Pages Behind the Pixels: The Eye of the Beholder Trilogy and the Sparse Fiction that Accompanied It

 Eye of the Beholder released in 1991. Developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. for MS-DOS. It was later released on other systems and also spawned two sequels. The first, The Legacy of Darkmoon released in 1991 and developed and published by the same companies as the first. The third game, Assault on Myth Drannor, released in 1993 and was developed in-house by SSI.

All three take place in the Forgotten Realms, the focus of this blog. The first two are set in Waterdeep but the third is far to the east in the ruins of Myth Drannor. While all three were popular enough in their day, they received relatively little fiction compared to some other games (like Baldur’s Gate). In fact, there is only one story for the games, and it’s for the third. “Moonrise Over Myth Drannor” by Ed Greenwood has been reviewed on this site before. It can be read only in the game’s guide. I’m not sure if it can be found online, I cannot find it. Beyond purchasing a copy of the game with the manual, or maybe just the manual, maybe finding someone willing to share from their copy is an option?

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Review: Elminster in Myth Drannor by Ed Greenwood

This is book two of the open-ended Elminster series by Ed Greenwood, published in 1997. The first book was Elminster: The Making of a Mage, you can read my review for that here.

Part 1, Human, it is the Year of the Chosen, 240 DR, when we meet young Elminster again. This is the same year the first book ended. He is waylaid by brigands on the Skuldask Road, so he is nearest Berdusk and a little farther from Elturel. At the time, the road cut through forest land. 

He needs to get to Cormanthor but he has to survive the way first. He is pursued by an unknown enemy with capable magic at his disposal. He does find a way that may make. Easier to enter the city, but it may just assure his death. Equipped with a an elven lore gem, a kiira, young El makes his way through the forest

A little slow it parts, it’s still a nice introduction but at the end of part one I was almost completely clueless on where the story would go next. Elminster shows his charm to the elves of Cormanthor, which helps him survive and in some ways thrive. The Srinshee is a character that appears at the end, and she was a little more eccentric than I was expecting. But this is Greenwood, I shouldn’t be so surprised. 

Part 2, Armathor, an elven word that refers to knighthood I believe. 

You may have realized I kept on referring to the city as Cormanthor, which was its name before the mythal was raised, and it became Myth Drannor. The history of this event had already been well established when this book released and the back of the book even mentions it. We get to experience the history first hand in the story.

Mythanthar, an elf who thinks he can emulate magical barriers elves have around their persons to cover the whole city is ridiculed by most at court. Mythal’s have existed before this one and I believe the elves of Cormanthor at this time mostly think them fanciful. 

There are epigraphs from two in world books:  The High History of Faerûnian Archmages Mighty,  written by Antarn the Sage and published in 1366 DR and Silver Blades and Summer Nights: An Informal but true History of Cormanthor, written by Shalheira Talandren, High Elven bard of Summerstar and published in the Year of the Harp (I couldn’t find what year that was in Dalereckoning)

In Greenwood Forgotten Realms fashion many people don’t have a care for their state of undress. You’ll also see plenty of mage battles and even learn how to sexually please an elf; yep.

Elves are just as, or maybe more stubborn and arrogant than humans, but it’s nice seeing them so upset about the elves leaving their Spring in Faerun. 

The way elven undead work is always fun. Baelnorn’s are a type of lich but good and generally acting as guardians of something. 

If you want references to things mentioned nowhere else, Greenwood is great for that and this book is no different.

House Dlardrageth is mentioned here, I believe they are a main focus of the Last Mythal series. And apparently Drannor was the name of a Cormanthyrn elf who married a dwarf. 

Anyway the story takes turns I wasn’t expecting. Elminster doesn’t always come out on top, and as expected he doesn’t have it easy regardless.

The Masked, Nacacia and the Lady Herald along with Eltagrim, Mythanthar, and the Srinshee were all interesting and fun characters that I’d even consider putting into my own dungeons and dragons games.

The story ends in 261 DR, 20 years after it begins. There are a few time jumps at the end that bring us to that time by the conclusion. I know the next Elminster book takes place centuries later. 

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Review: The Herald by Ed Greenwood

While before I said I had reviewed everything I had started before beginning the challenge of reading all Forgotten Realms’ novels, I knew I would not get to all The Sundering books for a long time, because of how some of the books fall late into other series I have only just started. I changed my mine with The Sentinel, and I already reviewed The Adversary as part of the Brimstone Angels series. Well the other book I’ve read is book six of The Sundering, The Herald by Ed Greenwood. I will start this by all the books I should have read before I read this book. For plot, read The Return of the Archwizards trilogy by Troy Denning, and The Last Mythal trilogy by Richard Baker. If you want to understand the characters I would read all the Elminster books that take place before this one, which would be all of them with the exception of Spellstorm and Death Masks, particularly The Elminster series, and the Sage of Shadowdale trilogy.

    Now sadly this review will not be as detailed since I read The Herald back in 2018. The story follows Elminster and his great, great granddaughter, Amarune. They are facing the Shadovar of Thultanthar, returned Netheril. Most of this book takes place in the repopulated Myth Drannor, the greatest of the elven cities that has been in ruins for centuries, though was resettled after the Spellplague.

    We follow a couple Princes of Shade as they go about destroying baelnorns, a type of guardian-elf-lich. We also see some of the Seven Sisters who help Elminster in defending the city as the elves flee to safety. Larloch is in this tale, along with The Shrinshee as well; over all, there are lots of powerful mages.

    If I am remembering correctly, there were some odd scenes with Manshoon in Suzail that were completely lost on me. If I had read the previous books I likely would have understand the purpose these scenes were suppose to serve. I also was not use to Greenwood's writing style and though now I am a fan it definitely takes some getting used to.

    For it's spot in The Sundering, it has the most resolution for the events as a whole, hence why it is the last in the series. While my experience at the time was not the most enjoyable, it was not bad, and knowing what I know now, I look back on the book with more fondness. So don't start here, but when you get here, I think you'll be with me in finding the book Good.

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Review: Moonrise Over Myth Drannor by Ed Greenwood.

There is a long history of Forgotten Realms short stories being in Dragon Magazine ever since The First Notch was featured in issue 152 way back in 1989. Most short stories from Faerûn are from the multiplicity of anthologies with the titles being “Realms of ___” such as Magic, Valor, the Elves, etc. The first short story to not be in either is one only available in the manual of the AD&D game Eye of the Beholder 3: Assault on Myth Drannor. While other stories have appeared in similar manner, all of them have been printed in later anthologies, with the exception of the story found in the Eye of the Beholder 3 manual: Moonrise Over Myth Drannor by Ed Greenwood.

If you find a copy of the game manual you will find that the introduction section of he manual is on page 27; which means the first 26 pages are our short story which I had the great pleasure of reading. Before buying the game though I had asked around if anyone else had read it, and only one person responded, Ed Greenwood himself:

Heh. I'm not American, but strangely enough, I have read that tale. ;}
Hint for folks at home: DON'T try the teacup-and-saucer transfer trick with fine china you care about. ;}

— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) November 7, 2020

    No surprise then when teacups are quickly introduced.

The story is divided into two sections or chapters; I The Day of the Drawn Sword; and II Night On The Cold Hillside. The story starts with Delmair Rallyhorn journeying to Shadowdale to speak with the sage Elminster. He encounters a band of knights, to his astonishment, are all holding teacups. He then has an odd experience leaving him dumbfounded.

We then get a good glimpse of Mourgrym Amcathra, Lord of Shadowdale as he prepares for the festivities of The Day of the Drawn Sword; the holiday is one where new men-at-arms are recruited to join the Shadowdale guard. I was somewhat familiar with Mourngrym because of his appearance in the Finder’s Stone Trilogy, but it was pleasant to get more of his personality.

Alyth is a younger girl about 10 or 11 years old that plays an interesting role --quite literally-- during the festivities. She also seems to have found the hilt of Aumry Obarskyr’s sword, and is thanked by Elminster for doing so.

Eye of the Beholder 3 game manual
where Moonrise Over Myth Drannor is found

The most time spent is still with Delmair. Eventually the magic sword Dhauzimmer is gotten and the lich Malithra Undra faced during moonrise in Myth Drannor.

The story feels random, but this is not surprising or that odd considering this is Greenwood’s Elminster playing a large role. I actually really enjoyed the ending, the story was silly but heartfelt. It was overall a Good story and it'd be nice to have more.

 As to the year of the events, my guess is 1358 DR as the most likely year it occurs. Though this seems less likely with the way Mourngrym talks about being Lord of Shadowdale; he makes it sound like he’s been in the position for at least a few years; 1358 DR is his first year in this position though.  However, the game does take place in 1358 DR, and so I'm sticking with that. Another note is that the game seems to contradict the story a little. Delmair does not have his father’s sword in the game, and also in the game he killed  the bandits who slew his father, rather than Shalrin who did in the story.

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