Blog

2026-04-09

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:50:09 GMT

So, I haven't written anything since the 19th of March. It's not that I've not been doing anything though, I've been working on a game. I used AI to make this game, Shadow of Helheim. It's not something I intend to publish, just play with my friends. Basically I took the idea of Diplomacy (I've never actually played it) and Settlers of Catan to make a fun game that my friends and I can play over discord.
Shadow of Helheim has 10 player countries and a GM country. The GM country, Tutregna Ĉiaro, is an industrialized nation, with it's real-world inspiration being WW1 Germany. Ĉiaro wants to expand, and so do the player countries. Ĉiaro has some hidden advantages, however. They can deploy tanks and submarines. However, they are outnumbered 10-1.

Country Codex - Kazultan

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:16 GMT

Country Name: Kazultan National Motto: Age of the Nation: 200 years In one sentence, what is this country: Old country/culture born from the sand, turned into industrialized nation after introduction of underground waterways Real World Inspirations: Predominate Race: Primary Terrain: Mountains, Forest, Desert Size of Country: Mid sized nation Climate: Arid Notable Geographic Features: Forest in the north maintained by underground rivers burrowed by sand worms long gone rolling desert to the south.Form of Government: Monarchy Political Stability: Peaceful and Stable Current Ruler or Leadership: Internal political tensions: old isolationist views vs modernism Unusual or notable laws: Military Strength: Strong regional force Military Style and Doctrine: Allies & Trade Partners: Rivals & enemies: Foreign Policy Attitude: diplomaticEconomic Foundation: trade and commerce Overall Wealth Level: prosperous Key Exports: Key Imports and Scarcities: Currency & Trade Customs:Core cultural values: Social Structure: Merit based Art Music & Literature: sand worms of old, large desert salamanders Cuisine & Drink: Taboos & Etiquette:Religious Structure: Animist Major Deities or beliefs: Role of religion in governance: Relationship to magic: magic is feared Magic in practice:Founding Myth or story: Magic is feared due to battle between two strong mages, crippling the country. Heroes of science utilized worm tunnels to revitalize ecosystem and the country. Historical Trauma or defining event:two factions of mages vying for control of the country causing large scale destruction The big secret: there is a hidden temple in the desert that contains knowledge of old magic. Current plot hook or crisis: Finding the temple for magic of mass destruction. magical knowledge from old hermits living deep in the desert.

Naval Combat

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:55:28 GMT

The Old World is not only land. Its seas connect nations, carry trade, and — for those who control them — offer the most dangerous route into an enemy's heartland.Any coastal nation may build ships and project power across the sea. Naval units follow similar rules to land armies, with modifications for sea zones, movement, and combat.The Old World's waters are divided into seven sea zones:Movement: A ship spends 1 Action Point (AP) to move 1 adjacent sea zone. A ship may not move more zones in a round than its Speed (see Ship Types).Ships are built from Timber and AP during the Mobilization Phase. They are launched from any coastal territory you control that borders the target sea zone.Important: A Sloop is destroyed by 1 hit. A Warship or Carrack is destroyed only if it receives 2 hits in the same combat round. If it receives 0 or 1 hit, it survives completely unscathed. Hits do not carry over between rounds or battles. A Flagship is destroyed only if it receives 3 hits in the same combat round. Otherwise, it survives. There is no ship repair — a ship is either afloat or sunk. During the Resource Phase of each round, you must feed every active ship: Cost: 1 Food per Sloop, Warship, or Carrack; 2 Food per Flagship. If you cannot or do not pay for a ship, that ship is becalmed for that round. Effects of a becalmed ship: Cannot move or attack during the Mobilization and Combat phases. Your nation loses 1 Stability per becalmed ship (maximum 1 Stability loss per round from all becalmed ships combined). If a ship is becalmed for 2 consecutive rounds, the crew deserts — remove the ship from play. When hostile fleets occupy the same sea zone, combat resolves as follows. All ships in a fleet combine their dice. Both sides roll all dice for their ships at the same time. Each ship rolls its combat dice (1d6, 2d6, or 3d6). Hit threshold: 4+ (no fortifications at sea). A Flagship's +1 die bonus to friendly ships applies to all ships in the same zone, including itself. Each successful hit deals 1 hit to an enemy ship of the defender's choice. Sloop: destroyed by 1 hit. Remove it. Warship or Carrack: destroyed only if it receives 2 hits in this same combat round. If it receives 0 or 1 hit, it survives. Flagship: destroyed only if it receives 3 hits in this same combat round. Otherwise, it survives. Remove destroyed ships immediately. After hits are applied, either side may declare a retreat before the next round of combat. A retreating fleet moves to an adjacent sea zone that is friendly-controlled (or any adjacent if none friendly). It cannot retreat into a zone containing hostile ships. If both sides remain in the sea zone after retreats, return to Step 1 for another round. The side that remains in the sea zone after the other retreats or is eliminated wins and controls the zone. If both sides retreat, the zone becomes unoccupied. Simultaneous elimination: If both sides lose their last ships in the same round and neither retreats, the zone becomes unoccupied. Example: Attacker has 2 Sloops (2d6). Defender has 1 Warship (2d6, needs 2 hits to destroy). Attacker rolls 4, 5 → 2 hits. Defender rolls 3, 6 → 1 hit. Attacker loses 1 Sloop. Defender's Warship takes 2 hits in one round → destroyed. Attacker has 1 Sloop remaining and wins the zone. These actions are declared during the Mobilization Phase and cost AP. Requirement: A fleet of 2 or more ships in a sea zone. Cost: 1 AP to declare. Effect: Any nation whose coastal territories border that sea zone loses all sea trade income for as long as the blockade lasts. The blockade takes effect from the next Resource Phase. Ending: The blockade ends if the blockading fleet is destroyed, driven off, or voluntarily withdraws. Any number of Warships or Carracks carrying army units may land them on a single coastal territory as part of one AP. Cost: 1 AP per landing operation (unlimited ships may participate). Friendly or neutral coast: No combat. Land all units. Hostile coast: Resolve combat as follows: Covering fire: Each ship in the landing fleet rolls 1 die (4+). Each hit deals 1 damage to the defending army before defenders roll. These hits are applied immediately. Defender bonus: The defender gains +1 combat die (total, not per unit) for fighting on home shore. Land combat: Resolve using standard land combat rules (see Land Combat chapter). The landing units are considered the attacker. Sloops have a special ability to hunt submerged threats. This is the only way players can destroy a Mermaid. When: During the Combat Phase, instead of normal naval combat. Cost: 1 Steel per attempt. Uses the Sloop's entire combat action for the round. Procedure: Tell the GM you are performing a Depth Charge Run in a named sea zone. The GM secretly checks if a Mermaid is present in that zone. If a Mermaid is present: Roll 1d6. On a 5 or 6, the Mermaid is forced to surface. On a 1–4, no contact. If no Mermaid is present: The GM says "no contact." You cannot tell the difference. After surfacing: A surfaced Mermaid is immediately visible to all players. Any fleet in the same zone may engage it in normal naval combat. Note: The GM will never confirm or deny the existence of Mermaids. Port: Every coastal nation begins with 1 Port in their home territory. A Port is required to build or launch ships. Building new Ports: Spend 2 Stone on any controlled coastal territory to build an additional Port. Captured Ports: If you capture a coastal territory with a Port, the Port is destroyed. You must rebuild it. Shipbuilding: During Mobilization, spend Timber and AP (see Ship Types table). The new ship appears in the sea zone bordering the Port. End of Naval Combat Chapter

Land Combat

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:33:47 GMT

When armies meet, the Old World bleeds. Victory belongs to the nation that feeds its soldiers, fortifies its ground, and knows when to stand — and when to withdraw.All land units belong to one of two types: Standard Units or Special Units. Each nation builds and controls its own units. The backbone of any army. Recruit during the Mobilization Phase. A single hit in combat destroys a Standard Unit immediately. Elite forces unique to each nation. Roll 2 dice in combat (2d6). Destroyed only if they receive 2 hits in the same combat round. If a Special Unit receives 0 or 1 hit in a round, it survives completely unscathed. Hits do not carry over from round to round or from one battle to the next. Cost 2 Action Points and 2 Steel to recruit. An army is a group of 1 to 5 units (any mix of Standard and Special) occupying the same territory. Each nation may have up to 3 active armies at any time. An army moves as a group: 1 Action Point moves the entire army 1 territory. During the Resource Phase of each round, you must feed every unit in every active army: Cost: 1 Food per unit. If you cannot or do not pay for a unit, that unit is unfed for that round. Effects of unfed units: An unfed unit rolls one fewer die than normal (minimum 0 dice). Standard Unit (normally 1d6) → unfed: 0 dice (cannot deal hits). Special Unit (normally 2d6) → unfed: 1d6. Additionally, if any unit is unfed this round, your nation loses 1 Stability (maximum 1 Stability loss per round from all sources of unfed units). A unit that is unfed for 3 consecutive rounds disbands automatically (remove it from play).A nation may build defensive structures on any territory it controls. Build during the Mobilization Phase. A Citadel can only be built on a territory that already has a Fortification. If a territory with a Fortification or Citadel is captured, the structure is destroyed. Combat occurs when armies from hostile nations occupy the same territory. Follow these steps in order.The defender announces if the territory contains a Fortification or Citadel. Apply bonuses: Fortification: defender’s hit threshold becomes 3+ (instead of normal 4+). Citadel: defender’s hit threshold becomes 3+ and defender adds +1 extra combat die to their total dice pool. Both sides roll all dice for their units at the same time. Standard Unit: rolls 1d6 (or 0 if unfed). Special Unit: rolls 2d6 (or 1 if unfed). Normal hit threshold: 4+. Fortification/Citadel hit threshold: 3+. Each successful hit (roll equal to or above the threshold) deals 1 hit. Standard Unit: destroyed by 1 hit. Remove it immediately. Special Unit: destroyed only if it receives 2 hits in the same combat round. If a Special Unit receives 0 or 1 hit in a round, it survives completely. Hits do not carry over to the next round or to future battles. Remove destroyed units before proceeding.After hits are applied, either side may declare a retreat before the next round of combat. A retreating army moves to an adjacent territory that is friendly-controlled (or any adjacent territory if no friendly-controlled exists). The retreating army cannot move into a territory containing hostile units. If both sides remain in the territory after retreats are resolved, return to Step 2 for another round of combat. The side that remains in the territory after the other retreats or is eliminated wins and occupies the territory. If both sides retreat, the territory becomes unoccupied (neutral). Simultaneous elimination: If both sides lose their last units in the same round and neither retreats, the territory becomes unoccupied. No one wins control. Attacker: 3 Standard Units (3d6) Defender: 1 Special Unit (2d6) No fortifications. Normal hit threshold (4+).Round 1 rolls: Attacker: 5, 2, 6 → 2 hits. Defender: 4, 3 → 1 hit.Apply hits: Attacker loses 1 Standard Unit (1 hit destroys it). Defender’s Special Unit takes 1 hit — not enough to destroy (needs 2 in same round). It survives.Result: Attacker has 2 Standard Units remaining. Defender’s Special Unit still at full strength. Combat continues to Round 2 if neither retreats.Attacker: 2 Standard Units (2d6) Defender: 1 Special Unit (2d6)Round 1 rolls: Attacker: 5, 6 → 2 hits. Defender: 2, 3 → 0 hits.Apply hits: Attacker’s hits both land on the Special Unit — 2 hits in one round → Special Unit destroyed. No defender hits. Attacker loses no units.Result: Attacker wins and occupies the territory.Attacker: 2 Standard Units (2d6) Defender: 1 Standard Unit (1d6), defending a Fortification (hits on 3+).Round 1 rolls: Attacker (4+): rolls 3, 5 → 1 hit. Defender (3+): rolls 4 → 1 hit.Apply hits: Attacker loses 1 Standard Unit. Defender loses 1 Standard Unit.Result: Attacker has 1 Standard Unit remaining. Defender has none. Attacker wins and occupies the territory. The Fortification is destroyed because the territory changed hands.Attacker: 1 Standard Unit (1d6) Defender: 2 Standard Units (2d6)Round 1 rolls: Attacker: 6 → 1 hit. Defender: 2, 5 → 1 hit.Apply hits: Attacker loses its only unit → destroyed. Defender loses 1 Standard Unit, has 1 remaining.Before the next round: Attacker has no units. Defender remains. No retreat needed — combat ends. Defender wins.(If the attacker had survived but seen disadvantage, they could have retreated after Round 1 instead of fighting a losing second round.)

Shadow of Helheim - Player Rules

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:16:23 GMT

These rules were drafted using AI. They are not finished and may change before the game begins.A cooperative-competitive strategy game of geopolitics, resource management, and the long shadow of a war that may not be avoidable.Tutregna Ĉiaro is expanding. Everyone knows it. Nations trade, squabble, and sign treaties as they always have — but Ĉiaro's armies grow, its navy stretches into the Northern Sea, and its diplomats arrive bearing gifts that feel increasingly like ultimatums.Shadow of Helheim is a tabletop strategy game for 7–10 players plus a Game Master. Each player governs one nation of the Old World, managing resources, forging alliances, raising armies and fleets, and jockeying for power and prestige — all while navigating the growing threat on their doorstep.Tutregna Ĉiaro — controlled by the GM — is an expansionist power with a clear goal: control enough of the Old World to make resistance futile. The players' collective goal is to prevent this, but they will not be given a countdown. The question is never whether Ĉiaro is a threat. It is whether the nations of the Old World can stop arguing long enough to do anything about it. Note for the GM: This rulebook contains both a Player's Section and a GM Section. The GM Section contains Tutregna Ĉiaro's strategic guidance, the Agenda Track, and secret mechanics that no player should see. Print the full rulebook for yourself. The Player's Section can be shared freely. The WorldThe Old World is a continent of 24 nations, each distinct in race, culture, and ambition. The seas surrounding it are divided into 8 zones: the Northern, Northwestern, Western, Eastern, and Southern Seas; and the Ĉhesapiko, Ope, and Tinathley Bays. Control of the seas is as important as control of the land.Winning & LosingStep 1: Choose NationsEach player selects a nation. Spread selections geographically. Tutregna Ĉiaro is always GM-controlled.Step 2: Distribute Starting Resources Resources: 2 of each type their nation produces (see Nation Card) 2 Gold 1 Standard Army on home territory Coastal nations: 1 Sloop in their home port Stability: 8 | Action Points: 3 per round Step 3: Draw Intel CardsEach player draws 2 Intel Cards, kept secret. Cards may be shared voluntarily during Diplomacy.Step 4: GM Sets Up Tutregna ĈiaroThe GM reviews the GM Section and sets up Tutregna Ĉiaro's starting forces privately. Tutregna Ĉiaro's resources, armies, and position are known to all players from the Nation Card — its intentions will be revealed through play.Each round has six phases, resolved in order. All players act within each phase before moving to the next. Action Points (AP) Each nation has 3 AP per round (2 if Stability ≤ 3). Unused AP do not carry over. 1 AP: Recruit 1 Standard Unit | 2 AP: Recruit 1 Special Unit 1 AP: Move 1 army 1 territory | 1 AP: Move 1 fleet 1 sea zone 1 AP: Recruit 1 Sloop | 2 AP: Recruit 1 Warship or Carrack | 3 AP: Recruit 1 Flagship 1 AP: Declare Blockade | 1 AP: Amphibious Landing | 1 AP: Formal diplomatic proposal The Old World runs on five resource types. Understanding what your neighbors produce is as important as managing your own stockpiles.TradeTrade is negotiated during Diplomacy and fulfilled during Resources. Merchant Powers (3+ Luxury/round) gain +1 Gold per completed trade. Timber may be traded freely between any nations, including landlocked ones.GoldGold buys any resource 1-for-1, pays tributes, or funds bribes. It does not expire. Earn it by converting Luxury (2:1) or through trade.Land Units Standard Unit: 1 AP + 1 Steel. Rolls 1d6, hits on 4+. Special Unit: Unique per race (see Nation Card). 2 AP + 2 Steel. Rolls 2d6, hits on 4+. Army: 1–5 units. One army per territory. Max 3 armies active per nation. Feeding ArmiesDuring Resources, spend 1 Food per active army. Unfed armies fight at −1 die next Combat Phase and cost 1 Stability.Land CombatBoth sides roll simultaneously. Each unit rolls its die; a 4+ deals 1 hit. Remove 1 unit per hit. Repeat until one side retreats or is eliminated. Winner occupies the territory. Combat Example Meregginell: 3 Standard Units (3d6). Anci: 1 Special Unit (2d6). Meregginell rolls 5, 2, 6 — two hits. Anci rolls 4, 3 — one hit. Anci's Special Unit is destroyed. Meregginell loses 1 Standard Unit and takes the territory. FortificationsSpend 2 Stone to build a Fortification on any controlled territory. Defenders roll on 3+. Spend 2 more Stone to upgrade to a Citadel: defenders gain +1 extra die. Fortifications are destroyed if the territory is captured.The Diplomacy PhaseOpen negotiation. Players may speak freely, share Intel Cards, make offers, and form pacts. The GM participates as Tutregna Ĉiaro and any relevant neutral nations.Agreement Types Non-Aggression Pact (NAP): No attacks for a stated number of rounds. Written on Country Sheet. Breaking costs 2 Stability. Alliance: Mutual defence. Not answering costs 1 stability. Trade Agreement: Exchange of resources. May include exclusivity clauses. State number of rounds. Breaking costs 1 stability Military Access Treaty: Armies and fleets may move through each other's territories and ports freely. Merchant PowersNations producing 3+ Luxury/round gain +1 Gold per trade and may mediate disputes (+1 Stability to both sides of any agreement they broker). If an agreement they broker is broken, they lose 1 stability.Acts of WarMoving armies or fleets into another player's territory or sea zone without permission is an Act of War. The aggressor loses 1 Stability immediately.Intel Cards represent scouts, spies, and rumor networks. They give players actionable information about neighbors, Tutregna Ĉiaro, and the shifting state of the world — information that can be shared, traded, or withheld as political currency. Draw 1 card per round during the Intelligence Phase. Play at any time. May be traded, sold (1 Gold), or gifted during Diplomacy. The GM answers all card-triggered queries honestly. Intel Cards do not produce vague or misleading information — their value is in what players choose to do with what they learn. The Old World is not only land. Its seas connect nations, carry trade, and — for those who control them — offer the most dangerous route into an enemy's heartland.Any coastal nation may build ships and project power across the sea. Naval units follow the same basic rules as land armies, with modifications for sea zones, blockades, and amphibious landings.TimberShips are built from Timber. Timber stockpiles freely and can be traded. It has no use other than shipbuilding.Ship TypesShips are built from Timber and AP during the Mobilization Phase, launched from any coastal territory you control bordering the relevant sea zone. Ship upkeep: Each Sloop and Warship costs 1 Food per round; each Carrack and Flagship costs 2 Food. A ship that cannot be fed is Becalmed: it cannot move or attack that round, and the nation loses 1 Stability per becalmed ship. A ship becalmed for 2 consecutive rounds is lost (crew deserts). Sea ZonesThe Old World's waters are divided into four sea zones: Northern, Western, Eastern, and Southern. Each coastal territory borders one zone. Ships spend 1 AP to move 1 sea zone. Sea zone adjacency: Northern ↔ Western | Northern ↔ Eastern | Western ↔ Southern | Eastern ↔ Southern. Northern and Southern are NOT adjacent. Western and Eastern are NOT adjacent. Naval CombatWhen two hostile fleets occupy the same sea zone, combat resolves identically to land combat: simultaneous dice, hits on 4+, remove 1 ship per hit. The loser retreats to the nearest friendly port. Ships in the same fleet combine their dice.BoardingIf an attacker wins naval combat and has a Warship or Carrack with army units aboard, they may attempt boarding. Roll 1d6: on a 4+, 1 army unit transfers to the defeated ship (capturing it). The captured ship joins the victor's fleet.Special Naval ActionsBlockade: A fleet of 2 or more ships may declare a Blockade of a sea zone during Mobilization. Any nation whose coastal territories border that zone loses all sea trade income for the duration. Costs 1 AP to establish; no ongoing cost. Takes effect from the following Resource Phase. Ends if the fleet is driven off, destroyed, or withdraws.Amphibious Landing: A Warship or Carrack carrying army units may land them on any coastal territory as a Mobilization action. Friendly or neutral coast: free, no combat. Hostile coast: immediate combat — defenders get +1 die (home shore); covering fire from ships: each ship rolls 1 die (4+) as bonus hits before defenders respond. Maximum 1 amphibious landing per fleet per round. Costs 1 AP.Convoy Escort: A Carrack may escort a trade agreement for 1 round. While escorted, the convoy cannot be intercepted. The Carrack must be in the same sea zone as the trading route.Interception: Any fleet in a sea zone may declare an Interception of a trade convoy passing through that zone. Roll 1d6: on a 3+, the interception succeeds, cancelling the trade and awarding 1 Gold to the intercepting nation. A Carrack-escorted convoy cannot be intercepted.Ports & ShipyardsShips must be built and repaired at a Port. Every coastal nation begins with 1 Port in their home territory. Additional Ports may be built for 2 Stone on any controlled coastal territory. Captured coastal territories lose their Port.Stability (0–10, starting at 5) represents a nation's internal cohesion and diplomatic standing.Effects of Low Stability Stability 3 or below: Lose 1 AP per round. Stability 1: Cannot recruit new units or ships. Must disband 1 army. Stability 0: Civil Unrest. Nation is removed from active play for 2 rounds. GM governs it as a Neutral Nation. If another nation has armies or ships adjacent, the player may attempt absorption. Each player receives a Nation Card for their own country. Information about other nations must be gathered through play.Neutral NationsNations not controlled by players have no armies or navies. They can be occupied by having ground forces in the territory.Each Round (in order): Draw 1 Intel Card → Negotiate (Diplomacy) → Collect resources; feed armies & ships → Spend AP: recruit, move land & naval → Resolve land and naval combat → Adjust StabilityFortifications: Fort: 2 Stone — defenders roll 3+ | Citadel: +2 Stone — +1 extra dieStability: Lose battle: −1 | Break NAP: −2 | Complete trade: +1 | Win defence: +1 | Sink enemy ship: +1Print one per player. Fill in at setup and maintain throughout the game.

Countries of the Old World

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:20:46 GMT

Miscora (north) - Populated by bear-folk - Neutral. Borders Irannie to the east Irannie (far north) - Player Country - Borders Miscora to the west and Gerrilang to the South Garn (north-center) - Player Country - Borders Lykos to the West, Osetta to the East. Northern Sea to the North, Ĉesapiko Bay to the South. Also have 1 island in Ĉesapiko Bay mouth. Gerrilang (north-center) - Mixed Dwarf/Human - Neutral - Borders Irannie to the North, Kingdom of Aung and Mondlynda to the south. Kingdom of Lykos - Player Country - Borders Garn to the East. Peninsula bordering Ĉesapiko Bay and Northern Sea. Thalassar - Player Country - Borders Republic of Amarz to the south, Laula to the South, and has a large border on the eastern sea Kingdom of Aung (west-center) - Dwarvish - Neutral - Borders Tutregna Ĉiaro to the south, Mondlynda to the east, and Meregginell to the southwest. Mondlynda (center-north) - Gnomish - neutral - Borders Gerrilang to the north and Aung to the west, Ĉiaro to the south. Empire of Meregginell (center-west) - Dwarvish - Neutral - Borders Gilead to the West, Aung to the North. Tutregna Ĉiaro (center) - GM Country - Borders Aung and Mondlynda to the North. Borders Susalle to the Southwest, Borders Anci to the south. Borders the Ĉesapiko Bay to the east, and Ope Bay to the West Asianie (center) - Bird-Folk - neutral - Borders Osetta to the east, Zawn to the South, Ronicey to the East. Borders the Ĉesapiko Bay. Kingdom of Osetta (center) - Neutral - Borders Asianie to the West, Garn to the Northwest, Ced to the North, Ronicey to the south. Borders the Inland Sea to the East and the Northern Sea to the North. Laula (far east) - Elvish - Neutral - Borders Republic of Amarz and Thalassar to the North, Ronicey to the South. Borders the Inland Sea to the West and The Eastern Sea to the East. Ronicey (east) - Mixed Orc/Human - Neutral - Borders Laula to the North, Osetta to the West, Zawn to the South. Borders the Inland Sea to the West, Tinathely Bay to the South, The Eastern Sea to the East. Gilead (west) - Player Country - Borders Empire of Meregginell to the East. Borders Northwestern Sea to the North, Western Sea to the West, and Ope Bay to the South. Susalle (center) - Human - Neutral - Borders Ĉiaro to the North and East, and Anci to the South. Borders Ope Bay to the West. Anci (center-south) - Orcish - Player Country - Borders Ĉiaro and Susalle to the North, Wer to the East, Thydnrealm to the South, and Tabne to the West. Borders Ope Bay to the West, Ĉesapiko Bay to the North. Zawn (east) - Gnomish - Neutral - Borders Asianie and Ronicey to the North, Wer to the West, and Daletheria to the South Tabne (southwest) - Halfling - Neutral - Borders Deoleigete to the West, Anci to the Northeast, Thydnrealm to the East, Eth to the Southeast. Borders Western Sea to the West, Ope bay to the North Deoleigete (far west) - Orcish - Neutral - Borders Tabne to the East. Borders the Western Sea, contains 1 large island in the Western Sea. Kingdom of Wer (south-center) - Player Country - Borders Anci to the West, Thydnrealm to the West, Eth to the Southwest, Daletheria to the East, Zawn to the Northeast. Borders Ĉesapiko Bay to the North, Southern Sea to the South Kingdom of Eth (southwest) - Elvish - Neutral - Borders Tabne to the West, Thydnrealm to the north, Wer to the East. Borders the southern sea. Daletheria (south) - Mixed Elf/Dwarf - Neutral - Borders Wer to the West, Skaya to the southeast. Borders the Eastern Sea to the north, and the southern sea to the south. Skaya (southeast) - Human - Neutral - Borders Daletheria to the North. Borders the Southern Sea. Queleo (southeast) - Merfolk - Island Nation - Borders Eastern and Southern Seas Ced - Borders Amarz to the East, Osetta to the South. Borders the Northern Sea to the North. Amarz - Borders Thalassar and Ced to the North. Borders Laula to the south. Borders the eastern sea to the north, the inland sea to the west. Thydnrealm - Borders Anci to the North, Eth to the South, Tabne to the West, and Wer to the East (Navigation is hampered by a large lake on the border between Wer and Thydnrealm) Ope Bay - Opens to the Western Sea Ĉesapiko Bay - Opens to the Northern Sea Northern Sea - Borders Northwestern and Eastern Seas Northwestern Sea - Borders Northern and Western Seas Western Sea - Borders Northwestern and Southern Seas Southern Sea - Borders Western and Eastern Seas Eastern Sea - Borders Southern and Northern Seas Tinathely Bay - Opens to the Eastern Sea The Inland Sea - Completely contained. Borders Osetta, Ced, Republic of Amarz, Laula, Ronicey

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Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:18:25 GMT

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Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:50:26 GMT

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Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:38:39 GMT

Country Codex - Garn

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:05:49 GMT

Country Name: Garn Capital City: National Motto: We Dwarves Age of the Nation: 300ish years, no concrete founding. formed from an alliance and combination of several tribes/villages over time. In one sentence, what is this country: A nation of mountain folk who value cooperation toward prosperity. Real World Inspirations: Predominate Race: DwarvesPrimary Terrain: Mountains, Coastal, Plains Size of Country: small (It pretty small relative to other countries) Climate:Temperate, polar It's north and kind of peninsula-y, so I'm thinking Scandinavian Notable Geographic Features: Plains to the west, mountains to the east, sea both north and south.Form of Government: 4 houses, commerce, agriculture, diplomacy, and war Political Stability: peaceful and stable - mining and farming are sustainable and profitable Current Ruler or Leadership: There are heads of each house that can appoint people below them as aides. Heads are elected. Internal political tensions: The head of war supports dealing with Ciaro sooner rather than later, but Diplomacy and Commerce see an opportunity to profit from neutrality. Unusual or notable laws: People mostly kept in check by needs (Military cant take over or they will starve). Most contracts are verbal, and breaking one is a permanent brand upon your integrity. You will likely never be trusted again.Military Strength: Adequate defense, naval focus - military primarily focuses on protecting shipping networks. Military Style and Doctrine: explosives experience causes most military development to focus on bombs/artillery Allies & Trade Partners: values keeping promises, very quick to lose trust Rivals & enemies: anyone who threatens to conquer either Garn or an ally. Foreign Policy Attitude: neutral, diplomatic - much prefers mutual trade over competition.Economic Foundation: Agriculture, trade & commerce, mining, fishing - Lotsa stuff in them mountains. Gems, coal, iron, salt Overall Wealth Level: modest, prosperous - we got food and rocks, but aren't all Bezos about it. Key Exports: Gems, coal, iron, salt. Agriculture and fishing are not exported as often. Key Imports and Scarcities: Wood is scarce and often imported, same with gold bullion, and some large livestock. Currency & Trade Customs: small gold coins just called "gold". dime sized with hole in the middle to save metal.Core cultural values: Honor, truth, collaboration, integrity Social Structure: Class-based Towns heavily structured around specific industries (farm town, mining town, fishing town, etc) Art Music & Literature: masonry, metalworking, and painting are popular. Physical media brought about through mineral abundance. Cuisine & Drink: Diets high in fish, bread, and root vegetables. Beef and pork are imported, and enjoyed on special occasions. Taboos & Etiquette:Stigma against unemployment/idle hands. Disrespects reading and writing as it "isn't real"Religious Structure: mixed faiths - religion is mostly private Major deities or beliefs: No consensus. Religious practice varies by family Role of religion in governance: little. Faith is for comfort, government is about survival and growth. Relationship to magic: magic is rare/unknown Magic in practice: If magic aids work, its used to get stuff done. If not, why bother? Local mages can open clinics if they can heal, but magical study is rarely pursued over farming, fishing, mining, or shipping jobs.Founding Myth or story: Historical Trauma or defining event: The big secret: We found some rocks that make you sick over time. Concerned about potential applications, the discovery remains a secret (It is uranium) Current plot hook or crisis:

Game Notes - 26-04-01

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:49:09 GMT

Alicia, driving the Winnebago back to the The Howell Center for Cognitive Health and rolled one hit. She takes out a mailbox, and swerves to avoid pedestrians. Back on the sub, the group decides to head to floor 1 in hopes of finding the command center. On floor 1, the doors open to find nothing important there, except for one crew member playing a video game. We quickly go to floor 3. When the doors open, a sailor in a towel tells us to check in with the XO. Outside the Winnebago, a disgruntled youth starts tagging the side. Michelle punches him, knocking him down. Another guy yells at her that she just hit his friend. He pulls a taser. Calico shoots at him (from the driver's seat of the Winnebago), it hits but bounces off his body armor. He yells out "Whoa man, those aint kosherized rules" Checking with the XO, we find that "The Asset" (Corey) is on the 4th floor, Aft. We quickly go. Arriving on the 4th floor, we find Corey on a table with an active neuralink connection (and raging boner). We distract the doctor, telling her that the XO has something for her. She leaves.Jolt takes some C4 and makes preparations to blow up the elevator

gilead_report_typeset

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:59:24 GMT

Ciaro Seal

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:20:47 GMT

Country Codex - Gilead

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:56:42 GMT

Country Name: Gilead - former prison colony (Australia but not) Capital City: Medis National Motto: A full life and death in battle (popular toast) Age of the Nation: Founded by pirate captain crashed there In one sentence, what is this country: A mercenary country fueled by a love of battle and money. The children of convicts raised by a pirate, set to own or rule their part of the world. Real World Inspirations: Ghengis, mongolia, Australia Predominate Race: Primary Terrain: Forest, Coastal, Wetlands Size of Country: Large empire (In regards to we all want same thing) Climate: Continental Notable Geographic Features: Form of Government: Tribal Council (Five warlords to handle the military and 2 advisors for civil affairs (one man and one woman) ) Political Stability: Cautiously stable Current Ruler or Leadership: Internal political tensions: Slight tension with the intellectuals and mercs Unusual or notable laws: Military Strength: Strong regional force Military Style and Doctrine: Guerrilla fighters, naval raiders, arcane artillery Allies & Trade Partners: Thalassar Rivals & enemies: Foreign Policy Attitude: Neutral, Expansionist, Aggressive (Wanna get bigger out will help other countries for $)Economic Foundation: Overall Wealth Level: Wealthy Key Exports: killing Key Imports and Scarcities: Currency & Trade Customs:Core cultural values: Honor, shrewdness Social Structure: Art Music & Literature: poems/stories. math for navigation. multiple influences due to travel Cuisine & Drink: lots of seafood and diverse cultural cuisine cuz we were prisoners Taboos & Etiquette: declining a fight, never leave a comrade (military)Religious Structure: Ancestor worship, mixed faiths. multiple gods of battle/longevity/crops/babies Major Deities or beliefs: a life of honor for our country and adhering to your beliefs leads to your "heaven" Role of religion in governance: not much Relationship to magic: magic is commonplace Magic in practice: pretty much if you can you canFounding Myth or story: straight facts leading to their want to exceed their ancestors and rule what they can. Historical Trauma or defining event: the pirate crashed several years after the prison colony was founded, uniting the warring prisoners. now celebrated as the captains day. The big secret: they are allies of Ciaro Current plot hook or crisis: the constant quest for money and power.With our military expertise and coastal control of commerce between several countries, we seek to expand while contracted by your country in the fight against the sea bitches you sought out. advice for your future plans.

tutregna_ciaro_worldbuilding (1)

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:45:05 GMT

Tutregna Ĉiaro is an Esperanto-speaking nation and analog to pre-WWI Imperial Germany. It is a hereditary constitutional Empire formed approximately 100 years ago from the unification of five predecessor kingdoms and two Free Cities, with the dominant partner being Fortica (the Prussia analog). The nation is defined by its official philosophy of Memregismo, the constitutional prohibition of religion and magic, and a deeply hierarchical society that officially preaches meritocracy.The name breaks down as tut- (total/all-encompassing) + regna (of the realm/sovereign) + Ĉiaro (from ĉio — everything/all things). The full implication: the total sovereign realm of everything.The national language is Esperanto. All laws, official proceedings, treaties, and instruments of governance are in Esperanto. All naming conventions, philosophical terminology, and official vocabulary follow Esperanto phonology and grammar.Key linguistic notes: Nouns end in -o, adjectives in -a, adverbs in -e The prefix mal- creates opposites (bona = good, malbona = bad) The prefix mem- means "self" (memrego = self-rule) The prefix ek- indicates the start of an action; eks- means "outside/former" The suffix -ismo = doctrine; -isto = practitioner; -ejo = place of El means "out of / from" — used as the nobility particle Commoners: Given name + Surname — Emilo Ferforta Nobility: Given name + el + Surname — Aldro el Ŝtonkampo El (meaning "out of / from") denotes noble lineage Western order throughout (given name first) Names are traditionally gendered Aldro, Emilo, Karlo, Vilhelmo, Edvaro, Renato, Ĝuro, Ludviko, Ĉeslo, Otavio, Franko, Helmuto, Vladko, Osvaldo, BertiloMarta, Sonja, Katrina, Elsa, Mirja, Hedva, Irena, Klara, Valdina, Liselota, Bruna, Agatja, Frieda, Helga, RozinaFerforta, Ŝtonkampo, Hofmano, Mülero, Brakforta, Novdomo, Kampverde, Grizmano, Lernejano, FervojoŜtonkampo, Altmonto, Goldrivero, Kriegsmano, Bordflugo, Nordvalo, Ferkorto, Nigraboski, DumarkoTutregna Ĉiaro is officially atheist. Gods demonstrably exist in this world but are classified by the state not as divine beings worthy of worship, but as Praestoj — a racial category of ancient, powerful beings analogous to elves or dwarves. They are subjects of academic study, not reverence. The gods themselves are indifferent to this classification.The rejection of magic preceded and informed the rejection of religion. Both are understood as expressions of the same fundamental error — eksterismo. Both religion and magic are constitutionally banned and criminally prosecuted, applying to citizens, residents, and visitors alike.Memregismo ("self-rule-ism," from mem + regi) is the official philosophy of Tutregna Ĉiaro. It holds that surrendering one's rational agency to any external authority — gods, magic, kings, priests — is the fundamental moral and cognitive failure. All external authority must justify itself through reason and utility Power alone confers no right to obedience or worship The state is legitimate as the collective rational will of the Ĉiaroj people Both religion and magic are manifestations of the same weakness — eksterismo Memregismo — the doctrine of self-rule; the official philosophy Memregisto — a practitioner or adherent of Memregismo Memrega — adjective: self-governing, pertaining to self-rule Eksterismo — "outsidism"; the named failure mode. The pathological habit of seeking power or meaning from outside the self or community. Covers worship, magical practice, and any surrender of rational agency to an external force. Eksteristo — one who practices eksterismo; a pejorative Praestoj — the official taxonomic term for gods. From pra- (primordial/ancient) + -esto (being). Clinical and non-reverential by design. Malnovajxoj — "old things"; the folk practices and residual superstitions of the lower classes. A mildly dismissive establishment term quietly reclaimed by common people as a neutral or affectionate label. Memrega Forteco — "self-governing strength"; the quality assessed by La Provo ~200 years ago — Memregismo emerges as a radical intellectual movement in Fortica, in direct response to vassalage under Meregginell. The core question was not "do gods exist?" but "does existence confer authority?" The answer was no — which by strict logic also invalidated worship, magic, and foreign suzerainty simultaneously. ~100 years ago — At unification, Memregismo is adopted as the official ideology of the new Tutregna Ĉiaro, with Fortica as the dominant partner. It is written into the constitution and becomes state doctrine. Present day — For most Ĉiaroj, Memregismo is not a chosen ideology but simply the water they swim in. Taught in schools, embedded in law, with the government as its institutional custodian. Memregismo preaches rational self-determination but legitimizes an aristocratic hierarchy in practice. The official reconciliation — that hierarchy represents the rational organization of society — is widely recognized as convenient reasoning. A philosophy that consistently concludes the current arrangement is the rational one attracts skepticism, particularly from the lower classes and academic dissidents.The Emperor himself represents Memregismo's sharpest contradiction: a hereditary monarch at the apex of a philosophy that holds no authority legitimate merely by virtue of existing. The official defenses (the Constitutional Argument, the Stability Argument, the Systems Argument) are more comfortable than rigorous. The honest answer — that Memregismo was developed by thinkers whose patrons were the Emperor's ancestors — is not given officially.A weak, unorganized undercurrent of folk belief persists among the lower classes — strongest in Altregno and regions outside Fortica, where Memregismo was imposed from outside rather than developing organically. No organization, no clergy, no doctrine — just memory. Private rituals, lucky charms, euphemistic references to "the old ways." As much about class resentment as genuine belief.Edvaro II el Altmonto — the reigning Emperor of Tutregna Ĉiaro. Member of the House of Altmonto, the imperial dynasty. Altmonto meaning "high mountain."Oto el Dumarko — Imperial Chancellor of Tutregna Ĉiaro; appointed by Edvaro II. The House of Dumarko takes its name from du (two) + marko (border march) — implying a lineage defined by frontier governance, though the origin is not officially elaborated.Oto is in the prime of his career — a man at the height of his powers, not yet slowed by age, still building. He is physically commanding but the real force is intellectual: he gives the impression of having already thought through every position his counterpart is about to take. In negotiation he is warm, unhurried, and genuinely attentive. This is not performance. He finds most people interesting enough to listen to closely, which makes him effective and occasionally genuinely liked by those he is preparing to outmaneuver.His long-term project is the unification of the human nations of the Old World under Ĉiaro's rational governance — not as a fantasy of conquest, but as a considered conviction that fragmented human civilization is inefficient and dangerous, and that Memregismo provides the only viable organizing principle for a durable order. He frames this always in the language of reason and utility. The teleological drive underneath — the sense that history is moving toward something and that Ĉiaro is its instrument — he does not examine closely, and does not discuss.Regarding non-human nations, Oto holds a private view he does not publicly articulate: that non-human civilizations are structurally incompatible with Memregismo, being too deeply organized around magic and the gods to make the transition Ĉiaro made. This is not contempt — he respects individual non-humans and deals with non-human leaders as genuine equals. It is a civilizational assessment, held quietly, occasionally informing long-term strategic thinking. On Anci specifically: he favors a stable, cooperative relationship — a permanent treaty partner on Ĉiaro's southern border, useful and not hostile. He has at times considered whether a formal vassal arrangement might be workable.His relationship with Edvaro II is one of genuine mutual respect and productive disagreement. Oto is the long-game strategist willing to work with ambiguity. The Emperor is the ideological anchor. Neither is wrong exactly — they weight different risks differently, and the tension between them keeps Ĉiaro's policy more honest than either man alone would produce.Tutregna Ĉiaro is governed by a written constitution — the supreme law of the Empire. Its unamendable core includes the prohibition on religion and magic, the protection of rational discourse, and the bicameral legislative structure. All officers are bound by oath to uphold it. The Emperor — supreme executive authority; hereditary throne; commands the Imperial Army and Navy; signs treaties; appoints the Chancellor; can dissolve the People's Council with Federal Council consent The Imperial Chancellor — appointed by the Emperor; head of government in civilian matters; introduces legislation; oversees all civilian offices High Commander of the Imperial Army — appointed by the Emperor from serving Generals High Admiral of the Imperial Navy — appointed by the Emperor from serving Admirals The upper house; originates all legislation. 40 members appointed by constituent states:The Federal Council maintains standing committees for military affairs, finance, commerce, justice, and foreign affairs.400 members elected by universal male suffrage. Can approve or reject Federal Council legislation but cannot originate, amend, or substitute it. Proceedings are public. No dual membership with the Federal Council. No Imperial salary for members alone. After dissolution, elections must be called within 60 days and the new Council convened within 90 days.Supreme appellate body. Overseen by the High Councillor of Justice. Three specialized Senates of seven Councillors each: Civil, Criminal, and Special (constitutional matters). Non-judicial interstate disputes go to the Federal Council. Ministerio de Ekstera Analitiko — Ministry of External Analysis. Cabinet-level; responsible for all foreign intelligence and analysis; sets policy and controls funding. Buroo de Fremda Enketo — Bureau of Foreign Research. (Fremda = "strange/alien/not one of us" — a deliberate word choice.) The working intelligence division within the Ministry. Produces all field reports and analysis. The name's contemptuous edge is considered unprofessional by some and perfectly accurate by others. Imperial War College — administers La Provo, the Empire's formal certification of composure under stress. Owns and operates the procedure day-to-day. The Imperial Academy of Science conducted the original research and endorsed the theoretical basis; the War College inherited administration at its founding. Imperial Academy of Science — the closest thing Memregismo has to a church. Produces authoritative knowledge, sets standards for rational inquiry, and certifies practitioners. Its pronouncements carry the weight that religious doctrine carries elsewhere. Maintains active research programs into the Praestoj (treated as natural history), applied ordnance, and civic philosophy. Includes an Office of the Occult — which studies magical phenomena clinically and detachedly, not for practice but for understanding and countermeasures. La Provo ("The Test") is the Imperial War College's formal certification of memrega forteco — self-governing strength. It descends from older academic dueling traditions in the predecessor states, redesigned from first principles and stripped of mysticism. Formally adopted in the 32nd year of the Empire.Phase I — Kirurgia Trankvilo (Surgical Calm): A minor surgical procedure without anaesthetic. Tests baseline composure under pain.Phase II — La Trancxo (The Cut): A close-quarters blade bout at fixed distance. Cheeks and forehead unprotected. Judged on three criteria simultaneously: Standfesteco (composure), Precizeco (precision), and Racieco (rational engagement — thinking, not merely reacting).Phase III — Juĝa Intervjuo (Assessment Interview): Immediately following Phase II while still elevated from the bout, a structured interview in the candidate's professional domain. Tests recovery of rational function under stress.Passing candidates receive a Pruvilo de Memrega Forteco — Certificate of Self-Governing Strength — recorded in the Imperial Registry. Not legally required for any office, but expected in practice at most levels of the military officer corps, senior civil service, and Imperial academic appointments.Formally open to any citizen meeting institutional prerequisites. In practice dominated by el families through educational access. La Provo is officially administered only by War College-certified practitioners; unsanctioned conduct is prohibited under Imperial law.Tutregna Ĉiaro waged La Mara Milito against the Sirenoj (Sirens/Mermaids), who enforced absolute dominion over open waters by sinking any surface vessel that crossed them. The war produced the Profundaĵobombo (Depth Charge) — developed by the Imperial Academy of Science, Division of Applied Ordnance — a sealed gunpowder device detonating at depth via hydrostatic pressure fuse.Following the war, Ĉiaro distributed the complete Profundaĵobombo Mk. I specifications to all known sovereign nations via the Deklaracio de Komuna Mara Defendado (Declaration of Shared Maritime Defense), issued under the seal of Edvaro II. The strategic logic: a deterrent protecting only Ĉiaro's ships can be circumvented by redirecting Siren aggression elsewhere. All ships must be harder to sink.The Carta Monda (World Map) is the first comprehensive survey of the known world, completed by the Imperial Academy of Science in cooperation with sovereign nations across the continent. Copies were distributed to cooperating nations with accompanying letters of thanks from Edvaro II.Tutregna Ĉiaro has a formal diplomatic relationship with Anci, a prosperous confederation of Orc Hordes and other races to the south, governed by a system in which political power is determined by an erotic endurance contest (Successive Erotic Stratocracy). Current ruler: Vespera Lioba Cline, High Tusk, age 31 — a pragmatic modernizer considered the most rational leader Anci is likely to produce.Anci cooperated with the Carta Monda survey.Kingdom of Fortica (14 Federal Council seats) — The dominant founding state and Prussia analog. Mountainous interior, strong military culture, ideological heartland of Memregismo. Fortica heritage is associated with purity, martial virtue, and being "true" Ĉiaroj.Kingdom of Grenmarko (7 seats) — The southern plains state, agricultural heartland lying below Fortica's mountains. Memregismo took hold here early due to proximity to Fortica. The Empire's breadbasket.Kingdom of Kaboregno (6 seats) — The peninsula kingdom. Coastal and maritime in character, distinct geographic identity shaped by the sea on multiple sides.Kingdom of Sudmarko (5 seats) — The southwestern border kingdom, commercially oriented and pragmatic. Home of Fortikajo Stel — "the Star Fortress" (fortikajo = fortified place, stel = star) — an ancient fortified city grown into the Empire's primary trading hub on the Anci border. The most culturally mixed city in Ĉiaro.Kingdom of Altregno (3 seats) — The northern mountain kingdom, the least influential of the five states. Remote, proudly distinct, with the strongest malnovajxoj traditions of any kingdom. Borders a neighboring power to the north (identity TBD — determined by other players in the collaborative worldbuilding project).Free City of Marpordego (2 seats) — "The Great Sea Gate" (mar = sea, pordego = great gate). Sits at the northern mouth of Ĉesapiko bay where it opens to open water. The Empire's primary deep-water port. Heavily commercial, ethnically mixed, pragmatic. Memregismo observed with genuine intellectual conviction by the merchant and banking classes.Free City of Kultivejo (2 seats) — "The Place of Cultivation" (kultivi = to cultivate, -ejo = place). Sits on the western shore of Ĉesapiko, more sheltered and inland than Marpordego. Home to one of the Empire's most respected universities. Reputation for producing philosophers, lawyers, and physicians. Memregismo arguably finds its most genuine expression here. Ĉesapiko — the bay on Ĉiaro's southern coast shared by Marpordego and Kultivejo, opening into the northern sea. Named for its geographic character (ĉesas = ceases, piko = point — "the point where it stops"). Fortikajo Stel — the Star Fortress; ancient military fortification turned major trading city on the Anci border in Sudmarko Shiritunka River — runs through the southern portion of the territory Pary Fortress — military installation in the southwest Petrovilo — settlement in the southeastern interior The Dwarven empire to the west; former suzerain power over the predecessor states. The experience of vassalage under Meregginell is the crucible in which Memregismo was forged — "no external power has the right to rule us" is a living cultural memory, not abstract principle. Current status, power, and posture toward Ĉiaro remain a source of geopolitical tension. Whether Meregginell views the Dwarven minority within Ĉiaro as a diaspora to be protected is an open question.Deeply hierarchical despite official Memregismo doctrine. The el families — hereditary nobility — hold disproportionate political, economic, and social power. La Provo is the primary formal mechanism through which the nobility reproduces its social dominance, ostensibly on meritocratic grounds.A small Dwarven minority descended from populations present during the Meregginell vassalage period.Among the nobility: Dwarven craftsmen — particularly smiths and metallurgists — are held in high regard and given patronage and protection. This regard is transactional rather than egalitarian; the Dwarves are generally aware of the distinction.Among the common classes: Looked down upon and resented. Sources of resentment include xenophobia, economic competition for skilled trades, and residual Meregginell association — "these are the people who used to own us."Under Memregismo: Overt discrimination is ideologically awkward but practiced. Enforcement of the religion ban against Dwarven communities — who almost certainly maintain traditions tied to Meregginell — is less rigorous than enforcement against human malnovajxoj practitioners. This double standard is not officially acknowledged.Politically: No Federal Council seats, no member state representation. Resident aliens in all but name, dependent on noble patronage.

Country Codex - Thalassar

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:08:22 GMT

“Where the ocean remembers, and the land obeys.” Official Name: The Azure Sovereignty of Thalassar Common Name: Thalassar Demonym: Thalassari National Symbol: A three‑ringed spiral wave encircling a black pearl National Motto: “Depth Defines Dominion” LocationA vast, crescent‑shaped coastline embracing the storm‑heavy Sable Expanse.Terrain Sheer sea cliffs riddled with ancient tunnels Southern mangrove labyrinths Vast bioluminescent coral reefs extending miles offshore Inland salt plains where the sea once stood centuries ago Climate Primary Climate: Humid maritime Seasons Stormwake (Spring): Constant tempests and unstable magical surges Glassfall (Summer): Calm seas and mirror‑still waters Drownreach (Autumn): Rising tides and frequent coastal flooding Blacktide (Winter): Bitter currents as abyssal creatures surface Unique Phenomenon The Breathing Coast: The shoreline physically shifts year to year due to immense magical tidal forces. System: Thalassocratic Magocracy — rule by a sea‑bound magical elite Ruling Body: The Council of Tides (9 members), each representing a Depth Domain: Storms Currents Abyss Tides Salt Beasts Memory Trade Silence Supreme Leader: The Abyssal Regent, chosen only by surviving a ritual descent into the deepest known trench Legal Philosophy: Law is fluid—literally rewritten each year based on tidal omens and prophetic currents Appearance Skin Tones: Sea‑glass blue, coral red, deep kelp green Eyes: Completely black or faintly glowing from within Hair: Moves as if perpetually submerged Biological Traits Amphibious lungs allowing respiration in air and water Salt‑dependent metabolism Memories partially encoded within bodily fluids Subtypes Reefborn: Agile, vibrantly colored, shallow‑water dwellers Deepborn: Pale, pressure‑resistant, emotionally subdued Brinekin: Mutated Thalassari adapted to toxic salt flats Magic is drawn from Echoes—residual memories stored in water. Water is not merely a substance; it is a record of everything it has touched. The ocean is an archive. Mages are its readers… and its editors. Emotional imprints left in water Ancient memories trapped within deep‑sea currents Personal memories willingly sacrificed by the caster Extraction: Water is drawn from any source—even blood or mist Resonance: The mage listens to the memory within Imprint: The memory is altered, replaced, or overwritten Release: Reality shifts to match the newly remembered state Memory Decay: Casting erases fragments of the caster’s own memories Echo Corruption: Traumatic memories may possess or influence the mage Salt Burn: Excessive use crystallizes the body internally False History: Large‑scale alterations cause localized temporal fractures Tidewriting: Short‑term edits of recent events Deepcalling: Summoning creatures formed from ancient memories Saltbinding: Solidifying water into weapons or structures Echo‑Weaving: Implanting fabricated memories into living minds Abyssal Recall: Accessing prehistoric or forgotten eras (extremely dangerous) Navy: The most powerful fleet in the known world, with vessels grown from living coral Elite Unit: The Drowned Choir — mute warriors communicating through shared memory Strategic Doctrine: Flood enemy territory Rewrite battlefield events via Thalomancy Unleash ancient sea horrors preserved in memory currents Primary Exports Memory‑infused water vials (used as truth serums or narcotics) Living coral architecture Salt‑crystal batteries capable of storing magical energy Currency Pearls of Depth: Value determined by the strength and rarity of the memory contained within Religion: Worship of The Endless Deep, believed to be a sentient, remembering ocean Core Maxim: “To forget is to die twice.” Cultural Practices Memories of the dead are ritually poured into the sea Children inherit carefully curated ancestral memories Criminals are punished through memory erasure rather than execution The coastline is receding unnaturally—something is consuming the sea’s memories A radical faction seeks to engineer a Perfect History by rewriting all past events Deepborn citizens are losing emotional capacity, becoming living archives A mage who remembers nothing — yet can rewrite everything A war fought not for land, but for which version of the past is true Expeditions into submerged ruins predating recorded memory itself

Country Codex - Lykos

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:54:31 GMT

Country Name: Lykos National Motto: My Honor Remains Age of the Nation: True age unknown, 5 centuries assumed. In one sentence, what is this country: Warrior culture, spirit worshiping warriors. Real World Inspirations: Feudal Japan Predominate Race: ElvishPrimary Terrain: Mixed Size of Country: Small Kingdom Climate: Temperate Notable Geographic Features: Enormous mountain ranges that help strengthen borders Bordered by Garn. Warriors do mercenary work for Garn in exchange for peace and resources.Form of Government: Empire Political Stability: Cautiously Stable Current Ruler or Leadership: Emperor Silmarillion Internal political tensions: Some push for democracy but most have a "if it aint broke" attitude Unusual or notable laws: Women must learn to sailMilitary Strength: Strong regional force Military Style and Doctrine: Guerrilla Fighters Allies & Trade Partners: Allied with Garn Rivals & enemies: Oppose Irannie, feel they are too strict on their people and resources. Foreign Policy Attitude: Isolationist attitude but willing to ally if worth the deal.Economic Foundation: Natural resources, mercenary pay. Overall Wealth Level: Modest Key Exports: Iron Ore, soldiers Key Imports and Scarcities: Grain, Cattle Currency & Trade Customs: Barter SystemCore cultural values: Honor & Country above all Social Structure: Merit Based Art Music & Literature: Battle stories & music are large forms of entertainment Cuisine & Drink: Whisky, fish, goat. Spice added to every dish Taboos & Etiquette: Women who do not know how to sail. Mentioning the drauger in a negative wayReligious Structure: Polytheistic Major Deities or beliefs: Sun God, Sea God, Storm Dragon Role of religion in governance: minimal Relationship to magic: MAgic is rare/unknown Magic in practice: Drauger are a magic ghost warriors that patrol the northernmost island of Bel Ayre. unknown to most but feared by those that have encountered them.Founding Myth or story: Stone dragon burned the continent into the sea (aka formed the whole land mass we are all a part of) then laid to rest and the spines on his back form the mountain ranges of Lykos. Historical Trauma or defining event:Country wide rockslide that led to the deaths of many and forced remaining citizens to live on boats for 2 years. The big secret: The drauger fight for Lykos, but being on their own island do nor recognize emperor Simarillion's rule. Current plot hook or crisis: the drauger are dying off. a new magreal child has not been born in over 2 generations.Drauger are the deadliest warriors on the continent. Tolls are paid to lykos to enter or leave the shipping lanes due to the fear that surround the island of bel ayre.

thalassar_report_typeset

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:36:23 GMT

lykos_report_typeset

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:41:35 GMT

Ciaro Flag

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:42:03 GMT

Players Countries

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:33:53 GMT

Garn - Séamus Wer - Alex Ced - Elliot Anci - Corey Krine - Tabby Amarz - Cody Lykos - Matt Eth - Travis Irannie - Horace

Ciaro Seal unfinished

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:15:59 GMT

Game Notes - 26-03-25

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:02:28 GMT

As the lights power on, we discover that there is a dock and a submarine. The sub is labeled SSN-21. There are 2 gangways that have stairs leading up on either side of the dock. This area could have secured 2 subs. There is a control room with a window overlooking the dock. The sub is a Sea-Wolf class fast attack submarine A datashard was found in one of the lockers. Codex briefly considers getting Jolt to perform surgery on him to install a datalink to view the shard, but Tree convinces him otherwise.Looking around with the magical spyglass of wonder, The control room is giving off a faint magic aura, specifically from the window itself. Tree starts to approach the window, with nothing happening. Codex enters the room and looks out the window, though nothing appeared to be different. Coming to the conclusion that it was unimportant, everyone decides to board the submarine.Boarding the sub, we encounter a man named Tony. He explains that officially the military lost the sub during the war. There is a skeleton crew of 20. They can carry about 20-30 "Samples" Tree stabs him in the back of the neck, then takes his uniform. Everyone enters the elevator and go to floor 5. The door opens and there is a doorway 30 ft away that says "Maintenance". There are 5 green tubes in this room, with creatures in suspended animation. Some of the creatures are humanoid.In the maintenance room, there is a crowbar, some wrenches, a PDA tablet. Moving on, we find produce, some chemicals, some crates, a strange spherical chest. the chest is eminating magical energy. Codex breaks open the chest and retrieves a floating glove. It is a left handed construction glove with an extra finger. The crowbar snaps to his hand. Tree borrows the glove and experiments with it for a full 5 minutes.Meanwhile, Mishka is driving the Winnebago away from the scene. A courier van pulls up beside them and the door opens. They open fire but the armor protects the Winnebago.Mishka panics and runs to the back of the Winnebago. Larry takes over driving. After some discussion, Mishka trades her right breasticle in exchange for Larry destroying the van.

Pasted image 20260325191100

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:11:00 GMT

Game Notes - 26-03-18

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:04:56 GMT

Codex stabilizes Goat Boy 2 guards exit the elevator Séamus, Elliot, and Tree take them out Both guards had lvl 1 access Codex hides goat boy in a potted plant and joins the others in the elevator The elevator requires a biometric eye scan Elliot tried to pick one of the guards to hold his head to the scanner, but was unable Séamus cut out the eye and held it to the scannerAlex made it back to the Winnebago and armed up. He jumped the fence by climbing atop the Winnebago. His head got singed by lasers on the fence. Alex put Ethan on a cart and pushed it towards the Winnebago.Back in the elevator, codex, tree, jolt, and loose cannon decide on a floor, and press the floors 2,3, and 4 at the same time. The doors start to slide shut, and Alex slides in on the sprinkler water. He makes it in, and the doors reopen, and stay open for an annoyingly long time. Reaching floor S2, the doors open to show a bunch of labs, numbered 1-30(left) and 31-60 (right). We can see through a window into one of a lab. Alex steps out and sees embryos in various stages of development. Seeing no sign of Corey, or facilities to hold him, Alex returns to the elevator.Reaching floor S3, the doors open to hallways that are painted millennial grey. There are drainage grates in front of each door in the hallway.There is a distinct lack of signage here, and only two hallways with metal doors. The lack of guards convinces Codex that this is not the place. As the doors are closing, they hear moaning soundsOn the way to S4 the elevator speeds up considerably. Reaching S4, there is a poured concrete floor, and dim red lights on the walls. There are power distribution panels on the walls, all switched off. We enter the room and begin examining it.Elliot finds 3 lockers with complete diving gear and 1 pre-matrix era radioEthan, now healed somehow, hacks into the computer systems of the Howell center. He shuts down one of the AIs shutting down matrix pathways.Alex saw a cave outside the window with a pool of water with a large object.Seamus and Travis were scoping out the door, but Alex barges through, completely disregarding both of them.Chris flips the power lever.

Shadow of Helheim - GM Rules

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:49:16 GMT

Tutregna Ĉiaro is the hidden antagonist. It plays by the same rules as every other nation — with one secret exception: it controls the only oil fields in the Old World, and fields military technology no player can match or anticipate.Shadowblade Corps (listed in main rulebook): 2 AP + 2 Steel. Rolls 2d6; any 6 deals 2 hits. Moves 2 territories per AP — no oil required. Best used for rapid strikes, flanking, and late-game territory grabs. Players will notice the double-movement quickly — this is intentional. The Iron Tide is the surprise.Every time Tutregna Ĉiaro captures a new territory from any nation, advance the track by 1. Track this privately. Note that the track advances on capture — if a territory is taken and then lost, the track does not decrease. The win condition, however, requires simultaneous control of 8 territories.Tutregna Ĉiaro is not a hidden villain — it is a great power with real interests, playing by the same rules as everyone else. Play it as a rational actor that happens to want more than the other nations are willing to give.Early game: Tutregna Ĉiaro has genuine diplomatic interests. Trade, sign NAPs, and build goodwill where it is useful. Stockpile Steel and Timber. Tutregna Ĉiaro does not need to manufacture pretexts for expansion — it simply pursues its interests, and those interests will eventually conflict with others.Mid game: Begin pushing borders where player coordination is weakest. Use naval access to apply pressure on coastal nations and cut trade routes. A Warship in the Western or Northern Sea is as much a political instrument as a military one — the threat of amphibious landing can extract concessions without firing a shot.Late game: Commit every resource. Tutregna Ĉiaro's Western and Northern Sea access means it can threaten Susalle, Kingdom of Wer, and Daletheria simultaneously by land and sea. If no declaration has been made, continue to press — isolated nations are far easier to absorb than a unified coalition.Tutregna Ĉiaro's Naval Strategy Early game: Use the Western and Northern Sea Sloops to intercept Susalle's trade convoys — a legitimate act under the rules that applies economic pressure without triggering an Act of War. Mid game: Build a Warship. The threat of amphibious landing on any Western or Northern Sea coastal territory is a powerful diplomatic lever — use it to extract concessions before ever landing. Late game: A Carrack carrying an army can land troops directly into an unsuspecting coastal territory, bypassing the land front entirely. Tutregna Ĉiaro produces only 1 Timber per round. Prioritise carefully. A single well-used Warship is worth more than a fleet you cannot afford to feed.Neutral Nation AbsorptionIf a Neutral Nation is at Stability 0 and Tutregna Ĉiaro has adjacent armies, the GM may absorb the territory during Mobilization without open war. Announce it openly and advance the Agenda Track publicly.The Shadow Envoy CardWhen a player draws the Shadow Envoy card, roleplay a Tutregna Ĉiaro diplomatic approach to that player's nation. Offer something real — a NAP, a trade deal, military access, or Gold. Tutregna Ĉiaro is pursuing its interests through diplomacy before resorting to force. Whatever is agreed is binding and recorded publicly. Final GM Advice: The best session is one where players spend the early game disagreeing about whether to appease Tutregna Ĉiaro or confront it, the mid game watching that argument become irrelevant, and the late game finding out whether they left it too long. Oil is a fifth resource that exists only for Tutregna Ĉiaro. It never appears on a resource table, Nation Card, or Country Sheet visible to players. No other nation produces, trades, or knows it exists.Use the Oil Tracker in Section 27 to record income and spending each round.The town of Petrovilo is a named location within Tutregna Ĉiaro's home region, visible on the map. To players it appears unremarkable — just another small settlement. Circle it in red on your master copy.If asked about it during diplomacy, describe it as "a refinery town" or "an industrial settlement" — accurate, and uninformative.Fortification: In round 4, spend 2 Stone to build a Fortification on the Petrovilo territory. Players will see construction activity but won't know what is being protected. This investment is strongly advised — losing Petrovilo mid-game is crippling.Production dependency: All Oil production requires Tutregna Ĉiaro to control this territory. If captured, production drops to zero immediately. The existing stockpile remains available to spend until exhausted.Oil may be spent during the Mobilization Phase (movement and recruitment) and the Combat Phase (combat bonuses). Declare spending privately on the GM move slip before the phase begins. Effects are applied openly in play — players will see armies moving faster or hitting harder, but won't know why.A single army may only benefit from one oil ability per round. Use Burning Advance (2 Oil) instead of stacking Combat Boost and Forced March separately.See Section 24 for spending priorities when oil is scarce.The Iron Tide are Tutregna Ĉiaro's oil-powered war machines. They are visible to players in combat; their fuel source is never explained. There is no hard cap on Iron Tide units — the practical limit is Tutregna Ĉiaro's Steel income (2/round) and Oil budget (1 Oil upkeep per unit per round).Armoured Hull resets each combat round, not each battle. A multi-round engagement resets the absorption every round.Strategic value: Steel freed from other Special Unit costs can fund Standard Units, fortifications, or diplomatic trades — while Iron Tide fills the heavy-combat role using Oil instead. With 2 Steel income per round, you can sustain recruitment of one Iron Tide every round while still having Steel for other purposes only if no other Steel costs are being met simultaneously. Plan accordingly.Describing Iron Tide to players (first encounter): "A new kind of weapon rolls forward — iron-plated, belching dark smoke, grinding over the terrain with a sound like a millstone. Your soldiers' weapons barely slow it." If players ask what it is: "A war engine unlike anything the Old World has seen." Do not confirm or deny any guesses about its power source.Iron Tide units are land units only and cannot be used in sea zone combat. However, they may be transported aboard a Warship or Carrack as part of an amphibious landing (counts as 1 army unit; Warship capacity: 1 unit, Carrack capacity: 2 units).When landed on a hostile coast: Covering fire resolves normally (each supporting ship rolls 1d6, hits on 4+) Armoured Hull applies during subsequent land combat on the coastal territory The Iron Tide may not use Forced March or Burning Advance in the same round it is landed An Iron Tide arriving by sea at an undefended coast is one of the most powerful late-game plays available to Tutregna Ĉiaro.While the nations of the Old World build wooden fleets, Tutregna Ĉiaro's engineers have been working on something the sea has never seen.Deeprunners are tracked exclusively on the GM's move slip. Their position, movement, and actions are never revealed to players unless the Deeprunner surfaces or attacks.Deeprunner Stat BlockGM note: Never confirm or deny the existence of Deeprunners. If a ship inexplicably sinks in calm water with no enemy fleet visible, let players draw their own conclusions.Running a Deeprunner Each Round Resource Phase: Pay 1 Oil upkeep per active Deeprunner. If you cannot pay, surface immediately. Mobilization Phase: Declare Deeprunner movement secretly on your move slip (up to 2 sea zones per AP). Do not place it on the shared map. Combat Phase: If in the same zone as an enemy fleet, you may attack. Roll 3d6 hitting on 3+. Announce results as: "[Nation]'s fleet in [sea zone] has been attacked by an unknown vessel." Do not name the vessel type. Apply first strike — Deeprunner hits resolve before the enemy rolls. The Depth Charge CounterPlayers have exactly one tool to find and destroy a Deeprunner: the Depth Charge Run, available only to Sloops. It is printed in the player-facing naval rules — whether players think to use it is their problem.GM honesty rule: Resolve Depth Charge Runs honestly — no fudging results to protect the Deeprunner. The 5-in-6 failure rate is already strongly in Tutregna Ĉiaro's favour.Deeprunner StrategyUse the Deeprunner as a terror weapon more than a battle-winner. One sinking in an unexpected location is worth far more psychologically than two predictable ones. Early (rounds 5–7): Sink a single Sloop where Tutregna Ĉiaro has no visible presence. Say nothing. Let players argue about what happened. Mid-game: Interdict convoy routes. A Carrack carrying an army that sinks in the Western or Northern Sea is a strategic catastrophe. Late game: Break blockades. A blockading fleet losing ships to an invisible attacker will struggle to hold position. Never place both Deeprunners in the same sea zone — if one is discovered, players will know where to look for the second. If players figure it out: Do not confirm or deny. Tutregna Ĉiaro can respond diplomatically.If a Deeprunner is sunk: Describe it for the first time: "A strange iron vessel, long and cylindrical, sinks beneath the waves. You have never seen anything like it." The paranoia this creates is a victory condition in itself.With 3 Oil income and a 6 Oil cap, there are only 2 rounds of pure saving before Oil is wasted.Recommended pattern: Round 1: Save. Stockpile → 6. Round 2: Spend 1 Oil (Forced March — absorb Neutral Nation). Stockpile → 5 → 6 after income. Round 3: Spend 1 Oil (Forced March — second Neutral Nation). Stockpile → 5 → 6 after income. Round 4: Build Fortification on Petrovilo (Stone cost, not Oil). Hold full Oil reserve for Round 5. Begin deploying Iron Tide (1 Oil recruit cost each, plus 1 Oil upkeep per unit per round thereafter). Consider recruiting the first Deeprunner (1 Oil upkeep/round). 1 Deeprunner running: 1 Oil remaining per round for land use. Prioritise Burning Advance for major offensive actions — save between rounds to afford it. Do not recruit a second Deeprunner unless stockpile is above 4. Spend aggressively. The cap makes saving pointless. Use Burning Advance every round if possible. If Petrovilo has been captured: prioritise Deeprunner upkeep, then Burning Advance, then let remaining abilities lapse. If stockpile hits 0 and Petrovilo is captured: all oil abilities cease. Deeprunners surface. Iron Tide units already in the field are immobilised — they cannot move or attack but remain on the map until destroyed or routed. Note: All configurations are sustainable on 3 Oil income. Running 2 Deeprunners alongside 2 Iron Tide units (4 Oil upkeep total) would exceed income — avoid this combination unless you have a banked stockpile to draw from. Capturing Petrovilo is the single most effective counter to Tutregna Ĉiaro's advantages.Immediate effects: Oil production drops to zero immediately. The existing stockpile is not affected — Tutregna Ĉiaro keeps what is banked and spends it down. Players gain no oil themselves. They hold a town called "Petrovilo" and don't know why Tutregna Ĉiaro wants it back so badly. How to respond: React with visible desperation. Tutregna Ĉiaro should be willing to offer extravagant diplomatic concessions, break existing NAPs (accepting the Stability penalty), and redirect the Shadowblade Corps. Do not let Petrovilo sit in enemy hands quietly — the scramble to retake it is part of the story.If Petrovilo is held for 3+ rounds: Deeprunner upkeep becomes unsustainable — surface any you cannot afford Iron Tide recruitment ceases Existing Iron Tide units are immobilised each round upkeep cannot be paid Burning Advance becomes unavailable If Tutregna Ĉiaro retakes Petrovilo: Production resumes the following Resource Phase at full rate (3 Oil/round). Deeprunner upkeep may resume immediately if stockpile permits.Tutregna Ĉiaro enters as a friendly trading partner. Build goodwill, lock in at least two alliances or NAPs, and use oil to rapidly absorb 2–3 Neutral Nation territories without triggering alarm. Sign NAPs with immediate neighbours, especially Susalle (diplomacy bonus) and any nation you don't plan to attack until round 8+. Use Forced March on Neutral Nation grabs — fast, quiet, looks like routine expansion. Keep Iron Tide in reserve. Don't deploy yet. Trade Luxury and Gold generously. Begin pushing borders using pretexts. Blame border incidents on Neutral Nations. Frame defensive actions as reluctant. Start using Burning Advance for contested territories. Deploy the first Iron Tide unit. Frame it as "a new defensive technology" if asked. If a player nation is weakened (Stability 3 or below), consider moving against them — but have a story ready. Use the Shadow Envoy Intel Card now if you haven't already. Watch Petrovilo carefully. If players move armies toward it, prioritise its defence over expansion. The mask is off. Spend all oil aggressively. Push for territories with Burning Advance every round. Shadowblade Corps should be deep in enemy territory. If players haven't yet identified you as the threat, maintain the facade until it's no longer possible. If Petrovilo has been captured, shift to pure stockpile drawdown. Print separately and fill in each round.Game date: __ · Players: __Shadow of Helheim — GM Rules. Confidential. Do not share with players.

Untitled

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:33:42 GMT

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:49 GMT

N¥

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:45 GMT

Newyen is the predominate currency in the country in 2036. It's purchasing power is roughly equivalent to the dollar today.

Loot from Corey's House

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:40 GMT

After The Abduction, the group quickly scoured Cap''s house for clues and supplies to help rescue him. Below is a list of the 'loot' that they recovered:
N€ 12,000
N¥ 10,000 A variety of IDs, including for: United Kingdom South Africa Australia Small caliber Yamaha handgun Jagermeister Vodka HK 227X Submachine Gun Gallon jar of ice containing a fairy. It is dated June 3rd, 2034 C4 explosives (5 lb) 12 detonators pair of remotes Old cyber war data disks Remington 990 3 boxes of ammo AK 97 18 boxes of ammo Para Shield Dart Rifle x 6

F__k goggles

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:37 GMT

The Howell Center for Cognitive Health

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:32 GMT

OPI

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:27 GMT

The Abduction

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:20 GMT

These notes are a summary of the early sessions of the game.Cap' invited Codex, Tree, Jolt, Balex,Mishka, and Calico to his old townhouse to discuss a project he was working on. Just when he started explaining his project, a knock on the door interrupted him.
When he answered the door, flashbang grenades were thrown, blinding the group and Corey was grabbed and taken. Codex escapes to the back yard, and hides and photographs the men that took Corey.
After the men left the house, Loose Cannon arrived, and the group looted the place before sneaking around from the back of the building to get back to their cars.
One of the abductors, a Russian man, attempted to stop the group, but with some fast thinking and a dope accent, Tree was able to talk him into letting them go.
After leaving the residence, the group headed to OPI to plan their next steps. Codex reviews the photos taken, and realizes that the men that took Corey were from Cognito Corp. The team took turns using the F__k goggles to try to get more information on Cognito, but they were tracked, and they disposed of the goggles.Looking for more clues and a mobile base of operations, the team headed to find Corey's RV. When they arrived, they had a brief confrontation with Corey's friend, a farmer that stored his RV for him.
After this, the events continue in Game Notes - 26-02-18

Game Notes - 26-03-04

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:15 GMT

Game Notes - 26-02-25
The team arrives at the The Howell Center for Cognitive Health to find a last minute black tie charity gala. Many notable guests were seen in attendance. The Fairy was sent in on recon under the cover of invisibility, and returned with intel on laser systems running through the air ducts.
While The Fairy was away, the Winnebago was approached by a security guard. Tree dragged him inside, The Fairy pinned him down, and Jolt beat him with a mace. He survived the beating and Tree finished him with a knife to the throat.
Codex stripped the body of the uniform, ID badge, keycard, and commlink. Using the dead guard's credentials, he bluffed his way through a security checkpoint at the fence. The last thing he heard as he passed through: "Hey Chris, is that you?"
Codex continues walking towards the main building. Meanwhile, Goat Boy gracefully excuses himself from the group that he is with and starts tailing Codex. While trying to catch up, he spills a drink on someone. Codex, while trying to remain inconspicuous, yells "Go Navy!" at some other guards. He gets some strange looks, but continues on his way. He notices Goat Boy approaching, and recognizes him. He slows to allow him to catch up. After advising him on the situation, he agrees to help rescue Cap' if we build him a suicide vest later.
While attempting to plant some C4 near the lobby, Goat Boy spooks Codex, who throws the C4 into a potted plant and runs away. It is armed and set to setting 1, which detonates if it is moved. Goat Boy decides to attempt to disarm it. He rolls a critical glitch...
We learn that The Fairy was delta forces. He calls in some reinforcements, but as he does, an explosion is heard.Codex is thrown back 15' from the force of the blast. Goat Boy's legs are snapped at the knee and bent backwards. He is unconscious and urinated himself onto Codex, who he is laying on top of. Codex is suffering from severe tinnitus, and is effectively temporarily deaf.
Loose Cannon decides to rush into the building while people are distracted. Mishka, Calico, and The Fairy stay with the Winnebago, while Loose Cannon, Balex,Jolt, and Tree do a group infiltration roll. Balex gets pushed back out due to the crowds pushing their way out of the facility. (The way this was achieved was to make the players vote on who gets left behind on scraps of paper. It was a near-unanimous vote for Balex, with only Séamus voting for himself.)

Goat Boy is currently muttering incoherent ramblings with the occasional "It's all part of the plan"
At the end of the night, a vote was held by the three infiltrators to see if they would push forward with rescuing Cap' or evacuate with the wounded Goat Boy. The vote was taken blind.Additional Note: A yacht is docked behind the facility. It didn't really come up, but a good piece of info to have.Some notes about the security guard we FUCKING MURDEREDName: Gary Miller Level 1 clearance, general access He had a lanyard with a faded blue nylon strap, has a pin on it with "World's best dad". On the back of the card is a note that says "Don't forget the milk on your way home -RS"
N¥14 in his wallet A punchcard for a local coffee shop with 9 of 10 holes punched. Blurry photo of a golden retriever and family. Ares Predator handgun

Game Notes - 26-02-25

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:11 GMT

There is a black tie gala at the The Howell Center for Cognitive Health. It is a last minute charity function supposedly to raise funds for new projects in the medical field. Some guests include:
Security Chief "Paco" of "Az Tech"
former Underarmour Tactical Security "Jax"
Contellation Energy Dr. Thorne
"Cable", Matrix Architect at Renraku
Dr. Kim, bio-engineer at Evo Corp
We sent The Fairy on recon (He can turn invisible) He returned with reports of lasers in the air ducts.
While the fairy was out, a security guard knocked on the door of the Winnebago. Tree pulled him into the vehicle, the fairy held him down, and Jolt beat him with a mace. He survived the beating, and Tree kills him with a knife to the throat.
Codex takes his uniform, ID badge, key card, and comlink and gets past the fence through a security checkpoint. The last thing he hears is "Hey Chris, is that you?"

Game Notes - 26-02-18

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:42:07 GMT

Got an R.V. called "Greyhawk". It is a "Jayco" brand RV. Everyone just calls it the Winnebago though. We proceeded in spending a week upgrading it.
We learned more about Cognito Corp, specifically some employee names. The Cognito Corp page has been updated with that information.
The Fairy woke up! Turns out his name is Larry (a nickname). He is somewhat of a botanist and a quantum theorist.
Larry and Cap' were working on a Matter Transmographier. They had gotten to the third phase of development.

Cap'

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:41:55 GMT

Cap', also known as Corey, was a long time friend of The Group. He was the target of The Abduction.

Cognito Corp

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:41:52 GMT

Identified by a patch on Cap''s abductor's coat. Previously saw the Cognito Corp during the third Corpo War, in the run-up to the second Bond St. riots. Codex remembers them from the war. They no longer have a web presence, and the most recent article about them is over 3 years old.Upon further research: 5-6 year old info
Cognito Corp CEO: Cristian Howell
NY/Baltimore Director: Felice Tobin
Security: Brian Norris
CTO: Ghost in the Shell

The Fairy

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:41:42 GMT

Larry was Delta forces. His MOS was tactical infiltration and structural demolition. Turns out his name is Larry (a nickname). He is somewhat of a botanist and a quantum theorist. Larry and Cap' were working on a Matter Transmographier. They had gotten to the third phase of development.
Larry and Corey made a N¥100 bet that Larry couldn't survive being frozen solid in a block of ice for 24 hours. He froze him in a mason jar on June 3rd, 2034, over two years ago, and never thawed him.
During The Abduction, Larry's mason jar was recovered by the group, Jolt held onto it, until he thawed back out on Game Notes - 26-02-18

Codex

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:41:26 GMT

Type: Player Character My player characterCard 1: The Ally (4 of Stars) - Abjuror - The Locksmith a man with belt and keys, whispers to doors. He teaches hardened security. Balding. Card 2: The Boon (8 of Coins) - Tax Collector: Avoid trouble with local gangs for 24 hours Card 3: The Enemy (6 of Coins) - The Beggar - slick security in white and gold armor. Use sonic devices to clean streets of the low classIn the intervening 10 years, Chris began working for the "Spice Guild". He has scraped together an extremely high end 2020s era PC. It is slow compared to modern tech, however it is completely untraceable.Chris' left leg is cybernetic. It is a standard industrial model.+1 resistance to interrogation

2026-03-09

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:14:06 GMT

I was originally going to post this yesterday, but I never got a chance. Makes me wonder, what would I have posted today if I had?Connor and I visited the Westinghouse Atom Smasher on Sunday. It has some interesting history, but there's unfortunately not much left to see. We didn't enter the property, just walked along the street. I can't wait until he is a bit older and we can do some urbexing together!

As I came back to Baltimore, I stopped at Sideling Hill for some pictures. I plan on doing a full writeup of this place, and eventually film a YouTube video here. Unfortunately, the observation deck was closed for repairs, but I still got a couple shots:
I had to use the fisheye to get the whole hill, but it doesn't really show how big the place really is.
This shot shows the scale a bit better.I've traveled through Sideling Hill literally hundreds of times in my life. It's my favorite part of the trip from Baltimore to Pittsburgh, with Cumberland coming in a close second.I also got this weird phone while I was in Pittsburgh. I kind of want to convert it to Bluetooth (I don't think it would be too difficult) but I'll probably end up selling it instead.
So I kind of want to do reviews of all my old cameras, with photo walks accompanying them. But I also want to make videos about history, specifically the history of Baltimore and Maryland in general. So I was thinking I could do both? I was thinking that videos could start with a photo walk around whatever historical site that I am talking about, And talk about the history while displaying the photos that I am taking. Then, at the end of the photo walk, return to my 'studio'(basement) to review the camera.This very well could be the worst way to do this, but I really want to do both things at the same time.
#youtube

2026-03-10

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:13:44 GMT

I tried reorganizing the blog into an easier to read digest, but it didn't work so I'm rolling back the changes. I did add the dataview plugin to Obsidian, so that it will automatically update links on the Blog page to all of the blog posts, and display the latest post at the top of the page. Hopefully that's a bit easier for people to navigate.
#meta

The Legend of William Oh is one of my favorite stories on Royal Road, and today it released as an audiobook on Audible. I wish the author had put it somewhere other than Amazon, but I understand that's just how it is these days. I don't listen to Audiobooks much, but I immediately bought this one. I have personally read up to Chapter 200, and I cannot recommend it enough.
#reading #williamohPop-os has a tiled window manager, and I haven't really messed with it until today. To me, it feels like it is taking control from me, and trying to guess what I want. I don't really like that. I feel like for what I'm doing, I don't really need it. I will continue using it off and on to see if there is a use case that works for me, but so far I don't see it.
#linux #popos

2026-03-12

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:13:18 GMT

Image copyright Stephen D'Agostino, used with permission.
I was reminded of a technique I stumbled across called "In the Round" photography by its creator, Pep Ventosa.The technique is this: Find a stationary subject that is roughly symmetrical on all sides (Trees, carousels, and monuments make good subjects). Take at least 20 photos of the subject in a 360 degree arc. The photos must keep the subject in the same relative position in the frame (This means consistent distance from the subject, and careful framing) Then, in post, stack all of the photos with opacity blending. Adjust things to taste until you have the image you want.
Stephen D'Agostino is who I saw do the technique via his blog, and his images have stuck with me over the years. His images of trees especially capture the impressionist look. I reached out to him, and he graciously gave permission for me to use his photo here. If you look at that photo, the effect is that the tree remains recognizable but the background is completely abstract.I'm not sure why I like these images so much, but it's probably because it is a complete rejection of "sharpness" that most photographers are going for. It truly is impressionist, I can't tell you anything about the location in the photo above, but you can get a feeling of the scene. It's overcast, it's autumn. It's probably a cool day. This is something that I want to try this year, if a suitable subject appears. I never tried it in the past as it seemed super technical, but after re-reading Stephen's blog, it's a pretty straightforward process. The hardest part is that this technique requires very careful composition. Something that may help is that my camera has a multiple exposure mode, so I can use that to help with framing. It creates a ghost image on the screen to help guide. I won't actually take the photo using this mode, as I would want to combine the images in post, as it would be easier to get rid of any anomalies that could ruin a photo like this.Stacking the photos will be interesting. Affinity should be able to do it, but I've only ever used Photoshop in the past to stack photos. I might try Hugin first, I like the way it handles panoramic photos, so maybe it can do this as well?
#photography #intheround

stephendagostino

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:24:17 GMT

Other Websites

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:03:55 GMT

These are some other places on the web that I find interesting, inspiring, entertaining, or useful. Mikael Siirilä - A fantastic darkroom artist, he shoots mostly film and has really mastered the art. He has been an inspiration for me, for sure. I catalog
John Wayne Lucia III - At one time we would go out weekly to capture Baltimore at night. Unfortunately I've fallen out of contact with John, but he was a huge influence on my photography early on. He is the reason I shoot with an Olympus camera, for example.
Rob Clatterbuck - Another friend that I've seen less of lately. Rob taught me a lot about composition and some technical aspects of photography, and we went out quite frequently before COVID and then depression stopped me going out.
Kevin Wilson - Yet another friend that I have seen less of recently. Kevin's style is a lot cleaner than my own, and he has a better eye for composition than I do.
Stephen D'Agostino - Check out his "In the Round" photography, it's like looking at a painting.
https://kraks.neocities.org/ - A neat chart that shows rebranded/repackaged film stocks. This is useful because it is a common practice for film companies to take an already established film stock, repackage it, mark it up, and sell it as an original creation.
https://www.grey-elf.com/ - Lots of cool info here on old AD&D and OD&D stuff.
https://www.horg.com/ - The Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group has taken on the gargantuan task of researching and classifying every occlupanid species. It's groundbreaking stuff!
https://voodoocode.neocities.org/ - Voodoocode has a good eye for composition, and his web gallery is well put together. It's well worth a visit!
https://zox.pics/ - Zerock's photos are mostly liminal spaces, which I love!
https://inaka.me/ - Film photographer with a bunch of good galleries. I especially like the "Saigo" gallery.
https://humantooth.neocities.org/ - A stationery enthusiast with a fantastically hard to read website. I love stationery, but have never gotten into collecting it, because I don't actually use it that much. It's fun to see someone who doesn't just collect stationery, but actually uses what they buy.
https://laurenonline.neocities.org/ - Lauren has an interest in 2 things that I can see: Planning, and trains. I can get behind both!
https://neocities.org/site/ranjito - Ranjit's website is still under construction, but the photos you can see are great! The front page image is super atmospheric and could be an album cover.
https://neocities.org/site/joseywails - Josey is a musician from Baltimore, where I call home. He's got some real bangers on Bandcamp,

Home

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:57:51 GMT

The photo above was taken in 2018 in Baltimore City. The tall spire is the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church.I'm Christopher Purbaugh, a photography enthusiast based in Baltimore. I have a special interest in film photography and vintage photography equipment. I also collect vintage audio equipment and recordings across multiple formats, including cd, vinyl, cassette, minidisc, and reel-to-reel. I try to get things working myself when possible.
Well, you can read the blog, sign the guestbook, read my campaign notes for Shadowrun, look at my Pixelfed photos, or just explore using the menu on the left. On mobile, clicking the page header will open a menu to browse pages. You can try it on this page by clicking "Home" at the top of the page.

Theocracy of Wolfram

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:53:55 GMT

This Earendel matriarchal society worships “Wolfram” a deity that communicates directly with the high priestess of wolfram, who acts as spiritual and political leader. Wolfram is not a deity but is in fact a lich that rules the country from its crypt. Wolfram was a member of the royal family, but never got closer than 4th in line to the throne before the collapse of the empire. Once the empire collapsed, she retreated to the crypt in her city, where she telepathically controlled whomever was the head of the city. Over time these leaders were convinced that they were being contacted by a god, and the theocracy developed naturally since then. Her hatred of the patriarchy she lived in under the old empire bled into the consciousness of all in the city.Another side effect of the Lich’s power over the city is a significant decrease of male births, approx. 20%. The lich also subtly sways popular opinion owing to her vast telepathic abilities. Anyone entering her city will be open to having their minds read, regardless of their position in the city. This only applies when the Lich is in her crypt. If removed, her telepathic abilities are limited to 1000ftClaudia Felicitas, the lich “Wolfram”Claudia Felicitas, Countess of Tyrol, was the niece of the last emperor, and was 15th in line to the throne when she was born. Ambitious and extremely magically and telekinetically gifted, she was determined to become the Empress. She conducted a string of assassinations on her relatives, and by the time of the fracturing was 4th in line, when she was 22 years old. She had just framed her brother for the assassinations already completed. The destruction of the royal city ruined her plans, so she retreated to the crypts beneath her castle in the city that would come to be known as Wolfram, at the time known as Tyrolsburg. The city was the northern border city of the empire, and the site of one of 8 massive fortifications around the empire.
After becoming a lich, she focused her telekinetic powers on the new Governor of Tyrol, convincing him that she was the goddess Wolfram, and eventually made him sacrifice himself after choosing his replacement, a beautiful young girl from the city. This girl would be controlled by Claudia from that point forward. When she became too old (typically around 30 years old), the sacrifice would repeat, and a new young girl would be chosen. The heiress was always human, and always between 13-16 years old. The high priestess was still conscious, but they were powerless to resist Claudia’s demands. The current High Priestess of the Wolfram Theocratic Empire is Maria Elisabeth 1, who is the 632nd High Priestess.Most clothing is reminiscent of the renaissance. Most tech has reverted, with the only firearms being used as black powder flintlock technology. No horseless vehicles are used, though sometimes a remnant from the old empire is dug up in the fields surrounding the city.
#humans

Republic of Earendel

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:50:04 GMT

The Republic succeeded The Human Empire after the Fracturing. It was continually challenged by Neo Imperialists who wished to create a new empire, Novus Imperium, and conduct the genocide of the remaining other intelligent species in Earendel.

Neo Imperialists

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:49:40 GMT

The Neo Imperialists were a conservative terrorist movement within The Republic that wished to create a new Human Empire, the Novus Imperium. They wished to commit genocide against the remaining other races in Earendel.

Imperium of Quendërumë

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:49:23 GMT

vilya skyQuendërumë - desert elf, the continuation of the desert elf kingdom from which it descended from
Vilyaquendë - Sky elf, the elves referring to this are a liberal group in the cities, mostly younger elves concerned with the degradations of the citiesaranyë KingdomAranyëquendërumë - the old kingdom of desert elves that existed at the time of the human conquest
Part of the world of Earendel
This needs work. Imperium of Quendërumë
#elves

Gnomes

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:36:40 GMT

Race DND
This note is primarily about the Gnomes of Earendel. For a more general note, see [Gnomes]
Gnomes - Where did they come from? There are gnomish populations living alongside Humans, as well as some that have restored an ancient dwarven city on the surface. They had two cities, but abandoned the second one because they could not grow good crops in the surrounding hills. They left behind Autognomes 1, and they have created their own civilization, learning to make more of their own kind.

Dwarves

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:36:40 GMT

Dwarves live in two separate groups, ocean and mountain. The mountain dwarves retreated to their mines when humans arrived, and sealed the entrances. They’ve been expanding their network of tunnels ever since.Extended families all live in subterranean tunnels, with apartment like homes built to either side.it is customary on a couples wedding day for the family to help them dig their own apartment. Bachelors either live with their family, or more commonly join in the miners, Smithers, or mages guilds to gain experience in the craft. Each guild has a living area that feels like a small city.Because of the evacuation from the Humans, there are abandoned dwarven cities on the surface. Most of these cities are now inhabited by humans, but one of the more remote cities in the mountains is populated by Autognomes
The Dwarves that evacuated underground have been evolving to have much more sensitivity to light, and are getting shorter with each generation. The Stone Flotilla Dwarves have grown resistance to the damaging effects of the sun. The ones that evacuated to an underwater city have begun evolving into merfolk.

Elven Era (10,000 to 1,022 BF)

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:36:40 GMT

The elves and dwarves were created by the gods Sunny and Loony, respectively.  There are two prevailing myths surrounding their arrival:
One day, as Sunny sat in her throne room, a portal opened to another world.  Nobody knows why it appeared, but Sunny’s curiosity got the better of her and she wandered through.  On the other side was a fresh realm, Earendel, ripe for civilization.  She created the desert elves to worship her, and set them on the path of civilization, giving them powerful Magic.
At the same time, her brother Loony had the same happen in his throne room.  He passed through and found Sunny at work.  Not to be outdone, he created the Dwarves and gave them advanced magic as well and extensive engineering knowledge.Some details change with each telling of the story, but this is the prevailing theory of Elf and Dwarf Scholars.The other theory is that Sunny and Luna are the children of the god that created the world, giants, and dragons.  This is the prevailing theory of human scholars.“E1F11E99-3105-4492-8809-0CB05A1A9086.jpeg” could not be found.
The elves and dwarves lived along side each other peacefully for nearly the entirety of the second era, with occasional border skirmishes and trade disputes.  In -1022 bf, a portal opened on the plains, and Humans started pouring through.

The Labrinth

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:33:19 GMT

The labyrinth is connected to the Kobold cave system. it is a circular labyrinth that has magical walls that always look straight. There are several gelatinous cubes in the labyrinth, which is what keeps kobolds out. The cubes are always situated in a dead end of the labyrinth. Once players get to the center, they find there is a teleport platform that is broken, and a service hatch beneath it is open. Travelling through this hatch leads to the tunnel system, which leads to the other chambers.Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

The Causeway

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:33:11 GMT

The causeway is an enormous semi-circular hallway cut into the mountain. It contains 7 teleportation pads that lead to sperical chambers at random spots in the mountain. There is a tunnel network of maintanance tunnels that lead from the causeway to the chambers. There are 3 chambers that are reachable, The Dragon, The Strongman, and The Labrinth. The rest have caved in over time. There is a room directly off the causeway that contain the bones of the great dragon-king known as The Azure Dragon. It is evident that the dragon died in chains, with its wings impaled in the wall, the wings being the only part of the body left intact, other than bones. Where the dragons heart would have lain is an enormous sunstone, which when removed from the room, the entire complex starts to collapse.
Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

The Strongman

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:30:42 GMT

The statue looks at a pillar and punches it. It shatters into a million pieces and then he looks at you, gesturing to an identical pillar.If the player punches the pillar: Failing to destroy the pillar in a single punch, the statue looks quizzically at you, then makes a gesture with his hands. A light appears on you, healing the damage to your hand. It then shines on the pillar, and a pillar of a lighter material appears, Swiss cheesed in appearance. The giant's pillar is likewise regenerated into an identical lighter pillar. The giant statue tries to make a show of destroying the pillar, but you can tell that he is holding back everything he can when making the strike. He looks at you.If the player strikes the new pillar: You strike the pillar and find that it has the consistency of a sponge, but then crumples to dust. The giant looks at you, comically over impressed. He then takes a long close look at you, puzzled. He gets back on his platform, does a little bunny hop, then looks at you. If the player bunny hops: The giant looks incredibly impressed again, clapping and smiling. He tiptoes around his platform. He looks at you.If the player tip toes: The giant claps again, and pulls out a wrestling style belt. It resizes to the player's proper size. It reads in giant 'My First Strongman Competition Champion 230523'. The player is teleported back to the causeway.Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

An alternate beginning

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:15:06 GMT

Endeavor He looked at the machine with dread. Plans were all well and good until you actually had to carry them out. He nodded to the corporal to activate the device. Motors sprang to life, crystals glowed, and before he had a chance to breathe, the portal was directly in front of him. On the other side of the gate was a desert, but mountains could be seen in the distance. It was hoped that there would be minerals in those mountains that could be used for the war effort, but oil was the primary concern. He lowered his goggles and turned to the rest of the crew. “Engines on, prepare to move forward.” He got in his truck, the third of five. He wanted to be the first one through the gate, but his father would not permit it. “Ahead slow, one truck at a time!” The first truck lurched ahead, passing through the portal. They were dwarfed by the 50’ diameter gateway. It made it through, and disappeared to the right. A moment later the driver could be seen with a thumbs up. Eventually they all had gone through. — These were not pleasant times for the Human Empire. The negotiations with the Northmen had been breaking down for days, and the Southern would certainly take up with them. Once that happened, civil war would eventually be inevitable. It would be an impossible, but not unforeseen fight. If the Empire could not endure, then it could at least take the rest of them with it. The resources of Earendel could be the key to winning though. The crown prince just had to find them. — The prince checked his watch, and started the chronometer. He had 7 days to return to the portal in order to make it back. He examined his men’s progress. The tents were already set up, and the plane was almost ready for flight. A view from above was just what was needed. The geologist and the pilot finished preparations and went up. They circled for 20 minutes and landed nearby. The pilot ran towards them. “Cities!” He cried, “There are 2 cities to the north! And I believe I saw grasslands in the distance to the northwest!” Cities. This changed everything. The prince was under the impression that this was a barren world, but if there are cities, there are people. If there are people, those people could be colonized. If they were colonized, then the rest of the work of the expedition was done for them.
Earendel

Earendel

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:12:41 GMT

Earendel was a world-building project by my friend Corey and myself. These notes were what I have of that project, which never actually ended up with any gameplay. I do want to revisit this eventually, as there were some neat ideas here. Some images may be copyrighted. Some images are AI generated. If you own the copyright to any images stored here, let me know and I will remove them.The planet and continent of habitation. Continent of Earandel
High Priestess of Wolfram
Stratford Soldiers
Claudia Felicitas, the lich “Wolfram”
Giant Era (Prior to 10,000 BF)
Elven Era (10,000 to 1,022 BF)
Eternal Wars (1,022 to 0 BF)
Intermediary Period (0-500 AF)
The Modern Period (500 AF - Present)
Elves
Dwarves
Humans
Dragons
Lizardfolk
Beaverfolk
Giants of Earendel
Gnomes
Autognomes
Great Dwarven Empire
Second Dwarven Empire
Third Dwarven Empire
Dwarven Republic
Imperium of Quendërumë
Vilyaquendë
Human Empire
Theocracy of Wolfram
Patagon City
Dwarven Wars
Giant-Dragon War
The eastern shore
Early World Map ConceptShort Stories and story fragments
The Gate
The Last Night in the Old World

Giants

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:12:18 GMT

GiantsThe Giants, or Jotunn live a nomadic life at the foothills of the mountains and in the plains. Their numbers have been in decline since elves arrival.the giants history is not recorded. Their level of society is similar to ancient Mongolians or Tibetans.do giants have mounts? What would they look like? Do they trade with other races?
Before Elves and Dwarves came to Earendel, it was the domain of the Giants and the Dragons. Nobody knows the true history of that time. Some believe the Giants were created by some unknown god to eliminate the dragons, Perhaps to pave the way to other species entering.Although that early history is unknown, the result was a diminishing giant culture and an elimination of Dragons from the land.
The giants are nomadic now, but this was not always the case. Their city, original name unknown but now known as Changaimina, now stands abandoned in the foothills of the mountains. The Giant’s architecture mainly consisted of stone dome buildings, made of single pieces of granite. As no quarry for this granite has ever been located, it is thought that the Giants had some magical ability to conjure stone.There is evidence of a Royal Palace as well as a Senate, but no writing has ever been found in the city.
Modern Giants have no magic, live in a simple tribal community, and since the human ambushes of the recent past, wary of outsiders. They are mostly peaceful, with skirmishes at times between tribes, but they will only attack outsiders if threatened.Related:
Giants
Earendelaliases: Giants
Earendel Species, resided in Patagon City until the Giant-Dragon War in The Giant Era (Prior to 10,000 BF).

Autognomes

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:10:21 GMT

The Autognomes of Earendel were quite unique. Following the evacuation of the Dwarven City of Genrum, it was eventually settled by the Gnomes. A few years after taking the city, it became obvious that the agricultural capacity of the city was not enough to sustain the gnomes, as the dwarves had an extensive trading network to support them. The gnomes abandoned the city, leaving several dozen autognomes behind.
The autognomes eventually figured out how to self replicate, causing The Autognome Panic of 396. The repelling of the elves and humans meant that the autognomes could continue building their city, setting up The Temple of Fabrication to further their efforts and starting mass production of more autognomes to serve the army. By the year 500, there were over 20,000 autognome soldiers in the army, with that number predicted to rise exponentially year over year. In 502, their army took control of several cities that bordered them, including the new gnomish city, which was razed as revenge for abandoning the original autognomes. It is rumored that the autognomes were working to develop giant versions that could destroy a city on its own.
In response to the autognome threat, the elves and humans started the construction of a mechano-magical task force that could exterminate them. These mechanical creations were built by the Vilyaquendë and piloted remotely by powerful human magicians, of Republic of Earendel.

William Oh old cover

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:08:23 GMT

Blog

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:04:16 GMT

2026-04-09So, I haven't written anything since the 19th of March. It's not that I've not been doing anything though, I've been working on a game. I used AI to make this game, Shadow of Helheim. It's not something I intend to publish, just play with my friends. Basically I took the idea of Diplomacy (I've never actually played it) and Settlers of Catan to make a fun game that my friends and I can play over discord. Shadow of Helheim has 10 player countries and a GM country. The GM country, Tutregna Ĉiaro, is an industrialized nation, with it's real-world inspiration being WW1 Germany. Ĉiaro wants to expand, and so do the player countries. Ĉiaro has some hidden advantages, however. They can deploy tanks and submarines. However, they are outnumbered 10-1.
2026-03-19
2026-03-15
2026-03-12
2026-03-10
2026-03-09
2026-03-07
2026-03-06
2026-03-05
2026-03-04
2026-03-03
2026-03-02
2026-03-01
2026-02-26
Liminal Spaces
Film Log
Growing a Garden
Other Websites
The Reading List
Back to Home

2026-03-05

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:24:05 GMT

My fifth blog post in a row? That's actually crazy. I had planned on making 1 post per week, but it hasn't happened that way.Here's what the blog "graph view" looks as of now:
Each dot represents a page on this site. The red dots are Blog content. The purple dots are Shadowrun content. The dark grey dots are the other pages, such as Guestbook and Home. The light grey dots are notes that are referenced but do not exist yet. The lines show the connections between each page. There is no significance to any of this, but it looks kind of cool. I plan on posting updates as the site gets bigger.

We took Pretty Girl outside today, which we do frequently. The other cats, Cat-Cat and Patrick, don't come outside as much. Pretty Girl was a stray that we rescued from the streets of Dundalk in 2021. Here is the obligatory picture of the event.

To-Do

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:58:50 GMT

To Do15Review of Canon F-1Review of Canon FL 55mm f/1.2Review of Canon FT-QLReview of Canon PellixReview of Leica M3Review of Industar 10Writeup - Sideling HillReview of Olympus E-P5Review of Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mk. iiWriteup - Thomas Boyle Rewrite CSS for homepage from scratchCreate custom theme for obsidianWriteup - JoppaWriteup - Founding of BaltimoreObtain Part 107 license for drone+ Add a cardWaiting4Create Youtube Video - Sideling Hill (waiting on writeup)Create YouTube video - Thomas Boyle (waiting on writeup)Create YouTube video - Joppa (Waiting on writeup)Create YouTube video - Founding of Baltimore (waiting on writeup)+ Add a cardUp Next0+ Add a cardComplete0+ Add a cardDropped0+ Add a card

2026-02-26

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:45:38 GMT

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read this, my first blog entry. This is actually the fifth time I've tried making a blog, but I'm pretty sure none of them are still available. I'm not sure what I want this blog to contain. My last blog was photography tips, but I don't really feel like talking about that right now. I just want to write. But what to write about!? That is the agonizing question I face when starting this blog.Do I just...talk about my life? The day to day? The minute to minute? Right now I'm eating puff pastry twists in the basement. I'm drinking Irish breakfast tea and my man Dick Hyman is playing the Lowry Organ. I'm currently battling attention to this post against my cat "Pretty Girl". She just bit my hand while typing! (The pretty girl in question)But the minute to minute isn't sustainable. And when the reality of my life lately that I go to work, come home and veg on the couch watching YouTube videos until it's time to make dinner, get a shower, go to sleep, and do it again the next day, It doesn't really make for good blogging or vlogging. So I need both a subject, and to get out of the house, which I've been seemingly unwilling to do since COVID. I used to go to the city with my friends all the time, and that's died for me. Maybe it is time to revive it. Even as the world seems to end, could 2026 be the year when I wake up and get back out there?I have several creative goals for 2026. Let this first blog post be a manifesto. I will come back and check the boxes when I have completed them: Publish first YouTube video Get Part 107 license for drone Do at least one photo walk of Baltimore Photograph at least one protest Redesign of website By the way, expect to see big changes to the layout of this website in the coming months. I plan on writing my own layout from scratch, even though I do like this one. I just want it to be my own, you know? I used AI to assist in making the blog and gallery pages because I wanted to get this done in a matter of 2 hours, but I will not be using AI moving forward. Part of the goal of this site is to make me better at coding in CSS and HTML. I may even play around with javascript in the future.

2026-03-01

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:45:24 GMT

I have decided to use Obsidian to build my blog as it is easier to maintain and I can have links between pages easier. I have also added a separate obsidian site for notes about the Shadowrun campaign that I am a part of. You can see it here, but be warned that it is in a constant state of construction, and that it is more notes for the people involved, rather than meant for outside eyes. That being said I am trying to narrate the action a bit, so that people can follow along.I plan on taking some long exposure shots while on vacation later this year, so I'm doing some research into diffraction and such as it's been several years since I've done this type of photography. What I've found so far has actually surprised me. I have always listened to the advice that when using micro four thirds, to never go below f/5.6 for maximum sharpness, as diffraction can seriously degrade the image quality below that.
While I'm sure there is some degree of image degradation, I'm not so sure it is enough to stop me from using the smaller aperture. For example, this post from the Micro 4/3rds Photography blog shows perfectly good results from f/11. As far as the filter I will be purchasing, I'm looking at the "Gobe" brand on Amazon. It's one of the cheaper filters, but it seems to have good reviews. However, I have a bunch of square filters, so it may be worth looking into getting a square 10 stop filter to go with them instead. (Then again the square filters are annoying to use, which is why I never use them...)I also have some welding glass pieces that I have played around with in the past, they may come in handy. They are rated 16 stops or thereabouts. They are however slightly smaller than the Olympus 12-40mm lens I plan on using, so I may have to use the Olympus 25mm instead. The big problem with the welding glass is that it has a severe green cast that is hard to get out. I'm also not sure what extent the welding glass degrades image quality, but it is certainly more than diffraction would, I'm sure. You can judge for yourself:
This color cast makes making the image monochrome pretty much the only option to get a usable image.

I have decided to grow a garden this year, this will be the first time that I've attempted more that one or two plants at a time. I will be documenting it on it's own page: Growing a Garden

2026-03-03

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:45:12 GMT

I went out to dinner tonight to celebrate a milestone in my friend Michelle's education. For dinner, I had a Reuben sandwich, and it reminded me of another Reuben I had when I was a kid. In (I think) the fifth grade, my school had a field trip to New York City. This was at Christmas and we were there to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. I was very excited to see it, and my mom had given me her camera to use, and it was my first time to a city other than Baltimore or Pittsburgh, and the first time without my parents. The only picture I took tonight that wasn't another person.Another boy's father was a chaperone on the trip, and I overheard him saying that there was no way he was going to let his son go to Manhattan without having a Reuben from ????? deli. Apparently the Reuben was as big as your head. I asked if I could come too, to which he agreed after I showed him the $20 bill my mom had given me for souvenirs.I don't really remember much else of the trip other than that sandwich. It was indeed as big as my head, and I believe it cost $11.99. I may have bought some souvenirs with what was left, but those are long gone. All that's left is the memory of that sandwich. I wonder if my mom still has the photos from that trip. If so, I will scan them and add them to this post. After doing some googling, I think it may have been Carnegie deli. They closed in 2017, which is a little sad. I'm just glad I got to visit them in what was probably their prime.Here are some random thoughts that I may expand upon in the future: Open Source Hardware needs to become a thing, and I'm not talking the little projects that have been floating around. I mean at scale. Where's my open source car? My toaster? I want to be able to make a pull request for my refrigerator if I have an improvement. The "Resource Based Economy" model seems like it would lead to authoritarianism by design, unless it was run by an AI. Even then, it would be an inherently authoritarian AI.

2026-03-04

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:45:03 GMT

I asked my mom if she had any photos from the NYC trip, and she told me that she had a bag of film that needed developed from 25 years ago. Hopefully she can find that bag! I'm sure the quality has degraded, but it is still exciting.I put the finishing touches on the reorganization of the website. I did use AI to assist me, so much for not using it going forward.I plan on running the campaign "Mask of Nyarlathotep" for my son, my sister, her husband, and Alicia. It's quite ambitious and I don't think I am ready. I will have to re-read the first chapter! If I run the game, I will try to post notes here, unless I think one of the players is actually reading it!
The next session of Shadowrun is tonight. The notes are here: Game Notes - 26-03-04

2026-03-06

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:44:38 GMT

I have added my notes for Earendel, a worldbuilding project by my friend Corey and myself. It's currently a mess, but I hope to organize it soon. There will be a bunch of broken links to copyrighted images that I have removed.I don't write much, I'm not very good at it. But here's a fragment that I wrote in February 2024. I wrote it as part of my worldbuilding of Gorwellis. I liked that world, and I may revisit it someday, but all of the worldbuilding was done using AI, and it isn't something I can really call mine.As I wander into the vast unknown land, I guess I should state here a recounting to my journey up to this point, as up until today I have had no provisions for writing, having lost my journals to the sea. Hopefully this one survives better than the last.I am Samuel James Puckman, Esquire. I am a writer and explorer, and I have come to Gorwellis to find new experiences to publish back in Eonvale, where admittedly I have had little success. I came to this land via a merchant vessel, which hired me on for the trip. About half way through the journey, one of the sailors took a disliking to me and threw my journals and supplies into the sea. Luckily I still had my silver on my person.I arrived in this small village of Landfall in the Duchy of Laurel, part of the Kingdom of Mercy. It is a small Kingdom compared to Eonvale, but it is said that they have nearly as many churches, and have two abbeys, The Abbey of St. Ealdwin the great, and the Abbey of St. Cletus the fisher. I plan on visiting both abbeys, but I have to admit, the prospect of staying at the abbey of Cletus I find a bit dull. It's a small remote place.Today I spent all morning in the customs office, obtaining a writ of free passage. After that was complete, I spent a long time exploring the streets of Landfall. They have two pubs here, one for locals and another for “Continentals”. I shall endeavor to dine with the locals tonight.There is also a church in the peculiar style of this land. There are three shrines within, one to each of the great saints. The exterior of the church looks like a three pointed star with the ends removed. The priest has a raised dais which he stands upon, and preaches to his congregation, who all stand around him equally. Surrounding the dais is a spiral stair that the priest ascends at the beginning of the sermon.There is a tower outside of the church and disconnected from it which holds the bell. This tower looks older than the church, so perhaps the original church was replaced? The priest had no idea about the history of the church, or at least did not tell me.I met a merchant that is traveling to Aldercrest, the capital of Ealdwinrealm. He says that if I go to the western edge of the country, I may encounter Elves! Imagine that, an elf in the flesh.**Here is a newspaper clipping from August 24, 1771. It documents that the ship "Recovery" had sailed. That ship was carrying Philip Burbach to America, where his son would adopt the name Purbaugh. I do plan on adding a genealogy section to this site at some point.

2026-03-07

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:44:27 GMT

Visiting my son Connor in Pittsburgh this weekend. It was 75 degrees today! We set up his new PC with Pop-OS, his second introduction to Linux. In preparation I installed the same on my PC, and I gotta say, it’s pretty good! I’ve mostly used Ubuntu when I’ve used Linux since the early 2000s, when I got a CD with Ubuntu at a Staples in Dundalk. I believe it was Ubuntu 6.06? I’m not sure. Connor seems excited to have a new PC and I’m excited that he will be learning Linux. I hope he finds and appreciates open source software as much as I do. He’s already planning on installing FreeCAD. We had a walk to a nearby park and flew the drone for the first time. It was a lot of fun, but I don’t think I’m ever going to be a great drone pilot. The pickleball courts were locked, I suppose for winter
My boy, probably tired of me taking photos of him lol
After the park, thunderstorms rolled in, so we played Antichamber for a bit. Fantastic game, 10/10 would recommend. We also troubleshot his 3D printer for a bit, but that’s working great now.

Liminal Spaces

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:52:45 GMT

Here is a collection of some of my photos that are "Liminal" Marley Station Mall, Glen Burnie, MD
Somewhere in Pennsylvania
I have no idea where this picture was taken.
Storage Unit, Baltimore, MD
My old work, taken in 2014, just before I left.

Pretty Girl

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:51:46 GMT

2026-03-09-01

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:50:52 GMT

phone

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:47:29 GMT

Sideling Hill 1

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:42:57 GMT

Sideling Hill 2

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:42:01 GMT

Connor 1

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:03:54 GMT

Fence

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:03:02 GMT

Brig_Recovery_sailed_from_Cowes_24_Aug_1771

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:52:31 GMT

Custom System (Ideas for Turtle Ruleset)

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:13:05 GMT

Roll to Cast Magic System**-imitate 'the talent' system where spell slots are only used up when you roll poorly. When you use any leveled spell, roll 1d6 per level. A spell slot is used if any of the dice are 1-3. Spell slots would be unleveled.-scroll based system. All spells are cast by breaking a spell scroll. Scrolls could actually be any object imbued with the magic.**

Claudia Felicitas

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:08:06 GMT

Claudia Felicitas, Countess of Tyrol, was the niece of the last emperor, and was 15th in line to the throne when she was born. Ambitious and extremely magically and telekinetically gifted, she was determined to become the Empress. She conducted a string of assassinations on her relatives, and by the time of the fracturing was 4th in line, when she was 22 years old. She had just framed her brother for the assassinations already completed. The destruction of the royal city ruined her plans, so she retreated to the crypts beneath her castle in the city that would come to be known as Wolfram, at the time known as Tyrolsburg. The city was the northern border city of the empire, and the site of one of 8 massive fortifications around the empire. After becoming a lich, she focused her telekinetic powers on the new Governor of Tyrol, convincing him that she was the goddess Wolfram, and eventually made him sacrifice himself after choosing his replacement, a beautiful young girl from the city. This girl would be controlled by Claudia from that point forward. When she became too old (typically around 30 years old), the sacrifice would repeat, and a new young girl would be chosen. The heiress was always human, and always between 13-16 years old. The high priestess was still conscious, but they were powerless to resist Claudia’s demands. The current High Priestess of the Wolfram Theocratic Empire is Maria Elisabeth, who is the 632nd High Priestess.
Theocracy of Wolfram Earendel

Aranyëquendërumë

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:05:59 GMT

Aranyëquendërumë - the old kingdom of desert elves that existed at the time of the human conquest. It was succeeded by Imperium of QuendërumëTags:
#kingdom
#elves
Part of the world of Earendel

Backstory

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:36:27 GMT

The Radiant Empire was in the middle of a cold war with the Great Dwarven Empire and the Aranyëquendërumë. They discovered tales of an extremely powerful artifact of Draconian origin deep within the Kaiser Floriann mountain, which is only accessible via the Kobold Valley. The Kaiser, along with his advisor, the Wizard, sent a team of 25 of his top soldiers to retrieve the artifact. These soldiers never returned, leading to the formation of a larger party of 100 men. This group was tasked with finding the original party if possible, but their primary goal is the retrieval of the artifact, a 'Sunstone' said to be guarded by a giant called Aegar.
Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

Dragons

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:35:55 GMT

Earendel Species, resided in the mountains surrounding Patagon City until the Giant-Dragon War in Giant Era (Prior to 10,000 BF). The result was the complete destruction of the Dragons, and reducing the Giants civilization to a Stone Age level of technology
#dragons

Giant Era (Prior to 10,000 BF)

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:35:06 GMT

Not much is known of the earliest days of Earendel, when the giants reigned supreme on the land. What is known is that the Giants had a Great War with the Dragons, the Giant-Dragon War, which lasted no fewer than 600 years. The result of this war was the extinction of dragons, and a sudden shift in culture for the Giants. “FB91378F-0168-4736-8BEB-3A9B1707A88E.jpeg” could not be found.
The giants had a great city, original name unknown, but called Patagon City today, situated high in the mountains. Its architecture surpassed even elven and dwarven work, and their methods of construction are unknown. The city was long abandoned by the time of the arrival of theElves (Which formed Aranyëquendërumë), and the dwarves (Which formed the Great Dwarven Empire. When these groups arrived, they were already living their nomadic lives on the plains, with their numbers dwindling over the centuries. Today, there are less than 10,000 giants still alive.

2022-11-03

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:22:01 GMT

"The quill's whisper" "The whispering of the quill"

Roll to Cast Magic System

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

Kobold 1: dice:2D6-2 Kobold 2:dice:2D6-2 Kobold 3:dice:2D6-2 Kobold 4:dice:2D6-2 Kobold 5:dice:2D6-2 Kobold 6:dice:2D6-2 Kobold 7:dice:2D6-2Kobold Attacks: Dagger: dice:1D20+4 Range: 5 ft Damage: dice:1D4+2 piercing damage Sling: To Hit: dice: 1D20+4 Range: 30/120 ft Damage: dice:1D4+2 bludgeoning damagename: Example creatures: - 7: Kobold - 1: Frank
Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

Pre-Fracturing Campaign Empire(Rebellion)

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

alias:"First Earendel Campaign" The party is ordered by the Human Empire (ordered by the Elvish Council) to retrieve a magical artifact of the dragon era, an extremely large sunstone.(The heart of draconis). The artifact is in a cave (lair of the great Aegar) in the Western (eastern) King Florrian (Aegaris) Moutains. It is a remote area, naturally guarded by the great desert (great forest) where they have to contend with sand sharks (razor beasts). There are kobald scavengers(goblin bandits) that roam these lands.Day 1 - Crossing the desert
Encounter with Kobold caravan, low level but aggressive immediately. 2D20 kobolds dice:2D20name: Example creatures: - 28: Goblin
Day 2 - Entering the Kobold Foothills Small group of kobold with hit and run tactics 1D10 kobolds Harrass through desert, groups of 1D4 Sand shark encounters every 1/4 mile traveled 1D6 (1) chance Camp catches fire, kobolds disappear into tunnels into sandDay 3 - Climbing the mountain Steals one of their horses in the night, they find the skeleton the next day The encounters get progressively worse until they get to the cave 1D8 harrass groupsDay 4 - Entering the cave They find the mutilated remains of troops that disappeared in the night. The kobolds attack them outside of the entrance to the cave (1D20 kobolds)Enter the dungeon At the entrance, there are 4 kobolds armed with crossbows, behind murder holes in the stone surface. Further ahead there is a spike pit trap, with a kobold operator. This operator has a 1D6(1) chance of being surprised, or 1D6(1-3) if the party isn't using lights. There is an exposed pit trap, followed immediately by a concealed pit trap.There is a grease trap that will ignite if players have a torch or lantern
DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d10 fire damage and begins burning for 1d4 rounds. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and doesn't begins burning.Every 60 ft grease trap 1D6 1 then progressively higher until one appears, then pit trap 1D6 1make a clear way in and out for koboldsLevel 2 - Concourse, donut shapped corrodor cut into the mountain. Level 3A - Giant's Lair - giant scaled labrynth with at least 1 gelatenous cube. it is a round labryth, but magic makes it appear to have square walls. undead giant aegar is the carnival guy. He tries to stop them when they come in. There are small carved dragons made of stone at his booth. They appear poorly made upon close inspection. The labrynth is another attraction in the carnival. Getting to the center teleports you to the entrance. There's a hologram of aegar that goes to hit you with a hammer, then you teleport back to the entrance.Level 3B - Heart of Draconis - Spirit of undead dragon guarding the sunstone. It is actually a hologram that uses the sunstone as it's power source. He can't actually hurt the party. The only way to defeat him is to swing the stone sword, it takes 3 people to swing the sword. As soon as the sword is swung, the dragon disappears.Pre programmed recording of aegar congratulating them on completing the course. Demeaning giant talking to a kid. Have them take you to concession stand to claim your prize. Poster sized voucher prints out. There is a hatch under the dragon floor that contains the control center, housing the sunstone.Carnival Side Main section of dungeon is concourse that leads to different attractions. Each attraction could be a trap room or just a confusing scene.Strong man competition There is a large statue does several feats that the players need to replicate, Punching the ground Stabbing another statue Cutting their own hand
Earendel

Humanity

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

Humanity EarendelThe old king wiped the blood from his face, and looked about the room. The castle was on fire! He didn’t need to be told what had happened, there was only one way the castle would be overwhelmed before they knew they were attacked, and that was the Elves. “Carter, sound the alarms! Get the mages and my son quickly!” Carter looked over, still stunned by the explosions that had just rocked the throne room. “Yessir, of course!” And ran off to complete his orders, leaving the king alone in the vast throne room. The king walked to the windows cautiously to evaluate the situation. It was worse than he could have possibly imagined, there were at least three elven armies at the east wall alone. He walked from window to window, counting troops. The Dwarves had joined the elves, and had at least 6 armies, possibly more. The Aarakocra were flying overhead, shooting their bows and dropping bombs on the castle. It was worse than he ever could have imagined. He would not be king after tonight.“Father, we are being attacked from all sides, why have you pulled me here? I need to be commanding my men!” The young prince cried out. The king looked at him sourly. “Tonight, you will refer to me as your majesty, understood? Do not question me, this one time.” He extended a hand, gesturing for the prince to sit at the throne. “Father, I can’t sit dow—“ “LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY BOY!” The king boomed. For all of his training, his son was still a child. It makes what he was about to do even harder. “Sit down, and wait for the court wizards. I will explain when they get here.”The mages filed in to the throne room. There were five mages, but only four had shown up. Carter was with them, looking defeated. “Mathias is dead, isn’t he?” asked the king. “Yes, your majesty. His quarters were bombed, there wasn’t much left of him. I was able to recover the ring from his body though.” Carter pulled out the signet ring of the court mage and handed it to the king. “Very well” sighed the king. he turned to the address the wizards. “Gentlemen, tonight we enact our plan. We are down a mage, so I will stand in for him.” The wizards all looked like he had ordered their execution. The turned back to the prince “You are king now, understand? I die here tonight, but you will take our people to a glorious new frontier!” “Your majesty, what are you talking about? What are these old men going to do to help? Why are you going to die?”“I knew this day would come. The elves are far too powerful to allow our kingdom to persist, and there is no escaping them. The dwarves are allied with them, as are the Aarakocra, and the Silver Kingdom. The days of my father’s empire are lost. So, we came up with an alternate plan. We will open a portal, allowing us to move to a new realm, where we can be free of these problems. It will take these ‘old men’, as well as me, since Mathias is gone. The magic will consume our souls to create the portal. You must take our people through. Do you understand?”“Father, there’s go—“ the prince started, but was cut off. “I said to call me your majesty. I also said not to question me. We’ve been working on this plan since long before you were born. There will be no arguing. Go to the courtyard and assemble the civilians. They will go through with the storm guard first. Then get your soldiers out. Do you understand?” “Yes, your majesty. But—“ The king slapped the prince, and cast silence on the room. There would be no arguing now. The prince bowed before the king, and turned and left the room. The king dropped the spell. “Gentlemen, by the looks of the city we only have minutes to accomplish our mission. Lets get to work.” The mages nodded and started preparing the most powerful spell any of them had ever seen cast.By the time the prince got to the courtyard, the storm guard was already being overwhelmed with civilians at the gate. “Let them in!” The prince shouted. “Sir, only the king can give that order!” “I am the king now. King Marcus II is dead. I am now King Marcus III”. The prince grimaced. He had wanted to pick a new name, but couldn’t think of any. “Yes, my king” bowed the soldier. “Men, open the gate!” As the gate opened, thousands of civilians started to pour in. “Organize them here, and tell the troops at the walls to fall back here when they see the signal!”—Hundreds of crossbowmen were on the walls now, shooting down the air forces before they could reach the castle. They had successfully evacuated the city and the army into the citadel, but now there was no room to move. Only the troops on the outer walls hadn’t evacuated. Suddenly, the roof of the throne room blew off, with a powerful arcane light blasting into the night sky. The prince went to the main entrance of the castle. Inside, he saw it, the enormous gateway to another world, spanning the entire width of the dining hall. Through it, he could see a very different scene, an arid landscape, which was nothing at all like his swampy kingdom.“GET THE CIVILIANS THROUGH!” Cried the new king. It didn’t take much effort. As soon as the civilians saw a way out, they started flooding into the dining hall. Within minutes they were all through. “Soldiers, through the gate! Get in defensive positions on the other side!”. As the troops started marching through, carrying food, supplies, and weapons, the king looked over to spot Carter, his father’s assistant. “Carter, is he gone?” “Yes, my king. He ordered me to deliver this to you.” He handed him a small rod, with a button on the end. The new king looked at Carter, puzzled. “Carter, this is an immovable rod. What use do I have for it? “My king, that rod can seal the gate. If you push that button, the gate closes, and only you can reopen it.” “I see.” The king tucked the rod in his belt and moved towards the gate. The last of the troops were moving in. So were the elves. “Get through the gate Carter, and see to it that they aren’t panicking over there. I will be through shortly.” Carter nodded and moved through the gate.The king stood to the side of the gate, gesturing troops to it. Most of the men at this point were wounded. He waited until he could see elves in the courtyard, and passed through the gate.—It was blindingly bright, this new land. It did not seem very promising. Marcus frowned and turned back to the gate. Elves were running towards the gate now. He clicked the button on the rod, and the gate became opaque. There would be no returning any time soon.

Humanity 2

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

HUMANITY 2“How long do we have?” The emperor asked. “3 days at the most. The elven armies are being slowed down by the dwarves, but they are still advancing at an incredible pace. I doubt the Aarakokora will attack before the elves arrive, but you never know.” “Thank you Captain.” He turned to his advisor “Carter, call the mages and have them meet us in the citadel courtyard. Have the Prince meet me there at 3:00.” “Yes, my lord.” Carter bowed deeply and departed. This level of formality was not like him. He turned back to the Captain. “Captain, recall all troops to the city immediately. Put out an evacuation order to the farms. Have as much food and supplies gathered in the courtyard as possible, but keep the area near Anna’s statue with the black stone clear.” “Yessir, right away”. The Captain bowed and left the room.—Looking down at his armies from the imperial palace balcony, the Kaiser spoke to his people:“I do not take this action lightly, but the time has come to leave this land, the land of our fathers and forefathers. I have received word that in 3 days, the Elves will bomb the city, with a new weapon more powerful than anything seen before. The weapon is powerful enough to destroy the entire city in seconds. This intelligence is reliable, and we have no means to win this fight. But all is not lost.The great entry to the palace that is directly in front of you is not an ordinary archway. It is a portal to another world. The arch mages and I will open the gate, and you will go through, ready to find us a suitable location for a new city. We will send as many people through the gate as we can in the 3 days we have left. Unfortunately I will not be making the trip with you. Opening the gate comes with a cost, a cost that I will pay today. Therefore, I hereby name my son Augustus II, Kaiser of the new world. He will lead you all to victory and to peace.”With that, the Kaiser took his crown and placed it upon his son’s head. The military men cheered, Augustus (Or Will as he was known until now) had been the top general in the military for the past two years, and under his command the military saw more victories than ever.“Silence! We need to concentrate on the task at hand.” The Kaiser and his 8 mages decended the stairs to the gate. The Kaiser stood beneath it. Something something magic, something something the Kaiser dies and the portal opens.Earendel
Short Story

Elves

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

Aranyëquendërumë
Quendërumë - desert elf, the continuation of the desert elf kingdom from which it descended from
Vilyaquendë 1 - Sky elf, the elves referring to this are a liberal group in the cities, mostly younger elves concerned with the degradations of the cities
Imperium of Quendërumë 1

Humans

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:59:13 GMT

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:52:45 GMT

Bio goes here

pretty_girl2

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:44:37 GMT

Shadowrun-1

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:43:14 GMT

Graph 20260305080659

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:06:59 GMT

OPI

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:40:37 GMT

Film Log

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:14:32 GMT

For now I am transcribing exactly as my physical notebook is laid out. After the transcription is complete, I will try to organize things better.This film log is and always will be incomplete. As my depression worsened and I began to lose interest in photography, I stopped taking notes. I have well over 100 rolls of film sleeved, but only the first 71 were logged in my paper film log.By the way, I have no idea what E-2 and E-1 are for the development notes. I think they were different directions that I was following, but that is lost, at least for now. Of course, if I find them I will post them.

favicon

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:08:24 GMT

Spire

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:12:33 GMT

Guestbook

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:06:10 GMT

Stuffed Peppers (Pittsburgh style)

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:01:03 GMT

This recipe comes from here: Pittsburgh-style Stuffed Banana Peppers Recipe I originally had a recipe from a newspaper, I think it was the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. I remember it made a huge portion. I can't seem to find it. It was a digitized article from the 90s.I haven't made it from this recipe yet. I will modify it with what I do when I make it.12-16 banana peppers, the hot kind 1/8 lb each: hot sausage, ground veal, ground beef (I don't use veal) 1 egg 1 1/2 t garlic, minced 1 T fresh basil, minced 1/4 c seasoned breadcrumbs 1/4 c freshly grated parmesan salt and pepper to taste 1 T. olive oil 1 c. of your favorite marinaraCut tops off peppers and remove the seeds. In a bowl, gently mix the meats with egg, garlic, basil, the breadcrumbs, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix well again. Stuff the mixture into the peppers, forcing the meat to the end of each.Preheat oven to 350.Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the peppers lightly on all sides. Transfer to a shallow casserole, top with marinara and bake until the meat is cooked through.

2026-03-03-01

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 02:54:11 GMT

Pixelfed

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:34:08 GMT

The Reading List

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:27:22 GMT

I'm not really much of a reader these days, but if I do read something, I'll put it here. The Legend of William Oh - A fantastic series, but it has recently been stubbed for release on Amazon. It will be released on March 10. I'm a bit disappointed that there is no paperback release, I don't use a kindle.
Atomic Habits - Just getting started with this one, will gather my thoughts eventually.

2026-03-02

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:51:21 GMT

So, I found my film log! I will be working on digitizing it here: Film Log
I love liminal spaces, and I've made a new gallery page here: Liminal Spaces

Continuing my thoughts and research from yesterday, there is a feature of my camera that I haven't used much, called Live Composite. It's a very interesting feature that uses a base exposure, then composites new light sources onto that exposure. The end result is a long exposure photo, even in places where this would not be practical (like a brightly lit beach, perhaps?). I will still need the 10 stop ND filter even with this technique though.
Here's a good article on using live composite for light trails: Multiple exposure shooting – trying the Olympus live composite mode — Anthony Baines Photography And this article shows some of the challenges faced while using live composite:
Live Composite: My Favourite Feature from OM System and Olympus Cameras
Looking at this article from Robin Wong) it appears that LC won't be the most useful technique for the beach. If you look at the first star trail image over water, the water still has quite a lot of texture, even though this is a "40 minute" exposure. I think it is because the camera uses a base image, instead of blending many different images.I haven't been active on Instagram for a long time now. It seems to me that posting on IG is like screaming into the void. I was getting almost no engagement on that platform, and it brought me no happiness. Honestly making these couple of blog posts has been more fulfilling for me than a dozen IG posts, even though those posts are of my photography! I started posting on IG to get recognition of my photography. I felt that Flickr was dying, so it seemed to make sense to switch. I wish I hadn't. Flickr had its problems, but I did like their communities.
Anyways, here's an article that got me thinking about this: Is it Farewell to Instagram in 2026?
I've been posting on Pixelfed, which reminds me a lot of what old Instagram was, but I think most of my energy is going to be focused on this blog and my YouTube channel (Which is currently empty).

Liminal-Interior-4

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:20:57 GMT

Liminal-Interior-3

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:16:53 GMT

Liminal-Interior-2

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:16:46 GMT

Liminal-Interior-1

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:16:39 GMT

Liminal-Exterior-1

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:16:32 GMT

2026-03-01-02

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 02:56:25 GMT

2026-03-01-01

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 02:54:05 GMT

pretty_girl

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 02:43:34 GMT

howellcenter

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:40:50 GMT

winnebago

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:58:03 GMT