Alaundo's Prophecies and Foretellings [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alaundo's Prophecies and Foretellings [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Meldread
04-02-07, 02:07 PM Is there some place that has a list of all of Alaundo's Prophecies and Foretellings? Any information on his prophecies - those that have passed and those that are yet to come are appreciated.
Old Sage
04-02-07, 08:10 PM Aside from one or two brief [and specific] details about particular prophecies in print, we have yet to see any kind of "official" treatment dealing with Alaundo's prophecies. It's important to note that even attempting to provide specific information about any of the prophecies should be exceedingly difficult, for the most part. After all, it's not unheard of for Alaundo's prophecies to have a number of different ways they're interpreted/seen.

Interestingly, we know one prophecy of Alaundo's has recently come about -- that of the Devil Dragon Nalavara's assault on Cormyr. The novels Beyond the High Road and Death of the Dragon have the details.
Lord Karsus
04-03-07, 12:46 AM -Alaundo and another diviner/seer/oracle (A woman, whose name possibly begins with an 'E', if my mind is working correctly) were the "authors" of the "Roll of Years", were they not?
Old Sage
04-03-07, 01:06 AM The names on the Roll of Years are drawn from the prophecies of Augathra, Alaundo and others, made centuries past.

They're already known, well in advance. They're cryptic and poetic, not descriptive, and many of them are nothing more than the year names. The idea is not that they definitely refer to large-scale events: sages differ, even after the fact, on what the prophecies refer to. These guys are crazy mystics, not big-man-theory historians, and their visions were not all of the RSE-type events that TSR has trained some of us to think 'important'.
Old Sage
04-03-07, 01:16 AM And, of course, this from Eric --

"Never assume you know "the truth" about the motivation for a year name in the Roll of Years. In fact, I deliberately try to pose as many possibilities for each year name as a I can.

There are at least three interpretations of the Year of Lightning Storms in print, and probably a dozen more that the DM could come up with. (Events in Blackstaff, Events in Calimshan, continent-wide rain of meteors mentioned in DoF are the 3 I'm thinking of.)

--Eric"
Lord Karsus
04-03-07, 01:39 AM The names on the Roll of Years are drawn from the prophecies of Augathra, Alaundo and others, made centuries past.

-Augathra. That's who I was thinking of!
Meldread
04-03-07, 02:01 AM From the best of my knowledge, the Roll of Years was compiled by the Lost Sage Augathra the Mad, although Alaundo is more popular than she is, and as a result it is often attributed to him.

Augathra was an elderly woman who began having visions, which she didn't have a good track record of writing down, and those that she did write down were mostly lost to the ravages of time.

The Roll of Years was one of the few pieces that made it largely intact, with only a few small sections lost, and Alaundo replaced them with names following Augathra's naming scheme. (The biggest gaps were between 1352 DR to 1369 DR and from 1804 DR to 1829 DR, and one or two year gaps throughout the rest.)

Alaundo often used the Roll of Years in his prophecies - for example he might have said something like, "In the Year the Harp is Unstrung, friend shall accuse friend until they part ways, with the Moon and Stars shining the way for a new path." (Not that great, but you get the idea.)

Here are a few bits of his writing that I have found.

"...So if nothing else may be gleaned from my words, my visions, my hopes and fears, then I wish that my reader may know this: all of the world is a living organism, heartier than a Worldthrone dwarf. Though its face may be scarred from age to age by war, disease, or strife, though dragons may swoop from the skies to erase the most ancient of kingdoms without a trace, though powers omnipotent today will be forgotten tomorrow, the heart of the world shall continue to beat. Dust settles, babies continue to be born, and songbirds herald each new day. Knowledge of the future is no key to happiness, nor should it allow complacency, only solace and truth. No matter how terrible the tragedy, until a future day far yet to come, there will always be a tomorrow. In the marching of time, there exists a definite rhythm, and knowledge of the rhythm allows a person with foresight to plan best for their future without the folly of blindness.

These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed the word unwritten - and set them down ere they fade like so many sublime rainbows after Kozah's fury has abated, or a beautiful dream in the morning hours. Learn then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding.

This said, know ye reader now this: these words are the words of Lord Savras, revealed to me in his infinite wisdom so that I may guide the hands and hearts of those discerning enough to use these words well. May you find comfort in the truth, dear reader."
- So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo

So far as we know his prophecies have always been correct, although this is often true for real world "prophets" - if you leave something open ended enough it can be interpreted in a number of different ways. He also often used birds as a description for deities and other various immortal creatures.

Alaundo wrote his prophecies in three different styles: laconic, detailed and conditional. I am inclined to believe that -most- of his prophecies were laconic, but he apparently wrote several books called Portents - labeling them "First Portents", "Second Portents", etc onward to "Ninth Portents".

Alaundo's most famous prophecy is in the Ninth Portents which is a Conditional.

"When Nightal is almost at a close
There from the gate wall shall descend
A serpent to blow the Horn of Doom
At the graveyard Kingdom of Man.

If the Star of Storms is its brightest
When the dulcet ballad is played
Soundest ground shall be torn asunder
The tapestry forever frayed.

But if the Raging King has failed
To keep his five retainers true
Come 'morrow, the blessed sun will rise
And no chaos shall ill ensue."

Most seem to believe that it refers to the last Year in the Roll of Years (Year of the Sadden Magicians), it is so popular that some common people in larger cities might recognize it, and apparently the "Horn of Doom" is an expression used throughout the Moonsea region for loud noises that frighten people. (Example: "Gods! I thought that was the Horn of Doom!")

Alaundo is fairly popular and is perhaps the most well known prophet in Faerun. I'm sure most people here know the influence he holds in Candlekeep, where at least thirty monks memorize all of his prophecies and chant them daily, removing the ones that have been fulfilled from their chants as they come to pass.

(Most of this information comes directly from Frank Penca over here (http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/alaundo.htm) on Candlekeep.)
BadCatMan
04-03-07, 02:08 AM The Candlekeep chanters in Baldur's Gate say several of them ("The Lord Of Murder shall perish" though that had probably already come to pass, I think), mainly related to the plotline of the games.

I suspect several of them predicted future games by Black Isle and Bioware. :)
Meldread
04-03-07, 02:33 AM Yes, I have each of those.

[CHANT 1] In the year of the turrets, a great host will come from the east like a plague of locusts. So sayeth the wise Alaundo.

[CHANT2] When shadows descend upon the lands, our divine lords will walk alongside us as equals. So sayeth the great Alaundo.

[CHANT 3] The Wyrm shall wander the earth and such a pestilence will follow in his wake that all who know of his passing shall be struck down by the plague. So sayeth the wise Alaundo.

[CHANT 4] When conflict sweeps across the Dales the great lizards of the north shall descend with fire and fury. So sayeth the great Alaundo.

[CHANT 5] The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos will be sewn from their passage. So sayeth the wise Alaundo.

There are also some from books inside Candlekeep.

"During the days of the Avatars, the Lord of Murder will spawn a score of mortal progeny. These offspring will be aligned good and evil, but chaos will flow through them all. When the Beast's bastard children come of age, they will bring havoc to the lands of the Sword Coast. One of these children must rise above the rest and claim their father's legacy. This inheritor will shape the history of the Sword Coast for centuries to come......"

and

"The spawn of the Lord of Murder are fated to come into their inheritance through bloodshed and misery. It is the hope of their father that only one shall remain alive to inherit his legacy. I foresee that the children of Bhaal shall kill each other in a bloody massacre."

However, those are not considered cannon I don't believe.
Aegis_Chiron
04-03-07, 03:01 AM Aside from one or two brief [and specific] details about particular prophecies in print, we have yet to see any kind of "official" treatment dealing with Alaundo's prophecies.

I personally believe that this is one of those topics that we will never see in print. My understanding is that WOTC intentionally leaves out Alaundo's prophecies unless they deal with a specific event/location (see earlier referenced Cormyr problems). This is intentional so that every DM can decide for himself what prophecies the Great Alaundo wrote down.

The spirit behind it all is to be creative and mysterious, subtle yet profound.

That's my take on it though....
BadCatMan
04-03-07, 03:16 AM It's like Eberron's Draconic Prophecy a decade or too early.

Only more mysterious and interesting and less in-your-face.

Hmm, I want to play with them now.
Red_Wizard
04-03-07, 08:22 AM However, those are not considered cannon I don't believe.

To the best of my knowledge, everything in FR games are considered canon, with the exception of the direct acts of the PC and the PC themselves. What happens happens, though not with your character at the head of it.
Zireael
04-03-07, 08:53 AM Unfortunately, not, let's take Menzoberranzan PC game which is completely out of any canon (nothing is like in the books, I mean timeline). BG also isn't canon.
Red_Wizard
04-03-07, 10:35 AM Unfortunately, not, let's take Menzoberranzan PC game which is completely out of any canon (nothing is like in the books, I mean timeline). BG also isn't canon.

But there are many in source references to happenings from games (both BG, NWN, et all). Not to mention the BG series was chronicled in the BG novels, so much of what happened is canonized via those alone.

So despite differing answers, one can only assume all but the PC characters actions are canon, which then doesn't completly discredit the games materials.
Faraer
04-03-07, 10:48 AM The current official rule of thumb is that the novels are part of the canon, but the computer games aren't except in so far as the books decide to incorporate them. Wizards doesn't maintain a tight enough hold on the games' content for automatically including them in continuity to be practical.
Old Sage
04-03-07, 10:59 AM With regard to the BG games... the novels are canon -- so says WotC and the authors of the novels. And, of course, the games cannot be considered fully FR canon, as the author, Drew Karpyshyn says, "because of their multiple endings, the BG games can't be considered 'official' in the FR world."

The events of the Bhaalspawn saga as depicted in the novels are canon. We have an entire sourcebook dedicted to the novels -- Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II -- as well as the reference in PoF, along with the characters from the novels being stat’d up in DRAGON #262 for 2e and the Bhaalspawn template for 3e in DRAGON #288. And tidbits in LEoF.

WotC lists the novels as taking place in 1368 DR and 1369 DR. Jim Butler has also told us the events are canon in 2000 on the FR Mailing List. And finally, Rich Baker, Ed Greenwood and Ed Bonny have all confirmed this as well.
Red_Wizard
04-03-07, 12:28 PM I'm just saying for the parts that makes sense to be canon are, with the sole exception of anything the PC has a direct influence on ie: NPC death, or story ending. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meldread 04-02-07, 02:07 PM	Is there some place that has a list of all of Alaundo's Prophecies and Foretellings? Any information on his prophecies - those that have passed and those that are yet to come are appreciated.
Old Sage 04-02-07, 08:10 PM	Aside from one or two brief [and specific] details about particular prophecies in print, we have yet to see any kind of "official" treatment dealing with Alaundo's prophecies. It's important to note that even attempting to provide specific information about any of the prophecies should be exceedingly difficult, for the most part. After all, it's not unheard of for Alaundo's prophecies to have a number of different ways they're interpreted/seen. Interestingly, we know one prophecy of Alaundo's has recently come about -- that of the Devil Dragon Nalavara's assault on Cormyr. The novels Beyond the High Road and Death of the Dragon have the details.
Lord Karsus 04-03-07, 12:46 AM	-Alaundo and another diviner/seer/oracle (A woman, whose name possibly begins with an 'E', if my mind is working correctly) were the "authors" of the "Roll of Years", were they not?
Old Sage 04-03-07, 01:06 AM	The names on the Roll of Years are drawn from the prophecies of Augathra, Alaundo and others, made centuries past. They're already known, well in advance. They're cryptic and poetic, not descriptive, and many of them are nothing more than the year names. The idea is not that they definitely refer to large-scale events: sages differ, even after the fact, on what the prophecies refer to. These guys are crazy mystics, not big-man-theory historians, and their visions were not all of the RSE-type events that TSR has trained some of us to think 'important'.
Old Sage 04-03-07, 01:16 AM	And, of course, this from Eric -- "Never assume you know "the truth" about the motivation for a year name in the Roll of Years. In fact, I deliberately try to pose as many possibilities for each year name as a I can. There are at least three interpretations of the Year of Lightning Storms in print, and probably a dozen more that the DM could come up with. (Events in Blackstaff, Events in Calimshan, continent-wide rain of meteors mentioned in DoF are the 3 I'm thinking of.) --Eric"
Lord Karsus 04-03-07, 01:39 AM	The names on the Roll of Years are drawn from the prophecies of Augathra, Alaundo and others, made centuries past. -Augathra. That's who I was thinking of!
Meldread 04-03-07, 02:01 AM	From the best of my knowledge, the Roll of Years was compiled by the Lost Sage Augathra the Mad, although Alaundo is more popular than she is, and as a result it is often attributed to him. Augathra was an elderly woman who began having visions, which she didn't have a good track record of writing down, and those that she did write down were mostly lost to the ravages of time. The Roll of Years was one of the few pieces that made it largely intact, with only a few small sections lost, and Alaundo replaced them with names following Augathra's naming scheme. (The biggest gaps were between 1352 DR to 1369 DR and from 1804 DR to 1829 DR, and one or two year gaps throughout the rest.) Alaundo often used the Roll of Years in his prophecies - for example he might have said something like, "In the Year the Harp is Unstrung, friend shall accuse friend until they part ways, with the Moon and Stars shining the way for a new path." (Not that great, but you get the idea.) Here are a few bits of his writing that I have found. "...So if nothing else may be gleaned from my words, my visions, my hopes and fears, then I wish that my reader may know this: all of the world is a living organism, heartier than a Worldthrone dwarf. Though its face may be scarred from age to age by war, disease, or strife, though dragons may swoop from the skies to erase the most ancient of kingdoms without a trace, though powers omnipotent today will be forgotten tomorrow, the heart of the world shall continue to beat. Dust settles, babies continue to be born, and songbirds herald each new day. Knowledge of the future is no key to happiness, nor should it allow complacency, only solace and truth. No matter how terrible the tragedy, until a future day far yet to come, there will always be a tomorrow. In the marching of time, there exists a definite rhythm, and knowledge of the rhythm allows a person with foresight to plan best for their future without the folly of blindness. These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed the word unwritten - and set them down ere they fade like so many sublime rainbows after Kozah's fury has abated, or a beautiful dream in the morning hours. Learn then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding. This said, know ye reader now this: these words are the words of Lord Savras, revealed to me in his infinite wisdom so that I may guide the hands and hearts of those discerning enough to use these words well. May you find comfort in the truth, dear reader." - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo So far as we know his prophecies have always been correct, although this is often true for real world "prophets" - if you leave something open ended enough it can be interpreted in a number of different ways. He also often used birds as a description for deities and other various immortal creatures. Alaundo wrote his prophecies in three different styles: laconic, detailed and conditional. I am inclined to believe that -most- of his prophecies were laconic, but he apparently wrote several books called Portents - labeling them "First Portents", "Second Portents", etc onward to "Ninth Portents". Alaundo's most famous prophecy is in the Ninth Portents which is a Conditional. "When Nightal is almost at a close There from the gate wall shall descend A serpent to blow the Horn of Doom At the graveyard Kingdom of Man. If the Star of Storms is its brightest When the dulcet ballad is played Soundest ground shall be torn asunder The tapestry forever frayed. But if the Raging King has failed To keep his five retainers true Come 'morrow, the blessed sun will rise And no chaos shall ill ensue." Most seem to believe that it refers to the last Year in the Roll of Years (Year of the Sadden Magicians), it is so popular that some common people in larger cities might recognize it, and apparently the "Horn of Doom" is an expression used throughout the Moonsea region for loud noises that frighten people. (Example: "Gods! I thought that was the Horn of Doom!") Alaundo is fairly popular and is perhaps the most well known prophet in Faerun. I'm sure most people here know the influence he holds in Candlekeep, where at least thirty monks memorize all of his prophecies and chant them daily, removing the ones that have been fulfilled from their chants as they come to pass. (Most of this information comes directly from Frank Penca over here (http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/alaundo.htm) on Candlekeep.)
BadCatMan 04-03-07, 02:08 AM	The Candlekeep chanters in Baldur's Gate say several of them ("The Lord Of Murder shall perish" though that had probably already come to pass, I think), mainly related to the plotline of the games. I suspect several of them predicted future games by Black Isle and Bioware. :)
Meldread 04-03-07, 02:33 AM	Yes, I have each of those. [CHANT 1] In the year of the turrets, a great host will come from the east like a plague of locusts. So sayeth the wise Alaundo. [CHANT2] When shadows descend upon the lands, our divine lords will walk alongside us as equals. So sayeth the great Alaundo. [CHANT 3] The Wyrm shall wander the earth and such a pestilence will follow in his wake that all who know of his passing shall be struck down by the plague. So sayeth the wise Alaundo. [CHANT 4] When conflict sweeps across the Dales the great lizards of the north shall descend with fire and fury. So sayeth the great Alaundo. [CHANT 5] The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos will be sewn from their passage. So sayeth the wise Alaundo. There are also some from books inside Candlekeep. "During the days of the Avatars, the Lord of Murder will spawn a score of mortal progeny. These offspring will be aligned good and evil, but chaos will flow through them all. When the Beast's bastard children come of age, they will bring havoc to the lands of the Sword Coast. One of these children must rise above the rest and claim their father's legacy. This inheritor will shape the history of the Sword Coast for centuries to come......" and "The spawn of the Lord of Murder are fated to come into their inheritance through bloodshed and misery. It is the hope of their father that only one shall remain alive to inherit his legacy. I foresee that the children of Bhaal shall kill each other in a bloody massacre." However, those are not considered cannon I don't believe.
Aegis_Chiron 04-03-07, 03:01 AM	Aside from one or two brief [and specific] details about particular prophecies in print, we have yet to see any kind of "official" treatment dealing with Alaundo's prophecies. I personally believe that this is one of those topics that we will never see in print. My understanding is that WOTC intentionally leaves out Alaundo's prophecies unless they deal with a specific event/location (see earlier referenced Cormyr problems). This is intentional so that every DM can decide for himself what prophecies the Great Alaundo wrote down. The spirit behind it all is to be creative and mysterious, subtle yet profound. That's my take on it though....
BadCatMan 04-03-07, 03:16 AM	It's like Eberron's Draconic Prophecy a decade or too early. Only more mysterious and interesting and less in-your-face. Hmm, I want to play with them now.
Red_Wizard 04-03-07, 08:22 AM	However, those are not considered cannon I don't believe. To the best of my knowledge, everything in FR games are considered canon, with the exception of the direct acts of the PC and the PC themselves. What happens happens, though not with your character at the head of it.
Zireael 04-03-07, 08:53 AM	Unfortunately, not, let's take Menzoberranzan PC game which is completely out of any canon (nothing is like in the books, I mean timeline). BG also isn't canon.
Red_Wizard 04-03-07, 10:35 AM	Unfortunately, not, let's take Menzoberranzan PC game which is completely out of any canon (nothing is like in the books, I mean timeline). BG also isn't canon. But there are many in source references to happenings from games (both BG, NWN, et all). Not to mention the BG series was chronicled in the BG novels, so much of what happened is canonized via those alone. So despite differing answers, one can only assume all but the PC characters actions are canon, which then doesn't completly discredit the games materials.
Faraer 04-03-07, 10:48 AM	The current official rule of thumb is that the novels are part of the canon, but the computer games aren't except in so far as the books decide to incorporate them. Wizards doesn't maintain a tight enough hold on the games' content for automatically including them in continuity to be practical.
Old Sage 04-03-07, 10:59 AM	With regard to the BG games... the novels are canon -- so says WotC and the authors of the novels. And, of course, the games cannot be considered fully FR canon, as the author, Drew Karpyshyn says, "because of their multiple endings, the BG games can't be considered 'official' in the FR world." The events of the Bhaalspawn saga as depicted in the novels are canon. We have an entire sourcebook dedicted to the novels -- Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II -- as well as the reference in PoF, along with the characters from the novels being stat’d up in DRAGON #262 for 2e and the Bhaalspawn template for 3e in DRAGON #288. And tidbits in LEoF. WotC lists the novels as taking place in 1368 DR and 1369 DR. Jim Butler has also told us the events are canon in 2000 on the FR Mailing List. And finally, Rich Baker, Ed Greenwood and Ed Bonny have all confirmed this as well.
Red_Wizard 04-03-07, 12:28 PM	I'm just saying for the parts that makes sense to be canon are, with the sole exception of anything the PC has a direct influence on ie: NPC death, or story ending. :)