Well met, Traveller into Perilous Realms. I am your guide Bryan Rye, Game Master and Author. Stay awhile and let us speak of many things.
A Glimpse into Magical and Forgotten Realms
In which the author shares a fragment of magic from the Forgotten Realms.
A Glimpse into Magical and Forgotten Realms
I’m still recovering from the the neck injury, Dear Reader, so I’ll just be sharing a fragment this week – let’s call it a bit of an experiment in microblogging.
Now for something light.
I have heard it said that in the Forgotten Realms you can find a demigod in every town. And while the jest is not entirely accurate of Ed Greenwood’s creation, it is illustrative of the feel of the world.
Merchant princes might carry about braces of wands, lightning bolt spitting swords, rings that command stones to rise in a crashing wave – and that’s just Aldimar Uskevren of the city of Selgaunt.
If you pick up an Ed Greenwood novel, spells and magic trinkets spill off the page. Indeed, you could say, “There’s a spell for that,” for any circumstance the characters encounter along the way. And that’s not even taking into account stories set during the time of one of the real magic empires like Netheril, where magic talent abounds from High Arcanists down to the common folk.
There’s magic to bring clones of dead kings or wizards – or whomever you please – to life again, magic to “ream” minds, magic to disguise and discover, magic portals and prisons, and magic to slay – there’s a lot of wild and explosive magical death in Greenwood’s work.
Yes, you’ll find magic in Salvatore and Cunningham and Troy Denning (sometimes disguised as Richard Awlinson) and all the host of Realms authors of yesterday and today – but, to me, Greenwood’s vision of magic everywhere is the genuine Forgotten Realms flavor.
In Greenwood’s vision, mages are as common as warriors. And they’re the real power. Take a look at the major evil organizations. Yes, you’ll find swordswingers and silentblades and puissant priests amongst the ranks of the Lords of Darkness, but it’s the wizards you have to watch out for.
Keep your eyes peeled for Manshoon and his clones, Sammaster and his (undead) dragons, Szass Tam and all the Red Wizards of Thay. There’s a spellslinger guarding that caravan from griffonback. That smuggler’s ship has a necromancer dozing in the hold. The potion shopowner can summon a swarm of fiery deaths if you cross her.
Just another day in the Realms.
I hope this missive finds you well, Dear Reader. I'm working up to longer writing sessions, and I've got some essays and stories in the works that I'm excited to share with you. Until we meet again.
Best regards,
Bryan
Want more words, Traveller? Come visit my website at bryanerye.com, or take the direct route to the blog.
Want to throw me some coin to support me financially? I have a Busker's Hat to help buy coffee and used books.
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Perilous Realms
Well met, Traveller into Perilous Realms. I am your guide Bryan Rye, Game Master and Author. Stay awhile and let us speak of many things.
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