Mystara is a

campaign setting A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...

for the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

role playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal a ...

. It was the default setting for the "Basic" version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Most adventures published for the "Basic" edition of ''D&D'' take place in "The Known World", a central continent that includes a varied patchwork of both human and non-human realms. The human realms are based on various real-world historical cultures. In addition, unlike other ''D&D'' settings, Mystara had ascended immortal beings instead of gods. The Mystara planet also has sub-settings. The older ''

Blackmoor Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. Blackmore or Blackmoor may also refer to: * Blackmore (name), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Blackmoor, Hampshire, a village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England ...

'' setting was

retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...

to exist in Mystara's distant past. The

Hollow World The flexibility of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') game rules means that Dungeon Masters (DM) are free to create their own fantasy campaign settings. For those who wanted a pre-packaged setting in which to play, TSR, Wizards of the Coast ...

refers to the inner surface contained within the world of Mystara, similar to the real world legends of the

Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...

, while some adventures take place on the

Savage Coast Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, ...

, a 2,000 mile long frontier coastline about 2,000 miles to the west of the Known World. By the mid-1990s, gamers' attention started to shift towards the second edition of ''

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...

'' and its official campaigns. Some Mystara adventures for ''AD&D'' were published between 1994 and 1996. Eventually, official support of the Mystara setting was transitioned to the Official Fan Site system wherein the Vaults of Pandius fansite was selected to become the official site for the future 3rd edition of Mystara, and Wizards of the Coast support was discontinued by the time the game's third edition was released in 2000.

Development

Mystara originated as a fantasy world developed by

Lawrence Schick Lawrence Schick is a game designer and writer associated with role-playing games. Early life and education Schick attended Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university al ...

and

Tom Moldvay Thomas Steven Moldvay (Nov. 5, 1948 – March 9, 2007) was an American game designer and author, best known for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D). Career During the 1970s while a stude ...

for their own ''

'' game sessions from 1974 to 1976. Their original setting consisted of a large continent with fictionalized nations that were based on real-world historical cultures. Inspired by author H. P. Lovecraft and his work in creating a fiction

shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...

, Schick and Moldvay named their setting as the "Known World" so it could be expanded upon by other players. Schick then went to work at TSR Hobbies as a designer for ''D&D'' and other games. After being promoted to director of the Design Department he brought Moldvay in to join the company as a game designer, around the time when the ''

D&D Expert Set The ''Expert Set'' is an expansion boxed set for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the '' Basic Set''. Having been told that Greyhawk was reserved for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dr ...

'' was under development. After being told that they could not use the existing

Greyhawk Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for ''Dungeons & Dragons''—Dave Arneson ...

setting, as it was being reserved for only ''

'' products, Schick and Moldvay got approval to instead use their "Known World" as the standard ''D&D'' campaign setting. Schick and Moldvay's "Known World" was used as a semi-generic setting in early adventure modules, first mentioned in Module X1, ''

The Isle of Dread ''The Isle of Dread'' is an adventure for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. The adventure, module code ''X1'', was originally published in 1981. Written by David "Zeb" Cook and Tom Moldvay, it is among the most widely circulated of al ...

''. It was then expanded upon in various ''D&D'' modules and sources, particularly a series of Gazetteers, many of which originally referred to the setting as "The ''D&D'' Game World". The first published use of the name "Mystara" came in 1991 from

Bruce Heard Bruce Heard (born March 9, 1957, in Nice, France) is a game designer, and an author of several products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game from TSR. Early life Heard was born in Nice, France, on March 9, 1957, to his Frenc ...

in the Letters section of his Voyage of the Princess Ark series in ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' magazine. While the name was used in official publications after this, it wasn't until the conversion to AD&D 2nd Edition in 1994 that products were produced under the Mystara title with the official Mystara logo. Each part of the ''D&D Gazetteer'' series treats one nation or empire, and has three basic elements: cultural and geographic background, features, and adventures. The cultural and geographic campaign background section offers a brief history and timeline for each nation; basic geography, climate, and ecology; and, fundamental social and political concepts of the region. Each Gazetteer also offers a list of scenario ideas appropriate to the campaign setting. Trenton Webb for the British ''Arcane'' RPG magazine described Mystara as "a traditional Tolkienesque world".

Planet of Mystara

Mystara's outer surface consists of three principal land masses: the continent of Brun, the continent of Skothar, and the continent of Davania, plus the island continent of Alphatia (up to AC 1010). In the officially published material, the Known World concentrated on the eastern portion of Brun along with the lands of the Sea of Dawn. The continents of Mystara resemble those of

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

approximately 135 million years ago. The inhabitants of Mystara are diverse: humans of all races can be found here, along with myriad creatures such as

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

, dwarves,

halfling Halflings are a fictional race found in some fantasy novels and games. They are often depicted as similar to humans except about half as tall, and are not quite as stocky as the similarly-sized dwarves. Similar to the depiction of hobbits in the w ...

s, orcs, and

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

. Some of the notable nations of Mystara include the Thyatian Empire, the

Grand Duchy A grand duchy is a sovereign state, country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess. Relatively rare until the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the term was oft ...

Karameikos Mystara is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role playing game. It was the default setting for the "Basic" version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Most adventures published for the "Basic" edition of ''D&D'' ...

, the

Principalities A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

Glantri The Principalities of Glantri is a fictional nation located within the Mystara campaign setting, in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Located in the northwestern corner of the Mystara, Known World, Glantri is a Magocracy ruled ...

, the merchant-run

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

of Darokin, the Emirates of Ylaruam, the Dwarven nation of Rockhome, the Elven Kingdom of Alfheim, Halfling lands of the Five Shires and the chaotic Alphatian Empire.

The continent of Brun

The most commonly known land mass on Mystara's outer surface is actually a tiny portion of the continent of Brun itself. In the officially published material, the Known World concentrated on the eastern portion of Brun along with the islands of the Sea of Dawn.

The Known World

The Known World has cultures and a level of technological development that resemble Europe around the 15th century, but without gunpowder. Nations of the known world display a great range of government types. Some nations are populated entirely by demihumans and/or humanoids. By common convention, the boundaries of the "Known World" are those covered in the world map as originally published in the module X1,

, plus Norwold, the Isle of Dawn, and (pre Wrath of the Immortals) Alphatia. As the name implies, the "Known World" covers the most notable nations of Mystara, the ones most commonly used in Mystara-based campaigns and featured in fiction. It includes the Thyatian Empire, which could be compared to

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

; the Grand Duchy of

(which includes the town of Threshold, the default setting of many classic D&D adventures), comparable to medieval southeastern Europe; the Principalities of

, which is similar to medieval western Europe, ruled by wizard-princes; the Ethengar

Khanate A khaganate or khanate was a polity ruled by a khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. That political territory was typically found on the Eurasian Steppe and could be equivalent in status to tribal chiefdom, principality, kingdom or empire. Mong ...

, a Mongol-like society; the merchant-run Republic of Darokin, which is based somewhat loosely on the mercantile states of Medieval Italy; the Emirates of Ylaruam which have an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

flavor; the Heldannic Territories, ruled by an order of religious

Knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

devoted to the

Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

Vanya, similar to the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

; the Atruaghin Clans, which have an

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

feel; the nation of Sind, based on

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

during the rule of the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

; the Northern Reaches Kingdoms of Ostland, Vestland, the Soderfjord Jarldoms, based on

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n kingdoms at various periods of history; the Dwarven nation of Rockhome; the elven Kingdom of Alfheim; the Halfling lands of the Five Shires; and the Alphatian Empire, ruled by wizards and other spellcasters. To the distant Northwest of the "Known World", across the Great Waste, lies the mysterious lands of Hule, ruled by Hosadus, also known as "The Master". Also on the periphery of the Known World are the Kingdoms of Wendar and Denagoth, the first an elven-dominated nation and the latter a mountainous and dark realm of evil, with ill-intentions towards Wendar. The Adri Varma lies between Sind, Wendar, the Great Waste, and The Black Mountains, forming the northern border of Glantri and defining the northwestern limits of the region.

The Savage Coast

Mystara includes the Savage Coast, a coastal area located in the south central part of the Brun continent, to the south and west of Hule. The area is a 2,000 mile long frontier

coastline The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

about 2,000 miles to the west of the Known World. This part of Mystara is affected by the Red Curse, a sinister enchantment which eventually kills its inhabitants through mutation unless the (fictional) metal ''cinnabryl'' is worn in contact with the body. The specifics of the "Red Curse" include mutilation of the body and extreme degeneration of physical and mental health. It also imprisons the inhabitants of the region, as debilitating effects result if they leave the cursed area. ;Atmosphere Savage Coast's swashbuckling flavor is very different from that of the "Known World", closer in atmosphere to that of the

Age of Exploration The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafari ...

than the fantasy middle-ages/renaissance tone of the Known World. The Savage Coast is complete with gunpowder ("Smokepowder") weaponry. ;Publication history The first published information on the area was the

module Module, modular and modularity may refer to the concept of modularity. They may also refer to: Computing and engineering * Modular design, the engineering discipline of designing complex devices using separately designed sub-components * Modul ...

''X9 The Savage Coast'' for ''

Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set The ''Expert Set'' is an expansion boxed set for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the '' Basic Set''. Having been told that Greyhawk was reserved for ''Advanced Dungeons & ...

''. The region was later expanded in ''

Dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...

'' magazine issues 6 and 7 (1987) with the adventure "Tortles of the Purple Sage". Two series in ''

'' Magazine, "The Princess Ark" and the "Known World Grimoire", described the Savage Coast in more detail. These articles were partially reprinted in the D&D game accessory ''

Champions of Mystara ''Champions of Mystara'' is an accessory for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993. Contents This boxed set for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game is based on the "Princess Ark" chronicles from the pages of ''Drago ...

'' (1993). The ''Savage Coast'' In 1994 was spun off into a campaign setting for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (2nd Edition). This area was published in its own boxed set entitled ''

Red Steel ''Red Steel'' is a first-person shooter video game published by Ubisoft for Nintendo's Wii console. It was developed by the Ubisoft Paris studio. ''Red Steel'' was released on November 19, 2006 in North America, the date of the Wii launch. It ha ...

'', and later republished on-line as the Savage Coast. An expansion, ''Savage Baronies'', was released the next year. These supplements were for ''AD&D'' 2nd edition, as all the previous material had been for the "Classic" version of ''D&D''. In 1996 the setting was revised and re-released under the ''AD&D: Odyssey'' line as three fully online products available for free download. This range included the base '' Savage Coast Campaign Book'' by Tim Beach and

, a supplement ''Savage Coast: Orc's Head'' and a

Monstrous Compendium The ''Monstrous Compendium'' is a series of accessories for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game released from 1989 to 1998. The title was then used for a series of 5th Edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' supplements released ...

Appendix.

The continent of Davania

Even though most of the Known World civilizations historically originated from this part of the planet, it did not see much development while the Mystara product line was still in production. The only major appearance of the continent was in ''

'' magazine, where parts of it were sketched out during the Voyage of the Princess Ark series, by Known World Product Manager

. In recent years, many Mystara fans have been turning their attention to Davania with fan-made material.

The continent of Skothar

Very little was officially developed for this part of Mystara. Ever since the Mystara product line was discontinued, fans have created their own material for this part of Mystara.

The Hollow World

Mystara is a hollow planet, with a habitable surface on its interior called the

. This world is lit by an eternal red sun at the center of Mystara, and serves as a "cultural museum," preserving the societies that have become extinct in the outer world. The existence of the Hollow World is not, in general, known to the inhabitants of the outer world. The poles are actually huge, subtly curving holes that allow passage between the outer and inner world, although it is a long, hard trek through a cold, unlit, stormy and anti-magic area. The curvature of the holes is so subtle that explorers from either surface do not notice the transition until after it is already made, causing quite a shock for most.

Moons

Two moons orbit the planet. Matera is a moon much like our own, whose phases govern lycanthropy (werewolves, werebears, etc.). Only the Immortals inhabit Matera. They live in a city, Pandius, where they can meet and watch over Mystara. Patera, or Myoshima to its inhabitants, is an invisible moon that cannot be seen from Mystara. Patera's inhabitants have a culture similar to that of medieval Japan.

Blackmoor

Mystara (like

) also incorporated the

setting by placing it in the world's distant past. Blackmoor evolved from a feudal kingdom into a highly advanced civilization, using more and more powerful – and destructive — technology. It ended itself in an apocalyptic explosion so devastating that it changed the climate and geography of the entire planet.

Mystara video games

Five video games were set in Mystara, and they span three different genres. '' Order of the Griffon'' (

TurboGrafx 16 The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC, NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth genera ...

, 1992) and '' Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun'' (

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

, 1992) are

role-playing video games A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

. '' Fantasy Empires'' (PC, 1993) is a strategy game. The plots and development teams of these games are unrelated. '' Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom'' (1993) and its sequel '' Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara'' (1996) are two arcade

beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...

with minimal role-playing elements. These two games are among the few D&D video games developed by a Japanese company, in this case by

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...

Novels

* '' Dark Knight of Karameikos'' (October 1995), by Timothy Brown, () * ''The Black Vessel'' (August 1996), by Morris Simon, ()

First Quest

* ''Rogues to Riches '' (February 1995), by

J. Robert King J. Robert King is an American fantasy novelist and former editor and game designer. He also writes non-fantasy fiction as John R. King. Biography J. Robert King was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in northwestern Indiana. He knew he wante ...

, () * ''Son of Dawn '' (May 1995), by

Dixie Lee McKeone Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

, ()

Dragonlord Chronicles

* ''Dragonlord of Mystara '' (July 1994), by Thorarinn Gunnarsson, () * ''Dragonking of Mystara'' (July 1995), by Thorarinn Gunnarsson, () * ''Dragonmage of Mystara'' (April 1996), by Thorarinn Gunnarsson, ()

Penhaligon Trilogy

* ''The Tainted Sword'' (October 1992), by D.J. Heinrich, () * ''The Dragon's Tomb'' (April 1993), by D.J. Heinrich, () * ''The Fall of Magic '' (October 1993), by D.J. Heinrich, ()

Source material

''Dungeons & Dragons'' BECMI rules

Notable adventure modules

''Dungeons & Dragons'' Gazetteers

''Dungeons & Dragons'' Trail Maps

''Dungeons & Dragons'' Creature Crucible

''Dungeons & Dragons'' Hollow World

''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' Mystara

''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' Red Steel

''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' Odyssey: Savage Coast

Notes

References

External links

Vaults of Pandius
Website with most of the current fan based projects, to include conversions to other editions.
Cyclopedia Mystara
Mystara in more detail including genealogies, areas, known people, etc.

{{D&D topics Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings Fantasy worlds Fictional planets