Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Lux Tenebris: Mazz Wyrmhearth

MAZZ WYRMHEARTH, L12 Hill Dwarf Paladin of Halab, God of Mercies

STR     18 (+4)
DEX    11 (+0)
CON   10 (+0)
INT     10 (+0)
WIS     10 (+0)
CHA   16 (+3)
HP       88
AC      18 (Chain Mail & Shield)

Traits:
Speed: 25 ft
Darkvision
Dwarven Resilience
Stonecunning
Dwarven Toughness
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Primordial, Undercommon

Proficiencies:+4
Armor: All armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple, Martial
Tools: Mason’s tools
Saves: Wisdom +4, Charisma +7
Skills: Insight +4, Medicine +4, Persuasion +7, Religion +4

Feats:
Shelter of the Faithful
* * *
Divine Sense
Lay on Hands
Fighting Style: Protection
Divine Smite
Divine Health
Sacred Oath: Oath of Ancients
- Oath Spells
- Channel Divinity: Nature’s Wrath & Turn the Faithless
- Aura of Warding
Extra Attack
Aura of Protection
Aura of Courage
Improved Divine Smite

Spellcasting:
Number of Spells: 10
Spell DC: 16
Atk Mod: +8
L1(4): ensnaring strike, speak w/animals,cure wounds, divine favor, shield of faith, thunderous smite
L2(3): moonbeam, misty step, lesser restoration, magic weapon, protection from poison
L3(3): plant growth, protection from energy, blinding smite, remove curse, revivify

Equipment:
Warhammer. Melee; +8 to hit; deals 1d8 +4 bludgeoning; Versatile (1d10).
Dagger. Melee; +8 to hit; deals 1d4 +4 piercing; Finesse, Light, Thrown (20/60 ft).
Chain mail. Heavy armor. AC 16; Min STR 13; Disadvantage on Stealth
Shield. AC +2.
An explorer’s pack, a holy symbol, a prayer book, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch w/15g.

Mazz Wyrmhearth grew up in the dwarven community of Rhymestone, near the Greytooth Mountains. A scrawny, sickly child, Mazz had little in common with his boisterous family. So when he expressed an interest in becoming a temple accolyte, his parents supported the decision. They were less pleased when they realized the deity their boy was drawn to was Halab, the God of Mercies. Nevertheless, Mazz went off to Fallen Baramir, to serve in a temple of Halab with his parents’ support, if not exactly their blessings.
Kindhearted and patient, Mazz did well in the temple. He was well-liked by the priests, the other acolytes and the folk who came looking for aid. In his second year at the temple, Mazz was chosen to assist one of the priests on his rounds of the nearby villages.  Outside of Fallen Baramir, the pair were set upon by bandits. Without hesitation, Mazz threw himself in front of the priest and took a swordblow that should have killed him. Instead, the bandit’s sword shattered and Mazz found himself serving Halab as a paladin.
For a time, Mazz remained at the temple, but then felt compelled to travel. He stunned his family when he appeared in Rhymestone, and soon fell in with a party of adventurers that included Erielle Greenthorne and the youth who would one day become King Esten of Swordhold.
When Erielle and Esten married, Mazz felt compelled to settle near Swordhold. He was there when their son, Prince Berret, was born and the boy came to view Mazz as a beloved uncle.
When the Draconic Invasion began and the Legions laid siege to Swordhold, it was Mazz that Esten and Erielle entrusted with their son’s safety. Escorting Prince Berret along the treacherous Feywild Path to Moonhome.  He remained in Moonhome to safeguard the young prince and when Berret announced his intention to return to Swordhold, Mazz agreed to accompany him.
The journey back to Swordhold was long and during it Mazz saw Berret tempered by experience and loss. When they finally reached Swordhold, Mazz and Berret were both deeply saddened to learn of King Esten’s passing. 
Since then, Mazz has stood at King Berret’s side, offering wise council when asked and a strong shoulder to lean on when needed.  Recently, King Berret asked Mazz to return to Fallen Baramir as a royal ambassador, to strengthen trade and diplomatic relations with the city.  Mazz has accepted the duty with some trepidation.  He has sensed a darkening within the spirit of King Berret and would prefer to remain close to him, but he has given the King of Swordhold his oath and he will keep it to the best of his ability.
Nevertheless, Mazz worries that Berret may be starting down a treacherous path, seeking revenge for his father’s death. 

Friday, November 24, 2017

Lux Tenebris: Erielle Greenthorne

ERIELLE GREENTHORN, L13 Wood Elf Bard

STR 13 (+1)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 20 (+5)
HP 94
AC 13 (Leather armor)

Traits:
Darkvision
Fey Ancestry
Trance
Fleet of Foot (35 ft)
Mask of the Wild
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Sylvan

Proficiencies: +5
Armor: Light
Weapons: Longsword, Shortsword, Shortbow, Longbow, Simple wpns, Hand x-bows, Rapiers
Tools: Lute, Harp, Pipe
Saves: Dexterity +7, Charisma +10
Skills: Acrobatics +12, Arcana +6, Athletics +6, History +6, Insight +6, Medicine +6, Perception +11, Performance +15, Persuasion +15

Feats:
Researcher
* * *
Bardic Inspiration (d10/5x)
Jack of All Trades
Song of Rest (1d10)
Bard College: College of Lore
- Bonus Proficiencies
- Cutting Words
- Additional Magical Secrets
Expertise
Font of Inspiration
Countercharm
Magical Secrets

Spellcasting:
Spells Known: 16
Spell DC: 18
Atk Mod: +10
At-Will(4): Dancing lights, Friends, Vicious mockery, True strike
L1(4): Charm person, Detect magic, Cure wounds
L2(3): Blindness/Deafness, Invisibility, Pass without Trace
L3(3): Dispel magic, Leomund's tiny hut, Stinking cloud
L4(3): Freedom of Movement, Greater invisibility, Polymorph
L5(2): Geas, Greater restoration
L6(1): Otto's Irresistable Dance, Eyebite
L7(1): Regenerate, Prismatic spray

Equipment:
Shortsword. Melee. +7 to hit; deals 1d6 +2 piercing; Finesse, Light.
Dagger. Melee. +7 to hit; deals 1d4 +2 piercing; Finesse, Light, Thrown (20/60 ft.)
Leather armor. Light armor. AC 11 + Dex Mod.
A diplomat's pack, a lute, a bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague, posing a question you have not been able to answer, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch w/10gp.

Erielle Greenthorne was born in Swordhold. Her mother was an artisan and her father was a merchant. Both of her parents died during the Succession Riots and afterwards young Erielle was sent to live with her grandmother in Fallen Baramir. Erielle's grandmother was a scholar, working at the Adamantine Archive. Although she loved her granddaughter dearly she had little time to devote to the child and so Erielle learned to be independent and amuse herself. This led her to apprentice with a local bard named Ulden Nix. Erielle soon surpassed her master and eventually struck out on her own. Returning to Swordhold, she fell in with a group of adventurers and began to make a name for herself. During one of these adventures, Erielle met the dwarf paladin, Mazz Wyrmhearth and a mysterious young fighter named Estan. Eventually, Erielle learned that Estan was Prince Estan, heir to the throne of Swordhold.  
Esten and Erielle fell in love and married, despite Erielle's grandmother advising her not to, because humans lived such short lives. Nevertheless, Erielle married Esten and the two were very happy prior to the Draconic Invasion and the Seigne of Swordhold. When her husband was killed in battle, Erielle ruled Swordhold as Regent until her son, Berret, was old enough to assume the throne. 
It was Erielle who sent Berret away, to Moonhome, accompanied by her old companion, Mazz Wyrmheart.  In his absence, she held the city against the Draconic Legions, until things became dire. At that point, Queen Erielle treated with Warheart Greyscale to peacefully surrender the city. The warheart was magnanimous in his victory and spared the city's denizens. He and Queen Erielle met frequently to converse and rumors abounded that the queen had charmed the paladin. When the Legions were ordered to raise the city, the warheart allowed the city's residents to exit the city walls before he put Swordhold to the torch. He then withdrew with his army to the east, to Calhorne.
Eventually, Prince Berret returned to Swordhold and claimed his father's crown. His mother gratefully handed over power and went into a brief perior of formal morning for her slain husband. Soon, however, she was asked by the new king to travel to Goldsun and renew diplomatic relations with that elven nation.
Queen Erielle now serves as Swordhold's formal ambassador to Goldsun. Although she recognizes the necessity of her work, she would rather be at her son's side in the city she loves.


Thursday, November 23, 2017

Lux Tenebris: King Berret

BERRET, KING OF SWORDHOLD - L11 Half-Elf Noble Paladin
STR 17 (+3)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 11 (+0)
INT 11 (+0)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 20 (+5)
HP 64
AC 18

Traits:
Darkvision
Fey Ancestry
Languages: Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Halfling

Proficiencies: +4
Armor: All armor, Shields
Weapons: Simple, Martial
Tools: Chess set
Saves: Wisdom +6, Charisma +9
Skills: Athletics +7, History +4, Insight +6, Intimidation +9, Persuasion +9, Religion +4

Feats:
Retainers
* * *
Divine Sense
Lay on Hands
Fighting Style: Protection
Divine Smite
Divine Health
Sacred Oath: Oath of Devotion
- Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon or Turn the Unholy
- Aura of Devotion
Extra Attack
Aura of Protection
Aura of Courage
Improved Divine Smite

Spellcasting:
No. of Spells: 10
Spell DC: 17
Atk Mod: +9
L1(4): protection from good & evil, sanctuary, detect evil & good, searing smite, thunderous smite, wrathful smite
L2(3): lesser restoration, zone of truth, branding smite, magic weapon
L3(3): beacon of hope, dispel magic, crusader's mantle, daylight, remove curse, revivify

Equipment:
Longsword; melee; +7 to hit; deals 1d8 +3 slashing; Versatile (1d10)
Javelins (5); melee; +7 to hit; deals 1d6 +3 piercing; thrown (30/120 ft)
Chain mail; heavy armor; AC 16, Min ST 13, Disadvantage Stealth
Shield; AC +2
A holy symbol, an explorer's pack, a set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, a purse w/25g.

Berret Estanson is the current king of Stormhold.  He grew up in the city following the Mad Decade, as Stormhold sought to recover from the depredations inflicted upon it by the abolethic monstrosity, Y'vern.  His closest companion was the dwarf paladin, Mazz Wyrmhearth. When the Draconic Empire laid seige to Stormhold, Prince Berret was smuggled out of the city, via the Feywild Path, to the elvish city of Moonhome in the far north.  There, Berret's safety and education was entrusted to the Temple of Cyric.  When word reached Moonhome that Stormhold had fallen, Prince Berret insisted on returning to his homeland.  Accompanied by Wyrmhearth, the young prince traveled overland, batteling both monsters and invaders. He arrived at Stormhold as the Draconic legions were withdrawing.  Although shattered by the death of his father, King Estan, the young prince gravely accepted the crown of Stormhold. 
Although a young king, Berret has already earned his people's love and admiration. He has focused his efforts on rebuilding the city, feeding its people and fortifying their defenses. Berret has dispatched his mother to Goldsun as an ambassador, seeking whatever assistance the elven nation can provide. He has sent Mazz Wyrmhearth to Fallen Baramir on a similar mission.
Although King Berret longs for peace, for his people and his kingdom, in his heart, a righteous anger is growing. He knows that, eventually, the westlands must unite and march on the Draconic invaders at Calhorne.  When that happens, the young king plans to be at the head of the army and has begun a deep and thorough study of Imperial tactics and strategies.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Writers are weird

Hello, gentle readers.
I have the horrible desire to write but, alas, I cannot satisfy that itch.  Not like I would like. 
When I write, I do it on my laptop. My laptop, alas, is having problems. It needs to be repaired and I'm hesitant to use it until it's repaired lest I exacerbate the problems.
I'm on a Chromebook, at the moment, but I cannot stand Google Docs. It's an aesthetic thing, I suspect. And a trust issue. 
I don't trust the cloud. And given how so many people couldn't access their Google docs earlier this week, I feel weirdly vindicated in my disdain.
I suppose it all comes down to comfort level. When I was younger, I wrote on a typewriter. An honest-to-God typewriter, with an ink cartridge and correction tape. The whole nine yards. I imagine that must sound like a caveman, banging away on a rock to today's generation.
Then I transitioned to a desktop computer and lastly to a laptop. The laptop I had before my current one lasted almost 8 years. Transitioning to the new one was mildly traumatic, like burying a beloved pet.
And now the thought of writing anything longform, with pen and paper, is just daunting to me.  
So, here I sit, typing this up on this Chromebook in blogger, because this is more comfortable to me than writing stuff in Google Docs. 
Writers are just weird. 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Lux Tenebris: Swordhold

The City of Swordhold

"Swordhold endures."

At the foot of Mount Istegar sprawls the ancient city of Swordhold.  The city was founded over five hundred years ago by an exiled dwarven queen, Svaina Eidiris.  Eidiris fled the Graytooth Mountains after refusing to take part in an arranged marriage. She fled her father's kingdom with a small band of followers and traveled south, guided by divine visions to Mount Istegar.  There, Svaina established her stronghold and welcomed outcasts and exiles from across the North and West.
Although there was an initial effort to establish a traditional dwarven city by tunneling into the mountain, this effort was abandoned when excavated tunnels began collapsing. Taking this as a sign from the gods, Queen Svaina put a halt to the excavations and, instead, ordered her followers to build their city at the mountain's foot.  Today, this area is known simply as the Old City.
Swordhold grew quickly over the next few decades. While dwarves preferred to settle in the Old City, human and halfling immigrants established the Emberhand and Wyverngate districts. As cultural differences and prejudices began to rear their heads, Swordhold experienced several years of unrest.  The troubles came to an end when the factions were forced to unite, to defend the city from an army of orcs and goblins led by a half-orc warlord called Olgren Farseer.
The defense was only partially successful. The invaders succeeded in breaking through the defenses in Wyverngate, but were led into a trap by a human adventurer, Iyumo Scarhand, and his gnome companion, Kerren Eskerose. Scarhand died in battle with Olgren Farseer, but Eskerose survived and was elevated to the nobility by Queen Svaina. This established the precedent in Swordhold of elevating worthy individuals to the nobility.
It's estimated that almost forty percent of Swordhold's population was slain during the Siege of Olgren Farseer. The survivors united around Queen Svaina and the new nobility, many of them elevated from heroes of the siege.
Queen Svaina died shortly after the Siege, passing quietly in her sleep. She was succeeded by her son, Falnar.  Known as the Hammer-Head, what Falnar lacked in diplomatic acumen he made up for in the application of force.  When an army of Greytooth dwarves arrived on Swordhold's doorstep, seeking to seize the city under some obscure tenant of dwarven law, it was Falnar who saw them off. 
In an unexpectedly brazen move, Falnar led the city's defenders outside the walls and fell upon the Greytooth interlopers. He did not attempt diplomacy, he simply broke skulls. When the day ended, the Greytooth forces were in disarray. Falnar showed them no mercy and harried the survivors through the night until none were left alive.  He returned to the city, exhausted, but beloved by the people.  The Hammer-Head would rule for ten years more before meeting his end at the hands of an assassin.  His killer was never identified, but was always suspected to have been an agent of the Lords of Mountgate.
Falnar's death left a power vacuum.  He had no children and had never appointed an heir. The city's nobility met to discuss who would take the throne, but, although there were several worthy candidates, the nobles could not reach a consensus. Eventually, the candidates were presented to the people of the city, who were instructed to select the new ruler by popular vote.
The people chose Lady Asha Shatterheart.  Queen Asha was a human woman who had been adopted and raised by the Shatterhearts, a noble dwarf family.  In many ways, Queen Asha reflected the new face of Swordhold: youthful, exuberant, and civic-minded.
Queen Asha's first act was to establish clear protocols for succession. This would prove to be a wise action as Queen Asha herself died, unexpectedly, from a winter fever a few years later without heirs. 
Following the rules of succession, Queen Asha was succeeded by King Trane. A dwarf of ancient stock, King Trane ruled for over a century before abdicating and passing the throne to his eldest son, Ollar.
Ollar saw Swordhold through a troubling period when the city became embroiled in conflict with other local powers. Swordhold emerged from the Little Wars as one of the three dominant cities in the North, alongside Mountgate and Darkwater. Ollar also saw Swordhold expand, with the addition of the Greybend District and the smaller Grey Arms District. 
When Ollar died, the throne passed to his son, Olleron. Noble by birth but a scholar by inclination, Olleron caused a stir within the city when he welcomed a contingent of displaced elves into the city.  The area these elves settled would become known as the Longbow District and after a period of adjustment on all sides, the elves would become a welcome addition to Swordhold's makeup.
During this period, Swordhold became involved in the War of Three Cities, drawn into conflict with Mountgate and Darkwater.  Eventually, Olleron would ally with Darkwater against Mountgate and the war would come to an unpleasant end. 
Shortly afterward, Swordhold would find itself under siege from an abolethic monstrosity called Y'vern. Assaulted by magic and madness, Swordhold fell into a state of anarchy known as the Mad Decade. It came to an end when an unlikely alliance of paladins and sorcerers managed to banish Y'vern to another plane of existence.
King Olleron had gone insane during the Mad Decade. With Y'vern banished, Olleron was removed from the throne and replaced by his eldest surviving child, Garrador. Garrador held the throne for a year before abdicating to become an acolyte of Arilil, Goddess of Sadness and Despair.
Garrador had no children and, at his abdication, he named his successor. He chose a minor human noblewoman, Lady Trenna Noor, to replace him on the throne. The Council of Nobles was thrown into an uproar by this appointment. Lady Noor had only recently been appointed a noble for her actions during the Mad Decade. Despite her good character, she was an unknown element. The council felt that the city needed someone more established to guide Swordhold and so, for the first time, the Council of Nobles voted to overturn Lady Noor's appointment and elect one of their own to the throne.
When news of the council's decision reached the streets, the city exploded into violence. The so-called Succession Riots lasted barely a week, but left a distinct impression upon Swordhold's psyche.  The council reversed their decision and Queen Trenna was enthroned in a very public ceremony.
Under Queen Trenna's rule, Swordhold reached its current size with the incorporation of the Lightfall District into the city. Where her predecessors had worked to establish and fortify the city, Queen Trenna's rule was spent working to heal the city and care for its citizens. She established a number of charitable institutions and civic policies that remain in place today. Queen Trenna also passed laws requiring all arcane spellcasters within the city to register with the throne upon 'pain of death.'  Although not opposed to magic, Queen Trenna never forgot that it was arcane spellcasters who assisted Y'vern in his siege of the city.  As a result, Swordhold has some of the harshest laws regarding the regulation, study and use of arcane magic on the continent.  She is also credited with the city's motto, 'Swordhold endures.'
When Queen Trenna died, the throne passed to her son, Estan. King Estan continued many of his mother's policies, but focused more on diplomacy and trade than his predecessors. He established better trade relations with Darkwater and Fallen Baramir, and sought to establish better diplomatic relations with Mountgate and Goldsun. His efforts were starting to bear fruit when the Draconic Invasion began.
The Draconic Legions laid siege to Swordhold. During the siege, King Estan was slain by an enemy arrow. His son, Prince Berret, was too young to assume the throne and so his mother, Queen Erielle, has been acting as regent.
After a long siege, Swordhold surrendered to the Draconic Legions under the command of the dragonborn paladin, Eiroth Greyscale.  Following their surrender, the imperial forces did loot the city, but there was little loss of life. When the draconic forces were ordered to raise Swordhold and pull back to Calhorne, Eiroth Greyscale was magnanimous. The dragonborn paladin allowed Swordhold's residents to leave the city before he put it to the torch.
Since then, Swordhold's citizens have worked hard to rebuild their fallen city. Prince Berret has achieve his majority and been enthroned as King Berret.  Advised by the Council of Nobles and his mother, the young king focuses his energies on rebuilding Swordhold and caring for its citizens.  He is already being compared to previous monarchs, like Queen Svaina and King Ollar. The weight of the crown is a heavy burden on the young king's head, but he has risen to the challenge, and his people have followed his example.
Swordhold does, indeed, endure.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Man With the Broken Hearts

I knew a man
who collected broken hearts,
mostly his own,
of equal parts, 
tragedy and grief.

But he was brave,
and kind
and forthright too.
He'd give his last dollar,
to you.

But when it came,
to matters of love,
he needed guidance,
from above,
because he always
made bad choices.

Pretty faces turned his head,
and more than once,
led him to sleep in the bed,
he had made for 
himself.

Until the day,
his heart gave out,
and he not longer went about,
looking for true love.

And wouldn't you know it,
when he stopped,
that's when his bad luck
seemed to pop,
and he finally met
the right one.

His broken hearts are things
of the past,
he's found a love that 
will last,
and we're all 
very happy
for him.

He found a dog,
a noble breed,
who loves him dearly,
yes, indeed,
even if he isn't
pedigreed.

Because love,
you see,
is all you
need.
It's all any
of us
need. 

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Comic Recs!

Hello, gentle readers! I'm currently neck deep in some personal projects so haven't been able to post as much as I used to. With that in mind, here's this week's comic recommendations. Enjoy!

The Gravediggers Union
The first issue of The Gravediggers Union sort of throws you, neck-deep, into the story. It's a bit jarring, but I'm curious to see what happens next issue. Whether this is a longterm read? I'm not sure. I'd give it 3/5 stars.

Lazarus X+66
I've enjoyed these one-shot stories being told in Lazarus X+66.  This month we get a glimpse into the complicated relationship between Lazari from two families that seem to be gunning for each other. Overall, I'd give it 3/5 stars.

Atomic Robo
It's always fun to read Atomic Robo, and this issue is no exception. We've got Robo and his support staff at Tesladyne, an amusing cameo by Sir Richard Branson and hints at a dangerous cybernetic hivemind up to shennanigans.  I give it 4/5 stars.