A Brief History of the Realm
written by
Michael D. Bugg
. . . During the Age of Glory, the Realm was guided by the Great Council of Wizards. The Council provided a forum for the
various kingdoms to solve their problems without the need to go to war, kept careful records so that no wisdom should be lost,
and maintained a careful guard over the various Gateways to the many worlds that bordered the Realm.
The head of the Council was an elected Dungeon Master. Into the Dungeon Master went all of the Council's power, so that he
was truely Master of the Realm, a law unto himself. However, to act as a balance to the Dungeon Master's power, onto him
was laid a geas: to not interfere directly in the affairs of any people unless there was no other way, to let all choose their own
path, and to never give another knowledge that they can acquire themselves. Thus, the Dungeon Master must use wits over
stregnth, subtlety over the overt, and encouragement over coerciveness.
In the years just prior to the Great Wars, to the council were welcomed two of its newest members: Kyllan and Karena, the
children of the Dungeon Master. Both were ambitious, and arrogant in their youth, but it was felt that time would lead to
wisdom. To each was given a ring: the Ring of the Mind for Kyllan and the Ring of the Heart for Karena, which served as foci
for their powers and linked them together. Seldom has any decision--whether made singly by the Dungeon Master or by the
Council as a whole--led to more destruction.
Kyllan was particularly ambitious, and in his lust for knowledge, he tread many dark paths, which eventually led him to the
discovery of the Nameless One himself. Kyllan pledged himself to the Nameless One in return for more of the power he sought
of his own free will, and so was transformed into the embodiment of darkness, taking for himself the name Venger.
Using the link between their rings, Venger enslaved Karena to the Dark, and the two of them launched an assault on the council
that left many of them dead, and the rest scattered, spent, and wounded. Venger seized control of the Gates and tore them
open, searching for servants to aid his conquest. He found the worlds of the orcs and the lizard men, among others, and finding
these primitive races suitable, enslaved them and used them to fill his armies. He also found the world of the dragons, and set
those primal beasts loose to terrorize the Realm. Such was also his own undoing, for he attracted the attention of Tiamat,
Queen of Chaos and all dragons, who followed those of her children who answered Venger's call. Her, Venger had no mastery
of, and she harried him, breaking what otherwise would have been complete dominion of the Realm.
At about this time, the wizard Merlin--who some have hypothisized was the Dungeon Master at the time--already wounded by
Venger's earlier assault, cast his last spell. Summoning nearly all of the dragons to the skies over the then-great city of Helix
(which record indicate was the center of trade and civilization at that time) and caught them in a Banishing. Such was the strain
that Merlin died soon thereafter. Without his sacrifice, it is likely that the Realm would have been made devoid of life long ago.
Though Venger's hold over the Realm was not complete, it may as well have been. Every major city or center of commerce
was his, many given to the control of sorcerers, warlords, or demons that were loyal to him. Many, such as Queen Siris of
Tarod, had near-autonomous control of their states, which they ruled with an iron hand. The wilderness, in many places laid
waste by the magics released in the Great Wars, was no more a refuge, for it was the home of many fantastic and deadly
beasts summoned by Venger. There were a few beacons of light in this land of darkness: the mighty city of Tardos Keep, the
hidden Valley of the Unicorns, or the mighty Eastlands which held out under the rulership of the line of Ramuhd, but these were
few and far between, and retained their freedom only at the price of the blood of untold warriors. The millenium long Dark Age
fell upon the Realm.
At some point during this time, the Dungeon Master discovered the Dragon's Graveyard, the home of Tiamat. There he
discovered a curious thing: when a dragon dies, it makes as its last act a weapon or object of great power. The Dungeon
Master took such of these from the Graveyard as he could before Tiamat returned. And he gave them to six children . . .
History of the Darkness Wars
Presto and Varla Adams
37th Year of the New Council
Legal Disclaimer Thingie:
[This work is based upon the characters and concepts of the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon series (copyright 1983), but the work itself is
copyrighted by Michael D. Bugg, 1997. Permission is hereby given to copy and distribute this writing, so long as the credit for it is not taken by
the one so distributing.]
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