• The Four Moons — anchoring multiple calendars through celestial bodies

    The Four Moons — anchoring multiple calendars through celestial bodies

    The World of the Everflow has four moons, and several calendars based on those moons and the sun. The calendar and moons arose not because of the name of the site, but because a player asked a question to which I didn’t have an answer. From that simple question the calendar was invented. Lore has developed since then. Most moons are connected to a third of the Six Kingdoms, as well as to the powerful storylines about Bonded Companions, Magic, or Teknology. Each of these moons is also a simple way to tell time. These imperfect solution is intended to help keep players focused on the story at the table, not mechanics. I use a similar technique when talking about distances.

    Over the next month I’ll be following the prompts from Magic: The Gathering to share the lore and rules within my campaign world. Some will be short hits, others expansions on previous lore. These prompts may just inspire regular rather than irregular blogging.

    Meet the Four Moons of Aur.

    Feylf – the weekly moon

    Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com

    Whipping through sky (compared to the real world) Feylf, the Moon of the Fey, is connected strongly to magic. Just 28 years ago this moon’s importance was about myth, legend, story. Now there is a connection to reality that frightens some. It is bright and silvery.

    The Week

    There are nearly zero in-game mentions of the days of the week. This gets too complex for most gaming sessions.

    1. Elmsday starts the week and honors Selley (Goddess of Birth, Life and Death) and Belsem (Goddess of the Untamed). Things begin before they are fully developed.
    2. Bell’an’Aur is the second day of the week. It starts with a rejection of that which can’t be tamed and ends with a dinner celebrating Aur. Aur is the name of the planet. It hadn’t had a name until the calendar issue came up. In Kirtin and Crinth this is Feylfday and is the day when Feylf is full, shortly after sunset.
    3. Quarsday is the third day. It celebrates Quar (God of Rivers, Mountains)
    4. Day of Glight honors the Lord of Knowledge. In developed lands the afternoons are given to learning.
    5. Torday honors Torq (Goddess of Sea and Storm).
    6. Az and Sel is day six. This honors not a god within the Wildes/Kirtin/Daoud, but the man and dog that legend says discovered the bonding. Nik is also frequently honored on this day. Azsel recognizes Az and Sel as man and dog that were raised to godhood.
    7. Day of Oun is the end of the week. Oun and Obscon are not honored. The Lords of the End are respected in that all things end. They are feared.

    Many druids and monks practice their faiths at New and Full Feylf. As do the mages of Ken, the Scholars, and the Proctors of Grace.

    Glibbon – the monthly moon

    Why does the moon look purple

    On a cycle of 31 days, Glibbon is not connected to any mysticism around the Fey/Ken, nor the Kin, nor Dragons. For the people of the Everflow, Glibbon is a marker of time, nothing more. While they know that Glibbon is connected to the tides and the sea, as its mass and orbit combine with the others to give earth-like tidal patterns (yes, this is a cheat) there is no connection to any ancestor from Kin.

    But, for the Queen and Kon, the primary influencer of the tides connects to various water-powered projects, and Glibbon s named after the first Goblin queen who discovered how to channel the tides to create an irrigation system that would prevent drought n the lands of the tar-trees. All Kon royalty wear purple for Glibbon, the Purple Moon.

    Kin – the seasonal moon

    Photo by Pedro Figueras on Pexels.com

    Circling Aur every 71-ish days, Kin represents the season cycles of birth, growth, harvest, and passing. Almost perfectly consistent with the orbit around the Sun, Kin is named after the bond of love between peoples and their companions. Red, like the blood and heart of people, Kin’s full moon is a time to celebrate the cycle of life and the bonds that make the World of the Everflow a special place.

    Matching the cycle of planting and harvesting, especially within the Western Wildes, Kirtin, and Daoud, the Blood Moon is vital for farmers and herders. Every Full Kin is celebration of the season. In Kirtin and northern Daoud (conquered Kirtin) Winter’s Kin and Summer’s Kin are also the times when the royal court moved between Kirtin-in-the-Sky and Kirtin-on-the-Lake. Less noble peoples may also move during these times, though the Long Wars often interfere with the migratory lifestyle of the Kirtish peoples.

    The Dragon – the generational moon

    Photo by alexandre saraiva carniato on Pexels.com

    Up in the Crinth Confederation the key moon is The Dragon. Completing an orbit every 20 years. They count a person’s life by the number of Full Dragons the individual has seen, with infrequent exceptions for those born a few short years prior a Full Dragon. Their companions are also knows by how many Full Dragons they typically live to see. The Crinth are longer thinkers than most of the realms of the Six Kingdoms.

    The Dragon is full — golden and huge — to the human eye for over two years, as its cycle lasts just under 20 years. The massive moon is connected to the myths and legends of the Time Ancient, when magic and dragons were plentiful. Plenty of emerging faiths have sprung up around The Dragon now that both dragons and magic are again known.

    Within Kirtin-on-the-Lake these faiths gather in the Ward of Mighty Trees/Dead Forrest around the Red Oak, hoping to see the birth of a new dragon in the World of the Everflow — will this happen when The Dragon is full or new? (I actually haven’t decided, as it will be determined by the needs of the story).

    The Sun – years go by

    Anything attached to a year, no matter the calendar in question, uses the orbit of Aur around the Sun. The idea is to keep things as simple as I can with this fictitious calendar. Players need to have a basic understanding of the way the world works within the rules.

    The various calendars all have a Year Zero that starts at a different time. For most of the continent year zero has been re-established as the Year of Awakening. The Church of Quar, the nations of Sheljar and the Western Wildes, Azsel, Mehmd, the Crinth Confederation, and the Scholars all use this convention. The current campaign is set in 28 Post Awakening Quar Calendar.

    For Kirtin and Daoud their Year Zero s when Daoud first took Kirtin-on-the-Lake, back on 4th day of Autumn 792 BA. Their wars define their reality.

    How do the celestial bodies in your world connect to the stories you are telling? Because that’s all that matters with background details like the number of moons and a calendar — story.

  • Uprising & Rebellion Campaign Two: One Sheet

    Uprising & Rebellion Campaign Two: One Sheet

    This campaign is set six years after the Lorebook Hunters returned magic to the World of the Everflow. It is set in Kirtin-on-the-Lake, and is centered on political intrigue with social and exploration pillars being as important as combat. Every player is united in rebellion against the corrupt Mayor, but may have differing ideas about how the various factions can help Kirtin-on-the-Lake be free.

    Made using the Medieval Fantasy City Generator.

    Campaign Premise

    You are common people living in and around Kirtin-on-the-Lake who are inspired to free the city from under the rule of Daoud. You may want it to once again be part of Kirtin, or you may want to copy the Free City of Sheljar. The City Guard, a unit of Daoud’s military, and even Dragons, who see Kirtin-on-the-Lake as their ancestral home, stand in your way.

    Background

    Kirtin-on-the-Lake was once the winter capital of Kirtin. Taken over by Daoud in the generational wars it is a city of borders even before the Awakening and the discoveries of the Lorebook of Divination and the Folio of Necromancy. Now, the Ken and their Dragons are trying to capture what they claim are their ancestral homeland. Daoud and Kirtin remain at war over the city.

    There is also a general uprising of peoples inspired by the Free City of Sheljar. The Mayor has managed to consolidate power by playing the various factions off against each other; this hasn’t helped the common people beyond allowing them peace.

    Made using Perilous Shores

    Grand Conflicts

    The Proctors of Grace and their other allies want to control access to magic. Certain Dragons also want to repopulate Kirtin-on-the-Lake as the Ward of Mighty Trees is the ancestral home of certain types of Dragons (at least a Red as that first DragonTree has regrown).

    Daoud will not allow their winnings (Kirtin-on-the-Lake and the Slope) to leave their control after centuries. The rebellion has taken control of the Dock District. What will they free next? While the mayor may be willing to have the rebels help repel the Proctors, he serves at the whim of an empire that refuses to recognize Kirtin-on-the-Lake as anything but its own territory.

    Factions

    • Mayor and City Guard, generally aligned with Daoud, he is willing to look the other way and cede districts to other invaders for a price.
    • Daoud, the conquering empire of the south. Normally a naval power in the World of the Everflow, their long conflict over Kirtin-on-the-Lake is their largest land holding.
    • Kirtin, the mountain kingdom has been at war with Daoud and Azsel for so long that all of its peoples serve in the military.
    • Proctors of Grace and the Ken, lead by Dragons the various fey peoples are experts at magic and claim that Kirtin-on-the-Lake’s Ward of Mighty trees is their homeland. They also want to put the power of magic under their control and only their control.
    • Society of Veil and Shadows, these rebels are inspired by the Free City of Sheljar and its empowerment of all thinking peoples. Whether Kin, Ken, or Kon the people deserve equality of treatment and opportunity.

    Rumors

    • There are half-animal/half-people roaming the Western Wildes.
    • Out in the Ferments forms of life based on the elements are driving out the Kin there.
    • Headquartered Church of Quar has lost control of the Everflow (the source of all healing potions).
    • Peace has come between the Kingdoms of the North as the Crinth Confederation and Azsel are more concerned with the Kon and the Ken.
    • The Dragons seek the Robe of the Magi.
    • The Tome of Abjuration and its Proctor may be in the city or surrounding area.

    Facets

    • Exploring the zero-to-hero tropes, rebellion, and who gets to control knowledge.
    • Sandbox play.
    • Player agency creates history.
    • Drop in/drop out, whatever.
    • Sessions are 2-3 hours. Adventures are 1-3 sessions.

    Variant Rules

    • Playable races are Human, Hin/Halfling, Goliath/Firbolg, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome (wood only), Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear.
      • Only the Kon (goblinoids may be Artificers.
      • Kin start with a Bonded Companion
      • Ken start with a Feat that grants a 1st level spell such as Magic Initiate.
      • Kon start with Tek
    • There are a few custom subclasses available (Way of Frayed Knot, Society of Veil and Shadows, Conscript, Propagandist, Liberator, Circle of Sewers).
    • There are several custom backgrounds and tools available. We will use cultures, not languages.
    • Use point buy or standard array for starting attributes. If you want something random, the redrick roller gives random point buy valid stats.
    • Start at 3rd level, because power is cool.
    • Long rests require 24 hours within sanctuary. This creates a pace of play more similar to novels than video games.

    Practicum

    Sessions will be on Sunday afternoons and evenings, floating times based on the Puget Sound pro soccer schedule. Characters must be created prior to dropping in. The table will be on an outdoor patio at one of a few locations in South King County.

    Email, private message, or text for more details.

  • My next D&D character is…

    My next D&D character is…

    For some finding inspiration for their next Dungeons & Dragons character can be difficult. A way to solve that difficulty is to find some part of our actual reality as a starting point, and then give it a twist. Maybe add something magical, or heroic, or tragic — and then smash something else from reality into that idea as well.

    Over on my Twitter account I ocaissionally present my every day life as inspiration for D&D characters. This series always starts with “My next D&D character is“.

    Let’s take this Propagandist (or Bard) concept.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1400560210901553153

    I had recently been gifted a knife for which I had no sheath. When searching for a way to protect both it and the family I remembered my Field Notes notebook from the End Pages series. It was the perfect length. Then, springing from that secret spot in the mind where inspiration resides I thought of a character who stored their blades inside notebooks.

    They certainly write in the book as well, because they must — tracking those who have wrong them or those they care about; jotting down a possible secret; picking up the stories during their travels. Basically they use the notebook the way normal real people do, except it also has a dagger in it.

    Cleaning Houses

    While helping my wife prep homes for sale my mind sits within itself and wonders what magic would be helpful to complete this act. My latest idea was for someone who isn’t smart, but they are either lazy or overworked. So they took the fast way out and made a Pact with the Great Old One. Their Tome is full of rituals to help make living life easier. This warlock isn’t evil. They just needed a way to make living life easier. Now they are on a quest for a mighty power.

    Or, maybe your character studied to learn Prestidigitation because that’s what they needed to do in order to be better at helping the family business. They dreamed of being a warrior. Then one day those things combined.

    https://twitter.com/bedirthan/status/1398123279840268290

    During the winter you see an ice sculpture — your next PC is a Water Genasi that carves Ice Sculptures. When the weather is too warm they create the ice that’s needed for sculpting.

    I’ve been a sports writer spanning from amateur to semipro to pro (you can hire me), so many of my ideas revolve around sports. Each with nuance and difference, and yet all come about through following sports.

    During this whole pandemic period I came up with the idea that the party healer also heals the mind. This was entirely a creation due to my own personal mindspace during the pandemic. I needed a party healer that heals body and mind. The mind of adventurers is inherently broken. Like Special Forces soldiers they see some shit and though they work for noble cause (often) there are still mental scars.

    What would the heroic version of my time as a linguist look like? A Mastermind or Inquisitive Rogue, halfling (duh) who studies the cultures and communities of the world, granting them a bit of insight when they fight, but also able to operate as the party face.

    Inspiration is everywhere. It’s in beer, in mushrooms, in trees, in walks down by the river, in your trips to the thrift shop, in the social media you consume. Our life is filled with interesting characters and characteristics. These can be your next PC or NPCs.

    A few of them I’ve statted up over at DnDBeyond. Feel free to use them. If you do just kindly share that you got the idea from Full Moon Storytelling.

  • Goblin Guilds of the Queen’s Fleets

    Goblin Guilds of the Queen’s Fleets

    Queen’s Fleet continues to expand presence in Kirtin-on-the-Lake; various factions may lead to infighting; what are these stunning and dirty technologies?

    Kirtin-on-the-Lake | Neremyn Quizana

    Lately you’ve seen, heard, or smelled the newest additions to Kirtin-on-the-Lake. During this stalemate between Daoud and the Dragons and Kirtin traders from the Free City of Sheljar have entered the city. Some land on the lake with ships under great balloons filled with oily gasses; others enter with the rackety-clackety of wooden gears on various cycles of one, two, and even four wheels — like a cart without a horse.

    These goblins (we shall use this word for all of them whether merely the size of halflings or the masses of muscle as large as goliaths) are organized differently than any of the Five Kingdoms of the Everflow. Most similar to the guild-houses of Qin, the Kon organize into at least six guilds that are based in familial relationship and what they call ‘teknical’ skills.

    Through numerous conversations we have learned that these are their guilds active in the Western Wildes. Not all have been seen in Kirtin-on-the-Lake yet. According to our sources all are present in Sheljar and the towns under the Free City’s sway — Fort Ooshar, Mira, Telse, Bell-an-Fair, Hagtown, and possibly The Ferments.

    A new peoples to the Western Wildes, these snapshots should help the fair people of Kirtin-on-the-Lake understand the goblins and their bizarre systems that ignore the shared bonds of people with animal or the potent magicks of the Dragons and their allies.

    Clockwerks League

    Photo by Coledoco on Pexels.com

    Most noticed on the streets of Kirtin-on-the-Lake due to their loud clanking cycles, the Clockwerks League is currently the most powerful of the various goblins. The Queen herself is a member, having won many flags prior to ascending to the throne.

    Besides the cycles, the Clockwerks include clocks, timers, repeating crossbows, giant powerwheels similar to a waterwheel that uses their mulgobs rather than water. There is word that they will open a new grain mill took.

    Ratxets Guild

    Conflicting reports say that the Ratxets Guild are a spinoff from the League or something entirely new. They make wonderful climbing devices and on many days you can find a demonstration down by Theater. The ability to use their rope and ratxet to climb the side of Rock is amazing. When this author used the device it made the journey up Rock pleasant rather than the long chore that the stairway can be.

    Rumor is that the Ratxet may install a gondola from the Rock that connects several districts by massive sky-ropes.

    Springwerks Union

    Photo by PIRO4D on Pexels.com

    Coils of strong metal come off of smiths that burn hotter than ours. Without the tartek maybe the Springwerks Union couldn’t exist. This symbiotic relationship betwixt the guilds is routine. They compete harshly for recognition from the Queen and yet their greatest werks are interconnected and use tekniques of others.

    Their crossbows are a bit lighter. A siege engine powered by a Springwerk may be able to fell a Dragon. The energy trapped within the springs is grand. It may take days for the muls and hobs to get the springs set, but once they are the power can slowly release or go all at once.

    Airmatics and Waterwerks Alliance

    Photo by Ali Arapou011flu on Pexels.com

    A good little friendly goblin introduced me to how the Alliance works. Our waterwheels are what they used a life of lifes ago. Now using either water or something called pneumatics the Alliance is two former competitors joined. Anything that flows can be trapped, contained, and utilized.

    If you’ve been to Haystreet after DragonTree you’ll have seen the inn there with running water! There is an attached bath with a dryer!

    Why do so many goblins stink of their tartek when the Alliance allows such great cleanliness? I know after a day at print (our newsletter has bids out to the League and Guild for help reducing prices for you our fair reader) I will use that bath of warm water.

    Alchems Sisterhood

    Photo by Ioannis Ritos on Pexels.com

    At Carnival you’ve seen the Sparklers. They contain joy in their little packets. The Sisterhood is a group that takes that type of energy and applies it to more than just entertainment. The Alchems are busy foraging the rocks, vegetation, and even animal waste of our lands to find new ways to create violence. Their inventions are on par with many of the magicks of Dragons, in a way that can be taught and handed over.

    This Sisterhood will not share their methods of creation. They make the Sparklers look like a newspaper since the Alchms refuse to be public in how they operate.

    Also, they hate the Tarteks Federation. Supposedly these groups could be the unified, there’s some sort of familial break that has nothing to do with the teknology used.

    Tarteks Federation

    Photo by Ion Ceban @ionelceban on Pexels.com

    You know the smell by know. Using their tar-trees the goblins have changed the air and water in Kirtin-on-the-Lake, maybe forever. They burn this sticky oil and create self-powered cycles, no pedaling needed. Like the Sisterhood, The Federation are reclusive.

    This lack of information seems to be how the gobs keep their strength and respect. A combination of Tartek and Airxip work is what enabled the gobkon to cross the Teeth of Sheljar and, as they claim, return to their lands.

    Airxip Syndicate

    100,000 Cubic Meter Comercial Zeppelin
    Fings (CC BY 2.0)

    Those massive ships travel the air, floating above the rapids of rivers, the mountain passes, the brigands and bandits. Their ‘airxips’ are barely related to Daoud’s large galleons. Some of the airxips cannot even land in the waters of Kin! They must have towers or long rope ladders to interact with the grounds below.

    Bladders may be filled with the works of Alchems, Tarteks, or even Airmatics. Each insists their techniques are best. This author does not know which is best. The xips and gliders of the Syndicate enable travel and connection to communities in ways that our horses cannot. Sheljar’s connection to Hagtown shouldn’t be possible. It is just uphill from us, but due to regular visits from the Syndicate it maintains a relationship to the Free City rather than Kirtin or Daoud as it was in the past.

    These transports are stunning, if slow. I have booked a ride to go to Kirtin-in-the-Sky for the summer as my first test of what the Syndicate can do. Hopefully the stalemate between rebel, Daoud, Kirtin, and the Dragons will hold until after my report.

    Additional reporting was provided by allies and sources within Hagtown, Sheljar, and Telse. Those sources will not be revealed.
  • What you need to know about D&D Live ’21

    What you need to know about D&D Live ’21

    This year D&D Live is a hybrid in-studio and remote set of product reveals and streamed actual plays, all hosted by G4. Yes, that’s the same G4 that nerds of a certain age remember for things like Attack of the Show and X-Play. The power of nerd-nostalgia and the open embrace of our culture means that Comcast-NBC are bringing back the station dedicated to video games, role playing games, and other aspects of the nerd life.

    It also means that the partnership with G4 is putting D&D on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. D&D Live will also be on G4 and D&D’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

    Running Friday and Saturday this weekend from Noon to 9 PM PT D&D Live will reveal a new product, expand on two other product reveals, host a concert, include several celeb-laden actual plays, and other staff. It’s packed like a convention and you can watch from home.

    New Book?!?!

    There are three more books coming out in 2021, and one has yet to be revealed. That reveal opens the show on Friday. What is known so far is that James Wyatt is the lead on the project and that the Unearthed Arcana exploring some Dragons have yet to be used.

    Plus, Wyatt was part of the Magic the Gathering: Adventures in Forgotten Realms dev team, which features a dragon-monk, Bahamut. There is also some not-yet used exploration of Drow cultures.

    The book almost certainly includes Dragon themes, and might have those Drow themes too. It is reasonable to think that this project is similar to Volo’s Guide, but with a tighter focus.

    There will be more about the Strixhaven and Witchlight books as well. Both getting a full hour to expand on what little we know so far about the setting and adventure books that are planned.

    Which Live Show to Watch?

    All of them. duh. No, but seriously, the live show to watch depends on what celebs you want to see or what DMs you enjoy.

    I happen to be a Kevin Smith fan, so I’ll be watching the comedy laden show. There’s one with the cast of AP Bio, one with WWE stars. And, of course, there is a table with the stars of G4, which I’ll watch because sometimes I want to remember when I was young.

    From G4

    But Wait, There’s More?

    Yep! There’s another cooking demonstration from Heroes’ Feast (one of the best selling cookbooks of 2020). A concert by Jason Charles Miller, the next steps in the Dungeon Master’s Challenge, cosplay, and the event close usually mentions another product in about a single line just before they go dark.

    It’s going to be exciting to see this nerdy hobby that used to hide in basements have the light of a full TV network on it for two days. My wife’s going to have to put up with a lot of D&D on the TV, not just on a phone.

    As Always, Maps

    DMs can always use more maps. Here’s a couple that interested me.

    https://twitter.com/AuthorSargent/status/1409010735473061890
    Or maybe a scale-model of an ancient Roman city is more your vibe.

    Additional Reading about Tabletop D&D

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