I own the Taladas 2nd ed. resource boxed set but it's on the other side of the world from me right now. (Time of the Dragon? I think it was.) I don't have it to hand anymore, so I'm hoping I can ask around on here about Taladas background information for this fan fiction.
I frankly don't remember too much, except that there are minotaur empires and squabbling human factions, including one major church devoted to Hith with a fanatical army of zealot soldiers of its own. I vaguely remember a character named Count Mallarchus. I'd love to bring these into the story too if I could, even if it's just in the deep background (to avoid a contradiction from being too detailed).
My questions:
Can you give me any background conflicts that Vlad Drakov might have grown up through, as a young boy? I'm thinking of having his evil nature explained by the terrors of war he'd seen as a child.
Which factions would be his likely sponsors? I'm envisioning a fairly volatile political situation (rather like Europe during the 100 Years' War, or possibly Iraq today) so Drakov would have to change sides just to stay alive. Are there factions and subfactions that he would hire out to?
What are the main cities and kingdoms he'd have to navigate around? Also, apart from Hith, are there other faiths that would wage war or finance one?
Thanks for your help! Hopefully this request won't violate any copyright situation. Also, if it makes things any better, I do actually own the boxed set - it's just a little steep for me to fly to Beijing to pick it up.
If you don't mind re-buying Time of the Dragon, the pdf is available from Paizo's webstore (for $4, I think).
And since he's a Dark Lord, just about all of them, from the first campaign setting box on. If I remember right, he's the one who keeps invading Darkon.
Oggie
Thanks for the help. I'll look for the download.
If you don't mind re-buying Time of the Dragon, the pdf is available from Paizo's webstore (for $4, I think).
Hmm. I have searched on Paizo's webstore and I can't find it. Do you happen to have a direct link?
They also have DLR2 Taladas:the Minotaurs and a couple of the DLA adventures. Oh, and DLS1 New Beginnings, the 'sequel' to Time of the Dragon.
Store->Games->Role Playing Games->D->Dragonlance->TSR & Wizards of the Coast (if you want the path from the main page).
Oggie
Downloading now!
Perhaps after the Taladas trilogy is finished they might. Of course DL is back in the hands of WoTC, and TSR did not do a whole lot with Taladas so who knows?
They have done more with it than MWP.
The last of the Taladas trilogy should be out soon.
It was released this week.
There was a very good chance we would have published a Taladas sourcebook this coming year if we'd retained the license; I think it's always been our plan to do so once Chris was done with his trilogy. Unfortunately, we won't have the license after this year, so that's no longer possible.
Cheers,
Cam
I assume Malarchus is older than Bishop Trandamere. The info card in 2nd ed. says he is about 150 years old, but makes no mention at all of Trandamere's longevity. The story I'm writing is set to be several decades before the 4th-age events outlined in "Time of the Dragon", so that Trandamere and Malarchus are still around but not yet the Thenol powers they later become.
If there needs to be a political rise of the two, I imagine Malarchus will rise first as a military power, and then Trandamere rises in the political influence sphere.
Thoughts?
It was released this week.
There was a very good chance we would have published a Taladas sourcebook this coming year if we'd retained the license; I think it's always been our plan to do so once Chris was done with his trilogy. Unfortunately, we won't have the license after this year, so that's no longer possible.
Cheers,
Cam
Is there a chance you guys will be referenced or even paid by WOTC to maintain their DL pRODCUTS?
Is there a chance you guys will be referenced or even paid by WOTC to maintain their DL pRODCUTS?
I have no idea at this stage. It has nothing to do with us as far as I am aware.
Cheers,
Cam
Is it ever explicitly stated where exactly Count Malarchus makes his residence?
I assume Malarchus is older than Bishop Trandamere. The info card in 2nd ed. says he is about 150 years old, but makes no mention at all of Trandamere's longevity. The story I'm writing is set to be several decades before the 4th-age events outlined in "Time of the Dragon", so that Trandamere and Malarchus are still around but not yet the Thenol powers they later become.
If there needs to be a political rise of the two, I imagine Malarchus will rise first as a military power, and then Trandamere rises in the political influence sphere.
Thoughts?
Bumped to see if anybody knows the answer to this question.
Drakov is left out in the cold. During this time he massacres one village too many and is drawn into Ravenloft, leaving Taladas in pretty much the situation you see in the "Time of the Dragon" boxed set.
Edit: This is purely for posterity's sake. My previous requests for DL expert opinions have gone unheeded and I have no illusions about getting any help for this from the DL crowd.
Edit: This is purely for posterity's sake. My previous requests for DL expert opinions have gone unheeded and I have no illusions about getting any help for this from the DL crowd.
I can't speak for any of the other "DL experts," but I didn't reply about this since I'm not the most knowledgeable about Taladas.
However, I'm searching for some Taladas experts to lend their opinion.
Edit: This is purely for posterity's sake. My previous requests for DL expert opinions have gone unheeded and I have no illusions about getting any help for this from the DL crowd.
Sorry for no response. Frankly, you probably know as much as any DL expert here. I'm not sure what help can be given. This is especially true since the Vlad never had a lot of details beyond the Ravenloft product he appeared in.
Weldon
The only City even depicted on the Map is New Aurim, and we are given very little info about it.
Hawkbluff is the temple of HIth and appraently where the authority of the Church resides. It is also the site of the final battle between Thenol and the League of Minotaurs in the only Taladas novel trilogy. Also it is where Bishop Trandamere meet his fate.
New Aurim might be the Capital of Thenol but apparently it is as run uninteresting as the rest of the cities of the country, except for the palace and Temple of Hith. And the only reason the palace holds any attraction is because it is where the puppet king resides.
Priests pretty much run the city, and they have secret police for those things the priests don't see. It is basically a city of fear and distrust.
There are other gods who have followings just as on Ansalon but none as fervently and strongly as Hith except possibly Sargas (Sargonnas) who has the league. Most other lands tend to be peaceful or have little interest in conquering their neighbors.
As far as for where Vlad might have grown up (region and so forth) we are not given any kind of detailed info on the different regions or countys of thenol, so we wouldn't know where to begin.
And Vlad Drakov of course is not even mentioned in the Taladas product.
There is no detailed timeline other than a few entries to try and give a sense of time between Taladas and Ansalon.
The only people who oppose Trandamere, and actually stand a chance of surviving are the Lords, Baron Markeides, and Prince Raimos. Of course what they are Baron and Prince of is never mentioned.
There is a band of rebels who quietly oppose Bishop Trandamere in New Aurim. No other info is provided for them either.
I would really hope that their would be a Taladas sourcebook published for 3.5.
Have you seen the Taladas: Time of the Dragonlords on Dragonlance Nexus? It is a bit out of date, but could help you.
Okay, I'm writing this as though Malarchus is initially an enemy of the kingdom (and Trandamere is apparently a defender of it). Drakov rises to become a pawn of Trandamere's, and he apparently witnesses Malarchus "die" twice. (Each time the evil Count is merely regenerated at his keep and returns.) Finally when Trandamere reveals his true colors as a cleric of Hiteh, he seizes power in Thenol and comes to a pact with Malarchus.
Drakov is left out in the cold. During this time he massacres one village too many and is drawn into Ravenloft, leaving Taladas in pretty much the situation you see in the "Time of the Dragon" boxed set.
Edit: This is purely for posterity's sake. My previous requests for DL expert opinions have gone unheeded and I have no illusions about getting any help for this from the DL crowd.
When is Vlad Drakov supposed to have been taken from Thenol on Taladas to Ravenloft? There is a timeline on pages 4-7 of The Guide Book to Taladas that might help you work out what was happening to Drakov before he was consumed by Ravenloft.
Pages 66-71 give you pretty much everything about Thenol that is known (there is also the information about The Thenolite Army on page 32 of The Rule Book to Taladas, but that doesn't give you much background). I would guess that Drakov's foes (on Krynn) would either be from countries that have fought with Thenol of from Thenol itself.
How does Drakov "massacre a village"? Is he some sort of magic user or does he have command of a Thenolite Army with undead and/or fanatics?
If Drakov used to have control of an undead army then perhaps he could gather an undead army in Ravenloft.
Seeing as Hawkbluff became the headquarters of the Zealots of Hith, it is possible that Vlad pre-dates Bishop Trandamere. The clues lie in the description given for Vlad in Domains and Denizens, where it says he worked for whomever paid him the most money, usually the evil fanatics of Hith, rather than saying Bishop Trandamere. It also does not mention the Undead hordes of Thenol, as well as saying that Vlad disappeared long ago.
I doubt that Bishop Trnadamere would have tolerated someone such as this within the borders of his realm, as least not for very long.