The elves and their allies clash with Godol the shadow mage and his. Scene 20 GM Notes Most of the NPCs in the fight today are units from the Battle for Wesnoth video game that we’ve already seen in earlier encounters, like Ruffians, Shadow Mages, and Efa the Bandit. The only new one here is Tric’s merfolk friends, who are based on the Netcaster li…

Cleve and Marina secure proper care for Mariah. Scene 35 Scene 36 Scene 37 Scene 38 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Rhaessa and Heledd join Tric and Heppa in their investigation of necromancers underneath South Tower. Scene 17 Scene 18 Scene 19 GM Notes The exploration of the space under South Tower was heavily inspired by combat maps from the Battle for Wesnoth video game. Cave terrain frequently has mushroom tiles, mining cart tracks, and old fortifications. A…

With the help of a mysterious ranger, Mariah’s friends keep him out of harm’s way. Scene 34 GM Notes Rangers, in our game, are actually based on embassy guards. Some countries require their guards to all have a uniform appearance, even down to strict height limits. Inspiration really can come from anywhere. Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Vi…

Tric catches up some with Kachen and gets to know the new server at the Parting Glass. Scene 13 Scene 14 Scene 15 Scene 16 Note: This episode uses an adaptation of our Fight Night rules. Find them here. GM Notes In this episode, we finally get a scene that closely resembles our campaign artwork! When we commissioned the piece from Del Borovic the t…

The briar beasts make their move to consume Mariah. Scene 33 Note: The battle started in today's episode continues in next week's. From a writing standpoint, it made sense to combine Mariah's viewpoint into one scene, and the exterior viewpoint into another. So if you read this write-up, you'll get some spoilers for next episode and you'll also not…

Tric recruits the white mage Rhaessa to help with whatever foul magics are afoot beneath South Tower. Scene 12 GM Notes In the Battle for Wesnoth video game, there are undead units whose attacks have the plague quality. Any unit killed by one of these rises again as a Walking Corpse—unless they were standing in a village when it happened. I’ve take…

Mariah is finally reunited with his friends, but that doesn’t solve all his problems. Scene 27 Scene 28 Scene 29 Scene 30 Scene 31 Scene 32 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Kachen shares a little of what he was up to over the summer. Scene 10 Scene 11 GM Notes In the Battle for Wesnoth video game, the only mainline unit with teleportation is the Silver Mage. They are able to move between villages that their side controls. In terms of the battle map, that means any villages flying their side’s flag. I’ve translated tha…

All of Dr. Yerin Gupta’s plans come crashing down around her. Scene 23 Scene 24 Scene 25 Scene 26 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric and Heppa deal with a late night intruder. Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump t…

Briar beasts run rampant in the Garden of Chiron. Scene 20 Scene 21 Scene 22 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric reconnects with some of the Dunefolk of South Tower, but neither his mother nor Damal are terribly impressed with him. Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The…

Mariah remonstrates with his captor. Scene 18 Scene 19 Note: In this episode, you’ll once again hear us using social material and maneuver mechanics that come from a Genesys supplement called I Declare! Adjudicated Social Encounters for Genesys by Micah-Shalom “FatCrab” Kesselman. You can find it on the Genesys Foundry at DriveThruRPG here: https:/…

Upon returning to the Parting Glass, Heppa delivers to Alric the message from his parents in Weldyn. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 This arc contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaigns Eastern Invasion and Liberty. There are also references to Dead Water. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our m…

Mariah’s reunion with his old friend Deirdre does not go as smoothly as Cleve’s reunion with Roze did. Scene 13 Scene 14 Scene 15 Scene 16 Scene 17 GM Notes When we describe Mariah’s view of the sunset-lit world as featuring diamonds, and an ocean of islands, and a forest deep and silent, we’re quoting there from Mariah’s theme song, which is “Rive…

Tric and Heppa bid farewell to Terwaen’s household with several revealing conversations. Scene 15 Scene 16 Scene 17 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Vis…

Marina takes Cleve and Mariah to the Stepdaughters of Chiron council building. Scene 8 Scene 9 Scene 10 Scene 11 Scene 12 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric duels Dame Merriver. Scene 14 Note: This episode uses our Fight Night rules. Find them here. GM Notes The Battle for Wesnoth video game inspired a lot of specific events and NPCs in our tabletop campaign. I leaned heavily on the closing events of the Eastern Invasion campaign, even quoting from the epilogue where Gweddry and Owaec are granted …

Some among the Stepdaughters of Chiron prove less easy to get along with than craws are. Scene 5 Scene 6 Scene 7 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric and Heppa talk with Dame Merriver about threats to the kingdom… and her illicit weapon shipments. Scene 13 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit t…

Mariah, Cleve, and Marina visit with some farmers on the outskirts of Stepdaughters of Chiron territory. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 GM Notes The description of the farm in this episode is actually inspired by alter eco chocolate bars. The inside of the packaging has a labeled graphic of regenerative agriculture in practice, which we thought fi…

Sir Anyc shows Tric and Heppa around and presents them to Dame Merriver. Scene 11 Scene 12 GM Notes Dame Merriver is a character we’ve had floating around our campaign from way, way back. All the rumors and theories about her is what inspired me to give her the special ability Ominous Reputation. She also has a theme song in my campaign playlist, w…

The team debates how to handle the remaining demon craw. Scene 14 Scene 15 GM Notes In humans, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is a crucial treatment for situations like menopause or gender transition. Personally, HRT helped me become myself for the first time. For Checkerboard, the proposed HRT regimen might help her undo the Progenitor abuse…

Tric and Heppa learn of some tensions within Terwaen’s household… and within her people. Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 Scene 10 GM Notes There are a number of mounted units in the Battle for Wesnoth video game. In preparation for this arc, I reviewed their descriptions and artwork for inspiration. Terwaen and Anyc are Knights, and Rugg and Inyc are Palad…

The team deals with the repercussions of Dr. Citali’s errant pistol shot. Scene 11 Scene 12 Scene 13 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric and Heppa are welcomed to Terwaen’s home. Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need context? Jump to…

Demon craws attack. Scene 10 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

As they approach Terwaen’s village, Tric and Heppa befriend a knight after observing a duel. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 This arc contains spoilers for the Battle for Wesnoth campaigns Eastern Invasion and Heir to the Throne. There are also references to Northern Rebirth. Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found he…

The Progenitor research facility holds a few surprises. Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Heppa and Tric study Mal-Vektor’s staff—which is almost as dangerous as the man himself. Scene 12 Scene 13 Scene 14 GM Notes We won’t be seeing Ash and Aglana again in this campaign—at least not together as a couple. So I’ll take this opportunity to fill in some of the backstory that informs their behavior, but that didn’t get stated openly at the …

Their new friends lead Mariah, Cleve, and Marina to a Progenitor ruin. Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

The elves extract what information they can from their necromancer prisoner. Scene 11 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.org. Need c…

Mariah, Cleve, and Marina face some unexpectedly tough negotiators. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

A necromancer joins the battle against the elves. Scene 10 GM Notes As usual, I got my inspiration for NPCs from the Battle for Wesnoth video game. I prepped Giant Spider and Yeti encounters, since those are units found in caves and mountains. I also wanted to broaden the range of undead my players had to deal with, and so I turned to a unit line w…

Data Haven enacts its plans to slow down Morgan’s Planetary Security Force. Scene 19 Scene 20 Scene 21 Scene 22 Scene 23 Scene 24 (Letter to Fritz) Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

When Tric, Heppa, and Ash return to the scene of their last fight, they find that the situation has grown more dire. Scene 9 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Pro…

The Council of Datajacks deliberates on action against Morgan Industries and alliance with the Stepdaughters of Chiron. Scene 16 Scene 17 Scene 18 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Before reengaging the undead threat in the caves, Tric and Heppa develop a plan with Ash and Aglana. Scene 6 Scene 7 Scene 8 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Pro…

Political talks continue in Data Haven. Scene 11 Scene 12 Scene 13 Scene 14 Scene 15 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

At their request, Ash takes Tric and Heppa big game hunting for a giant spider, but the cave system holds more significant dangers than just webs and venom. Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), license…

Cleve and Mariah begin recruiting for the new Data Haven council and sounding people out on how to stop Morgan’s Planetary Security Force. Scene 5 Scene 6 Scene 7 Scene 8 Scene 9 Scene 10 GM Notes You might notice how often characters in this arc talk about “vendettas.” In the Alpha Centauri video games, factions don’t “declare war.” To fit the sci…

Heppa deviates from Ash’s carefully chosen path as he leads her and Tric up into the Heart Mountains. Scene 1 Scene 2 GM Notes While preparing for this arc, I studied up on the Mountain Travel section in Skill Adventures by David Shamp, available from the Genesys Foundry on DriveThruRPG. It gave me some ideas for ways different skills could come in…

Cleve makes deliveries around Data Haven while Mariah recovers from his injuries. Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Extended family helps Heppa with her corruption and Tric with taking on the mantle of his noble heritage. Scene 13 Scene 14 GM Notes As usual, many NPCs in this arc are derived from units in the Battle for Wesnoth video game. Ash is an Avenger, and with Ruthiel, we get our first Shyde, the ultimate unit in the Druid line in the mainline game. User-…

In which the dangers of siege worms are made completely clear. Scene 33 Scene 34 Scene 35 Scene 36 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Heppa seeks guidance from Soliana, an elf steeped in knowledge of fae magic. Scene 11 Scene 12 Our character art by Del Borovic and the map we refer to (by me!) can be found here. Our music is sampled from Return to Wesnoth by Matthias Westlund (aka West), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, part of The Battle for Wesnoth Project. Visit them at wesnoth.or…

On the way back to Data Haven, the group comes across some ominous remains. Scene 30 Scene 31 Scene 32 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories

Tric and Heppa present the needs of the Grey Woods woses to the most prestigious elvish council of all, the Ka’lian. Scene 10 GM Notes This whole episode with the Ka’lian is very much indebted to A War of Life and Death by Mystical_Warlord. In that non-mainline campaign for the Battle for Wesnoth video game, Scenario 13 sees the primary character, …

Reunited, Cleve and Mariah patch each other up and share information on their new contacts. Scene 26 Scene 27 Scene 28 Scene 29 Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!על ידי Dicey Stories