SL Fiction in the Setting

[JoeGKushner]

Well, I just finished Forbidden, Book Three of the first SL trilogy and while it was good, I was very displeased with the end results.


SPOILER SPACE:



So what now? Are they going to have more core characters involved in major battles? Restore more dead gods? Have Kadum break free in fiction and influence the setting?

I don't want this setting to fall into the Forgotten Realms trap but in this book alone you've got almost every major faction, several major characters, and the rebirth of a god and the defeat on one of the differences in the elves. Is Termana going to be updated now? Are the elves here now no longer Forsaken?

Bah, gaming fiction bad!

 

[Ruined]

I won't give an opinion on the novels, since I haven't stopped to read them. But I seem to remember Nightfall saying that one of the upcoming products would reference the events in the novels, while the others would not touch it.

And as far as using each and every society and major NPC in a novel, I know exactly what you're talking about. It's like their trying to distract you from weaknesses of the overall story by throwing in all of these cool appearances. Television shows use this tactic all of the time.

Makes me wonder what the writer guidelines were for the novels. "As this is the first series for the new setting, novels should include the following characters: ... etc."

 

[Harlock]

I really love Scarred Lands. A whole heck of a lot. I own most everything available for it and really only got into it in December. Lovely setting. Now then, the main reason I dislike Forgotten Realms is because of all the hokey novels... so I think you can see where I am headed. Will there be Scarred Lands updates with information on how to fix the things they make different from our home games? Grrr. Just grrrr. Of course if no one buys the novels, they'll stop selling them...

 

[Glaurung]

I wrote the forsaken elf sections of the upcoming Termana hardcover, and I can assure you-they are written in a pre-resurrection manner. A later book called the Faithful and the Forsaken will explain the resurrection of the god and how that affects the elven nations. So you have the option of whether to incorporate the resurrection in your campaign or not.

Don't think that the resurrection of the elven god will magically solve all the problems of the levn people. They are still menanced by the gigantic Charduni Empire. Many elves have grown too jaded or decadent to accept the return of their god, some have turned to other gods, and the elves as a whole have committed terrible crimes in the time of his absense.

-Michael Gill

 

[JoeGKushner]

That may be but this sets up a bad presendence of what futuren ovels will be about. Lets look at a book you say is coming out, Faithful and Forsaken. As you note it seems to cover events in the novels.

I don't want to start playing the keep up game with the setting. I don't want huge events that push the setting in new and different directions.

FR fiction ruined the FR setting for the players not the company.

 

[Nightfall]

Joe,

I will agree with that, and that's probably why I will do a little similiar thing and for maybe 5 years ignore events after Jandaveos' ressurrection. I do think though you won't have to worry about playing catch up. (At least I'm reasonable sure no Titans will get ressed or reborn, or gods that were dead return.) As for the forsaken elves, maybe a few will be able to get pass the curse...or maybe not. This is Chern we are talking about. Perhaps there will still be large remnants of forsaken elves fighting each other over this schimn(sp) I do agree with Mike this won't change the major and important factors for the forsaken elves.

My hope is more that the next piece of gaming fiction is something a bit smaller and more focused. (Say like covering fights between the Goreguards in Fangsfall, or maybe the tales of an adventuring thief in Shelzar. So that way, not all of it will be about the titans and their fights, or gods and their ressurrections.

(Thanks Mike for stepping in here.)