Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day.

On July 4, 1776, The United States of America was born. We have come along way and have had our ups and downs, but I believe that the United States still has a chance to be what the founders of this country envisioned. A country where people are free.

Below is the preamble of the United States Constitution and the first ten Amendments to that document, known as the Bill of Rights. These rights were not given by a government, or by any man, but by God himself and are, thus, sacred.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

II: A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

III: No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

V: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

VII: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

IX:The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Fourth of July - The Birthday of The United States of America

Happy Independence Day, United States of America!

Here is a transcript of the Declaration of Independence. I believe these words were divinely inspired.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Green Age Ogres, before the Cleansing Wars

Ogres in many other settings are savage, brutish, and animal-like. They are raiders, scavengers, and eaters of intelligent flesh. They are often unkempt and live in squalid conditions.
However, Ogres are not outline or defined on Athas, so why can't they be something else? They are descendants of civilized Halflings, after all. What if the ogres of Athas were noble and intelligent? I believe, if so, it would make the genocide of their race much more tragic.
Following is what I have decided ogres were in my Dark Sun campaign.

In the height of the green age, Ogres had several kingdoms spread throughout Athas. Ogres were known for their great strength and stonemasonry skills. There were fearsome combatants and were natural allies with the dwarves.
Ogres did have a particularly bizarre custom, at least to outsiders, of devouring the hearts of their honored dead. They believed the strengths of the dead would be transferred, at least in part, to the devourer. This included their own dead, as well as worthy enemies. It was this cannibalistic practice, among others, that were misrepresented in order to build a coalition against them.

Yuan-Ti of Athas Part One: Origin and Roles

Yuan-ti warrior.

Yuan-ti are often called snake people by the residents of Athas. They are creatures that vary in appearance. Some yuan-ti are almost indistinguishable from humans, often only having a single snake-like feature, these yuan-ti are called purebloods by those who encounter them. Another type of yuan-ti is called a halfbreed by outsiders. These halfbreeds are part human and part snake and cannot pass for human. So-called abominations are the least human looking yuan-ti. They appear as a ten foot long snake and only some of them will have a single human feature. The last commonly encountered yuan-ti is the histachii, which are reptilian humanoids which only appear human at a great distance.
The history of the yuan-ti begins during the blue age, when corrupt nature benders created the ancestors of the yuan-ti from the serpents that swam through the endless oceans. These yuan-ti were only slightly smarter than the animals they were created from. The nature benders used these creatures as guards, thugs, and menial servants.
When the nature masters came and defeated the nature benders, these yuan-ti like creatures escaped into the oceans. The nature masters pursued and destroyed many of them, but the oceans were too vast to destroy them all. The yuan-ti like creatures lived and bred, but were no more dangerous than other sea serpents.

Elemental Lords, Living Vortices, and Sorcerer Kings

This is the history of Athas from the point of view of the elemental lords.

The elemental planes; earth, air, fire, and water, have existed since time began. The inhabitants of these realms are elementals, they can be both powerful and feeble. They were born of the substance that surrounded them and made up their homes. They battled each other for dominance for countless millennia and these clashes created the battlegrounds of the paraelemental planes, magma, sun, rain, and mud.
Then something happened that they did not expect, the paraelemental planes gave birth to their own forms of life. These paraelementals were not as powerful as their elemental cousins, but they were recruited as fodder for the elemental wars, lead by genies and other true elementals. As time passed, the paraelementals grew in power and intelligence. They threw off the yoke of the elementals and began warring with them.
These battles caused the combatant's respective elements to drift into the prime material plane as scattered matter. These pieces of matter did not concern the elementals, for their planes were vast and endless. However, a powerful sun paraelemental visited the prime material plane and used the pieces of scattered matter to create an azure orb of pure paraelemental sun.

"He looks better in red." - River Tam

This organized sun matter imbued the paraelemental and the paraelemental plane with even greater power, creating the first paraelemental lord. The other elementals saw what the paraelemental had done and were quick to organize their own matter on the material plane. For the first time since time began, the elementals stopped fighting and began working together to organize the matter in the universe. Water, air, and earth quickly worked together in the process of creation, with fire joining them reluctantly later.

The culmination of their joint efforts was the creation of a world with living things. Plants and animals thrived, each imbued with a little of each of the four main elements and some with portions of the paraelements as well. There was no sentient life on the prime material plane, as the elemental lords had no reason to create it.
One day, things changed. The elemental lords noticed other creatures encroaching into their domain. They quickly sealed off these entrances, but allowed a small group of these curious creatures to live on one of their creations. The creatures were small and, when compared to the elemental lords, weak. Once the inhabitants discovered they could not return to their homes, they settled and adapted. Some of these inhabitants, who called themselves Halflings, discovered the presence of the elemental lords are offered their servitude in exchange for small portions of the elemental's power. The Halfling's named the world they lived on Athas, which meant "joy or gladness" in their ancient tongue.