Sunday, April 10, 2011
Man, this blogging thing is tough!
Well, I've survived the A-Z Blogging challenge so far. It has been an education. This is just a head's up... I have a crazy week this week, between having to travel to school sports to take pics for our yearbook, then having to go to an inservice away for two days, so whiel I am *hoping* to keep up with the posting, I might get bogged down for a couple days.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
H is for House Rules
(Damn... busy day. I almost forgot about this post. 8)
Some of the house rules I plan to use in my Haume campaign:
*I’ve always been partial to allowing mages to use swords, like Gandalf, so what I plan to do is allow mages to use any magical sword at 4th level and higher. I am also toying with the idea of simply allowing them to use ANY magical weapon at 4th level or higher, except for ones allowed by the class, which they could use at 1st level.
* Only humans will have clerics, and those that worship certain saints will be allowed to use edged weapons.
* I saw something on a blog the other day that I’m going to steal to use with thieves. I think I will allow any character class the opportunity to do things covered by thieves’ skills, but the percentage represent a “second chance” that thieves will have if they fail the initial role. I was thinking ability checks for these activities, with heavy modifiers in most cases, but thieves could get a second chance, without modifiers, using their percentages if they fail. There will also be some instances that regular classes cannot succeed at. For instance, some locks will have NO chance for normal characters to succeed at , but thieves will have a chance.
* I think I’m going to use the B/X rules, along with John Becker’s B/X Companion. That being said, I also just got ahold of a hardcover of the LABYRINTH LORD and ADVANCED CHARACTERS rules, and I also have PDF’s of both The Rules Cyclopedia and Dark Dungeons, so those might get incorporated too.
* I will be using the “XP for treasure” rule.
* I will make it an ability check vs INT to understand a spell before copying it into your spellbook, and I will likely steal the max # of spells per level idea from AD&D. Magic is going to be a lot rarer in my campaign…. Each level will have a small list of commonly known spells, but most of the spells will be closely-guarded or highly personalized magics. I haven’t figured out what I’m doing with magic research rules yet.
* Demi-humans are EXTREMELY rare as players. Mostly, I’m thinking humans.
I’m sure I will come up with others ideas later (especially if I see steal-worthy ideas on other blogs), but this should do for now.
Some of the house rules I plan to use in my Haume campaign:
*I’ve always been partial to allowing mages to use swords, like Gandalf, so what I plan to do is allow mages to use any magical sword at 4th level and higher. I am also toying with the idea of simply allowing them to use ANY magical weapon at 4th level or higher, except for ones allowed by the class, which they could use at 1st level.
* Only humans will have clerics, and those that worship certain saints will be allowed to use edged weapons.
* I saw something on a blog the other day that I’m going to steal to use with thieves. I think I will allow any character class the opportunity to do things covered by thieves’ skills, but the percentage represent a “second chance” that thieves will have if they fail the initial role. I was thinking ability checks for these activities, with heavy modifiers in most cases, but thieves could get a second chance, without modifiers, using their percentages if they fail. There will also be some instances that regular classes cannot succeed at. For instance, some locks will have NO chance for normal characters to succeed at , but thieves will have a chance.
* I think I’m going to use the B/X rules, along with John Becker’s B/X Companion. That being said, I also just got ahold of a hardcover of the LABYRINTH LORD and ADVANCED CHARACTERS rules, and I also have PDF’s of both The Rules Cyclopedia and Dark Dungeons, so those might get incorporated too.
* I will be using the “XP for treasure” rule.
* I will make it an ability check vs INT to understand a spell before copying it into your spellbook, and I will likely steal the max # of spells per level idea from AD&D. Magic is going to be a lot rarer in my campaign…. Each level will have a small list of commonly known spells, but most of the spells will be closely-guarded or highly personalized magics. I haven’t figured out what I’m doing with magic research rules yet.
* Demi-humans are EXTREMELY rare as players. Mostly, I’m thinking humans.
I’m sure I will come up with others ideas later (especially if I see steal-worthy ideas on other blogs), but this should do for now.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
G is for Gamma World Miniatures
So, here’s a slight diversion that might actually benefit some of my readers out there.
There’s a FLGS store in my old home city that I haven’t visited in years. I mostly haven’t visited because the guys who runs it is a rather….. ABRASIVE fellow. The stories about MIGS could fill a post on their own. Anyway, last year, I rediscovered the store, and since there is almost no gaming stores left in Winnipeg (in fact, there’s only one other one that I can find), I started to visit. Most of their stuff is horribly overpriced, but they do have the benefit of selling some used stuff. Anyways, I was going through their bin of clearance lead figures one day a couple months ago, when I came across FIVE blister packs of original Grenadier GAMMA WORLD miniatures. Knowing the love of the OSR community for Gamma World (along with Encounter Critical and Mutant Future), I snagged all five. Even as “clearance” items, they were still $5-$8 each, but I figure that was worth the cost for their incredible rarity.
Then, last week, I went back to visit the store while I was visiting my parents over spring break. As I perused the store (after being scoffed at for playing Labyrinth Lord… after talking to the store owner, his response was, “That must be one of those Internet games that nobody cares about. To each their own… why you would want to play something that just rips off an old game system is up to you…”), I checked out the clearance bin.. and lo and behold, there were 5 DIFFERENT packs of the GAMMA WORLD figs in there, for $5 a pop. I quickly gobbled these up as well. When the owner saw me grab them, he said, “Do you actually want those?” I said I didn’t, but I knew others who did. He replied, “Do you want some more?” He went into the back, and came out with a box with 20 MORE DIFFERENT BLISTERS of the original GAMMA WORLD figs. He said he had bought out the stock of one of the other stores in town that went belly up. To make a long story short, after some haggling, we settled on a price for the whole lot. The end result?
I now own 32 of the 52 blisters of GAMMA WORLD Grenadier figures. There is only one duplicate blister in the bunch. Some of them are very LARGE creatures, and I even have 2 of the 3 different “Build Your Own Mutant” blisters. Here’s the actual list of what blisters have:
2 blisters of G-2 Human Adventurers 1 , G-3 Human Adventurers 2, G-4 Grens/Woods People , G-5 Serfs Mutant Men, G-6 Orlens Mutant Men, G-7 Healers, G-8 Restorationists, G-9 Knights of Purity, G-11 Brotherhood of Thought, G-13 Iron Society, G-14 Tribesmen Human, G-15 Barkskin Tribesmen, G-16 Mutant Tribesmen, G-17 Tribesmen Mutants #3, G-18 Women Adventurers, G-20 Villagers, G-22 Partial Armor, G-24 Herps & Parns, G-25 Soul Besh & Cal Thens, G-26 Hissers, G-28 Menarl & Blight, G-31 Hoops (MUTANT RABBITS!!!), G-32 Centisteed, G-33 Brutorz & Rakox, G-34 Podogs, G-42 Ground Cars, G-45 Weapons Pack 1, G-46 Medical Pack, G-47 Mutant Do-It-Yourself 1, G-48 Mutant Do-It-Yourself 2, G-50 Yexil
This is where YOU, my gentle readers, come in.
Although I could make a killing on eBay (theoretically) with these things, I would much rather see them go to someone who is actually going to USE them for the purpose God, Grenadier and TSR intended them. So, here’s my proposition… before I put these on eBay, I will entertain offers for trade or purchase. To be honest… I would probably rather trade these for other gaming materials, but I would also be willing entertain monetary offers. In terms of trade, here’s what I would be interested in (and NO, I’m not on crack, I do not expect this to be a 1-for-1 kind of deal; I know what they cost me, I know what I would need minimum to break even. I don’t expect to get rich here, but I would like to try and make a small profit, or at worst, get a lot of gaming stuff I want that is of about the same value): a decent copy of the B/X Basic rulebook, any B/X modules (except for Keep, Isle of Dread and Master of the Desert Nomads, which I have, but especially B1, B4, B7, B1-9, X2 and X..5? [the followup to Master of the Desert Nomads]), a complete copy of the BECMI Masters Rules box set, any of the C/M modules, a copy of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, print copies of issues 2,3 and 4 (does it exist?) of KNOCKSPELL magazine, a hardcover copy of the Dark Dungeons retroclone rulebook, Star Wars D6 materials (mostly modules or some hardcover soucebooks… I have all the Galaxy Guides, although there might be one or two I want the Revised version of… e-mail me for details), Traveling Tales for the Savage Worlds Tales of Solomon Kane game, and anything Call of C’Thulhu. I am willing to entertain offers of other stuff, however. Money is also good.
If you want any more details, please email me at suprunown AT gmail DOT com.
UPDATE: Aaaaaaand I managed to sell the entire lot at a satisfactory price. Nice to see them going to someone who will love them. 8)
There’s a FLGS store in my old home city that I haven’t visited in years. I mostly haven’t visited because the guys who runs it is a rather….. ABRASIVE fellow. The stories about MIGS could fill a post on their own. Anyway, last year, I rediscovered the store, and since there is almost no gaming stores left in Winnipeg (in fact, there’s only one other one that I can find), I started to visit. Most of their stuff is horribly overpriced, but they do have the benefit of selling some used stuff. Anyways, I was going through their bin of clearance lead figures one day a couple months ago, when I came across FIVE blister packs of original Grenadier GAMMA WORLD miniatures. Knowing the love of the OSR community for Gamma World (along with Encounter Critical and Mutant Future), I snagged all five. Even as “clearance” items, they were still $5-$8 each, but I figure that was worth the cost for their incredible rarity.
Then, last week, I went back to visit the store while I was visiting my parents over spring break. As I perused the store (after being scoffed at for playing Labyrinth Lord… after talking to the store owner, his response was, “That must be one of those Internet games that nobody cares about. To each their own… why you would want to play something that just rips off an old game system is up to you…”), I checked out the clearance bin.. and lo and behold, there were 5 DIFFERENT packs of the GAMMA WORLD figs in there, for $5 a pop. I quickly gobbled these up as well. When the owner saw me grab them, he said, “Do you actually want those?” I said I didn’t, but I knew others who did. He replied, “Do you want some more?” He went into the back, and came out with a box with 20 MORE DIFFERENT BLISTERS of the original GAMMA WORLD figs. He said he had bought out the stock of one of the other stores in town that went belly up. To make a long story short, after some haggling, we settled on a price for the whole lot. The end result?
I now own 32 of the 52 blisters of GAMMA WORLD Grenadier figures. There is only one duplicate blister in the bunch. Some of them are very LARGE creatures, and I even have 2 of the 3 different “Build Your Own Mutant” blisters. Here’s the actual list of what blisters have:
2 blisters of G-2 Human Adventurers 1 , G-3 Human Adventurers 2, G-4 Grens/Woods People , G-5 Serfs Mutant Men, G-6 Orlens Mutant Men, G-7 Healers, G-8 Restorationists, G-9 Knights of Purity, G-11 Brotherhood of Thought, G-13 Iron Society, G-14 Tribesmen Human, G-15 Barkskin Tribesmen, G-16 Mutant Tribesmen, G-17 Tribesmen Mutants #3, G-18 Women Adventurers, G-20 Villagers, G-22 Partial Armor, G-24 Herps & Parns, G-25 Soul Besh & Cal Thens, G-26 Hissers, G-28 Menarl & Blight, G-31 Hoops (MUTANT RABBITS!!!), G-32 Centisteed, G-33 Brutorz & Rakox, G-34 Podogs, G-42 Ground Cars, G-45 Weapons Pack 1, G-46 Medical Pack, G-47 Mutant Do-It-Yourself 1, G-48 Mutant Do-It-Yourself 2, G-50 Yexil
This is where YOU, my gentle readers, come in.
Although I could make a killing on eBay (theoretically) with these things, I would much rather see them go to someone who is actually going to USE them for the purpose God, Grenadier and TSR intended them. So, here’s my proposition… before I put these on eBay, I will entertain offers for trade or purchase. To be honest… I would probably rather trade these for other gaming materials, but I would also be willing entertain monetary offers. In terms of trade, here’s what I would be interested in (and NO, I’m not on crack, I do not expect this to be a 1-for-1 kind of deal; I know what they cost me, I know what I would need minimum to break even. I don’t expect to get rich here, but I would like to try and make a small profit, or at worst, get a lot of gaming stuff I want that is of about the same value): a decent copy of the B/X Basic rulebook, any B/X modules (except for Keep, Isle of Dread and Master of the Desert Nomads, which I have, but especially B1, B4, B7, B1-9, X2 and X..5? [the followup to Master of the Desert Nomads]), a complete copy of the BECMI Masters Rules box set, any of the C/M modules, a copy of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, print copies of issues 2,3 and 4 (does it exist?) of KNOCKSPELL magazine, a hardcover copy of the Dark Dungeons retroclone rulebook, Star Wars D6 materials (mostly modules or some hardcover soucebooks… I have all the Galaxy Guides, although there might be one or two I want the Revised version of… e-mail me for details), Traveling Tales for the Savage Worlds Tales of Solomon Kane game, and anything Call of C’Thulhu. I am willing to entertain offers of other stuff, however. Money is also good.
If you want any more details, please email me at suprunown AT gmail DOT com.
UPDATE: Aaaaaaand I managed to sell the entire lot at a satisfactory price. Nice to see them going to someone who will love them. 8)
F is for the Faerie War
F is for The Faerie War
After the universe was cast into the Void by the Father came a period known as The Banishing. As the universe flew through the Void, it attracted the attention of powers better left ignored. And so it was, when the universe finally came to rest, that these powers which lived in the dark became aware of Haume, and the creations of the Mother, the Father, and the Child.
After the Banishing, the elves of Haume knew that the time had arrived for them to seize their destiny, and to take over Haume. The elves began to organize the races of Haume. At first, all was well with the world. The dwarves helped the elves rebuild the world, using their skills and the elves’ magic to make many wondrous cities and other marvels of the world. The Halflings were content to dwell in their woodland abodes, singing songs of the great wonders of their Faerie brethren. Only the races of Maan were not welcomed into the circle of life. While some of the races of Maan were accepted by the Founders (as the races of elf, dwarf and halfling came to be known), and even began to learn the secrets of arts, culture, magic, and crafting, many more races were not accepted because of their passionate, warlike nature. So it was that these abandoned races came to find camaraderie with the only ones who would accept them – the Voices of the Void. While some of these Voices were well-intentioned, most we bitter and twisted by their isolation in the Void, or jealous of the gifts given the races of Haume by the Faerie Queen and the Great Maker. As the races of Maan fell under the sway of the Voices of the Void, they learned terrible secrets Maan was not meant to know. Over time, these races of Maan were corrupted by the influence of these evil spirits. Over time, these races became as twisted as their dark masters. Driven far from the civilized realms by the other races of Haume, these races dwelled apart, in societies ruled by strength and violence. They came to be known as the Forked Ones, for their decision to branch away from the other races. Over time, they became even more twisted in the dark places, gaining strength. The greatest of the Orcs (as their name eventually became corrupted) were known as the Overgrown (which would be corrupted into Ogre).
The other races of Haume ignored the Forked Ones, thinking of them as misbehaving children in need of correction, until one day, when the whole of Orc society showed up on the borders of the Civilized Lands, in numbers greatly outnumbering the other races. Within weeks, their savage forces had slaughtered all the encountered, driving back the Founders, and those races of Maan who stood with them. It came to pass that a great conclave of the Founders was held, where they discussed what should be done. The debate raged for many days, but at the end, the elves convinced the other races that, with their magic, they could make an army even mightier than the Orcs, using savagery to defeat savagery. Great was the opposition to this plan – many felt that it was dangerous to put their faith in savagery, and in magic, which only the Elves and Halflings had mastered. However, the Elves convinced the other races that there was nothing to fear, and that they would be able to control that which they created.
And so it came to pass, that the elves took other elves, as well as halflings, dwarves, and even humans, and worked their great magics upon them, to create even mightier warriors than The Forked Ones. For many days, the night skies were lit with unnatural fire, and the earth groaned in protest. And when they were done, the elves stood back and marvelled at what they had made.
But it soon became apparent…. that the elves had failed.
Where they had tried to create swift, cunning scouts by altering the brave halflings, they instead created the crawling darkness of the Goblins (so named for the mewling, gobbling sounds they made) and Kobolds (whose name was a corruption of “cold-blooded”, for they were merciless, cold-blooded killers). Their attempts to strengthen the races of Maan into great leaders instead twisted and corrupted them into the savage warrior-races of Bugbears (the “ugly heirs”) and Hobgoblins (the “human gobblers”). The steadfast, indefatigable dwarfs became Trolls, twisting their unbreakable spirits into unkillable bodies. And their fellow elves, who secretly sought to rule the other races under their thumbs, were twisted into the races of the Giant-kin.
The other races were horrified at the failure of the elves. The dwarves, furious with the failure of the elves, vowed to destroy whatever abomination they could, swearing a blood oath against these corrupted races. The humans, horrified at what their brethren had become, and terrified at what the elves might do to repair the situation, fled into the wilderness, isolating themselves from both sides. The elves, secretly ashamed at their failure, vowed to try again, refusing to accept failure. The Halflings were so horrified at what had become of their brothers, that they abandoned magic, for they saw it, not the elves, as the great failure. It was eldritch forces that had corrupted the Forked Ones, and it was eldritch forces that the elves had use to corrupt the Founders. The halflings begged the elves to reconsider their reckless magical experiments, but the haughty elves, convinced of their own superiority, refused to believe they could fail again. And fail again they did. This time, the elves tried instead to alter the beasts of nature with their magic, not understanding that they were tampering with a fundamental force. This time, their failures created the abominations which became known as gnolls, lizard-men, snake-men, and other horrors. The dwarves, seeing the nightmares the elves created beginning to work alongside the Forked Ones, gave up on the Founder brothers, and retreated into the darkness, where they were the undisputed masters of their realms. The halflings, finally realizing that the elves would never be convinced that failure was an option, simply disappeared, returning to live in the deepest, most untouched parts of the land, overcome with grief and regret. They vowed to never tamper with forces of magic, instead preferring to live in the moment, conscious now of how quickly life could change. The elves were chastened, but unrepentant, continued to believe in their own superiority, and continually dabbled with forces best left untouched, trying to atone for their secret shame.
For the humans, besieged now on both sides, and no longer trusting any of the Founders (for they had been abandoned by the dwarves and Halflings, and no longer trusting of the elves) struggled to survive, at the same time continuing to study the paths of magic, either in hopes of finding a way to repair what the elves could not, or power to harness what the elves had created. The only thing the humans had which the others races lacked, was faith – faith that things had to get better. Faith that things WOULD get better. And it was from this faith that the humans found something the other races never have… the healing power of magic.
However, by then, the damage was done. The world of Haume was ravaged. Where once, the Founders had created great cities, temples, and other wondrous places, now there was only dead, abandoned ruins… destroyed not only by the ravaging Forked One, but by the elves’ own failed creations. The dwarves lived in darkness, keeping only their own council. Their lives revolved around constantly trying to rebuild what they had lost, and fighting to destroy what had been created. The dwarves had little time to rehash the failings of history. The Halflings, grieved by what had become of their beautiful world, lived only for today, unencumbered by the past. The elves chose to ignore their past, in hopes of expunging from history the record of their failure. And the humans, with the shortest lifespan of all the races? Although they tried to remember, as time passed, it became harder and harder to accurately remember history, as pieces began to be missed, and fall victim to the sands of mortality.
Today, the Faerie War is mostly forgotten. Some say that the dwarves have carved the history into the walls and pillars of their great city, but none have time to read them. Others say that there are some elves that have kept the history of Haume, although it is unsure whether the history they have kept is how it happened, or how they want the Founders to THINK it happened. It is said that the Halflings remember all, and spend as much time trying to forget all. Of the Forked Ones, and the other degenerate races, there is little likelihood that they remember anything other than violence, fear and death. Of the humans, there exist bits and pieces of history spread out across all of creation. If it could all be brought together, in one place, then perhaps there would be a history, but for now, the story remains incomplete. However, the oldest and wisest of all the races say that there are some great watchers who have kept a history of the world, through all the days of light and darkness….. that the trees, and the few Faerie creatures composed entirely of magic who dwell amongst them, still hold the truth; that in the deepest pits, where dwell the dragons, the most powerful of the creatures of magic, the knowledge of all the Founders successes and failures is still held; and in the highest of mountains and amongst the clouds, where those of the giant-kin whose spirits were uncorrupted by the elves dark magics dwell, a record has been kept with the knowledge that there will come a day of reckoning….
After the universe was cast into the Void by the Father came a period known as The Banishing. As the universe flew through the Void, it attracted the attention of powers better left ignored. And so it was, when the universe finally came to rest, that these powers which lived in the dark became aware of Haume, and the creations of the Mother, the Father, and the Child.
After the Banishing, the elves of Haume knew that the time had arrived for them to seize their destiny, and to take over Haume. The elves began to organize the races of Haume. At first, all was well with the world. The dwarves helped the elves rebuild the world, using their skills and the elves’ magic to make many wondrous cities and other marvels of the world. The Halflings were content to dwell in their woodland abodes, singing songs of the great wonders of their Faerie brethren. Only the races of Maan were not welcomed into the circle of life. While some of the races of Maan were accepted by the Founders (as the races of elf, dwarf and halfling came to be known), and even began to learn the secrets of arts, culture, magic, and crafting, many more races were not accepted because of their passionate, warlike nature. So it was that these abandoned races came to find camaraderie with the only ones who would accept them – the Voices of the Void. While some of these Voices were well-intentioned, most we bitter and twisted by their isolation in the Void, or jealous of the gifts given the races of Haume by the Faerie Queen and the Great Maker. As the races of Maan fell under the sway of the Voices of the Void, they learned terrible secrets Maan was not meant to know. Over time, these races of Maan were corrupted by the influence of these evil spirits. Over time, these races became as twisted as their dark masters. Driven far from the civilized realms by the other races of Haume, these races dwelled apart, in societies ruled by strength and violence. They came to be known as the Forked Ones, for their decision to branch away from the other races. Over time, they became even more twisted in the dark places, gaining strength. The greatest of the Orcs (as their name eventually became corrupted) were known as the Overgrown (which would be corrupted into Ogre).
The other races of Haume ignored the Forked Ones, thinking of them as misbehaving children in need of correction, until one day, when the whole of Orc society showed up on the borders of the Civilized Lands, in numbers greatly outnumbering the other races. Within weeks, their savage forces had slaughtered all the encountered, driving back the Founders, and those races of Maan who stood with them. It came to pass that a great conclave of the Founders was held, where they discussed what should be done. The debate raged for many days, but at the end, the elves convinced the other races that, with their magic, they could make an army even mightier than the Orcs, using savagery to defeat savagery. Great was the opposition to this plan – many felt that it was dangerous to put their faith in savagery, and in magic, which only the Elves and Halflings had mastered. However, the Elves convinced the other races that there was nothing to fear, and that they would be able to control that which they created.
And so it came to pass, that the elves took other elves, as well as halflings, dwarves, and even humans, and worked their great magics upon them, to create even mightier warriors than The Forked Ones. For many days, the night skies were lit with unnatural fire, and the earth groaned in protest. And when they were done, the elves stood back and marvelled at what they had made.
But it soon became apparent…. that the elves had failed.
Where they had tried to create swift, cunning scouts by altering the brave halflings, they instead created the crawling darkness of the Goblins (so named for the mewling, gobbling sounds they made) and Kobolds (whose name was a corruption of “cold-blooded”, for they were merciless, cold-blooded killers). Their attempts to strengthen the races of Maan into great leaders instead twisted and corrupted them into the savage warrior-races of Bugbears (the “ugly heirs”) and Hobgoblins (the “human gobblers”). The steadfast, indefatigable dwarfs became Trolls, twisting their unbreakable spirits into unkillable bodies. And their fellow elves, who secretly sought to rule the other races under their thumbs, were twisted into the races of the Giant-kin.
The other races were horrified at the failure of the elves. The dwarves, furious with the failure of the elves, vowed to destroy whatever abomination they could, swearing a blood oath against these corrupted races. The humans, horrified at what their brethren had become, and terrified at what the elves might do to repair the situation, fled into the wilderness, isolating themselves from both sides. The elves, secretly ashamed at their failure, vowed to try again, refusing to accept failure. The Halflings were so horrified at what had become of their brothers, that they abandoned magic, for they saw it, not the elves, as the great failure. It was eldritch forces that had corrupted the Forked Ones, and it was eldritch forces that the elves had use to corrupt the Founders. The halflings begged the elves to reconsider their reckless magical experiments, but the haughty elves, convinced of their own superiority, refused to believe they could fail again. And fail again they did. This time, the elves tried instead to alter the beasts of nature with their magic, not understanding that they were tampering with a fundamental force. This time, their failures created the abominations which became known as gnolls, lizard-men, snake-men, and other horrors. The dwarves, seeing the nightmares the elves created beginning to work alongside the Forked Ones, gave up on the Founder brothers, and retreated into the darkness, where they were the undisputed masters of their realms. The halflings, finally realizing that the elves would never be convinced that failure was an option, simply disappeared, returning to live in the deepest, most untouched parts of the land, overcome with grief and regret. They vowed to never tamper with forces of magic, instead preferring to live in the moment, conscious now of how quickly life could change. The elves were chastened, but unrepentant, continued to believe in their own superiority, and continually dabbled with forces best left untouched, trying to atone for their secret shame.
For the humans, besieged now on both sides, and no longer trusting any of the Founders (for they had been abandoned by the dwarves and Halflings, and no longer trusting of the elves) struggled to survive, at the same time continuing to study the paths of magic, either in hopes of finding a way to repair what the elves could not, or power to harness what the elves had created. The only thing the humans had which the others races lacked, was faith – faith that things had to get better. Faith that things WOULD get better. And it was from this faith that the humans found something the other races never have… the healing power of magic.
However, by then, the damage was done. The world of Haume was ravaged. Where once, the Founders had created great cities, temples, and other wondrous places, now there was only dead, abandoned ruins… destroyed not only by the ravaging Forked One, but by the elves’ own failed creations. The dwarves lived in darkness, keeping only their own council. Their lives revolved around constantly trying to rebuild what they had lost, and fighting to destroy what had been created. The dwarves had little time to rehash the failings of history. The Halflings, grieved by what had become of their beautiful world, lived only for today, unencumbered by the past. The elves chose to ignore their past, in hopes of expunging from history the record of their failure. And the humans, with the shortest lifespan of all the races? Although they tried to remember, as time passed, it became harder and harder to accurately remember history, as pieces began to be missed, and fall victim to the sands of mortality.
Today, the Faerie War is mostly forgotten. Some say that the dwarves have carved the history into the walls and pillars of their great city, but none have time to read them. Others say that there are some elves that have kept the history of Haume, although it is unsure whether the history they have kept is how it happened, or how they want the Founders to THINK it happened. It is said that the Halflings remember all, and spend as much time trying to forget all. Of the Forked Ones, and the other degenerate races, there is little likelihood that they remember anything other than violence, fear and death. Of the humans, there exist bits and pieces of history spread out across all of creation. If it could all be brought together, in one place, then perhaps there would be a history, but for now, the story remains incomplete. However, the oldest and wisest of all the races say that there are some great watchers who have kept a history of the world, through all the days of light and darkness….. that the trees, and the few Faerie creatures composed entirely of magic who dwell amongst them, still hold the truth; that in the deepest pits, where dwell the dragons, the most powerful of the creatures of magic, the knowledge of all the Founders successes and failures is still held; and in the highest of mountains and amongst the clouds, where those of the giant-kin whose spirits were uncorrupted by the elves dark magics dwell, a record has been kept with the knowledge that there will come a day of reckoning….
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
E is for Elves
(Dammit! I think EVERYONE is doing elves today)
The elves of Haume are an interesting race. They appear as most elves do, tall and willowy, and have a longer lifespan than many races on Haume. Most elves living in the range of 150-175 years, with those reaching 200 years of age considered exceptional.
(Author’s note: yes, I am already contradicting myself. After posting my Creation Myths, I realized that the stuff I posted there [which I cribbed from something I’ve had brewing for a while for my campaign] contradicted the stuff I was coming up with for this task. So, I quickly did some rewriting of this stuff, I think I covered all the changes and stuff , but you might find some inconsistencies between this and what I have already posted.)
Unlike other races on Haume, elves do not consider themselves as being “created” by a divine being. Instead, they see the elvish race as being created when Aeleisha, the Mother of All, The Faerie Queen, willed herself into being from the Void. She bore the first elves, and the race continued from there. (It is interesting to note that while the elves claim that the name of the father of the elivish race has been lost to time, other myths indicate that perhaps the father is actually the Great Maker, the creator of the dwarves, Durrak. Bringing this up in the company of elves would probably get you killed, or at least seriously harmed, by any elves in attendance) Accordingly, elves actually see themselves as gods, so to speak. They do not worship any other divine being, for they consider themselves to BE divine beings, descended directly from divinity. As such, elves tend to worship abstract ideas, such as Truth, Beauty, and Justice, instead of personified ideals of these qualities. Because of this, elves are perceived as quite haughty by all other races, and elves consider themselves to be above all other races on Haume. Elves, in fact, believe that they created all the other races of Haume, and as such, are the rightful masters of the world.
Elves seek perfection in everything they do, whether it be art, music, writing, magic, or warfare. Elves are in constant practice and contemplation of their art, and rarely journey out to have contact with the outside world. Elvish settlements are few and far between, and guarded very well. No one “accidentally” stumbles on a elvish settlement – if they find one, there is a purpose for finding it; otherwise, the elves would have killed any interlopers long before they got close to the settlement. The elves consider their facility with magic to be a sign of their superiority over the other races, and are equally fascinated and repulsed by humans and their ability with magic. The absence of worship of divine beings means elves are unable to use clerical magic (although, if you ask an elf, they will claim that elves could replicate such magic if they so desired – it’s simply considered gauche to use magic for such a common thing as to heal one’s mortal shell). While elves consider humans as primitive barbarians, toying with the tools elves have sought to perfect, they are secretly horrified that humans would tamper so recklessly with magic which would appear beyond their ability to control at high levels.
Elves are rarely encountered outside of elvish society. Those that are encountered are often renegades, who have either chosen to leave elvish society or been cast out, in search of new and different challenges to home their skills against. Lately, however, more elves have been encountered in the lands abroad, leading some to speculate, coupled with the scarcity and extreme secretiveness of elvish settlements, that the elves are a dying race, and are seeking the secrets of magic held by humans to held revitalize the elvish race. It is not uncommon to find elves gravitating towards human places of worship, or travelling with clerics, in order to observe their magic in action.
The elves of Haume are an interesting race. They appear as most elves do, tall and willowy, and have a longer lifespan than many races on Haume. Most elves living in the range of 150-175 years, with those reaching 200 years of age considered exceptional.
(Author’s note: yes, I am already contradicting myself. After posting my Creation Myths, I realized that the stuff I posted there [which I cribbed from something I’ve had brewing for a while for my campaign] contradicted the stuff I was coming up with for this task. So, I quickly did some rewriting of this stuff, I think I covered all the changes and stuff , but you might find some inconsistencies between this and what I have already posted.)
Unlike other races on Haume, elves do not consider themselves as being “created” by a divine being. Instead, they see the elvish race as being created when Aeleisha, the Mother of All, The Faerie Queen, willed herself into being from the Void. She bore the first elves, and the race continued from there. (It is interesting to note that while the elves claim that the name of the father of the elivish race has been lost to time, other myths indicate that perhaps the father is actually the Great Maker, the creator of the dwarves, Durrak. Bringing this up in the company of elves would probably get you killed, or at least seriously harmed, by any elves in attendance) Accordingly, elves actually see themselves as gods, so to speak. They do not worship any other divine being, for they consider themselves to BE divine beings, descended directly from divinity. As such, elves tend to worship abstract ideas, such as Truth, Beauty, and Justice, instead of personified ideals of these qualities. Because of this, elves are perceived as quite haughty by all other races, and elves consider themselves to be above all other races on Haume. Elves, in fact, believe that they created all the other races of Haume, and as such, are the rightful masters of the world.
Elves seek perfection in everything they do, whether it be art, music, writing, magic, or warfare. Elves are in constant practice and contemplation of their art, and rarely journey out to have contact with the outside world. Elvish settlements are few and far between, and guarded very well. No one “accidentally” stumbles on a elvish settlement – if they find one, there is a purpose for finding it; otherwise, the elves would have killed any interlopers long before they got close to the settlement. The elves consider their facility with magic to be a sign of their superiority over the other races, and are equally fascinated and repulsed by humans and their ability with magic. The absence of worship of divine beings means elves are unable to use clerical magic (although, if you ask an elf, they will claim that elves could replicate such magic if they so desired – it’s simply considered gauche to use magic for such a common thing as to heal one’s mortal shell). While elves consider humans as primitive barbarians, toying with the tools elves have sought to perfect, they are secretly horrified that humans would tamper so recklessly with magic which would appear beyond their ability to control at high levels.
Elves are rarely encountered outside of elvish society. Those that are encountered are often renegades, who have either chosen to leave elvish society or been cast out, in search of new and different challenges to home their skills against. Lately, however, more elves have been encountered in the lands abroad, leading some to speculate, coupled with the scarcity and extreme secretiveness of elvish settlements, that the elves are a dying race, and are seeking the secrets of magic held by humans to held revitalize the elvish race. It is not uncommon to find elves gravitating towards human places of worship, or travelling with clerics, in order to observe their magic in action.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
D is for Dwarves
D is for Dwarves
I don’t tend to stray too far from source material in my campaigns. As such, my take on dwarves in the Haume campaign is pretty straightforward. They are short and stocky, often with surprisingly ruddy features for a race which lives primarily underground. Most dwarves live to the age of about 100, with those living into their 130s considered to be exceptional. And no…. female dwarves do NOT have beards.
Dwarves worship The Father, aka The Great Maker, aka Durrak (to the humans). They have few other deities, and the few they do have are thought to have been some of the first dwarves created by the Father. Curiously, dwarves do not have a highly organized religion. Dwarves have no inherent magical ability of any kind, supposedly because the Father was more interested in making a race that would be able to survive through their strength and their hands, not something as intangible as magic. While most dwarven settlements have small token shrines to the Great Maker, there is no organized priesthood. The dwarven race see the Father as being consumed with creating, and as such, isn’t terribly interested in interceding in the lives of his creations.
A by-product of the dwarves inability to use magic, however, is their utter fascination with magic items. Dwarves could care less about those who can manipulate magic, but as craftsmen, they are almost obsessed with how these magical energies can be infused into crafted items. As such, dwarves often appear greedy to other races, as they are constantly seeking to amass fortunes of precious metals and gemstones. However, dwarves are driven to this avarice because of their innate need to acquire magic items to study, in hopes of being able to replicate the abilities of such items through sheer craftsmanship. Dwarves are more interested in magic items that are both magical and beautiful… things like swords, armor, rings, jewelry, weapons, and intricate devices. Potions and scrolls hold little interest for dwarves. Because magic items are of more interest in being researched than used, it is rare that one will encounter a dwarf with numerous magical items, for dwarves find it difficult to overcome their natural tendencies to research a magical item and put it into everyday use. Often, dwarven strongholds will have sizable hoards of magical items which are being “researched” by dwarven sages, metallurgists and alchemists.
Most dwarves are serious and taciturn. They don’t trust elves because of the Faerie War (more on that later), and will be noticeable bristly around them. They tend to get along well with Halflings, when they encounter them, which is rarely. They tend to view humans with a combination of wonder and caution – wonder because humans are able to use more magic than any other race on Haume, but caution because of the sheer amount of violence humans have been responsible for in the past.
Dwarves are often found living in vast, underground cities in mostly inaccessible mountain ranges. A dwarven city will honeycomb an entire mountain, often with the smelters and forges of the dwarves found at the top of the mountain, which makes for easier venting of exhaust (and occasionally causing these cities to be mistaken as active volcanoes). The middle levels contain vast warrens of rooms and personal residences, as well as workshops. Dwarves are also known to employ vast natural caverns for raising a variety of fungus and vegetables, as well as herds of lizards and rodents which they raise for food. The bottom levels of a dwarven city contain the mines, where they acquire their raw material for construction. There is often limited contact between dwarven cities and the outside world – the notable exception is for timber products (although the dwarves have created miniature varieties of trees which thrive underground, nothing can compare to the lumber of surface trees). Most dwarves encountered in the surface world are either those who have been outcast from dwarven society for some crime, or those who are considered unfit for functioning in regular dwarven society.
I don’t tend to stray too far from source material in my campaigns. As such, my take on dwarves in the Haume campaign is pretty straightforward. They are short and stocky, often with surprisingly ruddy features for a race which lives primarily underground. Most dwarves live to the age of about 100, with those living into their 130s considered to be exceptional. And no…. female dwarves do NOT have beards.
Dwarves worship The Father, aka The Great Maker, aka Durrak (to the humans). They have few other deities, and the few they do have are thought to have been some of the first dwarves created by the Father. Curiously, dwarves do not have a highly organized religion. Dwarves have no inherent magical ability of any kind, supposedly because the Father was more interested in making a race that would be able to survive through their strength and their hands, not something as intangible as magic. While most dwarven settlements have small token shrines to the Great Maker, there is no organized priesthood. The dwarven race see the Father as being consumed with creating, and as such, isn’t terribly interested in interceding in the lives of his creations.
A by-product of the dwarves inability to use magic, however, is their utter fascination with magic items. Dwarves could care less about those who can manipulate magic, but as craftsmen, they are almost obsessed with how these magical energies can be infused into crafted items. As such, dwarves often appear greedy to other races, as they are constantly seeking to amass fortunes of precious metals and gemstones. However, dwarves are driven to this avarice because of their innate need to acquire magic items to study, in hopes of being able to replicate the abilities of such items through sheer craftsmanship. Dwarves are more interested in magic items that are both magical and beautiful… things like swords, armor, rings, jewelry, weapons, and intricate devices. Potions and scrolls hold little interest for dwarves. Because magic items are of more interest in being researched than used, it is rare that one will encounter a dwarf with numerous magical items, for dwarves find it difficult to overcome their natural tendencies to research a magical item and put it into everyday use. Often, dwarven strongholds will have sizable hoards of magical items which are being “researched” by dwarven sages, metallurgists and alchemists.
Most dwarves are serious and taciturn. They don’t trust elves because of the Faerie War (more on that later), and will be noticeable bristly around them. They tend to get along well with Halflings, when they encounter them, which is rarely. They tend to view humans with a combination of wonder and caution – wonder because humans are able to use more magic than any other race on Haume, but caution because of the sheer amount of violence humans have been responsible for in the past.
Dwarves are often found living in vast, underground cities in mostly inaccessible mountain ranges. A dwarven city will honeycomb an entire mountain, often with the smelters and forges of the dwarves found at the top of the mountain, which makes for easier venting of exhaust (and occasionally causing these cities to be mistaken as active volcanoes). The middle levels contain vast warrens of rooms and personal residences, as well as workshops. Dwarves are also known to employ vast natural caverns for raising a variety of fungus and vegetables, as well as herds of lizards and rodents which they raise for food. The bottom levels of a dwarven city contain the mines, where they acquire their raw material for construction. There is often limited contact between dwarven cities and the outside world – the notable exception is for timber products (although the dwarves have created miniature varieties of trees which thrive underground, nothing can compare to the lumber of surface trees). Most dwarves encountered in the surface world are either those who have been outcast from dwarven society for some crime, or those who are considered unfit for functioning in regular dwarven society.
Monday, April 4, 2011
C is for Creation Myths
C is for Creation Myths
There are many myths which have come to be associated with the creation of Haume, and its many races.
According to the elves, Haume was created by the Faerie Queen and the All-Father. The first elves were direct descendents of these great beings, and they created the other races to as “drones” to help manage the affairs of the elves upon the planet. Accordingly, all elves on Haume feel that they are, in actuality, gods themselves.
The dwarves instead tell a tale of the First Maker, who carved the world out of Chaos, and created the races in his unending quest to create the perfect being.
No one is quite sure what the Halflings believe. Whenever talk turns to things of religion or the past, halflings get a look of great sadness on their faces, and become very quiet. Some say that they are the only race that knows the true origins of the races, and that knowledge is a heavy burden.
However, amongst the races of man, they tell a different tale…
In the beginning, there was the Void. The Void was Everything, and Nothing, all at the same time. Eventually, that which was Void reshaped, and reformed, until there was the Mother, and the Father. The Mother and the Father complimented each other in every way, and yet they contradicted each other at the same time. For many lengths of time, immeasurable to mortals, the Mother and the Father existed, together and yet apart, and after a long while, after they had explored everything together and apart…. they grew bored. And so, the Mother and the Father decided to create another. They chose the best parts of each other, and they created the Child. And for many more passages of time, life was good, as the Mother and the Father explored the Void with the Child, imparting all of their knowledge.
However, eventually, after they had finished exploring the Void with the Child, the Mother and the Father found that the Child was always looking for more to do. Although the Mother and the Father enjoyed spending time with the Child, they needed some time alone, to contemplate great truths that were still beyond the understanding of the Child, or even time alone with each other, to ponder other truths. And so, the Mother and the Father decided to create playthings for the Child. And so, they took parts of the Void, and formed and shaped them, and they created the Universe, and all the stars, and all the planets, and then they took some small parts of themselves, and mixed it with the Void, and they created all the lands, and the seas, and the plants, and the animals, and They gave them to the Child. And the Child was delighted, and took great pleasure with its new playthings. This allowed the Mother and the Father time to go back to exploring and contemplating the Void.
However, after another period of many passages of time, the Mother and the Father noticed that the Child was spending most of its time playing with one plaything more than any others. “What is it you have named this toy?” the Mother asked the Child. “I have decided to call this, my favourite toy, Haume, because all those things which I love are united on this one world,” the Child responded with a smile. “And why do you enjoy playing with this toy more than the rest?” asked the Father. The Child answered them, “I like this toy the best, because of all the creatures that You have created for Me. If only….” With this, the Child momentarily looked away, and the Mother and the Father said, “You need only to ask us, our Child… what is it You want?” The Child replied, “I only wish that you had created something that would surprise me. All the creatures that are part of this toy behave as dumb creatures do… they have no free will. They always do the same things. I grow weary of watching them. I wish to have creatures who do not do what I think they will!” The Mother and the Father thought about this for a time, and then they said to the Child, “We have thought about what You have said, and We have decided to create a new plaything for you, which will behave with its own free will. We will make them as we have made You, with equal parts of Ourselves.” The Mother and the Father took parts of Themselves, and mixed it with parts of the Void, and They created the Halved, so named because they took half their totality from the Mother, and half from the Father. The Halved took their beauty and peaceful nature from the Mother, while from the Father, they received their small stature, which reflected their Child natures. The Child was delighted with these new playthings, and spent many more passages of time observing the Halved as they learned about their new world.
One day, the Mother and the Father found the Child, staring forlornly at the Child’s toys. With great concern, They asked the Child, “What is the matter, Our Child?” The Child replied, “I am sad, for although my new toys please me greatly, I feel their sadness, for they are alone on their world, and have no one with which they share their existence, as I have You, Mother and Father.” The Mother and the Father considered this for a time, and They said to the Child, “We have decided that We do not enjoy seeing You in sadness. So, We will create new playthings for the Halved, so that You will not suffer from their sadness.” But, the Mother and the Father could not agree on what to create. So instead, They both took parts of the Void, and parts of Themselves, and They created two more new playthings for the Halved. The Mother took beauty and intelligence, magic and the air and the water, and all the bright parts of Her creations, and created the Fey. Meanwhile, the Father took strength and resolve, and skill and fire and earth, and all the most solid, well created parts of His creations, and created the Dur. The Mother and the Father placed these new creations with the Halved, and again, the Child was delighted, and watched as the races of his world learned to interact.
Many passages of time passed before the Mother and the Father again saw the Child, sitting forlornly, looking at his playthings. “Oh Child, what is it that troubles You now?” they asked. The child replied, “While I am happy that You created new playthings for Me and My world, they are being most cross! They started out playing together, but over time, they have become most independent!” When the Mother and the Father looked down, They saw that what the Child said was true. Although the Mother and the Father had tried to create suitable playthings for the Child, the fact that They had not undertaken this endeavour together, but separately, meant that Their new creations were imperfect. For, as the Mother looked down, she found that the Fey could not relate to the Halved, because they were far more beautiful than the Halved, and possessed of more intelligence, and more of a connection with magic, and nature. The Fey had retreated into the forests and across the waters of the planet, to contemplate things which did not interest the Halved, who lived in the softly rolling hills and the wide open plains. Meanwhile, the Father found that the Dur could not tolerate the childlike innocence of the Halved. The Dur were far more serious-minded, and they gravitated towards the dark places under the ground, where they worked their crafts and practiced their martial prowess, which repulsed the innocent Halved. The Mother and the Father were upset – They had not forseen such events. At this time, the Child asked them, “Why can I not make my own playthings? I have seen and known almost as much as You have!” Allthough They were not fond of the idea, eventually the Mother and the Father relented, and they allowed the Child to create Its own toys. So, the Child took some of the Void, and some of Itself, and created Maan. The Child tried to create Maan as it had seen the Mother and the Father create all the other races, but the Child had never worked with the Void before, and the Child had not spent as much time creating playthings as the Mother and the Father had, and so, Maan was created flawed. The lifespan of Maan was shortest of all the races, and the Void used to create Maan remained unstable, leading him to be the most passionate of all the races. However, the Child was pleased, and the Mother and the Father were pleased that the Child was again happy.
Time passed, and the races of Haume lived and learned, were raised up and laid low, and interacted in ways which greatly pleased the Child. The Fey continued to dwell apart from all the races of Haume, only interacting with them when required. Although they possessed some of the childlike innocence of the Halved, their intelligence gave them insight that told them this innocence was but fleeting. Because the Fey possessed more innate magic than the other races, a gift from the mother, they tended to see things much differently than all the others, and as the magic also allowed them to live longer, they took a longer view of affairs than the shorter-lived races. The Fey dwelt amongst the wild places in the world, holding their own council, but also realizing that they would need to accommodate some of the ways of the other races. Thus, the Fey journeyed far and wide, learning much, but keeping their motives their own. The Dur continued to toil away in the dark, practicing their crafts. Because of their serious nature, they tended to grate upon the more innocent, fun-loving races, and so they remained in the great underground halls, where they would get together, discussing their crafts, and showing off their strength through martial competition. However, some of the Dur found themselves possessed of more of the Mother than the Father. These Dur developed personalities more in keeping with the childlike innocence of the Halved, and with a greater desire for open spaces and bright lights. These Dur began to live above ground, never quite accepted by the Halved and other races, and never understood by their Dur cousins. These became known as the Nomed, for the Dur called them “no-homed” for their curious ways. The Halved lived the most peaceful existence of all nations. They were completely peaceful, content to simply sit and enjoy each others’ company. They had not the worries or concerns that knowledge cursed the Fey with, nor the seriousness and desire to work that possessed the Dur. Although appearing childlike and innocent, they Halved were really wise beyond their years. That left the race of Maan. The race of Maan was the most curious, as they were the most imperfectly-created. They possessed great facility is using magic, but because of this, they possessed a short lifespan. Unlike the Fey, who dwelt in the water and the trees, or the Dur, who dwelt on the bowels of earth, or the Halved, who dwelt in the plains and hills, Maan lived everywhere. Maan dwelt in the places shunned by the other races, as well as alongside all races. They felt more than any other race, and were subject to wild emotional swings. Most importantly, unlike the other races, Maan was created with the capacity for what would be considered Evil. Maan often did things that were wholly unexpected, which while interesting for the watching Child, would ultimately prove to be the undoing of this world.
One day, the Mother and the Father came upon the Child, crying inconsolably. “What is the matter, Our Child?” The Child wept bitterly, and told the Mother and the Father, ”When I went to look upon my Haume, I found everything in turmoil! I do not understand what is happening, but I feel….. fear. And anger!” The Mother and the Father were distressed at this, and looked upon Haume. There, they found that the paradise they had created… had fallen. For the race of Maan had turned upon the other races, and had brought the knowledge of Murder and Death into the world. The Void in them had manifested in unexpected ways, making Maan subject to violence and brutality. They had turned on the other races. Maan had slain almost all of the peaceful Halved and Nomed. The Fey, seeing this bloodshed, had retreated to their forests, and the waters, and all the places Maan could not get to. The Dur instead retreated into the earth, where they fought with Maan, and prevented him from entering their realms. And when Maan, could find no race to fight with, Maan turned on himself.
The Mother and the Father looked on, aghast. Never had they thought that this would be the result of Their efforts. And They, too, knew anger, and shame, and disappointment, and sadness. The Mother and the Father and the Child no longer wished to look upon this, the perversion of Their perfect creation. The Child was petulant, and wanted nothing to do with this Universe. The Father, angered as He was, took up His mighty hammer, and prepared to destroy the Universe. However, the Mother intervened. Saddened as She was, She could not stand to see all Their work destroyed. However, the Mother no longer wished to look upon this corrupted creation either. Finally, She convinced the Father that, instead of destroying this Universe, They should cast the Universe into the farthest, darkest corner of the Void, where They would never have to look upon it again. And so, the Father hefted up the Universe, and with a final heave, threw it into the deepest, darkest, most untouched part of the Void, never to be seen or thought of again….
To be continued…?
There are many myths which have come to be associated with the creation of Haume, and its many races.
According to the elves, Haume was created by the Faerie Queen and the All-Father. The first elves were direct descendents of these great beings, and they created the other races to as “drones” to help manage the affairs of the elves upon the planet. Accordingly, all elves on Haume feel that they are, in actuality, gods themselves.
The dwarves instead tell a tale of the First Maker, who carved the world out of Chaos, and created the races in his unending quest to create the perfect being.
No one is quite sure what the Halflings believe. Whenever talk turns to things of religion or the past, halflings get a look of great sadness on their faces, and become very quiet. Some say that they are the only race that knows the true origins of the races, and that knowledge is a heavy burden.
However, amongst the races of man, they tell a different tale…
In the beginning, there was the Void. The Void was Everything, and Nothing, all at the same time. Eventually, that which was Void reshaped, and reformed, until there was the Mother, and the Father. The Mother and the Father complimented each other in every way, and yet they contradicted each other at the same time. For many lengths of time, immeasurable to mortals, the Mother and the Father existed, together and yet apart, and after a long while, after they had explored everything together and apart…. they grew bored. And so, the Mother and the Father decided to create another. They chose the best parts of each other, and they created the Child. And for many more passages of time, life was good, as the Mother and the Father explored the Void with the Child, imparting all of their knowledge.
However, eventually, after they had finished exploring the Void with the Child, the Mother and the Father found that the Child was always looking for more to do. Although the Mother and the Father enjoyed spending time with the Child, they needed some time alone, to contemplate great truths that were still beyond the understanding of the Child, or even time alone with each other, to ponder other truths. And so, the Mother and the Father decided to create playthings for the Child. And so, they took parts of the Void, and formed and shaped them, and they created the Universe, and all the stars, and all the planets, and then they took some small parts of themselves, and mixed it with the Void, and they created all the lands, and the seas, and the plants, and the animals, and They gave them to the Child. And the Child was delighted, and took great pleasure with its new playthings. This allowed the Mother and the Father time to go back to exploring and contemplating the Void.
However, after another period of many passages of time, the Mother and the Father noticed that the Child was spending most of its time playing with one plaything more than any others. “What is it you have named this toy?” the Mother asked the Child. “I have decided to call this, my favourite toy, Haume, because all those things which I love are united on this one world,” the Child responded with a smile. “And why do you enjoy playing with this toy more than the rest?” asked the Father. The Child answered them, “I like this toy the best, because of all the creatures that You have created for Me. If only….” With this, the Child momentarily looked away, and the Mother and the Father said, “You need only to ask us, our Child… what is it You want?” The Child replied, “I only wish that you had created something that would surprise me. All the creatures that are part of this toy behave as dumb creatures do… they have no free will. They always do the same things. I grow weary of watching them. I wish to have creatures who do not do what I think they will!” The Mother and the Father thought about this for a time, and then they said to the Child, “We have thought about what You have said, and We have decided to create a new plaything for you, which will behave with its own free will. We will make them as we have made You, with equal parts of Ourselves.” The Mother and the Father took parts of Themselves, and mixed it with parts of the Void, and They created the Halved, so named because they took half their totality from the Mother, and half from the Father. The Halved took their beauty and peaceful nature from the Mother, while from the Father, they received their small stature, which reflected their Child natures. The Child was delighted with these new playthings, and spent many more passages of time observing the Halved as they learned about their new world.
One day, the Mother and the Father found the Child, staring forlornly at the Child’s toys. With great concern, They asked the Child, “What is the matter, Our Child?” The Child replied, “I am sad, for although my new toys please me greatly, I feel their sadness, for they are alone on their world, and have no one with which they share their existence, as I have You, Mother and Father.” The Mother and the Father considered this for a time, and They said to the Child, “We have decided that We do not enjoy seeing You in sadness. So, We will create new playthings for the Halved, so that You will not suffer from their sadness.” But, the Mother and the Father could not agree on what to create. So instead, They both took parts of the Void, and parts of Themselves, and They created two more new playthings for the Halved. The Mother took beauty and intelligence, magic and the air and the water, and all the bright parts of Her creations, and created the Fey. Meanwhile, the Father took strength and resolve, and skill and fire and earth, and all the most solid, well created parts of His creations, and created the Dur. The Mother and the Father placed these new creations with the Halved, and again, the Child was delighted, and watched as the races of his world learned to interact.
Many passages of time passed before the Mother and the Father again saw the Child, sitting forlornly, looking at his playthings. “Oh Child, what is it that troubles You now?” they asked. The child replied, “While I am happy that You created new playthings for Me and My world, they are being most cross! They started out playing together, but over time, they have become most independent!” When the Mother and the Father looked down, They saw that what the Child said was true. Although the Mother and the Father had tried to create suitable playthings for the Child, the fact that They had not undertaken this endeavour together, but separately, meant that Their new creations were imperfect. For, as the Mother looked down, she found that the Fey could not relate to the Halved, because they were far more beautiful than the Halved, and possessed of more intelligence, and more of a connection with magic, and nature. The Fey had retreated into the forests and across the waters of the planet, to contemplate things which did not interest the Halved, who lived in the softly rolling hills and the wide open plains. Meanwhile, the Father found that the Dur could not tolerate the childlike innocence of the Halved. The Dur were far more serious-minded, and they gravitated towards the dark places under the ground, where they worked their crafts and practiced their martial prowess, which repulsed the innocent Halved. The Mother and the Father were upset – They had not forseen such events. At this time, the Child asked them, “Why can I not make my own playthings? I have seen and known almost as much as You have!” Allthough They were not fond of the idea, eventually the Mother and the Father relented, and they allowed the Child to create Its own toys. So, the Child took some of the Void, and some of Itself, and created Maan. The Child tried to create Maan as it had seen the Mother and the Father create all the other races, but the Child had never worked with the Void before, and the Child had not spent as much time creating playthings as the Mother and the Father had, and so, Maan was created flawed. The lifespan of Maan was shortest of all the races, and the Void used to create Maan remained unstable, leading him to be the most passionate of all the races. However, the Child was pleased, and the Mother and the Father were pleased that the Child was again happy.
Time passed, and the races of Haume lived and learned, were raised up and laid low, and interacted in ways which greatly pleased the Child. The Fey continued to dwell apart from all the races of Haume, only interacting with them when required. Although they possessed some of the childlike innocence of the Halved, their intelligence gave them insight that told them this innocence was but fleeting. Because the Fey possessed more innate magic than the other races, a gift from the mother, they tended to see things much differently than all the others, and as the magic also allowed them to live longer, they took a longer view of affairs than the shorter-lived races. The Fey dwelt amongst the wild places in the world, holding their own council, but also realizing that they would need to accommodate some of the ways of the other races. Thus, the Fey journeyed far and wide, learning much, but keeping their motives their own. The Dur continued to toil away in the dark, practicing their crafts. Because of their serious nature, they tended to grate upon the more innocent, fun-loving races, and so they remained in the great underground halls, where they would get together, discussing their crafts, and showing off their strength through martial competition. However, some of the Dur found themselves possessed of more of the Mother than the Father. These Dur developed personalities more in keeping with the childlike innocence of the Halved, and with a greater desire for open spaces and bright lights. These Dur began to live above ground, never quite accepted by the Halved and other races, and never understood by their Dur cousins. These became known as the Nomed, for the Dur called them “no-homed” for their curious ways. The Halved lived the most peaceful existence of all nations. They were completely peaceful, content to simply sit and enjoy each others’ company. They had not the worries or concerns that knowledge cursed the Fey with, nor the seriousness and desire to work that possessed the Dur. Although appearing childlike and innocent, they Halved were really wise beyond their years. That left the race of Maan. The race of Maan was the most curious, as they were the most imperfectly-created. They possessed great facility is using magic, but because of this, they possessed a short lifespan. Unlike the Fey, who dwelt in the water and the trees, or the Dur, who dwelt on the bowels of earth, or the Halved, who dwelt in the plains and hills, Maan lived everywhere. Maan dwelt in the places shunned by the other races, as well as alongside all races. They felt more than any other race, and were subject to wild emotional swings. Most importantly, unlike the other races, Maan was created with the capacity for what would be considered Evil. Maan often did things that were wholly unexpected, which while interesting for the watching Child, would ultimately prove to be the undoing of this world.
One day, the Mother and the Father came upon the Child, crying inconsolably. “What is the matter, Our Child?” The Child wept bitterly, and told the Mother and the Father, ”When I went to look upon my Haume, I found everything in turmoil! I do not understand what is happening, but I feel….. fear. And anger!” The Mother and the Father were distressed at this, and looked upon Haume. There, they found that the paradise they had created… had fallen. For the race of Maan had turned upon the other races, and had brought the knowledge of Murder and Death into the world. The Void in them had manifested in unexpected ways, making Maan subject to violence and brutality. They had turned on the other races. Maan had slain almost all of the peaceful Halved and Nomed. The Fey, seeing this bloodshed, had retreated to their forests, and the waters, and all the places Maan could not get to. The Dur instead retreated into the earth, where they fought with Maan, and prevented him from entering their realms. And when Maan, could find no race to fight with, Maan turned on himself.
The Mother and the Father looked on, aghast. Never had they thought that this would be the result of Their efforts. And They, too, knew anger, and shame, and disappointment, and sadness. The Mother and the Father and the Child no longer wished to look upon this, the perversion of Their perfect creation. The Child was petulant, and wanted nothing to do with this Universe. The Father, angered as He was, took up His mighty hammer, and prepared to destroy the Universe. However, the Mother intervened. Saddened as She was, She could not stand to see all Their work destroyed. However, the Mother no longer wished to look upon this corrupted creation either. Finally, She convinced the Father that, instead of destroying this Universe, They should cast the Universe into the farthest, darkest corner of the Void, where They would never have to look upon it again. And so, the Father hefted up the Universe, and with a final heave, threw it into the deepest, darkest, most untouched part of the Void, never to be seen or thought of again….
To be continued…?
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