
One of my favorite parts of DMs Guild is the history section of all the classic products, all written by RPG historian Shannon Appelcline. I was looking over the history of Tasslehoff’s Map Pouch: Legends, when I saw this little tidbit…
“Amusingly, you can find Dragonhelm Keep on the map — a reference to Trampas Whiteman’s alter ego and the pre-Cataclysm AD&D game that he once played; the map clearly indicates that Dragonhelm Keep will be at the bottom of the New Sea after the Cataclysm.”
– Shannon Appelcline
My alter ego of Dragonhelm came from the Cataclysm-era 2e campaign I played in years ago, known as The Fallen. My friend Kenneth Reed played Jonathan Dragonhelm, and I played his younger brother, Paladian Dragonhelm. Both were Knights of Solamnia (Crown specifically).
Dragonhelm Keep was our family keep. If you looked on the Ansalon map in the Tales of the Lance boxed set, Dragonhelm Keep is located in the “O”.
When the Cataclysm hit and the New Sea was formed, Dragonhelm Keep sunk below the new sea, with only one tower barely peaking above. This was off the eastern shore of the sea.
Over the years, the remaining tower fell. And up the hill from the eastern shore, there lies a log cabin built by Jonathan Dragonhelm. It is here that he comes to rest and to contemplate all that was lost.