Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D") fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories. Several years later, Greenwood brought the setting to the "D&D" game as a series of magazine articles, and the first Realms game products were released in 1987. Role-playing game products have been produced for the setting ever since, as have various licensed products including novels, role-playing video game adaptations (including the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game to use graphics), and comic books. The Forgotten Realms is one of the most popular "D&D" settings, largely due to the success of novels by authors such as R. A. Salvatore and numerous role-playing video games, including "Pool of Radiance" (1988), "Eye of the Beholder" (1991), "Baldur's Gate" (1998), "Icewind Dale" (2000) and "Neverwinter Nights" (2002).
Forgotten Realms (comics)
In 1989, DC Comics began publishing the "Forgotten Realms" comic series, written by Jeff Grubb. Each issue contained twenty-six pages, illustrated primarily by Rags Morales and Dave Simons. The 19 issues produced by Morales were his first professional works. Tom Raney illustrated issues #17 and #20. Elliot S. Maggin served as an editor for DC from 1989 to 1991 and oversaw the licensed TSR titles, including "Forgotten Realms". Twenty-five issues were published in total, with the last being released in 1991. Kim Yale served as an editor for DC from 1991–1993 and oversaw their licensed titles. Grubb wrote all 25 issues. A fifty-six page annual "Forgotten Realms Comic Annual #1: Waterdhavian Nights", illustrated by various artists, was released in 1990, illustrated by Tom Raney.Labelas is Vartan's deity. During the Time of Troubles he uses Vartan as a host body. He attempts to use the Realm Master and the crew to defeat the god Helm and restore his divinity.
Jeff Grubb uses various references to the world of "Forgotten Realms", using known characters like Elminster. He uses as Labelas Enoreth one of elven pantheon of gods described in the "Forgotten Realms" world as Vartan's patron. He sets one of his story arcs, "An Avatar Story", during the Time of Troubles.