Welcome to BlackStrum, a land where legends are made and unmade. A land where evil exists at every corner.
From the fame city of Badjani, to the legendary E'zeerbreve Woods, the land of BlackStrum is as wild as you can imagine. Come and visit
From the fame city of Badjani, to the legendary E'zeerbreve Woods, the land of BlackStrum is as wild as you can imagine. Come and visit
WELCOME TO BLACKSTRUM
A world for role playing game (built for my players enjoyment only)
An excerpt from the Book of the Adventurer
“The outside world is nothing more than a realm of chaos and disorder. When towns, cities, and even realms fall one day, and are rebuilt into something different the next. I’ve personally helped two different kings of the same crown! I will add that that same crown had been worn by a third king not more than a single moon before! So no… don’t expect the same continuity that you will find here in the tower, for it doesn’t exist. The kingdoms or places that you travel to will be there, but perhaps the boundaries have changed or they could have been wiped clean of the face of the planet!”
“What feels like so long ago, I came to a small town near a mountain chain filled with mostly miners and a few guards. They were good people, honest and hard-working, and when they were attacked by a horde of orcs, my companions and I aided them in their fight. We were there doing on a mission from the city of Vargas, and after the battle, the townsfolk cheered us as heroes. We helped with their defenses and when we left to traverse the mountains everything was in good shape. When we returned there was nothing left. The horde must have come at them in waves and finally slaughtered everyone they could find. A single man survived, more so because we had healing to save him from the brink of death than any other reason.”
“But why did I just tell you all of that? I’m certain that is what you are wondering. My point is that you can win what feels like every battle and do plenty of good, but had we stayed, we too would have perished. But more importantly the mission we were on was of a larger importance that a singular mining outpost in the middle of the mountains. You must be able to see the trees before you are swallowed by the forest. If you are on a mission, that is your true purpose. You’re all mortal, and we all feel the need to either aid another or profit from another, but you must be able to put that aside when your task requires it to. That is the first truth. Your mission is your true focus, and it is easy to be sidetracked. You must remain first, and yet still hold on to your humanity.”
“I had the privilege of adventuring alongside an outcast but noble paladin. It was early in our days together and another one of my associates had brought to me a recipe for a truth serum. You could imagine that such a thing would prove useful, and the only difficult ingredient happened to be sleeping near me. If you think that I waited for his permission you are sorely wrong. I harvested what I needed while he slept and dealt with his fury over the course of the next few months.”
“My actions made sense, as I still believe that he would never had agreed, and I didn’t want to charm him. But although my action make sense to my logical mind, what I did could never be undone. There is a bond between those who travel through this world together as a party. That unity is something that can either lead to great success or terrible failure. That is your second truth. Alone you will fail, and yet with other you may still fail. Yet the power of unity can and will allow you to strive at goals you might think impossible. So you must be unlike me when I first left, and be willing to trust in those you put your trust in.”
“Some will come to the same conclusion that I’ve lived, while others will see nothing but a fanciful tale. Know this though, the masters would not have put me up here to feed you a fanciful tale, and my tale was sealed away in the secret library as much of it must remain hidden. One day, should any of you become masters, then perhaps you will read the full tale, and then will truly come to know me. But for those who won’t, there is no shame in just knowing of me and part of my tale.”
“My companions and I were in a city, one ruled by a network of thugs, a place where its people are not free to even leave. They are prisoners to their station and birthplace, and those who try to be different are snuffed out quickly and efficiently. My companions and I ran into some trouble with their leader, and there we stood in the middle of a packed street facing down the thugs and their leader, with them even having placed archers on the building tops. We could have backed down, and perhaps that street wouldn’t have run red with blood, but things can’t be unsaid, and our very egos are beyond hard to keep in check. When you accumulate power, it becomes harder to stay your hand, than to wield it.”
“What started as a noble intention of freeing a man and his family became nothing more than a measuring contest of a man’s ego. I will say only that I remember them striking first, but maybe the blow need never have fallen. When all was said and done their street ran with blood, we orphaned many children and widowed many wives. In my anger I could only think of retribution for my fallen friend. I made some men suffer as they died, others were luckier than others, but I know now that what transpired was far beyond anything you could imagine. I lost my way that day, and on many other occasions.”
“The final truth is that you will lose your way. When that happens you have only two options. You can either allow yourself to continue to walk that road, and damn yourself in the process. Or… you can pick yourself back up and keep striving to do better. It seems foolish this final truth, but rest assured as you grow in power and knowledge, you will use that power and knowledge and others will be effected by it. You will cause damage, and you will suffer regrets and there is nothing you can do to stop that from happening. Understand that nothing outside of your own actions are under your control.”
“I know |I was suppose to advice on surviving, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give you something to aid you in your endeavors. But I thought that you needed to understand the world before I give you the knowledge on how to react to it. When you leave this place I suggest that you find an animal companion of some kind. Until you’ve had the opportunity to find people to trust, and who trust you, find an extra set of eyes and ears. It needn’t be something fierce, just something that can watch over you when you can’t do so. Anything can happen outside this tower, and I never go unprepared, I suggest always having an armor spell active and a spell or two to defend yourself with. Leave the inspection magics for times where you won’t be disturbed or interrupted. A detect magic will do nothing to a charging ogre! Finally diversity in spell selection is paramount to a successful adventure. Find ways to acquire new magic in those spellbooks of yours. Your main weapon is your mind, so keep it sharp, study your spells and pray with devotion so that you are never truly unarmed.”
“Your secrets will get other killed, or maybe even yourself. Too many times I’ve been trust into battle because I or my companions were up to something and didn’t tell the rest of us. The world is too dangerous to think that you can deal with everything. You’re only as dangerous and useful as you have magic to use. So be more than just a bag of spells to your companions. Use the brain and heart that has gotten you this far for more than just spellcasting. Because when you find yourself without your precious spells… what are you then?”
.
“The outside world is nothing more than a realm of chaos and disorder. When towns, cities, and even realms fall one day, and are rebuilt into something different the next. I’ve personally helped two different kings of the same crown! I will add that that same crown had been worn by a third king not more than a single moon before! So no… don’t expect the same continuity that you will find here in the tower, for it doesn’t exist. The kingdoms or places that you travel to will be there, but perhaps the boundaries have changed or they could have been wiped clean of the face of the planet!”
“What feels like so long ago, I came to a small town near a mountain chain filled with mostly miners and a few guards. They were good people, honest and hard-working, and when they were attacked by a horde of orcs, my companions and I aided them in their fight. We were there doing on a mission from the city of Vargas, and after the battle, the townsfolk cheered us as heroes. We helped with their defenses and when we left to traverse the mountains everything was in good shape. When we returned there was nothing left. The horde must have come at them in waves and finally slaughtered everyone they could find. A single man survived, more so because we had healing to save him from the brink of death than any other reason.”
“But why did I just tell you all of that? I’m certain that is what you are wondering. My point is that you can win what feels like every battle and do plenty of good, but had we stayed, we too would have perished. But more importantly the mission we were on was of a larger importance that a singular mining outpost in the middle of the mountains. You must be able to see the trees before you are swallowed by the forest. If you are on a mission, that is your true purpose. You’re all mortal, and we all feel the need to either aid another or profit from another, but you must be able to put that aside when your task requires it to. That is the first truth. Your mission is your true focus, and it is easy to be sidetracked. You must remain first, and yet still hold on to your humanity.”
“I had the privilege of adventuring alongside an outcast but noble paladin. It was early in our days together and another one of my associates had brought to me a recipe for a truth serum. You could imagine that such a thing would prove useful, and the only difficult ingredient happened to be sleeping near me. If you think that I waited for his permission you are sorely wrong. I harvested what I needed while he slept and dealt with his fury over the course of the next few months.”
“My actions made sense, as I still believe that he would never had agreed, and I didn’t want to charm him. But although my action make sense to my logical mind, what I did could never be undone. There is a bond between those who travel through this world together as a party. That unity is something that can either lead to great success or terrible failure. That is your second truth. Alone you will fail, and yet with other you may still fail. Yet the power of unity can and will allow you to strive at goals you might think impossible. So you must be unlike me when I first left, and be willing to trust in those you put your trust in.”
“Some will come to the same conclusion that I’ve lived, while others will see nothing but a fanciful tale. Know this though, the masters would not have put me up here to feed you a fanciful tale, and my tale was sealed away in the secret library as much of it must remain hidden. One day, should any of you become masters, then perhaps you will read the full tale, and then will truly come to know me. But for those who won’t, there is no shame in just knowing of me and part of my tale.”
“My companions and I were in a city, one ruled by a network of thugs, a place where its people are not free to even leave. They are prisoners to their station and birthplace, and those who try to be different are snuffed out quickly and efficiently. My companions and I ran into some trouble with their leader, and there we stood in the middle of a packed street facing down the thugs and their leader, with them even having placed archers on the building tops. We could have backed down, and perhaps that street wouldn’t have run red with blood, but things can’t be unsaid, and our very egos are beyond hard to keep in check. When you accumulate power, it becomes harder to stay your hand, than to wield it.”
“What started as a noble intention of freeing a man and his family became nothing more than a measuring contest of a man’s ego. I will say only that I remember them striking first, but maybe the blow need never have fallen. When all was said and done their street ran with blood, we orphaned many children and widowed many wives. In my anger I could only think of retribution for my fallen friend. I made some men suffer as they died, others were luckier than others, but I know now that what transpired was far beyond anything you could imagine. I lost my way that day, and on many other occasions.”
“The final truth is that you will lose your way. When that happens you have only two options. You can either allow yourself to continue to walk that road, and damn yourself in the process. Or… you can pick yourself back up and keep striving to do better. It seems foolish this final truth, but rest assured as you grow in power and knowledge, you will use that power and knowledge and others will be effected by it. You will cause damage, and you will suffer regrets and there is nothing you can do to stop that from happening. Understand that nothing outside of your own actions are under your control.”
“I know |I was suppose to advice on surviving, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give you something to aid you in your endeavors. But I thought that you needed to understand the world before I give you the knowledge on how to react to it. When you leave this place I suggest that you find an animal companion of some kind. Until you’ve had the opportunity to find people to trust, and who trust you, find an extra set of eyes and ears. It needn’t be something fierce, just something that can watch over you when you can’t do so. Anything can happen outside this tower, and I never go unprepared, I suggest always having an armor spell active and a spell or two to defend yourself with. Leave the inspection magics for times where you won’t be disturbed or interrupted. A detect magic will do nothing to a charging ogre! Finally diversity in spell selection is paramount to a successful adventure. Find ways to acquire new magic in those spellbooks of yours. Your main weapon is your mind, so keep it sharp, study your spells and pray with devotion so that you are never truly unarmed.”
“Your secrets will get other killed, or maybe even yourself. Too many times I’ve been trust into battle because I or my companions were up to something and didn’t tell the rest of us. The world is too dangerous to think that you can deal with everything. You’re only as dangerous and useful as you have magic to use. So be more than just a bag of spells to your companions. Use the brain and heart that has gotten you this far for more than just spellcasting. Because when you find yourself without your precious spells… what are you then?”
.