The Avatar Series
book series, originally trilogy
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:
Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson' (April 1989)
Tantras by Scott Ciencin—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson' (June 1989)
Waterdeep by Troy Denning—originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson' (August 1989)
Prince of Lies by James Lowder (August 1993)
Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning (February 1998)
Novels
The original covers of the novels were painted by Jeff Easley (Shadowdale), Clyde Caldwell (Tantras and Waterdeep), Brom (Prince of Lies), and Alan Pollack (Crucible).
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 (whose true name was Ariel Manx), 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 (Midnight took the mantle of Mystra, Kelemvor became god of the dead, and Cyric took several vile deities' portfolios and went mad).
Role-playing modules
The original trilogy had its counterpart AD&D adventure 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:
Shadowdale
Tantras
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.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Avatar Series” is book series, originally trilogy. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Avatar, Series and book, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “book series, originally trilogy” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3213021. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1989, 1993 and 1998.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Avatar Series”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Avatar Series primary sources, The Avatar Series archive and Avatar research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Avatar Series”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Avatar Series” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.