Living History for the GM

One of the special features of the The Dark Eye is Aventuria’s living history. In official game supplements, adventure modules, and campaigns, as well as in issues of the Aventurian Herald (see page 126), we propel the continent’s history forward. Though few things change overnight, Aventuria never stands still, and you can follow these changes in the game world over time as GM, player, or even just as a reader. Furthermore, you can help bring about change through our official adventure modules. The actions of your brave heroes may help overthrow a tyrannical ruler or stop the orc army marching against the Middenrealm. As the GM, your in-game descriptions greatly determine the outlook your players and their heroes have on Aventuria. You decide at the gaming table exactly how much influence your player’s heroes have on the world, and how accurately they follow the events we writers portray in official publications.

If you want to follow the living history very closely, you should pay close attention to important NPCs, denoted by king symbols (see page 204), in your own adventures. These characters play important roles in future official publications, so unless an adventure explicitly calls for their demise, they should survive. However, if your group prefers to play in Aventuria without restrictions and you desire to shape the world yourself, simply use the descriptions in the official publications for inspiration. Ratings on the back covers of our adventure modules let you see their importance to the living history at a glance, as follows.

• 1 Star: The adventure is not connected to the living history of Aventuria. People and events can be set anywhere in the game world and are easily modified.
• 2 Star: The adventure is tangentially related to the living history. It may need to play out within a certain time frame, or official NPCs may be involved.
• 3 Stars: The adventure is strongly integrated into the living history, giving the heroes a chance to experience it up-close. Official NPCs play an important role in the adventure, and the sequence of events is set at a specific place and time. Adjustments are usually difficult, as the storyline is crucial to the ongoing Aventuria narrative.
• 4 Stars: Much like a 3-point adventure, this adventure changes the game world permanently or has a profound influence on the course of the campaign. Significant or defining Aventurian NPCs may die, or entire regions could change.

Living History vs. Freedom of Playing

The following practical examples illustrate how conflicts can arise with the living history, and how you can easily circumvent them.

Our Personal Archvillian

An adventure module is supposed to end with the death of an important villain—the cruel wizard, Alrik the Dark. Alrik was specifically created to be a particularly horrifying opponent. He has already survived several encounters with the heroes and has cheated death quite a few times. But, the time has finally come for his demise, and the heroes are supposed to put a stop to him, once and for all, and send him on his way over the Sea of Oblivion. But as GM, you know your players love this villain just as much as their heroes hate him. Fortunately, Alrik the Dark is marked with the knight symbol. Therefore, at the end of the adventure you can kill off one of Alrik’s henchmen instead, allowing your party to face him once more in one of your own adventures. As far as the official campaign is concerned, Alrik died, but you are free to disregard this for your campaign.

Long Live the Emperor!

Rohaja of Gareth is the Empress of the Middenrealm in official Aventuria. However, there is nothing to prevent you from crowning another emperor in your Aventuria: Emperor Haal or Answin of Ravenmouth could just as easily still sit on the throne, or Rohaja’s brother, Selindian-Haal could have been crowned Haal II, or perhaps one of your player’s heroes married the young empress and now reigns at her side. Rohaja is marked with the king symbol, and official publications assume she is the sovereign of the realm, so you must make many adjustments if you want to adapt future adventures in the Middenrealm. Rohaja’s decisions might play an important part in the adventure. She certainly makes different decisions than Emperor Haal, as their actions are shaped by different wishes and goals. Your challenge as the GM is to adjust such circumstances to your own campaign when official publications do not consider them. But, this requires a keen eye when choosing adventure material, or some creativity and diligence when adapting it.

It is best to discuss with your group exactly how closely you wish to adhere to the official Aventuria. Not all defining events affect all regions of Aventuria in the same manner. So, you may choose to closely follow a plotline in Thorwal because you enjoy that narrative, and only mention the latest developments in the Horasian Empire on the sideline. We hope this helps you better assess the leeway you have as a GM in an adventure you have created yourself or have adjusted for your party.

Absolute freedom of action is not really compatible with the Aventurian background. In order to update the living history, adventures need a fixed ending so we can advance the story. Too many variables create situations where you can only cryptically guess what actually happens. As GM, you need specific information about the past to plan future adventures, and the same applies to the authors who continue to tell Aventuria’s story. Therefore, even though an adventure module might have three possible endings, only one makes it into the official Aventuria (though with some adjustments, it is often possible to reconcile the other outcomes with the official history, if desired).