In the words of the Great Bard Taslinus Excellencus . . . yet on entering The Embassy one is conscious of calm and complete beauty echoing the mood of majesty and peace that is the essential quality of The Valley and Greater Elven Kingdom. . . . against a background of forest and precipice the architect has nestled the great structure of granite, scaling his design with sky and space and stone. To the interior all ornamentation has been confined, and therein lies a miracle of color and design. The Ancient Elven motifs, primitive yet timeless, are supreme . . . . The designs are stylized with tasteful sophistication; decidedly Ancient Elven, yet decidedly more than Elf, they epitomize the involved and intricate symbolism of Man . . .

The Black Ones are a paranoid's nightmare. They can take over any single body, or be hiding nearly anywhere. They can see as well in the dark as the light. They can hear nearly any sound, like the faintest heartbeat 10 paces away. They are totally alien, with motivations and drives that are nearly incomprehensable to humans. And the worst part is, they are here and you don't know it.

The city of Caulderon is the mythic flying city. Once a magnificent city on a cliff, it was saved from being lost to the sea by being lifted by alchemical means. It was filled with impossibly tall shining spires standing above golden domes. The sunlight striking it is said to blind those who come to invade the city. The people lived in this magnificent city in health, wealth, and safety. They rode Griffons and created all sorts of creature. Caulderon was known for its magic, its alchemy. In the old tongue, the word Caulder means alchemey, from the word Cauldron. It is from their alchemey that their great wealth and comfort is derieved.

Legends (and Elven History) states that the floating city would visit The Lands once every few years, blown by the winds. They would trade for things and sell their magikal goods. After a year or so, their cities would be be blown to other places. It has been over four hundred years since any credible source has seen the floating cities. It is the thing of legends.

Then why has one been seen over the Land?

This is a great article posted on another site (who reposted it from another site, who took it from another), but I thought many would enjoy it here. It is The Lazy Man's Guide for Constructing a Call of the Cthulhu Adventure, written by Sandy Petersen, original author of the Call of Cthulhu.

Excalibur. Stormbringer. Sting. I blame fantasy authors and history professionals that have over simplified things for this preoccupation with swords.

The passenger said, 'It sounds like your wind chime is broken, or at least out of tune.' The first mate just smiled. 'That chime is music to a sailor's ears, it is,' he said. 'We will have smooth sailing this day.'

It was quite the odd sight, clusters of people dressed like jesters, or prancing devil, or one group were in badly done Lyran dance costumes, all dancing, running about, making noise or music (well, the music was mostly noise), all on the day after the New Year's Birth. It is quite sobering. I should know. I was there staring out at it from my inn window. I soon got dressed, moved myself slowly downstairs, and made "sophisticated and urbane sounding inquires" (which were neither thanks to the amount of mead the previous night) of the Inn Keeper. He who told me all about this mad tradition of his city's while I had bread and beer for breakfast. Baldius and the Trader's Way Blue Press 1524

The weather is something that everyone always notices and talks about, but can't do anything about. It is an important part of everyone's life, yet it seems to be ignored in games. And everything important in a game is best thought of as a character of some sort.

Ephemeralstability wrote:
The ochre sands stretch for miles around. Something kicks up the dust. It's a yak. A desert-yak. It ambles slowly, nuzzling the ground for the low-growing shrubs. The ranger freezes. 'Stay very still,' he warns. 'Don't move at all.' 'What is it?' you ask, breathlessly. 'It's the most dangerous creature in the whole Ocadian desert. And it's about to eat that yak...'

A new Take on Dwarves should hit the following key points Short (After all Dwarf means a short person), Underground (traditional living arrangements), Artificers (Maker of things, use of forge), and Good Combatant. They don’t have to be short vikings.

The toxic lands of the Wastes should support no life. Here the land is slowly corrosive to the touch, causing illness with prolonged contact. The bubbling sulfur and ectomass pools are especially lovely, if you have the right aesthetic. The soil is soft and any heavy object slowly sinks. Other than a few migrant birds and some exotic small insects, The Wastes support only one native lifeform - The Verners - Exerpt from the often wrong but very popular Kalemandi's Beasts of Lore and World.

I am always giving advice to various gamers on various game forums. I am constantly giving the same advice over and over again (cut/ paste repeat). Once a year I think about the advice and put together The List.

You have what?! On your equipment list? For real?

There used to be many Gods. They were petty, cruel, and plagued Humanity almost as badly as the Demons of Sogoth. They bore more Gods. They fought with each other. They were unworthy of the divine mantle. Then came Argon.

The Magic Guild is one of the first Humanti Guilds, one of the first organizations that crossed clan bloodlines. It has become one of the most powerful, having a prestigeous place in history and becoming the 'official' judges of way and order/chaos.

The modern definition of festival has four parts: 1. a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances: the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival. 2. a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration: an annual strawberry festival. 3. a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment: a music festival. 4. gaiety; revelry; merrymaking. In the later eras of the European Rennaissance (early modern) there was an additional meaning; 5. The marking of important events in the life of a princely dynasty, such as marriage, the birth or christening of an heir, a coronation or a funeral, or the traveling to a new country/ state/ city.

The Arcade is a long narrow entertainment district built upon the dried up Arcadey creek. This jurisdictional no mans land has become a vibrant section of the city.

Game environments are not built with a ruler and some tape, they are built with imagination and an understanding of what is needed to make the game environment. If you take the time to learn about what you will need to do before you being the process, it will make for better results in less time with less work.

Falconry or Hawking is the sport of hunting with a trained bird of prey, usually a hawk or falcon. It has been practiced by a number of cultures through out the centuries.

[VO: Vincent Price ]
There are things that go bump in the night. Things that will unnerve you. Things you should never meet. These are the things you are gaming.