Is Nym Lying? (A Modern Gordian Knot)

[Azred]

Ok, people. Let's try to answer the ultimate question posed by the scenario in Icewind Dale. Is Nym telling the truth about selling items created by the dwarf/elf alliance to the Horde?

Assume Nym is telling the truth. Living in the same general area, he would definitely have known of the Alliance, and of the items they created. This leads to two more questions: 1) Who obtained the items for Nym? and 2) How did they obtain the items? Only the rarest of elves would sell their items for profits, especially to any agent representing some unknown person (I find it impossible to believe that any surface elf would have direct dealings with a drow). Most likely, Nym did obtain items from the dwarves. Unfortunately, I also find it too difficult to believe that any dwarf would deal with a drow or with any agent likely to sell any dwarf-crafted item to a goblinoid. Could there have been a traitor among either the elves or the dwarves? I highly doubt that any thief, no matter how skilled, could *steal* these items from either the dwarves or the elves--they would have been too well-guarded. The only plausible option I see is this: Fighting a war is expensive, so the dwarves sell some items. As is the case with many trading economies, these items exchange hands several times. Nym comes across them, begins to collect them, and then sells them to the Horde. Because of this, he alters the story a little to boost his reputation.

Assume Nym is lying. Living in the same general area, he would know the story of the Alliance and its fall. It would be relatively easy to write himself into the story, given the number of unanswered facts. This would be an extraordinary boost to his reputation! The skill required to pull off such a purchase would make him one of the best merchants in the world.

I believe that Nym is lying, simply to boost his reputation. Assuming that Nym is telling the truth leads to too many improbable conclusions. What do you think?

Alas, Nym is telling the truth, regardless how little sense it makes. I just read that someone has reconstructed one of the deleted quests -- the one where you get the Glory of Suffering, see the thread below -- and it seems that completing that quest would have hinged on discovering that Nym was the one who caused the rift between the elves and dwarfs. Someone on the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg newsgroup has the whole quest in detail, complete with what everyone says before, during, and after the quest and all the related journal entries. All this material is in the game data. We just never see it in the game itself.

(BTW, the hint book suggests that Nym is telling the truth, but doesn't actually say he is.)

I had the belief that Nym was telling the truth as I read the dialog. He mentioned that the Dwarf strong-hold was not too very difficult to break into, and that their guard was easier than one might imagine...I could believe him because I believe that the Drow are capable of doing just what he said he did, and he did not know his actions would actually lead to a war, he just was making money, and was surprised that his little thievery led to such a big outcome, and so that is why he was bragging. That is clearly my own opinion, though...I am not a master of knowledge or anything.