Campaign Concept: United We Stand

What Are We Making?

I'm back! I'm out of university (with a bachelor's degree, huzzah!) and I figured it was time to get back into blogging a little bit more. So, what are we making this time around? Well, I have a lot of new-found time, but I'm trying to "adult" a little bit now that I'm out of school. The creative wheels in my brain are turning though, and I've been coming up with campaign and character ideas... but nothing I can act on at this time, simply due to commitment. So, what else to do but write about them?

Here I've brought to you one of my specialties: a political game, filled with intrigue and drama. However, I think that this one has a bit more potential for combat than my other political games, and you'll see why. Additionally, this game allows for a ton of player input for worldbuilding, which means less work for a tired Game Master.

The question at the center of this concept is: how do you get several very different countries who all hate each other to collaborate effectively? The answer really depends on how the players go about it.

The Setting & Background Info

To start, a GM needs to ask their players to make characters that fit a role in a royal diplomatic party. Any role works, though I would advise against allowing them to be an actual member of a royal family (if there is one.) Some suggestions include, but are not limited to:

- A court jester (bard)

- A court mage (wizard, warlock, sorcerer)

- A priest or royal physician (cleric, paladin)

- A knight or general (barbarian, fighter, paladin)

- A royal gamekeeper (druid, ranger)

- A royal inventor or toymaker (artificer, wizard)

- A diplomat (literally anyone with high charisma)

- The child of one of these other positions who helps their parent out during these difficult times

- A noble who is friends or lovers with one of the royals

Each player must be from a different country. These countries are all part of the same continent, and they are the only countries on that continent. For whatever reason, none of their countries get along. This could be from a history of war, bad trade agreements, misunderstandings, etc. Game Masters should work with their players in session zero to determine exactly what the starting dynamic is.

Something happens. Whatever that is doesn't really matter, but it should have the following qualities:

- It should be unfamiliar and strange.

- It should happen in every single nation at the same time.

- It should, in some way, foreshadow events to come.

- It should be something that has to be addressed as soon as possible (because of its unfamiliar-ness), but not something immediately violent.

- The reason why it can't be violent right away is because these nations need time to realize they can trust each other before everything bad happens. The idea is that this threat is something that can only be beaten if everyone works together. You don't want to decimate your players' kingdoms immediately. Unless you do, but I don't operate like that. I like it when the NPCs don't get along right away, because then it's the PCs' social problem before the combative problem even rears its ugly head.

- Bonus points if it's something that could ultimately be considered a continental threat.

The great thing about this "event" is that it's amorphous. The GM has a lot of creative freedom in terms of what exactly this event brings and what the larger threat is to the nation.

There should also be a "home base" of sorts, which can be the first thing that the players are tasked with doing. The nations all need somewhere to meet, preferably on some sort of neutral ground. The diplomatic parties that the players are part of will settle there during this time. This place should be far away from the threat, as well; it should be a perceived "safety zone." Whether or not it's actually safe is up to GM's discretion. The political plot will happen entirely within the walls of this place.

The Plot

The overarching plot is very simple: solve whatever strange and unfamiliar threat has arrived on the continent. I have a few ideas for such a threat, and all of them would probably involve some combat or dungeon crawling.

- The nations receive a prophecy about an incoming threat (could be an evil god, demon, old one - whatever you're feeling) and need to prepare themselves in some way. The first step is getting the kingdoms to stop fighting. The second step is to figure out how this thing is coming in, and hopefully stop it.

- Towers suddenly sprout out of the ground in each of the nations. Nobody can get inside them on first glance. What's in the towers? That's for the GM to know, and the players to figure out.

- Aliens. Literally aliens. They come down from the sky in a ship, and are preparing an attack. Time to figure out how to stop them.

- A criminal empire has gotten so large and scary that they're threatening to invade the continent from all sides.

- This could also be done with something more magical, like a coven of hags or vampires, or even an evil cult.

- Could also be pirates. We all know I have an unhealthy pirate obsession.

- Think of something like "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" or "The Seven Deadly Sins." The problem could be creatures that are embodiments of / have domain over something evil. Now they're messing everything up on the continent for some reason.

While the players travel to settle that, there are things going on at that home base I mentioned earlier. After some kind of milestone in their quest, the players should be forced to return to their home base, for whatever reason. This is where the political intrigue plot is happening, and there can be a number of things going on:

- A forbidden romance between royals of two kingdoms

- An "overthrow the government from within" plot, some traitorous behavior

- A secret hostile takeover of one nation by one of the other nations

- This one in particular is interesting, because depending on how much a character likes their home nation or not, a kingdom could feasibly be absorbed by another kingdom and completely wiped out during the course of this campaign.

- An assassination of an important figure

- This is especially effective if it's someone very important. For example: a nation's "prophet-figure" who speaks to their god, the person who's been advocating most for peace and cooperation, or the sweet and innocent princess that the players love.

- If the players have family in the diplomatic party, that's also a good option. If you don't want to have them killed outright, it can also just be a solid attempt on their life.

Both of those major plots combined, in my opinion, make for a good balance of content. What you have is a compelling reason for travel and a potential for fun boss battles to save a kingdom on one hand. On the other, you have intense social-political battles to navigate as well, and a chance for some espionage. Additionally, the players also had a hand in literally making the nation they're from. They'll have strong feelings about their home and their people, one way or the other, and people are some of the most valuable resources a GM has when it comes to storytelling.

NPC Concept: "If You Know the King, You Know the Kingdom" - Part 4: Democracies

Overview

"Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal," said Aristotle. If Ancient Greece had a version of democracy in their city-states, why can't certain medieval societies? A democracy is a fascinating government type that is not often seen in fantasy settings. Usually, in fantasy, we are exposed to emperors, kings, or military leaders in power. Democracies are also difficult societies to run and talk about in TTRPGs because of the multitude of people involved.

But first, let's take a look at how page 18 of the Dungeon Master's Guide defines a "democracy."

"Citizens or their elected representatives determine the laws in a democracy. A bureaucracy or military carries out the day-to-day work of government with positions filled through open elections."

While this definition does work, and can encompass the idea of a "true democracy" in which power is derived directly from the people with little to no elected officials, it is most common that there are representatives elected. Even Merriam-Webster Dictionary agrees with that statement.

Democracies are often conflated with republics, but the DMG actually makes a point to distinguish between them. It says on page 19 that if there are restrictions on who can vote and why, or who can be elected to seats of power, that makes the country a republic. That is also reflected in the linked definition.

So now that we know what a democracy is, how do we make one work in our D&D setting?

Who Are The Important People?

Well, it's hard to say. After all, democracies are defined by... all people being able to have a say in their government. So is every single NPC important when we think about a political campaign, set in a democracy? I'd argue no, mostly because some NPCs might not be involved in voting; it may not be mandatory. 

If you're running a democratic setting, determine who is and isn't politically active when you make your NPCs. Either way, they can be incredibly fascinating, if the story you're trying to tell is political in nature. Why does someone want to get involved? Why is someone else avoiding it like the plague? It can lead to some intriguing and important conversations.

The major important NPC in this government system will be the elected leader, if there is one. Why were they elected? What kind of country are they running? The beauty of a democracy is that the people and their shared values are going to be the thing that determines what kind of leader they elect. This is a chance for DMs to study and bring out the values and culture of a certain area. The government will be (ideally) a direct reflection of the people living in that country. If it's not, then you may have a corrupt democracy on your hands, which could also be really fun to explore.

Functions / Motivation

What makes a democratic government especially unique is that in an ideal democracy, the government's motives are the people's motives. This kind of goes back to what I just said: culture and shared values of the people are going to drive this government forward.

Democracies are also interesting to explore on a small scale. Perhaps the kingdom itself is a monarchy, under the rule of a king. However, while each town must adhere to the king's laws, they can also implement their own local laws by way of a democracy. As long as they're not illegal on a federal level, they're allowed to be implemented. Each town may even have an elected mayor, who runs the voting and proceedings of the town.

A democracy is a naturally selfless government type, provided that it remains uncorrupt. The corruption of a beloved democracy could actually be a plot point for a campaign.

Why Should I Include This?

Sometimes the same kingdom run by an absolute monarch or a monarch and their council is boring. Sometimes a kingdom with a king and barons that divide up land is also boring. We've seen it before.

Democracies are one of the governments on this list that really fascinate me in a fantasy setting, where governments like the ones I just mentioned are typically normal. I mean, think of all the interesting political interactions that could be happening. How do kings deal with democratically elected officials? Do they recognize them as legitimate? Do they see merit in allowing all citizens the power to vote? If not, why not? In a political campaign, these are all very fun questions to consider.

I think it also might allow your players to have some driving force in the setting. Imagine that they're unknown heroes, starting in a town with a democratically elected mayor. There's a town meeting about a monster in the mountains nearby, and a vote on what they should do. The players vote to send an adventuring party, and volunteer. When they come back victorious, they now have more of the town on their side. They can sway other votes later. Their voices actually matter, and can affect the government in a big way before even being all that recognized beyond being "local heroes." They've just changed how this town runs by casting a vote and being involved. In its own way, isn't that empowering for them?

What's Coming Next?

The next government type coming up is the dictatorship. What defines a dictator and how do they rule? Well, we'll talk about that in the next post. See you all then!

TTRPG Research: Benefits of Roleplay for Kids with Autism

Roleplay is something that we're all used to if we write, act, and / or play TTRPGs. As a writer, actor, and player, I love examining roleplay and how others experience it as well, since it really can be a very subjective experience.

I've got a short post for you all today, on some research that I was doing for one of my college courses. I'm referencing a 2015 study called "Making Meaningful Worlds: Roleplaying Subcultures and the Autism Spectrum" by Elizabeth Fein.

The study takes a look at a group of kids on the autism spectrum at a camp together, who were using live-action roleplaying games to socialize and cooperate. What they found was that the students had actually been more inclined to join in and "become heroes" in this fantasy, live-action roleplaying game. They were invested in the story their counselors created, and the characters that they'd made. This is a pretty big deal for some of these kids who had historically had trouble with larger groups, and who would prefer to be alone. It fostered a real sense of community and friendship for the kids involved.

This isn't surprising to me, so much as it is interesting to read about other people making this discovery. I think it's wonderful that so many people can use roleplay to express themselves and grow - autistic or not. These are the types of games that really encourage that, more than any other game or hobby that I've come across. According to an Out Front article, linked here, RPGs (digital or tabletop) can even help those struggling with gender and sexuality come to terms with and healthily express their desired identities too. I'm so glad that other people are starting to realize that games like the ones we're really passionate about can have real cognitive and social benefits.

Knowing this, I'd really like to stress the importance of good roleplay in a TTRPG. Good roleplay, in my personal opinion, can make a game 100 times better than it would be without it. After all, it's not called a "tabletop roleplaying game" for nothing!

Study Referenced:

Fein, E. March 2015. "Making Meaningful Worlds: Roleplaying Subcultures and the Autism Spectrum." Springer Science + Business Media, New York, USA.

PC Concept: Not Your Knight in Shining Armor

Overview:

I've done a post before on "holy warriors," where I discussed different alternative options for playing a character who practices religion without necessarily being a cleric or paladin. With this build, I want to do something similar, but with knights. We typically think of knights as mounted fighters in heavy armor, carrying swords or lances. To me, that sounds like a paladin using "Find Steed," or a Cavalier Fighter from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

I'd like to think about how fluid the phrase "knight" can be used in D&D, especially when it comes to adventurers. I mean, when adventurers save the city and are proclaimed heroes by the king, is that not a type of "knighthood?" And as we know, adventurers can come in all shapes, sizes, and skill sets! In this case though, I'll be taking the literal definition of "knight" from Google - "a man who served a lord or sovereign as a mounted soldier in armor" - and looking at how knights can be classified in D&D 5e.

Let's see what kind of unique aesthetics we can make!

Race, Class, Stats, and Background

The background is the easiest place to start with this build. There is a "Knight" variant under the Noble Background (Player's Handbook) that works really well for that definition I gave at the start. Knights are technically lesser nobility. The Knight of the Order background (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide) is also an option if you want your character to have a certain goal or code. They could be part of some kind of guild of elite warriors that the people have dubbed "knights" due to their heroism. The Soldier background (Player's Handbook) is also a good place to look, and applies to our Google definition.

For class, I'd like to steer clear of Paladin or Fighter as our main classes. While these are definitely the most "knightly" classes, our goal is to make a knight that has the "mounted, armored warrior" part, but while having a unique visual twist. I would be lying if I said that multiclassing into Paladin or Fighter for a build like this would be a bad idea though. Normal mounted combat in D&D 5e doesn't impose any penalties to players in terms of rolling to hit with an attack or spell while mounted, so any class could conceivably ride a mount into battle. I should know; I play an artificer in another game with a large beetle-like construct as a mount. However, the Cavalier Fighter with the Mounted Combatant feat (Player's Handbook) is a very powerful mounted fighter. I'd recommend, if you really want to focus on being good at mounted combat while keeping to a unique "knightly" aesthetic, take this class up to level 7 at the most. That still leaves you 13 levels in another class, and you still get a lot of benefits while having a mount.

In terms of main class, I see these as being the most interesting options to create a knight:

- If you're still looking for a weapon-fighting class, I'd recommend Ranger as your base class. Beast Master (Player's Handbook) could also give you an option for a mount. After all, a riding horse falls under the 1/4 CR rating required by a beast companion. So do mastiffs, for our halfling and gnome knights. However, if you're not a fan of the Beast Master subclass (I don't blame you), any subclass of ranger could be awesome for this build.

- The cool thing about this build is that this can be a knight that uses archery while mounted, rather than swords or lances. I think of Meredith from the movie Brave, riding her horse through the forest, shooting targets with incredible accuracy. Since our definition doesn't specify a weapon, only armor, archery is absolutely a valid choice as a fighting style.

- Dexterity is going to be your highest stat, followed by Wisdom for animal handling and spellcasting.

- Mounted spellcasters can also be a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention, a knight fighting with "nature as their sovereign" is also a beautiful and wild aesthetic. I'd put Druids forth as a fun and powerful "Green Knight." If your DM is kind to you, they may even let you ride in on a bear, or other great, wild beast. Subclass can absolutely vary here, but I'm partial to the idea of a mounted Circle of the Shepherd Druid (Xanathar's Guide) marching into battle with their own primal cavalry.

- I'd also recommend decking yourself out in wooden armor, since Druids have that available to them. Rather than having that "metallic armor" look associated with knights, you're still an "armored soldier," but you have that strong, natural look to you - like a great, immovable oak tree. I think that's a really powerful presence for a heroic character.

- Wisdom is your highest stat for spellcasting, and I would recommend investing in Constitution as well. The reason why is because if you intend to be mounted more often than not, you're not going to get much use out of your Wild Shape feature, which is a huge tanking bonus. So, make up for that by making yourself into a high HP tank.

- My last recommendation is... maybe a bit more unorthodox, but great for those players that enjoy their utility spellcasting classes. Hear me out: Bladesinger Wizard (Tasha's Cauldron.) 

- Technically, you can put any wizard on a mount and call them a knight... except that they do not have proficiency in armor and being armored is a key part of our definition. Bladesingers do, and they are provided with some kind of blade that they can use as a weapon, and as a way of casting spells. Unlike the other knights on this list, a wizard might not be as much of a tank, but combined with the Cavalier and Mounted Combatant feat, I can see this wizard as a force to be reckoned with on the field.

- Intelligence is your highest stat, for spellcasting. I'd recommend Wisdom for animal handling, or either Strength or Dexterity, depending on what kind of weapon you plan on wielding.

As for race, this is definitely the most fluid choice. Anyone can be a knight, from the tallest Goliath to the smallest Gnome. I don't really see this as having much effect on the kind of aesthetic you're going for. Pick your favorite race, or pick one that gives you the kind of stat increases you need to succeed!

Roleplay Potential

To me, playing a knight has so many fun interactions ahead, especially depending on the nature of the campaign and how your knight conducts themselves. Traditionally, knights operate under a code of chivalry, but I'd imagine that some of these knights (the Druid, especially) might have their own codes of conduct. Players, work with your DM to determine what would be expected of you from your "sovereign" - whether that be a king or something else, like an aspect of the world, or even a deity.

In a campaign where there's a lot of combat or a huge, world-ending threat, this character could be a beacon of hope and safety. After all, gallant knights riding into battle on mounts are typically depicted as classic heroes and protectors. You can absolutely choose to be that, which could be an interesting contrast to a chaotic and eclectic adventuring party. On the other hand, perhaps your code is one of fear and conquering. Maybe you're not as "heroic" as many perceive you to be.

In a roleplay-heavy campaign, certain knights could be considered lesser nobles, or even low-to-mid-ranking holy people. Depending on where your character goes and the plot threads you're following, they could be an asset in dealing with stuffy nobles or corrupt clergy. Historically, knights often gained respect from others in those circles. They were soldiers primarily, but also traditionally depicted as pinnacles of the Christian faith in literature. Depending on how religion is structured in the game and the type of knight you want to play, the same thing could also apply to your character.

While playing the Fighter or Paladin knight is definitely a fun option, I like to think about how characters can identify as something (like a knight) but look and fight in a way that's unexpected. I think that, depending on the campaign setting, that could also be fun to explore with NPCs. Do the townsfolk look at your character in awe because they've never seen them, or skepticism because they can't possibly believe that a wizard could also be an armored cavalry soldier? That, I think, is what makes this build so fun and interesting.

Update: Regarding Some Changes Going Forward... (Sept. 2021)

Hi, everyone! I know I've been kind of silent lately, but I've had quite a few things going on in my life lately. And now I'm starting school again. Unfortunately the summer was not as... relaxing and rejuvenating as I thought it would be! It was in some aspects, but definitely could have been better.

So, I'm here today to give a bit of a major update that comes after a lot of thought and reflection on what I want to be / contribute to the online TTRPG sphere. I've enjoyed my time in the sphere, and I'm not going anywhere (don't worry) but there's some restructuring to be done in one major aspect.

I'm no longer going to be writing session summaries and posting them here.

This decision was a difficult one to make, especially because I do enjoy writing them. I like having the written record of what has occurred, especially because I am a very forgetful person. However, they take up a lot of my time. I've found myself, in the last couple of months when I actually have free time, still floundering, trying to figure out when I'm going to find the time to write them. The free time that I have just... isn't enough. I work, and I have games to plan, aside from summarize.

Now that I'm going back to school for my last year of university (yay!) and I'm also working a little more, it's only going to get harder. Granted, I could write shorter summaries, but... I don't want to. I feel like that's doing them a disservice, in a way. I like how they're structured, and I like the detail I put into them. It makes it feel... right; it makes it feel like a true summary. I don't want to feel like (for lack of a better term) I'm half-assing it. I'd rather provide thorough, thought-out content for this that is a reflection of my hard work in the medium of TTRPGs. I want to do that with the session summaries, but I don't think they will be the quality I want them to be right now, if I continue to do them. I want all of you to be able to enjoy the game as much as my players do, and a quality summary is the best way to do that. And I can't guarantee their quality right now.

Will the summaries that are on the blog stay there? Yes, yes they will. The information on the characters in the game will also stay. None of the previous posts will be going anywhere.

Will I stop writing them forever? I don't know. Right now I will not be, but things could change in the future. And it could be that I just... keep going from wherever I am in those campaigns at any given time! I'm not sure yet what will happen. If the campaigns that I've been posting about here finish, I think I'll give something of a wrap-up statement that kind of... closes my thoughts on the games very nicely. A nice... over-all, it's-over-now type of summary, if you will.

So what's happening with the blog? Well... I want to go back to my original plan for what this blog was supposed to be: concept posts. That was what inspired me to do this in the first place, and I don't feel like I do enough of them. I want to go back to my roots, as it was. I want to talk about ideas, storylines, cool characters and settings, and whatever else my brain has rattling around in it. Those posts don't take as much time to write, and they allow for (in my opinion) more creative expression while writing than a session summary does. That was really the goal for this blog: creative expression. While session summaries are fun to write and share, and useful to me as a DM, there are other, better ways that I think I could be expressing myself at this time.

I'll be changing my upload schedule on Twitter (@Em_CampsNChars) in the coming days to reflect this change. I don't know when I'll be posting regularly again (as I'm getting used to this new schedule) but it'll be soon, ideally.

Thanks for all the support, guys! I hope you all continue to enjoy the content that's here, and I'll talk to you all again soon.

MMC Summary: Session 31 - "Thank You For Being Mine"

Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren

Setting: The small island town of Aincour, Midtia.

Our party finally made it to the island town of Aincour. Before they left the ship, however, they made sure to leave the Admiral with their list of suspicious persons, and they received some advice from Rome.

Rome told them that if they really wanted to know what the Midtian Riot Guard knew about Erdia, that they should seek out "Oli Pembrooke." He lived in town, and he was Rome's boss. If they tell him that Rome sent them, he would tell them what he knew, at the very least.

Their people of interest were:

- The tabaxi child known as "Seven" who Rome had been following for the past few years, and been suspecting him of espionage.

- The two kids who had been seen with him.

- Lieutenant Lysander Soriena, for the fact that the notes being passed by the cabin boys seemed to be going to him.

- The ship's head mage, believing that he may have been spying on the party while onboard.

Lt. Lysander Soriena of the
Midtian Navy
Wood Elf, age 102 (physical
age 18)
(Art by @Sonnet_Form
on Twitter)

The detainment of Soriena, the party quickly realized, would be an awkward situation, given that they were meant to stay at his family's home during their Selection quest in the town.

Lupan, however, was not very concerned about that. Ever since they'd docked, there had been something - something like silver bells - ringing in the back of his mind. He was eager to explore, and Wren, Castilian, and Prince Fang were willing to accompany him.

On the way, further into town, Wren's eye caught an interesting place that was nearly like a bakery. However, its best-selling item actually appeared to be its coffee. She and Fang took a detour inside while Lupan continued forward.

From one of the patrons, she'd learned that this was the place to be for debates, discussions, and nearly anything about anything. "One of Aincour's favorite past-times is talking," he told her. He even pointed her in the direction of the central plaza, where a public debate would be starting soon. Flight of the Blue Jay - a tabaxi son of a noble from Aincour that the party had met briefly in Lanti - was one of the participants.

"What's the topic?" Wren asked.

"Whether or not the Midtian monarchy should be abolished."

Crown Prince Steel "Fang"
of the Mountain
Tabaxi, age 18
(Custom Art by
@WtfdoIdraw on Twitter)

Wren cast a brief glance at Fang, who simply covered the royal signet ring on his right hand. They didn't stay much longer, but when they left, Wren made sure Fang was okay.

"I'm alright," he assured her. "It's... jarring to hear someone say that to my face. I know that... Jay's family specifically has actually written a lot of essays on the abolishment of the monarchy. It's one of the biggest reasons they're not so well-liked in higher circles. But Midtia has free speech to an extent, and what the Flight family writes isn't a call to violence or inciting violence anywhere so it's not against the law."

The two of them considered heading to the plaza to watch the debate.

~~~~~

Lupan, though, had beaten them there. There was a central fountain in this plaza with a stage in front of it, and benches placed so people could watch. On the stage was a large chalk board easel with a list of event dates and times written on it. To the side of the stage, a large crowd had gathered to watch some kind of musical street performance.

The bells in his mind were louder now. Lupan scanned the plaza until his eyes finally settled on a large purple tent, the entrance tucked into an alley of some kind. The bells stopped. He took a few tentative steps towards it. Close enough to peer inside, he could see people walking inside it, dressed in fine clothing. He entered, and began to peruse, despite looking incredibly out of place. The banner hanging across the tent read: "Cazzar's Exotic Art & Artifacts."

As he moved through, he started to notice things that he recognized: totems and spears that almost certainly came from his tribe. His people wouldn't have given them up so easily. Then... he found something else. It was written on animal skin, in Sylvan. And, admittedly, if someone didn't know Sylvan or how the language was structured... this might have looked like art. But it wasn't. It was a note:

Family,

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve returned to our home of Alfheim or I have joined the heroes of Valhalla. I watch all of you now, from a place far better but also far more lonely because I have none of you with me.

I hope I will have none of you with me for a very long time. War may be our greatest tradition, but I think it is also our greatest tragedy. It takes husbands, fathers, and sons from their wives, mothers, and daughters. Thinking about it now, no man should ever want to sit and write something like this to those that he loves. I see why many men don’t; it’s painful. It’s very painful to sit and know that your life might end in blood, and not in the arms of those you love. Honorable for it to end in blood, perhaps, but I know I would much rather die holding the three of you.

My darling wife, I will miss your voice and the way it told our children the stories of the wind and trees. I will miss the way you sing, but even from where I am, I will try to hear it. I will miss your wisdom, the same wisdom I have seen in the eyes of our son. I will miss your compassion, and the calm that washed over me when we spoke. Our children are grown now, but tell them all you can about me. Let them learn to love your voice as I have. They already adore your stories.

My sweetest daughter, my little sprout, you have all the grace of your mother and all the spirit of your father at that age, I swear it. What a beautiful woman you will become, a stronger shaman than even your mother with a deeper connection to our home and fey friends than anyone I’ve seen. I’m sorry if I was never around enough. I’m sorry if you ever found me too stern. I’m sorry our tribe separates men and women as they do sometimes, because it means I have a duty to your brother more than I have to you. I never thought that was very fair. Know that despite the fact that I’m gone, my spirit will be one of many that guides you to greatness. I’m sure that if you listen closely to those spirits, you’ll hear my voice among them. I’ll be the one chanting louder than all the rest.

My beloved son, I’ve saved you until last because I fear your reaction when you read this. You are so very strong, but you wear your heart on your sleeve and you’ve inherited my terrible temper. Worse, I fear that you may never read this because perhaps I will have gotten my wish and died in the arms of someone I loved as he lay dying too. My worst fear is that you will never read this because I will be one of the many fathers of our tribe who has outlived his son, and I will have to write this all over again. War is, indeed, our greatest tragedy. My biggest regret with you is that I never expressed how proud of you I truly am. I have told you when I have been proud of you, but I often find that I want to say more than that and I don’t know how. I could only watch you as you grew. You approached the world with all of my bravery, and all of your mother’s heart. I hope you never lose that. I never want to see you lose that.

My family, you were everything I could have ever wanted.

Thank you for making every moment of my life - a life filled with bloodshed and violence - worth living. 

Thank you for being the peace that I needed.

Thank you for being mine.

It wasn't signed. It wasn't dated. Lupan's tribe was largely based in oral traditions; writing was not common. There were no names mentioned... but Lupan knew who had written it. Lupan had never seen his father's handwriting, but he knew his father's voice too well not to hear it in these words. A small tag had been added to the item. It read: "20,000 GP." It was locked behind a glass case.

Melinda Becker
Half Elf, Former Copper
Dragon God
(Art by lavellanlove on
Tumblr)

Lupan sank to his knees, and cried, wondering how in the world this could have gotten here. He stayed there, drawing some attention. One person approached him, and sat beside him, wearing a dress unlike any he'd seen at home or in Midtia.

She introduced herself as Melinda, and she comforted him as best as she could. She claimed to have been here for the music outside, but decided to peek in here and noticed him. She knew him, and when Lupan explained to her what was going on, she told him, "I think someone outside might be able to help you."

"I'm two seconds away from breaking apart this case."

"And you'll get the guards called on you. Trust me. She'll help."

The two of them went out to the concert, which had caught Wren and Fang's attention as well, once they'd moved on from the coffee shop. All of them quickly realized that this was no ordinary concert. A tiefling girl was performing, and dancing with her was Quest Carron, the party's copper dragon demigod.

Celanwe
Wood Elf, Former Copper
Dragon God
(Art by Merwild on Tumblr)

They were also formally introduced to someone Nana had met through the Divination spell: Celanwe - the copper dragon before Quest. All of the former copper dragons had gathered here because Quest was performing, and by performing, he'd be able to figure out where he was meant to go to transcend.

Wren and Fang were filled in on the situation with Lupan, and determined to help him get back what was rightfully his.

~~~~~

Nana, over the course of their journey on the sea, had managed to procure and slightly modify a firearm. Admiral Cromdor had been very hesitant about letting her have one. Midtian law required that any firearm holders were required to have a license, and getting a license required training. Luckily, the naval base in Aincour did have a program. Nana and Keviks, both very interested, went to the base. A former adventurer - one Peyton DiAngelo - was their private teacher, for a little extra coin. They'd likely find themselves proficient in firearms by the end of the week.

Myren
Human, First Copper
Dragon God
(Art by slugette on Tumblr)

They went off to go and find the others in the plaza, where they were also made aware of the shenanigans that the spirits of the copper dragons were up to. Myren, the first copper dragon god, also made an appearance.

Between these three former gods, they learned that the tiefling girl was who Melinda had been referring to. She had knowledge and skills that the party may find helpful in performing an art heist. They enjoyed the music and kept Lupan from exploding with impatience and a need to get the note back immediately.

Dragon Lancer: Quest Carron
Tiefling, College of Satire Bard
Copper Dragon Demigod
(Art by @guttertongue
on Twitter)

When the performance was over, the former dragons disappeared. The party also needed to talk to Quest about what had occurred in Kystad, regarding the death of Riot Guard Captain Eli Hawks. The tiefling girl offered to get everyone coffee while they talked. Quest opened a portal into his hoard while she was gone, and gave the party a status report:

- Captain Hawks had been acting strangely around Axel (the silver dragon demigod, who was sent to protect the royal family), especially now that Axel was getting comfortable around the palace, posing as the young princes' substitute teacher while Nana was away.

- One day, Axel was alone in a hallway with the captain. He could have sworn that the two of them were going to fight when one of the windows was broken in by what Axel assumed to be an aasimar. He appeared human, but had large, black avian wings. He grabbed Hawks, flew back out, and then the window was unbroken. As though nothing had happened. None of the guards nearby had heard anything either.

- Axel contacted Quest, who left Lanti immediately, and went to Kystad to help look for Captain Hawks and discover what happened to him. They searched everywhere - his office, his home, and even some secret areas in the palace and in the city that they knew were there from their days as Dragon Lancers. They could not find him.

- Then, suddenly he turned up again... in pieces, in his office. They reported their findings to the king.

- They were also made aware of the fact that Spymaster Ego was on his way back to Kystad from wherever he was for Hawks's funeral. He would be there from the 4th to the 6th, which was 2 days from now.

Nana sent a brief message to Hugo, asking if this was his doing. He claimed he had an associate fitting the description given, and the party assumed this was part of Hugo's prior agreement. He was finally attempting to take care of Eli and Ego - the two biggest known threats to the crown in the capital city - as he'd promised. Although, it was concerning to know that he had what appeared to be an Angel of Death (essentially) on his side.

Radiance
Tiefling Trickery Cleric of
the Copper Dragon God
(Art by June Jenssen on
ArtStation)

They left Quest's hoard, and went back into the street, where they met Radiance, the tiefling performer. She was also a cleric from the kingdom of Medego, and her god was Myren, the Copper Dragon. Suddenly, things made far more sense. She was aware that Quest was at least related to her god in some way, but that was all.

When they told her of the situation, and were informed that she could help them, she was more than willing to assist in a heist. It was Wren's idea to pose as a curator of fine art, and offer something in trade. Nana suggested some fine clothing; she had a spell and the necessary tools to make something like that. Radiance knew that the value of certain sarees (a women's clothing item from her country, far to the south) could be very high. She described something a royal concubine might wear, and Nana was able to make it. Lupan and Keviks would come along with Wren as bodyguards to help sell the charade of her being an important art collector. They retrieved some better clothing for themselves as well.

Wren, Lupan, and Keviks entered the tent again, and perused a bit before they were approached by a portly tiefling gentleman, who had a pompous air about him. They showed him the saree, and offered it in exchange for Lupan's note. With some lucky deception checks, Wren was able to procure it without nearly any trouble.

When they were outside again, away from the tent, Lupan looked at it again and held it close to his chest. Radiance asked to see it for just a moment, and cast what seemed to be a form of Mending. The corners of the note were less torn. The skin itself wasn't as wrinkled, and the writing was bolder and easier to read. He looked at the party, teary-eyed, and unable to say much other than: "Thank you..."

Lupan had found what The Summer Queen has asked him to: something he'd know when he saw, and that rightfully belonged to him.

~~~~~

ART LINKS:

https://twitter.com/Sonnet_form/status/1074747966949224448

https://twitter.com/wtfdoidraw

https://lavellanlove.tumblr.com/image/171542079156

https://merwild.tumblr.com/

https://slugette.tumblr.com/post/142286067190/edmond-trevelyan-a-kinda-sketchy-portrait-that

https://twitter.com/guttertongue/status/1045505333265924097

https://junejenssen.artstation.com/projects/KaLZoy

WSS Summary: World 11, Grinding Gears - Session 6

Present Party: Aria, Claudia, Emori, and Steve

Setting: The world is comprised of several floating islands, surrounded entirely by open sky, with no visible land below. The party spends this session briefly in the pirate-lead capital of Parofell - Port Aimore - before traversing the treacherous skyway of Avernus: the Dragons' Skies. They end the session in Kaetor, at Fort Dreadnought.

Captain Emma Thompson
Pirate Lord of Parofell,
Witchdoctor
(Art by @WTH153 on
Twitter)

After the party's wild night of trying and ultimately failing to catch a strange, illusive creature, they were invited by Captain Thompson to interrogate Phule: the Kaetorian Armada jester-creature the party had captured. Claudia was the only one who opted not to go. She was still reeling from the events from last night, still piecing together as much information as possible.

The other three members of the party returned to Captain Thompson's house and followed her further in and downstairs, where she had something of a dungeon set up. Phule was being kept in one of the cells, left cackling to himself mindlessly.

Phule
Elite Member of the
Kaetorian Armada
(Art from Kingisle's
"Pirate101")

Phule was an odd creature with two personalities, represented by the split mask over his face. When one of them wanted to speak, the head turned, presenting the profile of whichever mask chose to speak at the moment. The smiling white mask was pleasant and playful, while the scowling black mask was rude and condescending.

Phule wanted to make a deal. He knew how to infiltrate the royal palace in the capital of Kaetor quietly. He was willing to help the captains, so there would not have to be a full-fledged assault on the city - something the pirates would certainly lose.

Thompson explained, "We have enough people to take Fort Dreadnought, outside the stormgate once we leave Avernus. But... the royal palace will be crawling with soldiers."

Phule agreed. When asked what he gained from helping them, he explained, "I was Kane's first creation. And I am imperfect. He strives for perfection. If he has his way, and takes over all the skyways, there will be no place for me in his world. I have nothing to lose from helping you. The only thing that I ask is that if you win, you simply let me go."

Kane was the admiral of the Armada. He was Thompson's main target, and according to Phule, the creator of all of the other Armada.

The party was skeptical about letting him come along. Emori said, "If you come with us, you'd better not pull something where you switch sides again once we get there and screw us over."

"Why would I? Think about it. If I do that, and Kane wins, then I will die because I am not perfect. If I do that, and you win, then I will die because you will kill me for my betrayal. There's no winning there. The only way for me to win now is to help you, and then to be set free. And that is the only way I'll help you."

The party decided that Phule could be useful. Even they had struggled in a fight against him; it wouldn't hurt to have him on their side. Steve offered to take him on his ship when they travelled to Kaetor.

Phule cackled merrily at the idea of this alliance.

~~~~~

Shortly after, the members of this fleet gathered together to discuss how they would be travelling. The party aided in creating a formation for their ships as they went into Avernus. They had anticipated using Captain Taylor's and Emori's invisibility tricks to make the Armada believe that there were less ships than there actually were. That would be especially useful with Taylor's ship, The Avon Vale, because of its large crew size. Alcott and Rines both had ships that were major powerhouses, slower, and with larger crews. They acted as a rear guard. The smaller ships led the charge and acted as scouts.

The Gryphon Riders, led by Confidence Milton, were also present to offer some advice. Their group had been through Avernus before, and knew what to expect. Ideally, they were meant to avoid any of the native dragons if at all possible, especially since many were very large. Moving quickly and quietly would be the key. Luckily, they didn't have far to go to get to the stormgate that would lead them to the Obrira Skyway, and then to Kaetor.

With this plan in place, they set sail. Getting through the stormgate, now that they had the cyclostones, was easy. Although, travelling through a giant funnel cloud was less than ideal and rather nauseating. On the other side, they found a red sky, dotted with several outcroppings of large, jagged rocks. The fleet sailed as quietly as they could. Between Emori, Captain Black, and Aria's first mate, Gigi, they were also able to psychically link all of the captains to one another, as well as Confidence.

Even though this journey was meant to be short and simple, they found a roadblock almost immediately: a colossal red dragon - larger than most of their ships - fast asleep not far away on an outcrop of rocks. They attempted to sneak past.

Aria and Steve were the ones to notice it: that same creature from last night. That black ball with the green light in the center had returned, and was whizzing past them, over to another floating rock outcrop. There, they could see that it met with another creature. It was black, and vaguely humanoid with two legs, six arms, segmented wings connected with some kind of green flesh-like tissue, and glowing green eyes. The creature did not appear to have skin, but instead had some kind of exoskeleton that was certainly not natural, but rather crafted. When it leapt from the outcrop, its back also appeared to have jets that propelled it forward.

Captain Mina Alcott
Tiefling Pirate Lord
of Parofell, Privateer
(Art by Kiikiibee on Tumblr)

It flew, without hesitation, directly into Captain Alcott's ship - one of the more armored vessels in the fleet. It ripped a hole directly through to the other side of the hull, and her ship began to sink further below the clouds.

The noise woke the red dragon, and it roared fiercely. However, Claudia acted very quickly, and cast Banishment on the dragon. With a failed saving throw, the dragon was gone. Now, all they had to deal with was this new, mysterious creature...

And now it was flying directly towards Confidence Milton.

Confidence Milton
Tiefling, former Transmigrator
(Art made by me, using
Heroforge)

The other captains further back took care of collecting Captain Alcott and her crew from their sinking vessel while the party attempted to defend Confidence. However, their efforts were largely in vain. As Steve and Aria attacked this creature, it responded by freezing them in space. It slammed into the gryphon that Confidence was riding, and with a sickening crunch, the gryphon fell from the sky. The creature had hold of Confidence now... and then they were gone. Steve managed to catch the gryphon's body before it was lost forever to the open and endless skies, but something was strange about it.

The gryphon's saddle bags - the ones carried by the Gryphon Riders that kept their wares - were gone. This looked like an untamed, very dead (after being tackled and then hitting the deck of a ship) gryphon.

Ned, Steve's first mate, seemed very confused. He pointed out that the two Gryphon Riders were still there. Where did this one come from? Why had it just fallen from the sky?

Ned appeared to have no recollection of anything regarding Confidence Milton.

~~~~~

The siege of Fort Dreadnought, despite the intrusion of the dragon, went very well. The pirates still outnumbered the Armada in the fort itself. The fight didn't last all that long, and the pirates were victorious. None of the Armada seemed to have escaped either.

The pirates' map of Kaetor
Locations are unlabeled because they are unknown
(Map made by me, using Heroforge)

Settling in for the night, eating the gryphon that Steve had caught for them all, the pirates rejoiced in their victory.

The party, however, remained confused about the events that occurred in Avernus. Emori was particularly distraught. This was, as she viewed it, the third time that she'd lost Confidence and the second time in a row.

To their surprise, the party was visited shortly afterward by The Moderator. They ushered the party aboard one of their ships to talk.

"A recent anomaly had come to my attention that brought me here," they explained. "I thought it was a bug. I'd been following it, but then it suddenly disappeared. And there was little to no trace of it after that. It's gone, and it's not hiding. Transmigrators tend to attract or cause bugs. I wondered if you saw anything."

The party explained to Mod what had happened, and Mod needed to ask some clarifying questions.

"This person that the creature took... You said just now that you'd met him before in other worlds. Is this the same person you brought up to me on your second mission? That you said you'd seen in the first?"

They confirmed that it was. The last time they'd brought up Confidence to Mod, they had dismissed it as impossible. "His coding was natural to the world," they'd said. But now Mod really seemed to ponder something.

Claudia explained further, "We've been told several things by several of your coworkers. We've been told he's evil and not to be trusted but... someone else - the red one - seems to think he's the most important person ever."

Mod took in this information, and concluded, "I cannot say for sure what it is that I sensed here. It couldn't have been a bug; bugs don't just go away, and what you've described doesn't sound like a bug. Let me discuss this further with my other coworkers." They moved to leave, but then added, "If this is important to you, I'll keep you updated on what I find."

The party agreed that they would like that, and Mod disappeared, leaving them still with unanswered questions.

~~~~~

ART LINKS:

https://twitter.com/WTH153/status/975388174955376640

https://www.pirate101.com/free_game/newsletter/june2015

https://kiikiibee.tumblr.com/post/175200008557/commission-of-marquiskilljoy-s-tiefling-dragon

~~~~~

Credit to @ijaymendell inspiring this awesome campaign!

Campaign Concept: All In The Cards

 What Are We Making?

I wrote a tweet the other day about how a crazy idea came to me, and I thought to myself, "but wait... that's actually amazing." Well... here we are, I guess!

Over the past month or so, I've actually been learning to read tarot cards, and that's where this idea stems from. I was shuffling my deck of cards last night when this idea for a larger campaign hit me. I decided that I wanted to make a game where tarot cards played a large part, specifically the 22 cards in the major arcana deck. Each of these cards has a person, object, or creature on it and each card has a meaning.

The 22 Major Arcana Cards
Smith-Waite Tarot Deck

Game Masters wishing to run a game like this should definitely do their research on tarot beforehand, or already know the basics of reading tarot. I'm using my personal deck of tarot cards, which is the Smith-Waite deck, and The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings by Brigit Esselmont as my basis for this concept. I'm also only using the major arcana cards, but Game Masters may choose to find ways to fit in the minor arcana cards as well.

The Setting & Basic Lore

I can see this game taking one of two settings: within the world of the tarot cards themselves, or in a world that just happens to have personified beings for all of the people, creatures, or objects within the cards.

Let's take the first setting: the world of the tarot cards themselves. In this scenario, we take the pictures of the cards very literally. Those people there are going to be the people that the characters meet. Additionally, they are literally in a deck of tarot cards, so someone has to have put them there. You're going to need a very powerful NPC - good or evil - who has done so. I like this setting for the comedic potential because... the players can just... talk to the Moon. Or the Sun. It's different, and I like that about it a lot; it's not something you see in D&D often.

In the second scenario, you can homebrew your own fantasy world or play in one that's pre-established, as long as there are people, objects, or beings that can fit into the roles of the cards. This gives the Game Master more freedom when it comes to character art and description. In fact, I personally like this setting more, just because of the potential of getting commissioned art of NPCs as tarot cards. That is a super fun idea.

A Game Master can also choose to use the tarot cards as a basis for character personalities, when it comes to the cards they represent. For example, in the Smith-Waite deck, the Justice card represents justice (of course), fairness, truth, and law. So the NPC representing Justice (the card) would act in that way. The Chariot card represents control, success, action, and determination. So, the Chariot NPC might be a literal charioteer, who always seems in control of his actions and determined to win.

Minor Arcana Cards, Ace - 10
All four suits
Smith-Waite Tarot Deck

If you want to use the minor arcana cards, there are ways to do that too. In simplest explanation, the minor arcana cards operate almost like playing cards: four suits, running ace to 10, and then there are four "face cards" (page, knight, queen, and king.) The suits are typically cups, pentacles, swords, and wands (rather than hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs.) Here are my personal recommendations:

- You can make four smaller kingdoms around this "empire" ruled by the Empress and Emperor that have kings and queens of their own that the party will have to go through, in order to complete the plot (which we'll get to in a moment.)

- You can use the suits - cups, pentacles, swords, and wands - as four magic items. This works especially well with four players; tailor each of the items to one of them.

- You can make finding them into something of a side quest. Sure, the major arcana is the main focus, but if they collect all of a certain suit, they get a reward or something. By "all of a certain suit" I mean that they would need 59 cups, pentacles, swords, and wands to complete the deck. That's a wand for each number on the card (ace has 1, 2 has 2, 3 has 3, etc.), and then 1 for the page, knight, queen, and king of that suit. This would be a long one, but good if you want a really long-form campaign.

The Plot

So, in my mind, all of this starts with a powerful spellcasting NPC. This can be an adventure patron, or a BBEG. Doesn't matter. 

The first setting works really well with the BBEG idea. He would already have a tarot deck, and the players are trapped inside it. To get out, they need something from each of the major arcana cards. It could be a riddle, piece of a poem, or even another card of some kind. They get those things, and they're able to leave the realm of the cards. They fight the mage who trapped them as their final boss.

In the second setting, this NPC does not have tarot cards, but he's trying to make them: "a deck of cards that can see into the future and determine fate" or something along those lines. To do that, he needs... pieces of certain types of people that the party will have to locate. Game Masters can determine what exactly these "pieces" are, if their use is benevolent or malevolent, etc. Again, these NPCs that are going into the cards embody the meanings of the major arcana cards. At the end, the players receive some kind of great reward from a friendly NPC, or they have to fight the guy whose deck they made. Do they know it better than him, because they were the ones who actually met the people inside it? Are the people in the deck happy to be there? All of that is totally up to the GM.

The thing that I love about this idea is the diversity of the NPCs and how you might play them, just because of what reading tarot is like. You can put your own twists on the meanings of the cards, especially if the cards have double meanings for whatever reason, or if you interpret the cards differently. A huge part of reading tarot, as I've learned, is trusting your intuition and determining what the cards mean to you as well. The imagery on the card is just as important as the description given by the meaning, and that opens up a whole possibility for commissioned art, if that's something you can afford as a GM.

This is the type of concept that could be done by two GMs in a very different way, and that's part of the reason why I love it so much.

WSS Summary: World 11, Grinding Gears - Session 5

Present Party: Aria, Claudia, Emori, and Steve

Setting: The world is comprised of several floating islands, surrounded entirely by open sky, with no visible land below. The party finds themselves in the pirate-governed country of Parofell, in the Varovayn Skyway. They spent the majority of their time in Port Aimore.

Phule
Elite Member of the
Kaetorian Armada
(Art from Kingsisle's
"Pirate101")

After kidnapping Phule, a mysterious jester figure of the Kaetorian Armada, and collecting the cyclostones, the party decided to go on their way from the abbey. Two of the crew that they'd brought with them, Gigi and Scar, had already seen and spoken to the nuns of the abbey. They were, luckily, unharmed and very glad to have the Armada out of their abbey. The whole time as they went from the abbey back to town where they'd left their ships, Phule quietly cackled to himself.

They decided it would be best to split up the cyclostones, each taking two or three of the ten. Their sailing trip back to Port Aimore was uneventful, save for a short ship race between all four of them. Emori had originally shown no interest, but participated in secret, using an ability that her ship had to make itself invisible. In the end, she won the race home with Aria, Steve, and finally Claudia coming back in order.

Captain Emma Thompson
Pirate Lord of Parofell,
Witchdoctor
(Art by @WTH153
on Twitter)

At Captain Thompson's house, they were greeted by the sight of the five other captains playing cards. When they came in, the captains cheered and invited them all to play. During the game, the party bet their cyclostones, to show that they'd gotten them. The other captains laughed joyously, and Captain Taylor looked at the four of them with great pride.

Emori and Steve's first mate, Ned, were the last two remaining at the table by the end. Ultimately though, Emori won, and she distributed the cyclostones to everyone else.

Captain James Taylor
Pirate Lord of Parofell,
Swashbuckler
(Art from "Legend of the
Cryptids")

"Well, I'd say that this... calls for a party," Taylor declared, and he stood up from his seat. "I'll go book the Leviathin's Tail. Anyone else coming along, help me get things ready?"

Aria eagerly volunteered, as did Captains Alcott and Rines. The party's first mates tagged along as well.

Thompson, meanwhile, took a moment to look at Phule. He recognized her, and spoke again for the first time since the abbey, switching between masks and voices. The white mask's voice was playful, while the black one was far more rude. Nothing about the mask moved as he spoke.

"I can help you, you know!" the white mask insisted.

Thompson, for the time being, ignored him. "I have a place we can lock him up, and then we'll talk to him a bit more another time."

Phule was removed from the room, still cackling away.

Then, Thompson looked at Steve and Claudia. "Let's get your little project up and running now, yeah?"

The two of them heartily agreed, and Thompson led them through a secret door and into what looked like some kind of stone altar, surrounded by vines on the walls and herbs. Talismans hung from the ceiling, and there was a strong smell of incense. On the altar sat the inert Armada Marine that they'd taken. Beside him was the sapphire they'd bought from Confidence Milton, and the starlane they were given appeared to be in it now; the gem was sparkling.

"All you have to do is put it into his head," Thompson told them.

Claudia and Steve did it together, pushing it in, and then closing the mask. The body whirred and jerked as it came to life again, and then slowly, it sat up. The mask of the Armada Marines had no facial expression. The creature itself had no eyes. It looked around slowly, and then asked monotonously, "Where am I? Who are you?"

Kaetorian Armada Marines
(Art from Kingsisle's "Pirate101")

They called their new friend "George" and now that he was disconnected from the crystal, he seemed to be able to think apart from the other Armada, though he was very confused. The two of them explained who they were, and where they were as best as they could. Captain Thompson had some extra clothes they could use to dress him. It would be wise to disguise him as much as possible, considering that if any pirate saw an Armada Marine walking the streets, they'd likely attempt to destroy it immediately.

~~~~~

Merciless Marcus Black
Fannai, Pirate Lord
of Parofell, Gunslinger
(Art by Wochun Choi on
Art Station)

Emori stayed in the main room, with Captain Black. She wanted to take him up on meditation lessons, if he had the time.

He agreed, and the two of them went to his ship, where they were able to meditate together. In this world kalashtar like Emori were referred to as "Fannai" and she'd learned that not very many people liked them. In fact, they feared them and because of that, Fannai were often persecuted, oppressed, or even enslaved. That was why Black was such a passionate abolitionist, and why he brutally murdered enslavers of Fannai.

They were able to see the spirits that were in each other's minds. Black's was huge, strong, bright blue, and had one eye in the center of its face. Emori's was a singular eye with wings. There was also a second spirit with Emori that manifested itself as four near-flame-like specks. They were orange, but blue at the bottom, and they flickered strangely. She realized, by the voice, that this was the representation of Confidence Milton: these four little pieces. He even seemed a bit embarrassed at presenting himself in this way.

It was interesting, and Black insisted that simply, if she just kept at it, her power would grow.

~~~~~

The Leviathin's Tail, as it turns out, is an excellent place for pirate party. Aria helped the other captains and pirates get everything ready, and joined them in some pre-party drinking. The rest of the group arrived shortly after. Captain Thompson was the last of the nine captains to arrive, and she brought Confidence Milton with her. He and two other Griffon Riders would be guiding the fleet through the treacherous skyway of Avernus and through to the other side to get them to Obrira.

Claudia noticed a very odd creature on the wall of the bar. It was fully black, and had a green light in the middle of it. It was similar in size and shape to a softball. The light was focused on something. She followed the "gaze" and noticed... it led right to where Confidence was sitting, beside Emori. Claudia snuck up on it, and managed to take it down from the wall. She messaged for Steve to come over to her, and showed it to him, as ice cold energy emitted from it, damaging Claudia slightly. Despite being held, it didn't stop looking at Confidence except upon the initial grab.

They brought it to Emori, and when the bartender saw it, and Claudia asked him for a bucket to hold it, he refused. The bartender claimed that it was a bat, and wanted it out of his bar. With the power of Suggestion, Claudia convinced him to get a bucket instead. Emori took the creature and attempted to set it free and talk with it by using Speak With Animals. There was no response, and Claudia and Steve were determined not to let it leave. They worked together to take it from her again.

Aria had caught sight of this scene now, and to add to the mix, she created a Major Image of several of these creatures, raining down from the ceiling. The action frightened many of the drunken pirates and sailors in the bar, who couldn't tell if they were real or not. The party ended very quickly as the bar near completely cleared out.

The requested bucket was delivered, and Claudia tied the creature up in her shirt before throwing it into the bucket and sitting on it. After that, they smelt fabric burning, and watched as the creature lasered its way out of the bucket and zipped away. Claudia chased after it, but lost it after some time.

They all went to Claudia's ship to discuss what that thing was. It wasn't anything like they'd seen in this world so far, but that didn't mean it didn't belong there. It shared similar colors with the System Hacker - black and green - but Hacker wasn't offering any explanations to the party when they called to ask.

Captain Mina Alcott
Tiefling, Pirate Lord of
Parofell, Privateer
(Art by Kiikiibee on
Tumblr) 

Captain Alcott found the party afterwards, to check on them. Claudia desperately wanted to find that thing, whatever it was, and Alcott offered them some clarity on a few things:

- According to Alcott, the creature she saw the party fighting over was a bat. And by that, she meant a literal bat: a rodent with large ears and wings.

- She saw the image produced by the illusion for what it was: black balls with green lights, raining down from the ceiling.

- She had never seen a creature like the one produced in that image.

- Then, apparently, nobody else had noticed the fact that a bat was just... sitting on the wall of the tavern, not even that high up. Despite the fact that many pirates were drunk, surely one of them would have noticed.

It seemed that there was a new mystery afoot, leaving the party wondering: what was that, and was Hacker lying when it said that it couldn't lie?

~~~~~

ART LINKS:

https://www.pirate101.com/free_game/newsletter/june2015

https://twitter.com/WTH153/status/975388174955376640

https://legendofthecryptids.fandom.com/wiki/(Steady_On)_Flying_Prince_Brasse

https://www.pirate101.com/free_game/general_concept_art

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QWEd

https://kiikiibee.tumblr.com/post/175200008557/commission-of-marquiskilljoy-s-tiefling-dragon

~~~~~

Credit to @ijaymendell inspiring this awesome campaign!