The World of Mer

Introduction      The Pirates of Dark Water is filled with elements of classic myth that give it a universal appeal. The motif of the hero's journey, out of a known environment, to undertake a task that leads to the source of life, has been an elemental part of storytelling for centuries. However, the ingredients that allow Dark Water to soar beyond the realm of the conventional tale of the hero's quest are humor and creativity.      Mer is an alien world, an environment unlike any we have ever seen. Everything, at every turn, surprises and amazes, yet it seems natural to the environment of this watery world. Mer, a planet in a constant state of flux, has island continents almost simultaneously being created, destroyed, and recreated. Even so, there is an unnatural natural order to all things on Mer. A simple example of this is its weaponry. In addition to standard medieval-type weapons, a number of items are of a design that takes advantage of the world's peculiar ocean life. Poisonous sea urchins are hurled with deadly accuracy from powerful sling shots, alien starfish are used as shurikens and blown glass muskets contain lizard-like creatures that, when "triggered," expel their deadly breath weapon.      To help you fully understand this unique world, we have provided you with a number of aids, the first being this, the World Book. Within these pages are descriptions of the lands, inhabitants, special characters and everything else needed to role-play on this fantastic world.      The next aid is the World of Mer Map, which shows all of the land masses and places of interest that existed at the time of the map's creation.      The last aid consists of over 100 new creatures on three-hole-punched sheets so that they may be organized with other similar monster sheets. [Andorus's note: I didn't have the patience to type these up, plus none of them have much bearing on the series-as it says, they're new creatures, and even if they appeared in the series, their descriptions differ from those from the show.]   Role-Playing in the World of Mer      As with most role-playing worlds, The Pirates of Dark Water requires an individual, known as the Master Pirate (MP)-in other games known as the Game Master (GM)-to interpret the rules and to ensure that gameplay is smooth and enjoyable.      The Pirates of Dark Water is a world unto itself and is an ongoing feast of adventures. And even if you already have an on-going campaign in place, this product is designed to fit easily into it. If you do not have a preexisting campaign, all you need is a role-playing system, this product, the normal materials needed to play such games and a familiarization with this product. With all those aspects in place, you can either use all of the material that we have supplied you, or you may elect to create your own new cities, towns, ports, and mysterious places for your players to encounter.

However, when play begins, you may wish to start your characters out in a limited area. For example, you may start your players in a small port town, telling them that there is pirate treasure nearby, and their goal is to find it. In this scenario, you need only give them a description of the town and surrounding area, and a brief synopsis of each of their backgrounds. You should also place regular people-referred to as non-player characters-for your players' characters to encounter, as well as the tricks, traps, creatures, villains or treasures and items that you want in the area.      When the players first begin play, their adventures should have low difficulty factors, thereby encouraging them to proceed. However, if the game is too easy, it is not challenging, and your players may quickly lose interest. On the other hand, if it is too difficult, your players may give up, adopting an "it's too difficult to play" attitude. For novice players, getting around should be relatively easy. However, there should be a few creatures around to keep it interesting, and details of their surroundings should sound strange and mysterious, and your players should feel a sense of danger for their characters may lurk just ahead.      If a player asks a question about something that has not yet been created, a vague answer should suffice until you "create" the answer to his question.      Remember, the only three rules that must be adhered to when creating a campaign are to create it to your liking, run it as you see fit, and have fun, because if you have fun, your players will have fun, too!   History of Mer As told by Shalimar Essper      Mer, the world of my birth, is a vast, ever-changing planet with an abundance of inhuman creatures, unexplored lands and a vague, almost non-existent history. However, to ensure that our children do not forget their heritage, my family, the Esspers, has been given the titanous task of recording events which have taken and are taking place throughout Mer.      Now, a little of my history to help explain why I and my kindred were considered qualified for this auspicious task. I come from a lineage of telepaths that can only telepathize amongst our kin. Therefore, all Esspers, save my Granduncle Zeffer, whose constitution is too weak to allow travel, are dispersed over the Twenty Seas. Seeing as our telepathy is unrestricted by distance, all information gathered is relayed to Granduncle Zeffer, who is on our small island, where he records it in the Book of Records. Most people we have talked to in our vast travels have a common question: "Doesn't being away from your family take its toll on you?" All I can say is that we are in constant, telepathic contact, and no matter the distance, we are only a thought away.      This job of mine is the most rewarding job on Mer. However, I envy my forefathers, as they spent vast amounts of time with the Kings of Octopon, the true

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