:: Spilt Ink Imaginarium ~ Now featuring the Grimoire campaign setting for Spheres of Power ::
Monday, April 27, 2020
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Friday, December 14, 2018
:: Orvar and Kaari ::
Hi, my name is AddyCat (pen-name used). I wrote this fairy tale in Mr. Carter's Fairy Tale Workshop Elective at Topeka Collegiate School. Yee.
Orvar and Kaari have always shared the same expressions. They’ve both always been quiet. Deep in the Kingdom of the Ice, in the town of Windystad, they both lived. Windystad was a brisk yet unsettling village, always covered in snow. In the very center of it all, laid a hopeless unicorn surrounded in barriers and barriers of security. It was called the Magical Unicorn of Life, and it was said to have incredible powers.
On the edge of the Kingdom of the Sun ― a distant kingdom which was full of warmth ― Sunny Commune was a village with no power like the Kingdom of the Ice. Windystad and Sunny Commune were therefore at war for Windystad’s merchandise.
In the town of Windystad there was also two dragons, named Orvar and Kaari. They had been best friends since before they could remember. They only recollected one thing; their parents were both taken away by the war.
Orvar and Kaari
by AddyCatOrvar and Kaari have always shared the same expressions. They’ve both always been quiet. Deep in the Kingdom of the Ice, in the town of Windystad, they both lived. Windystad was a brisk yet unsettling village, always covered in snow. In the very center of it all, laid a hopeless unicorn surrounded in barriers and barriers of security. It was called the Magical Unicorn of Life, and it was said to have incredible powers.
On the edge of the Kingdom of the Sun ― a distant kingdom which was full of warmth ― Sunny Commune was a village with no power like the Kingdom of the Ice. Windystad and Sunny Commune were therefore at war for Windystad’s merchandise.
In the town of Windystad there was also two dragons, named Orvar and Kaari. They had been best friends since before they could remember. They only recollected one thing; their parents were both taken away by the war.
:: Tiwlip and Glaucio ::
Wassup, I'm Spaghetti (pen-name used), and this is my fairy taaaaaaaale. I wrote it in Mr. Carter's Fairy Tale Workshop Elective at Topeka Collegiate School. Read it and stuff. Yee.
There once was a girl named Tiwlip (SMAK). She lived in the kingdom of Valleyland. Raging on the outskirts of Valleyland was a terrible war in which Tiwlip and her brother, Glaucio, lost their mother and father. Tiwlip did not have enough money so she lived in the town inn and Glaucio lived in the children’s orphanage. Both of them were unhealthily skinny.
One night Glaucio stayed with his sister in the inn and he had a terrible nightmare. In it they had starved to death. So Glaucio stole food and money from places in the town, and the authorities blamed Tiwlip. She is sentenced to death and Glaucio tried to get out of town.
On the way, he ran into a random traveller named Atl, whom he asked to save Tiwlip. After Atl saved Tiwlip (KLAP, KLAP) they set out to find Glaucio, who had run out of town for fear of the truth being discovered.
On the way to find Glaucio, Tiwlip and Atl encountered the legendary Ginger Cappuchin, a monkey that hates all humans. Tiwlip and Atl conquered the Ginger Cappuchin in battle and so the monkey joined them on their quest to find Glaucio.
After walking for many miles, they found boot prints with a distinctive “X” pattern. Tiwlip recognized these as Glaucio’s boots. They followed the boot prints to a bush where Glaucio was hiding. When Glaucio asked Tiwlip why she had come after him, she replied that she would never want to be without him; he was her only family.
It was at that moment that Atl revealed himself for his true identity: the prince named Antinanco. He was a (slam) angel with brown hair and beautiful feathery wings. Because Tiwlip and Glaucio were both refugees and had little to their names, the prince invited them to stay at his palace on a cloud called Mount Olympus. In time, Antinanco and Tiwlip were engaged, and they all died happily ever after.
The End
Dank.
Twilip and Glaucio
by SpaghettiThere once was a girl named Tiwlip (SMAK). She lived in the kingdom of Valleyland. Raging on the outskirts of Valleyland was a terrible war in which Tiwlip and her brother, Glaucio, lost their mother and father. Tiwlip did not have enough money so she lived in the town inn and Glaucio lived in the children’s orphanage. Both of them were unhealthily skinny.
One night Glaucio stayed with his sister in the inn and he had a terrible nightmare. In it they had starved to death. So Glaucio stole food and money from places in the town, and the authorities blamed Tiwlip. She is sentenced to death and Glaucio tried to get out of town.
On the way, he ran into a random traveller named Atl, whom he asked to save Tiwlip. After Atl saved Tiwlip (KLAP, KLAP) they set out to find Glaucio, who had run out of town for fear of the truth being discovered.
On the way to find Glaucio, Tiwlip and Atl encountered the legendary Ginger Cappuchin, a monkey that hates all humans. Tiwlip and Atl conquered the Ginger Cappuchin in battle and so the monkey joined them on their quest to find Glaucio.
After walking for many miles, they found boot prints with a distinctive “X” pattern. Tiwlip recognized these as Glaucio’s boots. They followed the boot prints to a bush where Glaucio was hiding. When Glaucio asked Tiwlip why she had come after him, she replied that she would never want to be without him; he was her only family.
It was at that moment that Atl revealed himself for his true identity: the prince named Antinanco. He was a (slam) angel with brown hair and beautiful feathery wings. Because Tiwlip and Glaucio were both refugees and had little to their names, the prince invited them to stay at his palace on a cloud called Mount Olympus. In time, Antinanco and Tiwlip were engaged, and they all died happily ever after.
The End
Dank.
:: The Legendary Lettuce Leaf ::
The following story was created by myself during the Fairy Tale Workshop elective that I run at Topeka Collegiate School. You will see two more posts from my students who also made fairy tales in my elective. Please enjoy.
The Legendary Lettuce Leaf
By Wm Jay Carter III Deep in the divine, vacant homestead known as Pedestalhame, there lived a merrow woman with a clean look, but wearing repulsive attire. Her name was Huan, and she was smart, resolute and content, but sometimes she could be weak and fragile. Huan would often speak to Tallara in her low, thin voice, saying “I want to protect our nephew, but I fear losing the esteem of our family friend, Frode.Saturday, November 10, 2018
:: Gullystead, Forest Village ::
Just a quick stroll through a village. Enjoy.
I was walking along Market Street at Gullystead. The sun shone down through the sparse clouds on the tables spread with emerald green fabrics, the scorching air filled with the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies sitting on the windowsill of the bakery nearby. The street itself was fairly short, but wide and filled with curiosities, so after I passed along one side I immediately turned around and walked down the other side (chewing the warm cookie I had bought at the bakery).
A vendor—Itri’s Diverse Diversions—sold wooden jewelry, and I found a ring made of cedar wood that I thought a friend of mine might like. I picked it up, held it to my nose and inhaled slowly to take in the wood’s natural sharp musk. After I paid for the trinket I thanked the merchant, a short twig-folk girl by the name of Itri. Her small hands—full of fingers like spider’s legs—would have alarmed any who were not used to her kind, the Winslies. But for me, who had seen many of her kin selling their fine long blue-steel carpets in the villages east of the Great Chasm, she was a familiar sight.
She wore a practical outfit and a wary demeanor, but I introduced myself and asked how long she had been here, at Gullystead. She seemed to take my friendly approach in kind and replied that she had only been here a day or two and was just passing through. In her breathy voice she explained that she had gone out into the world to find out who she really was. Another Winslie emerged from behind a curtain and exchanged trays of items on the table, never looking at me and never saying a word before disappearing behind the curtain again.
The other Winslie was her brother, Fron, Itri explained. She admitted sheepishly that she was afraid of being separated from him, which was probably what kept her in the stall and not out and about on such a sunny day.
She tugged the hem of her hood lower over her eyes in a polite gesture—it was the Winslie custom to cover their eyes to reassure others that they meant no harm. For, you see, their eyes were a literal shock to behold, as they flashed like silent lightning when they became alarmed. Itri was nothing but friendly, however, and after a brief chat I thanked her again for the ring and went on my way.
Gullystead appeared to be a simple, bustling village in the Beryllian Forest. “Population 82,” a small sign had said as I came in. And that was after one of the villagers had stopped by to change it from “81.” Evidently a baby had been born the night before.
As I walked from Market Street to the shrine near the gully outside of the village, I felt the prickle of magic dance over my skin; there must have been a leyline running through the area. Sure enough, I saw a heavy glistening stone carved into the shape of a dwarven house-deity—a sure sign that the Fairy Faith was practiced by someone in the village. The stone itself was ice white, inlaid with eyes of blue quartz.
At the foot of the figure I saw that there was a clean clay bowl with three small pebbles of azurite inside—an offering for the Fey. Someone had also offered a short spear with a lindenwood haft and a head made entirely of glass. Several offerings of fruit were also laid nearby, and I thought a moment about what I could leave behind out of respect for the local gods. I pulled the cedar ring out of my pocket and considered it. My friend could do without a ring this time; there would always be more baubles. Holding it under my nose one last time, I inhaled the sharp cedar musk and laid it inside the bowl beside the azurite.
Stepping back, I took in the sight of the shrine as a whole. It was appealing and clean, a sign that the villagers of Gullystead truly respected their gods. I suddenly felt more honored to have been among them that day.
My final stroll took me along the gully, a long and dirty scar across the otherwise thick and shady linden forest. Coffee beans dangled in vines from the branches, adding their scent to the forest air, now cooler under the canopy. Deep in the gully I saw deposits of sandstone, and a discarded set of padded clothing. I paused and wondered whether it had been thrown there, or if someone down in the gully had removed it before undertaking some dubious action. At last I decided my mind had run away with me, and I went on my way, soon to see some other place, with more things I had never seen before.
GULLYSTEAD
I was walking along Market Street at Gullystead. The sun shone down through the sparse clouds on the tables spread with emerald green fabrics, the scorching air filled with the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies sitting on the windowsill of the bakery nearby. The street itself was fairly short, but wide and filled with curiosities, so after I passed along one side I immediately turned around and walked down the other side (chewing the warm cookie I had bought at the bakery).
A vendor—Itri’s Diverse Diversions—sold wooden jewelry, and I found a ring made of cedar wood that I thought a friend of mine might like. I picked it up, held it to my nose and inhaled slowly to take in the wood’s natural sharp musk. After I paid for the trinket I thanked the merchant, a short twig-folk girl by the name of Itri. Her small hands—full of fingers like spider’s legs—would have alarmed any who were not used to her kind, the Winslies. But for me, who had seen many of her kin selling their fine long blue-steel carpets in the villages east of the Great Chasm, she was a familiar sight.
She wore a practical outfit and a wary demeanor, but I introduced myself and asked how long she had been here, at Gullystead. She seemed to take my friendly approach in kind and replied that she had only been here a day or two and was just passing through. In her breathy voice she explained that she had gone out into the world to find out who she really was. Another Winslie emerged from behind a curtain and exchanged trays of items on the table, never looking at me and never saying a word before disappearing behind the curtain again.
The other Winslie was her brother, Fron, Itri explained. She admitted sheepishly that she was afraid of being separated from him, which was probably what kept her in the stall and not out and about on such a sunny day.
She tugged the hem of her hood lower over her eyes in a polite gesture—it was the Winslie custom to cover their eyes to reassure others that they meant no harm. For, you see, their eyes were a literal shock to behold, as they flashed like silent lightning when they became alarmed. Itri was nothing but friendly, however, and after a brief chat I thanked her again for the ring and went on my way.
Gullystead appeared to be a simple, bustling village in the Beryllian Forest. “Population 82,” a small sign had said as I came in. And that was after one of the villagers had stopped by to change it from “81.” Evidently a baby had been born the night before.
As I walked from Market Street to the shrine near the gully outside of the village, I felt the prickle of magic dance over my skin; there must have been a leyline running through the area. Sure enough, I saw a heavy glistening stone carved into the shape of a dwarven house-deity—a sure sign that the Fairy Faith was practiced by someone in the village. The stone itself was ice white, inlaid with eyes of blue quartz.
At the foot of the figure I saw that there was a clean clay bowl with three small pebbles of azurite inside—an offering for the Fey. Someone had also offered a short spear with a lindenwood haft and a head made entirely of glass. Several offerings of fruit were also laid nearby, and I thought a moment about what I could leave behind out of respect for the local gods. I pulled the cedar ring out of my pocket and considered it. My friend could do without a ring this time; there would always be more baubles. Holding it under my nose one last time, I inhaled the sharp cedar musk and laid it inside the bowl beside the azurite.
Stepping back, I took in the sight of the shrine as a whole. It was appealing and clean, a sign that the villagers of Gullystead truly respected their gods. I suddenly felt more honored to have been among them that day.
My final stroll took me along the gully, a long and dirty scar across the otherwise thick and shady linden forest. Coffee beans dangled in vines from the branches, adding their scent to the forest air, now cooler under the canopy. Deep in the gully I saw deposits of sandstone, and a discarded set of padded clothing. I paused and wondered whether it had been thrown there, or if someone down in the gully had removed it before undertaking some dubious action. At last I decided my mind had run away with me, and I went on my way, soon to see some other place, with more things I had never seen before.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
:: NPCs - Adventuring Party 1 ::
So as to not spoil the future plot for my Tales of Athanasia players, I have named this post (and will probably name future posts) generically in the main title and then get more specific in the body of the post. Don't let the bland titles fool you, though—plenty of juicy detail below.
A bit of backstory: I've been gathering up all my unpainted minis and painting them (hereafter known as the Miniblitz) so I can group them together and start making encounters. As I did so, I found that I had, like, a crap-ton of unique adventurer minis. This is great for my players, because I will usually have something close to their character for them to use. (Cue Tevia voice) On the other hand, the Miniblitz has landed me with all these unused adventurer minis and nothing to do except throw the occasional villain at the party, which just goes way too slowly for me.
My solution has been to create villainous (or at least antagonistic) adventuring parties to give the PCs a big challenge up front and then let them use their first encounter to figure out how to take them down the next time. They might go find them later at their home-base and fight them one room at a time, or research each adventurer's weakness and exploit it to make an all-out battle that much easier. Plus, I don't plan on levelling up the opposing party, so the battle will automatically feel more manageable to the PCs if they level before encountering their rivals again. This makes for fun recurring foes, and gives the players a through-line for a particular plot arc. At least, that's my theory; I haven't actually tried it yet.
Wish me luck.
~Jay
Einar is the notable Fenris barbarian who was the first to be cursed with Zoanthropy, the equivalent to Lycanthropy in the Grimoire campaign setting. The main difference between Zoanthropy and Lycanthropy is that any given human or halfling has a particular animal ancestry, and Zoanthropy brings out that ancestry rather than always turning the afflicted into a wolf. The result is that those bitten by Einar contract the curse and are forced into the form of their animal ancestors at the full moon. As a Fenris, Einar becomes an enormous wolf in his full zoe (animal) form and rampages through vulnerable villages and hamlets, perpetuating his fame and the fear of his name, which means "Lone Wolf."
 |
| A small sample of the minis I have yet to paint. |
My solution has been to create villainous (or at least antagonistic) adventuring parties to give the PCs a big challenge up front and then let them use their first encounter to figure out how to take them down the next time. They might go find them later at their home-base and fight them one room at a time, or research each adventurer's weakness and exploit it to make an all-out battle that much easier. Plus, I don't plan on levelling up the opposing party, so the battle will automatically feel more manageable to the PCs if they level before encountering their rivals again. This makes for fun recurring foes, and gives the players a through-line for a particular plot arc. At least, that's my theory; I haven't actually tried it yet.
Wish me luck.
~Jay
:: Einar's Pack - Creation Tower ::
Einar is the notable Fenris barbarian who was the first to be cursed with Zoanthropy, the equivalent to Lycanthropy in the Grimoire campaign setting. The main difference between Zoanthropy and Lycanthropy is that any given human or halfling has a particular animal ancestry, and Zoanthropy brings out that ancestry rather than always turning the afflicted into a wolf. The result is that those bitten by Einar contract the curse and are forced into the form of their animal ancestors at the full moon. As a Fenris, Einar becomes an enormous wolf in his full zoe (animal) form and rampages through vulnerable villages and hamlets, perpetuating his fame and the fear of his name, which means "Lone Wolf."
Sunday, October 28, 2018
:: Esha and Aasha, Serpentfolk Mage and Companion ::
As a follow-up to my tale Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery, I give you the matriarch of the Serpentine family, and oldest living daughter of Medusa of Wellstan, Esha Serpentine. Included are the stats for Esha's serpent companion, Aasha.
Esha and Aasha
Esha and Aasha
Saturday, October 27, 2018
:: Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery ::
I consider traditional fantasy an apt love letter to the fertile legends and folklore of our ancestors, but with the unfortunate side effect that they rarely explain the origins of the strange inherent forms and magical origins found in the source material. Is every minotaur in a role-playing game the love child of a lusty queen and a bull as the traditional myths recount? Why do werewolves transform into wolves at the full moon? Why do sirens sing so beautifully that ships wreck themselves upon the rocks?
In the spirit of explaining where medusas come from in my world, I present to you Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery.
Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery
by Wm Jay Carter III
Once there was a family of artisans who came to the city of Wellstan. They were all exceptional painters, potters, and carvers, but one daughter, Medusa, was a sculptor of surpassing skill. It was said that her work was so life-like that—once it was painted—it could hardly be distinguished from the subject.
Medusa was as beautiful as she was talented, and when the family came to the city, she was sought after by many suitors, who continuously crowded her with their pleas of devotion. “Come to the gallery,” she would tell them. “If you truly wish to know me, come and see my work, for there is my true soul for all to see.”
In the spirit of explaining where medusas come from in my world, I present to you Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery.
Medusa and the Serpentine Gallery
by Wm Jay Carter III
Once there was a family of artisans who came to the city of Wellstan. They were all exceptional painters, potters, and carvers, but one daughter, Medusa, was a sculptor of surpassing skill. It was said that her work was so life-like that—once it was painted—it could hardly be distinguished from the subject.
Medusa was as beautiful as she was talented, and when the family came to the city, she was sought after by many suitors, who continuously crowded her with their pleas of devotion. “Come to the gallery,” she would tell them. “If you truly wish to know me, come and see my work, for there is my true soul for all to see.”
Friday, October 12, 2018
:: Mollymauk Tealeaf (ToA) ::
I give you Mollymauk Tealeaf (Tales of Athanasia).
Art credit: Fiona Staples
Saturday, October 6, 2018
:: Sparrowville (Wellstan), Tundra City ::
Emerging from the tree line, you see the City of Wellstan come out of hiding. High on the cliff to your left is the mage's academy, large and imposing, creeping as it were over the edge as if ready to jump from the top of the icy waterfall to come crashing down on the common buildings below. The blanket of night offers camouflage for the numerous winged forms flying up and down from the city to the academy and back, the sequins of stars being blackened only momentarily as seraphs pass before them.
A century ago, Wellstan was a miserable, blustery place, plagued with bitter winds and constant snowstorms. Then a young córvean woman—the archmage of the local Weather Guild—discovered that the storms were caused by the presence of a particularly strong ley node atop the cliff that overshadowed the town. To manage the location, the Wizard's Tribunal built a tower over the ley node and announced that they would appoint a wizard to reside there.
A century ago, Wellstan was a miserable, blustery place, plagued with bitter winds and constant snowstorms. Then a young córvean woman—the archmage of the local Weather Guild—discovered that the storms were caused by the presence of a particularly strong ley node atop the cliff that overshadowed the town. To manage the location, the Wizard's Tribunal built a tower over the ley node and announced that they would appoint a wizard to reside there.
The people of Wellstan welcomed the security and resources a wizard would bring to their humble community. That is, until they discovered who had been given stewardship over the tower—the archmage of the Weather Guild herself. Though a talented magical practitioner, she was criticized by the townspeople for having the absent-mindedness of a sparrow. All watched with a mix of anxiety and trepidation as she was granted a staff, the coveted title of wizard, and residence at the newly-built tower as a reward for her discovery.
Monday, September 3, 2018
:: Themadale, Savanna Settlement ::
As you approach the settlement ahead on the sweltering, parched savanna, you are met with the sight of a hauntingly roomy collection of buildings. As you get closer you realize that the largest is a clinic, with several duckfolk coming and going, all with head trauma. Near the cairn at the edge of the settlement's boundaries, you overhear a young bórean chastising a leonian cub:
"No more going to the shallow cave, Gwandoya. From here on out, you can go no further than the glen. Just because you run a bookshop doesn't mean you're immortal. Look at the other folk who went looking for the buckler. I know they say it's gold, but who's seen it? And the pendants of protection the clinic keeps passing out clearly don't work."
"No more going to the shallow cave, Gwandoya. From here on out, you can go no further than the glen. Just because you run a bookshop doesn't mean you're immortal. Look at the other folk who went looking for the buckler. I know they say it's gold, but who's seen it? And the pendants of protection the clinic keeps passing out clearly don't work."
:: Lalawethika, Siren Aristocrat ::
The male merfolk before you wears rustic clothing and a gloomy expression. As he pulls himself out of the water you see a long tail follow after, swathed with swooping tropical patterns. After he finds a suitable place to coil this tail and sit upright, you notice that one of his fingers has been replaced with a prosthetic one made from fishbone. Scaly leather stretches where the webbing would be, held in place by rings at the base and tip of the neighboring fingers. "Allow me. To introduce. Myself." says the siren noble in his low, helpful voice, being careful and deliberate with his words. "I am. Lalawethika. Let us discuss. The matter at hand."
Thursday, August 23, 2018
:: Loot Batch #1 ::
Now that I've had some time to use my random People, Places, and Things generator for a bit, I've found that it's really efficient to just run up one page of "Things" at a time, print it out, cut up the items, and hand them out to my players as needed. Because each "batch" contains one weapon, one armor, one slot item, one grimoire, and so on, they are also really great for describing what a given auto-generated NPC might have on them (omitting the things that don't make sense, like armor on a mage).
For this reason, when it comes time to dole out loot, I usually describe the items as being on some dead adventurer who met their fate facing the challenge I just got done putting in front of the PCs.
"You fall down the pit, being impaled by the spikes at the bottom. Next to you lies the body of a dead adventurer, a spike impaling his skull. He's wearing some pretty nice gear, though, and you think you could salvage some of it...once you get off the spikes yourself..."
Got a big monster? Even better.
"As your finishing blow slices across the chimera's belly, the contents of its stomach spill out as well. Besides an assortment of crunched and chewed animal parts, you see a mostly-intact corpse that the chimera seems to have swallowed whole. Most of the adventurer's gear has survived the stomach acid for this long, and is probably still usable..."
So, here's your first batch of loot. Give it to one or two NPCs, dead or alive, and enjoy!
~Jay
For this reason, when it comes time to dole out loot, I usually describe the items as being on some dead adventurer who met their fate facing the challenge I just got done putting in front of the PCs.
"You fall down the pit, being impaled by the spikes at the bottom. Next to you lies the body of a dead adventurer, a spike impaling his skull. He's wearing some pretty nice gear, though, and you think you could salvage some of it...once you get off the spikes yourself..."
Got a big monster? Even better.
"As your finishing blow slices across the chimera's belly, the contents of its stomach spill out as well. Besides an assortment of crunched and chewed animal parts, you see a mostly-intact corpse that the chimera seems to have swallowed whole. Most of the adventurer's gear has survived the stomach acid for this long, and is probably still usable..."
So, here's your first batch of loot. Give it to one or two NPCs, dead or alive, and enjoy!
~Jay
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