Quantcast
Channel: The Bedrock Blog
Viewing all 1129 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Designing Arrows of Indra

September 21, 2014, 8:17 am
$
0
0
Bill and I didn't design Arrows of Indra so I can only talk about our experience publishing the book. The writer and designer was TheRPGPundit who wrote Lords of Olympus and GnomeMurdered. When I first heard about the Pundit's idea for an old school Epic India RPG, it sounded like a great concept to me. I checked out some of his other books and saw he was a skilled writer and talked to Bill about publishing it. We both agreed it was a good idea. 

Bill had been involved in the Old School Renaissance for some time. In fact he was the one who introduced me to games like Lamentations of the Flame Princess and OSRIC. And Bill wasn't someone who was afraid of innovation or of new systems. He played new games all the time, yet he also had a love for the simplicity and feel of the old school. Because of Bill's interest I had taken another look at earlier RPGs and started running my own 2nd edition Ravenloft game. So this was a project we felt good about even if our other products were all focused "genre" RPGs. 

We didn't know what it would be like working with Pundit. We had worked with writers before but for modules or supplements, not for a full game. Bill was enormously pleased by Pundit's material when it first came in. He commented to me on several occasions about how well thought out Indra seemed. It was an interesting period because we got to take a little break on design ourselves and spend more time doing things like play testing the manuscripts Pundit sent us. This also gave us the time we needed to work on Sertorius. 

Arrows of Indra is an OSR game that using the d20 mechanic and is set in the Bharata Kingdoms where players can be Kshatriya warriors, Yogis, and more. It is inspired by epic Indian mythology, with a particular interest in the Mahabharata. The book contains all the rules, monsters, and setting information you need to play. 

There is a lot I like about Arrows of Indra but one thing that has always stood out for me is the way it handles things like The Enlightenment Powers and the Advanced Class Skills. I liked both the individual entries for these but also the system around them. That there are rules for Divine Intervention also impressed me. I also think it fills a very important niche in the OSR spectrum of the hobby. 

You can find Arrows of Indra in PDF here: ARROWS OF INDRA PDF
It is also available in print here: ARROWS OF INDRA PRINT
↧
Search

WORDS OF VAARAN KINGDOMS

September 23, 2014, 9:00 am
$
0
0
Vaaran is a dialect of Gruskel and spoken widely in the Vaaran Kingdoms. It is a language spoken mainly by the human farmers and serfs in the region and the local Gru tribes (nobles tend to speak Ronian or Latar).  As I've been mapping for the Vaaran Kingdoms campaign I developed a short list of important words to help guide my naming choices. I've had to work backwards in some cases to develop this because when I made Gruskel and Klerskel place names originally there were just a handful of concepts underpinning the naming conventions. For example I just named Belvar "Belvar" because I liked the sound of it. Same thing with the Steppes of Gulga. So I took place names like that and dissected them based on the surrounding setting details. I don't think this achieves anything more than randomly naming something but for me it is like a game and helps me imagine each place. 


This isn't official setting material but thought it might be fun to share so folks playing Sertorius can see how we do things in our own campaigns: 

Numbers
Omka: One
Ven: Two
Drek: Three
Drak: Four
Skel: Five
Mar: Six
Gura: Seven
Hurn: Eight
Nesh: Nine
Omga: Ten

Common words, suffixes and prefixes
-atoon: Grassland inhabited by rabbits or other similar animals
Bel: Human
Belka: Halfling
Belga: Dwarf
Esmar: King or Chief
-Ga: Stone-like or heavy, something that sinks easily
Gash: Related to Ogres
Gasha: Ogres
Graevesh: Grim Beast
Grau: Gru
Gul-:Sky
Hauch: Fort
Holta: Farms
Horga: Orc
-Ka: Pebble or small thing
Keska: Beast
Pen: River
Rue: Sacred or Holy
Sheg: Hasri
-Tel: Town
Ursh: Elf
-Ula: Hall
Var: Pure
Varna: Tavern
Vel: Elder or Elders
Warn: Hill


↧
↧

GRIM BEASTS AND GRIMS

September 24, 2014, 6:17 am
$
0
0
In Sertoriusthere is a special kind of monster called a Grim Beast. This is actually an entire category of creature (belonging to the broader division of Grim). When Sertori (spell casters) misuse their magic they can transform into terrible entities ranging from something like a haunting presence to a warped being called a Grim Beast. Grim Beasts can be unique or one of several major types and they are largely twists on creatures from classical mythology and legend. Grim Beasts include Minotaurs, Harpies, Banshees, Liches, Gorgons and more. 

Grim Beasts are wonderful fodder for adventure. They are tougher than many other monsters and usually can't be killed permanently without doing something to lay their spirit to rest (and this often ties in with their personal history). Killing a Grim requires a bit of investigation, a bit of combat and a lot of bravery. 

When I plan an adventure for Sertorius often I will begin with a Grim Beast. For example I ran one session set in Rostanba where the Player Characters were members of the Fellowship of Promestus. I decided to make the head of the order (The Archon) a Minotaur. He had recently become one while dealing with a threat away from the city. The interesting thing about Minotaurs is people who turn into them have no idea because they retain their normal form and mind until they get angry (at which point they change into a Minotaur, go into a rage, then have no memory of the event). This worked perfectly because the adventure was a murder mystery where the Fellowship was trying to track down a killer in the city. All members of the Fellowship of Promestus take a magical Vow making it impossible for them to harm other members of the Order or to bring harm through magic to the innocent. This created a fun scenario because all the victims were guilty of something and whenever the party managed to have an encounter with the killer he couldn't harm them physically. It made it into the Sertorius rulebook as the adventure seed "A Minotaur Among Us". 


Minotaurs are a strong foe to throw at a party. They look much like a traditional Minotaur but can breath fire and need to feed on humanoid flesh. The hunger is so strong that they desire nothing else once transformed. Minotaurs are incredibly strong, immune to non-magical attacks and do a tremendous amount of damage when biting. Like other Grim Beasts they also retain whatever Sertori magic they had before the transformation. 

Of course Minotaurs are not the only Grim Beast. There are many: Banshees, Brain Wasps, Demagogues, Dryads, Dybbuks, Harpies, Gorgons, Liches, Marghasts, Ophidians, Sirens, Ghouls and Abominations. Grim Beasts can also be unique, in which case the GM customizes as needed based on the background of the creature. 

Some Grim Beasts are tied to a particular area, but many are not. If a Sertori is powerful enough rather than become a Grim Beast he or she turns into a true Grim. Grims transcend their previous physical form and are more like forces of nature (though they sometimes do have a physical shape or an ability to manifest physically). This can be expressed in a variety of ways depending on the individual case. 

True Grims are also excellent sources of adventure but take a bit more work than Grim Beasts. A Grim can be almost anything from a presence in a warped forest to an entire pocket dimension that takes weeks to explore. Each one is unique. And they are not always evil or dangerous (though certainly most are). There is one Grim in the Sertorius setting called the Tungat Oasis. This is an entity in a desert region that produces water to create a habitable oasis and a city has emerged around it. The locals revere the being, who appears to them as a vast head inside the waters. When they entertain it with music or stories, the waters stay pure and clean, if they allow it grow bored, the waters turn bad. This is an example of one of the less malicious Grims in Gamandria. However it is an exception.

A darker example is the Foothills of Yaum, which is an enormous stretch of hills and woodland infused with the Spirit of the great Sertori Yaum, who was famous for his splintering magic. Yaum can manifest wherever he wishes inside the Foothills and looks dwarfish but when harmed he splinters, multiplying further and further with each wound. He also harbors dozens of personalities and anyone encountering him can never be sure which one they will meet. The land itself is inviting and feels like a nice place to settle. Many villages have cropped up here and shepherds are a common sight in the hills. But anyone taking a closer look at the locals can see they share familiar features, their faces (even though they may be of different races or genders) all look hauntingly similar. This is because anyone remaining in the Foothills too long starts to transform until they resemble Yaum. The land here is also affected by Yaum's magic, which is fueled by hate and rage. This affects anyone in the foothills, even if they are just passing through, requiring regular Resolve Checks to avoid flying into violent rages. 

These are just a couple of instances from the book. In all Chapter Six of the Sertorius Rulebook describes thirteen Grims. These are meant to serve as models to help GMs create their own. 

Grims and Grim Beasts are important features of the Sertoriussetting. They are easy to overlook but absolutely worth checking out if you haven't yet. I encourage anyone running Sertorius to check out Chapter Six: Afflictions and Grims for an explanation of the process. Pages 198 to 208 gives descriptions of the official Grims in Gamandria. Chapter Eleven pages 379 to 388 contains the Grim Beast entries.
↧

FLAWS AND CUSTOMIZATION IN SERTORIUS

September 25, 2014, 8:29 am
$
0
0
Flaws are not just an easy way to get a few extra Skill Points, they are also a way for players to flesh out their character and tie the character to the mechanics of the setting itself. I think for this reason it is important for GMs to take a flexible approach with them and to be open to customizing Flaws as needed. At the same time before one creates a new flaw or alters an existing one make sure you are not creating more work for yourself and review the Flaw section in case something already exists that does exactly what you want (I've seen this happen to people on more than one occasion). 


Flaws are also important balancers in the game. Players are getting extra Skill Points when they take them so it is important that they come up in play and not sit on the back burner. This is why a Flaw like Enemy has a 50% chance of coming up each adventure. When a player takes a Flaw in one of my games I always explain that doing so means that Flaw will create difficulties for their character during the campaign. It is going to come up routinely. 

This is also vital to the flavor role of flaws. Flaws are not simply things we bump into once in a while in our lives, if they were they wouldn't be a defining weakness. Flaws are hurdles we are aware of constantly. 

I strongly encourage GMs to fit the Flaw system to character concepts and not hesitate to create new ones as needed. I will give a recent example in my own campaign. It is set in a region where Sertori are vilified and the subject of much superstition. One of my players wanted to create a character who didn't now how to control his magic, was perhaps not even aware that he was a Sertori. As he worked on the concept he came up with the idea that his character casts spells unintentionally when he grows anxious or experiences other strong emotions. He has no control over his magic. There is a particularly clever twist to this that he added but unfortunately I need to leave it unmentioned until it comes up in the course of the campaign. 

Initially when he presented this concept to me I looked to the Cursed Flaw. That would be a pretty easy way to fit his condition into the game because Cursed is quite broad and gives the GM lots of room to define. However that wasn't really his concept, it wasn't a curse, it was more of a profound personality quirk where he subconsciously casts spells. We also have a flaw for insanity but again this was quite specific and our existing Mental Afflictions don't really cover it (and I didn't want to create a new Mental Affliction which I might then have to add to the Affliction Table). Instead I came up with the following Flaw:


Subconscious Caster (Sertori Only)
You cast spells unintentionally when in the presence of a specific trigger. This may be because you simply do not understand your powers as a Sertori or due to an experience that causes you to lose control under certain conditions. 

The trigger must be specific and ideally relevant to the character's background. It should be broad enough to come up during play but not so broad that it comes up all the time. Triggers could include things like hearing music, taking 2 wounds in a round, seeing objects of immense value, etc. 

There are two basic forms of this flaw Minor and Major. The Minor form is less severe but only gives 1 Skill Point, the Major Form is more Severe and gives back 3 Skill Points. 

Minor Subconscious Caster: You lose control and cast a particular spell in the presence of the trigger but otherwise you know how to use your Sertori magic and can cast spells deliberately in normal circumstances. 

Major Subconscious Caster: You lose control and cast a particular spell in the presence of a Trigger. You do not know how to cast this spell normally, and can only cast it when the trigger occurs. Major Subconscious Caster can be taken multiple times to the point that all your spells are cast subconsciously (but you only gain 2 Skill Points for each Spell beyond the first). 
↧

Chinese Calligraphy is DEEP (GUEST BLOGGER MAK JO SI)

September 26, 2014, 3:32 pm
$
0
0
Today our friend Mak Jo Si from Chi in Nature shares his thoughts on Chinese Calligraphy. You can see some of his work here: Chi in Nature

Chinese Calligraphy is DEEP by Mak Jo Si
Chinese Calligraphy is not the same as writing Chinese, but a form of art to express more than what the words are about. In a piece of calligraphy work, you can not only see, but also hear, feel and sense the message that the artist embedded into the artwork. That is what makes it a calligraphy artwork, and not just a piece of writing. There are many things in Chinese Calligraphy that the western culture does not know yet, and so you are missing the ABCs and 123s to understand this form of art. Here we will layout the foundations and basics, so you can understand it better, or even better than most Chinese today - because they only know how to read the words, but you can read, see, hear and feel what's embedded inside.

All the Chinese calligraphy artwork starts with the four treasures - paper, brushes, ink and ink stone. Oh, right, and water. How come people don't list that in the "treasure" list?  Without water, the ink and ink stone is useless too!  Let's make it five treasures today!

Paper is often referred to the Chinese rice paper 宣紙 (Suen Jee in Cantonese). They are often made of rice, or cotton, or other mixture of this and that. In general, they are often white, but can also be in many other colors, texture, thickness, or even sprinkled with gold flakes, with watermarked drawings, and many other things. As our technology advances, people come up with many fancy ideas and so we can now have many fancy options and consistent quality paper to use. Some cheaper ones can come in a stack or a roll, which cost you about $5 a roll of 10 long sheets.  The pricy ones such as the 3-ply cotton paper can cost you about $10 USD for a 7feet by 38 inch sheet, HOLY SHEET eh?  The real artist will study the different types of paper and use the type that suit their artwork the best, and that is a LOT of experimental work to be done in their own "laboratory"!


Paintings with a lot of water and ink will require a stronger and thicker paper to survive the torture and so the paper will not be torn or broken by the artist's brush. There are textures that is a bit more ink and moisture repelling which gives the ink a better flow and control, which is better for text, with a sharper and cleaner edges on the strokes. You can see that it is about what paper to use for what purpose, and not just find the best paper you like the most.

Brushes can be as cheap as $1 and up to one for hundreds and thousands of dollars depending on the maker and the materials used. Most brushes are still made by hand today, but some are made by kids or cheap labor in some unknown factories, some are made by skilled masters who know what they are doing.  My golden advice is - NEVER buy cheap brushes in the bookstores, because they will never work and they only have the power to ruin your learning experience. These brushes are made with some unknown blend of "hair" and poorly assembled.  Never trust the cheap stuff!

Good brushes or those that are at least usable, are often found in specialized art stores, and often have the maker's name on the brush. These brushes can cost from a few dollars and up. Not that you need to look at the price tag all the time, but it is often the case that good brushes or functional brushes are often $3 and up for a small brush. Trust the price tag, they are often there for a reason.

There are many types of hair used for these brushes, but it is always from animals, and specifically picked from a certain PART of the animal. Some brushes have a mixture of different animal's hair too. The basic ones can come from sheep, wolf, rat, horse, squirrels and many other animals. Some hair is stiffer and harder, giving the brush more bounciness, and flexibility - while they lack the ability to hold absorb and hold ink. Some hair are soft and they absorb the ink juice very well - while they lack the strength the bounce. With a blend of the two, there goes a combo brush with the inside that soak and hold the ink, and outside that bounce and flex. Way cool!  Just like the art of sword making, blending steel that bends and steel that is hard, sandwich them and there goes the famous "San mai" steel  blade that is tough and flexible at the same time!

The ink is not like paint, and it is not just a black colored liquid. In fact, ink are not even in liquid form, but a solid form!  When we refer to ink, it is often referring to the "ink sticks", which are made from a mixture of smoke (from burning pine), some sort of starch, herbs and some other special ingredients.  These ingredients are pressed and mixed together by a big machine (or hand.... ) And turned into a very tacky paste, and these pastes were then pressed into molds and compressed, hardened and smacked out into blocks of ink sticks.  These ink sticks are often edible too, but I don't trust China today for their "ink sticks"... so I will avoid trying to eat them. Those that are made by small factories in Taiwan are legit though. They often use ingredients that are in their traditional recipes, which are all edible.


Good ink sticks are not stinky, and they produce a nice smell when grind onto the ink stone. Cheap ink sticks will scratch your ink stone up, and might not even produce ink for you!  Some cheap ink sticks you can buy in those Chinese "dollar stores" are often very poorly made to the point that they can just damage your ink stone right on the first day of use!  It's scary how quality can make a bit difference!

Talking about ink stone, there is also a big difference between the REAL functional ink stone, and the ones they sell for display or even for kids to play with. The ink stone that is really meant for use, are what we will use for calligraphy work. These real deal are no where near cheap at all. A small 4 inch circular ink stone with NO designs or engravings can cost you $100 and up. What's so special about them? The stone!  The type of stones used are extremely tough, and dense, and so they can make ink for you easily and not "drink" all the ink up before you use them! Imagine a bad ink stone that have trouble in making ink for you, and after 50 minutes you got some ink going, but the stone absorbed it all in 5minutes while you are going for a washroom break....!


There is a metaphor - the ink is like soap, and the ink stone is like a knife. You have to literally SHARPEN your ink stone from time to time, to make sure that your ink stone can produce ink effectively and efficiently!

Getting a real deal ink stone is not easy, but knowing how to use it is not easy too!  When you just got your ink stone in the mailbox, it is not a "open and use" kind of thing.  The first thing you need to do is to wash off the layer of WAX that is on the surface of the stone (for protection and preventing it from drying up and cracking during storage).  To do that, you can use some toothpaste or some hot water to rub the surface and remove the layer of wax on top.  After doing so, you will have to sharpen your ink stone the first time, so that it is ready to be used.  To do that, you will need a special block of whetstone that is specially sold for doing the job.  With some water, you grind the whetstone in circular motion ont he ink stone and keep grinding for a while until the surface feels smooth. Now your ink stone is sharpened, it is then ready to be used!

Grinding ink is not easy though. It takes a lot of practice, and a lot of patience!  You might be grinding ink too fast or with too much force, which result in ink juice that is full of rough and tacky texture.  You might be doing it too soft and slow, and your ink is not black enough.  It takes a lot of time and practice to get the right ink prepared!  Oh gosh, that's the best punishment to grind ink for big painting!  Imagine you need to grind ink for 2 hours, and then produce one big painting....

Thanks to technology, we now have bottled ink juice!  No grinding required!  There are pros and cons though. The bottled ink juice is often very poor in quality, and they smell bad.  If you want good quality bottled ink, they can cost $50 a bottle and up!  Compare to the ink sticks, it's like you want to pay this one way or the other. Money or effort?  Good bottled ink can be very flowing, smells great, and works great, but cost a lot more than you can imagine.


So now we have our four "treasures", we can get on with a piece of calligraphy artwork!

With the gears prepared, you must also have a properly setup workstation. With a piece of felt as the table cover, it prevents your watery and soaking wet paper to stick on the table. The ink and water will penetrate the paper, and it will stick on to the stuff below like glue!  If you are using a lot of ink (tacky), it will glue your artwork to the table in no time if you don't have anything below your painting. There is a special kind of fabric you can buy in the art shop which is almost water and ink resistant, and they are the best thing you can get for this task.  Wow, you never know it takes so many things to even "start" your painting session eh?

With a brush, ink and water, you can basically do many things on the paper. From text to drawings, and maybe even doing experimental artwork. Whatever it is, you will come to a point where you will say this it finished, and your artwork is done.  Wait, that is not completely done yet, not without your signature!  In Chinese calligraphy, we do not sign our name often, but we will use a stamp to sign the artwork!

A piece of Chinese calligraphy artwork can be as simple as just a black and white artwork with a letter, or a poem, or maybe even with drawings and colors and all sorts of awesomeness - but they will all end with a stamp, a seal, which represent the artist. The stamp is a signature, which is often the name or hallmark of the artist. Some will only stamp their artwork, some will stamp over a written name to add power to the signature. It's just like writing the name Mr. President XXX there is not enough, because everyone can write that!  So they stamp on top of the name to make sure it is the genuine one and not just any wannabe writing the name down. In the old days, we don't have laser stickers or whatever fancy stuff that is hard to replicate, so the stamp is often the best thing to use for this purpose. Since the stamp is handcrafted by the artist himself, every small detail must match when you put the artwork side by side with the stamp and the artwork. One tiny chip, one ding, one thicker or thinner stroke will be obvious to the artist and those who study the artwork. If yours is a knockoff, the stamp must be different looking. (Of course, no one got a scanner and printer back then...)

The color of the stamp is often chosen for a reason. It can be just a simple red color stamp, or it can be even in black, blue, white, green, yellow, gold and many other colors. In the past, colors can be chosen for a specific purpose, or it can be chosen just because it gives a bitter contrast to the artwork. Imagine stamping a white stamp into a very big blob of black ink. It looks very cool!  Some stamps will also be done in other color to show respect. Such as a calligraphy artwork for a funeral must NOT be stamped in red, but blue or black or white only. It's a cultural taboo thing, and showing red in a funeral is very rude. To the outsiders, it might be just a color, but the feeling you give to the family who receive the artwork is totally not what you want!  A little difference can make a major impact!

Beside the color of the stamps, the material used for the stamps are often critical too. Stamps can be made with stones, wood or metal, or eve other materials. In the ancient time, the authorities have their stamps made in gold or jade, to show off their wealth, and also make sure the stamps are tough and will not be damaged easily. The seals of the king are often made with jade and metal or gold, which makes it fancy and pricy, but also durable and long lasting without any chance of chipping, deform or whatever chance of damaging or deforming. Nowadays, we will often just use soap stones or other stones to carve our own stamps. It can be simply carved by hand using a set of stamps carving knives, or if you are the smart ones, you will be using a dremel (a power tool) which makes life so much easier...!

Where to stamp is also very critical!  As we now know that the stamps are like the seal of the artsit, the signature or the "proof" of the signature, we must know where to stamp so that it make sense!  Stamping can be done in random places to "balance" the painting, or it can be done in a logical order and placement such as stamping over the name, the date, or the sign-off line, etc. For the professionals, stamping process is very critical, because stamping it wrong can ruin the whole piece of painting, and many hours of hard work can be ruined.  Stamping the stamp on BAD quality paper can also lead you to damage the painting and rip the paper too!  Imagine stamping hard on a painting that is sort of still wet, and the paper is just not thick enough to withstand the stress. The stamp will stick to the wet paper and cut out a chunk of the paper along with the stamp's edge and there goes your torn piece of artwork.  It takes a lot of practice to learn where to stamp, and HOW to stamp properly. We don't stamp like how the custom stamp your passport, that's gonna kill your painting dude!


Now that you know about the basics and all the gears, it's time for you to go and explore the art shops!  Grab some tools, and start your magic on the paper!  There is nothing such as "wrong" in the first stage, just take your brushes and ink, fool around like a kid and experiment all kinds of effects on the paper. Learn from testing, trying and don't worry about F-king up anything and you will learn your way to mastering Chinese calligraphy!  Hope you like my little introduction to Chinese calligraphy!  If you would like to see some in action, feel free to watch my demonstrations on YouTube!  "http://www.youtube.com/Chiinnture" - See you there!


↧
↧

WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE UPDATE

September 27, 2014, 9:36 am
$
0
0
When we originally started Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate it was intended to be small, just a little martial arts variation of Sertorius. As we worked on it, the system and setting grew. Despite this we had intended to keep it lean and refer back to Sertorius for key rules. Recently we changed out minds. Now we want Ogre Gate to be playable on its own. It is still free, still going to be released as something of a work in progress but will be bigger than anticipated. Now we are expecting it to be about 150 pages or so (possibly a bit more). While having the Sertorius Rulebook handy will help you go deeper into the system, you should be able to run Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate using just the free PDF.

Toward that end we revised and re-organized the manuscript, making it much easier to navigate. We are also adding more text to sections because we are no longer assuming familiarity with Sertorius. 

Presently we are also deciding whether to make it pay what you want or free. Most likely free but the advantage with pay what you want is we could use that as a basis for more Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate. 

We are still looking for play testers so anyone interested should contact us at: BedrockBrendan@gmail.com
↧

Sertorius Campaign: The Swords of the Four Taverns (Session One: The Immortal Architect)

September 27, 2014, 4:28 pm
$
0
0
This was the first session of a new campaign set in the Vaaran Kingdoms. 

The party:

Gaius: A Ronian-blooded aristocrat
Uloff: A Gru Trader
Dreckergael: A human hunter who casts spells randomly when seriously wounded
Garoff: A Gru Bounty Hunter

Told to contact his uncle, Hamil Kar-Harba the brother of the King, at the Four Taverns in the town of Shahr-Tel, Gaius went there with three companions: Dreckergael, Garoff and Uloff.  Upon arriving in Shar-Tel, Dreckergael noticed a hooded dwarf following them. He dipped around a corner and waited taking the man by surprise. Dreckergael tried to grab the dwarf but missed, so his opponent stabbed him. Because this caused two wounds, Dreckergael (who has a Flaw called Subconscious Caster) transformed into a bird and flew away. Seeing Dreckergael’s belongings had fallen to the ground the dwarf picked those up. He also raved in the streets about demonic sorcery and the rest of the party went to the Four Taverns Inn. They took a table and found the food quite expensive. They also spotted the dwarf enter and order some drinks.


An Ogre eventually came to the table and told them to come with him to Hamil Kar-Harba’s quarters. They followed and there Hamil asked them to perform a service for them. He promised 400 Silver each and more if they completed their task. He explained his need:

Hamil desired the Pillar of Druba, an ancient relic from nearby Nong Sai ruins said to contain the last words of the Ogre King Dosikan. However the ruins are vast, part of a great ancient city called Tongasha. Finding the pillar without knowing its location is nearly impossible. As luck would have it, Hamil heard through one of his men that Darios Tyrna Maorides (A Castle Lord) had recently abducted and imprisoned an elf named Mangrai, who lived in the final days of Nong Sai and was also the royal architect.

Hamil asked the party to rescue Mangrai and convince him to show them the the way to the pillar. If they returned with the Pillar of Druba he promised 4,000 silver.

Before leaving Garoff asked Hamil to detain the dwarf for them so they could retrieve Dreckergael’s belongings. The ogre went downstairs and brought the dwarf back unconscious. When Dreckergael returned they interrogated the dwarf and learned he was an agent of Drecker’s enemy Goresios Maorides (another Castle Lord). They threatened him and seemed to secure a promise for more information about Goresios down the road.

After leaving the Inn the party went to Tyrna Hauch and its village, Glaver. There they met the Eparkos and Gaius said he was there to inspect defenses on behalf of the king. Because he is the nephew of the King’s brother, it was convincing enough to get him an audience with Darios Tyrna. But first they stayed the night in the home of the Eparkos. Because he is more at home in the open air, Uloff stayed outside and heard a horrible sound coming from the castle during the night. Like a great bull howling.

In the morning they convinced Darios Tyrna they were simply inspecting on behalf of the king. Because Darios considers himself incredibly loyal to house Hanno, he accommodated them and freely told them that he had Mangrai imprisoned in a nearby tower. He even gave them access to the tower and allowed them to speak with Mangrai.

In the course of their investigation the party learned that Darios Tyrna was obsessed with Nong Sai and trying to find the Pillar of Drabu himself. However he wanted it for sentimental reasons, remembering his mother tell stories about it as a child. He purchased Mangrai from a Caelan senatorial family who fled their homeland because of the civil war. Darios Tyrna found Mangrai difficult and couldn’t get much information from him. He took what little details he was able to extract and ventured to the Tongasha ruins. While there something happened and Darios (who they discovered was also a Sertori) overused his magic and turned into a Minotaur. The sounds at night were from him changing form. Investigating further they learned that many villagers had gone missing recently and that Darios’ master builder had been scorched by the minotaur’s breath.

Researching Minotaurs, the party decided that Darios needed to be killed. They went through many possible methods but settled on talking Mangrai into showing them the way to the pillar and convincing Darios to go with them. To do this they promised Mangrai to return him to Caelum and he agreed. Darios was so enthused that they found the pillar’s location he happily went with them.


The trip was largely uneventful thanks to the party having three hunters in the group. They made their way to Tongasha but happened upon some tar pits before reaching their destination. There they formed a trap upon the pits, concealing them with branches and foliage. Then Giaus cast the Pestilent Smile of Tiresias on Darios. This served two purposes. First it would cause unnatural euphoria making any minotaur transformations unlikely (as those were apparently triggered by anger). It also allowed them to lead Darios into the trap fairly easily. Because he was under the influence of the spell, when he fell into the tar pit Darius was oddly at ease and calmly suggested his friends give him a hand. They let him sink and left the area immediately.
↧

New Weapons for Sertorius: War Hammer and Maul

September 28, 2014, 7:25 am
$
0
0
Made these for Saturday's game because we had a Gru Player Character in need of something blunt and hefty. 


TABLE: NEW WEAPONS
Weapon
Group
Damage
Accuracy
Lethal
Muscle
Type
Range/Reach
Price/
Silver
War Hammer
Medium Melee
Muscle +2d10
-1d10
Yes
1
Blunt or Sharp
Normal Reach
70
Maul
Heavy Melee
Muscle +3d10
-2d10
Yes
2
Mighty
Normal Reach
85

*Can be used as a blunt or as a sharp weapon depending on which end is employed. 
↧
Search

PONDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE: QI DUELS

September 29, 2014, 1:36 pm
$
0
0
We have long been trying to find a way to make internal energy duels possible in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate. In wuxia films and series characters are able to harness and channel energy called Chi or Qi. A common convention is for two masters to stand-off as their energies collide. We wanted to incorporate this into Ogre Gate but it just proved difficult mechanically. Everything we did was too complex or didn't quite fit with our Kung Fu Technique system. 

So we think we finally came up with something that works. Haven't tested it yet (that will have to wait until Friday during the regular game). Here is what we have so far: 


Qi Duels 
Sometimes adept practitioners of Neigong will find themselves locked with one another in a duel of Qi energy. When this occurs they must focus and channel their energy against a foe, who does the same. Each moment that passes without one overpowering the other, causes the energy to build between them. The loser of such a duel is struck by the Qi energy generated during the duel.

A Qi duel can occur in one of two ways. The first and most common is a willing engagement between two martial heroes who each decide to use a Neigong technique that generates a Qi blast at the same time. This only happens in normal combat if two characters attack at precisely the same moment, otherwise it occurs in formal Qi Duels. Also there can be no more than one rank disparity for a duel to be initiated (when the gulf between opponents if greater than 1 Qi Rank, then powers function normally and there is no need for a duel).

The second way it can occur is when one character makes a Neigong energy attack and another uses a Neigong counter that states it triggers a Qi Duel.

Whatever the cause, when a Qi Duel begins resolve it using the following method:

Each participant prepares to roll 1d10 per rank of Qi. If your Qi rank is one less than your opponent you take -2d10 to your roll. If your Neigong rank is lower than your opponent you take another -1d10 to your roll. Both now make their rolls and compare results, with the person rolling highest achieving victory. If there is a tie see the final paragraph of this section.

If the victor wins by Normal Success he unleashes an enormous blast of energy against his opponent doing 1 Automatic Wound per rank of Qi (combine both combatants Qi ranks together for total). If the victor wins by Total Success, he unleashes an even greater blast of energy, doing 2 additional wounds to the target.

Ties: Each tie that occurs means neither side has overpowered the other, but they both keep contributing to the overall power level of the energy forces generated. Every round this occurs adds 2 Automatic wounds to the final Total.  
↧
↧

Exploring Wuxia Series

September 30, 2014, 1:07 pm
$
0
0
Return of Condor Heroes 2006
As I've mentioned here, Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate is inspired by both wuxia films and television series. Wuxia movies are relatively easy to find and view. Most people have seen at a least a few without even realizing it. But the television series can be a bit daunting if you are just getting into them or have never seen one before. One of the best places to go for information and articles on Wuxia Television series is Wuxia Edge. I highly recumbent checking it out. Just skimming through the posts there should give you an idea of what series might appeal to you. 

They have a recommended series panel there that is quite helpful. There are also regular articles covering different aspects of wuxia series. 
Return of Condor Heroes 1995

One of the things that can things confusing at first is most series have been re-made many times. For example Return of Condor Heroes (which is just part II of a three part series) has been done something like seven or eight times since 1976. Another one was filmed this year and scheduled for release in 2015. Again a place like Wuxia Edge is a good resource for navigating some of this and deciding which version of a series to watch. They occasionally do articles comparing clips. Here is one that compares Legends of Condor Heroes 2008 with Legend of Condor Heroes 2003: LOCH Comparison.  

Another helpful website if you are trying to track down some wuxia series is Viki.com. Viki has television programs and movies from places like Korea, China, and Thailand with English subtitles. 



↧

WIDENING THE LENS: WHY WE SHIFTED FROM FOCUSED TO BROAD DESIGN

October 1, 2014, 10:44 am
$
0
0
There are a lot of different ideas about game design out there. One thing you see people talk about is whether games should be focused or broad (or somewhere in between). This can apply to many different aspects of the game from the genre to the system to the goal of play. Some folks believe that games can only do one thing really well and the more you try to add the more that diminishes the game's quality. I personally do not believe this. I think there is a place for focused design and I think it has value, but I also think most groups do not consist of players who all agree 100% on a narrow set of preferences. I've seen this at my own table and through the customers of our products. There is nothing wrong with narrow design and there is nothing wrong with broad design but both do have consequences worth considering and these days I have moved from more a more focused approach to a middle approach that avoids either extreme. 

Let me give an example with one of our own games: Crime Network. It is, in my opinion, a wonderful system. It is also very focused on a narrow type of setting, one where the player characters are all members of the mafia. This is narrow in terms of concept. But the mechanics also feed into that. I think in hindsight we could have, and should have, made the mechanics even more focused on mafia material. One aspect of the game we decided was missing after it was released was it ought to have had a higher level of lethality than other Network products. Or I should say, a particular kind of lethality: making the one shot kill easy to pull off. But on the whole this was a game built around the idea of playing mobsters and I think we did a pretty good job. 

That said, how many people are really going to buy such a game? And out of the folks who buy it, how many people are going to run campaigns regularly for the rest of their gaming days? Even in my own group, while everyone had a blast playing, it wasn't something I could run constantly. It was more of a game for special occasions and seemed to work best in 2-4 month long campaigns. 

Many of our early designs were quite focused. I like focused games. I think they are a lot of fun. But I also like games with broader appeal and I also am interested in designing to the realities of the table these days. The reality is, it is somewhat rare to have a group of players who are all on board for this sort of off-beat concept. I happen to know  several such players and when we play Crime Network or a similarly focused game it is great. But it is much easier to recruit gamers if you are starting with a more broad concept.

At the same time, when you get too broad with a game, it becomes quite vanilla. Sometimes that is good. Vanilla is a popular flavor of ice cream for a reason. Not only is it something most people find they can stomach but it works great as a base for more complex flavors. With games it is the same way. You can take a game that is quite broad and use it for many different kinds of campaigns. That said, I am not terribly interested in making something broad or generic. I do like my games to have a certain amount of flavor attached to them. 

Narrowness can also be about design philosophy. Whether that be one of simplicity or one of agendas. And again I think here, for me it is much easier to avoid this and just look at what people are really after at the table. Players have a stubborn habit of being all over the map in this respect. It is easy to come up with a overarching idea of design that sounds good and wins arguments on the internet, but much less easy to make a uniform theory hold over actual playgroups. People are just too diverse and their tastes too personal. So now I've chucked all that. I don't worry about it. I just worry about what happens at the table, what people like, what they want, what makes the game work for them. Perhaps most importantly: what works for me as a GM and Player. 

This isn't a rejection of how we designed things in the past. I am proud of Crime Network and our other early games. It is just an explanation of our development, how we went from narrow and light to where we are now. It also isn't a statement that we will never do another  highly focused game. We well may. But If we do, it will be with the understanding that with greater focus, the more narrow our audience and the more game may be suited for special occasions. 
↧

THE ENEMIES LIST

October 2, 2014, 2:26 pm
$
0
0
Ever since Servants of Gaius, the Network System has featured an Enemy Flaw. In Sertorius we developed the concept further to create mechanics that help the GM determine the nature of the enemy and the enemy's motives toward the PC. Like other Flaws, for this to function the GM needs to work it into the game and keep track of the characters' enemies. 


When players in my group take this flaw I immediately make an enemies list that includes names, stats, motives, etc. I also talk with the player to figure out how this person became their enemy. The purpose isn't to punish the player, but merely enforce the Flaw (which is important). 

I also give each enemy resources. These should be reasonable and reflect the power level suggested by the type rolled. For example if the player rolls on the Enemy chart and gets a Mundane enemy, his lackeys (at least the ones he sends to deal with the PC) should probably be mundanes too unless there is good reason for them to be an Ogre or Sertori. 

You also need to consider the nature of the grievance. Few enemies want their opponent dead (though that is a possibility on the chart). Mostly Enemies are worried about things like respect and honor. Be sure to keep the Enemy's plans to a scale appropriate to the grievance. No one is going to implode their personal empire over a minor misunderstanding (well most people won't do that). Again the results on the chart suggest what level the enemy would bring this to. 

According to the Enemy Flaw, each adventure the Enemy has a 50% of making an appearance. This need not be done by adventure, it could be placed on a time increment if that works for you. The important thing is to pick a schedule and stick to it. Then roll before the game itself, so you can work the enemy into your prep if need-be. 

This can take some thought depending on the scenario. You don't need to write down an entire adventure for the enemy, just develop some vague sense of the Enemy's plans. 

Really you want to treat your Enemies as important NPCs because that is what they are. You also don't want their status as an Enemy to shield them from the physics of play. Enemies can die just like anyone else. The Flaw still exists though. The player will eventually acquire a new Enemy or his previous enemy's kin will seek revenge. 

But what if you have multiple players with the Enemy Flaw and more than one enemy shows up during a single adventure? I suggest taking it case by case, but consider having them team up. It may well be in their interest to work together against the PCs. 

Also don't be afraid to use cunning plans if the Enemy is smart. If your enemy's just show up every few games to shove the PC into a pile of dung as they chortle, you may not be making the best use of them. Certainly there is a place in Sertorius for the Biff Tannens of the world. But don't forget the schemers. 

I suggest trying to find characters from history, fiction and film to serve as models to help you design Enemy's quickly. Salieri is an interesting model for an Enemy. He is a schemer, he is also a bit complicated and seems to have a certain image of himself that he believes in. Perhaps most importantly his motivation is envy. He is jealous of Mozart's talents and wants to destroy him because of this. That is a perfectly valid motive for an Enemy in Sertorius, the PC simply being better at something. 

Enemies are well worth the work you put into them. They become recurring NPCs that keep things interesting and keep your players on their toes. 


↧

DESIGNING IN OCTOBER

October 3, 2014, 3:59 pm
$
0
0
For me October is a particularly helpful time of year. One thing I've learned about myself, and it is quite consistent, is I do my best game writing and development during the Fall and especially the month of Halloween. I live next to Salem and that may have something to do with it. Around here Halloween is a huge celebration called Haunted Happenings that brings traffic to a crawl in the surrounding communities. The celebration culminates on the 31st but it builds all month. 

New England feels very different in October. The leaves start turning burgundy and yellow and the air grows dry. I always feel like the crisp air sharpens my mind and puts me in a more creative mood. The material I've worked on in October has almost always been the stuff I am most proud of. 

Maybe it is because I am at heart a Ravenloft GM and running horror scenarios is something I am most comfortable with. That mood works for me and it pulls me into the game more than any other. 

When we first started work on Beneath the Banshee Tree, for example, it was around October of 2013 (in fact I believe this is our first post on the subject: Beneath the Banshee Tree). By the middle or end of October I was running my first play tests and that was by design. Beneath the Banshee Tree is my favorite kind of adventure: a creepy investigation, perfect for Halloween sessions. You can check out a nice overview of it at The Alexandrian. 

But even The Patriot Incident, a modern adventure for Terror Network with no supernatural elements at all, was written with an October mood. I don't recall all the precise details of development, but I do now it was written around Halloween, which is why Haunted Happenings in Salem plays such a key role. You can't live where I live and not become pre-occupied with Halloween in October. Even if you hate the holiday, the traffic is everywhere. It is like mardi gras for New England. 

When Bill and I did The Landlord's Daughter for Colonial Gothic, I am quite certain that was in October as well. 

Sertorius was a multi-year project but once again the times we really hit our stride with material always seemed to be around October. Servants of Gaius was developed over a Summer and into Winter so I don't know if that quite qualifies. Certainly my best Servants of Gaius adventures occurred in the Fall. 
↧
↧

Martial Arts in Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate

October 4, 2014, 6:21 am
$
0
0
I've touched on this before but would like to write about it in more depth because it has come up in discussions with play testers. In Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, the martial arts system is modeled on wuxia film and television series rather than real-world martial arts or fighting. That means we emulate the gravity defying (and sometimes logic defying) feats you see on screen. It also means we are not particularly worried about real  technique. This is a game where a character can lay on the ground and dodge sword blows by rolling, squirming and doing handstands. It is a game where characters can channel energy blasts and leap on a person's sword blade to deliver their own lethal attack. 

I participated in martial arts regularly for many years and it was a passion of mine that only ended because I developed complications from Crohn's Disease that required I stop intense physical activity. This was good for Ogre Gate. Prior to that, I had a lot of difficulty developing martial arts systems because I was so focused on what I learned from sparring and competition. Time away gave me the distance I needed to take a more laid back approach that emulated the highly stylized stuff you see on the screen. Also being unable to do the kinds of daily exercise and training I was accustomed rekindled my interest in wuxia in general, because wuxia is a genre where characters are physically unbound and transcend such limitations. It had a new appeal to me and I found the grittier martial arts movies (which I also enjoy) started to have less of an appeal. I've gone back and forth over the years and expect to in the future but presently wuxia gets more screen in my household. 

So now when I show people the Kung Fu Techniques in the book, I explain that these are not meant to reflect realistic combat. For Ogre Gate, I don't care about that. I care about being able to do the stuff Jet Li does in the Swordsman. There is an internal logic to it of course. These things are not created whole cloth. For example characters being able to leap up and walk on a sword blade to strike their foe happens because the setting has lightness Kung Fu where characters can shift their body weight and make themselves lighter (this is why characters in martial arts films glide over lakes or leap over twenty foot walls). By the same token, blasting your foes with red energy is there because the setting includes Chi and internal martial arts. 

Rather than describe this, I would rather show you what I mean through some clips. I chose these mainly because they were easy to find in a search. The first clip is from New Dragon Gate Inn (which I reviewed HERE). I personally rather like this scene so I'm glad it was easy to find when I searched it. This is gives you some idea of wuxia swordplay. 

The second clip is from a series I haven't seen. I've seen the 2003 version but this is the 2009 version of Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre. I liked the 2003 series, however (can't say if the 2009 series is good or not). This scene gives a pretty good sense of open handed technique in the genre and some of the stylistic elements surrounding that. 

The third clip is from a series I quite like, the 2006 Return of Condor Heroes. I was hoping to find another battle from the show but this one still illustrates my point. It is a good example of some of the more fantastical stuff you see in wuxia like spinning blades suspended in the air and using ribbons of cloth like spider webs.







↧

HISTORY AND GAMING

October 5, 2014, 9:16 am
$
0
0
This entry is more more about history than gaming itself, but the two often intersect and when they do, fireworks are not an uncommon byproduct. I've been following a number of conversations and blog posts regarding historical campaigns and related topics in history and I see a lot of anger and angst from all sides. I am not particularly interested in the specific arguments anyone is making but rather why people choose to dig their heels in and become so enraged over the subject because my experience of history as a student in college was completely the opposite of this. The flame wars and tears are not at all what I encountered and certainly not why I continue to love history as a subject. 


I should probably start by saying I am by no means an expert. I have an undergrad degree in history which doesn't entitle me to much in this sort of conversation. Never went to graduate school or entered a PhD program, though I was given the chance to teach history to English as a Second Language students as part of my own degree and that was quite rewarding (and I was working under an instructor so it wasn't like I was head of the class or anything). The history department at my school was wonderful. It had a great mix of professors from a range of viewpoints. There are different schools of thought in history and it was nice to have exposure to a variety of them. They were all passionate but there was never the anger and frustration I see so much of online. And one of the most common answers they gave to our harder questions was "I don't know, let me look into that." That last bit was quite important. 

That isn't to say there were not heated debates or arguments, but they were generally the exception and recognized as getting in the way rather than helping analysis. I remember seeing two professors clash over the meaning of an ancient Greek word in the History office. It was funny because that sort of thing rarely occurred and they both became obsessed with finding the answer. I think importantly though,when they did find the answer, the person who had been incorrect didn't change course or try to recast the argument in his favor, he acknowledged that he had been wrong. 

For me the thing about history that I love is it lets you asks all kinds of questions about the past. That is really the starting point in any history paper, asking a question and trying to find an answer. What I don't know about the past is what makes it so fascinating to me. That I might be wrong in my assumptions makes it exciting to investigate. And that willingness to acknowledge what you don't know and where you can be wrong, even if you think you know the answer, is important. Now this isn't some sort of statement about how we don't really know anything, so every idea is dandy (I found most history professors to strongly reject that kind of thinking) rather it is about letting go of your ego and the need to be the smartest person in the room. You only become smart about history when you know where your weaknesses are and what you need to learn. At least, that is how I came to view it from my experience as a student. 

I imagine some folks may be reading this and thinking I am weighing in on some debate about female warriors in history or whether HARN gets medieval life right. I am not. I have zero interest in those arguments. What interests me is the angst around them, the certainty both sides seem to bring to the debate and the way they invest so much emotion in the conclusions. If history made me that angry, I wouldn't bother with it. 

And just to be clear on that debate, I don't know the answer at all. I never had much interest in military history and was never intrigued one way or the other. I have some notions based on what I do know about history of the times and places under discussion but would honestly need to go back and do the research, get myself up do date on the latest articles on the topic. And while I love HARN and I do like the Medieval period, I was always much more interested in the Ancient Mediterranean and the Middle East. I would need to review my HARN books before wading into that particular discussion (and again that seems like time better spent learning about something that interests me). 

But I wonder why gamers in particular have such an intense relationship with history online, why so many discussions in gaming hinge on some question about history. It just seems so counter-productive to me. Like folks are using history as a bludgeoning instrument to score points. I would rather see people admit what they don't know. I am sure some of the folks are genuine experts and speak from a legitimate place of authority but a lot of them seem to be people like me, former history students who probably should be wary of adorning themselves with the 'expert' mantle. When I see a lot of these kinds of debates my first thought is 'boy do I have a lot to bone up on and re-learn'. 

This isn't to say I regard myself as unable to speak on the subject. If it is an area of history I studied a lot and understand, I will happily comment on it. I wrote a previous blog entry on Approaching History in Gaming and I tried to give a mini-lesson on historiography because that was a subject that held a lot of interest for me and I felt people would benefit from knowing more about it. But if someone pointed out where I got something wrong or pointed to an alternative viewpoint I wouldn't freak out, it wouldn't trouble me that in the years since I left college, I muddled some of the details of historiography (though I did review my copy of Iggers before writing that post just to guard against that a bit). 

I am genuinely interested in other peoples thoughts here (even if they think I am way off base) so feel free to comment. 
↧
Search

INTERVIEW WITH ELEANOR FERRON

October 6, 2014, 2:50 pm
$
0
0
This has apparently existed since 2010 but I only just learned about it from the Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque site. Jack has been posting about Ravenloft this month and in one of them he featured a gorgeous Tarokka Deck by artist Eleanor Ferron (here: Beautiful Tarokka). I recommend checking out Jack's posts on the demiplane of dread because he makes several insightful observations but also puts up lots of gameable material. The Tarokka Deck he featured is noteworthy because it is very well done but also because Tarokka decks are pretty hard to acquire these days (the cheapest I've seen the originals is 80 dollars). I was so intrigued I decided to do interview with Eleanor about the project. 

BD: It looks like you started out with a background in History. How did you get into art and illustration?

To paraphrase a quote I once heard, "when someone asks when you started drawing, ask them when they stopped." I think a lot of people draw, it's simply a question of whether they themselves consider their work to be art, or whether they think of it as just doodling. Art and illustration has always been something I did. When I was young I used to draw comics for my friends, with weekly issues, ongoing storylines, the works - they were about as sophisticated as you would expect from a pre-teen, of course. However, for a very long time I considered my interest as just a hobby, and as a result I tended to put it off to the sidelines. Eventually, I realized art was something I wanted to do, and whether or not it ended up the primary focus in my life, I needed to stop dismissing it. I'd say I began to seriously focus on my artwork few years after graduating from college.

BD: Did your History Training have any influence on your artwork?

I would say everything has an influence on my artwork. That's not a very helpful answer, I'm aware! But when it comes to creative endeavors, such as writing or drawing, I feel that's really the case. Artwork is an expression of ideas, even if those ideas are simply "what someone looks like", and the only way to get ideas is to go out and look for them. My background in history teaches me to pay attention to things like which domains - countries - are in contact with which other domains, and how they'd influence each other culturally through that contact. These are things that would come out in their appearance.

BD: Judging by your portfolio page you have a broad range. There are many different kinds of images and a variety of mediums from comics to plush toys. What is your favorite medium to work in?

These days I usually work digitally, which has a number of advantages. There's no mess, no set up, I can imitate a variety of styles with different brushes, and the Undo button is a godsend. All that said, when it comes to results, nothing can compare to a simple pencil or micron pen on sketchbook paper. 

BD: How did you get into plush toys?

My mother quilts as a hobby, and taught me how to use a sewing machine - she used to sew me clothes when I was much younger. I never had the patience for either quilts or the precise measurements needed for clothing, but sewing is always something I've known how to do. I started experimenting with moths as plush toys because they weren't very complex in shape, and because almost no one else makes them. It was one of those "if you want it done, do it yourself" scenarios.  


BD: Which artists inspire you the most?

One of the wonderful things about the internet is that I can find thousands of amazingly talented artists to look at, to the point where there's far too many to name or even remember. The two I will always name off the top of my head, however, are Talon Dunning and Tony DiTerlizzi, who captured my imagination as a kid and never let it go. I would also name Lissa Treiman, Alexandria Neonakis, and Claire Hummel, although in a different way - they were all former classmates of mine, though not always in art classes. I still look up to all three of them a great deal.


BD: You’ve done your own Tarokka Deck (a kind of Tarot Deck for Ravenloft), I saw some images online and they look very nice. Why the Tarokka deck? how did this project come about?

My deck is actually a Tarokka Tarot deck, which takes some explanation. Tarokka was a fictional Tarot analog created to be a companion to the Ravenloft campaign setting. There's been several decks of it printed, including a lovely one by Talon Dunning. It's a fine product, but the problem I have with is two-fold. The more practical problem is that the decks are nearly impossible to find, as neither of them are available for sale anymore, and both seem to have had very limited print runs. Talon has noted that his Tarokka Deck goes for around $350 on sites like eBay. My other issue with the Tarokka deck is a personal one, in that I simply prefer using Tarot. A part of this comes from the childhood inspirations that got me into the Ravenloft campaign setting in the first place - there's a game called Quest for Glory 4 that ranks among my all time favorites, and the Tarot imagery used in that game had a huge impact on me growing up. That being said, I always felt the Tarokka deck was less robust than the actual Tarot, which always aggravated me when I attempted to use it. For instance, there's no card in Tarokka to symbolize the concept of "love", which strikes me as a rather glaring omission.

At the same time, the overt Judeo-Christian references in Tarot don't really work in the Ravenloft campaign setting, and there were elements of Tarokka that I liked, such as the many subtle (or none-too-subtle) references to the setting itself. My goal with the project was to create something personal that combined the two, merging the setting I loved with the Tarot symbolism I loved. As a result, my deck is technically a Tarot deck, heavily altered by influences taken from the Tarokka deck.

BD: Did the original Fabian Deck have any influence or was the Talon Dunning your primary starting point?

It was mostly Talon's. I think I've seen the original Fabian Deck all of twice.

BD: You mentioned this is a Tarokka Tarot Deck; was your primary goal to have something for use at the game table or to have something for use at the Tarot table inspired by the gaming table? 

I only really use Tarot in gaming, so the former. Back when my gaming group held a Ravenloft Larp, I had the role of a Vistani fortune-teller who would perform readings for other players. I was using the Tarokka deck back then, I'd borrowed one of Talon's from another player. I don't have the opportunity to do that any more, but I still use my deck for the Ravenloft play-by-posts I'm in.

BD: What has the reaction to the Tarokka deck been like?

Pretty muted, honestly. *laughs*  I actually finished the deck back in 2010, and released a PDF of it for people to print in 2012 - you can find it hosted on the Fraternity of Shadows Ravenloft website. It didn't make a lot of ripples at the time. It was only recently that I made an actual deck using Gamecrafters and posted it up on my G+ account, at which point Jack Shear took notice of it and shared it on his G+ account. He seems to be responsible for most of the attention the deck has gotten.

BD: Jack’s post is how it came to my attention as well. You have been active on Fraternity of Shadows, contributing to resources like the Nocturnal Sea Gazetteer as an artist, but also as an author with articles like The Ocean’s Ferry Men: Dread Selkies of the Nocturnal Sea. What draws you to Ravenloft and how do you try to capture that mood in your artwork?

Summing up what draws me to Ravenloft requires a lot of thought. What originally drew me was the writing, certainly. I think the first product I got my hands on was the Children of the Night compilation, and it blew me away. Jezra Wagner, in particular, was such a haunting character for a young mind. So I suppose I like a touch of darkness and melancholy in my games. But I think the ultimate answer of what attracts me is the broader themes of Ravenloft, along with my other favorite, Planescape - Planscape, to me, is a game about people but more so philosophy, while Ravenloft is a game about philosophy but more so people.

It's hard to explain how to capture the mood, because I think mood is everything to Ravenloft. Certainly, there's a kind of pseudo-Victorian styling to it, but I try to branch out from that in my work. I think the answer is "atmosphere", as well as a feeling of overlap between the familiar (in other words, things from our world) and the fantastical. Ravenloft is an exaggeration of the real world, to the point where emotion has physical effects on the world around it. The best way to capture that is to try and make things as evocative as possible.


BD: How is illustrating cards different from other mediums?

It's not that different from a simple illustration. The major difference, I would say, is I needed to be aware of the border. My illustrations needed to be a precise size, without exception, which meant there were some cards I had to crop or alter to fit within the set constraints.


BD: What is different about your Tarokka deck?

As stated above, it's a marriage between standard Tarot and Tarokka. I also made an effort to incorporate parts of the setting that are often ignored, or which simply weren't as developed at the time when the other Tarokka decks were drawn. I wanted to illustrate the diverse range of characters that could be drawn from the source material. Were I to do it today, the drawings would likely be even more diverse.

BD: What changes would you make if you did started again on the Tarokka deck today?

There are many artistic changes I'd make just to improve the artwork and make things fit better within the boundaries of the cards. I'd also likely change the way I portrayed various figures from various parts of the setting. In addition to my Tarokka project, I also have a personal project to re-write bits of the setting to my taste - as you can imagine, it's a very long running project. It's developed a lot more since I drew the deck, so I would likely incorporate the setting changes I made into the work as a whole. 

Anyone interested in obtaining one of Eleanor's Tarokka decks can contact here at: rinatheelf AT gmail DOT com

Eleanor's Portfolio: http://eferron.daportfolio.com
↧

TERROR NETWORK OCTOBER BUNDLE

October 7, 2014, 5:30 am
↧
↧

WUXIA INSPIRATION: THE 14 AMAZONS

October 7, 2014, 4:19 pm
$
0
0
Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate (WHOG) draws on a number of sources for inspiration. I watch a lot of wuxia movies and TV shows, and these have had a big influence not only on Ogre Gate, but on Sertorius and many of my d20 campaigns. I am hoping to share some of my favorite movies and shows in the genre here as we work on WHOG.

Note: I am writing these as a fan of the genre. I am not a movie expert or an expert in asian cinema. These are my own observations based on what I have learned by watching wuxia and kung fu movies, and by reading about them through interviews and books. But my knowledge is quite limited and I am an English speaker. So understand that my commentary comes from this perspective. 

This review contains many spoilers.

Based on the Generals of the Yang Family (a collection of tales in different mediums about the military exploits of the Yangs during the Song Dynasty), The 14 Amazons is an award-winning wuxia classic that is just as watchable today as it was when released in 1972. It follows the women of the Yang clan as they march West to the border of the Song Empire to seek revenge against the Xia for the death of General Yang Zongbao. Led by the family matriarch, She Taijun, they defy corrupt imperial officials and defend their country against the Xia invasion in a series of intense and graphic high tempo battles. 

The 14 Amazons was directed by Cheng Kang and produced by Shaw Brothers Studio. It stars Ivy Ling Po (Mu Kuei Ying), Lisa Lu (She Taijun), Lily Ho (Yang Wen Kuang), Yueh Hua (Lu Chao) and Shu Pei-Pei (Yang Pai Feng). Bolo Yeung also makes an appearance in a minor role.

The 14 Amazons is part of the female martial hero tradition in wuxia, which I am informed reached a peak in the 50s but was revived for a time by the films of King Hu like Come Drink With Me. My understanding is early on in the genre the primary audience was female, so female protagonists became a staple but Hu helped create new interest in female heroes. During the 70s the female 'knight errant' would be overshadowed by the male 'knight errant' in Hong Kong wuxia and Kung Fu films but this is part of a period where women still had many prominent roles. 

This is also a movie packed with talent ranging from Lisa Lu to Yueh Hua. One notable casting choice is Lily Ho playing the role of the male character Yang Wen Kuang. I have heard a few different things about this, with some people saying Wen Kuang was meant to be a daughter masquerading as a son in the film because all the male heirs have been killed, and that the subtitles make this not very obvious. It is possible there is a subtlety in the dialogue I missed in this regard but looking into it, it appears to me that Wen Kuang is a male character and simply being played by a woman. I could be wrong though and certainly welcome the expertise of any readers who happen to know the answer here. It isn't uncommon for female characters to dress as men in the genre but to have a female play a male role is not as common. Either way I think she did a very good job and couldn't help but think she seemed to be doing her best Cheng Pei-Pei impression in her performance. 

The title 'The 14 Amazons' is just the English translation and a bit misleading because of the connotations of the word 'amazon'. I don't know the precise meaning of the original title but from what I gather it roughly translates into Fourteen Brave Women Female Heroes or Fourteen Female Heroes. Something to that effect. 

The 14 Amazons
The movie opens with the death of General Yang Zongbao while fighting on the frontier against the Western Xia. He is surrounded and captured, then made to watch as the enemy tortures his men. The opening scene is bloody, establishing much of the tone of the rest of the film. We witness General Yang shot threw with arrows, speared and hit with what looks like a guan gong dao, then see his body kneeling defiantly as blood flows to the earth in a virtual river. It is excessive but also beautifully done and well composed. By this time all of his sons have died fighting for the Song Dynasty except his youngest, leaving only the women of the family to avenge him. 

After this prelude, we are taken to the Yang villa where the women are gathered to celebrate the birthday of General Yang Zongbao. There are a lot of characters in The 14 Amazons and this scene makes a point of introducing them by name. A few might be glossed over but we are presented with all the various grandmothers, sisters, daughters and mothers. Presiding over the affair is the family Matriarch, She Taijun, played by Lisa Lu. Two of General Yang's men arrive to give news of his death. Both his wife, Mu Kuei Ying (Ivy Ling Po) and only remaining son, Yang Wen Kuang (Lily Ho), vow revenge, but She Taijun says they must first speak with the emperor. 
Lisa Hu as the venerable Taijun


The women of the Yang family go to meet the emperor but are greeted by a corrupt and slimy official named Wang Ching, who is responsible for General Yang not having enough reinforcements. It seems the official has convinced the Emperor to placate the Western Xia. This enrages She Taijun who decides that the women of the Yang family will lead their forces to the frontier to protect the Empire and have revenge. 

As they leave, we get a strong impression of She Taijun's personality when Wang Ching tries to intercept them and stop their march. With another official there to verify she reveals that she has the Dragon-Head Staff, which confers the right to beat corrupt officials and useless emperors when they do wrong. She pounds Wang Ching with it and says she will finish with him when they return. 

Back at the Xia camp we are witness to the brutality of the enemy they face. There is a mood in the air as the princes deal with their prisoners. Lu Chao, a slave who has been held by the Xia for ten years, attacks one of the soldiers when he tries to abuse a Han woman. He is then forced to fight to the death against an armed attacker (played by Bolo Yeung) and manages to win. 
Lily Ho (left) as Yang Wen Kuang and
Ivy Ling Po (right) as Mu Kuei Ying


Later, when he learns about the plans of the Xia to ambush the approaching Yang forces at Twin Dragon Hill, Lu Chao flees and joins She Taijun's camp where he tells them about the ambush. She Taijun is cautious in her approach of Twin Dragon Hill but also not sure if she can trust Lu Chao. They use a diversion to to gain the upper hand and attack their ambushers leading to a series of heavy skirmishes. They do survive but find themselves hunted by the Xia as they do so and they also lose their supplies to Xia forces. 
She Taijun plans her attack

In a clever ploy, the Yangs use shafts of bamboo to retake their supplies from the enemy by draining bags of rice into the shafts down hill. This works but they are followed and attacked before they can reach their camp. 

Once again they find themselves hunted in the forest as they try to reach the Xia base. They scale over cliffs and through woods before coming to a bridge, which the Xia burn. They manage to get half of their numbers across the bridge before it collapses and are forced to form a human bridge in order to get everyone across. Soldiers and servants guard them from the rear and sacrifice so they can reach the other side. 

After crossing the bridge they realize their approach to the Xia camp, but know they face greater numbers. Mu Kuei Ying asks General Yang for a sign of how to defeat their enemy and each time she asks, a piece of wood appears in a nearby brook. This gives her the idea of luring the Xia soldiers out of their camp then breaking a dam so they are blocked from return by flooding, allowing them to deal with the King and his men. 

Cleverly they take the camp by sneaking into the watchtowers and forcing the guards to blow the alarm for an approaching army. The Xia are wary though and ask confirmation from all the towers, but the Yang women have taken each one and the Xia forces head out. 

There is an intense battle and then a long stand-off as it when it becomes unclear whether the dam tactic was a success. The Xia king recalls his army and it seems Taijun's men are delayed in forcing the dam open. But at the last minute the damn bursts, engulfing the king's men. 

This leads to a truly spectacular showdown between the Yangs and the Xia. Mu Keui Ying faces the king in a duel and impales him with a spear. Together the Yang women and Wen Kuang kill the archer responsible for dealing the death blow to General Yang. 

Upon their return they are greeted as heroes by the court officials, including Wang Ching. 

A Great and Gory Epic
The action in The 14 Amazons is thunderous and intense, with combatants unleashing ringing sword combos that chime with each strike. Theses are often rapid displays where enemies are are beaten back steadily by sword blows. It's bloody, brutal and unforgiving, with impalements, beheadings and rivers of blood pouring from the bodies of fallen heroes. But it isn't needlessly gory, the blood spilled is used to paint a scene. This is bloodshed with cinematic purpose. The theme of the film is patriotic, with an emphasis on personal sacrifice even to the point of putting country ahead of family. The blood stains are part of that theme. 

The stunt work is also exceptional and inventive. There is one iconic scene where dozens of actors form a human bridge over a ravine, but to achieve it they first have to stack on each other's shoulders. Because half of the people are on one side and half on the other, they each form into pyramids then fall toward one another and grab hands. I doubt the stunt was performed over an actual ravine (it looks like a sound-stage), and I am sure many safety precautions were taken, but I was surprised to read that Ive Ling Po was in the stunt herself and remarked how frightened she was at the time. 

While there are a lot of characters, and while this proved a major problem in the 2011 remake Legendary Amazons, The 14 Amazons places most of its focus on She Taijun, Mu Kuei Ying and Yang Wen Kuang (as well as a few other key characters like Lu Chao). So it is relatively easy to follow despite having such a huge cast. 

This is a solid and exceptionally good martial arts film. Everything from the epic scope to the costumes comes together beautifully. The 14 Amazons is the kind of movie where you can tell a good deal of thought went into the composition of each shot. I strongly recommend it for fans of the wuxia genre. 

For gamers I think aspects of the movie will inspire, but it may be harder to extract elements for an RPG than some other entries in the genre. 
↧

THE IMMORTAL ARCHITECT

October 9, 2014, 6:55 am
$
0
0
In Sertorius, elves are immortal. They are susceptible to violence or disease, but not to old age. So they are more like elves from Tolkien. But they are also a bit dark due to their history. One thing Bill and I decided early on was to do a thought experiment on how immortality would impact the Elves over time. We came up with a few key conclusions. Our first was that the death of an elf would be significant. Just like we view our lives as more precious than the short lived lady bug, Elves probably view their lives as far more precious than the short lived Human or Orc. That meant how war was conducted would be important and we made a point of addressing that in the different Elven cultures. But we also realized that injury and death could still occur. We estimated that your average Elf would still die from violence or disease at age 700. This was just an average of course, many would live well beyond that, some would die much earlier, but it gave us a handle on how long Elves might expect to live, what they would consider a full life. This led to our next conclusions: many venerable elves would have permanent injuries and missing limbs. Here is an example of such an Elf from my own Vaaran Kingdoms campaign. This is the oldest Elf I've ever put into the game, so I made a point of giving him some noteworthy injuries (forgive the Skill formatting, Blogger is not terribly friendly to Tabs). 


Mangrai The Architect of Tongasha
Elven Scholar

Defenses
Hardiness        3
Stealth             3
Evade              3
Parry               3
Wits                9
Resolve           9

Key Skills
Wrestling:                                1d10
Light Melee:                            1d10
Athletics:                                0d10
Speed:                                     1d10
Muscle:                                   0d10
Detect:                                    2d10
Deception:                              3d10
Persuade:                                 1d10
Empathy:                                0d10
Reasoning:                               3d10
Survival (All):                         2d10
Trade (Stone):                         3d10
Trade (Architecture):           3d10
Language (Singh):                    3d10
Language (Agarian):                2d10
Language (Pasaali):                  2d10
Language (Gruskel):                2d10
Language (Latar):                    3d10
Language (Khubsi):                 3d10
History (Varian Sea):              3d10
History (Sea of Aetorus):       3d10
History (Gulf of Anja):          2d10
History (Midbar Region):       1d10
Places (Varian Sea):                 3d10
Places (Klammerskel):            2d10
Places (The Sea of Aetorus):  3d10
Religion (Senga):                     3d10
Religion (Sarilla):                     3d10
Script (Sai):                             3d10
Script (Latari):                        3d10
Script (Pasar):                                     1d10
Creatures (Sertori):                 3d10

Wounds: 2

Present
Mangrai is an ancient elf, perhaps the oldest in Gamandria. He witnessed the destruction of Nong Said first hand and knows the location of the Pillar of Drabu (an ancient artifact believed to contain Dosikan’s final words). However Mangrai has a thorny personality, having experienced the worst of the world in his 1,852 years. He doesn’t like to talk about the fall, regarding it as a sacred period that purged great evil from the world. He also feels those curious about it are just inviting the same kind of evil. He is happy to talk about the failings of Dosikan or the personal flaws of anyone he is having a conversation with.

Over the years Mangrai has sustained a number of permanent injuries. He is missing his left hand (lost at the fall of Nong Sai), his eyes were gauged out in Rashua leaving him bling, and he is missing his right arm (taken in Caelum). Presently he wears an iron hand on his right arm that is capable of scooping up objects.

Past
Born in 400 AA, Mangrai was the chief architect of Tongasha and well liked by Dosikan. The feeling was not mutual as Dosikan was known for his temperament and executed Mangrai’s father, Pho Khun, for using the wrong color stone in a project. But Mangrai was adept at survival and concealed his rage.

Mangrai’s family had remained in Nong Sai after the Elven exodus. After so long in slavery they had no use for Ranua or her tricks and didn’t trust the elves to lead them to prosperity.

Mangrai helped bring Tongasha to a new age, vastly improving its infrastructure. He also oversaw many burial projects including the Temple of the Emerald Snake where he created a special chamber for The Pillar of Drabu.

By luck Mangrai escaped death when Nong Sai fell. One of the lucky few, he knew where to hide in the city. However he did lose his left hand in the destruction to infection.

In the wake of the disaster he travelled south and lived among the Halflings for a many years. There he eventually found his way into the court of King Ashqart (helping design fortifications during the war for control of Rashua). He served three generations of kings, until the reign of King Ashqart III. In 574 King Yaum-Kar came to power and put many of the Ashqart loyalists to death. Mangrai was merely blinded and sent back to Shahr where he stayed for some time before going to Agra where he remained for about three decades. By 780 he heard of an Orc empire to the west and was curious. He travelled there and became a Client of the Senator Pollio Agrippa. He served long in the family, becoming good friends with Agrippa’s great-great-great grandson Pollio Gaius (later known as Pollio Basto). While serving one of Basto’s descendants, a political crisis led to a series of trials in which Mangrai was wrongly implicated. His arm was taken as punishment for “treason” and he was made a slave. Still his skills were well known and he came to the attention of Juventar Tadarus a young but ambitious Senator who knew well the reputation of Nong Sai. Tadarus had recently been made an Aedile and purchased Mangrai to help him revolutionize Caelan architecture. Caelum was already quite advanced but with the help of Mangrai Tadarus created a more workable sewer system and perfected the public baths. Mangrai remained in the Juventar family until the civil war, when he was sold by Juventar Carus to Darios Tyrna Maorides of Palus. 

Future
Mangrai’s future is cloudier than most. He has lived so long and has such little ambition of his own that deciphering his future is quite difficult.



↧

SWORDS OF THE FOUR TAVERNS PART II: The Pillar of Druba and the Dragon God Rue-Keska

October 12, 2014, 8:29 am
$
0
0
This is a report of the second session of our Vaaran Kingdoms Sertorius session. You can see session one HERE. 

The party:
Gaius: A Ronian-blooded aristocrat
Uloff: A Gru Trader
Dreckergael: A human hunter who casts spells randomly when wounded

Garoff: A Gru Bounty Hunter

The party continued to the ruins of Tongasha after leaving Darios Tyrna to the tar pits. With Mangrai’s help they found the Temple of the Emerald Snake Goddess and learned the path to the pillar. The Temple was an ancient Nong Sai structure, with three massive stupas, the highest reaching about 35 meters high. The main entrance led deep underground. Inside the walls were coated in animated reliefs of ruby and emerald, depicting events of the ogre kingdom’s history. They also found  large stone sarcophagi but did not attempt to open them. On their way in the party was attacked by 7 terracotta Hasri guardians. However these were somewhat mindless and they were able to run into a hallway to create a choke point to gain tactical advantage. During the melee, Dreckergael was struck by one of the guardians and wounded enough that he turned into a badger and ran away (he has a flaw that causes him to reshape instantly when he takes two wounds). After the party destroyed the guardians they found Dreckergael in badger form and waited four hours for him to return to his normal form.

Eventually they found the pillar and it was protected by two spirits. They screeched causing the party to burst into flames. A battle ensued and the PCs evaporated the spirits using spells like Bolt of Fury. The pillar itself contained text they could not read (it was in Singh script) and was about 800 pounds. They removed it from its anchor points and collectively dragged it from the tomb, occasionally with the help of a makeshift pulley system.

On the surface they cut down some trees to help them roll the pillar to the city of Tongtel. This lengthened their journey considerably so they took the time to work out with Mangrai the translation on the pillar (this took many hours because he is blind and they had to explain each letter to him). This is what the pillar said:
These are the words of he who holds the 12 silver cities in his right hand and carries the sun upon his left like a lamp. All shall know that I am the greatest king who walked the earth because I butchered armies and cut the throat of a god.

My powers are unrivaled but now the storm of vengeance is upon you all. What I have done is right. It is truth. It is good. It leads to paradise. It is an act of mercy and kindness that required blood. That requires more.

I will seek no forgiveness from you. I will not take a single absolution.  Instead I have one gift to pass. Hear my words and watch as time shapes them into reality.

Today my body dies and the glory of my kingdom fades. Fire, smoke and demons will come and feast upon your bones. No one deemed guilty can escape. All here are doomed.

One day I shall walk again among you, but no more a king.

Alone there is but one path and upon it many things.

A legion of forgetful beggars who yearn for my crown yet cannot speak a single name.

A spear held by mortal hands lancing the heavens and one wound that will not heal.

A bursting crown of flame and gold awakening the sky as the reclamation begins.

A silent orb of neither light nor dark sings a song for all to hear:

The Serpent comes to feed once more when our time is at hand
Ten times one thousand years to pass before her feast begins
A trail of fields to harvest long the work of gods and men

No one knows but one is true and yet no one understands
Not wanting to dispatch a messenger to Gaius’ uncle Hamil, because that might attract attention, they remained outside the city and Uloff performed the spell Aperture of Po, which enabled him to create a two way gate to communicate through. Gaius knew Hamil would be at Castle Theona so they tried to center it on where his bedchamber would be and waited until nightfall to cast. Uloff also had to spend several hours creating a mechanical aperture to use in the spell.

Aperture of Po was cast successfully and they were able to both see and hear Hamil. He was pleased with their success but revealed that Castle Theona was under siege from recently united Gru and Human tribes who had started worshipping a dragon god named Rue-Keska. He also told them that the leaders of the tribes were covered in heavy scales and looked different from normal Gru or Humans. Hamil didn’t appear to be in immediate danger, though the tribes had destroyed many surrounding villages. He suggested they contact the Order of Justinian in Tongtel and make the exchange themselves. They could then go to his Archon and son Pazzer-Unzi for their payment. Hamil also offered them a greater sum if they could go to the Wangela (the place where the united tribes are from) and try to kill their new dragon god.

The exchange was made, the party was given 125,000 gold pieces worth of ingots and they took this to Archon Pazzer-Unzi who gave them payment. Because they were wounded they rested in the city for two weeks. Hamil was under siege but they didn’t think it would be wise to face the Warngel Tribes and a possible dragon in their current state.

They crossed the river into Warngel territory, going to the town of Warnula, an Orc settlement that pays tribute to Palus. They learned that the Warngela started worshipping a dragon named Rue-Keska about 7 months ago. Soon after the Darga (a Gru tribe in the south) also started worshipping the dragon and the leader of the Darga married his daughter to Belgash the Warngel chief. Asking the local Legate (an official who was apparently in charge of Wanula’s defenses) they were told that the site of worship was on top of one of the “glittering hills”.

They went to the hills and found one that glimmered in the sunlight. There they camped for three days and observed. On the third morning, a group of Warngel tribemen approached the hill entering its glen with an orc prisoner. Dreckergael followed and used the spell Hide to watch them from the shadows. He saw about 12 tribesmen who killed the prisoner and took her heart, then waited as a pair of yellow eyes appeared in the shadows. Dreckergael backed away but saw a 120 foot long snake like creature with a crocodilian head emerge to feast on the offering. He noted its features and returned to the group. With Dreckergael’s knowledge of monsters and Gaius knowledge they were able to deduce it might be some kind of Sand Dragon that had Sertori like powers.

They started formulating a plan to deal with the beast.




↧
Viewing all 1129 articles
Browse latest View live
Search