wandering-haeth

[wandering-haeth]

*slaps roof of wanderhome character* this bad boy can fit so much projecting and healing in it

[wandering-haeth]

traveling companions

After giving it a lot of thought and changing my mind more than once, I decided that my central playbook character is going to be a Firelight. I also created another character, a Guardian, that is traveling alongside her. Let me tell you about them.

Kiri, the Firelight

Kiri (she/they) is a nightjar, a nocturnal bird with dark brown feathers (she has some black and light brown markings, too). She has big, shining eyes that pierce through the darkness. She wears a mud-soaked, hooded cloak and warm, comfortable leg warmers. She carries a small and practical knife in her pocket.

Kiri is an adventurous young woman who always tries to be positive, while still being a good judge of character. She knows she can’t be consistently correct or everywhere at once. Her firefly, who she named Luci, fell from the sky into her hands one night. She suspects they may not actually be a firefly, since they are miraculous. Could they be one of the Lightning Dancers?

Kiri always carries and keeps lit the rusted iron lantern her mother carried before her. She also has an empty box of expensive beeswax candles her ex-love gave her as a going away present when she left home to start her journey. She used up all the candles last Chill but kept the box as a memento.

Gunther, the Guardian

Gunther (he/him) is an aging tiger. He is tall and strongly built, but is graying around his whiskers and has a quiet, studious appearance overall. He carries a sturdy cane and wears reading glasses and a cloak big enough to hide his ward. He has seemingly endless patience. Gunther is generally parental and organized. People assume he is always open-hearted and level-headed, but that is not always true.

Gunther is rarely seen without his ward, a small rabbit child named Rue. They wear a poncho the color of shadows and carry a stuffed bumble bee everywhere they go. Rue is quiet and rarely speaks, but is bright and curious about the world.

Several years ago, a mysterious stranger with one white eye arrived on Gunther’s doorstep and asked him to take care of Rue. The stranger told Gunther that Rue is the true heir to the Throne of the Floating Mountain, a secret Gunther has sworn to protect for Rue’s safety. Gunther has travelled with Rue ever since, and over time has grown to care for them like they were his own child.

Kiri and Gunther

Kiri, Gunther, Luci, and Rue have been traveling together for a few months. I answered these questions about their friendship in character. Kiri is red and Gunther is orange.

Kiri to Gunther — Why does my firefly like you so much? When we first crossed paths, your firefly had gotten blown into a tree from a strong wind and injured its wing. I knew how to make a splint, and as we began walking together I made sure that its wing fully healed. It’s been flitting around after me ever since.

Gunther to Kiri — Do you follow through with your responsibilities towards my ward? What are they? You sometimes ask me to scout ahead for danger when we are traveling, and if we are in a town you ask me to supervise Rue while you make arrangements for us to stay at an inn or stock up on supplies. I always follow through with my promise to protect Rue and keep them safe, but I don’t always keep as low of a profile as you’d like.

Kiri to Gunther — Where do you wish I could guide you, and why can’t I? I wish you could guide me to a place that would always be safe for my ward - somewhere I could be certain that they would grow up and live a peaceful life free of danger or those that would try to manipulate them. Unfortunately, I have seen enough of the world to know that such a place does not exist.

Gunther to Kiri — Why does my ward look up to you and why does that bother me? I think Rue likes that I can fly. I see them staring up at me from the ground, eyes wide with amazement as I take in the view of a sunset or a mountain. You haven’t said it, but I think this bothers you because you feel like you have to keep Rue close to be safe. I show them that it’s ok to stand out from the crowd or go off on their own a bit, but this makes you worry.

#wanderhome #wanderhome game #wanderhome rpg #ttrpg #hӕth #solo play

[wandering-haeth]

first steps

Before I start my journey, I feel like I want to decide some things about my version of Hӕth. In this story, Hӕth is a peaceful world populated by animal folk. There was once a great war that engulfed all of the world, but it ended about a decade ago. Today, Hӕth is officially ruled by the King of the Floating Mountain. He is a distant figure in most people's lives, but there is an underground rebellion leftover from the war that quietly works to oppose him. The revolutionaries dream of a better world, and their symbol is a pink orchid.

Hӕth has a few big cities, but is mostly comprised of rolling fields and small towns tucked away in natural landscapes. Many wanderers travel along the dirt roads of the Hӕth, seeking brighter days or simply a place to rest and think. This journey will have its lighthearted moments, but will also focus on growth, change, healing, and (sometimes) saying goodbye.

I have mostly decided on the playbook I will start with and the first members of the party, so now it is time to create the first town we will visit. This time, I am going to choose one nature myself and roll dice to decide the other two...

I ended up choosing the Bridge and rolling to get the Farm and the Monastery. This is the area I created.

Lake Furthest and the Great Bridge

This region of the Hæth has rolling hills covered in dandelions, which eventually drop off into a cliffside that overlooks a huge, glassy lake. This is Lake Furthest, and the main way across is an ancient causeway known as the Great Bridge. The Great Bridge was built long ago, supposedly by a Giant King. It takes three days to reach the end of the bridge by foot, but travelers have plenty to look at as they walk. As they travel the Bridge, they can peer down into the calm blue waters below, seeing colorful schools of fish. Lucky travelers may even catch a glimpse of the legendary creature that lives in the depths of the lake, a gigantic blue eel called Elu.

Along the road leading up to the lake and the Great Bridge, a small but well-kept farmhouse is settled between the hills. This is Dandelion Farm, home to a kindly family of lions and their field mouse friends. Crops are grown in haphazard patches on the hilly ground, and beetle livestock munch on the dandelion pasture. the farm sees its fair share of travelers, as it is the last stop along the road before wanderers make their journey across the Great Bridge. The farmers are happy to sell or trade for extra supplies you may need for your journey.

Halfway along the Great Bridge in the center of the lake, the bridge widens and a structure is built into the stone. The Waypoint Monastery is as old as the Bridge itself, and for generations has been a place for weary travelers to stop and rest along their trek. The monks and scholars who populate the monastery live quiet lives of reflection. They listen to the voices of the small and forgotten gods of the area, the wisps of dandelion fluff that float across the lake on the wind.

Next time I will write more about my party and how they know each other. See you then!

#wanderhome #wanderhome rpg #ttrpg #solo play #worldbuilding #hӕth

[wandering-haeth]

Working on my main playbook - the character that will be sticking around throughout this journey - and feeling really drawn to the Caretaker. I think the Guardian is one other member of the starting party, but haven’t settled on it yet.

I am using some guidelines from an online pdf of how to use the tarot in a solo game of Wanderhome, which I will link in a later post. In this guide, you draw cards when you need ideas for what happens next in the story. The Major Arcana represent playbook characters, and drawing one of these cards could mean that someone joins or leaves the party. This way, you have a cast of rotating characters whose stories are explored, which I think fits the vibe of Wanderhome pretty well.

Should I choose the Guardian as the party’s other character, or let the cards decide?

#wanderhome game #wanderhome rpg #wanderhome #ttrpg #solo play #hæth

[wandering-haeth]

Hello reader,

Welcome to Tales from the Hæth, a little corner of the internet where I will be writing about my experiences in the world of Wanderhome.

Wanderhome is a ttrpg game written by Jay Dragon. It is set in the world of Hæth, a place where animal folk wander the countryside, enjoying a life of exploration and reflection in an era of peace. It is inspired by things like Studio Ghibli and the books of Brain Jacques (writer of the Redwall series), which have been some of my favorite works of fiction since I was a kid.

Wanderhome can be played with friends but can also be a solo journey. In this blog, I will mostly focus on the solo adventures I have in Wanderhome. I will be using a tarot deck and some other resources I found online to guide my journey.

Thanks for reading, and see you on the road…

#wanderhome #wanderhome rpg #jay dragon #wanderhome game #solo play #hæth