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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Feb 2026 : 17:14:58
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On image of Hundelstone in Magic: The Gathering
The Kobold Bard Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 23/2/2026 11:15 PM
Howdy Ed. I was ecstatic to see ‘Lost Lore of the Realms #41’ last week as it filled in a lot of the blanks as to what I was looking for in defining Hundelstone and what it looks like in the present day. The answer was thorough enough to paint a clear image the community, some of its standout features, locations adventurers can pass through, and even a few potential quest prompts.
I did have one more Hundelstone related question though. In 2021 Wizards of the coast released the ‘Adventures in the Forgotten Realms’ deck for M:TG. Card #274 was called Mountain and had a caption referring to Hundelstone. It read: “You meant to simply rest in Hundelstone, but the miners have told you stories of whispers in the dark below.”
The picture of this card features on the FR wiki as being Hundelstone and it depicts a long causeway well over the ground that leads into a mountain. Much further up the mountain is a series of buildings that seem carved out of the mountainside itself. There also appear to be ramps (or maybe aqueducts?) that protrude from the sides of the mountain.
The image I get from Volo’s Guide to the North, Storm King’s Thunder, and your posts both about the 1360s DR and 1501 DR paint a very different picture than that from what I can tell. Do you think that image is supposed to be Hundelstone? Just the mines? Or do you think the caption and the actual image are unrelated?
If unrelated do you think it better suits another area or hold in the Realms?
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 25/2/2026 1:22 PM
The image on the Magic card is Mount Hundelstone, the “Haunted Mountain,” and must depict that peak as it was before 1041 DR (when it was abandoned), as there are “evertorches” (actually oil-fed, lit braziers) burning all along the causeway.
The mountain was greatly hollowed out, and hosted a gnome city with rich mines (and forges, clustered around a magma flow) beneath it, and a deep lake of oil not far away below, that was abandoned after the second orc horde invaded it in 1041 DR. This befell only six years after a first orc horde had slaughtered more than sixteen thousand gnomes, leaving a paltry four thousand to carry on. When the second horde came, the Hundel gnomes chose a fighting withdrawal, and survival, over certain annihilation if they stayed and tried to hold on; the horde numbered upwards of thirty thousand.
The gnomes lost their home, but got their revenge: one of their greatest sorcerers, Rithfaund Ohlvarth, sacrificed his family heirloom, the Ring of Orauntar—and summoned the ancient white dragon Orauntarlivorerauntarr to fight for him. The Great White Wyrm waited until the orcs had pillaged the mountain and flooded forth to stream south down out of the mountains, then fell upon them to bite and rake and breathe, until that horde was no more. Orauntar crashed down out of the skies on its way back to its lair (far to the east along the Spine of the World), and died of its fall, and its plunge happened because of the wounds the orcs had given it—but it had slaughtered twenty-eight thousand orcs earlier that day.
Today, Orauntar’s Bones is a legendary site, in a remote, frozen mountain gorge, and Mount Hundelstone is reputedly haunted—by the undead remains of dragons, wyverns, nagas, and other fearsome creatures; some fell magic within it, perhaps wielded by someone or something sentient (a lich?) is creating undead.
The peak stands well east of the settlement of Hundelstone in its mountain pass (that carries the Ten Trail through the Spine of the World), and although the orcs reportedly ate everything edible and carried away all finished tools and weapons, the riches of the gnome city still lie in vaults and small family coffers inside the mountain, left behind as the Hundel gnomes fled in haste.
The dwarf adventurer Belargarr Stonejack disappeared in 1486 DR, while on an expedition to find the forges of Hundelstone, and shortly thereafter the undead of the mountain started to venture forth; some dwarves and gnomes believe they proliferated until—like many orc hordes—the mountain could no longer hold them, and they “leaked forth across the peaks.” Their presence these days keeps orcs, and raiding and forgaging bands of bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins, too, well away from the area—which is why the settlement of Hundelstone, well to the west in its mountain pass, has been able to flourish.
If you stand in that settlement today and look east, you can JUST see the top of Mount Hundelstone, between the summits of three nearer, looming-larger peaks, but there’s nothing remarkable about the view. The buildings carved out of the southern face of the mountain are hidden from you behind the great bulk of Skorlfang, the Giant’s Forefinger (you can see some of the other Giant’s Finger peaks in the background of the Magic card painting). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2026 : 13:33:36
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On other Gnomish wines and hard drinks
Zonesylvania Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 28/2/2026 10:15 AM
Good saer @Ed Greenwood , while Gogondy is a quite famous gnomish potable, can you please name and describe for us a few other gnomish wines and hard drinks? thankee!
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 1/3/2026 10:22 AM
Sure! Savark (a fermented fungi and nut rum that varies in recipe or mixture with every family that makes it) and Talask (a radish wine, which is opaque, cloudy white in hue and fiery hot—clears phlegm and cuts oil a treat) are the most popular—and not just with svirfneblin, but with surface-dwelling gnomes too.
Savark is a translucent brown drink with a nutty, warm-the-innards “afterbite” that tastes almost like a mix of caramel and almonds and (real, not sweet North American “candy”) licorice. It’s considered safe to drink because almost all known poisons are neutralized if mixed with it. It takes the better part of a month to make (to allow time for the fermentation, and skimming) but keeps for centuries, the only indications of great age being that it darkens and then slowly gets fainter and fainter in its mushroom-like scent and its afterbite and taste.
Talask is also made from family-secret mixes, in this case of several sorts of radishes, at least three fruits (of the drupe or stone fruit sort, such as peaches, plums, apricots, or cherries), and—gnomes love to jest about this when non-gnomes have had a few flagons of talask and started to like it—certain squashed spiders, with a handful of various natural herbs. After “sitting” for three days and three nights, it is stirred often on the fourth day, and is then ready to drink. Talask is throat-searingly “hot” when newly made, and mellows to merely stomach-burning after a month or so; it’s usually drunk when new, and declines noticeably in taste after about a year, its hue yellowing.
Both savark and talask are used in gnome baking *cakes, tarts, and “handballs,” which are fit-in-a-gnome-palm soft, chewy, spherical cookies) and cookery (few gnomes would dream of preparing potatoes or yams for the table, if they lacked copious amounts of butter, or cream, or spring onions, if they also lacked savark or talask as seasonings).
One note: gnome palates LOVE bacon fried in savark, which they call “taukken,” but most other palates find this dish vile—especially most elves, who describe it as combining the worst bitterness, sickly-sweet-decay taste, and soapy texture. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2026 : 13:47:51
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On current state of Akhlaur Swamp
Howardyn Role icon, Legend of the Realms — 28/2/2026 3:43 AM
Dear @Ed Greenwood , a question about Halruaa. What is the current state of Akhlaur Swamp? Is it still flooded and connected with the Great Sea, as it was after the Spellplague cataclysm, or has it returned to it's swamp state after the Second Sundering? And whichever the case, does it still perhaps have a lingering magic about it from the times of Akhlaur and the laraken etc.?
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 1/3/2026 10:36 AM
The Akhlaur Swamp is freshwater once more, the salt water swiftly neutralized by ongoing natural chemical reactions between its underlying rock and its thick “bottom muck” of rotted trees and vegetation). It may have swiftly moved from brackish to fresh, and become less acidic and more alkaline in the process, but it certainly retains lingering magic, that manifests as fitful, short-lived, moving glows usually visible only in darkness—but that attract will o’ wisps, who somehow absorb electrical energies from it (the same energies they can discharge upon contact with others).
Few Halruaans like to venture into the Akhlaur, or linger in contact with its waters. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2026 : 13:58:24
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On menu of Umar Inn in Imnesvale, Amn
Juniper Churlgo Role icon, Scribe of the Realms — 15/2/2026 4:25 AM
In the village of Imnesvale in Amn, in its Umar Inn, what is the menu like? We only know what booze they sell, but what about food?
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 2/3/2026 3:20 AM
The Umar Inn—or Imnesvale Inn; both names are visible on the signboards, depending on whether you come in through the porch door (Umar Inn) or the east end door (Imnesvale Inn) serves an unchanging menu of hearty but simple fare:
Umar Soup (a brown soup of lentils, garlic, onions, roasted and diced boar, diced celery, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and some of the inn’s always-on-simmer vegetable stock)
Cheese Bread (we would call them “cheese buns:” baked hamburger-sized buns with local Amnadar cheese melted over it; Amnadar is a reddish-orange cheese rather like Red Leicester, but sharper: so it’s crumbly, has a nutty and peppery taste with a sweet aftertaste)
Pickle Handplatter (a small oval dish of local vegetables, pickled in wine vinegar with dill and garlic: small cucumbers [so, “gherkins” to us], green beans, carrots, and green bell peppers)
Vegetable Platter (a small oval dish of washed, chopped carrots and radishes)
Roasted Quail (served whole—after plucking and beheading—on a bed of local potatoes, “home fried” after being sliced very thin)
Imnesvale Sausages (small links stuffed with a seasoned mixture of local wild boar, duck, and venison), served with Sulver’s Sauce (a tart brown sauce of local recipe, named for a long-ago hunter, Elmran Sulver; it tastes a little like real-world sweet tamarind chutney sauce, from India)
Roast Venison (when available: thin fillets of wild deer, served with the boiled kidneys, liver, and heart, with Sulver’s Sauce on the side)
Garnishes on the Side (pinch-bowls of fresh sprigs of mint and parsley)
Wild Blueberry Tarts (palm-sized butter-pastry tarts filled with berries seasoned with nutmeg, vanilla bean, ground almonds, honey, lemon zest, and arrowroot)
Apple Tarts (a pinch of cinnamon, honey, lemon zest, butter, with spliced apples, baked in one- or two-bite-sized “pinch-sacks” of pastry)...and there you have it! |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2026 : 14:58:50
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On the yuan-ti and related Realmslore
kageura necromancer wizard Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 26/2/2026 7:04 AM
Hi Ed! I hope you’re doing well.
I had a few questions about the yuan-ti and related Realmslore, and I’d really value your insight:
1) Gender distinctions among yuan-ti: For purebloods and malisons, their more human traits make gender fairly apparent. But for anathemas and abominations, how is gender determined?
Are there visible physical distinctions similar to human males and females?
Or are the differences subtler or internal?
2) Hlondeth: Is Hlondeth still ruled by yuan-ti, or has that changed in recent years?
3) Primary worship in Hlondeth and Ss’zuraass’nee: In Hlondeth and the Underdark city of Ss’zuraass’nee, which deity is most widely worshiped?
Sseth?
Zehir (Set)?
Another serpent god?
4) Sseth and Merrshaulk: What is the relationship between Sseth and Merrshaulk?
Is Sseth simply Merrshaulk under a new name?
Did Sseth usurp Merrshaulk?
Or is it a succession situation similar to Mystra/Mystryl, where one being becomes the same deity?
5) Sseth’s holy symbol: Sseth’s symbol is described as a flying snake with fangs bared. Is there a clear visual distinction between this and the Zhentarim’s winged serpent symbol?
6) Pil’it’ith: Regarding Sseth’s former Chosen, Pil’it’ith — I’ve read that after betraying Sseth and losing his divine gift, he began aging again.
Is he still alive?
Or has he since died of age?
Thank you very much for your time and for continuing to share your incredible Realmslore.
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 2/3/2026 9:57 AM
Just to tackle your first questions, about the genders of anathemas and abominations:
Most anathemas grow the necessary organs and genitalia of both genders, though these may be hidden or even retractible. However, many anathemas are sterile, and a majority of them may not find any creature, yuan-ti or otherwise, who wants to mate with them (fear and revulsion may be strong if an anathema’s appearance is far from the norm for yuan-ti). So they may not produce offspring, or many offspring.
Abominations have the same sort of genitalia as most snakes: hemipenes or hemiclitores on the undersides of their tails, that are usually held within their bodies, inverted, but temporarily thrust out for reproductive encounters by means of erectile tissue (akin to a human penis). So if a particular abomination doesn’t dress in a way to suggest gender, identifying their gender visually most of the time can be difficult. Some abominations are even hermaphroditic, though this is rare.
Most abominations look like snakes with human-like shoulders and arms, who can seem genderless to humans not familiar with them. Their scents are too faint for humans to identify their gender or arousal, though other yaun-ti and some snakes can readily tell, from the sex pheromones given off by yuan-ti that are perfectly clear to them. Female yuan-ti of all sorts (purebloods, malisons, anathemas, and abominations) can lay down scent trails for males to follow if they want to do so.
I'll tackle some of your other questions later. I'm hectic-busy right now! |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2026 : 16:10:45
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On who created NAL (Not A Lady) Xalyth
Eilistraee's Warrior Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 3/3/2026 10:41 AM
@Ed Greenwood In the Menzoberranzan 2nd Edition box set, who came up with NAL (Not A Lady) Xalyth?
Also, What is she up to and has she had to use her exploding bosoms yet?
Ed Greenwood Role icon, Father of the Realms — 3/3/2026 4:09 PM
I created Xalyth.
She has indeed used her “secret weapon” after her withdrawal from the city, when priestesses of Lolth from Menzo tracked her down to demand her return. She refused, they sought to slay her on the spot, and she fought them, using her lightning burst in the fray; she soon successfully lured them into a trap that killed them by plummeting deadfalls of rock (huge rope-mesh bags of collected stones) down on their heads.
Xalyth left the city during all the tumult that Bob described in his novels, despairing of breaking the hold of malicious priestesses and matrons over Menzo before they destroyed it; she saw that they always put their personal advancement and rewards from Lolth before all else, and decided to find a city that either didn’t venerate Lolth, or worshipped the Spider-Queen in a manner that didn’t result in the frequent elimination of entire houses and the wanton destruction of useful males. As a merchant, she can and does go anywhere, and is till moving about, seeing city after city (she hasn’t decided on her “new permanent home” yet). She’s getting old, and even pondering using magic to shapeshift, and living among humans in Waterdeep, as Skullport and the Promenade intrigue her; this seems to be a place where drow are tolerated, if not lovedm by some, and trade can go on with far more stability than it ever could in and around Menzoberranzan.
The key to Xalyth is that she can’t abide malicious folly and waste, cruelty for its own sake and when it results in vandalism of goods and trade relationships and neighborhoods that were functioning before someone who is “headstrong” and cruel decided to just wreck things because they could, or make others fear them, or to bully.
So she’s now a veteran merchant trader who’s seen a lot of the Underdark beneath western Faerûn, and a little of the surface world, too (Baldur’s Gate, the Border Kingdoms, Scornubel, Waterdeep, and Zazesspur). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 08:33:04
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On how races interact with gods of other races
LukasJP [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 12/3/2026 3:47 AM
Hey @Ed Greenwood, I'm curious as to something you replied to a while back, in regards to, quote "Everyone sentient and sane in the Realms worships ALL the gods, not one deity" - and it got me thinking about races that are traditional enemies, i.e., how is the nuance with, for example, how dwarves see and interact with the orcish gods?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 12/3/2026 4:10 AM
These are the cases that for most mortals in the Realms, it's a grudging "GODNAME forfend" prayer and minor token of worship (a tear, a drop of blood, a seed or sprig or leaf; whatever's most appropriate to the deity as an offering, not an insult). So a dwarf gives a "devout nod" to the orc gods that in effect says: "I see you, and I respect you, and please don't harm me or mine, or look upon us with disfavor." |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 08:40:07
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On urine as indicator of sickness
Jeremy Grenemyer — 11/7/2025 8:57 AM Hello @Ed Greenwood #128075;
Are there any diseases, maladies, sicknesses, or health conditions unique to the Realms and that afflict humans for which a distinct change in the color of feces or urine is a reliable indicator?
If yes, might ye avail us of the scatalogical details? #128169;
Thank you Ed, as always. #128578;
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 12/3/2026 7:52 AM
This is a huge topic, but here’s a start, drawing on notes I wrote up when I was asked to write SPELLFIRE, all those years ago…
These results vary with age, species, and what else afflicts an individual, but in general:
A change to cloudy urine indicates an infection; if the urine gets completely opaque or looks like it has salt or calcium deposits precipitating out of it, the infection is severe.
A change to bright orange urine indicates either severe dehydration, liver problems, or spider or drow-concoction poisonings.
A change to brown urine indicates snake venom damage, ongoing if the brown gets darker and more opaque.
A change to purplish urine indicates radiant damage burns to internal organs or the flesh and fat around them.
A change to black urine indicates necrotic damage burns to internal organs or the flesh and fat around them.
Urine that briefly glows (“sparkles”) as it’s emitted, and at random moments thereafter, indicates the presence of magical curses or lingering/ongoing magical harm. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 08:46:02
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On drow words for sapphire, ruby, emerald, and diamond
Zonesylvania [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 12/3/2026 2:58 AM
dear saer @Ed Greenwood , repeating one of my older questions; could you possibly tell us what the drow words for sapphire, ruby, emerald, and diamond are? and the word for gemstone as well, if possible. Thankee!
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 13/3/2026 2:56 PM
In Elvish:
Daeo is a gemstone (Daeol in raw form)
Dwaor is a diamond or diamonds
Eleglim is a sapphire or sapphires
Laqaith is an emerald or emeralds
Raor is a ruby or rubies
The Drow use the same words for all of these, one of the instances in which the two tongues have not diverged. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 09:03:35
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On Laeral Silverhand and Jaheira
Juniper Churlgo [WOOD], Role icon, Scribe of the Realms — 9/3/2026 10:17 AM
Hi Ed, just noticed a bit of Jaheira (badur’s gate) Harper lore-Laeral Silverhand was Showing interest in then young Jaheira and was her Harper contact under Charessa Keel alias. Did that bound serve in Jaheira becoming a High Harper? Did the two ever meet without Laeral’s masquerades? Is there an y told story between the two?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 14/3/2026 2:30 AM
Yes, Laeral saw in Jaheira the ultra-rare ‘never quit’ resilience that she and all of her fellow Chosen have. Yes, their bond led to Jaheira becoming a High Harper. Yes, they’ve met as Jaheira and Laeral, and though their styles are very different, they are firm friends. Or as Jaheira would likely put it: “Laeral is one of the very few I trust enough to utterly relax with.” |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 09:24:34
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On number of souls in the Realms
MystxmomoRole icon, Patron of The Realms — 10/3/2026 3:22 PM
@Ed Greenwood Hello Mr. Greenwood! I hope life hasn't been too hard on you.
In your version of the realms, are there are a set amount of souls, or are new souls being "Created." Is this different depending on race (Dwarves, Gnomes, Goblins, Elves/Drow, Humans, ect?) I'd love to hear anything you have to say on the matter, especially when we know how important souls are to those divine members of the realms.
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 14/3/2026 2:41 AM
New souls are created all the time, and a trickle of souls find their ways into Realmspace from elsewhere, and so are “new” to the Realms. (So no, there’s no “set amount.”)
On the other hand, souls are lost when mortals of other sorts become mind flayers (see the Baldur’s Gate 3 computer game from Larian) and when they are devoured (by hags and certain other creatures). Many other “grim fates” for souls are actually losses of their mortal bodies or transformations of the souls, as opposed to actual destruction. The long-lived races such as dwarves and gnomes, and elves and drow, tend to have more resilient souls that survive being battered (hence some sages labeling them “spirits” and different from souls), and these sorts of souls often “leak” memories of past mortal lives to the “new” mortals now possessing them. Goblins, humans, and others who tend to have shorter lifespans tend to have souls of lesser durability, that survive batterings by changing more in essential nature. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 13:51:43
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On Orog Goorth about under Jeradin
abra [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 12/3/2026 7:58 AM
Quick clarification, re: your new Torog temples answer. Would this put Orog Goorth about under Jeradin if you burrowed the 20 miles down from their basements, then? I believe the only place that town was in was the Old Empires maps (and the Atlas).
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 14/3/2026 3:15 AM
The “straight above Orog Goorth” surface footprint spot is about sixty miles (two days’ ride) due west of Jeradin, through gently rolling hill country much beloved of bandits and prowling monsters alike. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 14:32:41
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On Aurora's Emporium in Cormyr
kageura necromancer wizard [D&D], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 14/3/2026 2:51 AM
@Ed Greenwood Hi Ed! I hope you’re doing well.
I had a quick question about Aurora's Emporium in Cormyr.
I know there is an outlet in Marsember, but are there any other Aurora’s Emporium locations within Cormyr such as waymoot or other such places?
Also, in Heroes of Faerûn Aurora’s is shown carrying regional specialty goods (from Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, the Dalelands, Calimshan, and the Moonshae Isles) including gear mounts animals tools etc.... Would the Cormyrean outlet(s) likewise stock distinctive regional goods.
Thanks very much for your time and for sharing your Realmslore!
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 14/3/2026 3:42 AM
Unfortunately for stay-close-to-home shoppers all over the Forest Kingdom, the War Wizards have always seen Aurora’s as a security nightmare: a way of allowing foes to send bombs, poisons, and (the main fear) spore- or plague-infected food and drink into the heart of the realm, past all traditional defenses.
In this opposition to teleport networks, they’ve been bolstered by local crafters and shopkeepers not wanting the competition, and traditional caravan way-merchants not wanting someone else to siphon off all the “plum portable goods” sales, leaving them with just the heavy, bulky “bulk dross” to lug about and sell.
So Marsember, already a port and heavily corrupted—but also with a tradition for danger that discourages “just plain folks” from making shopping trips there, and with a fortified local garrison to discourage invasions or “arm all the locals” revolts, is acceptable for a lone Aurora’s outlet—but nowhere else in our realm, thank you very much.
Read the Heroes of Faerûn entry again. Aurora’s doesn’t offer living animals: mounts, livestock, or for the table, except killed fowl and smaller carcases that have been skinned, gutted, washed, and packed for storage. So, sausages and pickled eggs yes, living chickens and raw eggs no.
The problem is the magic that transports wares: living items often get harmed or “twisted” on the trip, and for bulk goods over a certain weight and volume, as well as items of all sizes bearing multiple or complex enchantments, certain amounts “just go missing.” They vanish, unaccountably, new whereabouts unknown (the chances for this go down markedly if someone sentient and alive is holding or carrying such an item, or a large assemblage of items such as a bulging packsack).
This has always been the case, from the very first widespread experimentations mounted by Halruaa in its heyday. Otherwise, there would be no caravans, no long wagon-roads, and no ports full of ships; the cost and time and perils would be outweighed by whisk-what-you-want to where it’s wanted ease.
And as we see caravans and wagon-roads and fleets of ships shuttling from harbor to harbor all over the Realms, it’s clear that this is the same situation as we have in our real world over battery technology: we can envisage no-gasoline vehicles whizzing everywhere, but we can’t yet lick the battery technology gap that keeps batteries very heavy and short-range, and so means remote areas just can’t practically use them.
So Aurora’s is a luxury, not an “every second streetcorner” feature. And they stock whatever there’s a local demand for. The cheeses array everyone everywhere seems to love, so it sells as fast as they can restock, so it’s in the catalog. Ask for something really exotic, and it will only be on offer if an Aurora’s proprietor happens to be sitting on a warehouse of whatever it is. Aurora’s is NOT in the business of disappointing customers.
(BTW, none of this is new; this is the “limits of design to fit the setting” lecture I first delivered back in 1990, when the idea for Aurora’s Whole Realms Catalogue was first proposed.) |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2026 : 14:37:12
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On noble houses of the drow city of T'lindhet
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 15/3/2026 7:24 AM
Hello, everybody! I can't post announcements in the channel, so here's a link to my Patreon, where I've just made a free post about the noble houses of the drow city of T'lindhet (because life is too short for me to break 5100-some words into little tweets to answer on Twitter). Enjoy! https://www.patreon.com/posts/noble-houses-of-153057612
abra [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 15/3/2026 7:36 AM
You know, speaking of @Ed Greenwood It's mentioned a lot of the drow from Llurth Dreier/the Oozing Ruin fled toward T'lindhet and were let in when the Underchasm formed. Are those guys up to anything such as making a house of their own?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 15/3/2026 7:38 AM
Forbidden from doing so. Drow don't want "interloper nobles" coming in and upsetting the local apple cart. So you come in as commoners, if you don't bring an army to dictate otherwise...you must work your way up in the new place. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 07:53:45
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On successfully occupying the Stonelands for Cormyr
kageura necromancer wizard [D&D], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 15/3/2026 3:22 AM
thank you for that question about aurora's. hear is another cormyrean question for the father of the realms I had a few questions regarding the Stonelands based on information from both your Lost Lore of the Realms posts and the Forgotten Realms Wiki.
In Lost Lore of the Realms #18, you mentioned that the Crown once offered adventurers the “Dukedom of the Stonelands” if they could occupy and hold the Stonelands for Cormyr, and that no one succeeded. What exactly would success have required? For example, would it mean clearing the region of monsters, bandits, criminals, and foreign agents entirely, establishing permanent settlements and fortifications, or maintaining control of the territory for a certain length of time?
In your post you refer to the reward as a dukedom, but the Forgotten Realms Wiki refers to it as a barony. Which title would actually apply?
If someone had succeeded, would the Crown’s offer have made that person a noble of Cormyr? And would the title and lands pass to their heirs?
If an adventuring party succeeded together, how would the reward likely be handled? Would the land and title be divided, would the party choose among themselves who would rule, or would the Crown decide?
Thank you very much for your time and for continuing to share your Realmslore!
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 15/3/2026 7:36 AM
Success in the Crown’s definition means occupying the Stonelands permanently, establishing fortresses at eastern and western ends with good wagon roads to them from more southerly adjoining areas in Cormyr, scouring out all bandits and criminals and all large-range predatory monsters (such as dragons, wyverns, perytons, harpies, hobgoblin raiding bands, and others that go hunting…as opposed to beasts that establish a lair and don’t endanger anyone who doesn’t go too near it). Nothing about “outland agents” is in the proclamation, but then neither is the inconvenient truth that the Zhentarim had established a trade route through the Stonelands, and success would have included blocking it and keeping it blocked (not easy, given the strength of the Network and the chancy nature of their shorter across-Anauroch route).
The initial offer was a barony, but it was later “sweetened” into a dukedom. A life peerage: heirs don’t inherit the title, but do inherit the lands IF they can hold them. And if said heirs perform well, and play nice with Cormyr, they can personally earn their own on-merit title, likely “Warden of the Stonelands.”
What makes all of this nigh-impossible is the topography: most of the Stonelands is a series of bare rock east-west ridges, with breakneck-steep ravines between them. Peddlers have great difficulty leading lone mules through that countryside, and NO ONE can successfully ride through it.
(This has all been covered before in published Realmslore, BTW, but the years are passing, and more and more of us haven't been along for the entire wild lore-ride.)
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 15/3/2026 7:48 AM
Wouldn't fit addendum to my Stonelands answer, above: So, yes, manage success and you are a “true” noble of Cormyr (some of the long-established nobility might sneer at you, but the Crown certainly wouldn’t, as you EARNED your title in a way most of the nobles of Cormyr alive today didn’t, in the Crown’s eyes). The ultimate decision to award a barony or a dukedom is entirely up to the Crown, but what would likely happen is they’d let an adventuring party decide among themselves, but mentally (using War Wizard magic) “nudge” a party that seemed to be deciding on the wrong person (someone who’s impulsive, swift to anger, and not a diplomat, over someone who’s better at those things) into making what the Crown sees as “the right choice.” |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 08:12:46
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On extracting small particles of specific elements
Zonesylvania [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 15/3/2026 7:58 AM
dear saer @Ed Greenwood, this is a bit of an unusual question, but is there magic capable of extracting small particles of specific elements or minerals from mixed samples of soil, gravel beds, etc. and how much material could the spell potentially come up with in such a casting? thankee!
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 15/3/2026 9:35 AM
No, that's something no one's been able to come up with yet (and believe me, centuries of dwarves, gnomes, and later humans have tried). If they succeeded, there'd be very little need for mining as the Realms knows it...and being as there still is, it follows that no one's cracked how to do such extractions magically yet. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 08:26:39
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On goblin patron deity for collectors (of shiny things)
Reedhalloran Duskfellow — 12/12/2025 12:45 AM
Dearest @Ed Greenwood ,
We all know the term "dice goblin" and surely there are other treasure obsessed goblinoids in the realms whose proclivities for intense behavior settles on collecting.
If I were playing such a goblin in the realms (collecting shiny things), who might my patron deity be?
Most of the goblinoid pantheon on the wiki is war related. Who is the deity of obsessively collecting?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 16/3/2026 7:37 AM
If you’re playing an actual goblin who’s hoarding-treasure-obsessed, and you had to pick a single patron deity for some reason, it would likely be Maglubiyet these days; you would have to be worshipping back in the 790s DR and earlier to instead venerate Khurgorbaeyag (he wasn’t just about collecting ever-more-slaves, he was the tyranny of goblin social order based on wealth—that is, the stuff you’d collected).
If you’re playing a dwarf who’s hoarding-treasure-obsessed, your patron deity would most likely be Abbathor.
If you’re playing a non-goblin-non-dwarf who’s hoarding-treasure-obsessed but dislike shady means of acquisition, Waukeen is your most likely patron these days.
For other possibilities, look up “Avarice domain” on the FR Wiki. Note that thievery and trickery are entirely different matters, and have many associated gods. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 09:21:15
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On other holidays celebrated in Cormyr
kageura necromancer wizard [D&D], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 5/12/2025 8:24 AM
@Ed Greenwood aside from midwinter greengrass midsummer shieldmeet harvesttide feast of the moon. are there any other holiday's celebrated in cormyr? is there anything like our christmas
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 16/3/2026 8:03 AM
Hoo boy. There are many, many articles on the festivals of the Realms, and much lore on local observances (e.g. those celebrated in Waterdeep) included in official Realms products down the years. If you mean “holidays” in its literal sense of “holy days,” there are several truckloads more of religious celebrations in official Realms products and in articles by me and others, down the years. The closest thing to our Christmas is Simril, a holiday celebrated on the 20th of Nightal (the equivalent to our 21st of December and our Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere of our real world—as well as the solstice on Toril). Rhonda Parrish and I even wrote a short story, “Golden Simril Gifts,” set during the festivities. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 09:42:06
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On using Klauth or Imvaernarhro for a Year of the Rogue Dragon campaign
kageura necromancer wizard [D&D], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 28/11/2025 10:24 PM
who is better to use for a dragon heavy trilogy campaign partially inspired by year of the rogue dragon. klauth or Imvaernarhro
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 16/3/2026 8:27 AM
That’s totally up to the sort of campaign you want to run. Klauth is a bruiser, an unsubtle “Hulk SMASH!” sort of dragon who considers himself the most powerful (he’s wrong, of course). ;}
Imvaernarhro is far better suited to be a longterm “behind the scenes” kingpin villain, employing underlings and indulging in intrigues. He has more treasure, spread out over many different hoard locations (all of them lairs you can “enjoy” as “dungeons”), and he watches events unfolding in the wider Realms constantly, meaning he’s already aware of the PCs before they come into contact with him, and has a far better chance of manipulating them to be his unwitting agents/tools from the outset. So Inferno’s the more versatile one who can potentially last longer. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 09:57:32
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On gods associated with woman of the night and colorful Waterdhavian slangs
Koshka [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 16/3/2026 12:16 PM
Hi @Ed Greenwood ! Something I've always loved in your work is sex positivity and many examples of those in the related profession who enjoy their work!
My current character is a Waterdeep singer, musician and popular woman-of-the-evening, so in that vein I'd like to ask are there any Gods commonly associated with the profession, and if you might have some slang phrases, exclamations, curses, all such things I could colour her performance with to bring her to the world that much more?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 17/3/2026 12:39 AM
The deities most commonly associated with pleasure-for-coin work are Sharess (seduction and allure), Loviatar (for BDSM), Sune (beauty), Lliira (shared joy), and Chauntea (mothering, and offerings to the Earthmother to prevent unwanted pregnancies).
I’ve shared truckloads of euphemisms for male and female body parts, working professionals, and coitus over the years, so let me just touch on some of the most popular and widespread, so commonly used that they are losing their naughtiness:
“Sword” for penis, “Bitebolds” and “nightlanterns” for female breasts, “breezetouched” for nudity or near-nudity done for allure (a striptease is: “busy getting breezy”), “kisscoin” for anyone associated with prostitution (literally giving pleasure for coin, so a foot massage that isn’t medical would qualify, or backscratching that’s to feel intimate rather than scratch an itch), and “god-caress” for orgasm (“she caressed the gods thrice that I felt, and perhaps more times that I didn’t”).
A dance, with or without disrobing, that’s done in private to arouse someone before sex, is a “joytwirl.” Dancing up on stage to arouse many, with or without a pole, or treetrunk (masturbating against a projecting tree-limb or its stub is a popular thing, and itself is known as “smoothing the bark”), is a “purrprance,” and dancers who do it for a living, or regularly to attract clients for later on at the same establishment, are “nightwisps” even if they never perform at night (only in Amn and Zazesspur are there establishments who officially hire dancers in shifts, and refer to them as “daywisps, “highwisps”—the midday shift, that has “highsun” [noon to us in the real world] anchoring it—and “nightwisps”).
Lapdances, and the associated hanky-panky, is simply “cozying” in the Realms.
I should also mention that there’s a strong and lasting tradition of women who for coin disrobe in private and use hands and mouths to pleasure a partner, without ever engaging in intercourse or being expected to (and there are bans for clients who “go too far” during such encounters, and priests on call to prevent pregnancies or infections). This is known as “riding the banner” for forgotten reasons, and is perfectly respectable; a woman known to engage in this in a small community is not going to be looked down upon by others.
Exclamations vary widely, with those who utter them, but common ones associated with pleasure-for-coin are “Bite me!” (context and tone of voice differentiate this exclamation of astonishment from the same words used as a command); “Talos forfend!” (meaning “Don’t lose control, now!” (and go on a rampage as some storms do); and “Frick!” which means “OH, no!” or “WTF?” or “THAT’S done it!”
Slang references to pleasure-for-coin tend to be things like “She’s down at XXX warming the crows” or “Busy herding snakes into iron bars again.” A professional pleasure-giver of either gender might be described formally (e.g. on a tax roll or census ledger) as a “coinsmiler.” A brothel, festhall, or local club devoted to, or dominated by, carnal activities can be referred to as a “kisshearth” even in the politest conversations.
Out-and-out curses used by pleasure-coin workers or those angered during pleasure-for-coin include such sayings as, “By the untasted loins of Leira!” (meaning the goddess of deception and illusions, untouched because no mortal can find her if she doesn’t want them to); “Sharess spurn!” or “Sharess spurn me!” (variants of “No pleasure for YOU, a*hole!” or “Guess here’ll be no pleasure for me!”); and “Riding the fence-rail again!” or “Go ride a fence-rail!” (referring to occurrences of painful mishaps or blunders during lovemaking, or the speaker’s desire for such a fate to befall the one they’re speaking to). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 10:26:29
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On fey languages as dialect of Slyvan
Sundered_AntRole icon, Scribe of the Realms — 7/3/2026 4:29 AM
This is a linguistics question I have been wanting to ask you for a couple of years now. Are all the Fey racial languages, dialects of the Sylvan language, much like how Elvish has its own dialects? And if so, does the Hag language also fall within that?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 17/3/2026 12:53 AM
All of the various fey racial languages share about twenty core words (yes, no, trade? Accept/agree, You’re provoking me to violence, magic, unfriendly, old, new, human, unknown, danger), but they’re not dialects of each other; they don’t SEEM (to sages, looking back from “now”) to have developed from a common root, but rather acquired some common words as practical borrowings due to frequent contact and trade.
No, the tongue of hags is completely different. (I'll share more of these core words in an upcoming Lost Lore, a month or two into the future...) |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2026 : 10:38:51
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On a random trivia fact about Giftless people in the Realms
valethehowl — 17/9/2025 3:48 AM
Hello saer @Ed Greenwood ! I come today with a rather unusual question: could you give us a random trivia fact about Giftless people in the Realms? Possibly something that has not been revealed before. I always like to know more about the lives of non innately magically empowered people of the Realms!
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 17/3/2026 12:48 PM
Sure. Four to seven percent of Giftless individuals in the Realms have innate magic resistance (as in, advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects). No one knows why. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2026 : 17:24:24
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On magic affinity of black dragons in the Realms
Kokopelli [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 2/4/2026 8:28 PM
Friend @Ed Greenwood, I have another question for my pile... If I've asked this one before, I apologize. I've been wondering about black dragons. In core material, they don't seem all that different from other chromatics. In the Realms, however, I've noticed several prominent black dragons with an affinity for or association with magic. We have Thauglor as one of the most prominent examples of his breed; he was known to be powerful in magic.
As Hesperdan, Alorglauvenemaus was quite the accomplished spellcaster.
We have Constulgrael, the only dragon to become a Magister.
We have the Creeping Doom, Daurgothoth, a rather scary bugger.
The draconic twins Voaraghamanthar and Waervaerendor were both spellcasters.
There is also Manshoon's affinity for black dragons; though you didn't specify, I suspect his daughter's mother was a black dragon.
And there's the House of Orogoth... I have to wonder if some of the dragons I've listed are related to them.
Anyway, that's a lot of arcane might in a breed of dragons not known for such. Is there something different about black dragons in the Realms, compared to other worlds, or am I seeing a bunch of one-offs and reading too much into it?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 12:09 AM
You’ve spotted some things keenly, like Manshoon’s er, involvement with a certain black dragon. Yes, black dragons do have an affinity for arcane magic, in that they have the brain capacity and aptitude for intense concentration with a lot going on, so a few of them become highly skilled in the Art (all dragons have the Gift, but most don’t develop it beyond what’s given in the rulebooks as their magical powers and abilities). Blacks are also durable; they weather shapeshifts and magical damage well.
Kokopelli [WOOD], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 7/4/2026 6:25 AM
Thankee for the response, friend Ed! A follow-up, if I may: how does the magic affinity of black dragons compare to other breeds? I'm guessing they are more magical than several other chromatic/metallic types, but I'm not going to assume they are the most magical. And as always, thank you for your time and all that you share! #129761;
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 6:59 AM
Actually, I accidentally left off the end of my answer to you, and here it is: So do blue dragons, but fewer of them have mastered arcane magic to a high level. Beware any old blue dragon that’s laired somewhere that has good spellbooks within reach, however… [Adding to that, white dragons specialize in cold, water, and ice magics, with some wind spells, and red dragons largely disdain magic use beyond their fire breath, preferring personal physical combat...] |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2026 : 17:26:59
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On the Wizards Three an extension of the Order of the Eternals
Juniper Churlgo [WOOD], Role icon, Scribe of the Realms — 3/4/2026 1:50 AM
A quick obscure lore question. The Order of the Eternals, a trans-dimensional planeswalking organization that appeared in "Impendant Symposium" adventure. Seein how El and Mordy are bith members (https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Members_of_the_Order_of_the_Eternals), is it an extension of the Wizards Three? Are Wizards Three an extension of the Order? Ore are they simply overlapping in memberships?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:22 AM
They are simply overlapping in memberships, and members of the Wizards Three keep those meetings as private and unspoken-of as possible. They’re refuges from all else they do. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2026 : 17:29:30
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On Dallah Thaun's presence in the hin of Toril
Razzelmire [D&D], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 4/4/2026 12:04 AM
Greetings @Ed Greenwood
Curious as to whether Dallah Thaun has (or had ever) a presence on Toril, and if so, what’s her history in the lore of the hin on Toril along with any events that standout in history?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:23 AM
Yes, Dallah Thaun has a presence among halflings in the Realms, though most other beings (aside from sages and Mystra’s Chosen) have never heard of her, as hin keep mentions and worship of her very secret.
Those devoted to her avenge mistreatment of hin by acting against individual mistreaters, and throughout the 1300s DR, this led to slavers shunning the taking of halflings as “always unlucky,” thanks to the fates Thaunites visited upon the slavers.
Recognition gestures among hin regarding worship of Thaun include tossing and catching gold coins (also done while praying to her, with words like “Dallah smile” or “guide me, dark Thaun” or “be with us, Avenger!”). Often, when praying to Yondalla, a worshipper will kiss the back of their own hand and then touch it to their forehead, symbolizing faithfulness to Yondalla’s teachings—but if they also wish to celebrate her aspect of Dallah Thaun, they will do this with a hand that clutches a gold coin, and will open it to kiss the coin and then clap it closed again, after bringing their hand down from their forehead.
Priests and priestesses of Dallah Thaun always wear their hair long and unbound, as the goddess does, always wear dark soft-soled boots when out of doors, and wear cloaks with cowled hoods up whenever practical.
Meditation intended to seek guidance about what to do in life ahead is often done while playing solitaire card games, always with a gold piece wagered (win? Keep the gold. Lose” offer it on an altar of Dallah Thaun). Altars to the goddess may be any bowl, chalice, or stone that has a black cowled hood erected over it (on a frame, as if someone’s wearing it). |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2026 : 09:33:56
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On the HBO adaptation of Baldur’s Gate
Night FangRole icon, Patron of The Realms — 4/4/2026 11:13 PM
Hail and Well met! Can you enlighten us on the HBO adaptation of Baldur’s Gate or are you under NDA?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:23 AM
Even if I knew anything, my lips are sealed. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2026 : 09:37:02
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On Vhaerun and Ellaniath
shrimp [ELF], Role icon, Patron of The Realms — 5/4/2026 4:48 AM
@Ed Greenwood What is the church of vhaeraun doing for against the recent new Lolth invasion, according to the last video, or will that be clarified in the next lore video about vhaeraun?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:24 AM
Yes, you’ll have to wait for awhile, I’m afraid, for the next Vhaeraun video. There are a lot in the queue!
MystxmomoRole icon, Patron of The Realms — 7/4/2026 3:49 AM
Actually if you wouldnt mind me using this opportunity to pry a bit about the Masked Lord, just to steal a little treat....
Most of the information we've gotten regarding Ellaniath is largely unreliable, or left rather vague. I understand this is probably rather intentional given the nature of his character, but with your vision of Vhaeraun, do you have any ideas in mind regarding it and the kind of place that it is? Thank you for this sheer amount of answers youve given today #10084;#65039; excited to see all of whats to come in the future.
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 6:56 AM
I'll get you an answer re, Ellaniath soon. As it happens, I'm so sick with con crud (picked up at GaryCon) that I can't safely visit family at Easter without endangering them, so I have time at home, off work, for a few days and although I have some writing projects I'm really digging into, I always try to find the time to answer lore queries, so am answering all I can in a hurry. ;}
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 12:42 PM
Okay, here we go....
Since the Second Sundering, Ellaniath is located in its own extra-dimensional bubble between the Ethereal Plane, the Shadowfell, and the Material Plane. It takes the form of a small, blue-moonlight-lit realm that takes the form of an endless castle (fortified palace) of chambers looking out onto overgrown “garden” walled courtyards, and ringed by a dark forest. There are no hallways or passages in Ellaniath, just room opening into room opening into room (more often by archways than through doors), and the palace is quiet: a heavy, “listening” silence prevails. Yeth hounds prowl the forest but howl only when beginning a chase or when in agony, shadow-creatures flit silently through the palace, and demodands stand guard outside, along the walls and ramparts, and in the courtyards. They communicate by blowing very brief blasts on deep-toned “shuddering” horns, never by shouts. An alarm call may be a brief whistle, but Vhaeraun can’t abide any sort of racket, and will destroy or exile creatures who make excessive noise.
The seemingly-endless rooms of his palace are richly wood-paneled, covered in deep-pile rugs, and luxuriously furnished with highbacked stuffed chairs, lounges, sidetables, and padded footstools. Hangings drape the walls, all of them tapestries depicting realistic scenes of events Vhaeraun desires to remember, often moments in which he bested his hated mother Lolth, or achieved success and mutual respect working with Eilistraee. Both the tapestries and all corners and edges of the furniture are inlaid with cabochon-cut (smooth-polished and curving) black gemstones of the sorts he favors (onyx, opals, pearls, sapphires, chalcedony, jasper, hematite, jet, obsidian, and so on).
Decanters of wine—Vhaeraun prefers the licorice-tinged elven blackwine—stand ready everywhere, on trays accompanied by “serpent-coil” design flagons. Food, however, is not to be found in the palace; bring thine own.
Many wall-panels are secret doors, opening into dark closets that are “ways” (permanent teleports to other such closets, elsewhere in the palace), and at least two of these ways serve to heal Vhaeraun as he traverses them.
When at home, he strolls idly through Ellaniath, lost in thought, for he is always scheming—or he rests, dreaming, levitating in midair stasis in certain hidden inner bedchambers that resemble warmly-swirling dark voids. At least one of them is the audience chamber from which he most often mind-speaks his sister Eilistraee; he floats horizontally on his back staring at the ceiling, which is sculpted into a larger than life-sized representation of her, looking down at him with smile, surrounded by her flowing unbound hair. Vhaeraun hates Eilistraee and resents her successes, but is hopelessly in love with her and fascinated by her; he studies her aims, utterances, and deeds closely, seeking the success and contentment she seems always to have, that always seems to elude him. Though they remain enemies, they have both mastered the art of being affectionate to each other, and this gentleness torments Vhaeraun, though he can’t resist it. He longs for more.
Conversely, there are no images of his sister Vandria Gilmadrith in his palace, and Vhaeraun never communicates with her or spies on her. He fears her and respects her as steadfast and able to resist his mother Lolth’s schemes and enticements, but his pride won’t let him return her coldness with anything but like iciness.
His son Selvetarm he tries to put from his mind always, and usually succeeds. Vhaeraun likes to consider him as “of no account,” a “wastrel,” though he knows that this is his own fantasy, not the truth.
Vhaeraun knows many “ways” that lead to and from his home, opening in Toril, the Shadowfell, and the Ghost Forest in the Ethereal Plane, but most non-shadow creatures can find and use them only by his will and favor. Deliberate intruders and lost wanderers most often reach Ellaniath by one of three always-open, unconcealed “ways.”
These are Dead Spider Door, the Whispering Waterfall, and the Whirling Way.
Dead Spider Door is a giant-height oval door made of a fused mat of dead spiders and driders of all sizes, slain by Vhaeraun, that can be found at the end of a trap-filled, long-abandoned thieves’ stronghold in the depths of the Seadeeps level in Undermountain. It ushers anyone traversing it into a high-ceilinged chamber in the very heart of Ellaniath.
The Whispering Waterfall is a glowing blue cascade, neither large nor loud, that streams from a spring that wells up to fill a well in the heart of a long-ruined black-spired fortress, called Shadowgard by some though its true name is long forgotten, though sages like Elminster say that some records indicate it was once the abode of loxo, to spill out of its twisted gates and plunge endlessly into the Black Rift; one steps “behind” the torrent just below the gates, and there finds a cavern that is the way—to the dark, yeth hound-prowled forest that rings Ellaniath.
The Whirling Way is so named because all who step into its lamprey-like black maw are spun head-over-heels for about a minute, during which they are whisked to a particular (guarded by demodands, of course) courtyard of Ellaniath.
The likes of Elminster and other learned planeswalkers have taken to calling Ellaniath “the Brooding Palace” because that’s what they see Vhaeraun using it for: a place to brood. The Masked Lord is not a happy or content entity.
Eilistraee's WarriorRole icon, Patron of The Realms — 8/4/2026 4:11 AM
When you say hopelessly in love, is that in a codependent or platonic way? Or something more taboo?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 8/4/2026 8:32 PM
There’s been no consummation, physical demonstration, nor even verbal admission of his feelings on Vhaeraun’s part, but both he and Eilistraee know. She often infuriates him, but he’s fascinated by her, and can’t help himself. Which is why they and the mortal clergies they direct sometimes work together. (For her part, Eilistraee finds her brother exasperating, stupid, far too self-centered, but worth trying to rescue and make common cause with.) |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2026 : 09:51:54
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On forbidden foods for priests of gods
VelaRole icon, Artisan of the Realms — 2/4/2026 6:29 PM
Do some gods in Faerun forbid their priests from eating certain types of food ? For example, could Mystra forbid the consumption of magical creatures outside spell components or arcane experiments, or Aerdrie Faenya disapprove of eating birds ?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:24 AM
Oh, yes. The lists of favored foods, food and drink to be avoided, and banned food and drink are long and detailed. They were part of my original 1986 turnover to TSR. Resurrecting them will take some time… |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2026 : 09:58:49
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On the effects of the Second Sundering on the Dark Seldarine
Eilistraee's WarriorRole icon, Patron of The Realms — 1/4/2026 4:53 PM
@Ed Greenwood how has the Second Sundering affected the Dark Seldarine? Has it weakened Lolth's control over the other gods? Has it created any changes in the relationships between the gods within?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:25 AM
The Second Sundering brought back many “dead and destroyed” deities, and weakened Lolth’s control considerably—hence her recent goading of loyalists into military invasions of other drow settlements and “adjacent choice non-draw territories.” More importantly, it sewed doubt in Lolth’s mind; she no longer unquestionably assumes she’s right, and most mighty, and will “win” or succeed at anything she turns her attention to. It may even set her on a path out of narcissistic insanity into maturity. Perhaps. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1994 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2026 : 11:23:44
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On snails used to make Bluestars perfume
Sundered_AntRole icon, Scribe of the Realms — 30/3/2026 11:52 PM
A minor question for you @Ed Greenwood. Back in the book Ed Greenwood Presents you told us about a perfume, Bluestars, that was derived in part from "the powdered shells of a particular type of snail". I was wondering if you could give us the specific species of snail?
Ed Greenwood [WRIT], Role icon, Father of the Realms — 7/4/2026 3:25 AM
Certainly. Native to the Sea of Fallen Stars and prevalent in brackish shallows along its coasts, the turralaug snail is an adult-human-thumb-end-joint-sized snail with a “pebbled” or all-over-dimpled, non-glossy oak-brown shell that’s a “squat pointed cone” in shape. They cluster around bones of all sorts, for the calcium they consume, and so favor “boneyards” like seacoast battlefields and cemeteries crumbling into the sea. They are long-lived for snails (twenty years or more), and lay large clusters of eggs from which 50-70 will hatch, growing as quickly as calcium and greens (seaweed, reeds) supplies permit. If you see a turralaug snail with thin black stripes or bands around its shell, it’s diseased or living with a poison in its system, and should not be eaten. Turralaugs are edible, but have a flat, “woody” taste that makes them ‘just’ palatable, not any sort of delicacy. |
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Ed Greenwood from Greenwood's Grotto
