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Phineas of Oghma
Acolyte

USA
11 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2005 :  18:37:20  Show Profile  Visit Phineas of Oghma's Homepage Send Phineas of Oghma a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Excerpted from page 25 of Cloak & Dagger:

At least one sagely member identified an ancient prophecy in Amagal's Tome, an ancient elven text of early Cormanthor, as noting that the Tel'Teukiira "will come hidden and in many guises and faces. They dwell in shadow and speak in omens, yet they shall bring about waking dreams and save us from the Three Threats Who Wait In Darkness, the Prefects, and ourselves." None of the Tel'Teukiira can say what all this means, though many suspect Khelben knows and simply does not say.

The topic of the prophecy that helped bring the Harpers (and eventually the Moonstars) into existence has been discussed here in Candlekeep and elsewhere. As I plan out the overarching plots for my new Forgotten Realms campaign (based mostly in Waterdeep), I am trying to develop a better explanation for the prophecy. My campaign will start early in 1373 DR and my stretch out to as late as 1380 DR before the stories come to a close. As the campaign progresses, the PCs will slowly unravel what these things are that Khelben has been so worried about.

Could the Three Threats be the Elder Evils, the Elf-Eater, Kezef the Chaos Hound, and Dendar the Night Serpent? I'm fond of this idea so far, especially since my campaign will have a lot of stories to tell about the elven race, the Church of Mask, the Kelemvor and the Fugue Plane. I don't expect the PCs to face each of the evils and some of the conflict will definitely occur behind the scenes, but I wonder if there are other ideas out there as to who the Three Threats could be.

What could the Prefects refer to? Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsen seems to have been working pretty extensively against the Shadovar, perhaps they are the Prefects? I have not perused much of the material regarding the shades (frankly, I haven't had much interest, though I'm persuading myself to have a change of heart), but they seem a likely candidate.

What might "ourselves" refer to? If the prophecy was penned by Amagal of Cormanthor, presumably an elf, could this refer to the elven people, or the people of Cormanthor?

I'm hoping to get a good speculative discussion started before delving into my more heretical plans. Better to put off the cringing of the purists for just a bit.

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36863 Posts

Posted - 16 Sep 2005 :  22:58:39  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Whatever those listed enemies are, I don't think it's ever really been discussed. Though the Elder Eternal Evils are an obvious choice for the Three Who Wait In Darkness, I don't think that they are the same. The Elder Eternal Evils are all incredibly powerful -- far more powerful than what an organization of mortals could oppose, unless those mortals were all insanely powerful mages.

I'd be more inclined to think that whoever these waiters-in-darkness are, they've not been detailed. In my opinion, they are likely powerful, possibly near-divine beings, and they will work from behind the scenes, manipulating others to accomplish their goals. Malkizid is a likely candidate...

I've seen the Shades being considered as the Prefects before. I've never really liked that idea, though... I just don't see the Shades as being that big of a threat.

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Reefy
Senior Scribe

United Kingdom
892 Posts

Posted - 17 Sep 2005 :  00:43:05  Show Profile  Visit Reefy's Homepage Send Reefy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I've seen the Shades being considered as the Prefects before. I've never really liked that idea, though... I just don't see the Shades as being that big of a threat.



Why not? As a group they have a lot of powerful spellcasters, though I suppose that others banded together to oppose them previously. But I must admit I don't like the idea of it being the Shades either.

Life is either daring adventure or nothing.
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Eremite
Learned Scribe

Singapore
182 Posts

Posted - 18 Sep 2005 :  03:58:29  Show Profile  Visit Eremite's Homepage Send Eremite a Private Message  Reply with Quote
This is a really interesting quote. Have you asked Steven Schend for his ideas? I wonder if it will be covered in the upcoming Champions of Valour?

Best
E
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 15 Nov 2016 :  04:16:53  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Apologies for resurrecting another ancient thread, but it seems the best place to do it.

Does anyone consider "the Herald" as coming even close to putting the prophecy to rest? I left it more confused than when I went in. The book does clarify the "more ancient" prophecy:
quote:
When worlds are sundered once more, and Toril itself stands in peril, only the Tel’Teukiira can save us from the Three Who Wait in Darkness, the Prefects, and ourselves.

The book makes it seem like Khelben, Laeral, Alustriel, and Dove probably believed the prophecy was being fulfilled at that time, believing the Three Who Wait to be Shadovar, and the Prefects to be the Prefects of Candlekeep. Yet, this was all Mystra-fueled, so who knows the truth of it, and that's not even mentioning Jergal's involvement...

In Ed's thread circa July 2014, the possibility was also briefly broached (not by Ed) of Larloch being one of the Three Who Wait. There's also the other "Moonstars" - the Waterdeep group headed up by Renaer Neverember, the creation of which is surely no accident.

I guess, mainly, I'm just confused. I can't imagine the world needs to be saved from the Prefects of Candlekeep, and the Three Who Wait never really got fulfilled... yet the Sundering of Toril has passed.

My guess at the moment is that the prophecy is still yet to be fulfilled, and Khelben was wrong about this one, and maybe even misled by Jergal for some reason. Is this clearer than mud for anyone out there?

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North

Edited by - KanzenAU on 15 Nov 2016 04:25:20
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6679 Posts

Posted - 15 Nov 2016 :  06:14:21  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
It is, but it's an out of game explanation. The prophecy was created by Steven Schend who had grand plans regarding it and whose "Prefects" were a very different group. Ed grabbed (or was asked to grab) the prophecy and contorted it to his own ends in the Herald. There is no unifying, grand plan FR realmslore that ties it all up.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 15 Nov 2016 :  22:06:43  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well, that's disappointing. Thanks for sharing though. Maybe one day it will be picked up again and turned into something more substantial. Ed did seem to follow his rule of "clear up one point, create 3 more dangling mysteries", so it feels relatively open - even if the chances of such a thing are next to zero.

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe

Czech Republic
605 Posts

Posted - 17 Nov 2016 :  11:38:28  Show Profile  Visit Wrigley's Homepage Send Wrigley a Private Message  Reply with Quote
No need to be sad. George only mentioned Prefects so the rest of this prophecy is still good.
I have read it again and have come to those ideas:
-Tel'Teukiira have been named after this prophecy by Khelben so they might not be the mentioned group
-Trio Nefarious was only banished after they destroyed Myth Drannor so they sort of still "wait in the darkness"
-as the group is calling themselves Those seeking unity "waking dream" might be about new Myth Drannor as Khelben is from that city and have deep conection to it.
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