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archmagestar
Acolyte
USA
14 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Apr 2012 : 04:25:49
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| Impressive list, very impressive list. |
Forgotten Realms Junkie |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 16 Apr 2012 : 19:54:29
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It is very impressive.
That said, it could use some updating. Will need to list references to the recent Cormyr articles that were published in January of this year.
<adds another item to the to do list> |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2012 : 10:33:25
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Jeremy Grenemyer's impressive write up of 'home brew' Wizards of War on this thread
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16511&whichpage=1
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 05 May 2012 : 20:43:51
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Ed on doll houses and associated paraphernalia, as well as what happens to disloyal courtiers to make them play the game....
Cheers
Damian
*************************************************
Jeremy asked: "Ed, what can you tell us about doll houses in Cormyr? Do they exist? Are or were they ever popular? Are or were there any merchants or crafters of surpassing skill (in or out of Cormyr) who took on noble or Royal patrons and made doll houses and/or lifelike miniatures for the noble's children?"
Ed: Yes to all of those. "Houses" (as in: mansions, or little three-room "archaels" [one-open-sided fanciful buildings representing three linked rooms for dressup dolls representing royalty or nobility or wealthy fashionplate women, and their servants) were popular only among nobility and the highcoin-wealthy "wannabe noble" wealthy merchants. For everyone else, toy or dollhouse farms or castles (or "waykeeps," which might best be described as lone turret fanciful cut-down castles) were popular.
Jeremy: "Did any of these craftsmen use magic to animate their creations, create magical constructs or create clockwork versions of maids, doorjacks and so on that move about in the dollhouse and/or can respond to commands of the child as though the child were the head of the family?"
Ed: Yes, but now you're talking the rarest and most expensive examples, more talked-of than ever seen, for most of the populace.
Many crafters used concealed pull-rods, levers, and even buttons to be depressed, to operate mechanically-opening doors, little water cisterns that poured real water, and so on, in the miniature houses they built and sold, but magically-animated are REAL luxuries.
Jeremy: "I have an idea for an NPC noble, who is head of his house and was shrunk down via magical calamity, for whom his wife is forced to find doll house-like accommodations while she looks for a cure and tries to hide his condition from rivals, war wizards, maybe the house wizard (during King Foril's reign, must all house wizards be war wizards?) and even the children, so any info you can provide would be most appreciated."
Ed: That's a GREAT idea. There are wizards and disloyal servants and even one noble I know of who got shrunk and "frozen" into chessmen, still in use around the Royal Palace in Suzail by the unwitting. I'll have to check to see what else I can say here without running into NDAs, though.
So saith Ed. Who is hard at work on more Realmslore for us all, of course.
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2012 : 00:00:10
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Ed on house wizards, their employment and the practical limits of their loyalty
*************************************************
Whoops! Sorry, Jeremy, I missed cutting and pasting one last little bit of Ed's replies to you.
Re. this: "during King Foril's reign, must all house wizards be war wizards?"
Ed's response is:
No, in theory house wizards are hired wholly independently of the Crown, by their patrons.
In practice, during Foril's reign, they are either Wizards of War or under the thumb of the War Wizards in some way or being spied upon attentively by the War Wizards. Caladnei and her successor Ganrahast are both far more rule-abiding than Vangerdahast when it comes to the rights of citizens (Vangey might privately say that non-Obarskyrs don't have any rights, just whatever privileges I allow them), but such things as wizards needing official Crown permission to work magic within the kingdom allows them to prevent Cormyreans hiring outlanders (unless the Crown allows them to; most don't even try). When you are thus at a stroke reduced to hiring Cormyrean wizards, it's nigh impossible to find someone of any accomplishment-in-Art (i.e. 5th level or higher) who isn't either playing ball with the War Wizards, or deep in their suspicion and being attentively watched (and the War Wizards PREFER to gently blackmail someone's good behavior, if they can "get the goods" to do so).
All of which means any house wizard must be considered a spy for the War Wizards, if not an active agent (most who aren't actually War Wizards themselves will refuse to "act for" the Wizards of War beyond passing on warnings, suggestions, and other messages, and reminding patrons of relevant laws, on the grounds that doing more than that for the Crown would be betraying the people who are paying them, which would also be lawbreaking and would also ruin their reputations for any employment elsewhere).
Hope all of this helps.
So saith Ed. "All of this" of course refers to all of his replies, not just this last bit I missed including earlier.
love,
THO |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
Edited by - Jeremy Grenemyer on 06 May 2012 00:01:28 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2012 : 00:20:00
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Ed and THO on Highknights of Cormyr during the reign of the Steel Regent
Cheers
Damian
**************************************************************
Hi again, all.
Jeremy, Ed can give you a definitive answer, but off the top of my head, from my memories of discussing things at that time with Ed (when he was collaborating on DEATH OF THE DRAGON with Troy), there is no "official" top-ranking or senior Highknight, but there are very much, on a daily acting basis, "top, most-trusted veterans" among them. None of those you mention were of this sort (except to Queen Fee), because there was a generation of older, more experienced agents above them (or rather, a handful of the survivors of that generation), including one grizzled old man called "the Hawk" (not his real name, obviously), and a thin, wrinkled, homely old woman whose name I never learned, who was referred to as "the Seller of Cloaks."
Ed will, of course, elucidate in the fullness of time...
love,
THO
Hi again, all. Ed has fallen silent this past weekend because he had three "rush creative jobs" hit at once, AND had family visiting. However, on my own I discovered a tiny bit more for Jeremy Grenemyer, regarding senior Highknights: in addition to the two I already mentioned, there were at least two more "top level veterans." One was code-named "Blackblade" and was an accomplished killer for the Crown, and the other was a high-ranking noble secretly working for the Crown.
More when I can worm more out of Ed.
love to all,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2012 : 13:21:04
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Ed on the settlement of Rallyhorn (from Rogue Stones and Gemjumping in Dragon 116)
Cheers
Damian
*********************************
Hi, George! I am busier than busy right now, hence my delay in replying (for which I must apologize), but this is lore I really should have shared with the wider world LONG ago, so here we go . . .
RALLYHORN
This hamlet “just grew” around the base of Rallyhorn Castle, the ancestral castle of the old Cormyrean noble family of Rallyhorn. That fortress stands atop the tor known as Rallyhorn Ho, overlooking Hultail (“the Ho” is southeast of built-up Hultail). When Rallyhorn was renamed Hultail in 98 DR, as the first formal Cormyrean “naming laws” were drafted (as opposed to the earlier practice of altering names when royal displeasure was expressed), “Rallyhorn” became just the oldest neighborhood in Hultail (a handful of streets immediately around Rallyhorn Foregate, the steep street connecting the castle gates with the former grazing meadows below (now built up, covered with the buildings of Hultail).
Lord Theldrin Rallyhorn, the builder of Rallyhorn Castle, was Steward of the Court in Cormyr, a fabulously wealthy and able courtier whom the wizard Baerauble once described as “the right hand of the throne.” Lord Theldrin assisted the kings Daravvan, Dorglor, Embrold, and Irbruin. The Rallyhorns have never been quite as powerful since Lord Theldrin’s passing, but are very much still around—and respected—in the Forest Kingdom. Rallyhorn Castle remains their country seat, though most Rallyhorns are resident in Suzail, much of the time, and use the Castle only as a summer gathering-place and a waystop on hunting trips and other travel into the eastern reaches of the Realm.
The neighborhood of Rallyhorn was once the noisome site of two rival tanneries and their attendant sheds and workers’ huts, but as the Hullack Forest was pushed back leaving the tanneries farther and farther from the source of wild hides (being as livestock hides can be processed almost anywhere), the tanneries relocated eastwards up the Wyvernwater, leaving Rallyhorn to be what it is today: a poor neighborhood where weavers and garment-makers and dyers dwell and work, at the foot of the tor still crowned by Rallyhorn Castle.
love to all,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2012 : 20:04:18
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THO with more on the Rallyhorns, Hultail and the founding of Cormyr
Cheers
Damian
***********************************************
Hi again, everybody.
I'm going to have a stab at answering Damian's followup questions myself. Here we go..
"Ed a couple of follow up questions if I may?
You mentioned that Rallyhorn was renamed as Hultail, may I ask why? Hultail sounds like a given name, so was it renamed to honour someone who had served the king loyally? (similar to how Dhedluk was renamed?) Or because the crown wanted to put a stop to nobles naming towns and cities after themselves?"
A bit of both, I think. I know Hultail was named after a family of fisherfolk and netmakers resident in the area who did "good service" to the Crown, and were rewarded. Presumably a land grand went with the name. Hultail was actually a separate settlement (coastal fishing hamlet on the Wyvernwater) that grew to meet Rallyhorn.
"You also mentioned formal 'naming laws'. So did the Crown at the time go through most/all/a few settlements and rename them so they became official rather than the 3 or 4 or more names that the locals called the hamlet/village/town that they live in adding to confusion for people who were not local?"
I know there will be more about these naming laws in a forthcoming Realms product, because Ed has told me there's a recent NDA here. He also selected "a few" from your choices, and corroborated the reason (cut down on confusion not just for visitors, but for other Cormyreans - - the problem being many, many name duplications for widely separated places; for instance, at one time Suzail, Marsember, and Arabel ALL had a neighborhood known as "King's Barracks").
"One final question about the Rallyhorns. Were they there with the Obarskyrs and Silver families when Cormyr came into being? The date is very early in human led Cormyr history or are the Rallyhorns an early example of the Kings of Cormyr saying,"Well done, be ennobled, and now go and build a keep on the borderlands of the Kingdom and keep the peace". I ask this because it is only 92 years since the ascension of Faerlthann First-King and it would seem that the site chosen by Theldrin is far from the capital?"
Yes, the Rallyhorns were there at the beginnings of human Cormyr.
The early nobles were certainly encouraged to settle, govern, and "improve" (roads, bridges, permanent farming population, founding local industries) frontier lands to extend and strengthen the kingdom, and the early kings (aided by Baerauble) "sold" it to any reluctant nobility as the chance to make themselves really rich by arranging everything in "their lands" in their own favor. As this was really, demonstrably true, it worked!
love,
THO
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So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2012 : 11:55:29
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More from Ed on the Rallyhorns featured in the Rogue Stones and Gemjumping article from Dragon 116
Enjoy!
Damian
**************************************
You're quite right that Rallyhorn as a community was long gone (except to locals in Hultail) by the time Glemmora was imprisoned. (Note how overblown the title of "King of Dulgund" was, too.)
Glemmora was "of" Rallyhorn because she and family not only lived in Rallyhorn Castle, as senior retainers (for generations) to the Rallyhorns AND as part of the Rallyhorn travelling household (retainers who travel with the families they serve are said to be "of" their families, thus: "of Rallyhorn." As for where the mainland portion of the Dungeons of Torment was: NDA. As for the sort of torment: mind reamings to find out all manner of secrets, that leave most prisoners insane. (Secrets learned are then used for all manner of crimes.) As for spankings, talk to THO . . .
Ahem. Spankings. Yes, hmmm lah dee dee dah...
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2012 : 13:11:00
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Even more from Ed on Rallyhorns and the use of their name by their servants
Cheers
Damian
***********************************************
Glemmora and her fellow "servants of the household" haven't dropped their surnames, they just avoid using them when on their masters' business. It's an established way of transferring responsibility/consequences to the noble families they serve. In other words, Glemmora is saying: "Don't blame me, Glemmora Dornalhand - - blame Glemmora, the hand of Rallyhorn's will."
BTW, Glemmora's surname is "Dornalhand," but she has cousins in Suzail AND Daerlun who spell it "Dornalhond."
Hope this little elucidation is of help. |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2012 : 09:20:10
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Cormyr - Additional Information
I've created and am working on a wiki page on the Wizard's of the Coast website dedicated to the collection of miscellaneous information about Cormyr that can be found in novels that deal with Cormyr.
Here is a LINK to the wiki page.
Any feedback would be most welcome. I'm a novice at wiki coding/setting up of pages.
Thank you in advance. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 21:24:52
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A quick sample of what I'm working on:
Fairs and Festivals in Cormyr
Suzail
The Festival of Handras
In late Mirtul, senior caravan traders and wagon masters from the Sword Coast are welcomed into Suzail for the Festival of Handras. Dockside warehouses are set aside for the festival, in which it is customary for these far traders to present “fresh wonders from the Sword Coast.” Free food and drink is served to anyone that comes to look upon and possibly purchase the latest goods, curious and exotic fashions. (BED, page 316)
The Open Feast
Held on the score-and-sixth night of Mirtul (the 26th day of that month), the Open Feast is a yearly event held at the Royal Palace of the Purple Dragon in Suzail, capital of Cormyr. As of 1479 DR, the Open Feast is held in the grand length of Dragontriumph Hall, on the third floor of the palace.
Out of ancient tradition no royalty attends the Feast, so nobles, rich merchants, courtiers, envoys from other lands and ambitious social climbers may speak freely, and do so. The din of conversation can be quite loud, as people talk, yell, shout, sing, do impersonations and make rude noises.
War Wizards are not excepted from the Feast and can be found in attendance.
Various types of wines are served from the royal cellars. It is not unknown for groups to expect that specific vintages be served to them. Courtiers can make arrogant, preening nobles happy by serving them better wine than to those "beneath" them in social status. (EMD, pages 63-72)
"BED" is Bury Elminster Deep and "EMD" indicates Elminster Must Die. Lots of good Cormyr info in those novels! |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
Edited by - Jeremy Grenemyer on 27 Jun 2012 21:26:07 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jul 2012 : 09:51:27
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Ed on what is under Alusair's bed
Cheers
Damian
*************************************
Under Alusair’s bed, as a child, she kept a dainty little dagger, a carved wooden warhorse toy, and an old, rusty scrap of armor (a shoulder-plate scavenged from the Palace armories).
As a tween, she’d replaced that scrap with a full-sized knight’s gauntlet (just one), and added an old metal sword ground down to take off the rust until it had no sharp edges left. Way too heavy for her, but at night, when moonlight came through her window, she’d toss her bed-furs (or in summer, the heavy overcoverlet) on the floor to dull sounds, and try to swing the sword while wearing the gauntlet, imagining she was fighting foes of the realm. Over the years, she built up her wrists, forearms, and shoulders to be stronger than most males of her age.
By the time Alusair was a teenager, she had a proper, sharp longsword, a dagger, and as much real armor as she could scavenge (so, all mismatched and lacking the proper underpadding), and she would dress up in it (naked and barefoot under the armor, and so taking lots of minor cuts and weals from the armor itself, as she moved in it), and shadow-fight until exhausted. Which in turn made her stronger still, took out all her frustrations and aggressions, and earned her sleep no matter how upset she might have been. (Her late-night swordplay was discovered early on, but her mother Filfaeril forbade anyone to interrupt or try to stop her.) |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2012 : 08:56:51
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Ed on the importance of house and home in Cormyr
Cheers
Damian
******************************************
As the beggar Jorthyn famously told King Azoun IV of Cormyr: “I’ll fight for my best begging spot, Majesty,just as fiercely as you’ll defend yon Palace.”
Azoun and the people in wider Cormyr,when they heard what Jorthyn had said—agreed with his every word. Sage or shopkeeper, farmer or noble, your home is nigh everything. |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2012 : 17:19:27
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Ed on knighting half-orcs
Cheers
Damian
*****************************************
Hi again, all.
This from Ed, to Cassie5squared, re. "Another question for Ed, this time on behalf of a friend; in the time of Azoun IV's reign, what would be the likelihood of a non-noble-born person being granted a knighthood and/or title? (The character is a half-orc born in Cormyr, with one human Cormyrean parent.) She mostly wants to know if it's at all plausible."
Ed replies:
Hi! The likelihood depends entirely on character performance, of course - - meaning: knighthoods are handed out to mark outstanding actions of benefit to the Crown, hoping for ongoing loyalty/service to the Crown. Titles mean either being settled with land or marrying into royalty or senior nobility, and in either case assuming what we would call an ongoing "job" for the realm. Being a half-orc makes it less likely to get a title, but performance and loyalty overrides all.
So saith Ed. Who is wildly busy right now . . .
love to all,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2012 : 12:35:39
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Ed on money matters in Cormyr
Cheers
Damian
********************************
As King Palaghard II of Cormyr once famously said, “Coins are what matter. And to earn coins, one needs roads—or the love of Umberlee.”
More on this and other Cormyte money matters can be found here
http://wizards.com/dnd/files/excerpts/excerpts_greenwoodfr_4.pdf
(ps if a mod wants to do the special linky thing to the wizards site then feel free!) |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2012 : 15:00:16
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More from Ed on Azoun Obarskyr, the fourth to hold that name
Cheers
Damian
****************************************
He was. Azoun was as rebellious a youth as any, and so inclined to fight with Vangerdahast (his main tutor). However, Azoun was very bright, and always open to new ideas - - increasingly open-minded as the years passed, and always willing to listen to new ideas from any source (particularly as he saw the increasing ossification of the senior nobility of the realm). Vangey and Azoun's wife, Queen Filfaeril, saw this, and brought various purveyors of new ideas (and insightful "intelligence" about the wider world) into contact with Azoun, so he received a steady flow of new ideas, and developed a very broadminded attitude.
Although non-human gentry and nobility were uncommon (Azoun wasn't in the business of forcibly marrying anyone to anyone else), they did appear in Cormyr's military in increasing numbers, on merit - - and that very merit eventually, in the widest sense rather than on the individual attitude to another individual level, made them accepted.
More when I can grab the time. Sorry. VERY busy right now.
So saith Ed. (And when Ed says he's very busy, the rest of us would call it "insanely busy" or some such.)
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2012 : 16:23:56
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George Krashos on the Everhand family
Cheers
Damian
*************************
That list wasn't mine. It was done by a guy called Bryon Wischstadt - a longtime FR devotee in the old REALMS-L days.
The "?" is because the information Bryon was drawing from was an early version of the Cormyr Lineage, one that is not as fleshed out and complete as it is today thanks to the ministrations of others, Garen Thal in particular.
Torst Evenhand was the husband and Prince-Consort of Queen Besmra of Cormyr. He was a common-born individual from Westgate and married her before she came to the throne. When they returned to Cormyr, he was ennobled for the fact that he was married to a now-queen, but did not create a noble family of his own.
Their three sons all ruled as kings of Cormyr and their story is told in part in my GHotR vignette titled "A Day of Three Kings" (289 DR) on p.70 of that book.
The Evenhands may still exist in Westgate and possibly have a presence in Cormyr, but in my view would not be a noble family.
Hope that has been helpful.
-- George Krashos |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2012 : 17:38:25
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Ed on keeping monsters as pets in Cormyr
Cheers
Damian
*********************************************
Heeeere's Ed!
Hi, Damian. Yes, there are collectors of unusual/exotic creatures AND monsters in Cormyr. A few wizards keep a monster or two for fending off intruders, and Marsember and the northwestern shore of the Wyvernwater both have rich merchants with a thing for prowling predators (in the walled grounds of their estates), but there are at least a dozen nobles - - of COURSE it's the nobles ;} - - who have menageries of dangerous as well as exotic pets. They show them off to noble guests (and sometimes to non-nobles they're trying to impress/frighten).
Yes, there are rules re. beasts in Suzail: they must be on leash (one to a handler, so no "one poor guy holding three tigers hecan't possibly control") or (if used to pull a conveyance) in harness. Other than that, no publicly-known "blanket" rules (or laws) yet; it seems the Royal Court is meeting with individual owners to work out individual agreements on such matters. (It is of course understood that the Royal Magician has an overriding decree on everyone except Obarskyr royalty re. keeping any beast, using "public safety" as a rationale. In practice, if you're liked at the Royal Palace and can give good reasons for having a critter, you're okay; if not and not: no. :})
Hope this helps!
Ed
So saith Ed, who is the biggest beast in his house. He does have a cat...or perhaps the cat has him.
love,
THO
|
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 12:57:59
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Ed on the Thond's of Cormyr (with additions about others Thonds!)
Cheers
Damian
*********************************************
Hi again, all! I bring swift replies from Ed to xaeyruudh.
X: "Is there a connection between Jhalassan Thond (contact for the Guild of Glassblowers, Glaziers, & Speculum-Makers in Waterdeep) or Srusstakur Thond (Master Mapmaker and author of Know and Vanquish Thy Foe) and Arabel's House of Thond?"
Ed: Yes. They all share a surname, and are (probably, way back) related, although the "Thond" surname, derived from shortening "Thongolir" (a place name for a vanished place and the family that dwelt in it), or from "thondal" (an Old Common term for a maker of slings, bowstrings, and leather tie-thongs), or from the ancient Southern explorer-hero Thondar, or from the old Tethyrian family of "Amalathond," arose in several distinct places, borne by different unrelated humans.
The first Thond you list is part of an old Waterdhavian family, that so far as I (and they) know is not related to the second Thond you list (his Thond family is or was scattered throughout Amn, Tethyr, and the Tashalar), nor to the third (the "House of Thond" in Arabel was founded more than a century back by Jamalathar Thond, who fled mercantile disputes in Sembia to settle in Arabel).
X: "On a related note, how far affield do Arabel's merchant houses range? I don't recall seeing them having bases in the other cities of Cormyr, but Peraphon (Thond) winters in Hillsfar. I assume agents of the other Houses are placed in various key cities too?"
Ed: Arabel's merchant houses do indeed have agents dwelling in such places as Hillsfar, Yhaunn, Procampur, Lyrabar, and various other Inner Sea ports, as well as traveling traders. They usually range as far west as Berdusk, as far north as Melvaunt, as far east as Aglarond, and as far south as the Vilhon - - but the bulk of their trade is centered on the Moonsea and providing an alternative (to Sembia) route west (halfway to the Sword Coast, i.e. Berdusk) for Moonsea lumber, furs, ores, and especially refined metals and cast metal goods (in return for various preserved foodstuffs, such as spiced alcoholic jams, that dwellers in the Moonsea North can use to vary and improve the taste of meats, turnips, and other locally-sourced food.
X: "And an afterthought... do the members of the merchant house typically take the house name as their own (in the manner of "Jhalassan Thond" whether or not he's related) or is there more like "Peraphon of Thond" or "Somebody of the House of Bhela"?"
Ed: The latter. The energetic, far-traveled merchant Ilmer Melthanton, a member of the House of Thond much seen passing through the Dales, is colloquially "Melthanton of Thond" and more formally "Saer Melthanton of the House of Thond."
So saith Ed. Swiftly answering easy but useful-to-many Realmslore questions, to bring cheer to us all.
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2012 : 20:34:09
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Ed on the Steel Regent's Riders of Cormyr
Enjoy
Cheers
Damian
*********************************
Hi, Matthew! Yes, there have been a few Faerûnian cavalry units as well-trained as this. In the 1380s, notably, the forty-some-strong Steel Regent's Riders of Cormyr, a mixed band of nobility and common-born Purple Dragons trained by adventurers personally loyal to Alusair. Their mounts could "go down" in swift and tidy unison without breaking their riders' legs to minimize the damage of hostile arrow volleys, and to allow their riders (who weren't good horse archers) to themselves use longbows or crossbows against foes.
The horses were also trained to circle back (if separated in battle from their riders) to look for their usual riders, to accept other riders from the unit on their backs, to accept riders arriving on their backs with sudden violence (i.e. leaping, in the heart of a wild fray), to "stand" when confronted with bursts of flame and/or loud noises, and to "return to camp" (riderless or bearing a slumped, non-guiding rider) when a certain brief (five-note) tune was sung, shouted, or whistled.
It was later revealed that the horses were largely trained by one of the adventurers, who was, yes, a werehorse, and led them (providing a patiently-repetitious, communicative example) through most training exercises.
The Riders departed the service of the Crown when the Steel Regent disappeared, and their fate isn't publicly known (inevitably, a belief has arisen in Cormyr that they will ride out of hiding to the aid of the realm someday, when they are sorely needed).
Yes, I'm keeping the names, backgrounds, etc. of the adventurers involved secret for now. NDAs, you understand.
Oh, and Happy Christmas!
So saith Ed. I'll echo his holiday wishes to Matthew to all scribes, of every belief and heritage: may you all find happiness in these dark days following the Winter Solstice!
love to all,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2012 : 13:10:43
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I added another DDi article from the Dungeon #198 by Brian Cortijo: Cormyr Royale - The Royal Court of the Forest Kingdom.
From now on you'll find this link in the list of the first thread-post, also.
Good gaming always,
Ergdusch |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 19:53:40
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Ed on long serving families of retainers of Nobles and what they write down
Cheers
Damian
**********************************
Hi again, all.
I bring you the replies of Ed to some of the recent questions from Jeremy Grenemyer (the last two replies will follow when Ed can get to a computer again).
Here we go, “JG” being Jeremy Grenemyer, and “Ed” being, ahem, Ed…
JG: In Cormyr, if multiple generations of the same family have worked as servants at one location/for one noble family, is it common for them to act as lorekeepers of a sort? As in they carefully share only amongst themselves the truths about what the noble family does and has done in the past, what dark deeds they want hidden, what lies are accepted as truths in the family, what secrets of or for the Crown are kept by the noble family, which local town's people are really bastards of the family and what is and isn't safe to talk about openly, all to keep themselves alive and the noble family they serve from ruin, where possible?
Ed: Yes, it is indeed common for long-established, loyal families of retainers (“servants of the house” = household) to act as lorekeepers in precisely the manner you describe.
JG: If yes, have divine beings, sages greedy for knowledge or noble families seeking to discredit their rivals ever inspired/cajoled/magically compelled these servants to set down the “truth of things” in books?
Ed: On rare occasions, sages have set down in writing the verbal accounts of rebellious or disgruntled servants, and compiled such accounts into chapbooks or longer books, but most such accounts are unverified and hotly disputed by the nobles being written about (of course) and sometimes by other servants. So “sages greedy for knowledge” have definitely been involved, and we know of several incidents of noble rivals sponsoring “stain the cloak” (= darken the reputation, or “blot the escutcheon”) books, again repositories of rumors and wildly exaggerated tales as well as truths. Elminster knows of some priests of Cyric sewing discord by freely distributing “lying chapbooks” intended to discredit rulers, local civic authorities, and nobility, but cautions that it’s hard for mortals to discern the truth regarding divine involvement (which in his wise opinion is far more often ignoring or “turning a blind eye” than it is actively taking part in, commanding, or personally inspiring such behavior).
JG: Could you give us a few long-lived servant family names or the titles of any servant-written books that might have seen print?
Ed: Certainly. :}
The numerous and well-reared Longland family has members among the courtiers of the Royal Palace in Suzail, and in the households of the “city houses” of many nobles there, including the Armelds, the Dauntinghorns, the Steelaens, and the Warblades.
The Pennert family have long formed the bulk of the loyal retainers of the House of Hawklin, the Yancels stand in the same position for House Illance, and the Mertrym family are the staunch retainers of the Crownsilvers.
Some of the most notorious (thanks to their candid and widely verified tales of cruelty, sexual antics, feuds, and pranks) servant-penned books are:
• Maids Forlorn: Lives of the Despoiled in the “Great” Households of Amn (by “A Servant Spurned”)
• Beneath the Serpent’s Belly: A Life In Service to the Mountroyals of Saerloon (by Annaethe “Old Biddy” Tarcet)
• Misdeeds In Marsember: The Cruel Traitors and Tyrants of the Wet Port’s So-Called Nobility (by “An Embittered Servant”)
and:
• The Shattered Heart: The Disillusionment of A Loyal Retainer (by Berenthros Harhallow)
JG: Have any elder servants who've managed to find enough free time ever penned books on how to properly manage noble families, complete with embarrassing details of how the servant outwitted his masters or tricked them into a right course of action in order to save the noble from his/her own stupidity?
Ed: Oh, yes, though these sorts of books tend to be suppressed by nobles seizing or buying and then destroying as many copies as they can get their hands on - - with the result that the tomes become rare, expensive, and highly sought-after, of course. Cheap chapbook copies (often edited down severely) circulate via caravan merchants more than originals.
So saith Ed . . . and that's it for now.
He'll return as soon as he can with the rest, and with other long-awaited lore replies, too.
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 19:56:19
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More from Ed on retainers to the Nobility, plus titles of books written about Nobles by their retainers 
Enjoy
Damian
***********************************
Hi again, all. Ah, more great questions, I see.
Here are Ed's replies to Jeremy's last two queries:
JG: Are there any long-lived servant families in Cormyr that have quietly risen to become de facto controllers of a noble family or who otherwise “manage” a noble family more than the family actually manages itself?
Ed: Yes. This happens quite often when matriarchs or patriarchs live into their dotage, and blood heirs (often grandchildren, the intervening members of the family being lost to wars, disease, hunting and riding accidents, and exile) are very young at the time. Only two servant families in Cormyr have managed to remain de facto controllers of a noble house for more than two generations of the noble line:
• the Helscabbards, who came to run House Goldfeather absolutely in the 1380s DR, and were only driven out in 1436 DR (having during their tenure turned the Goldfeathers from arrogant, evil to amoral fops and wastrels into a haughty-with-cause family of achievers in trade, military service, and farflung investments); this ambitious, cunning clan has scattered across Faerûn, infiltrating wealthy or noble households from Waterdeep and Athkatla to Telflamm and Ormpur.
• the Jalambreks, who rose to control House Aunkspear from behind the scenes in 1392 DR, and made their noble masters their hard-working agents across the Inner Sea until 1449 DR.
What is far more prevalent than a servant family controlling their masters is a really competent and efficient steward, chamberlain, chatelaine, amanuensis, or factor (trade agent) who is so good at his or her job that real daily power is left in his or her hands by grateful or aware-of-their-own-failings or even fearful nobility. Competent women can manage this with more deft manipulation and less notice of what’s going on by outsiders (such as other nobles), but some of the men have been frighteningly good at swaying nobles to this or that stance, action, or purchase.
Here’s the best-known example of many masterful servants (if one doesn’t count Vangerdahast as the servant who largely ruled the Obarskyrs):
Orlbert Thaylaine, Steward of House Emmarask, was legendary for his swift thinking, cunning forethought, and impeccable courtesy. He was, it slowly became apparent, a consummate actor—who by his manipulations of the family he served made them richer and more respected in a scant decade, as well as restoring their standing at Court. Oh, and making them significant landlords in Sembia and Westgate, too. Almost every Emmarask confided in him and sought his personal guidance, trusting him absolutely. Luckily for them, Thaylaine was utterly loyal, exploiting his position only to place his sisters in well-paid posts in the family’s most remote Sembian holdings (where their shallow, lazy, petty natures wouldn’t soon be discovered).
JG: Lastly, Elminster's Forgotten Realms mentions that books on how to rule are highly valued. Are books penned by nobles about "how to be a noble" also highly valued? If yes, are there any titles to such books written by nobles of Cormyr that you could give us? Also, are any lost and being sought by those families? Seems like a great adventure hook.
Ed: Most of the lost books sought by noble families are diaries or for-public-consumption (usually to bring disgrace) tell-all scandalous accounts, and they tend to be sought not to suppress them but in hopes of finding lost family treasures by spotting and solving clues written into them (the seekers hope). Tanistolph Illance, for instance, published his An Illance Errant, a humorous (sometimes viciously so) account of his incestuous wenching, feuds, and within-the-family bickering in 1399 DR, and family members have been reading and re-reading it constantly since, in hopes that some of its passages (notably dialogue that Tanistolph presents as verbatim but that many of the purported speakers swear are his inventions entirely) conceal hints or even clear directions as to where several enchanted swords and chests of gems (family treasures Tanistolph is rumored to have hid) may now be found.
Books written about how to “be noble” are abundant, but many of them are worthless, boring drivel about obedience to elders and (inevitably dated) etiquette, or try to set forth a “style” of how one should act to seem noble (which can make for amusing reading, but is seldom useful in a real-world sense except to expose someone seeking to follow such directions as a reader of a particular “how-to-feign-nobility” tome). Typical titles of these sorts of books are Deservedly First: The Life And Art of True Nobility, Destined For Graceful Greatness: The Nobles’ Way, and Solsaere (“solsaere” being a Faerûnian Common word akin to “panache”).
There are, however, a handful of useful and highly regarded tomes on nobility: Being Superior (which despite its dreadful title is a thoughtful work on the philosophy behind nobility, its uses and duties and the best way to aid one’s country through one’s conduct), Madaeragand’s Little Book (Madaeragand Dauntinghorn was a master of the deft phrase and “manipulation by eloquence,” and his work is full of useful phrases one can use in moments usually socially awkward, such as telling your aunt that a closer female relative of hers has been discovered to be pregnant, or that her favorite beau has just been slain in a duel (Madaeragand provides two sets of wordings, one for that slayer being a beloved relative, and the other for the successful duelist being you yourself), and Eskarych On Nobility (Eskarych Huntsilver was a master of how to “present” yourself in different ways to different audiences to achieve desired effects - - such as sympathy from commoners or the respect, envy, or even fear of fellow nobles or courtiers or royalty - - and of how to subtly test the loyalty of servants, befriended nobles, or courtiers).
So saith Ed. Who is hard at work right now writing something that is not Realmslore, he tells me, but of interest to many fantasy RPG devotees who enjoy fiction . . .
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
Edited by - crazedventurers on 01 Jan 2013 20:31:38 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 19:58:52
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Ed on Volothamp Geddarm's Cormyte 'nom-de-plume'
Cheers
Damian
**************************************************
Heh. And no sooner did I start browsing here at the Keep then I got another e-mail, from Ed, this time a response to Markustay:
Volo HAS penned such a book, actually - - but was wise enough to do it under the entirely fictitious penname "Lyra Maerilee." It was called A WISE MAID'S WORDS, was a slender tome compiling salacious gossip of the amorous goings-on of many Sembian and Cormyrean nobiity and wannabe-nobility, and sold VERY well. Pirate copies of the work are now being made and resold in various Inner Sea ports, and Volo is contemplating a sequel. Elminster found the book "An amusing read. So long as he stays away from printing wild lies about magic and Our Lady of All Mysteries, fine."
So saith Ed. Who adds: That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to devour I WANT TO SPEND ETERNITY AS A FROG STATUE. Sounds interesting. ;}
Ed took his visiting family to see THE HOBBIT last night, and his holiday is by no means over, Sightless. It will extend through New Year's (studded by shifts here and there at the library, his day job). We both thank you for the kind wishes!
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
Edited by - crazedventurers on 01 Jan 2013 20:32:36 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 20:00:34
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Streets opposite the Promenade, though not entirely informative!
Regards
Damian
*****************************
And hello once more. E-mails from Ed are coming in by the proverbial dribs and drabs manner, and the latest contains a tiny tidbit for Rivenhelm:
"Does Court Close cross the Promenade?"
No. What faces it across the Promenade is another named street.
That's all for now, I'm afraid, though Ed is hopeful he'll be able to answer "most of" your queries sooner rather than later.
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 20:04:28
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Even more fantastic lore on books penned by those who work 'under the stairs' for the Cormyrian Nobility
Enjoy
Damian
*************************************
Oooh! A good one. Off it goes to Ed - - but as it happens, Sage, Ed's next lore reply is for you!
Re. this:
“• Misdeeds In Marsember: The Cruel Traitors and Tyrants of the Wet Port’s So-Called Nobility (by “An Embittered Servant”)
Oooo!
My lovely Lady Hooded One... is there any chance that Ed's actually provided some content for this tome in the form of snippets elsewhere in his writings that you can share with us here? I'd love to learn more about what's inside.”
Ed passes on this:
No snippets, I’m afraid, but I can share with you what I jotted down about this tome:
Anonymously penned by a longtime housejack (butler) who served in three noble mansions and was privy to a lot of the feuding and hijinks of local nobility: how nastily they treated each other, their habitual tax swindles and deceit whenever dealing with the Court in Suzail (fitting the fact that they didn’t feel any real loyalty to the Dragon Throne or Cormyr as a country), and especially how nastily they treated servants and fellow (commoner) citizens of Marsember. As the author put it: “It’s clear from what I’ve personally seen that none of these nobles are fit to rule or even wield influence, were the city of Marsember ever to regain its independence. They are selfish to a fault, and have no sense that civic obligation or fairness should apply at all to themselves, only to others.”
The book is full of little secrets about various nobles of Marsember, and three lengthy, juicy accounts of wild sexual goings on at revels, as well as the usual “Lady X prefers to entertain male strangers in a tub of rotting fish” stuff.
So saith Ed. Tirelessly creating the salacious for us all.
love,
THO |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2013 : 20:07:17
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Ed on half elves and their chances of becoming ennobled plus other folks reactions to them
Cheers
Damian
********************************
To your second: It’s quite feasible; monarchs of the Dragon Throne ennoble people all the time, giving them a title and a minor land grant (with a house or two on it, not always grand) all the time.
If it truly is a minor noble house, not someone who’s already socially prominent or a determined member of the wealthy “wannabe nobles” who dwell in Suzail (successful merchants and investors desperate to “join the club” of the titled and privileged), the existing nobles wouldn’t care if the heir of the house had a half-elven daughter - - other than to sneer about “just ANYBODY being allowed to use a title, these days.” They’re going to sneer at any created nobility who haven’t been titled for at least three generations, anyway, even if the new family is full of charming individuals who genuinely befriend many existing nobles.
No, assassination attempts would not be likely. The most rabidly anti-elven houses are the older Illances, the Goldfeathers, and the older Wintersuns. Not to mention the Bleths, earlier on in Cormyr’s history. They will “cut dead” members of this new noble family in public, and oppose them for holding any paid offices of the realm, but not go farther than that.
I don’t know of any elven groups in the Forest Kingdom who’d be less than pleased at an elf/human marriage, but there are a few elven individuals, such as Ilpreslur Mooncloak (a crafter of elegant bottles who lives and has his business in Suzail) and Thaelrae Silverleaf of Gladehap (a proud sorceress who makes a living putting minor enchantments on coffers and clothing to make them last long and look good all that time; she believes the elves will pass away as a race if they don’t “keep to themselves,” and that half-elves are “necessarily coarser and inferior to truebloods”). They might be rude to this new noble family, but probably not if not treated with rudeness by the new nobles.
So saith Ed. Creator and still First Loremaster of the Realms!
love,
THO
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So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2013 : 16:58:37
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THO on trail markers of Cormyr
Cheers
Damian
*****************************************
Hi again, all.
Rivenhelm, I can answer PART of your question. The way-symbol for Arabel is a six-spoked, side-on wagon wheel, the way-symbol for Eveningstar is a horizontal-but-curving-down-to-the-right arc of three eight-pointed stars (vertical "rays" longer than the rest), and the way-symbol for Dhedluk is an anvil (side-on, point to the viewer's left). I'll have to nudge Ed for Tyrluk's, but I THINK it's a horsehead.
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So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2013 : 17:00:11
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More from THO on trail symbols
Cheers
Damian
**************************
Tyrluk's way-symbol is a side-on horsehead with a plaited mane (bound into a border, not flowing free) and a flat bottom across the base of the neck (think the way knights are printed in many books showing chess games with views of the board), and with its nose pointing to the viewer's left.
Waymoot's is a three simplified-to-elongated-triangles pine trees, standing side by side.
Espar's is a plough (prow dug into the ground, and its handle) facing the viewer's left (plowing in that direction).
Hilp's is a side-on arched wooden bridge (simple, rail-less).
So saith Ed. Who will return with proper replies when things aren't quite so frantic for him.
love to all,
THO
Immersea's is two wavy horizontal lines, one above the other (waves). |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Looking for all about Cormyr
