

"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."

My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
Go to Top of Page

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3740 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  19:47:50  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-I feel like all the Drizzt stuff kind of jumped the shark after the The Neverwinter books. Mind you, I didn't read them but things seem internally consistent and consistent with the rest of the world. Starting with the Sundering books, he has to go through a lot of mental gymnastics to include older characters in his books, and then in the subsequent series', everything seems to be way out there.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
Go to Top of Page

sno4wy
Senior Scribe

USA
466 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  20:15:49  Show Profile Send sno4wy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-I feel like all the Drizzt stuff kind of jumped the shark after the The Neverwinter books. Mind you, I didn't read them but things seem internally consistent and consistent with the rest of the world. Starting with the Sundering books, he has to go through a lot of mental gymnastics to include older characters in his books, and then in the subsequent series', everything seems to be way out there.



Yeah, I think your assessment is really on point. The last decent book was Night of the Hunter, which is basically the one book after the Neverwinter Saga (I'm not counting The Companions because, well, it was part of The Sundering series, and it falls more into the category of post-Neverwinter that you described). I keep waiting for things to turn back around again. I saw a flicker of hope with Timeless, but that hope got dashed with the rest of the Generations series.

Edited by - sno4wy on 30 May 2021 20:16:09
Go to Top of Page

Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  22:00:31  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sno4wy

She was asked if she plans to kill Catti-brie so that she could have Drizzt and she was like, nah, humans don't live very long, I can wait.


For a drow, and especially for Yvonnel, that’s honestly quite unnaturally… I’m not sure what the word is. Polite? Civilised?

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
Go to Top of Page

sno4wy
Senior Scribe

USA
466 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  22:10:11  Show Profile Send sno4wy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
For a drow, and especially for Yvonnel, that’s honestly quite unnaturally… I’m not sure what the word is. Polite? Civilised?



True, but Yvonnel II is a CotH tag-along now. She's all good and stuff. The latest super evil powerful beyond imagination being to convert to the religion of Drizzt.
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2021 :  23:06:05  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-I feel like all the Drizzt stuff kind of jumped the shark after the The Neverwinter books.


For me, it was the Thousand Orcs books.

Before that book, Drizzt's father was sacrificed, and still managed to come back, in part, to chat with Drizzt.

Bruenor Battlehammer rode a flaming dragon down into a "bottomless" gorge. He came back from this certain death.

Artemis Entreri was left battered senseless and dangling from a mountainside by a slowly-ripping piece of cloth. He came back from this "no way he'll survive this" death. (As I recall, Drizzt didn't kill him specifically because he believed Entreri was minutes away from falling to his death, anyway.)

Wulfgar was buried under tons of rock, in the clutches of a yochlol. He came back from this apparent death.

Time after time, people around Drizzt have apparently died and still come back. In Bruenor and Entreri's case, they came back none the worse for what had happened.

And yet, with all of that, he assumed that an empty helm in a pile of rubble meant that everyone was dead. He did not see them die, as he did with Wulfgar and Bruenor. The only indicators of death were a collapsed tower where they'd previously been and where they could have escaped from, and a helm that could have been dropped during such an escape. With nothing pointing to a certain death, and reasons to hope for the best even with a certain death, he still assumed that he'd lost his friends forever.

That was when I was done.

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 31 May 2021 03:08:39
Go to Top of Page

sno4wy
Senior Scribe

USA
466 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  01:30:38  Show Profile Send sno4wy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Yeah, it was really tiring throughout the entire Hunter's Blades trilogy. All throughout I was thinking, "OMFG stop writing your emo soliloquys and go CHECK to see your friends are actually dead FFS." But nope, he'd rather mope about it. I guess this kind of behavior isn't terribly surprising since the only way to reconcile his early history, in which he spent ten years crying about how lonely he was, with the rest of the setting's lore, is to reason that he was just willfully ignoring the things that he supposedly desires the most. For surely, Eilistraee and Vhaeraun would've noticed him and sent followers after him.
Go to Top of Page

TKU
Learned Scribe

USA
158 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  08:29:57  Show Profile Send TKU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
It's kinda nuts how many of the characters at play now are some flavor of reincarnation. Regis, Burenor, Cattie Brie, Wulfgar (more than once), Zaknafein, Dinin, Quenthel + whatever was going on with injecting Old Yvonnel's memories into Quenthel and Yvonnel II counts as...

Really don't like reading how Lolth has evolved into a 'random' character with no more greater ambition than directionless chaos nor her evolving fixation with Drizzt. She'll even self-sabotage and help her enemies for the sake of 'chaos' now. Pushing that element into flanderization, to justify some unlikely actions, I think.

And I too find it *very* hard to work up the enthusiasm for reading some of the newer books based off of what's on the wiki. Yvonnel in particular sounds like a collection of the absolute most painful to read troupes and character traits imaginable. I'd also like to know what the heck is up with Quenthel's character arc, because from start to current day it reads like a character nobody really knew what to do with. Weird stuff like with the driders and summoning demons into Menzoberranzan. Pretty much anything involving the Drow sounds like a painful slog to get through in this past bunch of books.
Go to Top of Page

LordofBones
Master of Realmslore

1536 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  08:35:29  Show Profile Send LordofBones a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The gate of the Crystal Spire must be a revolving door.
Go to Top of Page

Captain Grafalcon
Learned Scribe

Brazil
129 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  15:14:18  Show Profile Send Captain Grafalcon a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by TKU

It's kinda nuts how many of the characters at play now are some flavor of reincarnation. Regis, Burenor, Cattie Brie, Wulfgar (more than once), Zaknafein, Dinin, Quenthel + whatever was going on with injecting Old Yvonnel's memories into Quenthel and Yvonnel II counts as...

Really don't like reading how Lolth has evolved into a 'random' character with no more greater ambition than directionless chaos nor her evolving fixation with Drizzt. She'll even self-sabotage and help her enemies for the sake of 'chaos' now. Pushing that element into flanderization, to justify some unlikely actions, I think.

And I too find it *very* hard to work up the enthusiasm for reading some of the newer books based off of what's on the wiki. Yvonnel in particular sounds like a collection of the absolute most painful to read troupes and character traits imaginable. I'd also like to know what the heck is up with Quenthel's character arc, because from start to current day it reads like a character nobody really knew what to do with. Weird stuff like with the driders and summoning demons into Menzoberranzan. Pretty much anything involving the Drow sounds like a painful slog to get through in this past bunch of books.





Yes, you guess about what happens to Yvonnel is pretty accurate. I haven't read the latest books yet, but I always assumed that Zaknafein's memory was more important to Drizzt (and to readers) than his presence in the series. Although I like the legend of Drizzt series very much, each arc looks more like the last.

"Surely you recognize that armies carrying banners are almost always thieves—until they win."
Jarlaxle, mercenary leader of Bregan D'aerthe.
Go to Top of Page

Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader

USA
3243 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  15:47:37  Show Profile Send Ashe Ravenheart a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-I feel like all the Drizzt stuff kind of jumped the shark after the The Neverwinter books.


For me, it was the Thousand Orcs books.

Before that book, Drizzt's father was sacrificed, and still managed to come back, in part, to chat with Drizzt.

Bruenor Battlehammer rode a flaming dragon down into a "bottomless" gorge. He came back from this certain death.

Artemis Entreri was left battered senseless and dangling from a mountainside by a slowly-ripping piece of cloth. He came back from this "no way he'll survive this" death. (As I recall, Drizzt didn't kill him specifically because he believed Entreri was minutes away from falling to his death, anyway.)

Wulfgar was buried under tons of rock, in the clutches of a yochlol. He came back from this apparent death.

Time after time, people around Drizzt have apparently died and still come back. In Bruenor and Entreri's case, they came back none the worse for what had happened.

And yet, with all of that, he assumed that an empty helm in a pile of rubble meant that everyone was dead. He did not see them die, as he did with Wulfgar and Bruenor. The only indicators of death were a collapsed tower where they'd previously been and where they could have escaped from, and a helm that could have been dropped during such an escape. With nothing pointing to a certain death, and reasons to hope for the best even with a certain death, he still assumed that he'd lost his friends forever.

That was when I was done.



It gets better:


  • Catti-brie then gets hit with Blue Fire as the weave fell during the spellplague, trapping her soul in the Shadowfell until Mielikki grabbed her soul.

  • Regis then died when he tried using his ruby to bring Catti-brie back, but trapping his soul as well. Mielikki then grabbed his soul.

  • Wulfgar lived to be over a hundred years old, killed by wounds suffered when he kill a bunch of yetis, then Mielikki grabbed his soul

  • Bruennor and Thibbledorf Pwent both died defending Gauntlgrym from a pit fiend, and Mielikki grabbed his soul. Thibbledorf became a vampire, but they cured him, then he died.

  • Artemis never died, is still alive and kicking, but no longer considered an enemy of the Companions.

  • Drizzt was mortally wounded by an wrathful ex-girlfriend, but Mielikki sent all her Pokemon the collected souls of the Companions to be reborn 18 years before he is wounded so they would get there and help him heal physically and emotionally.

I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.

Ashe's Character Sheet

Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs
Go to Top of Page

TKU
Learned Scribe

USA
158 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  16:15:32  Show Profile Send TKU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Bit bonkers now that I think about it that Mielikki could just grab the souls of people who don't worship her willy-nilly, but Lolth couldn't get Zaknafein's soul even though she raised him as an undead Zin-carla. I'd have re-read that, but I don't recall any specific explanation of how Lolth could bind his spirit as an undead slave but couldn't stuff it in her pocket for later.

Edited by - TKU on 31 May 2021 16:17:49
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  16:30:56  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart


It gets better:


  • Catti-brie then gets hit with Blue Fire as the weave fell during the spellplague, trapping her soul in the Shadowfell until Mielikki grabbed her soul.

  • Regis then died when he tried using his ruby to bring Catti-brie back, but trapping his soul as well. Mielikki then grabbed his soul.

  • Wulfgar lived to be over a hundred years old, killed by wounds suffered when he kill a bunch of yetis, then Mielikki grabbed his soul

  • Bruennor and Thibbledorf Pwent both died defending Gauntlgrym from a pit fiend, and Mielikki grabbed his soul. Thibbledorf became a vampire, but they cured him, then he died.

  • Artemis never died, is still alive and kicking, but no longer considered an enemy of the Companions.

  • Drizzt was mortally wounded by an wrathful ex-girlfriend, but Mielikki sent all her Pokemon the collected souls of the Companions to be reborn 18 years before he is wounded so they would get there and help him heal physically and emotionally.




Yeah, the whole Iruladoon thing didn't make sense, with her grabbing souls of folks that worshipped other deities and putting them on ice.

I knew about Iruladoon, but I was unaware of how any of them died (except Pwent; I'd seen that one discussed).

How, exactly, did Regis try to bring Cattie-Brie back with his ruby, and how did it kill him? We're talking about the one that lets him charm people, right?

And was the "wrathful ex-girlfriend" Dahlia? I've seen her discussed, too.

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!
Go to Top of Page

Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  19:39:28  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by TKU

Bit bonkers now that I think about it that Mielikki could just grab the souls of people who don't worship her willy-nilly, but Lolth couldn't get Zaknafein's soul even though she raised him as an undead Zin-carla. I'd have re-read that, but I don't recall any specific explanation of how Lolth could bind his spirit as an undead slave but couldn't stuff it in her pocket for later.


Was the zin-carla actually Zaknafein’s soul? As far as I could recall, they resurrected the body, and gave it Zaknafein’s fighting prowess (consciousness/mind/memories), but I am unsure if that meant soul as well. The way it was described, it seemed like Drizzt’s mother ultimately lost control of the undead thing because she had to give Zaknafein’s mind and consciousness too much power and it threw off her authority, but Zaknafein was still just an undead zombie, albeit a zombie with his fighting skills and memories.

Although Zaknafein was originally sacrificed to Lolth and went to that death willingly, so that may have been what enabled it if it really was his soul. I haven’t read those books in years.

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
Go to Top of Page

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3740 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  21:22:12  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

[quote]Originally posted by Lord Karsus

For me, it was the Thousand Orcs books.

-The stuff you mention, eh, things like that have happened before. I'm pretty sure all of Drizzt's companions have "died" at least one other time before being revealed he wasn't actually dead in the books preceding that series if I am remembering correctly. Most definitely Bruenor, Wulfgar, and Regis, anyway. They at least had consistency with the rest of the world. Obould Many-Arrows and Gerti Orelsdottr were characters introduced prior and their descriptions in the FRCS are mostly in line with how they are presented in those books. Orcs establishing a "peaceful" kingdom, okay, maybe not something expected but them wanting to establish a unified power base, sure.
-Since the 4e transition at the latest, the stuff in his books are just further and further out there. As we know, he was never one to play by anyone else's rules in this shared world, courtesy be damned, but since the time jump and just all of the big changes from 3e to 4e and then 4e to 5e, it feels like anything goes. I guess part of that is, with no other novels and way fewer sourcebooks/adventures to progress the timeline and explain things, his books have a bigger importance in explaining game changes in-world (as we are seeing with this new Drow stuff), but it's like, yeah, sense just kind of has been thrown to the wind and what happens in the books is the wild west.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2021 :  22:23:56  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

For me, it was the Thousand Orcs books.

-The stuff you mention, eh, things like that have happened before. I'm pretty sure all of Drizzt's companions have "died" at least one other time before being revealed he wasn't actually dead in the books preceding that series if I am remembering correctly. Most definitely Bruenor, Wulfgar, and Regis, anyway. They at least had consistency with the rest of the world.



It wasn't their deaths -- it was that Drizzt had seen so many people come back from certain death, and yet, when presented with the possibility that his friends had died, with no real evidence, he immediately assumed the worst.

Drizzt's life is very much an example of the adage from one of the deity books: Death is not a career-ending injury. And yet, with more reason than most to be hopeful that he'd see his friends again, he instead ignored logic (no bodies, and his friends had time to escape) and his own past history (everything in my prior post) and assumed they were gone forever.

That's what killed it for me. Sure, I can see him being worried, in that scenario, and fearful that they might have died -- but not the immediate "Oh, they're all dead and I'll never see them ever again!" conclusion.

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 31 May 2021 22:24:42
Go to Top of Page

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3740 Posts

Posted - 01 Jun 2021 :  00:40:55  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-I see what you're saying. I can't really think of any characters that have had so much time dedicated to their (mis)adventures where death or the appearance of death has come up as much. Elminster I guess, but he never really had a constant supporting cast through all of the different books he was in where he died or came close to death like Drizzt. The Seven Sisters maybe are the closest, but that still isn't really on the same level as Drizzt and the companions.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 01 Jun 2021 :  01:50:35  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

I can't really think of any characters that have had so much time dedicated to their (mis)adventures where death or the appearance of death has come up as much.


Nor can I... At least, not in novels. However, the same things do happen oft in two other media forms: Comic books and soap operas.

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!
Go to Top of Page

TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore

USA
1289 Posts

Posted - 01 Jun 2021 :  15:55:01  Show Profile Send TheIriaeban a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

I can't really think of any characters that have had so much time dedicated to their (mis)adventures where death or the appearance of death has come up as much.


Nor can I... At least, not in novels. However, the same things do happen oft in two other media forms: Comic books and soap operas.



There is some other soap opera stuff in the Realms. Ravendas (Lord Cutter) and her sister were almost identical (though, technically not twins) so that she was able to fool Caledan into thinking he was sleeping with the sister and was able to conceive a child with him. Plus, the "evil twin" killed her sister.

"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."

My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
Go to Top of Page

Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader

USA
3243 Posts

Posted - 01 Jun 2021 :  18:43:46  Show Profile Send Ashe Ravenheart a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Yeah, the whole Iruladoon thing didn't make sense, with her grabbing souls of folks that worshipped other deities and putting them on ice.

I knew about Iruladoon, but I was unaware of how any of them died (except Pwent; I'd seen that one discussed).

How, exactly, did Regis try to bring Cattie-Brie back with his ruby, and how did it kill him? We're talking about the one that lets him charm people, right?

And was the "wrathful ex-girlfriend" Dahlia? I've seen her discussed, too.


Yes, Regis used his ruby's mind magic to contact Catti-Brie's soul and bring her back. It backfired on him, though, trapping his soul as well as hers.

And yes, Dahlia is the ex-girlfriend.

I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.

Ashe's Character Sheet

Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36803 Posts

Posted - 01 Jun 2021 :  18:56:22  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart

Yes, Regis used his ruby's mind magic to contact Catti-Brie's soul and bring her back. It backfired on him, though, trapping his soul as well as hers.



Since when does the ruby do anything more than charm people?

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!
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 4 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Next Page
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000