Elric's first visit to Nadsokor ?

[cseljos]

Mike (or anyone very familiar with the Elric saga) --

(David suggested I cross-post this note here. My question is about a point mentioned in The Vanishing Tower, but I intent to use in in a role-playing adventure.)

In "The Vanishing Tower," an agent of Urish, the beggar king of Nadsokor, robs the Albino Prince of the Ring of Kings. When they go to recover it from that city, Elric tells Moonglum that he has been to Nadsokor previously. I believe Elric's exact word were: "to recover some property."

It it made clear at any point in the saga (or perhaps in the "Pawns of Chaos" compendium?) just what property Elric went to recover, or at what point in the saga he does this?

I have it in my head (perhaps erroneously) that he went to obtain a scroll or grimmoire that he thought might enable him to awaken Cymoril from the sorcerous sleep Yyrkoon put her in, but I can't seem find a reference to that after several days of searching the novels. Or perhaps Elric sought a Nanorian stone in Urish's hoard on his first visit?

When I run role-playing adventures set in the Young Kingdoms, I prefer to have the characters in the game engage in activities that run in parallel with events in the Elric story. The adventurers may get glimpses of events in the saga as the game proceeds, and if I create the adventure well, their actions help make events in the saga possible. The premise of the adventure I envision is that the player-characters are involved tangentially in the saga by being tricked (by Yyrkoon or his agents) into delivering a scroll or Nanorian stone to King Urish in Nadsokor, so that Elric has cause to visit that misbegotten city.

Thank you, in advance, for any input you might have on this.

-- Charlie

[Michael Moorcock]

Sorry, Charlie. Though I have a vague recollection of that episode, I have no idea at present why Elric visited Nadsokor on that other occasion.
However, should I do another short story after A Portrait in Ivory, I'll try to address the problem! Keep reminding me from time to time and maybe the episode will be recollected!

[cseljos]

Thanks, Mike. Actually. I'm thinking that it would be O.K. if you didn't ever address that particular issue (and a number of others) in a future Elric story. I'm perfectly happy that the saga has a number of stories in which the details are only hinted at. Folks like me can compose those tales for ourselves (for use in role-playing adventures).

-- Charlie

[Michael Moorcock]

True. Which is what I intended (well, not role playing games, of course, which didn't exist when I wrote those first stories), but since I AM writing the odd Elric short story, because I still get pleasure from it and it means I don't have to keep setting my personal bar higher and higher as I tried with all those beginning with The Revenge of the Rose but can just do it for fun, I might yet fill in the odd adventure, even if it's not that one.

[thorr]

speaking of rloe playing games Mike, have you ever played any?i had a funny thought of you sitting down to play Chaosium's ELRIC! at a table at a game convention,imagine the look on the gamemaster's face if he recognized you,or if he didn't it would be pretty funny to have him argue details about the multiverse in the game

[Michael Moorcock]

Nope. I wrote the role-playing game which became Silverheart, but I've never played one in my life. Nothing against them at all, I'm just not much into games of any kind -- except maybe poker and 'Sorry'...

[thorr]

I think most gamers are frustrated writers at heart lol,but the stories most of us create are like when you play softball on a beerleague and go home to watch the pros,we play like crap,but sometimes playing softball is funner than watching the game lol

[PsychicWarVeteran]

I have it in my head (perhaps erroneously) that he went to obtain a scroll or grimmoire that he thought might enable him to awaken Cymoril from the sorcerous sleep Yyrkoon put her in, but I can't seem find a reference to that after several days of searching the novels.

I had that idea in my head too, Charlie, and couldn't find it in the books, either. Then, searching for an answer on the 'net, I found this:

"In an untold tale... Elric discovers that Yyrkoon has usurped the Ruby Throne and placed Cymoril back into her sorcerous sleep. He begins looking for ways to awaken her. He journeys to Nadsokor, the City of Beggars, and steals a scroll from King Urish that he believes will release Cymoril from her slumber."

SOURCE

Now, I could swear I read it in an actual story, but I'll be durned if I can find the book in which that story resides. And if Mike himself doesn't recall it, well...

[devilchicken]

I had that idea in my head too, Charlie, and couldn't find it in the books, either. Then, searching for an answer on the 'net, I found this:

"In an untold tale... Elric discovers that Yyrkoon has usurped the Ruby Throne and placed Cymoril back into her sorcerous sleep. He begins looking for ways to awaken her. He journeys to Nadsokor, the City of Beggars, and steals a scroll from King Urish that he believes will release Cymoril from her slumber."

SOURCE

Now, I could swear I read it in an actual story, but I'll be durned if I can find the book in which that story resides. And if Mike himself doesn't recall it, well...

I think remember it too - but its not in the Orion omnibus copies that I had. Before that I had some old paperback editions which I gave away to a friend
- I'm thinking perhaps it was in one of those?

[Michael Moorcock]

Nope. That's almost certainly a game scenario.

[devilchicken]

I think I found a reference. If anyone else can verify this - its in Stormbringer (the Out of Print UK Orion omnibus, not the original novella), page 69.

There's some dialogue between Theleb K'aarna and Urish that basically alludes to Elric having been in Nadsokor before, and that (with the aid of sorcery) he stole a scroll from Urish's "sacred" hoard that Yyrkoon had given to a beggar who turned up at the gates of Imrryr. Yyrkoon then told Elric what he had done to spite him. The scroll apparently contained spell that would awaken Cymoril from a sorcerous slumber.

[Michael Moorcock]

The wicked bugger. I think Elric was altogether too lenient with that cousin of his. I'll have to read it myself sometime.