The Lady of the Mists is the fifth Spin the Yarn short story from the 2005 event, published in August 2006. I have previously reviewed the first four.
As before, Ed Greenwood has taken random, absurd, and outrageous suggestions from a crowd and has written a short story set in the Forgotten Realms. You can read this one here.
The story begins with a misty night in Dockward in Waterdeep, quite the scene is set. It reminded me of "The Cloud of Hate" by Fritz Leiber. Marduck Jaesur resigns himself to a damp night indoors, until he meets a ghost. We get some out of pocket lines early, such as this from a broadsheet: "Wild Magic at Seven Sisters Surprise Party Leaves Wizard Elminster Pregnant With Twins on His Birthday/Khelben To Be Midwife/Halaster Blackcloak the Father!" These are the work of Marduck, a journalist writing for the papers.
This is a rollicking tale, perfect for Greenwood, as heretofore seen. We have a game of truths, we learn of a Harpell family member, a cursed ring of sorts. It's is light-hearted, and while a sense of the macabre is present, it mostly leans into the surprisingly nice that Greenwood is good at. It works as a heartfelt piece and is a bit erotic, unsurprisingly.
"Prestidigitation," she purred, "is a spell with many uses."
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