How does Umberlee feel about being referred to as the B** Queen? She revels in it. Anything that gets worshippers. So, a la "If you can't be a Shining Example, Be A Dire Warning," negative attention is still attention. Fear and hatred will do just fine for her. She drowns a lot of sailors, costing herself worshippers, so needs new.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 26, 2021

I just wrote an epic Reddit post on Waterdeep real estate prices and why Volo gave away Trollskull Manor away in Dragonheist.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if your name is @ChrisPerkinsDnD or @TheEdVerse https://t.co/ZornO3uxA5#ttrpg #dnd #dungeonsanddragons

— RPG Match – connecting TTRPG players (@RpgMatch) September 12, 2021

1)
Great thread!
Yes, Waterdeep has annual realty taxes.
See my Twitter answers for Feb 20/20: “The nobles ignored that, so the Lords paid out of city coffers, and added it to the taxes of the two noble houses (which is, sadly, …2)
…standard procedure in the city; nobles, like anyone else, who don't pay taxes in full get property seized in lieu).”
And for Apr 25/20, re. 1375 DR: “Buildings in Waterdeep didn't have numerical addresses then. (They did have…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

3)
…”roll numbers” in the Palace tax records and floorplan registry.)”
And for Apr 29/90: “The city provides a subsidy in the form of a per-head daily ‘credit’ against temple taxes (temples are buildings, and attract a realty tax… 4)
…like all other city properties) that in almost all cases wipes out annual taxes and leaves most temples in the black (yes, in such situations they do receive coins or more often trade-bars from the Palace coffers).”#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

5)
And (same reply thread, Apr 29/20): “The city also licenses (approves of) construction work, wines and other consumables, and the operating fitnesses of coaches, wagons, and carriages (not handcarts) to maintain public safety. 6)
It also steps in to pay for emergency repairs when roof deterioration or some other cause threatens to result in the collapse of a private building (seizing the property if the owner won’t pay or can’t be found, and working…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

7)
…out a slow-repayment-over-time deal, otherwise).”
And on May 8/20: “a selection of scribes to quickly copy something, draw up a contract or trade agreement in quadruplicate (a copy to each party, plus a temple copy for the… 8)
…temple holding the money, plus a tax-record-remittance copy for the Palace).”
And on August 9/20, re. privileges of noble houses of Waterdeep: “certain tax deferrals in return for specific investments in civic works programs.”#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

9)
Your construction costs for Waterdhavian buildings (twice the average base of most other places) are spot-on. Plus building permit costs, which rise substantially if a street has to be blocked off for any length of time… 10)
…(you’re inconveniencing not just neighbours, but traffic flow and therefore commerce in the city).
(The same inflated prices also apply in cities where space is at a premium due to lack of room for expansion [or expansion…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

11)
…within the city walls], or where guilds are strong and therefore rates are high, and in cities that have always been expensive, like Athkatla.)
Your taxes for North Ward are too low: it’s equal to Castle Ward, not 5 percent… 12)
…less, and rises above that “equal” in the first two rows of city blocks (heading east) immediately adjacent to Sea Ward.
And back taxes owed is EXACTLY why Volo gave Trollskull Manor away.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 13, 2021

hi Ed! How big was Hastarl in terms of population in The Making of a Mage? It seems like it was a pretty big city Hastarl was home to around 17,000 at the time of Making's early chapters (El's time as a thief in the city), and about 26,000 at its height. High density, not sprawl.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 12, 2021

Hello, so we are playing post campaign now with our 20th lvl characters. My character Kairon has met Elminster and started to study under him and learn from him. What is the greatest piece of advice Elminster would pass on to an apprentice? "Being a wizard of any worth to the world, know ye, is knowing when NOT to hurl thy spells."#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) September 25, 2021

Hey Ed, you rock. I have a question – is Shandalar your creation? That wizard fella The human mage Shandalar is my creation, as is the spellsinger Shandalara Nightsong.
The moon elf Shandalar Moonflower was created by Elaine Cunningham.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 8, 2021

Oh boy, Ed sir. I have used Shandalar in a drawn adventure I’m running and have been unkind to his presentation enough to have felt obligated to track down his creator and personally apologize for the disrespect. Here he is: Podcasting right now, but will take a look. Don't anticipate being upset; everyone should make the Realms their own, and have fun doing it!

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 9, 2021

And he seems like a realistically pushy mage to me. ;}
All good: I've created about 4500 named characters for the Realms, some of them shining good, some of them wallowing evil, and most of them flawed shades of gray folks in between. My creations aren't my favourites or pets. :}

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 9, 2021

) Dear Mr. Ed Greenwood, would you help a noob brazillian player of D&D?
I’m doing my files to a new campaing and i really like to create solid character, with tight backgrounds but i’m looking for certain infomations and can’t find it anywhere. 2) I would like to ask you some informations about Star Elves and Orcs of 5e during 15 century on the Sword Coast.
About elves i need to know where they lived during this time and which elves were notorious (wizards, noble, important families and such).

— Review de Peso (@PesoReview) October 13, 2021

3) And about Orcs i need to know which barbarian tribes lived on the Sword Coast in that time and the class of each tribe. Sir, if you could help me i would be tremendously grateful.
Or if you could only point me where on the books i could find it it would be excellent also. 4) The adventure goes by the 1490 DR.
Can you help me with this answers? i would be eternally grateful.
Thanks in advance! and thank you very much for all your amazing work on D&D

— Review de Peso (@PesoReview) October 13, 2021

Hi, and well met!
Happy to help, but I’m not sure what you mean by the “class” of each orc tribe: ? 1)
Star elves are still few and reclusive in the 1490s DR Sword Coast lands; most dwell far to the east, in the Yuirwood (Aglarond). Those who live in the Sword Coast lands tend to keep to forests (notably The High Forest, but…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

2)
…also in the southernmost Moonwood [southernmost Glimmerwood], the Misty Forest, and Westwood), and to have willing contact with sun elves, wood elves, wild/green elves, moon elves and half elves; they detest…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

4)
…star elf for a moon elf at a chance meeting, and there are star elves who travel, explore, and adventure in the Sword Coast North (not so much in Amn, Tethyr, Calimshan, and other heavily populated areas farther south).#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

5)
Among these are the star elf merchant families of Evemdrel and Saeyil, and the noble family House Dahlmkess (who believe assimilation in a “sentient civilization” of all “civilized” races, against “the Rapacious Ones” [orcs… 6)
…and other goblinkin such as goblins and hobgoblins, illithids, beholders, and Lolth-worshipping drow] is inevitable, and is better managed—so star elves can end up controlling or influencing the “unfortunate” belligerent…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

7)
…tendencies of humans—than resisted). In this, Dahlmkess differs from most other star elf nobility, notably the conservative houses of Lalaundura and Rannekho.
Powerful star elf wizards include Varlroke, a gruff and prickly… 8)
…loner (male, old, mysterious); Avaeya Fonril, a kindly advisor and tutor to many (female, charismatic, seen as wise and caring); the star elf adventurers Shasslammaera “Tash” Relouvrin (fiery-tempered, acrobatic, agile, and…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

9)
…worldly-wise, usually having back-up plans ready in case of treachery) and Telharl Velvoor (gleeful, whimsical, young, sword-tongued, and fun-loving). Among (all) elves in the region, as much about these individuals is… 10)
…commonly known as I’ve given here (with Tash being the best known), but in, say, human cities and among human sages, only Varlroke has been heard of.
Some star elves of the High Forest are planning a military conquest of…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

11)
…The Reaching Woods, to make it a new home and exterminate or drive out the gnolls. Others think this is an unwise, overbold idea that will inevitably give star elves too high a public profile.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

12)
As for the orcs, the descendants of Obould continue to rule an orc kingdom from Dark Arrows Keep (Lorgru ascended the throne in 1485 DR, after orcs in the region were defeated in the War of the Silver Marches), but there are… 13)
…“barbarian” orc warbands wandering the Sword Coast North as there have always been (just as hobgoblin warbands, usually 20-30 strong, wander to this day). Regardless of the politics of any particular moment, the root causes…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

14)
…of orc behaviour in the Sword Coast North remain: orcs breed like rabbits in many caverns in the mountains across the North, out-populate their available food and must forage farther and farther afield in their food-hunts, … 15)
…and in the end either form an orc horde and sweep south plundering until exterminated, or if no strong orc leader arises who wants to command a horde, individual warbands of starving orcs go out in search of food and wander… #Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

16)
…the lands. In the 1490s DR, the mountain-orc-dominated Kingdom of Many Arrows is free of starvation, thanks to cultivation, to trade, and to rearing “meat herds” of rothé and other livestock in mountain valleys. It also…17)
…knows civilized discipline. So aside from renegade warlords (as the ill-fated Hartusk) on the fringes of the kingdom, there will be patrols and hunting bands, but no Many Arrows warbands.
However, there are many warbands of…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

18)
…other orcs, orogs, half-orcs, and the like wandering the Sword Coast lands.
Orc barbarian tribes with names like Evil Eye, Death Moon, Broken Bone, Vile Rune, and Rotting Eye are found in the Greyhawk setting. 19)
In the Sword Coast North of the Forgotten Realms, the only similar orc name is “the Broken Rune,” and it’s not a tribal name, but an allegiance/philosophy: the Broken Rune refers to an orc legend about a pact (the Rune) among…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

20)
…orcs, elves, and dwarves, broken millennia ago, that orcs believe the other two races broke, and that this justifies orc raids “to get even.”
Orc warbands will bear the name and device their leader favours, so in the 1490s: 21)
The 40-50-strong warband led by Othrogh Four-Arms, a battle-scarred, cunning old veteran with graying skin and four arms, has a badge (and name) of Four Fists, drawn in a counter-clockwise, crooked-down-to-punch pinwheel.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

22)
The 30-plus warband of the shrewd, sneering Guthmur, a mountain orc with a deep scar that clefts his left jaw, is the Reavers, and its badge is a black scythe-blade, dripping many drops of red blood, on a white banner field. 23)
The almost-40-strong warband of the grim, gigantic orc brothers Durth (the talker) and Targh (the silent mountain) are The Mighty. Their badge is an upright, fingers-to-viewer orc left fist that’s jutting spikes all around.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

24)
The Maragog orc tribe of (caverns deep in) The Crags sends out three to five “bring back food and prove yourselves” warbands of young members (all classes and genders) every year. All fly a maroon banner adorned with a row of… 25)
…four black talons. They bear the names Pride of Maragog, Valor of Maragog, Reach of Maragog, Thirst of Maragog, and Fang of Maragog, and these names get endlessly recycled, with different personnel.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

26)
There are also many smaller, lesser-known, or recently formed warbands led by powerful orcs, or an orc shaman-plus-two or three brute warriors nucleus, and they tend to be named for their leaders.#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) October 14, 2021

@TheEdVerse Any really kool intel or lore on the Moonstone Mask I can use for my game tomorrow evening? I have reservations for a party of four adventurers for the night! There's great info in the FR wiki, but I mean you're Ed Greenwood, so…

— wilyhobbit 🇺🇸🥧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎙⚔️ (@wilyhobbit) August 3, 2021

1)
Heh. Yes, I’m still Ed Greenwood; it seems to be my fate. So…
If your game is set in the 1490s DR, the Moonstone Mask has been winched closer to earth on its chains to more easily allow workers to (by means of tall, rickety…2)
…scaffoldings) effect repairs and an expansion of its cellars, incorporating access chutes and doors (for bagged refuse out, helped by gravity, and crated food supplies in, by means of ropes, pulleys, and hooks located in… #Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

3)
…the Mask).
After several unfortunate incidents, Liset hired a veteran all-female (but not all-human; the ranks include a half-orc, a gnome, a tabaxi, a loxo, and a thri-kreen) band of far-traveled but aging adventurers, 4)
…Darra’s Debatables, to provide security for the Mask. The leader of the band, Darra One-Eye (she wears an eyepatch to conceal not a missing eye, but a grafted-on monster eye rumored to have some unusual powers, unleashed on…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

5)
…foes through visible beams of magic), now manages the Mask on a daily basis, but her Debatables keep a low profile, spending much of their time behind spyholes in the Masks’s extensive network of secret passages, bursting…6)
…forth only when needed.
So the typical visitor will find the Mask little changed, still dimly-lit but well-furnished, with many hangings, comfortable overstuffed leather furniture, fur rugs underfoot stretched taut to avoid…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

7)
…any tripping hazards, with soft spotlights situated to fall on handy decanters, goblets, and trays of bite-sized delights (“larr-bites” [that we would call sausage rolls] chief among them, but bacon-wrapped mushrooms filled… 8)
…with sharp eesor [El described it to me as “like mushroom-laced strong cheddar; made by dwarves in Mirabar, and deeper places”] cheese and shrimp delight crunches not far behind). Aside from the rooms patrons rent, there are…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

9)
…“quiet areas” for private converse, the playing of games, and for business conferences, and “joyous corners” for noisier social interactions (revelry). The revelry takes place on the lowest public floors of the Mask, the… 10)
…gambling on floors above, and the quiet chambers on floors above that. The rentable bedchambers, by the way, are largely soundproofed (to each other and public passages, not to the labyrinth of servants’ and secret passages…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

11)
…that separate the rental rooms).
The staff visitors will encounter is still all-female, and they still wear the glowing, moonstone-trimmed (and, yes, magical) masks and the sheer black gowns. They are accompanied by the… 12)
…ghosts of several staffers who died in the Mask, who spy on guests and will protect staffers menaced by anyone, but otherwise usually remain silent and invisible (though at least two of them, Mleeset and the half-elf…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

13)
…Truulem, have a habit of whispering disconcerting warnings in the ears of guests who are up to mischief, without showing themselves first).
What I’ve written here makes the Mask sound far more dangerous than it typically is; …14)
…for most, it’s either a place for flirtation or more, or a carefree party-moot—or just a haven to get a safe, quiet sleep or rest in the heart of Neverwinter without being disturbed by anyone, except as you arrange to be…#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021

15)
…disturbed (with, say, breakfast in bed) before retiring.
By the way, the latest popular dessert offered in the Mask is “warm-suth” (crème brûlée, just as we know it, introduced to Liset by Elminster, shortly after his foray… 16)
…into some local restaurants that followed a visit to my Toronto home).#Realmslore

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) August 4, 2021