OC Moonwood Settlements (you might not know of)

[CloudDancing]

Mooshie's Grove was the home of Montolio Debrouchee (Mooshie) and is a diamond-shaped grove of trees and piled stone walls in the mountains[1] near the Moonwood. The grove features elevated walkways and beautifully designed huts. It is surrounded by tall pines and emits a magical aura.[2]

↑ R.A. Salvatore (July 2003). The Thousand Orcs (Mass Market Paperback), p. 207. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0786929801.
↑ 2.0 2.1 R.A. Salvatore (July 2003). The Thousand Orcs (Mass Market Paperback), p. 208. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0786929801.
↑ R.A. Salvatore (July 2003). The Thousand Orcs (Mass Market Paperback), p. 207-210. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0786929801.

Moonvines is a small elven village in the Moonwood.[1] Moonvines is also the home of the two elves Innovindil and Tarathiel.

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, p. 172. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches, p. 11. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
↑ Jeff Crook, Wil Upchurch, Eric L. Boyd (May 2005). Champions of Ruin, p. 79. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3692-4.

Places of interest
Claw Hollow
This wild dell is home to one of the largest bands of the People of the Black Blood.[2]
The Herald's Holdfast
This is the magically warded subterranean stronghold of the High Herald know as Old Night.[2]
The Mouth of Song
This treeless hill is home to a small temple of Eilistraee.[2]
One Stone
This is a single massive boulder twelve feet high and a ring of stone cairns arond it, that is sacred to the Uthgardt Sky Pony tribe.[2]

[Ithildur]

What are we supposed to do with this? Treat it as IC knowledge? Based on Knowledge: Local or geography?

[CloudDancing]

1. Roll Knowledge: local lore..hello?

2. Enhance your knowledge of the Moonwood

3. Argue with this about it not REALLY being canon till someone stomps off angrily.

[Keryn]

I think this is more of the Dm realm.

Whats the DC for local knowledge? Folks often assume DCs and if they roll high its assumed they know some stuff, but things like this are more in the realm of the DM.

[Ithildur]

1. Roll Knowledge: local lore..hello?

2. Enhance your knowledge of the Moonwood

3. Argue with this about it not REALLY being canon till someone stomps off angrily.

I'll refrain from asking what the DC's are for this 'Knowledge: local lore' check...

My concern is that non-TSM DM's posting potentially meta information for all to see without rolling can lead to confusion or arguments (and let's not kid ourselves, some of the above info is rather obscure and potentially meta for many PCs especially if they are not from the Marches). I'm hoping that you did touch base with TSM DM staff about this before posting.

[edit] Ninja'ed by Keryn.

2. Enhancing ooc knowledge of the regions we RP in is generally a good thing as far as more general info or things say a PC born and raised in SM would likely know about the Gem (dwarven PC knows where the Hammer is, etc), but imo the above info goes beyond such general information, and would require solid, viable IC reasons/background for a PC to know some or much of the above, and thus is potentially needless meta for players to know. It's especially confusing if it's posted in this forum as it were an officially approved "General Information about the Marches" kind of info. I also wonder about it being posted in the Elf faction forums.

3. HDM/DM staff of a server reserves the right to make the final call on what is canon for their server, although obviously we would all prefer that Curm didn't suddenly decide that elves of the Moonwood all have tails or silly stuff like that. We may disagree, we may like things to be closer to 'canon canon' FR from WOTC books and novels and such, but that's how ALFA (and really, DnD in general) rolls.

((I do think this touches on some issues that could use clarification elsewhere for the sake of the playerbase, such as the somewhat confusing treatment of Drizzt du'Urden lore that I've seen and heard over the years on TSM ('Drizzt is an unknown on alfa tsm', 'the Legion kos all Drow', 'Drizzt was here and kicked ass and everyone who's not an idiot in the Marches loves him') ))

[Keryn]

It was me that asked CD to take the post elsewhere other then the Elven forum, since I had the same concerns you do Ith, and was asked why that post was there.

[CloudDancing]

How can this be meta?

It is not IC.

Anyone with half-a-brain can find it on the web.

Anyone with the Moonshaes module book and Volo's Guides can find this nonetheless read the books of RA Salvatore. And Ed Greenwood's "Ask Ed" columns.

Whether I post this this knowledge about what is known about the Moonwood by anyone who spend times wandering it and help create a broader understanding the major factions and players there within matters little and is NOT your business.

I can't erase my brain because I read these things anymore than this knowledge is exclusive to my brain or a FR lore book that comes with a locked cover with "DMs only" marked on it.

[Ithildur]

Finding stuff online or in books can potentially be metagaming if the information isn't handled properly (keeping in mind player/DM distinctions). I'm really surprised you don't seem to realize that. Intentionally seeking out some kinds of info in books/online actually is outright cheating at times as a player.

I can find intimate details on say, Drizzt in various books/online, but that does not mean it should be treated as general info; posting it in the TSM forums here can give the impression that it is general/widely known/accessible info IC, especially as there was no mention of any required knowledge checks in the OP.

That's all I'll say. Also I do note that I'm not the only person that had some concerns about it being posted in the Elf forums.

Trying to be as reasonable as possible in bringing up these concerns, not simply shoot down someone's efforts (which I do appreciate), for no good reason.

I'll let DM staff make the final call, but I think this clearly belongs in the Realmslore forums, not in the TSM forum or Elf forums, for the reasons given above.

[Keryn]

Edit - Not relevant since last CDs edit.

[Darkmystic]

Guys, your attacks against Cloud are some of the most pathetic flaming I seen. This information is not meta game knowledge cause none of these locations exist in alfa... wtf guys?

[kid]

Guys, your attacks against Cloud are some of the most pathetic flaming I seen. This information is not meta game knowledge cause none of these locations exist in alfa... wtf guys?

Eh... yes, this,
... and I will raise a "you are all insane".

[Ithildur]

Guys, your attacks against Cloud are some of the most pathetic flaming I seen. This information is not meta game knowledge cause none of these locations exist in alfa... wtf guys?

1. This isn't an attack. Please recognize there is a difference between a personal attack or flaming and raising concerns about issues that potentially affect others' RP.

2. The OP stated in her subsequent post that this is available IC information via Knowledge checks, which suggests that she believes they do or should exist in alfa.

Darkmystic, just because xyz isn't in an alfa module yet (as far as we know at least) as actual content does not mean it's irrelevant to RP/The Story.

If this was some random info from Ed Greenwood on mating habits of Icewind Dale snow owls then none of this would be a concern.

[Ronan]

Way to make a big deal over some missing Knowledge: Local DCs (probably very high ones?) and lack of DM rulings.

[Ithildur]

You know, all I wanted initially was some clarification. A response of 'This is mostly for ooc info/fun, maybe I should move it to Realmslore forums' or ' This information is from a DM/approved by DM to post in TSM forums as general knowledge (with or without knowledge: local)' would have answered my questions.

I would be asking similar questions to any player that put up similar content in the server forum. You're right in that this did not need to be a big deal beyond that.

[Blindhamsterman]

suprisingly... i kind of find myself agreeing with Ronan/Kid/DarkMystic...

seriously guys, it can't be considered meta if its not even in the game, and all of those places are canon, while the drow area I would expect to not be common knowledge, most of the others shouldn't be so very hard to hear about all things considered (in fact, I wouldn't be suprised if the place where the black bloods meet turns out to be the IC location that Persephone smited a Malarite champion single handedly).


Meh.