Not only was the franchise losing money, but rumors of suicide and Satan worship hung like a black cloud over the game, pervading all parts of its public image. No longer was all press good press for a company that depended more and more on sales from school-aged children and teens. While TSR continued to pursue a softening of the brand, which included the reissuing and rebranding of products that were considered particularly occult—like it had done with Deities & Demigods becoming Legends & Lore the year before—it couldn’t seem to do enough to purify its image.
