Fellmyr is the realm wherein my Dungeons & Dragons (1983) game has begun. We started playing on Saturday – well, that’s Evil Jeff and I – and the adventures continue tomorrow with the first session of the school D&D Club opening the way for interested new players.

Out on the western edge of Lord Aldred’s realm lies the wilderness of Fellmyr. Here lies the border between the human-dominated lands to the east and the legendary Dwarven Kingdom of Azaz. The largest settlement is the small town of Hargrave located at the southern end of Lake Longmere, some 100 or more miles west across The Ranges. The trail that runs west to Hargrave marches along the narrow causeway at the north edge of Fellreach Marsh, a place notorious for its foul stench and fouler denizens.

The adventurers begin in the village of Stone Harrow and there are strange things happening at St Gregory’s. In the past few hours, Sir Roderick (the local Knight) has ordered the posting of men-at-arms at the doors to the Church and even Father Andrew has not been allowed inside.

You grew up in the village of Stone Harrow, or if you didn’t grow up here then this is where your story truly begins. The village stands about 90 miles further north and west of Hargrave, also on the north bank of Lake Longmere, and is a home to fishermen and herders. Mostly inhabited by humans, the occasional Dwarf visits from far east and a couple of Halfling families can be found. Elves are all but unheard of, said to hail from the Spirit Wood many miles northward.

Tomorrow I plan to introduce some new players to the game and give them a first taste of dungeon adventure somewhere on Mossfell which lies north of the village. It is a wild moor, slightly upland of the shoreline and used by the foolhardier hunters and shepherds during the summer months.

For myself, it has been a joy to revisit and re-read the classic Red Box booklets and now to move on to the Expert Rulebook. I’ve discovered all manner of details that I have tended to overlook in the past. I’ve also found myself wondering how it will all feel as I delve back into this old game.

In summary, I am delighted to have found my way back to the beginning – to the roots of all our fantasy gaming – and to do so with a mindset that is open to rediscovering what is there. Rather than prejudgement I am bringing an open mind and a willingness to share the roots of D&D with others.

Game on!