Potential release information
of two of the "Lost Books" of Changeling: The Dreaming
Keys to the Kingdom and Gook of Glamour
(In Chronological Order - new
information at the bottom)
Message posted on WW Message Boards Sept. 12, 2004
Hello all,
It's been a long time since I've visited any of the old WW game forums. I turn my back for a couple of years and the whole universe changes on me.
As some of you may remember, I have written a number of books for White Wolf between 1993-2001, contributing to Vampire, Werewolf, Wraith and especially Changeling. As some people have recently reminded me, I have some outstanding business with the fae, namely the release of two books that I authored shortly before the line's regrettable demise.
The books in question are "Keys to the Kingdom" (Changeling's intended contribution to "The Year of the Scarab") and "The Book of Glamour" which was to be a thorough streamlining of the Changeling magic system. I am taking this opportunity to update you on where both projects currently stand.
Keys to the Kingdom (KttK): This book was to be a three-part adventure located in Egypt, the Amazon and the Deep Dreaming. The developers (Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea) contracted myself and two other authors -- Carla Hollar and Rustin Quaide -- to author the book. Carla, among other things, wrote the very fine House Varich chapter for Book of Lost Houses. Rustin Quaide wrote the nigh legendary Garou Saga (best damn book of werewolf poetry ever written) and a ton of stuff for Fading Suns.
Before Changeling was cancelled, Rustin Quaide and I had written a substantial amount of KttK, though neither of our chapters were edited in any meaningful way. I do not know how much Carla has written (she was working on the Egyptian chapter) and I am unaware as to what plans she has, if any, to release what she has written.
I have spoken with Rustin Quaide, however, and he has released his chapter to me. Rustin developed the chapter set in the Amazon. I wrote the Deep Dreaming chapter, as well as the short story, introduction and additional materials. Thus, I am hereby releasing this unfinished first draft book to anyone who currently runs a Changeling (or other WW) site who would like to post it. What the book lacks in polish, I hope it will make up for in atmosphere, story telling and setting information.
If interested, please leave your site address and any other contact information on this thread; I will contact you in the near future.
Book of Glamour (BoG): This book was mostly completed when Changeling's cancellation was finally made official. I was the primary author, but the book was also to include contributions by this forum's own Dan Ginn and Krister Michl. It has been some years since I have reviewed what I have written on this book and am not sure that I would like to release it in its current form. It's already far more polished than KttK, but I have long thought that if I release the book, it should be done right. I was in negotiations with White Wolf some time ago about releasing it as an official PDF, complete with full typesetting and illustrations. That may still occur. Alternatively, I may still polish it further and then release it to any unofficial Changeling sites. Part of how this proceeds will be based on the reception to KttK. If the interest is out there, I will work to finally release the book in a manner that the game's fans deserve.
Thank you for your continued interest in the Dreaming.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
Sadly, things don't appear to be going well. It seems that the lawyers have gotten involved. Here's his updated post from just a few hours later. I'll keep you updated if I hear anything further on the subject.
Message posted on the WW Message Forums Sept. 12, 2004:
Hello again,
I am afraid this is going to be one of those good news / bad news letters, so I might as well start with the bad first.
Shortly after my last posting, I received a call from White Wolf and they are somewhat apprehensive about an independent release of one of their properties on a third-party website. Their feeling, and I understand why, is that even though the book was never formally contracted, the publication of a professionally requested and nearly finished manuscript using their copyrighted material, is not a precedent they are eager to have set. This means that I will be withdrawing my offer to put KttK and BoG out there as a free download.
To those who so kindly offered to host KttK on their websites, I sincerely apologize for the confusion. This is not White Wolf's fault. I probably should have checked out the lay of the land a bit better before making the offer.
On the plus side, they have agreed to release both books on their DriveThruRPG site. I have negotiated that Keys to the Kingdom will be a free download and I hope to see it up there as soon as I've had the chance to polish it a little more. This will be a matter of a few weeks at most.
I still fully plan to proceed on Book of Glamour as well, and I hope to make it a professional release worthy of its fans. There will most likely be a charge for this book. (Which means I will finally get paid!) I will continue to update people as I proceed on this project and may be looking to this forum for some feedback. When I first began writing BoG, I approached the forum for its opinions, ideas and complaints about the Arts/Realms system. I received over 100 pages of information, much of which was quite astute and very useful. The book is mostly written now, but there are still some questions I would like to put before you.
That wraps it up for this missive. Again, I apologize for any confusion or disappointment my miscalculations may have caused.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
There may be life yet....
Message posted on the WW Message Forums Oct 21, 2004:
This is just a quick update on Keys to the Kingdom. I have been working steadily on the book since I last posted here, but the end just keeps moving father away. While the book will probably never be released in its entirety (the Egyptian chapter is still unavailable for publication), the chapter set in the Dreaming has grown to near epic proportions. Without the pesky word count demon looking over my shoulder, I have been freed to create a truly expansive book (72,000 words and counting).
Although KttK was originally to be released during The Year of the Scarab, I am also now writing to tie it in with the final Changeling release in Time of Judgment.
There is still some major writing ahead of me, but I will give additional updates. I hope that it will be worth the wait.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
p.s. Book of Glamour is next.
Even more updates......good news all around, though more of a wait for our beloved Lost Changeling books.
Message posted on the WW Message Forums Nov. 9, 2004:
Hello all:
Please excuse the inactivity. As I recently mentioned, “Keys to the Kingdom” has taken on a renewed life of its own and it may be a while before it comes out, but rest assured it is moving forward. For those who are interested, I thought I'd drop a few hints on what the book will include.
As I mentioned in this thread's original post, this was to be Changeling's entry to the “Year of the Scarab” (2001), but the game folded and the book was not completed. I was one of three authors and will soon be releasing two of the three chapters, with added materials bringing it up-to-date with Time of Judgment (the last official Changeling release). In brief, the book will include…
A short story that tells of the trials and tribulations of the ogre Cyrrax, and his quest to find the key to the Triumph Casque of Sorrows in a strange and alien world. This story has been posted on the excellent Right to Dream site since 2003; the link is below. The story has changed little, except for a few tweaks to better integrate it into the rest of the book.
http://righttodream.digitaldreaming.org/rules-kttkerrata.html
Beyond the short story, the book will include an Introduction, Lexicon (all the usual necessities) and introductory information on the quest for the Triumph Casque, an ancient Fomorian artifact of incredible power. It also introduces the reader to the Scarlet Circle, an Unseelie Oathcircle determined to reach the Casque first. Their master is Harroth Balor, a mighty sorcerer and descendant of Fomorian kings. The Scarlet Circle is commanded by none other than Lady Eithlinn (introduced in “The Book of Houses 2”.)
The book was originally to consist of three chapters. The first was to be set in Egypt. As previously mentioned, that chapter is unlikely to be released, but the rest of the book will be finished for final release.
Chapter Two: This chapter was written by Rustin Quaide and is still unfinished. Russ has agreed to add some additional materials, but has a very full plate these days, so it may be a little while. I'll keep people posted on progress. It is set in Brazil and deals with Casa Estoria, a freehold that embodies the dreams that grow from literature. I don't want to say much more, but it also introduces some new changeling Kiths.
Chapter Three: Titled “Red Winter,” this chapter comprises most of the book and follows the quest into the far reaches of the Dreaming, with expanded entries on several new and previously published realms in the Near Dreaming. This chapter deals with some of changeling's darker themes, describing the chaos and war that have swept the Dreaming following the death of Ravana (Ravnos, to you Vampire fans), and in anticipation of the approaching final Winter. Without giving too much more away, I am currently finishing a long and intrigue-laden chapter set in the Winterweir realm of Queen Lir (see Denizens of the Dreaming). I am also well underway on the endgame scenario set in Kureksarra, the heart of the Red Fomorian Dream.
Lastly, the book will include two indexes, among other things detailing the spider-like Aslynthi and a new Art wielded by servants of the Fomorian Dream.
I will be moving on to “Book of Glamour” after I've completed KttK and will be taking some of you up on your kind offers of assistance. Just please bear with me as this, somewhat longer than I intended, process continues. Thank you again for your continued interest.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
More waiting, but it's still on track for release....
Message posted on the WW Message Forums Jan. 30, 2005:
Hello all:
It's been a while, too long, since last I visited and I wanted to take the time to update people on Keys to the Kingdom. As previously mentioned, the first chapter by Carla Hollar, seems unlikely to ever see daylight. I have, however, now done a thorough edit on Rustin Quaide's chapter, set in the Amazon, and have sent it on to him with rather copious development notes. I don't know for certain how much he will be able to contribute (he's a busy guy with a wife and a new daughter). Thus his chapter, while basically complete, may not receive any additional polishing. I hope to have a final word on this soon.
As for my own chapters, I have not had quite as much time to dedicate to this project as I had hoped, and am still far from finished. On the bright side, I have finally completed the Near Dreaming and Winterweir chapters (the Winterweir alone is almost 25,000 words) and am now moving on to the final chapter set in the Kureksarra plains. I am quite pleased with the Winterweir chapter. It is atmospheric and filled with possibilities for both roleplaying and combat. I hope that the readers will like it as well. The section set in Kureksarra is fully blocked-out, so I hope that it won't take too long.
I thank people for their patience and will continue to write with additional updates. I know that it hasn't gone as fast as some have hoped and I would be willing, if there is an interest, to see if DriveThruRPG would be willing to publish it in installments. Please let me know what you think.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
p.s. Although it has already been published on the Right to Dream website, I am re-releasing the Keys to the Kingdom short story, slightly altered, to a thread on this forum (titled “Cyrrax”). It contains the opening story hook and will give those who haven't read it a better idea of what the book contains.*can also be found here in .pdf format
Contact Me At: glamour @ giveneyestosee DOT com
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Last updated: 04/26/05