Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kuje31 05-09-04, 09:17 PM	Hi guys and gals, I know I've been a pain to some of you these last two years. :) But I'm asking for some help. I'm not sure if you know it or not, but some of us were asked by the WizO's, or signed up to help them, make FAQ's that are being sticky'd in the FAQ section. So my question to you all is this. What other topics, besides those that I have already tried to answer in my "Kuje's Answer's Thread", can you think of that should be included? PS: I plan to take a road trip to go see Ed on the 20th of this month and if someone wants to send me questions that you might want to grill, er ask, Ed about I'll do my best to get answers. I can't promise he will answer them all because of his NDA's. As well as he is only going to be there for a hour and a half and others will probably have questions also. But I know Ed loves discussing FR and he doesn't mind the questions. If there are too many of them, I'll hang onto them and see if he'll answer them online. :)
AvengedMutablegenus 05-09-04, 09:33 PM	To Ed: 1. What was your inspiration for some of the main NPC's? Were they based off of your friends? 2. How much of FR did RA Salvatore make? Did you give him free lance to make up things like new races monsters etc? 3. Where did the idea of the weave come from? To you: What were some of the main events that happened before the time of troubles Suggestions i think you should add the explanation of Mystras "ban" on epic spells, or the lack of it, alot of people were confused about that also i'd put a question like "Where can i find un-offical chosen templates?" and post a link to the chosen template thread, do the same for the richard baker thread and the request a map thread ~mutable
Kuje31 05-09-04, 09:53 PM	Originally posted by AvengedMutablegenus To you: What were some of the main events that happened before the time of troubles Suggestions i think you should add the explanation of Mystras "ban" on epic spells, or the lack of it, alot of people were confused about that also i'd put a question like "Where can i find un-offical chosen templates?" and post a link to the chosen template thread, do the same for the richard baker thread and the request a map thread ~mutable [/B] Bigsis already has a thread for those links. I'm mostly looking for questions that seem to pop up on the boards a lot, like how many Chosen does Mystra currently have that we know about, or are the BG novels canon, or do the Weaves extend to the planes. That type of questions. :) Hmm I don't know much on 3e's changes to her ban, because I don't really run 20th+ games or worry about the changes from 2e's magic system. Sorry, but it is a good idea and if some one wants to help write it I'll give them credit. Can you be maybe a little more specific on how many years back you want events from that happened before ToT. :) Also I saved your questions for Ed.
AvengedMutablegenus 05-10-04, 07:14 PM	I don't know maybe like in the begining of Faerun, if the countries were still the same, and i mean i know that Netheril existed, but were their any major events that happened before that? Thanks for asking Ed those questions
Kuje31 05-10-04, 07:24 PM	Originally posted by AvengedMutablegenus I don't know maybe like in the begining of Faerun, if the countries were still the same, and i mean i know that Netheril existed, but were their any major events that happened before that? Ah. Hmm that's a tall order to fill since there is 24,000+ years to fill. I'm mostly looking for questions that seem to pop up on the boards every few months or so over and over. :) http://www.geonomicon.com/chronology/temporum/TAHOTFR2.htm Or http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/2566/realmstime0.htm
Zanan 05-12-04, 07:26 AM	Questions to Ed? Will the drow, Lolth and Kiaransalee still be there after the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen. No details needed (well, unless you can device a Charm Ed Greenwood spell ;) ), just a simple "yes, yes, yes", or "yes, yes, no" or the like. I trust in you Kuje!
Kuje31 05-12-04, 12:15 PM	Originally posted by Zanan Questions to Ed? Will the drow, Lolth and Kiaransalee the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen. No details needed (well, unless you can device a Charm Ed Greenwood spell ;) ), just a simple "yes, yes, yes", or "yes, yes, no" or the like. I trust in you Kuje! No sure what your asking here? :)
Alac Luin 05-12-04, 12:27 PM	Originally posted by Zanan ... Charm Ed Greenwood spell ;)... That would have to be an epic spell.:D
Zanan 05-12-04, 03:09 PM	Originally posted by Kuje31 No sure what your asking here? :) :D See the edited version :mage:
Kuje31 05-12-04, 03:25 PM	Originally posted by Zanan :D See the edited version :mage: Ah, that makes more sense now. :angel: I have a feeling he's going to say he can't answer that though but I'll ask.
WizO_BigSister 05-12-04, 05:34 PM	This one's for Ed, and its a biggy ... and probably highly controversial as well. How canon is the concept of canon? To put it another way ... do the designers & writers belive in an "official" line that "trumps" other versions, and do the build this into their work?
Kuje31 05-22-04, 01:30 AM	Originally posted by AvengedMutablegenus To Ed: 1. What was your inspiration for some of the main NPC's? Were they based off of your friends? 2. How much of FR did RA Salvatore make? Did you give him free lance to make up things like new races monsters etc? 3. Where did the idea of the weave come from? And now a word from Ed. AvengedMutablegenus: “1. What was your inspiration for some of the main NPCs? Were they based off of your friends?” A: No, I am cursed with what some of my teachers preferred to call “an overly vivid imagination.” In short, I just plain ‘made up’ the Realms NPCs. Yes, hundreds of them. Of course, in my imagination I drew on the mannerisms, speech patterns, behaviours, looks, and actions of thousands of real people I met growing up (in a VERY wealthy Canadian neighbourhood, so I got to see lots of eccentrics and new-money puffed up folks; and with three sets of grandparents through whom I met lots of hard-working farmers, some of them old and garrulous; and in a city that many have described as “the REAL United Nations,” full of immigrants from all over the world, with their great collective variety of cuisine, customs, faiths, and philosophies). Yet I’ve NEVER taken a real person and put him or her directly into the Realms, with a new name and medieval garb. Never. And I never will. “2. How much of FR did RA Salvatore make? Did you give him freelance to make up things like new races monsters etc.?” A: As far as I know, Bob created the Icewind Dale, Ten Towns, Icingdeath and the mountain that was that dragon’s lair, Menzoberranzan and its inhabitants, Artemis Entreri, Cadderly and his monastery, a lot of the features of Vaasa and Damara, Mithril Hall, Pook and his palace, The Accursed Tower, and details of the Nars. I say “as far as I know” because TSR’s book editors and game designers were the people who ‘gave’ Bob leeway to create things, not me; I don’t control the published Realms, and never have. Bob asked my permission to use Alustriel and the Harpells and the Tower of Twilight and the Arcane and the Herald’s Holdfast and so on, out of friendship and courtesy, and I’ve been thrilled at the colour, vigour, and popularity he’s brought to the Realms over the years. I’m not sure if he’s created any new races (the drow, svirfneblin, illithids, and hook horrors were all part of the game well before I saw the manuscript of The Crystal Shard), but I’m sure the scribes here can supply one if he did. Bob’s chief achievements in the Realms, in my opinion, are bringing a cast of vivid, believable, and memorable characters to life, and creating the drow society of Menzoberranzan in such unforgettable and compelling detail. “3. Where did the idea of the weave come from?” A: The idea of the weave has been part of the Realms from the very beginning. It was my way of viewing and understanding “the interconnectedness of all things” in my world, the ways in which magic and all natural forces (kinetic energy, the weather cycle, tides, sunlight, etc.) were linked and interacted together. The name “Weave” was introduced (I believe) by Julia Martin of TSR and now Wizards, as the way folk of Faerun described these interwoven forces. Neither the concept nor the name are truly original; they have been part of real-world mythologies, world-philosophies, and religions for thousands of years.
Kuje31 05-22-04, 01:31 AM	Originally posted by Zanan Questions to Ed? Will the drow, Lolth and Kiaransalee still be there after the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen. No details needed (well, unless you can device a Charm Ed Greenwood spell ;) ), just a simple "yes, yes, yes", or "yes, yes, no" or the like. I trust in you Kuje! And now a word to Zanan from Ed: Zanon: “Will the drow, Lolth and Kiaransalee still be there after the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen?” A: I honestly don’t know the fate of the drow, Lolth, and Kiaransalee, although I have been privy to quite enough secret unfolding Realmslore to possess very strong suspicions. However, I wouldn’t tell you those answers even if I knew them, for two reasons: legal (Non-Disclosure Agreements MEAN something, and I keep the agreements I make, even if there aren’t legal penalties attached to not doing so) and because “spilling” certain sorts of Realmslore before they’re supposed to be revealed ruins the fun for everyone. Of COURSE anyone who cares about the War of the Spider Queen plotline wants to know what you’ve asked about, but a lot of the fun of the Realms is watching stuff unfold before your eyes, waiting for the next step, speculating on what might happen, and so on. Let’s put it another way: pretend you are a young, ardent guy who’s deeply in love with a girl. She’s your first real love, and you hope she loves you, too. Circumstances separate you for a season, and (unbeknownst to her) you sell everything that’s precious to you to buy a plane or train ticket to get across the country to be with her. So you’re sitting in your seat, halfway through the trip, and the fat bearded stranger (no, not me; perhaps it’s Santa, or a god, or the Lost Sock Fairy) sitting next to you turns his head, greets you by name, and announces he can tell you, in exacting detail and with complete truth, what lies ahead for you, your entire life, with the girl you’re pursuing. Everything: whether she really loves you, if your courtship is going to happen and every good and bad incident that’s going to be part of it, if you’re going to have a life together at all, whether or not either one of you is going to betray the other, or drop dead of cancer or being hit by a car in two weeks or one of you end up murdering the other...whatever. And his words will remain true, describing events that can’t be changed NO MATTER WHAT YOU TRY TO DO, once you know all about them. More than this: you won’t be able to forget a single word this stranger tells you. And the price is: no matter what he reveals, you have to go ahead with the rest of the trip and trying to find and pursue the girl, even if you know, every moment, that it means you’re rushing towards disaster, or heartbreak, or death. If I’m the stranger, you’re the young guy -- and either way, I’ve ruined your enjoyment of the War of the Spider Queen, haven’t I? Even if you REALLY WANT TO KNOW, right now, telling you will damage things...and, in this day of the Net, and everyone reading this thread at the Candlekeep site, everyone else will have their experience of the saga ruined too. Yes, secrets weigh heavily, and carrying a lot of them is a heavy burden. That’s one of the reasons Elminster is so crazy.
Kuje31 05-22-04, 01:32 AM	Originally posted by WizO_BigSister This one's for Ed, and its a biggy ... and probably highly controversial as well. How canon is the concept of canon? To put it another way ... do the designers & writers belive in an "official" line that "trumps" other versions, and do the build this into their work? And lastly a word to Bigsis from Ed: WizoBigsis: “How canon is the concept of canon? To put it another way ... do the designers & writers believe in an “official” line that “trumps” other versions, and do they build this into their work?” A: Hi! Long time no see! We must get together properly and hoist a flagon or two, some day soon. I know that in Realms work, various designers and writers have different personal opinions on just what canon is, and how (or if) it should be followed, and that the companies involved (TSR, its various Realms sub-licenses, and TSR as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, etc.) have also held various positions over the years. As the guy who started the ball game, and whose “authority” to decree details about the Realms was enshrined in the original Realms agreement, I believe there is such a thing as canon (to paraphrase that agreement, if I say something about the Realms, whatever I say is canon until a later TSR printed source contradicts or modifies what I say, this later source becoming canon). The most recent published official source is canon. I also believe that the Realms must have an official line that everyone tries to adhere to, because the believability of this imaginary world that we now all share depends on ‘the willing suspension of disbelief,’ and this pretending is made harder with each contradiction and inconsistency that creeps into Realmslore. As the Realms continues, and its detail and the number of creators working with and in it grows, the entire tapestry we’re creating together gets more and more complex, and it becomes impossible for any one person to hold all of it in his or her head (trust me: I know!). The potential for screwups grows greater and greater, and striving for canon, even if we fail from time to time, becomes vitally important to avoid the messes that, say, the comics companies found themselves in twenty years ago, when they had to “invent” multiple dimensions to explain away the varying origins stories and differing details of their characters. In my experience, some of the richest Realmslore has grown from the efforts of dedicated scribes (to mention just a few names among many: Schend, Boyd, and Krashos) to reconcile and explain away apparent contradictions with “in-the-Realms” explanations. This makes canon an even brighter shining crown to strive for. I would hope that every Realms editor, designer and writer tries to follow canon, and is properly informed of canon sources before a project begins, so that they have a hope of doing so. Or it makes all of our work and imagining and enjoying a little cheaper, a little hollow. And I’ve now put almost thirty-seven years of work into this.
Monsoon28 05-23-04, 06:00 PM	Well enjoy your trip to Cobourg! Take some spending money and take advantage of the exchange rate. ;) I'll have to read through all the questions first before I come up with some of my own. Though I guess one would be what led him to using some 'earth' gods in creating a FR pantheon? May of already been asked, but it's a start for me.
Kuje31 05-23-04, 07:35 PM	Originally posted by Monsoon28 Well enjoy your trip to Cobourg! Take some spending money and take advantage of the exchange rate. ;) I'll have to read through all the questions first before I come up with some of my own. Though I guess one would be what led him to using some 'earth' gods in creating a FR pantheon? May of already been asked, but it's a start for me. To late, it was two days ago! But i'll hold on to that question and go ask him over on the message board. :)
Monsoon28 05-23-04, 08:36 PM	LOL *Smacks one-self in head* Well hope things went smooth. That's what I get for missing a thread, when it first comes out...
Zanan 05-24-04, 05:51 AM	As the saying goes: if you don't by a ticket, you'll never win the lottery. So I had to try at least ... After all, this is not about spoiling the novel story (which it consequently would - that much I agree upon), but stop spoiling a very fine setting and background. Well, its just another year or so till we have the final outcome of all this, but I'll earmark the last book's author for some summon spider under his bed spells if the setting ends in even more chaos. :mage: Kuje And now a word to Zanan from Ed: Hence I asked you to invent this Charm Ed Greenwood spell. I'll give you till next time ... ;)
Kuje31 05-24-04, 08:12 AM	Originally posted by Zanan As the saying goes: if you don't by a ticket, you'll never win the lottery. So I had to try at least ... After all, this is not about spoiling the novel story (which it consequently would - that much I agree upon), but stop spoiling a very fine setting and background. Well, its just another year or so till we have the final outcome of all this, but I'll earmark the last book's author for some summon spider under his bed spells if the setting ends in even more chaos. :mage: Kuje And now a word to Zanan from Ed: Hence I asked you to invent this Charm Ed Greenwood spell. I'll give you till next time ... ;) :) Well I had a feeling Ed was going to either say some thing like that or go "NDA'S, you know I can't answer that!"
Kuje31 05-24-04, 01:33 PM	Originally posted by Monsoon28 I'll have to read through all the questions first before I come up with some of my own. Though I guess one would be what led him to using some 'earth' gods in creating a FR pantheon? May of already been asked, but it's a start for me. May 24, 2004: Fellow scribes, I was e-tossing the latest postings here to Ed this morn, and it seems he was at his keyboard already (sending Waterdeep chapters?), so I got back a pair of instant replies: Kuje, please tell Monsoon that in the days when I rounded out my pantheon and then wrote that article, darn near every writer for DRAGON was trying to make everything fit the existing rules (which Gary Gygax, Jim Ward, and other staffers were expanding almost monthly in DRAGON articles of their own). There were no ‘competing worlds’ then, and everyone was trying to add little embellishments to the ever-growing castle of rules, not “fix” or challenge any part of it. Gary had used Tyr of the real-world deities, and my article was intended to show one DM’s underlying assumptions about the gods, and how that would inevitably shape the pantheon. As part of it, and drawing on the Deities & Demigods rulebook, I wanted to present other examples of incorporating real-world deities, such as Mielikki. To underscore the “multiple worlds linked by gates” concept that gives the Forgotten Realms its name (that we here in the real world used to travel back and forth between Earth and the Realms and other places, and that dragons and the like also made such trips, hence our legends of them, but that we have now “forgotten” the ways to get back and forth), I wanted deities from our world venerated in the Realms. Afraid of lawsuits if real people tried to do things from the game and got hurt, TSR downplayed the entire “close ties with the real world” aspect of the Realms, though the multiple worlds crept back in later, in both Planescape and Spelljammer: I postulated that the gates were forgotten because various power groups ended up controlling them (killing beings who used them without permission), and that a logical place for adventuring play for high-level, long-lasting campaigns to go would be to join in these battles for control of gates (3e: “portals”) and get involved in planar politics. The smattering of real-world deities was part of this. The importation of Oriental and Egyptian pantheons into the Realms occurred later, and was done by TSR designers trying to make the Realms a welcome setting for all sorts of play (Wanna be a gladiator? A samurai? A pirate? A jungle explorer?) because the Realms was then intended to be THE host world for 2nd Edition AD&D.
Monsoon28 05-24-04, 03:25 PM	Wow that was quick! Must of been Ed's day off from the library. ;) Mielikki, Loviatar, Ilmater and I thank you! :D
Kuje31 05-24-04, 03:43 PM	Originally posted by Monsoon28 Wow that was quick! Must of been Ed's day off from the library. ;) Mielikki, Loviatar, Ilmater and I thank you! :D He's busy plugging away at writting.......
Faraer 05-24-04, 03:44 PM	As I posted on the thread, do look up "Down-to-earth divinity" in Dragon #54 too if you're interested in the putting together of Faerûn's pantheon.
Monsoon28 05-25-04, 07:41 AM	Thanks Faraer, I'll have to 'Dig' up a copy from somewhere. Poor Ed, so many books so little time...good thing he's one heck of a fast writer! :p