What is the Sundering?

[Riley]

My guess is that... we'll discover that the future is also the past and the Forgotten Realms is a circular history. Thus, the Sundering is the last Realms Shattering Event because it's also the first one.

And apparently, there was a ''Sundering'' in the ancient past of the FR:

Search results for 'sundering'History of the Forgotten Realms

(Might not be news to serious FR fans, but it was news to me. I'd XP you Jeff for probably being right, but I "must spread some..." yada yada yada)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

My guess is that something terrible and world destroying will occur as a result of the merging of Abeir and Toril. Great wars and disasters will occur, the two worlds will be separated again, and we'll discover that the future is also the past and the Forgotten Realms is a circular history. Thus, the Sundering is the last Realms Shattering Event because it's also the first one.

Twisted and evil. Are you sure Robert Jordan isn't writing FR backstory? (Aside from his being dead, of course. But that wouldn't be an impediment to the turning of the wheel.)

 

[Pour]

In light of Mearls agreeing that the high-level NPCs hog all the story, drama, and purpose of adventuring, I wonder if the Sundering will also divide the Forgotten Realms from its heavy hitters, aka Drizzt and Elminster are trapped on the other world.

My actual hope is they all die at the end, but yeah, I know...

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

My actual hope is they all die at the end, but yeah, I know...

Best possible ending to the last novel:

"Rocks fall. Everyone dies."

Ed put down his dice, closed his books, and looked at his friends around the table from behind the screen in front of him.

"Well, that's the end," he said. "What do you want to run for our next campaign?"

 

[Dice4Hire]

Best possible ending to the last novel:

"Rocks fall. Everyone dies."

Ed put down his dice, closed his books, and looked at his friends around the table from behind the screen in front of him.

"Well, that's the end," he said. "What do you want to run for our next campaign?"

Better:

"I've got this great idea for something new. Who wants to hear it?"

 

[Ahwe Yahzhe]

In light of Mearls agreeing that the high-level NPCs hog all the story, drama, and purpose of adventuring, I wonder if the Sundering will also divide the Forgotten Realms from its heavy hitters, aka Drizzt and Elminster are trapped on the other world.

My actual hope is they all die at the end, but yeah, I know...

Where did Mearls agree that high-level NPC do this? Because it's the most tired fallacy perpetuated by anyone looking for an excuse to hate on the Realms. All of you who STILL whinge about Elminster keeping you from playing meaningful campaigns sure as heck didn't jump into FR when the 4th Edition travesty put a 100-year distance between all the supposed uber-NPCs. If anything, WotC realize what a disaster the "clean slate" Forgotten Realms was and released a decent Neverwinter book with some actual content to it. (Although they are still so traumatized by the uber-NPC accusations apparently they had to make it a Heroic tier-only campaign book.)

So you had your chance to play Forgotten Realms without high-level NPCs, and it was a mess that alienated dedicated Realms fans and failed to attract new players. Why are so many of you still beating this dead horse?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Why are so many of you still beating this dead horse?

It's not dead yet. In fact, it might be getting better.

 

[Pour]

@Ahwe Yahzhe It's near the end of the interview I think, after they introduce the Sundering and Pirate mentions the downside of realms-shaking events, high-level NPCs, and the players feeling second fiddle. He did a great job hosting that, btw. I'm not making it up. Mearls agrees, though I wish they panned to Ed's face, probably emoting the equivalent of swallowing bile hehe. It segways into the new Living FR Campaign and the idea that DM reports will be shaping the realms, and the whole idea of 'Your stories are more important than ours".

Edit: For the record, though, I kind of wish they skipped FR for 4e. As you said, the long-times fans love their lore, and the new school doesn't really care. I'd have prefered the Nentir Vale Gazetteer, and another new setting squeezed in that time period.

 

[Janaxstrus]

I'm just glad it sounds like they are un-Spellplaguing FR.

That sounds exceptional.

 

[fjw70]

Actually, the correct Who-Shot-JR reference would be, "And Mystra is in the shower. With Elminster."

It wasn't a Who-Shot-Jr reference. It was a reference to the season of Dallas that was a dream.