The Avatar Series


The Avatar Series, originally The Avatar Trilogy, is a series of Dungeons & Dragons fantasy novels in the Forgotten Realms setting, covering the event known as the Time of Troubles.
The books were:
  1. Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
  2. Tantras by Scott Ciencin—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
  3. Waterdeep by Troy Denning—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
  4. Prince of Lies by James Lowder
  5. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning

    Novels

The covers of the novels were painted by Jeff Easley, Clyde Caldwell, Brom, and Alan Pollack.
The first three works center on the remaining members of the "Company of the Lynx" and the search for the Tablets of Fate, divine tablets that hold a listing of the Gods and their roles in the balance of Law and Chaos, during the Time of Troubles. The theft of these tablets was the actual cause of the Time of Troubles as all the gods with the exception of Helm were cast to Toril and faiths and magic ran wild.
The Company of the Lynx, as it was, consisted of Kelemvor Lyonsbane, Adon of Sune, Midnight, and Cyric.
The last two books in the series account for what occurred after the Tablets were returned to Ao, including the aftermath of the ascension of several Company members to godhood.

Roleplaying modules

The original trilogy had its counterpart AD&D modules, even though these three adventures did not aim to be a precise retelling of the novels and could also be played individually instead of in sequence. These were written by Ed Greenwood, the original creator of the Forgotten Realms line. The published adventures were:
  1. Shadowdale
  2. Tantras
  3. Waterdeep
The objective of this trilogy was to transition the Forgotten Realms scenario from the first to the second edition AD&D rules, much as the Fate of Istus adventure did with the Greyhawk campaign setting. To accomplish this objective, the writing of the modules and novels was being done simultaneously, supposedly to allow their publication at the same time the core rules transitioned to the second edition. The final format of the three-part adventure would be more plot-driven than those of the previously traditional dungeon crawling modules but this would end up becoming more common in published material from here onwards.