So my son and I were clearing off the kitchen table,
getting ready to play our first official Labyrinth Lord game. Denis the Fighter's character sheet was laden
with scattered dice.
I love back story, so I ask my son, "So where does
Denis come from? A big city, a medium
town, or a small village?"
"A great big city," he hopped up to my desk and
pointed the rough draft of the Gulf of Labrys basin. "He was born there, in Norlun."
Hmm, I had intended to start off in Oshtan, which was
more to the south west. Oh well, I could
deal with that.
"Okay, so . . ."
My son wasn't finished.
"And his parents were killed when he was two and he was adopted by
dwarves."
I blinked a couple of times. That completely messed up my whole non-racial
fraternization concept for the world. I
began to imagine baby Denis in a basket made of reeds floating down the
Nile. Oh well, I could deal with that.
I scanned the map.
"There are some nice mountains near Norlun right here. I suppose there could be some dwarves living
here." I nervously looked at the
big word DUERGAR in the mountains. Oh
well, I could deal with that.
"No," he shook his head, pointing to the mountains
with DWARVEN STRONGHOLDS written on them.
"That is where his parents live."
I began scratching my beard. That was over 1,200 miles away from his
home. How in the hell did the two year
old Denis get all the way over there.
The dwarves, in my mind, certainly were not much for travel. They only hit the road if the needed a
Burglar to sneak into lonely mountains.
My mind raced.
"That's a long way away. Why would Denis' parents be anywhere near the
dwarven mountains?"
Of course, the Peanut Gallery had no answer.
"They must have been merchants," I muttered. “
Desperate merchants looking to strike a deal with the dwarves. They would have had to have gone through
here, the NEUTRAL ZONE, which is full of thieves and outcasts of society. They they'd have to brave the Lands of the Goblinkind
to get to the Dwarven Strongholds."
My son nodded.
"The Goblins killed his parents."
"Aha," I nodded back. "It all makes sense now. The dwarves rushed to help the humans, but it
was too late, and all they could save was baby Denis."
"The dwarves taught him to fight and vanquish
anything in his path."
"Vanquish?"
"Yes, it means . . ."
I chuckled, "I know what it means." We sat down and I began to flip to the back
of the Labyrinth Lord book.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Oh, it's a little adventure in the back of the book
I'm going to take Denis through."
"I don't want to do someone else’s adventure. I want to do one of your adventures. Your adventures are much better."
I watched the entirety of my plans go up in smoke. I took a deep breath. I could deal with that.
"Okay . . . so Denis is . . . at his home, in
Jarlsberg . . ."
The boy shook his head.
"It should be a cool name.
Like . . . like . . . Thornhold."
I smiled.
"Okay, So Denis is with his mother and father, Helga and Jarn . . .
Bronzebottom . . ."
"Just Bronze." he said.
"Okay, Denis is deep in the bowels of the Dwarven
Fortress of Thornhold, a hollowed out shell of a mountain. It's normally dark, since the dwarves can see
heat,"
"Like a snake?"
"Like a snake.
But Denis' parents have always carefully lit their home so that Denis
could see well and not stub his toes. So
Helga and Jarn dressed Denis up in the family armor and gave him a sturdy
shield and mighty sword. Then his mother
says 'We've taken care of you all these years, my son, and loved every minute of
it. We've taught you all we can teach
you. It's time you made your way to the
human lands. You need to learn about
being a human. You'll make human friends
and find a human woman to love and have a family with. You can't do that here - only with other
humans.’"
I watched as my son's face began to drop and it almost
looked like he had a tear in his eye.
"It's okay," I said softly. "It's time for Denis to go have adventures now."
"I know Dad," he looked at me, "But Denis
is really sad. He wants to go on
adventures, but Denis loves his mom and dad a lot and will miss them a
bunch."
I nodded and gave him a minute.
"Ready?"
He nodded yes.
"Okay then, Denis' mom and dad hug him and warn him
about the goblins and send him on his way."
He smiled great big.
"Okay, I leave home and go off into the wilderness. Do I see any goblins?"
"As a matter of fact . . . you do."
Okay, now that is why I play.
- Ark








