ECLIPSE: HOLLOW WORLD OF DARKSHOM

A NEVERWINTER NIGHTS ROLE PLAYING WORLD

Emerald Harbor--an elven shipping city in Darkshom

 

 

THE BEGINNINGS

 

The world of Darkshom was little more than a pipedream back in 1981 when I was 11 years old. I had run out of reading classes to take. My school created a classroom for about twenty students with a teacher who volunteered for it. He introduced us to writing.

Back then began various incarnations of the main character Black Feather. Her name was Ketira back then--and initially I made attempts at pulp vampire/sci-fi. At 11 years old this just doesn't work so well. After that my mother introduced me to Edgar Cayce. She and I discussed his ideas in comparison to the Bible--what things could have been. Cayce had a theory that there are world gates in various locations on Earth. Supposedly he thought in his dreaming that there is a pyramid that is such a gate in the Bermuda Triangle. Suddenly my vampire story had a different form of space travel that utilized these gates between worlds.

Through various copyrights and frustrations I kept redoing the story over and over. Nothing was really satisfying because, I confess, beyond biology and genetics science is not a major strong point. I can't configure things that don't sound like fuzzy science. Another world grew in the mean time, where dragons flew. Anne McCaffrey's influence set in and suddenly dragons could bond with people. Gods and Goddesses began to appear. A new world was forming--but the soul of the original character, Ketira, turned into a drow from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I role played some. At this time I had not heard of Drizzt. Forgotten Realms was only a role playing landscape.

I had been granted my Native American soul name of Black Feather by this point. I'm German, but I did and still wear this name with honor and pride. Since much of my influence was on surface drow in the story, the woman became Black Feather. She started searching for her real identity--which was DriannaSi. Her name means "Sweet Water River" after the Elfquest saying "Shade and Sweet Water to you." Leeta's influence from Elfquest set in.

I nearly burned everything. In 1995 I learned about Drizzt and my idea was no longer original. I was role playing this character and it just made me sick that there was another good drow out there. However, this character was interesting. By this point she had become a goddess who was still mortal and unaware of who she was. Someone compassionate--a drow born with a soul. Friends and my dm--Tezcatlipoca--convinced me not to burn the years of manuscripts I saved. Don't trash the idea.

The world gate--the Darkgate--allowed her to go from world to world. It wasn't under her control.

You may see things change on these documents as I hone the world. My one desire is to break away from Forgotten Realms (tm) and things associated with popular role playing. I want this to become my own creature and creation. You will see that those other references are fading away and have no place here.

The links here show stories of this world and hints of the cultures within. It is a work in progress, and my future hope is to have novels published from this as well as support from Steve Jackson Games as I turn this into a GURPS role play setting. All work is copyrighted to me. Other contributions are noted on each story. The works are not to be used without written permission from me. The writings here do not reflect any of my religious beliefs. This is a fantasy setting.

THE WORLD OF DARKSHOM

When basic Dungeons and Dragons came out with the Hollow World campaign set I was hooked. The concept fascinated me. They focused a lot on primitive Earth cultures for their modules, but that fit well with Darkshom. So much of the world had beginnings in Egypt--or should i say Egypt had beginnings on Darkshom. (Geesh this sounds like Stargate--I'm sorry). The concept of the world being hollow was another. Imagine one planet where you can explore for eternity almost!!!

THE CREATION MYTH AS TOLD BY THE AUTHOR

At the very beginning, there was the being who was the universe. She was in the end of her life cycle that all beings go through--birth, life, motherhood (or fatherhood), aging, and death. From this end she would be reborn.

She shrivelled to a single point smaller than a mote of dust floating in the sunlit windows. All life growing inside of her had fled long ago to her sisters that were growing larger and squeezing her out. She breathed her last breath and all light and time ceased within her.

The Nzame--the being that is all life and death for eternity--held this speck in it's hand. This being was the father of the Sisters who bore all life. He grew sad over her passing and shed a single tear. It fell on to the mote and nearly drowned it in his hand. With a gentle breath he blew the tear away.

None can ever describe the flash of light, force, and power that raged forth from his hand as the speck was once again whole and growing. In an instant the Universe became woman in her father's hand and all life burst forth as she grew. Everything: time, space, suns, planets, gasses, and elements flew out from the great rushing river that was her womb. Life would have a foothold again.

As there are red and white blood cells in our own bodies, thus are the Celestials that roam the universe. Some are good, some vile. Some become gods. One who came into existance to protect and cleanse Mother Universe was Grundal. He fathered his own children as he travelled the growing space that continued to come from Her womb. Those children became our gods in turn to have dominion over us along with their father.

There were two more of the Celestials who became our gods. They were the dragons Syrahn (the Sky-Father) and Aria (the Earth Mother).

Dragons lay or clutch eggs. The clutch can be of one or 2 eggs. They lay them near a grown sun to nurture the eggs and keep them warm. These eggs are like the planets near the star--but they are the only ones that are able to bear life. The eggs are a living being and their own life force nurtures. The eggs grow until the sun becomes a red giant. The change in temperature, magnetism, and chemical reactions cause the life on the surfaces to die--but the inside of the egg to hatch. When a sun becomes a red giant a new Celestial dragon is born.

Christine H. Rietsch

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