|
TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Apr 2022 : 17:58:06
|
From So Sayeth Ed Part 7 page 56-58, Ed had this to say about classic books (that could be quoted from):
"SEVENTY STIRRING STORIES by Russtur Malivar (many editions, often retold and abridged; a compilation of tavern-tales of romance, monster-fighting, high adventure, and revenge from the Sword Coast North).
THE TARGE by Lady Sarandra Shaelewinter (several editions; the author's name is a pseudonym for a now-dead noblewoman of Waterdeep; romantic, uplifting tales - - mainly intended for a female audience, but beloved by those who love romance and lovingly-described dalliance - - that all drive home moral points: good always gets its just reward, wickedness and folly are aptly "rewarded," and so on; "improving" literature for young ladies, but rescued from being pedantic and dull by the romantic writing).
TAL TESSORAN, Or: A LIFE WELL LIVED by Roadrante Haltivur (scandalously explicit [yes, we would call it pornographic] and considered far too "naughty" for polite discussion and being read in public, either aloud or to oneself but where others can identify its title; female author now living in hiding under an assumed name after being badgered with offers of marriage and love affairs and priests offering to "redeem" her, to say nothing of men wanting to "properly chastise" her; a stirring epic of a devastatingly handsome, well-meaning swordsman-hero who wenches his way across Faerūn while defeating evil wizards and growling monsters; powerfully written and VERY popular, although most folk keep their copies hidden under their pillows for private reading; even if the sexual passages are skipped, the writing is colourful and the adventures dashing).
SHIELDS AFLAME: A HISTORY OF KINGS AND BATTLES OF THE NORTH by Murtrosz Ondibran (small, thick, often split in its bindings and put into a box or tied together with cord, to keep it all together; often reprinted in identical format to its original edition, by one printer in Athkatla who claims (on the flyleaf) to bring down a "dark curse" on anyone else who makes copies of it; the most authoritative and interestingly-written of many sagely histories of the Sword Coast North, much consulted in the way we would consult a "dictionary of royalty and battles." Its brief entries are entertainingly written, and the book can serve in the way many religious texts are: as "dip into" reading, one or two entries per evening, for discussion or reflection or just day-dreaming.
ARAUNTRIL: LADY DEATH, LADY FLAME by Sarkoarvhan Dhurr (a tremendously-popular epic of a sword-wielding sorceress, telling the fictional career of a beautiful, wanton, evil-hearted, sharp-tongued wily lass who sleeps and tricks and boldly fights and acrobatically tumbles her way from lover to lover and fortune to fortune; neither explicit nor particularly leering, mentioning sex in a matter-of-fact or humorous way; very popular because Arauntril's dupes and victims are caricatures of mankind everywhere, and she exploits their foibles in amusing ways that can win fresh guffaws when read aloud in kitchens to folk who've heard all the scenes before. Arauntril has a caustic wit - - which she uses on herself when she makes mistakes or does stupid things - - and the author, a mild-mannered and shy clerk of Tethyr, poured out all his frustrations at cruel and pompous masters and clients when depicting the men Arauntril bests. Someone else [anonymous] wrote a hard-to-find (and so very expensive) sequel, ARAUNTRIL SCOURGED, which does delve into the pornographic. On every page. Although Dhurr was very upset by its publication, he's said to have loved it when he read it, and most folk who've managed to do so are unwilling to part with their copies: not only are its sex scenes highly memorable, it makes sharp and explicit comment on real rulers, realms, customs, and other writers, in ways dubbed "wincingly accurate" by Alaphondar of Cormyr).
DUNSTABLE'S DREAMS by Osmer Dunstable (thick, hand-sized but very thick; many editions, the most recent ones sold with leather slipcovers with four thong catches, to help protect the spine of the book from splitting swiftly; a sort of "Bartlett's Quotations" for the Realms: collected witty sayings and retorts, phrases, mottoes, and coined words from all over Faerūn, and from all times since the Common Tongue became, well, common; this much-consulted collection is politely called "Dreams" but casually referred to just as "Dunstable").
ARDOSO: A ROMANCE OF MAGIC by Marmoth Ellerth (a slender volume, always bound in nonsense "mystical symbols" that in some cases have concealed coded messages having nothing to do with the book's contents; this flowery, purple-prose tale of a young wizard, Ardoso, and his rapid rise to ruling his own fictitious realm as an archwizard of matchless might-in-Art is complete tripe in terms of factual magic lore, but is widely admired for its poetic prose - - which in most places is wildly overblown and ridiculous, but which has yielded to popular speech and other writers some useful phrases such as "all eye-fingered" to describe someone who's warily "looking in all directions" or is extremely, restlessly nervous; "dusk-eyed and soft-shouldered" to denote a beautiful female dressed and acting so as to mutely request the attentions of someone, but NOT flirting or forwardly demanding their advances; "gods-kissed" to denote someone who is struck with brilliant ideas or endowed with a natural talent that enables them to excel astonishingly without training; "storm-browed" to describe someone glowering in anger).
THE CASTLE OF FOREVER by Hildark Marblesard (a fanciful "history" of Dragonspear Castle, in which the ghosts of various fictitious lords of the fortress who were interred in the walls at their deaths, emerge to top each others' tales of their times in Dragonspear, and dispute as to what really happened [and whether this or that outland visitor was really a foe of Dragonspear or an ally, and so on]; as history, it's almost entirely nonsense [beyond a few small snippets here and there about particular people, events, or architectural details of the castle], but the ghosts are thinly-disguised parodies of real rulers, and the timid, scholarly Marblesard puts into their mouths the speeches, views, and attitudes of the real people [hence the lively debates between them], lampooning the womanizing of Azoun IV of Cormyr, the hauteur of Calishite pashas and the Council of Amn, the bombast of Harbromm of Citadel Adbar, and so on; this recently-published tome has soared in popularity to join the ranks of classics because word of mouth across Faerūn attributes to it not the mere entertainment of parody, but veracity in capturing the essential characters of the real rulers, so that it has practical use in understanding how to anticipate what they'll do next, and how to treat with them if one desires friendship or approval).
SWORDSTAR by Myndrarra Tresstyl (a slim, pocket-sized book of cryptic verses of guidance, e.g.: "This night holds importance dark/Seek stone, calm thought, and fire's spark/Much coin, hunted scorn, and wounding all await/Choose the way that's right and straight" with one such verse per page, and each page being bordered by random numbers; with dice or cast pebbles a reader can derive numbers, and so 'choose' the right verse whenever consulting the tome; penned by a tavern dancer/prostitute, this book gained popularity when various priesthoods [most of whom give similar guidance by means of hidden clergy chanting or whispering cryptic verses to faithful who pray and give offerings at altars, so they see this book as competition] attempted to suppress it. Consulted by many folk in Faerūn today, and read as riddle-entertainment or a spur for thoughtful thinking by many more; its author, now wrinkled with age, is still much sought-after as a bed-partner, because she gasps cryptic words, phrases, and verses to those who pay to bed her, that they believe apply personally to them, and what they should do in their lives ahead).
MASTERS OF THIS HALL by Awntar Halondaeth (a very old book, printed and reprinted many times, sometimes with amendments by anonymous "authors" who thought they could "improve" upon the original; a narrative wherein an aged king dies and his six sons - - bitter rivals and warrior princes of accomplishment, all - - hasten to seize the throne, arriving in the king's throne chamber to discover it full of the senior priests of the realm, who have cast mighty spells that prevent arrows flying, swords from being drawn, and so on: they force the princes to try to win the throne with words, convincing the majority of priests present who should make the best king [princes who try to storm out without pledging loyalty to the next king will be slain by spells]; the book consists of debates between the brothers, and colourful tales - - both parables and accounts of their own past deeds, however embellished - - told by them, as they dispute with each other and with various priests who question them keenly; contains the much-quoted exchange between the priest Erlatho and the prince Daereth: [D: "Enough! I'll no more of this wordspew and idiocy! Better to stride into death than endure more of your waspsting queries and insinuations! I'm a busy man, with many roads to ride and quarries to pursue! I must and shall begone from this place NOW!" E: "Oh? You've something more important to rush off to this morn, I take it, than your own life?"] and many more witty oaths and word-fencing much quoted by readers, in their daily doings with each other."
|
"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
|
 |
|
Famous poetry or parables
