New to twitter so not sure where to ask questions about realms lore.
@TheEdVerse . What can you tell us about the ancient black wyrm Ahzalundelarr (of the Wyrmbones)? 1)
Heh. This is the place to ask. :}
So here you go; hitherto unrevealed Realmslore:
Ahzalundelarr is the dragon most revered by the Wyrmcults of Kormul, as this ancient black wyrm has long taken a fell and active interest in…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
2)
…human doings, and the politics of rulers, realms, and factions all across Toril, and they exult in being “the talons of his claws, at work in the world.”
Far more than most dragons (who tend to be self-interested, and ruled by… 3)
…greed and vanity, though this of course a generalization that does a disservice to many individual wyrms), Ahzalundelarr is genuinely interested in the aims of sentient races, and how they can be manipulated.
It’s both…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
4)
…entertainment to him and his life-work; he has grown to delight in influencing humans in particular, but also other sentient races such as the elves, dwarves, giants, illithids, and beholders (almost any being that presumes… 5)
…to rule anywhere who isn’t a dragon), from behind the scenes, so as much as possible they won’t realize they’re being played.
He does this by working through intermediaries, and often employs Wyrmcultists as his tools and…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
6)
…messengers, though he prefers to keep them as unwitting as possible, feeding them lies about WHY they’re being tasked to do something but making it clear the orders are his, because he wants them to obey with fervor, thanks… 7)
…to their worship (they believe he is one of the Old, True Gods who truly rule, and deserve to do so, while louder, more foolish deities like Shar and Cyric and Bane and Mystra misbehave and act as wilfully and recklessly as…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
8)
…the deluded children that they are).
Interestingly, Ahzalundelarr seems to see Mystra’s aim of putting magic into the hands of nigh every mortal as a desirable one, likely as a way of destroying enough of the orcs and goblins… 9)
…that would otherwise soon overwhelm all other races through sheer numbers due to their fecundity, and as a way of making others able to better withstand drow, beholders, illithids, hags, and other aggressive, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
10)
…magically-accomplished, and ruthless beings.
Ahzalundelarr may be one of the major reasons (with the Harpers as another) why no new vast empires have arisen in recent centuries, and the world has instead trended to being a… 11)
…place of more countries that are more evenly balanced, so although warfare is no less prevalent, big conquests are—and those whose ambitions may wreak great havoc across the world (such as Szass Tam) are foiled repeatedly.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
12)
Ahzalundelarr is so old that his body began to decay centuries ago, but his mind seems unaffected, and he has been working away for even longer at a Weave-manipulating alternative to lichdom. This seems to have succeeded, … 13)
…insofar as he survives today as a semi-tangible, almost ghostly in appearance (though not in nature; he seems to be phasing, and existing in several planes of existence at once) body of seemingly separate body parts (his…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
14)
…head here, his tail there, one claw yonder, and so on, without a solid body between). He seems able to absorb Weave-energy (that is: magical discharges, including spells intended to harm him), doesn’t need to breathe or…15)
…sleep or eat, no longer cares about owning anything (so his hoard can be spent on bribes carried by Wyrmcultists, and funds to cover their expenses and to reward them), and likes to absorb magic items after thoroughly…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
16)
…studying them to learn how they act on the Weave, so he can act in similar ways if he chooses.
Ahzalundelarr is certainly sneaky, and his deeds can be seen as selfish and high-handed, but he doesn’t seem to want to rule… 17)
…anywhere, or to destroy or best any individual (except to balance out geopolitics by removing troublesome rulers or magnates), and may aid good-aligned and other groups or individuals if their strivings further what he’s…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
18)
…interested in achieving.
Elminster has hinted that Ahzalundelarr may on occasion covertly work with some of the Chosen, and it’s possible to interpret some words he spoke to a Magister to mean that either a Chosen, former… 19)
…Chosen, or other servitor of Mystra may have mind-melded or even taken over the mind of Ahzalundelarr, to bring about the dragon’s current world-view and innate personal character.
But who can tell us the truth of this, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
20)
…beyond Mystra, Azuth, the senior Chosen, and Ahzalundelarr himself?
Ahzalundelarr has on several occasions said things to Wyrmcultists that suggest Ahzalundelarr sees a succession of lives for dragons who “accomplish the… 21)
…correct achievements,” and that he may be attempting to do this, and so live many lives, in various guises.
It’s known that Ahzalundelarr has several lofty cavern lairs, high in the Wyrmbones (some of them the former lairs of…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021
22)
…rival dragons he destroyed, long ago), but which one, if any, he favours, and where he spends the majority of his time, isn’t known to anyone. He does visit certain hidden locales close to Kormul to meet with Wyrmcultists… 23)
…from time to time, but never appears if a trap has been prepared for him, suggesting he can and does scry from afar, and use spies and his own magical means of prying.So there you have it. Enjoy!#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 19, 2021