#Greenwood's Grotto

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

illuminatirob — Hello @Ed Greenwood! I am so happy to be here. I've been a heavy user of Candlekeep's forums over the years, and I have some questions that have been argued extensively, and I'd love to have the ultimate input on then I might be so fortunate?  (Even though, I may get flak over this, haha) Is Khelben evil? I ask the question from the lens of normative ethics, regarding his having taken the Scepter of the Sorcerer King, and giving it to Fzoul. The ensuing carnage and problems were extensive, and in light of them, and the fact that Khelben is one of the Master Harper's that came up with the code of the Harper's, how can he say he lived by those tenets and doing the right thing, with everything that came of his actions in the end? I mean no disrespect: I just love analyzing characters, and I've run through this a million times in my head. Khelben is one of my favorite characters ever. So compelling!

Ed Greenwood — Khelben is an "end justifies the means" person, who (like, say, James T. Kirk of STAR TREK fame) won't hesitate to break laws or rules to "win." He can be harsh and arrogant, too, as he believes he KNOWS the right end goal, and will push for it against the "blindly ignorant." Whereas most of the Seven believe it's not just what you do, or why, but HOW you do it; if you run roughshod over "little people" to forge a better kingdom for them, how are you better than the next tyrant? So Khelben can certainly be seen as evil. That's the thing about the Realms: everyone is a shade of gray. We watch their moral journeys in the novels, and lore, and adventures, and none of them are static. Elminster is generally nicer and more whimsical than straight-shooter Khelben, but also more sly. It takes all sorts to make (and mar) a world.

illuminatirob — Hey @Ed Greenwood, Thank you so very much for that answer, and right away too! I'm honored. I figured Khelben was a consequentialist, and I've had long debates about it, but this is great: thee answer. That's the most amazing thing about ethics: you're "good" in someone's book, and "evil" in another's, simply by the fact that the rules set is different for evaluating morality. Thank you!

Ed Greenwood — You're very welcome! Steven Schend "adopted" Khelben and has penned novels starring him, and he and I have discussed Khelben's character extensively over the years. One other thing to bear in mind: Mystra's Chosen are all very old, and "play the long game," and have suffered much grief, as they outlive kin, friends, and even the realms they grew up in; they're not sane by how we judge things. My Realms tales look at how power corrupts, and how long life claws at psyches, and so on. Khelben became a "hardcase" because it worked for him, to serve Mystra best; the ruthless manipulator and negotiator. Others took different paths.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[artemis-entreri]

Hey y'all! As some of you have noticed, I'm not really in the fandom anymore, so I might as well make it official with this post. There wasn't anything that caused it, I just became more interested in other things. I made a Redbubble with some of my Artemis Entreri/Jarlaxle/Jartemis art that you can buy as merch, which includes the above images as well as some others:

You can find my other art in this tag: My LoD Art

If you like my art enough to follow me into other franchises, here's a link to all of my art accounts.

I'm still happy to try to help with Forgotten Realms and Legend of Drizzt questions, but I will no longer be keeping up to date about either, so you'll mostly be tapping into my knowledge about past stuff. In LoD's case, it seems that the book series has come to an end, as there doesn't appear to be any contracts for new trilogies presently, but who knows if that'll change in the future. For FR, your best bet is to get information from the sources directly, as that was what I'd use to stay updated. I recommend these places for asking questions:

Forgotten Realms Wiki: Hands down the best resource for anything Forgotten Realms related. Comprehensive and thorough, it is maintained by a small dedicated group of fans, and it's so good that official FR creatives reference it.

Candlekeep Forum: While the layout is certainly retro, it continues to contain the most knowledgeable and passionate Realms afficionados.

Greenwood's Grotto Discord Server: This is Ed Greenwood, the creator of the Forgotten Realms', official Discord server. It is curated by a passionate group of Greenwood fans and produces FR content regularly featuring the archmage himself.

Forgotten Realms Discord Server: Smaller and less active than Greenwood's Grotto, but less likely that your question will get scrolled past without anyone noticing it.

Forgotten Realms Reddit: I've not used this particular sub much myself, but the large member base means that it's probably a good resource for crowdsourcing answers.

I still have a lot of WIPs of both fics and art in this fandom that I may finish up and post later, it's hard to say. I guess we'll just have to see!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This $15M mansion is on a private island in Saint Albans Bay on Lake Minnetonka in Greenwood, Minnesota. The home is on the market at about two and a half times more per square foot than other homes in the area, which typically go for about $1.2 million total. You get to the home thru a private tunnel.

And, in the tunnel, your car also goes thru a car wash, so it arrives in the garage nice and clean.

The home was built using the guiding principles of 16th cent. Italian architect Andrea Palladio.

The current owner spent $5M to furnishit, but later pleaded guilty to tax fraud and is now in federal prison.

The fireplaces in this home are stunning.

This is called the casual dining room and it adjoins the kitchen.

The kitchen has lots of marble and a carved hood over the stove.

The formal dining room has geode print wallpaper.

The home has a bar lounge, wine rooms and a cigar and poker room.

The sitting room has a big slab marble fireplace.

Round seating reflects the rounded windows.

An indoor grotto pool with gold-colored tiling.

The atrium has an 18 x 80 ft. glass enclosure.

It is one of the largest enclosed atriums in the state.

An elevator in the atrium goes up to all 4 floors of the home.

Before the current owner went to prison, he had intended to scale the house down.

The home has five bedrooms, including this one which is staged with an office area.

This bedroom has a red tray ceiling and a large vanity.

The primary bedroom suite has a huge walk-in closet.

The patio and pool face the lake.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/26/15m-private-island-lair-features-underground-car-wash-entry/

[lailoken]

‘Concerning the Holy Altar’

“Wayfarer, be True in thy Devotion! For such is the Holy Passion of Art, and an active, rather than a passive purity. All sorcerous power arises by compact of spirit-intercession, and this covenant is bound by love and devotion. This is the Great Congressus, or Convocation of the Powers and Orders of the Spirit World, which has been called 'The Sabbath' by the Wise of Art. And yet, in preparation for this Feast of Souls, one must also be wholly devoted unto the Grove of its transpiration, and unto the ever wending Path which leads to its Heart Direct. Here then, is the place of Arrival, where the Holy Deeds of Magic are exacted, and the Spirits come forth and speak from the Temple of Wood. The Shrine of Working is the living repository of the Wayfarer's Art, the concealed shrine of the place of working, and the sanctum of the Holy Relics. As the Table of Midnight's Feast, the Altar is the place of devotion and petition, but more importantly of communion with the spirits. Thus let the Working Table be set resplendent in sumptuous preparation for the attending host, or yet barren, in respectful accordance with the spare doctrines of the Hermit.

When calling forth the spirits beneath the open sky, let the Laws of the Land determine the form of the Holy Altar. The Wayfarer proceeding unto the temple of the Wild need worship, pray and make offerings only at such good places as Nature provides: a flat-topped boulder, a smooth expanse of ground amidst the hedgerow; a moss-covered log; a hillock in a ring of trees; the varied niches and hollows appearing in a cliff face. Such places are revealed by the Spirits of Place in accord with their favour: these are the Holy Altars of the Greenwood, the grottoes of the nymphs, and the shrines of local genii. Elsewise, when devotions are made within the habitations of man, let the domiciliary Table of Working be wrought of the wood of thy Patron Tree, sacrificed according to good principle, and fashioned accordance with necessity, ingenium, and the guidance of the spirits.

When working upon the wooden table of the private shrine, let a precious anointing oil be first applied in Benediction, made from the blessed unguents of Four Holy Trees, and each time thereafter in devotional compact. The first tree is Almond, Hearth of the Powers of Aaron, the oil of which shall form the base of the unguent in eight parts. To this is added Oil of Cedar of Lebanon, in six parts; Oil of Olibanum in two parts; and Oil of Myrtle in one part.”

—

Viridarium Umbris:

The Pleasure Garden of Shadow

6: ‘The Book of Going Forth Into the Field of Cain’

by Daniel A. Schulke

[littlelimonslice]

my synesthetic associations for each track on folklore by taylor swift

the 1 - lithium quartz. sweet riesling. the r.m.s. titanic. light greyscale. driving home from work over the summer, sunlight pouring into your car. a small waterfall in a grotto, the water bearer blonde and mauve-gowned. pollen. gas stations lit up at night.

cardigan - pale yellow incandescent star. a heavy robe over black lingerie. hardwood floors. pink lemonade. holographic green-and-purple-black mermaid tails. inky darkness. red glitter lips, dress, and a puff of smoke. stale black coffee.

tlgad - manic blue. tastes like salt. the beaches in eternal sunshine. waves crashing against the rocks. 80s-style hair. mary poppins. staying up all night and seeing the sun rise over the pier. donut bakeries. white seashells. raw aquamarine. the summer i turned pretty by jenny han.

exile - maroon velvet. white flapper dresses. canoes on a misty lake. an otherwise empty waiting room. profound sadness. poison oak. screaming in a nightmare but no sound comes out. melting blue water that slips through your fingers. medication.

my tears ricochet - the gas station during daylight. stems and green soundwaves. open sky. silver echoes. phoebe bridgers. slim poetry books. pearls dissolving in wine. pine casket. the lake my little brother loves to fish in. antique malls.

mirrorball - san junipero. warm lavender fuschia lights. glass slippers. black bodysuits. old disney movie cartoons. shag carpet. alt-bi-girl-witch-tok. taking your little sister shopping. taping up LEDs and greening out. sour patch bandersnatch kids.

seven - daisies and camping in a lush green forest. lightwash jean lumberjacks. lemony snickett. the california redwoods. a brown ukulele. oil paint clumps on a canvas; art you can touch. gingham dresses. silver jewelry. the miseducation of cameron post.

august - plum barefoot moscato. baby's breath. mushroom risotto. freckles. grassy green hills. driving at night, all the orange-blue light. rain soaked cement. tightness in the throat. golden blonde honey hair. lipstick from a stage makeup kit.

this is me trying - sharp white and molten titanium. 2000s computer labs. masculine hands. a navy hooded sweatshirt. beige. building a wood table from scratch. campfires. air signs. your dad's shaving kit. cold brew.

illicit affairs - melodrama blue dusk. red lipstick. the manhattan skyline over the hudson. black-and-white photographs. stained wineglasses. scream-sobbing the lyrics to a breakup song alone in your car. raining raining raining all night.

invisible string - you put your arm around me for the first time. the golden gods. kitten heels running across cobblestone to the river cruise. scallops and penne alla vodka. the taste of her mouth just after she sipped chilled chardonnay. sprigs of mint.

mad woman - aquarius. vampy makeup. silver swords and dark evening gowns. a long dining table. firecrackers. cast iron pans. suedey book covers. blue goldstone. the moulin rouge. mars in cancer. rattlesnakes under our boots.

epiphany - the things they carried. grey but it's not beautiful. cold vibrations through muffled microphones. blood on blue scrubs; watching the good doctor on hulu. curling up in bed with your laptop. sushi and comfort movies. english breakfast tea. pride and prejudice. green light.

betty - zippered crop top. rosé in rainbow prism glasses. a light blue house. the lantern glow on emerald leaves. pink prom dress and acoustic guitar. fairy lights. acrylic nails. his sweatshirt burning in your driveway. a red pickup truck. our tree named steve by david catrow.

peace - welcoming, fresh yellow. a plant nursery. ice cold water. halo. soft flower crowns. safe and sound. white marimba and lute. dulce de leche. raw ginger. pixie hollow. secluded log cabins. a wedding in a barn. pansies and flannel.

hoax - motown nights at the house of blues. pink lip gloss. chicago evenings. salty French fries. dark green colored pencils. stomping in your sneakers across the blacktop. chromatic oil spills. lofted harmonies. tuesday nights in 1980 by molly prentiss. riding over the dunes at dawn.

the lakes - annotating books for leisure. saphhires. strumming the lyre. tangled limbs in warm glow. hot springs. birds chirping. flora and fauna. drifting to sleep. a nostalgia you can't explain; a romantic sting. celestite snow. greenwood.

[reblog with your fav in the tags?]

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Minnesota’s Most Expensive Home Is a $15M Mansion on a Private Island

realtor.com

A magnificent Minnesota mansion surrounded by water is the state’s most expensive listing. Listed for $15 million, the enormous residence sits alone on a 1.37-acre spit of land that juts out into St. Alban’s Bay.

Known as Windermere, the estate in Greenwood, MN, offers water views from almost every vantage point and is on the market for the first time as a completed estate.

Access to the 13,949-square-foot home is over a private bridge. Once on the island, visitors wind up in a large motor court, while the owners can make their way through a tunnel and directly into an eight-car garage that features an automatic car wash.

Aerial view of mansion in Greenwood, MN

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Entry

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Bedroom

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Bedroom

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Bedroom

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Master bathroom

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Master bathroom

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Closet

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Bedroom

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A color palette heavy on black, white, and gold gives the interior the vibe of a high-end nightclub. But the space itself is far from dark and foreboding—thanks to an enormous glass-enclosed atrium, which floods the space with natural light.

In addition to the enormous atrium, the entryway features several dramatic staircases and balconies overhead.

A large glass elevator, designed to shuttle guests between the home’s four levels, is located next to a grand spiral staircase.

Elevator

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Elevator

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Atrium

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Atrium

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A huge kitchen, with two large islands, is a vision in white, with twinkling chandeliers hanging overhead. An adjacent dining area features bold geometric wallpaper and space to host a crowd.

The home’s five bedrooms are all uniformly huge and hew to the home’s black-and-white color palette. The master bathroom has intricately patterned tile flooring, and a large soaker tub sits in the middle of the space. A boutiquelike master closet space offers ample room to display an entire wardrobe and any opulent accessories on hand.

When it’s time to relax, you can try out the 12-person movie theater with a lounge in the back, a card room, and the wine room.

Dining area

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Kitchen

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Kitchen

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Kitchen and dining area

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Theater

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Theater

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An indoor grotto area is another perfect place to unwind. Next to the indoor soaking area is a spalike facility with a sauna and locker room.

Out back, there’s a huge, heated infinity-edge pool next to the domed poolhouse. A boat slip provides access to all types of water sports.

Gym

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Grotto

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Entry to grotto

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Completion of the grand mansion was almost two decades in the making.

The disgraced former water park and hotel developer Jeffrey Wirth owned the land and began construction in 2003.

Construction came to a halt in 2006, and the project sat partially finished for years, as weeds and neglect overtook the property.

Wirth pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to commit tax fraud in May 2012. He was sentenced to 53 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $6.45 million in restitution.

According to published reports, prosecutors called his case one of the largest tax fraud conspiracies in Minnesota history.

The restaurant owner Kam Talebi bought the property in 2013, for what public records say was just more than a million dollars, and set out to finish building what Wirth started.

Jessica Prudden with Prudden & Company is the listing agent. The listing simply calls the estate “magical.”

Exterior and pool

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Outdoor space

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Bedroom

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Living space

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Living space

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Living space

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Living space

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Den

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The post Minnesota’s Most Expensive Home Is a $15M Mansion on a Private Island appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

from https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/minnesota-most-expensive-home-mansion-private-island/

[anisanews]

$15M private island lair features underground car wash entry

This wild mansion located on a private island in Minnesota comes with an especially unique amenity: unlimited underground car washes.

A one-of-a-kind home fit for a mysterious international spy is located on Lake Minnetonka, and has just listed for $15 million. To get to the home, the owner must wheel through an underground tunnel — complete with car wash — to park in an eight-car garage.

Visitors must take a regular bridge to the terraced motor court, but from there, they have the option to enter the tunnel on the right or the garage and car wash on the left. The two sides join and lead to an outlet in a mysterious undisclosed location.

“By [having guests enter] the garage on the side, there is an opportunity to screen the entrance from adjoining properties… another consideration was security,” said the builder, David Erotas, to the Greenwood city council according to 2014 meeting minutes.

“The parking area is intended to be a direct access to the house for family and friends,” the owner, Kam Talebi, told the city council.

The private island is in Saint Albans Bay on Lake Minnetonka in Greenwood, Minnesota.

Realtor.com

The home, which includes several underground tunnels, also comes with a pool.

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The buyer can dry off from a dip in the lake or the pool next to one of the home’s six fireplaces.

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The entrance isn’t the home’s only underground tunnel. The two-winged mansion has an oversized glass dome-topped pool house (and heated outdoor pool) that is accessible via a subterranean tunnel as well, according to the listing.

What else do Batman-like millionaires like to do, other than sneak around underground? In this house, they can drink in the bar lounge and wine rooms, or they can puff a cigar in the poker room, according to the listing.

For exercise and relaxation, the home offers an indoor grotto with gold-colored tiling, a full gym, a sauna, a locker room and a relaxation room. The buyer can dry off next to one of the home’s six fireplaces.

An indoor grotto pool with a gold-colored tiling is pictured.

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Want a drink? The home has a bar lounge, wine rooms and a cigar and poker room.

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The heated outdoor pool has views of the lake.

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Two main wings are connected by an interior courtyard, and a dome-topped pool house is accessible via an underground tunnel.

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Up Next Close

An explosion was reported from within the vessel, Navy spokesman…

The mansion is a hybrid of Mediterranean and modern style. Terracotta roof tiles provide sharp contrast to the huge, arched 80-feet by 18-feet skylight in the center of the house. It is one of the largest glass-enclosed atriums in Minnesota, centered around a steel-cable glass elevator.

“We’re starting to get quite a bit of interest globally” from potential buyers, listing broker Jessica Prudden of Prudden Company told The Post. 

The atrium has a glass elevator with steel cables servicing four floors of the home.

Realtor.com

The home’s asking price is about two and a half times more expensive per square foot than other homes in the area, which typically ask about $1.2 million, according to Realtor.com.

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Up Next Close

An explosion was reported from within the vessel, Navy spokesman…

This is the scaled-down version?

The completion of the home end caps almost two decades of fraud, false starts and finally, a restaurateur with a vision. Now, for the first time, it is finished and on the market — giving the public a glimpse of the mega-mansion shrouded in rumor.

Beginning in 2003, eccentric onetime-millionaire developer Jeffrey Wirth allegedly spent more than $5 million of his company’s money — fraudulently — to build this mansion in St. Albans Bay on Lake Minnetonka.

The formal dining room is decked out in geode-like wallpaper.

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He named it the “Isle of Windemere” after Ernest Hemingway’s boyhood summer cottage in Michigan.

But he paused construction in 2006 and listed it for sale in 2010 for $6 million. “The Isle of Windemere” sat half-finished and overtaken by weeds while the price dropped to $4 million.

The city received “a lot of phone calls complaining” about the eyesore, according to City Clerk Gus Karpas, and Greenwood ordered Wirth to finish the exterior by July 2012. But by then, he pleaded guilty to tax fraud and went to federal prison, the Star Tribune reported.

The home has five bedrooms, including this one which is staged with an office area.

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This bedroom has a red tray ceiling and a large vanity.

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‘Crave’ owner drops a few million to finish the project

Local complaints about the “eyesore” were relieved by local restaurateur Kam Talebi, who purchased the island for somewhere between $1 million and $2 million in 2013.

He appears to have spent at least $5 million to finish renovating the five-bedroom, nine-bathroom property over the better part of a decade, records show.

Talebi turned to the original developer, luxury homebuilder David Erotas, to finish the mansion, according to Artful Living magazine. 

The primary bedroom suite has a huge walk-in closet.

Realtor.com

This sitting room has a huge slab fireplace.

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Round seating complements rounded windows.

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Up Next Close

An explosion was reported from within the vessel, Navy spokesman…

Wirth faced divorce in 2008, halting construction, and by 2012, he pleaded guilty to tax fraud and went to federal prison.

Realtor.com

“[Talebi is] going to scale down the interiors — which were admittedly pretty over the top… but many of the unusual features he’s going to keep,” Erotas told Artful Living when the project resumed in 2013.

Asking $15 million, the home is listed at about two and a half times more expensive per square foot than other homes in the area, which typically go for about $1.2 million total, according to Realtor.com.

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3yBl1GZ

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[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

Augustoc — RE: “because we broke the "stay on the Sword Coast" rule: Wait, that's an actual rule? I thought this was a meme the D&D community had made up... This explains so much.

Ed Greenwood — Wizards is a Hasbro company, and Hasbro International and other arms of Hasbro, as well as Wizards directly, license out their IP to make $$$ (Realms throw blankets, toy Drizzt scimitars, etc.). If they confine the in-house canon D&D products to the Sword Coast, they can tell a licensee "you can do anything you want in Thay, or Rashemen, or Mulhorand, if you set your product there." So, they stay in the Sword Coast...

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

Melody — Okay, let me ask a question I've long wondered, @Ed Greenwood. Do you have a personal piece of artwork of Elminster you consider the "definitive" version of him, or just one that you really like and keep going back to in your head? I confess, I was rather smitten by the MtG artwork of Elminster, but I'm curious what your own personal favorite is

Augustoc —

Ed Greenwood — Of the art that's been seen widely, as opposed to my own sketches, the one Augusto just posted here (minus the shades ;} ) is one I'm very fond of. I generally dislike any depiction of the Old Mage with braided hair. The Temptation of Elminster hardcover had a VERY good depiction of the young Elminster on it.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

Cdawg — For Ed, did you have any input into the Baldur's Gate III video game?

Augustoc — I'd like to expand this question: How much input do you have in different sources of media? I'm curious about how these 4 kinds of media compare in regard to Ed's level input: 1. An official WotC published module, like Princes of the Apocalypse 2. A semi-official DMs guild supplement that you co-authored 3. A novel set in the Realms, but written by a different author, like Brimstone Angels (gosh I miss those so bad) 4. A video game set in the Forgotten Realms, specifically Baldur's Gate 3

Cdawg — I'm also curious, after all these years, if Ed has played any of the Forgotten Realms games and if so, what he enjoyed most about them.

Ed Greenwood — Warning to all: computer games have the strongest NDAs, they never get removed, and so I can often say little.

I have played a FEW of the FR games, usually in demo mode. My perennial problem was that I was writing on Macs, and the games were designed on Macs but released for PCs. My secondary problem was time: as in, I didn't have any to spend on playing computer games. I made a few exceptions, the Lucasfilm game LOOM for example, and have been known to play Solitaire during boring business calls, but...no time. Sigh.

And as for my involvement:

1. An official WotC published module, like Princes of the Apocalypse: I don't get to see the main text, but I get given a writing assignment (e.g. for Volo's Guide it was huge batches of Volo and Elminster back-and-forth comments, and an intro; about a quarter of those comments got used) and do it. I always give extra, in hopes the lore can be used elsewhere and elsewhen. It's more important to get the Realms out there than to get paid or credit or control...

2. A semi-official DMs guild supplement that you co-authored: Border Kingdoms is official, Thay is not, because we broke the "stay on the Sword Coast" rule. For both of those, Alex Kammer bankrolled, directed the art, oversaw the layout, and wrote the adventure. Alan Patrick did new classes and monsters. I did world lore, from Shel's tour to designing the heraldry to the daily life details. My jam. 

3. A novel set in the Realms, but written by a different author, like Brimstone Angels (gosh I miss those so bad): Erin is a good friend and for all of those novels she was consulting with me and with Brian Cortijo, "the" Cormyr expert, to get details right (like what plants they would find if camping in this spot, or what local officers would be stationed where, etc.) We wrote back and forth often, and still check in with each other...and if you love fantasy, I HIGHLY recommend Erin's new series; the first book, EMPIRE OF EXILES, is out now and she's working on the second. 

4. A video game set in the Forgotten Realms, specifically Baldur's Gate 3: When it comes to video games, companies like to keep things VERY secret from non-staff. Sometimes Wizards would involve me in the approvals process (where companies send stuff, or ask stuff, of Wizards), and I have on several occasions (Turbine's anniversary release of the Haunted Halls, for one, and something NDA'd that I just did, for another) voiced NPCs or narrated voiceovers, or both.

Ed Greenwood — For Baldur's Gate III: almost none. Baldur's Gate II: I wrote hundreds of titles for books that player characters can find in the library, and provided NPC backstories and local lore (Realmslore "colour").

-- From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

Cdawg — Did you have the notion of Vecna having visited or influenced Faerun in the past before WotC introduced it in 5e? Was there no need for it as Larloch fulfilled the preeminent inscrutable lich role?

Ed Greenwood — Oh, yes. TSR in the old days went back and forth on "are the TSR Worlds connected or not" (the Wizards Three DRAGON articles were an editorial assignment to keep visible support for worlds TSR was then englecting), but I had them ALL linked, via gates (portals), as that's where high-level Realmsplay inevitably went: hopping from Prime Material Plane to alternate Prime MAterial Plane (Toril, Krynn, Oerth). So Vecna and others had visited, and been visited. Archvillains can often bankroll their schemes, or get monsters or armies for them, by "robbing" another world.

Juniper Churlgo — Which reminds me of an ancient unanswered question for Ed. Any gates between Abernys (Birthright) and Toril?

Ed Greenwood — Yes, there are gates linking Abernys and Toril, but the NDAs stand thick and strong on this, still.

Cdawg — This makes me wonder if Larloch and Vecna ever met. (I doubt it would be directly). If so, how did that encounter go?

Ed Greenwood — They've met more than once. Most of their meetings did not go well. They are...guardedly polite with each other, since Vecna discovered how much more powerful Larloch is than he is.

Augustoc — Larloch is above deity level? Really?

Ed Greenwood — Larloch has HUNDREDS of "bound" liches working for him, in three worlds. And where Vecna has a Plan B, Larloch has a Plan E. That shook Vecna a lot.

Augustoc — Also, Larloch is canon in other worlds? I wasn't aware of that. Where else can one see his influence besides Toril?

Ed Greenwood — Another meaty SMACK. Those NDAs are EVERYWHERE. Old friends; you'll come to hate them as much as I do, soon.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 9, 2023

FireWraith — Minor question related to naming and Cormyr - Azoun V's full name was given as Azoun Rhigaerd Palaghard Duar Obarskyr in the short story from Best of the Realms. Is that sort of naming scheme (three middle names) common for the nobility in Cormyr, or just the royals, and what would the full names of some of the others be, particularly his mother Tanalasta?

Ed Greenwood — That sort of naming scheme is common for EVERYONE in Cormyr, high or low, who wants to preserve special family names (e.g. beloved grandmother/grandfather, famous ancestor), so a Hullack woodcutter could be "Brace Arjack Hilmaeron Dunlace Shanguld." (And would be free upon adulthood to pick any of those names as what he wants to be daily called by.) Nobles and royalty in Cormyr use it for the same reason. Tanalasta has a whole bunch of names (of various great-aunts and long-dead queens) that the heralds wanted to hang on her, but her mother Filfaeril said "NO" and so she's Tanalasta Faerla Jaszra Fee Obarskyr. The "Fee" she added herself upon adulthood, to honour her mother, who was "Fee" to her friends and family, and "Queen Fee" to the servants.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 8, 2023

Cdawg — I have endless questions for Ed but am trying to repress my enthusiasm. He's got things to do. I'll ask one last question. Is there anything you can tell us about Larloch's actual life? How did he end up becoming a Chosen of Mystryl, and how did he serve her. That's a book I'd love to read, frankly. (Probably all NDA)

Ed Greenwood — Let's just say there was love involved. Elminster wasn't the first mortal to enjoy the charms of a goddess. If the deity began as mortal, after a time they really, really miss mortality, and want to taste it again.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 9, 2023

illuminatirob — Hi @Ed Greenwood, You know, I thought about asking Steven on Candlekeep, but it got pretty heated on the Khelben question, so I didn't pursue it. I didn't want to have it get any more heated, so I left it there. If another question isn't Bogarting too much here..... if so, my apologies. A question on Candlekeep that was bumped from 2005 was, "Where is the Cantlowe Library located?" I dug around as much as I could and came up with The Conclave of the Silverymoon / The Great University of the Gem of the North.

Ed Greenwood — You are correct. The Cantlowe Library is a "special collection" that has resided in other places before being moved to the Great University, but it is now both a special collection AND the rooms that collection is specifically housed in...in the Great University.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!

[candlekeep]

Transcript:

February 9, 2023

The Entire State of NJ — First I love this server and having a place to talk about Forgotten Realms as I run 99% of my games in it! So I have a question on what happens when an outsider such as a Celestial or Fiend is killed on their home plane. Are they completely destroyed as in cannot be ever brought back, or would a spell such as a True Resurrection or Wish be able to return such a destroyed being to life? Or would a deity who intervenes be able to reform such a being? Generally interested in what happens to destroyed outsiders.

Ed Greenwood — A deity who intervenes would always be able to reform such a being unless opposed by a deity of equal or greater strength, or if the intervening deity has almost no power on the plane the outsider was destroyed upon. If killed on their home plane, True Resurrection or (a correctly worded) Wish can almost always bring them back, if not opposed by Ao or another overgod. Short of that, however, it's curtains...unless the nature of the outsider, or the nature of the plane, has an established mechanism/procedure for a return to life (usually a cycle of life of reincarnation in some form)...but this is rare.

– From the Greenwood’s Grotto Discord server.

Please support Ed Greenwood’s Patreon for Forgotten Realms lore! The Discord server is open to the public, however only patrons can ask Ed questions directly. Become a patron for as low as $3/month!