What "us"? Unless you were the person to create and play those characters in Gary's old group then there's no reference to you. That reference was in response to those who complain the iconic characters are Mary Sues, which yeah, I can see that but it's still important flavor. Elminster is still an important character to the FR lore for a whole lot of people too, he just has current content.
That was a brain fart I thought I typed them. I am slightly aphasic from a stoke and sometimes words get mixed up.
I write and read and used to edit a lot of fanfic and believe me Mary Sue was an insult.
Though like I said most PCs are Mary Sues especially now a days.