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Real History of the Quelmar Realm: Difference between revisions

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=== October ===
=== October ===
Investigations into D&D 3.5 vs Pathfinder (aka 3.75) happen as the first gamemaster DM James ([[user:spiderjjr45]]) starts the groundwork for running a D&D game with friends. After having played D&D only once or twice before now, James is drawn to gamemaster his own campaign after watching a video of [https://youtu.be/jGXctw8IuGA Acquisitions Inc.] with Wil Wheaton.
Investigations into D&D 3.5 vs Pathfinder (aka 3.75) happen as the first gamemaster DM [[James]] ([[user:spiderjjr45]]) starts the groundwork for running a D&D game with friends. After having played D&D only once or twice before now, James is drawn to gamemaster his own [[campaign]] after watching a video of [https://youtu.be/jGXctw8IuGA Acquisitions Inc.] with Wil Wheaton.


=== December ===
=== December ===
DM James finalizes his team of players during a winter bingo event at a local children's theater, and has put dice, battlemaps, books, and everything D&D on his Christmas lists in hopes to finally begin playing in the new year.
[[DM James]] finalizes his team of players during a [[winter]] bingo event at a local children's theater, and has put dice, battlemaps, books, and everything D&D on his Christmas lists in hopes to finally begin playing in the new year.


== 2013 ==
== 2013 ==
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By the beginning of his first spring semester in College, DM James has procured the main 3.5e books for D&D, and also has drafted a map of "The _________ Realm", with its four major continents, and smaller continents, though nothing is named yet.
By the beginning of his first spring semester in College, DM James has procured the main 3.5e books for D&D, and also has drafted a map of "The _________ Realm", with its four major continents, and smaller continents, though nothing is named yet.


The first message goes out to Jamie, Zach, Allison, Nicole, Thomas, Matt, Brad:<blockquote>Hello potential D&D players (or observers of the game)! So the rules of the game say that every player is allowed to have access to "The Players Handbook" at any point during the game. If you haven't seen my copy that I'd brought to rehearsal, "The Player's Handbook" is a guide to what special abilities certain classes and races have, and it also contains any spells you can cast, and a lot more important information. If you really need a hard copy of it, you can find it on Amazon for 28 bucks or Barnes and Noble stocks it for about 30 bucks. If you don't want or need it or know if it's worth the investment, I'll always have my physical copy at the table when we get to playing. OR <nowiki>http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11068118/DnD/Players%20Handbook%20%5BOEF%5D.pdf</nowiki> The link attached to this post is also an alternative to buying the book. It's the Digital edition of the handbook, complete with a searchable table of contents. If you bring a laptop and that PDF file, it's the same as having the physical player's handbook. Of course, you're not required to have the book, but if you want to make it easier on yourself, it's always useful to have for reference. None of you are required to do any homework, but the more you develop about your characters ahead of time, the easier it will be to jump right into the game. Cheers! -James</blockquote>
The first message goes out to Jamie, Zach, Allison, Nicole, [[Thomas]], Matt, Brad:<blockquote>Hello potential D&D players (or observers of the game)! So the rules of the game say that every [[player]] is allowed to have access to "The Players Handbook" at any point during the game. If you haven't seen my copy that I'd brought to rehearsal, "The Player's Handbook" is a guide to what special abilities certain classes and races have, and it also contains any spells you can cast, and a lot more important information. If you really need a hard copy of it, you can find it on Amazon for 28 bucks or Barnes and Noble stocks it for about 30 bucks. If you don't want or need it or know if it's worth the investment, I'll always have my physical copy at the table when we get to playing. OR <nowiki>http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11068118/DnD/Players%20Handbook%20%5BOEF%5D.pdf</nowiki> The link attached to this post is also an alternative to buying the book. It's the Digital edition of the handbook, complete with a searchable table of contents. If you bring a laptop and that PDF file, it's the same as having the physical player's handbook. Of course, you're not required to have the book, but if you want to make it easier on yourself, it's always useful to have for reference. None of you are required to do any homework, but the more you develop about your characters ahead of time, the easier it will be to jump right into the game. Cheers! -James</blockquote>


=== February ===
=== February ===
James has named the continents, while the origins of lots of names can't be guaranteed, some guesses can be made: it's likely Osugbo was named after [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osogbo Osogbo], while Pteris is an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteris actual plant], Amusa is an archaic word meaning amusement, Levinkan is Levin (lighting) + Khan (king), Breme is likely a mistranslation: the actual word means "Fierce" but the 1913 Websters dictionary uses the example sentence "''From the septentrion cold, in the '''breme''' freezing air".'' Kiston and Isonhound don't have any certain origins, though the roots "Kist" and "Hound" mean "Sarcophagus/Casket" and "Beast", which each relate to the worldbuilding later done on those continents.
James has named the continents, while the origins of lots of names can't be guaranteed, some guesses can be made: it's likely [[Osugbo]] was named after [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osogbo Osogbo], while [[Pteris]] is an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteris actual plant], [[Amusa]] is an archaic word meaning amusement, [[Levinkan]] is Levin (lighting) + Khan (king), [[Breme]] is likely a mistranslation: the actual word means "Fierce" but the 1913 Websters dictionary uses the example sentence "''From the septentrion cold, in the '''breme''' freezing air".'' [[Kiston]] and [[Isonhound]] don't have any certain origins, though the roots "Kist" and "Hound" mean "Sarcophagus/Casket" and "[[Beast]]", which each relate to the worldbuilding later done on those continents.


The first instance of "'''Quelmar'''" is found in messages being sent to the original players, alongside this constructed and updated version of the drawn map, (still online as of 5/2021) https://imgur.com/Ehl0ZzS, the upload date says February 22nd. In that same conversation, references to [[Oppidan]], [[Jewelspar]], [[Dardin]], [[Granite]], and [[Rwendia]] are mentioned, meaning their worldbuilding (at least their names) are the first bits of Quelmar every established.
The first instance of "'''Quelmar'''" is found in messages being sent to the original players, alongside this constructed and updated version of the drawn map, (still online as of 5/2021) https://imgur.com/Ehl0ZzS, the upload date says February 22nd. In that same conversation, references to [[Oppidan]], [[Jewelspar]], [[Dardin]], [[Granite]], and [[Rwendia]] are mentioned, meaning their worldbuilding (at least their names) are the first bits of Quelmar every established.


Player Zach invents the [[Draco-Orc]] race by expressing interest in being "Half Dragon/Half Orc". Other players are still doing character building, but one thing that HAS been established is the city of [[Galik]] as being the hometown for several PCs.
Player Zach invents the [[Draco-Orc]] [[race]] by expressing interest in being "Half [[Dragon]]/Half Orc". Other players are still doing character building, but one thing that HAS been established is the city of [[Galik]] as being the hometown for several PCs.


=== March ===
=== March ===
On '''March 23rd, 2013,''' the first session of James' yet to be titled campaign (Which would become [[Sick of this Shit]]) is played at player Thomas' house, featuring his character [[Anema]] and mutual friend Brad's character [[Zugs McFlair]]. They fight over a hat, kill some lizardfolk, and save a lighthouse from pirates. One big take away is that "Use Rope" is a weird skill.
On '''March 23rd, 2013,''' the first [[session]] of James' yet to be titled campaign (Which would become [[Sick of this Shit]]) is played at player Thomas' house, featuring his character [[Anema]] and mutual friend Brad's character [[Zugs McFlair]]. They fight over a hat, kill some [[lizardfolk]], and save a lighthouse from pirates. One big take away is that "Use Rope" is a weird skill.


=== April ===
=== April ===
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=== April ===
=== April ===
Season 2 of Sick of this Shit concludes on '''April 25th,''' following the death of a major NPC and a battle against [[Kleckless Racoba]], the campaign's first BBEG. The team momentarily splits apart. With Doraleous parting from the others (After Zugs kills him Mom!)
Season 2 of Sick of this Shit concludes on '''April 25th,''' following the death of a major NPC and a battle against [[Kleckless Racoba]], the campaign's first BBEG. The team momentarily splits apart. With Doraleous parting from the others (After [[Zugs]] kills him Mom!)


=== May ===
=== May ===
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=== October ===
=== October ===
DM James sends out his second probe (the equivalent to the message he sent in late 2012), this time to college friends Lianna, Kelly, Matt A, Pat, Jared, Linus, Paul, Lucas, Logan, Alex, Steve, and Xav. All of them would eventually play in Quelmar over the next year or so except for Paul. The message is as follows: <blockquote>''Hi friends! I've put together this group message as a sort of "Interest Meeting", I don't want this to blow up into anything too big, so I've just invited a few key individuals (that's you) that I think could have a lot of fun out of this. I'll cut to the chase. Dungeons and Dragons. Some of you are big gamers (tabletop or video), and some of you are more casual. But don't let anything in this message intimidate you, because everyone contacted could very well gain something out of this. I've played for years now outside of school, always with other actors, and it's become quite an experience. Roleplaying games still have a stigma attached that's hung around since the 80's, but if you ask around, you'll find that actually some of the most charismatic and experienced people have a history with roleplaying games. (David White and Jay Herzog are two such examples.) Anyway, as a seasoned D&D gamer, I'm seriously interested in having some of you over to try it out if you haven't played before, and if you have played before, to try it the way I run it. So for right now, all I ask is for you to respond if you are interested.''<br /></blockquote>
DM James sends out his second probe (the equivalent to the message he sent in late 2012), this time to college friends Lianna, Kelly, Matt A, Pat, Jared, Linus, Paul, Lucas, Logan, Alex, [[Steve]], and Xav. All of them would eventually play in Quelmar over the next year or so except for Paul. The message is as follows: <blockquote>''Hi friends! I've put together this group message as a sort of "Interest Meeting", I don't want this to blow up into anything too big, so I've just invited a few key individuals (that's you) that I think could have a lot of fun out of this. I'll cut to the chase. Dungeons and [[Dragons]]. Some of you are big gamers (tabletop or video), and some of you are more casual. But don't let anything in this message intimidate you, because everyone contacted could very well gain something out of this. I've played for years now outside of school, always with other actors, and it's become quite an experience. Roleplaying games still have a stigma attached that's hung around since the 80's, but if you ask around, you'll find that actually some of the most charismatic and experienced people have a history with roleplaying games. (David White and Jay Herzog are two such examples.) Anyway, as a seasoned D&D gamer, I'm seriously interested in having some of you over to try it out if you haven't played before, and if you have played before, to try it the way I run it. So for right now, all I ask is for you to respond if you are interested.''<br /></blockquote>


=== November ===
=== November ===
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=== February ===
=== February ===
The halfling [[Juno Delthorne|Juno Delthorn]] is the first Quelmar character to permadie on '''February 8th''', a new tradition is started on the spot when player Logan requests a firelit viking funeral and the players take to the porch to light up his character sheet and give eulogies over the ashes.
The [[halfling]] [[Juno Delthorne|Juno Delthorn]] is the first Quelmar character to permadie on '''February 8th''', a new tradition is started on the spot when player Logan requests a firelit viking funeral and the players take to the porch to light up his character sheet and give eulogies over the ashes.


=== March ===
=== March ===
Season 3 of Sick of this Shit ends with the team witnessing Vecna's release from his prison, and his invention of the [[The Tovag Baragu]].
Season 3 of Sick of this Shit ends with the team witnessing [[Vecna]]'s release from his prison, and his invention of the [[The Tovag Baragu]].


=== April ===
=== April ===
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The death of [[Kragnux]] on '''May 10th''' marks a HUGE milestone event in Towson Tabletop (that would shape the campaign for the next 4 seasons, as well as numerous one-shots).
The death of [[Kragnux]] on '''May 10th''' marks a HUGE milestone event in Towson Tabletop (that would shape the campaign for the next 4 seasons, as well as numerous one-shots).


The season 1 finale of '''Towson Tabletop''' is played on '''May 24th''', the total player count by the end of Season 1 is 20, and Quelmar's total player count is 26. This is the session in which Kragnux (see above) is resurrected and giving deity status as [[Kragnux (Deity)]].
The season 1 finale of '''Towson Tabletop''' is played on '''May 24th''', the total player count by the end of Season 1 is 20, and Quelmar's total player count is 26. This is the session in which Kragnux (see above) is resurrected and giving [[deity]] status as [[Kragnux (Deity)]].


=== June ===
=== June ===
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=== September ===
=== September ===
Season 3 of Towson Tabletop kicks off on '''September 20th''', and with a new year at Towson, a new class of players also comes into play. This season also introduces [[warforged]] to the realm for the first time.
Season 3 of Towson Tabletop kicks off on '''September 20th''', and with a new year at Towson, a new [[class]] of players also comes into play. This season also introduces [[warforged]] to the realm for the first time.


=== November ===
=== November ===
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Season 3 of Towson Tabletop ends on '''December 14th''' with a battle against [[Skelya]], the total campaign player count is up to 38 (and a realm total of 44). This session is by far Quelmar's most lethal, with 3 player permadeaths, and enough stress to cause not one, but 4 players to retire their characters and build new ones (2 characters also get arrested).
Season 3 of Towson Tabletop ends on '''December 14th''' with a battle against [[Skelya]], the total campaign player count is up to 38 (and a realm total of 44). This session is by far Quelmar's most lethal, with 3 player permadeaths, and enough stress to cause not one, but 4 players to retire their characters and build new ones (2 characters also get arrested).


For Seasons 4 and 5, James pins this comment to the Towson Tabletop page (for the ever-expanding cast):<blockquote>''Welcome to the homepage of Towson Tabletop, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign centered in the mystical world of Quelmar, wrought with dangers and perils of all sorts. Luckily, your friends in real life are your friends in the wilds as you take on the roles of Dwarves, Elves, Changelings, Warforged robots, and all other manner of heroic personalities. Every semester is a new Season, and we'll be starting Season 4 in a few weeks! Don't be afraid to come out for a game, just to see what the hype is. It's 50% improv exercise, 40% board game, and 10% everything else you could imagine. Every week polls go up for players to vote on when to hold the next game, so if you're curious, chances are you'll be able to jump in sometime within the next 7 days! Welcome aboard!''</blockquote>
For Seasons 4 and 5, James pins this comment to the Towson Tabletop page (for the ever-expanding cast):<blockquote>''Welcome to the homepage of Towson Tabletop, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign centered in the mystical world of Quelmar, wrought with dangers and perils of all sorts. Luckily, your friends in real life are your friends in the wilds as you take on the roles of [[Dwarves]], [[Elves]], Changelings, Warforged robots, and all other manner of heroic personalities. Every semester is a new Season, and we'll be starting Season 4 in a few weeks! Don't be afraid to come out for a game, just to see what the hype is. It's 50% improv exercise, 40% board game, and 10% everything else you could imagine. Every week polls go up for players to vote on when to hold the next game, so if you're curious, chances are you'll be able to jump in sometime within the next 7 days! Welcome aboard!''</blockquote>


== 2016==
== 2016==
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Season 4 of Towson Tabletop begins with a bang on '''January 1st'''! DM James destroys the entire realm, handing it over literal satan ([[Asmodeus]]) who kills almost everyone in existence! In record time, James completes season 4, with sessions on '''January 6th, January 8th, January 10th, January 17th, January 21st, January 23rd''' (a special 2 player game), and '''January 31st.''' By the end of Season 4, campaign player count is up to 42 (48 Quelmar players total).
Season 4 of Towson Tabletop begins with a bang on '''January 1st'''! DM James destroys the entire realm, handing it over literal satan ([[Asmodeus]]) who kills almost everyone in existence! In record time, James completes season 4, with sessions on '''January 6th, January 8th, January 10th, January 17th, January 21st, January 23rd''' (a special 2 player game), and '''January 31st.''' By the end of Season 4, campaign player count is up to 42 (48 Quelmar players total).


At the end of the season, [[Hellmar]] is introduced (it is the Quelmar that Satan destroyed and took over, the gods then created a second Quelmar to replace the original). This is Quelmar's first major departure from the traditional D&D planescape, adding a 10th Hell to the 9 Hells of [[Baator]].
At the end of the season, [[Hellmar]] is introduced (it is the Quelmar that Satan destroyed and took over, the [[gods]] then created a second Quelmar to replace the original). This is Quelmar's first major departure from the traditional D&D planescape, adding a 10th Hell to the 9 Hells of [[Baator]].


=== February ===
=== February ===
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* Only a week later, on '''May 21st,''' Quelmar's next campaigns are getting ready to play. Groups for '''[[SotS Inc]].''' and [[The Underdungeon]] are created, one is a campaign spun off of the original [[Sick of this Shit]], the other is an exercise in how to make D&D into a pure strategy game. Memos on each page read as follow:
* Only a week later, on '''May 21st,''' Quelmar's next campaigns are getting ready to play. Groups for '''[[SotS Inc]].''' and [[The Underdungeon]] are created, one is a campaign spun off of the original [[Sick of this Shit]], the other is an exercise in how to make D&D into a pure strategy game. Memos on each page read as follow:
**''Hello Players!  Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, and classes for you to choose from). But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "'Sick of this Shit Incorporated' was founded in the year 694 by a group of adventurers hoping to turn around the criminal population in Oppidan, the southeast area of Pteris. By bringing ex-convicts to their quest-assigning company, those who were once criminals soon found outlets for their thieving or murderous ways...beginning a foray into the world of adventure!" Every player in this campaign will be automatically given the "Criminal" background, if you have other specific ideas for your character, talk to me. I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!''
**''Hello Players!  Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, and classes for you to choose from). But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "'[[Sick of this Shit Incorporated]]' was founded in the year 694 by a group of [[adventurers]] hoping to turn around the criminal population in Oppidan, the southeast area of Pteris. By bringing ex-convicts to their quest-assigning company, those who were once criminals soon found outlets for their thieving or murderous ways...beginning a foray into the world of adventure!" Every player in this campaign will be automatically given the "Criminal" background, if you have other specific ideas for your character, talk to me. I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!''
**''Hello Players! Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, classes, and backgrounds for you to choose from). I think most of you have already begun work on your characters, which is to be expected for a group of diehard players like yourself.  In the files section, you will find a list of Official Rules, as stated in the PHB and DMG. These rules are official rulings from Wizards of the Coast, pulled both from book and online Sage Advice material. If it seems rough...well it is. But it's exactly the game WotC wanted you to experience.  But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "When Quelmar was reborn, a special buffer realm was created to keep the Nine Hells of Baator seperate from the Material Plane. When this plane needed to be populated by the gods...only Torog, patron of Jailors defined the twisted beings who inhabit this forever underground labyrinth. Unlike Quelmar above, these creatures live like savages in most places, and those who rise above do so viciously. Filled with the most monstrous creatures Torog could imagine, the Underdark was born." I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!''
**''Hello Players! Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, classes, and backgrounds for you to choose from). I think most of you have already begun work on your characters, which is to be expected for a group of diehard players like yourself.  In the files section, you will find a list of Official Rules, as stated in the PHB and DMG. These rules are official rulings from Wizards of the Coast, pulled both from book and online Sage Advice material. If it seems rough...well it is. But it's exactly the game WotC wanted you to experience.  But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "When Quelmar was reborn, a special buffer realm was created to keep the [[Nine Hells]] of Baator seperate from the Material [[Plane]]. When this plane needed to be populated by the gods...only [[Torog]], patron of Jailors defined the twisted beings who inhabit this forever underground labyrinth. Unlike Quelmar above, these creatures live like savages in most places, and those who rise above do so viciously. Filled with the most monstrous creatures Torog could imagine, the [[Underdark]] was born." I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!''


=== June ===
=== June ===
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=== July ===
=== July ===
As part of [[The Underdungeon]], DM James creates Quelmar's first map of [[The Underdark]], establishing the trope that the land/water relationship is inverted under Quelmar, with a number of seas of water within an great mass of rocky land.
As part of [[The Underdungeon]], DM James creates Quelmar's first map of [[The Underdark]], establishing the trope that the land/water relationship is inverted under Quelmar, with a number of seas of water within an great mass of [[rocky]] land.


=== August ===
=== August ===
SotS Inc. Season 1 ends on '''August 21st''' and reveals the season's BBEG to be one of the BBEGs from the original Sick of this Shit campaign, [[Killis Goodman]].
[[SotS Inc.]] Season 1 ends on '''August 21st''' and reveals the season's BBEG to be one of the BBEGs from the original Sick of this Shit campaign, [[Killis Goodman]].


The Underdungeon Season 1 ends the next day on '''August 22nd'''.
The Underdungeon Season 1 ends the next day on '''August 22nd'''.
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=== September ===
=== September ===
[[File:Toqbanner.jpg|thumb|353x353px|The original banner for "Tales of Quelmar"]]
[[File:Toqbanner.jpg|thumb|353x353px|The original banner for "Tales of Quelmar"]]
On '''September 4th''', the "Tales of Quelmar" page is launched on Facebook in secret, with plans to bring all circles of Quelmar together under one blanket group for the first time (and arguably establishing a 'Community'). The page description at the time is as follows:<blockquote>''Welcome to the Quelmar base of collaboration. Find your favorite co-players and plan your campaigns, find a game to drop in on, or just work with others to build your own theatrical stories together! This is where it all begins!''</blockquote>A pilot '''Tale of Quelmar''' (aka an explicit test of whether or not DM James can run a one-shot) is played on '''September 10th''' under the tentative name '''"AID in the Underdark"''', it has a player from SotS Inc, a player from Sick of this Shit, and a player from Towson Tabletop. It is followed the next day by a second 'pilot' session called "'''Memetrides and Demetrides'''" that just had two old friends (original players Zach and Matt).
On '''September 4th''', the "[[Tales of Quelmar]]" page is launched on Facebook in secret, with plans to bring all circles of Quelmar together under one blanket group for the first time (and arguably establishing a 'Community'). The page description at the time is as follows:<blockquote>''Welcome to the Quelmar base of collaboration. Find your favorite co-players and plan your campaigns, find a game to drop in on, or just work with others to build your own theatrical stories together! This is where it all begins!''</blockquote>A pilot '''Tale of Quelmar''' (aka an explicit test of whether or not DM James can run a one-shot) is played on '''September 10th''' under the tentative name '''"AID in the Underdark"''', it has a player from SotS Inc, a player from Sick of this Shit, and a player from Towson Tabletop. It is followed the next day by a second 'pilot' session called "'''[[Memetrides]] and Demetrides'''" that just had two old friends (original players Zach and Matt).

[[File:Tales of Quelmar - "Teaser"|thumb|289x289px|The Teaser Video that was sent out to over 50 people to bring the community together as a whole!]]
'''IT BEGINS, THE''' '''QUELMAR ORIGINAL TEASER VIDEO:''' https://youtu.be/CnSlMkNBOGE
On '''September 15th''', the members of four different earlier groups: [[SotS Inc]], [[The Underdungeon]], [[Towson Tabletop]], and [[Sick of this Shit]], are finally invited to join the previously secret page, and are encouraged to invite their friends, which results in 4 more players coming on board: Isaiah, Xav, Will M, and Laura Rose. This brings Quelmar's total player count up to 60, finally all under one roof, and James stops counting. The introduction of one-shots and various game masters makes it a chore to keep track of just how many players there are.

On '''September 15th''', the members of four different earlier groups: [[SotS Inc]], [[The Underdungeon]], [[Towson Tabletop]], and [[Sick of this Shit]], are finally invited to join the previously secret page, and are encouraged to invite their friends, which results in 4 more players coming on board: Isaiah, Xav, Will M, and Laura [[Rose]]. This brings Quelmar's total player count up to 60, finally all under one roof, and James stops counting. The introduction of one-shots and various game masters makes it a chore to keep track of just how many players there are.


=== October ===
=== October ===
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Like the domains he created for Quelmar's 2-year anniversary, for Quelmar's 4-year anniversary, GM James invents the major [[List of Kingdoms|Kingdoms]] of the realm. Establishing two "sub-eras" of the [[PR]] era, the first half, which is primarily kingdoms, and the second half, which are the customary domains. The Kingdoms play a HUGE part in the new OathWielders campaign, set in an era when these kingdoms are still finding their boundaries and fighting each other for land.
Like the domains he created for Quelmar's 2-year anniversary, for Quelmar's 4-year anniversary, GM James invents the major [[List of Kingdoms|Kingdoms]] of the realm. Establishing two "sub-eras" of the [[PR]] era, the first half, which is primarily kingdoms, and the second half, which are the customary domains. The Kingdoms play a HUGE part in the new OathWielders campaign, set in an era when these kingdoms are still finding their boundaries and fighting each other for land.


'''Sick of this Shit Legends Part 3: Anema E. Core''' is played on '''June 23rd''', marking the final ending of [[Sick of this Shit]]. The entire session is filmed and archived, and sees Quelmar's first character on the final days of the realm itself. In the time since Sick of this Shit Started, James started and finished 3 other campaigns.
'''Sick of this Shit Legends Part 3: Anema E. [[Core]]''' is played on '''June 23rd''', marking the final ending of [[Sick of this Shit]]. The entire session is filmed and archived, and sees Quelmar's first character on the final days of the realm itself. In the time since Sick of this Shit Started, James started and finished 3 other campaigns.


=== July ===
=== July ===
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DM James runs his first Bachelor Party D&D session for some local theater friends, settings the one-shots in Quelmar, and introducing another 7 people to the community.
DM James runs his first Bachelor Party D&D session for some local theater friends, settings the one-shots in Quelmar, and introducing another 7 people to the community.


DM Rachael runs her first Quelmar adventures as the beginning of a Chronepsis campaign on '''January 18th'''
DM Rachael runs her first Quelmar adventures as the beginning of a [[Chronepsis]] campaign on '''January 18th'''


=== February ===
=== February ===
DM Lianna's first one-shot, '''A Little Less Conversation...''', is run at her house.
DM Lianna's first one-shot, '''A Little Less Conversation...''', is run at her house.


Chronepsis Campaign runs out of time on '''February 5th'''
[[Chronepsis Campaign]] runs out of time on '''February 5th'''


=== March ===
=== March ===
DM Will launches his campaign '''For the Love of Gold''', with players Erik, Allie, Eric, and Matthew. It only runs three sessions unfortunately, but it is Quelmar's first '''Entirely Online''' campaign! As well as the first use of popular VTT Roll20 in running Quelmar adventures/
DM Will launches his campaign '''[[For the Love of Gold]]''', with players Erik, Allie, Eric, and Matthew. It only runs three sessions unfortunately, but it is Quelmar's first '''Entirely Online''' campaign! As well as the first use of popular VTT Roll20 in running Quelmar adventures/


DM T.P.'s first campaign, the [[Atla Campaign]], concludes in early March, marking the first completed campaign not by DM James.
DM T.P.'s first campaign, the [[Atla Campaign]], concludes in early March, marking the first completed campaign not by DM James.
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After volunteering to be the dramaturg for [https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/04/09/review-she-kills-monsters-at-green-globe-theatre/ a local production of '''She Kills Monsters'''], DM James brings many of the cast and crew into the Quelmar circle, at least...those who weren't already Quelmar community members (which included the theater's founders and board of directors). Quelmar at this point consists of over 80 individuals, many now who are "Friends of friends".
After volunteering to be the dramaturg for [https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/04/09/review-she-kills-monsters-at-green-globe-theatre/ a local production of '''She Kills Monsters'''], DM James brings many of the cast and crew into the Quelmar circle, at least...those who weren't already Quelmar community members (which included the theater's founders and board of directors). Quelmar at this point consists of over 80 individuals, many now who are "Friends of friends".


Season 3 of Oathwielders ends on '''April 22nd''' with the team facing all their individual arch enemies, who formed an evil alliance.
Season 3 of [[Oathwielders]] ends on '''April 22nd''' with the team facing all their individual arch enemies, who formed an evil alliance.


=== May ===
=== May ===
Before moving to Pennsylvania that summer, DM James runs three final one-shots for the community. '''Corduth's Koblds''' retouches on the villains of [[Towson Tabletop]], '''SotSIncarnation''' gives closure to those who died in the Sots Inc TPK last April, while '''UnderDungeon Reemergence''' is a love letter to the terrors of the [[The Underdungeon|darkness]].
Before moving to Pennsylvania that summer, DM James runs three final one-shots for the community. '''[[Corduth]]'s Koblds''' retouches on the villains of [[Towson Tabletop]], '''SotSIncarnation''' gives closure to those who died in the Sots Inc TPK last April, while '''UnderDungeon Reemergence''' is a love letter to the terrors of the [[The Underdungeon|darkness]].


The fourth and final season of OathWielders begins on '''May 12th''', the first time [[Galik]] shows up as a real campaign setting.
The fourth and final season of OathWielders begins on '''May 12th''', the first time [[Galik]] shows up as a real campaign setting.
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=== June ===
=== June ===
Exactly 1 year later, the OathWielders campaign ends in the wee morning hours of '''June 30th'''
Exactly 1 year later, [[the OathWielders]] campaign ends in the wee morning hours of '''June 30th'''


=== August ===
=== August ===
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=== November ===
=== November ===
DM James runs his first adventure for new friends in Pennsylvania on '''November 17th''', building up Quelmar's second major base of players, with players Caitlin, Kevin, Mark, Bagmi, and Rachael present. Four of these characters, Wanda, Croach, Tigger, and Rosamund, would continue into the [[Ancients Alive]] campaign.
DM James runs his first adventure for new friends in Pennsylvania on '''November 17th''', building up Quelmar's second major base of players, with players Caitlin, Kevin, Mark, Bagmi, and Rachael present. Four of these characters, [[Wanda]], Croach, Tigger, and Rosamund, would continue into the [[Ancients Alive]] campaign.


== 2019 ==
== 2019 ==


=== January ===
=== January ===
DM James runs his first online adventure for old Quelmar players Brad, Griffin, Linus, and Rose. '''A Little Pandemonium''' is played using Google Hangouts on '''January 26th'''.
DM James runs his first online adventure for old Quelmar players Brad, Griffin, Linus, and Rose. '''A Little [[Pandemonium]]''' is played using Google Hangouts on '''January 26th'''.


=== March ===
=== March ===
The [[Ancients Alive]] campaign informally starts with a session on '''March 7th''' involving the Crown of Empyrosis in [[Galik]]. The session was technically a one-shot but later rolled into the Campaign, functioning as a Session 0. Ancients Alive would continue to bring over 20 new players to the table in Pennsylvania, growing the PA arm of Quelmar considerably.
The [[Ancients Alive]] campaign informally starts with a session on '''March 7th''' involving the [[Crown of Empyrosis]] in [[Galik]]. The session was technically a one-shot but later rolled into the Campaign, functioning as a Session 0. Ancients Alive would continue to bring over 20 new players to the table in Pennsylvania, growing the PA arm of Quelmar considerably.


=== July ===
=== July ===
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=== June ===
=== June ===
[[Ancients Alive]] ends with a its final session on '''June 9th''', seeing the Crown of Empyrosis finally destroyed.
[[Ancients Alive]] ends with a its final session on '''June 9th''', seeing [[the Crown of Empyrosis]] finally destroyed.


DM James begins back-logging old campaign videos and material on the Quelmar YouTube channel, letting the now-quickly-growing community have some insight on the older campaigns and their stories, characters, and intros.
DM James begins back-logging old campaign videos and material on the Quelmar YouTube channel, letting the now-quickly-growing community have some insight on the older campaigns and their stories, characters, and intros.
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As part of [[Tails of Quelmar]], GM Rose debuts a brand new RPG system, [[GM:Super Dogs|Super Dogs]], which she wrote, marking Quelmar's first new game system debut.
As part of [[Tails of Quelmar]], GM Rose debuts a brand new RPG system, [[GM:Super Dogs|Super Dogs]], which she wrote, marking Quelmar's first new game system debut.


DM Craig runs his first Quelmar one-shot, '''A Long Night in Ravendean''', also marking Quelmar's first [[GM: Monster of the Week|Monster of the Week]] session.
DM Craig runs his first Quelmar one-shot, '''A Long Night in [[Ravendean]]''', also marking Quelmar's first [[GM: Monster of the Week|Monster of the Week]] session.


=== November ===
=== November ===
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=== June ===
=== June ===
The first ever '''QuelmarCon''' is held on '''June 4th,''' marking DM Mike's Quelmar debut.
The first ever '''[[QuelmarCon 21|QuelmarCon]]''' is held on '''June 4th,''' marking DM Mike's Quelmar debut.

[[Category:IRL]]

Latest revision as of 17:53, 13 December 2024

This page records the real life history of the Quelmar Realm fictional setting.

2012[edit | edit source]

October[edit | edit source]

Investigations into D&D 3.5 vs Pathfinder (aka 3.75) happen as the first gamemaster DM James (user:spiderjjr45) starts the groundwork for running a D&D game with friends. After having played D&D only once or twice before now, James is drawn to gamemaster his own campaign after watching a video of Acquisitions Inc. with Wil Wheaton.

December[edit | edit source]

DM James finalizes his team of players during a winter bingo event at a local children's theater, and has put dice, battlemaps, books, and everything D&D on his Christmas lists in hopes to finally begin playing in the new year.

2013[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

By the beginning of his first spring semester in College, DM James has procured the main 3.5e books for D&D, and also has drafted a map of "The _________ Realm", with its four major continents, and smaller continents, though nothing is named yet.

The first message goes out to Jamie, Zach, Allison, Nicole, Thomas, Matt, Brad:

Hello potential D&D players (or observers of the game)! So the rules of the game say that every player is allowed to have access to "The Players Handbook" at any point during the game. If you haven't seen my copy that I'd brought to rehearsal, "The Player's Handbook" is a guide to what special abilities certain classes and races have, and it also contains any spells you can cast, and a lot more important information. If you really need a hard copy of it, you can find it on Amazon for 28 bucks or Barnes and Noble stocks it for about 30 bucks. If you don't want or need it or know if it's worth the investment, I'll always have my physical copy at the table when we get to playing. OR http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11068118/DnD/Players%20Handbook%20%5BOEF%5D.pdf The link attached to this post is also an alternative to buying the book. It's the Digital edition of the handbook, complete with a searchable table of contents. If you bring a laptop and that PDF file, it's the same as having the physical player's handbook. Of course, you're not required to have the book, but if you want to make it easier on yourself, it's always useful to have for reference. None of you are required to do any homework, but the more you develop about your characters ahead of time, the easier it will be to jump right into the game. Cheers! -James

February[edit | edit source]

James has named the continents, while the origins of lots of names can't be guaranteed, some guesses can be made: it's likely Osugbo was named after Osogbo, while Pteris is an actual plant, Amusa is an archaic word meaning amusement, Levinkan is Levin (lighting) + Khan (king), Breme is likely a mistranslation: the actual word means "Fierce" but the 1913 Websters dictionary uses the example sentence "From the septentrion cold, in the breme freezing air". Kiston and Isonhound don't have any certain origins, though the roots "Kist" and "Hound" mean "Sarcophagus/Casket" and "Beast", which each relate to the worldbuilding later done on those continents.

The first instance of "Quelmar" is found in messages being sent to the original players, alongside this constructed and updated version of the drawn map, (still online as of 5/2021) https://imgur.com/Ehl0ZzS, the upload date says February 22nd. In that same conversation, references to Oppidan, Jewelspar, Dardin, Granite, and Rwendia are mentioned, meaning their worldbuilding (at least their names) are the first bits of Quelmar every established.

Player Zach invents the Draco-Orc race by expressing interest in being "Half Dragon/Half Orc". Other players are still doing character building, but one thing that HAS been established is the city of Galik as being the hometown for several PCs.

March[edit | edit source]

On March 23rd, 2013, the first session of James' yet to be titled campaign (Which would become Sick of this Shit) is played at player Thomas' house, featuring his character Anema and mutual friend Brad's character Zugs McFlair. They fight over a hat, kill some lizardfolk, and save a lighthouse from pirates. One big take away is that "Use Rope" is a weird skill.

April[edit | edit source]

On April 1st, 2013, Sick of this Shit's key team is complete as players Zach and Matt introduce Reelo and Doraleous in the second session of the campaign, and Quelmar's first adventuring team is complete. Their first adventure together involves meeting each other in an office, and Anema peeing on a desk to show dominance. The rest is history!

On April 3rd, 2013 a Facebook group is made for the four players (the group is named "Creatures and Caverns" for now), and sessions continue to be planned and coordinately regularly, with another session April 19th.

June[edit | edit source]

Quelmar's first Terrain: The Rwendian theater on Hashding Island

The first terrain is built and used at the table on June 30th, it is a theater for Quelmar's first BBEG battle against Kleckless Racoba. Player Thomas requests before the session to have his character killed off because he thinks he's bored of D&D, but after playing for 30 minutes, he changes his mind and DM James has to completely rewrite the third act mid adventure since it can't revolve around Anema's fatal sacrifice. The next morning James posts this:

So once again I'd really like to thank all of you for coming out for what I consider yet again another really successful game with the gang. While the sudden changes and improvisation caused an interesting twist (I swear I didn't intend for 3 hours worth of battle) I'm happy we were able to come to some sort of conclusion to this part of the story.

Anema would continue to adventure until Level 20, and Thomas would keep playing even after Anema's final session into the 2020s, most recently in Get Submodule.

July[edit | edit source]

On July 24th, the first team finally comes up with a team name, formalizing the "Sick of this Shit" adventuring team name.

November[edit | edit source]

On November 2nd, Sick of this Shit fights Barroth the Red, Quelmar's first dragon battle, and the namesake for James' dragon head trophy. Barroth would later be retconned into one of The Ten Heralds of Tiamat.

DM James' iconic projection mapping setup is turned on for the first time on November 29th, getting used in the season 1 finale of Sick of this Shit the next day on November 30th.

December[edit | edit source]

Season 2 of Sick of this Shit formally begins on December 23rd with an adventure back to Rwendia (also includes Quelmar's first Rust Monster). This session features Quelmar's first intro sequence, a joint project between players Brad and Thomas, with some loose guidance from GM James.

2014[edit | edit source]

DM James' Entire Mini Collection in January 2014

January[edit | edit source]

Quelmar's second intro sequence is introduced to the table on January 23rd, featuring the first 3D animation for the campaign, including the use of a 3D render of Quelmar still used in intro sequences as late as 2021.

A promo image made for Quelmar's first original adventure. The Goat, Dragon, and Lion hidden in the bushes and sky foreshadow the first Mutated Chimera who shows up as the final boss after 8 session of Sneerwell.

February[edit | edit source]

Player Quentin joins the Sick of this Shit campaign as a "guest player", paving the way for more people joining Quelmar outside of the main campaign.

April[edit | edit source]

Season 2 of Sick of this Shit concludes on April 25th, following the death of a major NPC and a battle against Kleckless Racoba, the campaign's first BBEG. The team momentarily splits apart. With Doraleous parting from the others (After Zugs kills him Mom!)

May[edit | edit source]

Quelmar's first homebrew adventure, Sneerwell, begins on May 28th, this adventure also marks the beginning of Season 3 for Sick of this Shit.

June[edit | edit source]

Quelmar's first solo-player adventure is held with Matt (aka Doraleous) on June 1st and sees the introduction of Colin Pendergras, establishing one of the most popular and far reaching NPC bloodlines.

August[edit | edit source]

On August 15th, the first Chimera is slain a the table in a battle that lasts until 3 in the morning, concluding the Sneerwell adventure path. (Chimeras would later show up in Sots Inc., Realmtrotter's Guide to Zobeck, and more games)

On August 21st DM James publishes his first "Behind the Screen" material to Tumblr, which can be found here. Eventually this kind of material will be rolled into the Wiki under special "GM:_______" Pages.

October[edit | edit source]

DM James sends out his second probe (the equivalent to the message he sent in late 2012), this time to college friends Lianna, Kelly, Matt A, Pat, Jared, Linus, Paul, Lucas, Logan, Alex, Steve, and Xav. All of them would eventually play in Quelmar over the next year or so except for Paul. The message is as follows:

Hi friends! I've put together this group message as a sort of "Interest Meeting", I don't want this to blow up into anything too big, so I've just invited a few key individuals (that's you) that I think could have a lot of fun out of this. I'll cut to the chase. Dungeons and Dragons. Some of you are big gamers (tabletop or video), and some of you are more casual. But don't let anything in this message intimidate you, because everyone contacted could very well gain something out of this. I've played for years now outside of school, always with other actors, and it's become quite an experience. Roleplaying games still have a stigma attached that's hung around since the 80's, but if you ask around, you'll find that actually some of the most charismatic and experienced people have a history with roleplaying games. (David White and Jay Herzog are two such examples.) Anyway, as a seasoned D&D gamer, I'm seriously interested in having some of you over to try it out if you haven't played before, and if you have played before, to try it the way I run it. So for right now, all I ask is for you to respond if you are interested.

November[edit | edit source]

Player Dan joins Sick of this Shit as another "Guest Player", bringing Quelmar's total player count to 6 after a year and a half.

December[edit | edit source]

On December 12th, the first meeting (really Quelmar's first session 0) for Towson Tabletop happens with players Dean, Logan, Lucas, and Matt A. Quelmar total player count is now up to 10! This is also Quelmar's very first D&D 5e session!

On December 30th, DM James converts the Sick of this Shit Campaign to 5e [slyly remarking: "Happy New Year/Edition!"] as well using some lore material including The Tovag Baragu, and introducing a new concept called Edditionals, establishing that there is a Quelmar in every edition of every rulebook or gamestyle, and that characters can exist in any game mode.

2015[edit | edit source]

February[edit | edit source]

The halfling Juno Delthorn is the first Quelmar character to permadie on February 8th, a new tradition is started on the spot when player Logan requests a firelit viking funeral and the players take to the porch to light up his character sheet and give eulogies over the ashes.

March[edit | edit source]

Season 3 of Sick of this Shit ends with the team witnessing Vecna's release from his prison, and his invention of the The Tovag Baragu.

April[edit | edit source]

As part of Quelmar's 2 year anniversary, DM James reveals the breakdown of Quelmar's Domains in separate posts to both Sick of this Shit and Towson Tabletop groups, marking the first Political Map of the realm.

Actual images of the Death of Kragnux, who is dropped off of the back of the dragon moments later, falling over 300 feet to his death.

May[edit | edit source]

The death of Kragnux on May 10th marks a HUGE milestone event in Towson Tabletop (that would shape the campaign for the next 4 seasons, as well as numerous one-shots).

The season 1 finale of Towson Tabletop is played on May 24th, the total player count by the end of Season 1 is 20, and Quelmar's total player count is 26. This is the session in which Kragnux (see above) is resurrected and giving deity status as Kragnux (Deity).

June[edit | edit source]

The fourth and final season of Sick of this Shit begins, revisiting locations from the last 3 seasons, and ending in a sequel to the Sneerwell political campaign, a new 5 city adventure called The Oppidan War.

The second season of Towson Tabletop begins on June 11th, the players vote to visit Kiston, and land on Cof.

August[edit | edit source]

The Oppidan War concludes, also finishing the Sick of this Shit proper campaign. The players agree that despite the campaign ending, they'd love to see their characters again in the future.

Season 2 of Towson Tabletop also concludes, with a campaign player count of 24 (30 Quelmar players total).

September[edit | edit source]

Season 3 of Towson Tabletop kicks off on September 20th, and with a new year at Towson, a new class of players also comes into play. This season also introduces warforged to the realm for the first time.

November[edit | edit source]

For the next 2 years, starting on November 25th, the Sick of this Shit team will reunite every so often and tell a handful of one-shot stories, known affectionately as "The Cinematic Adventures".

The second Cinematic Adventure is held only 3 days later on November 28th, and Quelmar's first campaign crossover, called "Sick of this Tabletop" and finds players Brad, Matt, and Thomas from Sick of this Shit playing with players Linus, Logan, Daniel, and Sam.

December[edit | edit source]

Season 3 of Towson Tabletop ends on December 14th with a battle against Skelya, the total campaign player count is up to 38 (and a realm total of 44). This session is by far Quelmar's most lethal, with 3 player permadeaths, and enough stress to cause not one, but 4 players to retire their characters and build new ones (2 characters also get arrested).

For Seasons 4 and 5, James pins this comment to the Towson Tabletop page (for the ever-expanding cast):

Welcome to the homepage of Towson Tabletop, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign centered in the mystical world of Quelmar, wrought with dangers and perils of all sorts. Luckily, your friends in real life are your friends in the wilds as you take on the roles of Dwarves, Elves, Changelings, Warforged robots, and all other manner of heroic personalities. Every semester is a new Season, and we'll be starting Season 4 in a few weeks! Don't be afraid to come out for a game, just to see what the hype is. It's 50% improv exercise, 40% board game, and 10% everything else you could imagine. Every week polls go up for players to vote on when to hold the next game, so if you're curious, chances are you'll be able to jump in sometime within the next 7 days! Welcome aboard!

2016[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

Season 4 of Towson Tabletop begins with a bang on January 1st! DM James destroys the entire realm, handing it over literal satan (Asmodeus) who kills almost everyone in existence! In record time, James completes season 4, with sessions on January 6th, January 8th, January 10th, January 17th, January 21st, January 23rd (a special 2 player game), and January 31st. By the end of Season 4, campaign player count is up to 42 (48 Quelmar players total).

At the end of the season, Hellmar is introduced (it is the Quelmar that Satan destroyed and took over, the gods then created a second Quelmar to replace the original). This is Quelmar's first major departure from the traditional D&D planescape, adding a 10th Hell to the 9 Hells of Baator.

February[edit | edit source]

The fifth and final season of Towson Tabletop begins on February 7th.

March[edit | edit source]

Player Lianna creates @QuotesOfQuelmar as a way for the dozens of players to get the funniest quotes from sessions they couldn't attend. Eventually the account becomes Quelmar's ACTUAL twitter presence. The first quote comes from her husband who was playing Sir Davidos at session 52 of Towson Tabletop:

"Agh what the hell is that!" #sire

April[edit | edit source]

The three part finale for Towson Tabletop begins on April 25th, the three sessions are together known as The Sundown.

May[edit | edit source]

  • Towson Tabletop's final season ends on May 10th with a big finale involving the sacrifice of Kragnux the god. Though it is the end of the campaign, a canonical fundraising event starring all the Towson Tabletop characters set weeks after the finale is scheduled only days later.
  • On Sunday May 15th, the "Towson Tabletop: The Final Quest" begins at 6 AM in the morning, running 21 hours until 3 AM the next morning. Over the course of the session, players continue to donate at "The Well of Gof Undmei", coming up with $997 by the end of the session. (James donates the last $3, his only donation besides his time and 21 hours straight of gamemastering) bringing the first Quelmar Fundraiser total to exactly $1000.
  • The head of the Theatre Department leaves this message for the players, to be read at the beginning of the end.
    • "Dear Students: Congratulations on your Final Quest. I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person today, but delighted that you all have the opportunity to participate in this celebration of storytelling and community. After all, that has been the essence of theatre since its origins. Congratulations to James and all who have worked hard to make this day possible and to contribute to a very worthy cause. I know you all have many exciting quests ahead of you, so perhaps we will think of this as the final quest . . . For now . . . With affection and best wishes for a great day. Robyn"
  • The next evening on May 16th, James leaves this final message for his largest campaign before locking down the group and starting work on his next secret projects
    • "I'm absolutely speechless guys. Absolutely floored with the dedication, enjoyment, and pure unadulterated love you guys have shared for this game with me. When I sat in my room the summer before Junior Year and wrote up my very first list of 5 or 6 people I thought might like to play with me in the department, Allie Press told me it would take off, but I didn't believe her. I was nervous to ask people, I was no expert at the game, and 5th edition hadn't even been released yet. This was a small passion I held because of my love for the theatrical values being the DM had. I enjoyed making story telling art, and from the beginning it was truly a craft I could call my own. All of the passion each of you has brought to your characters, and the love for storytelling you have shared (whether through the world, the characters, the wiki, or any of the other outlets for making stories we've shared these years) has only fueled my own love for what a community these games build, and what an amazing trip it has been. Thank you so much. From the bottom of my dungeon of a heart. I hope to see some of you again at my very small table as I move on to a more refined campaign. Those of you who won't be able to continue with me because of my space limitations, I want nothing more than to encourage you to find more tables. The RPG world needs more theater artists. It needs more story tellers, and our degrees make us qualified experts, our history lies in the stories we've explored and the characters we've developed. Together, we've made theater."
  • By the end of Towson Tabletop, the campaign had a total of 48 players (making 54 total Quelmartians).
  • Only a week later, on May 21st, Quelmar's next campaigns are getting ready to play. Groups for SotS Inc. and The Underdungeon are created, one is a campaign spun off of the original Sick of this Shit, the other is an exercise in how to make D&D into a pure strategy game. Memos on each page read as follow:
    • Hello Players!  Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, and classes for you to choose from). But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "'Sick of this Shit Incorporated' was founded in the year 694 by a group of adventurers hoping to turn around the criminal population in Oppidan, the southeast area of Pteris. By bringing ex-convicts to their quest-assigning company, those who were once criminals soon found outlets for their thieving or murderous ways...beginning a foray into the world of adventure!" Every player in this campaign will be automatically given the "Criminal" background, if you have other specific ideas for your character, talk to me. I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!
    • Hello Players! Welcome to your new campaign! Some of you will be joining us later in the summer, and some of you will be leaving before the summer is up. Have no fear, we are here to stay! In the next few days, I'll be posting a character creation guide (With races, classes, and backgrounds for you to choose from). I think most of you have already begun work on your characters, which is to be expected for a group of diehard players like yourself.  In the files section, you will find a list of Official Rules, as stated in the PHB and DMG. These rules are official rulings from Wizards of the Coast, pulled both from book and online Sage Advice material. If it seems rough...well it is. But it's exactly the game WotC wanted you to experience.  But for now, a quick synopsis of what lies in store for this campaign: "When Quelmar was reborn, a special buffer realm was created to keep the Nine Hells of Baator seperate from the Material Plane. When this plane needed to be populated by the gods...only Torog, patron of Jailors defined the twisted beings who inhabit this forever underground labyrinth. Unlike Quelmar above, these creatures live like savages in most places, and those who rise above do so viciously. Filled with the most monstrous creatures Torog could imagine, the Underdark was born." I don't have a date set for our first game, but I'm hoping we can get started mid-June!

June[edit | edit source]

  • Sick of this Shit Legends Part 1: The final session for Quelmar's third player character, is held on June 9th.
  • SotS Inc. Season 1 begins on June 19th, notably featuring the return of original player Zach to the realm, as well as marking the first sessions for players Ari and Ben (making 56 total players).
  • The Underdungeon Season 1 begins the next day on June 20th, because the game is more intense and mechanics-focused, the party is small, and hand picked from players who seemed to have the best grasp on the rules and strategy of the RPG.
  • Both of the new campaigns have custom character sheets built around the mechanics and focused features of those campaigns. One is "Basic", and the other is "Advanced", so to say.

July[edit | edit source]

As part of The Underdungeon, DM James creates Quelmar's first map of The Underdark, establishing the trope that the land/water relationship is inverted under Quelmar, with a number of seas of water within an great mass of rocky land.

August[edit | edit source]

SotS Inc. Season 1 ends on August 21st and reveals the season's BBEG to be one of the BBEGs from the original Sick of this Shit campaign, Killis Goodman.

The Underdungeon Season 1 ends the next day on August 22nd.

September[edit | edit source]

The original banner for "Tales of Quelmar"

On September 4th, the "Tales of Quelmar" page is launched on Facebook in secret, with plans to bring all circles of Quelmar together under one blanket group for the first time (and arguably establishing a 'Community'). The page description at the time is as follows:

Welcome to the Quelmar base of collaboration. Find your favorite co-players and plan your campaigns, find a game to drop in on, or just work with others to build your own theatrical stories together! This is where it all begins!

A pilot Tale of Quelmar (aka an explicit test of whether or not DM James can run a one-shot) is played on September 10th under the tentative name "AID in the Underdark", it has a player from SotS Inc, a player from Sick of this Shit, and a player from Towson Tabletop. It is followed the next day by a second 'pilot' session called "Memetrides and Demetrides" that just had two old friends (original players Zach and Matt).

IT BEGINS, THE QUELMAR ORIGINAL TEASER VIDEO: https://youtu.be/CnSlMkNBOGE

On September 15th, the members of four different earlier groups: SotS Inc, The Underdungeon, Towson Tabletop, and Sick of this Shit, are finally invited to join the previously secret page, and are encouraged to invite their friends, which results in 4 more players coming on board: Isaiah, Xav, Will M, and Laura Rose. This brings Quelmar's total player count up to 60, finally all under one roof, and James stops counting. The introduction of one-shots and various game masters makes it a chore to keep track of just how many players there are.

October[edit | edit source]

SotS Inc Season 2 starts on October 8th with a revelation about their company's founder, and a new mission to hunt him down.

The Underdungeon season 2 starts on October 15th, introducing "Surface Dwellers" to the campaign for the first time.

The first public Tale of Quelmar, "Just Another Unimportant Day", is played on October 21st, with a combination of players from various campaigns. It involves the fantasy equivalent of time-traveling baby Hitler and what the morally right thing to do is.

The first Tomb of Horrors one shot, played on October 29th, starts a recurring halloween tradition that would continue every year, sending new players into the tomb, picking up the progress of the last players.

November[edit | edit source]

Player Linus (aka Kragnux) becomes the first DM to hold a Quelmar game besides James, launching a one-shot called Dungeons and Dinos!?!?!??! that is played on November 5th, also becoming James' first time playing in Quelmar.

December[edit | edit source]

The season 2 finale of SotS Inc is played on December 17th, it also doubles as Sick of this Shit Legends Part 2: Zugs McFlair, part of the original Sick of this Shit cinematics. Seeing the first and only full crossover of the two SotS-y teams, there is a terrible blizzard and everyone bails out of the game at the last minute, but then slowly all gather the courage to brave the storm for this epic over-sized reunion. This is also a send off to Quelmar's second-ever player character.

2017[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

The Underdungeon campaign comes to a close on January 21st (though an epilogue and reunion session are later played, this marks the end of the campaign). Surprisingly, the team is mostly made up of people who didn't start the campaign, demonstrating the interesting "hand-off" that occurred over the 6 months.

February[edit | edit source]

DM T.P. launches her first (of several) Quelmar one-shot, Terror at Erkrom Asylum on February 5th.

SotS Inc begins their 3rd (and final) season a week later, on February 12th.

April[edit | edit source]

SotS Inc comes to a close on April 9th after a near TPK wipes out most of the cast, the survivors regroup and solve the final mystery of the season.

May[edit | edit source]

The OathWielders players are assembled from a handpicked selection of players from ALL the previous campaigns (at that point). The lucky 7 are added to a group on May 25th, and material (lore, races, etc.) starts to trickle to them over the next 3 weeks.

June[edit | edit source]

Like the domains he created for Quelmar's 2-year anniversary, for Quelmar's 4-year anniversary, GM James invents the major Kingdoms of the realm. Establishing two "sub-eras" of the PR era, the first half, which is primarily kingdoms, and the second half, which are the customary domains. The Kingdoms play a HUGE part in the new OathWielders campaign, set in an era when these kingdoms are still finding their boundaries and fighting each other for land.

Sick of this Shit Legends Part 3: Anema E. Core is played on June 23rd, marking the final ending of Sick of this Shit. The entire session is filmed and archived, and sees Quelmar's first character on the final days of the realm itself. In the time since Sick of this Shit Started, James started and finished 3 other campaigns.

July[edit | edit source]

After much planning, the OathWielders campaign begins with session 1 on July 1st, which also introduces the first Quelmar Player Contract.

With player Jesse's help, DM James and Jesse develop a portable system that allows for bringing Quelmar's signature "cinematic" feel to anyone's rooms. It gets deployed and tested for the first time on July 23rd at player Ben's house for OathWielders, and after a few snags, works out. DM James uses this system to bring Quelmar to houses all over Maryland for the next year.

September[edit | edit source]

The first Tale of Quelmar one-shot to use the portable projection system is on September 9th at player Lianna's house.

Season 1 of OathWielders ends on September 21st with the first session to feature all 7 characters together at the same time.

Having run some one-shots this year, T.P. gathers the courage and the team to run her own campaign, resulting in the Atla Campaign, the first campaign run without founder James. It brings in 6 more new players to the community from T.P.s regional theater scene.

October[edit | edit source]

Season 2 of OathWielders starts on October 7th

December[edit | edit source]

Season 2 of OathWielders ends on December 18th

2018[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

DMDean!

DM Dean's first one-shot, The Secret of the Woven is run on January 13th.

OathWielders Season 3 starts on January 14th.

DM James runs his first Bachelor Party D&D session for some local theater friends, settings the one-shots in Quelmar, and introducing another 7 people to the community.

DM Rachael runs her first Quelmar adventures as the beginning of a Chronepsis campaign on January 18th

February[edit | edit source]

DM Lianna's first one-shot, A Little Less Conversation..., is run at her house.

Chronepsis Campaign runs out of time on February 5th

March[edit | edit source]

DM Will launches his campaign For the Love of Gold, with players Erik, Allie, Eric, and Matthew. It only runs three sessions unfortunately, but it is Quelmar's first Entirely Online campaign! As well as the first use of popular VTT Roll20 in running Quelmar adventures/

DM T.P.'s first campaign, the Atla Campaign, concludes in early March, marking the first completed campaign not by DM James.

April[edit | edit source]

After volunteering to be the dramaturg for a local production of She Kills Monsters, DM James brings many of the cast and crew into the Quelmar circle, at least...those who weren't already Quelmar community members (which included the theater's founders and board of directors). Quelmar at this point consists of over 80 individuals, many now who are "Friends of friends".

Season 3 of Oathwielders ends on April 22nd with the team facing all their individual arch enemies, who formed an evil alliance.

May[edit | edit source]

Before moving to Pennsylvania that summer, DM James runs three final one-shots for the community. Corduth's Koblds retouches on the villains of Towson Tabletop, SotSIncarnation gives closure to those who died in the Sots Inc TPK last April, while UnderDungeon Reemergence is a love letter to the terrors of the darkness.

The fourth and final season of OathWielders begins on May 12th, the first time Galik shows up as a real campaign setting.

On May 15th, DM James features the first Remote Player at an otherwise in-person session using a combination of overhead cameras, a laptop stacked on a pile of books, and a Google Hangouts link.

DM Matthew's first one-shot, Mages and Monodrones, is run on May 24th (also on Roll20!)

June[edit | edit source]

Exactly 1 year later, the OathWielders campaign ends in the wee morning hours of June 30th

August[edit | edit source]

Quelmar gets its official logo, which debuted on the Tales of Quelmar group on August 11th.

Quelmar also gets its own website, located at www.Quelmar.World. With the new logo, the Quelmar "brand" officially debuts.

September[edit | edit source]

DM James' first test for remote gaming, which would be the first steps of what would later become Quelmar's campaigns "It Came From Kiston" and ">Get Submodule"

Now in PA, DM James invests in cameras and equipment for filming and running adventures remotely (as 99% of his former player base is across state lines). The example picture to the right was taken on September 1st.

November[edit | edit source]

DM James runs his first adventure for new friends in Pennsylvania on November 17th, building up Quelmar's second major base of players, with players Caitlin, Kevin, Mark, Bagmi, and Rachael present. Four of these characters, Wanda, Croach, Tigger, and Rosamund, would continue into the Ancients Alive campaign.

2019[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

DM James runs his first online adventure for old Quelmar players Brad, Griffin, Linus, and Rose. A Little Pandemonium is played using Google Hangouts on January 26th.

March[edit | edit source]

The Ancients Alive campaign informally starts with a session on March 7th involving the Crown of Empyrosis in Galik. The session was technically a one-shot but later rolled into the Campaign, functioning as a Session 0. Ancients Alive would continue to bring over 20 new players to the table in Pennsylvania, growing the PA arm of Quelmar considerably.

July[edit | edit source]

First Wiki Contest Promo

This Wiki hits 500 pages, and a contest is held, with cash prizes being awarded to the most innovative, interesting, and engaging stories told on the wiki. More info on the contest, as well as the winners, can be found on the special page: Help:Wiki Worldbuilding Contest 2019

August[edit | edit source]

Player Ben helps DM James set up Quelmar's discord server, which launches on August 14th

October[edit | edit source]

DM Jesse runs his first one-shot, a reunion special for the OathWielders campaign, with most of the original cast, and letting DM James play a character.

2020[edit | edit source]

January[edit | edit source]

  • DM Rose starts her first foray into running Quelmar games with Uncharted on January 22nd, a campaign about The Giving.
  • DM James starts accepting applicants for his first online campaign It Came From Kiston using everything he learned about running online one-shots in 2019, combined with Quelmar's first foray into livestreaming on Twitch.
  • DM Kevin runs his first Quelmar one-shot (an adaption of A Wild Sheep Chase) on January 18th.

February[edit | edit source]

  • DM Kevin inadvertently kicks off his first campaign Realmtrotter's Guide to Zobeck, though he doesn't realize it at the time, as his one-shots all begin to link together, starting with Fight at the Museum on February 8th.
  • DM James' first online campaign It Came From Kiston starts on February 24th
  • DM Connor runs his first one-shot, Your Days Are Numbered, on February 29th.
  • Thanks to player Matt, Quelmar opens its Instagram page.

March[edit | edit source]

  • Covid-19 causes the cancellation of the rest of the Uncharted campaign, as well as a drastic switch to online sessions for the remainder of the Ancients Alive campaign. It Came from Kiston is...shockingly...completely unaffected, now already 3 sessions in and already completely online.
  • Quelmar starts its own YouTube channel , initially just for archiving sessions of It Came From Kiston.

April[edit | edit source]

DM James attempts to run a one-shot using the game system Blades in the Dark on April 25th, the players of the one-shot love it so much they demand a campaign, and The Neighbours Campaign is born.

May[edit | edit source]

The Ancients Alive campaign has its final battle on May 13th with the largest Quelmar Table to date, featuring 16 players all at the same time, something only possible thanks to everything switching to online.

June[edit | edit source]

Ancients Alive ends with a its final session on June 9th, seeing the Crown of Empyrosis finally destroyed.

DM James begins back-logging old campaign videos and material on the Quelmar YouTube channel, letting the now-quickly-growing community have some insight on the older campaigns and their stories, characters, and intros.

July[edit | edit source]

DM James begins playtesting of his new system The Players Have the Module, a variant rule where Players get access to the module in exchange for spent resources. The first campaign to use this system would be launched that winter.

To celebrate 10 livestreamed adventures, the Quelmar Twitch channel hosts a giveaway of HeroForge minis, boosting the channels numbers (especially in Australia) and being the first public giveaway (following the private Wiki contest last year)

August[edit | edit source]

The It Came From Kiston Campaign ends on August 23rd in an extra special long adventure.

DM Rose begins accepting applicants for her first online anthology, Tails of Quelmar on August 26th

September[edit | edit source]

Quelmar's Twitch channel premieres Tails of Quelmar on September 14th with DM Rose, her players join her for a session of Crash Pandas.

Applications for ⮞Get Submodule open on September 20th

October[edit | edit source]

As part of Tails of Quelmar, GM Rose debuts a brand new RPG system, Super Dogs, which she wrote, marking Quelmar's first new game system debut.

DM Craig runs his first Quelmar one-shot, A Long Night in Ravendean, also marking Quelmar's first Monster of the Week session.

November[edit | edit source]

Realmtrotter's Guide to Zobeck ends on November 7th, concluding DM Kevin's first campaign.

DM Kelsey runs her first Quelmar one-shot, A Kiston Wedding One Shot, as a follow up to It Came From Kiston on November 27th

2021[edit | edit source]

March[edit | edit source]

DM Kelsey begins her secret project on March 23rd.

April[edit | edit source]

DM Jonathan runs his first Quelmar one-shot, On the Precipice of History, regarding the origin of the Mutated Chimeras, on April 17th

June[edit | edit source]

The first ever QuelmarCon is held on June 4th, marking DM Mike's Quelmar debut.

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