WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome to another
exciting issue of the Nexus News.

I wanted to introduce all of you to a new companion who will be
traveling with us on our journeys across Ansalon.  Joshua Stewart is
one of the guys behind the Dragonlance Book Club, and he's going to
be giving us updates each issue.  So please join me in extending
Joshua a warm welcome.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends, and step into the Nexus.  The
portal to adventure awaits!


DRAGONLANCE NOVEL NEWS
February will see the release of two different Dragonlance novels.
The first is a reprint of the classic tales novel, The Magic of
Krynn.

The second release is Return of the Exile, the conclusion of the
Linsha Trilogy.  The cover is quite eye-catching as well, as we see
Linsha covered in what appears to be the body paint of the brutes.


DRAGONLANCE D20 NEWS
Mortality Radio has interviewed Margaret Weis and Jamie Chambers on
January 7th, which can be downloaded from their site.  See
Dragonlance.com for more details.

Also, Dragonlance.com has updated its product page, adding
Tasslehoff's Map Pouch: The Age of Mortals by Kencyclopedia.com's
own Sean Macdonald (March 2005), and Holy Orders of the Stars (May
2005).  Also, the release date of Spectre of Sorrows is now set at
April 2005.

WHAT'S NEW ON THE NEXUS
The Nexus has been kicking it into high gear already this year, with
some special treats.

To start it off, we have a list of Kingpriests by none other than
Chris Pierson in our reference section.  Thanks to Chris for sending
that in.

In our features section, Paladin has been busy creating some Nexus
wallpaper, featuring some of our very own fan artists.  Paladin has
also posted some new fan art, so check that section for the latest.

Plus, our fan rules section has seen several new additions,
including variant wizard spellcasting charts for each of the three
orders by yours truly, and a variant spell list for mystics by rules
editor Joe Mashuga.  Be sure to check that variant mystic spell list
out, guys.  Joe did a fantastic job with that.

Also, I wanted to mention that we're looking for campaign journals
for the site.  We want to know what's going on in your games, so
feel free to write up a journal and send it in.  Journals are a
great way to keep track of your game, as well as to get share
adventure ideas with other dungeon masters.
GREETINGS FROM THE BOOK CLUB (By Joshua Stewart)
Greetings from the Book Club


Before I get into my usual spill; there is someone I need to wish a
very happy birthday. Of course I mean the book club. That's right,
this month marks one full year that the DLBC has been doing what she
does. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY book club, here is too many more years. I
would like to thank all of you who have contributed. THANKS!

Last month's votes have been counted and the selections for February
stand thus.


Night Of Blood
by
Richard A. Knaak
The first title in a new hardcover trilogy from New York Times best-
selling author Richard A. Knaak. This direct follow-up to the
recentbest-selling War of Souls trilogy deals with the minotaurs, a
species
with which the author is particularly associated in the minds of
Dragonlance fans. This series will move the minotaur species to
theforefront of the Dragonlance world, and since this is the first
hardcover title that deals directly with the world-changing
falloutat the end of the War of Souls, it is both a key title for
Dragonlance fans and an excellent entry point for new readers.

Galen Beknighted
by
Michael Williams
Becoming a knight has changed the Weasel very little. Galen
Pathwarden is still reluctant to adventure, still out to save his
own skin at virtually any cost. But when his brother Brithelm
vanishes
mysteriously, Galen sets aside his better judgment and embarks on a
quest that leads under the earth, deep into a conspiracy of
darkness, and to the end of his courage. Galen returns to imperiled
Solamnia in this exciting sequel to the top selling Weasel's Luck,
also by Michael Williams, the bard of the Dragonlance saga.

Richard Knaak replied to my e-mail a few days ago. He assured me
that he was very pleased that the book club has decided to cover his
latest Dragonlance works, the Minotaur Wars. He said he would be
checking in often to answer questions.

Michael Williams, unfortunately, will not be able to make it.  I
received the following letter from Margaret Weis, who contacted
Michael for me.

"Dear Joshua:

I spoke to Michael. He's involved in going for his Ph.D., as well as
teaching, and he's extremely busy. He sends his regrets and thanks
the fans for their vote. He hopes everyone enjoys the discussion.

Thanks!
Margaret"


So it looks like no Michael Williams for March, but it is only a
small matter as we do have Richard and that is nothing to spit at,
my friends. Hope to be reading everyone's post very soon

Joshua Stewart
THE BOOK CLUB GUY

UNTIL NEXT TIME
Thanks for the update, Joshua.  I don't know about anyone else, but
I'm already excited.  Remember that many of the authors visit our
boards at DragonlanceForums.com, so stop on by and say hello.

And with that, we must bid you adieu.  Keep watching the Nexus for
the latest news, polls, and the very best of fandom.  We look
forward to meeting you next time in the Inn of the Last Home.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome! It's that
time of year again, when the decorations go up and friends and
family gather in a time of companionship. As with any time when
companions get together, there is much news discussed between them.

With that in mind, it is time to share the latest and greatest with
Dragonlance. So grab your hoopaks, your gnome tool belts, your
swords and maybe that strangely glowing staff. The portal to
adventure awaits!

D20 DRAGONLANCE NEWS
Wizards of the Coast and Sovereign Press jointly announced that the
Dragonlance Adventure Game boxed set (and only the boxed set) has
been cancelled.

As for future products, there's going to be Tas' Map Pouch: Age of
Mortals, Spectre of Sorrows, Price of Courage, Holy Orders of the
Stars, and a book about the Legends trilogy, akin to War of the
Lance. An official 2005 schedule has not been released as of this
time.

Also, check out Dragonlance.com for some official web goodies,
including a Citadel Guardian prestige class by Matthew Blasi, Bozak
Draconian player race rules by Jamie chambers, and the Spiritualism
domain and dreadwolf monster stats by yours truly.

NOVEL NEWS
Looking ahead to January, we see Dragon Sword by Ree Soesbee, the
latest novel in the New Adventures young adult series. February sees
the re-release of The Magic of Krynn anthology, as well as Return of
the Exile, book three of the Linsha Trilogy by Mary H. Herbert.

Also, be sure to check out the Dragonlance Book Club
(http://www.dragonlanceforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4) for
the latest discussions on Weasel's Luck and Land of the Minotaurs.

COMIC BOOK NEWS
I just wanted to thank everyone who supported the comic. It was a
fun time for me, and one that I will never forget. I hope all of you
have enjoyed the series as much as I have.

NEXUS NEWS
There are tons of updates at the Nexus. The product listing is
updated, and there's some new fan artwork as well. I'm particularly
fond of a pic of Laurana by Cell.

There's been several new fan rules recently, including a couple of
sorcerer feats by Cam Banks, a Stalker of Canus prestige class by
Ogre Bane (based on the short stories of the Wulfbunde by Kevin T.
Stein), and a Compiled Feat List and Compiled Class list by yours
truly, documenting where all the feats, base classes, and prestige
classes introduced in Dragonlance products came from. I'm hoping to
do another couple for magic items and spells soon.

You should also check out our interviews section
(http://www.dl3e.com/features/interviews/). We have three new
interviews recently, including one with Doug Niles on Wizards'
Conclave, one with young adult author Dan Willis, and a Fifth Age
design team interview.

MARGARET WEIS PRODUCTIONS
Margaret Weis has formed a new company, Margaret Weis Productions,
Ltd. Details are a bit sketchy at this point as to what the new
company will tackle, although Jamie Chambers recently announced a
call for playtesters and reviewers for a role-playing game based on
the upcoming movie, Serenity (based on the Firefly TV show).

Keep your eyes open for all the wonderful things coming out of
Margaret's new company.

THE YEAR BEHIND, THE YEAR AHEAD
I thought I would offer my thoughts (and just that) on the year
behind, and the year ahead. A lot has gone on, and a bit of
retrospection is always good.

Gaming-wise, we've seen both good and bad. War of the Lance has
proven to be an excellent product, and I would say the best
Dragonlance RPG product ever. It's full of details, and shows just
how much Sovereign Press has grown since Age of Mortals.

Another gaming product that was done quite well is Towers of High
Sorcery. I thought the only drawback to this book was its timing. By
this, I mean that had it been delayed a few months, it could have
included material from Wizards' Conclave and Amber and Ashes.
Despite this, an overall good product.

The low point gaming-wise has to be Key of Destiny. While it is a
good adventure, there was a huge delay and a number of errors. The
errata seems to be quite large. It's looking like there may be
delays on Spectre of Sorrows as well. Jamie Chambers will be posting
chapter one of Spectre when he gets approval from Wizards of the
Coast.

Personally, I consider this to be a time of growing pains. I will
say that Sovereign Press has put out such high quality products
overall that they blow Wizards of the Coast away.

Novel-wise, we have seen the continuation of the Minotaur Wars
trilogy, Wizards' Conclave (which has had mixed reviews), and Amber
and Ashes. Lake of Death saw some dramatic change to the world of
Krynn, which I won't delve into to avoid spoilers. Again, this is a
novel that has had mixed fan reaction.

Amber and Ashes has got to be the high point of 2004. It's an
excellent story, one that continues the world of Dragonlance, and
one where we not only see a monk of Majere, but also a kender
nightstalker – who isn't a clone of Tas! Personally, I found this to
be a better read even than Soulforge, which I highly enjoyed.

I feel that the novels are making a much needed change, one geared
towards the future and not rehashing the last several years. Plus,
we're in for a treat with the upcoming Taladas Chronicles trilogy by
Chris Pierson! I know many Dragonlance fans have been itching to see
Taladas brought to life in the novels.

I also have to commend the young adult books for reaching out to
readers who follow such series as Harry Potter. That's a good move,
and one that reaches out to a younger audience and strengthens the
fan base in general.

The high point this year for me has to be the comic book adaptation
of The Legend of Huma. Not only was it my first cover credit, but
also a story very near and dear to my heart. Add in my love of
comics and Dragonlance, and this made for an excellent story.

Unfortunately, this project came to an end all too early. I'm not
sure if we'll see another Dragonlance comic for a while. I do hope
that everyone enjoyed the comic while it lasted. I know I did.

We also saw some dramatic shift with Dragonlance.com and the
Dragonlance Nexus. Dragonlance.com has become the official online
presence for official Dragonlance gaming and Sovereign Press. The
new boards are fantastic as well. You should check them out.

For those who enjoyed the old Dragonlance.com, never fear, for the
material has a new home on the Dragonlance Nexus. The Nexus has been
my baby since its creation, and all of us who work on it are
determined to make it the best site we can. The traffic on the site
has more than quadrupled since the switchover, and I think there's
going to be plenty to interest everyone.

So where do I see things going this next year? Right now, we're in
the middle of a transition period, where the novels are moving
forward and the games have some awesome new materials. I do have
concerns on delays with Sovereign Press' materials, but I think
they're making the right changes to get away from this trend. I've
seen much improvement already. Again, growing pains.

The transition, in my opinion, is a much-needed one that will give
new energy into the setting. Having the gods back (minus Paladine
and Takhisis) is a good thing. They're an integral part of the
setting. The conflict that arises with their return is what you
should really look forward to. Can mystics and clerics co-exist?
What about wizards and sorcerers?

I also see a general shift in role-playing at this time. I've seen
where people are looking to get away from all the crunch-heavy books
and get back to fluff. I've also seen where some companies are
shying away from the d20 system rules, such as with the upcoming 3rd
edition of the Legend of the Five Rings RPG. I can sense some change
in the air, so keep your eyes peeled in the next couple of years.
There's bound to be some good stuff out there.

I think the Nexus will also grow in strength. It's an invaluable
resource, having materials no other site has. There's much I would
like to do for it, and such little time. However, we have plenty of
contributors who will bring you tools that you can't find anywhere
else and there's plenty of material to enjoy .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
My friends, I want to wish you the very best of holidays. It's a
time of year for companionship and giving, and one that just makes
you feel warm and fuzzy all over.

So from all of us on the Whitestone Council, I want to wish you all
a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you in 2005!

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Dragonlance Nexus

DEDICATION
This newsletter is dedicated to SGT Richard E Kinnison, who is
currently deployed in Kuwait.  Thanks for the kind e-mail.  May you
ever find your way back to the Inn of the Last Home.


WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the
Inn of the Last Home.  Now that everyone is back from GenCon and
DragonCon, we're all hard at work once again.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends.  The road to adventure awaits!


AMBER AND ASHES/MARGARET WEIS BOOK TOUR
Amber and Ashes is the latest novel by Margaret Weis, and a
fantastic read if I may say so!  This is book one of the Dark
Disciple trilogy, which focuses on Mina after the War of Souls.
There's also a monk of Majere named Rhys Mason and a kender
nightstalker named Nightshade Pricklypear who are involved in the
story as well.  And just who are the Beloved of Chemosh?

Margaret is on tour promoting the book.  The tour schedule can be
found here:

http://www.margaretweis.com/news/archives.php?id=30

I believe that there will be some promotional Mina miniatures given
away as well.  Be sure to stop by our new forums (see below) for the
Dragonlance Book Club in October, as our featured guest is none
other than Margaret Weis!  We'll be discussing Amber and Ashes at
length, so be sure to be there.


D20 DRAGONLANCE
Towers of High Sorcery, the definitive sourcebook on the Wizards of
High Sorcery, is now available from Sovereign Press.  There's info
on all 5 towers, magic items, a guide on the Test, and a slightly
updated Wizard of High Sorcery prestige class that clarifies
enhanced specialization (now called Arcane Focus).  Plus some new
prestige classes, and a ton of other information as well.

War of the Lance will be out around October 1st, so be on the
lookout for that.  There were copies at GenCon this year, and a lot
of good response from those who have it already.  It's 320 pages,
with a ton of info on the era.  I consider it to be the best
Dragonlance gaming product to date.

Coming soon, the Dragonlance Adventure Game, Spectre of Sorrows
(sequel to Key of Destiny), and Holy Orders of the Stars!


DOUG NILES INTERVIEW
I had the honor to chat with Doug Niles recently regarding Wizards'
Conclave, 20 years of Dragonlance, and his upcoming book, Lord of
the Rose.  Be sure to check out the interview here:

http://www.dl3e.com/features/interviews/12603.aspx

Thanks to Doug Niles for taking the time to speak with us.


THE NEW DRAGONLANCE.COM AND DRAGONLANCE NEXUS
As many of you have seen by now, we've made a few changes with the
websites.  I'm sure a few of you are curious as to why they've
changed.

Basically, we wanted to have an entire site, rather than a small
corner of a site, dedicated to official d20 Dragonlance materials.
You will notice that Dragonlance.com has some new features, not the
least of which will be the return of the Legends of the Lance
newsletter!

Yet we still wanted to show our support for the fans, and to have a
place central to Dragonlance fandom.  What better place is there
than the Nexus, a site "by the fans, for the fans".  All of the
great features from Dragonlance.com that you've known for all these
years is now at the Dragonlance Nexus (www.dl3e.com).


DRAGONLANCEFORUMS.COM
We didn't stop with the websites.  We felt it was time to do
something bigger and better with the message boards, and so we
created a new set of boards at
http://www.dragonlanceforums.com/forums/ .

The same forum layout that you know is still there, but now we have
the latest VBulletin software running the show.  We're having a lot
of fun discussing gaming, novels, and with the book club, so be sure
to stop by.


UPCOMING NOVELS
Coming soon from Wizards of the Coast is Lake of Death, the latest
novel about Dhamon by Jean Rabe.

And because you demanded it, the Elven Nations trilogy is being re-
released!  Thanks to everyone who signed our petition to make this
happen, and thanks to Peter Archer and Wizards of the Coast.

There's a couple of novels coming your way early next year to be on
the lookout for, too.  The first is Lord of the Rose, part one of a
new series by Doug Niles detailing the rise of Solamnia in the
current age.  Also, be sure to look for Blades of the Tiger, by
Chris Pierson.  This will be the first novel in the Taladas
Chronicles, detailing the other known continent of Krynn.


20 YEARS OF DRAGONLANCE
I'm not as qualified as many other people, to talk about 20 years of
Dragonlance, as I've only been working with it for the last 4
years.  However, I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

I've been a Dragonlance fan since college.  I got into it towards
the beginning of the AD&D 2nd edition days with the Tales of the
Lance boxed set.  My actual first Dragonlance product was nothing
short of Dragonlance Adventures, which I bought at a pawn shop, of
all places, in Independence, MO – the very town that Margaret Weis
hails from.

I've been a fan for many years now, and have developed a great love
and passion for the setting.  Little did I realize that I would be
able to go beyond being a simple fan!  Since January 2001, I've had
the honor of working with many talented people in the Whitestone
Council and Sovereign Press.  I've been blessed to be able to work
with this talented group, and to get my name in print both with
games and comics.

In this time, I've seen many changes with Dragonlance.  I've seen
the release of Dragons of Summer Flame, the birth of the Fifth Age,
the War of Souls, and the current era.  I've seen Dragonlance gaming
nearly die, only to be picked up by a group of dedicated fans, and
then having Sovereign Press carry the torch.

The common theme I notice is that Dragonlance endures.  Each time
that it looked like Dragonlance may not make it, it endures
nevertheless.  You see, my friends, it wasn't any one person who
keeps Dragonlance alive.  It's all of you.  With your love and
support for the setting, Dragonlance continues to live on, to
thrive, and to grow.

So here's to you, the fans of Dragonlance.


FAREWELL FOR NOW
I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  This is a good time to
be a Dragonlance fan.  We're seeing some real history here with
Dragonlance, and it feels good to be a part of it.

So join us here next time, my friends, as we travel together down
the roads of Ansalon, to new places, new locales, and new adventure.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"DragonHelm"
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to
another exciting issue of the Dragonlance News!

I'm back from GenCon, much to the relief of my family, and have some
highlights to share with those who didn't make it.  So grab your
hoopaks, my friends.  The portal to adventure awaits!

ARRIVAL
My friend Kenneth (aka Uncle Lockspringer) and I traveled from
Kansas City to Indianapolis on Thursday.  It was a good trip, filled
with good times and good music.  Luckily, there wasn't as much road
construction this year, so the trip went fairly quickly, all things
considered.

We arrived towards the end of the day on Thursday and met up at the
Sovereign Press booth.  We saw many old friends from Sovereign Press
and the Whitestone Council, and had a wonderful reunion.  I got my
copies of War of the Lance and Towers of High Sorcery at that time.
There's nothing like seeing a book in print.  The remainder of the
evening was spent catching up with the rest of the Whitestone
Council at dinner.

The funny part was when we walked to the hall in the first place.  A
gentleman was on the street corner giving out free coupons to the
barbeque place that he worked for.  He told us that it was the best
barbeque around.  Kenneth and I looked at the gentleman and
corrected him of the error of his ways by informing him that we were
from Kansas City.  I'm sure the food was good, but never tell
someone from Kansas City that you have the best barbeque around!


THE CONVENTION HALL
Friday morning, we toured the convention hall.  It was just amazing
to see how large this convention had grown.  We saw many of the big
name publishers there, and caught up with other old friends as
well.

I had one fantastic moment when I met Marc Singer, the Beastmaster
himself.  I have to say that he is a fantastic guy, and was very
welcoming.  It's always good to meet a celebrity who appreciates his
fans.  What I didn't tell him was that the Beastmaster was the basis
for a Kagonesti elf I once played.

I have to commend the people in costume as well.  There was a female
stormtrooper, Gandalf the Grey, Jango Fett, and tons of other
costumes as well.


MARGARET WEIS RECEPTION
Friday night was nothing short of a reception commemorating 20 years
of the Mistress of Dragons herself, Margaret Weis.  It was a grand
occasion, where many of her colleagues from the last 20 years spoke
about Margaret and what impact she has had on many peoples' lives.
Tracy Hickman, Peter Archer, Larry Elmore, and Jamie Chambers
(amongst others) spoke about her character and her talent, and just
what a wonderful human being she is.

While I didn't speak there, I did want to share one of my own
testimonies about Margaret.  The Whitestone Council had been working
on Dragonlance in 3rd edition for about a year, when one day I get
an e-mail from Margaret asking what my phone number was so that she
could tell me some wonderful news.  Somehow, I already knew what the
news would be, yet it didn't seem real until she told me that
Sovereign Press had received the license to produce Dragonlance
gaming products.  As she talked to me, she told me that she wanted
to keep the Whitestone Council involved.

To this day, the Whitestone Council is working with Sovereign Press
on Dragonlance gaming products.  My thanks go to Margaret for
recognizing our efforts and keeping us all involved.


BESTIARY TAKES TWO SILVER ENNIES
One of the greatest bits of news came in the form of the Ennies.
The Bestiary of Krynn was nominated for three Ennies total.  While
it didn't win for best licensed product, it did take the silver for
best monster supplement and best interior art.

Congratulations go to everyone who worked on the book, and
especially to Cam Banks and Andre' La Roche.  Cam and Andre' are a
big part of the Whitestone Council, and it makes me proud to see two
guys who have worked hard rise through the ranks of fandom to
achieve this point.  Please join me in congratulating Cam and
Andre', and please offer congratulations on the boards.


TRACY HICKMAN
Tracy Hickman is a good portion of why I go to GenCon.  He is so
creative and entertaining.

Tracy is well known for his Killer Breakfast.  This year's theme was
Dragonlance: the Musical.  There's no better way to start such an
event than by killing Margaret Weis, Jamie Chambers, and the
Whitestone Council!

We of course began Killer Breakfast in the Inn of the Last Home.
Margaret tried to bribe Tracy by writing another Raistlin book with
him, but to no avail!  When Tracy came to me, I said that no inn is
complete without its bard, and that I had come to sing a song.  I
wrote the following just the night before (with apologies to Chuck
Berry).

Way down at GenCon in downtown Indy
People were talking about the latest scene
Eberron was the new cat in town
We all know it doesn't have that Dragonlance sound
Eberron was blown clear out of sight
`Cause Dragonlance is 20 tonight

Tracy was doing the "Chuck Berry Strut" with his double-bladed
lightsaber as I did my own rendition of "Johnny B. Goode".  I
couldn't quite make it to the chorus, as I was laughing so hard, but
the crowd seemed to like it.

It didn't save me.  I died.  Even a complete collection of the
Legend of Huma comic book series didn't save me.

Tracy held several seminars as well.  I made it to his Bronze
Canticles seminar, which was awesome.  Folks, this series is going
to blow you away.

WEIS AND HICKMAN TRAVELING ROAD SHOW
When Dragonlance was first created, Margaret and Tracy used to put
on these productions where actors would act out portions of Dragons
of Autumn Twilight in order to drum up interest in Dragonlance.

Twenty years later, the Weis and Hickman Traveling Road Show was
reborn.  It's so hard to describe in words just how great this was.
Goldmoon's song was fantastic, and she had the best costume.  Janet
Pack, the original Tasslehoff, reprised her role and was a hoot to
see.  She had the voice down quite well.  Jamie Chambers played
Tanis, and Sean Everette was a very striking Sturm.  Laura Hickman
was Bupu, and Chris Pierson played a number of roles, including
Hederick.  One of my favorites was Peter Archer, who made a very
good Flint.  Of course, the showstopper was Tracy Hickman as Fizban
the Fabulous.

The night ended with a question and answer session, and a mock sword
battle.  Tracy also played some of the musical numbers from Killer
Breakfast.

AMBER AND ASHES
One of the big releases at GenCon was Ashes and Amber, the first
book in the Dark Disciple trilogy.  It arrived a bit late, but when
it got there, it left just as quickly.  The book sold out in an
hour.

THE LYCEUM
The Lyceum is an adventure Tracy wrote years ago for Dragonlance
that has never seen print – until now.  The Lyceum is the sample
adventure in the back of War of the Lance, updated to 3rd edition by
Cam Banks.  It also served as the demo game at GenCon.

I won't spoil the adventure for anyone, but I will say I had a blast
running it.  Two of my players were dubbed "original recipe and
extra crispy".  Read the adventure, and you'll find out why.

I wanted to thank everyone who played.  I hope you enjoyed it as
much as I did.

FACES IN THE CROWD
There were many people I saw around the convention hall, including
game designers and regulars online.  I'll list as many as I can
remember, and I'll apologize upfront if I missed anyone.

Authors, artists, and game designers include Margaret Weis, Tracy
Hickman, Laura Hickman, Jamie Chambers, Renae Chambers, Sean
Everette, Richard Knaak, Chris Pierson, Tonya Cook, Paul Thompson,
Peter Archer, Janet Pack, Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, Clyde Caldwell,
Cam Banks, Andre' La Roche, Sean Macdonald, Joe Mashuga, and yours
truly.

Some of the fans from the boards I met were Talinthas, Green Cloaked
Sorcerer, Red Robed Wizard, Black Robed Archmage (see a theme?), and
Reverend Jake.

I enjoyed speaking with everyone, and had a blast.


UNTIL NEXT TIME
I'm sure I missed some things here or there.  There's just way too
much going on at GenCon to report.  Be sure to stop by
Dragonlance.com's new forums at
http://www.dragonlanceforums.com/forums/ and talk to some of the
other people who attended.  I'm sure they've all got many exciting
experiences to share.

It's hard to believe that Dragonlance is 20 years old.  There are
times we thought it wouldn't quite make it, yet Dragonlance endures,
and is stronger than ever.  It is a good time to be a Dragonlance
fan.

Here's to the next 20 years of Dragonlance.

Long Live the Lance!


Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the
Inn of the Last Home.  I apologize for the lateness of this
newsletter.  It seems that it was held up in gnomish subcommittee.

Many events are occurring on the continent of Ansalon (and beyond!),
including minotaurs, monsters, and mayhem.  So grab your hoopaks, my
friends.  The portal to adventure awaits!


GAMING NEWS
Sovereign Press has recently released the <i>Bestiary of Krynn</i>,
by my friends of mine – Cam Banks and Andre' La Roche.  These guys
have done a bang-up job updating some of your favorite monsters,
providing gaming stats for monsters seen only in novels, and
introducing you to a few new beasties as well.

Among the most popular critters (hey, I'm from Missouri) are the
Noble Draconians, brainchild of Jamie Chambers.  These are
draconians created from the eggs of chromatic dragons during the
last chaotic days of the War of the Lance.  Yet the Dragonarmies
didn't know that the laws of balance would dictate that these
draconians follow the path of light.  There's some fantastic art to
accompany these guys as well.  Check it out!

The much-anticipated adventure Key of Destiny has also been
released.  Be sure to pick up a copy, and delve into this new era
after the War of Souls.

Towers of High Sorcery will be released at Origins later this month,
followed by the Dragonlance Adventure Game and War of the Lance in
subsequent months.


NOVEL NEWS
For those awaiting a Taladas novel, your wait is nearly over.  Chris
Pierson will be penning a trilogy on the second continent of Krynn.

Nancy Varian Berberick's Prisoner of Haven comes out this month.
Next month, the long-anticipated Wizard's Conclave by Doug Niles
will be released.  Wizard's Conclave will detail much of what is
going on with the Wizards of High Sorcery after the War of Souls.

Margaret Weis has given a few teasers for her upcoming book Ashes
and Amber, the first book in the Dark Disciple trilogy centered on
Mina.  Among the characters are a monk, a character archetype not
fully detailed in Dragonlance before, and a kender nightstalker.
Margaret says that this new kender is nothing like Tasslehoff.

COMIC NEWS
Issue #5 of the comic adaptation of The Legend of Huma will be
hitting shelves this week, so check your friendly local comic store
and have them reserve a copy.

In issue #5, Huma travels to the Citadel of Magius, where Magius
reveals a secret to Huma that will change their relationship forever.

The legend continues!


UNTIL NEXT TIME
The time has come again to travel the many roads of Krynn.  These
roads take us to new horizons, and even unto the far side of Krynn
in the mysterious lands of Taladas.  As old legends are re-told, new
legends are being born.

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"

Every once in a while, an idea will come from Dragonlance fandom
that really shines.  One of those is about to become a reality.

My friends, Dragonlance.com has started a Dragonlance Book Club.
Each month, a new Dragonlance novel is discussed in detail, much
like your local book clubs do.

We begin on February 1 with Dark Thane, by Jeff Crook.  Jeff has
agreed to stop by as well, and will be talking on the boards with
fans!

We hope to get as many Dragonlance authors as possible involved in
this endeavor as the months go by.

If you're interested, the Dragonlance Book Club can be found at:

http://forums.dragonlance.com/topics.cfm?forumid=7

Also, I want to say thanks to Joshua, Greg, and Ashe, who have
worked hard to make this dream into reality.  These gentlemen have
worked very hard to organize this new project, and especially to get
the authors involved.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
Dragonlance.com

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome!

Normally, I try to present more of a fact-filled newsletter, telling
you about the latest novel and game releases, and other interesting
notes that affect Dragonlance.  Never fear, for you shall still get
all this great info.  However, I'm feeling especially nostalgic this
time around, so I'll be talking about some very special
anniversaries, including the 20th anniversary of Dragonlance!

So grab your hoopaks – the portal to adventure awaits!


20 YEARS OF DRAGONLANCE
It's hard to believe that Dragonlance is 20 years old.  That's quite
an accomplishment, and is testimony of the staying power of what I
can only call an epic.

There has to be something special and magical about a setting to
last this long.  It is an epic of the highest level, and a worthy
successor of Lord of the Rings.  What began as the brainchild of
Tracy Hickman has grown over the years to epic proportions, becoming
Wizard of the Coast's best-selling novel line and a gaming line that
has seen 4 editions (Dragonlance Adventures for 1st edition, Tales
of the Lance for 2nd edition, the Dragonlance 5th Age boxed set, and
the 3rd edition Dragonlance Campaign Setting).

From all of us on the Whitestone Council, congratulations to all the
authors, game designers, editors, and contributors who have made
Dragonlance the epic it is today.

Congratulations are also in order to the fans.  For it is the fans
who have kept Dragonlance alive for 20 years.  Your love and
dedication to the setting that invigorates Dragonlance, taking it to
new heights.


WHITESTONE COUNCIL – 3RD ANNIVERSARY
My involvement with Dragonlance beyond simple fandom began in
January in 2001 with the formation of the Whitestone Council and the
birth of the Dragonlance Nexus.

At the time, the future of Dragonlance gaming was bleak.  Wizards of
the Coast announced that they would not continue producing a
Dragonlance gaming line.  It was at that time that the Whitestone
Council formed, with the intent of supporting Dragonlance gaming and
ensuring that it lived again with our Dragonlance Adventures 3rd
Edtion (DLA3e) project.

Much time has passed since then, many things have changed, and the
Whitestone Council has grown in its influence.  Our work on the
DLA3e project saw fruit when Sovereign Press gained the license to
Dragonlance gaming.  We were very pleased by this move, as it not
only saw the rebirth of Dragonlance gaming, but in a printed
format.  Not only that, but the future of Dragonlance gaming would
be overseen by Margaret Weis herself.

What made this even more special was that Margaret wanted the
Whitestone Council involved.  Since this time, we've helped
Sovereign Press with all their Dragonlance d20 products.  Two of our
members, Cam Banks and Andre' La Roche, will be getting cover credit
with the upcoming Bestiary of Krynn (March release).

The Whitestone Council is the driving power behind three websites.
The Dragonlance Nexus is the gaming site we put together under the
watch of Tracy Hickman to promote Dragonlance gaming.
Kencyclopedia.com is Sean "Kipper" Macdonald's all-kender website,
giving you everything you ever wanted (or didn't want!) to know
about kender.  Be sure to check out his Kencyclopedia Kender
Handbook, the greatest resource for kender on the web.

Our greatest accomplishment on the web lies with Dragonlance.com,
the brainchild of Matt Haag.  Dragonlance.com is the largest
Dragonlance website out there, including product info, setting info,
news, games, interviews, message boards, fan art, fan writing, fan
rules, and tons of other goodies.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Tobril, our bi-monthly e-
zine and the unofficial successor of the Legends of the Lance
newsletter.  Luis De Pippo, Neil Burton, and Richard Connery put
together this fantastic e-zine with tons of new setting and gaming
info.

Plus, yours truly has now delved into the world of comic books with
the upcoming Legend of Huma comic adaptation.

The members of the Whitestone Council have approached Dragonlance
with a sense of honor and dignity and with the utmost love.  They
are my friends, companions, and above all – my heroes.

Est Sularus oth Mithas.


DRAGONLANCE GAMING NEWS
The Dragonlance Dungeon Master Screen is now available in stores.
The screen has fantastic art by Larry Elmore, and includes a booklet
to serve as a tool for dungeon masters.

Coming in March is the Bestiary of Krynn by Cam Banks and Andre' La
Roche.  I have to say, this book looks fantastic and will be hailed
as one of the best 3rd party monster books out there.

In May, the long-awaited Towers of High Sorcery will be released,
detailing all five of the Towers of High Sorcery for the first
time!  Many of your questions on wizards after the War of Souls will
be answered here.

To celebrate 20 years of Dragonlance, Sovereign Press will be
releasing War of the Lance!


DRAGONLANCE NOVEL NEWS
The Legend of Huma has been re-released with fantastic cover art!
Even though I owned a copy with the old cover, I had to have the new
cover as well.  The sequel, Kaz the Minotaur, will be re-released in
July with a brand-new cover.  Again, it looks like I'll be picking
up a second copy!

In further Richard Knaak news, the paperback version of Night of
Blood (book I of the Minotaur Wars) will be released in February.
The Minotaur Wars will continue with Tides of Blood, due out in
hardcover in April.

February also sees the release of The Wizard's Fate, book two of the
Ergoth Trilogy by Paul Thompson and Tonya Cook.

Plus, the young readers adaptation of Chronicles is out as well,
laying down the path for some original young readers novels.

I also wanted to mention one other novel coming out in July –
Wizard's Conclave, by Doug Niles.  Wizard's Conclave will be
answering many of the questions fans have on wizards after the War
of Souls.


DRAGONLANCE COMIC NEWS
The first issue of The Legend of Huma comic book adaptation is
slated for release on February 4th!  Be sure to tell your local
comic book retailer to save a copy for you.  Legend of Huma is done
by Dabel Brothers Productions (DBPro) and is being published through
Devil's Due.

As I mentioned above, I'm taking over the writing duties for this
series starting with issue #3, due out in March.  I've already
turned in the scripts for issue #'s 3 and 4 and am now working on
issue #5.

Adapting a novel is both easy and hard.  It's easy in that the story
is already told, and you just have to present it in comic book
format.  It's hard in that some elements from novels are hard to
translate and you have to fill in the visual side of things.

The most enjoyable part for me is the battle scenes.  I like getting
pretty descriptive (while not being graphic), and showcasing some
elements that don't get a lot of attention (such as copper,  brass,
and bronze dragons).  The wizard battles are quite fun as well, and
here you can see some of my D&D background slipping in.



UNTIL NEXT TIME
My friends, this is a great time to be a Dragonlance fan.  In the
last year, we've seen a ton of growth between gaming, comics, and
the new direction of the novels.  The world of Krynn is changing,
and there will be many new faces to meet and new adventures to
follow.

It is a great time to be a Dragonlance fan.

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN

Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the Inn
of the Last Home!  It is a festive time at the Inn this year as we
celebrate Yule and the upcoming New Year.

It is a time of reflection, as we realize that 2004 marks the 20th
anniversary of Dragonlance.  It is hard to imagine that this setting
that we have all loved and cherished has lasted for 20 years.  We've
seen different story arcs in novels, different game systems for
games, and various other products come and go.  Anyone remember the
Dragonlance board game?

For those of us on the Whitestone Council, it is also a time of
reflection.  January 2004 marks our 3rd anniversary.  I'm really
proud of everyone on the Council.  They've done an outstanding job,
and continue to amaze me every day.

Ah, but it seems that I am reminiscing about old adventures when you
came here to learn of new ones.  Fear not, for the bards and
minstrels seek to oblige.


GAMING NEWS
I'm sure the big question on everyone's mind is when some of the
overdue Dragonlance gaming products will be released.  Indeed, there
have been some delays, but we have the latest on release dates.

The Dragonlance Dungeon Master's Screen has recently been released,
and should be on store shelves soon.  You can also order it through
MargaretWeis.com.

Key of Destiny should be on shelves in January, and the Bestiary of
Krynn will be released in March.

The big product to watch out for this year is War of the Lance, which
should be released for GenCon 2004.  War of the Lance celebrates
Dragonlance's 20th anniversary by going back to its roots, and
exploring the saga that started it all.


AGE OF MORTALS ART GALLERY!
If you're looking for a preview of Age of Mortals, or just like
perusing art on the web, be sure to check out the Age of Mortals art
gallery on Dragonlance.com!  You can find this gallery at:

http://www.dragonlance.com/d20/gallery/aom.asp


DRAGON MAGAZINE AND DRACONIAN FEATS
Check out Dragon magazine #315, which is in stores now.  It's an
issue dedicated to classic campaign settings.  Jamie Chambers has an
article on draconian player characters, and there's also an article
on Taladas!  The Taladas article includes two prestige classes: the
Companion of the Dead and the Shark Cultist.

Also, check out Dragonlance.com for some draconian feats that didn't
make it in Jamie's article:

http://www.dragonlance.com/d20/enhancements/draconian.asp


NOVEL NEWS
New releases in December include Chris Pierson's final installment of
the Kingpriest Trilogy, Sacred Fire.  Tanis, the Shadow Years is also
reprinted this month.

January sees the release of Hope's Flame, part of the young reader's
adaptation of Chronicles, as well as the reprint of Richard Knaak's
The Legend of Huma.


LEGEND OF HUMA COMIC ADAPTATION
The first issue of the comic book adaptation of The Legend of Huma is
slated to be released on January 14.  Be sure to grab yourself a
copy, and have your local comic book shop hold a copy for you each
month.

On a personal note, yours truly has been asked to co-write The Legend
of Huma alongside Roaring Studios editor Sean Jordan.  Brian Augustyn
writes the first issue, but due to other commitments, he was unable
to continue past that point.  Sean Jordan writes issue #2, and then I
hop on board to co-author with Sean starting with issue #3.  I've
also functioned as a consultant for the first two issues as well.

Want a preview?  Then check this piece out:

http://www.roaringstudios.com/for_the_web/dl/huma%202.jpg



UNTIL NEXT TIME
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Dragonlance.  It's hard to
believe.  I'm not sure if anyone thought it would last this long, but
sure enough, it has.

It is you, the fans of Dragonlance, who have made this possible.  It
is Dragonlance fans that continue to breathe new life into the
setting, and who refuse to let it die.  In fact, it is the power of
Dragonlance fans that keeps Dragonlance thriving, so that we may all
enjoy new roads to adventure.

Happy New Year, everyone!  Here's to 20 great years of Dragonlance!

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO DARGAARD KEEP
Greetings, ghouls and ghosts, and welcome to the haunted halls of
Dargaard Keep. Our host tonight is none other than Lord Soth, Knight
of the Black Rose.

We shouldn't keep the dread lord waiting, as it will surely spell our
doom. The portal to adventure, and to Lord Soth, awaits!

NOVEL IDEAS
In case you missed it, check out Annotated Legends! Now you can read
the annotated version of the classic, complete with two new
appendices by Tracy Hickman. Order your autographed copy from
Margaret today from MargaretWeis.com.

November also sees the release of Dark Thane, by Jeff Crook. This
novel ties into the best-selling War of Souls series. Also be sure to
get the re-release of Flint the King, and Dragons of Spring Dawning
(hardcover edition).

DARK DISCIPLE TEASER
Margaret Weis posted the following teaser for her upcoming Dark
Disciple trilogy on her site.

"I have now started work on Dark Disciple, the continuing story of
Mina. The first book, Ashes and Amber, is scheduled for release next
fall, 2004, in conjunction with the Twentieth Anniversary of the
release of Dragons of Autumn Twilight. I'm really enjoying working on
this book, which is going to be very different from any other
Dragonlance book I've written."

"People have been asking for teasers. I can't tell you much about it,
because I'm only a few chapters into it, but I can tell you that
Mina's protagonist will be a monk of Majere, who forsakes his god and
pledges his faith to the goddess Zeboim, going over to the dark side
in return for . . ."

DRAGONLANCE GAMING UPDATES
Sovereign Press has a few updates on their product schedule. The
Dragonlance DM Screen is slated for a November release. Key of
Destiny and the Bestiary of Krynn are now slated for December.

Coming in January is the book you've waited nearly 20 years for –
Towers of High Sorcery! This book will detail, for the first time,
all five towers.

HALLOWEEN GAMING FUN
I thought I would take a brief second to suggest a great character
concept to play for Halloween – the Kender Nightstalker.

The Kender Nightstalker is a kender who speaks to the spirits of the
dead, and who travels with ghost companions. Imagine playing during
the War of Souls, and your party's sorcerer discovers that his magic
is fading. The party's kender knows the secret as to why the magic
has disappeared, yet will anyone believe a kender who speaks to thin
air?

The Kender Nightstalker is a prestige class found in the pages of Age
of Mortals.

DRACONOMICON
Normally, I don't cover WotC's gaming products here, but I felt that
one in particular was worth mentioning – the Draconomicon.

The Draconomicon is the guidebook to all things draconic, and has
several goodies (including some prestige classes) that may be
suitable for your Dragonlance campaign.

TOBRIL #6 – COMING SOON
Coming soon is Dragonlance.com's bi-monthly fan e-zine, the Tobril!
This issue comes complete with a cover featuring Lord Soth. Articles
include Ancient Dead of Krynn, Dragonlance Racial Levels (by yours
truly), Kender Undead, Roaming Krynn, the Scaled Society, and a piece
titled "The Horror, The Horror". The Tobril #6 will be available on
Dragonlance.com soon, from Neil Burton, Luis De Pippo, and Richard
Connery.

CONGRATS TO EN WORLD!
Recently, EN World was struggling with some financial troubles, and
they went to the public to raise money to keep the site going. Not
only did they meet their goal, they raised ten times the amount
needed, securing EN World's place on the web for a long time to come.

Congratulations to EN World on a job well done! Visit them at
enworld.org.

DRAGONLANCE.COM NEWS
We've had quite a few new submissions of late, which you can check
out in our fandom section. See what's new with art, writing, fan
rules, recipes, and so forth. Plus a new Bard on the Run by Kipper
Snifferdoo himself! Also be sure to check out the latest reviews, and
our latest poll. Plus so much more!

TRICK OR TREAT!
Have a happy and safe Halloween, everyone. I hope that all of you
have a good one. From the haunted halls of Dargaard Keep, I remain
your faithful death knight.

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome!

I apologize for my tardiness in this newsletter.  August was quite a
busy month for the mighty Dragonhelm, as it marked my son's 6th
birthday, his entry into kindergarten, and 9 years of marriage to the
one and only Mrs. Dragonhelm.  I'd be lost without her.

We've got quite a number of exciting items for you, including a
GenCon 2003 report, the latest novels and games, the latest from
Roaring Studios, and a ton of fun.

So grab your hoopaks, and hold onto your pouches.  The portal to
adventure awaits!


GENCON 2003 REPORT
This year's GenCon was quite a fun event, and there were so many fun
events, and lots of people to meet.  I got to talk with Stan!, and
even went to a fun Bronze Canticles seminar by Tracy Hickman and his
wife, Laura Curtis.

Several members of the Whitestone Council made it, including Sean
Macdonald, Andre' La Roche, Cam Banks, Matt Haag, and yours truly.
We hung out at the Sovereign Press booth alongside Margaret Weis,
Tracy Hickman, Jamie Chambers, and Christopher Coyle.  Richard Knaak
stopped by as well.  We had some great discussions on his Minotaur
Wars series.

The Whitestone Council helped to run some demo games for the new
Dragonlance game as well.  I ran two games myself – one being the
pregenerated adventure, the other being Knight's Sword (revamped for
the Age of Mortals).  The cool part is that I ran Knight's Sword
purely from memory!

The key event of the convention was the Dragonlance Reception.  It
was a real treat for us Whitestone Council guys, as we got to sit up
front with Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Ernst Dabel (from Roaring
Studios), Richard Knaak, Chris Pierson, Douglas Niles, Chris Coyle,
and Jamie Chambers.  Jamie came in late, bearing copies of Age of
Mortals, which had been delayed in customs.  Truly, he was a hero for
DL fans that weekend.


DRAGONLANCE.COM MESSAGE BOARDS
If you're looking for a place to chat with fellow Dragonlance fans
about novels, games, comics, or whatever Dragonlance goodness floats
your boat, we've got the place for you!

Dragonlance.com has opened up a new message board, which will serve
as a central point to discuss all of these topics.  Margaret Weis
will be there, as well as the fine people from Sovereign Press and
Roaring Studios.  We're working on getting the other authors involved
as well.  Stop on by, and say hello!

http://forums.dragonlance.com/


DRAGONLANCE D20 NEWS
The Dragonlance Campaign Setting and Age of Mortals books are out in
stores now!   Check our news section for some links to reviews.

Be sure to check out this web enhancement on the minor Dragon
overlords as well.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20030822a

Coming up are the Dragonlance Dungeon Master's Screen, Key of Destiny
(War of Souls adventure Part I), the Bestiary of Krynn, and in
January – Towers of High Sorcery!

For more information, check out Dragonlance.com's d20 Gaming section.


FROM THE CHRONICLERS OF KRYNN
City of the Lost, part I in the Linsha Trilogy, continues the story
of Linsha Majere.  It's out in stores now.  Check out this Linsha
character profile:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/dl/cplinsha

Also, be on the lookout for the Annotated Legends!  Annotated Legends
is scheduled for a September release.  I'm told that Tracy even has
an appendix in there, so be on the lookout for that.

Also be on the lookout for the War of Souls gift set.

And, for a very special announcement…


ELVEN NATIONS TRILOGY!
Peter Archer announced at GenCon that the Elven Nations Trilogy will
see print again in 2004!  For all of you who signed our petition –
your voices were heard.  All of you deserve a heartfelt thank you for
letting Wizards of the Coast know that you want to see this treasure
in print again.

Dwarven Nations may be following suit in 2005, but nothing is
confirmed yet.  Stay tuned for more information!


HEAR THE ROAR!
Roaring Studios continues to work on The Legend of Huma comic
adaptation.  They'll be holding a contest on that as well, so keep
watching Dragonlance.com for more information.


JOE MASHUGA NAMED FAN RULES EDITOR!
Sometimes in life, one gets too many things on their plate, and that
certainly has been the case with me lately.  I've enjoyed being fan
rules editor, but I need to turn those reigns over to someone else
now, so that I can concentrate on other areas.

Therefore, it is with great pride that I announce our new rules
editor – Joe Mashuga!  Joe is a regular contributor to the sites, and
one of the best fan designers out there.  We really wanted to
acknowledge his efforts, and have recruited him.  He'll be taking
over soon, and will be posting some new and exciting fan rules.

Please join me in welcoming Joe on board the
Dragonlance.com/Dragonlance Nexus team!

OTHER SITE NEWS
Our good friend Tobin worked up a set of Unofficial Dragonlance
Campaign Setting errata, which you can find here:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/display.asp?id=12016

Also, Paladin has re-launched the "Are you a DL fan?" quiz.  The
questions are harder than ever, so if you think you're a true
Dragonlance fan – give it a try.

Plus new art, new fan fiction, and new gaming rules.


FAREWELL FOR NOW
Whew!  There's lots going on.  Dragonlance is growing by leaps and
bounds, and it certainly is hard to keep up with.

Join us next time, my friends, as we meet in the Inn of the Last
Home.  There will be new adventures, and maybe some kender tales as
well.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

GREETINGS FROM THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the
Inn of the Last Home!

We've got DLCS updates for you, including some glimpses of the book
itself. We will talk some on GenCon, and give you some details on
Age of Mortals. Plus all the other great news surrounding the world
of Krynn.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends. The portal to adventure awaits!

DLCS IN THE NEWS!
The big news this month, of course, surrounds the Dragonlance
Campaign Setting. While the release date isn't until August,
Sovereign Press managed to sell 200 advance copies at the Origins
game fair. Also, Margaret had some advance copies she sold on her
website, margaretweis.com. The advance copies through Margaret's
site are all gone, but she will be getting more soon, so you should
still be able to order.

The DLCS goes on sale at GenCon this week, as well as the Age of
Mortals book. Be sure to stop by the Sovereign Press booth if you're
attending.

If you can't make it, be sure to check out Dragonlance.com's news
archives for some links to some DLCS previews! GamingReport.com has
several pics (including a wonderful centaur pic by Elmore).

There have been a few reviews of the DLCS as well. Please check
Dragonlance.com's news archive for links to those reviews. Plus,
Paladin has posted a review on the site as well.

AGE OF MORTALS PREVIEW
Chris Coyle of Sovereign Press has passed along some info on the Age
of Mortals companion book, which will be released at GenCon
simultaneously with the DLCS.

According to Chris, there will be a new race – the half-kender. Also
included is a new base class, the mariner, and several prestige
classes:

Academy Sorcerer
Citadel Mystic
Legion Mystic
Legion Scout
Legion Sorcerer
Master Ambassador
Nomad Shaman
Rogue Knight
Solamnic Auxiliary Mage
Spellfilch
War Mage

Chris continues with the following:

"13 new feats, 2 new mystic domains, about 30 new spells, THE
definitive timeline for the Fifth Age from any published product
(man, even I cannot compete with Granak's timeline for sheer amount
of detail, though... I'm limited by page count!), a slew of detailed
locations, maps, specifics on what the gods are up to, Leeching
magic and the effect of the loss of magic during the War of Souls, a
LOT of Fifth Age iconic characters from the novels, new monsters,
and some absolutely GORGEOUS artwork."

OTHER GAMING NEWS
The Bestiary of Krynn, Sovereign Press' monster compendium for
Dragonlance, is currently in the works. I'm proud to say that this
book is being written by two very good friends of mine, Cam Banks
and Andrι La Roche. Cam and Andrι have done a bang-up job serving on
the Whitestone Council, and they continue to do so with the Bestiary.

Also, Chris Coyle is busy writing Key of Destiny, the first of a 3-
part adventure trilogy, and the biggest gaming story arc since the
original modules.

GENCON
GenCon is being held in Indianapolis this year, and runs from July
24 – 27. Be sure to stop by the Sovereign Press booth this year and
say hello to everyone there. Beyond the Sovereign Press guys, you'll
see several of the members of the Whitestone Council, and I'm sure
some other familiar Dragonlance faces as well. Sovereign Press will
run some demo games for GenCon, so check that out.

If you've never been to GenCon, then you must go to Tracy Hickman's
Killer Breakfast on Friday morning. Killer Breakfast is all about
death, and has nothing to do with breakfast. Tracy kills 200 plus
characters in just two hours time. Killer Breakfast is always a fun
time, and an experience that no gamer should miss.

Also, be sure to check out the Dragonlance Reception. Each year, you
get to meet some of the big names yourself, and get the latest
Dragonlance news. Last year, we had a funeral for Bertrem. Yours
truly spoke at his funeral, alongside such greats as Foryth Teel,
the Queen of Darkness, and Fizban the Fabulous himself! Be sure to
see what they have in store for this year.

NOVEL IDEAS
In the wide world of Dragonlance novels this month, we have the long-
anticipated hardcover version of Dragons of Winter Night.

Night of Blood, the first of the Minotaur Wars trilogy by Richard
Knaak, is out in stores now. I'm currently reading this book, and it
is fantastic. Take Dragonlance, some minotaurs, and a gallon of
testosterone, fit it all into one book, and you have Night of Blood.

Also, Paul B. Thompson brings us The Middle of Nowhere. According to
Paul, this book is loosely based off of The Seven Samurai. I've
heard many rave reviews about this particular book.

Coming in August is City of the Lost, the first in the Linsha
Trilogy by Mary Herbert. City of the Lost continues the story of
Dragonlance beyond the War of Souls, and focuses on Linsha Majere,
granddaughter of one Caramon Majere.

Also, Tracy Hickman says that he has finished up his portion of
Annotated Legends, which will include a couple of new appendices.
This is due out later this year.

TOBRIL #4 RELEASED
Have you heard about the Tobril? It's Dragonlance.com's very own e-
zine, created by Luis De Pippo, Neil Burton, and Richard Connery.
Here's what you will find inside:

Roaming Krynn: The Gray Tunnel, by Neil Burton and Luis F. De Pippo
Dragonbane and Clarion continue their hunt for the renegade Amon in
the mysterious tunnels of the ancient Huldrefolk.

The Lost Towers: Artifacts of High Sorcery, by John Grubber What
timeless marvels are to be found amongst the rubble of the Destroyed
towers at Daltigoth and Losarcum?

Kender Corner: Fable of the Clockwork Kender, by Sean Macdonald
Kender tales don't get much stranger than this shape-changing
construct.

The Windrider: Elven Champions II, by Richard Connery A Prestige
Class for this elite order of elven warriors.

The Animator's Circle: Deconstructing The Machine, by Neil Burton
Opens the doors on this long-standing wizardly order, including the
Animator of the Circle PrC and a selection of deadly constructs from
the long History of Krynn.

Keeper of the Anvil: Krynnish Chronomancers, by Richard Connery A
detailed treatment of chronomancy in Dragonlance, including rules
for introducing time travel into your campaign, the Keeper of the
Anvil PrC, and every spell of the chronomantic school.

UNTIL NEXT TIME
Well, it has certainly been a busy month for Dragonlance! Every time
I sat down to try to write this newsletter, there was more news to
report.

We are all witness to something very special – the renaissance of
Dragonlance. Dragonlance gaming has been reborn, and the novels are
heading in new and exciting directions.

It just doesn't get better than this.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friend and fellow companions, and welcome back to another
exciting issue of the Dragonlance News. I must apologize for the
delay in this newsletter. Real Life has been exceedingly busy of
late. Luckily this monster has been banished, if only for the time
being.

There are several exciting things in the works for Dragonlance right
now, as we head into the final months just before the DLCS release.

So grab your hoopaks my friends, and step into the Nexus. The portal
to adventure awaits!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
All of us at Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus would like to
wish all the fathers out there a very happy Father's Day!

NIGHT OF BLOOD
Night of Blood, the first novel in the Minotaur Wars trilogy by
Richard Knaak, is now available for purchase off of Amazon.com. There
have been some reports that the novel is already on shelves, although
prior reports said that the book wouldn't be out until June 17.

The Minotaur Wars trilogy takes readers from just prior to the War of
Souls onward to the future. Included is a detailed history of the
minotaur empire.

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that this novel is
well worth picking up.

SOVEREIGN PRESS INTERVIEW!
This is it! This is THE interview that you've been waiting for!
Dragonlance.com has recently sat down with Jamie Chambers and Chris
Coyle from Sovereign Press. There's tons of info on the Dragonlance
Campaign Setting, the Age of Mortals companion book, and we also get
a glimpse of products to come. A few secrets are revealed as well, so
have a look!

Check it out at:
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/interviews/display.asp?id=11923

BESTIARY OF KRYNN AUTHORS NAMED
It is with great pride that I announce that the authors of the
upcoming Bestiary of Krynn are none other than the Whitestone
Council's own Cam Banks and Andre' La Roche! I've worked with these
two gentlemen for the past two years, and they are two of the
greatest talents in the business. Congrats to Cam and Andre'!

DRAGONLANCE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Roaring Studios has announced that they have the licensing rights
from Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast to produce Dragonlance graphic
novels. The first of these is none other than The Legend of Huma, by
Richard Knaak. Check out this preview pic of Kaz!

http://members.aol.com/msmiller1/kaz.jpg

UNTIL NEXT TIME
I find it absolutely amazing how much activity is going on with the
Dragonlance setting these days. We're in the final month-and-a-half
before the release of the DLCS and the Age of Mortals supplements.
The novels are moving in a new direction for the world, taking us on
amazing journeys and adventures.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

Issue 33: 4/17/2003
IN THIS ISSUE:

*Taladas Trilogy/Dark Disciple Announcement
*Dragonlance d20 Update
*Knight of the Divine Hammer Prestige Class
*Annotated Legends
*Dragons of a Vanished Moon Appendix
*Richard Knaak Interview
*Upcoming Sovereign Press Interview
*Tobril April Issue
*Until Next Time

WELCOME TO THE INN

Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome! The
Dragonlance setting has been a busy one of late, and there is much
to tell. We've got a Richard Knaak interview, news on a new trilogy
by Margaret Weis, Dragonlance d20 updates, and much more!

Grab your hoopaks, my friends. The portal to adventure awaits!

TALADAS TRILOGY/DARK DISCIPLE ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to divorce, Margaret Weis and Don Perrin will no longer be
writing the Taladas series as previously announced. Margaret Weis
will be writing a new Dragonlance trilogy called Dark Disciple,
detailing the further adventures of Mina in the Age of Mortals. The
first book, Ashes and Amber, is scheduled tentatively for release in
Fall, 2004.

Sovereign Press will continue operations as normal. Plans to publish
the Dragonlance D20 RPG material which the company has licensed from
Wizards of the Coast remain on schedule, with our first release, The
Age of Mortals, due out at Gen Con 2003.


DRAGONLANCE D20 UPDATE

Sovereign Press has sent us some updates on their 2003 product line.
Check it out:

http://www.dragonlance.com/d20/


KNIGHT OF THE DIVINE HAMMER PRESTIGE CLASS

From the pages of Divine Hammer comes the Knight of the Divine
Hammer prestige class! Regular contributor Joseph Mashuga and
Dragonlance author Chris Pierson bring this special treat to you.
Check it out:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/display.asp?id=11817


ANNOTATED LEGENDS NEWS

According to Tracy Hickman's newsletter, Tracy is finishing up his
annotations on the book this week. Stay tuned to Dragonlance.com for
more Annotated Legends news!


DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON APPENDIX NEWS

Some of you have expressed disappointment over the fact that the
appendix to Dragons of a Vanished Moon was not in the paperback
version of the novel. Tracy's newsletter had some news on this,
which I will now pass along...

"ON HAVING MY APPENDIX OUT

No, not THAT appendix.

I'm talking about the appendix to "Dragonlance War of Souls: Dragons
of a Vanished Moon." It was included in the hard back but, when the
recent paperback version was released, was most definitely absent. A
number of people have written asking what happened to that appendix.

It was cut from the paperback release partly to make room for Rick
Knaak's preview in that book and partly because of some oversight on
my part. There were a couple of things in that appendix that slipped
past me in the rush to get the hard back book to print that I did
not agree with and that didn't set well with other, too. It just
seemed easier to the publisher to cut the appendix than to try to
hassle through editing it again.

Which is a shame because the appendix – on the whole – I thought was
really good. There were some specific things in that appendix which
ran counter to my thinking and which were even embarrassing, but it
would be a shame to loose so many good things just because I fell
asleep at the editorial wheel and let slip past some ideas I don't
believe.

So, in response, I'll be taking the time to reedit that appendix
once more and will post it on the website for your perusal. I'll let
you know as soon as I have it up and ready to go. I also understand
from m conversations with Jamie over at Sovereign Press that a lot
of the appendix material is being adapted into the Dragonlance D20
game ... where it will no doubt be much better integrated with
Dragonlance as a whole."


RICHARD KNAAK INTERVIEW

I recently had the pleasure to speak with one of my personal
favorite Dragonlance authors, Richard Knaak. Check out the
interview, by clicking:

http://www.dragonlance.com/features/interviews/display.asp?id=11789


UPCOMING SOVEREIGN PRESS INTERVIEW

We will be sitting down to talk with Jamie Chambers and Christopher
Coyle of Sovereign Press very shortly. You definitely don't want to
miss this one! If you wish to submit a question, please go to:

http://www.dragonlance.com/features/interviews/upcoming.asp?id=7


TOBRIL APRIL ISSUE

The April edition of the Tobril e-magazine is now online, with an
article on Kender monks, a kirath prestige class and an article on
giants, among others.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I'm amazed every day at how much is going on in Dragonlance. New
books, upcoming gaming materials, and just a touch of magic.

Be sure to peruse Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus from
time to time, as we are continually getting in new art, fan fiction,
gaming rules, and other fun things. We've got a fun little poll up
right now about gaming beyond Ansalon, and there is a surprising
interest in an Oriental Dragonlance setting. Adlatum, the third
continent of Krynn, continues to be worked on as well.

Until next time, my friends!

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

DEDICATION

This issue of the Dragonlance News is dedicated to the men and women serving in coalition forces in Iraq. May you find your way back to the Inn of the Last Home swiftly and safely.

Est Sularus oth Mithas.

WELCOME TO THE INN

Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to another exciting issue of the Dragonlance News.

We’ve got plenty of exciting items this month, including interviews, a new message board, and a new online sourcebook on kender!

So grab your hoopaks, my friends, and step into the Nexus. The portal to adventure awaits!

KENCYCLOPEDIA: THIRD EDITION KENDER SOURCEBOOK

If you’re a fan of kender, love playing kender, or just want to know more about them, we’ve got a treat for you.

Kipper Snifferdoo, the webmaster of Kencyclopedia.com, has compiled the greatest resource for kender to date – the Kencyclopedia: Third Edition Kender Sourcebook. The Kencyclopedia is a collection of all things kender—the 116-page sourcebook includes racial stats for seven different types of kender, new kender prestige classes, new kender monsters, kender magic items, articles on roleplaying kender effectively and oodles of detailed information on EVERYTHING kender.

Congrats to Kipper on a job well done!

”INN OF THE LAST HOME” MESSAGE BOARDS

We’re going to be opening a new set of message boards for Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus in the near future. Not only will you be able to talk to other Dragonlance fans about Dragonlance novels, gaming, or general setting chit-chat, you’ll also be able to ask questions directly to Sovereign Press on the Dragonlance d20 line. We’re going to do our best to get some authors involved as well.

Coming soon!

INTERVIEWS

Recently, we’ve posted an interview with Dragonlance writer and game designer Douglas Niles. We’re still taking in questions for our next interview, Dragonlance author Richard Knaak. Check out “Interviews” in our Features section on Dragonlance.com for further details.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This week has been a very trying one for us all, as the events taking place in Iraq unfolded before us on TV. I’m sure that these events feel overwhelming for many of you.

I was hoping to have some words of wisdom to pass your way, but the best I seem to come up with are “hang in there” and “everything will be okay”.

Somehow, these words seem to fall short, so I will leave you with the words of Steel Brightblade.

“All we have is each other.”

Trampas Whiteman
Co-chair, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the
Inn of the Last Home!  I've got some special announcements this
issue, and some new friends to introduce you to.

However, we should not tarry.  Grab your hoopaks, my friends.  The
portal to adventure awaits!


THANKS FROM A FRIEND
Before I get too far into this newsletter, I wanted to pass along a
message from a friend of mine.

Last issue, I told you the story of my friend who works at NASA.
He's a very good friend, and a Dragonlance fan at that.  The
Columbia disaster hit him hard.

Many of you had e-mailed me wishing him the best of luck.  I've
passed along the e-mails I received, and he wanted me to tell
everyone thanks.  Certainly, he's a huge fan of the Legion of Steel,
and the words of Steel Brightblade seem to fit quite well in light
of this disaster.

"All we have is each other."


DRAGONLANCE D20 UPDATE!
The following was sent from Jamie Chambers of Sovereign Press to
Tracy Hickman, and has been seen in the Hickman Newsletter.  Check
out who has been contributing!

"Rules revisions have been completed on the DRAGONLANCE CAMPAIGN
SETTING (otherwise known as the "DLCS") and the book is now in the
hands of the editors at Wizards of the Coast. The rules revisions
were very important, for not only will Dragonlance feature many
never-before-seen elements to D&D 3rd Edition, but the product line
will be one of the first to be fully compatible with the Dungeons &
Dragons Revised rulebooks (nicknamed "D&D 3.5 in some circles)
coming out earlier in the year. The last new work sent in by
Sovereign Press last month was the map order. The DLCS should
feature a new look at Solace and show the environs of the Lake of
Death. (Readers of the War of Souls trilogy might be familiar with
that location.)"

"The AGE OF MORTALS sourcebook will be published this summer along
with the DLCS, a companion volume to provide players everything they
need for a campaign set in the Fifth Age of Krynn, particularly the
exciting new period following the War of Souls. The book features a
haunting cover painting by Matt Stawicki, with full-color interior
illustrations from Dragonlance vets including Larry Elmore and Jeff
Easley. Authors Margaret Weis, Jamie Chambers, and Christopher Coyle
continue writing and design with the help of Trampas Whiteman, Sean
MacDonald, Cam Banks, and Andre La Roche of the Whitestone Council."

"Sovereign Press will be unveiling plans for the entire line of
Dragonlance products for the year 2003 at the Game Manufacturers
Association Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada next month. Keep
watching www.dragonlance.com and reading GAMES UNPLUGGED Magazine
for previews, updates, and more information."


GAMES UNPLUGGED
If you haven't checked out Games Unplugged magazine yet, you
should!  These guys are some new friends of the Whitestone Council,
and will be bringing you new information on the Dragonlance d20
game.  Check with your local gaming stores to get a copy.  For a
subscription, please go to:

http://www.gamesunplugged.com/

I'll try to bring you the latest on what is going on with Games
Unplugged as new Dragonlance articles are available in print.  Be
sure to check out April's issue.


WIZARDS OF THE COAST SEEKS DRAGONLANCE NOVEL COLUMNIST
The following is an announcement by Julia Martin, Online Media
Producer for Wizards of the Coast, and is taken from the WotC
Dragonlance Novels Board:

"I am seeking a contract columnist to write a monthly column of
approximately 1,500 words that ties into the Dragonlance novels
published by our Book Publishing division. The column should tie
into one or more novels released during a particular month. This is
not a fiction-writing assignment. DO NOT reply to this thread. This
is a contract writing assignment. Wizards acquires all rights to the
column, which will be published on www.wizards.com/books. You will
be required to remain current on the Dragonlance novels. Please
email a cover letter, copy of your resume, and a writing sample (not
fiction) to julia.martin@.... For the nature of the sort of
articles I am seeking, you would be well advised to visit the above
website (with the caveat that I am have no need for interviews).
Julia Martin Online Media Producer Wizards of the Coast, Inc."


PLAYERS OF GILEAN – CORRECTION
Last issue, I had a tentative product schedule.  In it, I mentioned
that Players of Gilean wouldn't be out until May.  Wizards of the
Coast's website had confirmed this.  However, it seems that they
have been able to release it on schedule after all, and it is in
stores now.  Excellent cover, by the way.


WHAT'S NEW ON THE WEB
We've had quite a few submissions of late, and it would be
impossible to mention them all here.  I can say that there has been
some new fan art and fan fiction, plus some recipes.  Our music
section has had a new Bard on the Run or two, and we've even had
some new polls of late.  Terry Doetzel has submitted his view of
Southern Ergoth, and yours truly has worked up a couple of articles
on the gods and magic of Krynn.  Plus, check out Dragonhelm's Guide
to Krynnspace, an update to SJR7 Krynnspace.  You can also check
this out on Beyond the Moons (http://www.darkwood.org/sj/), the
official Spelljammer website.


FINAL THOUGHTS
Whew!  That's quite a lot this issue.  As you can see, Dragonlance
is bustling with activity.

I'm very proud to be a part of this, and admittedly a bit shocked
too!  Who would have ever thought that a simple farm boy could be
part of something so grand?

Remember, all things are possible for those who seek out their
dreams.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

DEDICATION
This issue of the Dragonlance News is dedicated to the crew of STS-
107, Columbia, and to their family and loved ones.  Our thoughts and
prayers are with you.


WELCOME TO THE INN / IN REMEMBRANCE
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to the Inn
of the Last Home.  It's a somber occasion today, as a group of
companions who went on one of the greatest journeys of all, a journey
to the stars, is lost to us.

A good friend of mine works down at NASA.  While he wasn't working at
the time of the accident, the loss of Columbia hit him hard.  We
talked today, and I know we shared some of the same thoughts.  The
Challenger accident came to mind, as well as the thought that
Columbia was the first shuttle in space.

This friend of mine shares one thing with all of you.  He is a
Dragonlance fan.  Often, we have talked about the world of
Dragonlance, and he has taught me much.

Today, my friend received a very special phone call, made by none
other than Tracy Hickman.  Tracy is also a space enthusiast, and
knows this friend of mine as well.  I know that Tracy's call meant a
lot.  Thanks, big guy.  You're the best.

I would ask that everyone give a moment of silence for those lost
today, and keep their family, friends, and loved ones in their
thoughts and prayers.

My friends, I know many of you are hurting right now.  This is a
tragedy, and a blow to the senses.  How we face this tragedy is what
is important.  Life presents us with adversity and challenges every
day, and they are things we must overcome.  As adversity makes us
stronger, so too will we be stronger after the tragedy of this
morning.

All of you share something in common.  All of you are Dragonlance
fans.  This is a bond that spans past borders and languages.  It is a
special bond.  Today, you share that bond with a fellow companion who
works for NASA.  I hope, as my friend reads this, he knows that he is
not alone.  We're all here for you, buddy.

I would be remiss right now if I did not bring you the latest
Dragonlance news.  Besides, I think my buddy would march straight up
here and kick my butt if I didn't.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends.  The portal to adventure awaits!


DLCS UPDATE
I'm sure that you're all dying to hear about what's going to be in
the DLCS.  Jamie Chambers of Sovereign Press gave us a tidbit a
couple of weeks back on the Dragonlance-L mailing list…

"To clarify the situation with classes, all of the classes from the
Player's Handbook can be played using the Dragonlance Campaign
Setting.  Monks are labeled as rare, and Paladins considered non-
standard (though available with the DM's approval). The book
introduces two new base classes and a number of prestige classes
(some of which, like the Wizards of High Sorcery and Knights of
Solamnia, will be standard features in many campaigns). The idea is
not to limit your D&D experience, but to expand it. I'm hopeful that
many of you will enjoy it!"
--Jamie Chambers

Thanks to Jamie for the insights.  We're hoping to set up an
interview with him soon, so keep watching.


2003 PRODUCT SCHEDULE
Craig J. Ries has been kind enough to assemble a product schedule for
us.  Please note that this product schedule is not official as of
this time, and is subject to change.  Thanks to Craig for his ever-
watchful eye.

January:
*Winterheim, Icewall Trilogy v.3, Doug Niles
*Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Chronicles Trilogy v.1 (hardcover,
reprint w/ new cover), Weis & Hickman

February:
*Darkness and Light, Preludes series (v.1) (reprint w/new cover),
Thompson & Cook

March:
*Dragons of a Vanished Moon, War of Souls Trilogy v.3 (paperback),
Weis & Hickman includes preview chapter of Night of Blood.

April:
*Dark Thane, Age of Mortals series (v.3), Jeff Crook
*Kendermore, Preludes series (v.2) (reprint w/new cover), Mary
Kirchoff

May:
*A Warrior's Journey, The Ergoth Trilogy v.1, Thompson & Cook
*The Players of Gilean: Tales from the War of Souls, anthology,
edited by Weis & Hickman.

June:
*Night of Blood, The Minotaur Wars v.1 (hardcover), Richard Knaak

*Brothers Majere, Preludes series (v.3) (reprint w/new cover)

*"A Rumor of Dragons" & "Night of the Dragons", Chronicles: DoAT (2
paperbacks, new cover for young readers), Weis & Hickman

July:
*Dragons of Winter Night, Chronicles Trilogy v.2 (hardcover, reprint
w/ new cover), Weis & Hickman
*Middle of Nowhere, Crossroads series (v.4), Paul Thompson

August:
*City of the Lost, The Linsha Trilogy v.1, Mary H. Herbert

*Dragonlance Campaign Setting (3E) (hardcover), $39.99, Margaret
Weis, Don Perrin, Jamie Chambers, Christopher Coyle; intro by Tracy
Hickman

*Age of Mortals (hardcover), $34.99

*Key of Destiny (Age of Mortals Campaign v.1), $24.99 (tentative
release date)

September:
*Annotated Legends, Legends Trilogy (hardcover), Weis & Hickman

October:
*Bestiary of Krynn, $29.99 (tentative release date)

November:
*Dragons of Spring Dawning, Chronicles Trilogy v.3, (hardcover,
reprint w/ new cover), Weis & Hickman

December:
*Holy Orders of the Stars, $24.99 (tentative release date)

Unknown:
*Kingpriest Trilogy v.3, Chris Pierson

*The First Conclave, ? series, author unknown

*Redeemption, Dhamon Saga Trilogy v.3 (paperback), Jean Rabe

Notes:
*DLCS is published under WotC
*All other gaming products published under Sov Press

2004 and beyond:

February 2004:
*Specter of Sorrows (Age of Mortals Campaign v.2), $24.99 (tentative
release date)

Unknown:
*Test of the Twins, Legends Trilogy v.1, (hardcover, reprint w/new
cover), Weis & Hickman

*War of the Twins, Legends Trilogy v.1, (hardcover, reprint w/new
cover), Weis & Hickman

*Time of the Twins, Legends Trilogy v.1, (hardcover, reprint w/new
cover), Weis & Hickman

*Second Generation, (hardcover, reprint w/ new cover), Weis & Hickman

*Dragons of Summer Flame, (hardcover, reprint w/ new cover), Weis &
Hickman

*Unnamed Taladas trilogy, Weis & Perrin

*Unnamed draconian novel

DOUGLAS NILES INTERVIEW
Dragonlance.com is conducting an interview with author Douglas
Niles.  Go to our home page, and you'll see the link to submit your
questions.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The hour is late, and I know many of you will not receive this until
the morning.  I want to leave you tonight with a quote from Dragons
of Summer Flame, which somehow seemed appropriate on this dark day.

---------------
Chaos spread his enormous arms, which seemed to encompass the
universe.

"There is no hope.  You have no gods.  What have you left?"

Steel drew his sword and raised it in the air.  The metal did not
reflect the fire, but shone white, argent, like moonlight on ice.

"Each other," he answered.
---------------


Long live the memory of STS-107, Columbia.

Trampas Whiteman
Co-chair,Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends, and welcome back to another exciting issue of the
Dragonlance News!

As we enter the new year, the time has come to look forward to the
future, and to reflect upon where we have been.  Certainly, there
have been many changes within the last year, and there are exciting
things in the works for 2003.

So grab your hoopaks, and step into the Nexus.  The portal to
adventure awaits!


WHITESTONE COUNCIL 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
It's hard to believe that the Whitestone Council has been around for
two years, but we've passed the test of time!

In January 2001, the Council came together with the purpose of
keeping Dragonlance gaming alive.  Wizards of the Coast had announced
that they would no longer produce Dragonlance gaming materials.

There was one other who had the dream of keeping Dragonlance gaming
alive as well.  Tracy Hickman announced his idea for the Dragonlance
Nexus to the online gaming community.  Tracy invited the Whitestone
Council aboard for his idea, and the Dragonlance Nexus was born!

Shortly after that, a new project was born:  Dragonlance Adventures
3rd Edition, or DLA3e for short.  The Whitestone Council began work
on the new definitive online sourcebook for Dragonlance, using the
new D&D 3rd Edition rules.

Much has changed since this time.  The Council has expanded its
horizons, and now works on both Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance
Nexus.  We're working with Sovereign Press on future Dragonlance
products as well, including the much anticipated Dragonlance Campaign
Setting, or DLCS for short.

We look forward to supporting the Dragonlance community in the year
to come.


2002 IN REVIEW
This last year saw some amazing changes in the world of Dragonlance,
including two major events.

The first major event was the finale of the War of Souls series, with
the release of Dragons of a Vanished Moon.  I won't spoil the book
here, as some may be awaiting the paperback version.  However, I will
say that the results of Dragons of a Vanished Moon will leave a
lasting effect on the world of Krynn for years to come.

The other major event was the announcement that Sovereign Press had
gained the license to produce Dragonlance gaming materials.  I still
remember that day when I received an e-mail from Margaret Weis
herself asking for my phone number.  I almost knew what she said
before she said it.  Margaret called, and she told me the good news.
Furthermore, she said that she would like to keep the Whitestone
Council involved.  I was even lucky enough to have the honor of
making the announcement online.

Shortly after, in April, Paladin and I had the honor of meeting
Sovereign Press.  We traveled to their office in Wisconsin, and had a
wonderful time.  There was a lot of history to be seen, including a
tour of Lake Geneva.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I were to forget one other event in
2002.  GenCon this last year saw the funeral of Bertrem the
Aesthetic.  There were many guests at the funeral, including Fizban
the Fabulous himself!  I also had the honor of speaking at his
funeral, alongside many of the well-known Dragonlance authors.  It
was an experience I'll never forget.


YEAR OF THE LANCE
The year ahead will be a memorable one for Dragonlance fans
everywhere.

Dragonlance novels will continue the story that began in the War of
Souls trilogy, including a new Minotaur trilogy by Richard Knaak!

Sometime around July or August will see the rebirth of Dragonlance
gaming in the DLCS!  Dragonlance will be reborn using 3rd Edition
rules, and we'll see a number of products from Sovereign Press
following that!  The DLCS will be written by Sovereign Press, and
produced by Wizards of the Coast.

Also, keep watching Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus for the
best in fan materials!  We've got lots of materials coming your way,
including some special surprises.


FINAL THOUGHTS
It certainly has been a long road since this simple farm boy founded
the Whitestone Council.  Since my time with the Council, I've seen
lots of changes with Dragonlance.  I've had the honor of being within
the company of Dragonlance authors and creators.  I've grown in my
knowledge of Dragonlance, and I've also had the honor of serving the
Dragonlance community.

The Council has grown and evolved, much as how Dragonlance continues
to grow and evolve.  With the changes in the novel line, and the
rebirth of the gaming line, Dragonlance is back with a vengeance!

Take care, my friends.  I hope that 2003 will be a great year for all
of you.

Long live the Lance!
Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Co-Chair, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome to the Inn of
the Last Home.  The tree is up for Yule, and decorations are
everywhere.

Yes, friends, the holidays are upon us and all the townsfolk in
Solace are celebrating.  There's even a befuddled old man dressed up
as Saint Nick himself, who seems to be missing his hat.

Still, even in this time of year, we have time for one more
adventure, right?

Grab your hoopaks, my friends, and step inside the Nexus.  The portal
to adventure awaits!


DLCS UPDATE
The gang at Sovereign Press are busting butt working on the DLCS.
We've had a special treat recently, as we've seen the cover to the
DLCS!  You can find it by going to:

http://www.dragonlance.com/products/display.asp?id=309

We'll continue to bring you updates as new information becomes
available.


CHRISTMAS GOODIES
If you're a Dr. Seuss fan, you might like not one, but two Dr. Seuss
goodies we have on Dragonlance.com.  The first is War of Souls and
Ham, a parody of Green Eggs and Ham, which you can find here:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/music/display.asp?id=11556

The second is a new AD&D adventure – How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
This adventure is great for some holiday fun.  You can find it at:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/module.asp?id=11555


ORIENTAL DRAGONLANCE ADVENTURES
For fans of both Dragonlance and Oriental Adventures, we've got a
real treat for you.

Jeremy Forbing has submitted a wonderful piece called Oriental
Dragonlance Adventures.  Come venture to the continent of Sukyota,
where new mysteries and new adventures await.  Check it out at:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/module.asp?id=11483


HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I wanted to wish everyone the best of holidays from all of us here at
Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus.  May all of you have a
wonderful time celebrating the holidays with those that are near and
dear to you.

The year ahead is going to be a very exciting time for Dragonlance.
It will see the rebirth of Dragonlance gaming, as well as new
directions for the novels.

With all of these exciting events going on, let's make 2003 the Year
of the Lance!  I look forward to traveling these exciting new roads
with you.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
Co-chair, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends, and welcome back to the Inn of the Last Home.

I know it has only been a few days since my last newsletter, but
exciting things are in the works, and I wanted everyone to know right
away.

We're entering the lands of the Elves and Dwarves today, and
traveling upon ancient roacs.

So grab your hoopaks, and step into the Nexus.  The portal to
adventure awaits!


ELVEN NATIONS AND DWARVEN NATIONS TRILOGIES PETITION
As many of you know, the Elven Nations and Dwarven Nations trilogies
are no longer in print.  These trilogies represent a special part of
Dragonlance history, and there are many who will not be able to
experience this part, unless they're lucky enough to find a used copy
in their local bookstoors or off of e-bay.

DragonLance.Com and the DragonLance Nexus are working together to see
the Elven Nattions and Dwarven Nations trilogies back in print.  We
have an online petition, which you may sign by going to:

http://www.dragonlance.com/features/petition/

My friends, I've been witness to the very power of what Dragonlance
fandom can do.  It has been through the efforts of fans that
Dragonlance gaming has lived.

Today, all of you have a voice.  This voice will be registered upon
the petition, and that voice will go straight to Wizards of the
Coast.

It only takes a minute, guys.  Let's all join together, and do our
part to keep a very special part of Dragonlance alive.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
Dragonlance.com
Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends, and welcome back to the Inn of the Last Home.

First, I must apologize for the lateness of this issue.  Real life
has reared its ugly head of late, and I have been remiss on sending
this out.  Tracy Hickman always told me that real life must come
first, and who am I to argue with the big guy?

Some of today's issue will actually be old news, so I'll try to catch
everyone up.  I've also got some new materials as well, and just some
good old-fashioned fun.

Also, this issue will be the first with our new name - the
Dragonlance News!  I'm going to continue the numbering system from
the Dragonlance.com side, to keep things a bit simpler.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends, and step into the Nexus.  The
portal to adventure awaits!


DRAGONLANCE.COM NAMED OFFICIAL d20 DRAGONLANCE SITE
Back in April of this year, co-chair and webmaster Matt Haag and I
met with Sovereign Press to discuss the future of both
Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus is relation to Sovereign
Press.

The trip was a wonderful one, and we not only got to meet the people
at Sovereign Press, we also got to see a lot of Dragonlance history.

It is with great pride that I announce that Dragonlance.com has been
selected as the official Dragonlance site for Sovereign Press.
Meanwhile, the Nexus will remain as the official Dragonlance gaming
site for Wizards of the Coast.

That's correct, there are now two official Dragonlance sites!  These
two sister-sites will now be working very closely together to do all
they can to promote not only Dragonlance, but also Dragonlance
fandom.

Dragonlance.com has already undergone a bit of a facelift, and you'll
see some new features, including some gaming rules (courtesy of the
Nexus) and the return of Bard on the Run (in our music section).
We've got tons of other goodies as well, so stop on by.

The Nexus has had a facelift as well, and is now more complete than
ever.  The Encyclopedia is getting full, plus we've got a nifty new
area in Unofficial Rules for role-playing articles.  You'll find tips
and tricks there to help you in your Dragonlance games, as well as
some fun reads.

Be watching both sites, as many exciting things are in the works.


THE TOBRIL
My friends, have I got a treat for you!  We're doing something a
little new and a little different on Dragonlance.com.  I'm proud to
announce a new dimension in Dragonlance fandom – the Tobril!

The Tobril is a new fan e-zine produced by the Whitestone Council's
own Dragonbane, Clarion, and Richard Connery.  These three gents will
be bringing you the best of Dragonlance fandom bi-monthly, showing
you the best of fan fiction, gaming rules, and a variety of other
subjects.

Keep watching every other month, as we bring you the best that
Dragonlance fandom has to offer.


DRAGONLANCE D20 UPDATE
I haven't heard much on the DLCS lately, but I'm hoping to see
something soon.  Sovereign Press has been quite busy lately, and I
know they've been working with Wizards of the Coast on this fabulous
sourcebook.

I'll have more on this when information becomes available.



KENCYCLOPEDIA.COM REDESIGN
If there is any truth to Kender, it is that they get bored easy.  The
same can be said for the Whitestone Council's Chief Acquisitions
Officer, Kipper Snifferdoo.

You see, Kipper works not only on Dragonlance.com and the Nexus, but
is the brains and topknot behind Kencyclopedia.com.  He's gone on
walkabout throughout Krynn picking out all sorts of colors and design
tricks to use on the Kencyclopedia.  Go to Kencyclopedia.com and have
a looksee.  Be careful to watch over your possessions!


MASTERS OF DRAGONLANCE ART
If you haven't seen it yet, Masters of Dragonlance Art has been
released.  This book has a foreword by Margaret Weis, and includes
art from artists such as Matt Stawicki, Larry Elmore, Brom, Mark Zug,
Daniel Horne, Todd Lockwood, Clyde Caldwell, Jeff Easley, Vander
Stelt, and several contributing artists as well.

This book makes a wonderful companion to The Art of the Dragonlance
Saga, and the pictures are fabulous.


TALADAS TRILOGY UPDATE
Mark S. of WotC's book department mentioned on the Dragonlance
message boards recently that the first book of the Taladas trilogy
will be released around the summer of 2004.


UNTIL NEXT TIME
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous
spiced potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings. "This is
where it all began," I tell myself. I feel a sense of awe as it
finally dawns on me that the road that I have traveled has led me
back to the Inn of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing. I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons. I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Co-Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

IN THIS ISSUE
*Welcome to the Inn
*GenCon 2002 – General Thoughts
*Killer Breakfast
*Dragonlance Reception/Bertrem's Funeral
*Dragonlance Movie
*Taladas Trilogy
*Bronze Canticles
*Annotated Legends
*Hardcover Chronicles
*Kang's Regiment Volume 3
*LarryElmore.com
*Until Next Time


WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to another
exciting issue of the Dragonlance.com/Nexus News!

I've got some very exciting news from GenCon this year.  Margaret
Weis made a few announcements at the Dragonlance reception this year,
which will certainly interest you.

So grab your hoopaks.  The portal to adventure awaits!


GENCON 2002 – GENERAL THOUGHTS
I must apologize at this point, for I'm late getting the latest from
GenCon to you.  Real Life, as always, is an ugly monster.

I'll start with some of the overall things, then go into specifics.
I met up with Paladin at the airport, and we moved along to GenCon.
I got to see Cam Banks again, as well as his wife and new baby,
Connor.  Connor is the cutest baby in the world.  Just ask Cam, and
he'll tell you.  I also had a chance to meet Lestah in person as well
as her husband, and Kipper and his wife.

We had a great time hanging out with the Sovereign Press people,
including Jamie and Renae Chambers, Christopher Coyle, Don Perrin,
and Margaret Weis.  We also had a little time to hang with Tracy
Hickman.  We met several of the other Dragonlance authors there,
including Chris Pierson, Jean Rabe, Douglas Niles, Stan!, and Richard
Knaak.  Richard and I had a wonderful talk about honor, and I even
got to see a sneak peak of the cover of his new minotaur trilogy.  I
even got to game with Chris Pierson as well at a Sovereign Stone demo.

I also got to meet a fair number of online friends as well from both
the Dragonlance and Spelljammer communities.  Great seeing everyone
there!


KILLER BREAKFAST
Tracy Hickman's Killer Breakfast is an event not to be missed.
Killer Breakfast has nothing to do with food, and everything to do
about death.  Tracy attempts to kill 200+ characters in a 2-hour time
period.  This year, it was Star Warps: Send in the Clones (a
musical).

Unfortunately, we ran out of time before I got a personal killing.
However, I did talk to Tracy afterwards, and presented him with my
bribe anyway – a travel guide to astronomy.


DRAGONLANCE RECEPTION/BERTREM'S FUNERAL
This year's Dragonlance Reception was a bit different from most.
This year, Brother Bertrem, Aesthetic at the Library of Palanthas,
finally passed away.  Special speakers came to honor Bertrem at his
funeral, including Chris Pierson, Jean Rabe, Douglas Niles, Stan!,
Don Perrin, Margaret Weis (as Takhisis), and Tracy Hickman (as Fizban
the Fabulous).  Yours truly even was invited to speak at the
funeral.  I cannot say what an honor that was to speak beside these
well-known authors.  Special thanks to Peter Archer of Wizards of the
Coast for allowing me the privelege.

All the speeches were great, but Tracy stole the show as Fizban.
When it was his turn to speak, he went towards the podium, and went
through the doors behind it.  Luckily, Mrs. Fizban (Tracy's wife,
Laura Curtis) was there to assist him.

We have the funeral speeches up at:

http://www.dragonlance.com/news/bertrem.cfm

We are still awaiting Don Perrin's speech, which should be available
shortly.

After the funeral, several announcements were made.  I'll go through
them one by one.


DRAGONLANCE MOVIE
Margaret announced that Dragonlance has been optioned for a movie.
This is not to say that one is currently in production.  We will
bring you more news of this as it unfolds.


TALADAS TRILOGY
It was also announced that there will be a trilogy based on the
continent of Taladas, written by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin.


BRONZE CANTICLES
Tracy announced the name of his latest trilogy, written with wife and
co-author Laura Curtis.  You can learn more about Bronze Canticles at
www.bronzecanticles.com


ANNOTATED LEGENDS
Annotated Legends is slated for a Fall 2003 release date.


HARDCOVER CHRONICLES
Peter Archer announced that there will be hardcover editions of the
Chronicles in the spring of 2003.


KANG'S REGIMENT VOLUME 3
There will be a third book in this series.  No news on a release date
yet.

LARRYELMORE.COM
Larry Elmore's site has a new feature on it.  He shows you the
progression of his latest Dragonlance painting, "Raistlin's Keep".

UNTIL NEXT TIME
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous
spiced potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings. "This is
where it all began," I tell myself. I feel a sense of awe as it
finally dawns on me that the road that I have traveled has led me
back to the Inn of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing. I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons. I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Co-Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

DEDICATION
This newsletter is dedicated to Connor Cameron Banks, a recent
arrival into this world.  May you always see the world through eyes
of innocence, and may you always find your way back to the Inn of the
Last Home.


WELCOME TO THE INN!
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome!  I must offer
my sincerest apologies on the tardiness of this newsletter.  Real
Life can keep one busy, especially with the work on the DLCS.  More
below on that.

Once in a while, I like to mention something personal from our own
ranks, and the news I have is very special indeed.  Recently, our
very own Cam Banks became a dad, welcoming in Connor Cameron Banks
into the world.  Connor's birth couldn't come at a better time, as it
coincided with the release of Dragons of a Vanished Moon , where the
world of Krynn is born anew.  I can think of no better time for
beginnings.

All of us at Dragonlance.com and the Dragonlance Nexus wish the best
for little Connor, for his parents, and for their family and
friends.

Ah, but you came here for adventure, did you not?  Grab your hoopaks,
then, for the portal to adventure awaits!


GENCON!
If any of you is going to be at GenCon, be sure to stop by the
Sovereign Press booth and say hello!  You can meet Dragonlance
authors Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, as well as Sovereign Press' own
Christopher Coyle and Jamie Chambers.

This is also your chance to meet some members of the Whitestone
Council.  Matt "Paladin" Haag and I will be working at the Sovereign
Press booth answering questions on Dragonlance.com and the
Dragonlance Nexus.  You can also meet Whitestone council members Cam
Banks, Angela Stachowiak, and Sean "Kipper Snifferdoo" Macdonald.
Sean's the one with the receding topknot.

You will also be in for a special treat Friday morning at Tracy
Hickman's Killer Breakfast.  Killer Breakfast has nothing to do with
eating, and everything to do with death.  Watch in amazement as Tracy
Hickman kills 200+ characters in a 2-hour time period.

Finally, be sure to stop by the Dragonlance Reception on Friday
night.  Peter Archer of Wizards of the Coast says that there is
something special planned this year.  There will be some special
speakers this year, including Fizban the Fabulous and even yours
truly.


THE SOVEREIGN STATE OF GAMING
Work continues on the Dragonlance sourcebook.  The Whitestone Council
has been continuing to help on assignments, and we have recently been
handed a portion of the sourcebook to review.

While I can't go into any specifics, I can tell you that it was
simply amazing!  This will be one sourcebook that gamers and novel
readers will both love.


NEW MEMBERS
It is with great pleasure that I announce two new members to the
Whitestone Council.  First is Angela Stachowiak (sorry if I butchered
that, Angela), who is the fan writing editor on Dragonlance.com.
Angela has the honor of being the first female member of the
Whitestone Council.

The second new member is none other than Richard Connery.  Richard
has been a tremendous help to the Whitestone Council for a long time
now, and his work on the Ansalonian Gazetteer is simply fabulous.
Certainly, this was long overdue.


FOND FAREWELL
All things in life change.  People come and people go, and it is with
a heavy heart that I announce the resignation of Andre' La Roche.
Andre' headed up the rules development for the old DLA3e project, and
has taught me much of 3rd edition rules.  We wish you well, Andre'.


UNTIL NEXT TIME
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous
spiced potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings. "This is
where it all began," I tell myself. I feel a sense of awe as it
finally dawns on me that the road that I have traveled has led me
back to the Inn of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing. I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons. I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Co-Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN/NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCEMENT
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome back to another
exciting issue of the Dragonlance.com/Nexus News!

As life would have it, it is now my job to write both newsletters.
It makes more sense to me to write one newsletter, rather than to do
two separate ones.

With that in mind, I will be consolodating the newsletters into one.
As the Dragonlance.com News has more subscribers, I ask those on the
Nexus News who are not already subscribers of the Dragonlance.com
News go to Dragonlance.com and enter your e-mail address in the
bottom of the screen where it mentions the newsletter.  Any
questions, feel free to e-mail me at >dragonhelm@...<.

I will continue the double-newsletter for a few months still, and
will just continue on with one newsletter shortly thereafter.  The
new combined newsletter will bring you the best of Dragonlance,
whether novels or gaming.

Grab your hoopaks, my friends.  The portal to adventure awaits!


DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON RELEASE DATE
I wanted to remind everyone that Dragons of a Vanished Moon, the
final volume of the War of Souls trilogy, will be released on June
18.  Weis and Hickman will be on tour promoting Vanished Moon as
well.  For more information, go to:

http://www.dl3e.com/inn/features.cfm?id=17


SOVEREIGN PRESS/DRAGONLANCE UPDATES
Work has begun on the Dragonlance d20 book, and the Whitestone
Council is hard at work assisting!  I'm not at liberty to give any
details, but we've already completed one huge assignment for
Sovereign Press, and we're working on our second assignment now!
Jamie has been real pleased with our materials, and we're happy to be
a part of this.

Wizards of the Coast has approved the outline of the book, and work
is commencing right away.


NEW CONTINENT:  WELCOME TO ADLATUM!
Work on the new continent project continues!  This project, under the
leadership of Cam "Attack of the Tanis Clone" Banks is skyrocketing
along.

The basic themes are being worked on, and the races are being set
up.  More on this in future issues!


CLARION'S SECRET PROJECT
Clarion is working on a secret project for the fans of both
Dragonlance.com and the Nexus.  I've sent my spies to see what he's
cooking up, but none have returned!


NEW ON DRAGONLANCE.COM
I just got the good word from Paladin on some new goodies on
Dragonlance.com.  He says that he's working through the backlog for
fiction and poetry, new questions for Knights Council and the "Are
you a DL fan" quiz, and he's adding some book reviews.


NEW ON THE NEXUS
Clarion tells me that there is a new journal entry from Bradley Potts
in the Adventure Portal, and Granak tells me that there is new
material in the Unofficial Rules (including a Blood Sea Mariner PrC
by yours truly).


UNTIL NEXT TIME
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous
spiced potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings. "This is
where it all began," I tell myself. I feel a sense of awe as it
finally dawns on me that the road that I have traveled has led me
back to the Inn of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing. I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons. I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Co-Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

WELCOME TO THE INN
Greetings, friends and fellow companions, and welcome to a special
crossover of the Dragonlance.com News and the Nexus News!  Don't tell
Paladin that I stole the Dragonlance.com News though, as he is on
walkabout!

There's been lots of rumblings on Dragons of a Vanished Moon, and I
wanted to share them with you today.

So grab your hoopaks, my friends.  The portal to adventure awaits!


DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON SAMPLE CHAPTER - ***SPOILERS!***
So, you can't wait until June 18 for the release of Vanished Moon?
Itching to know what happens?

Fear not, for a sample chapter is on the net, ready to be read!  Be
warned, though, as spoilers await.  You can find the sample chapter
by clicking:

http://www.wizards.com/books/dnd/samples/88602.pdf


DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON BOOK TOUR
Margaret sent me a list of the book tour for Dragons of a Vanished
Moon.  Watch the dates carefully, as some dates only have one of the
authors.

You can find out more by clicking:

http://www.dl3e.com/inn/features.cfm?id=17


CONGRATULATIONS TRACY AND LAURA HICKMAN ON 25 YEARS!
For those who read the Hickman Newsletter (and shame on you if you
aren't!), you may have caught a blurb that Tracy and Laura Hickman
are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this June.


NEW CONTINENT NEWS
When the Nexus was formed, Tracy mentioned the idea of doing a new
continent for the world of Krynn.  Now that Sovereign Press is
heading up the official rules, that has freed us up to work on this
new continent.

More on this as material develops!


FOND FAREWELL
I wanted to take a moment to give a fond farewell to a good friend of
mine - Mr. Tobin Melroy.  Tobin has recently left the Whitestone
Council, and living life to its fullest.

Tobin and I became friends when I was first putting my Whitestone
Council idea together.  I had called it quits one day out of
frustration, and he e-mailed me saying, "What the hell are you
doing?".  He pointed out to me that there was indeed a need for the
Council, and so I began again.

Tobin has always been a champion of the 5th Age, and has always
strove to keep us grounded in the roots of Dragonlance.


UNTIL NEXT TIME
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous
spiced potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings. "This is
where it all began," I tell myself. I feel a sense of awe as it
finally dawns on me that the road that I have traveled has led me
back to the Inn of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing. I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons. I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance.com & Dragonlance Nexus

Dragonlance.com Newsletter #21
April 3, 2002

Hail All,

******************************
In this Issue:
- Dragonlance Gaming Update
- Dragons of a Vanished Moon
- Product Ratings
- Fan Music Contest
******************************
(For removal instructions please see the bottom of this message.)

Even though there was a pretty good-sized gap between the last
newsletter and this issue doesn't mean that there hasn't been a lot
going on in the world of Dragonlance! Read on for more details...

Dragonlance Gaming Update
http://www.dragonlance.com/news/sovpress.cfm
If you weren't at the GAMA convention, or have visited either
Dragonlance.com or some of the other major Dragonlance fan sites on the
Internet recently, you will have missed the press release that announced
that Dragonlance will once again become a published gaming setting!
Sovereign Press, a company owned by Margaret Weis and her husband Don
Perrin, will be publishing a Dragonlance sourcebook sometime in fall
2003 that will bring Krynn up to date and into the Dungeons & Dragons
3rd Edition game. Sovereign Press will also publish more modules after
the initial book has been released next fall. Stay tuned to
Dragonlance.com and we'll make sure to keep you up-to-date on all of the
latest developments with the Dragonlance license.

Dragons of a Vanished Moon
http://www.dragonlance.com/products/display.cfm?id=210
The release date for Dragons of a Vanished moon is set for this June,
with the possibility of a book tour by Weis & Hickman to follow. (No
firm ship date has been set at this point in time.) Amazon currently
lists the book for 30% off on pre-orders -- so if you want it shipped
directly to your door as soon as it's released, you can use the link
above to jump to their site to pick up your copy!

Product Ratings
http://www.dragonlance.com/products/
Along those same lines, it appears that a number of you have been taking
advantage of the ratings system that has been installed in the Products
section of Dragonlance.com. Now you can vote for your favorite (or
least-favorite) books! You might also want to consider posting a full
review of a book so that you can express your thoughts more fully about
a novel. (An interesting footnote is that 180 of you have voted "Dragons
of a Vanished Moon" as being a 5-star book--two months before its
release!)

Fan Music Contest
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/music/
The fan music description contest is now closed! Thanks to Mark
Boehnlein for posting his work and allowing you to come up with
descriptions that you think best suit the music. We'll be posting those
in the next week or two, shortly after we announce the winner of the CD
of Mark's music. Thanks to all who entered.

That's the news for now! Until next time, I bid you farewell.

Paladin
Dragonlance.com

Dragonlance.com Newsletter #20
January 30, 2002
Hail All,

******************************
In this Issue:
- Weis & Hickman Chat Log
- Knight's Council Interactive Game
- A Fan Music Contest
- Dragons of a Vanished Moon Update
******************************
(For removal instructions please see the bottom of this message.)

It's been entirely too long since the last one of these, so I'll try to
update you on what's been going on at both Dragonlance.com and in the
Dragonlance world in general. For my late new year's resolution, I'll
resove to get these updates out to you more often! With that said, the
latest news...

Weis & Hickman Chat Log
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/chat/01262002.cfm
The infamous Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman were good enough to join us
for a live chat session last Saturday, that Dragonlance.com and the
Dragonlance Nexus co-sponsored. The link above is the log from the
hour-long conversation we had with the New York Times bestselling
authors, who answered a variety of questions like "will there be a third
book in the Raistlin Chronicles" (probably not) and some questions on
how to get started as a writer. Another chat session is tentatively
scheduled this summer after the release of "Dragons of a Vanished Moon",
but more on that below!

Knight's Council Interactive Game
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/games/
The latest in a series of interactive games we've been putting together,
Knight's Council is a game where you stand accused by the Knight's
Council and must prove your innocence by answering their questions
correctly. It's not so easy, however, when you have to provide the
questions and they provide the answers! Make sure to take a look if you
haven't already.

A Fan Music Contest
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/music/
We're currently in the process of developing a contest for fans of the
Fan Music section on Dragonlance.com! Mark Boehnlein proposed the idea
of a contest a week or two ago, and we're currently working out the
details of the contest right now. Look for that in the next couple of
weeks on the site, and also make sure to check out the two new musical
pieces that have appeared in the music section as well.

Dragons of a Vanished Moon Update
http://www.dragonlance.com/products/display.cfm?id=210 &
http://www.egameguild.com/dragonlance/VanishedMoon_Final_Approv.JPG
Two major updates to note on Dragons of a Vanished Moon, the third and
final book in the War of Souls trilogy. The first is that the book's
publishing date has been definitively set for June 2002, so look for
that early this summer. The final cover art for the book has also been
approved and put online, which is the second link above. Definitely
worth a look!

That's the news for now! Until next time, I bid you farewell.



Paladin
Dragonlance.com

Dragonlance.com Newsletter #19
12/8/2001

IN THIS ISSUE
Hail All!
Vanished Moon & Appendix Update
Conundrum Now Available
Chris Pierson Interview
Majere Family Tree
Author and Artist Links
Opinion Polls

HAIL ALL!
Welcome back to another issue of the Dragonlance.com News.  We've got
lots of information for you, including an update on Dragons of a
Vanished Moon!

On behalf of the staff of Dragonlance.com, I would also like to wish
you all Happy Holidays!


VANISHED MOON AND APPENDIX COMPLETED!
Here's an update on Dragons of a Vanished Moon, courtesy of Paladin…

"According to Tracy Hickman's latest newsletter, the manuscript for
Dragons of a Vanished Moon is now complete and has been sent for
editing. In addition, he notes that his work with co-author Matthew
Martin on the DL appendix, entitled "The Progression of Souls". At
this point, the book (to the best of our knowledge) is slated for a
Summer 2002 release, though Tracy promises to share some of his
comments on his first full read-through of the book over the
holidays. Looking forward to that!"


CONUNDRUM NOW AVAILABLE
Conundrum, the gnome from the War of Souls trilogy, gets his own
story in a new novel by Jeff Crook!  Now available!


CHRIS PIERSON INTERVIEW
Wizards of the Coast interviews Chris Pierson, author of Chosen of
the Gods, at http://www.wizards.com/books/main.asp?
x=forgottenrealms/articles/pierson,2&b=dragonlance


MAJERE FAMILY TREE
Have you ever wondered how the Majere family is related to one
another?  Wizards of the Coast has posted the Majere Family Tree at
http://www.wizards.com/books/main.asp?
x=dragonlance/articles/majeres2,1&b=dragonlance


AUTHOR AND ARITST LINKS
Ever wonder what other works the various Dragonlance authors and
artists have done?  Or are you interested in their bios?

If so, then check out our Author and Artist Links at
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/links/category.cfm?id=4


OPINION POLLS
We've got a couple of new opinion polls for you at
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/polls/


UNTIL NEXT TIME
That's all for this issue. Check back in another month for all the
latest and greatest news from Dragonlance.com!

Dragonhelm
News Editor
Dragonlance.com

Dragonlance.com Newsletter #18
November 4, 2001
Hail All,

Greetings, fellow companions, and welcome to another issue of the
Dragonlance.com News. It has been a while, but we are back and better
than ever. We apologize for the delay.

Ah, but you're probably wondering where Paladin is. Well, Paladin has
asked me to take over for him as the author of the Dragonlance.com News.

My name is Dragonhelm. Some of you may know me already from the
Dragonlance Nexus (official Dragonlance gaming website) and still others
may not know me at all. I hope to become a familiar "face" to all of
you.

We've got a lot of updates and for you so let's get to it!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Coming soon from Dragonlance.com:
- We've got a Fan Art Contest coming your way, so get your best pics
   ready.
- Plus... What is "Dragonlance Jeopardy"?
Keep watching Dragonlance.com for more details.

FAN WRITING CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
From Clarion, over in the Fan Writing department...
After a difficult time judging all of the entries, we wish to offer our
congratulations to our the winners of the Dragonlance.com and
Raistland.com fan writing contest! First place goes to Pete Kim for A
Dragon in the Night; second place to Arlin Brewster for Players and
Pawns, and Balance by Robin Seabaugh was the third place entry. Thanks
to the 40+ people participating in the contest!

HALL OF HEROES
From Paladin...
Need a character for use in your Dungeons & Dragons game? Check out our
very own Hall of Heroes, where we've got a large repository of PCs and
NPCs for your use. Thanks to the people at Hall of Hero.com for helping
us put this together!

DRAGONS OF A VANISHED MOON UPDATE
From Tracy Hickman's latest newsletter...
The final novel in the War of Souls Trilogy is moving ahead quite
wonderfully. We are under strict deadline and should have this
manuscript ready to roll by the first week in November... I am currently
working with several fine people on the appendix for the book. We are
all very excited about this appendix, which deals with the roots of the
War of Souls, the cosmology of Dragonlance and its foundational roots.
Once we get past this deadline, I'll introduce you to those who are
assisting on this project ... names which are most likely familiar to
many of you.

AND SPEAKING OF WAR OF SOULS...
So, you're itching for more War of Souls, but you can't wait? The Search
For Magic: Tales From the War of Souls and Bertrem's Guide to the War of
Souls are in stores now.

OTHER NOVEL IDEAS
Chosen of the Gods, the first novel in the Kingpriest Trilogy, is now
available. Be on the lookout for Conundrum in December. Also, the
Dwarven Nations Trilogy will be available in ESD format soon.

INTERACTIVE STORIES
Looking for a fun way to write a Dragonlance story? Here's your chance.

Interactive Stories let's one person write a chapter, then the next
person writes the next chapter. Check out our forums or e-mail Uziel for
more info.

NEW ARTICLE SECTION
We have a new section in the Features area. It is known as Articles and
Editorials. This section will house new articles about all things
Krynnish.

FAN SECTION UPDATES
The Fan Section has some new updates, including new poetry, and two
excellent new midi's in the shape of The Bard's Song by Blind Guardian,
and Tears of a White Mage by Cyber. Thanks to all for their
contributions.

ART UPDATES
Got some new pics in, including Boys in Black by Liz and Young Tanis by
Kalisto.

UNTIL NEXT TIME
That's all for this issue. Check back in another month for all the
latest and greatest news from Dragonlance.com!

Dragonhelm
News Editor
Dragonlance.com

Dragonlance.com Newsletter #17
August 29, 2001
Hail All,

******************************
In this Issue:
- Fan Fiction & Poetry Contest
- Nancy Berberick & Douglas Niles Interviews
- Villains Quiz
- A New Poll
******************************
(For removal instructions please see the bottom of this message.)

Fan Fiction & Poetry Contest
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/contest/
Dragonlance.com has teamed up with Raistland.com to sponsor a fan fiction and
poetry contest! Submissions of original, unpublished fiction and poetry are
being collected between now and September 30. There's no minimum length (though
we do recommend a minimum of 2 pages for a story) or maximum length, and for
complete rules or to submit a story check out the URL above. First place is an
autographed copy of "The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles", and second and third
place are gift certificates to Amazon.com. We're looking forward to reading all
the entries!

Nancy Berberick & Douglas Niles Interviews
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/interviews/
Our very own Nuitari has just recently completed an interview with Nancy
Berberick, author of numerous Dragonlance novels including her newest, The
Inheritance. In addition, he's collecting questions for an upcoming interview
with Douglas Niles, author of The Messenger, the first book in the Icewall
trilogy. Check out those and other interviews with Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman,
Matt Stawicki and Richard Knaak on the Interviews page!

Villains Quiz
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/games/
"Which Villain Are You?" That's the question our newest quiz asks. Run through
the quiz questions to determine which of 10 villainous personalities you are
most like from the annals of Dragonlance history!

A New Poll
http://www.dragonlance.com/features/polls/
This month's poll question asks if you'd buy a video game like Baldur's Gate or
Icewind Dale if Interplay were to make a game like that for the Dragonlance
setting. So far, the overwhelming majority has spoken and voted that they'd buy
the game in a heartbeat. What are your thoughts on the matter? Vote for sticking
to pen and paper games and your d20, or perhaps classics like "The Dark Queen of
Krynn". Either way, cast your vote now -- and if we get enough votes in favor of
a game, who knows?

That's the news for now! Until next time, I bid you farewell.

Paladin
The Keeper, Dragonlance.com
ICQ: 27494013

Hail all,

This special edition of the newsletter was written by Dragonhelm of
the Dragonlance Nexus, with contributions from myself and other
Dragonlance.com/Nexus staff.  Enjoy!

Paladin

---------------------------------------------

INTRO
My Uncle Lockspringer once told me that you need to get away once in
awhile and do something fun.  Of course, he mentioned this in the
same sentence he used to describe the Palanthan jail cells!

The old mage and I were riding on the back of an enormous and ancient
gold dragon.  I wasn't certain, but I had suspicions that the gold
dragon thought he was on a mission for Huma.

We landed in front of a building, and saw people dressed in all
manner of strange clothing.  They carried many accessories  and
wonders with them.

"Where are we?" I asked.

The old mage smiled at me and said, "My boy, welcome to GenCon!"


WELCOME!
My friends, welcome to a special edition of the Nexus
News/Dragonlance.com News.  The Dragonlance Nexus and
Dragonlance.com teamed up for this special cross-newsletter to bring
as much of GenCon as possible back home to you.As a treat to all of
you who signed up again for the Nexus News and Dragonlance.com News,
we present to you the Special GenCon Edition!

Paladin, Dragonbane, Nuitari, Shirkal, and myself all attended GenCon
this year, and we had a blast!  Uncle Lockspringer made his unique
presence known, and we got to see some old friends:  Frank Reinart
(former Whitestone Council member) and Cam Banks (who assists on
rules)!

It seems that Frank is working on Sovereign Stone, and is writing a
Sovereign Stone sourcebook.  Knowing Frank, it will be an excellent
read.  And the rumors of Cam Banks are true.  He is the spitting
image of Tanis Half-Elven!

I wanted to share some of our memorable moments with you.  I'll be
presenting some viewpoints of the members of the Whitestone Council
along the way.


GETTING GOING - Friday, August 3.
Paladin picked up Nuitari, Uncle Lockspringer, and myself at our
hotel at 6 am, and we were off!  We had breakfast at Dunkin Donuts,
and went to get our registration material taken care of at the
convention center.

The staff told us that tickets for the Killer Breakfast were sold
out.  Tracy, though, had other plans, for he does not restrict
admittance.

The Whitestone Council had arrived.


KILLER BREAKFAST - http://www.wizards.com/gencon/virtual/article.asp?
x=virtual/display&A=f2010

Killer Breakfast has nothing to do with eating, and everything to do
with death and mayhem!

"Shortly before 8, we lined up for Tracy Hickman's Killer Breakfast,
at which point we were all given tickets and shepherded into the room
like sheep to the slaughter." - Paladin

And what a slaughter it was!

We were in for a treat that day, because Tracy had a special guest
tag-team DM assisting him:  Steve Miller!

(Rumors of the rivalry between these two were dispelled when Tracy
suggested sarcastically that the audience go back to the Internet and
comment on how much he and Steve didn't get along.) - Paladin

Tracy had 8 people come to the front to get things started.  Each was
handed a script for "Horde of the Rings", and they acted out the
parts.  It seems that Sauron had lost the One Ring to a hobbit named
Frodo, and he gathered his orcs to find it.  He even pulled out a
wanted poster:
http://www.wizards.com/gencon/virtual/2001/images/f2010_5.jpg

(You can see our very own Shirkal to the left next to Tracy, and
Steve Miller in the background.)

Only problem is, the orcs were going to form a union!

Suddenly, the orcs were transported from the boardroom in Mordor to
the Inn of the Last Home!  Paladin, Nuitari, and I were amongst the
next group of souls to depart the mortal plane.

During my short existence on the mortal plane, I was seated next to
this 11-year-old boy.  Tracy asked the boy how he got there.  The boy
stumbled around a bit.  Tracy wasn't pleased, and instantly killed
him.  The boy gave Tracy puppy eyes, and handed him a banana.  The
crowd felt sorry for the boy.  Soon the boy got up and gave Tracy a
big hug.  Certainly he had the sympathy of the crowd.

He didn't have Tracy's sympathy, though.  "This is Killer Breakfast.
There is no mercy!"

The boy went off stage nearly in tears, and exited the room.  The
whole crowd started jeering.  Tracy, though, surprised them all as he
introduced the boy:  his son, Jarod.

Check out the following links to see Jarod in action.  By the way,
that's me in the blue shirt, and Paladin in the green!

http://www.wizards.com/gencon/virtual/2001/images/f2010_7.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/gencon/virtual/2001/images/f2010_8.jpg


The mayhem continued on from there.  Tracy and Steve had not yet
begun to slay!

Tracy:  "How did you get here?"
Player: "I've been sent by Death.  He demands 7 more souls."
Tracy:  "You shall have them!"

Tracy:  "What are you doing here?"
Player: "I am their leader."
Tracy:  "What do you do?"
Player: "Delegate."

Tracy:  "What are you doing here?"
Player: "Do you know the Muffin Man?"
Tracy:  "The Muffin Man?"
Player: "The Muffin Man."

It got worse from there.  The players went to Ravenloft to encounter
Strahd, who had his eyes poked out.  From there, it was Lord Soth
(kudos to the player who played Mini-Soth).  Soth's banshees began to
wail, and some of the doomed decided to strike up the band!  Check
this pic out:
http://www.wizards.com/gencon/virtual/2001/images/f2010_9.jpg

Next up was Godzilla!  Both Steve and Tracy worked on this part!  The
audience participated by becoming the Japanese Air Force.  We all
made paper airplanes, and flung them at the stage.  I almost hit
Tracy with mine!

The mayhem continued through an atomic blast, and even went
underground in a mine cart.  Finally, Tracy killed the entire
audience.

When all was said and done, Tracy and Steve had killed 215 people
before lunch.  He still didn't break his old record of 257.


BETWEEN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
The Whitestone Council got to meet Tracy in person for the first time
after the Killer Breakfast, as he was cleaning up his bribes (I feel
sorry for the guy who brought the smashed twinkies).  Tracy greeted
us with a smile and a hearty handshake.

We toured around the exhibition hall for a bit, and eventually made
our way to the Weis and Hickman book signing.  Tracy was kind enough
to introduce us all to Margaret, who greeted us with a big smile.  We
got some autographs, and looked around a bit more until lunchtime.


WHITESTONE COUNCIL LUNCH
We all met up at the Sovereign Stone booth for lunch.  We met up with
Dragonbane (who we did not see earlier) and Cam Banks.

Tracy led the way to The King and I, a Thai restaurant.  We all sat
down, and had a wonderful discussion about the past of Dragonlance,
and the future of the Nexus.

On Dragonlance's past, Tracy Hickman talked about the original
team.  "We were young, and we were stupid."

You're probably all wondering if we talked any about the War of
Souls.  Well, the Whitestone Council "grilled" Tracy over this issue,
but his lips were sealed!


AFTERNOON
After lunch, we headed back to the Sovereign Stone booth, to have a
group photo of the Whitestone Council taken, including Margaret and
Tracy.  It seems that one of those shots included several copies of
the Sovereign Stone d20 sourcebook.  Ah, Margaret is ever the
enterprising saleswoman!

Editor's note:  You guys should really check out the new d20
Sovereign Stone book.  It's excellent!

After that, we all headed over to Dragonbane's hotel room to chill
for a bit.  After a few hours of fun, we grabbed dinner, then headed
to the Dragonlance Author Reception.


DRAGONLANCE AUTHOR RECEPTION
We gathered at a table in the reception area at 8pm for the
reception.  Peter Archer of Wizards of the Coast introduced the
authors.  Those in attendance were Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Don
Perrin, Kevin Stein, Linda Baker, Tonya R. Carter (Cook), Paul B.
Thompson, Jeff Crook, Chris Pierson, Richard Knaak, Jeff Grubb,
Douglas Niles, Stan!, Steve Miller, Kevin Kage and Miranda Horner.

Tracy and Margaret got up to the stage to start a Q&A session.  Tracy
approaches the stand.  He said that he talked to Margaret one minute
before the reception, and that they wanted to introduce another group
of people who were committed to the continuance of 3rd edition gaming
in the Dragonlance world:  the Whitestone Council.

My only thought at the time was "Wow!"  I was in shock.  Here we were
amongst all these famous authors, and Tracy was so kind to publicly
acknowledge our hard work.  We stood up, and the crowd cheered and
applauded.

It was one of the greatest moments in my life.

After the Q&A, everyone broke up to speak with the authors.  We had a
nice talk with Talinthas, and there were a couple of other questions
asked to us as well.

One fan stood out, though.  This bald-headed gentleman came up to us
and said, "Thank you for all you have done."  He shook our hands.
This man had such a sincereity in his voice and in his eyes.  Right
then, I knew that we had touched a life on a personal level.

The WC also had its picture taken at the reception, and it may be put
up on the Virtual GenCon 2001!


THE NEXT DAY - Saturday, August 4.
We spent a good part of the next day taking a closer look around
GenCon.  Some of the guys attended a playtest session for Sovereign
Stone.  Uncle Lockspringer and I decided to look around.

I'm a huge Star Wars fan, and was pleased to see Stormtroopers of all
varieties and even a Tusken Raider at the Con.  One of the
stormtroopers was checking the ID of a young boy.


WHITESTONE COUNCIL GAME
We met up (with minor delays) for the Whitestone Council game.  I ran
this game.  It wasn't anything too big or spectacular, but was a lot
of fun.  Shirkal's friend Audry (sp?) joined us for the game as
well.

The characters ran across a group of Draconians who were transporting
a corrupted Dragonlance.  By the way, Tracy said at lunch he liked
this idea.

Most of the highlights in the game centered around our minotaur
barbarian, played by Shirkal.  At one point, he charged a Baaz
draconian with his horns.  He killed the draconian, but it turned to
stone, trapping his horns!  Later on, our minotaur friend decided to
hit the corrupted Dragonlance with his sword.  The sword promptly
broke, and a chill was sent up the minotaur's arm.

"I cured 10 points of damage, and guess how much he took from that
maneuver?  :)"  - Paladin

"My minotaur had a Wis of 6, so it was perfectly in character." –
Shirkal

The characters won the day, and we ran off to get some of Milwaukee's
finest custard at Kopp's.


AFTERWARDS
We all went our separate ways and started to head home.  As I think
back to the convention, I count it as one of the greatest events in
my life.

I finally got to meet the people I work with face to face.  I got to
have lunch with an author.  The work of the Whitestone Council had
been publicly acknowledged.

Above all, I got to meet some special friends.


DEDICATIONS
Tobin, Doug, Weldon, and Neil - Guys, we missed all of you at
GenCon.  We hope to see all of you there next year.  Neil - Don't
think that the Atlantic is too big of a barrier.

Frank Reinart - You have always been a good friend, and I'm glad that
good things are happening for you.  We miss you terribly on the
council, but we know that life takes us in different directions at
times.  You are still a scholar and a gentleman.

Tracy - You always go out of your way to support the Whitestone
Council and the Nexus.  For the opportunity that you have given the
Whitestone Council, we can not thank you enough.  I enjoyed our time
together immensely.


FAREWELL FOR NOW
As I sit here in the Inn of the Last Home eating those infamous spiced
potatoes, I take a long look at my surroundings.  "This is where it
all began," I tell myself.  I feel a sense of awe as it finally dawns
on me that the road that I have traveled has led me back to the Inn
of the Last Home.

After sitting there awhile soaking up the history, I look outside and
see children playing.  I hear their songs and their laughter, and
especially their stories about knights and wizards and dragons.  I
know that those stories will always be told, so long as there are
people who will keep them in their hearts and believe.

So let us meet back at the Inn of the Last Home in another month.
There will be more tales to be told, even as a new legend is being
forged.

Long Live the Lance!

Trampas Whiteman
"Dragonhelm"
Chairman, Whitestone Council
Dragonlance Nexus
www.dl3e.com