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Chataro
Learned Scribe
Singapore
114 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Oct 2007 : 16:39:16
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I was just wondering......
Why on earth did the silly gold elf went to so much trouble to get his champions to evermeet? Didn't he realise that he was an elf and that with his reputation, it wasn't likely that he would be barred from entry?
Or even if he was barred, I don't think that thats a problem for him as I think he wasn't even planning to do the job himself?
Mod Edit: Shifted to a more appropriate shelf
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Edited by - The Sage on 16 Oct 2007 17:04:08
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2007 : 18:10:26
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He wanted to get his assassins in and out without notice.
And, if it was traced, what better way to lay the blame on the "inferior" moon elven race than to involve a moonblade? It's also symbolic to use the elfgate, since it is both an (inadvertent) moon elf creation, it links Evermeet to the mainland (which Kymil was likely against), and if his plan would have worked, then the royal family would have been brought down by an instrument that put them on the throne. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 16 Oct 2007 18:13:40 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 17 Oct 2007 : 12:07:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
He wanted to get his assassins in and out without notice.
And, if it was traced, what better way to lay the blame on the "inferior" moon elven race than to involve a moonblade? It's also symbolic to use the elfgate, since it is both an (inadvertent) moon elf creation, it links Evermeet to the mainland (which Kymil was likely against), and if his plan would have worked, then the royal family would have been brought down by an instrument that put them on the throne.
This is a good answer, Wooly.
The Ni'Tessine and Nimesin quietly left Evermeet several centuries back. Kymil Nimesin's involvement in a plot against the live of Princess Ilyrana never came to light, as it was subsumed by a quite different plot by Montigor Amaryllis, the brother of King Zaor's first wife. Kymil Nimesin spent most of his life on the mainland and became a respected member of Faerun's elven community. He was very successful in keeping his political views secret, and it is quite likely that he never would have been be suspected of involvement in Zaor's assassination. The Ni'Tessine family, however, was another matter. Most of the elves Kymil attempted to send to Evermeet were of the Ni'Tessine clan or related septs, and they most likely would NOT have been allowed on Evermeet--or at the very least, would have been carefully watched. Also, if Kymil associated openly with these elves, he would have been brought down with them if the attempted attack failed.
It might be useful to think of Kymil's machinations in terms of terrorist "cells." He had a lot of plots going, and preferred to keep them separate and a step or two removed from himself. |
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Chataro
Learned Scribe
Singapore
114 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2007 : 14:56:16
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Just for my own's curiousity, I just have to ask some more questions. By the way, I never thought that I would one day have a chance to get an author to answer my questions. lol. Thanks Mrs Cunningham
1) Whats the point of doing something symbolic if you are not going to let anyone know about your involvement? I mean, surely Kymil or his students would not tell anyone about it.
2) Why on earth did Kymil fail to use the elf shadow to kill Danilo? Arily never detected the first 8 or 9 attempts, why did it fail Kymil now?
3) For someone who didn't know who was the Harper Assasin, how did Elaith get the harper assasiin to try to murder danilo?
4) Why didn't Kymil and his students cast any spell on Arilyn when she was in combat with the other 3 gold elf at the end of Elf shadow? I understand Arilyn was definately much more skilled than the others, but not even a single spell from Kymil? Was he still trying to capture Arilyn alive?
5)Why was Kymil so optimistic as to believe that his elfy students would get past all the royal guards and defences and murder then entire royal family ( even though the total count was only 3, I believe)
6) What could Kymil hope to gain from the royal families death? Aside from satisfaction of course, I mean, the entire island of evermeet's elven and non elven populattion would be out after his head on a pike whether he succeeded or not. With almost no alliances and contacts within the island of evermeet, what could he gain?
7)This question is not really Elfshadow related, but I was just wondering what the people of evermeet is gonna do if somehow some other clan managed to get more moon blades than the moon flower clan? Change or ruling blood? And who on earth is gonna take over evermeet now that Amlauriul is kinda childless and heirless at the moment. Even Amlauril wouldn't last forever
Last question) Whats gonna happen to all the elves during the SPELLPLAGUE in version 4.0? As Mrs Cunningham and lots of other writers all like to remind us, Elves are part of the weave. Are elves all gonna die out on us? |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2007 : 16:31:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
Just for my own's curiousity, I just have to ask some more questions. By the way, I never thought that I would one day have a chance to get an author to answer my questions. lol. Thanks Mrs Cunningham
I'm obviously not Elaine, but she hasn't been terribly active over here, of late. While I am more than ready to defer to her, I will try to answer these myself.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
1) Whats the point of doing something symbolic if you are not going to let anyone know about your involvement? I mean, surely Kymil or his students would not tell anyone about it.
Sometimes, just knowing something yourself is enough. Besides, had his plot worked and the gold elves seized power, then the revelation of his actions would have brought him considerable prestige and clout.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
2) Why on earth did Kymil fail to use the elf shadow to kill Danilo? Arily never detected the first 8 or 9 attempts, why did it fail Kymil now?
I think it was a combination of factors. The elfshadow itself was not happy with Kymil's misuse of it. And though Arilyn wasn't prepared to admit it, she had a growing attachment to Danilo, by that point. The unhappy elfshadow, being ordered to kill someone its wielder was growing close to, was obviously in enough turmoil for Arilyn to be affected -- because the elfshadow was part of her, remember.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
3) For someone who didn't know who was the Harper Assasin, how did Elaith get the harper assasiin to try to murder danilo?
Elaith is a very intelligent, very sneaky git. He suspected Kymil had some involvement, and painting Danilo as a potential threat was obviously calculated to get Kymil's attention. Perhaps foolishly, Kymil decided to use his shadowy assassin to remove that threat.
It also would have an effect on Arilyn, which I think was part of Kymil's goal. It would certainly draw more attention to her, particularly from Bran Skorlsun.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
4) Why didn't Kymil and his students cast any spell on Arilyn when she was in combat with the other 3 gold elf at the end of Elf shadow? I understand Arilyn was definately much more skilled than the others, but not even a single spell from Kymil? Was he still trying to capture Arilyn alive?
I believe the sword needed a live wielder for the gate to open and remain open. Also, casting spells into melee isn't a safe proposition for your own allies. And Kymil and his cronies were arrogant. They were gold elves. A full-blooded moon elf wasn't worthy of their attention, so a half-moon elf would be even less worthy. It's also possible Kymil was either conserving his spells, or that he simply hadn't prepared (or had already used, that day) any offensive spells.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
5)Why was Kymil so optimistic as to believe that his elfy students would get past all the royal guards and defences and murder then entire royal family ( even though the total count was only 3, I believe)
Part of it was arrogance. Part of it was the already demonstrated lack of internal security. If one guy could accidentally kill the king in his own garden, how difficult would it be for a group of prepared assassins (who likely knew details like guard patrol times and the palace layout) to off another few unsuspecting folks?
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
6) What could Kymil hope to gain from the royal families death? Aside from satisfaction of course, I mean, the entire island of evermeet's elven and non elven populattion would be out after his head on a pike whether he succeeded or not. With almost no alliances and contacts within the island of evermeet, what could he gain?
His goal was to end the rule of a moon elf family. In his opinion, no moon elf was worthy of the same regard as a gold elf -- so having all elves ruled by an inferior elven race was an affront to him (and to many other gold elves). Kymil wanted the gold elves to be in charge, and removing the Moonflower rulers would allow the gold elves their chance to take over.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
7)This question is not really Elfshadow related, but I was just wondering what the people of evermeet is gonna do if somehow some other clan managed to get more moon blades than the moon flower clan? Change or ruling blood? And who on earth is gonna take over evermeet now that Amlauriul is kinda childless and heirless at the moment. Even Amlauril wouldn't last forever
It's obvious that the Seldarine selected the Moonflower family, Amlaruil in particular. And though the fate of the missing children hasn't been revealed, Elaine has revealed in the past that the queen (and likely, some of her trusted advisors) knows where some of the missing kids are. Besides, I don't think she can be called childless. She has a grandchild, and a surviving son. Plus, I believe that Ilyrana (I think that's the oldest daughter; I can't check) is still alive, just in some sort of divine coma.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
Last question) Whats gonna happen to all the elves during the SPELLPLAGUE in version 4.0? As Mrs Cunningham and lots of other writers all like to remind us, Elves are part of the weave. Are elves all gonna die out on us?
I doubt Elaine could answer this, even if not under the constraints of an NDA. Remember, a lot is still undecided about 4E FR. For things like this, we simply have to wait for official information to come out. |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 03:46:28
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| Again, good answers, and close enough that I don't a need to add anything substantive. :) |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 05:09:55
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Personally, I'm all for knowing what she thinks Kymil will do.
It's a pity he hates Moon Elves so and wrecked Evermeet.
He'd probably fit into the Eldreth Veluuthra. I don't think Kymil was too fond of humans either.
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My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 13:52:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
Personally, I'm all for knowing what she thinks Kymil will do.
It's a pity he hates Moon Elves so and wrecked Evermeet.
He'd probably fit into the Eldreth Veluuthra. I don't think Kymil was too fond of humans either.
Kymil didn't wreck Evermeet. He just banged it up a bit.
Questions about Kymil will be answered in Reclamation, coming in November 2008. |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
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Chataro
Learned Scribe
Singapore
114 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 14:31:29
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1) How was Kymil planning to get Arilyn to open the door to evermeet in the first place? With his understanding of her characters, surely he knows that she would rather die than open the portal.
2) Why was Kymil suddenly so eager to kill Bran Skorlsun? He wasn't even going after Kymil or the Harper Assassin, he was in fact after Arilyn. And why on earth did he choose that exact moment to show everyone what and who the harper assassin was? Even though Danilo probably had an inkling of the elfshadow.
3)How could a group of elf who never even ventured to Evermeet know of the guard's patrol detail? I don't think that explains what Kymil was planning for. That would be something like maybe some soldiers of china decided to enter taiwan through parachuting and somehow they expect to assassinate the president of taiwan. Isn't that kinda ridiculous? No politics please, I just couldn't think of a more benign comparison |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 14:54:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
1) How was Kymil planning to get Arilyn to open the door to evermeet in the first place? With his understanding of her characters, surely he knows that she would rather die than open the portal.
He expected the elfshadow to bring him the weapon, once the moonstone was back in place. He obviously believed that his spells would allow him to continue controlling the elfshadow. I can't say whether he expected to use the blade himself (unlikely), or to force the elfshadow to open the gate, but he expected it to be at his bidding. Since it's known that a moonfighter can't be away from their sword for too long, then it's obvious that Kymil didn't expect Arilyn to remain in the picture for long.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
2) Why was Kymil suddenly so eager to kill Bran Skorlsun? He wasn't even going after Kymil or the Harper Assassin, he was in fact after Arilyn. And why on earth did he choose that exact moment to show everyone what and who the harper assassin was? Even though Danilo probably had an inkling of the elfshadow.
I don't think Kymil intended that to happen. Either Arilyn or the elfshadow perceived Bran as a threat (I'd have to reread the passage in question, and I've not yet replaced that book), and reacted accordingly. Another possibility would be that Bran -- and the mooonstone around his neck -- were finally close enough to the moonblade that it allowed the elfshadow to come forth. In that scenario (and again, I'd need to reread that passage to be sure), then the elfshadow came forth on its own, to reclaim the moonstone.
quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
3)How could a group of elf who never even ventured to Evermeet know of the guard's patrol detail? I don't think that explains what Kymil was planning for. That would be something like maybe some soldiers of china decided to enter taiwan through parachuting and somehow they expect to assassinate the president of taiwan. Isn't that kinda ridiculous? No politics please, I just couldn't think of a more benign comparison
One word: spies. Just because Evermeet is the elven home, it doesn't mean that everyone there is part of the Amlaruil Moonflower Fan Club. It would be no issue at all for those sympathetic to Kymil's cause to either gather such intelligence on their own, or put their own people in place to gather it. It could also have been Kymil's own agents, working thru such a network of intermediaries that it would be nearly impossible to trace back to him. Spying on rivals is a time-honored technique, with countless precedents in the real-world and almost as many in fiction. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 19 Oct 2007 : 15:20:13
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| Yep, Kymil did have spies and allies on Evermeet, as the novel EVERMEET illustrates. There were elves on the island who shared his goals and were prepared to work with him when the time was right. |
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Chataro
Learned Scribe
Singapore
114 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 16:47:12
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Supposing, just supposing, the elfshadow did try to bring the blade to Kymil but due to the distance from Evereska to Waterdeep, Arilyn dies? Whats gonna happen to his plan then? Besides, i don't think the elfshadow can hold the moonblade or open the elfgate of its own without Arilyn's approval and express command. His plans sounds full of loopsholes to me.
PS: Mrs Cunningham, Is it possible for you to answer my question 2 about the elfshadow's action? I'm pretty convinced that the close proximity to the moonstone was not the factor leading to the elfshadow moving on its own will otherwise it would have done so at the tavern. |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 22:55:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Chataro
Supposing, just supposing, the elfshadow did try to bring the blade to Kymil but due to the distance from Evereska to Waterdeep, Arilyn dies? Whats gonna happen to his plan then? Besides, i don't think the elfshadow can hold the moonblade or open the elfgate of its own without Arilyn's approval and express command. His plans sounds full of loopsholes to me.
Kymil wanted the elfgate revealed and opened. That's it. To accomplish this, he needed 1) to have Arilyn's moonblade restored and 2) to lure Arilyn to Evereska, so the restored moonblade could reveal the gate's location. After that, he couldn't have cared less if Arilyn lived or died, or it the moonblade was picked up by a passing dragon and used as a toothpick. Kymil didn't need the elfshadow to physically hold the moonblade or bring it to him or hold the gate open. You're overthinking matters. Open gate, go through, set on-site plan in motion. That's all Kymil needed from Arilyn and the moonblade. He used the elfshadow to lure Bran Skorlsun into the picture. That's all he needed from the elfshadow.
What was Kymil's on-site plan? No one knows. This has not been revealed. Some pieces of it were still in place in 1371 and played a part in the invasion of Evermeet, but Kymil's plan was thwarted before all of it could be revealed.
quote:
PS: Mrs Cunningham, Is it possible for you to answer my question 2 about the elfshadow's action? I'm pretty convinced that the close proximity to the moonstone was not the factor leading to the elfshadow moving on its own will otherwise it would have done so at the tavern.
This is the question, I believe?
quote:
2) Why on earth did Kymil fail to use the elf shadow to kill Danilo? Arily never detected the first 8 or 9 attempts, why did it fail Kymil now?
Again, you're overthinking matters. The reason is fairly simple and straightforward: ARILYN WOKE UP.
And why did she wake up in the middle of the attack on Danilo? For starters, she was sleeping on the floor. Not exactly restful. She was worried about the Harper bard also in the inn, fearing that he might be a target for the assassin. She was sharing a room with a man to whom she'd started to feel a grudging attraction. That's significant. She probably didn't consciously think about Danilo in these terms before that night in the tavern, but the banter between him and Elaith Craulnober over dinner (several comments about "sharing a room with a beautiful woman" and so forth) put this issue on the table. None of these things are conducive to a deep sleep. And because she was already starting to bond with Danilo, his danger was also hers--and one of her moonblade's magical powers is the ability to warn of danger. |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 20 Oct 2007 23:07:19 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 23:05:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
Oh Elaine, we do love your appearance.
Now I'll try and keep Thornhold questions under my tongue.
;-)
Thank you! 
Because I don't post unpublished lore (that is to say, personal opinions and speculation or any other sort of stuff I might have made up but WotC hasn't approved and published), I really can't answer what-ifs and should-haves or might-have-beens. And where Thornhold is concerned, I think I've covered all the wtfs.  |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 23:10:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
We loved the book!
Don't get us wrong!
;-)
No worries. I recognize that Thornhold is, for a number of reasons, somewhat problematic.
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1419 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 23:27:52
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Well, I think all of us hanging on the cliffhanger ending and waiting for a Moonstars book have gotten over that need by now. Also; we won't complain of Paladins, Ashemmi, *starts counting down*
:-)
Jk
Though I confess, you would not believe the number of times we've killed Dag Zoreth in our games. A competent Cyricist is a rarity.
But yes, a toast for the Moonblade mistress!
*raises mug* |
My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 03:18:13
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| Charles, read the first short story in Elaine's Best of the Realms anthology for a follow-up on the Thornhold plot. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Chataro
Learned Scribe
Singapore
114 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2007 : 05:50:59
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| No no, thats not the question I was talking about, I was talking about but never mind, answering my question is gonna be difficult to do so if WOTC is in the way anyway. I was just curious cause I have actually been thinking about this questions for quite sometime but I just can't think of a suitable answer |
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Regarding Elaine's Elfshadow (spoilers)
