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thom
Seeker
USA
69 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Mar 2005 : 15:56:30
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THANK YE kindly, for such a quick response Ed! (and to THO for forwarding it to him so promptly). And to Kentinal for chiming in...
So, is it reasonable to guess that shops or rooming houses have a similar setup where the passage down the side of the tallhouse opens into the "admittedly cramped" rented rooms? Which brings up a lighting issue; if these tallhouses are crammed up against each other, those rooms in the center of the floor must get pretty dark and not very well ventilated! Or are the tallhouse far enough apart that windows could be in these rooms?
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2005 : 16:09:14
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Yes, I must say that when it comes to “kick backs under the table,” the male players in the original Realms campaign long ago asked me to stop wearing my point-toed, stiletto-heel boots. I can’t IMAGINE why.
Alaundo, I just want to add one postscript from Ed, not specifically re. Jerryd but about a viewpoint he raised during their discussions:
Ed did not mean to imply there’s anything at all wrong with WANTING things to be clear-cut and/or black and white. Imposing our own will on the world and ordering things the way we want them to be is a basic human urge, and a lot of D&D players and DMs derive great satisfaction in “achieving things” in the fantasy settings they play in that they just can never hope to do in the real world. Ed wanted Jerryd to know that the ‘greyness’ is a deliberate design direction that he has to push towards, because his natural tendency is, yes, to tidy and sort and ‘shift things’ to be the way he wants them to be.
On other matters: great questions, MW Turnage: I’ve sent them off to Ed, and I’m sure we’ll get rich replies (in time: a lot of answers are piling up).
thom, I can answer your latest myself: the tallhouses are usually touching, or have at most a four-foot-max-width dark alleyway between them. So there’s no room for outside-wall windows. However, the rooms along the passage have what we would call “fanlight” windows above their ‘onto the passage’ doors, and many of them have windows opening into small ‘light shafts’ that descend from the roof (covered by gratings, up top) down to the lower floors or even into the cellars (if the latter, there’ll be a ‘rain roof’ overhood).
Shops usually don’t have a passage on the ground floor, but a separate (back, usually) entrance for the upper floors, so the shop has full-building-width rooms, opening one into another as one goes back through the building, until the inevitable ‘back room’ opens onto the shared stairwell going up to the upper floors. A few also have trapdoors offering emergency (escape-fire) access from above down into the shop.
Upper floors usually have a "half-passage" running from the backstair landing forward along one interior outside wall past two or three rented rooms, to end in a door into a full-tallhouse-width 'front room.'
love to all,
THO
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thom
Seeker
USA
69 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2005 : 17:34:09
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Wow! That was fast THO - thanks so much! I think I understand the design much better now.
Are the tallhouses Torm owns mostly rentals, except for the luxurious one he always keeps ready for himself? And how does he trust someone enough to run all this when he's away? I ask because my players have wanted to do something similar to this and weren't sure how to protect themselves from being ripped off.
As an aside on our good Sembian Melvos, I'm sure Ed wrote 3-4 times as much as WOTC will actually use - is it possible he could let slip more tidbits after the column finishes its run? I've already started pages of notes on what my NPC merchants et al could be up to just based on what hes's written so far!
Thanks for all the good answers THO, and Ed!
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2005 : 17:55:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Alaundo
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
Oh yeah, all the time. Just like FR design and development assistants.
Actually in all seriousness, before leaving the WOTC boards (Gosh, that sounds like I'm describing a combat zone), in private and public communications with some moderators, I got the impression that they were paid.
Thus, I'm sure the moderators here are also getting direct deposits or kick backs under the table.
Well met
Not at all, Sirius. On official boards...maybe, but certainly not at Candlekeep. In fact, it costs a fair amount to be here myself and keep this library up and running. However, my love of the Realms and of the pleasure of having ye all share the lore makes it very worthwhile  Still, enough said, and back to the Realmslore...
Well, in all honetsy, I must say that it is an honor and a privledge to be a moderator here, even for just my small corner of Candlekeep. |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2005 : 17:57:52
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Yes, I must say that when it comes to “kick backs under the table,” the male players in the original Realms campaign long ago asked me to stop wearing my point-toed, stiletto-heel boots. I can’t IMAGINE why.
Thanks THO for recognizing the facetious comment. I thought everyone would get it, but what's that old saying, if you want to be obvious use a sledgehammer, but be careful, that just turns some brains further into mush.
As for your visual, I can only imagine your gaming sessions...
"I told you, tap once with your boots if you want me to cast a spell and twice if you don't. Why did you crush your heel down on my toes?"
"Because you took too long casting the damn spell."
Hugs again for being a wonderful messenger through the good, bad, and weird times.
SB |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2005 : 01:51:59
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Hello, all. My turn to answer a few scribes’ queries (which in this case, largely means giving you Ed’s lore and replies in my own words).
First, to George Krashos: Torm is a brilliant and sarcastic man in real life (Victor Selby, a lawyer like yourself), but when he’s playing Torm (like many of us), he does and says the things he’d never - - quite - - dare do in real life. In other words, he ‘thinks cheeky’ all the time, but he doesn’t SAY what he’s thinking or what he might do if there were no consequences, unless he’s playing Torm.
kuje31, only moneylenders, tax collectors, and certain sages and scribes in the Realms use “the fifth day of [month] in the Year of . . .” dating. Of course, WotC game designers, fiction writers, and a lot of us gamers have passing need for such precision, too (recall Ms. Fonstad’s “distances detective work” in the print FR Atlas?), so you’ll see it a lot in recently published products.
In the Realms, MOST folk (outside of courts and the ranks of guilds and merchants) never need more than “early in Eleint, in the year the wolves came,” although when dealing with courtiers, military recruiters, and tax officials, a specific year-date is always necessary. And most folk remember and record family births, deaths, and weddings like this: “the sixth day after Greengrass, in 1372” or “the seventh day into Uktar, of 1351” (with the “DR” being assumed, and all other year-numbering systems being designated, if used).
Certainly, for our real-world purposes, gamers prefer a precise day of a month of a year, but no, many Realms dates ARE as imprecise as given above. Dwarves in the Realms, mind you, seem to prefer full day-month-year (as do almost all courtiers, merchants, guilds, and anyone else entering into contracts or recorded loans).
thom, you’re quite welcome. Ed tells me he was very careful NOT to overwrite reams and reams of stuff WotC would have to cut (although some of the columns have ‘crept,’ especially in his last nine, wherein he ‘cheated’ with increasingly-longer footnotes), but he’ll be happy to expand on matters, here, when the Sembian 8-column run finishes, by answering specific questions scribes put to him in this thread. As you can tell, Ed’s “using” Melvos to detail what current Sembian life is like.
As for renting out tallhouses: nice Sembians build a loyal group of servants by treating them well and financially rewarding them with things they can never afford on their own, and nasty ones ‘bind’ servants to their service by blackmail, buying up debts in order to get the slave-like service of the debtors, and by other coercive means (including keeping slaves, keeping drug addicts for which the master is the only source of drugs, literal hobbling [short chains attached to wrist-cuffs, or ankle-cuffs] plus flogging, and so on). The intent is to end up with folk you can trust to obey you, because anyone merely hired (who has no personal loyalty) tends to be corruptible in Sembia: they can be ‘bought away’ from perforning properly for you by someone slipping them a few more coins than you give them as salary or under contract.
The vast majority of Sembians have too little time and money to play this game, and so hire ‘factors’ (trade agents) or ‘stansards’ (who are a little bit bodyguard, a little bit property guard, a little bit bailiff, a little bit rent collector, and a little bit errand-runner). Stansards are usually physically strong outlanders, often not human or pureblood human, who make good coin by offering trustworthy performance. (Priests of some faiths also offer this service.) Under Sembian law, they’re required to furnish full name and contact information of their ‘last twelve’ current and preceding Sembian patrons to anyone they ‘enter into bond’ with (any new client), and give the client a tenday to contact such references and decide whether or not to ‘seal the bond.’ Typically, a client pays the stansard 1 cp for this list (obviously, stansards must be able to read and write, and must also pay an annual tax). Only the wealthy can afford to keep factors or stansards on staff, because an independent can command 12 gp/day for exclusive service.
Collecting rents, inspecting rental properties, evicting tenants, squatters, and undesirables, and keeping household goods secure in the absence of a client are typical stansard duties. Recent rumor: beware dopplegangers slaying stansards and taking their places, because they WON’T remain trustworthy!
SiriusBlack, hugs right back. And yes, I really have promised not to wear boots (usually not a problem; we’re either in sock feet in Ed’s living room or barefoot or even bare-everything up at Ed’s cottage) during play sessions. Also, no more sharp jewelry. THAT came after I developed the habit of rolling around provocatively in certain laps to influence players’ behaviour, and unintentionally wounded some soft spots. (In turn, the guys who still favour jeans and monster belt buckles [cowskulls, crossed axes, and so on], promised to either unbuckle or wear webbing belts for the evening. Getting a miniature metal ‘longhorn’ up one’s natural orifices is . . . startling.)
Which is probably more of an additional visual than many wanted, or were expecting. 
love to all,
THO
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Karth
Seeker
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2005 : 01:53:03
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quote:
And as for your Magelord question: bingo. THANK you. I love it when I slip something into a book and someone figures it out. So, yes, ‘he was him.’ :}
Oi... Gonna be re-reading *that* one tonight.
Cheers, all.
-Karth
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Haman
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2005 : 14:15:49
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Hey all,
Just wanted to give a quick thanks to Ed for all of the terrific info on the Magefairs, I'll definatly be using it next session. Oh,and thanks to the Hooded One for replying and acting as go between...seriously, thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
In case it slipped in the cracks, just wanted to check with Ed again on any info he might have on the Gold Elf "Niedre" family. Their mentioned in the "Elves of Evermeet" FOR, but I couldn't find them in the Cormanthyr boxed/not a boxed set, nor the latest "Old Empires" revised book. Anything at all would be greatly appreciated.
Oh and lastly, as far as the Jerryd and Ed agreeable disagreements, just wanted to pipe in my two cents and two comments: 1) Jerryd: relax man, take what you want from the Realms and ditch what you don't. I've done things to Toril that I guarantee would make Ed shudder and weep, and I'll likely continue to do so, but that's because theirs always two versions of the Realms; Mine vs. the canon/Greenwood/Boyd/Schend/Cunningham/etc.. version. Please don't burn up time arguing anything with the guy who made the Realms, it's not that you don't have the right, it's just that you'll never be right. Oh and my 2nd comment goes to Ed for his long reply to jerryd; You go girl.
Thanks again Ed and THO. |
Some people say we gamers have no lives....I think we have too many. |
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Taelohn
Acolyte
36 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2005 : 18:47:44
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Hm... when someone is named after a deity (such as Torm), does that mean that his divine nakesake (who hears his name whenever it's spoken) would have his attention drawn to this mortal again and again?
(Or in the case of a girl named Seluneshar, mentioned in one of the Elminster novels... the attention of two deities?) |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 00:22:39
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello, all. My turn to answer a few scribes’ queries (which in this case, largely means giving you Ed’s lore and replies in my own words).
kuje31, only moneylenders, tax collectors, and certain sages and scribes in the Realms use “the fifth day of [month] in the Year of . . .” dating. Of course, WotC game designers, fiction writers, and a lot of us gamers have passing need for such precision, too (recall Ms. Fonstad’s “distances detective work” in the print FR Atlas?), so you’ll see it a lot in recently published products.
In the Realms, MOST folk (outside of courts and the ranks of guilds and merchants) never need more than “early in Eleint, in the year the wolves came,” although when dealing with courtiers, military recruiters, and tax officials, a specific year-date is always necessary. And most folk remember and record family births, deaths, and weddings like this: “the sixth day after Greengrass, in 1372” or “the seventh day into Uktar, of 1351” (with the “DR” being assumed, and all other year-numbering systems being designated, if used).
Certainly, for our real-world purposes, gamers prefer a precise day of a month of a year, but no, many Realms dates ARE as imprecise as given above. Dwarves in the Realms, mind you, seem to prefer full day-month-year (as do almost all courtiers, merchants, guilds, and anyone else entering into contracts or recorded loans).
A related question... as a carry-over from RealLife, many players use the terms hours, minutes and seconds while roleplaying. (e.g Beorn the Barbarian will wait for 5 minutes before... Or, ...Why don't we meet two hours from now at the large oak... )**
Given the above quote and the fact that there are not many time-pieces around in the Realms, these terms feel out-of-place to me, yet some manner of indication of time might be desireable. FRCS offers some suggestions, but these are rather broad parts of the day. Is there more definition that the average Realmsian would use?
Personally I use 'heartbeats' instead of seconds, but several minutes or hours become a bit more awkward to express in that type of unit...
** Also authors seem to 'suffer' from this type of 'modernism' form time to time... |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 01:13:52
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| Going by Ed's fiction, there are hours, which may be marked by church bells, but are usually communicated as 'the hour before highsun' or 'two hours after dusk'. There are minutes, but they're referred to in fews and severals rather than precise numbers. People speak of 'breaths' instead of seconds. Other phrases are used, such as 'a goodly breath or three' which means about a minute. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 01:47:37
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Hello, all.
Faraer, EDITORS put hours, minutes, and seconds into Ed’s prose. Ed’s written several ‘style guide’ notes for the Realms, down the years, forbidding them. He uses ‘breaths’ for seconds, and in cities temple bells ring so many times between dawn and highsun, and highsun and dusk, and so these “bells” can be used in place of hours. I’ll see if I can get him to send me one of his missives on this matter, for posting here.
Now, for tonight’s entertainment, Ed makes reply to Phoebus about mercenaries:
Hi, Phoebus. Binding contracts for mercenaries ARE (sparingly) used in Chessenta, because if you’ve got coin enough to ‘tie up’ a good hiresword with a binding contract (registered with the Heralds, remember), you “take him off the table” so your many rivals can’t use him against you (he can fight if attacked, but he can’t join your rivals’ forces and ride against you - - because if he does, the Heralds tell everyone and he can’t get a proper contract ever again, at least in Chessenta [or anywhere, under the name he was using when he ‘broke bond’], forcing him to ‘go outlaw’ and become a brigand rather than a paid mercenary). As no one’s sitting on an endless pile of gold, it’s the standout sellswords with the big reputations who usually get contracts where they get paid to sit and do nothing - - and no mercenary likes to sign really long-term contracts, so no one offers them (because said sellswords demand too much for anyone to sign). Three years is about the max, and most are “a season” or less (sword-for-hire contracts ALWAYS specify precise starting and ending dates, for obvious reasons).
In the case of a “large, standing company of mercenaries serving a city,” certainly their captain (the usual catchall term, yes) would hire short-term “blades.” The practise lets him rotate his men out for rest and relaxation (and perhaps healing or bed-rest against sicknesses), quelling any restlessness born of boredom regardless of the circumstances. It also lets him ‘bulk up’ with, ahem, fodder if hostilities are considered imminent.
By the way, there are a LOT of sicknesses among house bodyguards in the region, because poisoning their food and drink is a favourite occupation of agents hired by rivals: to disable, NOT kill. Dead staff-swords and mercenaries have to be replaced, but vomiting, hallucinating, falling-asleep and saggingly-weak ones just get bundled out of the way - - and their unaffected colleagues have to do longer shifts, in lesser numbers. The poisoning is something of a sport, for one lord to show another “Hey, just remember, I can breach your defenses whenever I want to,” and also to weaken the strength of a guard or garrison so a theft or spying attempt stands a greater chance of being successful. Rules are in place to prevent mercenaries from partaking of food and drink produced outside their client’s control, of course - - but being as such food is usually bland, boring, and overpriced, slip-ups occur.
In the case of the city’s seneschal, warden, marshal, or whatever their commander of defenses is called, yes, he also might well short-term hire sellswords for several reasons: because he doesn’t trust the long-term mercenaries, or wants someone to spy on them, or desires to ‘warn them against overboldness’ by the very presence of the short-term hires . . . or because he wants to send the short-term hires on missions that he doesn’t want to risk the long-term blades on, for whatever reason (explore yonder ruin or dungeon now that it’s started spewing monsters, for instance; the long-term professional mercenaries might not want to throw their lives away on “foolhead-work” when their patron can get some idiot adventurers or “short-coin short-talent” rival hireswords to go and do it). There’s very seldom such a thing for mercenaries as an “exclusive” contract binding their employers as well as them; in other words, the person who hires them always reserves the right to hire others as well, without consultation to the mercenary band. Otherwise, every mercenary band could dictate the future of a city or town that hired them - - so no one would ever hire them, and they’d all have to “go rogue” and subsist as raiders and plunderers.
As far as “culturally specific” goes: you’ve chosen the corner of the Realms that has many small, vicious, always-active bands of mercenaries under hire at all times (to serve the small-minded, vicious, petty rulers of adjacent independent cities and wannabe-independent towns). Break a blade! :}
So saith Ed. Must run, now: am late for my chance to read a new short story by another of Ed's players (no, won't tell; sorry).
love to all,
THO
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Gareth Yaztromo
Acolyte
Australia
37 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 01:56:42
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| Hooded One, in the old days of roleplaying in Ed's realm did any of the roleplayers have their own detailed worlds? Or was Toril the base diet of gaming? ;) |
"Gereth Yaztromo is arguably the most famous wizard of Allansia due to his part in a number of the most well known sagas of that region from the third century AC. He is also known as one of the three Star Pupils of the Grand Wizard of Yore.." |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 02:06:56
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Another question for Ed
Does the mountain on the northern end of the Island of Ixinos have a name?
Thanks in advance |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4688 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 04:09:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Given the above quote and the fact that there are not many time-pieces around in the Realms, these terms feel out-of-place to me, yet some manner of indication of time might be desireable. FRCS offers some suggestions, but these are rather broad parts of the day. Is there more definition that the average Realmsian would use?
Well I use sun position for surfacerers. Those in the unlighted underdark certainly can get off clock to some degree. This in part depends on how aware they are of the passage of time. Off hand I would use Wis or Int check to be acrurate as to time sense.
quote:
Personally I use 'heartbeats' instead of seconds, but several minutes or hours become a bit more awkward to express in that type of unit...
You do understand that heart rate changes based on situation? Wait 20 beats when one has a rate f 60 and another has a rate of 90 does not work well. The same applies to construction a cubit being the lenght of a forearm. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2005 : 06:39:14
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello, all.
Faraer, EDITORS put hours, minutes, and seconds into Ed’s prose. Ed’s written several ‘style guide’ notes for the Realms, down the years, forbidding them. He uses ‘breaths’ for seconds, and in cities temple bells ring so many times between dawn and highsun, and highsun and dusk, and so these “bells” can be used in place of hours. I’ll see if I can get him to send me one of his missives on this matter, for posting here.
I should like to see that too, my Lady. 
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hi, Phoebus. Binding contracts for mercenaries ARE (sparingly) used in Chessenta, because if you’ve got coin enough to ‘tie up’ a good hiresword with a binding contract (registered with the Heralds, remember), you “take him off the table” so your many rivals can’t use him against you (he can fight if attacked, but he can’t join your rivals’ forces and ride against you - - because if he does, the Heralds tell everyone and he can’t get a proper contract ever again, at least in Chessenta [or anywhere, under the name he was using when he ‘broke bond’], forcing him to ‘go outlaw’ and become a brigand rather than a paid mercenary).
That sounds kinda like the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission in BattleTech... |
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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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2005 : 00:51:20
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Hello, all. Ed makes reply to Dargoth, in the matter of the fate of Zeboaster of Ordulin:
Zeboaster narrowly escaped being murdered, twice, and went into hiding, throughly terrified. He then called on a trusted friend to contact a certain wizard to cast defensive magics on him. This friend did so, and the wizard cast two spells (all Zeboaster could gather money to pay for, without going out in public). These magics were the first of a planned series of defensive castings outlined by the greedy wizard and agreed to by the desperate Zeboaster.
Storm Silverhand heard about the attempts on Zeboaster’s life - - and about certain Thayan agents offering large coin for information as to his whereabouts, and mentioned this to The Simbul. She finds Zeboaster’s runaway tongue refreshingly amusing, and considers it socially useful in rush-to-get-money-at-all-costs Sembia, and (in the guise of a raven) paid Zeboaster a visit, strengthening and modifying the spells cast on him as he slept.
As a result, when the price became right the next morning, and his “trusted friend” betrayed him to the nearest Thayan, and Zeboaster got blasted with flesh-melting spells, he didn’t perish on the spot, but fled as: his severed left hand (all that was left of him), with his mouth grafted onto his palm, his eyes between two fingers, and his brain spell-linked to the back of the hand, trailing behind like a cluster on a rat-like tail. He could still see, speak, and think, though he nearly went howling mad. The spells showed him The Simbul, and he flew to find her, pleading for full physical restoration.
I suspect she’s given it to him, or will give it to him in time, but then again . . . she might PREFER Zeboaster as a smart-mouthed flying hand. He’d certainly be a servant (especially for holding lights, mirrors, and garments in precise positions), backscratcher, and bed-companion (I meant for holding her books and turning the pages, though I’m sure my Lady Hooded is already picturing OTHER activities) she could trust more than some . . .
So saith Ed. And yes, dear, I was indeed daydreaming of such things; a girl can always use a helping hand, I say. Ahem. I guess Ed’s decided it’s his turn to tease ME. Whatever next!
love to all,
THO
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Melfius
Senior Scribe
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 01:49:03
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A quick question for Ed:
Has Waterdeep considered expanding it's size recently? Maybe move the walls back a bit and let the folks breathe? |
Melfius, Pixie-Priest of Puck - Head Chef, The Faerie Kitchen, Candlekeep Inn
"What's in his pockets, besides me?"
Read a tale of my earlier days! - Happiness Comes in Small Packages |
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Garen Thal
Master of Realmslore
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 02:21:37
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A bit to say on the expansion of Waterdeep's walls:
Expanding the walls of a large city takes a long time, what with the construction of the new outer wall, the removal of the old "outer" wall, the reassignment of wards or quarters, the decision of where to build and what existing structures will inevitably have to be torn down (on both sides of the original wall), and official declarations of who will be permitted to build in the new land.
It should also be noted that whenever cities expand, the new area is almost immediately claimed by some group. In the case of Waterdeep, merchants, nobles and would-be nobles--the groups most likely to have enough money for laborers and building supplies--would build on as much of the "new" land as possible as quick as they could. It should also be noted that there isn't a whole lot of room for Waterdeep to expand; it sits atop a plateau, and the city covers nearly its entire surface.
That said, I don't live in Waterdeep, so I can't know what the city itself thinks... |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 04:24:08
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Hello, all. As promised (to Mumadar Ibn Huzal, Faraer, and all), a quotation from Ed on measuring time in the Realms:
Time in the Realms is NEVER measured in “hours” or “minutes.” Short-term waits can be measured in “breaths” but in cities, temples, and monasteries, the equivalent of hours are so many “bells” (yes, a bell is rung) or “candles” (which do visibly burn down) from or to a measurable event, such as dawn/daybreak, dusk/nightfall, or noon (in the Realms, noon is “highsun”). Example: The tumult began three bells before nightfall.
“Midnight” is permissible usage, and “deepnight” is its ‘more Realmsian’ synonym.
When timing is important, Realms writers should work a reference to how many bells are struck in a day (“It was the task of Brother Blackhands to strike half of the twelve bells between dusk and dawn, with Sister Elphrana tolling the bells between—and another pair of the Devout handled the twelve bells of the bright hours.”) into the narrative to make it clear that a “bell” IS “an hour.”
In Tashluta and the Tashalar, Tharsult, and in some ports nearby, a “bell” (an hour) is called a “darmeth,” with the plural (hours) being “darmar.” As in: “It’ll be at least three darmar before he gets back.” or: “But that could take DARMAR, hrast it!” This usage seems to be spreading south.
In like manner, days in the realms are never referred to as “Monday,” “Tuesday,” or any real-world ‘weekday’ name. Most folk in the Realms refer to a particular day as thus far from “the first of Mirtul” or “the last of Eleint” or one of the annual festival days, or if they must be precise, will say something like “the first day of the first tenday of Ches.” If they were writing this date or speaking of it formally, it would become “1st Ches.”
Where we would say “a moment or two,” most humans in the Realms say “a breath or two”—and what we would call a minute is “a goodly breath or three.”
Dwarves tend to call the same span of time (actually, anything up to about three minutes) “but a little while,” whereas a halfling would call the same span of time “a long song.” To a halfling, a minute is “a tune,” and 10 minutes is “three long songs.” Most halflings tend to speak of longer time periods, within a day, in terms of how much the sun has progressed.
So saith Ed. In guidelines obviously happily ignored by all too many writers and editors working in the Realms. (Sigh.)
love to all,
THO
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Mendicant
Acolyte
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 05:57:25
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Mr Greenwood:
Am attempting a writeup on the Sungalde. Any thoughts/ideas/input to fill in the (many) blanks?
I will be doing it as a 2e writeup, and not including the star elves, as they are developing nicely in 3e. Just really scratching my head for information regarding the gods of Yuir and other "ancient" subjects.
Thanks for your consideration! |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 06:10:03
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Greetings once more Lady of the Hood and Ed.
Got a question for Ed which to my mind (free as it is from NDAs and similar nastinesses) should be a quickie: Since the publication of Serpent Kingdoms we know the yuan-ti name for themselves in yuan-ti, but their name for demihumans (Scaleless ones) is given in English, so I was wondering if the yuan-ti word for Scaless one was created during the making of said book, and if so... Could we please be let in on it?
(Humble apologies if it is in the book and I've missed it despite looking for it specifically four times).
And in relation to Melfius' question, does Waterdeep have a foulburgh? (faubourg?) can't remember the english word for it at the moment I'm afraid. |
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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Kentinal
Great Reader
4688 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 20:09:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
And in relation to Melfius' question, does Waterdeep have a foulburgh? (faubourg?) can't remember the english word for it at the moment I'm afraid.
"NOUN: A district lying outside the original city limits of a French-speaking city or a city with a French heritage."
OK you are from Sweden, but is best guess of word you are seeking. A District outside the walls of a walled city.
The discussion concerning the city of waterdeep would tend to make it hard to have outer or unwalled districts based on the statement "It should also be noted that there isn't a whole lot of room for Waterdeep to expand; it sits atop a plateau, and the city covers nearly its entire surface."
The only place an outer district could exist are, between the walls and the cliffs or on hill sides thattend to be steep, or at the base of the supporting moutain. That said it certainly is posible for the city to build outside the walls districts.
It should also noted that the city could expand beyond the plateau, by building on the hills or on the clifts and down to the base and might have some such districts already established along the trade routes, though might not be under direct city control.
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 20:39:40
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| You guess correctly, and the reason I used that word was because I had seen it in use in an English text (still can't recall the spelling though) in the context of housing outside a city's walls. |
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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Ethriel
Learned Scribe
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2005 : 21:46:35
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| Ed, any plans or opportunities to use Kymil Nimesin again? That guy is without a doubt one of THE defining villains of Forgotten Realms and he deserves an end eventually. Hope that manages to get proposed or done sometimes! |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2005 : 01:48:12
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Hello, all. My turn to reply this time, to Gareth Yaztromo.
Yes, Gareth, in the “old days of roleplaying in Ed's realm” (back when, ahem, the world was black and white, we were all faster and slimmer, and the idea of having personal, at-home computers was bright and new), the Realms WAS our “base diet” of D&D gaming, yes, though we played lots of other things (Kingmaker, Diplomacy, Empires of the Middle Ages, Mille Borne, and later Awful Green Things From Outer Space, and Arkham Horror, not to mention literally dozens of others). Please note that Jeff Grubb added the name “Toril” (actually “Abeir-Toril”) later, too; it was just “Faerûn” or “the Realms” then. Victor Selby (most famous for playing Torm) tried his hand at detailing several worlds, and Andrew Dewar (most famous for playing Rathan, although both he and Victor appeared in the pages of DRAGON with articles, Victor doing a monster with Ed and Andrew doing the Oracle NPC class) ran several short-lived but vivid campaigns, in particular one in a sinister-intrigue caravan city, and another in a setting of many small islands ruled by lairds.
They were good, memorable mini-campaigns, but only Ed had the knack of getting enough subplots going that the whole thing seemed real, and took on a life of its own.
Ahh, to be young again. So many beds, so much more time to misuse more wisely . . .
love,
THO
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Nevorick
Acolyte
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2005 : 02:36:55
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Well met Lady of the Hood, Ed of the Greenwood, and all,
I would like to know what you can tell me of the equipment, standards, and dress of a Cormyrian Purple Dragon Knight, please?
Yours humbly,
Nevorick Julahasa, bard of Waterdeep |
"What happens in Waterdeep, stays in Waterdeep." |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2005 : 00:05:05
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Hello, all. Ed of the Greenwood replies to Sanishiver (Garen Thal and Jerryd, this will be of especial interest to you, too, I know):
Sanishiver, the Crown is determined to prevent the influx of Sembian coin, influence, and falsely innocent landgrab-settlers of the “What do you mean we can’t just settle here? You mean when we came through the mountains we weren’t in Sembia anymore?” sort into eastern Cormyr, and has rushed the majority of the surviving Purple Dragons there to encamp, patrol, and train as a show of everpresent force (rotating through garrisons in Suzail, Arabel, and Marsember; to accomplish this, High Horn has temporarily been darn near emptied for a season or two, though War Wizards still dwell and train there). Alusair is actively recruiting (see the last story in my upcoming “Best of Eddie” short story collection), and much wealth from the Crystal Grot has been spent in Amn and Tethyr to bring bulk foodstuffs into the realm so folk don’t starve because so few were left alive and able-bodied to try to get the crops off, and new ones sewn the next spring.
Most small places were plundered by the goblins and orcs (emptied of handy portable tools and weapons, and stripped of everything edible), but there was only a little burning and vandalism; they were being hounded to keep on the move by their own leaders (the Devil Dragon swooped and slew divers goblinkin, several times, to drive home the belief that obedience to her commands was a WISE idea), and didn’t have time for their usual fun.
Folk in overcrowded Suzail and Marsember are being offered free land if they want to resettle in eastern Cormyr (to farm, set up businesses, or just retire to cottages of their own building). Some of those from Marsember will be closely watched, of course.
Some senior merchants of Cormyr (read: undercover Highknights) have visited certain Dalesfolk in Mistledale, Shadowdale, and Deepingdale, offering them very good terms if they want to invest in eastern-Cormyr ranches and farms (with an eye not just to strengthening trade, but to luring some of these hardy farmers into moving to Cormyr).
And lastly: the Steel Regent and Dowager Queen Filfaeril have announced that any woman of Cormyr who gives birth to a child shall be paid 10 gp per year (so long as the child remains alive) by the Crown, from the birth-year until the child has seen ten-and-four summers. Purple Dragons have been told that to father a child on someone they haven’t wed (or fail to marry when they learn of the pregnancy), except when the mother was a Crown-licensed prostitute (yes, such licensing is new, and involves War Wizards covertly paying ladies of the evening who pass on interesting things they see and hear from clients), is now a ten-years-of-prisoner-labour (mainly road repair, irrigation, and bridge-building) offense.
So saith Ed. All this and another teaser for the Best of Eddie book, too!
Wheee!
love to all,
THO
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2005 : 00:27:19
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
And lastly: the Steel Regent and Dowager Queen Filfaeril have announced that any woman of Cormyr who gives birth to a child shall be paid 10 gp per year (so long as the child remains alive) by the Crown, from the birth-year until the child has seen ten-and-four summers. Purple Dragons have been told that to father a child on someone they haven’t wed (or fail to marry when they learn of the pregnancy), except when the mother was a Crown-licensed prostitute (yes, such licensing is new, and involves War Wizards covertly paying ladies of the evening who pass on interesting things they see and hear from clients), is now a ten-years-of-prisoner-labour (mainly road repair, irrigation, and bridge-building) offense.
I'm a little curious as to the reasoning behind this one... Women, regardless of whether or not they have a man to help support a child, are rewarded for having a child (I know that "rewarded" isn't the best word, but it works), but Purple Dragons are punished for fathering a child out of wedlock? In the interest of expanding the population, shouldn't they get some sort of encouragement, as well? |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2005 : 04:43:58
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Wooly, don't you see?
The Crown wants Cormyr repopulated and is prepared to pick up some of the costs of feeding and rearing a child - - but wants to prevent an "unwed mother" explosion by telling randy troops (the men in the kingdom it can readily control) that they'll get punished if they get up to hanky-panky to split some coin with the lucky lass, or thinking the Crown will pay for the child so they can happily roger any willing woman without any thought of "being a father." A population explosion of unruly brats is NOT desired.
love,
THO |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2005)
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