Title: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Author: Patricia A. McKillip
Appendix N Status: Should have been on the list . . .
A really good story told with a simple and direct style which I envy and to which I aspire. Published in 1974, this could have been on the original Appendix N, but wasn't. I'm not sure if Gygax never read it, didn't like it, or simply didn't consider it formative, but it's exactly the kind of fantasy that was so fundamental for early D&D. The main protagonist is Sybel, descended from a wizard's bloodline, who wields power over minds and wills of others through their names (similar in some ways to the "Earthsea" books of Ursula K. LeGuin). Sybel summons forgotten magical beasts and keeps them at her home on Mount Eld. She gets drawn back into the world of mundane humans because of a more mundane relations of hers.
Fantasy RPG Elements: The powers of Sybel could be those of a Conjurer, an Enchanter, a Druid, a Psionicist/Occult character, or perhaps a Pathfinder Summoner. The unique monsters - the "forgotten beasts" of the title - could all be RPG monsters, maybe unique , maybe not.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes classic fantasy RPGs. Very cool stuff!
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