I had a real problem with Tanis. I really didn't understand him. Tracy told me to think of him as Captain James Kirk. After Tracy told me that, I got along with him really well. No, all the characters and plots were predetermined.
Games make bad plots.
Actually, in the beginning, there is one that was seen in the Fifth Age I believe. Plus there will be some new characters, and some old ones. It seemed that they were prepared to. Actually no, they didn't die. And the first books are due out this summer.