Harping by Moonlight: Approaches to Life

Harping by Moonlight: Approaches to Life
Basic Information
Type	Book
Author(s)	Elminster
Released	Circa 1330s DR
Available from	Candlekeep, Sword Coast Baldur's Gate, Western Heartlands
Volume(s)	1

Harping by Moonlight: Approaches to Life was a single-volume book penned by Elminster Aumar, the Sage of Shadowdale in the 1330s DR.

“

I've never understood why people talk about evil as if it's a point of view. I find that tawdry and stupid. Evil and good are as present in our world as gravity, and though their interpretation is displaced across the garbled noise of culture, they actually remain reasonably constant.

”

— Excerpt from Harping by Moonlight

Contents

Harping by Moonlight was a tome of musings and observations by Elminster Aumar on various topics in relation to the nature of good and evil. Elminster stated that good and evil are not personal opinions but more like natural forces akin to gravity, evident by the fact that across ages and cultures, concepts of good and evil remained mostly constant. A cleric was nothing but a pipe through which the "smoke" of their deity's "good" flowed, and when a wizard used magics to soar above the earth, they did not break gravity. Elminster also lamented the fact that Toril was a place of godly omnipotence. In his aged state, the Sage of Shadowdale realized that one could not hold the "smoke" of goodliness as it simply flowed through his fingers. However, despite mortals being mere puppets pulled and pushed by good and evil, they still could tug at the stings themselves.

A copy of Harping by Moonlight: Approaches to Life' was kept in the library-citadel of Candlekeep on the Sword Coast as of the late 14^th century DR. A copy was also available for sale at the Sorcerous Sundries shop in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate in the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR DR.

Appendix

Appearances

Video Games

Referenced only

Baldur's Gate III