The Soulforge
Encyclopedia
The Soulforge is a fantasy novel written by Margaret Weis
and set in the Dragonlance
campaign setting
. The novel was first published in January 1998, and covers the early life of the character Raistlin Majere
.
trilogy, but gives a much more detailed account of how Raistlin came by his golden skin and hourglass eyes, and also how he bested the ancient archmage, Fistandantilus, from the time before the fall of Istar.
for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as the inspiration for the novel.
wrote a song about The Soulforge, titled "The Soulforged", on their album A Night at the Opera
.
Margaret Weis
Margaret Edith Weis is a fantasy novelist who, along with Tracy Hickman, is one of the original creators of the Dragonlance game world and has written numerous novels and short stories set in fantastic worlds.-Early life:Margaret Weis was born in 1948 in Independence, Missouri, and later attended...
and set in the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. The novel was first published in January 1998, and covers the early life of the character Raistlin Majere
Raistlin Majere
Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in Dragonlance: Legends in which he was both primary protagonist and antagonist...
.
Plot summary
The story begins from Raistlin's childhood, and follows his progress through magic school. Many things occur that foreshadow the great power that he would one day attain, and offer an explanation as to why he is often vindictive and power hungry. The book concludes with Raistlin's test at the Tower of High Sorcery of Wayreth. The account of the test conflicts somewhat with a story that appeared in one of the books of the Dragonlance LegendsDragonlance Legends
The Dragonlance Legends are a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the sequel to the Dragonlance Chronicles, and explores the lives of Raistlin and Caramon...
trilogy, but gives a much more detailed account of how Raistlin came by his golden skin and hourglass eyes, and also how he bested the ancient archmage, Fistandantilus, from the time before the fall of Istar.
Inspiration
Margaret Weis has acknowledged Terry Phillip's The Soulforge gamebookGamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as the inspiration for the novel.
Cultural references
Power Metal band Blind GuardianBlind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
wrote a song about The Soulforge, titled "The Soulforged", on their album A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (Blind Guardian album)
- Chart positions :Album – Billboard - Band :* Hansi Kürsch – lead and backing vocals* André Olbrich – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars* Marcus Siepen – rhythm guitar* Thomas "Thomen" Stauch – drums & percussion...
.
External links
- The Soulforge at the official Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
website - The Soulforge Adventure Gamebook at Gamebooks.org