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: Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn by Philip Athans

 In the year 2000, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, the novel by Philip Athans, was released. While the first novel was released half a year after the first game, this one released with the second game. Listen to my review here.

                              

Like in the first novel, our protagonist is Abdel Adrian. Characters such as Jaheira reappear, while Minsc and Yoshiro are new to the novel story but familiar to game players. My favorite new character was the vampire elf, formerly of Suldanessellar, Bodhi. She presents as a human though. Imoen is a young woman that gets pulled along with Abdel because of her parentage too. Her arc involves some homoeroticism, particularly where some drow are concerned. 

Bhaal, Lord of Murder, is dead. His followers want to bring him back, so naturally his mortal children become targets of these machinations. We know Abdel is a surviving Bhaalspawn, and thus the story has its call to adventure.

The story begins with a nightmare where Abdel is a prisoner in a dungeon. It’s a nice set up, though we get a flashback explaining how he got there. He’s treated how heroes often are in life, torturously and in the dark. 

Shadow thieves and vampires play a part, and of course Amn, a nation south of Baldur’s Gate and Candlekeep. We get a good look at Athkatla in particular.

Abdel is still an angry but capable warrior, though he starts this story naked, in a place for rebirth of sorts. 

The plot itself is more interesting than the first. It does grey deeds well, being close to bad and good. The action is fast and bloody, like last time. But the plot is more interesting and not as ridiculous as the first. What fans of the game think of it, I’m not sure, since my exposure to its plot is limited. Overall, it is an Acceptable novel though.

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Review: Law & Order by Dave Gross

 Law & Order is another tie-in to the Baldur's Gate games. This one is specifically about the early years of Rasaad yn Bashir in Calimport. I have previously reviewed Baldur's Gate short stories, I link them all here. Read this story on page 188-202 here.

The story is divided into two parts, Fishing and The Path to Light. Rasaad and his brother Gamaz are fishing, which is their euphemism for being pickpockets. They want gold fish, but also will take copper and silver, it's cheeky. After a close encounter with a Sharan, the brothers decide to team up to fill their empty stomachs. They then encounter a Sun Soul monk, a man from out of town. Rasaad is only eight years old, but his quick hands make him good at his job. On the other hand, he can't lie any more than a dwarf could pass for a gnome. 

Part two continues the story, so I will be vague. Rasaad is now fifteen years old. This continues the brother's lessons and their camaraderie increases. I read this on a rainy day and it seemed perfect for me. It is an Exceptional story if a simple one. 

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Review: Rancor by Dave Gross

Rancor by Dave Gross is Baldur’s Gate tie-in fiction piece from Dragon+ issue 18 of February 2018. Dave Gross was once head of Dragon Magazine, and also wrote many short stories and some novels in Forgotten Realms. 

This story is blurbed at the start and calls Rancor “the previously untold backstory of Dorn’s famed magic sword (with homage to a certain cinematic treasure hunter intended)!”

In a boobytrapped ruins of a temple to Bane, Dorn Il-Khan seeks a powerful ebon blade. He is accompanied by an Amnian thief named Barranca. I believe this is an origin story to Dorn’s paladinhood, but I’m not too familiar with the character. This story is really short, and does have a very Indiana Jones-esque scene. I have never played any of the Baldur’s Gate games beyond Dark Alliance 1 & 2, but fans of the games would probably enjoy this, especially with Gross’s easily accessible writing style and cameos of characters from the games. Rancor is Acceptable.

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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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Review: Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Tie-In Fiction

Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear tie-in stories: Amulet Fellow & the Regal Rose; Den of Chaos; and Dangerous World. The first is from Dragon+ issue 5 of December 2015. The last two are from The Familiar issues 1 and 2 respectively, of February and April 2016. Siege of Dragonspear is an expansion for the video game Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition that takes place between the first and second game of the series, which was released in March 2016. It takes place in Realms year 1368 DR, Year of the Banner, and follows the crusade of the aasimar Caelar Argent against the denizens of the Nine Hells.

Cover featuring mosaic of Daeros Dragonspear and copper dragon Halatathlaer

The first story, Amulet Fellow & the Regal Rose (presently called Glint’s Story on my Dragon+ app), is by Andrew Foley.

Glint Gardnersonson

Glint Gardnersonson, narcissistic blue haired gnome is in the Elfsong Tavern with buddies Jargo and Penhale when we meet him. Amulet Fellow—surely not his real name—has lost an amulet that Glint had stolen. Glint agrees to retrieve the amulet so Amulet Fellow can trade it for his parents love letters from a Zhentarim agent.

A nice cameo of half-elven Lady Alyth as the proprietor of the famous Elfsong Tavern, it is the briefest of appearances but still appreciated. Glint discovers that the Regal Rose, a famous thief of the Sword Coast, has the amulet; she having used a trick to steal it right under his nose.

While the story is a great game of pickpocketry and chicanery, there isn't much to say beyond read it for yourself. It does manage to bring some surprises for such a short tale. I think you will enjoy it; it is Good.

Den of Chaos, also called Corwin’s Story, is by Amber Scott and can be found here. It is about chondathan, Schael Corwin, a member of the Flaming Fist, Baldur’s Gate mercenary policing force. It occurs entirely in the forest outside of Baldur’s Gate. Corwin and her partner, Zeri, are tracking bandits to recover some stolen mushrooms and other alchemical items for a Baldur's Gate noble.

Scott does a fantastic job descriptions and I was immersed very quickly, which made the story all the more enjoyable. It had character depth I find very little in short tales. I really enjoyed Corwin, and I'd like to see more of her. In the game she is a Captain, though in the story she has barely started her time with the Flaming Fist.

There are some intense moments at the end; what happened to Derrion was extreme and a little disturbing, but pulled good emotions from me. The story gives an array of feelings that I wasn’t ready for. It is Exceptional for a short story.

Dangerous World by Andrew Foley starts with a short section from the point of view of the hobgoblin Grathm. We are swiftly introduced to who he is hunting, our main character, the goblin M’khiin Grubdoubler.  She is sort of shaman, and rather clever compared to her compatriots that are trying to kill her for unknown reasons.

In a storm she hides in a cave and has an interesting, and sort of funny, conversation with an injured drow. She heals him a little and decides to help him out. In the end she doesn't seem to get much out of this, besides more knowledge of the wider world she lives in.

M’khiin outsmarts the goblins of her village tracking her to get two birds with one stone, causing a run-in with the adventuring party after the drow in very cunning fashion. It is very interesting to observe a battle from the outside, especially with a drow commentating. The fight is extremely well written.

A fast read, and an entertaining one. Those more familiar with the game certainly would get more out of it. Those familiar will also probably recognize the drow sorcerer as someone whose name starts with B- and ends with -aeloth. Overall, Dangerous World is Good. It can be found here.

Since the stories are not the same as a series I am not giving them an overall score grouped together. Seeing as I haven't played Siege of Dragonspear, I surely have missed some things. What happens to our characters? Let me know. I do plan on doing similar group reviews for like product tie-ins.

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Review: The Winter King by Chris Avellone

In similar fashion as my last review, The Winter King is a short story from Chris Avellone found in Dragon+ issue 2, published in June 2015. This one also takes place in Icewind Dale, so for all of the northern tundra lovers, this is another story you may want to check out; it is available for free on the Dragon+ app. Chris Avellone apparently wrote this story as he was working on the Icewind Dale games about two decades ago.

The Winter King is about an older dwarf of the Sunset Mountains named Tiernon. He is on a quest to forge his greatest work, that all dwarven smiths get later in life. The most familiar would likely be Bruenor Battlehammer's forging of Aegis-fang in The Crystal Shard. For some reason Tiernon feels drawn to the Gloomfrost Glacier of Icewind Dale. He journeys out alone with a chest of his belongings strapped to his back. He also has a handy pair of pickaxes that can freeze or melt ice on command; I may steal this idea for my own Dungeons & Dragons games.

The story itself is simple. Tiernon faces a creature, and he has to psych himself up to do so alone. That is really all the story; one of loneliness. For those who enjoy solo adventures, maybe you will enjoy this. It is eerily quiet, the only dialogue is the once or twice Tiernon speaks to himself, and the one flashback when he was camping with some Reghedmen barbarians.

There is also a scene when feats are listed in association with a previous items old Tiernon crafted. These scenes mention things otherwise unmentioned in Realms Lore. We have Aengys Soothhammer and his fortress; the Many-toothed Maul; the Nine Beards of Clan Hearthstone; Singing Blade of Aihonen; Ored's Wood; and of course the eponymous Winter King. These are cool names and all, but I doubt we will ever get more details beyond this short story.

This is for lovers of Icewind Dale. Beyond learning a small tale of the relentless place, there is not much here. We don't learn overmuch about Tiernon, before or after his exploits. Surely this is in large part because it is a short story, but while not a lot of bad, there isn’t much good. The Winter King is Acceptable.

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