The World That Was

Lost Civilizations and other Treasures

Tabletop role-playing games can be viewed as an extension of fantastic literature to a group medium, the game table. The inspirational writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard and various myths and legends from antiquity are frequently cited among those sources of inspiration. A common thread through many of these sources is that of the lost civilization - the fallen empire.

The ancient Greeks wrote about the lost continent of Atlantis. Historians tell us about early civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt which may excite our imagination. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of complex civilizations unrecorded in any histories, many in Africa, the Pacific and the Americas. As we begin to explore Mars, our imagination wonders what forms of life may have existed on this fabled planet?

I consider myself a "world builder" in the realm of tabletop games. I prefer to run games set in world's of my own creation - that is with my own personal mix of elements drawn from a variety of sources accumulating in my head over a life-time of reading and travel. Anywhere I find there is a "mystery" - that is something that remains unexplained - there is fodder for imagining. Many of my games have been set in quasi-historical settings with a focus on a possible explanation for why we don't have all the facts. It can be fun to explore "what could have happened!"

Fey creatures and the world of fairy, the fantastical creatures and beings of mythology and legend, and the dark, formless things that go "bump in the night" can provide hours of entertainment and adventure for our role-playing characters - all in a make-believe world. The "lost civilization" - whatever that turns out to be - can provide an endless source of potential settings, mysteries and discoveries to explore and exists in one form or another in nearly all the adventure stories that inspire my interest. 

The so-called "dark ages", which have existed through-out human history during those periods when written records were sparse, unreliable or non-existent, can support a lot of speculation in the form of "what really happened" as played out at the gaming table. Fancy a game based on the real King Arthur? So little is actually known of this legendary figure that we are free to make-up just about whatever we like and use it at the game table. Suppose fairies did exist, but are now hidden or gone? Without physical evidence of their existence, we in the modern world ascribe them to superstition and fiction. But what if they were once real?  What if the fairy tales are based on actual events - yes, we can play as if that is the case at our own gaming table.

An interesting fictional game world needs many things - a lost civilization, preferably one advanced in some now-forgotten lore or science, is a must in my opinion. (I also consider an inland sea as a geographic necessity!) Secrets, far horizons, and mysteries make life interesting. We play to discover, so give your players lots to uncover!