Ryuutama: A Journey's Tale | Ep 2 | Recap

Episode 1 Recap

A Chef’s knife, symbol of Nessa - the party’s cook

We picked up Episode 2 in the tense scene with Jack[1]. Jin just caught Jack in the act of sneaking into the Nekogoblin camp, and was clearly responsible for whatever was going on.

A scuffle ensued, and the Springtime Voyagers quickly dispatched their foe. Soon, it became clear what was happening: in a somewhat macabe act, Jack decided to implant gold coins into the Nekogoblins as incentive for wandering voyagers to control their numbers. This happened after the Nekogoblins repeatedly trampled on his prized petunias, and he faced trouble convincing adventurers on his own to take care of the troublesome pests.

That taken care of, the party headed to Thurston to sort things out. They convinced Deputy, the town Sheriff, to take Jack into custody, and set in for the night. But, not before running into their teammate and town cook Nessa Cordin.

Nessa, it turns out, had overslept the first night. While she quickly set out to try and catch up, it wasn’t until Thurston that she finally managed to get back in contact with the party.

Fortunately, though, they managed to reunite at the Bait and Tackle inn. Afterwards, they brought Dr. Jenner, the town doc, to the Nekogoblin camp to help extract the coins. Things went smoothly, and as a show of their grattitude, the Nekogoblins rewarded the party with, as they called it, Magic Glow-y Dust.

From there, they returned to town. They decided to eat supper at the Bait and Tackle inn, where they met a mysterious figure - Tilly Trimblewaltz. Dressed as a stereotypical Anime magical girl, Tilly made it clear she was interested in the Magic Glow-y Dust the party carried, although she called it Moon Dust.

She made an exchange with the party - giving them a magic ladder that would never break and extended from a few inches long all the way to 60 feet long in exchange for the Moon Dust they received from the Nekogoblins. When asked why she wanted the Moon Dust so much, she said it made good glitter.

Coins, symbol of Jin - the party’s merchant

With that strange encounter squared away, though, the party went to sleep. In the morning, they found out that Jack had been sentenced to communal service, scooping Nekogoblin litter (a downgrade from the original proposal of becoming the tribe’s scratching post). They then stocked up on supplies, and set out again.

Along the way, they met the Ryuujin Senna, who told them she would help guide the party on their way. Before agreeing to help them, though - she asked the party a series of questions gauging what they learned from the Nekogoblin encounter, and poking at why they acted the way they did.

She seemed satisfied with the party’s answers, though, and allowed them to continue on their way.

We left off after the party reached the Bugeye’d Swamps. The party heard some cries for help, and went to investigate - only to find a Slime named Globella crying over her falling Splitster. Apparently, her father had a vendetta against the Gobraches[2] of the swamp after Globella was found to be in a relationship with Bugsy McRoach…

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Glossary

[1] Jack: A lumberjack the party had helped out of a jam in episode 1.

[2] Gobraches: A race of sentient insects bent on making the world as dirty as possible. If you look through the VoD, you’ll see some cutesy bug emoji in chat deemed as the cannon visual representation.

How Not to End the World | Ep 25 | Recap

Episode 24 Recap Here

Northern Redwood District - where everything’s going down

Another ramp up episode to the Final Confrontation of this arc. The Despicable Six[1] continued their quest to bring Ethren to the site of the Summoning Ritual[2] , and things started off where we left off - storming the Northern Redwood District[3].

To start, the party made quick work of the remaining Tarinous[4] scattered throughout the buildings and barricades in the area. After dispersing and dispatching most the remaining adversaries, moved into The Wet Markets in the Northern Redwood District, which had also been barricaded - with members of a Tarinous shank [5] along with two Lyric Guard[6] mages standing between them and the ritual circle.

Lysta - party druid & pun-producer

They fought bravely - despite being outnumbered and occupying the low ground, the party managed to make their way into the center of the markets and route the Tarinous. Rhea got in some solid punches, Ymitri scared many of the soldiers with visions of creepy tentacles, Milo continued to set the world ablaze, Pyotr made some spleen-kabob, and Lysta gave a shocking performance[7] (clip)

After they got into the Wet Markets, it was time to stop and prepare for the final confrontation. They had entered the eye of the storm - and could take a beat to prepare and reflect.

Lysta thought back to a moment she had with Sasha, teaching her how to shoot lighting. While Sasha show some proclivity for magic, she wanted to see what Lysta could do - to which Lysta obliged, showing the result of hard training and diligence with a fantastic display of lightning and definitely gaining some points with Sasha in the process (clip). After that, though, things turned worrying as Sasha confided in Lysta about some troubling dreams she had about being trapped in a room with some mysterious figures smelling of burning hair, which were prompting her to cast necromancy. This suggested some parallels to the dream sequence from the end of Episode 22.

From there, we moved on to Ymitri - who thought back on her time with Sarah[8], and demonstrated a “find hidden object” spell by retrieving some liquor they stole when they were Kids. After he got back, he had a brief conversation with Satina about the past.

After that, Rhea thought back to her childhood friend Rellis - who had been a strong young woman who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Satina interrupted, however, questioning what Rhea was thinking about. They had a conversation about family and what Rhea had lost, and decided they would be Sisters to each other from now on - replacing the family Rhea lost and Satina never had to begin with.

Sasha, Pyotr’s adoptive daughter and party sassafras

Milo thought back to a pregnant woman that he had treated for plague early in his career. During a time of extreme hardship and overwhelming demand, she had been his only patient to show consideration for him - a fact which stuck with him even so many years later.

Finally, Pyotr had a somber, silent conversation with his late brother in-law. It was a deep, heartfelt moment - I suggest you watch (clip) because a text description just won’t have the same impact .

From there, we returned to the present. After some preparation, Ethren began the counter ritual.

Rather than explain what happened, I’ll just quote some of lyrics:

You see Ethren's face go dark, a twisted smile spreading across an otherwise blank expression
Light streams from the sky into his core, and his green skin curdles and churns, appearing to blacken
You see his eyes blaze with blackened fury - his inner flame exploding with power beyond any you knew
Soon it becomes clear what's happened - his song become true, one soul became two, and into his flew
The dark side of the blood mother's[9] soul. With a clatter, his instrument drops, shattering with a loud crack, and he raises clawed hands
His soul is set. The cards have been played. From the start, it was a trap, and now - she's ready to attack.

I’d quote the party’s reaction, but it was mostly stunned silence 😉

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[1] The Despicable Six: The name given to the party by the Tarinous via wanted posters posted throughout the city. They’re accused of crimes against Towans, among other things.

[2] The Summoning Ritual: The focus of this arc. The Twisted Fang [10] has finished putting together enough pieces of The Blood Mother’s soul to draw the rest of her from her inter-dimensional prison. The party, however, aims to counter the ritual, and turn her good using the information Ethren had gained by consulting with Ga’el - a Towan god of nature and self-improvement.

[3] Northern Redwood District (map): A district in the center of the city of Aquilla (map). It’s a working-class district that’s been evacuated by the Tarinous (at the behest of the Twisted Fang) for the ritual.

[4] Tarinous: The privatized police force of Aquilla. Split into several factions - in particular, the Buckle and Slosh and Clipped Wing are carrying out the bulk of the work in securing the Redwood District

[5] Shank: The basic unit of Tarinous. Composed of about 10-50 men, although they generally appear in smaller numbers as their duties require.

[6] Lyric Guard: The elite units in the Tarinous. Generally reserved for important clients and special occasions - they’re known for their versitility and extreme competence.

[7]: Don’t worry, you’re not alone - I hate myself for that too.

[8] Sarah: An old childhood friend of Ymitri’s, and the focus of much of the early episodes. The party took her in after she underwent the Malleficum Ichthys[11], only to find out she had been spying on the party for much of her stay. She ended up dead during an encounter that went south back in episode 16 - a somber moment that stuck with Ymitri as well as the rest of the party due to their complicated history and conflicted feelings.

[9] The Blood Mother: Aka Vallast the Bloodtide Soverign, The Blood Mother is an ancient Ash’kin deity that got locked away at the end of the Wild Wars. She inflicted such terror on the Towan forces that many Towan deities still refuse to speak of her centuries after her defeat.

[10] The Twisted Fang: Ash’kin sympathizers and allies which work toward bringing the Eternal Night by transfering ownership of this plane from Ur’Goth - Dragon god of light - to Achnikor, the Dragon Tyrant. They believe that Ur’Goth no longer has the strength to sustain this world, so they want to transfer stewardship to someone they view as capable of taking up the heavy burden of Unatowa.

[11] The Malleficum Ichthys Ritual: The ritual that brings a small shard of Vallast’s soul and embeds it in a person. With enough of these shards, the Twisted Fang will be able to pull the rest of Vallast’s soul through the narrow channel between Unatowa and her dimensional prison.

How Not to End the World | Ep 19 | Recap

ep 18 recap

Satina, childhood friend of Ymitri and Rhea’s former roommate

We left off episode 18 on a bit of a cliff hanger - With Sasha sobbing in the background while a worried Satina greeted Rhea, Lysta, and Ymitri outside the Warehouse slash hideout they’ve been calling their home.

But of course, before resolving that bit of suspense, we shifted focus to Calix’s[1] estate, where Pyotr sought to find out what happened to Sasha (unaware she was still at the warehouse) and maybe hopefully finish the job he had started in the after-crypts[2]

While at the estate, Pyotr found that Calix had roused the hive. Tarinous[3] ran to and fro in a flurry of activity for some reason, although the precise details weren’t made clear.

During his investigation of the estate, Pyotr slid from building to building, trying to find out what was going on and where Calix might be holding his daughter. Of course, Pyotr found little of use with his primary goal - but did see Mako[4] with another girl besides Sasha (even if the relationship seemed entirely one sided - with Mako showing apparent disdain for the new girl). In addition, Pyotr found some subtle hints that Calix’s wife, Bella, might be out of the picture in some way.

Lysta, played by Merete

Returning from a somewhat unsuccessful trip, we cut back to the warehouse, where Lysta quickly got to consoling Sasha. While Sasha seemed reticent to talk about what happened, she eventually opened up - revealing that she had been expelled, and found Mako with another woman. As they talked, it quickly became clear Calix pulled strings to get her kicked out of Vallisens Academy.

While it was unclear why Calix deigned to deal with something so low-stakes as his rival’s daughter’s schooling, what was clear is that those two things seemed to cover the extent of Sasha’s troubles… for now, anyway.

Sasha, Pyotr’s Daughter

After resolving that set of things, and after Milo stopped back at home to reorganize his books (which we used as an opportunity to determine which of us are civilized bookmark users and which of us are heathen dog earers), the party got together to visit Calix’s estate once more. This time, however, it would be Milo performing the social call - disguised as Valyah, the party’s former nemesis slash pyro victim.

Posing as Valyah, Milo smooth talked his way into some more vital information, following up from the conversation in episode 17. In particular, Milo found out the location of Shulgakayawah, the Rhyknar of Marròs (although it’s still unclear what “Rhyknar” means, given Milo’s never been in the position to ask). He was told to seek a barren hill near the foot of the Godscar Mountains to the west, then play a special flute to awaken the creature - currently sleeping in order to preserve its strength for the Final Battle between Ash’kin and Towans.

Milo, played by Joe

That taken care of (and after a through examination of the flute, during which we determined the priceless occult flute made of magic metal would do a good job cooling drinks) the party returned back to the warehouse. But, on their way, they stopped to hear from a very official looking town crier, who proclaimed taxes had been raised on the citizens in the slums to fund the investigation of the Blood Tides[5]. While the party knew about (and helped organize) the committee in whom’s name the taxes were being raised, they were surprised that the council of 17 had decided to draw the funds from the slums, rather than the wealthier districts of Alloren and Rosewood as they had discussed.

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In addition to the main campaign, we played our first two rounds of How to End the World with our first three players -

• “A Nony Mouse”, played by larpstrong_carter, who came across a druid enclave worshiping Hortus

• “Klewless”, played by JustJames, who investigated some church ruins, only to find a shameless cliffhanger underneath a hidden trapdoor

• New Bee”, played by Tron, who… sniffed around, dug up some trash and then buried it somewhere else before growling at some goblins as a warning not to steal his newly interred drapes and silverware.

two of our viewer’s characters, as sketched out in the 10 minute break Abby got during How to End the World

Definitely join us next time if you didn’t get the chance this week, it was really fun - and we’re already thinking of improvements and enhancements. You can find the rules over at fantasticide.net/hew

Oh and also, if you do join, you might get some #RheaDoodles doodles of your character~

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Glossary

[1] Calix: Pyotr’s long-time rival, and a higher-up in the Clipped Wing Tarinous

[2] Aftercrypts: A vast network of crypts underneath Aquilla, established shortly after the Wild Wars.

[3] Tarinous: The privitized police forces that act as law enforcement for the city of Aquilla

[4] Mako: Calix’s son, and Sasha’s classmate slash boyfriend (well… ex-boyfriend now, apparently)

[5] Blood Tides: A phenomenon where the bay waters of Aquilla turn to blood - killing the local fish populations and then also just being super creepy.

How Not to End the World | Ep 18 | Recap

ep. 17 recap

Pyotr, played by Alex

When we last left our heros, they were scrambling to escape the Aftercrypts[1], in which the Twisted Fang[2] established an enclave. But, just as it looked like they might get away, Pyotr heard something that made his blood boil. His long-time nemesis - Calix - had apparently done something to his daughter, although he didn’t give details. Considering Pyotr’s circumstance - he was on the back of Lallie, Calix’s right and woman, pretending to be unconscious after a brutal and warhammer-heavy interrogation - he managed to keep his cool until the party could catch up to his position.

Milo, played by Joe

And soon Pyotr’s patience paid off - Milo arrived right on time, and, with barely a moment hesitation, began his attack.

Unfortunately, though, things started off poorly for Milo; a member of the Lyric Guard[3] like Calix is nothing to trifle with. But, after tangling up his assailents with a tanglefoot bag, he beat a hasty retreat behind his other allies, who arrived to take up the fight in his stead.

The battle was heated. Rhea, apparently warming to violence after hesitation and pulled punches early-campaign[4], got in several solid hits, and it didn’t take long before Ymitri maneuvered to help flank while slinging tentacles at his foes.

Soon, the tide of battle turned, and the party put Calix on the defensive. Taking a brave stand, Lallie offered to hold off their foes while Calix made for the exit. He took up her offer and, while the party gave chase, slinging a last round of arrows and spells at him as he dove deep into the Crypts, he managed to escape past some tricky terrain the party found themselves unable to quickly cross.

Rhea - played by Abby

The party quickly overwhelmed Lallie - unable to hold her own without the help of Calix - and she submitted. A quick interrogation established little, except that Lallie didn’t know what Calix had done to Sasha, and so the party released her - hoping that she would carry with her the false information about their hideout’s location Pyotr had seeded during his interrogation back in Episode 17.

To finish off the episode, everyone began to disperse. Pyotr planned on searching Calix’s stronghold in the Vallisale district, while others decided to go back to the Warehouse they call their base. But, when they arrived, they discovered that Sasha was in the right place, but apparently distressed - given the sobbing they heard coming from inside the warehouse…

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Glossary/Notes

[1] Aftercrypts: A vast network of crypts underneath Aquilla, established shortly after the Wild Wars.

[2] Twisted Fang: Human sympathizers with the Ash’kin cause

[3] Lyric Guard: An elite force inside the Tarinous, usually assigned to the hardest or most high-value tasks. Individual members of a Lyric Guard unit will often lead a shank - a group of about 10-30 men which forms the basis of the Tarinous’[5] manpower.

[4]: Rhea missed frequently early in the campaign, rolling notoriously low. We’ve chalked this up to Rhea’s innocence and kindhearted nature unconsciously prompting her to pull her punches.

[5] Tarinous: The name used to refer to a private police force that forms the basis of law enforcement in Aquilla.

WLW: Grokking the Gods Pt 2

Hey all, welcome to another World Lore Wednesday - Today we’re talking about the Towan pantheon! More specifically, the second third of it!

This post assumes you already know what’s up with the Sigil of Dusk Campaign Setting. If you’re new to the series, I suggest checking out our first post on the matter (I suggest skipping down to “The Word of Unatowa” if you’re impatient). I also recommend reading our first post on the gods

Anyway, without further adieu, lets jump into it!

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Hortus’s symbol - a thorned rose.

Hortus, the Virulent Verdance

Gender: Male

Ancestry: Dryad

Alignment: CG

Domains: Ambition, Earth, Nature

Favored Weapon: A Whip

Description

A male dryad cloaked in thorned vines, with a single horn curling across the right of this face. Artists depict Hortus as he appeared near the end of his life - ancient in age, but extremely fit, with a cruel look in his eye and discord poisoning his soul.

History

Hortus started off the Wild Wars as an elder among Dryads. While they lead fractured and dissociated lives, Hortus carried enormous influence among their ranks, and all considered him the defacto leader of their kind.

As such, when the Wild Wars started, both Ur’Goth and Achnikor quickly came to Hortus to bid his kind’s favor. But, unfortunately for the Towans, the choice was clear - the dryads allied with Achnikor, who promised the retreat of Towan civilization. For the Dryads were neither Towan nor Ash’kin, given their birth during the Dawn Curse, and they hated both Towan machines as well as their indifference to nature. They hoped, through an alliance with Achnikor, they could spread the Ash’kin’s oneness with nature - choosing to ignore its twisted cruelty.

And so, Achnikor decided to bless Hortus - elevating him as their champion to act as a saboteur against Towan fortifications through overwhelming natural invasion. Towan armies soon found their camps overrun with thorns, man-eating plants, snakes, and other hazardous fauna - becoming ruined by the ravages of nature, all at the behest of Hortus.

After the wars, of course, Hortus found himself on the wrong side of history and his luck quickly running out. He met his end during The Godscar Event - where, in a desperate bid, he attempted to bring about the end of Civilization by his own hand, before Ur’Goth’s champions intervened and trapped his blight forever in the Blackthorn Valley.

But not all was lost for Hortus. For many remember him not for the havoc he wreaked amongst the Towan forces, but instead for his devout passion toward Nature, and his ultimate goal to bring balance and natural prosperity to the world. And so, while many view him as a conflicted figure at best, he managed to find his place among the Towan pantheon - worshiped by a not-insignificant portion of the populace even with his conflicted and difficult history.

Followers

Many perceive followers of Hortus as “hermit in the woods” types -  curmudgeonly old men or women who spend their days communing with nature and staying As Far Away from Everyone as they possibly can. Likewise, Druids and Dryads often take after Hortus - seeing him as the animus of the righteous vengeance of Nature. As a result, finding out an otherwise “normal” looking person primarily worships Hortus might come as a surprise to most people - although it does frequently happen.

Religious Texts

Hortus left behind 3 slabs in the Blackthorn Valley containing his message - placed near the Malignant Seed, and painted in the blood of Towans. His followers see visions from Hortus of the tablets, and he regularly encourages them to recover the slabs and plant a new malignant seed from the Blighttree growing nearby - but none yet dare to make the journey, nor consider themselves capable of returning alive if they did.

The slabs say the following in Sylvan:

• Reject civilization

• Fight subjugation

• Proliferate

Relationship with His Followers

Hortus keeps his followers at arms length - viewing none of them as “good enough” or “pure enough” for his tastes. That said, he still views them as useful tools, giving them the aforementioned visions and promptings to try and get them to carry out his will.

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Malli’s symbol, a laughing theatrical mask.

Malli, the Bawdy Joy

Gender: Female

Ancestry:  Dirgish Human

Alignment: NG

Domains: Confidence, Family, Indulgence

Favored Weapon: Lance

Description

A slender, dark-skinned woman - likely from Marrós (although genetically Dirge) - with long braided hair and spartan traveling clothes. Artists often depict her carrying a fiddle and flute, as well as a small library’s worth of tales of intrigue. Many famous works show her singing or reciting to a crowd, and she wrote many journals about the epic deeds she performed to inspire others.

History

Where armies march, the need for rest and relaxation surely must follow. Malli became dragon blessed due to her prowess in keeping the soldiers entertained and inspired through jest and sheer charisma. She played songs for the joyless, cheered on the weary, helped the depressed find meaning hand hope, and inspired confidence in the meek and fearful.

Historians say any army Malli traveled with would fight forces 10 times their number to the death, and still come out in good spirits. As a result, she became a coveted companion in any band she joined, and the myth of her presence impacted the Towan forces almost as much as she herself did directly.

Followers

Malli’s followers tend to be outgoing, often becoming the life of whatever party they go to. They want to inspire others through word or deed, and they live to lift others up through their own actions. As a result, many Bards, Sorcerers, and other folk who depend on sheer force of personality to make their way in the world follow Malli.

Religious Texts

Malli’s texts, Annals of Heroism, talk not of her or what her followers should do, but of the many valiant deeds she saw on and off the battlefield. They speak of selfless acts of desperation, valiant triumphs, devastating self-sacrifice, and stunning heroism

Her followers view this as a guide on how to live, and see it as demonstrating where they should set the bar for themselves, which is accurate - Malli particularly likes her followers which go above and beyond the call of duty while in doing something for others.

Relationship with Her Followers

Malli maintains a loving and forgiving relationship with her followers, but doesn’t communicate directly very often. Instead, she acts subtly - providing divine inspiration while performing oratory, or a flash of eloquence while entertaining guests, or a spark of charisma when providing cheer to the downtrodden.

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Vollex’s symbol - a sacred moth.

Vollex, The Third Eye

Gender: Male

Ancestry: Ravnen Human

Alignment: NE

Domains: Secrecy, Nightmares, Luck

Favored Weapon: The Dagger

Description

Vollex takes the form of a large, surly, bald Ravnen man - unadorned except for a swirl of multi-colored face-paint - which changes in imperceptible ways you can’t quite put your finger on while looking. And of course, as soon as you turn away, its color changes completely

History

Master of poisons and hallucinogens, Vollex terrorized his enemies with drug-induced nightmares and terrors, all while helping his allies foretell the outcome of battles and decisions through the use of… Well, drug-induced nightmares and terrors, just with allied commanders instead of his enemies.

Followers

Followers tend to heavily experiment and partake in mind-altering substances. As a result, followers of Vollex have gained a strong, some-what negative reputation somewhat akin to the reputation of hippies. Followers, of course, embrace this reputation as often as not.

Assassins who deal in poisons, especially of the neurotoxic variety, likewise follow Vollex - although for different, much more sinister reasons.

Religious Texts

Vollex left behind a book covering his World-Soul Formula, describing a divinely inspired drug his followers desperately seek to recreate. Due to the tricky nature of the formula, though, none can take certainty in the success of their reproduction - especially as Vollex only left some basic formulae and light instructions on the production of the formula, rather than the substances’ effects.

Relationship with His Followers

Vollex maintains a complicated, dispassionate, ever-changing relationship with his followers. He views them favorably one day, then with incredible rage the next, over seemingly arbitrary reasons relating to the Aura and Energy they supposedly exude, as well as the impacts even minor acts put out into the world (ex: “Saying hello to that squirrel this morning improved the nation’s flow considerably”)

While he speaks directly to his followers, it often comes during the use of mind-altering substances, making the events difficult to recall and, moreover, difficult to distinguish from the normal effects of said substances.

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Ga’el’s symbol - a leaf blowing freely in the wind.

Ga’el, the Streamlined Man

Gender: Male

Ancestry:  Rilleven Elf

Alignment: LG

Domains: Air, Truth, Freedom

Favored Weapon: Bo Staff

Description

Remembered as a towering, green-skinned elf made of well-toned muscle. Depicted as wearing a loincloth and several iron-ring earrings, as well as keeping quite long, unkempt, wild black hair.

History

Ga’el never fit in with the other Rilleven elves. While they preferred to stay in the Shywood Forest, sequestered from the world, Ga’el desired to roam Unatowa and see everything it had to offer. It was thus why he left his home shortly after reaching adulthood, never turning back once he set out.

But he didn’t leave everything behind. His respect for nature and one-ness with the land, imparted to him by his childhood in Rillenvas, helped him flourish as he explored the wild wonders of the world - the forests and seas, the caves and planes, and the deserts and mountains.

And so Ga’el found himself here when the Wild Wars started - leading a nomadic life and existing as one with nature - and it was that life which would bring Ga’el across Ur’Goth’s path. For at the beginning of the Wild Wars, Ur’Goth needed champions, and, after searching the world over for someone strong and wise to lead his armies, he found Ga’el - a sight of physical perfection, at peace with himself and all around him.

Ga’els life would thus transform into a career as one of the major generals of the war, occupying the same rank as Gornin’kak, Ullator, and Catfoot. But, unlike the hot-headed Gornin’kak, or the spirited Catfoot, Ga’el sought not to win through sheer might alone. Instead, when the time for battle came, Ga’el would seek to solve the conflict through words as soon as his fists - often helping each side come to a mutual understanding, walking away unscathed. That said, when the time came, those he traveled with knew Ga’el to rain fury down like thunder among the unjust souls who refused to come to terms.

This led to discord and discontent among his men - as Ga’el would as likely end up singing songs around the campfire with the enemy generals as fighting them - but at the end of the day, all appreciated the high probability of going home to see their families after a campaign under Ga’el.

After the Wild Wars, Ga’el retreated from the public eye, leaving behind his service in the military in order to return his life of wandering and exploration he had left behind to lead Ur’Goth’s forces. And, before anyone knew it, Ga’el left the mortal plane - having seen everything there was to see on the green earth, and looking to ascend to where he could help shepherd along a new generation of truth seekers and world wanderers.

Followers

Travelers and Monks in particular strive to achieve the sheer perfection of Ga’el, viewed as the purest manifestation of perfection attainable in the Towan form. They tend to be a buff, yet humble lot, viewing their pursuit of truth and vitality as the ultimate honor they could pay to Ga’el - enjoying music, simple foods, and experiencing the world in order to reflect the life Ga’el led during his time on the mortal plane.

Religious Texts

Ga’el left his teachings behind in song form - passed from follower to follower and traveler to traveler. His songs tell of Truth, Beauty, and respecting both Nature and Towans in all their shapes and forms.

Relationship with His Followers

Ga’el prefers to commune with his followers through song, joining in as they play through divine accompaniment. As they play, he’ll join through their voice, singing songs about the goings ons in the world, or giving advice about living a streamlined life, or how to find peace with whatever happens to trouble them at the moment - or maybe nothing at all, simply singing for the joy found in a good song.

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Anyway, that’s it for this week. Let us know what you think of the gods down in the comments! We’ll have our next segment of lore - part 3 of the Towan Pantheon - up in 2 weeks on February 26th. In the mean time, you can also catch our GM Tips series, returning on February 18th to take a look where you even start when building a world.

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