lunes, 27 de febrero de 2012

El Toque de la Muerte



“Me dejaron de pronto en medio de un desierto poblada de signos invisibles.”
Delia Quiñonez

Las nieblas de Ravenloft te envuelven nuevamente. Sin importar donde estés ellas te tomaran, y no notaras cuando lo han hecho. Te encuentras en las calurosas tierras baldías del desierto, donde nada es lo que parece.

El desierto es un enemigo poderoso, pero en las tierras del desierto un antiguo mal esta despertando las áridas dunas es la menor de sus preocupaciones. Manos marchitas deshacen sudarios antiguos, poco puede salvarte de su toque de la muerte. 

Llamado de las brumas



“La verdad es una antorcha que luce entre la niebla, sin disiparla.”
Claude Adrien Helvétius

Un nuevo mundo se abre paso para capturar con sus garras a incautos viajeros. Un sito de terrores y de helar de sangre, matizados por tradiciones góticas, miedos de mil culturas y presencias de ultratumba. El sitio donde el pavor y el deseo pueden compartir una misma esencia. Un mundo donde convergen mil mundos, e insospechados personajes son encerrados en niebla. Siempre en el medio de la eterna batalla entre la luz y la oscuridad.

Una vez más quienes han sido llamados por las gélidas brumas jamás pueden regresar atrás. 

lunes, 25 de julio de 2011

Locura

 “La locura es un cierto placer que sólo el loco conoce.”
John Dryden 

Sobre bandejas de plata, se sirven platos exquisitos, carnes jugosas, y filetes salteados de magníficos sabores, de matices de colores, de elegantes y refinados gustos, pero como las cosas cambian cuando el sabor es ferroso cuando la carne esta fresca, tanto que aun conserva refrescantemente su contenido de agua; los matices son carmesí, pero también se tiñen de color de viseras, de ojos con tonos de color mármol apagado, y completamente desprovistos del brillo natural de la vida, es mejor ser el huésped que el plato principal?. Mirar con avidez, el suculento plato, en lugar se ser devorado en vida, pero solo es esto una pequeña muestra de cómo la locura, se extiende armoniosamente en delirantes sonetos, teñidos de sangre, de deseo, de ambición innegable, con pequeños impulsos, que se trasmiten mas allá de la limitación de la mente, como estrellas brillantes en el cielo profundo y oscuro,  la locura se presenta con sus esquemas, con su diversión, con su mascara, preparado en cada sombra para emerger, a quitar cualquier aliento de vida, para arrebatar la sonrisa, para preparar la cena, serán los invitados o el plato principal?, y mas aun, lloverá sangre o será un cielo despejado, el cielo de Marais de Tarascon.

redruM

"La sangre sirve sólo para lavar las manos de la ambición."
Lord Byron

Las cadenas, ceden ante una fuerza sobrehumana, las preguntas aparecen al saber que sellan la existencia de una no vida, que debería ser silenciosa. Un licor rojo, con sabor exquisito, marcando la firma de un pecado cometido, la locura desbocada manifestada por una mala decisión, se podrá descifrar el acertijo y encontrar a tiempo a la causa de los males. El olor a carne podrida revela mas de lo aparente, y las nubes  que se desvanecen solo son una pequeña muestra de lo que puede pasar, caerá la lluvia de sangre o no será necesario, el mal no golpea en un solo tiempo sino al compás del corazón desbocado, por la locura, marcado por un destino de finos hilos que va tejiendo la seda mas fina de un destino inevitable, el primer sello se rompe, cuando los rojos restos resuman  en la noche en que la luna se tiña de sangre, cada pequeño fragmento, de un gran momento, al final la llamada de una cena no invitada, o mas bien el encuentro con el mal elemental, pero acaso será este el final o solo el silencio previo a la tormenta.

Regreso al Castillo Ravenloft

“El fuego prueba el oro; la miseria los hombres fuertes.”
Lucio Anneo Séneca

De regreso en el tiempo y en el espacio será un Deja Vu, o un Déjà visité, amenazas presentes de pasados cercanos, un retornar a la vida para una lucha final, una sola palabra que resuena profundamente en cada mente, “ elegido”, elegido por los dioses, por la fortuna por miles de razones inexplicables, el camino esta escrito, a cada paso, aunque en esta senda aparezcan, una y mas de dos veces el mal, con sus propias palabras deseos, acertijos y laberintos, cual camino tomar??,  es difuso, mas cuando ya no es una entidad a la que enfrentar sino que ahora son dos o próximamente tres, cada uno con cada debilidad, y con absolutas fortalezas, la única opción volver, al encuentro con el castillo desde el que se inicio todo el castillo Ravenloft.
Y luego de ello comprender todo aquello que desde tiempos remotos esperaba el momento, miles de tiempos en un remolino donde aparecen antiguos conocidos, y desconocidos, miles de puertas que deben ser cerradas, antes de que sea completada la Gran Conjunción.

Las Raices del Mal

“Los muros y las máscaras que hay que llevar, junto con las mentiras, son la raíz del mal que padece nuestra sociedad.”
Pedro Ramírez

El fin se acerca, Y como resultado el mal de Ravenloft se ha desatado, y atraviesa las nieblas, y se ha escapado, así el mundo real. Legión tras legión, los esbirros siguen a sus amos, ha estos mundos. Y en medio de todo, entre el Rey Brujo, y el Antiguo una lucha de poderes se ha desatado, con las mas mortíferas armas, solamente los mas notables jugadores permanecerán con vida. Si los aventureros actúan rápidamente, la muerte será el ultimo de sus problemas!

viernes, 8 de julio de 2011

Dragonlance FAQ

Este FAQ es acerca del mundo de Dragonlance, para quienes tienen personajes de este mundo.


Dragonlance FAQ
                             alt.fan.dragonlance

                Maintained by Michael Falconer <ulmo@mux.net>
                          v0.70 - January 1, 2007


 1) Questions about the FAQ

  1.1 What is the Dragonlance FAQ?
  1.2 Is the information in the FAQ correct?
  1.3 How often is the FAQ updated?
  1.4 Is the FAQ available on the WWW?
  1.5 What has changed since the last version?
  1.6 Who is the FAQ maintainer?

 2) Back to the Basics

  2.1 What is Dragonlance?
  2.2 How did it start?
  2.3 In what order should I read the novels?
  2.4 What is the Dragonlance role-playing game and how do I play it?
  2.5 How do I choose an edition?
  2.6 What do I need to get started with First Edition Dragonlance?
  2.7 What do I need to get started with Second Edition Dragonlance?
  2.8 What do I need to get started with SAGA Dragonlance?
  2.9 What do I need to get started with Third Edition Dragonlance?
  2.10 What about Dragonlance computer games?
  2.11 What other products are there?
  2.12 Where can I buy the products?
  2.13 But I want a product that's out of print!  Where can I get it?

 3) Raistlin Questions

  3.1 Why does everyone talk about Raistlin?
  3.2 Who created Raistlin?
  3.3 Was Raistlin evil?
  3.4 Did Raistlin have a daughter?
  3.5 Did Raistlin or Fistandantilus win?
  3.6 Did Raistlin love Crysania?
  3.7 When did Raistlin really die?
  3.8 I heard there is a song about Raistlin. Any info on this?
  3.9 When will the third Raistlin Chronicles novel come out?
  3.10 How should "Raistlin" be pronounced?

 4) Regarding the Races of Krynn

  4.1 Can draconians reproduce?
  4.2 What are the types of draconians?
  4.3 Who are the dragonlords, and which of them are still around?
  4.4 Is a dark elf a drow?
  4.5 Is a dark elf an evil elf?
  4.6 How are Kender, Gnomes, and Dwarves related?
  4.7 What are Scions?
  4.8 Which races don't exist on Krynn?

 5) Questions about Gods and People

  5.1 How are Astinus and Gilean connected?
  5.2 How are Fizban and Paladine connected?
  5.3 What is an avatar?
  5.4 Are Zifnab and Fizban the same person?
  5.5 How are the gods' names pronounced?
  5.6 Is Lord Soth in Dragonlance or in Ravenloft?
  5.7 Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara discover the Draconians in Sanction,
       in the Chronicles?
  5.8 What happened to Gilthanas and Silvara after the events in Chronicles?
  5.9 Who were Steel Brightblade's parents?  When was he conceived?
  5.10 How come Verminaard is alive in Stormblade when he dies in Dragons of
        Autumn Twilight?

 6) The World of Krynn

  6.1 Tell me about the Towers of High Sorcery.
  6.2 Can women become Knights of Solamnia?
  6.3 What is Taladas?
  6.4 What are Chorane, Watermere, Selasia, and Little Taladas?
  6.5 What is Ithin'carthia?
  6.6 What was the Chaos War?
  6.7 What was the Second Cataclysm?
  6.8 What is the Fifth Age? What is the Age of Mortals?
  6.9 What novels are currently advancing the timeline?

 7) The 'Other Worlds' of Dragonlance

  7.1 I saw books in the Dragonlance Product List that weren't published with
       the Dragonlance setting?  What's up with that?
  7.2 What is Ravenloft and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
  7.3 What is Planescape and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
  7.4 What is Spelljammer and what is its relation to Dragonlance?
  7.5 What is Forgotten Realms and what is its relation to Dragonlance?

 8) Dragonlance Products

  8.1 Is there a complete list of Dragonlance products?
  8.2 Where is the story of what happened to the Companions at Icewall?
  8.3 What novels bridge the gap between Summer Flame and Fallen Sun?
  8.4 Which other non-core novels are worth reading?
  8.5 Which other game products are worth reading?
  8.6 When will there be another Kang's Regiment novel?
  8.7 Have some books been published with different cover art?
  8.8 Will there be a Dragonlance movie?
  8.9 I heard about a Dragonlance book series called The Lost Gods. What is
       that and why can't I find it?
  8.10 What is Legends of the Lance? What is the Tobril?
  8.11 What new books are coming out?

 9) Joining the Newsgroup

  9.1 What is alt.fan.dragonlance?
  9.2 Where can I find a news server?
  9.3 What software do I need?
  9.4 What is a lurker, a newbie, a dino, and a troll?
  9.5 Are newbies welcome?
  9.6 What is a newbie to do when he/she enters the newsgroup?
  9.7 Are there any rules to follow in the newsgroup?
  9.8 What is quoting and how do I do it?
  9.9 Why do so-called "fans" complain about Dragonlance?
  9.10 What are spoilers?

 10) Controversial topics

  10.1 What's a controversial topic?
  10.2 Why shouldn't I bring up one of these topics?
  10.3 Raistlin is a woman?
  10.4 Tanis is gay?
  10.5 Gem dragons on Krynn?
  10.6 A Dragonlance movie and who should be in it?
  10.7 Only Weis and Hickman novels count?
  10.8 Posting under the name "Raistlin"?
  10.9 I want more books on the Heroes of the Lance!
  10.10 All books after Summer Flame should be discounted? (aka 5th Age
         sucks!)

 11) Questions about the Newsgroup

  11.1 What are all these "in-jokes" I keep hearing?
  11.2 What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?
  11.3 Can I post my fanfic to the newsgroup?
  11.4 Can I post binaries to the newsgroup?
  11.5 Which authors/game designers/TSR employees post to the newsgroup?
  11.6 What are these abbreviations that I keep seeing?
  11.7 What is canon?

 12) Dragonlance on the Internet

  12.1 Did TSR go bankrupt?
  12.2 What is the official Dragonlance home page?
  12.3 Where are the official Wizards of the Coast "world sites"?
  12.4 I want to write a Dragonlance novel. How do I get it published?
  12.5 Can I play Dragonlance online?
  12.6 Where can I find the Dragonlance mailing list?
  12.7 Where can I find the Dragonlance web boards?

1) Questions about the FAQ

***  1.1 What is the Dragonlance FAQ?

      This file dates back at least as far as 1996 and has been consistently
      maintained as a repository of Dragonlance lore by the members of the
      Dragonlance fan community.

      A FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) file usually lists common
      questions that appear in online discussion of that topic, and the
      answers for which there are a general consensus. If people disagree
      strongly and/or there is reasonable doubt about an answer, both answers
      are usually permitted. Usually, a FAQ also lists the written and
      unwritten "rules" of a group and any specific traditions newcomers
      should follow or be aware of. Due to the vast number of new users, many
      FAQs also include some general information about netiquette related to
      USENET and newsgroups. Any questions about the FAQ itself should go to
      the maintainer.

      The Dragonlance FAQ can be understood to be roughly divided into two
      major sections. The first part, comprising the majority of the
      document, answers questions about Dragonlance characters, books,
      products, and anything else relevant to Dragonlance. The last few
      sections pertain specifically to the newsgroup alt.fan.dragonlance and
      other information about Dragonlance on the Internet. You should read
      through the entire FAQ before posting to:
       a)  make sure you know the "rules" of the group
       b)  see if your question has already been answered previously

***  1.2 Is the information in the FAQ correct?

      The FAQ does not try to be 100% correct in all areas, and leaves room
      for discussion. In general, most of the information in the FAQ is
      correct, or at least "correct" in the newsgroup (the general consensus
      in the newsgroup may set aside TSR literature's answers in favour of
      other answers).

***  1.3 How often is the FAQ updated?

      Monthly. An updated version is posted to alt.fan.dragonlance on the 1st
      of every month. If you feel anything should be changed in the FAQ,
      altering, removing or adding a question, please email the maintainer.

***  1.4 Is the FAQ available on the WWW?

      An updated version of it in HTML and TXT can be found on the web at:
      <http://www.afdl.org/faq.html> and <http://www.afdl.org/faq.txt>

      This file is also mirrored on the Dragonlance Nexus at:
      <http://www.dlnexus.com/features/faqs/afdl.aspx>

 ***  1.5 What has changed since the last version?

      v0.70: "Return of the Exile" Version
      New maintainer, major overhaul of outdated FAQ. Too many questions
      added and modified to track. The Dragonlance FAQ and AFDL FAQ are still
      one document, but now the newsgroup-specific questions are moved to the
      end of the FAQ unobtrusively among general Dragonlance discussion and
      online Dragonlance fandom information; and world information is put
      first. Although AFDL is quiet lately, this is a great document which
      can now serve all Dragonlance fandom.

***  1.6 Who is the FAQ maintainer?

      Michael Falconer <ulmo@mux.net>

      Any questions, suggestions, additions, complaints etc, should be
      forwarded to the above maintainer. All flames will be reported to
      your ISP and forwarded to dev/null as well. Credit also goes to the
      previous maintainers, Cassandra Jacobs, Alex Louis, Morten Brattbakk,
      Styx, and Stig Erik Sandø.




2) Back to the Basics

***  2.1 What is Dragonlance?

      Dragonlance is a fantasy setting on the world of Krynn with a
      cult-like following of fans. Dragonlance features the Knights of
      Solamnia, the Wizards of High Sorcery, and its individual pantheon of
      gods. Krynn is a planet that, like Earth, is mostly covered in oceans.
      The two major landmasses of Krynn are Taladas and Ansalon. Taladas lies
      in the northern hemisphere, and Ansalon in the southern, to the south and
      west of Taladas. Other landmasses do exist, but most of the action in the
      Dragonlance setting takes place on Ansalon. (See also questions 6.4 and
      6.5.)

      Novels, role-playing games, board games, comics, graphic novels, and
      magazines all feature the Dragonlance world. It is published by
      Wizards of the Coast and Margaret Weis Productions, and it has the most
      loyal novel following of all of the campaign settings published by
      Wizards (including Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron,
      etc.).

***  2.2 How did Dragonlance start?

      It all began like this. In the mid-eighties, TSR wanted to create a
      series of role-playing adventures for their Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
      game that focused on dragons. Tracy Hickman and Doug Niles each drew up
      proposals for this series, and Hickman's "Dragonlance" concept was
      selected. From that point forward, Hickman was the primary person
      responsible for the world, theme, and design of the original
      Dragonlance series. But many others served a role, as well.

      A designer named Jeff Grubb contributed a pile of notes from his home
      campaign detailing its pantheon of gods. Hickman incorporated these
      nearly wholescale.

      Fourteen role-playing books in the Dragonlance series were published
      from 1984 to 1986. (These adventures are known as DL1, DL2, DL3, and
      so on, with titles like Dragons of Despair, Dragons of Light, and Dragons
      of Dreams.) They were primarily written by Hickman and Niles.

      At the same time, an editor at TSR named Margaret Weis, working in
      close cooperation with Hickman, began to pen a series of novelizations
      closely linked in with the adventures. This, the Dragonlance Chronicles
      trilogy (1984-85), was TSR's first foray into the novel publishing
      business and proved to be highly successful. The Dragonlance Legends
      trilogy (1986) by Weis and Hickman immediately followed. These six
      novels are known as the Holy Six among fans, and enjoy a position of
      ultimate prestige among all Dragonlance writings.

      Since then, many other authors have written novels and gaming products
      for the Dragonlance series, and Hickman and Weis have sporadically
      returned to create more writings set in this world.

***  2.3 In what order should I read the novels?

      It is better NOT to read the novels in strictly chronological order as
      they occur in Krynn's internal timeline, but rather in the order in which
      they were originally published. This way you will present yourself with
      a natural progression of the discovery and evolution of ideas in this
      fictional world.

      While the series numbers well over a hundred books, a certain few are
      considered the "core" Dragonlance books. If you read these, you will be
      able to participate in 90% of Dragonlance discussions and read almost
      any "non-core" book with ease:

      1. CHRONICLES
         - Dragons of Autumn Twilight
         - Dragons of Winter Night
         - Dragons of Spring Dawning

      2. LEGENDS
         - Time of the Twins
         - War of the Twins
         - Test of the Twins

      3. THE SECOND GENERATION
         - The Second Generation
         - Dragons of Summer Flame

      4. DRAGONS OF A NEW AGE
         - The Dawning of a New Age
         - The Day of the Tempest
         - The Eve of the Maelstrom

      5. THE WAR OF SOULS
         - Dragons of a Fallen Sun
         - Dragons of a Lost Star
         - Dragons of a Vanished Moon

      6. THE DARK DISCIPLE
         - Amber and Ashes
         - Amber and Iron

      Until you have at least read the abovenamed books, be aware that this FAQ
      contains SPOILERS. Read further at your own risk.

      Once these novels are covered, you will find as many suggestions for
      books to read next as you will find fans. See questions 8.3 and 8.4 for
      some suggestions.

***  2.4 What is the Dragonlance role-playing game and how do I play it?

      As well as being a series of novels, Dragonlance is a game which
      combines strategy, luck, and most importantly, imagination. Each
      player plays a character on Krynn, except for the Dungeon Master, who
      represents all the exterior elements of the world. The DM prepares and
      referees the game.

      While there have been a few Dragonlance computer games, the primary
      form is for paper & pencil. It requires some 3-9 people, paper and
      pencils, dice, and gamebooks. Different kinds of dice are needed, with
      4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sides. Each player should probably get two of
      each. These can be purchased at your local hobby store or online (try
      "beginner's polyhedral dice" in your favorite search engine).

      The gamebooks will depend on which edition you wish to try. These are:
        - First Edition
        - Second Edition
        - SAGA
        - Third Edition

***  2.5 How do I choose an edition?

      Which edition you pick is largely a matter of taste, but it's best for
      your wallet and your sanity not to switch around much once you've
      chosen one. Converting material between the editions, while difficult
      and time-consuming, is possible, especially to the experienced DM.

      If there is a particular era in which you wish to game, it would be
      easiest to use the rules set for which that era was intended. First
      Edition is the game that the Classic Dragonlance (War of the Lance)
      campaign was written for. Second Edition saw the Chaos War as well as
      some alternate Dragonlance settings including Taladas and Sithicus.
      The Fifth Age, from the Dragon Purge to the War of Souls, was designed
      for SAGA. The Anvil of Time and the current, post-War of Souls era
      use Third Edition.

      Provided you are willing to use eBay, out-of-print material can be
      easy and cheap to find, particularly the First Edition which was very
      popular and enjoyed very large print runs. The Third Edition books
      tend to be very expensive, but you can get them new and receive
      continued support (at least, until the next edition comes out).

      See also question 8.5 for some highly recommended gaming materials that
      are generally usable regardless of edition. 
 
***  2.6 What do I need to get started with First Edition Dragonlance?
 
***  2.7 What do I need to get started with Second Edition Dragonlance?
***  2.8 What do I need to get started with SAGA Dragonlance?


***  2.9 What do I need to get started with Third Edition Dragonlance?
***  2.10 What about Dragonlance computer games?

      There were several Dragonlance computer games by SSI, but these are
      long discontinued and probably require emulation to run on your modern
      system. While there were a handful of arcade style games, the computer
      games most often discussed are a trilogy of role-playing style games
      which use Second Edition rules in an engine that is the forerunner of
      Baldur's Gate:
        - Champions of Krynn
        - Death Knights of Krynn
        - Dark Queen of Krynn

 ***  2.11 What other products are there?

      There are lots of Dragonlance products. There are board games,
      "Choose-your-own-Adventure" books, comic books, calendars, figurines,
      bookmarks, computer games, etc. The list goes on and on.

      The most complete known Dragonlance Product List can be found at:
      <http://www.afdl.org/dllist.txt>

 ***  2.12 Where can I buy the products?

      Dragonlance products are available at most bookstores, including
      online giants like Amazon.com.

 ***  2.13 But I want a product that's out of print! Where can I get it?

      Most out-of-print Dragonlance products are cheaply and readily
      available at eBay.com. You can also try ABEbooks.com and Half.com for
      novels, and sites like NobleKnight.com for gaming products.

      You can also purchase PDF downloads of some out of print gaming
      materials at Paizo.com or RPGNow.com. A few are available for free at
      <http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads>

      Finally, it can't hurt to burn up a little shoe leather and hunt around
      in local used bookstores and hobby shops.




3)  Raistlin Questions

 ***  3.1 Why does everyone talk about Raistlin?

      Raistlin is very popular among Dragonlance fans because, as Weis and
      Hickman wrote in the Legends trilogy, there is a little bit of him in
      each of us. He is undeniably selfish, cruel, cold, and callous. Yet,
      he can be as tender and as gentle as a mother. He has a huge capacity
      for both hate and love.

      He has appeared in several Dragonlance novels, as well as a Dragonlance
      boardgame (Magestones). His fans are as zealous as ever, even after all
      these years. Raistlin debates are one of the favorites on many
      different discussion forums.

 ***  3.2 Who created Raistlin?

      Margaret Weis, and arguably Terry Philips. During one of the gaming
      sessions in which the plot for the novels were mapped, Terry played
      Raistlin. He characterized Raistlin with his own acting, giving
      Raistlin a whispery voice and a cynical tone. Margaret Weis became
      enchanted with Raistlin (not Terry Philips!) and it is well known
      that he is her favorite character.

 ***  3.3 Was Raistlin evil?

      As Margaret Weis wrote in the Annotated Chronicles, the "key" is
      self-knowledge--Raistlin had to come to terms with his inner demons
      before he could gain power. He had to recognize the evil within
      himself. It is widely accepted that Raistlin was (and still is) evil.
      But there is nothing saying that an evil character cannot be admired
      for good traits he may have within himself as well.

 ***  3.4 Did Raistlin have a daughter?

      This question has evolved from the tale which Caramon told in one of
      the early Tales books. As it stands, we do not know for certain
      whether Raistlin really had a daughter. He denied it in Dragons of
      Summer Flame. Some people view this as enough evidence to disprove the
      tale, but some have pointed out that if the tale is true, he wouldn't
      have known that he had a daughter anyway - according to the tale,
      Raistlin had a spell of forgetfulness cast upon him after the ordeal.
      The short story can be found in the anthology Love and War, as well
      as The Second Generation. It is widely held that he didn't have a
      daughter, as the short story is listed as a legend. A legend is
      defined as an unverified story, and cannot be used as a standard of
      proof for an argument.

 ***  3.5 Did Raistlin or Fistandantilus win?

      Nobody knows for certain, and opinions about this vary, although it is
      implied in the novels (and a painting titled The Last Spell of
      Fistandantilus by Keith Parkinson) that Raistlin was the victor. It
      seems to be a moot point, since the single figure which emerged
      possessed the combined memories and ambitions of both.

 ***  3.6 Did Raistlin love Crysania?

      Judging by Raistlin's actions toward Crysania, it would be a far
      stretch to call it "love," although, as with any Raistlin topic, not
      everybody agrees.

 ***  3.7 When did Raistlin really die?

      Raistlin really died at the end of Test of the Twins. How he is able to
      walk mortal lands in Dragons of Summer Flame and Dragons of a Vanished
      Moon is never satisfactorily explained, but it's safe to say that it
      was the will of the gods and has to do with Raistlin's singular role in
      the history of Krynn as Master of Past and Present.

 ***  3.8 I heard there is a song about Raistlin. Any info on this?

      Yes. There are two that are known about. The first is titled
      "Raistlin and the Rose", and is by a Swedish band called Lake of
      Tears. It is on their "A Crimson Cosmos" album. The second song is
      called "The Soulforged" by Blind Guardian, on their 2002 release "A
      Night at the Opera".

 ***  3.9 When will the third Raistlin Chronicles novel come out?

      Margaret Weis has stated that she never intended for The Soulforge and
      Brothers in Arms to fall under a series title such as The Raistlin
      Chronicles. Such a series title raises the expectation of a third book,
      which Weis has repeatedly indicated will never be.

      Instead, Weis (with Hickman) has embarked upon writing a new trilogy
      called the Lost Chronicles, which continues the tradition of the
      Raistlin Chronicles by filling in the gaps in the early history of
      Raistlin and the other Companions. The third and final book, Dragons
      of an Hourglass Mage, should round out Raistlin's story nicely.

      Those who enjoyed Weis and Perrin's novel Brothers in Arms might also
      enjoy Don Perrin's solo novel Theros Ironfeld. There are cameo nods
      back and forth between the two books.

 ***  3.10 How should "Raistlin" be pronounced?

      Harold Johnson came up with the name Raistlin intending it to signify
      "Wasting Man," as well as Caramon which means "Caring Man." The
      authors, including Weis, therefore, pronounce it so that Raist rhymes
      with Waste as intended, but fans may (and do) pronounce it in varying
      ways. It really isn't a topic worthy of debate.




4) Regarding the Races of Krynn

 ***  4.1 Can draconians reproduce?

      Prior to the Chaos war, draconians were unable to reproduce - females
      draconians did not exist. However, it is rumored that female draconian
      eggs have been discovered, and that female draconians now exist.
      Draconians have recently set up their own city, recently, called Teyr.
      For more details, see the novels The Doom Brigade and Draconian Measures.

 ***  4.2 What are the types of draconians?

      Baaz: Baaz are created from brass dragon eggs, are by far the most
      common, and are used commonly as ground troops and foot soldiers in
      the dragonarmies. They have wings, but cannot fly, although they may
      glide for short distances.

      Kapak: These draconians are created from copper dragon eggs. Kapaks
      served in the dragonarmies as skirmishers and assassins, mainly due to
      their poisonous saliva which they smear on their weapons.

      Bozak: These draconians are created from bronze dragon eggs. Bozaks
      are skilled in magic and stay out of combat, using their inherent
      spellcasting ability.

      Sivak: Sivaks are the largest and sturdiest draconians, and are
      created from silver dragon eggs. The sivaks were elite forcesrces of
      the dragonarmies. Most distressing is the sivak's ability to
      shapechange into any humanoid they kill. This ability made them excellent
      spies. Unlike the lesser draconians, sivaks have strong wings and are
      able to fly.

      Aurak: Auraks are the most powerful and most uncommon of the
      draconians. They are created from gold dragon eggs. Auraks served as
      Takhisis' special agents and remained a secret from the Whitestone's
      forces for a long time. Auraks have no wings and are naturally unable
      to fly.

 ***  4.3 Who are the dragonlords, and which of them are still around?

      In the Dragon Purge early in the Fifth Age, most of Ansalon was carved
      into realms ruled over or protected by especially powerful dragons.
      A few of these dragons traveled to Krynn from another world. For more
      comprehensive information you'll want to refer to printed products,
      expecially the Fifth Age Box. Here is a quick list of them, with the
      book listed being the one in which they met their final fate.

      Beryllinthranox  Beryl     Alien   Green   Dragons of a Lost Star
      Brynseldimer     Brine     Native  Sea     Eve of the Maelstrom
      Cryonisis        Ice       Native  White
      Fenalysten       Cinder    Native  Red     Price of Courage
      Frisindia        Freeze    Native  White
      Gellidus         Frost     Alien   White   Price of Courage
      Iyesta           Splendor  Native  Brass   City of the Lost
      Khellendros      Skie      Alien   Blue    Dragons of a Vanished Moon
      Lorrinar         Fume      Alien   Green   Price of Courage
      Malystryx        Malys     Alien   Red     Dragons of a Vanished Moon
      Mohrlex          Pitch     Native  Black   Spectre of Sorrows
      Onysablet        Sable     Alien   Black   Lake of Death
      Pyrothraxus      Pyro      Alien   Red
      Shatraklangg     Clang     Native  Copper
      Solomirathnius   Mirror    Native  Silver
      Stenndunuus      Thunder   Alien   Blue    City of the Lost
      Suhnrysanti      Sunrise   Native  Gold
      Teranyex         Crucible  Native  Bronze

 ***  4.4 Is a dark elf a drow?

      In other D&D campaign settings, there are dark-skinned, white-haired,
      underground elves called "drow." This is a race of evil elves, who are
      hurt by the sun. Drow are not native to Krynn, although there are a few
      old Dragonlance role-playing adventure games that have featured drow who
      came to Krynn through various means. Most fans have regarded these
      adventures as non-canon.

      In Dragonlance, the word drow is generally avoided--your typical D&D drow
      are not a race on Krynn. If it is used, it refers strictly to a dark elf
      of the Krynnish variety as explained in question 4.5 below.

      There is an obscure race of dark elves called the Mahkwahb, who are
      corrupt Dargonesti. They are a unique sort of underwater reverse drow
      (albino skin and dark hair). They are featured in the gaming supplement
      Otherlands and in the novel Alien Sea.

 ***  4.5 Is a dark elf an evil elf?

      No. In Ansalon, "dark elf" is a term used for elves who are outcasts
      from the elven societies of Qualinesti or Silvanesti. Many of them are
      evil, since being/practicing evil is a crime punished with exile
      (Dalamar being the most obvious example). Good elves may also be
      outcasts, since both elven societies (especially Silvanesti) are very
      conservative and exile elves for a number of reasons. Examples of
      good dark elves are Porthios and Alhana Starbreeze.

 ***  4.6 How are Kender, Gnomes and Dwarves related?

      This has been a controversial issue in the past, but current continuity
      trends tend to support the original canon. Namely:

       - Gnomes are derived from humans who were cursed by Reorx,
       - Dwarves and kender are derived from gnomes warped by the Graygem,
       - Gully Dwarves are derived from dwarf/gnome minglings, and
       - Dark Dwarves are derived from dwarf/human minglings.

      The only alternative theory which still seems to have any support among
      fans is the idea that kender are derived from elves warped by the
      Graygem. This is supported by the fact that Balif is described as both
      a Silvanesti Elf General and the founder of the kender nation of
      Balifor. This is a major motif in the writings of Paul Thompson and
      Tonya Cook.

 ***  4.7 What are Scions?

      The scions are a race that sprang from the same origins as the gnomes,
      dwarves, and kender. Whereas those three races are unable to use magic
      due to the influence of the Graygem, the scions were influenced in an
      opposite way, making them extremely mighty in magic, so much so that
      they are immortal and possibly incorporeal. There are thirteen of them,
      and they pop up in tales from time to time as sort of semi-divine aid
      or foes.

 ***  4.8 Which races don't exist on Krynn?

      There are several races common to other worlds, worlds connected to
      the D&D rules system, which do not exist on Krynn (or at least are not
      native to Krynn.). While some of them have appeared in stories or
      game material, these appearances are generally considered mistakes, or
      that the creatures are visitors from another world. A list of
      creatures that do not exist on Krynn includes (but is not limited to)
      drow (of the dark-skinned breed), gem dragons, orcs, halflings, and
      lycanthropes.




5)  Questions about Gods and People

 ***  5.1 How are Astinus and Gilean connected?

      This has been a prevalent topic of debate. Everyone agrees that Gilean
      and Astinus are certainly connected, but nobody knows exactly how. Most
      people are content to simply equate the two, as is strongly suggested
      in the original material as well as Dragons of Summer Flame. The
      "revelation" in The Traveling Players of Gilean is not given much
      credence.

 ***  5.2 Are Fizban and Paladine connected?

      Most people are content with the official explanation of Fizban and
      Paladine being one and the same (or Fizban being Paladine's avatar).

 ***  5.3 What is an avatar?

      An avatar is a physical manifestation of a god. The word carries a lot
      of connotations from frequent use in the Forgotten Realms series, and
      therefore we tend to avoid it in Dragonlance usage, prefering "aspect."

 ***  5.4 Are Zifnab and Fizban the same person?

      The simplest (and legal) answer, in Hickman's own words, is always:
      "Zifnab is NOT Fizban. Zifnab is an entirely different person. Both
      Zifnab and Fizban, of course, bear no resemblance to Zanfib, who
      appears in our Starshield books. I hope I have cleared this up."

      As to the actual nature of Zifnab within the world of the Death Gate
      Cycle, Hickman wrote: "Zifnab was actually a Sartan wizard who opposed
      the council's decision to sunder the world. Zifnab is not a god ...
      indeed, he is actually a chosen and blessed subject of the dragon-
      avatars of the Death Gate series."

      So why does Zifnab seem, at times, to act just like Fizban? How can he
      remember Tanis and Raistlin, and why does he nearly call himself
      Fizban? Hickman: "I like to think that Zifnab is very well read." And
      so, as far as we know, that is all there is to it: the crazy old wizard
      was a fan of Dragonlance, as well as, apparently, Tolkien and James
      Bond. The rest is purely speculation.

 ***  5.5 How are the gods' names pronounced?

      However you want--again, it's not a matter of debate--but author Jeff
      Grubb, who came up with these gods for his original campaign, posted to
      alt.fan.dragonlance the following as how they were originally intended.
      (All Caps are stressed.)

      Paladine      PAL-ah-dine
      Majere        Mah-JER-ray
      Kiri-Jolith   Keer-ee-JOE-lith
      Mishakal      Meh-SHACK-cal
      Habbakuk      Hah-bah-COOK
      Branchala     Bran-CHAH-Lah
      Solinari      SOLE-eh-NAR-ee
      Takhisis      Tah-KEY-Sis
      Sargonnas     Sar-GONE-Us
      Morgion       MORE-Guy-on (That's the french "Guy"- like "Gee" but with
      Chemosh       CHEH-Mosh                                      a hard g).
      Zeboim        Zeh-BOW-im
      Hiddukel      HID-doo-kell
      Nuitari       NWEE-tar-ee (Yep, like the french for night)
      Gilean        GILL-ee-en (Hard "g" again, like in Morgion.)
      Sirrion       SEAR-ee-on
      Reorx         RAY-orcs
      Chislev       CHIZZ-lev
      Zivilyn       ZIV-ih-lin
      Shinare       Shih-NAR-ay
      Lunitari      LOO-neh-TAR-ee

 ***  5.6 Is Lord Soth in Dragonlance or in Ravenloft?

      Knight of the Black Rose was published years ago, a Ravenloft book
      that detailed the death knight's travel from Krynn to Ravenloft
      through the Mists. Soth got stuck in Ravenloft, and became a Darklord
      of a realm there called Sithicus. The book took place right after the
      events of the Legends trilogy. (See also question 7.2.)

      Unfortunately, many Dragonlance fans cried foul--they felt betrayed
      that the Ravenloft campaign setting would steal one of their favorite
      characters. Adding to the confusion, Soth creators Weis and Hickman
      maintained that the Soth in Ravenloft was not the real Lord Loren
      Soth. Weis and Hickman then had Soth appear in a Dragonlance novel,
      Dragons of Summer Flame, and many Ravenloft fans objected to this.

      Finally, James Lowder (author of Knight of the Black Rose), along with
      Voronica Whitney-Robinson, wrote Spectre of the Black Rose. Spectre
      details Soth's recent adventures in Ravenloft, and his eventual
      escape. The conclusion shocked many Ravenloft fans; Darklords aren't
      supposed to be able to escape Ravenloft. Yet, Soth did, and Spectre
      made it possible for Soth to have made his appearance in Dragons of
      Summer Flame without causing any issues of continuity.

      So, according to TSR official material, Soth left Krynn around 356 AC,
      and then returned in 383 AC (date of Dragons of Summer Flame).

 ***  5.7 Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara discover the Draconians in
      Sanction, in the Chronicles?

      Most references lead us to believe it was the Shadowpeople, one of the
      'lost races' of Krynn.

 ***  5.8 What happened to Gilthanas and Silvara after the events in
      Chronicles?

      A novel entitled The Odyssey of Gilthanas picks up the tale of
      Gilthanas's wanderings. They also feature as minor roles in Day of the
      Tempest and Eve of the Malestorm by Jean Rabe, and in the corresponding
      game products Heroes of Defiance and Heroes of Sorcery. Their ultimate
      fate is a matter left to gaming in the Age of Mortals series of
      adventures.

 ***  5.9 Who were Steel Brightblade's parents? When was he conceived?

      Sturm Brightblade and Kitiara Uth-Matar are father and mother to Steel
      Brightblade. His story can be found in the novella "Kitiara's Son,"
      one of the five short stories in The Second Generation, an anthology
      about the children of the Heroes of the Lance. It is assumed that his
      conception would have occurred during the somewhat odd story told in
      Darkness and Light.

 ***  5.10 How come Verminaard is alive in Stormblade when he dies in Dragons
      of Autumn Twilight?

      Matthew L. Martin explains: In Chronicles, Verminaard dies at Pax
      Tharkas. However, in the original AD&D adventures that tell the story
      of the War of the Lance, Verminaard survives Pax Tharkas and makes it
      all the way to menace the heroes in Thorbardin, and perhaps even
      survives that (by virtue of the 'obscure death' clause). Stormblade was
      the first novel after Chronicles to take place 'within' that time
      frame, and Nancy Varian Berberick decided to go with Verminaard
      surviving the escape of the refugees a la Dragons of Flame as opposed
      to having him killed off as happened in Dragons of Autumn Twilight.

      The novel Dragons of the Dwarven Depths comes up with a satisfactory
      in-world explanation of how Verminaard is able to appear after his
      death in Pax Tharkas.




6) The World of Krynn

 ***  6.1 Tell me about the Towers of High Sorcery.

      The centers for the schooling of magical arts. There were originally
      five, but four have been destroyed throughout the Ages--the wizards
      destroyed two of the towers after the Kingpriest had incited mobs to
      attack them, fearing that the crowds of angry people would stumble
      upon powerful artifacts. The Tower of Istar was destroyed in the
      Cataclysm. And a mysterious figure destroyed the Tower of Palanthas
      shortly after the Second Cataclysm.

      Each tower is/was surrounded by an enchanted garden or grove of trees
      to protect the tower from unwanted visitors. The Tower of Wayreth uses
      a transdimensional field that allows it to appear anywhere withing a
      500 mile radius of Wayreth forest, the Tower at Palanthas is protected
      by a fear spell, Daltigoth's Tower casts a sleep spell, the Tower at
      Istar caused intruders to forget, and the Tower in the Ruins created
      intense feelings of passion.

      Of the three towers destroyed in the Cataclysm, The Ruins is the only
      one left partially standing... barely. It is located in Goodlund,
      several miles outside of Kendermore, and is abandoned. (Some sources
      claim it is located not outside Kendermore, but on Karthay.) Rumor has
      it that the grove of trees standing outside of this tower still
      retains the power to invoke passion.

      The Tower of Palanthas and the Tower of Istar have recently reappeared
      as the Tower of Nightlund and the Tower of the Blood Sea, respectively.
      Currently, the Black Robes control the Tower of the Blood Sea, the Red
      Robes control the Tower of Wayreth, and the White Robes are fighting the
      undead for control of the Tower of Nightlund.

 ***  6.2 Can women become Knights of Solamnia?

      According to Astinus (page 86 in Dragons of Spring Dawning), a
      noblewoman was a Knight of Solamnia during the Third Dragon War and
      she rose to the rank of a Knight of the Sword.

      Several women are also described as Knights in the "Heroes of Steel"
      Fifth Age boxed-set (a primary example being Linsha Majere).

 ***  6.3 What is Taladas?

      A continent in the northern hemisphere of Krynn, detailed perfectly in
      the first Dragonlance boxed-set, Time of the Dragon. Taladas has a
      very different "feel" than Ansalon, but the out-of-print boxed set has
      gained a cult following, within the cult following of Dragonlance,
      because of its many outstanding qualities.

      Several different role-playing adventure games were set in Taladas,
      but not many--the sales of the adventures weren't spectacular. Some
      fans believe this is because Taladas didn't receive any air-time in
      the novels until recently.

 ***  6.4 What are Chorane, Watermere, Selasia, and Little Taladas?

      These are landmasses that were featured in the "Otherlands" gaming
      accessory.

      Chorane: Chorane is obscurely labeled on the "Tales of the Lance" map
      - at the very bottom of the map, it says "to the Chorane: the Land of
      Amesh." Chorane is a small, underground land that is beneath the
      Icewall Glacier.

      Watermere: Watermere is a section of land beneath the sea, near
      Taladas. It is inhabited by Dargonesti and several other races,
      including evil ones.

      Selasia: Selasia is briefly mentioned in "The Black Wing." It is a
      series of islands with outlandish creatures on it, such as the
      kender-like Bolandi.

      Little Taladas: Little Taladas is simply a small island that is near
      Taladas.

 ***  6.5 What is Ithin'carthia?

      Ithin'carthia is the "Isle of the Brutes" first mentioned in Dragons
      of Summer Flame. It is dealt with extensively in the novel Return of
      the Exile. Rather than just an island, it actually seems to be a
      continent, the third true continent of Krynn (after Ansalon and
      Taladas.)

 ***  6.6 What was the Chaos War?

      In Dragons of Summer Flame, the Irda broke open the Graygem.
      Unbeknownst to them, the graygem was a prison to an angry Chaos god,
      who called himself the Father of All and Nothing. The other gods of
      Krynn recognized him as their creator, and Reorx admitted that he had
      accidentally trapped Chaos in the gem when he forged it.

      Chaos was furious with his children, and he vowed to destroy their
      "pretty toy"--Krynn. He created demons and wights out of nothing,
      horrors that would torture the inhabitants of Krynn. He formed fire
      dragons out of lava, and he waged war on all of Krynn. Eventually,
      though, a way to defeat him was discovered, and Chaos failed, thus
      ending the Chaos War.

 ***  6.7 What was the Second Cataclysm?

      The Second Cataclysm is understood to be the event at the end of the
      Chaos War that ushered in the Fifth Age. At that point, the three
      moons disappeared from the sky and were replaced by another moon--
      magic as it had been practiced was no more; the constellations were
      completely changed and clerical spells were no more; and soon after
      this giant wyrms appeared and initiated the ravaging Dragon Purge. An
      explanation for these changes was finally revealed in the War of Souls
      series.

 ***  6.8 What is the Fifth Age? What is the Age of Mortals?

      There are two answers to these questions. In-world, the terms are
      synonymous. The Age of Mortals IS the Fifth Age. The Fourth Age, the
      Age of Despair, began with the Cataclysm and ended in the Second
      Cataclysm at the end of the Chaos War. The Fifth Age, therefore,
      encompasses everything that has transpired since then.

      In terms of branding and casual discussion, the two terms are sometimes
      used to differentiate two periods, where the Fifth Age refers to the
      early part including the Dragon Purge and the War of Souls (the time
      setting for the SAGA game system), and the Age of Mortals is the latter
      part, starting after the War of Souls and continuing through current
      products such as Dark Disciple (the time setting for the Third Edition
      Dragonlance line).

      Since the affect of the War of Souls is so major, some fans even
      stubbornly refer to the current post-War of Souls era as a "Sixth Age,"
      despite the fact that official products try to downplay such a
      division.

 ***  6.9 What novels are currently advancing the timeline?

      The following are the most recent trilogies to advance the timeline.
      There are also some stand-alone novels printed under the Age of Mortals
      and Champions series, and tales compendiums, but these are the major
      ones:

      38 SC
      The War of Souls - Weis/Hickman
      The Dhamon Saga - Rabe
      The Minotaur Wars - Knaak
      The Linsha Trilogy - Herbert

      39-43 SC
      The Dark Disciple - Weis
      The Rise of Solamnia - Niles
      Taladas Trilogy - Pierson
      Elven Exiles - Thompson/Cook




7) The 'Other Worlds' of Dragonlance

 ***  7.1 I saw books in a Dragonlance Product List that weren't published
      with the Dragonlance setting. What's up with that?

      TSR has published a number of campaign settings, Dragonlance among
      them. Over the years, TSR started to think of the campaign settings as
      connected - a character from Dragonlance could somehow travel to
      another campaign setting. A whole multiverse was constructed, in which
      there were different levels of planes of existence, including heaven
      and hell. Basically, on one plane of existence was Dragonlance, and on
      another plane was a different campaign setting. Someone could travel
      to that other campaign setting through magic.

      In different books, the connections between the different campaign
      settings were explored, and some characters even traveled back and
      forth between the settings. The books and products where Dragonlance
      characters have gone to other campaign settings, such as in Lord Soth,
      or where the connections to the Dragonlance plane is explored, such as
      in Planescape, are included in the product list.

      The connection of Dragonlance to these other settings is highly
      controversial among Dragonlance fans. Most now agree that it is a
      matter of your point of view. If you are running a Dragonlance game (or
      writing a Dragonlance book), then the connections to the other settings
      are non-canon. If you are running a Ravenloft or Planescape or
      Spelljammer campaign, then there is nothing wrong with using Krynn
      and/or its deities/races/whatever as part of it however you please.

 ***  7.2 What is Ravenloft and what is its relation to Dragonlance?

      The Demiplane of Dread (the setting for the Ravenloft brand) is a sort
      of pocket in the planes--it is a plane of existence where the damned
      go. There is a realm there named Sithicus inhabited mainly by
      Silvanesti elves, but there are also vampiric kender there and a tribe
      of humans called the Wanderers. This realm is famous for having been
      ruled for a time by Lord Soth (see question 5.6).

      There are a couple of other realms ruled over by characters supposedly
      from Krynn, but they are not characters otherwise mentioned in
      Dragonlance products, nor are their realms particularly Dragonlance in
      theme the way Sithicus is.

 ***  7.3 What is Planescape and what is its relation to Dragonlance?

      Planescape is a campaign setting that details all the different planes
      of existence that comprise D&D's multiverse. Krynn, the world of
      Dragonlance, has been mentioned in Planescape products. Krynn is
      basically viewed as a backwater world by the Planescape folk. Not
      many people on Krynn travel the planes, though it is through Planescape
      that the wandering Kender have infected other D&D worlds. Krynn's gods
      theoretically inhabit the Planes, though they seem to be pretty focused
      on Krynn (except for Paladine and Takhisis, who are also known as
      Bahamut and Tiamat in the multiverse). See also question 8.8.

 ***  7.4 What is Spelljammer and what is its relation to Dragonlance?

      Spelljammer is a sort of fantasy space-ship setting. According to
      Spelljammer, there are different individual universes in the giant
      multiverse. These individual universes are in crystal spheres, and the
      spheres are in a beautiful rainbow river called the Phlogiston.

      Krynnspace is the name of the Dragonlance crystal sphere. To travel
      amongst the spheres, and to travel from planet to planet in the
      spheres, you need a spelljammer, or flying magical space ship.
      Usually, the ships are in the shape of nautical vessels, although
      variations among the different space-faring races do occur.

      Despite the bizarre nature of Spelljammer, this is actually the most
      credible connection to Dragonlance, and most pervasive in its effect
      back upon Krynn. The first Spelljammer novel was set on Krynn, and
      among its revelations was the fact that Krynn's Tinker Gnomes were
      active travelers among the stars. Another starfaring race, the mind
      flayers of Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms, at some point arrived on
      Taladas and became the Yaggol. Finally, the War of Souls books seem to
      imply a cosmology reminiscent of that presented in Spelljammer.

 ***  7.5 What is Forgotten Realms and what is its relation to Dragonlance?

      According to Dragonlance Adventures (1987), characters who get too
      powerful are sent to other worlds by the gods. Evil archenemy NPCs like
      Ariakas and Raistlin were exempt from this rule, supposedly due to the
      favoritism of Takhisis. The gist of this rule was that very high-level
      PCs were considered inappropriate for Krynn, which is supposed to be
      about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

      When the first "Gray Box" Forgotten Realms Campaign Set came out later
      in 1987, it conveniently claimed that this new world was the place
      where the gods of Krynn send Krynnish mages when they get too
      powerful. This works out well for Forgotten Realms, which seems to be
      a setting about extraordinary people doing extraordinary things.




8) Dragonlance Products

 ***  8.1 Is there a complete list of Dragonlance products?

      Wizards of the Coast used to maintain such a list, but they have long
      ago let it become outdated. The most complete known Product List is
      maintained by the the fans and can be found at:
      <http://www.afdl.org/dllist.txt>

      The Whitestone Council also keeps a list which is more informative, if
      also more selective, at:
      <http://www.dlnexus.com/products/list.aspx>

 ***  8.2 Where is the story of what happened to the Companions at Icewall?

      In Dragons of Winter Night, a poem by Michael Williams at the start of
      Book 2 briefly describes a journey by some of the Companions to
      Icewall. The story is elaborated upon in a tale called "Finding the
      Faith" by Mary Kirchoff, included in the anthology The Magic of Krynn,
      which tells the story from the Ice Folk's cleric Raggart's view. Much
      later, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman also wrote their version of the
      tale in Dragons of the Highlord Skies (coming in 2007).

 ***  8.3 What novels bridge the gap between Summer Flame and Fallen Sun?

      There are several novels set in this time period, the Fifth Age proper.
      Jean Rabe's trilogy, Dragons of a New Age, is the most infamous of
      these, and has long been a topic of raging debates. Suffice it to say
      here that Fifth Age defenders and detractors alike have serious issues
      with that trilogy. We do tend to agree on enjoying the following:
        - Spirit of the Wind
        - The Odyssey of Gilthanas

      The Fifth Age Comic Book is a good, quick introduction to the Fifth
      Age. An electronic copy of this book is freely available online at:
      <http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20031113c>

 ***  8.4 Which other non-core novels are worth reading?

      Given that there are well over 120 novels involving the Dragonlance
      world and characters, no two fans will agree on the good and bad of any
      one book. The books with the most passionate haters will tend to also
      have passionate adorers. Given that there is an overall lack of
      consensus, most fans will agree that the following are must-reads (c.f.
      question 2.3):

      1. READ AFTER TIME OF THE TWINS
         - Lord Toede
         - Kingpriest Trilogy

      2. READ AFTER DRAGONS OF SUMMER FLAME
         - "There Is Another Shore" (The Dragons of Chaos)
         - The Doom Brigade
         - Draconian Measures

      3. READ AFTER DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON
         - Blades of the Tiger
         - Trail of the Black Wyrm

      The Barbarians, and The Ergoth Trilogy, both set in ancient Krynn, also
      have many fans.

 ***  8.5 Which other game products are worth reading?

      Aside from the basics listed in sections 2.6 through 2.9, the following
      come highly recommended, to novel readers as well as gamers of any
      edition:

         - The Atlas of the Dragonlance World
         - Time of the Dragon
         - The Bestiary
         - Palanthas
         - War of the Lance

 ***  8.6 When will there be another Kang's Regiment novel?

      Don Perrin isn't writing for Dragonlance anymore, and Weis has no
      intention of continuing the series, so we won't see any more stories
      about them unless/until she allows another author to write them.

 ***  8.7 Have some books been published with different cover art?

      Yes. See the Product List for more complete information. Chronicles has
      seen at least ten different major editions in the U.S. alone, and
      Legends is not far behind. These also originally had different covers
      in the U.K. The only book with major differences between editions is
      The Second Generation. All older printings with Elmore covers, both
      hardcover and paperback, contain an appendix with history and gaming
      material on the Knights of Takhisis which is culled from current
      printings (Stawicki covers).

 ***  8.8 Will there be a Dragonlance movie?

      Yes. In 2006, it was announced that an animated version of Dragons of
      Autumn Twilight was being produced. Since this is a whole 'nother can
      of worms, a separate FAQ was long ago created to serve this topic which
      can be found at <http://www.dragonlance-movie.com/moviefaq/>.

 ***  8.9 I heard about a Dragonlance book series called The Lost Gods.
      What is that and why can't I find it?

      There is a Forgotten Realms novel, #15 in the Harpers series, called
      Finder's Bane, and a Dragonlance novel, #2 in the Lost Legends series
      called Fistandantilus Reborn. These two have nothing to do with each
      other. A novel called Tymora's Luck was later written for Planescape--a
      setting which tried to tie all TSR settings together--which was
      essentially a sequel to Finder's Bane but also incorporated the kender
      character from Fistandantilus Reborn and a few other tenuous
      Dragonlance links. It was therefore marketed as #3 in The Lost Gods
      trilogy, retroactively including the two earlier books in its series
      (and encouraging readers to read TSR books from other settings).
      According to author Jeff Grubb, Tymora's Luck was moved back to the
      Forgotten Realms logo when Planescape otherwise seemed to fare poorly
      as a novel line.

 ***  8.10 What is Legends of the Lance? What is the Tobril?

      Legends of the Lance was a free newsletter which lasted for five issues,
      sent out from 1998 through 1999. A few more issues were also "published"
      as a web page on the Wizards of the Coast website. At this time Wizards
      also began to offer the five print issues as free PDFs on their site. As
      time passed and the Wizards site was redesigned many times, this archive
      has disappeared. We have requested several times that they return this
      archive, with no luck. Therefore, since Wizards freely disseminated the
      five issues, we are offering a mirror of the first five issues here
      (warning--LARGE files):
        - <http://www.afdl.org/dragonlance/Legends1.pdf>
        - <http://www.afdl.org/lance/LotL2.pdf>
        - <http://www.afdl.org/lance/LotL3.pdf>
        - <http://www.afdl.org/lance/LotL4.pdf>
        - <http://www.afdl.org/lance/LotL5.pdf>

      Margaret Weis Productions has claimed that they will resume publishing
      this magazine electronically, but so far this effort has yet to
      surface. For a while, there was a fine fan production called The Tobril
      <http://www.tobrilmagazine.com/> which filled this gap, but this, too,
      has now been discontinued.

 ***  8.11 What new books are coming out?

      The following list is courtesy of AFDL member Craig J. Ries. For the
      most up-to-date and complete information, visit his website at:
      <http://dl.silvanthalas.com/>.

      January 2007
      The Measure and the Truth, The Rise of Solamnia v.3, Douglas Niles
      Pillar of Fire, Elements Trilogy v.1 (yr), Ree Soesbee
      Dragons of Winter Night #4 (cb), Andrew Dabb & Steve Kurth
      Bestiary of Krynn: Revised (hc), Cam Banks & Andre LaRoche

      March
      The Great White Wyrm, The Champions v.3, Peter Archer
      The Ebony Eye, Suncatcher Trilogy v.2 (yr), Jeff Sampson

      First Quarter
      Races of Ansalon (hc), Jamie Chambers & Sean Everette

      April
      Dragons of Time, anthology

      May
      Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, Lost Chronicles v.1 (pb), Weis & Hickman
      Warrior's Blood, Goodlund Trilogy v.2 (yr), Stephen D. Sullivan

      June
      Destiny, Elven Exiles v.3, Paul Thompson & Tonya Cook
      Shadow of the Flame, Taladas Trilogy v.3, Chris Pierson

      July
      Dragons of the Highlord Skies, Lost Chronicles v.2 (hc), Weis & Hickman
      Queen of the Sea, Elements Trilogy v.2 (yr), Ree Soesbee

      September
      The Stolen Sun, Suncatcher Trilogy v.3 (yr), Jeff Sampson

      November
      Warrior's Bones, Goodlund Trilogy v.3 (yr), Stephen D. Sullivan

      December
      The Black Talon, Ogre Titans Trilogy v.1, Richard Knaak

      Other Assumed Titles
      The Measure and the Truth, The Rise of Solamnia v.3, Douglas Niles
      Dragons of the Highlord Skies, Lost Chronicles v.2 (pb), Weis & Hickman
      The Rebellion, Stonetellers Trilogy v.1, Jean Rabe
      Tracy Hickman Presents v.1, Jamie Chambers
      Tracy Hickman Presents v.2, Cam Banks
      Dragons of Winter, game product, Clark Valentine & Sean Macdonald
      Dragons of Spring, game product, Clark Valentine & Sean Macdonald
      Dragons of Krynn, game product (hc?)

      January 2008
      Tempest's Vow, Elements Trilogy v.3 (yr), Ree Soesbee

      July
      Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, Lost Chronicles v.3 (hc), Weis & Hickman

      Other Assumed Titles
      Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, Lost Chronicles v.3 (pb), Weis & Hickman
      Amber and Blood, The Dark Disciple v.3 (hc), Margaret Weis
      Amber and Blood, The Dark Disciple v.3 (pb), Margaret Weis
      The Fire Rose, Ogre Titans Trilogy v.2, Richard Knaak
      Ogre Titans Trilogy v.3, Richard Knaak
      Stonetellers Trilogy v.2, Jean Rabe
      Stonetellers Trilogy v.3, Jean Rabe




9) Joining the Newsgroup

 ***  9.1 What is alt.fan.dragonlance?

      A newsgroup (discussion group on Usenet) that tries very hard to focus
      on Dragonlance discussion. It is referred to as AFDL for short.

 ***  9.2 How can I join alt.fan.dragonlance?

      There are two different types of news servers. One is a web based news
      server. The most popular of these is Google Groups (formerly Deja
      News), which both archives posts and allows public posting. The
      address is: <http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.dragonlance>

      The other way is to access Usenet directly. Every good ISP (Internet
      Service Provider) provides such a server, but you will probably have
      to call them and wait on hold a good while before you can find out its
      address. The support pages for your ISP may have the address listed
      in user support section.

 ***  9.3 What software do I need?

      If you are using an Internet based news server, such as Google, you
      just need to use your web browser. However, if you are using an ISP
      news server, be it free or otherwise, Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook
      are fine. Also, AOL provides this service.

      If you are using Thunderbird:
      Tools --> Account Settings...
      Add Account...
      Newsgroup account --> Continue
      Enter your name and email address --> Continue
      Enter your news server per your ISP --> Continue --> Continue --> Done
      When that is done, go back to the very beginning of your Mail program,
      when it just opens up.
      Click on the window that says "Inbox" and scroll down to the name of
      your newsserver. Select "Manage newsgroup subscriptions". Search for
      alt.fan.dragonlance and subscribe!

      The process with Microsoft Outlook Express is almost identical.

 ***  9.4 What is a lurker, a newbie, a dino, and a troll?

      A lurker is someone who reads alt.fan.dragonlance, but rarely posts (if
      at all). It's good netiquette to lurk if you are new to the group, so you
      can get a feel for the group and learn some basics. It's poor netiqutte
      to delurk with an inflammatory post (or flame).

      A newbie is someone who is new to alt.fan.dragonlance, and posts fairly
      often. Newbies should read the FAQ before posting. Some do, some don't.
      There's no reason to flame a newbie if they haven't, but occasionally
      it happens. Don't sweat it.

      A dino is an old regular of alt.fan.dragonlance, who has been on for
      quite some time. Most have what's considered "attitude", but realize
      that it is mostly experience from being on the newsgroup for so long.
      Dinos have been through good times and bad, and have seen virtually
      every question imaginable. Humour them in their old age.

      Trolls are people who post on the newsgroup simply to piss people off.
      They say stupid, offensive and hurtful things to either the entire
      group, or to specific posters. This is an unmoderated group, and as
      such, there is no way to prevent these posts from going up. If you
      see a post that qualifies as a troll, DO NOT RESPOND!!!  Trolls thrive
      on attention, and giving it to them only encourages them to continue
      their virulent behaviour. Ignore them, and they will go away.

      If a troll continues to post to a newsgroup and the content of the
      posts bother you, set up a filter. A filter can be designated to
      block specific words in a subject line, an entire thread, or all posts
      by a specific author.

      Most (if not all) trolls post from either anonymous accounts or
      through stolen accounts. Trying to email them or report the email
      address will probably fail. If you have the technical skills, you MAY
      be able to trace it back to the originating account though.

      The same rules apply for junk email postings, or SPAM. Ignore them or
      filter them, and above all do no reply!

 ***  9.5 Are newbies welcome?

      Of course, there's always use for new perspectives. But I recommend
      that you read and digest this FAQ quite thoroughly, and then lurk for
      a week before you throw yourself into the fray. That way, you'll have
      a slight idea of what's going on. When you finally enter the
      newsgroup, try avoiding heavy use of caps-lock, bad quoting, yelling,
      bad language, cursing, lousy grammar, so-called roleplaying and the
      other all-too frequent newbie traits.

      Remember: AFDL has been around for quite some time; we have discussed a
      lot. Some newbies have barged right in and claimed that they knew
      everything, that people should feel free to e-mail them if they have
      questions. This just displays arrogance, as well as ignorance. Other
      people have claimed that they knew what the real color of Raistlin's
      staff, because they were Raistlin. This, as one afdler put, displays
      delusions of grandeur.

      Also remember that people are posting from all over the world and
      English isn't always a poster's first language. Don't criticize
      someone for poor spelling or sentence structure. It's considered bad
      taste.

      Just get familiar with the group before you actually post. And don't get
      intimidated if an afdler is mean to you--some people get kicks out of
      saying stupid and unfriendly things. Don't reply to people like that.

 ***  9.6 What is a newbie to do when he/she enters the newsgroup?

      Some people appreciate that you introduce yourself. No extensive
      information is needed; just the basics. Let us know who you are and
      what we can expect from you. We'll also need your full name, home
      address, phone number, social security number, and all of your credit
      card accounts.

 ***  9.7 Are there any rules to follow in the newsgroup?

      Some unwritten rules apply, but they should be looked at more as
      guidelines for ensuring a great forum for Dragonlance discussion than
      as strict rules (this is the general consensus of the newsgroup):

      1) Show common courtesy. Don't be insulting and foul-mouthed.
      2) Don't criticize someone's grammer. Not everyone is in the same
      country or has the same level of education or computer experience.
      3) Do not reply to obscene or bullshit messages, not even to discount
      them. Ignore trolls!!!!!
      4) Don't start off-topic threads. However, it is considered OK for a
      Dragonlance-related thread to develop into an off-topic thread, if it
      doesn't dominate the newsgroup.
      5) Don't post binaries. If you want to show off a picture, put it up on
      a web page and post an URL, or post to alt.binaries and then tell the
      people on alt.fan.dragonlance there is an interesting binary there.
      6) Roleplaying is discouraged, this forum is mainly for _discussing_
      Dragonlance. But this is a controversial topic, so role-playing is not
      strictly forbidden. Just be sure not to roleplay in a thread which is
      otherwise a serious discussion. (For example, jumping in on a
      discussion involving the color of the claw on the Staff of Magius
      saying "I know the claw is golden, because I am Raistlin and have
      owned the staff for many years" will get you flamed.)

 ***  9.8 What is quoting and how do I do it?

      Quoting is the inclusion of some of the article you are replying to,
      so others know what the heck you're talking about. Your answer, 99% of
      the time, should come _after_ the part you quote, so people can read
      what you are replying to and then see your answer. Always remember to
      quote only what is necessary to understand your answer. Never quote
      the signature (unless the signature is what you're commenting on).
      Never quote a whole article just to reply in monosyllables. Instead,
      snip most of the article.

 ***  9.9 Why do so-called "fans" complain about Dragonlance?

      In the eyes of a newbie, it may seem that we're a bunch of "cranky
      whiners" when it comes to Dragonlance. Many critique new and old
      products/novels/authors, often negatively. This should not chase new
      posters away. It is out of our love for the Dragonlance world that we
      disassemble, analyze, bitch, moan, complain, and piss on it. To quote
      the ex-FAQ-maintainer, Stig:

             "We are a community of individuals, and we all share
              an interest in Dragonlance.  We might not like all
              parts of Dragonlance, nor do we need to like all parts
              of Dragonlance."

      ...and to paraphrase Eric Keyser (a former regular on
      alt.fan.Dragonlance), without criticism, things go stale.

      Blindly accepting everything allows the mind to stagnate. We prefer to
      whine if we have to, but we always do it in an effort to further our
      understanding of Dragonlance, not demean it.

 ***  9.10 What are spoilers?

      Something extremely necessary. Please pay special attention to this.

      A "spoiler" is a post that gives away something important about a
      novel/gaming accessory. Most discussion forums do not tolerate this.
      As someone has pointed out, it's akin to walking out of a movie
      theater and talking about the end of the film while passing by a line
      of people waiting to see the next showing of the same movie. If you
      were waiting in that line, you'd be pretty pissed off. In essence, you
      are "spoiling" the novel/gaming accessory for those people who haven't
      read it yet.

      If you are going make a post that you feel may "spoil" something for
      the rest of the group, include "[(Title of book) SPOILER]" in the
      beginning of your header, along with either the title of the item or
      the subject you're spoiling (i.e. "[War of Souls SPOILER] The Battle at
      Qualinesti!"). That's called a spoiler warning. This not only shows
      courtesy and consideration for people who haven't read the item yet, but
      it allows for people who *have* read the item to discuss it with you
      (after all, one of the first things you want to do after finishing a book
      is talk about it, right?).

      It's also considered good etiquette to leave several blank spaces in
      your post before you start typing. This space (called a "spoiler
      space") is useful for people who may have accidently missed the header
      of the message and start reading your post.

      Also keep in mind that a large number of people who post to and read
      Dragonlance discussion forums are not from the United States. That
      means they get their items later than the people who live in the U.S.
      do. Please give everybody at least six months time, if not more (a
      year is recommended for monumental or important work like The Eve of
      the Maelstrom and the "War of Souls" books), to read the items before
      you stop adding a spoiler warning to your posts about them.

      It is assumed that people reading most discussion forums have read the
      Chronicles and Legends trilogies, as well as the novel Dragons of
      Summer Flame, so spoiler warnings for those novels are not considered
      necessary. However, some newbies come to the forums without this basic
      knowledge, so please keep that in mind before jumping to a conclusion
      about a 'stupid' question.




10)  Controversial topics

 ***  10.1 What's a controversial topic?

      A controversial topic is a topic which has caused bad feelings and /
      or flame wars among the members of the newsgroup. There are many
      reasons why they've caused such reactions, but the main reason is
      because someone felt criticized.

 ***  10.2 Why shouldn't I bring up one of these topics?

      Many of these topics represent sore spots for people or a darker time
      for the newsgroup. The regulars avoid these topics as much as
      possible, since we do like to see discussions that are entertaining
      and harmonious. Contrary to popular belief, regulars don't enjoy
      flaming, but sometimes get so fed up with seeing the same topics over
      and over again, something in their dino-brain snaps and they fly off
      the wall. For the sake of keeping peace in the newsgroup, don't post
      about these topics. If you feel the need to find more information
      about them, either read about them here, search for them on the net
      (some of them do exist out there), or search through Usenet archives
      at <http://groups.google.com/>. If you still can't find the information
      you're looking for, try emailing a dino that appears to be friendly to
      you. It helps your case more if you've contributed to the group in
      some manner.

 ***  10.3 Raistlin is a woman?

      This is probably one of the most controversial and not-wanted topics
      around. It reared its head some time ago, and grew in controversy
      because newbies would see the topic line, and flip out thinking
      everyone on the group was insane for thinking such a thing. At the
      time, it was funny, as most people couldn't believe how infuriated
      newbies would get over the subject and how they would attempt to
      disprove the statement, without having read the original theory of the
      subject. Suffice to say, the entire theory was done as a joke, no one
      ever did believe that Raistlin was originally a woman. While many
      people want newbies to know about the theory, it is only to prevent
      them from asking, not to bring it up again as a discussion. This
      topic is dead and over, and no one wants to see it resurrected again.

 ***  10.4 Tanis is gay?

      Originally written as a partner to the "Raistlin is a woman" theory,
      this topic didn't garner the same amount of reactions, but it still
      caused many people to get upset. While the Raistlin theory was
      grounded in satire, this theory was intended to parody it.

 ***  10.5 Gem dragons on Krynn?

      Many people have asked that if Dragonlance is supposed to be so
      centered around dragons, why aren't there gem dragons in the world. In
      general, gem dragons don't fit into the original concept of Krynn, so
      they weren't included. Part of what makes Dragonlance so unique from
      other worlds is the fact that it is missing certain races. For the
      majority of these exclusions, there are logical and valid reasons.
      This is not to say that you can't have gem dragons in *your* concept
      of Krynn, but be aware that your concept will be vastly different from
      everyone else's and this topic has caused many tempers to flare up.

 ***  10.6 A Dragonlance movie and who should be in it?

      This was long considered the most taboo possible topic. Over the years,
      there have been countless threads about possible castings of the Heroes
      and whether the movie should be live action or animated. Eventually, it
      came to really annoy regulars whenever this tired subject resurfaced.

      Now there actually is a Dragonlance movie in the works. It's animated
      and it's cast. So the moratorium on this subject has been lifted for
      now, as there actually is a solid basis for fresh and interesting
      discussion.

 ***  10.7 Only Weis and Hickman novels count?

      There have been several people who don't enjoy the other Dragonlance
      novels and feel the need to state on the forum that only the novels
      written by Weis and Hickman are valid to the Dragonlance world. While
      everyone's entitled to their opinion, this newsgroup has many of the
      other authors in question contributing, and many fans feel that their
      works are just as worthy as any novel put out by Weis and Hickman. We
      ask that people refrain from bashing all non-W&H books in general.

 ***  10.8 Posting under the name "Raistlin"?

      Contrary to popular belief, you're not being original if you post
      under this name. We've literally seen hundreds of Raistlins come
      traipsing through the newsgroup, asking their questions. They usually
      stay for about a day, then disappear forever, whether this is from
      embarrassment or being flamed off, we're not sure. It's a bad idea
      especially if you intend to post regularly, as people won't recognize
      you from the several other Raistlins that show up. Try to be unique
      and avoid taking the name of a character. Most people use either
      their real name, or a name they made up. If you feel the need to use
      a character's name, try to personalize it at least, so you stand out a
      bit more. Be aware that some people may ignore you regardless.

 ***  10.9 I want more books on the Heroes of the Lance!

      Another controversial subject, since there seems to be a line drawn
      between those that want more Heroes of the Lance stories, and others
      who feel they've been overused and should be put to the pasture for
      retirement. Many regulars of the newsgroup feel the latter about this
      issue. While we've enjoyed reading about the Heroes, most feel their
      stories have been told and there's no reason to keep bringing them
      back again and again. Some of the ealier novels (such as the Preludes
      and Meetings) bought into the cash cow of the Heroes, and because
      several of these books were controversial stories, they were not viewed
      in a favorable light. Please try to keep the Hero of the Lance worship
      to a minimum.

 ***  10.10 All books after Summer Flame should be discounted? (aka 5th Age
      sucks!)

      The 5th Age is an extremely emotional subject for people. There were
      some massive changes that took place during Summer Flame and even more
      that came out in Jean Rabe's Fifth Age novels. Some people don't
      accept these changes and will argue vehemently against them. Not
      everyone agrees that the 5th Age was bad, because it moved Krynn
      forward, when it appeared to be stagnating. This ties into the Heroes
      of the Lance idea... a new phase of the world with new characters.
      It's fine if you don't like the 5th Age, but please don't criticize it
      without some sort of backing. Too many times there have been posters
      saying the 5th Age sucks and they've never read any of the material.
      Please try to be informed of something before stating an opinion. It
      gives you that much more credit.




11) Questions about the Newsgroup


 ***  11.1 What are all these "in-jokes" I keep hearing?

      Remember how it was said that a newsgroup is a community?  Well
      members of the community that have been around for awhile have seen
      several topics and jokes come up, which sometimes have caused quite a
      commotion and as such, are remembered for quite some time.
      Occasionally, these jokes pop up from time to time and sometimes can
      be quite controversial. In-jokes are not meant to exclude newbies
      from the conversation but are instead a method for which old dinos can
      rattle up their brains which are beginning to atrophy due to old age.
      Tread carefully around any of these conversations.

 ***  11.2 What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?

      Alt.fan.dragons has been known to allow them if they're about dragons.
      Alt.fan.fantasy is for discussion of fantasy in general and might
      allow a discussion of Dragonlance in relation to other fantasy novels.
      The AD&D newsgroup, rec.games.frp.dnd, also has Dragonlance
      discussions occasionally.

 ***  11.3 Can I post my fanfic to the newsgroup?

      If it is related to Dragonlance, yes. Be aware of copyright laws and
      what your rights are when you post it.

 ***  11.4 Can I post binaries to the newsgroup?

      Absolutely not. If you want to share some pictures with us, you can
      post them to alt.binaries and then let us know what header you used so
      we can find it. It's as simple as that. Some of us are always
      appreciative of programs/pictures relating to Dragonlance, but it does
      not belong in alt.fan.dragonlance.

 ***  11.5 Which authors/game designers/TSR employees post to the newsgroup?

      Known ones have included Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Don Perrin,
      Richard A. Knaak, Paul B. Thompson (as Mr. Apol), Steve Miller, Michael
      Williams, Nancy Varian Berberick, and Jeff Grubb.

      Some former regulars of the newsgroup have gone on to become well-known
      Dragonlance authors in their own right. This includes most
      significantly Chris Pierson, Jamie Chambers, and Cam Banks.

      In 2003, Margaret Weis and Jamie Chambers announced that they would
      shift their primary attention to their new corporate web boards at
      <http://www.dragonlanceforums.com/> in order to better promote their
      products. They and other authors still do frequent the mailing list,
      however, and to a lesser degree, the newsgroup.

      People who used to be on this newsgroup but who seem to have left are
      Lizz Baldwin, James Lowder (of Ravenloft fame), Voronica Whitney-
      Robinson (also of Ravenloft fame), Sue Weinlein Cook, and Roger E.
      Moore (as Grey1998). Larry Elmore has posted once.

 ***  11.6 What are these abbreviations that I keep seeing?

      Some abbreviations can be figured out by reading earlier in the post
      or thread they appear in, while others are used so often they have
      become second nature to the posters. Here is a short list of the most
      common abbreviations for Dragonlance and related products common to
      many discussion forums:

      LOL = Laughing Out Loud
      IMO = In My Opinion
      IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
      IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

      DL = Dragonlance
      RL = Ravenloft
      FR = Forgotten Realms
      PS = Planescape
      SJ = Spelljammer
      5A = Fifth Age
      AD&D = Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (First through Second Edition)
      3e = Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons
      3.5e = Revised Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons

      W&H = Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
      DoAT = Dragons of Autumn Twilight
      DoWN = Dragons of Winter Night
      DoSD = Dragons of Spring Dawning
      SG = The Second Generation
      DoSF = Dragons of Summer Flame
      WoS = The War of Souls
      DoaFS = Dragons of a Fallen Sun
      DoaLS = Dragons of a Lost Star
      DoaVM = Dragons of a Vanished Moon
      A&A = Amber & Ashes
      A&I = Amber & Iron

      LoH = The Legend of Huma
      DoaNA = The Dawning of a New Age OR Dragons of a New Age series
      DotT = The Day of the Tempest
      EotM = The Eve of the Maelstrom
      RoS = The Rise of Solamnia

      KoS = Knights of Solamnia
      KoT/KoN = Knights of Takhisis/Knights of Neraka
      LoS = Legion of Steel

      DL1 = Dragons of Despair
      DL2 = Dragons of Flame
      DL5 = Dragons of Mystery, etc.
      DLA = Dragonlance Adventures
      TotL = Tales of the Lance
      WBoA = World Book of Ansalon (included in Tales of the Lance)
      Leaves = Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home
      5A Box = Dragonlance: Fifth Age Dramatic Adventure Game
      CoL = Citadel of Light

      DLCS = Dragonlance Campaign Setting
      AoM = Age of Mortals
      KoD = Key of Destiny
      BoK = Bestiary of Krynn
      ToHS = Towers of High Sorcery
      WotL = War of the Lance
      SoS = Spectre of Sorrows
      HOotS = Holy Orders of the Stars
      LotT = Legends of the Twins
      KOoA = Knightly Orders of Ansalon
      DoA = Dragons of Autumn
      PoC = Price of Courage

 ***  11.7 What is canon?

      In case you haven't noticed by now, Dragonlance has many contradictions
      in it. For example, in the Legends Trilogy (1986) and other products
      around this time, the Dwarfgate Wars are said to have taken place at
      around 100 AC. Some other products later state the date to be 39 AC.
      Which is right?

      Dragonlance fans have tried to make sense of these various continuity
      errors, and many fans have formed their own set of canon. The American
      Heritage Dictionary says that canon is "an ecclesiastical law or code
      of laws established by a church council." Some Dragonlance fans look
      at a contradiction, and they try to make a logical explanation for the
      contradiction. If that doesn't work, some fans say that part of the
      contradictory material is non-canon, or non-existent in Krynn.

      Another example is the novel The Soulforge. Earlier, a book called
      Dark Heart was published that detailed some of Raistlin's childhood.
      Margaret Weis came along, and wrote The Soulforge, a novel that
      completely contradicted Dark Heart. Some fans, in an attempt to
      explain away the contradiction, have said that The Soulforge is
      "Raistlin propaganda" that was spread around by the Towers of High
      Sorcery. Others have said that Dark Heart is non-canon, and Soulforge
      is the "right" version of history.

      Either way, canon is very controversial topic among Dragonlance fans.
      You have to decide for yourself what you consider canon, but remember
      that your tastes are exactly that... *yours*. Just because you think
      Dark Heart is more true than Soulforge because it was written first,
      don't criticize others who believe otherwise. Be open to the fact
      that others have their own interpretations of what's canon and what's
      not.

      The publishers of Dragonlance have their own idea of canon as well.
      They have begun using the term "continuity" instead of "canon" in order
      to avoid confusion. Whereas fans interested in canon tend to enjoy
      researching older books in order to find the original answer, Official
      Continuty actually takes the opposite approach in following the most
      recent published answer.

      In our example above, then, Official Continuity currently has the
      Dwarfgate Wars at 39 AC, but many fans consider the 100 AC date to be
      canon. Some fans even try to justify both dates! In short, be aware
      that legitimate differences in opinion exist. Feel free to calmly,
      rationally state your case, but be willing to accept other answers.




12) Dragonlance on the Internet

 ***  12.1 Did TSR go bankrupt?

      In the mid 90s, TSR, the original publisher of Dragonlance material,
      did go bankrupt. There was a period of time where Dragonlance material
      wasn't published at all; TSR had gotten itself so deep in debt that it
      just couldn't continue.

      Fortunately, however, "Magic: the Gathering" publisher Wizards of the
      Coast bought up all of TSR's debt and took the company under its wing.
      For a while, TSR was a brand under Wizards of the Coast, but now all
      D&D and Dragonlance products are simply printed under the Wizards logo.
      Wizards of the Coast is now itself a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.

 ***  12.2 What is the official Dragonlance home page?

      Wizards of the Coast, which owns Dragonlance and currently publishes
      the novel line, keeps a page at:
      <http://ww2.wizards.com/Books/Wizards/Default.aspx>
      Unfortunately, you have to sort through Forgotten Realms, Magic, and
      Eberron content to find any Dragonlance content.

      Margaret Weis Productions, which is licensed to produce the Dragonlance
      Third Edition game line, keeps an official Dragonlance home page at:
      <http://www.dragonlance.com/>. This is a somewhat more helpful site.

      Another site is the Dragonlance Nexus at <http://www.dlnexus.com/>.
      This was a fan project originally spearheaded by Tracy Hickman at a
      time when Wizards of the Coast held a contest to select an "Official
      Dragonlance World Site" (the Nexus won). Although the Nexus no longer
      claims any "official" status since Weis acquired the license, there is
      no question that the Nexus website far outstrips any single other site
      in terms of the amount of info that can be found there.

 ***  12.3 Where are the official Wizards of the Coast "world sites"?

      The list of official sites can be found at:
      <http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/owa>

 ***  12.4 I want to write a Dragonlance novel. How do I get it published?

      Becoming a published author of any kind is a difficult task, to say
      the least. But it is possible--we have watched our fellow fans become
      Dragonlance authors over the years. Chris Pierson, Jamie Chambers, and
      Cam Banks are now major Dragonlance novel and gaming authors. Kevin Kage
      and John Grubber have been published in Dragonlance anthologies. All are
      former and/or current members of the alt.fan.dragonlance newsgroup, as
      well as the mailing list, and we have watched them become Dragonlance
      authors.

      To become published, it is best to start out small--try submitting a
      short story to Dragon Magazine (a monthly publication by Wizards of
      the Coast). Get involved with Dragonlance discussions, and become an
      active member of the fan community. Get your material edited, and
      edited, and edited all over again, preferably by a fan who is familiar
      with Dragonlance (to make sure that you don't contradict too much
      material) and by someone who isn't familiar with Dragonlance (to
      receive an unbiased opinion).

      After that, send in your material to Wizards of the Coast. Don't be
      surprised or disappointed if you are rejected - publishing company
      editors are finicky. You must learn to be persistent; edit your
      material, and then send it in again.

      All submissions to Wizards of the Coast must follow the standards as
      outlined on the Wizards of the Coast web site at:
      <http://ww2.wizards.com/books/Wizards/default.aspx?doc=WriterResources>

      If you decide to forego the Dragonlance setting and write your own
      book, then you can ignore the writers guidelines and shop your work
      around to different publishing companies (but you can't use the
      Dragonlance setting or the characters in it). For more information,
      you can contact the copyright office at the Library of Congress,
      Washington D.C., 20559 or call (202) 707-9100. Form TX is used to
      register published or unpublished literary works, excluding
      periodicals and serials. You can also call (202) 707-3000 for more
      information.

 ***  12.5  Can I play Dragonlance online?

      There are different venues for playing Dragonlance online, such as a
      "play-by-e-mail" (PBEM) or "play-by-post" game, or a MUD or MUSH. Plug
      the words into your favorite search engine and you should get some
      hits.

 ***  12.6 Where can I find the Dragonlance mailing list?

      The Dragonlance mailing list is hosted by a list server at Wizards and
      can be accessed at:
      <http://oracle.wizards.com/archives/dragonlance-l.html>
      The rules for the mailing list are at:
      <http://www.dlnexus.com/features/faqs/dl-l.aspx>

      The mailing list is a very different environment from the newsgroup.
      The latter exists on Usenet, a relatively unmoderated wilderness on
      the Internet. On the other hand, the mailing list has a set of rules
      that will be enforced by the moderator. While you may find rules
      stifling, this also ensures that junk email doesn't exist and
      arguments are usually controlled. Choose whichever community best
      suits your purpose or personal choice. Some people subscribe to both!

 ***  12.7 Where can I find the Dragonlance web boards?

      There is a large forum cooperatively managed by Margaret Weis
      Productions and the Nexus at: <http://www.dragonlanceforums.com/>
      There is also a smaller forum hosted by Wizards of the Coast at:
      <http://boards1.wizards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=287>

Tomado de: http://www.afdl.org/faq.html