Hi Ed! Was just doing some Realmslore trawling and had a re-read of your “All About Elminster” article in Dragon #110. I came across the reference to “Shalane of Taerloon”. Is there anything you can tell me about him/her? Where was “Taerloon”? Cheers. Hi! Shalane is a female human, who hailed from a port called Taerloon on a large continent far WSW of Chult (S of Laerakond). I really should write about it sometime. ;}#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
Rexen @Rexenraptor
Hey Ed! A burning question for you. The Serpent Kingdoms mentions that the Yuan-ti added arms to nagara. Is it possible for them to add grafts to other types of non-serpent creatures? And are grafts limited to just snake parts, or could they do other types?— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 8, 2020
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Like real-world modern human surgeons, yuan-ti vary in skill and experience with grafting, and specialties. However, the few really skilled ones can handle all sorts of reptilian body parts, from a living or very 2)
…recently-deceased donor, master sedation and antiseptic operating conditions, and can graft successfully to all sorts of reptilian creatures.
The moment they try other sorts of body parts, or other sorts of recipients…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 8, 2020
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…(warm-blooded mammals, for instance), the chances of rejection and necrotizing (the body part dying and festering, still attached, so amputation must be done to avoid sickening and poisoning the recipient creature) go up4)
…sharply. As do instances of nerves not knitting together, so motor control of a limb is poor (e.g. dangling or flailing arm, not one capable of grasping and deft activities), it’s permanently numb, and so on. And NO yuan-ti…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 8, 2020
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…has ever successfully transplanted a head with functioning mind intact, to any creature or from any creature. Yuan-ti have entirely mastered the shock problems, so some of them even know the right local anaesthetics to 6)
…operate on themselves (e.g. give themselves extra or replacement arms) while conscious.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 8, 2020
The Cormyrean dunce cap equivalent is The Cracked Helm, a heavy war-helm that's been split in two by an axe so that all that's holding it together is its heavy collar (low on the wearer's chest). One half hangs completely away from the head it's no longer protecting.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 18, 2020
The colloquial expression is "So you're wearing the Cracked Helm these days, hmm?" or "He's a proper Cracked Helm" or "Time to fit him for the Cracked Helm" or "Plenty of Cracked Helms in THAT lot."#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 18, 2020
@TheEdVerse Hello! It's me again for another peace of knowledge. Is there connection between Thundertree (LMoP) and Thurnderbeast tribe? As NWCS said some Uthgardt people came into Neverwinter Woods.
— Max Golutvo (@Meonaar) August 1, 2020
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Hi, Max. The answer is no, except for a coincidental name similarity, and some Thunderbeast barbarian familiarity with Neverwinter Wood.
Thundertree the human village (until devastated in 1451 DR by a Mount Hotenow eruption; an…2)
…unleashing of local magic caused in this destruction made flora in and around Thundertree turn into twig blights) was named for an unusually tall stand of duskwoods that were repeatedly struck by lightning during storms; due…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2020
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…to their layout, they echoed thunder peals, so the thunder seemed to echo around them (they were all lightning-scorched and dead before the then-hamlet was founded in 1292 DR).
The Thunderbeast barbarian tribe were…)
…food-following-nomadic, like most Uthgardt tribes, but frequented the High Forest and the Lurkwood rather than Neverwinter Wood; the closest they normally came to Neverwinter Wood was their ancestor mound, Morgur’s Mound, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2020
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…in The Crags to the northeast of the wood. Their name is derived from their veneration of the Thunderbeast (brontosaurus dinosaur), and they guarded the increasingly-open-secret that thunderbeasts yet dwelt deep in the High… 6)
…Forest. When they found Morgur’s Mound despoiled in the fall of 1477 DR, they left warriors in Neverwinter Wood to await the return of the Gray Wolf tribe (who are the Uthgardt tribe who DO frequent Neverwinter Wood) to…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2020
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…inquire who had dug up Morgur’s Mound (see p30 of the 4e Neverwinter campaign setting).#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 1, 2020
@TheEdVerse Does the Forgotten Realms have bicycles?
— ElvenWizardKing (@KingLorathorn) May 20, 2020
Yes, but not by that name, and not the 2-wheelers most real-world moderns are used to (they require smooth pavement). Think of wide tricycles with rear cargo beds and soft, squashy-fat-tires (no air), and you have a Realms bicycle, which is known as a “Gondroller.”#Realmslore Genuine Gondrollers (made and sold by temples of Gond) are rare and expensive. After seeing one, most folks find a smith and fabricate their own knock-offs. Axles, wheels, and tires remain difficult to make, and relatively smooth trails are STILL required, so even these are rare.
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
Your response is very appreciated and very illuminating. I didn’t consider the Gond tie in. The church of Gond is secretly pondering how to create a network of SMOOTH trackways. Even most city cobbles are too bumpy, and everything in winter-frost regions HEAVES.#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
With luck, the project won’t be co-opted by some silly trust fund pseudo-scientist. I mean… just saying.
Of course if it was, thwarting said cad might be a fun adventure. Thwarting cads is a noble cause for not enough adventurers yet. ;}
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
Did the other God's mostly remove the power from their Second Sundering Chosen at it's end?
— Jeffery Mace (@sagechan1) February 29, 2020
2)
…mortal worshippers were). Of those who survived, the gods stripped almost all of their status and powers, most deities retreating to having one or two envoys/‘avenging angel’ sorts as Chosen. To most mortals and even some 3)
…senior clergy, it’s now unclear how many Chosen a particular god has, or even if they have Chosen at all. Since the Second Sundering, the gods are more distant; almost none of them have appeared in public in avatar form, and…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 1, 2020
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…they speak directly to their clergy, or from altars, far less often, mainly using dream-visions to communicate their will to mortals.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 1, 2020
Something interesting I noticed — the symbol of the Queen of Air and Darkness is a black diamond. In 2e, 3e, and D&D Next Auril’s symbol was a snowflake on a black diamond. In 4e it was said Auril was the QoAaD. In 5e they’re separate, and Auril’s symbol is *just the snowflake*. An interesting vein to explore for any characters for whom Auril or the QoAaD are important, perhaps – especially if the QoAaD still claims to be Auril to retain worshippers on Toril.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it's an interesting notion. Any thoughts, @TheEdVerse?
— Ben Rowe (@CineastBenRowe) February 14, 2020
1)
The deeds of gods are often mysteries to mortals, especially when overlaid by what priesthoods say (which is often propaganda/misdirection intended to make their deity seem important/vital).
In this case, I’d say this: “The QoAaD still claims to be Auril to… 2)
…retain worshippers on Toril" is exactly what's happening. And Auril cooperates because it boosts her importance and therefore worship and therefore influence.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) February 14, 2020
There are so many #ForgottenRealms box sets, I can't even get them in one picture! #DnD #RPG @TheEdVerse pic.twitter.com/1FtAEU70vQ
— DnD5e.info #StayAtHome (@DnD5eInfo) March 8, 2020
That one, right there. ;}
Seriously, if you're looking for your introduction to the Realms, the "Old Grey Box" or FR0, the original (horselord on the cover). It was later updated as "the Gold Box" (thicker box, gold around the horselord instead of painted blue scene).#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) March 9, 2020
