I love fantasy. That was a fact I could never hide, nor did I want to. I grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons and I still do to this day. As a result, my fingers were always itching to create worlds upon worlds...upon worlds (much like what I have been doing since I was 13 years old). A large percentage of all fantasy lovers and D&D disciples no doubt wish to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, in order to flesh out the worlds that are busting out of their heads. After all, this is why we do what we do. We want to share the offspring of our imaginations with the rest of the people who share our passion.
So here we are. After starting my own novel back in 2004 (currently gathering digital dust on my hard-drive somewhere...but will probably creep up in this world eventually!) and thousands of D&D campaigns later, I shall create one more world but this time it will unfold right here on The Thumbkey. The beauty in this is that is must not be converted into a script and that there is no budget constraints to keep in mind. All that needs to be done is writing and reading!
So here is a world created from the top down, chronicling the first ascension of the Three of Alamaris. The dragons who are bred on the world of Inkhaltir, who upon maturing they are given their own worlds in which they are to be worshipped as gods by men. This introduction will be the only body of text that will have a "behind the scenes" character. Everything else will be written in narrative form, therefore starting the living narration of all events and characters. So, a living tale if you will.
Alamaris as a continent is not completely mapped out yet, hence the almost interactive theme of this endeavour. Creating a different world can be daunting in that you must not think as we humans on earth do. Seasons should be called something different. But sure, bread is bread, for instance. No such thing as an hour either! But all those are characteristics that the author decides upon. After all, this IS fantasy.
It can be a difficult but refreshing exercise. Reading through it you'll be able to distinguish all the different words that Alamarians use to describe things that we have other names for. But reading is not the only thing that you will be invited to do. If a specific detail in one of the narratives catches your eye and you want to know more about it, you can comment on it and I will attack the keyboard once more in order to bring it to life within this world. Again, a living tale. Of course there are stories planned beforehand like the three Inkhaltir dragons who are worshipped as gods in Alamaris or human characters tied to specific historical events. But if you want to know more about a place or character briefly mentioned then you shall! All you need to do is ask :)
As I mentioned above, this world will be created from the top down. By that I mean I will first introduce the three dragons who inherited the world of Alamaris and are now worshipped as gods. The best (for me) type of gods is the one firstly presented by the Greeks. A pantheon of almighty beings who have character traits not unlike us. They may be immortal, however they are also aware of their surroundings and what is happening below and in front of them. This is the type that I will also apply to the Three of Alamaris. They are mighty dragons but they are susceptible to lapses in judgement as much as a barkeep or squire is. Something that is greatly applied on the first dragon that will be introduced.
This is the world of Alamaris and these are the three Sky Lords, Great Dragons, World Keepers. Dhanalwh, Aeremus and Myrolaenis. A warm welcome to you all, enjoy your stay and if you wish to say anything at all do not hesitate to do so! We are listening!
And so it begins with the introduction of Dhanalwh the Pained. Coming up very shortly.
- Frixos Masouras 2014
Also...as a life-long DM I extend my gratitude to Wizards of the Coast (sole owners of everything that is D&D) for doing away with the GHASTLY 4th edition and for creating the majestic 5th edition. Many a die will be thrown, many characters will thrive and die and many Dungeon Masters will be hated and loved. Keep it up!
ps. I have looked everywhere for the creator of the fantastic art we chose for this article. Should anyone know who the creator is, please do tell so that we can give credit where credit is due! The same will apply for all the art used in all the coming narratives.