Dragon Magazine - 405.pdf - Dragon Magazine - sensei_13

Editorial:

Wild Times

By Christopher Perkins

Illustration by Kerem Beyit

During the planning of 4th Edition, we explored

many alternatives to the “Great Wheel” cosmology of

earlier editions, with the goal of making the planes

more accessible to players and more likely to be used

as adventure locations. We also had the notion of

tying monster origins to the planes: Natural creatures

come from the natural world, immortal creatures

from the Astral Sea, elemental creatures from the

Elemental Chaos, and so on. Then someone asked,

“Where do fey come from?”

Well, when a mommy fey and a daddy fey love each

very much . . .

Ultimately, we turned to Earth’s faerie myths for

the answer. Much has been written in literature about

faerie circles, seelie and unseelie courts, and invisible

realms where boggles, barghests, and bogeymen take

little boys and girls. Out of these myths came the idea

of a world parallel to our own, a demesne populated

and governed by fey of all types and demeanors, from

the ethereal eladrin to the debased fomorians.

My significant contributions to the 4th Edition

cosmology are few and far between. It was my idea to

make Ioun, previously known for ioun stones , the god

of knowledge. I will also take credit for coining the

word “Feywild.” And that’s about it.

While listening to James Wyatt, Rich Baker, Matt

Sernett, and others ponder the story possibilities of

a fey “mirror” of the natural world, the one image

that immediately sprang to mind was the Palace of

Spires in Porpherio’s Garden, illustrated by Timothy

Truman on page 22 of UK1 Beyond the Crystal Cave ,

the classic AD&D ® adventure module by Dave J.

Browne, Tom Kirby, and Graeme Morris. Ye gods!

That was an odd adventure!

“It will quickly become apparent to the DM

that this is no ordinary adventure.” These words

appear in the Dungeon Master’s notes, presaging

an unusual series of encounters that emphasize

roleplaying over combat. The adventure mixes old

English mythos with a story inspired by William

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , and as the designers

point out, a party of 1st-level characters can sur-

vive the adventure using wit and wisdom, while a

well-armed party of higher-level characters would

be hard-pressed to fight their way through the fey

beasts and strange magical guardians of Porpherio’s

enchanted realm.

You could say that Beyond the Crystal Cave was

the first official D&D ® adventure set in the Feywild.

Granted, in 1983 no one knew the Feywild existed!

Nevertheless, Porpherio’s Garden has many traits in

common with the plane, and the garden’s mysterious

keeper—the Green Man—has qualities comparable to

4th Edition archfey, including a proclivity for magic

and a tendency to be secretive.

Although it’s two editions out of date, module UK1

stands the test of time—a particularly ironic state-

ment when you discover the nature of Porpherio’s

Garden and realize how slowly time passes there. You

could easily run the adventure today using 3rd or 4th

No vemb e r 2011 | DRAGON 405

Editorial: Wild Times

Edition stat blocks and give players a real sense of

what the Feywild is like.

Of the four major outer planes in the 4th Edition

cosmology, the Feywild is by far the least explored,

but that’s about to change. A new D&D Encounters ™

season kicks off this month, and we’re trading the

political cauldron of Neverwinter for a return visit

to Porpherio’s Garden. I promise you, this season is

very different from the ones that came before—there’s

combat, but there’s also a lot of magic, mystery, puzzle

solving, and roleplaying opportunities. To support

the season, we’re releasing Player’s Option: Heroes of

the Feywild ™ , which you can use to create characters

for D&D Encounters or give the characters in your

home campaign a wild edge.

The magazines are also celebrating the Feywild

this month by paying homage to some other inspira-

tional products and adventures. One such product is

FR2 Moonshae (1987) by Douglas Niles, with its stun-

ning cover that practically screams “Feywild!” We’re

revisiting the Moonshae Isles with a fantastic Back-

drop article in Dungeon ® and new character themes

in Dragon ® . We also have 4th Edition updates of the

archfey Baba Yaga and her infamous dancing hut,

ushered into D&D’s timeless lore by Roger E. Moore

in Dragon #83 (1984).

If you’re a DM, I hope this month’s offerings

inspire you to lure your players into the Feywild and

explore all that the mysterious plane has to offer. If

you’re a player looking for a wild time, use our store

locator to find a D&D Encounters game near you.

See what lies beyond the Crystal Cave. I promise, you

won’t be disappointed!

No vemb e r 2011 | DRAGON 405

History Check:

Rary the

Traitor

By Sterling Hershey

Illustration by Ben Wootten

Introduction

This is the latest installment in a series that explores

the rich history of the Dungeons & Dragons ® set-

ting. Each “History Check” article will provide new

insight into the game’s iconic heroes, villains, orga-

nizations, and events, untangling the contradictory

threads of D&D ® history when possible.

This time around, “History Check” recalls some of

the oldest and most famous characters in the game,

all of whom play a part in the tale of Rary the Tratior

and the Circle of Eight. Throughout the text, sidebars

will describe what an adventurer would know about

the topic based on a successful skill check.

On with the Show!

“Welcome, travelers, to our modest performance this

evening! Alas, I bring distressing news: Our troupe of

accomplished dancers has been slightly delayed. No,

please, sit down. I am told that after certain unfor-

tunate matters are attended to, they will arrive with

all haste.

“In the meantime, I, Marov Zarovan, master sto-

ryteller, will entertain you with a tale of powerful

wizards undone by base treachery—betrayed by no

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History Check: Rary the Traitor

less than one of their own! In fact, our Elder informs

me that some of you may find this tale quite helpful

in the days to come.

“Still impatient for the dancers? Yes, I hear you

muttering back there, mallet -face! Tell me, when your

friends decide on marching order, do they put you

first to frighten the monsters to death? No matter! I

will tell you the tale, and perhaps by the end you will

appreciate its significance. You never know where

your adventures will lead, and maybe it will help you

save us all someday. Now, get settled in your seats and

let us begin.”

THE ZarOvanS

The narrator of this “History Check” is a

member of the Zarovan tribe of the Vistani, a

mysterious, gypsylike group that can cross into

the Shadowfell and other worlds. The Vistani

were first introduced in the original Advanced

Dungeons & Dragons ® Ravenloft ® adventure,

and were so memorable and full of character

that they found their way into other major set-

tings. This article introduces Marov Zarovan,

a young, slightly arrogant, yet accomplished

Vistani storyteller.

More information about the Vistani can be

found in Player’s Option: Heroes of Shadow™, the

boxed set The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and

Beyond™, and the Vistani articles in Dragon 380.

The bonds of friendship between the members of the

Citadel of Eight were already strained because of dif-

ferences in personality and approach. Serten’s death

shattered them completely, in some cases beyond any

chance of reconciliation.

“The members of the Citadel retired to their

homes and personal pursuits, but this relative peace

would end years later with the return of the evil

demigod Iuz. Mordenkainen needed help to fight Iuz,

but was determined to avoid the mistakes of the past.

He believed that the Citadel of Eight’s weakness came

from the divided interests of its members. Therefore,

Mordenkainen would seek out like-minded masters

of the arcane arts for his new band of allies. There

would be no pious clerics or brawny warriors this

time, but individuals of great arcane skill and intel-

lect, with a thirst for knowledge. Most important,

they would all possess the strength of will to use their

abilities and status to keep the world in balance.

“Over the next few months, Mordenkainen worked

in secret to form his new Circle of Eight. Members

would come and go, and not all of their names are

known to this day—not even to me. Bigby returned,

ever the faithful apprentice. There was Drawmij,

who loved the sea, and Nystul, a master of disguise,

tactics, and puns. Also found worthy, if astoundingly

overdressed, was the great Otto, formerly a priest of

The Circle of Eight

“On this gloomy night, when the wind howls outside

the door like a pack of hungry wolves and dark clouds

hide the fair moon’s face, I will tell of the rise and

tragic fall of the most powerful group of wizards and

sages to hold sway over the lands of Oerth and the

mighty City of Greyhawk: The Circle of Eight. What,

no stir at their name? Surely at least a few of you have

heard of them. Those of you who dabble in the arcane

arts—yes, sir, we all admire the length of your staff, no

need to wave it around—perhaps you know some of

the spells that carry their names. A show of hands for

Bigby? No? Hmm. Maybe that joke’s too much for you

to grasp.

“As great and powerful as the Circle of Eight was,

its roots were in another company of great heroes

assembled long ago by the legendary Mordenkainen

at his Obsidian Citadel. Although he often openly

supported the side of good, Mordenkainen strove to

maintain the balance between good and evil, law

and chaos. Therefore the great mage secretly worked

to undermine any being, group, or nation that he

deemed was gaining too much power and inf luence.

Would you call him wise? Or a meddler, an instiga-

tor? History will judge, not I; but it was certain that he

was aided in his efforts by the hand-picked members

of his Citadel of Eight.

“The Citadel of Eight started with Mordenkainen

and his apprentice Bigby. Together they recruited the

powerful warrior Robilar, and the cleric Riggby along

with his fanatical assistant Yrag. The wizard Tenser

joined, despite his righteous morality that sometimes

conf licted with Mordenkainen’s belief in the sacred-

ness of balance. Tenser then convinced his friend

Serten to join, despite the latter’s—how shall I put this

delicately?—lack of intellectual acumen. Finally, a

woodsman called Otis completed the group.

“The Citadel of Eight’s exploits became known

throughout the Flanaess, and its members gained

fame, knowledge, and power. Over time they became

so absorbed in their personal adventures and explo-

rations that they failed to notice the larger events

brewing in Oerth. That is why, when the hordes of

Elemental Evil came, seven of the Eight were nowhere

to be found. Only brave, dim-witted Serten stood with

the forces of good, and he ultimately fell in battle.

HISTOry CHECk

A character knows of the existence of the Circle

of Eight and its best-known members with a

DC 10 History or Arcana check. A DC 20 check

reveals the history of the Citadel of Eight and

its initial members. A DC 25 check reveals all

of the above, and possibly other details about

individual members and their underlings.

No vemb e r 2011 | DRAGON 405

Dragon Magazine - 405.pdf

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