DMZ2112
Chaotic Looseleaf
Inspired by the recent post on the end of Forgotten Realms novels, I thought I might bring this to the attention of the community because I think it might be relevant. My apologies if it has already been brought up, but I could not find reference to it, possibly because of the recent database troubles.
I finished reading Ed Greenwood's Death Masks a few weeks ago and was surprised to find Mordenkainen, of Greyhawk fame, making appearances throughout the book. His role is minor; although he does help Elminster out of a scrape or two, he seems to mostly serve the purpose of keeping Elminster out of the main story arc so that it can focus on other characters.
Elminster is apparently helping Mordenkainen restore his mind -- more specifically, the Sage of Shadowdale is acting as a shield while Mordenkainen heals himself, in case the Oeridian archmage goes explosively mad and puts himself or Toril at risk. The characterization is kind to Mordenkainen, and doesn't cast him as helpless, which would be easy to do.
But the real question it raises is, "Why Mordenkainen?" Any number of characters from the extended cast of the Forgotten Realms could have served the same purpose. Mordenkainen's role in the story is not a cameo, it is dynamic. While firmly set in the background, he goes from gibbering and violent at the beginning of the book to composed and helpful by the end. He develops, from a character perspective. Again, why?
In general, Death Masks reads like a "setting reset." It pointedly undoes the status quo established by 4th Edition and lays the groundwork for a lot of future Realms material, whether that material is novels or game supplements. It does things like replacing a large number of Masked Lords while introducing Omin Dran (of Acquisitions Incorporated) into the official canon of the setting. It sets up Storm King's Thunder, with the arrival of the cloud castle over Waterdeep. It introduces the setting's first homosexual male couple (to the best of my knowledge).
In short, the book, while entertaining, feels like it was constructed to specifications. As a result, I wondered if Mordenkainen's appearance and recovery could portend an earlier than later return to Greyhawk. Then I happened upon something interesting.
On July 7, Ed Greenwood gave an interview on Dragon Talk (the official D&D podcast) where he confirmed my suspicion that Death Masks was something of a thinly disguised roadmap for the next few years of D&D, dense with what he called "easter eggs." He made explicit reference to discussing with Chris Perkins a "checklist" of beats that he was to hit in the story. You can listen to the interview yourself; the actual statement was meandering and difficult to transcribe (gods bless Ed Greenwood), but very clear in its intent. He does not mention Mordenkainen by name, but there is a strong implication that he is one of these easter eggs.
So if we're about to see a change in the Realms novel lineup, as others have suspected, I have to wonder if Mordenkainen's sudden introduction into Realms canon has some bearing on the other news we are hearing. I am inclined to agree with the crowd that it is too early for a move to Greyhawk from the Forgotten Realms for 5th Edition, but this sequence of coincidences was just too much for me to ignore entirely.
I finished reading Ed Greenwood's Death Masks a few weeks ago and was surprised to find Mordenkainen, of Greyhawk fame, making appearances throughout the book. His role is minor; although he does help Elminster out of a scrape or two, he seems to mostly serve the purpose of keeping Elminster out of the main story arc so that it can focus on other characters.
Elminster is apparently helping Mordenkainen restore his mind -- more specifically, the Sage of Shadowdale is acting as a shield while Mordenkainen heals himself, in case the Oeridian archmage goes explosively mad and puts himself or Toril at risk. The characterization is kind to Mordenkainen, and doesn't cast him as helpless, which would be easy to do.
But the real question it raises is, "Why Mordenkainen?" Any number of characters from the extended cast of the Forgotten Realms could have served the same purpose. Mordenkainen's role in the story is not a cameo, it is dynamic. While firmly set in the background, he goes from gibbering and violent at the beginning of the book to composed and helpful by the end. He develops, from a character perspective. Again, why?
In general, Death Masks reads like a "setting reset." It pointedly undoes the status quo established by 4th Edition and lays the groundwork for a lot of future Realms material, whether that material is novels or game supplements. It does things like replacing a large number of Masked Lords while introducing Omin Dran (of Acquisitions Incorporated) into the official canon of the setting. It sets up Storm King's Thunder, with the arrival of the cloud castle over Waterdeep. It introduces the setting's first homosexual male couple (to the best of my knowledge).
In short, the book, while entertaining, feels like it was constructed to specifications. As a result, I wondered if Mordenkainen's appearance and recovery could portend an earlier than later return to Greyhawk. Then I happened upon something interesting.
On July 7, Ed Greenwood gave an interview on Dragon Talk (the official D&D podcast) where he confirmed my suspicion that Death Masks was something of a thinly disguised roadmap for the next few years of D&D, dense with what he called "easter eggs." He made explicit reference to discussing with Chris Perkins a "checklist" of beats that he was to hit in the story. You can listen to the interview yourself; the actual statement was meandering and difficult to transcribe (gods bless Ed Greenwood), but very clear in its intent. He does not mention Mordenkainen by name, but there is a strong implication that he is one of these easter eggs.
So if we're about to see a change in the Realms novel lineup, as others have suspected, I have to wonder if Mordenkainen's sudden introduction into Realms canon has some bearing on the other news we are hearing. I am inclined to agree with the crowd that it is too early for a move to Greyhawk from the Forgotten Realms for 5th Edition, but this sequence of coincidences was just too much for me to ignore entirely.
