Signup
Welcome to... Canonfire! World of GreyhawK
Features
Postcards from the Flanaess
Adventures
in Greyhawk
Cities of
Oerth
Deadly
Denizens
Jason Zavoda Presents
The Gord Novels
Greyhawk Wiki
#greytalk
JOIN THE CHAT
ON DISCORD
    Canonfire :: View topic - The Chronodex - Accurate or Not?
    Canonfire Forum Index -> Readers Workshop
    The Chronodex - Accurate or Not?
    Author Message
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 05, 2004
    Posts: 1446


    Send private message
    Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:14 am  
    The Chronodex - Accurate or Not?

    On the Home page, there is a link to the Chronodex by Steve Wilson. The Chronodex introduction indicates it is intended as an accurate reflection of GH dates, a timeline. Appended to the Chronodex are a list of sources from which the entries are drawn.

    On first glance, this appears both thorough and useful. On closer examination, I have some concerns.

    I will preface my comments by noting that I have not fact checked this document completely for such would take quite awhile. Spot checking leaves me with questions.

    1 - Are the dates listed literal from the source documents?

    2 - Are the names associated with dates, being historic figures or events, literal from the source documents?

    3 - Are the relationships between historic figures and events literal from the source documents?

    While some entries are labelled "figured" or "approximate" or similar, the vast majority appear to be literal from the source material. I doubt they are as literal as given and believe that the billing of the Chronodex may be misleading.

    It strikes me that, in each of the above three instances, the Chronodex is as much an interpretive document, as not, particularly the farther back in time you go. That is, it is an elaboration on given source references. While in some cases, it is literal, in others, it does not appear to be so.

    I am mindful that the Chronology that first appeared in Oerth Journal 1 by the same author was a wonderful interpretive work but was by no means literal.

    I have no argument with the present Chronodex, but if it is not a literal listing of dates from source material without interpretation that should be made expressly clear.

    Personally, I have no use for a non-literal document, except as it may be interesting as fiction and as one person's interpretation of events.

    As an example of a literal document, compare Jason Zavoda's Greyhawkania encycolpedia.

    Not meaning to start a fight but the question hangs pregnant over the Chronodex featured so prominently and with an appearance of authority - is it literal?
    _________________
    GVD
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 15, 2001
    Posts: 9
    From: Norman, OK

    Send private message
    Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:11 pm  
    Whoops!

    GV,

    I posted a reply to this as a new topic!!!! I didn't see that you'd asked here as well as in the comment sections on the special features link!!!!

    I didn't respond in relation to your question about names/places, etc. With regard to all of them, they are literal. I did not make up any of my own material for the GreyChrondex. It's all from published material. See my reply on the board to you for the time issues!

    Oh, great questions by the way!

    Steve
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Dec 07, 2003
    Posts: 636


    Send private message
    Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:06 am  

    Nobody should get their knickers in too much of a twist over 'literal' vs 'interpretive'. Most modern history is, to a certain extent, interpretive, with different experts proposing different views on the same subject by referring to different source material. In times past, official records were often given a certain amount of spin, depending on who was writing them.

    As DMs we want all material to be absolutely spot on, but in the game itself, 'official' histories are unlikely to be all that accurate. My co-DM takes great delight in feeding his players contradictory historical information. He believes that it adds flavour to the campaign and stops them from assuming that information is accurante just because they found it in a book (Pluffet Smedger or not).
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 13, 2002
    Posts: 1077
    From: Orlane, Gran March

    Send private message
    Fri Oct 01, 2004 5:38 am  
    Accuracy

    Accuracy does matter too much to me, and my players are generally confuesed and looking for answers. The world the characters live in is not the info on demand world. Even a demand at the point of a sword is often not enough... the info isnt available. Talking concretely about something is more of a conceit than a reality.

    If the characters can never be absolutely sure of the info, it allows the DM a great deal of flexibility. None of my players are "researchers," they do not go to the source material and try to find what their characters would not otherwise know. They do not sit around and codify the myths, legends, gods, and rulers. They are Roleplaying Adventurers, and want to try to keep the experience clean in that regard.

    So, the accuracy of the facts (fictional facts?!?!) is of little regard. It is just where we start our story. As a matter of fact, after 4 years, and being in the mid teen lvls, they have only met three published personalities (the court mage of Keoland, Rary's Brother on brief trip to GH City, and Mordenkained (to get the Key for Castle Maure). The Characters are divorced from the metagame, not as a device or anything else, it is just how their story has played out.
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 05, 2004
    Posts: 1446


    Send private message
    Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:58 am  
    Re: Whoops!

    Tamerlain wrote:
    GV,

    I posted a reply to this as a new topic!!!! I didn't see that you'd asked here as well as in the comment sections on the special features link!!!!

    I didn't respond in relation to your question about names/places, etc. With regard to all of them, they are literal. I did not make up any of my own material for the GreyChrondex. It's all from published material. See my reply on the board to you for the time issues!

    Oh, great questions by the way!

    Steve


    Thank you for your response. This makes matters clear. The Chronodex must have been a work of much time and devotion. Thank you for your work!

    GVD
    _________________
    GVD
    Guest






    Tue May 17, 2005 10:39 pm  
    And how about those fairies?

    GVDammerung wrote:
    Tamerlain wrote:
    GV,

    I posted a reply to this as a new topic!!!! I didn't see that you'd asked here as well as in the comment sections on the special features link!!!!

    I didn't respond in relation to your question about names/places, etc. With regard to all of them, they are literal. I did not make up any of my own material for the GreyChrondex. It's all from published material. See my reply on the board to you for the time issues!

    Oh, great questions by the way!

    Steve


    Thank you for your response. This makes matters clear. The Chronodex must have been a work of much time and devotion. Thank you for your work!

    GVD
    Display posts from previous:   
       Canonfire Forum Index -> Readers Workshop All times are GMT - 8 Hours
    Page 1 of 1

    Jump to:  

    You cannot post new topics in this forum
    You cannot reply to topics in this forum
    You cannot edit your posts in this forum
    You cannot delete your posts in this forum
    You cannot vote in polls in this forum




    Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises

    Contact the Webmaster.  Long Live Spidasa!


    Greyhawk Gothic Font by Darlene Pekul is used under the Creative Commons License.

    PHP-Nuke Copyright © 2005 by Francisco Burzi. This is free software, and you may redistribute it under the GPL. PHP-Nuke comes with absolutely no warranty, for details, see the license.
    Page Generation: 0.36 Seconds