"Commanded by the vestige of Mystra to work together, Manshoon and Elminster engage instead in a ferocious battle that sends the Sage plummeting into the Underdark as a cloud of ashes. Elminster soon inhabits the body of a fallen dark elf, so that he can begin carrying out Mystra's orders to rally Cormyr's Wizards of War, seek blueflame items to mend immense rifts throughout the realms that are releasing deadly monsters, and prevent the ancient Primordials from rising and unleashing their rage."
And just so we're clear, this is written by Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms.
So if it has to be, better him writing Elminster-as-drow than anybody else.
Kinda one of those "if you really must sail into this storm on purpose, here's the best man to have at the helm of your ship" moments.
This does not reduce the "OMG, really?" factor, though there is always the slight chance that Ed or an editor sent the plot in that direction prior to the design team going all googly-eyed over drow.
I'll be plumbing the depths of Elminster Engraged either way, as it'll likely be just as full of new noble family names, names of places (Inns, neighborhoods, clubs, etc...) in Suzail and Cormyr we've never not heard of yet, information on secrets of Cormyr and so on, as the previous two books in the series were.
The mad mage of undermountain???? gone
Khelben the older gone
Khelben the younger.... well he's out there somewhere.
Chronus??? well he's supposed to be dead.... but one does not call yourself chronmancer and not plan ahead......
the world walker? he still around
the symbol....I think she's plans she wasnt sharing with EL...
his grand daughter??? not even a wizard
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
well atleast its not a female drow body.....
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
Well I don't think so.
I should qualify my earlier post by saying that I first read about what Elminster would be up to well before the Rise of the Underdark was announced.
At the time it didn't strike me as anything out of the ordinary. On the contrary, "drow" and "Cormyr" aren't two words you often see together and I've always been curious to learn more about the Underdark below Cormyr.
I suspect the upcoming Drow stuff and El's activities might be linked, but it's just as likely they may not.
WotC's motives may not be as obvious as we think.
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
well atleast its not a female drow body.....
It's Drizzt ;)
Sounds like Ed's up to his crazy tricks again. This is certainly unexpected, and it could go neat places.
Trust in Ed, my friends!
Cheers
Seriously though, it sounds a bit shark-jumpy to me, but I'll reserve judgement until its out.
Elminister:"I am Drow now."
Simbul: :rolls her eyes: "You always wanted expand your horizon."
Storm: "Next we have to make ah well. At least it will be fun."
-- George Krashos
)I am not dissing this. I having fun with this. It on parlike turning Shevarash in to a Drow. This really is intriquing but it on par to create rival for Lolth that is the powerful Mage. No offense there some chars in the Realms will not roll over and play dead when Lolth has her megalomaniac moment or PMS on steroids.
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
Making of a Mage makes the idea completely non-silly, IMO.
IIRC, he's already not in his original body/form.
He's been a woman, why not a member of another race?
Sounds like Ed's up to his crazy tricks again. This is certainly unexpected, and it could go neat places.Trust in Ed, my friends!
I always do. I may not enjoy every novel of his (I am still a big wary of the Spellfire trilogy) but there is something about Ed's writing that always intrigues me, and often amuses me. It keeps me coming back to certain books, or certain sections of certain books (my favourite scene in any Realms novel is one of his) time and again. I have little worry about how this novel will be handled.
Making of a Mage makes the idea completely non-silly, IMO.
IIRC, he's already not in his original body/form.
He's been a woman, why not a member of another race?
This, with knobs on. El inhabiting a drow doesn't bother me in the slightest, not least because (thanks to the end of the last book) I had been expecting it. How could someone read that last scene and not expect that his consciousness was going to end up somewhere new?
No, the possibilities for the novels don't worry me in the slightest.
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
Making of a Mage makes the idea completely non-silly, IMO.
IIRC, he's already not in his original body/form.
He's been a woman, why not a member of another race?
Because the drow are a race that causes a lot of hate and discontent. I'm a drow fan, and even I think they are starting to lay on the drow a little too thickly. I'm a big fan of trying to find a compromise, adn appeal to the greatest number of people. I think things that are drow based are too polarizing to really accomplish that, even though I happen to like them.
I dont mind at all that Elminster is becoming another race, I mind that they are making him /drow/. Elf, dwarf, tiefling...whatever. The Drow are just too polarizing imho.
I know, that Elminster is Ed's baby...I just wonder if WotC is pulling the strings a bit.
Why is this development a "jump the shark" moment? The Sage of Shadowdale is now a pile of ashes. He can possess individuals. He happens to be thrust into the Underdark. He possesses a drow. Would you rather it had been a shrieker? Or a troglodyte? Perhaps a behir? Wait till you read it or come across a decent review before you start to gloom and doom the novel.
-- George Krashos
Just doesn't sound like an interesting idea to me... though a svirfneblin or a gloaming would have been pretty funny at least. As to doom and gloom, I did say that I was reserving judgment on it, and was simply giving an initial impression of the overall concept.
Though to be perfectly candid, I'm not a big fan of the lastest El novels. Just seems to me like they should just put the old goat out of his misery and find someone new to pile the drama upon. Then again, I was thinking that after Elminster in Hell, which while enjoyable for the lore, was going too far for my liking in piling on the torments on the man. Of course I tend to feel the same way about most comic book titles, so it could just be me.
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
Making of a Mage makes the idea completely non-silly, IMO.
IIRC, he's already not in his original body/form.
He's been a woman, why not a member of another race?
Because the drow are a race that causes a lot of hate and discontent. I'm a drow fan, and even I think they are starting to lay on the drow a little too thickly. I'm a big fan of trying to find a compromise, adn appeal to the greatest number of people. I think things that are drow based are too polarizing to really accomplish that, even though I happen to like them.
I dont mind at all that Elminster is becoming another race, I mind that they are making him /drow/. Elf, dwarf, tiefling...whatever. The Drow are just too polarizing imho.
I know, that Elminster is Ed's baby...I just wonder if WotC is pulling the strings a bit.
Fair enough. I'm feeling the same away about the rise of the underdark thing, honestly.
I still ponder when we might hear more about Miyeritar, though I may have missed some article or book somewhere in the past months....
I know, that Elminster is Ed's baby...I just wonder if WotC is pulling the strings a bit.
Turns out that's not the case.
From Ed Greenwood, via The Hooded One, at Candlekeep:
Ed:
When plotting EE, I knew nothing about the Rise of the Underdark (which many not even have existed as a publisher-adopted idea back then). Wizards approved my novel plot, of course, but that doesn't mean the specific staff members doing the approving then are the same staffers guiding the Rise of the Underdark now.
If I was doing marketing, I would probably do just as they've done: play up Elminster becoming a drow. That doesn't mean that's really what the book is about. I've always been far more interested in the characters and their life-journeys than about uber-plot.
So while everyone will have an opinion on whether or not the Rise, or EE, are good or that what happens in them is "right" or "best" for the Realms, it would be wrong to see them as connected, in some sort of dark, half-hidden conspiracy.
Because I never do those. :}
As you yourself know, my good Hooded Lady, It's much more fun to do it all out in the open, and watch the shocked responses.
The Hooded One: So saith Ed. And there you have it.
Whatever you think of the Rise or of El becoming a drow, the two are NOT connected/orchestrated.
I think it's the pendulum-like swings in thought/from one extreme to another that get me.
Is Elminster a Dark Elf? or a Drow?
drow and dark elf both have been used interchanged for eons....
but then Im not saying anything either...... execpt to keep the suspense going.......
its likely a drow yes.
From the blurb on the WotC Product Catalog:
"Commanded by the vestige of Mystra to work together, Manshoon and Elminster engage instead in a ferocious battle that sends the Sage plummeting into the Underdark as a cloud of ashes. Elminster soon inhabits the body of a fallen dark elf, so that he can begin carrying out Mystra's orders to rally Cormyr's Wizards of War, seek blueflame items to mend immense rifts throughout the realms that are releasing deadly monsters, and prevent the ancient Primordials from rising and unleashing their rage."
And just so we're clear, this is written by Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms.
That's a crappy blurb to put up now. I think it reveals too much for the people still reading Bury Elminster Deep. The blurb was probably giving away the plot point because it has the term 'Dark Elf' in it. I mean I live the drow, but there was a better way they could have written the teaser.
Drow!?It WOULDA been cooler if he was an actual Dark Elf though, knowhatimean?
The idea of Elminster inhabiting a drow body is just silly, regardless of who writes it.
well atleast its not a female drow body.....
It's Drizzt ;)
This would be utterly amazing in a completely horrible way. But think of the book deals! They could get RA. Salvatore to write a second book giving Drizzts side as he's displaced into the body of an old white human dude. The sheer potential!
Don't say things like that... THEY might be reading/watching/listening...
Don't say things like that... THEY might be reading/watching/listening...
This. Thou shalt not utter such blasphemy!
Thou shalt not utter such blasphemy!
I want a new novel trilogy detailing Elminster and Drizzt swapping bodies!
;)
Thou shalt not utter such blasphemy!
I want a new novel trilogy detailing Elminster and Drizzt swapping bodies!
;)
noooooooo *head explodes* lol
Thou shalt not utter such blasphemy!
I want a new novel trilogy detailing Elminster and Drizzt swapping bodies!
;)
Actually, just a lengthy scene of interaction between Elminster [written by Ed] and Drizzt [written by RAS] would be interesting enough.
Perhaps something for a future DDI article? Styled like the "Wizards' Three" of old.