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Dewaint
Learned Scribe
Germany
148 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Dec 2005 : 23:42:53
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Well met again,
I just found some details about "Vanity's Brood" on the WOTC Website : http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/frnovel/954647400 
I do not know if this link is meant to be seen, but i hope so ....
do anyone know something about the plane of Smaragh ??
There are also some good news 
I'm really looking forward to the final book of the "The House of Serpents Trilogy". |
Edited by - Dewaint on 24 Dec 2005 23:58:43 |
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O Love
Acolyte
Germany
49 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2006 : 09:00:25
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According to Lisa's website the new trilogy is called "Lady Penitent", with its first novel "Sacrifice of the Widow".
Source: Lisa Smedman |
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Lisa Smedman
Forgotten Realms Author
12 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2006 : 05:34:57
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On to your questions...
Lady Penitent trilogy
Halisstra’s going to look very different from her original (drow) appearance. After her transformation by Lolth, she’s no longer able to do many of the things she was before, but the transformation has given her some really scary abilities. (At least, as currently envisioned by this author; remember, I’m still in the first-draft stages of his novel.) Watch for Halisstra’s new appearance on the cover of book 1 of the trilogy. I haven’t seen any cover art yet, but I’ve talked over a concept with my editor. I think the end result is going to look really cool.
House of Serpents trilogy
Yup, Arvin and Karrell were definitely planned as a continuing item. The inspiration for the dynamic between them came from a science fiction novel I read years ago (I’d give you the title, but it’s still in a box somewhere, since I recently moved) that has a great “guy meets girl, girl irritates guy to no end, guy eventually falls in love with girl” sequence in it. I was trying for a similar feel with Arvin and Karrell. Arvin starts off as such a lonely guy, I figured he needed someone to care about (and to care about him).
As for psionics, I deliberately went with a different “feel” than has been seen in previous AD&D products. I wanted to put my own stamp on the psionics system and make it more mystical yet at the same time grounded in the body. My take is basically a riff that blends chakras, and yoga, and tai chi, and meditation as its starting points. I rationalized this mix, in the trilogy, as an “eastern” variant of psionics. I think I came up with something that’s quite a contrast to the more “traditional” way psionics portrayed—which always struck me as a surreal experience with a feel much like immersion in a computer-generated virtual reality. Gamers can choose whichever flavor they like best; the game mechanics remain the same, in either case. (Although the mechanics did change, midway through my writing of the trilogy, so I’ll blame any mechanics “glitches” in my novels on that.)
Smaragd (please don’t ask me to pronounce it since I don’t have the requisite forked tongue!) was a place I had fun fleshing out. It’s also got the variant spelling Smargard. I used, as my starting point, the description on page 103 of the Manual of the Planes. For those who don’t have that book, the sum total of that description is as follows:
“The 74th layer is home to Merrshaulk, the yuan-ti deity. It is a realm of ever-shifting colors, moist jungles, acid rain and fermenting poisons. There may be no jungle floor at all, just layer after layer of darker and dimmer forest canopies.”
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Gray Richardson
Master of Realmslore
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2006 : 06:29:39
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| Thank you! I am so stoked! I just went to the website and read the sample chapter. February is thankfully a very short month, as I can barely stand to wait for March to roll around to read Vanity's Brood! |
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khorne
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1073 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2006 : 20:23:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Lisa Smedman
“The 74th layer is home to Merrshaulk, the yuan-ti deity. It is a realm of ever-shifting colors, moist jungles, acid rain and fermenting poisons. There may be no jungle floor at all, just layer after layer of darker and dimmer forest canopies.”
Isn`t Merrshaulk a part of Sseth nowadays, and isn`t Sseth currently imprisoned by Set? |
If I were a ranger, I would pick NDA for my favorite enemy |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2066 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2006 : 01:04:33
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Lisa,
I've lost your email address, but I wanted to say how much I enjoyed Vanity's Brood. It was a great finish to a very enjoyable trilogy.
--Eric |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2006 : 13:46:39
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
Lisa,
I've lost your email address, but I wanted to say how much I enjoyed Vanity's Brood. It was a great finish to a very enjoyable trilogy.
--Eric
This author's website has an email address listed. |
Edited by - SiriusBlack on 12 Mar 2006 14:46:34 |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
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VonRaventheDaring
Learned Scribe
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2006 : 19:32:47
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| Loved Vanity's Brood Lisa! I just had to let you know. Will you continue to have more stories about Arvin and Karrell? I loved the addition of the Wild Dwarf as well. I would have to say that you are the queen of the yuan-ti! I loved your interpertation of the psionics and their secondary manifistations. I would love to see the stats for Arvin sometime though, as i was confused as to what type of psionist he was. Loved the major baddies you through in and the use of MindSeed in particular. Hope you continue to flesh out the Yuan-ti and the region. Looking forward to reading more of your writing. |
"Develop the latent abilities within you for that is your power alone. Psionics is the ultimate art of magic and you are its practitioner. Through lifelong dedication, strive to unite your will with your physical form to become one. Only through the unrestrained union of oneā€™s mind and body can the magic of psionics truly be mastered. Throw off the yoke of any who would impose tyranny upon you. Likewise, do not ever force another to submit to your will. Free your mind, free yourself and you have only just begun the path to true psionic mastery. Free others, open their minds to the Invisible Art, and you will show them way to Auppenser."
---Dogma of the Church of Auppenser |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2006 : 09:59:44
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Lisa I was wondering if you had a realms date for when Lolth started granting spells again?
According to Paul Kemp Wizards didnt give him a date for WOSQ novel but I figure as your writing novels that follow on from the WOSQ series you might have a date
Thanks in advance |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Andferne
Acolyte
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2007 : 09:14:12
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Hi Lisa :) I would like to say first that I have enjoyed the books you hve written so far and can't wait for the next series about Halistra.
My question would be about Halistra and her transformation. Now they were told only one would walk out of there alive. That was Quanthel. Halistra was bitten and wrapped in a cacoon of sorts and basically reborn or tunred into something. Now from reading the desription's of what went on I can't help but think se got turned into some kind of Vampire of sorts. Her eig bitten on the neck first and put in that cacoon(could of been coffin for her) an then being torn out of itjust screamed to me that she got tunred into Lolths chosen as a Vampire, and the cover art I have seen could support this in a way. So I guess I would like to know if you could tell us a little about her new status. Mayb some teaser as to not spoil the book. Of course I understnad completely if you can not for a number of reasons. |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2007 : 13:46:45
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| As February is approaching fast now, does "Sacrifice of a Widow" gives any hint with regard the time of the end of the Silence? |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2007 : 22:25:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Zanan
As February is approaching fast now, does "Sacrifice of a Widow" gives any hint with regard the time of the end of the Silence?
Eric and Phil are working on it they havent got back to me in my time line thread |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2007 : 11:44:38
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Hi Lisa! Great start into the new year of 2007.
To my question: Is your story 'Necessary sacrifices' featured in 'Realms of the Elves' anyhow related to the new upcoming trilogy of Lady Penitent?
Or to any other novels or stories you wrote? |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
Edited by - Ergdusch on 07 Jan 2007 11:46:31 |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2007 : 08:24:01
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Cause Lisa wasn't on these boards for almost over a year now, I decided to send her an email. I got the following answers regarding my questions and her concent to post them here for all those of you that are interested as well. So the next two posts will show you our email corrispondence.
Greetz, Ergdusch |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2007 : 08:27:46
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Ergdusch wrote:
Hello Mrs. Smedman!
I recently bought 'Realms of the Elves' and read your short story which is included in that anthology. Matter of fact, I enjoyed your book very much now my question is:
Is it anyhow related to the new upcoming trilogy of Lady Penitent? Or to any other novels or stories you wrote?
I posted this question at the Candlekeep Forum, but noticed later that your last post dates back to Jan 2006. So I wonder if you withdrew from this forum alltogether, which would indeed mean a great loss to us users.
Thanks for your answers and good luck with your upcoming novel release next month.
'Ergdusch' (at Candlekeep)
quote:
Lisa Smedman answered:
Hi,
I haven't officially withdrawn from the forum. It's just that I'm so darn busy I forget to check in... often for months at a time! I not only work a "day job" in addition to writing an average of two novels a year, but also have a four-year-old son to care for, so that keeps me pretty busy. To top it off, this week my dog just had a litter of pups, born premature, which require round the clock care!
To answer your question, the story in Realms of the Elves is a totally separate entity from the novels. Just something that I wanted to explore. WOTC basically told the contributors to that anthology to write "something to do with elves" and gave us free rein after that. I wanted to explore how a crusade can turn nasty, and Necessary Sacrifices is the result.
Glad you enjoyed it, by the way.
I'm looking forward to the first book of my new trilogy hitting the stores next month. I think WOTC did an awesome job of the cover. Very dark and spooky. I just handed in book 2 (first draff) and now have to plunge into book 3.
Cheers, Lisa
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"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2007 : 08:31:55
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Ergdusch wrote:
Dear Lisa!
One last thing before i leave you 'in peace'  : can you tell me which of the known covers WOTC have finaly chosen for your new novel??? The three known novels you can find here.
quote:
Lisa Smedman answered:
Wow, that's a very cool website. I had no idea there were "alternative" covers. As far as I know, the bottom one is the one they're going with. It's the one my editor emailed to me a while back.
Please do go ahead and post my replies to Candlekeep. I'll try to log on as soon as I can and catch up on the questions.
Thanks again, Lisa
That might answer at least one questions that float around these boards.
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"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
Edited by - Ergdusch on 11 Jan 2007 08:36:52 |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2007 : 18:12:55
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Just had a first glance at Sacrifice of the Widow and read the Sava chapters ... please, if I am allowed to say so ... no more god-games. These two lasses may be chaotic, but we have just come to terms with the new hierarchy and straight away, it is all turned into chaos again. How long will we now have to wait again to see what happens to the clergy of the fallen deity? A rhetorical question - as I think back that even by now we have no info on simple matters like the length of the Silence, almost two years after WotSQ VI has been published. *sigh*
One hopes that the Wizards' guidelines for the novel includes something world-shaking again ... or shall I say Web-shaking. |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2007 : 15:40:14
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A nightshift and 311 pages later ... people, get your hands on this one! Surely among the finest pieces of Realms-literature I have been reading in the last years - including WotSQ.
Non-stop action and a must-read for anyone wanting to know all the latest on Qilśe and all the other Eilistraeens, the Cormanthor drow, and a survivor of Ched Nasad thought dead.
For Mrs. Smedman ... a couple of questions. Did the Wizards gave you a blueprint on how the drow pantheon should look like after this trilogy? Could you get the chief designers into this and urge them to have a run-down of events and the outcome ready once the trilogy is over? For it seems quite a number of things will change during this trilogy and quite a bit of material - even pretty up to date one - will become outdated.
And a whish ... please leave Kiaransalee out of the family quarrels of the drow pantheon. We do need an evil drow deity left to play with as DMs, you know  |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
Edited by - Zanan on 27 Jan 2007 15:41:51 |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2007 : 16:44:38
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A question about something Qilué is concerned about early on in the novel. She mentions trouble with other drow faiths, namely that of Vhaeraun, Kiaransalee, and Ghaunadaur, even though the Kiaransaleens seem not to bother about the Eilistraeens. (p. 52f)
Assuming that Qilué is in the Promenade near Waterdeep while she thinks of drow priestesses ministering in the "distant north" and a ghostly Crone haunting these parts: Am I right in assuming that you were referring to the Vaasa and Damara region, not to the north of Waterdeep? Just to get my bearings right. |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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Ethriel
Learned Scribe
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2007 : 06:09:07
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Hey, Lisa, just finished the first book and I have a big question to ask.
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
Can you tell us if vhaeraun is really out of the game? He's such a fascinating God and character, with an excellent clergy and system, along with exceptional relationships and the nature of what happened was....really anticlimactic. Can you please shed some light? The wait to September'd kill me not knowing! |
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Braveheart
Learned Scribe
Austria
159 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 14:29:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Ethriel
<br>SPOILERS FOLLOW:
Can you tell us if vhaeraun is really out of the game? He's such a fascinating God and character, with an excellent clergy and system, along with exceptional relationships and the nature of what happened was....really anticlimactic. Can you please shed some light? The wait to September'd kill me not knowing!
C'mon Ethriel, you should know by now that you'll have to wait for the last book of the trilogy (and probably the last pages of the last book) before this question will be answered.  |
Jarlaxle: "Do keep ever present in your thoughts, my friend, that an illusion can kill you if you believe in it."
Entreri: "And the real thing can kill you whether you believe in it or not." |
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Backward Masking
Acolyte
Vatican City
2 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2007 : 18:22:15
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| Waiting is half the fun, Ethriel. |
"I'm afraid your friend Mathis, is really my friend Mathis." |
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 15:50:28
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Throught the war of the spider queen novels, I found the constant blatant reminders of 'the dark elf nature not to trust etc etc' to get a little tired. Along the lines of 'X didn't feel sorry for the persons death. Dark elves don't feel remorse'.
However I think you captured it brilliantly when saying 'Pharaun would miss him. Perhaps for days'. It perfectly captured the mindset without resorting to 'telling' me yet again what dark elves think.
Well done |
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nbnmare
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
205 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 17:39:23
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I'm thinking that by the end of the trilogy, at least one character will end up ascending to godhood. Personally I'm routing for Q'arlynd .
Judging by the numerous hints throughout Sacrifice of the Widow, I also think it quite likely that Ghaundaur and Kiaransalee will be appearaning in the remaining two books. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 22:55:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Kaladorm
Throught the war of the spider queen novels, I found the constant blatant reminders of 'the dark elf nature not to trust etc etc' to get a little tired. Along the lines of 'X didn't feel sorry for the persons death. Dark elves don't feel remorse'.
 Agreed, although to be fair that's been a staple of drow books since the early Drizzt novels. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2007 : 23:36:49
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| I'd like to see some more of Kiaransalee. I first found out about her when I was designing an NPC, and always thought she was a great deity, but would love to see more of her 'personality' as it were. |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2007 : 22:59:40
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| At long last I am writing that revision of Sacrifice of the Widow (also in preparation of Storm of the Dead) and there are few things I'd like to ask. In Expedition to Undermountain, a number of the Promenade'rs make an appearance, such as Cavatina. Are those characters stat-wise listed post- or pre-SotW, i.e. did you spoke to the designers of that book in this respect? |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2007 : 22:37:18
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Just to let you know, after an exchange of a few mails, Lisa confirmed that Cavatina's stats in EtU reflect her "power" after Sacrifice of the Widow.
For those interested, she is given as a Darksong Knight* 8 / Cleric 14.
*Fighter with substitution levels as given in Champions of Valor.
On another note, while reading the novel again I noted that one might come under the impression that the Vhaeraunite slain by Halisstra while conveying a message to Iljrene (Promenade Battle Mistress) might be Malvag. That is not the case though. Halisstra slew both males, though more happened to Malvag later on. |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gęš a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerūn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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ywhtptgtfo
Seeker
89 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 05:07:58
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| Ms. Smedman: The original title of the second book was "Game of the Ancients". What exactly does that title imply? Was it originally intended to refer to the drow ancestors in the crown wars or some plotlines that were disgarded? |
Edited by - ywhtptgtfo on 05 Sep 2007 11:36:01 |
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Questions for Lisa Smedman
