Forgotten Realms Novels

[Charles Evans 25]

Elaine Cunningham:
I'm working on a short piece of something as a background for something else, and I was wondering if you could possibly clarify for me, please, which year the attempted Drow invasion (via the tunnels under Tilrith) takes place? The dates given in my copy of Evermeet at the start of chapters are only very occasional, and the previous one (Zaor's arrival in Evermeet from Cormanthor) is 715DR and obviously took place some years before the invasion or Tilrith, given that the rage of dragons has happened, Zaor has been crowned king, and Amlaruil has had time to have borne several children by the Tilrith date.
My 2nd Edition AD&D library seems to have failed me on this count, and a study of A Grand History of the Realms in my local bookstore (if it had had this sort of useful information obviously arranged I may very well have purchased it) was not helpful either. Was there third edition game material, or a novel, which pinpointed the date?
If not, I would be pleased to have an official 'ruling' on the matter from you. An approximate time frame (to within a decade) would be good enough if you have no hard data on the precise year, since I am currently trying to work out 'how far in the past' related events might be. :D

Thank you for your time.

[Seldriss]

I must admit i stopped buying/reading FR books a while ago, so i must be a bit lost. So here is a question for the afficionados :
What are the books relating the death of Mystra, the Spellplague and other major events announced for the Forgotten Realms in 4th Edition ?
Are they out yet or not ?

[Elaine Cunningham]

Hi, Charles.

Your question seems very straightforward, but it has one complication that is going to keep me from answering it: Establishing the date of that attack on Evermeet also establishes Elaith Craulnober's age. I don't believe this has ever been established in FR lore, and without WotC approval, I don't feel comfortable doing this.

Here's the thing: The 100-year time jump wipes out most existing characters. Elves are long lived, but if Elaith is already near the upper end of the average elf lifespan (which has been shortened considerably, btw, since I wrote EVERMEET), the time jump would finish him off. I don't know whether or not Wizards has plans for Elaith in fourth edition, so I need to leave this issue open.

Sorry I couldn't be more specific.

Best,
ec

[dragonvan]

Seldriss wrote:

I must admit i stopped buying/reading FR books a while ago, so i must be a bit lost. So here is a question for the afficionados :

What are the books relating the death of Mystra, the Spellplague and other major events announced for the Forgotten Realms in 4th Edition ?
Are they out yet or not ?

The first book of FR set in the fourth edition and after the Spellplague is Swordmage of Richard Baker

[Shinmizu]

QXL99 wrote:

sound and fury signifying nothing.

Still, he can weave in some surprises there. I was amazed in the second book how MacBeth came back, and he was all... MacBeth the White. Pesky Balor just sealed evil's fate right there, I tell ya.

Blackdragon wrote:

avoid anything with his character Cadderly, trust me.

However, Pikel is pure awesome in green. Hmm.. I'd flip a coin on the Cleric Quintet.

P.S. Avoid that one "Around the Realms" book with Volo. It's about on par with that X-Men vs. Star Trek novel.

[Charles Evans 25]

Elaine Cunningham wrote:

Hi, Charles.

Your question seems very straightforward, but it has one complication that is going to keep me from answering it: Establishing the date of that attack on Evermeet also establishes Elaith Craulnober's age. I don't believe this has ever been established in FR lore, and without WotC approval, I don't feel comfortable doing this.

Here's the thing: The 100-year time jump wipes out most existing characters. Elves are long lived, but if Elaith is already near the upper end of the average elf lifespan (which has been shortened considerably, btw, since I wrote EVERMEET), the time jump would finish him off. I don't know whether or not Wizards has plans for Elaith in fourth edition, so I need to leave this issue open.

Sorry I couldn't be more specific.

Best,
ec

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. :( I'll just have to put a rough estimate based on Cormanthor, Empire of Elves data on things.

There's been a joke circulating on some of these threads that once 5th Edition comes around, Elminster will wake up in Shadowdale on a sunny 1370's DR morning, and it will turn out that 4E Forgotten Realms was all a bad dream caused by too much ale and/or other indulgences the night before!

Looking forward to hearing hints about those Pathfinder Journals by the end of the year, and maybe even news of your writing something novel length for Erik. :D
Charles Evans.

[Arnim Thayer]

Looking at mt extensive library of FR books (I own all of them except the last three), it is hard to tell you were to start. I am a big fan of Elaine Cunningham's work, especially those featuring Danilo and Eliath. I guess the real question is, where do you want to start? Depending on geography of your campaign setting, or favorite fantasy elements, the Realms has it all.

Want a Celtic style campaign? Try the Moonshaes and the appropriately named Moonshae Trilogy.

Want a mageocracy campaign? Try Halruaa and the Counselors and Kings trilogy. Or the Haunted Lands series (which is still unfinished).

Want a land where a good king rules? Try Cormyr and the Cormyr series.

Want a political intrigue and behind the scenes movers and shakers. Try the Harpers series?

Want a world shaking event? Try the Avatars series.

Everything that you could possibly want is in the Realms with the right location and time period. If you are looking to start a new campaign in a homebrew fashion, with most of the work already done (history, place names, etc.) the Realms is at your service. Best bets though... look through Grand History of the Realms and see what excites or stimulates you. Some brief novel summaries are there as well as some great storyhooks that were never pursued. Fill in the blanks with your imagination.

[KnightErrantJR]

Seldriss wrote:

I must admit i stopped buying/reading FR books a while ago, so i must be a bit lost. So here is a question for the afficionados :

What are the books relating the death of Mystra, the Spellplague and other major events announced for the Forgotten Realms in 4th Edition ?
Are they out yet or not ?

There isn't one particular book that details the Spellplague, but there are several series that seem to show different angles of what happened leading up to it and just after it.

Spoiler:

The Haunted Lands Trilogy moves into the Spellplague time period in the second book. Set in Thay. (Unclean and Unholy are already out)

The Empyrean Trilogy will most likely give a view of what happens to the plans in FR during the Spellplague. (The Gossamer Plain is already out)

The Lady Penitent series slaughters most of the drow pantheon except Lolth. (Whole trilogy is available)

The Twilight War books detail how Sembia becomes a vassal state to the Shadovar. (First two books are out)

[Arnim Thayer]

I definately recommend the Haunted Lands trilogy of those suggested above. It helps explain, from character perspective, the changes in the magic/spellcasting mechanic from 3E to 4E, much as the Avatar trilogy did for 1E to 2E. I don't think any FR "event" explained the mechanic changes of 2E to 3E, though.

[Aberzombie]

Seldriss wrote:

I must admit i stopped buying/reading FR books a while ago, so i must be a bit lost. So here is a question for the afficionados :

What are the books relating the death of Mystra, the Spellplague and other major events announced for the Forgotten Realms in 4th Edition ?
Are they out yet or not ?

Be glad you did. Personally, I think the jump from 3E to 4E has pretty much ruined FR.

Spoiler:

I thought the second book of the Haunted Land Trilogy, which contained a short spellplague jump, was terrible. I put the book down before I was even half way through. I won't be buying the third.

I didn't even bother to purchase the third book of the Lady Penitent series, after I heard about the "brown-skinned elves" ending.

I enjoyed the first book of the Empyrean Odyssey, but with the effects of the spellplauge on other books, I don't have much hopes for it.

The first book in Salvatore's Transitions Trilogy introduced the concept that, at some point in FR's past, orcs and dwarves lived togehter in a peaceful kingdom. That, along with the my opinion of the Drizzt books starting to get repetitive, means I won't be continuing with that series either.

[Seldriss]

Thankyou for the info, folks.