What do smaller humanoids like goblins and kobolds do to seem more fearsome and intimidating in battle?
In the Realms, they mainly beat in unison on massed drums, and shriek en masse when charging. When marching to a battle or deploying on a battlefield, they make much use of banners on tall spears, waving them about. During battles, explosive mixtures are thrown into hilltop fires to produce great skyward gouts of flame or fireballs, as signals that also serve to intimidate.
2025-12-22 18:33:29 +0000 UTC
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I'm back from filming the epic conclusion of LEGACY OF WORLDS, with Devin Wilson as our Dungeon Master. Check out this long-running epic, wherein a band of adventurers tries to save all the worlds of the fantasy multiverse: Elisa Teague as Elise, the runaway bride of Victorina Von Mordenheim (Ravenloft), Keith Baker as Baron Merrix D'Cannith (Eberron), Tommy Gofton as Loholt Lynnvander (Imaria), me as Elminster of Shadowdale (the Forgotten Realms), and our many friends and allies, including L...
2025-12-22 18:07:40 +0000 UTC
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Hi! I'm back from filming, so here's a new "Little Lore" to tide us all over until Monday. (Filming? The epic conclusion to the Ravenloft wanderings of the heroes of several worlds, trying to save them all! A baron of Eberron, played by Eberron's creator Keith Baker; the runaway bride of Victorina Von Mordenheim, played by Elisa Teague; a time paladin of another world, played by Tommy Gofton; a certain old mage of Shadowdale, played by me! We lost Melf (yes, Acid Arrow and Minute Meteors fans...
2025-12-18 16:53:21 +0000 UTC
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And where would a Lost Lore be without a Little Lore flying along beside it? :}
So, here we are:
How would the Zhentarim react to an agent of theirs going rogue, splitting from the main body and using their cell to take over, let’s say the Ten-Towns?
Badly. Within the Brotherhood, “freelancing” is usually rewarded by death—unless the results are such an advance that leadership is surprised and delighted. Even then, the “reward” is usually to...
2025-12-08 20:47:33 +0000 UTC
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Yes, feels early, I know, but I'll be silent next Monday (off filming Legacy of Worlds, which if you're into D&D you really should watch! Look for it on the Six Sides of Gaming YouTube channel), so here's another foray into the lore of the Forgotten Realms! Enjoy!
Time to take a look at an oft-neglected god of the Realms...
The Deity Valkur And One Of His Temples
Back in the 1970s, when playing D&D with September as my DM, I created Vulkur, a ...
2025-12-08 20:27:17 +0000 UTC
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A fun grab bag this time around; enjoy!
Fruit In The Sword Coast North
The severe climate of the North means very little fresh fruit is available in winter (after freeze-up, when ships stop sailing into Waterdeep and other ports) except in processed (jams, brandies, pickled or honeyed) form. Berries (literally hundreds of different sorts) and apples are the main fruit native to the North. There’s also a savoury (not sweet) fruit native to, and cultivated ...
2025-12-07 20:24:26 +0000 UTC
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Hi there! I'm about to fall offline and silent until around December 18th (THIS December, he hastened to add!) to go filming (Legacy of Worlds), so I'm going to post a Lost Lore today, and another one tomorrow, to tide you over, so to speak.
With that said, it's also time for a Little Lore snippet, for everyone. So here you go!
What surface sites in the Realms host temples of Vhaeraun?
Answer:
Thus far, Vhaeraunite temples in the World Above (the surface Realms) are se...
2025-12-07 19:51:43 +0000 UTC
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Brief Lore Snippets From Greenwood’s Grotto (with thanks to my supporters therein, who put these questions to me, for the illumination of us all).
How are the streets of Suzail lit at night? Streetlamps and continual light spells? Or are the roadways left dark?
The Promenade, three branching streets off its west end reaching northerly amid the blocks of mansions, and along the docks (for work) are well lit at all hours, by streetlamps that consist of glow...
2025-12-02 19:41:45 +0000 UTC
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Once more into the lore vaults and back out again...
How Elminster Got A Grand-Nephew
Elminster’s parents, Prince Elthryn Aumar and Amrythale Goldsheaf, were married in 210 DR, and had a daughter, Narrune (named for Amrythale’s grandmother) in early 211 DR.
When she was four months old, Narrune vanished from her cradle one night without her parents being awakened. When they did rise, come morn, they found much blood and her torn swaddlings, and th...
2025-12-01 16:29:54 +0000 UTC
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If I Could Visit The Realms “For Real,” Where I’d Go And What I’d Take With Me
I’d bring these things to the Realms:
Lots and lots of candy to use in bribery, to get people to do things to aid me. My maps of the Realms. Lots of pencils and a tiny knife to sharpen them with, and notebooks to make lots of notes in. And at least three digital cameras with large memories (as in, bigger than smartphones).
The only way I’d get there would be wit...
2025-11-24 23:42:00 +0000 UTC
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My friends, fellow wanderers of the Realms,
You’ve journeyed with me through many corners of Faerûn over the years, and today, it brings me tremendous joy to announce something truly special. Our next great adventure: RealmsBound, a brand-new Forgotten Realms project launching on the Dungeon Masters Guild in Q1 of 2026!
In partnership with the wonderful folks at Mythmakers, RealmsBound is a new saga within the ...
2025-11-19 17:35:50 +0000 UTC
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My friends, fellow wanderers of the Realms,
You’ve journeyed with me through many corners of Faerûn over the years, and today, it brings me tremendous joy to announce something truly special. Our next great adventure: RealmsBound, a brand-new Forgotten Realms project launching on the Dungeon Masters Guild in Q1 of 2026!
In partnership with the wonderful folks at Mythmakers, RealmsBound is a new saga within the ...
2025-11-19 17:16:22 +0000 UTC
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This time, a look at gates (or portals, if you prefer the later game edition term) of the Realms...
Four Gates (Portals) Of The Realms
Most gates in the Realms today that aren’t under the control of a ruler, powerful dragon, faction, priesthood, or powerful cabal of wizards, tend to be controlled by their discoverer.
That is, by the wizard, or small cabal of wizards, or even wealthy merchant who stumbled across them— or learned of them fr...
2025-11-17 19:56:01 +0000 UTC
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This time around, Suzail and Sigils. Late again because of life (again). I'll not stop digging for lore!
Enjoy, I hope...
How To Find The Society Of Stalwart Adventurers, And Some Features Of Its Neighborhood
To begin, please procure the map of Suzail found in the 2nd Edition Realms boxed set (specifically, on page 54 of “A Grand Tour of the Realms”). I’m using this map because of its keyed buildings, which allow me to locate features without a ...
2025-11-11 00:01:51 +0000 UTC
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What’s in a name? Well, a lot as it happens, and figuring out the right meaning can keep you alive—or doom you to a horrible death…or undeath!
You see, years in the Forgotten Realms all have names, thanks to the prophecies of seers who—dimly—foresaw what would turn out to be important in that year. Sometimes the reason for the name is obvious, but more often it’s a matter of wild conjecture and many arguments.
Take, for example, the Year of the Scarle...
2025-11-06 16:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Life continues to get in the way of what I hoped would be a hiccup-free steady schedule of posting lore snippets from the Realms, but here we are: right day, if a lot later than I intended. Yet, here we go!
What Does Music In The Realms Sound Like?
Here are real-world pieces of music that can be used to try to evoke or imagine the ‘sound’ of some Faerûnian music.
Minstrels usually play lutes and harps, using bells, foot-stamping, sometimes sticks...
2025-11-04 03:09:56 +0000 UTC
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So who married the Witch-Duke? And who or what is a Witch-Duke, anyway? Well…
It’s a colorful name for a tavern, to be sure, particularly an alehouse that used to be called The High Tankard, and was known as the cleanest, most orderly alehouse in Suzail, catering to the rich and highborn, courtiers, wealthy travelers, and others who wanted to be seen in the company of the high and mighty of Cormyr.
As The High Tankard, it served only ales and cheeses, and was a “show house...
2025-10-30 15:00:10 +0000 UTC
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I'm back! Gamehole Con and Phantasm are sadly behind me (great to meet so many of you! More big hugs!), and it's back to creating! The new official Forgotten Realms books are on the verge of appearing in all of our hands, and SOULS FOR THE TAKING (Rhys Yorke and I penned it for the Realms) is not far behind! (Look for it on DM's Guild; it was a blast to write.) In the meantime, I have new lore finds from the dim depths of time, for your entertainment, so...enjoy, I hope!
...
2025-10-27 17:40:33 +0000 UTC
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Everybody needs a hero.
Most of the time, everyone WANTS a hero.
And all too often, we get the heroes we deserve.
But what if Drizzt is busy? Elminster is temporarily turned into a giant amoeba fighting the dark germs of Bane in bloodstreams all over the Realms?
And you and your fellow heroic adventurers are triple-booked and out of sleep and desperately need some bathroom time with some good comic books to read?
Well, then it’s time for the second-rankers, the...
2025-10-24 15:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Delayed due to GameholeCon and a fatal computer crash, but here now!!! I'm off to Phantasm in Peterborough, Ontario for the weekend (a GREAT local con), and then the NEXT Lost Lore will greet you!!!
Here we go....
The Political Career of Lord Dagult Neverember
Dagult came to Neverwinter to repair it (and plunder it on the sly to become personally wealthy) in 1469 DR. Because he’d been publicly suggested as a candidate to become Open Lord of Waterdee...
2025-10-24 03:49:43 +0000 UTC
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THE SWORDS OF VALOR
Hire this shining band of adventurer heroes for your next spot of trouble! But don’t be surprised if they’re all monsters, when they show up!
Ooops!
Overly boastful names for adventuring bands are rightly mistrusted in the Realms, though they have a long and inglorious history. Calling yourself the Lords of Justice or the Guardians of Good is not a swift and easy road to acceptance and many hires.
So when a new adventuring band ...
2025-10-17 17:47:45 +0000 UTC
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SZASS TAM’S LATEST NEFARIOUS PLOT
The lich who rules Thay, Szass Tam, is known for ambitious schemes to conquer neighboring realms, or the entire Forgotten Realms, or even other worlds and planes of existence, making a bid for godhood in the process.
He’s also known for these ventures failing, time and again, be it the Dread Ring affair (a ritual drawing on the souls of the living drained in the fortresses that formed the Dread Ring to power Szass Tam’s bid ...
2025-10-16 22:10:21 +0000 UTC
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Once again life disrupts the intended schedule: it's Canadian Thanksgiving, but dark and early tomorrow I begin the drive to GameholeCon, which is NOT to be missed! That trip will likely make the NEXT instalment of Lost Lore a few days late, but never fear...it SHALL appear!
In the meantime, enjoy this one!
Wild Edibles Of Coastal Cormyr
Coastal edible wildflowers and weeds of Cormyr include Elengur (wash-weed), Mammurth, Wuthdrar, and Yamril (all det...
2025-10-12 21:11:26 +0000 UTC
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I present my latest unearthed Realmslore, for your entertainment.
Waterdeep features prominently, this time around.
Enjoy!
TREATMENT OF HUMAN REMAINS IN WATERDEEP
If no one's trying to hide a body (or found bones), the Watch is always called. (Most Waterdhavians will be suspicious if they know someone died, but don't see/hear about the Watch being called.)
Responding Watch officers ask questions (and search the scene, if necessary) to write up a ...
2025-10-06 20:16:17 +0000 UTC
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Once again the vicissitudes of life interrupt my preferred schedule for bring you new snippets of Realmslore, and the wondrous GAMEHOLE CON will do it again NEXT week, so...early once more, fellow Realms fans!
Aye, the dusty books and fading scrolls speak to me, they do, whispering their secrets as enticements as I stumble through the gloom of my memories and stashed Realmslore, so I can bring you yet more about the Realms—and here it is!
Life Energy In The Realms...
2025-09-29 01:45:14 +0000 UTC
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Life keeps getting in the way and delaying my Lost Lore posts, and that's going to happen again tomorrow (day job early shift at the bucolic country branch, bills to pay, insurance to renew), so I'm going to post this early so as not to keep you waiting...
My lore diggings have turned up more, so herewith I set before you a new grab bag of Realmslore...
MANSHOON’S TOWER HIGH
Before the destruction of Zhentil Keep, Manshoon’s home there was ...
2025-09-22 03:14:04 +0000 UTC
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Yet more vintage Realmslore to hopefully enrich your Realms enjoyment. Most of this one is from a long-ago Realms column on a defunct website—not a TSR or Wizards of the Coast “official” web column or enhancement.
It concerns:
THE DARK STREETS CAMPAIGN
Early on in my D&D days (the latter half of 1978, for those keeping score), I was introducing some of my female school friends (fellow high school students) to roleplaying in the Realms. One c...
2025-09-15 23:54:36 +0000 UTC
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Real-life medical matters (nothing serious; it seems I still have a heart) delayed this by a day, but once more down passages unmapped, through cobwebs unhinged, have I fared, scrabbling through yet more dusty lore to bring you yet another grab bag of Realmslore!
What The Written Script Of The Common Tongue Looks Like
According to the published Realms game books, for practical convenience, just like modern North American English.
In the Realms, think ...
2025-09-09 18:15:59 +0000 UTC
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I made it back from GrandCon, so...
Through the dim recesses of my faded notes and failing memories I trudge, scooping up yet another grab bag of Realmslore!
Taxation, Fees, And Business In Waterdeep
Waterdeep’s annual taxes (as opposed to city-levied fees, like docking fees for ships, and annual business license fees) include:
Citizens belonging to guilds pay dues to the guild (and the guilds then pay a smaller “head tax” based on number ...
2025-09-01 21:21:36 +0000 UTC
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If you're within reach of Grand Rapids, Michigan this coming weekend, I'll be at GrandCon for the first time in a decade. Catch me at these events:
Friday August 29th 3:00pm to 4:00pm: World Building Beginners with Steven Schend, Pete Petrusha, and me; breakout room, Grand Gallery C
Friday 5:30pm to 6:30pm, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Thornapple room: ice-cream social
Friday 7:00pm to 9:00pm, Lords of Waterdeep charity game for Extra Life
Saturday August 30th 11:00am to 1:...
2025-08-25 03:31:02 +0000 UTC
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