D&D General The Canadian Influence on the Forgotten Realms

[gyor]

I decided it would be best to spin this off into it's own discussion.

The original creator of the Forgotten Realms is Ed Greenwood who is a Canadian Librarian and Author and for those who knew what to look for the Forgotten Realms is infused with Canadianess. This makes it distinct in a way from all the American created settings. Which is not to say that FR doesn't have some American influences, it does, or that the Canadian influence strong in every part of FR, but it's a very Canadian setting at heart.

You see it in the environmental descriptions and the way heart urban centres are weaved together with vast and I mean vast regions of nature and rural farming regions, the fact that most of the races and cultures of FR are in fact immigrates to the world.

You see it in the fact that around the great cities of the Swordcoast you Native American like Tribes of Uthgardt.

You see it in the Parliamentary Democracy of Turmish.

You see it in the farm communities of the Dales.

You see it in the Law and Good government ideals of Cormyr.

You see it in the two solitudes of Aglarond and its history.

You see the era of Hudson's Bay (a corporation that ruled most of what would become Canada before Canada bought the land from them) in Merchant Ruled nations like Sembia and Amn.

You see it in the multiculturalism of the setting, the greater comfort with diverse forms of sexuality in the setting, and so on.

Ed Greenwood was the biggest Canadian influence on FR, but he is not the only one, Bioware which made the BG games was also Canadian and there possibly others.

Thoughts?

 

[GMMichael]

Is there ice hockey in FR? Mounties? Ogopogo?

Good observations, but I'm not convinced. If anything is uniquely Canadian (and western), I'd say it's a cold, tree-covered wilderness. With moose. So Icewind Dale could be Canadian, yeah, but all the Realms?

 

[dave2008]

I decided it would be best to spin this off into it's own discussion.

The original creator of the Forgotten Realms is Ed Greenwood who is a Canadian Librarian and Author and for those who knew what to look for the Forgotten Realms is infused with Canadianess. This makes it distinct in a way from all the American created settings. Which is not to say that FR doesn't have some American influences, it does, or that the Canadian influence strong in every part of FR, but it's a very Canadian setting at heart.

You see it in the environmental descriptions and the way heart urban centres are weaved together with vast and I mean vast regions of nature and rural farming regions, the fact that most of the races and cultures of FR are in fact immigrates to the world.

You see it in the fact that around the great cities of the Swordcoast you Native American like Tribes of Uthgardt.

You see it in the Parliamentary Democracy of Turmish.

You see it in the farm communities of the Dales.

You see it in the Law and Good government ideals of Cormyr.

You see it in the two solitudes of Aglarond and its history.

You see the era of Hudson's Bay (a corporation that ruled most of what would become Canada before Canada bought the land from them) in Merchant Ruled nations like Sembia and Amn.

You see it in the multiculturalism of the setting, the greater comfort with diverse forms of sexuality in the setting, and so on.

Ed Greenwood was the biggest Canadian influence on FR, but he is not the only one, Bioware which made the BG games was also Canadian and there possibly others.

Thoughts?

Maybe, but 90% (or more) of what you list seems pretty generic and applicable to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americans. Just basic human existence really.

 

[gyor]

Is there ice hockey in FR? Mounties? Ogopogo?

Good observations, but I'm not convinced. If anything is uniquely Canadian (and western), I'd say it's a cold, tree-covered wilderness. With moose. So Icewind Dale could be Canadian, yeah, but all the Realms?

First of all you really need to work on your geography. Canada has a lot of different ecosystens, desolate Artic Tundras, deserts (yes I said deserts, Forests of various kinds, Praires, Farms, Mountains, Oceans, Lakes, Caves systems, valleys, Temprate Rain Forests, massive urban spaces, islands, lush orchards, and more.

It's often subtle stuff that if were weren't familiar with Canadian History, Canadian Geography, and Canadian Culture your going to miss it. Which means 99% of Americans will miss it, oh he'll even some unobservant Canadians will miss it.

 

[gyor]

Maybe, but 90% (or more) of what you list seems pretty generic and applicable to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americans. Just basic human existence really.

To some degree in a broad sense, but the way it fits together feels very Canadian.

 

[dave2008]

To some degree in a broad sense, but the way it fits together feels very Canadian.

Maybe you have to be Canadian to see it.

That being said I assume you are speaking about certain parts of FR correct? I don't really know FR lore or geography much, but my understanding is there are parts, like Chult, that are very different than Canada.

 

[Shiroiken]

Is there ice hockey in FR? Mounties? Ogopogo?

No, but I bet they serve poutine in Waterdeep

 

[atanakar]

I'm Canadian and I don't see Canada in FR. And as a Quebecer your analogy of «two solitudes» with Alglarond feels shoe horned.

What makes FR original are all the factions, secret organizations, religions and power plays between them. Everything else is existant in other D&D settings. There are aboriginals in Mystara. Greyhawk was settled by waves of immigrants, etc.

 

[gyor]

Maybe you have to be Canadian to see it.

That being said I assume you are speaking about certain parts of FR correct? I don't really know FR lore or geography much, but my understanding is there are parts, like Chult, that are very different than Canada.

Like I said, it's subtle, in some cases very, very subtle, but Canada does have rain forests like Chult, although the Temp is different and of course no living Dinosaurs, although plenty of fossils in Canada.

 

[dave2008]

Like I said, it's subtle, in some cases very, very subtle, but Canada does have rain forests like Chult, although the Temp is different and of course no living Dinosaurs, although plenty of fossils in Canada.

Canada has rain forest, but not like Chult. The US has temperate rain forest too, but they are nothing like tropical rain forests (which is what I think Chult is modeled after). If you are saying the temperate rain forest of Canada were the inspiration for the tropical rain forest in Chult I think that hurts your credibility. Just except that some parts of FR are / could have a Canadian influence and others not so much. I mean it makes sense that the areas he started with would reflect his home area and what he knew. Later areas probably less and less so.

 

[bloodtide]

Much of the Realms has a very Canadian, American, and North American feel. Plus a nice 16th-17th century feel(without the gunpoweder). Also it has a strong small (north American) town feel. And a lot of stone ruins, covering Central Mexico and Europe.

I'm not sure much of it is "unique" to Canada. Much of it covers the middle of North America, the Midwest.

 

[Weiley31]

And thus sayeth Elminster: Eh

 

[gyor]

No, but I bet they serve poutine in Waterdeep

If Waterdeep is the city I believe it is it does

 

[gyor]

Much of the Realms has a very Canadian, American, and North American feel. Plus a nice 16th-17th century feel(without the gunpoweder). Also it has a strong small (north American) town feel. And a lot of stone ruins, covering Central Mexico and Europe.

I'm not sure much of it is "unique" to Canada. Much of it covers the middle of North America, the Midwest.

There is Smoke Powder. And it's a mix of cultural elements, geography, and the way the setting is put together.

And the Canadian influence isn't the only influence.

 

[gyor]

Oh by the way in 4e the Canadian "region" of FR according to the Living Forgotten Realms was Akanul. What this means in practice I have no idea.

Akanûl

Living Forgotten Realms Dungeons and Dragons campaign region of Akanûl (Canada).

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[Tonguez]

Sorry to the Canadians but is Canada really all that different from the Northern USA? and arent you guys like all ‘North America’

I decided it would be best to spin this off into it's own discussion.

The original creator of the Forgotten Realms is Ed Greenwood who is a Canadian Librarian and Author and for those who knew what to look for the Forgotten Realms is infused with Canadianess. This makes it distinct in a way from all the American created settings.

 

[dave2008]

Sorry to the Canadians but is Canada really all that different from the Northern USA? and arent you guys like all ‘North America’

North America includes Mexico too, so the term 'North America' is probably to broad to use in the context of the OP. Heck there can be significant culture differences in different regions (north/south/east/west/midwest,etc.) of the USA, such that just saying something is based on the USA or 'America' is not very helpful.

 

[aco175]

Eh.

 

[Lanefan]

Sorry to the Canadians but is Canada really all that different from the Northern USA? and arent you guys like all ‘North America’

Geographically, climatologically, etc. there's many similarities between much of southern Canada and more or less the northern half of the USA.

Culturally, there's generally some similarity close to the border but get anywhere deeper into the USA and that similarity diminishes rapidly; in large part due to the influences of significant cultural minorities. The USA, for example, has far greater influence from its African-American and Latino populations than does Canada; in contrast Canada has far more influence from its French-Canadian and (in the west, anyway) Asian populations than does the USA.

Politically, there's a rather sharp divide at the border no matter how you slice it.

At least Americans have finally more or less figured out that Canadian beer is better.

 

[Todd Roybark]

At least Americans have finally more or less figured out that Canadian beer is better.

That was true before the microbrew explosion of the last several years. Not anymore.

Canadian Rye Whiskey, is under appreciated, however.