Queen under the Sands

Another night here at my table top where we get a glimpse at the Queen under the sands. This lady of stature sits above all and commands her people to do what needs to be done – which happens to be to attack and capture those who dwell on the surface of her sands. But before we get carried away let’s take a back-step and watch what happens, for now, as opportunity is a mistress that appears just once.

So before we loose ours heads, let’s grab a coffee sit down and roll into tonight’s adventure.


Queen under the Sands

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The ground appeared to rumble and shake as the sand disappeared through some rents in the crust below. As the sand pooling down into nothingness slowed Norturi watched on with awe as she pawed over the maps she held in front of her.

“This is it. All my notes led to here and behold I was right. A kingdom below the sands where the wares, goods and treasure of a hundred caravans lay!” Norturi could barely contain her excitement as she pointed and bounced next to what was being revealed. A great archway, door and stairs now was slowly appearing as the sand had moved to the side and the door lay waiting before the. Inscribed beautifully and crafted exceedingly well the stonework looked to be made by a skilled set of hands.

However, before the Norturi or the party could investigate further the sounds of laughter could be heard from behind them, at the top of a sand dune. “Well it was pretty easy to track you, harder to stay hidden but here we are. We’ll be taking that treasure if you would be so kind.” one of the men from the Den of Thieves, the tavern from a few nights back. Except it was more than just four that were at the bar, there were over a dozen men this time and several looked like they could handle themselves in combat.

“We got here first, I’ve been searching for this treasure for years and we did all the work in finding it.” Norturi began “Besides you don’t even know how to open the door.” she continued as she started to look around at the men that outnumbered her and the party.

“Sure we do. Tim, that’s your queue.” the man at front said as a man stepped forward from the crowd as the others strode forward. The sheer number of them was enough for Norturi to sigh but give the signal to the party to let them through. The party was surrounded and not disarmed as the group of thieves and thugs stood between them and the door. Time passed as Tim read the door, or attempted to, as he looked for a lock to pick.

“What’s taking so long!” the bigger man yelled out.

“I can’t find the lock boss!” Tim called out, but as he did the sound of clicking and grinding stone could be heard from the archway.

“Great work Tim, knew we kept ya around for a reason!” the boss called out, to the cheering of many people.

“That wasn’t me boss. I didn’t do nothin’ ” Tim responded as the door opened and several large imposing figures loomed forward from the portal. The laughing of all the thieves stopped immediately as the large ant-like humanoids stepped up the steps to stand just above several of the thieves and party.

“what the…” was all that one of the thieves managed to get out before he was grabbed by large claw-like hands and dragged backwards, down the steps and into the yawning passageway below. Chaos erupted with some thieves rushing forward to attack, some being grabbed and taken, and several trying to run through the party to get away from the large insectoid race. However a scream on the other side of the dune quickly indicated that something was not right.


Thanks for joining me for another night at the tabletop. Don’t forget that we will continue to drive out more content each night this week. So don’t forget to come back each day and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Norturi of the Dead Sands

As the sun sets across the desert, Norturi of the Dead Sands makes her way to a bar. And that’s where the punchline of this joke would start however we have the encounter with the party instead. A tavern at the edge of the desert and a Tabaxi looking for some help in making it rich – what can go wrong?

So let’s grab a coffee, sit back and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!


Norturi of the Dead Sands

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Norturi – Created in Artbreeder.

Norturi walked through the mudbrick buildings as she headed towards the bright building simply known as the “Den of Thieves”. Not the friendliest of names for a tavern but the food was good, the iced ale was better. Striding to the door and ignoring the drunks outside she slipped a few coppers to the guard out front. With a nod the Guard didn’t bother checking her for weapons as she entered the building that thrummed with noise.

The alcohol, smoke and aroma of grilled food mixed together a heady smell that made her mouth water immediately. Finding what she was looking for, a table of tough looking mercenaries, she strode over. Her feline reflexes made it easy to avoid the items and feet that lay on the ground. As she pulled up a chair she started with her normal introduction, her name, her profession and what she was looking for. After a few moments of discussion the group of rough individuals asked if they could confer alone. She stood up and noticed another group of adventures; outsiders from the look of it, were watching her intently from a booth nearby.

Talking to the bar she got an iced ale, a speciality from this bar where the innkeeper grabbed a nearly-frozen tankard and filled it with ale that was cooled by large copper pipes which was crusted by frost – a gnomish invention she was sure. After grabbing her cold beverage she strode back to the group and watched as they finished talking – her instincts told her that there was something funny going on. They had never been wrong before so before she sat down she announced that she had changed her mind. The group, surprisingly, smiled and agreed that the job wasn’t for them before standing up, and leaving.

The adventurers nearby however felt more safe, more trustworthy. “Hi, I’m Norturi – a studier of ancient lore and I find myself in need of an escort to where I think a lost treasure is. What say you? Are you looking for some quick and maybe easy work?”


Thanks for visiting tonight as we find out two things at once, one that the Den of Thieves has chilled ale and that Norturi has, allegedly, some killer instincts. But to find out how good or bad they are you’ll have to come back daily this week to see where we go with this adventure. So don’t forget that tomorrow we look at the hook and twist of this adventure and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Desert of the Lost

Welcome to another week at my tabletop and this Monday kicks off with looking at the Desert of the Lost. This large expanse of sand dunes is home to a growing number of tribes and outposts. Why you might ask? Well its simple. Trade and the promise of treasure. Over the number of years a great number of merchants have tried to cross the desert and have failed, their wares, goods and gold lost beneath the sands. Or has it?

So let’s explore the blistering days and chilling nights by grabbing a coffee, sitting down and rolling into tonight’s adventure!


With the desert holding a bounty of dozens of caravans and adventurers going missing the temptation to look for the lost treasure of the sands was overwhelming. But for a young Tabaxi scholar and adventurer it was a dream that promised her an easy retirement for her family and fame that would spearhead the other adventures she had planned for. But will she be able to find the right people to trust in taking her to the lost treasure or will she just be another nameless soul beneath the hot sands.

Beneath the waves of sand dunes there was something ever stirring. The growing city was getting greedier and the need to appease the queen was growing. However the sound of boots on sand, the smell of camels and horses was enough to bring them out of hiding and to begin the hunt.


Desert of the Lost

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Desert of The Lost – Created in Nightcafe.

Norturi looked across the endless dunes and watched the sun as it started to set down across the dunes. Looking at the scraps of parchment, books and scraps of cloth in front of her. These were the merchant logs of several caravans that had gone missing in the desert as they were heading off to fulfil a big contact and she was just the Tabaxi to find the cache.

The desert itself was broad and harsh. Very few rocky outcrops, nearly no oasis’s and enough man eating creatures that even the experienced hunters would avoid it. But Norturi had a suspicion that all the merchants that had disappeared had followed the same path, and that somewhere beneath the sand the collective hoard of all their wealth and goods was located. She just didn’t know why, which made her hesitate to go alone. 

Dusting off the articles she folded them into her backpack before jumping onto the back of her camel. She thought she knew where they were, but didn’t know why. So she had to get herself some mercs to get her there and more importantly back safely with the loot.


Thanks for joining me for the start of a new week of adventuring. This one like a few others of mine has a bit more to the start of it than presented here but you’ll just have to wait for the zine to see what I mean. So don’t forget to come back each day this week and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Inns, Taverns and Stores

After a busy afternoon and spending a bit too long adding more details to the Avermeet adventure I ended up settling on a few different concepts involving Inns, Taverns and Stores. These are the birthplace of adventures, hooks and sometimes plots so its only natural to have a few up ones sleeve. So in my journey to find the best kick-off point for this adventure I got lost amongst the art, the possibilities and so we will have to settle on what I discovered (and had AI create for me) for this weeks content.

So grab a coffee, sit back and let’s walk down a street that may be all too familiar.


Inns, Taverns and Stores

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Inns – created in Nightcafe.

The humble inn. A place where jobs are posted, party members can rest and thieves can attempt to steal special items from said parties. A place where the adventure can be born, escalate or conclude or all three and it’s found in nearly every single campaign.

They provide an opportunity for any number of NPCs to legitimately have a reason to bump into or simply be near the party at the right time and place of our choosing.


Stores – Created in Nightcafe.

The general store, or store in general can be host to any number of things which can provide our parties with a means to spend their gold. It also provides us, the DM, with a way to introduce a MacGuffin into the parties hands. A conveinent plot development, an item, a NPC, knowledge or tools can be gained from the general store – so its not just for rations, rope, 10ft poles and torches never mind… Everyone always has darkvision.

But Stores can provide points of plot too. An illegal storefront that is selling stolen wares (much like my first adventure-zine.) or it could be the focal point of the adventure where the suspect works at a store. Or knows who did it, or was a victim of the villain. There are nearly too many options here for us to investigate but that just shows how versatile these key buildings can be.


Taverns – Created in Nightcafe.

And lastly the Tavern. A place for food, drink, gambling, song, dance and murder. That’s right another building for stories to take flight, take a sudden unexpected twist or end with is Taverns. They can be blended with an Inn but I would expect the clientele of a tavern to be detrimental to a good nights sleep. Taverns can also have the most fun with their names too. Five Fat Ravens Tavern, The Fatty Pheasant, or my personal all-time favourite, the Frisky Mare. Taverns just need an adjective and a noun and you got yourself a tavern name. Nearly fool-proof and your parties will remember it for ages to come.


Thanks for visiting tonight. Not quite the zine I was hoping to get published tonight, or two of them in fact, but it was still a fun write-up and night of art discovery for myself. Don’t forget to come back next week as we continue on this path and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Hazards of Mountaineering

As we prepare for another end of week write-up we look to the old 5e DMG where we can find some hazards of mountaineering within. We would all be well aware now that there are other things that we can throw at our party other than creatures to fight. Hazards can be rewarding to overcome just like an encounter with a particularly strong creature, or solving a hard puzzle. Tonight we look at some such things and how we can weave them into this weeks adventure.

So let’s sit back, grab a hot coffee and roll into tonight’s content.


Hazards of Mountaineering

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The hazards for the Dusty Crag mountains are quite common place across many mountains and other environments. The first being weather.

Strong Wind

Now a particularly strong wind in the right circumstance or situation can be deadly. Trying to climb a shale filled cliff for example could lead to a fatal slip if one is trying to climb in strong winds. A strong wind however also carries other hindrances such as imposing disadvantage on all ranged weapon attack rolls and also perception checks (wisdom) that rely on hearing as the sound is carried away. A strong wind will also extinguish open flames (camp fires or torches) and it will disperse gases (cloud kill, fog, etc.). It will also mean that flying, via non-magical means is now impossible – so I hope you have a wizard with fly or magic broomsticks. Flying creatures also must land at the end of its turn or it will fall out of the sky – not a good result for the aarakocra ranger.

Heavy precipitation (or dust)

Much like the strong wind, heavy precipitation, or dust storms, can impose disadvantage on perception checks, but in this case it’s for those requiring sight not hearing. It will also extinguish open flames if it’s raining (or dust if there is enough of it) and depending on how violent the wind is it will also carry the same penalties as that.

Shale or slippery cliffs

Walking on shale is a dangerous hobby and for many it results in a painful fall onto one’s rump. However when coupled with vertical movement it can be devastating. When a creature attempts to walk across or climb onto a section of loose shale or simply slippery cliffs for the first time in their turn they must make a DC10 dexterity (acrobatics) check or fall prone. If you’re on the ground this isn’t such a bad thing but if you’re forty feet in the air that’s 4d6 bludgeoning damage. Now having climbing tools, a mountaineering kit or simply spider climb would either completely negate this or provide a bonus (Advantage) on the skill check.

Razor sharp stones

Now instead of being loose shale what about shards of obsidian, or blade like shards of rock, shattered volcanic stone or even glass. For this we can simply look at the spell spike stones. This results in the area being difficult terrain and anyone through the terrain suffers 1d8 piercing damage for every 5 feet they move. Now for climbing I would also have them roll for Shale/slippery cliffs as the pain could cause them to slip and fall. However, this could simply block the party from moving forward. Rewarding creative thinking such as binding hands, feet or padding them or simply taking longer to progress through the area, plotting a safe course through could be enough.

Nesting ground for nasties

Now inspired from a variety of childhood movies this one is a fun one. Have the hand hold or foot hold be the home for a lizard, snake, spider, centipede or scorpion who doesn’t like being intruded against. Having them being poisonous may be good for higher level parties but just the bite, shock, slip and fall may be enough to warrant a challenging trek for other level parties.


Now there is a few hazards we can include in our mountaineering adventures. But don’t forget that tomorrow is the fated zine day so don’t forget to come back for that and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Masters of the Sky

This week as the party trek into the Dusty Crags, a series of tall rocky outcrops, cliffs and forest, the party come face to face with the masters of the sky. These creatures, the griffons and wyverns of the crag are powerful adversaries and something that should be avoided where possible. However there is another trick up the sleeve of these creatures as the griffon of the Dusty Crag has a nasty surprise.

Let’s not wait any longer. So grab a coffee, sit down and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!


Masters of the Sky

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Dusty Crag Griffon – Created in Tetra-cube

As with any creature that spends long enough in an environment they will evolve to suit that space. The Griffons in the Dusty Crag however have adapted in an unusual way. Some of them after feasting on the creatures of the valley below their skies have developed a neat party trick. After ingesting a large quantity of creatures that dwell in these rocky hills they have absorbed some of the arcane taint that this land gives off. This has given some descendants of these masters of the sky the ability to project an illusion to thwart would-be attackers or raiders as well as to lure out the rivals for the sky. The Wyverns.


Griffon – Created in Tetra-cube.

As there are only a few of these Dusty Crag griffons who have developed this magical skill there are a great number of the beasts who do not possess any semi-magical ability. These griffons are no more lethal but rely on the alphas, the Dust Crag Griffons, to lure their biggest prey into position before diving at the distracted creatures to ensure a swift kill.


Wyvern – created in Tetra-cube.

However, despite the cleverness of some of these griffons the sheer size, bulk and strength of a wyvern is never to be underestimated. These flying brutes are fast, lethal and overall terrifying as many predators of its size are. Able to shred an adult griffon instantly the only way that the smaller predators can bring down such a beast is with synchronised group effort and by ambushing the larger alpha predator, the true masters of the skies.


And with that we have the final content of the week and it is where we leave it for tonight. Don’t forget to come back this weekend as we plan to get some Zines out and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Hunting for the Nest

The party is once again schlepping through a forest but this time they are hunting for the nest that will grant them moderate riches. Or, it will grant them an early retirement through death. Not known for their welcoming nature the inhabitants of this forest, griffons, wyverns, “tritnols” and more, are vicious and unrelenting when defending their nests. But that’s the price of hunting for the nest at the centre of this adventure.

So as with other nights, let’s grab a coffee, sit back and roll into tonight’s adventure.


Hunting for the Nest

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The Hunting Grounds – Created in Inkarnate.

The thick vegetation, large collapsed trees and rocky outcrops making it difficult to navigate in a straight line the party, and other nest seekers, have to brave the climb up the hills or the steep ascent where there is little cover from the predators in these hills.

With some trees providing a perch or a useful way up to a higher ledge this climb isn’t without its shortcuts but even these can have their perils. Rocky, craggy hills are prone to hiding reptiles, insects or arachnids that call these holes and crevices home. One wrong foot, or hand placed in the wrong hole and you may get more than you bargained for.

With each ledge being 20 feet into the air and the nest itself sitting 80 feet up only a fool would climb that without a ledge to rest on. A fool or those trained in mountaineering that is.


Mixing craggy hills and cliffs to give it an uneven jutting appearance at certain steps hopefully gives more depth of height for the hills. The trees add in cover, ways to climb and boost as well as places to jump to if required. There are several things you can do with a tree. The fallen trees provide cover, could be shelter or a place to hide and the one between the cliffy-craggy hills could be used to walk or climb across. As always multiple layers with varying transparency make up tonight’s map as blending the transparent backgrounds produces the nicer looking maps.


Thanks for joining me the map making night this week. A forest one again – nice and easy with few challenges this one was a nice and relaxing map make. Don’t forget tomorrow we reveal some beasties to encounter this week and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Unsubtle Lies

Never has there been a new creature discovered without subtle, sometime unsubtle lies being its unwanted companion. The platypus was thought to be a hoax when first discovered and rumours of other sea-serpents and other monstrous creatures have been included in all histories. But for the Tritnol the lies go much further than just something that is cosmetic, their very existence is based on a singular lie.

Before before we spill the tea, let’s grab a coffee sit down and roll into tonight’s adventure.


Unsubtle Lies

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Together the party climbed the mountains, avoided the creatures the elf El’thirnol had warned them about and with some luck they were making good progress. As part of the wager Callum had told them all roughly where the nest was. However, instead of waiting until dawn like the others, Callum and his sellsword were gone by the morning and were likely ahead of the party.

The village they had come from lived amongst the mountains and was largely left alone by the hostile creatures that lived nearby. It was probably the seasoned hunters that were stationed on the walls and towers around the village. The trek into the mountains didn’t take long and even as they marched onwards shouts could be heard from other parties who were attempting the same climb. It sounded as if the other people racing the climb were finding the paths just as difficult or running into trouble.

As the party ascended they became more acutely aware of the large creatures flying above them, griffons. They were the least of their worries as they moved stealthily but alerting the real monsters of these cliffs would only bode poorly. The Griffons and Tritnol’s weren’t the only master of the cliffs here. Wyverns had been known to live in this area – preying on griffons and their chicks as well as taking down the Tritnol when they were feeling particularly bold. But the elven huntmaster had told the party how to overcome the difficulties of the terrain and how to hide from the predators and so far it was working.


As the chosen adventures climbed El’thirnol watched with spyglass in hand. They were nearing the nest that he had sought and with any luck the parents were not around. But something was troubling him. The Tritnol’s were flying overhead as normal, large lumbering creatures that appeared to defy gravity as they flew. But the volume of them looked suspicious. When they gathered like this they normally found dead griffons and even wyverns the following days.

He watched the creatures in the area from his perch. His trained eye picked out where they all lived and he watched them. A few griffons lay still as they watched the Tritnol’s closely like the alpha predators they were. Despite being the huntmaster of the village, and widely known as being a master at his craft he had yet to take down a Tritnol. Their thick hide seemed to evade all arrows, bolts and even a ballistae had no effect. They were truly a strange creature.

But as he watched the creatures below he noticed that a group of hunters approached one of the nests. As the parent rose from the nest he glanced away towards his vigil on the flying giants and something odd occurred. A flickering, like the disruption of a spell, was coming over one of the Tritnol’s. As he watched he heard a shriek of pain as the Tritnol disappeared completely. Looking at the source, a wounded griffon with an arrow shaft in its leg. A moment later the sharp talons separated foolish hunters heads and limbs from bodies as the griffon’s partner swooped the hunters.

The titan in the sky, the Tritnol’s form wavered from that moment onwards, as if injured itself. El’thirnol mused. Something was odd here and the injured and odd acting Tritnol and corresponding with a Griffon being wounded was not something he would write off as coincidence.


The revelation here isn’t soo much a revelation as it is twist. What if the mightiest beast in the sky wasn’t real and was a lie that wasn’t spun by the hunters of creatures, but from the creatures themselves. Something interesting to explore this week as we continue to expand the adventure. So don’t forget to come back each day and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Huntmaster

As the hunt for the Tritnol commences the Huntmater, El’thirnol watches as Callum a small band together to try and claim the elves prize. However the huntmaster has other ideas. This week we expand the adventure further to get a glimmer of what is to come, a change in the air has the huntmaster, El’thirnol, waiting for a sign of things to change and an opportunity. But that’s looking a bit deeper into this weeks adventure and getting ahead of ourselves.

So to stay ahead of the pack let’s grab a coffee, sit back and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!


Huntmaster

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El’thirnol Wellundrae – Created in Artbreeder.

As El’thirnol watched the tavern change from silent individuals into hastily planning and scheming groups he could not help but grin. He knew that what Callum had described was a creature that lived in those mountains but it was not what he thought it was. No, it was something that El’thirnol wanted more than the floundering giants of the skies. He wanted a mighty hunting companion one which his long elven years could make good use out of.

And so the hunt was on, to bring back the eggs that would hopefully spawn creatures he was seeking. But as he watched several groups leave and sporting weapons that were not conducive to the mountains he had his doubts. Callum was holed up with a few of the village folk who adored him and believed his stories. However even the elven huntmaster could see that they would be trouble. Besides the idea of paying gold to the man and his rag-tag group of sellswords didn’t sit well with El’thirnol

Callum Winker – created in Artbreeder.

Behind him he could almost sense that the old elf was plotting something. Callum was used to twisting tales of his exploits to get what he wanted but being confronted was something new. He had boasted of his prowess in front of the elf before but this was the first time that the old man had been riled up about it. Something was not right here and Callum was going to prove the elf wrong.

The people around him were his fans, sellswords like himself who were spoiling for a good fight and adventure and better yet, they knew the mountains. With this group by his side he wouldn’t have to retreat before confirming the kill; like last time, instead they would be able to confirm that the job was done and get paid by that high and mighty elf.

Standing up he and the members of his team went off towards his lodge. There he would get the gear they need to ascend into the mountains and complete this challenge before anyone else.

El’thirnol watched the members of the groups leave until his eyes fell on another group. Adventurers from out of town it would seem. Approaching he sat down next to them and began introductions. If he could convince another group to get involved he could increase the chance of success for the safe arrival of the eggs and his future.


Now that’s all we have for tonight. But don’t forget to come back daily this week as we continue to expand upon this adventure one day at a time. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Larger Than a Griffon

Welcome to another week at my tabletop and this week are are on the hunt for something larger than a griffon. What may you ask? The Tritnol! I would not be surprised if you had not heard of one before as they are quite the oddity. Rumoured to be larger than a griffon, maybe not as ferocious but definitely stronger. A wise man would keep ample food with them as they are voracious eaters but once sated they are calm creatures.

So to avoid spending the night writing about these creatures in the intro, let’s explore another action packed adventure by grabbing a coffee, sitting down and rolling into tonight’s adventure!


Bounty set, wager ready and the hunt for the Tritnol’s nest is ready. Rumoured to be several times heavier than a griffon, the Tritnol egg’s weight in gold is a small fortune for an everyday person. But for adventurers the bounty on three such eggs is surely worth the risk.


Larger Than a Griffon

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The Tritnol’s Nest – Created in Nightcafe.

“Not having seen something doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Rumours of the mad mage, Albazahr’s, creations have spread far and wide and none are as weird as the very creature that lives in the Toll Mountains. The Tritnol is a savage creature, larger than a griffon but twice as mean. With teeth that rip like daggers, talons like swords and the ability to breathe out fire hot enough to melt a golem. These creatures are feared and hate…” the man stopped as someone started clapping from the doorway.

The hunter was boasting about taking down one of the creatures for the fourth night in a row, having slain it with a perfect shot from his mighty black-wood bow. But it seems that someone wasn’t as excited about the story as he had hoped. 

“A great story Callum, but that is all that it is. A story. The Tritnol’s are a passive creature driven by hunger primarily. Instead of sharp teeth they have a beak, not overly sharp as it’s used on vegetation primarily. They don’t even have talons but more like. Stubby toenails at best. Oh my the Tritnol is a marvellous creature but it sounds like you have slain something entirely different. Do go on.” the elven hunter, El’thirnol, mocked as he strode through the door. 

“I’m telling you the truth. The nest lays empty but a day’s climb into the mountains. Three eggs lay there. If I could have gold to buy some gear that I lost in the daring fight I will climb back up and show you.” Callum hastily replied back, his face a mask of sweat.

“A wager then!” called El’thirnol. “One of these eggs weight in gold if you can bring it back to me. If you bring back all three then that’s three times the coin. If you can do that Callum, or anyone else in this room, then my gold and respect is yours.”


Another week has come and with it, another week of adventuring. Don’t forget that each day this week we will be expanding the adventure to include more details. So don’t forget to come back each day this week and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe