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ForgingtheRealmsArchive|1/18/2013

WhenStuffHappens,LeavingaLegacy
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,and
howdoestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersin
hiscampaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsand
more.

omefolkstrytofighttherealitythatlikeeveryoneelsethey'regettingolder,andwillsoonerorlaterdie.
Thesepeoplemightracetosqueezeinmorerevelryoraccumulatemoreachievements,ormightdealwith
therealitybyfirmlyputtingallthoughtsofmortalityoutoftheirmindsuntiltheirfailingbodiesforceattention
tosuchmatters.

Othersstarttothinkofwhatlegacytheymightleave,whatmarktheycanmakeintheworldthatwilloutlivethem.

IntheRealmsoranyotherongoingD&Dcampaignworld,playercharacterscanseektoestablishlegacies,
too,andsomeplayersdothinkaboutsuchthings.

WellplayedcharactersinRealmscampaignshaveleftbehindalloftheseformsoftributetotheirlivesand
accomplishments:monumentsthrones,nobledomains,andtitlesoffspringtocarryonthefamilytraditionof
adventuringorrulinganobledomain,ifthecharactermarriedintonobilitynewtownsbuildings(atemple,a
cathedral,oracastle)importantspellbooksandinnsnamedafterthem(onecharacterafteracquiring
ownershipofoneandanotherafterpayingtorebuildaninnhitbyadisastrousfire).

Characterswhocanretirewealthyofteninvestinobjectsorplaces(shipsthatgotosea,newneighborhoodsin
growingtownsorcities,fortresses)thatgetnamedafterthem.OrtheydowhatkingslikeAzounIVofCormyrdid:
trytoleavebehindasmanyoffspringaspossible,legitimateandotherwise.

AfewNPCshavesoughttoestablishtreasurehuntsorrumorstopuzzleandconsumetheefforts(and
sometimes,thankstotraps,thelives)ofothersaftertheyaredead,thuskeepingtheirnamesaliveinthe
sometimesprofanedebatesofthosewhoseekthehiddengewgaw(whichmightormightnotactuallyexist,
dependingontheperson'spersonalityandsenseofhumor).TheRealmshasseveralequivalentsof
Blackbeard(thepiratesKurskynofDardolphinIsle,awildbearded,fierytempereddwarfandDarkShalyss,a
femaleweresharkwhotooktopiracyonthewaveslateinlife)andatleasttwomadkings(MarrhrekofVaraezel
andThorlShatteraxeofGheladaram,bothfromvanishedBorderKingdoms),allofwhosefell,tricksterghosts
watchovervaluabletreasurethesecharactersleftbehind.

TheRealmsalsofeaturesmoreelaboratetreasurehunts,suchastheonethatgoesontothisdayacross
Waterdeep,whereinquesterstrytofigureoutthemeaningsofcrypticrhymesleftbehindbythelongdeadLord
DauntenManthor.Theseshortpoemsaresaidtopointthewaytoafabuloustreasure:Manthor'sdazzling
gildedandgemencrustedflyingsuitofarmor,whichhehadfusedtogetherandfilledtothevisorwithgemsand
goldcoins,thenhidsomewhereinthecity.Orsolocallegendinsists.

ThetalesthatoutliveManthorandothersofhisilkmightcapturethepopularimaginationandacquiremore
famethanalegacyembodiedinatemple,alargebequesttosomeholyhouse,orroyalchildren.Yetthe
children,thetemple,orthebequestcanhavemorelastinginfluencethananytreasure.

Offspringareoftentheobviouschoiceforalegacy,becausecreativeplayerscanswitchtotheyounger
charactertopickupanewcareerwhilestillmaintainingsomecontinuitywhentheparentcharacterretiresfrom
adventuring.Thosemightypredecessors,ofcourse,arestillaliveandcancomeoutofretirementifreally
formidablechallengesariseorwhenthe"newandimproved"adventurerneedsrescuingorraisingfromthe
dead.

Ingamehonorsarealsopopular.Receivingaknighthoodorothernobletitle,evenifitcomeswithstrings

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attached(someamountofactiveservicetothecrown,notjustloyalty),issomethingaplayercanbetrulyproud
of,ifitwaswellearned."TarneloWarwynd,TamerofDragons"soundsalittlegranderthan"TarneloWarwynd,
JustAnotherGreedy,MeFirstAdventurer."

Ifrulersarereluctanttobestowaccolades,thetrulyformidableadventureralwayshastheoptionoffoundinga
kingdom,oratleastinstallingarulingdynastyonanemptythrone(oronethatjusthappenedtobecomeempty
whilethecharacterswerenearby).

Andthentherearethegreatheroicdeedsofthecampaignthathavebeenimmortalizedinballadsandfireside
tales.Wealthycharactersmightcommissionminstrelsorbardstocraftsongsandpoemsthatdepictthemas
greatheroes,tokeeptheirmemorybright.Suchcharactersshouldbewarnedthatunlessaballadhasacatchy
tuneandlyricandpersistsinpopularity,nothingmuchwillstoptalesofheroicexploitsthataretoldandretoldin
taverns,acrosskitchentables,andbyfiresidesfrom"drifting"overtimesothedescriptionsanddoingsandeven
thenamesofparticipantschange.TurningtheheroHerehkoftheArborintotheevilrogueDlaerekofArlborm,
andhistamingandridingofadragonintotheslayingofadragon,reallytakesthepunchoutofHerehk'slegacy.

Someplayersmistrustreligiouslegaciesbecausetheyfearalossofcontrol.Iftheircharacterssponsorashrine,
asuitablehousingforaholyrelic,oranoracle(house,food,andfuel,orfundstoprovidethesame),theyknow
thatclergywilladministerthisgift,andthenameofthedonormightsoonbeforgotten.Worse,thecontribution
mightevenbebelittled,ifclergyexhaustwhatwasgivenandaskformore.

Thesamewaningoffameandgratitudemightfollowthegiftofmagicitemstoatown'srulerorguardiansforthe
defenseofthetown.That'sdoublytrueiftheitemsareevermisusedorthetown'sdefensefails.

Allofwhichbringsustotheolddebateabouttheethicsofphilanthropy:Doesonegiveaidbecauseitisthe
"right"thingtodo?Isseekingtoleavealegacythroughphilanthropyaselfishact?Ifso,doestryingspecifically
toestablishalegacy,byitsnature,makeapersonlessdeservingofbeingfondlyrememberedandhonored?
MortalsareseldomaffordedaGreatEvilFoethattheycandecisivelyandpubliclydefeatandsoattainthe
mantleofheroism.Evenwhenthissortofthingdoeshappen,oneperson'sGreatEvilmightbeanother'srole
model,sothatthepersonwhodefeateditcanbeaherotosome,anevildoertoothers,andadeludedfoolor
goattoothers.

Sointheend,tryingtocreateyourownlegacyisjustascomplicatedandfraughtwithperilaseverythingelse
adventurersareapttogetmixedupin.Asusual,theymusthewtheirownroad,maketheirowndecisions,and
livewiththeresults.

Whenitcomesrightdowntoit,thesamequestionandthesametruismapplytoD&Dadventurersastoallofus
inreallife:Whatdoyouwanttoaccomplishinyourlife?Ifyoudon'tknowwhereyou'reheaded,you'reunlikely
togetthere.

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafew
roomsinhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952015WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.

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