Research material question

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Unen_Stealthfoot
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Research material question

Post by Unen_Stealthfoot »

[color=#800080:3rg5xd8n]Hi, guys. It’s been a while since I was on here and reading FRCS on a regular basis, (I tried to get back into it with the return of the companions, but lost it when they made a darthiir a matron mother) so I was wondering where I could find good source material on 5E deities and Eilistraee, specifically. Or just suggestions for good reading.

Also, nice to be back. Saw a beautiful full moon the other week, and had a new bastard sword, so I felt nostalgic and did a sword dance. Felt reconnected.[/color:3rg5xd8n]
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Irennan
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Re: Research material question

Post by Irennan »

[quote="Unen_Stealthfoot":25lpmyxf][color=#800080:25lpmyxf]Hi, guys. It’s been a while since I was on here and reading FRCS on a regular basis, (I tried to get back into it with the return of the companions, but lost it when they made a darthiir a matron mother) so I was wondering where I could find good source material on 5E deities and Eilistraee, specifically. Or just suggestions for good reading.

Also, nice to be back. Saw a beautiful full moon the other week, and had a new bastard sword, so I felt nostalgic and did a sword dance. Felt reconnected.[/color:25lpmyxf][/quote:25lpmyxf]

Glad to see people back (even tho I only registered here when most people started to leave, so I don't really know most of the former users).

The only 5e source on Eilistraee is the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and Ed's novel Death Masks. In the former, it is basically said that Eilistraee is alive and active once again (just like the rest of the drow gods, and basically any and all gods), it is briefly explained what she is about, her portfolios, and her domains (Nature, Light, Life).

In the latter book, it is said, through tidbits scattered here and there, that Eilistraee has been quite active as of late, appearing and dancing with mortals in person along the Sword Coast. As of recent (read: 1491 DR), Eilistraee has been seen dancing under the walls of Waterdeep. That led many of her drow followers to the City of Splendors (to the point that some taverns/brothels have decided to organize stuff dedicated to entertaining them), with the goal of establishing a new dancing to Eilistraee within the walls of the city (in the now ruined Fields Ward). Their request was not met with enthusiasm by many nobles, but they have gained the sponsorship fo the Harpers representative in Waterdeep, the elven noble Remallia Haventree. Ed has also said, through twitter, that the Promenade has been stealthily retaken as well, and hinted that this resurgence of Eilistraee could play a bigger role in a near future storyline (possibly connected with Waterdeep/Undermountain).

The followers of Eilistraee have joined the Harpers, the drow of Szith Morcane, the Emerald Enclave, the Order of the Gauntlet, and the (now quite different) Zhents in the reclamation of Maerimydra (from the AL module "Assault on Maerimydra")
[quote:25lpmyxf]During the event known as the Rage of Demons, a group of Sword Dancers of Eilistraee, led by the charismatic and kind-hearted high priestess Saradreza Oussmtor, decided to help an unlikely coalition (composed by agents of the Harpers, Zhentarim, Emerald Enclave, Lords' Alliance and Order of the Gauntlet; by the drow of Szith Morcane, led by archmage Solom Ned'razak, the warriors followers Elanil Elassidil of the Hillsfar rebellion, the Red Plumes guided by First Lord Vuhm Yestral, the myconids of Sporedome, and the illithids of Ryxyg) to oppose Graz'zt's growing influence in Maerimydra. The demon lord had in fact rallied the fire giants led by his daughter Hledh Hellspawn, and turned Maerimydra into a base from where he would work to spread his demonic influence and gain control over the Material Plane (through a restored Undying Temple, which he planned to use to gain free access to the whole prime--surface included). His threat had already taken a heavy toll on the drow of Szith Morcane and in the area of Elventree and Hillsfar, leading unlikely allies to band together to face demons and giants.[117]

The followers of the Dark Dancer saw this as a good opportunity to lend their help and spread the message of Eilistraee among other drow who were tired of Lolth's tyranny or who were seeking freedom from the fire giants. The alliance would eventually succeed, and Saradreza and the other Sword Dancers would gain a place in Maerimydra alongside the drow of Szith Morcane. They joined the rebuilding operations, hoping to reunite the drow of the Moonsea area, and to establish good relationships with the other inhabitants of the region.[118][/quote:25lpmyxf]

The rest of what we know about Eilistraee in 5e comes from Ed's lore. This is a summary of what he said (taken from these notes: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/E ... te_note-49)
[quote:25lpmyxf]Ed Greenwood suggests that Eilistraee actually spared her brother's life. The Dark Maiden defeated Vhaeraun with the indirect help of her ally Mystra, as the Weave frustrated the Masked Lord's magic while enhancing Eilistraee's. The goddess temporarily took her brother's portfolio and trapped his sentience in the Weave, where it was enfolded in a dream by Mystra. The Lady of Mysteries did that to ensure that the two drow siblings would survive the cataclysm that she knew was coming—the Spellplague—in which she would be "killed" to renew the Weave, and magic would go wild. Afterwards, Eilistraee survived Halisstra's attempt at killing her, albeit much weakened. When Qilué Veladorn was killed, since the goddess was inhabiting her body, a great part of her power was dragged into the Weave with the Chosen's soul (the souls of Mystra's chosen often become "Voices in the Weave" after their death, as explained in the novel Spellstorm, and their memories and experiences are shared by Mystra--and, I add, the sword that killed Qilué couldn't destroy souls any longer, since we see another character's soul perfectly intact after being killed by the sword). After that, for about a century, Eilistraee could only manifest herself only as a floating black mask surrounded by moonlight, capable of silently communicating with mortals, but not of answering prayers or granting spells (except by direct touch). After Mystra and the Weave were completely restored in 1487DR, the goddess of magic could finally give Eilistraee her own lost power, and do the same with Vhaeraun, after having awakened him from his dream.[/quote:25lpmyxf]

Most of the lore is gathered here: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/E ... ee#Rebirth
[quote:25lpmyxf]Eilistraee managed to return to life during the event known as the Second Sundering[10][12], in Flamerule, 1489 DR[13]. She and her brother were separate entities again,[10][47] but after the time spent as the Masked Lady, they reached a reciprocal understanding, and the enmity between them was no more.[48] Both deities personally let their return be known, manifesting through their avatars to their followers, who enthusiastically spread the word.[12] Eilistraee was seen dancing and speaking to mortals in many places, especially along the Sword Coast. For example, the citizens of Waterdeep witnessed the Dark Dancer, as she danced in the moonlight, near the walls of the city, up the road to Amphail. This led many moondancers to the City of Splendors, with the goal of creating a shrine to their goddess within its walls.[11]
Eilistraee was also one of the deities with whom the returned Mystra was sharing the Weave after the Second Sundering.[49] (this is from the novel Spellstorm, but it's basically 1 single line that states that).

After her return, despite Q'arlynd's ritual, the Dark Dancer was still a drow goddess and most of her followers were still drow[10] (makes sense: Eilistraee never cared for such a transformation, and only hundreds of drow--i.e. a minority of her followers--was transformed back then).[/quote:25lpmyxf]

Ed has also said that both the Darksong Knights and the Silverhair Knights are still active, if few.The Silverhair Knights seem to receive answers to their prayers directly by Eilistraee herself.

In general, 5e was some kind of in-Universe reboot, but we haven't been given much lore about the FR at all. Long story short, Ao got tired of being BS'ed and rewrote the tablets of fate. That separated Abeir from Toril, and gave many gods the opportunity to be come back. More info: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Second_Sundering
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Unen_Stealthfoot
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Re: Research material question

Post by Unen_Stealthfoot »

:eek: [color=#400080:1fmuxb0u]That was an incredibly thorough infodump. Thank you. I’ll have to grab a copy of Death Masks to read. I usually like Ed’s books.[/color:1fmuxb0u]
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Irennan
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Re: Research material question

Post by Irennan »

[quote="Unen_Stealthfoot":18tx4ddn]:eek: [color=#400080:18tx4ddn]That was an incredibly thorough infodump. Thank you. I’ll have to grab a copy of Death Masks to read. I usually like Ed’s books.[/color:18tx4ddn][/quote:18tx4ddn]

You're welcome. I enjoyed Death Masks, but keep in mind that the info about Eilistraee in it are delivered through side-thoughts/comments of other characters (even tho things like that happen rather frequently in Ed's books). Ed said that he wanted to give Eilistraee some love, so he put these tidbits in his novel (aside from providing lore about her outside of published material), but that there was only so much he could do, given editing (he said that some parts about Eilistraee were taken out of the novel), and given that the novel was not about Eilistraee (or anything drow, for that matter).
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