Blogging A to Z: E is for Elric




Probably no other fantasy character has inspired me more than Elric. Michael Moorcock’s albino anti-hero really struck a chord with me as a kid. I know today, the brooding antihero is common place theme in fantasy literature; but back in the early 1980’s and before, Elric really stood out. I’ve been rereading the saga (from the silver covered Berkley editions from the early 1980’s) and for me, it still stands the test of time as good fantasy reading. I have also gone back and bought several of the stories in graphic novel format (the ones by P. Craig Russell are pretty good).


I did purchase Stormbringer several years ago, but AD&D ruled the roost with my gaming crowd and I could find more takers. I’ve recently begun to reinvestigate Elric!, Stormbringer, MRQ, etc and find that there is much to like. I’m currently really enjoying reading through OpenQuest and will get back to the other D100 Elric stuff after that. Ultimately, AD&D/D&D/Clones are most comfortable for me but there are many things I’m going to borrow from these systems and implement in my own game. I think I’ll pretty much end up with a mishmash of OD&D and BRP/Stormbringer. But in the end, I think it is Elric more than anything else that has colored my taste in what fantasy literature should be.

Comments

  1. TreyApril 6, 2011 at 3:24 AM

    It's funny, though I read Conan earlier, I probably had a greater appreciation for Elric in my youth. His was the second S&S series I got into (after Fafhrd & Gray Mouser). Today though, the works of Howard and Karl Edward Wagner probably loom larger for me.

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  2. XyanthonApril 6, 2011 at 7:19 AM

    I'm not sure why, but I think Elric's doom laden story really appealed to me (and still does). It really captures a dark haunted vibe that I find interesting (I like stories like Seifried, the Neiblung, the story of Beren from Tolkien, etc).

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  3. UnknownApril 6, 2011 at 7:52 AM

    I devoured the Elric books when I was a kid. I found the books in the used book store where I purchased my first dog-eared copies of the Lord of the Rings books. Loved them, though I loved Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser more once I got to them.

    The best thing about the Elric books was the unique take on magic. I still think demon/spirit-based magic is just about the coolest magic system you can find. Stormbringer was the first time that I saw it in ROG form. later, Gurps Voodo (then Spirits then Thaumatology) would later take it into new areas. But I always loved the Stormbringer rules and one of my favorite characters for another system was created specifically to practice that form of magic (I had to invent house rules to do it).

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  4. XyanthonApril 6, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    I think the whole take on sorcery really appeals to me the most about the Elric stuff. I'll have to look into Gurps Voodoo.

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  5. AkrasiaApril 6, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    Elric rocks! I similarly was thrilled to read the tales of the White Wolf as an adolescent.

    These days, though, I actually prefer slightly Moorcock's 'Corum' stories, but still find Elric to be great stuff.

    Speaking of which, I'm playing in a Young Kingdoms campaign right now (using the MRQII version). It's set about 100 years before the time of Elric. In the unlikely event anyone is curious, here is the 'hub' for the campaign: http://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2011/02/young-kingdoms-campaign-index.html

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