Over the milennia some mortals, mainly her servants, have been allowed to discover the Shadow Weave, or have stumbled across it in thier researches.
(Per Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings, pg. 57)
Lately I've overheard many folks discussing the Shadow Weave rather freely. This is one of THE best kept secrets in the realms, and I would debate whether Elminster himself has heard more than the vaguest of rumors in regards to the Shadow Weave. Certainly the common low level adventuring mage/bard/'adventurer'...would have never heard of this in their meager travels.
Unless you have learned of it in game (through interactions with a DM, or a PC that 'would' have the knowledge to share) OR you happen to be a priest/priestess of Shar you would have no idea at all about the Shadow Weave's existance. (And if you were a follower of Shar that discussed it freely and openly you would find your access to tap the power of the Shadow Weave was turned off like a light switch.)
This also means that the spells regarding Shadow Magic should be avoided by those casters that would not have access to the Shadow Weave.
On a more general note....just because information is available in a sourcebook does not mean it is available to you for use as IC knowledge.
Thanks.
On a more general note....just because information is available in a sourcebook does not mean it is available to you for use as IC knowledge.
-Yes, this has been the problem of DMs having to grapple with players unable to do this for years.
This is one of THE best kept secrets in the realms, and I would debate whether Elminster himself has heard more than the vaguest of rumors in regards to the Shadow Weave.
Well, after dealing with the Shades in the Return of the Archwizards Trilogy, of course he must know something about it.
Lately I've overheard many folks discussing the Shadow Weave rather freely.
No offense, but...so? Many aspects of the Realms that aren't well known in the setting get discussed constantly. The average person in the Realms shouldn't know anything about the Chosen of Mystra, but there are tons of threads about them.
Shar, being the godess of secrets, has mostly kept the secret of the Shadow Weave to herself.
Over the milennia some mortals, mainly her servants, have been allowed to discover the Shadow Weave, or have stumbled across it in thier researches.
(Per Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings, pg. 57)
Lately I've overheard many folks discussing the Shadow Weave rather freely. This is one of THE best kept secrets in the realms, and I would debate whether Elminster himself has heard more than the vaguest of rumors in regards to the Shadow Weave. Certainly the common low level adventuring mage/bard/'adventurer'...would have never heard of this in their meager travels.
Unless you have learned of it in game (through interactions with a DM, or a PC that 'would' have the knowledge to share) OR you happen to be a priest/priestess of Shar you would have no idea at all about the Shadow Weave's existance. (And if you were a follower of Shar that discussed it freely and openly you would find your access to tap the power of the Shadow Weave was turned off like a light switch.)
This also means that the spells regarding Shadow Magic should be avoided by those casters that would not have access to the Shadow Weave.
On a more general note....just because information is available in a sourcebook does not mean it is available to you for use as IC knowledge.
Thanks.
I agre it should have been...but when they start making Shadow Weave magic items and spells that deal w/ the SW and it falling into the hands of people who can study it...the secret sorta goes out the window.
Or maybe a Shar worshipper did turn it over to the sides of good because he/she seeks redemption. So what if they can't access the SW anymore they still got the Weave.
It became the worse kept secret.
It became the worse kept secret.
As with everything "shadowy", like drow and shades, the shadow weave got overexposed in the most ironic way.
Folk like Ssass Tam just knew better than to trust the Lady of Shadow.
I figure after the Netherese arrived, everyone knew about it.
Folk like Ssass Tam just knew better than to trust the Lady of Shadow.
I don't see word of mouth spreading that fast. Especially when their worship of Shar remained unknown for quite sometime.
Well in the books, they wiped out Tilverton and tried to flood Cormyr. That sort of thing tends to be talked about.
True. But think of the amount of time it takes word to spread among the Realms and the grapevine effect it has.
Also, take into account that the mundane population has little knowledge of the arcane and wouldn't be able to differentiate between shadow magic and the norm.
And, as for the magically inclined that could, you can't much try to explain what you don't understand. And, if you fear its power, you you probably don't try to at all--at least, not outside the magical community.
I also don't see why any of the nations would keep their vile secrets, well...secret.
Um...let me think...they worship Shar?
;)
Um...let me think...they worship Shar?
Cormyr worships Shar?
Cormyr worships Shar?
Please tell me we just had a miscommunication here.
well you seem to be saying that the reason that Cormyr and other afflicted nations don't tell the other nations about the Netherese is because they worship Shar.
Miscommunication.
Coming off my statement that the Netherise worship of Shar had remained a secret for sometime, you came back with: "I also don't see why any of the nations would keep their vile secrets, well...secret."
As "vile" is a descriptor and the word "their" is possessive, I assumed you must be speaking of the Netherise, themselves, as I've found little vile with Cormyr.
As to the point you were trying to make, we come back 'round to my point again. I never said it would be kept a secret. In fact, with the number of players involved in the situation, it would be well known that Tilverton was wiped out.
The how's, why's, and what's that were included in its destruction would be explained through the discretion of those involved though.
In fact, with the number of players involved in the situation, it would be well known that Tilverton was wiped out.
-Yes, it was very well known.
-Yes, it was very well known.
Yes. And so well known that it was mentioned twice on this thread and you still felt the need to remind me.
Thanks, man. I'd be lost without ya. ;)
Lately I've overheard many folks discussing the Shadow Weave rather freely. This is one of THE best kept secrets in the realms, and I would debate whether Elminster himself has heard more than the vaguest of rumors in regards to the Shadow Weave. Certainly the common low level adventuring mage/bard/'adventurer'...would have never heard of this in their meager travels.
Unless you have learned of it in game (through interactions with a DM, or a PC that 'would' have the knowledge to share) OR you happen to be a priest/priestess of Shar you would have no idea at all about the Shadow Weave's existance. (And if you were a follower of Shar that discussed it freely and openly you would find your access to tap the power of the Shadow Weave was turned off like a light switch.)
On a more general note....just because information is available in a sourcebook does not mean it is available to you for use as IC knowledge.
Thanks.
There is a Living Forgotten Realms module that discusses what the shadow weave was in detail. It was designed for low-level adventurers.
There is a Living Forgotten Realms module that discusses what the shadow weave was in detail. It was designed for low-level adventurers.
-In character, or metagame?
There have been several non-Shar worshipers in novels, and they have no real reason not to tell people about it. In fact the first novel in the realms to use it attributed it not to Shar, but to the Imaskari and the Evil powers they worshiped/entreated. So while Shar's hold over the SW may have been a secret, the SW itself was fairly available knowledge to any student of the arcane.
Is that The Shadow Stone by Richard Baker (He Who Must Be Stopped)? I haven't read it, I only know what's mentioned in the FRCS 3e -
Cimbar's College Of Magic was destroyed by some shadow weave artifact and the city ruled by a non-evil shadow mage. I guess these were pretty noticeable.
There's also spells and other abilities specifically designed to stop shadow weave magic.
If somebody knows, and its worth telling somebody else, then its no longer a secret.
The OP sounds like he's laying down a houserule in his game. Is he somehow expecting to be talking to his players, or trying to shut people up from talking about the shadow weave?
Is that The Shadow Stone by Richard Baker (He Who Must Be Stopped)? I haven't read it, I only know what's mentioned in the FRCS 3e -
Cimbar's College Of Magic was destroyed by some shadow weave artifact and the city ruled by a non-evil shadow mage. I guess these were pretty noticeable.
There's also spells and other abilities specifically designed to stop shadow weave magic.
If somebody knows, and its worth telling somebody else, then its no longer a secret.
The OP sounds like he's laying down a houserule in his game. Is he somehow expecting to be talking to his players, or trying to shut people up from talking about the shadow weave?
But Aeron Morieth who was the hero of Shadow Stone and a non-Shar worshiping shadow adept, had left the city and was living in the Maerchwood as of 3e CS, after the wizard school was destroyed.
Isn't that more-or-less what I said? I haven't been able to track down the novel, though I wanted to read about Chessenta, but couldn't. I'm only parroting what the FRCS 3e mentioned, which sounded like a reasonably public display of shadow magic to me.
Sorry, force of habit to respond. Good book though, even if the lore about the shadow weave was later retconned by Troy Denning. If the OP wanted to houserule this it means ignoring a lot of 3e lore.
Show
Being one of the three components needed to unmake the Heart of Halruaa.
It also turned up in the hands of a non-evil, non-Shar Jordaini in Counsellors and Kings, didn't it?ShowBeing one of the three components needed to unmake the Heart of Halruaa.
Folk like Ssass Tam just knew better than to trust the Lady of Shadow.
Rofl yes. Because for whatever reason, no one can seem to figure that you will inevitably die by serving her. Szass Tam is a Lich, meaning, he must have wanted to live longer than he was suppose to. So there was no reason for him to serve her. I wonder if everyone figured out her huge flaw in servitude to her, and she thus had no more followers, would she change her ways? Like, I don't think Rivalen wants to die, but, is he ignorant of what will happen to him? Anyone see Batman the dark knight? In the opening he had everyone kill each other, and he was the last of his crew left after robbing the bank. The same will happen with her followers. If I served Shar, I would just be a suicide bomber and do some real damage, instead of having one of her own or Shar herself kill me. Err...Suicide Shadow Bomber since no tech
In-character. The characters find out about the shadow weave, and the efforts to bring it back.
That's very contradictory. They want to bring it back so they find out about it? They can't have efforts to find out about it if they don't know about it in the first place.
They want to bring it back so they find out about it?
-The efforts of others, I believe, not the players.