Are there any prominent writers or artists in Faerun? Especially around Waterdeep or Chessenta?
— Daniel Caine (@cainer1967) January 26, 2020
1)
Well, ahem, Volo is often to be found in Waterdeep or its vicinity, these days. ;}
But aside from him, in the 1490s DR-era Realms, there are now many, many writers, so few achieve prominence above the rest (save for the most 2)
…trusted non-fiction works in particular fields of study, among the sages concerned with those fields).
Which brings us to MOST prominent, or first among equals. Which of course is a matter of furious debate among some fans, … #Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020
3)
…due to personal preferences.
Art is even more fractured by varying tastes, and in any event Waterdeep is awash in superb artists and counterfeiters who can closely or even exactly reproduce the styles of other painters, …#Realmslore 4)
…stained glass and mosaic makers, line- drawing artists, woodcarvers, and sculptors. Waterdeep and every major city in Chessenta can muster at least a score (each) of portrait painters who can render nigh-photographic…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020
5)
…likenesses of sitters.
Sculpture (of statuettes about half-life-sized, or smaller, in particular) has always been popular in Chessenta, especially in marble and other attractively-hued stones. The most famous sculptors are… 6)
…those who render fearsome monsters (such as dragons) locked in combat with (usually naked, for some long-forgotten reason) human heroes. The famous-for-centuries sculptor is Rhaeya Sharmanton (who spent her later years…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020
7)
…carving built-in house adornments like stair-rails and window frames, so her work survives in many, many places), and the currently most prominent sculptor is Orthlaul Maur, known for his short stature, bulbous nose, raging…#Realmslore 9)
…from tame tales of pure love and passion to outright erotica), distantly followed by sardonic satires of current politics (disguised as the life and adventure of some accident-prone or tactless character akin to the8)
…temper, and mastery of exaggerated features in his statuary that always seem to stop just short of caricature.
Writers perennially most popular through Chessenta tend to be scribes who turn out romances (chapbooks varying…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020
10)
…real-life Volo). The most lastingly famous of these are the romance writers Alannyth Sheol of Luthcheq and Jaraedra Nirnstorm of Pandrek, and the satirist Darondrar Ethlym of Luthcheq.
Waterdeep currently boasts no prominent…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020
11)
…sculptors or artists, though there may be as many as a hundred superb painters for hire. Four writers (beyond Volo) are widely known and respected: the adventure-saga writer Aljaerlar Morlynd of Sea Ward; the satirist and 12)
…comedy-novel scribe and poet Londalar Glostyn of North Ward; and the romance writers Lorazelle Staunth of Castle Ward and Belabarra Wyvernlusk of Trades Ward.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 26, 2020