5 June 2024

And here it is! This is the final entry to the first session of my D&D campaign, wrapping this chapter up.

The shadow monk cursed, and turned to leave, but her companion, a death-touched aasimar cleric, clamped a hand on her shoulder. “We have more urgent matters to attend to. Remember?”

The monk looked like she was about to argue, then changed her mind. “Stupid bleeping princess.”

It took Shaxes a moment to put together what she meant. “Are you referring to the ambassador from Táixià?”

The cleric woman nodded, while the monk let out another curse. The head priest watched a moment longer, one eyebrow raised in apparent amusement, before he addressed Shaxes. “Could I perhaps trouble you to look into this further? If there truly is a wayward child of the night involved, it would be best for everyone to resolve this before it escalates, especially given the… potential interference of outside forces.”

Shaxes nodded once. “What can you tell me about the situation?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. The assailant was a priest named Marcus Kensworthy, Sr. He is from a noble family with a long line of history with the church of the Eternal Rose, with all the implications related to that. He was a key figure in the concerning movements I spoke of earlier. Many priests and priestesses around him have recently begun acting strangely. His victim was one Eliza Peckham, who was one of the primary figures within the temple promoting peace between the Rose’s church and our own.”

“I see.” The Rose temple seemed like the next best place to begin searching for more answers.

As he turned to leave, though, he noticed the strange halfling pocketing… Was that the head priest’s seal? He caught the priest’s eye, but the priest shook his head. Shaxes sighed. He would let it go, then. Although… Might as well make the man work for it. He strode up to the halfling. “You. Come with me.”

The halfling shared a look with the half-elf woman and shrugged. Then, without much fuss, the two followed Shaxes to the temple of the Eternal Rose.

3 June 2024 part 2

Next bit of the Flames of Piege campaign.

When Shaxes entered the shrine of the Shadowed Princess, he found the head priest speaking with the mysterious duo from the ship, including the vampire shadow monk. It seems it had been wise to keep her existence from the strange Sunkeeper delegation.

The head priest was a thin, man with large, black robes, and skin so pale he looked like he might be dead. Which… was actually a possibility. He looked over at Shaxes as the tiefling entered, then looked behind him and asked, “New adherents?”

Shaxes looked behind him only to discover the half-elf noblewoman from the ship arguing with a dark-skinned, almost drow-like halfling in Elvish. They seemed almost as surprised to be there as Shaxes, but the half-elf shook her head and said, “No, we’re just touring around the city.”

The head priest nodded, then turned to Shaxes. The tiefling looked at the other two and asked, “I am not interrupting, am I? Nothing I wish to speak with you about is particularly urgent.”

“We ar nearly finished. How can I assist you?”

The corners of Shaxes’ mouth quirked upward by the slightest amount. “Actually, that was my question for you, Father. I’ve been sent from Trixhaven; have you had any issues? Any concerns with your local congregation?”

The priest mused for a moment or two. “No, not so far as I am aware, at least with our congregation.”

Shaxes raised an eyebrow, and the priest offered a wry smile. “Recently, a rather troublesome group of nobles among the Eternal Rose’s priests started moving in concerning ways, but it looks like that particular problem is resolving itself.”

“I wonder if that is related to the mess the Sunkeepers were telling us about,” Shaxes mused.

The monk cut in. “Eh? Sunkeepers?”

“Yes. A squadron of them confronted us at the docks, wanted to ask a few questions. It seems there was an attack at the temple of the Rose, and they suspect vampires involved. They were concerned about rumors are had a vampire aboard our ship.” At that last statement, he gave the monk a very pointed look. “Fortunately, none of us knew anything about that.”

31 May 2024

I may have to tweak this. I haven’t decided if the foreshadowing here is accurate enough to be appropriate or not.

…decided to follow her. Perhaps a minute later, Sasha stopped, spun around, and studied him for an uncomfortably long time. Finally, she said, “If you’re ever going to come along, you might as well walk next to me, instead.”

George smiled wryly and came up beside her, and the two continued through town. Along the way, Sasha asked, “You learn anything useful at the bar?”

“The medicine they have there tastes just as terrible as the stuff I make myself.”

Sasha gave him a side-eye, but then she shrugged. “It’s all basically poison anyway.”

George chuckled, and to thank her, he added, “Heard about the mess at the temple. Some lady named Eliza Peckham? Officials say there's no way it could have been vampires, which means… it was probably vampires.”

For a moment or two, Sasha pondered that. “I want to sneak in, see the body up close. Will you help?”

With one eyebrow raised, George answered by taking a particularly heavy step, which caused his armor to clank and rattle all over. “But… If you’ve got something intriguing enough planned, well… I wouldn’t mind being the distraction.”

27 May 2024

I was evenly split between which of the two perspectives I should take for this scene (including the bit right after; still need to write that). Sasha could have been fun, but I’m still parsing how both the player and the character think, as I don’t know them as well as the other players.

George was dead tired, and didn’t want to bother much with people, especially when his stomach still felt like it would rebel at any moment. So as soon as the Sunkeeper commander finished his spiel, George booked it to the nearest tavern.

He ordered his usual remedy after a long sea voyage; one sip was enough to confirm it tasted as terrible as it did at any other tavern. Once he finally settled in, he started listening to what other folks were saying. Never hurt to get a lay of the land. A few conversations in particular caught his ear.

“Has anyone seen Charlotte lately? Don’t think she’s been snagged by whatever’s roving the slums these days, did she?”

“You hear what happened at the Rose Temple? Apparently, one of their priests went nuts and murdered a priestess. They say vampires got to him or summat.”

“Anyone else see that ship as just came in? They say it took on a bloody kraken. Codswallop, I say. Wouldn’t be a ship left to come in if one o’ those nasties attacked.”

The last worried George a bit; if they realized he’d been on he ship, they’d pester him about it, and he’d really rather be left alone. He noticed the genasi girl, Sasha, doing her rounds, asking about some fellow named “Stuart”. General consensus seemed to be that he was one of the ones who’d been “disappeared”.

Eventually, Sasha decided she’d learned what she could here, and asked the bartender if she could play a bit of music. George thought he recognized the melody; it was a beautiful rendition of an old Kadrashan tune. Didn’t quite fit in with a place like this, though, and… Well, it brought up memories George would rather leave buried for the time being.

The rest of the crowd didn’t seem to care much for it, either, based on all the booing Sasha received. She muttered something under her breath–George figured some Kadrashan curse words–then stepped down, glowering out over the crowds.

That’s when someone recognized George. “Hey, wasn’t you one of the ones that was on that ship? The wrecked one?”

George leveled a glare at the man, but the man ignored him. “Yeah, you was! Hey, tell me. What the bloody hell happened?”

The exclamation drew a large crowd, and it took far too long for him to work his way free and get outside. That’s when he noticed Sasha stalking off toward the temple, and decided to follow her.

25 May 2024 part 2

I wrote my poem for the week! It’s based on the leader of one of the major antagonistic factions in my campaign. If it runs long enough for him to appear, I would be ecstatic. He is a hodge podge of several different characters that at first, didn’t seem connected, but the more I explored the themes around this character, the more tied together they all seem. Top of the list is Denethor from Lord of the Rings, and Sir Gideon Ofnir the All-Hearing from Elden Ring. (Yes, I’m not using his “official” title, but I find this one more apt, anyway.) Then Taravangian from The Stormlight Chronicles got mixed in a bit, though I doubt my character is anywhere near that composed or capable. Through in a dash of general Bloodborne into the mix, and you get Sir Deneth Rinof the All-Hearing, head of the Oreilles de la Tour (Ears of the Tower), with connections to Great Old Ones and whatnot. His faction focuses a lot on illusions and puppets, at least at first, with more and more eldritch entities showing up as the campaign progresses.

Sir Deneth Rinof

“Know thy place.”

“Hold thy tongue.”

“Speak not above thy station.”

What fool, this king!

Wherefore should I bow to him?

“Heretic.”

Empty words.

What glory would gods grant man?

My soul seeks more

To ascend beyond mere divine.

Deeper truths

Darker secrets

Words to bend them to my will

Both kings and priests

And surely I shall do it

Found at last!

Beyond ken

I draw near that distant star

Madness follows

Eyes inside my screaming mind

All are doomed

I am bound

None can oppose such terror

Bow before it

I will offer it the world

21 May 2024

Yeah, I missed Monday. I plan to catch up soon enough; I still need to write my poem for the week, after all.

This was a tricky scene to write in some ways; I wanted to smooth things out, include foreshadowing bits, and make the conversation fit the reality of the situation better now that i’ve prepped more and have a deeper understanding of what that is. I think it turned out well, though, and I really got in the groove here.

…towards the ship. They halted, and one of them stepped forward. “I am Commander Slepoy of the [unit name/title]. I apologize for the inconvenience, but would you mind accompanying me for a few minutes? I have a few questions for all of you.”

From behind Maranys, the sailor girl muttered a phrase–one Maranys recognized as the spell “prestidigitation”–and the next moment an absolutely fold stench started wafting from the commander, like sewage that had been sitting in the sun for hours. A number of Sunkeepers turned and glared at the girl, but to the commander’s credit, he (mostly) kept his composure.

The tiefling–Shaxes?--stepped forward. “If you mean to inquire about the status of the ship, we were attacked by a kraken. The good captain and a number of other, powerful passengers dealt with it, while we helped fend off its sahuagin followers. Is there anything else you needed?”

Maranys noticed one fellow, a young man with warm brown hair, first eyed Shaxes’ horns, then his holy symbol, and sneered. The tiefling himself didn’t respond; if anything, he seemed more resigned to it than anything.

The commanger replied, “That is helpful, thank you, but that is not why I am here. I don’t intend to take much of your time; would you mind following me?”

With narrowed eyes, Maranys studied the commander. What did he want, then? She noticed that his eyes flicked over everyone who left the ship. Was he looking for someone? A passenger, perhaps? Since when did the Sunkeepers have this kind of authority in Oileanda, anyway?

She decided it would likely be more trouble than it was worth to get away, so she accompanied the commander into a nearby warehouse. Both Shaxes and George, an axe-wielding mercenary who’d drawn the attention of a sahuagin attacking her during their previous fight, joined them, though george looked a little green in the face. Was he still feeling seasick? Or maybe he just ate something that disagreed with him. Maranys also thought she caught sight of the water genasi from the ship slipping in with them.

It wasn’t until they were inside that she realized Myst hadn’t joined her. She looked out the window and found him out there, flashing that same infuriating smirk, next to the sailor girl who’d stunk up the commander’s collar. Fortunately, the girl had decided to undo her spell before slipping away.

Commander Slepoy cleared his throat. Maranys turned his attention back to him, and he asked, “I apologize if this seems strange, but we heard a troubling report, given the circumstances. Do you know if, among the passengers aboard your vessel, any of them may have been a vampire?”

Maranys immediately thought of the heavily cloaked shadow monk that helped them fend off the kraken. Except, well… She didn’t know for sure, and this was definitely more trouble than it was worth. So it was with no guilt that she beamed at the commander. “Nope. Haven’t seen anything.”

Shaxes shook his head, and poor George just looked more nauseous than ever. The tiefling asked, “If I may, why are you asking?”

The commander grimaced. “There’s… been an incident at the Temple of the Rose. We believe it is related to vampires in some way; if we are correct, evidence indicates the mastermind is not local. We figured they may be coming in person to move the work forward or some such, and wanted to prevent the issue from escalating.”

Shaxes raised an eyebrow, but he only said, “I am not aware of any vampires aboard the ship.”

The commander sighed and nodded, then excused them. Maranys turned to leave, but nearly ran into the unpleasant Sunkeeper from before. He’d approached for the sole purpose of spitting at Shaxes’ feet. For his part, though, the tiefling merely sighed.

Once outside, Maranys made a beeline for Myst. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you write me to let me know where you were, or that you were okay, or–”

In Elvish, still smirking, Myst cut her off. “I take it you missed me then?”

Maranys wasn’t sure if her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment or fury, and she started getting after Myst, absentmindedly following Shaxes deeper into the city.

18 May 2024

This has been a lot of fun to write. The Maranys/Myst dynamic doesn’t quite feel set in stone yet, so that could potentially shift, but for now, this is my best estimate from what their players have told me.

Straxes the Collector was used to people staring at him. It was rare enough to see tieflings at all this far north, much less as tall as he. Even before the horns, he was nearly seven feet. And the symbol of the Shadowed Princess displayed prominently over his armor certainly didn’t help matters. So he paid little heed at first to the small sailor girl who’d watched him most of the trip from Tangier, even after he’d learned she was angel-blooded in the earlier scuffle.

What he had not expected was for her to approach him shortly before their arrival in Setton. She asked, in her thick Solstranan accent, “Haven’t we met before? You look familiar.”

Shaxes blinked. He didn’t recognize the girl, but that wasn’t so unusual. He had met many people in the course of his… duties. It seemed strange she couldn’t place someone as distinctive as he was, though.

When he didn’t reply, the girl–Ayona?--nodded to herself. “Yes. You were part of that thing in Trixhaven, weren’t you? The one that would never smile.” She looked him over once more. “Yeah. You need a vacation or something. Learn to have a little fun, maybe.”

SHaxes merely raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t a moment later before the ship’s captain bellowed from the helm, “You should take your own advice, lass!”

“I have fun! I have plenty of fun!”

“Like what, lassie?”

For several seconds, Shaxes watched in amusement as Ayona floundered. “I… um… I’ve killed things?”

That’s when it clicked. “Ah, yes. Trixhaven. I remember. You were the one with all the feathers.” There weren’t many of the angel-blooded who opted to follow the Shadowed Princess, after all.

The sailor girl didn’t reply, instead trying valiantly and vainly to argue with the captain. Shaxes just shook his head and returned to his bunk. As long as it didn’t effect his mission here or his Lady’s church, it wasn’t important.

The next day, as the Fortune’s Breath pulled into port, Lady Maranys Evreux was still agonizing over what she’d overheard the day before. A few months!? What was she supposed to do? She didn’t think she’d have the funds to charter a different ship, and since she was already a year or two behind Myst, Maranys wondered if she’d ever see him again.

So perhaps it can be forgiven that she wasn’t entirely cognizant of her surroundings while she exited the ship. At least, not until she noticed her purse was missing.

Before she even had time to panic, however, a short figure, barely four foot tall, with skin the color of dark chocolate and pale gray hair, offered it back to her. “Might this be yours, milady?”

Maranys gaped at him, her brain and emotions struggling to catch up with what her eyes were telling her. Then he flashed her that same smirk he always wore, and Maranys felt her cheeks flush. “Myst!? What… how… Where have–”

Before she could interrogate Myst further, a large squad of Sunkeepers arrived at the docks and began making their way towards the ship.

17 May 2024

I think the two most fascinating part of writing my campaign as a narrative, at least so far, are figuring out how to introduce and balance everyone, and trying to figure out how much to include. It’s a game, after all; some things are easier to hand wave that need to be explained in-story, and other things need to be expedited. This is the first intro; Ayona is an aasimar from Solstrana who’s been wandering for a bit now.

Aboard the Fortune’s Breath, Ayona Svyátoy approached Captain Streisa, a squat, burly woman with bushy red hair, who had a way of towering over everyone around her despite her 5’2” frame. “We’re close, Captain. Should only be a day or so before we reach Setton.”

The corner of the captain’s lip quirked upward. “Good timing, lass. I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you.”

Ayona tilted her head. “It’s… not that large a ship, Captain. I’m not difficult to find.”

The captain guffawed. “But in all seriousness. Lass. It’s going to be a few months before the ship’s seaworthy again. What are your plans?”

Both ignored the wail one of their passengers–some half-elf noblewoman–let out when Streisa mentioned “a few months”. “I don’t know. Find another ship, perhaps?”

For a long moment, Streisa just stared at her. “You need a break, lass. A chance to live life. Maybe make some friends. I don’t know what you’re running from, or what you’re planning, but it’s not exactly the sort of thing you can do alone, now, is it?”

“Sure I can.” It would be bloody difficult, but Ayona could do it. She had to.

That simply elicited another guffaw from the captain and she clapped Ayona on the back, nearly bowling Ayona over. “Well, think on it, lass. Perhaps travel a bit with that group you helped with the sahuagin, eh?”

Rather than reply, Ayona rolled her shoulders. She’d think about it. Maybe.

13 May 2024

We had the first real session of the campaign this past Sunday, and as much as possible, I want to record it. What follows is my “hook”; a trick from the Candela Obscura rulebook and videos, where before you get into the meat of the story, you zoom out and onto the antagonist or the problem that is the focus for the arc or session. I refined it since the session; mostly, I remembered a bunch of other things I wanted to share, and refined who the villains are this time and how they’re able to do what they do.

Before the broken ship bearing our heroes limps into Setton’s harbor, let me roll back the clock a couple of days, and focus on a certain manor house within the city. As soon as we step inside, we can hear the sounds of revelry, laughter and music, emanating from the banquet hall.

There, we find a smiling musician, all adorned in green and red, playing a set of pipes, watching the proceedings with great interest. An older couple, the lord and lady of the house, dance merrily in the center of the floor to the music, only paying the slightest heed to their multitude of guests when their dance requires they step around or over one of them laying on the floor.

Many of these guests–those lively enough to do so–cheer for the couple as they stuff their faces with the bounteous feast presented before them. And what a feast it is! If we only looked at the quantity heaped on the hundred-foot banquet table, it would be fair to guess the family expected to receive royalty at any moment now. But on closer inspection, this is actually a feast most foul; many of the dishes are covered in flies, and appear to have sat on the table for days.

Yet the guests do not care. They will just as gladly stuff their gobs with the maggot-covered pork roast as the chicken and rice casserole the maid–herself in a trance–places fresh out of the oven onto the table.

Off to the side, both ignoring and ignored by all the ruckus, a young nobleman sits in an ornate chair, a young lady on his lap, all pretense for propriety banished. The young man bares a striking resemblance to the lord of the house, even down to his striking red hair. The young lady pulls a knife from the folds of her dress and draws it across her palm; the young man kisses it, gently lapping at her blood. 

Then, from his own pocket, he pulls out a vial of a bright red liquid, with a single, slender blood lily petal within. He uncorks it and leans in to whisper directly in the young lady’s ear, “Do you trust me?”

She nods, and the vial barely touches her lips before she downs it all, and slowly grows limp in his arms.

Meanwhile, the lord and lady of the house bring their dance to a close. They bow, first to the audience and then to the musician. The lord claps twice and announces, “Well, my friends, it is time for us to be off! But you are free to accompany us. Won’t you join us for an even grander Revel?”

He and his wife don’t wait for a response before they turn to leave. Instead, the musician trills a curious series of notes, and all the guests, even a number of those lying unresponsive on the floor, stop what they’re doing and stand up. Each of them shuffle after the lord and lady of the house, eyes glazed and sappy smiles on their faces.

The musician rises to follow, but the young man called after him, “Shall I begin gathering the next batch, dear friend?”

With a flourish, the musician bowed to him. “If you wouldn’t mind, ‘twould be most appreciated, my good fellow.” Then he skipped after the group who’d just left, a jaunty tune playing from his pipes.

11 May 2024

More lore for my D&D world! This isn’t necessarily super relevant to my campaign, but the region described was the focus of my previous campaign, and played into the dynamics there. And who knows? Maybe it will matter more than I think. That’s the nice thing with having information handy; it’s easier to come up with ideas if you already have options available.

The Kadrashan War

A little over three hundred years ago, the region around Kadrashal used to be a verdant jungle, with a number of great cities. Unfortunately, perhaps because of their great wealth, many of the ruling class started making deals with all manner of devils, allowing the fiends more an more free reign within the country.

This did not go unnoticed, and under the banner of the Radiant Queen, two great armies formed. One hit Kadrashal from the north, including forces from the barbarian tribes of the north, Solstrana, Duladel, Marruecos, Piege, and even a small contingent of Serni elves. The other, coming up from the south, centered around the great army of the Tailong empire and their dragonborn allies, though the hobgoblins also sent a large force of their cavalry. One of Essayna’s heralds, the lioness Sekhmet, even came down to joining the battle.

Trapped as they were, the witch-king of Kadrashal hosted a massive ritual, sacrificing hundreds of his citizens to open a hole straight to the Nine Hells, which in turn corrupted the region. Even Sekhmet herself was tainted by the infernal energy, though the significance of that would not be discovered until the war was over.

However, the portal gave Essayna enough leeway to intervene directly, and the Radiant Queen herself led the charge to purge the region of both the devils and their allies. The clash of her divine flame and the infernal corruption scoured the region until the land itself burned, and the once-lush jungle was transformed into the sandy desert it is at the present day.

The lingering effects in the population turned many into tieflings, regardless of their dealings or lack with the devils, and the majority of the following generation were born as such. Over the course of the war, combined with her corruption, Sekhmet developed a monstrous thirst for blood, and had to be sealed by Essayna to prevent the herald from turning on her allies. Many of the armies returned home, though many, including several orcish tribes, opted to settle nearby instead.

10 May 2024 part 2

This is a poem I wrote introducing one of the major antagonistic factions in my D&D campaign. Kind of a blend of Greed and Gluttony, with ties to both vampires and the fae and faewild shenanigans, like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Quite macabre, to be honest, but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

Welcome! Welcome!

Come, dance the night away!

Won’t you join our Revel?

Throw all your cares away!

Mind not the smell of rot

Nor dear guests, now deceased

Just listen to my music

And partake our glorious Feast

With luck, you may be chosen

To spread our Feast abroad

To bring folk to our Revel

And sip their precious blood

4 May 2024

And here we finally have the rest of the major gods and goddesses of my D&D pantheon. If you like them, feel free to use them as you wish, though in any public setting credit would be appreciated.

Leilari, the Eternal Rose

Also known as the Beautiful, the Moonlit princess, and She Who Sings, Leilari is the goddess of beauty, and the twin of the Shadowed Princess. No two temples depict her exactly alike; the only consistent traits she has, even within the same nation, are her gender and the flowers in her hair. Stories about her also vary wildly, and with the recent turmoil caused by the Shattered Rose War, a number of more insidious or blatantly false tales about her have spread, and even if they aren’t widely accepted, most have heard a few of them.

Among these include rumors that her beauty was stolen from the Shadowed Princess in the womb, or that she actually did fall from grace during the Great Fiend War thousands of years ago, but has kept that fact hidden from the rest of her divine family. Such theories have generally been debunked, but as anything that fascinates the mind, proof isn’t enough to remove the idea from some people’s heads.

She has power over beauty, diplomacy and dreams. The domains her clergy ascribe to typically focus on Peace, Moon, and Nature domains, though Twilight, Trickery, and Life are also relatively common. There is also a great deal of overlap with the Shadowed Princess’ domains among the Order of the Butterfly, a sect worshiping both goddesses as a set.

Known Heralds:

1) Some sort of magical, sentient flower?

2) Dream Butterfly; kind of like a less powerful version of Pathfinder’s Desna.

3) Some sort of gallant, knightly figure, never seen without his (her?) armor

4) Archfey of some kind?

5) 

Velka, the Shadowed Princess

Also known as the Undying Princess, Heir of Death, the Hidden One, and She Who Mends, Velka is the patron goddess of the lost, the forlorn, and the downtrodden. Perhaps because of that, she is also the deity most closely associated with the undead, especially those who were turned against their will. Perhaps as such, she is generally regarded with some degree of trepidation, particularly among the upper class of society. The Shattered Rose War only heightened those concerns, though rather than dealing with that trepidation by ignoring her worship, many large cities now make showy presentations and donations to her and her faithful, especially during holidays dedicated to her. There is a great deal of debate whether such shows of false generosity actually help or make things worse, but such it is.

She is general depicted as a raven-haired woman with a white porcelain mask covering the left side of her face. Her left hand is withered and skeletal, and she is often depicted as if her left side grew progressively more ghost-like, as if that half of her had already died. (Inspired by description of Hel/Hela in Norse mythology).

In connection to her sphere of influence, her primary domains include Twilight, Death, and Trickery, though almost any domain has been found among her worshippers. There is a great deal of emphasis on the Eternal Rose’s domains, as well, in large part due to the connection forged by the Order of the Butterfly.

Known Heralds:

1) The Forgotten, a deified changeling who is enamored with Velka

2) Alice, the primal vampire, and greatest of the vampire lords.

3) The Beggar, an old man who appears to random people periodically to test them or offer cryptic advice. Curiously fond of the names Haj and Hoid.

4) 

Ariel and Tesla, The Twins

Also known as the Keepers of the Library and They Who Teach, the Twins are the youngest of Life’s and Death’s children. Together, they are the gods of knowledge and magic, but which twin governs which changes frequently. Indeed, it is theorized they freely swap their names between themselves, so a prayer to Tesla, goddess of knowledge, could easily be answered by her brother after he assumes the name.

Unlike their older siblings, their worship is not particularly widespread, generally limited to the grand academies and other institutions of learning. They understandably focus on the Knowledge and Arcana domains, but count many spellcasters among their followers, and most divination wizards often appeal to them as well. Beyond that, perhaps because of their shared status as the youngest of the family, they are heavily involved with the Trickery domain.

Known Heralds:

1) Old dragon currently serving as a headmaster somewhere. Students likely don’t know about either his status as a dragon or his divine status.

2) Prankster of some sort; eternal child? Not quite Peter Pan, but maybe?

3) The Archive, a living, sentient library containing all the knowledge that’s ever been recorded in the world.

4)

25 April 2024

More D&D lore bits, about an event occurring roughly 60 years before present day in-game. And yes, this is 100% based on the Butterfly Knight story I was writing. The city names are hidden, because I found most of them by looking up really place names, and didn’t want to create any unfortunate implications on here. And there is one country I named after a country in Brandon Sanderson’s books, so that is also censored. For a private game, those things don’t matter, but out in public it does a bit more.

The Shattered Rose War

The Shattered Rose War shocked most of the world. There were a great many factors on multiple layers that led up to it, with fiends infiltrating society and goading people closer and closer to bloodshed. A number of pride devils infiltrated the lower ranks of the Eternal Rose, flattering those above them into puffed up self-importance, while a number of demons of wrath and envy incited unrest among the lower class. This created friction in all the human lands.

No one is quite certain what spark first lit the blaze. Some claim a madman in A——-, Marrue, attacked a young noblewoman and scarred her face. Others say the temple to the Rose in A———, Piege, closed their doors to all but the wealthiest of patrons, cutting the common folk off from their worship.

Whatever the case, the flames of war spread quickly, with riots ranging from M———— to N——-, all within a fortnight. The high elves of southern Serni closed their borders, unwilling to let the conflict enter their hallowed halls; the dwarves similarly developed a “wait and see” approach.

The first to respond were the Skybreakers of N———-. They stormed Piege in force, forcibly ending the conflict. Maintaining the peace there took all their manpower, however, and they were unable to extend their reach to D——— or beyond.

Oileanda also calmed down quickly, thanks in large part to the efforts of Saint Aislin, the Butterfly Knight. The first recorded devotee of both the Rose and the Shadowed, she rallied the people to her cause, and showed that the war opposed the will of both goddesses. Once S——- and its surroundings found peace, Saint Aislin recruited a handful of like-minded warriors and set sail for T———. She campaigned throughout the land, recruiting the wood elves of northern Serni along the way, and brought peace to both Marrue and D———, along with founding a new knightly order.

The Order of the Butterfly is still viewed with suspicion in Piege, however. The Skybreakers view them as little more than well-intentioned vigilantes, and the people of Piege are still simmering with unresolved discontent, with new, added distaste for foreign powers. Both D——— and Solstrana are keeping a wary eye on the nation, so that whenever it erupts, the chaos stays contained within its borders.

22 April 2024

And here are the next three; the dad and the two oldest siblings of the lot. I quite like the idea of all the different facets of the Storm King, too.

Karthos, Father Death

Also know as the Grim Father, the Judge in Darkness, Lord of the Grave, and He Who Reaps, Karthos is generally depicted within human nations as an old, tired man in a billowing black cloak with a long beard, wielding a scythe with skeletal hands.

He rules over death and its role in the circle of life; he also guides souls to their resting places after death. His clerics generally follow the Blood, Death, and Grave domains, though it is not unheard of for them to ascribe to the Life, Nature, and Order domains. He bears a strong hatred for those who proactively try to “cheat” death, especially as most known methods to do so require harming those around them, but unbeknownst to many, he bears no ill will who unwillingly stumbled into undeath.

Known Heralds:

1) Some kind of skeletal knight

2) His steed, the Nightmare

3) 

Essayna, the Radiant Queen

Also known as the Burning Child, General Inferno, and She Who Smiths, Essayna is the goddess of the flame and the sun. She is often portrayed as a glowing, armored woman with flaming yellow hair, astride a warhorse, though depictions of her in a leather apron at a forge are also relatively common.

Through her rule over fire, she came to represent civilization as a whole, and has a strong association with law and order. As such, she is regarded as the patron goddess of the Skybreaker order, and her worship is especially strong in Solstrana; her ties to the forge also lead to a high concentration of worship amis=dst the Dwarf Holds in the mountains.

Clerics of the Radiant Queen typically ascribe to the domains of Order, Light, or the Forge, though Knowledge and Peace are not unheard of. A very few ascribe to the Twilight domain, but such are often considered borderline heretical by the rest of the clergy.

Known Heralds:

1) Sekhmet (Fell into bloodlust during the Kadrashan War 300 years ago; currently sealed)

2) Her war horse, a stallion; either mate or son to Death’s Nightmare

3) Dwarven god of the forge

4) 

Zatir, the Storm King

Also known as the Raging Tempest, Brother Fortune, and He Who Trades, Zatir is the chaos to his older sister’s order. Perhaps because of that, his characterization fluctuates the most greatly depending on where and how he is worshiped. Among the barbarian tribes of the Unclaimed Lands to the north, be they human, orc, or goliath, he is hailed as a great blue-skinned warrior wielding the storms against his enemies. In the mercantile regions of Oileanda or Duladel, he is worshiped as a gallant seaman opening the path for merchant ships.

He rules over storms, wind, and rain. As a result, he also gradually became associated with the winds of fortune, and “storm bless us” has become a common phrase for invoking luck. His clerics tend to be associated with the domains of Tempest, Nature, and Twilight.

Known Heralds: 

1) His wife, a storm giantess [Lady luck? If not, a separate herald for that idea]

2) A rare, non-malevolent kraken of great power; Neptune as a name?

3) Grizzly bear of some kind. Reference Elden Ring Rune bears

4) Famous pirate/merchant type with his ship; Davy Jones type idea?

5)

20 April 2024

So, I’m starting a D&D campaign with my family, and I wanted to centralize the lore, make it more accessible. Still very much a work in progress, there. So this is where I started, with the pantheon, since that’s what I have the clearest idea about in my head. I only got one done here, but there’s another three coming in the next post. Heralds are kind of lesser gods, along the lines of ascended mortals or whatnot.

Alyndra,  The Life Mother

Also known as just the Mother, the Wildmother, and She Who Hunts, Alyndra is often depicted as a tall, antlered woman with long, flowing green hair, at least in the human nations. She and her husband Death created this world after unknown events forced them to leave their previous one.

She is responsible for the cycle of life, in all its facets. Her clerics are most commonly associated with the Grave, Life, and Nature domains, though Blood, Death, and Light are not unheard of. She and her husband tend to take a more “hands off” approach to governing the world, preferring to let their children and the world’s inhabitants decide their own futures. The one known exception on a grand, historical scale was many thousand years ago, in the Great Fiend War, when they sealed the Archdemon of Lust after its failed attempt to seduce their daughter Leilari, the Eternal Rose.

Known Heralds: 

1) The Predator 

2) The White Stag? [Could also be an archfey; not mutually exclusive options, either] 

3) Yggdra, the Great Tree

4)

4 April 2024

This is a D&D character I’ve made but never really gotten to play; she was the focus of the June 6 post for last year. This is exploring what would happen if one of the two personalities died or disappeared.

Tarynn woke up in her family’s house. She didn’t have the presence of mind to wonder about that; something was missing, like a giant hole carved into her soul.

Her other half was missing.

The version of her that had lived in the back of her head since she was a child; the version of her the rest of her party had taken to calling “tari” to distinguish between them. The confident, bold version that could do all the things Tarynn herself couldn’t.

She was gone.

Tears started rolling down Tarynn’s cheeks. Then, at the edges of her awareness, she felt a whisper of someone. Without even noticing she was still in her pajamas, she dashed after the feeling. Servants called after her, but she ignored them all, until the feeling led her out to the gardens, to the special place she and Tari would ren to whenever they wanted to be alone.

Of course, Tari wasn’t there.

Confused, wrung out, Tarynn turned to leave. Then she heard a distinct voice from the back of her mind, “Farewell, little Tarynn.”

Tarynn’s eyes went wide, and she sank to the ground and wept.

6 June 2023

There’s this one concept for a D&D character that’s been knocking around my head for years, but I’ve never really gotten a chance to play her. She’s a cleric with a split personality; one, graves domain, that is shy and timid but also incredibly kind, and the other that is the death domain and can best be described as…uninhibited. I got tired of waiting to move somewhere I could find a group (my internet here sucks, so I don’t consider that a viable option), so I tried writing a scene. Don’t particularly plan on continuing at the moment, but I may change my mind and develop the arc and story later.

The alcove Tarynn found herself in wasn’t especially comfortable. For some reason, she’d figured that since it was in the temple of the Eternal Rose, it would have some comforts, but she had no such luck. Probably from all the pushback about the corruption that had run rampant a decode or so ago.

She poked her head out to look around, but at the sight of her lady-in-waiting, Anya, just around the corner, she pulled back into the alcove. She’d tried too hard and come too far to just get dragged back home now. Not for the first time, Tarynn wished her other self were out right now; for all the problems she caused, the other one was a lot more bold, and would never just let herself get carted off. She probably wouldn’t have resorted to hiding in uncomfortable alcoves, either.

“You’re sure she went in here?” Anya said, with clear concern in her voice. “I know things have calmed down recently, but given her… connection to the Undying Princess, this isn’t the safest place for her to be…”

“She’s here, alright.” Tarynn recognized the voice as Joseph’s, her official bodyguard. “Storms have mercy, that might be why she’s here; she assumed we wouldn’t think to look here.”

Tarynn blushed. Joseph was absolutely correct. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out so well, but she hadn’t gotten caught yet, so it was all good, right?

The pair chatted for a little longer, and Tarynn began to sweat. If these two were here, where was Robin? Officially Tarynn’s maid, and unofficial her scariest, most capable bodyguard, Robin was the one Tarynn worried about most; even her other self had trouble dealing with her.

Soon enough, the two voices moved away, and after several moments of silence Tarynn poked her head out again. When she didn’t see anyone, she stepped out of the alcove and heaved a sigh of relief.

That lasted until a voice behind her said, “Running away from home, m’lady?”

Tarynn let out a squeak and spun around, shoulders drawing together.” There stood a tall-ish tiefling, maybe a head and a half taller than her own 5’3”, with a mane of shaggy brown hair around his curled horns. A pendant of the Rose’s symbol hung free on his chest, and Tarynn took a step back.

He raised his hands above his head, an easy smile on his lips. “Easy there; I mean no harm. Just curious, I suppose. You’re the one they’re looking for, am I right? So, why are you hiding?”

Tarynn’s thought began tumbling over themselves, churning her brain to such a mess she had trouble sorting one from another. She opened her mouth to try to answer, then turned bright red when nothing came out.

17 October 2022

I was in something of a slump at this point, even starting a few days earlier I think. I actually didn’t write anything for the next three days after this; it wasn’t exactly ideal.

For the story itself, I’m a pretty big fan of Elden Ring, and my brother and I had been bouncing around ideas for our own high school AU for the shardbearers. There are some places where we definitely break canon, and as it was supposed to be a more light-hearted universe, certain things are changed (like changing Mohg’s unhealthy fixation on Miquella to be less sexual and more over-exuberant older sibling, or removing Shabriri, Seluvis, and the Dung Eater completely). I have at least one, maybe two other fanfic AUs in my head that I may or may not ever get around to writing.

Also, I forgot Varre. He’s definitely there, probably playing a cleric of some kind. Or a paladin. Or something.

“Welcome,” Mohg declared with a theatrical flair, “to the Moghwyn Dynasty! A land of adventure, intrigue, and glory awaits you!”

Rykard, his younger step-brother, groaned. “Can we just get to the game already?” The bags under his eyes could have explained his irritability, but everyone present knew that was just his natural state.

“Right.” Mohg deflated. “Then, could everyone introduce their characters?” He gestured to Rykard to start.

Rykard rolled his eyes. “I’m playing S’goth, a yuan-ti warlock, with a Fiend patron. I’ve been searching for something a long time now.”

Mohg beamed at him, then gestured to Phil, a tall senior who’d arrived in a massive hooded cloak. “I am playing the Sanguine Noble, an arcane trickster rogue who bathes in the blood of his enemies!”

When he heard that, Rykard cocked his head. “Does that mean our characters are allowed to be evil?”

Mohg shrugged. “So long as you don’t get too crazy and it doesn’t ruin party dynamics, I don’t mind.”

For the first time since arriving, Rykard’s pale face broke into a smile. The other four shuddered.

Mohg turned toward the next player expectantly. Miquella looked up at him, back down at his character sheet, and back up at Mohg before he finally asked, “Um, what am I doing here again?”

“We are playing D&D, where you will go on epic quests, discover hidden treasures, and more. You’re playing a life domain cleric.”

18 September 2022

This is the creation story for my homebrewed D&D story. Or, well, the first part of it. I may add more later. It’s been ages since I’ve played, but I do enjoy it, and I enjoy the worldbuilding aspect it inspires. My setting does differ from mainstream D&D settings in a few ways here and there, but that’s part of the fun for me. I’m not the first person to think of Life and Death being a couple who gave birth to everything else, but it’s an idea I find fascinating.

If I were ever to make this serious, there are definitely some things in this I’d expand upon. Also, this is 100% fiction, and doesn’t represent my actually religious beliefs. I probably didn’t need to say that, but you never know.

Before the beginning, there were only two, Mother Life and Father Death. Some say they were exiled from other realms, others that they wandered from their home to grow beyond the limits of what they were. And they stepped into the dark, and it was empty, and cold.

To stave off the cold, they embraced each other, and Mother Life conceived. To comfort her in her pregnancy, Father Death formed earth for her to lie on, and soon a baby girl was born to them, with flaming gold hair, and brought light to the darkness. In joy, the two gods wept and held their baby close. The Mother’s bed became the earth and the spirit Genbu, and their tears became the oceans and the spirit Aruna.

The baby grew, and as she grew she laughed loud and often. When she did, her hair would flare flames so furious it would boil the new oceans. The first flames fell deep in the earth, and became the spirit Pele. Mother Life wished for her daughter to know beauty, and so with her power grew a garden bed for her little girl. And even as her flames burned it, so too did her light sustain its life.

In time, Mother Life and Father Death again conceived and bare a son, who could shatter mountains with his cries. His first wail became the winds and the spirit Zephyr. With his winds, the boy learned to bring water to the garden the children now shared and let it rain, softening his sister’s flames and creating the first storm.

The two children would often fight and grieve Mother Life and Father Death. When they saw this, the four great spirits gathered and said, “We must do something.” So each shared of their essences to create a being in the image of their makers, and thus the first giant was born. They made many more, and brought them to the children, who stopped fighting to admire them in wonder, and play with them.

Mother Life and father Death were also impressed, and praised the spirits. “However,” Mother Life said, “they do not yet truly live. They are still little more than puppets.”

The spirits sorrowed, and Father Death cautioned, “If we grant them life, we must also grant them death. They will not be eternal, as the gods or the spirits. Do you still wish them to live?”

With one voice, the spirits pleaded for them to make it so. And the Mother and the Father granted life to the giants.