I had a good game session last night. I am pretty sure my players loved it. I know for a fact that I felt like I ran an epic game session I will remember for years to come.

What struck me as most relevant about the entire experience is that 2 of my players had never played before. Their first game session in RPG's was in an ancient dungeon in Blackmoor that was being run using only the original 3 little booklets from OD&D.

My other players had never played OD&D, or Blackmoor, ever.

No one seemed to notice the absence of rules. They got caught up in the story of the -why- they were going to Tonisborg.

The first thing they "found" while in the city was this old scroll:

Remaining Fragments on a Scroll
(slashes are obscured or damaged sections)

Scroll/////Pium/////////cholar
Tran/////d fro///////ncient lan////////////warves

I Piume ha/////////covered ancient writings////////////// a scribe have attem/////////onstruct ////////ings of the great empire of the Ghebelin////////////cords of dwarven faithful//////////////Artak's last words on his death ///////////////when darkness began/////////////////////su/////////// beauty will never grac///////lands////////////////////////////our loyalty is why they hate///////////////he great age of elegant bal////////////uled a great queen Aruanni she of the many shining//////////she queen of all peoples friend to the dwaraven and even deceitful elfaren of lesser stature ////////////////// benefited from her justice and virtue /////a peace with no war/////////////////end///////rosperity////////the selfish lesser elfaren conspired against our queen///////////////////leashed the curse of time//////////////////////////////////////transfixed like ice river//////////////////////////////////////////////////////Palace of/////////pomegranate///////////////////silk/////////////shines////////////////////////veridia/////////////terri/////////laughter///////////////////now dust/////////////////////////////////////fallen /////////////reat queen of the Ghebelin, her consort, and the wise advisor each bearing//////////////////////////////////three crowns//////////fleeing the//////////////////////////////// onslought////////////////////////////////tears I weep at the loss////////////////after the betrayal the land was laid waste////////////// to touch them //////////////////// seeking the crowns of eldritch power for themselves///////////////shall be burn/////////////// I her humble servant tasked///////////////////////////////////concealing the great crowns of power fled deep into the tunnels below the city////////////////////////////////seek the///////// for there I have protected them for eternity, until the return of the queen.//////////////////////////////////////////////a humble///////////aithful dwaraven house manager///////////////////swear to uphold her memory and seek/////geance////the traitorous elfaren must be swept from the face of the world we walk////////////////////////////// Trust not Elfaren//////////////////////the chamber of dreams she sleeps///////////////////////////find the crowns and restore the ord////////////////waking will rule again//////////////////////////////////////

Then they went to the island on the river and experienced all the mysterious detail of actually exploring Tonisborg Dungeon. Several of them kept feeling like they were being watched, or would see something small and white skitter around a corner; sometimes up ahead, and other times behind the party.

The fourth level is so cold that they were wading through waist high fog, when suddenly hands reached up out of the thick mist and began to give some of the characters objects, a scroll, then a ring.

One of the players decided to read the scroll and collapsed into the fog paralyzed. A cleric prayed to his deity for guidance and suddenly had a vision of a beautiful woman visiting him and handing him a special object, a still beating and bleeding human heart. Yet no one else could see this "gift", or the deity.

And yes, there is a mighty angry Balrog wandering all the levels of Tonisborg in search of someone named, Berlini the Great.

It's time to spread the word about a land called Blackmoor!

Psst, I really just had to brag because I ran an awesome game sesseion. hee hee hee

That is awesome.

I just recently started a new job in Omaha and have been playing again (after a long time away) and am absolutely loving it.

Thanks for sharing! :)

-Havard