|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | With the canceling of Reclamation, I spent a lot of time today going through my old character sheets and the well-loved copies of the Song and Swords books on the wall. I felt it would be appropriate to give the characters thereof an appropriate send off by saying how much they meant to me and telling Elaine Cunningham such.
| |
| | | | |
| − | No bashing please, as a personal favor. This is only to share our love for the Song and Swords series in our laps and in our games.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The rest of my post is somewhat bemused wandering.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | I'm something of a writer myself, albeit unsuccessful in anything but a few sales. So I understand that it might just be a matter of a hundred different things that prevent the book from being completed (characters not jelling, lack of inspiration, disappointment in the result, just "not in the mood to write this.") I also won't gainsay your decision, final or otherwise.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | I would like to say, though, how much the series has meant to me and if this is the end. I'd like to share my feelings on it. I have a first edition copy of Elfshadow I got when it first came out in 1991. In other words, 16 years ago. I was a twelve year old at that time without much in the way of experience with fantasy literature despite being a major dork.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | At the time, I was a major fan of Dragonlance and largely dismissed the Forgotten Realms series. But, Elaine, after I finished Elfshadow you are responsible directly for the following conversation that took place.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Me[/b]: Hey guys, Elves!
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Chris[/b]: What about them?
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Me[/b]: Elves are awesome.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Chris[/b]: ....Why?
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Me[/b]: Cause they've got these awesome magical Moonblades.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Chris[/b]: Okay...
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Me[/b]: So make up an Elf character and we're going to play in the Realms.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Chris[/b]: I thought we were playing in Dragonlance.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [b]Me[/b]: Not anymore!
| |
| − |
| |
| − | (I was twelve, sue me)
| |
| − |
| |
| − | I won't lie to you that my first Realms character was not exactly the height of originality. You see, Akkanas the Ranger was a Half-Elf who was ostracized from Elvish Society despite being of noble birth. He also sought after his family's moonblade to prove himself to the Elvish people. Yes, everyone else was playing a Drizzt clone. You, Elaine, have at least one Alternate Sex Arilyn-clone in D&D.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Akkanas would eventually fall to the way-side for my Samurai character Fuji (made when I was sixteen---my originality wasn't really pronounced then either) and only was brought out later to become a Viggo Morgenstern Aragorn clone once or twice many years later. But it was my first really successful D&D campaign and I owe a lot of it to you.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | (Of course, when the [b]Complete Book of Elves[/b] came out, I made my players utterly sick of the pointy earred race for nearly a decade)
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Arilyn and Danillo bear an almost unique place in Faerun-616 (a reference to the thread [url=http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=983248]here.[/url]). They're welcome characters in a way that Drizzt Do'Urden isn't or any other FR NPCs tend to not be (Elminster and Alusair have the only real exceptions to this rule). All of the players have read the books or at least have knowledge of them that they're considered something of old friends. Our Arilyn and Danillo are a bit different from canon though as Danillo became Khelben's successor against his better judgment (no one knows quite WHY the Blackstaff took up parlor tricks and patronizing the arts but its served the city quite well). The players, who have faced down Bane, also have a healthy respect for "The Serpent" that they extend only to Artemis Entreri in matching terms.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | You've pretty much helped me write my past ten years of Forgotten Realms gaming Elaine and I thank you for that. You introduced me to Lucia Thione, the Knights of the Shield, Moonblades, Amnestria, The Royal Family of Evermeet, gave me an origin for Lolth's enimity of the Seldarine, and also made my favorite Fantasy Heroine crush Bronwyn who ranks up with Aeris from Final Fantasy VIII and Claire Redfield for "weird likes my girlfriend must never find out about"
| |
| − |
| |
| − | So, I give you a hearty cheer and a toast as we close the chapter on the story of a very near and dear set of friends.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Thank you.
| |
