D&D Custom Weapons: Tier 2

Here are the custom weapons and their known abilities.

D&D Day 27: Robot Dragon

-The party continued on to Soel. They encountered a group of kobolds praying in the middle of the Finale Road to some dragon. After Torion attacked the kobolds without provocation, a large dragon construct swooped down to exact vengeance for the murders.

-Vanielle told the group about a lever located in the dragon's throat. Vier'Sshim climbed into the robot and tried damaging it internally, before being spewed out. The dragon screamed and managed to dominate most of the party, causing Torion to mine a nearby mineral with his axe, Pierce to pull dried weeds, and Thorry the Reckless to lie in a ditch.

-Vanielle and Pierce received their custom weapons.

D&D Day 26: Desert Treasure

-A new party member, Peirce the Knight joined the party.

-The party followed the Finale Road towards Soel. They found a ruins filled with broken columns and mounds of skeletons.

-Vanielle's Necromancer Tablet raised the skeletons. They fought two skeletal cyclops and two bone worms. Peirce showed off his defender skills.

-Torion unlocked his axe custom weapon, and chose the Fomorian's Hatred greataxe (d6 and d20 powers).

D&D Day 25: Responsibility?

-The party headed for Soel to join in the Chorus of Thunder's quinquennial meeting for Thorry the Reckless' Grand Storytelling. They had two choices: either create a raft and sojourn along the River Myan, or cross the desolate landscape of Syrn.

-In Syrn, the party tried to solve a dispute between a terraforming mage and a group of ettin mercenaries led by a minotaur. The party tried to say that the crystal was theirs since they arrived first. Torion was reluctant to speak with the other minotaur, simply because they were the same race. Unfortunately, they ended up in a battle with the mercenaries and the mage's terraforming crystal broke stopping the terraforming and injuring any nearby creatures.

-They crossed the toll bridge and paid the small toll. Vanielle managed to steal back her gold.

-In the genasi town of Quain they were attacked by gnome entropists and gnome wolverines, bounty hunters searching for Thorry the Reckless.

D&D Day 24: Curses of the Past

-Thorry the Reckless saw visions of his past before entering the cave. He sees an old tiefling bard that protects him against Relen, a devil sorcerer. In his dying state, the bard bequeaths his powers to the child. Thorry's armor transforms to regular magical chain +2 armor.

-In the cave the party meets a group of the Chorus of Thunder. They are wounded by devils. Torion doesn't want to help them at all and stays near the entrance. Vanielle reluctantly helps them, and Thorry is also wary. After healing them, the group turns into Trap Haunts, their bodies crumpling to the floor. An Oni Haunter appears at the entrance.

-After defeating the ghosts, old Thorry the Reckless' ghost appears along with his remains. He warns about Relen and gives young Thorry some help.

-The broken hilt of old Thorry the Reckless' sword merges with the blade and forms the Everdare. Thorry takes old Thorry's ring and finds a cursed Ring of Violation.  

-Before leaving the party decides to rest in the cave. They are attacked by Dread Hell Hounds.

D&D Day 23: Liar Cards

-The party went to a harvest festival celebrating town and found that it was under control of a powerful Halfling.
-Thorry the Reckless defeated him in a card game. Barely. Vanielle and Torion drank while they battled. The stakes were being mind controlled for a month, or treasure. The Halfling offered to free the people of the town prematurely, but Thorry wanted the gold instead. Using his mind control powers and as a suggestion by the party, the Halfling summoned the female townsfolk and made them dance like puppets. They creeped themselves out.
-Leaving the town the party traveled north to a cave of Thorry the Reckless' past. At the cave they fought against territorial Galeb Duhr, small earth elementals.

Day 22: Mounds of Bodies

-The Party went west to see the hills of dead bodies they had seen previously. Upon finding a locked chest they were attacked by Carrion Crawlers and a Otyugh. After vanquishing the monsters, Vanielle found nothing inside.

-Returning to town, they met a traveling messenger who was looking for Thorry the Reckless. The youth was a fan of him and wanted to hear a song. He also told Thorry about the upcoming quinquennial Grand Storytelling, the meeting of the Chorus of Thunder. After he delivered his message and heard the tiefling's song, he was killed by a burst of fire. 

-Relen, the devil posing as a tiefling and right hand of deceased Lord Bastar, appeared claiming that Thorry was a poser and not the true Thorry the Reckless. He threw down a broken sword hilt as proof. Before disappearing, Relen mentioned that he would be waiting at "the place." Torion did not have any animosity towards the devil especially since it seemed that Relen helped defeat Lord Bastar.

-They fought a group of cambion and a succubus. The female devil kept dominating the adventurers and using Torion as a shield, her brainwashing making it seem natural for the bull to protect her.

D&D: Chorus of Thunder

The Chorus of Thunder is a large group of bards that roam around the Erisia-Iridesse Continent and beyond searching for stories to tell. Often they join groups of adventurers and make their own tales based off of their own journeys. Together they have developed powerful techniques that expand on their arcane prowess, such as increasing their healing potential and summoning powerful heroes for brief periods of time.

Their main headquarters is in the Frontier town of Soel, the only safe area in the desert wasteland. Every five years many of its members return to share their stories in the quinquennial Grand Storytelling Festival and be awarded powerful magics for their tales of bravado, heroism and tragedy.

Some of its notable members include:

Thradis Vesuur, Satyr Guild Leader
Paraya Phelan
Oolam Midame
Sneks Magoo
Civillil Firax
Gurn Sirensong, Gnome ex-wizard Bard
Thorry the Reckless, Tiefling Skald

Pyromancer of Saiure - New Book!

My book, Pyromancer of Saiure, is available on the Kindle site. Buy it and read it if you enjoy tales of adventurers, prophecies, strong female characters, and fire mages.
 

Day 21: Pirate Ship in the Mountains

-The Party continues to Veridae, green town of thieves, .
-In the Pass of Elgoz, a portal appears and a massive pirate ship along with water explodes out of the magical exit. The party manages to survive using superior athletics and acrobatics.
-Sahuagin (fish people) raiders and a baron appear to fight the Party.
-They find a dead pirate in the main cabin.
-After traveling through the wilderness, Vanielle spots a strange area where there are mounds of corpses and treasure. However, the party decides to head to Veridae first before going to this place.
-At Veridae, the party splits up and tries to learn more information about any strange happenings as well as look for work. There is a shortage of people in the town, likely missing. They check the town hall, tavern and even the Thieves' Guild.
-Thorry the Reckless learns that the Grand Storytelling, the quinquennial meeting of the Chorus of Thunder is happening in a few weeks. He has to get a story prepared.
-Torion gets stolen from by one of the thieves' guild members.
-The party learns that there is a small town to the west where a harvest festival has recently happened that attracts townsfolk from surrounding towns.

Day 20: To Unstone a Minotaur

D&D Day 19: Petrified

D&D: Revised Map

An altered and simpler map of the continent for my players. The continent is now called Erisia-Iridesse for the western and eastern landmasses. Most of the important places are listed, while minor towns and locations can be added in later.

Special Features of the Continent:
-The most populous races belong to lesser races like kobolds, gnolls, sahuagin and goblins.
-There is a fair distribution of most civilized races scattered across the towns and cities.
-The bard class is stronger than most due to the influence of the Chorus of Thunder. Some of its members have created new spells such as the ability to temporarily summon heroes of the past to fight for them.
-The Frontier, a wasteland/desert, births powerful monsters at a rapid pace making it very difficult to settle there.
-Certain areas like the Sylvan Veil, Kohver and Mt. Narsull allow connections to other planes/realms.

D&D: Character Sketches

Obviously I don't know what they look like, since they're mostly in my player's heads but I decided to give it a try. Work in progress.

 From Left to Right:
Vanielle Everchange, Hadarai of the Coast, Thorry the Reckless, Torion and Ayboru (First Form).

D&D Day 18: Gnolls

After defeating the snake celebrant, the party reached a strange mass of darkness that led to the Abyss. Seeing the magic of Baphomet, the horned king and Torion's new liege, he entered. However, the darkness was a trap.

On the other end of the pocket dimension, the party found a tranquil beach with lapping waves. In the distance a crimson crescent formed a moon among a starless sky. After some time in surveying their surroundings, a pool of blood formed and a large demon appeared. Yeenoghu, Demon Lord of Gnolls came to meet the chosen of Baphomet.

The demon lord threatened Torion with death or servitude. However, after the minotaur reluctantly  surrendered his pride and kneeled before the gnoll, the corrupted creature simply laughed and attacked anyway. During the battle, Thorry the Reckless laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation and tried to convince Torion to give in to the gnoll's demands.

Though they tried, the party succumbed to Yeenoghu's assault. The gnoll king cut off one of Torion's horns, crushed it into powder and sprinkled it on the fallen minotaur. The demon lord disappeared, bored of the party's weakness, and summoned his servants to finish the job and take the spoils.

Vanielle's goddess, Sehanine restored the party's lives, and allowed them to fight back against the gnolls. Though the battle was difficult and the party was outnumbered, they managed to defeat odds that were stacked against them. They defeated Gnoll War Fangs, Disciples of Yeenoghu, and a Chosen of Yeenoghu. After dispatching the enemies, the world shimmered like a mirage and they found themselves back in the temple.



  

D&D Day 17: Snakes

Ayboru, Warrior Mode

After in Merchaise, the group reconnected and prepared to undertake another quest. At the tavern they acquired a new member, a Drow Hexblade named Vier'Sshim. Before making his leave, the other Drow Hexblade Dravoren picked a quest from the board and gave it to the party. He returned to the Feywild, to see after Hadarai and the Drow Paladin.

At a nearby temple, the cult of Zehir was gathering to do something malicious. Unfortunately, with their low religious knowledge the party was unable to recall who the God of Snakes was.

In the first room of the temple, they encountered snake people with greatswords. Torion jumped off the stairs but fell down and missed the training snake initiates. They pulled a lever that allowed water to rise from the drains in the ground in the next room, waking up the sleeping things there.

In the second room of the temple, large constrictors and flame snakes were waiting for them. Vanielle Everchange attacked the far away snake warriors who were drinking water and watching the fight causing them to enter the fray.

Finally, in the third room, the party found a Snaketongue Celebrant, a more transformed snake cultist asking them to join their group and praise the holiness of Zehir. Vanielle wondered if he was crazy but realized that this person was completely sane. Thorry the Reckless also did not fall for the snakeman's schemes.

Out of a massive pool of water, a massive figure emerged and launched a full offensive on the elven seeker, for some reason.

Psychic snakes hurled from the Celebrant made the minotaur fall asleep, leaving the rest of the party to deal with the gigantic crocodile. With Thorry, Vanielle and Vier'Sshim cooperating, they quickly made work of the reptile and the elf dealt the final blow by kicking the beast back to where it came.

   

D&D Day 16: Aftermath of the Split, Part 2

Orcs of the Mountain
Starring: Torion

Torion returned to Merchaise feeling good about saving the mountain pass. With their plan foiled, the orcs left the mountain pass. After his mercenaries Barsul the Goliath Shaman and Elisia the Eladrin Sorceress left, the minotaur warrior met with one of the merchant lords of the town in order to collect his reward.

Lord Droust, a very obese man, was having a feast as the bull entered the lord's manor. The human did not acknowledge Torion's success and told him to leave. He even threw a bag of gold so that the minotaur would exit without further complaints.

Torion would not be swayed. He argued that he had done his job and completed the contract. However, the fat merchant lord Droust wanted proof, proof that Torion did not have. After much threatening by the merchant's bodyguards, the minotaur reluctantly left.

Visions of the future flashed and Torion saw a major conflict approaching including an army of Fey from the western Sylvan Barrier, a human militia in the towns west of the mountain range, and orcs  through the pass that the minotaur had saved.

Concept Art: Lait Kai

Concept Art for Lait Kai, Stormsoul Artificer Genasi

Lait Kai and Chicken

D&D Day 16: Aftermath of the Split, Part 1

Ayboru, Beholder Hero

D&D Day 16: Aftermath of the Split, Part 1

Orcs of the Mountain

Star: Torion

A portal from the Feywild appeared and a Drow Hexblade named Dravoren came with a summons to Hadarai of the Coast to meet with the Prince of Frost. Hadarai left the party along with the Drow Paladin.

Torion had to decide whether to ascend the mountain peak and fight the Orc leader or enter the mountain cave and stop the orcs from causing the mountain to explode. The mercenaries Elisia and Barsul argued for each side, respectively. The former meant completing the quest and stopping the orcs once and for all, and the latter meant saving the mountain pass.

The minotaur chose to save the mountain pass. Descending into the cave, Torion found lava and small orcs that were throwing flaming capsules into the inner chasms. Trolls as well as an orc champion appeared to challenge Torion's party. After stopping the "ritual," the mountain began to shake and the party returned to Merchaise.   

Orphans

Stars: Thorry the Reckless/Vanielle Everchange

Delving deeper into the dungeon, Vanielle found a cage with living, dirty orphans inside. A young elven girl spoke with her and asked her to find her orphan matron.

In the next room, the party found an old elven woman tied to a chair. They found out quickly that she was actually a powerful hag in disguise. There was pounding on a side door from a gorilla monster, and in the center of the room was a gravity sphere that was pulling the party towards it and knocking them to the floor. After defeating the hag the party had a choice to make.

Thorry and Vanielle had to decide whether to kill the hag or take her alive to atone for her crimes. Dawn and Soren both argued for their positions, respectively. The weretiger seeker wanted to avoid danger from keeping the hag alive, while the dwarf proposed that more money could be gained by bringing her alive.

They killed the hag, and brought the orphans back to Merchaise. Thorry the Reckless sang a song to keep the children's spirits up, "The Badger and the Honey."

D&D Day 15: Split the Party 3

D&D Day 15: Split the Party 3

"My memory of the events are a little bit hazy, but I will try my best to recall what happened. I was trapped in some kind of time warp alternate reality thing, or something," Ayboru, Ace Reporter and Hero Beholder.

Yuno Gasai

Anime image I made of crazy girl Yuno Gasai from Future Diary.

Lurking in the Forest

He waits for you in the forest...

Concept Art: Blight

Concept Art for D&D Character Blight. Not exactly what I had in mind, but what I drew.

Group Picture

Fantasy Group

Group Picture

If my friends were fantasy characters, this is what I would envision them to be. Also one of my first pictures using Photoshop and my drawing tablet. 

Who they are and some interesting tidbits from left to right: 

Elven ranger No H. There's a very small image of an owl on her hand. 

Paladin Jorem. He's carrying a book of M. 

Me, Artificer Moose. Because Artificers break magical rules and make their own stuff.

Wizard Julian. Jorem's son, seems like a different persona. 

Warlock Jonathan. Looks malicious, seems to be connected to darkness.

Priestess/Witch Serena. No reason, just kind of reminds me of one. 

Bard YT. They tell unbelievable tales, and seem unemployed.

Dwarven warrior Nicholas. He's carrying a lot of stuff... Like a sherpa.

Shaman/Barbarian Tomek. Look to outside sources (like the constellations, sun, moon) for guidance.

Cleric Casey. Her magic is probably a healing light, or it could be a radiant fire.

Ninja Patrick. Uses lots of throwing things. 

Rogue/Assassin Nathan. The elements on his clothes are connected to playing card suits.

D&D Day 14: Split the Party 2

Orcs of the Mountain


Torion, Hadarai, Elisia and Barsul headed further up the mountain. The elementalist used elemental bolts of lightning to devastate her foes, and the shaman commanded his spirit raptor to support the party. 


More members of the bloodspear orc clan attacked the heroes, including grenadiers that threw firebombs for incendiary blasts. Torion managed to keep most of the enemies away from the others, but ranged attacks were able to bypass his defenses. Hadarai nearly fell off the mountain but managed to teleport back to safety.


The minotaur fell off a bridge and was forced to fight ogres armed with greatclubs. Despite heavily stacked odds he managed to endure the assault by the giants. Large half-trolls joined the fray and proved difficult for the heroes to keep down due to their regenerative abilities. Eventually, Elisia slid the enemies off the mountain and Hadarai equipped his acid longsword to end their constant revival.



Lost Orphans in the Forest


The party reached the entrance to the cave where the orphans are being held. Soren took a break to drink his ale, for a short moment endangering the heroes with his absence. Brainwashed eladrin materialized in the forest and though the party managed to free them from the magic that held them enthralled, the fey refused to aid them. Thorry the Reckless could not seem to hit with his attacks, and the constant barrage of enemy fire sent the dwarf unconscious. Vanielle focused her shadow powers on the eladrin winter knights, but their proximity to each other and their defensive powers significantly decreased the damage.

Story 1: Chapter 3

This is chapter 3 of the story I am currently working on.

The Flame Mage

Chapter 3

Before they left the village, Izarin handed Arana Coruscar’s talisman. It was a circle of blue metal and circumscribed with a cross. He placed it into her palm and closed her fingers over it.

                “Return it to him when he proves himself worthy of it. Until then you may use it to protect yourself.”

                Arana nodded and placed the necklace around her neck. The clasps as well as the chain that held the circumscribed cross were made of golden metal.

                “You are in charge. I believe their strong personalities may cause more grief if either one led the way. I trust you with this important mission, Arana. Good luck.”

                “Thank you, Lord Izarin. Let us discuss something when we return.”

                The rogue kept the trust Izarin had placed in her close to her heart. That warm feeling that came from authority figures gave her strength and uplifted her determination. It was her time to lead these two and prove her worth. When she returned she would ask for the contract between Mahr and Asen, master and servant, and thus bind them closer together. She felt warm feelings whenever she interacted with Izarin. She did not love or like him, but it was more of a deeper and profound respect. I will not fail again. On this I promise as a rogue of Calias. She placed her fingers of both hands in front of her mouth like a gate, trapping the oath she made in her mind.

                They had ridden their horses through more fields of barley, golden wheat and the silver wheat to the Swamp of Farothen. Coruscar’s horse, a bright white horse with red stars adorning its saddle was larger than Salla and Arana’s smaller mares. It seemed to symbolize Coruscar, a reflection of his personality. It was large and likely a prized stallion, but whenever Salla’s or Arana’s horse moved near it, it grumbled and shied away. Coruscar’s horse, Hammer, did not enjoy the company of others and preferred to be alone with its master.

                They stayed in silence through most of the trip. Arana was her normal self who found the need for talk almost unnatural. Salla kept her mouth shut so she would not get into an argument with Coruscar. And the Paladin decided conversation with these two was not worth his time or the demeaning of his station. In the end the swordswoman could not hold back her temper and broke the silence.

D&D Day 13: Split the Party 1

The heroes chose their quests and mercenaries and split the party.

Searching for Orphans 
Thorry the Reckless and Vanielle chose talked to Soren the dwarven swordmage and drank   with him until they stopped. The elf assassin drank more than she should have. The tiefling tried to purchase cheaper, lower quality ale, but Soren was not fooled.

They returned to the Bahren forest and were greeted by mind controlled elves. Like zombies they attacked the party however they were able to dispel the magic by weakening and then talking to them.

A shifter ranger named Dawn helped the heroes after they freed her from the spell. Unlike with the elves it took longer for her to be brainwashed by the orphan taker. The tigress was unable to remember what monster did it.

After fighting elves, brainwashed eladrin attacked them. Again they worked together to weaken and free the ensorcelled fey from the corrupting magic.

Orcs of the Mountain
Torion and Hadarai recruited the bookworm eladrin sorceress, Elisia. Together the three of them climbed the Pass of Elgoz in order to fight the orcs that were raiding merchants and travelers that passed through.

They survived the first assault by the bloodspear clan, a powerful tribe of orcs and ogres that charged the party. After he was saved, Barsul, goliath shaman aided the party with healing.

Meet the Mercs: Dawn

Dawn is a razorclaw shifter seeker from the primal circle.  She was part of an adventuring company exploring the woods of Duskhome when her group was captured by a controlled elves and the powerful hag that dominated them.  The hag, unable to brainwash her party killed them.  Dawn, being primal in nature, was able to be taken over by the hag's magic, though it took considerably longer than the elves.

The young lycanthrope is not very good at diplomatic matters and tends to be serious.  She prefers a more direct approach in situations, and is first to take the blame for failure.  Her major goals include protecting and spreading nature, and she greatly dislikes the feel of civilization.

Meet the Mercs: Barsul

Barsul is a Goliath Shaman from the Sarinam Mountain Range.  He speaks with the spirits of the earth and works in protecting it from the destruction of others.  Not one for direct combat, he prefers to heal others and shield them.  He prefers the mountain landscapes rather than towns or lower environments.  Knowing that he cannot protect nature by himself he becomes a mercenary.

While on an assignment to defeat the orcs robbing merchants along the Pass of Elgoz, Barsul was abandoned by his ill-prepared and inexperienced adventurer group.  He continued with the quest without support unable to retreat when he learned the orc tribe was breaking the land.  He joined the heroes in order to protect the pass and rid the area of the orcs.

Horror: The Girl Through the Glass

A girl stands in the darkness of a room that resembles a normal bedroom. She is in her teens with blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in a simple blue gown soiled with sweat and dirt. Because the room is dark you can only barely see a bed, a desk and a dresser. There are no windows or doors into the room, but two large panes of glass that make up the walls.

Through the first wall opposite the bed you can see only darkness. However as you stare at the other glass pane you can see through to scientific equipment and a man dressed in a lab coat sitting in a chair observing the girl. Beside him is a nurse or assistant standing and waiting for anything the scientist or doctor might require.

The girl stands in front of the second pane of glass and looks directly at the scientist but to her it only reflects her own image. Suddenly a voice comes over the intercom. It is the doctor talking.

"Please tell me about yourself," he says.

Story 1: Chapter 2

Here is Chapter 2 of the current story I am writing. While it might be separated into more than one chapter and revised, the overall feel should be the same. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

The dragon was not made of gold. He simply enjoyed bathing in it. He would use his dragon breath to burn the treasures he had gathered and stored in his cave within the Firebreath Mountains and when the gold had melted he would roll in it until it covered his entire body. The wood and gems would often be burned or destroyed out right, but he did not care about things like that. Only the gold was important.

                He craned his sinuous neck and glanced at his body. Some of the golden skin was flaking off. When he would fly off in search of food pieces of the gold would fall, or when foolish heroes would try to slay him, they would slice off portions of his self-made armor. He would need to find replacement treasure in order to fill in the gaps.

                Should he fly around the farmstead of Calias and wait for a traveling band of heroes or merchants? Perhaps he should strike at one of the smaller towns—inns and bars often accommodated returning heroes rich with claimed treasure. The last option he considered was attacking a castle that belonged to a powerful lord or evil mage but he quickly put it out of his mind. It would surely be filled with traps, powerful beasts or knights. While he knew he would prevail against such paltry defenses, it seemed hardly worth his time and effort.

                Aurion, the powerful golden dragon of the Firebreath Mountains decided that he would fly over one of the outlying human towns and try to get lucky. As he glanced outside one of the natural windows of his cave he saw a fluttering of red fabric in the distance. It seemed to be moving closer towards the mountains and straight for him.

Intermission

Sorry for the delay in getting more posts out. I had some personal business to take care of, nothing serious but definitely time consuming.
This included jury duty, though I was not picked for the trial. It also included family visiting which while not completely a hindrance to my writing, definitely is a distraction. A good distraction though.

Now that there are less distractions in my life, I will continue to support this site and write more.

Please enjoy my thoughts.

Story 1: Interweave

This is a story that will be weaved within the current story. A little bit of this secondary story should be added to each chapter. However what follows includes a large portion of it. Please enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think.

Story 1
Interweave

Flames burst from his hands and swirled around him. It coiled and flew outward like a sinuous dragon’s neck, pierced through each of his enemies as swiftly as a fork stabbed into a cheesecake. It was beautiful and as long as he held onto the magic he could feel himself slowly fade away into the dark recesses of his mind. He succumbed to the allure of power, felt the tiny image of his soul begin to minimize until all he saw was the brilliant snake flames like serpents wading through grass burning the humans to blackened ash. The power of his magic overwhelmed him, flooded into his heart and embraced him in its warmth. 

“Nasaral, stop casting your magic. They’re all dead.” 

The flame mage heard the soft, creamy voice in his ears. It broke him free from his magic’s grasp, kept him away from its deadly allure for another moment. The voice had a different beauty than his magic, something gentle and sensuous and in no way dangerous. It belonged to the woman in front of him. It belonged to a woman that loved him as a younger brother. For an instant he wanted that emotion to be more, but stopped himself. Her heart belonged to someone else.

Nasaral looked at the woman in front of him. His cheeks became warm and he felt a faster tempo against his ribcage. The rogue picked up her daggers, placed them in the hidden folds of her clothes and folded her arms. Her soulful eyes pierced into his being, drawing out all the good feelings he thought about. A wind blew through her shock of black hair, and the woman combed through her mane with a gloved hand. She’d look more beautiful if she had longer hair, Nasaral thought.

“I heard you, Allieah. Sometimes it’s hard to stop.” The dragon flames winked out leaving ash and thin tendrils of smoke in the air.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you remember. Maybe a knock on the brain will wake you up.” He felt a tap on his head and turned. Behind Nasaral was a very tall elf wearing bright white robes. His pointed ears stabbed through long blond hair and drew attention away from his blue irises. 

“That’s enough playing you three. If you have not forgotten we have an important mission we are trying to accomplish here.” Rohr was stern but he was right.

“What is wrong with a little levity, my love?” Allieah placed her hand on Rohr’s shoulder.

“These cultists are enemies ordained by the Council of Light. We were sent here to eliminate them before they enact their ritual. There is not time for playing.”

Story 1: Chapter 1 Revised

Here is an excerpt of Chapter 1 of the story I am currently working on. Please enjoy and remember that it is just a draft.

Story 1

Chapter1

            “The first step in any good recipe is gathering the ingredients.”

The door to the tavern flew open as Salla Frindane entered the Moon’s Coin. The building had a sign of a silver piece cut in the shape of a moon. Probably to suggest how cheap their drinks are, Salla thought. The female swordswoman quickly glared at all the tavern customers causing them to quickly turn away and resume their business.  Salla usually did make an entrance, but she never liked the attention.  I have to remain calm there is a prospective buyer for my services. Then again, maybe he will see the fire and spirit that I bring and consider me a better candidate. 

            Salla took out the note from her belt pouch and read it over again. It said to look for a man in red robes at the Moon’s Coin. The note also said that only female adventurers need apply. Well, if the man wanted to try anything suspicious, Salla would be ready with a dagger through his hand. Maybe he’s just one of those eccentric types, or maybe he thinks that women mercenaries were cheaper than men. But for four hundred gold pieces she would ignore these mild details and just keep up her guard.

            She saw the red robed man sitting at a table in the corner of the inn. He was eating a steak and some bread with cheese and talking to a young woman dressed in simple leathers. She’s probably my competition. The swordswoman hurried over and sat in the unoccupied seat.   

            “Look, you shouldn’t hire this girl. It looks like she can barely hold a sword. Now, I’ve been a skilled mercenary for five years now, trained since birth by my parents.” Salla blurted before she could think.

            The red robed man turned to her and stopped his conversation with the other woman. He had black hair and piercing green eyes that evaluated her in a few seconds. “How rude of you to interrupt my conversation,” he said, “but I like your initiative.  There’s more than one spot available for this adventure. Relax and I will get to you in a minute.”

            Salla blushed, but whether from her rash behavior or the man’s compliment she did not know. She waved to the bar keep for a local ale and a small serving of ham and bread. The journey to this small town had taken a long time and she had not had anything to eat since morning. A serving girl, a young blonde with pigtails, placed the food in front of her and took a few coppers. Quietly, she ate her meal and listened to the conversation.

            “So you’re a rogue from Calias. Do you have any special skills?”  The man asked. 

            The woman from Calias looked younger than Salla, her blond hair was shorter and her complexion was much darker. She paused for a second and thought about his question. She pulled out a dagger and threw it at the dartboard on the far side of the room. It stabbed into the bull’s-eye and startled the dart players there. 

            “Great, but I’ve met many rogues who could hit targets like that.” In an instant the young woman pulled more daggers from secret pockets in her sleeves, and threw two more of her long knives touching the first dagger. Salla was impressed by her speed and accuracy.

            “I can also pick most locks and can use a bow just as well,” the woman answered. 

            “Very well. You are hired, Miss Arana Shevian. You’ll be the rogue for my group. Here is 20 gold up front for any expenses that you will require.”

            “Make it 30 gold, and we have a deal.” Arana reached her hand out.

            The red robed man narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Women,” he muttered. “Okay, the deal is agreed upon,” he added a handful of coins into a brown pouch and handed it to Arana. “We start tomorrow around midafternoon. I’ve also rented a room at the Fancy Cloud Inn for you and this woman if she joins as well. ”

D&D Day 12: Run Away!

The party made its escape from Lord Bastar's castle. As they passed through the rooms, they encountered guards and Thorry the Reckless used his bluffing and diplomacy to confuse them and to make them fight the devils. Eventually they did their best to fight a few of the devils with the aid of the guards and mages of Lord Bastar's security forces.

A treasure appeared in front of the heroes and Thorry the Reckless chose the Songbow of Lullabies as his reward. The heroes left the keep with hordes of devils overrunning the castle.

The heroes traveled to Merchaise, a major trading port on the western side of the Sarinam mountain range where they spent a month recovering from the previous adventure. Vanielle traveled to the Mercenaries Guild and learned about the process of hiring mercenaries. Thorry the Reckless bartered with a shopkeeper. Torion visited the tavern where he drank against a strange dwarf in robes and passed out in the process. Hadarai visited the library where a little girl altered his current magical gift.

The heroes decided to split up and handle a few quests on the tavern's quest board. Torion and Hadarai hired the Sorceress Elisia to clear the Pass of Elgoz of bandit orcs. Vanielle and Thorry the Reckless hired the Swordmage Soren to find the missing orphans of Merchaise.
  

D&D Atlas: Kohver

Kohver is a magical city that floats over a the Cellian Lake. Because of an ancient kingdom swallowed by the giant lake, students of magic especially those in search of magical artifacts, are drawn to the city of Kohver in order to excavate. Evidence uncovered by archaeologists and magic users has suggested that the kingdom swallowed by the lake was buried by a powerful primordial of water and predated many of the current cities on the Erisia-Iridesse continent.

The floating nature of the city as well as the lake forms a natural barrier against land incursions, protects it from orc, ogre and other mountain tribes that come from the Sarinam Mountain Range. Kohver also houses a few portals that reach other realms most notably the Astral Sea and Elemental Chaos.

D&D Atlas: Syrn

The area of Syrn, which sits just north of the now called Trillium, was the major battleground of the Mid-Land Lordship Wars.  Originally the area was the seat of power of one of the four lords that governed the now changed Four Cities, a massive city in the center of the Erisia-Iridesse Continent.  At the beginning of the major war, the four lords had peace and controlled the Four Cities through cooperation.  However, after squabbling turned to mistrust, and mistrust became open hostility, the four lords began organizing troops from the Four Cities and the entire continent.

Many people became mercenaries and were drawn into the war, however a major shift changed when three of the powers allied together in order to defeat and split the Lord of Syrn's land.  In a desperate gamble, the Lord of Syrn called upon demonic powers in order to survive and defeat the combined powers of the three lords.  The magic users that enacted the unholy ritual were infiltrated by agents of the allied forces and managed to sabotage the ritual.

With the ritual improperly conducted, the area of Syrn was obliterated by the omnipotent magical forces.  Now all that remains of Syrn is a broken and devastated land, devoid of vegetation and natural forms of life.

D&D Atlas: The Continent of Nephilae

Here is a quick sketch of the Continent of Nephilae where the adventurers in my campaign will mostly travel in, with occasional travel to other realms, of course.  The continent is located somewhere in the primal world, with ports along the coasts that have ship travel to other continents.  I'll also update the characters background information with pertinent locations.

Certain areas may be subject to change and others may be added in the future.

D&D: Meet the Mercs: Elisia

Elisia is an eladrin sorceress who specializes in elemental magic.  She blasts enemies from afar with bolts of elemental lightning, thunder and cold magic.

She enjoys helping others and is extremely altruistic.  Elisia often sacrifices herself or puts herself in danger in order to follow her nature.  When she is not adventuring, Elisia spends her time reading books about all subjects often getting lost in the information she internalizes.

While still rather inexperienced with parties, her solo practice and days spent at her magic academy have helped hone her skills in combat.  She only needs to work on social conventions.

D&D: Meet the Mercs: Soren

Soren is a dwarven swordmage, which is a rarity for his kind.  As a mercenary he joins parties that need a helping hand and provides them with the powers of an arcane defender.  Melding magic with his sword skills, he keeps enemies away from party members and punishes monsters that strike his allies.

Like many dwarves, Soren enjoys drinking ale.  He has tried various varieties of liquor though he prefers his dwarven spirits and other dwarven refreshments.  Soren also enjoys gambling and making silly wagers to pass the time.

When he's drunk, Soren is a rather amiable fellow.  However, without ale in his system, he becomes grumpy and hard to manage.

D&D Day 11: Lord Bastar's Labyrinth Part 2

After traveling in the labyrinth for a few hours, Vanielle lead the party to a large pool of water.  Surrounding the pool were piles of gold.  Cautiously the party filled their bags with the coins.  As they stuffed the final piece into their pockets, a young black dragon emerged from the pool.  It tried to extort them for every single gold piece they had.  The black dragon confused Elius by saying that they were thieves.  Thorry the Reckless managed to convince Elius that it was an evil black dragon and that it probably earned the treasure through duplicitous acts.

After defeating the dragon, the party entered the throne room.  Standing atop the balcony, Lord Bastar threw a black dagger at Thorry the Reckless.  However, Elius, a knight of Pelor, took the poisoned dagger in the chest.  The party had to fight Lord Bastar's soldiers and mages while the self proclaimed lord stood protected behind a magical barrier.  Hadarai unleashed powerful magic first hurling a blazing fireball that managed to damage the mages, and then ebony razors that damaged the soldiers.  The mages, however, focused their spells on the assassin.

After breaking an opening in a wall, Torion forced his way into the throne room.  Unable to be aided by his party members, the minotaur fought against the Tiefling wizard, Relen, and Lord Bastar by himself.  Strangely, Relen used his magic to control Torion and attack Bastar.  Thorry the Reckless used his arcana in order to discover the magic of the barrier and found out it was being generated by Relen.

Torion focused his assault on the tiefling wizard but after taking serious damage, Relen fled the room.  With his anger focused the minotaur slew Lord Bastar.  The fighter held his axe over Bastar and demanded he get the antidote to cure Elius' poison.  With his last ounce of strength and defiance, the human lord crushed the antidote.  The minotaur swung his greataxe downward and beheaded the tyrant.

Elius said his goodbye to Torion as the poison took his life.

The party decided to enter the door where Relen vanished.  A portal to the Nine Hells was waiting for them.  Relen revealed that he was actually a devil and not a tiefling.  He would be rewarded by his true lord for killing Thorry the Reckless.  Instead of confronting the devil vizier, the heroes fled towards the entrance of the keep where Bastar's soldiers were waiting for them.  

D&D Atlas: Merchaise

Merchaise is a large town on the edge of the Serpentfang Mountain Range.  Because of its location just beyond the pass, it serves as a trading stop for merchants on either side of the mountains.  Goods trickle in from the Trillium, the Frontier and Elan from the East, and the Bahren Forest (where Duskhome and other Elven villages are) Marden in the South and Ole-Var in the West.  The trade has caused Merchaise to face an explosion in its economy and many travelers as well as adventurers visit to shop or to search for work (usually in protecting merchant caravans).

However recently, there have been strange events transpiring in the growing town.  Cultists of Zehir are starting to gather and are spreading their faith which is making the Church of Pelor and the mayor of Merchaise wary.  Orphans are disappearing from the shelters and the streets.  Finally, an orc tribe is assaulting caravans along the main mountain road, delaying or otherwise stopping trade.

D&D Atlas: Rainbow Mines

The frontier on the eastern side of the Erisia-Iridesse Continent is still a relatively untamed place.  People from the mid-land kingdoms, the western Elven forests, the Charyb Mountains and every corner of the Erisia-Iridesse Continent head to the eastern frontier in order to discover untamed lands and find resources for trade.

One such place in the frontier is the Rainbow Mines.  Inside the massive caves, prospectors and miners find all sorts of precious gems and stones--as well as ore of different colors.  Rarer colored variations of ore (like red copper or yellow iron) even have elemental properties and are used by smiths and jewelry makers to forge powerful magical items.  Adventurous miners even claim that deeper areas of the mines contain ore from other realms.

The only thing that stops the Rainbow Mines from becoming depleted are the deadly monsters that lurk in its depths.

D&D Day 10: Lord Bastar's Labyrinth Part 1

The party emerged from the portal and found themselves in Duskhome.  The Elven town was destroyed and burnt down, and its citizens massacred; the perpetrators of the crime were the human Lord Bastar and his knights.  Lord Bastar had been searching for Torion, who used to be the minotaur that guarded his labyrinth.  Thorry the Reckless tried to talk to the human lord but was ignored.  Vanielle and Hadarai, both hated elves in Lord Bastar's eyes, were considered vermin by the elf slayer.  The heroes fought against Lord Bastar's soldiers and archers, but Torion, who struggled and fought for his life, was dragged away.  Thorry the Reckless, smartly left the battlefield, however Vanielle and Hadarai found themselves overwhelmed by the soldiers' assault.

Elius, true knight of Pelor and Torion's trainer in the ways of the fighter, found the party and led them to his cabin in the woods in order to recover their wounds.  Meanwhile, Torion fought against three duplicates that resembled Thorry the Reckless, Vanielle and Hadarai.  The demon lord, Baphomet, the horned king and lord of minotaurs, granted Torion the power to defeat the duplicates.

Torion and the rest of the party infiltrated the labyrinth in two separate groups.  First they encountered a group of spitting drakes and a dark drake of the moon.  Second they encountered a group of myconids (mushroom people).  Vanielle's treasure hunting sense led the party further into the labyrinth.

Video Games: 999

I recently played the game 9 Hours, 9 Persons and 9 Doors for the Nintendo DS.  It's a puzzle/horror game that is particularly well thought out in terms of story and puzzles.  If you've played internet games like the Red Room, it's kind of like that.  You are one of 9 people that finds himself on a massive ship which in 9 hours will sink into the sea.  It's all a plan of your kidnapper, the mysterious figure Zero, who wants to play the Nonary Game with you.  It's almost like a video game version of Saw (a good one).  The strangers in the "game" realize that one of the 9 people may be the person that put you in there.  The unknown mastermind also places bombs inside the 9 people which will explode if they break the rules.

It's a very clever game with ties to pseudoscience and concepts that are interesting.  In the computer room where three of the characters become trapped.  The protagonist has a discussion with another member about wireless computers and primitive thinking.  There is a monitor that is not connected to a PC tower, only wires that attach it to a keyboard, mouse and power outlet.  The monitor powers up and the characters who are some what tech-knowledgeable say that it must be wireless--the PC itself must be in another room.  Someone with no technology experience would think that the monitor itself would contain all the information.  The other character says that humans may be the same--that our knowledge and true functions may be housed outside of our bodies (the monitors) and we access them wirelessly.  This conversation, among other pseudoscience and clever plot twists helped creep me out.    

Horror: Different Colors

One of the stranger concepts I've thought about isn't really horror but more of a "what if" scenario.  It's a little bit weird but I think that if you ponder the idea, it could lead to some startling observations and thoughts.  The idea is loosely based on the Tower of Babel.

For non religious people and some non gamers (people who haven't played Illusion of Gaia or Actraiser 2), the Tower of Babel was a building created by the people of the world in order to show their supremacy over God.  They were a prideful people and in launching such an endeavor they wanted to prove their dominance in creation.  What they got instead was retribution from God, who sundered the tower and caused the people of the world to speak in different languages (so that they could not understand each other).

Imagine then the scenario.  What if we all saw in different colors.  That is, when I say the sky is blue I see my color blue, but you might see instead my color green or red.  I have no way to tell what colors you see because I cannot see through your eyes.  Even if I were to see through your vision, my brain may translate and see my colors instead.

What does this imply?  Let's say that one day you wake up and blue and red have changed places.  Things like the sky and water, a reflection of the sky, are now red, and blood is the color blue (instead of seeing warm living people, most people look oxygen starved like corpses.  What would you think and do?  Is there something wrong with me?  Something wrong with the world?  Have I been transported to a different reality?  Even worse, what if colors were inverted instead.  When you use a color inverter on a graphics altering program (like Photoshop) you can invert the colors of an image and create something dark and weird.  Would you try asking people you trust?  And would you believe them?

Let's say instead of color, one aspect of the world were changed (like in the show Sliders).  For example, the legal limit of alcohol consumption were changed to 17 instead of 18 (in America).  You might say, "I thought it was 18," and everyone else would say, "no it's always been 17.  You're wrong, I don't know where you got this idea."  Would you simply dismiss the idea as a failure of your memory?  Or instead consider that there is a conspiracy that is working against you?

It goes to show that for humans, even the smallest change can cause powerful effects.









 

Meet the NPCs - Elius

Elius is a knight of Pelor who has retired from his duties.  He lives in a small cottage in the Elven woods alone.  Before he left the knighthood he encountered a wounded minotaur along the forest path.  He nursed the minotaur back to health and helped train him in the arts of the warrior.

Though old he continues to follow the oaths of knighthood he swore long ago, even if he no longer fights against worshipers of evil gods or their summoned beasts.

Meet the NPCs - Lord Bastar

The self proclaimed lord of Bastar castle, Lord Bastar owns a property east of the Elven forests.  As a collector of strange creatures he has traveled the realms capturing rare breeds and often kills any excess beasts.  He has a hatred for Elves and spends any extra energy in purging them and their villages that encroach his lands.  In order to improve his life he has pursued the eating and consumption of rare creatures, especially Fey ones.

He captured Torion when he was a teenager and kept him as guardian of his labyrinth for several years.

D&D Day 9: Tower Part 2

Ayboru returned to the sleeping companions and guarded them while they slept.  When they awoke he informed them of the green slimes that had managed to surround them during their rest. They also did battle with a death shard.

In the front room of the tower at the lowest level, they saw more portals to the Far Realm, along with a portal to their own realm.  It was guarded by more eye tentacle masses, ice hurlers and the two lost Genasi agents.  The two Genasi were too far gone into madness and affected seemingly beyond repair.  By order of the Star Lords they were entrusted in guarding the portal and converting trespassers into new recruits.  Thorry the Reckless declined their invitation.  With the party's attention focused with the tentacle masses the two Genasi and even the icicle hurlers moved in a slow enthralling dance in front of the portal.  As the battle reached its completion Ayboru found a treasure chest and began consuming the contents.  After all, beholders easily get hungry.

With the battle over, Thorry and the party quickly jumped into the swirling portal and back to the forest outside of Duskhome.  Ayboru waved his eye stalks and bid them farewell.

D&D Day 8: The Tower Part 1

The party entered the mage tower in order to find a portal back home.  The tower shuddered as they proceeded further below.  Thinking that the tower was unstable, the heroes moved cautiously.  However, the sound that startled them was actually a pair of gricks.  They also encountered green slimes as they opened a treasure chest.

In the next room Vanielle rushed past an ominous looking ochre puddle and was ambushed by a mimic treasure chest.  Gaining the surprise attack it quickly dispatched the greedy elf assassin.  The ochre puddle ended up being an ochre jelly and along with a pair of firebats the party engaged in another battle.

The enigmatic beholder, Ayboru, spoke to creatures, told stories, and often acted strangely.  He excused himself for the next room saying he needed to go to sleep.

In the next room, the party closed portals leading to the Far Realm, fought eye tentacle masses and a beholder gauth who when dispatched offered Torion a small collection of potions.  The party decided to sleep in this room in order to regain their strength and level up.

Meet the NPCs: Ayboru, the Beholder

Ayboru
Beholder Gauth

Ayboru is a beholder gauth that likes to wander around.  Unlike most beholders Ayboru is a friendly eyeball monster and likes to meet new people.  Over the course of his lifetime, he has gone on many adventures and traveled to different realms.  He is easily sidetracked and will tell stories, even during battle.  His other quirk, other than being rather amiable, is his ability to speak different languages often ones that aren't connected to the location that he is currently in.

The Other D&D Campaign: Lait Kai

Lait Kai, my character in Nathan's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, is technically my third attempt at role playing an interesting character.  My other character, the halfling Izarin, was interesting and certainly had fine points to his background but the class did not seem to fit my style.  Perhaps he'll make an appearance in the future, after undergoing some more transformations.

A little background for Lait Kai:

Lait is a stormsoul Genasi originally from the Elemental Chaos (where all Genasi are originally from).  At a young age he went with his parents (one of whom may have been a planeswalking pirate and the other may have been a Primordial priest, though he was too young to remember or care), and found himself in the distant realm of Eberron.  He quickly gained an admiration for the Warforged race, and became an artificer.  His dream is to create powerful constructs that rival the Warforged, in terms of duration and application.

The young Genasi is easily distracted by magical items, constructs and technology.  He also is a bit cheap and guards what little treasure he owns.  Lait Kai often purchases second hand equipment that tends to be faulty and create ill effects, like a realm teleportation ritual scroll, but with his skills in artifice can easily repair any oddities he encounters.  

D&D Bestiary Sketches 2

Here are some more bestiary sketches for the campaign.

Chaos Shard

Avandra's Blessed Weapons

Eye Tentacle Mass

Lifeheart Fruit

Lightning Wind

Magma Striker

Mini Windstriker

Mud Man

Vulcanic Dragon

Yellow Slime

D&D Bestiary Sketches 1

Firebat

Vulcana

Here are sketches of some of the monsters that the party has faced or will face.

Beholder Gauth

Blizzard Dragon Whelpling

Blizzard Dragon

Chaos Aberrant

Flameclaw Scorpion

Genasi Watersorcerer

Genasi Windblade

Gnaw Demon

Green Slime

Grick

Ice Hurler

Magma Flametongue

Magma Hurler

Mud Lasher

Phase Spider

Plague Demon

Rupture Demon

Shardstorm Vortex

Water Dervish

Wind Dervish

Windstriker

D&D Day 6: The Crumbling Temple

Dungeons and Dragons, Day 6
The Temple of the Forgotten Primordial

As the temple began to break down, the adventurers planned their escape.  They were interrupted by the arrival of a massive elemental emanating chaotic power.  After defeating the elemental, they escaped from the temple using their survival skills.

Outside the temple the party encountered the Amethyst Sea, a group of rebel fighters who seek to save their people from slavery, who told them to relinquish their weapons.  Nearly coming to blows, the group reluctantly surrendered and were led to their base for primordial magic decontamination.  They separated for a month while waiting for news of a portal that could take them back home.

Torion and Hadarai went to the Pillars of Creation, where they became invigorated and found new strength, and fought a shardstorm vortex.  Vanielle helped the Amethyst Sea, went to a sewer in Gloamnull, City of Rain, and fought a baby aboleth.  Thorry the Reckless and Firajal fought a volcanic dragon while patrolling Pyreburg.
Thorry found no sign of Konthane while visiting Pyreburg.

With the month ended the party reconvened at the Amethyst Sea's Fort Earthenrock, Sapphaen the leader of the hidden base told them the location of a portal back to their home realm.

In front of the sunken tower they met a strange but friendly beholder.