Dungeons and Dragons fans can now learn the backstory of an obscure DnD character from second edition, thanks to the lifting of a lengthy non-disclosure agreement. Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms DnD setting, shared a Patreon post on July 9 announcing the freedom of Susprina Arkenneld, apprentice to the DnD Wizard Elminster. With the NDA gone, Greenwood is now able to share Susprina’s backstory in detail.
“After years behind an NDA (nondisclosure agreement), I am finally able to talk about Susprina Arkenneld, Elminster’s apprentice, and the subject of much speculation from fans of the Realms”, Greenwood writes on Patreon. Due to “the large number of requests I’ve gotten about Susprina over the years”, Greenwood has made a public, detailed lore video to share the character’s history as widely as possible.
Susprina first appeared in The Drow of the Underdark, a second-edition game accessory penned by Greenwood in 1991. At the time, all that was shared about her was that she was Elminster’s apprentice. She also appeared in a single illustration, bathing naked in a pool and sipping from a wine glass.
We can tell Susprina practices basic hygiene and has a fondness for good drink, but the NDA meant nothing else was known about the DnD character until July 9. Now, thanks to Greenwood, we can picture Susprina in more detail.
Susprina is the daughter of a DnD Lich known as Calimar, who put her in stasis and snuck her into Candlekeep to keep her safe from the family’s enemies. She was left there with a note to send her to Elminster, who later took her on as an apprentice and reunited her with her father.
Susprina eventually becomes a Wizard in her own right, leaving Elminster’s care to explore the world above in disguise. She’s a Chaotic Good character on the DnD alignment spectrum, and she allies herself with some of the Forgotten Realms’ most powerful organizations working for the forces of good.
You can find more details about Susprina in Greenwood’s Patreon post. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares more Forgotten Realms lore you can’t find in DnD books (such as the one above, where you can learn to swear like a DnD Elf).