Famous Spellcasters: Dr. Stephen Strange

Name: Dr. Stephen Strange
World: Earth-616 aka "Marvel Universe"
Artifacts: Cloak of Levitation, the Eye and Orb of Agamotto,  Book of the Vishanti, plus countless others.

Within the Marvel Universe, Dr. Stephen Strange was currently Earth Sorcerer's Supreme who was tasked at guarding the Earth from all sorts of supernatural harm.

The title Sorcerer Supreme was first given to the Agamotto, the son of Hoggoth and Oshtur. They later formed a trimultive who would watch of the Sorcerer Supreme, which would become known as the Vishanti. Since then the role has been passed down through a multitude spellcasters.

Stephen Strange was originally a very successful surgeon in New York. Yet a crash accident ruined his hands.Years later out of desperation he journeyed to the east, where the Yao the Ancient One, where he was chosen to be the successor to the Sorcerer Supreme. During his career he took on two apprentices; Clea and Rintah.

Character Profile: Lord Loren Soth of Dargaard Keep

"I am the cause of my own Doom"

-Lord Loren Soth

One of my all time favorite characters from the Dragonlance series is Lord Loren Soth, the cursed Death Knight of Dargaard Keep.
He first appears in the first anthology of the Dragonlance Saga. He is a Deathknight working with the Highlord Kitiara and the Blue Dragon Army. What we do know about Soth is that he was once a Knight of Solamnia, and was tasked to stop the hubris of the Kingrpiest of Istar by Paladine. He failed, for his suspicions of his wife fidelity lead to his undoing.

Soth is a tragic figure. The machinations of his parents managed to secure him a path to knighthood. Soth is a aware of his flaws as he upholds the ideals of the Knighthoods, but deals with his own failings in living up to such standards. One of the key elements though, is his acceptance of his fate and his freedom of will.
He knows that he had failed and accepted the curse. He takes full responsibility and is accountable or his actions. Rejected by the gods of light, he only serves the gods of darkness because he knows his transgression led him to this life. In a sense Soth refuses the chance of redemption of forgiveness, becuase he firmly believes in his punishment and his own choices.

Greyhawk

   Several years later I would come to play in the world of Oerth. Although most of the action takes place in the region known as the Flaness, and around the Free City of Greyhawk. It was the second setting of D&D, loosed based upon various adventures up until a fully fledged campaign setting was crafted for it in the1E. In later years when western Oerth would be fleshed out in 3E Chainmail miniatures game, where it took place in the Empire of Ravilla.

   Oerth is unique as it is on of the few world that is the center of it's system. Its two moons, Kule and Raenie, while the Sun "Liga" orbits around Oerth. The other planets past Liga are; Edill, Gnibile, Conantha, Ginsel, Borka, Greela, and Spectere. Supposedly Oerth, is one of many parallel worlds that includes Aerth (Dangerous Journeys), Earth,  Nerath (4E Core World), Uerth (Opposite Alignments), and Yarth (Sagard the Barbarian).

   Oerth is also an iconic place. Not only are all the standard race are here, but many many of the named spell found throughout the multiverse seemed to have originate from here. Name's like Otto, Drawmij, Bigby, Tenser, Rary, Mordenkainen, etc... are know across many planes. It is debated though that some of the spells they discovered are actually found in other worlds by other names as well. 

Also unique is many of the standard racces identify themsleves with their Flan pronunciation; Elves of olves, Halflings are Hobniz, Gnomes are Noniz, and Dwarves are Dwur.

Forgotten Realms

The second campaign world I played in was the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. This world was expansive for it stretched over an entire world that had some parallels to earth. Abeir-Toril was the third planet away from the sun. It is orbited by one moon known as Selune, which was hit by a comet and bits of it surface trail after it. The other planets are; Anadia, Coliar, Karpri, Chandos, Glyth, and Garden. The main setting took place in Faerun, a continent that held typical European fantasy genres from the Vikings, Spaniards, the Brits, etc. Not only that but toward the south east you even had Ancient Lands that include deities from the Chaldean and Egyptian Patheons. The world known as Toril contained other parts as well.... like the Zakhara (an Arabian themed land), Kara-Tur (contained parallels to China, Japan, India, and Korea, and Tibet), Maztica and Anchorome (New World), Katashaka (Africa), and Osse (Austrilia).

The world itself was highly detailed and contained a variety of fantasy pantheons, as well as an original group of gods native to Toril. What started off this world was the Avatar series, were three Dark Gods stole the Tablets of Fate. All the gods were punished and were sent to the world to find and restore the Tablets back.
For the next couple of decades we learn of the many stories of Faerun, the Legend of Drizzt do Urden, the history of the world greatest wizard Elminster, and even the stories of the exploration of Maztica and and invasion by the Horde of the Ama Basin.

Yet the world would change when the campaign setting went under new management..... hence centuries later another cataclysm would occur that would reshape the entire D&D world once again. The War between Mystra and Shar would errupt once more and this time reveal a startling truth. That in the early days, Abeir-Toril was split into two planets.... once were the Primordials would dwell and another where the gods would dwell. Thus things have been since the Dawn Cataclysm..... yet with the Death of Mystra once more the weave that kept things at bay broke. A portions of Toril (Maztica and some smaller areas of Faerun) were swapped with its twin world. Soon new lands like Laerkond (took Mazticas) place appeared. The extent of the damage is unkown as well as the fate of millions of people now trapped on a foreign world.

Dragonlance

The World of Krynn was my first campaign setting I ever played in. Many you probably are familiar with the core books that started the Dragonlance Saga. The original trilogy took place on the continent of Ansalon, where it was said the old gods were returning. A group of heroes (Raistlin, Caramon, Sturm, Tanis, Flint, Riverwind, Goldmoon, and Tasslehoof) soon become involved in  a plot to save the world from the encrouching Dragon Armies and the return of the Queen of Darkness... Takhisis herself.


We also found out that Krynn is the third planet from the sun. It is orbited by three moons; Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari. The other planets in the system are; Sirrion, Reorx, Chislev, Zivilyn, and Nehsmyth. Krynn also sports two other continents on the planet. Taladas to the east of Ansalon, Adlatum to the west. Each of the lands have their own unique stories to tell, but it seems the gods themselves have been constantly focused on Ansalon. In the past, the Great Kingdom of Istar bought down the wrath of gods for its hubris. The Kingpriest believed himself greater than the gods themselves... and for that the world was hit by two great meteors that sunk the nation of Istar and changed Ansalon. Likewise the second meteor struck Taladas and tore the Empire of Aurim asunder as well for the same arrogance. It wouldn't be for another 400 years until the gods would return.

Thus a new age was born, the gods walked amongst the people once again and things prospered for a time.
Yet trouble loomed on the horizon when one of the imprisoned gods suddenly returned. During this Chaos the World of Krynn was stollen from the universe and was sequestered elsewhere by the Queen of Darkness. Yet as she regained her power slowly, her plan were shattered decades later when the gods returned. In the end Takhisis was killed, and the pantheon was broken. Again the world tried to build itself over since it was found, but it the last ages as it was touched a secret was found of a hidden goddess known as Mina.

New Directions

Well first off... no more about me. Instead I am gonna focus on my hobbies and what I know... aka my strengths. This blog is now gonna be dedicated purely to my RPG D&D hobby mostly the Golden Age of RPG... 3.5 and d20 edition of Dungeon a Dragons Games.