January 01, 2026

Dragonlance Hangout – December 31st, 2025

58 minutes

Welcome to today’s Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. Today I am discussing the forthcoming DLSaga Anthology and my process of writing!

https://youtube.com/live/eEVnGgwPaGc

Show Notes

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 31st, and my name is Adam. Today I am discussing the forthcoming DLSaga Anthology and my process of writing!

I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below.

Discussion

DLSaga Contributors

https://dlsaga.com/contributors/

4,000–7,500 words preferred

Stories must be unpublished and original

DLSaga acquires First Publication Rights

All rights revert to the author after publication

Accepted authors receive:

Full author credit

A complimentary copy of the anthology (print and/or digital)

Notifications sent by March 1, 2026

Writing tips

Start Small (Short Is a Feature, Not a Limitation)

A short story isn’t a novel in miniature.

Focus on:

One main character

One core problem or moment

One change by the end

If you can summarize your story in one sentence, you’re on the right track.

Give Your Character a Want

Every scene should revolve around what the character wants right now:

To escape

To prove themselves

To protect someone

To uncover the truth

Conflict comes from something standing in the way of that want.

Show Change, Not Just Events

By the end of the story, something should be different:

The character has learned something

The world has changed

A belief is broken or reinforced

Even quiet stories need an emotional shift.

Let the Setting Do Story Work

Your setting should actively affect the plot:

Magic behaves differently at night

A city is built on forbidden ground

The forest remembers those who enter

If the story could happen anywhere, the setting isn’t pulling its weight.

Use Specific Details

Strong stories come from concrete details, not vague descriptions:

“A chipped blue mug” beats “a cup”

“The smell of wet leather” beats “a bad smell”

One or two sharp details per scene is enough.

End With Meaning, Not Fireworks

Fantasy endings don’t need giant battles.

Strong endings often include:

A sacrifice

A quiet victory

A revealed truth

A cost paid

The best endings feel inevitable in hindsight.

Don’t Aim for Perfect—Aim for Finished

Your first draft is allowed to be messy.

Finishing stories teaches you more than endlessly polishing the opening paragraph.

A great habit: write to the end, then revise.

Revise With Purpose

When revising, ask:

Does every scene matter?

Can I cut anything without harming the story?

Is the ending earned?

Short stories often improve most by cutting, not adding.

Simple Fantasy Short Story Formula (Beginner-Friendly)

A character wants something

Magic complicates it

The character must choose

The world or character changes

That’s it. Everything else is flavor.

Story Ideas

A mercenary company discovers their employer is a Dragon Highlord—and must choose between gold and conscience.

An apprentice of the Tower of High Sorcery fails their Test—not catastrophically, but quietly—and must live with what was taken instead.

A disgraced Knight of Solamnia hides his past while protecting a caravan—until his old order comes calling.

A plainsfolk storyteller realizes their oral history will die with them unless they entrust it to an outsider.

An artifact from before the Cataclysm resurfaces, but using it may doom the fragile balance of the new world.

A widow casts her knight-husband’s armor into a river sacred to Habbakuk—and something answers.

Log Line

A Knight of the Divine Hammer struggles with leaving his secret wife to chase down the Cult of Chemosh.

Era

The Age of Might, ~39 PC after the Kingpriests declaration of Manifest Virtue

Characters

Kingpriest Beldinas Pilofiro

Formed the holy knighthood to defend the Holy Empire from wickedness

Cathan MarSevrin

Cathan Twice-Born

Received a vision of a burning hammer falling toward Istar

first Knight of the Divine Hammer

Tavarre of Luciel

first Grand Marshal, answered to the Kingpriest and no other.

Darian Volkar

Main character, former orphan, in love with Amara Kesh

Knight of the Divine Hammer

Amara Kesh

Darian’s secret wife, former orphan

Cassian Morvek

Darian’s battle buddy

Loyal, direct, dirty minded

Tiber Kaelos

Darian’s Icodio, or Knight Banneret. The leader of his Ina, or Squadron.

The Bone-Seer Arkhavel

High Priest of Chemosh

Hierophant Caldris Ossian

Local Cult Leader of Chemosh

Organizations

Order of the Divine Hammer

The smallest military unit was the Ina, or squadron, which consisted of ten knights, twenty Scatas, and three clerics or war-priests.

An Istaran company (Cosa) consisted of four Inas and pursued roaming hobgoblin and ogre bands.

The Imperial squadron (Meniba) quelled civil unrest in minor lands and consisted of 300 Scatas plus a contingent of knights and clerics.

Istaran Birafas, or regiments, saw use in the Lost Battles and were each comprised of five Menibas

the mighty Istaran division (Droma) was made up of six Birafas but was only deployed once during the Hammer’s existence.

The first officer position within the Hammer is that of Knight Banneret (Icodio), who commands a dozen knights and can commandeer thirty Scatas for crucial missions.

Above the Knight Banneret is the Knight Commander, or Icilmo. A Knight Commander leads six Knights Banneret and associated troops, and he can requisition two hundred additional Scatas. Knights Commander also instruct squires and younger knights in the use of arms; they are known as Preceptors when serving in this capacity.

A Knight Marshal (Frebo) leads four Knights Commander and associated troops and is usually given authority over a particular city.

Above the Knight Marshal is the Senior Marshal, or Frecico, who is responsible for the defense of a particular province within the Holy Empire.

The Grand Marshal (Freburmo), also known as the Lord Marshal, heads the Order of the Divine Hammer and can be discerned by his crimson surcoat, in contrast to the white surcoats of other knights.

Knights of Solamnia

Kingpriest of Istar

Cult of Chemosh

Locations

Lordcity of Istar

Midrath Mountains

Vsule, Southeast side of the Midrath Mnts

Zathraas, darian and Amaras’ home

Story Arc

Act 1

We learn about Darian and the Knights of the Divine Hammer. In addition to his secret wife Amara. Darian is searching for Hierophant Caldris Ossian, a cult of Chemosh cell leader in the town of Vsule.

Act 2

Discovery of Ossian leads the Order to the Midrath mountains and a n ancient temple there. Darian is tormented by his inability to be with his wife, the fact that he is living a lie, and the terror the Order of the Divine Hammer is spreading across the Holy Empire.

Act 3

Darians squad finds the temple and confronts the high priest The Bone-Seer Arkhavel.

Outro

And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of a DLSaga Anthology? Will you be contributing a story? And finally, what is your favorite anthology? Feel free to email me at [email protected] or comment below.

I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu!

This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

...more

View all episodes

By DragonLance Saga

4.1

99 ratings