just adding my two cents :

I'll try to make this quick.  I'm currently writing a fanfic on Record of
Lodoss War (yeah, not Ranma, for once! :), but I need some information
about the series:

   Cool!  That makes two of us since I decided to go back to Point Of No
Return...

   All I'm about to say, I remember from the anime, not the novels!

-the village where Parn is from.  Does it have a name?  Was the mayor ever
named?  How about his daughter?

   The village: ?
   The Mayor: Not named
   His daughter: Liara

-what is the general makeup of the island of Lodoss?  Where are all the
cities in relation to each other?  Are any mountain ranges or forests named?

   Lodoss is an island that was sheared off the continent of Alecrast a
thousand years ago (or ten thousand - can't remember).  Lodoss lies at the
south of Alecrast.  The Kingdoms of Lodoss I know about are:  Marmo, Valis,
Kannon, Alania, Flaim and Moss.  I have no idea of their relative position
to one another, save that Alania is somewhere between Marmo and Valis.  I
think that Flaim and Moss are neighbouring kingdoms.

Marmo is a smaller island that's just south of Lodoss

-where on Lodoss do the elves live?

   In the forests?

I seem to remember that they live mainly in the Forest of Silence (if
the name is correct) that the group goes throught in OAV 5.
Nothing on the Dark elves though.
 

   I don't really know that one - they didn't elaborate in the anime.  I do
know there are Dark Elves (they don't get along), but not much else.

-the dwarves?

   There was a Kingdom of Stone, once.  I don't know if it still exists.

-is any information given on Parn's mother?

   Not in the anime.

-how exactly did Parn's father die?

   Due to a treaty with the people of Fire Dragon Mountain, King Fahn had
to give up his newborn daughter (Fianna) as a sacrifice for Shooting Star
(a mean Red Dragon) or risk going to war.

   Tessius, Parn's father, told Fahn he would go kidnap Fianna back, and
all Fahn would have to do would be to blame him for an 'unauthorized
action".  It worked: Fianna was returned and Fahn was forced to cast
Tessius out of the Order of the Holy Knights of Valis to maintain the sham.
Tessius died some months later in a battle when he left for the front (to
be exact, he was never heard from again).

   Moss: Aparently ruled by Prince Jester, the warriors of that kingdom
seem to have an affinity with flying beasts.  The kingdom apparently has an
alliance with Mycen, the Golden Dragon.  Appears to be on friendly terms
with Flaim and Valis and enemies with Marmo.

   Flaim:  The Desert Kingdom, united/conquered by the Mercenary King
Kashue Arnague the First.  "He united the Desert Kingdom with his sword,"
they say.  Kashue is an excellent swordsman.

Damn right! I remember seeing in some kind of book about the serie that
he and Ashram are suppose to be on par.

   Alania:  A country of scholars.  The more violent men are drafted in the
army.  Fort Myce is in that country.  Fort Myce was destroyed and Alania
conquered by Marmo sometime early in the anime.

   Kannon:  Not much known.  Had a city called Shinig Hill.  Conquered by
Marmo in the anime.

-when did Parn and his group meet for the first time?  They seem to be all
old friends, with the exception of Woodchuck.

   Parn and Etoh were apparently childhood buddies.  Slayn and Ghim knew
each other a long time before the anime began, but I'm not sure as when or
how those two met.  Parn/Etoh met up for the first time with Slayn/Ghim
when Parn and Etoh left Parn's village for the first time.

   Deedlit initially made contact with Parn and Etoh to warn them about the
Goblin attack on their village.  She joined the group a little after Parna
and Etoh met up with Slayn and Ghim.  She appeared to be fascinated with
Parn.

   They met up with Woodchuck in a prison cell at Fort Myce.  He travelled
with them until Karla possessed him at the end of the battle to free Leylia
which cost Ghim's life.

-is there ever any information given on the place where Karla is from?

  She came from the Kingdom of Sorcery.  Other than the fact that she was
the mysterious sixth warrior from the song, I know very little else about
her.

Just to add on that. It was suppose to be destroyed throught great wars
about 500 hundred years before (which led Karla to decide that she
would, from now on keep the balance at all cost)
 

-the heroes (the ones in that song), who are they?  All I remember is Fahn
and Beld.  Was Wort one of them?

   The Six Warriors:

Fahn (now King of Valis)
Beld (now Emperor of Marmo)
Fleve (the last Dwarf King of the Kingdom of Stone - current whereabouts
unknown / probably dead)
The Wizard Wort (now known as the Sage Wort)
Neese, High Priestess of Marfa (still alive)
The Sith Warrior, Unnamed  (Probably Karla, from what I can follow of her
discussions with Wort in the anime)

-is there any background available on Wort?  Slayn?  Etoh?  Deedlit?

There is a manga that relates how the six heroes met. I just have the
first part of it, but basically, they all met around a priestess of
Farlis (the god of light. I'm not sure if the name is right, it's been a
while). At the time, Beld and Wort worked together as marcenary (Wort
was good enough for the leader of Mage guild to want him to take his
place. Which wasn't the case with Vagnard), Karla was possessing some
kind of warrior woman and Fahn was a paladin of Farlis. They were all
fighting an archdemon, which they eventually destroyed. It was on that
demon that Beld got his sword.
The part I have doesn't go much farther, but I do know that Fleve died
in the labyrinth. 
 

   Wort:  A powerful wizard (one of the six warriors).  Now retired, he
seems to observe the world and read books all the time.  He knows Karla.

   Slayn:  He and Ghim go back a long time, details unknown.  A moderately
strong sorcerer, his magic isn't yet what it could be if he had enough time
to study all the spells he wanted.  He is currently "dating" Leylia,
Neese's daughter and ex-host of Karla.

   Etoh:  Old friend of Parn and noviciate of Falis.  Came back to see Parn
after leaving for four years (I think).  Has the ability to heal wounds and
repel demons through prayers.  May have "graduated" to full priesthood by
the end of the anime - not sure.

   Deedlit:  High Elf.  Immortal and seems to fall in love with Parn during
the anime.  Very good fighter and can control elementals.  I don't remember
the anime ever elaborating on her background.

She's supposed to be about 160.

I'd be very grateful if someone could fill me in on some or all of this
stuff. :)

   If you want a little extra:

   Dragons in Lodoss (that I remember):

   Mycen - Golden Dragon (Moss(?) - Good)
   Narse - Black Dragon (Marmo - Evil)
   Shooting Star - Red Dragon (Fire Dragon Mountain - Evil)
   Bramd - Blue/Gray Dragon (Temple of Marfa - Apparently Good)

   There are others in the anime, but I don't think they were named...

HK,
full of questions. :P

   I hope this helped!  I told you what I know, there *might* be some stuff
I've forgotten.

**********************
* The Phoenix Reborn *              Jordanite and Mystical
**********************                  Freak at Large

Louis-Philippe Giroux
Phoenix@upc.qc.ca

Phoenix's Den at http://www.upc.qc.ca/~phoenix/phoenix.html