Is it just me, or is evil winning in the Forgotten Realms?

[Felon]

Thanks, Psi. I don't follow the novels. I just play in FR because I need a setting and WotC's books so far have been very good for the most part.

What series reveals this info? Was it Salvitore's 1000 Orcs trilogy?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It's the War of the Spider Queen series, Felon.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Well, I don't see how any of this made the drow stronger. Two major drow strongholds (Maermydia and I forget the other one) were pretty much annhiliated. Menzobezzaran was trashed pretty heavy. Lots of drow killed. Lots of slaves killed/escaped. Stores of magic depleted. Plus a major loss of prestige for the Lolth priestesshood. Social conflict between male and female drow. Heresies and competing religions.

Maybe not stronger per se, but I think that several of the Dark Seldarine had an influx of worshipers, and therefore of power, because of Lolth's Silence. And these deities are far more active on the surface than Lolth, Vhaeraun in particular. He should have had a really big influx during the Silence since the males saw the weakness of the females and used this opportunity to rebel against them.

Also, I think that the males' station might increase even in Lolth-dominated cities because of the whole situation.

Losing interest ... fast. It doesn't make sense that there's yet another Chosen. I'll be very upset if he became a Chosen of Mystra or any other good-aligned deity.

Actually, Mystra is supposed to act on behalf of magic, not of good and evil. So I could see an evil chosen of Mystra if he's promoting magic.

 

[Nightfall]

Alright all I know is this: In Elminster in Hell, Halaster got in good with Mystra. I thought, (and Kuje PLEASE help me here!) Halaster got the boon, because of saving Elminster, and became a Chosen WITHOUT losing his alignment.

Secondly, in regards to Psi-head,

Without saying much, I don't think what happened at the end changed the fact its' still Lolth, not another deity. I will agree though Lolth's actions, in pursuit of a goal that some claim was fulifulled (her becoming a greater goddess), were not just reckless but down right stupid. I mean I can excuse Cyric for blowing up Zhentil Keep. He had a lot of enemies there AND bad memories. That coupled with his own need for a fanatic following...well you see why I can forgive him for that. But to me, once again the drow panethon BLOWS the mark on making sense or even HAVING common sense.

Also no worries about that one female. Halistra's conversion didn't last and neither did Elistree's hope for cleansing the world. (I could have told her, Ellistree that. Let Orcus handle it. He deserves the shot for two reasons. One, he and Lolth have a history (1st edition.) And two, her death would be the start for the death of Kiaranselee and we ALL know Orcus wants to post her naked corspe on a spike outside Naratyr.

Shemmy,

So if I get married in Scarred Lands, does that mean you'll come to the wedding? (I am kind of a archmage... )

 

[kuje31]

Alright all I know is this: In Elminster in Hell, Halaster got in good with Mystra. I thought, (and Kuje PLEASE help me here!) Halaster got the boon, because of saving Elminster, and became a Chosen WITHOUT losing his alignment.

Yes and no Nightfall,

Halaster did get a boon and most of his sanity back (as much as a archmage that is hundreds of years old can be sane) but a Chosen of Mystra he is not. He's something to do with Mystra but what that is, fans don't know but we know 100% that he is not a Chosen.

BTW: I wasn't ignoring you the few times you tried to IM me, I just wasn't home.

 

[kanithardm]

I see a lot of people in this thread have played in the FR and some of you sound to be very knowledgeable.

I’m considering moving my home brew campaign away from my world and into the FR or Ebberon.

I’ve played the many FR computer games (still play Neverwinter Nights), and read maybe 30-35 of the novels, and I have the huge poster maps on my wall. I like the idea of the Realms, but I wonder if any of you have experience with moving from an “old” world into the FR with your game group.

Can you give me any stories of the problems or pitfalls of such a move? Do advise for or against it?

It saved my campaign. As a hardcore FR fan who reads all FR novels I should know. I love the high magic, turn the corner and find a BBEG feeling.

 

[kuje31]

As one of the chief FR developers at the moment, I'm pretty sure that Richard Baker doesn't need to "look into it."

Please don't misunderstand me. I respect Ed for what he's done and what he is still doing with the Realms, but it hasn't been "his" world for quite a while, and (from all accounts I've heard) his own version differs greatly from the one established as canon by TSR/WotC.

Ed posted this to me today since I wanted to know how this stood:

"Hello, all. Kuje, Ed wants you to know that although most of the “newer” TSR employees (and Rich was one of those) and of course all later WotC employees aren’t privy to the precise details of the Realms purchase agreement, and operate on the basis of whatever they’ve been told it is, everything has since been quietly and privately cleared up on this front. Er. Ed hopes.

However, Rich’s words, that you quoted in your post, are an accurate description of how things really do generally work, on a day-to-day basis. Which is fairly practical, and of course explains why inconsistencies sometimes creep in. Back around 1990 this sort thing made Ed tear his hair out. Now everyone’s more mellow, and tries to work together, and when Realmslore glitches occur, everyone tries to smooth it over."

Notice that Ed did not say that his words are not canon.

Edit: One of his players further said this later:

On July 9, 2005 THO said: Understood, Kuje.

Please pass on to those posters you and Faraer have been jousting with, this from me:

It’s my firm belief that Ed understands his contract quite well. It’s a short, simple document, as legal contracts go (and Ed has had legal training, and in his time has signed literally hundreds of publishing-related contracts; there aren’t all that many writers alive and active today who have been involved in more publications than Ed has), and I have also read it and its amendments, and understood them quite well. They just aren’t that complicated, folks. (Moreover, I know Ed has seen the exact same pages I have, because he passed them on to me.)

He passed them on not just to me, but to all of his original players, at the request of TSR, because all of us were required to “sign off” on having read and understood them. All of us were telephoned by TSR legal representatives (who told us they were taping the calls) to make sure we fully understood what we were signing.

We also each had to sign legal release forms for our Knights characters, formally recognizing that TSR now owned the characters we played (which Ed had created, named, and crafted back histories for, anyway), and could be published without any obligation to us. (Interestingly, those forms made mention of “payment of one (1) U.S. dollar” per character, to give the release legal force, and TSR never paid us those dollars. Ed did, but I don’t think they ever paid him.) Another bit of trivia: if action or “bendable/poseable” figurines, or tabletop or collectible miniatures, of the Knights of Myth Drannor characters are ever released, John Hunter (who played Florin) is entitled to one free Florin figure, "delivered free into his hands."

No offense to Rich Baker, whom I’m sure is a nice person and a smart man, but he wasn’t yet a TSR employee when all of this occurred, and so couldn’t have been privy to any of it.

love to all,
THO

 

[Nightfall]

Yes and no Nightfall,

Halaster did get a boon and most of his sanity back (as much as a archmage that is hundreds of years old can be sane) but a Chosen of Mystra he is not. He's something to do with Mystra but what that is, fans don't know but we know 100% that he is not a Chosen.

BTW: I wasn't ignoring you the few times you tried to IM me, I just wasn't home.

Firstly, glad I didn't imagine that. But how do we know he's 100% not chosen? No Silver fire then?

Secondly, uhm...okay but that was like four days ago...

And yes I noticed no one said Ed's word was cannon. That's because it's Kuje's!

 

[kuje31]

Firstly, glad I didn't imagine that. But how do we know he's 100% not chosen? No Silver fire then?

No silver fire, aye.

And we know he's not a Chosen because Ed has said Halaster isn't a Chosen at least twice in his Candlekeep answers.

 

[Nightfall]

Doh!

Well Ed would know since he wrote the series/the book.

Btw Kuje, if I got married in the Scarred Lands, would you be the best man at my wedding? I would ask Al but he's a demon...and I much rather he handle the bachlor party.