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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7970 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jun 2016 : 19:01:21
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Mystara quite evidently isn't (and wasn't) on our Earth, though it could be a sort of parallel Earth. The similarity of those world maps cannot be denied.
But perhaps *gasp* our world of Mystara-Earth was cataclysmically sundered during a retcon edition change 152 million years ago? What a wonderful explanation for the platypus, UFOs, Loch Ness monster, and other "unwordly" phenomena!
Not that it has much to do with the kreen, but the Red Steel setting underwent a large number of revisions. It evolved from a collection of loosely-connected "Basic" D&D supplements/adventures into a full-blown AD&D 2E setting, it even presented "rules" for where the Savage Coast could be located in the Realms. If I had to assert some sort of "canon" explanation for the ubiquity of the Savage Coast, it would be that the region has some sort of drifting planar overlap with other worlds (not unlike Ravenloft in this regard). |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 13 Jun 2016 19:13:42 |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2016 : 19:49:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Mystara quite evidently isn't (and wasn't) on our Earth, though it could be a sort of parallel Earth. The similarity of those world maps cannot be denied.
But perhaps *gasp* our world of Mystara-Earth was cataclysmically sundered during a retcon edition change 152 million years ago? What a wonderful explanation for the platypus, UFOs, Loch Ness monster, and other "unwordly" phenomena!
Not that it has much to do with the kreen, but the Red Steel setting underwent a large number of revisions. It evolved from a collection of loosely-connected "Basic" D&D supplements/adventures into a full-blown AD&D 2E setting, it even presented "rules" for where the Savage Coast could be located in the Realms. If I had to assert some sort of "canon" explanation for the ubiquity of the Savage Coast, it would be that the region has some sort of drifting planar overlap with other worlds (not unlike Ravenloft in this regard).
No, Mystara, or rather the Known World, WAS originally our world. From page five, or the Dungeon Master section of Immortal Rules Box Set:
quote:
Earth
The home world of human player characters
as portrayed in the D&D Basic, Expert,
Companion, and Master sets is merely one of
many possibilities. Within its limited scope,
this world is simply our real one, but at a
point in the far past. The land masses diagrammed
in the Companion set are a rough
depiction of the ancient world of Pangea. The
continents have only begun to drift from their
early unified position, following the modern
theories of the shifting tectonic plates.
Although the earth as portrayed in this
game has been designed as if it were an actual
predecessor to our real one, the DM may easily
change this.
When the name Mystara was coined, several stuff were retconned, ie the world was turned Hollow, while originally, it was a living planet - Monolith - called Urt. Some try to recoile it, other see the Known World, and Mystara as close, paralell worlds, like Earth-2 and Earth-1 were in DC comics.
Although one could say our world, and Mystara(the latter, Hollow One), were indeed separated in a cataclysmic edition change, like Abeir and Toril XD. |
Edited by - Baltas on 13 Jun 2016 19:58:22 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7970 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2016 : 00:16:28
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Basic D&D (including the Expert/Champion/Master/Immortal rulesets) was intended for "novice" players. I'm not trying to shoot it down, but it was a *simplified* D&D version. I'm thinking that your quoted section was deemed adequate description of the world and setting, the text just states something plausible and moves on towards gameplay. The sort of multi-book sagas and histories and complexities involved in Realmslore, planeslore, etc, were left to AD&D players.
That being said, it's canon. But by the same token, so are Boot Hill and Gamma World, lol. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Baltas
Senior Scribe
Poland
955 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2016 : 09:41:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Basic D&D (including the Expert/Champion/Master/Immortal rulesets) was intended for "novice" players. I'm not trying to shoot it down, but it was a *simplified* D&D version. I'm thinking that your quoted section was deemed adequate description of the world and setting, the text just states something plausible and moves on towards gameplay. The sort of multi-book sagas and histories and complexities involved in Realmslore, planeslore, etc, were left to AD&D players.
That being said, it's canon. But by the same token, so are Boot Hill and Gamma World, lol.
Well, while it was true for Basic and Expert sets, which were intended to lead players to AD&D, with the Champion, Master, Immortal books, Basic D&D became it's own game, and the Known World it's own setting, with complex elements, rivalizing that of AD&D. Draeden, Old Ones(who were an inpiration for Powers Beyond Powers mentioned in Planescape, as well as the 2e/late 1e concept of Overgods, of course along with the High God of Dragonlance), first instances of non-evil orcs in D&D etc were many interesting elements introduced by Basic D&D. Draeden later were incorporated into AD&D. The 92nd layer of the Abyss, known as Ulgurshek, is actually a draeden who lay dormant while the Abyss formed around it. The God and Primordial War of 4E, seems to have been inspired partly by the war of Immortals and Draeden.
The Known World/Mystara also had complex plots and storylines. Again, while Basic D&D started out just as an entry point ino AD&D, it became much more with the Champion, Master, and Immortal books. Some even argued Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, was the best version of D&D rules. |
Edited by - Baltas on 14 Jun 2016 19:46:00 |
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Thri-Kree Origins?
