Archive-name: books/dragonlance-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1997/07/30
Version: 0.24
URL: http://rembrandt.uib.no/Dragonlands/Weblanthas/Library/Lore/afdl_faq.shtml
Copyright: (c) 1996-1997 Stig Erik Sandø
Maintainer: Stig Erik Sandø
----------------------------------------------
alt.fan.dragonlance FAQ
Maintained by Stig Erik Sandø
v0.24 - July 30, 1997
1. FAQ questions
a. What is a newsgroup FAQ?
b. Is the information in the FAQ correct?
c. How often is the FAQ updated?
d. How often is the FAQ posted to alt.fan.dragonlance?
e. Is the FAQ available on Web?
f. What is changed since the xxx version?
g. Which versions have there been?
h. Who is the FAQ maintainer?
2. General questions
a. What is alt.fan.dragonlance?
b. Who is moderator of alt.fan.dragonlance?
c. How can I join alt.fan.dragonlance?
d. What is a lurker?
e. What is a dinosaur?
f. How should I post?
g. I have heard rumours of a newbie FAQ, where can I get it?
h. Are newbies welcome?
i. What is a newbie to do when he enters the the newsgroup?
j. Are there any rules in the newsgroup?
k. What is quoting and how do I do it?
3. How to do it
a. Some guy said that "Tanis was gay" or that "Raist is a woman", or
something equally mean and I _know_ this is not true (it is not
written in capital letters on the frontpage, duh!). What tactique
should I use when flaming them?
b. John Doe is a complete moron, what should I do?
c. What should I do with hypocritical dinosaurs?
d. How do you treat a dinosaur?
e. Please give me a real answer.
4. The questions about the newsgroup
a. Why have Dragonlance got it's own newsgroup?
b. What is a Dragonlance topic?
c. What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?
d. What kind of people read/post to the newsgroup?
e. Can I post my fanfic in the newsgroup?
f. Can I be sued for posting anything in here?
5. Dragonlance and the Net
a. Where else can I discuss Dragonlance?
b. Silly person! Where is there DL discussion on the Net?
c. Which mailing-lists exist for DL?
d. Where can I go to find other Dragonlance information on Web?
e. Is the Dragonlands related to Dragonlance?
f. Are there any other FAQ's on the Net related to DL?
g. Has TSR got a web site?
6. Questions related to Raistlin
a. Was Raistlin evil?
b. Was Rasitlin a woman or a man?
c. Did Rasitlin have a daughter?
d. Did Raist or Fistandantilus win?
e. Did Raist love Crysania?
f. What is the deal with Raist's staff?
7. Racial Questions
a. What are irdas?
b. Are kenders related to gnomes?
c. Are kenders related to elves?
d. Was Balif a kender or an elf?
e. Are gully dwarves related to gnomes?
f. Do gnomish inventions work properly?
g. Do they _work_?
h. Can draconians reproduce?
i. Are there several types of draconians?
j. What is a dragon?
k. What is with all these Elven Nations? I'm so confused.
l. Is a dark elf necessarily an evil elf?
8. Questions about Gods/Mysterious People/etc.
a. Who is Astinus?
b. How is Gilean and Astinus connected?
c. How is Fizban and Paladine connected?
9. The other questions that frequently appear
a. Should I read Dr. of Summer Flame after Dr. of Spring Dawning?
b. In which order should I read the books?
c. Which non-W&H books are worth reading?
d. What is the Fifth Age?
e. Dragonlance is not AD&D is it?
f. Is Tanis gay, hetero or bisexual?
g. What happened to Gilthanas and Silvara?
h. Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara at Sancrist?
i. Was Lord Soth a potted plant?
j. Can women become Knights of Solamnia?
k. Do Knights of the Rose gain new spells?
l. Were the kingpriest evil?
m. Has the Istarian empire any parallells?
n. What is Taladas?
o. When is the Dragonlance Movie coming?
p. Where is the story of what happened at Ice Wall?
q. Where were the Towers of High Sorcery located?
10. "This is the end of the World as we know it"
a. Is Tracy really a woman?
b. What makes Dragonlance and Krynn so unique?
c. What new Dragonlance books are coming soon?
d. Why are there no straight answers in this FAQ?
----------------------------------------------
1. FAQ questions
a. ? What is a newsgroup FAQ?
* A newsgroup FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) usually lists common
* questions that appear in the newsgroup and the answers there is
* general consensus for. If people disagree strongly and/or there is
* reasonable doubt about an answer, both answers are usually
* permitted. Usually, a faq also lists the written and unwritten
* "rules" of the newsgroup and any specific traditions newcomers
* should follow or be aware of. Due to the vast number of new users,
* many faqs also include some general information about netiquette
* related to usenet and newsgroups. Some questions may seem odd or
* misleading, but they have all been included for a reason. Any
* questions about the faq itself should go to the moderator.
b. ? Is the information in the FAQ correct?
* The FAQ does not try to be 100% correct in all areas, and leaves
* room for discussion. In general, most of the information in the FAQ
* is correct, or at least "correct" in the newsgroup. (The general
* consensus in the newsgroup may set aside TSR literature's answers in
* favour of other answers).
c. ? How often is the FAQ updated?
* Pretty often. When either the maintainer or someone else feels that
* questions should be answered. Please check if parts are missing and
* send them to the above mentioned address.
d. ? How often is the FAQ posted to alt.fan.dragonlance?
* Every other friday when the maintainer remembers it, if he/she forgets it,
* it comes the first day after friday he/she remembers to post it. It
* is posted monthly to alt.answers and news.answers.
e. ? Is the FAQ available on Web?
* Yes, in the Lore section of the Library in Weblanthas.
*
* It is of course also available on rtfm.mit.edu as all other faqs
f. ? What is changed since the xxx version?
* Since the KillerRabbit (v0.23) version:
* # Minor editions
*
* Since the Black (v0.22) version:
* # Morten added the soon-to-hit-shelves question
* # Added newbie-faq question
*
* Since the (v0.21) version (which was nameless):
* # Morten added a recommendation question
*
* Since the TillIGetMoreTime (v0.20) version:
* # Quite a lot really :-)
* # Morten added a few q. about reading order and dark elves
* # Some answers have gotten major revisions (e.g. potted plant)
* # Some answers have been moved to web
* # Some not-very-funny comments have been removed
* # Many questions have been removed
* # Many questions have been revised and combined
*
* Since the Spooky (v0.19) version:
* # Minor updates
*
* Since the Circus (v0.18) version:
* # Quite a number of updates
* # New questions: Raist's staff, Drac-question
*
* Since the Dragonlands (v0.17) version:
* # Most factual questions regarding Dragonlance
* # Prepared for rtfm.mit.edu and *.answers newsgroups => faq is official
g. ? Which versions have there been?
* earlier versions than v0.13 have been destroyed
* v0.13 - copacabana version
* v0.14 - guacamole version
* v0.15 - nachos version
* v0.16 - EdibleOilProducts version
* v0.17 - Dragonlands version
* v0.18 - Circus version
* v0.19 - Spooky version
* v0.20 - TillIGetMoreTime version
h. ? Who is the FAQ maintainer?
* Up till this very FAQ-posting Stig Erik Sandø
* has faithfully maintained the FAQ. Stig has been around in the group
* for an awful long time and is probably a dino's dino. Now he has
* finally found a suitable moment to retire and rest on his
* laurels. The new FAQ-maintainer is a bright chap and is a good
* friend of the native americans who nick-named him 'Little River',
* but among the rest of us he is known as Styx.
-------------------------------------------
2. General questions
a. ? What is alt.fan.dragonlance?
* A newsgroup for discussion of Dragonlance topics.
b. ? Who is moderator of alt.fan.dragonlance?
* None, even if old dinosaurs may seem to act like moderators at
* times. Some people feel that there should be a moderator when the
* spamming is at it's worst and when non-dl discussions arise.
c. ? How can I join alt.fan.dragonlance?
* Ask your ISP how to read newsgroups at usenet, any decent ISP should
* give you access to usenet and explain in detail how to use it.
d. ? What is a lurker?
* Monstrous Compendium says: "Lurkers are opportunistic feeders that
* make do with whatever wanders by." A lurker reads the newsgroups but
* does not post articles and sometimes they "flame" people who stray
* away from official truths. Lurkers are the lowest form of
* creatures in the usenet world.
e. ? What is a dinosaur?
* 1.Reptile that lived in prehistoric times. 2.A person who has been
* very long in a newsgroup, is known for his or her knowledge of all
* things Dragonlance, has had his or her interesting/controversial
* theories and has seen a lot happen. Of the most notable (more or
* less) active dinosaurs you find at least Edward, Steve, Morten,
* Janet and Cassie.
f. ? How should I post?
* Most people read Emily Postnews and evolve just a tiny bit wiser.
* And yes, ask your ISP. Show respect for the newsgroup and the people
* in it.
* It is also recommended that you read the newsgroup
* news.announce.newusers for awhile before you post to usenet at all.
g. I have heard rumours of a newbie FAQ, where can I get it?
* Janet/Marriat wrote one in frustration and it should be read by
* anyone, even remotedly newbie. It has an attitude but don't be
* alarmed :-) It is posted infrequently to the group (look out for it)
* and is probably available on Web any time.
h. ? Are newbies welcome?
* Yes, but I recommend that you read the FAQ, and then lurk for a week
* before you throw yourself into the fray so you have a slight idea of
* what's going on. When you finally enter the newsgroup, try avoiding
* heavy use of caps-lock, bad quoting, yelling, bad language, cursing,
* lousy grammar, so-called roleplaying and the other all-too frequent
* newbie traits [No offense].
*
* BTW: Don't let other unfriendly people stop you from joining the
* newsgroup, as there are people who get kicks out of saying stupid
* and unfriendly things.
i. ? What is a newbie to do when he enters the the newsgroup?
* Some people appreciate that you introduce yourself, but there is no
* need for all details of what you did when you were five, but some
* background information is cool and will give us an idea about who
* you are. Some people won't tell their age, and that is ok.
j. ? Are there any rules in the newsgroup?
* Stig once wrote a piece which still is available at:
*
*
* [Maintainer's disclaimer: Don't even think of taking the piece all too
* seriously, three weeks in an asylum should be enough.]
k. ? What is quoting and how do I do it?
* Quoting is easily explained to be the inclusion of some of the
* article you are replying to, so others have a chance of knowing what
* the heck you're talking of. Your answer should in 99% of the cases
* come after the part you quote, so people can read what you are
* replying to and then see your answer. Always remember to quote only
* what is necessary to understand your answer and put a [snip]
* where you cut something. Never quote the signature (unless that is
* what you comment), cut it off. Never quote a whole article to just
* say "Cool" or "rofl" and so on.. Instead snip most (if not all) of
* the article with [snip hilarious story] and then your comment. If
* your comment is not of interest to the general public, do not post
* your comment to the newsgroup at all.
-------------------------------------------
3. How to do it
a. ? Some guy said that "Tanis was gay" or that "Raist is a woman", or
? something equally mean and I _know_ this is not true (it is not
? written in capital letters on the frontpage, duh!). What tactique
? should I use when flaming them?
* First, press down your Caps Lock (we need to see the flame), and
* then POST (at least four times so the goddamned gay/feminist can see
* your flame). Don't limit yourself in the choice of words, just let
* the emotions flow and namecalling is GOOD for such ignorant
* fools. When you're done with the post, mail 6 copies to each of the
* other guys and girls you have seen in the newsgroup (all of them) so
* they also know what the goddamned gay/feminist did say. The next step
* is of course to mailbomb the gay/feminist with all your hard disk
* contents and whatever viruses you have (I mean your computer, of
* course). When you're done with that send 7 mails to the
* gay/feminist's ISP and tell them what a perverted guy or girl it is
* and what he or she does with his or hers frozen food when he/she is
* naked alone with his/her little dog. Next on the list is other
* newsgroups, you really should post to all existing newsgroups (get a
* programmer to write you a script) and say what he did. Known
* newsgroups who also may have an interest in the post is alt.gays,
* alt.activism.feminism, alt.sex.gays, alt.fan.buchanan,
* alt.we.kill.gays, alt.we.hate.feminists, alt.women,
* soc.culture.feminism, soc.culture.gay and not least alt.sickoes.
* You thought you were finished? Naah.. then you should email some
* fundamentalist religious group and convince them of the horrors of
* the Net and make them start a crusade against the heathens, then go
* to CNN AND your local paper with the news (they're very interested
* in such stuff) and remember the part with the frozen food and the
* little pets (it works quite well with Michael Jackson), the
* massmedia never sensationalize stuff so you'll get your side of the
* story. That's about it (real vigilants should also broadcast the
* message to outer space, just in case small green men could get funny
* ideas). Now you should feel better. BTW: If your account still is
* there tomorrow you're a damn lucky guy :) (and read Emily Postnews
* for even more juicy tactiques :)
b. ? John Doe is a complete moron, what should I do?
* For the "normal" people:
* Some people are complete morons and do their best at ruining the
* newsgroup. Unfortunately, most of these morons, don't get the clue
* even if everyone flames them, you tattoo "Moron" on their brow, and
* you push him/her into the lion cage at the local Zoo. The best way
* to deal with them is to ignore them completely.
*
* For everyone:
* 1. Show everyone respect, even lowclass dimwitted pre-puberty freaks
* 2. If someone flames you, ask yourself if you did something wrong,
* and if you did, apologize. If you are not sure or you're innocent
* and the flaming continues, ask one of the dinos for advice.
* 3. Remember that maybe more than a thousand people read the
* newsgroup every day. Compare it to stand on a marketplace with a
* thousand people and yelling. If you are comfortable yelling stupid
* things on a large marketplace, go ahead in the newsgroup too.
* 4. If you have behaved bad, there is nothing like a sincere apology
* (not some "my brother says he is very sorry but is unable to use the
* computer because we tied him to the tree in the garden to keep him
* from chewing on the furniture. But he will be a nice boy now.") and
* you are usually given a new chance
c. ? What should I do with hypocritical dinosaurs?
* Beats me, I have never seen one :-)
d. ? How do you treat a dinosaur?
* Flatter, flatter and good food. Just kidding, but heed their
* advice for use of the newsgroup and buy them a drink if you have the
* chance. But by all means, be ruthless in discussions and nail them
* to the wall with your arguments and you'll end up being a dinosaur
* before you can say "Takhisis is a sheepdog".
*
* As for the real geriatric dinos (who has seen gory fights and
* survived), I frankly do not know.
-------------------------------------------
4. The questions about the newsgroup
a. ? Why have Dragonlance got it's own newsgroup?
* Because many people on the Net like to discuss Dragonlance-topics
* and someone established one many years ago.
b. ? What is a Dragonlance topic?
* A topic that is strongly related to Dragonlance... duh! Which means
* that Forgotten Realms, AD&D, Michael Jackson nor multiple
* inheritance in C++ is accepted in here. (Forgotten Realms and AD&D
* please use rec.games.frp.dnd, Michael Jackson discussions are for
* alt.washing.even.whiter and c++ is in comp.lang.c++ )
c. ? What other newsgroups allow Dragonlance discussions?
* alt.fan.dragons have been known to allow them if they're about
* dragons. alt.fan.fantasy is for discussion of fantasy in general and
* might allow a discussion of Dragonlance in relation to other fantasy
* novels.
d. ? What kind of people read/post to the newsgroup?
* All sorts of people; males, females, gays, heteros, asians,
* europeans, americans, purists, liberals, conservatives, rednecks,
* kids, old people, students, authors, rich people, poor people, and
* so on. The only thing everyone have in common is an
* interest for Dragonlance. This makes for an interesting forum :-)
e. ? Can I post my fanfic in the newsgroup?
* If it is related to Dragonlance, yes. Be aware of copyright laws and
* what your rights is when you post it.
f. ? Can I be sued for posting anything in here?
* Yes. Normal laws apply in here, so be nice. Do not encourage people
* to do criminal acts, don't be too rude to people and you'll probably
* be just fine.
-------------------------------------------
5. Dragonlance and the Net
a. ? Where else can I discuss Dragonlance?
* On the bus, in taxis, at home and even in bed (I can think of better
* things to do in bed though :-). But seriously, you could try on IRC
* where the channels #krynn and #dragonlance are your best bets. Some
* web sites (like the Dragonlands web site) have discussion-pages too.
b. ? Which mailing-lists exist for DL?
* There is a Dragonlance mailinglist at dragonlance@mpgn.com
* There is a mailinglist hosted by the Dragonlands project for
* serious discussion of all things kender.
* Contact for more information.
c. ? Where can I go to find other Dragonlance information on Web?
* The best resource is probably the Dragonlands at
*
*
* A check on Kipper's list at
* is also recommended as it probably is the best list around and
* Sean/Kipper has done the pioneering kender-work to find the Top (4)5%
* of the sites around.
d. Is the Dragonlands related to Dragonlance?
* Sortof, pay it a visit. It is in IMVHO the largest and most complete
* DL site on web.
e. ? Are there any other FAQ's on the Net related to DL?
* Steve's Fifth Age FAQ
* Marriat's Raist FAQ
* DL Movie FAQ
f. ? Has TSR got a web site?
* Depends on what you define as a 'web site', they have a (at best)
* mediocre site, which apparently is not finished yet and they have
* had problems with it. You can find it at
-------------------------------------------
6. Questions related to Raistlin
a. ? Was Raistlin evil?
* If we look at what Raist did, it is hard to avoid words like
* "ruthless, cynical and scheming". Quite the number of people also
* pinpoint that Raist had a difficult childhood.
b. ? Was Raistlin a woman or a man?
* This discussion has raged a few times and has been the longest
* thread in the newsgroup so far and has beaten all other Raist
* threads solidly. A good resource for the theory is
*
* which is an attempt to recreate some of the original theory but has
* it's mix of goody-two-shoes attitude. The original article was
* written with more humour, but the discussion that arised made it
* more/less politically correct ;)
c. ? Did Raistlin have a daughter?
* This question has evolved from the Tale which Caramon told in one of
* the early Tales books and DoSF told of Usha, Raist's supposed
* daughter. As it stands, we cannot know for certain whether Raist
* really had a daughter. If Usha was indeed Raist's daughter, most
* people will think the thought of inbreeding, since Usha married
* Palin.
d. ? Did Raist or Fistandantilus win?
* Yes. This is a topic which comes back whenever a Raistlin fan comes
* to the group. Most theories end up saying that Raist and
* Fistandantilus was merged so solidly that the question loses it's
* importance. They became one.
e. ? Did Raist love Crysania?
* Depends on your definition of love I guess. There is not much which
* indicates that Raist truly loved Crysania.
f. ? What is the deal with Raist's staff?
* Cassandra has dug into the available resources:
*
* This polished mahogany staff is topped with a crystal ball
* grasped in a bronze dragon claw. Its powers are limited only by
* its user; once the mage learns the staff's true nature, great
* power may be summoned.
*
* Legends say the wizard Magius aided Huma in his quest to drive
* dragons from the face of Krynn. Magius' staff of legend still
* bears the wizard's spirit and lends it to save the world Magius
* loved. Many mages of renown have used this staff and added to
* its powers.
*
* [Maintainer's Note: TSR's suggestion for ad&d stats may be found
* in the "Tales of the Lance" boxed set]
-------------------------------------------
7. Racial Questions
a. ? What are irdas?
* Edward Pollard, a known alt.fan.dragonlance dinosaur has
* written a piece (which is too long for the FAQ) which is available
* at:
*
b. ? Are kenders related to gnomes?
* Some elves might say so.
c. ? Are kenders related to elves?
* Some gnomes might say so. A good resource is mentioned under the
* Balif question.
d. ? Was Balif a kender or an elf?
* Yes. A good resource is Daronia...'s article in Palanthan Times
* which may be found at web on:
*
* Since Daronia is a gnome, her article is slightly biased.
e. ? Are gully dwarves related to gnomes?
* The dwarves say so
f. ? Do gnomish inventions work properly?
* Define properly, please.
g. ? Do they _work_??
* Oh yes.. beyond all imagination.
h. ? Can draconians reproduce?
* Most scholars claim that they are unable to reproduce, but rumours
* from the post-Chaos War indicate that draconians are able to
* reproduce.
i. ? Are there several types of draconians?
* Yes. :-) Cassandra has compiled the following list [slightly revised]:
*
* Baaz
* Baaz are created from brass dragon eggs, and are by far the most
* common and are used commonly as ground troops and foot soldiers in
* the dragonarmies. They have wings, but cannot fly, although they may
* glide for short distances.
*
* Kapak
* These draconians are created from copper dragon eggs. Kapaks served
* in the dragonarmies as skirmishers and assassins, mainly due to
* their poisonous saliva which they smear on their weapons.
*
* Bozak
* These draconians are created from bronze dragon eggs. Bozaks are
* skilled in magic and stay out of combat, using their spells granted
* by their dark queen.
*
* Sivak
* Sivaks are the largest and sturdiest draconians, and are created
* from silver dragon eggs. The sivaks were the elite-forces of the
* dragonarmies. Most distressing, is the sivaks' ability to
* shapechange into any humanoid they kill. This ability made them
* excellent spies. Unlike the lesser draconians, sivaks have strong
* winds and can are able to fly.
*
* Aurak
* Auraks are the most powerful and most seldom of the draconians, and
* are created from gold dragon eggs. Auraks served as the Dark
* Majesty's special agents and stayed a secret from the Whitestone's
* forces for a long time. Auraks have no wings and are naturally
* unable to fly.
j. ? What is a dragon?
* 1. Giant lizard who spits nasty stuff 2. Dinosaur with bad breath
* 3. A legendary creature known for it's charm, intelligence, good
* manners, style, magic abilities, and for appreciating beauty. 4. A
* legendary creature known for it's lack of charm, poor intelligence,
* bad manners, lack of style, overhyped magic abilities and hoarding
* everything it can find (including beautiful things, princesses, and
* so on). 5. All of the above.
k. ? What is with all these Elven Nations? I'm so confused.
* Edward Pollard, a known alt.fan.dragonlance dinosaur has
* written a very good description which due to it's length is not
* found in the FAQ anymore but is moved to:
*
l. ? Is a dark elf necessarily an evil elf?
* Morten Brattbakk, a prominent dinosaur says:
* No. In Ansalon, "dark elf" is a term used on elves who are outcasts
* from elven society, from Qualinesti or Silvanesti. Many of them are
* evil, since being/practicing evil is a crime punished with
* exile. (Dalamar being the most obvious example.) But good elves may
* also be outcasts, since both elven societies (especially Silvanesti)
* are very conservative and exiles elves for a number of
* reasons. Examples of good dark elves are Porthios and Alhana
* Starbreeze.
-------------------------------------------
8. Questions about Gods/Mysterious People
a. ? Who is Astinus?
* Astinus is the "guy in charge" at the Great Library in Palanthas,
* and has chronicled the events of Krynn. A good description may be
* found at:
*
b. ? How is Astinus and Gilean connected?
* Quite the number of theories have been suggested where Gilean and
* Astinus are one and the same. The resource mentioned at the
* Astinus-question may be interpreted to Astinus and Gilean being
* distinct personalities.
c. ? How is Fizban and Paladine connected?
* Most people are content with the official theory of Fizban and
