Editing Mystara (section)

==Development==
Mystara originated as a fantasy world developed by [[Lawrence Schick]] and [[Tom Moldvay]] for their own ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' game sessions from 1974 to 1976. Their original setting consisted of a large continent with fictionalized nations that were based on real-world historical cultures. Inspired by author [[H. P. Lovecraft]] and his work in creating a fiction [[shared universe]], Schick and Moldvay named their setting as the "Known World" so it could be expanded upon by other players. Schick then went to work at TSR Hobbies as a designer for ''D&D'' and other games. After being promoted to director of the Design Department he brought Moldvay in to join the company as a game designer, around the time when the ''[[D&D Expert Set]]'' was under development. After being told that they could not use the existing [[Greyhawk]] setting, as it was being reserved for only ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' products, Schick and Moldvay got approval to instead use their "Known World" as the standard ''D&D'' campaign setting.<ref name="blackgate.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2015/02/07/the-known-world-dd-setting-a-secret-history/ |website=Black Gate |title=The 'Known World' D&D Setting: A Secret History |date=7 February 2015 |access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

Schick and Moldvay's "Known World" was used as a semi-generic setting in early [[List of Dungeons & Dragons modules|adventure modules]], first mentioned in Module X1, ''[[The Isle of Dread]]''.<ref name="IoD">{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=David |author-link=David Cook (game designer) |first2=Tom |last2=Moldvay |author-link2=Tom Moldvay |title=[[Isle of Dread|The Isle of Dread]] |publisher=[[TSR, Inc.]] |date=1981 |isbn=0-935696-30-X}}</ref><ref name=AA>{{cite book |title=Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a visual history |last1=Witwer |first1=Michael |last2=Newman |first2=Kyle |last3=Peterson |first3=Jonathan |last4=Witwer |first4=Sam |last5=Manganiello |first5=Joe |date=October 2018 |isbn=9780399580949 |publisher=[[Ten Speed Press]] |oclc=1033548473}}</ref>{{rp|131}} It was then expanded upon in various ''D&D'' modules and sources, particularly [[#Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteers|a series of Gazetteers]], many of which originally referred to the setting as "The ''D&D'' Game World".<ref name="designers">{{Cite book |first=Shannon |last=Appelcline |title=Designers & Dragons |publisher=Mongoose Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|19}} The first published use of the name "Mystara" came in 1991 from [[Bruce Heard]] in the Letters section of his Voyage of the Princess Ark series in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' magazine.<ref>Heard, Bruce (September 1991). "Voyage of the Princess Ark". ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]''. [[Lake Geneva, Wisconsin]]: TSR, Inc. (#173): 44</ref> While the name was used in official publications after this, it was not until the conversion to [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition|''AD&D'' 2nd Edition]] in 1994 that products were produced under the Mystara title with the official Mystara logo.

Each part of the ''D&D Gazetteer'' series treats one nation or empire and has three basic elements: cultural and geographic background, features, and adventures. The cultural and geographic campaign background section offers a brief history and timeline for each nation; basic geography, climate, and ecology; and, fundamental social and political concepts of the region. Each Gazetteer also offers a list of scenario ideas appropriate to the campaign setting.<ref name="Dragon #129">{{cite journal |last=Rolston |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Rolston |title=Role-playing Reviews |journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] |issue=#129 |pages=83–84 |publisher=TSR, Inc. |location=Lake Geneva, Wisconsin |date=January 1988}}</ref>

Trenton Webb for the British ''Arcane'' RPG magazine described Mystara as "a traditional Tolkienesque world".<ref name="Arcane4">{{cite journal |last=Webb |first=Trenton |date=March 1996 |title=Games Reviews |journal=Arcane |issue=4 |pages=70}}</ref>