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The fantasy act gameDungeons & Dragons , the world ’s first forward-looking RPG , is heavy focused on the concept of larger-than-life adventurers exploring underground catacomb filled with colossus , treasure , traps , and the walking dead , much as culture heroes in the macrocosm ’s unnumerable mythologies often journey through ulterior afterlives known as Underworlds . The following underworld myths , primal and emblematical , are great resources forD&DDungeon Masters who desire to project a dungeon map that ’ll challenge their players and defy their expectations .
In ancient Greek lit , the word " Katabasis " was used to describe any sort of journey where the traveler continuously descends to a lower elevation . Aside from military simulated military operation and excursions down a mountain , the terminus " Katabasis " was frequently used by Greco - Roman fabricator when talk about mythic journeying to the Underworld , such as the 12th labor of Heracles or the journey of Orpheus . Scheol , a Roguelike RPGset in the Scheol of Greek Mythology , invert the chemical formula by having its demigod protagonist reach to break out of , rather than into the Underworld . In these myths and similar narrative from Egyptian or Akkadian mythology , heroes and gods leave their normal worlds behind to insert a worldly concern of somberness , monsters , and dark-skinned conjuring trick , braving dying and far bad destiny so as to get ahead precious rewards such as treasure , knowledge of the future , or the Christ’s Resurrection of a loved one .
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Underworld myth like these have had a strong influence on twentieth century fancy fiction , which in bend greatly influenced Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson when they create the first iteration ofDungeons & Dragonsin the 1970s . Theold - schooling keep creep ofD&D , in number , fit on to influence other tabletop RPGs and computer RPGs . By reference the following myths and legends about heroes journeying to hole-and-corner realm of end , Dungeon Masters act upon on aD&Dgame scenario can tap into a powerful mythologic archetype and make challenge for their player that are more than just fighting freak and trying to discover yap .
D&D Adjacent: Aeneas' Descent And Return From The Underworld
When Virgil was commissioned by Augustus , first emperor of Rome , to write an epic verse form in the style ofThe IliadandThe Odyssey , Rome ’s most famous poet createdThe Aeneid , a 12 - book lyrical saga about Aeneas , a prince fromthe fall metropolis of Troywho wanders the Mediterranean and eventually founds the metropolis of Rome itself . In Holy Scripture 6 ofThe Aeneid , Aeneas operate on a long and beautifully described journeying through the netherworld to visit the shades of his ancestors , escort by a 700 - year old woman and prophetess called Deiphobe . Virgil ’s description of the harrowing realm of Tartarus and the passive land of Elysium wind up defining the modern Christian concept of Heaven and Hell … and , by extension , the upper and depressed planes of theDungeons & Dragonsmultiverse .
Virgil also took many cues from Greek Myths such asthe journeys of Orpheusand Odysseus while tally his own alone twists to the journey of Aeneas : or else of subduing the three - headed cad Cerberus with long suit or song , the prophet Deiphobe lulls the dog to sleep with a dose cake . Additionally , Aeneas must regain and trim a Golden Bough before embarking on his journeying through the afterlife , a gift he must offer to Persephone , Queen of the Underworld .
D&D Adjacent: Sun Wukong Wins Immortality For His Monkey Kingdom
Whenever ancient demigod heroes like Gilagamesh or Orpheus enter the Underworld to win the endowment of immortality or resurrect have it away ones from death , their heroic quests generally end in failure , becoming apologue about the inevitability of destruction and the importance of make the most of your mortal life . And then there’sSun Wukong , the ill-famed " rapscallion King"hero from the classic Chinese novelJourney To The West , who chance on immortality on no less than five freestanding occasions .
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After gaining magical powers of longevity and form - modify from a Daoist salvia , then using them to defend his realm of rascal from some aggressive daemon , Sun Wukong falls asleep and journeying in his dreams to the Underworld . When King Yama ’s servants seek to drag the dreaming Monkey King off to hell , Sun Wukong fight off armies of demonsand ghosts and finally intimidate the rulers of Hell into give him the " Book of Life And Death . " Sun Wukong get over his name out of the script along with all the names of his subject field he can find , winning immortality for his fellow hatful scalawag and extra immortality for himself .
D&D Adjacent: Mwindo Chases His Neglectful Father Into The Underworld
TheEpic of Mwindois a report from the mythology of the Nyanga people in cardinal Africa , traditionally recount by storytellers through acting , dancing and the habit of percussion section instruments . The protagonist of this tale , the nominal Mwindo , is a magical boy born from the married woman of a tribal chief who only wanted daughters . After using his power to pull round being sealed within a drum and tossed into a river by his don ( join the ranks of otherriver - tossed wedge such as Mosesor Karna ) Mwindo grow up in the care of his aunt , raises an army to reverse his founding father , and then follow his frightened , delinquent pa into the Underworld itself .
Notable highlights of Mwindo ’s afterlife adventures let in the tricky challenges of the Underworld god Muisa ( implant and grow a banana tree forest in a single day , then collect beloved from a beehive in a petrified tree ) and Mwindo ’s magical knight - hair " Conga " flyswatter , a symbol of royalty that Mwindo uses to kill his enemies then , much like jadedhigh - levelD&Dclerics , rise them later whenever he palpate like it .
D&D Adjacent: Lemminkäinen’s Mother Rescues Him From The Rivers Of Death
TheKalevala , Finland ’s national epic , is a collection of tale fill up with grand and villainous booster - the pitiless Kullvero and his talking brand , Illmarinen , the blacksmith who forge a riches - granting artifact called theSampo , the magic bardVäinämöinen , and Lemminkäinen , a red - headed playboy whose essay to woo beautiful charwoman get him in worry . In one of Lemminkäinen ’s chronicle , he tries to complete a serial of challenge given to him by Louhi , witch - queen regnant of the Second Earl of Guilford , in edict to gain license to we d one of her beautiful daughters . While trying to complete the challenge of beguile a smuggled swan in the Underworld of Tuonela , Lemminkäinen falls into a river and drowns .
Lemminkäinen ’s female parent ( never constitute within the chronicle ) gets Illmarinen to forge her a copper rake that she uses to dredge Lemminkäinen ’s dismembered body parts from the Underworld river . She sew Lemminkäinen ’s body back together and brings him back to life with an ointment of magic dear . Interestingly , Gary Gygax himself drew aspiration from Lemminkäinen and other spell - sing protagonists from theKalevalawhen designing the fictional character of Mordenkainen , a in particular famousDungeons & Dragonswizardprotagonist .
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