Hesperdan who? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hesperdan who? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The_King_in_Yellow
04-27-07, 03:57 AM Just finished reading Ed Greenwood's Hand of Fire and a character was introduced I haven't encountered before a Zhentarim wizard by the name of Hesperdan. I've checked the So Sayeth Ed Q's and A's on CandleKeep and have found little information on the character, also as I understand he features in the new Knights of Myth Drannor novels which I haven't read. Does anyone know where I can find anymore information on this Elminster imposter?
Old Sage
04-27-07, 05:50 AM There isn't much more, officially. Hesperdan does appears in the short story "How Wisdom Came to the Maimed Wizard", which appeared in the anthology The Best of the Realms, Book II: The Stories of Ed Greenwood (a.k.a. "The Best of Eddie").

Ed has dropped a few hints re Hesperdan. What I can glean is that Hesperdan exists as a very powerful, shadowy figure within the Zhentarim who basically allowed Manshoon and now Fzoul to be the head honcho of the organisation (for reasons unknown) and that Elminster, knowing this, masquerades as Hesperdan on occasion to muck about with Zhent plots and personnel OR Elminster IS Hesperdan, using this guise to destabilize the Zhentarim on needful occasions. Ed hasn't seen fit to confirm which is the correct theory but did obliquely state that one was correct.

And this from Ed, in Jan '06 -

"You’re very, very welcome, George. As always. I salute you as a tireless Lorelord of the Realms, rescuing us all time and time again.
As to why “How Wisdom Came To The Maimed Wizard” made you think Elminster has been masquerading as Hesperdan (or may be Hesperdan)? Must be the very broad hints I wrote into it.
I’ll keep to hinting rather than confirming outright, but someone dwelling in the Realms who attended certain Magefairs would insist that El and Hesperdan are two separate people (because they were seen in the same place at the same time, though not actually standing and talking together). Which of course strengthens the “masquerading as” possibility (the other weakening further when one considers how hard it would be to do all that El does and still have time to put in any appearances as Hesperdan at all: a Zhent whose survival may well be imperilled, in such an authoritarian organization, by unexplained absences). Which in turn raises the why (exactly) is Elminster adopting the guise of Hesperdan, and also HOW is he managing it (is Hesperdan in cahoots with him? Under his total domination? Can be subsumed mentally, as El “takes over” the body, due to some already-cast spell or curse or . . .?
We just don’t know. Yet. I can let slip that Hesperdan has an important future role to play, but we may not see much of it “onstage,” as it were.
Which should leave a lot of scribes going: Hmmm.
Which is as good a place as any to take my leave. :}

So saith Ed. Slyly bailing old dog that he is.
Oh, yes: he hasn’t forgotten that Gerath Hoan asked about Hesperdan, too, and hopes G - H will see from this reply that for the nonce Ed can’t be more specific about the mysterious Hesperdan . . .
love,
THO"
The_King_in_Yellow
04-27-07, 06:46 AM Thanks for that information that clears things up a bit, I was starting to get the impression it was a split personality / clone double, kind of thing going on.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_King_in_Yellow 04-27-07, 03:57 AM	Just finished reading Ed Greenwood's Hand of Fire and a character was introduced I haven't encountered before a Zhentarim wizard by the name of Hesperdan. I've checked the So Sayeth Ed Q's and A's on CandleKeep and have found little information on the character, also as I understand he features in the new Knights of Myth Drannor novels which I haven't read. Does anyone know where I can find anymore information on this Elminster imposter?
Old Sage 04-27-07, 05:50 AM	There isn't much more, officially. Hesperdan does appears in the short story "How Wisdom Came to the Maimed Wizard", which appeared in the anthology The Best of the Realms, Book II: The Stories of Ed Greenwood (a.k.a. "The Best of Eddie"). Ed has dropped a few hints re Hesperdan. What I can glean is that Hesperdan exists as a very powerful, shadowy figure within the Zhentarim who basically allowed Manshoon and now Fzoul to be the head honcho of the organisation (for reasons unknown) and that Elminster, knowing this, masquerades as Hesperdan on occasion to muck about with Zhent plots and personnel OR Elminster IS Hesperdan, using this guise to destabilize the Zhentarim on needful occasions. Ed hasn't seen fit to confirm which is the correct theory but did obliquely state that one was correct. And this from Ed, in Jan '06 - "You’re very, very welcome, George. As always. I salute you as a tireless Lorelord of the Realms, rescuing us all time and time again. As to why “How Wisdom Came To The Maimed Wizard” made you think Elminster has been masquerading as Hesperdan (or may be Hesperdan)? Must be the very broad hints I wrote into it. I’ll keep to hinting rather than confirming outright, but someone dwelling in the Realms who attended certain Magefairs would insist that El and Hesperdan are two separate people (because they were seen in the same place at the same time, though not actually standing and talking together). Which of course strengthens the “masquerading as” possibility (the other weakening further when one considers how hard it would be to do all that El does and still have time to put in any appearances as Hesperdan at all: a Zhent whose survival may well be imperilled, in such an authoritarian organization, by unexplained absences). Which in turn raises the why (exactly) is Elminster adopting the guise of Hesperdan, and also HOW is he managing it (is Hesperdan in cahoots with him? Under his total domination? Can be subsumed mentally, as El “takes over” the body, due to some already-cast spell or curse or . . .? We just don’t know. Yet. I can let slip that Hesperdan has an important future role to play, but we may not see much of it “onstage,” as it were. Which should leave a lot of scribes going: Hmmm. Which is as good a place as any to take my leave. :} So saith Ed. Slyly bailing old dog that he is. Oh, yes: he hasn’t forgotten that Gerath Hoan asked about Hesperdan, too, and hopes G - H will see from this reply that for the nonce Ed can’t be more specific about the mysterious Hesperdan . . . love, THO"
The_King_in_Yellow 04-27-07, 06:46 AM	Thanks for that information that clears things up a bit, I was starting to get the impression it was a split personality / clone double, kind of thing going on.