Shana's Lair
TSR released Ed Greenwood’s world of the Forgotten Realms and the lands known as Faerun in 1987. Faerun was where I cut my gamemaster teeth. For almost 20 years, our pen-n-paper group has explored the depths, breadth and width of the planet called Toril. It was, and is, a world where you can find whatever type of fantasy adventure you look for. The Realms were born incredibly detailed, and over the last 20 years, it has only improved, giving a gamemaster almost more information than can be absorbed.We have explored the city of Waterdeep in the cold north and exotic Calimport in the burning sands of Calimshan. We’ve braved the frontier forest of the Silver Marches and awed the residents of Silverymoon. We have traveled even further south to Zakhara and danced briefly with Realmspace and ships that roam the stars.
The Companions of the Dale made their fame and fortune by leaving whistles with the village children as they passed through each village and dale. They built their own keeps and guarded their people. They danced the Dance of the Warriors to Tempus’ glory. They mastered their magecraft and researched new spells. They fostered the sanctity of druid groves from Waterdeep to Llork and Loudwater. They discovered the hard way that a platypus can be a lycanthrope. They discovered that hiring a marriage broker means everybody gets a wife and sometimes two! They discovered that having two wives can leave one really wanting to go adventuring.
For the past several years, we explored the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. It took us two years go through that module; in game time, it was two months. It was there that the current group of characters took their name: The Mithral Guardians. And I learned another lesson: give a group enough incentive to figure out a problem and they will. You see, there was this 20’ door made out of mithral. . . . . . Who would think that they would be bound and determined to get it out of the volcano? *sigh*
As we’ve gone along this journey, I’ve learned the DM craft, thanks to the patience of my friends who were willing to start fresh characters when I was overwhelmed. Make no mistake; this group of players will drive a DM to drink! And it doesn’t matter whether it’s D&D, GURPS, Shadowrun, Traveler or Star Wars. They are clever and crafty, annoying and hilarious. And above all else . . . they know how to ruin a week’s worth of setup in less than five minutes’ time!
And the adventure continues...
