Eilistraee LIVES!

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Irennan
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

The table of contents is here: http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads ... C_2k33.pdf

There are 20 pages dedicated just to the gods, so I guess that a small explanation to their return will be given to each. Perhaps we'll get to know how Eilistraee came back during the Sundering.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Leema Har'gachi »

[quote="Irennan":1cyypqj8]The table of contents is here: http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads ... C_2k33.pdf

There are 20 pages dedicated just to the gods, so I guess that a small explanation to their return will be given to each. Perhaps we'll get to know how Eilistraee came back during the Sundering.[/quote:1cyypqj8]

Yeah, hopefully we do. I also find it interesting that there is a "rare elven subraces" so we are most likely going to get the aqua elves, though its plural so maybe the subraces that were combined in the player's handbook might get their own thing for the realms (which is what I am hoping). I am also hoping, that the darksong knights get a subclass... Though most likely it will just be mentioned as part of the knights of order background, which I hope not.

Looking at this though, I doubt that we will actually have specialty priest. The divine domains might give us some better domain flavor, but it seems we will most likely have to just hope they give us Eilistraeen spells. Though the only spells mentioned in this preview is cantrips for wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks... So.... Maybe.

So yeah that is my thoughts and hopes for this.
CODENAME:Leema
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Irennan
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

[quote="Leema Har'gachi":gqw77ro2][quote="Irennan":gqw77ro2]The table of contents is here: http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads ... C_2k33.pdf

There are 20 pages dedicated just to the gods, so I guess that a small explanation to their return will be given to each. Perhaps we'll get to know how Eilistraee came back during the Sundering.[/quote:gqw77ro2]

Yeah, hopefully we do. I also find it interesting that there is a "rare elven subraces" so we are most likely going to get the aqua elves, though its plural so maybe the subraces that were combined in the player's handbook might get their own thing for the realms (which is what I am hoping). I am also hoping, that the darksong knights get a subclass... Though most likely it will just be mentioned as part of the knights of order background, which I hope not.

Looking at this though, I doubt that we will actually have specialty priest. The divine domains might give us some better domain flavor, but it seems we will most likely have to just hope they give us Eilistraeen spells. Though the only spells mentioned in this preview is cantrips for wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks... So.... Maybe.

So yeah that is my thoughts and hopes for this.[/quote:gqw77ro2]

Well, if Jeremy Crawford is right (and he should be, since he's one of the two lead designers for 5e, and among the authors/editors of the book), Eilistraee will be in the book, so we'll get some lore on her, even if is just yet another she's back, we'll at least know her new allegiances, portfolio and so on. The rare elven subraces will probably also include avariel, drow and -perhaps- Eilistraee's changed followers (remeber that the race section is not full rules, it includes the history of the various races in the FR and how they fit in the setting). I don't think that the Darksong Knight will be a class on its own, but perhaps they will give a nod to them in the ''kinghtly orders sidebar''. We won't be getting extra domains or divine spells (and even arcane spells will only be cantrips), the subsection of the Cleric class is named ''Divine Domain'' (and it will probably be the storm domain from UA),no plural, whereas other classes get subheadings like ''Paladin Order[b:gqw77ro2]s[/b:gqw77ro2]''.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Leema Har'gachi »

Yeah, makes sense.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

Ok, both Eilistraee and Vhaeraun are in the book (actually the whole Dark Seldarine is). I haven't got it yet, but from what I've gathered, the book is very brief in its descriptions. The deities section says that the gods are back with Sundering, and then proceeds to list all the currently active/alive deities. Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, Kiaransalee and Selvetarm are there (it basically is as if Lady Penitent never happened, which is for the best). They (or at least mother, sister and brother) also get a small description in the section of the book regarding drow and elves.

Nothing new (as far as I've checked with my questions in the various threads, that is), but it's nice to see a further confirmation by WotC that Eilistraee and Vhaeraun are alive.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

Eilistraee has been given the Light and Nature domains in 5e. Idk why Nature (basically, commanding plants and animals around), as she really isn't a nature deity. Life and Light would have been better IMHO, as Life is more suited to helping and healing those who are in need, as she teaches.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Bhaern Quel »

Nature because Eilistraee has ranger and in part hunting is part of portfolio I would guess.

[quote:1yi0255r]< On Self-improvement >
Learn how to cook game and how best to hunt it. Learn how to play, make, and repair musical instruments. Learn new songs, dances, and ways with weapons, spices, and recipes, and pass this learning on whenever possible. Practice music and swordwork. [/quote:1yi0255r]

Also from 2nd.

[quote:1yi0255r]PORTFOLIO: Song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight[/quote:1yi0255r]
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

Yeah, but the 5e rules for the Nature domain (not portfolio) basically have clerics commanding plants and animals around. That doesn't really sound like Eilistraee to me.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Bhaern Quel »

[quote="Irennan":18y8bbd7]Yeah, but the 5e rules for the Nature domain (not portfolio) basically has clerics commanding plants and animals around. That doesn't really sound like Eilistraee to me.[/quote:18y8bbd7]

Well 5th Edition clearly appears imperfect. Rangers though clearly know plants as part of class.

For clarity, each edition clearly could be seen as imperfect when fitting a deity into a ruleset.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

This is what the book has on Eilistraee (courtesy of a kind scribe over Candlekeep).

Her entry in the current pantheon list:
[quote:2una9m4d]-Eilistraee, CG goddess of song and moonlight.
-Light and nature domains.
-Symbol: Sword-wielding dancing drow female silhouetted against the full moon.[/quote:2una9m4d]

Her ''description'' in the drow gods section:
[quote:2una9m4d]"Some drow exiles have heard the song of Eilistraee, urging them out onto the surface to behold the moon as it rises. The drow goddess of song, beauty, swordwork, hunting, and moonlight, she is the patron of drow who reject the evils of their society, offering them light and hope."[/quote:2una9m4d]

It's extremely little, but it's about as much, even more, than ''big deities'' like -say- Moradin or Corellon get. Even human gods only get about 3-4 small paragraphs.

Generally, the book seems to be very bare bone, when it comes to the gods and to the lands that are outside the Sword Coast. The Sword Coast itself gets around 60 pages.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

If you are interested --and it surprised me-- I hear that the book contains nice updates on regions like Lantan, Evermeet and Nimbral, and in the chapter that includes the writeups for the various areas, their description are told from the viewpoint of a different explorer/traveler each, Volo's guide-style, which I think adds a nice touch.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Shir'le E. Illios »

[quote="Irennan":37bwgwyl]It's extremely little, but it's about as much, even more, than ''big deities'' like -say- Moradin or Corellon get. Even human gods only get about 3-4 small paragraphs.[/quote:37bwgwyl]
The most important thing is that it's undeniable confirmation that she's alive. I wasn't really expecting them to expand on her lore (though it would've been nice). Thank you for sharing.


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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

[quote="Shir'le E. Illios":3j8byvcx][quote="Irennan":3j8byvcx]It's extremely little, but it's about as much, even more, than ''big deities'' like -say- Moradin or Corellon get. Even human gods only get about 3-4 small paragraphs.[/quote:3j8byvcx]
The most important thing is that it's undeniable confirmation that she's alive. I wasn't really expecting them to expand on her lore (though it would've been nice). Thank you for sharing.


Love -x-x-x-

Shir'le[/quote:3j8byvcx]

You're very welcome. The book doesn't speak about the deaths of any deity, as far as I'm told. It says that deities can go dormant, or ''retire'' for periods of time, sometimes die and be reborn --something very general--, and that mortals don't know what's behind such things, they only know when they happen because they stop receiving answers to their prayers. Then it says that the Sundering saw the return of such deities, and that the current pantheon is: a list of deities follows. So yes, Eilistraee is currently back in action according to the book, even more when we combine this with what Ed said about her in Spellstorm (Mystra's sharing the Weave with her), and directly (and his words about anything Realms, even if told on forums like Candlekeep, are fully official, by his contract, unless WotC decides to overwrite them. Which they didn't).

Turns out that the Sundering is nothing other than a ''masked'' soft reboot (since some things haven't been reset), especially as long as gods are concerned. Setting aside deities that were forgotten in the ancient past, as far as I've seen, the only previously ''dead'' ones that haven't been confirmed as alive are Velsharoon, Ibrandul and Moander. A few deities have been changed. The Mulhorandi gods are now all demipowers, while Ghaunadaur is no longer a god, but a ''Great Old One'' warlock patron.

When it comes to deities that were revealed to be ''aspects'', the book lists and describes separatedly and differently, without even hinting to a relationship. The only particular case is Lathander-Amaunator, implied to be two faces of the same god in one of the Sundering books (they alternate each other accordingly to what ''the world needs''), are listed as different and separate, and both currently answering to prayers. However, it says that Amaunator has died and been reborn time and again, hinting to the periods of time when Lathander was the active aspect (and even in the novels where the duality is explained, the matter is left rather vague, probably pointing to the fact that this god answers to prayers directed to both his aspects). So it seems that the matter of deities revealed to be other deities has been left open. On the other hand, the Masked Lady is not even mentioned, so we can stay assured that Eilistraee and Vhaeraun are separate like Ed confirmed.

I'm waiting for Ed's next novel (possibly June 2016) to get something more specific/personal about Eilistraee, hoping that the editors don't cut that part out. But the fact that they chose to not remove a reference to Eilistraee in Spellstorm (that is completely unrelated to the story in the book), the fact that they chose to include Eilistraee in the current pantheon and make her available as a PC deity for their official organized play program (which is set in the canonical, present era FR) give me hope.

On a side note, I like that they homaged what Ed said about Eilistraee constantly singing her call to all drow, showing them a different life through vision, emotions and dreams. It actually is something intense, that the drow secretly long for, so the ''song urging them onto the surface[...]'' is rather fitting.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Irennan »

Some more info from Ed, about the relationship between Eilistraee&Vhaeraun, and Eilistraee's clergy. :)

''Irennan, yes, there can at the present time in the Realms be male clergy of Eilistraee (no changedance necessary).
SOME of their followers are still foes (humans even of the same family and/or political bent and/or organization can disagree fervently, as we're all well aware, and this applies here, too), and Eilistraee and Vhaeraun remain very different in outlook and character...but they now UNDERSTAND each other very thoroughly, and make allowances for each other's differing aims, styles, and strivings far more than they hitherto did...''

This is awesome news, I've always wanted to see those two together, and the changedance always felt rather off to me.
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Re: Eilistraee LIVES!

Post by Leema Har'gachi »

[quote="Irennan":1kwpo9rj]Some more info from Ed, about the relationship between Eilistraee&Vhaeraun, and Eilistraee's clergy. :)

''Irennan, yes, there can at the present time in the Realms be male clergy of Eilistraee (no changedance necessary).
SOME of their followers are still foes (humans even of the same family and/or political bent and/or organization can disagree fervently, as we're all well aware, and this applies here, too), and Eilistraee and Vhaeraun remain very different in outlook and character...but they now UNDERSTAND each other very thoroughly, and make allowances for each other's differing aims, styles, and strivings far more than they hitherto did...''

This is awesome news, I've always wanted to see those two together, and the changedance always felt rather off to me.[/quote:1kwpo9rj]

YEAY!! No more gender bender anymore. :) I think I know what I'll be playing as the next time I play a game now. lol.

Also, on the subject of the Adventure's guide to the sword coast book. After getting my hands on a copy and looking over it, I'm kind of underwhelmed by it. The races are literately and overview including re including the Deep gnome which was in the elemental player companions. Aside from some options for the tiefling, they didn't added anything new for the races. They do mention the aquatic elves, but that's it for them :(. The class options aren't that much better, though I do admit the Spellslinger subclass was alright, though it did surprised me they made it a wizard subclass (I kind of thought it would be more of a fighter subclass). Also, for those of your who was getting the play test packets, the Urban Bounty Hunter is pretty much a slightly altered version of the play test's Bounty Hunter background (which did surprised me when they didn't have it as part of the player's handbook). Though, I'll admit the few changes they did do to it does make it close to what I've always imagined a bounty hunter to be like. So yeah, that is my opinion of some of the book.
CODENAME:Leema
Real Name:Leema Apollyon Har'gachi
Class:Variant Illusionist Favored Soul {gestalt}
Race:Shadow Drow
Height:5'8"
Weight:158 Ib.
Hair:Yellowish
Eyes:Purple(pinwheel)
Skin:Pitch-black(surrounded by Shadowy Purple Aura)
Deity:Eilistraee
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