Summer Lego RPG Setting Jam: The Drakonomachy

Thousand Lakes is home to sturdy Barbarians who shun arcane magic, trusting the strength of ships and steel. It's also home to Dragons who prey on the magically deficient swamp dwellers, extorting tribute and destroying those who resist.

The coastal Jarl Kaarlo Bogiron refuses to pay the Dragons' tithe of gold and blood. He defies the power of the Drakes from his island fortress in the estuary beyond the river Sprat. The engineer Arto Shornhand, builder of ships and siege weapons, equips the Jarl's forces with weapons capable of challenging the flying beasts. Warriors flock to the Jarl's banner, while Dragon cultists fete the great Worms who oppose him.

Minidungeon: The Spring of Saint Mamacona

The Spring of Saint Mamacona was once a source of Holy Water for the people of the Sentinels, the mountains above the Highlands. Then the flow of water to the villages below was cut off. Of the scouts who ascended Red Mountain to investigate the shrine only a few returned alive, telling stories of enormous shapes moving through the mist, giving off a great heat that melted the snow around them.

The Marriage of the Giantess Morwenna - Masterpost

Egbert Lievensz van der Poel

The Giantess Morwenna is hosting a tournament, a grand melee with a grander reward: her hand in marriage. Her soldiers have scourged the landscape for miles around, kidnapping farmers as slaves or food for the Giantess. Three mercenary armies have added to their depredations, led by a trio of warlords intent on contesting the hastilude. The festivities begin in seven days.

The Marriage of the Giantess Morwenna - Music Post

John Martin

Marriage of the Giantess Morwenna used a mix of handpicked and recycled sounds. I got a lot of mileage out of the Dwarf Fortress OST, which is the best thing to come out of the Steam release. 

The Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna - Epilogue

Flying away from the wreckage of the wedding as fast as possible, Jack Fatherd received a telepathic message through the talking sword Agia, given him by the Cave Elf Carnamagos prior to his final mission against the Giants. His handler in the Hundred Hands, using the mated sword Agillus, asked him for a report on the mission. Jack reported that Morwenna was dead, the Giant Cleric and his servitors were dead, the Red Ball mages were dead, but Aldrich and the Brazenkragg Agents escaped. Jack got an image from the guy on the other end of the line. A man sitting in front of four plates, two of them filled with cakes. The man was smiling. The next image was Jack's next mission: a room full of people, hands soaked in purple grape must, stabbing Aldrich to death. 

 

But that would have to wait, because Jack needed to take care of the Giant Bat who almost died. If his asshole Case Officer wanted it done faster than that, he could come down here and do it himself.   

 

The Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna Session Ten

Four of the victorious Lute Bastards attended the Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna.

• Aldrich Brisbane the Groom
• Laguna Tempest the Mage
• Zigar Kneecapper the Thug
• Grimm Dundragon the Ranger

The wedding was on the lakeshore, where slaves had set up tents with food and an open bar. Grimm was already drunk, courtesy of the Red Ball mages who insisted he get wasted. Laguna tried to convince the student wizards to cast a protection spell on him, but they were no longer in his employ and wouldn't go for it. Zigar talked with the numerous soldiers running security for the event. They explained that they had a combat scribe with a scroll of ESP to judge the intent of the guests and prevent any assassination plots. The mage read the scroll but the alcohol coursing through Grimm's brains protected his thoughts. 

 

Houdini came over to remonstrate with Aldrich. Morwenna had picked out her sister Dora to witness the consummation of the marriage, and the Mummy needed to know who Aldrich would bring. He chose Datura, because she was a notary or because he thought it would be funny. He'd actually met Dora previously, even helped her escape the Manor of the Giant Arminius alongside her real father Pendergast the Wizard. Technically she was only Morwenna's half-sister, though that wasn't public knowledge. Aldrich looked over at Dora and Pendergast, who were giving Morwenna an early wedding present: a box filled with eggs. Morwenna wore a tight robe made from the skin of a dozen saber tooth cats, which could barely contain her body. Dora said something Aldrich couldn't hear, and Morwenna's face contorted in an expression of unforced wonder and delight. She picked up her half-sister and hugged her.

The Giantess put Dora down. Her face assumed its usual affectless sneer. She caught Aldrich staring. Licked her lips. The Giant Cleric Kadminion, emissary from the Godsfeast Abbey, announced it was time for the main event. 

 

OSE Play Report: Temple of the Lizard God

I've had this one in my drafts for a month or two. This is a game I played in (as the Wizard) rather than ran.

The town council of Elgard Valley was concerned about lizardmen sneaking around the ruined temple outside of town. They hired four adventurers to check the place out.

• Faldo the Fighter
• Robert the Wizard
• Seva the Cleric
• Varik the Dwarf

The adventurers negotiated partial payment up front and investigated local rumors about the temple. They heard it was dedicated to prehistoric gods, that clerics weren't allowed inside, that it was a portal for prehistoric spirits, and it was full of jade jewelry.

The Ninepins

Otherworld miniatures, painted by me

The Ninepins are a group of swindlers who operate by deception and stealth, robbing dungeon denizens and adventurers alike. While they can intimidate and overwhelm low level threats they prefer to employ con-artistry vs tougher foes.

Monster Overhaul Test Drive: Kidnapper's Keep

With the collapse of the City of Tontes, the Marble Cliffs have become anarchic. Petty lordlings reassert their authority, controlling the surrounding landscape from fortified keeps. An entreprenurial gang of thieves operating out of a stolen castle run a kidnapping and ransom business, grabbing anyone who looks important and imprisoning them in the dungeons beneath the fortress.

The Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna Session Nine

 

On the day of the Tournament of the Giantess Morwenna, Delgal Haberkorn the Student Wizard woke up early to exchange the ancient weapons the Lute Bastards found in the swamp with the archaeologists. The archaeologists' camp at the Iron Cup franchise was a day's travel to the southwest, but Delgal had a hunch that they had already relocated to the event venue for the Tournament.

Delgal's hike proved uneventful and his hunch proved right. Menmen and Glorietta were happy to receive the weapons and armor from the prehistoric zombies, especially the boar tusk helmet with the skull still inside. In exchange, Delgal chose a Cloak of Protection from the archaeologists' stash. He spotted a number of familiar and unfamiliar faces crowding the food stalls outside the stadium, where Houdini the Mummy had tossed an orb of diamond vision that projected images of enormous size. The preacher Big Eclipse, the Ettin and Houdini himself all made appearances, as well as a ten foot giantess and a human wizard waiting in line to buy snails and beer. As he left with his new cloak, he saw a Giant in the vestments of the God King's clergy approaching the stadium, accompanied by an entourage of half-giants.

Delgal made his way to the assigned start point for the Bastards, where he was joined by

• Aldrich Brisbane the Fighter
  
• Laguna Tempest the Mage
  
• Zigar Kneecapper the Thug
  
• Datura the Elf
• Grimm Dundragon the Ranger

And let's not forget their entourage

• The Stone Golems Rough and Tumble
• Ganga the Acrobat, Charmed by Laguna
  
• Two Owlbears, ensorceled by Grimm's ring of Control Animal
  

And their mercenaries

• The Giff artillerymen of The Cannon's Thunder
  
• Chelicera the Bard, beloved daughter of The Decapitator
• The Panzerbjorn and their three suits of necrotic tadigrade armor 
• Median the Yellow and his Killer Bees
• The Myconids and hooded killers of Black Mask
• The student wizards of Red Ball and their wands of Magic Missile
  

The group went over their plans and waited anxiously for the games to begin.

 

The Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna Session Eight

Five adventurers woke up in Ishizaka's blockhouse on the last day before the Tournament of the Giantess Morwenna.

• Umbrich Brisbane the Fighter
  
• Laguna Tempest the Mage
  
• Zigar Kneecapper the Thug
  
• Datura the Elf
  
• Delgal Haberkorn the Student Wizard
  

Accompanied by their hired Illusionist Cangue and the Stone Golem Slagface, the adventurers peered out of the window at the commotion from the crossroads a couple miles east. A column of Green Men from One Ear marched north toward Gorrister's keep, singing cheerful songs. They decided to wait until their mercenaries arrived before investigating this new development. They were scheduled to show up and they needed to get everyone introduced and delivered to the Dwarven outpost where the rest of the Bastards' forces were waiting.

 

Zomnocon 2 Feedback

Zomner ran an Unknown Armies jam last week. It was supposed to just go for a weekend but he got tied up before closing submissions, so we got a whole week to send entries. The word count was 2,333 and stat blocks didn't count against the total. Submitters got to choose any of the following prompts 

• Film Noir (1940s genre of film)
• Inspired by a song
• Nepotism
• Old friends
• Positive change over negative
• Something important has been stolen
• Green thumb

There were fourteen submissions to the jam.

 

The Wedding of the Giantess Morwenna Session Seven

 

Two new adventurers hiked up the causeway to the Lute Bastards' mountain fortress.

• Grimm Dundragon, Ranger, bonus mercenary.
• Delgal Haberkorn, student Wizard from Red Ball, arrived a day early

The Magic User Laguna Tempest teamed up with Median the Yellow to put the finishing touches on his Stone Golem, a big red chunk of animated hematite that he named Slagface. Umbrich Brisbane went under the base to earthquake-proof the foundations in case Gorrister sent his Earth Elemental in retaliation for the tower raid.

 

Looking out from their mountain fastness into the cold and rainy landscape, the Lute Bastards immediately noticed a change in the surrounding environment. The malarial swamp on the northern shore of the lake was now an ancient barrow. Laguna Tempest, Slagface the Stone Golem, Zigar Kneecapper, Datura the Elf and the two new adventurers set out to investigate.