#paladin husbandry

[galahadiant]

Q: I recently adopted a paladin from a shelter. he didn't have a breed label but they said they thought he was Helmite? He seemed pretty happy with guarding the stuff I put in his enclosure for a few days, but recently he's been escaping to herd the neighbor's children around when they get in the street. He also doesn't seem as alert as Helmites are supposed to be? I don't know if he doesn't like something about his enclosure or if the shelter misidentified him. Picture included. A: This actually looks like a paladin of Torm! People unfamiliar with paladin care frequently confuse them because of their similar markings. Like Helmites, Tormtar are a guardian breed, but they tend to be less high-strung and don't form the same attachments to their territory and toys. If your paladin is leaving his enclosure, he's probably bored and looking for more appropriate stimuli. Try taking him on a heroic quest, or giving him more active tasks around the house. Tormtar are also more social, so if you have the resources I would consider adopting another Triadic paladin. (Be careful not to keep him with an actual paladin of Helm. Despite their visual similarities, they have a tendency to fight, and since you picked this guy up from a shelter you don't know whether he's been socialized to get along with Neutral paladins.)

#paladin husbandry #dnd #(originally posted in the city of blood discord server) #okay. WHY do the torm and helm holy symbols look so similar actually though

[viridescent-lance]

for want of a horse (paladin mastery drabble, 552 words)

The stories of knights that Forsyth so idolized and set his goals on never quite matched up to him. For one, they were noble; raised for knighthood or at least greatness, with the blood of champions in their veins. Even the tales of commoner-to-noble do not intrigue him; he did not wish to become noble, but rather for knighthood to open up to commoners altogether.

Even the one commoner-knight he's heard of, the great Sir Mycen, has something that he lacks. A steed, like so many great knights of legend.

Forsyth has never been particularly inclined towards animal handling. It was too expensive and inconvenient to own a horse even for his family, and when seeking employment as a soldier he learned quickly the class implications of horse ownership. His own body is far more suited towards the endurance of an armored knight, anyway, and his skill with such heavy armor made him stand out among the crowd of spearsmen.

There are knights like him, he knows. Those who do not ride on horseback into battle, but stand firm on the ground, absorbing hits and attracting attention as they pierce through slowly but surely, aiding their more mobile allies.

Forsyth plays his defensive role more offensively than most, both a boon and a liability, depending on the situation.

Once, Clive spent an afternoon in the stables with him, introducing him to his steed (a swift, powerful mare whose eyes bore right through him), teaching Forsyth some basics about horse maintenance. Forsyth knows Clive's mannerisms by now; this is just as much about giving Forsyth the opportunity to interact with equines as it is having an extra hand for stable upkeep.

Even as a knight of Valentia, Forsyth's stuck pretty hard to his role. The strangely agile armored knight, the green blur on the battlefield. Python, of all people, learned mounted combat before Forsyth, though his natural inclination for it is rather impressive.

(Unlike his naming skills. Cow? Really?)

It's not that Forsyth is poorly suited to mounted combat entirely. He does not have the same level of difficulty with horse husbandry as Lukas, and he as a knight surely has access to horseback training of the finest quality if he says the word.

But there's something distinct about Forsyth's identity as an armored knight. At this point, his armor feels like it's part of him on the battlefield, and though the armor horseback riders wear is not scant, he struggles to picture himself in such a position.

Yet here he is, sturdy draft horse by his side as he mulls over his status as an officially licensed Seiros paladin. It can endure far more weight than many others, though he won't be as swift as many a horseback knight. Some kind of medium met.

Horses are living creatures. Millicent is her own beast, and Forsyth carries her life in his hands as well as the others' when he rides into battle. She can sense his anxieties, his hesitations, and when he plunges forward, he puts her at risk in addition to himself.

He hates to admit it, but he's learned a bit from this, and he can feel some of his actions in battle changing, even when he reverts to the more comfortable infantry position.

But maybe that change isn't all bad.

#[ ic ] #[ mastery drabble ] #[ mastery drabble: paladin ]

[wearepaladin]

Paladin, why do you consume the flesh of the innocent? Just because you were born to a species of superintelligent social predators that uses that ability to creating such a steaming stew of self-justification? Complicity in factory farming is a corrupting influence on your fundamental moral stance, and who you view as your moral peers. I can hardly begin to engage with your moral delusion, while you won't, to improvise a nursing analogy, pass the checklist of hand washing like that.

That’s a strong way to start a dialogue, I admit. Though your phrasing implies you aren’t a member of the same “species of super intelligent social predators” which can only be its own “moral delusion”. Unless you truly believe you aren’t human, in which case congratulations, I’d love to hear how your species developed, and what alternative paths you embraced besides Hunter-Gathering, Agriculture, and animal husbandry to sustain and develop your species enough to form the infrastructure of invention and development that allows you and me to communicate over the internet.

Secondly, my chosen diet is as morally and ethically relevant as any other benefit our shared society provides. The circuitry provided by underpaid labor and excess plastics and metals that form the electronic devices that allow us to communicate, or the farming that provides non living food made by carving away environments to sustain native ecologies, how some of those farming practices are either unsubstainable in the long term, or subjects those who rely on those same farming practices to survive.

IE: your argument hinges on a sort of moral puritanism that isn’t sustainable. And I would argue that even if we are all compromised somewhere down the line, either historically or in modern day, then the only solution to develop morally or ethically is keep trying to be better, and encourage others to do the same with at least that shared awareness of our mutual burden of being human in this place and time. It’s a heavy one, from my perspective, and I would rather help than try to divorce myself entirely from mankind as you seem to set up as the ideal.

[dailycharacteroption]

Toxic Talon (Rogue Archetype)

 Among the guardians of the democratic nation of Andoran, none are more controversial than the Twilight Talons, the clandestine organization that handles matters that other branches of the Eagle Knights cannot or will not involve themselves with. They are the spies and underhanded agents of the organization, doing the dirty jobs to protect the newfound freedom that their democratic process grants.

There are a few among them, called “toxic talons” that take things a bit further, agents that specialize in poison and assassination, making full use of the poisoner’s arts to hide the cause of death, or perhaps use the signature poisons of other organizations to misdirect suspicion.

Needless to say, the paladin-heavy organization is of mixed opinions about the inclusion of these methods, and some seek to abolish the practice. For their part, the toxic talons are utterly devoted to the cause, and are prepared to martyr themselves, both literally and in prisons, to protect their nation.

Of course, outside the setting, these might merely be poison specialists, akin to the poisoner archetype or the rotdrinker.

 Favoring a tool even more stealthy than the hand crossbow, these assassins favor the blowgun as a discrete poison deliver method.

They are of course also trained in the use of poison, and are quick to poison their ammunition.

As one might expect, they learn all sorts of poison lore as well, improving their resistance to poisons with exposure, but also learning techniques to treat poison both mundanely and magically, as well as recognize traps that utilize poison.

They even learn how to use special reagents to temporarily boost the potency of a poison, though this doesn’t last long. Later on, they can even use such a boosted poison on two weapons or ammo at once with a single dose.

Unlike the rotdrinker, who specializes in metabolizing poison, or the poisoner, who’s primary gimmick is altering poisons to be more usable, this archetype covers all the bases when it comes to resisting, enhancing, and working with poison. They do lose out on some of their abilities tied to swift reactions, however, so keep that in mind during an ambush. I recommend you look up some good options for working with poisons, but also branch out into stealth, deception, and the like as well.

 While the original lore of this archetype lends itself to an interesting moral quandary, outside of that fluff you have more freedom with your character design, but it’s still worth noting if you wanted to use modern black ops fiction as an inspiration for your character.

  Three cryptguard constructs protect Irving’s Rest Cemetary from undead and necromancers, but ignore all others, making it a perfect hiding place for Ukvalen team of assassins and spies that have come to the town, seeking to end the meddling of the local wizard in their nation’s expansionist plans.

 Yesterday, an explosion rocked the harbor of Valorport, and the lady of House Baernoct passed away, apparently from shock. However, the truth is the explosion was a distraction for a team of rebels wielding a potent but subtle poison. Only the investigation on part of the adventurers can bring the truth to light, though.

 Most assume that orcs have little patience for things that don’t involve open warfare or the occasional sneak attack. However, that simply isn’t true. They are actually quite skilled at animal husbandry, as well as alchemy, and some say that their sneaks know some things about poison that other civilizations do not.

#pathfinder #archetype #rogue #toxic talon #cryptguard #orc #Adventurer's Guide

[fjoundfjamily]

102!!

wow. this nordvpn ad. wow

fjord using his paladin abilities!!!! (i’m currently rewatching like 82 where he uses lay on hands for the first time)

yasha!!! giving more hitpoints bc she love beau

i like liam’s top

i REALLY wanna know the layout of the studio @ marisha ray pls give me your secrets

BRENATTO’S VOLTAIC BOLT

GET IT VETH

kfkafjjs my new fave running joke

like from what i can tell matt’s using a souped up bodak but idk if the hp has been altered

but if it hasn’t then veth just did over a third of its health

i LOVE them shitting on vax skdjsj like. “two more attacks / then i’m gonna fly 120ft”

beau also just did over a third of a standard bodak hp

they’re so powerful these days

“WILL YOU HOLD ME” god. beausha rights

yasheau

JESTER BIGGEST SHIPPER

oh god i missed marisha’s gestures gjkskgjsjs

holding beau like a baby but “no i want the art to look cool”

fjord curing disease with lay on hands im!!!

veth’s enlarge voice omg

veth: we can’t fly but we’re ok

caleb and jester, immediately: some of us can fly. i can fly.

bdjakfhaha

fjord “i’m not touching any boobs” stone

“you smell like crayons” kfjfksjd

me: mishears something

me: looks immediately at laura to check it wasn’t just me

“with the breasts you have held” (breaths)

SO glad distancing isn’t stopping the shenanigans

sam with the glove to punch liam whenever marisha wants is incred

natural 20 on the suude persuasion!!!!!

caleb’s necklace of protection from scrying aaahhhh

nooooo cad’s shield and it’s not enough :////

“give him ur husband” omg

this is stressful

this has Big Big that one episode of star trek tos vibes

uhhh. the apple??? i think that’s the ep title

the one where spock’s like “husbandry would be quite efficacious”

caduceus has had AWFUL saving throws this ep

EVERYONE CLAPPING ALONG TO JESTER’S DISTRACTION SONG IM

oh SHIT

wish i hadn’t seen spoilers!!!

GOD THAT TOOK MARISHA SO LONG

and the immediate reaction i’m

THEYRE SO EXCITED BLESS THEM

#cr #crlb #cr spoilers

[necroarchy]

not meme but youre the resident Scourge Expert so, I have a desperate burning curiosity. warriors/paladins get raised as death knights, generally spellcasters are liches, people with no useful skills are generally ghouls, elves become san'layn--- if the scourge raised a Druid, what would *they* be? because none of the Named Things seem to really use the skillset of Druid and like, I doubt the scourge would just throw away those Useful Skills, so like, whaddya think that might look like?

     I’m putting Scourge Expert on my resumé.

     ( Note that the below is pure speculation and headcanoning, and is also weakened by my knowledge of druid lore being very dated. )

     I personally feel like druids can’t transition easily from life to unlife the way other classes can, because there’s no dark analogue for them to draw power from which is under Arthas’ control. Iirc, kaldorei, tauren, and worgen druids draw their power primarily from the Emerald Dream*, which is why they’re especially susceptible to Nightmare corruption; it’s a taint of the Dream. They still maintain a mockery of their powers because the Nightmare is still of the Dream, is embedded in the fabric of it, and thus is still able to supply them with a bastardized version of their powers. They’re drinking from the same well as before, it’s just that the water is poisonous.

     Arthas, though, has no foothold in the Dream. He possesses no territory in that plane of existence, no power over it. This is backed up by the presence of one of the ICC bosses, a captured green dragon named Valithria Dreamwalker. Arthas is attempting to corrupt her so he can access the Dream and infect it with something similar to the Nightmare, but the plan is foiled by us storming the Citadel.

     Because Arthas can’t access the Dream at all, his servants can’t either. So Scourge “druids” probably have to make do with subpar connections, drawing upon Shadow and their own knowledge of flora and fauna in order to influence and corrupt the land around them. It gets the job done, sure, but it’s not the same. I bet Scourge druids can’t shapeshift, nor call upon (un)nature’s fury with anything approaching the universal ease of a living druid. They likely have to rely more on potions, poisons, reagents, and catalysts than living druids do.

     Troll druids are also messed up in unlife because they lose their connection to the loa which patron them. There’s a way to fix this, as the Drakkari aptly demonstrated, but I don’t suggest it. Nor do I think it’d be especially possible for Scourge trolls who suffer already from a broken connection… and Bwonsamdi taking such an active interest in the world these days.

     They probably work primarily in gardening and animal husbandry, tending to the various plant life found on Blighted ground and the beasts of the Scourge such as the spiders, giant maggots, Jormungar, blighthounds, and bone hawks. ( Relatedly, this is why I feel Grand Widow Faerlina should have been a night elf or tauren instead of human. There’s your corrupted druid! ) Additionally, I bet they’re heavily involved in the sciences behind the various plagues and diseases the Scourge is inventing and concocting daily, alongside those gnome scientists we see everywhere.

     None of this is to say that druids in the Scourge are weaker than any other class… exactly. They’re denied the range that others are, though, because without a connection to the Dream, they’re unable to pervert their old nature as extensively as the others. Paladins have the Shadow to replace Light, and arcane cares nothing whether you’re alive or dead. Druids are cut off from an essential aspect of their powers, and it has consequences.

     Which in turn, I bet has resulted in them becoming viciously clever in making do with what they have.

     * While I acknowledge the contributions of Elune and An'she to their children’s druidic powers, undead druids would assuredly be excommunicated from them as surely as they are the Emerald Dream. At least until Arthas acquires a crystal space rocket of his own and invents the Brethren Moon.

#﹙ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴀʀᴄʜʏ. ﹚ meta. #anonymous #// #unformatted #for now #﹙ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇsᴘᴏɴᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ. ﹚ inbox.

[ancientsincarnate]

Salar Ethnic Groups

Living on a world constantly bathed in sunlight with illustrious vibrancy would obviously have some kind of reflection on the culture. Great spired cities reaching the very mountain peaks, run and maintained by the Flodans. Bustling cities ruled over by the Noscian great houses. Caverius running the vast underground realm of Lumin trading with aforementioned great houses. Though many may hold personal biases against another group, but the people of Lumin understand they are all gears in the great plan of Salar, while the "dusk bitten" children pf Voldus squabble against each other. Allying over obligation rather then any sort of understanding or unity.

"On the blood of our kin we shall prevail" Noscian phrase

Noscian:The fair skinned aristocratic subgroup of the Salar. The royal family of Lumin come from this ethnicity. Noscians are known for their diplomacy and natural charisma and one would assume “Supernatural beauty” though like the Fjoheimers are a group that mix mysticism and martial prowess. The Paladine are the martial order of Noscians that are made up of both Celestins and Terrasts that act as the royal guard, military leaders, and police force for the Noscian people.

Noscia Location:Noscian plainslands of Northern Alfar. Argueably the largest nation on the surface of Lumin

National colors: White, gold, silver

Noscian physical traits:Vibrant eye color(silver, yellow). tall slightly muscular builds. light skin. normally blonde and black hair

"The deeper we dig, the closer we get to Salar" Caverian spiritual excerpt

Caverius: Living in the network of tunnels and caverns these pale skinned Salar boast living the closest to the core of Lumin and by nature are some of the most powerful Celestins in the empire. Wielding their abilities to carve out more tunnels within the underground and mountains where their people may live. As well as naturally being natural miners, craftsmen, and engineers forming a meritocratic society and a culture surrounding it. Mountain caverians tend to be taller and claim to be stronger then their subterranean cousins. But of course this would lead to them being less acclimated to the world’s core. Funnily enough they are jokingly regarded as the least “Celestin” of the Celestin Ethnicities

Caverius Location: Multiple underground cavern networks across the plains and mountain bases of Lumin

National Colors: Brown, white, black

Caverian physical traits: slightly shorter and stocky to muscular builds. pale skin. brown, red, and blond hair.

"The Flying Flodans lead the charge!" Famous Flodan military phrase

Flodus: “Flying Flodans” is a term used by many for the mountain and coast living Flodans.  Living close to mountain Caverian, trade in both resources and technology was inevitable. Many believe that flodans might have even been direct descendants or genetic cousins to Caverians. Adding to this theory would be their avid abilities for craftsmanship, engineering, and smithing. The first known voidvessals were built by Flodans but it is unknown how voldus were able to produce it two living on separate planets. Flodans tend to have a keen sense of freedom. Wishing to go wherever they please as well as being represented with special hair dye.

Flodus Location:Mt. Flodus, Largest mountain range on the southern hemisphere of Lumin

National colors: Blue, silver, black

Flodan physical traits: taller than average build. Light to light bronze skin, silver hair typically dyed in different colors

"Our very blood is pulled from Lumin, as is our flesh" Saying of an unknown Tasunian philosopher

Tasunia: The dark skinned tropical islanders of Tasunia and Salar's halo live in a fairly primitive culture compared to the rest of Lumin. Though this is simply at first glance. Their tribal culture is only contrasted by their race’s advanced technology. They are notably fond of animal husbandry and lorekeepers of the many flora and fauna of both Lumin and Dumin.  Their unity to the wildlife is notable with fitting their battle beasts with armor fitting that of gravikan tanks. Essentially making them such but on legs. Things like prosthetics and cybernetics can be fitted with said beasts, Tasunians regarding the beasts they keep as if they were one of them.

Tasunia Location: the southeastern isles and a large peninsula slightly north of Lumins equator know as “Salar's Halo”

National colors: yellow, blue, green

Tasunian physical traits: dark and rarely red skin, natural hair braids, powerful builds due to lifestyle. Markings could include natural camouflage.

"There's no such thing as a dishonest Ostran merchant"

Ostradine: Ostradine can be considered much like the Wastrelar culturally though instead of being divided by houses the undisputed leader as well as their traditions are based off of the descendant and teachings famous figure among Lumin know as “Hagon the Farstrider”. Honorable merchants and natural pathfinders and hunters they travel Lumin from Salars Halo to the Caverian underground. Ostradine are most notably considered genetic descendants of the Noscians and because of such heritage harbor familial ties. Calling each other “cousin” and “sibling”

Ostradine Location: Everywhere

National colors: white, tan, gold

Ostran physical traits: slanted eyes, dark to near blackened skin, slightly shorter to normal stature. Females due to matronly as well as hardened bodies of contact travel  roles tend to have more pronounced features. This is also due to their genetic resemblance to Noscians and their “supernatural beauty”

#worldbuilding #sci fi #writing

[dm-of-elemental-evil]

NaNoWriMo Day 2

Fate wove amongst us today, and the truth of that sage’s words saw the first light.

He escorted us to the Brother Peaks, a lonely pair of mountains in the southwestern wastes. There, he told us, we would find a satisfactory place to bury Blue’s bones. Aside from a handful of shriekers preying on a merchant’s caravan, the four day journey was bleak and quiet. A cavern recessed into the eastern slope would lead us to a sanctum, blessed by the gods and fertile for an infant World Tree.

A series of puzzles awaited us. Levers, stone idols carved in the likenesses of the minor arcana, and the sanctum of dwarven followers of Cordelia eventually gave way to an immense cavern lit by veins of crystal that glimmered with an internal light. And at the heart of it all, an amalgamation of dwarven corpses to test our skill and worthiness in Cordelia’s name.

It was then that a god came before us. Sandrelle the Chaotic, Lord of Mayhem, and as he explained to us, brother to the Star Mistress herself.

“I have come for a single purpose,” he declared, staring at Wolfheim. “To release a disappointing servant from duty.”

“Servant? I do not follow you or your orders. I have only ever sought the mistress of Death,” Wolfheim snarled back.

“Her gaze never did anything more than pass over you with indifference. It was my hand that guided you. It was my hand that molded you into the man that you are now. You, with your false prayers to Dianoga, with your misguided devotion to an uncaring goddess. You were nothing more than a disappointment. I take my mark back, and leave you to your own selfish desires. You will not see the Goddess of Death. She will not make herself vulnerable for your sake.” Before anyone could respond, Sandrelle turned around and strode into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Wolfheim launched into a frenzy and pulled a twisted black iron circlet from his bag. Everything happened in a blur. Emuswa nocked an arrow as his sister shifted to the form of a large wolf, Bawbbe drew his axe and charged alongside Wolfram and his halberd. In a maelstrom of shadow and dark fire, obsidian plates sprouted from Wolfheim’s shoulders and wrists, encasing him and tapering into long scythe-like blades on his forearms. He moved with terrifying speed, and before anyone could reach him to stand in his way, he had collided with Lyssa, who was still drawing her own axe. I heard a cry echo against the rocky cavern walls as she flew backwards a dozen strides and collapsed with blood seeping into the dusty floor. I saw the tears streaming from Elron’s face as he unleashed a bolt of electricity from his wand at the beast that had once been a cleric.

The frantic battle was finished in a couple dozen heartbeats. Blood streamed from wounds covering Bawbbe’s arms and chest, one of which looked to already be festering, and a long gash now decorated Wolfram’s cheek. I hadn’t even seen the blow that Peregrin took in the battle, but now back in her human form, her brother was tending to the stump where her left arm had once been. He was gently holding the ragged strips of flesh still remaining and muttering prayers to Pan. Soft green light emanated from his fingertips and knitted the wound closed. Elron was kneeling over Lyssa, weeping, and for just an instant I saw a looming spectre over them.

Her funeral was brief. We made a haphazard cairn from the stone and crystal of that cavern, after which Emuswa, Peregrin, and Elron each said a few words for Lyssa’s memory. Tears streaked through the elf’s scarred, dusty face.

“Do you want anything to remember her by?” Peregrin looked at Elron expectantly, holding a circlet of burnished gold and bronze. He shook his head and pulled a silver chain from beneath his vest. Two gold rings hung from it, and my heart dropped into my stomach at the sight.

“I have enough, thank you.”

Peregrin nodded and carefully wrapped the circlet in protective cotton before stowing it in her pack and turning to where the Cordelian spirit construct had stood before the battle. The ghosts had returned to the ground, and the dwarven skeletons that littered the ground lay still. We began to prepare the soil for the World Tree seed, burying it half a dozen hand-widths beneath the surface and watering the patch of dirt. A small sprout nearly immediately emerged from the earth and greeted the pale light filtering into the cavern. Our task was complete, but at such a horrible price.

*** *** ***

(A few drops of blood are scattered across the page.) Lyssa Altren was born on the 9th day of Fend in the year 824 AG to Fram Bellworth and Edgar Altren in the city of Hámark. Her childhood was interspersed with lessons in smithing, combat, and animal husbandry with the expectation that she would take over her father’s business, the Altren Trades Guild. This business was almost single handedly responsible for overland trade throughout the Oheilan continent. Caravans, bodyguards, mercenaries, craftsmen, and herders all ended up doing business through the guild at some point, a fact that Edgar continually pointed out to young Lyssa whenever she protested her studies.

In 849 AG, she was sent abroad to Oheila, capital city for the nation of the same name, in order to make contact with her father’s associates on the rest of the continent and establish her place as the heir to the family business. She would go on to prove that she was more than worthy of the role, and for several weeks her dealings in the city brought a significant number of suitors to her door on Daylight Hill. Lyssa spurned each and every one of them, and grew bored with the day-to-day tasks involved with running the Guild.

This boredom led her to the doors of the Ivory Tower, the preeminent school of magic in Oheila, and leader in research and development of magitechnology for the entire continent. Magic intrigued her, and although she did not possess the innate ability herself, she was drawn to a scarred elven wizard by the name of Elron. His knowledge in the arcane arts brought plenty of interest into Lyssa’s life, and it was no more than a month before she was spurning her duties as heiress to a trade empire in favor of private outings with Elron to learn more about the world and the creatures that inhabited it.

Soon after the Advent, the pair left the city altogether. Elron felt that for his interests, the Ivory Tower could no longer advance his learning, and Lyssa was anxious to see what life on the road and in the wilds would hold for her. Several years later, after circling the Oheilan continent and exploring numerous ruins of an ancient civilization, they were brought back to Glaufstell, and her home city Hámark in pursuit of a force that was driving the orcish tribes of the Stone Roots into growing conflict with the rest of the nation. Lyssa made several attempts to reconnect with her parents, but the time had passed for such reparations. Fram lived alone, a seamstress on Market Row, and Edgar had passed away seven months prior and left his second in charge of the Altren Trades Guild. Elron proposed to Lyssa a short time afterwards, presenting a slim golden ring to her that matched one on his own finger. Hers had a single radiant diamond set into the top. She smiled and accepted, saying “Maybe you should hold onto it for me. I don’t think my gauntlets will like anything sharp sticking out like that.” The rings went on a chain around Elron’s neck.

After several weeks of research, Elron encountered a group of adventurers that had traveled through the mountain pass and encountered the same presence that had led Elron and Lyssa back to Hámark in the first place. Together, they agreed to make their way deep into the Roots through an abandoned mine in the back of the city, and determine what was gathering the disparate tribes and, more importantly, why the gathering was taking place.

There were fewer private, sentimental moments shared between Elron and Lyssa over the next twelve days, though the love they felt for each other continued to grow. If either of them had known that they would be separated so soon, they perhaps would have put more effort towards making time for each other. Their journey through the Hámark mine, and later through the World Tree and across the Crimson Wastes on the far off Sunrise continent was fruitful. Sandrelle was marking the shamans of the orc tribes, although Elron’s recognition of the chaotic brand was kept from the adventurers that they traveled with.

On the 12th day of Drand in the year 852 AG, beneath the Brother Peaks, tasked with planting a seed of a World Tree, and faced with the cleric Wolfheim’s betrayal, Lyssa Altren was cut down in battle. Her final rest was overseen by the druid Peregrin, the ranger Emuswa, the barbarian Bawbbe, the paladin Wolfram, the bard Alethia, and the wizard, her husband, Elron. Cordelia escorted her soul to Juutibara’s embrace beyond the gates of the Heavens.

*** *** ***

The adobe brick buildings of Sunburst rose above the horizon, and in the evening light, they cast lengthy shadows across the sands. The path to its walls was marked out with slender palm trunks every fifty paces. Behind us, the road stretched eastward, through the desolate Crimson Wastes to reach a variety of oasis towns before carving south to the Black Iron Peaks.

Bawbbe’s wounds were growing worse as we traveled, and after five days of dust and sand and parched throats, it fell to Wolfram to help the massive warrior into the city. The past two weeks have been quiet. We left Bawbbe with healers in the temple of Juutibara and the rest of us acquired lodging at one of a chain of inns owned by a local trade baron named Belton Fortram. Emuswa has made frequent excursions into the Wastes with his lynx, Shiba, at his side. One night, Peregrin returned with a wooden limb growing from the stump of her arm. She avoided any questions about how she had gotten it, but when she thought no one was listening, I heard her mutter something about “that damned gnome.”

I have done my part to explore the city while we wait. Sometimes Wolfram accompanies me, but more often than not I am left to my own devices. It is a technological marvel to rival Oheila. Airships for both transportation and leisure are seen constantly entering and leaving the Sky Docks that dominated the center of the city. They were three massive towers, nearly ten stories tall, of brass and copper. Slim protrusions jutted from the sides and were draped with silks the color of sunset to protect the metal from the heat of the day. In reality, only two of the towers were in consistent use, while the third was used to dock airships that were out of commission or in severe need of such repairs that it would be months before they would fly again. The streets were covered with multicolored fabrics and crisscrossed with wires and ropes where clothes were hung out to dry and goods were arranged for sale.

Above all, Sunburst bustles. Tens of thousands of people conduct their daily business, and that business is invariably under the thumb of one of a dozen or so trade barons. Lord Fortram is but one, and the others share his desire to keep the city out of any sort of imperial or monarchical rule. The markets thrive with the import and export of spice, meats, vegetables, rare minerals, materials, and weapons. The constabulary is the only independent force in the city, and they patrol their streets armed with scimitars, crossbows, and slim long-knives.

Wolfram discovered a fist-sized golden orb inscribed with numerous languages in the cavern beneath the Brother Peaks, and from what little we have been able to translate on our own, it seems to be telling a story of the World Trees. Once Bawbbe has been cleansed of whatever rot infects his body, we will find a scholar to assist us, and perhaps we will find the next task the World Trees would have us complete.

*** *** ***

#nanowrimo #Ascendant #truckin' along #fyi #since i didn't explain this in the first post #this is 100% based on a D&D campaign that I ran recently #the adventurers are the PCs #Elron Lyssa Grego and the rest are NPCs #i'm PUMPED

[infinitys-chaos]

Infinity’s Chaos, Book One: Infinity’s Daylight

Hello! I’ll be posting a draft of the first book of my series, Infinity’s Daylight, in this blog. This is still in draft phase; I’ve done some rewriting and editing, but it’s not done. I need more feedback.

That’s where you’ll come in, I hope. Leave me comments! Let me know how I can improve this story, if it’s enjoyable, if it’s not, so on and so forth.

And now, without further ado:

Infinity’s Daylight

Prologue: The Paladin’s Tale

I had been there since they’d brought Drake back from Sylpheed City.

Prince Drake Draeger, my youngest half-brother, was now lying in his bed, clinging desperately to life. And over a misunderstanding, at worst. He had fallen from a balcony in Sylpheed palace during an argument with his betrothed. The railing he had been leaning against had splintered beneath his weight. I sighed as I ran a hand through my pitch dark hair, waiting anxiously for our healer to return. She’d seen the Princess of Sylpheed off, back to her own nation.

Back to her own nation, because my little brother refused to believe that she hadn’t betrayed him. I believed her because I understood the politics behind her choices. They loved each other, truly, but the engagement had been allowed to continue because Drake was the Prince of a redeveloping nation and she was the Princess of a nation who would be our allies. Drake had not spent his life learning proper husbandry and diplomacy. She had, and so had I. There was little to no chance that a Princess in her standing would jeopardize a political marriage of this caliber- especially one that she’d wanted. Princess Aninala knew better. The problem was that Prince Drake did not.

I sensed the healer before she entered the room. We Dragons are of the Fae races, and the ones most steeped in magic. We shared empathy with the other Fae races, but it was strongest between Dragons themselves. If a Dragon did not take care to shield themselves, they would be known to every other Dragon nearby. That psychic shielding was a skill that every Dragon learned, early and quickly. That skill could be the only thing standing between them and death, in the right circumstances.

And Valerie was no exception to this rule. She knew I could feel her long before she stepped into the room. I didn’t look at her as she quietly closed the heavy gilded oak door behind her and leaned against it. The plush midnight blue carpet swallowed her footsteps as she edged closer. Her bright, cheerful staccato voice was soft and terse as she said, “They are gone. The Prince is still unconscious, correct?”

I dropped my mental shields long enough to gently reach out to Drake’s mind. I felt a still, placid fog, like an empty pond in the dark of the night. “He is still unconscious, yes.”

“Then there is something you need to be aware of, Prince Mika.”

“Don’t call me that.” The reflexive phrase came out of my mouth before I had time to stop it. I grimaced, scolding myself for being worried about my proper title over whatever Valerie had to tell me. I forced myself to soften my voice as I asked, “What is it?”

I was intimidating when I raised my voice, and my little brother whimpered and squirmed. I put a hand on his forehead, grimacing at the heat I felt beneath my palm. “He’s developing a fever,” I murmured, using my magic to lull him back into oblivion.

Valerie was beside me in an instant, her magic in her hands. She spoke as her essence, the part of her being that could be manipulated to affect the world around her, flowed into Drake, forcing the inflammation in his broken body away once more and allowing him to sink even further into unconsciousness. “The Princess and Rae have left,” she said once she was done, turning to me. “The Princess is with child-”

“And you let her leave without telling Drake about this?”

“I did. What good would telling him about the pregnancy do, Mika? He’s convinced that his lover betrayed him. He’s not thinking rationally about anything right now. Give him a month, two months. Give him some time to come to terms with what’s happened. You must know by now that he’s never going to walk again.”

I flinched. “I do not know that,” I snapped. “Neither do you, Valerie. He defeated a goddess. How in the world could you say that he’s never going to walk again?”

Turning to me, she said, “Because I’m a physician. Marissa’s gone to Sri Zeron to try to find some lost technology that may help him, but it’s foolish to hang our hopes on that. He needs to accept his new limitations and learn to live with them. One thing at a time, Prince. We’re still not stable yet, and we don’t know if the people will accept a crippled King.”

I had another flash of regret, of sadness. I’d have volunteered to take the throne in his stead, even though I didn’t want it. But the people would accept a crippled King much faster than they’d accept a Dark Dragon one. We were less than human to the Light Dragons, for the most part, and some regarded us as savage monsters. I was the King’s grandson as much as Drake was, and so I was tolerated, but barely.

And Grandfather was dying. That was something few people knew. Not even Drake knew, not yet. Grandfather still had time- ten years, maybe twenty. In human years, that was quite a while, but for Dragons as old as he and I, it seemed a day in length. I wasn’t ready to mourn him, but now that Drake might not be able to take the throne…

“You’re worried, Prince.”

“You’re the mistress of the obvious tonight, lady.”

“He cannot hear us right now. You know you can trust me if you need to talk.”

I mulled it over for a moment. Just as I was about to take her up on her kind offer, the chambers door opened again.

An angry reprimand was on my lips. One did not walk into the Crown Prince’s personal chambers without so much as a simple knock on the door. I swallowed it back as my gaze fell on the intruder. He was Death’s Champion, and one did not scold a goddess’s Champion, whether he was one’s son or not.

And, as unlikely as it was, Joshua was one of Drake’s caregivers right now. He had worked with Valerie and Marissa to save Drake’s life. Once Drake was out of immediate danger, Joshua had gone to commune with his goddess. He had promised to return once she was finished with him.

He looked from one of us to the other, and then to Drake. Joshua was an eccentric man. While his oddities of behavior had smoothed out over his two hundred years of life, one thing he never stopped was his tendency to always be smiling vacantly.

He wasn’t smiling now. There wasn’t even a hint of amusement in his bronze eyes, and his mouth was pulled into a grim line. Even his usually light voice was grave now. “We have a much bigger problem than Prince Drake’s condition.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, bewildered by this change in my son’s demeanor.

“His communion with Death,” Valerie murmured. “There was something else we didn’t tell you immediately, Mika.”

“And if we tell you now, it must be kept quiet,” Joshua added.

“I can’t promise that,” I replied. “You know I can’t. If it relates to Drake or the King…”

“It does, but you certainly cannot tell the Prince.” Joshua crossed his arms over his chest, his black velvet shirt seeming to be mere darkness hiding his pale hands. “I… will trust your judgment with regards to His Majesty, but it is imperative that His Highness be kept out of it, for his own safety.”

His words frightened me. “I think I can live with that compromise,” I said. “What’s going on?”

After a moment of silence, Valerie answered, “Death was with us, trying to save Prince Drake. She claimed that he was not supposed to come this close to death for centuries. In fact, his Fate was not to fall from that balcony at all.”

I felt cold as she spoke. The sensation of dread only got worse as Joshua took over for her. “The communion was done with the intention of inspecting the balcony together. We watched as the Sylph architects examined the posts and railings. There was no rot in the wood that broke under Drake’s weight, no signs that it was cut, no cracks, simply no reason why it should’ve broken.”

“That’s what we feared.” Valerie put a hand over her mouth, her green eyes wide. Then she pulled it away, shaking her head. “But what does this mean? Who could be powerful enough to override a Fate?”

“Someone of Divine origin,” Joshua answered, troubled, “but we’ve accounted for all those we know are divine. The Prince would not have tried to assassinate himself, and I sure didn’t. None of the other Gods have Champions, Mariah is still sealed, and the others either couldn’t or wouldn’t do this. But to make matters worse, it seems that a different Fate has been imposed on him. And we cannot identify which God did it.”

We were silent, the gravity of the situation weighing us down like a stone. The Eldritch-powered timepiece ticked off the seconds, and I looked back to my little brother. Something of Divine origin had just tried to murder him, and we didn’t know who or what it was.

Drake stirred and moaned, pained. I put my hand on his chest, urging him to sleep again. He whimpered, but settled down, his sandy brown hair matted with sweat. I took a washcloth and dipped it in the water basin, filled with crystal clear water, water that had been enchanted with healing essence that sparkled and glittered when it moved. I watched it shimmer on the washcloth for a moment before wiping his face down. “I guess there’s a reason the Gods sent their Fated away from him,” I murmured. “Do we know what Rae plans to do?”

“He plans to remain in Sylpheed City and foster the Prince,” Valerie replied. “He made it clear that he intends to make certain the boy will know he is not his true father, and that his father is a Dragon in Draeger who cannot be there through no fault of his own. If it needs to continue that long.”

I didn’t like how she added the ‘if’ onto the end of that, as if she believed it would be that long. I wanted to say something, but that conversation could be had later, in private. When Drake was out of danger, and we needn’t include Joshua in this discussion, either.

Valerie interrupted my ruminations and the silence around us. “I gave them the Song of Sylpheed,” she said, “to give to the Prince. Mithros… came to me.” I gasped, my eyes widening. I was a Paladin of Mithros, only one rank down from Champion, and I should’ve known if my own god had come to anyone. Valerie was wringing her hands as she spoke, and she glanced at me when she heard me. Chuckling, she said, “He told me you’d do that. But he also told me that the new Prince needs that treasure. This new Fate that’s been imposed on the Fated Child has been imposed on them all, and somehow, on the child as well.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Joshua said. None of the lightness that would’ve been in his voice in other circumstances was there. “Nothing about this situation makes sense. Did Mithros say if this would-be assassin is continuing to target Prince Drake?”

“He doesn’t believe so. The entity intended for Drake to die when he forced him off of the balcony. The new Fate is a reaction to that, and we can’t see where it goes. That means that we can’t see where the child’s Fate goes, either.”

She folded her hands in front of her, and added, “The Song belongs to the Sylpheed dynasty anyway. If anyone has the right to have it, it’s Princess Aninala and her son. It is a valuable treasure and will be a sign of goodwill. But it is also Divine. It’s Mithros’s hope that having it in his possession will protect the young Prince from whatever Fate has been imposed on him.”

“That isn’t how Fating works,” Joshua replied through gritted teeth. “Fating is when a god or goddess marks a particular person as their agent in the world, to do something specific for them. Whoever or whatever Fated them dictates their destiny. You can’t just get out of it by hanging onto a Divine artifact!”

“No, it can’t, but what other course of action could we take?” I asked. “We don’t know the assassin’s identity. We don’t know the Fate imposed on them, and we don’t know how easily they will be able to choose their own path. Giving the child the Song is better than nothing.”

Silence reigned once more. There was nothing more to say on the subject. Giving the Song to my unborn nephew would not protect him, and we all knew it would not. But it was better than doing nothing at all, and I had no better ideas. “His Majesty needs to be told about this conversation,” I added onto my thoughts aloud. “I don’t want to leave Drake and Valerie shouldn’t have to shoulder that responsibility…”

My son reacted immediately, feigning a heavy sigh that seemed to reach from the tips of his toes and rise to the crown of his head before he exhaled. “Let me guess,” he said, the usual sass and cheek back in his demeanor, his bronze eyes glittering in amusement. “That is your round-about way of telling me that you want me to go do it for you.”

“Wow, how’d you guess? You’re psychic.”

“I’ll go,” he said, a thread of seriousness weaving into his voice, “but be aware that he’s probably going to ask for you anyway. You are the General Regent, Father.”

“I am aware of that. I’m an older brother before that.”

“And you’re a father above all else,” Joshua replied with a small, hesitant smile, “but that doesn’t make the needs of the country go away. He will call for you. And you’ll need to go to him and help, because he is a grandfather above all else, and he won’t be able to do this alone.”

“I’ll try,” I replied quietly. And then he nodded and left, the sound of his light footsteps swallowed by the plush blue carpet beneath his feet.

“We need to get his fever down,” I said gruffly. Valerie’s only answer was to infuse more of her essence into the water basin beside us and dip another cloth into it while I gently pushed my stubborn little brother back into utter unconsciousness.

#infintiy's daylight Prologue

[esamastation]

Off the Line Characters and Stuff

Just posting it so that I have it on my blog where I can view it where ever. I’ll probably update this as I remember stuff and also as I write the story, so... it’s a thing.

Cloud RAINSTORM, Viera Class: Swordsman / (eventually Black Mage) Job: Blacksmith Vincent VINCENT, basically Human Class: Gunner Nanaki REDXIII, a beast Class: Shaman / Black Mage Job: Alchemist Yuffie TREASURE PRINCESS, Gria Class: Ninja / Thief Job: Craftsman Barret BIGSHOT, Ronso Class: Grenadier Job: Armourer Myrna MENA, Ronso Class: Swordsman Job: Blacksmith Aerith FLOWER, Elf Class: Summoner Job: Beast Tamer Tifa SONATA, Human Class: Martial Artist Job: Cook Cid NAUT, Moogle Class: Dragoon / Machinist Job: Armourer Shera LONGSUFFERING, Burmecian Class: Red mage Job: Cook Sephiroth SEPHIROTH, Human Class: Swordsman Job: Blacksmith Angeal NOBLE, Werewolf Class: Paladin / Martial Artist Job: Cook Genesis BELOVED, Elf Class: Red Mage / Summoner Job: Armourer Zack WOLFHOUND, Werewolf Class: Knight / Black Mage Job: ??? Kunsel GUIDE, Human Class: Time Mage / Machinist Job: ??? Luxiere LIGHT, Elf Class: Paladin Job: ??? Reno ZOTO, Miqo'te Class: Martial Artist Job: Alchemist Tseng LOYAL, Elf Class: Sniper / Time Mage Job: Craftsman Rude CIVIL, Human Class: Martial Artist / Knight Job: ??? Cissnei SHURIKEN, ??? Class: ??? Job: ??? ??? VICTORIA, Viera Class: Assassin / Time Mage Job: Alchemist STUFF Races: Viera, Human, Elf, Fairy, Gria, Miqo'te, Ronso, Werewolf, Moogle, Burmecian, Bangaa Gear Boots, pants, chest armour, shoulder guards, gauntlets, greaves, helmet

Accessories Rings, earrings, necklaces

Stats Str, def, vit, spd, agi, dex, int, wis CLASSES Melee: 1. Swordsman swordsman class can use any and all weapons classified as swords, regardless of class specifications. 2. Ninja ninja class is known for it's powerful self buffs, especially speed and stealth buffs 3. Paladin first of the tank classes, includes some white magic abilities. 4. Knight second of the tank classes, no magical abilities, slightly increased speed in comparison to slower paladin. 5. Assassin has various ATK and stealth buffs, poisons and whatnot. 6. Dragoon uses lance and powerful jumps. 7. Martial artist unarmed combat class, various STR and ATK buffs Ranged: 1. Sniper sniper has the greatest range of all the classes – but it's balanced with relatively low DPS. 2. Gunner shorter range than sniper class, but increased DPS. 3. Grenadier shortest range of all the firearms classes, but highest DPS 4. Archer range similar to that of Gunner, but much lower DPS – however, arrows have status effects Magic: 1. Black mage your basic fireball flinging wizard. 2. White mage your basic cure flinging wizard. 3. Red mage your basic rapier wielding wizard, though with reduced DPS compared to Black mage 4. Time mage various haste and slow related time buffs. Summoner Classes 1. Summoner powerful class, with it's set backs. Limited number of summons, and the summons are assigned at random. 2. Machinist much weaker than summoner, but more summons, including group summons. Misc: 1. Shaman Buffs for days 2. Thief Can steal from non-dead people, some buffs, idk 3. Gambler A luck based class with cards and dice? 4.Dancer another buff class 5. Bard Third buff class, this one with music. JOBS 1. Blacksmith make all types of weapons (later on needs casts) 2. Armourer make all types of armour (later on needs patterns) 3. Craftsman make all types of accessories (later on needs designs) 4. Cook make all types food (later on needs recipes) 5. Beast Tamer turn mobs into pets. 6. Alchemist Making poisons, potions and bombs

GUILD PRODUCTIONS 1 Printing press makes pamphlets, books, posters, etc 2 Wood working furniture, carts, doors, windows, etc 3 Tailor making of costumes, obviously 4 Husbandry breeding pets and mounts, also produce animal by-products, eggs, wool, and leather etc 5 Mining owning actual mines, they produce metals, minerals and crystals 6. Farming producing food ingredients 7. Artistry they make paintings and luxury items 8. Wingcraft making wings 9. Green houses for specialized food and potion ingredients, can also make various artistry items, ink and such 10. Forestry grows trees, basically.

Player Milestones 

Level 20 - The level in which players can start equipping capes. - Also the level when Summoners get their second summon Level 40  - The level players can choose a second class - also the level players can start equipping wings - Also the level when Summoners get their third summon - Also the level when Beast Master job class can “equip” a second pet  Level 60 - currently end of skill progression - there is no gear, weapons, or skills above level 60 - summoners get their fourth and last summon. - (players still get exp, levels and skill points after this, though) 

stuff I still need to add

zones

bosses

monsters

cities

#fanfiction: off the line #just #world building stuff

[ballistic-squid-archive]

Your top ten ocs! what story/universe/setting are they in? Fav color pallet for each? What style do you like best for them? If they have pets what pets? Personalities? Super powers? If they were thrown into our world how would they react? Do you have any stories with them? Fav au to write for them?

!!!! WHOA OKAY YOU GOT IT (im not even sure i have 10 ocs anymore BUT I’LL TRY) 

1. Top ten OCS: Nora Blaiddsworth, Denzel Blaiddsworth, Kronk (our big lovable half orc), Klein, Binzkit, uhhh.... UHHHHHH.... We’ll just say I owe you 5 more. 

2. SO Nora and Denzel are part of a story ive been writing for literal YEARS. They’re kind of more of a steampunk setting (which might change we’ll see). Kronk is the Pathfinder Rogue, and Klein and Binzkit are my WoW babies.

3. COLOR PALLETS: I will post a separate thing with the colors for ya :P

4. Pets pets pets! Nora (depending on when) has a small dog usually. I think with this au i was working on with her she has a mechanical dragon the size of an english bulldog. Denzel doesn’t really do pets very well. Not a very nurturing guy. :V Kronk is yet to be determined, but as of right now no. Klein is one of those who collects exotic animals. She’s got some of the best husbandry this side of Azeroth. Binzkit has demons, I dunno if you would consider those pets. She’s a warlock. :B 

5. Nora is a snarky lil shit. She’s one of those “grumpy until otherwise interacted with” kinda people. However, she would never snap at her pets. She’s a sweet person, but rather abrasive regardless. Denzel tries so damn hard to be a cool collected guy but is just a total dweeb. He gets flustered easily and is shown up quite often by Nora. Kronk is a quiet half-orc. With this new gang he’s with however he really has been coming out of his shell, exposing the giant teddybear he is. Klein is a reserved elf. She is very professional and levelheaded. And boy does she not like binzkit. Being a paladin, that kinda makes sense. BINZKIT. Oh i love her as a character. She is a party animal, and true to the goblins from the WoW world, a penny pincher. As of now she makes money off of soulstones made for adventurers around the area. She’s a quick wit and absolutely LOVES berating the demon hunters. Also revolving back to the whole penny pincher kinda thing, she is a leatherworker. And a lot of folks love her elven bags. The smooth leather is a best seller, and everyone’s always so curious as to how she does it. (spoiler: It’s elves)

6. Surprisingly none of these folks really have superpowers. The closest is Klein and Binzkit. Klein is a paladin which automatically makes her a servant of the light I guess??? And Binz can summon things. A lot. So there’s that. 

7. Nora and Denzel would do just fine! I’m not sure about the other three though. Kronk would be confused as hell as to why the hell they can find him when he pickpockets or what have you. (he would also be rather happy half-orcs would maybe be better accepted but then turn around and try to become a strong advocate for equal rights for POC, LGBT+ etc). Klein would try to keep her cool when she found out how much is different. She would be the one to act like she obviously knows how to use a coffeemaker and just break down with a bottle of wine in the kitchen. And Binzkit would fit right in with the street vendors in big cities like San Francisco selling junk that is absolute trash but looks super cool! (not saying they do, she specifically would.) 

8. Stories! Nora and Denzel are a part of my story “Trimedium” which i’ve been v e r y slowly typing since like.... 2010. Shit keeps changing dammit. Kronk is part of a conglomerate of stories, mainly with him and T’s OC, Tia. They have a child. She is fucking adorable. And Klein and Binz I really only think story-wise when I think of a funny one-shot or something. Of course with every toon I make on that damn game I make an extensive background for and whatnot. So like... Klein had a sister who was a priest who decided to become a shadow priest after a while (haven’t decided why) but because of Klein’s alignment she saw that as an absolute disaster and found killing her would be better than letting her live in darkness like that. So after a big battle between the two, Klein now has a nice big scar on her face to remind her what she did to her own sibling. So she has become a worthy paladin to right her own wrongs and continue following the path of the light. Binzkit somehow won a drunk bet with a demon in disguise and now she’s acquaintances with a fucking Pit Lord. 

9. Nora and Denzel wind up in an 80′s style AU quite often. Mainly for Asthetic. Also giant robots. Kronk i think we’ve pretty much made a modern day AU? I dunno i keep drawing him in slacks. As for Klein and Binz, not particularly. 

[eternalsofastren]

The Regions of Astren

Land masses not contained within official Regions are either uninhabited, unclaimed, or not organized enough to be officially recognized as “civilized”.

Regions are more differentiated by their industry than their racial breakdown, though some races (especially those of the Influx) are more common in different regions than others, and will be noted.  Humans are everywhere.

A “City” is the center of trade and governance of a Region. 

A “Town” is a population center large enough to have trade, more than one temple or church, and a Bank of Astren location. 

There are other small towns, hamlets, and villages not marked on this map or detailed below that do not meet those criteria.

The Island of Haven Haven is the religious center of Astren, on the basis that it was thought best to keep all the god-botherers in one place in case of divine intervention.  The main church or temple to every god resides here, and all cleric, paladin, and monastic orders have their final ordinations here, before being sent out into the wider world.  The Master Vault of the Bank of Astren is also located here, guarded and backed by the might of all gods.

City:  Sanctuary Towns:  Officially none, though the landscape is dotted with monasteries, convents, conclaves, etc. Population:  Mixed, Celestial

THE WESTERN CONTINENT  The most settled of the lands of Astren, and birthplace of most of her races. Shaanti Kasthal

A region of vast plains and gentle mountains, Shaanti Kasthal is the animal husbandry capitol of Astren.  While it is common that most places across Astren have their own dairy animals or livestock, it is nothing compared to the herds Shaanti Kasthal, and, thanks to modern transportation and preservation, the rest of the world benefits.  They are also famous for their non-food animals, as well.  Draft animals and riding mounts from here are prized all over Astren for their increased speed and endurance.

City:  Kythira Towns:  Wargen (western island)                 Orcrun (western end of highway, seaport)                 Luna Bay (northern seaport) Population:  Orcs, Theriomorphs, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes

The Gilded Crescent The breadbasket of Astren, the Gilded Crescent grows most of the grains and fruits for the rest of the world.  The Pana valley is also Astren’s most prolific wine country.  Given the need for transporting goods, the Gilded Crescent is also home to many shipwrights.  Pana itself is also home to the Astren Court, a governing body with representatives from all Regions that helps keeps peace and regulate trade between the Regions.  This Region’s population and land was most affected, save the Mountains themselves, by the eruption at the heart of the Obsidian Mountains, reducing the arable land in the region by a third.  

City:  Pana Towns:  Arkney (southwestern seaport)                Bluefield (western lake town)                Barmwich (northwestern seaport)                Haime (western crossroads)                Kirya (northeastern seaport)                Fion (southeastern seaport) Population:  Elves, Halflings, Gnomes

The Obsidian Mountains Due to their treacherous nature, with sheer cliffs, hidden crevasses, and obdurate stone, with the exception of a few small quarries, the Obsidian Mountains were sparsely populated until recently.  After the eruption of Mount Obzidon, the large, central volcano of the region, things have changed somewhat.  The lava flows spreading through the base of the mountains and the extending area of blight into the Gilded Crescent has expanded the borders of this Region to include a handful towns.  Also, needing a place suited to their needs, the Demons, Infernals, etc., constructed a new city at the pinnacle of Mount Obzidon, built into, and even spanning, its caldera.  Any traders, stone masons, or budding Warlocks desiring to visit this city best come equipped with fire protection.

City:  Galboreth Towns:  Tregaron (western gateway into mountains, seaport)                Aramoor (northern fishing town) Population:  Demons, Devils, Daemons, Elementals, Tieflings, Mixed

Insomnia A land of perpetual twilight, the Region of Insomnia is home to the denizens of Astren that prefer the cover of night.  The Drow, Vampires, and all manner of undead make their homes here.  Necromancers learn and hone their skills here, under a watchful gaze.  Tombs are strictly guarded and only those that have been donated are officially allowed to be used.  As such, most citizens of Astren have their family crypts waiting for them on one of the Funereal Isles.  Due to the lack of light, all plant life grown here is done so with enchantments or is of a kind that is already suited to dark environs, and, as such, Insomnia is the leading producer of mushroom, fungi, and other such items useful for food or potions, as well as, perhaps surprisingly hardwood.  Insomnia also maintains official control of the Great Lakes, making it the largest source of fresh water fish.

City:  Nightvale Towns:  Necropolis-On-Sea (northwestern seaport, gateway to Funereal Isles)                Shady Grove (western forestry town)                Angler’s Rest (southern Fishing town)                Shadow’s Fall (eastern land bridge to the rest of the continent) Population:  Drow, Vampires, Undead, Tieflings

The Hollowed Hills Technically too large to really be hills, although all actually adore an admirable attempt at alliteration, this mountainous Region is home to the most productive metal and gem mines known.  This is also the Region of industry and invention, birthplace of many modern conveniences.  Miners, Smiths, Tinkers, Arcanists, Engineers, and Jewelcrafters abound.  As such, the home offices for the Artisan Guilds can all be found here.

City:  Khro Kadrel Towns:  Harath (western gateway town)                Wathol (northern seaport)                Mugdor (north-central crossroads)                Wuglim (eastern seaport) Population:  Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, Drow

THE EASTERN CONTINENT A land healing after the devastation.

The Shattered Isles The scattered remains of half of a continent, this area is all that is left of two Regions from the destruction resulting from the failed attempt to halt the Great Sealing.  Formerly home to hundreds of thousands, now it is mostly uninhabited.  Home now to pirates, smugglers, random bursts of twisted energies left over from the conflagration, and a handful of people clinging to what’s left of their homelands.

Arcadia Recovering from the conflagration, as well as trying to house the refugees from the rest of the continent while also dealing with random spikes of discharging energy, Arcadia is a Region in chaos, but also ripe for research.  Currently overseen from the city of Iona floating in Arcadia Bay.  Literally floating, as in several feet over the water, Iona is the arcane capitol of Astren and is home to the world’s premier magic school, Blackwell Academy.  The Region as a whole is littered with magic users of all stripes, from wizards and sorcerers studying the strange energies or honing their craft, to druids attempting to heal the lands.

City:  Iona Towns:  Doonatel (western seaport)                Aeredale (eastern seaport) Population:  Elementals, Mixed

Tír na nÓg Formerly the forestry and fishing Region known as Sylvanar, the area’s inhabitants were evicted and the land claimed by the Fey trapped on Astren on the grounds that it “had our name on it”.  The Astren Court got involved, the Fey and the former residents made a deal, war was avoided, and the Region was renamed “Tír na nÓg”.  Not much is known about the interior of Tír na nÓg beyond the name of their city, as some Fey enchantment prevents the details from remaining in mortal memory.  Mostly, the Fey keep to themselves, but do a roaring trade in fine jewelry, home furnishings, textiles, and fashion.

City:  New Avalon Towns:  Unknown Population:  Fey, Faeries, Pixies, Sylphs, Elementals

[cavefelix]

The Orc Library: Non-Fiction: 500-599

(Wondering what this is? Here’s the intro.)

Did you know that the ancient Babylonians not only had trigonometry, but used techniques that resembled proto-calculus to solve issues dealing with the paths that stars and planets took? In a similar vein, you might be surprised how advanced Orcish knowledge of mathematics is. They too need to track the paths of stars, and need the equations to build strong siege protection.

But you won’t find most of this information in a library. Engineering and detailed math equations are passed down from master to apprentice.

There are a couple of elementary math books, which Orcs may enjoy but others find the education techniques weird. You know how parents always complain about the method teachers use on how to learn multiplication, because they learned it from times tables, or the new math, or some totally different system? Orc methodologies are different, though they still get to the same results.

(In a weird coincidence, Orcs employ the exact same symbols for “greater than” and “less than,” > and <, that we do. The mnemonic teachers use is “think of the greater number stabbing the weaker number with a dagger.” None of their other symbols even vaguely resemble ours, unless you’re using this in a game  which has provided the Orc alphabet for you.)

Orcs also have a lot of books on astronomy, which are largely guides as to when stars are visible or when comets normally show up. Since comets are, of course, portents from the gods or devices from strange ancient races, they can’t be expected to follow completely predictable orbits.

Note that there’s a definite overlap between astrology and astronomy. I could have discussed some of these books back in the 100s. Most will probably have guides to what the constellations mean. Again, these are not always true, though can be helpful. Also note that the lone astronomy guide by a non-orc has very different interpretations of what the stars mean. There’s some debate if the Taurus-analogy of this world just doesn’t favor hobgoblins as much as orcs, or the hobgoblin author was a lousy astrologer.

There’s plenty of books about plants and animals, natural and otherwise. Creatures found within about 20 miles of Rock Claw will get detailed entries somewhere in the library. Those further afield get maybe Monster Manual details. And we’re not talking first or second edition manuals with full details of their ecology and numbers encountered in different  situations.

Actually, the monster manual is a fair analogy, because the books are most likely to be about things that can be killed and what they’ll do in combat. The oldest known account of an orc fighting a hive of giant bees is nearly 1,000 years old (it recounts the special armor constructed to lessen stings). The first account of raising a giant apiary to collect hundreds of gallons of honey for mead is only 150 years old. It’s possible orcs have been giant-beekeepers longer and didn’t leave a written record, but the point is that fighting is a big priority of the orcs.

There are also a lot of pet care and animal husbandry guides. Orcs sometimes go for more exotic, or at least dangerous, pets and livestock than humans. Be warned that few of these guides are beginner friendly. They’re written by giant bat breeders for other breeders and trainers, not children who’ve just gotten a pup with a mere two-foot wingspan.

As for other natural sciences, the only thing about earth science is a Common translation of a Dwarf book. It’s all about identifying rocks, and underground regions by common rock formations.

Books on chemistry are pretty much how to make stuff that goes boom. When children check these out, because no books are age restricted, the librarians always direct them to the Unholy Ranch outside of town for guidance. There, orcs raise a herd of particularly ornery cattle. (Which probably do have some demonic heritage, but may just be a nasty breed. Some people think that their milk tastes peppery because of this, others because of the grass they eat.) The cows’ manure is really high in ammonia and other nasty compounds to make explosives, and the owners like to watch things burn, so they’re always ready to assist eager young minds with this particular brand of science.

[Adventure seed: Your character, defying stereotypes, is the best in the party at math and always divides the spoils fairly. However, there’s always a 20 minute argument about this where you are accused of cheating because the way you do division is alien to those humans and gnomes in the group]

[Adventure seeds: Some poorly described creature is attacking a nearby village. Keep collecting facts about it until you can identify the species and learn its weaknesses.]

[Adventure seed: You’re tired of how people treat their pet direwolves, and know the books in the library aren’t useful enough. You offer to hold a workshop. Twenty families with poorly trained wolves eight feet tall at the shoulder show up. Hilarity ensues.]

[Adventure seed: After a visit to the Unholy Ranch to watch things burn, the rancher’s daughter, Wrath Of Eternity, offers to go with you to return the book. Wrath is clearly part demon, with horns and always smelling faintly of smoke. None of the kids in town care; she’s really good at throwing things so they always pick her first for certain sports. When you get to the library, some human paladins are donating some holy books. They see Wrath, and you know there’s trouble for your favorite ranch in the future, unless you can be diplomatic or figure out a way to get them out of town fast.]

#TheOrcLibrary