Realms Research

Here's one thing that I wish TSR would have done and WOTC would do...and that is clearly indicate in each Forgotten Realms product what year the product information reflects in Dale Reckoning.

It is sooooo frustrating to try to put the information in some kind of chronological order when you have no idea when in the chronology the module or product takes place.

That said, I blundered into a useful Wiki today:

Forgotten Realms Wiki

It doesn't include dates for the references either, but the presumption is that the information is current DR in the official time line.

One example of my frustration, I'm indexing the Villain's Lorebook (TSR 9552) and in the entry for Lord Orgauth of Zhentil Keep there are two entries at the end, for Abarax and Eshaeris. They are clearly not human, but the entry doesn't say what they are. In Googling to find the information, I discovered that Abarax is a pit fiend, and while the Villain's Lorebook is probably around 1368-70 DR, because it is post Prince of Lies, but the Wiki entry I found Abarax in says that Orgauth is dead but Abarax the Pit Fiend polymorphed into Orgauth and took his place...then was Abarax was killed later.

Now, my campaign is in 1368, so none of that has happened yet...but should I put the information about "future" happenings into my index?

It's all very complicated.