"As the warrioress stumbled upon the dark wooden coffin, mist appeared from underneath, covering her feet at first, then slowly crawling around her body until it started to reach her torso. The warrioress garped. The mist had a crimson tint over it, and although her whole body was covered by leather, her upper arms were naked. She started to feel as if small ants were crawling underneath her skin, and she noticed in horror how her arm started to become paler by the second while the mist that kept on going upwards became tinted by droplets of blood."

"The mist keep rising, almost reaching your face, what are you going to do?"

This is an example of what a dungeon master would say to a player who has a priestess character that has just stumbled into the tomb of a very special type of undead… The player has only seconds to react to this event, and the dungeon master will let him know when he should say what the character (PC for player character) would do.

The dungeon master has no power over the actions of a player, only power over the environment and every event of the story that he created. The player behaves as if being part of a theatre play, only that he controls the charcater's will and behaviors. At the end of a story, almost as a sketch of a play, experience is awarded to the character to increase (or decrease in some cases) his abilities.

Thanks to he power of imagination and make-believe, you can be any creature, from a spellsinger to a half-orc priest of Sune. The sky is the limit. The RPG's described here belongs to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd ed. Line from TSR (now Wizards of the Coast).

There are many worlds in the AD&D game, such as Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Dark-Sun, Ravenloft, Planescape and Spelljammer. My idea of the perfect game setting is Spelljammer, since it deals with the entire universe, in which diverse spheres (planets) go on with their on life… Each sphere belongs to a different world (Toril is the sphere of Forgotten Realms, Shadowspace is the sphere of the Ravenloft negative plane, Dragonspace the sphere belonging to Dragonlance, Greyspace belongs to Greyhawk, etc.). In other words, Spelljammer is a campaign in which you can be in any of the other worlds, or in completely new worlds, therefore there are no limits to adventures and possibilities.

Me? I belong to the Underdark that expands in the reins of Aber-Toril, Faerun… the Forgotten Realms.

Throughout wildspace, Faerun is seen as an ancient sphere binded to traditions and old-fashioned ways. That may have to do with its depending on the Art or the Arcane, and on the good will of the Gods, who grants gifts of power to their faithful followers.

My name is Nizzr'e Mrimm, and I am the sword of Eilistraee as well as apprentice to one of the most infamous archmages, Merlin the Sage.

I have lived long, thanks to my Master's will… Because of his generosity more than two thousand years have past, and I still keep the shape of a young half drow warrioress. I have gained knowledge in many areas, and I am to share with you the knowledge that I acquired about my beloved Faerun, and some about the other spheres and places of interests…

I have travelled Faerun's dephs, the infamous Underdark, the dangerous North, tha fables Evermeet and beyond the stars... My works as scribe and poet are summarized mainly in some huge tomes that I have published throughout the years... Most shrines/ librariums of followers of Oghma keep originals copies, but the true original is still in my power, since with every passing yera a new chapter is added... My life is a neverending adventure...

I battle evil and injustice everywhere I go, as well as I preach my faith to the Goddess to those who will listen... My Goddess has quested me in a mission that has no boundaries, and in orther to fulfill such request I go on... Helping and protecting the innocent, feasting after victory is accomplish, Harping and Dancing and Praising Her might!

 

Enough about me... I do not want to speak so much now as to vanish your thirst for knowledge...

Following the tradition of the infamous bard and historian Volo, here goes some excerps from my masterwork:

The Annals of Nizzr'e Mrimm.

Enjoy!

THE SPHERE OF ABER-TORIL, FAERUN

"Alas, no other sphere can be more beautiful and full of life in so many different expressions… Toril, my dear Faaerun, my homeland. From outside, a sphere depicting massive oceans, mounts, jungles and deserts... A sygnal of the so many mysteries that it keeps. Here are some views that I drafted as I enjoyed the sight from Merlin's spelljamming ship…

"As I chronicled in the Cutlass Tales, I travelled almost the whole sphere… I come from the infamous Erelhei-Cinlu, a drow citadel of inmense beauty and ancient craftmanship that dwelled in the Underdark that surrounded the areas near Silverymoon. You may say it was the Underdark underneath the Spine of the world, but that would not be appropiate, after all, that area belongs to the drow citadel of Menzoberranzan.

 

 

Erelhei kept many wonders and secrets, and nurtured the evil that drow naturally spin but in a more… tolerant… way. It was a city in which other races could be found as visitors or merchants, not only as slaves. I had the misfortune of loosing my mother and becoming trapped in the Tower of the Arcane, where I was apprentice to T'ielbanar the Warlock. When I left the Tower, I became a running drow… hunted… And as such, I was forced towards the surface. Luckily, I found friends in the way… And so the great Journey began.

"I visited many ports since I became a protégé of a merchant-sailor, Captain Amethycus. He taught me the arts of seafaring, navigation and things atuned to the task… So I became well respected in the area, in time in the whole Sea of Fallen Stars. I knew very well all the safe trading routes, all the safe ports, and all the right people to do business with. The few pirates that dared to cross swords with us were turned away by my magic, mostly be fear of the "occult". It was a common belief that mages with my appearance were warlocks… and such were disdained because they brought bad luck and curses… I was known as the Faceless Warlock by then, for no one knew that underneath a dark hooded robe breathed a female drow. Everyone thought I was male, with rumors that I was desfigured, or that I was a demon spawn… or an elven mage. Captain Amethycus knew the truth, but never put me in danger… He humored the gossips of curses and demonic encounters since they put fear in the mind of our enemies… and it all went well until his death forced me to join the crew of the Cutlass…

"Thanks to Captain Rufus I came to travel Faerun in every possible way imagined… We went to Waterdeep, the Moonshaes, the North… the Spine of the World, Silverymoon, the jungles of Chult, the desert Anaerouch, the Dalelands, the Far east, the Shining South leading to the isle of the Halflings… Halruua… the exotic Calimshan… even the fabled and forbidden elven isle of Evermeet. I, coming from a dark place filled with monochromatic beauty, was allowed to witness beauty in so many colors… I had the privilege of getting to know and love people with such pure souls… I became more alive than I never imagined I would be… It was in these travels that I found my mate for eternity, my love Nauburen… And just by chance, I came to know Merlin the Sage… Sometimes I wonder if it was not just that he picked me from so many… And he showed me that the stars had no limits.

 

THE ROCK OF BRAL

"I have many opinions about the infamous Rock of Bral… Imagine a chunk of earth suspended in mid-space with a gravity of its own… Place all kinds of buildings, parks, houses, mansions, merchant zones, and then add a magnificent port that takes about half of its size… Then add an uncanny mix of diversity, races both known and unknown to you, all living together in this place of both law and chaos. Add a system with politics ruled by a king, by a guard and a ruling group of people that try to keep all things in balance for the common good… Then add heroes, villains, conquerors, pirates, priests, psionicists, magic and technology… Decandent and sublime, the Rock of Bral has it all, for a price…

"Master Merlin keeps a magic shop in this place. Captain Blaze Darkstream, the Enlightened by Brihaspati, was awarded a great part of the land, which she transformed into a titanic mansion surrounded by fountains and forests. I… I must confess I have a weakness for performing in some of the bars thet infest the Rock, such as the Drunken Neogi… and so I don't have to worry about getting a dwelling. Payment includes the best room for passing the night. Alas! There is no way of staying still, or bored, in the Rock.

"As a melting pot of diversity, you can find rare items from different cultures. Merchants: profit lies around the corner. Just beware: pirates lie around the corner as well. But overall… I like the place. I usually have most fun there… Whenever I wanna dance, sing and entertain, or just dress to astonish…this place is perfect.

 

KRYNNSPACE

"The sphere of Dragonlance… A chivalric place where Dragons and Gods hold the fate of mortals… A place where everything is weighted as balance. I have seen the endless quests of the good trying to put evil back into its place. My draconian friends are from this place. They worship a dragon god… I still don't understand much about their believes and ways… People from Krynn are deeply bounded by honor, even the ones with evil tendencies… Good tales can be spun from this place, but personally, I feel more comfortable in my homeland… It is less probable that a mayor entity succeeds in manipulating you… honorably…

GREYSPACE

"Hmm… I once passed by this sphere in my travels with Merlin. He was to pick up a Sage and deliver him at Krynn. I only got to see that this land was not so colorful as Toril… The sky was gloomy, the people bad mannered and ill fated. Evil gods cause most trouble on this sphere… I even heard about the evil of Lloth spreading its web on some of its cities… Luckyly, there are brave and courageous souls in these sphere as well.

 

SHADOWSPACE

"Oh… this is a terrible place that I have yet to encounter… But my dear friend Captain Blaze Darkstream has been there. Over the years I have put together her story, so those interested in her life would quench their thirst… Her husband was a vampire whose mansion dwelled in this sphere. She went there to stop his evil ways, back when she was young and very into quests against evil minions. What baffled everyone was that instead of destroying the vampire her faith was so strong that her god "cleaned" the "illness" from the vampire's soul, and so Dorin came to see the light becoming her husband afterwards.

 "But this place curse can reach beyond its physical location… the evil wanted back Dorin's soul, and so tainted the rebel daughter of Blaze, Deirdre, with ideas both cruel and bloody… Using Deirdre, the dark demiplane came to take back its pawn. Both Deirdre and Dorin served evil, and once more Blaze went to fight it. This time, she was forced to destroy Dorin… but she had no heart to kill her own daughter. Deirdre escaped, and a reign of terror followed for she swore to avenge her father giving way to endless pain for Blaze. Even now, thousands of years later, Blaze and Deirdre look for each other: One wanting to save her child's soul, the other wanting to destroy her mother.

 

THE SPELLJAMMER, LIVING LEGEND

"The Spelljammer is the ultimate dream of any captain alive in wildspace who knows about it. It is a ship, titanic… A winged citadel that lives. Yes, it lives. That is what makes this hip so special… The spelljammer ship looks like a giantic mataray, and inside of it dwells a citi that defies the City of Splendors and the Rock of Bral in size and diversity. Every captain dream of bein the Captain of the Spelljammer. No other title goes beyond that. It means being part of a legend that will live on. Only a few shosen ones are true candidates for such a title, and the ship looks for them and gives them the means to be its captain.


"When the ship appears repetitively to someone, it is a sygnal of of its own. Some may be happy about it, others not so… For being Captain of a Living Legend has consequences… It requires a complete comittment with the ship. Whoever goes into the ship, loses memory of family or friends that are not in the ship. Whoever goes in the ship becomes loyal to it only, kind of obsessed with it. Plus, whoever is Captain, is responsible for all the lives of the people inside the ship and of the ship itself. Obviously, a legenday ship can become the object for enemies and evil… So, handling this ship can be overwhelming and deadly.


"My Master, Merlin the Sage, holds one of the "keys" to the ship. He was offered the possition of being its captain… But he declined. He had still many years… thousands of years… to adventure on his own… Captain Blaze Darkstream was offered the position as well. She declined as well, but kept the idea for the right time. She wanted to be part of the legend, but she was committed to her newly found family and to her god Brihaspati, whom she had become part of as an avatar. These days Blaze has been looking for the Spelljammer… for it is the last dream she has to fulfill.


"Master Merlin jokes about it to me, but knowing what he has told me, and what Blaze has told me, I think I could never be able to comply to such a request as being captain of this Legendary ship. I am too free of a spirit to be bound, and pretty rash and mostly unwise when it comes to decisions… I have the word of the Goddess to spread around the spheres, and I keep a neverending quest against the minions of Lloth… for I am the Sword of Eilistraee, her living avatar, as well as scribe and bard. My allegiance can only be pledged to Her cause, and my inclination for the Art asks me to keep an undying thirst for both knowledge and the Arcane arts. The Spelljammer makes one of my best tales… but it better live on as a legend, and not as my life.

 

ATTENTION:

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT RPG's, VISIT THE HIVE: LAIR OF THE HIVEQUEEN.

The HIVEQUEEN's Campaigns are detailed in there, with profiles for her players, non-player characters and foes...