Introduction

The World of Caerdolan is a fantasy fictional setting created by me and by the incredibly talented group of RPG players that participate in the role-playing sessions. The name "Caerdolan" refers to a fictional place and people whose culture influences most the cultures and lives of everyone else living in this world. For anyone familiar with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the word will sound similar to "Cardolan" which is Tolkien's name for a minor Second Age kingdom of the Dunedain in Eriador, in the north of Middle Earth. I did not steal the name, but used similar linguistic sources to come up with a word that happens to sound similar. In some places, the name appears as Cair Dolan, which probably makes more sense. In any case, while this fantasy setting is certainly influenced by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, it is significantly different and has a completely different sensibility. It is less similar than many other fantasy fictional settings created in the last three to four decades.

The World of Caerdolan is roughly analogous to historical earth, particularly Europe, Africa, and the Middle East between the time of the Crusades and the start of the Rennaissance. The analogy is just enough to give players (and readers) a recognizable aesthetic reference, but in most cases there are no direct analogies. At least, no attempts have been made to make direct, parallel analogies to real history. The campaign titled "Legacies" uses the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd edition rules rather than D&D 3rd ed., and is set in a "modern era" (i.e. 21st century) vision of the World of Caerdolan.

The mythology of Caerdolan is informed by real world mythology and religion, but is completely original. The only elements that are borrowed directly are the occasional use of real folkloric or mythological classifications for supernaturals or names of spirits, adopted and adapted to the fictional cultures and traditions created here. In most cases, this was done to endow the fictional cultures with an aesthetic that make them recognizeable to the players and readers who would otherwise have no point of reference when visualizing this fantasy world. Religious motifs, themes, and their roles in the cultures and psychologies of the fictional peoples herein are drawn from actual mythology and the study of mythology and folklore.

The languages of Caerdolan are mostly fictional, although words are sometimes borrowed and linguistic constructions are often based on real languages that evoke the historical analogies for the fictional peoples and their cultures.

Role-playing games are what we like to refer to as "interactive storytelling". It is a shared creative process wherein the GM or "game master" conceives of a basic story and setting, but the way the story is resolved relies heavily on the actions and reactions of the players through their characters. As such the story happens at the moment that it is played out, and any written account or summary only captures the basic plot and highlights. The story itself is fleeting, but it lives on in the players' memories and is revived each time it is retold. With each telling, certain details change slightly while certain other key details remain constant. In this way, role-playing games are not very different from the story-telling sessions that occur in oral traditions throughout the world, and which have likely been a part of human entertainment and interactions since the dawn of verbal communication.

One more thing: if you like what we have created, then thank you. But if you like it enough that you want to steal any of our creative property, please think again. The material presented here is copyrighted by The Guys Ink, LLC and all rights are reserved. For more information on copyrights, as well as other RPG material we've created, please visit www.theguysink.com .

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.

Mario (aka "Troy" the game master)