Crimson Talisman [Archive] - Wizards Community

Crimson Talisman [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Glauron
06-05-05, 09:44 PM I have just finished reading the Crimson Talisman - a very good read incidentally. But one thing worries me. The central hero is Vaddi d'Orien and he bears a dragonmark of passage, probably lesser (dimension door), since he can move a long way, and I don't rate him high enough level to move as far with dimension leap as he seems able to do. I'm pretty sure his mark will grow to be a greater dragonmakr as the second and third books come out.

The thing that worries me is that he is clearly a half-elf, and the mark of passage is a human dragonmark. That needs a please explain.
Sturm Jaeger
06-05-05, 09:53 PM It's against the rules to discuss fiction on these boards for some reason. Try here for a place to discuss the various WotC novels: http://worldsofdnd.com/forum/index.php

That said, I thought this book dragged a lot and I never cared about the characters, plus the author made numerous glaring errors, including the Mark of Passage/Race thing. It's the worst Eberron novel so far. The first two were much, much better.
Shurijo
06-05-05, 10:05 PM That said, I thought this book dragged a lot and I never cared about the characters, plus the author made numerous glaring errors, including the Mark of Passage/Race thing. It's the worst Eberron novel so far. The first two were much, much better.

ditto
Hellcow
06-06-05, 12:35 AM The thing that worries me is that he is clearly a half-elf, and the mark of passage is a human dragonmark. That needs a please explain.
I believe novel discussion is acceptable as long as it relates directly to questions of game mechanics. So if you say it's good or bad, you're going to get your thread locked. But this is a valid question. And the answer is that the author made a mistake. Half-elves cannot have the Mark of Passage. If there is a second or third novel (CT is a war-torn novel, and the war-torn books are stand-alone), perhaps he'll come up with an explanation for it. But by the rules, it is completely impossible for a half-elf to have the Mark of Passage, and this is not something that will be officially changed in Eberron because of a single misunderstanding. So, think of Vaddi as some sort of strange miracle birth or an exception allowed by the DM - but this does NOT mean that half-elves can now have the Mark of Passage.
talion09
06-06-05, 01:49 AM I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too...

1. Geography first... when I looked at the map included in the book, I thought that the family keep would of been a part of Karnath, but I kept on getting the impression instead that it was in Thrane. Now I didn't have my ECS handy to look at a better map (lent it to one of my players, and besides, I was reading the book on the bus) but my first instinct from looking at the map was that it was in Karnath, but the text itself gave the impression that it was in Thrane instead. So which was it? Does Thrane extend that far to the east along the northern coast, or was it an error in either the text or the map? Or was I just getting the wrong impression?

2. Politics... Vaddi belonged to a prominent House Orien family. Yet his half brothers, who were all human full scions of House Orien, were knights in the service of Thrane? I can see an individual leaving the service of his house and joining a nation's military, think about Dain in CoT. But a whole family doing so and still apparently having good relations with the rest of House Orien? Am I missing something in the neutrality of the Dragonmark Houses in regard to the last war?

All that being said, I did enjoy the novel as a fantasy novel, but it didn't exactly fit with my conception of Eberron.
mistakeagian
06-06-05, 01:50 AM Personally, I figured it was a mistake. But, I won't consider anything from the novel as having happened in my campaign, so for me there was no question of it being a new rule.

After all if everything from the books was happenen as a meta-plot we would end up with FR.
Euangelion
06-06-05, 11:52 AM I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too...

1. Geography first... when I looked at the map included in the book, I thought that the family keep would of been a part of Karnath, but I kept on getting the impression instead that it was in Thrane. Now I didn't have my ECS handy to look at a better map (lent it to one of my players, and besides, I was reading the book on the bus) but my first instinct from looking at the map was that it was in Karnath, but the text itself gave the impression that it was in Thrane instead. So which was it? Does Thrane extend that far to the east along the northern coast, or was it an error in either the text or the map? Or was I just getting the wrong impression?

I go the impression that the family keep was in western Karrnath on the eastern shore of southern Scions Sound, just above Rekkenmark, with Thrane then being just on the other side of the Sound.

Edit: it could be that the keep is further north along Scions Sound, directly across from eastern Aundair, but still close to Thrane.
Hellcow
06-06-05, 02:10 PM I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too...
Really, the best place for these questions is this site (http://worldsofdnd.com/forum/index.php) - since we're on shaky ground with any discussion of the novels here, and it's possible you'll get answers from the author there.

I can't help with the geographical question, because I am afraid I haven't read the novel yet myself (purely due to time, mind you - I want to read them all so I know what's going on). An heir of the house fighting for a nation would be an oddity; the houses are neutral, extranational forces that would not wish to risk their political position with all five nations by aligning themselves too closely with one. Most houses sold their services as mercenaries, so you had Jorasco healers, Cannith artificers, Deneith soldiers, Tharashk pathfinders, etc on all sides - but they would not hold rank in the armies, and would leave if called back by the house or if payment stopped - it's a job, not loyalty. So perhaps Vaddi's brothers were simply employed by Thrane.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Glauron 06-05-05, 09:44 PM	I have just finished reading the Crimson Talisman - a very good read incidentally. But one thing worries me. The central hero is Vaddi d'Orien and he bears a dragonmark of passage, probably lesser (dimension door), since he can move a long way, and I don't rate him high enough level to move as far with dimension leap as he seems able to do. I'm pretty sure his mark will grow to be a greater dragonmakr as the second and third books come out. The thing that worries me is that he is clearly a half-elf, and the mark of passage is a human dragonmark. That needs a please explain.
Sturm Jaeger 06-05-05, 09:53 PM	It's against the rules to discuss fiction on these boards for some reason. Try here for a place to discuss the various WotC novels: http://worldsofdnd.com/forum/index.php That said, I thought this book dragged a lot and I never cared about the characters, plus the author made numerous glaring errors, including the Mark of Passage/Race thing. It's the worst Eberron novel so far. The first two were much, much better.
Shurijo 06-05-05, 10:05 PM	That said, I thought this book dragged a lot and I never cared about the characters, plus the author made numerous glaring errors, including the Mark of Passage/Race thing. It's the worst Eberron novel so far. The first two were much, much better. ditto
Hellcow 06-06-05, 12:35 AM	The thing that worries me is that he is clearly a half-elf, and the mark of passage is a human dragonmark. That needs a please explain. I believe novel discussion is acceptable as long as it relates directly to questions of game mechanics. So if you say it's good or bad, you're going to get your thread locked. But this is a valid question. And the answer is that the author made a mistake. Half-elves cannot have the Mark of Passage. If there is a second or third novel (CT is a war-torn novel, and the war-torn books are stand-alone), perhaps he'll come up with an explanation for it. But by the rules, it is completely impossible for a half-elf to have the Mark of Passage, and this is not something that will be officially changed in Eberron because of a single misunderstanding. So, think of Vaddi as some sort of strange miracle birth or an exception allowed by the DM - but this does NOT mean that half-elves can now have the Mark of Passage.
talion09 06-06-05, 01:49 AM	I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too... 1. Geography first... when I looked at the map included in the book, I thought that the family keep would of been a part of Karnath, but I kept on getting the impression instead that it was in Thrane. Now I didn't have my ECS handy to look at a better map (lent it to one of my players, and besides, I was reading the book on the bus) but my first instinct from looking at the map was that it was in Karnath, but the text itself gave the impression that it was in Thrane instead. So which was it? Does Thrane extend that far to the east along the northern coast, or was it an error in either the text or the map? Or was I just getting the wrong impression? 2. Politics... Vaddi belonged to a prominent House Orien family. Yet his half brothers, who were all human full scions of House Orien, were knights in the service of Thrane? I can see an individual leaving the service of his house and joining a nation's military, think about Dain in CoT. But a whole family doing so and still apparently having good relations with the rest of House Orien? Am I missing something in the neutrality of the Dragonmark Houses in regard to the last war? All that being said, I did enjoy the novel as a fantasy novel, but it didn't exactly fit with my conception of Eberron.
mistakeagian 06-06-05, 01:50 AM	Personally, I figured it was a mistake. But, I won't consider anything from the novel as having happened in my campaign, so for me there was no question of it being a new rule. After all if everything from the books was happenen as a meta-plot we would end up with FR.
Euangelion 06-06-05, 11:52 AM	I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too... 1. Geography first... when I looked at the map included in the book, I thought that the family keep would of been a part of Karnath, but I kept on getting the impression instead that it was in Thrane. Now I didn't have my ECS handy to look at a better map (lent it to one of my players, and besides, I was reading the book on the bus) but my first instinct from looking at the map was that it was in Karnath, but the text itself gave the impression that it was in Thrane instead. So which was it? Does Thrane extend that far to the east along the northern coast, or was it an error in either the text or the map? Or was I just getting the wrong impression? I go the impression that the family keep was in western Karrnath on the eastern shore of southern Scions Sound, just above Rekkenmark, with Thrane then being just on the other side of the Sound. Edit: it could be that the keep is further north along Scions Sound, directly across from eastern Aundair, but still close to Thrane.
Hellcow 06-06-05, 02:10 PM	I have a geography question about the Crimson Talisman novel... and a political one too... Really, the best place for these questions is this site (http://worldsofdnd.com/forum/index.php) - since we're on shaky ground with any discussion of the novels here, and it's possible you'll get answers from the author there. I can't help with the geographical question, because I am afraid I haven't read the novel yet myself (purely due to time, mind you - I want to read them all so I know what's going on). An heir of the house fighting for a nation would be an oddity; the houses are neutral, extranational forces that would not wish to risk their political position with all five nations by aligning themselves too closely with one. Most houses sold their services as mercenaries, so you had Jorasco healers, Cannith artificers, Deneith soldiers, Tharashk pathfinders, etc on all sides - but they would not hold rank in the armies, and would leave if called back by the house or if payment stopped - it's a job, not loyalty. So perhaps Vaddi's brothers were simply employed by Thrane.