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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jun 2005 : 23:50:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
I was thinking that too, but then, when you take into account how many thousands of years various groups of elves and others have lived in the Dalelands, "something magical" could be just about anything.
Afterall, we never have established where the elven Nether Scrolls ended up after Myth Drannor fell... 
Arent they still in the tree?
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 01:24:33
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Hail, fellow scribes. I bear a reply from Ed of the Greenwood to the questioner now known as RevJest, in the matter of: “Can you tell us what was wrong with Cylyria of Berdusk while the whole Harper Tribunal / Khelben thing was going on? It seems odd that she'd be laying abed sick, given the sorts of resources at her disposal. Whatever you'd care to / can tell would be of interest to me. Plus, what did El say to Storm to get her to calm down?”
Ed speaks:
The Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast wasn’t just “sick,” she was lying comatose, ‘disminded’ or in a similar condition, due to a magical mind-attack. Who was attacking her, why, and the precise outcome of this must all remain mysteries due to a current NDA, but I hope to tell this tale someday, somehow, in Realms fiction or lore.
As for Elminster’s words to Storm: on which occasion, in particular? :}
So saith Ed. He’s posing a serious question to RevJest there, by the way: to which specific occasion is RevJest referring? (And I’m going to add a question of my own to that: in which published Realmslore source is this occasion presented in, RevJest? I ask because we Knights have seen many, many more moments of interaction between Storm and El than have ever been published, and I tend to get them mixed up, after so many years of play; our Realmsplay sessions seem more real than Ed’s novels, and Ed’s novels more real than Ed’s game source material, which in turn trumps game material by others, followed by fiction by others . . . in my overloaded mind, anyway.)
And there you have it; a tantalizing tidbit more of fascinating Realmslore from the pen of the Master. Sorry, patient Mumadar Ibn Huzal! (But, hey, thanks for the wine! There’s this trick I can show you, wherein I accidentally-deliberately spill it down my front and you . . .)
Ahem, to return to matters more serious: Mumadar Ibn Huzal, you more recently posted “I wonder what was hidden beneath the leaves of the great forest of which now only the Wealdath, Shilmista and the Forest of Mir remain.” You’re familiar with VOLO’S GUIDE TO BALDUR’S GATE II, yes?
love to all,
THO
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 02:15:02
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I think he's referring to the description of the Harper Schism in Cloak & Dagger. From page 14 of that tome, under the Tarsakh 21:
Sources in Twilight Hall confirm that Storm, formerly screaming in outrage over Khelben's actions, seems calmer after a brief chat with Elminster. |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 04:18:05
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Dargoth: The Nether Scrolls (can't spell their elven name) were accessed through Windsong Tower, which was destroyed during the Fall. Considering how many mages that place trained, I'd imagine that the various treasures were spirited away before it was destroyed. But we don't know to where.
Hmm. I think they were actually in an extra-dimensional pocket that was linked to a specific place in the Tower. So maybe they just moved the door. Question remains: moved to where? I've not caught even a hint of them in any later sourcebook, though if it came out in 3e, I likely missed it. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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RevJest
Learned Scribe
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 04:40:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I think he's referring to the description of the Harper Schism in Cloak & Dagger. From page 14 of that tome, under the Tarsakh 21:
Sources in Twilight Hall confirm that Storm, formerly screaming in outrage over Khelben's actions, seems calmer after a brief chat with Elminster.
You are correct, sir.
- RJ
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 06:00:06
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
The Lady Cylyria Dragonbreast wasn’t just “sick,” she was lying comatose, ‘disminded’ or in a similar condition, due to a magical mind-attack. Who was attacking her, why, and the precise outcome of this must all remain mysteries due to a current NDA, but I hope to tell this tale someday, somehow, in Realms fiction or lore.
As for Elminster’s words to Storm: on which occasion, in particular? :}
Sorry, patient Mumadar Ibn Huzal! (But, hey, thanks for the wine! There’s this trick I can show you, wherein I accidentally-deliberately spill it down my front and you . . .)
Ahem, to return to matters more serious: Mumadar Ibn Huzal, you more recently posted “I wonder what was hidden beneath the leaves of the great forest of which now only the Wealdath, Shilmista and the Forest of Mir remain.” You’re familiar with VOLO’S GUIDE TO BALDUR’S GATE II, yes?
Eh... would that be a nice and flavorful Berduskan Red, or a sweet white wine from Neverwinter's vineyards? My humble thanks for the little tidbit more regarding the Silent Lady's situation.
And as for VGtBGII, I'd forgotten about that little tome... I'll blow away the thin layer of dust and go peruse it immediately. |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 20:49:31
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I had actually been looking for something deeper, maybe I should have written initially 'beneath the roots of the Wealdath'  Nevertheless, rediscovering the lore in VGtBGII was definitely worth the reminder.
And skirting dangerously close to the edges of the NDA fields: How did Cylyria Dragonbreast become the ruler of Berdusk? Code of the Harpers, Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast, FRA, nor any other tome I have looked in provides any background to this event. |
Edited by - Mumadar Ibn Huzal on 13 Jun 2005 21:38:01 |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2005 : 23:28:42
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A question for Ed regarding the Sword of the Dales
Was the Sword created by Shraevyn for Aencar Burlisk? (The Mantled King of the Dales)
If it was has Jareth Burlisk tried claim it now that the sword has been "found"?
Thanks in advance
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2005 : 02:47:17
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Hello again, all. Ed helps me reply to Sanishiver’s requests for Realmsplay revel tales.
Sanishiver, I dare not start telling “what happened to we Knights at various revels” stories, for the very NDA problems you anticipated, but I can quote some of Ed’s relevant notes:
A “feast” is usually a private party held by a guild at its headquarters or more often a rented venue, for members (and their guests, generally a single guest of the opposite gender) only - - OR it’s a private party held by a noble family for a select guest list, usually in their own city mansion or villa. Feasts are usually dominated by a sit-down meal, much drinking, and chat, and has small-scale hired entertainments (minstrels, jugglers, hedge-wizards). Many are intended to end in dalliance in various gardens or rooms.
A “revel” is a much larger social event held by a noble family, either in their own villa or at a large and luxurious rented location. It has a far more open guest list than a feast, or may even be an “open to all” event (if the latter, the Watch and Watchful Order will send out-of-uniform peace-keepers to bolster the hired security the hosts inevitably lay on). Revels may have dancing with music, and may have hired orators or actors or tumblers (acrobats), but are usually dominated by standing and chatting while servants (of the hosts’ household, augmented by many hired servants; you’ll see a glimpse of this in the forthcoming novel Elaine and I wrote) make the rounds with endless platters of food and drink. Guests are always “announced” by senior servants as they enter the venue (through a doorguard, to keep out gangs of street youths or thugs bent on thievery or pranks).
A few revels and feasts have costumes, or masks - - usually “doffed at deepnight” (taken off at midnight) - - and some of these even have ‘themes’ (costumes must all be piratical, or as a Tashlutan harem is imagined by Waterdhavians to be). Waterdeep has a long and colorful history of debauched celebrations, with wealthy families occasionally trying to outdo each other, and they serve as entertainments for the entire city (get injured or very drunk at a revel, and show up late for work the next day, and your employer may well be amused or even proud at your state - - provided you tell him and any guests all about what happened at the revel, over and over, until every questioner’s curiosity has been satisfied).
So saith Ed. I hope that helps!
love,
THO
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2005 : 08:30:45
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Dearest Hooded One and Ed,
My sincerest thanks for your reply. I'll put it to use straight away, once my players break away from the divine prison they’re currently sharing with Aumanator.
J. Grenemyer |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 00:19:47
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Hello, all. Ed responds to Karth’s queries: “What is the ground level, outside diameter of the guard towers in the city wall of Marsember? . . . How thick are the walls? Any ideas about the appearance of parapets and crenellation on towers and walls? Do the towers in the Gate House areas (Western Gate and Naval Harbor) differ?”
Ed spoke at such length that I had to split this to avoid the post-length limits. Here he begins:
Hi, Karth. The best map of Marsember is now the one on page 37 of DUNGEON 113, although it still doesn’t show the webwork of internal barge-canals, which are seldom more than sixteen fight wide (and are usually closer to twelve).
The ground level outside diameter of all Marsemban “line towers” (which is the Heartland term for wall waytowers that don’t sport unusual sizes or features, compared to their fellows) is ninety feet. Scaling from them may make some of the city buildings seem rather large, but remember that Marsember is riddled with warehouses (and not just near the docks).
The city walls themselves are forty-five feet thick, and are solid (blocks of fitted stone, right through) except for drain chutes (see below) and long, narrow inner passages linking all of the towers (running along inside the wall at street level).
These passages open only into the towers, which each have up-a-few-steps-from-street-level entry doors on their city sides (the passages themselves have no direct connection to the outside). The passages have floors of alternating solid, fixed stone slabs and stone slabs with hand-holes that can be lifted to reveal a long row of storage-niches for weapons, tar-sealed barrels of water, and food (notably cheese and fish, wrapped, surrounded by oil, and packed in pitch-sealed hand-kegs). The Purple Dragons must keep a month’s-worth of food for their city garrison on hand at all times, and this must be at least doubled the moment winter “ices in” the port. Food-kegs are regularly “rotated in and out” for freshness.
The walls are sixty feet high, and raised (on an earthen bank that overlies their flaring-out, buried stone foundations) an additional dozen to twenty feet from the surrounding mainland fields (which are kept clear of all underbrush and settlement; caravans may camp and muster in them, under direction from the Purple Dragon garrison). (Note that the city of Marsember itself slopes up almost twenty feet from the waterfront to the base of the city wall.)
Each stretch of city wall is topped by a wall-walk, flanked by a crenelated wall on both inner and outer sides, with the merlons standing seven feet above the flagstone floor of the central wall-walk, and the embrasures between the merlons rising three feet above the wall-walk floor on the city side, and four feet on the mainland side. Drains every eighty feet or so along the wall empty through steep concrete-lined chutes (yes, Heartlanders in Faerûn know how to make a sort of concrete) to outflow ports sixteen feet below the wall-walk floor. All such chutes have cap-stones that a defending force can fit into place over them, and wedge in place with stone wedges (stone and wooden wedges are placed ready on the city-merlon side of each drain). The crenellated battlements are flush with the wall-faces, not projecting out.
Wall-duty is always cold and damp, often swept by fierce winds. In winter, it can be a slick and deadly ice-slide, too - - and Purple Dragons sport ‘fang-plates’ (of metal studded with traction-points) on their boots, knees, and elbows.
The internal ‘harbour arm’ of wall, separating the naval base from the city proper, is in all respects identical to the outside wall.
So saith Ed. I’ll post the second half of his reply tomorrow. It’s amazing to think he can visualize all of this stuff on demand. He’d have made a great city planner.
love to all,
THO
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Borch
Acolyte
Germany
21 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 20:29:24
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Greetings all,
I've got another lore request to add to Ed's evergrowing pile of questions.
I have studied the Volo's Guide Map to Baldur's Gate but haven't found anything that I could clearly identify as a place where the dead are laid to (un)rest. Yet I would think a city the size of the Gate would need a place to deposit the dead.
So, does Baldur's Gate have a graveyard, and if so, is it in the city proper or outside the walls? Of course, any interesting bit of information is as always appreciated. Furthermore, has the city a place to take a large number of dead at one time, like it might be needed after an attack as it happened in the "Threat from the Sea" trilogy?
Thanx again for providing a place to pose such questions
Greetings
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Sprich aus der Ferne,
heimliche Welt,
die sich so selten
zu mir gesellt |
Edited by - Borch on 15 Jun 2005 20:33:51 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2005 : 02:42:17
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Hello again, all. Herewith, the second half of Ed’s reply to Karth:
All line-towers are ninety feet in diameter and eighty feet high, with crenellated battlements of six-foot-high merlons and four-foot-high crenellations around their ‘skyposts.’ The skyposts are reached up stone-lid-capped ladder-shafts from the wall-walk passages immediately below, where each wall-walk pierces the line-tower (and from which circular stone stairs descend through each tower). The entry arches of each wall-walk, into a tower, are guarded by chained-shut iron-bar-grid doors, hinged on the mainland side. So each line-tower overlooks adjacent runs of wall.
Line-towers have only a single window each: a large one (not an arrow-slit, but wide enough to allow a ballista or crew of bowmen inside to have a wide field of fire) on the city side, a floor below the wall-walk (about ten feet below its “floor”).
Only three towers of Marsember’s perimeter defenses are physically different from their fellows: 1. The northern-side one of Dragonmarch Gate (a.k.a. Harbor Gate, that allows Calathanter Street to link the naval base with the city, when the gates are open; the other gate in the harbour arm wall, that admits Gelguld Lane to meet with the Dockmarch, is known as Stormhelm Gate, the Littlegate, or Drunken Sailors’ Gate), 2. The tower next to Tower 1, that links the ‘harbour arm’ to the main wall, and 3. The central guardtower of the western gate (the Gate of the Dragon, or the Western Gate), that stands immediately west of The Roaring Griffon inn and tavern, with Calathanter Street passing it on the north side and Fendrol’s Way passing it on the south side.
Tower 1 is formally called the Oldcastle Tower, but is more commonly known to all as “Old Sartha,” after a long-dead harridan of a highcoin lass from the days when no families were allowed in the naval base, whose charms conquered everyone, and who drifted into giving orders more firmly and often than the most senior officers; legend credits her with seducing the king of the day, and becoming his ‘eyes and ears’ in Marsember. It’s a hundred and ten feet in diameter and a hundred feet tall, and is studded with many windows on both city and naval base sides, its internal levels being the daily living quarters of the wives and children of Blue Dragons and Purple Dragons stationed in Marsember. Its cellars and skypost (topmost battlements) are off limits to them, and guards are stationed at access points to enforce this.
Tower 2 is called the Jaws (because its lower chambers used to contain a notorious torture device by that name, that locals believed some criminals were gloatingly slain in). Its rooms are officers’ quarters (having many windows looking out over the city or the naval base), and (in local parlance) it’s the only ‘not-round’ tower of Marsember’s defenses, lacking its northwesternmost arc due to the placing of the city walls, but is a hundred feet tall. Its skypost is surmounted with both a signal beacon that when lit can be seen in Suzail (or so local belief has it), and a heavy mangonel that can be easily turned and aimed toward sea, city, or mainland.
Tower 3 is called the Westwatch. It’s ninety feet in diameter and a hundred and ten feet tall, soaring above the flanking towers of the Gate of the Dragon, and (like the Jaws) its skypost is surmounted with both a signal beacon that when lit can be seen in Suzail (or so local belief has it), and TWO heavy mangonels that can be easily turned and aimed toward sea, city, or mainland.
(Scribes bewildered by these street and feature names should jaunt over to Page 2 of the Chamber of Sages, and select Pages 46 and 47 of the 2004 Questions for Eddie thread.)
All city gates, by the way, have (usually a foot-deep in water, or more) passages linking their flanking towers, under the cobbles the wagons rumble over. These have side-slide portcullis gates, normally chained shut, to prevent anyone digging down from easily gaining access to the towers and thus the entire network of ‘inside the walls’ area.
Hope this helps, Karth!
So saith Ed. Whew. Talk about definitive!
love to all,
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2005 : 03:07:15
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Hi again, fellow scribes. Ed answers everything, even queries about flicking forked dragon tongues (no, not the brothxxx ahem, festhall technique, I refer to the “real thing”), and here’s the proof:
Hi, Proc. I’d say Erik Scott de Bie is quite correct: some dragons do have forked tongues, and some don’t. Some may show them from time to time while ‘tasting the air’ as snakes do, and most don’t. Myself, I’ve always pictured all chromatic dragons as having forked tongues (blues even displaying rigidly-aimed tongues when they spit lightning), but using those huge nostrils (we do have several D&D fictional instances of dragons sniffing - - and even if they’re doing it to express emotion, it’s not a sort of expression that would have developed if they lacked the means to audibly sniff, and betimes sniffed for purely biological reasons) to smell with, using their tongues for speech, taste, probing, and sucking (when eating something that has a lot of tasty blood or juices). As with humans, taste and smell are related (have a severe head cold, and food loses a lot of its taste), so the extended, flicking tongue could be used to enhance smell (or even to smell when the nostrils are blocked or overwhelmed, i.e. underwater). However, I’d say this is safe-surroundings behaviour only - - so, no, they don’t flick their tongues at advancing, sword-waving, armor-clanking adventurers.
To cover all variable instances, consider this: dragons tend to live much longer than humans and to be (if sometimes fatally vain, and on occasion senile or weary of life) generally more intelligent than the great majority of humans. Humans exhibit a huge variety of behaviours (using essentially identical noses or ears to experience societies that may be very noisy and dominated by throbbing music, or stealthy-quiet, and steeped in widespread use of scented smokes and spices or avoiding such olfactory chaos) when it comes to using their various appendages and organs; why shouldn’t dragons?
So saith Ed. Deftly marching along one tightrope after another . . .
love to all,
THO
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2005 : 14:51:32
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Well met, O The Hooded One!
I would like to expand the question that my fellow scribe Borch asked about burying the dead in Baldur's Gate. Where are the dead commoners laid to rest in a city or a large town? There are no graveyards marked on any map, for example, in FR Adventurers. We know how it is done in Waterdeep, but which is more common elsewhere in the Realms - graveyards outside city walls, or within city walls? I guess that plague/disease victims would be cremated, but how about the majority of a town's/city's population?
My deepest thanks to Ed and you, THO, in advance! |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2005 : 01:15:04
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Hi, fellow scribes. I bring you Ed’s reply to Thaingrim’s request: “I’d like to know how they [the UNDERDARK drow prestige classes, especially the arachnomancer and drow judicator] are regarded in drow society (especially Menzoberranzan).”
Ed says:
The root answer must always be ‘however you want them to be, in your campaign.’ The drow are an intelligent, violent race, in which social and religious changes (turmoil) have been almost constant since we gamers have first been introduced to them, and it’s up to you if Menzoberranzan still exists in your campaign, what conditions and social order prevail in that city, if the events of the War of the Spider-Queen have happened or not, and so on. So it’s really up to you.
It’s my opinion that in Menzoberranzan specifically, the priestesses will be very jealous of any competitors, especially male drow - - so the arachnomancers who possess any power (both high character class levels and influence) in the City of Spiders will be females firmly attached to a House, such as Baenrae. I say again: specifics vary with your campaign (House Baenrae may not even exist any longer, in ‘your’ Realms). “Independent” arachnomancers, especially males or non-drow, will have to be able to show firm and visible signs of Lolth’s personal favour to escape attack, or achieve cooperation or any measure of obedience.
I’d say that neither cavelords nor deep diviners would be welcome in Menzo (cavelords could “come in and report” to various Houses, but deep diviners would be shunned as “not of Lolth” and probably slain or chased out). Shadowcrafters would also be mistrusted and attacked or driven away, though a shadowcrafter wanting to keep their membership in this prestige class secret could manage it for a long time, if careful. Drow can’t be illithid body tamers, inquisitors of the Drowning Goddess, or sea mother whips, and are highly unlikely to become Imaskari vengeance takers, prime Underdark guides, vermin keepers, or Yathchol webriders (even if they did, they would be unwelcome - - hunted down when their professions or allegiances became known - - in Menzo).
Which leaves drow judicators. I’d say they’d be feared and hated, and would survive for long only when firmly attached to a senior priestess of Lolth, herself of one of the more powerful Houses in Menzo. In other words, the drow judicator would be one of the close personal servants of the priestess and have to exercise extreme care whenever physically away from her, following her orders strictly and carrying evidence of his service (and her orders) when on missions, to avoid being slaughtered out of hand. Unless, of course, he too can display evidence of being a personal favourite of Lolth, so that harming or obstructing him will be seen as angering Lolth. In short, it would not be a role attractive to most adventurer-types, nor one with much job (or life!) security. Being sent away from the city on long Underdark missions without a priestess in command would be a relief to most drow judicators.
Again, you could have other drow cities in your campaign where drow judicators rule, and priestesses have been exterminated, are subservient, or are even captured from other drow communities, caged, and sacrificed to Lolth or transformed into judicator-controlled monsters (a version of driders, perhaps). The important principle is that drow society is a constant struggle for dominance, and that nothing is absolute, unchanging, or very comfortable for anyone involved. Er, have fun! :}
So saith Ed. Helping Realms campaigns every day.
love to all,
THO
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 01:49:08
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Hello, all. Ed of the Greenwood here tackles AlacLuin’s spellfire-related questions: “1. A spellfire character dies, and is reincarnated into a different body. Will the new body have the spellfire ability?” and “2. A dracolich dies, its soul transfers back to its phylactery. Now, the dracolich’s soul is unable to return to its own body and takes over the closest reptilian body. The closest body it has available is a lizardman (is this possible?) that happened to have the spellfire ability. Will it then grow into a dracolich with spellfire?”
Whew. Glad this is Ed’s platter of queries, not mine! He replies:
To question 1: Not necessarily. The ability to wield spellfire is a rare, not-fully-understood mental and physical ability (both mental and physical aspects must ‘work’ for spellfire to manifest) to access raw energy from the Weave (the same energy called forth in hopefully-predictable, reproducible ways by spells). So one can inherit the brain structure (certain minimum number and arrangement of brain cells, I suppose) and physical capacity to ‘handle’ spellfire without body cells breaking down (“burning up”) as the energy flows through them - - and be able to wield spellfire. Inherit one or the other, or both but in the wrong arrangement or insufficient ‘amounts,’ and you aren’t a spellfire wielder - - but CAN pass on these traits to your offspring, where they will probably, one or (more often) several generations down the line, combine correctly again to produce someone else who can wield spellfire.
That’s why, in 3e game terms, spellfire-wielding is an ‘oddball’ supernatural ability (a supernatural ability that behaves or must be treated differently than other supernatural abilities, in many circumstances).
The reincarnation aspect makes the mental trait survive death, to enter the new body. That body, as a reincarnation, is more likely to have the physical trait than a strange, third-party body possessed or shared by the reincarnated mind, but then again is unlikely to be of the necessary nature and capacity if it’s not of the same race as the spellfire wielder formerly was (or in any event, human, elven, or human or elven half-breed). I’d say more often than not, the reincarnated spellfire-wielder would NOT have the ability to manifest spellfire (though they could absorb it and wield it, if it was hurled at them) initially, but be able to slowly influence their new body (if not ‘too far’ genetically from their former one), to over a period of years slowly reach a state of being able to wield spellfire again (DM to adjudicate just how effectively).
2. This one’s much easier: no lizard folk have ever been known to have the ability to wield spellfire. Yours could always be the first, of course, but it’s likely the genetics are too different to allow for the necessary physical aspect of handling spellfire.
In any event, a lizard folk body can only grow into a larger lizard folk with the knowledge, magic, and some of the skill abilities of the dracolich: it can’t “grow” into a skeletal dragon of any sort, and in fact will have a difficult time surviving at all, as the unlife clinging to its soul wars with the life and vitality of its new host body.
No dracolich can be ‘given’ the ability of wielding spellfire, or achieve or manifest it after attaining lichdom. The living dragon must have possessed it, in active, practised form, before becoming a lich (and would be very likely to lose it during the process of embracing undeath, even if Mystra or Azuth didn’t choose to take it away - - and they very rarely allow dragons, due to their characters [hoarding rather than sharing magic, rapacious or devouring when they do mix with other species] to wield spellfire in the first place). Undeath and the flows of spellfire energy don’t mix well.
So saith Ed. I see some fascinating roleplaying possibilities with the first answer, and not much of a chance of a spellfire-filled future with the second. And yes, AlacLuin, I echo Melfius in saying I feel SO sorry for your players. 
love,
THO
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Ty
Learned Scribe
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 05:44:42
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Just a quick question for Mr. Greenwood if you please oh THO.
In the novel Temptation of Elminster, where is the present day location for the Kingdom of Galadorna? If this hasn't already been asked and answered of course.  |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 08:12:22
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It's already ben answered - in the book itself. I've got the hardcover and on the page before the Prologue it states: The realm of Galadorna lay east of Delthuntle. Its capital Nethrar, survives as present-day Nethra. Nethra and Delthuntle are two fo the cities of the Wizards Reach, on the southern side of the Aglarondan peninsula.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 15:27:51
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I was just re-reading some of the older pages in this scroll when I came across a query of my own that currently remains unanswered. Lady Hooded One, if you may... .
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
A question that could potentially prompt the casting of a minor NDA spell... but I'm curious since the next stage of my Darkhold campaign will focus on this subject in particular.
Now, what is the current status (in 1374/75 DR) of the Church of Cyric, both in and around the Darkhold area?
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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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Ty
Learned Scribe
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 17:07:04
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| Thanks Krash. |
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AlacLuin
Learned Scribe
131 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2005 : 22:16:25
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello, all. Ed of the Greenwood here tackles AlacLuin’s spellfire-related questions:
<snip>
And yes, AlacLuin, I echo Melfius in saying I feel SO sorry for your players.
love,
THO
WOW!!! Much more in depth then I would have expected.
Why I expected less from Ed, I do not know.
I appreciate the answers, thank you Lady THO, and thank Ed for me. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2005 : 00:45:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Ty
Thanks Krash.
No problems. Just running a little interference for Big Ed.
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2005 : 00:45:53
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Hello, all. Sage, you’re not forgotten, believe me! If you could see Ed’s workload right now, even knowing his usual piled-high platter, you’d blink in utter disbelief! I kid you not.
AlacLuin, you’re very welcome (saith Ed as well as me).
Fellow scribes, Ed now reaches back to May of 2004, to answer Gerath Hoan (“What background information could you provide for us on Thaalim Torchtower and his Tun-land bandits?”), and continues on to reply to Beowulf’s topic-related November 2004 queries, re: “ . . . the relationship between Cormyr and the Tunlands. I was told that, while Cormyr officially claims the Tunlands as its own, this is done only to keep foreign powers from expanding into that area and that the Crown exercises little formal authority. Mostly, the Tunlands, along with the Farsea Marsh, Stonelands, etc. are just a headache.
It seems to me that the Crown’s stance toward the Tunlanders has always been, “we’re not going to help you, no matter your problems, and we’re going to make sure that no one else does either, including yourself,” i.e. no Tunnish kingdom.
And I’m not talking “day-in-day-out” problems of living in the Tunlands. I know that the Lich-Queen was primarily a Sunset Vale affair, or at least was presented that way, but the Tunland Vale was right there too.
When Cormyr failed to intervene, this left the door open for the Zhents to move in and become heroes in the Tunlanders. They have since probably received training, intel. and weapons from the Zhents, who have directed them to raid Cormyr’s true western border.
With that the Crown at last acknowledged the existence of the Tunlanders, but by sending out counter-raiders. This led to the death of Thaalim Torchtower’s youngest son, and an all out war with the Tunlanders ... which the Tunlanders undoubtedly got the worst of.
I believe the year for that was '65/'66 according to the old FRCS.
In the Zhentil Keep boxed set we learn that, amongst the Tunlar barbarians, long since driven by the Cormyrean Crown into the embrace of the Zhentarim, there is one group called the Mir, who were betrayed by the Zhents, and now raid both Zhentarim and Cormyrean caravans.
I want to know more of the Tunlanders . . . I’m interested in their relationship with “civilized” folk. When did Cormyr first peek to their lands? Was there early conflict? Wars? Were they left alone, and vice versa until the Lich-queen? The Zhents?
Did a rogue Purple Dragon, one with a conscience, teach the Mir their horseman skills?
What about relations between the Mir and the other Tunlar? The Mir and the Marsh Drovers?
Whats going on in the Tunlands now that Azoun the Umpteenth has been reincarnated as a puppling, and the kingdom is nursing its wounds?”
Ed speaks:
Tunland is a largely-wild region between mountain ranges that contains some gently-rolling grassy foothills, a lot of boggy grassland plains, and large marshes. It’s well-watered, but has few trees (in elder days, Tun legends say, because dragonfires repeatedly burned them away, and in later years because so many grazing animals devour the rising seedlings, and because so many sorts of trees die if “drowned” by standing water). There are many mists in Tunland, and the storms that sweep across it tend to be fierce, with driving rain (or sleet or heavy wet snow in winter).
These days, Tunland is home to the Tunlar: six or seven small, nomadic horseriding human tribes (there were once many more, smaller tribes, each only one to three families in size, but wars and monsters and diseases have taken tolls, down the passing years). The horses are native to the plains (or at least brought there so long ago that no reliable history tells of their arrival), and these nomads, who largely fight [each other] and hunt with javelins, slings, clubs, and bows [though they use belt knives and some tribes use bolas] also arrived so long ago that “no one knows” how they came to be there.
No one taught them to ride but themselves (apparently), and they have traditionally attacked all strangers to venture into Tunland (which is why the traditional caravan routes skirt Tunland, passing south of the Dead Ones, a few strange standing stones that the Tunlar consider “cursed,” and to be avoided). They seldom venture east into Cormyr, fearing both the predators of the mountains and the magic of the War Wizards, but often raid passing caravans, when such can be reached well away from the Dead Ones.
So saith Ed. To avoid triggering the “too-long post” wall, I’ve split his reply into three, and will post the second part tomorrow.
love to all,
THO
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2005 : 03:15:33
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
Hello, all. Sage, you’re not forgotten, believe me! If you could see Ed’s workload right now, even knowing his usual piled-high platter, you’d blink in utter disbelief! I kid you not.
I don't think I'd blink, as I have no difficulty in believing this  . Ed's always working away on something grand... .
As it happens, I'd actually forgotten about this query myself, so don't give it too much heed .
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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 |
Edited by - The Sage on 20 Jun 2005 03:16:42 |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2005 : 00:03:21
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Hello, again, scribes. Herewith, Part Two of Ed’s Tunland replies:
Cormyr has traditionally thought of its dryland borders as “dangerous mountain country” and kept to the verdant lands within them, raiding the Stonelands only in attempts to subdue the monsters and outlaws there to cut down on them raiding into Cormyr proper. The Forest Kingdom hasn’t yet ever become so crowded (there are always wars to thin the ranks of its populace) as to need to “spill over” into neighbouring lands. If it does, Tunland is the most practical place to expand into (anchored by new settlements marching all around the Lake of Dragons coast). Right now, however, Cormyr’s military commanders, ruling family, and War Wizards have no interest in doing so - - nor do they see any near-future need arising to make them try.
Any Cormyrean prospectors or would-be homesteaders looking to move into Tunland are forbidden on the grounds of “fierce resident barbarians” and fell, body- and mind-twisting magics that lurk and dance - - along with deadly undead - - among the bug-ridden marshes, hovering over “cursed ruins” of “fallen kingdoms.” (Most of these tales are pure fictions or wild embellishments. Torchtower’s bandit kingdom is one of them; the truth is that two tribes ride with him because of what he can do in caravan raids; they moment they see weakness in his brigand band, they’ll turn on him.)
So aside from “farwatch” patrols along the verges of the Tun plains, to bring farscrying War Wizards close enough to ‘look’ all over Tunland and make sure no armies are assembling, invaders are sneaking in and massing, and no huge and terrible monsters like dragons are taking up residence, Cormyr has largely left Tunland alone. The fierce nature of the Tunlanders makes the area a useful shield against invasions from the west, and Cormyr has no interest in discarding such a useful bulwark or picking any fights with folk who will fight to the death because they’re defending their home; most Purple Dragons have no taste for invading strange lands, but they understand all too well defending your own home and community.
Cormyr would probably move to smash any Tunlar who seemed to somehow be creating a kingdom in the so-called “civilized” mode (with castles, roads, a standing army, and so on), but they’ll otherwise leave the Tunlanders in peace to dwell in “their own land,” even if a Tun tribal leader succeeds in welding all the tribes together under himself, and creating a de facto kingdom. So they’re not preventing a Tunnish kingdom, Beowulf, just keeping an eye on things to make sure a mini-Cormyr doesn’t get built next door while Cormyrean backs are turned (as they nervously eye a far more real threat: Sembia, and its thirst for expansion). If a Lich-Queen or other problem arises, Cormyr will do no more than watch until the situation seems likely to become an eventual danger to Cormyr itself. Otherwise, “Tunland is Tunland, and the Tunlar are welcome to it.” Foreign rulers (and adventurers seeking to found their own kingdoms) are sternly told (by the Crown of Cormyr) that Tunland is Cormyrean territory, and any intrusion there will be viewed as an invasion of Cormyr - - but a visitor will look in vain for signs of Cormyrean habitation or sovereignty there.
This left the door open for the Zhents (operating largely out of Darkhold) to move in, using magic to blast Tunlar who defied them and spells to control the minds of some important Tunlar. Mindful of the War Wizards scrutiny, the Zhents acted with more subtlety than usual, and managed to control a few Tun tribes. Beowulf, be mindful of Zhent propaganda: the Zhents are far less loved by the Tunlar than the Cormyreans are, because the latter are “metal-shelled men who hide behind their mountains” whereas the Zhents are “those robed demons sent to claw our MINDS!”
No Zhents are “heroes” to any Tunlar. Some Zhents are seen as “folk seeking to use us, so we will use them even as we serve them - - and bide our time to smite them down, and free our land of them.” The Zhent-controlled tribes have largely been wiped out by rival Tunlar, though the one that remains (the Drulla) have become a strong fighting-force, aided by Zhent magelings in battle, and equipped with Zhent weapons and trained in more sophisticated tactics than the usual “rider harder than the foe” Tunlar fighting-style.
Yes, the Zhents are behind a lot of successful Tunlar caravan raids and a few “testing the vigilance” forays into Cormyr, but the Zhents have largely survived in Tunland because they’ve been able to hide behind Thaalim Torchtower (whom they don’t control, and who the War Wizard watchers are concentrating on) and thus far largely escape Cormyrean notice.
So saith Ed. Part Three on the morrow!
P.S. Ed tells me he'll be "on view" at the WotC booth at ALA in Chicago on Sunday June 26th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (but with a lunch gap somewhere in there).
love to all,
THO
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Chosen of Moradin
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1120 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2005 : 13:25:08
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Hail to great Ed and lovely kisses to Lady Hooded!
That old maztican.. err..brazilian.. ohh. whatever dwarf have some questions concerning the red wizards of Thay:
How great is the degree of control that the zulkirs have upon the speciality wizards of his schools??
I mean, what Aznar Thrul can demand to an evocator/red wizard that is far away from home? There is some "oficial" obligation from the wizards to the zulkirs?
Thanks in advance
Yuri "Chosen of Moradin" Peixoto |
Dwarf, DM, husband, and proud of this! :P
twitter: @yuripeixoto
Facebook: yuri.peixoto |
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Thaingrim
Acolyte
12 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2005 : 15:06:43
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| thx alot for the answer about the prestige classes in underdark, sheds some some very welcome light on our campain ^^ |
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eiglos
Acolyte
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2005 : 19:49:41
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Greetings all. Thanks to Ed and THO for all the wonderful Realmslore!
I have a small question regarding a location found only (as far as I can tell) in the FR Interactive Atlas. It's called "The Warm Waterfall" and is north-west of Eveningstar. Does anyone have further information on this location as our adventuring company has just been deeded an area of land in this location by the King of Cormyr?
In our very non-standard campaign, Azoun still lives, our adventuring company having just rescued him  . My Priestess of Lurue has also just rescued a higher ranked Priestess of Lurue from a 750 year old stasis and has now learned of Luruan temples and our Paladins   . As I said, non-standard.
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Nynshari
Acolyte
17 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2005 : 22:15:41
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Eh, hopefully I am posting this the right way this time, lol.
Anyway, I was hoping that you might be able to shed some light as to what, exactly, happened to Rivalen Tanthul. He was supposedly killed in 1372 but he pops up - alive and well - in 1373. Just curious...
Thanks
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Nynshari
Chaos is Life
Chaos is Creativity
Chaos is the Essence of Our Souls |
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Questions for Ed Greenwood (2005)
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