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ForgingtheRealmsArchive|12/4/2013

TheTeleportingOddity
ByEdGreenwood

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

omethingplayersinmyhomeRealmscampaignhavebecomeveryusedtoovertheyears,butwhichI
usuallyhesitatetomentioninprintwhenI'mwritingabouttheRealms(becauseit'sacomplicationthat
deservesalotofwordsofexplanation,usuallynotgermanetothemaindiscussionathand),isthe
prevalenceofsmall,odditemsthatteleportintoandoutoftheplayercharacters'lives.

Yes,teleportingoddities.NotmajorMacGuffinsusefulinunlockingtheDoorsUnlockableordefeatingthe
OverlyFormidableMonsterorclaimingathroneorsomesuch,mindyou,justlittleitemsofmysteriousheritage
andpurposethatflitintoandoutofthepossessionofcharacters.Sometimesthesearefranklyinexplicable
(Hauntings?OrwhatDr.Seussoncetermedhappenings"thatjusthappenedtohappen"andD&Dgamers
sometimesascribetothedoingsofattentivegods?),andsometimestheyarecluestolongagomagical
processesorremnantsofteleportationsystems(suchasdisguisedscrolltubesthatflitfromruinedandforgotten
courtstoemptyairwhereatoweroncestood).

Tobehonest,Ialwaysincludedthemforoneoftworeasons:tobuildcreepy
atmospherethatwouldgetplayerswonderingorjoltthemoutofdeepening
"everything'sundercontrolhereweknowitall"complacency,andasluresto
possibilitiestheplayercharactersreallyshouldlookinto(inotherwords,
adventurehooks).Doingthisblatantlythetreasuremap,thelostcrownthat
adventurershavealreadycomeacrosslegendsabout,andthereforeknowis
clumsyDMingtosaytheleast,butwhentheitemremainscryptic,mysterious,
andintriguingforsometimeafteritshowsup,orwhencharactersendup
carryingaroundsmallportableoddmentsformonthsorevenyearsofgame
time,hopingtofindtheplaceor"othermatchingpiece"orrightcreaturefor
theirmeaningorusetobecomeclear,itcanbealotofongoingfun.(Notto
mentionareminderthatthesettingisalivearoundthem,notalifeless
backdropenlivenedonlybytheirheroics.)

Andthetendencyofsuchmysteriousitemstoteleportaway,seeminglyoftheirvolition(sometimestobesilently
replacedbyotheritems),sotheycan'tberelieduponorsotheybecomedoublymysterious,justaddstothefun.
Earlyon,Isensedthatthissideshow,ifIwastouseitatall,mustoccuroften,notcomeoutofthebluejustwhen
theDMwantsittobeaplotelementandthengoawayagainuntilthenexttimeitbecomesuseful,oritreallyis
carrotandstickmanipulationorbecomesperceivedassuch.ItcanbeatipofftoplayersthatSomething
ImportantIsAbouttoHappen.Thesequenceofappearinganddisappearingitemsmustbe,insomeever
morphingsense,"alwaysthere,"soitmaintainsanairofmysteryyetmakescharactersfeelspecial(inthattheir
charactersseemtobefocifortheseteleportingitemsmorethan,say,theneareststreetmerchantorstablehand
encounteredintheirtravels).

HereareafewoftheodditiesI'vevisitedonvariousplayercharactersovertheyears:

Thebatteredandbladelesshiltofasword,obviouslyoldandofbeautifuldesign,fashionedofsomeunusualgleaming
bluealloy.Ithaswordsengravedonitinarchaictongues,andithastinystudsorbuttonsworkedintoitsdesignthatthe
fingersofsomeonegraspingthehiltcanreadilyreach.Thewordsmustbedecipheredandthebuttonspushedbytrial
anderrortolearnwhattheydo.Inmostcasesthisisnothingandifaplayercharacterhasanewbladefittedtothehilt,
heorshewillaffectthatnewbladeinthesamewayasheorsheaugmentedtheformerone.Afewofthebuttonsdo
suchthingsasenablethehiltholdertobecomeweightless(soheorshecanwalkacrossasurfaceofapond,oraflimsy
branch,orashopawning,andfallasifprotectedbyfeatherfall)makethepommelattheendofthehiltemitashaftof
glowingradiance(aflashlightbeam)andprojecta4footradiusmagicalsilencefocusedonthehilt(sosoundsmade

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withinthatglobe,suchasabentheadsconversation,won'treachoutsidetheglobe).Theswordhas,ofcourse,a
name,ahistory,andsomemagicalpurposesthatwillbelearnedonlybylonganddiligentcharacterinvestigation(such
asconsultingsagesandpeeringintodustytomesinoldandgoodlibrariesasthoseatrulingcourtsandinsuchguildsas
Waterdeep'sWatchfulOrderofMagists&Protectors).
Ahumanpalmsizedclearrockcrystalsculptureofahumanskull,theeyesocketsobviouslyholdersforglassvialsthat
dropdownintoeachsocketandthenscrewintoplacetoholdthemthereuntilunfastened.Thesevialseachcontain
potionsofunknownpurposethatemanatemagicsostronglythattheyglowwithafaintpurpleradiancewheneverin
darkness,shadow,ordimlighting.Fromtimetotimeadry,sardonicvoicespeakslonewordsorveryshortphrasesin
Commonoutoftheskull(obviouslyamagicaleffect,sincetheskulllacksvocalcordsoramoveablejaw).Although
contactwithaspellisonereliabletriggerforthisspeech,othertriggerswillhavetobediscoveredbycharactersthrough
trialandmisadventureaswillthemeaningsoftheutterances,andwhytheskullismakingthem.
Asmall,nondescript,unlabeledchapbookortravelingnotebookwiththincoppersheetpagesthatarepaintedwhiteand
soareblank(andcanreadilybewrittenupon)exceptforonewordstampeddeeplyintoeachpage,atitshead.
Characterswillhavetolearnforthemselvesthateachofthesewords,ifspokenaloudbysomeoneholdingthebook
whohassmearedalittleoftheirownbloodontothegravenword,causesthepagetotransformintoasmallbutsturdy
metalitem(adagger,agrapplinghook,asawcapableofgnawingthroughmetal,alock,ashortlengthofchain,abowl,
ahelm,abuckler,acauldron,andsoon)foralimitedtimeafterwhichittransformsbackintothepageandwon'twork
againforthesamepersonuntilanentiremonthhaspassed.
Apalmsizedpolishedivoryplaque(alittlelargerthanarealworldbusinesscard)bearingthemessage,inCommon:
"TharlokhhaswarnedthatOthmirisnottobetrusted.SousetheunderwayratherthantheDragonGate,andmake
certainoftherubylocks,fortheyaretrappedto'reward'fumblers.Thepasswordis:AMALVUR."
Alarge,roundcoinofunknownminting,stampedofthickelectrumandbearingthesamefaceongrinninghumanskull
onbothsides.OnefacebearsthewordsinCommon"BEWAREANDPREPARE,"andthereversesidedisplaysthe
words"TWOLASTCHANCES"andsometimesglows.Aboutathirdofthearcaroundtheedgeofthecoinhasbeen
sharpenedtoarazoredge.Ifsomeoneholdsthecoinsohisorherthumbsand/orfingersaretouchingbothskullsat
once,anduttersthewords"BewareandPrepare,"thecoinsometimesenshroudsthatsomeoneinaglowingaurain
whichheorshecanperformactivitiesatfourtimesthespeedofthesurroundings,andsotakemoreactions,managea
spellcasting,readyandgetoutitems,andsoon,muchfasterthanheorshewouldotherwisebeabletodo.Yes,the
bearercanlaunchmultiplemissileattacks,andworkmultiplespells,butthemomentasinglespelliscastoutoftheaura
orasingledirectattackismadereachingoutofit,theeffectends(sosomeoneusinga"lastchance"couldcastfour
quick,simplespellsonthemselvesoritemswithintheaura,butnothurlmorethanonemagicalattackoutoftheaura).
The"twolastchances"wordingreferstothefactthatagivenbeingcanmakeuseofthispowerofthecoinonlytwicein
alifetime.

Thegreatmajorityoftheseteleportingitemsarelessmagical,lessuseful,andlesspowerfulthanthoseI've
describedhere.Crypticpartialmessagesarefavorites.Iwanttostressagain:overuseofthissideshowwillfeel
arbitraryandhighhandedtomostplayers.Gentle,ongoingweirdnessworksbest.

AbouttheAuthor

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

19952015WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.

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