Marionette

Marionettes were a variety of puppet that could be found in the Realms, that differed from others in that they were controlled by strings.

"Who is this maestro, this puppet master, pulling the strings of so many marionettes?"

- Drizzt Do'Urden

History
On Toril, marionettes could be found as far back as the Empire of Netheril, where those skilled in using them could be found in the League of Noted Singers and Performers. A notable puppeteer of marionettes during this time was the archwizard Halavar, who created a magical item with engravings of marionettes that allowed him to effortlessly reproduce the ones he owned.

In the 14 century DR, Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue sold a wide variety of marionettes, which they marketed as a tool for bards. The marionettes that they sold resembled variously &mdash; bards, crones, cutpurses, farmers, herdsmen, kings and queens, mages, maidens, merchants, mothers, noblemen, orcs, peasants, priests, princes and princesses, skeletons, slaves, and soldiers. They also sold dragon marionettes, made of silk from Shou Lung, that required three hands to operate. One such place that produced these dragon marionettes was the feudal state of Nathlan.

Around this same century, one could make special orders for marionettes from the Stringpullers guild of Saerloon.

When the warmage Aoth Fezim was affected by the Spellplague, he saw an illusory image of Bareris Anskuld dangling a marionette that resembled himself, twitching its strings to make it dance.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle • Curse of Strahd • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
 * Novels
 * Undead • The Reaver
 * Azure Bonds • War in Tethyr • Sands of the Soul • Realms of War • Maestro
 * Azure Bonds • War in Tethyr • Sands of the Soul • Realms of War • Maestro