Elminster's Mysterious Drow Apprentice (NDA Finally Lifted!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- After years of being locked behind a nondisclosure agreement, we are finally free to learn about Susprina Arkhenneld! Liches, dragons, mystery, intrigue, warring drow houses, and more. What else could you want out of a character backstory!?
First appearing in The Drow of the Underdark, Susprina is a character shrouded in mystery that Forgotten Realms and D&D fans have been wondering about since the 90s. Learn all about Susprina's backstory, her lich, father Calimar, her time spent with Elminster of Shadowdale, and what she's up to right now, in the late 1490s DR.
This is the perfect lore supplement to your Forgotten Realms campaign, whether you use dnd or any other tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) system.
🦜 Today's Realmspeak: "Firbolg"
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Originally released in 1991, my 2e supplement, The Drow of the Underdark inspired so many people to ask about Susprina over the years. Now that the NDA has been officially lifted, I couldn't be happier to share her story with the community!
Don't forget you can get early access to all of my videos, plus lots more by becoming a Protector of the Realms: patreon.com/EdGreenwood
A question Mr. Greenwood. I remember reading the novels you spoke of here in this vid ages ago when I was a younger man. yet i feel there was something missing from them. How much were cut from the final print? Was there more you wanted to add to them?
So my comment last week about talking about the writing and publishing 1e and 2e products under TSR was most propitious? Timing is everything
Why would fictional lore have an NDA tied to it?
@@molochi So total conjecture here on my part, but the NDA was probably part of a larger contract prohibiting competition with TSR products, signed when Mr. Greenwood sold rights to the FR to TSR. Most likely he agreed to something along the lines of only disclosing and/or creating lore related to the FR by way of TSR sanctioned outlets and TSR publications for a specified duration, or while certain conditions existed.
why did you have an NDA and for so long?
If anything, Ed should be given an award for saying all these names without stuttering.
Ed made all these names. It'd be like being surprised that Tolkien could read the elven names without stuttering.
You've given us years and years of storytelling love, Mr. Greenwood. Thank you so much creating and shaping this incredible world and all its unique inhabitants.
Ed, I must say you hold to NDAs as if you'd signed them with Asmodeus himself. Bravo to you.
He is an honorable man. Always has been. It's like meeting Mike Pondsmith. World creators are incredibly kind because they know the suffering going on in every world at the same time, and interpret it differently.
This is why Ed Greenwood is considered a master storyteller .
I agree
I'm still fascinated by the Church of Eilistraee, and now I wonder about the possibility that there's a silver half-dragon out there descended from Elminster.
At this point I think there is a veritable monsters manual of Elminster's offspring, descendants and adopted families. Contrary to other centuries old wizards, the man does get around a lot. Gods protect us if things like Ioulaum or Larloch had children...
As Ed Greenwood mentions, that "silver dragon" was likely just the Simbul being extra-freaky. So the offspring would be human, since both Elminster and the Simbul are human (though altered by being Chosen of Mystra, that's not passed on to children -- it might guarantee they have the potential to work magic but that's about it).
@@bavettesAstartes It's funny hearing that, because in one campaign, due to some time travel chicanery, one of my characters became Larloch's sister.
@@whiterabbit75 over 1500 years old... congratulations i guess?...
@@bavettesAstartes Like I said, time travel chicanery. :P
NDA ... naked drow apprentice?
I think you should add “with benefits”…even if it’s not part of acronym.
Like Elminster is like…enough to make Bards looks chaste. Also Eilistraee worshippers-which is apprentice is a member-often held mass wedding…as in guests also can partake.
This is leagues above what wizards is launching as content.
Man's a goddam legend. The talent in his pinky finger has more lore than the last three books WoTC put out.
He’s one of the inventors of the Content.
The difference between someone who masters his craft and someone who doesn't. After all, there are bad writers, decent writers, good writers and Writers.
The decline in richness and lore began as soon as WotC took over. They started by dumbing down the game immensely and losing all nuance of Ed's. 2nd edition was the golden age of campaign settings, a time that seems to be long gone.
@@zug-zug He has been working on his setting before D&D was even a thing, so more than 30 years. And this isn't the only setting that predated D&D.
Forgotten realms fans: "who is this side character in the background in this old picture?
Ed: "funny.. you should ask". Proceeds to spin an entire novels worth of backstory and exposition...😅
Those of us who create our own settings have similar stories that 99% of players will never hear outside of this type of storytelling.
Episodes from Ed Greenwood are a constant reminder as to why I got into this hobby.
I've still got that book. I bought it brand new the day it released. Thanks so much for your work Ed.
I as well. I have 2 copies of it
It was my first splat book
Back in the 90s when I was stationed up in Fairbanks Alaska, one of my buddies had this boxed set. We had some fun with it. I bought many of the others. I especially enjoyed The Ruins of Myth Drannor. ty for all your hard work over the decades.
A lot of people seem to forget that, before 5e, liches could be of nearly any alignment. There were even Lawful Good liches, called Baelnorns, who became such for the purpose of making an eternal guardian or lorekeeper where they were needed by Elvenkind.
I've been coming up with a setting plagiarized from Dark Sun that has a lawful good lich using her magic to attempt to solve the lack of water and create a giant orchard for people.
Again is comes down to "desire"... is it to cheat death and continue your power or to sacrifice your eternal rest to protect your people?
@@cycleboy8028 You could have a lich that became one out of the typical evil motives, then as time passes, they realize their mistake in an epiphany, and start doing acts of contrition to set right their error.
Very rare to become Baelnorns and almost all liches were evil, especialy drow liches.
My young chaotic good high elf wizard and at one point admitted she always wanted to be a litch long before I learned that 'good' elven litches was a thing. Lucky for her she accidentally got turned into a Mummylord at level 13 and by level 20 had become a Baelnorn in all but name. It was hilarious as she went full into Necromancy in the hope of bringing a fallen party member back from the dead. Over the course of the campaign she managed to apprentice under a Red Wizard and become Vecna's unwilling pen friend after she acquired a copy of the Tome of the Stilled Tongue...she made deals with fiends and dark gods, became a defiler in Athas and a master of negative energy ....all with the aim of saving her friends and helping people 😂 In the end she became a full litch and the first Undead Warlock Patron in our home campaign.
Gosh I just want to read all of your books Mr Greenwood. Your story telling enraptures me
I hope some day we get more lore in official supplements/novels/campaign settings like this again!
What’s more official than getting it directly from Ed?
This was great, I absolutely loved it! Thank you for sharing! =^_^=
Ahh one of two topics I am waiting on.. The other is Waterdeep/UnderMountain of course.. Not letting that go Ed...
I'm just glad he isn't dead yet. I'm grateful for any glipse at the greater details of the world he created.
Oh Gods, I still have my copy of "The Drow of the Underdark!" I actually keep it in a Menzoberranzan box set! The second I saw that familiar pic, I had to click here!
Just subscribed, by the way! Didn't know you had a channel!
I love that Mr. Greenwood has the cadence and tone of a veteran Dungeon Master.
Ed, please... We need a video about the lore in BG3... specially the twist with the Emperor... i'm dying to know how the game is gonna influence the lore going forward, is it all canon? were you in on it? c'mon!
I can't believe I am only just finally finding this channel. Ed! Never would have expected to find you on TH-cam, the digital age is magnificent sometimes. Seeing how interested in and engaged with your creation you still are is inspiring, keep it up man!
Amazing story-telling voice. Spellbinding storytelling.
I’ve loved these Elminster stories for years now, thank you
I need Ed to narrate his books. I love his voice. Ed is also just a super great guy. He's always answered my questions on Twitter, Facebook, or candlekeep forums. Just a great guy
I miss old D&D lore. WOTC has not been able to do anything good since 3rd edition. Respect to one of the OGs, spitting true lore. I hate that this story basically can't exist in 5E, because now there's are no other drow settlements outside Menzoberranzan and some top-side rebels.
That said, perhaps I'll make her in BG3 and play that out.
5:22 A stormy summers night in the late spring... Very magical.
I'm already enjoying this.
Edit: so glad she has contact with the Church of Eilistraee, gods know it's good that she has contact with other Drow
If you haven’t read the latest 3 books of RA Salvatore’s Drizzt novels pick them up! The trilogy introduces an entire city of surface living Drow!
More like last minute.
Salvatore did say that he dislike Eilistraee and have misinformed opinion that she try to force Drows to be good (which she isn’t, more like trying to let them choose and didn’t mind when one Good Drow worshipped Mystara even if both were chummy.)
I have loved your works for most of my life. Thank you for such rich, enchanting stories and supplements for the lands of Toril. I have begun to teach my children about Toril and delight in seeing this wonderful world blossom before their eyes. I have no doubt that the stories I have created with them will be as dear to them as your stories have been to me.
Thanks for all the given, house, and city names for the Drow. I've used plenty over the years. The 3rd ed Drow of the Underdark is a good Oerth companion to your FR 2nd ed version. Thank you for your work in fleshing out D&D's Underdark.
Lifting NDAs? Heck yeah, I hope you can cover more material like this. I'll suggest the Sorceress in Gray if you need someplace to start. Just one paragraph in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical has had me wondering what her backstory is for 30 years now...
Hi Ed, love your stuff. The pronunciation of firbolg is historically and phonetically Fairbohlig, meaning men of the bag because they fled the Tuatha de danaan (the fey of Ireland) to become slaves in Greece made to carry bags of clay and soil.
Didn't know that Irish folklore was connected to Greece, sounds cool.
@@mrmaster9801 Both Troy and Athens are said to be founded by the sons of Zarah-Judah. They would go on to be known as the Milesians and the Gaelic.
One of the several migration stories from old Irish folklore. In another, a fair immortal race sailed across the sea from some mystical other-realm and did battle with their cousins who served an powerful overlord with one peering eye. There's a bread-making festival based around it. Great stuff.
Holy crap! I love the internet. Thanks for explaining all of this! Your supplement remains the most heavily used and abused in my entire collection.
I've been waiting for you to get to some drow related material, Ed! I'm an old drow fan, though I do have an admittedly unreasonable hatred of Drizzt, and I always loved what you did with the elf and Seldarine lore in general, and the drow corner of same in particular. I always wondered why I never saw more about Susprina.
Even though what I like most about drow is the evil, matriarchal theocracy of spider demon goddess worshipping, obsidian skinned, elven lingerie models I first read about in the AD&D Fiend Folio, I've also always found the drow goddess of exhibitionism...err, Eilistraee, also very interesting. She, and by extension her followers, always seemed to me to still be quite quintessentially drow in many ways, despite being Good. The hedonism is still there, but tempered by a positive spin, as well as some of the trademark ruthlessness of the drow in their "plan for peace but prepare for war" attitude. I'd love a deep dive on how you came up with all the drow and Seldarine lore, especially Eilistraee. When you find the time, of course!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who rolls eyes at Pizzle Da'Urchin.
Love any Drow related lore. Forgotten Realms has been a constant in my life for over 20 years. Thank you for contributing to a way more interesting and funnier life for me. Big salute from Brazil.
The fact the FG it was passed over in favor of what it inspired like GOT and Wheel of Time is beyond me. (OGDMs Tolkien and Gyjax of course). Your turn Netflix?
Well, in honesty, tabletop is like mainstream just recently despite how old it is.
I mean most knew Warhammer from videogames and movies than miniature war gaming (as someone who got introduced to it via Dawn of War), same with DnD.
Thank you for another wonderfull installment Loremaster.
Stuff like this is what I miss about the old school D&D.
This Vid is evidence that Drow are how they are by nurture and culture rather than nature.
Drizzt story is the practical example, not to the mention the whole Elistraee stuff.
Not to mention there's a goddess watching them and directing her priestesses to torture/kill anyone not following her progressive darwinist philosophies.
Thank you for sharing, Mr Greenwood! ❤
I love it! This is something I never have heard before. Ed your the best.
Yay! I love this whole set of El/Drow stories, and am excited to hear anything and everything you continue to tell!
She's going in my next game Ed, you convinced me.
Thats extemely wholesome from Ed to create such a character
Holy smokes...I finally get to see Ed...after so many years, ngl, I am crying happy tears.
Mr. Ed Greenwood has his own channel? What else do I need!
Great video! The story of how Elminster introducing Calimar and Susprina is so well-crafted and sweet. Really inspiring!
I now want to run a high level D&D campaign where the players can all be different high-level characters from the Realms like Susprina and the Seven Sisters.
That singular book sold me on the Drow. As good as Salvatore's books were, and they weren't bad, I just didn't care. But The Drow of the Underdark was SO complete. Just needed more information on those magical cybernetics. 😉
And those were added at the last minute, to make the book two pages longer...and not a page more, so I couldn't expand on them. Don't worry, I will, in a future video, though it may take months to get to that topic.
An excellent quest-giving NPC for me to use. Thanks Ed.
Love it... Always loved that illustration, as well as that amazing 2nd Edition sourcebook... I need to track down a replacement copy, as mine was lost years ago in a storage unit debacle... Someday I'll find one that I can afford. Thanks Ed for sharing these awesome bits of Realms Lore!
Thank you both Ivan & Mr. Greenwood. This is really well done. The level of detail and idiosyncratic elements that you used in telling Susprina’s history make this sound like you are sharing the history of someone who lives in the real world if not for the overt fantasy details. I’m probably going to bookmark this and share with others as what a well done personal history of a fictional character should look like.
Hi Mr Greenwood I have enjoyed your stories and work for years I guess I was enchanted and living under a rock, just found this channel and I am very happy for it.
I knew nothing about this and just clicked cuz of the nda (its usually something good) and not only enjoyed the story but the way it was told as well. I havent zoned out that hard listening to lore in a LONG time.
Oho, there are some videos coming up that you're going to LOVE. :}
@@edgreenwoodofficial I cant wait! You have gained a new lore student.
Still own my copy of The Drow of the Underdark and my Menzoberranzan box set for 2e. SO many great times there. Thank you sir for all you've inspired over the years, it literally saved my life.
You can tell this is authentic Realmslore because people are saying "ye" instead of "you."
This is definitely just Elminster giving us the world history, just compare the illustration shown at the start to the so-called "Ed Greenwood" talking on the video. More like "Edminster Greenwood"
1:59, I laugh at stuff like that all the time, it’s hard to describe, like it’s part defense mechanism, part just chuckling at the notion of the story. Maybe 20% from just being morbid, at least in my case.
Loved & Subbed!!! Never knew you were here on YT!!! Awesome. Off to Patreon...🤨🧐😇
So, if the NDA is lifted, can you now answer where the Cantlow Crossroads/Library are?
Mr. Greenwood I have seen your name on the vast majority of my favorite RPG books for years and years, I had no idea you had a channel. Time to binge all of it! Cheers and thank you for all of the entertainment over all of this time.
How did I not know about this wonderful channel?Well I do now and subscribed so I won’t miss any of this great goodness
Liked, subbed and eagerly awaiting your next tidbit of information from this wonderful world you created Sir. You have no idea how many hours of enjoyment the realms and your creations have provided myself and all my players. Thank you.
Sitting down, smoking pipeweed and watching Ed tell about ANYTHING DROW, yea its a good morning ❤
Is the spelling of the secret club she went to in Waterdeep correct in the subtitles? Spiling Mask?
Finally! That was so much fun, thank you!
You are a living legend, I am glad I found you and your stories. Thank you for all you have done for our hobby and our imagination. I truly can’t thank you enough
@Dr.Quarexhello fellow old person, apparently we had the same childhood!
My take away from this is, further proof that lich-dom doesn't mean (capital E!) Evil
If you also could listen to Ed all day and all night, the Patreon is so worth it.
I have to wonder do you keep reams of notes and do you still game if so what system?
Yes, and yes. When I'm running D&D, it's usually 2e or freeform "theater of the mind." I've run for all editions, though (some of them playtests for TSR or Wizards).
This was a joy to listen to. Thanks, Ed!
Ed THANK YOU.. these deep dive give more life to the Realms then anything WOTC is or had done in 5e
I'd love to meet a teacher like Elminster, too bad real wizards are in incredibly short supply on Earth HAH! 🤣I still own that Drow of the underdark Supplement. This video brought back a lot of fond memories, Thank you 😊
So do I. I still roll my eyes at Elminster mentioning how he came close to having a Drow wife… yup, every female of every race in the multiverse , including goddesses, cannot help but get naked for him.
How about the sad story of Valdrian Shadowmantle in your own words??
Ah, now I know how Ed pronounces "Eilistraee".
Did Ed just release a novel in the form of box text?
2nd Ed, the edition before the fall…I’ve missed D&D ever since.
Your contribution Sir, has been remarkable and we are all grateful to you.
Has the story of Susprina been placed into the written record? If so, how can one acquire it?
5:22 a stormy summer night in late spring? 😂
I hope one day we get the story about what in the world was the Dawn Cataclysm.
You can't fool me Ed, your agreement with Elminster not to drag his apprentice into the limelight has just expired. Thanks anyway for revealing the truth.
Side note, how are the Moonstars and Harpers getting along these days?
Ed Greenwoods beard looks really soft.
It is. ;}
she sounds like a fun NPC I can put in my forgotten realms d&d campaign pretty sure most of my players would immediately fall in love with her though
Not only did I not know you were still alive I did not know you were doing TH-cam. Cool.
I really enjoy hearing Ed Greenwood tell stories!
Yep, Susprina is definetly going to be meet my players! I love adding relevant NPCs to my campaign in the realms
WOW, I forgot all this until he told this story, it's been far too long since I've read these stories.
Need to dig them out of my trunk of holding before I forget everything.
It's a suspiciously Suspiria Susprina Conspiracy...
I love gathering for storytime
Always misread it to sound like Fur-Blog 😄
Hey Ed trying to get the kingles land books, they still aveyable?
I think they're out of print, now. I will check. There are five in all.
@@edgreenwoodofficial If not are they on audiobooks
Yay! Super cool wotc is letting you tell the stories finally.
This video was a day maker. Thanks Ed.
Makes sense.
Wish Granted.
Susprina Arkenneld... you old dog ;)
Now can I have my Best Friend from the Realms back?
Pretty please, with sugar on top?
So all this time there was an amazing story about an Undead Drow John Wick?
This stuff is really great content. Thank you for back filling a lot of things many of us were curious about.
Holy cow, I cant believe I'm just finding this channel now. I've read so many of your books and stories over the years and always loved them. Can't wait to see more of your videos.
Thank goodness for old grognards.
Thanks for this video.
A loving lich farther?
It's so wholesome how Ed laughs at dismemberment. I too find the idea of chopping someone to pieces hilarious
Even if it weren't for the disclaimer in the video, I would have assumed he was laughing at how absurdly over the top that amount of violence was (and by extension laughing at himself for writing that, knowing how it sounds), rather than thinking dismemberment itself was funny. But I guess these days you can't assume anyone will give you the benefit of the doubt or keep context in mind...
God damn it. So much weight has been lifted off my mind. It feels like I've waited all my life to find answers to questions that I've forgotten over time. I started out in ADnD 2e. in 93. Feel almost emotional. :)
I staarted around those years. But in the books, we were encourage to create our own setting. Me and my cousin we did just that. We had made our own maps. Created a whole world. Really big. Lots of stories. We had a lot of lore and npc. And we added to the lore and story with every session we did. Our DM would take our character and make them king or regent, or bandit leaders depending on what we did. We even did sessions were we would play up until lvl 25. We fought Gods. Became ones. Fought in the 9 hells.
We had a forest that was alive and moved with you. Every sessions would add to the lore and story of the world. I still carry with me the names of those character i created.
@@celuiquipeut6527 That's Great! We did the same thing! But instead we decided to come the rulers of the 9 Hells and transformed it. It was still the place where the wicked souls go to but we called it Controlled Chaos. The death toll in our campaign that lasted 7 years for me was 37 characters lol. We played just about every weekend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the school days and when summer break hit we played all night easy 16 hours of gaming lol. We rotated around taking a shot at DM'ing in the same campaine adding our own little spot on the map. Until it got to the point that the world map fit multipal tables put together 4x4 dinner tables(our town Waffle House was the best! Letting us play there at 3pm until 4am. When they weren't busy) lol, There was a geologist professor saw our map as we were playing one night at the dinner he did the math for us as we never really thought about measuring the world. Our world that we built together was 4 times bigger than the Earth. I think he said it was 31,670 miles around the equator. It blew us away. Eventually we did a world-breaking campaign to separated each of our land creations. So if we decided to publish our stuff. We all agreed on to give subtle nods each others work. Of course RL happened I went to the military after college. I stopped playing dnd at 4e. Came back to DnD when I found out 5e. was out for 5 years already. So I jumped back into it was excited at first and after about a year. I notice it was simple but a incomplete mess with the player base having no clue how to run a game at level 20. (or shall I say have mental capacity to do it. Not even in WoTC. That shocked me the most.) During beer virus. I was so temped to get my notes together and published a book on how to run 20+ level games, and damn near revampit all for a new system did during the OGL fiasco. I kinda missed the more hard play style back in Adnd 2e. Where Items and gear more important than leveling up. Because each class had their own EXP Table. Once you had the gear Leveling up was a great treat. :) I'm still 50/50 on if I miss THAC0 or not. IT was such a good player benchmark. If the player can figure out THAC0 you had a good and imaginative player. I had better times with these players than the ones that couldn't.