The clothes were actually hers all along, and duplicates were lent to Elminster in a time of need. When Elminster and the Simbul escaped from the Nine Hells in 1372 DR, many of their possessions and garments had been destroyed by hellfire and spellbattle with fiends and various archdevils. When they reappeared in the throne room of the Simbul’s palace (and after the further battles with fiends, malaugrym, and Thayan spies had ended) an apprentice of the Simbul graciously lent her clothes to the otherwise naked Elminster, who in turn took to wearing them throughout the 1370s. In the aftermath of the planar chaos of the Spellplague, the remnants of Elminster’s original garments (red robes, matching pointy hat, leopard-skin cloak, staff adorned with ruby and eagle feathers, etc) were translocated from the depths of Avernus and magically repaired and reconstituted on his doorstep. Thus in addition to explaining the Simbarch’s curious choice of garb, this also serves to explain why the 4E Elminster is dressed much like the 2E Elminster.
Other explanations follow below, some slightly less serious or cynical...
1) One of the menial tasks this apprentice needed to perform to recompense the queen for her arcane apprenticeship was acting as the royal launderer of the palace. On a particular occasion Elminster had absconded back to Shadowdale wearing naught but a nightgown, having absentmindedly left the remainder of his clothes behind. Believing they contained some powerful magical protections, and feeling that her duties as a launderer were beneath her, the apprentice decided to steal the garments away, having taken to wearing them openly after the Simbul’s disappearence.
2) The Simbarch in question has only recently come into the order, long after the Simbul's disappearance. After being sent by her fellows on a fools errand to explore some of the warded and spelltrapped areas of the palace they could not access, she stumbled upon some of Elminster's garments in a bedchamber armoire, and claimed them as "treasure" for herself.
3) The Simbarch was having a romantic liaison with Elminster, and needed to borrow some clothes. These particular garments held magical protections significant enough to shield her from the Simbul’s initial wrath upon discovering the affair.
4) The Simbarch once sought to engage in some sort of romantic liaison with her queen and mentor, possibly assuming that dressing up as Elminster would increase the chances of reciprocity of her affection. Since the Simbul’s disappearance she has taken to wearing them constantly.
5) The artwork was originally commissioned for a paragon path for apprentices of Mystra’s Chosen in general, and in this case the elven woman featured was an apprentice of Elminster who chose to (creepily?) emulate his fashion sense. But at some point after the artwork was commissioned they decided to steer the paragon path specific towards the many and mighty apprentices of the Simbul.
6) The illustration was originally intended to humorously show the Elminster equivalent of a DCPC (Drizzt Clone Player Character).
7) The artwork was originally commissioned to depict Elminster as Elmara.
...feel free to add, suggest, or create variants thereof.
but in complete seriousness, 7 really seems to be the only one that makes sense..
EDIT: thought Elmara isn't an elf.... so wait...
:P
My best guess - it WAS a commisioned piece of El as Elmara, buuut someone screwed-up and portrayed him/her as an Elf, so the piece was never used.
-Hmm...I think someone was just being silly here. That, or they had no clue about the history, and drew Elminster's clothing too exactly, while using it as the basis for something else.
-Hmm...I think someone was just being silly here.
That'd be my guess, as well (principle of parsimony, and all that).
It is really silly.
:embarrass 
18DELTA ;)
thats a good point... kk its not Elmara
Did El even have his Lion Sword when he was running around as Elmara? I can't remember... Granted, Mystra only turned El into a Human Woman, that much I remember... So I would throw that out as being Elmara as well.
Indeed, where did the idea that the picture represents Elmara come from, anyway? Elmara was a female version of Elminster--human, black hair, "hawk-like" nose. The person in the picture looks nothing like that.
-Number seven:
7) The artwork was originally commissioned to depict Elminster as Elmara.
8. Several years after the the Simbul dissapeared, some young apprentices found a picture of Elminster with the Simbul and decided that these would make great robes for their order.... the men where quite happy, but most of the women weren´t all that happy to wear an old black (shredded) gown. So after discussing the problem (and if the rumors are correct, actually putting a gown on one of the male apprentices ;) ) they decided to reserve the black robes for special occasions.
But seriously....she has a pipe and since Elminster could always call it into his hands it has to be a replicate. Maybe the pictured character is a kind of oddball - just like the pic for the spellguard wizard.
Indeed, where did the idea that the picture represents Elmara come from, anyway? Elmara was a female version of Elminster--human, black hair, "hawk-like" nose. The person in the picture looks nothing like that.
that'd be me, didn't know she had black hair.
Wait, I got it! She's one of El's children! No, wait, that would make her half-elf... And they don't live as long as they use too, I think... Then again, maybe she's a "newer" kid... Hmm... Yeah, I still don't know.
Interresting tactic, not to reduce a depicted character to his paragon path and allow for the possible existance of a something like a backround.
But hey, El could have so many decendants by now that they could populate a city - but hey let´s ask Rich about it, and maybe he can even tell us what happened to the Magister (paragon path).
-Number seven:
Yeah, but I think I heard the idea mentioned before this thread was started...
But it seems like my crazy therories are not half crazy enough for this forum. I'll try and see if I can come up with something that makes a bit less sense.
I had assumed that after a century, and with the loss of the Simbul, the Simbarchs of Aglarond had adopted Elminster's garb as their new uniform.
But it seems like my crazy therories are not half crazy enough for this forum. I'll try and see if I can come up with something that makes a bit less sense.
Explain the pipe... that's the hard part, I think. ;)
Or perhaps she just robbed the old coot and he isn't within his own faculties enough to recall the pipe.
ok here is a new revolutionery theory...maybe it is just the fashion of that time
Ahh... Smokin' is sexy once more.
Explain the pipe... that's the hard part, I think. ;)
*shrug* She smokes.
Never mind
Why can't a woman smoke a pipe?
Women can of course smoke pipe..... it´s just unusual to do it ..... I am not shure to call it mens cloth after seeing a woman in it ....the simbul might be right about with her first theory.
-See, I don't see the pipe. I mean, I see what could be the pipe, but it seems sufficiently covered to perhaps be something else. A big spoon, maybe.
I've circled the entire object in this pic. It isn't really covered in the picture at all. It's just hard to see where it is. Personally, I think the handle shape makes it look like a pipe.
Why can't a woman smoke a pipe?
Well, of course women can smoke with pipes... but the real question is "what's she doing with Elminster's pipe?"
In any case, it's hardly great art. The face is oddly smooshed, placing her right eye at an odd angle with respect to the rest of her face. The overall effect of her body is sort of "mannish" also. Not attractive for an elf, imo.
The overall effect of her body is sort of "mannish" also. Not attractive for an elf, imo.
which except for the 'elf' part sounds exactly like a certain woman...
which except for the 'elf' part sounds exactly like a certain woman...
The 3.x F&P Midnight/Mystra? :P
The 3.x F&P Midnight/Mystra? :P
You mean
And btw did you see that the Simbarch has an empty swordsheat where Elminster had his sword?
I've circled the entire object in this pic. It isn't really covered in the picture at all. It's just hard to see where it is. Personally, I think the handle shape makes it look like a pipe.
Sadly, I think they used 'cut and paste' with a little modification. The legs look too thick, but that could just be me. But, that just takes all the fun out of it. As to the pipe replica, I do remember somewhere stating that his pipe was a unique item but that there were many lesser replicas. It isn't in the FRCS description of Elminster, but I believe there is a description of him and his equipment in the Epic Handbook. The mention of countless replicas may be there.
[INDENT]"One simbarch, Seriadne, takes the form of an elf but is actually a malaugrym who seeks to advance her own sinister agenda."[/INDENT]
What if the picture is of the malaugrym Seriadne? At some point, perhaps this malaugrym actually fought Elminster and stole his things? Now it appears as this elf girl and wears the clothes and pipe as a sort of weird trophy? Heh! :D
It might be that this picture was commissioned for a story about El and the malaugrym that never made it into the book because of editing.
I've circled the entire object in this pic. It isn't really covered in the picture at all. It's just hard to see where it is. Personally, I think the handle shape makes it look like a pipe.
-Ah. The "handle", I was seeing as part of the cloth.
Here's something interesting from the FRCG, and it perhaps adds a whole different "take" on this elf-girl picture:
[INDENT]"One simbarch, Seriadne, takes the form of an elf but is actually a malaugrym who seeks to advance her own sinister agenda."[/INDENT]
What if the picture is of the malaugrym Seriadne? At some point, perhaps this malaugrym actually fought Elminster and stole his things? Now it appears as this elf girl and wears the clothes and pipe as a sort of weird trophy? Heh! :D
It might be that this picture was commissioned for a story about El and the malaugrym that never made it into the book because of editing.
This actually has merit.... I haven't read the spellfire books (are they good?) but I know El is really at odds with them.
This actually has merit.... I haven't read the spellfire books (are they good?) but I know El is really at odds with them.
I enjoyed the first book in Shandril's Saga--the other two books less so. But still, I'd say they're worth a read.
You can learn more about the malaugyrm in the Shadow of the Avatar trilogy.
I enjoyed the first book in Shandril's Saga--the other two books less so. But still, I'd say they're worth a read.
You can learn more about the malaugyrm in the Shadow of the Avatar trilogy.
I'm with her Ladyship on that one.
I had never realised that Shadows was written by Ed... more Ed books that I haven't read!
Should keep me amused until the last KoMD novel is out
.C'mon, Ed, we want more knights! Not least because the writing in the last two has been seriously impressive.
I had never realised that Shadows was written by Ed... more Ed books that I haven't read!
Check that trilogy out then--I think you'll enjoy it.
When would Elminster be without his clothes? When he's with a woman! Why would he leave his clothes behind? Because he had a hangover from the night before, and his time-delayed Greater Teleport spell went off before he could sober up and remember where and with whom he was last night. The next morning, his one night stand discovers the magical properties of the clothes and makes it a family heirloom.
I guess with everything else going out with the dishwater, the punishment for someone else assuming another's sigil has been removed also?
Well Mystra no longer controls it, maybe the magisters will look into it, but I doubt it.
I guess with everything else going out with the dishwater, the punishment for someone else assuming another's sigil has been removed also?
Well Mystra no longer controls it, maybe the magisters will look into it, but I doubt it.
-Rich Baker actually just answered this:
No, I don't believe they are. IIRC that was Mystra's rule, and Mystra no longer governs the use of mage sigils.
I would imagine that mage sigils remain in use. And I'll point out that while forging some powerful mage's sigil for your own use might not carry a divine curse, it *certainly* entails some risk of retaliation if the owner of the mark ever discovers that you've been misusing it.
This has got to be one of the funniest bits of "fan service" I've seen 'em put into any campaign setting material.
Sorry that was mean... any chance I get to make fun of Elminster and his ***** I take.
I guess with everything else going out with the dishwater, the punishment for someone else assuming another's sigil has been removed also?
That "eye" thing on the outfit is not Elminster's symbol.
Its a holy symbol of mystra IIRC
Perhaps, but most likely not. It doesn't look like any Mystran symbol I've ever seen.