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Date Posted: 20:49:55 12/09/03 Tue
Author: Adilbrand
Subject: Interesting Article

While doing some online research for my project, I came across the following article.

Here is the relevant quote:

"On a lesser scale, the heroes should not expect powerful non-player characters (equivalent to Elminster and the Harpers from the Forgotten Realms) to walk in and assist when evil threatens. Take a look at the Hyborian map; how many "good" kingdoms are there really? The majority of nations are ruled by tyrants and/or evil sorcerers and priests, almost all countries engage in slave trade, and plot and/or wage war against their neighbours. How many organizations are working against evil? The Black Ring of Stygia, the Barachan pirates, the Sons of Yezm, and the Black Seeers of Yimsha are hardly people you'd call to rescue an abducted princess, or rid the world of a threatening evil.

The player characters have nothing else to depend upon than themselves and their own abilities -- and perhaps temporary alliances with the enemies of their enemy. This worldview should make Hyborian Age sword-and-sorcery adventures quite distinct and memorable (and, it is hoped, enjoyable) compared to the "save the golden-haired princess from the evil dragon" quests common in high fantasy. (Imagine a Hyborian variant: "The evil dragon has captured the evil witch-queen. Good riddance. Except the dragon is about to learn the secrets of the witch-queen's magic and become powerful enough to threaten anybody in the area. And meanwhile, a new evil witch-queen has risen to take the first one's throne...". Plenty of interesting problems to explore there.)"

Oddly, that sounds a lot like something I said recently, darn it.

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