Gods and Goddesses

In the beginning, the primordial World was ruled by the Old Ones. Dark gods of chaos, ever changing as the planet itself. They were entropy and darkness incarnate. Then, came the One. The One was a light in the darkness. The One fought the dark gods and destroyed them. But, in the battle, the One became fractured, some say wounded. Depending on which priest you ask, the One either bled twelve single drops of blood onto the now stable world, or split into twelve pieces.
These twelve pieces became the pantheon of today. They are known as the "Twelve-Who-Are-One", or more often "The Six who Reign Above and the Six who Reign Below".
These gods have many aspects of themselves, versions that represent different things to different peoples and races. They have many names. In the Empire, Krolos is the god of War. To the men of North, the Thundri, he is Kral, god of War but also of Winter, and cold forgotten places.
The priests would have us believe they take very active roles in our lives. Their works, they say, are all around us.
Most adventurers will tell you they have seen many strange things. A whispered prayer that saved them from a dark beast. A talisman that holds back the dead.
To begin, we should start with the Father...

Arnor
Known as the Father, also called Aenir, Aesirah, the Lord of the Heavens, the Sun King and the Traveler.
One of the Six Who Reign Above.
His symbol is the sun and stars. He is often depicted as bearded man crossed with a sun, or wind manifested as face blowing clouds.

Arnor was first to rise from the One's ashes. As such, he chose mastery over the sky, the air and the sun. And with it he became Lord of Light. He is also master of Order and Law.
Travelers often pray to him to light their way, but it might just as often be a farmer, praying for good weather. But Arnor is an aloof god, as befits his station, distant from the world of men, He is neutral in his stance and really only intervenes when the forces of Chaos might prevail.
Many a priest or paladin chosen by Arnor spend their lives tested by their faith. The Sun King does not shower his faithful in gifts, but those who stay in his service often become those heroes of history.
Long ago, when the Empire was born, the first Emperors chose Arnor as their symbol. Even though Emperors through the ages have added their sigil to the Imperial standard, it is always surmounted by the sun of Arnor.
Arnor's wife is Nyalla, the Mother. As Arnor is master of those things above, she holds sway over those below. Theirs is a contentious marriage, as anyone who has witnessed a tornado or earthquake will tell you.

Mellion

One of the bravest in the group.

Evolution of a Character: Miss Adventure

Looking at her, Miss Adventure seems very much unchanged since she entered Wall. Unlike most of her companions, she hasn't spent much on the latest fashions or armor. She has squirrled away most of her money. Her only weakness seems to be fine cheeses.
Most of her equipment is watch she started with except for her very "un-halfling" like boots. Where most of her kin go barefoot, she has kept the very special boots she found in the dark depths. Indeed, she has collected many of the overlooked, seemingly useless items, that turn out priceless.

Evolution of a Character: Gildrid

Gildrid at 2nd Level.

Alabazium's Tale

They came in the night. Henchmen of their ilk rarely conduct their sort of business in the light of the day.
Alabazium had known on some level they would come. He'd known since he came to Wall. He thought his first foray into the adventuring life would pay off his debts. But that expedition had brought little gold, and many nightmares of cannibals in the dark.
Since then, he had wandered about Wall, trying odd jobs. His magical abilities barred him from most honest work, and attracted the wrong sorts wanting him for dishonest work.
A terrible winter spent on the streets of Wall, had lowered his standards. It's amazing what an empty stomach will make you capable of.
It was a simple job. All Alabazium had to do was loosen a few magical wards on a merchant's shop. The others would do the actual snatch and grab. In and out.
It all went remarkably well. His share would get him a food for a week and small room out of the cold. It even had a view of the wall.
It was on the third night, in his tiny room above the inn that they came. The boot to the head woke him. The room spinning, he tried to focus on the bearded man holding him firmly to the floor.
"Where's the money, Az?", he said grinding his heel further into the back of the magician's neck.
Alabazium managed a croaking, "In the bag. It's all I have."
There was shuffling noise as the tall one rummaged through Alabazium's bag.
"That ain't gonna even cover our expenses from the Border Kingdoms. By the way, nice trick joining those circus folks. Six weeks was it? You'd think they'd have more loyalty. They gave you up for two Crowns."
No doubt, Alabazium thought, they were still a bit mad over his incident with the lion. "I have an amulet. It's worth a king's ransom!"
"A king's ransom, huh?" The bearded one said."Judging by the rags your wearing, I doubt it. Let me see it anyway".
Alabaium felt the weight release from his back. He got up. A quick glance around showed four large men, filling his tiny room. The normally chilly room was warm with 5 men crammed in it. Two had crossbows trained on him.
"No funny stuff, or you'll get two in the chest. You may be worth more alive to Lurtz, but dead'll still pay us handsomely."
The skinny magician crawled over to his simple bed. Reaching under his pillow, he found the amulet. The crossbowmen were aiming at his head. Clutching the cold necklace in his hand, bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Terrazahh!"
There was a flash of light. Alabazium went from the warm, musky room to freezing air of the Wall. The teleportation amulet had worked! He almost laughed, then he realized he was scant yards from his room. He was standing on the Wall, almost eye level with his window. About the time he realized this, so did the thugs.
Glass shattered as two crossbow bolts whizzed past Alabazium's head. He turned and ran down the length of the Wall, into the night.

Sidenote: One of our gaming crew has left us to return home to the magical land of Ohio. Alabazium was his PC. I thought it on;y fitting we send him out with a story...

Gnolls

Gnolls. Those hyena-like hunters of the fringe. Many see them as scavengers and cowards.
Gnolls have often been lumped in with many of the other humanoids that prowl the wastes Beyond the Wall. This would be a mistake. Unlike the goblinoid races, which spend much of their time in inter-clan warfare, gnolls packs are highly cooperative. They are are experts at the ambush. Combine this with pack hunting tactics, and you have a highly effective hit and run force. This is often see by civilized races as cowardly, but gnolls just see it as wearing down your opponent for later.
Most of the tactics are used to accumulate slaves. Gnolls are consummate slavers. Those that are not judged strong enough to trade with other packs, or sell to the goblinoids or evil humans, are, of course, eaten. But, this is a last resort, as gnolls are a particularly greedy bunch. It is rumored that demi-human slaves can fetch a high price from the black ships of the Broken Coast.
Beware ye, those forlorn places. Indeed, for many an adventurer the last thing they hear is the eery laughter of the gnoll pack, before they pounce.

Meanwhile, in the "Real" world

I was the perfect age when D&D hit the big time. For my 11th birthday I received the AD&D boxed set and a little something called the Official Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Coloring Book. I loved this box like a fat kid loves cake. I stayed up at night looking at it over and over. I didn't even have the guts to color in it, I didn't wan to mess it up.
Over 30 years later, there are still images in my head. A Bullette bursting through the ground, the party before the adventure. It has shaped how my D&D world is in my head.
Somewhere over the years through moves, etc it was lost to me.
But now, a wonderful gentleman over at Monster Brains has lovingly scanned in every page. I can print it off as many times as I want. My kids can color it. I can color it (now with photoshop).
At last, the internet was good for something.

aforementioned Bullette