[Lendore Isles Campaign] Back to 2e... after 32 years!

For the first time since... huh... 1993? I joined an ongoing campaign of D&D 2e! Now even if my last D&D 2e campaign was back in University, I did play the occasional game, but I really disliked the game. It had so many flaws to me, especially since there were games that fit what I wanted to play much more. It was the time of the World of Darkness, of Legend of the Five Rings, and of Call of Cthulhu.

I saw an ad for the game on a Quebec D&D group. What drew my eye? It was a game set in Greyhawk, in the Lendore Isles. I was in and wanted to play.

So after we went through the session zero, we made characters. I chose to make a cleric (my favorite class in all editions). I created a cleric of Lydia (imagine a gossip-cleric!).

The first game is still to come but I'm really excited to start and see what happens.

The Four Questions

An important NPC: My mother Berthe, who works at the local inn, Le Griffon Vert.

An important Event: I ratted out some of the local bullies, Lars and his 2 goons, after they did something bad. It taught me that to speak the truth led to good outcomes. Revealing hidden truths is one of Lydia's tenets.

An important Place: The library beneath the local chapel. I live there in a small room. I help out at the hospital, teach kids, and perform religious service.

One thing I'd like to accomplish: I'd like to establish a cult of Lydia in Valiandre (our home town).

[Crown of Tears] New Letters...

New Letters...

[Crown of Tears] Ancient Golems

Having opened the double doors to reveal the odd statue of a six-armed snake woman... a marilith demon! They decided to... SMASH the statues by the doors. They turned out to be stone golems! Then, they attacked the marilith statue, and the skeletons on the spears activated, creating a massive free-for-all, with the PCs, skeletons, and golems all fighting against each other.

A lot of frantic running around and damage dealt and taken led to one of the stone golems to fall into the chasm and vanish (for now).

In the scramble that followed, Sylumbra tried to escape the other golem by drawing it into the chasm (again) but this golem held on and pummeled her to death, her body disappearing into the depths.

Then the party fled, told Fatima to brick up her basement.

[My Character] Villaine the Green Knight

I created this character for a one-shot Nick-T ran at my place in September called Lost in the Forest. The details were otherwise sparse as to what we would be doing. We would be level 6, pretty much anything goes.

I decided to play a ranger, which I haven't played in years (I think my last PFS character was a ranger). After building her up to level 6, I decided to add some versatility and made her Ranger 5/ Fighter 1.

For my archetype, I chose the Green Knight from the Tarsyn Setting. I liked the idea of a ranger walking around in an armor made of dirt, leaves, and vines.

What is a Green Knight? The Green Knights of Tarsyn are dedicated to the protection and defense of holy site. The knightly fist of the Druidic Circles. The idea got me excited.

Now to complete the character...
- Sex: my previous character was a male, so I went with a female character.
- Race: I considered one of the Princesses, but did not want to be a Rose Red (an iconic combo). So after poking around, I went with a variant human.
- Background: I knew I wanted something different than the outlander... After some thought, I went with criminal. But I did not want her to be a burglar, but a highwayman... That was cool. Thus, she grew up, fell in with some bad folks, then later became a Green Knight...
- Name: I wanted something interesting that told a story... so I went with "Villaine" meaning "Bad Girl" which I thought brought the concept together...

Villaine Villaine was born outside the city of Tarsyn to a family of honest farmers. Not interested in the toils of her family, she joined a group of bandits and became a highwayman, taking the name "Villaine"to protect her family from retribution. One day, she met a Green Knights, and she became enamored with the idea of being a champion of nature.

Turns out, she was very much needed for the adventure and really helped the party throughout our adventure in the forest. The adventure was filled with fey spirits and interesting challenges that made for an interesting afternoon of D&D fun.

I hope to revisit her in the future.

[Kinda Book Review] Essential Avengers Vol 6

The Avengers are a constantly revolving door of a group. There are some stories that are very exciting... but this is not it. It's an in-between set of stories with a LOT of exposition that happens between the events of the major characters' own albums.

For 4-5 issues (2 of them 'Giant-Sized Avengers') they go about talking about the backstories of two characters: the Vision (some interest) and Mantis (not interesting). And It's long. I mean... boringly long, with the people talking and looking as they travel through time... GUH!

I hoped that Kang's appearance would add some interest, but not really. The death of the Swordsman also added nothing (he's back in 1 issue-ish). Captain America shows up, just to tell us of the cool stuff in his title.

Frankly, it was not TERRIBLE, but it wasn't good.

I will rank this a 2/5. It's much more boring than a 3.

[Crown of Tears] Under the Weaver's Shop

After much debate, the party decided to garner goodwill by helping out Fatima the Weaver. After a lovely discussion over tea and scones, where the PCs discovered more secrets, they entered the basement.

They uncovered a secret/unknown section crypt with several unique/ ancient elements.

But the oddest discovery (so far) was when they broke a stole stela and discovered a strange being encased within, entombed in salt...

[Crown of Tears] Word from Darveshnagar Oct 7

Before the start of our weekly game, the PCs, as a legitimate forces, received a few letters from locals asking for their help.

[Crown of Tears] Offers of Patronage

After clearing the Tower of St Edras, our heroes decided to settle here. They received three offer letters to receive funds and money to help fix the tower.

Who will they chose?

[Kinda Book Report] Beowulf

I received this a few years ago from Santa. Beowulf is a poem that is VERY interesting. I got a modern interpretation and will be honest in saying that I was hesitant to read a poem. I dislike poetry, it's just... not my thing. Any interest in it was crushed in Secondary 4 (10th grade)... Long ago...

Now we all know the story of Beowulf. A prince of the Geats who goes to Hroathar's hall and defeats Grendel, then Grendel's mother.

Now, I will admit that I found myself enjoying this book much more than I thought.

What I learned about the story is that it is one of the only book in Old English rescued from ~700AD. There are nods to a richer litterary tradition that is now lost to us. References to people we don't know about anymore. Links to events we forget about. I did not know that. There is so much we just do not know about it.

The story is well-known, but reading as close to the source material as possible is awesome. Gives you a snapshot of mankind in the past. What people thought at the time... What was important to them. What they believed. And Beowulf is no exception.

Not much more to say... I liked it. I would give it a 3.5, which rounds out to 4/5.

Grendel is the topic of one of my inspirational songs... From this post from 2015

[Crown of Tears] The Tower of St. Edras Part 1

Our heroes left civilization to explore and see if they could claim the Tower of St. Edras for themselves.

Their avaricious gazes sought the bounty of 5M for each troglodyte right hand, some hoped to get rich quick.

Finally, the tower came into view. It suffered from previous damage, as half of the building had collapsed, leaving one side open to the elements.

Waiting for them were three human bodies impaled on long stakes.

The Tower of St. Edras is not undefended...

[Crown of Tears] Some Wanted Posters

Some simple wanted posters I did for the campaign.

[Crown of Tears] Kickoff of the Tarsyn Campaign

This past Tuesday, we kicked off the new campaign, set in FOE's new Tarsyn Campaign setting.

The heroes were hired by a merchant to escort wagons carrying various supplies to the village of Darveshnagar on the border of the Mists. To their great dismay, what should have been a rather simple two-day trip was made much worse by the unexpected arrival of rain - sudden weather changes are not uncommon along the borders.

While they walked along the Darvesh River, a band of troglodyte warriors ambushed them. A furious battle broke out.

As night was soon to fall, they decided to rest in the ruin of a tower by the river, where again the trogolodytes came and attacked them, this time led by one of their druids and a massive dinosaur monster that blasted them. These creatures made a serious impact.

Questions remain... what were the troglodytes trying to steal? Why?

In the morning, they finally reached their destination and received payment.

[Kinda Book Report] African Samurai by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard

I got this book in a trade for one of mine. I was interested in learning more about Yasuke, the African Samurai. Where do I begin to talk about how bad this book is... And how much I got screwed in the deal.

First off, it is more interested in not offending modern audiences and apologizing rather than explaining the realities of the era and letting the reader discern what he wants to think about it.

Second, we are presented with the history of a minor character among several very interesting characters. In fairness, they list their sources at the end and admit most of it is made up of conjecture.

Yasuke is presented as a Gary-Lou. He's always perfect. Makes the right thing. Does the right thing. Is on the right side of decisions all the time. Things always turns out right for him, except where the sources explicitly tell us.

All Europeans are presented as two-dimensional, moustache-twirling villains with dark ulterior motives for everything they do.

The "ending" include a number of fan-fiction possibilities of what may have happened to Yasuke.

In one section, I woke up my wife because they spend 2 pages arguing whether Yasuke was gay, but without proof - which they admit later. Pure speculation and conjecture. Most of this book is just that... Speculative fiction.

Did Yasuke exist? Yes?

Did most of what in this book happen? Maybe...

I would have up-voted with if this was the 10-page book of real material about Yasuke, not a 472 page book. I hope to get something from the secondhand bookstore.

In short, this is book is garbage. 1/5. I could not wait to be done with it.

[Olympia Campaign] The Campaign Timeline

Day	Event/Location
0	The heroes meet the nymph Eunice and learn of the 60 day. Topsia brought back to life.
5	The heroes reach Athenion.
7	Research. Topsia leaves the crews.
10	Good Vibes meet a ship filled with shades.
12	Island of Aeon and the Time stone taken by Nausicaa. See More
13	Island of Barea where the PCs encounter Minosian smugglers and the city raze by keltoi raiders. Aleksi joins the crew.
14	The heroes meet Thalassia the Sea Witch who sends them to the Temple of Poseidon for the Pearl of Tides. See More
17	Island of Vulcanis where they meet the fire giant oracle. See More
18	The heroes visit the volcano and obtained the heart of eternal flame. See More
20	Island of Eurygone the Enchantress who is revealed to be a lich.
22	Island of Tudokos. Leth becomes the fowl master. See More
23	Good Vibes encounter the Amazon merchant Jocasta.
24	Attacked at night by Kraken cultists. Sleepless night.
25	Island of the sirens. See More
26	Island of Pyranthos with its many ruins and the drowned temple of Gaia. The island is the navel of the world.
27	Temple of Selene - Death of Celeste
28	Exploration of the crypts leading into the crypts and backdoor to the Temple of Gaia.
29	Temple of Gaia and recovery of the Earthshard Amulet See More
30	Battle of Pyranthos. See More
31	Island of the centaurs.
32	Thalassia the Sea Witch attacks the Good Vibes.
33	Met pirates posing as Athenian sailors.
34	Spotted and avoided a ghost ship.
35	Island of Thalassos and recovery of the Tear of Artemis. See More
36	The heroes meet the Radiant Star.
38	Spotted a Minosian ship.
39	Island of Regrets. Confrontation with Nausicaa.
40	Colossus of Appolo. Met Fishermen boat and dug for treasure. Explored the Temple of Xanthus. Found approximate location of the Oracle. See More
41	Spotted a submerged city.
42	Rough weather impeded sailing.
43	Island with a strange city and explored a shipwreck. See More
45	Arrival in Athenion and found Piraeus deserted and abandonned. Capture a village and took Theos the mage prisoner, then released him. See More
46	Found guards in the orchard as they are sent away. Crossed the vineyard and fight the maenads. See More Encounter a shield guardian but leave him. Visit an old tomb looking for the enemy war chest. See More
48	Dealt with the Oathbreaker in Hera's Grove. See More Village of Megara. Meeting with the cryoad queen Nissara and her white dragon, Amenokrystos. Found the next oracle, Topsia, and rescue her. Death of Aleksi's sister, Logius' innkeeper's wife, and Celeste's sister, killed by Amenokrystos. See More
49	The group is separated by a battle between the Athenian army and titanic forces led by Enyale, some visit the Temple of the One-Eyed Oracle See More and others the Vault of the Jade Prince (See More).
50	The heroes regroup in the village of Kolkis and meet the strategos Theomachis, refusing his offer to help his army.
51	Battle at the bridge. The heroes return to the Good Vibes. See More
52	Sailing into a time warp bubble, the Good Vibes advances little. While beached for the night, the heroes face and defeat the Titaness Enyale, binding her with a ritual found in the Vault of the Jade Prince. See More
53	Another time warp broken before the heroes make it to Eleusis. They help people on-board the ship while they met with General Kassandros. They made an agreement to take out Opyros, the titan general blocking the isthmus leading to Aeolia.
54	The Athenian cavalry draw out parts of the titanic cavalry and the heroes defeat Opyros. They meet Nausicaa in the Titans and turn down her offer to walk away. See More
55	Passed through Chatos, home village of Leth. Met Kaunos the Spartian whose unit was annihilated by the Titan forces. He joins the heroes. Leth receives visions of Bia the Titaness. See More
56	Entered Ekkos, but retreated and flew over it. Dragons spotted flying above. Rest next to the Crack of Dreams.
57	Encounter with two dragon, a blue one revealed to be Hera, and Amenokrystos. Slew a pack of goblins terrorizing a hippogriff. Met Eumenes of Delfos, leading the resistance with farmers and a few allies (including goblins).
58	The heroes enter an inn in the New City to rest.
59	Bia rises, lifting the Old City on her shoulders. Birth of Leth's three-headed dire chicken son Leth III. The heroes kill Nissara outside the temple of Apollo. They enter the temple of Apollo confrontation with Nausicaa. Heroic sacrifice of Leth III. The PCs confront Nausicaa in the temple of Apollo transported inside Primordial Kaos, leading to a Mythic battle with the priestess of the Titans. Nausicaa was defeated but before she could be killed, Kronus pulled her away, ending her current plot, but guaranteeing the heroes' victory.
Epilogue	Topsia made the new Great Oracle. Servants of the gods again have access to divination and oracular powers. - Aleksi was given the location of Amenokrystos' lair in Titania. - Arboros' learned of the possible location of Pan's flute. - Celeste left for parts unknown. - Cenathon turned into a tree by a peaceful vale where the nymphs come to sing around him at night. - Leth left to find his son in Korins - Logius is given a position at the temple of Dionysus to oversee the oracles.
Congrats to: ActionMan (Logius, Son of Dionysus, Monk-Drunken Master, Former Oracle) Adam-W (Arboros, Titanborn, Shepherd Druid) Chris-K (Aleksi, Son of Hermes, Wizard-War mage, Sage) Elizabeth-U (Celeste, Nymph, Rogue-Thief, Scavenger) Gage-L (Leth, Human, Cleric of Hades, Afflicted) Sarah-R (Cenathon, Son of Appolo, Paladin-Oath of the Ancients, Folk Hero) and Piper-R (Topsia, Medusan, Wizard-Illusionist) Thanks to the British Shark for the party art.