tags, and added classes to a couple of s. I moved the dnd CSS to a separate file that is currently unused. I assume I'll add it back soon. --- lib/page.rb | 4 +- lib/page_index.rb | 5 +- src/main-dnd.scss | 68 ++++++++++++ src/main.scss | 307 +++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------- 4 files changed, 215 insertions(+), 169 deletions(-) create mode 100644 src/main-dnd.scss diff --git a/lib/page.rb b/lib/page.rb index b349dc8..ebc123b 100644 --- a/lib/page.rb +++ b/lib/page.rb @@ -91,11 +91,11 @@ class Page end def index_link(cururl, depth) # FIXME: This code is super gross. - ret = " * #{atom_title}" + ret += "\">#{atom_title}" atom_categories.each do |t| ret += t.html end diff --git a/lib/page_index.rb b/lib/page_index.rb index 43bf367..585fd57 100644 --- a/lib/page_index.rb +++ b/lib/page_index.rb @@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class IndexPage < LocalPage def index_link(cururl, depth) ret = '' unless depth <= 1 - ret += "[#{atom_title}](#{cururl.route_to(url)})\n\n" + ret += "

[#{atom_title}](#{cururl.route_to(url)})\n\n" end for page in index_pages.select{|page|not page.is_a?(IndexPage)}.sort_by{|page|page.atom_published} ret += page.index_link(cururl, depth+1) @@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ class IndexPage < LocalPage ret += page.index_link(cururl, depth+1) end ret += "\n" + unless depth <= 1 + ret += "

\n\n" + end return ret.gsub(/\n\n+/, "\n\n") end def index_title diff --git a/src/main-dnd.scss b/src/main-dnd.scss new file mode 100644 index 0000000..712ae04 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/main-dnd.scss @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +body.dnd { + background: url(dnd/background.png) repeat-y; + background-size: 100%; + + /* This bit mostly taken from the defaults of org-mode export */ + article { + font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; + font-size: 12pt; + + table { + border-spacing: 0; + &, tr:last-child td, tr:last-child th { + border-bottom: solid 1px black; + } + &, tr:first-child td, tr:first-child th { + border-top: solid 1px black; + } + td, th { + padding: 6px; + } + } + + p { text-align: justify; } + .title { text-align: center; } + .todo { color: red; } + .done { color: green; } + .target { } + .timestamp { color: #bebebe; } + .timestamp-kwd { color: #5f9ea0; } + .right {margin-left:auto; margin-right:0px; text-align:right;} + .left {margin-left:0px; margin-right:auto; text-align:left;} + .center {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align:center;} + p.verse { margin-left: 3% } + pre { + border: 1pt solid #AEBDCC; + background-color: #F3F5F7; + padding: 5pt; + //font-family: courier, monospace; + font-size: 90%; + overflow:auto; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } + td, th { vertical-align: top; } + th.right { text-align:center; } + th.left { text-align:center; } + th.center { text-align:center; } + td.right { text-align:right; } + td.left { text-align:left; } + td.center { text-align:center; } + dt { font-weight: bold; } + div.figure { padding: 0.5em; } + div.figure p { text-align: center; } + div.inlinetask { + padding:10px; + border:2px solid gray; + margin:10px; + background: #ffffcc; + } + textarea { overflow-x: auto; } + .linenr { font-size:smaller } + .code-highlighted {background-color:#ffff00;} + .org-info-js_info-navigation { border-style:none; } + #org-info-js_console-label { font-size:10px; font-weight:bold; + white-space:nowrap; } + .org-info-js_search-highlight {background-color:#ffff00; color:#000000; + font-weight:bold; } + } +} diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index d32d6ee..740f854 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -1,127 +1,118 @@ +@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Patrick+Hand+SC); + body { margin: 0; padding: 0; - font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; + background: rgb(255,255,240); + + font-family: 'Patrick Hand SC', sans-serif; + a { + text-decoration: none; + color: #1963b6; + &:hover, &:focus { + text-decoration: underline; + } + &:visited { + color: #460fb3; + } + + &.external { + background-position: center right; + background-repeat: no-repeat; + background-image: url(external.svg); + background-size: 12px 12px; + padding-right: 13px; + } + } } header { - width: 100%; + width: 20%; + margin: 0 -50% 0 0; + float: left; + + display: flex; + flex-direction: column; + + text-align: center; + + background-color: rgb(200,200,160); h1 { + background-color: #ce795e; + padding: 0.5em 0; margin: 0; - background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); - padding: 4px; - padding-bottom: 0; - - text-align: middle; - a:first-child { - font-size: 50px; - color: white; - } - &, a:not(:first-child) { - color: white; - font-size: 15px; - color: white; - } a { - text-decoration: none; - } - a:hover, a:focus { - text-decoration: underline; + color: black !important; } } nav { - /* layout */ - line-height: 1; - width: 100%; ul { - padding: 0; + display: flex; + flex-direction: column; margin: 0; - list-style: none; - } - li { - display: inline-block; - } - a { - display: block; - } - - /* pretty */ - background-color: Maroon; - a { - padding: 0.2em 1em; - font-size: 40px; - color: GoldenRod; - text-decoration: none; - - &:hover, &:focus { - background-color: white; - } - &:hover, &:visited { - color: GoldenRod; - } - &:active { - color: Black; - } - } - - form { - padding: 0.2em 0; - font-size: 40px; - display: block; + padding: 0; + li { + display: block; + font-size: 2em; + margin: 0.25em 0.5em; + + border: 2px solid #41403e; + border-top-left-radius: 255px 15px; + border-top-right-radius: 15px 225px; + border-bottom-right-radius: 225px 15px; + border-bottom-left-radius: 15px 255px; + + background-color: rgb(240,240,240); + transition: background-color 0.5s ease; + &:hover { + background-color: rgb(200,200,200); + } - input { - font-size: 25px; - border: solid 1px #333333; - vertical-align: middle; - } - input[type="search"] { - max-width: 10em; - } - input:first-child { - border-top-left-radius: 4px; - border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; - } - input:not(:last-child) { - border-right: 0; - } - input:last-child { - border-top-right-radius: 4px; - border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; + form { + display: inline-block; + width: calc(100% - 0.5em); + line-height: 0; + margin: 0.25em 0; + input { + width: 100%; + } + } } } } } -article { - max-width: 6.5in; +article, footer { + width: 60%; margin: 0 auto; +} +article { .tag { font-size: 60%; - // this should work! - font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; - color: white; - text-decoration: none; + color: white !important; text-align: center; + margin-left: 2px; padding: 4px 7px 5px 7px; - border-radius: 2px; + border-top-left-radius: 255px 15px; + border-top-right-radius: 15px 225px; + border-bottom-right-radius: 225px 15px; + border-bottom-left-radius: 15px 255px; } .tag.ff { background: FireBrick; } .tag.ss { background: SeaGreen; } .tag.es { background: DarkViolet; } .tag.hb { background: DimGray; } .tag.dm { background: DarkSlateGray; } - .tag.wp { background: GhostWhite; color: black; } + .tag.wp { background: GhostWhite; color: black !important; border-color: Gray; border: solid 1.2px LightGray; } - border-bottom: solid 1px #333333; + border-bottom: solid 1px #c9cacc; } footer { - max-width: 6.5in; - margin: 0 auto; padding: 1em 0; font-size: 60%; p { @@ -129,96 +120,80 @@ footer { } } + +/* Index pages ****************************************************************/ + body.index { - article { - ul { - list-style: none; - display: table; - padding: 0; - li { - display: table-row; - line-height: 1.3em; - & > * { - display: table-cell; - padding-right: 0.1em; - } - } - } - a.external { - background-position: center right; - background-repeat: no-repeat; - background-image: url(external.svg); - background-size: 12px 12px; - padding-right: 13px; - } + @mixin card-container { + display: flex; + flex-direction: row; + flex-wrap: wrap; } -} -body.dnd { - background: url(dnd/background.png) repeat-y; - background-size: 100%; + @mixin card { + display: block; + background-color: white; + border: 2px solid #e6e7e9; + padding: 1em; + margin: 1em; + + box-shadow: 15px 28px 25px -18px rgba(0,0,0,.2); + transition: box-shadow .5s ease; + &:hover { + box-shadow:2px 8px 4px -6px rgba(0,0,0,.3) + } + } - /* This bit mostly taken from the defaults of org-mode export */ article { - font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; - font-size: 12pt; + @include card-container; - table { - border-spacing: 0; - &, tr:last-child td, tr:last-child th { - border-bottom: solid 1px black; + & > h1 { + display: block; + width: 100%; + text-align: center; + margin: 0; + } + & > ul { + @include card-container; + width: 100%; + padding: 0; + margin: 0; + li { + @include card; } - &, tr:first-child td, tr:first-child th { - border-top: solid 1px black; + } + & > section { + @include card; + h2 { + margin-top: 0; } - td, th { - padding: 6px; + ul { + display: flex; + flex-direction: column; + + padding: 0; + margin: 0; + li { + display: flex; + flex-direction: row; + justify-content: space-between; + + padding: 0.5em 0; + border-top: 1px dashed #d9d9d8; + .link-main { + display: inline-block; + max-width: 12em; + line-height: 1.5em; + } + .link-categories { + display: flex; + flex-direction: row; + flex-wrap: wrap; + justify-content: flex-end; + align-items: flex-start; + } + } } } - - p { text-align: justify; } - .title { text-align: center; } - .todo { color: red; } - .done { color: green; } - .target { } - .timestamp { color: #bebebe; } - .timestamp-kwd { color: #5f9ea0; } - .right {margin-left:auto; margin-right:0px; text-align:right;} - .left {margin-left:0px; margin-right:auto; text-align:left;} - .center {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align:center;} - p.verse { margin-left: 3% } - pre { - border: 1pt solid #AEBDCC; - background-color: #F3F5F7; - padding: 5pt; - //font-family: courier, monospace; - font-size: 90%; - overflow:auto; - } - table { border-collapse: collapse; } - td, th { vertical-align: top; } - th.right { text-align:center; } - th.left { text-align:center; } - th.center { text-align:center; } - td.right { text-align:right; } - td.left { text-align:left; } - td.center { text-align:center; } - dt { font-weight: bold; } - div.figure { padding: 0.5em; } - div.figure p { text-align: center; } - div.inlinetask { - padding:10px; - border:2px solid gray; - margin:10px; - background: #ffffcc; - } - textarea { overflow-x: auto; } - .linenr { font-size:smaller } - .code-highlighted {background-color:#ffff00;} - .org-info-js_info-navigation { border-style:none; } - #org-info-js_console-label { font-size:10px; font-weight:bold; - white-space:nowrap; } - .org-info-js_search-highlight {background-color:#ffff00; color:#000000; - font-weight:bold; } } } -- cgit v1.2.3 From 1e786e7807e41e7143588a84d085f019ed19b28a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:12:51 -0500 Subject: README: fix typo --- README.org | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index 21e2891..1b9491e 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ attributes for local pages, but with fewer defaults: | title | mandatory | string | | author | ~config.yaml:default_author~ | string | | categories | "" | string ("ES HB") or list (["ES", "HB"]) | -| published | value of ~updated~ [fn:4] | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:b3] | +| published | value of ~updated~ [fn:4] | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | | updated | value of ~published~ [fn:4] | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | [fn:4] It is mandatory to set at least one of ~published~ or -- cgit v1.2.3 From f9a30d866ce2e915d67cbce8e5b52aff73c4e269 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:13:29 -0500 Subject: CSS: opportunistically shorten index sections vertically --- src/main.scss | 1 + 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index 740f854..98adccb 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ body.index { display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-wrap: wrap; + align-items: flex-start; } @mixin card { -- cgit v1.2.3 From e4de57c4077f74ec027e05d23dfee2d4b842276b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:14:08 -0500 Subject: use Neucha as the font for prose text --- src/main.scss | 6 ++++-- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index 98adccb..f85003b 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -1,11 +1,10 @@ -@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Patrick+Hand+SC); +@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Neucha|Patrick+Hand+SC); body { margin: 0; padding: 0; background: rgb(255,255,240); - font-family: 'Patrick Hand SC', sans-serif; a { text-decoration: none; color: #1963b6; @@ -35,6 +34,7 @@ header { flex-direction: column; text-align: center; + font-family: 'Patrick Hand SC', sans-serif; background-color: rgb(200,200,160); @@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ header { article, footer { width: 60%; margin: 0 auto; + font-family: 'Neucha', sans-serif; } article { @@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ body.index { article { @include card-container; + font-family: 'Patrick Hand SC', sans-serif; & > h1 { display: block; -- cgit v1.2.3 From df82c975ee5cb6ff3000bca99b246d90e8be7eec Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:23:27 -0500 Subject: fix tag names in page titles --- lib/category.rb | 2 +- lib/config.rb | 6 ++---- 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/lib/category.rb b/lib/category.rb index e0ed8e0..8f14153 100644 --- a/lib/category.rb +++ b/lib/category.rb @@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class Category @abbr.downcase end def name - Config::get.category_name(@abbr) + Config::get.category_name(abbr) end def html return "#{name}" diff --git a/lib/config.rb b/lib/config.rb index 4690559..57e3b3f 100644 --- a/lib/config.rb +++ b/lib/config.rb @@ -42,10 +42,8 @@ class Config return @data['person_emails'][name] end # Categories - def categories - return @data['categories'].keys - end def category_name(abbr) - return @data['categories'][abbr] + @categories ||= (@data['categories'] || {}).map{|k,v|[k.downcase,v]}.to_h + return @categories[abbr.downcase] end end -- cgit v1.2.3 From f3f07b1f02a7303056290b963cf10335d5fc72e2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:31:09 -0500 Subject: minor style touch-ups --- src/main.scss | 4 +++- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index f85003b..89044e5 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ article, footer { } article { + overflow: hidden; + .tag { font-size: 60%; color: white !important; @@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ article { footer { padding: 1em 0; - font-size: 60%; + font-size: 70%; p { margin: 0; } -- cgit v1.2.3 From c98b7cbc4e51b0c566fa0cfb5021dbcb50cd2c99 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:31:29 -0500 Subject: bring back dnd-style --- src/main-dnd.scss | 68 ---------------------------------------------------- src/main.scss | 71 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 71 insertions(+), 68 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 src/main-dnd.scss diff --git a/src/main-dnd.scss b/src/main-dnd.scss deleted file mode 100644 index 712ae04..0000000 --- a/src/main-dnd.scss +++ /dev/null @@ -1,68 +0,0 @@ -body.dnd { - background: url(dnd/background.png) repeat-y; - background-size: 100%; - - /* This bit mostly taken from the defaults of org-mode export */ - article { - font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; - font-size: 12pt; - - table { - border-spacing: 0; - &, tr:last-child td, tr:last-child th { - border-bottom: solid 1px black; - } - &, tr:first-child td, tr:first-child th { - border-top: solid 1px black; - } - td, th { - padding: 6px; - } - } - - p { text-align: justify; } - .title { text-align: center; } - .todo { color: red; } - .done { color: green; } - .target { } - .timestamp { color: #bebebe; } - .timestamp-kwd { color: #5f9ea0; } - .right {margin-left:auto; margin-right:0px; text-align:right;} - .left {margin-left:0px; margin-right:auto; text-align:left;} - .center {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align:center;} - p.verse { margin-left: 3% } - pre { - border: 1pt solid #AEBDCC; - background-color: #F3F5F7; - padding: 5pt; - //font-family: courier, monospace; - font-size: 90%; - overflow:auto; - } - table { border-collapse: collapse; } - td, th { vertical-align: top; } - th.right { text-align:center; } - th.left { text-align:center; } - th.center { text-align:center; } - td.right { text-align:right; } - td.left { text-align:left; } - td.center { text-align:center; } - dt { font-weight: bold; } - div.figure { padding: 0.5em; } - div.figure p { text-align: center; } - div.inlinetask { - padding:10px; - border:2px solid gray; - margin:10px; - background: #ffffcc; - } - textarea { overflow-x: auto; } - .linenr { font-size:smaller } - .code-highlighted {background-color:#ffff00;} - .org-info-js_info-navigation { border-style:none; } - #org-info-js_console-label { font-size:10px; font-weight:bold; - white-space:nowrap; } - .org-info-js_search-highlight {background-color:#ffff00; color:#000000; - font-weight:bold; } - } -} diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index 89044e5..3972b74 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -202,3 +202,74 @@ body.index { } } } + +/* D&D-style pages ************************************************************/ + +body.dnd { + background: url(dnd/background.png) repeat-y; + background-size: 100%; + + /* This bit mostly taken from the defaults of org-mode export */ + article { + font-family: Baskerville, "Goudy Old Style", "Palatino", "Book Antiqua", "Warnock Pro", serif; + font-size: 12pt; + + table { + border-spacing: 0; + &, tr:last-child td, tr:last-child th { + border-bottom: solid 1px black; + } + &, tr:first-child td, tr:first-child th { + border-top: solid 1px black; + } + td, th { + padding: 6px; + } + } + + p { text-align: justify; } + .title { text-align: center; } + .todo { color: red; } + .done { color: green; } + .target { } + .timestamp { color: #bebebe; } + .timestamp-kwd { color: #5f9ea0; } + .right {margin-left:auto; margin-right:0px; text-align:right;} + .left {margin-left:0px; margin-right:auto; text-align:left;} + .center {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align:center;} + p.verse { margin-left: 3% } + pre { + border: 1pt solid #AEBDCC; + background-color: #F3F5F7; + padding: 5pt; + //font-family: courier, monospace; + font-size: 90%; + overflow:auto; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } + td, th { vertical-align: top; } + th.right { text-align:center; } + th.left { text-align:center; } + th.center { text-align:center; } + td.right { text-align:right; } + td.left { text-align:left; } + td.center { text-align:center; } + dt { font-weight: bold; } + div.figure { padding: 0.5em; } + div.figure p { text-align: center; } + div.inlinetask { + padding:10px; + border:2px solid gray; + margin:10px; + background: #ffffcc; + } + textarea { overflow-x: auto; } + .linenr { font-size:smaller } + .code-highlighted {background-color:#ffff00;} + .org-info-js_info-navigation { border-style:none; } + #org-info-js_console-label { font-size:10px; font-weight:bold; + white-space:nowrap; } + .org-info-js_search-highlight {background-color:#ffff00; color:#000000; + font-weight:bold; } + } +} -- cgit v1.2.3 From 96f557180f7b61750e312b057d443a946c418fda Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2017 23:54:44 -0500 Subject: add a feed icon --- src/feed.svg | 41 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ src/main.scss | 7 +++++++ 2 files changed, 48 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/feed.svg diff --git a/src/feed.svg b/src/feed.svg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f12aab2 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/feed.svg @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ + + + + diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index 3972b74..9860aa0 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ body { background-size: 12px 12px; padding-right: 13px; } + &.feed { + background-position: center left; + background-repeat: no-repeat; + background-image: url(feed.svg); + background-size: 0.65em 0.65em; + padding-left: 0.8em; + } } } -- cgit v1.2.3 From b06c4252293fce3171cd8d9f43cf061f1fdedeb1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:02:34 -0500 Subject: clean up nav/body page layout --- src/main.scss | 17 ++++++++++++----- 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index 9860aa0..be00d49 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -1,5 +1,9 @@ @import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Neucha|Patrick+Hand+SC); +* { + box-sizing: border-box; +} + body { margin: 0; padding: 0; @@ -34,8 +38,10 @@ body { header { width: 20%; - margin: 0 -50% 0 0; - float: left; + position: fixed; + height: 100%; + left: 0; + top: 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; @@ -92,9 +98,11 @@ header { } article, footer { - width: 60%; - margin: 0 auto; + width: 80%; + margin-left: 20%; + font-family: 'Neucha', sans-serif; + padding: 1em; } article { @@ -123,7 +131,6 @@ article { } footer { - padding: 1em 0; font-size: 70%; p { margin: 0; -- cgit v1.2.3 From 1fce9fce0ac23a69597a057763b7d1d048750706 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:06:56 -0500 Subject: Use lukeshu@lukeshu.com for my email --- config.yaml | 2 +- src/changelog.md | 2 +- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index 267ccb0..c18c019 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ person_uris: "Luke Shumaker": "https://lukeshu.com/" "Andrew Murrell": "https://andrewdm.me/" person_emails: - "Luke Shumaker": "lukeshu@parabola.nu" + "Luke Shumaker": "lukeshu@lukeshu.com" "Andrew Murrell": "ImFromNASA@gmail.com" # Categories diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 8b2becd..9bea5d1 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Added an updated Psionist class with more complete domains, but no mind powers y src/dnd/Psionist2.org | 566 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 566 insertions(+) -## 2017-01-04 Luke Shumaker <lukeshu@sbcglobal.net> +## 2017-01-04 Luke Shumaker <lukeshu@lukeshu.com> Change the title of "Psionist" -> "Psionist Class [5e]" -- cgit v1.2.3 From c2883d8e6d3d4f85980e4e17390db917205fd039 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:18:59 -0500 Subject: fix double-escaped HTML in changelog --- bin/auto-changelog | 9 ++++++++- src/changelog.md | 4 ++-- 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/bin/auto-changelog b/bin/auto-changelog index 64d15e9..d672b5f 100755 --- a/bin/auto-changelog +++ b/bin/auto-changelog @@ -18,7 +18,14 @@ generate-entry() { } html_escape() { - sed -e 's/&/\&/g' -e 's//\>/g' -e 's/^ \S/ &/' + sed ' +/^\S/ { + s/&/\&/g + s//\>/g +} +s/^ \S/ &/ +' } insert() { diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 9bea5d1..87940b8 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ ChangeLog remove unfinished sources src/dnd/psionist-class.md | 1504 ------------------------------- - src/dnd/{psionist2.org => psionist.org} | 0 + src/dnd/{psionist2.org => psionist.org} | 0 src/dnd/spell-gauntlet.org | 683 -------------- 3 files changed, 2187 deletions(-) @@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ remove unfinished sources updated Psionist Title page bin/pre-generate | 2 ++ - src/dnd/{Psionist2.org => psionist2.org} | 4 ++++ + src/dnd/{Psionist2.org => psionist2.org} | 4 ++++ 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+) ## 2017-01-14 Andrew Murrell <merl@neo.andrewdm.me> -- cgit v1.2.3 From c70e32b7d43282e0cb4b4d36ca4956bd5e1b9ed6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 00:31:48 -0500 Subject: config: fix typo, prevent it from happening again --- config.yaml | 2 +- lib/config.rb | 6 +----- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index c18c019..072ba80 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ url: "https://www.andrewdm.me/" html_suffixes: ["md", "org"] # Licenses -default_license: "CC BS-SA-3.0" +default_license: "CC BY-SA-3.0" license_uris: "CC BY-SA-3.0": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/" "WTFPL-2": "http://www.wtfpl.net/txt/copying/" diff --git a/lib/config.rb b/lib/config.rb index 57e3b3f..944acc3 100644 --- a/lib/config.rb +++ b/lib/config.rb @@ -21,11 +21,7 @@ class Config return @default_license ||= @data['default_license'] end def license_uri(name) - str = @data['license_uris'][name] - if str.nil? - return nil - end - return URI::parse(str) + return URI::parse(@data['license_uris'][name]) end # People def default_author -- cgit v1.2.3 From 9e1666f4b6f924e9826f796b423a21958e749e77 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:17:41 -0500 Subject: ChangeLog: don't show a diffstat --- bin/auto-changelog | 2 +- src/changelog.md | 15 --------------- 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 16 deletions(-) diff --git a/bin/auto-changelog b/bin/auto-changelog index d672b5f..b374fda 100755 --- a/bin/auto-changelog +++ b/bin/auto-changelog @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ should-insert() { } generate-entry() { - git log -n1 --stat --date='format:%Y-%m-%d' --format=$'## %ad %an <%ae>\n\n%B' | cat -s + git log -n1 --date='format:%Y-%m-%d' --format=$'## %ad %an <%ae>\n\n%B' | cat -s } html_escape() { diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 87940b8..d4e1036 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -5,33 +5,18 @@ ChangeLog remove unfinished sources - src/dnd/psionist-class.md | 1504 ------------------------------- - src/dnd/{psionist2.org => psionist.org} | 0 - src/dnd/spell-gauntlet.org | 683 -------------- - 3 files changed, 2187 deletions(-) - ## 2017-01-14 Andrew Murrell <merl@neo.andrewdm.me> updated Psionist Title page - bin/pre-generate | 2 ++ - src/dnd/{Psionist2.org => psionist2.org} | 4 ++++ - 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+) - ## 2017-01-14 Andrew Murrell <merl@neo.andrewdm.me> Added an updated Psionist class with more complete domains, but no mind powers yet. - src/dnd/Psionist2.org | 566 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ - 1 file changed, 566 insertions(+) - ## 2017-01-04 Luke Shumaker <lukeshu@lukeshu.com> Change the title of "Psionist" -> "Psionist Class [5e]" - src/dnd/Psionist.md | 2 +- - 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) - ## 31 August 2016 Decided that the 1/5th of 'Magic is Magic' that was 'finished' was -- cgit v1.2.3 From e8197dabd76b55f2c21e92c07fc7080d2db8d7df Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:20:32 -0500 Subject: index pages: sort by "most recently updated" instead of "publication order" --- lib/page_index.rb | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/lib/page_index.rb b/lib/page_index.rb index 585fd57..42c9e21 100644 --- a/lib/page_index.rb +++ b/lib/page_index.rb @@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class IndexPage < LocalPage unless depth <= 1 ret += "

[#{atom_title}](#{cururl.route_to(url)})\n\n" end - for page in index_pages.select{|page|not page.is_a?(IndexPage)}.sort_by{|page|page.atom_published} + for page in index_pages.select{|page|not page.is_a?(IndexPage)}.sort_by{|page|page.atom_updated}.reverse ret += page.index_link(cururl, depth+1) end ret += "\n" -- cgit v1.2.3 From 2214b9fa0cc8468b6a8c1e55b3642ede87862409 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:25:55 -0500 Subject: README: fix obvious mixup between "published" and "updated" --- README.org | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index 1b9491e..81ea619 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ generator: | html_head_extra | "" | Org-mode | string | | class | "" | no | string (CSS class to apply to ~~) | | categories[fn:2] | "" | no | string ("ES HB") or list (["ES", "HB"]) | -| published[fn:2] | most recent git commit for file | no | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | -| updated[fn:2] | first git commit for file | no | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | +| published[fn:2] | first git commit for file | no | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | +| updated[fn:2] | most recent git commit for file | no | string (Ruby ~DateTime::parse()~) or date[fn:3] | [fn:1] We don't support lists of authors, though the Pandoc "standard" does. -- cgit v1.2.3 From d5cf54c2a5650e70577ebdd9b07ae2bdb91bf104 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 13:26:35 -0500 Subject: README: reword sentence about not using Pandoc's "date" --- README.org | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index 81ea619..8870768 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ does. [fn:2] The "published"/"updated"/"categories" terminology is borrowed from the Atom specification (RFC 4287), and I intend them to have the -same semantics. For "published"/"updated", there is a "standard" -variable name is "date", but I thought that was dreadfully ambiguous +same semantics. For "published"/"updated", the Pandoc "standard" +variable name is "date"; but I thought that was dreadfully ambiguous and confusing when the site generator deals with two distinct dates. [fn:3] At various times there have been bugs in the YAML parser -- cgit v1.2.3 From 9f6933fc12be6294fca6d47c77e2a0f6b0535529 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:15:28 -0500 Subject: Updated the About with an Epigraph --- src/about.md | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 51 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/about.md b/src/about.md index ddca263..8385ffe 100644 --- a/src/about.md +++ b/src/about.md @@ -1,10 +1,54 @@ -Hello Internet Person! +Epigraph -I'm Andrew D. Murrell, and I'm a DM. +Every great adventure begins with a departure. -Though I hold a degree in Physics, am currently working as a manager -and editor at a small tech firm. I write, mostly to teach my players -about the whatever they want to know about the Forgotten Realms, but -also because I think stories make the world a better place. I can be -contacted at ImFromNASA@gmail.com and would love to hear from you! +The young hero, the country lass,
+the bored noble, each is called to
+leave home and step into the wider
+world beyond. +These untested newcomers are
+confronted by the winds and wilds,
+by highwaymen and heathens, and by the
+deeper dangers of their own making. + +They may fall.
+They most certainly will fail.
+And yet they fight,
+taking strides ever forward,
+ever farther from the places they called home. + +But should they rise,
+and so defeat their enemies
+as they do their insecurities,
+they shall rise as heroes. + +And as the bard weaves their tales of fortune and of fate—
+of voyages, departures, and returns—
+we listen to their stories,
+and are likewise taken far, far, from home. + +Come with me then,
+upon a great adventure,
+a great departure,
+and a new beginning. + +—Andrew Murrell (/u/ImFromNASA on reddit). + +

+ +Welcome wanderers! + +This site is a resource for all you wanderers, seeking your place +among immortal wonders, your eyes filled deep with dreams and souls +set on seeking larger purpose. May you here find a window into worlds +and a invitation into imagination. + +My name is Andrew Murrell (/u/ImFromNASA on Reddit), currently most +well known for YARV, Dynamic Initiative (Drew's Rules), and the Patron +prestige class on /r/UnearthedArcana and its discord, the DoMT. + +I make D&D 5e homebrew, write short stories, build worlds, and also +haphazardly design heartbreaker TRPGs. + +I know more than any sane person should about the Forgotten Realms. \ No newline at end of file -- cgit v1.2.3 From 4ea077c6aaa0eb86e533dfe550c73358a5e48de0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:15:29 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 7 +++++++ 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 87940b8..abe63b7 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -1,6 +1,13 @@ ChangeLog ========= +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + +Updated the About with an Epigraph + + src/about.md | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- + 1 file changed, 51 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) + ## 2017-01-24 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> remove unfinished sources -- cgit v1.2.3 From a9c917dfec3c85aeb348d567e300d24e139df180 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:15:55 -0500 Subject: Added the start of the apocrypha. --- src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 17 ++++ src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org | 125 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ src/apocrypha/index.yaml | 1 + 3 files changed, 143 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/index.yaml diff --git a/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org b/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5bc7e20 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org @@ -0,0 +1,17 @@ +Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from +first principles and the realization that even simple truths have +consequences. + +My goal with building the world of Apocrypha is to create a generic +fantasy world which is both suitable for books and for use with TRPGs, +and is designed somewhere on the coherency spectrum between the +Forgotten Realms and Discworld. + +Though it is being designed to function with the 5th edition of Dungeons & +Dragons in mind, I am also haphazardly designing a TRPG of my own +which may be abandoned along the way, but draws inspiration from +Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 +months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that +are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects +benefits from this dynamic. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org b/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..856288f --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org @@ -0,0 +1,125 @@ +Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious +catalog of facts and figures. + +Last year, after our exploration of the Lowerdark's Cragmag Caverns +proved such a fantastic success, we set our sights higher: to answer a +[nagging] reader's question. Lola, age 8, from the Valanacian city of +Florora, has been sending us letters. Over two hundred letters to be +precise. Each has asked the same question, + +"Deer GGE, what is the talest mowntun [sic] in the world?" + +And while we don't usually reward improper spelling, her insistence, +and the fact that no expert in the world seemed to know a precise +answer, convinced us to settle it once and for all. Who knew that +simple question one year ago would spark a fantastic journey of +discovery and collaboration that may have ramifications beyond what we +dreamed possible. Returning laden with treasures only one month ago, +the GEE (& co.) Expedition has brought us the greatest treasure of +all: an answer. + +Dear Lola, + +The greatest mountain in the world stands atop the far-northern range +of snowy mountains known as the Sunpeaks. + +Since the entire northern ridge is filled with enormous mountains +dwarfing (or maybe even gnoming) all other mountains found elsewhere, +it was rather difficult for our sages here at the Imperial Center for +Geographical Excellence to locate the general area of the range in +which the peak might exist, much less its correlative parallel, and +the sheer size of the range combined with its namesake ever-present +blinding sunlight made clairvoyance and scrying spells of little use +above 50,000 ft. + +Yes, you read that right. 50,000. That's almost three times the +height of Mount Pang and twice that of the Skyknife, but in the +Sunpeaks, that's barely passing for average. + +But fear not dear readers. The Geournal for Geographical Excellence +is here to quench your thirst for knowledge. For comparing the several +dozen peaks which form the Upper Cluster, we had to go to extreme +lengths (and heights). Simply put, we had to go there. + +With our collaborative sponsors, The Community Climber, Aerial +Affairs, Snowpeak Tea, and a grant from the Ministry of Maps, we +raised 1.3 million Imperial silver swans (a little more than the +monthly taxpayer cost to support an entire legion of cavalry), to +finance a voyage into the unknown, staking both our reserves and our +reputation on the Expedition. + +We spared no cost, hiring only the best of the best. Trackers, +weatherworkers, guards, and guides, we set out into the Plateau of the +Sun to find our answer. + +Six months we searched the pockets of mountains that exceeded our +50,000 mark, listening to local legends, sending up balloons, and +using a combination of our savvy and our ability to take small arcane +gateways to cross from peak to peak. And those were fruitful months, +even though we had yet to locate our quarry, days spent mapping and +drawing, nights spent gazing into the clearest sky anywhere in the +world (and then mapping and drawing it too)! + +We had found mountains. Tall ones. But had we found the tallest? + +We wouldn't know for almost three more months. The answer, it seemed, +was always no. We would crest a peak, only to find another rising +above us on the horizon. We had to to maintain a constant litany of +darksight spells to see (without going blind) and frost spells to +avoid melting (while in the sun) and fire spells to avoid freezing +(while in the shade). + +We had to conjure air to breathe. + +And it was in these inhospitable conditions that we found them. Not +mountains, those would come later, but our guides and our salvation. + +We were somewhere precisely north of the 47th parallel, when one of our +forward seers called for a halt. He had found a body. We assumed the +worst, and began to prepare a frost-bag for storing it to take back +with us when we came down the mountain (as we'd had to do with most of +our veritable zoo of animals by this point). + +Imagine our surprise when the body rose to greet us with a smile. + +He was a bald human man, and no more than a few years into his young +adulthood, and was absolutely blind, and fairly near naked. He led us +to his small mountain abode, filled with others like him. They called +themselves monks, but when I asked them about their order, they had +none! + +Though I would have offered the poor unregistered fellows use of my +official quill and Imperial ink (had it not been alternatively frozen +and then boiled) to register with an approved order, they assured me +that they had no interest in the ways of the 'folk from down +below'. Upon our request (and a few oddities accepted in exchange, +namely a small bowl made of True Timber and a pair of hollow diamonds) +the unregistered 'monks' agreed to aid us towards our goal (though I +gathered the distinct impression that they very much acquiesced +primarily in order to rid themselves of us). + +Two weeks after meeting with the 'monks' we had found it. + +The Sun-Touched Mountain. + +So, Lola, I'm sure you're lost interest by now, being the petulant and +insistent child that you are, but deep within the Sunpeaks, beyond the +ken of the civilized peoples, stands the tallest mountain in the +world. + +We didn't climb it; we didn't dare. And our humble guides requested +that we saved ourselves the trouble. For we had found it. High above +the world, on a ridge of mountains the locals call 'The Edge' stands +the impossibly massive peak. + +Shrouded from below by almost constant cloud-cover and the jutting +cliffs of that massive ridge, we only dared observe it from afar. The +expanse between the ridge and the cluster we found ourselves on was +measured in miles. + +Our best calculations put the height of the Sun-Touched Mountain at a +staggering 179,400 ft. And at it's peak, a brilliant day's Sun. + +I'll never forget the sight. + +Thank you Lola. Now please stop writing us. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/index.yaml b/src/apocrypha/index.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e54860e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/index.yaml @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +title: "Apocrypha" \ No newline at end of file -- cgit v1.2.3 From 3016d7a034f8cb7c90238ea89214b7a35829beb9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:15:55 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 9 +++++++++ 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index abe63b7..a9bc942 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,15 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +Added the start of the apocrypha. + + src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 17 +++++ + src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org | 125 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + src/apocrypha/index.yaml | 1 + + 3 files changed, 143 insertions(+) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + Updated the About with an Epigraph src/about.md | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- -- cgit v1.2.3 From ece8bac9af09dd0c2e1c994f0db1e63309d4bb7b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:16:29 -0500 Subject: removed some janky psionics --- src/dnd/psionic-schools.org | 220 ----------------- src/dnd/psionist.org | 570 -------------------------------------------- 2 files changed, 790 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 src/dnd/psionic-schools.org delete mode 100644 src/dnd/psionist.org diff --git a/src/dnd/psionic-schools.org b/src/dnd/psionic-schools.org deleted file mode 100644 index 9f71b15..0000000 --- a/src/dnd/psionic-schools.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,220 +0,0 @@ -#+TITLE: Schools of Psionics -#+CLASS: dnd -#+CATEGORIES: ES HB - -From what I've seen, the most recent few 5e Unearthed Arcana dealing -with "Psionics and the Mystic" have been getting somewhat mixed -reviews. I don't think this is because of the mechanics--or rather -not COMPLETELY because of the mechanics. Mechanics for psionics have -always been weird, and the 5e style is good for D&D, so maintaining -that is good and won't get any gripes from me. - -But I think that no matter what purely mechanical tweaks the UA team -has planned for the Mystic, the general lukewarm reception isn't going -to change unless we get something else squared away first. Something -a little deeper--something that helps us grasp Psionics in the same -way we grasp Magic: with a complete and intuitive system. - -With Weave-based magic there are schools which somewhat delineate -magical effects (conjuration, divination, etc), but that's not exactly -what I mean. Not to bash the magical schools (any system will have -inconsistencies--mine notwithstanding), but few people really -understand what it means to be a wizard by what school of magic they -specialize in. An enchantment wizard isn't fundamentally different -from an evocation one. But a wizard is different than a bard or a -warlock. These "Schools of Psionics" are as much about the state of -mind of the manifester and the method for manifestation as they are -about the outcome of the manifestation (there are several of my -Psionic "schools" that may each manifest effects in the transmutation -school of magic for instance, but each according to its own particular -rules). - -What I mean is this: - -| | Introvertion (a) | Extroversion (b) | -|-----------+------------------+------------------| -| Mind (1) | Cogitation | Domination | -| Body (2) | Sympathy | Manifestation | -| Time (3) | Prescience | Anticipation | -| Space (4) | Metapsionics | Apportation | - -There are eight categories split into two primary focuses and four -topical domains, and each of the eight describes HOW a power is -manifested. It tells us what our character is DOING to get the -blasted power to work. As a D&D culture, we know how wizards do it, -careful study and recitation, memorization, etc. We know how Bards do -it, they hear the music of creation and wrap their words in it. All -these effects are propagated through Mystra's Weave and are bound by -it's limitations. But nobody has a clue how Psionics works. Or -rather, we all have half-baked ideas that don't jive. - -In order for this to work, we need to know in canon, what it means to -BE A PSIONIST and manifest powers. I'm probably no different than -anybody else in my half-baked understanding, but as a Physicist and an -editor I feel it is my duty to try to make sense of this mess. - -First off, since we don't have a Weave, but all magic needs a medium, -lets make one. Lets call it the Psionic Field. Created spontaneously -from the first thinking being (or Source), the Psionic Field exists on -any plane containing thought. Some sources of psionic power are -stronger than others, but all thinking things produce some connection -to the field (some might wonder if magic and the Weave itself is -naught but an echo of Mystra's or Auppenser's mind--and in that light -perhaps the Psionic Field is not so foreign after all). - -With that medium in place, the world of Psionics slowly falls into -place as well. Detailed descriptions of the eight schools follow: - -1a) Cogitation - Clarity of thought, memory, action, and connection to -the Psionic Field. - -Cogitation is often one's first exposure to Psionics. It's a -clear-mindedness that opens up your own mind to see itself for the -first time, and beyond that, to sense the edges of the minds of -others. It includes the stereotypical bloody-nosed mind reading, -mimicry, and perfect recall. - -Examples of Cogitation include "Detect Thoughts" and "Mind Meld" and -the ability to learn or borrow skills and proficiencies directly from -the minds of others. - -1b) Domination - Exert dominating willpower over other minds. - -Once you've encountered sources outside yourself it is only natural to -try to influence or even dominate them. Exerting your will into the -minds of others isn't the same as reading their thoughts, you might -not know what your target is thinking, only that it will succumb. - -Examples of Domination include "Command", "Suggestion", and "Dominate -Person". - -2a) Sympathy - Exerting influence upon sympathetic objects. - -The Psionic Field is produced by thinking creatures, but it can leave -an imprint on even mundane objects and materials. Objects may be -imbued with Psionic energy to produce a variety of effects, and may -soak up ambient energy by just sitting within the Psionic Field which -can be later be discerned by a Psionist to know about an object's -history. This is done by expanding your sense of self outward from -your mind and body and into the object. - -Examples of Sympathy include "Psychometry", "Animate Objects", and -"Guards and Wards". - -2b) Manifestion - Creating both illusory and physically manipulable -constructs of pure thought. - -By focusing and condensing ideas down to their most concrete forms, -Psionists can manifest the essence of a thing as either an illusion or -as a real physical object made of Astral matter (ectoplasm). Astral -matter is most commonly associated with the Astral plane (or plane of -thought) where it occurs naturally, but can exist anywhere with a -sufficient psionic field for a Psionist to conjure it. - -Examples of Manifestation include "Mage Hand", "Conjure Astral -Construct", and "Programmed Illusion" - -3a) Prescience - See and feel other places and times. - -Because the actions of thinking things (sources of psionics) are not -stagnant, their movements create ripples in the Psionic Field. -Births, deaths, and exchanges of knowledge leave their marks. By -studying these echos and patterns, Psionists can discern events that -occurred in distant parts of the world or even in the past or future. - -Examples of Prescience include "Detect Poison and Disease", "Scrying", -and "Foresight". - -3b) Anticipation - Solidify expectation and possibility into reality. - -In many ways the Universe itself is just composed of the interactions -of groups of sources of psionism and the objects being pulled in their -wake (albeit a rather large number of each). With an awareness of the -way ripples propagate in the Psionic Field and by using the techniques -of Sympathy but directing them outwards, a Psionist can begin to -subtly manipulate expectation and the laws of Physics themselves. - -Examples of Anticipation include "Heat Metal", "Telekinesis", "Reverse -Gravity", and "Time Stop". - -4a) Metapsionics - Manipulating sources of Psionism and their direct -effects. - -The way that thinking creatures interact with the Psionic Field is -complicated and diverse, just as the creatures which produce it are -themselves. By studying how the minds of Psionically-attuned -creatures create Psionic and even Magical Weave-based effects, a -Psionist can learn to imitate or manipulate psionic effects as they -see them (and sometimes use what they've learned to imbue limited -psionic potential into others). - -Examples of Metapsionics include "Detect Magic", "Counterspell", and -"Awaken" - -4b) Apportation - Pulling and pushing on planar boundaries with the -Psionic Field. - -Since the material plane is not the only one with thinking creatures, -some far-minded Psionists can detect the Psionic Field existing on -other planes of existence and pull on these remote fields of power. -Doing so can banish alien creatures, abjure harmful elemental effects, -or even tear open portals to distant planes and places. - -Examples of Apportation include "Dimension Door", "Banishment", and -"Whitefire Portal" - -== Post Script == - -Q: Specifics (where do these fit in?) - A: Answer - -What about Soul Knives??? - A soul knife is just an adept who uses a -combination of Manifestation and Sympathy to conjure a blade and imbue -it with different Sympathetic effects. In a similar way, you can use -these eight to extend specific domains on to different classes. -Psionic warrior? Uses Sympathy to strengthen his body and Prescience -to predict the strikes of his enemy. Psionic rogue? Apportation to -teleport around or Cogitation to read minds to cheat at cards (or -memorize the deck). Once the system is in place, the variations build -themselves because you know what's possible and what isn't. -Restriction breeds Creativity. You gotta know the rules to use them. - -What's all this about "Psionist?" Isn't it "Psion" - In my -understanding a "Psion" is a mystic who uses metapsionics to -manipulate her own mind into casting spells with the Weave. It is -also a term that gets some use for a general practitioner of psionics. -It is also one of those 4e tattoo addicts... just a really overloaded -term really. Psionist sounds the best to me as a general term like -"mage." - -What's the difference between Sympathy and Anticipation when -moving/lifting things? - In Sympathy, you convince the object to move -by extending your sense of self into it and lifting it yourself, in -Anticipation, it moves because you trick the Universe into thinking -the object should already be moving and so the Universe does it for -you. Expanding self is all monk-like vs. essentially casting Luck -Bending spells. - -Apportation includes an allusion to "Whitefire Portal". What's that? - -Oh, just this cool thing I made: - -*Whitefire Portal*: You burn a temporary hole through the Astral Plane -and into another plane of your choice. Once per long rest, centered on -a point within 300 ft of you, you summon raw Astral ectoplasm which -burns with hellish, white-hot fury. Any creature standing within 20 -feet of the whitefire must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 12d10 -fire damage or half on a successful save. Inanimate objects in the -area also take the damage and flammable objects may catch on fire. A -portal then opens to the chosen plane as with a Gate spell and remains -open for 1 minute as the planes slowly knit themselves back -together. Alternatively, instead of a specific location on a plane of -your choice, you may choose to have your portal open into a generally -inhospitable location in one of the elemental planes or the planes of -positive or negative energy. If you do so, creatures who enter or -begin their turns within 20 feet of the portal take 6d10 damage of the -appropriate elemental or energy type. - -I'm actually working on an entire Psionist class for eventual -publication on the Dungeon Master's Guild (or as part of my -"MagnumOpis-MagicOfTheMultiverse" which covers EVERYTHING magical as I -understand it). Of course if somebody #wotcstaff wants to buy it -and/or hire me, I'd be totally up for #theorycrafting for a living. diff --git a/src/dnd/psionist.org b/src/dnd/psionist.org deleted file mode 100644 index accd563..0000000 --- a/src/dnd/psionist.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,570 +0,0 @@ -#+TITLE: [5e] Psionist Class - Rewrite [ALPHA] -#+CLASS: dnd -#+CATEGORIES: HB - -#+HTML_HEAD_EXTRA: - -* Introduction to the Psionist Class [5e] - -* The Psionist - - As a Psionist, you gain the following class features. - -** Hit Points - * *Hit Dice*: 1d6 per psionist level - * *Hit Points at 1st Level*: 6 + your Constitution modifier - * *Hit Points at Higher Levels*: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per psionist level after 1st - -** Proficiencies - * *Armor*: Light armor - * *Weapons*: Simple Weapons - * *Tools*: None - * *Saving Throws*: Intelligence, Wisdom - * *Skills*: Choose two skills from History, Insight, Investigation, - Medicine, Perception, or Religion - -** Equipment -You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment -granted by your background: - - * (a) a spear or (b) a mace - * (a) leather armor - * (a) light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon - * (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack - -** Psionist Class Progression Table - -| | Prof. | | | Max | | | -| Level | Bonus | Features | Psi | Power | Cantrips | Powers | -| | | | Points | Level | Known | Known | -|-------+-------+----------------------------------+--------+-------+----------+--------| -| 1 | +2 | [[Mind Powers][Mind Powers]], [[Thought Sensitivity][Thought Sensitivity]] | 4 | 1st | 3 | 2 | -| 2 | +2 | [[Psionic Focus][Psionic Focus]] | 6 | 1st | 3 | 3 | -| 3 | +2 | Psionic Discipline Feature | 14 | 2nd | 3 | 4 | -| 4 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 17 | 2nd | 3 | 4 | -| 5 | +3 | | 27 | 3rd | 4 | 5 | -| 6 | +3 | Psionic Discipline Feature | 32 | 3rd | 4 | 6 | -| 7 | +3 | | 38 | 4th | 4 | 7 | -| 8 | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 44 | 4th | 4 | 7 | -| 9 | +4 | | 57 | 5th | 4 | 8 | -| 10 | +4 | [[Psionic Domain][Psionic Domain]] | 64 | 5th | 5 | 9 | -| 11 | +4 | | 73 | 6th | 5 | 10 | -| 12 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 73 | 6th | 5 | 10 | -| 13 | +5 | | 83 | 7th | 5 | 11 | -| 14 | +5 | Psionic Discipline Feature | 83 | 7th | 5 | 12 | -| 15 | +5 | | 94 | 8th | 5 | 13 | -| 16 | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 94 | 8th | 5 | 13 | -| 17 | +6 | | 107 | 9th | 5 | 14 | -| 18 | +6 | Psionic Discipline Feature | 114 | 9th | 5 | 15 | -| 19 | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 123 | 9th | 5 | 16 | -| 20 | +6 | [[Perfect Mind][Perfect Mind]] | 133 | 9th | 5 | 17 | - -** Mind Powers - -All Psionic abilities except those that cast spells are mind -powers. Intelligence is your psionic ability for your mind -powers. Your intellect determines the strength of the psionic effects -you manifest. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when -setting the saving throw DC for a mind power or when making an attack -roll with one. Manifesting mind powers does not require verbal, -somatic, or material components unless those components have an -explicit cost associated with them or are consumed. - - * *Restriction on High Level Powers*: Psionic Powers of sixth level - and higher take a drastic mental toll when manifested. You may only - manifest one sixth, one seventh, one eighth, and one ninth level - power per day. - -*** Psi Points - -Psi points represent a Psionist's pool of mental energy. It expands as -she gains levels in the Psionist class and becomes more powerful. When -manifesting powers, she uses a number of psi points according to the -table below. - -| Power Level | Point Cost | -|-------------+------------| -| 1 | 2 | -| 2 | 3 | -| 3 | 5 | -| 4 | 6 | -| 5 | 7 | -| 6 | 9 | -| 7 | 10 | -| 8 | 11 | -| 9 | 13 | - -All spent psi points are recovered after a long rest. - -*** Psionic Ability - -*Mind Powers Save DC* = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence -modifier - -*Mind Power Attack Modifier* = your proficiency bonus + your -Intelligence modifier - -** Thought Sensitivity - -As a Psionist, you are attuned to the thoughts and feelings of -others, as well as the concentration of psionic energy in an area. - - * It is more difficult for a group of people to surprise you. If - you enter an area with a group of five or more hidden creatures, - you feel their presence and cannot be surprised by them. You can - not determine their location relative to you or where they are - hiding. - * As an action you can examine an object or creature within 10 feet - of you to psionically determine whether or not it has a mind. You - cannot determine this if it is shielded or immune to having its - mind read. - -** Psionic Focus - -When you reach 2nd level, you may choose to focus your psionic -potential in one of two directions: inward or outward. - -*** Internal Focus - -*Psionic Recovery*: Once per day when you finish a short rest you may -regain a number of psi points equal to your Psionist level (up to 9). - -*** External Focus - -*Force of Will*: Once per short rest when manifesting a mind power you -may add your proficiency bonus to your Mind Power Attack Modifier or -Mind Power Save DC. You must choose to do so before the roll is made. - -** Psionic Domain - -When you reach 10th level, you may choose to focus your psionic -potential towards an aspect of reality: mind, body, time, or space. - -*** Mind Domain - -*Psionic Restoration*: Once per short rest on your turn you may remove -a mind-altering condition from yourself. Alternatively, you may use an -action to end a mind-altering condition from a creature you -touch. These may be Charmed or Frightened. - -*** Body Domain - -*Psychoportation*: Your movement speed is increased by 10 ft and you -gain proficiency in dexterity saving throws. - -*** Time Domain - -*Chronostutter*: Once per short rest on your turn you gain an -additional bonus action. - -*** Space Domain - -*Far Manifestation*: The max range of your psionic powers with ranges -greater than self is increased by 20 ft. - -** Perfect Mind - -Over years of study and experience in the Hidden Art, you have -mastered the use of your most powerful psionic powers. Upon reaching -20th level, the restriction on manifesting high level powers no longer -applies to sixth and seventh level powers. - -** Psionic Disciplines - -Psionic Disciplines represent the ways in which Psionists interact -with the Psionic Field and manifest their powers. You select a -discipline at 3rd level and it grants abilities at 3rd, 6th, 14th, and -18th levels. - -| | Internal | External | -|-------+--------------+---------------| -| Mind | Cogitation | Domination | -| Body | Sympathy | Manifestation | -| Time | Prescience | Anticipation | -| Space | Metapsionics | Apportation | - -*** Cogitation [4/4] - -Clarity of thought, memory, action and connection to thinking creatures. - -*Mimic Skill*: At 3rd level, you learn to tap into the minds of those -around you to temporarily mimic their skills. As an action, you may -target a creature within 30 feet of you. An unwilling creature makes -an wisdom saving throw or is affected. You may learn a skill, armor, -weapon, or tool proficiency from the targeted creature. You may only -mimic one proficiency with this ability at a time, but may target a -new creature at will. The targeted creature must have the chosen -proficiency for you to gain it. You retain the proficiency while in -the presence of the mimicked creature, but the proficiency disappears -when the creature moves more than 30 feet from you. - -*Touch of Tongues*: If a creature speaks at least one language, as an -action you may concentrate to translate their intentions, though not -their exact wording, into a language you know. This uses your -concentration for manifesting mind powers or casting spells and the -effect ends when you cease concentrating on it. - -*Tactician*: You learn to use sensory information from those around -you when aiming your manifestations. When determining if you can see a -creature or object for a spell, mind power, or other ability, you may -use the senses of any creatures within 60 feet of you instead of your -own. An unwilling creature makes a wisdom saving throw or is -affected. - -*One With All*: You thrive in areas of high density psionic -energy. Once per long rest, you may enter a psionic trance which -provides a variety of benefits. While in the trance you gain -proficiency in all skills, languages, and saving throws, automatically -succeed concentration checks, and any psionic abilities that you -manifest or spells you cast are considered to be manifested or cast -from one level higher (maximum of 9th level). This effect lasts a -number of minutes equal to the number of thinking creatures within 60 -feet of you when you enter the trance (maximum 10 minutes). Your own -senses are considered blinded and deafened for the duration. After -the trance ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion. - -*** Sympathy [4/4] - -*Psionic Blade Ward*: You learn to ready your body to withstand -damaging strikes. As a bonus action, you may spend a psi point to -manifest the psionic cantrip Blade Ward (you don't have to be able to -manifest that cantrip normally). - -*Empower Object*: You learn to imbue objects with psionic energy to -produce a minor effect. As a bonus action, you may touch an object of -size small or smaller and choose to imbue it with one of the following -effects until the beginning of your next turn: - - * Light: The object gives off a faint glow which illuminates 30 - feet of the surrounding area in dim or bright light (your choice). - * Heat: The object gives off extreme heat. Touching the object deals - 2d8 fire damage. - * Silence: All sounds within 5 feet of the object are silenced as - with a Silence spell. - * Pain: Touching the object produces an illusory sense of pain which - deals 3d4 psychic damage. - * Weight: The object's weight is reduced by 10 pounds. If this would - reduce the object's weight to 0, the object floats in the air. - -If a chosen affect applied to an object would deal damage, you and any -number of chosen creatures are immune to taking that damage from that -effect. - -*Reliable Psychometry*: You may manifest the 2nd level mind power -Psychometry at will without spending psi points. Additionally, while -in the attunement trance you may choose to move to the perspectives of -nearby objects within line of sight of the object you hold. The effect -ends if your chosen object ever leaves line of sight of the original -object. - -*Kinetic Avatar*: You extend your sense of self into the world around -you, animating and controlling objects and structures in your -vicinity, then pulling them around you in a swirling cocoon of -armor. The effect lasts for 1 minute. After the effect ends, you gain -one level of exhaustion. - - * You gain a flying speed equal to your normal speed for the - duration. - * Your armor class increases by 10 for the duration, though this - bonus decays as parts of your Avatar armor are destroyed. - * You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Psionist - level for the duration. Whenever you take damage your bonus armor - class decreases by 1 as part of the armor is sheared away. - * As an action you may shed 5 points of bonus AC to manifest the 5th - level psionic power Animate Objects without spending psi - points. The animated objects can fly. Maintaining control of the - animated objects requires concentration. - -*** Prescience [4/4] - -*Detect Strike*: You sense when an opponent decides to strike you and -can mentally prepare yourself. When you are attacked by a creature you -can see, you may use your reaction to get a +2 bonus to armor class -against that creature until your next turn. At 14th level, this -increases to a +4 bonus. You may use this feature a number of times -equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 2) per short rest. - -*Predict Disaster*: Once per short rest, when you make a roll at -disadvantage, you may choose to roll normally instead. - -*Read the Past*: If you would roll less than a 20 on a History check, -you roll a 20 instead. If a person you hear makes a statement about a -past event, you can tell if they are lying. - -*Grand Oracle*: The Myriad possibilities of time: past, present, and -future are laid bare before you. Through communing with the remnant -collective consciousnesses present within the Psionic Field, you gain -the following features: - - * You cannot be surprised. - * You may manifest the 2nd level mind power Augury at will without - requiring components or spending psi points. The cumulative 25% - change of failure does not apply for the first manifestation of - this power each day via this feature. - * You may manifest the 5th level mind power Commune once per day - without spending any psi points. - * You may manifest the 6th level mind power Truesight once per day - without spending any psi points. - -*** Metapsionics [4/4] - -*Extended Focus*: You may choose both options of the Psionic Focus -feature (both Internal and External). - -*Diminish/Enhance Psionics*: You have learned the deep secrets of the -Hidden Art. Once per short rest, when you or a creature you can see -manifests a psionic power or you encounter an existing psionic effect, -you may choose to apply one of the following effects to modify it as a -reaction. - - * _Fork/Merge_: You may increase or decrease the number of affected - creatures by 1 (this may not reduce the number of affected - creatures to 0). - * _Expand/Contract_: You may enlarge or reduce the area of effect by 5 - feet. - * _Extend/Curtail_: You may increase or decrease the duration by 1 - minute (this doesn't apply to instantaneous effects). - * _Shape_: You may change the shape of the area of effect (but not - the direction). For example you could change a line to a cone. - -*Advanced Metapsionics*: You gain an additional use of your -Diminish/Enhance Psionics feature per short rest and the following -additional options. - - * _Counter_: You may make an Intelligence (Psionics) check against - 10 + the power's level to end the effect. - * _Splice_: When you manifest a psionic effect or see one being - manifested, as a reaction, you may to choose a psionic power of 2nd - level or lower that you know and add its effects (choosing targets - separately within the area of effect or list of targets if - applicable) to the manifestation. Doing so requires spending an - appropriate number of psi points as if you were manifesting that - power normally. You may not manifest that power at a level higher - than its level. - * _Reflect_: If a psionic effect would target just you, you may have - it target the originator of the effect instead. - -*Unleash Potential*: Once per long rest as an action you plant a seed -of psionic ability in a willing creature you touch. For 24 hours they -gain the ability to manifest a psionic power of your choice of 2nd -level or lower (or a cantrip) and gain 6 psi points. If you manifest -this ability on the same target every day for a month (30 days), the -change becomes permanent and the creature is considered to be able to -innately manifest that ability. You may not grant more than one -ability to a creature, nor can you target a creature that already can -manifest psionic abilities. It's Mind Power Save DC and Attack -Modifier are determined by its Intelligence. - -*** Domination [4/4] - -*Deep Suggestion*: You may manifest the second level mind power -Suggestion once per long rest without expending any psi points. When -you do, the creature you target has disadvantage on the saving throw. - -*Psychic Potency*: When you deal psychic damage to a target that is -stunned, you may deal damage as though it were a critical strike. - -*Psychic Entity*: When you die, you may attempt to force your way into -another creature's body to continue living. To do so, a target -creature within 30 feet of you makes a Charisma saving throw. On a -success, you die, otherwise, you take control of the target's body and -force their consciousness into dormancy. You gain their physical -features (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) but retain all of your -other traits. Once every 24 hours, or whenever you take damage greater -than 50% of your max hit points, the dormant consciousness may attempt -to resume control of the body by making a Charisma saving throw. On a -success, you are forced out of the body and must either attempt to use -this feature again on a different target or die. - -*Enslave*: Once per long rest as an action you may target a creature -you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom -saving throw or be charmed by you until you die or are on a different -plane of existence from it. The charmed target is under your control -and can't take reactions, and you and the target can communicate -telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed -target takes damage, it can repeat its saving throw. On a success, the -effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also -repeat the saving throw when it is at least one mile away from you. - -*** Manifestation [4/4] - -*Astral Armor*: As an action, you may conjure a coating of astral -matter which covers the skin. This coating lasts for 1 hour and -radiates dim light. Your AC becomes 13 + your Dexterity modifier for -the duration. As a reaction, you may explicitly harden the coating, -which temporarily increases your AC to 15 + Dex, but destroys the -armor afterwards in a flash of bright light. Creatures within 5 feet -of you when the armor is destroyed must make a Constitution saving -throw or be blinded until your next turn. - -*Astral Weapon*: You learn to emulate the effects of the 2nd level -Cleric spell Spiritual Weapon as a 2nd level mind power except the -conjured weapon is considered to be made of Astral matter and radiates -dim light. Additionally, the first time you manifest your Astral -weapon each day, you may do so without spending psi points. - -*Durable Manifestation*: When you create or conjure a creature it -gains 20 temporary hit points. While you are wearing your Astral -Armor, you gain 20 temporary hit points. - -*Astral Affinity*: Powers and effects that create creatures or -manifestations made of astral matter cost half as much to manifest and -last twice as long (this includes those created by your Astral Armor -and Astral Weapon features). - -*** Anticipation [4/4] - -*Force Repulsion*: As an action you may have target creature within 60 -feet of you makes a Strength saving throw. If it fails, it is pushed -up to 30 feet away from you and requires spending twice its movement -to approach you until your next turn. - -*Kinematics*: You learn the Minor Kinematics Cantrip with the slight -differences noted below. - - * It does not count against the number of Cantrips known. - * The number of objects or creatures that can be levitated is doubled. - * The maximum weight of an object or creature that can be levitated is doubled. - * When lifting objects with the Minor Kinematics psionic cantrip, you - may attempt to attack a creature in range that you can see with - those objects. This attack can be made as either an action or a - bonus action using your Int modifier + your proficiency bonus to - hit. You are considered proficient with these attacks and their - damage is determined by the statistics of the objects being - levitated (e.g. a longsword would deal 1d8 + your Intelligence - modifier slashing damage and a levitated metal bucket would deal - 1 + Intelligence bludgeoning damage). Floating objects can be - attacked or pulled downwards, which causes the cantrip's effect - holding them aloft to fail. If you attempt to make a ranged attack - with a floating object, it must have the loading property and be - loaded and such an attack may not be performed as a bonus - action. You cannot load a weapon or activate a magic item using the - Minor Kinematics cantrip. - -*Phasing*: Once per short rest, as an action on your turn, you may -become intangible until your next turn. You may pass through solid -objects and are invulnerable to nonmagical bludgeoning, slashing, and -piercing damage, but not structures, boundaries, or weapons created by -magical force. Your gear may become intangible with you. If you would -end your turn inside an object, you take 6d8 bludgeoning damage and -are ejected to the nearest unoccupied space. If you end your turn -inside another creature, you both take this damage. - -*Time Skip*: Once per long rest you may target a creature within 60 -feet of you. That creature makes a Charisma saving throw. If it -fails, that creature skips its next round of combat. - -*** Apportation [4/4] - -*Call Energy*: You feel the cosmic pull of the planes of Positive and -Negative Energy. Once per long rest, as an action you may cover an -20-ft radius sphere centered at a point you can see in planar -energy. Choose either a) the Positive Energy Plane or b) the Negative -Energy Plane. The covered area is either a) bathed in a dull glow or -b) shrouded in a misty shadow which a) heals each living creature in -range by 1 hp at the end of each creature's turn or b) deals 1 damage -per turn to all living things in range and the end of each creature's -turn. Maintaining this effect requires concentration and may last no -longer than a minute. - -*Planar Abjuration*: Once per short rest, as a reaction to a spell or -effect within 30 ft of you that would deal fire, cold, lightning, -thunder, radiant, or necrotic damage, you channel the powers of the -elemental and outer planes to reduce the damage dealt by an amount -equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Psionist level. If the -spell or effect has an area of effect, the damage each affected -creature takes is reduced by this much. Damage reduction is applied -before applying resistances. - -*Banishing Blasts*: Once per short rest, when a creature native to a -different plane of existence than the one it is on takes damage from -one of your mind powers, you may have it make a Charisma saving -throw. If it fails this saving throw, it is banished to its plane of -origin sound for 1 minute with a faint popping sound. While there, the -target is incapacitated. When the minute is finished, it returns to -the nearest unoccupied space from where it left. - -*Whitefire Portal*: You burn a temporary hole through the Astral Plane -and into another plane of your choice. Once per long rest, centered on -a point within 300 ft of you, you summon raw Astral ectoplasm which -burns with hellish, white-hot fury. Any creature standing within 20 -feet of the whitefire must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 12d10 -fire damage or half on a successful save. Inanimate objects in the -area also take the damage and flammable objects may catch on fire. A -portal then opens to a plane of your choice as with a Gate spell and -remains open for 1 minute as the planes slowly knit themselves back -together. Alternatively, instead of a specific location on a plane of -your choice, you may choose to have your portal open into a general -location in one of the elemental planes or the planes of positive or -negative energy. If you do so, creatures who enter or begin their -turns within 20 feet of the portal take 6d10 damage of the appropriate -elemental or energy type. - - -* MIND POWERS: - -*Mind Blast*: You magically emit psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. -Each creature in that area must succeed on a Intelligence saving throw -or take 5d8 psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature may -repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the -effect on itself on a success. - -*Mind Meld*: As an action, you may touch a creature with an -Intelligence of 5 or greater and attempt to meld your consciousnesses -together. Doing so can be dangerous. If you attempt to meld with an -unwilling creature, it makes a Wisdom saving throw to block the mental -intrusion, otherwise a link is established. While the link is active, -thoughts, emotions, and memories are shared freely between yourself -and the creature. During a mind meld, since your minds are linked, it -is more difficult to lie or to hide information. To do so requires a -Concentration (Intelligence) contest for each lie or omission. Either -party may attempt to leave the mind meld by repeating the wisdom -saving throw (if you attempt to leave, you must also make a wisdom -saving throw against your Mind Power save DC). If the link is broken -in this way, or in any other way (such as the death of one of its -participants or being physically torn from touching one another) -before both parties explicitly agree to do so, both parties take 10d6 -psychic damage. You may only use this feature once per long rest. - -*Conjure Astral Construct*: Once per long rest, as an action, you may -create an Astral construct from Astral matter pulled from the Astral -Plane. - -Though you may customize the exact form of the construct to your -liking, the statistics for the Astral Construct are the same as that -of the Helmed Horror (page 183 in the Monster Manual) with the -following exceptions: - -It gains up to three additional options from the list below (you may -choose the same option more than once): - - * Extra Attack - * See Invisibility - * Flash and Bellow Attack (Creatures within 30 ft make DC 15 Con - saves or are blinded and deafened for 1 minute. They may repeat the - saving throw at the end of each of their turns. Once a creature - succeeds, it cannot be affected again.) - * 5d8 (22) Extra Hit Points - * Extra Spell Immunity (Two additional spells) - * +3 Damage on Hit - * +1 AC - -*Imprisonment*: You learn the 9th level Wizard spell Imprisonment as a -ninth level mind power. It does not count against the number of powers -known, but costs the normal number of psi points to manifest. As a -Mind Master, Imprisonment gains an additional option: Mind Prison. You -may choose to Imprison the creature directly in your mind. There is no -material component needed for this option. If you die or your -consciousness leaves your body for a period longer than 8 hours (as -with an Astral Projection spell), the prisoner is released. While -imprisoned in your mind, the creature may sense what you allow it to -sense and you may read the creature's surface thoughts as with a -Detect Thoughts spell. No more than one creature may be imprisoned -this way at a time. - -*Impose Will*: Once per short rest, you may cause a creature making a -saving throw against one of your mind powers, abilities, or your -psionic blast to have disadvantage on that saving throw. You must do -so before the roll is made. Once you've used this feature on a -creature, you may not do so again on that same creature until you -finish a long rest. -- cgit v1.2.3 From af917cba45fb48c6737fe90db71b125ace84ed5d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:16:29 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 8 ++++++++ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index a9bc942..3c9d916 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +removed some janky psionics + + src/dnd/psionic-schools.org | 220 ------------------- + src/dnd/psionist.org | 570 ------------------------------------------------- + 2 files changed, 790 deletions(-) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + Added the start of the apocrypha. src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 17 +++++ -- cgit v1.2.3 From 230147b7a1eec46f1de54e5f26834cff9fd94112 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:43:32 -0500 Subject: Added three new tags: WI, AP, FR --- config.yaml | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index 072ba80..face2f4 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -23,4 +23,7 @@ categories: "FF": "Flash Fiction" "HB": "Homebrew" "SS": "Short Story" - "WP": "WIP" + "WI": "WIP" + "WP": "Worldbuilding Prompt" + "AP": "Apocrypha" + "FR": "Forgotten Realms" \ No newline at end of file -- cgit v1.2.3 From a340ecce67e741b179ba5f7bf50a284bc030bbeb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:43:56 -0500 Subject: updated the categories for the apocrypha items --- src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 12 ++++++++++++ src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org | 12 ++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org b/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org index 5bc7e20..d37a45a 100644 --- a/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org +++ b/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org @@ -1,3 +1,15 @@ +An Introduction to Apocrypha + +--- + +title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" + +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" + +categories: AP + +--- + Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from first principles and the realization that even simple truths have consequences. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org b/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org index 856288f..3d28b90 100644 --- a/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org +++ b/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org @@ -1,3 +1,15 @@ +The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain + +--- + +title: "The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain" + +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" + +categories: AP, WP + +--- + Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious catalog of facts and figures. -- cgit v1.2.3 From 7e7713e58b06b41dfc6d01827f2a421fb372763e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:43:56 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 8 ++++++++ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 3c9d916..e1f5f1a 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +updated the categories for the apocrypha items + + src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 12 ++++++++++++ + src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org | 12 ++++++++++++ + 2 files changed, 24 insertions(+) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + removed some janky psionics src/dnd/psionic-schools.org | 220 ------------------- -- cgit v1.2.3 From f715e281bf40d32174e5fbb706d2992d6515a590 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:49:17 -0500 Subject: Fix a 404. --- src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 29 ------ src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org | 137 -------------------------- src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org | 29 ++++++ src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org | 137 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 4 files changed, 166 insertions(+), 166 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org diff --git a/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org b/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org deleted file mode 100644 index d37a45a..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,29 +0,0 @@ -An Introduction to Apocrypha - ---- - -title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" - -updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" - -categories: AP - ---- - -Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from -first principles and the realization that even simple truths have -consequences. - -My goal with building the world of Apocrypha is to create a generic -fantasy world which is both suitable for books and for use with TRPGs, -and is designed somewhere on the coherency spectrum between the -Forgotten Realms and Discworld. - -Though it is being designed to function with the 5th edition of Dungeons & -Dragons in mind, I am also haphazardly designing a TRPG of my own -which may be abandoned along the way, but draws inspiration from -Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 -months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that -are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects -benefits from this dynamic. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org b/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org deleted file mode 100644 index 3d28b90..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,137 +0,0 @@ -The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain - ---- - -title: "The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain" - -updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" - -categories: AP, WP - ---- - -Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious -catalog of facts and figures. - -Last year, after our exploration of the Lowerdark's Cragmag Caverns -proved such a fantastic success, we set our sights higher: to answer a -[nagging] reader's question. Lola, age 8, from the Valanacian city of -Florora, has been sending us letters. Over two hundred letters to be -precise. Each has asked the same question, - -"Deer GGE, what is the talest mowntun [sic] in the world?" - -And while we don't usually reward improper spelling, her insistence, -and the fact that no expert in the world seemed to know a precise -answer, convinced us to settle it once and for all. Who knew that -simple question one year ago would spark a fantastic journey of -discovery and collaboration that may have ramifications beyond what we -dreamed possible. Returning laden with treasures only one month ago, -the GEE (& co.) Expedition has brought us the greatest treasure of -all: an answer. - -Dear Lola, - -The greatest mountain in the world stands atop the far-northern range -of snowy mountains known as the Sunpeaks. - -Since the entire northern ridge is filled with enormous mountains -dwarfing (or maybe even gnoming) all other mountains found elsewhere, -it was rather difficult for our sages here at the Imperial Center for -Geographical Excellence to locate the general area of the range in -which the peak might exist, much less its correlative parallel, and -the sheer size of the range combined with its namesake ever-present -blinding sunlight made clairvoyance and scrying spells of little use -above 50,000 ft. - -Yes, you read that right. 50,000. That's almost three times the -height of Mount Pang and twice that of the Skyknife, but in the -Sunpeaks, that's barely passing for average. - -But fear not dear readers. The Geournal for Geographical Excellence -is here to quench your thirst for knowledge. For comparing the several -dozen peaks which form the Upper Cluster, we had to go to extreme -lengths (and heights). Simply put, we had to go there. - -With our collaborative sponsors, The Community Climber, Aerial -Affairs, Snowpeak Tea, and a grant from the Ministry of Maps, we -raised 1.3 million Imperial silver swans (a little more than the -monthly taxpayer cost to support an entire legion of cavalry), to -finance a voyage into the unknown, staking both our reserves and our -reputation on the Expedition. - -We spared no cost, hiring only the best of the best. Trackers, -weatherworkers, guards, and guides, we set out into the Plateau of the -Sun to find our answer. - -Six months we searched the pockets of mountains that exceeded our -50,000 mark, listening to local legends, sending up balloons, and -using a combination of our savvy and our ability to take small arcane -gateways to cross from peak to peak. And those were fruitful months, -even though we had yet to locate our quarry, days spent mapping and -drawing, nights spent gazing into the clearest sky anywhere in the -world (and then mapping and drawing it too)! - -We had found mountains. Tall ones. But had we found the tallest? - -We wouldn't know for almost three more months. The answer, it seemed, -was always no. We would crest a peak, only to find another rising -above us on the horizon. We had to to maintain a constant litany of -darksight spells to see (without going blind) and frost spells to -avoid melting (while in the sun) and fire spells to avoid freezing -(while in the shade). - -We had to conjure air to breathe. - -And it was in these inhospitable conditions that we found them. Not -mountains, those would come later, but our guides and our salvation. - -We were somewhere precisely north of the 47th parallel, when one of our -forward seers called for a halt. He had found a body. We assumed the -worst, and began to prepare a frost-bag for storing it to take back -with us when we came down the mountain (as we'd had to do with most of -our veritable zoo of animals by this point). - -Imagine our surprise when the body rose to greet us with a smile. - -He was a bald human man, and no more than a few years into his young -adulthood, and was absolutely blind, and fairly near naked. He led us -to his small mountain abode, filled with others like him. They called -themselves monks, but when I asked them about their order, they had -none! - -Though I would have offered the poor unregistered fellows use of my -official quill and Imperial ink (had it not been alternatively frozen -and then boiled) to register with an approved order, they assured me -that they had no interest in the ways of the 'folk from down -below'. Upon our request (and a few oddities accepted in exchange, -namely a small bowl made of True Timber and a pair of hollow diamonds) -the unregistered 'monks' agreed to aid us towards our goal (though I -gathered the distinct impression that they very much acquiesced -primarily in order to rid themselves of us). - -Two weeks after meeting with the 'monks' we had found it. - -The Sun-Touched Mountain. - -So, Lola, I'm sure you're lost interest by now, being the petulant and -insistent child that you are, but deep within the Sunpeaks, beyond the -ken of the civilized peoples, stands the tallest mountain in the -world. - -We didn't climb it; we didn't dare. And our humble guides requested -that we saved ourselves the trouble. For we had found it. High above -the world, on a ridge of mountains the locals call 'The Edge' stands -the impossibly massive peak. - -Shrouded from below by almost constant cloud-cover and the jutting -cliffs of that massive ridge, we only dared observe it from afar. The -expanse between the ridge and the cluster we found ourselves on was -measured in miles. - -Our best calculations put the height of the Sun-Touched Mountain at a -staggering 179,400 ft. And at it's peak, a brilliant day's Sun. - -I'll never forget the sight. - -Thank you Lola. Now please stop writing us. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d37a45a --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +An Introduction to Apocrypha + +--- + +title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" + +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" + +categories: AP + +--- + +Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from +first principles and the realization that even simple truths have +consequences. + +My goal with building the world of Apocrypha is to create a generic +fantasy world which is both suitable for books and for use with TRPGs, +and is designed somewhere on the coherency spectrum between the +Forgotten Realms and Discworld. + +Though it is being designed to function with the 5th edition of Dungeons & +Dragons in mind, I am also haphazardly designing a TRPG of my own +which may be abandoned along the way, but draws inspiration from +Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 +months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that +are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects +benefits from this dynamic. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org b/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d28b90 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org @@ -0,0 +1,137 @@ +The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain + +--- + +title: "The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain" + +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" + +categories: AP, WP + +--- + +Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious +catalog of facts and figures. + +Last year, after our exploration of the Lowerdark's Cragmag Caverns +proved such a fantastic success, we set our sights higher: to answer a +[nagging] reader's question. Lola, age 8, from the Valanacian city of +Florora, has been sending us letters. Over two hundred letters to be +precise. Each has asked the same question, + +"Deer GGE, what is the talest mowntun [sic] in the world?" + +And while we don't usually reward improper spelling, her insistence, +and the fact that no expert in the world seemed to know a precise +answer, convinced us to settle it once and for all. Who knew that +simple question one year ago would spark a fantastic journey of +discovery and collaboration that may have ramifications beyond what we +dreamed possible. Returning laden with treasures only one month ago, +the GEE (& co.) Expedition has brought us the greatest treasure of +all: an answer. + +Dear Lola, + +The greatest mountain in the world stands atop the far-northern range +of snowy mountains known as the Sunpeaks. + +Since the entire northern ridge is filled with enormous mountains +dwarfing (or maybe even gnoming) all other mountains found elsewhere, +it was rather difficult for our sages here at the Imperial Center for +Geographical Excellence to locate the general area of the range in +which the peak might exist, much less its correlative parallel, and +the sheer size of the range combined with its namesake ever-present +blinding sunlight made clairvoyance and scrying spells of little use +above 50,000 ft. + +Yes, you read that right. 50,000. That's almost three times the +height of Mount Pang and twice that of the Skyknife, but in the +Sunpeaks, that's barely passing for average. + +But fear not dear readers. The Geournal for Geographical Excellence +is here to quench your thirst for knowledge. For comparing the several +dozen peaks which form the Upper Cluster, we had to go to extreme +lengths (and heights). Simply put, we had to go there. + +With our collaborative sponsors, The Community Climber, Aerial +Affairs, Snowpeak Tea, and a grant from the Ministry of Maps, we +raised 1.3 million Imperial silver swans (a little more than the +monthly taxpayer cost to support an entire legion of cavalry), to +finance a voyage into the unknown, staking both our reserves and our +reputation on the Expedition. + +We spared no cost, hiring only the best of the best. Trackers, +weatherworkers, guards, and guides, we set out into the Plateau of the +Sun to find our answer. + +Six months we searched the pockets of mountains that exceeded our +50,000 mark, listening to local legends, sending up balloons, and +using a combination of our savvy and our ability to take small arcane +gateways to cross from peak to peak. And those were fruitful months, +even though we had yet to locate our quarry, days spent mapping and +drawing, nights spent gazing into the clearest sky anywhere in the +world (and then mapping and drawing it too)! + +We had found mountains. Tall ones. But had we found the tallest? + +We wouldn't know for almost three more months. The answer, it seemed, +was always no. We would crest a peak, only to find another rising +above us on the horizon. We had to to maintain a constant litany of +darksight spells to see (without going blind) and frost spells to +avoid melting (while in the sun) and fire spells to avoid freezing +(while in the shade). + +We had to conjure air to breathe. + +And it was in these inhospitable conditions that we found them. Not +mountains, those would come later, but our guides and our salvation. + +We were somewhere precisely north of the 47th parallel, when one of our +forward seers called for a halt. He had found a body. We assumed the +worst, and began to prepare a frost-bag for storing it to take back +with us when we came down the mountain (as we'd had to do with most of +our veritable zoo of animals by this point). + +Imagine our surprise when the body rose to greet us with a smile. + +He was a bald human man, and no more than a few years into his young +adulthood, and was absolutely blind, and fairly near naked. He led us +to his small mountain abode, filled with others like him. They called +themselves monks, but when I asked them about their order, they had +none! + +Though I would have offered the poor unregistered fellows use of my +official quill and Imperial ink (had it not been alternatively frozen +and then boiled) to register with an approved order, they assured me +that they had no interest in the ways of the 'folk from down +below'. Upon our request (and a few oddities accepted in exchange, +namely a small bowl made of True Timber and a pair of hollow diamonds) +the unregistered 'monks' agreed to aid us towards our goal (though I +gathered the distinct impression that they very much acquiesced +primarily in order to rid themselves of us). + +Two weeks after meeting with the 'monks' we had found it. + +The Sun-Touched Mountain. + +So, Lola, I'm sure you're lost interest by now, being the petulant and +insistent child that you are, but deep within the Sunpeaks, beyond the +ken of the civilized peoples, stands the tallest mountain in the +world. + +We didn't climb it; we didn't dare. And our humble guides requested +that we saved ourselves the trouble. For we had found it. High above +the world, on a ridge of mountains the locals call 'The Edge' stands +the impossibly massive peak. + +Shrouded from below by almost constant cloud-cover and the jutting +cliffs of that massive ridge, we only dared observe it from afar. The +expanse between the ridge and the cluster we found ourselves on was +measured in miles. + +Our best calculations put the height of the Sun-Touched Mountain at a +staggering 179,400 ft. And at it's peak, a brilliant day's Sun. + +I'll never forget the sight. + +Thank you Lola. Now please stop writing us. -- cgit v1.2.3 From 64bfc7a1f3fab0dafb2584dd0ffa676791512cdc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 14:49:17 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 8 ++++++++ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index e1f5f1a..5474e95 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +Fix a 404. + + src/apocrypha/{AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org => anintroductiontoapocrypha.org} | 0 + .../{TheGournalGeographicAffairs.org => thegournalgeographicaffairs.org} | 0 + 2 files changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + updated the categories for the apocrypha items src/apocrypha/AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org | 12 ++++++++++++ -- cgit v1.2.3 From 3ca1e438fe602f3f03609ea6869b1de7a4091acc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:51:23 -0500 Subject: lib/sitegen: remove extra parens --- lib/sitegen.rb | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/lib/sitegen.rb b/lib/sitegen.rb index 78222a3..4a3dd48 100644 --- a/lib/sitegen.rb +++ b/lib/sitegen.rb @@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ module Sitegen end @deps end - def self.Makefile() + def self.Makefile str = '' dependencies.each do |target, deps| str += "#{target.to_s}: #{deps.sort.join(' ')}\n" -- cgit v1.2.3 From 4c3f03c1a7c622c3e92081664b42c96831b43dca Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:02:32 -0500 Subject: Let LocalPage::load decide how to handle different file types --- config.yaml | 1 - lib/page_index.rb | 6 ++++-- lib/page_local.rb | 12 ++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index 072ba80..05a31d2 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -1,5 +1,4 @@ url: "https://www.andrewdm.me/" -html_suffixes: ["md", "org"] # Licenses default_license: "CC BY-SA-3.0" diff --git a/lib/page_index.rb b/lib/page_index.rb index 42c9e21..31d4682 100644 --- a/lib/page_index.rb +++ b/lib/page_index.rb @@ -28,13 +28,15 @@ class IndexPage < LocalPage @ls ||= Dir::entries(local_infile) .select{|fname|not fname.start_with?(".")} .map{|fname|"#{local_infile}/#{fname}"} - .select{|path|Dir::exist?(path) or Config::get.html_suffixes.include?(File::extname(path).gsub(/^[.]/, ''))} end def index_pages if @pages.nil? @pages = Set[] for path in _ls - @pages.add( Dir::exist?(path) ? IndexPage::new(path) : LocalPage::new(path) ) + page = LocalPage::load(path) + unless page.nil? + @pages.add(page) + end end for data in (_metadata['external'] || []) @pages.add(RemotePage::new(data)) diff --git a/lib/page_local.rb b/lib/page_local.rb index e13fa33..e956f6a 100644 --- a/lib/page_local.rb +++ b/lib/page_local.rb @@ -9,6 +9,18 @@ require 'pandoc' require 'person' class LocalPage < Page + def self.load(inpath) + case + when Dir::exist?(inpath) + require 'page_index' + return IndexPage::new(inpath) + when [".md", ".org"].include?(File::extname(inpath)) + return LocalPage::new(inpath) + else + return nil + end + end + def initialize(infile) @infile = infile super() -- cgit v1.2.3 From 7c62b0a53c35f2cfce07469fb771ef0aa8f2302d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:31:25 -0500 Subject: README: revise the structure of the "Authoring pages" section. --- README.org | 52 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------- 1 file changed, 38 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index 8870768..e8a3542 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -54,20 +54,28 @@ Those dependencies are: * Authoring pages -Currently supported are Markdown (~.md~) and Org-mode (~.org~) files. -Each of these format supports embedding metadata in the document -(well, Markdown doesn't really, but the Pandoc syntax extension -~yaml_metadata_block~ adds it). +If you drop a file in the ~src/~ folder, the site generator will try +to turn it into usable HTML. The big caveat is that files *MUST* to +be in all lower case (this is to efficiently handle the requirement +that URLs be case-insensitive)! -In Org-mode, this looks like +Currently supported formats are: -#+BEGIN_SRC -#+KEY: value + - Markdown (~.md~) : converted with Pandoc + - Org-mode (~.org~) : converted with Pandoc -...rest of document... -#+END_SRC +I don't need to tell you how to make these types of files. -In Markdown, this looks like +In addition to the raw content of the files, you'll want/need to set +metadata about the page. Each of these format supports embedding +metadata in the document. + +** Setting metadata: Markdown + +Metadata for Markdown files can be set by adding a block of YAML at +the beginning of the document, terminated with "---". This isn't +"standard" markdown, but is a common syntax extension (Pandoc calls it +~yaml_metadata_block~). #+BEGIN_SRC --- @@ -79,16 +87,32 @@ key2: ...rest of document... #+END_SRC +Pandoc may make use of some of these metadata attributes internally +when converting to HTML. See the Pandoc documentation. + +** Setting metadata: Org-mode + +Metadata for Org-mode files can be set by adding ~#+KEY: value~ lines +at the beginning of the document. + +#+BEGIN_SRC +#+KEY: value + +...rest of document... +#+END_SRC + +Pandoc may make use of some of these metadata attributes internally +when converting to HTML. See the Org-mode and Pandoc documentation. + AFAIK, unfortunately Org-mode only has values as strings, no structured data. -Pandoc may make use of some of these values internally when converting -to HTML. See the Org-mode and Pandoc documentation. +** Metadata attributes that are handles specially -However, there are some of these that are used specially by the site +There are some metadata attributes that are used specially by the site generator: -| attribute | default | standard | format | +| attribute | default value | standard | format | |------------------+---------------------------------+----------+-------------------------------------------------| | title | the first line of the file | Pandoc | string | | author | ~config.yaml:default_author~ | Pandoc | string +or list+ [fn:1] | -- cgit v1.2.3 From efbd3731c986a8555869c184cda69ff9b910ce9f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:52:22 -0500 Subject: pdf support --- Makefile | 12 +++++++++-- README.org | 16 ++++++++++++++ lib/page_local.rb | 3 +++ lib/page_pdf.rb | 62 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ src/main.scss | 26 +++++++++++++++++++++++ tmpl/pdf.md.erb | 5 +++++ 6 files changed, 122 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) create mode 100644 lib/page_pdf.rb create mode 100644 tmpl/pdf.md.erb diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile index 96e0fdf..f61c4c3 100644 --- a/Makefile +++ b/Makefile @@ -1,7 +1,9 @@ MAKEFLAGS += -j1 +pdfjs = https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/releases/download/v1.9.426/pdfjs-1.9.426-dist.zip + # Default target -all: out/index.html out/main.css +all: out/index.html out/main.css out/pdfjs phony += all # Boilerplate @@ -25,7 +27,13 @@ out/%.css: src/%.scss @mkdir -p $(@D) scss --stdin < $< > $@ -targets = $(phony) %.css +out/$(notdir $(pdfjs)): + wget -c --no-use-server-timestamp -O $@ $(pdfjs) +out/pdfjs: out/$(notdir $(pdfjs)) + rm -rf -- $@ + mkdir -- $@ && bsdtar -xf $(abspath $<) -C $@ --exclude '*.pdf' || { rm -rf -- $@; false; } + +targets = $(phony) %.css out/pdfjs% $(sort $(filter-out $(targets),out/index.html $(MAKECMDGOALS))): FORCE ./bin/sitegen diff --git a/README.org b/README.org index e8a3542..e95aff5 100644 --- a/README.org +++ b/README.org @@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ Currently supported formats are: - Markdown (~.md~) : converted with Pandoc - Org-mode (~.org~) : converted with Pandoc + - PDF (~.pdf~) : embedded with PDF.js I don't need to tell you how to make these types of files. @@ -107,6 +108,21 @@ when converting to HTML. See the Org-mode and Pandoc documentation. AFAIK, unfortunately Org-mode only has values as strings, no structured data. +** Setting metadata: PDF + +PDF files natively support embedding certain bits of metadata. The +bits that we use are: + + - title + - author + - creation date + - modification date + +If you need to set any other metadata attributes, or want to override +the values in the PDF (since setting them can be difficult), create +YAML file with the same name as the PDF file, but with the ~.yaml~ +file extension instead of ~.pdf~. + ** Metadata attributes that are handles specially There are some metadata attributes that are used specially by the site diff --git a/lib/page_local.rb b/lib/page_local.rb index e956f6a..6c70ac3 100644 --- a/lib/page_local.rb +++ b/lib/page_local.rb @@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ class LocalPage < Page return IndexPage::new(inpath) when [".md", ".org"].include?(File::extname(inpath)) return LocalPage::new(inpath) + when ".pdf" == File::extname(inpath) + require 'page_pdf' + return PdfPage::new(inpath) else return nil end diff --git a/lib/page_pdf.rb b/lib/page_pdf.rb new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e70c887 --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/page_pdf.rb @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +# coding: utf-8 +require 'erb' +require 'open3' +require 'yaml' + +require 'page_local' + +class PdfPage < LocalPage + def initialize(filename) + super(filename) + end + + def pdf_metadata + if @metadata.nil? + stdout, stderr, status = Open3::capture3("pdfinfo", "--", local_infile) + unless stderr.empty? + raise stderr + end + unless status.success? + raise status + end + raw_metadata = stdout.split("\n").map{|l|l.split(":", 2).map{|c|c.strip}}.to_h + + # Transform the PDF property names to match our metadata names + key_map = { + "Title" => "title", + "Author" => "author", + "CreationDate" => "published", + "ModDate" => "updated", + # "Keywords" => "categories", + } + @metadata = raw_metadata.map{|k,v|[key_map[k]||k,v]}.to_h + + yamlfile = local_infile.sub(/\.pdf$/, '.yaml') + if File::exist?(yamlfile) + @metadata = @metadata.merge(YAML::load(File::read(yamlfile))) + end + end + @metadata + end + def pdf_js_url + @@pdjfs ||= Config::get.url + 'pdfjs/web/viewer.html' + end + def pdf_viewer_url + @viewer_url ||= pdf_js_url + ('?file=' + URI::encode_www_form_component(pdf_js_url.route_to(local_srcurl))) + end + + def local_intype + return 'markdown' + end + def local_depends + if @depends.nil? + yamlfile = local_infile.sub(/\.pdf$/, '.yaml') + metafile = File::exist?(yamlfile) ? yamlfile : File::dirname(yamlfile) + tmplfile = "tmpl/pdf.md.erb" + @depends = super.map{|k,v|[k,v.merge([metafile, tmplfile])]}.to_h + end + @depends + end +end + +ERB::new(File::read("tmpl/pdf.md.erb")).def_method(PdfPage, 'local_input()', "tmpl/pdf.md.erb") diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index be00d49..cdbc200 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -287,3 +287,29 @@ body.dnd { font-weight:bold; } } } + +/* D&D-style pages ************************************************************/ + +body.pdf { + position: absolute; + width: 100%; + height: 100%; + bottom: 0; + + display: flex; + flex-direction: column; + + article { + flex-grow: 2; + padding: 0; + + h1 { + text-align: center; + margin: 0.25em 0; + } + iframe { + width: 100%; + height: 100%; + } + } +} diff --git a/tmpl/pdf.md.erb b/tmpl/pdf.md.erb new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2ce7327 --- /dev/null +++ b/tmpl/pdf.md.erb @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +<%= pdf_metadata.to_yaml %> +class: pdf +--- + + -- cgit v1.2.3 From 29e0894d837d41697463ea4b1627469f072536a4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:52:30 -0500 Subject: Add Drew's Rules PDF --- src/dnd/drews_rules.pdf | Bin 0 -> 715540 bytes src/dnd/drews_rules.yaml | 4 ++++ 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/dnd/drews_rules.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/drews_rules.yaml diff --git a/src/dnd/drews_rules.pdf b/src/dnd/drews_rules.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65ffb89 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/drews_rules.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/drews_rules.yaml b/src/dnd/drews_rules.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..70a57e6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/drews_rules.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "Drew's Rules" +categories: "HB" -- cgit v1.2.3 From bdb62265c5e0f8cbaa647479e10549f324e0712c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Luke Shumaker Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:40:58 -0500 Subject: CSS: Improve display of tags on PDF pages --- src/main.scss | 4 ++++ 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index cdbc200..fadd75b 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -303,6 +303,10 @@ body.pdf { flex-grow: 2; padding: 0; + p { + float: left; + margin: 0.25em -100% 0.25em 0.25em; + } h1 { text-align: center; margin: 0.25em 0; -- cgit v1.2.3 From f4b80bff79feddab2c3aff553afe73a9858b5cfb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:45:18 -0500 Subject: Region: The North --- src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 85 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 85 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7294de6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +The North is comprised of seven major areas, the White, the Wall, the +Wastes (or Spiritlands), the Chill-Lands, Fort North, the Vast, and +the Sunpeaks. + +** Regions of the North +*** The White +The White is a region of bitter cold at the northern edge of the +world. It is constantly snowing from an eternal blizzard that swirls +around the edge of the world. It's chilling winds and subzero +temperatures make the White one of the most inhospitable places in +existence. But it is not empty. + +**Ice wights** roam the icy plane, remnants of those who knew the land +before the coming of the storm. But even these are benign compared to +the greatest danger of the frozen north, The White Death. + +Her lair lies hidden in mountain crag, covered deep with snow. The +greatest of her kind, the White Death is an ice dragon of unspeakable +size and power. It is said that she has seen beyond the boundary of +the world and glimpsed the great beyond. She wants to forget. + +Her presence in the cavern inadvertently protects one of the eight +Shadefalls (the permanent anchor and gateway to one of the eight +shades, in this case, the Icebright), from which she also is able to +draw energy to heal herself and power her Icy Breath, which magnified +by the power of the Shadefall, has the ability to turn creatures fully +caught in it to ice. + +*** The Wall +TODO - Goblins, Giants, and the Throne on the Golden Road + +*** The Wastes (the Spiritlands) +Roving tribes of frost goliath and half-frost goliath barbarians roam +the area known as the Wastes. Drawn to the area by the presence of +the Giants to the north, the barbarians are always alert to the +dangers of the Frozen Throne and regularly form war parties to destroy +whatever designs or advances are made by the Frost Giant kingdom. + +They do not do so out of any loyalty to the empire, but out of a sense +of reverence to the land itself and for some, a sense of paternalist +duty towards the unknowing smallfolk to the south. + +The tribes come together for the biennial meeting at the ancient +circle of stone known as 'gianthome'. It is a sacred location and is +said to be the location of the ancient ritual which created the first +goliath. + +TODO - Gianthome Circle, non-goliath inhabitants, faunus, spirits + +*** The Chill-Lands +TODO - Twelve-Towns + +*** Fort North +The only part of the north which can accurately be described as being +controlled by the Empire. + +TODO - Fort North + +*** The Vast +The mountain plateau of swirling frozen wind and thousands of natural +shifting gateways into the Icebright. The entire area is suffused +with magic, which causes creatures that spend too long inside the area +to grow in size and risk becoming shaded. + +A creature shaded by the Icebright, cannot leave the Icebright or the +Vast without suffering penalties [???]. A creature born in the Vast +which has resistance to either Radiant or Cold damage may be able to +gain the benefits to size given by the Vast without becoming shaded. + +TODO - magic of the vast, geography, peoples + +**** Cities in the Vast: +***** Monastery of the North Wind +TODO +***** City of Glass +Home to a powerful sorcerer [Air Genasai Frozen Heart Sorcerer 18/Patron 5] who TODO + +*** The Sunpeaks +Huge mountains. Connected to the Upperlight. Sun-soul monks and +clerics of Tabor. Conflict with the Coastal Colonies (and Black +Tongues, who have tried to take it over) . Not officially part of the +empire, though not for lack of trying on the part of the Emperor and +the nearby barons. + +TODO - Description of warming due to gateway, sunlight, constant daytime -- cgit v1.2.3 From a9a4f39ddf517a86fef58658a0b844b1d0007b42 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:45:18 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 7 +++++++ 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 5474e95..a48d8fc 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +Region: The North + + src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 85 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + 1 file changed, 85 insertions(+) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + Fix a 404. src/apocrypha/{AnIntroductionToApocrypha.org => anintroductiontoapocrypha.org} | 0 -- cgit v1.2.3 From dde98b4648e84f2ed38c107e6e9a9cd52dca1140 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:50:21 -0500 Subject: link fix --- src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org index 7294de6..15fb961 100644 --- a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ +** Regions of the North The North is comprised of seven major areas, the White, the Wall, the Wastes (or Spiritlands), the Chill-Lands, Fort North, the Vast, and the Sunpeaks. -** Regions of the North *** The White The White is a region of bitter cold at the northern edge of the world. It is constantly snowing from an eternal blizzard that swirls @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ around the edge of the world. It's chilling winds and subzero temperatures make the White one of the most inhospitable places in existence. But it is not empty. -**Ice wights** roam the icy plane, remnants of those who knew the land +Ice wights roam the icy plane, remnants of those who knew the land before the coming of the storm. But even these are benign compared to the greatest danger of the frozen north, The White Death. -- cgit v1.2.3 From 54053c9cc496b80ac908f004ed91590616749ade Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2017 21:50:21 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 7 +++++++ 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index a48d8fc..9ac5ada 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ ChangeLog ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> +link fix + + src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 4 ++-- + 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) + +## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + Region: The North src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 85 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -- cgit v1.2.3 From 973dd76248111f7f42c42b8c73f8fdd257a82df4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 07:11:18 -0500 Subject: started the center sea and the empire --- config.yaml | 4 +- src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org | 8 +++ src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org | 120 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 files changed, 130 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index face2f4..605faaa 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ categories: "FF": "Flash Fiction" "HB": "Homebrew" "SS": "Short Story" - "WI": "WIP" - "WP": "Worldbuilding Prompt" + "WP": "WIP" + "WB": "Worldbuilding Prompt" "AP": "Apocrypha" "FR": "Forgotten Realms" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org b/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6db442d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org @@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ +** Regions of the Center Sea + +The Center Sea is the beating heart of the civilized world. +Tributaries from all directions meet and mix here, bringing ships +together from all the nations of the world, laden with goods and with +ideas. + + diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..41f8853 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org @@ -0,0 +1,120 @@ +** Regions of the Empire + +Midlands (Etra, Vala, Isla), the Provinces (Midwood, ?), the Colonies +(Cover Islands, ?), and the Golden Road. + +The Empire + +How long has the Empire been around? 111 ages, but how many is that? +Current one is 62 years, but some have been less than a year. + +The best tax records in the oldest provinces say the empire is about +60 generations (or 3000 years) old. The average length of an 'age' is +therefore, about 27 years. The General Edict was given 62 years ago +and has done a better job of keeping the nation running than the +previous code did (the previous Emperor's reign was rife with civil +war). + +**** The Emperor +Emperor Josef IV is the official name for Lady Lizbeth Yates, the +eldest daughter and only remaining survivor of the Yates line. Though +technically, only a man may claim the title of Emperor, few complain +that the Lady Lizbeth legally declared herself a man (or rather, few +who complained about the matter remain among the living). + +*** The Continent +**** The Midlands +North of the Marble Isle +Like the Holy Roman Empire if it were actually in Rome. Very +melting-pot of cultures. High politics, medium magic. + +I need to figure out the bodies of water to get more details. + +Etra, Vala, Isla [transcribe from notebooks] + +Gleimendun is like Constantinople, a second capital of a broken piece +of the Empire. Because it has broken off, the Song of Conquest is +diminishing, allowing more old magics into the land. + +*** The Provinces +**** The North +There is a great difference between the area of the north claimed by +the Empire, and that controlled by the Empire. The only area of the +North (or Chill-Lands) from which the Empire has ever successfully +collected taxes is the southernmost border settlements (of which there +are 12) and Fort North. + +It is often said that a single southern town could more than match the +value of the entire Northern province of the Empire, and that may be +true in terms of wealth or resources, but in reality few forts +anywhere in the Empire can brag the same quality of recruits brought +into the Imperial Legion as from the tiny northern fort and outlying +regions. + +The occasional goliath barbarian or glacier dwarf fighter making their +way south and wanting to try their hands (and axes) at Legion life is +more than enough incentive to keep the fort fully staffed and +supplied. + +**** The Midwood +The Northwestern-most stretch of the Deepwood, this is the most +'civilized' area of that great forest, or at least that most citizens +of the Empire could ever hope to reach. + +Full of elves, gnomes, florans, faunus, halflings, and their kin, the +Midwood is one of the most ethically non-human locations in the Jar. +Regiments of the Empire's military raised from the Midwood are often +called 'menageries' and use strange, but undoubtedly effective, +tactics in combat. + +The ghostwise halflings come from an ancient ruin just outside the +midwood. + +*** The Colonies +**** Cover Islands +Oft beset by pirates and even more often by deadly storms, the Covers +are an expensive and dangerous colony to keep. That said, the islands +remain one of the few places for the empire to acquire rare volcanic +minerals and alchemical agents useful in the development of magical +weapons. + +After the Black Tongues were disbanded in the Empire, many fled to the +islands, where they find, fewer and more lax regulations on their +activities. + +*** The Golden Road + +Running from the Citadel of Ice in the North to the Feet of the Last +King in the South and twisting, diverging, merging, and turning around +all sorts of places in between, the Gold Road is revered as sacred, +and it's tireless, invisible creator worshiped by those who would +seek safety traveling along its many gleaming golden cobblestones. + +The Golden Road belongs to the Golden God, though it is claimed by the +Empire where it overlaps land claimed by the Empire. That said, the +Golden Guides maintain control of the road regardless of the claims. + +You need a Golden Guide for the golden road, or you'll travel 100 +miles and never lose sight of where you started, or worse, you'll go +90 miles to see your destination right ahead of you, then 90 more +without it seeming to get any closer. + +The Golden Guides are either Travel Domain Clerics or (Fiend or +Celestial) Warlocks. Despite the ambiguity, the Golden God himself is +actually an Icon and a Fiend, a powerful one at that, and was involved +in the discovery of the spell which created the tiefling pact. Once a +gnome, the Golden God can be built as a [Gnome (Fine) Wizard 15 +(Transmutation)/Patron 5/Icon 5]. + +The Golden God always needs more gold for the road, and the standing +orders of the Golden Guides are to find and aid parties that can +supply large quantities of gold. The Golden God builds the road +daily, moving it slowly towards an unknown end. + +**** Lair + +The whole of the Golden Road is the Golden God's Lair. The gnome +himself is cloaked in a Perpetual Greater Invisibility spell (via +level 5 Icon power) and can cast *fabricate* at will. + + -- cgit v1.2.3 From 517aec2364abb99431cfe91f318b2fb109226db5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 07:11:18 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 9 +++++++++ 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 9ac5ada..1fa24d5 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -1,6 +1,15 @@ ChangeLog ========= +## 2017-12-24 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + +started the center sea and the empire + + config.yaml | 4 +- + src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org | 8 +++ + src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org | 120 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + 3 files changed, 130 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) + ## 2017-12-23 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> link fix -- cgit v1.2.3 From 0e7425ea2652fedfdf4e3074d515a380a02e725a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:49:31 -0500 Subject: Added FR, PF, LD tags and colors to all new tags. --- config.yaml | 4 +++- src/main.scss | 5 +++++ 2 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml index 4ca1bac..daf9625 100644 --- a/config.yaml +++ b/config.yaml @@ -25,4 +25,6 @@ categories: "WP": "WIP" "WB": "Worldbuilding Prompt" "AP": "Apocrypha" - "FR": "Forgotten Realms" \ No newline at end of file + "FR": "Forgotten Realms" + "PF": ".PDF" + "LD": "Lore Doc" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/main.scss b/src/main.scss index fadd75b..0c5f0d5 100644 --- a/src/main.scss +++ b/src/main.scss @@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ article { .tag.hb { background: DimGray; } .tag.dm { background: DarkSlateGray; } .tag.wp { background: GhostWhite; color: black !important; border-color: Gray; border: solid 1.2px LightGray; } + .tag.ap { background: #C00000; } + .tag.wb { background: #CC3399; } + .tag.fr { background: #003300; } + .tag.pf { background: #FF0000; } + .tag.ld { background: #CCCC00; } border-bottom: solid 1px #c9cacc; } -- cgit v1.2.3 From 778e255106570a7cab68abb5e2a6698daf100247 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:49:40 -0500 Subject: converted org to md --- src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md | 23 +++++ src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org | 29 ------ src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.md | 13 +++ src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org | 8 -- src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md | 126 +++++++++++++++++++++++ src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org | 120 ---------------------- src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.md | 91 +++++++++++++++++ src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org | 85 ---------------- src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.md | 133 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org | 137 -------------------------- 10 files changed, 386 insertions(+), 379 deletions(-) create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.md delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.md delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org create mode 100644 src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.md delete mode 100644 src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org diff --git a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e62a097 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +--- +title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" +categories: AP +--- + +Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from +first principles and the realization that even simple truths have +consequences. + +My goal with building the world of Apocrypha is to create a generic +fantasy world which is both suitable for books and for use with TRPGs, +and is designed somewhere on the coherency spectrum between the +Forgotten Realms and Discworld. + +Though it is being designed to function with the 5th edition of Dungeons & +Dragons in mind, I am also haphazardly designing a TRPG of my own +which may be abandoned along the way, but draws inspiration from +Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 +months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that +are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects +benefits from this dynamic. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org deleted file mode 100644 index d37a45a..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,29 +0,0 @@ -An Introduction to Apocrypha - ---- - -title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" - -updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" - -categories: AP - ---- - -Apocrypha is a world of mystery and forgotten history, built from -first principles and the realization that even simple truths have -consequences. - -My goal with building the world of Apocrypha is to create a generic -fantasy world which is both suitable for books and for use with TRPGs, -and is designed somewhere on the coherency spectrum between the -Forgotten Realms and Discworld. - -Though it is being designed to function with the 5th edition of Dungeons & -Dragons in mind, I am also haphazardly designing a TRPG of my own -which may be abandoned along the way, but draws inspiration from -Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 -months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that -are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects -benefits from this dynamic. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.md b/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..be49016 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.md @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@ +--- +title: "Regions of the Center Sea" +updated: "2017-12-25 Mon 00:13" +categories: AP LD +--- + +# The Center Sea +The Center Sea is the beating heart of the civilized world. +Tributaries from all directions meet and mix here, bringing ships +together from all the nations of the world, laden with goods and with +ideas. + + diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org b/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org deleted file mode 100644 index 6db442d..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/region_thecentersea.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8 +0,0 @@ -** Regions of the Center Sea - -The Center Sea is the beating heart of the civilized world. -Tributaries from all directions meet and mix here, bringing ships -together from all the nations of the world, laden with goods and with -ideas. - - diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fdafc11 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md @@ -0,0 +1,126 @@ +--- +title: "Regions of the Empire" +updated: "2017-12-24 Mon 00:14" +categories: AP LD +--- + +## Regions of the Empire + +Midlands (Etra, Vala, Isla), the Provinces (Midwood, ?), the Colonies +(Cover Islands, ?), and the Golden Road. + +The Empire + +How long has the Empire been around? 111 ages, but how many is that? +Current one is 62 years, but some have been less than a year. + +The best tax records in the oldest provinces say the empire is about +60 generations (or 3000 years) old. The average length of an 'age' is +therefore, about 27 years. The General Edict was given 62 years ago +and has done a better job of keeping the nation running than the +previous code did (the previous Emperor's reign was rife with civil +war). + +#### The Emperor +Emperor Josef IV is the official name for Lady Lizbeth Yates, the +eldest daughter and only remaining survivor of the Yates line. Though +technically, only a man may claim the title of Emperor, few complain +that the Lady Lizbeth legally declared herself a man (or rather, few +who complained about the matter remain among the living). + +### The Continent +#### The Midlands +North of the Marble Isle +Like the Holy Roman Empire if it were actually in Rome. Very +melting-pot of cultures. High politics, medium magic. + +I need to figure out the bodies of water to get more details. + +Etra, Vala, Isla [transcribe from notebooks] + +Gleimendun is like Constantinople, a second capital of a broken piece +of the Empire. Because it has broken off, the Song of Conquest is +diminishing, allowing more old magics into the land. + +### The Provinces +#### The North +There is a great difference between the area of the north claimed by +the Empire, and that controlled by the Empire. The only area of the +North (or Chill-Lands) from which the Empire has ever successfully +collected taxes is the southernmost border settlements (of which there +are 12) and Fort North. + +It is often said that a single southern town could more than match the +value of the entire Northern province of the Empire, and that may be +true in terms of wealth or resources, but in reality few forts +anywhere in the Empire can brag the same quality of recruits brought +into the Imperial Legion as from the tiny northern fort and outlying +regions. + +The occasional goliath barbarian or glacier dwarf fighter making their +way south and wanting to try their hands (and axes) at Legion life is +more than enough incentive to keep the fort fully staffed and +supplied. + +#### The Midwood +The Northwestern-most stretch of the Deepwood, this is the most +'civilized' area of that great forest, or at least that most citizens +of the Empire could ever hope to reach. + +Full of elves, gnomes, florans, faunus, halflings, and their kin, the +Midwood is one of the most ethically non-human locations in the Jar. +Regiments of the Empire's military raised from the Midwood are often +called 'menageries' and use strange, but undoubtedly effective, +tactics in combat. + +The ghostwise halflings come from an ancient ruin just outside the +midwood. + +### The Colonies +#### Cover Islands +Oft beset by pirates and even more often by deadly storms, the Covers +are an expensive and dangerous colony to keep. That said, the islands +remain one of the few places for the empire to acquire rare volcanic +minerals and alchemical agents useful in the development of magical +weapons. + +After the Black Tongues were disbanded in the Empire, many fled to the +islands, where they find, fewer and more lax regulations on their +activities. + +### The Golden Road + +Running from the Citadel of Ice in the North to the Feet of the Last +King in the South and twisting, diverging, merging, and turning around +all sorts of places in between, the Gold Road is revered as sacred, +and it's tireless, invisible creator worshiped by those who would +seek safety traveling along its many gleaming golden cobblestones. + +The Golden Road belongs to the Golden God, though it is claimed by the +Empire where it overlaps land claimed by the Empire. That said, the +Golden Guides maintain control of the road regardless of the claims. + +You need a Golden Guide for the golden road, or you'll travel 100 +miles and never lose sight of where you started, or worse, you'll go +90 miles to see your destination right ahead of you, then 90 more +without it seeming to get any closer. + +The Golden Guides are either Travel Domain Clerics or (Fiend or +Celestial) Warlocks. Despite the ambiguity, the Golden God himself is +actually an Icon and a Fiend, a powerful one at that, and was involved +in the discovery of the spell which created the tiefling pact. Once a +gnome, the Golden God can be built as a [Gnome (Fine) Wizard 15 +(Transmutation)/Patron 5/Icon 5]. + +The Golden God always needs more gold for the road, and the standing +orders of the Golden Guides are to find and aid parties that can +supply large quantities of gold. The Golden God builds the road +daily, moving it slowly towards an unknown end. + +#### Lair + +The whole of the Golden Road is the Golden God's Lair. The gnome +himself is cloaked in a Perpetual Greater Invisibility spell (via +level 5 Icon power) and can cast *fabricate* at will. + + diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org deleted file mode 100644 index 41f8853..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,120 +0,0 @@ -** Regions of the Empire - -Midlands (Etra, Vala, Isla), the Provinces (Midwood, ?), the Colonies -(Cover Islands, ?), and the Golden Road. - -The Empire - -How long has the Empire been around? 111 ages, but how many is that? -Current one is 62 years, but some have been less than a year. - -The best tax records in the oldest provinces say the empire is about -60 generations (or 3000 years) old. The average length of an 'age' is -therefore, about 27 years. The General Edict was given 62 years ago -and has done a better job of keeping the nation running than the -previous code did (the previous Emperor's reign was rife with civil -war). - -**** The Emperor -Emperor Josef IV is the official name for Lady Lizbeth Yates, the -eldest daughter and only remaining survivor of the Yates line. Though -technically, only a man may claim the title of Emperor, few complain -that the Lady Lizbeth legally declared herself a man (or rather, few -who complained about the matter remain among the living). - -*** The Continent -**** The Midlands -North of the Marble Isle -Like the Holy Roman Empire if it were actually in Rome. Very -melting-pot of cultures. High politics, medium magic. - -I need to figure out the bodies of water to get more details. - -Etra, Vala, Isla [transcribe from notebooks] - -Gleimendun is like Constantinople, a second capital of a broken piece -of the Empire. Because it has broken off, the Song of Conquest is -diminishing, allowing more old magics into the land. - -*** The Provinces -**** The North -There is a great difference between the area of the north claimed by -the Empire, and that controlled by the Empire. The only area of the -North (or Chill-Lands) from which the Empire has ever successfully -collected taxes is the southernmost border settlements (of which there -are 12) and Fort North. - -It is often said that a single southern town could more than match the -value of the entire Northern province of the Empire, and that may be -true in terms of wealth or resources, but in reality few forts -anywhere in the Empire can brag the same quality of recruits brought -into the Imperial Legion as from the tiny northern fort and outlying -regions. - -The occasional goliath barbarian or glacier dwarf fighter making their -way south and wanting to try their hands (and axes) at Legion life is -more than enough incentive to keep the fort fully staffed and -supplied. - -**** The Midwood -The Northwestern-most stretch of the Deepwood, this is the most -'civilized' area of that great forest, or at least that most citizens -of the Empire could ever hope to reach. - -Full of elves, gnomes, florans, faunus, halflings, and their kin, the -Midwood is one of the most ethically non-human locations in the Jar. -Regiments of the Empire's military raised from the Midwood are often -called 'menageries' and use strange, but undoubtedly effective, -tactics in combat. - -The ghostwise halflings come from an ancient ruin just outside the -midwood. - -*** The Colonies -**** Cover Islands -Oft beset by pirates and even more often by deadly storms, the Covers -are an expensive and dangerous colony to keep. That said, the islands -remain one of the few places for the empire to acquire rare volcanic -minerals and alchemical agents useful in the development of magical -weapons. - -After the Black Tongues were disbanded in the Empire, many fled to the -islands, where they find, fewer and more lax regulations on their -activities. - -*** The Golden Road - -Running from the Citadel of Ice in the North to the Feet of the Last -King in the South and twisting, diverging, merging, and turning around -all sorts of places in between, the Gold Road is revered as sacred, -and it's tireless, invisible creator worshiped by those who would -seek safety traveling along its many gleaming golden cobblestones. - -The Golden Road belongs to the Golden God, though it is claimed by the -Empire where it overlaps land claimed by the Empire. That said, the -Golden Guides maintain control of the road regardless of the claims. - -You need a Golden Guide for the golden road, or you'll travel 100 -miles and never lose sight of where you started, or worse, you'll go -90 miles to see your destination right ahead of you, then 90 more -without it seeming to get any closer. - -The Golden Guides are either Travel Domain Clerics or (Fiend or -Celestial) Warlocks. Despite the ambiguity, the Golden God himself is -actually an Icon and a Fiend, a powerful one at that, and was involved -in the discovery of the spell which created the tiefling pact. Once a -gnome, the Golden God can be built as a [Gnome (Fine) Wizard 15 -(Transmutation)/Patron 5/Icon 5]. - -The Golden God always needs more gold for the road, and the standing -orders of the Golden Guides are to find and aid parties that can -supply large quantities of gold. The Golden God builds the road -daily, moving it slowly towards an unknown end. - -**** Lair - -The whole of the Golden Road is the Golden God's Lair. The gnome -himself is cloaked in a Perpetual Greater Invisibility spell (via -level 5 Icon power) and can cast *fabricate* at will. - - diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.md b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9423a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.md @@ -0,0 +1,91 @@ +--- +title: "Regions of the North" +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" +categories: AP LD +--- + +## Regions of the North +The North is comprised of seven major areas, the White, the Wall, the +Wastes (or Spiritlands), the Chill-Lands, Fort North, the Vast, and +the Sunpeaks. + +### The White +The White is a region of bitter cold at the northern edge of the +world. It is constantly snowing from an eternal blizzard that swirls +around the edge of the world. It's chilling winds and subzero +temperatures make the White one of the most inhospitable places in +existence. But it is not empty. + +Ice wights roam the icy plane, remnants of those who knew the land +before the coming of the storm. But even these are benign compared to +the greatest danger of the frozen north, The White Death. + +Her lair lies hidden in mountain crag, covered deep with snow. The +greatest of her kind, the White Death is an ice dragon of unspeakable +size and power. It is said that she has seen beyond the boundary of +the world and glimpsed the great beyond. She wants to forget. + +Her presence in the cavern inadvertently protects one of the eight +Shadefalls (the permanent anchor and gateway to one of the eight +shades, in this case, the Icebright), from which she also is able to +draw energy to heal herself and power her Icy Breath, which magnified +by the power of the Shadefall, has the ability to turn creatures fully +caught in it to ice. + +### The Wall +TODO - Goblins, Giants, and the Throne on the Golden Road + +### The Wastes (the Spiritlands) +Roving tribes of frost goliath and half-frost goliath barbarians roam +the area known as the Wastes. Drawn to the area by the presence of +the Giants to the north, the barbarians are always alert to the +dangers of the Frozen Throne and regularly form war parties to destroy +whatever designs or advances are made by the Frost Giant kingdom. + +They do not do so out of any loyalty to the empire, but out of a sense +of reverence to the land itself and for some, a sense of paternalist +duty towards the unknowing smallfolk to the south. + +The tribes come together for the biennial meeting at the ancient +circle of stone known as 'gianthome'. It is a sacred location and is +said to be the location of the ancient ritual which created the first +goliath. + +TODO - Gianthome Circle, non-goliath inhabitants, faunus, spirits + +### The Chill-Lands +TODO - Twelve-Towns + +### Fort North +The only part of the north which can accurately be described as being +controlled by the Empire. + +TODO - Fort North + +### The Vast +The mountain plateau of swirling frozen wind and thousands of natural +shifting gateways into the Icebright. The entire area is suffused +with magic, which causes creatures that spend too long inside the area +to grow in size and risk becoming shaded. + +A creature shaded by the Icebright, cannot leave the Icebright or the +Vast without suffering penalties [???]. A creature born in the Vast +which has resistance to either Radiant or Cold damage may be able to +gain the benefits to size given by the Vast without becoming shaded. + +TODO - magic of the vast, geography, peoples + +#### Cities in the Vast: +##### Monastery of the North Wind +TODO +##### City of Glass +Home to a powerful sorcerer [Air Genasai Frozen Heart Sorcerer 18/Patron 5] who TODO + +### The Sunpeaks +Huge mountains. Connected to the Upperlight. Sun-soul monks and +clerics of Tabor. Conflict with the Coastal Colonies (and Black +Tongues, who have tried to take it over) . Not officially part of the +empire, though not for lack of trying on the part of the Emperor and +the nearby barons. + +TODO - Description of warming due to gateway, sunlight, constant daytime diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org b/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org deleted file mode 100644 index 15fb961..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/region_thenorth.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,85 +0,0 @@ -** Regions of the North -The North is comprised of seven major areas, the White, the Wall, the -Wastes (or Spiritlands), the Chill-Lands, Fort North, the Vast, and -the Sunpeaks. - -*** The White -The White is a region of bitter cold at the northern edge of the -world. It is constantly snowing from an eternal blizzard that swirls -around the edge of the world. It's chilling winds and subzero -temperatures make the White one of the most inhospitable places in -existence. But it is not empty. - -Ice wights roam the icy plane, remnants of those who knew the land -before the coming of the storm. But even these are benign compared to -the greatest danger of the frozen north, The White Death. - -Her lair lies hidden in mountain crag, covered deep with snow. The -greatest of her kind, the White Death is an ice dragon of unspeakable -size and power. It is said that she has seen beyond the boundary of -the world and glimpsed the great beyond. She wants to forget. - -Her presence in the cavern inadvertently protects one of the eight -Shadefalls (the permanent anchor and gateway to one of the eight -shades, in this case, the Icebright), from which she also is able to -draw energy to heal herself and power her Icy Breath, which magnified -by the power of the Shadefall, has the ability to turn creatures fully -caught in it to ice. - -*** The Wall -TODO - Goblins, Giants, and the Throne on the Golden Road - -*** The Wastes (the Spiritlands) -Roving tribes of frost goliath and half-frost goliath barbarians roam -the area known as the Wastes. Drawn to the area by the presence of -the Giants to the north, the barbarians are always alert to the -dangers of the Frozen Throne and regularly form war parties to destroy -whatever designs or advances are made by the Frost Giant kingdom. - -They do not do so out of any loyalty to the empire, but out of a sense -of reverence to the land itself and for some, a sense of paternalist -duty towards the unknowing smallfolk to the south. - -The tribes come together for the biennial meeting at the ancient -circle of stone known as 'gianthome'. It is a sacred location and is -said to be the location of the ancient ritual which created the first -goliath. - -TODO - Gianthome Circle, non-goliath inhabitants, faunus, spirits - -*** The Chill-Lands -TODO - Twelve-Towns - -*** Fort North -The only part of the north which can accurately be described as being -controlled by the Empire. - -TODO - Fort North - -*** The Vast -The mountain plateau of swirling frozen wind and thousands of natural -shifting gateways into the Icebright. The entire area is suffused -with magic, which causes creatures that spend too long inside the area -to grow in size and risk becoming shaded. - -A creature shaded by the Icebright, cannot leave the Icebright or the -Vast without suffering penalties [???]. A creature born in the Vast -which has resistance to either Radiant or Cold damage may be able to -gain the benefits to size given by the Vast without becoming shaded. - -TODO - magic of the vast, geography, peoples - -**** Cities in the Vast: -***** Monastery of the North Wind -TODO -***** City of Glass -Home to a powerful sorcerer [Air Genasai Frozen Heart Sorcerer 18/Patron 5] who TODO - -*** The Sunpeaks -Huge mountains. Connected to the Upperlight. Sun-soul monks and -clerics of Tabor. Conflict with the Coastal Colonies (and Black -Tongues, who have tried to take it over) . Not officially part of the -empire, though not for lack of trying on the part of the Emperor and -the nearby barons. - -TODO - Description of warming due to gateway, sunlight, constant daytime diff --git a/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.md b/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..17387a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.md @@ -0,0 +1,133 @@ +--- +title: "The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain" +updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:20" +categories: AP WB +--- + +# The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain + +Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious +catalog of facts and figures. + +Last year, after our exploration of the Lowerdark's Cragmag Caverns +proved such a fantastic success, we set our sights higher: to answer a +[nagging] reader's question. Lola, age 8, from the Valanacian city of +Florora, has been sending us letters. Over two hundred letters to be +precise. Each has asked the same question, + +"Deer GGE, what is the talest mowntun [sic] in the world?" + +And while we don't usually reward improper spelling, her insistence, +and the fact that no expert in the world seemed to know a precise +answer, convinced us to settle it once and for all. Who knew that +simple question one year ago would spark a fantastic journey of +discovery and collaboration that may have ramifications beyond what we +dreamed possible. Returning laden with treasures only one month ago, +the GEE (& co.) Expedition has brought us the greatest treasure of +all: an answer. + +Dear Lola, + +The greatest mountain in the world stands atop the far-northern range +of snowy mountains known as the Sunpeaks. + +Since the entire northern ridge is filled with enormous mountains +dwarfing (or maybe even gnoming) all other mountains found elsewhere, +it was rather difficult for our sages here at the Imperial Center for +Geographical Excellence to locate the general area of the range in +which the peak might exist, much less its correlative parallel, and +the sheer size of the range combined with its namesake ever-present +blinding sunlight made clairvoyance and scrying spells of little use +above 50,000 ft. + +Yes, you read that right. 50,000. That's almost three times the +height of Mount Pang and twice that of the Skyknife, but in the +Sunpeaks, that's barely passing for average. + +But fear not dear readers. The Geournal for Geographical Excellence +is here to quench your thirst for knowledge. For comparing the several +dozen peaks which form the Upper Cluster, we had to go to extreme +lengths (and heights). Simply put, we had to go there. + +With our collaborative sponsors, The Community Climber, Aerial +Affairs, Snowpeak Tea, and a grant from the Ministry of Maps, we +raised 1.3 million Imperial silver swans (a little more than the +monthly taxpayer cost to support an entire legion of cavalry), to +finance a voyage into the unknown, staking both our reserves and our +reputation on the Expedition. + +We spared no cost, hiring only the best of the best. Trackers, +weatherworkers, guards, and guides, we set out into the Plateau of the +Sun to find our answer. + +Six months we searched the pockets of mountains that exceeded our +50,000 mark, listening to local legends, sending up balloons, and +using a combination of our savvy and our ability to take small arcane +gateways to cross from peak to peak. And those were fruitful months, +even though we had yet to locate our quarry, days spent mapping and +drawing, nights spent gazing into the clearest sky anywhere in the +world (and then mapping and drawing it too)! + +We had found mountains. Tall ones. But had we found the tallest? + +We wouldn't know for almost three more months. The answer, it seemed, +was always no. We would crest a peak, only to find another rising +above us on the horizon. We had to to maintain a constant litany of +darksight spells to see (without going blind) and frost spells to +avoid melting (while in the sun) and fire spells to avoid freezing +(while in the shade). + +We had to conjure air to breathe. + +And it was in these inhospitable conditions that we found them. Not +mountains, those would come later, but our guides and our salvation. + +We were somewhere precisely north of the 47th parallel, when one of our +forward seers called for a halt. He had found a body. We assumed the +worst, and began to prepare a frost-bag for storing it to take back +with us when we came down the mountain (as we'd had to do with most of +our veritable zoo of animals by this point). + +Imagine our surprise when the body rose to greet us with a smile. + +He was a bald human man, and no more than a few years into his young +adulthood, and was absolutely blind, and fairly near naked. He led us +to his small mountain abode, filled with others like him. They called +themselves monks, but when I asked them about their order, they had +none! + +Though I would have offered the poor unregistered fellows use of my +official quill and Imperial ink (had it not been alternatively frozen +and then boiled) to register with an approved order, they assured me +that they had no interest in the ways of the 'folk from down +below'. Upon our request (and a few oddities accepted in exchange, +namely a small bowl made of True Timber and a pair of hollow diamonds) +the unregistered 'monks' agreed to aid us towards our goal (though I +gathered the distinct impression that they very much acquiesced +primarily in order to rid themselves of us). + +Two weeks after meeting with the 'monks' we had found it. + +The Sun-Touched Mountain. + +So, Lola, I'm sure you're lost interest by now, being the petulant and +insistent child that you are, but deep within the Sunpeaks, beyond the +ken of the civilized peoples, stands the tallest mountain in the +world. + +We didn't climb it; we didn't dare. And our humble guides requested +that we saved ourselves the trouble. For we had found it. High above +the world, on a ridge of mountains the locals call 'The Edge' stands +the impossibly massive peak. + +Shrouded from below by almost constant cloud-cover and the jutting +cliffs of that massive ridge, we only dared observe it from afar. The +expanse between the ridge and the cluster we found ourselves on was +measured in miles. + +Our best calculations put the height of the Sun-Touched Mountain at a +staggering 179,400 ft. And at it's peak, a brilliant day's Sun. + +I'll never forget the sight. + +Thank you Lola. Now please stop writing us. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org b/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org deleted file mode 100644 index 3d28b90..0000000 --- a/src/apocrypha/thegournalgeographicaffairs.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,137 +0,0 @@ -The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain - ---- - -title: "The Gournal of Geographic Affairs: The Sun-Touched Mountain" - -updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" - -categories: AP, WP - ---- - -Welcome Readers, to the second Special Edition of our illustrious -catalog of facts and figures. - -Last year, after our exploration of the Lowerdark's Cragmag Caverns -proved such a fantastic success, we set our sights higher: to answer a -[nagging] reader's question. Lola, age 8, from the Valanacian city of -Florora, has been sending us letters. Over two hundred letters to be -precise. Each has asked the same question, - -"Deer GGE, what is the talest mowntun [sic] in the world?" - -And while we don't usually reward improper spelling, her insistence, -and the fact that no expert in the world seemed to know a precise -answer, convinced us to settle it once and for all. Who knew that -simple question one year ago would spark a fantastic journey of -discovery and collaboration that may have ramifications beyond what we -dreamed possible. Returning laden with treasures only one month ago, -the GEE (& co.) Expedition has brought us the greatest treasure of -all: an answer. - -Dear Lola, - -The greatest mountain in the world stands atop the far-northern range -of snowy mountains known as the Sunpeaks. - -Since the entire northern ridge is filled with enormous mountains -dwarfing (or maybe even gnoming) all other mountains found elsewhere, -it was rather difficult for our sages here at the Imperial Center for -Geographical Excellence to locate the general area of the range in -which the peak might exist, much less its correlative parallel, and -the sheer size of the range combined with its namesake ever-present -blinding sunlight made clairvoyance and scrying spells of little use -above 50,000 ft. - -Yes, you read that right. 50,000. That's almost three times the -height of Mount Pang and twice that of the Skyknife, but in the -Sunpeaks, that's barely passing for average. - -But fear not dear readers. The Geournal for Geographical Excellence -is here to quench your thirst for knowledge. For comparing the several -dozen peaks which form the Upper Cluster, we had to go to extreme -lengths (and heights). Simply put, we had to go there. - -With our collaborative sponsors, The Community Climber, Aerial -Affairs, Snowpeak Tea, and a grant from the Ministry of Maps, we -raised 1.3 million Imperial silver swans (a little more than the -monthly taxpayer cost to support an entire legion of cavalry), to -finance a voyage into the unknown, staking both our reserves and our -reputation on the Expedition. - -We spared no cost, hiring only the best of the best. Trackers, -weatherworkers, guards, and guides, we set out into the Plateau of the -Sun to find our answer. - -Six months we searched the pockets of mountains that exceeded our -50,000 mark, listening to local legends, sending up balloons, and -using a combination of our savvy and our ability to take small arcane -gateways to cross from peak to peak. And those were fruitful months, -even though we had yet to locate our quarry, days spent mapping and -drawing, nights spent gazing into the clearest sky anywhere in the -world (and then mapping and drawing it too)! - -We had found mountains. Tall ones. But had we found the tallest? - -We wouldn't know for almost three more months. The answer, it seemed, -was always no. We would crest a peak, only to find another rising -above us on the horizon. We had to to maintain a constant litany of -darksight spells to see (without going blind) and frost spells to -avoid melting (while in the sun) and fire spells to avoid freezing -(while in the shade). - -We had to conjure air to breathe. - -And it was in these inhospitable conditions that we found them. Not -mountains, those would come later, but our guides and our salvation. - -We were somewhere precisely north of the 47th parallel, when one of our -forward seers called for a halt. He had found a body. We assumed the -worst, and began to prepare a frost-bag for storing it to take back -with us when we came down the mountain (as we'd had to do with most of -our veritable zoo of animals by this point). - -Imagine our surprise when the body rose to greet us with a smile. - -He was a bald human man, and no more than a few years into his young -adulthood, and was absolutely blind, and fairly near naked. He led us -to his small mountain abode, filled with others like him. They called -themselves monks, but when I asked them about their order, they had -none! - -Though I would have offered the poor unregistered fellows use of my -official quill and Imperial ink (had it not been alternatively frozen -and then boiled) to register with an approved order, they assured me -that they had no interest in the ways of the 'folk from down -below'. Upon our request (and a few oddities accepted in exchange, -namely a small bowl made of True Timber and a pair of hollow diamonds) -the unregistered 'monks' agreed to aid us towards our goal (though I -gathered the distinct impression that they very much acquiesced -primarily in order to rid themselves of us). - -Two weeks after meeting with the 'monks' we had found it. - -The Sun-Touched Mountain. - -So, Lola, I'm sure you're lost interest by now, being the petulant and -insistent child that you are, but deep within the Sunpeaks, beyond the -ken of the civilized peoples, stands the tallest mountain in the -world. - -We didn't climb it; we didn't dare. And our humble guides requested -that we saved ourselves the trouble. For we had found it. High above -the world, on a ridge of mountains the locals call 'The Edge' stands -the impossibly massive peak. - -Shrouded from below by almost constant cloud-cover and the jutting -cliffs of that massive ridge, we only dared observe it from afar. The -expanse between the ridge and the cluster we found ourselves on was -measured in miles. - -Our best calculations put the height of the Sun-Touched Mountain at a -staggering 179,400 ft. And at it's peak, a brilliant day's Sun. - -I'll never forget the sight. - -Thank you Lola. Now please stop writing us. -- cgit v1.2.3 From d6ab7280d49099f850f08c517910bd2af7dd622f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2017 00:49:40 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 5 +++++ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index 1c42125..da91a63 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -1,6 +1,11 @@ ChangeLog ========= +## 2017-12-25 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + +converted org to md + + ## 2017-12-24 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> started the center sea and the empire -- cgit v1.2.3 From 80f0705c7c78efa57b21eb30629df8837ae16aad Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: AndrewMurrell Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2017 03:35:23 -0500 Subject: Added PDFs, moved tastavi to writing, and added more apocrypha worldbuilding docs --- src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md | 65 +- src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md | 99 +- src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.pdf | Bin 0 -> 708275 bytes src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.yaml | 4 + src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.pdf | Bin 0 -> 669530 bytes src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.yaml | 4 + src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.pdf | Bin 0 -> 5346704 bytes src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.yaml | 5 + src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.pdf | Bin 0 -> 3330156 bytes src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.yaml | 4 + ...RV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.pdf | Bin 0 -> 35153491 bytes ...V_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.yaml | 4 + src/dnd/tastavi.md | 1965 -------------------- src/writing/tastavi.md | 1965 ++++++++++++++++++++ 14 files changed, 2113 insertions(+), 2002 deletions(-) create mode 100644 src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.yaml create mode 100644 src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.yaml create mode 100644 src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.yaml create mode 100644 src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.yaml create mode 100644 src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.pdf create mode 100644 src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.yaml delete mode 100644 src/dnd/tastavi.md create mode 100644 src/writing/tastavi.md diff --git a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md index e62a097..a850552 100644 --- a/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md +++ b/src/apocrypha/anintroductiontoapocrypha.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ --- title: "An Introduction to Apocrypha" -updated: "2017-12-23 Sat 14:21" +updated: "2017-12-25 Mon 14:22" categories: AP --- @@ -21,3 +21,66 @@ Apocrypha as well as breathing life back into it. Over the last 2 months, I've found that working on one usually generates ideas that are applicable to the other, and overall energy for both projects benefits from this dynamic. + +Occasionally Asked Questions + +1. From a Forgotten Realms standpoint, "does the Weave still matter?" + +There is no Weave, nor are gods' domains delineated in the same way as FR. + +3. "Why in a D&D 5e-esque world have the elves and spellcasters not + taken over despite the advanced age of the former and the quadratic + power curve of the latter?" + +My previous answer to this was chopped up and dumped in several +dumpsters in several different states, so I'll expand below. + +Creatures don't have DNA. Alchemy is not chemistry because there are +no chemicals. Plutonium isn't an element: fire is. + +All creatures share a common ancestry. From the primal elementals, to +the mischievous fey, to the inscrutable nim, all are born by the +spontaneous generation of the physical from an immortal and unchanging +essence. I'm working on how they are all related, but their forms are +determined by their essential natures. + +The "planes" are just reality through a broken prism (in that they +started out with a common starting place for the condition of the +world, but since each has slightly different properties, due to the +absence of certain things (like say, gravity) or their distortion +(like the duration of magical effects lingering twice as long), they +each have developed differently (and different kinds of creatures have +been born there). + +Magic comes in as many forms as creatures do. + +Since creatures and magic and the elements and planes all have the +same ancestry in the grand scheme of things. + +Wizardry, specifically, is the capturing of a specific magical essence in the form of a spell. + +This 'bottling' allows you to take magic with you from place to +place. and release it. But the power of most non-wizardry magic ebbs +and flows based on large geographical region (which I'm still working +out, since I don't have most of the other magic systems worked out +yet). For example, druids can produce effects much more powerful than +those of a wizard if they are within their grove. So high level +wizards trying to take over an area and being repulsed by the locals +is a fairly common trope. + +As is practitioners of various regional magics attempting t extend +their influence by changing the lands around them. The Song of +Conquest is a kind of regional magic (or more like ancestral magic, +because it comes from the people, not the land), that has spread quite +far and is the power behind the empire (in addition to them +discovering wizardry and having a big army and the largest navy). + +So, the reason that elves/wizards haven't taken over the Empire is +because of the Song of Conquest (which only +humans/halflings/faunus/orcs have access to) and the nation state +(because it's a #human empire which isn't racist towards elves per se, +but you know). + +Also, "there's always a bigger fish." There are dragons and nim and +patrons and icons that are more powerful than wizards, and gods above +those. diff --git a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md index fdafc11..bc269f3 100644 --- a/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md +++ b/src/apocrypha/region_theempire.md @@ -4,63 +4,88 @@ updated: "2017-12-24 Mon 00:14" categories: AP LD --- -## Regions of the Empire +# A Brief Overview of the Empire +The Etracian Empire is the largest empire in the world, and the second +largest in history (only falling behind that of the dominion of the +giants during the Days of Thunder). -Midlands (Etra, Vala, Isla), the Provinces (Midwood, ?), the Colonies -(Cover Islands, ?), and the Golden Road. +Though in past ages, the empire grew through conquest, in the modern +days, the holdings and influence of the empire expand primarily +through colonization and diplomacy. -The Empire +#### Q & A +>How long has the Empire been around? -How long has the Empire been around? 111 ages, but how many is that? -Current one is 62 years, but some have been less than a year. +The current count places the empire's history into 111 ages, but how +many is that? The current age has lasted 62 years, but some have been +less than a year, and some longer than a century. The best tax records in the oldest provinces say the empire is about -60 generations (or 3000 years) old. The average length of an 'age' is -therefore, about 27 years. The General Edict was given 62 years ago -and has done a better job of keeping the nation running than the -previous code did (the previous Emperor's reign was rife with civil -war). +30 generations of elves (or 3000 years) old. The average length of an +'age' is therefore, about 100 years. + +>What is the General Edict? + +The General Edict is a system of laws and codes given by Josef IV. It +has been in place for a little over 60 years. + +As a legal system, the GE has done a better job of keeping the nation +running than the previous code did (the previous Emperor's reign was +rife with civil war, do in large part to the Emperor's power to easily +disenfranchise noble families that "showed disloyalty"). + +>Who is the current Emperor? -#### The Emperor Emperor Josef IV is the official name for Lady Lizbeth Yates, the eldest daughter and only remaining survivor of the Yates line. Though -technically, only a man may claim the title of Emperor, few complain -that the Lady Lizbeth legally declared herself a man (or rather, few -who complained about the matter remain among the living). +technically, only a man may claim the title of Emperor [what kind of +primogeniture is this?], few complain that the Lady Lizbeth legally +declared herself a man (or rather, few who complained about the matter +remain among the living). + +## Regions of the Empire +The Empire is a massive, powerful, and infinitely subdivided nation +with an exceptional record for stability matched only by its +inimitable bureaucracy. + +It contains three major geographic and political classifications for +its lands: states, provinces, and colonies. + +### The Continental States + +[I don't the upper bound on states, but there are at least three, +known collectively as the Midlands] -### The Continent #### The Midlands North of the Marble Isle -Like the Holy Roman Empire if it were actually in Rome. Very -melting-pot of cultures. High politics, medium magic. -I need to figure out the bodies of water to get more details. +[I need to figure out the bodies of water to get more details.] Etra, Vala, Isla [transcribe from notebooks] -Gleimendun is like Constantinople, a second capital of a broken piece -of the Empire. Because it has broken off, the Song of Conquest is -diminishing, allowing more old magics into the land. - ### The Provinces + +There are several provinces which are much less wealthy than the +central states, but contain the majority of the empire's population. + #### The North There is a great difference between the area of the north claimed by the Empire, and that controlled by the Empire. The only area of the -North (or Chill-Lands) from which the Empire has ever successfully -collected taxes is the southernmost border settlements (of which there -are 12) and Fort North. +North from which the Empire has ever successfully collected taxes is +the southernmost border settlements in the Chill-Lands (of which there +are 12) and the narrow strip of land directly surrounding Fort North. It is often said that a single southern town could more than match the value of the entire Northern province of the Empire, and that may be true in terms of wealth or resources, but in reality few forts anywhere in the Empire can brag the same quality of recruits brought -into the Imperial Legion as from the tiny northern fort and outlying -regions. +into the Imperial Legion as from the tiny northern province and +outlying regions. The occasional goliath barbarian or glacier dwarf fighter making their way south and wanting to try their hands (and axes) at Legion life is -more than enough incentive to keep the fort fully staffed and -supplied. +more than enough incentive to keep the Empire's northern holdings +fully staffed, supplied, and cared for. #### The Midwood The Northwestern-most stretch of the Deepwood, this is the most @@ -68,15 +93,17 @@ The Northwestern-most stretch of the Deepwood, this is the most of the Empire could ever hope to reach. Full of elves, gnomes, florans, faunus, halflings, and their kin, the -Midwood is one of the most ethically non-human locations in the Jar. -Regiments of the Empire's military raised from the Midwood are often -called 'menageries' and use strange, but undoubtedly effective, -tactics in combat. +Midwood is one of the most ethically non-human locations in the +empire. Regiments of the Empire's military raised from the Midwood +are often called 'menageries' and use strange, but undoubtedly +effective, tactics in combat. -The ghostwise halflings come from an ancient ruin just outside the -midwood. +[The ghostwise halflings come from an ancient ruin just outside the +midwood.] ### The Colonies +Colonization is the empire's newest tool for expansion. + #### Cover Islands Oft beset by pirates and even more often by deadly storms, the Covers are an expensive and dangerous colony to keep. That said, the islands diff --git a/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.pdf b/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9bea85 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.yaml b/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e90f01 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/Collaborative_Gestalt_Leveling_v0.1.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "Collaborative Gestalt Leveling" +categores: "HB" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.pdf b/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e79ab04 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.yaml b/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..23fef4d --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/Learning_a_Language_v1.0.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "Learning a Language" +categores: "HB" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.pdf b/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..375a105 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.yaml b/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0828e54 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/OracleSorc1_0.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "Sorcererous Origin: Oracle" +categores: "HB" +--- \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.pdf b/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a4fb79 Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.yaml b/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fac431c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/ThePatron_1.1.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "The Patron Prestige Class" +categores: "HB" diff --git a/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.pdf b/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..68db5ef Binary files /dev/null and b/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.pdf differ diff --git a/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.yaml b/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.yaml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6a0670 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/dnd/YARV_Ranger_1.2_with_Community_Subclasses_1.1.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +--- +author: "Andrew Murrell" +title: "Yet Another Ranger Variant (YARV)" +categores: "HB" \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/src/dnd/tastavi.md b/src/dnd/tastavi.md deleted file mode 100644 index 77efda6..0000000 --- a/src/dnd/tastavi.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1965 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: "Tastavi D'Maelnor of Llolethane" -updated: "2016-08-30 Tue 23:56" -class: "dnd" -categories: SS ---- - -

-When I DM, I try to allow players to have as many options for -character creation as I can. Usually, this manifests in pretty -interesting, but stable, characters. And other times… you get -Tastavi. -

-Tastavi D'Maelnor of Lolathane-Mael'na'rath is not what I'd call a -stable character: a CN half-(drow)-elf half-(black)-dragon ftr/rog/war -hybrid sworn to an evil demigod who wants to swallow your dreams (and -possibly the sun and all life) and fleeing one hell of a custody -dispute. -

-But I fell in love with the idea. I had to write it up. It -started out as a three paragraph synopsis, but quickly devolved into -the micro-epic below. He was only played for three sessions before -dying to the most viscious and demanding opponent of all: sports -season. Enjoy! -

1. Ik'lithslaelith
2. The Drowess
3. The Tunnel
4. High Priestess Destiny
5. Soup for Dinner
6. Hunger and Possibilities
7. [CENSORED]
8. Visions
9. Visitations
10. Voices
11. jal'Bror-noloth
12. The Hold
13. The Pits
14. The Return
15. Tastavi
16. Trials
17. Transformations
18. Training
19. The Leader
20. The Contest
21. The Cell
22. Motherly Love
23. The Will of Lolth
24. Doom
25. Destruction
26. Dreams
27. The Surface
28. Credits

1 Ik'lithslaelith

-A dark form slithered though the deep, black against black in the -sunless place. The form pulled its girth across the smooth stone of -its cavern, uncoiling itself and scraping eons of accumulated filth -from its obsidian hide. Too long had it slumbered here, content with -its wealth and glories of days long past. A yellow eye appeared inside -the chamber, burning with a delicate and powerful inner light. -

-The dragon Ik'lithslaelith was awake. And he was hungry. -

2 The Drowess

-She walked nude across the parapet. Her onyx skin still glistened from her -bath and her long white hair hung loose about her shoulders. She eyed -the servants gathered along the tower's edge, daring them to look. -

-Most simply bowed humbly before her, inches from oblivion, knowing -full well the punishment. She reached the stair and snatched a -loose-fitting robe from the extended hand of her favorite butler. His -empty and scarred eye sockets heaved involuntarily at her -proximity. It has been too long since she'd had a real excuse to user -her power. Too long. -

3 The Tunnel

-This was not here when last I was. mused the dragon. -

-He peered at the worked stone. Beneath his lair, along one of his -favorite underground flying paths, a circular tunnel disappeared into -the cliff face. Below him, the chasm loomed, threatening to consume -any that strayed too far from the path's narrow ledge–and could not -fly–to be burned to fiery cinders upon a lake of boiling stone -below. -

-He had always found the cavern poetic: no matter how hard the little -climbers tried to rise, this was not their place. Their place was -among the ashes. -

-The newly hewn tunnel was far too small for him to squeeze into of -course. But one does not reach advanced age as a dragon without -learning a few tricks along the way. -

-And one does not keep it by being over-curious either he thought to -himself. -

-But I suppose it cannot be helped. -

-Ik'lithslaelith breathed a deep echoing sigh, closed his eyes, and -began to shrink. -

4 High Priestess Destiny

-The family estate was vast, and by all accounts, grand. Nestled in a -isolated corner of the massive complex of linked caves that comprised -the southern drow 'city' of Mael'na'rath, the layered structure -resembled a spiked claw rising from on oozing wound. -

-Grand, but hideous. -

-Grotesquely complicated, but functional. -

-In a word: Chaotic. -

-From the single gate at the base of the claw to the tips of the -fingers, every staircase was a spiral. Most with an open center so -that the priestesses and noble family could levitate from floor to -floor, but commoners or household slaves would have to climb the steep -steps to get anywhere, and so guards could fire upon intruders the -entire way up. Intruders who, would first need to bypass the acid -pools which surrounded the fortress. -

-High Priestess Ul'Ilindith D'Maelnor of the Second House of -Llolethane-Mael'na'rath decended through the main stair upon a cloud -of authority. Any walking the stairs prostrated themselves before her, -and any family members floating up quickly stepped aside and bowed as -she passed. Her name meant "destiny" and she knew it. She reached the -floor she wanted and halted her descent. It was almost time. She was -expecting someone. -

5 Soup for Dinner

-From the darkness, expectant eyes scanned the palace walls. The acidic -no-man's land glowed an eerie green from the pools which dotted the -cavern floor. But the eyes were not concerned with the -defenses. Instead they clutched at one distant parapet and -waited. Minutes passed, but there was no activity from the palace. The -eyes closed. Impatiently, a dark form slid from its hiding place in -the mouth of the abandoned tunnel to nowhere, and approached the -nearest pool of acid. The bubbling glow cast flickering splotches of -light over its distinctly feminine form, and she bent over the pool, -moving one hand in intricate spellcasting and clutching something -hanging from around her neck with the other. She felt at ease with it -near her, a rare feeling for a drow, but she had been experiencing all -kinds of rare feelings recently. Her divination spell failed, as they -were oft to do since she had fallen in love. Terrified of her own -feelings, she knelt in fervent prayer to the Spider Queen. -

-Behind her from the tunnel, another dark figure crept close, -unnoticed, a silent hand of death in the land of silent death. -

-Perhaps her prayers were answered, or perhaps the Queen of Spiders -simply thought it amusing, but with a gasp and a rush of power, the -beautiful drow woman felt the impending danger. She spun around, -calling upon years of training and the will of her goddess to meet the -threat. A whip appeared in her hands almost instantly, its twin -heads, each a living snake, hissed and spat. Smiling coolly, she struck -out against her assailant, the snake heads reaching, mouths wide to -bite deep into its flesh. A loud crack and hiss echoed through the -chamber, but when she pulled back the whip for another strike, both -heads lay limp and dead in her hands. A scaled form, black as onyx, -stood before her wearing only a billowing cloak and a practiced look -of grim amusement. The fangs had only barely scratched the surface of -his scales, and though sticky splotches of thick acidic pus covered -the point of impact, he seemed entirely unconcerned. -

-He responded in kind, spitting a line of black acid into her eyes and -face. She reeled backwards, clutching at her dissolving eyes, and fell -backwards into the bubbling pool. -

-The form approached the shallow pool. -

-"Looks like I'm having soup for dinner" mused Ik'lithslaelith. -

6 Hunger and Possibilities

-She couldn't believe it! A dragon! And a powerful one from the looks -of it. High Priestess Ul'Ilindith smiled coolly from her invisible -floating vantage point, and watched him feast. Though the -'opportunities' she had been pursuing with the High Priestess of House -Undros were most definitely ended, perhaps even greater power than -simply controlling a minor house was in her reach. She nearly shook -with excitement at the thought of an ancient black dragon raining -death upon her enemies. But as always, she was to be careful in -this. A dragon, even a male dragon, was dangerous and difficult to -control. She mused for a moment on the dangers, she could see them -clearly before her even, the fate in store if she made a wrong move, -or if he still hungered. But the possibilities… -

-And perhaps, she mused, he hungered for drow in a way that could -benefit them both… -

7 [CENSORED]

8 Visions

-She saw a city burning. -

-She saw people screaming in pain and rolling upon the ground, trying -to wipe away the tar that ate at their fingers, at their faces. -

-She saw clerics casting frantic spells, only to have them fail in -their time of greatest need, abandoned by their goddess, and likewise -be consumed. -

-She saw her son. -

-Standing in the midst of it, unharmed, and smiling, wiping blood from -his blades. When the fires died, his yellow eyes were all that -remained in the darkness. -

-The vision departed and the brazier bore once again the droopy-eyed -oozing visage of a Handmaiden of Lolth. The priestess bowed and the -messenger disappeared into the flames of the Demonweb Pits. -

-She looked down upon her pregnant belly. He would become her -weapon. It was the will of Lolth. -

9 Visitations

-Ik'lithslaelith -

-The name woke him from his renewed slumber. He lay upon his -newly-heaped hordes of gold and pools of melted bones. The echo of the -name roared in his mind like a tempest. Like a wildfire. Like the roar -of ten thousand dragons. -

-The ancient Ik'lithslaelith, the proud Ik'lithslaelith, the noble -Ik'lithslaelith, the silent hand of death in the merciless Underdark, -Winnower of Worlds, and many more names long forgotten, cowered in -fear before his goddess. -

10 Voices

-An ancient laughter hissed in the Abyss. -

-The night is filled with voicess, so it seemss. -

-She mused. -

-Time stretched out naked, and the darkness prophesied: -

-Two minds. -

-Two goddesses -

-of mixed intent -

-and muddled vows. -

-Scheming over one -

-neither shall have. -

-The Nightmare smiled. -

-For even gods must sleep. -

-And neither see the -

-choices made when -

-nightmares reign. -

-Or hear the calls -

-of the forgotten -

-or the bound. -

-Dendar smiled at the ironic cost of freedom. -

11 jal'Bror-noloth

-The pregnancy was a wicked affair. Any news of it among the common -folk was quickly discredited, and to speak of it openly, even among -the family, was dangerous. Lady Ul'Ilindith spent her days under the -care of her most trusted subordinates in the priestesshood: the ones -with no ambition to speak of, whom she ruled with fear. She craved -meat, and so she feasted upon the flesh of exotic animals, taken from -both deep within the Underdark and from far above it, scoured from the -surface. Every day, the burden in her belly grew more intense, the -child growing much larger than any drow child. Every night the pain in -her abdomen became almost unbearable. But she bore it. She bore it to -term by force of will and the whispers of Lolth, promising her power -beyond her wildest imaginings. -

-Her time arrived quickly and with little warning. Appropriating a -hidden chamber deep beneath the complex–aptly, one often used for -summoning creatures from lower planes, and shielded against unwanted -magical intrusion–Ul'Ilindith labored for six days and nights. Every -second, the unborn child tore at her. She used up every spell of -healing from every priestess within the complex and more besides, -calling upon the aid of magical items and elixirs to keep the child -from tearing her apart. And the pain only heightened her -determination. -

-When the child was finally born, it was amid a spray of blood. The -child poured forth wrapped in stinking muck, an acidic darkness that -mirrored the hearts of its parents. His parents. Even with all of her -powers of healing, it was weeks before Ul'Ilindith recovered. She -named the boy jal'Bror-noloth, the Sudden All-Encompassing Darkness, -and kept him hidden from the world. -

12 The Hold

-A sudden rush of fresh air and the sounds of grinding stone attracted -a small huddled group of kobolds to the cavern entrance. Large eyes, -well-adjusted to the darkness, peered towards the unblocked hatchway -and waited. From the other side of the hole in the cavern ceiling red -and purple faerie fire cast an eerie glow into the chamber. Usually, -if someone had rolled away the blocking stone and ventured into the -cavern, the kobolds would know if it, but these were dark elves, in -their domain, and fully prepared for stealth. All the kobolds saw was -a vague hint of motion and the sudden glint of steel at their throats. -

-They prostrated themselves before their cruel masters and whimpered -despite their better sense. Or rather all but one of them whimpered. A -young female, untested, but strong, remained unbowed. This was her -first encounter with the dark elves, and through either willpower or -through ignorance she stood and stared into the eyes of the drow -soldier that held her captive, brandishing a knife and scowling at the -ambush. -

-The soldier's face became a mask of rage. She was ibluth, a worthless -slave, a worthless kobold. He had certainly killed avenging lesser -slights. He moved quickly and knocked away her blade, pressing his own -in the space between her legs, preparing to cut her from stem to -stern, but a commanding voice held him at bay. From behind, a -weathered face, drained, but dangerous and beautiful, approached the -soldier and the kobold maiden. She carried a small bundle in her arms, -breastfeeding. -

-She stared down at the scaled creature, regarding her cooly. Then she -carefully lifted the baby from her breast. He began to cry. -

-"You. Raise this iblith." -

-She roughly handed the child to the now-wide-eyed kobold and stalked -away, the rest of her guard following her. -

-The boulder ground back into place and the cavern returned to -darkness… but not silence. -

-The sound of a baby's cry echoed through the halls. -

13 The Pits

-The smack of sweaty flesh upon hard rock, and the crack of breaking -bones, and shattered maws, and the echoing bloodthirsty cheer brought -kobolds from all parts of the hold to witness the spectacle in the -pits. A pair of fighters were sprawled upon the ground, clubbing and -beating on each other with their claws or hands or whatever tools were -available. It was over quickly, the opening salvo of the contest. The -winner was cheered, the loser tossed aside to make way for the next -fight. This was the way of kobolds: fast brutal victory or slow -agonizing defeat. -

-A large kobold, round, his puffy skin bulging from around his scales -like fishnet tights, sat atop a large boulder overlooking the pit. He -called out for the next pair to enter the pit. Cheers erupted at the -first volunteer, a tall specimen, muscular, and well-endowed. His -reddish scales flickered brutally in the dim torchlight. He stood -proudly waving a spear to the adoring crowd, so he did not note his -challenger until the cheers turned to anxious whispers. A small boy -stood squarely in the center of the ring, head downcast. Few could say -the moment that he had arrived, but none could deny his presence now, -nor what it signified. The challenge had been issued. The boy's scales -contrasted greatly with the proud fighter that stood before him. Where -the champion's scales gleamed in the torchlight, the boy's seemed to -swallow it completely. Black. As the darkest night or deepest cave. -

-From the crowd, an adopted mother gasped as she saw her son standing -in the ring and not at her side. It was no secret that she had been -commissioned to raise the boy by the drow themselves, and the sudden -silence in the stands all but confirmed it. None knew for sure which -would win out, their customs: the right of challenge in the pits, or -their fear of the drow should anything happen to the boy. -

-Their internal war was ended by the sudden motion of the -challenger. He lifted his spear and lunged at the champion. The strike -was short, but the damage was done, the fight had already begun. The -champion returned the strike, only to have his spear deftly deflected -as it came down. The young half-dragon took this opportunity to charge -at the kobold before him, getting within the range of the spear and -clawing at the hands holding the weapon. Long thick lines of blood -appeared on the champion's forearms and he released the weapon in -order to block the continued onslaught and return the favor. He led -with a left hook that connected right under the boy's eye and sent him -sprawling backwards, and quickly followed it with a kick to the boy's -side, right beneath the shoulder-blade. The youth hit the ground and -dove into a roll to come back to his feat. He had no more completed -it, when another powerful kick knocked him back again, this time -against the cavern wall. More punches followed and the boy fell back -again and again against the wall and the floor, for support. His eyes -were swollen, his hands and knees bloody, his body aching from the -thrashing, but he did not signal his surrender. Instead he peered into -the champion's eyes with determination and smiled, a bloody broken -thing amid a silent crowd. The champion shook his head, but stalked in -one more time to finish it. -

-He never got a chance. -

-The only sound that could be heard for miles was his scream. Not a -person gathered breathed, nor heart beat for several moments, as their -champion writhed pitifully upon the ground clutching the wreck that -was once his face. Acid melted down into his skull and soon he could -no longer draw the breath to scream and just shivered upon the ground. -

-Jal'Bror'Noloth wiped the spittle from his mouth and looked up to -regard the assembled, but from his vantage point, could see but one, -the puffy chieftain upon the rock, as all bowed down to worship the -dragon-blessed. -

14 The Return

-The hatchway was open and once again, the proud kobold mother stood -before dark elves. Though this time, she did not stand alone. Her -adopted son, nearly her height, stood, hands balled into fists, at her -side. He glanced protectively from his mother and the kobolds -cowering on the ground to the strange dark-skinned woman standing -before him, who began to speak. She spoke slowly, as if to a very -young child, and with an unfamiliar and decadent accent. -

-"You appear to have raised him well. Does he speak Undercommon?" -

-"Aks him yerself." his mother spat back. -

-The drow priestess held out a hand to halt one of her guards who had -stepped out of the darkness brandishing a knife. He stopped with a -quizzical look, and slipping his dagger back into his piwafwi cloak, -disappeared again. -

-"Do you know your name, little one?" -

-The boy looked to her suspiciously, but answered proudly "The others -call me Nightshade." -

-She smiled coolly. -

-"A fitting name I'm sure, but a child's name, a disguise at best." She -stalked closer to the boy, peering deeply into his eyes, and reached -out with a hand to trace the pattern of his scales. -

-His mother attempted to interpose herself, to shield her child from -the foreign touch, but instead found herself frozen in place -mid-step. Wide-eyed she tried to cry out, but found no words. The -paralyzing poison of the trio of small darts protruding from her back, -neck, and leg had done its task. -

-"I see it in your eyes little Nightshade. This place has made you a -killer, as I knew it would, but you shall become so much more. Follow -me, and rise to conquer nations! And you shall earn your true name! -Jal'Bror'Noloth!" -

-Jal stood dumbfounded at the revelation. He looked to the -ground. Silence fell upon the empty chamber and all eyes upon the -young half-dragon. He closed his eyes. Though he could almost feel a -thousand heartbeats all around him, the one in his chest was the -faintest. Here among the kobolds, he was revered, some kind of god to -the dragon-loving fanatics. Could the same be true of wherever this -woman would take him? -

-No, he decided, his place was in the caverns. And he didn't like this -stranger and her band. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. -

-"I already have a mother." he stated flatly. "I have no need for -another one, nor your names for me." -

-Ul'Ilindith smiled, unperturbed by his response. She leaned down to -his ear and whispered "You do indeed already have a mother. But soon, -you'll have a goddess." -

-A hundred drow warriors appeared from the shadows, blades -spinning. Kobold blood splattered the ceilings, the floors, it -splattered the pair standing undisturbed in the midst of it. Jal found -he could not move his body, he could not open his mouth again to send -acid into the faces of the attackers. -

-It was over quickly. The cowering kobolds were all dead, cut into morbid -ribbons that covered the walls and floors. As were all the kobolds -that stayed in the darkness and thought themselves safe from the -spectacle. Any that saw the return of the drow or the fate of their -beloved dragon-blessed were left to feed whatever monsters that would -inevitably take up residence in the food-rich cavern. The Underdark -is not a place of wastefulness. -

-Jal watched as the only other survivor, his adopted mother, was put -into chains and levitated up through the drow hatchway. Still groggy -from the poison, he barely noticed when his own fetters were locked -into place. Ul'Ilindith leaned over his shoulder and whispered once -again, -

-"You shall know your destiny my little iblith. And you shall know the -futility of defying me." -

15 Tastavi

-The aging Master of Arms, Elderboy Tastadraa D'Maelnor, looked over -the boy's head to his sister Ul'Ilindith. -

-"This? This is the one you bring to me?" -

-The boy appeared unremarkable in every way. Average height, build, -skin tone, hair style, musculature, almost a mockery of normalcy. -

-"He is." -

-"I take it then, he is some prodigy with a blade?" -

-"I doubt he's ever touched one." -

-Tastadraa sighed and slicked back his receding hairline. Despite his -position in the family, one can never take a demand from a High -Priestess lightly. He nodded his head, -

-"I will train him…" -

-"Very good." -

-Ul'Ilindith turned to leave. -

-"…assuming he passes the trials of course." -

-Ul'Ilindith stopped. Slowly turning around, venom oozing -from her gaze, she asked -

-"Trials?" -

-"Just a formality I assure you, since he does not appear to be -of… noble birth. I shall train him if he proves himself superior to -my most recent student." -

-Ul'Ilindith smiled. She looked across the room to the gangly youth -attempting to lift a glave twice his size and nearly chopping himself -in twain as the weapon fell to the ground with a clatter–her sister's -son would prove no challenge. -

-"All right. He shall fight then." -

-But to her surprise the weapon master called out, "Tastavi! Come hither." -

-From behind a weapons rack, a lithe youth looked up and walked -over. His gait was one of practiced grace and noble refinement. -

-"This is my son Tastavi, he came of age just yesterday to start -training with the group. Tastavi, you will be fighting this one to -determine if he is fit to train against you." -

-Tastavi glanced at the new boy and smirked. -

16 Trials

-Both fighters panted for breath. They dripped with sweat. From -opposite sides of the perfect circle drawn upon the floor, they stared -into each other's eyes, waiting. Tastavi licked blood from his -battered lip. -

-He had expected to finish the match quickly. He held his sword -delicately but firmly, gently gliding it into thrusts and parries, as -opposed to this stranger who held his sword like a club, and used it -like one. But he quickly discovered that what the newcomer lacked in -technique he made up for with ferocity. He looked so small and -unspectacular, but possessed the raw strength of someone much larger, -and the split-second reflexes of a master. The force and savage speed -of his swings was jolting. Tastavi was able to stay ahead of each of -them, but barely. -

-Tastavi had then moved to the center of the ring, expending as little -effort as he could, dodging as much as deflecting, to tire out his -opponent. Eventually the frustrated and slowing newcomer simply -started swinging out as a distraction and using his body to push -Tastavi towards the edge of the ring. Several times only his training -in gymnastics had kept him from being bowled over out of the ring, and -the last rush had been the closest yet. -

-Tastavi had to adjust, and began to counter the charges with precise -blade thrusts, forcing his aggressor back, but took a few flying elbows -to the face while perfecting it. -

-Now mutual respect and more than a little exhaustion had the pair -circling. Almost an hour had passed, with neither side backing -down. His father, the Weapon's Master, stood by the wayside trying to -look disinterested to Ul'Ilindith, while nonetheless remaining intent -on every second of the fighting. The other students held no such -reservation and watched the display with open wonder. -

-As the two dragged themselves around they ring they knew that whatever -happened here, it would be the last clash between the two. Tastavi -hefted his blade and focused on his breathing and his feet, on his -years of training with his father, and on his enemy: nearly collapsed -on the ground, hands clenched upon the hilt of his broadsword, knuckles -as white as the hair upon his head. -

-And suddenly upon him. -

-Tastavi stepped to the side, barely avoiding the downwards strike and -stabbed out, piercing flesh and striking against bone. The newcomer -fell past him landing with a dull thud against the floor, jutting out -halfway from the ring and retching in pain. His blood bubbled from the -wound on his side. Tastavi heard a strange sizzling sound and looked -to his blade, the blood was slowly eating away the metal! -

-The crowd cheered, but Master Tastadraa silenced them with a harsh -reprimand and they reluctantly began to disperse. Tastavi nearly -collapsed, but held his feat and his honor. Then nearly collapsed -again as Ul'Ilindith surprised him by personally moving forward to -tend to the boy. Tastavi found himself dumbfounded before Ul'Ilindith, -who reached down and touched the boy, instantly healing him and -vaporizing the bubbling blood before it burned into the ground. -

-The conversation between his aunt and father echoed far away. -

-"I shall teach him." -

-"But, didn't he lose your little challenge?" -

-"I shall teach him." -

-The tip of his blade fell to the ground with a loud clatter as the -acid ate cleanly through the steel. -

17 Transformations

-He awoke to a Sending message in his mind. -

-Jal, it is time to train with Master Tastadraa. -

-Yes Mother. he replied. -

-Jal lay upon a thin bisected cot, the center of which was cut away -so that he could lay on his back without the ridge on his spine -cutting at the fabric. -

-He looked to the three other belongings his mother allowed him: a pair -of clothes for training at blades and bows, a small key, and a thin -mask of white velvet. -

-He reached for the key, but changed his mind at the last second and -went for the mask instead. -

-He carefully set it place upon his face and grimaced beneath it as -its magic began subtly changing him. He shrank, his thick arms and -legs shriveling into the spindly appendages of the drow. The ridges on -his spine disappearing into his back. His hair remained roughly the -same, resulting in an almost comical effect if anyone were -watching. However, if anyone were watching, they would almost -certainly be dead by now. His room was one of the best guarded places -in the complex. -

-He left his chamber fully drow–there was no illusion, his entire body -was changed–and made for the training complex. -

18 Training

-Tastadraa leaned against a trident and watched Jal and Tastavi -spar. He marveled at the progress they made in such short time. Given -years, these two would surely become the best fighters in House -D'Maelnor, if not the best fighters in Llolethane-Mael'na'rath. But -which would predominate? -

-Tastavi represented perfection in discipline and form. He learned -every technique: line, parry, block, feint, it didn't matter, after a -few repetitions he would master them, and he followed orders to the -very punctuation. -

-Jal on the other hand, represented pure natural talent and -improvisation. He could find his way in any situation with no -preparation whatsoever. He always tested his opponents, challenging -their careful techniques and reactions, throwing them into -unpredictable patterns and unfamiliar lines. He was dangerous and -cared nothing for orders. -

-Only time would tell. -

19 The Leader

-Flames billowed into the sky. -

-The sky. -

-Bright and blue, horrid and happy. -

-Ul'Ilindith shuddered. -

-"Why do you show me this?" -

-A caped rogue peered from the crystal ball to the priestess. -

-"We all serve the Queen according to her will." -

-He motioned for her to continue watching the silent scene unfold below -in the glassy sphere. The sky came into view once again and then -shifted to a quiet village in the middle of a great yellow plain. -

-From the south a sweeping army of darkness crept upon the unsuspecting -village, at its head an imposing warrior. Arrayed in thick armor, not -much could be seen of his face, or much beyond the massive broadsword he -carried upon his back. With an unheard bellow he hefted the sword with -two hands and led the the charging army to battle. -

-A charge that faded from her view as the scene changed -subtly. Suddenly the army was on the road, traveling by the new -moon. Then they were at the gates of a great city, then inside it, -slaying indiscriminately. Then there was a throne, obsidian and -bearing the mark of the Spider Queen, and an ancient drow upon it, -casting traitors into the flames. -

-Ul'Ilindith struggled with the vision. -

-"We shall take to the surface? An army?" -

-"Not we, but see the mark upon the leader?" -

-"D'Maelnor!" -

-"Yes, he carries your crest. And another, of the first house." -

-Ul'Ilindith smiled. "Then it's true, the union shall take place?" -

-"Yes, but keep in mind" said the rogue, "there is but one leader -prophesied… not two." -

20 The Contest

-Tastavi held his bow carefully and exhaling suddenly, sent a perfect -shot into the deep-rothe's eye. -

-"Twenty-three" Jal sighed dramatically, his face emotionless. -

-"If you hadn't wasted your shot on the bull you would be tied with -me. Next time." Tastavi patted Jal on the shoulder mockingly. -

-"I've got one shot left." Jal pulled the arrow from his dimensional -bag. -

-"Even if you somehow managed to kill two of them with that, you'd only -match me." Tastavi gave him a superior look and started packing his things. -

-Jal stared out across the cavern floor at the grazing rothe. Slowly a -half-smile spread across his face. -

-"I've got one shot left." he reiterated. -

-Tastavi stopped and just watched. He knew that look well enough after -all. It usually preceded something worth watching. -

-Jal lifted his bow, nocked the arrow and held out his hand encasing a -rothe in purple flames. -

-Tastavi gave him a disapproving look, "Now that's cheating!" -

-"No, that's not the target, watch." Jal replied. -

-At first the rothe seemed not to notice, and Jal lifted three fingers. -

-Two fingers. -

-One. -

-The rothe looked up and seeing the illusory flames encasing it, began -to panic. It let out a mooish-roar and bolted for the water. -

-It would have made it too, except for the very agitated bull rothe -standing directly in its path with an arrow protruding from its -hindquarters. The bull had almost come to accept the nagging itch in -its backside, but being bowled over by a frantic, and apparently -burning, female on her way to the water was not a good way to arrive -at acceptance. -

-He reared up and charged, looking to gore anything in its path. A -couple of plump females stood nearby and he charged at them -blindly. They looked up in time to see the horns, and bolted to the -side. -

-Jal fired. -

-His arrow whisked past the enraged bull, peeling flesh from his face -and changing his course to plow, horns-first into the escaping females, -skewering both of them before himself, crumpling to the ground. -

-"Ok, well that's just Twenty-three then. We're tied." Tastavi managed -to stammer. But Jal turned to him and smiled. -

-"Look again." -

-Tastavi traced the arrow's flight from where it had been -deflected… into the water. The startled rothe, no longer in faerie -fire, floated on her side, bleeding dark blood into the water from an -arrow between the ribs and into the heart. -

21 The Cell

-Jal opened his eyes and realized that for the first time in several -years, his mother had not called him to training. His room was dark, -but there was no mistaking the time. She should have called by now. -

-He donned his mask and hesitantly took up the tiny golden key. -

-If she called, he would answer, but it was not often he had the time -he needed, and he decided that he would not waste it. -

-He dressed quickly and left his chamber, racing through the levels of -the palace to the great stair. He usually descended the stairs on -foot, but who knew how long he had to spare. He activated his house -insignia and levitated down the center. -

-Near the bottom, he jumped to the side and followed a narrow corridor -to the cell block. He counted his steps and arrived at the correct -door. He slid in his key and opened the lock. -

-Inside the room was a small cell, only a few inches taller than he and -only a few feet wider. It was empty. -

-"No." He said. -

-He had to have made a mistake. Where was she? He looked around, but -found no signs of escape, nor of capture. -

-"No!" He exited the room and looked both ways down the narrow -hallway. -

-He tried the adjacent doors, but could not open them. -

-"NO!" he screamed, the sound echoing in the long metallic corridor. A -second passed, then thirty. His head ached and his gut clenched and -burned. A sending arrived from his mother. -

-Jal, come to the throne room immediately. -

-Jal's rage flared inside him. The truth he suspected burned his lungs -and throat. He tried to be calm, to tread carefully, but couldn't help -but scream back Where is she?! What have you done with her?! -

-No response was forthcoming. -

-He screamed. An echoing anguish mixed among the cell-block moans. He -ran, dashing through the archway to the stair. He took no heed of -those around him as he raced fate to the throne room at the top of the -complex. -

-He arrived at the doors out of breath, and furious. Guards attempted -to bar his way to announce him, but Jal rushed deftly past them and -stormed into the throne room without announcement. -

22 Motherly Love

-Ul'Ilindith reclined upon the throne. A drooling zombie stood guard -beside it, once a powerful priestess, she was now cursed to forever -stand as a reminder of what may happen to those who lose the favor of -the Spider Queen. -

-Guards lined the walls armed with hand crossbows. Tastadraa and his -son stood before the dais, waiting for the final addition to their -ranks. -

-It burst into the throne room. -

-"Where is she?! What have you done with her?!" Jal screamed. -

-Ul'Ilindith remained seated and unaffected. -

-Jal screamed again, "WHERE IS SHE?!" The volume and the timbre -contrasted dramatically with the unimpressive image of the drow -youth. An aura of fear radiated from him, slowly affecting the nearest -guards who stiffened and stood frozen beside the open door, mouths -agape. -

-"My my, Mother, what am impudent little pup I've raised." Ul'Ilindith -lamented to the zombie beside her. It responded to the attention by -lolling its head slightly towards the sound. -

-Jal looked to the pair standing before the throne with suspicion. -

-"Where is my mother." he stated. -

-"Jal, Jal, do calm down. I have liked your 'mother' from the moment I -saw her. I believe that we share a certain… bond. But display an -attitude again in my presence, and I promise, she'll soon resemble -my mother more than yours." Ul'Ilindith casually gestured to the -guard zombie. -

-Jal deflated. The fire in his throat cut off any further words, and -tears threatened to well behind his eyes. But his anger wisely turned -to caution. He looked around the room and took in the situation, then -wandered to his spot beside the other two males. -

-Ul'Ilindith was not sure about what she'd seen foretold, and thought -about the rogue's warning. She had worried about the course set before -her, but Jal's continuing insubordination left no room for doubt. -

-She put aside her contemplation and said with a plastered smile, -

-"A special opportunity has come to my attention. The first house has -shown to me a great vision of the future. A great warrior, a son of -D'Maelnor, shall join with the first house and lead an army of -darkness across the surface world." -

-Master Tastadraa's mouth fell agape, Tastavi focused on calming his -excitement, Jal just strained against his rage, though there was dull -curiosity there too. Tastavi was the only "son of D'Maelnor" he knew -who could possibly wear the description of 'great warrior.' -

-Ul'Ilindith just watched their reactions to be sure. Yes, the choice -was obvious, but perhaps it should still be best left in Lolth's -hands. -

-"Brother, you're a bit too old to be our warrior. Step away from the -dais. I will address the boys." -

-Tastadraa bowed and stepped back into a line of guards at the side. -

-Jal felt isolated upon the dais. He looked to Tastavi uncertainly, but -Tastavi looked at his aunt with expectancy, ambition gleaming in his -eyes. -

-Ul'Ilindith addressed the room. "Before me stand two great sons of -D'Maelnor:" -

-A dull question thumped in the back of Jal's mind. What? -

-"Tastavi, son of Tastadraa D'Maelnor." -

-Two great sons? Tastadraa isn't up here, just Tastavi and… -

-"and Jal'Bror'Noloth, my firstborn son," -

-Jal almost fell from the dais. No, she had been his 'Matron Mother', -but he'd never believed that… -

-"whom I carried and delivered." -

-Jal's rage flared, but his voice was nowhere to be found it in. He -stood stone-faced and looked to the ground. -

-Tastavi looked to his newfound cousin with surprise, and sudden -jealousy. All this time, and Jal had never told him? There he stood, -embarrassed to have his secret revealed. Were they ever friends, or -only rivals? -

-"Both of you have surpassed my expectations with regard to fighting -prowess. But… There is but one great warrior." Ul'Ilindith stated -clearly. -

-She let the statement sink in. -

-Tastavi turned. -

-Jal broke from his focused denial and turned to look at his friend. He -shook his head, slowly in disbelief. -

-Tastavi reached his hands slowly to the hilts of his swords. -

-Jal made no move to match him. He looked to Ul'Ilindith. She smiled -wickedly. He looked to Tastadraa. He looked lost, a mixture of caring -father, and greedy coward. -

-He threw off his sword belt. It fell with a clatter to the ground. -

-"Tastavi can go. He can be your warrior." -

-Tastavi looked quickly back and forth between Jal and Ul'Ilindith. -

-Ul'Ilindith's smile became a sneer. -

-A muffled screaming came from somewhere behind the throne and an aging -kobold, bound and gagged, naked and bleeding, was brought before -it. The zombie drooled at her and strained at its magical restraints. -

-"No. You shall fight, my little iblith." She held out her hand before -her with an open palm. In it lay a small scrap of white velvet. Slowly -fire rose from her fingers and ignited it. -

-Immediately Jal was wracked with pain as if his face was being torn -off. He screamed, a primal roar, a dragon's roar. Guards around the -room stiffened. Tastavi's eyes grew wide. -

-Ul'Ilindith turned her hand over into a fist and crushed the ashes. -

-The polymorph spell of the mask was ended. Jal knelt on the -ground. He breathed heavily and shivered. His clothes were tatters. He -held the thin mask in his hands–his clawed hands. He looked up, his -white hair falling over his yellow eyes. -

-Tastavi looked upon him with a mixture of disgust, betrayal, and fear. -

-Jal shook his head, dropped the mask, and held his hands up -defensively, waving away the accusation in Tastavi's eyes. -

-"Kill him." Ul'Ilindith commanded Tastavi. -

-Tastavi drew his swords. -

23 The Will of Lolth

-Though years had passed since their first fight, Jal found the whole -scene familiar. Tastavi would stalk forward blades drawn and execute a -perfect series of textbook thrusts and faints. He'd win. He usually -did, but this time he wouldn't stop. This was no practice spar; this -was life and death. -

-Jal snatched up his weapon belt, pulling his blades from it–a rapier -and a dagger–kicked it into Tastavi's face, and retreated. But -Tastavi responded by slashing down in a brutal 'X' with his scimitars, -cutting the tossed belt and bag into four even pieces. Jal tried to -reason with him, but couldn't get out more than a word against the -determination in Tastavi's eyes, and speed of his routine. -

-Tastavi came on in full. Emotions flooded his mind, betrayal was -nothing new or exotic to a drow, but this was something more than -that. Jal was a half-breed, a disgrace. He would put an end to this -traitor, this ibluth masquerading as a D'Maelnor. Only a true D'Maelnor -could lead an army of drow to bring justice to the surface world. Not -this abomination. Tastavi thought back to every fight against the -traitor, to the times he had beaten him. His training had always won -out in the end. He couldn't help but think of the good times as -well. But he violently rejected them. Lies, they were all lies. -

-Tastavi lunged forward, his whole body extending, uncoiling like a -viper. Jal managed a half-hearted parry, sending Tastavi's thrust out -wide, but lost space, as Tastavi dropped his blade below, tapped the -tip of Jal's rapier harmlessly upwards with the strong of his blade -and re-engaged. Jal managed to parry the first few blows of every -line, but barely held on as the sequences progressed. He was never as -good as Tastavi at feeling the parries and teaching his arms to -remember them. Jal relied on the space afforded by his greater -height, backing away, disengaging, dodging, and doing anything to -break Tastavi's muscle memory. Several times he tried to flee, but -whenever he came close to the guards, their crossbows forced him back -into the fight against his friend. -

-Jal looked into Tastavi's eyes, but saw nothing but pain there. Deep -welling emotion. Not regret, but pure righteous hatred. The look -festered like a wound on his conscience. He felt the bile welling in -his throat, preparing to send forth a blast of acid to burn away that -look. But he choked it back and continued to parry. -

-There had to be another way. -

-Jal felt strong. Free from the polymorph, he was able to stand to his -full height, the chamber, the columns, even the other drow all seemed -so much smaller now. The passing thought gave him an idea. But he had -to act quickly. -

-Jal flexed his thick legs, turned, back to the enemy, and rushed -headlong into a pair of guards. He felt the wind of Tastavi's blade -barely miss impaling him. The guards paled at the sight of a large -black half-dragon barreling at them, and dodged behind a pillar, firing -crossbow bolts at him as they fell. But they were poorly aimed and -glanced off of his hard black scales. He followed them around the -pillar, screaming. Then silence filled the chamber. -

-Tastavi soon followed, breathing heavily from his furious assault, but -found nothing around the pillar but the pair of guards unconscious on -the ground. He darted around the other side of the pillar to find -nothing there either. He looked around behind him in frustration and -caught a glance at another guard from the other side of the room -staring dumbfounded at the ceiling. He turned to the pillar and found -deep scratches on the intricately carved relief. His eyes followed -them up, to find Jal climbing, tearing chunks of the porous stone free -with his claws to use as handholds. -

-Ul'Ilindith held out a hand to keep the archers at bay, amused by the -tactic. -

-Tastavi put away his swords and carefully followed him up. -

-The chamber's ceiling was crisscrossed with the webs of thousands of -spiders. Moths and flies, bats and even larger specimens struggled in -freshly wrapped cocoons or lay very still. Drow-made archways that -provided places for the webs to attach jut from odd angles. -Crisscrossing struts connected them in intricate patterns. Jal leaped -from the top of the pillar to one of these, sending its occupants -scurrying away. -

-He moved from strut to strut, displacing as few spiders as -possible–it was bad luck after all–running where he could, climbing -where he could not, and constantly dodging the think and sticky -strands. He reached the end of one strut and turned to see Tastavi -racing after him, swords drawn, hacking at whatever strands got too -close. Jal looked around and dove into the thickest part of the -webbing, directly over the throne. -

-In the confined space it would be much more difficult to dodge, and -impossible to run, but Jal took comfort in knowing that if he could -find the right spot, it would also be impossible to lunge. His greater -range combined with the sticky walls could then keep any advance at -bay. He found a large strut, disconnected from the one he was on, -probably two feet think, and curving from the ceiling like a -hook. Tastavi was nearly on him. This would have to do. -

-He took a deep breath, coiled like a spring and jumped. He tossed his -rapier into the air, spun around, back parallel to the ground, and -threw his dagger out behind him. He continued his rotation and found -the strut at the same time the rapier bounced against it. The blade -followed the curve upwards and then fell off to the side. Jal reached -out with his legs and caught it with his foot. -

-Tastavi turned the corner quickly, moving to follow him, but had stop -to knock aside the dagger inches from his face. He glared across the -gap. -

-Jal pulled himself up with a deep groan and the heavy rumbling breaths -of a dragon. More than forty feet below him from the throne chamber, -Ul'Ilindith smiled wickedly. -

-Jal watched as Tastavi's furious glare turned into a look of panic. -

-Several web strands twinged near Jal's head and a slight clicking -sound came from somewhere disturbingly close by. -

-"It's a spider isn't it?" -

-Tastavi's silence was telling. -

-"It's right behind me isn't it?…" -

-"…" -

-"Right." -

-Jal dropped to the strut just in time for the spider's jowls to snap -shut where he stood. He turned and sliced out with his rapier, tearing -away a thick strand of webbing. He wrapped it around his leg, then -jerked left and right, barely dodged the spider's next two rapid -attempts to capture him. He kicked out against it, not to hurt it, but -to use it as a springboard. He jumped back across the gap, sword -leading his way. -

-Tastavi saw the move coming and instead of falling back, he leaped -from the ledge as well in order to push Jal back into the line of attack -from the giant spider. They collided in midair and struggled over a -tiny ledge before both losing their footing and plummeting towards the -ground. -

-A sickening crunch echoed in the chamber. -

-Tastavi groaned upon the ground. Jal hung from the thick strand of -webbing just above him. They had fallen towards the center of the -room, nearby the spot where the fight had begun, before the throne. -

-Tastavi opened his blurry eyes to find Jal standing over him, or -rather, hanging over him, rapier at his throat. -

-"Very good, Jal. Now end it!" Ul'Ilindith cheered. -

-Tastadraa looked at her with disbelief. -

-Jal lifted his rapier, pressing it deep, drawing blood. Tastavi pulled -away, but winced at his multiple broken bones, some of which protruded -grotesquely and spouted little fountains of blood. He closed his eyes, -ready to accept his defeat if that was the will of the Spider Queen. -

-But instead, Jal shifted his weight to swing himself towards the -throne, brought his sword around, cutting the line holding him aloft, -and flipped over towards the dais. He landed with a roll, dodging the -lazy lunge of the zombie guarding the throne and sprang forward with -the grace of a cat and the speed of a scorpion. -

-A deep thunk and sudden rushing of air shattered the sudden -silence. Jal's rapier dug deeply into Ul'Ilindith's chest and blood -spurted from the wound. A second later, two dozen crossbow bolts hit -Jal in the chest and paralysis seeped into his muscles from each tiny -pinprick. -

-Ul'Ilindith's voice came through ragged slurping breaths, a spell of -some kind, and Jal found himself sprawling backwards, teeth chattering -and sword shattered into shrapnel in his hands. He landed roughly upon -the dais steps a few feet from the broken Tastavi who looked at him -aghast. -

-Ul'Ilindith's eyes changed to a deep black, and raven flames engulfed -her. She chanted with otherworldly power. Her wound closed. She began -to levitate and ripped off her stained clothes with revulsion. -

-"Once again you disappoint me my son. Watch what is borne of your -failings!" -

-Ul'Ilindith turned ruefully towards the bound kobold and sent forth -waves of necrotic energy that quickly tore her apart. Jal tried to -scream, but his mouth refused to open and his voice left him silent in -his agony. -

-Ul'Ilindith was not finished though. -

-"I'll show you the cost of your weakness! Watch as I cut it out." -

-Instead of turning her wrath on Jal, she turned on Tastavi, pointing a -rueful finger and chanting. Soon lightning arced between her fingers, -gathering for discharge. -

-"Noo!!" Tastadraa screamed, breaking ranks and standing between his -son and his sister. He held aloft a glowing shield emblazoned with -the lightning symbol of the surface god Talos, and in his other hand a -broadsword wreathed in black flames. -

-"I shall not allow this!" He called to her. -

-"This is not yours to decide, Elderboy." she spat back. -

-Ul'Ilindith let fly her spell, and lightning shot from her finger to -the waiting Tastadraa. Electricity sparked and crackled as the shield -focused and contained it. What little hair remained on Tastadraa's -balding head stood straight but his look of determination and -concentration disrupted whatever mirth could be garnered from the -sight. He brought around his sword and rapped it against the crackling -shield and then with a wave of his arm, released the energy at the -ground beside him. Lightning arced into the stone and it exploded with -a deafening blast. -

-Tastadraa stalked slowly forward towards Ul'Ilindith. -

-"I'm sorry, Sister, but this is not how the D'Maelnor line shall -end–with an abomination." -

-Guards swarmed from beside the throne and drew swords–drow that -Tastadraa had taught. But he had not taught them everything. Two moved -forward to engage him. Their heads fell to the floor and corpses -turned to ash beneath his wicked blade. -

-The rest of the guards looked to the powerful siblings and decided to -refrain from allowing their duty decide their deaths. -

-Ul'Ilindith sneered. She began to chant again, her eyes rolling up -into her head. The air grew dense inside the throne room, thick and -stifling, beads of sweat began to form and run down Ul'Ilindith's -naked body. -

-Tastadraa stalked forward with the shield of Talos held high. -

-Beside the throne, the twisted and battered form of Jal's adopted -mother began to twitch. -

-She finished her incantation, but waited to unleash the spell to -gloat, "Lets see your blasphemous surface god save you from this one." -

-Her hand jerked spasmodically and green bile erupted from the air -around it in a stream and blasted Tastadraa to the ground. Contagion -spread across his body wherever the stuff touched and ate away his -skin. At the same time the kobold skeleton began to slowly shift into -place, ligaments forming, muscle growing upon the shifting bones. -

-But Tastadraa was not finished, he pushed with his rotting limbs and -triggered the levitation on his amulet. He rose, blade poised to end -the conflict with a single vorpal strike. Then his body fell limp and -he hung awkwardly in the air, his head crushed from behind by the maw -of a giant spider. -

-Tastavi cried out in anguish. -

-Paralyzed by more than just the drow poison, Jal watched the scene -progress in horror. Tastadraa was nothing more than a decaying pile of -flesh, Tastavi lay broken by his fall, his adopted mother under the -throes of some insidious magic. -

-Only Ul'Ilindith seemed unharmed, floating above them all cherishing -the moment. -

-The ground began to shake. -

-"Fool, don't you see? A traitor and his son are revealed and Lolth has -shown me favor! The dead rise. Even Toril trembles! This is the will -of Lolth!" -

-She continued, addressing the guards, "Now. Do as I commanded." -

-A crossbow bolt zipped past Jal's frozen face. The whole world seemed -to stop. But the bolt was not indented for him. Beside him, Tastavi's -scream became a gurgle as the crossbow bolt in his throat quickly -drained him of both the air and the blood needed to circulate it. -

-Jal retched involuntarily, and could taste the poison on his lips. -

-The shaking intensified in the chamber. A column came down in dozens -of jagged pieces. Guards ran about, dodging falling debris and -spiders. -

-Tastavi breathed his last, slumping against the broken stone. -

-Ul'Ilindith, levitating, but stationary in the air was pelted with -rock fragments and quickly began her descent. -

-Jal's anger flared within him, but fear helped him keep his head and -push away the worst effects of the poison. What was going on? -

-Ul'Ilindith reached the ground and began to hurry towards Jal, still -paralyzed upon the dais steps, but a curious laugh stopped her. -

-"Hahaha, 'da will a Lolth you say?" The scratchy voice became clearer -by the second. Ul'Ilindith turned to the living kobold slowly standing -up where her corpse should have rested. Her scales grew back in -patches, and she peered at the Matron Mother with one regenerated eye. -

-"No my dear, this…" she gestured to the chaos around her. -

-"…is the will of Tiamat." -

-The ceiling collapsed. -

24 Doom

-Often a dragon's roar precedes its breath, but Ik'lithslaelith was too -cautious and too clever for that. When he roared over the shattered -second house of Llolethane-Mael'na'rath, it was a roar of victory. He -watched the wreckage from the shadows for a time, but his instructions -had been clear: leave nothing behind–and then leave. He disappeared -into the forgotten tunnel and was gone. -

25 Destruction

-The palace fell. -

-A lone drowess rose from the ashes at the edge of the desolation. The -acid dripped from her hands, from her hair, and fell sizzling to the -ground leaving her unharmed. Lady Lolth had long ago given her a -defense against such poison, when she carried it in her womb. -

-Ul'Ilindith stood alone in the rubble and followed the only other pair -of footprints leaving the shattered homestead: her son's. -

-Jal limped through the wreckage, dragging Tastavi's body behind -him. It had to be around here somewhere. He hefted a door-sized piece -of slate from a shimmering object sticking out from underneath it. A -drained and blistered hand held fast to a broken sword, but what -attracted Jal's eye was a thin piece of white velvet. Jal took the -mask and dropped the slate back into place, reverently. -

-He turned to the body and rasped, "It doesn't look like either of us -will be leading any armies today. Please forgive me." He placed the -velvet mask on Tastavi's face and began the attunement ritual. He left -the cavern once again fully drow, wearing the face of his friend, and -carrying his inheritance, a silver shield of a strange surface god, -upon his back. -

26 Dreams

-Three Years Later… -

-Jal lay on his back on a roof overlooking a bustling marketplace and -stared dreamily at the cavern ceiling. It had been years since his -flight from the shattered D'Maelnor estate, and he had managed to find -some semblance of normalcy in Llolethane, the central cavern of the -drow city of Llolethane-Mael'na'rath. He rested his head on his -shield, now mostly painted black to blend in with the shadows, and -wondered what life would be like without a thousand tons of rock above -your head. He wondered what it would be like to fly. -

-Below him he heard the telltale laughter of the fat merchant leader he -had followed to this inn. He picked up his bow and his shield and -stalked to the edge of the roof above a window. He carefully dipped -the inner edge of the shield below the overhang and watched the party -descending the staircase in the cool golden reflection. Then he pulled -it back up, turned with his back to the alleyway, and counted -dramatically, with a familiar half-smile. -

-Three. -

-Two. -

-One. -

-Then he flipped from the roof, dropping below the lip and firing an -arrow through the window. He landed on the cavern floor with a roll -and disappeared into the shadows–just another renegade drow in a city -of renegades. He did not stay to confirm his success or failure, but -fled to where he could most easily disappear: the bustling -marketplace. -

-He strolled easily through the crowded streets. Though his appearance -was quite a bit more handsome than that he had grown up with, he could -still blend in with a crowd if he so desired. But then again, where -was the fun in that? He was dressed in fine silks and jewels, not -rags. And with a small lump beneath his throat, unquestionably -covering a house insignia, he was obviously a noble and was given a -wide birth by the lesser folk. He casually examined the merchandise of -a few carts, but exuded little outward care for the whole venture, -particularly when several guards burst from the inn and sent rogues -into back alleys to seek an assassin. -

-He eventually made his way into this same inn, and dodging guards -carting some new lordling's inherited possessions from an upper room, -was addressed cordially by a concierge, "Ah, welcome back Sir! It -appears that you are in luck, a room has just opened up for you." -

-Jal smiled to himself and turned to dismiss the man with a "Thank You." -

-He never finished that thought. -

-The man was dead. -

-He stood, smiling pleasantly in demure house leathers with half of his -face melted off to the bone, dripping tar-like blood upon his fine -padded vest. A spider crawled out from where his ear should have been -and snickered at him. -

-Jal backed away slowly aghast, but everyone else went stoically about -their business, unperturbed. The room grew dark and Jal turned to the -window. A thick spiderweb had covered it with a hand-sized spider -hurriedly wrapping a struggling shape. A tiny dragon's wing jut from -the bundle. -

-Jal ran. -

-He sprinted from the inn and disregarding caution, fled through the -black alleys and twisted honeycomb and spiderweb streets. It was like -the passages were built to be confounding, and yet somehow mercilessly -efficient. In a matter of moments he was back amid the ruins of the -old city, broken homes and discarded people. Screams from behind him -followed, the sounds of the guards seeking an assassin. But much -worse, the sounds of shattering stone and a deafening roar echoed -through the cavern. Jal scurried through the final alleyway and dove -into his hideout in an abandoned sewer tunnel. He dropped his rich -clothes in the muck and crawled away on hands and knees. -

-He remembered the frantic cries of his mother being torn apart and -then her defiant laugh as the walls fell. Her last words echoed -through his mind, "the will of Tiamat!" Another vicious roar sent -ripples through the water and shivers through the very stone. He heard -the clicking of spiders in the distance, drawing nearer. Closing in. -

-He was being hunted. Franticly he drew the shield from his back and -over his head and grasped a small dagger in his hand. He was once -again a child, in loose-fitting kobold rags and with weapons he could -barely use. He huddled terrified in a dark corner. He closed his eyes -and begged whatever gods could hear him to escape. -

-A faint hiss cut through the clamor. Not a god, but a tiny snake, the -size of a little worm, crawled from the loose stones and looked up at -Jal, flicking its tongue inquisitively. The hiss grew louder, drowning -out the skittering of the approaching swarm and rumble of the -searching dragon. The serpent grew, coiling and stretching, always -watching. Jal found that he was no longer afraid, but curious. The -serpent grew to immense proportions filling the tiny sewer tunnel, -which became a great cavern, yet it still barely contained the -powerful creature. -

-Dendar, the Night Serpent, the Eater of the World, loomed over the -boy. She laughed with the might of thunder and the promise of -disaster. Jal found he could not move. -

-"Jal'Bror'Noloth, your dreamss are deliciouss." -

-Her huge tongue flicked in and out of her mouth, creating wind eddies -that buffeted Jal against the stone. Greasy spittle and half-devoured -bones–remnants of nightmares long forgotten–dripped from her -cavernous maw. Jal could not speak, not even think, as the stench of -nightmare overwhelmed him. -

-"Your nightmare though… tastess unique. Because it is true. And -closer than you think. Evil godss have planss for you it seemss." The -serpent hissed. -

-Jal shuddered. -

-Dendar laughed–a terrible rasping hiss. -

-"And yet… perhapss their planss are merely dreamss. Join me, little -drow-gon and while the godss fret for your fate, we shall feassst!" -

-Suddenly the world returned and Jal awoke from his reverie. What a -dream! What a nightmare! The details faded, chewed away from his mind, -but the image of the serpent and her strange offer lingered. -

-The quiet dripping of sewer water and occasional scurrying of rodent -or insect were the only sounds to be heard besides the dull pounding -of his heart. -

-He sat in the muck for hours. -

-They were never far behind. Staying in one place for too long was -dangerous, but something held Jal in place. Could he actually escape -it all? -

-Soon a distant splash alerted him to company. Heavy footsteps, -confident and strong, echoed through the tunnel. Throngs of rodents -scurried away from the sound, fleeing in terror they trampled on one -another. A light breeze blew through the stinking place from the -opposite end of the tunnel and the insects stopped their chattering, -frozen and reverent. Jal couldn't think. They'd found him. They'd both -found him. It was too late. -

-A lightning bolt streaked through the tunnel past him and a barbaric -roar answered it. -

-The wind began to howl through the tunnel like a cyclone and the -sounds of crumbling rock assailed him from both sides. -

-Jal grimaced and hesitated. But as the twin forms came into view, he -shouted into the clamor, "ENOUGH! Dendar! We are bound, now free me -from this place!" -

-Wissse Choissce… -

-Instantly a portal opened before him like a tear in reality and -brilliant light beamed through. Jal rushed into it and was transported -many miles away in an instant. A startled yell and the renewed sounds -of battle followed him through, but then there was nothing but -silence, the gentle breeze, and the burning light of the midday sun. -

27 The Surface

-The blinding light of the Shaar's Summer Sun left Jal helpless. -

-He lay upon the ground thinking it maybe better he have died quickly -in the tunnels or upon his own blade. But such musings held no real -power, and with the setting of the Sun, and the rising of the lesser -evils of the moon and of the stars, he wept freely. For though he was -bound–and nightmares would indeed become routine while in service to -their master–for the first time in his life, he was free. -

28 Credits

-[Thank you for Reading! I'm Andrew Murrell, an aspiring D&D author and -dedicated DM. Check out my blog at http://AndrewDM.me/ [WIP] for -updates or if you'd like to see more stuff like this!] -

diff --git a/src/writing/tastavi.md b/src/writing/tastavi.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d499fdb --- /dev/null +++ b/src/writing/tastavi.md @@ -0,0 +1,1965 @@ +--- +title: "Tastavi D'Maelnor of Llolethane" +updated: "2016-08-30 Tue 23:56" +class: "dnd" +categories: SS FR +--- + +

+When I DM, I try to allow players to have as many options for +character creation as I can. Usually, this manifests in pretty +interesting, but stable, characters. And other times… you get +Tastavi. +

+Tastavi D'Maelnor of Lolathane-Mael'na'rath is not what I'd call a +stable character: a CN half-(drow)-elf half-(black)-dragon ftr/rog/war +hybrid sworn to an evil demigod who wants to swallow your dreams (and +possibly the sun and all life) and fleeing one hell of a custody +dispute. +

+But I fell in love with the idea. I had to write it up. It +started out as a three paragraph synopsis, but quickly devolved into +the micro-epic below. He was only played for three sessions before +dying to the most viscious and demanding opponent of all: sports +season. Enjoy! +

1. Ik'lithslaelith
2. The Drowess
3. The Tunnel
4. High Priestess Destiny
5. Soup for Dinner
6. Hunger and Possibilities
7. [CENSORED]
8. Visions
9. Visitations
10. Voices
11. jal'Bror-noloth
12. The Hold
13. The Pits
14. The Return
15. Tastavi
16. Trials
17. Transformations
18. Training
19. The Leader
20. The Contest
21. The Cell
22. Motherly Love
23. The Will of Lolth
24. Doom
25. Destruction
26. Dreams
27. The Surface
28. Credits

1 Ik'lithslaelith

+A dark form slithered though the deep, black against black in the +sunless place. The form pulled its girth across the smooth stone of +its cavern, uncoiling itself and scraping eons of accumulated filth +from its obsidian hide. Too long had it slumbered here, content with +its wealth and glories of days long past. A yellow eye appeared inside +the chamber, burning with a delicate and powerful inner light. +

+The dragon Ik'lithslaelith was awake. And he was hungry. +

2 The Drowess

+She walked nude across the parapet. Her onyx skin still glistened from her +bath and her long white hair hung loose about her shoulders. She eyed +the servants gathered along the tower's edge, daring them to look. +

+Most simply bowed humbly before her, inches from oblivion, knowing +full well the punishment. She reached the stair and snatched a +loose-fitting robe from the extended hand of her favorite butler. His +empty and scarred eye sockets heaved involuntarily at her +proximity. It has been too long since she'd had a real excuse to user +her power. Too long. +

3 The Tunnel

+This was not here when last I was. mused the dragon. +

+He peered at the worked stone. Beneath his lair, along one of his +favorite underground flying paths, a circular tunnel disappeared into +the cliff face. Below him, the chasm loomed, threatening to consume +any that strayed too far from the path's narrow ledge–and could not +fly–to be burned to fiery cinders upon a lake of boiling stone +below. +

+He had always found the cavern poetic: no matter how hard the little +climbers tried to rise, this was not their place. Their place was +among the ashes. +

+The newly hewn tunnel was far too small for him to squeeze into of +course. But one does not reach advanced age as a dragon without +learning a few tricks along the way. +

+And one does not keep it by being over-curious either he thought to +himself. +

+But I suppose it cannot be helped. +

+Ik'lithslaelith breathed a deep echoing sigh, closed his eyes, and +began to shrink. +

4 High Priestess Destiny

+The family estate was vast, and by all accounts, grand. Nestled in a +isolated corner of the massive complex of linked caves that comprised +the southern drow 'city' of Mael'na'rath, the layered structure +resembled a spiked claw rising from on oozing wound. +

+Grand, but hideous. +

+Grotesquely complicated, but functional. +

+In a word: Chaotic. +

+From the single gate at the base of the claw to the tips of the +fingers, every staircase was a spiral. Most with an open center so +that the priestesses and noble family could levitate from floor to +floor, but commoners or household slaves would have to climb the steep +steps to get anywhere, and so guards could fire upon intruders the +entire way up. Intruders who, would first need to bypass the acid +pools which surrounded the fortress. +

+High Priestess Ul'Ilindith D'Maelnor of the Second House of +Llolethane-Mael'na'rath decended through the main stair upon a cloud +of authority. Any walking the stairs prostrated themselves before her, +and any family members floating up quickly stepped aside and bowed as +she passed. Her name meant "destiny" and she knew it. She reached the +floor she wanted and halted her descent. It was almost time. She was +expecting someone. +

5 Soup for Dinner

+From the darkness, expectant eyes scanned the palace walls. The acidic +no-man's land glowed an eerie green from the pools which dotted the +cavern floor. But the eyes were not concerned with the +defenses. Instead they clutched at one distant parapet and +waited. Minutes passed, but there was no activity from the palace. The +eyes closed. Impatiently, a dark form slid from its hiding place in +the mouth of the abandoned tunnel to nowhere, and approached the +nearest pool of acid. The bubbling glow cast flickering splotches of +light over its distinctly feminine form, and she bent over the pool, +moving one hand in intricate spellcasting and clutching something +hanging from around her neck with the other. She felt at ease with it +near her, a rare feeling for a drow, but she had been experiencing all +kinds of rare feelings recently. Her divination spell failed, as they +were oft to do since she had fallen in love. Terrified of her own +feelings, she knelt in fervent prayer to the Spider Queen. +

+Behind her from the tunnel, another dark figure crept close, +unnoticed, a silent hand of death in the land of silent death. +

+Perhaps her prayers were answered, or perhaps the Queen of Spiders +simply thought it amusing, but with a gasp and a rush of power, the +beautiful drow woman felt the impending danger. She spun around, +calling upon years of training and the will of her goddess to meet the +threat. A whip appeared in her hands almost instantly, its twin +heads, each a living snake, hissed and spat. Smiling coolly, she struck +out against her assailant, the snake heads reaching, mouths wide to +bite deep into its flesh. A loud crack and hiss echoed through the +chamber, but when she pulled back the whip for another strike, both +heads lay limp and dead in her hands. A scaled form, black as onyx, +stood before her wearing only a billowing cloak and a practiced look +of grim amusement. The fangs had only barely scratched the surface of +his scales, and though sticky splotches of thick acidic pus covered +the point of impact, he seemed entirely unconcerned. +

+He responded in kind, spitting a line of black acid into her eyes and +face. She reeled backwards, clutching at her dissolving eyes, and fell +backwards into the bubbling pool. +

+The form approached the shallow pool. +

+"Looks like I'm having soup for dinner" mused Ik'lithslaelith. +

6 Hunger and Possibilities

+She couldn't believe it! A dragon! And a powerful one from the looks +of it. High Priestess Ul'Ilindith smiled coolly from her invisible +floating vantage point, and watched him feast. Though the +'opportunities' she had been pursuing with the High Priestess of House +Undros were most definitely ended, perhaps even greater power than +simply controlling a minor house was in her reach. She nearly shook +with excitement at the thought of an ancient black dragon raining +death upon her enemies. But as always, she was to be careful in +this. A dragon, even a male dragon, was dangerous and difficult to +control. She mused for a moment on the dangers, she could see them +clearly before her even, the fate in store if she made a wrong move, +or if he still hungered. But the possibilities… +

+And perhaps, she mused, he hungered for drow in a way that could +benefit them both… +

7 [CENSORED]

8 Visions

+She saw a city burning. +

+She saw people screaming in pain and rolling upon the ground, trying +to wipe away the tar that ate at their fingers, at their faces. +

+She saw clerics casting frantic spells, only to have them fail in +their time of greatest need, abandoned by their goddess, and likewise +be consumed. +

+She saw her son. +

+Standing in the midst of it, unharmed, and smiling, wiping blood from +his blades. When the fires died, his yellow eyes were all that +remained in the darkness. +

+The vision departed and the brazier bore once again the droopy-eyed +oozing visage of a Handmaiden of Lolth. The priestess bowed and the +messenger disappeared into the flames of the Demonweb Pits. +

+She looked down upon her pregnant belly. He would become her +weapon. It was the will of Lolth. +

9 Visitations

+Ik'lithslaelith +

+The name woke him from his renewed slumber. He lay upon his +newly-heaped hordes of gold and pools of melted bones. The echo of the +name roared in his mind like a tempest. Like a wildfire. Like the roar +of ten thousand dragons. +

+The ancient Ik'lithslaelith, the proud Ik'lithslaelith, the noble +Ik'lithslaelith, the silent hand of death in the merciless Underdark, +Winnower of Worlds, and many more names long forgotten, cowered in +fear before his goddess. +

10 Voices

+An ancient laughter hissed in the Abyss. +

+The night is filled with voicess, so it seemss. +

+She mused. +

+Time stretched out naked, and the darkness prophesied: +

+Two minds. +

+Two goddesses +

+of mixed intent +

+and muddled vows. +

+Scheming over one +

+neither shall have. +

+The Nightmare smiled. +

+For even gods must sleep. +

+And neither see the +

+choices made when +

+nightmares reign. +

+Or hear the calls +

+of the forgotten +

+or the bound. +

+Dendar smiled at the ironic cost of freedom. +

11 jal'Bror-noloth

+The pregnancy was a wicked affair. Any news of it among the common +folk was quickly discredited, and to speak of it openly, even among +the family, was dangerous. Lady Ul'Ilindith spent her days under the +care of her most trusted subordinates in the priestesshood: the ones +with no ambition to speak of, whom she ruled with fear. She craved +meat, and so she feasted upon the flesh of exotic animals, taken from +both deep within the Underdark and from far above it, scoured from the +surface. Every day, the burden in her belly grew more intense, the +child growing much larger than any drow child. Every night the pain in +her abdomen became almost unbearable. But she bore it. She bore it to +term by force of will and the whispers of Lolth, promising her power +beyond her wildest imaginings. +

+Her time arrived quickly and with little warning. Appropriating a +hidden chamber deep beneath the complex–aptly, one often used for +summoning creatures from lower planes, and shielded against unwanted +magical intrusion–Ul'Ilindith labored for six days and nights. Every +second, the unborn child tore at her. She used up every spell of +healing from every priestess within the complex and more besides, +calling upon the aid of magical items and elixirs to keep the child +from tearing her apart. And the pain only heightened her +determination. +

+When the child was finally born, it was amid a spray of blood. The +child poured forth wrapped in stinking muck, an acidic darkness that +mirrored the hearts of its parents. His parents. Even with all of her +powers of healing, it was weeks before Ul'Ilindith recovered. She +named the boy jal'Bror-noloth, the Sudden All-Encompassing Darkness, +and kept him hidden from the world. +

12 The Hold

+A sudden rush of fresh air and the sounds of grinding stone attracted +a small huddled group of kobolds to the cavern entrance. Large eyes, +well-adjusted to the darkness, peered towards the unblocked hatchway +and waited. From the other side of the hole in the cavern ceiling red +and purple faerie fire cast an eerie glow into the chamber. Usually, +if someone had rolled away the blocking stone and ventured into the +cavern, the kobolds would know if it, but these were dark elves, in +their domain, and fully prepared for stealth. All the kobolds saw was +a vague hint of motion and the sudden glint of steel at their throats. +

+They prostrated themselves before their cruel masters and whimpered +despite their better sense. Or rather all but one of them whimpered. A +young female, untested, but strong, remained unbowed. This was her +first encounter with the dark elves, and through either willpower or +through ignorance she stood and stared into the eyes of the drow +soldier that held her captive, brandishing a knife and scowling at the +ambush. +

+The soldier's face became a mask of rage. She was ibluth, a worthless +slave, a worthless kobold. He had certainly killed avenging lesser +slights. He moved quickly and knocked away her blade, pressing his own +in the space between her legs, preparing to cut her from stem to +stern, but a commanding voice held him at bay. From behind, a +weathered face, drained, but dangerous and beautiful, approached the +soldier and the kobold maiden. She carried a small bundle in her arms, +breastfeeding. +

+She stared down at the scaled creature, regarding her cooly. Then she +carefully lifted the baby from her breast. He began to cry. +

+"You. Raise this iblith." +

+She roughly handed the child to the now-wide-eyed kobold and stalked +away, the rest of her guard following her. +

+The boulder ground back into place and the cavern returned to +darkness… but not silence. +

+The sound of a baby's cry echoed through the halls. +

13 The Pits

+The smack of sweaty flesh upon hard rock, and the crack of breaking +bones, and shattered maws, and the echoing bloodthirsty cheer brought +kobolds from all parts of the hold to witness the spectacle in the +pits. A pair of fighters were sprawled upon the ground, clubbing and +beating on each other with their claws or hands or whatever tools were +available. It was over quickly, the opening salvo of the contest. The +winner was cheered, the loser tossed aside to make way for the next +fight. This was the way of kobolds: fast brutal victory or slow +agonizing defeat. +

+A large kobold, round, his puffy skin bulging from around his scales +like fishnet tights, sat atop a large boulder overlooking the pit. He +called out for the next pair to enter the pit. Cheers erupted at the +first volunteer, a tall specimen, muscular, and well-endowed. His +reddish scales flickered brutally in the dim torchlight. He stood +proudly waving a spear to the adoring crowd, so he did not note his +challenger until the cheers turned to anxious whispers. A small boy +stood squarely in the center of the ring, head downcast. Few could say +the moment that he had arrived, but none could deny his presence now, +nor what it signified. The challenge had been issued. The boy's scales +contrasted greatly with the proud fighter that stood before him. Where +the champion's scales gleamed in the torchlight, the boy's seemed to +swallow it completely. Black. As the darkest night or deepest cave. +

+From the crowd, an adopted mother gasped as she saw her son standing +in the ring and not at her side. It was no secret that she had been +commissioned to raise the boy by the drow themselves, and the sudden +silence in the stands all but confirmed it. None knew for sure which +would win out, their customs: the right of challenge in the pits, or +their fear of the drow should anything happen to the boy. +

+Their internal war was ended by the sudden motion of the +challenger. He lifted his spear and lunged at the champion. The strike +was short, but the damage was done, the fight had already begun. The +champion returned the strike, only to have his spear deftly deflected +as it came down. The young half-dragon took this opportunity to charge +at the kobold before him, getting within the range of the spear and +clawing at the hands holding the weapon. Long thick lines of blood +appeared on the champion's forearms and he released the weapon in +order to block the continued onslaught and return the favor. He led +with a left hook that connected right under the boy's eye and sent him +sprawling backwards, and quickly followed it with a kick to the boy's +side, right beneath the shoulder-blade. The youth hit the ground and +dove into a roll to come back to his feat. He had no more completed +it, when another powerful kick knocked him back again, this time +against the cavern wall. More punches followed and the boy fell back +again and again against the wall and the floor, for support. His eyes +were swollen, his hands and knees bloody, his body aching from the +thrashing, but he did not signal his surrender. Instead he peered into +the champion's eyes with determination and smiled, a bloody broken +thing amid a silent crowd. The champion shook his head, but stalked in +one more time to finish it. +

+He never got a chance. +

+The only sound that could be heard for miles was his scream. Not a +person gathered breathed, nor heart beat for several moments, as their +champion writhed pitifully upon the ground clutching the wreck that +was once his face. Acid melted down into his skull and soon he could +no longer draw the breath to scream and just shivered upon the ground. +

+Jal'Bror'Noloth wiped the spittle from his mouth and looked up to +regard the assembled, but from his vantage point, could see but one, +the puffy chieftain upon the rock, as all bowed down to worship the +dragon-blessed. +

14 The Return

+The hatchway was open and once again, the proud kobold mother stood +before dark elves. Though this time, she did not stand alone. Her +adopted son, nearly her height, stood, hands balled into fists, at her +side. He glanced protectively from his mother and the kobolds +cowering on the ground to the strange dark-skinned woman standing +before him, who began to speak. She spoke slowly, as if to a very +young child, and with an unfamiliar and decadent accent. +

+"You appear to have raised him well. Does he speak Undercommon?" +

+"Aks him yerself." his mother spat back. +

+The drow priestess held out a hand to halt one of her guards who had +stepped out of the darkness brandishing a knife. He stopped with a +quizzical look, and slipping his dagger back into his piwafwi cloak, +disappeared again. +

+"Do you know your name, little one?" +

+The boy looked to her suspiciously, but answered proudly "The others +call me Nightshade." +

+She smiled coolly. +

+"A fitting name I'm sure, but a child's name, a disguise at best." She +stalked closer to the boy, peering deeply into his eyes, and reached +out with a hand to trace the pattern of his scales. +

+His mother attempted to interpose herself, to shield her child from +the foreign touch, but instead found herself frozen in place +mid-step. Wide-eyed she tried to cry out, but found no words. The +paralyzing poison of the trio of small darts protruding from her back, +neck, and leg had done its task. +

+"I see it in your eyes little Nightshade. This place has made you a +killer, as I knew it would, but you shall become so much more. Follow +me, and rise to conquer nations! And you shall earn your true name! +Jal'Bror'Noloth!" +

+Jal stood dumbfounded at the revelation. He looked to the +ground. Silence fell upon the empty chamber and all eyes upon the +young half-dragon. He closed his eyes. Though he could almost feel a +thousand heartbeats all around him, the one in his chest was the +faintest. Here among the kobolds, he was revered, some kind of god to +the dragon-loving fanatics. Could the same be true of wherever this +woman would take him? +

+No, he decided, his place was in the caverns. And he didn't like this +stranger and her band. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. +

+"I already have a mother." he stated flatly. "I have no need for +another one, nor your names for me." +

+Ul'Ilindith smiled, unperturbed by his response. She leaned down to +his ear and whispered "You do indeed already have a mother. But soon, +you'll have a goddess." +

+A hundred drow warriors appeared from the shadows, blades +spinning. Kobold blood splattered the ceilings, the floors, it +splattered the pair standing undisturbed in the midst of it. Jal found +he could not move his body, he could not open his mouth again to send +acid into the faces of the attackers. +

+It was over quickly. The cowering kobolds were all dead, cut into morbid +ribbons that covered the walls and floors. As were all the kobolds +that stayed in the darkness and thought themselves safe from the +spectacle. Any that saw the return of the drow or the fate of their +beloved dragon-blessed were left to feed whatever monsters that would +inevitably take up residence in the food-rich cavern. The Underdark +is not a place of wastefulness. +

+Jal watched as the only other survivor, his adopted mother, was put +into chains and levitated up through the drow hatchway. Still groggy +from the poison, he barely noticed when his own fetters were locked +into place. Ul'Ilindith leaned over his shoulder and whispered once +again, +

+"You shall know your destiny my little iblith. And you shall know the +futility of defying me." +

15 Tastavi

+The aging Master of Arms, Elderboy Tastadraa D'Maelnor, looked over +the boy's head to his sister Ul'Ilindith. +

+"This? This is the one you bring to me?" +

+The boy appeared unremarkable in every way. Average height, build, +skin tone, hair style, musculature, almost a mockery of normalcy. +

+"He is." +

+"I take it then, he is some prodigy with a blade?" +

+"I doubt he's ever touched one." +

+Tastadraa sighed and slicked back his receding hairline. Despite his +position in the family, one can never take a demand from a High +Priestess lightly. He nodded his head, +

+"I will train him…" +

+"Very good." +

+Ul'Ilindith turned to leave. +

+"…assuming he passes the trials of course." +

+Ul'Ilindith stopped. Slowly turning around, venom oozing +from her gaze, she asked +

+"Trials?" +

+"Just a formality I assure you, since he does not appear to be +of… noble birth. I shall train him if he proves himself superior to +my most recent student." +

+Ul'Ilindith smiled. She looked across the room to the gangly youth +attempting to lift a glave twice his size and nearly chopping himself +in twain as the weapon fell to the ground with a clatter–her sister's +son would prove no challenge. +

+"All right. He shall fight then." +

+But to her surprise the weapon master called out, "Tastavi! Come hither." +

+From behind a weapons rack, a lithe youth looked up and walked +over. His gait was one of practiced grace and noble refinement. +

+"This is my son Tastavi, he came of age just yesterday to start +training with the group. Tastavi, you will be fighting this one to +determine if he is fit to train against you." +

+Tastavi glanced at the new boy and smirked. +

16 Trials

+Both fighters panted for breath. They dripped with sweat. From +opposite sides of the perfect circle drawn upon the floor, they stared +into each other's eyes, waiting. Tastavi licked blood from his +battered lip. +

+He had expected to finish the match quickly. He held his sword +delicately but firmly, gently gliding it into thrusts and parries, as +opposed to this stranger who held his sword like a club, and used it +like one. But he quickly discovered that what the newcomer lacked in +technique he made up for with ferocity. He looked so small and +unspectacular, but possessed the raw strength of someone much larger, +and the split-second reflexes of a master. The force and savage speed +of his swings was jolting. Tastavi was able to stay ahead of each of +them, but barely. +

+Tastavi had then moved to the center of the ring, expending as little +effort as he could, dodging as much as deflecting, to tire out his +opponent. Eventually the frustrated and slowing newcomer simply +started swinging out as a distraction and using his body to push +Tastavi towards the edge of the ring. Several times only his training +in gymnastics had kept him from being bowled over out of the ring, and +the last rush had been the closest yet. +

+Tastavi had to adjust, and began to counter the charges with precise +blade thrusts, forcing his aggressor back, but took a few flying elbows +to the face while perfecting it. +

+Now mutual respect and more than a little exhaustion had the pair +circling. Almost an hour had passed, with neither side backing +down. His father, the Weapon's Master, stood by the wayside trying to +look disinterested to Ul'Ilindith, while nonetheless remaining intent +on every second of the fighting. The other students held no such +reservation and watched the display with open wonder. +

+As the two dragged themselves around they ring they knew that whatever +happened here, it would be the last clash between the two. Tastavi +hefted his blade and focused on his breathing and his feet, on his +years of training with his father, and on his enemy: nearly collapsed +on the ground, hands clenched upon the hilt of his broadsword, knuckles +as white as the hair upon his head. +

+And suddenly upon him. +

+Tastavi stepped to the side, barely avoiding the downwards strike and +stabbed out, piercing flesh and striking against bone. The newcomer +fell past him landing with a dull thud against the floor, jutting out +halfway from the ring and retching in pain. His blood bubbled from the +wound on his side. Tastavi heard a strange sizzling sound and looked +to his blade, the blood was slowly eating away the metal! +

+The crowd cheered, but Master Tastadraa silenced them with a harsh +reprimand and they reluctantly began to disperse. Tastavi nearly +collapsed, but held his feat and his honor. Then nearly collapsed +again as Ul'Ilindith surprised him by personally moving forward to +tend to the boy. Tastavi found himself dumbfounded before Ul'Ilindith, +who reached down and touched the boy, instantly healing him and +vaporizing the bubbling blood before it burned into the ground. +

+The conversation between his aunt and father echoed far away. +

+"I shall teach him." +

+"But, didn't he lose your little challenge?" +

+"I shall teach him." +

+The tip of his blade fell to the ground with a loud clatter as the +acid ate cleanly through the steel. +

17 Transformations

+He awoke to a Sending message in his mind. +

+Jal, it is time to train with Master Tastadraa. +

+Yes Mother. he replied. +

+Jal lay upon a thin bisected cot, the center of which was cut away +so that he could lay on his back without the ridge on his spine +cutting at the fabric. +

+He looked to the three other belongings his mother allowed him: a pair +of clothes for training at blades and bows, a small key, and a thin +mask of white velvet. +

+He reached for the key, but changed his mind at the last second and +went for the mask instead. +

+He carefully set it place upon his face and grimaced beneath it as +its magic began subtly changing him. He shrank, his thick arms and +legs shriveling into the spindly appendages of the drow. The ridges on +his spine disappearing into his back. His hair remained roughly the +same, resulting in an almost comical effect if anyone were +watching. However, if anyone were watching, they would almost +certainly be dead by now. His room was one of the best guarded places +in the complex. +

+He left his chamber fully drow–there was no illusion, his entire body +was changed–and made for the training complex. +

18 Training

+Tastadraa leaned against a trident and watched Jal and Tastavi +spar. He marveled at the progress they made in such short time. Given +years, these two would surely become the best fighters in House +D'Maelnor, if not the best fighters in Llolethane-Mael'na'rath. But +which would predominate? +

+Tastavi represented perfection in discipline and form. He learned +every technique: line, parry, block, feint, it didn't matter, after a +few repetitions he would master them, and he followed orders to the +very punctuation. +

+Jal on the other hand, represented pure natural talent and +improvisation. He could find his way in any situation with no +preparation whatsoever. He always tested his opponents, challenging +their careful techniques and reactions, throwing them into +unpredictable patterns and unfamiliar lines. He was dangerous and +cared nothing for orders. +

+Only time would tell. +

19 The Leader

+Flames billowed into the sky. +

+The sky. +

+Bright and blue, horrid and happy. +

+Ul'Ilindith shuddered. +

+"Why do you show me this?" +

+A caped rogue peered from the crystal ball to the priestess. +

+"We all serve the Queen according to her will." +

+He motioned for her to continue watching the silent scene unfold below +in the glassy sphere. The sky came into view once again and then +shifted to a quiet village in the middle of a great yellow plain. +

+From the south a sweeping army of darkness crept upon the unsuspecting +village, at its head an imposing warrior. Arrayed in thick armor, not +much could be seen of his face, or much beyond the massive broadsword he +carried upon his back. With an unheard bellow he hefted the sword with +two hands and led the the charging army to battle. +

+A charge that faded from her view as the scene changed +subtly. Suddenly the army was on the road, traveling by the new +moon. Then they were at the gates of a great city, then inside it, +slaying indiscriminately. Then there was a throne, obsidian and +bearing the mark of the Spider Queen, and an ancient drow upon it, +casting traitors into the flames. +

+Ul'Ilindith struggled with the vision. +

+"We shall take to the surface? An army?" +

+"Not we, but see the mark upon the leader?" +

+"D'Maelnor!" +

+"Yes, he carries your crest. And another, of the first house." +

+Ul'Ilindith smiled. "Then it's true, the union shall take place?" +

+"Yes, but keep in mind" said the rogue, "there is but one leader +prophesied… not two." +

20 The Contest

+Tastavi held his bow carefully and exhaling suddenly, sent a perfect +shot into the deep-rothe's eye. +

+"Twenty-three" Jal sighed dramatically, his face emotionless. +

+"If you hadn't wasted your shot on the bull you would be tied with +me. Next time." Tastavi patted Jal on the shoulder mockingly. +

+"I've got one shot left." Jal pulled the arrow from his dimensional +bag. +

+"Even if you somehow managed to kill two of them with that, you'd only +match me." Tastavi gave him a superior look and started packing his things. +

+Jal stared out across the cavern floor at the grazing rothe. Slowly a +half-smile spread across his face. +

+"I've got one shot left." he reiterated. +

+Tastavi stopped and just watched. He knew that look well enough after +all. It usually preceded something worth watching. +

+Jal lifted his bow, nocked the arrow and held out his hand encasing a +rothe in purple flames. +

+Tastavi gave him a disapproving look, "Now that's cheating!" +

+"No, that's not the target, watch." Jal replied. +

+At first the rothe seemed not to notice, and Jal lifted three fingers. +

+Two fingers. +

+One. +

+The rothe looked up and seeing the illusory flames encasing it, began +to panic. It let out a mooish-roar and bolted for the water. +

+It would have made it too, except for the very agitated bull rothe +standing directly in its path with an arrow protruding from its +hindquarters. The bull had almost come to accept the nagging itch in +its backside, but being bowled over by a frantic, and apparently +burning, female on her way to the water was not a good way to arrive +at acceptance. +

+He reared up and charged, looking to gore anything in its path. A +couple of plump females stood nearby and he charged at them +blindly. They looked up in time to see the horns, and bolted to the +side. +

+Jal fired. +

+His arrow whisked past the enraged bull, peeling flesh from his face +and changing his course to plow, horns-first into the escaping females, +skewering both of them before himself, crumpling to the ground. +

+"Ok, well that's just Twenty-three then. We're tied." Tastavi managed +to stammer. But Jal turned to him and smiled. +

+"Look again." +

+Tastavi traced the arrow's flight from where it had been +deflected… into the water. The startled rothe, no longer in faerie +fire, floated on her side, bleeding dark blood into the water from an +arrow between the ribs and into the heart. +

21 The Cell

+Jal opened his eyes and realized that for the first time in several +years, his mother had not called him to training. His room was dark, +but there was no mistaking the time. She should have called by now. +

+He donned his mask and hesitantly took up the tiny golden key. +

+If she called, he would answer, but it was not often he had the time +he needed, and he decided that he would not waste it. +

+He dressed quickly and left his chamber, racing through the levels of +the palace to the great stair. He usually descended the stairs on +foot, but who knew how long he had to spare. He activated his house +insignia and levitated down the center. +

+Near the bottom, he jumped to the side and followed a narrow corridor +to the cell block. He counted his steps and arrived at the correct +door. He slid in his key and opened the lock. +

+Inside the room was a small cell, only a few inches taller than he and +only a few feet wider. It was empty. +

+"No." He said. +

+He had to have made a mistake. Where was she? He looked around, but +found no signs of escape, nor of capture. +

+"No!" He exited the room and looked both ways down the narrow +hallway. +

+He tried the adjacent doors, but could not open them. +

+"NO!" he screamed, the sound echoing in the long metallic corridor. A +second passed, then thirty. His head ached and his gut clenched and +burned. A sending arrived from his mother. +

+Jal, come to the throne room immediately. +

+Jal's rage flared inside him. The truth he suspected burned his lungs +and throat. He tried to be calm, to tread carefully, but couldn't help +but scream back Where is she?! What have you done with her?! +

+No response was forthcoming. +

+He screamed. An echoing anguish mixed among the cell-block moans. He +ran, dashing through the archway to the stair. He took no heed of +those around him as he raced fate to the throne room at the top of the +complex. +

+He arrived at the doors out of breath, and furious. Guards attempted +to bar his way to announce him, but Jal rushed deftly past them and +stormed into the throne room without announcement. +

22 Motherly Love

+Ul'Ilindith reclined upon the throne. A drooling zombie stood guard +beside it, once a powerful priestess, she was now cursed to forever +stand as a reminder of what may happen to those who lose the favor of +the Spider Queen. +

+Guards lined the walls armed with hand crossbows. Tastadraa and his +son stood before the dais, waiting for the final addition to their +ranks. +

+It burst into the throne room. +

+"Where is she?! What have you done with her?!" Jal screamed. +

+Ul'Ilindith remained seated and unaffected. +

+Jal screamed again, "WHERE IS SHE?!" The volume and the timbre +contrasted dramatically with the unimpressive image of the drow +youth. An aura of fear radiated from him, slowly affecting the nearest +guards who stiffened and stood frozen beside the open door, mouths +agape. +

+"My my, Mother, what am impudent little pup I've raised." Ul'Ilindith +lamented to the zombie beside her. It responded to the attention by +lolling its head slightly towards the sound. +

+Jal looked to the pair standing before the throne with suspicion. +

+"Where is my mother." he stated. +

+"Jal, Jal, do calm down. I have liked your 'mother' from the moment I +saw her. I believe that we share a certain… bond. But display an +attitude again in my presence, and I promise, she'll soon resemble +my mother more than yours." Ul'Ilindith casually gestured to the +guard zombie. +

+Jal deflated. The fire in his throat cut off any further words, and +tears threatened to well behind his eyes. But his anger wisely turned +to caution. He looked around the room and took in the situation, then +wandered to his spot beside the other two males. +

+Ul'Ilindith was not sure about what she'd seen foretold, and thought +about the rogue's warning. She had worried about the course set before +her, but Jal's continuing insubordination left no room for doubt. +

+She put aside her contemplation and said with a plastered smile, +

+"A special opportunity has come to my attention. The first house has +shown to me a great vision of the future. A great warrior, a son of +D'Maelnor, shall join with the first house and lead an army of +darkness across the surface world." +

+Master Tastadraa's mouth fell agape, Tastavi focused on calming his +excitement, Jal just strained against his rage, though there was dull +curiosity there too. Tastavi was the only "son of D'Maelnor" he knew +who could possibly wear the description of 'great warrior.' +

+Ul'Ilindith just watched their reactions to be sure. Yes, the choice +was obvious, but perhaps it should still be best left in Lolth's +hands. +

+"Brother, you're a bit too old to be our warrior. Step away from the +dais. I will address the boys." +

+Tastadraa bowed and stepped back into a line of guards at the side. +

+Jal felt isolated upon the dais. He looked to Tastavi uncertainly, but +Tastavi looked at his aunt with expectancy, ambition gleaming in his +eyes. +

+Ul'Ilindith addressed the room. "Before me stand two great sons of +D'Maelnor:" +

+A dull question thumped in the back of Jal's mind. What? +

+"Tastavi, son of Tastadraa D'Maelnor." +

+Two great sons? Tastadraa isn't up here, just Tastavi and… +

+"and Jal'Bror'Noloth, my firstborn son," +

+Jal almost fell from the dais. No, she had been his 'Matron Mother', +but he'd never believed that… +

+"whom I carried and delivered." +

+Jal's rage flared, but his voice was nowhere to be found it in. He +stood stone-faced and looked to the ground. +

+Tastavi looked to his newfound cousin with surprise, and sudden +jealousy. All this time, and Jal had never told him? There he stood, +embarrassed to have his secret revealed. Were they ever friends, or +only rivals? +

+"Both of you have surpassed my expectations with regard to fighting +prowess. But… There is but one great warrior." Ul'Ilindith stated +clearly. +

+She let the statement sink in. +

+Tastavi turned. +

+Jal broke from his focused denial and turned to look at his friend. He +shook his head, slowly in disbelief. +

+Tastavi reached his hands slowly to the hilts of his swords. +

+Jal made no move to match him. He looked to Ul'Ilindith. She smiled +wickedly. He looked to Tastadraa. He looked lost, a mixture of caring +father, and greedy coward. +

+He threw off his sword belt. It fell with a clatter to the ground. +

+"Tastavi can go. He can be your warrior." +

+Tastavi looked quickly back and forth between Jal and Ul'Ilindith. +

+Ul'Ilindith's smile became a sneer. +

+A muffled screaming came from somewhere behind the throne and an aging +kobold, bound and gagged, naked and bleeding, was brought before +it. The zombie drooled at her and strained at its magical restraints. +

+"No. You shall fight, my little iblith." She held out her hand before +her with an open palm. In it lay a small scrap of white velvet. Slowly +fire rose from her fingers and ignited it. +

+Immediately Jal was wracked with pain as if his face was being torn +off. He screamed, a primal roar, a dragon's roar. Guards around the +room stiffened. Tastavi's eyes grew wide. +

+Ul'Ilindith turned her hand over into a fist and crushed the ashes. +

+The polymorph spell of the mask was ended. Jal knelt on the +ground. He breathed heavily and shivered. His clothes were tatters. He +held the thin mask in his hands–his clawed hands. He looked up, his +white hair falling over his yellow eyes. +

+Tastavi looked upon him with a mixture of disgust, betrayal, and fear. +

+Jal shook his head, dropped the mask, and held his hands up +defensively, waving away the accusation in Tastavi's eyes. +

+"Kill him." Ul'Ilindith commanded Tastavi. +

+Tastavi drew his swords. +

23 The Will of Lolth

+Though years had passed since their first fight, Jal found the whole +scene familiar. Tastavi would stalk forward blades drawn and execute a +perfect series of textbook thrusts and faints. He'd win. He usually +did, but this time he wouldn't stop. This was no practice spar; this +was life and death. +

+Jal snatched up his weapon belt, pulling his blades from it–a rapier +and a dagger–kicked it into Tastavi's face, and retreated. But +Tastavi responded by slashing down in a brutal 'X' with his scimitars, +cutting the tossed belt and bag into four even pieces. Jal tried to +reason with him, but couldn't get out more than a word against the +determination in Tastavi's eyes, and speed of his routine. +

+Tastavi came on in full. Emotions flooded his mind, betrayal was +nothing new or exotic to a drow, but this was something more than +that. Jal was a half-breed, a disgrace. He would put an end to this +traitor, this ibluth masquerading as a D'Maelnor. Only a true D'Maelnor +could lead an army of drow to bring justice to the surface world. Not +this abomination. Tastavi thought back to every fight against the +traitor, to the times he had beaten him. His training had always won +out in the end. He couldn't help but think of the good times as +well. But he violently rejected them. Lies, they were all lies. +

+Tastavi lunged forward, his whole body extending, uncoiling like a +viper. Jal managed a half-hearted parry, sending Tastavi's thrust out +wide, but lost space, as Tastavi dropped his blade below, tapped the +tip of Jal's rapier harmlessly upwards with the strong of his blade +and re-engaged. Jal managed to parry the first few blows of every +line, but barely held on as the sequences progressed. He was never as +good as Tastavi at feeling the parries and teaching his arms to +remember them. Jal relied on the space afforded by his greater +height, backing away, disengaging, dodging, and doing anything to +break Tastavi's muscle memory. Several times he tried to flee, but +whenever he came close to the guards, their crossbows forced him back +into the fight against his friend. +

+Jal looked into Tastavi's eyes, but saw nothing but pain there. Deep +welling emotion. Not regret, but pure righteous hatred. The look +festered like a wound on his conscience. He felt the bile welling in +his throat, preparing to send forth a blast of acid to burn away that +look. But he choked it back and continued to parry. +

+There had to be another way. +

+Jal felt strong. Free from the polymorph, he was able to stand to his +full height, the chamber, the columns, even the other drow all seemed +so much smaller now. The passing thought gave him an idea. But he had +to act quickly. +

+Jal flexed his thick legs, turned, back to the enemy, and rushed +headlong into a pair of guards. He felt the wind of Tastavi's blade +barely miss impaling him. The guards paled at the sight of a large +black half-dragon barreling at them, and dodged behind a pillar, firing +crossbow bolts at him as they fell. But they were poorly aimed and +glanced off of his hard black scales. He followed them around the +pillar, screaming. Then silence filled the chamber. +

+Tastavi soon followed, breathing heavily from his furious assault, but +found nothing around the pillar but the pair of guards unconscious on +the ground. He darted around the other side of the pillar to find +nothing there either. He looked around behind him in frustration and +caught a glance at another guard from the other side of the room +staring dumbfounded at the ceiling. He turned to the pillar and found +deep scratches on the intricately carved relief. His eyes followed +them up, to find Jal climbing, tearing chunks of the porous stone free +with his claws to use as handholds. +

+Ul'Ilindith held out a hand to keep the archers at bay, amused by the +tactic. +

+Tastavi put away his swords and carefully followed him up. +

+The chamber's ceiling was crisscrossed with the webs of thousands of +spiders. Moths and flies, bats and even larger specimens struggled in +freshly wrapped cocoons or lay very still. Drow-made archways that +provided places for the webs to attach jut from odd angles. +Crisscrossing struts connected them in intricate patterns. Jal leaped +from the top of the pillar to one of these, sending its occupants +scurrying away. +

+He moved from strut to strut, displacing as few spiders as +possible–it was bad luck after all–running where he could, climbing +where he could not, and constantly dodging the think and sticky +strands. He reached the end of one strut and turned to see Tastavi +racing after him, swords drawn, hacking at whatever strands got too +close. Jal looked around and dove into the thickest part of the +webbing, directly over the throne. +

+In the confined space it would be much more difficult to dodge, and +impossible to run, but Jal took comfort in knowing that if he could +find the right spot, it would also be impossible to lunge. His greater +range combined with the sticky walls could then keep any advance at +bay. He found a large strut, disconnected from the one he was on, +probably two feet think, and curving from the ceiling like a +hook. Tastavi was nearly on him. This would have to do. +

+He took a deep breath, coiled like a spring and jumped. He tossed his +rapier into the air, spun around, back parallel to the ground, and +threw his dagger out behind him. He continued his rotation and found +the strut at the same time the rapier bounced against it. The blade +followed the curve upwards and then fell off to the side. Jal reached +out with his legs and caught it with his foot. +

+Tastavi turned the corner quickly, moving to follow him, but had stop +to knock aside the dagger inches from his face. He glared across the +gap. +

+Jal pulled himself up with a deep groan and the heavy rumbling breaths +of a dragon. More than forty feet below him from the throne chamber, +Ul'Ilindith smiled wickedly. +

+Jal watched as Tastavi's furious glare turned into a look of panic. +

+Several web strands twinged near Jal's head and a slight clicking +sound came from somewhere disturbingly close by. +

+"It's a spider isn't it?" +

+Tastavi's silence was telling. +

+"It's right behind me isn't it?…" +

+"…" +

+"Right." +

+Jal dropped to the strut just in time for the spider's jowls to snap +shut where he stood. He turned and sliced out with his rapier, tearing +away a thick strand of webbing. He wrapped it around his leg, then +jerked left and right, barely dodged the spider's next two rapid +attempts to capture him. He kicked out against it, not to hurt it, but +to use it as a springboard. He jumped back across the gap, sword +leading his way. +

+Tastavi saw the move coming and instead of falling back, he leaped +from the ledge as well in order to push Jal back into the line of attack +from the giant spider. They collided in midair and struggled over a +tiny ledge before both losing their footing and plummeting towards the +ground. +

+A sickening crunch echoed in the chamber. +

+Tastavi groaned upon the ground. Jal hung from the thick strand of +webbing just above him. They had fallen towards the center of the +room, nearby the spot where the fight had begun, before the throne. +

+Tastavi opened his blurry eyes to find Jal standing over him, or +rather, hanging over him, rapier at his throat. +

+"Very good, Jal. Now end it!" Ul'Ilindith cheered. +

+Tastadraa looked at her with disbelief. +

+Jal lifted his rapier, pressing it deep, drawing blood. Tastavi pulled +away, but winced at his multiple broken bones, some of which protruded +grotesquely and spouted little fountains of blood. He closed his eyes, +ready to accept his defeat if that was the will of the Spider Queen. +

+But instead, Jal shifted his weight to swing himself towards the +throne, brought his sword around, cutting the line holding him aloft, +and flipped over towards the dais. He landed with a roll, dodging the +lazy lunge of the zombie guarding the throne and sprang forward with +the grace of a cat and the speed of a scorpion. +

+A deep thunk and sudden rushing of air shattered the sudden +silence. Jal's rapier dug deeply into Ul'Ilindith's chest and blood +spurted from the wound. A second later, two dozen crossbow bolts hit +Jal in the chest and paralysis seeped into his muscles from each tiny +pinprick. +

+Ul'Ilindith's voice came through ragged slurping breaths, a spell of +some kind, and Jal found himself sprawling backwards, teeth chattering +and sword shattered into shrapnel in his hands. He landed roughly upon +the dais steps a few feet from the broken Tastavi who looked at him +aghast. +

+Ul'Ilindith's eyes changed to a deep black, and raven flames engulfed +her. She chanted with otherworldly power. Her wound closed. She began +to levitate and ripped off her stained clothes with revulsion. +

+"Once again you disappoint me my son. Watch what is borne of your +failings!" +

+Ul'Ilindith turned ruefully towards the bound kobold and sent forth +waves of necrotic energy that quickly tore her apart. Jal tried to +scream, but his mouth refused to open and his voice left him silent in +his agony. +

+Ul'Ilindith was not finished though. +

+"I'll show you the cost of your weakness! Watch as I cut it out." +

+Instead of turning her wrath on Jal, she turned on Tastavi, pointing a +rueful finger and chanting. Soon lightning arced between her fingers, +gathering for discharge. +

+"Noo!!" Tastadraa screamed, breaking ranks and standing between his +son and his sister. He held aloft a glowing shield emblazoned with +the lightning symbol of the surface god Talos, and in his other hand a +broadsword wreathed in black flames. +

+"I shall not allow this!" He called to her. +

+"This is not yours to decide, Elderboy." she spat back. +

+Ul'Ilindith let fly her spell, and lightning shot from her finger to +the waiting Tastadraa. Electricity sparked and crackled as the shield +focused and contained it. What little hair remained on Tastadraa's +balding head stood straight but his look of determination and +concentration disrupted whatever mirth could be garnered from the +sight. He brought around his sword and rapped it against the crackling +shield and then with a wave of his arm, released the energy at the +ground beside him. Lightning arced into the stone and it exploded with +a deafening blast. +

+Tastadraa stalked slowly forward towards Ul'Ilindith. +

+"I'm sorry, Sister, but this is not how the D'Maelnor line shall +end–with an abomination." +

+Guards swarmed from beside the throne and drew swords–drow that +Tastadraa had taught. But he had not taught them everything. Two moved +forward to engage him. Their heads fell to the floor and corpses +turned to ash beneath his wicked blade. +

+The rest of the guards looked to the powerful siblings and decided to +refrain from allowing their duty decide their deaths. +

+Ul'Ilindith sneered. She began to chant again, her eyes rolling up +into her head. The air grew dense inside the throne room, thick and +stifling, beads of sweat began to form and run down Ul'Ilindith's +naked body. +

+Tastadraa stalked forward with the shield of Talos held high. +

+Beside the throne, the twisted and battered form of Jal's adopted +mother began to twitch. +

+She finished her incantation, but waited to unleash the spell to +gloat, "Lets see your blasphemous surface god save you from this one." +

+Her hand jerked spasmodically and green bile erupted from the air +around it in a stream and blasted Tastadraa to the ground. Contagion +spread across his body wherever the stuff touched and ate away his +skin. At the same time the kobold skeleton began to slowly shift into +place, ligaments forming, muscle growing upon the shifting bones. +

+But Tastadraa was not finished, he pushed with his rotting limbs and +triggered the levitation on his amulet. He rose, blade poised to end +the conflict with a single vorpal strike. Then his body fell limp and +he hung awkwardly in the air, his head crushed from behind by the maw +of a giant spider. +

+Tastavi cried out in anguish. +

+Paralyzed by more than just the drow poison, Jal watched the scene +progress in horror. Tastadraa was nothing more than a decaying pile of +flesh, Tastavi lay broken by his fall, his adopted mother under the +throes of some insidious magic. +

+Only Ul'Ilindith seemed unharmed, floating above them all cherishing +the moment. +

+The ground began to shake. +

+"Fool, don't you see? A traitor and his son are revealed and Lolth has +shown me favor! The dead rise. Even Toril trembles! This is the will +of Lolth!" +

+She continued, addressing the guards, "Now. Do as I commanded." +

+A crossbow bolt zipped past Jal's frozen face. The whole world seemed +to stop. But the bolt was not indented for him. Beside him, Tastavi's +scream became a gurgle as the crossbow bolt in his throat quickly +drained him of both the air and the blood needed to circulate it. +

+Jal retched involuntarily, and could taste the poison on his lips. +

+The shaking intensified in the chamber. A column came down in dozens +of jagged pieces. Guards ran about, dodging falling debris and +spiders. +

+Tastavi breathed his last, slumping against the broken stone. +

+Ul'Ilindith, levitating, but stationary in the air was pelted with +rock fragments and quickly began her descent. +

+Jal's anger flared within him, but fear helped him keep his head and +push away the worst effects of the poison. What was going on? +

+Ul'Ilindith reached the ground and began to hurry towards Jal, still +paralyzed upon the dais steps, but a curious laugh stopped her. +

+"Hahaha, 'da will a Lolth you say?" The scratchy voice became clearer +by the second. Ul'Ilindith turned to the living kobold slowly standing +up where her corpse should have rested. Her scales grew back in +patches, and she peered at the Matron Mother with one regenerated eye. +

+"No my dear, this…" she gestured to the chaos around her. +

+"…is the will of Tiamat." +

+The ceiling collapsed. +

24 Doom

+Often a dragon's roar precedes its breath, but Ik'lithslaelith was too +cautious and too clever for that. When he roared over the shattered +second house of Llolethane-Mael'na'rath, it was a roar of victory. He +watched the wreckage from the shadows for a time, but his instructions +had been clear: leave nothing behind–and then leave. He disappeared +into the forgotten tunnel and was gone. +

25 Destruction

+The palace fell. +

+A lone drowess rose from the ashes at the edge of the desolation. The +acid dripped from her hands, from her hair, and fell sizzling to the +ground leaving her unharmed. Lady Lolth had long ago given her a +defense against such poison, when she carried it in her womb. +

+Ul'Ilindith stood alone in the rubble and followed the only other pair +of footprints leaving the shattered homestead: her son's. +

+Jal limped through the wreckage, dragging Tastavi's body behind +him. It had to be around here somewhere. He hefted a door-sized piece +of slate from a shimmering object sticking out from underneath it. A +drained and blistered hand held fast to a broken sword, but what +attracted Jal's eye was a thin piece of white velvet. Jal took the +mask and dropped the slate back into place, reverently. +

+He turned to the body and rasped, "It doesn't look like either of us +will be leading any armies today. Please forgive me." He placed the +velvet mask on Tastavi's face and began the attunement ritual. He left +the cavern once again fully drow, wearing the face of his friend, and +carrying his inheritance, a silver shield of a strange surface god, +upon his back. +

26 Dreams

+Three Years Later… +

+Jal lay on his back on a roof overlooking a bustling marketplace and +stared dreamily at the cavern ceiling. It had been years since his +flight from the shattered D'Maelnor estate, and he had managed to find +some semblance of normalcy in Llolethane, the central cavern of the +drow city of Llolethane-Mael'na'rath. He rested his head on his +shield, now mostly painted black to blend in with the shadows, and +wondered what life would be like without a thousand tons of rock above +your head. He wondered what it would be like to fly. +

+Below him he heard the telltale laughter of the fat merchant leader he +had followed to this inn. He picked up his bow and his shield and +stalked to the edge of the roof above a window. He carefully dipped +the inner edge of the shield below the overhang and watched the party +descending the staircase in the cool golden reflection. Then he pulled +it back up, turned with his back to the alleyway, and counted +dramatically, with a familiar half-smile. +

+Three. +

+Two. +

+One. +

+Then he flipped from the roof, dropping below the lip and firing an +arrow through the window. He landed on the cavern floor with a roll +and disappeared into the shadows–just another renegade drow in a city +of renegades. He did not stay to confirm his success or failure, but +fled to where he could most easily disappear: the bustling +marketplace. +

+He strolled easily through the crowded streets. Though his appearance +was quite a bit more handsome than that he had grown up with, he could +still blend in with a crowd if he so desired. But then again, where +was the fun in that? He was dressed in fine silks and jewels, not +rags. And with a small lump beneath his throat, unquestionably +covering a house insignia, he was obviously a noble and was given a +wide birth by the lesser folk. He casually examined the merchandise of +a few carts, but exuded little outward care for the whole venture, +particularly when several guards burst from the inn and sent rogues +into back alleys to seek an assassin. +

+He eventually made his way into this same inn, and dodging guards +carting some new lordling's inherited possessions from an upper room, +was addressed cordially by a concierge, "Ah, welcome back Sir! It +appears that you are in luck, a room has just opened up for you." +

+Jal smiled to himself and turned to dismiss the man with a "Thank You." +

+He never finished that thought. +

+The man was dead. +

+He stood, smiling pleasantly in demure house leathers with half of his +face melted off to the bone, dripping tar-like blood upon his fine +padded vest. A spider crawled out from where his ear should have been +and snickered at him. +

+Jal backed away slowly aghast, but everyone else went stoically about +their business, unperturbed. The room grew dark and Jal turned to the +window. A thick spiderweb had covered it with a hand-sized spider +hurriedly wrapping a struggling shape. A tiny dragon's wing jut from +the bundle. +

+Jal ran. +

+He sprinted from the inn and disregarding caution, fled through the +black alleys and twisted honeycomb and spiderweb streets. It was like +the passages were built to be confounding, and yet somehow mercilessly +efficient. In a matter of moments he was back amid the ruins of the +old city, broken homes and discarded people. Screams from behind him +followed, the sounds of the guards seeking an assassin. But much +worse, the sounds of shattering stone and a deafening roar echoed +through the cavern. Jal scurried through the final alleyway and dove +into his hideout in an abandoned sewer tunnel. He dropped his rich +clothes in the muck and crawled away on hands and knees. +

+He remembered the frantic cries of his mother being torn apart and +then her defiant laugh as the walls fell. Her last words echoed +through his mind, "the will of Tiamat!" Another vicious roar sent +ripples through the water and shivers through the very stone. He heard +the clicking of spiders in the distance, drawing nearer. Closing in. +

+He was being hunted. Franticly he drew the shield from his back and +over his head and grasped a small dagger in his hand. He was once +again a child, in loose-fitting kobold rags and with weapons he could +barely use. He huddled terrified in a dark corner. He closed his eyes +and begged whatever gods could hear him to escape. +

+A faint hiss cut through the clamor. Not a god, but a tiny snake, the +size of a little worm, crawled from the loose stones and looked up at +Jal, flicking its tongue inquisitively. The hiss grew louder, drowning +out the skittering of the approaching swarm and rumble of the +searching dragon. The serpent grew, coiling and stretching, always +watching. Jal found that he was no longer afraid, but curious. The +serpent grew to immense proportions filling the tiny sewer tunnel, +which became a great cavern, yet it still barely contained the +powerful creature. +

+Dendar, the Night Serpent, the Eater of the World, loomed over the +boy. She laughed with the might of thunder and the promise of +disaster. Jal found he could not move. +

+"Jal'Bror'Noloth, your dreamss are deliciouss." +

+Her huge tongue flicked in and out of her mouth, creating wind eddies +that buffeted Jal against the stone. Greasy spittle and half-devoured +bones–remnants of nightmares long forgotten–dripped from her +cavernous maw. Jal could not speak, not even think, as the stench of +nightmare overwhelmed him. +

+"Your nightmare though… tastess unique. Because it is true. And +closer than you think. Evil godss have planss for you it seemss." The +serpent hissed. +

+Jal shuddered. +

+Dendar laughed–a terrible rasping hiss. +

+"And yet… perhapss their planss are merely dreamss. Join me, little +drow-gon and while the godss fret for your fate, we shall feassst!" +

+Suddenly the world returned and Jal awoke from his reverie. What a +dream! What a nightmare! The details faded, chewed away from his mind, +but the image of the serpent and her strange offer lingered. +

+The quiet dripping of sewer water and occasional scurrying of rodent +or insect were the only sounds to be heard besides the dull pounding +of his heart. +

+He sat in the muck for hours. +

+They were never far behind. Staying in one place for too long was +dangerous, but something held Jal in place. Could he actually escape +it all? +

+Soon a distant splash alerted him to company. Heavy footsteps, +confident and strong, echoed through the tunnel. Throngs of rodents +scurried away from the sound, fleeing in terror they trampled on one +another. A light breeze blew through the stinking place from the +opposite end of the tunnel and the insects stopped their chattering, +frozen and reverent. Jal couldn't think. They'd found him. They'd both +found him. It was too late. +

+A lightning bolt streaked through the tunnel past him and a barbaric +roar answered it. +

+The wind began to howl through the tunnel like a cyclone and the +sounds of crumbling rock assailed him from both sides. +

+Jal grimaced and hesitated. But as the twin forms came into view, he +shouted into the clamor, "ENOUGH! Dendar! We are bound, now free me +from this place!" +

+Wissse Choissce… +

+Instantly a portal opened before him like a tear in reality and +brilliant light beamed through. Jal rushed into it and was transported +many miles away in an instant. A startled yell and the renewed sounds +of battle followed him through, but then there was nothing but +silence, the gentle breeze, and the burning light of the midday sun. +

27 The Surface

+The blinding light of the Shaar's Summer Sun left Jal helpless. +

+He lay upon the ground thinking it maybe better he have died quickly +in the tunnels or upon his own blade. But such musings held no real +power, and with the setting of the Sun, and the rising of the lesser +evils of the moon and of the stars, he wept freely. For though he was +bound–and nightmares would indeed become routine while in service to +their master–for the first time in his life, he was free. +

28 Credits

+[Thank you for Reading! I'm Andrew Murrell, an aspiring D&D author and +dedicated DM. Check out my blog at http://AndrewDM.me/ [WIP] for +updates or if you'd like to see more stuff like this!] +

-- cgit v1.2.3 From 50830151e8168b8be0100da349ba7e3576054dc3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Logger Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2017 03:35:23 -0500 Subject: Auto-insert entry to ChangeLog --- src/changelog.md | 5 +++++ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+) diff --git a/src/changelog.md b/src/changelog.md index da91a63..8cd5ee5 100644 --- a/src/changelog.md +++ b/src/changelog.md @@ -1,6 +1,11 @@ ChangeLog ========= +## 2017-12-26 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> + +Added PDFs, moved tastavi to writing, and added more apocrypha worldbuilding docs + + ## 2017-12-25 AndrewMurrell <ImFromNASA@gmail.com> converted org to md -- cgit v1.2.3

Table of Contents

1 Ik'lithslaelith

2 The Drowess

3 The Tunnel

4 High Priestess Destiny

5 Soup for Dinner

6 Hunger and Possibilities

7 [CENSORED]

8 Visions

9 Visitations

10 Voices

11 jal'Bror-noloth

12 The Hold

13 The Pits

14 The Return

15 Tastavi

16 Trials

17 Transformations

18 Training

19 The Leader

20 The Contest

21 The Cell

22 Motherly Love

23 The Will of Lolth

24 Doom

25 Destruction

26 Dreams

27 The Surface

28 Credits

Table of Contents

1 Ik'lithslaelith

2 The Drowess

3 The Tunnel

4 High Priestess Destiny

5 Soup for Dinner

6 Hunger and Possibilities

7 [CENSORED]

8 Visions

9 Visitations

10 Voices

11 jal'Bror-noloth

12 The Hold

13 The Pits

14 The Return

15 Tastavi

16 Trials

17 Transformations

18 Training

19 The Leader

20 The Contest

21 The Cell

22 Motherly Love

23 The Will of Lolth

24 Doom

25 Destruction

26 Dreams

27 The Surface

28 Credits