User:Ir'revrykal/Canon/Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villainy

An article examining the canon merits of the 5e accessory Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villainy.

Key

 * No conflict with established lore
 * Iffy but not a direct conflict
 * Conflicts with established lore

Introduction
Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villainy (MBJoV) is an accessory published by Wizards of the Coast on the digital distribution platform DMsGuild (also known as DrivethruRPG). It is written by James Ohlen, who heads up WotC's video game development studio. He was also lead designer on the Baldur's Gate series of video games, and MBJoV is intended in part as a follow-up to the story of those games. The product description says the release is meant to support the Extra Life charity. Other Extra Life products by Wizards of the Coast are typically published using WotC's own DMsGuild account, just like MBJoV. Most of these products are considered canon to the Forgotten Realms, unless they are specifically stated not to be canon or are otherwise not relevant to the Forgotten Realms.
 * Link to product page

One difference between MBJoV and other Extra Life accessories lies in the branding. Other products use the official "D&D" dragon logo, while MBJoV uses the generic "DMsGuild" logo used by other unofficial sources published on DMsGuild. Another notable difference lies in the product's copyright notice:

"This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is © 2021 by James Ohlen (Arcanum Worlds) and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild."

Other Extra Life accessories simply mention that the work and material within are copyright Wizards of the Coast. This difference in the copyright notice indicates that MBJoV is, in part, copyright James Ohlen. It is possible that MBJoV was not intended to be published by WotC originally, and that the DMsGuild branding and aberrant copyright notice are artifacts from that.

Finally, many other Extra Life accessories are listed on the official D&D website's product listing. MBJoV is not.

It's important to note that MBJoV is a re-working of an earlier, unofficial accessory written by the same author titled Heroes of Baldur's Gate (HoBG). A lot of the same sections from HoBG reappear in MBJoV, and a lot of the art (which is professional-grade) is re-used. The major difference between the two sources from an in-universe perspective is that HoBG is set in the 1360s DR while MBJoV is set in the 1490s DR.

Preface

 * p. 4


 * This section implies, in an in-universe manner, that MBJoV is a re-working of HoBG that has been edited by Volo.

Introduction: Heroic Stories

 * pp. 5–6


 * This is an OOU section.

Athkatla

 * p. 8


 * The population number given here agrees with the 4E FRCG.
 * The population percentages given (90% human, 8% halfling, 2% other) are not identical with the ones given in Lands of Intrigue (LoI) (90% human, 10% other), but this is not an unreasonable change.
 * The list of religions mostly agrees with the 3E FRCS, with the notable omissions of Bane and Chauntea, and the addition of Helm, Lathander, and Milil.
 * "Oligarchy, led by the Council of Six". This conflicts with the 4E FRCG and the 5E SCAG which both state that Athkatla is ruled by the Council of Five. The Council of Six was the old governing council referenced in older sources. This is not a simple mistake, however, but rather new lore. The 4E FRCG states "In theory, a highly successful independent house could claim a spot on the council and make it a Council of Six as it once was." MBJoV follows up on this by mentioning that House Havarian has ascended to the Council of Five to make it Six. The other councilors mentioned agrees with the list given in the 4E FRCG.
 * The commerce overview largely agrees with the 3E FRCS.
 * The remainder of this page is unproblematic. The description of Athkatlan and Amnian society agrees with other sources. The description of Amnian fashion is paraphrased from LoI. There is a neat reference to the practice of "straking", first mentioned in Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II (VGtBG2).


 * p. 9


 * The list of societal ranks is taken from LoI.
 * All the dates and events referenced in the History section are sourced from LoI.


 * p. 11


 * The "Golden Rule" is paraphrased from LoI. The remainder of the Laws section largely agrees with other sources. The detail on King Dhanar's ban on arcane magic echoes VGtBG2. Interestingly, Volo's Guide does not date King Dhanar's decree, so the author has cross-referenced his name with the Timeline section of LOI. Neat!
 * The section on the Cowled Wizards is uncontroversial. Their secret chambers under "Jane Lane" is new lore.
 * The 1298 DR date for the Shadow Thieves' exile from Waterdeep agrees with The Grand History of the Realms (tGHotR).


 * p. 12


 * The section on the Shadow Thieves is unproblematic. The Shadow Council is mentioned in print in at least one other sourcebook, City of Splendors: Waterdeep.


 * p. 13


 * A bunch of tables. Nothing controversial here. Athkatla apparently has a neogi merchant. Neat!

Baldur's Gate

 * p. 14


 * All the information in the list at the start of this section is taken almost verbatim from Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus (DiA).
 * Everything else on this page is uncontroversial. The name of Balduran's ship, the Wandering Eye, is new lore.


 * p. 15


 * Nothing controversial here. The events of Murder in Baldur's Gate (MiBG) are referenced.
 * The section on The Dukes references the downfall of Duke Thalamra Vanthampur in DiA. The Council of Four has a position open, and newcomer Eo Ashmajir is vying for the job&mdash;this is new lore.


 * p. 16


 * The remainder of The Dukes section is not controversial.
 * The founding date of the Flaming Fist is stated to be 1345 DR. This agrees with the video game Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, but the date has otherwise never appeared in print.


 * p. 18


 * The history of the Flaming Fist references several events mentioned in Gold & Glory and the Maztica trilogy. Neat! Everything else on this page is fine.


 * p. 19


 * Rilsa Rael is mentioned. She is alive per DiA, so this is fine.
 * Sorcerous Sundries is a front for Edwin Odesseiron and the Red Wizards of Thay. This does not gel particularly well with the shop's description in both MiBG and DiA, both of which say the owner is Rivalen Blackhand. It is of course possible that Rivalen is on the Thayvian payroll somehow, but overall this is somewhat iffy.
 * Adventurers can buy magic items at the High House of Wonders if the High Priest of Gond deems them pious enough. This is not particularly controversial.

Suldanessellar

 * p. 20


 * The list at the start of this section does not notably conflict with other sources. Bodhi's full name is Bodhi Irenicus, apparently.
 * The description of Suldanessellar largely agrees with VGtBG2 and LoI, with the addition of lore from the video game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (SoA). Notably, the lore surrounding Ellesime as ruler of the elven realm was introduced by SoA and is echoed here.
 * Jon Irenicus and Bodhi are not dead, but rather stuck in their own Domain of Dread. They haunt the Material Plane version of Suldanessellar and try to lure travelers into the Shadowfell. This is new lore but by no means implausible.


 * p. 21


 * The note from Volo suggests the in-universe title of VGtBG2 is Volo's Guide to the Lands of Intrigue.


 * p. 23


 * The House of the Horn and House of the Moon are locations from SoA that have previously never been mentioned in print.

Ust Natha

 * p. 24


 * Outside of SoA, the dubiously canon Baldur's Gate trilogy of novels, and a brief mention in tGHotR, Ust Natha has never been mentioned, certainly not in print. It follows that most of the lore presented in this section is either new or based on SoA.
 * Ust Natha is given an approximate location in the Underdark, and a position relative to the surface world. A minor touch, but somewhat neat.
 * The city description is mostly new lore, but there is nothing particularly controversial here. The Zhentarim and Shadow Thieves have trading posts in Ust Natha, which makes sense.
 * Ust Natha is endangered by a nearby nest of phaerimm and is ruled by House Despana.
 * Phaere Despana is still the matron mother of House Despana, indicating she was not killed during SoA.


 * p. 25


 * House Despana has branches in many drow cities, the largest of which is in Ust Natha. House Despana has recently been forced out of Rilauven, so the archmage Malavon Despana has joined forces with the Ust Natha branch. A neat nod to Icewind Dale.
 * The prison of Carcerus is shared with other drow settlements. It connects to Carceri and is run by demodands. New lore but not implausible.


 * p. 26


 * The most exclusive purveyor of magical goods in Ust Natha is an aboleth. A nod to SoA, no doubt.

Adventurer's Guild

 * pp. 28-29


 * The Adventurer's Guild recruits adventurers for gigs and organizes them into parties. Not the most imaginative addition to Realmslore, but nothing partcularily offensive either.

Cornelius Watson

 * p. 30


 * The Adventurer's Guild is headed up by Cornelius "Doc" Watson, a powerful wizard, devoted academic, and notorious dilettante. He's the black sheep of a noble Waterdhavian house (invented for this accessory; "Watson" is an incredibly lazy name). The Waterdeep Gazette and the Inn of Barmy Blowhards are namedropped but appear to be new inventions. The Maillard reaction appears to exist in the Forgotten Realms. Overall, this entry isn't really in conflict with anything but gets marked down for not integrating well with the Waterdeep of established lore.

Flimp Shagglecran

 * p. 32


 * The other person in charge of the Adventurer's Guild is this gnomish artificer. He has a planar ship that can transport players to Oerth, Avernus, and various major cities. Lantan is namedropped but otherwise this entry suffers from the same issues as Doc Watson&mdash;this feels like a generic character dropped into the Realms with very little effort spent on integrating them properly into the setting.

Candlekeep

 * pp. 34-35


 * The description of Candlekeep is for the most part uncontroversial. None of the details from Candlekeep Mysteries (CM) are mentioned here, which seems a bit odd but can be excused as CM is a relatively recent source.
 * The division of "Candlekeep Operatives" into Avowed, Watchers, and Professor feels artificial. Per CM, all of these roles would fall under the Avowed.
 * Candlekeep are apparently enemies of the Raven Circle, another organization detailed later in the book, since they seek to destabilize civilization itself.
 * Volo's Complete Guide to the Behavior of Nymphs is mentioned here, a cool nod to Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir.

Valygar Corthala

 * p. 36


 * Valygar Corthala is still alive, somehow, because he regularly ingests potions of longevity. Not implausible.
 * Also, he works for Candlekeep now because the missions they send him on often entail disposing of evil wizards, and he really hates evil wizards. This link is a bit thin.
 * The rest of the entry mostly agrees with SoA.

Xan Moonblade

 * p. 38


 * Yes, Xan's full name is apparently Xan Moonblade. He is one of the Blessed of Corellon, meaning he has regularly changed gender over the course of his life. Also, he is a bladesinger This is fine.
 * Xan hangs out at Candlekeep because he finds it to be a comfortable place and because the goals and values of the Avowed often align with those of Evereska. Fair enough.
 * He wants to go to Evermeet, but not before he can find a worthy heir to his moonblade.

Church of Sune

 * pp. 40-41


 * The description of the Church of Sune has no particular issues.
 * There is a neat nod to the Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose, first mentioned in Faiths & Avatars, as well as to the Eyes of Evening, a group of Sharess-worshipers mentioned in Powers & Pantheons. The author notes that Sharess is a divine servant of Sune, which agrees with the 4E FRCG.
 * The Order of Adon is a cute nod to Adon from the Avatar series.
 * The Church of Sune especially abhors the archdevil Baalzebul because he rejected divine beauty, and the slaad lord Ssendam because she is ugly and a threat to the civilized world. That makes sense.

Naes Inuus

 * p. 42


 * The High Priest of Sune for all of Faerûn, based out of the Temple of Beauty in Waterdeep. Born into a noble Waterdhavian family but abandoned early on. There is no Inuus family in Waterdeep so it's possible "Inuus" is an assumed surname. The fact that he has a brother with the same last name makes this seem less plausible. This yet again feels like a generic character plopped into the Realms with only superficial attempts at integration.
 * The art for this character is re-used from Odyssey of the Dragonlords, an unofficial 5e sourcebook by the same author.

Tiberius Inuus

 * p. 44


 * Naes Inuus's brother and the head of the Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose. This entry suffers from the exact same issues as his brother's.
 * The art for this character is re-used from Odyssey of the Dragonlords.

Emerald Enclave

 * pp. 46-47


 * The description of the Emerald Enclave is unproblematic.
 * The subgroups Nature's Chosen and the Circle of Alluvium seem to be new inventions. The Planar Circle is an obscure reference to The Vilhon Reach.
 * The Emerald Enclave are enemies of Cryonax and Ssendam.

Kivan the Grim

 * p. 48


 * At some point, Kivan teamed up with the Shadow Druids but left them for the Emerald Enclave when he met his husband, Cernd. He wants to expose Faldorn who has infiltrated the Enclave's leadership, but can't because she will expose his old affiliation in turn. This is all well and good.
 * Kivan is an elf so him being alive 100 years after Baldur's Gate is not an issue.

Faldorn

 * p. 50


 * Faldorn, a human druid, is still alive somehow. How? MBJoV does not say. Druidic shenanigans, perhaps.
 * Some neat backstory for Faldorn here.
 * Faldorn is said to be dead or lost in Baldur's Gate III (the Shadow Druids appearing in the game make reference to "Faldorn's memory"), which is a direct conflict.

Flaming Fist

 * pp. 52-53


 * The description of the Flaming Fist is unproblematic.
 * The Flaming Fist are enemies of the Shadow Thieves and the Zhentarim, which makes sense.

Nauk the Bag Man

 * p. 54


 * A Flaming Fist officer who is also an international arms dealer. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it doesn't conflict with anything.

Borivik Windheim

 * p. 56


 * A Flaming Fist member (no mention of his rank, but he is the high-level group patron contact for the Flaming Fist). He is originally an Oerthan who accidentally traveled to Faerûn via the Shadowfell, running into Rudolph van Richten along the way and training as his undead hunting apprentice. Friends with Lothar and Viktor Kuhn (both of the Raven Circle), though his relationship with the latter is on the rocks. Borivik's backstory is exotic but not implausible.

Harpers

 * pp. 58-59


 * The description of the Harpers is fine.
 * The Harpers are enemies of the Zhentarim, Baalzebul, Mephistopheles, and Pazuzu. This is also fine.

Jaheira

 * p. 60


 * As she is a half-elf, Jaheira still being alive is fine, though she should be approaching the higher end of the typical half-elven lifespan (180 years per the 5E PHB ). She was a child when King Alemander IV was killed in 1347 DR, per Baldur's Gate. Assuming MBJoV is set in ~1492 DR, this would make Jaheira roughly 145 years old at the youngest. Which is fine.
 * Jaheira never remarried and is fiercely loyal to the Harpers. That checks out.

Vellin Farstride

 * p. 62


 * Another character hailing from Oerth. A famous planeswalking ranger who specializes in hunting planar threats. He's been to all of the planes. He joined the Harpers because he felt they shared his values. This character feels generic, but at least he has the excuse of being born on a different world.

Knights of Bahamut

 * p. 64-65


 * An ancient order of dragon riders devoted to Bahamut. They were around for a short while a thousand years ago then disappeared. Now their last surviving knight is trying to bring them back. On its own, this is fine even if it is new lore.
 * What do they want? To ride dragons. Yeah, that's pretty much it.
 * The dragon riding aspect of this organization feels a little bit like a half-baked attempt at promoting Odyssey of the Dragonlords, which features that sort of thing extensively.
 * A note from Volo says the Knights of Bahamut "existed for a brief time in the century when the nation of Amn was first founded and the Shoon Empire collapsed". Suldil Baldoriel's entry says the Knights disappeared in 250 DR. LoI says Amn was not unified until 460 DR and that the Shoon Empire collapsed in 450 DR. In 250 DR, Amn would have been known as Amin and would have been an emirate of the Shoon Imperium. This is a direct conflict.

Suldil Baldoriel

 * p. 66


 * The last of the Knights of Bahamut. She is an elf and also got lost in the Feywild, which explains how she is still alive.

Minsc and Boo!

 * p. 68


 * Minsc's entry contains no mention of any of his exploits and friends in other 5E-era products, which seems odd. He's also gotten himself mixed up with the Knights of Bahamut, which isn't completely implausible but seems a bit thin.
 * Minsc's famous petrification is referenced to remind people why he is still alive.

Order of Icarus

 * pp. 70-71


 * Bodhi and Irenicus's faction. They are desperate to escape their Domain of Dread and want to recruit adventurers to help them out. Mostly by plundering the tombs of dead wizards.
 * They really dislike the Harpers, Abdel Adrian, and Queen Ellesime of Suldanessellar.

Jon Irenicus

 * p. 72


 * He's alive! Well, undead. Irenicus is now a lich. Well, the text doesn't exactly say, but he can help adventurers ascend to lichdom and has several lich traits in his statblock. He's also eternally trapped in a Domain of Dread, so he's definitely not going anywhere soon.
 * Some neat backstory for Irenicus here. It was all Bodhi's fault. Also, a neat nod to the Jon Icarus/Jon Irenicus kerfuffle: he was born into House Icarus.

Bodhi Irenicus

 * p. 76


 * Bodhi was corrupted and turned into a vampire by the Dark Powers of the Domains of Dread, so they have a claim to her soul (or lack thereof). She first ended up in Ravenloft after hitching a ride with some Vistani. That's fine.

Raven Circle

 * pp. 78-79


 * A sect devoted to the Raven Queen. They are especially good at navigating the Shadowfell without getting lost. They want to collect the memories of powerful entities because the Raven Queen likes that sort of thing.
 * The Raven Circle are enemies of Orcus and Vecna because they oppose the Raven Queen.

Lothar of the Raven

 * p. 80


 * An Uthgardt barbarian from the Black Raven tribe who is a member of the Raven Circle, worships the Raven Queen, and is a wereraven. Yes, the theme is strong in this one. A bit cheesy but unoffensive.
 * Friends with Borivik Windheim of the Flaming Fist and Victor Kuhn.

Victor Kuhn

 * p. 82


 * A paladin from Barovia. Traveled to Toril with the aid of Borivik Windheim, Lothar, and a bunch of help from the Raven Queen. He has a shadow dragon companion gifted to him by the Raven Queen who whispers dark thoughts in his ear. Not an implausible backstory.
 * Friends with Lothar. Used to be friends with Borivik Windheim until his shadow dragon turned them against each other.

Shadow Thieves

 * pp. 84-85


 * The description of the Shadow Thieves is by and large unproblematic.
 * The Shadow Thieves are at odds with the Zhentarim, the Xanathar's Thieves' Guild, and the Lords of Waterdeep.
 * Neat references to the Diamond Dragon jewelry store and Seven Songs Importing in Athkatla.

Montaron and the Laughing Skull

 * p. 86


 * Montaron used to work for the Zhents and was killed by the Shadow Thieves. He was then resurrected by the Shadow Thieves because of his connection to his old companion Xzar, who is now a demilich and a valuable asset for the thieves' guild. Together they make up a decent duo of assassins.
 * Montaron's fate after the events of the Baldur's Gate games is unknown, so him being alive isn't too controversial. Still, if he was dead for a long time, the Shadow Thieves would have needed a seriously powerful caster to resurrect him.

Imoen the Godspawn

 * p. 88


 * Imoen is a Bhaalspawn, which means she could easily still be alive during the 5E era, just like Abdel Adrian and Viekang.
 * Also, she has vampire blood (but isn't a true vampire) because Irenicus experimented on her. This has extended her potential lifespan by centuries. Not implausible.
 * Also, she works for the Shadow Thieves now and is an expert in transformative magic (including lycanthropy). Fine.