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Greetings and salutations, in honor of International Tabletop Day 2017 this past weekend, I would like to share with you the history and some of the lore behind the world that I have created for the Dungeons and Dragons game that I currently run. The following is a tale that any bard in my world knows off by heart and sing in taverns across the land. So sit back, grab a drink, and let me tell you the tale of my world, Trassel.

The Beginning

Trassel was a thriving continent when the first civilized people arrived on the western coast. Lush and untamed, the first Humans and Dwarves arrived some 800 years ago from current day. On that day the world would change for not only the adventurers, but for the inhabitants of the island. For before them, there had never been a Human or Dwarf on the island. The island itself was home to a number of Orc tribes, and small Elven clusters. Ruling over all, were the dragons.

The dragons were harmless when left alone and co-existed with the native tribes. But when an unfamiliar smell fell upon them; they became curious. Upon the first meeting of the exploration and dragons, an uneasy peace came about. For the explorers had never met a dragon in the open before, only hidden away in caves, for to do so, meant they were surely going to perish..

The Tides:

Over the next fifty or so years the uneasy peace persisted, all was well. The dragons, left to their own devices mostly ignored the newcomers to the island, save for when adventurers would come to close to their lairs. The explorers built their first cities of wood and stone, and over the year expanded their domain. Elves, Dwarves, and Humans now openly walked the land, building what they will, and taming the untamed.

Slowly others came, and slowly they built. Over these years, a number of unique individuals would be born or would arrive to the island. An Elf whose hands glowed a perpetual purple energy, who was able to do extraordinary things with magic, unlike anyone had seen before. A child, who was from birth, touched by the gods themselves. A Dwarf who wielded a pair of blades so sharp, that he carved stone as if it were not there, but would not cut for others who attempted to wield it. An Elf native to Trassel, who walked from the forest itself, wearing armor of tree bark, and wielding a blade that shone like the moon.

These to be heroes, along with others were hailed among the civilized lands. However, the dragons began to take notice of these beings; for they could sense their power, and knew the consequences should these beings be turned against them. So they began to watch.

The Peace:

This peace lasted for another 35 years. However it was not meant to last, for word had finally begun to spread to others. Of a land where dragons walked in the open. This was a place of limited government structure, and plenty of land. So began the mass exodus to Trassel. Tens of thousands of beings arrived over the next five years from all walks of life. Slowly as more arrived amongst the lower rings of society, talk began of what wealth a dragon would bring back across the sea, and a plan began to form.

Now over the years, dragons grew friendly with a number of individuals. Relying on them for entertainment, friendship, and for the dragons to have a say in the goings on of the city dwellers. For years this arrangement had worked perfectly. Until the day word reached the dragons that a large number of individuals were planning the slaughter of a number of their kind, and the capture of others.

The End of Peace:

Peace between the adventurers and the dragons was a contested issue. Many dragons felt that they were not shown the respect that they deserved and that they needed to be taught proper respect. Others felt as if they were not doing enough to assist the two legged ones. That with their help, the peace could be permanent. When word finally reached the dragons that a number of people had gathered and were planning to attack, several dragons took matters into their own hands to teach respect to the two legged ones.

The explorers had since forgone the magic, and effort needed to create cities of stone. Newer settlements were constructed of wood, and clay. The Dwarves members of the settlement built their own homes and own districts by their own hands of stone within the settlements. However on that night wood, clay and stone melted equally. The “Night of Fire” as it would later be called was the beginning of the clash of the raw primal power of the dragons, and the civilized world.

The Night of Fire:

There are no counts of the scores that perished that night. For no one saw the dragons coming, they came low, high and fast. Upon the first pass on the city the entire outer wall burned away. Along with whatever guard the city had hoped would protect the city. On the second pass the Dwarven district fell, their stone houses melted like the wood around it. Turning to molten magma as the fire washed over it.

The third pass brought about the poison and acid, meant to end all those who had survived the first two. However, at the very center of the town, a small glowing sphere pierced the night, and rose from the chaos. At the center, a female Elf stood, eyes and hair of pure silver, her hands a vibrant hue of pure purple energy. On the fourth path, the dragons met the first resistance of the coming war, as the female Elf met the dragons on their own terms, in the air.

Four dragons set out to obliterate those who wished to do them harm, only three of them remained by dawn the next day, the Night of Fire coming to an end. Those remaining three fled off to the horizon. With them gone the Elf dropped to the earth to search for survivors and to find help. To her horror, her efforts to protect herself the night before had only protected ten others. All others in the city perished. By the time additional help arrived, the fires that once burned in the city were nothing more than glowing ash.

The female Elf Kamora TreeStrider became an instant icon among the people. Kamora is hailed a hero and celebrated around the land. This leads to her being placed in charge of gathering the magic users in order to fight the dragons in the coming years.

The tales of my land Trassel, have bounced around in my skull for years now. They are actively being developed and changed as my friends venture through it. Every single session expands upon what is written, and re-writes the majority of any sort of pre-planned events. But that is the wonder and joy of any RPG game. It is much more than just a simple game. It is a group storytelling experience that is just as good as any video game.