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Originally posted by Bookwyrm

Well, don't forget, not every elf will want to bond to the moonblade. It's possible to skip generations entirely.

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Originally posted by Steven Schend
As for Arilyn's moonblade as the exemplar, I don't recall if it's been wielded by every generation. At this point, I can't recall if Amnestria inherited the moonblade from her mother or her father, as I believe we left it open that both branches of the family tree had worthies carrying each house's moonblade. And all that is after the fact of whatever Elaine wrote in ELFSHADOW, one of my all-time favorite FR novels.

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Originally posted by Steven Schend

The -9000 date came from me in the CORMANTHYR supplement. This ties in with the end of the Crown Wars and the beginning of the Wandering Years when the elves didn't answer to a central authority--the true purpose behind the creation of the blades.

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As for the larger gaps in time, other readers nailed it--It's rare that it would go through successive generations, but even if it did, you could argue that a moonblade had only 20 wielders, each holding it for 5-600 years each on average, and still make 10,374 years.

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Originally posted by Bookwyrm

Well, don't forget, not every elf will want to bond to the moonblade. It's possible to skip generations entirely.

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Originally posted by SiriusBlack

Elaine Cunningham posted some of her thoughts on moonblades, their powers, and wielders. If anyone is interested just let me know and I can post the information here. She did not get into dates though.

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When time permits, I'm going to have to take a long, hard look at third edition moonblade rules. At present, here's my thoughts on the matter.

These swords were designed so that each would have a unique set of powers, a set corresponding to the composite strengths of a particular elven family, created in response to the challenges those elves faced. The fitness of a family to rule was therefore judged not only by the ability of a long line of elves to wield a moonblade, but by the powers with with they imbued their hereditary sword. The moonblades present a test not only of strength and courage, but also of resourcefulness and creative problem solving. Over time, a pattern emerges, and a sword acquires a skill set that is almost
akin to a personality. Arilyn's sword comes from a long line of solitary adventurers. It is well suited to her needs and nature, but it is not a sword that would qualify its wielder for the elven throne.

To some extent, a compiled list of "acceptible powers" defeats the purpose of the moonblades. These swords have histories and, occasionally, destinies, that are entwined with the families who wielded them. They should be much more than a collection of randomly acquired powers.

But I understand that these tables and charts are helpful to gamers and DMs who wish to incorporate moonblades into their campaigns. This is one of those example of how different novels and games can be. Not everything is readily translated from one medium to another. Moonblades seem to be one of those things. People in both creative endeavors -- books and games -- do their best to reconcile that which cannot be completely reconciled, and sometimes, that's as good as it gets.

My personal preference would be for moonblades to have no part in the game materials. They were created for a specific purpose, one that is clouded and distorted by their game use. But it's a shared world, and a flexibility is a necessary mindset. On the one hand, I sometimes wish that people who want a magic sword would create their own; on the other hand, I'm pleased that this concept caught so many people's imaginations.

That said, I'd intended to write a history of the moonblades, a one-stop reference for readers and gamers who are interested in these artifacts. At present, I think I'd rather move on and create something new.

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First, as has been pointed out, Moonblades were created in the novel
Elfshadow. They were later translated -- badly -- to accommodate those who wished to employ them in their RPG campaigns. Please note that I am not complaining about the quality of the game designers' work, but rather pointing out that translation from one medium to another does not always capture the original intent. Books and games are very different storytelling forms, just as books and movies are different. Some things translate well. Others don't. Moonblades, IMO, are among the latter.

Each moonblade has a unique history and a unique set of powers, which
developed over centuries in response to its wielders' strengths and
circumstances. Because they are hereditary, it stands to reason that they will develop a SET of powers, rather than a random selection. It's entirely possible that these powers could be related in complicated ways: Power B corresponds to Power A, and C corresponds to B, and so on, but F and A work well together only under specific circumstances, and the ability to wield both G and A requires an unusual combination of skills. After a while, moonblades became almost impossible to wield. Whether or not an heir can claim a sword has less to do with his overall "worthiness" than his potential to master the disparate powers of that particular sword. Heirs are
chosen not merely because they are the next of kin, but because they are likely to be a good match. They will then be rigorously trained in the skills needed to claim the blade. It's not a casual or a random process.

There are circumstances, however, in which an elf claims a sword without this sort of guidance. Arilyn is one example. She was only 15 when her mother died, and she knew next to nothing about the moonblade. None of the elves expected her to claim it, and when she did, none expected her to survive -- and with good reason. No half-elf had ever wielded a moonblade. Those who have read Arilyn's stories realize that the purpose behind this bit of worldbuilding has more to do with character than plot. Arilyn has been accepted as elven by one of the most potent symbols known to the People, yet she is rejected by the elves in general and her mother's family
in particular. Her total identification with what the sword is shown by her choice of last name: Moonblade. It's her none-too-subtle way of proclaiming,"I'm an ELF, damn it!"

Elaith Craulnober is another example of how moonblades are NOT supposed to work. Most of his family was wiped out in a raid when he was a baby. An aged grandfather was his only link to family lore, and this elf was not the blade's wielder. The sword was held in trust for Elaith because he was the last of his line. In such cases, if the only surviving member of a family is not well matched to the blade, the sword's task is considered fulfilled and it enters dormancy. But Elaith is not without arrogance -- a common failing among the People -- and although he knew the history and powers of the Craulnober blade, he was certain he was equal to the task. There was no one
to tell him otherwise.

In other words, the sword and the wielder have to be well matched. The more wielders a sword has, the lower the probability of finding another wielder who can handle ALL the sword's powers -- not to mention all the permutations thereof. Such nuances are entirely lost when you say, "Okay, this PC gets a moonblade. Roll to select powers from a table." This is completely backwards from the original intent, but imagine the tedium of starting with an existing moonblade and rolling up one character after anyone until you come up one who's compatible to all the sword's powers. ::shudders::

Second, the moonblades' purpose was to select a ruling family for Evermeet, NOT to find a single leader to unify all elves. Amlaruil Moonflower is NOT the ruler of all elves, but of Evermeet. Many other groups of elves regard her with respect, but not all consider her "their" ruling monarch. To acknowledge royalty is not the same as declaring fealty. The lore is very clear on this, going back to the old gray boxed set.

Third, the moonblades have accomplished the task for which they were
created: they chose a royal family. The Moonflowers are the ruling family of Evermeet. Game over. Period.

A few moonblades still remain active. These will be used in the service of the People until their wielders see fit to lay them down. Some of them have very interesting powers, and many interesting stories and campaign hooks could be created around these swords, but none of these moonblades will ever develop into a new "king sword." Moonblades are relicts of a past time. They are relevant only for the service they and their wielders are capable of providing the People. A few swords might have developed tasks of their own, tasks that have not yet been completed. The Craulnober blade is one such sword.

Finally, there is no single "chosen" ruler of the moonblades. There is a royal family. That was the whole idea behind the moonblades: out of the original 100 moonblades, several swords would develop sets of powers that would both aid and define a ruling family. Eventually, one such family would prove themselves stronger than all others, both in power and in their ability to provide a long-standing, unbroken succession of worthy heirs.

Even if there was a "chosen," (someone has been watching Star Wars Episode I a few times too many... ) Arilyn wouldn't be it. (Her midoclorian count is too low, for one thing...) Ahem. Sorry -- back to the point. That would be illogical, both in terms of
Forgotten Realms lore and her established character. A half-elf ruler of all elves would be a hard sell; in fact, I suspect that the KKK would be about as likely to elect a Jewish woman of African-American descent as their Grand Wizard as the elves would be to rally behind a half-breed. And nothing about Arilyn's portrayal has suggested this eventuality. Arilyn is essentially a loner. She's heir to an offshoot of the Moonflower family, a line of solitary adventurers and other slightly out-of-step elves. There is nothing in her personality, abilities, or stories to suggest that she's a potential
ruler. The fact that Elaith has decided to regard her as his princess says more about him than it does her: he might have exiled himself from Evermeet, but he was once captain of the royal guard. His deep-seated loyalty to the royal family has never changed; on some level, focusing that loyalty on a slightly disreputable half-breed is consistent with his own self-image. Perhaps Arilyn is the closest to royalty to which he feels himself worthy. A complicated elf, is our Elaith.

Just a few thoughts on the subject.

ec

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Originally posted by SiriusBlack


In discussing Elaith and his moonblade, Elaine Cunningham also mentioned one interesting fact about his blade. If someone is interested in this specific lore, let me know.

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I'm interested!

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In another thread, there was some discussion about the personality moonblades acquire over time. The Craulnober blade has developed a dual personality. One aspect of it I plan to keep secret, with
possible development in mind, but the other is a mandate to serve the royal family. (Which explains why Elaith regards Arilyn so highly. Although she's a half-breed, she's the closest thing to elven royalty in Elaith's current world.)

Elaith has done everything possible to integrate Azariah into the moon elf royal court and prepare her for a life of honorable service. Very few gold elves have successfully claimed a moonblade, a fact that makes Elaith all the more determined to give her all the education and training needed to wield the blade. He also is all too aware of the blade's other, and somewhat contradictory, set of powers. Suffice it to say that Azariah's future training will be rather unorthodox.

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Also, I should like to point out that not only have blades skipped generations, but there's nothing saying that certain blades have been weilded by one elf for centuries, and other may have periods where they passed thru multiple weilders in a short span of years. So we can't really pick a hard and fast number for how many weilders a blade may have had.

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Originally posted by SirUrza

Good info SB.

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Originally posted by Melfius

While it looks good on paper, in actuality, it was A BAD IDEA.

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Originally posted by SiriusBlack

I believe I made a somewhat facetious post (Yeah, I know go figure)

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
What?!? You, make a facetious comment! Never!

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Originally posted by The Hooded One

Elaith worship? SB, you MUST NOT MISS Ed & Elaine's Waterdeep novel. He's by no means a major character, but . . .

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I love a bad guy who has style.

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Originally posted by SiriusBlack

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I love a bad guy who has style.

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Elaith's not bad. He's just misunderstood.

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Originally posted by khorne
By the way, where can I find information about his daughter? I know nothing about what happened to her except what is written in cunninghams books.

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