Podcasts about Dragonlance

Join me as I review Dalamar the Dark by Nancy Varian Berberick live! Share your thoughts on this first novel in the Dragonlance Classics series, released by Wizards of the Coast on January 1, 2000. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4pVk32n  https://youtube.com/live/k7cjbWY25Cg About Dalamar the Dark A talent for magic runs like fire through the blood of Dalamar Argent. Yet he is only a servant in the house of an elvish lord, not worthy of the High Art of Sorcery and denied all but the most grudging teaching. As war simmers on the borders of Silvanesti, Dalamar will find a way to learn his art. His quest will take him along dark paths toward an awesome destiny. Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 24th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Dalamar the Dark by Nancy Varian Berberick. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review What a wonderful novel thus far. I wasn't sure how much of the world would be involved in Dalamar's tale, but it is thus far inextricably linked to the fall of Silvanesti. We start with Dalamar as the servant, as is normal in Silvanesti culture, to another servant, though he claims to be lord Eflid. He is upset with Dalamar, as Dalamar refuses to degrade himself to those whom he knows are not his betters, and Eflid is nothing close to equal. Finally having had enough, Eflid tells his Lord Ralan that he no longer wishes to maintain the young elf in his employ. Coincidentally enough a cleric of Eli named Lord Tellin has arrived to speak with lord Ralan. He is in love with Lady Lynntha, but he cannot propose as his house is lower than Lord Ralans, and the Woodshapers never marry out of their class. Lord Tellin gives a scroll of a song that Lady Lynntha enjoys singing to Lord Ralan to pass along, and he asks a favor of Tellin in return. To take on Dalamar as a servant. This strikes Telin as off, but he agrees. He immediately sends Dalamar to learn more magic, as he wants him to be as useful as possible. Silvanesti can only learn the White magic of Solinari, Red and Black are considered Blasphemous. Even though Dalamad secretly has volumes of black magic tomes secreted away that he studies as possible. Dalamar approached Lord Tellin about the state of the war in Silvanesti, suggesting he has a plan that may be more effective than what Lord Garan of House Protector is employing. This is shocking and a concern far beyond the scope of a meager servant like Dalamar, but the proposal is so brash that it just might work, and Lord Tellin agrees to present it to th eSpeaker. This is where we get a lot of background on Lorac Caladon and his daily life with Alhana Starbreeze, his daughter. She is clearly a devoted and loving daughter, and Lorac a troubled and tormented king. He wakes from a nightmare about the Dragon Orb, and tells Alhana how he rescued it from Istar when he took his Test of High Sorcery. Alhana even woke to see him streaming as if in a dream, clutching the Dragon orb, which called out to her as well. She ignored it and made sure her father was put to bed and resting. Lord Tellin and Dalamar arrive and are greeted by the Speaker of the Stars Lorak, Lady Ylle of house Mystic, and Lord Garan of House Protector. They all scoff at the notion that Lord Tellin has anything to offer and are taken aback in shock as Dalamar speaks to the Speaker himself and offers his plan. To Lorac's credit, he was willing to hear the plan of using illusions to make the Dragon Army believe it is being flanked, then having the actual army flank it for real. This is again, near blasphemous, but the king wants to try it as their current tactics are failing. We get to know a lot about the Red Dragonarmy, led by Dragon Highlord Phair Caron at this time. She is a devoted highlord to Takhisis and hates elves for having had poor experiences with them as a whore in her youth. She is loved and respected by her troops as much as they fear her. She reminds me of Kitiara a great deal. She is supported by a mysterious mage Tramd o' the Dark, who uses the dead to project himself into battle, not allowing anyone to see his true form. He discovers Dalamar's spellbooks that he was hiding. The battle goes off as expected, but the Dragon Army soon discovers it’s all an illusion and their armies are killing each other. They locate the wizards projecting the spells and take them out, Dalamar is among them, but he is also among the survivors. Tellin is healing as he can, but fears the battle has turned and they must retreat. His continued attempt to bring Lynntha with him proved to be useless, the Dragonarmy routed the forces of Silvanesti, and Tellin fell back as far as the mages area, nearly the only one alive. He saw Dalamar face off against a dragon and its rider. Dalamar cast light, temporarily blinding the beast and rider, and himself. As the rider grabbed Dalamar, Tellin intercepted and killed him, while being killed in the process. Wildrunners found Dalamar and brought him back to Silvanost. Lorac demanded to know if they could stand against these forces and his commander could not convince him that they could. He sent them off to Southern Ergoth with all the refugees, and stayed there alone to deal with the threat using th eDragon Orb. Alhana left the migration seeking assistance from port cities, and the elves remained in Silvamori in Southern Ergoth for the duration of the war. It was there that Dalamar heard about his homeland being a nightmare, and also freed by a human mage named Raistlin Majere. This stuck in Dalamar’s mind, as he continued to study magic, wondering if he would ever get to take the Test. THey eventually returned with Porthios to Silvanesti, and it was truly a wreck as rumored. Dalamar went to see if his books were safe, and everything was gone or rotting. He declared himself the student of Nuitari and wildrunners captured him after overhearing it. THey brought him to the capital where he was forced to take the Ceremony of Darkness. This would declare him a Dark Elf, and dead to all Silvanesti. He saw his future in short clipped visions out of context, it was interesting to read but wholly inconsistent with the river of time, as it can change as it flows. As he was cast out, he wandered the land learning what he could, searching for magic, and ending in Tarsis. He continued to study in the library there, then went looking for the Forest of Wayreth. It eventually found him through a mage named Regene of Schallsea who brought him into the tower and had him wait patiently for someone to notice him. He was delivered to his test which focused on his devolution to magic over his homeland or power. He was transported to Istar, to the Tower of High Sorcery and allowed Lorac Caladon to take the Dragon Orb from it before Istar's destruction. When he completed his test he was approached by Ladonna and given the second half of his test, to seek out and destroy Tramd o' the Dark. He was assisting Kitiara Uth Matar, the Blue Dragon Highlord as she built up her armies. Her victory would end the balance that the Orders of High Sorcery need, and thus Dalamar must side with the balance, and destroy him. He left Wayreth to Tarsis and was followed by Regene. She made a case for her joining him, and he accepted. They ended up having sex and enjoying their time together. They traveled to the dark citadel where Tramd dwelt and faced off against Blade, a blue dragon. It wounded Regene, but they defeated it, going further into the citadel, until trapped by Tramd. Regene was behind a magical barrier as Tramd gave Dalamar an offer, join them and be a Dragon highlord over any nation he chose. Dalamar refused, and Tramd sent a beast after Regene, who narrowly defeated it. Dalamar faced off against Tramd's avatar and narrowly defeated it, then met the true Tramd in his chambers. He beheaded the mage, and carried Regene back to the Tower of High Sorcery. We then pick up where the prelude left off in the epilogue. Dalamar enters the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas as the apprentice to Raistlin Majere. A young man feared by all in the Orders of High Sorcery. You truly feel the weight of Raistlin through the other characters' eyes, and it’s great. He is as bad ass you you ever wanted him to be in this time, and it is so great seeing him through Dalamar's eyes. The fear, the respect, the desire to learn even as he is betraying him for the balance of magic and the Orders of High Sorcery. This is a fantastic novel that you have to read if you are a Dragonlance fan. You learn so much about this fantastic mage and the nation of Silvanesti, and even the Orders of High Sorcery. It is well worth your time and the author continues to be a shining example of quality in the Dragonlance Saga. Outro And that's it for my review of Dalamar the Dark by Nancy Varian Berberick. What did you think of Dalamar's journey? Do you think he earned the trust of the Orders of High Sorcery? And finally, do you enjoy how authors depict magic differently from the game Dungeons and Dragons? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. I would like to thank Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! I would also like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Solostaran Kanan led the Qualinesti Elves in a time of turbulent change in the Age of Despair. Let's learn more about the Speaker of the Sun. You can buy the Tales of the Lance boxed set here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/16961/tales-of-the-lance-2e?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/NTBefMc3TUc Transcript Cold Open In the long shadow of the Cataclysm, when the world of Krynn still bled from divine wrath, the elves of Qualinesti turned inward. They did so under the rule of one man—Solostaran Kanan, Speaker of the Sun. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Solostaran Kanan, the Speaker of the Sun. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, you can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. I am referencing the Chronicles, the Tales of the Lance boxed set, and War of the lance sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion For more than three centuries, Solostaran ruled the Qualinesti during what mankind would later call the Age of Despair. It was a time without gods, without certainty, and without mercy. Though remembered as wise and fair, Solostaran was, above all else, a ruler shaped by loss—forced to choose survival over compassion, isolation over alliance, and duty over love. Solostaran was born into the royal family of Qualinesti, one of three brothers. Long before he ever wore the Medallion of the Sun, he was trained in governance, diplomacy, and restraint. He learned power slowly—deliberately—so that when it finally fell to him, he would not wield it rashly. His ascent to Speaker was not without challenge. In the unstable years following the Cataclysm, there were whispers—perhaps even open conflicts—that might have denied him the throne. Yet through the intervention of allies within the noble houses, Solostaran was confirmed as Speaker of the Sun, inheriting not just authority… but responsibility for a people traumatized by a broken world. And he ruled as a man who understood that burden all too well. Solostaran's earliest years as Speaker were marked by harsh but effective decrees. He withdrew elven forces from Pax Tharkas, abandoning joint defenses with dwarves. He refused involvement in the Dwarfgate War, even when envoys from the archmage Fistandantilus approached his borders. And most famously—most controversially—he banished all non-elves from Qualinesti, declaring the forest an inviolate homeland. To outsiders, these acts seemed cold… even cruel. But Solostaran believed something deeply and painfully simple: The elves could not save the world. He wept silently for Ansalon's refugees, but he believed humans—and the other races—had to solve their own problems. If Qualinesti bled for every failing of the world, there would soon be no elves left at all. On feast days and holy celebrations, Solostaran would climb alone to the top of the Tower of the Sun, ascending its endless stairs for reasons never recorded. Some say it was prayer. Others say penance. Perhaps it was simply a ruler reminding himself how high he stood—and how far he could fall. That belief—that distance was mercy—began to crack with the arrival of a child. In 248 AC, Solostaran's brother Kethrenan Kanan died. His widow arrived in Qualinost bearing terrible news: she had been assaulted by a human brigand… and she carried a child. Solostaran hoped—desperately—that the child was his brother's. It was not. The infant Tanthalas, later known as Tanis Half-Elven, was everything Solostaran feared: living proof of elven vulnerability, and a reminder of the outside world he had tried to shut away. By his own beliefs, Tanis should never have been allowed within Qualinesti. Yet Solostaran took him in. He raised the half-elf in his own household, watching as Tanis aged faster than elven children—outpacing Gilthanas and Laurana not in years, but in mortality. Through Tanis, Solostaran began to understand human fragility… and human courage. His compassion grew. But it never fully conquered his prejudice. Even as he loved Tanis, Solostaran struggled to see him as whole—once calling him “half of two things and all of nothing.” Decades later, another outsider would challenge Solostaran's certainties. In 288 AC, the Speaker took notice of finely wrought jewelry from a metalsmith in the human town of Solace. When he summoned the craftsman, Solostaran was surprised to find not a human—but a hill dwarf named Flint Fireforge. Flint became the first dwarf in over a century welcomed into Qualinesti. More than a smith, Flint became a friend—to Solostaran, and especially to Tanis. Through Flint, the Speaker was forced to confront a truth he had long avoided: wisdom, loyalty, and honor were not elven virtues alone. Yet even this growth came with limits. When Tanis was accused—falsely—of murdering Eld Ailea, Solostaran confined him and threatened exile as a dark elf. Only Flint's investigation uncovered the true traitor: Solostaran's own brother, Arelas Kanan. Tanis was freed. And soon after… he left. Secretly, Solostaran was relieved. With the rise of the Dragonarmies, Solostaran's long-feared reckoning arrived. The forest would not be spared. Recognizing that isolation had reached its end, Solostaran ordered preparations for exile. Scouts were sent across Abanasinia. A refuge was founded in Southern Ergoth—Qualimori—and a fleet was constructed in secret. In 351 AC, the elves fled Qualinesti just as the Red Dragonarmy closed in. For the first time in centuries, Solostaran ruled a people without a homeland. Exile broke what centuries of rule had hardened. His wife fell gravely ill and vanished from record. His daughter Laurana defied him—twice—first by leaving Qualinesti for Tanis, and later by stealing a Dragon Orb from his court to use against the Dragonarmies. When Laurana fled, Solostaran declared her dead to him—even at the Whitestone Council. Yet despite his bitterness, Solostaran committed elven forces to the war. He trusted increasingly in Porthios, his eldest son, granting him greater authority—perhaps knowing his own strength was fading. After the War of the Lance, Solostaran led his people home. But the forest he returned to was not the one he had left. Within three years, the Speaker of the Sun passed away, ending one of the longest reigns in elven history. He left behind a kingdom forever changed—and a son shaped by his example, and his failures. Solostaran Kanan was not a hero of battle. He was a guardian. A ruler who believed restraint was strength. A father who loved deeply—but imperfectly. A king who closed the gates to save his people… and lived long enough to see that walls cannot stop the world forever. Under his rule, Qualinesti survived the Age of Despair. And sometimes, survival is the hardest victory of all. Outro And that is all I have to say about Solostaran Kanan. What would you have done differently if you were in his shoes? Was his initial racial decisions what cemented their ultimate retreat and fall as a nation? And finally, since Tanis was the half-brother by marriage to Laurana, should they have gotten married? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: I guess it must have fallen into my pack, Fizban. That's it! See, my pack was sitting under that table. Wasn't that lucky? It would have broken if it had hit the floor.

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover Tools & Techniques. Freeing your attention so you can focus on the players. https://youtube.com/live/1qubh7qpd-M Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Frostkolt the 22nd, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Today we are going to discuss freeing your attention so you can focus on the players in this Tools & Techniques episode. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Core Idea: Tools Exist to Reduce Cognitive Load Every tool you use as a Dungeon Master should serve one purpose: freeing your attention so you can focus on the players. Tools are not there to make the game more complex or impressive. They exist to help you: think less decide faster react more clearly If a tool pulls your attention away from the table, it is not helping you. Principle 1 — Simplicity Beats Cleverness The best tools are easy to remember and fast to apply. Complex systems increase hesitation and slow momentum. A tool that works most of the time is better than one that works perfectly but rarely gets used. Your brain is already busy. Choose tools that respect that reality. Principle 2 — Tools Support Judgment, They Don't Replace It No checklist can replace awareness of table energy. Tools give you structure; you provide discernment. Use tools as scaffolding, not autopilot. A good DM knows when to follow a tool — and when to ignore it. Principle 3 — Momentum Is the Highest Priority Any technique that halts play for long explanations or searching is costing you engagement. Fast rulings, even imperfect ones, maintain immersion. Tools should help you keep the game moving forward. Flow matters more than precision. Principle 4 — Reusability Over Novelty Favor techniques you can use in: combat social scenes exploration downtime Reusable tools reduce prep time and increase confidence. If you can apply it everywhere, it belongs in your toolkit. Core DM Tools & Techniques The 40 / 30 / 30 Prep Rule 40%: situations and conflicts 30%: NPCs, locations, and factions 30%: flexible space for improvisation Prep for possibility, not control. The Encounter Skeleton Every encounter should have: an objective a hook escalating tension a clear exit This structure works for any type of scene. The “Yes, But…” Technique Encourages creativity without removing consequences. Keeps player agency intact. Prevents dead ends. “Yes” keeps the game alive. “But” keeps it interesting. The Three-Question Improv Tool When unsure, ask: What is the most likely outcome? What is the most interesting outcome? What is the most character-driven outcome? Choose based on the needs of the moment. The Spotlight Tracker (Mental or Physical) Notice who has spoken recently. Actively bring quieter players into scenes. Gently limit over-dominant voices. Balance creates trust. The Reincorporation Rule If players fixate on something, bring it back later. It creates the illusion of deep planning. It rewards curiosity. Interest is a signal. Follow it. Principle 5 — Tools for Managing Table Energy Adjust tone, pacing, or stakes when energy dips. Call breaks before burnout sets in. Change scene type to reset attention. A skilled DM manages people first, mechanics second. Principle 6 — Tools Should Be Invisible to Players The best techniques feel natural at the table. Avoid explaining your process mid-session. Let players experience outcomes, not mechanics. Immersion increases when the tools stay behind the screen. Summary Takeaway Tools and techniques are not about mastery — they are about support. They help you: stay present make faster decisions preserve momentum share the spotlight reduce stress When used well, tools disappear, and what remains is a smooth, engaging, human experience. That is the goal of Dungeon Mastering 101. Outro And that's it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Tools & Techniques! Do you have any tools and techniques you would like to share? Do using external tools take too much time at your table? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. Thank you for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate links in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

We bid farewell to 2025 with a Dragonlance take on a D&D classic and a slimy underground menace! If you're enjoying the show, why not consider supporting it on Patreon? You'll get access to lots of new bonus content, including my other podcast, Patron Deities! Thanks to Ray Otus for our thumbnail image. The intro music is a clip from "Into Battle" by Maarten Schellekens, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

LARRY ELMORE Illustrators of the Future Judge – Biography Leonard Elmore has been creating fantasy and science fiction art for more than forty years. After receiving a BFA degree from Western Kentucky, he married Betty Clemons and was drafted into the Army almost at the same time. In the 1970s he began freelancing and was published in a few magazines, including Heavy Metal and National Lampoon. After being contacted by TSR Inc., the company that produced the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, Larry worked there from 1981 to 1987. While at TSR, he helped set the standards for gaming art in the role-playing genre. Besides creating covers for Dungeons & Dragons, AD&D, Star Frontiers and other gaming books, he may be best known for his work with the world of Dragonlance. Since 1987 he has worked as a freelance illustrator, creating covers for comics, computer games, magazines, and fantasy and science fiction books and projects too numerous to list. In recent years, he has been creating paintings for collectors and fans around the world. He has been an Illustrators of the Future judge since 2012. Larry was presented with the L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts in 2018. “The Illustrators of the Future is true competition. It's a wonderful competition. If I had something like this when I was young to attend, it would blow my mind because I never met a real professional artist till I was out of school, out of college.” —Larry Elmore Find out more at: larryelmore.com CHRISTINA HESS Artist, Professor – Biography Christina Hess is an illustrator known for blending historical and natural themes across a wide range of projects. Her portfolio includes everything from numismatic coin designs to illustrated cookbooks, rendered in media such as graphite, watercolor, oils, and digital. Notable commissions include her work with the U.S. Mint, where she contributed to the 2020 Silver Dollar commemorating the 19th Amendment and the American Women Quarters Program. In addition she created the reverse quarter design honoring astronomer Dr. Vera Rubin in the American Women Quarter Program. Her work has received national recognition, including awards such as Best Historical Coin of the Year at the COTY Awards, and has been acknowledged by institutions like the Smithsonian. Christina's illustrations have been featured in prestigious exhibitions and publications including Society of Illustrators West, Spectrum Fantastic Art, ImagineFX, and 3x3 Magazine. Her ongoing personal series, Animals From History, reimagines iconic historical figures as whimsical animal characters. With over 25 unique illustrations, the project has captured media attention from outlets such as ABC News, Juxtapoz Magazine, Mental Floss, and My Modern Met. Beyond her professional practice, Christina serves as the Department Head of Illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design, where she finds constant inspiration in mentoring the next generation of artists. Find out more at: www.ChristinaHess.com and www.AnimalsFromHistory.com

Happy Holidays from APBG and the DL Nexus!Atomic Peanut|Butter Group teams up with the DragonLance Nexus to bring you their next live play: DragonLance: Huma Before the Lance - The Dark Patrol. Chuck is the Dungeon Master, leading players Atom, Michael, Sedgwick, Brent, Eric, and DragonLance Nexus member Ed through this new DL adventure available now on Dungeon Masters Guild! For more information and to order the game, click on the link below: ⁠https://www.dmsguild.com/product/5313...⁠The closest thing to hanging out with friends and playing D&D without actually playing D&D yourself! It's more fun than it sounds, trust us! youtube and twitch.tv/atomicpeanutbuttergroup www.facebook.com/WickedStudios11 and www.facebook.com/AtomicPeanutButter

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing a new Margaret Weis Interview, Draw Steel, Toon 2e, and Thundercats TTRPG. https://youtube.com/live/rqhW1Mxc4xo Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Frostkolt the 19th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion DLSaga Anthology, dlsaga.com/contributor  Members and patrons have weekly readings and monthly downloads Discord for subscribers and members Mother of Dragonlance https://showme.missouri.edu/2025/mother-of-dragonlance/ New Dungeons & Dragons Alternative Has a Clear Target https://gamerant.com/dungeons-dragons-alternative-replacement-draw-steel-tactics/ It’s Looney Tunes meets DnD when this classic TTRPG finally returns from hiatus https://www.wargamer.com/toon-ttrpg-2nd-edition-backerkit  Thundercats is finally getting a TTRPG, and it’s a childhood dream come true https://www.wargamer.com/thundercats-ttrpg-kickstarter-2025  Outro And that's it for this OA News episode! Have you tried Draw Steel? What do you think of Steve Jackson Games' games? And finally, what do you think the next Dragonlance project will be? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Preparing the next session of my Patron DnD campaign, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.HUGE SPOILERS! No players allowed!Music by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.htmlShop for tabletop games, CCGs, miniatures, RPG supplies and more at our sponsor, Noble Knight Games, using my affiliate link: https://www.nobleknight.com?awid=1553Chat with us in the Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AjvtemjSupport the channel at https://www.patreon.com/Roguewatson

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. Today I am being joined by Chris Andrau to play the Dragon Wars Card Game! https://youtube.com/live/HmS3TQkc9n4 Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 17th, and my name is Adam. Today I am being joined by Chris Andrau to play the Dragon Wars Card Game! I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Originally presented in the RPG aid, Dragonlance Saga Fate Deck. Revised Rules by Steve Miller Dragon Wars Card Game was first introduced in The Odyssey of Gilthanas Revised Rules by Steve Miller https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w8Ouoa5CYEwnPvkDocWIKzCrU3ETelVSM1lLne3nvKM/edit?usp=sharing  Dragonlance Conspectus Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of Dragon Wars? Do you prefer the original rules in the Fate Deck? And finally, what is your favorite Dragonlance car dor board game? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join me as I review Murder in Tarsis by John Maddox Roberts live! Share your thoughts on this first novel in the Dragonlance Classics series, released by Wizards of the Coast on October 1, 1999. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/48RPymI https://youtube.com/live/9Hb3au-Y5aM About Murder in Tarsis Who killed Ambassador Bloodarrow? When the Lord of Tarsis finds himself with a politically volatile murder on his hands, he turns to the three most expendable inhabitants of the city of a solution. A mercenary, a poet-assassin, and a thief might not be everyone’s first choice for detectives. But they find they’re quite good at bringing murderers to justice. Perhaps a little too good . . . Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Misham, Frostkolt the 18th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Murder in Tarsis by John Maddox Roberts. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review This is a very interesting novel that I was not anticipating. It starts with an aristocrat hiring an assassin, Nistur, to kill a mercenary, Ironwood. As Nistur approached the merc in a bar, he offered him a job to get him to leave with him. Ironwood agreed and left, but Nistur admitted to being hired to kill him, and they began their fight. Nistur is honorable, and a poet at heart, but he is effective as an assassin, however Ironwood is nearly equal to the task of killing him. However, he succumbs to his knee giving out and as Nistur goes in for the kill, Ironwood punches him with the Knot of Thanalus. This casts a magical geas on Nistur which forces him to serve Ironwood. They are spied on by thief Shellring who is hired to take the now nigh unconscious Ironwood to a healer. They arrive at the healer, Stunbog's residence in Harbor town. He lives with the barbarian woman Nysra. They take care of the mercenary who suffers from a slow acting poison from a black dragon bite. Then we cut over to a council meeting between the Lord of Tarsis and his counselors. They are discussing the coming threat of the new chieftain of the nomads of the Plains of Dust, Kyaga Strongbow. His representatives arrive and make unbelievable demands of them, but being shrewd merchants and bankers they begin to barter. The chieftain will arrive in two days, so they must come to an accord, or he will sack the city. That night as they entertain the guests the lord of Tarsis spews dissent into the nomads’ ears, trying to turn them against one another. The following night the representative is discovered murdered, creating a pretty big problem for the Lord of Tarsis. As Kyaga arrives he gives them five days to discover and hand over the killer or killers or the town is going to be sacked. The Lord of Taris is beside himself as each of his councilors would turn against him to take his seat, so he can't trust anyone from Tarsis. Meanwhile Ironwood and Nistur are trying ot find mercenary work with the city for the oncoming war, but Ironwood has a reputation for being cursed, due to the Dragon bite. So no one will hire them, It ends in a fight with them locked in jail. They use Shellring the thief to send word to the Lord of Tarsis taht they are in fact acclaimed detectives and they would discover the murderer for him. With no other option the lord grants them his seal and sets them to work. They find no real information on the city wall, but discover the ambassador was killed with a wire around his neck and hauled up to the statue where his body was found. Now they search the town for information and an old Aghar dwarf named Granny Toadflower asked to meet them in her home. It happens to be in the worst part of town, so they all go together, hoping there is safety in numbers. Once there they are told to seek the lightning lizard, beware the musician and the lying eyes. This only confounds them, and when they leave they are confronted by two rival gangs working together to kill them. They fought the unskilled kids off and questioned one who told them that they were hired by a masked man. All the nobles in Tarsis wear masks, then the group makes note and continues to the nomads camp to question the chieftains. They learned that some of them are more willing to turn from Kyaga than others, but upon returning to Stunbog, they realised the shaman has a sigil on his hand. As Stunbog researched the sigil, Mysra was being visited by her long thought dead brother. The investigation was returned to and they questioned many nobles, only to see as much potential of backstabbing as any nomad, and the sudden death of Gulak Horsetamer, being hung in Melkar’s courtyard put him at the top of the convenient killer list. Kyaga demanded to have the murderer on the morrow or war will fall on Tarsis. The group learns of Mysra and Stunbog being captured and sent to the prisons for engaging with the enemy, Mysra's brother, and the group goes into the sewers to search for the dwarves to get into the prisons. They learn of a massive lizard in the tunnels they may have to fight off, if it wakes as they tunnel under the prison. They get Stunbog and Mysra out and the lizard wakes. Ironwood ends up defeating it and it melts off his black dragon armor that was stuck on him as if by a curse. They all realize the truth after Ironwood shares his history and Stunbog reveals the effect of the sigil. They confront the Lord of Tarsis and Kyaga as they are delivering Melkas as the murderer, even though he denies it. It turned out that Ironwood was joined by a bard named Boreas when they went to fight the small dragon years back. Ironwood was left for dead and took the skin to make armor. Boreas took the heart and used it to increase his charisma and authority, then used the sigil to change his appearance. He posed as the shaman heralding his own legend, and the councilor who hired Nistur to kill Ironwood. Then he killed his own men to frame the Tarsinians so he could take the city over and investigate the library underneath which would allow him to control more than just the nomads. But in true Scooby-Doo fashion, he was discovered in the final moments by our heroes and revealed. Then a massive Black dragon that has been searching for its child found the heart that Boreas had and took it and him away, as the nomads and Tarsinians begin battling and the heroes leave town to fight corruption elsewhere. It was a fun story, but as soon as we learned about Ironwood’s past, it revealed everything. I like these little mysteries a lot, and would even welcome a second installment. The characters were all believable and entertaining, even though it was really short, just a couple hundred pages. If you are a fan of mysteries, dragonlance, or one-off novellas set in Tarsis, I would highly recommend this novel. You could do a lot worse and it's a fun read. Outro And that's it for my review of Murder in Tarsis by John Maddox Roberts. What did you think of the twist? Do you think dragons can smell their children’s hearts and skin? And finally, do you know of any other great Dragonlance mystery stories? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. I would like to thank Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! I would also like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join us as we continue our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, ancient Istar School of the Games tournament in the semi finals with this round one and two, in addition to the finally! Each week, one player character (PC) faces off against another man or beast, and the survivor will go into the next round. You can buy DLA Dragonlance Adventures here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/162788/dragonlance-adventures-1e?affiliate_id=50797  https://youtube.com/live/zQaRVDsTeaw Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga gaming episode. Today is the beginning of the semi finals with round one of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games tournament live play! It is Majetag, Frostkolt the 16th and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Every Dragonlance Gaming episode also serves as a fundraiser for nonprofits supporting our active-duty service members and veterans—all donations go directly to those organizations. Game Setup Arack, the Master of the Games: People of Istar—welcome back to the School of the Games! The quarter finals are behind us, the weak have fallen, and now we stand at the fiery threshold of the semi-finals! Today's clash brings two champions forged by trial and sharpened by triumph. From the western side of the vessel—Kargan Emberfist! A mountain-born juggernaut who smashed Tharok ‘Iron-Maul' Varn of Nordmaar and sent Mupu Pete the quick-footed plainsman tumbling into the dust. A fist like a falling boulder… and a temper just as heavy. From the eastern side of the vessel—Thalindra Moonspear! A Silvanesti spear-dancer whose grace masks a lethal edge. She swept aside Pud One-Eye, the scrappy Aghar dwarf, and outthought Rivvik Steambrace, that clever tinker gnome with more gadgets than sense. Now strength meets elegance… stone meets moonlight…and only one shall carve their path to the finals! Champions—step forth. Citizens of Istar—raise the roar of the Arena! Round one of the semi-finals… BEGIN! Conclusion AD&D School of the Games Tournament, Semi Finals Round 1, 2, and Finally | DragonLance Saga Outro And that wraps up the semi finals round one of our Advanced Dungeons & Dragons School of the Games live play! What do you think of the battle? Drop a comment below or email me at info@dlsaga.com—I'd love to hear from you. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the world of Dragonlance, and I hope you'll join me in that celebration. Thanks for watching — this has been Adam with Dragonlance Saga, and until next time, Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var)!

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover World and Lore. Making the Setting Work at the Table. https://youtube.com/live/Y8veKOutkaE Show Notes: Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Frostkolt the 15th, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Today we are going to discuss Making the Setting Work at the Table in this World & Lore episode. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Core Idea: Worldbuilding Exists to Serve Play Worlds are not built to be admired — they are built to be used. Lore that does not influence player decisions, emotions, or consequences is decorative at best and distracting at worst. A Dungeon Master's goal is not to explain the world, but to make the world felt through action. Principle 1 — Lore Is a Tool, Not a Lecture Players rarely engage with lore when it is delivered as exposition. Information becomes meaningful only when it answers a question the players already care about. Effective lore: explains danger justifies opportunity reveals consequence deepens choice If lore does not change how players act, it has arrived too early or too late. Principle 2 — Show the World Through Lived Experience The fastest way to communicate lore is through: cultural habits social rules taboos fear pride A single custom can communicate more than a page of history. Players learn a setting by surviving in it, not by being told about it. Principle 3 — Locations Are Characters Every meaningful location should have: desires fears internal tension Ask three questions about any place: What does this place want? What does it fear? Where can it be pressured or changed? A location that does not react to player actions is not alive yet. Principle 4 — Power Shapes the World Lore emerges from who holds power and who wants it. Cities, kingdoms, temples, guilds, and cabals exist because someone benefits from them. Show power through: who enforces laws who is protected who is punished who is ignored Players understand the world when they see how authority is applied. Principle 5 — Factions Drive Motion A world without active factions is static. Factions should: pursue goals off-screen react to player interference clash with each other Good factions are defined by beliefs and methods, not alignments. Conflict creates story even when the players are not present. Principle 6 — Truth Is Fragmented and Biased No NPC should possess complete or objective truth. Lore is shaped by: perspective propaganda ignorance self-interest Contradictory accounts create mystery and engagement. History should feel debated, not settled. Principle 7 — Environmental Storytelling Is King Ruins, scars, monuments, banners, songs, and relics all tell stories. Let players infer meaning rather than receive confirmation. Mystery invites exploration. If players ask follow-up questions, the lore is working. Practical Tools for World & Lore at the Table The One-Sentence Rule Any piece of lore should be deliverable in one sentence during play. Additional detail comes later — only if requested. The Relevance Test Before sharing lore, ask: “Will this affect a player decision in the next 10 minutes?” The Three-Faction Shortcut For any region, create: one faction in power one faction that wants power one faction that benefits from chaos This guarantees tension. Summary Takeaway World & lore are not about depth — they are about pressure. A good setting pushes back when players act. A great setting remembers. When lore becomes experiential, locations become reactive, and factions pursue goals independently… your world stops being a backdrop and starts being a participant. That is when players stop asking, “Where are we?”…and start asking, “What happens if we do this?” Outro And that's it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, World and Lore! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. Thank you for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate links in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Gilthanas' life is one of torment and transformation. Let's learn more about this ill-fated Hero of the Lance. You can buy the Odyssey of Gilthanas here: https://amzn.to/4rPa9Rc https://youtu.be/I8r_Jz2PW7s Transcript Cold Open His story is one of love, betrayal, and torture. Let's learn more about the tumultuous life of Gilthanas Kanan. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Gilthanas Kanan. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, you can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. I am referencing the Chronicles, The Odyssey of Gilthanas, and DD3 Price of Courage for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion Gilthanas Kanan was born in 241 AC, a prince of the Qualinesti elves, and from the moment of his birth, his path was decided for him. He was not destined to rule, like his elder brother Porthios, nor was he fated to inspire armies as his younger sister Laurana would one day do. Gilthanas was raised for something subtler—and perhaps more dangerous. He was groomed to be a voice. As the middle child of Speaker Solostaran Kanan, Gilthanas was trained to speak for the elves beyond the borders of Qualinost. He was educated in diplomacy, history, swordplay, and magic, taught to represent elven interests in a world the Qualinesti increasingly feared and despised. Handsome, articulate, and confident, Gilthanas embodied everything the elves believed themselves to be—cultured, refined, and superior. And that belief would nearly destroy him. In his youth, Gilthanas formed a close bond with his cousin Tanis Half-Elven. Together they roamed the courts of Qualinost, shared stories and adventures, and dreamed of futures yet unwritten. But as they grew older, those bonds fractured. When Laurana and Tanis fell in love, Gilthanas reacted with fury. To him, the idea of a royal elven princess loving a half-elf was an unforgivable stain upon their lineage. That moment defined the early Gilthanas: proud, inflexible, and blinded by racial arrogance. Yet fate was already shaping him for something greater. During the Kentommen, the sacred elven coming-of-age vigil, Gilthanas narrowly escaped assassination—saved by the very cousin he had cast aside. Though the truth of the plot shook the royal house, Gilthanas retreated inward, remaining in Qualinost for decades until he himself completed the Kentommen and was recognized as an adult among his people. When the War of the Lance began, Gilthanas was no longer a sheltered prince. He became a scout, a commander, and eventually, a hero. In 350 AC, while patrolling the forests of Qualinesti, Gilthanas encountered the human smith Theros Ironfeld. Suspicious at first, he soon recognized the man's integrity and foresight. Together, they began constructing a fleet—quietly, desperately—to ensure the elves might escape should the Dragonarmies overrun their homeland. But escape was not enough for Gilthanas. He led elven forces toward Pax Tharkas, seeking to free the slaves held by Highlord Verminaard. The mission ended in catastrophe. Dragonarmy forces ambushed his command, and every elf under his leadership was burned alive. Gilthanas survived only because he was struck unconscious and left for dead. When he awoke among the ashes, something in him hardened forever. Captured soon after alongside the Heroes of the Lance, Gilthanas endured slavery, betrayal, and war at close quarters. He helped liberate Pax Tharkas, guided refugees through impossible terrain, and stood beside humans he once despised. Though he felt isolated among them, their courage chipped away at his certainty. Slowly, painfully, Gilthanas began to change. That transformation accelerated when he met Silvara. In Southern Ergoth, Gilthanas encountered the mysterious Kagonesti elf who would alter the course of his life. Silvara was unlike any elf he had known—quiet, compassionate, and bound to secrets she did not yet share. Gilthanas fell deeply in love, and for the first time, his heart overruled his pride. But love came with revelation. At the Monument of the Silver Dragon, Silvara revealed her true identity: D'Argent, a Silver Dragon in elven guise. Horrified, Gilthanas recoiled. The elf who once condemned his sister's love for a half-elf could not accept that his own heart had chosen a dragon. Yet even in rejection, love endured. Guided by the wizard Fizban, Gilthanas and Silvara undertook one of the most dangerous missions of the war—recovering the metallic dragon eggs from the Dragonarmies' dark city of Sanction. Within the Temple of Luerkhisis, Gilthanas witnessed the creation of draconians and the true horror of the enemy's designs. Their success changed history. The Metallic Dragons reentered the war, and the tide turned. By the war's end, Gilthanas stood transformed. He reconciled with Tanis, openly rejecting the racial divisions he once championed. When asked to rule Kalaman, he accepted—not as a prince above others, but as a servant of all. Yet peace did not last. During the Age of Mortals, Gilthanas was captured and imprisoned for twelve years beneath Silvanesti, forgotten by the world. When finally rescued, he emerged into an era defined not by gods, but by dragons who ruled as tyrants. He wandered Krynn in search of Silvara—enduring poison, madness, assassination attempts, and magical trials—driven by love that refused to fade. Their reunion came at last during the struggle against the Dragon Overlords, but fate demanded one final sacrifice. When Gellidus, the White Dragon Overlord, captured Silvara, he offered Gilthanas an impossible choice: her life in exchange for his freedom. Gilthanas accepted enslavement, becoming a dragon vassal, branded and bound, serving as the eyes of a monster to save the soul he loved. In doing so, Gilthanas betrayed allies, stole forbidden relics, and vanished into shadow—his ultimate fate uncertain. Once a prince who believed in elven perfection, Gilthanas Kanan became a hero who learned humility, and finally, a tragic figure who chose love over honor, freedom, and legacy. His story is not one of triumph. It is one of transformation— and of the terrible cost of loving too deeply in a world shaped by war. Outro And that is all I have to say about Gilthanas Kanan. What is the fate of Gilthanas in your home campaigns? Should happy endings ever be realized in war torn campaign settings? And finally, what would you have done differently if you were Gilthanas? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: Magic is in the blood, it flows from the heart. Every time you use it, part of yourself goes with it. Only when you are prepared to give of yourself and receive nothing back will the magic work for you.

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing Warlock the video game, D&D Rules, Pathfinder Humble Bundle, and D&D History. https://youtube.com/live/gPdV6rN1160 Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Frostkolt the 12th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion What was that D&D Warlock game at The Game Awards? The studio answers our big questions https://www.polygon.com/warlock-dnd-game-tgas-trailer-explained-release/ Dungeon Masters, It’s Time To Stop Using These Rules In D&D Combat https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-and-dragons-dnd-dungeon-masters-dm-rules-combat-dont-use/  If you’re bored of D&D, its biggest rival has discounted a treasure trove of books by over $440 https://www.gamesradar.com/tabletop-gaming/if-youre-bored-of-d-and-d-its-biggest-rival-has-discounted-a-treasure-trove-of-books-by-over-usd440/  When Dungeons & Dragons Cast Its Spell on 1980s America https://www.history.com/articles/dungeons-and-dragons-1980s-craze-controversy-explained  Outro And that's it for this OA News episode! Will you try Warlock? What do you think of Pathfinder? And finally, what rules do you ignore in D&D? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. https://youtube.com/live/IC9Q8Eeq7uQ Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 10th, and my name is Adam. Today we are being joined by friend of the show, the talented illustrator Mike Perry! I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Mike Perry Art https://linktr.ee/mikeperryart  Characters Character Sheets Ariakas by Mike Perry Kharas by Mike Perry Bakaris by Mike Perry Bakaris by Mike Perry Kapak by Mike Perry Serinda by Mike Perry Thanoi by Mike Perry Thanoi by Mike Perry Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of Mike's art? Do you have a favorite piece? And finally, should he be the concept artist for a live action Dragonlance project? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join me as I review The Search for Power edited by Margaret Weis live! Share your thoughts on this second Tales of the War of Souls anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on April 4, 2004. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4pq15AC  https://youtube.com/live/BWdlgmkHRnc About The Search for Power The latest Dragonlance anthology, featuring an introduction by Margaret Weis. This newest anthology focuses on the lives and ways of dragons in the era following the end of the New York Times best-selling War of Souls trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Edited by Margaret Weis and filled with a dozen stories from both well-known Dragonlance authors and a few newcomers, this is the first anthology to feature stories that take place in the current Dragonlance time period. Review Osuin's Treasure by Mark Sehestedt Subcommander Maros, Knight of the Lily Uthun, Knight of Takhisis Aithan, squire to Sil Euric of Solanthus Djerid, Nerakan Barbarian, guide, scout Illus Goiar Sir Isurlak, Order of the Skull Toras Cloram Baren, Lord Osuin's son, Sable's dragon spawn This is a great way to start an anthology! What a good story. It's filled with tension and fear, nearly palpable! We pick up with a Dark Knight company who came across a Solamnic knight company, and defeated them. One wagon went over a cliff as they were traveling toward Sanction. The manifest stated something about Lord Osuin't Treasure, but there was nothing in the wagon. Only a squire of a Solamnic Knight survived, and he wasn't speaking. They found a dying Knight who, when they told him the cage in the back of the wagon was empty, replied they would all die. But no one would say what the treasure was. Subcommander Maros took a finger from the squire, but he only repeated the oath. They began to travel toward Sanction and the Treasure caught up to them and started killing. Again, the tension of this unseen creature was great, and as men started dying, it only escalated. The creature wiped out the entire Dark Knight company. When Maros came to, he was being wanted by the squire. The treasure was Lord Osuin's son, taken by Sable the Black Dragon Overlord and turned into one of its Dragon Spawn. It left the squire alive for the kindnesses the squire showed it while transporting it. But Maros was dying, so the squire told him what and who the treasure was. This was well worth a read and I just love horror stories like this one. Loyalty by Richard A. Knaak Captain Salvas, minotaur captain, silver dragon Shield Commander Drako Jek, first mate, minotaur Volcanus, red dragon Oh man, this was great! A minotaur ship was scouring the seas looking for rebels and defectors, and arrived at an island as a storm set in. As the minotaurs were disembarking their captain, Salvas, left ahead of the others and found a cave with a massive dragon totem in it. He transformed into his true form, a silver dragon named Shield. He had been looking for the skull of his mate, killed by a red dragon named Volcanus, who was also killed by Malystrix. Shield could feel the death of Malys somehow, but when he went to destroy the totem, the spirit of Volcanus appeared. He would let Shield's mate's spirit leave the totem, if Shield let Volcanus' spirit in him as a new body. He refused and he was wounded by the awesome power of the spirit of Volcanus. Then his crew arrived, as he quickly shifted into minotaur form again. They took him to camp at the shore where he was pounded and healed for days. Then they knocked him out and he awoke under a net. They realised he was a dragon and they believed he was going to kill him. When Shield explained what he was doing and why, he told them all to leave so he could free his mates soul. They left on their longboats and Shield returned to succumb to Volcanus. But when he began to enter Shields’ body, he said he would not let his mates go free. Shield struggled, then suddenly the minotaurs all rushed in and started attacking the totem. They lost many of their crew, but the totem was destroyed and Shields’ mate was rescued in death. Shield woke to his first mate who explained the outcome and left the skull for him. They fought for the loyalty of their captain. It was such a moving story about brotherhood and loyalty. It reminded me of being in the military, and what any true friend would do, and I loved it all. Knaak knocks yet another story out of the park. The Dragon's Child by Nancy Varian Berberick Raven Thorn Inferno, red dragon What a fun story. Raven, a human thief, was scouring the mountains around Sanction for a dragon’s den to steal egg shells to sell. Since the return of the gods and magic, they were a premium with wizards for spell components. As he went in he saw the eggs all smashed and draconians entered. He ran from them, with his dragon egg shell, but they were taken by a kapak as he fled in the tunnels that are beneath Sanction. The great red dragon Inferno was returning to her lair when she noticed her eggs destroyed, and decided to try to cut off any escape by entering the tunnels near the lords of doom, but most were collapsed except for the volcanoes themselves. Raven continued to flee the Draconians, running into even more before running into a wyrmling. Apparently one of the dragon’s eggs hatched and the wyrmling followed him. He gave it water and hid it when the draconians got close. Eventually he came out of the tunnels into a massive cavern with treasure and the draconians were there, and started fighting when Inferno arrived and destroyed the draconians. The wyrmling told inferno the human was helping it, and the dragon offered a boon to the human, giving him some treasure and told him the way out. It was a great little tale and now I want a wyrmling. Four Ends by John Helfers Threxellex, red dragon Relk, sivak Gul, minotaur bandit L'Arth, pirate This was a quick tale about revenge. A woman and her son were taken by a red dragon's minion and brought to him. He believed two of his pirates were stealing from him, so he held the son and had the women lie to each of them in turn, convincing them to kill the dragon and each other for the treasure, and to rescue her son. They both agreed separately, greed convincing them of the act. When they got to the cave, the dragon killed them. Then the woman was brought back to the dragon, but she told him that her children were killed and the two pirates had killed them and wronged her. Now it was this dragon’s turn. The sivak and the child turned into silver dragons and killed the red with the woman watching. It was a nice little story that showed even dragons can be tricked, and more, good dragons are willing to work with humans when they are allowed to hunt down and kill evil dragons. I really liked the idea, and the idea of pirate towns in Dragonlance. I don't feel like we have enough of them. At the Water's Edge by Jamie Chambers Anar Sovralian, Qualinesti Elf Ebon Nightshadow, Black Dragon Kerasina, elf Ealthan, elf This was a great story, and I am not sure if it was a dream or not. The Elf Anar was trailing elves, and saw them talk with an individual. He went to the man and cast a charm spell on him to get information about where the elves had gone. With the information he traveled to the former lair of Ebon Nightshadow, a black dragon and former servant of Beryl. He was then caught by elves. He saw his wife, the reason he was searching for the elves, and pleaded with her to leave with him, but she refused. Convinced these elves abducted her, he fought them, only to once again be subdued. She told him that after their son died fighting to allow them to live in the dwarven tunnels, she came out and wanted to fight to reclaim their homeland of Quialinesti. But he believed the Dark Knight and Goblin hoards were too much, so he pleaded with her to leave with him. After she refused he started fighting the elves again, and they beat him down. His wife held him as he passed out and awoke in an alley, as if from a dream. I think this is a great story but the idea of a wife abandoning her husband for nationalism actually bothers me more than anything else. I understand wanting to fight for your homeland, but what then? Who will you share it with? Did you ever love your partner in the first place if you so willingly abandon them? It's tough to think about. Lake of Death by Dan Willis. Tendek, former Knight of Neraka Wylinger, kender Donnala, Tendek's twin sister, former Knight of Neraka I thought this story was going somewhere but I was completely wrong. Twins and former Knights of Neraka were traveling through Qualinesti after treasure seeking in the Plains of Dust with the kinder Wylinger, they came across a band of goblins and a donkey. They were tired of hauling this cart full of loot themselves, so they attacked the goblins, running them off, and took the Donkey. Wylinger named her Lesie, and they continued north. They eventually came to a massive lake with the name of Lake of Death, this is of course former Qualinost. They decided to make camp when they saw a boat, and decided to take it across the lake. Lesie was very difficult to get in the boat as she was afraid of the lake, and it turned out, with cause. The lake was haunted by the spirits of the dead. This freaked out the donkey who kicked the two former Dark Knight sin to the water, refusing to let them on board. As they continued through the lake, the kender convinced the donkey to let them aboard by promising to share their treasure with her. Then once on the other side of the lake, they disembarked and traveled to the green valley beyond. This story had a number of oddities in it. First, the kender got scared from the ghosts in the Lake of Death, but kender are supposed to be fearless, unless they are an afflicted kender, but Wylinger didn't show any signs of being afflicted. Then the donkey being able to understand the kender and humans, even making deals with them was nonsensical. I get that donkeys are known to be stubborn, but promising them food and treasure as if they understand it is ridiculous. Then to end it so abruptly, I wonder what the true purpose of this story was meant to be. The Dragonslayers by Douglas W. Clark Skerrith Dragonslayer Ragweed Pollenflower, kender Ruby Columbine, barmaid Targe, patron Borstan Dunnerth, mayer of Trader's Lot Grot, rancher A dragonslayer named Skerrith came to town and started boasting about his exploits in a tavern. The kender was awestruck and asked for more and more stories as the mayor appeared. He mentioned that the town was suffering over a dragon who had been killing the ranchers’ livestock. They offered the dragonslayer the opportunity to kill the dragon and save the town, for a price of course. THe dragonslayer said he would do it in the morgan and the barmaid backed him up when the patrons all said there were hours of light left to the day. That night the false dragonslayer tried to sneak out of the inn, but was interrupted by someone claiming the dragon had just struck. They all tried to once again get him to go out that night, but he refused and in the morning found his fake Dragonlance gone with the kender. The barmaid insisted ion going with him to find the kender and kill the dragon. As they searched they split up with storm clouds gathering. The dragonslayer found the kender who was making a cage and they heard a scream as they ran toward it, they saw the dragon resting in mud with a claw holding the barmaid down. As lightning flashed, the dragon got up and flew away, with the lightning reflecting off its copper scales. They returned to the inn with the dragon gone, the barmaid and dragonslayer married and took over the inn, and the kender told tales of how he slayed the dragon, with help, every night. It wa sa fun story, about the copper dragon, but I almost would rather have the Dragonslayer be outed, then make a deal with the copper dragon, thereby seeming to be a hero. But it was a fun story none-the-less. Inventory by Jean Rabe Gaspar, Hylar Dwarf Skarn Ironskyll, Niedar Dwarf A red dragon had snatched two dwarves from a mountain and brought them to her hoard. She had taken the hoard from a dead dragon and wanted it inventoried in context with a black dragon. The dwarves worked day and night cataloging the items, terrified of the red dragon, then one day a dwarf brought a magical mirror to the red and it vanished inside of it. The dwarves filled their pockets with as much treasure as they could carry and left to go to their respective town, when they were snatched up again by the black dragon the red was competing with. He thought they were random dwarves as he was scouring the trail the red had found them on. It was a fun little tale about dragons wanting to know exactly what is in their hoard, and its funny to consider they compete with literal lists of items between each other. I enjoyed the tale. Special Delivery by Jeff Grubb Edgar nunce Manifew, Gnome Raeja of the Crimson Sails, Minotaur Pirate Lord Toede What a great story! We get Lord Toede back, and he is in fact alive post War of Souls. The city of Flotsam has turned into a pirate town, led and controlled by Raeja, a minotaur, at the supposed behest of Lord Toede. The tax collector Edgar has learned of Gnomes who want to deliver music boxes to the town, but he knows the town wouldn't want any loud bangs and explosions that are customary with Gnome inventions, so he goes to investigate the goods himself. He discovers they actually work and are quite lovely, so he brings the gnome and his machines to the council, and Toede allows him entry to deliver goods, but Raeja speaks out against it. He demands the gnomes stay over a hundred feet away from the town at all times, except for deliveries, and Toede agrees, so do the gnomes. So when the first shipment comes, it’s pushed down the hill and crashes into the gates, destroying them, followed by many more wagons full of music devices, which all crash in turn. The gnomes are ordered to not use the gates anymore and to keep away from town, so they begin to catapult the deliveries. This infuriates Raeja who goes to collect a militia to eradicate the gnomes, but Edgar asks Toede if he can warn the gnomes. Toede agrees, and when he arrives at their quarry, they seem elated that the minotaurs and pirates are gathering to confront them, he brings Edgar into the town house,which itself catapults up into the air over flotsam where they drop more deliveries onto the minotaur and pirates heads, then crashes into the hillside. They all leave and it turns out Toede was tired of the pirates and used the gnomes to get rid of them. That toede is one sneaky hobgoblin, even in his advanced age. Marine Skies by Lucien Soulban Brysis, Female Dargonesti elf Veloxua, Female Dargonesti elf Quayseen, Male Dargonesti elf Minnow-Tyrant, Dolphin The World Gash This was another great underwater story. It featured three Dargonesti sea elves as they explore and map the deadly Desolation waters. Something is poisoning the corals, killing them, forcing sea life to abandon the area and sharks to move in searching for remnant food sources. They narrowly escape one shark and continue mapping the sea floor on their dolphin scout, Minnow-Tyrant's back. They discover a more salty portion of water in an area known as the World Gash, where the sea floor has dropped out of sight. They go to explore it only to discover it has a cloud of acidic water poisoning the area that they have to swim through. On the other side, they soon witness a volcanic eruption and even more of the sea floor above them crumbles, trapping one of them below, while the other two swim up to freedom. They need to report back to Watermere and Istar to warn the other sea elves of the rapid changes their sea is experiencing, and how it will affect all life underwater. I really love how the sea is another world altogether, but it is affected just as the surface is by the Dragon Overlords, or their sudden absence as in the post War of Souls era. Let's hope we get more of these wonderful stories in the future. Wyrm's Claw inn by Miranda Horner Tam Ceary, council member Argus Thornton, innkeep Elthan, cleric of kiri-jolith Brell, housekeeper Radley This was an unexpected tale. Tam Ceary ordered an exorcism for the inn owned by Argus Thornton. This closed the inn for a while, though Argus believes it was less about the mild nuisance of the ghost that did haunt the inn than the tab he demanded Tam to pay. When the cleric arrived they heard commotion in the kitchen to discover Tam near death with weapons sticking out of him. His wife was tired of his drinking and hitting her afterward, so it appeared she finished him before he could finish her. Then they hear a commotion upstairs. There were two ghosts now that were messing in the master’s room, yelling get out. The new housekeeper, Brell, pulled a ring off a necklace, claiming it was a wish ring and wished the ghosts to leave. Suddenly all was quiet, but that was enough for the innkeeper. He and the cleric left, leaving Brell with the inn. Then it was revealed that the ring was her wedding ring, and the two ghosts were her husband and daughter. She had gone after the dark knights that killed them, and killed them. Then returned to claim her old home. It was a great story that makes me want to run yet another one shot about a haunting. Coin of Adament by Kevin T. Stein Brek, Scout Wulfbunde, black wolf Bundesphar, wolf soldiers Captain Arana, scout, follows white lady Canus Another one of the Wulfbunde and Bundesphar stories. These disciples of the Dark Queen are created by Canus, who never explains who it is. But the other Bundesphar have started following Mishakal in the post War of Souls era as Takhisis is dead, but Brek and his wulfbunde refuse. They chase a chaos demon only to be nearly destroyed by it, and Mishakal shows up herself to offer them help. Instead they pick themselves up and wander away. Then Mishakal says that ‘Krynn's secrets are coming to destroy us, and they need the bundesphar. Is this in reference to the remnant Chaos minions, Mina, or some other threat that was never explored? We will never really know, but I am glad this set of stories is done. I like the premise of a wolf bound pair, but it needs to be fleshed out more, and extrapolated on to make complete sense. The Box by Paul B. Thompson Dunnar Bolly Agaran Umram the Chiseler Hundel, dwarf Zetan Sleeps W Well, I did not expect this. The story begins as an old man and his dog are leading a wagon through a town, when three thieves catch sight of him. They help him past a rut in the road then stalk him as he goes into the tavern. They look at his cart which has a sealed box in the back. THey try to pick it only to reveal a led-filled lock. They go into the tavern, and two of the thieves go to get horses so they can follow this man and his cart and rob him of it. They are certain it contains something valuable. They catch up to the man, stab him and take the box. They go into the wilderness and break it open to find another box, with no means of opening it. They deliver it to a fence who eventually builds a bonfire to melt its forged hinges, and the side reveals a phrase ‘Zetan sleeps within'. They leave the fire till morning when they return to it open and the smith dead. Soon men start going missing or are found dead and the thieves realize the box contained an egg that must have hatched. Now a dragonling was running around killing the keep’s residents. THe fence locks the thieves in the tower as the dragonling slowly stalks, then kills everyone. It leaves the thieves for last. When the deed was done the old man and his dog rode through the keep, explaining to the reader that they are curated to distribute a dragon’s young in this manner for trying to steal its treasure. This is their punishment. The story does a great job of setting up the horror of being stalked and hearing death all around you, it was really great. The Albino by Douglas Niles Dagger, Diamond, Albino,  This was an interesting first person narrated story about a black dragon during the dragon purge. She found a secret lair in a volcano and was raising her brood there. One of her hatchlings was a n albino and it was quickly shunned and brutalized by everyone. It took to crafting blocks of stone with its acid breath alone. One day it snuck off and the mother went after it. It was near a random Knight of the Rose when the mother caught it, killed the knight and his horses and punished the albino.This behavior would repeat regularly, and one day she went after the albino as it tried to fly. It was seen by a great red dragon that was going after it, and the mother hid and ambushed the bigger red. It was a difficult fight, but the mother black won, and once again, punished the albino. When they were all healed, it took all the brood to test flying and the albino took off into the sky. The mother gave chase and Malystryx flew out of the clouds after the mother. She fled as best she could but Malys found her wyrmlings and killed them all, then came after her again. She went into an underwater cavern she knew of and once inside, fighting for aid, she got to the end to find it blocked by square blocks her albino was forging. There the story ended, with her suffocating and ambushed by the very wyrmling she took care of. This is a great way of showcasing how brutalising children leads to brutal children. It made me think of the film The Good Son with Macaulay Culkin. This was a really good anthology of stories, while they are not all gold, they are really good, and much better than the preceding anthology in my opinion. If you are a fan of dragons, or dragonlance, you should read this anthology.

Atomic Peanut|Butter Group teams up with the DragonLance Nexus to bring you their next live play: DragonLance: Huma Before the Lance - The Dark Patrol. Chuck is the Dungeon Master, leading players Atom, Michael, Sedgwick, Brent, and DragonLance Nexus member Ed through this new DL adventure available now on Dungeon Masters Guild! For more information and to order the game, click on the link below: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/5313...The closest thing to hanging out with friends and playing D&D without actually playing D&D yourself! It's more fun than it sounds, trust us! youtube and twitch.tv/atomicpeanutbuttergroup www.facebook.com/WickedStudios11 and www.facebook.com/AtomicPeanutButter

Surrounded by the Lords of Doom, Sanction sits as a testament to endurance. It has been held by every major faction in Krynn's history, so let's take a deeper look at this integral port city. You can buy Age of Mortals here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/557/age-of-mortals-3-5?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/9bMF0ncsuv0 Transcript Cold Open It was once held by the Dragonarmies and even features three temples and volcanoes, but in the Age of Mortals, it has taken a drastic turn. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Sanction. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, you can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. I am referencing The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, the Tales of the Lance Boxed Set, The Dragonlance Fifth Age Dramatic Supplement Game, and War of the Lance & Age of Mortals sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion On the northeastern shores of the New Sea, ringed by the jagged Khalkist Mountains and overshadowed by three howling volcanoes, stands a city whose very foundations tremble with fire. A city of lava-choked streets, ancient temples, hidden tunnels, and the beating heart of the Dragonarmies. This is Sanction—the City of Doom. Long before its name became synonymous with darkness, Sanction was a sturdy mountain town guarded by cliffs and blessed with a natural harbor sheltered by stone. It served as the eastern anchor of the Solamnic trade road, moving granite from its quarries and tar from its pits to the wider world. The Khalkist Mountains hemmed it in on three sides. Only two passes were widely known: North, through the plains of Estwilde, and East, along the road to Neraka. Yet mountain villagers whispered of a third path—a hidden trail climbing high across the shoulders of the peaks later known as the Lords of Doom. But everything changed when those mountains awakened. After the Cataclysm, the land convulsed. New chasms tore open. The sea surged inland to create the New Sea itself. And three monstrous volcanoes burst from the earth: the Northwest peak, Mount Thunderhorn, the Northeast peak, Mount Ashkir, and the Southeast peak, Mount Grishnor. Together, they towered nearly 4,000 feet above the city and even above the local Doom Range of the Khalkists. By 287 AC—sixty-five years before the War of the Lance—they were already active, spewing ash and fire into the sky as the stolen eggs of the metallic dragons were secreted into their fiery bowels. Whether the Cataclysm awakened them or created them outright remains a mystery. But their presence reshaped the city—and doomed it. By the time the Companions arrived, Sanction was a furnace. Widening streams of lava threaded directly through the city. Stone bridges arched over molten rivers. The air grew thick with fumes—hot enough that breath itself burned. What little flat ground remained was packed with misery and desperation. The streets were a maze of twisting alleys lined with: ancient warehouses near the docks, hastily built structures toward the east, brothels, slave markets, and slums, and rotting timber houses beside smoke-scoured stone. The central district—split in half by a major lava flow—was a sprawling slum and a favored haunt of the Dragonarmy troops. And above it all, three temples loomed on the volcanic slopes like the dark gods watching their sacrifice. When the Dragonarmies seized Sanction, they expanded far beyond the city's limits, raising three enormous military encampments on the mountainsides to the east: The Southern Camp with around 6,000 goblins, hobgoblins, and humans, and 500 tents. It was Hellishly hot, overcrowded, and chaotic. The Eastern Camp featured approximately 820 ogres, minotaurs, trolls, and hill giants, and 120 large tents, and it was a brutal, dangerous, but less crowded force. The Northern Camp featured approximately 3,000 draconians, and 230 tents, and was strict, orderly, and disciplined. These forces more than replaced the half of Sanction's original population that fled the volcanic devastation. The city was now the principal port and fortress of the Dragonarmies, surrounded by a ship blockade and fiercely guarded passes. And the true heart of that dark power lay within the three temples. On the slopes of the volcanoes stood three massive structures, each rising above the slums and smoke: The Temple of Huerzyd — The White Temple in the Northwest. It was the only pre-Cataclysmic temple in Sanction that was dedicated originally to the true gods. It was abandoned, neglected, and avoided by the Dragonarmies. It was secretly the heart of Shadowpeople culture. And below the temple, the Shadowpeople carved a labyrinth of rooms featuring 12 chambers, the great Shadowhall, six clan caverns, mushroom farms for sustenance, and three trapped tunnel passages extending under Sanction. These hidden ways allowed them to spy, assist prisoners, and ultimately save dragon eggs from corruption. The Temple of Duerghast — The Black Fortress in the Southeast, was dedicated post-Cataclysm to a false god of human sacrifice. Its upper levels included an arena, cages, and bloodsport chambers. The lower levels had cells, torture rooms, and execution chambers. The Dragonarmies repurposed it seamlessly. Shadowpeople carved tunnels behind one row of cells to rescue captives. Duerghast was a fortress of cruelty—perfect for tyranny. The Temple of Luerkhisis — The Dragon's Head is in the Northeast. It is the largest and most infamous temple. It is cut into the volcano in the shape of a vast dragon's head. This was the center of Takhisis's power in Sanction. Ariakas resided here during the War of the Lance, in a suite complete with a map room. After Ariakas's death, Kitiara took over his chambers and command. The upper levels held worship halls, libraries, and quarters converted for military use. But its darkest secret lay hidden in the bowels of the temple: The Chambers of Corruption Here, in five guarded rooms, the eggs of good dragons were perverted through dark rituals. In the sixth chamber, amid roaring firepots, stood the Altar of Corruption itself—the cradle of the draconians. And from here, a tunnel—known only to the Shadowpeople—crossed a bridge above the volcanic fire into the Cavern of the Old One, eldest and wisest of their race. Without these tunnels, the metallic dragons would never have been freed. Even after the war, Sanction remained a desperate, volcanic ruin filled with criminals, mercenaries, and the stern memory of tyranny. But after the Chaos War, a stranger arrived. A man cloaked in secrecy and resolve: Hogan Bight. Through means never fully explained—magic, pact, or sheer audacity—he calmed the volcanoes. Eruptions lessened. Lava flows shrank. And Sanction slowly became livable. Bight united wharf rats, ex-soldiers, sailors, and desperate citizens into a disciplined force. He brought law, order, and the beginnings of prosperity. Until Mina and the One God swept across Ansalon. Sanction fell again. Bight vanished. And the people suffered under divine tyranny. When the War of Souls ended, Hogan Bight returned—alive but changed—and resumed leadership of the battered, resilient city. Modern Sanction is a contradiction: It was born of fire, yet clinging to hope. It's surrounded by mountains, yet tied to the sea. It was defined by tyranny, yet strives for freedom. And it is scarred by tunnels, temples, and molten rivers, yet continuously is rebuilt. Its harbor remains fortified by natural cliffs. Its streets still wind through ash and stone. And the Lords of Doom continue to watch, eternal and ever-threatening. But Sanction survives. It always survives. From a peaceful trade town to a volcanic wasteland…from the laboratory of the Dragonarmies to the refuge of the Shadowpeople…from tyranny to reform, from fall to rise, again and again…Sanction endures as one of Ansalon's most dramatic stories of destruction and defiance. In the shadow of the Lords of Doom, The City of Doom refuses to die. Outro And that is all I have to say about Sanction. What do you think of this port city? Will evil ever reclaim it? And finally, will it have any import in the years following the Age of Mortals? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: Come along, Solostaran, I'll help. We old men have to stick together. Too bad you're such a damn fool.

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover The DM Mindset. This is the foundational philosophy every great dungeon master needs. https://youtube.com/live/FWxWs7Cxmq4 Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Frostkolt the 8th, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Today we are going to discuss the foundational philosophy of the dungeon master in this The DM Mindset episode. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Core Idea: A Dungeon Master's First Job Is Understanding People Before rules, before worldbuilding, before prep — the DM's responsibility begins with recognizing the humanity at the table. Every player brings different backgrounds, expectations, and motivations. Differences are not obstacles — they are fuel for the game. A DM's mindset should start with celebration, not control. Principle 1 — Personal Responsibility You are responsible for the tone and environment of the table. Players follow your emotional lead: calm → calm, stressed → stressed. You control what you can: pacing, clarity, fairness, and your reactions. You do not control players — you facilitate them. Principle 2 — Perspective Awareness No group is a monolith. Every player experiences the game differently. Avoid assuming that what engages you engages them. Effective DMing means recognizing: Roleplay comfort levels Tactical interest Social dynamics Individual limits and preferences Adapt your approach to the humans, not to the rules. Principle 3 — The Table as a Shared Space You aren't performing for the players; you are collaborating with them. The world exists because everyone agrees to hold it up together. Your players are not obstacles to your story — they are the engines of it. A DM's mindset should always prioritize the shared experience over personal plans. Principle 4 — Intent Over Perfection Great DMing is not about flawless preparation. It is about intention, empathy, and flexibility. The table will forgive mistakes if they trust your intent. Confidence is not knowing the perfect rule; it's being steady when you make a ruling. Principle 5 — Curiosity & Humility Ask questions. Learn what excites your players. Let players surprise you — that's where the best stories come from. You are not the sole creative force at the table; you're a conductor of many. Principle 6 — Emotional Regulation Is a DM Skill Your energy sets the emotional climate. When things get chaotic, you become the stabilizing force. When momentum lags, you initiate a spark. A professional DM mindset includes managing your own reactions and reading the room. Principle 7 — Trust > Control The goal is not to make players follow your plan. The goal is to build trust so that the players feel safe making bold decisions. Trust leads to engagement. Engagement leads to story. Story leads to the unforgettable moments everyone comes for. Principle 8 — The Mindset Before the Mechanics Rules can be learned. Encounters can be built. NPCs can be improvised. But none of it matters if the mindset is wrong. DMing begins with the understanding that you are not building a game — you are building an experience. Summary Takeaway A Dungeon Master is: A facilitator A stabilizer A narrator A collaborator A student of human behavior The DM Mindset is the foundation on which every technique rests. Once this mindset is established, everything else becomes easier — prep, improv, worldbuilding, encounters, and rulings all flow naturally from it. Outro And that's it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, The DM Mindset! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. Thank you for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate links in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

We take a look at our first Dragonlance monsters and ... I have to tell you, they don't look too different so far! The Booklet of Bounties is live on Patreon! If you're enjoying the show, why not consider supporting it on Patreon? You'll get access to lots of new bonus content, including my other podcast, Patron Deities! Thanks to Ray Otus for our thumbnail image. The intro music is a clip from "Into Battle" by Maarten Schellekens, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Join me as I review The Players of Gilean edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this second Tales of the War of Souls anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on February 1, 2003. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/48xk5pw  https://youtube.com/live/L_70rmgiW3k About The Players of Gilean Across the ages roams an immortal troupe of actors, gifted with fantastical powers and led by a mysterious artiste with a penchant for meddling. Wherever they roam, they encounter magic and monsters and evil that requires taming. This is the first anthology based on characters from the extraordinary novella “The Travelling Players of Gilean”, by Margaret Weis and Aron Eisenberg, which was featured in The Best of Tales, Volume One. This new anthology also features novellas by best-selling Dragonlance authors Douglas Niles, Richard A. Knaak, Paul B. Thompson, and a new collaboration by Jean Rabe and Aron Eisenberg. Contents “Command Performance” by Douglas Niles “Papilla” by Fergus Ryan “Enter, a Ghost” by Paul B. Thompson “Perfect” by Donald J. Bingle “A Matter of Honor” by Richard A. Knaak “Rewrites” by Aron Eisenberg and Jean Rabe Review “Command Performance” by Douglas Niles Duke of Fredirko Axel Bloodwart, Ogre King Starlack, centurion Skullrider Bloden Longeye, chief lieutenant Greenshot, hill giant captain Sebastius Sir Eriath, actor, Vinas Solamnus, clownmaster Stacia Delane, Dame Solamnus, Yolanda the Melon Queen Hatch Blackbeard, dwarf Persnick,elf Strawfellow Slipknot, kender Prince Gracefeather Ballracker, fat hobgoblin, captain, general Orik Oilsniffer, hylar dwarf commander Hilderidge, ogre actor Portentius, pudgy illusionist Splint Fireeater, Hylar This story was a lot of fun and had a wonderful twist at the end. Two massive armies are ready to meet on the battlefield separated by a river featuring an island in the center. One army, led by the Duke of Fredirko and the other is led by the ogre king Axel Bloodwart. Both want to seize control of the island as it is strategically of importance for the battle to come. On the island however, is an acting troupe led by Sebastius. The acting troupe plans their performance for the two armies and secretly plants playbills all around each of the armies encampments. The commanders are justifyingly infuriated by their camps being infiltrated, but their men are intrigued by the opportunity to see a play. So both armies come to the island on the morrow. They are introduced to the performers and sit, slowly being turned onto the performances and becoming more and more entertained. Finally the two commanders are invited onstage and play fight over a daughter. They get into it with the ogre king killing the duke, and the armies ready to go to battle right then and there, until it is revealed only to be a ruse, with a collapsible blade and fake blood. The armies nevertheless are poised for battle, but just then a massive lightning storm strikes, and the armies collectively huddle under the tents and trees, planning on battle the following day. The acting troupe offers the ogre king a position on one of their wagons,and he actually agrees to join, as his heart isn’t in the battle anymore. He ends up joining the troupe at the end. I really enjoyed this, and while I can imagine all the stories being connected to this acting troupe could wear thin quickly as a contrivance, for now, I am looking forward to the next tale. “Papilla” by Fergus Ryan Kaleem Bombyx, shopkeeper Ilona, wife Taladas, first son Nando, second son Livia, daughter Yoni, Darl, rat catchers sons Sebastius This short story begins with a merchant who marries a homely Solamnic woman and bears three children. Two boys and a girl. The girl is having her seventh birthday and her father is showing her off to the local town's Ratchatcher family. The two boys have set up a wonderful prank on the daughter however. When the girl is supposed to come and deliver the goose for dinner, she does a raucous dance the boys taught her and embarrasses their parents. This lands them in trouble naturally, and they are grounded. That night an acting troupe arrives in town, and are getting all set up for the following day's performances. It feels a little like Something Wicked This Way Comes, as the eldest boy, grounded and brooding, wants to run away with the troupe. He climbed down from his window at night and approached Sebastius. He is rejected as he offers him a deal on silk curtains for the play from his father, and unspoken rejection of joining the troupe. The boy returns home in a foul mood, and almost gets crushed by a falling wall. He makes a deal with his brother for not telling on him, and helping him back in the house. When the play begins the following day, the older brother plans a trick on Sebastius, to get back at him. The play begins as a woman is taken from a man by an evil wizard, and the family’s daughter is in the front row. The younger brother starts backing out, and the older brother insists that he help him with the prank. The brothers' plan is to put their sister in a sack and throw her at Sebastian on stage to embarrass them and hurt them. The play unfolds perfectly with this plan as the girl in the tower is met by gully dwarves who want to steal her jewels and they put them in a sack and throw them out as the girls are thrown by the brothers. However, the boys follow suit, falling on stage and end up being taken by the crew. The end of the play is a punishment call from Sebastin to the crowd, and the daughter decides the fate of the brothers. She eventually goes on to live a nice life, her mother leaving her father, and the boys are not heard from, seemingly living out pedestrian lives. The story was all wrapped up by saying brothers don't pick on your sisters, and it was a total waste of my time reading. It wasn’t crafted well, it wasn't written well, and I am glad it's over. “Enter, a Ghost” by Paul B. Thompson Tog, minotaur Andura Thronden, master of ceremonies Urtak Paz, Kender Traz, Kender Sebastius, master of the Traveling Players of Gilean Moku, gully dwarf Gree, centaur Camalantharas, cam, dark elf Tensi Rontz, goblin from Throt Thaelix, male ogre Warken, bardic poet Bannur of Nordling Havared Sisandra, Harvard's daughter Carklin Hall Fitter, gnome, visited lunitari Daskhar, dwarf Telda, Daskhar's wife I really enjoyed this tale. It starts with the Players of Gilean arriving in a town in Nordmaar. The town seems drab and quiet, but as they are setting their stage, Andura, an actress, notices two young men wandering around. They eventually leave and she follows them with Moku an Aghar. They wanted to see if there was a wizard in the troupe because this town is cursed. They need a wizard to use a banishment spell from a scroll they bought from another wizard. The keep, Carklin hall is possessed and while the ghost remains, the town remains cursed. Andura agreed to try and headed up in the night with Moku. They discovered it really was haunted by the former lord of the manor, and only dawn saved them from the ghost. The constable arrested them for disturbing the peace but they were bailed out by Sebastius. They ran through their play that night and the ghost appeared during it. He demanded to know why they were interlopers in his town, and Andura tried to banish him again. Moku used shadow play and voice acting to pose as a great red dragon which initially frightened the ghost, but he ended up leaving for the sake of the town. The village resumed normal life, and the play received a rousing applause. This was a great little horror story that reminded me of Ravenloft. It just goes to show you can tell any style of story in Dragonlance and have it feel genuine. This is the best campaign setting, period. “Perfect” by Donald J. Bingle Crawford, actor Maybar Thane, actor Zefta, mage Sebastius, Astinus' brother? Darna Gantry Fornarius Mirinda Benoit Katrice Gilf Aaron Badar Patentworthy Pathwanderer, gnome Cathar Bellowstroke, dwarf Gloria Taewynd This is a story with three main parts. First is the acting troupe and the tension between Sebastius and their wizard slash set maker Zefta. Second is a young woman who was spurned in love, but left pregnant who runs off with her fathers tailor to join the troupe, and third is a pompous Solamnic, former knight, planning his wedding and hiring the troupe to perform a tiresome and ostentatious play at his wedding. Once the wedding play began, the audience was bored to death. They had lived the measure and been paralysed by it in training for years, watching it now was a chore, but as this was a wedding they were stuck. But then one new actor slipped and accidentally flipped a steel coin, and from that moment on, steel was the operative word and item as the play went off the rails, and the mage exercised his craft to wonderful effect. It even turned the stern groom into an enjoying participant. When the wedding vows were read, he romantically dipped her in a passionate kiss, echoed of course by the troupe. The audience loved it and cheered uproariously. The groom paid very well for the performance, and the story of the runaways was completely abandoned. The troupe left after the groom admitted to Sebastius that he wasn't a Solamnic, but it didn't matter anymore. With the conclusion to the story being infinitely better than the set up, I am glad to move on as well. “A Matter of Honor” by Richard A. Knaak Golar the God-Marked, minotaur Heston, human Sebastius Twayne, half-elf Karas of clan Barash, minotaur Dardella Juris, Golar's cousin Well hell, this story touched me. It’s about a minotaur named Golar who fled from a failed battle in the War of the Lance and eventually joined the troupe. He found peace and happiness as almost an ambassador of the minotaur race to viewers, but one day he notices a cloaked figure showing up to his appearances. It ended up being his cousin’s son, Karas, coming to avenge the loss of honor his fleeing the battlefield caused his clan. Golar knocked the youth out, and put him in the woods outside town. They went to the next town for another show, and the youth followed, attacking golar in the play. He sliced his stomach, and the troupe convinced Karas that he had died. They gave him his axe and he rode away. He returned to watch the funeral only to see that Golar was alive. Golar admitted that while he was a member of the troupe he would not age, nor could he die. He showed Karas by running himself through. This led Karas to leave, dispirited at being able to avenge his clan’s honor, and decided to take his own life for his failure, very Samourai in nature. Golar showed up and let Karas know he was there when Karas couldn't go through with it. Karas, now shamed, threw his dagger at Golar and it sank into his chest. Golar gave up his part of the troupe because he couldn't live with his relatives’ death on his hands. He would rather die and let his clan regain their honor than live knowing Karas died because of him. He took the body home and that was the end of the story. As a fan of fantasy, I can’t help but appreciate stories like this. Honor is a complicated mistress that many cultures in our world wrestle with, but I can't accept that one should kill themself or others just to keep a title that amounts to nothing more than a perceived value in the eyes of the beholder. It was a beautiful story by Knaak. “Rewrites” by Aron Eisenberg and Jean Rabe Thronden Blackmoor, Actor, Solamnic Knight Aleena, Actor, Dark Knight Jalas Sebastius Heart, Goblin Catal This final tale is a version of Romeo and Juliet with a new director and writer, traditionally an actor, rewriting the play til the very day it was performed. The insistence on his vision made Sebastius abandon the play, insisting it should be directed by the writer. The other members of the Troupe insisted that there should be some humor, but the writer refused, insisting that it is a drama. As word spread about the play, every nearby town wanted to attend, and a contingent of dark knights learned of it. At the heart of the story is a Knight of Solamnia falling in love with a Knight of Takhisis. The commander of the Dark Knights could not allow this to happen, so he sent his emissary to stop the play. When the director refused, the Dark Knights mounted up to intercept the play mid performance. When they arrived, many of the villagers fled, but equally many stayed. The director insisted they start the play from act one and give the Dark Knights a show, as they all sat down to watch. The tension caused some of the actors to miss lines, or otherwise make small humorous mistakes, which drew enjoyment from the viewers, and when the female dark knight in the play killed the male Solamnic then herself, everyone gave a standing ovation. The Dark Knight commander met the director backstage to say it was an improbable love story, but he had once loved a woman, and with tat left. The writer/director began furiously rewriting the play to add some humor. This was a fun tale, as I am a fan of Shakespear, but I am very glad this collection is done. It was tiring to get through, and while many of the stories were enjoyable, like this one, i did want to get through it. If you are a fan of Dragonlance, I suggest you give this anthology a read, especially if you enjoy the Players of Gilean premise. Otherwise, it does nothing to inform the saga in any way, so if you don't enjoy the troupe, you can skip the anthology and miss out on nothing.

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing Raistlin Majere coming to Idle Champions, D&D battlemap stamps, Sunderfolk, and Must Play TTRPG's. https://youtube.com/live/3R7ywkpRRok Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Frostkolt the 5th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Raistlin Majere is coming to Idle Champions on March 4, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/margaret.weis/photos/idle-champions-fans-you-will-have-a-new-warrior-raistlin-majere-is-coming-to-idl/10164196339396369/   Vancouver couple’s D&D stamp idea becomes a $370,000 Kickstarter hit https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/hoping-for-14k-this-couple-tops-370000-in-board-game-kickstarter-11582215  D&D fans are sleeping on this amazing digital TTRPG game https://www.polygon.com/dungeons-and-dragons-sunderfolk-recommendation/  4 Must-Play Fantasy TTRPGs That Aren't Dungeons & Dragons https://comicbook.com/gaming/list/4-must-play-fantasy-ttrpgs-that-arent-dungeons-dragons/  Outro And that's it for this OA News episode! Do you play other game systems? What do you tink of battlemap stamps? And finally, do you enjoy video games with your D&D? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. This week we are joined by friend of the show, the talented illustrator Mike Perry (https://linktr.ee/mikeperryart). https://youtube.com/live/UwGIrT1S_XM Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 3rd, and my name is Adam. Today we are being joined by friend of the show, the talented illustrator Mike Perry! I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion Mike Perry Art https://linktr.ee/mikeperryart  Characters Character Sheets Baaz Draconian by Mike Perry Raistlin by Mike Perry Gilthanas by Mike Perry Sturm by Mike Perry Elistan by Mike Perry Feal-Thas by Mike Perry Alhana by Mike Perry Flint by Mike Perry Tasslehoff by Mike Perry Laurana by Mike Perry Silvara by Mike Perry Tanis by Mike Perry Theros by Mike Perry Tika by Mike Perry Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of Mike's art? Do you have a favorite piece? And finally, should he be the concept artist for a live action Dragonlance project? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Preparing the next session of my Patron DnD campaign, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.HUGE SPOILERS! No players allowed!Music by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.htmlShop for tabletop games, CCGs, miniatures, RPG supplies and more at our sponsor, Noble Knight Games, using my affiliate link: https://www.nobleknight.com?awid=1553Chat with us in the Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AjvtemjSupport the channel at https://www.patreon.com/Roguewatson

Join me as I review The Search for Magic edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this first Tales of the War of Souls anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on October 1, 2001. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/3LVbXrD  https://youtube.com/live/JZ6gg6EWS2I About The Search for Magic This is the first anthology to tie in to the bestselling War of Souls trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It contains 11 stories, written by well-known Dragonlance authors, that elaborate on the characters and locations from the War of Souls trilogy. The stories link to the ongoing saga through the time frames of the main characters. Contents: Introduction “All for a Pint” by Brian Murphy “The End” by Nancy Varian Berberick “The Lost Sea” by Linda P. Baker “Some Assembly Required” by Nick O’ Donohoe “Go with the Floe” by Paul B. Thompson “The Great Gully Dwarf Climacteric of 40 S.C.” by Jeff Crook “Bond” by Kevin T. Stein “A Twist of the Knife” by Jean Rabe “Hunger” by Richard A. Knaak “Product Given for Services Rendered” by Don Perrin “Dragon’s Throat” by Donald J. Bingle Review Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 3rd. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of The Search for Magic edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review All For a Pint by Brian Murphy Stynmar, wizard, White robe Grantheous, wizard, Red robe Fetlin, apprentice Gerald, archmagus, Black robe This was a delightful tale about two mages, former white and red robes, who decided to make a profile, and improve the nature of those who consumed it, by casting a spell on beer. This spell is meant to improve one’s disposition, but they had to test various strengths of the spell. One had minotaurs tickle fighting each other. Another had a aman mooning them then running down the street. They finally perfected the spell, and it was stolen from them that night! THey chased who they believed stole it and it led to a warehouse where the thief talked with a black robed wizard and entered it. The two wizards and their apprentice went into a nearby tavern and had a frew pints before bursting into the door, but the beer they were drinking was their own. They felt wonderful, and after kissing the barmaid, they left ready to break down the warehouse door. As they charged the door, the wizard opened it, causing them to run and roll into the warehouse. The old wizard ended up being their former master, and he scolded them for using the remaining magic to effect beer. To punish them he cast the spell over Palanthas' well, and the entire city had a full day of peace, happiness, and brotherly love. The two mages seemed to learn their lesson, and that was the story. It reminded me of an old short story from the original Tales collection where a kender puts a love potion into Otik's ale and it ends with a love fest in the Inn of the Last Home. It was a nice entry into this collection. The End by Nancy Varian Berberick Jai Windwild, apprentice librarian Annalisse Elmgrace, librarian Marshall Medan Gilthas, puppet king Emeth Windwild, Jai's father, member of the resistance Marise Windwild, Jai's mother Stanach Hammerfell This is about the final days of the Qualinesti. It is focused on a librarian’s assistant Jai, who has spent his young career reading and cataloging the histories of the Quelinesti nation. His master, librarian Annalisse, sees Jai as the best of her assistants. He leaves one night for dinner when his father tells him that they must leave Qualinost. Their relatives are dying and they should all travel to them. In truth, he is part of the resistance and the Dark Knights are close to capturing him, so he arranged this trip. Jai doesn't want to go, but sees no option of staying because he would be caught, tortured and killed. He returns to this library and tells Annalisse where he’s going but that he will be back. When they leave that night, they are stopped as a Dark Knight is waiting on the road. They are teleported and wake in a dwarven tunnel. Stanach Hammerfell greets Jai and leads him down the tunnel toward Thorbadin. He is alone, and doesn't know where everyone else is. Stanach tells him they are with the dwarves, and explains these tunnels were the idea of the Thane and Gilthas. Qualinost is going to fall, sooner rather than later, and the people need safe passage out of Qualinesti. Jai doesn't care and insists on leaving to record the end of Qualinost. Eventually Sanach relents and lets the young elf go, as they are nearing the exit of the tunnel, Annalise's voice is heard directing Dark Knights. It turned out that she bargained for the safety of the library and gave up the plan of the elves leaving and the tunnels under Qualinesti. Stanach and Jai fight them, capture Annalisse and Stanach says that he will wait for Jai. Jai ends up heading home. It reminds me of World War 2 when Nazi Germany was rounding up Jews, Gays, Blacks and anyone they deemed weak. That is what the Dark Knight represents and while going back to Qualinost to witness its end sounds like the height of foolishness, I can understand one’s passion for their home and wanting to be there, even as the world falls apart. The Lost Sea by Linda P. Baker Captain Effram I am torn about this story. For one, it’s written really well. But for another, I don't like the main character at all. This is about Captain Effram, he lives in Tarsis and has built a boat. Tarsis has been landlocked since the Cataclysm, so he is ridiculed by everyone in town for building a ship. The children come and taunt and tease him, and he runs them off, further ruining his reputation among the townsfolk. Then one day a storm came, and it kept raining, and only Effram wore the appropriate clothing for a rain storm and was mocked for it. Then the water began to build on the ground, and soon his ship began to float! He took it out in this massive blinding night storm and was nearly swept out to sea, but managed to turn it back toward Tarsis to see people climbing the ships in the old bay that were repurposed for homes, trying to survive the weather and oncoming seawater. They leapt down toward Effram's ship, and slowly, reluctantly, he turned to bring more people onto his ship. Even as there were more to save, he raced the boar to the docks, and in the massive storm told them to get out. When he turned back to the sea, he saw a woman leap into the ocean, screaming for help, he turned away from her, and sailed into the sea. This character who wanted to be respected and appreciated by the townsfolk, didn’t even want to save them, then abandoned others. His cruelty in their fate was less human and more monstrous. Something I didn't enjoy reading at all. The strength of our species is that when push comes to shove, regardless of any other factor, we help one another. Survival is built into our DNA. It is the aberrant among us that would turn and walk away from someone facing death, when you could save them, yet Effram did just that. The people jibing him did not equal a justified death, and it simply bothered me. Some Assembly Required by Nick o'Donohoe Sorter, gnome Franni, kender The story begins with a gnome named Sorter working in the great repository, sorting the thousands of volumes of gnomish manuals. It showcases a typical day in Mount Nevermind for gnomes, and leads to a Kender named Franni asking a series of questions to Sorter about the books. Later there is a book avalanche and they are afraid the kender was under them, but after clearing it up, they saw no kender, but a few books were missing. So Soter decided he would go after the Kender. He packed traveling clothing and headed out to the closest town with smoke ascending to the sky. A warehouse was burned down and children who were working the warehouse were having a grand time. THey said a Kender came by and burned the warehouse down. The elders told him that the kender left toward their neighboring town, and that the kender should stay there. The gnome went on to the next town which was covered in mud. Its children were also enjoying the destroyed warehouse. Apparently there is fierce trade competition so all these villages suggest visiting the next, to recreate the destruction they experience. The gnome continued on to find the kender in the third village constructing a siege machine. The gnome ended up helping him and it summarily destroyed the town, as all gnome inventions are prone to do. The town leadership paid them to go to the next few towns and create some machines for them and off the gnome and kender went with an idea for a massive Solamnic knife machine. It was a silly story that illustrated the dire consequences of gnomish technology and the curiosity and free spiritedness of Kneder and the wildly dangerous combination of them both together. Go with the Floe by Paul B. Thompson Raegel Mixun, mixundantalus Balic Persayer, captain Wheeler, gnome Slipper, gnome Excellent Continental Ice Project Artagor, pirate captain This was a fun story about two snake oil salesmen who regularly conned people and were caught in a con by a ship captain and marooned on the icewall. Destined to die there, with the cold nearly doing the task, they were awoken by the terrible and loud sound of gnomish machinery! The gnomes took them aboard their great ice cutting wheels and entered Nevermind South. A temporary camp where the gnomes could cut miles of glacier ice and transport it to Sancrist. Stunned by the audacity of the gnomes but happy to be alive, the two men go with the gnomes. They end up breaking the miles size glacier off and use the wheel machines to paddle it north. As they pass Enstar, pirates come about and try to rob them, but the gnomes have no treasure, only tools and the two con men have nothing of value. Frustrated, the pirate captain decides to kill the two, but a cyclone is building off the coast and hits suddenly. The iceberg is dashed to the shore of Enstar and breaks to pieces. Ruining the gnomes’ plans, but industrious as ever, they get back to work, collecting gear and coming up with new plans. The con men approach a town, talk about the ice that’s on the shore and sell it, and they convince the people to pay for the ice! Then they decide to help the gnomes and make a living selling ice across Ansalon. Again, just a silly and fun story that was way more entertaining than I expected it to be. The Great Gully Dwarf Climacteric of 40 S.C. by Jeff Crook Dr. Palaver, gnome Morgrify Pinchpocket, kender Whortleberry Pinchpocket, kender, Morgrify's cousin Gulps Bulps Shadow Dragon The story begins with two Kender running from a mob. They break into the gnomish district and burst into a gnomes home where he was staying late. The gnome, Dr. Palaver is asked to cure Morgrify's cousin, Whortleberry. He is an afflicted kender and it seemed to have come upon him very recently in a tunnel under Palantha filled with Gully Dwarves. The gnome said that he can cure his cousin but they need to face the fear that caused the affliction. They must return to the sewers post haste! The kender and gnome all head to the sewer. They eventually discovered gully dwarves and a massive hole that was supposed to be scary, but it just contained another gully dwarf from the Bulp clan, rather than the Gulps from earlier. He led them to the scariest place he knew of, a shadow dragon! The dragon had been making the Aghar make smoke for it to consume, or it would consume them. It breathed its terrifying smoke, blinding and disorienting everyone, and the kender quickly had Whort drink the heroic potion that doctor gnome said would cure his fright. He drank it and sunbeams, rainbows and spring flowers sprang from every orifice on his body, forcing the dragon back into its lair. He began taunting it finally able to speak, and his fear subsided, he dragged the gnome and Mordrify to the surface, but the spring scented flowers were too much for the Aghar and they fled in mass into the city, killing pets and one homeless man before running off into the docks, sinking ships and killing themselves and fish. It was a massive cacophony, and in the end Whort brought the gnome doctor and his uncle to another gnome doctor to cure their blindness. This was a silly story, but I am now thinking this whole collection is just about Kender, Gully Dwarves or Gnomes. Bond by Kevin T. Stein Karn, scout Blood, Karn's Wulfbunde Brek Arana Canus, bond between wolf and man Jaren Syllany The Forsaken, former Wulfbunde from previous story This is a disjoined tale that is a sequel to an even more disjointed tale about the Wulfbunde, apparently in the Age of Might, The Dark Queen gave power to men who followed Canus? And could form bonds with wolves. In the aftermath of the Chaos War, they hunted teh agents of chaos. The previous story has a Wulfbunde kill his wolf rather than see him consumed by Chaos and he became The Forgotten, though in that story he was condemned to the Abyss, if memory serves. Now he is out and terrorizing the land around the Lords of Doom. The five scout Wulfbunde are now hunting him, though he is incredibly powerful. We are presented with Karn, a scout and his wolf blood. They have an uneasy relationship, and he actually beats the wolf, which bugs the shit out of me. If you share a bond with something, you don't physically assault or abuse that something. Period. And in general, violence against animals is verboten for most people. So they go after the Forgotten, have bunch of awkward moments between Blood and Karn that I do not fully understand as the writing is not much better than the last short story, and Blood ends up breathing in The Forgottens face, making him kinda go crazy then start crying, I imagine for the absence of his wolf. And Karn reflects that the Dark cannot break the bond between a man and his wolf. This could all have been so much better if they were more clear in the writing about what the hell is going on. It's frustrating. A Twist of the Knife by Jean Rabe Shiv, male assassin, Safford Risana, woman, Solamnic Knight Redlant Fever This is a wonderful short story about an assassin named Shiv that was hired by Dark Knights to find and eliminate a Solamnic knight that is healing plagued villagers around Neraka. The former knight, a woman named Risana, actually deserted the knights after they were ambushed by dark knights. She was thought to be killed, and just walked away. Decided to heal others rather than kill them. This however created a myth in the area about Solamnic Knights and has some locals leaving to join them, and turn against the Dark Knights. So Shiv was t o eliminate her. He saw her tend wounded and saw that she truly cared about this, and it endeared her to him. They continued from village to village traveling together, even fighting off assassins that were sent to kill her, thinking Shiv was dead or taking too long. He would fight for her at first because she was his mark, but later because he respected her. In the end, he deserted his contract and swore to protect her until he died. I really loved that this old assassin could be touched by a woman who had a singleminded purpose, not for gods or oaths, but because it’s what she was passionate about. I really enjoyed the story. Jean Rabe is really growing on me with these short stories of hers. Hunger by Richard A. Knaak Master Brudas, Bozak Ruins of Krolus Sable, Black Dragon Drek, Baaz Molgar, Baaz Gruun, Baaz Oh man, this was fun. It's about the souls of the dead who were stealing magic from magical items and casters before the War of Souls on behalf of Takhisis. A Bozak and three baaz were searching for magical artifacts for Sable, the black dragon overlord in a sunken ruined city of Krolus. The Baaz were excavating the site as the Bozak was dreaming of finding items of power that he could leave Sable’s service. He tries to emulate the Aurak draconians he admired and relished his ability to cast spells even though they have been failing recently. The bozak returns with knowledge of a cavern and Brudas the bozak goes to investigate. He finds a bracelet of Chemosh with two black gems. It allows him to see the undead ghosts that are all around him, begging for power. Over the next few days it drives him near insane. Whenever he tries to cast a spell to banish or dispel the undead, they take the power, ruining the spell. He orders the Baaz to throw the gems away that were in the bracelet and it makes him unable to see the ghosts. But he can still imagine them, and feel them. How oh so many of them were around him, pleading. He chases the gems down and drowns. The baaz return to Sable and deliver the bracelet, and Sable is pleased, but cannot see the hoards of spirits around her, taking her magic as well as the bracelets. It’s so wonderfully creepy to think of the unseen spirits stealing your essence, and that of your items. Such a cool set up for the War of Souls. Knaak did a great job with this story. Product Given for Services Rendered by Don Perrin Gnash, dark knight brothers, disserters Yarl, dark knight brothers, deserters Flannery, old man in robes Digger Cutterstone, dwarf This was a wonderful tale about two brothers who turned in their parents, who were clerics of Paladine, to the Knights of Takhisis and came upon an old man in robes and a dwarf. They were burying the dead and taking their weapons and armor. They offered to share their supper with the brothers and told them that they commended the souls of the dead to the gods and in return took the swords and armor and melted them into steel coins for the bank of palanthas. They wanted to do the same for the Knights of Takhisis but did not know the burial rites. The brothers pulled weapons on them and started to rob them, but the old man offered to split the money with them if they helped by telling them how to comment the souls to Takhisis. The brothers flippantly told them, and then the priest did it to them, and they dropped dead. It turned out that they were skeletons the old man was trying to destroy and take their armor. Once he learned the rite, he could do the same to others. Such an interesting twist and tale about the aftermath of battle and the creation of steel as a currency. Dragon's Throat by Donald Bingle Finderkeeper Rumpleton, kender Gimmie Glacier Vern Hasterck, Knight of Takhisis Commander Bodar, Ice Nomad Thrak D.Nar, Ice Nomad Garn, Ice Nomad This is an interesting tale about the Icewall Glacier being the primary character, and everyone else secondary. The glacier grows north, then melts south revealing objects that were left in the ice from wars or travelers who never made it across. This ends up being a pilgrimage site for Kender, but in the Age of Mortals, Dark Knights also would travel the area in southern Plains of Dust. One day a kender named Finderkeeper Rumpleton passed through and found a strangely shaped object, instantly claiming it as Irda Magic. This sent the other kender in a frenzy of questions and nearby Dark Knights demanding the object. THey chased the Kender across the glacier till he believed he lost them, and stumbled across an ice nomad and his sons who were hunting wooly mammoths. They helped the kender for the night then when the dark knights showed up again, helped him run from them. They led them to a valley that would floor periodically and one of the sons went to help it along as the Dark knights were camping in the valley during their pursuit. It flooded the valley, consuming the son as well, but the Dark Knight Commander escaped and continued pursuit, eventually catching up to the kender and nomads. They fought as best they could but the Dark knight overwhelmed the nomads, killing them, but eventually got stuck in some mud, freezing to death as he was trying to cut his own legs off to get out. This was all relayed to the nomad clan by a bard, who was the kender. It’s more of an environmental tale of the natural dangers of a living glacier, and I for one enjoyed that approach. This was an interesting collection, with a few really good stories. If you are a Dragonlance fan, I would recommend you taking the time to read this anthology. Outro And that's it for my review of The Search for Magic edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. What did you think of the anthology? Did you connect with any of these stories? And finally, what is your favorite anthology in Dragonlance? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. I would like to thank Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! I would also like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover Running the Game. How to Run a Smooth, Engaging D&D Session. https://youtube.com/live/NPnsT_OPUKg Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Frostkolt the 1st, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Every Dungeon Master has experienced it: You've prepped the session, laid out the notes, imagined the scenes… and then the players zig when you expected a zag, stall in a simple room, or latch onto something you invented on the spot. Running a game isn't about controlling the world — it's about guiding the energy inside it. Today, we're focusing on the real-world techniques that make a session flow smoothly, keep players engaged, and let you adapt without panic. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion The Table Is a Living System Before you master encounters or improv, you must accept this truth: A D&D session is not a scripted performance — it is a living, reactive ecosystem made up of: players with changing levels of attention emotional highs and lows unpredictable decisions social dynamics and your own bandwidth, stress, and excitement Your job is not to dominate this ecosystem, but to regulate it. Everything you do — pacing, framing, narration, rulings — is a method of steering the table toward cohesion. Running a game begins with understanding that the table is alive. Your Three Practical Responsibilities as DM When the session begins, your theoretical knowledge stops mattering. What matters are the three practical, in-the-moment responsibilities: Maintain Momentum Players should always know: what is happening what their options are and what the stakes look like If the energy dips, you bring it back. Interpret & Apply Rules Quickly Not perfectly — quickly. Your job is to keep the gears turning, not grind the game while flipping through pages. Deliver Clear, Evocative Information Your narration should give players enough to imagine the scene and take action — not paragraphs of lore nor vague emptiness. Running the game is about flow. The Four Types of DM Decisions (And How to Make Them Fast) Every moment behind the screen is one of these four decisions: Binary Decisions Yes or no. Does it happen? Does it work? Degree Decisions To what extent? How well? How bad is the failure? Direction Decisions Where does the scene go next? Who reacts? What changes? Spotlight Decisions Who gets attention next? Who hasn’t had a turn? Recognizing these categories simplifies your thinking. You no longer panic — you choose the type and act. Encounter Design That Runs Itself Great encounters don't require micromanagement. They follow a simple structure: Objective – Why does this encounter matter? Hook – What forces the players to engage immediately? Tension – What raises the stakes as the encounter unfolds? Exit – What ends the scene? Victory? Escape? New information? If you define these four points in your prep, the encounter will naturally organize itself during play. This works for combat, social scenes, investigations — everything. Improvisation Tools for Real Sessions Improv is not about being clever — it's about being responsive. Use these tools: The Three-Question Improv Trick When stuck, ask yourself: What is the most likely thing to happen? What is the most interesting thing to happen? What is the most character-driven thing to happen? Choose based on the needs of the moment. The Rule of Reincorporation If players show interest in something — a rumor, an object, a throwaway NPC — bring it back later. It feels intentional even if it wasn't. The “Yes, But…” Technique This keeps the story moving, maintains tension, and lets players attempt anything without derailing the game. Handling Chaos & Player Surprises No matter how much you prep, players will surprise you. Good. That means they're engaged. When this happens: Don't Panic — Pause A 3-second pause feels natural and gives your brain space to stabilize. Re-state the Situation It clears confusion and ensures you and the players share the same reality. Choose the Simplest Outcome First Complexity is added naturally by player actions. Start simple. Make Decisions That Preserve Character Choices The golden rule: never punish creativity — reward it with consequences, not barriers. The Hidden Skill: Managing Table Energy The most underrated skill for running a session is energy management. Watch for: drifting attention conflicting personalities over-dominant players under-engaged players fatigue moments where the table is losing clarity When you notice energy dropping, intervene by: raising or lowering the tone shifting spotlight calling for a break reframing the scene escalating stakes A DM isn't just running a game — you're running a room. Closing Takeaway Running a session is part art, part psychology, and part technical skill. But the heart of it is simple: You create structure. You maintain momentum. You respond to your players. And together, you build a story none of you could create alone. This is the craft. This is the practice. And every session you run makes you better. Outro And that's it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Running the Game! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. Thank you for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate links in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Let's explore Godshome deep into the Khalkist Mountains, where mist-choked vales and impossible geography hide this sacred and dangerous location on Krynn. You can buy The Atlas of the Dragonlance World here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/182424/atlas-of-the-dragonlance-world-1e?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/7Hq7F2dGtOo Transcript Cold Open Today we journey deep into the Khalkist Mountains, where mist-choked vales and impossible geography hide one of the most sacred—and most dangerous—locations on all of Krynn. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Godshome. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, you can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. I am referencing The Odyssey of Gilthanas, The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, and War of the Lance sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion In ancient ages, “Godshome” referred to two different sacred sites: the first was The City of Godshome. A vast pilgrimage center, a city-within-a-city, shaped like a great wheel of fifteen districts. Each district served the worshipers of a different deity, all radiating outward from the enormous Great Temple of the Stars, which contained cathedrals for all twenty-one major gods. Before Istar's rise, every devout worshiper in Ansalon dreamed of making the pilgrimage here at least once. Each district was self-contained—with its own inns, temples, shops, and residences. But access was tightly controlled: one gate in the outer wall, and passage between districts only through the Great Temple—and only with approval from its high priest, the Worshipful Master of the Stars. Yet not every deity maintained a district. The gods of Nature—Habbakuk, Chislev, and Zeboim—kept their holy sites elsewhere, far from the city's walls. The gods of Magic likewise had no temples here, for every journey to a Tower of High Sorcery was a pilgrimage of its own. The second reference was Godshome Vale. Hidden deep in the Khalkists, this secret valley was the true holy site. Only those chosen by the gods—and approved by priests in the city—could find the trail leading to it. Even then, the path would twist back into the foothills unless the gods allowed the pilgrim to pass. For the worthy, the gods themselves administered tests—tests of devotion, character, and divine purpose. Many died attempting them. But those who survived emerged in a bowl-shaped valley surrounded entirely by sheer cliff walls. At its center stood twenty-one colossal stones representing the gods, encircling a perfect disc of polished black stone that reflected the sky, constellations, and moons of Krynn—regardless of the time of day. This was the place where the gods revealed themselves. As Istar's Kingpriests grew in ambition, they sought to centralize all worship in their gleaming capital. They taxed the pilgrim roads to Godshome, let banditry flourish, and built temples meant to overshadow the Great Temple of the Stars. In the final century before the Cataclysm, the propaganda campaign succeeded. Many now viewed Godshome as corrupt, fraudulent, or blasphemous—though it was Istar's own meddling that created this perception. Finally, the Kingpriest ordered the legions of Istar to march on the city. For nearly twenty years, the priests and holy warriors of Godshome held out, uniting across pantheons in a desperate defense of their sacred home. And then—one night—they vanished. Every one of them. Without a trace. Istar's armies entered the silent city at dawn. Hours later… the Cataclysm struck. A fiery mountain struck Ansalon causing tidal waves and massive earthquakes. The city collapsed, thousands of soldiers died, and only a handful survived to speak of what became of Godshome. Since that day, the city has remained a haunted ruin. Ghostly soldiers wander the shattered districts, eternally searching for their vanished priests. Adventurers report treasures scattered through the rubble—but none of the great sacred artifacts have ever been recovered. While the city lay in ruin, the true Godshome, the vale hidden in the mountains, remained a place of divine power. When the Heroes of the Lance journeyed toward Neraka, the befuddled wizard Fizban led them through the Khalkists, where supernatural wonders lurked: ancient bridges of vallenwood, miraculous golden spans of magic, and yes—entrances to the legendary Glitterpalace, the fabled home of Paladine. Within its crystal-walled halls were the three great divine tests: first, The Test of Wisdom, in the heart of a volcano, second was The Test of Valor, in the ghostly remains of Vingaard Keep, and third was The Test of the Heart, on a moorland plateau overlooking Kalaman. Each test revealed merely a possible path to defeating Takhisis—not the path they would ultimately walk. Whether or not the Companions took that road, they eventually reached Godshome Vale. And here they witnessed revelation. The polished black stone reflected the sky, moons, and constellations… including those normally invisible, like Nuitari. All except the constellations of Paladine and Takhisis, which were absent. As the party reached the center, the truth was revealed: Fizban vanished, and the constellation of Paladine appeared. The god stood among them. And here, Flint Fireforge's journey ended. Flint died in Godshome Vale and Paladine escorted him personally into the afterlife. Godshome is woven into some of Krynn's greatest myths: Huma Dragonbane once brought the first Dragonlance here to be blessed with the divine power needed to oppose Takhisis. Many Solamnic traditions record Godshome as a place of hope, prophecy, and revelation in dark times. In the Age of Despair, it stood as a solitary note of divine presence when the gods were thought gone forever. And in every age, explorers whispered of a hidden entrance to Glitterpalace somewhere within Godshome itself—a shifting doorway that appears only to the favored of Paladine. After the Chaos War, everything changed. The gods departed. And Godshome Vale… broke. The evergreen forests blackened. The moss turned to ash. The sacred stones vanished. The polished black disc cracked like broken glass. And yet—the surface still reflects a distorted image of the new moon that rose after the gods' departure. It is a place of memory, of echoes, of a severed connection between Krynn and the divine. It is also a place of sorrow. When Jasper Fireforge and Iryl Songbrook sought evidence of the gods' return, Godshome nearly broke Jasper's spirit. In the shattered valley they confronted grief—and a doomed Knight of the Skull who sought to restore Takhisis through honorable combat. No blessing came. No voice whispered from the heavens. The gods remained silent. Godshome had become a grave. Today, whether in the Age of Mortals or after the gods’ eventual return, Godshome remains one of the most sacred and enigmatic places on Krynn: A valley of divine reflection, A site of revelation and death, A place where mortals saw the gods face-to-face, The threshold of Paladine's Glitterpalace, And a ruin haunted by both spirits and memory. Few find it. Fewer survive it. But all who stand in Godshome stand in the shadow of the gods themselves. Outro And that is all I have to say about Godshome. What do you think of this home of the gods? Have you ever included it in your home campaigns? And finally, do you think it still holds power after the War of Souls? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: I know now, after I've had time to think, that what Laurana did was right. She had to go, or her love would have been meaningless.

A new series begins as we look at some of the background of Dragonlance -- more the creative background than the setting one, in case you forgot what I tend to get fixated on. Register to be notified when the Booklet of Bounties goes live on Kickstarter! If you're enjoying the show, why not consider supporting it on Patreon? You'll get access to lots of new bonus content, including my other podcast, Patron Deities! Thanks to Ray Otus for our thumbnail image. The intro music is a clip from "Into Battle" by Maarten Schellekens, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing a classic D&D adventure coming to Steam, Forgotten Realms Books, D&D in School, and long term campaigns. https://youtube.com/live/tHUjsuwmPMY Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Darkember the 28th. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion 22 years since launch, a classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure from the developer of Bloodlines is finally coming to Steam https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/22-years-since-launch-a-classic-dungeons-and-dragons-adventure-from-the-developer-of-bloodlines-is-finally-coming-to-steam/  The new Forgotten Realms books made me realize what I don’t like about D&D 2024 https://www.polygon.com/dnd-dungeons-dragons-2024-opinion-forgotten-realms/  Dungeons and Dragons has resurgence among students and teachers https://www.hngnews.com/the_star/local_news/dungeons-and-dragons-has-resurgence-among-students-and-teachers/article_5a629132-7a24-4c2b-9be4-41a11ee879b1.html  A 2-Year D&D Campaign Taught Me A Harsh Truth https://screenrant.com/dnd-long-campaigns-scheduling-conflicts-problem-dungeons-dragons/  Outro And that's it for this OA News episode! Do you enjoy video game adaptations of D&D modules? How do you feel about modern D&D? And finally, are long term campaigns with it as DM's? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. This week we are joined by friend of the show, the talented illustrator Mike Perry. https://youtube.com/live/qZ3w4S-p8qM Show Notes Intro Welcome to the first member-only DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Darkember the 25th, and my name is Adam. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Mike Perry Art https://linktr.ee/mikeperryart Single Characters AI Character Motion VLC Tokens Par-Salian by Mike Perry Otik by Mike Perry Soth by Mike Perry Ladonna by Mike Perry Kronn by Mike Perry Kitiara by Mike Perry Justarius by Mike Perry Jasla by Mike Perry Gunthar by Mike Perry Goldmoon by Mike Perry Fizban by Mike Perry Fistandantilus by Mike Perry Toede by Mike Perry Derek by Mike Perry Dalamar by Mike Perry Crysania by Mike Perry Caramon by Mike Perry Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of these starter sets? Would you like to play through a starter set adventure? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Join me as I review Rebels and Tyrants edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this final Tales of the Fifth Age anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on April 1, 2000. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4ryRLMz  https://youtube.com/live/IlyYZdCxJBw Tanscript Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Darkember the 26th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Rebels and Tyrants edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat. Review Est Sularis Uth Mithas by Scott Berachuski This is a tale about a Solamnic Knight racing to free his beloved from the grip of a Green Dragon. He keeps flashing to her face and memory as he charges toward the dragon. The encounter is brief, and the knight plunges his sword into the dragon’s heart as the dragon closes its mouth around him. He mutters the Oath and hears his wife tell him that she loves Ulrick, the knights. It's a quick story, gets right to the point, but it offers nothing other than the faith this knight has on facing seemingly insurmountable odds for honor. I am left feeling nothing about him, the woman the dragon had, or the dragon. Freedom's Pride by Paul B. Thompson Vitrad, Commander, Lord, dark knight Lord Livskil, Lord of Qualinesti, dark knight, lord of the black hall Loren Swamp Adder, ship Mercenaries Lioness, Zoran, Caravel with Gnomefire, Qualinesti This is the story of Lord Vifrad, a Knight of Takhisis who is summoned to Lord Livskil's audience in Qualinesti. Apparently some elves who were to hand over their treasures fled the forest./ Vifrad was assigned to find them and bring them and their wares back. He left, and found the elves fleeing with mercenaries who turned on them. The knights fought off the mercenaries and chained the qualinesti to their oars. They began to return when another ship started pelting them with Gnomish Fire, basically greek oil I believe. They were forced to surrender to this ship, and it ended up being the lioness, who now is qualinesti not kagonesti I guess. She took the elves and rewarded the knights with their lives for saving the elves. Then she gave a flag with a lion on it and the words freedom’s pride beneath, wrapped around a cannon ball. I assume this story is connected to another story I have yet to read. For when Vitrad returns it to his Lord Livskil and reiterated what happened, he is assigned to hunt down and capture the lioness. It was an okay story, I wish there was more character to the characters. They all felt like cutouts of bad guys rather than individuals. Sargas' Night of Revenge by Don Perrrin Lord Trenak, Minotaur Vras, died Lekras, female minotaur Emas, having affair, married to Lekras Vromas, Vras' dad This was a fun story about clan Trenak, minotaurs who on Sargas' Night, ended up betraying one another and killing each other. Sargas was so upset by their actions and dishonor, he cursed them to repeat the act every year on Sargas' Night. They were tormented for a thousand years, until the chaos war, and one night Sargas didn't return. They slowly learned that he wouldn't return and were led by the grandson Vras in recognizing why they all turned against one another, his mother killed his father for having an affair, and that made fighting inevitable. They all realised they didn’t have to repeat this act, and began enjoying themselves, learning to accept that which they cannot control, and broke the cycle of violence. It was a fun story, and boy are they going to get a surprise when Takhisis starts commanding the dead, and Sargas eventually returns! Sharing the Luck by Linda P. Baker Grako, old man, tophite Risha, male Meryl Ark Lyric, old man This is an interesting story about two thieves who begin the story by killing a mountain dwarf and robbing him. They return to an inn to split the goods, and one of them, Risha, is wearing a bracelet from their robbery. The other Grako begins to distribute the loot but Risha seems disinterested, acting very strange. Then he leaves and Grakop decides to test him, thinking he is going to try to kill him and take it all. But Risha really is disinterested and this change in behavior is worrying Grako. Then the next morning Risha is gone, and Grakjo goes after him, certain he is being swindled somehow. He finds Risha talking to an old wizard, and Grako demands to hold the bracelet, Risha refuses and a struggle ends in Risha’s death. Grako dons the bracelet and its power begins to work, making him whole. Meaning, a whole thoughtful and respectable person. He planned on killing the mage, but instead thinks he will let him go. This is interesting to me because we never really discuss what makes a thief or murderer a thief or murderer. It's really because there is something broken in them, something that they either never had or lost, a semblance of humanity. This bracelet restores that, and it's a crazy interesting item to consider dro[[ping into a campaign and seeing it play out. The War Chest by Kevin T. Stein Sir Dammerman, Knight of Solamnia, teacher Sir Ray Stick Man Hourglass – glory forever Abraxis, warrior – dark knight This was a story about glory, and the seeking of it even when you are past your prime. Sir Dammerman is a Solamnic Knight who teaches the younger generations. The young knights grow restless and ask about glory and riches. The knights end up sharing some loot acquired in battle against ogres. Dammerman sees a chest and instantly, as if in a dream only he experiences, a stick man appears offering him glory in battle against Abraxis, a renown Dark Knight warrior. At first he refuses, then through cajoling, he relents and says that he is interested. He is shown an hourglass with sand the color of the Abyss. He is presented with a bargain, the chance to find glory against Abraxis before the sand drains. He accepts the bargain and wins in battles, making him seem a true hero with endless energy and strength. His knights cheer his anime and he has glory. Finally it comes time to face off against Abraxas and he is defeated. Stick man appears and tells him that he tricked him into taking his soul, and he will fight in the abyss for eternity never knowing rest now. He will also offer it to his son, as he has offered it to many knights before Dammerman. As he was dying in defeat he tells his son not to make bargains for glory, and dies. It’s a long winded story that I enjoyed, though I wish they would have named the Stick Man. It addresses our innate capacity vs our desires, and in fantasy there is always a price to be paid if we are to exceed our ability. Flight of Fancy by Jeff Crook Klaus, Solamnic, flying machine Professor H, gnome Bee Juice Extractor This was a silly story about a human named Klaus who was piloting a gnomish flying machine toward Sancrist when he crashed. He was saved by gnomes who brought him to Mount Nevermind, and introduced him to famous gnome inventors. THey explained the machine was a bee juice extractor not a flying machine and they were perplexed on how a human could have repaired a crashed Bee Juice extractor in Solamnia. Pyrothraxus heard through the grape vine that a Solamnic was in Mount Nevermind and insisted it must be aspy, and that the gnomes should turn him over. They decided to make improvements to the bee juice extractor and fly Klous home instead. Pyrothraxus left the mountain and started chasing them when the gnomes decided to dump the honey to increase their speed. It fell into Pyrothraxus' mouth and when he breathed fire, it exploded in his face, sending them crashing into Solamnia, where they found another human inventor who said he may be able to fix the fBee Juice Extractor when a fully bandaged up Klous came in insisting he should not repair the ship, clearly traumatized both physically and emotionally by the experience. And that was it. It was the best case of a gnome story, short, silly, and done. The Deep, Deep, Dark, Dark Place by Kevin James Cage Glug, gully dwarf male Blurd, gully dwarf female Raddoc Stonebuilder, dwarf Thurgood Strongarm, dwarf Warden What!? This story was crazy. So two gully dwarves, Glug and Blurd are in a deep deep dark dark place when they hear singing and commotion. They investigate to see dwarves mining and talking about unionizing. They decide the dwarves are looking for treasure and they think they can lead the dwarves, but they don't want to be seen in case they are mean. So they use their stick which makes them invisible, but it doesn’t, and they start helping the men by throwing gems at them. The dwarves see the Aghar but don't want to engage with them, so they pretend they can’t see them, only pick up the ems. Then one time the Aghar directs them to the treasures cave, and the dwarves all go to it, only to be consumed by a stone dragon or sorts. The Aghar thank their pet treasure for getting rid of the dwarves. That was the story, the gully dwarves were working with the dragon to lure the dwarves to their deaths, it made a whole new view of the symbiotic nature of gully dwarves with the denizens of the deep, and recontextualized the whole story from the beginning. It was a lot of fun. Catch of the Day by Jean Rabe Redge, kobold, fishing Malay, kobold Scar Chest, Bugbear Bear Snout, Bugbear One Eye, Bugbear Ettin Brown Spider What an unexpected story. This begins with a pair of kobolds who are fishing. They say that they took the magic fishing pole from some gully dwarves they killed, consuming one of them. Then three bugbears came upon them, and killed some of them, but the bugbears also wanted to fish. Next came an ettin who attacked the bugbears and killed them, then began fishing as well. Finally a brown spider climbed onto the ettin and bit it, poisoning the ettin, which died and sank beneath the river. The fishing pole floated down stream, then turned around and came back upstream. The whole story is about one creature consuming another all the while each were the catch of the pole's itself. It's a very odd, quick little tale that subverted all expectations. Lost Causes by Nancy Varian Berberick Usha Majere Haria, elf Maddoc Aquestos, mage Eline Carowel Take her to haven, white rush river Taria, elf What a beautiful story. Usha Majere is needing someone to escort a homely woman named Eline to a to-be husband in Haven. A handful of elves and a mage named Maddoc accepted the task. Usha gave Maddoc a charm to give to the husband. Maddoc looked at this homely girl and reflected how ugly she was, she should feel lucky to have any husband. As they began to travel, they were set upon by brigands. The elves and brigands were all killed, and Maddoc was swept away by the White Rush river. He was awakened by Eline, and they realised they were safe, they began preparing to continue the trip to Haven, when they saw a Qualinesty man and woman enter a boat with their baby, and arrows reach them from the shore. THey were fleeing for their lives, but went under the water. Maddoc and Eline ran to the river as the mother tried to pass off her baby. Before they could get to it, they were swept away, and so they hid from the archers on the other shore. They eventually left and Eline was sobbing as if the baby were her own. It was relayed that Eline was marrying the old man so he would fund her fathers efforts at saving others from the Dragon overlords and Dark Knights. Then Maddoc looked at the necklace and was overcome by love for this homely girl because he finally saw her inner beauty. They made love that night, and the next morning Eline was distant and demanded Maddoc take her to Haven. He didn’t want to, he wanted her, but she insisted it was the only way to help others, which is all she cared about. While this made Maddoc love her more, he relented and delivered Eline. He left and began returning to Usha in Solace. It was such a beautiful story that is so similar to a ton of 80's films I watched as a kid. In the end Maddoc was the lost cause, not the girl, for he only saw outward beauty until Eline. Blood Ties by John Brown Elium, brother, older, dead Oleth, brother, younger 15 Tylor Hunchback/Spawn of Onysablet Fessik Father dead Mother, 2 sisters wounded This was a touching story about two brothers, Elium and Oleth, who were out hunting and chased by a Taylor. Once the creature passed them, they raced back home to find their family gone. They asked the neighbors and a slave came and took many of the villagers. The brothers chased down the wagon and attacked the hunchback wagon driver, let out their family and neighbors, but their father was dead. Many of the family members were hurt. The older brother nearly killed the hunchback wagon driver but Oleth talked him down from it. They left, only to have the hunchback catch up and attack them, revealing himself as a Dragonspawn of Onysablet. He killed Elium, the older brother, and Oleth wrestled the spawn, throwing him off the wagon over a bridge and it smashed on the rocks below. Then he collected his brother’s body and set it on the seat next to him. It is just a brutal tale of two brothers trying to do right in a cruel dystopian world. I enjoyed it. Shard's Memory by Chris Pierson Morovik Narrowchap, male dwarf 5 years after Chaos War Shard Ironsmelt, female dwarf Shadow Wight can return memory Severus stonehand Skree, tavern owner This is set 5 years after the Chaos War. The dwarves who now call themselves the twice born, after having forgotten all of the dead in Thorbardin, are reclaiming the kingdom, and cleaning it up. However there are still random shadow wights roaming its halls. There is also a rumor that if you capture a shadow wight, it can tell you about the dead, those who were wiped from memory. We start with Morovik and Shard, two dwarves who have found each other, as they repopulated the kingdom and have started connecting on a romantic level. Shard however is obsessed with her past, as she cannot recall any of it. In fact, only the etchings of buildings are left to tell of who was lost in the war. She believes she is of the ironsmelt clan, but has no proof, as that entire clan has been wiped from memory. Then she overhears of a shadow wight in deep tunnels from a bartender friend, and plans to go find and trap it so she can learn who she is. Morovik is trying to talk her out of it due to its inherent danger and wants to leave Thorbardin with her and start a whole new life as Morovik and Shard. But she cannot move past her, well past. She leaves and he goes with her as he loves her and wants to protect her. They find the shadow wight and discover that there are two! They engage in battle, and she accidentally kills the one she is fighting. Then Morovik is wounded and close to dying from a wound. She tells the shadow wight she will kill it if it doesn’t tell her who she is. It says that it can tell her, if she watched her lover die. All she has to do is nothing, and she will know her past. But that is more than she can do. Content, finally, with who she is rather than who she was, she kills the shadow wight, and saves Morovik's life. It’s a beautiful story about love conquering all. And the notion that your past is less important than who you are now, and where you move into the future. It again, reminds me of the film the Iron Giant and that wonderful phrase, you are who you choose to be. Tactics by Richard A. Knaak Sir Tempian, Knight of Solamnia Lord Cornwell, Knight of the Rose Chieftain Geyver, male half-ogre half-elf This was an interesting story about the evolution of Ogres in the Fifth Age. The Knights of Solamnia under Rose Night Lord Cornwell decided to train the ogres to defend against the Knights of Takhisis, a sort of ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend' situation. The ogres are led by their Chieftain Geyver, a half elf, half ogre. The Solamnics don't trust the ogres but they continue to struggle to train them. Then it is noted that Dark Knights are in the area, the chieftain leads the knights to them, and they defeat them in battle, but one knight flees and they have to stop him, lest he tell others that the Knights of Solamnia are training ogres. This must be kept secret. When they give chase and catch him, the Dark Knight relays that they fight without honor and have killed their men, this leads Cornwell to realise Geyver has been double dealing and killing without the honor they were trained. Then the Dark Knight’s main force surrounds them as they try to flee. Suddenly, ogres hidden in the mountains above trigger massive rock slides defeating many of the Dark Knights, and they mop up the rest.Geyver tells the Knights that they have learned all they can from the Knights, but ogre tactics clearly win out against the Dark Knights. He lets them leave with their lives. This is a great story about the necessity of breaking conventions to live in the troubled fifth age of Krynn, and the lengths organizations will go to defeat their enemies. The Raid on the Academy of Sorcery by Margaret Weis Palin Majere Ulin Majere Lucy Thunder Powder Caramon Majere This final story is one I have read and reviewed on this channel before. Ulin Majere is frustrated at his progress in learning and mastering magic. In fact, all magic has begun to fail, even the wild sorcery. But this is affecting everyone, even the Dragon Overlords. Ulin is interested in a sorceress Lucy who thinks she will leave the Academy of Sorcery to go teach elsewhere, when word comes of an impending attack on Solace. Most of the town gathers together as they create a militia to confront the Dark Knight and Dragon Overlord forces coming from Qualinesti. Berylinthranox is slowly losing her magic and has set up this diversion so that she can have her forces assault the Academy to steal its magical artifacts. Ulin has created what he calls Thunder Powder, it's just black powder, and when they learn of the coming forces, they build aton of it, setting it up to explode if the dragon's forces reach the artifact room. As the forces invade, Ulin and Lucy try to ignite the powder to no avail, and flee before being captured. Simultaneously, the militia learns of the feint and Palin flees to the Academy. Then the draconian forces break open the door and it ignites the powder completely destroying the Academy in jets of flame. As the dragons flee wounded, they see Palin standing in shock at his beloved academy in ruins and capture him, bringing him to Beryl. This leaves Ulin scarred and swears of ever using the Thunder powder again. This was fun to revisit and reflect on how Palin was caught and how the Academy was destroyed, as this assets up the War of Souls wonderfully. Look, the collection wasn't the best, but it had some entertaining stories, and it just reinforces my love of reading rather than listening to these stories. The narrators do their best but frankly, it's never as good as it sounds in my own head. If you are a Dragonlance fan, definitely tread the collection. If you want a bit of a prequel of the War of Souls, it would also be worth a read. But if you are just a casual fan, I think you could skip this collection without missing out. Outro And that's it for my review of Rebels and Tyrants edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. What did you think of the anthology? Did you connect with any of these stories? And finally, would you ever play a one shot facing off against the Shadow Wights? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. I would like to thank Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! I would also like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Let's learn all about the location and history of the heart of Takhisis' empire in Krynn, the evil city of Neraka. You can buy the Dragonlance Campaign Setting here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/28592/dragonlance-campaign-setting-3-5?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/OB6Z2cN37Ag Transcript Cold Open In the shadowed heart of the Khalkist Mountains… where the land cracks open like wounds in the earth… lies a city whispered in fear across all Ansalon. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Neraka. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron by following the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. I am referencing DL14 Dragons of Triumph, The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, Tales of the Lance boxed set, War of the Lance, and Dragonlance Campaign Setting sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion Neraka lies cradled in a high valley of the Khalkist Mountains, a region infamous for its barren peaks, volcanic scars, and broken, fissured plains. The Plains of Neraka stretch outward like a scar, a yellow-brown wasteland cracked with hundreds of crevasses. Some belch sulfurous smoke or even pillars of flame. Others simply yawn open into darkness. Even the roads leading to Neraka were carved by slaves—fine stone highways that bridge fissures and cut through the hostile terrain toward three major destinations: Sanction to the south, Estwilde to the north, and the scattered mountain tracks to the east and west. The mountains around the city are harsh and dry. Streams vanish into dust, thunderstorms turn the proud roads into rivers of mud, and the volcanic peaks sometimes smoke with an ominous glow. Travelers claim the very land seems hostile… almost alive. It's here—amid harsh rock and sulfur—where Takhisis chose to plant the seed of her empire. The name Neraka is older than the Cataclysm. Long before humans settled the valley, the High Ogres ruled a northern city called Narakid. Humans took the land long before 1300 PC… but when the fiery mountain fell during the Cataclysm, that early Neraka vanished beneath destruction. Centuries later—after the world was broken—settlers found something strange in an isolated glade: a twisted root of stone, all that remained of the Kingpriest's temple from Istar. When they built a settlement around it, they believed that they had rediscovered the original Neraka. But they were wrong. That root had been planted there—intentionally—by Takhisis. In the second century after the Cataclysm, the Dark Queen chose this glade as the birthplace of her return. From the stone root grew the Temple of Darkness, a sprawling, organic, unnatural structure that would become the beating heart of her new empire. And around that temple grew a new Neraka… the Neraka the world would come to fear. Neraka is divided like rings around a wound: 1. The Outer Bailey. The outermost ring is a maze of chaos—dense streets jammed with brothels, slave pens, ramshackle huts, open markets, foul-smelling alleys, and mobs of desperate or dangerous people. Goblins haggle with ogres. Human criminals brush shoulders with mercenaries. And the Dark Knights' barracks stand neatly just beyond the squalor, an unsettling reminder that order here comes only from fear. 2. The Inner Bailey. Inside the first walls, buildings press tightly together under the shadow of watchtowers. Smithies, supply stores, military workshops, and housing for the Dragonarmies fill these cramped quarters. Each army maintains its own heavily guarded district. Rivalries run hot, and even in the city’s prime, fights between soldiers were so common that Takhisis's personal troops often had to break them up. 3. The Heart of the City. At the center once stood the terrible Temple of Darkness—a massive, living fortress where the Dragon Highlords met under the watchful gaze of the Queen of Darkness. After the War of the Lance, the temple collapsed inward, disappearing into a vast sinkhole. Its blackened stones litter the southern valley, poisonous to life even centuries later. Nothing grows where the temple fell—just bleeding rock and sulfurous fumes, a wound on Krynn that refuses to heal. Beneath all three layers lies the Undercity: a spiderweb of caves, tunnels, sewers, and catacombs. It connects the outer districts, inner quarters, and even the forgotten dungeons beneath the Temple. Many use the Undercity to avoid guards—but horrors lurk below, remnants of experiments, monsters, and things twisted by the temple's dark magic. During the Age of Despair, Neraka became the shining—if grotesque—capital of Takhisis's Dragon Empire. Criminals, mercenaries, cultists, and the desperate flocked there. Under Ariakas, the Dragon Highlord, the first Dragonarmies took shape here. By 348 AC, the city pulsed with soldiers, draconians, ogres, goblins, spies, and slaves. Riches from early victories in the War of the Lance poured in. Streets overflowed. Crime flourished. Rival armies brawled openly. And yet—strict order remained whenever the Highlords commanded. This was the heart of the Queen of Darkness herself. The center of evil on Ansalon. And it all came crashing down in 352 AC. When the Whitestone Army closed in, the Heroes of the Lance infiltrated the city. They reached the Temple of Darkness… and destroyed it from within, triggering chaos. The Dragonarmies turned on one another in a frenzy for control, shattering the city in the process. Neraka burned. Its armies scattered. Its goddess vanished. After Takhisis's defeat, Neraka remained a haven for evil—but without unity. The Dark Knights, newly formed and led from Storm's Keep, mostly ignored the broken city. A Lord Mayor ruled for a time… until the rise of Mirielle Abrena. After the Chaos War, she seized Neraka by force, executed the mayor, and declared herself Governor-General. Under Abrena, Neraka again rose in power—until her assassination. Morham Targonne then moved the Knight's capital to Jelek, sending Neraka into decline. But after the War of Souls, the Dark Knights returned once more. Neraka is—once again—their seat of power, grim as ever. Neraka teems with factions: The Nerakan Guard, led by Captain Joras Gelt, maintains harsh order outside the temple grounds. The Red Watch, Blue Watch, Green Regiment, and Black Guard—elite units of sivaks, kapaks, and bozaks—defend the Dragonarmies' interests. The Hidden Light, an underground resistance led by Talent Orren and Lute the Pawnbroker, fights quietly against the influence of darkness. The population is a volatile mix: humans, draconians, ogres, goblins, dwarves, minotaurs, and even the occasional giant. Trade is thriving but grim—slaves, mercenaries, weapons, stolen goods, and black-market items flowing between Sanction, Khur, and Zhakar. Neraka remains a symbol of tyranny and ambition. Its streets are dangerous. Its politics are ruthless. Its shadow stretches across all of Taman Busuk. And yet… it is alive. A boiling cauldron of power, violence, and fear—waiting for history to turn once more. Where darkness gathers, Neraka stands. Outro And that is all I have to say about Neraka. What do you think of this center of evil? Have you ever played the War of the Lance campaign and invaded Neraka? And do you think the town will ever rise again as a center of evil might in the Age of Mortals? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important.

Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover Core Foundations. A breakdown of the DM's real responsibilities: arbiter, storyteller, referee, facilitator, audience, and performer https://youtube.com/live/XPrJiFyrOEg Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Darkember the 24th, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Every Dungeon Master begins in the same place: excitement tempered by uncertainty. You're about to guide a group of wildly different human beings through a story that only exists because all of you choose to believe in it together. That takes responsibility. That takes awareness. And it takes a willingness to understand not just rules… but people. Today, we're laying the foundation. Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101: Core Foundations. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance media, using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion Understanding People Before Dice Before you think about combat mechanics, monster stat blocks, or worldbuilding, you must start with the most important element at your table: the human beings sitting around it. Each player is a mixture of: personal history, culture and beliefs, unique motivations, individual learning styles, and different comfort levels with performance, math, and social dynamics Your job as a DM is not to homogenize them. Your job is to celebrate their differences and build a game that allows each one to shine. Recognize that no two people come to your table with the same expectations. The moment you embrace that, you begin to see the game not as a rigid structure… but as a living conversation. The Three Roles of a Dungeon Master A beginner DM often thinks their job is to “tell the story” or “run the monsters.” But those are only pieces of a larger whole. You actually play three roles at once: The Facilitator: You provide structure. You decide the pace. You keep the game moving, gently guiding everyone toward a shared experience. The Arbiter: Rules exist to support fun, not dominate it. You interpret them, make quick judgments, and maintain fairness — even when the entire table is watching. The Story Shepherd: You don't force a plot; you cultivate it. The players bring energy, curiosity, chaos, and creativity. You channel that into a narrative that feels meaningful. A great DM doesn't control the story. A great DM leads it. The Five Pillars of Running the Game Every session you run rests on five foundational pillars. Understanding these early will save you from the most common beginner mistakes. Combat: Not about numbers — about tension, stakes, and cinematic moments. Exploration: Let players discover, investigate, and poke around in a world that reacts to them. Social Interaction: NPCs, factions, rumors, alliances — all opportunities for the players to express themselves. Downtime: Breathing room. Character reflection. Progression. The glue between adventures. Character Arcs: The emotional throughlines. Every player is the protagonist of their own personal story, even within the larger campaign. Your best sessions mix these like ingredients. Too much of one throws everything off balance. Player Motivations (The 8 Types) If you want your table to stay engaged, you must understand why each person sits down to play. These correlate with teh Player Types I mentioned last week: Actor, Explorer, Instigator, Power Gamer, Slayer, Storyteller, Thinker, and Watcher. Most players fall into blends of these eight motivations: Combat-Driven – loves the fight, tactics, and victory Story-Driven – wants narrative depth Social-Driven – thrives on roleplay and interactions Puzzle-Driven – enjoys clever problems to solve Power-Driven – wants to grow stronger, gain prestige Discovery-Driven – loves lore, secrets, and worldbuilding Character-Driven – focuses on personal arcs and emotional journeys Chaos/Thrill-Driven – wants surprise, randomness, and wild moments Your job? Identify each player's blend, then feed them the content that lights them up. This alone can transform your DMing. Practical Skills Every Beginner Should Practice You don't need to master everything at once. Start with these reliable skills: Keep the Game Moving: Perfect decisions are less important than decisive ones. Make a call, keep the energy flowing. Learn to Say “Yes, But…”: “Yes, you can attempt that… but here's the risk.” This protects player agency while preserving challenge. Prep for Flexibility, Not Control: Prepare situations, not scripts. Players will destroy your plot — let them. It usually leads to something better. Share the Spotlight: Track who hasn't had a moment to shine, then give them one. Players remember how you make them feel far more than any plot twist. The First Big Secret of DMing Here's the truth: You don't need to be perfect. You don't need to know every rule. You don't even need to be the most creative person at the table. You just need to be present, attentive, and willing to learn* session by session. Every great DM started by fumbling through their first adventure. Closing Takeaway Dungeon mastering isn't about control — it's about collaboration. It's not about rules — it's about people. And it's not about perfection — it's about intention. If you embrace that mindset now, everything that comes later — encounters, villains, worldbuilding, arcs — becomes easier. This is your foundation. This is where your journey begins. Outro And that's it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Core Foundations! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below. Thank you for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate link. All links are in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Atomic Peanut|Butter Group teams up with the DragonLance Nexus to bring you their next live play: DragonLance: Huma Before the Lance - The Dark Patrol. Chuck is the Dungeon Master, leading players Atom, Michael, Sedgwick, Brent, and DragonLance Nexus member Ed through this new DL adventure available now on Dungeon Masters Guild! For more information and to order the game, click on the link below: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/531312/Dragonlance-Huma-Before-the-Lance--The-Dark-Patrol?src=hottest_in_dmg&filters=45469 The closest thing to hanging out with friends and playing D&D without actually playing D&D yourself! It's more fun than it sounds, trust us! youtube and twitch.tv/atomicpeanutbuttergroup www.facebook.com/WickedStudios11 and www.facebook.com/AtomicPeanutButter

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are discussing Dragonlance Chronicles price drop, The Mighty Nine series, The Immersive Quest, and Battlemarked. https://youtube.com/live/VIkV_ZzLJpU Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Order of Aesthetics News episode! It is Bakukal, Darkember the 21st. My name is Adam and today I was sifting through the Iconochronos and ran across this exciting bit of news. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even grab Dragonlance media using my affiliate links. All links are in the description below. Discussion The Dragonlance Chronicles Collection Has Dropped To Its Lowest Price Ever For Black Friday https://comicbook.com/gear/deals/the-dragonlance-chronicles-collection-deal-black-friday/ The Mighty Nein understands magic better than most D&D players https://www.polygon.com/the-mighty-nein-prime-video-magic-spell-components-dnd/ Behind Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest https://www.licenseglobal.com/location-based-entertainment/behind-dungeons-dragons-the-immersive-quest  Battlemarked is a D&D skin dropped over Demeo https://www.polygon.com/demeo-dnd-battlemarked-impressions/  Outro And that's it for this OA News episode! Will you be picking up the Dragonlance Chronicles as a gift? Do you enjoy the animated Critical Role series? And finally, are immersive experiences too much like LARPS and thus exclusionary to regular fans? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below. I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! ¡Bienvenidos a otro podcast sobre novelas de FANTASÍA en TERRAESCRIBIENTE! Hoy continuamos con los increíbles libros de Calabozos y Dragones en el universo de "DRAGONLANCE". "EL CABALLERO GALEN", libro 6 de la saga HÉROES DE LA DRAGONLANCE. Parte 2. El haber sido armado caballero apenas había cambiado a “Comadreja”. Galen Pathwarden Brightblade sigue mostrándose reacio a correr aventuras, siempre dispuesto a salvar la propia piel a cualquier precio. Pero cuando su hermano Brithelm desaparece misteriosamente, Galen deja de lado sus reservas y emprende una búsqueda que lo conduce a las profundidades de la tierra, donde se ve envuelto en una infernal conspiración. Escrito por: Michael Williams. Maquetación: MAC (Terraescribiente) Por favor, sigue y suscríbete a las siguientes redes: DISCORD: https://discord.gg/WnbP8tQtD3 Canal de WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCcO2s1NCrQqLpfFR3u Escucha el audiolibro completo en: patreon.com/Terraescribiente Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerraEscriba Telegram: https://t.me/+62_TRJVg-3cxNDZh Instagram: www.instagram.com/terraescribiente/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@terraescribiente YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Terraescribiente ¡También suscríbete a TERRAESCRIBIENTE en ITUNES Y SPOTIFY! ¡Dale me gusta a cada podcast y coméntalos! ¡Ayuda mucho! ¡Gracias!Escucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de TERRAESCRIBIENTE. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/747547

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. 

¡Bienvenidos a otro podcast sobre novelas de FANTASÍA en TERRAESCRIBIENTE! Hoy continuamos con los increíbles libros de Calabozos y Dragones en el universo de "DRAGONLANCE". "EL CABALLERO GALEN", libro 6 de la saga HÉROES DE LA DRAGONLANCE. Parte 1. El haber sido armado caballero apenas había cambiado a “Comadreja”. Galen Pathwarden Brightblade sigue mostrándose reacio a correr aventuras, siempre dispuesto a salvar la propia piel a cualquier precio. Pero cuando su hermano Brithelm desaparece misteriosamente, Galen deja de lado sus reservas y emprende una búsqueda que lo conduce a las profundidades de la tierra, donde se ve envuelto en una infernal conspiración. Escrito por: Michael Williams. Maquetación: MAC (Terraescribiente) Por favor, sigue y suscríbete a las siguientes redes: DISCORD: https://discord.gg/WnbP8tQtD3 Canal de WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCcO2s1NCrQqLpfFR3u Escucha el audiolibro completo en: patreon.com/Terraescribiente Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerraEscriba Telegram: https://t.me/+62_TRJVg-3cxNDZh Instagram: www.instagram.com/terraescribiente/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@terraescribiente YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Terraescribiente ¡También suscríbete a TERRAESCRIBIENTE en ITUNES Y SPOTIFY! ¡Dale me gusta a cada podcast y coméntalos! ¡Ayuda mucho! ¡Gracias!

Join me as I review Heroes and Fools edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman live! Share your thoughts on this second Tales of the Fifth Age anthology, released by Wizards of the Coast on July 1, 1999.

Welcome to the Order of Aesthetics News, LIVE! We are broadcasting directly from the Great Library of the Ages in Palanthas Alt Cataclius, and today we are beginning our weekly news roundup of all things Dragonlance and Dungeons & Dragons.

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience.

Look, if you're still hoping for a duel, get over it. It's not happening - that's why we named the titled like we did...Atomic Peanut|Butter Group teams up with the DragonLance Nexus to bring you their next live play: DragonLance: Huma Before the Lance - The Dark Patrol. Chuck is the Dungeon Master, leading players Atom, Michael, Sedgwick, Brent, and DragonLance Nexus member Ed through this new DL adventure available now on Dungeon Masters Guild! For more information and to order the game, click on the link below: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/531312/Dragonlance-Huma-Before-the-Lance--The-Dark-Patrol?src=hottest_in_dmg&filters=45469 The closest thing to hanging out with friends and playing D&D without actually playing D&D yourself! It's more fun than it sounds, trust us! youtube and twitch.tv/atomicpeanutbuttergroup www.facebook.com/WickedStudios11 and www.facebook.com/AtomicPeanutButter

Preparing the next session of my Patron DnD campaign, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.HUGE SPOILERS! No players allowed!Music by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.htmlShop for tabletop games, CCGs, miniatures, RPG supplies and more at our sponsor, Noble Knight Games, using my affiliate link: https://www.nobleknight.com?awid=1553Chat with us in the Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AjvtemjSupport the channel at https://www.patreon.com/Roguewatson

In a new type of episode of The Table Business, Jack is joined by his new co-hosts Arlentric and Cloudkill Connor to break down the latest news in the tabletop world. In this episode, Jack, Arlo and Connor dive into the recent news that D&D is bringing back Dragonlance, and they preview the new TMNT Magic: The Gathering Set.Connect:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sounds Like Adventure on Twitch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sounds Like Adventure on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sounds Like Adventure on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack on InstagramArlentric on InstagramArlentric on YouTubeCloudkill Connor on Instagram

Preparing the next session of my Patron DnD campaign, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.HUGE SPOILERS! No players allowed!Music by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.htmlShop for tabletop games, CCGs, miniatures, RPG supplies and more at our sponsor, Noble Knight Games, using my affiliate link: https://www.nobleknight.com?awid=1553Chat with us in the Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AjvtemjSupport the channel at https://www.patreon.com/Roguewatson

Ryan and Ben cover some news, discuss magic circles, and put beasts into the Monster Fixer. Community Pages: Core Rulebooks have strongest start; Game Designer Job Posting at WotC; D&D Returns to Dragonlance; Closing the chapter on Sigil; Circle Magic; Forgotten Realms 8 new Subclasses; Free Forgotten Realms Adventure; Dungeon Alchemist update; Tales from Woodcreek … Continue reading "Episode 145 – More News and Beast Monster Fixer"

Sigil has failed its final death save! Is D&D Beyond Maps a good enough replacement? Dragonlance gets resurrected, 5e 2024 could be the most successful edition yet, and what level should you start your campaign?Delve into the Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart - https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_DKDH_2025_10_210Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.comBen: @TheBenByrneDael: @DailyDaelJames: @jamesjhaeckShawn: @shawnmerwinEditor:  @ZsDante  Topics:00:00 - Intro02:20 - Games of paranoia05:27 - Critical Role goes mainstreamer09:03 - Daylight savings09:47 - Sigil laid to rest15:09 - Dungeons of Drakkenheim: Daggerheart17:32 - Dragonlance returns?26:34 - 5e 2024 is D&D's fastest seller30:56 - Best D&D starting level?48:39 - Narrative leveling

Livestreaming as always Friday at 2pm UK time (9am Eastern)! We'll be talking about all the Forgotten Realms sourcebook previews, new editions for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and GURPS, and wondering what Weis, Hickman, and Manganiello are cooking up for Dragonlance. And more. Naturally. Circle Casting Details Revealed for Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun Dungeons & Dragons Reveals Two New Spells That Will Appear in Forgotten Realms Books Forgotten Realms Book Preview From NYCC D&D Beyond Releases Free Forgotten Realms Adventure Renegade to Reprint Lords of Waterdeep WizKids to Release Kraken Figure for D&D What Are Dragonlance's Weis & Hickman, and Actor Manganiello Cooking Up With WotC? 2024 D&D Core Rulebooks Off to "Strongest-Ever" Start for D&D Books Critical Role Reveals Soldiers' Table and Motivations Knights of Braille Screen Reader Accessible Games List Wyrd Science Issue 7 Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 5th Edition Is Coming in 2026 GURPS 4th Edition Revised Announced Free League Announces Dragonbane: Trudvang Pendragon: Classic Edition Midnight of the Century Itchfunder Gang War for Mothership Backerkit

Preparing the next session of my Patron DnD campaign, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.HUGE SPOILERS! No players allowed!Music by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.htmlChat with us in the Official Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AjvtemjSupport the channel at https://www.patreon.com/RoguewatsonHelp support the channel by purchasing your tabletop games, CCGs, miniatures, RPG supplies and more via Noble Knight Games, using this link: https://www.nobleknight.com?awid=1553

The One where Dave agrees with Rich. About Wolverine graphics. Signal of Doom was voted #13 in the Top 100 Comic Book Podcasts on Feedspot! Check it OUT! https://podcast.feedspot.com/comic_podcasts Please support the show on Patreon! Every dollar helps the show! https://www.patreon.com/SignalofDoom Follow us on Twitter: @signalofdoom Dredd or Dead: @OrDredd Legion Outpost: @legionoutpost